🎤 Newport School Superintendent provides updates on Rogers construction and teacher negotiations 🗳️ 19.2% of R.I. voters have early voted
Happening Today: Halloween parties, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Halloween Hilarity, and more.
Good Morning, and Happy Halloween! It’s Thursday, October 31, and today, we’re covering early voter turnout, our one-on-one conversation with Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain, Halloween happenings, and more.
🗓️ Today is the 305th day of the year; 6 days remain in 2024. Along with being a Thursday and Halloween, today is National Caramel Apple Day, Diwali, Girl Scout Founder’s Day, National Magic Day, Reformation Day, and more.
👋 First time reading this newsletter? Welcome! Join more than 17,000 who wake up to us daily. Sign up here. 📢 Keep in touch. I’d love to hear from you with any questions, feedback, story ideas, or news tips you might have. To do so, hit reply.
What’s Up Today
☀️ Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72°F. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph.
⚓ Marine: WSW wind 7 to 11 kt. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
🌒 Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 7:16 am, sunset at 5:41 pm. Low tide at 12:46 am & 1:27 pm. High tide at 7:44 am & 7:59 pm. The lunar phase is a Waning Crescent.
⏰ Reminder: Daylight saving time ends for the year at 2 am on Sunday.
🚢 The final two cruise ships scheduled for the 2024 season are the Azamara Journey on November 1 and the Insignia on November 7.
⛵ Happening Today: Halloween parties, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Halloween Hilarity, and more. Our complete events, live music, entertainment, and local public meeting roundup is here → What’s Up in Newport: Oct. 28 – Nov. 4.
Need To Know
1️⃣ Newport School Superintendent provides updates
Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain provided updates on several key issues during her monthly interview with What’s Up Newp on Wednesday.
The new Rogers High School construction project is progressing well, Jermain said. Finances for the project remain a concern. The school building committee has requested just under $3 million from the city council to complete the project, down from earlier estimates.
On teacher negotiations, Jermain reported that the teachers’ union has requested a new arbitrator, replacing Judge Frank Flaherty. The school committee will discuss this development in executive session next week.
The superintendent also discussed a recent survey of families regarding the potential relocation of fifth grade to Pell Elementary School. About 69% of respondents supported the idea.
Read the full story and watch or listen to the conversation here - Newport School Superintendent provides updates on Rogers High School Construction and teacher negotiations.
2️⃣ Early Voter Turnout
As of 4:45 pm on Wednesday, October 30, the Rhode Island Voter Turnout Tracker reports that 151,881 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 19.2% voter turnout thus far.
In Newport County, 17,479 of 59,018 registered voters (a 29% turnout) have already voted; here’s how that breaks down;
Portsmouth: 4,374 of 13,855 registered voters. 31.56% turnout.
Newport: 4,030 of 13,818 registered voters. 29.16% turnout.
Middletown: 3,323 of 10,747 registered voters. 30.92% turnout.
Tiverton: 2,728 of 12,640 registered voters. 21.58% turnout.
Jamestown: 1,987 of 4,806 registered voters. 41% turnout
Little Compton: 1,037 of 3,152 registered voters. 32.89% turnout.
Read the full story here - 19.2% of Rhode Island voters have participated in early voting thus far.
3️⃣ Narragansett Tribe member wins National NRCS Heritage Month Poster contest
Dawn M. Spears of the Narragansett Indian Tribe has won the 2024 American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month poster contest, hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Her winning artwork, “To All Our Relations,” was picked by Rhode Island NRCS for the national poster. This year’s theme, “Facing East, Where Land Meets Water,” celebrates indigenous peoples of the coastal northeast.
Read the full story - Narragansett Tribe member wins National NRCS Heritage Month Poster contest.
