by MOLLY LEVINE RI (WJAR) — Unsanitary conditions caused a Dollar Tree store in North Providence to close after a health inspection turned up dead mice and rodent droppings in front of the post office and behind a Cumberland Farms The public report states an inspector found the presence of rodents evidenced by droppings The evidence was reportedly found under shelving throughout the sales floor and the stock room The report also detailed how the doors are not tight-fitting leaving room for insects and rodents to enter and that the dumpster was not covered and the area was surrounded by trash and debris According to several residents in the area the Dollar Tree is vital for this community and a week closed has hurt their pockets as well as the one in the back of this Dollar Tree it kind of fit the community," said Anthony Boulet A spokesperson for the Health Department told NBC 10 the Dollar Tree can take as much time as it needs to address the issues Residents in the area are hoping it can quickly get cleaned up and reopened "Even though it's subsidized people who go in there a lot of subsidized people go in there," said Boulet Dollar Tree did not immediately return NBC 10's request for comment An official website of the United States government JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts Funding source: HUD Community Development Block Grant North Providence with the leadership of Mayor Charles A Lombardi received Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from HUD to replace privately-owned lead service lines Providence Water Board will replace the public side Providence Water Board also provides outreach materials to residents and technical assistance including water testing View additional details about their program and about the Town's Remove the Whole Lead Pipe Program Return to the LSLR Financing Case Studies page.  Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Man killed in propane explosion in North Providenceby NBC 10 NEWS Officials in North Providence said Friday that a man was killed in a propane explosion. It happened in the woods behind Geneva Mills at about 1 a.m. North Providence first responders identified a sprawling homeless encampment off Douglas Avenue, as the site of a deadly propane explosion. First responders said a man had rigged a propane tank to a stove top and it exploded. Officials said two people were about 100 feet from the explosion and called 911. "They were back there before five o'clock in the morning," one North Providence neighbor told NBC10. "Police and fire and them." "It's a shame, it's a shame," the neighbor continued. "But there's been a problem back there." NBC 10 obtained video from a resident this morning of the flickering orange glow coming from the dense woods. Residents of the Geneva Mills Condominiums, said the sight of police and fire trucks along their property is far from uncommon as the encampment sits just feet, from the back fence of their parking lot. "Last week there were two fires back there," that neighbor concluded. "Fire came, police came. This morning, from what I'm told, you had 5 policeman, fire trucks, because there's been fires back there you can see the smoke. An autopsy is being performed to confirm the cause of death. NBC 10's Erin Coogan contributed to this report. NORTH PROVIDENCE, RI (WJAR) — A head-on collision caused a partial street closure in North Providence Thursday night. An NBC 10 photographer saw the two cars on Mineral Springs Avenue near the old police station shortly after 8 p.m. Officials said there were non life-threatening injuries. NBC 10 has reached out to police for more information. North Providence police charge driver with DUI following serious head-on collision by NBC 10 NEWS (WJAR) — The North Providence Police Department has charged a 29-year-old man with Driving Under the Influence following a serious head-on collision on Thursday to the area of 1967 Mineral Spring Avenue for the crash Two vehicles were involved in the head-on collision An NBC 10 news crew observed heavy damage to both vehicles The department announced on Friday that it has charged Dino Colaluca with DUI/DUI refusal Police say Colaluca was traveling in the eastbound lane of Mineral Spring Avenue when his vehicle crossed into the Westbound Lane The department said the victims of the crash were transported to Rhode Island Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries (WJAR) — The family of a well-known music producer is searching for answers after he was found dead inside his North Providence recording studio over the weekend Police said officers responded to Pressure Records on Humbert Street on Saturday morning for a welfare check after 41-year-old Hector Arvelo had not been heard from in two days Authorities said there were several indicators that foul play was involved The Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide following an autopsy on Monday Arvelo’s family gathered outside the studio Monday night for a candlelight vigil mentor and pillar of the local music community described his father as a welcoming presence who built bridges with people through music "He's a family guy," Lugo said "He was the type of person that was genuine He wasn’t very judgmental at all because he understood in his world Lugo said his father not only gave artists a space to record but also created a sense of community "The studio wasn’t just a studio—it was a family," he said "We had a lot of great times here." was not only Arvelo’s son but one of the first artists signed to his independent record label "The music scene—we lost a legend," he said "A lot of people didn’t just look at my dad as a business partner Lugo said his father had built a following over the years moving the studio to different locations around Providence before settling in North Providence