Rhode Island
Does a new state law block a pending Tiverton oyster farm? State regulators will weigh in Monday. • Rhode Island Current
Not even the state lawmakers who sponsored 2024 legislation limiting development along the Sakonnet River are confident that the now-law bans an oyster farm proposed for the area.
The question is now left to state regulators, who will consider, and potentially decide, on whether the law applies to the pending project application Monday.
It’s set to be just as contentious — and confusing — as the last four-and-a-half years of hearings, letters and organized protests over the Sapowet Cove oyster farm.
The one-acre lease application submitted in 2020 by John and Patrick Bowen, if approved, would be one of the smallest commercial oyster farms in the state. Yet it has drawn a mountain of opposition from waterfront residents, fishermen and even the state aquaculture association who insist the wade-in cages will get in the way of fishing, boating and recreation along the shoreline.
Aquaculture applications are down. The battle for Tiverton’s Sapowet Cove might be why
The latest twist came in a July 25 joint motion by a group of waterfront property owners, who asked state regulators to end the public review and reject the proposal. The memo specifically cites the law passed on the final day of the legislative session which prevents a section of the Sakonnet River — including where the oyster cages would go — from being used for anything other than “passive outdoor recreation.”
Rep. Jay Edwards, the Tiverton Democrat who sponsored the House version of the bill, insisted during legislative hearings that the policy was not about the oyster farm. Instead, Edwards, and Sen. Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat and bill cosponsor, stressed the need to preserve the sensitive waters directly adjacent to the federally recognized Sapowet Marsh Management Area.
The bill passed overwhelmingly in both chambers, becoming law on June 29, sans Gov. Dan McKee’s signature. This was despite objections by the Bowens, and by Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council Executive Director Jeffrey Willis, who warned lawmakers the policy would “usurp” the regulatory agency’s authority and muddy its review.
Willis reiterated the sentiment in an interview Friday.
“The agency still feels we need to move forward on this [review],” he said.
Waterfront homeowners, through their attorneys, don’t share Willis’ concerns.
“This language could not be more clear,” the July 25 motion reads. “A commercial aquaculture lease located in Sapowet Cove would be a direct violation of the statute’s prohibition of commercial development. The CRMC is now statutorily prohibited from granting an assent to a commercial aquaculture lease in Sapowet Cove.”
DiPalma also said in an interview Friday that he “assumed” the law would block the oyster farm, though he had not consulted with the Assembly’s legal staff.
Protecting the ‘freedom to fish’
John and Patrick Bowen argued just the opposite. In an Aug. 5 response, they wrote that regulators must consider their application based on policies in place at the time of the 2020 application. The response also contends that the new law violates state constitutional protections for the right to fish, and incorporates provisions under the 1663 Rhode Island Royal Charter.
“Under the heading ‘Freedom to fish the New England Coast’, the Rhode Island Royal Charter declares: ‘that these presents, shall not, in any manner, hinder any of our loving subjects, whatsoever, from using and exercising the trade of fishing upon the coast of New England, in America,’” the complaint states.
Objectors in the motion asked the council through its hearing officer to end the review and dismiss the application with a condition preventing the applicants from refiling.
But Patrick Bowen alleged their underlying motivation is to continue to drag out the debate, in the hopes of wearing him and his brother down.
“The reason this has taken so long is because objectors have hired attorneys to delay this,” Bowen said in an interview on Friday. “If they want to hire lawyers, let them spend their money. We are not going away.”
Bowen also accused the objectors of dipping into their pockets to sway lawmakers. Campaign finance records show that one of the leading objectors, Kenny and Elizabeth Mendez, donated $150 apiece to DiPalma in May. Another objector, Donald Libbey, donated $250 to DiPalma that same month.
DiPalma denied Bowen’s accusations.
“I don’t do something because somebody gave me a dollar, $1,000, or 50 cents,” he said. “This law was seeking to codify federal grants received decades ago that are meant to protect this area.”
DiPalma instead faulted state coastal regulators for allowing a proposal to build an oyster farm in such an ecologically sensitive area, forcing lawmakers to introduce new policies.
“The CRMC is not listening,” he said. “We felt legislation was the only thing that was going to help them see what needs to happen.”
Willis declined to comment on DiPalma’s statement.
Libbey, and Marisa Desautel, the attorney representing the Mendezes, also did not return inquiries for comment. Attorney Dean Wagner, who is representing a group of other area property owners included in the joint motion, said he could not comment without his clients’ permission.
A Sept. 16 update on the opposition-created website, Save Sapowet for All, provides some additional commentary on the “common sense” argument to reject the application.
“A continuation of the administrative process being run by the CRMC is a waste of the state’s administrative and legal resources in addition to the legal costs incurred by private citizens to enforce a new state law,” the post, which does not list an author, reads. “Our community has been waiting over four years for the CRMC to dismiss this application because of the significant conflict the proposed location would create with recreational use of those waters among many other issues.”
The CRMC meets at 4 p.m. Monday at the William E. Powers building in Providence. The meeting will also be streamed over Zoom.
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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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