Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - February 13, 2026
GoLocalProv News Team
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - February 13, 2026
We have expanded the list, and we are going to a GoLocal team approach while encouraging readers to suggest nominees for who is "HOT" and who is "NOT."
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Over the past 15-plus years, more than 7,900 have been tagged as HOT or NOT.
Email GoLocal by midday on Thursday about anyone you think should be tapped as "HOT" or "NOT." Email us HERE
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - February 13, 2026
HOT
A Smart Idea Turns 17
Andrew Posner, the Founder & CEO of Capital Good Fund, announced this week that the nonprofit is celebrating 17 years.
"In that time, we have served nearly 18,000 low-income families across our lending, financial coaching, and solar leasing programs, and we have deployed $65 million in capital. I am so proud of what we have accomplished - not only the lives changed, but the countless ripple effects in terms of public policy, innovation, economic development, and more. And I say this every year, but it remains true: the best is yet to come," said Posner.
He is a great innovator.
HOT
PVD is Fastest Growing - Again
Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) remains the fastest-growing major airport in the United States for the second year in a row, according to the latest U.S. Department of Transportation data.
This week, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) announced that the data confirms PVD is the fastest-growing major airport in the U.S, by seats and passengers for year-over-year growth over a 12-month period ending October 2025, comparing the largest 75 airports in the country.
During this timeframe, total passengers increased by 11 percent, and total seat capacity increased by 10 percent.
HOT
URI Women - Streak Continues
The URI women's basketball team is 22-2.
The Rams have won 16 in a row.
That's certainly very hot.
HOT
Nurses New Leader
The Rhode Island State Nurses Association (RISNA) announced the appointment of Raquél Pérez, BSN, RN, as its new Executive Director.
“This role is an opportunity to elevate the voices and leadership of nurses across Rhode Island,” said Pérez. “I am excited to work with our members to advance advocacy, strengthen engagement, and ensure nurses are well represented in the decisions that shape healthcare.”
A graduate of the University of Rhode Island’s College of Nursing, Pérez has built a dynamic career at the intersection of clinical practice, healthcare innovation, and organizational leadership. She began her career as a Miriam Hospital staff nurse and has since advanced into senior executive roles, shaping strategy, operations, and engagement for nurses at both the state and national levels.
Pérez most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of The Nursing Beat, a national nursing media platform reaching hundreds of thousands of nurses, where she led operations and growth.
NOT
Dream Season, Nightmare Ending
The New England Patriots' turnaround season was a treat.
There were low expectations going into the year.
The lackluster performance in the Super Bowl was a major disappointment.
NOT
United Way Fundraiser Sent to Prison for Money Laundering
A former top fundraiser for the United Way of Rhode Island has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for her leading role in laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars of her then-boyfriend’s fentanyl trafficking money.
Carolina Correa, 35, who was first hired by the United Way in 2015, was sentenced on February 4, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 42 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Correa was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and forfeiture in the amount of $350,000. In July 2025, Correa pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
"Correa – an entrepreneur, real estate owner and fundraiser – was the leader of a sophisticated multi-state scheme to launder $450,000 in fentanyl trafficking proceeds derived by her then-boyfriend, Jasdrual Perez. In December 2024, Jasdrual Perez was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for his role as the leader of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy responsible for manufacturing and distributing millions of fentanyl pills made to look like oxycodone and Percocet," writes the Department of Justice.
NOT
LA 2026
Casey Wasserman was exposed in the Epstein files as a creep at best.
Sadly, the Los Angeles Olympic organizing committee is sticking by him - a decision that should spark disgust in Americans and sponsors.
Rhode Island-based Providence Equity should pressure Wasserman's firm to drop Casey from the leadership role.
Let's see some decency.
PHOTO: White House
NOT
No Experience and It Shows
Patricia Coyne-Fague, the head of Public Works in the City of Providence, had no experience running a public works department prior to her appointment by Mayor Brett Smiley.
None.
Nada.
Zero.
Two-and-a-half weeks after the storm, many Providence streets are still a nightmare to travel on.
