Daily Briefing: Are ticks becoming a bigger problem in RI?

ALSO: Who are Providence's top earners? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Wed Jun 26 2024 Will Richmond | Managing Editor Communities & R.I. [@Will_Richmond]( Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at [The Providence Journal]( and this is the Daily Briefing. After about every hike or venture into a wooded area, I can be certain to hear my wife call out to me to check our kids for ticks. We go through the normal exercise, as I have the kids turn their bodies while I check and check again. It's an exercise I imagine others conduct as well and with good reason. The Journal's Alex Kuffner recently ventured into the woods with Tom Mather, director of URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its Tick Encounter Resource Center. It didn't take long for Mather to find what they were looking for. And now as the presence of ticks continues to increase, Mather is leading an effort to learn more about how residents are trying to control ticks and if it's working. [Ticks collected in a vial from a Jamestown yard by University of Rhode Island research fellow Kayleigh Hallett. June 2024] Ticks collected in a vial from a Jamestown yard by University of Rhode Island research fellow Kayleigh Hallett. Alex Kuffner/The Providence Journal [Here's a look at what they've learned so far.]( • In the halls of Mount Saint Charles three students stand out above the rest. Standing more than 6 feet tall, the duo of Mariia Solovian and, Anna Dzuin are being joined by Dariia Serednytskia at the school and competing on the school's basketball team. Each hails from Ukraine and lives with host families as their homeland is torn apart from war. [The Journal's Tom Mooney recently caught up with the girls, school officials and the host families to learn more about the experience.]( • Do you have a trip to Block Island in the works this summer? Fortunately, [Journal food and dining editor Gail Ciampa is ready to help you make your plans](. Gail recently visited the Block and has a guide on everything from where to eat and drink to where to stay. If staying on the main land is more your thing Gail also has you covered with [the latest on some new restaurants, a rebranding at another spot and more dining news](. She also reflects on [the life of Marcel Desaulniers and the legacy of his Death by Chocolate.]( • The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite combed through the data and found firefighters and police officers were well represented in the list of the top 100 highest-paid Providence city employees. [Here's what else he found.]( • Will Taylor Swift be hosting one of her epic Fourth of July parties at her Watch Hill home this year? [Why it may not work out.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 📺 From COVID to Proud Boys, Trump-Biden debates in 2020 had tons of drama. [What's ahead Thursday?]( 🎧 [When did we stop using headphones?]( 👩🏽‍🚀 [An astronaut from Massachusetts is stranded in space.]( What happened? RHODY RANKS Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails. New data has revealed the top 10 U.S. states with the longest and shortest ER waiting times, with Rhode Island ranking second longest with a median waiting time of 3.6 hours. The research conducted by experts at [Zinda Law Group]( analyzed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data on the median time patients spent in the emergency department in each US state from 2022 to 2023. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌤️ Breezy, hot and more humid with intervals of clouds and sunshine. Highs in the low 90s. TOP STORIES ['It's still pretty bad': Single-family home prices hit new high in RI]( [House for sale sign in East Providence.]( The cost to buy a house hit a record high in May, as interest rates keep going up. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Henry and Peggy Sharpe.]( [Patinkin: Peggy Sharpe cared deeply about RI and left it a better place]( Following her passing, The Journal's Mark Patinkin learned that Peggy’s hand in community improvement was far-reaching. [READ MORE]( [Devin Carter, left, and Tyler Kolek are both projected to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.]( [Devin Carter and Tyler Kolek might be picked in the NBA Draft]( Providence's Devin Carter and Marquette's Tyler Kolek, of Cumberland, are the last two Big East Player of the Year winners [READ MORE]( [Rhode Island Republican National Committeeman Steve Frias.]( [Why the top RI GOP official is giving up his post rather than back Trump]( Steve Frias has served as one of the state's two representatives on the Republican National Committee for 12 years. This year will be his last. [READ MORE]( [Rhode Island FC President, David Peart, at the club's office in Pawtucket on June 25, 2024.]( [New RIFC president's main goal: Raise profile of new soccer team]( Rhode Island FC President, David Peart, will focus on the club's business aspects in its first season. 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