News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –

Providence, RI – Listen to the WRNI Morning News Podcast for Thursday, September 9, 2010.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEWPORT, R.I. – An SUV has crashed into a wall at Newport's famed Breakers mansion, and four college students are seriously hurt.

Newport Police Lt. William Fitzgerald says four 19-year-old students at Salve Regina University were in the car early Thursday when it crashed. He says it appears the vehicle was going fast, although details are still being investigated.

Fitzgerald says it's not clear whether alcohol was involved.

By BOB SEAY

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Following this summer's slide in home sales, there are many with their eyes on the U.S. housing market. Warwick realtor Ron Phipps is among them. Come November, Phipps will become the newest president of the National Association of Realtors, the nationwide association of real estate agents. WRNI's Bob Seay recently spoke spoke about some of the steps he would like to see government officials take to help the housing market.

By IAN DONNIS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – All this week, WRNI is taking a look at the five candidates running for mayor of Providence. Today, Democrat Angel Taveras.Today, WRNI's Ian Donnis focuses on Democrat Angel Taveras, who is making his first run for the job.

By SCOTT MACKAY

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Labor Day is fraught with meaning and memory for Rhode Island, a state built by the sweat of generations of blue and pink collar workers. It usually signals the beginning of the home stretch for the political primaries. But with a week left, WRNI political analyst Scott MacKay wonders why this year's elections have drawn little of the passion of primaries past, when Rhode Island politics was a rolling participant, combat and spectator sport.

By Ian Donnis

Providence, R.I. – A city hall spokeswoman says Providence Mayor David Cicilline has returned the $25,000 in salary overpayments and a bonus he received over the last four years.

Spokeswoman Karen Watts says Cicilline got $20,000 in extra money because the city payroll department mistakenly applied a management raise to his mayoral salary. About $5,000 more came from a "longevity" payment. Watts says the mayor has repaid $25,000 to the city.

By ELISABETH HARRISON

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Universities are finding more and more students interested in farming, including those in the Ivy League. In Rhode Island, Brown and other elite college graduates are starting farms and organizing farmer's markets, and they may even be changing the way many traditional farmers see the business. WRNI's Elisabeth Harrison has our story.

By Flo Jonic

Providence, R.I. – Republican gubernatorial candidate John Robitaille says intermediaries for Democrat Frank Caprio approached him several times about dropping out of the race.

John Robitaille says supporters of Frank Caprio spoke to him at least six times about dropping out of the race. The reward, says Robitaille, would have been any job he wanted in a Caprio administration.

By IAN DONNIS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – WRNI continues our series of profiles of the five candidates running for mayor of Providence. Democrat Christopher Young is making his third run to lead the city.

The 41-year-old Young lives on Smith Hill. He leads a group he created called the National Civil Rights Coalition. Young supports former Mayor Buddy Cianci's three cities plan to spark more development and open space. He also wants to impose property taxes on Brown University.