Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Ruggiero to lead CRMC study commission

 

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Deborah Ruggiero has been elected chairwoman of the newly organized House commission to study the Coastal Resources Management Council.

Created by legislation (2021-H 6252) sponsored by Representative Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown), the 15-member commission is to comprehensively study and provide recommendations for the reorganization of the CRMC and issue its findings and recommendations by April 1, 2022.

The CRMC is the state’s lead agency reviewing proposals for 19 coastal communities and is charged with offshore wind projects, dredging, development, marinas and aquaculture. 

“Our commission is going to review the process for coastal management procedures, the scope of CRMC’s work, and listen, identify and assess opportunities to make CRMC better for the future of Rhode Island and its residents. This will not be a look back at past CRMC decisions, especially since some of those decisions are in litigation. This is about looking to the future. We will make policy decisions based on facts, data, and science to better ensure coastal development in the Ocean State. The process must be consistent, fair, safe and sustainable for generations to come,” said Chairwoman Ruggiero.

At the commission’s first meeting Wednesday, its members also elected Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston) vice chairman. Other members include Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), Rep. Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry), Save The Bay Director of Advocacy Topher Hamblett, Jamestown Town Administrator Jamie Hainsworth; Exeter Town Planner William DePasquale Jr.; Newport City Manager Joe Nicholson Jr., Rhode Island Builders Association designee David Baud, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association President Richard Hittinger, Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association President Michael McGiveney, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography Dean Paula Bontempi, Audubon Society of Rhode Island Executive Director Lawrence Taft, New Shoreham Town Councilor Sven Risom and Westerly Town Planner Nancy Letendre.

The commission has scheduled its next two meetings:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at Seaman’s Church Institute, 18 Market Square, Newport. This meeting will feature a presentation by CRMC Executive Director Jeff Willis on the work of the CRMC, the staff, and issues before the CRMC.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m.at Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown. This meeting will be a presentation by CRMC on the Bay Special Area Management Plan (Bay SAMP) and aquaculture.

 

 

 

Details of David Pecker's Involvement in Donald Trump's alleged hush money trial came to light in court Thursday. Pecker took the stand for his third day of testimony, and revealed conversations between himself, the former President, and Associate Michael Cohen. Pecker says he arranged to buy the story surrounding Trump's alleged affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal for $150,000, but backed out of the deal after consulting with election lawyers, believing the payment may break the law.        Students at Columbia University are filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the school. They filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on Thursday, demanding an investigation into the school's actions against pro-Palestinian students. The lawsuit alleges Columbia has mistreated students utilizing their first amendment rights.        The Food and Drug Administration says remnants of the bird flu were found in one in five pasteurized milk samples. Earlier this week, the FDA found fragments of the bird flu in commercially sold milk but said it's still safe to drink, as the pasteurization process kills the virus and only leaves small traces behind. On Thursday officials revealed about 20-percent of their milk samples contained remnants of the virus.        Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is having his conviction for sex crimes in New York overturned. The New York Court of Appeals ruled Weinstein did not receive a fair trial. The court found the judge in his trial made an error allowing women to testify about alleged sexual assaults committed by Weinstein that were not part of the charges against him. Weinstein was also sentenced in Los Angeles in February of last year to 16 years in prison after he was convicted of rape and that conviction still stands.        Buying a home is now more expensive than ever. A new report from Redfin found the median home price in the United States is now over 383-thousand-dollars, a record high. The economic research lead with Redfin says prices may drop slightly in the coming months, but buyers should accept that "housing costs are likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future." The median down payment is also up 24-percent compared to last year, at around 56-thousand-dollars.        Soulja Boy says he wants to help save TikTok. Congress passed a bill on Wednesday that requires TikTok's Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance to sell the app or else it will be banned in the United States. Soulja Boy has offered up a solution, posting "How much yall want for TikTok? I'll buy it." The rapper tagged the social media company in the post.       

Old News Archives