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RI might get its first snowfall of the season. How to stay safe with your snow blower.

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RI might get its first snowfall of the season. How to stay safe with your snow blower.


If you haven’t already, go out to the garage, shed or barn and start your snow blower to make sure it works. If it doesn’t, you’ll want to know before the snowstorm that’s forecast to begin Saturday evening.

That’s advice from Merissa Siligato of the family-run All Outdoors Power Equipment, in Wakefield.

Fellow snow blower dealer Stephen Roy agreed, but took it one step further:

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“Drive it around now,” said Roy, of Stephen Roy Power Equipment, in North Smithfield. Make sure you know how all the controls work, how the machine feels before you’re battling the elements. “Make sure it’s ready to go now, before the storm shows up.”

Make sure your yard and driveway are clear of obstacles

And, while you’re out checking whether the machine starts, take a walk around the driveway and yard, anywhere you’ll be removing snow, and check for objects that could get ingested into a snow blower and render it inoperable, Siligato said. That includes things like balls and other sports equipment, life jackets and pool accessories, Christmas decorations and their power cords, and newspapers, which, when frozen, can become a snow blower’s worst nightmare.

Make sure you have spare parts

Siligato and Roy both said to make sure you have enough shear pins. Two-stage snow blowers have two active sections: an augur, which picks up the snow and grinds it into smaller pieces, and the impeller, which then throws the snow out of the way. If the augur gets its maw on a foreign object it can’t process, the shear pin snaps, so the augur stops turning and won’t feed the object into the impeller. It’s then fairly simple to clear the obstruction and put in a new shear pin.

“Never stick your hand in there to unclog it,” said Roy. Siligato agreed, cautioning everyone to shut off their machine before remedying any problems.

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Roy added that snow plows often pick up debris and deposit it at the end of driveways, which could jam the machine and cause a shear pin to snap.

They recommend having three or four spare shear pins.

Snow blower advice after the storm hits

While most of Rhode Island isn’t forecast to get more than 6 inches, bear in mind that snow should be cleared at least after every 6 inches of accumulation so it doesn’t overwhelm the machine, Siligato said.

Roy said that stones and other smaller objects can get picked up and thrown, so always make sure the blower is pointed away from people or breakable objects, such as windows.

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And, remember that it’s not a race.

“Take your time,” said Roy. “Don’t be in a hurry.”

When’s the best time to buy a snow blower?

While it logistically makes sense to buy before a storm so that you have it to use, Siligato said it also make sense to make sure you get what you want.

With the first snow of the season, people who were caught without one often head to stores to buy one. And the selection will diminish.

Siligato said the machines she carries sell for anywhere from $750 to $2,000 — or more. Roy listed a range of $799 to $3,300.

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Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash

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Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash


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The two victims were identified as a husband and wife from Rhode Island, local officials said.

A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.

Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.

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The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.

Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.

The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said. 

Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.

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Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event


Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.

The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.

Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.

Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)

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“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”

The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.

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According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.


Local News

“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Col. Michael J. Winquist said.

A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.  

Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.

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The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.

That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said. 

When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.

First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

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Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.

The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.

Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.

Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.

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Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.

The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.

“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.

Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.

Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.

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“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.

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