Rhode Island Seafood Company of Warren has recalled clams harvested Sept. 22 from a shellfish area that was closed at the time because of rainfall, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced. Heavy rain can trigger closures in clamming areas because stormwater runoff can make shellfish unsafe to eat, according to RIDOH. All of the […]
Ryan Belmore
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 is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, and Local Independent Online News Publishers. He is committed to the codes of ethics of these organizations: accuracy, independence, accountability, and transparency.
In Newport, Ryan served on the boards of the Fort Adams Trust and Potter League for Animals, and hosted a daily radio talk show for four years.
In 2021, Ryan moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to support his wife Jen's career. He launched The Alexandria Brief in 2025, applying what he learned in Newport to a new community. With the help of some talented on-the-ground contributors, he still runs What's Up Newp — and always will.
Contact: ryan@whatsupnewp.com.
Posted inNews
Aquidneck Community Table and Crisis Intervention Teams of R.I. each win $65,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation
Two nonprofits serving Newport County will share $130,000 in Rhode Island Foundation grants, one to expand access to locally grown food and the other to train police officers responding to behavioral health crises, according to the foundation. Aquidneck Community Table received $65,000 for The Table: A Food + Community Hub, a year-round space in Middletown […]
Posted inNews
Your Newport County weather forecast: 7 days on land and sea
Whether you’re heading out on the water, planning a weekend event, or just trying to dress for the day, here’s your full 7-day forecast for Newport County — pulled live from NOAA’s National Weather Service and refreshed automatically. Weather Forecast Marine Forecast
Posted inArts & Culture
Yacht crews to paddle fiberglass pumpkins at Newport Shipyard on Oct. 16, with proceeds going to Sail Newport
Yacht captains and crews will race fiberglass pumpkins across the basin at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard on Friday, Oct. 16, in the shipyard’s annual Pumpkin Regatta, with proceeds benefiting Sail Newport. The event runs from 4 to 7 p.m. and is open to participants and spectators for $25 each, according to the shipyard. A Mano […]
Posted inCity & Government
NOAA’s Atlantic fleet command moves to Newport in January; Reed tours $147M complex at Naval Station
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Operations Center–Atlantic is scheduled to be fully operational at Naval Station Newport by the end of January 2027, completing a move from Norfolk, Virginia, that U.S. Sen. Jack Reed spent more than a decade working to secure. Reed, D-R.I., toured the nearly completed $147 million waterfront complex Thursday, […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island reports first West Nile virus case of 2026; infection likely acquired out of state
Rhode Island has recorded its first human case of West Nile virus in 2026, the state Department of Health and Department of Environmental Management announced Wednesday. The patient is a Washington County resident in their 60s whose symptoms began in early September, according to RIDOH. The person has been recovering in the hospital and is […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Nashville duo Golden Everything records live at Chepstow for Newport Mansions’ “Sessions” series
The Preservation Society of Newport County has released the newest installment of “Sessions,” its live music video series filmed inside the Newport Mansions, featuring Nashville Americana duo Golden Everything performing at Chepstow. Golden Everything is wife-and-husband Jackie Berkley and Zach Schmidt. The duo performed “Spare Me,” from their 2024 album “Sweet Old World,” and “Oak […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport eyes new waterfront zoning for the former Navy Hospital site, with public access called “a top priority”
The Newport City Council will hold public hearings Wednesday, Oct. 14, on creating a Waterfront Campus subdistrict within the city’s Innovation Hub and applying it to the former Navy Hospital site in the North End. The ordinance language describes the intent plainly: the subdistrict is meant “to accommodate research and development uses while providing public […]
Posted inNews
Women’s Resource Center served more than 1,100 survivors last year across Newport and Bristol counties
The Women’s Resource Center served more than 1,100 survivors of domestic violence last year, answered 1,211 hotline calls and provided 1,729 nights of emergency shelter, the organization said as it marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The center is joining domestic violence agencies statewide under this year’s theme, “One of Us.” “The people experiencing abuse are […]
Posted inNonprofit
Vernon House lands $749,250 federal preservation grant, the largest in the foundation’s history
The Newport Restoration Foundation has received a $749,250 Save America’s Treasures grant from the National Park Service for stabilization and rehabilitation work at the Vernon House, the largest grant in the organization’s history. The foundation says it is the only Rhode Island organization to receive a 2026 award from the competitive program. The house at […]
Posted inNews
Salve students take first place in national investment analysis competition
Salve Regina University students won the top prize at a national financial analysis competition in Chicago last week, with a second Salve team finishing fourth in a field of 93 colleges and universities. Seniors John Palo, Alex Puhl and Selby Warren won the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium, held Oct. 1 and 2, and shared […]
Posted inArts & Culture
IYRS seeking vendors for its Dec. 5 Artisan Holiday Market
IYRS School of Technology & Trades is accepting applications from artisans and small businesses for its Artisan Holiday Market on Saturday, Dec. 5, part of the school’s annual Holly Jolly Weekend on its Thames Street waterfront campus. The market is open to makers selling handmade goods, fine art, jewelry, home décor, specialty food products and […]
