Cost of living in RI, Biden’s ballots, golf courses worth the drive: Top stories this week

Here are some of The Providence Journal’s most-read stories for the week of July 21, supported by your subscriptions.

• It doesn’t get more Rhode Island than a tour of a lighthouse, except maybe if you brought along a Del’s. While some of the state’s lighthouses have been accessible for years, the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse – after years of renovations – is now open to view. The Journal’s Antonia Noori Farza recently toured the site and talked with the volunteers who made it happen.

• We finally got a break from the heat and humidity this week even if it meant a couple of gray days – apologies if you were on vacation – were in the mix. If you’ve grown tired of summer temperatures and are dreaming about sweater weather and pumpkin spice the Old Farmer’s Almanac says you might get some relief this fall.

• For the latest sports news, including The Providence Journal’s coverage of the Little League championships in softball and baseball as well as the latest in high school sports go to providencejournal.com/sports.

Here are the week’s top reads on providencejournal.com:

How expensive is it to live in Rhode Island?

How expensive is it to live in Rhode Island?

According to a new Forbes.com report, it’s really expensive and it’s housing costs – both mortgages and rent – driving up the cost of living in the state.

Forbes looked at several data sources to see how every state ranked in various measures ranging from cost of living to income taxes. Still, in Rhode Island, a lack of housing supply proved to be costly as rent and the cost to buy a house keep going up.

The good news? It is not as expensive as one of our neighbors.

Cost of living: Forbes pegs RI as one of the most expensive states to live in. Here’s what is driving that ranking.

Rhode Islanders who have a Rhode Island Energy account for electricity or natural gas will notice a slew of changes starting Aug. 19, the most noticeable of which will be that their bill will look different.

In addition to a different looking bill, RI Energy will have a redesigned website, a new bill-processing system and a single phone number to reach the company’s new 300-person customer service center in Cumberland.

Customers will also be able to send a text to alert the company about an electrical outage.

Here’s why these changes are happening.

Electricity: Big changes are coming for RI Energy account holders. Here’s what to know.

This headline is going to make some people laugh, but they don’t live here. They’re not like us.

If you’re from out of state and happen upon this, these golf courses are not out of the way. They’re actually all very convenient to get to compared to what you’re used to.

But if you’re from Rhode Island, the idea of playing one of these spots might give you a second thought. Only in the Ocean State is a spot that is not directly off the highway or takes more than 40 total minutes of driving considered “out of the way.” It’s a stereotype, but it’s a stereotype for a reason.

So who made the list? The Journa’s Eric Rueb has played all these courses at one point or another — including two recently — and can tell you, without a doubt these are the five courses that are worth the drive.

Golf: Ready for a road trip? Here are five out-of-the-way golf courses in RI you need to play

If you want to build a granny flat, a carriage house or an accessory dwelling unit here, what are the rules?

After a new state law passed legalizing what’s known as ADUs statewide, there are fewer rules than than city leaders would like.

“It put us in a bit of a tricky situation, as it didn’t give us any time to revise local ordinances,” Providence Deputy Planning Director Bob Azar said. “We will have to evaluate new applications based on what’s in state law.”

Providence is trying to craft an ordinance that still complies with the state law and will put some strictures and limits on accessory dwelling units. Here’s the plan.

Housing: With granny flats now legal, Providence looks to pass restrictions. Here’s what the city wants.

The biggest news of the week was President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race for president.

The decision does raise the question for Rhode Islanders: Who will replace him on the ballot?

Biden quickly endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.

LeeAnn Byrne, chief of staff to Secretary of State Gregg Amore, said ballots have not yet been created in Rhode Island.

“September 12th is the deadline for each national party to certify to the RI Department of State Elections Division the names of individuals nominated as the party’s candidates for president and vice president,” Byrne said. “Federal law requires us to send ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before the election, so those ballots are finalized well in advance of Election Day. Once those ballots are printed and sent to military and overseas voters, we would be unable to change the ballot.”

Election 2024: What happens to ballots in Rhode Island now that Biden has dropped out of the race?

To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here.