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Nursing home violence; Brown protest; Culpo’s restaurant picks: Top stories this week

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Nursing home violence; Brown protest; Culpo’s restaurant picks: Top stories this week


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Here are some of The Providence Journal’s most-read stories for the week of April 28, supported by your subscriptions.

  • Last April, when an 81-year-old hospice patient was found dead in his room at a Warren nursing home, suffocated by pillow stuffing, police charged his 76-year-old roommate, who had become agitated, combative and delusional. In the wake of that death, The Providence Journal reviewed hundreds of pages of records from police departments and the Rhode Island Department of Health to get a better understanding of how often resident-on-resident violence occurs in nursing homes. Reporters also compiled three years’ worth of data in a database that will allow the public to look up incidents at specific nursing homes. Antonia Noori Farzan looks at what provokes these episodes, and what needs to be done to prevent another tragedy.
  • Thirty-seven police chiefs command the officers who work in Rhode Island’s cities and towns, and 21 of those chiefs took their oaths less than five years ago (15 of them less than three years ago). While they’re not newcomers to law enforcement, being first-in-command presents a special set of challenges. What’s driving the high level of turnover, and how does it affect public safety? The Journal’s Mark Reynolds explains.
  • Rhode Island chefs, restaurateurs and beverage experts are teaming up with AAA to offer curated food tours, starting in August. Food editor Gail Ciampa has the details on how you can join them, as well as a report on a new maritime-inspired blue gin from Providence distiller ISCO Spirits.
  • For the latest college and high school sports, go to providencejournal.com/sports.

Here are the week’s top reads on providencejournal.com:

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PROVIDENCE – Brown University’s pro-Palestine encampment agreed to clear out Tuesday in exchange for the Brown Corporation voting on a divestment measure in October.

Dozens of students who’d camped out on the campus green for a week had called on the university to stop investing in an array of weapons manufacturers amid the Israel-Hamas War.

Until now, the administration had resisted offering them more than a presentation of a proposal. But in a few months, that presentation will be followed by a formal vote on whether to divest – a development hailed as “an unprecedented win” by the Brown Divest Coalition.

After the deal was reached, student protesters peacefully broke up their encampment, in stark contrast to escalating tensions at Columbia University and other campuses around the country.

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Politics: Brown University protesters agree to clear encampment. In exchange, Brown will vote on divestment.

What do pot-bellied pigs, propane, a new hotel and a crematorium have in common? They are all cases in Rhode Island’s new expedited “Land Use Calendar,” ordered into existence by the state legislature last year to reduce delays in Rhode Island’s development permitting process.

In a little more than three months, a single Rhode Island judge – Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Lanphear – became the arbiter of more than 135 land-use disputes, including some high-pitched battles by frustrated homeowners, developers and the owner of the 19-million-gallon propane storage tank at the Port of Providence.

Lanphear’s name may ring some bells in connection with one of Rhode Island’s longest and most controversial property disputes, a proposed expansion of Champlin’s Marina on Block Island. In 2003, he ruled in favor of the developers, but the mediated deal he approved was later struck down by the state Supreme Court.

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Political Scene looks at some of the cases resolved so far by the Land Use Calendar, and noteworthy cases still pending.

Political Scene: From pot-bellied pigs to crematoriums: All RI’s land-use cases end up in front of this judge

Kim English said the quiet part out loud.

The fiery social media post late Tuesday night by Providence College’s men’s basketball coach felt like a fitting end to this latest round of transfer portal intrigue, which slammed shut on Wednesday, with no more players eligible to enter before the 2024-25 season.

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English made some not-so-veiled references to alleged tampering with members of his expected roster for next year. The Friars did their work early in this current cycle, securing four commitments. It appears there might have been some late attempts to lure at least one of their players into further gauging his value on the open market.

“Just call me and [let me know] if you want to recruit our players,” English said. “Leave them and their families alone. Call me. I’ll see if they want to play for your programs.”

Journal sportswriter Bill Koch looks at English’s warning in the context of an NCAA recruiting process that he says is “flawed” and “begging for meaningful reform.”

College sports: Providence basketball coach Kim English has message for teams trying to lure his players away

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Providence has four new, tiny, feathered residents living high above downtown.

