PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A new investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, shows that an estimated 75 priests abused more than 300 children since 1950, with the state’s top law enforcement chief warning Wednesday that the scope of the abuse is likely much bigger. The report was released by Rhode Island Attorney […]
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Rep. Carson to discuss constituent survey results in live conversation with What’sUpNewp
State Rep. Lauren Carson will join What’sUpNewp for a live one-on-one conversation Thursday, March 5, at noon to discuss the results of her 2026 constituent survey and what she is working on at the State House. Carson, a Democrat representing Newport in House District 75, released the survey in January, inviting residents to share their […]
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Cotter, DiPalma push to add conservation funding to state green bond
For the second time in as many election cycles, a pair of Rhode Island lawmakers are pushing to expand the state’s “green bond” to include land and open space conservation funding. Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, and Rep. Megan L. Cotter, D-Exeter, introduced legislation this week that would add $17.5 million to the $50 million […]
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Newport schools superintendent discusses budget gap, retirement, and merger talks
Newport Public Schools Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain joined What’sUpNewp on Wednesday for her monthly one-on-one conversation, the first in several months after weather and scheduling conflicts forced postponements. Owner and publisher Ryan Belmore and editor Frank Prosnitz led the discussion, which covered the blizzard’s impact on the school calendar, a projected budget shortfall, the ongoing […]
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Newport School Superintendent to sit down with What’sUpNewp for live interview on March 4
Colleen Burns Jermain, Superintendent of Newport Public Schools, will join What’sUpNewp for her monthly one-on-one conversation on Wednesday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m. Watch the conversation live below, or anytime afterward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTv-sxpA44
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Rhode Island Foundation awards $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits
The Rhode Island Foundation awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits in 2025, helping push the organization to the best year of grant-making in its 109-year history. Among the recipients are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County, Newport Community School, the East Bay Community Action Program, Conexion Latina Newport, […]
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Sprawling investigation finds decades of sexual abuse among Catholic priests in Rhode Island
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Catholic priests in Rhode Island preyed on hundreds of children for decades, and were protected by bishops more concerned with the church’s reputation than the victims, according to a new report on clergy sexual abuse that echoes findings elsewhere. The report, released Wednesday by Attorney General Peter […]
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Tiverton holds off Coventry 47-45 in girls basketball semifinal thriller
Jah’niece Branch scored a key late basket and Beatrice Pimentel converted six clutch free throws in the fourth quarter as the Tiverton Tigers held off Coventry 47-45 in a girls basketball semifinal Tuesday night at Tiverton High School. Branch, who finished with a game-high 15 points, delivered the decisive blow late in the fourth quarter […]
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Newport Burger Bender breaks record with 60 restaurants, 7,000 burgers sold
The 9th Annual Newport Burger Bender broke a record for the second consecutive year, with 60 restaurants participating and more than 7,000 burgers sold across Newport and Bristol counties during the 10-day event held Feb. 13-22. This year’s contest featured the most participating restaurants in the event’s history, including 10 first-time entrants. Organizers say the […]
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Jane Pickens Theater celebrates Irish culture all month long with concerts, film and dance
The Jane Pickens Theater is marking the St. Patrick’s Day season with a month of Irish music, film and dance, including live concerts, a family-friendly animated film and a cult-classic horror screening. The festivities kick off Friday, March 13, with a concert by Turas, a traditional Irish band whose name means “journey” in Irish. The […]
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Rhode Island conserves 70 acres at Gull Cove in Portsmouth using oil spill settlement funds
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has conserved 70 acres of coastal land at Gull Cove in Portsmouth, using $880,000 in funding from the Bouchard B-120 oil spill settlement. The property includes significant salt marsh habitat and coastal uplands along the northwestern shoreline of Gull Cove, an intertidal estuary adjacent to the Sakonnet River. […]
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Multiple law enforcement agencies to target impaired drivers during Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Local and state law enforcement agencies across Aquidneck Island and South County will join forces March 14 for a high-visibility impaired driving enforcement campaign coinciding with the 70th Annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade steps off at 11 a.m. from Newport City Hall, running through Washington Square, down Thames Street and ending at […]
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Lieutenant governor’s race expands as Khamsyvoravong kicks off campaign
by Alexander Castro, Rhode Island CurrentMarch 2, 2026 Newport City Councilor and former mayor Xaykham “Xay” Khamsyvoravong joined a group of seasoned health care workers for breakfast at the IHOP near the East Providence–Seekonk, Massachusetts, line Monday morning. Over plates of scrambled eggs and tiny bowls of fruit cocktail, the group was to discuss the […]
