Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for May 18
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, managing editor for The Daily News, and today is May 18, the 138th day of the year — 227 days remain in 2022. On this day in 1980, Mount St. Helens in southwestern Washington experienced a massive eruption, killing 57 people and devastating roughly 210 square miles of wilderness.
Here & Now
• The next Miss Rhode Island USA could be a local resident. Allison Thompson always wanted to enter a beauty pageant, but as an honors student at Rogers High School, she often found herself too bogged down in her schoolwork.
Now that she’s graduated from Wake Forest University and started her career in her hometown, she’s ready to give it a go. Thompson is one of the 50 competitors entered in the competition that will be decided over Memorial Day weekend.
I caught up with Allison earlier this week to talk about her first foray into the world of pageantry and why she's doing it. Read my story here.
• On Monday night, both Newport and Middletown took the first step toward creating a shared school district with votes from their respective councils. While some back the measure, not everyone feels it's the best idea. You can read the story, which includes reaction from those who spoke at the meetings, here.
• Highlighted by a Jamestown estate that went for $5 million, find the latest home sales and real estate transactions in Newport County here.
• Check out the latest Newport County sports standouts with the Stars of the Day.
• Forbes magazine has a piece on why Newport is such a dog-friendly spot. Check it out here.
• The first "Live from the Loading Dock" outdoor concert, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, will take place today at 4:30 p.m., with the Dave Zinno Quintet scheduled to perform. Learn more here.
• A mock DUI demonstration emphasizing the consequences of driving under the influence will be held this morning at 9 a.m. outside of Rogers High School. The program will last about 45 minutes, and the car will remain in front of the school for the remainder of the week.
• The Aquidneck Growers Market returns to Memorial Boulevard in Newport today for its weekly Wednesday event. The hours are 2 to 6 p.m., and you can find a list of vendors here.
• Single and ready to mingle? Bajah's Cat Cafe in Tiverton is hosting a Singles Game Night tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. Learn more here. Meow!
• From the inbox: Speaking of games, according to a recent study, the most popular board game in Rhode Island is Bananagrams. Find the state-by-state breakdown and other tidbits here.
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Born today
Jack Johnson (musician), 47
Tiny Fey (actress), 52
George Strait (musician), 70
Reggie Jackson (athlete), 76
Weather report
Low tides: 3:51 a.m., 3:33 p.m.
High tides: 10:17 a.m., 10:41 p.m.
Sunrise: 5:21 a.m. Sunset: 8:02 p.m.
Water temperature: 54.5 degrees.
Municipal meetings
Newport
School Committee — Policy Subcommittee, 5:30 p.m.
Middletown
School Committee, 3:30 p.m.
Open Space and Fields Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Library Board of Trustees, 6 p.m.
Portsmouth
School Committee — District Building Committee, 4 p.m.
Economic Development Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Glen Manor House Authority, 7 p.m.
Tiverton
Historic Preservation Advisory Board, 9 a.m.
Personnel Board, 3 p.m.
School Committee — Policy Subcommittee, 6 p.m.
Recreation Commission, 6 p.m.
Jamestown
Beavertail State Park Advisory, 2:30 p.m.
Tree Preservation and Protection, 6:30 p.m.
Planning Commission, 7 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is ….
National No Dirty Dishes Day
National Visit Your Relatives Day
National Cheese Souffle Day
Trivia answer
Q: As host of the inaugural U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur championships, Newport Country Club — founded in 1893 — is the oldest golf course in Newport County. What's the second oldest?
A: Jamestown Golf Course, which dates back to 1895. Then came Sakonnet Golf Club (1899), Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club (1922), Montaup Country Club (1923), Green Valley Country Club (1957) and Newport National Golf Club (2002). Kudos to Mike Murphy, Ruth Davis and Liz Gagne, 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 May 18
