HOT

Christina Paxson

The President of Brown University was elected to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Paxson will help oversee the pursuit to promote growth and financial stability in the region from Maine to Connecticut. It's another big position for Paxson, in addition to her role as President of one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
 

HOT

Mike Stenhouse

The former professional baseball player and leader of the the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity--a Rhode Island based think tank, has brought forward some reasonable privacy concerns about the implantation of tolls on the road, since toll gantries will be able to capture and record the vehicles passing through.  "Rhode Islanders should be wary about turning over our private, personal travel information to an increasingly big-brotherish government via electronic tolling on trucks and cars," Stenhouse tells GoLocal. The fact that Rhode Island already has enough revenue to fix its bridges already is reason enough to oppose new tolls, but the privacy issue is another, previously not though of and another valid reason to stand against the tolls. 

HOT

Providence

The state's capital city was named one of 52 cities in the world to go and visit in the year 2016 by the New York Times in their annual "Places to Go" issue. The city's arts, culture, and cuisine are what landed us on the list, according to the article. It is somewhat ironic how people from outside Rhode Island, almost without fail, love our state more than our own residents.
 

HOT

Jack Reed

The Senior US Senator made a wise and class decision to invite Jim Vincent, the President of the Providence Chapter of the NAACP to be his guest at the Presidential State of the Union  (Obama's last) on Tuesday evening. It didn't make headlines like the controversial invite of Kim Davis, a town clerk from Kentucky who refused to issue gay marriage licenses last year, by Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, but it was a nice gesture to recognize someone who works hard to advocate for civil rights in our state every day.
 

HOT

Charlie Baker

While Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo is struggling here at home, everything is coming up roses for Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. This week, the Boston Globe reported that General Electric has decided to move to Boston. Landing a Fortune 10 company is a huge feather in Baker's cap, and it's economic development that Rhode Island badly needed. 
 

HOT

John Lombardi

The former long-time city councilman, acting mayor, mayoral candidate, and current state legislator and municipal judge, told GoLocal last weekend that he's considering taking another shot at the city's top job. On social media and around town, his announcement was met largely with encouragement. It's too early to be talking about the mayoral election of 2018, but the city could do much worse than John Lombardi. (Also, outgoing school board president Keith Oliveira is also mulling a bid of his own.)
 

NOT

Gina Raimondo

Unfortunately, when it comes to economic development, it's win or go home. And while all reports say that Rhode Island was close to landing GE, the company's decision to go to Boston (as reported by The Boston Globe) instead is a loss for team Raimondo--regardless of how it gets spun. The relocation of GE to Boston could help the Rhode Island economy, particularly in housing, but it's not much a consolation prize. 
 

NOT

Brown University

While Brown President Christina Paxson had a good week in the news, Brown University deserves criticism for its plan to demolish 7 buildings it owns on College Hill near Thayer Street and turn them into a parking lot. The move would significantly change the character of the neighborhood, and to replace it with a parking lot does not seem like a huge improvement.

NOT

William P. Robinson III

Golocal reported on Thursday that the current Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice helped block an effort by a former St. George's student that would have brought  attention to sexual abuse that allegedly took place at the school in the 1980s. Robinson, who was representing St. George’s at the time as an attorney with the Providence law firm of Edwards and Angell, tried to force Jane Doe, now known to be Anne Scott, to reveal her identity in the lawsuit that alleged rape and molestation by the school's then athletic trainer. Robinson even went so far as to argue that a consensual sexual relationship may have taken place, when the girl was 15 at the time the alleged molestation took place. (The St. George's sexual abuse story was first reported by The Boston Globe).

NOT

Bishop Tobin

The Diocese of Providence has an extensive child protection and outreach policy to "...make every effort to communicate openly and in a timely manner with the public through the news media and other available means...", about any abuse of minors. Yet despite that policy, the Diocese would only make a vague, if not downright evasive statements when questioned by GoLocal about a former employee at the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul in Providence, named Antony Tedeschi, refusing to give specifics about his job or periods of employment. Tedeschi, a former teacher's aide, was previously arrested for second degree child molestation for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old boy at  Esek Hopkins Middle School, in Providence, on October 23, after another aide observed Tedeschi "inappropriately touching" a 13-year-old male student. 
 

NOT

Bristol Parade Route

If it isn't broke, why try and fix it? That's the common retort I continue hearing from people who cannot understand why the Bristol Fourth of July Committee is examining a shortening of the route in order to compensate for high July temperatures. But if heat is an issue, people should be made aware of it beforehand so they can take necessary precautions. The Parade Route should be left as it is since it works just fin
 

Photo: Flickr/H.C. Williams

NOT

PowerBall

If I don't hear about the massive, multi-state lottery again for another 5 years it will be be too soon. It seems anywhere I go, or whenever I turn on the television or radio I hear people fantasizing about how hitting the lottery would somehow save their lives. If winning the lottery is what it would take to bring happiness into your life, it's time to examine your priorities. And instead of wasting money on lottery tickets, why not give your expendable cash to charity?

NOT

Danny Ainge

After their win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, the Celtics had still lost 6 of their last 10 games, and if the playoffs started that day, would have found themselves on the outside looking in.  With the recent futility after an encouraging start, the season is quickly becoming a disappointment, and calls into question General Manager Danny Ainge's plan--assuming there actually is one.