A massive fire blazed through a group of mill buildings on the Pawtucket-Central Falls line early Saturday morning. This was at the Conant Thread complex. Fire officials say over two-hundred residents from nearby apartments were displaced. The cause of the fire is being investigated. The National Weather Service said the fire was picked up on radar.

The city of Providence said on Sunday that it has issued closure orders to a pair of businesses that violated the new limit to one-hundred patrons enacted due to the coronavirus. The violation letters went to the Wonderland strip club on Allens Avenue and Parkview Bakery Café on Broad Street. The closures are to remain in effect until further notice.

Here's a list of coronavirus-caused closures in Rhode Island announced this weekend. The state court system's calendar is canceled this week, and the federal courthouse in Providence is closed starting today until further notice. Providence City Hall is closed for two weeks. Also on the list: the Twin River casinos, the Newport mansions, YMCAs in the state, and the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey said on Friday that two children in the town tested positive for coronavirus and that one of them got an autograph from one of the two Utah Jazz players who have also tested positive. This was from when the Jazz played at the Boston Celtics on March 6th. Lacey didn't say which of the two players gave the autograph to the child.

Rhode Island's coronavirus "positive" number remained at 20 on Sunday. A data update from the state also indicated about 23-hundred people in Rhode Island are being asked to self-quarantine, including about 17-hundred students and others from Cranston High School West as one of the positives is a student there. Rhode Island has gone unchanged from its plan to have schools just be off for this week thanks to a rescheduled spring vacation, while neighboring Massachusetts announced Sunday night that all schools in that state are closing for three weeks. Governor Gina Raimondo is directing child care centers in Rhode Island to close.

A motion picture tax credit bill is passed by the General Assembly. The legislation amends the current program by allowing productions to access tax credits even if the majority of the production is not done within the state, if a minimum of ten-million dollars is spent in the state within a year. The bill heads to the governor's desk.

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training said Thursday that the unemployment rate in January dropped to three-point-four percent. That rate was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than December and three-tenths of a percentage point down from January 2019.

Lifespan has announced the elimination of 87 jobs as part of a restructuring effort. Lifespan says it laid off 55 people from its corporate services office, and that another 216 employees have agreed to retire by March 28th. President and CEO Timothy Babineau says Lifesan lost 35-million dollars in Fiscal Year 2019.

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League is keeping the lights on this weekend for winter sports championships. A number of boys' and girls' basketball Sweet 16 playoff games were played on Thursday. Basketball and ice hockey action will continue this weekend. The Rhode Island Interscholastic League says there will not be any fans allowed and that the effort is being made to have all the games streamed.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza declared a state of emergency on Thursday over the coronavirus pandemic and said all entertainment licenses in the city would be temporarily revoked. Restaurants and bars can stay open but cannot serve over one-hundred people at a time. All city events scheduled for the next two weeks are being postponed and non-essential public meetings are being canceled. Providence Municipal Court Chief Judge Frank Caprio announced the closure of the court until further notice because of the virus. The Providence Bruins' season was halted yesterday as part of the American Hockey League's decision to suspend games.

Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design are the latest schools moving to virtual online learning because of the coronavirus threat. Both schools say the change will be effective at the end of the month. Additionally, all residence halls on both campuses will close on March 22nd, and students will have to complete the semester from their homes or an alternate location.

The Atlantic 10 and the Big East Tournaments are now canceled due to the threat of the coronavirus. The University of Rhode Island Rams were to begin tournament play in Brooklyn, New York, against an opponent that would have been determined.  The Providence College Friars were scheduled to play Butler University at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Several other college conferences have also canceled their tournaments.

The Diocese of Providence is going to continue offering Masses, however, due to the threat of the coronavirus, Catholics are released from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the time being. Parishioners over 60 years of age and anyone with underlying health conditions are especially encouraged to take advantage of the dispensation. Pastors and Catholic school administrators are also directed to carefully evaluate the advisability of holding any social events scheduled for a parish or school.

