What's Up in Newport County today: Thursday, December 24

What’s Up In Newport County Today
Thursday, December 24

By Ryan M. Belmore

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Good Morning,

Merry Christmas Eve to all those who celebrate.

~ Good news, Santa has left the North Pole and is on his way around the world. You can track him here.

~ If you haven’t already read this story, it’s only appropriate to share on Christmas Eve – “Twas The Night Before Christmas” and its ties to Newport

~ A professor of comedy at Boston’s Emerson College examines holiday cards in times of struggles. They aren’t all sad.

~ 199 years ago today, the first Director of the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) dies. Born in Newport on January 6, 1842, Clarence King, commonly referred to as “Clare”, was a fifth-generation Newporter.

~ In their weekly data update by city/town today, RIDOH shared that there have been 316 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Newport County in the last week. There were 79 in Newport, 68 in Middletown, 80 in Portsmouth, 10 in Jamestown, 67 in Tiverton, and 12 in Little Compton. Department of Health releases updated COVID-19 data by city, town.

~ RIDOH reported yesterday 880 new positive COVID-19 cases, 8 new fatalities, and 440 hospitalizations. 6,400 Rhode Islanders have received 1 dose of the vaccine

~ While Gov. Gina Raimondo was touting how well Rhode Islanders had done during the two-week “pause,” the AARP was painting a more ominous picture, reporting an alarming post-Thanksgiving spike in COVID – 19 cases and deaths at the state’s long-term care facilities.

Additionally, the AARP was urging the governor to roll back an executive order that exempts nursing homes and assisted living facilities from liability for cases arising from the pandemic.

~ Looking to have someone else do the cooking on Christmas? These Newport County restaurants are offering dine-in, take-out.

~ “What if the New York YC was successful in its challenge for the 36th America’s Cup? It’s not too early start pondering what the next Cup could be should it return to U.S. shores”, Gary Jobson writes for Sailing World.~ Happy Birthday today to Shawn Fanning, Nicole Grandchamp, and Erika Peters!

~ I’ll be taking tomorrow off from this newsletter. It will be just the second day this year that I don’t wake up before the sun to put this together. I look forward to sleeping in and enjoying Christmas morning with my wife and our two pups. I wish you all a very healthy, happy, warm, and safe Christmas. We’ll see you again on Friday morning (Of course, if anything newsworthy happens, we’ll have it up on our website).

Merry Christmas,
~ Ryan

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The latest headlines from What’s Up Newp

Alarming spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths at state’s long-term care facilities

On This Day – Dec. 24, 1901: Clarence King dies, he was a fifth-generation Newporter, first director of U.S. Geological Survey

“Twas The Night Before Christmas” and its ties to Newport

Department of Health releases updated COVID-19 data by city, town

RIEMA: Rhode Island expecting significant storm with damaging winds on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Bike Newport shifts and adapts to deliver needed bikes and services

PPAC Presents Brendan Kirby of The Rhode Show Narrating “A Visit From St. Nicholas (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas)”

COVID-19 in Rhode Island: The latest data

Coronavirus Live Updates: COVID-19 in Newport County and Rhode Island

How holiday cards help us cope with a not-so-merry year, according to a professor of comedy

What’s Up in Newport County this Christmas weekend (Dec. 24 – 27)

Embrace Home Loans delivers online holiday cheer to employees’ kids

Keep track of where Santa is in the world with the NORAD Tracks Santa program

Donor steps forward with a gift of $5k to provide holiday meals to 200 health workers on the front lines

Watch | Thompson Middle School Band performs ‘Joy To The World’

Last Minute Shopping? Check our RI Gift Card Round-Up of Local Entertainment Venues

Obituary | Laura Christine (Bonville) Warren

Congress lifts long-standing ban on Pell grants to people in prison

For the very latest news and information, visit www.whatsupnewp.com.

A look at what’s happening In Newport County today

Weather

Hazardous Weather Outlook
Flood Watch in effect from December 25, 04:00 AM EST until December 25, 06:00 PM EST
High Wind Warning in effect from December 25, 12:00 AM EST until December 25, 04:00 PM EST
Today – Partly sunny, with a high near 56. South wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight – Rain likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 5am. Patchy fog between 10pm and 1am. Low around 51. Windy, with a south wind 18 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Christmas Day – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then rain likely, mainly between 2pm and 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog between 11am and 2pm. High near 61. Windy, with a south wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 14 to 19 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 65 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Friday Night – A chance of rain before 8pm, then a chance of showers between 8pm and midnight. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Marine

Hazardous Weather Outlook
Storm Warning in effect from December 25, 12:00 AM EST until December 25, 01:00 PM EST
Today – SSE wind 10 to 13 kt increasing to 13 to 16 kt in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 kt. Partly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight – SSE wind 16 to 19 kt increasing to 20 to 23 kt after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 kt. Rain likely, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 5am. Patchy fog between 10pm and 1am. Seas 1 ft or less.
Christmas Day – SSE wind 21 to 26 kt becoming SSW 12 to 17 kt. Winds could gust as high as 55 kt. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog between 11am and 2pm. Seas 1 ft or less.
Friday Night – WSW wind 11 to 14 kt, with gusts as high as 24 kt. A chance of showers, mainly before 9pm. Seas 1 ft or less.
The current water temperature in Newport is 47°F.

Sun & Moon – Christmas Eve

Sunrise: 7:10 am | Sunset: 4:21 pm
High tide at 3:25 am & 3:42 pm | Low tide at 9:43 am & 9:12 pm
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 9 days, 68% lighting

Sun & Moon – Christmas Day

Sunrise: 7:10 am | Sunset: 4:21 pm
High tide at 4:18 am & 4:35 pm | Low tide at 10:26 am & 9:55 pm
Moon: Waxing Gibbous, 10 days, 77% lighting

Things To Do – Christmas Eve

Christmas In Newport
10 am to 5 pm – Letters to Santa at Bowen’s Wharf
3 pm – Christmas Eve Chiming at Channing Memorial Church
4 pm to 8 pm – Sparkling Lights at The Breakers
4 pm – Christmas Eve Carol Service at The Zabriskie Memorial Church of Saint John
5 pm – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Graceway Community Church
5 pm – Christmas Eve Service at The Gathering Place Church
7 pm – Candle Light Service at First Baptist Old Stone Church