Rhode Island

Eric Rueb comes up with an easy fix for football realignment in his Week 7 football picks column

Published

3 months ago

October 23, 2025

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Eric Rueb comes up with an easy fix for football realignment in his Week 7 football picks column

Someone call the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. Reach out to all the football-playing schools in Rhode Island.

I’ve figured out the perfect fix for the upcoming realignment and there won’t have to be 20 unnecessary meetings to rule on it.

There’s been plenty wrong with the last few realignments, but in the advent of the RPI era – something that’s not going away – it seems easier than ever to fix. Doing that requires more common sense and less formulas based on bad math (and tears from big schools that carry weight in these meetings) and ideas from someone who actually cares about high school football.

While the math is confusing, the RPI has changed how the regular season runs for the better while making absolutely no sense as far as the playoff goes.

With the Rueb Plan – patent pending – we’re going to fix that and have a realignment that forces teams to play exactly where they should.

First, we’re ditching the divisional playoffs and having actual State Championships. Since every state that uses RPI also uses a classified postseason, that’s what we’ll do. The four categories are obvious – Private, Large, Medium and Small. You’ll compete for titles against like competition. Now the onus is on you to win.

We’re not going to use a formula to figure out the divisions. We’re going to use this thing called common sense.

That means in Division I we’ll let Barrington and Burrillville drop, replaced by schools that are twice as big (if not more) than both – East Providence and Pawtucket. Don’t like it? Then fix the culture in your communities.

Division II will see a few new faces – Johnston is trending up and needs to be here; Classical is forever a D-II.5 team, so it’s up; and Cranston East is moving to D-II because a school that size should be embarrassed to be in D-III.

Who are the newcomers in D-III? Toll Gate is moving up because it’s too big to be in D-IV and hopefully it passes on this and does what the community wants – joining forces with Pilgrim to form a Warwick co-op.

Lincoln is moving down only because Sean Cavanagh deserves a regular season where he doesn’t have to try to win games just by out-coaching people. Middletown’s also moving down strictly on school size. We’ll move Davies up because it’s becoming an elite program and Smithfield is moving up because it should have done so two years ago.

Division IV will be reserved for small schools and programs that can’t get off the ground. The small schools will get to play like competition while still getting a chance to play in the postseason. Larger schools in the division will get a chance to win some games, but making the playoffs will prove to be difficult because of how the RPI works.

Why will this plan work? Because it gives teams a chance to win titles that actually matter. If you go undefeated and win a title below Division I, did you really win a championship? Or were you just placed in the wrong division in the right year?

Trust the plan. It will work – and I should know because I’ve never been wrong.

Speaking of that, let’s get on to the picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23

South Kingstown vs. Pawtucket, 6 p.m.

I’ve been in Pawtucket the last two Thursdays, decided to not go for the hat trick this week. I’ll handle tennis playoffs and soccer and will let Jake Rousseau handle this low-scoring affair.

THE PICK: Rebels

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24

Hope at North Smithfield, 5 p.m.

Ready for the easiest advertising partnership of all time? Every time the Northmen put a 40-burger up on the scoreboard, Beef Barn gives away a burger to fans at the game. I swear I need one of these school districts to hire me as a marketing director.

THE PICK: Northmen

Moses Brown at East Providence, 6 p.m.

Plenty of public school coaches worry about playing games at private schools and losings kids after they see their campuses and facilities. This might be the only case where it’s the opposite.

THE PICK: Townies

Central Falls vs. Middletown, 6 p.m.

You want to get crazy? If the Middletown concession stand is going to have fried turkey on Thanksgiving, I’m there. No questions ask (don’t tell my wife, she’ll be angry).

THE PICK: Warriors

Pilgrim at Johnston, 6 p.m.

The fact not a single breakfast joint in Johnston town limits has offered Nate Della Morte and Nick Testa an NIL deal is insane. They might be the most popular 1-2 punch in all of high school football and the O-linmen are more than deserving of a “pancake deal” somewhere.

