Ten years ago, Maria Rivera was terrified of public speaking. Running for office wasn’t in the plan. But years later, Rivera found herself on the Central Falls city council, and in 2021 she was elected mayor of Central Falls – the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. In this recent conversation with organizer and former city hall intern Lorraine Quintero, Rivera says she ran because she wanted to address the issues facing her community – issues she had faced herself.
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Posted inArticle, Health
COVID-19 is back in nursing homes. So where is the vaccine?
In Rhode Island, where many nursing homes have yet to begin vaccinating their residents, nearly three-quarters of all nursing homes and assisted living centers have reported COVID-19 outbreaks over the past two months
Posted inArticle, Metro Desk, Politics
Providence City Council approves new agreement for voluntary payments from colleges
The city council approved $223 million in payments from its private colleges, but many council members remain unimpressed with the arrangement.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
Years of alleged abuses by Fall River cop reveal limits of internal police investigations
Michael Pessoa remained a police officer for nearly two decades despite receiving frequent complaints of physical and verbal abuse, exposing the limits of the Fall River Police Department’s attempts to police itself. Editor’s note: This story references offensive remarks about race and sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.
Posted inArticle, Local, Newport Bureau
Southern New England states announce new wind energy agreement
Officials from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut have signed a multi-state agreement for procurement of offshore wind.
Posted inArticle, Education
‘I felt that I wasn’t being seen’: José Gonzalez on creating a space for the Latino community at Rhode Island College
When José Gonzalez came to Rhode Island College in 1972, he felt like an outsider. One of few Latino students on campus, he decided there was a need to bring people together. The result was the Latin American Student Organization. Now a professor at the college, Gonzalez spoke recently with Brian Villa, a recent RIC graduate and former president of LASO.
Posted inArticle
Car drives through fence at airport, briefly disrupting operations, officials say
Police say a car crashed through a fence at Maine’s busiest airport and caused a disruption while officials did a security sweep. No flights were delayed after the episode Sunday morning at Portland International Jetport. The vehicle was discovered abandoned and caused the airport to be shut down for about 45 minutes for a security sweep. Police say the 33-year-old driver was quickly located and charged with criminal trespass, leaving an accident and other counts. The motorist drove on a road alongside an airport runway but didn’t actually drive onto the runway or taxiway. No one was hurt.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Why journalism matters: A discussion with journalists Walter Robinson and Pamela Constable
Listen below to a discussion on the importance of newspapers and local journalism between veteran reporters Walter Robinson of The Boston Globe and Pamela Constable of The Washington Post. The event was hosted Sept. 14, 2023, by Literacy Volunteers of Washington County and recorded live in front of an audience at The United theater in […]
Posted inArticle, Politics
Amo declines invitation for forum sponsored by ProJo, Public’s Radio
Gabe Amo, the Democratic candidate for an open seat in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, has declined an invitation to participate in a forum with GOP rival Gerry Leonard organized by The Public’s Radio and The Providence Journal. In an email shared with organizers in response to an invitation, Amo spokesman Matt Rauschenbach said, “It […]
Posted inArticle, Politics
Westerly-based Washington Trust to pay $9M to settle discriminatory lending case
Although redlining is widely considered a bygone problem, a Justice Department initiative has found evidence of discriminatory lending in a number of American cities.
