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• Gay marriage now legal in Rhode Island

  May 3, 2013 4:00 AM

  Gay marriage is now legal in the state of Rhode Island. That state became the tenth in the nation yesterday to legalize same sex marriages. The governor addressed a large crowd of supporters of the bill in front of the state house, thanking the many individuals who worked to... more »

• Military copters, rescuers on alert for superstorm

  October 29, 2012 5:58 PM

  PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) - The military has placed helicopters and rescue teams on alert and dispatched medical planners to help cope with the damage from a superstorm on the East Coast. The U.S. Northern Command, charged with defending the U.S. homeland from attack and helping civil authorities... more »

• Rabid kitten found in Rhode Island

  September 12, 2012 4:02 PM

  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - State officials say a kitten in Jamestown has tested positive for rabies and that other animals and possibly humans may have been exposed. The Rhode Island health and environmental management departments said Wednesday that the kitten, which has died, was found near Highland Drive and Fort... more »

• Efforts to relax pot rules gaining momentum in US

  June 10, 2012 2:26 PM

  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island is poised to become the 15th state in the nation to decriminalize marijuana, a move that reflects big shifts in public opinion on America's favorite illicit drug. State lawmakers overwhelmingly passed legislation last week that would replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce... more »

• Player wins $336 million Powerball jackpot

  February 12, 2012 11:11 AM

  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Lottery officials say someone who played the Powerball in Rhode Island has won the $336.4 million jackpot. The new multimillionaire has not stepped forward and the lottery has not said where the winning ticket was sold. To win, the player had to match all of... more »

• States suing over health care law collect funding

  November 29, 2011 12:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials are awarding more money to help states carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The surprise? The list includes seven states suing to overturn the landmark law. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday that 13 states will split grants totaling... more »

• RI nightclub fire joke deleted from Sheen roast

  September 12, 2011 5:55 PM

  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Comedy Central says it plans to delete from the upcoming broadcast of a Charlie Sheen roast a joke about victims of a Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people. Network spokeswoman Aileen Budow says the joke was delivered by Jackass comedian Steve-O. She says... more »

• State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations?

  October 6, 2010 10:53 AM

  Rhode Island voters will be asked if they want to change the state's official name this November. The state is officially known as the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Ballot Question No. 1 asks voters if "Providence Plantations" should be dropped. Supporters of the name... more »

• Starting a little later is a big boost for students

  July 5, 2010 6:09 PM

  An eye-opening study says delaying high school starting times by just 30 minutes can reap big rewards for tired teens. The research found that kids who started school at 8:30 in the morning instead of 8:00 were more alert in class, had better moods and fewer tardies. They even... more »

• Fire danger now threatens where Eastern floods hit

  April 7, 2010 6:09 PM

  Officials in southern New England have issued fire danger warnings for some of the areas put under water by record flooding just days ago. The National Weather Service says the temperature Wednesday hit 92 degrees in Providence, R.I., and Hartford, Conn., setting records for the day in both cities.... more »

• Little by little, flood problems are clearing in Rhode Island

  April 3, 2010 9:36 AM

  Small signs of normalcy are returning to flood-soaked Rhode Island but forecasters say the main river causing the problem may not drop below its banks until at least tomorrow. The National Weather Service says the Pawtuxet River in Cranston is expected to drop to minor flood stage by evening. The... more »

• Flooding disaster is latest blow for hard-luck RI

  April 2, 2010 8:39 AM

  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is planning to tour flood-ravaged Rhode Island Friday. Her visit comes amid calls by state officials for emergency federal aid. The state suffered through a round of epic rainfall that has touched off the worst flooding in 200 years and closed shopping malls,... more »

• New England tops in swine flu vaccinations

  April 1, 2010 1:49 PM

  Health officials say New England leads the nation in swine flu vaccinations. The South has the lowest rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first state-by-state report on turnout for the swine flu vaccine on Thursday. Tiny Rhode Island has the highest vaccination rate of... more »

• RI governor warns of worst flooding in over 100 years

  March 30, 2010 12:48 PM

  Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri is asking residents to get home by dinnertime to avoid what he says is the worst flooding to hit the state in more than 100 years. Carcieri says Interstate 95 might have to be closed because of the water, which is expected to continue... more »

• Heavy rain threatens to topple records in East

  March 29, 2010 2:01 PM

  Residents along the East Coast are bracing for heavy rains, flooding and the wettest March on record in some areas. The National Weather Service posted flood warnings and advisories Monday from Maine to the Carolinas. Several inches of new rain over the next three days is expected to push... more »

• Giraffe's head-butt sends zookeeper to hospital

  March 28, 2010 9:30 AM

  A Rhode Island zookeeper has been treated at a hospital after butting heads with a giraffe. A spokesperson for the Roger Williams Park Zoo told The Providence Journal that the 18-foot-tall giraffe was being playful and took a swipe at the keeper when she was cleaning up in a... more »

• Fired teachers could get jobs back

  March 3, 2010 5:59 PM

  A superintendent who fired all the teachers in one of Rhode Island's worst-performing high schools says she's willing to negotiate after their union promised to support reforms. Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo said Wednesday an offer from the teachers gives her hopes differences can be resolved without mass firings.... more »

• All educators fired at underperforming school

  February 24, 2010 10:48 AM

  A Rhode Island school district has voted to fire all the teachers at an underperforming school. The Central Falls School Committee voted Tuesday evening to fire every educator at Central Falls High School, including teachers, guidance counselors and the principal. It's the only school in the tiny, impoverished city north... more »

• More salami products recalled

  February 17, 2010 9:48 AM

  Federal officials say Rhode Island-based Daniele International is expanding its recall of salami products that may be contaminated with salmonella. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Tuesday that 115,000 pounds of salami products manufactured by the Burrillville meat company were being recalled because of possible... more »

• Kennedy won't run for re-election in R.I.

  February 12, 2010 9:24 AM

  No Kennedy in Congress? Rep. Patrick Kennedy says he won't be running for re-election. The Rhode Island Democrat's eighth term ends early next year. In a video message, Kennedy says his life is "taking a new direction." Kennedy's father, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, died in August. Washington... more »

• Officer trapped for hours by live power lines

  December 10, 2009 10:53 AM

  A Coventry, Rhode Island police officer was trapped in his cruiser for two hours Wednesday when live power lines fell on his car. The officer was responding to a report of a tree down when he found himself in a potentially life-threatening situation. Central Coventry Fire Department Battalion... more »

• City smashes Guinness bead record

  October 25, 2009 9:46 AM

  A record-setting strand of beads has helped the city of East Providence put its recent financial woes behind it, at least for a night. On Friday, the city smashed the Guinness world record for longest strand of beads with a 1,349.9 foot string of red and white beads. The previous... more »

• Report: Swine flu could overwhelm U.S. hospitals

  October 1, 2009 11:53 AM

  If a third of people wind up catching swine flu, 15 states could run out of hospital beds around the time the outbreak peaks, a new report warns Thursday. The nonprofit Trust for America's Health estimates the number of people hospitalized could range from a high of 168,000 in... more »