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 inCity & Government

Euer bill would require state review before any Rhode Island birthing center could close

by Ryan Belmore

Sen. Dawn Euer has introduced legislation that would require state oversight of any proposed closure or reduction in services at a birthing center in Rhode Island, a response to the yearlong fight over the future of Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center. The bill, 2026-S 2380, would place birthing center closures under the Hospital […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Jane Pickens Theater adds encore ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ premiere party after first night sells out

by Ryan Belmore

After tickets to its original premiere party sold out in record time, the Jane Pickens Theater: Film & Event Center has added an encore community celebration for “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” giving Newport audiences another chance to see one of the year’s most anticipated sequels. The Friday, May 1 event is designed as a […]

Posted inReal Estate

Tuckerman Avenue home sells for $3.15 million, second-highest Middletown sale of 2026

by Ryan Belmore

A coastal home on Easton’s Point has sold for $3,150,000, making it the second-highest single-family sale in Middletown so far this year, according to Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty. The property at 140 Tuckerman Avenue trades below the town’s top sale of 2026, 14 Kay Boulevard, which closed at $3,600,000 in March, according to […]

Posted inBusiness

Applications open for BlueTIDE 2026 maritime tech demonstration in Newport

by Ryan Belmore

Applications are now open for the BlueTIDE 2026 Collaborative Integration Opportunity, a centerpiece of the annual maritime technology demonstration event returning to Newport this summer, Polaris Tech Bridge announced Wednesday. BlueTIDE, hosted by the nonprofit formerly known as 401 Tech Bridge, is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of maritime and dual-use technologies by […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Newport Historical Society to host Revolutionary-era concert at Colony House

by Ryan Belmore

Newport’s yearlong commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence continues next week with a live concert of music from the Revolutionary era at one of the city’s most historic buildings. The Newport Historical Society will host music historians David and Ginger Hildebrand on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at The Colony House, the […]

Posted inCity & Government

League of Women Voters Newport County to host public discussion on Rhode Island elections and security on April 23

by Ryan Belmore

Rhode Island’s top election officials will join the League of Women Voters Newport County for a public forum on how elections are conducted in the state, security measures in place and key legislative developments on the horizon. Secretary of State Gregg Amore and Deputy Secretary of State Rob Rock will lead the discussion on Thursday, […]

Posted inNews

The Chanler at Cliff Walk unveils reimagined lobby and guest spaces in latest chapter of historic Newport mansion

by Ryan Belmore

The Chanler at Cliff Walk has unveiled a reimagined lobby and collection of guest spaces, marking the next phase in the ongoing evolution of the historic oceanfront mansion perched at the start of Newport’s Cliff Walk. The redesign, debuted Tuesday, continues a multi-year collaboration between Proprietress Lani Shufelt and architecture firm Studio Valerius. It follows […]

Posted inNews

BankNewport, Point32Health companies sign on as sponsors of Salve Regina’s mobile health outreach

by Ryan Belmore

Salve Regina University announced Wednesday that BankNewport, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan have joined as sponsors of its health and wellness community outreach program, providing financial backing for a mobile health unit that brings care and education to underserved communities across Rhode Island. Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan are both Point32Health […]

Posted inNews

Newport Jazz Festival unveils 2026 lineup

by Ryan Belmore

The Newport Jazz Festival on Tuesday unveiled its 2026 lineup, with specially priced three-day passes going on sale at 1 p.m. ET for 48 hours only. The 72nd annual festival returns to Fort Adams State Park from July 31 to Aug. 2, following three consecutive sellouts. It is produced by the Newport Festivals Foundation. This […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Theatre By The Sea swaps out ‘On Your Feet!’ for world premiere Carole King-James Taylor tribute

by Ryan Belmore

Theatre By The Sea will host the world premiere of a new Carole King and James Taylor tribute concert this summer, replacing the previously announced production of “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan” on its 2026 season. Owner Bill Hanney announced the change Tuesday, calling it an opportunity he could not […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Castle Hill Inn opens dining reservations for 2026 season beginning May 8

by Ryan Belmore

Castle Hill Inn announced Tuesday that dining reservations across the property will be available to book beginning May 8, marking another milestone in the Inn’s recovery from a fire that damaged the historic Mansion in February. Reservations for Forbes Five-Star Aurelia at Castle Hill and The Lawn Terrace will be available through OpenTable starting May […]

Posted inCity & Government

McGaw pushes to ban plastic-waste ‘advanced recycling’ in R.I. as EPA weighs looser pollution rules

by Ryan Belmore

With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considering easing air pollution standards for high-heat plastic-waste processing facilities, state Rep. Michelle E. McGaw is pressing her General Assembly colleagues to pass legislation that would ban such facilities in Rhode Island outright. McGaw, D-Portsmouth, has been filing versions of the bill since 2022, but she said this year’s […]

Posted inNews

Salve Regina launches loan-repayment program that lands nursing students jobs before graduation

by Ryan Belmore

Salve Regina University is trying to chip away at two of health care’s most persistent problems at once — rising education costs for nursing students and a shortage of clinical workers across Rhode Island — through a new partnership that lines up jobs and loan repayment before students ever leave campus. Since launching the Scholars […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Movement meets medicine: ‘Dance for All People’ documentary to screen at Newport Art Museum

by Ryan Belmore

A 12-minute documentary that captures the inside story of an intergenerational dance program uniting Rhode Island seniors, Brown University undergraduates and future physicians will screen next month at the Newport Art Museum, giving audiences a close-up look at how movement is being woven into medical education. “Dance for All People — A Movement and Medicine […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Puddingstone Music launches ‘Jazz at The Redwood’ series with Paul Cornish concert May 27

by Ryan Belmore

Puddingstone Music is expanding its salon series with a new jazz-focused partnership at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, launching with a May 27 concert featuring Blue Note Records pianist Paul Cornish. Dubbed “Jazz at The Redwood,” the series will present both up-and-coming and internationally known jazz artists in the library’s intimate Harrison Room. The collaboration […]

Posted inCity & Government

Newport Heights to receive nearly $4 million for rehab in state’s latest housing award

by Ryan Belmore

The Newport Heights development will receive nearly $4 million to preserve and rehabilitate its 81 units as part of a $72 million statewide housing award announced Thursday by Gov. Dan McKee’s administration. The $3,979,584 award to Trinity Newport for Newport Heights Phase I is the only Newport County project among seven developments funded in the […]

Posted inCity & Government

Newport City Council to weigh Gulls license, boat show agreement and summer event permits

by Ryan Belmore

The Newport City Council will tackle a packed agenda Wednesday night, including a new license agreement for the Newport Gulls at Cardines Field, the annual Newport International Boat Show agreement, and a slate of special event permits for the upcoming summer season. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, Council Chambers, 43 […]

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