Turn out for candidate papers signing for Jill Fonnemann

Fonneman (D) is running for Charlestown Town Council in the December 2 Special Election

Jill announced on Instagram:

"Well I have already let the cat out of the bag to pretty much everyone I’ve seen for the past three or four weeks, but I would like to formally announce that I will be running for the Charlestown Town Council in the special election on December 2nd. As of yesterday, I turned in my papers declaring my candidacy and have already been contacted by the news, so at this point it is official. I hope that my past precedes me with being involved in our special town of Charlestown Rhode Island, along with serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission for the past 2.5 years. My thoughts are if I am able to be more involved and add to the community even more, that is what I am striving to do. I appreciate your consideration in voting for me and if you decide against it, I thank you for any thought that you will put into it. @followers"

Truly yours,
Jill M Fonnemann

She will almost certainly receive the formal endorsement of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee next week.

If you are a registered Charlestown voter, regardless of affiliation, please drop by the Rathskeller tonight or Friday and Saturday at noon to sign her official papers. 

Childhood plastic exposure could be fueling obesity, infertility, and asthma

Try not to feed plastic to your kids 

NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine

A sweeping review from NYU Langone Health reveals that everyday exposure to plastics—especially during childhood—poses lasting risks for heart disease, infertility, asthma, and even brain development issues. These chemicals, found in packaging, cosmetics, and common household items, can disrupt hormones, ignite chronic inflammation, and lower IQ.

Childhood exposure to chemicals used to make plastic household items presents growing health risks that can extend long into adulthood, experts from NYU Langone Health report.

This is the main conclusion after a review of hundreds of the latest studies on the topic, publishing online Sept. 21 in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The article is being released to coincide with a gathering of experts the same week in New York City to discuss the global impact of plastics on human health.

In their report, the authors outline decades of evidence that substances often added to industrial and household goods may contribute to disease and disability, particularly when they are encountered early in life. The review focuses on three classes of chemical -- phthalates used to make plastic flexible, bisphenols, which provide rigidity, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which help materials resist heat and repel water.

The results of the studies, which together assessed thousands of pregnant mothers, fetuses, and children, tied these toxins to a wide range of long-term health concerns, including heart disease, obesity, infertility, and asthma.

Westerly pol Bob Ritacco’s rape case is going to trial

Ethically-challenged party boss faces biggest challenge to date

By Will Collette

For many years, Bob Ritacco was the old-school political boss of Westerly Democrats, largely deciding who got elected and who was told to “wait your turn.”

Despite numerous charges of corruption, Teflon Bob always seemed to escape accountability while continuing to hold on to power.

Charlestown residents may recall the key role Ritacco played as head of the Westerly Zoning Board in keeping the infamous, mob-tainted Copar Quarry operating on the Charlestown-Westerly town line.

That ended on April 25, 2022 when Ritacco was indicted by a Rhode Island grand jury and arraigned on two counts of first-degree sexual assault (rape). He was charges with two separate sexual assaults on May 29, 2021 against a woman while she was incapacitated.

Ryan Blessing of the Westerly Sun cited the court filing that described Ritacco’s alleged crime this way:

“According to the indictment, Ritacco allegedly penetrated the victim once with his mouth and once with his penis while the victim, a woman, was physically helpless.”

After the indictment, Ritacco said he would take a “leave of absence” as chair of the Westerly Democratic Town Committee. However, the WDTC expelled him and elected new leadership.

Ryan Blessing’s article details the long and convoluted legal road travelled between the 2022 indictment and the anticipated trial. CLICK HERE to read.

If convicted, Ritacco faces a prison sentence of 10 years to life for each offense. In the meantime, let’s remember that under law, a person is innocent until proven guilty.

UPDATE: Asst. Charlestown Solicitor Bob Craven ends campaign for Attorney General after only four days.

Former Assistant Atty Gen. Keith Hoffman becomes second official candidate to replace term-limited Peter Neronha

By Will Collette

UPDATE: After his disastrous campaign launch, described below, Bob Craven announced today (Thursday) that he was ending his campaign for Attorney General. In a statement described by WPRI "The 69-year-old said he was making the decision “because my family — and my sobriety — must come first,” and out of a “genuine desire to protect my family from further pain.”

WPRI described additional legal problems in Craven's past. Craven's statement referred to the 2001 domestic violence charge brought against him:

“I spent yesterday with my family, discussing the events of that night more than 20 years ago,” he said. “Understandably, it is something we rarely talk about — it was the darkest moment of my life, and my family’s. As we spoke, I learned more details about my conduct that night — details that had been lost in the fog of too much alcohol. I do not say that by way of excuse, but by way of explanation.”

