Pawtucket 'Moors' Connection + McCoy Fireworks, No PawSox

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: Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 89, Low of 71.

Here are the top stories in Pawtucket today:

1. The Leader of "Rise of the Moors" is a Tolman alum.

Pawtucket made headlines over the weekend after 11 heavily armed men who identify as "Moorish Nationals" engaged in a seven-hour standoff with Massachusetts State Police on I-95. Turns out the leader of the group, Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey, AKA Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer, is a Tolman grad. The Boston Globe spoke with Bey's parents, both of whom rejected the idea that their son, who lives in Providence, would engage in any violent behavior. The men are due to be arraigned today on a litany of gun-related charges. Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, was also among those arrested.

2. The Moors group planned to move into a foreclosed house in Pawtucket.

National news outlets are referring to the "Pawtucket-based Rise of the Moors." But it's not that simple. Until recently the group was operating from 23 Acorn Street in Providence, Bey himself wrote in a rambling federal lawsuit targeting the Providence Police Department. On their website, the group announced plans to take over a foreclosed property at 339 Broadway in Pawtucket. The large wooden apartment building is owned by Midfirst Bank, city land records show. On Sunday morning, the house appeared to be vacant, and a notice was taped to the door. (Patch)

3. Fireworks return to McCoy, but without the PawSox

Instead of the annual Fourth of July PawSox game, food trucks and live music entertained locals as fireworks were set off inside the empty stadium. "The city spent more money on this years display, roughly $50,000, to get the fireworks higher in the air for more people to see." (WPRI)

4. Central Falls is Celebrating Independence Day on July 7

The family-friendly celebration — with free food, live music and fireworks — will be held Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, Mayor Maria Rivera announced Friday.

5. Governor Dan McKee returned to Cumberland Monday as grand marshal in the Arnold Mills Fourth of July Parade. McKee, born and raised in Cumberland, served two terms as the town’s mayor before being elected lieutenant governor in 2014. (WPRI)

Today's Pawtucket Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Pawtucket!

Events

• The Pawtucket Mayor's Community Board meets at 6 p.m. (Agenda)
• The Pawtucket Board of Appeals meets at 6:30 p.m. New Leaf Compassion Center seeks to build a medical marijuana dispensary on India Street. (Agenda)
• The Pawtucket Dog Park Committee meets at 7 p.m. Dogapalooza is on the agenda.
• It's special election day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the empty District 5 City Council seat.

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.