Connect with us

Rhode Island

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

Published

on

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:

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement



Source link

Rhode Island

R.I. leading multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration housing policy – The Boston Globe

Published

on

R.I. leading multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration housing policy – The Boston Globe


Rhode Island and other states had recently won a ruling against HUD’s attempt to overhaul a federal homelessness grant program in fiscal year 2025.

US District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy found that HUD acted arbitrarily and capriciously in imposing illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding for the Continuum of Care program, through which HUD distributes billions of dollars to state, local, and nonprofit agencies to support housing and services for people facing homelessness.

Advertisement

For more than two decades, HUD had followed a “Housing First” model, which prioritizes rapid placement in permanent housing without requiring people to first meet conditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold.

However, on June 1, the Trump administration moved forward with new rules for fiscal year 2026 that seek to re-implement a cap on permanent housing. The new Notices of Funding Opportunity will set aside $1.3 billion for transitional housing and supportive service-only grants — which the coalition of states say will have the effect of capping permanent housing projects at about 68 percent of the funds.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the new terms on June 1, saying the old model didn’t work.

“The ‘housing first’ experiment failed Americans by warehousing the vulnerable without results. This ideology promised to end homelessness. Instead, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent while homelessness increased to record levels,” Turner said in a statement. “Housing alone will not solve a crisis driven by addiction and mental illness. Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD is making necessary reforms to put recovery first.”

HUD said that the new Notice of Funding Opportunity for $4.04 billion through the Continuum of Care homelessness assistance program would support organizations that facilitate treatment and recovery and “prohibit funding the widespread use of illicit drugs and distribution of paraphernalia.”

Advertisement

The lawsuit alleges that the new conditions will mean a large number of permanent housing projects funded by the Continuum of Care program will lose funding, which will lead to people being evicted, placing further strain on state and local governments.

“Instead of investing in programs that help people stay safe and housed, the Trump Administration has embraced policies that risk trapping people in poverty and punishing them for being poor,” the 44-page lawsuit alleges.

The shift threatens housing for at least 97,000 residents of CoC-funded permanent housing across the country according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The states argue that HUD’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act for failing to proceed with notice-and-comment rulemaking, and for being arbitrary and capricious. They ask the court to declare that the challenged conditions are illegal and to block HUD from implementing them.

Along with Neronha, attorneys general from all New England states except for New Hampshire have joined the lawsuit. The coalition also includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Advertisement

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.





Source link

Continue Reading

Rhode Island

Throwback: USS Rhode Island commissioned in Newport

Published

on

Throwback: USS Rhode Island commissioned in Newport


Thirty-two years ago was the commissioning of a Navy submarine named after the Ocean State.

Maria Stephanos was on board the USS Rhode Island on July 9, 1994.

Rhode Island was the Navy’s 15th Trident class ballistic submarine.

It was commissioned in Newport and was the first to be christened in its namesake state.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Rhode Island

Handshake Initiative instills confidence, motivation in students

Published

on

Handshake Initiative instills confidence, motivation in students


They come from all walks of life, including many professionals in the community, taking time out of their busy days to welcome students to school with enthusiasm and handshakes.

“We learn a lot of new handshakes, too,” Kobi Dennis said. “High-fives. Pounds with an explosion. We get a little bit of everything.”

It’s the Handshake Initiative, the brainchild of now Central Falls Police Chief Anthony Roberson.

Advertisement

Everybody can use some encouragement, and students in Rhode Island get that the minute they head toward the school building.

Initially, the students and parents didn’t know what to think.

“I was confused because I thought it was going to be a normal day,” said one student.

“Their parents were getting out of their cars trying to see what’s going on,” Reservoir Avenue School Principal Cynthia Torres said.

Advertisement

But now, they crave it.

“It makes me feel motivated,” another student said.

Dennis adds in an etiquette component.

“Teaching the kids how to shake hands, look one another in the eyes with a firm grip — girl or guy — firm grip and say ‘hello’ and introduce yourself, that’s part of the initiative as well,” Dennis said.

Providence school superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez said it sends a strong message.

Advertisement

“We hear you, we see you, and we’re here for you,” Montañez said.

Torres strategically uses them on standardized test days.

“They say, ‘I’m going to do really good today,’” she said.

“It makes me feel encouraged to do better in school,” a student said.

They’ve connected with thousands of students across Rhode Island.

Advertisement

“It’s about shaking hands and building relationships, but it’s also about letting young people know that there are professionals in the community cheering for them every single day,” Dennis said.

Do you know of a nonprofit organization or volunteers doing great work in your community? Fill out a short nomination form for “Community Treasures.”



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending