Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi on Thursday unveiled 15 bills meant to help the state make progress in the housing crisis. During a Statehouse press conference, Shekarchi expressed disappointment that Rhode Island remains last in the nation in per-capita housing production, despite the allocation of tens of millions of dollars in recent years. He […]
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Posted inHousing, Local
The system finding shelter for unhoused Rhode Islanders gets more calls than it can handle, report says
The hotline unhoused people can call to access shelter and housing in Rhode Island received roughly 10,000 calls a month last summer. Just four operators answered the bulk of those calls, and the people calling sometimes waited on hold for nearly three hours, according to a little-noticed report delivered to state agencies last fall. “The […]
Posted inHealth, Local, Politics
Rhode Island Senate touts package to address healthcare needs
The Rhode Island Senate unveiled a package Tuesday of 25 bills meant to boost healthcare access and affordability in the state. A variety of related challenges, ranging from a shortage of primary care doctors to the uncertain future of some local hospitals, have gained growing attention in recent years. The Senate legislation responds by targeting […]
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
Additional teachers to face job insecurity in Providence
Hundreds of teachers across the Providence Public School District have received letters called “displacement notices,” informing them that they will not be guaranteed their current job next year and would need to reapply for a job within the district. One round of more than 300 displacement notices were sent out Friday, and another round came […]
Posted inArticle, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
Report finds URI is contributing to Narragansett’s housing crisis
A new report commissioned by the town of Narragansett says University of Rhode Island students living off-campus have significantly altered the town’s housing market, leading to a “symbiotic relationship” between the university and private landlords at the expense of other renters. According to the study by the Burlington, Vermont-based group Crane Associates, URI has benefited […]
Posted inHealth, Labor, Local
CharterCARE Union Opposes Purchase by Centurion Foundation
United Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents almost 1,000 workers at CharterCare Health Partners, announced Monday its opposition to the Centurion Foundation’s proposed purchase of CharterCARE. In a statement, UNAP called on Attorney General Peter Neronha and the Rhode Island Department of Health to reject the Atlanta-based nonprofit foundation’s attempt to acquire CharterCARE. “We took […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, Stories
Fin whale dies after stranding in South Kingstown
A 42-foot-long fin whale that was found stranded in South Kingstown on Thursday has been euthanized. Sarah Callan, Animal Rescue Program Manager at the Mystic Aquarium, says the whale was emaciated and unable to free itself at high tide after becoming stranded in Potter Pond. “It’s really difficult to watch an animal go through what […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for March 1, 2024
With the arrival of March, we’re on a glidepath to more daylight and the crack of the bat. 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 Friday? Just sign up right here. *** […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local
Mass. Airman accused of leaking classified docs expected to plead guilty
The Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking top secret government documents online is expected to plead guilty at a federal court hearing next week. Jack Teixeira, of North Dighton, was arrested last April and charged with six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Each count carries up to 10 years […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local
Public hearings set on proposed sale of Rhode Island’s CharterCARE hospitals
The Rhode Island Health Department and Office of Attorney General have scheduled public hearings next month on the proposed sale of the state’s third-largest hospital group. The Centurion Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, wants to buy CharterCARE Health Partners, currently owned by Prospect Medical Holdings of California. CharterCARE operates Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and […]