Good Morning! It’s Monday, November 4. 🗓️ Today is the 309th day of the year; 57 days remain in 2024. Today’s newsletter is about a 5-minute read

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What’s Up Today

☀️ Weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 59. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph, becoming south in the afternoon.

⚓ Marine: Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming SE 5 to 7 kt in the morning. Increasing clouds. Seas 1 ft or less.

🌒 Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 6:21 am, sunset at 4:36 pm. Low tide at 2:04 am & 2:57 pm. High tide at 9 am & 9:27 pm. The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

🚢 Next up is the Insignia on November 7 – the last cruise ship of the season.

⛵ Happening Today: Newport Restaurant Week, Newport Black History Walking Tours, and more. Our complete roundup of what’s happening for events, entertainment, and local public meetings is here [WUN].

Community Calendar

Need To Know

1️⃣ Election Day Is Nearly Here

Today is the last day of Early voting in the General Election. So far, 187,412 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 23.7% voter turnout.

If you’d like to cast a ballot today, then be sure to do so at your local town/city hall between 8:30 am and 4 pm. For voting on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm and mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections or put into an authorized drop box by 8:00 p.m.

2️⃣ Election Results

On Tuesday, November 5, and the following days, you can see live 2024 General Election results for Newport, Rhode Island, and national races here.

Newport County Results

Rhode Island & National Results

3️⃣ Concert Recap and Photos: ‘Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth’ at the Casino Theatre in Newport

An inspiring performance combining elements of jazz, poetry, and classical soundscapes alongside a chorus of South African voices, made for a special evening at the Casino Theatre in Newport on Saturday, November 2. The show was the U.S. premiere of Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth, a multidisciplinary collaborative performance commemorating the 1976 youth resistance movement in South Africa.

WUN’s Ken Abrams was there to write about and photograph the event. [WUN]

What’s Up Out There

News

🚓 The Newport Police Department said that two officers were sideswiped by a tractor-trailer in North Carolina while picking up a special response van from Florida. Police said that on Oct. 29, the two officers were driving through Dunn, North Carolina, when the tractor hit the van. [WLNE]

♻️ Newport residents can dispose of “harder to recycle” items at the city’s Fall Recycling Day on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Easton’s Beach. The event is free and open to city residents, but proof of residency is required. [WUN]

🚌 RIPTA will offer all Rhode Island veterans free bus service on Veterans Day, with proof of eligibility. [WUN]

Arts, Culture & Things To Do

🎵 WUN’s Ken Abrams caught up with Grammy-winning Lucinda Williams ahead of her show at The Vets on Nov. 15. [WUN]

Business & Nonprofit

☕ Rhode Island’s Nitro Bar is soaring amid viral TikTok fame. [Brown Daily Herald]

Election

🗳️ As of 4:45 pm on Friday, November 1, the Rhode Island Voter Turnout Tracker reports that 187,412 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 23.7% voter turnout thus far. In Newport County, 20,859 voters have already voted. [WUN]

🎥 For the last few months, Angela Goethals, who was Macaulay Culkin’s big sister in Home Alone 34 years ago,  has been auditioning for a very significant role in her hometown of Westerly. WUN’s Frank Prosnitz has the story. [WUN]

🗳️ To view a sample ballot, check your voter registration, or to find your polling location, please visit Vote.RI.Gov. 

Food & Drink 

🍽️ Newport Restaurant Week continues in Newport and Bristol Counties through November 10 [WUN]

Obituaries

🕊️ Nathan Kivlehan

🕊️ Ann Louise Garvey-Morgan

Sports

🎾 Tiverton High School’s girls tennis team has secured the Division III Rhode Island State Championship. They clinched the title with a win over Exeter West Greenwich at Slater Park in Pawtucket. WUN’s Justin Walker was there and has a photo gallery of the game. [WUN]

⚽ On top of a second-straight hat trick from JJ Williams, Rhode Island FC won its first-ever playoff match on Sunday, defeating Indy Eleven 3-2 at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. [WUN]

🏒 Jeremy Swayman had 23 saves and his first shutout of the season, and the Boston Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken 2-0 on Sunday night. [WUN]

🏈 Nick Folk kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime and the Tennessee Titans beat the New England Patriots 20-17 Sunday, giving coach Brian Callahan his first victory at home this season. [WUN]

🏈 Devin Farrell threw for 265 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, with 171 yards and two scores going to Marquis Buchanan, and Rhode Island beat Monmouth 37-28 on Saturday for its seventh straight victory. [WUN]

🏈 Middletown High School’s varsity football team dominated Coventry High School 32-6 in a Division II game on Nov. 1. The win, which coincided with Middletown’s senior night, brings their season record to 4-4, while Coventry drops to 2-6. [WUN]

BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced in federal court in Boston for drug trafficking and money laundering. During the investigation, over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 64-year-old Patrick O’Hearn of Braintree was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024, O’Hearn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of money laundering. 

O’Hearn was charged along with 10 others in September 2021 in a 15-count superseding indictment.  

O’Hearn was part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution network that distributed significant quantities of pure methamphetamine throughout New England. The investigation began in late 2020, when O’Hearn’s methamphetamine supplier Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to customers throughout the New England area. O’Hearn was subsequently identified as one of Alkayisi’s regular large-scale distributors who routinely purchased methamphetamine and redistributed it throughout the Boston area. Bank records indicated that O’Hearn paid Alkayisi at least $100,000 between January and July 2021. O’Hearn also purchased over $465,000 worth of methamphetamine from Alkayisi between January and May 2021.

O’Hearn conspired with Alkayisi to launder their drug proceeds. As part of that money laundering conspiracy, Alkayisi used O’Hearn’s residence as the address for his shell company that he used to launder drug proceeds. 

In July 2021, O’Hearn was arrested and over 680 grams of pure methamphetamine was seized, as well as small quantities of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and other controlled substances from O’Hearn’s residence. Over $213,000 in cash was also found in O’Hearn’s residence and in bank safe deposit boxes.

Alkayisi pleaded guilty in April 2024 and in September 2024 sentenced to 23 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. O’Hearn is the 10th defendant to be sentenced in the case. The remaining defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Convention Center and the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence transformed into a haven for comic book lovers and pop culture enthusiasts during Rhode Island Comic Con.

Known as the biggest show in the smallest state, the event offered an exciting lineup for fans of all ages.

Attendees enjoyed a vibrant atmosphere filled with engaging panels, exclusive merchandise, and opportunities to meet artists, writers, and celebrities from the comic book world, from meet-and-greets to interactive experiences.