Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, September 18.
📰 In this What’sUpNewp Daily Digest…
Newport City Manager joins What’sUpNewp for an interview on Wed.
A look at the thirteen homes that sold in Newport County last week.
Red and green okra are in abundance at Anna D’s Backyard Farmer’s Market
City of Newport hosting a pair of recycling days this fall
Middletown honors EMS Coordinator, addresses school building project
and more…
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Leading Off
📺 Newport City Manager Colin Kennedy will spend thirty minutes with What’sUpNewp this morning at 10 am, answering our and your questions during a live virtual one-on-one conversation.
Tell us what you’d like us to Ask The City Manager using the Google form here.
The interview will be broadcast on our website, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. They can be watched live or anytime afterwards on those platforms.
Ask The City Manager airs on the third Wednesday of every month at 10 am.
Bonus Content: What’sUpNewp Supporters will receive a supporter-only newsletter following the conversation with a podcast, video, and story from the conversation. This new feature will be available to supporters following regular discussions with the City Manager, School Superintendent, Mayor, Candidates, etc.
Note: If you want to access Supporter benefits but it’s not financially possible for you right now, email ryan@whatsupnewp.com, and we’ll make it work for you, with no questions asked.
News
🚨 A 32-year-old Coventry man was arrested in Portsmouth on Monday following an investigation into the solicitation of a juvenile for sexual activity. (WUN)
⛔ Senate Republicans have blocked for a second time this year legislation to establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization, arguing that the vote is an election-year stunt after Democrats forced a vote on the issue. (WUN)
🚓 The Newport Police Department’s latest arrest and dispatch logs reveal a quiet Monday followed by a domestic disturbance early Tuesday morning. (WUN)
Arts & Culture
🎭 Comedian Tom Cotter will be appearing at The JPT on Thursday, September 26, as part of the '“No Apologies Tour".” WUN’s Ken Abrams caught up with the Providence native about the show, becoming a finalist on America’s Got Talent, and more. (WUN)
👉 Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza is up for three more weeks at Great Friends Meeting House. The show is open Thursdays through Sundays from 12-4 pm until October 6 (except this Saturday, when it will be open from 6:30-9:30 pm. with an artist talk at 7:30 pm). WUN’s Ruthie Wood has more. (WUN)
🎶 Pay No Heed, an innovative new performance blending opera with theater, will premiere at Redwood Library & Athenæum on October 18 - 20. (WUN)
Business + Nonprofit
👏 On Tuesday, Aquidneck Community Table announced Tuni Schartner's appointment as its first Chief Innovation and Development Officer. (WUN)
🏅 Sara Roger and Middletown-based A-1 Roofing and Construction were recently recognized by the Looking Upwards for their exceptional community goodwill. (WUN)
City & Government
🗒️ The Middletown Town Council recognized Battalion Chief Brian DeFreitas as the 2024 EMS Coordinator of the Year and received updates on the school building project during its meeting on Monday. (WUN
🏫 The Little Compton School District is peripherally involved in a federal lawsuit over whether recent changes to federal Title IX anti-discrimination laws are appropriate and have children’s best interests at heart. (East Bay RI)
🚰 Newport City Council will host a public workshop today at 11 am in the City Council Chambers to discuss the new Base Sewer Use Charge and potential ways to accommodate fixed or lower-income residents.
Environment & Health
♻️ The City of Newport’s Clean City Program will host a pair of events at Easton’s Beach this fall to help Newport residents dispose of hazardous and harder-to-recycle items. (WUN)
🌬️ Will offshore wind drive electric bills down? Massachusetts’ Governor Maura Healey’s administration says offshore wind is cost-effective, but is it? (WUN via CommonWealth Beacon)
💡 Rhode Island officials announced on Tuesday the launch of the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program. Rhode Island is the first state in New England to launch the program, supported by $31.8 million from the Department of Energy. (WUN)
Food & Drink
👨🌾 Tucked behind Anna D’s Café is Portsmouth’s very own farmer’s market. WUN’s Ruthie Wood has more in her latest What’s In Season column - “Red and green okra are in abundance at Anna D’s Backyard Farmer’s Market”. (WUN)
Notable Quote
“ We each have our own little fanbases. Jim (Florentine) is on the current version of Crank Yankers. He made a name for himself back in the day doing these crank phone calls and got picked up on Comedy Central, and now it’s back. That’s his big thing. Tammy (Pescatelli) was on Last Comic Standing a few years ago, probably the biggest feather in her cap,” explained Cotter. “And I had some luck on AGT (America’s Got Talent). All three of our audiences are unique.”
