This Just In: Short-story contest winner; where COVID has hit hardest

Plus, good news about Santa. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Friday, November 20 ["Okasu"]( [This Just In: Our short-story contest winner]( Plus, good news about Santa. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In, on a spectacular fall day in Rhode Island. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. Back in September, we asked readers to submit original fiction about life in coronavirus times for our pandemic short-story contest. A three-judge panel went through dozens of submissions; [here's the one we liked the best]( Which Rhode Island towns have been hit the hardest by coronavirus? [It depends how you measure it](. From the beginning of the pandemic, the densely populated cities have seen the largest number of cases. City residents have also made up a disproportionate share of hospital patients. But most of the deaths in the state have been among nursing-home residents. So the cities and towns with the highest coronavirus death rates are not the same places as those with the most cases. An outlier is Smithfield, a suburb that has the ninth-highest cases per capita, the fifth-most hospitalizations per capita, and the second-highest death rate. The Department of Health today [reported six new COVID deaths and 1,050 additional cases](. Meanwhile, the state's newest coronavirus testing site [opened in the parking lot of McCoy Stadium]( But at least [Santa is immune from the virus]( If you're looking for a one-stop guide for what's in store during the "pause" that Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered for Rhode Island, [here it is]( Tomorrow night is the India Association of Rhode Island's annual celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. And of course, it won't be the same as usual. But it still [sounds like a lot of fun]( Rhode Island earned quite a bit of notoriety during roll-call night at the Democratic National Convention, when Rep. Joseph McNamara awarded Joe Biden delegates from the "[Calamari Comeback State]( The reality, though, [is not so rosy]( for Rhode Island's fishing fleet. If you're a Providence resident looking to make a difference, the city [is accepting applications]( for spots on the School Board. Comedian Rich Vos [is coming to the Comedy Connection in East Providence]( next weekend. Just in case you're looking for a night out before the pause. Finally, Celtics draft pick Payton Pritchard hasn't played a game yet for the Celtics, but [he has Bob Cousy's endorsement](. That counts for something. Have a great weekend. Remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please [encourage a friend to sign up]( [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2020 75 Fountain St. , Providence, RI 02902