PROVIDENCE — The Boston Globe Rhode Island team won 43 awards — including 18 first place finishes for Distinguished Journalist, News/Editorial Columnist, investigative reporting, spot news, community journalism, neighborhood coverage, government reporting, and in other categories — in the 2025 Rhode Island Press Association contest honoring work published in 2024.
Alexa Gagosz, Amanda Milkovits, Carlos Muñoz, Christopher Gavin, Dan McGowan, Ed Fitzpatrick, Omar Mohammed, and Steph Machado each received multiple honors at the awards ceremony, which was held at the Quonset “O” Club in North Kingstown, R.I., on May 9. Globe correspondents Alexa Coultoff, Bob Abelman, and Kevin McNamara also won awards for work published in Globe Rhode Island, as did Globe photographers Erin Clark, Lane Turner, and David L. Ryan.
Milkovits, who won first place for investigative reporting, was also honored for first place in general excellence as Distinguished Journalist.
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A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.
“She has a gift for getting vulnerable people to open up to her and trust her with their stories, and she seeks justice for those unable to fight for themselves,” her entry read. “Her in-depth reporting, tireless questioning, and endless curiosity has had an undeniable impact in the Ocean State, leading to changes in procedures, accountability practices, and policies at the state and local levels.”
Gagosz garnered top honors for her coverage of housing and homelessness in Rhode Island, winning first place in the Single Topic Series category for the fourth year in a row. The Globe Rhode Island team took second place in this same category for their comprehensive coverage of the Washington Bridge closure.
Here are the stories and topics that were singled out for awards:
Distinguished Journalist
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First place: Amanda Milkovits, The Boston Globe
News/Editorial Columnist
First Place: Dan McGowan, The Boston Globe
Best Digital Presentation
First place: “Millions of dollars, two investigations, and one lawsuit later: It’s been one year since the Washington Bridge shut down” by Alexa Gagosz and Steph Machado
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Best website
Second place: Boston Globe Rhode Island
Feature Photo
Second place: “Their baby was born premature with complex medical needs. The hospital and his deaf parents adapted to help him survive.” by Erin Clark
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DJ uses a walker to stroll down the halls of Franciscan Children’s hospital on his discharge day, as hospital staff and his parents, Eduardo Escudero and Lydia Hernandez, watch excitedly from the sidelines. DJ, who was born prematurely, has been a patient at Franciscan Children’s since August 2023. Erin Clark/Globe Staff
News Story (Short)
First Place: “The Fed just cut rates. Here is what it means for Rhode Island.” by Omar Mohammed
Third Place: “Karaoke singers belted out three songs at a Providence restaurant in May. Now, the eatery is facing a lawsuit.” by Christopher Gavin
Spot News Story
First Place: “A 10,000-year-old great white shark tooth just washed up on a R.I. beach — again” by Christopher Gavin
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Second Place: “The girl wasn’t the intended target. But she became a shooting victim before her 8th birthday.” by Amanda Milkovits and Steph Machado
Investigative or Analytical News Story
First Place: “A man was charged with killing a girl decades after she went missing. The case fell apart, and the accusation cost him everything.” by Amanda Milkovits
Second Place: “Institutionalized in R.I.: A thousand nights stuck in a system that fails kids” by Steph Machado (this investigative report, a broadcast version of which appeared on an episode of WSBE-TV’s “Rhode Island PBS Weekly,” was also nominated for a regional Emmy award).
