Middletown resident Chris Semonelli today shared the following announcement regarding his intent to run for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 72. The seat is currently held by Terri-Denise Cortvriend, who is seeking re-election. Republican Kenneth Mendonca also declared his candidacy for the seat. Semonelli’s full announcement Chris Semonelli seeks Rhode Island representative district 72 […]
June 2020
Posted inPeople & Profiles
WUN-ON-ONE: A conversation with Keith Stokes
Keith Stokes, Vice President of the 1696 Heritage Group, will join us to discuss the recent effort to advance Black History for K-12 public schools and other efforts around state. The 1696 Heritage Group is a historical consulting firm dedicated to helping persons and institutions of color to increase their knowledge and access to the […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Newport International Boat Show cancelled
Newport, RI – Newport Exhibition Group today confirmed with What’s Up Newp that public guidance for COVID-19 has compelled the cancellation of the 2020 Newport International Boat Show. The show was scheduled to take place September 17 through 20, 2020 at the Newport Yachting Center. Due to spikes in new cases of COVID-19 across the […]
Posted inNews
Four Rhode Island state campgrounds now open
via Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that four Rhode Island state campgrounds are now open to visitors with new restrictions and procedures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. DEM’s Division of Parks and Recreation recognizes the value of spending time in nature and is committed to ensuring visitors […]
Posted inJobs
Now Hiring: 80+ local job opportunities
Newport, RI – Looking for a new gig, job, or career? Here’s who’s hiring right now in and around Newport. All jobs have been posted within the last seven days and are located within ten miles of downtown Newport. Have a job you’d like to see listed here? Email Ryan@whatsupnewp.com. @ The Deck – IMMEDIATE […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Showcase Cinemas re-opening Friday, July 3
By Showcase Cinemas Norwood, MA, – Showcase Cinemas, a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, announced today that it will reopen Showcase Cinemas Warwick (Quaker Lane) on Friday, July 3. Showcase Cinemas will reopen under the company’s new “Be Showcase Safe” health and safety program. The program has been developed and certified with […]
Posted inNews
Why are so many people lighting off fireworks?
Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University The number of fireworks being lit off at night is out of control this year. While people often light off fireworks close to the Fourth of July, this year fireworks have been lit in large numbers starting weeks earlier. New York City had a 4,000% increase in fireworks complaints in […]
Posted inNews
The US isn’t in a second wave of coronavirus – the first wave never ended
Melissa Hawkins, American University After sustained declines in the number of COVID-19 cases over recent months, restrictions are starting to ease across the United States. Numbers of new cases are falling or stable at low numbers in some states, but they are surging in many others. Overall, the U.S. is experiencing a sharp increase in […]
Posted inBusiness, Things To Do
Island Cinemas to reopen on July 2nd
The arrival of Phase 3 of Reopening Rhode Island means that cinemas can now reopen. Island Cinemas, located at 866 West Main Road in Middletown, has announced that they will reopen on Thursday, July 2nd. The cinema does have a few new guidelines that it is asking the public to follow, the following was posted […]
Posted inNews, Opinion
NAACP Newport County Branch issues statement on passing of former Newport Mayor Paul Gaines
We send our deepest sympathies to the family of the Hon. Paul l. Gaines, Sr. upon his recent passing. He was a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was a role model for people of all backgrounds. He was a true leader in the community, serving as a […]
Posted inNews
Norman Bird Sanctuary seeks volunteers
Norman Bird Sanctuary is looking for volunteers to help weed Mabel’s Garden, including the gravel walkways. Beautiful formal garden next to the historic Paradise Farmhouse overlooking fields out to the ocean. No experience necessary and gardening gloves and tools are provided. Cool breezes and quiet calm guaranteed! If interested, please email Joseph McLaughlin, Properties Director, jmclaughlin@normanbirdsanctuary.org
Posted inOpinion
Op-Ed: One has to wonder if the last-minute ruling by Middletown Town Council reflects incompetence or deliberate obstruction
Submitted by Gregory M Huet, CAPT, USN (Ret.) In response to CESU President Richard Adams’ recent letter to the editor (6/25/20), Council President Sylvia stated (6/29/20) that the Town Solicitor had provided a detailed and well researched opinion invalidating the petition supporting discussion of school regionalization with Newport and that elected officials need to follow […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Visitors to Rhode Island from 20+ states will have to quarantine or be tested beginning Tuesday
