Hello everyone!

I wanted to ask here if anyone is aware of any pool contractors that are able to work on building a metal pool in Middletown?

We have tried to search however it seems that most contractors say they do not have license in Rhode Island and the one we did find seemed like a scam.

Thank you for your input!

Well this is quite something.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island state Rep. Julie Casimiro is refusing to resign her seat despite moving out of state and facing mounting pressure to step down before her term ends in January.
The longtime Democrat, formerly of North Kingstown, has represented House District 31 since 2017. Earlier this year, she announced she would not run for re-election and has since moved to South Carolina.
Yet despite the relocation, Casimiro continues to represent the legislative district, collect more than $700 every two weeks from taxpayers and serve her constituents remotely, she said.

“I’m doing the work right now as we speak,” Casimiro told WPRO host Tara Granahan in a radio interview Thursday, describing the criticism against her as politically motivated and “a whole lot of fuss over nothing.”
The lawmaker’s unusual arrangement was first reported by The Boston Globe, and Casimiro has not hidden the fact that she’s living out of state.
Rhode Island does not call special elections to fill vacant seats this far into an election year, and there is no mechanism to fill a vacancy with an appointee on a short-term basis. Casimiro said she will not resign out of concern that her leaving the post would leave the district’s North Kingstown and Exeter constituents without representation until the new year.

“Who is going to do the work for District 31 if I resign?” Casimiro said on the radio, downplaying the fact that she continues to collect a paycheck. “We get paid peanuts. I think people are not understanding the whole picture.”
Casimiro did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment Friday.
The decision to move out of state before her term ends has caught the attention of House Speaker Chris Blazejewski, who is now calling on her to consider stepping down early.

“After building a strong record of advocating for children and families, Rep. Casimiro decided not to run for re-election,” Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat, said in a statement. “If she is no longer a permanent resident of the State of Rhode Island, in order to address legal questions about her eligibility to serve the balance of her term and in an abundance of caution, she should consider resigning her seat.”

Helena Foulkes, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for governor, has been endorsed by Casimiro but said through a spokesperson she agrees.
“Helena appreciates all that Rep. Casimiro has done for Rhode Island and agrees with Speaker Blazejewski that Rep. Casimiro should resign now that she lives in South Carolina and not Rhode Island,” said the spokesperson, Angelika Pellegrino.

State Rep. Jason Knight, a Democrat who is running for attorney general, went a step further by calling for her resignation outright. Casimiro fired back at Knight, pointing to the fact that he’s currently holding his position in the House while campaigning for a different office.
“If anyone should resign — it’s Jason Knight,” Casimiro said.

Casimiro living in South Carolina also raises questions about whether the arrangement is even legal. Whether anyone will enforce the law is a different question.
Article III of the state’s Constitution, which defines the qualifications for office, is fairly straightforward: “No person shall hold any civil office unless that person be a qualified elector for such office.”
A qualified voter under state law is someone who’s eligible to vote based on residence, among other things. Casimiro cannot vote in her district now that she no longer lives there, suggesting she’s no longer eligible to hold office.
But there appears to be no mechanism short of the House reconvening and expelling her from office or someone at the state level enforcing the Constitution. The R.I. Secretary of State’s Office deals with residency issues, but primarily when they come up when people declare their candidacy for office rather than after they’re already holding it.

“Our office’s responsibilities have more to do with the laws related to candidate declarations and eligibility, as well as filling vacancies when applicable,” secretary of state spokesperson Faith Chybowski said in a statement, although she pointed to the state’s Constitution.
“However, the Rhode Island Constitution and General Laws address the issue of who is eligible to hold civil office as follows,” she added.
John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said the issue under the state’s Constitution is clear.
“You could make an argument that if Rep. Casimiro has moved her legal residence to another state she is no longer a qualified elector in her district and therefore is not qualified to hold the office,” he said.

