Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for May 27
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, managing editor for The Daily News, and today is May 27, the 147th day of the year — 218 days remain in 2022. On this day in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opened. The 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge came with a price tag of $35 million.
Here & Now
• If you’ve ever driven through Newport during the summertime, there’s little doubt you’ve been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. A new pilot program from the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority aims to curb that vehicular congestion.
Starting today, riders can enjoy the free “Hop-On Hop-Off” program on a route that hits some of the city’s most decorated tourist spots.
“We believe that this service … will be an impactful way to get people out of cars and help with the circulation problem,” said Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport. “This isn’t a one-pill wonder. It’s not going to solve all of our problems, but it is a start.” Find the details in my latest story here.
• In his weekly Spare Change column, Jim Gillis writes about the fire at the Wayfinder Hotel and recalls some of the other devastating blazes he covered over the years during his time as a Daily News reporter. Read his column here.
• After just 81 people voted in the annual Financial Town Referendum in Tiverton last weekend, changes could be coming to the way the town approves its operating budget. Reporter Savana Dunning has the inside scoop.
• Kudos to Pell Elementary School special educator Carla Jewell, who this week was named the 2022-23 Teacher of the Year for Newport Public Schools.
• A role reversal on the COVID-19 front for Newport County, which is now considered in the "high" level while the four other counties in Rhode Island were downgraded to medium. How is that determined? Find out here.
• In topics ranging from Memorial Day, to outdoor dinning on Broadway to school regionalization, check out a week's worth of letters to the editor here.
• Congratulations to Portsmouth High baseball player Mac Dunn, who with more than 5,000 votes was named The Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week for May 16-22.
• Find the latest high school sports standouts in Newport County with the Stars of the Day.
• The Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial opens to the public this morning at 8 a.m. Gov. Dan McKee is scheduled to make an appearance at Fort Adams State Park at 6 p.m.
• The Preservation Society of Newport County's latest exhibition, titled "Anything You Want: A Closer Look at Treasures from Newport’s Gilded Age," opens today in the second-floor galleries of Rosecliff. Learn more here.
• From the inbox: As the tourism season gets into full swing here, a new study has identified the best places for summer jobs. Newport didn't make the list of 182 cities, but funny enough, Warwick ranks No. 6 while Providence comes in at No. 51. Find the full list and the methodology here.
From Four Corners to the Fifth Ward, nobody covers Newport County like The Daily News. Be sure you never miss a thing by becoming a digital subscriber.
Born today
Andre 3000 (rapper), 47
Jack McBrayer (actor), 49
Todd Bridges (actor), 57
Adam Carolla (comedian), 58
Louis Gossett Jr. (actor), 86
Weather report
Low tides: 12:29 a.m., 11:47 a.m.
High tides: 6:28 a.m., 6:53 p.m.
Sunrise: 5:14 a.m. Sunset: 8:10 p.m.
Water temperature: 57.7 degrees.
Municipal meetings
No meetings scheduled
Local obituaries
None new today
Today is ….
National Road Trip Day
National Sunscreen Day
National Hairstylist Mental Health Awareness Day
Blast from the Past
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 27
