Rhode Island
A crossroads at the Cumberland-Woonsocket line in Senate District 20
A box of Portuguese pastries is seen outside the Senate chamber on the last night of the legislative session on June 13, 2024. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
Democratic Sen. Roger Picard opted not to run for election after 16 years in the Rhode Island Senate, and a combined 30 years on Smith Hill. Now, three Democrats are vying for the open seat in Senate District 20, which straddles Cumberland and Woonsocket, in Tuesday’s primary.
Rhode Island Current reached out to all three candidates with a questionnaire.
Candidate Marian Juskuv declined to provide answers.
Key Events
2 days ago
Woonsocket City Councilor Brian Thompson eyes seat in Rhode Island Senate
2 days ago
Denis Collins thinks R.I. should look to Mass. on bolstering state pension fund
2 days ago
Woonsocket City Councilor Brian Thompson eyes seat in Rhode Island Senate
Name: Brian Thompson
Party: Democrat
Race: Senate District 20
Age: 43
Job: General foreman
Years lived in Rhode Island: 22
Residence: Woonsocket
Political bio: Woonsocket City Council since 2022
What are your top three legislative priorities if elected?
Working to address the education funding formula to make it more equitable. Making our state more affordable for working families. Addressing environmental issues related to climate change that are harming our communities.
Should Rhode Island have an assault weapons ban? Why, or why not?
As a father of six children, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about their safety — especially from the scourge of gun violence. It has become too normal to see news about school shootings in our country and it needs to end. Honestly, I used to think that banning certain guns wouldn’t make an impact on the shootings, but it is very clear to me that when you have too many assault weapons on the market, they can easily fall into the wrong hands. We need to make sure that we are in line with our neighbors in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It would be terrible if something bad happens in our neighboring states that can be tracked back to Rhode Island.
Should the state offer more to state pensioners beyond the COLA restoration approved in the FY25 budget? If so, what would you propose?
Yes. This year saw the first meaningful changes to the pension system in decades, and I supported that very much. We need to work to restore COLAs for those who didn’t get the new COLA and expedite the timeline for the pension fund to be funded adequately. The bottom line is people will continue to not choose jobs that rely on the pension system if they can’t plan for retirement — and it will be all of us who suffer for it.
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Last updated: 6:20 pm
2 days ago
Denis Collins thinks R.I. should look to Mass. on bolstering state pension fund
Name: Denis Collins
Party: Democrat
Race: Senate District 20
Age: 46
Job: U.S. history teacher at Taunton High School
Years lived in Rhode Island: 16
Residence: Cumberland
Political bio: Cumberland School Committee since 2019
What are your top 3 legislative priorities if elected?
Full funding for public education and child care (including making state universities more affordable), tackling the mental health crisis in the state (which is also rooted in crime and addiction), and passing the assault weapons ban.
Should Rhode Island have an assault weapons ban? Why, or why not?
I do support an assault weapons ban, and I believe I am the only candidate in the Senate District 20 race who does. I agree that mental health is the underlying cause of these mass shootings, but it is also the underlying cause of the opioid epidemic. You do not see any organizations arguing that the solution to the opioid crisis is to put more opiates on the street. High-capacity assault weapons are the weapons of choice in mass shootings. We have a moral obligation as elected officials to protect society, and an assault weapons ban is a step forward in keeping innocent people and school children safe. Thoughts and prayers after the fact have done nothing to stymie the plague of gun violence.
Should the state offer more to state pensioners beyond the COLA restoration approved in the FY25 budget? If so, what would you propose?
It is terrible that pensioners did not get what they were promised. They did their part, and the politicians let them down. I am currently relying on my own pension when I retire one day, so this issue is personal for me as a teacher. We need to do right by those we made promises to. We fund what we value, but, at the same time, I cannot give a definitive answer on HOW it will be funded without sitting down with all stakeholders and financial personnel. One thing I think the state should consider is what we have done in Massachusetts, which is allow a pathway for those nearing retirement to pay extra into the pension system in their next three years, with the promise that they can retire early. This would provide necessary budget relief for local municipalities by replacing top-step employees with people early in their career.
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Last updated: 6:20 pm
Rhode Island
Dreamflight Studio Releases Rhode Island for MSFS – FSElite
Dreamflight has released its rendition of Rhode Island for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024.
Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (KPVD) features the Bruce Sundlun Terminal, a modern two-level facility with North and South concourses housing around 20 gates. It’s served by major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and Breeze, offering frequent connections to major hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Washington, along with seasonal routes to Florida and select Caribbean destinations.
Dreamflight’s version of TF Green Airport delivers an accurate and up-to-date recreation of the real location, featuring a fully modelled terminal interior, detailed ground work, and the current 2025 layout. Handcrafted textures, tuned night lighting, and realistic clutter help bring the environment to life, while static aircraft placements match real-world operations. The package also includes a GSX profile for enhanced ground service compatibility.
You can buy it from Contrail for 16.99 (excluding taxes).
Features
- Accurate, data-driven airport recreation – Modeled using real-world references to deliver the most precise TF Green experience available
- High-quality textures and detailed custom modeling
- Fully modeled terminal interior
- Custom ground poly – Realistic pavement detail, accurate taxiway markings, and updated surface materials
- Up-to-date 2025 airport layout
- Professionally tuned night lighting
- ATC tower interior
- Authentic ground clutter and service equipment
- Patriots 767 parked as in real life, static business jets
- Handcrafted PBR materials
- Detailed parking lots and landside areas
- GSX Profile by pvrlpe
Rhode Island
Renovations bring new look, new stores to TF Green Airport
WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport is undergoing a multimillion-dollar project to improve the airport’s terminal.
The project includes multiple new restaurants and stores along with a new decorative flooring that will replace the old carpet throughout the terminal.
The new restaurants inside the terminal include Narragansett Kitchen and Bar in the North Concourse, replacing the location of the old TGI Fridays.
“It’s a great facility, we opened this in May of this year, it’s over a $2 million investment,” said Nikolas Persson, executive vice president of business development. “We want to make sure that when our passengers are arriving here, they have the best impression of our state, and when they’re leaving that the last impression is a lasting one.”
In the South Concourse, the new restaurant is Federal Hill, an Italian restaurant.
Federal Hill is a new restaurant in the South Concourse at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick. (WJAR)
The old Providence Provisions will be replaced with a new Block Island-inspired seafood restaurant.
A Burger King will also replace Rhode Island Burger Co. near the TSA security line.
“We want to make sure that our of our customers have something that their familiar with,” said Persson.
The project to install the new retail and restaurant attractions cost $21 million, while the flooring cost $20.5 million.
According to the airport, the projects are funded by federal funds and airport revenue, not taxpayer money.
It’s not clear what will happen to the sailboat at the information center at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick. (WJAR)
The airport said it’s unclear what will happen to the sailboat by the information desk at baggage claim. But the airport ensures the live piano music will remain.
In the near future, the airport will undergo a $64 million project to improve its walls, ceilings, seating and lighting. Each project at the airport is done in phases.
Rhode Island
Ammonia leak from Rhode Island food processing facility sends 13 to hospital, 2 in critical condition
More than a dozen people were hospitalized, including two in critical condition, after falling ill from an ammonia leak at a food processing facility in Rhode Island on Thursday night, officials said.
Hazmat teams were working to ventilate the Infinity Fresh Kitchen facility, which is run in partnership with Taylor Farms in North Kingston, after an anhydrous ammonia leak around 6 p.m., according to the state’s Department of Environmental Management.
Thirteen people were hospitalized and two are in critical condition, the department said.
“We had people coming out of the building complaining that they were smelling of ammonia with irritation to their eyes and throats. There was no liquid ammonia leak, it was all vapor,” North Kingstown Fire Chief John Linacre told WJAR.
The Department of Environmental Management explained that a technician at the facility turned the ammonia system off, so a full evacuation wasn’t required.
The agency is still probing the cause of the leak. Linacre told the outlet that they suspected it originated from a valve on the roof that came loose, which created an opening for the air intake to suck the ammonia into the facility.
Taylor Farms was previously fined a whopping $650,000 for an ammonia leak that stemmed from its refrigeration system and sent 15 employees to the hospital in 2020.
Last week, 36 people were hospitalized, including four in critical condition, after ammonia leaked out of a tanker truck that was rolling through a small city in Oklahoma. Roughly 600 people in the surrounding area had to shelter in place for hours until officials gave the all-clear.
In 2022, one HVAC contractor died and another was sickened at a food plant in Massachusetts when an ammonia pipe they were working near started to leak.
Exposure to ammonia can cause severe irritation, burns, and difficulty breathing. In high concentrations, it can lead to life-threatening conditions.
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