Rhode Island

105-year-old small business owner honored by Providence councilor

Published

12 months ago

December 1, 2024

105-year-old small business owner honored by Providence councilor

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A small business owner in Providence was honored by a city councilor on Saturday for achieving not one, but two major milestones.

Manuel Pedroso turned 105 years old earlier this month and his business, Friends Market located on Brook Street, has been open for 75 years.

The family said Friends Market is one of the first Portuguese-American markets in Rhode Island.

Manuel, and his wife Maria Pedroso, were presented a citation by Councilman John Goncalves for their contributions to the community and celebrating the business.

“Manuel and Maria Pedroso, at ages 105 and 99, represent the very best of our community,” Goncalves told 12 News. “From their journey as immigrants to building one of the earliest Portuguese businesses in Rhode Island, their story is one of perseverance and commitment.”

Manuel Pedroso was also honored with a street dedication for Pedroso Way back in 2022.

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Rhode Island

Williamson scores 25 as Towson defeats Rhode Island 62-55

Published

40 minutes ago

November 24, 2025

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Williamson scores 25 as Towson defeats Rhode Island 62-55

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Dylan Williamson’s 25 points helped Towson defeat Rhode Island 62-55 on Monday.

Williamson shot 10 for 21, including 5 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Tigers (4-2). Jack Doumbia scored 16 points and added three steals. Tyler Tejada had 16 points and shot 5 of 9 from the field and 6 for 6 from the line.

The Rams (4-2) were led in scoring by Myles Corey, who finished with 14 points. Jonah Hinton added 13 points for Rhode Island. Keeyan Itejere finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Towson entered halftime up 25-21. Doumbia paced the team in scoring in the first half with 10 points. Williamson scored 16 points in the second half.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Rhode Island

Sick of Christmas shopping? Take a look at photos from old RI toy stores

Published

19 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Sick of Christmas shopping? Take a look at photos from old RI toy stores

Oh to be a youngster again. Christmastime was simply the best − trying to make your wish list for Santa was simultaneously stressful but also the best time of your life.

Over the years, much has changed − we went from newspaper ads to thick Sears catalogs to TV commercials and now constant YouTube or TikTok ads for new toys.

And many of the beloved toy stores of old are long gone, whether it’s Child World, Toys ‘R’ Us or KB Toys.

Enjoy this trip down Memory Lane, as we resurrect some favorites from The Providence Journal’s acrives.

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Rhode Island

What food is Rhode Island famous for? You have to try these 16 classics

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

What food is Rhode Island famous for? You have to try these 16 classics

Rhode Island has a thing for let’s say unusual foods.

We like Awful Awful drinks and coffee in our milk. We routinely confuse people on social media with our love of pizza strips that don’t even have cheese. We promoted giant stuffed clams in airports and calamari at the Democratic National Convention.

Quirky and distinctive food is part of the Rhode Island culture. Here are 16 of the speciality foods that Rhode Island is famous for.

Awful Awful

Awful big and awful good, this drink, which combines flavored syrups with ice milk instead of the ice cream one would find in a classic milkshake, was originally a New Jersey thing. But, today Newport Creamery has the rights to it, and it’s officially a Rhode Island thing.

Coffee Milk

For those who didn’t grow up drinking coffee milk from cartons in elementary school, coffee milk is exactly what it sounds like: milk mixed with a sweet coffee syrup. The drink was invented in Rhode Island, sometime in the 1930s.

Del’s Lemonade

Never drink it with a straw! Del’s Lemonade is a frozen lemonade with roots in European fruit ices. Perfectly refreshing on a summer beach day, lemon is the classic flavor but the brand offers many others.

Doughboys

Awfully close to the fried dough you might find at any old state fair, but better because of their smaller, more manageable pillow shape. Cover these in sugar and cinnamon for maximum happiness.

Stuffies

Served in the shell, stuffies are baked stuffed clams with lots of breading and butter. This Rhode Island food is so iconic that a seven-foot version was placed in airports around the country to attract visitors to the Ocean State.

Clam Cakes

A deep-fried fritter made with chopped clams, clam juice and a flour base. They have a similar consistency to a hush puppy after they’re fried and are more cakey than say a crab cake.

RI-style Calamari

Take a basic calamari appetizer (batter and fried squid) and toss it in butter, garlic and hot peppers, and you get Rhode Island-style calamari. The dish is the official state appetizer.

RI Clam Chowder

A lighter take on clam chowder than the New England or Manhattan versions, Rhode Island clam chowder skips the cream and the tomatoes giving it a clear broth.

Lobster Roll

Sure, Maine gets a lot of credit for their lobster rolls, but Rhode Island’s are every bit as good. As a state, we’re not picky about if they’re warm or cold. We just like them with an ocean view.

New York System Wiener

We know, it says New York in the name, but we promise this is a Rhode Island thing. The weiners – which are a mix of beef, pork and veal – come in a natural casing that makes a 20-foot rope that the restaurants has to cut to size by hand. Once in the bun, it’s covered in a spicy sauce that includes onions and ground meat.

Grinder

If you’re really from Rhode Island, you’ll pronounce it “grindah” and forget about the r. This Rhode Island favorite is a sandwich made with Italian cold cuts, pickles and other vegetables put on a grinder roll. You can mix up the cold cuts, but they have to stay in the salumi family.

Dynamite

A Woonsocket classic, the dynamite sandwich is a type of sloppy joe-like sandwich served in a torpedo roll with a spicy sauce often made in batches large enough to feed a crowd.

Pizza Strips

Also called a party pizza, red strips or a bakery pizza, a pizza strip is a rectangular strip of pizza, served on a crust that would be best described as focaccia, topped with tomato sauce and often a dusting of grated Romano cheese. It’s served at room temperature.

Johnnycakes

Similar to a pancake, the main difference is Johnnycakes are made with stone-ground cornmeal. A staple at May Breakfasts across the state, they’re very easy to make.

Pepper biscuits

An Italian treat, a pepper biscuit is a simple biscuit flavored with fennel and pepper rolled out into a log before being twisted into a round. The crunchy snack pairs well with a glass of wine.

Zeppole

A treat traditionally served on St. Joseph’s Day, zeppole resembles a flattened cream puff, filled with cream and topped with more cream and a cherry. Traditional ones are filled with pastry cream. Others are made with ricotta cheese, chocolate cream or whipped cream and fruit.

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