This Just In: A tense standoff in North Providence, with hot wieners
Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. Today is July 14; on this date in July 14, Newport was hit by a hailstorm during which, according to one account, "numerous horses, terrified by the thunder and lightning and smarting under the terrific blows of the hail, broke loose and plunged madly through the streets. Many persons, too, were injured by the hail and broken glass, which were flying everywhere." It was over in less than 10 minutes, but left "the streets filled with wreckage," including three dead horses.
It was quite an ordeal for residents of a normally quiet neighborhood in North Providence, but it ended peacefully this morning when a man and a woman who had been holed up in a house surrendered to police. Police Chief Alfredo Ruggiero said it all started midafternoon yesterday, when Gino Rotondo fired a gun at a man he had accused of assaulting his wife. Police swarmed the neighborhood as Rotondo and his wife refused to come out of their house on Stephanie Drive; their neighbors were told to shelter in place. At one point, Ruggiero said, Rotondo promised to come out after he and his wife ate a delivery of hot wieners and pizza, but the standoff dragged on for hours more until the conclusion around 8 a.m. today.
I led this newsletter yesterday with the latest Providence Journal reporting on a political race in Johnston that pits an incumbent state representative against his nephew. Not too far away, a father and a son both filed papers to run for General Assembly under identical names, but in this case, they were working together. And in the end, only the son will actually end up on the ballot, as Patrick Anderson learned.
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported two coronavirus-related deaths and 347 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 2,614 negative tests, for an 11.7% positive rate. There were 61 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, down from 68 reported Wednesday, with fewer than five in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 302 new cases a day over the last seven days, up 48% from a week ago and up 9% from two weeks ago.
The latest search for the wreck of the HMS Gaspee, the British Royal Navy schooner that was raided and burned off Warwick in 1772, begins tomorrow, and you can watch it from the shore.
A Superior Court judge has set surety bail at $500,000, plus home confinement with electronic monitoring, for Alyshia Tkacs, the former East Providence cheerleading coach charged with molesting a girl roughly a decade ago. Tkacs had been held without bail since her arrest on June 17.
A Cranston man is headed to prison for three years for torching a Providence police cruiser during the June 2020 riot in the city.
Nicholas Alahverdian appeared in an Edinburgh court proceeding today, via a remote feed from a Scottish prison. He had a lot of complaints.
If you're someone who drives and doesn't like change, you're going to hate this. All the exit numbers on Route 95 in Rhode Island will start changing at the end of this month.
Experts think it's been here for a while, but the first confirmed case of a highly contagious bird flu strain has been found in Rhode Island, in a sick seagull that was found on a beach in South Kingstown.
The owners of Green Line Apothecary have opened the state's newest commercial kitchen, which features a storefront space in Wakefield.
And finally, it's long been considered one of the most prestigious awards that any high-school athlete can win in Rhode Island: The Providence Journal's Honor Roll Boy and Girl honors, which recognize the top senior male and female student athlete in terms of achievement on the fields and in the classroom. This year's winners are Madison Alves of Cranston West and Jacob Serra of Westerly. Big congrats to both.
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: A tense standoff in North Providence, with hot wieners
