NEWS

This Just In: Providence restaurant owner in fight of his life

Staff Writer
The Providence Journal
Gordon Ernst, John Elkhay, Angélica Infante-Green. [AP, Providence Journal, file]

Good afternoon, and welcome back to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, The Journal's managing editor. Today, if you didn't already know, is Oct. 22. John Lester Hubbard Chafee -- the future governor of Rhode Island, Secretary of the Navy and U.S. senator -- was born on this date in 1922.  It's been a busy day so let's get right to it.

One of Rhode Island's most successful restaurateurs, John Elkhay of XO Cafe and Ten Prime Steak and Sushi fame, is in the middle of the fight of his life. Elkhay recently learned that he has blood cancer. He's awaiting a bone marrow transplant, which is set for December. Next month, Elkhay will be hosting a blood drive at his Luxe Burger Bar. Donors will receive a gift certificate for a free burger and margarita. He hopes to raise five times more donations than are collected in a typical blood drive. "I want to use my platform to get it done," he says. "There's no reason we can't do this."

Last year, the results of the first ever round of Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System testing prompted widespread consternation and calls for reforming the state education system. Today we got the results of the second-year tests, and they're a little better. But the state's hard-charging education commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, sees inadequate progress. Use our interactive feature to check how the schools in your town fared.

There's another legislative hearing tonight on the proposed contract extension for IGT, but once again Twin River has attempted to steal the spotlight with the announcement of a new partnership with IGT's archrival, Scientific Games.

Federal prosecutors have stepped up their case against Gordie Ernst, the former Rhode Island high-school sports superstar who is now at the center of the national college admissions scandal.

Finally, Patriots fans have had it pretty good so far this year, but the 12-hour period between 8 o'clock last night and 8 o'clock this morning was really something else. First, the Pats demolished the Jets, making young quarterback Sam Darnold look like me back at my old middle-school practices (I don't remember ever seeing ghosts though). Then this morning, fans awoke to the news that the Patriots had acquired a quality wide receiver, Mohamed Sanu, in a trade with the Falcons.

Have yourself a quality evening.

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