“It’s not about a big building. It’s about what happens inside the building,” said Kelley Coen, newly appointed CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County. She shared the remark at a recent Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction event, where Coen was interviewed by Newport Chamber CEO Erin Donovan-Boyle. A […]
News
Posted inCity & Government
Developer of Massachusetts offshore wind farm sues to stop turbine manufacturer from walking away
By HOLLY RAMER and JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press The developer of a major Massachusetts offshore wind farm is suing its turbine manufacturer seeking to force it to stay with the project. Vineyard Wind filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Massachusetts against GE Renewables. That comes after the parent company for GE Renewables said it would be […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rhode Island’s indie bookstore passport program returns, sending readers on a statewide literary road trip
Three Rhode Island independent bookstores are relaunching a statewide program that challenges readers to visit every indie bookshop in the state — and rewards those who pull it off. The Rhode Island Independent Bookstore Passport Adventure, first launched in 2019, returns April 18 and runs through April 26. Passports are free and will be distributed […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Art Museum hosts artist panel tied to ‘Springboard’ exhibition April 16
The Newport Art Museum will host the second installment of its two-part InConversation panel series on April 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Ilgenfritz Gallery, bringing together four artists from its current Members’ Juried Exhibition Springboard for a wide-ranging moderated discussion. Voices of Springboard will be led by Julie Keyes, the show’s juror and founder of Keyes Art, a global art […]
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Newport Prevention Coalition and police to host DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 25 at the Salvation Army
The Newport Prevention Coalition and the Newport Police Department will host the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 51 Memorial Blvd. A Newport police officer will be on hand to collect tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Rhode Island Spirits and Save The Bay launch new gin made with botanicals foraged from Narragansett Bay’s shoreline
Rhode Island Spirits has partnered with Save The Bay to release a new gin made with botanicals foraged directly from the shoreline of Save The Bay’s Providence Bay Center, with a portion of every bottle sold going back to bay conservation. Rhodium Save The Bay Gin is the latest release from Rhode Island Spirits, New […]
Posted inArts & Culture
newportFILM to screen ‘Lowland Kids’ at Rogers High School’s new auditorium on April 16, with proceeds benefiting the scholarship fund
newportFILM will present a special screening of “Lowland Kids” on Thursday, April 16, at Rogers High School Auditorium, 15 Wickham Road — marking the organization’s first screening in the school’s newly built auditorium. Presented in partnership with the Rogers High School PTO and the Newport Public Education Foundation, the event will benefit the Rogers High […]
Posted inCity & Government
Coalition rallies at State House, releases new report as fight to secure Newport’s birthing center enters new phase
Nearly a year after the threat of closure first galvanized Aquidneck Island families, advocates for Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center took their fight to the State House on Thursday — this time armed with legislation, a new 53-page white paper and a message that welcoming Brown University Health’s announcement last week was not […]
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AARP Rhode Island to host free document shredding event in Newport on April 24
Newport County residents can safely dispose of sensitive personal documents at a free shredding event hosted by AARP Rhode Island on Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at Edward King House Senior Center, 35 King St. The drive-thru drop-off event is part of AARP Rhode Island’s “Fraud Fighting Fridays” initiative, which aims to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Cynthia Nixon to discuss ‘The Gilded Age’ and her career at An Evening with Cynthia Nixon at The Breakers on April 26
Cynthia Nixon, the Emmy, Tony and Grammy award-winning actor known for her roles in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” and “Sex and the City,” will appear in conversation at The Breakers on Sunday, April 26, in an event hosted by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The evening will feature Nixon discussing her portrayal of Ada […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Salve Regina University dance program to present ‘Currents’ at the Casino Theatre April 16-18
The dance program at Salve Regina University will bring its spring concert, “Currents,” to the Casino Theatre, 9 Freebody St., for three performances April 16-18. The program is described as a journey through the forces and undercurrents that shape human experience, with faculty and student choreographers exploring themes of resistance, personal freedom and collective empowerment […]
Posted inCity & Government
McKee announces $60M bond proposal for CCRI workforce training center in Warwick
Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday announced a proposed $60 million general obligation bond to build a Workforce Innovation Center at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Warwick campus, part of a broader $600 million infrastructure bond package included in his fiscal year 2027 budget. The proposed 44,000-square-foot facility would feature industry-standard labs, simulation spaces and […]
Posted inCity & Government
Secretary Amore launches ‘Play Ball for RI250’ initiative at Rumford Little League
Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the RI250 Commission on Wednesday officially launched Play Ball for RI250, a statewide initiative linking youth baseball and softball with Rhode Island’s Semiquincentennial commemorations ahead of July 4, 2026. The kickoff event was held at the Kimberly Ann Rock Complex in Rumford and brought together Little League players, […]
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Publisher’s Note: It’s a News Day. Start Local.
