Today | May 2006 »

April 28, 2006

Providence Police identify shooter, victim

PROVIDENCE -- Police this afternoon named both the shooter and the victim in today's police shooting.

The police said Patrolman Daniel Carignan, 35, a nine-year veteran of the Providence Police Department, shot Anthony Medina, 23, of 101 Hanover St., one time.

Medina is in serious, but stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, according to the police.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:22 PM | Comment

Board of Elections chief resigns

PROVIDENCE -- Roger N. Begin, head of the state's Board of Elections, resigned today, after repeated demands for his departure from both political enemies and board members.

Begin, 53, has been the focus of intense, overlapping controversies as chairman of the Board of Elections. But he said he is leaving office because the demands of his career as a private financial advisor don't leave enough time to give the chairmanship the attention it deserves.

The resignation leaves a powerful political position open for Governor Carcieri to fill for the rest of Begin's term, which ends June 1, 2007.

Begin had lost the support of most of the other board members, who voted "no confidence" in him twice in recent years.

The board drew sharp criticism for investigating allegations of campaign finance violations in 2002 by the state Republican Party. Begin also made the controversial decision to ban Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey from hosting a local radio show.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:05 PM | Comment

Court overturns firing in police testing scandal

PROVIDENCE – A Providence police sergeant who was fired last year for being involved in a rigged promotions scandal has won her appeal. Her lawyer today said he would move for back wages.

Sgt. Tonya King-Harris an 18-year police veteran, was alleged to have cheated on her promotions by getting an advance copy of the source material for the sergeant’s test. A Bill of Rights hearing panel upheld Chief Dean M. Esserman’s recommendation to fire her.

But Superior Court Associate Judge Edwin J. Gale vacated the decision on Thursday because he found that the city’s case relied on hearsay from a “known liar” – retired Police Chief Urbano Prignano Jr.

--Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

The retired chief testified in the Plunder Dome corruption trial that he’d helped King-Harris and others cheat.

King-Harris’s lawyers had argued that her rights were violated because she was deprived of an opportunity to cross-examine her accuser – Prignano and his right-hand man, retired Capt. John Ryan, refused to testify in the hearing.

While Gale lauded the city’s efforts to rid the Police Department of corrupt officers, the judge also wrote that it was “sadly ironic” that the city relied upon the statements of a chief who was largely responsible for the corruption.

Yesterday’s decision means that the sergeant is entitled to a new disciplinary hearing, this time without the testimony or statements from Prignano or two other retired police commanders.

Howard Croll, one of the sergeant’s lawyers, called yesterday’s decision “a tribute to fundamental fairness.” He intends to seek back pay for King-Harris, which he said will be “a substantial amount.”

Four officers were accused of being involved in a promotions scandal at the Police Department. King-Harris was the only one fired. Two other officers were demoted and suspended without pay. Capt. Martin F. Hames retired.

Esserman declined comment this afternoon until he has read the decision and spoken with the city’s lawyers. Vincent Ragosta, the Providence lawyer who represented the city, was not available for comment.

--Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:49 PM | Comment

Beacon agrees to release hard drives

WARWICK -- Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. today has agreed to give state examiners access to 19 computer hard drives, including one from its former CEO Joseph A. Solomon.

Beacon had previously refused to give up the hard drives, which have been stored in an evidentiary vault in Kent County Superior Court since the state began investigating alleged abuses within the state's largest workers' compensation insurer. Beacon had argued that the records contain confidential information.

But according to an agreement submitted today in Superior Court and signed by Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg, Beacon will release 19 hard drives.

Still in question, however, is whether three other hard drives and some e-mail tapes will be released.

While a Beacon-funded investigation determined evidence of abuses within the company, the state Department of Business Regulation still plans to pursue a separate forensic audit.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:39 PM | Comment

Search continues for third URI student

Authorities have intensified search efforts for a third missing URI student, believed to have drowned more than a month ago, after the bodies of his two companions were discovered over the past two days.

The Department of Environmental Management has been searching Narragansett Bay this morning with a helicopter borrowed from the state airport corporation, according to DEM spokeswoman Gail Mastrati.

Later this afternoon, the Coast Guard is expected to join in air patrols in another helicopter.

The body of Daniel Donahue, 20, of Glocester, was found floating off Point Judith Wednesday morning. Fandia Mahoud Shloul, 21, of Pawtucket, was discovered off the coast of Newport yesterday.

Only Geoffrey M. Wilkes, 18, of Glocester remains unaccounted for.

The three students had not been seen since 2:30 a.m. on March 13 when they took a small boat into the foggy, near-freezing waters after attending a small party in the Bonnet Shores area of Narragansett.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:30 PM | Comment

Fire closes popular SC news stand for month

WAKEFIELD -- A popular local business is expected to re-open in about a month, following a Thursday night fire that caused serious damage to the buidling's ceiling.

A fire was reported at Healy News Store, 231 Robinson Street, last night at 7. The store sold newspapers, magazines, lottery tickets and beverages.

-- With reports from Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:35 PM | Comment

Man gets 30 months for student loan scam

PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge in Providence today sentenced a Chicago man to 30 months in federal prison for using a complicated identity theft scheme to acquire $88,000 worth of student loans.

Gbadebo Adebiyi, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in December to eight counts of bank fraud and one count of identity theft. Adebiyi admitted to opening accounts at a Rhode Island Citizens Bank using identities he had stolen. He then applied over the Internet for student loans totaling $88,000 using other assumed names and deposited the loan proceeds into the accounts at Citizens.

U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith ordered Adebiyi to report to prison on May 22 to begin serving his sentence.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:11 PM | Comment

Tomaselli's death not suspicious

WARREN -- Police do not suspect foul play in the death of Steven Tomaselli, the local boat mechanic found floating in the Palmer River on Monday.

This afternoon, Warren Police Chief Thomas D. Gordon released the results of a preliminary investigation by the state medical examiner's office, which listed Tomaselli's preliminary cause of death as drowning.

"The preliminary analysis by the medical examiner does not indicate this death to be suspicious," Gordon said in a statement.

Tomaselli was reported missing in late March. His body was discovered Monday night floating near Wallis Avenue in Barrington, about a mile from his boat shop, Speed's Diesel.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:49 PM | Comment

Man, shot by the police, 'rushed' at an officer

PROVIDENCE – A police officer shot a man at 101 Hanover Street this morning after the man rushed at a police officer with a baseball bat, Major Paul Fitzgerald said shortly before noon today.

Police are not releasing the name of the officer. Nor have the police identified the man who was shot, or a woman in the home who met a police officer at the door in tears. Police were called to the house by a neighbor who reported a lot of noise.

Fitzgerald said the woman was bruised, scratched and cut – “an obvious victim of domestic violence.”

A police officer first sat down in the house with the man. Then when the police officer attempted to arrest him, Fitzgerald said the man ran into a bedroom.

He returned with an aluminum baseball bat and “rushed at the police officer,” Fitzgerald said, “with the baseball bat cocked on his shoulder.”

An officer fired one shot, striking the man in the torso, Fitzgerald said.

-- With reports from Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:03 PM | Comment

Man shot in chest by Providence police officer

PROVIDENCE – The man shot by a Providence police officer this morning was shot once in the chest, according to Maj. Stephen Campbell.

He is alive, the police say.

Police have said little else about the incident.

State police and Deputy Attorney General Gerald J. Coyne are on scene.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:33 AM | Comment

Johnston Mayor Macera won't seek re-election

JOHNSTON - Mayor Macera announced this morning he will not seek a fifth term as Mayor this fall. Macera cited health concerns as the reason for deciding not to run.

Macera has been coping with a brain tumor, since 1996. While he said he was in no immediate health danger, he said he wanted to concentrate his full attention on that.

He said the chemotherapy treatments were leaving him tired.

"At five or six in the evening, I'm getting really tired. Night meetings and that sort of thing, I'm not really up for those things," he said.

Later after the press conference as he sat in his office, chatting with reporters, Macera was asked if he would miss the job. "No, " he said. "I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready to go. I don't need this office to define me as a person."

- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by at 11:10 AM | Comment

Providence police shoot man on Hanover Street

PROVIDENCE – A police officer shot a man sometime before 10 a.m. in the vicinity of 101 Hanover St., according to Maj. Stephen Campbell and Maj. Paul Fitzgerald.

About 20 officers are in the area after cordoning off about a half-block section of the neighborhood.

The man who was shot is alive, the police said.

Campbell and Fitzgerald declined to say more, as they were waiting for state police and the Attorney General’s Office to arrive on scene. At 10:20 a.m., state police were just arriving.

-- With reports from Journal photographer Mary Murphy

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:28 AM | Comment

3 young children put in protective custody

PROVIDENCE -- Three young children are in protective custody today with a family member after the police were alerted that the children were outside near the intersection of Hartford and Pettys avenues late last night, according to Stephanie Perry, assistant director of child protective services with the state Department of Children, Youth & Families.

The children’s father called the police frantically when he woke up and discovered the children were missing, Perry said. He called their mother, who came home from work. The father said he checked on the children before he went to sleep.

Perry stressed that as the weather warms up, this is not an infrequent occurrence.

“This can happen to anybody,” she said. “People don’t realize that kids this age are very capable of opening doors, and much more than we believe they’re capable of.”

The children were a 4-year-old boy, a 3-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, Perry said.

The police and the DCYF are continuing the investigation, she said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:04 AM | Comment

Providence firefighter released from hospital

PROVIDENCE – Firefighter Kristopher Wright has been released from Rhode Island Hospital after being treated this morning for minor injuries sustained at an overnight house fire, Assistant Chief Mark S. Pare said.

The fire, which began at 2:56 a.m. at 84 Merino St. and left five adults and one child homeless, caused extensive damage on all three floors of the wooden home, Pare said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:57 AM | Comment

Tree celebrations on Arbor Day

Today’s a good day to plant a tree, given that it’s Arbor Day in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and many other states.

Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline plans to mark the day with students at Perry Middle School and with the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program, by planting 21 new trees at 9:15 a.m. He’ll talk about the city’s tree inventory program and Providence’s designation as Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the 20th consecutive year, the longest running Tree City designation in the state.

Also today, the state Department of Environmental Management celebrates 100 years of forestry service in Rhode Island with an Arbor Day ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Division of Forest Environment headquarters, 1037 Hartford Pike (Route 101) in North Scituate. People are invited to tour the facilities today and tomorrow. The DEM will also announce the winners of state grants that will allow the planting of nearly 200 trees around the state.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:50 AM | Comment

Fire displaces 6 residents; one firefighter injured

PROVIDENCE -- The Red Cross was called in this morning to provide shelter for five adults and one child after a 2:56 a.m. fire at 84 Merino St., according to Lt. Russell Gross.

One firefighter was injured on scene and taken to Rhode Island Hospital, Gross said. The extent of the firefighter's injuries are unknown, Assistant Chief Mark S. Pare said.

Firefighters had the fire under control by 4:04 a.m., Gross said. The fire began on the third floor of the building in the Hartford neighborhood, he said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:26 AM | Comment

Sunny and clear today -- and through the weekend

The blue skies of this morning are expected to stick around – and stay with us through Sunday. Expect high temperatures in the upper 50s today and tomorrow and the mid-60s on Sunday.

So go ahead -- with that forecast, plan something outside for this weekend. And enjoy!

Clouds and rain are expected to show up on Monday.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:59 AM | Comment

April 27, 2006

American Power reports income down 60 percent

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- American Power Conversion has reported net income for the first quarter down 60 percent compared to the same period last year.

Profits dropped from $36 million, or $.18 per share, to $14.5 million, or $.07 per share.

Overall revenues were up 17 percent for the first quarter, from $408 million last year to $478.8 million.

"We are strategically investing in the areas where APC solutions are delivering substantial benefits to IT and data center managers," said president Rodger B. Dowdell, Jr. "The end result of these investments was very strong performance...as the company extended its quarterly double-digit year-over-year revenue growth streak to 11 consecutive quarters."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:43 PM | Comment

33 family members to speak at Station fire hearing

PROVIDENCE -- The man who ignited the fire that killed 100 people at the Station nightclub will face at least 33 victims' family members during his May 8 sentencing.

Earlier in the month, the Superior Court asked victims families for notificiation if they wanted to address Daniel M. Biechele during his sentencing. Thirty three family members responded, Michael Healey, a spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch, said this evening.

An additional 10 family members have asked a prosecutor to read their statements.

"We expect [the sentencing] will be at least a couple of days, maybe three days, at least," Healey said.

Biechele, the former Great White tour manager, is facing up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to 100 charges of involuntary manslaughter.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:30 PM | Comment

Two traffic judges nominated

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island District Court Chief Judge Albert E. DeRobbio has nominated William J. Trezvant and Ralph T. Della Rosa for the two vacant magistrate positions at the Traffic Tribunal.

Trezvant, 37 of Portmouth, is a prosecutor with the Rhode Island Attorney General. Della Rosa, 55, of East Providence, is a probate judge in East Providence. The nominations must be confirmed by the state Senate.

Posted by at 5:39 PM | Comment

Four Tops, Bo Bice coming to Newport

The Four Tops and American Idol runner-up Bo Bice are among the headliners of the 9th Annual Snapple Sunset Music Festival, to be held June 22 through July 3 at the Newport Yachting Center. The lineup was announced this afternoon.

Bruce Hornsby will open the festival on Thursday, June 22 (tickets are $45 in advance / $50 the day of the show); The Four Tops follow up on June 23 ($35 / $40); Train come in on June 24 ($60 / $68); America performs June 25 ($30 / $35). On Wednesday, June 28, the festival continues with local favorites Zox, Virginia Coalition and Michael Tolcher ($15/$18); on Sunday, July 2, it’s Peter Frampton ($45 / $50) and the festival wraps up on Monday, July 3, with Bice ($30 / $35).

One more headliner will be added to the lineup, and opening acts are yet to be determined, according to the festival.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday at the box office, at all Strawberries locations or by calling (401) 846-1600, ext. 2, or online at www.newportfestivals.com.

- Journal arts writer Rick Massimo

Posted by at 5:20 PM | Comment

Prosecutors argue Lincoln verdict was just

PROVIDENCE _ Prosecutors today urged federal judges to reject appeals by former Lincoln Park executives Nigel Potter and Daniel Bucci, saying there’s more than enough evidence they hatched a scheme to bribe former House Speaker John B. Harwood.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office dismissed the idea that $4 million in proposed payments were intended for Harwood’s law partner, Daniel V. McKinnon, who’d done previous legal work for the dog track.

“Though discussed in euphemisms such as "bonus" and "incentive," this huge sum of money bore no relationship to the actual legal work performed by McKinnon,” prosecutors wrote in a 119-page legal brief filed with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “Even Potter admitted that he had no idea what McKinnon could possibly do to merit such largesse.”

“Most importantly, in their own discussions, Bucci and Potter clearly tied the payments not to McKinnon’s unremarkable legal work but rather to the success of their political agenda, including, most notably, the goals of increasing the number of (video-lottery terminals) and obtaining permission to install slot machines,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald C. Lockhart wrote.

In August, a federal jury convicted Lincoln Park, Potter and Bucci of conspiring to bribe Harwood with up to $4 million to secure state approval for at least 1,000 more VLTs and to block a rival casino.

In October, U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced Potter to three years in prison and Bucci to three years and five months in prison. She also imposed a $1.5-million fine on LPRI, the limited liability company remaining from Lincoln Park’s former owners.

-- Edward Fitzpatrick

Posted by at 5:19 PM | Comment

Minor leaguer suspended after incident at McCoy

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Top Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young is suspended indefinitely from the International League.

The decision comes one day after Young threw a bat that hit a replacement umpire in the chest during a minor league baseball game in Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium.

The 20-year-old Young is the brother of Detroit star Dmitri Young and considered one of the best players in the minors.

The Durham Bulls outfielder was ejected in the first inning yesterday after the umpire called a third strike against him. Young took his time leaving the batter's box, and the umpire tossed him. Young then flipped his bat underhand and it hit the umpire.

League officials haven't released the umpire's name, but he didn't appear injured. Young has apologized for the incident.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:10 PM | Comment

Body confirmed as missing URI student

The body found this morning floating off the Newport coast has been confirmed as missing University of Rhode Island student Fandia Mahoud Shloul.

Department of Health spokeswoman Maria Wah-Fitta said this afternoon that the medical examiner used dental records to identify the 21-year-old woman, who disappeared more than a month ago with two classmates.

Geoffrey M. Wilkes remains unaccounted for.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:32 PM | Comment

Photo: Take your children to work day

Journal photo / Frieda Squires

Michael Kalisz Jr., 9, New Bedford, tries on a 35 lb. helmet with help from U.S. Navy Chief Dan Trout of the Explosives Ordance Disposal Mobil Unit, EODMU 2, detached to the Newport Naval Station. Michael came with his dad, Michael Kalisz.

It's the fourth annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

The Ms. Foundation for Women broadened the Take Our Daughters to Work Day to include sons back in 2003, 10 years after launching the daughters-at-work day.

Survey: Did you take your son or daughter to work today?

Posted by at 3:55 PM | Comment

Accident closes Route 114 for a time

BARRINGTON -- Two people have been taken to Rhode Island Hospital, in
Providence, after a three-car accident this afternoon that forced closure
of a portion of the northbound lane of Route 114.

The police said the injuries were minor. Both people were drivers of two of
the cars involved.

The lane has since been reopened.
-- Journal staff writer Michael McKinney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:24 PM | Comment

Body found in Palmer River identified

WARREN -- The police have identified a body pulled from the Palmer River Monday night.

Warren police today said the man is Steven Tomaselli, 53, of Warwick, a Warren boat mechanic who disappeared a month ago when screams were heard near his waterfront shop, Speed's Diesel.

The Warren Police chief plans to release preliminary autopsy results tomorrow afternoon.

Tomaselli's funeral is planned for 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Peter’s Church on Fair Street, Warwick.

Monday night, a Barrington resident saw Tomaselli's body floating in the river near Wallis Avenue in Barrington.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:14 PM | Comment

PawSox win matinee game

The Pawtucket Red Sox came from behind on the strength of a three-run seventh inning to beat the Durham Bulls, 5-4, this afternoon at McCoy Stadium.

Craig Breslow got the win, pitching two scoreless innings in relief of starter Abe Alvarez. Jermaine Van Buren pitched the ninth for the save.

Trying to protect a 4-2 lead, Bulls relief pitcher Jason Cromer walked the bases loaded. Pawtucket got two runs on a single by Rodney Nye, and catcher Corky Miller drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. The Journal will profile Miller tomorrow.

