Rhode Island
Fire breaks out at controversial Providence scrap metal yard. What we know.
Rhode Island Recycled Metals cleanup progress likely to speed up
A scrap metal operation on the Providence River that has been at the center of a fight with state environmental authorities may soon gain momentum.
PROVIDENCE – Firefighters on Thursday morning were still at the scene of a fire that broke out late Wednesday night at an Allens Avenue scrap metal operation that has been the focus of a long-running legal dispute with state authorities.
Crews with the Providence Fire Department were called to the riverfront site of Rhode Island Recycled Metals at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday for a fire that had started in a 100-foot by 100-foot pile of scrap, according to Fire Chief Derek Silva.
He said they extinguished the majority of the fire overnight but were still at the property at 434 Allens Ave. in the morning, working with Recycled Metals employees to break apart the metal pile and ensure no material was still burning.
Staff from the state Department of Environmental Management were called to the scene and determined that air pollution and runoff into the Providence River were not an issue, according to Silva.
“We expect to be on scene for a few more hours,” Silva said in an email. “Fortunately, no one was injured.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Scrap yard has been at the center of recent controversy
Recycled Metals most recently made headlines in March when the Providence Board of Licenses ordered the business to shut down for failing to have what the city says is the necessary license to operate.
The company argues that it has the relevant state licenses and doesn’t need the city license.
It’s just the latest chapter in Recycled Metals’ fight with authorities that has stretched on for more than a decade.
Recycled Metals went into business in 2009, when it got the job of salvaging the Russian submarine Juliett 484, which had once served as the set of a Harrison Ford movie and, until it sank in a nor’easter, a floating museum in Providence’s Collier Point Park.
The company had the submarine towed to the waters off its 12-acre property and soon brought in other deteriorating vessels.
But DEM inspectors soon raised concerns that the business was discharging potentially contaminated stormwater into the Providence River and accused the company of other violations.
After the company failed to institute stormwater controls and clean up the site, the DEM joined with the Attorney General’s office to file suit in state Superior Court.
While there has been recent progress to improve the property, there is still a long way to go.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island 250th birthday exhibitions at State House open hours
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Rhode Island State House was open for special Saturday hours ahead of Rhode Island Independence Day on May 4.
Lawmakers said the open hours were to let residents and visitors alike learn more about the state’s history as one of the first to declare independence from Great Britain.
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Some of Rhode Island’s 250th birthday exhibitions were on display during the open hours.
Rhode Island
50 kids who’ve survived cancer to walk the runway at annual RI gala
Next month, 50 kids from across New England will be dressed in their best as they walk the runway at this year’s Glimmer Gala.
It’s an evening for childhood cancer survivors to feel like celebrities.
“For them, not only do they get to feel like a normal kid doing a normal activity, but they get to feel larger than life,” said Alison Hornung, founder and CEO of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation. “I hear the kids go into their classrooms after and say, ‘I got to walk the runway show and I got to do a photo shoot.’”
Breanna Marie Breanna Marie
That photo shoot and shopping spree are something each child, like 6-year-old Bella Berg from Lexington, gets to take part in.
“For everything that they go through and that loss of identity, it really makes them feel like they’re beautiful and strong, inside and outside,” Hornung said.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation started six years ago. It brings hope to families whose children are battling cancer. This year’s gala is expected to be their biggest yet, with at least 500 people expected to attend.
Breanna Marie Breanna Marie
The goal is to give the kids confidence and make them feel special.
“They get to be alongside kids that are going through the same thing as them, so they don’t feel different,” said Hornung. “They just feel seen and understood.”
The Glimmer Gala takes place Saturday June 13 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Click here for more.
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 1, 2026
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 1, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 1 drawing
16-21-27-41-61, Mega Ball: 24
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from May 1 drawing
Midday: 5-4-5-8
Evening: 5-1-7-5
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 1 drawing
08-09-17-31-33, Extra: 15
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 1 drawing
17-24-26-28-55, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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