Maureen Ferran, Rochester Institute of Technology The U.S. government is fighting to contain and slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Testing is central to these efforts. Molecular biologist and viral researcher Maureen Ferran answers some basic questions about how these diagnostic tests work – and if there are enough to go around. Who gets […]
City & Government
A look at What’s Up in city and government in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inCity & Government
Coronavirus control measures aren’t pointless – just slowing down the pandemic could save millions of lives
Matthew McQueen, University of Colorado Boulder Anywhere from 20% to 60% of the adults around the world may be infected with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. That’s the estimate from leading epidemiological experts on communicable disease dynamics. Even the best-case scenario using those numbers means nearly 40,000,000 adults will […]
Posted inCity & Government
North End Urban Plan Public Forum #2 canceled
UPDATE: Out of an abundance of caution and with new guidelines provided by RIDOH and the Governor in mind, NBBJ announced at Newport City Council’s meeting on Wednesday night that their North End Urban Plan Public Forum #2 has been canceled. Newporters are encouraged to give their perspective on their online comment portal. Help Newport create […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled amid coronavirus disease concerns
After receiving further direction from the Governor’s Office and the Rhode Island Department of Health, the City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to cancel this Saturday’s 64th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Original Story After receiving further direction from the Governor’s Office and the Rhode Island Department of Health, the City of Newport has issued a press […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
City Council appoints Stephanie Winslow to fill vacancy on School Committee
City Council unanimously voted to appoint Stephanie Winslow to fill the vacancy on School Committee this evening. The vacancy on the School Committee came when Kathleen Silvia resigned her seat effective January 27th, 2020. Winslow, one of eight candidates who applied and interviewed for the position, will serve only until a person is elected and […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
RIDOH: New guidance issued for large events in Rhode Island
As a part of on-going efforts to limit or prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Rhode Island, Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), issued updated guidance today regarding large events. This guidance is in line with the latest guidance from the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Ruggiero bill would allow municipalities to classify busy short-term rentals as commercial property
The following was provided by the press office at the RI General Assembly. As short-term rentals have increasingly become a major segment of the tourism market, governments have grappled with the appropriate ways to regulate them to ensure safety and fairness, and prevent them from becoming a nuisance to residential neighborhoods. To help Rhode Island […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Governor Raimondo, RIDOH to provide guidance this afternoon concerning St. Patrick’s Day Parades and other large, organized events
Update – Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled amid coronavirus disease concerns Update – City Of Newport: Council expected to vote to cancel Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Governor Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Health plans on offering guidance on upcoming large, organized events to municipalities and organizers this afternoon. That update […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport will not host 64th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14th (Updated)
Update – Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled amid coronavirus disease concerns Update – Governor Raimondo, RIDOH to provide guidance this afternoon concerning St. Patrick’s Day Parades and other large, organized events Update – City Of Newport: Council expected to vote to cancel Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade The following was written/provided by Tom Shevlin, […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Newport parade moves ahead, in spite of state recommendation
Update – Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled amid coronavirus disease concerns As the state was reporting its fourth and fifth cases of the coronavirus, soon after the governor declared a state of emergency, and while cities and towns across the country were canceling or postponing large celebrations, the Newport City Council voted 4 to […]
Posted inCity & Government
Raimondo signs legislation raising Minimum Wage in Rhode Island
Today Governor Gina M. Raimondo, surrounded by legislators, union leaders and other advocates for working families, signed into law H7157A/S2417A, raising the minimum wage in Rhode Island to $11.50 an hour. The wage increase will take effect on October 1. “Nobody should work full-time and live in poverty,” said Governor Raimondo in a statement. “Over the […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rep. Abney honored with ‘Lifetime Democratic Education Award’ from RIDE Professional Employees Union
House Finance Committee Chairman Marvin L. Abney (D-Dist. 73, Newport, Middletown) was honored by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Professional Employees Union Local #2012 with the “Lifetime Democratic Education Award” at the group’s 50th Anniversary Summit on March 9. The event was held at the Omni Hotel in Providence. “It is a […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
City Council votes to allow Newport Saint Patrick’s Day Parade to go on as scheduled
