Business Beat: BankNewport named RI SBA Lender of the Year

BankNewport has once again been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Rhode Island District Office for its exceptional performance in small business lending. During the annual SBA Rhode Island Lender Awards Breakfast on December 5, BankNewport was named Rhode Island 7(a) Lender of the Year, Rhode Island 504 3rd Party Lender of the…

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The wall of separation, church and state – Herb Weiss

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on issues of aging Lawmakers with strong religious beliefs can be found serving in state houses, congress, and state departments of education, etc., throughout the nation. Occasionally, we’ve seen the wall of separation of church and state crumble, or be taken up in the courts. According to PEN America, between July…

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Christmas past. Christmas present. Failing the homeless, we see our future.

by Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL, with Nancy Thomas, publisher (Publisher’s Note: Three years ago, Mary wrote this reflection on her trip to California. Sadly, the situation only grows worse and Rhode Island is on the cusp of an ever-quickening homelessness disaster. We reprint it here, today, due to its timeliness as officials take steps to…

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Ask Chef Walter: Bocconotto from Abruzzo – Walter Potenza

by Chef Walter Potenza, contributing writer BOCCONOTTO FROM ABRUZZO Almond, coffee, and chocolate in a pastry cup. Simply divine. Made during the Christmas season, it would be sinful not to have them throughout the year. Friends: My journey in search of the Christmas sweets of Italy’s regional traditions took me back to Abruzzo, where I…

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Ask Chef Walter: Pinoli Biscotti – Chef Walter Potenza

by Executive Chef Walter Potenza, contributing writer Friends: One of the most popular cookies to make for the holidays is Biscotti ai Pinoli, or pignoli cookies. They originate from the deep-seated Southern Italian and Sicilian cuisines, more precisely from Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. These regions pride themselves on a long tradition of sweets made with…

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Rhode Island Weather for Dec. 22, 2024, Jack Donnnelly

by Jack Donnelly, meteorologist High pressure builds in and anchors the cold air in place for the time being. Lows around 10 and single digits in the rural valleys, highs only approaching 20 in the afternoon with a northwesterly breeze under plenty of useless sunshine. It’s a “C+” day! ___ Follow John’s weather forecasts, here:…

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Rhode Island Weekend Weather for Dec. 21/22, 2024 – Jack Donnelly

by Jack Donnelly, meteorologist Saturday 12/21/24: Weather system passes through leaving behind bitter cold wind chills with northwesterly winds gusting to 30 mph dragging wind chill temps no higher than the teens from a temp reading around 30 if we’re lucky. Evening lows dipping below 20. Winter Solstice at 4:20am! It’s a “C” day! Sunday…

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