Good morning, Newport! 🗓️ Today is Friday, July 18, the 199th day of 2025. There are 166 days left in the year. 🚨 You need to know DeBlois Gallery will mark four decades of bringing art to Newport County with its 41st Annual Members’ Show and Celebration, running August 2-31 at the cooperative’s Middletown location. […]
News
Posted inCity & Government
Westerly recall effort fails
An effort to recall Westerly Town Council president Chris Duhamel, a Democrat, has failed after organizers were unable to collect the required number of signatures to force a recall election, according to Westerly Town Manager Shawn Lacey. The deadline to submit the petition was 4:30 p.m. today. Lacey said the organizers needed to collect 2,600 […]
Posted inBusiness
Howard Johnson by Wyndham Newport/Middletown earns top corporate honors
A Middletown hotel has been recognized as the cream of the crop within a major hospitality brand, earning two prestigious corporate awards that highlight exceptional guest service and operational excellence. The Howard Johnson by Wyndham Newport/Middletown, located at 351 West Main Road, was honored with both the “Quality Hotel of the Year” and “Best of […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to consider Comprehensive plan contract, new utility billing system at July 23 meeting
The Newport City Council will tackle a packed agenda at its regular meeting next Wednesday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, located at 43 Broadway, with several significant infrastructure and planning items up for consideration. Among the key items, the council will vote on awarding a consulting contract for a comprehensive plan […]
Posted inCity & Government
Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about maternity care
Kudos to everyone in Newport who turned out at the city council meeting Tuesday night, and to the city council for passing a resolution asking Brown Health to keep the maternity unit at Newport Hospital open. It’s crazy we are at this point in the US, where we have to worry about providing something as […]
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Morning Notes: Kenny Loggins to appear at newportFILM’s ‘Conviction of the Heart’ screening
Good morning, Newport! Today is Thursday, July 17, the 198th day of 2025. There are 167 days left in the year. 🎶 On this day in 1954, the first Newport Jazz Festival, then known as the American Jazz Festival, was held at the Newport Casino. The two-day event featured academic panel discussions and live music […]
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On This Day In Newport History: July 17, 1954 – First Newport Jazz Festival Held
Photo of 1954 Newport Jazz Festival via Newport Jazz Festival The first Newport Jazz Festival, known as the First Annual American Jazz Festival, was held on July 17th and July 18th, 1954 at the Newport Casino. The two day event featured academic panel discussions and live music performances from Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Konitz, […]
Posted inNews, Nonprofit
Letter to the Editor: Making Newport a city for all to thrive
During the pandemic, while filming the documentary NEWPORT: In This Together, I discovered that the majority of Newporters managed to pull together, rather than apart, when faced with the challenges of COVID-19. As I conducted over 200 video interviews for the film, I realized that there are many people working in nonprofits, businesses, and government […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Audrain’s Youngtimers event exhibited retro vibes, with a special appearance by Jay Leno
“I’d like to thank the universe for this wonderful weather and great breeze,” said Donald Osborne, Audrain Automobile Museum’s Consulting Director (and recent former CEO), about the clear skies. Osborne was on hand at the Youngtimers event to oversee competition between the classic cars of tomorrow: those hot wheels from the 1980s, 1990, and 2000s. It wasn’t […]
Posted inNews, Police & Fire
Deadly Massachusetts fire highlights the minimal regulations that govern assisted-living facilities
By MICHAEL CASEY and MICHELLE R. SMITH Associated Press The Massachusetts assisted-living facility where a fatal fire killed nine people was caring for dozens of aging residents reliant on wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, but it lacked the safety measures and most of the staffing requirements that are commonplace in nursing homes. As an assisted-living center, Gabriel House in Fall River, about 50 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Arts & Cultural Alliance celebrates local artists at annual Raise Up the Arts event
The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County brought together the local arts community for its annual “Raise Up the Arts” event on Wednesday, June 25, celebrating outstanding contributions to the region’s cultural landscape. Held at the Atlantic Pavilion at the Wyndham Newport Hotel in Middletown, the evening event drew supporters from across Newport County […]
Posted inBusiness, Food & Drink, News, Nonprofit
Vermont brewery’s new IPA to benefit Rhode Island Community Food Bank
A popular Vermont brewery is bringing its charitable beer program to Rhode Island for the first time, with proceeds from a new IPA benefiting the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Lawson’s Finest Liquids, the Waitsfield-based makers of the well-known Sip of Sunshine beer, released Cosmic Shift IPA (6.2% ABV) on Monday as part of their […]
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Morning Notes: St. Mary’s Parish launches $5 million capital campaign to restore historic Newport church
Good morning, Newport! Today is Wednesday, July 16, the 197th day of 2025. There are 168 days left in the year. 🚨 You need to know Saint Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church has launched an ambitious $5 million capital campaign to restore and renew its historic Newport campus as the parish […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council unanimously passes resolution urging Brown Health to keep birthing center open
