Woonsocket Radio News Room

September 5, 2018

MAYOR LISA BALDELLI-HUNT CONTINUES
BLIGHT AND DENSITY REDUCTION MISSION

WOONSOCKET, RI: A city-owned vacant structure that previously housed six residential units and commercial space located at 44-52 Blackstone Street is set for demolition tomorrow morning which will restore another 0.064 acres or 2,787 sq. feet of open space to Woonsocket.
"In continuing to eradicate housing blight and unhealthy density citywide, the removal of 44-52 Blackstone Street will help improve both the quality of daily life as well as the City's physical appearance," said Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt who envisions a blight-free cityscape for her native Woonsocket. "Nobody deserves to live on the side of blight."
The demolition of the 6,125 sq. ft. building will mark the twenty-fifth that the City has completed under its goal of blight remediation which began in the Spring of 2014.
To date, the twenty-four buildings that have been demolished contain a total of 63,598 sq. feet or 1.46 acres of land.
"It is essential for the City to stay on the continued path of eradicating blight which has accumulated over two decades," noted Mayor Baldelli-Hunt. "Vacant, blighted properties attract unhealthy, negative and nuisance behavior. Blight has a negative affect on the quality of life and is very time consuming for our public safety officials."
 

A measure to end the government shutdown is once again being rejected. The Republican-backed measure failed to be passed for a ninth time on Wednesday. It came after President Trump said he will cut programs favored by Democrats, with a full list of targeted programs expected Friday.        A federal judge in San Francisco has blocked the Trump administration from laying off federal workers as the government shutdown continues. Unions asked the federal court to block the move, calling the firings illegal. Susan Illston, a President Clinton-appointed judge, called the layoffs "politically motivated."        U.S. service members got paychecks this week, despite the government shutdown. The White House released a memo from President Trump directing the Pentagon to use unspent funds to pay the military. Those funds will be replenished once the shutdown ends.        The Trump administration has authorized the CIA to take covert action in Venezuela. That's according to the New York Times, which reports that the CIA has been given the authority to conduct lethal operations inside the country. This comes as the U.S. has struck several boats in the Caribbean as part of its campaign against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela.        Chicago officials are condemning a federal ICE operation on the city's Southeast Side. Homeland Security says the incident began yesterday after a chase ensued when a suspected illegal immigrant rammed into a federal vehicle. After a crowd formed and objects were reportedly thrown, ICE agents deployed tear gas, leaving 13 Chicago police officers exposed.        New car prices are seeing record highs in the U.S. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average American new car buyer paid just under 50-thousand-and-100-dollars in September, which is the first time the figure has ever topped the 50-thousand-dollar mark. The record high is being paid despite automakers and dealers offering new discounts and incentives.       

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