Free Republic

Two decomposed bodies were found in the home of a former longtime Rhode Island mayor on Monday, according to a report. The shocking discovery was made by police in the city of Woonsocket, according to WJAR, where an elderly man and elderly woman were found in the home of ex-Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard. Menard served as the city’s leader for more than a decade, beginning her tenure in 1995 before she left office in 2009, according to the city. Her tenure as mayor is apparently the longest in the city’s history. It’s not yet known if Menard is one of...

<p>WOONSOCKET, R.I. – The economy of Woonsocket was about to stir to life. Delivery trucks were moving down river roads, and stores were extending their hours. The bus company was warning riders to anticipate “heavy traffic.” A community bank, soon to experience a surge in deposits, was rolling a message across its electronic marquee on the night of Feb. 28: “Happy shopping! Enjoy the 1st.”</p>

WOONSOCKET — "We're in this to the end." That was the battle cry and official response from Mayor Leo T. Fontaine and City Solicitor Joseph S. Larisa Jr. to the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has demanded the city remove the WWI and WWII memorial cross at Place Jolicoeur. "This monument is dedicated to heroes and this is as close to a gravestone as this family will have on U.S. soil. We will defend this monument no matter what," Fontaine told more than 100 cheering veterans and supporters who gathered for a late afternoon press conference Friday at the...

WOONSOCKET -- A brawl at Woonsocket Middle School on Monday led to the arrest of two parents and four students after one mother drove her daughter to campus to fight a rival, police said. The fight involving two 13-year-old girls occurred at 1:54 p.m. as students were dismissed from the school for the day, according to Police Lt. Timothy Paul. A feud between the two students had been brewing for several weeks, he said. One of the girls was on school suspension and planned to go after school to beat up the other student, Paul said. Witnesses told police the...