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 […]
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
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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inNews
Skanska lands $271 million contract to build Coast Guard pier at Naval Station Newport
Skanska has signed the contract to replace Pier 1 at Naval Station Newport, the Swedish construction company announced Friday, putting a builder behind the $271 million project Rhode Island’s congressional delegation announced last month. The contract is with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic. Skanska said it will book the work in its third-quarter U.S. […]
Posted inSports
Marblehead clubs hold the top two spots at the Resolute Cup, with Conanicut 13th
Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead took the lead at the Resolute Cup after eight races Thursday on Narragansett Bay, two points clear of its Marblehead Neck neighbor, Eastern Yacht Club. Jamestown’s Conanicut Yacht Club sits 13th of 23 clubs — one place outside the top 12 who advance to Saturday’s double-point medal races. Bayview Yacht […]
Posted inNews
CCRI and URI launch online RN-to-BS program for working nurses
The Community College of Rhode Island and the University of Rhode Island have launched a fully online program allowing registered nurses with CCRI associate degrees to earn a bachelor of science at URI while continuing to work. The schools announced the RN-to-BS program Thursday, saying it carries lower tuition than URI’s standard rate along with […]
Posted inCity & Government
Sunday is the last day to register to vote in Newport for the Nov. 3 election
Sunday, Oct. 4, is the final day to register to vote or update your registration for the Nov. 3 general election. Completed registration forms can be dropped in the municipal drop box on Bull Street by 4 p.m. Sunday, or voters can register and update their information online at vote.sos.ri.gov with a Rhode Island driver’s […]
Posted inNews
Christine Baranski returns to The Breakers for a one-night “Christmas Carol” in December
Christine Baranski will narrate a musical retelling of “A Christmas Carol” at The Breakers on Thursday, Dec. 17, performing with the vocal ensemble Skylark in a one-night event that anchors six weeks of holiday programming at the Newport Mansions. Baranski, an Emmy and Tony winner, stars in HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” which films at several […]
Posted inNews
Newport dental practice offering free care to veterans on Nov. 11
Newport Family & Cosmetic Dentistry will open its Broadway office on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to provide free dental care to veterans, the fifth year the practice has run the clinic. The office at 136 Broadway will see patients from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with room for roughly 30 appointments, 15 in the morning and […]
Posted inCity & Government
Tiverton gets $1 million in federal funding for emergency water line after PFAS contamination
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $1 million for Tiverton to begin installing an emergency public water line serving homes where private wells have tested above the state’s PFAS limit, Rhode Island’s congressional delegation announced Thursday. The money comes through the USDA’s Emergency Community Water Assistance program and goes to the North Tiverton Fire […]
Posted inSports
Jamestown’s Conanicut Yacht Club sits 14th after the first day of the Resolute Cup
Three former champions lead the Resolute Cup after four races on Narragansett Bay, with Jamestown’s Conanicut Yacht Club 14th in the 23-club field. Eastern Yacht Club of Marblehead, which won in 2010, leads with eight points. Corinthian Yacht Club, also of Marblehead and the two-time defending champion, is second at 11, and Newport Harbor Yacht […]
Posted inCity & Government
Amo opens second Blue Economy tour at REGENT’s new North Kingstown factory
Rep. Gabe Amo began a second Blue Economy tour of Rhode Island on Wednesday at REGENT Craft, which cut the ribbon on a new factory where it builds its electric seagliders. Amo, the ranking member of the House Science Committee’s environment subcommittee, said he plans to visit workers, small businesses, researchers, educators and nonprofits across […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Redwood exhibition argues Robert Duncanson’s landscapes mapped routes to freedom
The Redwood Library and Athenaeum has opened “Robert Duncanson: Landscapes to Freedom,” an exhibition arguing that the 19th century Black landscape painter encoded routes of the Underground Railroad into his work. The show runs through January 2027 at the Redwood, its only venue, and comprises 28 paintings and site photographs from the collection of Michael […]
Posted inNews
URI puts 64 years of beach survey data online