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Community Journalism
First Place: “Brown University transfers 255 acres in Bristol, R.I., to the Pokanoket Indian tribe: ‘We are the original stewards’” by Edward Fitzpatrick
Neighborhood Coverage
First Place: Three stories about Woonsocket, R.I., by Alexa Coultoff. Stories highlighted for this award included:
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Government Reporting
First Place: “R.I.’s housing department faces internal struggles, scrutiny over contracts, incomplete projects” by Alexa Gagosz
Third Place: “Cranston, R.I., mayor’s ties to solar developer’s lawyer spill over into election” by Amanda Milkovits
Education Story
Second Place: “‘I became Natalie again.’ At age 90, she’s getting her college degree.” by Dan McGowan
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Third Place: “How Career and Tech Education is changing the school landscape in R.I.” by Steph Machado
Religion or Spirituality Story
Third Place: “Finding his faith community: Mayor of Providence Brett Smiley converts to Judaism” by Steph Machado
Reporting on the Environment
Second Place: “‘Ghost gear’ haunts R.I. waters, harming marine life and the environment” by Carlos R. Muñoz
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Science or Health Care Story
First Place: “As the private-equity-firm owners look to sell, the future of two safety-net hospitals in R.I. is at stake” by Alexa Gagosz
Third place: “‘She would’ve been alive’: Opening of safe injection site in R.I. is personal for councilwoman who once opposed it” by Steph Machado
Business Story
First Place: “A wealthy developer in Providence has a one-of-a-kind tax deal meant for affordable housing” by Steph Machado
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Third Place: “What happens to Rhode Island’s economy if Hasbro moves to Boston?” by Alexa Gagosz
Personality Photo or Portrait
Third place: “‘This could be any of us’: A former journalist ended up homeless. Then, his story inspired a Narragansett family to help.” by Lane Turner
URI graduate Patrick Fealey was living in his car with his dog, driving from place to place along the Rhode Island coast. Then a Narragansett family read about his plight, tracked him down, and helped him get back on his feet.Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Profile or Personality Story
Second place: “‘This could be any of us’: A former journalist ended up homeless. Then, his story inspired a Narragansett family to help.” by Edward Fitzpatrick
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History Journalism
First Place: “What happened to Providence’s Snowtown?” by Carlos R. Muñoz
Third Place: “New mural in Providence honors lost Chinatown and historic drag queen” by Alexa Gagosz
News/Features Columnist
Third Place: Bob Abelman, Globe Rhode Island theater columnist
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Feature Story (Short)
Second Place: “These are the unwritten rules of Rhode Island” by Dan McGowan
Incarcerated teens restore forgotten cemetery
WATCH: “No one should just be a number,” a boy told Rhode Island reporter Amanda Milkovits. She unpacks the mission that’s honoring the past with dignity.
Feature Story (In-Depth)
First Place: “Teens incarcerated in R.I. write obituaries for the forgotten: ‘No one should be just a number’” by Amanda Milkovits
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Second Place: “‘The news says inflation is going down, but nobody sees it’: Long lines for food reveal a desperate need in R.I.” by Edward Fitzpatrick
Arts or Entertainment Story
Third Place: “10 of the year’s most memorable moments in R.I. theater” by Bob Abelman
Best Email Newsletter
Third Place: “The Rhode Island Food Club” by Alexa Gagosz
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Food and Dining story
Third Place: “A centuries-old method for tastier fish is catching on in Providence” by Alexa Gagosz
Photo Series or Picture Story
First place: “For teens living with chronic illness, a prom night to remember” by Erin Clark
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Prom attendees enter through the red curtain and are given leis as they arrive for the prom hosted by Hasbro Children’s Hospital, an annual event for dozens of teens living with chronic medical conditions.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Sports Story
First Place: “‘A point of pride’: Rhode Island FC barrels its way to the USL title game” by Omar Mohammed
Third Place: “Providence College faces URI on Saturday. It’s more than just a basketball game.” by Kevin McNamara
Sports Feature Story
First Place: “He’s served 14 years in America’s most thankless job: Little League baseball president” by Dan McGowan
Tourism Story
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First Place: “A trip to Newport, R.I., inspired by HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’” by Christopher Gavin
Third Place: “Restaurant Guide: Where to eat in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, R.I.” by the Boston Globe Rhode Island staff
Weather or Climate Photo:
Second Place: “R.I. town offering buyouts to homeowners in some flood-prone neigborhoods” by David L. Ryan
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A Johnston Fire Department humvee on Belfield Drive inJohnston, R.I., drove over the flooded street to check on the neighborhood residents. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Single-Topic Series
First Place: Housing and Homelessness in Rhode Island, by Alexa Gagosz.
For the second time in as many years, Gagosz’s dedication to holding government officials accountable led to the resignation of the state’s Housing Secretary, and once again she dug in her heels to cover every aspect of the aftermath, from the dysfunction within the state’s housing department to the resignation of the housing secretary’s deputy to the appointment of yet another new Housing Secretary. Stories highlighted in this award included:
Second Place: Coverage of the Washington Bridge, by the Globe Rhode Island staff.
The Washington Bridge plays a critical role in Rhode Island, carrying Interstate 195 into the area and connecting the cities of Providence and East Providence. Approximately 96,000 cars cross it each day. When it abruptly closed after a “catastrophic failure” in late December 2023, the entire Globe Rhode Island team sprang into action. In 2024, we kept our spotlight focused on the closure of the bridge and the aftermath, covering every angle, from money spent to lawsuits filed to people and businesses directly affected. Stories highlighted in this award included:
More award-winning stories
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Lylah Alphonse can be reached at lylah.alphonse@globe.com. Follow her @WriteEditRepeat.
Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi visited Newport on April 27 as the keynote speaker at a panel discussion about the need to develop more housing on Aquidneck Island.
Shekarchi was joined by Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown, Raytheon government relations and site executive Tim DelGuidice, and NOAA relocation project manager Matthew Hill.
On an island where the largest employers are Naval Station Newport and the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and over 20,000 people work in defense-related jobs, the need for workforce housing is a particularly acute component of the crisis. A report published by the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce said Newport and the surrounding region need to build 6,000 to 9,000 housing units to keep up with workforce demand.