~ Comedian Tom Cotter told WUN’s Ken Abrams when discussing his upcoming No Apologies Tour, which will make a stop at The JPT on September 26.
Obituaries
🕊️ No new obituaries to share.
People & Profiles
🇺🇸 The Rhode Island Department of State has announced that nearly 100 students from 44 high schools across the state have joined the Civic Leadership Program, a new program that aims to empower students to become active citizens. (WUN)
Real Estate
🏘️ As we enter the third week of September, the Newport County real estate market continues to demonstrate consistent activity, with 13 homes changing hands last week. WUN’s Tyler Bernadyn has a look at what sold. (WUN)
😮 Once a boathouse, this historic Newport home (The Playhouse) just sold for nearly $10 million. (Boston Globe) WUN’s coverage of this sale is here.
Sailing & Sports
⚾ Shane Baz allowed two runs and two hits over seven innings, Jose Siri homered and drove in four runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 8-3 on Tuesday night. (WUN)
⚽ In a commanding performance, Rogers High School’s girls’ soccer team secures a decisive 4-0 win against Tiverton High School on Monday evening. (WUN)
🏒 The Boston Bruins traded 2023 Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Linus Ullmark to Ottawa, content to give the starting job to Swayman. One problem? He’s a restricted free agent without a contract for the season. (WUN)
🏃♀️ Runners hoping to qualify for the 2026 Boston Marathon will have to pick up the pace. The Boston Athletic Association has updated its qualifying times. (WUN)
Things To Do
💡 Fort Adams Trust continues its free, family-friendly music series, Music At The Fort, this evening with a performance by The Ravers. (Fort Adams Trust)
🗓️ Salve Regina University has announced its lineup of events for its annual Mercy Week, scheduled for September 22 - 29. (SALVEtoday)
📚 The MLK Community Center invites the community to a free, family-friendly Children’s Day celebration on Sunday, September 22, to celebrate 4,000 kids enrolled in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. (WUN)
What’s Up Today
🚢 The Caribbean Princess is scheduled to visit Newport today. According to her website, she has the capacity for 3,140 guests and 1,200 crew.
Weather
Today: Patchy fog before 10 am. Otherwise, it is mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Tonight: Showers, mainly after 1 am. Low around 64. Northeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%—new precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Marine Forecast
Today: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming E 5 to 8 kt in the morning. Patchy fog before 10 am. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: ENE wind 7 to 10 kt, becoming NNE after midnight. Showers. Seas 1 ft or less.
Coastal Water Temperature: 63°F.
Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise: 6:29 am | Sunset: 6:48 pm | 12 hours and 19 minutes of sun.
High tide at 8:24 am & 8:47 pm | Low tide at 1:44 am & 2:15 pm.
Moon: Full Moon. 14.6 days, 100% lighting.
Things To Do
10 am: Arboretum Tour: Broadlawns at Second Wind Arboretum
10 am: Family Storytime at Newport Public Library
2 pm: Aquidneck Growers Market – Wednesday on Memorial Boulevard
4:30 pm: Live from The Loading Dock presents Lois Vaughan Trio at MLK Center
5:30 pm: Brenton Point State Park Master Plan Public Meeting at Newport Public Library
6 pm: Lecture: Dr. Grace and Mr. Bennett: Irish Newport’s Gilded Age Leaders at Wyndham Newport Hotel
6 pm: Sunset Music: The Ravers at Fort Adams
6:30 pm: Fermentation Class at Forty 1 North
Live Music, & Entertainment
Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
Fifth Element: Ruby Mac at 7 pm
JPT Film & Event Center: My Penguin Friend at 4:30 pm, Didi at 7:30 pm
Landing: Mark Flynn at 4 pm
Newport Vineyards: Trivia Wednesdays at 6 pm
Ragged Island Brewing Company: Andre Arsenault at 5:30 pm
Sardella’s: Live music at 7 pm
The Quencher: Karaoke at 9 pm
Local Government
Jamestown: Housing Authority at 9 am, Elections Training and Advisory Ad Hoc Committee at 10 am, Affordable Housing at 4:45 pm, Planning Commission at 6 pm, Tree Preservation & Protection at 6:30 pm
Middletown: Open Space and Fields Committee at 5:30 pm, Town Council at 6 pm
Newport: City Council at 11 am, Cemetery Advisory Commission
at 4 pm, School Committee – Policy Subcommittee at 5:30 pmPortsmouth: Water and Fire District at 7 pm
What’s Up This Week & Weekend
🗓️ On tap this week/weekend: Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Festival Latino, Cardines Classic, and more. Get the full rundown of events, live music, and entertainment. (WUN)
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