The University of Rhode Island has published six decades of beach measurements online, making one of the longest continuous shoreline survey efforts in the world available to the public. Rhode Island Beach Dynamics Over Decades compiles data collected since 1962 by roughly four dozen students and several scientists from URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, Environmental […]
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Newport Polo’s rained-out finale gets a Saturday encore, with a 50-pony parade
Newport Polo closes its 150th anniversary season Saturday, Oct. 3, with the Turkish Airlines Finals at BD Field at Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane, after last weekend’s nor’easter postponed the scheduled finale. The rescheduling pulls several events onto one afternoon. Grounds open at noon, the TD Pavilion at 2 p.m., a 150th anniversary pony parade […]
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AJ McCarron named head coach of Rhode Island’s new UFL team
AJ McCarron will coach Rhode Island’s new United Football League team, the league announced Wednesday, and the entire 2026 Birmingham Stallions roster moves with him. McCarron coached Birmingham last season, his first as a head coach. He won three national championships as a quarterback at Alabama, was a fifth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in […]
Posted inCity & Government
Three Newport County ponds among 25 waters getting fall trout stocking
The state Department of Environmental Management will stock brook and rainbow trout in 25 waterways between Friday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 8, including three in Newport County. Locally, the list includes Stafford Pond and Eight Rod Farm Pond in Tiverton and Upper Melville, also known as Thurston Gray Pond, in Portsmouth. Elsewhere in the […]
Posted inNews
National Sailing Hall of Fame opens nominations for its 2027 class tomorrow
Nominations for the National Sailing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 open Thursday, Oct. 1, and stay open through Dec. 31. The Hall of Fame, part of the Sailing Museum on Thames Street, takes nominations from anyone — sailors, yacht clubs, community sailing centers, class associations, maritime organizations and historians. Neither the board nor the […]
Posted inNews
RIPEC: Rhode Island’s state roads rank worst in the nation after a decade focused on bridges
Rhode Island spent more per resident on roads and bridges than almost any state over the past five years, but its state-maintained arterial roads now rank last in the country, according to a report released Wednesday by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. The report traces the imbalance to RhodeWorks, launched in 2016, which directed […]
Posted inNews
Potter League CEO Brad Shear resigns after nine years; two former leaders step in as interim directors
Brad Shear has resigned as chief executive officer of the Potter League for Animals after nine years, and two longtime former leaders have been appointed interim executive directors, the organization’s board announced Tuesday. M. Christie Smith, who spent 35 years at the Potter League including a tenure as executive director, and Amy Chamard, who was […]
Posted inCity & Government
Voter handbook for the November election is out and heading to every Rhode Island household
The Rhode Island Department of State has published its Voter Information Handbook for the Nov. 3 general election, with copies going out by mail to every household in the state over the coming weeks. The handbook explains the three ways to vote — by mail, early in person, or on Election Day — and lays […]
Posted inBusiness
People’s Credit Union promotes Rachel Semiao to head of Portsmouth member operations
People’s Credit Union has promoted Rachel Semiao to head of Portsmouth member operations, where she will oversee daily branch operations and serve as a resource for staff. She reports to Lori Marshall, who heads the Portsmouth branch. Semiao joined the credit union as a member service representative in Middletown and most recently held the position […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Messiah at Rosecliff returns in December, part of six Newport Classical holiday concerts
Newport Classical has set six holiday concerts across two December weekends, with tickets going on sale Tuesday, Oct. 6. Christmas with Cantus, Dec. 5 at 1 and 3:30 p.m., at the Newport Classical Recital Hall, 42 Dearborn St. The low-voice ensemble sold out both its 2024 performances here. The hour-long program mixes carols with contemporary […]
Posted inNews
Public panel on kratom set for Oct. 27 in Portsmouth
Strategic Prevention Partnerships and the Newport County Prevention Coalition will host a free public panel on kratom on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Green Valley Country Club, 371 Union St. Check-in starts at 5. The event arrives amid a sharp split between neighboring states. Rhode Island overturned its ban on […]
Posted inBusiness
Chamber study warns Newport County lacks the space to hold the jobs coming its way
