By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press YORK, Maine (AP) — As a morning fog lifted over Maine’s York River, Mike Masi and his two interns stood on a dock sorting through a mound of one of the region’s most despised crabs and hoped to find a few that would end up on a gastronome’s plate somewhere […]
Newport County
Posted inNews
Dolly Parton’s Newport legacy: one unforgettable appearance at Fort Adams, and a book in the mail every month
Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville at 80, left two very different marks on Newport: a single surprise appearance at Fort Adams that people still talk about, and a program that has quietly mailed books to thousands of local children every month for six years. Her family asked that donations be made in her […]
Posted inNews
IYRS launches Maritime Leadership Institute, names Kristin Urbach managing director
IYRS School of Technology & Trades announced Wednesday the launch of a Maritime Leadership Institute and named Kristin Urbach its managing director. The institute will offer leadership development for maritime professionals, with programs aimed at building teams, managing change and problem-solving in maritime workplaces — an extension of the school’s technical training into management. “The […]
Posted inCity & Government
McKee narrows gap but still trails Foulkes by 15 points in new WPRI poll
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current August 25, 2026 Gov. Dan McKee is finally gaining ground among Democratic primary voters, but remains 15 points behind challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes, according to a new WPRI-TV 12 poll published Tuesday.The survey of 1,000 likely voters, conducted Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 by Emerson College Polling, marks the […]
Posted inSports
Bermuda Race organizers to review scoring system after error report
Organizers of the Newport Bermuda Race say they will review whether to continue using forecast-based scoring, following an investigation into the error that scrambled results in June. The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee and US Sailing released a 14-page report Tuesday tracing the error to two causes: conflicting weather files left active in routing software on […]
Posted inNews
Newport projects among 10 statewide Rhody Award winners for historic preservation
NEWPORT — Three Newport-connected honorees are among the 10 recipients of Preserve Rhode Island’s 2026 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation, announced Tuesday. Agassiz Mansion at Castle Hill Inn receives a Community Impact Award for its restoration after the Feb. 5 fire that tore through the third-floor attic of the Ocean Drive landmark. The State Fire […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Robert Anson
Captain Robert Anson Jr. USN (Ret) left his homeport on the outgoing tide for the last time on August 19th, 2026, bound for another great voyage. Raised in Newport’s 5th Ward, Bob is the son of the late Robert and Sarah (Sadie) Anson, who both served in Newport’s mansions and estates. Educated at Rogers High […]
Posted inReal Estate
Home of the Week: 481 Oliphant Lane offers space, location and rental potential in Middletown
MIDDLETOWN, RI – If you were to put a pin in the middle of Aquidneck Island, 481 Oliphant Lane would not be far from it. New to the market today, this five-bedroom, two-bath Colonial sits on a half-acre lot in one of the more convenient locations on Aquidneck Island. With plenty of space, a valid […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIDOT shifting traffic on South County Trail bridge over Route 4 in East Greenwich
RIDOT will shift all traffic to the newly rebuilt northbound side of the South County Trail bridge at the Route 4 interchange starting Friday night, Aug. 28. The two-lane configuration in place during construction becomes permanent — one lane each direction with a center turning lane, connecting to the existing road diet south of the […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Peter A. Gerard
Peter A. Gerard, 80, passed away on August 17, 2026, after a brief illness. Melinda, his loving wife of 52 years, and his daughter Jennifer were with him for his final moments. To say that Peter was “larger than life” not only described his tall, distinguished, presence, but also how he chose to live and […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about COVID and flu vaccines in 2026
I got a Pfizer COVID vaccine last night from Walgreens. And no, RFK Jr, I didn’t die. I didn’t feel a thing, and I feel fine now. No magnetic particles are letting extraterrestrials control my thoughts from space, at least not as far as I can tell. We are in the late summer COVID spike, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jamestown Community Theatre holding auditions for Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along”
Jamestown Community Theatre will hold auditions for “Merrily We Roll Along” on Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Jamestown Recreation Center, opening the company’s 36th season. The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, follows composer Franklin Shepard, who achieves professional success at steep personal cost. The story unfolds […]
Posted inNews
MLK Community Center hosting free karaoke competition Tuesday
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center will hold a karaoke competition on Tuesday, Aug. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. Each singer performs one song for the judges, with a second song prepared in case of a tiebreaker. First place wins a prize. Sing Your Heart Out Co. will emcee. The event is […]
