Daily Briefing: 3 questions and answers from the Washington Bridge hearing

ALSO: Are you ready for snow? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Tue Feb 13 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. The Washington Bridge has been on the minds of many Rhode Islanders for the past two months. Plans to get from the East Bay to the West Bay require good timing if you're lucky and a check of commuter times to see just when it's best to travel. As the future of the span goes deeper into doubt, the questions keep mounting and on Monday legislators had their opportunity to grill RIDOT director Peter Alviti. Appearing before a joint meeting of the House and Senate Oversight Committees, Alviti addressed a variety of issues related to the closure. Here's a look at three things that stood as The Journal's Katherine Gregg and Patrick Anderson reported on the hearing. [01 PRINT - The troubled westbound span of the Washington Bridge.] The troubled westbound span of the Washington Bridge. David DelPoio/The Providence Journal Alviti took responsibility for the failure of the bridge's westbound lanes. "This one's an anomaly," Alviti told the lawmakers. "It's the one out of 300 [bridge overhauls] that I am truly sorry for. I accept responsibiity for this. I am at the top of DOT." How will today's snow be removed? "We have the equipment. We have the personnel" and an emergency snow removal plan. "We expect to have all roads cleared by midnight and ready for the [next day's] commute," Alviti said. Was pigeon poop really an issue in finding the problem? While at least two lawmakers were alarmed by emails from the inspectors who conducted the emergency examination of the bridge in December who said they hadn't previously been able to see the condition of the structure because of "pigeon debris." Alviti assured another East Bay legislator that "severe pigeon debris" did not obstruct views of the severed tie-down rods saying the reference in emails was in regards to another part of the bridge. Even if that was the case, at least one lawmaker remained concerned. [For more on the hearing, the questions asked and answered, others who testified, and more, check out Katherine and Patrick's full report.]( • Are you ready for snow? With what feels like the most significant snowfall in a while some of the basics of what to do may not be as memorable as they once were. Find [the latest forecast,]( how [the state is preparing]( and everything from [parking bans]( to [school closures](. • A federal investigation is underway after fires were set Saturday night at a Pentecostal church in North Providence with a mostly Black membership. [The Journal's Jack Perry talked to the church's pastor]( who while monitoring a surveillance camera from his cellphone witnessed a person trying to break into the church Saturday night. [01_Church_Arson_02122024.JPG] The Shiloh Gospel Temple on Charles St. in North Providence was the scene of an arson fire on in the early hours of February 12, 2024. Kris Craig, The Providence Journal "I've been a pastor in Rhode Island for almost 37 years, and I've never had this happen," Pastor Eric Perry said. "This is a serious thing." • One of the most prominent architectural gems in Pawtucket's Quality Hill neighborhood is facing demolition despite efforts by the city to save it. [The Journal's Antonia Farzan reports on the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church-owned Read-Ott house]( and why some feel tearing down the house may be the only option, even as the push remains to save the building that was originally built in the 1840s. • It may be too late, but it you're looking for a romantic place for dinner this Valentine's [take a look at some of our readers' favorite spots.]( WORTH A READ 📰 'Mistakes and missteps': [Biden advisers apologize to Arab Americans]( over Gaza war response 📰 [It's a hot mess in DC:]( Biden's mental acuity, Trump's courtroom drama, Congress' stalemate 🤡 Need to break the bad news? [Hire an 'emotional support clown' to lighten the mood]( 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. To mark Valentine’s Day, [Lawn Love]( ranked 2024’s Best Cities for Local Flowers. Comparing the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on five floral categories the rankings are based on access to flower shops and specialty-cut flower vendors, consumer ratings, and even the number of flower festivals, among 11 total metrics. Among Rhode Island cities, Providence ranked 80th, Cranston came in at 151, Warwick at 332 and Pawtucket finished at 461. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌨️ Wet snow in the morning, accumulating 4-8 inches; cloudy, windy and colder; storm total snowfall 6-10 inches; there can be power outages and dangerous travel. Highs in the low 30s. TOP STORIES [These 5 RI landmarks are the oldest in the state. Have you been?]( [The White Horse Tavern, built in 1673, in Newport, is still in business and claims it's the oldest restaurant in America.]( These Rhode Island landmarks go way back. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Denmark-based Ørsted is developing offshore wind project off the coast of Delmarva.]( [Ex-Ørsted IT specialist with RI ties charged with defrauding company]( After leaving Ørsted, Appiah worked as an IT specialist in RI's federal court, complicating the case. [READ MORE]( [John Paul, Car Doctor]( [Car Doctor: Is synthetic oil OK to use in small engines?]( Is synthetic oil OK to use in small engines such as generators, snow blowers, and other four-stroke engines? What weight would be best? [READ MORE]( [Published Caption: Stock photo of books in classroom. [Provided] Original Caption: Stock photo of books in classroom.]( [Providence Journal Student of the Week: Cast your vote]( You can help choose the top student. [READ MORE]( [Creighton's Baylor Scheierman, left, reaches to knock the ball away from Providence's Corey Floyd Jr. during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. 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