The fourth annual Newport Juneteenth celebration will be held Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park, organizers announced. The event, presented by Rhode Island Slave History Medallions, will mark Juneteenth with a Rhode Island 250th anniversary theme this year and will be expanded to celebrate the history of […]
News
Posted inPeople & Profiles
Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain talks budget, restructuring, and her final weeks in monthly chat
Newport Public Schools Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain joined What’sUpNewp owner and publisher Ryan Belmore and editor Frank Prosnitz on Wednesday afternoon for her penultimate monthly conversation before her June 30 retirement — a wide-ranging discussion dominated by the district’s deepening budget crisis, possible facility restructuring, and personnel changes at the top of Rogers High School. […]
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Middletown to dedicate Liberty Tree May 31 in kickoff to America 250 events
Middletown will dedicate a historic Liberty Tree on Sunday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Paradise Valley Park, the first major event from the town’s 250 Commission marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. The event will feature a keynote speech by R.I. Secretary of State Gregg Amore, along with a historic open […]
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Newport’s Ocean Drive to close to cars for Elliot’s Ride for Everyone on June 6
Newport’s Ocean Drive will close to motor vehicles for a few hours on Saturday, June 6, for the seventh annual Elliot’s Ride for Everyone, a car-free community event produced by the nonprofit Bike Newport. Ocean Avenue and Hazard Road will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. to noon, opening to people who want to […]
Posted inCity & Government
Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge construction shifting to night work
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority will shift construction on the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge to overnight hours beginning May 31, the agency announced. Work will take place Sunday through Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to the authority. The change follows reports of traffic delays during daytime hours. “We noted more […]
Posted inCity & Government
Ellen Pinnock announces bid for second term on Newport City Council
Newport City Councilwoman Ellen Pinnock announced she will run for a second term representing Ward 1. Pinnock said advocating for young people has been central to her work on the council. During her first term, she said she pushed for expanded recreation opportunities, stronger connections between the city and its schools, safer spaces for children […]
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Amo, Reed, Whitehouse announce $30,000 NEA grant for Newport Contemporary Ballet
Newport Contemporary Ballet has been awarded $30,000 in funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo announced Tuesday. The funding will support the ballet’s annual Newport Dance Festival, which this year will explore the theme of freedom in honor of the nation’s 250th […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rep. Lauren Carson announces bid for re-election in 2026
Rhode Island Rep. Lauren Carson, a Democrat, has announced she will run for re-election in 2026 to represent Newport in House District 75. Carson was first elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2014 and serves as a deputy majority leader. She said her work at the State House has focused on local […]
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On This Day In Newport History: May 26, 1954 – USS Bennington explodes, more than 100 Killed
One of the worst ship disasters not involving enemy action took place off the coast of Newport on May 26th, 1954. USS Bennington, a 24 Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy, was cruising off Narragansett Bay when the fluid in one of her catapults leaked out and was detonated by […]
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St. George’s School honors Class of 2026 at Prize Day, with several students earning top awards
St. George’s School celebrated its 98 graduating seniors at its annual Prize Day ceremony, recognizing the Class of 2026 for achievement in academics, the arts, athletics and character, with several Rhode Island students among the top honorees. Julienne Patterson received the St. George’s Medal, awarded to the member of the sixth form who, in the […]
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IYRS offers support to students affected by The Landing School closure
IYRS School of Technology & Trades is extending support to students, applicants and families affected by the recent closure of The Landing School of Boatbuilding & Design in Arundel, Maine, offering guidance and a pathway for those looking to continue their marine trades education. “We are saddened to learn of The Landing School’s closing and […]
Posted inSports
From the Island, For the Island: AC Newport kicks off inaugural season at Toppa Field
Newport has hosted 12 America’s Cups. It is home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the National Sailing Hall of Fame, and the oldest baseball stadium in America. This Saturday, May 23rd, the City by the Sea adds another chapter to its already remarkable sporting story when AC Newport, the island’s first semi-professional soccer […]
Posted inNonprofit
High school senior’s charity car rally to benefit Hasbro Children’s Hospital rolls out from Newport today
