Rhode Island

‘Conjuring House’ owner arrested, charged with DUI – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

November 1, 2024

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‘Conjuring House’ owner arrested, charged with DUI – The Boston Globe

“I am not a criminal. I have never been arrested,” she wrote in a text message.

According to Police Chief Stephen Lynch, officers received calls on Monday night reporting an erratic driver.

Police found the Lexus SUV after 9 p.m. stopped on Hill Road, and as officers approached the car, allegedly driven by Nuñez, the vehicle took off, according to a police report.

Nuñez allegedly drove 51 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone, failed to stop for a stop sign, swerved into the opposite lane, and nearly drove off the road at different times during the pursuit, authorities said.

Eventually, Nuñez came to a stop on Wallum Lake Road, and officers approached the car with their guns drawn, the report states.

Body camera video footage shows Nuñez mumbling, “What’s wrong,” as officers approach her. Officers wrote they “detected the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath.”According to the police report and footage from police body-worn cameras released Thursday, she repeatedly told the officers that she owns The Conjuring House, and argued with them about why she did not pull over immediately.

Jacqueline Nuñez, who owns “The Conjuring House,” was arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence in Burrillville, R.I. this week. Nuñez is seen here in body camera video footage released by police. Burrillville Police

Officers attempted to perform field sobriety tests, but the video shows Nuñez not following directions and laughing at officers. At one point she told police, “You’re boring me,” and accused them of trying to “save face” by administering the tests, the report states.

Police said she later refused a Breathalyzer test, but told officers she drank three cocktails that night. She was later shackled to a bed at the police station after she refused to stop “aggressively banging on the cell door and yelling,” police wrote.

In a series of text messages sent to the Globe, Nuñez claimed she passed a sobriety test and that police did not ask her to take a Breathalyzer.

She claimed police and others are “trying to drive me out of business.”

“I am terrified of this PD. I did drive past a stop sign and then pulled over on the shoulder when they approached,” she wrote. “I remember being panicked and terrified and sped up and then pulled over. I knew I was going to be harassed and possibly taken somewhere to be killed.”

Lynch said Burrillville officers are sometimes called to The Conjuring House, where Nuñez also lives, over traffic caused by curious onlookers. On Saturday night, Lynch said, Nuñez called police to report seeing former employees near the woods. Police responded but did not find anyone there, Lynch said.

During the summer, officers also went to The Conjuring House twice with a health care provider to check on Nuñez, who was brought to a hospital on one of those occasions, he said.

Last month, Nuñez told The Providence Journal the hospital stay was orchestrated by former employees in an attempt to take control of the house.

In a series of texts with the Globe, Nuñez referred to several medical facilities but declined to provide details. “Being thrown into facilities because I am complaining about crimes against me and my legitimate business does not mean that I have psychiatric issues,” Nuñez wrote.

The DUI charges follow other Conjuring House-related controversies in recent months. The 18th-century farmhouse was the inspiration for the 2013 movie “The Conjuring,” about hauntings that plagued the Perron family there in the 1970s. Visitors come from around the world to tour the property, and some even spend the night.

Former employees have said Nuñez owes them money, including one who said he was fired after Nuńez accused him of stealing money from the business – an accusation she said was based on a tip by the ghost of a former owner.

Guests have also complained about being asked to leave based on information she seemed to indicate was from spirits. Scott Kitlarz told the Globe he and his wife paid $1,089 to stay overnight at the house on Oct. 21. The Iowa couple left within a few hours after Nuñez asked if they were content creators and accused them of not having “good intentions,” adding, “I can feel your energy,” according to an audio recording Kitlarz provided to the Globe. He told the Globe she seemed to indicate that spirits had informed her about the Kitlarzs.

He said they brought cameras and microphones to try to capture anything otherworldly, but they are not content creators. The Conjuring House’s website states that guests may bring “ghost hunting equipment” but content creators must inform staff before they arrive. Kitlarz asked for a refund, which Nunez agreed to, but he said that as of Wednesday he had not received any part of the $1,089 he and his wife had paid.

When asked about Kitlarz’s experience, Nuñez texted that she “was alerted quickly to their intentions so I acted quickly.”

