Rhode Island
There’s a big problem with co-op teams in the RIIL. These five programs have fixed it.
I hate co-ops in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
It’s not the schools. It’s not because of the players. It’s not what it represents — communities unable to fill teams themselves, so they’re forced to combine together to play as one.
It’s the names.
When I quit The Journal and run the RIIL, the first thing I’m going to do is ban the multi-school, no-nickname teams. It’s annoying. People I talk to say they can’t find a solution or can’t make a decision on what to call themselves.
If you can decide you have to join forces with another school, you can decide on an obvious solution — find a regional and unique nickname. That’s it.
Why? Marketing 101. You can build a brand, drum up interest and get people excited about playing. Are you telling me kids would rather play for the Times2/St. Patrick/Paul Cuffee girls basketball team rather than the Providence River Cats? (That was first thing that came to mind. I’m sure the kids in the program could do better. Let them — that’s how you created interest.)
Some schools — we’ll call them “the smart ones” — have realized this.
Hopefully enough administrators, coaches and players read this and realize playing under a multi-school moniker is dumb.
And my five best RIIL co-op names list shows why.
5. Cranston East/Johnston Thundercats, boys lacrosse
You had me at Thundercats.
They didn’t win a single game in Division IV this season but they earn a spot on this list because I grew up watching the cartoon and it was awesome. I don’t know if they went full Thundercats and busted out the old-school logos but the possibilities are endless. If they can figure a way to change Cranston East/Johnston into some sort of regional name it will be No. 1 next summer.
4. Blackstone Valley Knights, boys hockey
Two co-ops came together to form one and they saved everyone a mouthful by embracing the region and coming up with a new nickname instead of going by the Johnston/North Providence/North Smithfield/Providence Country Day/St. Raphael Whatevers. Not a lot of good headlines.
It’s Johnston, North Providence, North Smithfield, St. Raphael and Providence Country Day and while they’re not all in the Blackstone Valley, who cares. The name works, the nickname works and, if this contest was based on uniforms, they’d be in the top three.
3. South County Storm, girls hockey
In 2011 Narragansett, North Kingstown and South Kingstown started a girls hockey program. Working at a community paper in South Kingstown at the time, I was panicked about how I was going to fit that in a headline.
South Kingstown’s athletic director Terry Lynch solved the problem. I wish I could say he was doing it for the local media, but he, too, wasn’t a fan of how it looks with three schools in one single name and nobody knowing what to call them.
The program found early success, with runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2015 before winning the state title in 2017.
But that’s not why they’re here. As far as names go, this is perfect. Regionalized location name — when you say South County, you know the communities. A nickname that makes sense and is connected to the area. Uniforms as crisp as anyone’s in the state.
They’re the example every co-op should follow.
2. Pawtucket Bucket, girls basketball
When Shea and Tolman started co-ops in various sports, they started adopting the “Sholman” name, which was a terrific move — combining the schools’ names in a way that flowed off the tongue. What they didn’t do was adopt a universal nickname.
The baseball team elected to use “Pawtucket” instead of “Sholman,” which seems to make a lot more sense. Other teams followed in a push to bring the two city schools together.
There has been an underground push to adopt “Bucket” as a nickname. It’s a youth movement; who wants to take a word that’s had a negative connotation with the city and turn it into a positive. The community’s older — leaders are against it, but it seems like something that can be used in a way that helps restore the city’s reputation.
The girls basketball team proved as much. In their run to the Division II title, players had warm-up shirts adorned with “Bucket” on the front.
At some point the schools will come together and they shouldn’t have to do a search for a nickname.
Long live the Pawtucket Bucket.
1. Nariho Gulls, boys hockey
Narragansett and Chariho joined forces in 2015 and for a few years, did the whole “Narragansett/Chariho” thing, even creating an interlocking logo that wasn’t the most awful thing in the world.
But what they have now is the best thing going.