Top infield prospect Dustin Pedroia hit his first home run as a member of the PawSox.

The win moved the PawSox, who lost the first two games of the three-game series, to 11-10 on the season.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:08 PM | Comment

14 homeless after Cranston fire

CRANSTON _ Fourteen residents of a three-story apartment house at 157 Smith St. are without a home today, after a basement fire last night, said Assistant Fire Chief James B. Gumbley. No one was injured.

The fire was reported at about 10:20 p.m., and firefighters were able to keep the fire confined to the basement, Gumbley said. The Red Cross is providing shelter to the former residents of the six-unit building.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation yesterday afternoon, Gumbley said. Damage was estimated at about $75,000.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary R. Mider

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:51 PM | Comment

Photo: In Warwick, Jane Pauley attacks stigma of mental illness.

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Jane Pauley answers questions from the press before her talk today.

WARWICK -- ``The more you know about the science of brain research, the more you recognize that it's an organ like (the heart) and all the other ones that we commonly treat,'' said veteran broadcast journalist Jane Pauley.
Pauley spoke today during a late-morning press conference and then before some 500 people attending a luncheon sponsored by Butler Hospital, the psychiatric center in Providence.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:39 PM | Comment

Photo: Canal boat prepares for launch

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Ramon Rodriguez of Providence examines the hull of the Samuel Slater, a 40-foot, authentic British canal boat, as he prepares the vessel for its spring launch into the Blackstone River this Saturday. Ramon, the boat's captain, is employed by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. The Samuel Slater will be hauled to the Central Falls landing at Broad Street and Mederia Avenue, where it will be docked for the summer.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:30 PM | Comment

Barney's bagel recipes, other assets on auction

If you’ve missed the bagels you used to buy at Barney’s Bakery in Pawtucket, today could be your lucky day. The recipes, equipment, diner stools and other assets of the bakery will be sold at a live auction at 10:30 a.m.

The auction will be held at the former bakery, 727 East Ave. in Pawtucket. Anyone wishing to bid must bring a $100 deposit. Payment must be made in cash, cashier’s check or with a company check with a bank guarantee, according to Stephanie DeSilva of SJ Corio Co., the auction firm.

More details about what's for sale are online.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:11 AM | Comment

Update: 95N closed again to upright truck / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
People watch from the Fountain Street overpass, in Pawtucket, as crews work to upright a tractor-trailer on the northbound side of Route 95 this morning.

State police have once again closed a short stretch of Route 95 northbound as crews are trying to upright the tractor-trailer that tipped over shortly before 7 a.m., Sgt. Ernest Quarry said around 9:15 a.m.

The area before Exit 29 all the way up to Exit 30 will be closed while crews work, Quarry said. He encouraged drivers to get off Route 95 by exit 28 and weave their way beyond exit 30 on other roads.

Quarry said the truck was carrying frozen food. Nothing spilled onto the roadway
The highway could be closed or partially closed until 9:45 a.m.

Check state Department of Transportation traffic cameras and other travel tips online.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:31 AM | Comment

Updated: Traffic slow on 95 after tractor-trailer crash

Traffic on Route 95 northbound is backed up this morning, with commuters using just one lane, after a tractor-trailer overturned shortly before 7 a.m., before exit 30 in Pawtucket, according to state police Sgt. Ernest Quarry.

After closing all lanes for a short while this morning, the state police opened the high-speed lane to let traffic pass, Quarry said. More than an hour after the accident, northbound traffic was backed up starting before exit 27.

The police do not yet know what caused the accident. The driver was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, Quarry said.

Crews continue to work to remove the truck from the highway, according to the police.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:17 AM | Comment

Grid managers see no power crunch this summer

NEW YORK -- Power grid managers say electricity supplies in the Northeast this summer will be adequate to handle the region's power needs, even if there's a long heat wave.

But if it gets especially hot, or there are problems with the grid, the Boston area is one spot where emergency measures might have to be taken to prevent power failures.

A report today from the Northeast Power Coordinating Council also cites Southwestern Connecticut as a region where such moves might be needed.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:50 AM | Comment

Blue-sky day, then cloudy as daylight increases

Blue skies should remain through the morning, but clouds are predicted for this afternoon.

Expect a high of around 66.

With sunrise at 5:48 a.m. today and sunset at 7:38 p.m., we’ll get an extra hour and six minutes of daylight compared with the first day of daylight-saving time, back on April 2, according to an online sunrise-sunset website.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:12 AM | Comment

April 26, 2006

Carcieri offers to meet with Beacon board members

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri has offered George Nee and Henry Boeniger "an opportunity to be heard" regarding their dismissal from the Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.'s board of directors.

According to a statement released this evening, the governor has responded to calls from the two long-time board members for impartial hearings to review their termination by Carcieri.

He's offered to meet with the men on Thursday, May 4, at 3 p.m. in his State House office.

Carcieri's executive counsel, Andrew Hodgkin, has written to Nee and Boeniger, saying that board members do not have a constitutionally protected guarantee of continued employment, or a right to the type of hearing that may be accorded a state employee.

Carcieri moved last week to fire Nee and Boeniger in the wake of allegations of mismanagement at the state's largest workers' compensation insurer.

The Beacon board is holding a regularly-scheduled meeting tonight, at which they planned to continue discussing the critical audit of the company, which spurred the removal of its CEO.

The meeting was continuing at 7 o'clock. Both Nee and Boeniger were attending.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:17 PM | Comment

Campus police probe stolen URI student newspapers / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires

Shaun Boutwell, managing editor for The Good 5 Cent Cigar, the University of Rhode Island's student newspaper, looks over the week's story budget board in the newspaper's office on the Kingston campus.

Last Friday, roughly 5,000 newspapers -- the entire press run -- were stolen less than an hour after being distributed. The papers included a front-page article about Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, which was expelled from Greek Week for alcohol violations.

The campus police are investigating the thefts.

More tomorrow on projo.com and in The Journal ...

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:07 PM | Comment

Planned drop in electricity rates evaporates

National Grid's shrinking rate reduction appears to have disappeared altogether.

Last month, the electric distribution company proposed lowering electricity rates by 3.9 percent, citing a drop in energy prices. Last week, it cut the proposed reduction in half to 1.9 percent.

This afternoon, the state Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to hold off on any rate reduction, for at least 30 days, because of wide swings in the energy markets.

The decision leaves the current rate for "standard offer" service, which most customers receive, at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. A typical customer who uses 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity pays $80.94 each month.

"Prices have been so volatile, we want to have a better handle" on the energy market, said Elia Germani, chairman of the PUC, in an interview after the vote.

"If we drop the rates today, and the price increase continues, then in a very short period of time, we'd have to raise rates," Germani said.

National Grid raised electricity rates in October and January. Together, those increases added $18.18 a month to the bill of a 500-kilowatt-hour customer, a 29-percent hike.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 5:38 PM | Comment

Beacon Mutual board meeting again tonight

WARWICK -- The board of directors for Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. is due to meet today at 5:30 p.m. -- this time, as regularly scheduled.

Embattled board member George H. Nee said yesterday he planned to attend the meeting, despite a move by Governor Carcieri last week to fire Nee and board member Henry R. Boeniger. Boeniger could not be reached for comment yesterday.

An attorney for both men asked Carcieri for a hearing to review their termination -- a move that prompted Carcieri to extend their termination date for one week.

It is unclear if Nee and Boeniger will participate in tonight's meeting, where the board is expected to continue discussing a recently-released report that revealed evidence of abuse within Beacon, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:25 PM | Comment

Tortola taking 'fresh look' at Swain case

Law enforcement officials in Tortola said today they have requested certified transcripts and other evidence used in the civil wrongful death case against Jamestown scuba shop owner David Swain.

The Tortola officials said the move was part of their "fresh look" into the 1999 death of Swain's wife, Shelley Tyre.

Tyre, 46, drowned during a scuba diving vacation with Swain and another couple during a vacation off the Caribbean Island. In February, following a nine-day trial, a Providence jury determined that Swain acted with "malice aforethought" in killing his wife of 51/2 years.

Tyre's parents, Richard and Lisa Tyre of Jamestown, brought the wrongful-death suit against Swain alleging he killed their daughter for money at a time when he was pursuing a relationship with another woman and knowing that a prenuptial agreement would leave him none of his wife's assets if the two divorced.

Swain is appealing the jury's finding.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:49 PM | Comment

Directory assistance calls to cost more

The Public Utilities Commission this afternoon gave Verizon Communications permission to raise the price of directory assistance calls and increase the monthly charge for an unlisted phone number.

Residential customers receive up to five free 411 calls each month. The new rate for calls beyond that allowance will be 72 cents per call, up 9 cents from the current rate of 63 cents.

The new rates will go into effect on May 1.

"It's a discretionary service. We want to encourage customers to use the telephone book," said Lillian McGee, a spokeswoman for Verizon.

This will be the third increase over the past four years. The price for assistance calls beyond the free ones was 50 cents in 2003.

Business customers stopped receiving free directory assistance calls in 2003. The rate for each 411 call for those customers remains at $1.25.

The monthly charge for a non-published number for both businesses and residences will rise to $4 per line, up from the current rate of $3.50.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 4:23 PM | Comment

Carcieri picks Kaplan as new EDC director

Governor Carcieri has moved to promote the current deputy director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Saul Kaplan, to head of the agency.

Michael McMahon, the EDC's previous executive director, resigned to return to private industry as a partner in an investment firm.

Kaplan, a former senior partner in the health and life sciences practice at consulting firm Accenture, was hired by McMahon in 2003, because of his biotechnology background.

Kaplan’s nomination is subject to advice and consent by the state Senate.

McMahon said his resignation from his $99,700 position was voluntary. The former venture capitalist said he was asked by a business colleague, Howard Newman, to be a partner in an investment firm Newman is forming in New York City.

“When you’re 58, good opportunities don’t come around everyday,” said McMahon, in an interview at the EDC’s offices yesterday afternoon. “This is a very unique opportunity.”

Kaplan said there will be no immediate personnel or strategy changes at the EDC. He plans to continue moving forward with the plan McMahon has set out to attract more businesses, improve the state’s workforce, revamp the tax code, foster innovation and entrepreneurship and make government more cost effective.

--Journal staff writer Andrea L. Stape

Posted by at 4:05 PM | Comment

Block Island airport to close temporarily after summer

NEW SHOREHAM -- The Block Island Airport will be closed for six weeks for improvements after the peak summer season, airport officials said today.

The Rhode Island Airport Corporation has decided to close the small airport from between Oct. 11 and Nov. 21 to repave the runway and taxiways as part of larger plan to upgrade airport facilities. A new terminal will be constructed next year.

Some island residents expressed concern about the decision because there is no pharmacy on the island. Some residents depend on the airport to fly in drugs and medical equipment.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:00 PM | Comment

Brown withdraws from U.S. Senate race / Photo

Journal photo / Kris Craig
Brown, at podium, throws his support to fellow Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, at Brown's side, during his press conference today off Manton Avenue in Providence.

PROVIDENCE -- Secretary of State Matt Brown, dogged by questions about his fundraising practices in the campaign for U.S. Senate, dropped out of the race this afternoon, citing money problems.

Brown threw his support behind fellow Democrat and former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse.

They were both vying for the seat held by Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee. Chafee faces his own opponent in the Republican primary, Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey.

Brown had a strong showing in an independent poll by Brown University early this year, but in recent months, he has struggled with dwindling funds and persistent questions about a series of donations made to his campaign by Democratic parties in three other states.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment

Body found off Point Judith ID'd as URI student

The state medical examiner's office has identified the body found floating off Point Judith this morning as Daniel Donahue, 20, of Glocester, one of three University of Rhode Island students believed to have drowned last month.

The two other students, Geoffrey M. Wilkes, 18, of Glocester, and Fandia M. Sod Shloul, 21, of Pawtucket, have not been seen since 2:30 a.m. on March 13 when they took a small boat into the foggy, near-freezing waters after attending a small party in the Bonnet Shores area of Narragansett.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:39 PM | Comment

J&W students silently oppose gay harassment

Silence is loud! That’s the message some 500,000 students throughout the nation – including Johnson & Wales University students here in Rhode Island -- are trying to get across today as they participate in the 10th annual Day of Silence.

The day is an effort for students to send the message that bullying, violence and harassment toward the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population is unacceptable. Organizers say that 4,000 schools in the country are taking part in the Day of Silence.

In Providence, Johnson & Wales students plan to hold a candlelight vigil tonight from 8 to 9 at Gaebe Commons on the Downcity campus. Students have kept silent throughout the day, and some professors even planned to hold class in silence by giving students notes to follow instead of lecturing, said student organizer Darin Wildenstein Jr., who is the public relations director for e3, the JWU CommUNITY Alliance.

Students and university administrators plan to give empowerment speeches at tonight’s vigil, which will be the first time some of them have spoken all day, Wildenstein said.

Talking today about the event with projo.com, Wildenstein said it was the first time he had broken his own silence all day. He had expected about 100 students to keep the silence, but he said he has given out 600 silence pledge cards. Students then show those cards to teachers or anyone else who tries to talk to them today.

Wildenstein said the cards read: “Please understand my reason for not speaking today. I support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights. People who are silent today believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been silenced by hatred, oppression and prejudice. Think about the voices you are not hearing. What can you do to end the silence?”

The school’s CommUNITY Alliance is organizing the day’s event.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:26 PM | Comment

Brother, sister arrested after beating

CHARLESTOWN -- The State Police announced this afternoon that a brother and sister have been arrested for conspiring to beat the woman's estranged husband with a 5-foot stick.

Early last Thursday, Darryl Fry, 42, of Connecticut, was found outside of a Charlestown home. He was hospitalized with head and facial injuries. The state police said he was attacked at a nearby Indian burial ground.

Fry's estranged wife, Sandy Spears, age 36, of 59 Coachman Pike, Ledyard, Conn., was charged Friday with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon. Her brother, Shane Spears, 38, of 47A King’s Factory Road, Charlestown, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit the assault.

Shane Spears was ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston as a probation violator. Sandy Spears was released on $35,000 surety bail.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:27 PM | Comment

Updated: Body found off Point Judith, spurring search

NARRAGANSETT -- Authorities this morning discovered a body floating about 100 yards off Point Judith.

The male body has yet to be identified.

But the Narragansett police and the state Department of Environmental Management were searching the area for other bodies, as officials wondered whether it may be one of the three University of Rhode Island students who disappeared last month in a small rowboat.

"That's the million-dollar question," Narragansett Police Chief J. David Smith said this morning. "Given the physical evidence available at this time, we can’t make any positive identification."

The body was noticed by a fishing boat at about 8:30 a.m., which contacted the Coast Guard. The body has since been transferred to the medical examiner's office for identification.

There were two boats and a helicopter searching the area this morning. An earlier report incorrectly indicated the Coast Guard was part of the search today.

Daniel P. Donahue, 20, of Glocester; Geoffrey M. Wilkes, 18, of Glocester, and Fandia M. Sod Shloul, 21, of Pawtucket, haven't been seen since 2:30 a.m. on March 13 when they took a small boat into the foggy, near-freezing waters after attending a small party in the Bonnet Shores area of Narragansett.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Randal Edgar

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:41 AM | Comment

Updated: Woman out of hospital after Rt. 95 crash

PROVIDENCE -- A city woman thrown from a car when it flipped on a Route 95 northbound off-ramp last night has been treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said this morning.

Anna Vasquez, 21, had been sitting in the back seat of the Honda when the driver, her husband, Juan Roman, struck a Jersey barrier around 11:20 p.m. on the Thurbers Avenue off-ramp, state police Cpl. Kevin O’Brien said.

The state police have charged Roman, 24, no address available, with reckless driving and driving under the influence in the wake of the accident. Cpl. Kevin O’Brien said Roman was driving “at a high rate of speed,” perhaps 100 mph.

Roman was expected to be arraigned this morning in Sixth District Court. He was being held overnight in state police barracks after being treated at Rhode Island Hospital, O'Brien said.

A third person in the vehicle, Hommy Acevedo, 26, of Providence, was in the front passenger seat, and was the only one wearing a seat belt, O’Brien said. He was treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released, hospital spokeswoman Barbosa said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:41 AM | Comment

Governor to honor "older Americans"

Governor Carcieri planned to honor the elderly this morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Warwick Mall food court.

He expected to proclaim next month “Older Americans Month” in Rhode Island and announced a theme for this year’s celebration: choices for independence.

The governor’s office expects about 175 Rhode Islanders from the state’s 45 senior centers to attend the celebration.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:59 AM | Comment

Providence street closures for "Underdog" filming

PROVIDENCE -- Don’t forget that “Underdog” is here!

More street closings to keep in mind as production continues on the Disney movie: Westminster Street is closed today from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Dorrance Street and Memorial Boulevard along the river. Tomorrow and Friday, Westminster is closed from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Dorrance and Mathewson streets.

Pedestrians will have some access to Westminster Street during the filming.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:10 AM | Comment

Sunny weather expected today and this weekend

If you woke up sneezing with itchy, watery eyes today, chances are good that your springtime allergies are kicking in. Today’s pollen count in Providence is high, and levels are expected to remain high through at least Saturday.

But don’t let that stop you. Today should be a nice one. This morning’s blue skies are expected to remain throughout the day. Highs should be around 60.

But even better news: Looks like this weekend should bring us sunny, clear weather both Saturday and Sunday. Now when was the last time we had that?

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:56 AM | Comment

April 25, 2006

Fall River soldier killed in Iraq over weekend

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- The Department of Defense announced this evening that a 19-year-old Fall River soldier was killed in Iraq over the weekend.

Army Pvt. Michael E. Bouthot was among four soldiers killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their military vehicle in Baghdad on Saturday, causing a fire.

This incident occurred during combat operations. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 67th Armored Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas.

Bouthot was a 2004 graduate of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:02 PM | Comment

RWU breaks ground to expand shellfish hatchery

BRISTOL -- Roger Williams University broke ground today on a facility that would double the capacity of the state's only shellfish hatchery.

The improvements are part of the school's effort to build a new $3 million marine science building.

The shellfish hatchery incubates millions of oysters each year before releasing them into Narragansett Bay, helping to bolster native oyster beds depleted by pollution and overfishing.

The expansion will be partly financed by an unusual donation -- a 175-foot cruise ship.

Shipbuilder Luther Blount is donating the ship to three schools once the vessel is retired this fall. Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College and the Wentworth Institute of Technology plan to split the proceeds from the sale.