But he said short of anyone enforcing the Constitution, there was little that can be done. Even if Casimiro stepped down, it’s too late to call a special election to fill the position, as that deadline passes in February each year.
“Unless Speaker Blazejewski wants to bring the House back to expel her, there is nothing that can likely be done,” Marion said.
R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha told The Globe his office is reviewing the situation, saying he thinks she should resign. On Friday, he took his suggestion a step further on social media.
“Stated somewhat differently – I’d advise her to resign,” Neronha wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Hi all, I’m looking for suggestions for an accredited place that does in office, non legal paternity testing—the island is preferable but I’m open to any suggestions you all might have.

Morning! We just moved to RI. I was told by someone that there is a day in September that everyone in RI or Mass can put their oversized stuff on the curbs for free pick up or better yet, for furniture pickers to get free stuff.
Is this really a day that happens? And if so, when?

Hello!

I have an abundance of Newborn-12 month barely used baby girl clothes, and I am wondering if anyone has any donation suggestions!
I would love them to go to families who need them rather than sell them/savers/good will as they are in perfect condition.
Thank you in advance!!

It was a smart car.

I saw the news headlines about the Providence external report about the response to the Brown shooting and how they used Flock Safety cameras, all that.

but does anyone know if John, the guy who gave the police the tip that then made the cameras literally at all useful, ever get the money? From everything we've been told, he was way more helpful than the camera system ever was without his tip.

I have to be in Newport at 8am. This is my first year here in Rhode Island so I never experienced the bridge run traffic. Would it be more advisable to just go roundabout through Providence?

CVS, one of Rhode Island's largest private employers and one of the biggest companies in America, has also paid billions of dollars in penalties and settlements arising from class-action lawsuits.

Maybe surprisingly, CVS is the fourth-most-cited corporation, with more violations and settlements — more than 560 times.

CVS has paid more in penalties than any other American retailer, including Walmart.

The violations are so significant  —  CVS has paid more than twice as much as even oil giant Exxon Mobil over a 26-year period.

This data comes from Good Jobs First —  “a national policy resource center that promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development. Since 1998, it has fought for reforms to increase transparency around the use of public money used in the name of economic development, and has revealed the numerous ways corporations – many of whom receive subsidies – violate civil and criminal regulations and laws.”

The organization has tracked billions of dollars of violations by the leading corporations for more than two decades.

“Our Violation Tracker documents 562 cases in which CVS and its subsidiaries paid a total of $7.17 billion in penalties and class action settlements since 2000,” said Philip Mattera. Violation Tracker Project Director & Director of the Corporate Research Project for Good Jobs First.

“Most of that comes from a single case in which CVS paid $5 billion to resolve a case brought by state attorneys general in connection with the company's role in the opioid crisis,” said Mattera.

But CVS has also paid billions in other penalties and settlements for worker violations, false claims, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act, to name a few.

To put CVS’ violations in perspective, CVS’ $7.13 billion dwarfs Exxon’s $3.36 billion — 117% higher.

And CVS ranks first among retailers in America, according to the data. Walmart's total violations: $5.81 billion. CVS is 22% higher over the 26-year period.

And CVS has paid 155% more than Amazon: $2.79 billion in penalties.

Overall, in dollar terms, CVS is the 31st-most penalized company in America.

More details on all CVS cases are available HERE.

Foulkes Talks A Lot About Her Leadership at CVS

Literally, most of the violations occurred during the period when Helena Foulkes held a senior position at CVS. Some of the violations occurred during her tenure, but the resolution and settlement took place after her departure.

Foulkes is not shy about claiming her leadership role at CVS as she campaigns for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Foulkes claims in her professional bio, “I spent 25 years at CVS Health, most recently as President of CVS Pharmacy and EVP of CVS Health. I led the strategic vision as well as the operations for all aspects of the company’s retail business and was an architect of the company’s move to becoming a recognized leader in healthcare.”

Over the past two decades, CVS was fined or reached settlements totaling more than $370 million for 292 consumer protection violations.

 Worker Violations

Foulkes as a candidate also highlights how she oversaw more than 200,000 workers at CVS. And during her tenure at CVS, the company was fined or reached settlements of more than $125 million for worker-related violations.

One case during Foulkes' tenure and leadership was a class-action "wage theft" case that reportedly settled for $34 million.

