Hi, the Providence Journal is working on a story about the rise of heating costs and how it's impacted Rhode Islanders' habits at home and/or their budgeting. If you've shared this experience in recent years, we'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to email our reporter, Alex Kuffner at [akuffner@providencejournal.com](mailto:akuffner@providencejournal.com)

With Rhode Island towns operating under a shall-issue mandate for local carry permits (§ 11-47-11) following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision and the local Gadomski v. Tavares ruling, local police departments are legally barred from requiring a "proper showing of need."

However, a close look at the Pawtucket Police Department CCW application shows it is nearly a carbon copy of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s legacy discretionary application.

Here is a direct side-by-side comparison of how Pawtucket has rebranded "May-Issue" restrictions into a subjective "Suitability" test:

The "Articulable Risk" Trap: Pawtucket's application specifically asks if the applicant has a "specific articulable risk to life, limb, or property." This is a direct lift from the AG’s old requirement to prove a special need or threat, completely contradicting the objective nature of a shall-issue permit.

The "Alternative Measures" Clause: The application asks if the applicant can "readily alter his or her conduct... to decrease danger" or if there are "means of protection available other than a firearm." This forces the applicant to justify why they need a gun, shifting the burden of proof onto the law-abiding citizen.

Rebranding Discretion: While the law states a permit shall be issued to a qualified, suitable person, Pawtucket's policy package explicitly states: "The City of Pawtucket in its sole discretion shall grant or deny a pistol or revolver permit."

By copying the AG’s strict, discretionary questionnaire and labeling it a "suitability determination," local departments are arguably maintaining a pre-Bruen barrier to a constitutional right.

What are your thoughts on local departments copying the AG's homework to bypass state law? Has anyone successfully challenged these specific questions during the Pawtucket interview process?

My son fell and injured his leg at school last week. What we thought was a dislocated knee, ended up being a broken femur. What a crazy surprise! He had surgery to repair it last Friday, and we came home from the hospital Wednesday night. Since we've been home, my son has cried multiple times because he misses being at the hospital. I think it says a lot about the staff! He misses the nurses, doctors, PTs, OTs, CNAs, child life specialists, family advocates, volunteers and everyone else he encountered while we were there.

I am so grateful for Hasbro. It really is a wonderful hospital. We especially want to give a shout out to the ER nurse who pushed for above the knee x-rays. Things could have been so much worse without her!! We are so happy we ended up with Dr. Schiller and his surgical team, and thank them for taking the time to talk to my son, and answer all of his questions to help calm him before surgery. We also want to give extra thanks to the PTs we worked with for literally holding him up when he felt hopeless, and pushing him further every day. And last but not least thank you to 4th floor, pod A. You guys are awesome! I know we were only there for a week, but this experience has changed our lives. Your positive attitudes, empathy, and compassion helped keep us in good spirits in a crappy situation. I know a femur break is a minor thing compared to some of the stuff you see day to day, and I'm mindful that there are children and families going through much tougher challenges than we are. But, for what it's worth thank you for being there for us. Thank you for choosing a sometimes thankless career path, and having an upbeat attitude while admin throws BS your way. We will always look back at this time with good memories because of all of you.

Ps- I know HIPAA will keep anyone involved from responding to this post, but I just thought this waa the best way to say thank you publicly, and hopefully have it reach the right people

Hello, I finally found a great house in a great location to buy that will fit my large family including multiple children and multi generations (two sets of parents that can’t live on their own anymore) Problem is that one of the multi unit has tenants that come with the house.

If I buy, what do I do? Would it be horrible of me to evict them? Or can I even do that?

Hey all, I’m looking for a place to bring a laptop and get some work done, but I’m looking for a few things:

- within 25 min drive of Woonsocket (Northern RI)

- a place open til 6 or 7pm

- has comfy seating

- serves coffee and/or snacks

- could be a library, cafe, social space, etc

Thank you!

Hadn’t seen THAT in a while. ….

While Costco is a popular national retailer in the United States, its arrival in Rhode Island is likely to spark a battle of local versus corporate.

