Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s Chic And Unique River Gondola Offers A Taste Of Italy Right In New England – Islands
Who among us hasn’t imagined taking a leisurely gondola ride along the Canal Grande in Venice? Inching along at a walker’s pace under stone bridges and past ancient architecture to the tune of Italian ballads is everyone’s dream. Luckily, you don’t have to book tickets to Europe to experience this classic Venetian experience. La Gondola in Providence, Rhode Island has the perfect dose of Italy on the water that you’re looking for, plus it doesn’t break the bank like the not exactly budget-friendly gondola rides in Venice might. Offering 40-minute, personalized gondola rides along the Providence and Woonasquatucket Rivers, the rides cost just upwards of $40 per person.
La Gondola’s beautiful, sleek boats are guided by expert gondoliers who are well-versed in Venetian history and culture, and unique inclusions like Italian wine biscuits also enhance the journey as you glide along. A gondola ride in Rhode Island isn’t as incongruous as you may think, as Providence is known as the “Renaissance City” due in part to its preserved historical buildings. The Rhode Island city is also famous for its edgy art school and has vintage shopping, and has its own Little Italy neighborhood.
La Gondola has a variety of tour packages
How extravagant you want to feel is up to you when you book a tour with La Gondola. The Viaggio dei Sogni (dream trip) starts at $89 for two passengers and comes with an ice bucket, glasses, and a bottle opener. You’re allowed to BYOB, but Prosecco pairs well with snacks like the Italian wine biscuits that are included. As you cruise, sip, and nibble, your gondolier points out key Providence sights and also sings a song or two in Italian (requests welcome).
If you love music, book the Viaggio da Rapsodia (rhapsody journey) tour. Starting at $139 for two people, you’ll get everything included in the Viaggio dei Sogni, plus your choice of a mandolin, guitar, violin, accordion, or saxophone musician. They’ll play as you pass by historical landmarks, public parks, and under bridges, making it a unique date for a couple or a small gathering of friends. One boat can hold up to six people, and if you divide $299 by that, the price is reasonable.
La Gondola also offers the Viaggio di Fantasme (ghost trip) tour, a spooky ride in October that’s perfect for ghost-story lovers. Get ready to clutch each other while getting told spooky tales about Providence’s riverwalk, a 2.4-mile stretch of waterfront mainstays that date back to the late 1800s. Blankets and umbrellas are provided, and if weather dictates, you may want change your BYOB to flasks of hot tea or apple cider. Whatever tour you choose with La Gondola, you’ll be glad you skipped the tourist traps in Italy and came to Providence instead. La Gondola tours are popular, and although it’s possible to do walk-ins if a gondola is available, it’s best to make a reservation.
Rhode Island
Carjacking suspect hits cruisers during chase across 3 RI towns
BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — A man is facing charges in three Rhode Island towns after a carjacking investigation led to a police chase Tuesday morning.
Cranston police said Jacob Zhawred, 32, of Johnston, allegedly assaulted a woman in the Stop & Shop parking lot off Garfield Avenue just before 7 a.m., then stole her car and fled.
Using the victim’s phone that was left inside the vehicle, officers tracked it heading north. Glocester police later attempted to stop the car in the area of Route 44 at St. Eugene’s Church, but authorities said Zhawred took off, crossing multiple residential lawns to evade officers.
Burrillville officers deployed stop sticks on Camp Dixie Road, flattening the car’s tires, but police said Zhawred continued driving on the rims.
During the pursuit, police said he struck multiple cruisers from Cranston, Glocester and Burrillville. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time, according to police.
The chase extended onto Eagle Peak Road and Wallum Lake Road, where police said Zhawred again hit cruisers and tried to cut across a lawn before crashing into a telephone pole.
Zhawred was arrested around 9:40 a.m. and taken to Landmark Medical Center for treatment of his “extensive impairment issues,” police said. He’s since been released from the hospital and is now being held without bail at the ACI.
In Burrillville, he is charged with:
- Assault with a deadly weapon (6 counts)
- Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage (2 counts)
- Vandalism (2 counts)
- Possession of a stolen motor vehicle
- DUI
- Eluding/reckless driving
- Resisting arrest
He also faces an eluding/reckless driving charge out of Glocester.
In Cranston, Zhawred is charged with second-degree robbery and shoplifting for allegedly stealing $100 worth of items from a Lowe’s before the carjacking.
Police said the woman he allegedly assaulted is OK, and no one was hurt during the chase.
Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist also told 12 News that Zhawred was “recently released from prison.”
“He has multiple assault charges, shoplifting charges, breaking and entering, a lengthy criminal history, he has drug charges,” Winquist said. “This is somebody that’s dangerous to the community. I’m happy the officers were able to use teamwork to get this person off the streets.”
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Rhode Island
Severe Tick-Borne Meat, Dairy Allergy Disease On Rise Across RI: What You Need To Know
The tick-borne illness that causes those infected to become severely allergic to meat and dairy products is emerging as an increasing concern in Rhode Island.
The Centers for Disease Control said nearly a half-million people are affected by the condition nationwide — with symptoms that can vary in severity with each exposure to meat or dairy.
See also: Cranston Man Killed In Paramotor Aircraft Crash
The CDC said symptoms include the acute onset of any one or more of the following allergic and/or gastrointestinal symptoms that occur 2–10 hours after ingestion of pork, beef, lamb, any other mammalian meat, or any mammalian-derived product (e.g. gelatin), or within two hours after intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous administration of alpha-gal containing vaccination or medication:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Heartburn/indigestion
- Hives
- Itching
- Anaphylaxis as diagnosed by a provider
- Swelling of one or more of the following: lips, tongue, throat, face, eyelids, or other associated structures
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Wheezing
- Acute episode of hypotension
See also: Greenville Man Sentenced to 28 Months In Federal Prison For Bank Fraud
Rhode Island
2 injured, 1 in custody after stabbing at home near Oakland Beach
WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — A portion of Ottawa Avenue in Warwick was blocked off by crime scene tape Monday afternoon as police investigated a double stabbing.
According to Warwick police, the initial call they received around 3:30 p.m. indicated someone with a knife was trying to break into an Ottawa Avenue home as part of an ongoing domestic incident. As they headed to the scene, police said, additional calls came in letting them know that people had been stabbed.
Capt. Matthew Higgins said officers arrived at the scene and took 29-year-old Caleb Brown into custody immediately. They reportedly found two stabbing victims with critical injuries, one inside an Ottawa Avenue home, while another was found outside in a front yard.
The stabbing victims — a woman who was stabbed in the abdomen and a man who was stabbed in the neck — were both rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery, and both are expected to survive, according to police.
Brown is also being treated at the hospital for minor injuries to his hands, police said.
Police tell 12 News they are still interviewing eyewitnesses, but are not looking for any other suspects, as this was an isolated incident. They say the suspect will be facing felony charges.
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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
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