Posted inNews
Trinity Church marks 300 years of ties to the sea services Sunday
Trinity Church will dedicate its 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Oct. 11, to its connections with the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, part of the parish’s tricentennial observances. Rear Adm. Darryl Walker, president of the Naval War College, will participate. The sermon will be delivered by Chaplain David Duprey, an Episcopal priest and Navy […]
Posted inNews
Discover Newport outlines stewardship push, says visitors generated $340 million in hotel revenue last year
Discover Newport presented new research on the region’s visitor economy Tuesday and described a shift in its own role, from marketing the destination toward what the organization calls destination stewardship. President and CEO Victoria Cimino laid out the figures and the strategy at Newport Vineyards during the first meeting of The Current Speaker Series, a […]
Posted inCity & Government
State’s first-time homebuyer program adds three lenders after financing 119 purchases
General Treasurer James Diossa announced a third phase of RI AnchorHome on Tuesday, adding BayCoast Bank, Bristol County Savings Bank and Westerly Community Credit Union to the state’s first-time homebuyer mortgage program. Since launching in December 2025, the program has financed 119 home purchases totaling more than $45 million. The average loan is about $383,000, […]
Posted inNews
Prudence Island’s boil water notice lifted after eight years
The boil water notice in place for Prudence Island Water District customers since October 2018 has been lifted, the Rhode Island Department of Health said. The advisory was issued Oct. 5, 2018, after E. coli was found in the water supply. It ends now that permanent chlorination systems at the district’s wells have been installed, […]
Posted inNews
More than 5,000 runners expected for the Amica Newport Marathon on Sunday
The 17th Amica Newport Marathon and Half Marathon runs Sunday, Oct. 11, bringing more than 5,000 runners to Newport and Middletown. Both races start at 7:30 a.m. at Easton’s Beach, with runners going off in waves by pace. The shared first half covers Memorial Boulevard and Thames Street, past King Park and Fort Adams, around […]
Posted inNews
Sakonnet River Bridge to be lit green Friday for PANS/PANDAS awareness
The Sakonnet River Bridge will be lit green on Friday, Oct. 9, as part of an international campaign marking World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. The bridge is the only Rhode Island landmark in the #LightUp4PANS campaign, now in its third year, organized by the Alliance to Solve PANS and Immune-Related Encephalopathies with 17 other advocacy organizations. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Portsmouth students are now growing food for their own cafeteria
Produce grown by students at the AgInnovation Farm has reached the Portsmouth Middle School cafeteria, a step that required the farm and the students to earn food safety certification before anything they grew could be served. Basil, tomatoes and garlic from the farm were used in a margherita pizza taste test for students. The work […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Salve students curate a national juried exhibition on deviance, opening Oct. 22
“DEVIANT,” a national juried exhibition curated by Salve Regina University art history students, opens Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery and runs through Nov. 22. The show takes deviance as its subject — as concept, label and worldview — across painting, drawing, collage and mixed media. Fourteen artists are included: Kathy Black, […]
Posted inNews
Corinthian Yacht Club takes a third straight Resolute Cup at Harbour Court
Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Massachusetts, won its third consecutive Resolute Cup on Saturday, closing out the regatta at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court with 68 points. The win was not comfortable. Corinthian had led by 11 points entering the final day’s three double-point medal races, sailed among the top 12 clubs. A […]
Posted inBusiness
Newport County Board of Realtors names Tyler Bernadyn Realtor of the Year, Kim Fleming Gloria Slavens Award recipient
The Newport County Board of Realtors has named Tyler Bernadyn its 2026 Realtor of the Year and Kim Fleming the recipient of its 2026 Gloria Slavens Award, the association announced. Both awards are decided through nominations from the association’s members. Bernadyn is the current president of the Newport County Board of Realtors and co-broker/owner of […]
Posted inSports
Corinthian Yacht Club leads Resolute Cup heading into final day in Newport
Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Massachusetts, leads the Resolute Cup with one day of racing remaining, according to results released Friday by the New York Yacht Club. The two-time defending champion scored 13 points over four races Friday and has 31 points, with an average race finish of 2.8. Corinthian won the event in 2022 […]
Posted inNews
State lifts algae advisory at Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth
State health and environmental officials have lifted their recommendation to avoid recreational activities at Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth. The Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said the harmful algae bloom at the pond, caused by blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, has cleared. Recent laboratory results from […]
Posted inNews
Land trust protects Coggeshall Avenue parcel that grows Newport’s heritage trees
The Aquidneck Island Land Trust has permanently conserved 0.77 acres on Coggeshall Avenue, protecting the site where the Newport Tree Conservancy grows the specimen trees it plants around the city. Minnie Cushing Coleman donated the conservation easement, which covers several greenhouses and a lawn area. The conservancy will keep operating its nursery there under the […]