I couldn’t pinpoint a date, but at some point the unofficial “Nariho” title stuck and the Gulls nickname soon followed.
Nariho works brilliantly. Chariho’s school name is a combination of the region’s three towns — Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton. Throwing Narragansett’s N on the front gets everyone invited to the party.
Gulls is a great nickname. It works with Narragansett and Charlestown being beach communities and no other team in the state (at least at the high school and college level) have it.
To top it off, the Gulls have the best jerseys in Rhode Island. There’s no debate, no arguments to be made for anybody else. The interlocking N/C green sweaters are strong, but the white jerseys with the angry Gulls logo are the best the state’s ever seen.
If anyone wanted to send some XXL Gulls swag to 75 Fountain Street, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
HONORABLE MENTION
RMT Hurricanes, boys hockey
They’ve already won a championship, but titles don’t earn you a spot in my top five. A weather-based nickname for a coastal area is perfect, but much like their tennis brethren, this program should have embraced a regional location instead of the three towns’ initials — Rogers, Middletown, Tiverton. Love this one and wanted to put it top five, but RMT doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
LNP Wildcats, Softball
Lincoln and North Providence co-opted like a week before the season started and I loved their approach, mainly because the idea of writing “the Lincoln/North Providence softball team” was something that gives me nightmares.
Initials for the two towns was probably easiest. While they didn’t receive formal approval, Wildcats became the unofficial —but as far as I was concerned, official — nickname. They represented both programs, wearing NP unis when they played games at Notte Park and Lincoln unis for games in Lincoln.
If this co-op stays together, they need two quick fixes: a regionalized nickname, and official Wildcats uniforms.
RM Tides, Boys Tennis
Unique nicknames certainly stand out and this new co-op between Rogers and Middletown did. My only gripe is using the initials of the towns instead of using a regional name. I’m wildly unfamiliar with the area, but certainly there’s a road or location the two towns share that could have been used instead? Still, give me RM Tides over Rogers/Middletown Tides every single day of the week.
St. Ponaganset, boys tennis
OK, so nobody actually called them this except for me, but it makes perfect sense for this co-op that just finished its first — and maybe only — year in D-I tennis. Tough to regionalize a co-op of St. Raphael and Ponaganset, so St. Ponaganset works.
As far as a nickname? I’m stuck. But there’s got to be something out there they can come up with before next spring.
Rhode Island
Man killed in RI shooting; suspect involved in Mass. car crash that killed 2 others
A man has died after a shooting in Cranston, Rhode Island, and investigators say a suspect was later involved in a car crash in Swansea, Massachusetts, that killed two other people.
The shooting victim was found Thursday on Legion Way, shot multiple times in the chest, Cranston police told NBC affiliate WJAR-TV. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he later died. His name has not been released.
The suspect initially fled on foot, setting off a shelter-in-place order while investigators searched the area.
Police said Friday that investigators identified a suspect vehicle, which was later spotted by Massachusetts State Police. A trooper followed the car down Route 6 and Interstate 195, but stopped when it crossed back into Rhode Island. The car was later involved in a crash on Route 136 in Swansea, Mass.
Swansea police say that crash on Route 136 (James Reynolds Road) resulted in the deaths of two other people.
According to the Swansea Police Department, two officers saw a white Infinity G37 speed past them around 12:18 a.m. Friday on Route 6, otherwise known as Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Moments later, officers observed that the vehicle had crashed into the side of a blue Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136.
Both vehicles sustained catastrophic damage, police said.
The vehicle that was struck was fully engulfed in flames. First responders and bystanders tried to extinguish the fire, but both occupants — a man and a woman — were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Their names have not been released.
The 28-year-old Infinity driver, who struck the victims’ Subaru, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries and later into custody by Cranston Police. They have not been publicly identified at this time.
