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Washington Bridge updates: McKee lobbies feds, and keeping tabs on eastbound side • Rhode Island Current

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Washington Bridge updates: McKee lobbies feds, and keeping tabs on eastbound side • Rhode Island Current


Gov. Dan McKee spent part of this week in Washington D.C. as the state’s top lobbyist in an attempt to secure federal funding to cover the still-to-be-determined cost of rebuilding the westbound Washington Bridge.

The governor met with Senior White House Adviser Tom Perez Wednesday to get President Joe Biden’s administration to approve a $221 million grant application currently pending before the U.S. Department of Transportation. State officials expect to know whether Rhode Island is awarded the federal money sometime in the fall. 

So how did the lobbying effort go? “Good,” McKee said during his weekly “Ask the Governor” interview with WPRO’s Gene Valicenti Thursday.

“We just made it clear that this is a high priority,” McKee said. “It is a competitive bid, we’re competing with the country — but I believe the case we’re making is one that represents how critical this is and how much an issue this is for the people that live in our state.”

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The governor also connected with his predecessor, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, about trying to sway the Biden administration on the state’s behalf, McKee spokesperson Olivia DaRocha said in an emailed statement.

“What we’re doing is taking every possible person who could help us be successful,” McKee told Valicenti.

Financials behind the rebuild project are expected to be clarified after the state issues a second request for proposals. The initial request — posted April 30 with a July 3 deadline to respond — drew no bidders

When the new round of bidding opens is anyone’s guess.

Vendor feedback to shape new Washington Bridge bid specs not being made public

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“It should be soon, but no dates have been put out,” Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) spokesperson Charles St. Martin said in an interview Thursday.

The state’s continued push for federal dollars comes as bridge deck and beam demolition is underway on the westbound highway, which has been closed to traffic since December. That work is being done under a $45.8 million contract between the state and Warwick-based Aetna Bridge Co.

RIDOT does not expect traffic on the eastbound span to be affected by the ongoing demo work — though it has resulted in ongoing night time closures to portions of Gano Street in Providence for the next couple of weeks. State transportation officials also plan to close Waterfront Drive in East Providence for one week starting Sept. 17.

The superstructure of the bridge is expected to be torn down by the end of January, according to the proposal Aetna submitted to RIDOT. Rhode Island Current submitted a records request for Aetna’s full demolition plan on Sept. 3, but still has not received a response from RIDOT as of Friday. 

State monitoring weight on eastbound bridge

No implosions will occur, St. Martin said — that way debris doesn’t fall into the Seekonk River and it will protect the adjacent eastbound span, which now carries traffic in both directions.

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Increased traffic on the eastbound has caused some concerns at RIDOT, as the state in May paid $2.8 million to Swiss-based technology company Kistler to install monitoring systems meant to keep track of the bridge’s structural health.

“The eastbound Washington Bridge has become considerably more sensitive since the closing of the westbound bridge,” RIDOT engineer John Priess wrote in an April 25 request form.

Kistler was chosen through a sole source procurement — meaning a public bid process was not required. St. Martin said Thursday that was because “no other companies contacted about this technology could provide the combined analysis RIDOT sought.”

He added the new monitoring system is a precautionary measure.

“One of the great things about this system is that it will use multiple communications channels to notify RIDOT in real time if any issues are detected,” St. Martin said in an emailed statement. “This purchase should provide peace of mind to anyone who has concerns about the increase in traffic now that there are six active lanes on the bridge.”

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There are no plans for weight restrictions. Installation is expected to be complete in October.

What about that lawsuit?

Litigation against the 13 firms who previously worked on or inspected the bridge before its sudden closure is still in its early stages. As things pick up, the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General confirmed Friday it will post filings on its website as they become available.

Spokesperson Timothy Rondeau declined to say when that would begin. 

There have been no major filings since the lawsuit itself was filed in mid-August aside from one hearing to get on the Superior Court’s business calendar and attorneys signing on to represent the defendants.

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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown

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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown


An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.

Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.

Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.

Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.

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Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.

An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.



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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education

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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education


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ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.

“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”

The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.

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Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”

Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.

Governor Moore Speaking With Children

The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.

Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role


A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top justice department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and US attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the 25 April event at the Washington Hilton hotel when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.

In a court filing late on Thursday, Allen’s attorneys argued that it created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.

“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder – how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.

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Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged US district judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen’s case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other justice department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.

“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.

Pirro said her office would respond to the defense lawyers’ arguments in its own court filing.

“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.

Allen is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on further charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.

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The charges include attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the justice department last year. Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro’s office. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts.



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