He said the outpouring of support from friends but they’re sending their condolences and stuff," Lugo said "The family is still going through it." Arvelo was a father of nearly a dozen children Lugo said he feels a responsibility to carry on his father’s work and keep Pressure Records alive "This is the moment where the family comes together and shows that Pressure Records isn’t going to die," he said "We’re going to keep this going for him." North Providence police continue their investigation "I just want to know what happened to my dad," he said North Providence pool reopens nearly two years after hot tub explosionby TEMI-TOPE ADELEYE (WJAR) — The North Providence's pool and fitness center reopened after a hot tub explosion shut down operations nearly two years ago Mayor Charles Lombardi reopened the pool Wednesday afternoon with a ribbon cutting ceremony "This has been a long time coming but it gave us the opportunity to address all of this facility The hot tub exploded in August 2023 "As everyone knows we had an unfortunate situation where.. a valve became backed up and exploded so to say The hot tub shot up several feet in the air that day but there was damage throughout the building NBC 10 asked Lombardi why it took almost two years to make the repairs "It took quite some time figure out what was covered by the insurance what cost the town would have to bear," said Lombardi Lombardi said the cost was mostly covered by insurance but the Town of North Providence did put up a couple hundred thousand dollars North Providence resident Joann Lyon stopped by the center to see the renovations for herself "It will be nice just to travel right up the street instead of going to another town," said Lyon Lyon was in the pool at the time of the explosion in 2023 "It was 7 o'clock in the morning and I was just swimming and all of a sudden I heard a big so I think everyone is going to be very happy with the facility." Lyon has been using the YMCA pool in Lincoln for the past couple of years She encourages everyone to make their way back to the North Providence Pool and Fitness Center "Come on back we need our family back I always said that this was the fountain of youth I don't know where I'd be today." Lombardi said there is not a plan to repurpose the hot tub area at the moment The North Providence town pool is set to reopen on Wednesday Officials said the explosion was caused by chlorine build-up underneath the sitz bath (WLNE) — The North Providence Pool and Fitness Center will reopen Wednesday afternoon for the first time in two years The pool shut down in 2023 following an underground explosion due to a buildup of chlorine gas The mayor’s office told ABC6 that the pool underwent a complete overhaul The Mineral Spring Avenue facility reopens at 3:30 p.m Rhode Island State Police said a Birchwood Middle School teacher allegedly posted inappropriate photos and derogatory comments about female students on social media Police said they have interviewed a person of interest State Police detectives visited Birchwood Middle School to inform the administration of the situation Police said the students involved have been identified and their parents have been notified and interviewed Officials asked urging anyone with relevant information to contact State Police Goho sent the following statement to families: "I was notified this morning by law enforcement of alleged inappropriate conduct of a staff member at our school Law enforcement has informed me and stressed that based on the information they currently have Police said the teacher in question has been banned from all town facilities and events and placed on indefinite administrative leave by the school department (WJAR) — Soaring egg prices have sparked a new conversation on social media.. Better check local laws before you head out and buy some Experts believe bird flu is mostly to blame and with no immediate relief in sight some are buying chickens in search of a better deal Councilman Stefano Famiglietti tells NBC 10 News he's seen the idea floated in some Facebook groups though no constituents have reached out to him asking for a change in the local ordinance against raising chickens at home "Because we're so densely populated would be felt by those closely positioned neighbors." (WJAR) — Police said four masked men invaded a home in North Providence on Thursday They said four men with guns made forced entry into a home on Rosner Avenue at about 2:30 p.m Police said the victim told them that the intruders seemed to be familiar with the house and seemed to know where the valuable items were located The men fled the scene in a stolen vehicle "When you see so many police cars like that you just wonder what is that," Alex Oard who lives near by said "Its pretty concerning there's a lot of family members around here a lot of kids around here so its not a great feeling to see that." and I heard a car screeching down the road and then come to a stop and I jumped up because I heard somebody yelling," said another neighbor "There is a lot of people that come and go in the house So it's kind of an apartment type house So you don't really think much of it if you don't see somebody recognized because of the activity there," a neighbor said Police said the home invasion is under investigation They have not yet shared what those four suspects may look like or what kind of stolen vehicle they got away in NBC 10's Gabrielle Caracciolo contributed to this report NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The North Providence Police Department said that the community should expect traffic congestion due to the visitation and funeral for Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. Visitation hours are scheduled for April 27 from 3 p.m Ruggerio’s funeral will take place on April 28 at 11 a.m Police said that