GoLocal's Top 14 Stories of 2014
GoLocalProv News Team
GoLocal's Top 14 Stories of 2014
From political battles to Providence policing issues, to top rankings and enterprising journalism, here are the biggest stories of 2014 on GoLocal.
In a year dominated by the election cycle, GoLocal's top stories included unveiling developments during the campaign season, as well as popular in-depth rankings of the state's top high schools, and communities -- and a new ranking this year which garnered the most attention.
Here's a look at what dominated the news cycle -- and Rhode Island's interest -- this past year.
Top Stories in RI in 2014
#14
Providence's #1 Ranking
In October, Travel and Leisure magazine readers dubbed Providence "America's Favorite City" for 2014, beating out Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles for top honors.
"For our eighth annual (and sometimes controversial) survey, we tallied more than 50,000 votes, ranking 38 cities in dozens of categories. Find out the results, including which cities are rudest, best for pizza, and most stylish," wrote T+L online.
Travel and Leisure had poll respondents rate their choice of 1,209 destinations in up to 67 categories, using a scale of one to five (with five being the highest score). The final results reflect a subset of the survey data for 38 cities, based on votes cast through July 21, 2014.
And Providence took top honors.
#13
Secret Anti-Cianci Memo
One of 2014's biggest political stories in RI was one of the biggest overall -- the anti-Cianci memo sent from former Providence Mayoral candidate Lorne Adrain to a group of individuals in September detailing how to take out former Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci.
The leading organizer of the anti-Cianci 501 (c)(4) defends the effort, "As you might imagine, it's evolving quickly, what started as a conversation about what we think about the race in general, and making sure Buddy's not our Mayor again."
"It turned into things we might do in an independent effort -- it takes on a different approach and legal issues. We're serious about doing this right...and hope to be in several days in the position to have the chassis and infrastructure and mission and story and go to the market, and say come with us," said Adrain.
#12
Security Breaches
Target, Zappos, Neiman Marcus, and others....2014 illustrated that major companies are susceptible to data security breaches. By February 2014, there had been five major instances of hacking affecting retail stores in the prior three months, as well as hotel chains and Internet services.
Not a new problem, instances of retail and online security breaches have been plaguing businesses since the mid-2000s, beginning with the notorious TJ Maxx case. In 2007, the Massachusetts-based store disclosed that hackers had gained access to more than 45 million credit and debit card accounts. In a similar event, Target revealed in December that 40 million customer accounts were hacked.
#11
How RI Changed America
In honor of the 2014 Fourth of July weekend, GoLocalProv compiled a list of ten ways Rhode Island has shaped America.
From the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution to the creation of Mr. Potato Head to the fight for independence, Rhode Island has influenced American culture.
#10
Emma Watson's Graduation
When actress Emma Watson graduated from Brown in May, Buzzfeed and a number of conservative Web sites have published that Watson’s protection was a private bodyguard.
This was incorrect, however. GoLocalProv learned that the security detail accompanying Watson at the graduation was none other that Brown University Police Detective Jeanne Peck.
She is a graduate of the Rhode Island State Police Academy, and was assigned to the Special Operation desk at Brown.
#9
ProJo Sold to GateHouse
In June, GoLocal was first to report that sale of the Providence Journal was almost complete.
Unless the deal collapses, GateHouse Media, which recently emerged from bankruptcy in late 2013 as a part of New Media Investment Group, will be the new owner of the Providence Journal in a transaction estimated between $50 million and $60 million. The Providence Journal and affiliated TV stations sold in 1997 to Belo for $1.5 billion.
Media experts were quick to weigh in on the implications of the sale.
#8
Chad Brown - East Side Rivalry
The shooting in July at Chad Brown which saw five people taken to the hospital is said to be the latest in the feud between gangs with the housing project and the Mt. Hope neighborhood on the East Side of Providence.
"East Side and Chad Brown, I'll be honest, you can't have programs on one side of town, and expect to provide services for the whole city," said James Monteiro, Founder & Executive Director of the Billy Taylor house. “Teny Gross is doing an excellent job but its kind of difficult for the Nonviolence Institute, being centered on the south side of Providence, to have much of an impact in places like Mount Hope & Chad Brown."
