Rhode Island
Town to benefit from $25M fiber outlay – Jamestown Press
An estimated 1,900 locations in Jamestown will receive improved broadband service through a $25 million investment by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation.
Jamestown will benefit from the initial request for proposals with Newport (2,900 locations) and Westerly (1,900). It is part of the commerce department’s ConnectRI program to bring high-speed internet to underserved areas throughout Rhode Island. Two additional requests will be released in 2024 to connect more communities.
“Broadband is no longer a luxury,” Gov. Dan McKee said. “It is a 21st century necessity that will keep Rhode Island competitive.”
The commerce department’s board of directors approved the spending June 10 to improve speed and resilience while providing affordable broadband to homes and businesses. The exact allocation of the $25 million will be based on proposals that are submitted through a competitive bid process.
Future improvements across the state will be made using $108.7 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The money is administered at the state level through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, which was championed by Jamestown resident Deb Ruggiero when she was a state legislator.
“I’ve been calling on broadband policy for our state for two years to bring Rhode Island into the next generation of digital access and equity,” Ruggiero said in 2022. “Like every state, Rhode Island is set to receive a huge federal investment to address our broadband needs, but we need to qualify for it. Our state must develop a plan for fiber broadband deployment to homes and businesses and a plan to fix digital inequities in underserved and unserved neighborhoods.”
The investments are the culmination of two years of strategic and participatory planning that resulted in a five-year action plan with a broadband map. Jamestown,
Newport and Westerly were selected based on a formula that weighed the total number of locations served against the amount of money available. They looked at cities and towns with higher percentages of households without reliable internet.
The plan will require buildouts of end-to-end fiber networks that can deliver 100-megabit speeds for both uploading and downloading. Affordability will be a priority. Proposals from companies with 100/100 Mbps service that do not exceed $53.09 per month will take precedence.
Town Administrator Ed Mello expects this investment to bring affordable broadband to nearly half of the local population.
“This will create further opportunity for our residents to work and learn from home,” he said. “Reliable broadband has become a necessity.”
According to the statewide broadband map, there are more underserved locations in Jamestown than served, which is defined by 100/20 Mbps or better. Of the 2,985 locations, 1,620 (54 percent) of them have service slower than that. There are also six unserved locations.
When Jamestown is broken into thirds, the north end has 1,466 locations with about half serviceable, the center has 1,232 locations with about 45 percent serviceable and the southern portion has 924 locations with about 80 percent serviceable.
The statistics for the north end, however, are skewered. While the neighborhoods between Frigate Street and Watson Farm west of North Road are 90-95 serviceable, the locations north of Frigate, from coast to coast, are about 80 percent underserved.
While the section of Beavertail’s serviceability is about 50/50, the stats for the southern section are faster because it includes the locations south of High Street on the Fort Wetherill side of Mackerel Cove, including Highland Drive and Walcott Avenue.
“This once-in-a-lifetime investment allows us to lay the groundwork for a more prosperous and connected future that is crucial for our state’s economic vitality,” added Liz Tanner, the state’s secretary of commerce. “By closing the digital divide, we are ensuring the access necessary to promote innovation, enhance productivity, and attract business and development.”
Watch: Chariho softball beats North Kingstown to reach title game
Watch as Chariho softball beats North Kingstown to reach state title game.
Super Saturday has arrived.
Today is the busiest day of the 2026 RIIL spring sports schedule, with championships being play at Rhode Island College and Brown University. Baseball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball and track and field athletes will all be chasing gold.
It’s a lot of keep track of, so here’s a handy schedule of the day’s events to keep your head from spinning.
High School Schedule – June 6
⚾BASEBALL – State Championship Game 2
No. 1 Hendricken vs. No. 3 East Providence at Rhode Island College, 12 p.m.
⚾BASEBALL – D-II Championship Game 1
No. 2 West Warwick vs. No. 1 East Greenwich at Rhode Island College, 4 p.m.
🥎SOFTBALL – D-I Championship Game
No. 2 Chariho vs. No. 1 La Salle at Rhode Island College, 5:30 p.m.
🥎SOFTBALL – D-II Championship
No. 7 Ponaganset vs. No. 1 Lincoln at Rhode Island College, 7:30 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – State Championship
No. 1 La Salle vs. No. 2 Moses Brown at Brown University, 11 a.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-II Championship
No. 1 Westerly vs. No. 3 Portsmouth at Brown University, 1:30 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-III Championship
No. 1 Mt. Hope vs. No. 3 Lincoln at Brown University, 4 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-IV Championship
No. 1 Scituate vs. No. 2 Rogers at Brown University, 6 p.m.
🏃Track and Field
RIIL Boys State Championship Meet at Brown University, 11 a.m.
RIIL Girls State Championship Meet at Brown University, 11 a.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – State Championship
No. 1 La Salle vs. No. 2 Hendricken, 5 p.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-II Championship
No. 1 West Warwick vs. No. 2 Westerly at Rhode Island College, 2:30 p.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-III Championship
No. 1 Mt. Hope vs. No. 3 Exeter-West Greenwich, 12 p.m.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 5, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 5 drawing
13-30-50-52-66, Mega Ball: 02
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from June 5 drawing
Midday: 5-3-4-8
Evening: 6-7-9-7
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from June 5 drawing
01-06-07-12-32, Extra: 05
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 5 drawing
06-38-51-54-55, Bonus: 05
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
The Most Expensive House in Rhode Island—Around the Corner From Taylor Swift’s Home—to Ask $23.5 Million
A waterfront estate in Rhode Island could set a record in the same neighborhood where Taylor Swift owns a home.
The 2.75-acre estate on Pawcatuck Avenue in the village of Watch Hill will soon hit the open market for $23.5 million, making it the most expensive active listing in Rhode Island. The property is in Westerly, a peninsula in the state’s western-most section, at the meeting point with Connecticut and New York.
MORE: A Former Gilded Age Inn Perched on a Cliff Above the Hudson River Lists for $2.9 Million
The main New England-style home spans 7,000 square feet across four levels, with five bedrooms, several reception rooms, a wet bar and a wine cellar. There is also a three-bedroom guest house, which spans close to 5,000 square feet, along with a saltwater pool surrounded by a bluestone deck and a newly refinished tennis court, according to the listing with Geb Masterson of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
“Properties don’t often come up for sale in Watch Hill,” Masterson said via email. “People and families often stay for generations, holding onto the homes their parents bought.”
The property, which has an alternate address on Bay Street, is fully outfitted with amenities for waterfront living, including a boat house, boat garage and a dock that can accommodate a 70-foot yacht. There is also a three-bedroom guest house, according to the listing.
Swift has owned a home in the Watch Hill neighborhood since 2013—a bolthole where the global pop star reportedly throws the best July 4th bash in town. Additionally, earlier in the year, Swift and her fiance, football star Travis Kelce, were rumored to be marrying in a coastal wedding venue nearby, but recent gossip suggests the wedding will actually be held in New York City in less than a month, on July 3.
Mansion Global Boutique: Why Your Home Needs a Little ‘Ugly Beauty’
The sellers purchased the Watch Hill property in April 2020 for $10.4 million via a trust, from the family who built it in 2006, according to records accessed through PropertyShark. The 2020 sale was approved by a Connecticut District bankruptcy court, as the prior owner was in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings related to the home as well as to a ski resort he owned in Vermont, according to court documents and news reports.
The sellers and previous owners couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
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