According to reports from The Westerly Sun, a preliminary investigation into a crash that seriously injured Coventry resident Melissa M. Verrecchia, 42, early Friday morning, indicated that a man driving through a red traffic light struck her car.

Charlestown Police Chief Jeff Allen told The Westerly Sun that a reconstruction team will continue its investigation of the accident, but that early indicators suggest Verrecchia was at the light facing Wildflower Drive at Route 1 when William Thompson, 67, of South Kingstown, drove through the red light while headed south on Route 1 and hit her car.

Charlestown and South Kingstown police, fire and emergency personnel responded to the crash that occurred at 5:10 a.m. on Jan. 4.

Verrecchia was trapped in her vehicle and suffered head injuries as well as other serious injuries. She was transported to Rhode Island Hospital where she was in critical condition Friday night, the Sun reported.

General Assembly convenes with 24 new legislators

The Rhode Island General Assembly kicked off the 2013 session on Jan. 1, welcoming eight new state senators and 16 new state representatives. This year, the House of Representatives comprises 69 Democrats and six Republicans. The Senate is composed of 32 Democrats, five Republicans and one Independent. Rhode Island Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis administered the oath of office to all 113 members of the General Assembly. Click here to see news release. 

 Senate re-elects M. Teresa Paiva Weed as president of the Senate 

The newly minted 2013-2014 Rhode Island Senate elected M. Teresa Paiva Weed – the first woman to serve as a presiding officer in either chamber – to a third term as president of the Senate. Rhode Island District Court Associate Judge Colleen M. Hastings administered the oath of office to President Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown). The Senate president previously served as Senate majority leader from 2004 to 2008 and has held leadership positions on several committees since she was elected in 1992. Click here to see news release. 

Fox elected speaker as 2013 session opens

Rep. Gordon D. Fox (D-Dist. 4, Providence) was overwhelmingly elected speaker of the House of Representatives after a vote by his House colleagues as the 2013-2014 General Assembly session opened. Speaker Fox, whose oath of office was administered by Superior Court Presiding Justice Alice B. Gibney, has served as House speaker since February 2010. First elected in 1992, he was majority leader from 2002 until his election as speaker, and previously chaired the House Finance Committee. Click here to see news release.

Same-gender marriage bill introduced in both chambers

Legislation to allow same-gender couples to marry in Rhode Island was introduced in both chambers, with a pledge from House Speaker Gordon D. Fox for a floor vote early in the session. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston) and Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush (D-Dist. 15,Pawtucket) has broad support, with 41 members of the House and 10 members of the Senate signing on as additional cosponsors. Click here to see news release.

Senate passes bill to set new implementation date for Board of Education

The Senate unanimously approved legislation (2013-S 0002aa) to give the Senate more time to conduct its advice and consent process by postponing implementation of the new Board of Education, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. Sponsored by Sen. Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick), the bill delays implementation until March 7, leaving the current Board of Governors for Higher Education and Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education in place until then. Click here to see news release.

Senate committee chairs named

President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed named chairs of the Senate’s standing committees. New chairs for the 2013-2014 session are Sen. Roger A. Picard (D-Dist. 20, Cumberland, Woonsocket), Corporations; Sen. James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown), Government Oversight; Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence), Health and Human Services; Sen. Juan M. Pichardo (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Housing and Municipal Government, and Sen. Erin P. Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston), Rules. Re-appointed chairs are: Sen. Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick), Education; Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), Environment and Agriculture; Sen. Daniel Da Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), Finance; Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), Judiciary; Sen. Paul W. Fogarty (D-Dist. 23, Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield), Labor, and Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Bristol, Tiverton, Warren), Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs.

The snow outside might be melting, but there were quite a few snowmen seen around Coventry after the last storm! 

Did you build one in your yard? Did you take a photo? 

Coventry Patch wants to see your best snowmen or women. Upload your photos of snowmen by clicking the green "upload photos" button above!

CHS Band Fundraiser: On Jan. 19 from 4-8 p.m. at Olde Theater Diner (33 Sandy Bottom Rd.), Coventry High School band students will host a fund-raising dinner to help defray costs of the band field trips for the students. Tickets are $15 per person, and will include dinner, jazz band performances and the opportunity to enter a 50/50 raffle. To donate raffle items or gift certificates or for ticket information, e-mail chsbandfundraiser@gmail.com.

Pink Heals - Rescheduled: The first Pink Heals RI Chapter Meeting of 2013, scheduled for this evening has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts. It will now be held on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. for Board members) at The Meeting House Women's Center (53 Providence St., West Warwick, Suite 5). The meeting will focus on the organization's plans for the new year and upcoming events.

LVKC Tutor Workshop: Give the gift of literacy! Literacy Volunteers of Kent County will offer a 6-week tutor training workshop on Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 22. Train to become a tutor for adults with basic literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) needs. Call 822-9013 or e-mail LVKC@coventrylibrary.org for more information.

CLL Registration: Online Registration for Coventry Little League is now open for the 2013 Spring Season at
www.coventrylittleleague.com. If you have any questions regarding
registration, please contact league Player Agent, Kathy Kurtz at
kathycovll@yahoo.com.

Plan Ahead - CPL Registration: Coventry Public Library's Winter Storytime registration will begin tomorrow, Jan. 8 for Coventry residents and Jan. 9 for non-residents. See the attached PDF or click here to check out the programs and call Youth Services at 822-9102 to register.

To find more things to do today, check out our event listings.

The following was provided by Career Center Director Lori Ferguson.

The Regional Career & Technical Center will be holding its annual open house on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. Students in grades 8 through 10 from Coventry, Scituate, Foster/Glocester, West Warwick, Exeter/West Greenwich, East Greenwich and/or North Kingstown should plan to attend if they are interested in any of the following career paths: Automotive/Marine/Diesel Technology, Carpentry/Construction, Computer Information Technology/Video Game Design, Cosmetology/Barber/Nail Technician, Culinary Arts/Food Service/Baking, Early Childhood Education, Graphics Communication/Printing, and Health Careers/CNA. 

Since the adoption of the newly revised Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Career and Technical Education in Rhode Island, July 1, 2012, students have more opportunity to access RI Dept. of Education (RIDE)-approved career preparation programs.

Originally, only students from Exeter, West Greenwich, and North Kingstown were provided transportation to and allowed to enroll in the Career Center at Coventry High School. Now students from Foster/Glocester, Scituate, West Warwick, Warwick, and East Greenwich can attend and will have transportation provided to them. Students from Exeter, West Greenwich and North Kingstown can still enroll in any of the RIDE-approved programs but must provide their own transportation if a bus is not already being provided. (Students currently attending the Career Center from Exeter, West Greenwich or North Kingstown are grandfathered in for transportation until they graduate or the year 2016.)

Anyone with questions about attending the Regional Career and Technical Center should contact Lori Ferguson, Director at 401-822-9499 ext. 283 or fergusonlori@coventryschools.net. 

Earlier this year when Facebook changed to the new Timeline layout, Coventry Patch asked Facebook fans what Coventry image should appear as the cover photo. 

We want to continue to highlight Coventry's artistic talent as the seasons change on our Facebook page.

From now until Sunday, Jan. 13 we'll be accepting winter-themed submissions for a cover photo for us to use on Coventry Patch's Facebook page.

Whether it's a photo of a historic building, a serene pond scene or people just going about their day, we want to see your take on Coventry. Be creative and try to capture the essence of the city to represent Coventry on Facebook.

There's no age requirement to submit: You just have to be a Coventry Patch user and be able to create a 100 percent original piece of work owned by you for us to use. You agree to grant Patch the royalty free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive right and license to use the work on Coventry Patch’s Facebook page. You must have permission to show all individuals seen in the work. If minor children are included in the work, you must be their parent or guardian, or obtain written consent from their parent or guardian prior to submitting the work. All entries must be at least 399 pixels wide and cannot contain any advertising (such as a prominent Coca Cola logo). 

We'll close acceptance for entries on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. Then, it's up to you again. Your local editor will choose the front-runners and create a poll for the readers to make the final decision.

Click the "upload" button above to submit your entry!

High Honors 

 Zoe Adams

 Bennett Allen

 Devlin Andrews

 Theresa Barden

 Taylor Baxter

 Abigail Begones

 Domenic Bellotti

 Macie Botello

 Jared Brennan

 Bridget Brothers

 Cara Burgess

 Julie Burgjohann

 Matthew Cafaro

 Destini Calcione

 Emma Campbell

 Rylee Campbell

 Zachary Capwell

 Mackenzie Contillo

 Victoria Cronin

 Jayme Deignan

 Ellie Dionne

 James Donahue

 Nicole Drowne

 Kaitlin Dupont

 Valerie Flint

 Natalie Furtado

 Nicole Fuvich

 Lucas Garcia

 Hannah Gebler

 Brandon Gramajo

 Morgan Greenstein

 Nicole Hanashian

 Thomas Haynes

 Sean Helfrich

 Douglas Jensen

 Carleigh Killea

 Blake Kingsbury

 Brooke Kopka

 Deven Landry

 Katie Lavigne

 Violet Lefrancois

 Nathan Macomber

 Myles Marino

 Jacob Martin

 Marissa Mattera

 Brendan McGrath

 Jessica McIntosh

 Maya McKaig

 Meghan Merigold

 Jordan Messier

 Loren Messier

 Taylor Messier

 Grace Mischler

 Ryan Morel

 Anthony Morelli

 Rachael Nester

 Jacob Organ

 Troy Osterhout

 Sarah Pascone

 Diana Petrarca

 Jill Pitcavage

 Skylar Pomfret

 Alexander Poole

 Sabrina Rao

 Elena Santilli

 Mason Sheldon

 Jacob Silverman

 Amanda Silvia

 Abigail Sinotte

 Taylor Smith

 Victoria Stone

 Quentin Thell

 Allison Travers

 Brooke Weathers

 Nathaniel Williamson

 Riley Woodstock

Honors

 Seth Agli

 Ethan Aguilar

 Matteo Ambrose

 Julia Bentley

 Jacob Boudreau

 Megan Busby

 Makayla Cambio

 Dylan Caramiciu

 Sara Carberry

 Amanda Carr

 Daelynn Casavant

 Morgan Chatterley

 Tyler Cicione

 Robert Cimini

 Noah Cloutier

 Isaac Cole

 Madison Cote

 Sarah DeCosta

 Joseph DeLellis

 Thomas DiMasi

 Cameron Dockray

 Jordan Dwyer

 Hanna Enos

 Tessondra Ethier

 Lucas Facker

 Sabrina Felix

 Lucas Finegan

 Michael Furtado

 Isabella Gallucci

 Christopher Gomes

 Liya Harrison

 Cameron Hennessey

 Caitlyn Hottenstein

 Lauren Kennelly

 Faith Keresztessy

 Eric King

 Aidan Lamont

 Christopher Lanoue

 Hannah Lanoue

 Matthew Lansberry

 Timothy LeBrun

 Nathan Lima

 Dylan Lippincott

 Jillian Livsey

 Matthew Macomber

 Tyrus Madonna

 Jessica Mahoney

 Darrien Martin

 Karestin Masello

 Haylee McAllister

 Mary-Helen McDonald

 Miranda Medeiros

 Madison Messier

 Derek Moore

 Sam Mulcahey

 Brandon Paglia

 Giadonna Palleschi

 Orianna Perry

 Robert Petrarca

 Jacob Pike

 Kylie Potter

 Bryanna Puckett

 Jacob Rayko

 Benjamin Read

 David Rexter

 Dakota Reyes

 Sierra Reyes

 Maxwell Riley

 Megan Robillard

 Samantha Romjue

 Aaron Rossi

 Sagar Saran

 Justin Shaeffer

 Ashley Shylanski

 Sophia Smerkar

 Alyssa Stalaboin

 Sara Steinkamp

 Joshua Tavares

 McKenzie Thibodeau

 Rachel VanNostrand

 Kaitlyn Villandry

 Mackenzie Ward

 Adriana Wardyga

 Hailey Wilcox

 Aliana Zabel

 Christopher Strang

Recognition of Effort

 Tyler Alexander

 Cheyenne Besser

 Felicia Carlow

 Jayce Correia

 Alden Daras

 Avery Daras

 Ronnie Ducharme

 Jacob Fernandes

 Ryan Fiddes

 Devin Fiske

 Riley Hopkins

 Savannah Iasimone

 Isabelle Lefrancois

 Brianna Magiera

 Hannah McKay

 Mackenzie Moore

 Quinn Noel

 Jake Payne

 Victoria Ruth

 Hailee Sauro

Click here to view the ASFMS Honor Roll criteria.