THE PICK: Panthers

Lincoln at North Providence, 6 p.m.

Michael Tuorto has quietly become one of the state’s great coaches. It’s not always about Xs and Os. He understands how to market his program – last week’s Gold Rush uniforms were insane – and it has made football as popular as its ever been.

THE PICK: Panthers

North Kingstown at Barrington, 6:15 p.m.

Maybe not the game I would have chosen to open up my brand new field to the community, but sometimes the schedule takes decisions like that out of people’s hands.

THE PICK: Skippers

Davies vs. Toll Gate, 6:30 p.m.

I can already see Henry Cabral telling his team that nobody’s thinking about Davies, everybody’s in on North Smithfield and Narragansett and in a month we’re going to be wondering how the Patriots went back-to-back.

THE PICK: Patriots

St. Raphael at Cumberland, 7 p.m.

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Clippers has and while coach Matt LaRoche is doing a great job in his rookie season, it’s also clear that replacing Josh Lima isn’t going to be as easy as some of the people in the town thought it would be.

THE PICK: Saints

Rogers at East Greenwich, 7 p.m.

If this game was at 6 p.m. I would have been there only because my daughter swears up and down that the cinnamon sugar pretzels at EG’s concession stand are the best thing she’s ever eaten.

THE PICK: Avengers

Coventry at Woonsocket, 7 p.m.

Parents, if your kid does something that draws a flag because it’s against the rules and your instinct is to DM The Journal reporter and say “well this kid from another school did it and he didn’t get a penalty” then I’ve got bad, bad news for you – you’re not doing your job as a parent. Accountability matters in sports and in life.

THE PICK: Villa Novans

Barnstable (MA) at La Salle, 7 p.m.

I just need everyone to remember that Jake Rousseau is beating me in The Journal picks competition because he picks against Rhode Island schools because he doesn’t like them while I’ve been picking every RI team when they play out-of-state opponents out of sheer loyalty to the Ocean State.

THE PICK: Rams

Exeter-West Greenwich at Smithfield, 7 p.m.

Thing to keep an eye out for – had one coach tell me “if there’s a team nobody wants to see in the playoffs, it’s Exeter-West Greenwich.” I’m not leaning on the Scarlet Knights this week, but don’t be shocked if they catch someone lacking.

THE PICK: Sentinels

Mount Pleasant at West Warwick, 7 p.m.

After this week the Wizards will be 0-3 against teams with a winning record and 4-0 against teams with a losing record and I’m still struggling to figure out what that means but we’ll find out in the season finale on Halloween.

THE PICK: Wizards

Burrillville at Westerly, 7 p.m.

This is my favorite game on the calendar. Two communities that love high school football and have no business playing in the divisions they’re in while much larger schools falter in lower divisions. Every community should strive to be this.

THE PICK: Bulldogs

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

Narragansett at Scituate, 11 a.m.

Somehow the Mariners lost to North Smithfield but remained ahead of them in the standings, which means Narragansett will be going up against North Smithfield or Davies in the Super Bowl.

THE PICK: Mariners

Cranston East vs. Mt. Hope, 12 p.m.

The grass at Kickemuit Middle School looked OK in Week 1 but I can’t imagine what it’s like now – and I’m guessing that’s OK for the team that’s playing on it.

THE PICK: Huskies

Central at Cranston West, 1 p.m.

How this game goes down depends on the Knights. If Central shows up trying to build momentum for the Consolation Playoffs that will help the team get some steam heading into 2026, it wins big. If the Knights are mentally checked out, the Falcons will roll.

THE PICK: Knights

Chariho at Portsmouth, 1:30 p.m.

This is the game that could ultimately cost the Patriots a chance to host a playoff game. Portsmouth would almost be better off letting the Chargers win in order to help their win percentage.

THE PICK: Patriots

Classical at Ponaganset, 6:30 p.m.

I’m covering six cross country meets on Saturday but I’ll be damned if that’s going to stop me from covering a Super Bowl rematch between two undefeated teams. French fries at concessions better be ready to go.

