I will be the team’s Express Desk reporter. That basically means I’m writing quick hits about all things Rhode Island — covering breaking news, but also those stories people love to talk about and share around. In short, there’s a wide variety of subjects I could write about on any given day.

Tell us a bit about your background.

Until earlier this year, I was a breaking news reporter for a short-lived national news start-up known as The Messenger, where I covered courts and crime, and a host of other topics before the site went under in January.

Prior to that, I was a staff writer at Boston.com for nearly five years. There, I wrote about pretty much everything, from city politics to real estate, and plenty of other kinds of quirky stories, including a profile on a bagpiper who regularly roamed Beacon Hill during the pandemic and an obituary for a turkey who captured the hearts and minds of Reading, Mass. (It was the second of two celebrity turkey obituaries that I’ve written in my career. No kidding.)

I got my start in local news while attending Emerson College. Between classes, I wrote for newspapers on Long Island, N.Y. (where I grew up) and worked at the Globe before landing my first full-time reporting job at The Milford Daily News in Massachusetts.

Tell us about a story you wrote that you are proud of.

It’s hard to pick just one. But while freelancing for the Globe in May, I took a look at the use of “no-fault” evictions in Greater Boston’s rental market, especially as investors and corporate buyers have become regular players in the region’s housing market. I was proud of how the story captured the real impact these evictions can have on tenants, but also the challenges landlords face, as costs on their end have increased in recent years.

I understand you live in Warwick. What is your favorite thing about Rhode Island?

I do live in Warwick — and relatively close to the airport, too. I really love being so close to the bay. There’s something about never being that far from the water that I find very relaxing and grounding.

What’s something people should know about you?

When I’m not writing, I’m usually playing guitar or listening to music. If given the opportunity, I’ll talk your ear off about Bruce Springsteen!

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — A capacity crowd of about 10,000 people braved heat and humidity to witness the 70th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival, one of the largest music festivals in New England.

The festival, which ends Sunday, is also one of the biggest multi-day jazz festivals in the world. It has brought legions of people to the coastal Rhode Island community over the decades. Held at Fort Adams State Park, festivalgoers benefited from a cool ocean breeze, a sprinkling of rain and misting fans.

Performers at this year’s festival included Elvis Costello, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dinner Party and Samara Joy. Over the years, the festival has welcomed Muddy Waters, Tito Puente, Isaac Hayes, Dizzy Gillespie and dozens of others. Gillespie recorded a 1957 live album at the festival.

The festival sold out all three days this year.