Newport and Bristol counties don’t have enough commercial, flex and light industrial space to accommodate the jobs the region expects over the next decade, according to a report commissioned by the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce. The study, by Fourth Economy Consulting, projects nearly 1,700 high-paying jobs in ocean technology, engineering and professional services by […]
Posted inBusiness
Newport Restaurant Group marks 30 years of employee ownership, with $33 million paid out since 1996
Newport Restaurant Group is marking 30 years as an employee-owned company this year, saying it has distributed roughly $33 million to employee-owners since 1996. The company employs about 1,900 people, roughly 1,100 of them year-round with another 800 added in peak season. It reports annual turnover of 12 to 14 percent, against an industry average […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tenth Concert of Remembrance brings a 20-piece orchestra and choirs from two states to St. George’s Chapel
The Choir School of Newport County marks the tenth year of its Concert of Remembrance on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. at the St. George’s School Chapel, 372 Purgatory Road. The concert assembles the Choir School’s professional choristers, St. George’s Advanced Vocal Ensemble, members of the Trinity Episcopal Church choir, the choirs of St. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Middletown library adds books in nine languages and its first video game collection
The Middletown Public Library has launched two new circulating collections: 425 books in nine languages and 58 video games, its first. The World Language Collection covers children, teens and adults in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. The library initially planned to focus on Spanish and Portuguese, but expanded after talking […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island Energy says power restored to all 50,000 customers hit by weekend nor’easter
Rhode Island Energy said Monday it has restored power to more than 50,000 customers who lost service during the weekend nor’easter, finishing in under 48 hours. The utility deployed more than 270 crew members and field personnel across the state. Wind gusts reached 55 mph, bringing down trees and limbs onto power lines. Crews responded […]
Posted inArts & Culture
“Lore” creator Aaron Mahnke to speak at Rosecliff on Rhode Island’s vampire panic
Aaron Mahnke, creator of the podcast “Lore” and author of “Exhumed: Unearthing the History of the American Vampire,” will give a lecture at Rosecliff on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. The talk traces how folklore, medical belief, religion and pseudoscience produced the New England vampire panic, which culminated in the exhumation of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
New exhibit at the Vernon House explores the life of Cato Vernon, a Black Revolutionary War soldier who lived there
An interactive exhibit about Cato Vernon, an African heritage Revolutionary War soldier and carpenter who lived at the Vernon House in the mid-1770s, opens Saturday, Oct. 3, and runs through Nov. 22. “The Cato Vernon Freedom Library” occupies three rooms on the first floor of the national historic landmark at 46 Clarke St. It includes […]
Posted inCity & Government
Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge work moves to daytime for a week starting Oct. 5
Construction on the eastbound span of the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge shifts to daytime hours the week of Oct. 5, with one lane open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and delays expected through the work zone, the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority said Monday. The daytime schedule runs Monday, Oct. 5, through Friday, Oct. […]
Posted inNews
Broadway Street Fair returns Oct. 10
The Broadway Street Fair returns Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 6 p.m., closing six blocks from Equality Park to Washington Square for a free afternoon of music, food, art and local vendors. More than 15,000 people attended last year, and organizers say they expect 20,000 this year. The fair is in its ninth year […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island seeing elevated rabies activity this year, mostly in raccoons and bats
Rhode Island has recorded an elevated number of rabid animals this year, most of them raccoons and bats, the state Department of Health said Monday, along with a rabid cat, coyote, skunk and woodchuck. The department marked World Rabies Day by highlighting its exposure assessment program, which operates around the clock and evaluates individual cases […]
Posted inCity & Government
Portsmouth sets winter community electricity rates below Rhode Island Energy’s
The Portsmouth Community Electricity program has set its winter supply rates, with the default option priced below Rhode Island Energy’s residential rate and including 5 percent additional renewable energy from Rhode Island sources. The program’s standard residential rate is 16.929 cents per kilowatt-hour, against Rhode Island Energy’s Last Resort Service price of 17.029 cents from […]
