Charter Books and the Newport Historical Society will host New York Times bestselling author Julian Sancton for a discussion of his newly released book, “Neptune’s Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire,” on Sunday, March 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. The event at Charter Books, 8 Broadway, is free and […]
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
Rhode Island Foundation offering $270,000 in grants to Newport County nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations serving Newport County residents have until March 26 to apply for more than $270,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation. The Newport County Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 to develop new programs, strengthen or expand established programs and support municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day parade marks 70th anniversary Saturday
Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates its 70th anniversary Saturday, March 14, with thousands expected to line the streets of downtown for the annual tradition. The parade steps off promptly at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall, rain, snow or shine, winding through Washington Square, down America’s Cup Avenue and Thames Street before finishing […]
Posted inNews
RIPTA launches on-demand transit service in Newport, Middletown
Residents of Newport and Middletown now have a new way to get around without a car. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority launched its Flex On Demand microtransit service Monday in five communities across the state, including a new zone covering Newport and Middletown. The service allows riders to book on-demand, curb-to-curb trips for $2 […]
Posted inHistory
On This Day in History – March 9, 1774: Tornado on Nantucket
On March 9, 1774, a tornado or waterspout moved ashore in Nantucket Harbor and destroyed a lighthouse along with several barns and shops. The US National Weather Service Boston has shared the following recount.
Posted inNews
Sweet Berry Farm’s new owners seek planning board approval for major development
Less than a year after Sweet Berry Farm quietly changed hands following 45 years under the same family, the property’s new owners are seeking approval for a major land development project that would transform the 51-acre Mitchell’s Lane farm with a new 13,862-square-foot complex — including a relocated farmstand, café and a barn designed to […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to hold special meeting on residential parking permit changes
The Newport City Council will hold a special meeting Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at City Hall to take up on second reading a proposal that would significantly overhaul the city’s residential parking permit program. The special session follows a first reading scheduled for the regularly scheduled City Council meeting Wednesday, March 11. If […]
Posted inNews
URI Watershed Watch seeks volunteers to monitor Rhode Island’s ponds, streams, and coasts
The University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch program is seeking volunteer water quality monitors to help collect data on lakes, ponds, streams, and coastal waters across southern New England this spring. A URI Cooperative Extension program, Watershed Watch has tracked water quality data for four decades, with volunteers helping researchers understand how snowy winters, stormwater […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Art Museum to open ‘Play / Pretend’ exhibition in May
The Newport Art Museum will open a new exhibition this spring that examines the role of play and imagination across a lifetime. Play / Pretend opens May 7, 2026, with a free public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition runs through Jan. 31, 2027. “Play is how people first learn to engage with […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to meet March 11
The Newport City Council will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at City Hall, 43 Broadway. The meeting will open with a proclamation celebrating Irish Heritage Month. Among the items on the consent calendar, the council will consider approval of an Easter Extravaganza event at Newport Skatepark on April 4 and a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Contemporary Ballet brings two productions to Barrington this month
Newport Contemporary Ballet is heading to the Keats Theatre this month with two productions: a world premiere contemporary ballet program and a returning family favorite. The company presents Polygon March 13-15 and Are The Crayons Quitting? March 14-15. Polygon features world premiere works by three choreographers — DaYoung Jung, rehearsal director of Oklahoma City Ballet; […]
Posted inThings To Do
Audrain Motorsport to expand Veteran Car Tour into full weekend event in May
Audrain Motorsport is expanding its Veteran Car Tour into a full weekend event this spring, bringing rare brass-era automobiles to the streets of Newport and Bristol in what organizers are calling one of the most significant gatherings of early American automobiles in the country. The event is scheduled for May 16-18, with opening activities beginning […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Newport man arrested on illegal weapons charges after threatening social media posts
Rhode Island State Police arrested a Newport man Thursday on multiple illegal weapons charges after he allegedly made threats of violence on social media, authorities said. Alexander Bestoso, 27, of 3 Morgan St., was taken into custody after state police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms executed a search warrant at his home […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rep. Lauren Carson breaks down her 2026 constituent survey live with What’sUpNewp
