Savana Dunning

3 weeks ago | newportri.com | Savana Dunning

Newport City Council rejected the Fiscal Year 2026 and 2027 biennial budget, forcing staff to return with a revised version before the fiscal year turns over July 1. The May 29 council and staff workshop discussion highlighted the concerns councilors had with the first and what staff had done to alleviate those concerns. Issues tackled included lowering the tax rate increase, funding community organizations and Transportation Master Plan projects, and explanations for new staff positions.

4 weeks ago | providencejournal.com | Savana Dunning

Newport City Council unanimously approved a new location for a memorial to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The memorial will be located on a state-owned traffic island at America’s Cup Avenue and Upper Thames Street, offering greater visibility than the originally proposed site. The new location overlooks the area where slave ships entered Newport. The Middle Passage Port Marker Project will now begin fundraising and planning the memorial's design.

4 weeks ago | newportri.com | Savana Dunning

Newport City Council unanimously approved a new location for a memorial to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The memorial will be located on a state-owned traffic island at America’s Cup Avenue and Upper Thames Street, offering greater visibility than the originally proposed site. The new location overlooks the area where slave ships entered Newport. The Middle Passage Port Marker Project will now begin fundraising and planning the memorial's design.

1 month ago | newportri.com | Savana Dunning

The Zoning Board upheld an appeal from hotel developers Procaccianti Group on May 19, allowing the hotel its original siting on the corner of Bellevue Avenue and William Street. The Historic District Commission voted 4-3 against the siting of the project, arguing it would be more appropriate further south on the property. The appeal upheld argued that the HDC made its decision for reasons beyond its jurisdiction.

1 month ago | newportri.com | Savana Dunning

Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project is a grassroots organization that has worked to get a memorial recognizing the city's historical role in the slave trade for nearly a decade. The proposed memorial was originally proposed for Liberty Square, but faced opposition from Newport Artillery Company over restrictions in the land's deed to the city. If passed, the memorial would sit on a traffic island the intersection of America's Cup and Upper Thames Street, near Church Street.