Four peregrine falcons have hatched in their nest box atop the Superman Building, according to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

The Audubon Society has a webcam that enables people to watch the eyas, or hatchlings, and their parents.

Peregrine falcons are “regarded by falconers and biologists alike as one of the noblest and most spectacular of all birds of prey,” according to the Audubon Society’s Guide to North American Birds.

Animals: Four peregrine falcons hatch atop Superman Building; Audubon camera lets you see them

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When it comes to dining, Rhode Island’s Olivia Culpo is known to have taste.

Since 2017, the reality star’s family has opened five restaurants in the state – The Back 40, Union + Main, Lake Taco, Evie’s and Black Oak Kitchen & Drink – that she has a hand in. And she’s always made it known on social media that she loves Rhode Island food.

So it’s little surprise that when she did an Ask Me Anything on her Instagram stories, someone asked for her Rhode Island restaurant recommendations, and she delivered.

Check out her list.

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Dining: Olivia Culpo shared a list of 13 restaurants she loves in Rhode Island. Check it out.

To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here.



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Bodycam footage shows moments police respond to Pawtucket shooting

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Bodycam footage shows moments police respond to Pawtucket shooting


Police bodycam footage shows the moments officers arrived to the scene of a deadly mass shooting in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The shooting on Feb. 16 at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena killed Rhonda Dorgan and Aidan Dorgan, the ex-wife and son of the shooter, who died by suicide.

Gerald Dorgan, Rhonda’s father, died from his injuries this week. His wife, Linda Dorgan, and family friend Thomas Geruso remain hospitalized.

Around five minutes after the first officer arrives, he beings helping paramedics with a man who identifies himself as Aidan. Twelve minutes in, Aidan Dorgan is transported to the hospital, where he would later die from his injuries.

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For the last 10 minutes of the footage, the officer then begins helping paramedics transport the other three gunshot victims.

The video ends with police prepping witness interviews.

The shooting rocked the Pawtucket community. Chris Librizzi, head coach of the Blackstone Valley Schools hockey team impacted by the shooting, said the players and coaching staff “are devastated over the events that took place at Lynch Arena on Monday and intimately affected one of our teammates.”

As authorities continue investigating the shooting in Pawtucket, three patients remain in critical condition.

“We will lean on each other and support one another, as we have always done as a team,” he added.

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Pawtucket police said two handguns were found at the scene after the shooting, a Sig Sauer P226 and Glock. Other weapons have been seized at the suspect’s storage unit in Maine.

Investigators continue reviewing all video evidence from before, during and after the shooting, including surveillance footage from the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, police body-worn camera footage and other records — a high school sports livestream captured the shooting from a distance — police said.



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Man killed in RI shooting; suspect involved in Mass. car crash that killed 2 others

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Man killed in RI shooting; suspect involved in Mass. car crash that killed 2 others


A man has died after a shooting in Cranston, Rhode Island, and investigators say a suspect was later involved in a car crash in Swansea, Massachusetts, that killed two other people.

The shooting victim was found Thursday on Legion Way, shot multiple times in the chest, Cranston police told NBC affiliate WJAR-TV. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he later died. His name has not been released.

The suspect initially fled on foot, setting off a shelter-in-place order while investigators searched the area.

Police said Friday that investigators identified a suspect vehicle, which was later spotted by Massachusetts State Police. A trooper followed the car down Route 6 and Interstate 195, but stopped when it crossed back into Rhode Island. The car was later involved in a crash on Route 136 in Swansea, Mass.

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Swansea police say that crash on Route 136 (James Reynolds Road) resulted in the deaths of two other people.

According to the Swansea Police Department, two officers saw a white Infinity G37 speed past them around 12:18 a.m. Friday on Route 6, otherwise known as Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Moments later, officers observed that the vehicle had crashed into the side of a blue Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136.

Both vehicles sustained catastrophic damage, police said.

The vehicle that was struck was fully engulfed in flames. First responders and bystanders tried to extinguish the fire, but both occupants — a man and a woman — were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Their names have not been released.

The 28-year-old Infinity driver, who struck the victims’ Subaru, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries and later into custody by Cranston Police. They have not been publicly identified at this time.

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Swansea police said they are aware that the Infinity was the subject of a police pursuit, and know the driver was wanted in connection to the Rhode Island homicide investigation. While Swansea police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect’s vehicle, however, they say they were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the deadly crash.

