This Just In: Awaiting a key report in the Aaron Thomas saga
Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. Between PVDFest, Gaspee Days and Day of Portugal celebrations, it was a pretty great weekend in Rhode Island – unless of course you were looking forward to Ringo Starr's show on Sunday.
A report by a retired Superior Court judge on the Aaron Thomas scandal is expected to be released at 5 o'clock today. Thomas is the former North Kingstown boys basketball coach who quit after students came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior: testing the body fat of athletes while they were undressed and alone with Thomas. The North Kingstown Town Council hired retired Associate Justice Susan McGuirl to review various local and state investigations into Thomas's conduct as well as the response of town departments and agencies. The Journal's Tom Mooney is following this story and will have details of the report later this afternoon.
It takes a lot of time to plow through the details of a $13.6-billion spending plan, but Patrick Anderson of our State House bureau has been busy doing it ever since the House Finance Committee unveiled its budget late Thursday night. In today's Political Scene column, Patrick shines a light on some budget details that weren't included in the first-day headlines, including line items that would affect mixed martial arts and pie-making.
After filing paperwork to replace the last Republican on the Board of Elections with a Democrat who advocated for liberalizing Rhode Island's mail ballot law, Gov. Dan McKee's administration now says it was just an error.
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported one coronavirus-related death and 571 additional cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, along with 7,195 negative tests, for a 7.4% positive rate. There were 64 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, down from 86 reported Friday, with fewer than five in intensive care. It was the lowest hospitalization figure since the start of May. Rhode Island has reported an average of 335 new cases a day over the last seven days, down 23% from a week ago and down 49% from two weeks ago.
Kent Hospital has started the first pasteurized donor human milk program in Rhode Island, which will provide supplements for breastfeeding families that need them.
Health insurers are seeking unusually large premium increases for 2023.
Big public events like PVDFest are a blast and are helping make the capital city feel vibrant once again, but some locals complain that they're destroying quality of life in their neighborhoods.
The state Department of Education has agreed to improve civics education in order to settle a federal lawsuit.
It's a year late, but the state's oldest community theater is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The Celtics are back in San Francisco to take on the Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, with tip-off shortly after 9 p.m. on ABC. Ahead of the game, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart spoke to the USA TODAY Network about his growth a a player.
And finally, a new crop of Rhode Island Interscholastic League champions were crowned over the weekend on the fields and courts across the state. Congratulations to:
-North Kingstown, Division I boys volleyball
-Mount St. Charles/North Smithfield, Division II boys volleyball
-Johnston, Division III boys volleyball
-North Smithfield, Division III baseball
Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please encourage a friend to sign up.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: This Just In: Aaron Thomas saga, RI budget highlights, HS champions