The two-story, 12,000-square-foot marine science building will be named the Luther Blount Shellfish Hatchery and Oyster Restoration Center and is expected to be completed by fall 2007.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:06 PM | Comment

Six guilty in Providence cocaine conspiracy

PROVIDENCE -- Six men have been convicted of drug charges for their involvement in a cocaine conspiracy last December.

The U.S. Attorney's Office this afternoon announced the conviction of Domingo A. Gonzales, 21, of Lawrence, Mass., who was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine yesterday in federal District Court.

Five other men pleaded guilty in the case, in which Drug Enforcement Agency agents broke up a deal in progress at a Providence home last December, seizing two kilograms of cocaine that Gonzales and another man had just transported from Lawrence.

During Gonzales' trial, DEA agents testified they had monitored conversations between the defendants in which cocaine was called “confetti” and kilograms of cocaine “girls.” The agents were closely monitoring the drug deal as it took place in a Gellatin Street house on Dec. 11.

Cornelio Ozorio, 25, of Providence, left the home and was met by DEA agents who saw a kilogram of cocaine fall from under his coat during a routine search. Agents seized another kilogram package of cocaine in the basement, where they also found the rest of the men hiding under a pile of rubbish.

Waskar Pena, 31, of Providence; Alejandro Pujols, 36, of Providence; Eduardo Garcia, 35, of Providence; and Christopher Garcia, 34, of Methuen, Mass., and Ozorio pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Christopher Garcia pled guilty to an additional count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and Pena also pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

Each man faces between 5 and 40 years in prison.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment

Updated: MGM Mirage, Foxwoods announce partnership

LEDYARD, Conn. -- MGM Mirage will bring its marketing and casino expertise to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut in a partnership joining one of the the world's largest gaming corporations with the Indian tribe that runs one of the world's most successful casinos.

The deal, announced this morning, will put MGM's name on a new hotel and casino on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation but leave control of gaming operations to the tribe.

The arrangement opens the lucrative New England market to MGM and opens the world to the Mashantuckets.

The two sides will share a customer database, entertainment bookings and join in development projects outside the Mashantuckets' home in Ledyard, Conn.

The agreement comes as a $700 million expansion is under way at Foxwoods that includes the hotel and other facilities.

More to come in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ...

-- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

CORRECTION: An earlier Associated Press report on this subject incorrectly said that MGM would open the hotel and casino.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:26 PM | Comment

Beacon board members to fight termination

An attorney for two Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. board members fired last week by Governor Carcieri is requesting independent hearings to determine whether they should be forcibly removed.

In a letter to long-time board members George H. Nee and Henry Boeniger, Carcieri last week told the men he was removing them "for cause" and "effective immediately." The governor also gave the men a deadline -- which is today -- to voluntarily resign from the company or request a meeting to discuss their termination.

Attorney Marc B. Gursky, representing both Nee and Boeniger, said he responded to the governor's ultimatum this afternoon.

In letters sent to Carcieri today, Gursky requested hearings with an "unbiased, fair and impartial decision maker."

"Regrettably, your precipitous and illegal removal of Mr. Nee during his appointed term, your failure to afford Mr. Nee a pre-termination hearing, your prejudgment of Mr. Nee in correspondence, in media, and other public statements, and your evident disciminatory treatment of Mr. Nee and Mr. Boeniger on the basis of their union affiliations, demonstrate that neither you nor officials under your control would be capable of providing Mr. Nee with an unbiased, fair and impartial hearing," writes Gursky in a letter on Nee's behalf.

"Therefore, Mr. Nee requests that you provide this office with the name or names of proposed impartial hearing officers, for review by Mr. Nee, or with a proposed independent hearing officer selection process..."

Nee and Boeniger have been Beacon board members since the company was founded in 1994. Last week the board voted to fire former Beacon CEO Joseph A. Solomon "with cause" in light of allegations of mismanagement and abuse unearthed in a report commissioned by the company.

Nee and Boeniger, both former governor-appointees, were the only board members to vote to fire Solomon without cause, a distinction that would have given Solomon a severance package worth about $3 million.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:49 PM | Comment

Calling all U.S. Marines from Rhode Island

Governor Carcieri is urging all U.S. Marines from Rhode Island, or their families, to share their stories as contributions for the new National Museum of the Marine Corps that’s set to open in November in Quantico, Va.

In creating the museum, the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation are asking every Marine who is currently serving or has served to participate in an online “Roll of Honor.”

Carcieri has appointed a liaison to help locate active duty and retired Marines in Rhode Island. Also, Marines can head to the governor’s site and tell their Marine stories, which will be forwarded to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:29 PM | Comment

Hasbro invites votes for new Monopoly landmarks

Hasbro Inc., the Pawtucket-based toymaker, is planning to release an updated version of its popular Monopoly board game this fall.

But instead of Boardwalk and Park Place, the game could feature national landmarks such as Fenway Park, Times Square and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The toymaker is giving people a chance to vote online for their favorite sites on its Web site for another two weeks. The top vote getters will earn a place on Hasbro's "Monopoly Here and Now" game board.

Voters can choose from 66 locations in 22 cities, including Boston, New York, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Denver, New Orleans and San Francisco.

Missing from the list -- any landmarks in Hasbro's home state, Rhode Island.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:36 PM | Comment

Updated: Water main break closes N. Kingstown school

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Hamilton Elementary School is closed today because of a water main break in the Hamilton neighborhood, according to Maureen S. Buck, the school district’s director of administrative services.

With no water service at the school, officials decided to cancel school around 6 a.m., before any children were expected in the building, Buck said.

Tomorrow, there's “absolutely no reason” to cancel school again because the water main on Salisbury Avenue was fixed around 12:30 p.m. today, according to Susan Licardi, the director of the town’s water supply department.

In addition to the school, about 20 to 25 homes also lost water service in the Hamilton neighborhood, Licardi said.

The water main broke around 6 a.m. today, according to Jennifer Rainha, administrative assistant for the town’s Water Supply Department.

Licardi noted today's sunny weather.

“They lucked out,” she said of the elementary school students. “It’s a nice day.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:21 PM | Comment

Body discovered in Barrington river

BARRINGTON -- The Warren police announced today that a body has been discovered in the Palmer River near Wallis Avenue in Barrington.

The body fits the description of 53-year-old Steven Tomaselli, a Warren boat mechanic reported missing almost a month ago, according to Warren Police Chief Thomas D. Gordon.

A resident saw the body drifting in the river last night at about 7 p.m., about one mile north of Tomaselli's business, Speed's Diesel Service on Water Street.

Tomaselli's family had been searching for him since his March 27 disappearance.

The medical examiner has yet to determine the cause of death.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:40 AM | Comment

Brown basketball coach accepts job at Penn

Glen Miller, arguably the most successful men's basketball coach in Brown University's history, has agreed to accept the head coaching job at the University of Pennsylvania.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Miller will leave Brown for Penn, whose last coach, Fran Dunphy, has been hired to replace the legendary John Chaney at Temple University. Miller is expected to be introduced as the Quakers' new coach on Wednesday. Penn is the Ivy League's dominant team, having won or shared 10 of the last 14 league championships.

Miller coached seven years at Brown and won more games (93) than any other coach over a seven-year period in school history. His 2002-03 team qualified for the National Invitation Tournament, and he had a winning record (54-44) in the Ivy League during his tenure.

See projo.com's college basketball blog for more information on this story.

-- KEVIN McNAMARA

Posted by Art at 10:19 AM | Comment

GTECH charts future business plans

On the eve of its acquisition by Lottomatica SpA, GTECH today said it was eyeing a number of new ventures, including sports betting.

GTECH, of West Greenwich, is expected to be acquired by Lottomatica for $4.8 billion in mid June.

In its quarterly "update report" to shareholders today, GTECH, the world's largest provider of lottery systems and services, said, that in addition to expanding its current business, it saw potential in the following areas:

-- entering the sports betting business in select markets.

-- developing money transfer capabilities here and around the world, including India and Turkey.

-- introducing Keno, Pick 'n Play and EuroMillions games in Italy.

-- using lottery terminals for bill paying.

Posted by at 7:36 AM | Comment

Forecast: Partly cloudy, with morning fog along coast

It should be partly cloudy today, with a high near 68. There’s a chance of showers, mainly after 3 pm.

Drivers along the south coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts should be aware of dense fog, which is expected to last until mid-morning.

Sun is still in the forecast for tomorrow.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 24, 2006

Johnston police officer hurt in crash

JOHNSTON -- A Cranston man drove into a telephone pole this morning, left the scene and promptly smashed into a police cruiser, injuring a veteran detective, according to authorities.

Police Det. Joseph Arcuri Jr. sustained injuries to his right shoulder, neck and back, according to Deputy Police Chief Gary Maddocks.

The incident involving Donato A. Alviano, 54, of 32 Butler St., Arcuri and several other people took place along Killingly Street over a span of about 3 minutes, Maddocks said.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

At about 10:19 a.m., a motorist encountered Officer David Slinko and told him that a northbound Pontiac had passed through at a high rate of speed, swerving and driving on the sidewalk, Maddocks said.

Slinko then saw the blue Pontiac by a telephone pole at 602 Killingly St., he said.

Other people had been trying to administer first aid to the driver, Alviano, who was unconscious, Maddocks said. The vehicle’s engine was running.

Alviano regained consciousness and tried to put the car into gear, Maddocks said.

Slinko and another officer tried to break into the car through the driver’s side window, but the dazed motorist succeeded in pulling away from the scene, he said.

Slinko pursued Alviano briefly before the driver rear-ended the unmarked detective cruiser at the junction of Killingly and Traver streets, Maddocks said.

The distance between the location of the first crash and the location of the second crash is about 1,000 feet.

It appeared that traffic had brought Arcuri to a halt in front of Alviano at the time of the crash, but the circumstances were still under investigation yesterday, Maddocks said.

Arcuri was treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released.

Alviano was taken to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, he said. He has not been charged in the case.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:15 PM | Comment

Providence firm to help launch mobile TV service

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence-based company says it's joining with satellite service provider SES Americom to launch a trial mobile television and entertainment service in Las Vegas this fall.

Officials at Aloha Partners say they're forming a subsidiary called Hwire to test the network. The service will likely provide 30 to 40 television, music, interactive and e-commerce channels.

Most of the content will come from the major broadcast, cable and satellite television networks. The channels will also include localized content, like news, weather and sports.

Aloha Partners is the largest owner of 700 megahertz spectrum in the United States. SES Americom is the largest supplier of satellite services in the United States.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:59 PM | Comment

Cigarette may have caused fire at Newport resort

NEWPORT -- Fire officials believe a cigarette butt may have caused a blaze at the Inn on Long Wharf yesterday.

"It looks like it was probably a discarded cigarette, but it's still under investigation," said Newport Fire Department Deputy Chief Joseph Donovan.

Fire crews responded to the waterfront resort at about 2:30 a.m. yesterday. Flames had already covered some of the building's exterior, extending four stories to the roof.

A sprinkler system prevented the fire from entering the building, Donovan said. The was some smoke and water damage, but no fire damage to the interior of the building, according to Donovan. The total damage is estimated at between $300,000 and $500,000.

Roughly 80 people who were staying in the 40-room resort were temporarily moved to the Fairfield Inn across the street. They were allowed to return to the Inn on Long Wharf yesterday by 9 a.m., Donovan said.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:34 PM | Comment

Updated: Kerry joins Fall River rally against LNG / Photo

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
U.S. Sen. John Kerry joins the rally at the entrance to the proposed Weaver's Cove terminal.

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry joined a crowd of roughly 300 people gathered outside the proposed site of a liquefied natural gas facility earlier today, condemning the plan as an unwanted public safety risk.

Besides the Massachusetts Democrat and despite rain, the rally attracted several local politicians and many Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents who donned orange T-shirts with the words "I am not an acceptable risk." Many others carried "NO LNG" signs.

Local police closed portions of a road to accommodate the protest of plans by Weaver's Cove Energy.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:21 PM | Comment

Providence bond rating gets boost

PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today that Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the city's bond rating to its highest level since the early 1990s.

Moody's, an international credit-rating agency, upgraded Providence's rating from “Baa-1” to “A3" earlier in the month. Moody’s also gave the city "a positive outlook" regarding the status of $127.5 million of outstanding general obligation debt.

At the end of the 2005 fiscal year, the city's undesignated general fund balance increased to $16.71 million or 4.5 perceent of revenues, which approaches the city's 5 percent goal, according to Moody's Web site.

Providence’s improved credit rating means that the city can borrow money at a lower rate, resulting in substantial savings for taxpayers, Cicilline said in a statement.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment

Hearing delayed again for suspect in fatal hit-run

PROVIDENCE -- For the second time this month, a probation violation hearing has been postponed for the North Smithfield woman facing criminal charges after a fatal hit-and-run accident in Glocester.

Lori J. Benoit's attorney, John Lynch, said he needed time to consider a new "offer on the table" from the prosecution. Neither Lynch nor the prosecutor would clarify the offer.

Lori J. Benoit is accused of crashing her car into a group of friends at about 1 a.m. on March 18, killing Robert George, 36, of Glocester, and Jason Roy, 36, of Rehoboth, Mass., and injuring three others.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

She has been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston since the incident.

Benoit pleaded no contest in February 2005 to charges of cocaine possession, obstructing a police officer, disorderly conduct and simple assault. She received suspended sentences and probation.

The state is seeking to have Benoit held at the ACI for two years for violating the terms of the probation, according to court spokesman Michael Healey.

Benoit's next probation violation hearing has been scheduled for May 5.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:30 PM | Comment

Water vandalism costs Blackstone $41,000-plus

BLACKSTONE, Mass. – The recent vandalism of a water-holding tank in this community of 9,000 cost the town just under $41,000 in direct costs -- but that figure doesn’t include the indirect costs, according to Town Administrator Raymond W. Houle Jr.

The $40,797.18 covers overtime for town employees and emergency personnel who responded after the vandalism, tank repairs and water reserves used to cleanse the system, according to town bills.

Harder to measure, though, are the indirect costs, Houle said. Those include the loss of business to the couple dozen mom-and-pop local businesses that had to close for two days and the psychological factors, such as how safe people in town feel about their water system, Houle said.

Houle said he would like to see the direct costs for the town reimbursed through the judicial process. “I certainly will make the court aware of that and ask for restitution,” he said. “I don’t know what the likelihood of getting it would be.”

Two 15-year-old boys face charges in Juvenile Court for the alleged vandalism of the tank last month.

The vandalism brought much in town to a halt and caused the schools to disrupt students throughout the district who were taking the Massachusetts standardized test know as MCAS that day, Houle said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:58 PM | Comment

Photo: Designs for "defining moment" in Providence

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

Edmund T. Parker, chief engineer for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and Alix Ogden, Providence Parks Superintendent, listen as Mayor David N. Cicilline announces plans for an 8-acre waterfront park along the Providence River. Calling the park's development "a defining moment in our city's history," Cicilline announced a public design competition for the park, which will be developed on land becoming available with the relocation of Route 195. For more information on the competition, see the city's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:33 AM | Comment

Gas prices jump 17 cents

Gasoline prices jumped another 17 cents in Rhode Island last week, continuing a painful trend for drivers, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.92 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

The price has climbed 46 cents in the last month, AAA says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:10 AM | Comment

'Suspicious' items by federal court just coffee urns

PROVIDENCE -- The state fire marshal’s bomb squad has cleared the scene downtown after investigating a report of a suspicious article outside the federal court building early this morning and finding nothing amiss, according to Lt. John Blessing in the fire marshal’s office.

The fire marshal’s office, which oversees the bomb squad, got a call from Providence Police at about 7:45 a.m. reporting suspicious articles outside U.S. District Court, at One Exchange Terrace, Blessing said.

Two bomb squad technicians found two plastic coffee containers about 10 feet from the entrance to the court on Kennedy Plaza, Blessing said. Technicians x-rayed the containers and found no type of explosives.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:01 AM | Comment

'Underdog' still closing off Providence streets

Don’t forget the street closings this week for Disney’s filming of Underdog in downtown Providence.

Westminster Street is closed to traffic today, Thursday and Friday between Dorrance and Mathewson Streets, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tomorrow and Wednesday during those same times, Westminster will be closed between Dorrance and Memorial Boulevard.

Pedestrians will have some access to the street during the filming.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:54 AM | Comment

Hasbro posts wider first quarter loss

PAWTUCKET -- Hasbro Inc., the nation's second biggest toy maker, today reported a wider loss for the first quarter as foreign currency fluctuations and new accounting rules for stock options hurt results.

The loss totaled $4.9 million, or 3 cents per share, for the three months ended April 2 compared with a loss of $3.7 million, or 2 cents per share, a year ago. Expenses related to stock-based compensation reduced results by 2 cents per share in the latest quarter. If similar expenses had been included a year ago, the loss for that period would have been 4 cents per share.

Revenue rose to $468.2 million from $454.9 million. Currency fluctuations reduced revenue by about $9 million in the 2006 quarter.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting a loss of 1 cent per share, including stock-options expenses, on revenue of $430 million.

Hasbro's North American operations posted a 7 percent increase in revenue, to $310.3 million, driven by board games and toy lines such as Nerf, Supersoaker and Little Pet Shop. Operating profit at the division rose by $200,000. Hasbro said it saw an expected decline in sales of Star Wars merchandise during the quarter.

Because of the changes in some foreign currencies versus the dollar, Hasbro's international segment saw revenue decline by 5 percent and its operating loss widen by about $400,000. On a constant-currency basis, international revenue rose 2 percent.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:45 AM | Comment

Don’t forget your umbrella today

Rain and more rain is on the horizon. There’s a 70 percent chance of showers today. Expect a high of 54 degrees.

Looks like Wednesday will be our next sunny day.

If you live in Providence and thought it rained a lot during your weekend, you were right. Sunday set a record daily rainfall, with 1.44 inches, breaking the old April 23 rainfall record of 1 inch back in 1954, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Dunham.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:59 AM | Comment

April 21, 2006

'Goodnight Moon' exhibit says hello at RISD

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island School of Design's museum kicks off a 12-week exhibition today featuring the artwork of three famed children's book illustrators: Clement, Edith and Thacher Hurd.

Clement Hurd was best known for illustrating "Goodnight Moon,'' a bedtime story that has sold millions of copies since it was first published in 1947.

A life-size, three-dimensional display of the "great green room" from "Goodnight Moon" greets visitors to the exhibit. That room is the setting of the story. The exhibit also features 70 original illustrations from other Hurd family books including "The Runaway Bunny" and "The World Is Round."

