Here’s this week’s Sour Grapes; enjoy!
Newport County
Posted inArts & Culture
This Day in RI History: March 9 – Jeffrey Osborne is born
Born in Providence, Jeffrey Osborne is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician who hails from a legendary RI musical family. Osborne began his career in 1970 as lead vocalist for L.T.D., a popular R&B band founded in the early 1970’s. He later began a solo career, where he was nominated for several Grammy Awards. Osborne […]
Posted inNews
Sweet Berry Farm’s new owners seek planning board approval for major development
Less than a year after Sweet Berry Farm quietly changed hands following 45 years under the same family, the property’s new owners are seeking approval for a major land development project that would transform the 51-acre Mitchell’s Lane farm with a new 13,862-square-foot complex — including a relocated farmstand, café and a barn designed to […]
Posted inInstagram
Portsmouth wins D-1 basketball title, defeats La Salle 49-38
Adam Conheeny scored 18 points and Portsmouth High School’s stifling defense held La Salle Academy to nine first-half points as the Patriots claimed the Rhode Island Division I boys basketball championship Friday night, 49-38, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Portsmouth led 21-9 at halftime and never relinquished control, using relentless defensive pressure to keep the […]
Posted inNews
In search of affordability: How Rhode Island ranks for cost of living
If there’s one issue that every single American is dealing with these days, it’s that costs are going up. Food, shelter, energy — the bills just keep getting bigger, and the affordability of daily life is being strained. But here’s some surprising math you might not be aware of: Affordability can be extremely different depending […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
Choreographing consent: Meet Rhode Island’s intimacy director
Valerie Remillard is an Intimacy Director. What’s that, you ask. Read on… Just prior to the pandemic, she directed a production of “Almost, Maine” at the Community Players in Pawtucket. The show is actually nine short plays stapled together, exploring love and loss in a mythical Maine town called Almost. “There is intimacy in every […]
Posted inNews
For survivors, Rhode Island clergy abuse report brings vindication and renewed demands
By LEAH WILLINGHAM and KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The sound of the school nurse’s office door opening. Light reflecting off a stained-glass window. Tearful outbursts and fear of getting on the school bus. For many survivors of clergy abuse, memories like these linger for decades. A report released this week by […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council to meet March 11
The Newport City Council will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at City Hall, 43 Broadway. The meeting will open with a proclamation celebrating Irish Heritage Month. Among the items on the consent calendar, the council will consider approval of an Easter Extravaganza event at Newport Skatepark on April 4 and a […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Joseph Angelo Belli
Joseph Angelo Belli of Middletown, RI, died on March 3, 2026. He was the loving husband of Mary Cecilia (Moitozo) Belli. Born in New Bedford, MA on September 25, 1930, he was the son of the late Joseph and Mary (Joaquin) Belli. Mr. Belli was a graduate of Fairhaven, Ma. schools. He entered the US […]
Posted inInstagram
Lincoln School holds off Tiverton in thriller to claim Division 2 title
In a rematch that lived up to its billing, Lincoln School held on to defeat Tiverton 50-47 Thursday night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion to claim the Division 2 title in a game that came down to the final seconds. Tiverton jumped out to a 20-11 halftime lead, with Jah’niece Branch scoring six of her […]
Posted inThings To Do
Audrain Motorsport to expand Veteran Car Tour into full weekend event in May
Audrain Motorsport is expanding its Veteran Car Tour into a full weekend event this spring, bringing rare brass-era automobiles to the streets of Newport and Bristol in what organizers are calling one of the most significant gatherings of early American automobiles in the country. The event is scheduled for May 16-18, with opening activities beginning […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Elizabeth Ann Nass
Elizabeth Ann Nass, 72, a lifelong resident of Aquidneck Island, passed away peacefully in her Portsmouth, RI home in presence of family. Born in Newport, RI on November 26, 1953, she was the daughter of the late Robert W. Nass and the late Barbara (Whitford) Nass. She leaves her beloved son, James R. Nass of […]
Posted inNews
What to know about the investigation into Catholic priests in Rhode Island and sexual abuse charges
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A new investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, shows that an estimated 75 priests abused more than 300 children since 1950, with the state’s top law enforcement chief warning Wednesday that the scope of the abuse is likely much bigger. The report was released by Rhode Island Attorney […]
Posted inSports
Patriots tell 4-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs he’ll be released next week, AP source says
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The New England Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he’ll be released when the new league year begins next week, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team hasn’t announced its intention. Diggs posted […]
Posted inInstagram
Newport School Superintendent to sit down with What’sUpNewp for live interview on March 4
Colleen Burns Jermain, Superintendent of Newport Public Schools, will join What’sUpNewp for her monthly one-on-one conversation on Wednesday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m. Watch the conversation live below, or anytime afterward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTv-sxpA44
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Jonathan Hilton Cooper
Jonathan Cooper, 58, of Newport, RI, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Stowe, Vermont while on a ski weekend with his wife and eldest daughter on February 28th, 2026. He was born in Frisby on the Wreake, Leicestershire, England in 1967 to Hilton and Eileen Cooper. He got a love of the outdoors from […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Nancy Warwick Tarlton
Nancy Warwick Tarlton was born April 9, 1930, in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in Merion Station, PA. She was the daughter of the late Paul Reynolds Warwick and Sallie Hill Warwick and the sister of the late Paul Reynolds Warwick Jr. While a student at Friends Central High School, she played high school basketball, […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Robert Brennan
Robert ¨Bobby¨ Brennan, 82, of Middletown, passed away peacefully Monday, February 23, 2026, at Village House in Newport. A loving father, grandpa, uncle, brother, son, friend, and neighbor, he was the husband of the late Judy (White) Brennan. Born July 2, 1943, he was the son of the late Thomas and Rose (Meehan) Brennan. Born […]
Posted inSports
Snow Report: Mountain Conditions at New England Ski Resorts
The table below from OnTheSnow shows the snow cover in New England. For each ski resort, you will find the essential information from its snow report: snow depths, open slopes, and lifts, date of the last snowfall, today’s weather. All the information you need to choose the right ski resort for you in New England. […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Frederick William Brown
Frederick William Brown, 78, of Jamestown passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026, surrounded by his family. A devoted husband, Fred shared 55 loving years with his wife, Linda (Daum) Brown, whom he met while both were students at the University of Rhode Island. Born February 7, 1948, in Newport, Fred attended Rogers High School, […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Therese Marie Croteau
Therese Croteau 95, of Newport, died peacefully on February 22, 2026 at Saint Clare Home in Newport. Born on June 14, 1930 to Daniel A. Sullivan and Margaret (Shea) Sullivan of Newport, she was predeceased by her husband of 19 years, John N. Croteau of Providence. She also was predeceased by her brothers, Vincent Sullivan, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Xay Khamsyvoravong enters Rhode Island lieutenant governor’s race
Former Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong entered the race for Rhode Island lieutenant governor Monday, becoming the latest Democrat to join a crowded primary field ahead of the state’s Sept. 8 primary. Khamsyvoravong, the son of a Laotian refugee and a Providence pediatrician, framed his campaign around economic anxiety and what he called government’s failure to […]
Posted inSports
Portsmouth girls basketball holds off North Kingstown, advances to semifinals
Violet Silvia scored 21 points to lead Portsmouth to a 54-47 win over North Kingstown in a girls basketball playoff game Saturday night at North Kingstown High School. The sophomore standout was the catalyst for a Portsmouth offense that built a 21-18 halftime lead and never looked back. Gyselle Mairs added 16 points and Annie […]