Swansea police said they are aware that the Infinity was the subject of a police pursuit, and know the driver was wanted in connection to the Rhode Island homicide investigation. While Swansea police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect’s vehicle, however, they say they were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the deadly crash.
The crash in Swansea is under investigation by Massachusetts authorities, including state police and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. Meanwhile, Cranston police said they would give an update on their investigation around 1 p.m.
Rhode Island
RI House speaker unveils housing bills for 2026. What to know
House Speaker Shekarchi unveils 2026 RI housing legislative package
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s nine-bill package for 2026 seeks to cut red tape and relax rules on parking, dividing lots and staircases.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is once again taking aim at the regulations he says are stifling new homebuilding.
The Warwick Democrat unveiled his sixth annual suite of housing legislation on Thursday, Feb. 26, a few weeks after announcing he would not be running for governor this year.
“We are still trying to play catch-up for all the years that Rhode Island was dead last in the country for new housing starts,” Shekarchi said. “While Rhode Island remains a relatively affordable option for people moving here from other states, our own residents are too often priced out of the neighborhoods they grew up in.”
The legislative text of the nine-bill housing package, and with it the specifics of how it would work, were not available for Thursday’s news conference.
But highlights of the package, according to summaries, include:
- Infill housing. Allow property owners to divide lots in single-family zoning districts, creating multiple dwellings instead of one, provided they have water and sewer service.
- Parking maximums. Put new limits on how much off-street parking communities require for new apartment buildings.
- Homeless Bill of Rights. Expand the state’s Homeless Bill of Rights to require 15-day notice to the occupants of encampments before local authorities clear them.
- Emergency shelters. Let communities build temporary shelters, such as the ECHO Village Pallet shelter in Providence, during a state of emergency.
- Stairs. Legalize the construction of four-story apartment buildings with a single staircase.
- Affordable housing taxes. Overhaul the tax system for income-restricted housing covered by the state’s “8 Law.”
Is land-use reform working?
Since Shekarchi was elected speaker in 2021, the General Assembly has passed dozens of bills he backed that tweaked state land-use statutes or streamlined the process for building.
How successful this approach has been is subject to debate.
Many local elected officials wary of development in their communities continue to rail against efforts to erode their power over construction.
Others in the growing Yes In My Back Yard movement see Rhode Island’s piecemeal approach as inadequate in comparison with the scale of the affordability problem and what other states are doing.
As evidence that his changes are making a difference, Shekarchi said Rhode Island saw a 70% increase in building permits in 2023 and a more modest increase in 2024. (Statistics for last year were not immediately available.)
Gov. Dan McKee’s 2030 plan calls for 15,000 new housing units built by that year.
Democratic primary challenger Helena Foulkes is slated to roll out her housing plan on Monday.
It is expected to include a millionaires tax to fund affordable housing, a revolving fund and target of 20,000 new homes.
What would the new laws do?
Letting property owners put multiple homes on a plot of land is one of the most direct ways that lawmakers can encourage the construction of more homes, but it is also one of the most controversial.
That’s especially true in areas zoned for large lots and single-family homes.
How far the new bill allowing lots to be subdivided in single-family zones goes is unclear. It is sponsored by Rep. Stephen Casey, D-Woonsocket.
Legislation setting maximum parking requirements for new developments, introduced by Rep. Joshua Giraldo, D-Central Falls, would apply to areas accessible by public transit.
Critics of off-street parking requirements say they make it harder to build new apartments and make the units that are built more expensive.
Shekarchi proposed the emergency shelter bill last year. It passed the House and died in the Senate.
It was the result of how long it took state officials to navigate Rhode Island’s building code and open the ECHO Village Pallet shelter in Providence.
The staircase bill, sponsored by Rep. June Speakman, a Warren Democrat and chair of the House’s home affordability study commission, follows a wave of cities and states relaxing rules on how many exits are required in new construction.
Currently, the state building code requires two stairways in buildings with more than three stories, and fire officials have opposed all efforts to change that.