Reading sessions are scheduled every Friday at 11 a.m.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:53 PM | Comment

R.I. Guard helicopter unit named tops in nation

The Rhode Island National Guard's Blackhawk helicopter battalion was the Guard's top aviation unit in the nation last year, according to a statement released today by the adjutant general of Rhode Island.

While deployed in Iraq last year as part of Task Force Dragonwing, the unit flew an average of 226 hours per week, conducting nearly 2,000 air missions while transporting more than 66,000 passengers and 5,100 tons of cargo.

The group of 457 soldiers, led by Col. Christopher Callahan of North Kingstown, flew 46 combat missions, and were subjected to 22 known ground missile attacks, which left seven aircraft damaged.

No members of the unit were killed or seriously injured.

This is the first time an aviation unit from Rhode Island has been named the nation's top National Guard Aviation Unit.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:50 PM | Comment

Photo: Never fear, the "Underdog" stunt man is here

PROVIDENCE -- Part of downtown Providence is closed today as Disney continues to film its movie ``Underdog.''

The city has closed off Westminster Street, between Dorrance Street and Memorial Boulevard along the river from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. No cars can get through, and pedestrians will have limited access.

Filming on the live-action remake of the 1960s' cartoon continues tomorrow and through next week with more street closures.

-- With reports from projo.com staff and the Associated Press

City and state officials have welcomed ``Underdog'' with open arms. Steven Feinberg, director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, says the multimillion-dollar movie provides 300 jobs and is the most expensive production ever to film in New England.

The same stretch of Westminster between Dorrance Street and Memorial Boulevard will be closed tomorrow and next Tuesday and Wednesday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Monday, Thursday and Friday, the portion of Westminster between Dorrance and Mathewson streets will be closed to traffic with limited pedestrian accesss.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:30 PM | Comment

Former Providence School Board member Burns dies

PROVIDENCE -- Gene Burns, an emeritus member of the Providence School Board, died last night after an extended illness. Burns, 77, who was appointed to the school board in 1998, rarely missed an invitation to a school event and was a constant presence in the city's schools.

"Gene brought love and joy wherever he went,'' said School Board President Mary McClure. "He was a true friend, a wonderful colleague and a mentor to me and other school board memnbers. I had hoped for many more years of wisdom and support.''

Burns attended the Providence public schools and graduated from Johnson & Wales University. A longtime advocate for education, he served on the New Jersey Board of Education from 1974 until 1993 before returning to Providence in the early 1990s.

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

He was the past president of EKB Associates and had recently retired from Shreve, Crump and Low in Boston.

Deputy Supt. Frances Gallo said that Burns lived with "simplicity and confidence .Dr. Burns served as a guidepost for many of us ... I miss him already.''

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:04 PM | Comment

National Grid cuts proposed rate drop in half

National Grid has cut in half its proposed rate decrease for its customers in Rhode Island, citing the rising cost of natural gas and oil over the past two weeks.

This afternoon, the electric company told state regulators that it wants to reduce rates by about 1.9 percent, instead of the 3.9 percent reduction it had proposed on March 31.

The new proposal would lower a typical customer's monthly bill from $80.94 a month to $79.38 a month, a reduction of $1.56.

The company still wants the rate change to be effective on May 1. The Public Utilities Commission is expected to take up the matter at its next open meeting on April 26.

The initial decrease was proposed in light of declining energy prices last month. But over the past two weeks, crude oil prices reached a new record high, and natural gas prices are rising as well.

Electricity rates for National Grid's customers in Rhode Island are directly tied to the market price of crude oil and natural gas. The company's contracts with most of its electricity suppliers contain stipulations that require National Grid to pay more for the power, if energy prices rise above a certain trigger point.

"Despite that increase [in energy prices], there still is a decrease" in rates, said David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid. "Unfortunately, it's not as large as we had originally hoped."

The proposed rate for "standard offer" service, which most customers receive, would be 9.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, down from the current rate of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 4:27 PM | Comment

Laura Bush to give RWU commencement speech

BRISTOL -- The First Lady of the United States will deliver the commencement address at Roger Williams University next month.

University officials this afternoon confirmed that Laura Bush will address the school's 850 graduating seniors on May 20. Bush is scheduled to make remarks on Senior Day at Vanderbilt University, but her visit to Rhode Island will be her only commencement address this year, according to Roger Williams President Roy J. Nirschel.

"We’re just really, really flattered and honored that she chose Roger Williams University," he said in an interview this afternoon.

Nirschel said that efforts to bring the First Lady to Bristol began more than a year ago. Nirschel's wife, Paula, hand-delivered a letter requesting this year's appearance when she brought a group of Afghan women studying at Roger Williams to the White House last year.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:19 PM | Comment

Central Falls Police: Man 'grazed' by bullet

CENTRAL FALLS -- A Central Falls man was grazed by a bullet in a shooting on Sylvian Street last night.

Evaristo Diaz, 34, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after a bullet nicked his back just past 11 p.m. while he was outside 27 Sylvian St., Central Falls Police Chief Joseph Moran said this afternoon.

The injury was not considered serious.

Moran said that little was known about the shooting. Five or six shots were fired from a passing car. It is unclear what sort of vehicle was involved, or if any of the bullets hit the nearby buildings.

Moran said Diaz "may not have been the target." He would not elaborate.

Those with information about the shooting are encouraged to call Central Falls Police at (401) 727-7411 and ask for the detective division.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:16 PM | Comment

Dolphin dies after rescue from Pawcatuck River

MYSTIC, Conn. -- An Atlantic white-sided dolphin that swam up the Pawcatuck River on the Rhode Island-Connecticut border has died.

Experts at the Mystic Aquarium say the dolphin died overnight, despite intensive treatment from specialists there.

The dolphin was taken to the aquarium last night when it became entangled in brush in the river as it runs behind downtown Westerly, R.I. Crowds had gathered to watch, as the dolphin swam up the river, whose mouth is a few miles away.

Experts say it was sicker than first thought and did not survive through the night.

Noris Bohachevsky, the aquarium's curator for marine mammals and birds, says the dolphin was underweight and bruised. He say it's unusual for an Atlantic white-sided dolphin to travel alone up a river from the ocean, as the animals typically live in large groups.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:30 PM | Comment

Update: 3 rescued off Misquamicut treated, released

WESTERLY -- Three men rescued off Misquamicut by the U.S. Coast Guard this morning have been treated and released from Westerly Hospital, according to Robert Ballou, chief of staff at the state Department of Environmental Management.

The men were all from Connecticut, Ballou said: Windell Walker, 47, of Bridgeport; Joe Hall, 59, of Naugatuck; and Paul St. Germain, 59, of Prospect.

The men were stranded this morning when their boat took on water and capsized. It turns out the drain plug in the 17-foot aluminum boat either came out or was never in place to begin with, Ballou said.

The Coast Guard was alerted at about 9:45 a.m..

When the Coast Guard from Point Judith arrived on scene around 10:20 a.m., rescue crews found all three men – two on top of the capsized boat and one who was in the water and had been for 35 minutes.

“They were all wearing life vests, which undoubtedly saved their lives,” Ballou said. “This is a time of year when the water is still frigid, in the low 50s.”

Had it not been for the quick response by the Coast Guard and those life jackets, the outcome could have been quite different, he said.

The men were taken to Weekapaug Breechway and then on to the hospital.

DEM also responded to the accident, but the Coast Guard arrived on scene first, Ballou said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:44 PM | Comment

Updated: Castle Cinema auction canceled

PROVIDENCE -- An auction planned this morning for Chalkstone Avenue's Castle Cinema has been canceled.

The restaurant and neighborhood cinema was scheduled for a foreclosure auction at 10 a.m., after its owners, New Concept Entertainment, failed to get the theater up and running since assuming ownership in January.

The auction company, Irving Schechtman & Co., confirmed this morning that the auction has been "completely canceled, not postponed."

The proceedings were canceled because New Concept Entertainment filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection yesterday. By federal law, the filing automatically halts foreclosure auctions, pending a review of the company's assets and liabilities by a judge.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:23 PM | Comment

Ousted Beacon board members consider legal action

The two Beacon board members bounced by Governor Carcieri are considering taking the governor to court.

George H. Nee and Henry Boeniger told The Journal today that they are weighing their options after the governor sent them letters yesterday notifying them of their removal from the board of the Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., Rhode Island’s dominant worker’s compensation insurer.

Nee is the secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. Boeniger is government relations director of the National Education Association Rhode Island.

Carcieri blasted the pair for voting against firing Beacon CEO Joseph A. Solomon for cause at a marathon meeting that ended early Wednesday morning. According to a Carcieri spokesman, Nee and Boeniger advocated that Solomon be fired without cause, or be allowed to resign, preserving his $3 million severance package. But the board voted, 4-2 with one abstention, to fire Solomon and a vice president for cause.

As a result, Carcieri said that he was acting within his powers by removing Nee and Boeniger from the Beacon board for cause.

``I intend to fight,’’ said Nee. ``This is groundless and politically motivated. The governor is creating an irresponsible atmosphere in which to straighten out our problems.’’

If Nee and Boeniger do go to court, they will have to pay their own legal fees. Bill Fischer, a Beacon spokesman, said that the board’s lawyer has informed them that Beacon won’t pay, and that they would have to hire their own lawyers.

``They as individual board members are going to have to decide how to respond to the governor,’’ said Fischer.

Nee said that he is committed to remaining on a board on which he has served since 1994, and helping to fix problems highlighted by a review that the board commissioned by Giuliani Safety & Security.

While that review, overseen by former Gov. Lincoln Almond, was ``constructive,’’ Nee said that Carcieri has been ``destructive.’’

``I’m looking at a company with an overall record of accomplishment, and I’m proud of my service,’’ said Nee. ``I’m not going to sugar-coat the problems, but we initiated the Giuliani review and while the results didn’t come out as we would’ve liked, we’re committed to going forward.’’

Nee said that he found it particularly ``offensive’’ that Carcieri, a Republican up for re-election this year, has removed the Beacon board’s two labor leaders, both of whom had been appointed, and reappointed, by previous governors.

``Beacon may be the best example in Rhode Island of the cooperation between business and labor,’’ said Nee. ``This governor doesn’t get it. Everything is politically motivated, and based on him looking ahead to November.’’

Boeniger said that he is also considering legal action, but weighing that against the cost and the reality that he would only likely remain on the board for another six months, when his term expires.

``The governor’s no friend to working people, so the chances that he would reappoint me are slim,’’ said Boeniger. ``I get a letter from the governor saying that he’s removing me for cause, because I didn’t vote the way he wanted me to? . . . That doesn’t wash.’’

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this item incorrectly reported the title for Boeniger, who is NEA's government relations director.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:13 PM | Comment

Let the turkey hunt begin

Rhode Islanders will soon have the chance to trim the state's burgeoning wild turkey population.
The spring wild turkey hunting season begins tomorrow, with a special two-day season for youths and paraplegics, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. The regular spring turkey season starts Thursday, running through May 29.
Hunters must have permits and can hunt only from one half hour before sunrise until 1 p.m.

Wild turkeys have "adapted well to Rhode Island habitats," and there are an estimated 6,000 of the birds in the Ocean State, said Brian Tefft, principal wildlife biologist of the DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Some encounters between man and bird haven't been friendly. Last month, the police in Middletown advised people to steer clear of the birds when a 50-year-old man complained that a wild turkey kicked him after he tried shooing the bird away from his car.
Despite such run-ins, the number of turkey hunters in the state has stayed relatively consistent, with about 1,400 to 1,500 hunters, according to Tefft.
"There's a core group of avid people that like to do this," he said.
Last year, hunters harvested 207 birds.
"They're very tasty," he said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:26 PM | Comment

Coast Guard rescues 3 off Misquamicut

Westerly -- The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people this morning after their small metal boat capsized in the vicinity of Misquamicut beach and stranded one person in the water for about 35 minutes, according to Petty Officer Glenn M. Holt at the command center in Woods Hole, Mass.

The other two people had managed to climb up on top of their overturned 17-foot metal boat, Holt said.

All three people were taken for medical treatment, Holt said. They had been wearing life preservers.

The Coast Guard does not yet have their names, ages or gender, according to Petty Officer James R. Metcalf at the Point Judith station.

The person in the water for 35 minutes had a weak but steady pulse by the time he was rescued and dilated pupils, all basic symptoms of hypothermia, Holt said.

Details of what happened are not yet known.

Holt said an initial cell phone call at 9:51 a.m. to the Coast Guard’s command center reported six people in the water, but rescue crews later confirmed only three people were in the water.

At 9:56 a.m., the Point Judith Coast Guard station launched two boats – 27 and 47-feet-long, Holt said. The Coast Guard also sent a helicopter out to search, but called that off when the 47-foot boat arrived on scene at 10:20 a.m. and rescuers found the three people, Holt said.

By 10:27 a.m., the three were all in the 47-foot rescue boat, Holt said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:20 PM | Comment

Butler offers free mental health check via the Web

Butler Hospital announced today that it plans to hold a free and anonymous public screening for mental health disorders on May 4.

Butler also announced that it offers free online screenings at its Web site, where computer users can determine whether they have depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or alcoholism.

The hospital will hold the confidential screenings from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Care New England Wellness center in Warwick. They will be held on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Online screenings are accessible around the clock.

The hospital warns that the brief screenings are not the same as having a full psychiatric evaulation, and that further evaluation may be necessary for a complete diagnosis.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:53 PM | Comment

New waterfront park planned in Providence

PROVIDENCE _ The city's plans for a new waterfront park will be unveiled on Monday. The three-acre park, on land to be freed up by the Route 195 relocation project, will be located near Eddy and Ship Streets.

Mayor David N. Cicilline, Parks Superintendent Alix Ogden and representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will present the details on Monday at 10 a.m. near the park site.

Mayor Cicilline will also announce a citywide design competition for the park. The Mayor said he considers Providence’s waterfront the next frontier for economic development activity, creating a once in a lifetime opportunity to build an
entirely new Providence neighborhood.

-- Journal staff writer Cathleen F. Crowley

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:05 PM | Comment

Providence police ID motorcyclist killed in crash

PROVIDENCE – The police this morning identified the man who died in a motorcycle-car collision on Manton Avenue last evening as 46-year-old Robert J. Deshaies of 112 Ortoleva Drive in Providence.

Traveling east at 6:55 p.m., Deshaies collided with a westbound car turning left in front of him to pull into the Stop & Shop parking lot at 850 Manton Ave., Major Paul Fitzgerald said.

Fault has not been determined, and the accident is still under investigation, Fitzgerald said. No charges have been filed.

The driver of the 2003 Volkswagen -- Junel Decena, 25, of 12 Cedar Pond Drive in Warwick -- was not injured, Fitzgerald said. Deshaies was riding a 1999 Honda motorcycle.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:40 AM | Comment

Clear but cooler today; showers over weekend

Today’s outlook: Clear and mostly sunny, but cooler than yesterday, with highs expected in the upper 50s.

Then, much-needed rain is on the horizon every day through Tuesday, with the chance of showers ranging over the next few days from 30 percent to 70 percent.

Read more about worries of a drought in today's Journal.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 20, 2006

Still room at PPAC for B.B. King's concert tonight

PROVIDENCE -- Legendary blues musician B.B. King will be featured tonight at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

The show is part of King's international "Farewell Tour," though he is expected to make appearances when the tour ends later this year.

At 6:30 p.m., there were still tickets available for tonight's 7:30 concert, titled "B.B. King's 80th Birthday Bash."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:56 PM | Comment

Drought panel on the lookout for much-needed rain

Where are those April showers when you need them?

March was second-driest month in Rhode Island's recorded weather history. Rainfall in February and March combined was about 42 percent below what it should have been.

Some farmers are delaying planting crops because they're afraid seeds won't germinate. And turf growers are harvesting early because they're afraid the grass will dry out.

Those were among the concerns voiced today by the state's Drought Steering Committee, which met today for first time since fall. They acknowledged weekend rain was expected, but said it may not be enough to reverse fears prompted by the dry conditions.

Still, the committee voted not to issue an advisory today -- but, in an unusual move, they will meet again in May to assess the situation.

More in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com....

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:24 PM | Comment

Bridge's post-demolition cleanup under way

JAMESTOWN -- Construction crews began cleanup efforts at the old Jamestown Bridge today, two days after demolition crews sent 1,100 feet of steel and concrete crashing into Narragansett Bay.

Cashman Equipment Co., of Boston, led the demolition and will oversee the cleanup. A crane attached to a barge was on the scene today, working to remove a beam that failed to fully separate from the pier during the blast, according to Frank Corrao, a state Department of Transportation engineer who is overseeing the project.

Construction crews and divers will begin removing the tangles of steel and concrete from the water tomorrow, Corrao said. The steel will be recycled.

Read more about cleanup efforts and the next steps in the bridge's removal.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:32 PM | Comment

Carcieri removes two Beacon board members

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri fired two long-time members of the Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.'s board of directors today, claiming that moves by the board to remove two top company officials did not go far enough.

Termination letters were hand-delivered today to George Nee and Henry Boeniger, both Beacon board members since the workers' compensation insurer's formation in 1994. Carcieri has authority to remove for cause four of the seven board members who are governor appointees.

In a marathon meeting that ended this morning at 2:15 a.m., the board decided to fire former Beacon CEO Joseph A. Solomon and vice president of underwriting David Clark.

Both had been suspended by the board last Friday in the wake of a scathing audit of the company's practices.

“There is no doubt that Beacon’s decision to terminate the CEO and the vice president of underwriting for cause is the right thing to do, and is a good first step towards reforming Beacon Mutual,” Carcieri said in a statement released this afternoon.

“But it is just the beginning. For the good of the company, the policyholders and the people of Rhode Island, Beacon board members who refused to support this change must go.”

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:08 PM | Comment

Photo: Standing in on the Senate floor

Journal photo / Kris Craig

Mikaela Jordan of West Warwick, a member of Little Rhody Girls State, listens to the reading of her bill this morning in the State House Senate chambers. Girls State and and Little Rhody Boys State "took over" state government today in an American Legion-sponsored program aimed at teaching how government works. The high school juniors have spent their school vacation this week getting lessons from state and federal officials.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:05 PM | Comment

Brush fires pop up in Warren

WARREN -- Firefighters here have gone at least twice today to brush fires in
the vicinity of Our Lady of Fatima School, on a day the National Weather Service
issued a red flag warning for the region warning of "explosive fire growth
potential."

According to a dispatcher, two fire engines were on scene at 3 p.m. There
were no indications that either fire spread to any buildings.