“No one with intent to hurt me or my business will get a refund,” she said.“I will not reveal my sources that look to protect me and TCH.”

Jason Hawes, the Rhode Island-based star of SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” television show, has also accused Nuñez of harassing him and has said he is concerned about the safety of guests who stay there.

Amidst the controversies, “The Conjuring House” has remained open to visitors, though last week, Lynch opted not to immediately approve the entertainment license for the property, citing “inappropriate” attachments with its application. Nuñez can still resubmit her application though, before her current license expires in November, Lynch said.

When asked about the license, Nuñez said she will “pursue every option to run my legitimate business.”

“Burrillville will need a compelling reason to decline it,” she said in a text message.

Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.

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Rhode Island

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Union leaders for Rhode Island state employees are publicly airing frustrations with the state’s new payroll system following weeks of complaints, claiming many state workers have had problems receiving their full pay.

Rhode Island Council 94, the largest state workers’ union with more than 4,500 members, and the union representing correctional officers issued press releases Thursday calling on the state to fix the system that rolled out in early December.

The new system is operated by Workday, a company that provides services to more than 10,000 companies and organizations, including other states.

“Simply put, Workday is not working,” Council 94 President Michael McDonald wrote in a statement.

The unions claim problems for state employees include missing pay, partial pay, missing overtime pay, incorrect or no holiday pay, and benefits deductions not sent to accounts.

Council 94 says the state has worked on some solutions, but complaints and calls to a hotline mount.

“The state, in meeting after meeting, urges patience. Our members mortgage payments, grocery bills, childcare, fuel costs and other expenses do not pause for payroll processing errors. The payroll errors have touched every state agency,” Council 94 State Vice President John Monse stated.

The unions say they’ve brought the complaints to state officials, including Gov. Dan McKee.

“While some prior errors were corrected, the continued recurrence demonstrates a systemic payroll breakdown, not isolated mistakes,” the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers wrote in its statement.

NBC 10 News messaged the governor’s office and the Department of Administration before noon Thursday.

The governor’s office later referred comment to Administration, which has not responded to NBC 10’s messages.

The unions are calling for legislative oversight hearings into the matter and are considering legal action.

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Rhode Island

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Editor’s note: Coaches are reminded to send in game results each weeknight, from 6-10 p.m., by emailing them to pjsports@providencejournal.com or by calling (401) 277-7340.

🏀GAME OF THE NIGHT

Did the best high school basketball game of the season happen on Wednesday night?

The ups and downs between the Chariho and Juantia Sanchez boys basketball teams were rivaled only by the nearest amusement park and one overtime wasn’t enough to decide a winner. In the second overtime, Evander Perez came through with six points, helping the Chargers pull out the 84-76 win over the Cavaliers.

Juanita Sanchez got off to the start it wanted, with 13 combined points from Geston Richardson and Amaree Gomes giving the team a 19-11 lead. The second quarter belonged to Chariho, as seven different players scored and the defense locked down to give it a 31-25 lead at halftime.

The Cavaliers turned the tides on the Chargers in the third quarter – helped by a defense that allowed only eight points – but Chariho had enough in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. Both teams found a groove on offense in the first overtime, with each scoring 10 points, but Perez got the Chargers’ offense going in the second overtime and the defense held the Cavaliers to six points.

Three different Chariho players reached double figures and two others almost got there as well. Brendan Gleason led the way with 21 points and Perez and Riley Conroy both scored 19 in the win. Sam Ellis and Rohan Downing helped out with nine points apiece.

Richardson was masterful in defeat, scoring a season-best 35 points. Gomes ended his night with 14 points and Angel Collazo closed out with 13 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Smithfield 61, Portsmouth 56

C.J. Blakely and Christian Snowman came up big in the second half, helping the Sentinels pull off a 61-56 upset over the Patriots.

Smithfield came in with a 2-5 record in Division I while Portsmouth was 3-0, but those records didn’t mean anything when the teams hit the floor. The game was gritty between the two teams, but the Patriots found a way to take a 27-24 at halftime.

