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CRMC shuts down potential for Quidnessett Country Club to keep its illegal seawall • Rhode Island Current

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CRMC shuts down potential for Quidnessett Country Club to keep its illegal seawall • Rhode Island Current


The drawn-out saga of a North Kingstown country club’s quest to ease development restrictions along its shoreline ended abruptly Tuesday when Rhode Island coastal regulators denied the proposal.

The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s 6-0 vote came within minutes, without questions or discussion of Quidnessett Country Club’s request to reclassify the water off its shoreline. Even more importantly for coastal access advocates, the decision appears to block any avenue for the country club to keep a  600-foot-long seawall built without permission along its northeastern property line two years ago.

“It’s been 519 days, but who’s counting?” Jed Thorp, advocacy director for Save the Bay, said in a phone interview Tuesday, referring to when regulators first caught wind of the illegal rock wall overlooking Narragansett Bay. “We’ve been saying all along the request was inappropriate. Hopefully we can get on to enforcement as quickly as possible.”

The country club erected the barrier in January 2023, seeking to protect its flagship golf course from rising sea levels. It wasn’t until state and federal regulators spotted the seawall more than six months later, issuing warnings of fines and other enforcement, that the club sought retroactive permission.

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Quidnessett’s April 2024 petition asked the CRMC to reclassify a 1,400-foot-long section of the waters along its shoreline from the existing Type 1 “conservation area” to a less stringent Type 2 “low intensity use.” Under the Type 1 designation, any permanent structures like a seawall are strictly prohibited. A change to a Type 2 designation could — but doesn’t have to — allow for permanent structures like a seawall.

The move drew sharp criticism from Save the Bay and other coastal advocates whose objections were met with equally impassioned support by country club owners, members, and employees. Country club owners through a team of hired attorneys and experts implored the CRMC to consider the redesignation as a correction to a 50-year-old mistake, arguing that the area should have been under less stringent development restrictions all along.

Unpersuaded by this line of reasoning, a subcommittee of the full council voted 3-0 in December to recommend denial of Quidnessett’s petition. The full council’s vote Tuesday affirmed the position of the subcommittee and the agency’s staff report.

The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, to deny Quidnessett Country Club’s petition for a water type reclassification. (Screenshot)

The council denied a request from Robin Main, an attorney representing Quidnessett, to speak before the vote Tuesday based on advice from CRMC attorney Anthony DeSisto, who cited the four prior, public subcommittee meetings as ample opportunity.

Main said in an email Tuesday night that she could not comment on the council’s decision. Janice Matthews, vice president of The Jan Companies, which owns the country club, also did not return a call for comment Tuesday night.

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A rock wall built over the winter of 2023 by the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown without permits eliminated public access to the water from the shoreline to the south at left. (Photo by Save the Bay staff)

While state and federal regulators have issued a series of escalating warnings and threats of fines against the club for the existing stone wall, the club has not yet been forced to tear down the structure.

Thorp hoped that with the application denied, the CRMC would double down on enforcement, including forcing the country club to finally remove the seawall.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in a statement Tuesday night pointed to the ongoing saga as further evidence of the need to reform the politically appointed council.

“The fact that the Council even considered this request, a retroactive plea for relief from the consequences of their blatantly illegal action, tells you everything you need to know about the state of environmental oversight in Rhode Island,” Neronha said. 

His office submitted legislation to state lawmakers on Monday seeking to abolish the council and reshape the agency as an administrative department.

“Because while the Quidnessett decision ultimately came down in our favor, it’s only a matter of time before the next Quidnessett,” Neronha said. “We must embrace real and lasting reform before it’s too late. And the solution is a dedicated Department with no agenda beyond acting in the best interest of Rhode Islanders and the environment.”

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Similar bills introduced in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions, including with Neronha’s backing, have failed to advance out of committee in either chamber.

