A report prepared by an advisory group to Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa lays out a series of possible options for tweaking the 2011 overhaul of the state pension system. But none of the options are inexpensive. Lawmakers will need to reconcile the possible effects on the state budget with the anger of a […]
Local
Posted inHousing, Local, South Coast Bureau
As home prices rise in New Bedford, is gentrification really to blame?
At a rally outside New Bedford City Hall last April, protesters shared stories about rent increases in their neighborhoods that seem to march in lockstep with the construction of a new train line to Boston that is scheduled to open this summer. Viola Pina, a local landlord and former politician, blamed the train for attracting […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Newport Bureau
Study finds Newport’s zoning is likely an obstacle to affordable housing development
More than 50 people packed an open-house meeting at Newport City Hall Thursday night to learn the results of a new study assessing available housing stock. Patricia Reynolds, Newport’s director of planning and economic development, welcomed those gathered and explained the background on the housing issues and intention of the meeting. She noted that the […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Feb. 23, 2024
Oh the fun the Follies would have had with the Washington Bridge! You can follow me through the week on 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. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: On Wednesday, […]
Posted inLocal, On Sports
Undefeated RIC women are making basketball history
This story was updated Feb. 26 to reflect the results of the Little East Tournament and the selection of the NCAA Division III tournament field. What a basketball season for the 14 young women wearing the maroon, gold and white of Rhode Island College. They are 27-0, the Little East Conference tournament champions for the […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Transportation
RIPTA boss hopeful driver raises will prevent service cuts
The board governing RIPTA voted Thursday to increase driver salaries 16.6% from a starting pay of $21.71 per hour to $25.33. The pay raise is intended to address a driver shortage at the agency. RIPTA is short 20 drivers, and because of that, according to RIPTA CEO Scott Avedisian, is considering cutting service to 11 […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Fix for Washington Bridge headaches can’t come soon enough in East Providence
Before everyone was talking about the Washington Bridge, the buzz in East Providence was about the Henderson Bridge. The new bridge opened last November, built to address previous structural deficiencies, and the redesign will ultimately leave some 25 acres of land for future development. While not everyone loves the new rotary coming off the bridge, […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Transportation
RIDOT will add two new lanes over the Washington Bridge
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday plans to introduce a new traffic pattern to improve travel times over the Washington Bridge in Providence. State transportation officials say they plan to add one new eastbound and one new westbound lane in eight weeks. That will bring the total number of lanes from four […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
What you need to know to vote in the Massachusetts presidential primary
On March 5, Super Tuesday, voters in Massachusetts and 14 other states will decide on the presidential candidates for the November general election, as well as a handful of other offices that will appear on the ballot. Here’s what you need to know to vote in the Massachusetts presidential primary election. Important dates: How do […]
Posted inImmigration, Local
New driver’s license law creates backlog for Mass. community group helping undocumented immigrants apply
For over six months now, undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts have been able to get driver’s licenses, under the Work and Family Mobility Act that took effect last July. The controversial measure took nearly two-decades to pass and allows people to obtain a learner’s permit or driver’s license regardless of their immigration status. One of them […]
