The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) today announced that lane restrictions on the Mount Hope Bridge has been lifted, with the completion of a cable air flow testing project two weeks ahead of schedule. The project was part of a broader plan to dehumidify the bridge, and will help extend its life by […]
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. He has been involved with the award-winning local news website since shortly after its launch in 2012, leading it to be named Best Local News Blog in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly readers in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Ryan has spent 38 years living in Rhode Island, and after making Newport his home for more than a decade, he recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia to support his wife's career opportunity. Despite this move, Ryan continues to focus solely on What'sUpNewp and travels back to Newport at least once a month. He is dedicated to building the site into the go-to news source for Newport and beyond. Ryan is also a member of several organizations, including the Board of Directors for Potter League for Animals.
Posted inCommunity
Free soil testing offered at Maher Center Garden Center
The James L. Maher Center Garden Center will be offering free soil testing on the second Saturday of every month during the spring season The free tests are part of a partnership between the Maher Center and URI Master Gardeners. The next testing will take place on May 11 from 10 am to 12 pm […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival announces biggest schedule in history of popular event
The Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival is back with its biggest and best lineup yet. Expanding on last year’s success, the 2024 MV Food & Wine Festival has been elevated in every way featuring a culinary star-studded lineup, a James Beard Foundation DiningSeries collaboration, and an expansion of the lineup of events June 6 – 9 on Martha’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Sailing Museum to host Seaweed Art Workshop
The Sailing Museum is hosting a new workshop that will teach people how to make their own beautiful works of art from seaweed. The workshop, titled “Ocean Flora as Art,” is being led by artist Mary Jameson of Saltwater Studio Newport. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 15, from 10 am to 12:30 […]
Posted inCommunity
Food Pantry at MLK Community Center is now open five days a week
Starting May 2, the Food Pantry at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (MLK Community Center) will be open every weekday to better serve the community. “Healthy food is vital to a healthy life.” said Heather Hole Strout, Executive Director. “We want to make it as easy as possible for anyone in Newport […]
Posted inCity & Government
On heels of interim commission report, Rep. Carson submits bills for transparency, equity in short-term rental industry
After several months of studying the challenges faced by the state and municipalities in regulating the short-term rental industry in Rhode Island, Rep. Lauren Carson has introduced legislation aimed at improving regulatory compliance and transparency and enabling local controls on the industry’s growth. Representative Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) is the chairwoman of the Special Legislative Commission […]
Posted inRhode Island
Rhode Island’s Mental Health Association Honors Blazejewski and Murray with 2024 Legislator of the Year Awards
The Mental Health Association of Rhode Island (MHARI) has selected House Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Melissa Murray as the winners of its 2024 Legislators of the Year awards. The awards were presented to Blazejewski and Murray during a ceremony at MHARI’s annual May is Mental Health Month kick-off event on […]
Posted inCity & Government
Preview: Docket for Newport City Council’s Regular Meeting on May 8
Newport City Council will host a Regular City Council Meeting on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30 pm. The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place in the City Council Chambers at Newport City Hall. Here’s a look at what’s on the docket; CITY OF NEWPORT DOCKET FOR THE REGULAR […]
Posted inNews
West Warwick man facing charges after being found driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs with large capacity magazine
A West Warwick man is facing several charges after police say he was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs while also carrying a large capacity magazine. Lawrence Cole, 77, is facing one count of possession of a large capacity magazine, one count of carrying a firearm while under the influence, […]
Posted inNews
Newsletter: What’s Up in Newport – Thursday, May 2
This story was originally published as a What’sUpNewp newsletter. Sign up for our free newsletter to receive this post in your inbox every weekday morning! Good Thursday Morning, 💰 Leadership has benefits—at least regarding campaign finances in Rhode Island. WUN’s Frank Prosnitz has the story Campaign Finance: Leadership has its benefits. 👉 Newport Folk Festival announced yesterday that […]
Posted inCity & Government
Middletown Police Department completes training to better respond to mental health calls
The Middletown Police Department is continuing its training for officers to better respond to mental health calls. Officers have now completed an intense training program to assist them with these types of calls. The training was part of the One Mind Campaign Pledge, which was offered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. This […]
Posted inCommunity
Newport Restoration Foundation to host Historic Masonry Workshop
Today, the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) announced its newest preservation trades training program in the Historic Trades Initiative, the Historic Masonry Workshop. Protecting Aquidneck Island’s extensive historic fabric requires a knowledgeable preservation workforce, and NRF, through its Historic Trades Initiative, extends the skills of tradespeople to work with historic materials. This four-day workshop offers a […]