THE PICK: Purple

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Rhode Island

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Published

8 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Union leaders for Rhode Island state employees are publicly airing frustrations with the state’s new payroll system following weeks of complaints, claiming many state workers have had problems receiving their full pay.

Rhode Island Council 94, the largest state workers’ union with more than 4,500 members, and the union representing correctional officers issued press releases Thursday calling on the state to fix the system that rolled out in early December.

The new system is operated by Workday, a company that provides services to more than 10,000 companies and organizations, including other states.

“Simply put, Workday is not working,” Council 94 President Michael McDonald wrote in a statement.

The unions claim problems for state employees include missing pay, partial pay, missing overtime pay, incorrect or no holiday pay, and benefits deductions not sent to accounts.

Council 94 says the state has worked on some solutions, but complaints and calls to a hotline mount.

“The state, in meeting after meeting, urges patience. Our members mortgage payments, grocery bills, childcare, fuel costs and other expenses do not pause for payroll processing errors. The payroll errors have touched every state agency,” Council 94 State Vice President John Monse stated.

The unions say they’ve brought the complaints to state officials, including Gov. Dan McKee.

“While some prior errors were corrected, the continued recurrence demonstrates a systemic payroll breakdown, not isolated mistakes,” the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers wrote in its statement.

NBC 10 News messaged the governor’s office and the Department of Administration before noon Thursday.

The governor’s office later referred comment to Administration, which has not responded to NBC 10’s messages.

The unions are calling for legislative oversight hearings into the matter and are considering legal action.

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Rhode Island

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Editor’s note: Coaches are reminded to send in game results each weeknight, from 6-10 p.m., by emailing them to pjsports@providencejournal.com or by calling (401) 277-7340.

🏀GAME OF THE NIGHT

Did the best high school basketball game of the season happen on Wednesday night?

The ups and downs between the Chariho and Juantia Sanchez boys basketball teams were rivaled only by the nearest amusement park and one overtime wasn’t enough to decide a winner. In the second overtime, Evander Perez came through with six points, helping the Chargers pull out the 84-76 win over the Cavaliers.

Juanita Sanchez got off to the start it wanted, with 13 combined points from Geston Richardson and Amaree Gomes giving the team a 19-11 lead. The second quarter belonged to Chariho, as seven different players scored and the defense locked down to give it a 31-25 lead at halftime.

The Cavaliers turned the tides on the Chargers in the third quarter – helped by a defense that allowed only eight points – but Chariho had enough in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. Both teams found a groove on offense in the first overtime, with each scoring 10 points, but Perez got the Chargers’ offense going in the second overtime and the defense held the Cavaliers to six points.

Three different Chariho players reached double figures and two others almost got there as well. Brendan Gleason led the way with 21 points and Perez and Riley Conroy both scored 19 in the win. Sam Ellis and Rohan Downing helped out with nine points apiece.

Richardson was masterful in defeat, scoring a season-best 35 points. Gomes ended his night with 14 points and Angel Collazo closed out with 13 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Smithfield 61, Portsmouth 56

C.J. Blakely and Christian Snowman came up big in the second half, helping the Sentinels pull off a 61-56 upset over the Patriots.

Smithfield came in with a 2-5 record in Division I while Portsmouth was 3-0, but those records didn’t mean anything when the teams hit the floor. The game was gritty between the two teams, but the Patriots found a way to take a 27-24 at halftime.

Blakely came out ready to prove a point in the third quarter and his 12 points were huge for the Sentinels, who matched Portsmouth’s pace and trailed 42-40 after the third quarter. Snowman grabbed the wheel in the fourth quarter for Smithfield and scored nine points, building a lead the Patriots couldn’t come back from.

Blakely finished as Smithfield’s top scorer with 19 points and Snowman closed with 14. Adam Conheeny led Portsmouth with 23 points and Jack Casey had 17 points and double-digit rebounds in defeat.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Davies 58, Times2 49

Trailing at halftime, the Patriots put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter as the offense exploded before pulling out the 58-49 win.