officers would “implement traffic control measures throughout the duration of the services.” residents attending visiting hours were asked to park at 1364 Smith Street NORTH PROVIDENCE — Vincent Pontarelli didn’t show any signs that he was slowing down The North Providence righty still had plenty of life on the fastball and the curve was freezing Middletown deep into his outing Pontarelli squashed any chance of a comeback when the Islanders pulled together their offensive sequences The Islanders followed with Garrett West’s RBI-single to the left side but Pontarelli induced a ground out to end the frame as North Providence kept a 4-1 advantage Pontarelli worked around a sacrifice fly by ending the inning with a strikeout looks like it could contend for postseason glory “I feel like the energy in the dugout is [stronger than last year],” Pontarelli said we're supporting each other through everything we come back and we have an even bigger inning I feel like we would come back in and we were kind of done This spring is North Providence’s best start since 2012 when the Cougars finished with a 17-1 mark the Cougars hold a 33-8 run differential with a 4-3 win over league contender East Greenwich But North Providence’s program success is rather thin with just two baseball titles in their history — a Class C crown in 1944 and a Class B championship in 1994 “Our pitchers are going to come in and they're going to throw complete games,” North Providence’s Michael Allard said “They're going to throw strikes and we’re going to play defense behind them “We're just playing team baseball right now We're making small plays and we're getting the timely hits that we were missing I think we're just stringing all the missing pieces from the last couple of years together.” Pontarelli had plenty of run support as North Providence sprayed across eight runs through the first four innings Tony Abed landed a two-RBI double to right in the home half of the third for a 4-0 advantage it just takes a whole weight off my shoulders,” Pontarelli said I can go out there and throw my fastball and let my defense make the plays I know my defense is good and they’re going to give me support.” first pitch and April vacation setting probably didn’t help but Middletown (3-3) already holds wins over West Warwick and Tiverton this season Evan LeVasseur tossed 3⅔ innings with four hits and eight runs If the Islanders can limit the mistakes that spelled trouble in the fourth inning “We've been putting the bat to ball,” LeVasseur said We got our pitching squared away and when we get on base “We just have to make sure to clean up the errors Ground balls can't be missed and throwing errors can't happen Just have to clean it up at practice and swing the bat.” (WLNE) — The North Providence Fire Department said a body was found after a fire at a homeless encampment overnight The department added that the incident was not related to any explosion (WJAR) — Videos shared on social media Friday showed smoke and flames billowing from a pickup truck parked at a gas station in North Providence A column of black smoke rose from a Shell gas station on Mineral Spring Avenue The fire chief said a woman pulled in with her pickup to get gasoline She said there was a mechanical problem before she arrived The fire started as she started pumping gas The chief said it was not related to the fuel The woman was able to get away unharmed and no one else was hurt The fire created enough heat to set off the fire suppression system The chief said the system is meant to hold the fire in check until firefighters arrive Police said Mineral Spring Avenue had reopened The fire chief said the gas station will be closed a few days for cleanup NORTH PROVIDENCE – The North Providence police are investigating the death of a Providence man as a homicide after his body was found at a recording studio Saturday morning the police found the body of Hector Arvelo The police had gone to the location for a well-being check because family members hadn't heard from Arvelo in two days Police officers saw "a number of indicators on scene that foul play was involved," and detectives were called in to investigate what was considered a suspicious death at that time and the death was classified as a homicide Detectives spent the weekend "combing through evidence and working leads," according to Ruggiero He said the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the neighborhood or town (WLNE) — The Armenian National Committee held a raising of the Armenian flag at North Providence City Hall to recognize the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide The event also honored two residents of the city and Mayor Charles Lombardi said Ozzie had been an active member of the community (WJAR) — North Providence fire officials were tackling a fire at an apartment complex on Friday Firefighters responded to a fire at apartment building on Smith Street at around 3 p.m North Providence fire chief said the crews saw smoke coming out of several different places when they arrived at the scene it took time to pinpoint where the fire was crews were able to bring it under control quickly The chief said the fire was in a unit on the top floor and a resident closed the door on the room where the fire was before evacuating North Providence fire chief said people living in the unit where the fire started were displaced Residents of units below them also may be displaced (WJAR) — A group of students with a common goal of 'doing something good' meet in North Providence each week the recreation director for the town of North Providence the 'Mayor's Youth Commission' was born Mayor Charles Lombardi formed the group in 2008 with the intent to engage youth in community activities The first commission had 10 high school-aged teens over 50 members meet regularly