Rhode Island
PBS NewsHour | Vigilantes fight vandalism along Rhode Island shore | Season 2024 | ThinkTV
GEOFF BENNETT: Spray-painted words and pictures, usually clandestine and often illegal, are getting erased by a group of New Englanders who have tagged themselves the – – quote — “anti-graffiti vigilantes.”
But, as Pamela Watts of Rhode Island PBS Weekly reports, the method they employ against the perpetrators is an art in itself.
The story is part of our arts and culture series, Canvas.
HOLLEY FLAGG, Artist: I love those rocks, yes.
They’re my friends.
I have known them forever.
So I take it very personally when people deface them and put terrible things on them.
PAMELA WATTS: Artist Holley Flagg has good reason to be protective of the breathtaking rocks that define the 400 miles of Rhode Island’s rugged coastline.
It is the view right out the window of her third-floor studio in the home her family has lived in for generations.
The rocks were her childhood playground.
HOLLEY FLAGG: Grew up there, picnicked there, ran all over the rocks, know them like the back of my hand.
Also, I’m an artist, so I really love the beauty of them.
They’re just unique rocks.
PAMELA WATTS: Raw natural beauty is the bedrock of Flagg’s work.
She’s currently painting watercolors of nebula from images captured by NASA’s Hubble space telescope.
HOLLEY FLAGG: This is Madam Butterfly.
PAMELA WATTS: Flagg is also a graphic artist, creating designs for the Metropolitan Opera and the Museum of Natural History in New York.
But when so-called street art, spray-painted graffiti, began proliferating along the rocks in her Narragansett neighborhood, the artist saw red.
HOLLEY FLAGG: When you see somebody defacing them and writing their personal messages, which they think are going to be immortal, all over the rocks, it’s really upsetting to me, and I just — it’s visceral.
PAMELA WATTS: Flagg was so outraged, she took justice into her own hands, forming the citizens group Anti-Graffiti Vigilantes.
HOLLEY FLAGG: Just lightly brush over it like this.
PAMELA WATTS: Armed with only a brush and cans of latex house paint, she started taking a swipe at what she views as crimes against nature.
HOLLEY FLAGG: Let’s see what color you got.
That looks good.
PAMELA WATTS: Soon, a small posse of like-minded volunteers took up the charge.
Their restoration of these geologic gems requires wiping out the words and pictures in such a way it tricks the eye.
Instead of just a cover-up, the rocks magically appear as they once were.
HOLLEY FLAGG: I judge how close I am with the color that I have put on.
Really, the key to a good job is to just feather it in really lightly, let the texture of the rock come through.
PAMELA WATTS: At first, they tried to clean off the spray paint with wire brushes, even chemicals.
Nothing worked because the rocks were too porous.
The beach was too steep for sandblasting equipment, so: HOLLEY FLAGG: I know about painting and colors and nuance.
So we said, let’s try painting over it, camouflage.
PAMELA WATTS: How did you come up with this technique of camouflage?
HOLLEY FLAGG: I didn’t really think about it.
It was just very basic.
How do I make this look like the rock there?
I keep adjusting my paint colors as I go along.
You keep doing it until you like the effect that you have gotten.
PAMELA WATTS: Because the rocks are different.
Some are granite.
Some are brown.
So you have to pick the colors?
HOLLEY FLAGG: Yes.
And you do many colors over one little area of rock.
You don’t just say, OK, this rock is gray.
Here’s gray.
JOAN PAVLINSKY, Artist: Get a big dry brush and you just smash it into the rock.
I think it’s more just feel than anything.
PAMELA WATTS: Joan Pavlinsky is a social worker, artist, and determined to restore the rocks to their natural state.
JOAN PAVLINSKY: It’s just a way of kind of making my own mark by marking over other people’s work.
If you think about what art really is, it’s mark-making.
And, hopefully, we’re creating an environment so that it’s not going to be vandalized again.
MARIANNE CHRONLEY, Anti-Graffiti Vigilantes: If we do a good job, then they can’t tell where it was.
So that’s what we’re hoping, that, as you walk around here, you don’t even think about graffiti.
It’s just not what you came here to see.
PAMELA WATTS: Volunteer Marianne Chronley joined the group a decade ago.
Spring and autumn, the band of avengers attack rocks at places like this.
Chronley says they gather tips from informants.
MARIANNE CHRONLEY: We watch for it and we hear about it.
People tell us about it.
When we hear that it’s down here, we say, all right, we all — we have got to get a crew together and come on down.
(LAUGHTER) PAMELA WATTS: The Anti-Graffiti Vigilantes say those who come to stroll along the shore often voice appreciation and sometimes offer to help.
HOLLEY FLAGG: A lot of people say, oh, I’m so glad you’re doing that.
And then other people are totally blank and have no clue what we’re doing.
And they just think this is a bunch of weird people.
PAMELA WATTS: Undaunted, they keep chipping away, true rock stars of Rhode Island’s shores.
HOLLEY FLAGG: I want you to be able to look at these beautiful rocks and not read things, no words, no images, just say, wow, these rocks are really beautiful, this ocean is beautiful, and we’re so grateful to have it.
PAMELA WATTS: For the “PBS NewsHour,” I’m Pamela Watts in Narragansett, Florida.
Watch: Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
Watch as Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
PAWTUCKET — JJ Williams finally had his space and rose to the opportunity.
The Rhode Island FC striker, deep in the attacking zone, came back to a cross and headed Nick Scardina’s service to the near post to salvage the night for Rhode Island. Williams’ goal landed in the 86th minute to draw Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1-1, in rain-soaked Pawtucket.