Posted inInstagram
Salve students learn on the job at the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals
For more than 70 years, Newport has held a distinctive place in American music history as the host city of world-renowned jazz and folk festivals. This summer, Salve Regina University rising seniors Grace Kasten and Topher Weber experienced that history from behind the scenes as interns with Newport Festivals Foundation. From stage production and artist support […]
Posted inCity & Government
PUC cuts Rhode Island Energy’s rate request, approves $170 million in bill credits
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission on Friday approved roughly $170 million in customer bill credits and rejected significant portions of Rhode Island Energy’s request to raise electric and gas distribution rates. The credits stem from a commitment PPL Corporation made when it acquired The Narragansett Electric Company in 2022, agreeing to hold Rhode Island […]
Posted inObituaries
Obituary: Anne Marie Wolfe
Anne was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, whose greatest joy was her family. As the wife of a Navy serviceman, she was often called upon to run the household and raise her children while Jack was away. She did so with love, patience, strength, and gladness, creating a home where her children […]
Posted inNews
More than 70 maritime and defense companies to demonstrate technology at Sail Newport next week
More than 70 companies from five countries will bring maritime and defense technologies to Sail Newport on Thursday, Aug. 27, for the third annual BlueTIDE, an event organized by Polaris Tech Bridge. The day opens with an in-water Collaborative Integration Opportunity from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., putting previously qualified technologies to work in a […]
Posted inCity & Government
First Newport homes go live on GoNetspeed fiber Wednesday
The first Newport customers will be ready to connect to GoNetspeed’s fiber network on Wednesday, the company will tell the City Council at its meeting that evening. Heidi Mahoney, GoNetspeed’s manager of government affairs, will brief councilors on the fiber-to-the-premises build, which is advancing in partnership with Rhode Island Commerce through the ConnectRI program. Construction […]
Posted inCity & Government
City floats “Park Newport,” a single brand for all municipal parking
The city’s parking operations would consolidate under a single public-facing brand called Park Newport under a proposal going before the City Council on Wednesday. In an Aug. 18 memo, Superintendent of Parking Stathis Manousos describes bringing parking operations, customer service, permits, payment, wayfinding and enforcement together under one identity — part of what he calls […]
Posted inCity & Government
Early voting begins for Sept. 9 primary; state officials point voters to rights guide
Early voting for the statewide primary opened Thursday in the second-floor conference room of Newport City Hall, 43 Broadway, and continues during regular business hours until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Emergency mail ballots are available in the Canvassing Office over the same period. Extended hours are set for Wednesday, Aug. 26, when early […]
Posted inBusiness
Providence Place sold to ownership group led by former Mayor Joe Paolino and the mall’s original developer
Providence Place has been sold to a partnership of Paolino Properties, Pyramid Management Group and DW Partners, the group announced Thursday morning at a press conference at the mall with Mayor Brett Smiley. The ownership brings the property back to figures involved in its creation. Joseph R. Paolino Jr., CEO and managing partner of Paolino […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter: Perrotti Park’s deed deserves an answer
To the Editor: Newport is considering a major expansion of the Harbormaster facility at Perrotti Park. There are plenty of arguments about the design, size, cost and merits of the project. But there is a more fundamental question the City has yet to answer publicly: Can Newport legally use this land for the proposed expanded […]
Posted inCity & Government
New state housing dashboard shows 658 units backed across Newport County
A new state housing dashboard launched Thursday shows Newport County has 14 developments totaling 658 housing units in predevelopment, under construction or completed with state support since 2021. Newport accounts for the largest share, with five developments and 321 units. Middletown has four developments and 169 units, Portsmouth two and 94, Tiverton two and 62, […]
Posted inThings To Do
Newport Playhouse to close after 43 years
The Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant will close on Dec. 31 after 43 years, president Jonathan Perry announced Tuesday in a letter to patrons posted on the theater’s Facebook page. The Playhouse will continue performing through the end of the year. “We still have several months of performances ahead of us, audiences to entertain, stories […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Groove Merchants close out NIMFest season at King Park on Sunday
Groove Merchants headline the final NIMFest concert of the 2026 season on Sunday, Aug. 23, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the King Park Gazebo, 125 Wellington Ave. The show is free and open to the public, weather permitting. The Newport-based six-piece plays a funk-inflected take on pop and jazz, moving between laid-back grooves, hard-hitting […]