Newport This Week and the Newport Gulls are partnering to support one of our own community members, Jake Cathers. (via Newport Gulls)

Good morning, Newport!

🗓️ Today is Friday, July 25, the 206th day of 2025. There are 159 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

A GoFundMe campaign supporting Middletown resident Jake Cathers in his battle against Stage 4 pancreatic cancer has raised $38,584 toward a $45,000 goal, with 273 donations from community members. Cathers was diagnosed with the disease in February.

The Newport Gulls are organizing the #CathersStrong fundraiser in partnership with Newport This Week to support Cathers, who undergoes weekly chemotherapy treatments at Newport Hospital. Cathers lives in Middletown with his wife, Leslie, and their three children: Jackson, Merritt and Georgia.

A Rogers High School and Rhode Island College graduate, Cathers has been deeply involved in community service throughout his career. His volunteer work includes serving as board chair of the Middletown Prevention Coalition, participating on the Newport County Regional Special Education Advisory Committee, and coaching girls softball and tennis at multiple local schools including Gaudet Middle School and Middletown High School. He also coaches Unified Volleyball at Middletown High School and has coached Middletown Little League girls softball.

Cathers has been a contributing writer for The Newport Daily News and currently writes for Newport This Week. He also maintains a blog documenting his experiences raising his son Jackson, who has a rare genetic disorder called Angelman’s Syndrome. His community recognition includes receiving the Newport Life Magazine Groundbreak Award and being honored by the Women’s Resource Center as a “Man Who Makes a Difference.”

The community is invited to join Jake Cathers Night tonight (Friday, July 25) at 6:35 p.m. when supporters will gather at Cardines Field for the Newport Gulls game against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks to celebrate and support the local writer and his family. The first 250 fans will receive free posters courtesy of Regine Painting. All fundraising proceeds go directly to the Cathers family to support Jake’s fight against pancreatic cancer.

Newport This Week and the Newport Gulls are partnering to support one of our own community members, Jake Cathers. Click The Picture to donate to the GoFundMe

What else you should know

🎶 The sold-out 2025 Newport Folk Festival officially kicks off today at Fort Adams State Park! What’sUpNewp will have coverage throughout the weekend from the festival.

📻 MVYRADIO will be providing exclusive recorded performances from each day, available for one-time-only broadcasts nightly from 7-9 p.m.

🚔 Newport police will implement significant traffic restrictions around Fort Adams during the sold-out festival, creating a dedicated bicycle lane that will limit vehicle access on Harrison Avenue.

🚧 The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority will implement lane restrictions on the Bristol approach to the Mount Hope Bridge beginning Sunday as part of ongoing construction work.

🚲 Bike Newport will celebrate the installation of solar power at its Big Blue Bike Barn with a community event Tuesday evening.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

Letter to the Editor: School Committee meeting leaves many in our community feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, unsettled

“I am writing in response to this week’s school committee meeting, which left many in our community feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, unsettled. My concerns are twofold: first, the committee’s decision-making process regarding the relocation of fifth grade, and second, the conduct of committee leadership at the close of that meeting.”

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. BankNewport promotes Portsmouth resident to vice president, branch manager
  2. What Sold: A look at 17 Homes that traded hands last week in Newport County (July 14 – 18)
  3. Newport Folk Festival announces All-Star Softball Game Fundraiser
  4. Potter League scores big at Patriots Training Camp: 13 puppies find forever homes
  5. Newport detective saves woman’s life with Heimlich maneuver at art museum
  6. Obituary: Donald Neville Wilkinson
  7. Things to do in Newport County this week and weekend: July 21 – 27
  8. Middletown officials monitor unconfirmed shark sighting at Third Beach
  9. Letter to the Editor: Sunny Acres resident disputes association’s claims, backs Crown Communities purchase
  10. Obituary: Jan Ludwig

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
  • Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
  • Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:33 am. Sunset at 8:08 pm. 14 hours & 35 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 8:52 am & 9:18 pm. Low tide at 2:56 am & 2:16 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a New Moon.
  • The coastal water temperature is 71 degrees.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

Newport County Public Meetings

  • No meetings are scheduled.

Organizing an event? Submit your event to What’sUpNewp’s Event Calendar.

More from What'sUPNewp

Ryan Belmore is the Publisher of WhatsUpNewp.com. An award-winning publisher, editor, and journalist, he has led our local independent online newsrooms since 2012.

One reply on “Morning Notes: Community rallies behind Middletown resident battling cancer through GoFundMe, Newport Gulls game tonight”

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