Farrar Associates of Newport has been the general contractor for the Opera House project (Newport Performing Arts Center) and is responsible for a considerable amount of work completed under phase one and funded by a 2014 state Council of the Arts Bond Referendum. James Farrar, President of Farrar Associates, after some initial confusion on our […]
Nonprofit
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Tiverton’s West Place Animal Sanctuary receives customized Land Rover Defender 130 after winning national award
West Place Animal Sanctuary has received a customized Land Rover Defender 130 vehicle after winning the Honoree Award in the 2025 Defender Service Awards presented by Chase, the organization announced Monday. The vehicle handover took place Sunday at Jake Kaplan’s Land Rover Warwick, where West Place supporters, volunteers and staff gathered to celebrate the honor. […]
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Boys Town New England names Marcy Shyllon as executive director
Boys Town New England has named Marcy Shyllon as its executive director, the organization announced Monday, formalizing her leadership after a successful stint as interim director. Shyllon, who has been with Boys Town since 2006, most recently served as senior director of program operations, overseeing the Family Home Program and Foster Family Services Program across […]
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IYRS launches new runabout restoration course in partnership with Antique & Classic Boat Society
IYRS School of Technology & Trades has announced a new Runabout Restoration Course, a 9-month hands-on program developed in partnership with the Antique & Classic Boat Society (ACBS). The pilot course gives students the opportunity to complete a full restoration of a classic 17-foot 1940 Chris-Craft Deluxe, from structural rebuild to final water testing. Classes […]
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Rhode Island’s family caregivers provide $2.8 billion in unpaid labor each year, AARP report finds
Rhode Island’s family caregivers provide an estimated $2.8 billion worth of labor each year, the vast majority of it unpaid, according to a new report from AARP. The report, “Valuing the Invaluable 2026,” finds that 155,000 Rhode Islanders care for older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones, contributing 111 million hours of care annually. […]
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Potter League for Animals to host Bark & Boogie gala April 11 in Newport
The Potter League for Animals will host The Bark & Boogie, a spring fundraising gala, on Saturday, April 11, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Newport Marriott Hotel & Spa. Presented by the Lola Ruth Giving Fund, the cocktail-style event will feature craft cocktails, food, live music from World Premier […]
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newportFILM and Salve Regina release study on teen social media habits, launch media literacy initiative at Thompson Middle School
newportFILM and Salve Regina University have released the results of a pilot study on teen social media use and media literacy, conducted with 55 eighth-grade students at Thompson Middle School last fall — and are now seeking to expand the program that grew out of it. The study, conducted in fall 2025 by 20 Salve students as part […]
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Newport Kite Festival returns to Brenton Point this July for its 40th year
One of Rhode Island’s most enduring free public events returns to the edge of the Atlantic this summer, and organizers say this year’s Newport Kite Festival will be unlike any before it. The festival is scheduled for July 11–12, 2026, at Brenton Point State Park, running noon to 4 p.m. each day. Admission is free. […]
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Preservation Society of Newport County to host job fair March 19
Job seekers looking for part-time and seasonal work can meet with hiring managers at the Preservation Society of Newport County’s Job Fair on Thursday, March 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the organization’s headquarters at 424 Bellevue Ave. Available positions include tour guides, museum custodians, security guards, retail and food service associates, special events […]
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Preservation Society of Newport County announces plan to sell, transfer parts of its collection
The Preservation Society of Newport County announced Wednesday a deaccession initiative aimed at strengthening its permanent collection by removing items that no longer align with the organization’s interpretive mission. The initiative covers the organization’s wide-ranging permanent collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles, tapestries, photographs and period dress housed across its 11 historic […]
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Newport Mental Health adds five new members to board of directors
Newport Mental Health has appointed five new members to its board of directors, the organization announced Monday, adding community leaders with backgrounds spanning real estate law, product management, mental health advocacy and nonprofit work. Sue Metzger, John Toracinta, Ruth Ellen Scott, Patrick Barry-Nolan and Joshua Blumen join the board at what the organization describes as […]
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Newport’s Opera House has been under renovation for 25 years. It’s still not open.
