This one-mile walk and fundraiser brings our community together for one morning with one BIG goal: raising critical funds for the animals who depend on ARRI.
Early Bird Registration is happening now through August 31 for just $30. Register, start fundraising, invite your friends and family to support you, and help us make our 15th year our biggest yet.
We're counting the days until we see you there!
On Saturday, August 22nd, from 4–8 PM, crawl your way through two great spots in Narragansett, RI. Hosted by The Surf Shack Bar & Restaurant and Boon Street Marketplace.
Each attendee will receive one free drink and snacks at both locations, making this the paw-fect way to sip, snack, and support the pets at Animal Rescue Rhode Island.
Must be 21+ to participate. The event is free, but you must be registered. A $15 suggested donation helps us continue caring for animals in need.
And yes, your four-legged pups are invited to join the fun too!
Come and raise a glass (or paw!) and join the fun!
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Taylor Swift gives Rhode Island a wedding gift
RI Community Food Bank
“We are incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
for their extraordinarily generous and unexpected gift,” said Melissa
Cherney, CEO of the RI Community Food Bank. “As the need across our
communities continues to grow, this $1 million donation will go a long way in
helping us purchase and distribute the nutritious, culturally appropriate food
that Rhode Islanders deserve. I hope their gift inspires others; it has
certainly inspired us.”
The timing of this gift is particularly appreciated by the
Food Bank team. Summer is typically a slower time of year for food donations,
which means a greater demand for food purchasing to keep
shelves stocked at food pantries across the state.
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2026 Garden Tour Fundraiser
Summer is coming and the gardens are beautiful! On Saturday,
June 20, 2026, the Cross’ Mills Public Library will host its biennial
garden tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine, the gardens await you.
Tickets are $30 and will be available beginning May
15th. Tickets may be purchased at the Library or online.
To purchase tickets online, please click here. Select Garden Tour
under Donation Category. Tickets will be emailed to the address you
provide, and are mailed in batches once a week.
Please direct questions to gardentour@crossmills.org
The generosity of local gardeners and residents make this
tour possible. All proceeds benefit the Cross’ Mills Public Library.
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Animal Rescue RI (ARRI) in Peacedale earns distinction
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‘Craven Attempt to Silence Dissent’
Jake
Johnson for Common Dreams
The Justice Department, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche—who previously served as Trump’s personal attorney—said Tuesday that a grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama returned an indictment charging SPLC with “11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.”
The Justice
Department accused SPLC, which specializes in monitoring extremist groups and movements, of “funding”
far-right white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan by
paying people to infiltrate them and gather information.
Bryan Fair, SPLC’s interim chief executive, said the Trump
DOJ’s “false allegations” won’t “shake our resolve to fight for justice and
ensure the promise of the civil rights movement becomes a reality for all.”
Fair noted that SPLC no longer works with paid informants
but emphasized that they “risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the
activities of our nation’s most radical and violent extremist groups.”
Allied civil rights organizations spoke out in defense of
the SPLC and warned that the Trump administration’s legal assault on the group
is part of a broader attack on those who oppose the far-right and work to
protect democracy.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Cathy and I have been longtime supporters of the Southern Poverty Law Center. As for the "crimes" brought against the SPLC by Trump's Justice Department, there is a long and Constitutional practice called "salting" where paid informants are placed within targeted organizations for the purpose of gathering damaging information. Unions do it. Journalists do it. Rightwing groups did it to smear Planned Parenthood. They ran into trouble when they peddled altered videos. - Will Collette
2026 Community Impact Award recognizes her decades of service to South County
By Will Collette
When Cathy and I returned to Rhode Island in 2001 to live in
Charlestown, Donna became one of our first friends and remains so these 25 years later. We were proud supporters of
her as she ably represented House District 36 which includes all of
Charlestown. I worked on her campaigns and during each legislative session as a
volunteer researcher.
During that time, Donna became a legislative leader and one
of the most stalwart defenders of the environment. But whether it was getting
major legislation passed, constituent service or getting grants for local
charities, Donna Walsh got the job done through hard work with people in the
district and with integrity and determination.
Before her decade representing Charlestown in the General Assembly,
she also served as state Senator and member of the Charlestown Town Council. She
is fondly remembered by many in the area as “Mrs. Walsh” for her 38 years as a
teacher at Chariho.
Though she no longer holds elected office, Donna now serves
on the boards of numerous local non-profit charities such as the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul where she serves as President.
Congratulations, Donna!
Renowned medical aid agency explains why
Following
many months of unsuccessful engagement with Israeli authorities, and in the
absence of securing assurances to ensure the safety of our staff or the
independent management of our operations, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has
concluded that it will not share a list of its Palestinian and international staff with Israeli
authorities in the current circumstances.
In March
2025, Israeli authorities announced that organizations seeking registration
would be required to provide personal information about their staff. From the
outset, MSF raised serious concerns about this request in a context where
medical and humanitarian workers have been intimidated, arbitrarily detained,
and attacked. Since October 2023, 1,700 health staff have been killed, as well
as 15 MSF colleagues. On 30 December, Israeli authorities announced that MSF's
previous registration had lapsed and was therefore expected to cease operations
within 60 days.
In an
effort to explore every possible option – however limited – to continue
providing critical medical care, MSF informed Israeli authorities on 23 January
that, as an exceptional measure, MSF would be prepared to share a defined list
of Palestinian and international staff names, subject to clear parameters, with
our staff safety at its core. This position was defined following consultation
with our Palestinian colleagues and with the clear understanding no staff
information would be shared without the express agreement of individuals
concerned.
However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident in recent days that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required.
Welcome boost to addressing affordable housing shortage
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| Representatives from Bank of America and South County Habitat for Humanity. Photo: South County Habitat for Humanity |
South County Habitat for Humanity (SCHH) has been named a 2025 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder, receiving $200,000 in unrestricted funding to support its mission of building affordable homeownership units in Washington County, Rhode Island.
“This year, as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of South County Habitat for Humanity, we are deeply honored to receive this incredible investment from our longtime partners at Bank of America,” said Colin Penney, Executive Director of SCHH.
“Unrestricted support like this gives us the flexibility to strategically grow our capacity and better meet the needs of our community, ensuring every dollar advances our mission of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. With ambitious plans for larger-scale housing developments, this funding arrives at a pivotal moment. We are truly grateful for Bank of America’s partnership.”
