Daily Briefing: Floating islands in a Providence pond may not be what they seem

ALSO: Could this be the end for a tomato greenhouse at Shartner Farms. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Fri Aug 2 2024 Will Richmond | Managing Editor Communities & R.I. [@Will_Richmond]( Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at [The Providence Journal]( and this is the Daily Briefing. Like Del's and New York System Wieners, blue green algae has become a part of life in Rhode Island. While the first two are welcome the algae has become a nuisance, causing the closing of waterways across the state and warnings to avoid contact. But there could be a solution. Inside Polo Lake at Roger Williams Park a teepee-like structure is growing like a floating island. Inside of it one can see wildflowers growing, but what you can't see could play an important role in the health of the lake. As The Journal's Alex Kuffner reports "the hope is that the plants will absorb excess phosphorus and nitrogen dissolved in the water and help cut down on blooms of toxic cyanobacteria." [11_Floating_07252024.JPG] Alex Ionescu, an Ecological artist and Biomimicry professor looks over the floating wetland in Polo Lake at Roger Williams Park she helped create. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal How do these islands work? [Alex recently met with the group behind the effort to learn more.]( • It's hard to miss the sprawling skeleton of a building at Shartner Farms as for years Tim Schartner has been trying to build a mall-sized greenhouse to grow tomatoes year-round on the site. [Any hopes of the building being completed may be dashed, The Journal's Tom Mooney reports.]( • An associate dean of oncologic sciences at Brown University’s[Warren Alpert Medical School]( prominent cancer researcher is suing his neighbors. What's driving the lawsuit? [The Journal's Katie Mulvaney has the details.]( • The list of celebrities keeps growing for this year's Rhode Island Comic Con, but [here are some of the biggest names announced so far.]( • What summer event moved on from the first round of our bracket competition? Who will you vote for in round two? [Voting is now open to determine Rhode Island's favorite summer event.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 🌎 Beyond Paul Whelan, [who else was released in the US-Russia prisoner swap]( 🧘 An 'asymmetrical' butt? [Why Lululemon pulled its new leggings off shelves]( 🚘 [Bourne Rotary traffic pattern tested with summer visitors](. 'It is a mess.' RHODY RANKS Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails. [ElectricityPrices.com]( ran a survey of 3,700 seasoned travelers to reveal the most welcoming destinations in America for out-of-towners. While Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was number one nationally, Little Compton (45th), Bristol (85th) and Wickford (119th) were tops in Rhode Island. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌦️ Partly sunny, hot and humid; a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon. Highs in the low 90s TOP STORIES [How do Providence's rivers stack up to the Seine in cleanliness?]( [Athletes dive into the Seine river to start the swimming stage of the men's individual triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in central Paris on July 31, 2024. (Photo by David Goldman / POOL / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GOLDMAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 2164001065]( The rivers are comparable to the Seine, but RI has much higher standards to allow swimming. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Traffic zips along Interstate 95 near the Thurbers Avenue curve in Providence.]( [Lone bidder gets $625M Interstate 95/Route 6 rebuild project]( The I-95 contract is another example of limited interest from the construction industry in working on large Rhode Island projects. [READ MORE]( [Woonsocket's once and future mayor, Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, in front of City Hall on Oct. 31, 2022.]( [Long-awaited report on Baldelli-Hunt land deal released. What it says.]( The investigation looked into the controversial land deal between former Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt and her business associate. [READ MORE]( [A short loop trail through the preserve follows a 200-foot wooden boardwalk, which includes a bridge and a landing with a picnic table.]( [Walking RI: Take it easy on this dog-friendly hike in Richmond]( This 47-acre preserve has wide, flat, well-marked trails with info on town history and a fenced-in dog park nearby. [READ MORE]( [Olivia Williams, La Salle golf]( [Here's who'll play for the titles in the RI Junior Amateur golf tourney]( Olivia Williams and Lily Dessel will play for the girls title and Jesse Hellring and Brayden Dickinson will compete for the boys crown on Friday. 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