Headed for a fish kill?
By John Howell

Those who pay careful attention to conditions in Narragansett Bay agree there has been a resurgence of life, both in the water and in the air in the upper bay, but rising water temperatures and a lack of dissolved oxygen could set the stage for a major fish or clam kill as soon as this week.

Admitting it wouldn’t bode well for tourism and is not what most wish for at this time of year, W. Michael Sullivan, director of the Department of Environmental Management said last Thursday, “Two or three days of good, cold rainy weather would be a relief.”

A change in the weather is about all that can alter the course for what could be one of the most trying weeks of this summer on the bay’s marine life.

“We’re right on the edge,” Christopher Deacutis, chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program based at URI said yesterday. Deacutis said that dissolved oxygen levels in Greenwich Bay are “hovering right around hypoxia,” meaning that oxygen levels are low enough to stress fish. Readings last Wednesday in Greenwich Cove were so low they were “anoxia” and incapable of sustaining fish.  Read More...

AG's letter sheds light on hospital merger delay
By Russell J. Moore

Little has changed on the merger of Lifespan and Care New England since their application was deemed incomplete in mid June; but a letter from Attorney General Patrick Lynch to George Vecchione, president of Lifespan, and John J. Hynes, president of Care New England, sheds light on what has held up the process.

According to the letter, the hospital chains are not comfortable providing information regarding board of directors meetings, task forces, committees and similar entities. The Hospital Conversions Act mandates all agendas and meeting packages from those meetings be presented as part of the application. Unless the AG decides otherwise, the information would then become public record. Lifespan and Care New England regard such information as confidential.

That issue appears to be a major sticking point that has stalled the application.  Read More...

West Side juniors drop state opener
By Ed Owens

Warwick West Side was playing softball; Riverside was running a track meet.

Riverside raced its way to a 9-4 win over Warwick on Sunday night in the opening round of the junior division state championship tournament at West Side. The Riverside stars combined to steal nine bases, beat out three infield singles and took advantage of four passed balls and a wild pitch in the game, adding up to 17 total bases taken solely on speed. Three defensive errors by West Side only added to the team’s problems as Riverside ran away with the victory.

“I have a team of speedy girls,” Riverside manager Lisa Medici said. “We have a roster that looks like it might not entail much but we have a roster full of runners. We knew that was our strength from the beginning. We get on the bases and we know that we are going to be a menace. And once you disrupt the play of the game and get in [your opponent’s head], it all falls into place.”  Read More...

Western hands Continental first loss
By William Geoghegan

In the District 3 tournament, Warwick Continental’s 12-year-old all-stars averaged more than nine runs per contest. After a slow start in Saturday’s state tournament opener, they exploded late to beat Barrington 14-4.

But there was no explosion on Sunday.

Cranston Western held Continental to its lowest run total of the summer and marched to a 7-1 victory in the winners’ bracket final at Cumberland’s Garvin Field. It was the first loss of the tournament for Continental.

With the win, Western moves into the championship round. Continental drops to the losers’ bracket and will need to win an elimination game tonight against Barrington then beat Western twice to win the title.  Read More...