[REACT] Should DNA Samples Be Run On Violent Criminals?

A bill proposed by the General Assembly, based on laws in other states, would allow DNA sampling of convicted felons.

Two bills currently up for debate by members of the Rhode Island General Assembly would allow for testing of the stored DNA of felons to DNA collected from open cases. The legislation is modeled after existing laws in about 25 states, according to a release from the Legislative Press Bureau. For full details, see the full release below. Both bills are currently assigned to judicial committees, as of January. What do you think of the bills? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom! ****** Release courtesy the Legislative Press Bureau. It has been a decade since a young woman was brutally murdered in New Mexico, a crime that went unsolved for three years. Katie Sepich’s parents believe the person who murdered their daughter could …

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Ruff! Meow? Pet News!

[REACT] Bill Would Prohibit Debarking, Declawing Requirements

A bill co-sponsored by Susan Sosnowski would prohibit landlords from requiring pet owners to declaw or devoice their animals.

What do you think of a proposed bill to prohibit landlords from requiring that pet owners de-claw or de-vocalize their pets? Tell us in the comments section below! The following is a release about the proposed bill. Calling the surgical procedures inhumane and potentially dangerous to pets, Senate Majority Leader Dominick J. Ruggerio is urging passage of legislation to prohibit property owners from requiring “devocalization” and “declawing” of dogs and cats as a condition of occupancy. “Devocalization” or “debarking” is a surgical procedure that involves opening an animal (usually a dog) at the throat or through the mouth to cut the vocal cords to reduce the sound of barking. The scarring resulting from the procedure can cause the animal …

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NHS Wrestling Receives Grant

According to a press release from the Legislative Press Bureau, Narragansett wrestling will receive a $2,000 grant for new mats.

Release courtesy the Legislative Press Bureau. Sen. James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown) has announced the presentation of a legislative grant to the Narragansett High School wrestling team. The grant is the result of a funding request for the program submitted by Sheehan during the previous General Assembly session. As a result, the team will receive a grant of $2,000. The money will be used for a new wrestling mat that will provide better safety for the high school’s student athletes. “While the wrestling team is funded by the Narragansett School System, we all know how tight school funding has become,” Sheehan said. “I am happy to be able to provide this grant money so that the athletes on the team can feel safe …

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Results Unchanged After Mail Ballot Count

Although precincts flip in one General Assembly race, the results are otherwise unchanged with the mail ballot count.

Barring a shocking outcome from a recount or a late challenge to the election results, the candidates everyone thought they had elected after Tuesday remain the same after mail ballot counting Thursday afternoon. The closest race – South Kingstown Town Council – saw the fifth place candidate, Democrat Paul Donnelly, expand his lead from 81 votes to 108 over fellow Democrat Fred Frostic. Seventh place candidate and Republican Sean O’Donnell gained on Frostic, but remains 110 votes behind Donnelly. The mail ballots did flip Narragansett to Republican Chris Wilkens in the District 34 General Assembly race. With the ballots factored in, Wilkens beat Tanzi by 32 votes at St. Mary’s, and lost by one vote at the Pier School, meaning he did carry …

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2012 Election Results

Did your candidate lose? Did they win? Read the postmortem here for Narragansett and South Kingstown candidates.

Although as many as 1,000 mail ballots remain to be counted for South Kingstown, and 600 for Narragansett, most races of the 2012 General Election appear to be settled. Looking for a full rundown for the candidates? Well, here you go! Here is our rundown, in the order of Narragansett, South Kingstown, state and federal races, and ballot questions. NARRAGANSETT TOWN COUNCIL The composition of the Narragansett Town Council will be radically different going forward, as the only incumbents remaining are Susan Cicilline-Buonanno (3,067) and Glenna Hagopian (2,637). Joining them will be James Callaghan, Matthew Mannix (2,829) and Douglas McLaughlin. Callaghan was the top vote-getter with 3,404 votes, and McLaughlin was fifth with 2,527. In sixth…

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SK and Gansett Election Night Live Blog!

Exercise your civic right to vote! A slew of local races are hotly contested.

Hey listen, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s an election today, Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (And if you don’t know, it must mean you don’t have a mail box, or own a TV, or drive, since all those mediums have been splattered with a ridiculous amount of advertising for several months now.) Not sure where your polling place is, or who you’re even voting for? Well, that’s not a great sign. But you can look it up by going here, to the Secretary of State’s website, and they have a neat lookup method. Sample ballots are also available, in case you want to practice before hitting the polls. For the full voter guide, see the attached PDF. This guide includes the full text for the seven state ballot questions. If you’re unfamiliar with the …

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Stephen Greenwell

6:10 am on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

As a reminder, Cover It Live does have an app in the App Store - You can download it and follow along from your favorite establishment, getting the local election results without having to wait for the crawl on 6, 10 and 12. Handy, right?   more ›

What Type Of ID Do I Need At The Polls?

In Rhode Island, the voter ID law requires voters to present some sort of ID before they will be allowed to vote tomorrow – here's what you'll need.

Voters in Rhode Island will need to present one of the following forms of ID, according to the R.I. Board of Elections: *The Rhode Island Secretary of State's office is issuing free voter photo ID cards to individuals who do not possess any of the valid Photo IDs listed above. See the Secretary of State's website for additional information on the program, or call (401) 222-2340. Except for birth certificates, Social Security cards, and government-issued medical cards, all other non-photo IDs must contain the current name and address of the voter, and must have been issued after the recent general election on Nov. 2, 2010: Any voter who is unable to present valid identification at the polls, will be required to cast a provisional ballot. …

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Letters To The Editor

LETTER: Wilkens Asks For Your Vote

Candidate Chris Wilkens wants your vote for District 34 on Nov. 6.

To the editor, I believe that the only legitimate reason to run for General Assembly in 2012 is out of an overwhelming concern for the now and future of our community and state. This is why I am running and ask for your vote. We must stop drifting from crisis to crisis without a vision, sense of purpose or urgency to fix the problems that have plagued our state for so long. All of my campaign literature and yard signs all have the motto – “Restore Rhode Island."   I am committed to finding solutions that will help make our state a place where people and business move to, not from... Where the tax burden is among the lowest, not the highest... Where employment opportunities for our children are plentiful, not rare… And where the …

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League of Women Voters Holding Candidate Forums

The question and answer sessions with Narragansett and South Kingstown candidates start on Sept. 26.

Release courtesy the League of Women Voters. To educate local voters about the elections on Nov. 6, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend four upcoming “Meet the Candidates Nights” events.   The local league will conduct the forums for those campaigning for the offices of Rhode Island State Senators (Districts 36, 36, 37 and 38) and Representatives (Districts 33, 34, 35 & 36) and for those vying for a seat on the Town Councils and School Committees for South Kingstown and Narragansett. This year all forums will be held at Narragansett Town Hall, so that they can be broadcast live via PEG Access television (Cox 17 and Verizon 28). Here are the four dates: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 @ Narragansett Town Hall, 25 Fifth Avenue, …

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