Coventry Public School's Athletic Hall of Fame will host its first Induction Celebration banquet on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at Quidnessett Country Club (950 North Quidnessett Rd., North Kingstown).

At the event, the inaugural class of inductees to the Hall of Fame will be honored for their significant contributions to Coventry school athletics. The inductees are:

George Egan

Richard (Dick) Magarian

Robert Peltier

Brian McGovern

C. Arthur Flori

Walter L. Clarke

After Athletic Director Chuck Jones' program proposal was approved by School Committee members in November 2011, he and five additional committee members have been reaching out to community members and former athletic directors for nominations of deserving individuals.

Click here to learn more about the program.

Tickets to the induction event will cost $30 per person and should be reserved by Jan. 15, 2013. For more information or to RSVP, contact Chuck Jones at joneschuck@coventryschools.net or Joe Fargnoli at fargnolijoseph@coventryschools.net. Interested parties may also call the Coventry Public Schools Athletic Department at 822-9499 ext. 163.

The Most Magical Place On Earth: If you're reading this, it probably means that I am on a plane to Orlando to hang with with Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine and the rest of my fellow princesses at Walt Disney World for the week! 

If you have any pressing business that needs to be on the site this week or have questions, you have a few options:

• Send an email or forward any time-sensitive material to Patrick.luce@patch.com, with "Coventry Patch" in the subject line. (If it can wait until I return, keep sending info to me at lauren.costa@patch.com.)
• Make full usage of our blogging platform, which is available here.
• Use our "Announcements" section to post press releases, etc. directly to the site, which is found here.

CPL Registration: Coventry Public Library's Winter Storytime registration will begin today, Jan. 8 for Coventry residents and Jan. 9 for non-residents. See the attached PDF or click here to check out the programs and call Youth Services at 822-9102 to register.

School Committee Meeting: The Coventry School Committee will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Blackrock School (12 La Casa Dr.) to discuss current issues within the school district. Click here to view tonight's agenda.

Blog for Coventry Patch: Are you passionate about local issues, know how to make people laugh using your vocabulary or simply want to speak your mind and share your ideas? If you answered yes to any of these, we'd love to have you blog for us! Click here to learn all about it. 

Plan Ahead - Career Center Open House: The Regional Career & Technical Center at Coventry High School will be hosting its Annual Open House tomorrow, Jan. 9 from 6-8 p.m. Students interested in applying for any of the Center's programs should attend. Click here to learn more about the Center.

To find more things to do today, check out our event listings.

Have a great week, Coventry! I'll tell Mickey and Minnie you all said "hello!".

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation will host the second of two special waste collections on site at the Central Landfill during the first month of 2013.

The free Eco-Depot collection will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 12. Rhode Islanders are encouraged to attend the collection at the Central Landfill at 65 Shun Pike in Johnston, where RIRRC officials will accept and dispose of their household hazardous waste. The first collection was held on Jan. 5.

Household hazardous waste is collected separately from the state’s Central Landfill in order to protect humans, animals and the local environment. These are products that have warning labels indicating they are dangerous to human health because they are flammable, caustic, combustible or toxic.

Common household hazardous waste items include fluorescent light bulbs, oil-based paint, mercury thermometers, used motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, pool and lawn chemicals, propane tanks and pesticides.

“With the winter season well underway, we ask that all Rhode Islanders put a lid on the household hazardous waste from their fall and summer projects,” noted Joe Rotella, Special Waste Manager for RIRRC. “From paint thinner to varnishes and stains, it is important to dispose of these hazardous items properly. Eco-Depot collections provide residents the opportunity to safely rid their homes, garages and basements of any household hazardous waste. We encourage residents to take advantage of this nearby collection site.” 

This Eco-Depot collection is free and open to Rhode Island Residents only.

For those who wish to attend the Eco-Depot event an appointment must be made with Eco-Depot in advance. By making an appointment for the Eco-Depot drop off, customer wait times are kept to a minimum. To make an appointment and view the complete list of materials Eco-Depot accepts, or to see the entire 2013 Eco-Depot collection schedule visit www.ecodepotri.org or call 401.942.1430 x241.

About Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation

Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation is the quasi-state environmental agency dedicated to providing the public with environmentally sound programs and facilities to manage waste. The agency helps fund and promote the state’s recycling program, and owns and operates the Materials Recycling Facility and Central Landfill in Johnston.

Students at Tiogue Elementary School were visited on Friday by Sensei Mike Cellucci from Northeast Family Martial Arts, for a presentation on how to handle bullying situations both inside of school and out. 

Sensei Mike was accompanied by Savannah, a former Tiogue student who is currently in the 7th grade at ASFMS. She also studies martial arts at Northeast, now located at 113 Tiogue Ave., after a recent re-location from West Warwick.

Sensei Mike began the presentation by showing his audience how martial art students practice focus and show respect to their peers and instructor.

Students were asked to respond to Sensei Mike's questions with "Yes, Sir" while focusing their minds and bodies through concentration, eye contact and posture during multiple exercises throughout the presentation.

He explained the three types of bullying that students may encounter, which are verbal/mental, physical and exclusion. The acronym H.E.L.P. was introduced to the Tiogue students and is a lesson used at Northeast to teach awareness and ways to diffuse or avoid bullying situations. H - Have a plan to avoid bullies, E - Elevate your awareness, L - Learn to ask for help and P - Protect your mind and body.

"You want to get out of the situation the right way and find a grown up that you trust to help you out," said Sensei Mike. "We use the motto 'Use Common Sense Before Self Defense' as a rule."

At the end of the presentation, students were given the opportunity to ask Sensei Mike questions about bullying and martial arts.

Winter is here and along with it, the traditional drop in temperatures and rising cost of utilities. 

If saving money is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, then follow National Grid's tips to cut energy costs and increase efficiency in your home in 2013.

Tune up for efficiency

• Maintaining an efficient heating system is an important step to conserving energy. Have your heating system serviced once every two years, and never try to repair it yourself.
• Have your chimney flue, space heaters, water heater and fireplace checked.
• If your heating system has a filter, clean or replace it every month during the heating season.
• Your furnace or boiler needs air to work properly (and efficiently). Don't close it off with walls, debris or other obstructions.

Turn down for savings

• For every 1°F that you dial down your thermostat, you can save one to three percent on your annual heating costs.
• Turn down the thermostat every time you leave the house for two or more hours, and every night before you go to bed. It takes less energy to warm up a cool house than to maintain a warm temperature all day and night.
• Installing an automatic setback thermostat is an inexpensive, easy way to maintain comfort and cut heating costs. You can program it to turn the heating system up and down at pre-set times.

Insulate

• Insulate your attic, walls, ceilings and floors to prevent heat escaping to the outdoors. Insulation improves your comfort as well as the efficiency of your home - and that means more savings for you.
• Apply the same principle to your personal comfort. Wear several layers of clothing to keep yourself warmer while keeping the thermostat down.
• Take advantage of the sun: open drapes during the day to capture warmth and close them at night to prevent heat loss through windows.

Seal air leaks

• Cold air let in by air leaks can increase your energy use, so seal all holes and cracks where cold air can get in.
• It's especially important to caulk windows and weatherstrip around door frames. Also, replace any broken panes on storm doors and windows.
• Other air-sealing tips including shutting off heat to unused rooms and closing the fireplace damper.
• Remove window air conditioning units during the cold months to reduce drafts. If this isn't possible, cover the inside and outside of the unit with plastic.
• You can also move furniture to warmer spots in the room to avoid cold drafts and stay more comfortable.

