The latest listings on BizBuySell and LoopNet show all kinds of businesses currently for sale in Rhode Island. Reasons for selling, when provided, typically do not mention economic hardship, but more often involve the owner retiring or not having time to actively run the business. The names and locations are generally left out, but there are occasional exceptions. Here […]
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
The Guest List: Documentary about The Station nightclub fire will premiere on February 20
The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America’s Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. February 20 is the 19th anniversary of the tragic fire that killed 100 and injured another 230 people at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The film was directed and produced by David Bellino and […]
Posted inFood & Drink, Things To Do
Newport Restaurant Week returns April 1 – 10
Save The Date: The Spring edition of Newport Restaurant Week will return April 1-10, 2022. This ten-day culinary experience, which is organized by Discover Newport, will once again offer a variety of deals and discounts including tastefully crafted prix-fixe menus, gift card promotions, BOGO deals, complimentary add-ons, and more from 55+ participating restaurants in Newport […]
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14 Open Houses to check out in Newport County this weekend (Feb. 19 – 20)
It’s a tough market for homebuyers right now and it helps to have a local professional guiding you through this process. If you have any real estate questions or want more details on any of the properties below, please give me a call directly at 401-241-1851 or email me at TylerB@remaxnewportri.com. Here are the open houses happening […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’sUpNewp and The JPT will present ‘Goodfellas’ on Feb. 23
What’s Up Newp and JPT Film and Event Center are teaming up once again this year to bring some of the most iconic and definitive classic films to the big screen. On Wednesday, February 23 at 7:30 pm, we’ll present a special screening of the 1990 classic Goodfellas. Starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, […]
Posted inReal Estate
‘Rosevale’ estate, abutting property sell for $6.5 million
Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty today announced the sale of ‘Rosevale’ at 30 Red Cross Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Sited on over 2 acres in the Kay/Catherine “summer home” area, the property sold for $6,500,000, which included the residence at 187 Rhode Island Avenue, sited on ½ acre abutting ‘Rosevale.’ The seller and buyer […]
Posted inBusiness
Now Hiring: 81 job opportunities available right now in the Newport area
Looking for a new gig, job, or career in or around Newport? Here’s a roundup of some of the companies that are hiring right now in the Newport area. All jobs were posted or provided to us within the last seven days and are located within five miles of downtown Newport. Are you a business […]
Posted inNews
Newport Festivals Foundation offering free afterschool music program to Aquidneck Island high school students
Registration is now open for the Newport Festivals Workshops Program, a free, virtual afterschool music program created by Newport Festivals Foundation, which produces the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz Festivals. According to a press release from Newport Festivals Foundation, the workshops will be taught by professional musicians and music industry professionals about Songwriting, Audio Engineering, Music Industry […]
Posted inNews
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Dunkin
Meet your new best friend, Dunkin – this week’s Adoptable Pet of the Week! The Potter League for Animals shares on their website that Dunkin is a 1-year-old male Mixed Breed. Here’s what else Potter League for Animals has to say about Dunkin; Introducing Dunkin! This sweet boy is looking for his dream home and […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Virginia “Dinny” Burgin
Our beloved Virginia “Dinny” Burgin passed away on Friday, February 11, 2022, at the age of 75, surrounded by her closest family. Dinny was born in New York City and raised in Scarsdale by loving parents Peter and Pin Wojtul. From an early age, she was a charismatic performer and competitive athlete. One of her favorite […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Museum of Newport Irish History lecture spotlights Irish women in the American Labor Movement
Mother Jones in 1902 (source: Library of Congress) The Museum of Newport Irish History today announced the fourth talk in its 20th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series, to be presented “virtually” on Tuesday, February 22 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Dr. Elizabeth Stack, executive director of the Irish American Heritage Museum, located in Albany, New York, will present […]
Posted inThings To Do
What’s Up this weekend in Newport County: Feb. 18 – 20
Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do in and around Newport this weekend. This story may be updated as we learn about additional events or listings. Have an event you’d like to see added to this list or a future list? Add it to our event calendar. Note: An event or performance may change at […]
Posted inCity & Government
DEM: $375,000 in grants available to local farms, food organizations
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today announced a competitive solicitation process to award around $375,000 in Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds for projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. DEM says in a press release that specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Analysis: How Rhode Island Compares to the U.S. and New England on state and local revenues and expenditures
