Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for Nov. 23
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, digital editor for The Daily News, and today is Nov. 23, the 327th day of the year — 38 days remain in 2021. On this day in 1936, the first edition of Life magazine was published. Featured on the cover was a photo of the Fort Peck Dam's spillway by Margaret Bourke-White. At its peak, Life had a circulation of more than 8 million.
Here & Now
• Jacoby Smith has developed into a standout player for the Middletown High School football team, and the senior will attempt to win his final game Thanksgiving morning when the Islanders host rival Portsmouth.
But Jacoby isn't just playing for himself or his teammates. He plays for the woman who pushed him into football years ago — his mother. Lakeisha Moore died in 2018, and Jacoby says he thinks of her often, especially before and after his games.
You'll definitely want to read this story from sports reporter Steve Rogers.
• There was a time not too long ago when Black Friday deals attracted the masses to places like Walmart, Best Buy and Home Depot. It seems those days are over now that holiday shopping can be done with the click of a mouse. Reporter Laura Damon asked locals if Black Friday still appeals to them and there was a general consensus — nope. Read her story here.
• Speaking of the holidays (and Laura Damon), it's that time of year again, when Christmas celebrators break out the saws and hit the farms in search of the heartiest evergreens. She has compiled a list of places in Newport County where you can chop down your own tree. Check it out here.
• If you're concerned about "porch pirates" this holiday season, the Tiverton Police Department is here to help. High-value packages can be shipped to the station and picked up at your leisure. Learn more here.
• The deadline to enter Middletown's Holiday Card Art Contest is today. The contest — one for children and one for adults — is open to all Middletown residents, including youth, amateur artists, and photography enthusiasts. Learn more here.
• In case you missed it, reporter Sean Flynn last week wrote a story about Bishop's 4th Street Diner, which was ordered to close by Jan. 31 to make away for a new convenience store. The owners of the diner are now seeking the public's help to relocate the historic restaurant. Check out the Go Fund Me here.
• Nobody should go hungry on Thanksgiving. Find a list of places to get a free warm meal in Newport County here.
• The average gas price in Rhode Island went up a penny from last week and is now $3.42 a gallon. The current average is 7 cents higher than it was a month ago, and $1.35 higher than it was a year ago. Rhode Island’s average gas price is 2 cents higher than the national average.
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Born today
Miley Cyrus (singer), 29
Snooki (reality TV star), 34
Robin Roberts (TV journalist), 61
Bruce Hornsby (musician), 67
Chuck Schumer (politician), 71
Weather report
Low tides: 2:53 a.m., 3:46 p.m.
High tides: 9:51 a.m., 10:27 p.m.
Sunrise: 6:42 a.m. Sunset: 4:21 p.m.
Water temperature: 56.1 degrees.
Municipal meetings
Middletown
Planning Board, 2 p.m.
Zoning Board of Review, 6 p.m.
Tiverton
Recreation Commission, 6:30 p.m.
Jamestown
Zoning Board of Review, 7 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is …
National Cashew Day
National Espresso Day
National Eat a Cranberry Day
Trivia Tuesday
Built in 1913 and described in newspaper accounts as a "decided novelty," this Newport shoreline structure commissioned by Alva Vanderbilt had fallen into grave disrepair by the 1950s. The Preservation Society of Newport County spent $500,000 for a complete restoration and reopened it to the public in 1982. Name the building. Send guesses to sbarrett@newportri.com.
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This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for Nov. 23
