Gov. Dan McKee and Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green have laid out nine goals the city of Providence must meet in order for the state to consider handing schools back to local control. The Providence Public School District has been under the state’s control since 2019, following a review by John Hopkins […]
Metro Desk
Posted inImmigration, Local, Metro Desk
New England mayors show unity on immigration policies
A group of mayors and some of the police chiefs of 22 New England cities met in Providence Wednesday to discuss issues affecting the region. The mayors tried to present a unified message about policies on immigration amid uncertainty about the Trump administration. When asked whether their cities have policies similar to Providence, where an […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, Metro Desk
What are the least energy efficient buildings in Providence?
Providence has set an ambitious goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. That’s why, in 2023, Providence began requiring owners of large buildings – the biggest carbon producers in the city – to track and report their energy usage. After a year of reports from places like schools and the zoo, what do we know? […]
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
RI ACLU calls suspension of Brown student group ‘chilling’
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union today released a letter it sent to Brown University, criticizing school leaders over the suspension of a campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Steven Brown, the executive director of RI ACLU, said the school’s decision is a blow to free speech on campuses […]
Posted inImmigration, Local, Metro Desk
Providence holds off on stronger immigrant legal protections for now
Providence officials are slowing down the process of passing an ordinance that seeks to codify protections for immigrants who lack legal status to be in the U.S. The change of course comes in response to a slew of executive orders this week from the federal government and threats to prosecute local officials who resist federal […]
Posted inHealth, Local, Metro Desk
Winter illnesses are causing back ups at Rhode Island hospitals
Hospitals around the state are seeing a rise in respiratory illnesses on par with typical increases in the winter months. According to statewide wastewater data and hospital admissions data, cases of COVID-19 have been on the rise since December, along with RSV and Norovirus. State Epidemiologist Dr. Suzanne Bornschein also says influenza is newly on […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
RI Housing Secretary says pallet shelters at ECHO Village will open in a matter of weeks
The long-awaited 45 shelter beds at ECHO Village, Rhode Island’s first pallet shelter community, will soon be available to the state’s rapidly growing homeless population, according to testimony from Rhode Island Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard at a senate hearing on Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve not given a date in the past because we’ve disappointed so many […]
Posted inLabor, Local, Metro Desk
Medical residents at three Care New England hospitals vote to unionize
Medical residents employed by three Care New England hospitals voted Wednesday to unionize with Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU). Residents at Kent Hospital won their union election with 72.5% of the vote, 74-28. At Women and Infants they won their union election 40-8, or 83% of the vote. Finally, Butler […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
Developer updates plans for 269 Wickenden
Providence developers Dustin Dezube and Kevin Diamond with the Providence Group have submitted revised plans for an apartment complex that would be located at 269 Wickenden Street. The City Plan Commission is set to review the proposal at its upcoming meeting on Jan. 21. The preliminary plans come more than a year after the City […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
As winter drags on, Providence’s unhoused people want to see long-term solutions
Durell Parker arrived at Providence City Hall last Tuesday evening, dubious. With wind chill, the temperature outside felt like the single digits. He’d spent the previous night, and most nights before that for the past several years, outside, in a tent. When an outreach worker told him the city council was using its chambers as […]