A no visitor policy is now in effect at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence until further notice. CharterCARE Health Partners says it's an effort to protect patients and staff and limit potential exposure to the coronavirus. All patients, including those arriving for outpatient procedures, are advised to access both hospitals via Emergency Department entrances where they will be screened and directed to the appropriate location. A no visitor policy is also in effect at all Lifespan and Care New England hospitals.

Providence School Superintendent Harrison Peters says he has 34 priorities. The new state-appointed superintendent released a ten-page plan this week. Priorities include a review of the transportation policy, reducing employee vacancies, a recruitment drive to attract diverse and effective teachers and a school facilities capital plan.

Several events scheduled at the Rhode Island Convention Center are now canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus. Among the cancellations is the Rhode Island Home Show which had been planned for early next month. Two Rhode Island Philharmonic concerts, tomorrow night and Saturday night, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium have been postponed. The orchestra says other performances will also be rescheduled should it become necessary.

The Providence Ethics Commission approved an ethics probe of city Public Safety Chief Steven Pare on Wednesday night. The complaint, filed by Providence City Councilman James Taylor, is that Pare allegedly declined to hire a fire chief because the move would affect his salary. The Ethics Commission after taking the vote to approve the investigation said the city had already hired an attorney to conduct an investigation, which apparently is already complete. The commission said that action was premature.

Coronavirus-related isolation efforts are continuing in Rhode Island. Community College of Rhode Island, Providence College, and the University of Rhode Island are all switching to online classes, joining many other institutions of higher learning in New England. The Rhode Island Department of Corrections suspended all visits to the Adult Correctional Institution on Wednesday. The Rhode Island Convention Center is canceling several events, including the Rhode Island Home Show.

The Providence Ethics Commission approved an ethics probe of city Public Safety Chief Steven Pare on Wednesday night. The complaint, filed by Providence City Councilman James Taylor, is that Pare allegedly declined to hire a fire chief because the move would affect his salary. The Ethics Commission after taking the vote to approve the investigation said the city had already hired an attorney to conduct an investigation, which apparently is already complete. The commission said that action was premature.

New guidance issued over the coronavirus crisis by Governor Gina Raimondo and the state Department of Health to Rhode Islanders on Wednesday was to avoid events with 250 or more people. The state says the guidance is in line with what is being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, intended to slow the transmission of COVID-19. The Newport City Council cited the new guidance in taking another vote on whether to revoke the license for this weekend's Saint Patrick's Day Parade; the updated vote yesterday, the second in as many days, was unanimous to revoke the license, meaning the parade will not happen.

The newest member of the House is going to be sworn into office today. Joshua Giraldo was elected last week to fill the vacancy in District 56 in Central Falls, left by the resignation of Shelby Maldonado. He's been chief of staff to Central Falls Mayor James Diossa since October of 2015.

Last night's scheduled House Judiciary Committee hearing on gun legislation was postponed due to concern about the coronavirus. The postponement was recommended by the director of the state Department of Health because a big crowd was expected at the hearing. All other House committee hearings were held as scheduled.

There's now a system-wide no visitor policy at Care New England hospitals because of the coronavirus. The policy is in effect at Kent, Butler and Women & Infants hospitals. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of medical and nursing supervisors. Lifespan implemented a similar policy at its hospitals earlier this week.

The Charlestown Town Council voted unanimously on Monday against a solar energy ordinance proposed by a solar developer. Attorneys for Stamford, Connecticut-based Freepoint LLC proposed a zoning amendment that would allow a commercial solar facility near the northern end of the town. The developers had reportedly been exploring solar projects in Charlestown for several years.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza announced funding on Tuesday for local doula service providers. Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide physical, emotional and informational support to pregnant women. City Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune said black women in the U.S. experience some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the nation, and that doulas play a vital role in increasing their survival rates. Four applicants were awarded five grants of four-thousand dollars each.