padel racket and ball on blue court surface
Photo by Marcia Salido on Pexels.com

Good morning, Newport! 🗓️ Today is Wednesday, Aug. 6, the 218th day of 2025. There are 147 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

Newport Pickleball Club announced Tuesday it will expand its 2.75-acre campus to include the first outdoor padel courts on Aquidneck Island, with plans to open in 2026.

The expansion will feature two public padel courts and an outdoor entertainment area with live music on the same Middletown property that houses Rhode Island’s premier indoor pickleball facility. The addition marks the club’s next phase of growth as it introduces padel — described as the world’s fastest-growing sport — to Newport County.

“This expansion was always the natural next step for us,” said John Theberge, co-founder of Newport Pickleball Club. “Our indoor club has been embraced by the community in a way we couldn’t have imagined. The addition of outdoor courts and entertainment space gives us the opportunity to expand access, introduce the sport of padel to the region.”

Padel combines elements of tennis and squash and is designed for doubles play. The sport has seen explosive growth across Europe, Latin America and the United States, according to the club. The facility will also include a turf and hardscape entertainment patio alongside the courts.

Newport Pickleball Club, which has more than 400 members, opened as an indoor facility in 2024 and has established itself as a destination for racquet sports in the region. The club says it is working with the town of Middletown and neighbors to ensure the expansion creates an inclusive destination for all skill levels and ages.

For more information, visit www.newportpadel.com.

Here’s what else you need to know

⚾ The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks stayed alive in dramatic fashion Tuesday night, overcoming an early deficit to defeat the Newport Gulls 14-5 and force a decisive Game 3 in their New England Collegiate Baseball League semifinal series. The loss sets up a winner-take-all Game 3 Wednesday night at Cardines Field in Newport. The winner will advance to face the Keene Swampbats in the NECBL championship series.

🛢️ The Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board will conduct two public hearings later this month to gather community input on a potential moratorium that could restrict new natural gas connections on Aquidneck Island.

🛥️ The Newport International Boat Show will feature expanded educational programming when it returns Sept. 11-14, show organizers announced Tuesday.

👉 Newport City Council will host a workshop on “Boards and Commission Oversight Committee” in the Council Chambers at Newport City Hall at 5:30 pm today.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

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

  1. 71st Newport Jazz Festival concludes with perfect weather, full crowds
  2. What Sold: A look at 21 home sales in Newport County (July 28 – Aug. 1)
  3. Inaugural Ocean State Crossing brings competitive paddleboard racing to Newport
  4. Obituary: Barry Murphy
  5. Rhode Island named on federal ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ list
  6. The Newport Show sets fundraising record for local nonprofits
  7. Notes: Governor McKee signs legislation raising Rhode Island minimum wage to $17
  8. Obituary: William T. Duba
  9. Newport Harbor condo sells for $3.075 million, third-highest of 2025
  10. Letter to the Editor: Change is inevitable

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. East wind 7 to 10 mph.
  • Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 64. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
  • Tomorrow: Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: NNE wind 5 to 9 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: E wind around 6 kt becoming variable and less than 5 kt after midnight. Cloudy. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tomorrow: NE wind 5 to 8 kt becoming SE in the afternoon. Partly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 67 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:45 am. Sunset at 7:56 pm. 14 hours & 11 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 6:12 am & 6:39 pm. Low tide at 12:07 am & 11:39 am.
  • The lunar phase is a Waxing Gibbous.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

  • Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
  • Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
  • JPT Film & Event Center: Amistad at 4 pm, True Lies at 7:30 pm
  • Landing: Mark Flynn at 12:30 pm, Motion Avenue at 4 pm, Jim Devlin at 8 pm
  • Newport Vineyards: La Mechante Et Le Connard at 5 pm
  • O’Brien’s Pub: Eoin Egan at 4:30 pm
  • One Pelham East: Karaoke at 9 pm
  • Ragged Island Brewing: Diamond Blues at 6 pm

Newport County Public Meetings

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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...