From high-profile corporate layoffs to controversial real estate sales, fallout from the Washington Bridge shutdown and organization leadership shakeups, the top stories of 2024 left a lasting mark on the state and Providence Business News' readers.
Below is a month-by-month recap of the most-read stories on PBN.com:
[caption id="attachment_484362" align="alignleft" width="300"]

ANN MARIE GODDARD. COURTESY R.I. STATE POLICE[/caption]
January:
Just a few days into the new year Ann Marie Goddard, co-owner of Exodus Construction in Narragansett, was arrested on charges of embezzlement and fraudulent conversion, unlawful appropriation and obtaining money/property by false pretenses or impersonation.
Goddard, 54, of Timber Ridge Road in Charlestown, allegedly embezzled more than $98,000 from her company. She was arrested on Jan. 3 after a monthslong investigation by state police into fraudulent and deceptive activities related to a construction project her company was working on. Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- The top 10 scofflaws for individual income and business taxes owe the state close to $60 million, according to the R.I. Division of Taxation. On top of the business list was S & P Temporary Help Services Inc., a Providence employment agency whose owner, Cheang Chea, was sentenced in 2010 to two years in federal prison for failing to pay millions of dollars in federal withholding.
- The sale of Arcadia in Westerly was the highest in Rhode Island early in the new year. The 6,974-square-foot home in the town’s Watch Hill section sold for $9 million Jan. 16 and was among the state’s top 10 home sales in 2018. Michael E. and Julia B. Dailey purchased the home
- After tapping Charles Montorio-Archer to take over as interim executive director in the wake of a scathing R.I. Office of the Child Advocate report, St. Mary’s Home for Children in North Providence announced several more leadership changes. Joining Montorio-Archer in St. Mary’s C-suite was Lauren Utschig as chief operating officer, William Petit as chief financial officer and Christina Jagolinzer as development director.
[caption id="attachment_484410" align="alignleft" width="404"]

CASSANDRA THOMAS. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
February:
Catching readers’ attention as the year’s second-most-read story, the Uncle Tony’s Pizza and Pasta location that was temporarily closed due to health violations shuttered permanently in February. WJAR-TV NBC 10 first reported that the restaurant permanently closed after the R.I. Department of Health found numerous health code violations with the Oaklawn Avenue location in December, which prompted a brief shutdown at the time.
RIDOH inspectors found various rodents and insects, including live and dead cockroaches, and rodent droppings throughout the restaurant. Uncle Tony’s in separate Facebook posts at the time said the Cranston location was closed temporarily due to “unforeseen construction repairs,” but later reopened soon after “everything was inspected.”
It is unclear what led Uncle Tony’s management to permanently close down the Oaklawn Avenue location. Uncle Tony’s has two other locations in East Providence and Johnston. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- The Providence metropolitan median rent rose by 21.55% year over year in December to $2,752, the highest percentage increase among the 50 metro areas analyzed by the Atlanta-based apartment search engine rent.com. When PBN asked if the government should step in to help slow the rapid rise of apartment rents in the Providence metro area, 95.9% of respondents said yes.
- Providence Director of Economic Development Cassandra Thomas resigned on March 15, just a year after getting hired. It was unclear why Thomas left the position.
- The R.I. Department of Transportation launched an online dashboard showing real-time travel estimates In response to traffic jams caused by closure of the westbound lanes on the Washington Bridge.
[caption id="attachment_484365" align="alignleft" width="300"]

PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON[/caption]
March:
State officials announced that the westbound side of the Washington Bridge will need to be fully replaced. The bridge closed abruptly in December after critical failures were discovered with the steel anchor rods.
Closure of the westbound bridge lanes led to several days of traffic snarls, which were eased but not eliminated, after a partial reopening of I-195 West on the eastbound side of the bridge on Dec. 15.
“Accountability will come,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- VL Restaurant and Lounge on Federal Hill temporarily closed for 72 hours after there was a stabbing on the property. Police responded to the club on March 9 after a 37-year-old man, identified as Charles O’Donnell, received treatment for a stab wound at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Two other individuals also received treatment for injuries.
- Rose Mary Grant announced she was formally retiring as Highlander Charter School superintendent, starting on June 30. Simona Simpson-Thomas, whose educational career began as a teacher at Highlander, was named the charter school’s new superintendent and began her new role on March 11.
- Paolino Properties LP acquired the Amica building for $12 million. The purchase includes the 11-story, 138,357-square-foot building, commonly known as “The Amica Building” and the city’s first skyscraper, as well as its adjacent parking lots.
[caption id="attachment_484413" align="alignleft" width="431"]

