This Just In: R.I. reaches 1,000 coronavirus deaths. We explore the human cost.

And the pandemic's place among disasters that have struck the state. [View email with images]( [Providence Journal] Thursday July 23, 2020 [Subscribe Now]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Providence Journal]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Good afternoon on a very sad day for Rhode Island, and welcome to This Just In. I'm Alan Rosenberg, executive editor of The Providence Journal, filling in for managing editor Mike McDermott, who's on furlough. -- The state hit a most unfortunate milestone, with four more coronavirus deaths [bringing our total to 1,001](. There are 76 more cases in the state, bringing that total to 18,148 known cases. -- The 1,001 deaths are more than some disasters that have struck Rhode Island, such as the Station fire and the Hurricane of 1938, but fewer than others, including the Civil War and World War II. Paul Edward Parker [offers a numerical perspective](. -- G. Wayne Miller takes a spiritual look, with the help of Rhode Island faith leaders, trying to [make sense of the senseless](. -- And Tom Mooney, Brian Amaral and Mark Patinkin look at the human faces behind the pandemic, with profiles of 10 victims -- [1% of those lost in Rhode Island](. There's more on the coronavirus front, too. -- You might think that people visiting hospitals -- where there are, you know, lots of sick people -- would be among those most inclined to wear masks. But some hospitals in Rhode Island are finding [that's not the case](. -- Two voter-rights groups have [filed a federal lawsuit]( challenging Rhode Island's requirements that mail ballots be witnessed during the pandemic. -- A 22-year-old Pawtucket restaurant owner has reopened after a coronavirus-caused shutdown. Mark Patinkin has [her unusual story](. -- And the pandemic caused a company planning to build an apartment-grocery project in Fox Point to ask for a $900,000 cut in the planned $1-million cost of the public land it wanted. The agency that owns the land [said yes](. Before we get to the rest of the news, I want to point out that today is the last day for our 72-hour flash sale, offering a year's digital-only subscription for just $39. No one else covers Rhode Island the way we do, as the stories listed in today's This Just In attest. Here's a way for you to support our journalism and stay on top of all the most interesting and important Rhode Island news, for our lowest price ever. So as Nike would say, [just do it]( [Subscribe to The Providence Journal]( And on to the rest of the news. -- A 23-year-old Providence man was sentenced to 23 years at the ACI for a punch that [left a partygoer brain-injured](. -- Remember when Providence's Westminster Street was Westminster Mall? (If so, Bunky, you're showing your age.) It's back to the future starting Aug. 1, as the downtown street will close to traffic in the evenings to allow for[socially distanced shopping and dining](. -- A Providence city councilwoman is charging that police harassed a bar that supports Black Lives Matter in an incident Wednesday night. Police Chief Hugh Clements [says they acted appropriately](. -- The Red Sox tried to keep Mookie Betts with an eye on the pricetag, Bill Koch writes -- and that's how [Betts ended up signing baseball's biggest guaranteed contract]( yesterday. -- The Sox have two surprise pitchers, three catchers and a Rule 5 pick on their roster heading into tomorrow's Opening Day. Don't know what a Rule 5 pick is? Neither did I, [but Bill does](. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please encourage a friend to [sign up](. providencejournal.com [Facebook]( [Twitter]( You are receiving this communication as a member of the Providence Journal. Providence Journal values your online privacy. For more information, view our [privacy policy]( now. Please do not reply to this message. [Manage Preferences or Unsubscribe]( Providence Journal 75 Fountain Street Providence, RI 02902 © 2020 Providence Journal. All rights reserved.