Latest Rhode Island Headlines
All the headlines from our Rhode Island Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Rhode Island Governor Vetoes Auto Body Insurance Claims Legislation
Jul 19 2021 // Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has vetoed legislation regarding auto body insurance claims that he said would ultimately burden consumers. “While I recognize the stated intent of this bill is to protect consumers,...
Rhode Island Senate Approves Legalizing Marijuana for Adults
Jun 29 2021 // The Rhode Island Senate approved legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults, marking the first time either chamber of the state Legislature has voted on a bill to legalize cannabis. The proposal was introduced by...
Blind Teen Alleges Rhode Island Eatery Violated Her Rights
May 12 2021 // A blind Rhode Island teen and her family have filed a lawsuit with the Providence County Superior Court against a restaurant they say refused to seat them due to the presence of the teen’s service dog. Haylee Mota...
Worker Dies in Accident at Submarine Building Facility in Rhode Island
Apr 23 2021 // An employee at Electric Boat’s facility in Rhode Island has died from injuries suffered in a workplace accident, the company said. Sean Davies, a vice president for the Connecticut-based submarine builder, told...
Rhode Island Governor Signs Climate Change Bill Into Law
Apr 12 2021 // A wide-ranging climate bill that requires Rhode Island to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 was signed into law Saturday by Governor Daniel McKee. “With four hundred miles of coastline, urban and rural...
Rhode Island Lawmakers Introduce Police Reform Bill
Apr 8 2021 // Two Rhode Island lawmakers introduced legislation that would ban police from using chokeholds and require body-worn cameras for officers in every department statewide, among other things. The bill proposed by Sen. Jonathon...
Ex-Employee Gets Five Years for Stealing from Rhode Island Law Firm
Apr 1 2021 // A former bookkeeper and office manager at a Rhode Island law firm who previously pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly three-quarters of a million dollars from her employer has been sentenced to five years in prison, federal...
The Hilb Group Acquires Rhode Island’s Compass Planners
Mar 10 2021 // The Hilb Group LLC (THG) has acquired Rhode Island-based Compass Planners (CP). The transaction became effective on February 1, 2021. CP is based in West Greenwich, Rhode Island and is a specialized Medicare Advantage...
A.I.M. Mutual Expands Coverage Territory to Rhode Island
Feb 5 2021 // A.I.M. Mutual has expanded its coverage territory to Rhode Island. The company, a monoline workers’ compensation carrier based in Massachusetts, was licensed in the Ocean State effective February 1. With the addition...
Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Rhode Island Man Injured in Moped Crash
Jan 20 2021 // Guardians of a Rhode Island moped driver who was sent into a coma with a head injury after he crashed while being followed closely by a Providence police cruiser filed a federal lawsuit on his behalf alleging brutality and...
Acrobats Hurt in Rhode Island Circus Accident Reach $52.5M Settlement
Dec 30 2020 // Eight acrobats severely injured when the rigging suspending them by their hair plummeted to the floor during a circus performance in Rhode Island in 2014 have reached a $52.5 million settlement with the ownership and...
Rhode Island’s Providence Mutual Appoints Streton as President, CEO-Elect
Dec 28 2020 // Providence Mutual, a Warwick, R.I.-based mutual property/casualty insurance company, has appointed Michele Streton, former vice president and chief operating officer for Personal Lines at Hanover Group, as the...
Rhode Island Climate Change Suit Remains in State Court
Nov 2 2020 // A lawsuit filed by the state of Rhode Island against 21 fossil fuel companies seeking damages for the impacts of climate change will be allowed to proceed in state court, a federal appeals court has ruled. The decision...
Rhode Island Fines, Closes Four Bars Over Alleged COVID Violations
Oct 26 2020 // Rhode Island has fined and temporarily shut down four more bars over alleged violations of state rules meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, state health officials said Friday. State inspectors found various...
Ex-Law Firm Employee in Rhode Island Charged with Embezzling Almost $750K
Sep 14 2020 // A former bookkeeper for a Rhode Island law firm has agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the embezzlement of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars from her employer, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Sarah...
Roundup of New England COVID-19 Developments
Aug 31 2020 // Public health officials in Vermont said the state is considering becoming the second state to mandate flu shots as a way to ease the burden of influenza amid the coronavirus pandemic. Vermont Health Commissioner Mark...
Metal Shredder to Pay $875K to Settle Rhode Island Air Pollution Claims
Aug 14 2020 // A company that shreds scrap metal has agreed to pay the largest fine ever imposed under Rhode Island’s air pollution rules. Under a legal settlement announced Wednesday, Sims Metal Management will pay $875,000 and...
Former Owner of Cleaning Company Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud
Jul 14 2020 // The former owner of a Massachusetts cleaning company has been charged with wage theft and workers’ compensation insurance fraud, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced. Marcello Pompa, of Saugus,...
World Insurance Associates Acquires Rhode Island’s Bentsen Combies Insurance
Jul 9 2020 // World Insurance Associates LLC (WIA) has acquired Bentsen Combies Insurance Inc. of East Greenwich, R.I., on June 1, 2020. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bentsen Combies is an independent insurance agency...
Rhode Island Hosts Forums for Businesses Planning to Reopen
May 28 2020 // State officials have planned a series of virtual forums this week for the owners and operators businesses that will be allowed to reopen next week as Rhode Island’s economic restart continues. The forums being hosted...
