🗳️ One in five Rhode Island voters have already cast their ballots
State reports 20.9% turnout through early voting and mail-in ballots; Board of Elections outlines plans for tabulating and releasing results
Good Morning! It’s Friday, November 1, and today, we’re covering
🗓️ Today is the 306th day of the year; 60 days remain in 2024. Along with being a Friday, today is Deck The Everything Day, National Author’s Day, All Saints Day, World Vegan Day, National Vinegard Day, and more.
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What’s Up Today
☀️ Weather: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 73. Southwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
⚓ Marine: SW wind 13 to 15 kt, with gusts as high as 25 kt. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
🌒 Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 7:17 am, sunset at 5:39 pm. Low tide at 1:18 am & 2:06 pm. High tide at 8:16 am & 8:33 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 today and the Insignia on November 7.
⛵ Happening Today: Newport Restaurant Week, Newport Classical, Improv with The Bit Players, and more. Our complete events, live music, entertainment, and local public meeting roundup is here → What’s Up in Newport: Oct. 28 – Nov. 4.
What’s Up Out There
News
🚨 An investigation is underway after a motorcyclist was critically injured in a crash on the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge Thursday afternoon, according to Rhode Island State Police.
Motorcyclist critically injured in crash on Jamestown Bridge [WPRI]
One person seriously injured in high-speed motorcycle crash on Jamestown Bridge [WJAR]
🛑 Dixon Street between Thames and Spring Streets will be reversed for motor vehicle traffic beginning today. Motorists are advised that new directional signage is being added, and road striping will be done before the change. [WUN]
🆓 The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will offer free bus service to all Rhode Island veterans on Veterans Day, with proof of eligibility. [WUN]
⚡ Rhode Islanders struggling to afford their home energy bills will get some help this winter thanks to a $24 million allocation from the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. [WUN]
Arts, Culture & Things To Do
🎶 The Historic Park Theatre in Cranston is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a star-studded lineup of concerts. The venue, now under the management of Spectacle Live, will kick off the centennial season with performances by Dionne Warwick, The Moody Blues’ John Lodge, and Lonestar from November 14th to 17th.[WUN]
🎃 On tap this week/weekend: Newport Restaurant Week, Halloween happenings, Juston McKinney, Greenvale’s Harvest Festival, and more. [WUN].
Business & Nonprofit
🆓 Non-profit organizations in Newport can brighten their properties this spring with a free sack of 250 daffodil bulbs from Newport in Bloom. The bulbs, which will bloom next spring and every year after, are being offered to schools, churches, and other non-profits in the city. [WUN]
Election
📈 As of 4:45 pm on Wednesday, October 31, the Rhode Island Voter Turnout Tracker reports that 165,385 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 20.9% voter turnout thus far. [WUN]
🗳️ The Rhode Island Board of Elections released a timeline on October 31, 2024, detailing when the results of the Nov. 5 general election will be tabulated and released to the public. [WUN]
📺 ‘We have to act urgently’: Newport voting on $98.5M climate resiliency bond. [WPRI]
Food & Drink
🍔 RI Monthly caught up with Chomp Kitchen and Drinks’ Sam Glynn and has details on their upcoming location in Newport (in the former Fifth Element). [WUN]
🍽️ Newport Restaurant Week begins today and runs through November 10 [WUN]
Opinion
✍️ Lifespan, which is about to be rebranded as Brown University Health, just bought St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts for $175 million, making it a two-state hospital system. Should Rhode Islanders care? Dr. Michael Fine’s latest column for WUN is here. [WUN]
✍️ “In the October 24th edition of Newport This Week, the Editor’s note accompanying school committee candidate profiles incorrectly paraphrases a question we were asked about teaching Multilingual Learners (MLL).” Stephanie Winslow, a candidate for Newport School Committee, with a Letter To The Editor. [WUN]
⚠️ Reminder: Our election-related Letters To The Editor deadline is today at 5 pm. (Editor’s Note - I can’t wait!)
Obituaries
🕊️ Thomas Gill
People & Profiles
🎙️ 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
🏒 Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov each scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes returned home for the first time in more than two weeks to rout the Boston Bruins 8-2 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. [WUN]