Top stories this week: Pregnant woman's murder; gas-powered car phase-out; 'Gnomes' mural
Here's a look at some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of May 7, supported by your subscriptions.
The fate of tons of debris excavated in Rhode Island's version of the Big Dig — a massive sewer overflow tunnel in Pawtucket — has triggered political spats and turf wars up and down Narragansett Bay for four years. Patrick Anderson chronicles the latest interagency bickering, over using the "tunnel muck" as fill for a proposed sea-glider factory at Quonset State Airport, and explains how the infighting is costing taxpayers.
The self-storage industry is booming, thanks to our overstuffed lives. Tom Mooney talks with self-storage entrepreneurs who happily offer space for our possessions, with a few ground rules: "No food, no drugs, no explosives, no guns and no bodies."
Want to cool off with "cow-to-cone" ice cream in Providence? It's hard to beat Wright's Creamery.
Happy Mother's Day! If you're looking for something fun to do with mom on Sunday, we have some ideas.
Speaking of Mother's Day, meet 10 Rhode Island moms who keep the home fires burning while also coaching their kids' high school teams. For that and more sports news, go to providencejournal.com/sports.
Did you keep up with the week's events? Take our news quiz.
Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:
Prosecutor links accused murderers to pregnant woman's body through cell data, diamond ring
Two men accused of beating a pregnant woman to death appeared in District Court, Warwick, on Wednesday as a prosecutor presented a haul of information, including cellphone data and surveillance images as well as specifics regarding matters of romance and a diamond wedding ring that was submerged with the woman's body in the waters of Carbuncle Pond.
The father of the Brockton woman's unborn baby, Gary R. Gromkiewicz, 35, of Lincoln, and his associate, 46-year-old Michael P. Lambert, formerly of Pawtucket, face charges of murder and conspiracy in the death of 34-year-old Leila Patricia Duarte Da Luz, according to state police.
Da Luz's body was found in the Coventry pond on Dec. 21. The autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, with a "compression fracture" to the skull, and drowning, Corrigan said, adding that Da Luz was eight to 10 weeks pregnant, and apparently alive when she entered the water.
Crime: Prosecutor links accused murderers to pregnant woman's body through cell data, diamond ring
RI wants to phase out sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
Rhode Island is among the states following California’s lead to phase out sales of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035 in a bid to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday announced the decision to go forward with the regulations that are the strictest in the nation on mandating sales of electric cars and trucks. It would bring Rhode Island in line with Massachusetts, New York and other states that have already adopted California’s new standard that aims for a full-scale transformation of America’s automotive industry.
It would also boost Rhode Island’s efforts to comply with a landmark state law that requires deep emissions cuts.
The announcement also led to a number of questions that we got answers to this week.
Environment: State wants to phase out sales of new gas-powered vehicles in RI by 2035. Here's how they'll do it.
What's the story behind the 'Gnomes' mural on Route 95?
Peering out from behind a purple curtain, the gnomes and their canine companions, painted on the Shippeetown Road Bridge over Route 95 in East Greenwich, look astonished by the amount of traffic whipping by their hideout.
The mural, between Exits 21 and 24, is one of those things Rhode Islanders see all the time, without much explanation, which sparked the curiosity of one What and Why RI reader. She wrote in to ask if there was any information on the artist behind the mural.
You bet there is.
What and Why RI: What's the story behind the 'Gnomes' mural on I-95? We tracked down the artist to ask
From on the run to the '401 Run': Ohio sanctuary readies to receive Warwick wolf dogs
Volunteers at the Red Riding Hood Rescue Project, a wolf-dog sanctuary in Ohio, spent Saturday digging, hammering and building a home for a pair of residents from Rhode Island.
It will be called the "401 Run" as a tribute to apparent wolf dogs Bella and Libby and the people of Rhode Island who've supported their rescue efforts.
Initially believed to be black coyotes, Bella and Libby induced fascination, and some fear, when they were spotted roaming Warwick in April. Mayor Frank Picozzi posted to social media, advising residents to keep their distance.
Animals: From on the run to the '401 Run': Ohio sanctuary readies to receive Warwick wolf dogs
Love shopping secondhand? Here are 4 of the best flea markets to shop at in RI
It’s the thrill of spending the day on a treasure hunt that hopefully — if luck is with you — ends with something no one else has at a price that can’t be beaten.
It's shopping at the flea markets, a tradition that goes all the way back to 1860s Paris.
With flea market season upon us, we rounded up four flea markets in Rhode Island worth checking out.
Things to do: Love shopping secondhand? Here are 4 of the best flea markets to shop at in Rhode Island
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence Journal top stories: Pregnant woman murder; 'Gnomes' mural
