Rhode Island

Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday announced a proposed $60 million general obligation bond to build a Workforce Innovation Center at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Warwick campus, part of a broader $600 million infrastructure bond package included in his fiscal year 2027 budget. The proposed 44,000-square-foot facility would feature industry-standard labs, simulation spaces and […]

The Newport City Council will meet on Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 43 Broadway, with an agenda that includes infrastructure contracts, beach concessions, board appointments, and a number of upcoming special events. Among the most significant items, the council will consider awarding contracts for the expansion of Ann […]

East Providence Mayor Roberto “Bob” DaSilva on Thursday endorsed Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos in her bid for a second term, lending the incumbent a prominent local voice as the Democratic primary for Rhode Island’s second-highest office grows more competitive. “Sabina fights tirelessly for everyday Rhode Islanders and always prioritizes the needs of our local communities,” […]

 In the opening round of a citywide budget workshop series, Newport’s City Council pressed department heads and finance officials Monday night over a nearly million-dollar public safety spending gap, deferred fire station maintenance and an ambitious proposal to reshape how the city manages its parking operations — all against a backdrop of union contracts, supply […]

A bill from a Newport-area state senator that would ban businesses from using algorithms and real-time data to manipulate what customers pay is headed to the Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee for a hearing Tuesday afternoon. The legislation (2026-S 2428), introduced by Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown), would make it a deceptive trade […]

Two Newport County communities are among 15 municipalities statewide sharing more than $5.7 million in matching outdoor recreation grants announced this week by Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Newport will receive $500,000 — the maximum large development grant available — to develop the John Chafee Boulevard Recreation Area in […]

The Newport City Council meets on Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 43 Broadway, with a packed agenda that includes second readings on a sweeping residential parking program overhaul and a continued debate over how to spend speed camera revenue. The meeting opens with a proclamation recognizing Greek Independence […]

For the second consecutive year, a Tiverton lawmaker is pushing to strip the Coastal Resources Management Council of its authority and hand coastal oversight to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton) introduced legislation this session — bill 2026-H 7996 — that would abolish the CRMC and replace […]

The city’s annual budget process is getting underway this month, with the Newport City Council set to hold a series of special budget workshops beginning later this month. The sessions will take place in the second-floor council chamber at Newport City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. and are open to the public. All workshops will […]

by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island CurrentMarch 16, 2026 Rhode Island’s electric grid now includes some power from its first utility-scale offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, project developers announced Friday night. The initial power delivery is not the final achievement: The 65-turbine project is 93% complete and not expected to hit its full 704-megawatt nameplate capacity […]

The Newport City Council voted March 11 to advance a sweeping overhaul of the city’s long-strained residential parking permit program while sending a years-in-the-making package of short-term rental restrictions back to a workshop — two decisions that exposed the competing pressures shaping daily life in one of Rhode Island’s most visited cities. A Parking System […]

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will detour three bus routes in Newport on Saturday, March 14, to accommodate the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Routes 60, 63 and 67 will operate on modified paths between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. All three routes will bypass the parade route along Thames Street and America’s Cup Avenue, […]

The Rhode Island Senate has approved legislation that would expand property tax relief for senior residents of Jamestown, sending the bill to Gov. Daniel McKee for consideration. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown), extends Jamestown’s existing sliding-scale property tax exemption program for seniors to include those with incomes between 220% […]

by Christopher Shea, Rhode Island CurrentMarch 10, 2026 Newport city officials say Gov. Dan McKee never consulted them in crafting his plan to raise fees on visiting cruise ships, a move they say could put the city by the sea at a serious disadvantage compared to other regional ports competing for tourism dollars. That’s why […]