Rise & Shine! Your Newport County guide for Dec. 9
Rise & Shine! I’m Scott Barrett, digital editor for The Daily News, and today is Dec. 8, the 342nd day of the year — 23 days remain in 2021. On this day in 1979, smallpox — which carried a 30% chance of death if contracted — officially was declared eradicated globally by the World Health Organization.
Here & Now
• Covering 7.67 square miles, Newport is the smallest municipality in Newport County, but it has the largest police department with 78 officers, including the chief. The city does have the largest population in the county with 24,334 residents, according to the latest census numbers.
By comparison, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has 22.98 square miles of space and a population of 17,226, but only has 38 officers.
Reporter Laura Damon explores why the city has such a large police department and what goes into staffing decisions. She compares Newport to Portsmouth, but not the local one. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is another New England resort town that resembles the City-by-the Sea. Check out her story here.
• Allyson Quay, a lawyer representing Middletown Town Council member Terri Flynn, wrote a letter to the council addressing "misstatements and inaccuracies” in a report of Flynn's Warren Avenue property assessment presented last month. The Daily News was provided a copy of the letter, and Laura Damon has the story.
• So you didn't win the HGTV Dream Home that was built in Portsmouth. Me neither. Good news, though. You can enter to win the 2022 edition, a residence built in a Vermont ski town. Check it out here.
• Speaking of dream homes, the estate once owned by famed sculptor Felix de Weldon has sold for $23 million, the latest in a string of huge property sales in Newport. Read more here.
• Winter sports are upon us, and The Daily News is ready to keep you informed about all the athletic happenings at Newport County high schools. In a column, I write about our coverage plan and why you should subscribe if you enjoy local sports. Read it here.
• Daily News food columnist Dan Lederer writes this week that while holiday shopping can be stressful, a full belly can make it all better. And nothing quite hits the spot like stopping off at a Newport restaurant while picking up gifts at a local shop. Read his column here.
• Colleen Burns Jermain, superintendent of Newport Schools, will host a community Town Hall-type meeting tonight 5:30 p.m. "to update our parents and school community about the latest happenings and what’s ahead in the new year." Click here to register and submit a specific question to be asked.
• The state Department of Health must have been a little behind Wednesday because it didn't update its town-by-town COVID case data. Hope to have it today on NewportRI.com.
• Speaking of COVID, have you received your booster shot? There will be five state-run clinics held locally starting Saturday. Check them out here.
• Speaking of boosters, I'm getting mine today!
True journalism in Newport County lives right here — at The Daily News. If you want more than the same copied and pasted press releases from online websites, become a digital subscriber today. Click here to get started.
Born today
Simon Helberg (actor), 41
Felicity Huffman (actress), 59
Donny Osmond (singer), 64
John Malkovich (actor), 68
Weather report
Low tides: 4:36 a.m., 6:06 p.m.
High tides: 11:51 a.m.
Sunrise: 6:58 a.m. Sunset: 4:16 p.m.
Water temperature: 51.1 degrees.
Municipal meetings
Newport
Housing Authority, 4 p.m.
Beach Commission, 5 p.m.
Zoning Board of Review, 6:30 p.m.
Middletown
Tree Commission, 4 p.m.
Portsmouth
School Committee — Health and Wellness Subcommittee, 3:30 p.m.
Tiverton
School Committee, 6 p.m.
Economic Development Commission, 7 p.m.
Local obituaries
Today is …
International Day of Veterinary Medicine
National Llama Day
National Pastry Day
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 Dec. 9
