Rhode Island requires children to ride in the back seat secured in an approved car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old, 57 inches tall, or weigh 80 pounds. Infants and toddlers must remain rear-facing until at least 2 years old or 30 lbs. [1, 2]
Key Requirements
Under Age 2: Must be in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat.
Age 2 to 8: Must be in an approved child restraint system (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster seat) in the back seat.
Ages 8–17: Can sit in the front or back, but must be secured with a seat belt.
Exiting a Booster: Children who meet all three of the following can transition to a regular seat belt: Age 8 or older, at least 57 inches tall, and 80+ pounds. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Exemptions & Fines
Pickup Trucks / Vehicles without rear seats: Children may ride in the front, but must still be properly restrained in their car seat/booster (with the passenger-side airbag turned off, if applicable).
Penalties: Fines for a first-time child restraint violation are typically $85. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Rhode Island has some of the strictest window tinting laws in the country.
Rhode Island Window Tint Requirements
Passenger Cars (Sedans & Coupes):
Windshield: No tinting allowed, except for a non-reflective strip above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
Front & Back Side Windows: Must allow at least 70% of light in (VLT).
Rear Window: Must allow at least 70% of light in (VLT). [1]
MPVs (SUVs, Vans & Trucks):
Front Side Windows: Must allow at least 70% of light in (VLT).
Back Side & Rear Windows: Can be tinted to any darkness, including complete privacy (0% VLT). [1]
Other Key Regulations
Reflectivity: Window films cannot be more reflective or mirrored than standard glass.
Colors: All tint colors are allowed as long as they meet VLT percentages.
Medical Exceptions: The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles issues medical exemptions for individuals with conditions requiring protection from the sun.
Penalties: Police actively enforce this law; violations can result in fines up to $250 per offense. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Tinted windows are primarily restricted to ensure driver visibility and law enforcement safety. Overly dark films impair a driver's ability to see at night, hide seat belt and mobile phone violations, and prevent police officers from assessing the number of occupants or seeing if someone is reaching for a weapon. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Window tint laws vary by state, but the primary safety and legal concerns include: [1, 2, 3]
Driver Visibility: Dark tints significantly reduce the light transmittance into the cabin, which makes it harder for the driver to see pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles in low-light or adverse weather conditions. [1, 2]
Officer Safety: During traffic stops, officers need to be able to make eye contact and see inside the vehicle. Dark tints increase the risk of an ambush by concealing the occupants' actions and preventing the officer from determining if there are potential threats. [1, 2, 3]
Traffic Law Enforcement: Tinted windows make it difficult for law enforcement to monitor drivers for infractions like distracted driving (e.g., using a phone) or failing to wear a seat belt. [1, 2]
Identification & Security: Solid, opaque, or highly reflective films can be used to conceal criminal activity or help individuals evade security and traffic cameras. [1]
Because laws are enforced by individual states rather than the federal government, regulations differ significantly across the country. States measure tint using Visible Light Transmission (VLT)—the percentage of light that is allowed to pass through the window. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Sparklers
that sizzle on a stick, fountains that spray sparks and an exploding
Bin Laden head are a few of the fireworks being sold legally in nearby
Rhode Island.
Just over the Fall River line,
Joker Fireworks at 36 Main St., Tiverton, opened in June to cash in on
Fourth of July sales. The shop is selling all sorts of fireworks to
buyers from all over the region, including those in nearby
Massachusetts.
“We’re getting a lot of people from Massachusetts,” said store clerk Lance Gunberg.
The
shop is owned by Richard Langlois and Walter Mandeville. They expanded
the business to Tiverton from the main store in New Hampshire.
It
has always been legal to purchase fireworks in New Hampshire, and many
of those pyrotechnics have made their way to the commonwealth. Fireworks
became legal in Rhode Island in 2010. Rhode Island laws are stricter
than those in New Hampshire, and allow only ground and handheld
“sparkling” devices, that may crackle but not “bang,” and cannot be
projected into the air.
