This Just In: Is the Pawtucket soccer stadium plan in trouble?
Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. It's another glorious afternoon but they say we might be in for some stormy weather tonight.
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported two coronavirus-related deaths and 1,938 additional cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, along with 15,084 negative tests, for an 11.4% positive rate. There were 83 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, down from 88 reported Friday, with fewer than five in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 805 new cases a day over the last seven days, up 20% from a week ago and up 55% from two weeks ago.
Is the plan to build a professional soccer stadium on the banks of the Seekonk River in Pawtucket in trouble? Developer Fortuitous Partners says it remains committed to building a "world-class venue," but soaring costs have delayed the groundbreaking and sent the principals looking for ways to cut costs. For now, Fortuitous is not providing details on how it plans to finance the stadium, and top state officials don't want to discuss potentially increasing incentives for the project, as Patrick Anderson reports.
A Democratic state lawmaker is proposing a novel solution to Rhode Island's affordable housing crisis: Creating a new government agency that would use $300 million in federal coronavirus aid to purchase land and build homes. No other state in the country is doing it, but Sen. Meghan Kallman found inspiration for her proposal across the pond in Europe.
Speaking of first-in-the-nation initiatives, it's been 10 months since Rhode Island became the first state to legalize safe-injection sites, also known as "harm reduction centers," for users of illicit drugs. Advocates hope the initiative will save lives at a time when accidental overdose deaths have soared to record highs. But so far, the state has not fielded any concrete proposals to open such sites. Meanwhile, students at the Rhode Island School of Design say the state's approach should emphasize compassion and work to eliminate stigma.
One of our best-read stories from this weekend was about actor and Cranston High School East graduate Bruce MacVittie, who died last week. The Journal once described MacVittie as "an actor who seems in the mold of De Niro and Pacino," but MacVittie would go on to make a living not as a leading man but as one of TV's most ubiquitous character actors, who "excelled at playing tough guys with tormented souls."
In Rhode Island and across the country, children's struggles with mental health escalated dramatically during the pandemic, as Rhode Island Kids Count documents today in its annual report.
The Rhode Island State Police hero dog who inspired the Netflix movie "Rescued by Ruby" was euthanized late last week after being diagnosed with an untreatable illness.
In a happier dog story, Veterans Voice columnist Frank Lennon reports on how a special relationship with a service dog helped a Rhode Island veteran cope with PTSD.
Three earthquakes rumbled off the Rhode Island coast over a 24-hour period this past weekend, but fewer than 50 people noticed them. Will we have more soon? Experts say maybe, maybe not.
Last week I linked to our guide to Rhode Island beaches. Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch, the story did not include any beaches in Warwick or Westerly. We've fixed that now.
And finally, the Celtics are on to the Eastern Conference finals after outlasting the Milwaukee Bucks in their best-of-seven semifinal series. Some national experts believe the Celtics have a great opportunity not only to win their first championship since 2008, but to overtake the Lakers for the most titles by any one NBA team.
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: Is the Pawtucket soccer stadium plan in trouble?