Posted inNews
Miramar and the Bailey’s Beach clubhouse honored at Doris Duke Preservation Awards
The Newport Restoration Foundation honored two Bellevue Avenue-area preservation projects at the 20th annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, held Sept. 11 at Rough Point. Miramar received the award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. The Spouting Rock Beach Association Historic Clubhouse was recognized for resiliency and floodproofing work. Tom Perkins received the President’s Award for […]
Posted inNews
Nor’easter brings wind restrictions to the bridges, ferry cancellations and coastal flooding risk
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority imposed Level I wind restrictions on the Newport Pell, Mount Hope and Jamestown Verrazzano bridges at about 5:55 a.m. Saturday, barring box trucks, trailers, house trailers and RVs as a nor’easter moved across the region. Law enforcement can turn back other vehicles at their discretion, and drivers denied […]
Posted inNews
On This Day – September 26, 1983: Australia II Wins America’s Cup in Newport
It was on September 26, 1983 that Australia II defeated Liberty in Newport to win the America’s Cup trophy that had been in the hands of the New York Yacht Club since the competition begain in 1851. The 1983 America’s Cup was the occasion of the first winning challenge to the New York Yacht Club, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport gets $68,000 in FEMA grant for CPR devices
The city will receive more than $68,000 in federal grant money for CPR devices, part of nearly $2.7 million awarded to Rhode Island fire departments and first responder agencies this week, FEMA announced Friday. The money comes through the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, which funds protective equipment, emergency vehicles and responder health and wellness […]
Posted inCity & Government
State climate council approves $1.5 million spending plan as requests hit $4.1 million
The state’s Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council approved a $1.5 million spending plan for the coming fiscal year on Thursday, drawn from 30 proposals totaling more than $4.1 million. The council, chaired by Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray, coordinates state agencies’ work under the 2021 Act on Climate, which sets Rhode Island’s emissions […]
Posted inCity & Government
State readies for weekend nor’easter with heavy rain and wind in the forecast
State agencies spent Friday preparing for a nor’easter expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding to Rhode Island through the weekend. Gov. Dan McKee was joined at a briefing by Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency Director Marc Pappas, interim Department of Transportation Director Bob Rocchio and Rhode Island Energy President Greg Cornett. […]
Posted inNews
24 cruise ship calls ahead for Newport this fall
Originally published on Sept. 22. Updated Sept. 25 with a revised schedule from Discover Newport. Newport Harbor’s heaviest cruise traffic of the year is still ahead, with 24 ship calls scheduled at Perrotti Park between now and Nov. 2, according to an updated schedule from Discover Newport and the Newport Harbor Master. September is finished. […]
Posted inBusiness
Middletown’s MIKEL Inc. wins $64 million Navy engineering contract in Washington state
MIKEL Inc. has been awarded a five-year, $64 million prime contract to provide engineering support services to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division at Keyport, Washington. The Middletown company is partnering with McLaughlin Research Corporation and Booz Allen Hamilton on the work, which covers six Keyport organizations including its test and evaluation, undersea weapons, in-service […]
Posted inCity & Government
PUC approves $28 million in winter electric bill credits
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission has approved $28 million in winter electric bill relief, delivering credits to more than 450,000 residential accounts, Gov. Dan McKee announced Thursday. Rhode Island Energy residential customers on A-16 and A-60 accounts will receive a $20.45 credit in January, February and March 2027 — $61.35 total. The money comes […]
Posted inBusiness
People’s Credit Union closed every branch for a day of mental health volunteering
People’s Credit Union closed all of its branches and its member service center on Thursday, Sept. 17, so employees could spend the day volunteering with organizations working on mental health across Rhode Island. Staff logged more than 500 hours at more than a dozen nonprofits, schools and police departments, and an all-branch drive collected more […]
Posted inNews
IYRS launching a women’s maritime leadership program in 2027
