HOT

Katherine Gregg

The veteran State House political reporter is being inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame this year. For politicians and the public, she has been a watchdog or a nuisance — depending on your perspective.

While the State House press pool continues to decline, Gregg remains ever dedicated to doing important journalism.

Her hard work deserves a tip of the proverbial hat. 

HOT

Phil Madeira on The Alex and Ani Lounge

Rhode Island native Phil Madeira is one of the most seasoned musicians in Nashville.  

As a producer, writer and artist, success has graced Madeira in many ways. A member of  Red Dirt Boys, he’s a guitarist for icon Emmylou Harris. He’s played with stars like Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples, and Garth Brooks. He’s written songs for Alison Krauss, Amy Grant, and Toby Keith just to name a few. 

On his latest solo album, Providence, Madeira gives listeners insight on his inner conflict of being raised Rhode Island and growing up feeling an undeniable attraction to the music of the South.

"It’s an album full of love songs to where I’m from and where I’ve come to,” says Madeira.

HOT

Deming Sherman

The federally appointed Special Master Deming Sherman is a “fair broker” and he is committed to improving the failed food stamp program of UHIP.

He told GoLocal’s News Editor Kate Nagle that the technology has been corrected, but state employees need to be trained. He expects the food stamp program to be in compliance with federal law by June. He is less optimistic about the rest of the UHIP system.

HOT

Yummy Local Fare

Del’s, Caserta’s, Olneyville New York System, and Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers all appeared this week on GoLocal LIVE’s The Taste.

They reminded us of two things. One, food can just be fun, honest and yummy.

Second, they are the epitome of family businesses where the owners are also part of the workforce and are driven by the goal of making people happy.

These entrepreneurs work seven days a week, 52-weeks a year, year after year and always with passion.

HOT

Gina Raimondo and Nick Mattiello

The Governor and Speaker of the House were seen dining together at the Capital Grille on Thursday night. The two were breaking bread under the watchful eyes of the respective Chiefs of Staff, Brett Smiley and Leo Skenyon.

The two state leaders have often had a strained relationship — the fact that the two are meeting may be a sign of a new era.

NOT

40-Page UHIP Application

It seems that the State of Rhode Island and Deloitte should have detected that a 40-page paper application may not be an effective way to enroll poor and needy people into the state's mega-complicated healthcare program.

Rhode Island’s UHIP program has cost more than $500 million. The majority on the investment of state and federal dollars is the technology developed by outside consultant Deloitte.

What is emerging as a failure of the entire system is the application. The application to receive services via UHIP is a convoluted, paper document that is 40-pages long.

Special Master Deming Sherman, dubbed a “Super Lawyer” by one of the national legal publications and a graduate of both Amherst College and the University of Chicago Law School — two of the most exclusive schools in America, says the application is fatally flawed. He said in an interview with GoLocal LIVE on Tuesday, “I defy you to fill out the application.”

NOT

Sinclair Broadcasting and Affiliate WJAR

WJAR was once one of the best local news stations in America.

It is the station in which helped to launch the careers of Meredith Viera, Matt Lauer (yes, that Lauer), and URI grad Christiane Amanpour, Kathryn Tappen, and Dylan Dreyer.

Now, the station is tainted by Sinclair's mandated conservative and pro-Trump messaging, and Rhode Islanders have taken notice.

NOT

Traffic Cameras

Facing a massive class action suit in RI Federal Court and public outrage, the Administration of Jorge Elorza has spun the traffic camera program into further chaos.

Elorza's top lawyer, City Solicitor Jeff Dana, has asked the Providence Municipal Court to postpone court hearings on the violations.

Providence Municipal Court cases regarding the portable camera unit violations scheduled for April are postponed.

“The Office of the City Solicitor has filed a motion for continuance of Municipal Court hearings currently scheduled for April concerning these violations in deference to litigation pending in Federal Court,” said the city in their press release.

Since the traffic cameras were launched at the beginning of the year, an estimated 20,000 tickets have been issued

The motion was granted by Associate Judge Daniel P. McKiernan.

For the public facing fines, it is unclear what the next step is.