Incumbent RI Attorney General Peter Neronha is term-limited from running for another term in 2026. A likely three-way race for the Democratic nomination to become his successor is underway.

Neronha has anointed his former Assistant AG Keith Hoffman as the best person to continue Neronha's on-going battle with the Trump regime over assaults on civil rights and Draconian budget cuts. 

Hoffman had a smooth launch that featured Neronha's support. This is in sharp contrast to Bob Craven's day one gaffe where he claimed to have received the endorsement of the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2024. The Coalition asserts he did not get their endorsement. 

RICADV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and as their director Brianna Henries said:

“We do not make political endorsements. Nor do we engage in any electioneering or political campaign matters involving any candidates for public office.” 

Craven acknowledged his error, as reported by WPRI:

“The inclusion of an endorsement by the Coalition Against Domestic Violence was an honest mistake due in part to similarities with the name of another advocacy group,” he said, an apparent reference to the R.I. Coalition Against Gun Violence.

WPRI Target 12 reporters tied this gaffe to Craven's previous legal problems:

"Family Court records reviewed by Target 12 confirm Craven was arrested by North Kingstown police on Aug. 31, 2001. The records show Craven was “removed” from the home and a judge later granted a restraining order sought by his estranged wife. (They later reconciled.)

"While Craven’s campaign told The Boston Globe that the case was later dismissed, court records for the matter are no longer available, likely because the records were expunged.

"The Globe reported that Craven was involved in a second incident where he was charged with simple assault, but Craven said it did not involve his wife. That case, too, is no longer available in court records."

In my opinion, this is obviously a bad way to start a campaign, and it could nip Craven's ambitions in the bud. However, it's a year until the 2026 election and almost a year away from the Democratic primary. Given voters' short attention spans, maybe it's better to screw up early than closer to election day. That assumes that there will be no further mention of Craven's gaffe or his past legal problems.

Oct. 5: Grassroots Organizing for Social Justice. Panel presentation

Great woman, life well lived

October 4: Come celebrate Cranberry Thanksgiving

McKee faces backlash for keeping Washington Bridge forensic audit secret for over a year

McKee fails Watergate test - that the cover-up is worse than the crime

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Corrosion and section loss are visible in this inspection photo of exterior tie-down rod for cantilever beam F at Pier 6 on the Washington Bridge, taken July 21, 2023. (Photo from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. report)

Legislative leaders on Monday called for yet another oversight hearing on the handling of the 2023 closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, three days after the release of a long-awaited forensic audit of what led to its failure was made public.

The audit report commissioned by Gov. Dan McKee had been kept under wraps by the state for more than a year after he first promised to make it public during a March 2024 press conference when he announced the bridge would need to be rebuilt.

Then on Friday evening, the 64-page report by Illinois-based engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. (WJE) was posted online by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office, which is actively suing 13 of the vendors contracted to conduct maintenance. Contents of the analysis were first reported by WPRI-12. 

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson said late Monday afternoon they were “deeply troubled by the findings” of the audit, which identified decades worth of failures by the state and its contractors responsible for maintaining the westbound span of Interstate 195.

Charlestown's long-time animal rescue chief Kathleen McA'Nulty dies at age 63

She served Charlestown with distinction for 36 years 

CHARLESTOWN - Charlestown, RI's beloved Animal Control Officer, Kathy McA'Nulty died peacefully at home surrounded by friends and family on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 62 years old.

Kathy grew up in Maynard, MA, one of four children of Daniel and Donna McA'Nulty. With the help of her sister, Susan, Kathy mounted a concerted campaign to adopt her first dog, Bingo, who launched her life-long passion for animals. During her high school years, she volunteered at Buddy Dog Humane Society. After graduating from Becker College in Worcester, MA, with a degree in Animal Care, she went to work at a local RI kennel and began to develop her expertise for handling animals of all kinds. It wasn't long before she found the community and position that would become her happy place for the next 36 years as the Animal Control Officer for Charlestown, RI.

Kathy's unwavering compassion and tireless care for animals made an immeasurable impact on all the animals and people she worked with. Alongside dogs and cats, she embraced horses, rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds, and even pet rats. In more than three decades, she improved the lives of thousands of animals and always sought to bring people and animals together in the most healing and meaningful ways.

