🌱 House Fire On W School St + Water Closes Diamond Hill Rd DMV

Happy Tuesday, people of Woonsocket, and happy World Hippo Day! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started.

A house fire left three families needing the assistance of the Red Cross. Also, a water main break rerouted anyone with DMV business to Cranston. Finally, the local school district isn’t getting enough funding, and it’s an ongoing problem.

First, today's weather:

Breezy and not as cold. High: 29 Low: 9.

Here are the top five stories today in Woonsocket:

1. There was a house fire Sunday afternoon on West School Street. At this time, the Red Cross is assisting three families in the wake of the event. (WJAR)
2. Woonsocket’s Diamond Hill Road DMV was unavailable Monday. A water main break led to the temporary closure. “Until further notice, all reservations at the Woonsocket branch will be honored at the DMV’s main office at 600 New London Ave. in Cranston.” (WPRI)
3. “Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Providence school districts received 13.5% less education funding than wealthier districts” we learned in a report from Rutgers University released Monday. The experts say that – what they refer to as high-poverty districts – should actually receive “10% more funding than the wealthier peers, as the extra money can help level the playing field.” Officials have known of this issue since 2014 when an earlier report came out. (WPRI)
4. We learned Friday that Woonsocket High football head coach Charlie Bibeault predicted “Los Angeles to defeat Cincinnati by a score of 31-24.” (It was 23-20.) Next, he figured Matthew Stafford or Cam Akers would be MVP. (They picked Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp.) Nevertheless, he’ll be heading to Los Angeles for the victory parade! (Woonsocket Call, @BWMcGair03)
5. The Woonsocket Harris Public Library is hosting a “Virtual Winter Wonderland Walk” on March 3. Participants should sign on at 4 p.m. During the family-friendly event, you can “explore some of the 60,000 acres of land managed by DEM Fish and Wildlife.” Remember to register! (On Worldwide)

Today in Woonsocket:

• Mid-Weight Jackets at The Creative Sewing Studio (5:45 PM)
• February Full Moon Ritual at Shiva Shakti Yoga Shala (6:30 PM)
• NA Meeting at Senior Services Inc (7:30 PM)
• Tuesday Night Jazz at Lili Marlene's (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Celebrate Mardi Gras at St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center. Scheduled for Feb. 26, there’ll be a full Cajun buffet and live music. More details to come!

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Youth and High School Rugby Camp! (February 22)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 22)
• Add your event

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.