Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is taking his campaign for greater home building to Congress next week.
The Warwick Democrat, who flirted with a run for the U.S. House of Representatives two years ago, will testify at a Senate Budget Committee hearing Wednesday, Sept. 25.
The subject: “The Costs of Inaction: Economic Risks from Housing Unaffordability,” according to the agenda.
Changing state law to make it easier to new homes in Rhode Island has been Shekarchi’s top legislative priority the past two years.
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He was invited by Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee.
The other speakers on the agenda are Paul Williams, founder of the Center for Public Enterprises, and Greta HarrisPresident of the Better Housing Coalition.
PROVIDENCE — Motorists in the northeast have enjoyed watching prices continue to inch lower at the pump as gloomier demand forecasts grip global petroleum markets.
The average gas price in Rhode Island is down three cents from last week, averaging $2.91 per gallon. Today’s price is nine cents lower than a month ago and 44 cents lower than on the same day last year. Rhode Island’s average gas price is 16 cents lower than the national average.
“Normally, higher demand and tightening supplies would send prices climbing, but markets are more focused on the long-term global demand picture at this time,” said Jillian Young, director of public relations for AAA Northeast. “A key factor keeping prices steady has been the continued pace of strong domestic oil and gas production throughout 2024.”
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Crude oil prices ended last week down almost $5 a barrel after both OPEC+ and the International Energy Agency slashed their demand projections for 2025, citing China’s limping economy and the potential for a global gasoline production surplus of more than one million barrels a day.
Domestically, prices for petroleum commodities are lower despite last week’s data from the Energy Information Administration that showed a 555,000 barrel a day surge in domestic demand week-to-week. The increase took many market participants by surprise, and is expected to be revised lower in future reports by the agency, which is not uncommon.
Total demand for last week was a reported 9.3 million barrels a day — 434,000 barrels more than the comparable week last year and more akin to figures seen during the summer driving season. At the same time, regional inventories that supply the Northeast fell by 2.8 million barrels, sending stockpiles below last year’s levels by 1.3 million barrels.
AAA Northeast’s Nov. 18 survey of fuel prices found the current national average down a penny from last week, averaging $3.07 gallon. Today’s national average price is 12 cents cheaper than a month ago and 25 cents lower than on the same day last year.
NEWPORT, RI — Two people from Newport were arrested Thursday after police said they were caught with cocaine.
Glenda Mendez, 48, and Edgardo Torres, 26, were charged with possession with intent to sell a controlled substance. Mendez was also charged with using a firearm when committing a crime of violence.
Newport police said they learned Mendez and Torres were selling cocaine in the city and got warrants to search both their homes. During the search, officers seized 16 grams of cocaine, a SIG Sauer 9-mm semi-automatic handgun, and two loaded magazines, police said.
The University of Rhode Island has received a $65 million estate gift, the largest private donation … [+] in its history.
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Two universities were given the largest private gifts in their respective histories this past week. The University of San Diego reported it had received a $75 million commitment from Darlene Marcos Shiley, and the University of Rhode Island has been given a $65 million estate gift from the late Helen Izzi Schilling, an alum of the institution.
University of San Diego
The $75 million commitment from Darlene Shiley, which will be distributed over time, will create the Shiley STEM Initiative, an initiative intended to enhance the university’s existing STEM programs.
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Part of the funding from the commitment will be used to create a new space on the USD campus to integrate engineering and the natural sciences. It’s expected to help enable new majors, minors, and certificate programs. In addition, the expansion will include flexible classrooms for collaborative teaching, “Makers Spaces” for students and faculty, expanded machine shops for STEM disciplines, and more labs and shops in biomedical engineering.
The gift will also support new scholarships, fellowships and undergraduate research opportunities in various STEM fields.
As part of the university’s announcement, USD President James T. Harris, III said, “Darlene Shiley is one of the most generous and kind individuals that anyone could ever meet. She’s always looking out for humanity and the best interests of our society, and she particularly loves our students.”
“We are a better institution because of Donald and Darlene Shiley and what they’ve decided to do for this institution and what they’ve done for this world. In our vision statement we talk about leading with love, and Donald and Darlene Shiley have always led with love, “added Harris.
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Shiley, whose husband Don invented a prosthetic heart valve, said that “STEM fields touch all different aspects of our lives, and I believe they can be a force for good in our society.”
“I was drawn to USD because of its emphasis on a values-based education. This gift fulfills my husband’s and my goals and makes me feel like I’ve made an impact. Now I hope it helps future students take what they learn at USD and make a positive impact of their own,” she noted in the announcement.
The Shileys have been major benefactors for the university and the San Diego community over the years. Their prior gifts helped establish USD’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the Shiley Theatre, and the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology.
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island’s $65 million estate gift from Helen Izzi Schilling, a 1954 graduate of the University, will be used to create an endowed scholarship that will provide up to $20,000 per year for four years to high-achieving undergraduate students majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or math field.
“This transformational gift shows that alumni believe in our University and in our students,” said URI President Marc B. Parlange, as part of the announcement. “We are incredibly grateful for the Schillings’ support of our mission and our students. URI has never been in a better place, due, in no small measure, to our remarkable community—the students, faculty, and staff across our campuses and the extraordinary alumni who carry their URI experience with them wherever they go.”
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The Schilling Scholarships will begin to be awarded to undergraduates applying to URI for the Fall 2025 admission cycle.
After her graduation from URI, Helen Schilling worked for many years as a registered dietitian, professor and consultant. Her husband, Frank Schilling, worked at General Electric where he became a vice president and was head of GE Medical Systems.
“My mother’s education in the sciences formed the foundation of a career that was dedicated to helping people, and that started at the University of Rhode Island,” Dr. Paul J. Schilling said in the university’s news release. “She wanted to make a difference for her alma mater, but most importantly for the students going forward. I am glad that my parents will be remembered for giving students a head start to achieve their goals.”
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