The holidays are upon us and so are some unwelcome guests: COVID-19, the flu and the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV are all circulating this season in what Dr. Philip Chan, a medical director for the Rhode Island Department of Health, calls a “tripledemic.” He talked with Health Reporter Lynn Arditi about the viruses and […]
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Posted inLocal, On Sports
Bobby Orr’s commitment to values is still shining bright
Sometimes we receive gifts when we least expect them. It’s Christmas 2023, but I got a present four months early. I’ll share with you. On Labor Day this year, my wife Anne and I embarked on a Great Lakes cruise aboard Le Bellot, an intimate 184-passenger French ship. Our third port of call was Parry […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
ACLU says fire district letters to shoreline access donors could threaten free speech
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is asking the Weekapaug Fire District to stop notifying shoreline access advocates that they may be called to testify in an ongoing legal matter because they donated to a GoFundMe campaign meant to support opening up public beach access in that case. In a Dec. […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
How should Rhode Island promote its heritage?
“You just stepped onto 400-year-old wood boards, some of them as wide as a foot wide,” Bob Burke said while stepping into the mini-museum he created on Weybosset Street, around the corner from his French restaurant, Pot au Feu. “This is white oak and this would have been growing at the time that Roger Williams, […]
Posted inArticle, Business, Local, Metro Desk, Stories, Transportation
First day of free ferry service between Bristol and Providence sees low ridership, but enthusiastic passengers
Dec. 21 was the opening day of a free ferry between Bristol and Providence. The state started the temporary service to help ease traffic following the closure of the I-195 Bridge connecting the east bay and Providence. It was a brisk but still dawn in Providence as the first passengers filtered off the first boat […]
Posted inLocal, South County Bureau, Stories
Weekapaug Fire District takes new legal action against Westerly and Rhode Island
The Weekapaug Fire District filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island Superior Court on Dec. 6, arguing the state’s review of the Sand Trail at the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach for potential designation as a public right-of-way to the ocean should be closed by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Weekapaug’s suit says the review that […]
Posted inLocal, Stories
Without a work permit, a young migrant in New Bedford worries about her debt
Alondra was a bit nervous. Wearing a dress she borrowed from a friend, she was called up to speak in front of more than 300 people at a banquet celebrating the 15th anniversary of a labor advocacy group in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The 16-year-old from Guatemala made a plea to the audience, which included officials […]
Posted inHousing, Local, South County Bureau
New RI housing laws go into effect January 1. Will they help fix the affordable housing crisis?
Narragansett resident Rupert Friday wants people to know he’s not a snob, and he’s not a one-percenter who wants to fight affordable housing development. He’s retired from a career in land use planning and the nonprofit sector – a background he draws on as a member of the town planning board. His wife is a […]
Posted inLocal, Newport Bureau
Washington Bridge closure causing traffic backups on Aquidneck Island
With the emergency closure of the Washington Bridge in Providence, Newport and Middletown residents are now contending with increased traffic and gridlock as drivers use an alternative route through Aquidneck Island, particularly during the commuting hours. The backups are compounding existing bottlenecks caused by ongoing construction on the Pell Bridge. Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong had […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local, Stories
CVS, Walmart and Walgreens to pay Rhode Island more than $56 million in opioid settlements
Three national drugstore chains will pay Rhode Island more than $56 million as part of the state’s final round of legal settlements with companies accused of flooding communities with addictive opioid painkillers. The settlement money from CVS, Walmart and Walgreens is expected to begin flowing into Rhode Island in early 2024, and continue through 2037, […]