DALLAS _ Ellen Savage dropped her cell phone one time too many. Kevin Brown went swimming with his cell phone, and then its replacement. David Stixroot knocked his phone into a hotel toilet, then dropped the replacement phone into a swimming pool skimmer.

The method of phone death may differ, but all three and many others have faced the same predicament _ how can one replace a broken, lost, stolen or dunked cell phone without going broke?

If you’re at or near the end of your contract, the cellular company usually will provide a new one for free or at a subsidized price.

Katie Dyer and Jane Perkins of Newport are travel connoisseurs. The mother-daughter pair shares ownership of Cadeaux du Monde, the only alternative trading organization in Newport. Alternative trade organizations allow for developing nations to grow without losing sight of their culture heritage.

Salve Regina will be hosting its first ever College Improv Festival from March 24-25 at 7:30 p.m. The event will take place at Salve Regina University’s Theatre Studio in Mercy Hall.

The College Improv Festival will showcase nine different improvisational troupes from a variety of local colleges and universities.

Newport is currently celebrating Irish Heritage month. In honor of St. Patrick, local restaurants and organizations are participating in Irish festivities. The Festival of Fine Food is a tasty event welcoming chefs from Newport’s sister city, Kinsale, Ireland.

Melissa Ventresca, 24

Ventresca attended Salve for undergraduate studies and graduated in 2003 with a degree in Administration of Justice and a concentration in Juvenile Justice. She is currently attending Salve to obtain her Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling.