Good Morning! Today is Thursday, August 31, 2023.

⚓ On this day in 1881 (142 years ago), the inaugural U.S. Men’s Single Tennis Championship occurred at the Newport Casino in Newport. The first edition was won by Richard Sears of Boston, MA who went on to win seven consecutive singles titles.

⚓ On this day in 1954 (69 years ago), Hurricane Carol came ashore on the coast of Newport with a massive surge and winds of 115 mph. In one hour, Carol destroyed 3,800 homes, sank or damaged 2,000 boats and yachts, and leveled almost all of the island’s powered and telephone lines.

⚓ Join What’sUpNewp and The JPT for our third and final Jaws Summer Party of the season tonight! Doors open at 6 pm and live music from The Teledynes will begin at 6:30 pm. The film begins at 7:30 pm. More Info & Tickets

⚓ Newport Live wraps up its summer season at the Norman Bird Sanctuary this evening with a performance by award-winning folksinger John Gorka. Read More

⚓ The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge customer service walk-in center will be open for special evening hours today from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm.

⚓ As of 4:30 pm on Wednesday, 7,867 Rhode Islanders have already voted in the September 5 Special Primaries, according to the Secretary of State’s Voter Turnout Tracker.

That’s approximately a 2.1% voter turnout thus far, with 3,531 having voted by mail ballot and 4,236 by early in-person voting. In Newport County – 418 total votes have been cast in Newport, 413 in Portsmouth, 314 in Middletown, 277 in Jamestown, 220 in Tiverton, and 91 in Little Compton. View a sample ballot, find your polling place, and read more about the upcoming elections here.

What’s Up Today

Weather

High Surf Advisory until August 31, 08:00 PM EDT
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. North wind 13 to 17 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 56. North wind 5 to 11 mph.
7-Day Weather forecast for Newport County
3-day Surf Forecast for Rhode Island

Marine Forecast

Today: N wind 11 to 15 kt, with gusts as high as 23 kt. Partly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming N 5 to 10 kt in the evening. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
Coastal Water Temperature: 70°F.

Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise: 6:10 am | Sunset: 7:20 pm | 13 hours and 10 minutes of sun.
High tide at 8:31 am & 8:56 pm | Low tide at 2:04 am & 2:16 pm.
Moon: Full Moon. 14.6 days, 100% lighting.

Things To Do

12 pm to 6 pm: Ca’ del Bosco Wine Garden at The Chanler at Cliff Walk
5 pm to 10 pm: Hill Market After Dark at Hotel Viking
5:30 pm: Fire & Water Cacao Ceremony
6 pm: Cocktail Club: Espresso Martinis at One Bellevue Restaurant
6:30 pm: Jaws Summer Party featuring The Teledynes at The JPT
6:45 pm to 8:15 pm: Full Blue Moon Gentle Yoga & Sacred Sound Journey on Third Beach with Rev Shelley & Greg from The Sacred Center
7 pm: Norman Bird Sanctuary Summer Outdoor Concert Series featuring John Gorka at Norman Bird Sanctuary
7:35 pm: Going Varsity In Mariachi – newportFILM Outdoors at Miantanomi Park
Organizing an event? Submit events to What’sUpNewp!

Live Music & Entertainment

JPT Film & Event Center: Barbie at 3 pm, Jaws Summer Party featuring The Teledynes at 6:30 pm
Landing: Sean Rivers from 1 pm to 4 pm, Justin Pomfret from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Timmy Smith from 8 pm to 11 pm
Midtown Oyster Bar: John Erikson at 8 pm
Narragansett Cafe: Gary Cummings & The G-Men from 8 pm to 11 pm
Newport Blues Cafe: Spiffy at 9 pm
newportFILM: Going Varsity In Mariachi – newportFILM Outdoors at Miantanomi Park at 7:35 pm
Newport Live: Norman Bird Sanctuary Summer Outdoor Concert Series featuring John Gorka at 7 pm
Newport Playhouse: Norman, Is That You? at 11 am
O’Brien’s Pub: Derrick Keane playing Irish tunes from 5 pm to 8 pm
One Pelham East: Sugarbabies from 9:30 pm to 1 am
Pour Judgement: Live music from 10 pm to 1 am
Perro Salado: The Honky Tonk Knights from 10 pm until close
Ragged Island Brewing Co.: Trivia In The Barn from 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Sunset Cove: Karaoke with DJ Ricky Rod from 6 pm to 9 pm
Top of Newport at Hotel Viking: Live music from 6 pm to 9 pm
Top Of Pelham: Dueling Pianos at 8 pm

Local Government

Little Compton: 350 (LC350) at 6:30 pm
Newport: Affirmative Action Commission at 3 pm
Portsmouth: School Committee at 1 pm
See a complete list of public meetings across Rhode Island here.

Cruise Ships

Here’s what’s coming up on the cruise ship schedule;

Thursday, Aug. 31: American Star & Caribbean Princess
Friday, Sept. 1: American Eagle

On WhatsUpNewp.com

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This Day in History – August 31, 1954: Hurricane Carol makes landfall in Newport

While the storm was less powerful than the ’38 hurricane, Carol was still able to destroy many of Newport’s coastal attractions, such as the Merry-Go-Round at Easton’s Beach and Johnny’s Atlantic Beach Club.

This Day In History: August 31, 1881 – Inaugural US Men’s Single Tennis Championships Is Played in Newport, RI

The inaugural U.S. National Championship took place on August 31, 1881 at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island.

Jerry is ready to be the laid-back companion in your life

“Introducing Jerry, the captivating cat with an independent spirit and a dash of charisma! While he may not be the clingy type, Jerry has a subtle way of showing his affection once he warms up to you”.

3-day Surf Forecast for Rhode Island

Forecast includes rip current risk, surf height, weather, winds, and more.

7-Day Weather forecast for Newport County

Here’s what’s on tap for weather this week and weekend.

Revolution beat Red Bulls 1-0 as home unbeaten run hits 14

Giacomo Vrioni scored unassisted in the 30th minute and Earl Edwards Jr. made it stand up as New England edged the New York Red Bulls 1-0 on Wednesday night, upping the Revolution’s league unbeaten streak at home to 14.

Top prosecutors back compensation for those sickened by US nuclear weapons testing

Rhode Island Attorney General among 13 top prosecutors from around the U.S. who are throwing their support behind efforts to compensate people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing.

Framber Valdez helps Astros to 7-4 win over Red Sox and first sweep at Fenway Park

Framber Valdez, who pitched seven no-hit innings in his previous start, retired the first 10 Boston batters on Wednesday and took a shutout into the sixth inning to help the Houston Astros beat the Red Sox 7-4 and complete their first sweep at Fenway Park.

Newport County nonprofits can apply for $124,000 in grants from Rhode Island Foundation to serve Black residents

Recent Newport recipients include Sankofa Community Connection and Rhode Island Slave History Medallions

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What’s Up This Week

What’s Up in Newport this week: Aug. 28 – Sept. 4

Jaws Summer Party, Newport Live presents John Gorka, Newport Classical, and more!

What’s Up in Newport: Thursday, August 31