Rhode Island

25,000 pound whale euthanized after getting stuck in Rhode Island pond

Published

10 months ago

March 2, 2024

25,000 pound whale euthanized after getting stuck in Rhode Island pond

A 25,000-pound fin whale was euthanized after it became stranded in a tidal pond in Rhode Island, officials said.

The 42-foot cetacean was first reported to the Mystic Aquarium’s rescue hot line around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday after it was spotted in distress in Potter Pond in South Kingston.

Aquarium staffers and veterinarians found in an “emaciated” and “compromised state,” the Aquarium told The Boston Globe in a statement.

After an evaluation, experts determined the whale “did not seem to have any apparent or obvious wounds or signs of the immediate cause of stranding,” the group said.

Officials consulted with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and decided to wait for high tide with the hope the whale would have enough water to swim out of the pond.

“Unfortunately, the whale did not refloat,” the group said. “With animal welfare as Mystic Aquarium’s top priority and considering the poor condition and low likelihood of survival for the compromised animal, the decision was made to use medical intervention to alleviate the whale’s suffering.”

The whale was euthanized around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday night, surrounded by aquarium staff and representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, officials said.

Researchers conducted a necropsy on the whale Friday to determine what caused it to be stranded. The process includes removing what’s known as a “banana peel” of the whale’s skin for examination, according to The Globe.

“As sad as the outcome is here, I feel some relief that this animal is now at peace,” Sarah Callan, an animal rescue program manager at the aquarium said. “We’ll collect a lot of data today and not only learn more about what happened with this specific whale, but also different threats that this species faces as a whole.”

The sad story of the whale also helped bring a community concerned about its marine life together.

“The nearby homeowners were bringing us coffee yesterday and we were getting emails with prayers for the whale,” animal rescue technician Francesca Battaglia told WPRI. “The community rallied to keep our spirits up, and we’re just really grateful.”

Just hours after the deceased whale was first reported, the remains of a second whale washed up on a beach in the same town.

The whale was found in an already decomposed state so no necropsy will be conducted.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island Man Accused Of Strangulation Assault In Fairfield: CSP

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Rhode Island Man Accused Of Strangulation Assault In Fairfield: CSP

FAIRFIELD, CT — A 28-year-old Providence, Rhode Island man was arrested on a warrant by Connecticut State Police this week in connection with a strangulation assault on Dec. 7 at the northbound I-95 rest area in Fairfield.

Ariel Dejesus Valdez, who state police said had overstayed a visa from the Dominican Republic, was charged with the following:

Risk of Injury to a Child
Reckless Endangerment 2nd Degree (2 counts)
Strangulation or Suffocation in the 2nd Degree
Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree
Larceny 3rd Degree
Breach of Peace 2nd Degree

The incident began at about 6 p.m. when Valdez got into an argument with a person, strangling them and smashing a window in a truck that sent shards of glass that cut an infant inside.

Find out what’s happening in Fairfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Valdez then ran off.

Fairfield police were first called to the scene, and temporarily evacuated the rest area while searching for Valdez, but did not find him, according to state police.

Find out what’s happening in Fairfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Valdez was eventually found back in Rhode Island, and was taken into custody this week. He was turned over to Connecticut State Police on Monday.

Valdez was released after posting bond on bail of $30,000, and he is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Jan. 23.

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To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

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Rhode Island

Does Rhode Island have the worst drivers in the country? One state is worse, per new study

Published

9 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Does Rhode Island have the worst drivers in the country? One state is worse, per new study

Which states have the worst drivers? Rhode Island is one of them, according to a new study.

The online marketplace platform LendingTree released a new study revealing the worst drivers across the country, and Rhode Island took the second spot.

The silver lining is you can still say Massachusetts drivers are worse, as they took the top spot.

The study was compiled based on insurance inquiries from November 2023 to November 2024. Researchers tallied the number of accidents, DUIs, speeding-related incidents and general citations and calculated the total per 1,000 drivers in each state.

Alternatively, other New England states like Vermont and New Hampshire were ranked among the best drivers around the country.

Why does Rhode Island have bad drivers?

Rhode Island has the second worst drivers in the country because it has one of the highest rates of driving-related incidents, at 60.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers between November 2023 and November 2024.

The only state with a higher rate, Massachusetts, has 61.1 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

Rhode Island has the second-highest accident rate, at 39.7, tying with California.

The Ocean State also ties with Wisconsin for the 13th-highest DUI rate, at 1.9.

As for speeding-related incidents, Rhode Island ties with Hawaii as the 28th-worst at a rate of 2.4 incidents per 1,000 drivers.

Which states have the worst drivers?

These are the states with the worst drivers, according to LendingTree:

Massachusetts
Rhode Island
California
District of Columbia
New Jersey
North Carolina
Washington
Maryland
North Dakota
Utah

Which states have the best drivers?

These states have the lowest number of driving-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, making them the best drivers:

Arkansas
Michigan
Vermont
Kentucky
Oklahoma
Alaska
West Virginia
Illinois
Louisiana
Mississippi

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island officials ask government for flexibility while residents renew services by paper | ABC6

Published

16 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Rhode Island officials ask government for flexibility while residents renew services by paper | ABC6

(courtesy: Senator Jack Reed’s Facebook)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island officials sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday for assistance to ensure residents are able to stay enrolled in essential services in response to the RIBridges cyberattack.

In the letter, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo asked the federal government to work with the state of Rhode Island to help residents stay enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

On Dec. 5, the RIBridges system was hacked by international ransomware group Brain Ciper, which put the personal data of about 500,000 Rhode Island residents at risk, according to officials.

In the letter, officials said RIBridges was shut down, and as a result Rhode Island residents must submit paper applications, rather than online applications, to enroll for their benefits.

Officials said this time period is when people apply to renew coverage, and ask for the government to “grant the state of Rhode Island any assistance and flexibility it requires within all application rules and regulations.”

In the letter, the Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation said:

Dear Secretaries Becerra and Vilsack:
In light of a major cyberattack, we write to urge your Departments to grant the State of Rhode Island flexibility and time to comply with administrative requirements related to its public benefits programs and to provide any additional support to ensure that eligible individuals do not lose access to needed benefits.
On December 5, 2024, RI Bridges, the State of Rhode Island’s integrated online platform for social services, was hacked and the personal data (including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank information) of approximately 500,000 people was stolen and has been held for ransom. The State directed the vendor responsible for administering the platform to shut down RI Bridges in order to remove all malicious code and remediate the threat. Individuals now must submit paper applications to secure their benefits. The impact could be large since RI Bridges manages enrollment and eligibility verifications for programs, including Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and more. HealthSource RI, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace was also affected by this hack, which comes during the annual open-enrollment period for health insurance, when people apply for or renew coverage.
We appreciate everything your Departments have done already to assist Rhode Island with this situation, but given the scope of this hack and that it has targeted our most vulnerable constituents, we ask that you grant the State of Rhode Island any assistance and flexibility it requires within all application rules and regulations.
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Thank you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to your prompt reply.

In the meantime, Rhode Island officials advise residents to protect their data, freeze your credit, monitor your credit, request a free fraud alert on your files, use two-factor authentication for accounts, and be aware.

For more information, call the RIBridges call center at 833-918-6603 or visit cyberaltert.ri.gov.

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