☕ Freaky Friday

Friday, March 13, 2026 | Edition #16

GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. Today is Friday the 13th — the famously unlucky day that even has its own official fear: paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is either a legitimate psychological term or something a doctor made up after losing a game of Scrabble.

Fun fact: 2026 actually has three Friday the 13ths — the maximum possible in a single year. Historic blizzards, record electric-bill surges, and three doomsday Fridays… 2026 appears to be leaning pretty hard into the whole bad-luck thing. Good thing St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner to even things out.

Anyways… happy Friday!

Warwick is about to become the first city in Rhode Island to deploy a "Drone as First Responder" system, after the City Council approved a three-year contract with Flock Safety. The drone launches from police headquarters and can reach an emergency scene in about a minute — which, for the record, is faster than any human has ever driven through the Apponaug rotaries, and faster than your Door Dash has ever arrived. Ever. The drone provides live aerial video to officers before they even arrive on scene, improving decision-making and response times. The program is funded through the Federal Asset Forfeiture Fund, meaning criminals are essentially paying for their own aerial surveillance. Poetic.

Warwick's unofficial motto is "sorry, we're repaving" — and apparently that now extends to the airport. Residents near T.F. Green International Airport should know that the main runway, Runway 5-23, is expected to close for repaving as early as next month and running all the way through October. During the closure, flights will shift to the secondary runway, meaning neighborhoods east and west of the airport will see more overhead traffic, while those north and south get a glorious, peaceful summer sky. Airport officials call it routine maintenance. Warwick residents call it a Tuesday. No word yet on whether the construction will also involve mysterious orange barrels and a years-long detour.

Somewhere in Warwick, a Toll Gate High School yearbook is worth significantly more than it was two weeks ago. Alumnus John Hynes — current head coach of the NHL's Minnesota Wild — served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where the Americans beat Canada to win gold. Canada. At hockey. According to The Warwick Beacon, Hynes called it the highlight of his coaching career and a proud moment for the Rhode Island hockey community.

A Pilgrim High School student walked into the Rhode Island State House and testified in front of lawmakers about football helmet safety legislation. Just a teenager, doing civic things, while most of us can't even return a phone call. The bill would require high school football players statewide to wear "Guardian Caps" — soft-shell covers that go over helmets to reduce impact force and lower concussion risk. Cranston already requires them during practice and somehow their kids' heads are still attached, so the model works. Warwick-area legislators are backing the bill. The Pilgrim student who testified deserves a round of applause — and probably a better cafeteria.

A Resilient Young Man – Just weeks after losing three family members in a tragic shooting at a Pawtucket ice rink, Rhode Island high school hockey player Colin Dorgan delivered a powerful moment on the ice. Dorgan scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to lift the Blackstone Valley co-op team to a 3–2 victory over Portsmouth, sending them to the Division II state championship. The goal came shortly after the devastating shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena, which shook the state’s tight-knit hockey community. Teammates rushed the ice after the winner, creating one of the most emotional scenes of the postseason.

Drug Spike – The Rhode Island Department of Health is sounding the alarm after a spike in non-fatal overdoses during the week of March 2–8, with elevated activity reported in Cranston and several northwestern communities including Burrillville, Foster, Glocester, and Scituate. Illicit fentanyl remains the dominant culprit — and is increasingly being found mixed into cocaine, meth, and counterfeit pills, meaning people may not know what they're actually taking. RIDOH says the alert is about awareness and connecting people to treatment and recovery resources. If you or someone you know needs help, call 401-942-7422 or visit health.ri.gov.

March Sadness (Confirmed): Any lingering hope for local men’s teams quietly wrapped up this week as both Providence College and the University of Rhode Island men’s squads were bounced from their conference tournaments — less a shocking upset and more a confirmation of where things were headed. But the Ocean State still has a little skin in the game: the Rhode Island Rams women's basketball team will now wait for Selection Sunday to learn their opponent in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, giving Rhode Island fans at least one team to root for when the brackets drop.

Each week we’ll post a zoomed-in photo from somewhere in Warwick — your job is to figure out where it is. Could be a building, sign, statue, weird landmark, or random corner of the city you’ve driven by 1,000 times but never really noticed. The answer will be revealed below.

Image shown below — This is an easy one, guys…

Ubiquitous (adjective) — Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

In Rhode Island, running into someone you know when you’re absolutely not in the mood for a conversation is so ubiquitous it’s practically written into the state constitution.

St. Patrick’s Warm-Up Tour — Greenwood Inn, Shannon View Inn, and Governor Francis Inn. St. Patrick’s Day eating season has officially begun, with corned beef, Reubens, and boiled dinners popping up around Warwick like everyone collectively remembered they’re Irish for the week.

O'Rourke's Bar and Grill — Live music all weekend, Shamrocked & Scrambled breakfasts, and enough bands on the lineup to make it feel like a three-day Irish music festival with better bar food.

West Warwick St. Patrick’s Day Parade — The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Pawtuxet Valley’s 65th annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is on its way.

Newport St. Patrick's Day Parade — The 70th annual parade steps off Saturday at 11 a.m., bringing bagpipes, marching bands, and thousands of people making questionable hydration choices before noon.

Providence St. Patrick’s Day Parade — Steps off at noon on Smith Street and marches up to the State House — arrive early unless you enjoy watching parades from three blocks away or on Facebook Live.

Lots of music, green clothing, and more than a few morons on the roads — be safe out there this weekend. 🍀🚗

📍 Where in Warwick Answer: The image of the bridge shown above was taken at Goddard Memorial State Park — not quite the Ponte Vecchio, but a solid place for a sunset walk and pretending you’re somewhere more Italian.

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That's it for today. Have a tip, a story suggestion, or have any wild pothole pics you’d like to share? Hit reply.

Stay safe, Warwick ☕

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