The weather service warning today includes most of Rhode Island, northern
Connecticut and areas of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Low humidity,
strong winds and warm temperatures combine to heighten the risk of fire. The warning is in effect until 8 o'clock tonight.

-- Journal staff writer Michael McKinney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:35 PM | Comment

DEM: Ethanol-blended gas now being distributed in R.I.

The state Department of Environmental Management announced today that ethanol-blended gasoline is now being distributed across Rhode Island -- a move that may push already-high gas prices even higher.

The Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates an increase in the amount of renewable fuel used nationally -- which in practice means that refineries will meet the requirement by adding ethanol to the fuel, according to DEM.

Gasoline with the chemical, also known as ethyl alcohol, recently started being distributed across Rhode Island, while residents of Connecticut and New York have been using the product for more than a year.

"They had looked at the issue of price several months ago," DEM spokeswoman Stephanie Powell said today of DEM officials. "And at that time, they though it could impact the price by 2 or 3 cents a gallon."

Powell said such a bump is a result of distribution facilities having to upgrade their systems to accommodate ethanol.

Most consumers should not notice any difference in their vehicles' performance, according to DEM, though some may find a slight decrease in fuel economy.

Problems may arise, however, with pre-1980 car engines and boat engines made in the mid 1980s. Apparently, ethanol may not react well with fiberglass gas tanks or certain types of rubber seals and hoses.

DEM urges boat or vehicle owners with concerns should check with their manufacturers. The state agency also has a question-and-answer page on its Web site dedicated to the topic.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:00 PM | Comment

Grand jury subpoenas Beacon records

The Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. has received a state grand-jury subpoena for records related to the Giuliani report into alleged wrongdoing.

A company spokesman said today that the Rhode Island State Police delivered the subpoena to Beacon headquarters at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

``This is a new day at Beacon,’’ said the spokesman, Bill Fischer. ``We have nothing to hide. The board, management and employees of Beacon intend on cooperating fully with both the state police and the Department of Attorney General. The doors are wide open.’’

The report has led to the firing early this morning of the insurer's CEO and vice president for underwriting.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:01 PM | Comment

Brown says he's staying in Senate race

Embattled U.S. Senate candidate Matt Brown released a statement today titled, "I'm in to win."

Despite widespread criticism regarding a campaign contribution scandal and financial troubles, Brown said he won't back down.

"I've been at this campaign for over a year," he wrote in a statement. "In that time, I've raised about $1.8 million. In the last independent poll, I'm running neck-and-neck with the incumbent senator, Lincoln Chafee, and am ahead of my Democratic primary opponent."

The Democratic candidate, who is also secretary of state, had $35,000 left in his war chest as of April 1 for the September primary. His opponent, Sheldon Whitehouse, had nearly $1.4 million left for the primary.

Brown said that money shouldn't determine his political future.

"The Democratic establishment in Washington tries again and again to anoint candidates based on who has the most money -- not who has the best ideas," Brown said in the statement. "That's why our party has been losing elections for 30 years -- why we've now lost the White House, Senate, the House and control of the courts."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:58 PM | Comment

R.I. officials want federal help with disasters

Providence Mayor David Cicilline wants to give the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier back to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Warwick officials want to be reimbursed in a timely manner when they send city personnel out to respond to national disasters.

Governor Carcieri pledged to have the state's hurricane evacuation routes completed by June 1.

And communities across the state would like some assurances that the federal government will pay the $32 million it would cost for universal communication equipment throughout Rhode Island.

Those were some of the messages delivered to U.S. Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-ME, and Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, R-RI, during a hearing of their Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs this morning in Providence.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:26 PM | Comment

Fire warning now on for region

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the region today, meaning that a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures create "explosive fire growth potential."

The warning includes northern Connecticut, most of Rhode Island, and southwestern New Hampshire. It also includes western, central and interior eastern sections of Massachusetts.

The relative humidity away from the coast is 15 to 25 percent and winds are starting to gust over 20 mph, according to the National Weather Service, noting that the region has had very little rain in the past two weeks. Should a fire start, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread, according to a statement released today.

The weather service had issued a fire weather watch yesterday.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:13 PM | Comment

Companies ask for new trial in lead-paint case

PROVIDENCE -- Lawyers for three national paint companies found liable for lead-abatement costs in Rhode Island that could exceed $1 billion have asked a Superior Court judge to overturn last month's verdict.

A Providence jury determined that Sherwin Williams Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries must clean clean up the paints used generations ago on thousands of Rhode Island homes. The state estimates the cost at between $1 billion and $3 billion.

The paint companies announced today that they have filed briefs in Superior Court that claim the verdict was the result of "a flawed trial," arguing there was no evidence presented that the companies contributed to a public health nuisance in Rhode Island.

Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein has yet to rule on the motions, which were expected because of the impact of the jury's finding. Should Silverstein rule against the paint companies, they could then appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:54 AM | Comment

Providence mayor unveils 5-year housing strategy

PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline is hoping to strengthen neighborhoods through a comprehensive 5-year housing strategy that he unveiled at a "Celebration of Housing" breakfast this morning.

The mayor’s plan, “Create, Preserve, Revitalize: Providence Housing Policy,” reports that the 450 new housing units built during the past three years were created at six times the rate of production in the 1990s.

The plan proposes increasing the amount of affordable housing over the next five years through a variety of ways, including: maximizing the use of funding for housing projects; using special tax districts for affordable housing developments; implementing an 8-percent property tax limit on affordable housing units; speeding the process for housing permits; and waiving fees for affordable housing units where possible.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:11 AM | Comment

EMC reports flat earnings

EMC Corp., the largest maker of data storage computers and software, today reported first-quarter profits of $272.5 million, an increase of about 1 percent over the same period last year.

EMC, based in Hopkinton, Mass., said its sales for the quarter increased to $2.55 billion from $2.24 billion.

On a per-share basis, the company made 11 cents in the quarter, the same as the previous year. For more, go to www.emc.com/ir/

Posted by at 9:13 AM | Comment

Defense sales push KVH sales, profits

KVH Industries of Middletown today reported net income of $1.3 million in the last quarter on revenues of $20.3 million. Both numbers are improvements on the same quarter last year when the company earned $300,000 on revenues of $17.9 million.

KVH, which makes mobile communication and defense-related navigation and guidance systems, called its first quarter "an outstanding start to the year.''

On a percentage basis, the military-related sales did better, increasing 57 percent to about $6 million. The company's mobile communication business increased just 2 percent to $14.3 million in the quarter.

Read the company release.

Posted by at 8:47 AM | Comment

Profits up at Textron

Textron today reported first quarter profits of $158 million, or $1.19 a share, up from $84 million or 61 cents a share for the same period last year. Textron, based in Providence, said sales in the period hit $2.63 billion, an increase of 15 percent.

Bloomberg News credited the strength of Textron's Cessna commercial aircraft division and an increase in orders for its armored security vehicles used in Iraq. The company's V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft was also cleared last year for full production.

"With a record backlog of $6.3 billion and a full new product pipeline, the outlook for Cessna is solid,'' an analyist for Credit Suisse First Boston wrote before today's earnings were released.

Read the company press release.

Posted by at 7:31 AM | Comment

Beacon fires CEO, another top executive

Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. early this morning fired its chief executive officer and another top executive.

CEO Joseph A. Solomon and vice president of underwriting David Clark were fired with cause, meaning they cannot collect severance, said Bill Fischer, a company spokesman.

The board's vote came during a meeting that started at 4 p.m. yesterday and didn't conclude until about 2:15 this morning, Fischer said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:16 AM | Comment

Mostly sunny before rain moves in for the weekend

The end of the week should bring sunny conditions before rain moves in for the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass.

Today's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high around 69 degrees. Tomorrow should be mostly sunny with a high around 56 degrees.

Showers are likely for Saturday and Sunday.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 19, 2006

Beacon board meeting draws state senator's protest

WARWICK -- The public was not invited to attend a board of directors' meeting at the headquarters of Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. tonight, where the group has been meeting since 4 p.m. to continue its discussion of report released last week highly critical of the workmen's compensation insurer.

But that didn't stop state Sen. James Sheehan, of Narragansett and North Kingstown, from showing up.

Sheehan was there to greet the seven board members as they arrived this afternoon. He was holding a homemade sign bearing images of two boats. He called them the S.S. Public Trust and the S.S. Workmen's Compensation.

One had crashed on the rocks and the other was sinking, Sheehan said. "You have to come forward, come clean and make the neccesary changes to begin to restore public faith in this organization," he said.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Last week the board decided to suspend Beacon's CEO, Joseph A. Solomon, with pay, in the wake of demands by Governor Carcieri to overhaul its leadership. The board also suspended, with pay, its vice president of underwriting, David Clark, and board member Edward J. Braks resigned.

Carcieri has called on the board to make more changes. It is unclear if the board may make further changes at tonight's meeting.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment

Air sickness strikes 14 cadets on cargo plane ride

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Fourteen boys and girls were briefly hospitalized this afternoon after they complained of nausea and dizziness during an orientation flight on a Rhode Island National Guard cargo plane.

None of them are in serious condition, according to Lt. Col. Michael McNamara, a Guard spokesman.

"It was classic motion sickness across the board," he said. "They anticipate everybody being sent home, back to camp."

The youths, ages 12 to 18, were among a group of 86 Civil Air Patrol cadets riding in a C-130J Hercules cargo plane today as part of a week-long training program held in Rhode Island each year.

Among other activities, the cadets ride helicopters and military planes, McNamara said.

The plane was out of Quonset Point. The majority of the cadets are from Rhode Island, he said, but some are from New York and Massachusetts and other states.

The group of cadets will graduate from the program Saturday at Camp Varnum in Narragansett.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:38 PM | Comment

Salvaging of old Jamestown span begins tomorrow

There's little rest for the old Jamestown Bridge, whose center span was blasted into Narragansett Bay yesterday.

Tomorrow, the process of salvaging its steel from the waters of the Bay's West Passage will begin. It will take about a month for barges and divers to recover the steel, which will then be sold for recycling.

During that time, the passage between the Narragansett shore and the island of Jamestown will be shut down.

More of the remaining span will be demolished in another blast, now scheduled for mid-May.

Miss yesterday's explosion? Take a look at projo.com and Journal coverage, including projo.com readers' photos and comments, at: http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/jamestownbridge/

More in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ...

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Arthur Gregg Sulzberger

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:56 PM | Comment

Shipbuilder Blount to give cruise ship to 3 colleges

Warren shipbuilder Luther Blount will donate a 175-foot cruise ship to three area colleges, according to an announcement released today.

Blount, who owns American Canadian Caribbean Lines, has planned a ceremony to mark the transfer of the $6.5 million ship for May 1.

"Education gave me the foundation to be where I am today and I am thankful to give something back," Blount said in a statement.

The boat, named the Niagara Prince, was commissioned in 1994 and is certified to carry up to 90 passengers and crew. In 12 years of service, the ship has carried thousands of guests along the cruise line's routes, including a popular trip from New Orleans to Chicago.

Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology, of Boston, will assume co-ownership of the vessel at the end of its scheduled summer and fall foliage cruises in October.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:29 PM | Comment

Photo: Fishing for a winner in North Providence

Journal photo / Kris Craig

Angela Brasil of North Providence gives her daughter, Megan, a hand steadying her fishing pole while checking to see if her bait is still on the hook this afternoon at North Providence's annual fishing derby. The derby, held at Geneva Pond in Governor Notte Park, was open to North Providence boys and girls age 14 and under.

Like to fish, but missed the derby? Check out state rules and regulations, plus Journal outdoor writer Tom Meade's regular column, at: http://projo.com/fishing/

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:01 PM | Comment

Court upholds parole violation for Narragansett sex offender

PROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court today upheld the probation violation of convicted sex offender Eugene C. Texter -- which likely means he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.

Texter, 44, was convicted last November of two counts of second-degree sexual assault for dragging a Narragansett High School freshman into the woods and groping her in September 2003.

The attack led the state Attorney General's Office to obtain a probation violation against Texter in October 2003. Texter, in his appeal, said that relied on evidence he contended was illegally seized by Narragansett police investigating the attack.

The Supreme Court's ruling adds 39 years to the 30-year sentence he received for the Narragansett assault.

Texter has a lengthy record.

In 1988, Texter was convicted of raping a woman in her Westerly apartment at knifepoint. A year later, he was convicted of kidnapping a pregnant woman and forcing her to perform oral sex at gunpoint. He served 13 years and was out on parole at the time of his Narragansett arrest.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:43 PM | Comment

Hatch's sentencing delayed until May 16

PROVIDENCE -- The sentencing for Survivor star Richard Hatch on his tax-evasion conviction has been delayed until Tuesday, May 16, it was announced today.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said the sentencing will now take place at 10 a.m. that day before U.S. District Chief Judge Ernest C. Torres, at the U.S. District Court building here.

Hatch, of Newport, had been scheduled for sentencing on April 25. He was being held in protective custody at a Plymouth, Mass., jail.

Hatch won $1 million in the debut season of the CBS reality TV series. He was found guilty in January of failing to pay taxes on his winnings and other income.

The charges carry a maximum of 13 years in prison. Torres has said he expected a sentence of between two years, nine months and three years, five months, but it could be longer because prosecutors accuse Hatch of lying during his testimony.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:31 PM | Comment

Route 95 crash jams traffic in Attleboro; one hurt

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- A 21-year-old North Attleboro man suffered serious injuries following a crash on Route 95 this afternoon that has clogged traffic in both the north and southbound lanes.

Massachusetts State Police would not release the man's name, pending the notification of family members. But spokeswoman Trooper Veronica Dalton said he is being treated at Rhode Island Hospital after being thrown from his Jeep Cherokee in a collision on 95 South at about 1:10 p.m.

The left lanes on both sides of the highway were closed for at least two hours, according to Dalton. The southbound lane was still being cleared at 3:45 p.m.

The Jeep was following a Volkswagen Jetta this afternoon when the driver of the Jetta braked suddenly to avoid debris in the road, Dalton said. The injured Jeep driver swerved to avoid the Jetta, but lost control and rolled his vehicle onto the median.

The driver of the Jetta, 24-year-old Kellie McKenna, of Salem, N.H., was not hurt.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:56 PM | Comment

Update: Pawtucket officer's bullet killed robbery suspect

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Pawtucket police Maj. John J. Whiting, center, gives details after a City Hall press conference this morning of the shooting by a Pawtucket officer.

PAWTUCKET -- A police spokesman confirmed this afternoon that a robbery suspect was killed by a policeman's bullet, not by the car accident that immediately followed the shooting.

John D. Martins, 47, of 33 Rodman St. in Providence, was shot to death yesterday by Pawtucket Patrolman Jeffrey S. Allen outside the Cumberland Farms on the corner of East and Pidge Avenues at about 10:20 a.m.

Martins had rammed Allen's patrol car, prompting the policeman to fire three shots before Martins briefly escaped the scene, crashing about a block away.

Pawtucket police Maj. John Whiting said that Martins was hit by at least one bullet, that entered the left middle part of his back, went through his left lung, heart and aorta before becoming lodged in his body.

The medical examiner determined that Martins lost about half the blood from his body as a result of the shooting, according to Whiting.

The state police is investigating the shooting and will turn over its results to the Attorney General's Office to determine whether the shooting was justified.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:43 PM | Comment

Sierra Club endorses Chafee

The Sierra Club announced today its endorsement of Lincoln Chafee in the battle for his U.S. Senate seat.

Chafee faces perhaps his toughest battle in the primary election against Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey. Top Democratic opponents in the general election include former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse and Secretary of State Matthew Brown.

The Sierra Club, a national environmental organization that lists more than 750,000 members, has decided to endorse Chafee for both the primary and general elections.

"We are confident that he will continue to protect Rhode Island’s and the nation’s environment in the Senate for many years to come," said Carl Pope, executive
director of the Sierra Club at a morning press conference in Warwick. "Senator Chafee is a key leader in our work towards a pro-environment majority in the Senate.”

Along with the endorsement, the Sierra Club plans to lend its volunteer strength to Chafee's campaign, according to a statement.

"We pledge to do all we can to help ensure Senator Chafee is re-elected," said Alison Buckser, chapter chair of the Rhode Island Sierra Club. "Sierra Club volunteers will work with the campaign to contact voters about his exemplary environmental record."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:11 PM | Comment

PawSox win, 6-0, in Durham

Jimmy Serrano pitched six strong innings and Jeff Bailey hit his fourth home run of the season, tying for the International League lead, as the Pawtucket Red Sox defeated the Durham Bulls, 6-0, today in North Carolina.

Serrano combined with relievers Manny Delcarmen and Mike Holtz on a five-hit shutout. Holtz struck out the side in order in the ninth.

Bailey's two-run home run off Durham starter Jamie Shields broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Bailey scored three runs in the game. Hee Seop Choi added a solo home run in the eighth inning.

The game had an unusual 11 a.m. start.

The win moved the PawSox' record to 7-7.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:03 PM | Comment

Protesters demand lead-paint removal

About 125 protesters chanted during a peaceful march outside the annual Sherwin Williams Co. stockholder meeting in Cleveland, demanding that the paint maker pay to remove lead paint from homes.

The sidewalk protest, organized by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or ACORN, included placards and the chant, "Pay up, clean up, get the lead out."

Police barred protesters from the office tower where the annual meeting was held.

In February, a Providence jury held Sherwin Williams and two other paint makers liable for problems caused by lead paint in Rhode Island. Sherwin Williams said lead paint, which can cause brain damage in children, was legal until it was banned in 1978 as unsafe.

The paint maker had no immediate comment on the protest and it wasn't clear if the chanting could be heard in the meeting. A message seeking comment was left at company offices.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:40 PM | Comment

Beacon board meeting again today on critical report

Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.’s board of directors is set to meet at 4 p.m. today with a representative from Giuliani Security & Safety, the firm whose report last week detailed “mismanagement and abuse of policyholder funds” dating back years, Beacon spokesman Bill Fischer said this morning.

This is the second time the board of the state’s dominant workers’ compensation insurer has met since the report was released last week by an independent committee headed by former Gov. Lincoln Almond.

On Friday, in the wake of demands by Governor Carcieri, the board suspended, with pay, the company’s chief executive officer, Joseph A. Solomon, and its vice president of underwriting, David Clark.

Fischer said today that the board has indicated those suspensions were “pending further review of the Almond Committee report.”

“It was their intention to conclude that review at this board meeting” today, Fischer said.

Fischer could not say how long today’s meeting might go, but the meeting on Friday lasted nearly nine hours.

The board will meet at company headquarters at One Beacon Centre in Warwick.

