This Week's Top Stories: Tragedy at Brown; real estate roundup; Friars' ranking
Here's a look at The Providence Journal's most-read stories of the past week, as well as other top news we've been covering.
When a 19-year-old woman reported being raped at knifepoint in her Pawtucket apartment in August 1985, the police quickly zeroed in on Norberto Andrade, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1987. But since his arrest, he has steadfastly professed his innocence, and new DNA evidence shows he couldn't have committed the crime. Find out how his defense lawyers' persistence led to a break in this decades-long case.
How much house will $400,000 buy you in Rhode Island? That's the new median selling price for a single-family house in the Ocean State, according to data from the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. But indications are that the manic and panicked pace of sales during the pandemic is finally slowing, as buyers push back against sky-high prices.
And new questions are swirling around the TV court show "Caught in Providence," as Municipal Court Chief Judge Frank Caprio announced his retirement on Friday after 40 years on the bench. There are conflicting reports from the judge's two brothers on whether the show will continue filming, and Judge Caprio is still negotiating for an unpaid "emeritus" role on the court. Stay tuned.
Keep up with high school sports with scores, game highlights and your picks for the player of the week at providencejournal.com/sports.
Here are the most-read stories of the week on providencejournal.com:
Brown University student killed in tragic accident
A Brown University student who was reported missing late last week was killed when he crashed his bike inside a construction area near the Henderson Bridge, according to East Providence police.
A medical examiner determined that Jeffrey Schlyer, an undergraduate studying applied mathematics, died from a fractured spine, and his death was ruled an accident, Capt. James Nelson said Wednesday.
"We recognize the impact this loss will have on community members at Brown and beyond, and we will continue to work to support Jeff’s family and friends over the coming days," says a joint letter from the college's dean, Rashid Zia, and from Brown's vice president for campus life, Eric Estes.
Colleges: Brown University mourns student who died in weekend bicycle crash
Appetizing deals for Providence Restaurant Week
You don't have to wait till dinner to enjoy the dining deals for Providence's Winter Restaurant Week, which runs through Jan. 21.
Lunch specials are being served at 23 restaurants across the state. How fun is that?
There are all levels of entry to Providence Restaurant Weeks among the nearly 60 restaurants participating from Providence and beyond. You can find deals as simple as getting a free dessert with the purchase of an entrée all the way up to a five-course dinner.
Dining: It's Restaurant Week near Providence: Here are the deals you don't want to miss
Power plants face fines for Christmas Eve outages
Some power plants scheduled to feed the region's electric grid during peak demand on Christmas Eve failed to do so, grid operator ISO New England said this week, resulting in a shortage of operating reserves.
Those energy generators now face $39 million in penalties for not performing when needed as per agreement with ISO New England, which declared a capacity deficiency on Christmas Eve, meaning the region’s supply of electricity was insufficient to meet required operating reserves, in addition to satisfying consumer demand.
The capacity deficiency occurred while swaths of New England experienced widespread power outages as a result of electricity distribution system issues caused by the storm that came through, said ISO New England spokesman Matt Kakley.
Energy: Power plants face millions in penalties after failure during Christmas Eve storm
How the Providence College Friars cracked the Top 25
Providence College’s rise to the top of the Big East men’s basketball standings has the program back on the national radar.
The Friars checked in at No. 19 in the latest Associated Press poll, which was released on Monday. It’s a Top-25 debut for Providence in 2022-23. Ed Cooley’s team spent 13 weeks among the elite during a dream 2021-22 campaign.
Wednesday’s 73-61 home win over No. 4 Connecticut and Saturday’s 83-80 home grind past St. John’s cemented the status update for the Friars. They peaked at No. 8 last February after ripping off a 24-3 start overall and eventually clinched a first conference title in program history.
College hoops: Providence basketball is the No. 19 team in the nation. Here's how it got there.
Top stories on Rhode Island's development scene
Development in Rhode Island is a big deal, between a housing crisis, skyrocketing rents, sports stadiums and the ever-present conversion of commercial spaces into housing.
There's the minutia, like an "affordable" apartment complex proposed in Providence and the fate of the possible Fane Tower. There are feature stories, like a house building program based on "sweat equity" that requires homeowners to literally build their own house.
There are all the market updates and guides on what to know about selling a house or buying a house right now. And then there's the government coverage, like the subsidies to convert the "Superman" building from offices into luxury apartments.
The Providence Journal is covering development in all its forms, especially as the pandemic has brought new twists and turns to the lives of everyday people.
Land use: New developments in the Ocean State: Apartments, subsidies and stadiums
To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence Journal top stories: DNA break in rape case; court TV drama
