People & Profiles

The following was written by Middletown-resident Suzanne McDonald. McDonald is a former Boston Globe journalist and is the founder of Newport Interactive Marketing networking-learning community.  According to the world’s majority of infectious disease experts, you may be in my socks in the next weeks or even months.  You may have been out in Newport for […]

The Cruising Club of America’s Board of Governors established the Richard S. Nye Trophy to recognize a member or members of the Club “who has brought distinction to the Club by meritorious service, outstanding seamanship, outstanding performance in long distance cruising or racing, statesmanship in the affairs of international racing, or any combination of the above”.  Last […]

It’s Friday, which means it’s time again to highlight some pretty awesome (and adorable pets) from the Potter League For Animals. If you’re looking to give the right dog, cat or other companion animal a “furever home”, these five are ready to love and be loved. I am Houdini. I’m a 5-month-old male domestic shorthair. […]

After major renovations in January, Caleb & Broad is getting a brand new look. The restaurant’s interior transformation includes a 22 ft. mural celebrating Rhode Island created by local artist Ry Smith. Smith has been hard at work on the piece – his first large-scale mural – since January 31st and is on track to […]

NEWPORT, R.I. —The appeal of a vintage wooden boat inspired Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport engineer and Navy diver Christian Schumacher to plan a 500-mile, four-day adventure on the ocean, where he often finds work/life balance. Hoping to become a first-time boat owner, Schumacher, who works in Division Newport’s Ranges, Engineering and Analysis […]

At a recent  Scout Troop 3 Newport  Court of Honor, 16-year-old Michael Albert “Mac” Cullen was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.  Son of Beth and Mike Cullen, Mac’s connection with Newport runs deep: his grandfather, the late Albert “Mac” McManus, was a 1939 Rogers High School graduate and his great aunt, the late Jane […]

When Ambassador Loeb developed the Loeb Visitor Center a decade ago as a gateway to Newport’s Touro Synagogue, the nation’s oldest synagogue, he did so as not only in celebration of that institution, but of religious freedom everywhere. Its centerpiece is the famed letter from George Washington. Its importance today is as a powerful statement […]

Opting to work as an emergency medical technician in one’s free time might seem like an odd choice for finding work-life balance. For Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport engineer Gary Huntress, though, years of helping others has given him a sense of peace and purpose. “The paramedics in an ambulance are just like […]

Al Kamara was born in a tiny impoverished village in Liberia — no utilities, no running water, no schools, no hospitals. One of 21 children, his mother arranged for his “adoption” by a businessman at the age of 10. He entered a world where he would learn to read and write, travel with “foster parents” […]

For more than 30 years Paul Wayne has been the opening act for many top stars, including Jay Leno, Patti LaBelle, Richie Havens, and so many more. He shares his story, songs, and anecdotes about his experiences over what has been a very successful career.

Michael Mwenso has come a long way to Newport Jazz. He’s a native of Sierra Leone, spent most of his childhood in London and later moved to New York City. His band, Mwenso and the Shakes’ calls Harlem home, although members come from far and wide, including South Africa, Jamaica, Madagascar, France and Scotland. Mwenso […]

The Newport Folk Festival is known for recruiting the best folk, blues and roots artists every summer. The Festival also excels at discovering emerging talent. Indeed, established stars like Brandi Carlile, Hozier, Amy Ray and Dawes got a boost from Newport Folk early in their careers. This year, we had a chance to speak to […]

Ron Carter is perhaps the most influential bassists in jazz history, with some 2,500 albums to his credit. From 1963 to 1968, he was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, was named Outstanding Bassist of the Decade by the Detroit News, Jazz Bassist of the Year by Downbeat magazine, and has earned two Grammy […]

Dopey Lopes knows a little about rock and roll. The Newport-based musician began playing in 1987, as founder and front man of Two Guys and Another Guy, his band that opened for acts like the Neighborhoods, the Meat Puppets, and Verbal Assault. He toured the East Coast in the 90’s and recorded two albums, Welcome to […]

Troy Ramey, a graduate of Rogers High School in Newport and a top 12 finisher on Season 12 of NBC’s The Voice, joins me on this edition of What’sUp Radio to chat about his music, what life has been like after The Voice, and to give us a preview of what folks can expect at […]

Louie Escobar, co-owner of Highland Farm in Portsmouth, joined me today on What’sUpNewp Radio on AM 1540 WADK Newport to chat about all that’s happening at his farm, Rhody Fresh, and Escobar’s Corn Maze, which opens for their 19th season at 4 pm today. For more information on Escobar Corn Maze, visit www.escobarfarm.com. Listen What’s Up […]

The daffodils have come and go, we thought what better time than now to catch up with John Hirschboeck, Daffodillion Project Director, to discuss what we should do with our daffodils, find out where he is with his mission to plant one million daffodils, and to ask him about those yellow chairs across from Easton’s […]

With Memorial Day Weekend here and a string of nice weather forecasted for the next few days, it finally feels like summer has made its way to Newport.  After a long winter and a grey, overcast spring season, the Vitamin D will be welcomed with open arms. A few of my favorite things once the […]

It was a jam-packed edition of What’sUpNewp Radio Edition on AM 1540 WDK on Wednesday. Joining Ryan Belmore and Frank Prosnitz for the first 30 minutes was historian, author and former Belcourt Castle owner and resident, Harle Tinney. Here we heard all about what Harle has been working on and get a few details on […]

