This Just In: Farewell to an 'unsung hero' of the state's budget wars

And an appreciation of Mike Renzi. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Monday, October 4 [Tom Mullaney.]( [Farewell to an 'unsung hero' of the state's budget wars]( And an appreciation of Mike Renzi. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. Today is Oct. 4; on this day in 1895 the inaugural U.S. Open golf championship was held at the Newport Golf Club. Englishman Horace Rawlins won the tournament and the $150 grand prize that went with it. Today that might get you a decent dinner for two on the waterfront, long as you don't have to pay for parking. As any Rhode Island sports fan can tell you, Joe Mullaney was the father of Providence College basketball. He was also the father of Tom Mullaney, a man who has quietly saved the state from financial chaos on multiple occasions over the last 34 years. Last week, Tom Mullaney retired from his job as Rhode Island's state budget officer, and [he shared some of his old war stories]( with Katherine Gregg in this week's Political Scene column. When Teddi Jallow was growing up in the tiny West African nation of Gambia, a chance encounter ignited a passion for education that would eventually bring her to Rhode Island, where she co-founded the Refugee Dream Center. Now Jallow [is one of 31 people tapped by the Rhode Island Foundation]( to take part in a project to train and mentor Rhode Islanders of color to take on big leadership positions in the future. It's hard to imagine a regular-season football game with more hype than what we had last night, Tom Brady's return to Gillette Stadium. It turns out we got a pretty good game, too. (That's probably why I'm feeling a little sluggish today. At least I've got one night to recover before the Red Sox-Yankees wildcard showdown.) In the end, the Patriots lost, but the way rookie quarterback Mac Jones played on such a big stage [was perhaps a victory in its own right]( "His hands / Could open your heart / Like a safe / And steal all your secrets." Those words, by jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway, were written in tribute to Mike Renzi, a Providence native whose work as a pianist, composer and arranger put him alongside some of the very biggest names in music. Renzi [died last week]( at age 80 after a brief illness. The Rhode Island Department of Health reported five more coronavirus-related deaths over the last three days, and 638 additional cases of COVID-19, to go along with 37,165 negative tests, for a 1.7% positive rate. There were 108 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, down from 122 reported Friday, with 15 in intensive care. Rhode Island has reported an average of 272 new cases a day over the last seven days, down 9% from a week ago and down 25% from two weeks ago, and the fewest since mid-August. The 22-year-old leader of the Black Lives Matter Political Action Committee in Rhode Island, Harrison Tuttle, is among the candidates planning to run for the General Assembly next year with the endorsement of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative. Amy Russo [has this profile]( of him Lifespan and Care New England [have taken another important step]( toward a long-discussed merger. A Westport man who was the first to be charged under a Rhode Island law that allows life sentences for people who sell illegal drugs that result in fatal overdoses [has been sentenced to 18 years in prison]( Finally, the workweek is off to a shaky start weather-wise but [it's supposed to get much, much better]( Have a great night. And 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]( © 2021 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902