slides: Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - August 28, 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015

Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Every Friday, GoLocalProv's Russ Moore breaks down who is rising and who is falling in RI politics, business, and sports. Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in Rhode Island media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Send him email at [email protected]   and follow him on Twitter @russmoore713

 

Related Slideshow: Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - August 28, 2015

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HOT

Matt Fecteau

The Iraq War Veteran who challenged incumbent Congressman David Cicilline in last year's Democratic Primary, and got almost 40 percent on a shoe string budget, will be deploying once again to the Middle East to fight for our country. "While difficult to deploy once again, I depart knowing my unit will be supporting operations that will make our country, and state much safer," said Fecteau in a press release. You don't have to agree with his politics, but it's clear that Fecteau is an American patriot who loves our country and wants to serve in any capacity possible to make it better. 

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HOT

Ray Rickman

The former state representative from Providence's east side had some harsh words for the administration in Providence, saying that the fact that crime is down on the east side this year when compared to last is no cause for celebration, and pointing out that the residents there are as scared of crime as ever. Rickman is trying to organize the community to purchase private security details in addition the city's police presence, but that's sad considering the fact that Providence residents pay enough in taxes that they shouldn't be forced to pay extra for private security. In any event, kudos to Rickman for speaking his mind and showing leadership on the issue.

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HOT

Cranston West Little League

It was nice to see the little league ballers make some positive news for Cranston. While the New England Champions ultimately fell on Monday night and were eliminated from tourney play, the team played hard, with heart, and good sportsmanship---making the city and the state proud in the process.
 

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HOT

David Cicilline

The former Providence Mayor and current US Congressman from District-1 is in a very strong position according to pollsters and political scientists interviewed in a GoLocalProv article earlier this week, even if he were challenged by a strong candidate like Angel Taveras, his successor in Providence. That has to be welcome news to Cicilline as he eyes his next reelection campaign, which will be overshadowed by the Presidential election, next year.
 

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HOT

Gina Raimondo

The Governor received some welcome news late last week when the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training announced that the unemployment rate in Rhode Island has dropped to  5.8 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the June 2015 rate of 5.9 percent. That's the lowest unemployment rate for the state since October of 2007. That's good news for the Governor because it means the economy is turning around, and that's even before her new programs aimed at improving the job market, passed in the state budget this year, kick in.
 

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HOT

Comic Con

The iconic comic convention, which will be held at the Dunkin Donuts Center November, scored a big publicity victory when it announced that legendary actress Carrie Fischer, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy (a role she will reprise in this December's release of the first sequel to Star Wars) will attend the convention. The Convention needed some positive press after it was announced that they sought to censor the press at this year's convention, a move they rescinded later.
 

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HOT

RISE Prep Mayoral Academy

Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein wisely ruled against an injunction by the towns of Woonsocket, North Smithfield and Burrillville, that sought to prevent the opening of the state's newest Mayoral Academy, which will educate students from those towns, when it opens next week in Woonsocket. The move was a win not only for school reformers who are looking for innovation in education, but also, and most importantly, the young scholars who will be attending the school.
 

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NOT

Wilbur Jennings

The councilman from Ward-8 in Providence found himself the target of a complaint from a Providence building inspector, who was approached by Jennings at his second job and told by Jennings that he needed to 'watch himself' as he was overstepping the bounds of his job by writing violations on a certain property. While there are always two sides to every story, and Jennings may certainly not have intended to make the inspector feel threatened, it's clear that Jennings could have gone about this particular situation in a more professional manner.

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NOT

Allan Fung

The Mayor received a no-confidence vote from the Cranston City Council, by a 5-4 margin, that basically went along party lines, with the GOP members sticking with Fung. Although Fung brushed aside the symbolic move by calling it a political action, it wasn't a good headline for the beleaguered mayor.
 

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NOT

Providence School Department

GoLocalProv was first to report on the controversial decision by the school department to charge $802 per student, per sport, to every student who participates in sports and attends one of the city's public charter schools. The school department wisely backtracked on the decision on Wednesday, but the fact that the school department was considering unfairly targeting the students who attend the charter schools was nothing short of a disgrace.
 

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NOT

Curt Schilling

The former Boston Red Sox Star and two-time World Series Champion was suspended from his position at ESPN after sending out a controversial tweet that compared Muslims to Nazis. Schilling was a tremendous baseball player, but his business sense (remember 38 Studios?) and sensitivity leave a lot to be desired.
 

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NOT

Providence for Retirees

A study by Wallethub found that Providence is the third worst city in the country for retirees, thanks to a complete lack of affordability (which was predictable), and healthcare, which was surprising given the city's excellent hospitals. It's frustrating to see our capital city do so poorly in national surveys. Frustrating as that may be, it highlights the fact that the capital city, not to mention the state, needs common sense, good government reforms.
 

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NOT

Don Orsillo

After 15 years as the voice of the Boston Red Sox, as the play by play man on NESN, the main television station of the Boston Red Sox, Orsillo has been notified that he won't be returning next season. The move was quite a surprise considering that Orsillo was a beloved play-by-play man in the Boston market, and considering the outrage by Red Sox fans on social media, it won't take Orsillo long to land a new gig.
 

 

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