COURTESY MARATHON DEVELOPMENT LLC[/caption]
April:
Providence Business News’ announcement of the 67 honorees for its 2024 Best Places to Work Awards Program was April’s most-read story.
The companies and organizations were judged based on human resources policies and completed confidential surveys of employees put together by Best Companies Group. The companies were honored in a special event on June 6. Each honoree was also profiled in a special section appearing in PBN’s June 7-20 print edition. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- The Providence City Plan Commission approved a mixed-use development that would bring 178 affordable housing units to 220 Blackstone St. in the city’s South Providence neighborhood.
- Sean F. Reid resigned as Providence College’s senior vice president of academic affairs and provost after serving in that role since July 2020. Reid will remain with PC as a full-time faculty member within the finance department of the School of Business.
- R.I. Public Transit Authority CEO Scott Avedisian faced criminal charges after leaving the scene of a fender bender on March 27.
[caption id="attachment_484368" align="alignleft" width="300"]

COURTESY ZDS ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR[/caption]
May:
A proposal for a 30-story apartment tower next to the Hilton Providence along Interstate 95 cleared a crucial hurdle in May by earning preliminary plan approval from the Downtown Design Review Committee.
The proposal from PRI I LP, the Hilton Providence property owner, would demolish an existing parking structure and what’s called a “function room” attached to the hotel at Atwells Avenue and Broadway to make way for the tower that would include 216 residential units along with six floors of parking holding 248 spots.
The building plans submitted by PRI I call for 18 studio apartments, 116 one-bed units, 76 two-bed units and six three-bed units. The proposal says the building height will be 300 feet above Atwells Avenue and 326 feet above the dead-end street that runs between the hotel and the Amica Mutual Pavilion. By comparison, the Superman building is 428 feet. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- Enotap LLC, which produces the Anchor & Hope wine brand, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Co-owners Marissa Stashenko and James Davids said they would focus on Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, which they manage while also making wine.
- North Kingstown contractor Ernest P. Ricci, 62, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud, money laundering and other charges. He must also pay more than $200,000 in restitution to the government. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to what prosecutors described as schemes to conceal assets collected from fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster loans.
- Mayor Brett P. Smiley announced that Edwin “Ted” Carr will serve as Providence's new director of economic development, replacing the role formerly held by Cassandra Thomas, who resigned on March 15.
[caption id="attachment_484416" align="alignleft" width="300"]

STEFAN PRYOR. PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
June:
Forty young professionals have been chosen as the winners of Providence Business News’ 20th annual 40 Under Forty Awards program. The honorees were selected based on their career success and involvement within their communities and honored in a ceremony on July 18 at Aldrich Mansion in Warwick.
Among the winners chosen for the 2024 program are those who work in the nonprofit, education, pharmaceutical, architecture, construction, manufacturing, finance, government, technology and health care sectors. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- A two-level home in North Kingstown was sold for $4.6 million, marking a record price in the town.
- Gilbane Inc. Chairman and CEO Thomas Gilbane Jr. announced his retirement after 20 years at the helm of the family-run construction giant and was succeeded by Edward T. Broderick, effective Oct. 1.
- Stefan Pryor, who served as the state’s housing secretary starting in January 2023, announced he would be stepping down from his post to take a job outside of government.
[caption id="attachment_484414" align="alignleft" width="300"]

CEDRIC HUNTLEY. COURTESY NONVIOLENCE INSTITUTE[/caption]
July:
Providence Business News named 25 honorees for its 2024 Leaders & Achievers Awards program. The honorees were chosen from multiple nominees based on their leadership, achievements and long-standing commitment to the business community. They are also recognized for their community service and mentoring efforts throughout the region.
Among the industries the honorees represent are the health care, education, nonprofit, financial services, hospitality, legal, military and technology sectors. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- Cedric Huntley, who had been a vital figure in pushing for peace and nonviolence in Providence, including leading the Nonviolence Institute for three years, died July 10 at the age of 65.
- Providence Place’s financial challenges caught readers’ attention in July when PBN reported that Kroll Bond Rating Agency downgraded the mall owner’s bond rating and indicated that the Macy’s store is on the list of locations planned for closure.
- Marisa A. Quinn resigned from her post as chairperson of the R.I. Ethics Commission. In a follow-up statement to PBN, Quinn said professional obligations related to her consulting business are “requiring more time and attention, causing some time commitment challenges.”
[caption id="attachment_484371" align="alignleft" width="300"]

Photo from Providence Tax Assessor's Database[/caption]
August:
After Providence spent years trying to preserve Atlantic Mills, the property was back on the market. The mill was listed for sale at LoopNet.com for $5 million on Aug 2 by Realtors from the Century 21 The Seyboth Team.
In September 2022, the Providence Redevelopment Agency entered into a purchase and sales contract with the owner, Howard & Eleanor Brynes LLC. Then in August 2023, the agency issued a request for information for interested firms to join in rehabilitating the property. However, the owner declined to extend the purchase and sale contract “after PRA sponsored an environmental investigation through the R.I. Department of Environmental Management,” Josh Estrella, spokesperson for Mayor Brett P. Smiley, said on Aug. 8. He added that the investigation is something that would “inform any potential buyer’s due diligence process.” Read more here.
More popular stories:
- DeMoulas Super Markets Inc., the operator of Market Basket supermarkets, purchased the Commerce Way property currently occupied by Showcase Cinemas Seekonk on Route 6 for $9.5 million.
- State leaders filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services for the Washington Bridge, which suddenly closed in December.
- Thomas F. Gilbane Jr., former chairman and CEO of Gilbane Inc., spoke with Providence Business News about his retirement from the family-owned construction company.
[caption id="attachment_484411" align="alignleft" width="300"]