Read the report.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:27 PM | Comment

Real-estate license renewals go online

Real-estate agents and salespeople are going to be able to renew their licenses online, according to the state Department of Business Regulation.

The DBR plans to announce the changes to the renewal process at 10 a.m. today in their offices at 233 Richmond St. in Providence.

Members of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors and Governor Carcieri’s staff plan to be on hand to discuss the changes.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:38 AM | Comment

Highs around 71; fire watch in place

With highs around 71, it looks like it’s going to be a good day for a trip to the Roger Williams Park Zoo to check out that new zebra colt. Just one of many options on this school vacation day in Rhode Island.

On the cautionary side, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag fire weather watch from noon until evening today. That means critical fire weather conditions are possible. That warning could be upgraded this morning.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 18, 2006

Mass. wants more before backing Fall River LNG plan

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Massachusetts' Secretary of Environmental Affairs has ruled that Weaver's Cove Energy must provide new information before the state can endorse a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in the city.

Stephen R. Pritchard said Weaver's Cove "has not sufficiently addressed significant concerns about the impacts from dredging on water quality and marine fisheries habitat,'' or offered adequate ways to mitigate potential environmental damage.

The dredging is necessary to allow large tankers to come up the Taunton River to deliver the supercooled and superflammable fuel.

The Weaver's Cove project has sparked passionate opposition from just about everyone in the region, particularly along the route the tankers would have to travel to get to the storage tank just north of Route 195.

Fall River Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. said the demand for more information means other state agencies will not be able to grant permits for the project.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

"We felt that Weaver's Cove's final report was deficient in a number of areas and in the comments we submitted to the secretary we pointed out those deficiences,'' said Lambert. "The secretary agreed with our analysis and for that we are grateful.''

The 11-page decision notes that most opponents to the project are concerned about the safety and security of LNG. Pritchard says that "while I would prefer a stronger state jurisdictional role by which to address concerns regarding public safety and security,'' those issues are controlled by the federal government.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has endorsed the project.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:29 PM | Comment

Inmate dies at ACI; drug overdose suspected

CRANSTON -- A prison inmate is dead and another has been hospitalized after apparent drug overdoses.

The Corrections Department said today that John Lamantia died yesterday at a medium security facility at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He was 36 years old and serving a 15-month sentence for obtaining money under false pretenses.

A drug overdose is suspected as the cause of death, but the state medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause.

Another inmate, 28-year-old Richard Garneau, has been hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose.

Corrections officials and the Rhode Island State Police are investigating the death -- and trying to determine how the inmates obtained the drugs.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:56 PM | Comment

Brown president: Learning is key to empowerment

PROVIDENCE -- Brown University President Ruth Simmons today defined empowerment as the ``accumulation of self-confidence and fearlessness'' that flows naturally from learning. With it, people have created societies and solved the most intractable of problems.

But children today are not being given an equal chance to learn, an equal chance to know that sense of empowerment, Simmons said. In fact, the gap between those who learn and those who don't is widening along socioeconomic lines, she said, a reality that threatens everyone.

``My God, that was the reality I grew up in decades ago,'' Simmons said, speaking to about 300 people at the annual corporate luncheon of the Urban League of Rhode Island, ``and we're talking about it again.''

Simmons said it is commonly understood ``that empowered people will move ahead, will lead, will innovate, will help build and repair society. It is a commodity that everyone wants. Parents want it for their children.''

Read Simmons' entire speech.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:44 PM | Comment

Suspect dies in confrontation with Pawtucket officer / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
A Pawtucket police officer holds up a tarp to shield the scene as medical personnel prepare to remove the body of a robbery suspect from his crashed car this morning.

A man fleeing the scene of an apparent convenience store robbery died this morning after he was shot by a Pawtucket police officer and crashed his car.

Patrolman Jeff Allen used his cruiser to block the suspect's car from leaving the parking lot of the Cumberland Farms at the corner of East and Pidge avenues, near the Providence line, about 10:20 a.m.

The suspect then rammed the cruiser, according to police reports.

Shots were fired, according to the Pawtucket police, who would not say whether the suspect was armed.

The police would not release the man's identity.

Allen hit the suspect with at least one shot, according to Harvey E. Goulet Jr., director of administration for Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle, who was at the scene for much of the morning.

It is not yet known whether the crash or the shooting killed the man.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:07 PM | Comment

Bridge Blog: The reaction from a front-row seat

From projo.com's demolition correspondent Kate Bramson:

Esther Eberly of South Kingstown had a front row seat for the explosion today.

She recalled being afraid as a youngster while traveling over the bridge to visit relatives in Jamestown. Driving over the grates made a loud noise. "But we still stuck out heads out the window so you could see the water" under the bridge, she said.

She was among hundreds who showed up during public school vacation for the show.
Some were here with solid memories of the old bridge, some brought their children and their friend – many of them boys who wanted to see a good explosion. Others were URI students from out of state who had no childhood memories of this bridge, but wanted to join others for what would be a memorable day.

In the end, people seemed impressed.

"It was pretty cool, " Eberly said. "It Looked like, at night, a bridge lit up, and I was surprised how long it took for the sound to travel."

Maybe a couple of seconds, she and I agreed. What I do know is that the explosion rumbled in my chest, as drums do when you listen to a marching band. But what we didn't feel was any movement on the ground.

P.S. I can't leave Eberly behind without thanking her for faithfully watching my computer and a colleague's camera while we roamed the beach, talking to the crowd.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:01 PM | Comment

Photo: The blast from this projo.com's visitor's view

Projo.com visitor Filosofia Cheltenham of Providence was the first today to send in her photo of the demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge.

View more photos uploaded by our visitors, and add your own.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:29 PM | Comment

Photo: Zoo's new addition shows its stripes

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

The newest addition at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence was announced today: a male zebra colt, born April 7, and weighing 90 pounds. Here he romps with his mother, Samantha, at the Plains of Africa exhibit. The young zebra has yet to be named.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:28 PM | Comment

Special Mass today to honor Cardinal O'Malley

The Fall River Diocese will hold a special Mass of Thanksgiving later today to honor Sean P. O'Malley, the former local bishop who was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI in February to join the College of Cardinals.

"It should be a joyous event,“ current Bishop George W. Coleman said in a statement. "The celebration is planned...to offer thanksgiving and prayers in the context of a Mass as he begins this new ministry of service to Pope Benedict and the universal church.”

The Mass will be at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 3 p.m. Because of the cathedral's limited capacity, admission will be by ticket only.

A public reception is planned for Cardinal O'Malley after the Mass at White’s of Westport, beginning at 6 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:09 PM | Comment

Lynch seeks maximum penalty for band manager

PROVIDENCE -- Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch is recommending that the former Great White band manager be sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for setting off pyrotechnics that caused the catastrophic fire at The Station nightclub -- the maximum he can be ordered to serve based on a plea-agreement the defendant entered into with prosecutors two months ago.

In a memo submitted late yesterday to Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr., Lynch recommends that Daniel M. Biechele, who has pleaded guilty to 100 charges of involuntary manslaughter, be given a 15-year sentence with 10 years to serve, and that he be placed on five years' probation upon release from prison. Biechele is scheduled to be sentenced May 8.

Lynch, in a press statement released today, said that even though Biechele has accepted responsibility for his actions and has no prior criminal record, he should be ordered to serve the maximum sentence allowed in the plea agreement.

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

"I recognize that the court faces the difficult task of fashioning a sentence for a defendant who -- but for the unconscionably reckless and irresponsible act of igniting pyrotechnic explosives in a tiny, overcrowded nightclub --has no prior criminal history, has accepted criminal responsibility for his actions, and has cooperated with law enforcement, beginning almost immediately after the tragic fire began."

However, said Lynch, "It is the reckless and irresponsible nature of the defendant's conduct...that I believe should drive the court's ultimate sentencing decision. Mr. Biechele's actions contributed to the deaths of 100 unsuspecting and innocent people. He acted callously, carelessly, irresponsibly and criminally. The extent of harm that his conduct caused is incalculable and everlasting. Those left behind will never again experience the lives, laughter, wisdom and love of their loved ones. For these reasons, Mr. Biechele should serve the maximum prison term that could be fashioned in this case."

In his statement, Lynch said expressed sorrow for all of the victims' survivors but said "our resolve to see this case, and the cases of Mr. Biechele's co-defendants through to justice, remains deeper."

Biechele's co-defendants, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, the owners of The Station, have each pleaded not-guilty to 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter and are to be tried separately, beginning July 31.

The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the West Warwick club killed 100 people and injured about 200.

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:26 PM | Comment

Body removed from Pawtucket shopping center

PAWTUCKET -- Authorities were extracting a body from a crashed vehicle around noon today in a shopping center off East Avenue, near the Providence line.

The site was the scene of a shooting this morning.

Police have blocked the area from the Blackstone Boulevard to Pidge Avenue.

More to come on projo.com ...

-- With reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:16 PM | Comment

Police investigating shooting on East Side/Pawtucket line

PAWTUCKET -- Local police are investigating a shooting this morning on the edge of Providence's East Side.

Authorities are not immediately releasing any information, but they have blocked part of East Avenue from the base of Blackstone Boulevard to Pidge Street.

Several bullet casings were left in the parking lot of the Cumberland Farms on the corner of Pidge Street and East Avenue, and a car involved in the incident has crashed and is lying on its side in front of a nearby auto repair shop, Tomasso Auto, on East Avenue.

The police have not released any information about the driver of the car. One ambulance is on the scene.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:33 AM | Comment

Bridge Blog: Nobody blinked

From projo.com bridge demolition correspondent Kate Bramson:

If you blinked, you missed it.

And nobody wanted to miss it. They stood on the beach staring toward the doomed Jamestown bridge as the strong wind made their eyes water.

When it was over, there wasn't a lot of cheering. Just talk. Spectators quickly cleared the beach and headed to cars parked at the URI Bay Campus in Narragansett.

Then they waited again -- in traffic.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:23 AM | Comment

Bridge blog: Orange sparks, gray smoke -- and it's gone

From our projo.com demolition correspondent Kate Bramson, at the University of Rhode Island's Bay campus, as she watched the old Jamestown Bridge explode:

Orange sparks

Gray smoke

There goes the boom

And a real big rumble

It's like a big parade

Everybody's cheering and smiling

A light mist left behind

It's all gone

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:02 AM | Comment

Bridge Blog: Bridge blown up

The bridge has been blown up, and it's fallen into the Bay, leaving behind clouds of black smoke.

After a countdown, the deck was demolished, dropping into the water with a big splash.

It was over in seconds.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:59 AM | Comment

Bridge Blog: This crowd is ready for the show / Photo

Journal photo / Kris Craig
The crowd was gathering at the University of Rhode Island's Bay campus in Narragansett, one of the few public viewing locations to see the bridge come falling down.

From Journal demolition correspondent Kate Bramson:

As the sun beats down on the beach from clear blue skies, the crowd boos a little with word from DOT officials that the demolition time has been pushed back to 11 a.m.

They're ready for this explosion.

It's a mixed crowd here -- locals with strong memories of the bridge and young boys and URI students who want to see a great explosion.

Some young boys in jeans have wandered into the water and are now wet up to their knees.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:52 AM | Comment

Bridge Blog: Shivering, singing and waiting

From projo.com's demolition correspondent Kate Bramson:

On the small public beach at the end of South Ferry Road, hundreds of people are sitting on beach chairs, on blankets and braving the wind.

The wind is strong and loud -- so loud that the people here may not hear the explosion, according to DOT experts, said Dick Horn, the executive director of the URI Transportation Center.

At 10 a.m., Horn had just finished counting cars on campus. He said there were just under 300.

"Those cars," he said, "were just full of people."

"The age range was really impressive, from really young to quite old," he said.

The last Horn heard from DOT officials, the explosion is set for 10:45 a.m. -- as long as all goes as planned. The wind is heading in the right direction -- away from the new Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge,and south toward this beach, where people are shivering, talking and singing.

Sitting under a blanket, Tanner and Emily Buterbaugh are practicing their songs for the North Kingstown Recreation Department's upcoming Sound of Music perfromance.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:25 AM | Comment

Bridge Blog: 'I just want to see it blow up.'

From projo.com's demolition correspondent Kate Bramson:

As the projo.com correspondent dedicated to covering the demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge, I set out this morning to get a sense of who's interested in this bridge explosion.

Is it just native Rhode Islanders, or is it anyone interested in watching a good show?

I haven't really determined the answer to that yet, because the folks I've met are from around here -- Newport, Saunderstown, Aquidneck Island.

Linda Gatewood is here with her two sons and a couple of friends. They live just up the road from the URI Bay Campus in Saunderstown, but Linda grew up in Massachusetts.

They brought a couple of folding chairs, and they're ready for the show.

"You go through life trying to prevent things from blowing up," said this mom with her 5-year-old and 10-year-old sons in tow.

So today, she's excited to see this "controlled explosion" they've been hearing so much about.

The boys are ready, too.

"I just want to see it blow up," 10-year-old Drew told me.

And later, he was really interested about whether he would also show up on projo.com today.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:02 AM | Comment

Mass. residents must file taxes by midnight tonight

Massachusetts residents have until midnight tonight to file their tax returns, but the deadline has passed for Rhode Islanders.

Residents of most states had until yesterday to file, because April 15 fell on a Saturday, but Bay State residents were given even more time, because the Patriots' Day holiday was celebrated in Massachusetts yesterday.

For helpful information and links, check out projo.com/business/taxes.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:16 AM | Comment

Rain showers expected today

Rain could fall on spectators lining up today to watch the demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge.
The National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., calls for a chance of rain, mainly before noon today, with a high near 57 degrees. Wind will blow from the north at 14 to 18 mph, with gusts up to 32.

The bridge demolition is scheduled for between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation's Web site this morning does not indicate any change in that plan because of the forecast.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 17, 2006

Poetry slam tonight for prevention of sexual violence

PROVIDENCE -- The Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center will co-host a poetry slam tonight to improve awareness of sexual violence.

The resource center, which also changed its name today to Day One, will hold the event, "Activate the Activist: Poetry for Social Change," at the Providence Black Repertory Company on Westminster Street.

"Art, in its many forms, serves as a powerful vehicle to awaken the masses to the many social ills of our culture," said Lauren Bedard, slam coordinator and a Day One staff member, in a statement.

The AS220 National Youth Team will perform tonight, followed by Mahogany Browne, a nationally-acclaimed poet from New York. Admission is $5 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Day One.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:20 PM | Comment

Carcieri has 'explosive' role in Jamestown bridge demolition

The state's top elected official will play a prominent role in tomorrow's planned demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge. Or at least his finger will.

Governor Carcieri will push a button to mark the moment when demolition experts set off 350 explosive charges to destroy the steel truss at the center of the bridge between 11 a.m. and noon tomorrow, according to Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal.

Neal couldn't describe the actual device Carcieri will trigger, though he said it would be ceremonial. The actual demolition will be left to the experts, he said.

As of late this afternoon, a DOT spokeswoman said the bridge's demolition was on as planned, despite predictions for some wind and rain tomorrow morning.

The public can watch the bridge splash into the Bay's western passage in several ways: in person, broadcast on local TV, live Webcasts and DOT Webcams. Projo.com and Journal staff will also be on the scene, offering live, continuous reports online, in words, photos and video.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:34 PM | Comment

2 teens killed in Lincoln crash identified / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Josh Palardy of Lincoln tapes a note to the pole where his best friend, Steven Neary, died in the Easter morning crash.

LINCOLN -- Friends and family who gathered today at the scene of an accident that killed two teenagers early yesterday identified the boys as Ryan Archambault, 17, and Steven Neary, 15.

Both were students at the William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School in Lincoln, as was the 17-year-old driver, said friends and family of the teens who died.

Deputy Chief Brian W. Sullivan said this morning that he does not know yet whether criminal charges will be pressed against the driver of the car, whom the police said was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The Lincoln teens were coming home from a friend's 16th birthday party in a Cumberland restaurant after midnight when their car struck a utility pole in front of 125 Higginson Ave. in Lincoln, near the Rhode Island Rock Gym.

Lincoln police this afternoon still would not confirm the names of the victims or the name of the driver.

-- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:56 PM | Comment

Fogarty pushes officials to release tax returns

NORTH PROVIDENCE -- Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty is pushing for more disclosure from public officials -- and he’s starting with himself.

The Democratic candidate for governor voluntarily today released copies of his state and federal income tax returns, showing that he earned almost $72,000 last year and owed $9,859 in federal taxes and $2,731 in state taxes. He overpaid both taxes and was given $3,841 in refunds.

Fogarty said the move was part of a larger plan to strip away the "cloud of corruption" in this state and restore people’s confidence in government.

Republican Governor Carcieri refused to release his returns today, saying that he fills out all the financial disclosure forms required by law. "The governor does not believe that tax returns are necessary to judge the fitness of an elected official," said Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal.

Fogarty wants a more detailed disclosure form. His proposal includes brackets that would need to be checked off for each asset. Fogarty completed such a form and handed it out to the media today.

More to come tomorrow on projo.com and in The Providence Journal ...

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:36 PM | Comment

Baby zebra to debut tomorrow at Roger Williams zoo

PROVIDENCE -- Roger Williams Park Zoo has a new addition.

The zoo will unveil a newborn zebra colt in its official debut tomorrow.

Zoo officials say the colt, a Grant's zebra born April 7, is doing well. His mother, Samantha, is also doing well. The colt has yet to be named.

Grant's zebra can be found in the open grasslands and savannahs of East and Central Africa. At adulthood they can weigh between 500 to 600 pounds. Grant's zebras have smaller manes than other zebras and their stripes form a pattern like the fingerprint of man.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:33 PM | Comment

Hornoff to join in push tonight for compensation bill

PROVIDENCE -- State politicians and human rights activists will join Jeffrey Scott Hornoff at a press conference tonight to push legislation that would compensate people who, like Hornoff, were wrongly convicted and sent to prison.

Hornoff, a former police detective, was convicted of murder in 1996 and served more than six years at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston before the real killer came forward and exonerated him.

Senate Bill 2323, sponsored by state Sen. Charles Levesque, of Portsmouth, is entitled “An Act Relating To Criminal Procedure -- Establishing Compensation For Those Wrongfully Convicted."

This pending legislation coincides with the release of an award-winning documentary, After Innocence, which is currently playing at the Cable Car Cinema on North Main Street.