• Install an ENERGY STAR® programmable thermostat
  Program your ENERGY STAR certified thermostat to turn on and off automatically. For example, set the thermostat to turn off an hour after you go to bed and back on one hour before you wake up. Remember, each degree you lower your thermostat can save you up to 2% on your heating costs.
• Clean or replace your furnace filter regularly
  A dirty filter prevents proper airflow, makes your heater run longer and uses more energy. By simply cleaning/replacing the filter in forced-air heating systems you can save up to 5% on your heating costs.
• Annual heating system tune-up
  Have your heating system professionally checked once a year to keep the unit running efficiently. Make sure there are no leaks in your ducts. Leaky or disconnected air ducts can cause you to loose 10% to 30% of your heating energy. Why let all that heat blow outdoors?
• Lower the temperature on your water heater
  Reduce your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees or to the low/medium setting. If you have a dishwasher without a built-in heating unit, 140 degrees is recommended (refer to your owner's manual). Each 10 degree reduction will save 3% to 5% on water heating costs.
• Install high efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators
  Save up to 50% on hot water costs and reduce water waste by installing high efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators.
• Take a shorter shower
  Reduce that lingering time in the shower by a few minutes and save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 66% of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce your heating costs by 33%.
• Insulate with window coverings
  Close blinds and drapes at night to keep cold air out and open them during the day to let the warm sun in.
• Insulate your attic and walls and get a rebate
  Insulation is one of the least expensive things that you can do to reduce energy usage and improve comfort. Adequate insulation above the ceiling and in the walls does the same thing for your house that wearing a hat and sweater does for you----keeps the heat in and the cold out! Proper insulation can save up to 30% on your heating bills and will make your home more comfortable in the process. 
• Unplug electronics when not in use: TVs, computers, chargers, etc.

Don't miss important news Subscribe to our daily newsletter.

| Like us on Facebook |Blog for us | Follow us on Twitter|

Editor on Vacation: I am away this week in Disney World, so if you have any pressing business that needs to be on the site this week or have questions, please send an email or forward any time-sensitive material to Patrick.luce@patch.com, with "Coventry Patch" in the subject line. (If it can wait until I return, keep sending info to me at lauren.costa@patch.com.)

Hopkins Hill PTA: Members of the Hopkins Hill Elementary School PTA will meet today at 3:45 p.m.

Career Center Open House: The Regional Career & Technical Center at Coventry High School will be hosting its Annual Open House this evening, from 6-8 p.m. Students interested in applying for any of the Center's programs should attend. Click here to learn more about the Center.

Coventry FD Meeting: The Coventry (Anthony) Fire District Board of Directors will meet this evening at 7 p.m. at the 571 Washington St. station. Click here to view tonight's agenda.

Blog for Coventry Patch: Are you passionate about local issues, know how to make people laugh using your vocabulary or simply want to speak your mind and share your ideas? If you answered yes to any of these, we'd love to have you blog for us! Click here to learn all about it. 

To find more things to do today, check out our event listings.

With Bank Rhode Island’s (BankRI) newest branch in Coventry now officially open after a warm welcome from the local community, the bank has announced that long-time financial professional Nancy Lapre will serve as the new Retail Business Officer for the market.

As the new Retail Business Officer for the Coventry Market, Nancy will be responsible for growing all lines of business within the bank by working with the local business community – both in Coventry and the surrounding area. Nancy has more than 25 years of experience in Retail and Business Banking; demonstrating a strong knowledge of commercial and small business banking in order to meet the wide-variety of needs among the bank’s customers.

Prior to being named the Retail Business Officer for the Coventry market, Nancy successfully served as the Branch Manager for BankRI’s Centerville Road branch in Warwick. Before joining BankRI, Nancy spent the last 30 years working as a Branch Manager for Washington Trust and Citizens Bank.

“We’re excited to have Nancy lead our Retail Business efforts in the Coventry market as we grow our presence and help local businesses of all sizes succeed,” said Steven Parente, Senior Vice President, Director of Retail Banking. “Her strong knowledge of the industry and ability to identify financial solutions that meet the needs of individual businesses and customers will be an asset to both the bank and the communities we serve.”

In addition to her work at BankRI, Nancy is actively involved with the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and resides in West Kingston.

After the shocking tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., school systems around the country are examining and revamping their school security protocals. Coventry is no exception.

The Coventry School Committee approved new security measures at schools throughout the town Tuesday. While security was already adequate at most schools, Superintendent Michael Almeida said the tragedy in Connecticut brought security into sharper focus.

"We had a very good system in place but we're taking extra precautions," Almeida said. "We're working to beef up saftey and security in the schools."

The planned improvements include building a vestibule at the entrance of each school, forcing visitors to head directly to the office instead of being able to go in any direction into the school; adding more panic buttons in all schools; adding video surveillance and monitors to record all school visitors; adding locks to cafeteria doors; and improving front-door intercom systems where needed. The improvements may also include redesigning the interior of Western Coventry School so the school office is near the front door, and adding Jersey barriers in front of schools.

