Rhode Island
A dry 2024 delayed plastic trash making its way to R.I. beaches • Rhode Island Current
Did you lose your AirPods at this beach this summer?
They may not be gone after all. A single pair of AirPods was among the 21,662 pounds of trash that volunteers collected along Rhode Island’s shoreline this fall, according to Save the Bay’s 2024 International Coastal Cleanup report published Friday.
Far more prolific — and concerning to environmental advocates — were the thousands of cigarette butts, empty bottles, straws and disposable food containers collected and categorized as part of the annual cleanup effort.
Save the Bay report: Plastic beat cigarette butts as No. 1 beach trash
Cigarette butts were the top find — comprising more than one-fifth of the nearly 115,000 pieces of trash collected by 2,700 volunteers between September and November 2024. Plastic and foam pieces took the number two spot, followed by food wrappers, beverage containers, and a laundry list of other items, including a surprising number of shoes and slippers (260). In 2023, plastic beat out cigarettes for the No. 1 spot for the first time in the 35-year history of the Rhode Island event.
Less trash, including less plastic, doesn’t mean litterbugs have reformed their ways. Save the Bay chalked up the trimmed back trash piles to lack of rainfall in 2024.
“We know from experience the shocking number of small plastics that end up in the wrack line after major storm events, as rain washes debris from streets all over the watershed into storm drain systems and into the Bay,” July Lewis, volunteer and internship manager for Save The Bay, said in a statement. “Grates often catch larger items like bottles, while small plastic pieces slip right through. The dry weather during fall meant fewer bottle caps and tiny bits of plastic were washing up. Unfortunately, these plastic pieces still accumulate on land and will still wash into the Bay during the next rainstorm.”
That’s especially problematic because plastic never truly disappears; instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces known as “microplastics” which contaminate bodies of water and can harm the wildlife that live there.
“Despite efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste, its persistence highlights the urgent need for sustainable alternatives, robust waste management systems and community-wide action to protect the Bay’s delicate balance,” the report stated.
One perennial solution put forth by environmental advocates and lawmakers: a state bottle-deposit refund program, which could incentivize recycling of plastic and glass bottles and cans that otherwise end up in state waterways and roads. An 18-member legislative panel has been studying the issue since June 2023, but struggled to find middle ground between environmental and business groups.
“The best way to reduce the amount of single-use plastic containers that are polluting our Bay and local ecosystem is for Rhode Island to adopt a recycling refund system for beverage containers, also known as a ’bottle bill’,” Jed Thorp, Save the Bay’s advocate director, said in a statement. “Recycling refund systems have been proven – with decades of data – to reduce litter and increase recycling rates.”
Gov. Dan McKee’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget did not offer any funding for a bottle bill program, though he included $100,000 for First Lady Susan McKee’s signature Litter Free Rhody initiative.
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Rhode Island
More complaints against former RI private school coach accused of exploiting underage girl – The Boston Globe
The girl told the state police and Barrington police that Cassidy, who’d been her coach, became fixated on her since the summer of 2025 and won her trust. She told police that Cassidy had given her lingerie and alcohol and requested explicit photos of her under the guise of training her for a “secret section of the FBI” to help children who are sex trafficked.
The small private Christian school fired Cassidy after his arrest on June 1. State police said they expected to bring more charges and asked for other witnesses to come forward.
Since then, Barrington Police Chief Michael E. Correia said, four more students from Barrington Christian Academy and a young woman who encountered Cassidy at the Pawtucket YMCA have made complaints.
“All of their stories are clearly inappropriate behavior from a teacher-coach,” Correia said on Wednesday. “However, we don’t believe [the allegations] at this time amounts to a criminal offense.”
Correia declined to describe the specific accusations. The new reports have been referred to the State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is leading the investigation. State Police Major Kenneth Moriarty did not respond to questions on Wednesday.
A 19-year-old woman who attended Barrington Christian Academy in the 2020-2021 school year was the first to come forward. She spoke to Barrington police on June 3, shortly after the state police announced Cassidy’s arrest, and described “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.
Then, a 12-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl, both of whom are student-athletes at the school, spoke with Barrington police on June 8. A mother brought her 12-year-old daughter, who is also a student, to speak with police on June 9.
A 23-year-old woman contacted the Barrington police on June 17 about Cassidy. She said she encountered him at the Pawtucket YMCA when she was about 14 years old, and she also complained about “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.
Kate Messier, the vice president of development at the Pawtucket YMCA, confirmed on Wednesday that Cassidy was employed there until 2018. She did not comment on his role at the YMCA or answer questions about whether the organization had received any complaints about Cassidy at the time.
“Child protection is foundational to how the YMCA of Pawtucket operates, and we maintain extensive safeguards that are reviewed and reinforced on an ongoing basis,” Messier said in the statement. “Those safeguards include thorough staff screening and background checks, mandatory child abuse prevention training, program environments structured to maintain supervision and eliminate unsupervised one-on-one situations, and clear procedures for reporting any concern.”
