The R.I. Department of Transportation will receive $15 million in federal disaster assistance to help repair roads and infrastructure damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy. more

(Updated, 4 p.m.) Winter storm Nemo, which hit full force late Friday and dumped more than two feet of snow of parts of the Ocean State, left more than 187,000 Rhode Islanders without power. As of 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday all but 346 Rhode Islanders had power restored. more

Winter storm Nemo, which hit full force late Friday and dumped more than two feet of snow of parts of the Ocean State, left more than 187,000 Rhode Islanders without power. more

Cold will sweep across the eastern U.S. starting this weekend, driving temperatures at least 3 degrees Fahrenheit below normal from the Great Plains to the Atlantic. more

Ken Ayars, chief of the R.I. Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, was recently honored with the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association’s Award of Merit. The award was presented during the organization’s annual trade show and seminar held on Jan. 17 at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences. Ayars, who has worked for DEM’s Division of Agriculture since 1987, has collaborated with RINLA on policy issues and solutions for green-related industry issues and needs. He was also issued a citation from the Rhode Island House of Representatives in recognition of the RINLA merit award, and for providing outstanding service to the state’s horticultural, agricultural and landscape communities. Ayars holds bachelor’s degrees in zoology, agriculture and resource technology, in addition to a master’s degree in plant sciences from the University of Rhode Island. more

Fidelity Investments’ award for The Outstanding Building of the Year from The Building Owners and Managers Association in Boston is a first for a Rhode Island building since the competition began in 1985, said association spokeswoman Kayla Burmeister. more

With Nor’easter Nemo slated to drop up to two feet of snow on parts of the Ocean State, the R.I. Emergency Management Agency is urging businesses in the city to let workers head home as soon as possible. more

Gov. Deval Patrick asked Massachusetts drivers to stay off streets and highways today, amid a blizzard that is forecast to bury parts of the state in the deepest snowfall in almost two years. more

The R.I. Emergency Management Agency released a public advisory Thursday urging residents and businesses to make immediate preparations for tomorrow’s “historic” winter storm, and to expect snowfall of at least 12 inches along with high drifts and white-out conditions. more

The nine member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative plan to lower the program’s greenhouse gas pollution cap by 45 percent, the RGGI said Thursday. more