The Jamestown restaurant Beech has partnered with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schlow, who will join as chef and managing partner to oversee operations, the restaurant announced. The Conanicut Restaurant Group, comprised of Jamestown residents, brought on Schlow, a longtime friend, who will introduce a new menu beginning May 27. While remaining true to 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 inSports
79th annual Block Island Race starts Friday with record ORC fleet, record attempt by 88-foot Lucky
The Storm Trysail Club’s 79th annual Block Island Race gets underway Friday, May 22, at noon in the waters of Long Island Sound off Stamford, with nearly 70 boats set to take on one of the Northeast’s most historic offshore regattas. The challenging 186-nautical-mile course exits the Sound and rounds Block Island before returning to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre By The Sea opens 2026 summer season with “Little Shop of Horrors”
Theatre By The Sea will open its 2026 summer season with “Little Shop of Horrors,” running May 28 through June 20 at the historic Wakefield playhouse. The musical, with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, follows hapless floral assistant Seymour Krelborn, who pines for his coworker Audrey while nursing a […]
Posted inNews
Newport police name suspect in Harbor Base Inn homicide; victim’s son believed responsible
This story was originally published at 1:19 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19. It was updated on Wednesday, May 20 at 5:55 p.m. with additional details from the Newport Police Department. Newport police have identified a suspect in the death of an 85-year-old woman found at a local hotel, saying her son is believed to be […]
Posted inCity & Government
Sens. Gu and Ujifusa host AANHPI Heritage Month celebration at State House
Sens. Linda Ujifusa and Victoria Gu, the first Asian Americans elected to the Rhode Island state legislature, gathered community leaders from across the state Tuesday for a celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the State House. The event celebrated the diversity, achievement and contributions of these communities in Rhode […]
Posted inNews
West Place Animal Sanctuary to host Spring Visitors Weekend May 30-31 in Tiverton
West Place Animal Sanctuary will open its grounds to the public for its Spring Visitors Weekend on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, the season’s first public visitors weekend at the Tiverton sanctuary. The nonprofit farm animal sanctuary invites the community to take 90-minute guided tours of its historic grounds, where visitors can get […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jane Pickens Theater announces Memorial Day weekend lineup headlined by “Saving Private Ryan” screening with WWII Foundation Q&A
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will mark Memorial Day weekend with a lineup of comedy, live music and classic films, headlined by a special Memorial Day screening of “Saving Private Ryan” in partnership with Rhode Island’s World War II Foundation. The Steven Spielberg film, winner of five Academy Awards including Best Director, will […]
Posted inNews
Norman Bird Sanctuary monitoring 318 nest boxes in annual conservation effort
A seasonal conservation tradition has returned to the fields of the Norman Bird Sanctuary, where staff and volunteers are installing and monitoring 318 bird boxes this spring as part of the Middletown sanctuary’s annual field research and habitat restoration program. The Nest Box Monitoring Program, a cornerstone of the sanctuary’s research efforts, provides data to […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island Department of Health reminds residents to take precautions during extreme heat
The Rhode Island Department of Health is reminding residents to take safety precautions during the ongoing heat. When it is very hot and humid, sweating isn’t enough to cool the body, and body temperature can rise quickly, the department said. High temperatures can cause heat stroke, heat exhaustion or heat cramps. Certain populations are at […]
Posted inNews
Police arrest nine, deploy pepper spray after about 1,200 gather at Sachuest Beach
Police arrested nine people and deployed pepper spray Tuesday afternoon after a gathering of approximately 1,200 high school-aged individuals at Sachuest (Second) Beach turned disorderly, the Middletown Police Department said. A Newport police officer assisting with the response was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot during the dispersal and was transported to Newport […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island Senate, House advance legislation requiring bars to offer drink lids on request
The Rhode Island Senate and House each passed legislation Tuesday that would require bars and similar establishments to make drink lids available to patrons on request as a measure to protect against drink spiking. The bills (2026-S 3000A and 2026-H 7975A), sponsored by Sen. Pamela J. Lauria and Rep. June S. Speakman, would require all […]
Posted inNonprofit
Champlin Foundation awards more than $1.25 million to Newport County nonprofits in spring grants cycle
The Champlin Foundation announced Tuesday that 10 nonprofits across Newport County will share more than $1.25 million in its 2026 Cycle 1 grants, part of a broader $12,192,398 in awards distributed to 103 Rhode Island organizations operating in 28 cities and towns. The Cranston-based foundation funds capital projects for Rhode Island nonprofits and has awarded […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport School Board, City Council in dual meetings tonight as $2.1M budget gap looms
Newport Public Schools and the Newport City Council will hold competing meetings Tuesday night, with Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain calling on families and community members to turn out for the council’s special budget meeting even as the School Committee conducts interviews for an interim superintendent at the same time. The City Council convenes at 6:30 […]