Beyond her work for the Town, every aspect of her life involved animals. From dog sledding to horseback riding, to her own constantly evolving family farm, Kathy's heart and soul were dedicated to animals. Her other great love was music, and she followed her favorite band, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, in concerts throughout New England. Kathy loved her life, and she will be forever celebrated and missed by her many friends and all the caring people she touched.

She is survived by her sister, Susan Racine, her nephews Jeffrey and Matthew Racine, and her two nieces Sabrina and Regina McA'Nulty. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Friends of the Charlestown Animal Shelter, 50 Sand Hill Road, Charlestown, RI 02813.

For online condolences, please visit www.buckler-johnston.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

As Huberto and Imelda pass by, be careful

MAGA Supreme Court threaten American lives and freedom

The Court’s right-wing MAGA majority is shredding the Constitution and denying our rights.

By Paul Gordon 

The Supreme Court begins its new term today. This happens every year. But this year is different. We live in a very different country than the one that existed a year ago.

During Donald Trump’s second term, his administration and allies have been using the force of government to intimidate the American people into surrendering our constitutional rights. So in a system based on checks and balances, that means the Supreme Court has never been more important.

With Congress under the control of ultra extreme forces, it’s been up to the courts to stop Trump from becoming a tyrant. Across the country, district and some circuit judges nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents have shown themselves up to the task.

However, their patriotic work is all too frequently undone by Trump’s collaborators at the Supreme Court. As we prepare for a new Supreme Court term, we should be aware of how the far-right justices have already chosen to help Trump take our democracy apart, piece by piece.

Most notoriously, before the 2024 election, they infamously ruled that he cannot be prosecuted for illegal actions he takes as president. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

In the Trump v. CASA case last June, they severely cut back on the ability of courts to effectively block enforcement of even the most blatantly unconstitutional policies. In that case, the Court’s MAGA majority allowed Trump and his administration to carry out policies that are likely unlawful during the months or years it takes for the merits of the case to be decided.

The CASA case was about stripping Americans of their citizenship based on their parents’ immigration status, so-called birthright citizenship. But the dangerous principle applies to the violation of any constitutional right.

Shutdown Belongs to GOP, Say Dems, After Trump Responds to Talks With ‘Racist AI Video’

Democrats want to save Americans' health care AND prevent a shut-down. Trump wants to score racist points

Julia Conley

Anyone wondering “who owns” the looming government shutdown following negotiations between Donald Trump and congressional leaders that went nowhere on Monday should “look no further” said one Democratic lawmaker, than the racist, artificial intelligence-created video posted by the president shortly after the meeting, which depicted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and fake mustache.

“Democrats came to the White House to keep the government open,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). “The president answered with a racist AI video.”

Trump posted the video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jeffries, also of New York, after they emerged from the meeting, where Schumer said “large differences” remained between Democrats and Republicans over healthcare provisions in a government spending bill.

“Bigotry will get you nowhere,” said Jeffries in response to Trump’s posted video, before adding: “Cancel the Cuts. Lower the Cost. Save Healthcare. We are NOT backing down.”

Democrats have consistently called for an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of the year and to reverse Medicaid cuts included in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Coming right up

 So says the New York Times. CLICK HERE.

Front-line report from war-ravaged Portland, OR. Feds go into combat with antifa

New statewide project calls on public to report bobcat sightings

Seeking to measure their comeback in Rhode Island

By Anna Gray, College of the Environment and Life Sciences.

Once eradicated from the state, bobcats have returned over the past few decades and are now being spotted more frequently across Rhode Island. 

The Rhode Island Bobcat Project is led by researchers at the University of Rhode Island in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, and local land trusts to support bobcat conservation, promote public understanding of their important ecological role, and provide critical data to inform wildlife management and biodiversity conservation in Rhode Island.

Once eradicated from the state, bobcats have returned over the past few decades and are now being spotted more frequently across Rhode Island.

Bobcats are elusive and require extensive work to monitor; thus, the research team has launched a three-pronged approach including camera traps, collaring bobcats with GPS units, and citizen science data. For the latter, Rhode Island residents are encouraged to report sightings and submit photographs to help researchers better understand the animals’ movement patterns, habitat use, and population dynamics.

The effort was inspired by camera trap studies conducted from 2018 to 2023 that found that species like fishers and foxes appear to be in decline—raising concerns about environmental changes, diseases, and rodenticide exposure. However, the same study indicated that bobcat populations are stable or increasing.