Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for June 22
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, managing editor for The Daily News, and today is June 22, the 173rd day of the year — 192 days remain in 2022. On this day in 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill, which compensated returning servicemen for their efforts in World War II.
Here & Now
• Residents of Newport and Middletown voiced their concerns about the proposed school district merger during back-to-back public engagement sessions held Monday at a hotel in Middletown. It marked the first chance interested parties could stand face to face with local officials and the consultants tasked with educating the public.
At the forefront of the discussion was equity between the two communities, considering this regionalization is in district only, and not schools. Reporter Savana Dunning attended both meetings and has a detailed recap here.
• Bill Hall will leave Salve Regina University in far better shape than when he arrived more than 35 years ago. The longtime chief financial officer, who took on a multitude of roles during his tenure, is set to retire at the end of the week. I chatted with Bill on Monday about how things have changed and what's next. Read my story here.
• True story: We have a camping trip planned this summer in central Massachusetts, and my wife asked if she could bring our portable air conditioner to the cabin. The woman who works there said, "In all my years here, nobody's ever asked that."
On a related note, if you're looking to get away without really roughing it, there's a tree farm in Tiverton that combines luxury with a rustic experience. Read about it here.
• Another candidate has joined the race for the soon-to-be vacant District 11 seat in the state Senate. Learn more about fourth-generation Portsmouth resident Matt Chappell here.
• Got what it takes to make a serviceable boat out of non-boating items? The 44th Fools' Rules Regatta will return to the shores of Jamestown this summer. Find out what you need to know here.
• The Newport City Council will meet tonight, and the agenda — which you can find below — is pretty light. Good thing, too, because there's a chance the meeting won't be streamed due to the ongoing issue with the city's network.
• If you're planning to catch some waves at Sachuest Beach this morning, you'll have to park somewhere else. The Surfer's End of the lot will be closed for maintenance from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Child & Family will highlight some of the important work it does in the community today at noon during the eighth annual Townsend Luncheon at OceanCliff. Learn more here.
• Want to compost at home but don't know where to start? The fine folks at Clean Ocean Access will be at the Green Grocer in Portsmouth today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will help you on your way. Learn more here.
• Rhode Island’s average gas price fell 6 cents from last wee to $4.95 per gallon. That's 23 cents higher than a month ago, $1.98 higher than a year ago and 1 cent lower than the current national average.
Born today
Erin Brockovich (activist), 62
Cyndi Lauper (singer), 69
Meryl Streep (actress), 73
Elizabeth Warren (politician), 73
Kris Kristofferson (musician), 86
Weather report
Low tides: 9:18 a.m., 10:41 p.m.
High tides: 3:08 a.m., 3:45 p.m.
Sunrise: 5:10 a.m. Sunset: 8:24 p.m.
Water temperature: 62.9 degrees.
Municipal meetings
Newport
City Council, 6:30 p.m.
Middletown
Technical Review Committee, 9 a.m.
Portsmouth
Water and Fire District, 7 p.m.
Tiverton
Personnel Board, 5:30 p.m.
Solar Ordinance Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is …
National Kissing Day
National Onion Ring Day
National HVAC Tech Day
Trivia answer
Q: At one time, there were two movie theaters on West Main Road in Middletown. One of them remains, Island Cinemas. When it closed in 2001, what was the name of the other?
A: Starcase Cinema, which was located near Saccucci Honda. This one was hardly a brain-buster. Kudos to Beth Finnegan, Edna Beal, Tony Aleicho, Alexis Markowski, Celeste Trifero, Kelly Kittel, John Allen, Chris Vorro, Mary Cunningham, Penny Fitch, Kristin Lombardi, Jason Dunn, Mary Mack, Beth Milham, Arlene Siderski, John T. Dwyer IV, Diane Macedo, Michael Lyga and Patrick O’Connell, all of whom answered correctly.
Got a news tip, story idea or just want to drop me a line? Don't be a stranger. Send an email to sbarrett@newportri.com.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for June 22