State Rep. Lauren Carson (D – District 75, Newport) joined What’sUpNewp Thursday at noon for a live conversation to walk through the results of her 2026 constituent survey — and the discussion covered just about everything Newport residents are talking about right now: housing costs, the Newport Hospital Birthing Center, healthcare access, climate resilience, short-term […]
Posted inBusiness
Castle Hill Inn reopens to overnight guests one month after fire
Castle Hill Inn reopened to registered overnight guests Thursday, exactly one month after a fire tore through the third-floor attic of the historic Mansion on the evening of Feb. 5. Guests can now book stays in the Inn’s Beach Houses and Beach Cottages, with the Chalet serving as the hub of operations. The Chalet will […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Blood Center declares blood emergency after historic winter storm
The Rhode Island Blood Center has declared a blood emergency following last week’s historic winter storm, which wiped out more than 1,500 donations through widespread drive cancellations, donor center closures and hazardous travel conditions across the state. The storm left the region with less than a two-day blood supply — far short of the seven-day […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rep. Carson to discuss constituent survey results in live conversation with What’sUpNewp
State Rep. Lauren Carson will join What’sUpNewp for a live one-on-one conversation Thursday, March 5, at noon to discuss the results of her 2026 constituent survey and what she is working on at the State House. Carson, a Democrat representing Newport in House District 75, released the survey in January, inviting residents to share their […]
Posted inCity & Government
Cotter, DiPalma push to add conservation funding to state green bond
For the second time in as many election cycles, a pair of Rhode Island lawmakers are pushing to expand the state’s “green bond” to include land and open space conservation funding. Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, and Rep. Megan L. Cotter, D-Exeter, introduced legislation this week that would add $17.5 million to the $50 million […]
Posted inInstagram
Newport schools superintendent discusses budget gap, retirement, and merger talks
Newport Public Schools Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain joined What’sUpNewp on Wednesday for her monthly one-on-one conversation, the first in several months after weather and scheduling conflicts forced postponements. Owner and publisher Ryan Belmore and editor Frank Prosnitz led the discussion, which covered the blizzard’s impact on the school calendar, a projected budget shortfall, the ongoing […]
Posted inInstagram
Newport School Superintendent to sit down with What’sUpNewp for live interview on March 4
Colleen Burns Jermain, Superintendent of Newport Public Schools, will join What’sUpNewp for her monthly one-on-one conversation on Wednesday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m. Watch the conversation live below, or anytime afterward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTv-sxpA44
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Foundation awards $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits
The Rhode Island Foundation awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits in 2025, helping push the organization to the best year of grant-making in its 109-year history. Among the recipients are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County, Newport Community School, the East Bay Community Action Program, Conexion Latina Newport, […]
Posted inHistory
On This Day In History – March 4, 1754: Benjamin Waterhouse, smallpox vaccine pioneer, born in Newport
On this day in history, March 4, 1754, Benjamin Waterhouse, a pioneer of the smallpox vaccine, was born in Newport, Rhode Island. Dr. Waterhouse was a physician, co-founder, and professor at Harvard Medical School. He is well-known for being the first doctor to test the smallpox vaccine in the United States, which he carried out […]
Posted inSports
Snow Report: Mountain Conditions at New England Ski Resorts
The table below from OnTheSnow shows the snow cover in New England. For each ski resort, you will find the essential information from its snow report: snow depths, open slopes, and lifts, date of the last snowfall, today’s weather. All the information you need to choose the right ski resort for you in New England. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Newport Burger Bender breaks record with 60 restaurants, 7,000 burgers sold
The 9th Annual Newport Burger Bender broke a record for the second consecutive year, with 60 restaurants participating and more than 7,000 burgers sold across Newport and Bristol counties during the 10-day event held Feb. 13-22. This year’s contest featured the most participating restaurants in the event’s history, including 10 first-time entrants. Organizers say the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical announces two free spring community concerts
Newport Classical will present two free community concerts this spring as part of its Community Concerts Series presented by BankNewport, featuring PROJECT Trio in April and Toomai String Quintet in May. PROJECT Trio will perform Sunday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m. at Newport Classical Recital Hall, 42 Dearborn St. The genre-blending trio, praised by Downbeat Magazine […]