The city’s Department of Art, Culture and Tourism has been working to draft, present and implement “Creative Providence,” an ambitious, 10-year cultural plan designed to boost local arts-related activities and investment.

In a special session that began Tuesday night and is expected to continue through Thursday, the Rhode Island General Assembly has already addressed a wide variety of issues, including bills on the state name, indoor prostitution and driving while texting. The special session marks the return of the state Senate and House to the State House after a four-month break.

Brown and the administration of Providence Mayor David Cicilline ’83 have clashed in the State House this year, with both pushing legislation the other opposes.

Responsibility for monitoring students’ writing competency will be centralized in concentration advising, Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron said at a faculty meeting Tuesday.

Cold Stone Creamery on Thayer Street closed its doors last week, leaving College Hill ice cream-lovers disappointed and a handful of local students out of a job.

The University-sponsored peer tutoring program has been all but eliminated this semester by administrators, leaving students unable to access one-on-one homework help from fellow undergraduates — and hundreds of former tutors out of a job.

More than 20 East Side businesses have signed up to promote the 3/50 Project, a national grassroots organization that encourages consumers to spend $50 a month at three of their favorite independent retailers, restaurants or other local businesses.

The University will have the opportunity to acquire up to 36 acres of land in Providence in coming years, according to a report released last week by the governor’s office, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and the city.

Students arriving on campus this week will likely be pleased to discover that Brown has reestablished itself as the school with the happiest students in America — at least according to The Princeton Review, which released its 2010 edition of “The Best 371 Colleges” in July.

The tropical islands of the Caribbean, the romantic cities of Europe and the pristine beaches of Hawaii are all frequent destinations for couples seeking a getaway for their big day. But then again, so are the green lawns of College Hill.