Morning Notes: Community rally set for Tuesday to fight potential closure of Birthing Center

Published On: July 29, 2025

Newport, good morning!

Monday, July 28, 209th day of 2025, is today. The year has 156 days remaining.

You need to know

On Tuesday night, residents will gather to protest the possible closing of Aquidneck Island’s sole labor and delivery facility.

On July 29, at 6 p.m., the Newport Hospital community rally to save the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center will be place on the grass outside the Friends Meetinghouse on Marcus Wheatland Boulevard.

The occasion follows Brown University Health’s announcement that it may close the birthing center. More than 300 births have been reported at the institution so far in 2025, and about 500 infants were born there last year.

A resolution on July 15 that called on state authorities to step in and urged Brown Health to keep the center operational was unanimously supported by the Newport City Council. According to the resolution, closing would make it far more difficult for families with few transportation choices to get to delivery services, which could put expecting mothers at great risk in an emergency.

The resolution also points out that the city’s Fire and Rescue Department would be under pressure to close because more and more ambulances and staff would be needed to transport pregnant women to hospitals off-island in the event of an emergency, possibly taking resources away from other urgent situations.

In support of maternal health, organizers are urging participants to wear purple and bring signs. It is anticipated that community people, government leaders, doulas, local families, and health activists will take part.

Stephanie Smyth can be reached at 401-318-1132 or [email protected] for additional information. Smyth is one of the Newport City Council’s at-large members.

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Heat Advisory in effect from July 28, 11 AM until July 30, 8 PM
Today: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tomorrow: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph.

Sunrise at 5:36 am. Sunset at 8:05 pm. 14 hours & 29 minutes of sun.
High tide at 11:14 am & 11:30 pm. Low tide at 4:27 am & 4:34 pm.
The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.
The coastal water temperature is 67 degrees.

10 am:

Free self-guided tours

at Eisenhower House
3 pm:

Jamestown Farmers Market

at Jamestown Recreation Center
3 pm:

Newport Gulls versus Danbury Westerners

at Cardines Field
5:30 pm:

Seaside Sips with the Women s Resource Center

at The Bohlin
6 pm:

Music in the Park Summer Concert Series presents Putnam Murdock

at Paradise Valley Park
6:35 pm:

Newport Gulls versus Danbury Westerners

at Cardines Field

Landing: Justin Pomfret at 12:30 pm, Mark Flynn at 4 pm, Motion Ave. at 8 pm
Newport Craft:

Bingo

at 6 pm
Newport Harbor Island Resort:

Music Bingo

at 6:30 pm
Newport Pickleball Club:

The Newport Groove Merchants

at 6:30 pm
One Pelham East:

Bruce Jacques

at 9 pm
Perro Salado: John Monllos at 5:30 pm
Stoneacre Garden:

Mah Jongg Monday

at 6 pm
The Fastnet Pub: The Ubiquitones at 10 pm

Tiverton:

Town Council

at 7 pm
Jamestown:

Tree Preservation & Protection

at 6 pm
Little Compton:

Town Common Needs Assessment Committee

at 4 pm
Newport:

Zoning Board of Review

at 6 pm
Portsmouth:

Town Council

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Letter to the Editor: Middletown residents should support Affordable Housing Committee s recommendation on August 4