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Rhode Island
Town to benefit from $25M fiber outlay – Jamestown Press
An estimated 1,900 locations in Jamestown will receive improved broadband service through a $25 million investment by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation.
Jamestown will benefit from the initial request for proposals with Newport (2,900 locations) and Westerly (1,900). It is part of the commerce department’s ConnectRI program to bring high-speed internet to underserved areas throughout Rhode Island. Two additional requests will be released in 2024 to connect more communities.
“Broadband is no longer a luxury,” Gov. Dan McKee said. “It is a 21st century necessity that will keep Rhode Island competitive.”
The commerce department’s board of directors approved the spending June 10 to improve speed and resilience while providing affordable broadband to homes and businesses. The exact allocation of the $25 million will be based on proposals that are submitted through a competitive bid process.
Future improvements across the state will be made using $108.7 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The money is administered at the state level through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, which was championed by Jamestown resident Deb Ruggiero when she was a state legislator.
“I’ve been calling on broadband policy for our state for two years to bring Rhode Island into the next generation of digital access and equity,” Ruggiero said in 2022. “Like every state, Rhode Island is set to receive a huge federal investment to address our broadband needs, but we need to qualify for it. Our state must develop a plan for fiber broadband deployment to homes and businesses and a plan to fix digital inequities in underserved and unserved neighborhoods.”
The investments are the culmination of two years of strategic and participatory planning that resulted in a five-year action plan with a broadband map. Jamestown,
Newport and Westerly were selected based on a formula that weighed the total number of locations served against the amount of money available. They looked at cities and towns with higher percentages of households without reliable internet.
The plan will require buildouts of end-to-end fiber networks that can deliver 100-megabit speeds for both uploading and downloading. Affordability will be a priority. Proposals from companies with 100/100 Mbps service that do not exceed $53.09 per month will take precedence.
Town Administrator Ed Mello expects this investment to bring affordable broadband to nearly half of the local population.
“This will create further opportunity for our residents to work and learn from home,” he said. “Reliable broadband has become a necessity.”
According to the statewide broadband map, there are more underserved locations in Jamestown than served, which is defined by 100/20 Mbps or better. Of the 2,985 locations, 1,620 (54 percent) of them have service slower than that. There are also six unserved locations.
When Jamestown is broken into thirds, the north end has 1,466 locations with about half serviceable, the center has 1,232 locations with about 45 percent serviceable and the southern portion has 924 locations with about 80 percent serviceable.
The statistics for the north end, however, are skewered. While the neighborhoods between Frigate Street and Watson Farm west of North Road are 90-95 serviceable, the locations north of Frigate, from coast to coast, are about 80 percent underserved.
While the section of Beavertail’s serviceability is about 50/50, the stats for the southern section are faster because it includes the locations south of High Street on the Fort Wetherill side of Mackerel Cove, including Highland Drive and Walcott Avenue.
“This once-in-a-lifetime investment allows us to lay the groundwork for a more prosperous and connected future that is crucial for our state’s economic vitality,” added Liz Tanner, the state’s secretary of commerce. “By closing the digital divide, we are ensuring the access necessary to promote innovation, enhance productivity, and attract business and development.”
Why is the flag at half staff? These are possible reasons
The flag of the United States of America is flown at half-staff on several occasions, generally marking that the country is in mourning
On Friday, May 15, flags will be flown at half-staff across the United States to commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Recognized each year since 1962 as part of May’s National Police Week, the national observance pays tribute to United States law enforcement officials who gave their lives in the line of duty, whether at the local, state or federal level.
“United in gratitude, we recommit ourselves to supporting those who keep the peace in our neighborhoods, and we offer our heartfelt appreciation for the service they render to community and country,” reads a proclamation from President Trump. “Their steady presence brings calm to our streets, their dedication preserves the order that allows our Nation to flourish, and their unwavering vigilance is the reason families across America can rest under the promise of a safer tomorrow.”
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, the flag of the United States at all public buildings and grounds across the country and its territories – including in Rhode Island – will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, May 15.
Why are flags flown at half-staff?
According to the official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or specific state is in mourning. Observances include national tragedies, days of remembrance and deaths of government or military personnel.
The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C., can order flags to fly at half-staff.
Half-staff vs. half-mast
While half-staff refers to lowered flags on land, half-mast refers to those at sea. Both refer to a flag being flown beneath the top of its staff as a sign of respect.
RI’s Verdi Productions films ‘Bad News On The Doorstep’ in Providence
Verdi Productions wrapped filming of Tom DeNucci’s “Bad News On The Doorstep” early on May 23 in Providence.
Verdi Productions’ secret horror movie, “My Boyfriend is a Demon,” now filming in Rhode Island, is no longer a secret as Chad A. Verdi, the East Greenwich production company’s president, has announced the cast and given an outline of the movie’s plot.
The ensemble cast comprises veteran actors and rising young talents. The story follows Mary, a lonely, small-town girl who creates a fake Instagram account that pretends to be boyfriend, a guy too perfect to be real. Mary puts so much effort into making him “real” that he shows up at her door one day.
The cast includes:
- Mattias Ferrell, son of comic actor Will Ferrell and known for “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
- Coco Arquette, daughter of Courteney Cox and David Arquette and known for “Cougar Town.”
- David Arquette, known for his work in the “Scream” film franchise.
- Rosanna Arquette, David’s sister and Coco’s aunt, known for “The Moment.”
- Bailey Sloan, known for “Ragamuffin.”
- Jack Champion, known for “Avatar.”
- Ever Anderson, known for “Peter Pan & Wendy.”
- Vinnie Hacker, known for “Euphoria.”
- Josephine Reitman, known for “Juno.”
- Savannah Lee Smith, kown for “Tunsel Town.”
- Lisa Yamada, known for “Elle.”
- Ty Law, known for “Friday Night Lights.”
“My Boyfriend is a Demon” is written and directed by first-time director mishka.
“My Boyfriend is a Demon” is filming in Providence
The movie began filming in Rhode Island in April and has rented Providence’s Cranston Street Armory for the month of May to use as a studio.
The producing team for Verdi Productions includes Chad A. Verdi, Chad Verdi Jr., Paul Luba, Michelle Verdi and Sera Verdi. Executive producers include Ketchup Entertainment and Kinolime.
Good morning! Happy Thursday! Today will be pretty unsettled with the chance for showers and t’storms. Friday will still be damp with showers and drizzle, but the weekend still looks amazing!
The one good thing with the rain, for allergy sufferers at least, the pollen levels will be lower. In fact, both today and tomorrow, the tree pollen counts will be low locally. Do expect a spike in the pollen count for Saturday and Sunday with the dry weather.
INTERACTIVE RADAR: Live Pinpoint Weather 12 Radar »
“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” FLIGHT TRACKER
“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” POWER OUTAGES
TODAY
Hour-by-hour forecast for today…
We’ll have some showers around during the morning commute today, but the greatest chance for showers and t’storms will be after 9AM and before 5PM.
Showers and thunderstorms could slow travel around mid-day. Rain could fall heavily at times.
A line of showers and t’storms will be sweeping across the area through the afternoon as a slow-moving weather systems moves through the region.
Highs today will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s with southeast to east winds of 5-15mph.
“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” BEACH AND BOATING FORECASTS
TONIGHT
Showers are still possible this evening; although they won’t be as numerous.
TOMORROW
That low center will be nearby Friday morning, and we’ll be stuck with a damp, cool windflow. Expect drizzle and showers in the morning and possibly some lingering showers in the afternoon.
Highs Friday will only be in the 50s. The average high this time of year is in the upper 60s.
LOOKING AHEAD
Then…there’s the weekend. Saturday looks amazing with lots of sunshine and dry weather. It’ll be warmer, too, with highs in the 70s.
-Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo
T.J. Del Santo (tdelsanto@wpri.com) is the weekday morning and noon meteorologist for 12 News. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Threads and BlueSky.
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