Focus

DENSELY POPULATED: The Fox Point neighborhood on the East Side of Providence is filled with 18th- and 19th-century structures, and a mix of other buildings. In recent months, three new apartment buildings have started construction, two of them replacing much older buildings, including one at 298 Wickenden St.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Fox Point residents concerned about infill construction displacing long-term renters

Focus 09/28/2018

After years of inactivity, new residential construction has made inroads into city neighborhoods in Providence. Lot by lot, older houses or vacant parcels are...

TOWER CONCERNS: Pictured at the ArtProv Gallery in Providence are from left: gallery staff members Nicholas Dupont and Victoria Rogers, owner Michele Aucoin, Susan Petree of Newport, and Luke Morrison of Providence. Aucoin said she’s concerned the proposed Hope Point Tower by the Fane Organization would be too overpowering and not “fit in.”  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Business community divided over Fane tower proposal

Focus 09/28/2018

While city officials debate whether to approve the proposed 600-foot Hope Point Tower in Providence’s Jewelry District, businesspeople in and around the neighborhood are...

RIGHT FIT: Sarah Lassor and Howard Thorp, of Thorp & Trainer Insurance, are on a deck on Atlantic Avenue in the Misquamicut section of Westerly. Thorp says private flood insurance isn’t right for everyone.  / PBN PHOTO/ BRIAN MCDONALD

Read the fine print on private flood insurance

Focus 09/21/2018

The flood-insurance market for Rhode Island has opened up in recent years, with more private options now available. But before businesses and homeowners try...

CUSTOMER FOCUS: Ronni Kenoian, left, marketing manager for InsureMyTrip.com, speaks with Martha Manzi, office manager. Kenoian said the company’s focus regarding travel insurance is to serve the customer, rather than make a profit. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘Flyer Beware’ report questions value of travel insurance

Focus 09/21/2018

“Flyer Beware,” an August report researched and published by the office of Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., calls into question the value of travel...

ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES: Dragan Gill, left, reference librarian and assistant professor at Rhode Island College, and Lindsey Gumb, Roger Williams University librarian. Open educational resources have been implemented at college and university libraries across Rhode Island.   / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Open educational resources helping college students avoid hefty textbook costs

Focus 09/14/2018

The price of tuition often trumps that of textbooks – both in size and priority – when it comes to budgeting for college. However, according...

2018 average tuition and fees for New England colleges and universities [prices do not include room and board] / Source: Collegetuitioncompare.com

Schools boost fundraising to slow rising student costs

Focus 09/14/2018

Each year, college gets more expensive. Tuition and other costs have continued to escalate, reports show, prompting ever-higher levels of governmental and institutional financial...

INCLUSIVE APPROACH: Noni Thomas López, head of school at the Gordon School in East Providence, says the school is founded on the idea of inclusivity, which is why it has launched a new individualized tuition payment program for families this year in order to diversify its student population.  / PBN PHOTO/ DAVID HANSEN

Private schools adjusting tuition policies in effort to diversify enrollments

Focus 09/07/2018

Gordon School and other independent schools that have re-examined their tuition policies in recent years have reached a similar conclusion. If they want to diversify...

CASH BONUS: The Washington Trust Co. said it was able to provide employees with one-time cash bonuses in January as a result of a reduction in its corporate taxes. Patricia Fernandez, left, professional flex banker at Washington Trust on Waterman Street in Providence, speaks with customer Nina Pratt of Providence.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Banks say tax reform allowed for increased spending on staff, infrastructure

Focus 09/07/2018

Many banks in Rhode Island and elsewhere have showered employees with pay raises and bonuses since President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress...