Alan Shawn Feinstein, an educational philanthropist that donated to the University of Rhode Island and over 200 other schools, died at age 93 on Sept. 7. Feinstein established the Feinstein Foundation with a mission to improve Rhode Island communities, Dean Dennis, professor and dean of the College of Education, said. Established in 1991, the Foundation…
In order to mitigate housing struggles, the South Kingstown Town Council began community outreach about an affordable housing initiative that plans to renovate three properties on Aug. 22. The three sites include South Road School, Wakefield Elementary School and the Oliver Watson House, according to the South Kingstown Council website . A resolution to hire…
South County Hospital, the closest hospital to the University of Rhode Island, faced backlash following a Sept. 10 petition calling for changes in management after the resignation of several physicians. Three of four physicians in the hospital’s oncology department have resigned. The petition, an open letter addressed to hospital officials, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the…
United States Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, alongside Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, announced on Aug. 26 that Rhode Island’s fire departments would receive over $2 million in federal grants. The Union Fire District of South Kingstown received a $648,270 grant and its funds are going to be used to enhance its Recruitment…
Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced the selection of 2,878 megawatts of offshore wind across three projects on Sept. 6, marking the largest selection in the history of New England offshore wind. The acting commissioner for the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Chris Kearns, described the recent selection as an advancement towards the state’s commitment…
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s 2025 budget cuts 0.89% of state funding for the state’s public libraries, shaving thousands of dollars in programming and staffing funds throughout the state. Under Rhode Island state law, the government is required to give public libraries 25% of their expenditures from two fiscal years prior. Gov. McKee’s budget cuts…
South Kingstown has received a $1 million grant from the state of Rhode Island to build a third Emergency Medical Services station to better respond to an increase in call volume. The new station will be built off of Ministerial Road, on land bought by the town from the South Kingstown Land Trust. Totaling 3,000…
Actions have been taken to end the Rhode Island housing crisis through a suite of housing bills passed by Speaker of the Assembly Joseph Shekarchi on March 7. The 15-bill package of legislation aims to make the housing approval process more effective, zoning more flexible and to make the best use of existing buildings, according…
On March 18, the Narragansett Town Council discussed another ordinance affecting rental homes, proposing a minimum rental period of seven days. Over the past few years, Narragansett had been proposing and approving different types of housing ordinances. For example, another recent ordinance set a limit of three unrelated people who can rent a single-family house…
The Rhode Island Senate Committee proposed phasing out the tipped wage and increasing the state minimum wage on March 24, sparking deliberation on tipping culture and restaurant funding. Sponsored by legislators such as Reps. Karen Alzate and Joseph McNamara, the bill would gradually increase overall wage for employees “receiving gratuities,” or those reliant on tips…