What’s in…

1. Twin River has raised the stakes in their fight to win a chance to bid at the 20-year contract that IGT is seeking General Assembly approval for.  Camelot Lottery Solutions, which also  recently acquired management of the Illinois Lottery from an IGT-led consortium, wants to bid on Rhode Island’s traditional lottery business company. By joining forces with Camelot Lottery Solutions, Twin River hopes to be able to bid in the IGT contract.  Hearings on the IGT contract began on Thursday in the RI Senate.  Governor Gina Raimondo has stayed firm in her decision to gain IGT contract approval.  Twin River has spent thousands of dollars already hiring lobbyists to lobby their case to the General Assembly. All this action will come to a head very soon, as the hearings will shed some light on who is who and where the contract is going.  Stay tuned because there is more to come.

2. Boscov’s Department Store is coming to Providence Place Mall in the space previously occupied by Nordstrom.  The opening date is Thursday, September 26, 2010.  The store employs about 300 employees and said that many are former Nordstrom workers.  It will be interesting to see Boscov compete in an area where they are relatively unknown.  The store will carry men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing as well as accessories, toys, furniture, and housewares. 

3. Gloria Gemma’s Breast Cancer Foundation Flames of Hope.  The iconic Illuminations of Life is the pinnacle of the Flames of Hope Weekend. This tribute  honors breast cancer survivors and remembers those lost with a moving program witnessed by thousands as it unfolds on the Rhode Island State House steps on Saturday, October 5th, at 6:00 p.m.. For more info, check the Web site.

 

What’s out….

1. EEE.  The Triple E scare was highlighted in Rhode Island with two more cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis surfacing,  Both patients have been released and are recovering at home.  Everyone is on edge, as this year has the most severe number of cases throughout the country.  Blame it in a wet spring, blame it on global warming, or whatever you like, but the state has to take charge and spray.  Mosquito abatement plans have to be a plan every year to avoid this terrible disease.  Who will be the legislator to bring this up at budget time?  Rhode Island does not have a ground system for spraying for mosquitoes.  It’s time to get one.  It’s time to plan ahead instead of waiting for people to get sick before you react.  This is a health risk and needs to be addressed.  Only a small part of Rhode Island has been sprayed, and more has to be done to protect our residents.  Call the Department of Environmental Management to complain and voice your concerns.

2. A  four month old  Middletown baby boy has died of  “maltreatment.”  The death occurred on June 10th, according to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.  The child was in the custody of a legal guardian and not a family member.  There was no prior involvement of DCYF.  This is such a tragedy, and one that happens all too often in our state.  If you know of a suspected case of child abuse or neglect, please call the hotline 1-800-RI-CHILD.

3. Mayor Jasiel Correia has come in a distant second in the three-way primary race on Tuesday in Fall River.  He continues to state his innocence and says he will continue in as mayor, even though the City Council has taken action to remove him.  Despite all this, the mayor continues to go to work everyday and says he will still campaign in a two-way runoff.  All this is not good for Fall River, which has been battling this situation well over a year now.  One has to wonder what will happen next.  Either way, it can be said that Jasiel Correia has chutzpah!  Stay tuned as this drama unfolds.

 

Featured image by Dave Amadio.