Daily Briefing: Why the Ocean State needs more people to teach swim lessons

ALSO: Have you tried Burmese food? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Wed Feb 7 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. As a family that spends lots of time around the water, it was important to get our kids swim lessons at an early age. I took swim lessons for years and feel like a strong swimmer, but there are still those moments when swimming in the ocean that can leave me scared as I'm tumbled by big waves or pulled by a rip current. The state's Department of Environmental Management has a similar feeling. The Journal's Jack Perry reports on DEM's efforts to secure vendors that will provide lessons to teach kids to swim, especially those from urban areas. [kayak] While rescue crews searched another part of Olney Pond for a missing kayaker on Saturday, the swim beach at Lincoln Woods State Park was busy. Paul Edward Parker/The Providence Journal The effort comes after 70 people drowned in state waters since 2019, including nine last year. Despite the cause, however, [Jack reports the effort may not be going as DEM officials hoped.]( • Could a piece of Rhode Island wind industry be in trouble? The Journal's Patrick Anderson reports that the developers of the South Quay marine terminal have missed a key deadline to secure state funding that would come through ARPA funds. [What's next for the project? Patrick has more here.]( • Rhode Island State Police witnessed a concerning trend in 2023 with the number of weapon offenses increasing 41% over the calendar year. What's behind the increase? [The Journal's Mark Reynolds takes a look at the numbers.]( • Gail Ciampa, The Journal's food and dining editor, made the trip to an unlikely place in Warwick to try out a new restaurant generating a bit of buzz. Tucked in a tiny strip plaza, [Nanu Burmese Fusion brings the tastes of Myanmar with traditional favorites like the Burmese national dish of Mohinga fish soup](. The owners also have a story a tell. [chickenwingsnanu.jpg] Marinated and fried spicy chicken wings are on the menu at Nanu Burmese Fusion in Warwick. Gail Ciampa/The Providence Journal If you haven't made your Valentine's Day plans yet, don't fret. [Gail has a roundup of 10 ideas to help you get into the mood.]( • Mark Patinkin is back in the United States and we've rounded up all of the columns from his trip to Israel in one spot. [Read them here for the first time, or revisit them here.]( WORTH A READ 🛬 [Boeing plane was missing key bolts]( from door plug in Alaska Airlines incident: NTSB 💰 Employers can now [match student debt payments with retirement contributions](. Will they? 🏀 [Three reasons Caitlin Clark is so relatable]( - whether you're a fan, player or parent 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. As I mention in the disclaimer, these studies should be taken with a grain of salt and today's certainly fits that description. New research by [BettingSites.co.uk]( has revealed the most popular NFL players in Rhode Island, with Travis Kelce coming out on top. The study analyzed Google search data from the past 12 months to see which players were most popular in each US state. Behind Kelce is Aaron Rodgers, with Mac Jones rounding out the top three. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( ☁️ Mostly cloudy. Highs in the low 40s. TOP STORIES [Audubon Society of RI to protect 300 acres of woods in North Kingstown]( [Scott Ruhren, senior director of conservation with Audubon in the state walks a trail on the Congdon Wood property.]( The latest addition to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's holdings, a 300-acre forest in North Kingstown, was once targeted for solar development. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [While EngageRI rallies in the State House rotunda, the House and Senate finance committees hear public testimony on pension reform legislation at joint hearings in October 2011.]( [Hefty price tags attached to reversing 2011 pension changes. Here's how much.]( The state's Pension Advisory Working Group got a look at some eye-catching annual costs to make changes to the state's pension system. [READ MORE]( [The work site of Washington Bridge westbound, as cars head into Providence on temporary lane.]( [DOT requiring employees to sign "non disclosure" agreements over bridge work]( For a period of time spanning the legal fight over the last big Washington Bridge contract, employees involved in the process were told to sign NDAs. [READ MORE]( [Providence developer Arnold B. “Buff” Chace Jr. faces a legal challenge from a cousin over his performance as trustee of a $70-million family trust.]( [Judge sends legal fight between one of RI's richest families ahead to trial]( A judge refuses to throw out lawsuit accusing developer Buff Chace of self-dealing in Providence land deals. [READ MORE]( [A lawn sign on Kenny Drive in Warren expresses opposition to the proposed Penny Lane affordable housing development.]( [How did housing in Rhode Island become a crisis?]( We crunched numbers and traced the history of housing in Rhode Island to lay out how we got to this point. [READ MORE]( Advertisement Vote with Confidence This 7-day newsletter course will help you be an informed voter before Nov. 5. [SIGN UP NOW]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. 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