The Rhode Island State House hosted a presentation on Thursday, January 25 of 10 accessory dwelling units (ADUs) designed by local design students as part of a national initiative to promote ADUs as a solution to housing a growing population of older adults. The project was prompted by a prompt from the AARP Rhode Island […]
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Rhode Island accepting applications for specialty crop grants
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is currently accepting applications for grants that will help to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in the state. The funding for the grants, which are being made available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), is expected to reach $270,000 and will be awarded […]
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Aquidneck Island Cornhole League kicks off season on March 4
It’s time to get ready for summer’s big game! The inaugural season of the Aquidneck Island Cornhole League kicks off on Monday, March 4. The Aquidneck Island Cornhole League, a two-person-per-team league, will run for eight weeks with a double-elimination playoff at the end of the season. The season will run from March 4 through […]
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Legislative Outlook: Senator Linda Ujifusa, D-Dist. 11 (Portsmouth, Bristol)
With the start of Rhode Island’s legislative session underway, we reached out, as we have these past few years, to the area’s legislative delegation with a brief survey looking at their initiatives in the past session and what they hope to accomplish in the 2024 session. We also asked about their perceptions of the state’s […]
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Newport and Middletown are among 20 communities across Rhode Island that will receive grants for climate resilience projects
Today, Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank announced $12 million in Action Grants for participants of the Municipal Resilience Program (MRP). Communities prioritized local actions through the program and will use grant funds to implement projects to increase their climate resilience. Funding for these action grants comes from the 2022 voter-approved Green […]
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U.S. agencies set plans to protect endangered right whales during offshore wind operations
By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Two federal environmental agencies issued plans Thursday to better protect endangered whales amid offshore wind farm development. That move came as two offshore wind developers announced they were swapping projects. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released […]
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Hundreds explore RI’s Charter Schools at Providence Fair
Over 100 families and students had the opportunity to learn more about charter schools at the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools’ Fair on Wednesday, January 24. The fair, held at Times2 STEM Academy in Providence, featured twenty-two charter schools showcasing their innovative programs. Chiara Deltito-Sharrott, executive director of the League, expressed her excitement at […]
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Andris Nelsons agrees to rolling contract as Boston Symphony Orchestra music director
BOSTON (AP) — Andris Nelsons has agreed to a rolling contract as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The 45-year-old Latvian has been the BSO’s music director since the 2014-15 season, when he began a five-year contract. That was replaced by an eight-year deal through 2021-22 and in October 2020 a three-year extension through the […]
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Rhode Island launches new solar access program for low-to-moderate income households
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources has partnered with other programs to launch a new solar access program for low-to-moderate income households. The program, which is called ASAP, will provide solar leases and power purchase agreements to eligible homeowners, and is expected to benefit about 200 to 300 households. The goal of the program […]
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U.S. Naval War College hosts Wargaming 101 Course
The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted the 11th edition of its introductory course, Wargaming 101, which provides wargaming leaders with a critical perspective on how and why they make decisions. The course, designed for senior military leaders and wargaming creators, offers valuable insights into the wargaming process and how wargames can be used to […]
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Two Newport residents selected by 401 Tech Bridge program to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Rhode Island
Can you guess what these three coastal states have in common: Rhode Island, Alaska, and Hawaii? Despite 4,000-plus miles separating them, the three are joined in a new RISE-UP initiative funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research. It selected Rhode Island and its far-flung counterparts to advance innovation and technology. The new partnership — […]
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Rhode Island to receive $81 million grant to improve access to Quonset Business Park
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has awarded the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) with an $81 million grant to improve access to the Quonset Business Park. The funding will be used to complete the final link between Route 4 and I-95, providing a more direct north-south route for drivers. The project, which […]
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Governor holding final interviews for Director of the Department of Health
The state of Rhode Island may be close to hiring its first Director of the Department of Health in more than two years, ending a period of post-pandemic interim directors. Gov. Dan McKee, appearing on WBLQ’s It’s Your Business, hosted by Frank Prosnitz, says he’s down to “two or three final interviews” and working with […]
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Portsmouth Police welcomes first-ever comfort dog
Portsmouth Police Department recently announced on social media the arrival of K9 Holly, a 16-month-old Labrador Retriever. “The Portsmouth Police Department is excited to announce our newest member, our first-ever comfort dog! Our new comfort dog, Holly, has worked very hard to complete her training and is excited to start in her new position,” Portsmouth […]
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Homeless Count across Rhode Island begins today
The annual count of homeless individuals and families in Rhode Island – and across the nation — began today, with the expectation that the numbers that have consistently been rising for five years will continue to rise. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducts its Point-in-Time Count on what used to be one […]
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Jamie Lehane retiring as Newport Mental Health’s President and CEO
James M. “Jamie” Lehane announced today that he is stepping down as President and CEO of Newport Mental Health. “Lehane’s decade of visionary leadership played a pivotal role in guiding the organization through unprecedented challenges,” a press release from Newport Mental Health states. “Whether it was finding creative ways to provide uninterrupted services during the […]
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James Beard Awards: Giusto, Andy Teixeira, and Basil Yu are among the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists
The James Beard Foundation announced its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists in advance of the James Beard Awards presented by Capital One. Among the 2024 semifinalists are one restaurant and two chefs from Newport County. Basil Yu, Chef and Owner of Yagi Noodles in Newport, and Andy Teixeira, Executive Chef at Newport Vineyards in […]
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Beach Road Weekend, MV Concert Series will not be returning to Martha’s Vineyard
The Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation announced today that the Beach Road Weekend music festival and MV Concert Series will not return to Martha’s Vineyard. The following announcement was shared by organizers; Beach Road Weekend and MV Concert Series Come to a Close on Martha’s Vineyard Iconic Festival To Find New Home on Mainland (Vineyard […]
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Rhode Island commission to discuss short-term property rental industry
The Rhode Island tax administrator, the leader of Discover Newport and an economist will testify before a legislative commission on Monday to discuss the short-term property rental industry. The meeting of the Special Legislative Commission to Review and Provide Recommendations for Policies that Deal with Numerous Economic and Social Short-Term Rentals Issues will include an […]
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Seaview Railroad breaks record, transporting over 7,500 cars in 2023
The Seaview Railroad has reached a record-breaking milestone in its efforts to support economic growth in Rhode Island. In 2023, the railroad transported over 7,513 cars, the most ever in a single year at Quonset Business Park in Quonset, Rhode Island. The rail cars hauled a wide range of products, including automobiles, lumber, and plastic […]
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How personal income has changed in Newport County
The start of the 2020s saw dramatic movement in Americans’ personal incomes—and a positive one at that for those in the middle- and lower-income brackets. Stimulus checks and pandemic-era welfare programs added thousands to households’ bottom lines through tax credits for things like child care. A cultural revolution in the workforce, referred to as the […]
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Rhode Island Treasurer unveils framework for investing in Rhode Islanders
Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa unveiled a framework for investing in Rhode Islanders on Tuesday. The initiative will focus on three key areas: retirement savings, the Crime Victim Compensation Program, and economic development. The Secure Choice Act is a retirement savings plan for private sector employees in Rhode Island who are not offered a […]
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Trump wins New Hampshire primary as rematch with Biden appears increasingly likely
By HOLLY RAMER, JILL COLVIN and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Joe Biden feel all the more inevitable. The result was a setback for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who […]
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Newport String Project among ten Rhode Island-based organizations awarded grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced that ten Rhode Island-based organizations and projects have been awarded a total of $275,000 in grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help strengthen and expand the state’s arts and cultural ecosystem. Among the awardees […]