IYRS School of Technology & Trades is starting a leadership program for women working in maritime industries, with the first cohort beginning in 2027. The Women’s Maritime Leadership Academy runs six months and is the first program from the school’s Maritime Leadership Institute. It’s aimed at emerging and mid-career professionals across boatbuilding and repair, marine […]
Posted inCity & Government
Bicycle ordinances up for final vote Sept. 30, with opposition surfacing to the stormwater fee and a Perrotti Park building
The City Council meets Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, with second readings on a package of bicycle and traffic ordinances and two pieces of resident opposition landing on the consent calendar. The ordinance package covers amendments to the city’s bicycle chapter along with definitions, traffic signal rules, flashing signals and parking […]
Posted inNews
Newport Historical Society reports record year, with 1,300 visitors to its new Center for Black History in three months
The Newport Historical Society told members at its annual meeting Tuesday night that 2026 has been its busiest year on record, driven by the opening of the Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History and the nation’s 250th anniversary. The society has run 74 programs and 237 walking tours so far […]
Posted inCity & Government
Naval War College president marks Rhode Island’s role in America 250
Rear Adm. Darryl Walker, president of the U.S. Naval War College, represented the Navy at a series of events in Providence on Sept. 22 and 23 as part of the country’s 250th anniversary commemoration. The Navy Office of Community Outreach is marking each of the original 13 colonies with several days of engagements. Walker visited […]
Posted inCity & Government
Portsmouth suing the state over housing laws, citing home rule
The Portsmouth Town Council is filing suit against the state of Rhode Island over recent housing legislation, arguing the laws intrude on the town’s constitutional home rule authority over zoning, planning and land use. Council members and lead counsel Joseph S. Larisa Jr. will discuss the case at a press conference Thursday, Sept. 24, at […]
Posted inBusiness
Coastal Rhode Island hotels far outperforming Providence, with RevPAR up nearly 13% this year
Coastal Rhode Island hotels are on pace to finish 2026 with revenue per available room up 12.9 percent, while Providence and Warwick are forecast to end the year down slightly, according to data presented at RI Hospitality’s annual economic outlook breakfast. CoStar’s Jason Weinstein put statewide RevPAR growth at 5.9 percent for 2026, driven mostly […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Contemporary Ballet opens its 45th season with three world premieres
Newport Contemporary Ballet opens its 45th season next month with “Kaleidoscope,” a repertory program of four pieces by four women choreographers, three of them world premieres. Performances are Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 141 Pelham St. General admission is […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Nine Central Film Festival returns to the Jane Pickens for two nights in October
The Nine Central Film Festival returns to the Jane Pickens Theater on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 and 3, with two nights of short films made by local filmmakers. The festival started eight years ago as a group of friends screening their own movies in a backyard. Each night has a different lineup of roughly […]
Posted inCity & Government
$271 million contract awarded to rebuild Pier 1 at Naval Station Newport for Coast Guard cutters
The Navy has awarded a $271.2 million contract for the second phase of construction on Pier 1 at Naval Station Newport, Sen. Jack Reed announced Tuesday, clearing the way for four Coast Guard cutters to make Newport their homeport. The original pier at Coddington Cove, built in the mid-1950s, ran 1,585 feet and was condemned […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
State launches men’s mental health campaign aimed at working-age Rhode Islanders
The Rhode Island Department of Health is launching Man Therapy, a national campaign aimed at getting working-age men to take their mental health seriously, running through April online, on social media and on gas station ad screens. The campaign centers on a website, mantherapy.org, with resources on depression, divorce and suicide for men and the […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Newport Hospital is first in Rhode Island with the da Vinci 5 surgical robot
Newport Hospital has become the first in Rhode Island to use the da Vinci 5, the newest version of Intuitive’s robotic-assisted surgical platform, after a year of fundraising that covered the full cost through donations. The system will be used for minimally invasive procedures in urology, gynecology, thoracic surgery and general surgery. It translates a […]
Posted inCity & Government
Reed, Whitehouse and Amo ask EPA for help with Tiverton PFAS contamination
Correction: An earlier version of this story said residents had been advised not to use affected water for brushing teeth or washing dishes. The Rhode Island Department of Health says those are not routes of PFAS exposure and that residents can continue both. Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to step […]
