🌱 Donna Bennett Found Alive + Hospital Becomes Homeless Shelter

Good morning, people of Pawtucket! Nicole Fallon-Peek here with today's edition of the Pawtucket Daily.

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First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny, breezy and mild. High: 56 Low: 36.

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Here are the top 4 stories today in Pawtucket:

1. Donna Bennett, a Pawtucket mother of three who had been missing since Nov. 10, was found "alive and well" yesterday by local police officers. The police twice posted photos of Bennett to Facebook hoping for leads after she was seen leaving a doctor's appointment in Providence over a month ago. Pawtucket authorities declined to say any more about the case "out of respect" for Bennett's privacy. (Yahoo! News)
2. On Thursday, Governor Dan McKee announced that Pawtucket's former Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island will now be used as an emergency homeless shelter. McKee said Amos House will oversee up to 80 beds in a "non-congregate" setting beginning as soon as next week. Shelter providers will also make additional emergency beds or hotel vouchers available in Providence, East Providence, and Woonsocket. (WJAR)
3. The nine parishes comprising Block 5 of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, which includes St. Anthony in Pawtucket, have completed their pledge drive for the Grateful for God's Providence capital campaign. The parishes collectively raised $1,680,472 in pledges, bringing the overall campaign total to $54,080,327 as of this week. (Rhode Island Catholic)
4. Pumpkin, Pete, Amelia, and other adorable animals are waiting to be adopted at these Pawtucket-area shelters. Check out our list to see available pets in the area. (Pawtucket Patch)

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Today's Pawtucket Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Pawtucket!

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Today in Pawtucket:

• Take & Make Holiday Craft Kits, Available At The Pawtucket Public Library (All Day)

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From my notebook:

• The Tri-County Health Equity Zone and the RI Department of Health would like to remind residents that getting vaccinated is the best defense against COVID-19. For information or to schedule a vaccine appointment, call (401) 519-1940. (Facebook)
• The Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket expressed its gratitude for the recently-announced partnership with New England Institute of Technology, the City of Pawtucket, and Pawtucket Central Falls Development to improve educational access and resources for Pawtucket students and adult learners. (Facebook)
• The Pawtucket Police Department announced on Thursday that missing woman Donna Bennett had been located and thanked the public for their assistance. (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.