Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 19, 2019

HOT

Vitae Industries

When you talk about innovative startups in Rhode Island, you have to include Vitae Industries — the venture-backed company looking to reinvent and improve the economics for independent pharmacies.

Jeanine Sinanan-Singh, the Co-Founder & CEO of Vitae Industries, recently joined GoLocal LIVE’s Business Monday to discuss her company’s ability to raise capital, build a talented management team and monetize.

The company is building processing equipment that allows independent pharmacists to compete with the CVS and Walgreens of the world by doing their own drug compounding.

As the company says, "skip the tedious part of the compounding process with the push of a button. The AutoCompounder takes care of making the desired final dosage forms, while your staff does more important things. With Vitae, you will look forward to making gummies, lozenges and more and feel like you have an extra technician available around the clock.”

HOT

Providence Police

The Providence Police have been relentless in the pursuit of Federal Hill killers. As of Friday morning, seven are in custody.

Providence needs 100 new police officers -- it is one of the only cities in the country with more firefighters than police, all due to decades of bad contract negotiations.

HOT

Tesla Is Coming

Tesla will be opening its Bald Hill Road location in Warwick this coming Saturday, July 20, as GoLocalProv first reported. 

The development comes after the car company had initially eyed a location on Quaker Lane — and the company had announced a focus on online sales with only a small number of brick-and-mortar locations in “high-traffic” locations. 

The Tesla Store Warwick Commons will be located at 399 Bald Hill Road, and once launched, is expected to be open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. 

“This was a collaborative effort between the state and city,” said lawyer Joe Shekarchi, who is the Majority Leader in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. “From Governor Gina Raimondo meeting with [Telsa founder] Elon Musk, to giving credit to [Warwick] Mayor [Joseph] Solomon after the first location didn't work. He wanted to make sure we got [Tesla] to stay in Warwick."

HOT

Women's Fund of RI

Kelly Nevins, the Executive Director at the Women’s Fund of RI, joined GoLocalProv News Editor Kate Nagle on LIVE to talk about WFRI's "Run As You Are" workshop and upcoming Women's Policy Institute — and the success they’ve seen to date. 

According to Nevins, Run As You are is being held on July 27 to help encourage women to run for office. The non-partisan training walks attendees through creating a "platform" and what is needed logistically to run a successful campaign.

“Of those who attended the last one, ten ran for office and six won. We had 55 women who participated, and many of them helped the women who did run for office and many of them are planning to run in the next election cycle,” said Nevins. 

The Women's Policy Institute is a 9-month fellowship where individuals learn to advocate for legislative change. Previous cohorts helped to pass legislation on the Temporary Caregiver Insurance, Pregnancy Accommodations in the workplace and repeal the Tampon Tax. Nevins spoke to an info session taking place on August 1 and application deadline of August 15.

For more information about WFRI’s upcoming events, go here.

HOT

Jobs

Say what you want, but Donald Trump and Gina Raimondo need to get some credit here.

Rhode Island added 2,800 jobs in the month of June, while unemployment remained at 3.6%, the Department of Labor and Training announced on Thursday.

“Last month, jobs based in Rhode Island reached a record high, and our unemployment level fell below the U.S. rate for the first time since 2017. The investments that we're making in workforce development are working, but there’s still more to do. We can’t take our foot off the gas,” said Department of Labor and Training Director Scott Jensen.

NOT

Former Mayors Talking About Providence Schools

Joe Paolino, David Cicilline, and Angel Taveras weighing-in on Providence public schools with their opinions is like Jack the Ripper calling for stronger gun laws.

A) You had your chance.

B) The schools got worse under your tenure.

NOT

Former Central Falls Administrators to Help Run Providence Schools

This one is a head-scratcher. Providence Schools are arguably the worst in the country.

But Central Falls schools test scores are 40% lower.

So, to improve Providence schools, the new Commissioner engineers the hiring of two of the last Central Falls superintendents.

Got it. 

NOT

Mayor Jorge Elorza

On Friday, he is announcing that he is asking for the state to intervene in the Providence school system.

Earlier this week Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green informed Elorza that the state will be moving to, in fact, take over the schools.

It is a little like after you are fired, announcing you quit.

NOT

Governor Gina Raimondo

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo is the second most unpopular Governor in the country, according to Morning Consult's latest rankings. 

For the second quarter in 2019, Raimondo has an approval rating of just 38% and a disapproval rating of 55%.

Last year, Morning Consult ranked Raimondo as the 9th most unpopular in the country with an approval rating of 40%, as GoLocalProv reported. 

This latest ranking comes after Rhode Island was ranked as the worst state in the country for business by CNBC.

The DCYF Director resigned amidst dysfunction, the education system in tatters, and now the healthcare merger Raimondo was trying to broker collapse, as GoLocalProv reported.

NOT

Care New England

The failing hospital group has now fallen flat with it fifth possible merger in the past two decades -- three rounds with Lifespan, one with Partners HealthCare and please don't forget the bungled effort with South Coast.

During this period CNE has laid-off thousands, lost more than $130 million, failed to upgrade the facilities, and closed Memorial Hospital. 

NOT

Foxwoods

Not a good look. 

Foxwoods Resort continues to promote “Big Papi’s House” weeks after the former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was shot, nearly died and has undergone three operations.

Presently, one element of the campaign, a billboard that overlooks Route 95 south in the Providence market, continues to publicly promote Ortiz for Foxwoods. Billboards are bought by the month, but the vinyl covers can be switched out within days. 

This past week, Ortiz underwent his third surgery. Ortiz was shot in the back a month ago in a club in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic while drinking with friends.

The ‘fun’ campaign features Ortiz, gambling and flirting with a group of women who are poolside at the casino.

Ortiz underwent emergency surgery at a hospital after being shot, then was flown to Boston for two additional surgeries and was in the ICU for a number of days.

NOT

Councilwoman Rachel Miller

Her proposal is to limit the closing time on Federal Hill -- of new clubs. 

“Let me be clear, this ordinance does not affect any existing businesses with existing track records on the Hill, just new businesses coming online in the next year,” said Miller.

Not sure, but it seems the stabbings, fights, and deaths...have been tied to...existing businesses.

To penalize new establishments for existing clubs' behavior -- while giving them a hall pass -- seems misguided at best.