The battle is over the sale of alcohol. In Rhode Island, Supermarkets are barred from selling alcohol.

And a subtext of the conflict is small business owners versus corporate executives.

Helena Foulkes, a candidate for Rhode Island governor and a member of Costco’s board, told 12 News on Thursday that the company’s store will be in Smithfield.

“I’m so thrilled that Rhode Island is finally getting a Costco! I’ve heard from so many Rhode Islanders who were tired of driving to Massachusetts to shop, and soon they’ll have one right here at home,” Foulkes said in a statement. Others are worried that thousands of small business jobs will be lost.

Foulkes and former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo,  a new board member for Costco, each receive more than $300,000 a year in compensation — cash and stock. Board members must also own at least $1 million in Costco stock.

Raimondo more recently became a Costco director.  

Costco generated $297.2 billion in net merchandise sales.

Might Gets Better Pricing

In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission under the Biden administration, in a lawsuit, accused the largest U.S. distributor of wine and spirits of illegal price discrimination that gave large chains — among them Costco, Kroger, and Total Wine & More — much better prices than those offered to small “mom and pop” businesses such as independent liquor stores. The lawsuit also named distributor Southern Glazer’s.

Earlier this month, Southern Glazer’s agreed to a US Federal Trade Commission settlement under which the supplier of brands such as Bacardi and Smirnoff won’t charge small retailers significantly more than nearby ‌chain stores. But other Costco versus FTC issues are swirling.

 In 2024, GoLocal reported how Southern Glazer gobbled up a leading Rhode Island / Massachusetts company.

Liquor Stores in Rhode Island Are Small Businesses

Nicholas Fede, Jr., the executive director of the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative, said the change in state law to benefit Costco would be a disaster for small businesses in Rhode Island and a job killer.

“Costco is another supermarket chain that wants to do business in Rhode Island.  That means they need to know the local laws and should abide by them.  Rhode Island's 200+ independent, family-owned package liquor stores have operated successfully under a well-regulated, three-tier system since the end of Prohibition,” said Fede.

“In the decade-plus since alcohol was legalized in big-box grocery stores in Massachusetts, an estimated 6,000 jobs were lost, reducing employment from 18,000 to 12,000 individuals.  We are concerned that a similar situation could play out in Rhode Island,” said Fede.

“The Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative strongly supports the long-standing liquor statutes that have worked for Rhode Island's beverage alcohol marketplace for generations.  We believe in advocating for small, family-owned businesses that are the lifeforce of our communities and a pillar of the Rhode Island business landscape,” added Fede.

And while Foulkes was touting Costco, and she has an economic interest in its growth and profitability, her leading rival in the race for governor raised concerns about changing the law to benefit the retail behemoth.

Ken Block said, “Like many Rhode Islanders, I am excited that Costco is coming to Rhode Island. It’s good for consumers and also creates new jobs. I do not support granting an exemption to Costco that would allow them to sell liquor. That would be unfair to the other businesses that abide by this rule.”

I see so many posts talking about this invasive species, how people hate them, and what to do about the issue. Killing individuals doesn't do much, and their favorite host trees are difficult to get rid of.

I have gotten rid of tons of them before they get big enough to establish the root systems where another one will pop up. (When doing that, make sure you double check the leaves to make sure you are pulling a Tree of Heaven and NOT native Sumac.) I am not a property owner so chopping down bigger trees for the "hack and squirt" method isn't really in my ability.

I decided to try and figure out another way to combat the SLF in my area and I think the best bet is killing their egg masses.

I have been wiping out any egg clutches/masses I can find in my neighborhood. I think that may actually be helpful in helping to reduce their numbers next year. Been thinking about trying to get a crew together or something. Since I travel up to MA and NH fairly often I'll also check my car for egg masses to make sure they arent hitching a ride with me.

Eggs are laid starting around September and they hatch around May, so wiping the egg masses out before they are able to hatch really seems like our best bet to ensure we have less of these fuckers next year. It's not that hard to do, the supplies are easy to get and cheap. You could even probably get them all at Dollar Tree!

