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    Firefighters respond to overnight fire at Castle Hill Inn in Newport

    Two-Alarm Fire Damages Newport’s Castle Hill Inn; Guests Evacuated, No Injuries Reported

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From left to right: Chief Thomas F. Oates III, Vanessa Javery, Lieutenant David Galligan, Chief Mark Vieria, and David DeCesare

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Ryan Duffy sworn in as vice president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association

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Peter Howitt, Brown University economics professor emeritus, smiles after learning he won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on innovation and growth.

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Miss Rhode Island USA Brianna Vega, URI alumna and nurse at Brown Health.

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Sybil Grayko Newport RI Teacher of the Year

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Barbara Varone Citizens Bank Newport RI

Newport’s Barbara Varone Celebrated for 54 Years of Service at Citizens Bank

Edward King House

Edward King House to Host Annual Mayor’s Luncheon Honoring Advocates for Older Adults

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STATE HOUSE — With rents soaring, taxes rising, an STATE HOUSE — With rents soaring, taxes rising, and Rhode Islanders still waiting on meaningful relief, lawmakers have identified a top priority at the State House.

Not housing.
Not healthcare.
Not infrastructure.

The word “elderly.”

Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Newport) has introduced legislation to scrub “elder,” “elderly person(s),” and similar terms from Rhode Island law, replacing them with the phrase “older adults.” The bill launches a formal review of state statutes so lawmakers can return next year to complete the language swap.

No services are expanded. No benefits are added. No costs are reduced.

But the wording gets an update.

Supporters argue that many people over 60 are active, working, and contributing members of society — and don’t appreciate being labeled “elderly.” That’s reasonable. What’s harder to explain is why it takes a bill, a commission, and years of meetings to reach that conclusion.

The proposal stems from a commission chaired by Carson that has been meeting for more than two years to study services for older Rhode Islanders. The commission warns of an aging population, projecting the number of residents over 60 will grow from about 240,000 today to nearly 265,000 by 2040.

That shift raises serious questions about housing affordability, long-term care, transportation, and healthcare capacity.

Instead, lawmakers are starting with… a thesaurus.

Critics say the effort feels less like problem-solving and more like political busywork — the kind of legislation that looks good in a press release but does little for seniors struggling with rent hikes, utility bills, or access to care.

The bill also replaces “handicapped” and “disabled” in certain sections of law with “adult persons with disabilities,” another change that adjusts language without changing policy.

To be clear, words do matter. But so do priorities.

The problems facing older Rhode Islanders are real, expensive, and urgent.

They just won’t be fixed with a find-and-replace.

#rhodeisland #newportbuzz
Happy Sunday, February 8th! Here’s What’s Happenin Happy Sunday, February 8th! Here’s What’s Happening In and Around Newport Today.

@waterbrothers @ticketsnewport @bottegabocconi @newportlobstershack @sardellas_italian @tavernonbroadway @thequenchernewport @pastavinori 

#NewportRI #NewportBuzz
This is what happens when a snowstorm meets creati This is what happens when a snowstorm meets creativity.
No mountain? No problem.
@marykatenotolsen and @tatumwadensten hit the Ocean Drive and said “send it” ❄️🔥

#newportri #newportbuzz
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