Rhode Island

R.I. man sentenced for attempting to stab police, paramedic

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2024

R.I. man sentenced for attempting to stab police, paramedic

A Rhode Island man will serve at least six years in prison for robbing a man outside a cannabis dispensary in Fall River and attempting to stab multiple police officers and a paramedic following the robbery, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III’s office announced Tuesday.

Dillon Nobles, 26, of Tiverton, R.I., pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count each of armed assault with intent to murder, armed assault with intent to rob and resisting arrest in connection with a “series of episodes” in Fall River on Jan. 24, 2022, Quinn’s office said.

On that date, Nobles, who was intoxicated, went to the Nature’s Medicine cannabis dispensary in Fall River with his mother. While he waited outside, he encountered a man who gave him $30 to purchase marijuana on his behalf.

Nobles went into the store but exited before buying any cannabis, according to the statement. After being confronted by the man, Nobles “brandished” a folding knife and threatened the man with it.

Later, Nobles became unresponsive while on a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority bus. When roused by paramedics and police, he was “defiant and refused treatment,” prosecutors said.

An officer deescalated the situation and convinced Nobles to go to the hospital, but he became agitated as he walked to a stretcher and threatened a pandemic, according to Quinn’s office.

Nobles then brandished the knife again and approached the paramedic. Police intervened, prompting Nobles to slash at the “neck/torso area” of a responding officer.

Nobles then fled on foot with officers trailing him.

Another officer joined the chaise and stained himself ahead of Nobles. He tried to subdue Nobles but the area was crowded, grabbing hold of his left arm but failing to grab the man’s right arm.

Nobles then pulled out the knife with his right hand and “violently attempted to stab the officer in the neck, coming within inches,” Quinn’s office said. Yet another officer grabbed his arm and held him at bay until other officers arrived, took the knife, and later tased Nobles.

Prosecutors had argued in court for a 12 to 15 year sentence, while Nobles’ attorneys requested three to five years. Judge Brian Glenny ultimately sentenced the man to six to 10 years.

The case “highlights the danger that police officers face when they encounter armed and violent individuals during the course of performing their duties,” Quinn said in the statement.

“The police should be commended for using remarkable restraint in subduing the defendant,” he said. “He clearly is a danger to the community and needs to be kept off the street.”

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Rhode Island

Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than $500K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe

Published

8 hours ago

April 17, 2026

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Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than 0K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe

As the two-year anniversary of his wife’s death approaches, widowed single father Scott Naso is sounding an alarm to fellow parents across the country — and especially in Rhode Island, where he lives with his now 4-year-old daughter, Laila.

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Rhode Island

A Hidden Bristol Gem Is Opening Its Trails for Free

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

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A Hidden Bristol Gem Is Opening Its Trails for Free

It is one of my all-time favorite places for exploring the outdoors with my kids and this weekend you can go for free.

A Free Day at One of Rhode Island’s Best Nature Spots

On Saturday, April 18, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island (ASRI) is once again hosting their Free Family Fun Day at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol thanks to Bank of America. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. visitors can enjoy the trails, aquarium, and animals of this nearly 10,000 acre natural habitat near Narragansett Bay.

Exclusive to this weekend’s event will be the official opening of a new art exhibit.

New Woodpecker Art Exhibit Debuts This Weekend

Since last fall, work has been underway on the “Wings Unfurled: Downy Woodpeckers Define Their Space” art exhibit with Brown University and RISD. Visitors were even able to help with the painting of giant woodpecker wings that have now been installed along the nature trails.

Family Activities Happening Throughout the Day

Throughout the day, crafts, coloring, and DIY pinecone birdfeeder activities will be happening around the property. You can explore the indoor aquarium, featuring a 33-foot life-size model of a North Atlantic Right Whale. Plus, at the back of the nature trails is a wooden bridge path that will eventually lead you to an overlook of Narragansett Bay, with great views and possibly even an osprey sighting.

Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media

With spring weather here and school vacation week kicking off, Saturday may be the perfect time to adventure outdoors for some free family fun at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol. It’s definitely on my to-do list this weekend.

Explore Land and Sea at Bristol’s Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium

Need a day of hiking, biking and seeing a 33-foot North Atlantic Right Whale replica? Then you need to head to the Rhode Island Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol.

You can hike through various habitats, enjoy a peaceful pondside picnic and even enjoy an interactive aquarium full of native fish and sea creatures.

Fun for the whole family can be found at this hidden gem of Rhode Island.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Simmons Mill Pond Trail in Little Compton Is the Perfect Excuse to Get Outside

Take a walk through the quiet woods of Little Compton, Rhode Island and hit the reset button on life. Simmons Mill Pond Management Area can be accessed via Colebrook and John Dyer roads.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

See Inside Gorgeous Gardens Hidden Away in Little Compton

For nearly 50 years the grounds of Sakonnet Garden have been growing in what might be the most private garden along the coast.

