East Side of Providence Rocked by Crime

Friday, December 12, 2014
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

Property crime has seen an uptick on the East Side of Providence in recent months, and residents have been voicing their concerns -- and how to address the issue.

http://golocalprov.com/news/east-side-of-providence-rocked-by-crime

Providence City Council Votes to Create Economic Development Planning Commission

On Thursday, December 4th, the Providence City Council approved the second passage of an ordinance establishing an Economic Development Planning Commission...

The Economic Development Planning Commission will consist of 17 members, six appointed by the Mayor, six appointed by the City Council, and five department directors, including the Director of Economic Development, who will also serve as the commission’s chair. Commissioners will be appointed in January and will have until the end of 2015 to complete the economic development plan.

http://council.providenceri.com/ward5/Economic_dev_planning_comm12-10-19

2014 Providence free holiday parking

Shoppers will be offered two hours of free parking from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. beginning Friday, November 28, 2014 through Thursday, January 1, 2015 in the following commercial districts:

• Atwells Avenue – Bradford Street to Knight Street
• Broad Street – Public Street to Montgomery Street
• Downtown Providence – bounded by Fountain Street, Memorial Boulevard, Weybosset Street, Empire Street and Friendship Street (from Dyer Street to Dorrance Street)
• Hope Street – Rochambeau Avenue to Blackstone Boulevard
• North Main Street – Thomas Street to Park Row
• Olneyville Square – Route 10 to Sydney Street and Delaine Street to Atwood Street to Magnolia Street
• South Main Street – James Street to Packet Street
• Point St – From Eddy to East Franklin St
• Thayer Street – Meeting Street to Bowen Street
• Wayland Square – East Angell Street/Angell Street to Gano Street and Wayland Avenue from Angell Street to Pitman Street
• Wickenden/Ives – Wickenden Street at Benefit Street to Ives Street at Preston Street

http://www.providenceri.com/mayor/mayor-taveras-announces-return-of-free-holiday

12 things to know about Medicaid in Rhode Island

By Ted Nesi, WPRI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – When Gov.-elect Gina Raimondo tapped Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts as her secretary of health and human services on Sunday, the state’s incoming leader gave Roberts a clear mission.

“We have to commit ourselves to being the national leader in controlling Medicaid costs,” Raimondo declared, emphasizing that she wanted to “do it in a way that’s creative and innovative, so we don’t hurt people in the process.”...

Why is Medicaid such a big deal, and why is Raimondo focusing on it? Here are 12 facts to help you understand the program, its costs and its importance.

http://wpri.com/2014/12/08/12-things-to-know-about-medicaid-in-rhode-island/

Census survey details gaps in R.I. median income by race, neighborhoods

By PAUL EDWARD PARKER
Journal Staff Writer
pparker@providencejournal.com

PROVIDENCE — From 2010 to 2013, white Rhode Islanders and white residents of Providence saw their median household incomes increase, while their black and Hispanic neighbors saw their incomes decrease.

But numbers made public Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, which take a detailed look at the city, show a much more complicated picture.

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Yard Debris and Christmas Tree Disposal

The City's free, yard debris pickup program that began in the spring will end for the season on Friday, December 12th.

The City will begin free, curbside pickup of Christmas trees beginning Monday, January 12, 2015 until Saturday, January 24, 2015.

https://www.providenceri.com/mayor/providences-post-holiday-tree-disposal-schedule

Condition of PVD schools: ‘a kind of slow, horrible violence’

By Aaron Apps on December 3, 2014
RIFuture.org

I recently wrote a short op-ed for Providence Journal about the state of Gilbert Stuart Middle School demanding action be taken with regard to the physical state of our local schools.

A recent RI Future article published pictures from inside of this school, which show – even if only in part – how poor the conditions of the physical school buildings actually are in urban Rhode Island.
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