Peer-to-peer and Ear-to-ear: Community Acupuncture Creates Accessible Support for Anxiety and Addiction

by Ella Fassler

On an early July morning, a small group sat around a table at CODAC, Rhode Island’s oldest nonprofit addiction treatment center, with acupuncture needles protruding from their ears. Program coordinator Daryl Walker Jr. methodically inserted a set of needles into the center’s security guard, who [...]

Cutting the Checks for Providence Public Schools: Purchasing Approval Process Proves First Hurdle of Return to Local Control

by Eric Halvarson

Editor’s Note: Updated July 15, 2026 at 2:21 p.m. to include a statement from Providence Teachers Union (PTU). Providence’s public schools are a big investment. The City is contributing over $149 million to education this year—almost one-fifth of the entire city budget. But for the [...]

FRINGE PVD Is Back with a Week of Creative Risk-taking

by Judith Clinton

Now in its thirteenth year, The Providence Fringe Festival (FRINGEPVD), continues to capture the soul of the city’s artistic spirit. From July 12 through 18, venues across the Valley Arts District will ignite with performances, installations, and community events that celebrate the adventurous, artist-driven ethos [...]

Which of Providence’s General Assembly Seats are Being Challenged This Year?

by Eric Halvarson

Nearly two-thirds of lawmakers across Rhode Island are not facing a challenger in this year’s election, and the same is true in the capital city. In Providence, only 10 General Assembly positions are contested. Speaker of the House Chris Blazejewski and an entire half of [...]

Record-Setting 4th of July Heatwave Had More to Do with Climate Change than El Niño

by Eric Halvarson

On Thursday July 2, 2026, Providence saw 99 degree heat—the highest temperature ever recorded in the city on that calendar date. The previous record was set in 1941 at 98 degrees.  Despite news headlines focused on a strong El Niño weather pattern developing in the [...]

Want to Build Community? All You Need is Cheese

by Amber Ma

According to a recent survey from RAND and The Connection Institute, 41% of American adults feel lonely at least some of the time. Over half of American adults do not belong to clubs or organizations, while nearly two-thirds do not get together with neighbors to [...]

Dreaming Big for the Port: Residents Co-Create a Climate-Resilient Future for Providence’s Vulnerable Shoreline

by Amber Ma

The Port of Providence is a bustling, gritty, and heavily industrialized waterfront that contains a dense concentration of major industrial tenants, scrap metal recycling, energy and petroleum infrastructure, and offshore wind projects. A stark contrast to its scenic sister shoreline India Point Park, the port’s [...]

Providence Asks Voters to Fund More Housing Bonds. How Was The Money Spent Last Time?

by Eric Halvarson

This November, the City of Providence will put a question before voters: should the City borrow another $25 million dollars and lend it to developers of income-restricted housing?  Providence’s Housing Trust Fund is one of the largest pots of money administered by local cities and [...]

Who Gets a Beach Day in the Ocean State? Providence Turns to Water Parks as URI Measures Inequitable Shore Access

by Eric Halvarson

Providence splash pads and pools opened up on Monday, June 29, offering places for neighbors to cool down from the summer heat. Christian, a 15-year-old visiting his father for summer break, was the first to jump in the water when city officials reopened the Joslin [...]

Mayoral Candidates Lay Out Stances on Local Issues at Elmwood Community Center

by Jake Mittleman

Four candidates running for Providence mayor faced residents at a packed Elmwood Community Center on June 24, addressing housing, pollution, education and more. The event was organized by a coalition of eight neighborhood associations and community groups: Elmwood Neighborhood Association, Elmwood & South Providence Crime [...]