What'sUpNewp

PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 AGENDA On September 14, 2020, the Portsmouth Town Council meeting will be live streamed on the web and by phone dial-in using the Zoom remote meeting service. The public meeting will begin at 6:00 PM, at which time the Council may vote to meet in Executive Session.  Any […]

Hogan Associates this week announced the September 11, 2020 sale of 296 Tuckerman Avenue in Middletown for $3,750,000. It was Middletown’s second-highest sale of the year, according to Hogan Associates. Barbara O’Reilly of Hogan Associates represented the Buyers who searched for 3 years before finding the perfect place. The airy, open, 4,700 square foot home […]

The Greenlove Foundation today announced its donation of a water bottle filling station to Newport’s Boys & Girls Florence Gray Center. The station received and installed in early March.   The initial “reveal” was planned in partnership with Salve University’s Green Team but as a result of COVID19, it has been postponed for now.   […]

Protect your home and help to create a safer Rhode Island for all residents by attending the upcoming Eco-Depot collection – hosted by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (Resource Recovery) – on Saturday, September 26 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Easton’s Beach located at 175 Memorial Boulevard in Newport. This Eco-Depot is available free […]

By Bari Freeman, Bike Newport The national organization Bike to the Beach for Autism has brought their signature fundraising ride to Newport since 2011. Bike Newport has supported the ride and riders since that time – when the Aquidneck Island organization was still a nascent nonprofit without staff or offices. This year, it will be […]

Newport Public Schools has scheduled a virtual Town Hall meeting this evening at 6:00 pm to give the community an opportunity to learn more about the district’s reopening plans. While Governor Gina Raimondo has given the green light for Newport Public Schools to reopen on September 14th with full in-person learning, Superintendent Colleen Burners Jermain […]

Naval Station Newport has opened Gate One on Training Station Road. In an email to What’s Up Newp, Corelia Mueller, Community Planning Liason Officer for Naval Station Newport, shares that the gate is open 24hours/7 days per week and is open to all privately owned vehicles. No commercial vehicles are allowed to pass through Gate […]

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing Warren Town Beach for swimming because of high bacteria levels. RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message […]

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends reopening Fogland Beach in Tiverton and Gooseberry Beach in Newport for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.  RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality regularly to ensure safe bathing throughout the summer. The status of a beach may change as new data become […]

The following was submitted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Newport County Branch; “On the last Sunday in August, since 1967, the Newport County Branch-NAACP hosts the Black Regiment Monument Commemoration Ceremony in honor of the men from the First Rhode Island Regiment – the Black Regiment- who fought so […]

Source: New York Yacht Club NEWPORT, R.I. – Sail long enough and you’re sure to have a leg where all factors conspire against you: the wind, the tide, the competition, passing motor boats, everything. That’s what this year is like for regatta organizers. The New York Yacht Club’s plan to re-start the 2020 sailing season […]

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends reopening Barrington Town Beach for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels. RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality regularly to ensure safe bathing throughout the summer. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date […]

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends reopening Peabody’s Beach in Middletown for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels. RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality regularly to ensure safe bathing throughout the summer. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most […]

East Bay legislators and local government leaders are banding together in opposition to the potential consolidation of Rhode Island’s quasi-public transportation agencies. One of those agencies, the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, operates four bridges in the East Bay region. And locals worry about handing the bridges over to the Department of Transportation, which […]

Despite camps being closed this summer, 62 percent according to the American Camp Association recent surveys, those that remained open or somewhat open during the pandemic have been helping children and staff understand and get through the crisis. At the Norman Bird Sanctuary, Boys and Girls Club of Newport County, Fab Newport, and MLK Community […]

Source: Rhode Island Foundation ​Newport, RI – Nonprofit organizations serving Newport County residents will share $290,000 in grants through the Rhode Island Foundation’s Newport County Fund (NCF). The funding will support a host of activities ranging from emergency housing and distance learning to food pantries and job training.“In a year marked by the impact of […]

After thirteen days at sea, 11th Hour Racing Team have arrived home to Newport after a successful delivery from Concarneau, France. Their refurbished 60-foot monohull, skippered by Charlie Enright (USA), slipped into Fort Adams just after 0830 ET this morning. The Atlantic crossing has been a dual opportunity for the team to test the boat […]

With less than three months to the General Election, and less than a month to the Primary Election, What’s Up Newp begins its comprehensive coverage of not only elections in Newport County, but also key statewide legislative races. Surveys were emailed to candidates in Newport County. We have received several responses, with still more coming […]

With less than three months to the General Election, and less than a month to the Primary Election, What’s Up Newp begins its comprehensive coverage of not only elections in Newport County, but also key statewide legislative races. Surveys were emailed to candidates in Newport County. We have received several responses, with still more coming […]

Middletown, RI – The Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island (HSHSRI) Project – project of the Middletown-based non-profit, Clean Ocean Access – in partnership with the compost hauling company Rhodeside Revival has opened 5 hub spot food scrap drop-off locations on and around Aquidneck Island! The Johnston Landfill – the only open landfill in Rhode […]

After speaking with Admiral Karl Schultz, Coast Guard Commandant, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, today announced that Rhode Island will serve as the homeport for two new 360-foot Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), which will be based out of Naval Station […]

