Lauren H. Carson - Providence Business News

Newport bans whole-home short-term rentals in residential zones

Government 04/01/2022

NEWPORT – Whole-home short-term rentals, which are commonly offered through services such as Airbnb and Vrbo, are no longer allowed in city residential zones. The...

Cox defends $120M plan to upgrade state’s broadband infrastructure

Economy 03/17/2022

PROVIDENCE – Cox Communications' $120 million plan to upgrade Rhode Island's broadband infrastructure is not enough for three state lawmakers, including Rep. Deborah Ruggiero,...

CHRISTOPHER C. BICHO stands in a renovated, antique firehouse in Newport in 2019. He rents the firehouse as an Airbnb site. Bicho says he doesn't mind registering his site with a regulator, but he thinks oversight of short-term rental properties should be handled by either the state or the local government, not both. / PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Will R.I.’s new short-term rental property registry be too burdensome?

Government 01/14/2022

Now that every short-term rental property in Rhode Island listed on online sites such as Airbnb and VRBO will be required to register with...

Legislation to create state registry of short-term, third-party rentals moves forward

Government 06/23/2021

PROVIDENCE – Legislation that would establish a short-term rental registry across Rhode Island was approved this week by the R.I. Senate. The bill, S0501A, is...

DRAMATIC CHANGE: Tom McGinn, captain and president, and Kristin Stone are co-owners of Providence Riverboat. After the company joined the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, it shifted its business model from cocktail cruises to catering to the tourism industry and nearly tripled its revenue in the first year, Stone said.  / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Tourism: In search of coordination

Cover Story 07/26/2019

The Providence Riverboat Co. once served primarily local customers. Its boats would take groups out on the Providence River for cocktail cruises, leaving from...

SEN. DAWN EUER, D-Newport, left, and Rep. Lauren H. Carson, D-Newport, right, are calling for more information on the cause of the gas outage on Aquidneck Island from National Grid and Algonquin Gas Transmission Co.

Opinion: Public deserves answers about cause of gas crisis

Natural Resources 01/28/2019

The public has a right to know all of the available information when it comes to their safety. The crisis last week with the...

AT FRIDAY'S TOURISM STUDY COMMISSION MEETING, it was confirmed that Newport's contract with short-term rental property monitoring software company Host Compliance was extended. Rep. Lauren H. Carson, D-Newport, the committee's head, sits at the center of the back row. / PBN PHOTO/EMILY GOWDEY-BACKUS

Newport extends host compliance contract for three years

Economic Activity 04/13/2018

PROVIDENCE – At the April Tourism Study Commission meeting, held Friday at the Statehouse, it was confirmed that Newport had re-upped its contract with...

AN INCREASE in unregistered, short-term rental properties cropping up on third-party hosting platforms is causing some headaches in Newport. / COURTESY VOLVO OCEAN RACE/AINHOA SANCHEZ

Keeping the peace in Newport

Hot Topic 04/06/2018

Most Newport residents understand the city benefits from its international reputation as a tourist attraction. But an increase in unregistered, short-term rental properties cropping up...

IT’S A LOCAL STORY: Higher minimum wages do not seem to have hurt New England excessively – three states have among the lowest 10 jobless rates in the nation. And Massachusetts, with the third-highest minimum wage in the nation, comes in at No. 17 for lowest jobless rate in the nation. No one ever said New England followed all the national trends.

Higher minimum wage correlates slightly with higher unemployment

Economic Activity 02/23/2018

One of the primary arguments against raising the minimum wage is that employment will drop, especially among young, entry-level workers. A cursory look at the...