The Rhode Island Department of Health has cleared Newport Water customers to resume normal water use, lifting the precautionary boil water advisory that had been in effect since Sunday. The advisory was issued July 19 after a 24-inch main broke under West Main Road near the Home Depot shopping center, affecting approximately 2,000 customers. A […]
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On the Ballot: Primary looms for Attorney General
This will be a buy primary election season for Rhode Island, with Democratic primaries for three of the five general officer positions – governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. There is also a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, and Republican primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the second district. The statewide primary is Sept. […]
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Update: Newport boil water advisory expanded after second water main break overnight near Valley Road
This story was originally published at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 19; it was updated at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, July 20. A second water main break overnight has expanded Newport’s boil water advisory to a second area near Valley Road, state health officials announced Monday, while repairs to Sunday’s original break on West Main […]
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Oystercatchers, known for sharp bills and beady eyes, are making a comeback thanks to conservation
By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — On a pristine Rhode Island beach teeming with noisy seabirds, a group of biologists armed with nets sneak up on a pair of American oystercatcher chicks. But just as they move in to capture them, one of the football-size birds, with bright-orange bills and long legs, scampers […]
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Update: Two Newport residents wounded in Park Holm shooting Sunday night; police say incident was targeted
Newport Police have released additional details on the shooting that occurred late Sunday evening in the Park Holm area, identifying the incident as targeted and isolated with no ongoing threat to the public. Officers responded at approximately 9:55 p.m. Sunday to a report of shots fired near Truman Street and Rosedale Avenue. Once on scene, […]
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Ryan Pearl and Chantalle Schultz Rathbun top the field at the 2026 Newport Beer Run at Fort Adams
NEWPORT, R.I. – Ryan Pearl of Hamden, Conn., and Chantalle Schultz Rathbun of St. Petersburg, Fla., claimed the top spots at the 2026 Newport Beer Run on Saturday at Fort Adams State Park, leading a field of 974 finishers through the 5K before celebrating with 40 breweries at the post-race festival. Formerly known as the […]
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Small business employment growing faster in New England than nationwide
It is no surprise that small businesses are extremely important when it comes to job growth, and a recently released Federal Reserve Bank of Boston report not only confirms that but says that small business job growth in New England is outpacing the rest of the country. In New England, the report says small businesses […]
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Viking Hoops Basketball Camp celebrates 30th year — and a homecoming at Rogers High School
NEWPORT, R.I. — Viking Hoops Basketball Camp marked its 30th year this July with a homecoming at Rogers High School, returning to the place where the program’s founder spent more than two decades coaching the Vikings. Jim Psaras started Viking Hoops in 1995 with a straightforward goal: bring basketball to Aquidneck Island in an accessible […]
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Wildfire smoke returns to Rhode Island Saturday; air quality alert issued for sensitive groups
Rhode Island is under another air quality alert Saturday, July 18, as wildfire smoke that moved south of the state Friday recirculates back into the region under a southwest flow. The Department of Environmental Management forecasts unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups, with some improvement expected Sunday. Residents with asthma, heart conditions, or lung conditions are […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island health officials issue food safety reminder as multistate Cyclospora outbreak is linked to Taco Bell lettuce
The Rhode Island Department of Health is reminding residents to follow food safety practices as federal health officials investigate a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states. The CDC and FDA have advised consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell locations in […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to consider splash pad, playground, tennis court repairs, and drone program at July 22 meeting
The Newport City Council meets Wednesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 43 Broadway, with a agenda that includes several infrastructure contracts and grant acceptances. Among the items from the city manager: The council will consider contracts for restoration of the Rogers High School tennis courts, replacement of the Aquidneck […]
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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, […]
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Newport Gulls hosting bone marrow registry drive tonight for 5-year-old East Greenwich boy in need of a donor
A free bone marrow registry drive will be held tonight at Cardines Field during the Newport Gulls game, organized by the family of Jack Palms, a 5-year-old East Greenwich boy being treated for a rare and serious bone marrow condition. Jack has been diagnosed with Acquired Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia (AAMT), a rare disorder that causes bone […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island is on pace to exceed its annual average for rabid animals, state health officials warn
