Vision Services Task Force to hold first meeting

on Thursday, September 16

 

STATE HOUSE – The House and Senate Vision Services Task Force, which is charged with providing recommendations for the long-term viability of the vision services program currently housed at the Sherlock Center on Disabilities, will meet on Thursday, September 16, at 3:00 pm in Room 101 of the State House.

The Task Force was appointed by Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, Providence, North Providence) to develop a long-term strategy and plan for the state’s services for blind and visually impaired students. The Rhode Island Vision Education Services Program (RIVESP) is housed at the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College. RIVESP specialists work with blind and visually impaired students in more than 26 school districts across the state.

The meeting will feature a presentation by Edwin Pacheco, Interim Executive Director, External Affairs and Communications at Rhode Island College, and Amy Grattan, Executive Director of the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities.

The members of the House and Senate Vision Services Task Force are Representatives Julie Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingstown, Exeter), Raymond Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence), Thomas Noret (D-Dist. 25, West Warwick) and William O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence); and Senators Sandra Cano (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket), Frank A. Ciccone, III (D-Dist. 7, Providence, North Providence), Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) and Frank Lombardo, III (D-Dist. 25, Johnston).

The meeting will be televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox Channels 15, and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers. It will also be live streamed at http://rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx

 

 

Opening statements are expected Monday in former President Trump's criminal trial in New York. The six alternate jurors have been seated and the 12 jurors are already in place. The former President is accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments allegedly made to an adult film star just prior to the 2016 election.       New York police say the man who set himself on fire outside the Donal Trump trial drove from Florida to New York City earlier this week. The man had some papers with him that detailed conspiracy theories involving local politics. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.       President Biden is taking jabs at Donald Trump while rallying union workers in Washington, D.C. Biden delivered remarks at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers conference on Friday, where he said some people, including Trump, "learned the best way to get rich is inherit it." He also said those people " learn that paying taxes is for working people, not the super wealthy."        The House is expected to vote for final passage of House Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid package over the weekend. The House approved a rule vote today to begin debate on individual bills to provide military aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. In an unusual move, Democrats voted with Republicans to advance the legislation as many conservatives voted no.        The FAA and United Airlines are investigating a video that appears to show a Colorado Rockies staff member in the cockpit during a flight. The incident happened during the team's April 10th chartered flight from Denver to Toronto. In the video posted on social media that has since been deleted, an unauthorized person appears to sit in the pilot's seat. United Airlines says at least two pilots have been removed from the job.       Horror film "Abigail" is looking to take the top spot at this weekend's box office. It's expected to make between 12-million and 15-million-dollars in its first weekend. "Abigail" is expected to just beat out last week's winner "Civil War" for first place.