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McKee to drop mask mandate for vaccinated adults, will lift business...

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced Friday from the Statehouse steps that beginning on May 18, fully vaccinated adults will no longer need...

R.I. COVID-19 cases rise by 139, with 2 new deaths

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

PROVIDENCE – Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 139 on Thursday, with two new deaths, the R.I. Department of Health said...

AFTER HOURS: Dr. Day Care representatives Rebecca Compton, left, and Amy Vogel stand near their display, which includes a game wheel, during last year’s Statewide Business After Hours networking event. This year’s event will be held on March 26 at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston.   / COURTESY NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

What would make you feel comfortable attending indoor business events this...

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 13 said fully vaccinated people can safely stop wearing masks inside most places. Masks are...

EASING IN: Gov. Daniel J. McKee supports letting the unemployed and underemployed ease back into the workforce, so they can continue to collect unemployment benefits while working part time. Several other states are moving to end supplemental weekly $300 payments to encourage more people to consider available jobs. / AP PHOTO/ PAUL SAKUMA

UI changes a Band-Aid for wounded R.I. job market

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

It’s surreal to think that after a more than yearlong pandemic and 450,000-plus COVID-19 unemployment filings in Rhode Island, that jobs would now be...

PRODUCT OF THE PANDEMIC: Megan McCutcheon displays some of the items she produces for Newport Needlepoint LLC, a company she started when the state went into a lockdown last spring at the height of the pandemic. / PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

For many, COVID-19 sparks desire to start a venture

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

After Michelle Politano was laid off when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived last year, she made the decision to pursue her lifelong dream of opening...

Cliff Wood was named executive director of The Providence Foundation in 2017, with a goal of promoting the physical, economic and cultural development of the capital city’s downtown. He’s also served as the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy’s executive director since 2008. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Collaborate to revive downtown

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

Cliff Wood | The Providence Foundation executive director When people come back to downtown Providence, they need to find it safe, active and inviting. Here...

LT. GOV. SABINA MATOS, the former Providence City Council president, speaks after being nominated lieutenant governor by Gov. Daniel J. McKee on March 31. / COURTESY R.I. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR/ JONATHAN BISSONNETTE

So far, businesses hopeful about Matos

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

Members of the small-business community have been buoyed by Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos’ initial actions in her role as Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration...

It’s time to explore job opportunities

Advice 05/14/2021

Hope is returning to the workplace. With vaccines more widely available, COVID-19 cases decreasing and restrictions being cautiously lifted, job seekers are seeing increases...

ON DUTY: Server Lauren Withers delivers food to a table at Sardella’s Italian Ristorante in Newport. Owner Richard Sardella believes his 41 years in the restaurant industry has been an advantage in retaining employees because they’ve been with him for so long. / COURTESY SARDELLA’S ITALIAN RISTORANTE

Restaurant recovery is hitting a few obstacles

Coronavirus 05/14/2021

The restaurant jobs picture, like that in other industries, is proving to be a challenge to business owners as summer and our post-pandemic recovery...