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 […]
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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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Your Newport County weather forecast: 7 days on land and sea
Whether you’re heading out on the water, planning a weekend event, or just trying to dress for the day, here’s your full 7-day forecast for Newport County — pulled live from NOAA’s National Weather Service and refreshed automatically. Weather Forecast Marine Forecast
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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 […]
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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
Man who killed Brown students, MIT professor targeted symbolic victims tied to grievances, FBI says
By LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Federal investigators say they believe the man who carried out a mass shooting at Brown University and later killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor did not act randomly. Instead, former Brown student Claudio Neves Valente, 48, appeared to target places and people for what they represented in his […]
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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Democrats investigate as Trump OKs almost $2 billion in taxpayer money to end offshore wind projects
The Trump administration is spending nearly $2 billion to get energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects. Democrats in Congress are investigating. The Republican administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Three agreements have been announced. U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman of California, the […]
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 […]
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Students injured in Brown University shooting sue school, alleging security failures
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Three students who were injured in the December campus shooting at Brown University are each suing the Ivy League school, alleging it ignored prior warnings about the shooter and did not provide adequate security that could have prevented the tragedy. The lawsuits, which were filed last week in […]
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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, […]
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Newport School Committee to review superintendent applications
Newport’s School Committee will begin reviewing applications for an interim school superintendent on Wednesday to replace Colleen Burns Jermain, who announced in October that she will be leaving at the end of the school year. Rebecca Bolan, the School Committee’s vice chair, said the committee advertised for an interim superintendent on Schoolspring, a primary online […]
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A student’s perspective: ‘the sophomore slump’
By Juliette Amaya Sophomore year sounds great in theory. Being 15 and 16 comes with the freedom of getting older without the burden of “real adult problems.” What many consider stressful seem to only include responsibilities associated with financial accountability for oneself, and often, family. While adult life is stressful, we often overlook the very […]
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Rare two-colored lobster caught by fishermen off Cape Cod donated to aquarium
It might be a divided lobster, but it has united New Englanders in fascination. A Cape Cod seafood company has donated a rare two-colored lobster to a science center, sparing the critter from the kettle because of its remarkable coloration. The lobster found is the typical brown color on one side and bright orange on […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
NIMFest returns to Newport’s King Park Gazebo with free Sunday concerts in July and August
The Newport Independent Music Festival is back for another summer of free waterfront concerts, with eight Sunday afternoon shows on tap at the King Park Gazebo in July and August. Better known as NIMFest, the series will run from 3 to 6 p.m. each Sunday, weather permitting, at the gazebo at 125 Wellington Ave. The […]
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Joanne Shaw Taylor to play Newport’s JPT Film & Event Center in July
Blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Joanne Shaw Taylor will take the stage at The JPT Film & Event Center this summer, Spectacle Live announced Monday. “An Evening With Joanne Shaw Taylor” is set for Thursday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Washington Square venue. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 1, at 10 a.m. […]