Two-time Olympic medalist Lijia Xu of China will be among 20 international skippers competing in the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship this September at Harbour Court. The regatta will be sailed Sept. 12-19 using the club’s fleet of 20 identical IC37 yachts. The 37-foot keelboat, designed by Mark Mills to a brief […]
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.
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41st Aquidneck Island National Police Parade steps off Sunday in Middletown and Newport
The 41st Aquidneck Island National Police Parade is set to step off Sunday, with participants marching two miles from Middletown into Newport in honor of law enforcement. The parade begins at 11:50 a.m. in front of the Hampton Inn and Suites at 317 West Main Road in Middletown. Marchers will head south on West Main […]
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RIPTA launches third annual ‘No Pollute Commute’ bike challenge for May
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority kicked off its third annual No Pollute Commute Bike to Work Challenge on Friday, inviting commuters across the state to swap car trips for bike rides throughout May in recognition of National Bike Month. The free challenge, organized by RIPTA’s Commuter Resource RI team, runs through May 31. Participants […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island FC suffers first home loss of 2026, falling 3-1 to Birmingham Legion FC
Rhode Island FC suffered its first home loss of the 2026 season Saturday, falling 3-1 to Birmingham Legion FC on Star Wars Night at Centreville Bank Stadium despite dominating possession and the shot count. Birmingham (2-3-2) struck less than three minutes in, when Dawson McCartney tore down the left wing and crossed into the box […]
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Newport community gives back to longtime advocates with new roof for Jimmy and Barbara Winters
Jimmy and Barbara Winters, founders of the Newport Housing Hotline, are being recognized for more than 45 years of helping others with a brand-new roof for their Newport home, courtesy of a community partnership that came together on Thursday. Middletown-based A1 Roofing & Construction led the project alongside the Newport County Board of Realtors Charities […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Vanderbilt opens Roof Deck for the season today
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection officially opens its Roof Deck for the season today, returning one of the city’s popular sunset spots to the rotation just in time for the first weekend of May. Overlooking Newport Harbor and the Claiborne Pell Bridge, the Roof Deck offers wraparound views, handcrafted cocktails and a seasonal menu. It will […]
Posted inCity & Government
Assembly passes Finkelman, Cortvriend bill bringing property tax relief to Middletown veterans
The Rhode Island General Assembly has passed legislation that would clear the way for property tax relief for Middletown veterans, sponsors announced. The bill, 2026-H 7662, was introduced by Rep. Alex S. Finkelman, D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown, in partnership with Rep. Terri Cortvriend, D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown, and the Middletown Town Council. It passed the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Former Newport City Councilor Angela Lima launches Senate District 13 campaign
Angela Lima, a former three-term member of the Newport City Council, announced Thursday that she is running for the Rhode Island Senate’s District 13 seat representing Newport and Jamestown. The announcement sets up a Democratic primary against Sen. Dawn Euer, who launched her own reelection campaign earlier this week and has held the seat since […]
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Newport’s parking season begins Friday, May 1
The city’s paid parking and residential permit programs return Friday, May 1, with metered pay-by-plate parking, residential parking restrictions and beach access for residents all back in effect for the summer season. Newport residential parking pass holders will again be entitled to three free hours of parking in every metered space across the city, as […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Smoke House opens for summer season
Smoke House, the Southern-style barbecue restaurant on America’s Cup Avenue, has reopened for the summer season, bringing back its slow-smoked meats alongside a refreshed cocktail list and several new menu additions. The restaurant, located at 31 Scott’s Wharf, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11:30 […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport Public Schools facing $2M shortfall, with restructuring and possible layoffs ahead
Newport Public Schools are facing a roughly $2 million budget shortfall heading into the 2026-2027 school year, Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain said in her weekly update to families Wednesday evening — a gap she said the district is trying to close without cutting staff, but that will likely require restructuring. The figure marks a shift […]
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Newport Public Schools draw about 12 applicants for interim superintendent
About a dozen people have applied to serve as Newport’s interim superintendent of schools, Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain said Wednesday, with the school committee on track to name her one-year successor next month. Jermain, who announced in October that she will step down June 30 after more than 12 years leading the district, said the […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIPEC report says Rhode Island economy is losing ground
