This Just In: Does 'born and raised in RI' really matter?

Also, a vaccination milestone. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Monday, February 14 [A poplular RI sentiment.]( [Does 'born and raised in RI' really matter?]( Also, a vaccination milestone. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. It's been a while since I've seen my two kids as happy as they were this morning, when they woke up and found out that they had no school. A storm that didn't look like it was going to do affect us much ended up dropping [more than 10 inches of snow]( on parts of the state, prompting widespread cancelations. And since schools weren't anticipating being closed today, most of them allowed students a good, old-fashioned snow day free from distance learning. In much of the country, it's not unusual for candidates to run for political office in a state other than the one where they were born. But in Rhode Island, politicians tend to tout their deep local roots. Even candidates with very impressive credentials mention them only after acknowledging the neighborhood where they grew up. And you'd have to go back before World War II to find the last Rhode Island governor who was born outside the Ocean State. But does being a native of the state really confer an advantage with the voters? The 2022 gubernatorial election [could provide an answer]( The Rhode Island Department of Health reported 12 more coronavirus-related deaths and 950 additional cases of COVID-19 over the last three days, along with 15,128 negative tests, for a 5.9% positive rate. There were 189 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, down from 241 reported Friday, with 28 in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 471 new coronavirus cases a day over the last seven days, down 42% from a week ago and down 70% from two weeks ago. The number of hospitalized patients and the seven-day new-case average are back to where they were just prior to Thanksgiving, which is when the omicron variant of the coronavirus was discovered in South Africa, and quickly sent cases skyrocketing around the world. In another notable development, [The New York Times reports]( that Rhode Island has surpassed Vermont and now leads the country in the percentage of residents fully vaccinated (although the state is third in the percentage of residents with a booster dose). Two senior teammates on the West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich co-op boys hockey team were injured in a crash Saturday night in Exeter, one of them critically. Now the team is [banding together in concern for their friends]( while a 30-year-old North Kingstown man [is facing charges of DUI and driving to endanger](  The Providence Diocese has put a priest at St. Luke's Church in Barrington [on leave]( following complaints that he asked inappropriate questions to children while hearing confession at a Catholic school in Cranston. A federal affidavit alleges that the former commander of a North Kingstown Veterans of Foreign Wars post may have used her position as a social worker at the Providence VA Medical Center [to obtain a cancer patient's medical records]( and pass them off as her own. Tom Mooney of The Journal's Watchdog Team is in Scotland retracing the steps of Nicholas Alahverdian, the fugitive from Rhode Island [who masqueraded as an English aristocrat]( named Arthur Knight before his arrest late last year. Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, [please encourage a friend to sign up]( [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2022 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902