NEWS DIGEST

Retired trooper to lead State Police

PROVIDENCE (AP) — A 25-year veteran of the Rhode Island State Police who retired in 2015 is coming back to lead the agency.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo on Thursday announced the appointment of James Manni as superintendent of state police and director of public safety. He takes over for Col. Ann Assumpico, who this week announced her retirement after two years in the top job and 42 years in law enforcement.

Manni, who also has five years’ experience with the U.S. Secret Service, retired as a major and since 2016 has been Narragansett’s town manager.

Manni says he is “humbled and honored” by the appointment.

Raimondo says she will nominate Patricia Coyne-Fague to be the director of state Department of Corrections, and appointed Marc Pappas director of the state Emergency Management Agency.

Warwick hit with school funding suit

WARWICK (AP) — Public school officials in Warwick have sued the city, claiming the district is underfunded.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Superior Court by the Warwick School Committee asks for a $4.9 million increase in funding for the 2018-2019 school year. School officials say the budget isn’t enough to meet regulations or support contracts. The current budget is $164.7 million.

According to the suit, an outside audit found that the district was underfunded.

The complaint is supported by the Caruolo Act, which allows a district to sue if it believes a budget approved by a municipality isn’t sufficient.

City Council President Steven Merolla says the district budget is more than enough. Other critics say the district can use money it saved from school closings to support new costs.

Block Island ferry seeks larger boat

WARWICK (AP) — The company that runs the yearround ferry to Block Island says it is looking to purchase a boat that will carry twice as many passengers.

Interstate Navigation is seeking state permission to grow its own ferry operation with the new 500-passenger ship. The boat would cost $10.5 million and would replace the current 250-passenger ferry.

Ferry service to Block Island is tightly regulated by the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which needs to sign off on Interstate’s plan to borrow $8.5 million for the new boat.

New park to mark Mayflower’s 400th

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts historical society that preserves the legacy of the Pilgrims is planning to build a small park to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s 1620 arrival.

The Pilgrim Society says it is teaming with Plymouth 400 Inc. to create a lasting legacy for the planned Quadricentennial Park in Plymouth.

The Patriot Ledger reports the groups hope to have the park open by 2020.

An architectural team from Horsley Witten has been working on preliminary designs featuring plenty of stone, with a circular gathering place and a granite viewing platform. Officials say the park will also likely include a kiosk to allow visitors to learn more about historical sites.

Plymouth 400 says it is inviting potential donors to contribute to a special campaign.