The Jamestown Arts Center will present “A Celebration of Trees,” a multimedia group exhibition exploring humanity’s enduring relationship with trees, on view from June 26 through Aug. 29. Curated by Laurie Dolphin, the exhibition features 21 artists from Southern New England and around the world working in painting, sculpture, photography, film and mixed media. 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
Music in Middletown summer concert series set to launch July 1
Middletown’s popular Music in Middletown series returns this summer with a slate of free, family-friendly concerts running from July through August at Second Beach and Paradise Valley Park. The season opens Wednesday, July 1, with an America 250 celebration from 6 to 9:15 p.m. at Second Beach, 315 Sachuest Point Road. Hosted by the town’s […]
Posted inNews
Aquidneck Island Robotics team showcases talent at People’s Credit Union
People’s Credit Union recently hosted Aquidneck Island Robotics at its Middletown headquarters, where students showed their appreciation for the sponsor with a hands-on robotics demonstration. Aquidneck Island Robotics, known as AIR, is the largest community-based youth competitive robotics organization in the state. Open to all K-12 students in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts from public, […]
Posted inNews
Newport International Boat Show celebrates 55 years with expanded programming and early ticket sales
The Newport International Boat Show, presented by BankNewport, has opened ticket sales for its 2026 edition as it prepares to mark 55 years as one of the largest in-water boat shows in the Northeast. Set for Sept. 17 to 20 on Newport’s waterfront, this year’s show will feature expanded educational programming, a reimagined Windward VIP […]
Posted inArts & Culture
newportFILM announces 2026 outdoor summer documentary series
newportFILM has unveiled the schedule for its 2026 outdoor documentary series, a run of free Thursday-night screenings at venues across Newport, each paired with live music and many with conversations featuring filmmakers and special guests. The series opens Thursday, June 25, with “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” at the Great Friends […]
Posted inRhode Island
Secretary of State reminds candidates of June 22-24 declaration filing period
Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the Rhode Island Department of State’s Elections Division are reminding prospective candidates of the upcoming filing period for declaration of candidacy forms. Declarations of candidacy must be filed on June 22, 23 or 24, with a deadline of 4 p.m. on June 24. Candidates for federal and statewide […]
Posted inNews
RIPTA’s summer service changes take effect June 20, with free Newport routes and the return of the beach bus
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will implement its summer service changes on Saturday, June 20, bringing the return of seasonal beach service and several adjustments aimed at Newport-area riders. RIPTA adjusts its service three times a year in response to seasonal changes and passenger use. This round affects Routes 23, 65x and 67, and […]
Posted inNews
South Kingstown police investigating fatal motorcycle crash on Route 1
A 28-year-old North Kingstown man died in a single-motorcycle crash on Route 1 on Tuesday night, the South Kingstown Police Department said. Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. on June 16 to a report of a motorcycle crash on Route 1 northbound, south of Torrey Road. They found a single motorcycle involved in the crash, and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Art Museum to honor Sheila Isham and celebrate Angel Otero at 2026 Summer Art Party
The Newport Art Museum will welcome supporters to its annual Summer Art Party on Friday, July 10, marking the opening of two major exhibitions and raising funds for the museum’s school and education programs. The gala, a staple of Newport’s summer season that drew more than 550 guests last year, coincides with the opening of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Revolution Reimagined’ exhibition at Rosecliff offers fresh look at America’s founding
A new exhibition at Rosecliff will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States by taking a fresh perspective on the American Revolution and how it has been remembered and understood over the centuries. “Revolution Reimagined: Evolving Stories from Newport’s Past” opens June 26 and runs through Nov. 1. The exhibition focuses on Newport, where […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
RIDOH recommends closing swimming areas at three Rhode Island beaches, including Easton’s Beach
The Rhode Island Department of Health is recommending the closure of swimming areas at three beaches, including Easton’s Beach in Newport, because of high bacteria counts. The recommendation also applies to Oakland Beach in Warwick and Briar Point Beach in Coventry, the department said. State health officials will continue to monitor and review beach water […]
Posted inSports
Champions and rising stars set for Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open in Newport
Defending women’s singles champion Caty McNally, 2025 women’s finalist Tatjana Maria and former Newport ATP finalists Alex Michelsen and Jenson Brooksby will headline the singles field for the Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open, presented by the MARGARET Fund. New England’s only professional tennis tournament returns to the International Tennis Hall of Fame from July […]
Posted inCity & Government
