Work is nearly completed stripping down a planned COVID-19 field hospital — never used — in former Lowe’s hardware store in the Quonset Business Park, state officials have told The Independent.

In just a matter of days, with a projected date of Nov. 30, the state plans to finish the dismantling of a field hospital that was never completed. Plans for it emerged months ago when fears overran state officials worried that community hospital capacities would be overrun by mounting virus surges.

Revolution Wind, the renewable energy venture between Connecticut-based power company Eversource and Denmark-based power company Orsted – the world’s leading developer of offshore wind projects – that aims to create a wind farm 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast, held two virtual seminars last Wednesday and Thursday to give people a look at the project and the opportunity to ask questions about it.

The final meeting of the current North Kingstown Town Council was a relatively routine one Monday night, with the council members approving a series of routine purchases and licenses as well as taking care of business tabled from the previous Oct. 19 meeting, which ended after less than 20 minutes when Councilor Kerry McKay’s dissatisfaction with Town Council President Greg Mancini boiled over into him calling for and receiving an early adjournment to the evening.

Residents in town will once again have the chance to hear stories from North Kingstown’s past and present from a variety of local videographers and storytellers when Rhode Island PBS re-airs its special “Our Town: North Kingstown” Wednesday night at 9 p.m., part of an 11-hour marathon of “Our Town” specials showcasing what makes each town in the Ocean State unique.

As coronavirus cases rise in the state, local businesses, health care providers and government officials are bracing for the effects to ripple through the local economy and residents’ day-to-day lives.

The sentiment expressed by many in leadership in these organizations is that they hope there are lessons learned from earlier this year and that draconian shut-downs don’t occur, but that they are preparing for the worst.

In their first meeting following the election, and coming on the day the first quarter of the 2020/21 academic year wrapped up, the North Kingstown School Committee met Tuesday evening via Zoom and discussed several issues, including setting forth a capital improvement plan (CIP) for Fiscal Year 2022 ahead of an upcoming meeting with the Town Council and debating language regarding the role of the student representative liaison.

Veterans and job-seekers are getting a hand from Ocean State Job Lot, which announced the return of its annual Buy, Give, Get coat donation program and its plans to hire 50 employees for its North Kingstown distribution center.   

The Buy, Give, Get program started Oct. 29. Any customer who buys a warm winter coat at Job Lot for $40 and gives it back to the store as a donation to veterans in need will get a $40 Crazy Deal gift card to be used for a future purchase online or at any Ocean State Job Lot store. The coats have a retail value of between $80 and $120.

Casandra Nieves has faced the unthinkable this Christmas after being unemployed for a long stretch due to the covid pandemic: She wouldn’t have money for Christmas presents for her daughter.

The single mother in Woonsocket twisted and turned about the problem as she also stared at mounting household bills and as well as basic money for food and housing costs.

Though most of them may not be able to vote, a group of North Kingstown High School students certainly made their voices heard in this past election.

NK Students4Candidates, a group co-founded by seniors Joe Vento and Jacob Cedor that’s unaffiliated with the school, made waves earlier this fall as the group of now over 20 students and recent alumni came together to support candidates running for town office that they felt best represented their interests as students by supporting the school system and listening to the concerns of youth in town. 

As of Tuesday mornings latest election results, it appears North Kingstown School Committee member Jacob Mather may be getting a second term after all.

The Democrat overtook Republican challenger Hannah Zangari for the last of three seats in the latest vote totals, with 7,918 votes (19.9 percent) to her 7,841 (19.7 percent). Mather’s total has risen 396 votes from last week’s reported tally of 7,522, while Zangari picked up 168 over her previously reported total of 7,673, which sees her down 0.1 percent from last week’s reported total. 

Two incumbents are out and two newcomers are in for the next four years on the North Kingstown School Committee.

Democratic newcomer Jen Lima finished atop the five- person race with 8,650 votes (22.6 percent), followed by incumbent Democrat Jennifer Hoskins with 8,010 (20.9 percent) and Republican newcomer Hannah Zangari finished third with 7,673 (20 percent) to be elected to the board, while incumbent Democrat Jacob Mather finished fourth with 7,522 votes (19.6 percent) and incumbent Republican and Vice Chairman Robert Jones finished fifth with 6,290 (16.4 percent), ending his eight years as a member of the body.

The North Kingstown Town Council will have a slightly new look, with three incumbents being joined by two newcomers and the Democrats taking a majority on the council once again.

As he did in 2018, Town Council President Greg Mancini finished as the top vote getter, with the Democrat receiving 8,310 votes (12.7 percent), followed by fellow Democrat and former School Committee Chairwoman Kim Page with 7,991 (12.2 percent), Republican Kerry McKay with 7,354 (11.2 percent), Democrat Katie Anderson with 7,301 (11.1 percent) and Republican Mary Brimer with 7,158 (10.9 percent).

For the first time in 20 years, District 36 will have a new state senator and her name is Alana DiMario. 

The Narragansett Democrat, who was endorsed by fellow Democrat and outgoing State Sen. Jim Sheehan – who announced in May he would not be seeking reelection – defeated North Kingstown Republican and former State Rep. Doreen Costa and Narragansett Town Council President and independent Matthew Mannix 8068 (49.2 percent) to 6598 (40.3 percent) to 1703 (10.4 percent) for the district that includes parts of Narragansett and North Kingstown.

Nine candidates – five Democrats, three Republicans and one Independent – are vying for the North Kingstown Town Council’s five seats. Five challengers, both new and familiar faces to the local political scene, and four incumbents have been making their case to North Kingstown voters on why they should be on the legislative body for the next two years.

Three Democrats and two Republicans are vying for three seats on the North Kingstown School Committee. Unlike the Town Council, School Committee members in town are elected to four year terms, with two sitting board members, Lisa Hildebrand and Chairman Gregory Blasbalg, halfway through their four year terms.