This Just In: The remarkable political career of North Providence's Dick Fossa
Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. As of this afternoon, most K-12 schools in Rhode Island are on holiday break. A big salute and thank-you to the teachers, and students, who have gotten through these last few months. And while things are likely to be choppy for a while, we all hope that this school year can get back to something resembling normal before it ends.
I didn't have a COVID numbers update in yesterday's newsletter because the Department of Health data were delayed. So here is the data for the last two days, combined: 17 COVID-related deaths, and 2,826 additional cases, along with 41,424 negative tests, for a 6.4% positive rate. There were 276 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, with 39 in intensive care.
It's been difficult to make sense of the Health Department data this week – the state added a large number of "reinfections" from the past as new cases, and the hospitalization number seemed to have fallen early this week, but was later revised back upward. The hospitalization number is now about the same as it was a week ago, while new cases over the last seven days are also flat from a week ago, and up 19% from two weeks ago.
For the second week in a row, Foster had the highest COVID infection rate in the state last week, followed by Johnston and Coventry.
With demand soaring entering the holidays, Rhode Island opened two more rapid-testing sites. The available appointments were snapped up quickly.
Lifespan announced today that it will require proof of vaccination for most hospital visitors, starting Monday.
Nearly 50 years ago, when Dick Fossa first ran for the Town Council in North Providence, he did it reluctantly, only after a hard sell by the former mayor Sal Mancini. A half-century later, Fossa has never left the political game. Now chief of staff to the current mayor, Charlie Lombardi, Fossa has no plans to retire, even at age 85. Recently he spent time with The Journal's Tom Mooney to talk about his remarkable career, so far – including that time he did the nearly impossible by upstaging Buddy Cianci.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi reports that Rhode Island lawmakers are closer than ever to granting driver's licenses to people who are not in the country legally.
Marking the end to one of the state's saddest cases of child neglect, a judge sentenced Michele Rothgeb to 18 years in prison in the death of her adopted daughter and the mistreatment of other children in her care.
The owners of the East Side culinary institution Chez Pascal are selling their restaurant and moving to Singapore.
Finally, if you like to read about holiday traditions, some of Gail Ciampa's loyal readers shared their food-centric memories of Christmases past.
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: The remarkable political career of North Providence's Dick Fossa
