PVD Current
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$33.6M Grant to Help RI Students

$33.6M Grant to Help RI Students

& who gave that squirrel a pizza??

Oscar Punchak
August 28, 2024

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Good morning, Providence. This is PVD Current, the newsletter that feels like wrapping up a big project right before the weekend starts.

What to expect in today’s Current:

Stop & Shop stops tobacco sales 🚭
🐿️ A squirrel is eating like a king downtown
$33.6M to help RI students prepare for college 🎓

Let’s get to it.

— Oscar Punchak

Currents & Waves

Frecce Tricolori by James Connolly

🛩️ Italian Air Force Overhead

If you were outside mid-day on Monday, chances are you saw 9 military jets flying overhead. Each jet had smoke coming from it, recreating the Italian flag. These 9 jets were commemorating the 500th anniversary of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano’s landing in 1524. The planes were part of Italy’s Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force.

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Stop & Shop to Cease Selling Tobacco Products 🚭

Stop & Shop announced on Monday, August 26th, that it will stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products at all of its 360 stores. In their statement, Stop & Shop said that no longer selling tobacco helps in their mission to “…support the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve…” You can read the full statement on their website here. Sales of all tobacco products will stop by August 31st.

🎓 Rhode Island Secures $33.6 Million to Help Students Prepare for College

Rhode Island will receive $33.6 million in federal funding over the next seven years to help students prepare for college. The money comes from the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant and will be managed by the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner in partnership with Onward We Learn, an organization that supports students' educational success.

This grant will benefit 4,000 students each year in cities such as Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Cranston, and Newport. Starting in sixth grade and continuing through the first year of college, students will receive additional support to help them succeed in school and get ready for college. The program's goal is to increase high school graduation rates and help more students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, attend college. Rhode Island leaders, including Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Seth Magaziner, and Governor Dan McKee, believe this funding will improve educational outcomes and create better job opportunities for students in the future.

Harbor Highlights

Screenshot from the video below

🐿️ A funny video surfaced on Reddit of a squirrel eating a full slice of pizza downtown.

Coastline Commerce

Rhode Island Radio Stations Change Hands in $350K Deal 💼

Two RI radio stations, 1540 WADK/101.1 W266DI Newport and Mixx 99.3 WMNP, were sold to Island Broadcasting of RI earlier this month. 3G Broadcasting, a Florida-based corporation, owned the two radio stations. The new owner of the two stations is Kurt Jackson, who owns a handful of radio stations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. 1540 WADK is a business news channel that also plays jazz on the weekend. 101.1 W266DI is the translator station for 1540 WADK. Mixx 99.3 is a station that plays contemporary hit music.