Good morning, Newport.

Jay Manning retired after decades of leading Sunday bird walks at the Norman Bird Sanctuary, with staff hosting a celebratory roast and toast on Aug.

3. He and his wife will soon move to Maine.

Thompson School students applied to repurpose the former Newport Grand property into a family center, and a local letter highlighted a dangerous drainpipe incident on Malbone Road — calling for sidewalks near Admiral Kalbus Road and Van Zandt Avenue with available grant funds.

Tomorrow, 360 swimmers and dozens of kayak spotters will launch the 50th Save The Bay Swim from the Naval War College in Newport, racing to Jamestown’s Potter Cove with a finish celebration at 11 a.m. on the Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority lawn.

Residents shared ideas at a public workshop (July 29) for the Perrotti Park bulkhead replacement project, which will add a new harbormaster building and revamp greenspace.

The park will be temporarily excavated in 2027 for bulkhead repairs as officials plan to respectfully relocate memorial monuments and sculptures.

Middletown’s UTIC marks its 10th anniversary with a refreshed brand identity developed with Newport-area creative agency Roskelly, Inc. The consortium links government, industry, academia and nonprofits to fast-track undersea technology and reported over $1.5 billion in innovation impact over the past decade.

The Middletown Library Board updated progress on the new building project (behind Town Hall) set to open Feb.

1, with key donations from Home Depot and raised funds already supporting the effort. The current library will tentatively close on Dec. 12 if the timeline holds.

Newport’s Resilience and Sustainability Fund Steering Committee, formed on July 22, will study a proposed fee on real estate transfers to fund nearly $1 billion in needed upgrades and evaluate its impact on property values and housing.

The committee will deliver initial recommendations within four months.

Rep. Lauren Carson said Newport Hospital’s birthing center got $1.6 million extra in June’s state budget and increased Medicaid funding, but Brown Health has yet to announce a long-term plan.

The coalition will continue meeting to secure the additional $4.9 million needed each year to keep it open.

After 13 years at the Edward King House Senior Center, Executive Director Carmela Geer will leave on Sept.

11 to serve as Middletown's Health Services Coordinator; the board is conducting a search for her successor + ensuring programs run smoothly + strengthening community support.

Pasquale's Pizzeria Napoletana in Wakefield has ranked among the top 15 on the 50 Top Pizza list for the fifth straight year, with pizzaiolo Pasquale Illiano lauded for his work on Neapolitan, New York, and Grandma pies using imported Italian flours + traditional recipes.

NIMFEST 2026

3-6 p.m. — King Park Gazebo — Free entry — Enjoy live music at the Newport Independent Music Festival every Sunday in July and August.