The 14-year-old girl whose allegations led the state police to arrest Cassidy said that she learned that he had allowed juveniles from unstable homes live in his house in Pawtucket while he was working at the YMCA, according to court documents. The girl also told investigators that Cassidy had housed foreign exchange students associated with Barrington Christian Academy.
Correia said that the private school has been “very cooperative” with the Barrington police. The head of school, Michael Skazinski, did not respond to questions from the Globe on Wednesday.
Cassidy’s lawyer, Melissa Larsen, declined comment on Wednesday.
The state police have searched Cassidy’s home in Pawtucket, his pickup truck, and his office at the school, and have seized numerous electronic devices, including iPads, tablets, and thumb drives, according to court records. The affidavits accompanying the search warrants detailed the allegations that the 14-year-old girl made against Cassidy.
He had been coaching her in different sports at the school, and their families became close. She told the state police that she grew to trust Cassidy and would spend time with him and his family at their home. Then, she said, he began telling her stories about how he was special — and so was she.
She said Cassidy told her he was working for a “secret section of the FBI.” She said he claimed that he had “special DNA,” so the FBI and state troopers had him assist in raids to save children from being sex trafficked. She said that Cassidy told her that there were “off-worlders” or aliens that posed as humans on earth, and some of those children being sex trafficked were actually aliens.
She said that Cassidy assigned various “challenges” or “missions” to make her comfortable in uncomfortable situations, according to the affidavits.
“She was also advised to learn to get comfortable with wearing less clothing and ultimately nudity because it would be required later on for ‘missions,’” the affidavits said. “Cassidy claimed that aliens did not believe in the ‘construct of clothes.’”
She said Cassidy emailed her from his personal Gmail account, calling himself “Casper,” the affidavits said. She said he also claimed that two other girls were using his email to talk to her about the “special” training, and she was told to email with a person named “Kevin” on another email address who would talk to her about her feelings, the affidavits said.
She said she was instructed to take explicit photographs of herself and send them to his private email. She came to realize that all of the personas were actually Cassidy.
On May 28, the girl received an email from Cassidy’s personal Gmail account offering her three “flirt options,” all of which involved her taking off her clothes in front of him. She believed she needed to follow through; she told police that Cassidy said “bad things” could happen to her if she failed.
That night, her parents discovered what was going on, and they contacted the Barrington police, who called in the state police.
The State Police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with information about Cassidy or potential victims to contact the task force at 401-921-1170, or the Barrington Police Department at 401-437-3935.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.
Rhode Island
‘Condom Hut’ Movie Adds Another Big Name
Another famous face is joining the cast of “Rubber Hut” filming throughout Rhode Island.
As we previously reported, Grace Van Patten is starring in the feature film debut for director Hannah Gray Organschi about the infamous “condom hut” business from the early 90s.
The short-lived Fotomat kiosk turned drive-thru condom store garnered local notoriety as well as national attention in 1992 and is now the subject of a movie with several A-list stars attached.
READ MORE: Michael Imperioli, Emmy Rossum Join RI ‘Condom Hut’ Film
Scenes were filmed for several days at a custom-made “condom hut” on West Shore Road in Warwick. On Thursday, June 11, Beach Avenue was closed down to shoot a parade scene. Now, film crews have moved to Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston for scenes along a residential street.
Who Was Behind the Original Condom Hut?
The home is believed to represent the residence of Emanuella DelVecchio, the former flight attendant who had the brilliant idea to open a condom kiosk in response to the AIDS epidemic.
Instead of support, however, DelVecchio received the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and was plagued with vandalism before shuttering her business within a year.
READ MORE: New Bedford’s Gone But Not Forgotten Closed-Down Bars
Who Has Joined the ‘Condom Hut’ Movie Cast So Far
Photos of parade scenes for the film show Michael Imperioli portraying a priest in the movie and now Deadline has reported that stage actor, Will Harrison, is attached to the project as DelVecchio’s husband. Other actors’ specific roles remain unknown.
Filming is expected to continue in Rhode Island until the end of June with a theatrical release likely in 2027.
See the Stars Who Own Homes in Rhode Island
There are plenty of celebrities who once called Rhode Island home, but how many still do? Here’s the list of stars who own homes across the Ocean State.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
All The Famous Faces That Have Been to Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Home
Here are all the celebrities we know have made an appearance at Holiday House over the years.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Rhode Island
Two Rhode Island residents charged in $6.5 billion healthcare fraud crackdown
Two Rhode Island residents were charged after the Justice Department announced a $6.5 billion healthcare fraud crackdown.
The department said 455 defendants were charged, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes.
Mareli Arias Batista, 57, of Providence, was charged with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, false statement in application for a passport, use of a false passport and bank fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person.
Officials said Batista fraudulently obtained approximately $28,236.42 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits.
Balni Pimental Lara, 59, of Providence, was also charged with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person.
According to officials, Lara fraudulently obtained approximately $24,018.86 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits.
Bhamin Chhatrapati, 40, of Stoughton, Mass., was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with over $5.1 million fraudulently billed to Medicare, of which over $2.6 million was paid.
Approximately 1,079 medical providers were suspended and billing privileges were revoked for 1,403 providers.
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