The Rhode Island unemployment rate is down to 4 percent for the month of August and closely trails the national August rate of 3.9 percent, according to a recent report released by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training. There are 8,900 more employed residents than there were exactly a year ago. “It’s been significant progress recently to come down and be right on level with the national unemployment rate,” said Nora Crowley, chief public affairs officer for the R.I. Department of Labor and Training. She added that the R.I. unemployment rate is currently the lowest it has been in 20 years. The Great Recession in the late 2000s left Rhode Island with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The state had the nation’s highest unemployment rate of 9.3 percent in 2013, but it has since improved to 30th, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training. This trend should continue to improve in the coming months, Crowley said. The … [Read more...] about Rhode Island unemployment at 20-year low
Rhode island
Man and woman found dead inside Rhode Island home
Sunday September 30, 2018 03:20 PM Police have found two people dead inside a Rhode Island home Written by The Associated Press WOONSOCKET, R.I. (AP) — Police have found two people dead inside a Rhode Island home. A 7-year-old child was also found in the Woonsocket home late Sunday morning but was unharmed. Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates III says officers responded to the home just before 11 a.m. after getting reports of gunfire. They tried to make contact with the people inside, but when they got no response, officers forced their way in and found the bodies of a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s. Oates did not disclose their names or their relationship but says police are not looking for a suspect and there is no threat to the community. The deaths remain under investigation. The child was examined as a precaution and is in the custody of relatives. Share this article … [Read more...] about Man and woman found dead inside Rhode Island home
Rhode Island man wins first prize for 1-ton pumpkin at Topsfield Fair
TOPSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Oh my gourd! A Rhode Island man has won the prize for the heaviest pumpkin at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts with a fair record 2,114-pound gourd. The Salem News reports that Ron Wallace won the Topsfield Fair’s All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Friday for the third time and took home a prize of more than $8,500. Wallace, who lives in the Greene section of Coventry, Rhode Island, also won in 2006 and 2009. Wallace says Topsfield is one of the top weigh-ins to win. Dan and Holly Boyce of Benson, Vermont, came in second place with a 2,017.5-pound gourd, and received a $3,000 prize. Scott Marley, of Bellingham, placed third and received a $1,500 cash prize with his 1,846.5-pounder. The Topsfield fair dates to 1818. Close The biggest headlines, delivered to your inbox Get news as it happens. Sign up for Boston.com's email news alerts. Thanks for signing up! … [Read more...] about Rhode Island man wins first prize for 1-ton pumpkin at Topsfield Fair
Rhode Island man wins first prize for 1-ton pumpkin
Published 9:54 am CDT, Sunday, September 30, 2018 TOPSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Oh my gourd! A Rhode Island man has won the prize for the heaviest pumpkin at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts with a fair record 2,114-pound gourd. The Salem News reports that Ron Wallace won the Topsfield Fair's All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Friday for the third time and took home a prize of more than $8,500. Wallace, who lives in the Greene section of Coventry, Rhode Island, also won in 2006 and 2009. Wallace says Topsfield is one of the top weigh-ins to win. Dan and Holly Boyce of Benson, Vermont, came in second place with a 2,017.5-pound gourd, and received a $3,000 prize. Scott Marley, of Bellingham, placed third and received a $1,500 cash prize with his 1,846.5-pounder. The Topsfield fair dates to 1818. ___ Information from: The Salem (Mass.) News, http://www.salemnews.com … [Read more...] about Rhode Island man wins first prize for 1-ton pumpkin
Joe Biden to stump for Rhode Island Democrats in Providence
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to stump for Rhode Island Democrats. The Rhode Island Democratic Party says Biden will headline a rally at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence on Sunday, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Biden plans to talk about what’s at stake in the November election. The rally is hosted by Gov. Gina Raimondo and the state’s congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin and David Cicilline. Raimondo, Whitehouse, Langevin and Cicilline face challengers. Reed is not up for re-election. The event is open to the public, though attendees were asked to reserve a seat in advance due to limited space. Biden is ramping up his midterm campaign travel as he mulls whether to run for president in 2020. Close The biggest headlines, delivered to your inbox Get news as it happens. Sign up for Boston.com's email news alerts. Thanks for signing up! … [Read more...] about Joe Biden to stump for Rhode Island Democrats in Providence