Posted inCity & Government

Edwards again pushes bill to shift coastal oversight from CRMC to DEM

For the second consecutive year, a Tiverton lawmaker is pushing to strip the Coastal Resources Management Council of its authority and hand coastal oversight to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton) introduced legislation this session — bill 2026-H 7996 — that would abolish the CRMC and replace […]

Posted inBusiness

Newport International Boat Show reports $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during 2025 event

The Newport International Boat Show generated more than $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during its 2025 event, according to a newly released economic impact study. The show, which took place Sept. 11-14, 2025, at the Newport Yachting Center in downtown Newport, drew 30,000 attendees from across the country and around the world. […]

Posted inNonprofit

Newport Mental Health adds five new members to board of directors

Newport Mental Health has appointed five new members to its board of directors, the organization announced Monday, adding community leaders with backgrounds spanning real estate law, product management, mental health advocacy and nonprofit work. Sue Metzger, John Toracinta, Ruth Ellen Scott, Patrick Barry-Nolan and Joshua Blumen join the board at what the organization describes as […]

Posted inCity & Government

We’ve got the power: Revolution Wind begins delivering electricity to regional grid

by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island CurrentMarch 16, 2026 Rhode Island’s electric grid now includes some power from its first utility-scale offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, project developers announced Friday night. The initial power delivery is not the final achievement: The 65-turbine project is 93% complete and not expected to hit its full 704-megawatt nameplate capacity […]

Posted inPortsmouth

Newport County Board of REALTORS: A Message from the President

Housing is one of the most widely discussed topics across Newport County. Whether you are a homeowner, renter, buyer, employer, or longtime resident, the conversation around housing touches nearly every part of life in our community. Limited inventory, strong demand, evolving regulations, and broader economic pressures have created a competitive housing environment that can make […]

Posted inNews

Scientists made a breakthrough in the study of whale sounds. Here’s a look at the numbers

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Researchers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, recently discovered the oldest known recordings of whale sounds and believe the discovery could help understand how the animals communicate. The recording is the song of a humpback whale, a species of large whale known for its complex songs. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, said […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Newport’s Opera House has been under renovation for 25 years. It’s still not open.

When first conceived, organizers were exuberant about the possibilities a reopened historic opera house on Newport’s Washington Square would bring to the community.  The Newport Performing Arts Center project received more than $4.2 million, second largest of nine grants from a 2014 Creative and Cultural Economy Bond. Randy Rosenbaum, then executive director of the Rhode […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Jane Pickens Theater to screen three noir classics in 4K, paired with pinot noir tastings this spring

The Jane Pickens Theater is inviting film lovers to step into the shadows this spring with a series of three landmark noir and neo-noir films screening in 4K restorations, each paired with a curated pinot noir tasting in the lobby before showtime. The series kicks off March 24 with the 50th anniversary screening of Martin […]

Posted inRhode Island

What Sold: A look at 12 homes that traded last week in Newport County (March 9 – 13)

Twelve properties changed hands across Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Jamestown last week, offering another snapshot of how the Rhode Island housing market is beginning to unfold as we move towards the spring season. Several of the week’s closings highlight the strength of the upper tier of the market. The sale of 84 Allston Avenue […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Newport Historical Society offers limited-edition flags to mark America’s 250th anniversary

The Newport Historical Society is inviting residents and property owners to show their civic pride ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday with the purchase of a limited-edition “witness flag” — a handcrafted pennant honoring the city’s outsized role in the American Revolution. The flags, locally made by Maritime Tribes of Fall River, bear the semiquincentennial […]

Posted inNews

Providence fires coach Kim English a day after Friars lose to St. John’s in Big East quarterfinals

By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kim English’s three-year tenure at Providence is over. Athletic director Steve Napolillo announced English’s firing Friday, a day after the Friars lost 85-72 to No. 13 St. John’s in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals and finished 15-18. “We appreciate Kim and his staff for their efforts over […]

Posted inNews

Sail Newport program director Kim Hapgood marks 30 years at the helm of sailing education

Kim Hapgood, program director at Sail Newport, is celebrating 30 years with the nonprofit public sailing center — three decades that have shaped thousands of sailors and helped establish the organization as a nationally recognized leader in sailing education. Hapgood joined Sail Newport in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive slate of programs serving […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Sail Newport to host J/Boats president Jeff Johnstone for lecture on company’s 50-year history

Sail Newport will host Jeff Johnstone, president of Newport-based J/Boats, Inc., for a lecture tracing the company’s five decades of sailboat design on Thursday, April 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park. The event, part of Sail Newport’s Challenger Lecture Series presented by Hinckley Yachts, comes as J/Boats approaches its 50th anniversary. Johnstone […]

Posted inObituaries

Obituary: Constance Marie Brown

Constance “Connie” Marie Kenney Nelson-Brown, 93, passed away on March 11th, 2026 at Brookdale South Bay in South Kingstown, RI, following a brief illness. Born in Salem, MA, and raised in Ocean Grove in Swansea, Connie later spent the rest of her life on Aquidneck Island.Early on Connie worked for famed mid century modern furniture designer Harvey […]

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