A $27 million bond issue that provides funds for the completion of a new Veterans Home, is on next week’s ballot, one of seven statewide bond issues. The new home replaces the current Veterans Home in Bristol that was originally built more than 60 years ago, with several additions built over the next several years. […]
Frank Prosnitz
Frank Prosnitz brings to WhatsUpNewp several years in journalism, including 10 as editor of the Providence (RI) Business News and 14 years as a reporter and bureau manager at the Providence (RI) Journal. Prosnitz began his journalism career as a sportswriter at the Asbury Park (NJ) Press, moving to The News Tribune (Woodbridge, NJ), before joining the Providence Journal. Prosnitz hosts the Morning Show on WLBQ radio (Westerly), 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and It’s Your Business, also on WBLQ, Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Prosnitz has twice won Best in Business Awards from the national Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW), twice was named Media Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Administration, won an investigative reporter’s award from the New England Press Association, and newswriting award from the Rhode Island Press Association.
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The November Ballot: Question 1 – Tiverton Casino
Once again Rhode Island voters are being asked to approve building a full-scale casino, this time in Tiverton, near the Massachusetts border. This casino would replace the slots parlor now operating in the shadow of the Newport Bridge in Newport. The issue will appear on the ballot statewide and also in Tiverton. It must pass […]
Posted inCity & Government
The November Ballot: Question 5 – $70 Million Bond Port Infrastructure Projects
A $70 million bond issue that would fund improvements at the Port of Davisville at Quonset and Providence Port, is expected to add cargo traffic and jobs at both ports, according to a coalition that is supporting the bond. “This bond issue is about the future success of our ports, adding jobs and bringing more […]
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If Voters Approve Tiverton Casino, Twin River and City will Partner in Redeveloping Newport Grand Property
If voters statewide and in Tiverton approve what amounts to a relocation of Newport Grand to Tiverton, it could open up significant development in that part of Newport and recapture acres of land that now sits useless at the base of the Newport Bridge. The City and Twin River Worldwide Holdings are committed to working […]
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The November Ballot: Question 2 – Ethics, ACLU Opposes Referendum
WhatsUpNewp is profiling each of the statewide referenda, in what promises to be a spirited election from the presidency to local public offices and local issues. ICYMI, here are two previous stories that we’ve published – The November Ballot: Question 1 – Tiverton Casino & The November Ballot: Question 2 – Ethics. While it may appear that […]
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The November Ballot: Question 2 – Ethics
Only a third of Rhode Islanders have confidence in their state government, 49th in the nation, according to a 2015 Gallup Poll. Only Illinois ranked worse. Now, Rhode Islanders have a chance to do something about that by approving a referendum this November that once again brings the state legislature under the scrutiny of the […]
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Election 2016 Focuses on Offices and Numerous State and Local Bond Issues
When voters go to the polls in less than two months they will not only be voting to fill offices, from local school committee to the president, but will consider numerous bond issues, potentially adding millions of dollars to the state and local debt, and potentially significantly changing how government operates in some communities. Traditionally, […]
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Rhode Island Economy Rebounds
The Rhode Island economy rebounded in July, after a dismal performance the previous month, according to University of Rhode Island Economic Professor Leonard Lardaro’s Current Conditions Index. For July, Lardaro’s CCI index was 58, up from 42 the previous month. If the CCI is below 50 it means that the economy is contracting. Above 50 […]
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Rhode Island’s Economy is Shrinking, a Major Shift in its Position From May
Rhode Island’s Economy is Projected to Shrink in the Second Quarter of 2016 at an Annualized Rate of 1.2 percent This story originally appeared on www.whatsuprhodeisland.com. Rhode Island’s economy is shrinking, according to the latest economic briefing from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies at Bryant University, […]
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Rhode Island News Briefs: September 2, 2016
Rhode Island News Briefs, Sept. 2, 2016 Westerly Hospital affiliation with Yale New Haven Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott have approved transferring control of Westerly Hospital to Yale-New Haven Health Services. The approval comes amid mounting losses by Westerly Hospital and its parent, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital of New […]
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Rhode Island News Briefs: September 1
A round-up of what’s happening, new and to do in and around Rhode Island right now. Rhode Island economy slowing Last April, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council was suggesting that the Rhode Island economy was growing – not robustly – but growing at a rate slightly faster than the region. That, according to the […]
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Drought Beginning To Have An Impact on Local Farms and Resources
The drought of 2016 … continues. And with cloudless blue skies and rising temperatures, it’s likely to get worse. Already considered severe along Rhode Island’s south coast and throughout much of Massachusetts, water authorities worry it will get worse without a sustained period of substantial rain. Farmers are feverishly watering crops from private wells, while […]
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Pawsox Undertake Structural Study of McCoy Stadium
On the eve of McCoy Stadium’s 75th anniversary, the Pawtucket Red Sox will undertake a structural review of the facility, a review that will ultimately determine whether the minor league team remains at McCoy following the 2020 season, or resumes its search for a new home. Assessing the status of the structure is critical in […]