Largest Rhode Island health care union endorses McKee, Matos for re-election
The United Nurses and Allied Professionals, Rhode Island’s largest health care workers’ union, has endorsed Gov. Dan McKee and Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos for re-election. The union, which represents more than 5,500 nurses, technologists, therapists and other frontline health care workers in the state, pointed to the administration’s role in keeping two community hospitals open. […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIHEBC awards $1 million in capital grants, including several to Newport County organizations
The Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation has awarded $1 million in capital grants to 45 health, education and community service organizations across the state, including several in Newport County, to help complete capital projects or purchase equipment. Locally, the John Clarke Retirement Center, doing business as John Clarke Senior Living, received $23,940 to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Olympic medalist Elizabeth Beisel joins Kingston Chamber Music Festival’s 2026 season
The Kingston Chamber Music Festival will present its 38th season, “Life, Liberty, & Music,” from July 22 to Aug. 2 on the University of Rhode Island campus, highlighted by its first collaboration with Rhode Island native and Olympic medalist Elizabeth Beisel. While many Rhode Islanders know Beisel as a three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fort Adams Trust marks Independence Week with July Fourth fireworks and veterans tribute
The Fort Adams Trust will mark Independence Week with three days of free public programming at Fort Adams State Park, anchored by its annual Fourth of July celebration overlooking Newport Harbor and continuing with tribute days honoring veterans and welcoming families. “There’s no better place to celebrate the Fourth than within the walls of one […]
Posted inSports
2026 Newport Bermuda Race sets sail June 19 with public festival at Fort Adams
The 54th Newport Bermuda Race will start Friday, June 19, sending a fleet of more than 150 boats on a 636-nautical-mile journey across the Gulf Stream to Bermuda. For the second time, the public is invited to watch the start from Fort Adams during the Starting Line Festival, which will run from 11 a.m. to […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-Ed: The U.S. is facing an information emergency. Here’s what I’m doing about it
By Phil Eil The U.S. is currently in an information emergency. If this sounds extreme, consider a few facts. In the last twenty years, more than 3,000 newspapers have closed. Between 2008 and 2020, alone, the news industry lost approximately 30,000 jobs. If you travel around the country today, you’ll find ever-larger “news deserts.” In […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Belcourt to unveil first permanent display of Statue of Liberty artifacts on July 4
Belcourt of Newport will open the first permanent exhibition of original metal artifacts removed from the Statue of Liberty during her 1980s restoration on July 4, timing the unveiling to the 250th anniversary of American independence. The exhibition, “Bones of the Statue of Liberty: Structural Elements Removed During 1984-1986 Restoration,” marks the first time many […]
Posted inCity & Government
Building trades council endorses Matos for re-election as lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Gov. Sabina Matos announced Monday that her re-election campaign has been endorsed by the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 16 affiliated unions and thousands of skilled tradespeople across the state. “I am proud to continue my long-standing partnership with the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and thank them […]
Posted inSports
Classic yacht Spartan makes triumphant return at NYYC’s 172nd Annual Regatta
The 172nd New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta became a homecoming for one of classic yachting’s grand dames, as the 113-year-old NY50 Spartan returned to American waters and dominated her division during the three-day event on Narragansett Bay. Built at the legendary Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol in 1913, the 70-foot Spartan is the only […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island property tax increases jumped in fiscal 2026, RIPEC analysis finds
Rhode Island property tax increases accelerated sharply in fiscal year 2026 amid rapid growth in property values and widening gaps among classes of taxpayers, according to a new analysis from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. The statewide municipal tax levy rose 3.7%, or $98.3 million, in fiscal 2026, the largest increase in a decade […]
Posted inNews
Saunderstown man charged with boating under the influence after Jamestown crash
A Saunderstown man faces charges of operating a watercraft under the influence after his boat struck a moored vessel off East Ferry on Friday night, ejecting his passenger into the water, the Jamestown Police Department said. Police received an open 911 call at about 10:39 p.m. on June 12 that, based on GPS coordinates, appeared […]
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 inInstagram
On the Market: A busy weekend across Newport County (June 13-14)
It’s a busy weekend in Newport County! With great weather, events around town, and visitors filling the streets, you can expect plenty of traffic and probably a few lines downtown… If waiting 2 hours for makeup isn’t your idea of a perfect Saturday, there are plenty of great Open Houses to explore instead. I’m fortunate […]