What's Up Today: Wednesday, February 1

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.

Black History Month – People, Places & Events: Remembering a group of 19th and 20th Century African Heritage Leaders in Newport

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.

198 Newport County students among the nearly 7,000 University of Rhode Island students who were named to Fall 2022 Dean’s List

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.

None new obituaries to share.

Here’s what What’sUpNewp stories folks were reading the most on Tuesday;

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

URI Today: URI’s Cyber-Seniors program improving digital competency, social connections for older adults looks to expand statewide

East Bay: Tiverton could dump donation bins

Coming up on WUN-ON-ONE, our live virtual interview series;

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