⚓ What's Up today in Newport County: Tuesday, February 4

Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

What’sUpNewp, over the last six years, has had a deal with its readers. Namely, you pay for what you get.

In other words, revenue from paid subscribers directly funds the journalism that lands in your inbox daily. Paid subscribers understand costs are associated with producing the reporting they value, and their subscription dollars help cover them.

For instance, this newsletter arrives via an email service provider, technology purchased with subscription revenue. We pay contributors typically $100 to produce an original story, but some stories cost close to $150 - $200 per piece when you factor in time, editing, and technology. For reference, we produced thousands of original stories last year.

So, paid subscriptions support What’sUpNewp as you know it, and we need more paid subscribers to continue to bring you the news and information from Newport County that you want and need.

I hope you’ll agree with me that we provide a valuable service to Newport County - one that deserves support.

This week, we’ve rebranded our paid subscriber program as What’sUpNewp Press Club. It offers paid subscribers exclusive newsletters and more.

Beginning today, What’sUpNewp Press Club members receive the following;

Free newsletter subscribers will now receive;

To those who are What’sUpNewp Press Club members, thank you for your ongoing support! You truly make what we do possible.

To those who haven’t joined the club yet, I hope you’ll consider becoming a Press Club member today. You’ll save time, learn more… and support local reporting.

Newport Jazz Assembly Band, Sailing To Freedom, Between The Beats, and more.

A special legislative commission, led by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) and Sen. Linda Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), is set to meet on February 10 to hear from residents in person.

Ujifusa’s bill would raise income limit to $50,000 and maximum credit to $850 for “circuit breaker” program

City extends recruitment period, emphasizing opportunities in community policing and diverse urban environment

Reed seeks answers and demands Treasury officials take steps to protect Americans and mitigate damage

Salve Regina University will present “Between the Beats,” a dance performance exploring the relationship between sound and movement.”

By Heather Hole Strout, Executive Director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

Commercial fishermen who hoped for a loosening of fishing regulations during President Donald Trump’s administration faced a setback when a federal appeals court reinstated rules meant to protect a dwindling whale species from getting entangled in fishing gear.

Applications accepted until Feb. 28 for racks at King Park, Wellington Ave., and Willow Street; drawing to be held in March

For most politicians, the fourth quarter of 2024 was a relatively quiet fundraising period, except for those perceived as possible gubernatorial candidates.