Daily Digest: Saturday, September 28
On Tap Today: Pints For Paws, Sail For Hope, Jamestown Half Marathon, Newport Polo, Manhattan Short Film Festival, & more
Good Morning. It’s Saturday, September 28 —the 272nd day of the year; 94 days remain in 2024.
🌥️ Today’s Weather: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 70°. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. The sunrise was at 6:39 am, and the sunset will be at 6:31 pm.
🎬 Happening Today: Pints For Paws, Sail For Hope, Jamestown Half Marathon, Newport Polo, Manhattan Short Film Festival, & more. [WUN]
🚢 Cruise Ship: No cruise ship scheduled for today; Le Lyrial and the Enchanted Princess are scheduled to visit on Sunday.
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Leading Off
⚓ Newport City Council Vice Chair Lynn Underwood Ceglie joins me at 10 am this morning to recap Wednesday night’s City Council meeting and to provide background on why she voted the way she did on what was on the agenda. [WUN]
What To Know
News
🎠 The Newport City Council has taken a significant step toward preserving the historic Easton’s Beach Carousel, passing a resolution that directs the city manager to explore relocation options and funding mechanisms for the beloved attraction. [WUN]
🏠 The Newport City Council rejected a proposal Wednesday night to ban new short-term rentals in business zones. The decision followed a contentious debate over the city’s housing crisis and Airbnb’s impact on the local community. [WUN]
🌊 Newport’s Department of Public Services has awarded a $133,200 contract to GZA Geoenvironmental Inc. for the design and construction administration of the King Park Sea Wall reconstruction project. [WUN]
Arts & Culture
📽️ Patrick J.F. McKay, executive producer and co-showrunner of Amazon Studios’ award-winning original series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” is coming to Salve on October 7 for a special event. [SALVEtoday]
🎬 The JPT celebrates International Silent Movie Day on Sunday with a double-feature starring silent movie icon Buster Keaton. Both films will be accompanied by a live musical score performed by silent film musician Jeff Rapsis. [WUN]
Business + Nonprofit
⚓ More than 30 technology companies showcased their products during the 2024 Blue Tech Demo Day, which was held at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport and Sail Newport on Aug. 29. [NUWC]
City & Government
🚧 RIDOT has provided the following travel advisories for Newport County for Sept. 28 - Oct. 4;
Temporary Road Closures
Tiverton: Rte. 77 (Main Rd.), from #2970 to Indian Point, road closed for culvert replacement, Fri. night (Sept. 27) at 8 p.m. through Mon. morning (Sept. 30) at 6 a.m. Follow signed detour.
Tiverton: Highland Rd. and Bridgeport Rd., from both ends of Rte. 77 (Main Rd.), roads closed with street parking restricted and a gravel riding surface for milling, Mon.-Thurs. nights, 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Follow signed detour.
Overnight
Tiverton: Rte. 77 (Main Rd.), from Bridgeport Rd. to Highland Rd., alternating lane closures, street parking restrictions and possible detours for paving, Sun.-Tues. nights, 8 p.m.-6 a.m.
Tiverton: Riverside Dr., from Main Rd. to Evans Ave., alternating lane closures for paving, Wed. night, 8 p.m.-6 a.m.
🇺🇸 The U.S. Naval War College’s Stockton Center for International Law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, and World Maritime University Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute co-hosted the 47th iteration of the Conference on Oceans Law and Policy, a presentation series on ocean-related legal and public policy issues, at the Peruvian Naval Academy in Lima, Peru, Sept. 17-20. [USNWC]
Election 2024
📺 We’ll have five Newport City Council and Newport School Committee candidates join us next week for a one-on-one conversation. Ask questions and tune in. (WUN)
Environment & Health
🌎 A new House commission to study the impacts of climate change and solutions to mitigate them has been appointed and is scheduled for its first meeting on Tuesday. The House commission was created by a resolution sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown). [General Assembly]
Food & Drink
🍎 It’s all about the cider at Newport Vineyards on Sunday as they host their inaugural Cider Festival. [WUN]
🐾 Whether you’re a dog lover or enjoy great beer and food, Pints for Paws at Newport Craft on Saturday, September 28, promises to deliver an unforgettable afternoon—all while supporting a great cause – the Potter League for Animals. [WUN]
📺 Studio10’s Mario Hilario sat down with Matt Gray of Ragged Island Brewing in Portsmouth to learn all about this weekend’s Newport Oktoberfest in the Fort Adams State Park. [WJAR]
Obituaries
Opinion
🤣 In his latest column, Gerry Goldstein writes, “Voting is no laughing matter - or is it?” [WUN]
People
👉 Catch up on all of our one-on-one conversations from this week here;
Councilor Holder addresses proposed sewer rate change and short-term rental moratorium
Newport School Superintendent discusses enrollment decline, staffing, school construction
Councilor Aramli discusses proposed moratorium on short-term rentals, other agenda items
Mayor Xay previews City Council agenda; addresses sewer fee, short-term rentals
Real Estate
🏘️ Thirty-four homes across Newport County are hosting open houses this weekend. Tyler Bernadyn has the schedule [WUN]
Sailing & Sports
⚾ Josh Lowe hit an RBI double and scored a run in the seventh inning as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Friday night. [WUN]
Things To Do
🍺 On tap this week/weekend: Newport Oktoberfest, Pints for Paws, Jamestown Half Marathon, and more. (WUN)
⛵ Local sailors plan to race around Conanicut Island in the Sail for Hope today. The race around Jamestown is an annual fundraiser. [WUN]
🌽 This week, our seasonal “Six Picks” series continues with a look at some of the best corn mazes found in the region. These activities are fun for the whole family; some even allow four-legged friends. Now go out there and get lost! [WUN]