As a longtime resident of Jamestown, R.I., I appreciated Edward Fitzpatrick’s article on reforming the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (“Advocates press to replace R.I. coastal council,” Metro, May 14). For too many years we have been subjected to the whims of a 10-member council whose political appointees have made terrible decisions about protection, preservation, and wise use of our coastal resources. This has been a classic case of poor governance, lacking transparency and accountability.
We face growing existential challenges to our coastal environment from the global climate crisis and need a strong, intelligent governing body. Richard Langseth, an opponent of legislative measures to reform the agency, said, “There is no path in the proposed legislation to replace the CRMC Council with a meaningful entity with a similar structure.” Perhaps he has not read the bill, which clearly states that there will be “a community advisory committee [whose members] shall be knowledgeable in coastal law and/or policy” and accountable to the agency director.
The measures for comprehensive reform of the CRMC are excellent examples of good governance and must be passed and signed this General Assembly term.
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Stuart Ross
Jamestown, R.I.
The writer is chair of Protect Conanicut Coastline.
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.
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.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Attorneys for the ACLU of Rhode Island have filed a lawsuit against RI Governor Dan McKee, alleging the governor’s office explicitly told state and capitol police to bar protesters from accessing the State House rotunda and upper floors.
The rally was planned to take place in the rotunda an hour before McKee’s January 2025 State of the State address.
The event was to be attended by local groups including Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project and by activist Harrison Tuttle.
Tuttle was the President of the now dissolved Rhode Island Black Lives Matter PAC at the time.
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The suit claims that Tuttle and fellow protesters arrived to be told that McKee’s office instructed police from letting them enter.
Tuttle was told by police that he in particular was not allowed to enter the areas, according to the suit.
The suit also claims that other people were allowed to access those areas of the State House.
The suit states that the rotunda is commonly used by protesters, and that its entrance was blocked off by capitol and state police.
A sign accompanied the officers that said the rotunda was reserved from 4:30-10 p.m., and the governor’s office didn’t reserve the area until 4:39 p.m., according to records cited by the ACLU of RI.
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The protesters were directed by police to the “Bell Room” for their event, which is a less visible area in the back of the State House’s first floor, according to the suit.
The ACLU of RI statement reads in part:
In any event, despite being ‘reserved,’ the rotunda was not used for any purpose during that timeframe. The lawsuit argues that the Governor’s reservation of the space and the Capitol and State Police’s actions were undertaken to stifle the protesters’ exercise of their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Executive director of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project Eric Hirsch, a participant in the suit stated:
I’ve been advocating for an end to homelessness in Rhode Island for a long time. I was shocked to see the Rotunda at the Statehouse roped off when I arrived for the People’s State of the State rally. I had attended dozens of rallies there over the years. To make matters worse, we were also prevented from getting anywhere near the Governor’s address. We were confined to a lower floor of the Statehouse. This is unacceptable. We have a right to express our view of the Governor’s policies toward people experiencing homelessness.
ABC6 has reached out to the office of Governor Dan McKee for comment in this matter but has not yet heard back.