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Xay Khamsyvoravong enters Rhode Island lieutenant governor’s race
Former Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong entered the race for Rhode Island lieutenant governor Monday, becoming the latest Democrat to join a crowded primary field ahead of the state’s Sept. 8 primary. Khamsyvoravong, the son of a Laotian refugee and a Providence pediatrician, framed his campaign around economic anxiety and what he called government’s failure to […]
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Blizzard recovery Day 6: Newport lifts parking ban, announces return to normalcy Monday; schools confirmed to reopen
Newport is “just about approaching normalcy,” the city announced Sunday evening, lifting the parking ban, confirming City Hall reopens Monday with regular hours, and announcing trash collection will return to a normal schedule. The parking ban — in effect since Sunday, February 22 — has been lifted, though the city said temporary restrictions may still […]
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Blizzard recovery Day 5: RIDOT deploys industrial snow blower to Newport; crews target Historic Hill, Hillside, Broadway Saturday
Newport’s 24/7 Rapid Snow Removal operation is getting reinforcements Saturday: the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is deploying an industrial snow blower to help clear streets ahead of Monday’s reopening of schools and City Hall. The city said the high-powered snow blower and accompanying dump trucks are expected to immediately expand the city’s ability to […]
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Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting
Newly released video of the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink last week shows a chaotic scene of bystanders and law enforcement rushing to help victims and initial confusion over which person was the shooter. “My dad shot my brother,” a woman tells an officer outside the arena, police body camera video […]
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Columbia beats Brown 80-62
NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny Noland had 23 points in Columbia’s 80-62 win against Brown on Friday night. Noland added six assists for the Lions (16-10, 5-7 Ivy League). Blair Thompson scored 17 points while shooting 7 for 10, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc, and added seven rebounds. Connor Igoe had 15 […]
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Newport Schools need your help: Grab a shovel this weekend to get kids back to school Monday
After a full week of closures, Newport Public Schools is asking families, students, and neighbors to grab a shovel this weekend and help clear the way for schools to reopen Monday. Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain issued an appeal Friday asking the community to help shovel sidewalks leading to bus stops and schools. The more sidewalks […]
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Hot Tuna, Yasmin Williams & William Tyler among latest Newport Folk Festival additions
Hot Tuna, the legendary blues duo born out of Jefferson Airplane, will make its first-ever appearance at the Newport Folk Festival this summer, organizers announced this week. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady, both Rock and Roll Hall of Famers who have been playing together for more than half a century, are set for […]
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Blizzard recovery Day 4: Over 85% of Newport roads reopened; ‘Rapid Snow Removal’ crews target Broadway, Kay Street Friday; City Hall reopens Monday
More than 85 percent of Newport’s roadways have been reopened, the city announced Friday, with that number expected to climb above 90 percent by early Friday morning. Rapid Snow Removal crews are now targeting Broadway, Friendship, Powell, Kay Street, and Rhode Island Avenue as the 24/7 operation continues. City Hall will reopen Monday, along with […]
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Rose Island Lighthouse trust names new executive director as organization enters 40th year
The Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust has named Amanda Kay Ritchie as its new executive director, the Newport-based nonprofit announced Friday. The board’s selection was unanimous, capping an eight-week regional search led by the organization’s People and Culture Committee. Ritchie brings more than 12 years of senior nonprofit leadership experience in fundraising, communications, […]
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Sail Newport lecture to explore maritime escapes on the Underground Railroad
While most scholarship on the Underground Railroad has focused on overland escape routes, a forthcoming lecture at Sail Newport will shed light on a lesser-known path to freedom: the sea. Historian, author and professor Dr. Timothy D. Walker will present “Sailing to Freedom” on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Sail Newport, 72 Fort […]
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Salve Regina men’s basketball earns first NEWMAC postseason win, advances to semifinals
Salve Regina University men’s basketball rallied from a three-point halftime deficit Thursday night to defeat Clark University 67-61 in the quarterfinals of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championships, earning the program’s first-ever NEWMAC postseason victory. The third-seeded Seahawks (19-7, 11-5 NEWMAC) shot 57.1% from the field in the second half and converted […]
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Newport Mental Health names Dr. Joshua C. Brown as new medical director
Newport Mental Health has appointed Joshua C. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., as its new medical director, the organization announced Thursday. Brown, a dual-trained psychiatrist and neurologist, will lead a team of psychiatrists and clinical nurse specialists and play a key role in guiding the future development of behavioral health programs across the organization. “Dr. Brown brings […]