🗳️ Election Day is here
Happening Today: 2024 General Election, Newport Restaurant Week, Chess Club, Battle of the Taste Buds, and more.
Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - Election Day! 🗓️ Today is the 310th day of the year; 56 days remain in 2024.
What’s Up Today
☀️ Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
⚓ Marine: SW wind 7 to 11 kt, with gusts as high as 20 kt. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
🌒 Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 6:22 am, sunset at 4:35 pm. Low tide at 2:41 am & 3:33 pm. High tide at 9:42 am & 10:14 pm. The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.
🚢 Next up is the Insignia on November 7 - the last cruise ship of the season.
⛵ Happening Today: 2024 General Election, Newport Restaurant Week, Chess Club, Battle of the Taste Buds, and more.
Need To Know
1️⃣ Election Day Is (Finally) Here
Today is the 2024 General Election. After months of hearing from and about the candidates, it’s your turn to make your voice heard.
As of 4:45 pm on Monday, the Rhode Island Voter Turnout Tracker reports that 219,463 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 27.7% voter turnout thus far.
In Newport County, 25,061 voters have already voted; here’s how that breaks down.
Portsmouth: 6,167 of 13,855 registered voters. 44% turnout.
Newport: 5,710 of 13,818 registered voters. 41% turnout.
Middletown: 4,716 of 10,747 registered voters. 43% turnout.
Tiverton: 4,334 of 12,640 registered voters. 34% turnout.
Jamestown: 2,707 of 4,806 registered voters. 56% turnout
Little Compton: 1,427 of 3,152 registered voters. 45% turnout.
Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm, and mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections or put into an authorized drop box by 8 p.m.
Visit vote.ri.gov to find your polling place or to view your sample ballot.
2️⃣ Election Results
This evening at 8 pm, you can see live 2024 General Election results for Newport, Rhode Island, and national races on whatsupnewp.com (links below).
What’s Up Out There
News
🇺🇸 For several decades, the cremated remains of more than two dozen American Civil War veterans languished in storage facilities at a funeral home and cemetery in Seattle. Among them was Byron Johnson. Born in Pawtucket in 1844, he enlisted at 18 and served as a hospital steward with the Union Army. [WUN]
🐬 A couple of playful dolphins were swimming around a boat in Newport on Sunday evening. [WPRI]
☎️ The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority recently transitioned to a new back-office system, causing longer-than-normal wait times for customers attempting to contact the authority by phone or in person at their customer service center. [WUN]
🚨 Newport Police reported three arrests over the weekend. [WUN]
🎣 In honor of Veterans Day, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management will be stocking several thousand rainbow and brook trout in select bodies of water across the state this week. [WUN]
Arts, Culture & Things To Do
🎨 Federico Santi, chair of the City of Newport’s Public Sculpture Commission, will be the guest speaker at the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Newport County’s upcoming “Arts Around the Fire” event on Nov. 20. [WUN]
💭 Tim Jones’ latest Sour Grapes comic, Sour Grapes, is here. [WUN]
🎵 ICYMI: WUN’s Ken Abrams caught up with Grammy-winning Lucinda Williams ahead of her show at The Vets on Nov. 15. [WUN]
🎶 An inspiring performance combining elements of jazz, poetry, and classical soundscapes alongside a chorus of South African voices, made for a special evening at the Casino Theatre in Newport on Saturday. WUN’s Ken Abrams was there to write about and photograph the event. [WUN]
Election
🗳️ 27.7% of Rhode Island registered voters have already voted by mail or early in-person voting. [WUN]
🗳️ Democrats are heavily favored to win both U.S. House seats in Rhode Island in Tuesday’s election. [WUN]
🗳️ Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is looking to win a fourth term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. [WUN]
🗳️ Newport Mayor Xaykham “Xay” Khamsyvoravong is rolling out a green initiative to boost voter turnout in the upcoming election. [WUN]
🗳️ To view a sample ballot, check your voter registration, or to find your polling location, please visit Vote.RI.Gov.
Environment & Health
🆓 Family caregivers can get support and resources at a free “Prepare to Care” presentation hosted by AARP at the Tiverton Public Library on Nov. 16. [WUN]
Food & Drink
🦞 ICYMI: The Heritage Restaurant Group has acquired Flo's. [WJAR] [WPRI]
🍺 Brick Alley Pub hosts one of its famous Beer & Spirits Dinners on Friday, November 15. [Brick Alley Pub]
🍽️ Newport Restaurant Week continues in Newport and Bristol Counties through November 10 [WUN]
Obituaries
🕊️ Joan Marks
Real Estate
🏡 Twenty-two homes changed hands across Newport County last week. WUN’s Tyler Bernadyn has a roundup of what sold. [WUN]
Sports
🏀 Jayson Tatum scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics routed the Atlanta Hawks 123-93 on Monday night for their third straight win. [WUN]
🏀 Sebastian Thomas’ 18 points helped Rhode Island defeat Fairfield 96-58 on Monday night. [WUN]
🏀 Bensley Joseph scored 21 points as Providence beat Central Connecticut State 59-55 on Monday night in a season opener. [WUN]
Ryan is there a trick to be able to read your wonderful emails on What"s Up without every time I try I can't because it always asks for money. A family member told me she never has any problem so I must be doing something wrong. Thank you. Amy Medeiros, a 92 yr old senior