Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How strict could East Providence’s new school cell phone rules become?

Spotted on the East Providence calendar: Liberty Tax Hosts 23rd Electronics Recycling Drive-Up Event with Indie Cycle, LLC

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Good day East Providence! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How strict could East Providence's new school cell phone rules become?
  • What a $3.8M school deficit could mean for East Providence families
  • How new Willett Avenue roundabouts are changing your daily drive

Also on today's calendar: Liberty Tax Hosts 23rd Electronics Recycling Drive-Up Event with Indie Cycle, LLC and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Very warm with sunny spells, with a high of 82 and low of 56 degrees.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and not as warm, temps: high: 71, low: 46.
  • Sunday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 66 and low of 51 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. East Providence Schools Weigh New Cell Phone Policy (upriseri.com) — East Providence families should know the School Committee is considering a districtwide cell phone policy that would require students to keep devices silenced and stored during class, with escalating consequences for misuse. At the same meeting, members approved a new assistant principal for Riverside Middle School while continuing to wrestle with a projected $3.8 million fiscal 2027 budget deficit.
   

2. East Providence Schools Warn of Possible $3.8M Deficit (upriseri.com) — East Providence school officials are warning the City Council that, even with a full 4% funding increase, the district could face a $3.8 million deficit next year and a $1.3 million shortfall this year. To close the gap, leaders are weighing options like cutting up to 20 teaching positions, trimming athletics, changing busing, and tightening union raises while workshops continue.
   

3. Welcome to Willett: Roundabouts, rotaries, and rights-of-way (eastbayri.com) — Drivers around Willett Avenue near the Barrington–Riverside line will now have to yield to vehicles already in the roundabouts, a change pushed and heavily publicized by East Providence officials to improve safety. The state also slimmed Willett Avenue to one lane each way with new bike lanes, aiming to slow speeds and cut serious crashes as residents adjust to the new pattern.
   

4. Here are the winners from a busy night of high school games Thursday (providencejournal.com) — Rhode Island high school teams had a packed Thursday, with East Providence beating Portsmouth 6-1 and the town also hosting upcoming RIIL tennis tournament doubles play. The roundup highlights standout performances across soccer, field hockey, tennis, and volleyball, and lists several games where East Providence teams or fields will be in the spotlight over the next few days.
   

📸 Around East Providence

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Killdeer jackpot.
    Including black goth nails. I've only seen them once before and it wasn't at a beach. I thought they hung out in fields. (Nextdoor Kettle Point)
  • Nordson Corporation posted a job opening for Supervisor, Quality Control in East Providence. Apply here.
  • Spectrum posted a job opening for Retail Sales Specialist in Providence. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near East Providence here.

Ok East Providence! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig?" — Because he was such a boar! (Thank you Theresa H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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