Blakely came out ready to prove a point in the third quarter and his 12 points were huge for the Sentinels, who matched Portsmouth’s pace and trailed 42-40 after the third quarter. Snowman grabbed the wheel in the fourth quarter for Smithfield and scored nine points, building a lead the Patriots couldn’t come back from.

Blakely finished as Smithfield’s top scorer with 19 points and Snowman closed with 14. Adam Conheeny led Portsmouth with 23 points and Jack Casey had 17 points and double-digit rebounds in defeat.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Davies 58, Times2 49

Trailing at halftime, the Patriots put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter as the offense exploded before pulling out the 58-49 win.

Times2 trailed 11-9 after the first quarter, but found a groove in the second thanks to six points from Justin Urey and two 3-pointers from Jayden Navarrete that had the team up 26-23 at the break.

Davies didn’t like the direction the game was going and changed it in a hurry. The Patriots swarmed on defense and didn’t give up a single point while Ephraim Jean-Baptiste scored 10 of the their 22 points that made it 45-26 heading to the fourth quarter. Times2 tried to muster up a comeback, but the deficit was too big to overcome.

Jean-Baptiste and Austin Kearns finished as the top scorers for Davies with 16 points apiece. Jomar Lopes scored 11 and Albert Medrano was also in double figures with 10. Zion Rayside was Windex all night, grabbing 14 rebounds in the win.

Times2 had four players in double figures, led by 15 from Lucas Cruz. Navarette, Urey and Sekou Kaba scored 10 points each in the loss.

Toll Gate 59, Central Falls 36

The Double-Double Twins were at it again, helping the Titans get off to a quick start and put the game away by halftime in the 59-36 win over the Warriors.

Toll Gate had it working on both sides of the court early, outscoring Central Falls 17-4 in the first quarter and taking a 32-11 lead into halftime. The second half was just as methodical.

Damola Oremosu and Jake Andersen dominated the game and both had double-doubles. Oremosu finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Anderson scored 12 and pulled down 10 boards.

Aidan Tourangeau was also in double figures for the Titans, scoring 12. Will Goodine and Jaden Roache chipped in with six apiece.

Central Falls was led by Iryan Aubert, Rafael Borges Da Lomba and Terrell Ciprian, who scored six points apiece.

Exeter-West Greenwich 83, Middletown 59

The Scarlet Knights continued to score at a prolific pace, with five players reaching double figures in an 83-59 win over the Islanders.

With two 80–plus point scoring nights on its resume already, EWG added a third against Middletown. The Knights trailed 20-18 after the first quarter, but put together a practically perfect second to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Shining on both ends of the court in the third, EWG got its lead over 20 before cruising home with the win.

Matt Chartier closed his night with a bang, hitting three 3-pointers in the fourth and finishing the game with 24 points. Dylan Main scored 16 for the Knights and Bruce Sampson finished with 13. Stanley Berek and Brody Simoes were also in double figures with 10 points apiece.

Ryan Johnson was instrumental in Middletown’s early start and finished the evening with 20 points. Gabriel Cantone scored 13 in the loss.

Prout 65, Tiverton 60

Down at halftime, Ryan Antonucci and the offense got rolling and turned things around in a 65-60 win over the Tigers.

It was a close game all night, but a Caleb Purcell-led Tiverton took a 30-25 lead into the locker room. Coming out of halftime, Antonucci, Christian Pachis and Mike Brugnoli got the offense turned around and helped the Crusaders grab the victory.

Antonucci led Prout with 20 points, while Pachis scored 19 and Brugnoli added 12. Purcell led Tiverton with 20 points, with Philip Kenny scoring 17 and Jase Kelly getting 11 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division II

Pilgrim 80, NORTH PROVIDENCE 68

Division III

PROVIDENCE COUNTRY DAY 75, Hope 70

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL — Division I

Classical 39, Chariho 35

The Chargers took an early lead as the Purple struggled to score in the opening quarter, but Classical turned the tables in the second quarter to take an 18-14 lead at the break. Daniella Jimenez led the Purple with 19 points and 12 of those were scored in the second half.

Menuhki Harris nearly completed Chariho’s comeback, scoring 9 of her team-high 11 points in the fourth frame. But the Chargers fell just short in the end.