The crash in Swansea is under investigation by Massachusetts authorities, including state police and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. Meanwhile, Cranston police said they would give an update on their investigation around 1 p.m.



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RI House speaker unveils housing bills for 2026. What to know

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RI House speaker unveils housing bills for 2026. What to know


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  • Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has introduced a new package of housing legislation.
  • Highlights include allowing property owners to divide single-family lots and legalizing single-staircase, four-story apartment buildings.
  • The package also seeks to expand the Homeless Bill of Rights and streamline the creation of emergency shelters.

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is once again taking aim at the regulations he says are stifling new homebuilding.

The Warwick Democrat unveiled his sixth annual suite of housing legislation on Thursday, Feb. 26, a few weeks after announcing he would not be running for governor this year.

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“We are still trying to play catch-up for all the years that Rhode Island was dead last in the country for new housing starts,” Shekarchi said. “While Rhode Island remains a relatively affordable option for people moving here from other states, our own residents are too often priced out of the neighborhoods they grew up in.”

The legislative text of the nine-bill housing package, and with it the specifics of how it would work, were not available for Thursday’s news conference.

But highlights of the package, according to summaries, include:

  • Infill housing. Allow property owners to divide lots in single-family zoning districts, creating multiple dwellings instead of one, provided they have water and sewer service.
  • Parking maximums. Put new limits on how much off-street parking communities require for new apartment buildings.
  • Homeless Bill of Rights. Expand the state’s Homeless Bill of Rights to require 15-day notice to the occupants of encampments before local authorities clear them.
  • Emergency shelters. Let communities build temporary shelters, such as the ECHO Village Pallet shelter in Providence, during a state of emergency.
  • Stairs. Legalize the construction of four-story apartment buildings with a single staircase.
  • Affordable housing taxes. Overhaul the tax system for income-restricted housing covered by the state’s “8 Law.”

Is land-use reform working?

Since Shekarchi was elected speaker in 2021, the General Assembly has passed dozens of bills he backed that tweaked state land-use statutes or streamlined the process for building.

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How successful this approach has been is subject to debate.

Many local elected officials wary of development in their communities continue to rail against efforts to erode their power over construction.

Others in the growing Yes In My Back Yard movement see Rhode Island’s piecemeal approach as inadequate in comparison with the scale of the affordability problem and what other states are doing.

As evidence that his changes are making a difference, Shekarchi said Rhode Island saw a 70% increase in building permits in 2023 and a more modest increase in 2024. (Statistics for last year were not immediately available.)

Gov. Dan McKee’s 2030 plan calls for 15,000 new housing units built by that year.

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Democratic primary challenger Helena Foulkes is slated to roll out her housing plan on Monday.

It is expected to include a millionaires tax to fund affordable housing, a revolving fund and target of 20,000 new homes.

What would the new laws do?

Letting property owners put multiple homes on a plot of land is one of the most direct ways that lawmakers can encourage the construction of more homes, but it is also one of the most controversial.

That’s especially true in areas zoned for large lots and single-family homes.

How far the new bill allowing lots to be subdivided in single-family zones goes is unclear. It is sponsored by Rep. Stephen Casey, D-Woonsocket.

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Legislation setting maximum parking requirements for new developments, introduced by Rep. Joshua Giraldo, D-Central Falls, would apply to areas accessible by public transit.

Critics of off-street parking requirements say they make it harder to build new apartments and make the units that are built more expensive.

Shekarchi proposed the emergency shelter bill last year. It passed the House and died in the Senate.

It was the result of how long it took state officials to navigate Rhode Island’s building code and open the ECHO Village Pallet shelter in Providence.

The staircase bill, sponsored by Rep. June Speakman, a Warren Democrat and chair of the House’s home affordability study commission, follows a wave of cities and states relaxing rules on how many exits are required in new construction.

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Currently, the state building code requires two stairways in buildings with more than three stories, and fire officials have opposed all efforts to change that.

Speakman’s bill would allow four-story buildings with a maximum of 16 units with a single staircase.

Supporters of single-stair buildings say they allow development of small sites that would otherwise sit vacant and allow family-sized units with more light and better ventilation.

A previous Rhode Island single-stair bill would have allowed six stories, but it died in committee.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order in mid-February to study the idea.

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