Pressure has been mounting on Rhode Island emergency departments, with a backlog of patients seeking in-patient mental health services. Because of the pandemic, in-patient beds in psychiatric programs are less available, and patients may find themselves waiting in emergency departments for days.
Alex Nunes
Alex oversees the three local bureaus at The Public’s Radio, and staffs the desk for our South County Bureau. Alex was previously the co-host and co executive producer of The Public's Radio podcast, Mosaic. The show explored the history of immigration in Southern New England through the stories of individual immigrants and their descendants and received an Edward R. Murrow Award for best podcast in the New England region. Alex previously worked as an editor at The Westerly Sun and The New London Day.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
‘I’m extremely hopeful’: South Kingstown activist sees U.S. ready ‘to learn from other countries’ under new administration
Joe Biden will be inaugurated Wednesday as our 46th president. The Public’s Radio has been reporting on what this moment in our political history means to local residents. Mwangi Gitahi is an activist with the group TASK, Toward an Antiracist South Kingstown. He’s also an immigrant from Kenya and a follower of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s principles of non-violence. He tells South County Bureau Reporter Alex Nunes he’s excited about the possibilities for change under new leadership.
Posted inArticle, Politics, South County Bureau
Outrage, condemnation, and hope: RI reacts to scenes of violence at the Capitol
The scenes out of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday rocked the nation and sent out shockwaves globally. In Rhode Island, people are voicing a mix of emotions: horror, dismay, fear, resiliency, and even hope. As the news set in Thursday morning, reporters from The Public’s Radio set out to tell their stories.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Advocates for shoreline access in RI score victory in Narragansett
Officials in Narragansett are taking several steps towards improving shoreline access in the Point Judith section of town.
Posted inArticle, Health, South County Bureau
‘A perfect storm’: Mental health providers see pandemic’s staggering toll
A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year found 40 percent of American adults said they had struggled with mental health issues or substance use in the previous month. Dr. Anthony Gallo, psychiatrist in private practice in North Kingstown, says anxiety was the most obvious symptom at the beginning of the pandemic, but that’s evolved over time.
Posted inArticle, Health, Newport Bureau
Newport Hospital, southern RI hospitals see rise in patients, not yet at capacity
Newport Hospital is nearing full capacity, but staff members say COVID-19 patients are taking up a smaller proportion of beds than at some other Rhode Island hospitals.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Got a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers? Make this turkey pot pie
Social gathering limits may have gotten a lot smaller this Thanksgiving, but the size of a full grown turkey hasn’t. Rachael Slattery and Ben Coerper, organic meat producers at Wild Harmony Farm in Exeter, say you can expect leftovers Thursday—lots of them. And they have some suggestions for those turkey scraps. They shared one recipe with South County Bureau Reporter Alex Nunes.
Posted inArticle, Business, South County Bureau
The Bike Stop Cafe in Narragansett hopes to get business rolling despite COVID-19 restrictions
Rhode Island restaurants are expected to take a financial hit from Governor Gina Raimondo’s newly announced pause on certain social activity. The stepped-up restrictions come as many in the industry have already struggled to emerge from limitations put in place earlier this year.
Posted inArticle, Business, South County Bureau
‘We’re going to embrace the lockdown’: Narragansett restaurant prepares for possibility of stepped-up restrictions
As the coronavirus surges, more business owners are bracing for the possibility of a return to increased restrictions. South County Bureau Reporter Alex Nunes visited George’s Of Galilee in Narragansett, where the owner would welcome the idea of another lockdown.
Posted inArticle, Health
Hospitals strain under the pressure of RI’s COVID-19 surge
A 353-bed field hospital in Cranston is ready to begin accepting COVID-19 patients. As coronavirus cases in Rhode Island continue to surge, Governor Gina Raimondo said this week the space could become necessary within a month.