NOAA broke ground in 2024 at the future home of its Marine Operations Center-Atlantic base on a five-acre site on Naval Station Newport, and the $150 million project is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Hill said upwards of 250 federal employees and their families will be relocating to Rhode Island after their current base in Norfolk, Virginia, is closed and NOAA’s new facility at Naval Station Newport is completed.
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“That provides justification for these developers to go out and secure funds,” said Hill. “You have 250 people coming here for certain, with stable incomes, so these developments can start to move forward.”
Shekarchi spoke about the adaptive reuse bill signed into law by the state legislature three years ago, which was intended to make it easier for municipalities to convert old hospitals, factories and schools into housing.
“There’s a lot of municipal land, a lot of municipal buildings that could be converted into housing, that for whatever reason has been resisted by local communities,” he said.
The Oliphant and Green End proposals voted down by the Middletown Town Council in 2024 would have been such adaptive reuse projects. Shekarchi did not explicitly mention those proposals, but he suggested the Newport Jai Alai site, which he described as “desolate” in its current state, could be ideal for mixed-use commercial and residential development.
“There is so much opposition in all of our communities,” Rep. Michelle McGaw told Newport This Week. “I don’t think people recognize that it’s their children, it’s their grandchildren, people who grew up here and want to stay here and raise their families here but cannot afford to do so.”
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“We’re not only looking at people at 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI); there is a huge gap between what people are earning and what they can afford.”
Rhode Island AMI is approximately $112,000. So, a one-person household earning about $65,000, 80 precent AMI, would qualify for affordable housing.
DelGuidice said Raytheon’s workforce, especially its younger employees, would benefit from new development on the island.
“In five years, I’d love to see that we’ve closed that gap of 9,000 units, and we’ve got more of our employees able to live closer to work and not have a 45-minute or hour-long commute,” he said.
Stressing Aquidneck Island’s need for housing across all income levels, Brown highlighted Middletown’s approach of purchasing 6.2 acres of land in order to develop 36 middle-income housing units across the street from town hall. However, he said 36 planned new homes is a fraction of the island’s collective need, and he highlighted the importance of the island’s municipalities, the Navy, and private industry cooperatively maintaining and improving the island’s infrastructure in order to be able to build new housing developments.
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He pointed to Middletown and Newport’s cooperative efforts on wastewater management as an example of the unseen infrastructure work necessary to maintain and expand the island’s housing supply. He cited shared island infrastructure as a critical area where state support is necessary in order to create new housing stock.
“We’re land-restricted, and we have a lot of conservation easements on Aquidneck Island, which is another challenge,” Brown said. “It is going to be these areas that are either infilled or redeveloped. That is where additional housing is going to come from, and we are going to need that wastewater management capacity in order to do a lot of these developments.”
“The speakers today were very strong on the fact that we need all kinds of housing, not just higher income or middle income,” Rep. Lauren Carson told Newport This Week following the meeting. “We really need to address the broader issues here. I have confidence that policymakers, myself, the speaker and city leaders across the island know what has to happen.”
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 29, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 29 drawing
03-19-35-51-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Numbers numbers from April 29 drawing
Midday: 1-3-6-5
Evening: 8-2-7-2
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from April 29 drawing
15-18-28-31-35, Extra: 03
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 29 drawing
05-10-17-21-42, Bonus: 02
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.
A proposed expansion tied to submarine builder General Dynamics Electric Boat is drawing opposition from Rhode Island pilots and aviation advocates after plans surfaced to remove a crosswind runway at Quonset State Airport (OQU),
The airport is a joint civil-military facility serving general aviation alongside the Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing. FAA data show roughly 19,400 annual operations. OQU currently operates two runways: primary Runway 16/34 (7,504 ft.) and secondary Runway 5/23 (4,000 ft.).
Under the proposal, Runway 5/23 would be removed to clear space for new manufacturing facilities tied to Electric Boat’s continued expansion. According to the Providence Journal, supporters say the redevelopment could ultimately support about 3,000 jobs.
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However, airport advocates including the Rhode Island Pilots Association( RIPA) are opposing the change arguing Runway 5/23 provides a safety net for pilots. Quonset’s secondary runway is still actively used—and often preferred by light aircraft—because its alignment better matches prevailing southwest winds, reducing crosswind landings that can be more challenging for smaller aircraft.
But despite those concerns, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) approved a plan April 9 to petition the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to advance the project.
RIPA President Sal Corio called the decision disappointing, saying removing a “vital runway” without a replacement crosswind option would negatively affect safety and operations. He also said the group is working with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to oppose the change though the outlook is not promising.
Meanwhile, the plan still needs FAA approval which is expected to take about six to eight months.
