The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) today announced that due to reduced overnight traffic due to the effects of COVID-19, the toll booth cash collections on the Newport Pell Bridge going eastbound will temporarily be suspended from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., effective Saturday, April 11th, until further notice. This change follows the same […]
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Easter Bunny will hop through Newport on Saturday
Some good news for kids – the Easter Bunny is scheduled to hop through Newport on Saturday, April 11th. With the help of Newport Recreation and Newport Police Department, the bunny will try to drive through every neighborhood in the city for a quick visit, but will be following social distancing guidelines. The Easter Bunny […]
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Visualizing the virus
Colette Gaiter, University of Delaware As a professor of visual communications, I can’t help but notice all the images of COVID-19 that have been circulating. You’ve probably seen some version of it: a ball with distinctive spikes that vary in style – from triangular bursts to rounded knobs. It’s become both an icon – a […]
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COVID-19 Daily Update – April 9th: Rhode Island reports 277 new COVID-19 cases, 8 new related deaths
Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), made several announcements today about the state’s response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Governor signed an executive order today that clarifies Rhode Island’s requirements around quarantine and isolation: – Anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 – either […]
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Reflections on one month of social distancing
Today marks one month that I’ve been practicing social distancing, though it feels like much longer. I returned home from a weekend ski trip on Monday, March 9th and that day, my husband and I decided that we’d begin taking social distancing seriously given that he falls into a high-risk category. Since then, we’ve only […]
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COVID-19 Press Conference – April 9: Governor, Department of Health provide daily update
Governor Raimondo and Director of Health Alexander-Scott will provide their daily COVID-19 press briefing today at 1 pm. What’s Up Newp will carry the video and provide updates as they happen below. Updates as they happen; Gov: Announces 8 new COVID-19 related deaths, total now 43. There are 277 more positive COVID-19 cases, brings total […]
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What does ‘recovered from coronavirus’ mean? 4 questions answered about how some survive and what happens next
Tom Duszynski, IUPUI The coronavirus is certainly scary, but despite the constant reporting on total cases and a climbing death toll, the reality is that the vast majority of people who come down with COVID-19 survive it. Just as the number of cases grows, so does another number: those who have recovered. In mid-March, the […]
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RECAP: Newport City Council hosts first virtual Regular Council Meeting
The Newport City Council hosted their first virtual Regular Council Meeting on Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30 pm. The meeting was open to the public by phone and Zoom. While the public was invited to attend/watch, there was no public comment. All seven city councilors were present for the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours. […]
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City of Newport: COVID-19 related processing delays reflected in utility bills
The City of Newport today announced that bank delays have lead to inaccurate past due amounts. The Announcement: Newport Water Division customers are being advised that due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, payments mailed prior to March 31st may have been delayed due to a processing lag experienced by the City’s bank. As a result, April […]
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COVID-19 Daily Update – April 8: 220 new positive cases of COVID-19, Rhode Island’s count now 1,450
Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), today made several announcements today about the state’s response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Courts: The courts have extended their closure for all non-essential business–including residential and commercial evictions–through May 17th.Contact tracing: The state has partnered with SalesForce, […]
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Governor Raimondo: “In the months to come it’s going to be very difficult for us to allow large group gatherings”
Following today’s press briefing, Governor Raimondo and Director of Health Alexander-Scott took questions from the media. Today, What’s Up Newp asked “Wedding season has arrived in Rhode Island. With hundreds of wedding scheduled across the state over the next three months, what advice or guidance do you have for those couples who are planning to […]
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Six local nonprofits get COVID-19 aid to help residents with food, rent, healthcare
The Rhode Island Foundation today announced that six local nonprofits on the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 crisis are among the organizations that will share $2.4 million in grants from a special fund created by the Rhode Island Foundation and United Way of Rhode Island, which has now awarded $3.6 million in grants, including […]
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COVID-19 Press Conference – April 8: Governor, Department of Health provide daily update
Governor Raimondo and the Department of Health will host their daily COVID-19 press briefing today at 2:30 pm. What’s Up Newp will have it for you live on our Facebook Page and website then. Updates as they happen; Gov: Reports 5 new deaths, total fatalities due to COVID-19 is now 35. There are 220 new positive cases of […]
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Town of Middletown to distribute food at Commodore Perry and Oxbow neighborhoods
The Town of Middletown today announced that is working with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center to distribute food next week at two Middletown locations. On Tuesday, April 14, from 12:00 to 12:45 p.m. food will be distributed on Ludlow Terrace near the entrance to Calvary Baptist Church, 4 Ludlow Terrace. On Thursday, April 16, food will […]
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COVID-19 Daily Update – April 7: Governor extends restrictions on gatherings, restaurants, businesses, and travel to May 8th
Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), today made several announcements today about the state’s response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Today the Governor announced that she plans to extend the following executive orders until May 8th: Gatherings: All gatherings of more than […]
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COVID-19’s uncertainties have yet to derail school building projects statewide
School building projects, many strongly suggested by a Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) report identifying schools statewide needing billions of dollars in repairs or replacement to become safe and current, are still “moving forward,” according to Christine Lopes Metcalfe, executive director of RIDE’S School Building Authority. But they are moving forward in a COVID-19 […]
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What’s Up Newp awarded grant to support COVID-19 coverage
What’s Up Newp is pleased today to announce that we have won a grant from Facebook Journalism Project (FJP) Community Network. What’s Up Newp is among 400 North American local newsrooms receiving FJP Community Network grants to support their coronavirus reporting. The program is run in partnership with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Local Media Association in the […]
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The Ocean Race names North Sails as Official Sail Supplier of the VO65 Class
The following was written / provided by The Ocean Race. The one-design VO65 fleet will race its third lap of the planet in the 2021-22 edition of The Ocean Race with a sail wardrobe provided by North Sails. As the Official One Design Sail Supplier to the fleet, North Sails will outfit each boat with […]
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Newport City Council to host virtual workshop on Tuesday, City Manager to provide COVID-19 crisis update
The Newport City Council will receive their weekly COVID-19 Crisis Update from Newport City Manager Joe Nicholson on Tuesday, April 7th at 4:30 pm. The workshop will be held via telephone conference. The meeting is open to the public and can be accesses by calling 1-888-788-0099 or 1-877-853-5247. The meeting id is 360-610-170. On Wednesday […]
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COVID-19 Press Conference – April 7: Governor, Department of Health provide daily update
Governor Gina Raimondo and Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott will host their daily press briefing today, April 7th, at 1 pm. What’s Up Newp will carry the press briefing for you live here as it happens and will continue to update this story with the latest information from the press briefing. Updates as they […]
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Rhode Island is now the 6th ‘Most Aggressive State vs Coronavirus’, WalletHub Study
With nearly all of the 50 states in some form of lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus. Today, Rhode Island is the sixth most aggresive state verus coronavirus, according to WalletHub. Previously, Rhode Island was named the most aggressive (on March 17th) […]
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VIDEO: Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott answers COVID-19 questions from kids
Rhode Island Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott on Monday answered questions from kids about the science around COVID-19.
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Aquidneck Island Earth Week Celebration planned for April 18 – 25
What’s Up Newp is sharing the following information on behalf of the Middletown Open Space and Fields Committee, Clean Ocean Access, and Aquidneck Island Earth Week Committee. Each year, Earth Day falls on April 22. Earth Day was founded in 1970 and is celebrated by over 190 countries. This year marks the 50th anniversary of […]