Die-In Held With Coffins + Homicide Suspect Sought + NAACP On Pot

Morning, people of Pawtucket! Dan Hampton here with your Wednesday Pawtucket Daily.

Today we bring you up to speed on a police search for a man with Pawtucket ties who is wanted in connection with a deadly shooting earlier this year. Plus: A former Rhode Island health director shares his concerns about Rhode Island's coronavirus transmission rate and having kids back in the classroom. And finally, we bring you up to speed on why a die-in was held next to wood coffins placed outside the Executive Office of Health and Human Services building in Cranston.

But first, today's weather: Heavy rain throughout the day. High: 71, low: 63.

Here are the top stories in Pawtucket today:

1. Dr. Michael Fine, the former Rhode Island health director, shared with GoLocalProv his concerns about having kids back in the classroom. Fine said he wants to see the state's coronavirus transmission rate drop from about 200 cases per 100,000 residents — where it currently sits — to preferably under 35 new cases per 100 000 per week, or at least less than 100 new cases per 100,000. (GoLocalProv)
2. Nicole Poitras of WLNE-TV reports police are asking for help as they search for 31-year-old Quelon Page in connection with the May 14 shooting death of Tyriek Grundy. Page, who has ties to Pawtucket and elsewhere, should be considered armed and dangerous. (WLNE)
3. Katie Mulvaney of The Providence Journal reports more than two dozen outreach workers and advocates recognized International Overdose Awareness Day by staging a die-in next to four wooden coffins outside the Executive Office of Health and Human Services building in Cranston. Participants lied on the grass as the group demanded that enough naloxone, the nasal overdose reversal drug, be available to those who need it. (The Providence Journal)
4. Gail Ciampa of The Providence Journal reports Rhode Island Spirits in Pawtucket once again has Rhodium Coffee Black Walnut Vodka truffles. She also has a list of restaurants participating in the annual Pawtucket and Central Falls Restaurant Weeks. (The Providence Journal)
5. GoLocalProv has the obituary for Joseph Costa of Bristol and formerly Pawtucket and Quincy, Massachusetts. Costa, who served in the U.S. Air Force and spent three decades at Massachusetts General Hospital, died over the weekend. He was 76. (GoLocalProv)
6. Kyle Jaeger of Marijuana Moment reports 10 civil rights and drug policy reform advocacy organizations are urging lawmakers to pass legislation legalizing marijuana by year's end. Among the groups: the Rhode Island chapters of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU. (Marijuana Moment)

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Pawtucket Patch Notebook

• The Pawtucket Police Department is reminding drivers about back-to-school safety as students return to the classroom. (Facebook)
• Police are also warning drivers to drive sober or get pulled over this Labor Day weekend. (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update. If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors along for the ride. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Dan Hampton

About me: Hi! My name is Dan Hampton and I'm the program manager for Patch's Community Publisher Initiative. Formerly a local editor on Long Island covering Port Washington, Wantagh-Seaford, Levittown, Glen Cove, Plainview, Syosset, New Hyde Park, Hicksville, Great Neck, Oyster Bay and Mineola. I am the former wire editor on Patch's national team and a former news associate at The Associated Press. I graduated with a journalism degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. Send tips and/or photos of your dog to dan.hampton@patch.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pawtucket Daily? I'm all ears. You can email me at dan.hampton@patch.com.