#7
Was Federal Hill Safer When Raymond Patriarca Was in Charge?
“There is a perception that things were less violent on Federal Hill during the Raymond Patriarca era but I disagree since it is only the nature of the violence that has changed,” explained Former Rhode Island Attorney General Arlene Violet, who oversaw a major crackdown on mob activity during her tenure as Rhode Island Attorney General from 1984-1986.
GoLocalProv spoke with political leaders, law enforcement officials, historians, and Federal Hill community leaders who helped put the recent incidences of violence on Atwells Avenue in a historical context.
#6
#39 to #1 - RI's Best Communities 2014
What is Rhode Island's best community? According to GoLocalProv's 5th Annual Rhode Island's Best Communities, Newport took the top honor for 2014, for the second year in a row.
Number two? Providence, who received an outstanding achievement award this year from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for "most livable" cities in the country.
The rankings, based on taking into account criteria including affordability, safety, schools, arts and culture, recreation and nightlife, provide a snapshot into where the top cities and towns in the state are to live if you're a young single, starting a family, or entering retirement.
#5
Providence Police -- A Department in Chaos
The Providence Police force is at a record low staffing level and the 67th Class of the Providence Police Training Academy was supposed to be part of the solution. The problems in the Providence Police Department may be bigger than just staffing levels.
Just one week on the force in October, four of the recent graduates ran into problems and some have been disciplined and one dismissed. The class includes those with previous scrapes with the law and some have ties to high-level police officials, city officials and big-time political donors.
One new class member’s family has donated more than ten thousand dollars to leading Democrats, including then-Mayor and now-Congressman David Cicilline, sitting Mayor Angel Taveras and now Mayor-elect Jorge Elorza.
#4
Superman Building Has Zero Value
The Superman Building in Providence has "no value," according to an appraisal conducted earlier this year by Providence-based appraiser Scotti and Associates.
Moreover, the findings show that the Industrial National Bank Building at 111 Westminster Street would cost between $60 million and $100 million to rehabilitate.
"It's my opinion for the highest and best use is to shutter the building until which point the market conditions improve to the point that rehabilitation is an option. We estimate that as of December 31, 2012, the building has zero value," wrote Scotti in February 2014, referring to the 2012 date when the building's last tenant, Bank of America, moved out.
#3
Providence Resident 4th American with Ebola
The fourth American to contract the Ebola virus this year was a Providence resident - Ashoka Mukpo.
Mukpo was flown back to the United States for treatment. He is a graduate of Columbia University and London School of Economics. During the course of his career he had worked for Human Rights Watch in Africa and had worked for non-profits working in Liberia according to his bio on LinkedIn.
He contracted Ebola while working as a freelance journalist for NBC News in Liberia.
#2
The Top High Schools in RI in 2014
GoLocalProv's Fifth Annual Top High Schools in Rhode Island looked at the numbers, and Narragansett High School was at the head of the class of top high schools in Rhode Island for 2014.
Based on a formula developed at Babson College to assess and weight each school's latest NECAP and SAT scores, plus per pupil funding, student-teacher ratios, and graduation rates, GoLocal provided a comprehensive performance list of the state's public, charter, and technical high schools.
So what makes a top high school? GoLocal spoke with principals at schools in the top ten to get their insights as to what enables their schools to make the grade.
#1
Top 50 New England Board Schools Heads Average $420,00 in Compensation
The heads of the top New England boarding schools don’t just educate the future 1%, many of them are members of the 1%.
The average compensation of the top 50 highest paid New England boarding schools heads of school is more than $420,000 annually, while the average student body of these 50 schools is just over 460 students.
GoLocal researched thousands of pages of federal tax data submitted to the IRS by each of the 99 boarding schools in New England. The schools reviewed have produced some of America’s most powerful and affluent leaders -- and maybe they should, as the schools average yearly tuition for boarders is $52,720. Choate Rosemary Hall claims grads such as Adlai Stevenson, President John F. Kennedy and actress Glenn Close. And Phillips Exeter’s alums include Mark Zuckerberg Founder and CEO, Facebook, and author Dan Brown of “The Da Vinci Code."