A new quarantine order for travelers from more than twenty states comes with the arrival of Phase 3 of Reopening RI on Tuesday. As many states across the country are starting to see a second wave of COVID-19, Governor Raimondo today announced during her press briefing that a quarantine order will begin for travelers on […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Governor Raimondo announces Phase 3 of Reopening RI will begin on June 30th
Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) provided details today on the state’s response to COVID-19. After announcing that Rhode Island will move into Phase 3 on Tuesday, June 30th, Governor Raimondo laid out the following guidance for Phase 3: Social gatherings: Social gatherings […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Dine & Drink: Restaurant news and a look at what to eat and drink this week
Here’s the latest from the Newport County restaurant scene, enjoy! Have something that you’d like to see added here or include in a future edition? Email Ryan@whatsupnewp.com. Dine & Drink News & Notes Phase III of Reopening RI arrives on Tuesday, June 30th and will now allow restaurants and other places of public interaction (gyms, […]
Posted inNews
Governor Raimondo directs flags to fly at half-staff in honor of former Newport Mayor Paul Gaines
Governor Gina M. Raimondo is directing Rhode Island flags at all state agencies and buildings to be flown at half-staff in memory of former Mayor of Newport Paul Gaines. The flags will remain at half-staff until sunset on Wednesday, July 1. “Mayor Paul Gaines was a trailblazer who had an unforgettable impact on our state,” said Governor […]
Posted inThings To Do
What’s Up This Week in Newport County: June 29 – July 6
Newport, RI – Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do in Newport County this week. Monday, June 29th WUN-ON-ONE: A conversation with RI Solidarity Fund | June 29th at 3 pmSummer camps, other youth summer programs can begin to operate in Rhode Island on June 29th ️Things To Do 5:30 pm – Community Conversation, Working […]
Posted inPeople & Profiles
WUN-ON-ONE: A conversation with RI Solidarity Fund
Newport, RI – The Rhode Island Solidarity Fund has brought together 6 community-led relief efforts to offer a one-stop option for community members and foundations seeking to contribute directly to frontline relief during the Coronavirus crisis. In this conversation we’ll be joined by Christopher V. Samih-Rotondo, Director of Organizing, Development, and Communications at Direct Action […]
Posted inCity & Government
What’s Up Newp Live Stream: Governor Raimondo, RIDOH press briefing on COVID-19
Governor Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Health will host a press briefing to provide an update on COVID-19 in Rhode Island at 1 pm on Monday, June 29th. What’s Up Newp will carry it live below and provide updates as it happens. The Latest Rhode Island Data RIDOH reports today 16 new […]
Posted inColumns
Gerry Goldstein: A family not lost for words
It’s at this time of year that Emma Lazarus, whose New Yorker parents maintained a summer home in Newport, gets a lot of publicity for her Statue of Liberty poem and its image of “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” But she wasn’t the first in her family to write immortal patriotic words, although the […]
Posted inNews
Newport County amateur radio operators adapt to COVID-19 crisis
Middletown, RI – This last full weekend in June was a big one for tens of thousands of amateur radio operators all over North America. The “Field Day” weekend, a combination emergency-preparedness exercise, public relations event, and club picnic. Clubs and individuals tuned up their power generators, charged their batteries and got on the air […]
Posted inOpinion
Obituary for Paul L Gaines
This obituary originally appeared on Memorial Funeral Home. Paul L. Gaines Sr. passed away at his home in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 25, 2020, after a short illness. He was the husband of Jo Eva Johnson Gaines. Paul L. Gaines was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on April 20, 1932, to the late Pauline […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-Ed: The City of Newport and the rest of the state lost a true friend and champion when Paul L Gaines Sr. died
While many of us enjoyed a personal friendship with the Hon. Paul L. Gaines, Sr., the whole City of Newport and the rest of the state lost a true friend and champion when he died. He was both singular and modest in his remarkable accomplishments, a life-time of milestones that will always be his legacy. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Recap and Photos – Ryan Montbleau at Zeiterion Drive-In
On Friday, June 26, 2020, Ryan Montbleau played his first live performance in more than three months in a parking lot in New Bedford, MA. The drive-in show was hosted by the Zeiterion Theatre of New Bedford as part of their drive-in summer series. Attendees in more than 70 cars were invited to enjoy the […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
What’s Up at the Movies: We Review “The Story of Fire Saga”
One of the earliest scenes in Will Ferrell’s newest movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, encapsulates both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness: Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, as their Icelandic characters Lars and Sigrit, perform in an overly dramatic music video for their song, “Volcano Man.” For viewers unfamiliar with Eurovision, […]