Tagged: Rhode Island

The image of a Johnston, Rhode Island boy being cradled and kissed by Pope Francis has brought people around the world to tears. Now, his parents are speaking out about the extraordinary encounter.

It happened Easter morning after Mass. Among the thousands of people who thronged St. Peter’s Square to see newly installed Pope Francis, the pontiff chose to stop his Popemobile to hug eight-year-old Dominic Gondreau of Johnston.

A housing facility for disabled veterans will be dedicated Tuesday afternoon to a fallen Rhode Island Marine.

Seven years ago today, Marine Sgt. Brian St. Germain was riding in a truck across Iraq when it rolled over in a flash flood. The Rhode Island chapter of Operation Stand Down is honoring St. Germain’s life and service, by putting his name on its West Warwick facility for homeless and disabled veterans.

Operation Stand Down’s Tony DeQuattro says this is part of a push that started two years ago to rename all of their facilities after fallen troops. 

It’s been a month since the so-called “sequestration” cuts went into effect, the $85 billion in slashed federal spending for the rest of 2013.  Although the Defense Department will shoulder half the cuts, the Rhode Island National Guard says it has heard of no immediate changes. But the hammer’s coming down on social service programs.

The family of a missing Brown student says while tips are pouring in, there are still no significant leads. The 22-year-old has been missing since March 16th.  Providence Police had said that the family thought Sunil Tripathi committed suicide, but the family is now ruling that out.

The father of Sunil “Sunny” Tripathi  says every day the family calls homeless shelters, hospitals and is plastering fliers up in areas his son liked to visit, hoping that someone knows where he is.