Posted inSports
Rhody Regatta registration and fundraising off to strong start ahead of May 30 race
The fourth annual Rhody Regatta, set for Saturday, May 30, is off to an impressive start in both registration and fundraising for its beneficiary, Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island. The single 18-mile course circumnavigates Conanicut Island and offers a mix of open-water sailing and tactical shoreline strategy. Early registrations include some notable entries: Wendy […]
Posted inBusiness
Portsmouth resident J.J. Silvia III appointed as new BankNewport corporator
Portsmouth resident John JB “J.J.” Silvia III has been appointed as a new BankNewport corporator, OceanPoint Financial Partners announced. The appointment was made at OceanPoint Financial Partners’ annual meeting on April 20. Corporators serve as community ambassadors for the mutual community bank, helping represent the communities BankNewport serves. “BankNewport’s strength has always come from its […]
Posted inRhode Island
Rhode Island delegation secures nearly $2 million in federal funding for Newport State Airport runway rehab
Newport State Airport will receive nearly $2 million in federal funding to rehabilitate its main runway, part of a $20.3 million package secured by Rhode Island’s congressional delegation for upgrades and construction projects across the state airport system. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation has been awarded $1,966,339 to help rehabilitate 2,600 feet of existing paved […]
Posted inCity & Government
McKee proposes $1.6 million in state funding to help preserve Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center
Gov. Dan McKee’s administration on Friday submitted a budget amendment that would provide $1.6 million in additional funding to Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center, the governor’s office announced Monday. The funding would be exclusive to the birthing center and contingent on its continued operation. The proposal comes in direct response to financial challenges […]
Posted inSports
Australia to send two teams to inaugural Women’s International Championship in Newport this September
Australia will send two teams to the inaugural Women’s International Championship at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court this September, joining the United States and Canada as the only countries with multiple entries in the historic event. The teams will be helmed by decorated match racer Katie Spithill, representing the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Blood Center urges donations ahead of Memorial Day as summer “trauma season” begins
The Rhode Island Blood Center is urging Rhode Islanders to donate blood ahead of Memorial Day weekend as hospitals brace for the start of “trauma season,” a period marked by increased accidents, emergency surgeries and higher demand for lifesaving blood transfusions. Rhode Island is currently experiencing a critical need for Type O blood donations following […]
Posted inNews
St. George’s School to hold 21st annual Ramleh Benefit Yard Sale June 6 in Middletown
The 21st Annual Ramleh Benefit Yard Sale will return to St. George’s School next month, with proceeds funding summer camp experiences for children from the local community. The free, public yard sale runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 6, at the school’s Cabot-Harman Ice Center, 384 Purgatory Road. A public presale will […]
Posted inCity & Government
Emily Conklin launches campaign for Newport City Council Ward 2 seat
Emily Conklin, a science communication specialist and chair of Newport’s Energy and Environment Commission, announced Monday she is running for the Ward 2 seat on the Newport City Council. Conklin, a six-year resident of Ward 2, said her campaign will center on affordability, resilient infrastructure, climate readiness and government transparency. “I have seen far too […]
Posted inNews
Salve Regina University awards 525 bachelor’s degrees at 76th commencement
Salve Regina University conferred 525 bachelor’s degrees on the Class of 2026 during its 76th commencement Sunday, sending graduates off with a charge to lead with mercy and meet a difficult moment with courage. The ceremony, held on the university’s oceanside campus, featured remarks from broadcast journalist and author Ray Suarez, Salve President Kelli J. […]
Posted inNews
Newport police investigating bomb threat at hospital as ‘swatting’ call
Newport Hospital was the target of an apparent “swatting” call Sunday morning when someone phoned in a false bomb threat, prompting a sweep by police and a Rhode Island State Police bomb detection K-9 unit, authorities said. The Newport Police Department responded to the reported threat at 7:02 a.m. on May 17, according to a […]
Posted inNews
Salve Regina launches new bachelor’s degree in tourism, hospitality, and event management
Salve Regina University is launching a new bachelor’s degree program in tourism, hospitality and event management this fall, designed to prepare students for roles in the travel and tourism industry. The university also announced two new minors, in wealth management and public policy, and two new post-master certificate programs in behavior analysis and creative writing. […]
Posted inNews
BankNewport Charitable Foundation awards more than $470,000 in spring 2026 grants to nearly 50 Rhode Island nonprofits
The BankNewport Charitable Foundation has awarded more than $470,000 in spring 2026 grants to nearly 50 nonprofit organizations across Rhode Island, the foundation announced this week. The funding supports programs focused on arts and culture, basic needs, education success and healthy lives. “BankNewport is proud to support organizations that are making a meaningful difference in […]