Providence is now home to the country’s first state-sanctioned facility for people to use illegal drugs under medical supervision. The nonprofit Project Weber/RENEW on Tuesday held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate a years-long effort to bring an overdose prevention center to the Ocean State. Advocates hope that the new facility will lead to fewer overdose-related deaths […]
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Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Finalists announced to replace westbound Washington Bridge
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee marked the one-year anniversary of the emergency closing of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge by announcing two finalists to replace the structure and by asserting that things are going in the right direction after some initial missteps. “It has been a difficult year for everyone impacted by the […]
Posted inHealth, Local
An Overdose Prevention Center is coming to Providence. Here’s what the research says about their effectiveness
In an effort to reduce fatal drug overdoses, Providence nonprofit Project Weber/RENEW is planning to cut the ribbon on Tuesday to a new facility at which people will be able to use drugs under medical supervision. When it opens to clients, the “Overdose Prevention Center,” or OPC, will be the first in the U.S. to […]
Posted inHealth, Local
He uses drugs. So what will Providence’s Overdose Prevention Center mean for him?
Jason first started using fentanyl a few years ago, when the pandemic threw his life off balance. By now, he’s used to hiding his drug use. “You duck into, like, an alley, or behind a car or somewhere where no one’s going to see you,” he said. The Public’s Radio is only using Jason’s first […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Dec. 6, 2024
It’s beginning to feel a lot like … winter. Welcome back to my weekly column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, 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. *** 1. STORY […]
Posted inEducation, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
URI plans more student housing. Can that help the housing crunch in South County?
As interest in attending the University of Rhode Island continues to grow, the state’s flagship university said Wednesday it plans to build more student housing. URI plans to lease state land on the Kingston campus to a private developer, which would then build and operate student housing on the land, the university said in a […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Metro Desk
Providence Place mall is now in permanent court-ordered receivership
During a hearing on Wednesday, Rhode Island Superior Court Associate Justice Brian P. Stern made attorneys Mark Russo and John Dorsey of the Rhode Island-based law firm Ferrucci Russo Dorsey the permanent receivers of the Providence Place Mall. The pair had served as temporary receivers since Nov. 1. The mall had to enter court-appointed receivership […]
Posted inHealth, Labor, Local
Strike averted at Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital says it’s reached a tentative agreement on a new nearly three-year contract with members of the 1199 SEIU NE union. Frontline caregivers had voted last week to authorize a strike, citing uncompetitive wages and a refusal to bargain in good faith, among other things. Union officials said the hospital’s lack of […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Orientation offers a glimpse of Statehouse culture for new lawmakers
Focus, go slow, go small to start off, learn the rules. That was the advice offered by state Rep. Tina Spears (D-Charlestown) — who joined the Rhode Island House of Representatives as a freshman in 2023 — as she helped orient a group of recently elected state reps. Spears recounted how she thought she would […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
Remembering theater critic Bill Gale
TRANSCRIPT: The Public’s Radio Morning Edition host Luis Hernandez spoke with Tony Estrella, artistic director of The Gamm Theatre in Warwick, about Bill Gale’s work and impact. This transcript was edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Tony, great to have you back. Tony Estrella: Thanks for having me. Hernandez: I never got to meet […]