The Newport City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday night, urging Brown University Health to maintain full operation of the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital. Following passionate testimony from dozens of community members who shared personal stories about the facility’s impact on their lives, the council passed the resolution. The special […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport launches major $3 million roadway improvement blitz across 18 streets
Newport is embarking on its most ambitious roadway improvement project in nearly a decade, with 18 streets across the city set to receive major upgrades as part of a $3 million investment made possible by the 2024 General Obligation Bond. The annual Roadway Improvement Program kicked off this month with contractor Pawtucket Hot Mix Asphalt […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rose Island Lighthouse license plate wins national ‘Best Plate Award’
A Rhode Island specialty license plate has earned national recognition for the first time, bringing honor to the Ocean State and supporting a beloved Newport landmark. The Rose Island Lighthouse license plate has been awarded the 2024 Best Plate Award by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA), marking a historic first for Rhode Island. […]
Posted inNews
Assisted-living home cited for late reports of safety incidents years before fatal fire
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, HOLLY RAMER and MICHELLE R. SMITH Associated Press FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts assisted-living center where nine residents died in a fire was cited for failing to immediately report more than two dozen health and safety incidents, according to regulators’ most recent review of the facility. Five men and four women were killed and […]
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Morning Notes: ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ – Newport joins national day of action honoring John Lewis
Good morning, Newport! Today is Tuesday, July 15, the 196th day of 2025. There are 169 days left in the year. 🚨 You need to know Aquidneck Islanders will gather in Newport’s historic Washington Square Thursday evening (July 17) to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing as part of a nationwide “Good […]
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NUWC Division Newport employees, 250 children share in STEM demonstrations as part of Bring a Child to Work Day
Story by Public Affairs Office , Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport NEWPORT, R.I. – Roughly 250 youngsters, ages 9 to 17, and 150 parents and guardians participated in Bring a Child to Work Day, which is designed to introduce family members of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport employees to the science, technology, engineering […]
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Alain Prost reunites with his 1988 McLaren MP4/4 from Audrain Collection at Goodwood Festival of Speed
WEST SUSSEX, England – Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Alain Prost reunited with his 1988 McLaren MP4/4 from the Audrain Collection at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, marking the first time since the 1988 season that Prost has driven an MP4/4. The reunion took place over the weekend as part of celebrations marking 75 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Opera House stage remains silent
The stage at the old opera house on Washington Square remains silent, some 23 years after the Newport Performing Arts Center (NPAC) purchased the historic building. When and if it reopens remains a mystery. After projecting a reopening in the spring of 2024, NPAC officials now say they are unsure when construction will even resume. […]
Posted inNews
Things to do in Newport County this week and weekend: July 14 – 20
Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do in Newport County this week and weekend. Are you organizing an event? Submit events to our community calendar. Monday, July 14 Things To Do Newport Classical Music Festival 10 am: Free self-guided tours at Eisenhower House 3 pm: Jamestown Farmers Market at Jamestown Recreation Center 4 pm: Book Talk & Special Cocktail Event with […]
Posted inNews, Police & Fire
Tiverton Police arrest woman after infant found alone in vehicle at Bally’s Casino
A 35-year-old Massachusetts woman was arrested Saturday after police found her 15-month-old infant left alone in an unlocked vehicle at Bally’s Tiverton Casino. The Tiverton Police Department responded to the casino at approximately 7:00 a.m. on July 12 following a report of an unattended infant in a vehicle. Officers, working alongside casino security personnel, located a […]
Posted inBusiness
New Newport Hospital President takes helm as City Council prepares to fight for birthing center
Dr. Tenny Thomas officially began his tenure as Newport Hospital’s president and chief medical officer Monday, stepping into a leadership role at a critical moment as the facility faces potential cuts to essential services, including its birthing center. Thomas, who joins Newport Hospital from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth where he served as chief medical officer […]
Posted inNews, Weather
Heat Advisory issued for Newport County as dangerous temperatures expected
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Newport County Monday morning, warning residents to prepare for potentially dangerous heat and humidity beginning Tuesday. The advisory, which goes into effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday and extends through 7 p.m. Thursday, covers all six Newport County communities: Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Jamestown, and Little Compton. […]