All articles tagged with #rhode island
A Burrillville stray cat tested positive for rabies on May 22 after biting a person near Whipple Road. The bitten individual has begun post-exposure treatment, and anyone with direct contact with the cat should contact RIDOH for guidance, as multiple rabies cases have been reported in northern Rhode Island this spring.
Rhode Island’s Department of Health (RIDOH) confirmed a second measles case in 2026, a woman in her 20s who had traveled internationally; the case is not linked to the first one identified in April and she was treated at Brown University Health Urgent Care in Middletown without hospitalization. RIDOH emphasizes vaccination, noting RI’s ~97% MMR coverage among kindergarteners, and urges eligible residents to get vaccinated, especially before international travel; those exposed should contact their healthcare provider and monitor for symptoms.
Rhode Island health officials warn residents after six wild animals in Providence County test positive for rabies over the last six weeks (three raccoons in Burrillville, a bat and a coyote in Lincoln, and a raccoon in Providence; a North Smithfield raccoon awaiting test results). People should avoid wild animals, contact local animal control if encountered, and seek immediate medical care if exposed; ensure pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations.
RIDOH confirmed a measles case in a Providence County man with recent international travel, triggering exposure notices for a Providence bakery and other contacts. Health officials are notifying those potentially exposed, emphasize vaccination with MMR, and note that measles is highly contagious but preventable; there is no specific antiviral treatment beyond supportive care.
Rhode Island's Department of Health confirmed a measles case in a Providence County man who recently traveled internationally. Potential exposure occurred at Panadería El Quetzal in Providence on April 15, prompting health officials to notify staff and customers and coordinate with CDC partners. RIDOH urges vaccination to maintain herd immunity—about 97% of kindergartners have two MMR doses—and advises anyone exposed who develops symptoms to contact their healthcare provider before visiting. Vaccination is available at no cost for eligible families.
A federal judge blocked the Department of Justice's attempt to obtain Rhode Island voter data, delaying the DOJ's lawsuit as the legal challenge proceeds.
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's suit seeking Rhode Island's unredacted voter rolls, calling the request a 'fishing expedition' and saying it wasn’t authorized by NVRA or HAVA; Rhode Island maintains the data are private, and this marks the DOJ's fifth defeat in its efforts to access state voter-registration lists.
A federal judge dismissed the DOJ's bid to force Rhode Island to provide unredacted voter-registration records under the Civil Rights Act, marking the DOJ's fifth defeat in voter-roll cases and leaving 25 cases still pending. The court said the demand lacked a legally sufficient purpose under the CRA and did not show NVRA/HAVA violations, signaling that the DOJ may pursue updated demands or appeals in other states.
Taylor Swift was spotted in New York wearing an ivory satin skirt with a black top, fueling bridal vibes as she and fiancé Travis Kelce prep for a summer wedding reportedly to be held at her Rhode Island estate, with details kept tightly under wraps.
Colin Dorgan, a high school hockey player who lost three family members in a Rhode Island rink shooting, scored the double-overtime game-winner to send Blackstone Valley Co-op past Portsmouth High School in the state semifinal.
Rhode Island high school hockey captain Colin Dorgan scored the game-winning goal in double overtime, lifting Blackstone Valley to the Division II state final just weeks after his father — who was transgender — murdered his mother, brother, and grandfather before taking his own life. Dorgan wore a patch honoring his late relatives, and his teammates’ embrace as he celebrated was described as a powerful moment of unity in the wake of tragedy, with the state final set for March 18 in Providence.
The Rhode Island attorney general has launched a formal investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the Diocese of Providence, with survivors and officials speaking at a March 4 press conference as investigators review past cases and potential legal actions against individuals or church entities involved.
A Rhode Island attorney general report concludes that about 75 clergy abused more than 300 children since 1950, with bishops protecting the church’s reputation; the investigation calls for reforms to boost investigative powers and accountability, while the Diocese of Providence disputes some findings.
A Rhode Island attorney general investigation found 75 Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Providence molested more than 300 children since 1950, with church leaders prioritizing the institution’s reputation over victims by transferring accused priests and offering treatment or sabbaticals rather than reporting to authorities. Only a fraction faced criminal charges, and many records were kept private for years under a 2019 agreement, prompting calls for reforms to strengthen investigations and ensure accountability and justice for survivors.
A multiyear, attorney general–led investigation found that dozens of priests in the Diocese of Providence abused hundreds of Rhode Island children over decades, aided by a secret archive and a pattern of minimal accountability as priests were transferred or sent to treatment rather than reported; only a fraction of cases led to charges, prompting calls for transparency, accountability, and systemic reform.