Rhode Island health and environmental officials are urging residents to avoid contact with wild animals after the state recorded 25 rabid animals in the first half of 2026 — already surpassing the annual average of 24 reported between 2021 and 2025. The Rhode Island Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Management issued the […]
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Jamestown Democratic Town Committee endorses Foulkes for governor, Reed for U.S. Senate
The Jamestown Democratic Town Committee has announced its endorsements for the 2026 election cycle, backing Helena Foulkes for governor and incumbent U.S. Sen. Jack Reed for re-election, along with a full slate of state and federal candidates. The committee’s full list of endorsements: U.S. Senate: Jack Reed Governor: Helena Foulkes Lieutenant Governor: Sue Anderbois Attorney […]
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Kayak Centre of Rhode Island acquires Narrow River Kayaks, keeping a 35-year paddling institution alive
The Kayak Centre of Rhode Island has acquired Narrow River Kayaks, preserving one of the state’s most beloved paddling destinations as it enters its 35th season under new ownership. Narrow River Kayaks has operated on one of Rhode Island’s most scenic and ecologically sensitive waterways for more than three decades, introducing generations of residents and […]
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Influential AFL-CIO opts not to endorse in RI Democratic gubernatorial race
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current July 15, 2026 The focus of the governor’s race temporarily shifted one block west of the State House Wednesday to a nondescript office building where leaders of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO met but opted not to endorse in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. The labor federation boasts more than 80,000 members, […]
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35 Kay Street sells for $3 million in highest multi-family sale in Newport this year
A historic multi-family property at 35 Kay Street has sold for $3 million, marking the highest multi-family sale in Newport so far in 2026 and the fifth highest on record in the city, according to Multiple Listing Service data. The circa-1880 property sits on more than half an acre in Newport’s Kay Street neighborhood and […]
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Air quality alert issued for Rhode Island today as wildfire smoke moves in from Minnesota
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has issued an air quality alert for Wednesday, July 15, as bands of heavy wildfire smoke from fires in northern Minnesota move into the region. Fine particle readings are expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups on the Air Quality Index beginning midday, with elevated readings continuing […]
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People’s Credit Union hosting free community shred day July 25 at its Wakefield branch
People’s Credit Union will host a free Community Shred Day on Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at its newly relocated Wakefield branch at 703 Kingstown Road. The event is open to everyone in the community. Residents can bring up to two boxes of sensitive documents — maximum size 24″ x 15″ x […]
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On the Ballot: The race for Governor
What started as a very crowded field for the governor’s race has narrowed considerably, but a spirited primary election looms for both parties, with a well-known independent entering the fray in the general election. Meanwhile, there have also been some updates (as of noon, July 14) to the total number of signatures collected by candidates […]
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RI coastal regulators reluctant to shore up entire Newport Cliff Walk
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current July 14, 2026 More than four years after a section of Newport’s Cliff Walk collapsed, shutting down public access to a section of the famed overlook, a repair plan has taken shape.But before the city can proceed with the $23 million project — repairing two broken sections of the […]
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Karla Bonoff, Garrison Keillor, and The Irish Tenors coming to the Jane Pickens Theater this fall
The Jane Pickens Theater has announced three new shows from Spectacle Live this fall and winter, with tickets going on sale Friday, July 17, at 10 a.m. at janepickens.com or by calling 1-800-657-8774. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff opens the run on Saturday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. Bonoff has written hits recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna […]
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Newport Restoration Foundation names Miramar restoration and Bailey’s Beach clubhouse among 2026 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Award honorees
The Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport have announced the honorees for the 20th annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, recognizing two outstanding preservation projects in Newport County and a lifetime achievement honoree. The ceremony takes place Friday, September 11, at Rough Point. Tom Perkins receives this year’s President’s Award for lifetime excellence […]
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Women’s Resource Center hosts Seaside Celebration fundraiser July 20 at The Bohlin
The Women’s Resource Center will hold its signature summer fundraiser, Seaside Celebration, on Monday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m. at The Bohlin, 20 Commercial Wharf, on Newport Harbor. The event is co-hosted by Elizabeth Leatherman and Susan Sipprelle — the same Susan Sipprelle who recently wrote about RENEWport’s volunteer library program at Pell Elementary — […]