It’s the third draw in USL Championship play for Rhode Island at Centreville Bank Stadium this season. RIFC was turning in a familiar performance before snagging the tie against the league-leading Rowdies as Williams supplied his third regular-season goal of the year. The draw is the first time RIFC has earned a result after the opposition opened the scoring since its 1-1 tie vs. Birmingham Legion FC on July 5, 2025.
Rhode Island now travels to USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine for its second game of the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage on Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m. The club returns to Pawtucket on May 23 against Brooklyn FC.
“All night they made it tough because they were doubling,” Williams said of Tampa Bay. “And wherever I went to, they were going contact first, especially in this league with no [Video Assistant Referee] … but on that one, the ball was so good that they spun around, and then I was able to make good contact.”
Rhode Island had a string of missed chances in the first 15 minutes that fed into a goal for Tampa Bay and then a triple substitution in the second half that provided little spark. Max Schneider’s cross from right of the box found Pedro Dolabella at the far post for a clinical header in the 29th minute in front of an announced attendance of 6,790.
The game’s first score came just 10 minutes after attempts from Hugo Bacharach and Jojea Kwizera were saved and Williams sailed an open shot past the bar.
“We tried to correct some of those things that we struggled with last week,” Williams said. “Getting to the ball, making tackles, making a stick, I think that we weren’t as clean in possession as we would have been, especially as we won the ball and played forward. We had a lot of turnovers in the first half where we could have seen more chances, but we did well to weather the storm early and create some. But for me, I [have] to bury that first one.”
Rhode Island creates plenty of chances — it is tied for fourth with 112 attempts — but has just 12 goals this season. If it had finished one of the early chances against Tampa Bay, it would’ve shifted the tenor of the match and forced the visitors to play outside of its form. But the final scoring sequence is still missing with the summer months coming soon.
“Happy with the spirit, happy with the effort, happy with the fight,” RIFC coach Khano Smith said. “You’ve seen that a lot with our team. They just fought to the end, never gave up, kept pushing. Ultimately, it’s two more points dropped at home, and we need to find a way to stop doing that. We need to be ruthless – just ruthless in front of the goal.”
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 9, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 9 drawing
15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from May 9 drawing
Midday: 0-8-9-5
Evening: 0-9-4-7
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 9 drawing
08-13-24-27-34, Extra: 32
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 9 drawing
08-11-17-29-49, 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.
RI House speaker answers why RI won’t ‘pause’ millionaires tax push
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi fielded a question on whether lawmakers might pause efforts to pass a millionaires tax.
Rhode Island is built on the strength of small, family-owned businesses. They are the backbone of our economy, the employers of our neighbors, and the reason our communities have character and opportunity. I know this not just as a legislator, but as someone who works every day in a family business alongside the people I care about most. That’s why I am concerned about the impact of the proposed “millionaires tax” on businesses and our communities.
While it may sound like a measure aimed at a narrow group of high earners, the reality is far different. Many family-owned businesses – especially those structured as pass-through entities – report their business income on personal tax returns. That means this tax doesn’t just target “millionaires” in the traditional sense; it directly impacts small and mid-sized businesses that reinvest their earnings into payroll, equipment, expansion and employee benefits.
In my case, our family business is a private ambulance service. Every day, we are responsible for delivering critical care to Rhode Islanders, particularly seniors and our most medically fragile neighbors. That responsibility comes with significant costs. Ambulances, lifesaving medical equipment, and the technology needed to support our crews are expensive, and they must be maintained and updated regularly to meet the highest standards of care.
Tax increases like this directly impact our ability to make those investments. These are not abstract tradeoffs – they have real consequences for the level of care we can provide. For businesses like mine, margins matter. Every dollar that goes out the door in taxes is a dollar that can’t be used to hire another worker, increase wages, buy new equipment or sponsor the local Little League team. These are real decisions that affect real people.
Supporters of this proposal often frame it as a fairness issue. But fairness should also mean recognizing the role that employers play in creating opportunity. When government makes it more expensive to operate a business in Rhode Island, we risk pushing investment – and jobs – elsewhere. Policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum; they shape decisions about where businesses grow and where families choose to put down roots.
We don’t have to guess what would happen if we raised taxes here – we can just look to Massachusetts. They passed a millionaires tax and the latest data shows a steady stream of high earners leaving for lower-tax states like New Hampshire and, you guessed it, Rhode Island. We could take advantage of Massachusetts’ mistake and build on the momentum we have built in recent years. We’ve seen the benefits of thoughtful policy decisions that encourage investment and support job creation and tax revenues are up. But progress is fragile. Policies like the millionaires tax risk undoing that work by sending the message that success will be penalized rather than encouraged.
As both a business owner and a legislator, I believe strongly that we can – and must – strike a better balance.
We can support public services, invest in our communities, and maintain fiscal responsibility without resorting to policies that put our local businesses at a disadvantage. We can grow our economy by creating an environment where businesses want to stay, expand and hire.
Let’s focus on solutions that strengthen our economy, support our workforce, and ensure that family-owned businesses like mine and so many others across our state continue to thrive.
Rhode Island’s future depends on it.
Jacquelyn Baginski is a state representative from Cranston.
-
New York17 minutes agoMaya Lin Connects Nature to a New Manhattan Skyscraper and Beyond
-
Detroit, MI47 minutes agoA chilly start to the week gives way to warmer weather in Metro Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA59 minutes agoMother’s Day Gamethread: Giants vs. Pirates
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoCaitlin Clark Responds to Dallas Wings Win Over Indiana Fever
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoJarvis Landry Doesn’t Hold Back on Dolphins Offseason
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoOle Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoNew video shows trespasser on Denver airport runway before deadly collision
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoGrowing memorials honor young employee found dead at North Seattle beer garden