Posted inCity & Government
Middletown Public Library unveils new logo
The Middletown Public Library has unveiled a new logo as part of a major rebranding effort to modernize its visual identity. The logo was designed by Natalie J Leroux at Studio Eighty Seven and reflects the library’s mission of empowering and serving its diverse community. The Middletown Public Library has unveiled a new logo as […]
Posted inCommunity
Celebrate ‘Free Fishing Weekend’ in Rhode Island May 4 – 5
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is once again offering residents and visitors the opportunity to experience freshwater fishing without a license as part of Free Fishing Weekend. This weekend takes place on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, 2024, and will allow anglers the chance to fish in the state’s freshwaters […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Rose Jones named Executive Director of Aquidneck Community Table
Aquidneck Community Table (ACT), a leading voice and actor in Newport County on food-systems work, announced Rose Jones’s selection as its new executive director. With over a decade of experience in State government, Jones is widely regarded for her leadership on statewide food-access planning before and during the Aquidneck Island gas outage in 2019 and […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
3 Rhode Island composers win $30,000 grants to make music
The Rhode Island Foundation announced today that three Providence composers will receive what are considered among the largest no-strings-attached grants available to musical artists in the United States. Anthony “AM.” Andrade Jr., Enongo Ahou Lumumba-Kasongo, and Kristina Warren will receive $30,000 grants from the Foundation’s Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowship Fund. They were chosen […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Newport Police Arrest & Dispatch Log: April 30 – May 1
Newport Police Department provided the following arrest and dispatch logs from 7 am on April 30 through 7 am on May 1, 2024. Arrest Log At 11:12 am on Tuesday, April 30, Edwardo Figueroa Cruz, 44, of Newport, Rhode Island, was taken into custody by Detective Sullivan on a Warrant Superior Court Bench charge. Presumption […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport In Bloom announces winners of the Daffodil Days storefront Window Display Contest
Newport In Bloom has announced the winners of its Daffodil Days storefront window display contest. The public voted in April to choose their favorite daffiest window, and the results were released on May 1. A total of nearly 2,000 votes were cast. The People’s Choice winner was a virtual tie between two stores: X&O Boutique, […]
Posted inNews
Bryant University partners with Social Enterprise Greenhouse to offer students real-world experience in social impact entrepreneurship
Bryant University and Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) have announced a new partnership to provide five students with opportunities to gain real-world experience in social impact entrepreneurship. The internship program is part of SEG’s efforts to support student entrepreneurs in their work to drive positive change in their communities. The program runs from May to August […]
Posted inCity & Government
House OKs Cortvriend wetlands buffer bill
On Tuesday, the Rhode Island House approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend to simplify wetlands zoning regulations and prevent unnecessary complications that discourage housing development. The bill is part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s 15-bill package of legislation to address Rhode Island’s housing crisis. The legislation (2024-H 7982) amends provisions relative to the […]
Posted inNews
U.S. Naval War College to host 10th Women, Peace, and Security Symposium
The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) will hold its 10th Women, Peace, and Security Symposium (WPS) on May 2-3, 2024, in Newport, R.I. The symposium will focus on the use of allyship across different instruments to advance national power. The theme for this year’s symposium is “Advancing Gendered Security in a Complex World: Hard Power, […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
John Pizzarelli Trio will perform at The JPT on July 20
Spectacle Live today announced that it will present the John Pizzarelli Trio on Saturday, July 20, at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 3, at 10 am. at JanePickens.com or by calling 1-800-657-8774. World-renowned guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli has dedicated many of his albums to the great songwriters and performers who have helped to […]
Posted inNewport County
Aquidneck Island Police Parade to close section of Broadway on Sunday
The Aquidneck Island Police Parade will take place on Sunday, May 5, and as part of the event, Broadway will be closed between Admiral Kalbfus Road and Farewell Street in Middletown from 11:30 a.m. to about 2 p.m. The parade begins at the Hampton Inn and ends at Newport City Hall. Police said drivers should […]
Posted inNewport County
Free shredding event in Tiverton this Saturday
A free paper shredding event will be held on Saturday, May 18, at the Tiverton Public Library, 34 Roosevelt Avenue. The event, sponsored by the Town of Tiverton and Tiverton Library Services, will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tiverton residents are encouraged to bring up to two boxes of paper documents per vehicle […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island posts RFP for Washington Bridge replacement project
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has posted a request for proposals (RFP) from contractors to replace the Washington Bridge. The RFP provides incentives up to a maximum of $10 million based on per-day rates – ranging from $5,000 per day to $70,000 per day – for opening lanes to traffic in advance of […]