Cover Story

TAKING STOCK: Volunteers Ruth Balzano, left, and Dorothy Villani stock food at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank in Providence. Villani said the food bank has lost a lot of volunteers over the years, while Balzano said donations are distributed quickly and more are always needed. / PBN PHOTO / EMILY GOWDEY-BACKUS

Each year Rhode Islanders face the ever-present need for food, clothing...

Cover Story 11/23/2018

On a rainy, mid-November morning, five longtime volunteers sorted donations at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank headquarters in Providence. Aged 68 to 84 and...

COMFORTABLE SURROUNDINGS: Jeffrey Kerkhoff, owner of Jephry Floral Studio on Broadway in Providence, with customer Melissa Lamoine of Cumberland. Kerkhoff said he feels comfortable in a neighborhood that has improved in value and esteem since he first opened his floral business 20 years ago.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

As investment boosts city neighborhoods, can developers avoid displacing the poor?

Cover Story 11/16/2018

Twenty years ago, Jeffrey Kerkhoff opened a floral studio in a narrow backroom of an upholstery business on Broadway, on the west side of...

Despite false start, transformation of Jewelry District taking shape

Cover Story 11/09/2018

On a recent gray, autumn afternoon, early rush-hour traffic was backing up along Point Street in the old Jewelry District in downtown Providence. Most...

CHANGING INDUSTRY: Cheryl Burrell, right, associate director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity in the R.I. Department of Administration, is heading the state’s efforts to further diversify the construction industry. At left are Dorinda Keene, assistant administrator of MBE, or minority business enterprise, and Elvys Ruiz, chief supplier to diversity officer.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Diversity elusive in construction

Cover Story 11/02/2018

White men still dominate construction, though some companies are committed to changing that Born to immigrant families struggling to get by in Providence, Edwin A....

BUSY DEVELOPER: Arnold “Buff” Chace is the managing partner for Cornish Associates LP, which has several ongoing projects in downtown Providence, including three historical buildings on Westminster Street that are being renovated into apartments/retail. Chace stands in front of one of the properties, The Peerless Building at 150 Union St.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Despite some permitting improvements, developers often ‘going nowhere fast’ in Providence

Cover Story 10/26/2018

The developer of a riverfront hotel proposed for Providence gained initial approval from the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission a year ago, giving him clearance...

Will 2018 be the year Rhode Island voters take a stand...

Cover Story 10/19/2018

“Embarrassing,” is how R.I. Department of Education Commissioner Ken Wagner described the state of local public elementary, middle and high schools. “When I visit a...

HITTING THE PAVEMENT: Gubernatorial candidate Joseph A. Trillo, a former Republican state representative who has owned several manufacturing and retail businesses in Rhode Island, is running as an independent in the Nov. 6 general election. Trillo uses two buses and a truck to travel around the state and spread his message to voters.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In a year of highly partisan politics, can independents boost political...

Cover Story 10/12/2018

From his lofty perch atop the Statehouse, the Independent Man seems like a lonely soul, but he really isn’t. With spear in hand, the statue...

FRUSTRATED: Steven Porter, co-owner with his wife, Dawn, of Stillwater Books on Main Street in Pawtucket, said the decision of the Pawtucket Red Sox to move to Worcester, Mass., is a missed opportunity to “revitalize the downtown in one fell swoop,” adding the city will lose hundreds of thousands of potential visitors. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

After PawSox: What’s next for city?

Cover Story 10/05/2018

Out the picture windows of his Pawtucket bookstore, Steven Porter can see what might have been. With a sweep of his hand, he identified the...

TAKING THE LEAD: Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza says he’s proud that the Providence Police Department was the first in the state to adopt body cameras for its police officers. He said the program has been well-received, adding it helps to calm people down because they know they are being recorded, while also allowing “the entire picture” of an incident to get out.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Can a self-described ‘pro[business]-growth progressive’ mayor boost investment in Providence?

Cover Story 09/28/2018

The son of Guatemalan immigrants who settled in the West End of Providence, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza is a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps story: The first in...