A sweeping report on the condition of some 119,000 impoverished Connecticut youth, characterized as “Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis,” is headed to the state’s legislature, where commission members hope legislators approve hundreds of millions of dollars in critical programs. It’s a study that has not been replicated in other states, according to one of the commission members, […]
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.
Posted inCity & Government
Cities and towns approve $800 million in local bonds
Several Rhode Island communities approved local bond issues on Tuesday, ranging from a million dollars to $400 million, from buying a fresh and saltwater fire pump, major school construction, infrastructure projects, and a storm water upgrade in the wake of major flooding. In all cases, the bonds passed easily. Among them, Newport’s $98.5 million municipal […]
Posted inNews
‘Home Alone’ star hopes for a leading role on the Westerly School Committee
For the last few months, Angela Goethals, who was Macaulay Culkin’s big sister in Home Alone 34 years ago, has been auditioning for a very significant role in her hometown. She’ll learn on Tuesday whether she gets the part. A mother of three, she hopes to bring the skills she’s learned on stage and in […]
Posted inElection
Senator Whitehouse proposes Supreme Court Ethics Reform, discusses Ukraine aid
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is pushing for significant reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court, proposing two bills aimed at addressing ethical concerns and introducing term limits for justices. The Rhode Island Democrat, in a wide-ranging interview, outlined his plans to enhance accountability and transparency within the nation’s highest court. “I’ve got two bills that I think […]
Posted inElection
Patricia Morgan vows to make ‘Rhode Island affordable again’
Patricia Morgan, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse for a U.S. Senate seat, is campaigning on a platform of making Rhode Island more affordable and addressing issues such as immigration and healthcare. In a recent interview with Frank Prosnitz of What’sUpNewp, Morgan highlighted her 12 years of experience in the Rhode Island House […]
Posted inBusiness
New England inflation higher than inflation nationally
Inflation in New England is about a third higher than the rest of the nation, with medical and housing costs continuing to rise significantly, according to the latest economic conditions report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. In September, year over year, the Consumer Price Index in New England was 3.4 percent, a full […]
Posted inCity & Government
With two weeks to go, incumbents hold significant fundraising edge
There are just two weeks until the election, and if you count dollars, incumbents appear to be in a pretty strong position. But then again, it’s not necessarily the dollars that count; it’s the votes. But dollars do buy ads, staff, billboards, lawn signs, consultants … all of which can be helpful in a political […]
Posted inCity & Government, News, Real Estate
Newport’s Housing Paradox: Highest affordable stock; among least affordable homes
Characterizing housing affordability in “crisis,” RI Housing Works at Roger Williams University found only four communities in Rhode Island meeting the state “goal” of achieving 10 percent of its housing stock as Low- and Moderate-Income Housing. That 10 percent figure, established in 1991, is well below actual needs, according to the 2024 HousingWorks RI’s 20th […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion: ‘Hear it in the wind’
Recently spent a few days in the Laurentian Mountains, Mont-Tremblant, about 90 minutes west of Montreal. I was there for my niece’s wedding, set in a wooded and mountainous area in Quebec Province. We stayed at a chalet, near the main house, a mile into the woods. We drove up to our chalet greeted by […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘The Effect’ kicks off Gamm Theatre’s 40th season
Good theater often challenges you, makes you think. The Effect by Lucy Prebble at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick does just that. It’s a play about a clinical trial gone awry, love, and ambition. Two young volunteers in a clinical trial for a new antidepressant fall in love, but is it true love or the […]
Posted inCity & Government
It’s in the Fine Print: A look at some proposed local charter changes across Rhode Island
Sometimes it’s in the fine print. Well, when it comes to elections, that may mean something other than a list of candidates or even statewide referenda. There are some important gems hidden (or really listed) among the local questions on the ballots in many communities. A look at some Newport and Washington County sample ballots […]
Posted inCity & Government
Amid labor dispute, Newport Superintendent Jermain joins WUN for monthly conversation
When we speak with Newport Superintendent of Schools Colleen Burns Jermain at 1:30 pm today we’ll be halfway through the schools’ open houses and know whether teachers have adhered to their union’s instructions to boycott the open houses. In her recent message to families, Jermain recognized the “labor disagreements,” but was hopeful that “all our […]
Posted inBusiness
Newport Hospital President among casualties in Lifespan restructuring