Still, the brightly colored packages promise colorful displays of sparks with smoke and pops.
“This
is our first time setting off fireworks,” said Celia Spencer of
Taunton, shopping at Joker in Tiverton. She said her son Eric “can’t
wait to set them off.”
A customer who didn’t
want to identify himself said it used to be a “hassle” to drive to New
Hampshire for fireworks. “It’s been a long time since I’ve used them.”
Massachusetts
Fire Marshall Stephen D. Coan is urging the public in a press release:
“Be smart! Leave the fireworks to the professionals.”
“People
mistakenly think they know how to use fireworks safely just because
nothing bad has happened to them yet,” Coan said. “But, when things go
wrong with fireworks, it happens suddenly, without warning, and the
impact is irrevocable and life changing.”
Coan said more fires occur on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year.
He
said that last year, a Dennis home was destroyed due to fireworks that
ignited the roof. In Saugus, a 21-year old man received severe burns to
his face when he looked into a cake-type firework to see why it had
stopped firing. It blew up in his face.
The
Department of Fire Services reported more than 2.4 million in property
losses in the past decade due to fireworks incidents.
But, the lure of fireworks is apparently intoxicating, regardless of the danger or legality.
At
Warren Mart on Market Street, Warren, R.I., just about a mile from
Swansea, store owner Antonio Elhaggy of Fall River said he’d love it if
Massachusetts would legalize fireworks.
“I’d like to open a store in Massachusetts,” Elhaggy said.
Warren
Mart sells conveniences like milk, scratch tickets, candy and
cigarettes. On one store shelf is a display of fireworks like the
Crackling Rose Garden and Picturesque Shower of Sparks.
Elhaggy
said he didn’t know where his fireworks customers lived, whether they
were Rhode Islanders or crossing the Massachusetts border to purchase
fireworks illegally.
“I don’t care where they come from,” Elhaggy said.
He
started selling fireworks when it became legal two years ago. Others
stores in Rhode Island sell fireworks too, even big box stores.
“Anything to make business better,” Elhaggy said. “It’s a rough economy.”
Elhaggy
said Rhode Island should not restrict fireworks sales to ground and
sparkler displays. He said fireworks that explode or rise into the sky
are not anymore dangerous.
Sparklers burn at over 1,200 degrees according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
Years ago I phone the local landlord when his tenants had tiki torches burning on a FIRST FLOOR TRIPLE DECKER PORCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grilling on porches in Woonsocket, RI, is restricted under the Rhode Island Fire Safety Code and NFPA 1 regulations. The rules depend on your housing type: [1]
Multi-Family Dwellings (3+ units): Gas, charcoal, and hibachi grills are completely illegal to use or store on any balcony, porch, or under any overhanging portion of a building. [1]
One- and Two-Family Homes: You can legally grill on porches, but you must maintain a 10-foot clearance from any combustible structure (walls, railings, eaves) unless manufacturer instructions state otherwise. Grilling under overhangs or enclosed porches is generally prohibited. [1, 2, 3]
Electric Grills: These are typically permitted on open porches or balconies since they do not use an open flame, provided you maintain basic fire clearance. [1, 2]
Rhode Island allows the sale of non-aerial, non-explosive "ground" fireworks (like sparklers and fountains). Larger aerial fireworks (like firecrackers and bottle rockets) that make a "bang" or leave the ground are entirely
The disconnect between what is sold and what is banned comes down to specific regulations and enforcement realities:
Legal "Safe and Sane" Sales: Stores in Rhode Island are legally permitted to sell ground-based and hand-held "sparkling" devices that do not fly or detonate. [1]
The "Out-of-State" Loophole: Many of the loud, aerial fireworks you see shot off in the state are purchased legally in neighboring states (like New Hampshire) where laws are more relaxed, and then illegally transported back across state lines. [1, 2]
Enforcement Challenges: Because police cannot monitor every backyard, it is difficult to catch individuals in the act of illegally setting off banned pyrotechnics, making the illegal use widespread despite strict fines. [1, 2]
Fireworks
Legal vs. Illegal Fireworks
Legal Fireworks
In Rhode Island, only ground and hand-held sparkling devices
(“sparklers”) are legal for use by the general public, sixteen years of
age or older. These devices are ground based or hand-held devices that
produce a shower of white, gold, or colored sparks as their primary
pyrotechnic effect. Additional effects may include a colored flame, an
audible crackling effect, an audible whistle effect, and smoke. These
devices do not rise into the air, do not fire inserts or projectiles
into the air, and do not explode or produce a report. (A mild audible
crackling-type effect is not considered to be a report.) Ground-based or
hand-held devices that produce a cloud of smoke as their sole
pyrotechnic effect are also included in this category.
