At PVD Fest, “Real Access Motivates Progress” Improves Accessibility for Wheelchair Users

by Andrea Gutierrez

Most days, Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence is a bustling transportation hub, packed with commuters waiting at designated stops around the perimeter of the square to catch their bus out of the vehicular commotion, but at PVD Fest it transformed into a strictly pedestrian affair. [...]

‘Recovery is Possible’: Overdose Awareness Day Rallies Providence Community to Save Lives and Honor Loved Ones Lost

by Eric Halvarson

“Hi sweetheart, would you like some free Narcan?” Three smiling faces stood outside the Valley Street Price Rite. They wore black shirts with a big purple heart and a ribbon that read: “One Big Family United In Hope,” and on the back of the shirt, [...]

West African Flavors Flourish in Providence

by Emily Bruck

It’s just before 11 a.m. on Central Street, and the smell of spices is already seeping out of the door of Toyin African Restaurant. Inside, Toyin Bankole, a chef, moves between pots in the kitchen and the fridge, preparing fufu, egusi soup, and jollof rice [...]

As They Become More Common, Heat Waves Will Also Be More Destructive

by Colleen Cronin ecoRI News

Editor’s Note: A historically hot summer is drawing to a close.This story was originally published by ecoRI. Republished with permission. Business closures, soaring visits to emergency rooms, and unhealthy air quality warnings are just some of what Rhode Island has to look forward to as [...]

Gilbert Stuart Update: School demo gets pushback at City Council

by Jonathan Howard

On September 4, Councilman Juan Pichardo introduced a resolution that would, if passed, call for a temporary pause in the demolition of the historic Gilbert Stuart Middle School on Princeton Street. His action follows an August 12 meeting Pichardo convened on the demolition plan, as [...]

Composting 101: With Stewart Martin of Providence Gardenworks

by Tyson Birch

Stewart Martin of Providence Gardenworks is a one-man operation, supplying everything one might  need to transform food scraps into compost, and he’s on call for any questions you might have about the process. In Providence, composting food scraps is an activity that can have one [...]

‘Living Preservation’: New Investment Fund Seeks to Bolster Local Ownership, Wealth

by Katy Pickens

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published by The Providence Post, a publication of the Providence Preservation Society. A new investment fund hopes to drive community-centric real estate development to keep the wealth generated by projects local, rather than seeing it be siphoned out of state. [...]

Providence Residents Face Challenges Finding Primary Care

by Andrea Gutierrez

On a recent late summer evening, Allie Surdovel walked the 3.3 mile loop of Blackstone Boulevard in Providence. It is important for her to invest her time in preventative health because like many Providence residents she does not have a primary care doctor.  “I haven’t [...]

Every Route a Story: Providence RIPTA Riders Express Fear and Outrage Over Cuts

by Eric Halvarson

After teaching an interactive course about erosion with a second grade science class at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, Kris Haines took a 30 minute bus ride from Fox Point to Wanskuck Library. There was another class to lead.  It’s the sort of trip Haines would [...]

Caught Between Crises: Long COVID Patients Struggle to Find Healthcare in Rhode Island

by Rachel Swift

With Rhode Island’s healthcare system strained to the breaking point, long COVID patients grapple with complex, mysterious, and disabling symptoms — and find meaning supporting each other and working for disability justice. In early 2020, Ariana, now 32, of North Providence got sicker than she [...]