The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released today an analysis of “How Rhode Island Compares” to the U.S. and New England on state and local revenues and expenditures, using the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau (from fiscal year 2019). RIPEC sasys that the report provides valuable insights for policymakers, given […]
Posted inCity & Government
FirstGenHomeRI program will offer $25,000 in down payment assistance to first-generation home buyers
Today, Governor Dan McKee joined RIHousing to announce the launch of a new pilot program, FirstGenHomeRI, aimed at helping to open the doors to homeownership for first-generation homebuyers. The program targets first-generation buyers by addressing inequities and barriers to homeownership while boosting the long-term, economic outlook for families who have historically not pursued homeownership. Available […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Redwood Library & Athenæum acquires a clock sculpture by contemporary artist Nari Ward
Redwood Library & Athenæum today announced that it has acquired a clock sculpture by contemporary artist Nari Ward. Entitled Anchoring Escapement; Ithaca, the work is from a limited series of tall case clocks radically transformed by Ward not only to address race, the repressed histories of slavery, and the reframing of Western time but also […]
Posted inNews
Aquidneck Land Trust accepting applications for grants from its Merritt Neighborhood Fund
Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) is now accepting applications for grants from the Merritt Neighborhood Fund, an endowed fund that seeks to support the preservation of small parks, community gardens, and other natural spaces on Aquidneck Island. Established in 1999 to honor the late Peter M. Merritt, the organization’s president emeritus, the Fund supports projects that […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Two arrested in connection to double-shooting incident, police searching for a third suspect
In a press release on Tuesday, Newport Police Department said that it is continuing to investigate a double shooting that occurred in the early morning hours on February 14th. On 2/14/22 at approximately 0117 hours, Officers responded to the Friendly Sons of Newport located at 3 Farewell Street for a 911 call of weapons in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Historical Society announces completion of Gilded Age Digitization Project
The Newport Historical Society today announced that it has recently completed a digitization project in partnership with UK-based publishers Adam Matthew, to scan materials for their e-textbook: The Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The Newport Historical Society says that over 16,000 images of its collections were captured, including the Newport Casino Bulletin (1899-1910), Newport Directories […]
Posted inHistory
Rhode Island Slave History Medallions receives $10,000 grant from Rhode Island Foundation
Newport-based Rhode Island Slave History Medallions is among nonprofits across the state that will share $105,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation through its Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund. Created in 2007, the fund supports the needs of the state’s Black community. Rhode Island Slave History Medallions will receive $10,000 to expand its Marking the Landscape […]
Posted inNews
James Galloway named Executive Director of Newport Open Space Partnership
The Newport Open Space Partnership (NOSP) on Monday announced that James Galloway has joined the partnership as its new Executive Director. Galloway, originally from Tiverton, is an experienced environmental conservationist who has led landmark projects in the Everglades and south Florida, according to NOSP. James Galloway “I am excited to be back in New England […]
Posted inArts & Culture
HBO renews ‘The Gilded Age’ for a second season
The Gilded Age, the HBO drama series that was partly filmed in Newport, has been renewed for a second season. From creator Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”), The Gilded Age debuted on January 24 with episodes currently streaming on HBO Max. Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming said in a statement, “Julian Fellowes and the entire GILDED […]
Posted inThings To Do
What’s Up this week in Newport County: Feb. 14 – 20
Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do in and around Newport this week and weekend. This story may be updated as we learn about additional events or listings. Have an event you’d like to see added to this list or a future list? Add it to our event calendar. Note: An event or performance may […]
Posted inNews
Here’s how much snow fell across Rhode Island Feb. 13 -14
It was a snowy Super Bowl Sunday across Rhode Island. The National Weather Service and its team of trained weather spotters have recorded the following snowfall reports across Rhode Island. This story will be updated as more data is reported. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA 150 PM EST MON FEB 14 2022 …SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island National Guard announces cancellation of 2022 Ocean State Air Show
Less than a month after being announced that the Rhode Island National Guard Air Show would continue as the Ocean State Air Show and would be hosted at Quonset in 2022, the Ocean State Air Show has been canceled. The Rhode Island National Guard issued the following statement this evening regarding the Ocean State Air […]