Times2 trailed 11-9 after the first quarter, but found a groove in the second thanks to six points from Justin Urey and two 3-pointers from Jayden Navarrete that had the team up 26-23 at the break.

Davies didn’t like the direction the game was going and changed it in a hurry. The Patriots swarmed on defense and didn’t give up a single point while Ephraim Jean-Baptiste scored 10 of the their 22 points that made it 45-26 heading to the fourth quarter. Times2 tried to muster up a comeback, but the deficit was too big to overcome.

Jean-Baptiste and Austin Kearns finished as the top scorers for Davies with 16 points apiece. Jomar Lopes scored 11 and Albert Medrano was also in double figures with 10. Zion Rayside was Windex all night, grabbing 14 rebounds in the win.

Times2 had four players in double figures, led by 15 from Lucas Cruz. Navarette, Urey and Sekou Kaba scored 10 points each in the loss.

Toll Gate 59, Central Falls 36

The Double-Double Twins were at it again, helping the Titans get off to a quick start and put the game away by halftime in the 59-36 win over the Warriors.

Toll Gate had it working on both sides of the court early, outscoring Central Falls 17-4 in the first quarter and taking a 32-11 lead into halftime. The second half was just as methodical.

Damola Oremosu and Jake Andersen dominated the game and both had double-doubles. Oremosu finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Anderson scored 12 and pulled down 10 boards.

Aidan Tourangeau was also in double figures for the Titans, scoring 12. Will Goodine and Jaden Roache chipped in with six apiece.

Central Falls was led by Iryan Aubert, Rafael Borges Da Lomba and Terrell Ciprian, who scored six points apiece.

Exeter-West Greenwich 83, Middletown 59

The Scarlet Knights continued to score at a prolific pace, with five players reaching double figures in an 83-59 win over the Islanders.

With two 80–plus point scoring nights on its resume already, EWG added a third against Middletown. The Knights trailed 20-18 after the first quarter, but put together a practically perfect second to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Shining on both ends of the court in the third, EWG got its lead over 20 before cruising home with the win.

Matt Chartier closed his night with a bang, hitting three 3-pointers in the fourth and finishing the game with 24 points. Dylan Main scored 16 for the Knights and Bruce Sampson finished with 13. Stanley Berek and Brody Simoes were also in double figures with 10 points apiece.

Ryan Johnson was instrumental in Middletown’s early start and finished the evening with 20 points. Gabriel Cantone scored 13 in the loss.

Prout 65, Tiverton 60

Down at halftime, Ryan Antonucci and the offense got rolling and turned things around in a 65-60 win over the Tigers.

It was a close game all night, but a Caleb Purcell-led Tiverton took a 30-25 lead into the locker room. Coming out of halftime, Antonucci, Christian Pachis and Mike Brugnoli got the offense turned around and helped the Crusaders grab the victory.

Antonucci led Prout with 20 points, while Pachis scored 19 and Brugnoli added 12. Purcell led Tiverton with 20 points, with Philip Kenny scoring 17 and Jase Kelly getting 11 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division II

Pilgrim 80, NORTH PROVIDENCE 68

Division III

PROVIDENCE COUNTRY DAY 75, Hope 70

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL — Division I

Classical 39, Chariho 35

The Chargers took an early lead as the Purple struggled to score in the opening quarter, but Classical turned the tables in the second quarter to take an 18-14 lead at the break. Daniella Jimenez led the Purple with 19 points and 12 of those were scored in the second half.

Menuhki Harris nearly completed Chariho’s comeback, scoring 9 of her team-high 11 points in the fourth frame. But the Chargers fell just short in the end.

St. Raphael 61, Juanita Sanchez 41

Leila Delgado had the offense rolling, the Saints defense dominated early and nothing changed after their good start in a 61-41 win over the Cavaliers.