Posted inCity & Government
Chip seal resurfacing this week on Kay Street and surrounding roads
The city’s contractor is resurfacing 15 streets this week in the Kay Street and Bliss Mine Road area, with on-street parking restricted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday or until work on a given street is finished. The project uses chip seal over existing pavement, which the city describes as a fast process […]
Posted inNews
Salve Regina climbs to 16th in U.S. News regional ranking
Salve Regina University rose eight places to 16th among regional universities in the North in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report college rankings released Tuesday. The university also appeared on U.S. News lists for best value, social mobility, undergraduate teaching, and undergraduate nursing and psychology programs in the region. In the Princeton Review’s 2027 […]
Posted inNews
On This Day – September 22, 1962: President Kennedy and Jacqueline watch 4th America’s Cup Race off the Coast of Newport
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attended the fourth race of the 1962 America’s Cup aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., off the coast of Newport on September 22, 1962. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has a full (incredible) photo gallery from the event here – PRESIDENT KENNEDY […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Elms will reopen this fall with a new multi-sensory experience
The Elms, closed to the public since Aug. 10, will reopen later this fall with a new guest experience built around storytelling, multi-sensory elements and what the Preservation Society of Newport County describes as thoughtfully integrated enhancements. The Preservation Society is developing the experience with Digital Kitchen, a creative studio chosen as its experience design […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Washington County man is Rhode Island’s third Powassan virus case this year
A Washington County man in his 60s has a confirmed case of Powassan virus, the Rhode Island Department of Health said Monday, the state’s third case of the rare tick-borne disease this year. He began showing symptoms in late August. It is the 11th Rhode Island case since the disease was first reported in the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Hakeem Jeffries visits Pawtucket to celebrate Rhode Island’s Cabo Verdean community
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries came to Pawtucket on Sunday to celebrate Rhode Island’s Cabo Verdean community, hosted by Reps. Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner. Jeffries, whose mother’s family comes from the island of Fogo, is the highest-ranking elected official of Cabo Verdean descent in American history. Rhode Island has the largest Cabo Verdean population […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rocky Horror shadow cast returns to the Jane Pickens, 45 years after its first show there
RKO Army, the Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast that played its first show as an established troupe at the Jane Pickens Theater on Halloween night in 1981, returns to that stage Friday, Sept. 25, ahead of a newportFILM screening of “Time Warp.” Doors open at 6 p.m. and the performance and film begin at […]
Posted inSports
Newport Yacht Club wraps evening racing season with 53 teams
Fifty-three teams raced in the Newport Yacht Club’s 2026 Tuesday and Wednesday evening series on the lower end of Narragansett Bay, the club announced. Tuesday nights drew 23 teams across J/7 Ensign and classic S-Boat fleets. The J/7s raced two series, and the second came down to a tiebreaker, with Ryan Davis’s Hull Fliers of […]
Posted inHistory
On This Day In History – September 21: Hurricane of ’38 hits Newport
September 21 marks the anniversary of the New England Hurricane of ’38, one of the deadliest hurricanes in New England history. The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. The tide was even higher than usual because of the autumnal equinox and full moon. The storm […]
Posted inSports
Newport’s Hannah Swett takes third at the inaugural Women’s International Championship
Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Team Vigilant won the New York Yacht Club’s first Women’s International Championship on Saturday, finishing 23 points clear of the field after a week of racing out of Harbour Court. Newport’s Hannah Swett took third, moving onto the podium in the last race of the regatta. Swett opened the final day by […]
Posted inSports
Newport’s Hannah Swett in second heading into the final day of the Women’s International Championship
Newport sailor Hannah Swett goes into the final day of the New York Yacht Club’s inaugural Women’s International Championship in second place, after a Friday on which the wind never filled and the fleet was sent in without racing. The race committee waited into the afternoon before abandoning for the day at 3 p.m. Megan […]
