Follow us on social media:
Air is one of those things you almost never think about, until it starts to feel harder to breathe.
For those with allergies or asthma, getting a breath of fresh air is extremely important, which means so is the air quality where they live.
A new study from HouseFresh.com recently crunched the numbers from IQAir to figure out which cities had the best air quality in America, and a tiny SouthCoast town ranked pretty high.
As someone who feels the effects of seasonal allergies every year, especially the fall allergy season, finding fresh air always seems like a must when the weather starts to turn.
But with manmade pollutants, wildfires hazing up the skies and humidity often on the rise, the air isn’t always as clean as we might want it to be.
Air quality alerts days rose into the double digits for summer 2025, warning residents of poor or hazardous air throughout the state. With wildfire season still underway, that number could increase again.
HouseFresh.com looked at every city with populations over 10,000 and ranked them from best air quality to worst. Then they created a chart showing which city had the best air quality in each state.
While overall Waimea, Hawaii had the best air quality in the country, North Kingstown helped Rhode Island ranked #5 overall and Acushnet landed Massachusetts #9.
Courtesy Frank C. Grace
Yes, of all the cities and towns in Massachusetts, it’s Acushnet where residents are breathing a little easier.
Honestly I would have thought a mountainous town in the Berkshires would have the cleanest air in MA, but the numbers don’t lie and Acushnet ranked highest overall.
Perhaps more impressive was that Rhode Island in its entirety, ranked as the state with the third best air quality behind Hawaii and Alaska.
So it seems that when you step outside this fall in Southern New England, you can feel free to breathe in deeply.
King Richard’s Faire has moved its realm of Carvershire from its original home of over four decades to its new site, the former Edaville Family Theme Park.
Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg
Ready for scenic fall leaf peeping drives?
We are too. So we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite tree-lined routes that allow you to enjoy the season’s changing colors from the waterfront to the woodlands.
No matter where you live on the SouthCoast and what type of leaf peeping you’re looking to do, we’ve got a drive for that.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Need a day of hiking, biking and seeing a 33-foot North Atlantic Right Whale replica? Then you need to head to the Rhode Island Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol.
You can hike through various habitats, enjoy a peaceful pondside picnic and even enjoy an interactive aquarium full of native fish and sea creatures.
Fun for the whole family can be found at this hidden gem of Rhode Island.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Indivisible R.I. is holding a rally on Sunday as part of the “ICE Out for Good” demonstrations taking place this weekend nationwide.
The rally is in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
In a release, the organization said the rally will “honor the life lost, make visible the human cost of ICE`s actions, and demand that state and federal leaders reject local contracts with ICE, take every action possible to stop ICE from operating in Rhode Island, and hold ICE agents accountable when they break the law.”
Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.
Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
Follow us on social media:
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:
05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
17-24-36-38-43, Lucky Ball: 17
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 6-3-1-0
Evening: 3-7-1-4
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
10-13-27-37-38, Extra: 19
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
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.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Governor Dan McKee PHOTO: GoLocal
It’s a new year, filled with new challenges. The General Assembly is back in session. Rhode Island’s economy is flat at best, and according to the University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro, the state is in a recession. Rhode Island is also in daily legal conflict with the Trump administration.
Add that the state is trying to recover from a mass shooting at Brown University, which killed two students and wounded nine others.
For Governor Dan McKee, it is a critical time.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE — SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
He has announced he is running for reelection—the Democratic primary is just nine months away.
McKee’s poll numbers have plummeted to record lows.
A poll released by the University of New Hampshire in November of 2025 found that in the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Rhode Island, 29% of likely Democratic primary voters (N=359) say they would currently vote for former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, 13% would vote for Speaker of the RI House of Representatives Joe Shekarchi, 11% would vote for incumbent Governor Dan McKee, 6% would write in someone else, and 42% are undecided.
Is the 74-year-old McKee criss-crossing the state to reassure Rhode Islanders, listening to residents’ ideas, and sharing his vision for the state in his second term?
GoLocal offers a recap of the McKees’ public schedule for the first ten days of the month.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 & SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026
No public events.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2026
No public events.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026
2:00 PM
Governor McKee will deliver remarks at the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty’s 18th Annual Interfaith Poverty Vigil.
LOCATION:
RI State House Rotunda
82 Smith Street
Providence, RI
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2026
No public events.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026
No public events.
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026
9:30 AM
Governor McKee will deliver remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new community learning center at the Cross’ Mills Public Library.
LOCATION:
Cross’ Mills Public Library
4417 Old Post Road
Charlestown, RI
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 & SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026
No public events.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2026
11:00 AM
Governor McKee will join members of Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation and local and state leaders for a rally hosted by Climate Action RI, Climate Jobs RI, and the AFL-CIO in support of Revolution Wind and other offshore wind projects.
LOCATION:
CIC Providence
225 Dyer Street
Providence, RI
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2026
No public events.
2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
Power bank feature creep is out of control
Anti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
MERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
Defensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
Pat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
Viral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says