Rhode Island
RIPTA debuts CCRI bus hub – Warwick Beacon
By ADAM ZANGARI
Friday was a very transportation-heavy morning at the Community College of Rhode Island, as college, city and state officials celebrated the opening of four modernized bus stops at the Knight Campus.
The stops are directly outside the campus main academic building. The $1.6 million project was funded by a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus and Bus Facilities grant, according to the office of Sen. Jack Reed.
A veritable who’s who of Rhode Island and Warwick politicians showed up to the college, with Reed and Gov. Dan McKee joined by Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi, Treasury Secretary James Diossa, Mayor Frank Picozzi, State Sen. Matthew LaMountain, State Reps. Joseph Solomon, Jr. and Tom Noret and Warwick City Councilmen William Foley, Jim McElroy and Steve McAllister.
Reed noted a recent groundbreaking at the Pawtucket-Central Falls Train Station, opened last year, as proof of the state’s commitment to public transportation. That, he said, tied closely with education.
“Making higher education accessible — everyone talks about that, but they usually mean making the resources available for tuition, et cetera,” Reed said. “Another aspect of making college accessible is being able to get there, and this is going to help lots of students, particularly those from middle- and low-income families, get here on time to do their studies.”
McKee, who started the Learn365RI program as governor, said the new stops would be a major boon to CCRI students and make sure that more Rhode Islanders could receive a college education.
“It’s really important that we create access to our universities, our community college here, to make sure people can get here, so they can participate in the real learning experiences that CCRI provides under the leadership of [interim] President [Rosemary] Costigan,” McKee said.
The governor also said that the CCRI stops would provide a blueprint for future RIPTA bus stop projects throughout the state.
The stops themselves also include screens showing when the next buses will arrive as well as destinations, in addition to solar lighting.
“They’re a wonderful blend of modern technology, powered by an alternative energy source, and they’re also very aesthetically pleasing,” Picozzi said.
Those in attendance said that the stops would make transportation easier for CCRI’s students and faculty, and would give students one less thing to worry about as they head to their classes.
“Here at CCRI, we know that access is everything,” Costigan said.
The Bridge
Minutes before the event began, the governor and congressional delegation announced that the state had received a $125,390,467 grant for the rebuilding of the westbound Washington Bridge from the federal government.
The funds came from the “mega grant” program within the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. Reed said that the grant was a good start, but the state needs to secure more funding in the future.
“This mega grant of $125 million is a good down payment, but we’re going to continue, after thanking the Secretary, to urge that we receive additional funds,” Reed said.
McKee noted meetings that he had with Rhode Island’s delegation and Senior Advisor to the President Tom Perez as positive, and said that meetings on Thursday with his predecessor — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo — and on Friday with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went well. The governor visited Washington, D.C. two weeks ago to meet with Perez and other federal officials to convince them to give Rhode Island grant funding for the bridge.
Those meetings, he said, would continue as the state looks for more funds for the replacement of the bridge.
McKee had initially asked the federal government for a $221 million grant. Though the state did not get that much, he said that the $125 million was still a win for Rhode Island, especially considering the percentage of the federal grant that the state is receiving.
“When you talk about a competitive grant — the section that we qualified for was around $850 million [split between different projects nationwide] — we got $125 million of that,” McKee said. “That’s a big win for Rhode Island, and it’s a vote of confidence that the Biden administration had in our office, as well as the state, around the ability to actually rebuild a bridge that we didn’t know was going to have to be taken down.”
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 9, 2026
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.
Rhode Island
Proposed tax hike would hurt small businesses and our communities | Opinion
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.
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 8, 2026
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 9-8-9-7
Evening: 7-9-8-9
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 8 drawing
10-13-15-16-30, Extra: 09
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
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.
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