Posted inThings To Do
USA meets Switzerland at Glen Farm on Saturday in the season’s last international match
Team USA faces Switzerland at 4 p.m. Saturday at BD Field at Glen Farm, the last international match of Newport Polo’s 150th anniversary season. The Swiss roster includes Cedric Schweri, a two-time Gstaad winner and two-time Italian champion; Thomas Wolfensberger, a three-time Swiss champion; Philipp Müller, a former Swiss national skeleton athlete; and Janik Noah […]
Posted inCity & Government
Final turbine installed at Revolution Wind, 15 miles off Little Compton
Crews have installed the last of 65 turbines at Revolution Wind, the offshore wind project in Rhode Island Sound about 15 miles south of Little Compton, Ørsted confirmed Thursday. “Commissioning activities continue across the project, with safety as the top priority,” the company said. “Revolution Wind continues to progress toward an anticipated commercial operation date […]
Posted inCity & Government
Airbnb-funded grant to train Newport math teachers, with a public film screening Nov. 2
The Newport Public Education Foundation has awarded Newport Public Schools a $20,000 grant, funded by Airbnb, to train middle and high school math teachers in a teaching framework aimed at getting students working problems rather than watching them worked. The initiative, called Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics and Financial Literacy, will support workshops, planning and […]
Posted inCity & Government
Point survey finds widespread flooding but few homeowners insured or protected against it
Homeowners in the Point recognize the risk that flooding poses to their houses but largely have not insured or fortified against it, according to survey results presented to the Point Association last week. Rep. Lauren Carson presented the findings at the association’s fall meeting at St. John’s Hall on Sept. 15. The Historic Point Neighborhood […]
Posted inNews
Newport Restoration Foundation adding student mentorships to its climate and preservation symposium
The Newport Restoration Foundation is launching a mentorship program for students at next month’s Keeping History Above Water symposium, pairing three of them with local professionals in preservation, architecture, city planning or climate science. The Rising Practitioners program is open to undergraduate and graduate students studying historic preservation, architecture, city planning, site management, climate science […]
Posted inNews
Maine-built Hood 42 named best new boat at the Newport International Boat Show
Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding’s Hood 42 took best new boat overall at the Newport International Boat Show’s Newport for New Products awards, announced Friday at a ceremony on the waterfront. “The Hood 42 has a retro look but with modern touches tastefully incorporated throughout,” said judge Sam White, senior editor at Yachting. “This one is a throwback […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Foundation offering up to $10,000 for Newport County community projects; deadline is Sept. 24
The Rhode Island Foundation is accepting applications through Wednesday, Sept. 24, for neighborhood grants of up to $10,000 for Newport County projects that bring residents together. The program is open to libraries, schools, neighborhood groups and nonprofits, and targets resident-led efforts — neighborhood gatherings, improvements to shared public spaces, green space projects, preservation of cultural […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical brings a prize-winning piano trio and a quartet playing Bad Bunny to Dearborn Street in October
Newport Classical has two chamber concerts in October at its recital hall at 42 Dearborn St., plus a pair of free afternoon concerts mid-month. Trio Azura, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The group swept the 51st Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2024, taking the grand prize and gold medal along with two special prizes. […]
Posted inCity & Government
Secretary of State warns voters about text posing as voter registration check
The Rhode Island Department of State is warning voters about a text message that claims to be about voter registration and asks recipients to confirm their identity for their voter record. The department’s Elections Division said the text is not affiliated with the state and was not authorized by it, and urged people to be […]
Posted inNews
Rogers hosts community conversation on bullying, hazing and racism tonight
Rogers High School hosts a public conversation on school culture tonight at 5 p.m. in the Student Commons, led by a national speaker who has spent the day with students and staff. B. Elliot Hopkins is director of sports and student services for the National Federation of State High School Associations, where he leads national […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Dead Tongues play the Great Friends Meeting House on Sept. 25
