Ruggerio's health; 2015 Washington Bridge report; hummingbirds: Top stories this week

Kathleen Hill, Providence Journal

Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of April 14, supported by your subscriptions.

Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:

'I know I'll get by this': Senate President Ruggerio breaks silence on health, rumors of a coup

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio attends a meeting on the first floor of the State House on Tuesday.
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio attends a meeting on the first floor of the State House on Tuesday.

One of the most powerful men in Rhode Island has cancer.

As a proud − and some close to him say "stubborn" − 75-year-old Italian man who has been a part of Rhode Island's political life for more than four decades, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio was not keen on talking about his health − or the very private conversation he had about it with his No. 2.

But he broke his silence earlier this week about his health,, the Senate sessions he missed earlier this year and his election-year plans amid a swirl of not entirely unfounded rumors.

Ruggerio discusses his third bout with cancer, along with the behind-the-scenes overtures by his second-in-command in the Senate to succeed him as president amid his health struggles.

Politics:'I know I'll get by this': Senate President Ruggerio breaks silence on health, rumors of a coup

A report warned the state about the Washington Bridge in 2015. Why was nothing done?

An undated aerial view of the Washington Bridge.
An undated aerial view of the Washington Bridge.

Nearly a decade before the westbound Washington Bridge was hastily closed to avoid collapse, the engineering firm the state hired to study it found structural problems and called for repairs.

But many of the key repairs recommended by AECOM in a 2014-2015 evaluation of the bridge were unaddressed by the time the bridge was closed Dec. 11, 2023.

Could the bridge have been saved if the recommended repairs had been done immediately or a weight restriction imposed? Would earlier attempts to fix its steel beams have revealed the wider scope of the problems sooner and avoided years of traffic crossing an unsafe bridge?

On Thursday, Rhode Island Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. for the first time acknowledged the history of these expert warnings about the bridge. Read on to see why he concluded at the time that emergency action was not warranted.

Transportation:A report warned the state about the Washington Bridge in 2015. Why was nothing done?

14 children have died in Rhode Island so far this year. Experts are raising the alarm.

Ashley Deckert, director of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Ashley Deckert, director of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Health experts are drawing attention to an “alarming” spike in child deaths in Rhode Island so far this year which, if the trend continues, would surpass numbers for at least the last two years.

So far in 2024, 14 deaths (and six near-deaths) of children from newborns to 18-year-olds have been reported to authorities, said Ashley Deckert, director of the Department of Children, Youth & Families.

Last year, 33 deaths of children 18 or younger were reported in Rhode Island. In 2022, 29 deaths were reported. If the current trend holds, 2024 child deaths will significantly surpass those numbers.

What's causing the spike, and what can be done to prevent such deaths?

Local news:14 children have died in Rhode Island so far this year. Experts are raising the alarm.

'Crowded, cluttered and confusing': Why Mark Patinkin says South Water St. bike lanes can go

A cyclist travels along one of the bike lanes on South Water Street in Providence.
A cyclist travels along one of the bike lanes on South Water Street in Providence.

Journal columnist Mark Patinkin is loath to pick a fight with one of Rhode Island's most vocal constituencies: bicyclists.

As a matter of fact, he's one of them himself, and he appreciates their success in making Rhode Island "a bit of a biker's paradise." Another recent column of his sang the praises of the "linear park" on the eastbound side of the Washington Bridge that's a beautiful part of the East Bay Bike Path.

But on one point, Mark disagrees with the cyclists who are up in arms about Providence Mayor Brett Smiley's plan to relocate the controversial bike lane that has narrowed vehicular traffic on South Water Street. Read on to find out why he's siding with the mayor.

The issue could end up being moot if the Providence City Council succeeds in putting the brakes on Smiley's plan, in response to community protests.

Mark Patinkin:'Crowded, cluttered and confusing': Why the South Water St. bike lanes can go

Get ready to put your hummingbird feeders out. See where they are with interactive map

A reader-submitted hummingbird photo from Sue Feldberg.
A reader-submitted hummingbird photo from Sue Feldberg.

Hummingbirds are synonymous with spring, and for many Rhode Island gardeners and bird watchers used to temperamental New England weather, looking out the window to see these hard-working pollinators hovering over the flowerbed is as sure a sign as any that the seasons have finally turned.

The only species of hummingbird that breeds in Rhode Island is the ruby-throated hummingbird, according to Charles Clarkson, director of Audubon Avian Research. These tiny birds migrate from the United States to Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama for the winter. They typically return to Rhode Island by late April.

Find out exactly when they've reached the Ocean State, and get some tips for attracting them to your own backyard.

Nature:Get ready to put your hummingbird feeders out. See where they are with interactive map

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ruggerio's health; 2015 Washington Bridge report: Journal top stories

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