St. Raphael 61, Juanita Sanchez 41

Leila Delgado had the offense rolling, the Saints defense dominated early and nothing changed after their good start in a 61-41 win over the Cavaliers.

Delgado came to play, scoring nine points in the first quarter that had St. Raphael ahead 21-4. While the offense slowed down a bit in the second, the defense didn’t as the Saints held Juanita Sanchez to 11 points and led 32-14 at halftime. The Cavaliers tried to battle back in the third, but SRA’s offense kept pace and was able to finish the game off clean.

Carolyn Abreau led the way for St. Raphael, scoring all 13 of her points in the first half. Keniamarie Oyola and Jocelyn Taylor were both in double figures with 10 and Delgado finished with the the nine points.

After a quiet first half, Anayjah Delves came alive in the second and finished the game with 21 points for Juanita Sanchez. Breanna Marcotte scored 11 in the loss.

Cranston West 43, West Warwick 34

The Falcons’ defense played well and Kyla Buco led the offense in a 43-24 win over the Wizards.

Buco was Cranston West’s lone scorer in double figures with 14 points. Maggie Sjoval and Tayla Walker both scored nine for the Falcons.

Alexa Foley led West Warwick with 10 points.

Westerly 55, Bacon Academy 24

The Bulldogs’ freshmen sensations Macy Antoch and Santanaa Hamelin got the team out to the start they wanted, taking a bite out of Bacon Academy, 55-24.

Antioch and Hamelin took control of the game in the first quarter, combining to score 12 of the team’s 20 points. Westerly led 20-6 after the first eight minutes, then gave up three points in the second and five in the third while it’s offense kept pumping in buckets.Ella Reyes got going in the second quarter and finished as the team’s top scorer with 15 points. Hamelin finished with 11, Antoch scored 10 and Danica Jarrett chipped in with seven points.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

Lincoln School 57, Rogers 48

The Lynx tried to give away a big lead, but Sarah Berube made sure they finished things off in a 57-48 win over the Vikings.

Lincoln School’s starting five found a rhythm early and the consistency was there, scoring 15 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 30-21 lead into halftime. Rogers flipped momentum coming out of the locker room, and two 3-pointers from Abby Hole and solid defense cut the deficit to five heading to the fourth quarter.

But Lincoln School’s offense awoke from its third-quarter slumber, with Berube scoring seven of the team’s 20 points that sealed up the win.

The senior guard had a productive night, leading the Lynx with 21 points. Reign Whiteing came through with 14 points and Alivia Harris joined them in double figures with 11. Freshman Aubrey Watkins helped out with seven points.

Rogers had three players in double figures, led by 13 from Zaida Aponte. Hole finished her night with 12 points and Lila Leys scored 10 in the loss.

East Providence 49, La Salle 38

The Townies used balanced scoring to pull of a 49-38 upset over the Division I Rams.

Zarae Hall was the focal point of the East Providence offense, scoring 16 points to go with seven rebounds. Trinity Provencher scored nine points to go with 10 rebounds and Nadiyah Calouro-Vargas scored nine points in the win.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Pilgrim 46, Burrillville 17

The Patriots let their defense do all the talking and eight different players scored as they rolled to a 46-17 win over the Broncos.

Pilgrim has had some strong offensive nights, but the defense was the star of the show, holding Burrillville to just two points in the first, second and fourth quarters. Maddison Belanger made sure the offense got off to a good start, scoring nine of the team’s 16 first-quarter points that led to a 26-4 halftime lead.

Belanger led the Patriots with 13 points and while she was the only double-digit scorer, seven other players came up with buckets. Natalie Fratus nearly got there, scoring nine points, and Skylar Hawes and Lia Wasilewski both scored six in the win.

Mackenzie Stone was a bright spot for the Burrillville offense, scoring 10 points.

Central 46, Middletown 30

Keeana Palmer‘s solid performance (18 points, 3 blocks, 5 steals, 7 assists and 8 rebounds) helped pave the way for the Lady Knights’ win over the Islanders. Eveisha Santana also figured in the victory with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and sophomore Anaya Rios Rodriguez scored 8 points with 2 treys and turned in a solid effort on defense. Central improved to 5-1 on the year.

