Follow us on social media:
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.
WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.
Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.
According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.
The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.
A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.
State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.
Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
Follow us on social media:
A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.
McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.
“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”
“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.
The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.
The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.
The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on April 18, 2026
5 tornadoes confirmed in Illinois from Friday’s storms
An Indiana district turned to voters to fund more preschool seats. Here’s what happened next.
Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)
Kansas Losing Momentum With Key Transfer Target After New Visits
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
‘Growth pays for growth’: Entergy’s Fair Share Plus model to save Louisiana customers $2.8 billion
18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather