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University of Rhode Island board chair Margo Cook and spouse Renee Cohen donated $2.1 million to establish the Cook-Cohen Scholars Program, an endowed scholarship offering full four-year awards to top students nationally and globally. Part of URI's broader fundraising momentum.
The new Ocean State Climate Alliance, a Rhode Island 501(c)(4) nonprofit, officially launched April 13 to organize business, labor, and civic leaders around climate legislation. Goals include lowering energy costs, streamlining permitting, and meeting Act on Climate obligations. The group will engage in legislative advocacy.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley proposed a $635.7 million budget for fiscal year 2027, representing a 4.2% increase but promising no new property tax or fee hikes. The budget dedicates 96.6% to fixed costs including salaries, benefits, and a settlement-mandated school appropriation increase. Smiley's plan includes new housing stability funding to address the city's affordability crisis, with $7 million added for salary increases and nearly $2 million cut from utility costs through efficiency measures.
U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose issued a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the Department of Justice from enforcing immigration-related restrictions on grants for domestic violence and sexual assault services. The order, sought by 25 state domestic violence coalitions including the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, prevents DOJ from barring organizations from serving noncitizens or those unable to immediately prove citizenship. The injunction continues litigation that challenges DOJ funding conditions imposed in January under the Trump administration's policies on DEI and 'gender ideology.'
Charcuterie Artisans, parent company of Creminelli, Daniele, Del Duca, and La Quercia, opened an Innovation Center at its 561,444-square-foot Mapleville campus. The facility will serve as a collaborative hub for product development and strategic partnerships with national and regional food retailers. The company is now the largest charcuterie manufacturer in the U.S. following its recent acquisition of La Quercia.
Rhode Island's average price for regular unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents to $3.94 per gallon this week, 10 cents below the national average but $1 higher than a year ago. The decline reflects easing oil and gas markets as volatility subsides, according to AAA Northeast.
Dallas-based specialty cake company Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island location on Division Street in East Greenwich two weeks ago, with an official ribbon-cutting scheduled for May 1. Owner Jake Williams cited the area's small-business culture and community as draws. The bakery offers handcrafted bundt cakes for pickup or delivery.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley vetoed an ordinance capping annual rent increases at 4%, calling rent control ineffective after the City Council passed it for the second time. The veto sets up an override attempt requiring 10 of 15 council votes, with supporters currently holding nine. Smiley argues rent control does not lower rents and could worsen housing shortages, urging proven solutions instead.
Rhode Island has selected Family Service of Rhode Island to operate a new 16-bed residential behavioral treatment center for teen girls ages 13-18 in Exeter under a $9.8 million first-year contract. The South County Academy is expected to open by fall and will serve girls with complex behavioral health needs including trauma, self-injury, eating disorders, and substance abuse. The facility will employ 60 full-time staff, with Family Service renting the state-owned building for $1.
A state panel voted to authorize campus police at Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island to carry firearms. The decision represents a policy change for the two public higher education institutions, whose security officers previously operated unarmed. The authorization requires approval from institutional leadership and additional training protocols before implementation.
U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit demanding Rhode Island's voter registration rolls, ruling that federal voter registration laws do not authorize a "fishing expedition" by the Trump administration. McElroy found that the Attorney General's stated purpose—to ensure compliance with voter registration laws—does not plausibly relate to individual voting rights. The ruling comes amid similar challenges to DOJ voter-roll demands in other states.
