Rhode Island
RI lawmakers prepare for 3rd Washington Bridge oversight hearing
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Thursday will mark the third oversight hearing since the westbound Washington Bridge closure, but this time, former U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha will lead the probe.
John Marion, with Common Cause Rhode Island, called the move unusual.
“It’s unusual because they’re bringing in outside help and because of who they’re bringing in,” Marion said in an interview with Target 12 on Tuesday. “They’re bringing in the most former U.S. attorney, somebody who’s very well-versed in complex litigation.”
The lawsuit against 13 companies the state blames for the bridge’s failure has become a source of frustration for lawmakers and the public, with RIDOT limiting how much they can answer while the suit is ongoing.
“We had those two prior hearings, but we felt as though we were handcuffed at the time,” Sen. Mark McKenney told Target 12 on Wednesday. “We were advised by the governor’s office and by the attorney general’s office that we shouldn’t delve into any questions that might in any way impact the potential lawsuit the state is bringing.”
R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti is the only witness, and unlike previous committee hearings, he will be required to testify under oath.
In a live interview on 12 News at 4 on Wednesday, R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha said Gov. Dan McKee sent him a letter “not long ago” asking if a member of his team would sit with Alviti on Thursday. He said he agreed to it.
“The instructions to our attorney are to let Director Alviti answer the questions. In other words, there’s not going to be a lot of interference by our lawyer with the process,” Neronha said. “We want Director Alviti to answer the questions. We’re not going to get in the way of those questions, and hopefully, Rhode Islanders will get answers.”
McKenney, who chairs the Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight, and Rep. Patricia Serpa, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said they believe Cunha, who will ask the bulk of the questions on Thursday, will be able to get answers from Alviti.
“So, let’s see where the facts take us when he responds,” Serpa told Target 12 on Wednesday.
“We’re also keeping in mind that this isn’t necessarily as much about blame and pointing fingers as it is about making sure that we get the facts, we understand them, and we know for the next time what we need to do,” McKenney added. “This is about restoring trust in state government and restoring trust in bridges.”
Serpa said since the bridge’s closure, public trust in the state’s bridges has worsened.
“There are a considerable number of us who don’t like bridges under the best of circumstances, and we’re leery about taking bridges,” Serpa said. “There’s a lot of trust that needs to be restored. So, we hope to do that before this is over.”
For example, McKenney said he hopes to learn if proper maintenance was performed, if inspections done on the bridge were thorough and overseen, and if RIDOT was looking in the right places during those inspections.
“This is a very unique and complex bridge, and there’s a significant question about whether or not our state agency fully recognized the importance of looking in certain places, with respect to this bridge,” McKenney said. “That’s a little scary.”
Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz told Target 12 that she’s still anticipating some pushback because of the ongoing litigation.
“But the thing is, if the state’s at fault, we should be honest about it,” de La Cruz said. “It doesn’t matter if you live in East Providence or in Woonsocket. This bridge closure affects the entire state.”
Lawmakers asked for the latest hearing after Target 12 obtained a copy of the long-awaited forensic audit of the Washington Bridge in September, which showed that state officials should have been aware of structural problems with the bridge long before it was closed down in December 2023.
“The timeline is a big question,” de la Cruz added.
Some lawmakers said they have their doubts about whether the hearing will garner any new information.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t expect to learn anything new,” House Minority Whip, Rep. David Place, told Target 12 on Wednesday. “Everything that is out there is in the public record, and I think if there was a potential learn something new, the attorney general would not be giving the go-ahead to potentially swear the director in and testify under oath.”
Place said he believes the hearing will largely serve as an opportunity to appease the public and politicians seeking office next year.
“We’re in essence in an election cycle now and politicians are lining up to run for offices, and they leverage what they have now to benefit themselves later on,” Place said. “I don’t expect that to change one bit tomorrow.”
New this time, though, Place said about a dozen questions from the public may be submitted in Thursday’s hearing. He declined to provide Target 12 with the questions prior to Thursday.
“We want [Alviti] to, if we ask a question for the public, to get a raw answer from the director,” Place said.
Thursday’s hearing is slated to get underway at 2 p.m.
Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.
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Rhode Island
Why a Taylor Swift wedding might shut down Westerly streets
Forget limos, Taylor Swift will need buses for her wedding guests
Airline Express Limousine Owner Chuck O’Koomian tells us why.
As Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce eye possibly getting married at her Watch Hill, Rhode Island, mansion, The Providence Journal is surveying various wedding vendors about what it would take for the Ocean State to host a wedding befitting the most popular woman in the world.
Imagine a crowd of A-list celebrities descending on the village of Watch Hill in Westerly this summer to attend the wedding of mega celebrity Taylor Swift and football star Travis Kelce.
To Chuck O’Koomian, who owns Airline Express Limousine and Car Service with his wife Ginny Cauley, it’s like a scene out of a horror movie.
“It’s gonna be a logistical nightmare,” O’Koomian told The Providence Journal.
How will guests arrive at Taylor Swift’s wedding in Westerly?
While Swift has not announced when or where her wedding will be, O’Koomian talked about what would be involved in getting a large celebrity crowd to the wedding, if it were held at her Bluff Avenue mansion, the nearby Ocean House resort or the Watch Hill Chapel, where Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo tied the know with football player Christian McCaffrey in 2024.
O’Koomian, who has provided transportation for comedian Jay Leno, who has a home in Newport, said there would be three distinct phases of ground transportation:
- Getting people from airports to their hotels
- Getting people from their hotels to the wedding activities
- Getting them back to the airports
The middle phase, delivering people to wedding activities, very well may not be just a one-day affair. Many say Swift won’t have a wedding day; they’re expecting a wedding week.
While some guests, especially those in New York or Connecticut, would probably just have their drivers bring them to Westerly, others would fly in by private jets, probably landing at Westerly State Airport or Quonset State Airport, whose military runway is long enough to handle larger jets. From there, guests would need a ride to where they are staying.
What Westerly residents have to say
Folks in Westerly have surmised that, even if it’s not the site of the ceremony or reception, the Ocean House, along with its sister property the Weekapaug Inn, plus several rented, private mansions would be needed to accommodate guests.
O’Koomian expects that a large limousine company – such as Boston Corporate Coach or Carey Limousine, in Massachusetts, or Hy’s Limousine, in Connecticut – with more than 120 cars each, would get the contract to serve Taylor Swift’s wedding. “There’s not even 120 cars in Rhode Island, all the companies combined,” he said, adding that, as a subcontractor, he would hope to get a piece of the business.
Could a fleet of private cars filled with stars snarl traffic in Westerly?
This first phase of local transportation would involve many trips of smaller parties. “They may come in two, three, four at a time,” he said.
While that is suitable for limousine service, getting from hotels to the ceremony, reception and other events, would require a different strategy for that second phase. “It’s like they’re transporting a football team,” he said.
That would mean “coaches,” the upscale version of buses. They would ease the traffic burden that would be created by limousines ferrying some 300 wedding guests around the tiny village of Watch Hill.
“It’s gonna take a lot of coordination if it’s Westerly,” O’Koomian said. “They’re going to have to shut down half the city. Police would have to shut down streets.”
Rhode Island
Rhode Island man crashes into house in Raynham after apparent medical episode
A car crashed into a home in Raynham Tuesday afternoon.
Police said they responded to a report for a vehicle that crashed into a home shortly before 1 p.m. on Broadway Street.
Officers at the scene said they found a sedan that had crashed into the lower brick portion of the home.
Investigators said a man from Rhode Island appeared to suffer from a medical episode before leaving the roadway and crashing into the home.
Police said the driver suffered non life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Boston Medical Center – South in Brockton.
Officers said the home was empty at the time of the crash.
The Raynham Building Department responded to assess the home for structural damage.
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The crash is under investigation.
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 12, 2026
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 12 drawing
05-27-45-56-59, Powerball: 04, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 12 drawing
21-23-24-28-39, Lucky Ball: 01
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from Jan. 12 drawing
Midday: 3-5-2-8
Evening: 4-3-6-1
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from Jan. 12 drawing
05-08-09-22-30, Extra: 11
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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