Rhode Island General Law § 11-13-1 states that no one can sell, use
or possess display fireworks or aerial consumer fireworks. Certain
fireworks and devices that are exempt from the definitions of display
fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks include but are not limited to:
Sparklers, party poppers, snappers, toy smoke devices, snakes, glow worms, wire sparklers & dipped sticks
Illegal Fireworks
Any firecrackers, rockets, mortars, or any other device that
launches a projectile and/or makes a "bang"/detonation/report are
illegal per RIGL § 11-13-1.
To file a complaint or report the use of illegal fireworks, contact
your local police department. DO NOT call 9-1-1 to report fireworks or
loud noises.
Sky Lanterns
Sky lanterns, or Kongming Lanterns, are typically small
hot air balloons made of paper, with an opening at the bottom, where a
small fire burns. The lantern, with the fire still burning, is released
and then becomes airborne. The release of burning sky lanterns presents a
serious risk of causing unintentional fires and injury. Their use in
the State of Rhode Island is prohibited under the provisions of the Fire
Safety Code. [450-RICR-00-00-7-10.1.9.3
Many of the cranberry farmers who are part of the Ocean Spray cooperative are based in Southeastern Massachusetts. Peter Pereira
Abigail Buckwalter is heading back to the farm.
After
16 years rising through the ranks of Nestlé’s nutritional supplement
and pharmaceutical therapy business, Buckwalter has moved from New
Jersey to Massachusetts to be the new chief executive of Lakeville-based
Ocean Spray Cranberries.
It’s
a bit of a full-circle moment for the consumer products executive, who
grew up in Iowa and worked summers as a kid, detasseling corn.
Now,
Buckwalter rejoins the agriculture world as a seasoned business
executive: While Ocean Spray is one of Massachusetts’s best known
brands, it’s also a farming cooperative owned by around 700 growers in
North America and Chile.
Buckwalter
starts on Monday, taking over for Tom Hayes, who retired from the job
in March after five years in the role. She’ll lead a 2,000-person
company that generates about $2 billion in annual revenue, mostly from
its juices and other fruit beverages.
About
one-quarter of those people work in Massachusetts, primarily at the
Lakeville office or nearby facilities in the state’s cranberry-growing
region, along with a 40-person satellite office in Boston’s Seaport.
Abigail Buckwalter is the new CEO of Ocean Spray Cranberries.Ocean Spray Cranberries
Like
many farmers, cranberry growers are struggling with inflationary and
real estate pressures. Buckwalter said she’s looking forward to helping
them navigate these challenges. Tops on her to-do list: learning and
listening, by meeting with employees and farmers. She hopes to honor
Ocean Spray’s century of history, while also pushing it to evolve “in
new and relevant ways.”
“I
feel the weight of responsibility to our board and to our growers,”
Buckwalter said in an interview. “We have to find ways to ... make sure
their prosperity continues, generation after generation.”
