🌱 3 School Threats In 1 Day+ Boys & Girls Club Expanding+No Beds

Happy Saturday, neighbors! Let's get you all caught up to start today off on an informed note.

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First, today's weather:

Colder with a wintry mix. High: 38 Low: 35.

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Here are the top five stories today in Woonsocket:

1. A lockdown was activated following a report of a possible gun inside Woonsocket High School Friday afternoon. The police said they searched "room by room" in the building to find five students missing. Three of the five students were found however, no weapon was found on school property or on the students. Police still want to speak to the other two students that weren't found. The lockdown was later lifted after roughly two hours and all school students were dismissed. No injuries were reported. Woonsocket police continue to investigate the situation. (WJAR)
2. Woonsocket Police say that there were two substantiated threats at two other schools in the city. A 12-year-old at Beacon Charter High School was overheard making threats. The threats were substantiated and the child was charged with disorderly conduct. An hour later a separate incident occurred at Villanova Middle School where a student made threats that he was possibly in possession of a firearm or knife. "A check of his property showed he did have a knife," Chief Oates said. "As a result of that, he was taken into custody and charged." This person had sent out a Snapchat photo with a knife in his backpack. All these threats came on the same day as a nationwide threat on Tik Tok regarding potential violence against schools.
   (WJAR) (ABC6)
3. State health officials in Rhode Island reported to the federal government on Dec. 16 that approximately 88 percent of inpatient beds and 92 percent of ICU beds in hospitals across the state were occupied. Around 12 percent of inpatient beds and 13 percent of ICU beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported. (Woonsocket Patch)
4. Rhode Island Unemployment Rate Fell to 5.1% from 5.3% in October as the state added 2,300 jobs according to the RI Department of Labor and Training. In total, Rhode Island has added 18,500 jobs in the first 11 months of 2021. (RIDLT)
   
5. Woonsocket's childcare shortage is leaving local families behind and unable to work full-time. One mother of 4 had to cut back her hours at work to part-time. Then she left her job for good and applied for unemployment benefits. The Executive Director of Woonsocket Head Start indicated this experience is not unique among parents. The organization has a waiting list of 38 infants and 82 toddlers for childcare and 170 children for pre-K. In the first two months of the school year, she said, nine of her staff members left due to stress or to pursue higher-paying jobs. They're also seeing a significant increase in developmental delays among students. For the first time in her career, she said, she had to purchase diaper pails for the organization's 4-year-old pre-K classrooms because many students are coming into the program not potty-trained. (Valley Breeze)
   
6. Boys and Girls Club of Northern RI will celebrate its 65th anniversary next year with the opening of its new Clubhouse at 600 Social Street in Woonsocket. Both are pivotal accomplishments that have been long in the making and reflect the commitment to the children and youth in the community. A capital campaign has begun and they need the public's financial donations to complete renovations and open the new doors. With a goal of $1.75 million, the capacity to serve more of Woonsocket's most deserving children and youth is assured. In Woonsocket the need for more space is evident. The city has such a diverse population with the following statistics: 95% receive free or reduced lunches and 85% come from single-parent households. (Boys and Girls Club)

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Today in Woonsocket:

• Santa is in town today at River Island Park. Free and Open to the public! (11am-1pm)
• The Stadium Theatre presents "A Christmas Carol" this afternoon at 2pm and tonight! (7:30pm)
• RI Stage Ensemble (RISE) presents " A Christmas Story: The Musical" (7:30pm)
• Chan's has a Holiday Karaoke Party tonight (8-11pm)
• Chan's Holiday Extravaganza hosted by Jimmy "2 Suits" Capone & the Chan's All-Star Band

• The Stadium Theatre presents "A Christmas Carol" (2pm)
• RI Stage Ensemble (RISE) presents " A Christmas Story: The Musical" (2pm)
• St. Joseph's Church in Woonsocket presents A CHRISTMAS CONCERT on Sunday at 3pm. This concert is for all ages and is FREE and open to the public. (Woonsocket Patch)

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From my notebook:

• A Woonsocket fire left two adults and three children displaced from their home. American
  Red Cross will be providing those displaced with a recovery information. It includes tips on cleanup, important contacts, dealing with damaged items among other things. Through donations and volunteer work, Red Cross caseworkers will be able to provide long-term planning for recovery with the families. (WLNE-TV (ABC6))
• Woonsocket Harris Public Library is celebrating Kwanzaa. Visit the Children's desk to pick up your free copy of Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story. Kwanzaa runs from Dec 26-Jan 1st (Facebook)
• RI Hospitality Association is highlighting the need for guests to BE KIND to employees. The "Be Kind" campaign gained local and national exposure in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Associated Press. In light of the new mandates that go into effect on Monday, December 20th, employees are back to addressing COVID mandates. (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. Have a great weekend and I'll be back Monday! I'm Kathleen Stoddart and I live right here in Woonsocket. Now that I delivered all of my baskets of baked goods, wrapping is next on the list and stopping our youngest dog from eating the Christmas tree lights.