Today is Local News Day. More than 1,300 newsrooms across all 50 states are showing up for it. States including Colorado and North Carolina have issued formal proclamations. So have cities and counties from Helena, Mont., to Waltham, Mass. It is, by any measure, a genuine national moment for local journalism — and What’sUpNewp is […]
Posted inNews
Your Newport County weather forecast: 7 days on land and sea
Whether you’re heading out on the water, planning a weekend event, or just trying to dress for the day, here’s your full 7-day forecast for Newport County — pulled live from NOAA’s National Weather Service and refreshed automatically. Weather Forecast Marine Forecast
Posted inCity & Government
Sen. Euer’s bill to protect contraceptive coverage regardless of federal law heard in committee
Legislation that would require Rhode Island health insurers to cover contraceptives at no cost, independent of federal law, was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer, who represents Newport and Jamestown, is aimed at preserving contraceptive coverage for Rhode Islanders even if the Affordable Care […]
Posted inCity & Government
New AARP research finds nearly 4 in 10 Americans have experienced fraud as Rhode Island events kick off this month
New research from AARP finds that fraud is a growing concern for Americans, with nearly 4 in 10 U.S. adults — about 103 million people — reporting they have already experienced fraud and an estimated 159 million worried about becoming victims. The research finds that about 30 percent of adults say their biggest fear is […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island challenger ensures US will have a boat at next year’s America’s Cup
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — There will be an American boat at next year’s America’s Cup after all. American Racing Challenger Team USA representing Sail Newport in Rhode Island was announced as an official challenger Wednesday for the 2027 regatta scheduled off Naples. The new team said it acquired key sailing assets from American Magic, including the AC75 […]
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Sail Newport-backed American Racing Challenger Team USA confirmed for 38th America’s Cup in Naples
American Racing Challenger Team USA, representing Sail Newport, has been confirmed as an official challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, bringing the United States back to the storied competition ahead of the 2027 event in Naples, Italy. The team is the vision of entrepreneurs Karel Komárek and Chris Welch and will be led […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Vague on specifics, NPAC executive confident of raising millions to reopen opulent former opera house
In multiple exchanges of emails, we posed several questions to Melissa Caldwell Quinn, managing director of the Newport Performing Arts Center. This is another in our ongoing series on the opera house restoration project that is now approaching 25 years. WUN: Is this still a viable project? If not, what happens now? If it is, […]
Posted inNews
Newport to host global economic innovator Zita Cobb for free public talk on April 8
A Canadian entrepreneur who transformed a remote island economy into a globally recognized model of community resilience is coming to Newport next month. Zita Cobb, founder and CEO of Shorefast and a member of the Order of Canada, will deliver a free public presentation titled “A Framework for Community Economic Stewardship: Learnings from Fogo Island” […]
Posted inBusiness
Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce to host annual expo April 8 in Middletown
The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce will host its annual expo next week, bringing together more than 70 local businesses and organizations for a free community event. The 2026 EXPO takes place Wednesday, April 8, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Newport Atlantic Resort, 240 Aquidneck Ave. in Middletown. Admission and on-site parking […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Judy Collins adds second Newport show to farewell tour, performing June 13 and 14 at the JPT
Judy Collins will perform two nights at the JPT Film & Event Center in Newport on June 13 and 14 as part of her “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” Farewell Tour, with a second show added due to demand. Both performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 10, at 10 a.m. at […]
Posted inCity & Government
$8.4 million repair project at Charlestown Breachway completed
State and local officials celebrated the completion of a long-term repair project at the Charlestown Breachway last week, wrapping up an $8.4 million effort to restore one of Rhode Island’s most important coastal infrastructure sites. Work began last November and was completed in late March. Contractors reconstructed the west breachway wall in two tiers of […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island awards more than $8 million to support housing development statewide
Governor Dan McKee and Secretary of Housing Deborah Goddard on Tuesday announced more than $8 million in bond-funded awards to accelerate housing production across Rhode Island through two programs under the state’s Housing 2030 plan. The larger of the two programs, the Housing 2030 Infrastructure Program, awarded approximately $7.63 million across eight projects to fund […]