Pawtucket Cop With PTSD + Drug Bust + Popeyes Fried Chicken

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, today's weather: Possible light rain in the morning. High: 78, low: 62.

Here are the top stories in Pawtucket today:

1. Boston Globe reporter Amanda Milkovits tells of Pawtucket Police Detective Dave Silva, who developed post-traumatic stress disorder on the job and asked to be put on injured leave. An arbitrator sided with Silva, saying the union contract does not distinguish between physical and mental injuries. Now Mayor Donald Grebien and Police Chief Tina Goncalves are fighting the arbitrator’s ruling in Superior Court.

Silva talked about horrific things he’s seen and experienced as a cop, including crime scenes involving young children. Vincent Ragosta, the city’s lawyer, plans to argue that Silva, a former Marine, “exaggerated his experiences” as a police officer, and that mental stress is part of the job. “Just because he has a mental illness and has a PTSD diagnosis doesn’t make it compensable under Rhode Island courts,” Ragosta told The Globe.

2. Police on Wednesday searched a home and car on Dunnell Avenue and seized 630 fentanyl pills, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, a loaded .40 caliber ghost gun with a 30-round magazine, a 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic with an obliterated serial number, and around $8,000 in cash. A Pawtucket man and woman were arrested as part of a larger investigation by the Providence Police Department and the Office of Attorney General Peter Neronha. (Patch)

3. Mayor Donald Grebien has an article in the New England Real Estate Journal. He writes about the $47 million Pawtucket-Central Falls Commuter Rail Station that’s set to open in mid-2022. The station and bus hub will connect commuters to Boston, Providence, and T.F. Green. A new “Transit-Oriented Development” district will attract real estate investors and spur rehabilitation of historic mills, Grebien opines.

4. Have something to say about the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor? Where should future public funding be focused? Residents of Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Providence, Smithfield, and Woonsocket, are invited to complete a survey. (Patch)

5. Here’s great news for fried chicken fans. A Popeye’s is coming to Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. “Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has … building permits to do more than $200,000 in renovations to the former Burger King restaurant,” reports The Valley Breeze. “Things are starting to come back a little bit now,” said Mayor Charles Lombardi.

Events:

• "Bright Lights on Exchange Street" promises a Saturday night experience with hookah, drinks, food, DJs and performances for the 18+ crowd. 15 Exchange Street; 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

• Interested in learning Latin dance? Saturday night Mambo Pa Ti at 560 Mineral Spring Ave. in Pawtucket will host a workshop and social for $25. It's $15 for the social alone. 7-11 p.m. Call (401) 475-7880 for more information.

Pawtucket Patch Notebook

• Pawtucket Police Department: "Pawtucket Police Community Police Officers Rose and Perez visit ElectroMagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration." (Facebook)
• Pawtucket City Hall - Mayor's Office: "The Pawtucket Police Department will be holding a gun buyback this weekend for city residents." (Facebook)

That's it. You're all caught up. If you like this newsletter, sign up and tell your friends. It's simple, but it keeps us rolling. Let me know about your community events. Have a good day out there. -Mary

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.