Murder conviction tossed; Galilee and Jerusalem; 'hostile' benches: Top stories this week
Here's a look at some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Aug. 6, supported by your subscriptions.
Shame — and the fear that authorities might take their newborn away — often prevent pregnant women who are using drugs from seeking help. So Rhode Island is taking a new approach, offering judgment-free treatment, peer counseling and social services to get new moms into recovery and help them keep their babies, as long as it's safe and they're putting in the work. The Journal's Katie Mulvaney tells of setbacks and successes, including one of the biggest benefits: a reduction in the number of infants born with drug withdrawal symptoms.
The SAG-AFTRA strike grinds on in Hollywood, but in true Rhode Island fashion, we happen to know a guy on the picket line. Mark Patinkin talks with actor Tom Paolino (a cousin of former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino because, again, Rhode Island), whose best shot yet at a big role is on hold until the strike is over. How is he holding up?
Summer is waning, but it's still ice cream season. Where's the best place in Rhode Island to get a cone? You have until Sunday at 11 p.m. to cast your vote in The Journal's poll.
For key takeaways on the Patriots' preseason opener, and high school and college sports news, go to providencejournal.com/sports.
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Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:
For years, he professed his innocence after a murder conviction. Now, he'll get a new trial.
PROVIDENCE — A judge overturned the murder conviction of a New Bedford man serving two consecutive life terms for a fatal shooting outside a club in 2012 after finding that the state relied on false or misleading DNA evidence at trial.
Superior Court Judge Luis M. Matos granted a new trial to Terrel Barros, 34, in the shooting death of Jamal Cruz and the wounding of Rokiem Henley on Aug. 26, 2012, outside Monet Lounge in Providence.
While Cara Lupino, the DNA expert for the state, concluded that the DNA found on the handgun excluded Barros from handling the weapon, the judge ruled "it appears that the prosecution specifically elicited the testimony to create a false impression that Barros’s DNA was on the gun.”
Robert Kando, who has represented Barros in his bid for post-conviction relief since 2017, said he plans to seek his client’s release on bail after 11 years in prison.
Courts: For years, he professed his innocence after a murder conviction. Now, he'll get a new trial.
How did Jerusalem and Galilee, RI, get their names?
When a reader asked how the Narragansett villages of Galilee and Jerusalem came by their biblical names, What and Why RI tackled the challenge.
The story that’s most often shared appears on the cover of the George’s of Galilee’s menu. recounting a dockside conversation that has been enshrined in folklore for decades. But does the story hold water? We check out the historical record to see if there's any truth to the tale.
What and Why RI: How did Jerusalem and Galilee, Rhode Island, get their names? We asked around.
Woonsocket added armrests to park benches. Why they're being called 'hostile architecture.'
New "anti-homeless architecture" is causing a stir in Woonsocket.
More than a dozen benches in Social Park now have center armrests, making it impossible to lie down. The park is known as a place where people experiencing homelessness spend time and sometimes sleep on the benches, so there's little doubt that the move was "targeted," according to Alex Kithes, the executive director of the advocacy group Rebuild Woonsocket.
Kithes characterized the armrests as an example of hostile architecture, design features like curved benches or spiked windowsills that make public spaces uncomfortable and inhospitable for people looking for a place to sleep.
Local news: Woonsocket added armrests to park benches. Why they're being called 'hostile architecture.'
What's changed (and what hasn't) in 20 years of RI politics? New book dives deep.
Political junkies, history buffs and baffled Rhode Island newbies – this one's for you.
It's a head-to-the-beach, Del's in hand kind of book on "The State of Rhode Island: Politics and Government" that looks with hope, a critical eye and some regret at what's changed in the state's political culture over the last two decades – and what hasn't. (Hint: the I-know-a-guy "coziness.")
What's not to love (or hate), depending on your political bent? All that's missing is a plate of calamari.
Political Scene: What's changed (and what hasn't) in 20 years of RI politics? New book dives deep.
Sad summer is ending? Here are 10 RI high school athletes who will make you happy this fall
Monday marks the official start of the high school football season, and the following week, the rest of the state’s fall sports officially begin. Two weeks later, everyone will start playing games that matter.
While it’s sad that summer is coming to an end, the excitement of what fall will bring will help ease the pain a little. As a warmup to the 2023 fall season, here are the athletes The Journal's Eric Rueb will have his eye on.
Sports: Sad summer is ending? Here are 10 RI high school athletes who will make you happy this fall
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Journal top stories: Murder conviction tossed; Galilee & Jerusalem, RI
