Apex Imbrogio + Sugary Drink Tax + Charter School Power Player

Welcome to the Pawtucket Patch Daily — your quickest way to get caught up on the city's top news stories. I'm your host, Mary Serreze. I can be reached at mary.serreze@patch.com. Feel free to send me your news tips, thoughts, and ideas.

First, the weather:

Tuesday: Possible light rain in the morning and afternoon. Temps: High of 76 and low of 58.
Wednesday: Clear throughout the day. Temps: High of 77 and low of 54.
Thursday: Partly cloudy throughout the day. Temps: High of 77 and low of 55.

Patch Pick: Pawtucket will honor Pride month by raising the rainbow flag on June 22 at City Hall.

Here are the top five stories from Pawtucket today:

1. A tug-of-war over five downtown parcels continues. The Apex Companies seeks a one-year extension of its 2015 master plan for Riverfront Commons, a long-stalled major retail development along I-95. The Pawtucket Planning Commission will consider the request on Tuesday. The news comes as the city threatens to take the land via eminent domain. (Patch)

2. Janie Seguí Rodríguez, a Pawtucket mom and founder of Stop the Wait RI, has emerged as a state education power player. She has organized hundreds of parents — overwhelmingly minority mothers from Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket — to push for expanded access to public charter schools, GoLocalProv reports.

3. A bill sponsored by Rep. Jean Philippe Barros, a Pawtucket Democrat, would enact a tax on sugary beverages. The revenue would fund a Retail SNAP Incentive Program. In Rhode Island, more than 17 percent of kids between the ages of 10 to 17 are obese. (The Boston Globe)

4. Call off the search. Pawtucket police say Michael Chartier, a man reported missing since June 1, has been found “alive and well.” (WJAR)

5. If you want to get a COVID-19 test at the Stop & Shop on Cottage Street, Sunday June 27 will be the last day. Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health plan to consolidate state-run COVID-19 test sites, reflecting a shift in Rhode Island's pandemic response. (Patch)

June 15 Events:

• The Pawtucket Board of Canvassers will meet at 1 p.m. via Zoom. They plan to discuss the June 8 Democratic primary for the open District 5 City council seat and certify the results.

• Pawtucket Public Library Trustees meet at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom.

• The Pawtucket City Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. On the agenda: minor subdivisions at Walnut Street and Kenyon Avenue and a request from the Apex Companies for an extension of their 2015 master plan.

That's it. You're all caught up. See you tomorrow.

About me: Maine native, UMass Amherst Regional Planning alum. Stick-shift driver, explorer. I believe in good government and the public's right to know. Interested in just about everything. I still like paper maps. I can be reached at mary.serreze@patch.com.