Washington Bridge warnings; Costco pullout; Cranston mayoral race: Top stories this week
Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Jan. 28, supported by your subscriptions.
When two Swiss skiers were trapped in the heavy snow of an avalanche on a mountainside in Albania on Jan. 21, an aircrew from the Rhode Island Army National Guard flew to their aid from their base in Kosovo. Read the details of their aerial rescue and check out the dramatic video footage.
Columnist Mark Patinkin continues to file vivid dispatches from Israel: interviewing wounded soldiers at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Center; hearing a Gaza hospital administrator describe the airstrike that killed most of his family, leaving him to raise his two orphaned grandchildren; and after many false starts, finally witnessing the apocalyptic devastation inside Gaza as an embed with the Israeli army. On Sunday, he'll sum up his reporting from Israel, finding seeds of hope amid the bitter conflict.
The Journal launches a feature this week to recognize academic achievement among the state's high school students. Readers cast their votes for Student of the Week, and we have our first winner.
The Patriots aren't in it this year, but Rhode Island does have some rooting interest in Super Bowl LVIII (and of course, it involves Taylor Swift). For that, and coverage of college and high school sports, go to providencejournal.com/sports.
Start your engines: The Northeast International Auto Show returns to Providence this weekend, with one particular vehicle getting a lot of buzz.
Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:
Emails show initial warning, response to Washington Bridge damage
An early warning that something was seriously wrong with the Washington Bridge arrived in state Department of Transportation inboxes on Friday, Dec. 8, with the subject line: "Washington Bridge 700 Inspection – Critical Finding."
Andrew Prezioso, a structural engineer working for bridge design contractor VHB, had seen alarming damage to the anchor rods holding down parts of the bridge's westbound span, and he wanted to share video that showed the "cantilever span bouncing at the bearing," according to one portion of the emails obtained by The Providence Journal through an Access to Public Records Request.
DOT Managing Engineer Keith Gaulin responded that "there are no immediate actions to be taken," and he added that "this condition may have pre-existed but was not noticeable until now as this area is more exposed due to current construction work."
His response is the closest state engineers and transportation experts have gotten to explaining how the bridge – which passed an inspection in July – was in danger of collapse by December. Here's a timeline of how the bridge crisis unfolded and where things stand now.
Still unknown: the identity of the sharp-eyed "young engineer" whose discovery of the bridge's structural failures sparked the crisis.
Meanwhile, in gridlocked East Providence, the president of the City Council is calling on the governor to declare a state of emergency. For weary drivers trying to game-plan their commute, here are the best and worst times to cross the Washington Bridge.
Transportation: Emails show initial warning, response to Washington Bridge damage
'Then it was gone': Costco withdraws plans for Cranston location
CRANSTON − Costco will not be coming to Cranston anytime soon.
Plans for the bulk retailer had been submitted for the site of a former medium-security prison at 20 Goddard Ave. by developer Richard Baccari II of firm Churchill & Banks, but were apparently quickly withdrawn, Cranston Planning Director Jason Pezzullo said.
To learn more about what might happen next with the site, and how the Costco withdrawal is figuring into Cranston's already testy mayoral race, read on.
Real estate: 'Then it was gone': Costco's not coming to Cranston anytime soon
The most exciting race in Rhode Island this year might be for Cranston mayor
The most compelling election campaigns in Rhode Island this year might be in city halls – including Cranston, where the slings and arrows are already flying.
On Tuesday, state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung launched her campaign for Cranston mayor against incumbent Ken Hopkins, embarking on probably the most anticipated Republican primary in Rhode Island since the 2018 election for governor.
Hopkins might be the most powerful GOP elected official in Rhode Island, if not the best known, and Fenton-Fung is one of only nine Republican House members. The mayoral primary will probably mean the loss of one GOP General Assembly seat regardless of who wins.
Politics: The most exciting race in Rhode Island this year might be for Cranston mayor
Who held Rhode Island's first low-numbered license plates? 1906 directory has the answers
Rhode Islanders' fascination with low-numbered license plates goes all the way back to 1904, when the General Assembly first began requiring automobile owners to register their cars.
At the time, owning a motor vehicle was a luxury reserved for the elite, but for just 15 cents, you could purchase a pocket-sized directory titled "Who It Is" that made it possible to look up any license plate and find out who was driving. The guide, later known as the Rhode Island Automobile Directory, was published until the 1920s.
Surviving copies are extremely hard to find today, but The Providence Journal recently acquired one from 1906. Read the full story to get some of the highlights.
Politics: Who held Rhode Island's first low-numbered license plates? 1906 directory has the answers
3 takeaways from Providence basketball's loss at No. 1 Connecticut
It was going to require more for Providence to beat the nation’s No. 1 team.
Missed free throws and defensive rebounding were the areas that drew Kim English’s attention during his postgame analysis Wednesday night. Any consternation about the officiating at UConn's Gampel Pavilion was kept behind closed doors.
The Friars fell at Connecticut, 74-65, in a game that lasted a shade more than 2½ hours. They never allowed the Huskies to gain any measure of comfort in the second half, but an early 13-2 run ultimately gave the hosts the lead for good.
How did UConn ultimately hold off Providence? Journal sportswriter Bill Kock breaks it down.
College basketball: 3 takeaways from Providence basketball's loss at No. 1 Connecticut
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge warning; Cranston Costco: Journal top stories
