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Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Famer John Hynes Leads Wild Into Town To Face Bruins | ABC6

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Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Famer John Hynes Leads Wild Into Town To Face Bruins | ABC6


A Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Famer is back in New England this week to take on the Bruins.

John Hynes is the head coach in Minnesota & will lead the Wild against the B’s Tuesday night.

Hynes & his squad practicing over at Boston University Monday, the place where the Warwick native was a college star during the 90s.





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Rhode Island

Bill would rename Sakonnet River Bridge in honor of Tiverton soldier killed in Iraq War • Rhode Island Current

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Bill would rename Sakonnet River Bridge in honor of Tiverton soldier killed in Iraq War • Rhode Island Current


More than a dozen veterans and their family members showed up at a Thursday hearing of the Rhode Island House Committee on Special Legislation to support a bill that would rename the Sakonnet River Bridge after a fallen soldier.

Three supporters offered spoken testimony for bill H5051, led by Westerly Democrat Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, which would rename the bridge connecting Portsmouth and Tiverton to the Staff Sergeant Christopher Potts Sakonnet Bridge. Azzinaro, a retired National Guardsman who chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said the bill came to him via the House Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Council.

One of the supporters was retired Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Viens, who served alongside Potts, a Tiverton resident and National Guardsman killed in action in Iraq in 2004.

“We’re not here to diminish the service or the sacrifice of any other service member, any of our brothers and sisters that also paid the ultimate price,” Viens, who served as Potts’ platoon sergeant, told the committee. “We’re here to advocate on behalf of our soldier who we feel made the ultimate sacrifice, but in doing so, saved lives.”

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Potts “died because he found something he was not supposed to find,” according to Viens. That something was a weapons cache stocked with ammo, guns, rockets, mortars, artillery rounds, IED timers and more. Iraqi insurgent groups at the time were splintered, Viens said, but the cache served as a hub for these guerilla fighters — and as a danger for U.S. soldiers who may have been traveling nearby, like Potts, who often patrolled the area.

“He found this, and they found him and they executed him,” Viens said, adding that Potts was killed alongside the platoon’s medic. “Not a firefight. Executions.”

“We think that by him finding this cache — it was the largest cache in Iraq at the time — it put a damper on the insurgents’ operations against us and saved a lot of lives,” Viens continued.  

Potts was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” and the Purple Heart. Former President George W. Bush met with members of his family in 2007. Terri Potts, his widow, was at the committee meeting Thursday.

It’s not the first time lawmakers have wanted to rename the Sakonnet River Bridge. It’s not even the first time lawmakers have wanted to name the bridge after Potts. When the original Sakonnet River Bridge was slated for replacement way back in 2008, the opportunity arose to give the new bridge a new name. 

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In 2009, former Democratic Rep. Amy Rice of Portsmouth wanted to name the bridge after the town’s colonial founder, Anne Hutchinson. The same year, Rep. John G. Edwards, a Tiverton Democrat, rallied to have the bridge named after Potts. Edwards soon retooled the bill to call the bridge the “Veterans’ Memorial Sakonnet River Bridge,” for all the fallen soldiers of Portsmouth. 

Neither bill succeeded, nor did a 2011 resubmission by Edwards for the Veterans Memorial branding. The new bridge finally opened in 2012, under its old name: the Sakonnet River Bridge. 

The Sakonnet River Bridge is seen after sunset in 2022. The bridge sports distinctive, decorative lighting that changes colors for holidays and commemorative purposes. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

‘That scoreboard is coming down’

Viens testified to the committee that a tribute to Potts is even more pressing, given that an existing dedication might soon be erased. A scoreboard at Pottsy Field in Middletown has sported the fallen soldier’s name since 2006, but an ongoing development project supported by the town could reshape the park and surrounding land.

“They’re going to build condominiums, and that scoreboard is coming down,” Viens said. “And so there’s not going to be anything left in the state that shows his sacrifice.”

The scoreboard is still up for now. Matt Sheley, a spokesperson for the town of Middletown, said that Pottsy Field is still standing on West Main Road, near the town’s public library. 

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“It’s used periodically by various community groups for events like flag football games and practices,” Sheley said in an email.

But change is certainly planned for the area. Sheley said that “a trio of local developers” want to build a mixed-use “centerpiece for the community” where the field and a number of adjacent lots currently stand. The land, which occupies 600 through 740 West Main Road, is located on a busy artery of Aquideneck Island furnished with businesses. The town signed a 99-year lease for the land with the developers last October, according to The Newport Daily News. 

The developers want to construct commercial and residential properties. Sheley said the developers are still going through the permit process, and appeared most recently before the town’s planning board on Wednesday.  

“At this point, no new construction has been permitted or happened at 600-740 West Main Road,” Sheley said. “All of the existing uses remain ‘as is’ until the project secures the necessary permits and permissions.”

The Pottsy Field sign can still be seen from the road. Potts himself played on the field in a men’s softball league, according to a 2022 article in The Newport Daily News, when the development project was already emerging. A family member interviewed at the time said that if the field were moved to a new location because of the project, it probably wouldn’t be the same since Potts hadn’t played on it.

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The Committee on Special Legislation is tasked with proposed laws not covered by any of the House’s usual specialty areas like health or education. As is standard for new legislation, the committee held Azzinaro’s bill for further study. 