Delgado came to play, scoring nine points in the first quarter that had St. Raphael ahead 21-4. While the offense slowed down a bit in the second, the defense didn’t as the Saints held Juanita Sanchez to 11 points and led 32-14 at halftime. The Cavaliers tried to battle back in the third, but SRA’s offense kept pace and was able to finish the game off clean.

Carolyn Abreau led the way for St. Raphael, scoring all 13 of her points in the first half. Keniamarie Oyola and Jocelyn Taylor were both in double figures with 10 and Delgado finished with the the nine points.

After a quiet first half, Anayjah Delves came alive in the second and finished the game with 21 points for Juanita Sanchez. Breanna Marcotte scored 11 in the loss.

Cranston West 43, West Warwick 34

The Falcons’ defense played well and Kyla Buco led the offense in a 43-24 win over the Wizards.

Buco was Cranston West’s lone scorer in double figures with 14 points. Maggie Sjoval and Tayla Walker both scored nine for the Falcons.

Alexa Foley led West Warwick with 10 points.

Westerly 55, Bacon Academy 24

The Bulldogs’ freshmen sensations Macy Antoch and Santanaa Hamelin got the team out to the start they wanted, taking a bite out of Bacon Academy, 55-24.

Antioch and Hamelin took control of the game in the first quarter, combining to score 12 of the team’s 20 points. Westerly led 20-6 after the first eight minutes, then gave up three points in the second and five in the third while it’s offense kept pumping in buckets.Ella Reyes got going in the second quarter and finished as the team’s top scorer with 15 points. Hamelin finished with 11, Antoch scored 10 and Danica Jarrett chipped in with seven points.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

Lincoln School 57, Rogers 48

The Lynx tried to give away a big lead, but Sarah Berube made sure they finished things off in a 57-48 win over the Vikings.

Lincoln School’s starting five found a rhythm early and the consistency was there, scoring 15 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 30-21 lead into halftime. Rogers flipped momentum coming out of the locker room, and two 3-pointers from Abby Hole and solid defense cut the deficit to five heading to the fourth quarter.

But Lincoln School’s offense awoke from its third-quarter slumber, with Berube scoring seven of the team’s 20 points that sealed up the win.

The senior guard had a productive night, leading the Lynx with 21 points. Reign Whiteing came through with 14 points and Alivia Harris joined them in double figures with 11. Freshman Aubrey Watkins helped out with seven points.

Rogers had three players in double figures, led by 13 from Zaida Aponte. Hole finished her night with 12 points and Lila Leys scored 10 in the loss.

East Providence 49, La Salle 38

The Townies used balanced scoring to pull of a 49-38 upset over the Division I Rams.

Zarae Hall was the focal point of the East Providence offense, scoring 16 points to go with seven rebounds. Trinity Provencher scored nine points to go with 10 rebounds and Nadiyah Calouro-Vargas scored nine points in the win.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Pilgrim 46, Burrillville 17

The Patriots let their defense do all the talking and eight different players scored as they rolled to a 46-17 win over the Broncos.

Pilgrim has had some strong offensive nights, but the defense was the star of the show, holding Burrillville to just two points in the first, second and fourth quarters. Maddison Belanger made sure the offense got off to a good start, scoring nine of the team’s 16 first-quarter points that led to a 26-4 halftime lead.

Belanger led the Patriots with 13 points and while she was the only double-digit scorer, seven other players came up with buckets. Natalie Fratus nearly got there, scoring nine points, and Skylar Hawes and Lia Wasilewski both scored six in the win.

Mackenzie Stone was a bright spot for the Burrillville offense, scoring 10 points.

Central 46, Middletown 30

Keeana Palmer‘s solid performance (18 points, 3 blocks, 5 steals, 7 assists and 8 rebounds) helped pave the way for the Lady Knights’ win over the Islanders. Eveisha Santana also figured in the victory with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and sophomore Anaya Rios Rodriguez scored 8 points with 2 treys and turned in a solid effort on defense. Central improved to 5-1 on the year.

