Rhode Island
The most RI wedding ever? Olympian’s celebration featured special Ocean State touches
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns for fall fun and tradition
Rhode Island’s fall tradition at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, offers pumpkin fun for everyone.
Rhode Island’s favorite Olympic swimmer got married earlier this month, and now People magazine offers a peek behind the scene at the festivities – including details about the Ocean State vendors the bride used.
Elizabeth Beisel, the Saunderstown native who competed in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games, winning two medals and being named captain of the 2016 team, married Jack Nichting, whom she met when they were both contestants on “Survivor,” on Sept. 7 at Bonnet Shores Beach. A reception followed at Casey Farm in Saunderstown.
And if getting married barefoot on a beach in Narragansett isn’t enough, Beisel found other ways to highlight her home state during her festivities.
According to People, the reception featured a charcuterie table from Grapes and Gourmet in Jamestown, and an oyster and shrimp boat by Watch Hill Catering in Westerly. Dinner was catered by Perro Saldo, of Newport, which included some of the restaurant’s Mexican favorites like tostones, guacamole, burrito bowls and more. The cake, made by Nichting’s mom, was accompanied by ice cream from Baron’s in Narragansett.
The newlyweds also hosted an informal breakfast the day after the wedding at King Park in Newport, where guests were invited to enjoy a picnic of coffee, pastries and a beautiful view of the harbor.
Like true Rhode Islanders, the lovebirds included on their wedding website some suggestions for great spots for their guests to eat during their stay in Rhode Island. Nichting, who according to the site has also worked in the local service industry for years, recommends places like Matunuck Oyster Bar (where the couple celebrates every anniversary), Perro Salado in Newport, and even Frosty Freez in Middletown. And they encouraged visitors to check out Newport’s famed Cliff Walk, Ocean Drive, Norman Bird Sanctuary and the Gilded Age mansions on Bellevue Avenue.
The celebration attracted some famous guests, including fellow Olympians Katie Ledecky, Katie Hoff and Missy Franklin and Caeleb Dressel.
More: Before Olivia Culpo, these four famous couples got married in Rhode Island. Here’s a look.
Beisel wasn’t the only Rhode Island celeb to tie the knot this summer. She joins fellow Rhode Islanders who have tied the knot here this summer − Olivia Culpo, who wed San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in June at a star-studded affair at the Ocean House in Westerly, and Billy Gilman, who married Anthony Carbone last month.
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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