The press conference will be held at the Cable Car at 6:30 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:48 PM | Comment

R.I. Guardsmen achieve marathon mission / Photo

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl

Rhode Island National Guardsmen Michael Calcagni, right, and Ryan Hogan take on the final leg of Heartbreak Hill in Chestnut Hill as they marched in the Boston Marathon today. The two, toting military backpacks, did so for a scholarship fund in honor of fellow Guardsman, Staff Sgt. Christopher Potts, who was killed in Iraq.

The pair, who started out at 7 .m., finished in about 7 1/2 hours, including four stops to change their socks. While they're now walking around on the edges of their blistered feet, they said they saw a lot of supporters along the route and raised about $2,000 for the scholarship fund. They're tired, they said, but satisfied.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:30 PM | Comment

Providence police remember slain detective

PROVIDENCE -- Exactly one year after city Det. Sgt. James Allen was murdered inside police headquarters, his fellow police officers held two private vigils today in his memory.

At 8:30 this morning detectives briefly met to honor their co-worker, and from 12 to 4 p.m., the department hosted a private meeting in the second-floor atrium of the Providence Public Safety Complex.

Details about what was said and who attended the two informal memorials were not released.

Allen, 50, was shot to death in a third-floor conference room in the complex while questioning a suspect, Esteban Carpio. Carpio now faces trial for the murder of Allen. The start of that trial, which was scheduled to start next Monday, today was postponed until June 5.

The start of the trial was rescheduled at the request of both the prosecution and the defense, according to a Superior Court spokesman.

Carpio is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He has been charged with murder and using a firearm in a crime of violence.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:18 PM | Comment

Man admits to OxyContin scheme

PROVIDENCE -- A former Rhode Island man has admitted to forging prescriptions to obtain almost $9,000 of the powerful painkiller OxyContin from several Rhode Island pharmacies.

James Barsoum, 32, of Oakland, N.J., pleaded guilty today to health-care fraud and acquiring a controlled substance through forgery in U.S. District Court, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Barsoum admitted forging prescriptions in the names of friends and relatives and then having the prescriptions filled at Rhode Island pharmacies. He obtained prescriptions from his doctor and then altered and copied them to get the drugs.

Using the insurance information of the people whose names he used, Barsoum had Blue Cross Blue Shield billed for payment. He admitted causing $8,940 in fraudulent claims against the insurance company.

Barsoum faces up to 14 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. He is free on unsecured bond pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:03 PM | Comment

Airport bus driver killed in crash was W. Warwick man, 79

The shuttle bus driver who died in a crash at T.F. Green Airport on Saturday night has been identified as Bernard O. McNeil, 79, of East Greenwich Avenue in West Warwick.

McNeil had worked for at least 10 years for Professional Security Services, which is contracted to run the parking lots at the airport, according to the acting chief of the state airport's police, Lt. Kevin P. Hopkins of the state police.

Hopkins said that the state medical examiner’s office has not determined an exact cause of death, but officials believe that McNeil suffered from “some kind of medical event,” such as a heart attack, that caused him to lose control of the shuttle bus.

McNeil then hit a utility pole and a concrete column. An investigation continues, Hopkins said, into whether there was a mechanical problem with the shuttle bus.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:00 PM | Comment

Great White tour manager delivers remorseful letters

The tour manager for the rock band Great White has composed 100 hand-written letters to the families of the men and women killed during the 2003 Station nighclub fire.

Daniel M. Biechele has delivered the letters to Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr., who will determine Biechele's sentence at a hearing scheduled for the week of May 8.

Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of manslaughter in February. Under the plea agreement he will be sentenced to serve up to 10 years in prison, though Darigan could impose a shorter term

"Biechele's letters are personalized to each family and they express his remorse for his role in the tragedy," reads a statement released by the Rhode Island Judiciary earlier this afternoon.

The letters won't be released to the family members until after the sentencing, according to the court. Station victims are invited to speak at the hearing, and the court released a set of guidelines today that prohibit victims from addressing Biechele directly and from holding pictures or signs at the hearing.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:35 PM | Comment

Sox win, 7-6, on a 9th-inning home run

The Boston Red Sox won their Patriot's Day game dramatically this afternoon with a two-out, ninth-inning home run by second baseman Mark Loretta.

Loretta's two-run home run came after infielder Kevin Youkilis beat out a single to keep the inning alive.

Reliever Mike Timlin got the win in the 7-6 victory.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:25 PM | Comment

Kenyans take 2 top spots in Boston Marathon

BOSTON -- Kenya's Robert Cheruiyot has won the men's race in the 110th running of the Boston Marathon in an unofficial course record, while his fellow Kenyan, Rita Jeptoo, won the women's race.

The title is no stranger to Cheruiyot, who won the race in 2003. Jeptoo pulled away with about 2 miles left to become the sixth Kenyan woman to win the 26-mile race in seven years.

Get the latest results at: http://www.bostonmarathon.org

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:22 PM | Comment

R.I. Guardsmen take on marathon's Heartbreak Hill

Two Rhode Island National Guard members marching the Boston Marathon course to raise scholarship money in honor of a fallen comrade looked strong as they reached Heartbreak Hill around noon today.

Michael Calcagni and Ryan Hogan told a Journal photographer they felt good on the hill, which is about 21 miles into the course and considered one of the toughest spots.

Carrying 25-pound rucksacks, they are marching the 26-mile course to honor National Guard Sgt. Christopher Potts, of Tiverton, who was killed in Iraq in October 2004.

The two are not part of the official field of athletes running in the event. But you can track those who are, via the marathon's Web site.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gretchen Ertl.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:51 PM | Comment

Lincoln man held after weekend fatal on Rt. 95

PROVIDENCE -- A 19-year-old Lincoln man was ordered held on $500 cash bail during his arraignment today on a charge that he left the scene of a fatal accident on Route 95 in Pawtucket Saturday.

Eliezer Benitez, of 127 Chestnut St., Lincoln, did not enter a plea in District Court since the charge is a felony and Superior Court has jurisdiction.

Robert W. Strang, 64, of North Attleboro, died in the crash shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday.

The police initially characterized the accident as an incident of road rage, but Rhode Island State Police Cpl. Kathleen Flynn said in court she did not believe road rage was a factor.

After the collision, Strang weaved across several lanes, striking a barrier in the right breakdown lane and then hitting a barrier in the high-speed lane, witnesses told the police.

Witnesses told the police that the driver of the other car continued south before pulling over, retrieving his bumper and driving away. Witnesses were able to get a description and a partial license plate.

Benitez turned himself in at the Pawtucket Police Department after the police contacted his mother.

-- Providence Journal staff writer John Castellucci.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:46 PM | Comment

Photo: Fishing for a tax break

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

To celebrate the end of tax season, Tarra Curran hooks the last "fishing license" on the sign she created and put up today at Tofias PC. The accounting crew at Tofias, 10 Dorrance St., Providence, marks the end of tax season each year with a creative sign. Rhode Islanders face a midnight deadline today for filing their tax returns.

For last-minute tax tips, forms and online-filing information, check projo.com's Tax Time resource ...

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:48 AM | Comment

Lincoln police probing crash that killed 2 teens

LINCOLN -- A police reconstruction team is piecing together the cause of a weekend accident that killed two local teenagers.

Police have not released the names of the three teenagers involved in the car crash early yesterday.

Deputy Chief Brian W. Sullivan said this morning that he does not know yet whether criminal charges will be pressed against the driver of the car, a teenager whom the police said was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Sullivan wants to consult with the attorney general’s office, he said. Before he releases the names of the teens, he wants to check with their families about doing so, he said. At least one of the teens was a student at William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School in Lincoln, Sullivan said.

The accident occurred at 12:12 a.m. in front of 125 Higginson Ave. when the car hit a utility pole.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:57 AM | Comment

Gasoline prices jump another 9 cents

PROVIDENCE -- Gasoline prices in Rhode Island increased an average of nine cents per gallon over the past week, 29 cents over just the last three weeks, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.75 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

The price is higher than at any other time except for the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last summer, AAA says.

AAA says several factors are contributing to higher prices. They are high crude oil prices, rising demand for gasoline, and falling inventories of gasoline as refineries make the seasonal switch to cleaner-burning fuels.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:15 AM | Comment

Carpio trial rescheduled for June

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Superior Court has postponed the trial of the man accused of killing a Providence police detective a year ago today at police headquarters.

The start of the trial for Esteban Carpio has been rescheduled from next Monday to June 5 at the request of both the prosecution and the defense, according to a court spokesman.

Det. Sgt. James Allen, 50, was shot to death April 17 of last year in a conference room while questioning Carpio about the stabbing and attempted robbery of an elderly woman. The police say that Carpio jumped Allen and took away his gun when Allen was left alone in the room with him.

Carpio is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He has been charged with murder and using a firearm in a crime of violence.

The Providence Police Department plans to mark Allen's death in private at police headquarters today.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:30 AM | Comment

Driver in fatal Swansea crash in fair condition

A Somerset man has been upgraded from serious to fair condition at Rhode Island Hospital after a fatal one-car accident early yesterday morning in Swansea, a hospital spokeswoman said this morning.

James Mello, 32, was driving a GMC sport utility vehicle east on Route 195 at about 2:20 a.m. when the vehicle began swerving, turned left into the median and rolled over into the wooded median, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

Mello's passenger, a 24-year-old Acushnet woman, Angela Cores, was thrown from the vehicle, according to the state police. She died at 3:05 a.m. Sunday at Rhode Island Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said.

Mello had been trapped in the vehicle and needed to be extricated by emergency responders, according to the police.

The state police planned to discuss the results of their investigation tomorrow with the district attorney’s office, Trooper Veronica Dalton said this morning.

Dalton said “driver error” appeared to be the cause of the accident.

The accident occurred west of Exit 3 in Swansea and caused the police to close the left lane of Route 195 East from the time of the accident until about 5:50 a.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:12 AM | Comment

Sen. Reed visits New Orleans

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, plans to get a firsthand look today at the damage in New Orleans and other Louisiana neighborhoods.

He’s visiting the Gulf Coast to learn more about recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina and to learn more about hurricane-protection efforts and flood-control systems.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:31 AM | Comment

Rhode Islanders must file taxes by midnight today

Today, at midnight, is the deadline for Rhode Island taxpayers to file their state and federal returns.

Massachusetts residents get one more day for Patriots’ Day. Rhode Island taxpayers used to get in on that deal when they mailed their returns to Andover. But no more. Returns now go to Georgia.

But don’t panic. You can call the IRS customer-service line from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. today at 800-829-1040. And you can always file for an automatic – no explanation required – six-month extension. You will need to file an IRS Form 4868. The form is available at IRS.gov and it can be filed on the Internet.

Taxpayers who file for an extension are still responsible for any taxes, penalties and interest owed.

For more help, the Providence IRS office, at 380 Westminster St., will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today. And the Warwick IRS office, at 60 Quaker Lane, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today. It'll be closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

For helpful information and links, see projo.com's taxes page.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:30 AM | Comment

N. Kingstown peninsula to be dedicated as preserve

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- A 230-acre peninsula in North Kingstown is scheduled to be dedicated as a nature preserve today in memory of the late Senator John Chafee.

Days before his death in 1999, Chafee wrote the former Narragansett Electric Company and asked it to preserve the land overlooking Narragansett Bay.

The company, now a part of National Grid, donated the land to the state in 2001.

Its dedication was delayed while the state and town negotiated hunting rights on the land. The state, which had leased part of the property to waterfowl hunters, eventually agreed to ban hunting and guns on the land.

After today's dedication, the area will be known as the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve at Rome Point.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:09 AM | Comment

A beautiful day for a 26-mile run

Conditions will be close to idea for those running from Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston for the Boston Marathon, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass.

The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high near 54 degrees today in Boston and a slight chance of showers.

In Providence, the weather will be similar -- mostly cloudy with a high near 57 degrees.

Check back with projo.com for updated forecasts.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:54 AM | Comment

April 14, 2006

2 top Beacon officials suspended with pay

WARWICK -- Two top officials at Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. have been suspended with pay, according to an announcement this evening that followed a nine-hour, closed-door meeting of the company's board of directors.

The two officials are Beacon President and CEO Joseph Solomon and Vice President of Underwriting David Clark. They have been suspended pending further review of a recently-released report highly critical of the workers' compensation insurer's management.

Clifford Parent, vice president of claims, has been named acting CEO.

The suspensions were announced by two board members outside their headquarters here shortly before 7 p.m. The board will meet again next Wednesday at 4 p.m. to continue its review.

More to come on projo.com and in tomorrow's Journal ...

-- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:50 PM | Comment

Police release sketch of jewelry-heist suspect

COVENTRY -- The police have released a sketch of the man suspected of robbing a Stamford, Conn. jewelry dealer of $350,000 in cash and jewels in the parking lot of a Home Depot on April 4.

The rendition, by a West Warwick police detective, is based on descriptions given by the jewelry dealer and two witnesses to the robbery, said police Lt. Thomas E. Beaulieu.

The robber’s most distinctive feature was an unusual wool cap he wore – dark green, with pink stripes, Beaulieu said. He is described as being in his 30s, with olive skin, standing about 5-feet-9 to 5-feet-11 inches and weighing about 170 pounds.

The Coventry police can be reached at 826-1100.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

A joint investigation with the FBI, and contacts with the police in Stamford and in New York City’s Diamond District, have failed to produce a suspect so far.

The jeweler, whose name has not been released, was headed to Boston on business when he stopped at the Home Depot at 700 Centre of New England Boulevard, just off Route 95.

He had bought light-switch plates from the store on a previous trip, and returned to buy more of the same kind, Beaulieu said. He then ate lunch at a nearby Applebee’s restaurant.

Returning to his car, a man he did not recognize pointed a handgun at him and ordered him into the back seat of his car, where the man bound his hands with plastic strips and duct-taped his mouth, Beaulieu said.

The robber took a bag containing the cash and jewels, as well as the dealer’s wallet, Beaulieu said.

The jewels were not insured, and the dealer was selling some of them on behalf of other people, Beaulieu said.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:37 PM | Comment

Mass. couple accused in insurance scam

BOSTON -- A Massachusetts man and his wife face charges in a bizarre glass-eating insurance scheme.

Ronald Evano was arrested yesterday in Maryland, while his wife, Mary Evano, remains at large.

Authorities allege the two filed fraudulent insurance claims that they found glass in their food at restaurants, hotels and grocery stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

In some cases, police say the Evanos actually ate glass, but did so intentionally to support their insurance claims.

An indictment claims that between 1997 and 2005, the Evanos filed 12 fraudulent insurance claims worth more than $200,000 and left a trail of unpaid medical bills worth more than $100,000.

Authorities also claim the couple used fake Social Security numbers at least seven times.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:32 PM | Comment

Updated: Providence police car hits boy, 7 / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Neighbors and police gather on Sherwood Street, off Douglas Avenue, after a child who ran out into the street was hit by a police cruiser.

PROVIDENCE – A police cruiser struck a 7-year-old boy this afternoon as he darted out into Sherwood Street from behind a pickup truck, police said.

The boy was not seriously hurt, according to police, although he was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital.

Relatives identified the boy as Louis Ayala, of Sherwood Street. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed late this afternoon that Ayala was being treated at Hasbro, but she could not provide details about his status.

Maj. Paul Fitzgerald said that the boy had been playing a game called "manhunt," similar to hide and seek, when the accident occurred.

The police officer, who was not identified, was driving north on Sherwood in the city's Wanskuck section. Fitzgerald said he did not have a chance to stop.

The boy was taken to the hospital with his mother. Fitzgerald said, "It looks like he's going to be all right."

"It looks like we were lucky, the boy was lucky, everybody was lucky," he added.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Greg Smith

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:52 PM | Comment

Beacon board to hold press conference at 6 p.m.

WARWICK -- Leaders of the embattled Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. will hold a press conference today at 6 p.m.

Beacon's board has been meeting behind closed doors since around 9 a.m. at the company's headquarters here. The board has been discussing a recently-released report, commissioned by the board, that sharply criticized the company's business practices.

Beacon, created by the General Assembly, is responsible for providing workers' compensation insurance at the lowest cost possible.

Governor Carcieri yesterday called for a "complete overhaul" of the company's management and board.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:33 PM | Comment

Photo: Following the steps of the father

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Christopher O'Neill, Pawtucket, and his 1-year-old son, Luke, practice the art of Falun Dafa, designed to improve mind and body through meditation and exercise, at Lippett Memorial Park, at the corner of Hope Street and Blackstone Boulevard in Providence, today.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:50 PM | Comment

Seriously hurt motorcyclist ID'd as Providence man

WEST WARWICK -- The police today identified a Providence man critically injured in a motorcycle accident yesterday as Ray Everson, 36.

Everson lost control of his motorcycle shortly before 4 p.m. on Tiogue Avenue, near the Coventry town line, and sustained a serious head injury, the police said. He was not wearing a helmet and was driving without a license, the police said.

Rhode Island Hospital listed him in serious condition at 1:45 p.m. today.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary R. Mider

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:16 PM | Comment

E. Providence businessman pleads guilty to perjury

PROVIDENCE -- An East Providence businessman faces up to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to perjury today in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Douglas W. Cox, 44, admitted that he testified falsely during a bankruptcy deposition about the ownership of five vending machines, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Cox, who had a limousine business in East Providence and filed for bankruptcy in 2003, admitted today that he purchased the machines in January 2003 and still owned them when the deposition was taken in March 2004.

Cox, who pleaded guilty to one count of perjury, is free on bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 22. In addition to a potential prison sentence, he faces a possible fine of up to $250,000.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:13 PM | Comment

2 marching in marathon to honor fallen R.I. Guardsman

Two Rhode Island National Guard officers will be marching in the Boston Marathon Monday with 25-pound military packs, or “rucks,” on their backs.

2nd Lt. Ryan Hogan, of Cumberland, and 2nd Lt. Michael Calcagni, of Providence, are marching in support of families who have lost loved ones in the Iraq war and to raise money for the Staff Sgt. Christopher Potts Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund provides educational scholarships to children of R.I. Guard members.

Potts, 38, was killed in action in Iraq on Oct. 3, 2004, while serving with the National Guard unit that Hogan and Calcagni are now in, according to Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Michael McNamara. They joined the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery around the time Potts was killed, but they did not serve with him, McNamara said.

“Rucks," or rucksacks, are used by soldiers to carry their supplies and personal gear. Calcagni and Hogan’s rucks will weigh about 25 pounds on Monday for the 110th running of the 26-mile race in Boston.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:17 PM | Comment

Julia Pell, gay rights activist, senator's daughter, dies

NEWPORT -- Julia Pell, who put a human face on the battle for gay rights at the State House in the 1990s and was the youngest daughter of former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, has died after a long battle against lung cancer.

