The Black Sheep bar in downtown Providence was brimming with 40 or so young voters on Tuesday night, many of them wearing blue “I voted” stickers on their lapels and shirt collars. They were there to watch the presidential debate, pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump, at the The Young Democrats […]
Providence
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local
‘There won’t be another Mr. Ced.’ Cedric Huntley remembered as a mentor who dedicated his life to preventing violence
A memorial service is being held Friday for Cedric Huntley, who died earlier this month at the age of 65. Huntley was a community leader who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of young people. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Nonviolence Institute in Providence, a nonprofit that focuses on preventing violence. […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Local
Providence’s port community punches back against pollution
A band of activists has taken matters into their own hands, forging alliances and even going door-to-door in an effort to move the needle on health outcomes.
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
What Providence’s proposed zoning changes would mean for your neighborhood
The City of Providence’s Planning Department has released a new map showing proposed changes in growth and density in the city under its draft comprehensive plan. According to the city’s Planning Department, the proposed changes are meant to accommodate more people. Over the last Census period, the city’s population increased by 7%, and the city […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Transportation
Washington Bridge westbound must be demolished and undergo years-long rebuild
The state of Rhode Island plans to demolish and completely rebuild the westbound side of the Washington Bridge, a project officials expect to take two years or more. “We will be replacing the bridge,” Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference Thursday. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation closed the westbound span, which carries […]
Posted inHealth, Housing, Local
Rhode Island could lose millions in funding to repair and remove lead paint
On the second floor of a multi-family house in Central Falls in early February, Henry Severino, a construction specialist with Rhode Island Housing, was focused on doors. The damage was obvious: paint chipping off the frames, layers of old paint peeking through after years of wear and tear. “Let’s replace these doors because the kid […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk
Providence planners have released a new map showing how the city will grow
Once per decade, the city planners and lawmakers in Providence get a chance to rewrite the plan that guides how neighborhoods are shaped, efforts to control housing costs, and where commercial real estate can be built. That once in a decade opportunity is now. The City of Providence’s Planning Department is beginning to release parts […]
Posted inPolitics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Feb. 2, 2024
The slow build of anticipation about spring training just isn’t the same when Red Sox management is content to let the team slouch toward oblivion. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics, Transportation
Lessons from Rhode Island’s free ferry experiment
The Bristol-to-Providence free ferry was a short-lived experiment that started on Dec. 21 as an emergency response to the Washington Bridge closure. But it was dropped on Jan. 19 because of low ridership and steep costs. Does that mean commuter ferry service in the Ocean State is a lost cause, or could it play some […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Metro Desk
After 43 years on the job, Providence Patrolman Frank Moody calls it a day
You see a lot of things in 43 years as a patrolman with the Providence Police Department. But one thing that Officer Frank Moody did not expect to find was a tryst between two members of rival gangs at an out of the way eatery in a plush part of the East Side. “You talk […]