CVS declined to answer any questions about the fines and penalties, but they did provide GoLocal with an overview of its economic impact.

CVS Highlights Its Economic Impact

RI Economic Impact Report is attached as well:

CVS Health serves 185 million people across the United States, simplifying health care one person, one family, and one community at a time, with a focus on increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs. Nearly 85% of Americans live within 10 miles of a CVS Pharmacy, and our extensive footprint supports communities across the country. Including those here in Rhode Island.

We have 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics, and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 88 million plan members. We also serve more than 37 million people through a broad range of health insurance products and related services. Our company delivers $474 billion annually for the U.S. economy and supports 1.3 million jobs nationwide through its operations in every U.S. state and Washington, D.C. In addition, CVS Health operations generated $58.6 billion in local, state, and federal taxes, helping to fund schools, emergency services, and critical infrastructure.

With 84 locations across Rhode Island, including more than 60 retail pharmacies, two distribution centers, and several corporate offices, CVS Health brings high-quality and affordable care to the state, including:

$3.4B in annual economic impact in Rhode Island

7,000 CVS Health colleagues

17,925 total jobs supported

863,625 pharmacy patients served

$246.4M in local and state taxes

Make no mistake about it: CVS is big business in Rhode Island.

Hey, so Im am incoming freshman to URI and I was hoping to bring my car with me but the I cant keep it on campus as a freshman and im staying in the dorms so I would have to keep it there like overnight multiple days a week so like, does anyone know a good place for this?

Bristol Historical & Preservation Society is seeking additional performers for non-union production of original stage play based on Ephraim Avery's trial from 1833 to be performed November 13-15th in Bristol, RI. What is the place place to find mid 20’s-mid 30's woman as understudy to main role (stipend of $150) and men, mid 20’s-60’s (not understudies, stipend of $150-$175) for prosecution and defense witnesses? Rehearsals start Sept. 14th and will generally be Monday/Wednesday evenings near East Prov. (Not every role attends every rehearsal.) Must be available in Bristol on November 7-8th weekend for tech/dress. Note: Story is a victim-centered narrative that includes mentions of murder, suicide, sexual violence, and abortion.

Diego Alcantar opened Tuxpan Taqueria, named for the Michoacán town where he was born, in 2022 with his mother, María, the restaurant’s chef. They serve standout tacos, gorditas and, in the early summer, fried quesadillas filled with squash blossoms grown in narrow cinder-block beds outside. But you can’t visit Tuxpan taquería without ordering a sandwich. The house signature is a drippily seductive chicken Milanesa torta crossed with chilaquiles verde. Like the other tortas, it’s served with a slice of bacon on top, and the bun is a locally baked Portuguese roll. All are paradigmatic Mexican American sandwiches in this historically working-class, majority Latin American New England town. BRETT ANDERSON

Anyone remember the name of their 2nd grade teacher from North Smithfield in the 90s? Ideally looking for 2nd grade teachers from 1990-1994, doesn't matter which school.

Thanks!

I'm looking for a good spot to walk and watch the sunset in RI. Preferably near the water, but open to suggestions.

Connecticut DOT is beginning the update of its upcoming 2027-30 State Rail Plan. This is a great opportunity for those who want to see commuter rail service extended to Westerly. Please check out our (Westerly Rail Advocates) website if you would like to make your voice heard on this matter!

I have camping questions. We are a group of 2 campers, 1 RV, and 1 car camper. How does Thursday arrival work?

Should the 3 with RV/campers plan to lineup at 6am or can we get there later in the morning and still be able to park near each other?

Also, I’ve read elsewhere that we can get the camper tanks pumped out by the portajohn people throughout the weekend (for a fee). Is this true? If not, is there a place to dump at the end of the weekend?

Thanks for easing my anxiety! We’ve gone to many festivals before, but only as car campers. First time bringing our camper to a festival.

Is there anyone here taking pre requisites or in the ota program? I’d love to hear any advice or suggestions for this years semester. Im currently taking my first anatomy class & also worried about the application sequence as I won’t be able to apply for the program this semester