The School Safety and Security Committee — made up of town, school and police officials, including Almeida, Town Manager Thomas Hoover and Police Chief Bryan Volpe — approved the security improvements, which Almeida estimated would cost in the neighborhood of $150,000, though he said the town has not yet gotten final costs from vendors. Almeida told the School Committee Tuesday Hoover has agreed the town will pick up the cost of the improvements.

"We were very clear that the school department could not afford it," Almeida said Tuesday. "Just know the town is going to fund it."

However, the town has no intention of paying out of its budget either. Reached Wednesday afternoon, Hoover said he never made any commitment to fund the school security improvements, other than delivering Jersey barriers. He also offered to contact the vendor of a town video surveillance project to see if the school department could get a lower cost. But there was never an offer to pay, Hoover said.

"If he (Dr. Almeida) told the committee that, we need to talk about that. That's not true," Hoover said. "We didn't agree to pay for anything other than placing Jersey barriers. Certainly we didn't make that commitment."

96 Wisteria Dr., Sold Dec. 21, Price $227,500

17 Rejane St., Sold Dec. 24, Price $133,500

5 Carolyn St., Sold Dec. 26, Price $119,500

104 Colvintown Rd., Sold Dec. 27, Price $308,000

5 Sycamore Dr., Sold. Dec. 27, Price $219,000

1 Partridge Dr., Sold Dec. 28, Price $195,000

1 Princeton Ave., Sold Dec. 28, Price $143,400

85 Sherwood Valley Ln., Sold Dec. 28, Price $67,500

7 Hoover Dr., Sold Dec. 31, Price $172,500

32 Timber Trl., Sold Dec. 31, Price $429,900

73 South Main St., Sold Jan. 1, Price $147,990

26 Watercress Ct., Sold Jan. 2, Price $225,000

Not Your Grandparents’ Scavenger Hunt

An annual scavenger hunt in South Kingstown has us wondering what is in the water down there. The hunt, organized by seniors at the high school, is not a school-sanctioned event and produced a bevy of complaints on the night of Nov. 3. According to reports, a Toyota Camry’s roof was caved in and windshield shattered after students jumped on the car and wooden posts were ripped out of the ground near the high school. Students were seen streaking near the Narragansett sea wall and several others were allegedly in one Wakefield business stripping in the store. A Burger King employee told police he saw a “highly intoxicated” teenager wearing just underwear jump out of a car and begin yelling “Where’s the list?” outside of the restaurant. He then allegedly ripped down a gate near a dumpster.

Can’t Drive 55

When you drive 100 mph in a 25 mph zone, you are likely to not get off with just a warning. This is especially true if you accidentally drive into a house during your speeding frenzy. According to police, a Cranston man was clocked at 100 mph around midnight and was weaving in and out of traffic when he lost control of his car and hit a house while trying to make a left turn. An officer parked behind the man, got out of his car and drew his weapon. Speedy Gonzalez, however, allegedly did not notice the officer and backed up his car and took off, striking a parked car in the process. The 31-year-old man drove a short distance to his home and started walking to the house with his hands in his pocket, allegedly ignoring repeated commands from officers to get on the ground. Eventually, police were forced to restrain him. The man told police he was “just trying to get home.” 

A Much Different Meaning of ‘Next Round’s on Me’

Some people are happy drinkers. Others are not. This is a story about the latter. According to Middletown Police, one man became so disgruntled while drinking at a bar that he kept trying to pick fights, got kicked out and then returned to threaten the entire bar. The 35-year-old Portsmouth man allegedly told patrons he was going to “shoot up the bar” and kill everyone inside.  Police apprehended the man as he was attempting to leave the bar while extremely under the influence. At the police station, he reportedly told an officer, “You’re lucky you secure your gun in processing, otherwise you know how things would end.”

Man Attempts to Gouge Friend’s Eye Out

In the words of Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy, “That escalated quickly.”  Two Cranston men reportedly got into an argument about money at the Pineapple Inn. One of the men accused the other of taking his money and, as the argument escalated, tried to gouge his eyes out.When rescue personnel arrived, they found the victim bleeding from his head and his eyelid had been partially ripped off.

High Honors

 Evan Amerantes

 Victoria Andersen

 Serena Andrade

 Brianna Angelone

 Seth Barrasso

 Amanda Bernardi

 Hayden Bruins

 Audrey Buffi

 Cassondra Capezza

 Benjamin Chase

 Lydia Clifford

 Lily Codman

 Benjamin Costa

 Bridget Cronin

 Jessica DaBreo

 Ashley Daigneault

 Lauren Deus

 Ayla DiBiasio

 Catherine DiPaolo

 Sydney DiStefano

 Megan Doyle

 Michael Fernandez

 Noah Garriott

 Noelle Gauvin

 Lauren Gil

 Rachel Howard

 Talia Iannuccilli

 Lauren Jacobs

 Courtney James

 Kristina Johnson

 Rachel Joyal

 Thomas Julian

 Jennifer Koszela

 Jennifer Lee

 Megan Medeiros

 Daniel Messier

 Chloe Michalopoulos

 Kaleigh Miller

 Ashwin Narayan

 Jessie Nouman

 Caitlyn Ong

 Sabrina Peltier

 Kaci Perry

 Anthony Rainha

 Julia Reed

 Mariah Rietzel

 Allison Shinskey

 Elisabeth Shortall

 Eva Shuchman

 Madison Smith

 Colin Sutyla

 Sydni Tabele

 Robert Thayer

 Cara Turner

 Allison Vanasse

 Anya Villacres

 Nicholas Wallbank

 Jade Wilcox

Honors

 Jake Albanesa

 Gena Anika

 Lia Avedisian

 Marybeth Bassett

 Kaicie Boeglin

 Hannah Booth

 Alexis Buffi

 Daniel Carignan

 Deanna Cerce

 Joshua Chopy

 Meghan Collette

 Sara Coria

 Morgan Croft

 Hailey Dandonoli

 Kyle Dante

 Nicholas DiBiasio

 Ethan Dionne

 Alexia Donnelly

 Rebecca Ensom

 Mackenzie Fagan

 Nathan Fernandes

 Jianna Ferrucci

 Sara Fiddes

 Alexia Furia

 Dylan Gardner

 Leah Giampietro

 Eric Gramajo

 Sarah Graveline

 Andrea Gustafson

 Matthew Hansen

 Brendan Harrington

 Emily Harrington

 Aleksandr Harrison

 Elizabeth Kenney

 Noah Kibbe

 Jennifer King

 Ryan Kudish

 Jack Lacombe

 Brandon Lamothe

 Evan Lavallee

 Kayla Lavallee

 Joshua Leavitt

 Kara LeBrun

 Megan Leonard

 Daniel Lopes

 Michael Lupino

 Hailey McAteer

 Talia McKay

 Nicholas Mitchell

 Alexia Mucci

 Grace Munslow

 Joshua Najarian

 Michael O'Connell

 Joseph Pelletier

 Griffin Pilla

 Andrew Pimental

 MaryLyn Pisillini

 Zachary Plante

 Samantha Rao

 Hector Rivera

 Lindsey Rugg

 Delaney Ryan

 Hannah Salisbury

 Ian Savastano

 Joyce-Marie Shannon

 Paula Slinko

 Jake Staples

 Brendan Stubbs

 Mason Studley

 Michael Swanholm

 Krista Swedits

 Kalie Sylvester

 Paige Thayer

 Patricia Tombs

 Richard Tombs

 Zachary Tourgee

 William Vincent

 Nickolas Viveros

 Ellis Walls

 Lauren Warner

 Madison Webb

 Hayden Whitten

 Meagan Willett

Recognition of Effort

 Sabrina Amini

 Kolye Bankauskas

 Devin Barber

 Isabelle Branchaud

 Molly Brown

 Madeline Catlow

 Nicholas Ciampanelli

 Brayden Cooley

 Julia D'Antico

 Natalie Gannon

 Jordan Hill

 Samantha LaSalle

 Nicholas Mahar

 Larryn McGee

 Cedric Meas

 Jacob Meloche

 Abigale O'Donnell

 Lauren Tanner

 Ethan Theroux

 Alexis Vellucci

Click here to view the ASFMS Honor Roll criteria.