Rhode Island

Johnston, R.I., follows through on seizure of land by eminent domain, halting 250-unit affordable housing project – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2025

Press Room

Johnston, R.I., follows through on seizure of land by eminent domain, halting 250-unit affordable housing project – The Boston Globe

According to Polisena, the now-previous owners of the property can still fight to have the title returned.

And officials are already facing a legal challenge.

Owners SCLS Realty LLC and Sixty Three Johnston LLC – or family-owned homebuilding firms whose members are Lucille Santoro, Salvatore Compagnone, and Ralph Santoro – filed a lawsuit against the town in US District Court in Providence on March 10.

They argue their constitutional and civil rights have been “threatened by an outrageous abuse of government powers.” The lawsuit describes the seizure of their property as a “sham taking.”

“The town claims it needs to use eminent domain to build a new municipal campus. But this is false,” the court filing states. “The real reason the town is forcibly depriving the Santoro family of its land is to stop the building of over 250 desperately needed affordable homes.”

Despite the lawsuit, Polisena said he will move forward with plans to build new public facilities on the site and noted officials already put out a request for qualifications.

“I’m very confident in our legal argument,” he said in an interview.

Developers initially proposed plans for the 252-unit, low-and-moderate-income housing complex late last year.

Polisena quickly vowed to “use all the power of government that I have to stop it,” and in January, moved to take the property by eminent domain. The mayor said the site would become home to a new Town Hall and a public safety complex, as the town’s police and fire stations are in disrepair.

To fund the new projects, Johnston will also scrap plans to construct a new high school, and will instead return to its original plans to renovate the existing buildling, he said.

In their lawsuit, the Santoro family, through its attorneys, challenges the notion the town took their land for the purpose of constructing the new buildings, arguing that under the law, the town is prohibited from “concealing or colluding to hide its real reasons for taking the Santoro property.”

“Eminent domain cannot be employed to stop property owners from using their land in legal ways, under the guise of a public use or purpose,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants are abusing the eminent domain power to block affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income families, simply because they don’t want that kind of thing in their town.”

Kelley Morris Salvatore, an attorney representing the family, did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.

Polisena pushed back on the allegations that officials are hiding their true intent. He said he had been looking for a solution for the town’s ailing public safety facilities since after he took office in early 2023, when he succeeded his father, Joseph Polisena Sr., who served as mayor for 16 years.

In January, Polisena said he approached other developers about buying land from them to no avail and only became aware that the property now in question was as large as 31 acres after the developers approached the town with their housing plans in December.

“If I just came up with this municipal complex idea off the top of my head to stop the project, why do I have written correspondence in my email about multiple sites?” Polisena said recently, referring to emails he had from March 2023.

The town even paid to do engineering work on another site, but that property didn’t pan out, he said.

“We said, ‘Let’s put this on the back burner, but we’ll keep it in the back of our mind,’ and then, once this got proposed, like I said, I just put two and two together and said, ‘This could be the spot that we’re looking for,’” he said.

Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.

Source link

Rhode Island

50 kids who’ve survived cancer to walk the runway at annual RI gala

Published

3 hours ago

May 2, 2026

Press Room

50 kids who’ve survived cancer to walk the runway at annual RI gala

Next month, 50 kids from across New England will be dressed in their best as they walk the runway at this year’s Glimmer Gala.

It’s an evening for childhood cancer survivors to feel like celebrities.

“For them, not only do they get to feel like a normal kid doing a normal activity, but they get to feel larger than life,” said Alison Hornung, founder and CEO of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation. “I hear the kids go into their classrooms after and say, ‘I got to walk the runway show and I got to do a photo shoot.’”

Breanna Marie

That photo shoot and shopping spree are something each child, like 6-year-old Bella Berg from Lexington, gets to take part in.

“For everything that they go through and that loss of identity, it really makes them feel like they’re beautiful and strong, inside and outside,” Hornung said.

The Glimmer of Hope Foundation started six years ago. It brings hope to families whose children are battling cancer. This year’s gala is expected to be their biggest yet, with at least 500 people expected to attend.

The goal is to give the kids confidence and make them feel special.

“They get to be alongside kids that are going through the same thing as them, so they don’t feel different,” said Hornung. “They just feel seen and understood.”

The Glimmer Gala takes place Saturday June 13 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Click here for more.

Source link

Rhode Island

RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 1, 2026

Published

15 hours ago

May 2, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 1 drawing

16-21-27-41-61, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from May 1 drawing

Midday: 5-4-5-8

Evening: 5-1-7-5

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from May 1 drawing

08-09-17-31-33, Extra: 15

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 1 drawing

17-24-26-28-55, Bonus: 04

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.

Source link

Rhode Island

Real Housewives of Rhode Island midseason preview gets even juicier

Published

1 day ago

May 1, 2026

Press Room

Real Housewives of Rhode Island midseason preview gets even juicier

On Friday, May 1, Bravo posted a mid-season preview to YouTube, giving fans a glimpse at the drama still to come during the franchise’s first season in the Ocean State.

Enjoying “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” so far? Buckle up – it’s about to get even juicier.

On Friday, May 1, Bravo posted a mid-season preview to YouTube, giving fans a glimpse at the drama still to come during the franchise’s first season in the Ocean State. As expected, the season will continue to follow major developing plotlines, including the fallout from Rulla Pontarelli’s reported husband’s affair and the strained relationship between Rosie DiMare and Kelsey Swanson.

However, the trailer also hints that the season will take some unexpected twists and turns, with new arguments rising between friendly cast members and personal issues coming to a head for many of the women.

Here’s a sneak peek at the rest of Season 1 of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

What happened in ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ mid-season preview?

According to the mid-season preview, the rest of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Season 1 will include many more fights between the cast members. Swanson and DiMare’s screaming matches will continue, with the trailer showing DiMare telling Swanson “Everyone in f***ing Rhode Island knows you f*** married men.”

Surprisingly, disagreements will also rise between LizMcGraw and Alicia Carmody, as well as McGraw and Jo-Ellen Tiberi. McGraw is shown telling Tiberi to get out of her face, with Tiberi storming after her yelling “what did I do?”

Meanwhile, Ashley Iaconetti will continue to struggle under the financial and emotional burden of Audrey’s, with her and husband Jared Haibon discussing their decision to renew the lease or not. After her breakup, Swanson will have to decide if her new man is worth giving up her financial comfort, while Tiberi will finally have a tough conversation with her mother.

As for Pontarelli, it seems that Tiberi will make good on her episode five promise of finding concrete proof of Brian Pontarelli’s reported affair, with multiple housewives discussing video proof in the trailer. After Pontarelli reveals to the group that Brian was arrested for tracking her, the trailer ends with the question looming over everyone’s heads: “Rulla, what are you gonna do?”.