Updated to include a response from Robin Main, attorney for Quidnessett Country Club.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

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Rhode Island State Police, DEA agents seize 141,000 Fetanyl pills | ABC6

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Rhode Island State Police, DEA agents seize 141,000 Fetanyl pills | ABC6


An operation by Rhode Island State Police, the DEA, and Massachusetts State Police seized 141,000 Fentanyl pills. (Rhode Island State Police)

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island State Police said that a joint operation with the DEA Providence District Office and the Massachusetts State Police in Johnston, Warwick, and Massachusetts resulted in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of 141,000 Fentanyl pills.

Yhoan A Carmona German, Josue Carmona German, Angel F. Pena Rodriguez, and Debhani Garza were all arrested as part of the operation.

State police said the operation took place in September and October and was the result of an investigation into a Dominican Drug Trafficking Organization.

Some the charges the suspects face include possession with the intent to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

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Rhode Island public school charges mother $117K for records request about teacher who called Charlie Kirk ‘garbage’

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Rhode Island public school charges mother 7K for records request about teacher who called Charlie Kirk ‘garbage’


A Rhode Island public school district reportedly charged a mother roughly $117,000 for records pertaining to a high school teacher who was placed on paid leave after calling slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk a “piece of garbage.”

Benjamin Fillo, a social studies teacher at Barrington High School, was ousted in September shortly after posting a rant on TikTok branding Kirk a “piece of garbage” who “hated” the LGBTQ community, women’s rights, and democracy.

Benjamin Fillo, a social studies teacher at Barrington High School, was placed on paid leave after posting a rant about Charlie Kirk on TikTok. @whawazat18/TikTok

One irate mother submitted a public records request for information related to Fillo’s school email and course materials — but the district pushed back with a steep fee, according to a letter from the law firm representing Barrington Public Schools.

Nicole Solas sought to obtain any emails Fillo sent from Sept. 1 2024 onward referencing “Trump” and a secondary request for more email correspondences sent since Jan 1. 2016 also flagging “Trump.”

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Solas additionally asked for all of Fillo’s “curriculum materials” he used “to teach the young and impressionable minds of other people’s children who are entitled to an education free from indoctrination,” according to the letter.

Nicole Solas, a parent who doesn’t have children in the Barrington School District, sought to obtain Fillo’s curriculum and emails.

The law firm wrote that Solas clarified she was looking for all material Fillo used since he started teaching at the school in 2010, which came out to thousands of documents from 157 courses stored in three different learning management systems, according to the letter.

The records request flagged a staggering 789 emails Fillo sent containing the word “Trump” since Sept. 1 2024, according to the letter.

Solas’ request, though, wasn’t cheap.

If she wanted to obtain all the requested materials, she would have to fork over $117,130.50 — with the 15-year curriculum alone costing roughly $116,000, according to the letter.

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Fillo called Kirk a “piece of garbage” who “hated” democracy. AP

“This estimate that we received is exorbitant, completely unreasonable, just to get the curriculum materials,” Solas told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday.

Solas told the outlet that she insisted on reviewing the curriculum materials in full because that is “the only way that you can see what kids are [doing] in public schools.”

Solas noted that she does not live in the Barrington School District and sent her children to private school.

She’s now pushing the school to release the materials free of charge.

“I just don’t see how this can stand if we file a lawsuit on it,” Solas said.

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Parents and students went to a school board meeting pushing for Fillo to be permanently removed from the school in September. Barrington Public Schools

Shortly after Fillo was placed on leave, a group of outraged students and parents stormed into a school board meeting to push for Fillo’s permanent removal.

“No matter what anyone says to me, I will never stand for violence, especially of a man who was publicly murdered in front of his wife, one of his children and thousands of students and other bystanders,” Jakari, one of Fillo’s students, said during the meeting.

Kirk was assassinated during a stop on his Turning Point USA American Comeback tour at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. His alleged gunman, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice.



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RI Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Oct. 29, 2025

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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 29, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 29 drawing

04-24-49-60-65, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Oct. 29 drawing

03-04-33-36-43, Lucky Ball: 02

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Oct. 29 drawing

Midday: 3-2-7-5

Evening: 4-7-2-4

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Oct. 29 drawing

09-10-14-20-25, Extra: 08

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Check Wild Money 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 Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 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.
  • 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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