The outlook for the New England economy in 2025 is “modestly optimistic,” according to a series of reports released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston over the last several days. That projection comes with some trepidation about “how national economic policies might change and where long-term interest rates would land.” The Federal Reserve Bank’s […]
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 inNews
Commuter Rail proposal gaining support
A massive proposal that could plug the commuter rail gap from New London to Wickford, improve rail traffic along the entire Northeast Corridor, is chugging along and won some much-needed help in a recent meeting between Gov. Dan McKee and other state officials, and Westerly town officials. What it eventually looks like is still to […]
Posted inCity & Government
As wind-chill approaches zero, we take a look at Rhode Island’s homeless population
Russ Partridge is executive director of three homeless shelters in Rhode Island’s shoreline communities, He’s been working in homeless shelters, saving so many families and individuals, for four decades, and is respected as among the most knowledgeable about that population and affordable housing in Rhode Island. As temperatures plummeted to near zero wind-chill, we sat […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion: Top 10 for 2024…. Nah
And here’s my top 10 to watch, top 10 stories of 2024, top 10 … Nope, not this year. It’s a nice exercise, but not much more than filler, and only the perception of the writer, or editor. Really, the top 10’s are yours. They differ for everybody. Those that most influenced your life over […]
Posted inBusiness
Carpionato still interested in developing Casino property
Since the Carpionato Group purchased the 23.5-acre former Newport Casino more than six years ago, a lot has happened — a pandemic, a moratorium on North End development in the city of Newport. And it was followed by just months after Carpionato’s purchase of 29 former Bennys stores. Carpionato had proposed a $100 million development […]
Posted inNews
Newport Performing Arts Center revises strategy
It’s been more than 25 years since planning began to restore the former Newport Opera House into a vibrant performing arts center, just up the street from The Jane Pickens Film & Event Center, with the promise of making Washington Square a hub for high-level entertainment. And it’s been a quarter century of unfulfilled expectations, […]
Posted inNews
Inflation in New England higher than inflation in the U.S.
Inflation in New England, while inching lower, continues to run stubbornly higher than the nation. Even so, Consumer Confidence in New England is high, driven by future expectations, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s latest report on New England Economic Conditions. The report, which covers the period from October 2023 to this October, […]
Posted inNews
Nearly a third of Rhode Island high schoolers experience hopelessness
The mental health of youth in Rhode Island and across the nation appears to be improving, but only slightly, with nearly a third of Rhode Island high schoolers experiencing feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to Rhode Island Kids Count. Those numbers are even higher nationally, according to a Centers for Disease Control survey that […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Lottery: Spending more, earning less
Rhode Islanders are spending more playing state lottery games, second in New England and third nationally, with the worst odds in the region, according to a report distributed this week by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The report also says Rhode Island has the highest retention of sales in the region, keeping nearly 62 […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion: Thankful for family, and hopeful the political drama of 2024 turns into acceptance and understanding in 2025
As I’ve done over the last few years, I reached out to Facebook friends and others, asking what it is this year for which they are thankful. This year, I also asked what makes them hopeful in the year ahead. I’ve always been impressed with the number of people who responded, and the thoughtfulness they […]
Posted inNews
Attendance Matters: How well our schools are doing
Since the pandemic, student absenteeism has skyrocketed across the country, sending education departments and school districts searching for solutions. It is a priority with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and every school district in the state. And, while results haven’t been dramatic, they are moving in the right direction. Statewide, pre-pandemic absenteeism in […]
Posted inNews
Champlin grants to help fund major projects for Newport area non-profits
From healthcare to historic preservation and recreation, Newport area non-profits were winners in the latest round of Champlin Foundation grants, aimed at helping organizations pursue “ambitious visions,” according to Champlin’s Executive Director Nina Stack. Of the $9.1 million in grants statewide to 109 non-profits, some $1.6 million was awarded to 11 Newport area organizations. They […]
Posted inOpinion
Just My Opinion: Rhode Island could learn from a Connecticut Commission dedicated to addressing ‘disconnected youth’
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, […]
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 […]