When first conceived, organizers were exuberant about the possibilities a reopened historic opera house on Newport’s Washington Square would bring to the community. The Newport Performing Arts Center project received more than $4.2 million, second largest of nine grants from a 2014 Creative and Cultural Economy Bond. Randy Rosenbaum, then executive director of the Rhode […]
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Sail Newport program director Kim Hapgood marks 30 years at the helm of sailing education
Kim Hapgood, program director at Sail Newport, is celebrating 30 years with the nonprofit public sailing center — three decades that have shaped thousands of sailors and helped establish the organization as a nationally recognized leader in sailing education. Hapgood joined Sail Newport in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive slate of programs serving […]
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Charlie Holder, Sr. Memorial race returns May 9 with new 10K option
The Holder family has announced the third annual Charlie Holder, Sr. Memorial 5K and 10K charity race will be held Saturday, May 9, with both races starting and finishing at the Newport County YMCA, 792 Valley Road. New this year is a 10K option, featuring a course with views of three beaches and Hanging Rock, […]
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Newport Tree Conservancy opens applications for community tree planting program
The Newport Tree Conservancy is accepting applications for its annual Community Tree Program, which provides residents with free or subsidized trees to plant at their homes. The program aims to plant around 120 trees each year to offset losses from damage, decay and disease. Trees are free for residents living within Newport’s Health Equity Zone […]
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MLK Community Center to open food pantry in Newport’s North End this spring
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center plans to open a satellite food pantry in Newport’s North End later this spring, bringing hunger relief services closer to residents who have faced transportation barriers accessing the organization’s downtown location. The new pantry will be located at 120 Hillside Ave. near Miantonomi Park. Once open, the […]
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Norman Bird Sanctuary kicks off spring with lineup of hikes, lectures, and family events
The Norman Bird Sanctuary is welcoming spring with a series of events designed to connect the community with the natural world, from geology hikes and stargazing to wildlife encounters and family open houses. The season kicks off Thursday, March 19, with a Golden Hour Geology Hike from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., exploring the ancient rock […]
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IYRS launches new runabout restoration course in Newport
IYRS School of Technology & Trades has announced the launch of a new Runabout Restoration Course, a 9-month hands-on program designed for experienced boatbuilders, classic runabout enthusiasts and those looking to break into the boatbuilding trade. The pilot course offers students the opportunity to work through the full restoration process of a classic mahogany Chris-Craft, […]
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Gamm Theatre brings Shakespeare directly to students with new outreach program
Joey Del Santo is Director of Education & Community Programs at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick, and he’s excited about the theater’s newest program. Del Santo hopes that Gamm on the Go will be an “easier and more accessible way to engage students.” Until recently, if any school program wanted to see a show at […]
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Rhode Island Foundation offering $270,000 in grants to Newport County nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations serving Newport County residents have until March 26 to apply for more than $270,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation. The Newport County Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 to develop new programs, strengthen or expand established programs and support municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or […]
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URI Watershed Watch seeks volunteers to monitor Rhode Island’s ponds, streams, and coasts
The University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch program is seeking volunteer water quality monitors to help collect data on lakes, ponds, streams, and coastal waters across southern New England this spring. A URI Cooperative Extension program, Watershed Watch has tracked water quality data for four decades, with volunteers helping researchers understand how snowy winters, stormwater […]
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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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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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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 […]
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Newport Restoration Foundation names Hilary Fagan as new executive director
The Newport Restoration Foundation has appointed Hilary Fagan as its next executive director, the organization announced Wednesday. Fagan, a Newport native with a background in Rhode Island economic development and financial services, will assume the role March 9. The foundation’s board of directors selected Fagan following a national search, citing her energy, her experience across […]