On certain days, at certain times you can make a reservation to walk among the hundreds of flowers and plants growing in hidden “rooms” on the grounds, or take a sneak peek right now.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

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Rhode Island

URI to award honorary degrees to entrepreneurs Marc Randolph and Dan Harple, and anti-poverty advocate Kate Brewster

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

URI to award honorary degrees to entrepreneurs Marc Randolph and Dan Harple, and anti-poverty advocate Kate Brewster

KINGSTON, R.I.—April 16, 2026—Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of streaming giant Netflix; Daniel L. Harple Jr., chair and CEO of Context Labs; and Katherine Angell Brewster, CEO of the Jonnycake Center for Hope in South Kingstown, will be awarded honorary degrees by the University of Rhode Island next month.

Each honoree will be recognized for their considerable professional and personal achievements during commencement ceremonies, May 15-17, at the Thomas M. Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus. Randolph will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and serve as keynote speaker during commencement ceremonies for URI’s College of Business on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. Harple will receive an honorary Doctor of Science during commencement ceremonies for the College of Engineering on Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m. Brewster will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during ceremonies for URI’s Feinstein College of Education on Sunday, May 17, at 1 p.m.

“Each of this year’s honorary degree recipients has made a profound and lasting impact on the communities they serve,” said URI President Marc Parlange. “Through their groundbreaking work in technology, business, AI, mentorship, and social welfare, they have continually expanded the horizons of what is possible—always guided by a commitment to leave the world and their communities better than they found them. These are the values we strive to cultivate in our students every day, and I am honored to recognize their extraordinary achievements during our commencement celebrations next month.”

“It is a privilege to welcome this year’s honorary degree recipients, who have demonstrated such dedication to their work, their values, and their communities,” said Barbara Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Their impact serves as a powerful example to our students of what they too can achieve, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at this year’s commencement ceremonies.”

Marc Randolph, co-founder and former CEO of streaming giant Netflix, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and serve as keynote speaker during commencement ceremonies for URI’s College of Business on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. (Photo courtesy: Marc Randolph)

Marc Randolph

Randolph is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has built a reputation as a serial entrepreneur, founding or co-founding more than half a dozen successful startups. He has also mentored countless early-stage entrepreneurs and invested in a wide range of successful technology ventures.

Most recently, Randolph co-founded Looker Data Sciences, which was acquired by Google in 2019 for $2.6 billion. He currently serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming; the Truckee Donner Land Trust; and Cheeze Technologies.

Randolph is the author of the international bestselling memoir “That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.” He is the entrepreneur-in-residence at High Point University, an entrepreneurship leadership fellow at MIT, and a featured investor on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Elevator Pitch” web series.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in geology from Hamilton College.

Daniel L. Harple Jr.

A technology entrepreneur and CEO for more than 30 years, Daniel L. Harple Jr. is considered an internet pioneer who has founded and built technologies, companies, and products used by billions of internet users. He has founded, grown, and merged companies with Netscape Communications, Oracle, and Sina, among others, driving at-scale global innovation and impacting users the world over. These innovations established foundational standards for internet collaboration, media streaming, and VoIP, used daily by billions across platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and YouTube.

Harple is chair and CEO of Context Labs BV, a company he founded based on his MIT research. The company delivers AI‑driven, auditable intelligence for industrial data, carbon management, and compliance. It provides AI-ready data infrastructure for global energy markets, creating context for the world’s most challenging persistent problems.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Red Herring Watch Award, the Upside Hot Startup Award, the University of Rhode Island’s Alumni Excellence Award for Contributions to Science and Technology, and the NEA (New Enterprise Associates) President’s Award.

Harple holds an advanced degree from MIT and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and psychology from the University of Rhode Island.

Katherine Angell Brewster

Brewster has served as CEO of South Kingstown’s Jonnycake Center for Hope for more than a decade, leading the organization through a period of significant growth to become a cornerstone of support for residents facing economic hardship and providing food, financial assistance, housing and youth programming to more than 2,000 individuals.

During her tenure, Brewster has led the organization’s expansion into new initiatives, including the development of affordable housing and the creation of the Jonnycake Youth Center. Her career has spanned direct service and public policy, giving her a deep understanding of the systemic challenges facing families and the practical solutions that help communities thrive.

Prior to the Jonnycake Center, Brewster was executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Rhode Island’s leading anti-poverty research and advocacy organization. She has also served on the boards of several prominent organizations, including the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Thundermist Health Center.

In 2022, she was honored with the Murray Family Prize in recognition of her commitment to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders in need. Brewster holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Social Work from Rhode Island College.

To learn more or to view a full schedule of ceremonies over URI’s Spring 2026 Commencement Weekend, visit: uri.edu/commencement/.

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