What’s Up Out There
News
🎤 Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain provided updates on several key issues during her monthly interview with What’s Up Newp on Wednesday. [WUN]
🚻 The public bathrooms at the Newport Transportation Center, located at 23 America’s Cup Avenue, will remain open daily through January 1, 2025. The bathrooms were scheduled to close on November 1, 2024, but will remain open to accommodate visitors and residents during the holiday season. [WUN]
🚉 The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the allocation of $19,524,497 in federal funding to upgrade crucial freight rail tracks in Rhode Island. [WUN]
👏 Dawn M. Spears of the Narragansett Indian Tribe has won the 2024 American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month poster contest, hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). [WUN]
🚨 Prosecutors plan to argue that a Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine should serve nearly 17 years in prison. [WUN]
💰 Three Massachusetts utilities and Central Maine Power’s parent company have agreed that Massachusetts ratepayers must shoulder $512 million in additional costs caused by delays in construction of a power transmission project in Maine that will allow Canadian hydropower to reach the New England power grid. [WUN]
Arts, Culture & Things To Do
🎹 The Newport Symphony Orchestra is gearing up for a special benefit concert at The Historic Park Theatre & Event Center in Cranston. [WUN]
🎬 The Tiverton Public Library will host a free screening of Charlie Chaplin’s classic silent film, “The Gold Rush,” with live musical accompaniment on Wednesday, November 13.
🎶 Frank Black, the Pixies frontman, is bringing his solo acoustic show to The JPT Film & Event Center in Newport. The performance is set for December 7. [WUN]
🎥 ‘The Heart of The Game’ and ‘The Monster’ are among the movies currently casting in Rhode Island. [WUN]
👻 Newport Recreation hosts a Halloween Trick or Treating at The Hut on today. [Newport]
🎃 On tap this week/weekend: Newport Restaurant Week, Halloween happenings, Juston McKinney, Greenvale’s Harvest Festival, and more. [WUN].
Election
📈 As of 4:45 pm on Wednesday, 151,881 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 19.2% voter turnout thus far. [WUN]
🗳️ Election Results: What’sUpNewp is preparing to be your 2024 General Election Headquarters. As they come in, we’ll have results from local, statewide, and national races for you on whatsupnewp.com. Be sure to visit our website early and often on election night. More info to come.
‼️ The Rhode Island Board of Elections wants all state residents to know the same-day registration law. This law allows residents who missed the October 6th registration deadline to still vote for President and Vice President on November 5th at a designated voting location in their city or town. [WUN]
🗳️ Voting in Rhode Island
To be counted, all mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.
For those planning to vote on Election Day, polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm across Newport County and the rest of Rhode Island.
Visit vote.ri.gov for more information about voting in Rhode Island, to view your sample ballot, or to find your polling place.
Environment & Health
🍬 The Rhode Island Department of Health reminds residents about some safety precautions this Halloween to ensure a fun and healthy holiday for all. [WUN]
Food & Drink
🍇 Greenvale Vineyards is gearing up for its 25th Annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, promising a day packed with wine, music, food, and fun. [WUN]
🍽️ Newport and Bristol Counties will again celebrate their dynamic food scene during the 18th annual Newport Restaurant Week, November 1- 10. [WUN]
Opinion
✍️ Gerry Goldstein’s latest column for WUN is here - Ancient advice for modern flaws. [WUN]
✍️ In a Letter to The Editor, Dennis Turano asks for your vote for re-election to Middletown Town Council. [WUN]
⚠️ Reminder: Our election-related Letters To The Editor deadline is Friday, November 1 at 5 pm. (Editor’s Note - I can’t wait!)
Obituaries
🕊️ Thomas Gill
People & Profiles
📰 Mosaic, Salve Regina’s Student Newspaper, has a recap from the recent “In Conversation” event with Senator Reed and Ambassador Rudd. [Mosaic]
🎙️ Trudy Coxe, President & CEO of The Preservation Society of Newport County, is scheduled to join WUN for a one-on-one conversation at 3 pm on Friday.
Sports
🏀 Pascal Siakam scored the last of his 29 points on a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left in overtime to give the Indiana Pacers a 135-132 victory over the previously unbeaten Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. [WUN]
🏈 Patriots rookie Drake Maye remained in the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday, limiting his ability to practice for New England’s upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans. If he can't play on Sunday, Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback. [WUN]
Until Next Time
🎃 Sloths and Tamarins Enjoy 'Rainforest Pumpkin Party' at Roger Williams Park Zoo
A pair of two-toed sloths and a troop of marmosets enjoyed a pumpkin party in their rainforest habitat at Roger Williams Park Zoo, footage posted on Tuesday, October 29, shows.
Videos captured by staff at the Roger Williams Park Zoo shows sloths Scout and Fiona and several marmosets, called golden lion tamarins, attempting to munch on pumpkins. Credit: Roger Williams Park Zoo via Storyful