As CVS employees await word on whether their jobs will be among the nearly 3,000 the Rhode Island-based company plans to eliminate, Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp says the city should be able to weather the layoffs, though concerns remain for the future. CVS Health, which is headquartered in Woonsocket, said Monday that it plans to […]
Woonsocket
Posted inEducation, Housing, The Weekly Catch
Remembering Alan Shawn Feinstein, Woonsocket homeowners regain protections, and more
For years Woonsocket homeowners didn’t have the same foreclosure prevention tools as the rest of Rhode Island. After an investigation by The Public’s Radio, that is finally changing. Our Nina Sparling will give us the update. Also, Alan Shawn Feinstein had a profound impact on the lives of thousands of young people in the Ocean State. We’ll meet a couple of them in a remembrance of one of Rhode Island’s most prolific philanthropists. And affordable live/work housing for artists in Providence is a rarity these days. So, where do artists live and work today? And when housing is so scarce for everyone, why is it important to have affordable spaces for artists? That and more on this episode of The Weekly Catch.
Posted inHousing, Local
Woonsocket residents to benefit from tax sale protections once again
Woonsocket residents will now benefit from statewide protections against losing their homes in a tax sale after the state housing finance agency announced Thursday it would no longer exclude local homeowners from a program designed to prevent foreclosure. Under the Madeline Walker Act, Rhode Island Housing has the authority to purchase tax liens placed on […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Former Woonsocket mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt eyeing possible Statehouse run
Former Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt spoke out for the first time Monday about her potential plan for seeking a return to the Rhode Island House of Representatives. After fainting at an April 2023 event, the former 10-year state representative said her decision on whether to challenge Rep. Jon Brien (I-Woonsocket) hinges on pending questions about […]
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 inEpisode, Housing, The Weekly Catch
Offshore wind, housing insecurity in Newport, homelessness solutions in Woonsocket, and more
Rhode Island Energy this week dropped their plans to be part of another large wind farm project off the coast. But that’s not slowing down the push to put up more of these giant turbines to generate renewable energy. We’ll get the latest from South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke. And, a look back on an eventful week in politics from Political Reporter Ian Donnis. Also, two stories about housing insecurity in Rhode Island—one from Newport Bureau Reporter Cheryl Hatch, about a man who was priced out of Newport, now living in his car; and another from Health Reporter Lynn Arditi, about Woonsocket’s latest effort to address homelessness in the city. Plus, Artscape Producer James Baumgartner looks at an immersive new exhibit at the Providence College Galleries, and offers a few tips on what to do this week.
Posted inArticle, Health
A ‘Dignity Bus’ from Florida arrives in Woonsocket, R.I. to shelter people who are homeless
A coach bus retrofitted with sleeping pods this week rolled into Woonsocket, R.I. The city bought the ‘Dignity Bus’ from a Florida nonprofit for $150,000 to help house people who are homeless. Health Reporter Lynn Arditi takes us inside. This story was produced for the ear. Please click the button above to listen. The transcript […]
Posted inEpisode, Housing, The Weekly Catch
The Weekly Catch: Politics, poetry, and the uphill battle to tackle the housing crisis in RI
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi on the housing crisis in Rhode Island: “I recognized from the very beginning it would be a multi-year effort.”
Posted inArticle, Health
Woonsocket to buy the `Dignity Bus’ homeless shelter after deal with state fell apart
The City of Woonsocket plans to buy a $150,000 bus retrofitted with beds for people who are homeless after Rhode Island’s deal to buy the “Dignity Bus” from a Florida-based nonprofit fell through. The Woonsocket City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to enter into a contract with The Source, a Christian-based nonprofit, for a […]
Posted inArticle
Woonsocket officer disciplined for wrongful arrest of homeless Liberian immigrant
A Woonsocket police detective who oversaw an investigation that resulted in the wrongful arrest and incarceration of Mack Blackie, a 35-year-old homeless Liberian immigrant, has been suspended without pay for 10 days and demoted to patrol officer. Timothy M. Hammond “failed to follow standard investigative procedures which ultimately led to the improper arrest of Mr. […]