Following the public comment, Azzinaro thanked the bill’s supporters for attending, and encouraged them to submit written testimony to the House.  

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

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Two RI restaurants made OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants of 2025. Here’s where

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Two RI restaurants made OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants of 2025. Here’s where


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Looking for the perfect date night spot? OpenTable has a suggestion.

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OpenTable recently released its ranking of the top 100 romantic restaurants of 2025 just in time for Valentine’s Day, and two places in Connecticut made the list.

The online booking service bases its annual ranking on over 10 million verified diner reviews, assessing metrics like diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the percentage of reservations made in advance and the number of direct searches. In the list of 100 ranked restaurants, both White Horse Tavern in Newport and Boat House Waterfront Dining in Tiverton made the list.

Here’s how to dine at OpenTable’s most romantic restaurants in the state for Valentine’s Day.

White Horse Tavern

Newport’s White Horse Tavern is not just a romantic restaurant, but also a historic one filled with cozy 17th-century achitecture. In fact, White Horse is the oldest standing restaurant in the country, originally opening its doors in 1673.

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White Horse Tavern embraces its identity as a classic New England destination, serving sophisticated local fare sourced from Rhode Island’s farms and waters since its opening. While the tavern might be old, the culinary team strives to create a fresh, contemporary experience.

Menu items include New England classics like bacon wrapped scallops, clam chowder and lobster ravioli, in addition to a full raw bar and fresh catch of the day. To accompany the food, White Horse has an extensive wine list with options from all over the world.

The tavern is open for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 4-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Reservations are recommended to be made two to four weeks in advance. Valentine’s Day is already fully booked, but there is still availability in the surrounding days.

Location: 26 Marlborough St., Newport

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Boat House Waterfront Dining

Located on a cliff over Mt. Hope Bay, Boat House Waterfront Dining is a scenic waterfront restaurant serving up locally-inspired cuisine and creative craft cocktails. The seafood-focused menu includes local favorites like fish and chips, crab cakes and lobster rolls.

With a view of the water from almost every seat in the restaurant, guests at Boat House can enjoy a view of the sinking sunset and passing sailboats with their meal, making the location perfect for a romantic dinner.

Boat House Waterfront Dining is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Reservations for sometime near Valentine’s Day can be made on OpenTable.

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Location: 227 Schooner Dr., Tiverton



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Electric Boat President Mark Rayha Holds Legislative Briefings in CT and RI | EB Landing

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Electric Boat President Mark Rayha Holds Legislative Briefings in CT and RI | EB Landing


EB President Mark Rayha being interviewed by Tina Detelj of WTNH-TV, News 8 Connecticut.

On Feb. 3, Electric Boat (EB) President Mark Rayha delivered annual legislative briefings to congressional delegations and local leaders in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Rayha provided an overview of EB’s business including an update on key programs, facilities expansion and the company’s hiring and training initiatives.

Rayha reiterated that the Columbia class continues to be the Navy’s number-one strategic priority. “These ballistic-missile submarines will replace the Ohio class and serve as the backbone of our nation’s strategic deterrent well into the 2080s,” he said. “Lead ship District of Columbia (SSBN 827) is 53% complete while the second, Wisconsin (SSBN 827), is 14% finished.” Electric Boat will build and deliver 12 of these ships through 2040.

Describing progress on the Virginia class attack-submarine program, Rayha said that four Block IV ships and 10 Block V ships are currently under construction at EB and Newport News Shipbuilding.

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“Last year EB and Newport News delivered Iowa (SSN 797) and New Jersey (SSN 796) to the fleet. EB also completed the USS Montana post shakedown availability (PSA) and the USS Oregon will complete her PSA early this year. This year Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding will deliver the Idaho (SSN 799) and the Massachusetts (SSN 798).”

Rayha thanked the federal congressional delegations from Connecticut and Rhode Island for their efforts ensuring Congress passed funding measures to support submarine design and construction along with critical supply chain issues. “In all, the delegation’s efforts resulted in more than $24 billion in fiscal year 2025 funding for submarines,” said Rayha.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now three years old and China growing its military capabilities, “our nation needs submarines more than at any time in its history,” said Rayha. “The world’s not getting any safer.”

Mark Rayha during briefing at Mystic (CT) Marriott Hotel and Spa, Feb. 3, 2025.

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On hiring, Rayha said that EB had added over 4,100 new employees in 2024; approximately 56% were in operations and the remaining 44% were engineers, designers and those in other support functions. “This year, we expect to welcome an additional 3,000 employees to our team, which will make 2025 another significant year of hiring,” he said. “Our rate of hiring at Quonset Point will be roughly what it was in 2024. That number may fluctuate based on our ability to upskill and reduce attrition, which will increase the experience level of the shipyard. The rate of hiring in Groton will match the flow of our supply chain and align with the pace of modules from Newport News Shipbuilding and our Quonset Point facility. Despite a flatter trajectory early in 2025, the future continues to be bright in Connecticut as we continue to increase our hiring to meet the one-plus-two submarine objective.”

Rayha spoke to the importance of pipeline training initiatives in bringing high-quality, motivated new shipbuilders to EB. “These programs bring us the people who experience shipbuilding firsthand and decide it’s for them—they have the grit and perseverance to do this work. In the process, their lives change for the better and they experience how good it feels to do important work for our country.”



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