The Preservation Society of Newport County announced Wednesday a deaccession initiative aimed at strengthening its permanent collection by removing items that no longer align with the organization’s interpretive mission. The initiative covers the organization’s wide-ranging permanent collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles, tapestries, photographs and period dress housed across its 11 historic […]
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Sail Newport steps aside as St. Pete-Clearwater named next North American stopover of The Ocean Race
St. Pete-Clearwater, Fla., will serve as the North American stopover of The Ocean Race 2027, race organizers announced Wednesday, with Sail Newport confirming it chose not to pursue the bid. Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center — which hosted the race in 2015 and 2018 under the Volvo Ocean Race name and again in […]
Posted inCity & Government
Edwards again pushes bill to shift coastal oversight from CRMC to DEM
For the second consecutive year, a Tiverton lawmaker is pushing to strip the Coastal Resources Management Council of its authority and hand coastal oversight to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton) introduced legislation this session — bill 2026-H 7996 — that would abolish the CRMC and replace […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport’s budget season kicks off with series of city council workshops
The city’s annual budget process is getting underway this month, with the Newport City Council set to hold a series of special budget workshops beginning later this month. The sessions will take place in the second-floor council chamber at Newport City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. and are open to the public. All workshops will […]
Posted inBusiness
Newport International Boat Show reports $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during 2025 event
The Newport International Boat Show generated more than $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during its 2025 event, according to a newly released economic impact study. The show, which took place Sept. 11-14, 2025, at the Newport Yachting Center in downtown Newport, drew 30,000 attendees from across the country and around the world. […]
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What if the bar came to you on St. Patrick’s Day? These mini Irish pubs make it a reality
By LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press READING, Mass. (AP) — Just before St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish pub appeared one night beneath a basketball hoop in a suburban Massachusetts driveway. Neighbors packed around the bar as music played and Guinness flowed — inside a miniature pub that had been towed in for the night. Instead of heading […]
Posted inCity & Government
McKee visits Newport to push for elimination of Rhode Island’s tax on Social Security benefits
Gov. Dan McKee visited the Edward King House senior center Monday to promote his proposal to eliminate Rhode Island’s tax on Social Security benefits, joining AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor and Office of Healthy Aging Director Maria Cimini to make the case directly to older adults. “Many people here have been paying taxes […]
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16 motorists arrested for impaired driving during regional enforcement campaign on parade day
A regional law enforcement campaign targeting impaired drivers on Saint Patrick’s Day Parade day resulted in 16 arrests across Aquidneck Island and South County, Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy announced Monday. Officers from the Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, Jamestown, North Kingstown, South Kingstown and Narragansett police departments, along with Rhode Island State Police, participated in […]
Posted inNonprofit
Newport Mental Health adds five new members to board of directors
Newport Mental Health has appointed five new members to its board of directors, the organization announced Monday, adding community leaders with backgrounds spanning real estate law, product management, mental health advocacy and nonprofit work. Sue Metzger, John Toracinta, Ruth Ellen Scott, Patrick Barry-Nolan and Joshua Blumen join the board at what the organization describes as […]
Posted inCity & Government
We’ve got the power: Revolution Wind begins delivering electricity to regional grid
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island CurrentMarch 16, 2026 Rhode Island’s electric grid now includes some power from its first utility-scale offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, project developers announced Friday night. The initial power delivery is not the final achievement: The 65-turbine project is 93% complete and not expected to hit its full 704-megawatt nameplate capacity […]
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Scientists made a breakthrough in the study of whale sounds. Here’s a look at the numbers
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Researchers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, recently discovered the oldest known recordings of whale sounds and believe the discovery could help understand how the animals communicate. The recording is the song of a humpback whale, a species of large whale known for its complex songs. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, said […]
Posted inMartha's Vineyard
Oldest known whale recording could unlock mysteries of the ocean
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known. The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport’s Opera House has been under renovation for 25 years. It’s still not open.