A youth-led charity car rally benefiting Hasbro Children’s Hospital sets off from Newport today, the inaugural edition of an event organized by a local high school senior. Jack Masse, a senior at Providence Country Day School in East Providence and a longtime volunteer at the Audrain Automobile Museum, created The Rhode Rally as his senior […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Remembering the fallen and honoring Gold Star Families: Operation Stand Down RI Memorial returns to Newport this Memorial Day weekend
Exactly four years ago this month, the Rhode Island Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Exeter erected a Gold Star Families monument to honor those families who sacrificed a loved one for our freedom. A Gold Star Family signals a family who has lost a loved one during activity-duty military service. There are estimated to be more […]
Posted inNews
Castle Hill Inn officially reopens Agassiz Mansion following February fire
NEWPORT, R.I. — Castle Hill Inn officially reopened the Agassiz Mansion on Thursday, welcoming guests back to the historic property just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, more than three months after a fire damaged the landmark retreat on Ocean Drive. The reopening encompasses the main level of the Mansion, including the lobby, The Lawn […]
Posted inReal Estate
Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in Rhode Island
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $366,712 in April, 0.7% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, […]
Posted inBusiness
More than Storage: How Middletown Self Storage is keeping it in the family, and giving back to the community that built them
If you’ve driven down Valley Road or past Aquidneck Avenue lately, you’ve passed by one of Aquidneck Island’s quietly essential local businesses. Middletown Self Storage has two facilities, nearly 1,700 units, and nearly two decades of community roots. Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Hannah Snow, Chief Operating Officer, and Mackenzie […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Umbrella Sky returns to Brick Market for fourth season with “Flowers in Bloom” theme
The Umbrella Sky art installation returns to Brick Market Place for a fourth consecutive year, opening May 23 with a new theme transforming the sky into a floating garden. This season’s theme, “Flowers in Bloom,” features colorful umbrellas painted with bold botanical designs. The theme extends throughout the installation, incorporating garden trellises and vibrant hanging […]
Posted inNews
As Brown Health operating losses deepen, pressure mounts to save Newport Hospital birthing center
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current May 21, 2026 Staring down another quarter of operating losses, Brown University Health executives are unwilling to contribute a share of the $4.9 million needed to keep Newport Hospital’s birthing center open.“We want to see the money come from outside Brown Health,” Peter Markell, executive vice president and chief […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Historical Society to open Center for Black History on Juneteenth
The Newport Historical Society will open the Edward W. Kane & Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History on Juneteenth 2026, marking what the society calls a transformative step toward a more inclusive telling of the city’s history. Developed in partnership with Newport’s Black community, the center will serve as a hub for research, scholarship, […]
Posted inCity & Government
DEM reopens 462-acre Portsmouth shellfishing area for first time since 1975
A 462-acre shellfishing area along the Portsmouth shoreline just south of the Mount Hope Bridge will reopen for the first time since 1975, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management announced. The area has met water quality and shellfish sanitation criteria and will be upgraded from prohibited to approved for harvest on May 23. DEM […]
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Site work to begin June 1 on The Bellevue, a 90-room luxury hotel in Bellevue Gardens plaza
Site work on The Bellevue, a 90-room luxury boutique hotel planned for the Bellevue Gardens Shopping Plaza at 181 Bellevue Ave., will begin June 1, developers Procaccianti Companies and TPG Hotels & Resorts announced Thursday. The site and enablement work will be phased, beginning with the installation of new water lines and stormwater management systems. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
RENEWport launches Semiquincentennial 250 Archival Project to preserve Newport youth reflections
RENEWport has launched the Semiquincentennial 250 Archival Project, inviting local youth to share their reflections on the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The project, in collaboration with the Newport Historical Society, Newport Public Schools and the East Bay MET School, will preserve students’ reflections and their hopes for the future. Submissions are […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to take up FY 2027 budget at May 27 meeting
The Newport City Council will take up the city’s fiscal year 2027 operating budget when it meets Wednesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 43 Broadway. The budget items lead the docket, with second readings scheduled for the ordinance appropriating revenues and the personnel ordinance, along with a resolution […]
Posted inNews
People’s Credit Union named 2026 Bicycle Friendly Business of the Year at Newport’s Bike to Work Day
The first bikes rolled in at 7 a.m. and the camaraderie continued through the morning at the annual bike commuter breakfast in front of Newport City Hall on Friday, May 15, as the city marked National Bike to Work Day with coffee, snacks and swag from Bike Newport and RIPTA’s Commuter Resources. Later in the […]