Buckwalter
started at Nestlé Health Science in the group’s marketing division, but
eventually took on larger executive tasks, moving up through jobs that
took her to offices in Switzerland (Nestlé’s home country) and Australia
before returning to in 2021 to work at the US corporate office in New
Jersey; she became the US CEO of Nestlé Health Science in 2023,
overseeing about 6,000 people.
During
her tenure, she worked on a variety of brands — small emerging ones to
big blockbusters. Some of the health science group’sbest known product lines include Boost, Meritene, Nuun, Nature’s Valley, and Carnation Instant Breakfast.
Now, she’ll just have one brand to focus on.
“It
felt like the right moment for me to take my two-plus decades in
consumer packaged goods and apply it to a cooperative at Ocean Spray,”
Buckwalter said. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”
A mother of three children, Buckwalter said she’s looking forward to settling into the Boston area.
“I’m
excited for my kids to go to school here,” Buckwalter said.
“Massachusetts is world-renowned for its education and inclusiveness. I
love the fact [Boston] is a world-class city but it feels approachable
and inviting.”
When allergies trigger severe post-nasal drip, your body overproduces mucus in response to airborne irritants, leading to throat irritation, a persistent cough, and a constant need to clear your throat. You can find rapid relief using nasal rinses, non-drowsy antihistamines, and nasal steroid sprays.Severe allergic post-nasal drip can be agonizing.
Targeting the inflammation and excess mucus directly can help you feel normal again:Rinse Your Nasal Passages: Use a sinus rinse (like a NeilMed Sinus Rinse or Neti Pot) to physically flush out pollen, dust, and thick mucus from your nasal cavity.
Nasal Steroid Sprays: Over-the-counter (OTC) options like Flonase or Nasacort reduce nasal inflammation and decrease mucus production with daily use.
Non-Drowsy Antihistamines: Medications like Claritin or Allegra block the histamine response that causes your allergy symptoms, though they may slightly thicken mucus in some individuals.
Expectorants: If your mucus is very thick, an OTC medicine containing guaifenesin (such as Mucinex) can thin it out so it drains less irritatingly down your throat.
Hydrate and Humidify: Drink plenty of warm liquids, like tea or broth, and run a cool-mist humidifier in your bedroom to keep your nasal passages from drying out.
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment is the greatest wealth”
Health is the greatest gift,
contentment is the greatest wealth,
a trusted friend is the best relative,
Liberated mind is the greatest bliss.
This one’s very common and it’s legitimate. It’s verse 204 of the Dhammapada, in a translation by Daw Mya Tin. He has
Health is the greatest gift,
contentment is the greatest wealth,
a trusted friend is the best relative,
Nibbana is the greatest bliss.
“Nibbana” has been changed to “liberated mind” in the Facebook
version, but that’s fair enough, since it makes the verse understandable
to non-Buddhists without significantly changing the meaning.
In the recipe, further down this page, gives you about 10-12 buns depending on how big you make them.
If you are going to use the buns for your daily lunch, I will
recommend you freeze them. That way, you can easily defrost the buns, as
you need them. Heat them in the oven or on your toaster and you have
the most delicious buns ready for breakfast or lunch.
Nordic Vegetarian Spinach Buns
Super
delicious Nordic vegetarian spinach buns with oats, whole-wheat flour
and pumpkin seeds. Healthy and perfect for the weekend breakfast or for
lunch. Serve with slices of meat or a good homemade basil pesto.
Dissolve fresh yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. If using dry yeast, add this with the flour.
Add
the rest of the ingredients and knead everything into a smooth and
sticky dough. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. The dough is sticky it is
just fine.
Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let the dough rise somewhere warm for 1.5 hours.
Turn on the oven at 250 C (480 F). Allow the oven and oven tray to heat thoroughly while continuing with the next step.
Use two spoons dipped in water to set 12 buns on a sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen table. Brush the buns with an egg.
Adjust
the oven temperature down to 225 C (440 F). Transfer the parchment
paper with the buns onto the hot oven tray and bake the bread for 20
minutes. They are finished when they are golden.
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