Tag Archives: Rhode Island

The Providence Journal reports: Calling his crimes egregious and an enormous violation of the trust to the parishioners he once served, a federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a former Roman Catholic priest to serve six years in prison. “I’m strongly inclined to give you more than that,” U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith said in sentencing Rev. James Ward …

The Providence Journal reports: A former Providence Catholic priest pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal child pornography charge, days before his case was slated to head to trial. James W. Jackson, 68, a former pastor at St. Mary’s Church, admitted to a felony count of receiving child pornography. Rhode Island State Police arrested Jackson in October 2021 following an investigation …

The Providence Journal reports: Authorities held a 41-year-old former Cranston councilman without bail on Thursday after he was charged with multiple counts of child molestation. A complaint filed by the legal guardian of a 12-year-old girl led to a month-long investigation and Thursday morning’s arrest of Matthew Reilly in North Kingstown, said Cranston police Chief Michael J. Winquist. This was …

Providence’s CBS affiliate reports: The Cranston councilman who was reportedly caught smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine in his car Monday morning has resigned as the chairman of the Cranston Republican Party. Matthew Reilly, 41, was arrested after he was found unconscious in his car with a glass pipe and lighter in his hand, according to police. Police also …

Providence’s CBS affiliate reports: Cranston City Councilman Matthew Reilly was arrested Monday morning after he was reportedly caught smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine in his car. Reilly, 41, was taken into custody Monday afternoon shortly after a passerby alerted an officer patrolling Pontiac Avenue that a man parked across the street appeared to be choking. The officer walked …

Providence’s NBC affiliate reports: In a bombshell announcement that will shake up Rhode Island politics, Congressman David Cicilline announced Tuesday morning he will become the next president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, leaving the U.S. House after over a decade. Cicilline, first elected in 2010, said he will leave Congress on June 1. His staff will continue to …

Providence’s CBS affiliate reports: A former Providence priest already facing federal child pornography charges has been arrested again and is being returned to Rhode Island for violating the conditions of his release. The Rev. James Jackson was arrested in Kansas on Friday, according to a court filing. Danielle Thomas, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas, said in …

From the Justice Department: A Rhode Island man was arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election. Bernard Joseph …

NBC News reports: An off-duty Rhode Island police officer who was running for state Senate was arrested on an assault charge after allegedly attacking his female opponent during an abortion rights protest Friday night. Providence police patrolman Jeann Lugo, 35, was arrested on charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct, state police said Saturday night. Lugo turned himself in, was …

Providence’s CBS affiliate reports: A Providence police officer and political candidate has been placed on administrative leave after he reportedly assaulted a woman outside the Rhode Island State House Friday night. The Providence Police Department has confirmed that officer Jeann Lugo, a Republican who is running for state Senate, was placed on paid leave Saturday morning. Lugo, according to police, …

The Providence Journal reports: H. Russell Taub, the onetime Republican congressional candidate who was imprisoned for defrauding political donors three years ago, illegally sought help from Russian intelligence in his failed bid to unseat U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in 2016, the Federal Election Commission has found. A few months before the November 2016 general election, Taub sent a direct message …

Raw Story reports: Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee (D) is scheduled to deliver an address and take questions Thursday, but the event was crashed by anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters who refused to leave. One of the men was wearing a Rhode Island Freedom Fighters hoodie. The group is made up of healthcare workers who refused to get vaccinated after being …

AccuWeather reports: Henri was racing full steam ahead over the open Atlantic early Sunday morning, headed north toward a rare landfall in New England. AccuWeather meteorologists say that dangerous impacts are already underway for parts of the Northeast. As of Sunday morning, Connecticut Governor, Ned Lamont, has implemented a travel ban on I-95 for all empty tractor trailers, tandem tractor …

The Associated Press reports: A statewide referendum that would shorten Rhode Island’s official name was approved by voters on Election Day. With 100-percent of precincts reporting, nearly 53-percent of voters approved a ballot question to remove Providence Plantations from its name. Advocates say the word plantation evokes images of slavery in the state. Opponents argued that the word instead is …

New Hampshire Public Radio reports: A flotilla of about a hundred boats paraded across Narragansett Bay on Sunday afternoon in a rally supporting President Donald Trump. Roughly two thousand onlookers cheered from the shore. The event, which was organized on Facebook, was called “Trump Boat Rally in RI Lets turn the Bay RED!!!” Along the route, some boaters tossed chum …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday left in place a lower-court ruling that relaxes voting restrictions in Rhode Island during the coronavirus pandemic. The justices rejected an emergency request made by the Republican National Committee and the state’s Republican Party. The decision means that mail-in ballots will not, as usual, have to be accompanied by the signatures of …

NBC News reports: Rhode Island’s National Guard and state police are stopping motorists with New York license plates and going door-to-door to find people who may have traveled recently from the state. The enforcement actions come after Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered that anyone who has moved from New York state to Rhode Island in the past two weeks must self-quarantine …

The Providence Journal reports: The Rhode Island Department of Health has announced the state’s first “presumptive positive” case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The person is in their 40s and had traveled to Italy in mid-February, the department says. The news release does not reveal the person’s gender or hometown. It says that the person has had “limited travel” in …

The Associated Press reports: Billionaire presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg snagged his first endorsement from a governor on Wednesday, as Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo called him the right leader to take on President Donald Trump. Raimondo, a longtime political ally of Bloomberg’s, was due to appear with him at a morning event in Providence to officially endorse him, the Bloomberg …

We’ll likely see a lot of these. From the right wing Hot Air: Could Sheldon Whitehouse suddenly find himself vulnerable to a Republican challenger in deep-blue Rhode Island? Almost certainly not, but it’s certainly fun to play out this string anyway. Bob Flanders launched a new ad highlighting the most excruciatingly embarrassing five minutes in recent Senate history — Whitehouse’s …