Senior Lamaya Gonsolves had 15 points with 5 rebounds and 3 steals for Middletown in the loss.

Achievement First 32, Times2 28

One big quarter did the trick for the Falcons, who held on in the final eight minutes to beat the Eagles, 32-28, for their first win of the season.

It was a classic rockfight in the first half, with Times2 taking a 13-12 lead into the locker room. Achievement First came out firing in the second half, as Silvyraida Mustafa powered the offense and scored seven of the team’s 12 points that gave them a 24-15 lead. Times2’s Haidya Jenkins and Maylin Hilario tried to get their team back in the game, but the Falcons’ lead proved to be too big.

Mustafa finished her night with 11 points. Ny’Asia Cruz came up with eight points for Achievement First and Jeiliany Calero scored six. It was the first win of the season for the Falcons and second in program history.

Jenkins led Times2 with 17 points. Jenna Jennings added six points and Hilario had the remaining five, all coming in the fourth quarter.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division I

Portsmouth 47, MOSES BROWN 40

Division II

Johnston 37, MT. HOPE 31

Lincoln 66, WOONSOCKET 51

🤼WRESTLING

Westerly 65, Classical 18

Westerly 77, Johnston 5

THURSDAY’S GAMES

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Classical at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

La Salle at Barrington, 7 p.m.

Hendricken at Cumberland, 7 p.m.

Cranston East at Johnston, 7 p.m.

Lincoln at Tolman, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division II

Narragansett at South Kingstown, 5:30

Burrillville at Chariho, 6:30 p.m.

Mt. Hope at Middletown, 6:30 p.m.

Moses Brown at St. Raphael, 6:30 p.m.

Rogers at Cranston West, 7 p.m.

East Greenwich at West Warwick, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Ponaganset at North Smithfield, 6 p.m.

Block Island at Toll Gate, 6 p.m.

St. Patrick at Providence Country Day, 6:30 p.m.

Prout at Blackstone Valley Prep, 7 p.m.

Scituate at Paul Cuffee, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division I

Moses Brown at Bay View, 4 p.m.

Cumberland at St. Raphael, 4:45 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

South Kingstown at Narragansett, 5:30 p.m.

Tiverton at Durfee (Mass.), 6:30 p.m.

Coventry at Cranston East, 7 p.m.

North Smithfield at Smithfield, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Exeter-West Greenwich at North Providence, 6:30 p.m.

BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

Midd/Rog Co-op vs. Burr/Scit Co-op at Newport YMCA, 7:30 p.m.

WRESTLING

Pilgrim, Prout, West Warwick at Pilgrim, 5 p.m.

Woonsocket at Mt. Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Lincoln at North Providence, 6 p.m.

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Rhode Island

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

A new documentary series celebrating Rhode Island’s coastal wildlife and conservation efforts premieres Friday on Ocean State Media.

“Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast” debuts with its first episode, “Secrets of the Seagrass,” at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 on WSBE. The episode will be followed by a re-run of “Chasing Fins,” a short documentary about the Atlantic Shark Institute’s shark research in Rhode Island.

The premiere episode explores eelgrass meadows, often called the “nurseries of the sea,” which support diverse marine life while playing a critical role in coastal resilience, water quality and climate mitigation.

Filmed across Rhode Island and New England, the episode features species including American lobster, American eel and bay scallops that depend on healthy eelgrass ecosystems. It also highlights scientists and conservationists from Save the Bay and The Nature Conservancy working on habitat restoration.

“Eelgrass meadows are foundational to the health of our coastal waters, yet many people have never seen them or understood their importance,” director Tomas Koeck said. “This episode brings viewers beneath the surface to reveal how interconnected these systems are—and what’s at stake if we lose them.”

The series is produced by Silent Flight Studios in partnership with Ocean State Media.

“Given our strong, shared connection with the bay and our coastline, we’re excited to share this fascinating new series,” Ocean State Media President and CEO Pam Johnston said.

Future episodes will explore landscapes, wildlife and people shaping the region’s natural heritage.