Every January, Italian American families in Westerly, Rhode Island gather together to start making soupy, a dry-cured pork sausage that’s specific to the town. A new film called “Westerly’s Gold: Sweet, Spicy, and Full of Tradition” documents the process and stories of the families who’ve been making the local delicacy for decades.
Luis Hernandez
Luis helms the morning lineup. He is a 20-year public radio veteran, having joined The Public's Radio in 2022. That journey has taken him from the land of Gators at the University of Florida to WGCU in Fort Myers to KNPR in Las Vegas and then to WLRN in Miami.
Luis sees himself as a journalist and an entertainer, which is what drives him every morning—bringing more local news to the listeners and doing it in an interesting and sometimes fun way.
He also co-hosts Artscape and hosts The Weekly Catch. In his spare time, Luis is working on a couple of novels, a couple of podcasts and is getting back into painting.
Posted inHealth, Local
How can Rhode Island prevent an increase in food deserts?
Interview highlights On what a food desert is defined as Sabina Matos: Food deserts are communities that don’t have access to grocery stores that provide them access to fresh food. An example of this is Woonsocket, a community, city that only has access to one supermarket. What we’re trying to do is to make sure […]
Posted inLocal, Media
Our CEO Pam Johnston on what’s next for The Public’s Radio & Rhode Island PBS
The Public’s Radio is currently in the process of reimagining our brand in a way that better reflects our recent merger with Rhode Island PBS. Our mission is to serve the listeners of Rhode Island and the south coast of Massachusetts. That’s not changing. But our name will be different, and we’d like you to […]
Posted inArts And Culture, The Weekly Catch, Transportation
Washington Bridge accountability, federal workers’ uncertain future, and more
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to hire back fired government workers. They’re getting paid, but they’re not doing any work for now. Our South Coast Bureau reporter Ben Berke tells us how federal employees are reacting. Also, is enough being done to hold government officials accountable for the Washington Bridge debacle? We dive deeper into that question with Michelle San Miguel from Rhode Island PBS Weekly. And in this week’s Artscape: we meet North Providence knifemaker, artist and fishmonger Joyce Kutty. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inLocal, Sports
Girls flag football gaining steam in Rhode Island
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: I recall in the late eighties, every year during homecoming, there was a girls flag football game and it was an event no one wanted to miss. The game was intense. It was competitive, but it’s taken decades for the sport to get […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Immigration, Local
Protesters say ICE detentions highlight the plight of immigrants in Rhode Island
Local immigration advocates held a rally Tuesday in support of Fabian Schmidt, a German national and permanent U. S. resident currently being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls. The rally was organized by the Rhode Island Working Families Party, the group accusing state lawmakers of not doing enough to protect the rights […]
Posted inEducation, Local
New leaders of Providence School Board on how to improve the city’s schools
The Providence Public School District has a new board. Five won election or re-election in November, and five were appointed by Mayor Brett Smiley. They recently chose Ty’Relle Stephens as the new president, and Anjel Newmann as vice president. At 23, Ty’Relle Stephens is the youngest president in the history of the Providence school board. […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, The Weekly Catch
How NOAA cuts may harm local fishermen, protecting the ‘Freedom to Read,’ and more
Recent job cuts by the Trump Administration could have a negative impact on New Bedford’s huge fishing industry. Our South Coast Bureau reporter Ben Berke tells us how. Also, Rhode Island has spent millions battling lawsuits from people challenging books. Since 2021 there have been more than 30 such challenges. We’ll learn about a bill before the General Assembly that would protect schools and libraries from litigation and censorship. And in the midst of a trade war between the U.S. and Canada sparked by the Trump administration, a local museum is celebrating ties between the Ocean State and French Canadian culture. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inArts And Culture, Local, Politics
New bill would combat efforts to ban and censor books in R.I.
Since 2021 there have been over 30 book challenges in Rhode Island. In fighting these lawsuits, schools and libraries across the state are being forced to use precious financial resources that would normally be used to serve their communities and curate their collections. New legislation in the State House and Senate would protect schools and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local
How can R.I. cities and towns increase resilience to severe weather and coastal erosion?
As part of an effort to protect local cities and towns from the negative impacts of climate change, Gov. McKee and Rhode Island Commerce this month kicked off a new initiative called “Ready, Set, Rhody.” Under the program, the engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill will help municipal leaders determine how to increase the resilience of […]
