Was the first female lighthouse keeper in American from Newport? Was Newport the site of the first international polo match? Was the first murder trial of a clergyman in the United States held here? Brian Stinson’s Newport Firsts, a hundred claims to fame was just published this week. Brian joined me recently on The Open Forum on AM 1540 WADK Newport.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...