Once again, police departments and law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island will participate in the very popular Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, September 27th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visit www.dea.gov or www.riag.ri.gov for a list of participating police departments and other locations.
Created by the DEA, Prescription Drug Take Back Day gives the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Since the program began in 2010, Americans have turned in more than over 4.1 million pounds, or 2,100 tons, of pharmaceuticals. In the latest sign of his campaign’s strength on the East Side, Democratic nominee for Mayor of Providence Jorge Elorza picked up several new endorsements and reaffirmed two existing supporters. In all, five East Side legislators and one presumptive winner in the upcoming general election endorsed him. Senator Josh Miller, who represents Cranston but operates businesses in Providence, also joined in endorsing Elorza.
Sen. Gayle Goldin this week heralded a $161,417 U.S. Department of Laborgrant awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) to fund a study on the paid caregiver leave program she sponsored. The DLT will use the federal funds to study the effectiveness of the Rhode Island Temporary Caregiver Insurance Program – a program enacted by legislation (2013-S 231B) Senator Goldin sponsored last year – and its benefits for Rhode Islanders, as well as the public’s awareness of the program. “At some point in their lives, just about everyone needs time out of work to provide care to a loved one, whether a young child or a sick family member. But only 12 percent of Americans have access to paid leave though their employers. With our new caregiver leave program,Rhode Island is a leader in the United States. Now, Rhode Islanders are no longer forced to choose between paying their bills or taking care of their families. I would like to commend the staff of Department of Labor and Training and faculty at URI for coming together, on a tight timeline, to submit this grant. Their vision for ensuring we have the best program possible, while at the same time, helping Rhode Island to lead the nation, gives me confidence that this grant award will ensure people across the country will soon have access to the type of paid time off available in most other countries around the world,” said Senator Goldin (D-Dist. 3, Providence), who advocated in Washington, D.C., for the funding to become available and then worked locally to bring faculty at University of Rhode Island and staff of the DLT together to develop the proposal. She also extended thanks to the state’s congressional delegation and Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee for their advocacy for the grant as well as their recognition of the importance of paid leave for caregivers. Arthur Christopher Schaper
On September 21, Republican gubernatorial primary rivals Ken Block and Allan Fung put aside their deeply politically (and personal) differences, embraced, and the businessman from Barrington endorsed the mayor from Cranston: I’m here to endorse and express my full-throated endorsement for Allan Fung for Governor. Paired together on the statehouse steps on Providence, Fung complimented Block, stating that: He has shown he is a man of his word. Not only has he come forward to stand with me today, for which I am very grateful and thankful, but he has also followed through on his promise to fight for real reform in state government. According to statistics released today by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, the median price of single family home sales fell three percent in August from 12 months earlier to $218,000. Sales activity also slowed by eight percent, though with the exception of last year, the number of sales was the highest recorded in August since August, 2005. A slight increase in pending sales - those under contract and expected to close in the coming months - indicates that sales activity will remain stable.
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