Bahjat Shariff was born in war-torn Lebanon. He left his country and family behind when he was 18, and with 300 in his pocket arrived in Los Angeles, where he would enroll in Citrus College. Bahjat, who continues our “Bridge to the Future” series, has been recognized by the New England Patriots for his charitable […]

In Turkey’s vibrant jewelry industry, a young Armenian boy of 10 begins learning his trade, destined to become a master craftsman. Some 2,300 miles away in Portugal, an 11-year-old boy is learning to become a watchmaker. They would hone their crafts in their native countries, learning from master craftsmen, the way many children learned some […]

Topics of today’s conversation on What’sUpNewp Radio Edition on AM 1540 WADK ranged from the Boston Marathon to sustainability. Portsmouth resident Kelsi Chappell joined Tim Towey and me to chat about her 3:01:22 Boston Marathon finish on Monday. She’s fast – she finished 2,030th overall, was the 10th fastest overall RI finisher and was the 2nd fastest RI female. […]

Rebuilding Together Greater Newport is one of nearly 200 affiliates of a national program that is rehabilitating properties for low-income and handicapped homeowners. Here on Aquidneck Island, Rebuilding Together Greater Newport has been helping families since 2001 and they have two big projects underway this month. Among those joining me on the radio today were some […]

Sean and Daniel from Newport Out joined Frank Prosnitz and me today on What’sUpNewp Radio Edition on AM 1540 WADK Newport. Newport Out is a Travel Destination and Wedding website that markets Newport R.I. specifically to the LGBTQ community. Hear from Dani and Sean from about 15:00 until the end of the show. For more information, visit […]

A lot has changed over the past few months for the company that produces Newport Storm beer and Thomas Tew rums.  In March, it was announced that a private equity group had purchased a controlling interest in the company.  Along with renovations to the brewery, Newport Storm’s packaging was rebranded with modern, clean and crisp […]

Paul Roselli, a Democratic candidate for governor, an environmentalist who is leading the opposition of the proposed power plant in Burrillville, talks about jobs, the economy, and healthcare on this edition of The Open Forum with What’sUpNewp’s Frank Prosnitz on AM 1540 WADK Newport.

Shift Drinks is a new weekly column on WhatsUpNewp that hopes to highlight local hospitality professionals around town.  With so many unique, talented and passionate individuals working in the service industry, this series aims to introduce some new faces, feature some familiar ones and give you an insight into their lives outside the workplace.  In case you missed […]

Shift Drinks is a new weekly column on WhatsUpNewp that hopes to highlight local hospitality professionals around town.  With so many unique, talented and passionate individuals working in the service industry, this series aims to introduce some new faces, feature some familiar ones and give you an insight into their lives outside the workplace.  In case […]

Shift Drinks is a new weekly column on WhatsUpNewp that hopes to highlight local hospitality professionals around town.  With so many unique, talented and passionate individuals working in the service industry, this series aims to introduce some new faces, feature some familiar ones and give you an insight into their lives outside the workplace.   […]

Chris Barnett from Rhode Island Foundation joined us on this hodge-podge of What’sUpNewp Radio Edition on AM 1540 WADK to discuss the Foundations news that they are offering $265,000 in grants to serve Newport County residents. Frank Prosnitz and I also discuss the possible sale of the Armory on Lower Thames Street, government transparency, and […]

Start the year off right by focusing on lifelong health and wellness solutions. That’s at least the goal of the Discover Newport’s inaugural Newport Wellness Week, running January 21 – 27, 2018. Andrea McHugh from Discover Newport stopped by What’sUpNewp Radio Edition on AM 1540 WADK on Tuesday with guests Meredith Ewenson and Kim Fuller […]

Introduced with great fanfare, the state’s “re-energized” tourism marketing program turned into a debacle. With a slogan that was widely criticized, and a video discredited, the state trashed that program and 16 months ago began anew. Unlike the “trashed” version, this new initiative was introduced with little fanfare and has been seldom seen by many […]

Last May, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and CEO Eric Rosengren and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announced that Cranston, Newport, and Providence won the Fed’s Working Cities Challenge, a competition for Rhode Island communities to improve the lives of low- and moderate-income residents. The three cities each received multiyear grants of $400,000 to support programs […]

Following the false missile alarm, it’s been absolute chaos in Hawaii. Patrick Murphy, a Newport native, a contributor to What’s Up Newp, the founder of The Kings Lens And Friends and (at least for this winter) a winter resident of Hawaii, called in to What’s Up Newp Radio Edition on WADK 1540AM recently to take us through what life was like […]

Remember the Rhode Island Tourism debacle of the late winter, early spring of 2016. Remember the slogan, Warmer and Cooler. Remember the video, with that skateboarder, yes, the skateboarder from Reykjavik. The state blew up that program and chose Lara Salamano, the Commerce Department’s Chief Marketing Officer, to fix the program. Some $4.3 million was […]

I find solace in traveling each winter for a period of time to escape the cold and explore new destinations.  Over the past 5 years, a small island that’s just over 1600 miles away from Newport has become my home away from home. I started visiting the Virgin Islands back in 2012 when one of […]

For more than seven decades, George Wein has been making music, as a performer and as a promoter and producer. He’s elevated folk and jazz to new levels, through the festivals he founded and shaped for so many years. At 91, George Wein walks slower these days, but fills a room with his wisdom, his […]

In part 2, George Wein takes us on his journey, from classical piano and lessons with Madam Chaloff, to the clubs at which he first played for two dollars a night, to the rise of his famed Boston Club, Storyville, where a visit from Louie Armstrong helped define Wein’s path in music. In case you […]