Senior Lamaya Gonsolves had 15 points with 5 rebounds and 3 steals for Middletown in the loss.

Achievement First 32, Times2 28

One big quarter did the trick for the Falcons, who held on in the final eight minutes to beat the Eagles, 32-28, for their first win of the season.

It was a classic rockfight in the first half, with Times2 taking a 13-12 lead into the locker room. Achievement First came out firing in the second half, as Silvyraida Mustafa powered the offense and scored seven of the team’s 12 points that gave them a 24-15 lead. Times2’s Haidya Jenkins and Maylin Hilario tried to get their team back in the game, but the Falcons’ lead proved to be too big.

Mustafa finished her night with 11 points. Ny’Asia Cruz came up with eight points for Achievement First and Jeiliany Calero scored six. It was the first win of the season for the Falcons and second in program history.

Jenkins led Times2 with 17 points. Jenna Jennings added six points and Hilario had the remaining five, all coming in the fourth quarter.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division I

Portsmouth 47, MOSES BROWN 40

Division II

Johnston 37, MT. HOPE 31

Lincoln 66, WOONSOCKET 51

🤼WRESTLING

Westerly 65, Classical 18

Westerly 77, Johnston 5

THURSDAY’S GAMES

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Classical at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

La Salle at Barrington, 7 p.m.

Hendricken at Cumberland, 7 p.m.

Cranston East at Johnston, 7 p.m.

Lincoln at Tolman, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division II

Narragansett at South Kingstown, 5:30

Burrillville at Chariho, 6:30 p.m.

Mt. Hope at Middletown, 6:30 p.m.

Moses Brown at St. Raphael, 6:30 p.m.

Rogers at Cranston West, 7 p.m.

East Greenwich at West Warwick, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Ponaganset at North Smithfield, 6 p.m.

Block Island at Toll Gate, 6 p.m.

St. Patrick at Providence Country Day, 6:30 p.m.

Prout at Blackstone Valley Prep, 7 p.m.

Scituate at Paul Cuffee, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division I

Moses Brown at Bay View, 4 p.m.

Cumberland at St. Raphael, 4:45 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

South Kingstown at Narragansett, 5:30 p.m.

Tiverton at Durfee (Mass.), 6:30 p.m.

Coventry at Cranston East, 7 p.m.

North Smithfield at Smithfield, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Exeter-West Greenwich at North Providence, 6:30 p.m.

BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

Midd/Rog Co-op vs. Burr/Scit Co-op at Newport YMCA, 7:30 p.m.

WRESTLING

Pilgrim, Prout, West Warwick at Pilgrim, 5 p.m.

Woonsocket at Mt. Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Lincoln at North Providence, 6 p.m.

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Rhode Island

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

A new documentary series celebrating Rhode Island’s coastal wildlife and conservation efforts premieres Friday on Ocean State Media.

“Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast” debuts with its first episode, “Secrets of the Seagrass,” at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 on WSBE. The episode will be followed by a re-run of “Chasing Fins,” a short documentary about the Atlantic Shark Institute’s shark research in Rhode Island.

The premiere episode explores eelgrass meadows, often called the “nurseries of the sea,” which support diverse marine life while playing a critical role in coastal resilience, water quality and climate mitigation.

Filmed across Rhode Island and New England, the episode features species including American lobster, American eel and bay scallops that depend on healthy eelgrass ecosystems. It also highlights scientists and conservationists from Save the Bay and The Nature Conservancy working on habitat restoration.

“Eelgrass meadows are foundational to the health of our coastal waters, yet many people have never seen them or understood their importance,” director Tomas Koeck said. “This episode brings viewers beneath the surface to reveal how interconnected these systems are—and what’s at stake if we lose them.”

The series is produced by Silent Flight Studios in partnership with Ocean State Media.

“Given our strong, shared connection with the bay and our coastline, we’re excited to share this fascinating new series,” Ocean State Media President and CEO Pam Johnston said.

Future episodes will explore landscapes, wildlife and people shaping the region’s natural heritage.