What's Up Today: Wednesday, February 1
A look at what's happening, new, and to do out there.
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, February 1. Today is National Freedom Day, Abolition of Slavery Day, National Dark Chocolate Day, and Robinson Crusoe Day!
Today’s newsletter is 1,316 words - approximately a 6-minute read.
🗓️ February is Black History Month, an annual time to celebrate the achievements, and a time for recognizing the central role, of African Americans in U.S. history. During the month of February, What’s Up Newp plans to use our platform to highlight and recognize the achievements of local African Americans.
We kick off our Black History Month series with a look at a group of 19th & Early 20th Century African Heritage Leaders in Newport - Black History Month – People, Places & Events: Remembering a group of 19th and 20th Century African Heritage Leaders in Newport
🎉 25 years ago today, Brad Read took over as the Executive Director of Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center. If you missed our conversation with Brad yesterday, where we touch base on The Ocean Race Newport and Sail Newport, you can watch and/or listen to our convo here. Happy Anniversary, Brad!
📺 Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong will join us for WUN-ON-ONE, our live virtual conversation series today at 4 pm. Watch live or anytime afterward here. Have a question for the Mayor, leave it in the comments below.
📝 Newport City Council will host a workshop on Thursday at 5:30 pm for the purpose of discussing the potential agenda items for their legislative workshop being held on Saturday.
🛶 The Newport Harbormaster’s Office will be accepting applications for dinghy and kayak rack spaces at King Park and Willow Street dinghy racks starting today and ending on February 28th.
⏰ Tickets for the 2023 Newport Folk Festival go on sale at 1 pm today. Yes, they will sell out fast.
What’s Up Today
☀️ Weather
Wind Chill Watch in effect from February 3, 04:00 AM EST until February 4, 01:00 PM EST
Today: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 7 am. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon.
🛥️ Marine Forecast
Gale Watch in effect from February 3, 07:00 AM EST until February 4, 10:00 AM EST
Today: NNE wind 6 to 9 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Scattered snow showers, mainly before 8am. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tonight: NW wind 5 to 7 kt. Mostly clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
Tomorrow: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming SW 10 to 15 kt in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 23 kt. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
Coastal Water Temperature: 42°F.
🌊 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise: 6:56 am | Sunset: 5 pm
High tide at 4:50 am & 5:07 pm | Low tide at 11:19 am & 10:17 pm.
Moon: Waxing Gibbous. 10.5 days, 81% lighting.
🎭 Things To Do
9 am to 10 am: Coffee with the Captain at Oliver Hazard Perry
3 pm to 8 pm: Flight Night Wednesdays at Newport Vineyards
3:30 pm: Wednesday Walk at Norman Bird Sanctuary
4:15 pm: Senior Ballroom Dance Classes at Common Fence Point Community Center
For more events and things to do, visit our events calendar.
🎶 Entertainment
Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
Fifth Element: Live music from 7 pm to 10 pm
Irish American Club: Mel from 8 pm to 10 pm
JPT Film & Event Center: A Man Called Otto at 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Sardella’s: Live Jazz music at 7 pm
🏛️ City & Government
Jamestown: Jamestown Planning Commission at 7 pm
Little Compton: Little Compton School Committee at 3:30 pm, Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust at 7 pm
Middletown: Middletown School Building Committee at 5 pm, Middletown Library Board of Trustees at 6:45 pm
Newport: Newport Beach Commission at 5 pm
Tiverton: Tiverton Zoning Board of Review at 7 pmSee the full list of public meetings in Rhode Island here.
On WhatsUpNewp.com
🆕 The Latest
A look at a group of 19th & Early 20th Century African Heritage Leaders in Newport.
Wind Chill Watch is in effect from late Thursday night through Saturday afternoon
Dangerously cold wind chills possible. Wind chills as low as 30 below zero.
7-Day Weather forecast for Newport County
Here’s what’s on tap for weather this week and weekend.
3-day Surf Forecast for Rhode Island
Forecast includes rip current risk, surf height, weather, winds, and more.
WUN-ON-ONE: A conversation with Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong
Coming up on Wednesday, February 1 at 4 pm.
Students named to the Dean’s List represent nearly all of Rhode Island’s cities and towns, all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, and many other states and countries.
Connecticut may exonerate accused witches centuries later
Decades before the infamous Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, Alse Young was killed at the gallows in Connecticut, becoming the first person on record to be executed in the American colonies for witchcraft.
URI Marine Affairs program, Tall Ships America forge new partnership
Collaboration provides those in maritime industry with pathway to complementary careers and Marine Affairs students opportunity for hands-on experience
How home equity compares in each state
From 2002 to 2022, Americans have seen the portion of their wealth that’s tied up in residential real estate collectively grow by $20 trillion—an upward trend line that grew steeper in 2020 and 2021, according to the Federal Reserve.
The amount of solar home energy increased 32% in 2021. Here’s how it happened
To get a bead on this clean energy trend, Stacker investigated how solar home energy has grown in the U.S. over time using data from the Energy Information Administration and other sources.
❤️ Recent Local Obituaries
None new obituaries to share.
📈 Tuesday’s Most-Read
Here’s what What’sUpNewp stories folks were reading the most on Tuesday;
Here are the 8 homes that changed hands in Newport County last week
WUN-ON-ONE: A conversation with Brad Read, Sail Newport and The Ocean Race Newport Stopover
Newport Restaurant Group donates $60,750 to local nonprofits through 2022 Gift Card Donation Program
Newport City Council to hold interviews for boards and commissions
📖 Further Reading
WJAR: Newport nonprofit named Champion in Action for environmental sustainability
Mansion Global: In the Same Family for Four Generations, a Waterfront Rhode Island Mansion Has Sold for $15 Million
WJAR: Police departments rally to wish woman battling cancer a happy birthday
Salve Today: Dancers will perform original works during annual Student Choreography Showcase
East Bay: Tiverton could dump donation bins
✌️We’ll See You Out There
Coming up on WUN-ON-ONE, our live virtual interview series;
Wednesday, February 1 at 4 pm: Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong
Wednesday, February 15 at 10 am: Evan Smith, President & CEO of Discover Newport
Wednesday, February 15 at 3:30 pm: Jay Sweet and Dan Swain, Newport Festivals Foundation
Watch the interviews live as they happen, or anytime afterward, on our website. Have a question or comment for one of our guests, leave them in the comments below.
Thanks for waking up with What’sUpNewp.
- Ryan
Can you shed light on whether RIDE is partnering with Newport & Middletown on school regionalization efforts at this stage post election after Question 5 was rejected? Thank you!