MGM SPRINGFIELD NOW OPEN
MGM has opened Massachusetts’ first resort casino – a $960 million complex in downtown Springfield offering expansive Las Vegas-style gambling and entertainment options. Thousands of people who gathered outside for the grand opening and a parade have moved inside to the slot machines and gambling tables. The complex also has a hotel, restaurants and upscale retail shops. City officials have hailed Friday’s opening as a significant step forward in Springfield’s economic renewal. The new casino occupies a corner of downtown that was hit hard by a major tornado in 2011. MGM Springfield president Michael Mathis says the opening was “pretty magical.”
LEGALIZED SPORTS BETTING COMING TO RI
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Sports betting is expected to begin in Rhode Island in mid-November. The Rhode Island Department of Revenue said Friday it has reached a five-year agreement with Providence-based technology vendor IGT and IGT’s commercial partner, William Hill U.S., to manage sports betting services. The contract includes options to extend it. Rhode Island moved quickly to tap the potentially lucrative market opened up by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. The state will get 51 percent of sports betting revenue. The vendor will get 32 percent and the casino will get 17 percent. IGT was the only company to put in a proposal to run sports betting at Twin River Casino in Lincoln and a casino opening soon in Tiverton. A gaming consultant will check the system before it goes live.
NORWICH DOCTOR REPRIMANDED
The Connecticut state Medical Examining Board has reprimanded Norwich pain doctor and surgeon, Dr. John Paggioli over the security of his prescription pad, for signing a blank prescription and for violations of holding controlled substances in his office. Paggioli does not admit any wrongdoing but relinquished his right to contest the allegations. The medical board fined Paggioli $4,000 in 2016, also for failing to secure his prescription pads. In December 2015, the state consumer protection department placed him on probation for four years. He also paid a $20,000 fine.
HIKERS STUNG
ANSONIA, Conn. (AP) – A medical rescue crew used all-terrain vehicles to reach several hikers who were attacked and stung by a swarm of bees in the Connecticut woods. Ansonia Rescue and Medical Services says one person stung while hiking in the Ansonia Nature Center on Thursday night experienced anaphylactic shock. That person was located “several miles into the woods, suffering a severe reaction with airway compromised.” Rescue officials say that person’s allergic reaction was controlled at the scene. Rescue personnel used ATVs to reach the hikers and get them out of the woods to waiting ambulances. It’s unclear what kind of bees stung the hikers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says as many as a 100 people die every year from insect stings.
RI SEEKING DISMISSAL OF TRUCK TOLL LAWSUIT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Rhode Island is asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit over its new truck tolls. The state’s attorney general filed a motion Friday in Providence arguing that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. Rhode Island began tolling trucks in June as part of an infrastructure plan to repair bridges and roads. The American Trucking Associations, a national industry group, says in a lawsuit that the tolls violate the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. They say it’s a discriminatory and disproportionate burden on out-of-state operators and truckers. Cumberland Farms, New England Motor Freight and M&M Transport Services are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The state’s motion says the court cannot restrain the collection of state taxes, such as tolls. It also argues state matters should be adjudicated in state court.