Speakman’s bill would allow four-story buildings with a maximum of 16 units with a single staircase.
Supporters of single-stair buildings say they allow development of small sites that would otherwise sit vacant and allow family-sized units with more light and better ventilation.
A previous Rhode Island single-stair bill would have allowed six stories, but it died in committee.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order in mid-February to study the idea.
Rhode Island
One of Africa’s soccer giants will be based in Rhode Island for the World Cup – The Boston Globe
Providence has positioned itself as an alternative to Boston, one of the official host cities for the 2026 competition. Located just 30 miles away from Gillette Stadium — or “Boston Stadium” as it will be known during the World Cup — Rhode Island’s leaders have been touting the tiny state as more-affordable for fans and closer to the action. Seven matches, including a quarterfinal, are scheduled to be played in Foxborough.
“Today we announce that Ghana will be staying in Providence and we’d also like to extend an invitation to the fans and families to come to our city,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in a statement on Thursday. “We are committed to being a festive destination for soccer fans from around the world.”
The news has created excitement among the local Ghanaian community in the state.
Kwame Larbi, the president of the Ghana Association of Rhode Island, said Ghana’s decision will be a chance for people to celebrate the West African country’s culture through its soccer team and an opportunity to see what successful Africans look like on a grand stage.
“The Black Stars represent everything Ghanaian. They are Ghana’s pride and joy, our strength, perseverance, and freedom,” he said. “Hosting the Black Stars at Bryant would mean so much for our community. More specifically, our youth. Representation is everything.”
Larbi said the local community plans to show out for the team with traditional Ghanaian dances at Foxborough when they face England on June 23.
“We will all be in our Ghana T-shirts, Ghana flags and our drums,” he said. “I just came from Ghana. My shirts are ready.”
This is the fifth time that Ghana has qualified for the World Cup. Their best showing was in 2010, when they reached the quarterfinal after defeating Team USA only to be eliminated when Uruguay prevented them from scoring in extra time with an intentional handball on the goal line. The team boasts some world-class talent who compete in top leagues around the world, such as star players Mohammed Kudus, who plays for the English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, and Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.
Larbi is bullish about Ghana’s chances at this year’s tournament.
“We are going to beat England. It’s a big name, but we have hope. We are going to surprise everyone, and with the spirit of brotherhood and all, we are going to be successful,” he said.

Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo said his father, who hails from Ghana, is excited about the team being based in the state.
“The first thing he texted back to me upon the announcement was ‘Nice. Exclamation point. Buy me a ticket,‘” he said. “There’s a lot of immigrants and immigrant kids who are going to feel some special feelings across the weeks that Ghana has us as their home base.”
Amo said he hopes Ghanaian fans from places such as Worcester, Mass., and New York City will join their compatriots in Rhode Island and create a vibrant atmosphere in the state.
“This is a big deal for our state. We get to showcase all the things that make us special — our food, our amazing Rhode Island summer and our people — to Ghana,” he said. “So it’s going to be great soccer … and it’s going to be a great setting for the World Cup.”
State officials say that the team’s training sessions will be closed to the public, but the country’s football association was planning some events with young players in the state.
“We’re working hard to ensure that the FIFA World Cup leaves behind a legacy of passion for the sport and a commitment to growing the game of soccer in Rhode Island. Partnering with the Black Stars will fuel these young players’ passion,” said Jonathan Walker, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission.
For Larbi, he said Rhode Island’s Ghanaian community is ready to prepare some jollof rice for the team. He has lived in Rhode Island for more than 40 years and he never thought that he would see his country’s national team be based in the state for such a huge tournament.
“It has never occurred to us that one day the Ghana Black Stars will be based in Rhode Island…competing for the World Cup,” he said. “It’s not only Ghanaians, but it’s for the whole of Africa.”
Omar Mohammed can be reached at omar.mohammed@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter (X) @shurufu.
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