When first conceived, organizers were exuberant about the possibilities a reopened historic opera house on Newport’s Washington Square would bring to the community. The Newport Performing Arts Center project received more than $4.2 million, second largest of nine grants from a 2014 Creative and Cultural Economy Bond. Randy Rosenbaum, then executive director of the Rhode […]
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Open containers, disorderly conduct top charges as Newport police issue 46 citations and arrests on parade day
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect corrected figures provided by the Newport Police Department. An initial arrest log sent to media Sunday morning listed 26 entries. Capt. Joseph C. Carroll later clarified that the department’s new records system had difficulty separating custodial arrests from municipal court citations, and that the correct totals […]
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Construction finishes on a major offshore wind farm, the first during Trump’s tenure
Construction is finished on a major Massachusetts offshore wind farm, the first project to reach this stage during President Donald Trump’s time in office. Offshore construction was completed Friday night on Vineyard Wind with the installation of the final blades, Craig Gilvarg, a spokesperson for the project, said Saturday. Trump, who often talks about his hatred […]
Posted inCity & Government
Offshore wind project targeted by Trump administration starts sending power to the New England grid
An offshore wind project targeted by the Trump administration has begun sending power to New England’s electric grid, the developer said Friday. The Danish company Orsted said Revolution Wind is now generating power and will scale up in the weeks ahead until it is fully operational. Orsted is building Revolution Wind with Global Infrastructure Partners’ […]
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Multi-agency impaired driving enforcement campaign set for Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Local and state law enforcement from across Aquidneck Island and South County will join forces Saturday for a high-visibility impaired driving enforcement campaign coinciding with the 70th annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Officers from the Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Jamestown, North Kingstown and South Kingstown police departments, along with Rhode Island State Police troopers, […]
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Providence fires coach Kim English a day after Friars lose to St. John’s in Big East quarterfinals
By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kim English’s three-year tenure at Providence is over. Athletic director Steve Napolillo announced English’s firing Friday, a day after the Friars lost 85-72 to No. 13 St. John’s in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals and finished 15-18. “We appreciate Kim and his staff for their efforts over […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport’s 70th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade set for Saturday
The 70th annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. Saturday from Newport City Hall, 43 Broadway, with staging beginning at 9 a.m. The route will travel down Broadway into Washington Square, south onto Thames Street, onto America’s Cup Avenue and back onto Thames Street, ending on Carroll Avenue at St. Augustine’s […]
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Sail Newport program director Kim Hapgood marks 30 years at the helm of sailing education
Kim Hapgood, program director at Sail Newport, is celebrating 30 years with the nonprofit public sailing center — three decades that have shaped thousands of sailors and helped establish the organization as a nationally recognized leader in sailing education. Hapgood joined Sail Newport in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive slate of programs serving […]
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Sail Newport to host J/Boats president Jeff Johnstone for lecture on company’s 50-year history
Sail Newport will host Jeff Johnstone, president of Newport-based J/Boats, Inc., for a lecture tracing the company’s five decades of sailboat design on Thursday, April 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park. The event, part of Sail Newport’s Challenger Lecture Series presented by Hinckley Yachts, comes as J/Boats approaches its 50th anniversary. Johnstone […]
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Newport School Committee backs bilingual education bill as multilingual learner population surges
The Newport School Committee has approved a resolution supporting the Support and Access to Bilingual Education (SABE) Act, joining a growing list of Rhode Island communities backing the legislation now under consideration in the General Assembly. The committee voted in support of the bill at its March 10 meeting. The legislation, filed as SB2555 and […]
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Charlie Holder, Sr. Memorial race returns May 9 with new 10K option
The Holder family has announced the third annual Charlie Holder, Sr. Memorial 5K and 10K charity race will be held Saturday, May 9, with both races starting and finishing at the Newport County YMCA, 792 Valley Road. New this year is a 10K option, featuring a course with views of three beaches and Hanging Rock, […]
Posted inPeople & Profiles
This Day in RI History: March 13, 1799 -Oliver Shaw born in Newport
Oliver Shaw was one of the first important American classical composers. Due to a childhood accident and later a case of yellow fever, he was totally blind when he composed many of his most notable works. His works included many references to local places including “Taunton,” “Bristol” and “Trip to Pawtucket.” Shaw also composed numerous […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Mansions’ ‘Sessions’ music video series features local duo Laden Valley at The Elms
The Newport Mansions’ new music video series “Sessions” continues this month with a live performance from Newport-based roots-folk duo Laden Valley, recorded at The Elms mansion. The video is available now on the Newport Mansions YouTube channel at youtube.com/@newport.mansions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkSk8NXxR9c Laden Valley — Evan St. Martin and Dave Sarazen — draw on the sonic palette […]