and plan community service projects “Every Tuesday night we have high school and a few junior high student together year-round to get back to the community," said Vickers “We have nothing in common other than that We don’t play the same sports...we’re not all math geniuses or we’re not all artistic We are just a group of very community oriented kids.” Besides targeting topics like public speaking and other discussions for how to better the community they live in they volunteer to help setup for the annual parade they carve hundreds of pumpkins at Halloween time they came up with a 'Teddy Bear Drive' to support 'Cuddles of Hope.' “We’re non-profit and we are dedicated to comforting children that are in uncomfortable or frightening situations such as being in the hospital," said Cuddles of Hope founder "We provide them with a stuffed animal to help them get through a difficult time." Antone and her team host a few drives a year Her organization is something the North Providence mayor has supported "I was blown away when I found out that they wanted to do a collection for us I feel like a symbol of comfort and having been in an emergency situation myself as a parent I knew how much it would’ve helped my son through a really difficult time.” the students went to work to get the word out about the Teddy Bear drive I helped with making posters and coloring designs," said Josiah Mendez-Rojas of Birchwood Middle School “I love helping and bringing smiles all around.” “It feels good to donate to them so they could enjoy it," added North Providence High School student Domenic Bonaminio A while back she fulfilled her hours for the National Honor Society “It’s always trying to help people and that’s what made me fall in love with it," said Dsanges knowing that this was an issue that we don’t really think about on a day-to-day basis but like we could help someone more than ourselves was just amazing." we went to place boxes and different places in our community like the library like different places so it was more than just us," she added Nearly 200 teddy bears and stuffed animals were collected from the bins placed all around town The group sorted them before giving them to Antone She said the plushies will go to children at Hasbro Children's Hospital “They’re not going to see the child receive the stuffed animal but every day they can wake up knowing that something they did is making a difference in a child's life that is going through a really difficult time," said Antone and my heart just keeps on getting bigger and it’s amazing to see it’s amazing to hear them get so excited about each project," said Vickers (WLNE) — North Providence police are asking for the public’s help finding a missing woman Police said 26-year-old Tiffany Singh was reported missing by her family Monday She was last seen walking away from her residence in town early Monday afternoon Police said Singh was wearing a grey hoodie police ask that you call them at 401-231-4533 RI (WJAR) — A North Providence man has been turning heads for decades for his one-of-a-kind custom-built candy cane car “Someone gave me an old exercise bike so I decided to put it up on top of the car instead of going to the gym," Clayman said with a smile “There’s nothing like working out being in the fresh air with trees all around you." eventually transforming it into a red and white car it started out as a flag car," he said The 1991 Toyota Camry is equipped with homemade rockets made from trash cans and salad bowls candy cane's hanging from the gym equipment atop of it “It’s $3,000 worth of reflective tape on there the same they use on trailer trucks," said Clayman which has been posted on social media sites for years People are constantly posing for pictures with it 'I remember that when I was a child' they walk by here they’re adults now so it’s been a long time," he said “You get to meet a lot of police driving a car like this "One time a state trooper pulled me over and said 'I just wanted to meet you.' One time I got pulled over and the officer asked me if this was legal." Clayman said the candy cane car isn't his everyday car Though over the years he has used it to his benefit she became concerned with what car she was dropped off in at school “It had a purpose because when her grades were slipping in school or I’m going to bring you to school in the car .' I says Prior to his candy cane car getting a lot of attention he said he did too “When you show up with this car whatever mood that person is in increases “I’d say 96.375% of the people really like it this time of year Neighbors love it they love looking at this thing.” Clayman said for years he used to wear a Santa costume when riding in his festive car Every time I get behind the wheel and people see it," he said “Anything that people are in a better mood It’s a labor of love you got to be committed to it.” (WLNE) — The North Providence Police Department said multiple people were injured after a head-on collision on Thursday evening The crash occurred on Mineral Spring Avenue The department said that the victims were transported to Rhode Island Hospital but did not say what their condition was (WLNE) — A missing North Providence woman has been located safely according to the North Providence Police Department 26-year-old Tiffany Singh had been last seen Tuesday night around 7:30 leaving the Macy’s first floor parking garage at the Providence Place Mall and was reported missing on Monday (WLNE) — Emergency crews responded to a fire at an apartment building in North providence Friday and the fire originated in an apartment on the top floor and firefighters were able to contain the fire to the apartment of origin The department said only a few residents will be displaced ABC 6 News crews on scene saw firefighters on the balcony of an upper floor of the building