Newport Live presents The Dead Tongues at the Great Friends Meeting House on Friday, Sept. 25, with doors at 6:30 p.m. and the performance at 7:30. Ryan Gustafson, the North Carolina songwriter and multi-instrumentalist behind the project, has released a string of albums over the past 15 years — “Dust,” “Unsung Passage,” “Desert” and “Transmigration […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island health officials urge flu, COVID and RSV vaccination ahead of respiratory season
The Rhode Island Department of Health is urging residents to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 and RSV as those viruses begin their seasonal climb. “Last year, flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses sent hundreds of Rhode Islanders to the hospital,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin. “Vaccination is your best protection.” During the 2025-26 season, […]
Posted inNews
NUWC Newport tells defense industry it wants “radical collaboration”
The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport is changing how it works with private companies, its technical director told defense contractors at Defense Innovation Days, describing an approach she called radical collaboration. “The only way we succeed is together,” said Marie Bussiere. “We are committed to sharing as much information as possible to strengthen our […]
Posted inCity & Government
Board of Elections certifies 2026 primary results after one recount and two rereads
The Rhode Island Board of Elections has certified the results of the Sept. 9 primary after completing one recount and two rereads, none of which changed an outcome. Staff conducted a reread of electronic data from election night memory devices in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which showed no change. Aaron Guckian is the winner. A […]
Posted inInstagram
Three cult classics at the Jane Pickens this month, with live music, beer and a costume contest
The Jane Pickens Theater has three cult film nights left in September, each built around something more than a screening. “The Road Warrior” plays Thursday, Sept. 17, at 8:30 p.m. in a 4K restoration from Warner Bros., part of the theater’s Cult Classic Collection. George Miller’s 1981 film sent Mel Gibson’s Max across the Australian […]
Posted inSports
Sweden’s Ida Svensson wins the first race of the inaugural Women’s International Championship
Ida Svensson of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club won the opening race of the New York Yacht Club’s inaugural Women’s International Championship on Tuesday, taking the finish by less than a boat length. The regatta, which began Saturday and runs through Sept. 19, is sailed out of the club’s Harbour Court on a fleet of […]
Posted inReal Estate
Ocean Drive estate sells for $7.1 million, third-highest Newport sale of the year
A shingle-style estate at 41 Castle Hill Avenue sold for $7.1 million, the third-highest sale recorded in Newport so far this year, according to the Rhode Island Statewide MLS. Kate Leonard of Lila Delman Compass represented the seller. The house, known as Castleberry, sits off Ocean Drive with private beach access through the Castle Hill […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Sitkovetsky Trio plays Rough Point on Sept. 29
The Sitkovetsky Trio will perform at Rough Point on Tuesday, Sept. 29, as part of Puddingstone Music’s salon series. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the concert at 7:30, and small bites and drinks are included. The program, titled “Romanticism and Musical Poetry,” includes Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D major, known as the “Ghost” for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Four shows added to the Park Theatre calendar, with Billy Gilman’s holiday concert in December
The Historic Park Theatre has added four shows running from December through March, with tickets going on sale Friday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. Billy Gilman brings “Home for the Holidays — 25 Years of Christmas” on Friday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. The Westerly native, who broke through as a country singer at 11 […]
Posted inBusiness
Carpionato CEO departing as company markets Newport Grand site as retail
The Carpionato Group announced Monday that CEO Kelly Coates and outside counsel Angelo Marocco are ending more than 30 years with the company, removing the executive who has been its public voice on the former Newport Grand property. Both retire as trustees in October, with Coates stepping down as CEO and Marocco as outside counsel […]
Posted inNews
Norman Bird Sanctuary taking entries for Harvest Fair home and garden competition
The Norman Bird Sanctuary is accepting entries for the home and garden competition at its 52nd Harvest Fair, held Oct. 3 and 4. The competition is open to anyone — gardeners, cooks, families, businesses, school groups — and entrants can compete in as many categories as they want, so long as they grew or made […]