Here's your local news at a glance for Saturday, the 17th of January.
Good morning, Newport.
🏘️ Community
Local motivational speaker Gail Lowney Alofsin will lead a session at the Discover Newport Industry Marketing Meeting on Jan.
28. She shares her routine and decades of work at URI & Salve Regina to help local business leaders re-ignite their SPARRK.
🎭 Culture
The Newport String Project will host its third County Concert Series next February with performances on Feb.
7 at 3 p.m. at Jamestown Arts Center and Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. at Trinity Church’s Honyman Hall, celebrating folk songs from around the world (inspired by ‘Picturing Play’).
Newport Classical will present internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine and pianist Matthew Hagle at Rosecliff Mansion on Feb.
6; her debut features Brahms sonatas and works by notable women composers, with Pine performing on her historic ex-Bazzini violin (first used by Marie Soldat).
Eighty-three years ago on Jan.
17, 1942, Richmond recorded RI's coldest air temperature of -28°F while Newport saw a record low of -9°F in 1982. This month, daytime temperatures average between 34°F and 40°F and are expected to warm to 42°F by February's end.
🎓 Education
Earlier this week, the school committee voted 4+3 to move fifth-grade students from Thompson Middle School to Pell Elementary School despite lack of public support, raising community concerns.
One committee member threatened to bring his gun while the chair dismissed the issue, prompting calls for respectful oversight.
🏛️ Government
Rhode Island tax changes took effect on Jan.
1, including a new 5%-whole-home short-term rental tax and adjustments to estate and conveyance tax thresholds. Operators, homebuyers and estate planners now face updated hotel tax rates, revised business credits and a CPI-managed threshold for property transfers.
On Friday, a federal judge ruled that construction can resume on a Virginia offshore wind project and two others, including the Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The projects had been paused by a federal order citing national security concerns.
📰 Real Estate
The largest privately owned Gilded Age mansion at 207 Ruggles Ave. sold for $16 million, marking Newport’s highest sale since 2021.
Kimberly Doherty of Lila Delman Compass represented the buyers for the 8-acre estate between Bellevue Ave. and Cliff Walk.
Open houses are set this weekend (Jan.
17-18) across Newport County, including listings in Jamestown, Newport, and Portsmouth. Buyer interest is high as broker Tyler Bernadyn highlights times + property details to help locals preview pricing and layouts ahead of spring.
🎉 Newport Events
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Aztec Two-Step 2.0 Concert
7:30-10 p.m. — Courthouse Center for the Arts — Ticketed event — Experience the folk/rock sounds of Aztec Two-Step 2.0 blending musical narratives and warm harmonies.
Back In Black - Tribute to AC/DC
9:00-11:59 p.m. — Ocean Mist — Ticket prices vary — Rock out to classic AC/DC hits with this electrifying tribute concert.
Musical Salon Series: Romanticism & Musical Poetry
6:30 – 8:15 PM — Rough Point — Small bites and drinks included — Experience the poignant beauty of piano trios from celebrated composers alongside literary readings.
Newport Winter Glendi 2026
6:00 PM - 12:30 AM — Wyndham Newport Hotel — Full donation event — Enjoy a night of dinner, drinks, and live dance performances to support local charities.
You Got Gold - John Prine Tribute
4:30-8:30 p.m. — The JPT Film & Event Center — Ticket prices vary — Celebrate the music and legacy of John Prine with a heartfelt tribute performance.
An Evening with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine
7:30 p.m. — Rosecliff — Ticket prices vary — Experience the virtuosic talent and soulful musicianship of acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine.
In Bannister’s Footsteps Exhibition
2-3:30 p.m. — Bristol Art Museum — Free entry — Explore the life and work of Edward Mitchell Bannister in this special art exhibition.
Beatles Tribute Concert
7:30 p.m. — Courthouse Center for the Arts — Tickets available — Experience Boston’s celebrated Beatles tribute band performing classic hits from 1962–1966.
30th Annual WINEterfest
11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Newport Vineyards & Restaurant — $45 General Admission — Celebrate Valentine's Weekend with wine, beer, and friendly competitions to warm you from the winter chill.
🏠 Newport Real Estate
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