PBN PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON[/caption]
September:
TD Bank Group reported a $181 million loss for the quarter ending on July 31 after it had to set aside $2.6 billion for expected fines by U.S. regulators because of problems with the bank’s anti-money laundering controls.
The Toronto-based bank, which has nine branches in Rhode Island and is the state’s seventh-largest bank in terms of deposits, posted a $2.89 billion profit in the same quarter a year ago. Total revenue reported for the three months that ended July 31 was $14.18 billion, up 9.8% from the $12.91 billion reported a year ago.
In addition to the $2.6 billion provision made for expected fines, the bank had set aside an additional $450 million in April.
TD announced on Aug. 21 that it had sold 40.5 million shares of common stock of Schwab. The shares have been sold for proceeds of approximately $2.5 billion. The share sale will reduce the bank’s ownership interest in Schwab from 12.3% to 10.1%. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- There are several reasons why state leaders should take seriously the threat that Pawtucket-based toy maker Hasbro Inc. will leave Rhode Island. These include the 2021 death of longtime CEO Brian Goldner, who put down roots in the state; the widespread upheaval in office culture and commercial real estate caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and Hasbro’s shift away from legacy toy lines to digital gaming and other entertainment.
- The R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner approved commercial health insurance rate hikes for 2025 for all insurers.
- Point32Health Co., a combined entity of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, announced that Cain A. Hayes resigned as CEO.
[caption id="attachment_484415" align="alignleft" width="150"]

COURTESY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES LTD.[/caption]
October:
A Citizens Bank branch in East Providence was among 15 branches Citizens Financial Group Inc. is closing in six states, according to filings with the U.S. Office of Comptroller of the Currency, a bank regulator. Citizens has been shrinking its branch footprint in Rhode Island for years as it has bolstered its digital and online services. In 2014, Providence-based Citizens had 82 offices in Rhode Island. After the latest closure, it will have 53.
Four branches in Massachusetts are due to be closed: one each in Bellingham, Belmont, Burlington and Hyde Park. Six branches will close in Pennsylvania, two in Michigan and one each in Nashua, N.H., and Ohio. Read more here.
More popular stories:
- A 9,000-square-foot contemporary home and adjacent land in East Greenwich acquired by Tasca Automotive Group owner Carl Tasca Jr. and his wife, Tania, for $3.5 million was the highest residential sale in the town’s history.
- Nearly eight months after the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission agreed to hold off trying to sell Parcel 35 in Providence so the R.I. Public Transit Authority could determine if it wanted the 2-acre parcel for a transit hub, the status of the land and hub remains uncertain.
- A group of buyers has entered into a sales and purchase agreement with the owner of Atlantic Mills to purchase the historic property.
[caption id="attachment_484361" align="alignleft" width="300"]

AP FILE PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR[/caption]
November:
PBN reported CVS Health Corp. notified state labor officials it was laying off another 796 employees as part of its plans to cut 2,900 jobs, which earned readers’ attention as the most-read story of November and all of 2024.
Of the 796 employees, just 12 work in Rhode Island. The rest are remote workers who report to executives in the Ocean State, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notice, sent to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training on Nov. 25. This brings the total number of workers with Rhode Island ties affected by CVS’ layoff plans to 1,428, with 165 who work in Rhode Island. Read more here.
More popular stories
- United Natural Foods Inc. notified state labor officials that it will be laying off 121 employees who report to its offices in Lincoln. Of the 121 employees, about 50 live and work in Rhode Island while the rest work remotely.
- Providence Place was switched to new management just weeks after being placed into receivership. Centennial Real Estate Management LLC has transitioned into property management responsibilities of the mall.
- The historic former Temple Beth El synagogue on Broad Street in Providence was donated to the Center for Southeast Asians by Carolyn Rafaelian, the founder and former CEO of the Alex and Ani LLC jewelry company.
December:
While 2024 isn’t over yet, the most-read story so far this month is Providence Business News’ report on a controversial proposal to loosen music and dancing restrictions at restaurants citywide. Providence City Council President Rachel M. Miller has put on hold a proposal after some residents expressed fears about increased noise, but restaurant owners say they’ll continue to lobby for changes.
CVS’ plans to layoff 796 workers as part of the 2,900 layoffs companywide continued to capture attention as December’s second most-read story. PBN’s report on the state’s Rhode Island Life Index score of 57 – the lowest in the report’s six-year history – was the month’s third most-read story and the seventh most-read story of the year. Readers were also interested to know about the five new members elected to Providence College’s board of trustees.
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.