Good morning, Providence.

Neal Messier, an airplane mechanic in East Greenwich, is rescuing RI’s giant Mr. Potato Heads from disappearing after the 2000 campaign while restoring five and launching a website + planning a nonprofit to display them at local sites such as Skydive Newport in Middletown.

Rhode Island corn mazes offer themed adventures at Escobar Farm featuring a 250-year celebration, Adam's Farm open weekends, Cucumber Hill Farm with evening hours until Oct.

31, and Spring Hill Sugar House featuring a treasure hunt, set in Portsmouth, Cumberland, Foster and Richmond.

Nationwide rankings show that RI schools deliver quality education while offering affordable tuition + smaller classes.

They achieve strong outcomes without Ivy prestige, highlighting hidden strengths in their approach.

Rain from a weekend nor'easter replenished the Mink Brook aquifer, and water supplier Veolia relaxed the full outdoor water ban in South Kingstown and Narragansett on Sept.

29, so residents may water gardens on odd/even days (by address number).

Rhode Islanders will vote on a $55 million Green Bond in November to fund projects that protect coastal and natural lands.

One plan will use funds to stabilize the hillside at Crescent Park in East Providence, following an earlier project that spent $1.8 million on shore protection.

RIPTA is facing an extra $2 million in diesel costs after its fixed-price contract ended in June (officials say it may cover the expense by shifting funds rather than raising its $2 fare).

The transit agency runs 212 buses serving local commuters.

Providence teams have an edge in baseball history: a Providence pitcher threw a perfect game on June 17, 1880 while the Red Sox have yet to record one.

A Worcester team achieved one on June 12, 1880 and Cy Young pitched a perfect game in 1904 + these milestones mark New England’s early baseball legacy.

URI football lost 22-18 to North Carolina A&T Saturday, dropping to a 2-3 record and falling out of the FCS poll while preparing to face Brown for the Governor’s Cup at 12 p.m. later this week, with coach Jim Fleming saying the team may switch to a run based attack.

URI men's basketball will start its Atlantic 10 road schedule with a Dec.

30 game at Saint Joseph’s, then face George Mason on Jan. 2 and end with a home game against St. Bonaventure on March 6. Some games will air on USA Sports + CBS Sports Network.

Rhode Island high school football games start this week as Week 4 matchups kick off Friday, Oct.

2 and continue Saturday, Oct. 3 at local venues, with fans able to watch live on the NFHS Network.

The Bryant Bulldogs women’s basketball team is picked fifth in the America East preseason poll and is set for a season opening on Nov.

2 at home against MIT. Coach Lynne-Ann Kokoski said the squad features returning all-conference players and transfers expected to boost performance.