Woonsocket Radio News Room

Office of the Mayor

WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND

 

 

Mayor Beauchamp Announces Planning Director Debroisse Retires After 35 Years of Service

WOONSOCKET, R.I.: Mayor Christopher Beauchamp announced today a vacancy in the Planning Department with the retirement of Mike Debroisse who retired as Planning Director effective August 4th, 2024. Debroisse served as an employee of the city for 35 years and previously served as the Superintendent of Solid Waste/Engineering.

Beauchamp added that although he is currently evaluating the future leadership structure of the Planning Department, the city is committed to ensuring the continuity of all planning operations through a team of highly skilled individuals which includes the hard working and dedicated city employees who work in various capacities in the department.

President Trump's meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is done. Machado said the meeting was "great" as she departed the White House this afternoon. She did not say if she had gifted her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Trump as she has said she wanted to. Trump's relationship with Machado has become somewhat complicated since the U.S. arrested former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.        Federal agents deployed tear gas against protesters this afternoon in Minneapolis. The protest is in front of an ICE facility in the city, and the crowd remains, although the standoff with ICE officers is over for now. Officers were lined up, blocking the front entrance to the facility. Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino confirms there was an arrest.        Unemployment numbers saw a drop last week. The Labor Department reported Thursday that just 198-thousand Americans filed initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending January 10th. That's a drop of nine-thousand from the previous week.        Several people are facing charges in connection with an NCAA Basketball gambling conspiracy. The DOJ is calling it a transnational criminal conspiracy that began in China with former college and Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney. The indictment alleges Blakeney was having so much success fixing games in China as a player, he moved the operation stateside with a number of co-conspirators.        The World Health Organization is calling for higher takes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages in order to slow down consumption. The organization released a new report saying they are getting cheaper because of low tax rates in many countries, fueling obesity, heart disease and other health issues in young adults and children. It points to high sugar products like fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees and teas that are tax free in many places.        Over 100 classic episodes of Sesame Street is now available on YouTube. The streaming giant announced Thursday that it's now the largest digital library of the educational show. That includes the first-ever Sesame Street episode to air back in 1969.       

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