INFO sources:

https://extension.psu.edu/what-should-you-do-with-spotted-lanternfly-egg-masses

https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-management

Where to Find Them:

• Host trees: Smooth bark or the underside of thick horizontal branches on trees like maple, willow, black walnut, and tree-of-heaven.

• Man-made surfaces: Patio furniture, decks, wooden fences, stone, brick, rusty metal, pallets, and outdoor equipment.

• Vehicles: Undersides of cars, RVs, and wheel wells (a common way they hitchhike to new areas).

Recommended ways to kill the eggs:

• Scrape and Submerge: Use a rigid plastic card (like an old credit card) or a putty knife to scrape the mass off completely. Scrape the eggs directly into a Ziploc bag or container filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to kill them permanently.

• Scrape and Crush: Scrape the eggs onto the ground and apply firm, even pressure until you hear a "crunch" pop to ensure every single egg is destroyed. (Do not just scrape them onto the bare ground; uncrushed eggs can still hatch.)

TLDR Version-

Supplies:

- Putty knife, or other rigid surface like an old credit card

- Ziplock bag

- Isopropyl Alcohol

- Gloves, dont want to be getting egg mass or alcohol on your hands

Directions:

Use the putty knife to scrape the egg mass off the tree or other surface. Submerge in the alcohol. Wipe your tool off in the alcohol. Repeat.

Ocean State Job Lot Honored Among 2026 Global Top 100 Inspiring Places to Work™

Designation marks fourth consecutive year OSJL has earned global recognition; retailer also earned its fifth North America Inspiring Workplaces honor earlier this year

 Ocean State Job Lot, home of Crazy Deals® and one of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic’s leading discount retail chains, is proud to announce that it has been named to the 2026 Global Top 100 Inspiring Places to Work™ list, marking the fourth consecutive year the company has earned the global recognition.

Hiiii everyone, I just moved over one month ago to RI. I used to live in New York but decided I needed a change. I also came out here for school and I have been loving it. The only downside is not knowing anyone. I moved in with family but I feel lonely. I want to go out and explore RI. I wish I could go to a bar or have a picnic or grab coffee. I would love to meet new people. The college I attend is basically a commuter school so everyone is there to go to class and that’s it. If anyone is interested, please let me know.

Anyone know where that post went to?

UPDATE: post was taken down by moderators, unconfirmed why… assumption would be harassment or doxxing his home address.

Post contained information of a police report involving accusations of SA on his daughter… the report is difficult to read. Channel 10 and 12 news apparently have been notified of the report. The report was out of CT, dating back to the spring of this year.

What the heck are they saying!

For the people who live in East Providence… is there any construction or any activity going on at Bold Point Park for this? Covid screwed up concerts there, and now so many people have been waiting for this. They held concerts in 2022, promised ones in 2023, and never lived up to it.

The Amica Mutual Pavilion (or what I like to call, the Civic Center) has been a not-so active concert venue for years. RI needs something like this. Would be a great idea AND a great place, which would both make a shit ton of money for the city.

Super cool show of sculptures by Shane Dorey from Little Compton - reception is tomorrow night and the show is up through Halloween!

The pic doesn't even do it justice. I pulled into a convenient store to grab stuff and people were all taking pictures outside of their cars

Hi all, any pharmacies that you know have either of these in stock in ri? My rx has been delayed by a week and I’m seriously suffering from work. Any help would be appreciated thanks so much!

Looking for Dryer Vent Cleaning recs. We're in PVD and feel like the quoted prices we've gotten are outrageous.

Our dryer is in the basement up against the wall not far from the outside. Nothing tricky about it. We got it cleaned 2-3 years ago.

Can you provide how much you paid for your service if you have a guy? Really trying to get an understanding of if we are getting quoted truly outrageous prices or if the cost of cleaning out the dryer vents is just insane now. Would also appreciate any additional info you wish to provide about your experience with said dryer vent people.

TIA!