This story was originally published at 10:24 pm on Monday. It has been updated. Update – Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled amid coronavirus disease concerns Editor’s Note City Council voted 4 to 3 last night to not pull the parade permit for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in light of the coronavirus outbreak and […]
Posted inCity & Government
COVID-19: CCRI suspends all college-sponsored domestic travel; cancels all events with 100 or more participants
CCRI announced today that they have taken additional steps to help prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 and to mitigate the community spread of the virus: Today: 1. CCRI expanded its travel policy to include suspending all college-sponsored domestic travel (On Saturday, CCRI suspended college-sponsored international travel). 2. CCRI canceled all events with 100 or more participants through […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIDOH identifies two additional cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
via RIDOH. Two additional cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been identified through testing at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)’s State Health Laboratories. These are Rhode Island’s fourth and fifth cases. These results are considered presumptive positive cases until they are confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Governor Raimondo Declares State of Emergency in response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced in a press conference this afternoon that today she has signed a declaration creating a State of Emergency in Rhode Island, allowing the State to access additional resources to supplement its robust response to COVID-19. In addition, today the Governor, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), and Rhode […]
Posted inArts & Culture, City & Government
Reception for Irish delegation rescheduled to Thursday
A public reception initially planned for Tuesday, March 10th to welcome a visiting delegation from Newport’s Sister City of Kinsale, Ireland, has been rescheduled. Mayor Jamie Bova and the Newport City Council are once again inviting the public to join them on Thursday, March 12th from 6-7 p.m. at the Edward King House to welcome members of […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Bipartisan bill aims to protect Rhode Islanders from prosecution over shoreline access
The following was submitted by the Press Office of the RI General Assembly. The right of Rhode Islanders to access the shoreline has been inalienable since it was written into the state constitution in 1843. Yet exactly where the public shoreline ends and private property begins has always been as tumultuous and unsettled as the […]
Posted inCity & Government, Opinion
Guest View – Senator DiPalma: RI needs a reliable and resilient energy infrastructure system
Rhode Islanders expect and deserve a resilient and reliable energy system. It is absolutely essential that natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure be able to handle the job. The critical importance of our energy infrastructure was never more apparent than on January 21, 2019. On that fateful day approximately 7,500 Aquidneck Island natural […]
Posted inCity & Government
Mayor’s Update – March 8: A look ahead at this week in Newport
Please stay informed about the latest developments of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. The City of Newport has a dedicated webpage with information to keep our community protected: https://www.cityofnewport.com/city-hall/departments/fire/community-resources/covid19Hi,Last week the City Council interviewed eight applicants for School Committee over two days. We had truly impressive candidates, all who applied because of their desire to contribute to their community. All eight […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIDOH: All Rhode Islanders urged to take COVID-19 prevention measures
via RIDOH As the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) continues to prepare for and respond to the international outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Rhode Islanders are being strongly urged to take a number of measures to prevent the spread of viruses. These personal prevention measures are critical complements to the efforts being taken […]
Posted inCity & Government
Agenda for Newport City Council’s March 11th meeting
Newport City Council will host their next Regular Council Meeting on Wednesday March 11th at 6:30 pm. The meeting is open to the public. CITY OF NEWPORTDOCKET OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGMARCH 11, 2020 THE MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS43 BROADWAY, NEWPORT, RI 02840 The following items of business, filed with the City […]
Posted inCity & Government, People & Profiles
Under The Dome: Senator Dawn Euer
With the start of the legislative session, I reached out to the area’s legislative delegation to survey what legislation is important to each of them, the challenges ahead, and their perspective on the upcoming legislative session. Initially, I expected to wrap the answers into a single story. But the responses were so extensive and informative […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council finishes interviewing candidates for School Committee seat
The final four candidates vying to fill a vacancy on the School Committee were interviewed by City Councilors on Thursday night. The vacancy on the School Committee came when Kathleen Silvia resigned her seat effective January 27th, 2020. In all a total of eight candidates submitted application to serve out the remainder of Silvia’s term. […]
Posted inCity & Government, People & Profiles
Celebrating Women’s History Month: ‘helping others along the way’
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of women in all aspects of our society. WhatsUpNewp reached out to successful women in several professions, asking just a few questions. We will run their responses throughout the month. Newport Councilwoman Jeanne Napolitano WUN: What one, two or three women have inspired you? […]