Good Morning. It’s Friday, September 27 —the 271st day of the year; 95 days remain in 2024.
🌥️ Today’s Weather: There is a chance of showers, mainly before 8 am. Patchy fog before 9 am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 71°. The sunrise was at 6:38 am, and the sunset will be at 6:33 pm.
🎬 Happening Today: Manhattan Short Film Festival at Jamestown Arts Center, Newport Classical, live improv comedy with The Bit Players, & more. (WUN)
🚢 Cruise Ship: The 848-foot Norwegian Sky is scheduled to stop in Newport today. She can host 1,944 guests and 899 crew.
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Leading Off
Get Lost
🌽 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)
Ask The Council
🗓️ I’ve had to move our chat with Newport City Council Vice Chair Lynn Underwood Ceglie from today at 10 am to tomorrow (Saturday) at 10 am. Tune in during the chat to hear more about Wednesday’s City Council meeting. (WUN)
Stat Of The Day
"The line 67, when we sponsored it three years ago, we moved ridership from 50,000 to 150,000 people. When we made it free. If you put two people in each car, if you divide that 150 by two, what we did was we took 70,000 cars off the road by just managing that one sponsorship."
Evan Smith discussed efforts to manage mobility and reduce traffic congestion in Newport during his conversation with What’sUpNewp on Wednesday.
What To Know
📈 The Office of the Auditor General has issued a report highlighting municipal fiscal trends over five years. The report aims to detail certain key financial benchmarks over time and highlight positive and negative trends observed in the data. Newport has seven highlighted positive trends and one negative trend. (WUN)
🎤 U.S. Senator Jack Reed will provide closing remarks at the first Newport Investor Summit this afternoon at the Beach House in Middletown. According to his office;
“Senator Reed will discuss efforts to strengthen and grow Rhode Island’s Blue Economy, build a national economy that works for all Americans, and bolster workforce development initiatives for a range of existing and emerging industries throughout the Ocean State”.
🍂 Salve Regina University will welcome parents, family, alumni, and friends to Newport this weekend for Fall Festival and Homecoming Weekend. (Salve)
💰 A federal grant of $11.36 million is coming to Rhode Island to help combat opioid addiction. The funds are part of a grant effort to help reduce overdoses and provide more support for those struggling with addiction. (WUN)
📚 Salve professor, historian, examines Catholic history of Newport in new book, “The Rise of Newport’s Catholics: From Colonial Outcasts to Gilded Age Leaders” (Rhode Island Catholic)
🐷 For the third time in four years, Tiverton’s West Place Animal Sanctuary is a finalist for a national service award. (WUN)
⛵ On Saturday, September 28, local sailors plan to race around Conanicut Island in the Sail for Hope. The race around Jamestown is an annual fundraiser, and this year’s donations will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Rhode Island Chapter, Warrior Sailing, and Sail Newport’s Financial Aid Fund. (WUN)
⚠️ Due to an illness, the City of Newport has announced that they’ve had to postpone their inaugural Community Liason Officer Hours at the Edward King House today. (Facebook)
🗓️ The City of Newport will host a workshop on Wednesday, October 2, at 6 p.m. in the cafetorium at Pell Elementary School on Admiral Kalfus Traffic Calming and Resident Sticker Parking/ITC Petition.
👉 Learn about the Newport + Middletown Community Learning Center at an Oct. 1 informational meeting at 5:30 pm in the Middletown Public Library. Get the details and share your ideas. (Town of Middletown)
🗳️ There are some important gems hidden (or really listed) among the local questions on the ballots in many communities. WUN’s Frank Prosnitz with the story. (WUN)
🐘 As the General Election draws near, the Newport Democratic City Committee is seeking volunteers to help key swing states. (WUN)
🐘 CCRI will host its first Democracy Fair on October 2 in Warwick. The event, which is free and open to all, will feature representatives from local and national political parties, public advocacy groups, voting rights organizations, and election officials. (WUN)
📺 We resume Ask The Candidates on Tuesday, October 1. A dozen interviews are scheduled with candidates for Newport City Council and Newport School Committee. (WUN)
🔎 SouthCoast Wind has embarked on a multiyear project to train protected species observers, with a specific emphasis on recruiting Indigenous people. (ecoRI News)
💰 The Rhode Island Department of Health will use a $600,000 federal grant to expand fall-prevention programs for older adults, with a focus on older adults living in underserved areas. (WUN)
🍎 Newport Vineyards is brewing up something new: their inaugural Cider Festival that will take place on Sunday, September 29. While of course “cider” is in the festival name, the celebration is open to all – drinking age or younger – who love fall. (WUN)
🍽️ Newport Connection: Eldredge and Tyler Ropolo are opening a new restaurant, Legami, in Charleston, South Carolina. Their restaurant is “an extension of Pasta Beach”, which their parents opened more than two decades ago. (Post & Courier)
✍️ Gregory Huet, a Middletown resident, says Councilman Turano’s letter was disappointing and misleading in response to Turano’s letter.
✍️ Diane Sheehan writes in to endorse Beth Cullen for Newport School Committee (WUN)
🗓️ Take note - the deadline for Letter’s To The Editor regarding the 2024 General Election will be 5 pm on Friday, November 1.
🎙️ In a conversation with What’sUpNewp on Thursday, Discover Newport’s Evan Smith said that his organization is working to spread visitors across seasons and the region; he also called for a "kinder" debate on tourism and taxes. (WUN)
🏈 The Niners (1-2) look to get back on track Sunday when they host the Patriots (1-2). (WUN)
🎬 The JPT celebrates International Silent Movie Day on Sunday, September 29, 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)
🐾 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)
🍺 On tap this week/weekend: Newport Oktoberfest, Pints for Paws, Jamestown Half Marathon, and more. (WUN)