The Community College of Rhode Island is hosting a virtual Rhode Island Promise enrollment event on Thursday, August 13 at 6 pm. The Rhode Island Promise scholarship provides two years free tuition for Rhode Island graduating high school seniors enrolling at CCRI full-time this fall. During the virtual event, students and parents will meet with […]

Newport, RI – Touro Synagogue Foundation announces the once-a-year opportunity for the public to visit the Colonial Jewish Burying Ground, established in the 1670s to serve Newport’s early Hebrew congregation.  The cemetery is located up the hill from Touro Synagogue, at the intersection of Kay Street, Touro Street and Bellevue Avenue. Cemetery gates will be […]

Newport, RI – Throughout 20 long weeks of service during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (MLK Center) had to distribute prebagged groceries rather than host its Client Choice Food Pantry. At the same time, the Center could not accept food donations from the public. Beginning in August, the MLK […]

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Fish and Wildlife today announced that it is partnering with the Woonsocket Harris Public Library to host a virtual, family-friendly program about coyotes on Friday, August 21 at 1:30 p.m. Attendees will learn about the Eastern coyote’s natural history, as well as tips on how to coexist coyotes. […]

Jamestown, RI – The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) today announced the successful completion of Phase Two of the Newport Pell Bridge roadway deck rehabilitation project. Phase Two, which began June 3rd, consisted of a partial depth hydro-demolition and replacement of the concrete roadway deck of 4,500 feet to the westbound travel lane (center […]

Newport, RI – Newport Open Space Partnership (NOSP) has announced that its 2020 Summer Programming has gone digital. NOSP encourages Newport’s children of all ages to explore the great outdoors in their own backyard or neighborhood with virtual programming. Programming includes a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt in which participants can discover the nature and community immediately […]

Jamestown, RI – The Jamestown Arts Center (JAC) this week announced that they will host ENSEMBLE / PARALLAX “Emergence: Inspiration Alone, Together,” a socially-distanced live music event, on Saturday, August 15th.  Treat yourself to an extraordinary live music experience in the Jamestown Arts Center’s open-air gallery. Choose from a schedule of eight, 30-minute performances by […]

Although unable to hold its traditional late summer food drive in its 20 branches statewide, Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) is helping ensure their food pantry partners have resources to meet the increased need brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In support of food acquisition, the bank has provided a total of $7,500 to 15 pantries […]

Newport, RI – The Zabriskie Memorial Church of Saint John the Evangelist, located at 61 Washington Street in Newport,  this week announced that they will return to in-person services and regular service times, in addition to their new outdoor “Mass on the Grass” service. “St. John’s will hold a low Mass “Mass on the Grass” […]

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today announced that it has awarded $4,360,600 in matching grants to 13 municipalities and community organizations for climate resilience projects across Rhode Island.  The grants will fund 14 projects to restore and improve the climate resilience of vulnerable coastal habitats, as well as river and stream floodplains and related habitats, according to DEM.  Funding includes $4 million from the 2018 […]

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that it has closed the snack bar at Scarborough South State Beach in Narragansett after learning that an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. The vendor that runs food concessions at state beaches notified DEM about the positive test result at 1:30 PM today and […]

Portsmouth, RI – Common Fence Music will present Jake Blount in a free online concert on Sunday, August 9 at 7 pm. A link will be provided at commonfencemusic.org at showtime and all tips go to the artist. Jake Blount is an award-winning banjoist, fiddler, singer and scholar based in Providence, RI. He is one of a small but growing group of fine […]

On Thursday afternoon, staff and board members from Westerly’s The United Theatre joined Governor Gina Raimondo, representatives from the Newport Festivals Foundation, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and sponsors to present $80,000 in COVID-19 artist relief funds raised as part of last month’s UNITED FOR GRADS program. United for Grads is a […]

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing Scarborough Beach-South in Narragansett and Barrington Town Beach for swimming because of high bacteria levels. Scarborough Beach- North remains open for swimming. RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality regularly to ensure safe bathing throughout the summer. The status of a beach may […]

Newport, RI – The Fort Adams Trust today announced the opening of its “1824 Coffee Post” at the Visitors Center for the remainder of the season.  The snack shop is open every day from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. featuring family-friendly traditional snacks including hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels on weekends with snacks, and assorted beverages […]

As a part of the on-going process in Rhode Island to improve medical marijuana product safety and transparency, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) today announced it has licensed Green Peaks Analytical as the State’s first licensed marijuana sampling and testing laboratory. To date, products sold at compassion centers in Rhode Island have been tested […]

Two Middletown nonprofits are among the organizations that will share nearly $1.7 million in grants from the COVID-19 Behavioral Health Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Foundation announced today. The grants come as they report a surge in stress due to the crisis.  “The health and economic effects of the pandemic are creating significant behavioral health […]

The Community College of Rhode Island Foundation recently elected three individuals to serve as Trustees, including Angela (Angie) Bannerman Ankoma, Bryony Bouyer, and Thomas F. Gilbane, Jr. Bannerman Ankoma currently serves as Executive Vice President, Director of Community Investment, for the United Way of Rhode Island and is co-owner of the Copa Menswear clothing store located […]