Rhode Island’s economy slipped against the rest of the country over the past decade, weighed down by lower-productivity industries and heavy reliance on government spending, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. RIPEC’s Economic Prosperity Scorecard uses six measures drawn from federal economic data to compare Rhode Island’s […]
Posted inCity & Government
Edwards files 10 bills seeking housing carve-outs for Tiverton
Rep. John G. Edwards has introduced a package of 10 bills aimed at giving Tiverton more local control over how new housing is built, arguing the state’s recent housing laws have not accounted for the town’s geography or demographics. Edwards, D-Tiverton, testified on the bills before the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing. “The […]
Posted inCity & Government
Smyth seeks second term on Newport City Council
Newport City Councilor Steph Smyth announced Wednesday she will run for a second term in the At-Large seat on the Newport City Council. Smyth, whose surname is pronounced sm-EYE-th, was elected in 2024 as Newport’s second-highest vote earner. She is framing her re-election bid around a first-term record she says is built on transparent budgeting, […]
Posted inNews
Norman Bird Sanctuary launches free field trips for 7th graders
The Norman Bird Sanctuary is rolling out a new program that will bring 7th-grade students onto its 300-acre campus for free, blending field science, exercise and mental wellness into a single morning outdoors. The initiative, called “Ecosystem Explorers,” is funded by a grant from the Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund at Newport Hospital. The sanctuary […]
Posted inNews
RIPTA expands 231 Flex on Demand service to northern Aquidneck Island
State and local leaders gathered Wednesday to mark the launch of an expanded RIPTA Flex on Demand pilot that stretches the 231 Flex Zone north to take in major Aquidneck Island employers and residential sites. The expansion, which runs April 29 through June 30, brings on-demand, app-based public transit to riders headed to Raytheon, the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Euer files bill to cap utility capital spending hikes, shield ratepayers from lobbying costs
Sen. Dawn Euer has introduced legislation aimed at slowing the rapid climb in utility-driven costs on Rhode Islanders’ energy bills, capping how much public utility companies can grow their capital spending plans each year and barring them from passing certain business expenses on to customers. The bill, 2026-S 2779, would limit annual increases to a […]
Posted inCity & Government
General Assembly passes Jamestown senior property tax relief bill
The Rhode Island General Assembly on Tuesday passed legislation that would expand Jamestown’s senior property tax relief program, sending the bill to Gov. Dan McKee for consideration. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer, D-Newport, and Rep. Alex Finkelman, D-Jamestown, was requested by the Jamestown Town Council. It would extend the town’s existing tax-relief program […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical to close Chamber Series with pianist James Zijian Wei and a flute-piano duo
Newport Classical will wrap its 2025-2026 Chamber Series with two concerts at the Newport Classical Recital Hall, beginning with a solo recital by pianist James Zijian Wei on Friday, May 8, and closing with a flute-and-piano program by Amir Hoshang Farsi and Mika Sasaki on Friday, June 5. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at the […]
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Carson bill would create state fund for Newport Hospital birthing center, with strings attached
Rep. Lauren H. Carson on Tuesday introduced legislation to create a state-supported fund for Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center, conditioning any public money on the hospital keeping the center fully staffed and open to community oversight. The bill is Carson’s response to Brown University Health’s announcement earlier this month that it will keep […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Newport Vineyards to open Farm & Barrel Bistro on May 8
Newport Vineyards will debut a new on-site restaurant, Farm & Barrel Bistro, on Friday, May 8 at its Middletown property. The bistro replaces the vineyard’s previous dining program with a farm-to-table concept built around ingredients from the winery’s own farm and greenhouses, paired with estate-grown wines and beers from Taproot Brewing Co., the on-site brewery […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jamestown Arts Center to host third annual Mark S. Weil lecture on Gauguin’s influence
The Jamestown Arts Center will host the third annual Mark S. Weil Art History Lecture on Sunday, May 3, featuring art historian Elizabeth C. Childs of Washington University in St. Louis. The lecture, titled “Why Gauguin Matters: Artistic Response from Matisse to Global Contemporary Art,” will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at the arts […]
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Tom Petty tribute band The Breakers to play Newport’s JPT in October
The Breakers, a tribute band devoted to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, will perform at the JPT Film & Event Center in Newport on Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. The show, presented by Spectacle Live, will be held at the historic Washington Square venue, formerly the Jane Pickens Theater. Tickets go on sale Friday, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Sen. Dawn Euer launches reelection bid for Newport, Jamestown Senate seat
Sen. Dawn Euer will seek reelection to the Rhode Island Senate’s District 13 seat, which covers Newport and Jamestown. Her campaign is set to kick off Saturday with a fundraiser that will also collect food donations and grocery store gift cards for the Housing Hotline. Euer, a Democrat first elected in a 2017 special election, […]