Crista Durand, president of Newport Hospital for the past decade, is among the casualties of a Lifespan restructuring that will save the hospital group $6 million by reducing its executive positions by 20 percent. A spokesperson at Newport Hospital confirmed that Durand was among those losing their positions. She said her focus is now on […]
Posted inCity & Government
Politics as Usual: Uncontested races, robust finance accounts
Politics as usual. What does that mean? Almost two-thirds of state legislative races in Rhode Island are uncontested, and legislative leaders in both houses are raking in the dollars. The number of uncontested general election legislative races in Rhode Island far exceeds the percentage of uncontested legislative races nationally. According to Ballotpedia, an unofficial encyclopedia […]
Posted inReal Estate
Rhode Island housing prices rising, third fastest nationally
House prices in New England are rising significantly faster than the national average, with Vermont leading the nation and Rhode Island just slightly behind, with the third fastest house price growth for the second quarter of 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The Bank’s most recent New England Economic Conditions Report says […]
Posted inCity & Government
Hole and Jermain weigh in on Newport teachers’ dispute
Despite an effort at mediation over the summer, the dispute between the Newport teachers’ union and school administration that began in late winter has spilled over into the early days of the new school year, with little indication that it will be resolved soon. Over these several months, the teachers have voted no confidence in […]
Posted inOpinion
Just My Opinion: Media’s role on Newport teachers’ dispute
The summer long dispute between the Teachers Association of Newport and the school administration is spilling over into the beginning of the school year with kids going back to school this coming week. It’s a dispute that revolves around a reorganization that’s resulted in many teachers displaced from their traditional assignments because of what the […]
Posted inNews
September Rhode Island Primary to decide U.S. Senate candidates and several legislative candidates
In just about a month, Sept. 10, Rhode Islanders will go to the polls in a statewide primary election that will determine who will be running for U.S. Senate from both parties in the November general election, along with deciding general election candidates in several legislative districts. There are primaries in both parties for the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Gubernatorial race on – at least at the cash register
The calendar may say Rhode Island’s gubernatorial election is two years away – but make no mistake it is gearing up, and the cash register is ringing. Gov. Dan McKee and his Democratic rival, Helena Buonanno Foulkes, both had very productive second quarters, each raising about a quarter of a million dollars from hundreds of […]
Posted inCity & Government
No agreement in Newport school dispute
A mediation session, the third, between Newport teachers and the administration over the layoff and displacement of 20 percent of the school faculty, ended without agreement on Tuesday. It had been characterized as perhaps the final mediation session in an effort to resolve the dispute. “We were unable to reach agreement yesterday (Tuesday),” said Jennifer […]
Posted inCity & Government
Exploring 2024-25 vision with Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain on Wednesday videocast
This may be the dog days of summer, but for school administrators they are days filled with planning for a new school year, which in Newport begins September 6. Superintendent of Schools Colleen Burns Jermain joins WhatsUpNewp for her monthly videocast tomorrow (July 31) at 1:30 p.m. And there’s no shortage of subjects to address. […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport school dispute heads to what may be a final mediation session
With the opening of school just over a month away, the dispute between the Newport teachers’ union and school administration is still unsettled, with a third and perhaps final day of mediation scheduled for Tuesday, according to Jennifer Azevedo, deputy director of the National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI). “We are scheduled for a third […]
Posted inNews
StoryCorps launches “One Small Step” to bridge political divide
Since 2003, when David Isay founded StoryCorps, he has been on a mission of finding hope, even at the darkest times. Now, more than two decades later, StoryCorps has just launched One Small Step, a project meant to bridge the political divide. The intent is to produce thousands, perhaps millions, of one-on-one conversations between political […]
Posted inCity & Government
Candidates set for Newport County elections as deadlines pass
With deadlines past now for local candidate declarations, signatures, validation of signatures, ballot placement, and candidate withdraws – the field for local elections, cities and towns and state legislature, is set. No surprises. Little has changed since individuals declared their candidacies in June. Very few candidates statewide either withdrew by the July 19 deadline or […]
Posted inNews
Middletown, Newport receive $7.5 million in funding for a regional community learning center
Newport and Middletown are among 20 regions statewide that will receive millions of federal dollars to fund community learning centers that Gov. Dan McKee hopes will create “a culture of learning throughout Rhode Island,” and elevate income for hundreds of families. ” The more educated we are, the more income,” McKee said at a press […]