🌱Pawtucket Drug & Firearms Bust + State-Owned Affordable Housing

Morning, Pawtucket! It's Thursday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on around Pawtucket today.

First, today's weather:

Breezy in the afternoon. High: 68 Low: 37.

Here are the top stories today in Pawtucket:

1. Pawtucket Police have arrested a local resident on numerous firearm and narcotics charges. The Narcotic Unit and Pawtucket Police K-9 Argo have arrested Jason Colon after executing a search warrant Wednesday. Officials seized approximately 1 ounce of cocaine, 8 ounces of fentanyl, 1 ounce of marijuana, as well as a handgun, digital scale, packaging material, and $2,400 in cash. Colon will be arraigned this morning. (WLNE-TV (ABC6))
2. Pawtucket is leading the way on state properties for affordable housing, as City Council approved the $400,000 purchase of a state-owned property at 160 Beechwood Ave. last week. Council members said this decision shows that the city is prioritizing affordable housing during the current crisis. Councilor Terry Mercer noted that this was the second surplus state property that the city had acquired within weeks, both to hopefully develop new affordable units and help alleviate the housing crunch. (Valley Breeze)
3. Colleagues of Jeanne Boyle, a dedicated public servant who has spent the last four and a half years as the City of Pawtucket's Commerce Director, threw her a proper send-off celebration for her retirement last week. Pawtucket officials said Boyle has left a "lasting legacy" through her work on many important city projects, including the Tidewater Landing soccer stadium project, the downtown "Super TIF" tax legislation, and the Conant Thread district and transit hub. (Valley Breeze)
4. The Pawtucket Police and Fire Departments will be assisting the opening of the Veterans Memorial Pool by assembling and donating Thanksgiving ham baskets to members of the community. (WLNE-TV (ABC6))
5. A report by a consultant for Rhode Island's Redistricting Commission found that 229 of the 737 inmates of the Adult Correctional Institutions, which are counted as Cranston residents for redistricting purposes, actually had permanent addresses in Pawtucket. Still, says the consultant, the distorting effects of "prison gerrymandering" on the district map are not as severe as critics have argued. (The Providence Journal)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! I'll see you soon. If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.