Ms. Pell, 52, died last night at Newport Hospital, according to her mother, Nuala Pell.

Known universally as "Julie," Ms. Pell was a lobbyist for gay rights legislation and brought focus to a movement that for years had generated more enthusiasm than State House success.

She became president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights and worked diligently on behalf of the state law that bans discrimination against gays in housing, employment, public accommodations and the granting of credit.

Survivors include her mother and father, who live in Newport.

Online guestbook: Post condolences, share memories of Julia Pell.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:30 PM | Comment

Starting off Easter with sunrise services

A popular way to mark the Easter holiday is to attend a sunrise service.

Many of them are being held around Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Check a list of services compiled by The Providence Journal for details.

Wondering what to wear, besides an Easter bonnet? The forecast for Sunday is now calling for mostly sunny skies in the morning, becoming partly cloudy, with highs in the 60s.

Get the latest weather here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:04 PM | Comment

Demolition of old Jamestown bridge on schedule

Demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge is on schedule for Tuesday, between 11 a.m. and noon, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

If anything changes over the weekend, the department expects to notify the public as soon as possible, Charles St. Martin said today.

The demolition had been set for this past Tuesday, but that was put on hold because wind conditions made it unsafe for workers on the bridge, St. Martin said.

A controlled detonation of 350 explosive charges will send the towering center span of the bridge clattering into the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, just a short distance away from the new bridge.

Parking in the area is expected to be limited, so get there early if you're planning to watch the demolition.

More to come about how to watch the demolition in The Journal and on projo.com ...

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:16 PM | Comment

Updated: Beacon board still mulling critical report

WARWICK -- Shortly before noon today, the board of Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. was still discussing an audit that criticized the company's business practices and prompted the governor to call for a "complete overhaul" of the company's management and board.

Board members began the meeting shortly after 9 a.m. at the company's headquarters here. Member Brendan Doherty said, "We'll be here all day."

Reporters do not have access to the meeting and are waiting outside, hoping for a statement from the board.

-- Journal staff reporter Lynn Arditi

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:00 PM | Comment

Amtrak service to Fla. back on track

All Amtrak service between the Northeast and Florida has been restored, spokesman Clifford Black said this morning.

The northbound Silver Meteor departed Miami at 6:50 a.m., and the southbound New York-Miami Silver Star is due to leave at 11 a.m., Black said.

The bridge in North Carolina that was taken out of service yesterday has re-opened after repairs by the freight railroad company that owns those tracks, CSX. More work on the bridge is needed, Black said, but trains are moving over it with a speed restriction in place.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:54 AM | Comment

Good Friday walk for hunger

There’s still time to participate in the Good Friday Walk for Hunger and Homelessness in Providence, an ecumencial tradition for local churches working to address critical needs with financial support.

Registration for the 28th annual walk begins at 8 a.m. at several churches in Providence, East Providence, Pawtucket or Coventry. The 10-kilometer walks (or 10-mile walk from Coventry) begin after a brief blessing at 9 a.m. They end with a special program at the State House.

A few locations where you can start the walk:

St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 239 Oxford St. in Providence;

St. Theresa’s Church, 18 Pope St., in Providence;

Smithfield Avenue Congregational Church, 514 Smithfield Ave. in Pawtucket; and

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 50 Orchard Ave. in Providence.

Organizers are pushing to raise $100,000 for food and shelter services. Last year’s walk raised $39,000 in donations to support local, national and international programs that serve people in need.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:46 AM | Comment

Some rain today; sunny Easter Sunday expected

If you’re up early in Providence, you’ll need a few extra minutes to run your car’s dehumidifier to clear the windows.

And don’t forget to throw an umbrella in the car. There’s a chance of rain today, mostly after 3 p.m. Highs should be around 65, according to the National Weather Service.

Easter Sunday looks like a real beauty, with sunny skies and highs around 63. A good day for an Easter egg hunt.

Check our site throughout the day for weather updates.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 13, 2006

Amtrak to restore East Coast service tomorrow

All Amtrak service between the Northeast and Florida will be restored tomorrow, the railroad said late this afternoon.

A bridge owned by CSX Transportation, 10 miles north of Selma, N.C., has been repaired, allowing the railroad to reopen to passenger trains tomorrow.

A routine inspection of the bridge by CSX had led to its closure yesterday to make needed repairs. Amtrak had canceled all service south of Richmond, Va., because of the bridge closure.

Amtrak said it regrets the service disruption and that it worked closely with CSX Transportation to restore service in time for the Easter holiday weekend.

Check current Amtrak schedules ...

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:48 PM | Comment

Hope High students to help build Habitat house in Fla.

PROVIDENCE -- Five Hope High School students will travel to Lee, Fla., this Sunday to build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

The teens are members of the Leadership Academy at Hope, and their English teacher, Michaela Keegan, said she believes that the best way to teach teenagers how to become leaders is to get them out of the classroom.

Several of the students, all seniors, said they were on the verge of dropping out before this year, when the large urban high school broke into three smaller learning academies, hired new teachers and brought in a new team of principals.

"Last year, I cut school every day,'' said German Mendez, 18. "No one wanted to help. This year, they do. It changed my mentality. I know that I'm somebody now.''

Keegan hopes to expand the community service component next year by getting students involved in their own neighborhoods, where they can see what their efforts can accomplish.

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:36 PM | Comment

Photo: High fives for PawSox

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
The Pawtucket Red Sox' Ron Calloway gets high fives all around as he returns to the dugout after a home run this afternoon. The PawSox shut out the Rochester Red Wings, 5-0, at the McCoy Stadium outing.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:36 PM | Comment

Photo: Steel wall picks up slack at this dam

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

State and local officials traveled to the Slack Reservoir Dam in Greenville this morning to mark repair work at the structure. During a press conference, the final steel sheet was driven into place to complete a retaining wall designed to reduce water seepage.

Repairs had been delayed for a decade as homeowners who own the dam struggled to raise the money to fix it.

The Slack Reservoir Dam was one of five high-hazard dams that state officials declared unsafe. Dams are classified as high hazard if their failure could result in the loss of life or a significant amount of property.

Because much of the repairs are complete, the Department of Environmental Management is removing the Slack Reservoir Dam from its unsafe list.

The dam separates the towns of Johnston and Smithfield.

-- With Associated Press reports

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:28 PM | Comment

Weather alert: Thunderstorms moving in, hail possible

The National Weather Service's Doppler radar is now indicating thunderstorms in northern Rhode Island with the potential to produce small hail.

Just before 5 p.m., the storms were along a line from North Providence Coventry, moving east at 30 mph. The thunderstorms will be near Pawtucket, Providence and East Providence around 5 p.m.; Warwick, East Greenwich, Barrington and Rehoboth, Mass., around 5: 10 p.m., and Warren and Dighton, Mass., around 5:20 p.m.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:01 PM | Comment

Carcieri demands Beacon fire its president

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today demanded that the Board of Directors of Beacon Mutual Insurance fire its president and chief executive officer, Joseph A. Solomon.

The governor's call comes one day after a review found instances of "abuse, misjudgment and seriously flawed operating systems" within the company created by the state legislature in the early 1990s to provide insurance at the "lowest possible price" to the state's businesses for the care of sick or injured workers.

Carcieri also called for the termination of Beacon's vice president for underwriting, David Clark, and said that board members who have presided over the alleged mismanagement since 1994 should resign.

"Whether or not these directors were aware of the abuse and mismanagement detailed in the Almond Ad Hoc Committee report is irrelevant. As directors for over a decade, they were either complicit in the abuse or they were incompetent in not stopping it," the governor charged in a letter to the board released today.

The governor also said that any board members "who are personally implicated or who represent policy holders implicated in any of the abuse" detailed in the report must resign.

Carcieri says he plans to name new gubernatorial board members.

The report, commissioned by Beacon's board of directors in February and released yesterday, paints a damning portrait of Rhode Island's dominant workers' compensation insurer.

It also comes at a time when Carcieri and Beacon's political operatives are battling over Beacon-backed legislation that would reduce the governor's authority to appoint board members.

The Beacon board is scheduled to meet tomorrow morning.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:20 PM | Comment

Mobster St. Laurent indicted on extortion charges

PROVIDENCE -- Mobster Anthony "The Saint'' St. Laurent Sr. has been indicted on felony charges that he conspired to extort payments from two men.

St. Laurent, 64, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this afternoon in U.S. District Court, Providence, and was ordered held without bail by U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Martin.

"The indictment alleges that, in March and April, St. Laurent and others conspired to use extortionate means to collect extensions of credit from two men and to punish them for the non-repayment of those extensions of credit," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a press release.

The names of the two men have not been released.

St. Laurent, a made member of the Patriarca crime family, was arrested about 7 a.m. today by FBI agents and state police detectives at his home at 2 Rotary Drive, in Johnston.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

The authorities are familiar with the ranch house St. Laurent shares with his wife, Dorothy. It has been the site of arrests, searches and surveillance over the past 30 years. St. Laurent was recently released from a federal prison in Massachusetts.

His lawyer asked Martin to put St. Laurent on home confinement pending trial because of a medical condition.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:18 PM | Comment

Car collides with police cruiser in E. Greenwich

EAST GREENWICH -- The police today released the details of an overnight crash in which a local man collided with a police cruiser.

Joseph J. Kubiskey, 52, of 186 Marlborough St., was arrested late last night immediately after the accident. After a field sobriety test, he was charged with one count of driving under the influence and one count of refusal to submit to a chemical test.

According to local police, Kubiskey was driving his Nissan Pathfinder south on Route 1 when he made a U-turn into the northbound lane. He struck an East Greenwich police cruiser head on, then bounced off a curb and hit another car in the southbound lane.

None of the drivers required medical attention, according to the police.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:08 PM | Comment

Police sweep nets 7 on gambling, drug charges

Seven Rhode Island men have been arrested on illegal gambling and drug-related charges after a two-month investigation led to police interception in a 30-day period of more than $400,000 in illegal gambling wagers on the NCAA basketball tournament, NBA basketball, horse racing and Major League baseball, the state police announced today.

Fanning out across the state to make the arrests yesterday afternoon were state, Providence and Pawtucket police and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The arrests were the result of a court-authorized wire interception investigation by members of the State Police Intelligence Unit, the state Attorney General’s Office, Providence and Pawtucket police and the FBI.

Police will hold a news conference about the arrests at state police headquarters today at 3:30 p.m.

Police executed five court-authorized search warrants relating to the investigation and seized U.S. currency, heroin, marijuana, a computer, assorted gambling ledgers and three vehicles, according to State Police Maj. Steven G. O’Donnell.

The following men were arrested and have been arraigned at state police headquarters by Justice of the Peace Richard Finnegan:

Louis Melucci, 60, of 23 Greene St., Pawtucket, is charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), organized criminal gambling, bookmaking, possession of heroin and conspiracy to commit organized criminal gambling.

Kirk D. Andrews, 61, of 49 Blueridge Drive, West Greenwich, is charged with RICO, organized criminal gambling, bookmaking and conspiracy to commit organized criminal gambling.

Jeffrey Hannon, 57, of 39 Greene St., Pawtucket, is charged with possession of heroin.

Charles Lillibridge, 60, of 300 Lambert Lind Highway, Warwick, is charged with RICO, organized criminal gambling, bookmaking, conspiracy to conduct organized criminal gambling and possession of marijuana.

John P. Kelly, 46, of 111 Pond Street (#1), Pawtucket, is charged with RICO, organized criminal gambling, bookmaking and conspiracy to conduct organized criminal gambling.

Antonio Pereira, 38, of 412 Smithfield Ave. (Apt. #2), Pawtucket, is charged with RICO, organized criminal gambling, bookmaking and conspiracy to commit organized criminal gambling.

Leonard E. Palizza, 27, of 277 Locust Glen Drive, Cranston, is charged with RICO, organized criminal gambling and bookmaking.

All were released on $20,000 personal recognizance except for Melucci, who was ordered held without bail due to a bail violation, according to state police.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:23 PM | Comment

Police probe death of J&W student at Vt. college

POULTNEY, Vt. -- Vermont State Police are trying to determine the cause of death of a Johnson & Wales University freshman who died while visiting Green Mountain College.

Andrew Finiella of Cross River, N.Y., was found unconscious in a dormitory by a friend last Friday. Paramedics were unable to save him.

Finiella apparently had been drinking, but police are not sure if alcohol consumption led to his death.

Finiella was pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration at Johnson & Wales, public relations director Miriam Weinstein said this morning.

-- The Associated Press and staff reports

Johnson & Wales has provided counseling for students, faculty and anyone affected by Finiella’s death, Weinstein said. She said privacy regulations prevented her from saying more about the student.

“The university is deeply sorry about this loss, and we’ve reached out to the family,” Weinstein said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:50 PM | Comment

Apartment fire displaces 8 in Providence / Updated

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Providence firefighters chop a hole in the roof of a three-story apartment building at 154 Delaine St., near Manton Avenue in Olneyville, to let out smoke and heat so that firefighters inside could put water on the fire.

PROVIDENCE -- A fire this morning at an apartment building in Olneyville left six adults and two children homeless, prompting a call to the Red Cross for assistance, Asst. Fire Chief Mark S. Pare said.

Damage was confined to the rear of the building at 154 Delaine St., but all three apartments sustained smoke and water damage, Pare said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within about a half hour.

Firefighters responding to the blaze were delayed briefly when the hydrant at Appleton and Delaine didn’t work, Pare said. They had to use the next closest hydrant, at Manton and Delaine.

With more than 3,000 hydrants in the city, the department is in the midst of its annual April check of how the hydrants have fared through the winter, Pare said.

In the case of a broken hydrant, such as today’s, the department alerts the Providence Water Supply Board, Pare said. It will likely be fixed within 24 hours, he said.

The blaze was reported shortly after 9 a.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:38 AM | Comment

No Amtrak service to Florida

If you were heading south today on Amtrak for the Easter weekend or school vacation week, think again.

Amtrak has canceled all service south of Richmond, Va., because a North Carolina bridge has been closed until at least tomorrow, spokesman Clifford Black said. Ten trains are canceled – five northbound and five southbound.

People traveling from New England can still get as far as Richmond, Va., but that’s it for now, Black said. Anyone trying to book travel online to Florida or other points south of Richmond would be told that no seats are available, Black said.

Amtrak does not own the tracks that run over the closed bridge, which is in Kenly, N.C., Black said. A freight railroad company that owns those tracks, CSX, closed the bridge yesterday afternoon when a routine inspection revealed damage deemed bad enough to stop all train service over the bridge, Black said.

“CSX has told us that it will be at least Friday … ” Black said, before the bridge reopens. “We regret the inconvenience to our passengers and hope to get service back.”

Black described Amtrak as a “tenant” on those tracks, stressing that the company does not own the tracks that have been closed.

Passengers can return previously purchased tickets for a refund or use them for a later travel date, Black said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:40 AM | Comment

Carcieri to review improvements to Johnston dam

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri and other Rhode Island officials this morning plan to review improvements at a weakening dam in Johnston that authorities are trying to fix.

Carcieri and other state officials have emphasized dam safety since heavy rain this fall sent rivers and streams over their banks and raised questions about whether some dams in the region would break.

At the State House, a bill requiring dam owners to pay for emergency repairs and planning is one step closer to becoming law.

The Senate's Environment and Agriculture Committee has voted to send the legislation to their Senate colleagues for a full vote.

If adopted, the bill would allow state authorities to make emergency repairs to dams at risk of failing -- and later bill the property owners for the work. The legislation would also require some dam owners to file emergency plans with the state.

Governor Carcieri proposed the rules after a dam in Taunton, Mass., buckled this fall and threatened to break.

-- The Associated Press and staff reports

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:24 AM | Comment

Showers and potential hail today

Don’t forget your umbrella today. There’s a 40 percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms possible after 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Some of today’s storms could produce gusty winds and small hail this afternoon.

Highs today should be in the upper 60s. Tonight, expect it to be mostly cloudy with temps in the upper 40s.

Check projo.com for weather forecasts throughout the day.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 12, 2006

Passover begins tonight

When the sun sets tonight at 7:23, a Jewish holiday begins.

Passover begins at sundown tonight and lasts eight days. Jews mark the holiday by gathering to remember their exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery.

Jewish families typically attend a seder, or special dinner, tonight in which the customary entree is matzo, a flat bread similar to the food Israelites ate after fleeing Egypt - they were in such a hurry they couldn't wait for the bread to rise.

Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month Nissan, and falls in early spring each year.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:38 PM | Comment

LNG bill passes House committee

PROVIDENCE -- The House Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill today aimed at blocking tankers carrying liquefied natural gas from entering Rhode Island waters.

“We have a right to protect our resources in Rhode Island and our people in Rhode Island,” said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr., D-Bristol, Portsmouth.

The legislation would place exclusion zones around LNG tankers traveling up Narragansett Bay to the $250 million facility that has been proposed by Weaver's Cove Energy and Hess LNG.

According to the bill, the tankers cannot come with 500 yards (on each side) of any piers, wharfs, waterfront facilities, flammable materials, hunting grounds, welding work, or people. To reach the Weaver's Cove facility tankers would have to pass densely populated coastal areas in Narragansett and Mount Hope bays, which would be prohibited by the bill.

It was Gallison's third attempt at a bill along these lines. He said the bill should come before the full House for a vote sometime next month.

--Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:20 PM | Comment

Carcieri blasts Beacon Mutual after viewing report

Gov. Carcieri blasted the leaders of the state's largest worker's compensation insurer earlier today, calling on Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. to change "everything."

The governor's was briefed earlier today on a report released by an independent committee led by former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond that found evidence of abuse, mismanagement and preferential pricing practices at Beacon.

"This is a scathing indictment as far as I'm concerned," Carcieri said in an afternoon interview. "It's sort of confirming my worst fears."

He added, "It looks like a board out of control, it looks like a senior management out of control."

He said he was trying to arrange a meeting with the board at the State House tomorrow.

He said Beacon "needs a complete change," and, when asked if this included personnel, he replied, "Everything."

Asked if he thought Joseph Solomon, Beacon's president and CEO, should resign, Carcieri said he would discuss it with the board. "It looks to me like we've got a chief executive there out of control.''

Read the full story.

-- With reports from political columnist M. Charles Bakst

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:11 PM | Comment

Report: Patriots reach contract agreement with Seymour

ESPN News is reporting that the New England Patriots have reached agreement on a contract extension with All-Pro defensive end Richard Seymour.

Seymour's contract would have expired at the end of the 2006 season.

The Patriots have lost veterans David Givens, Willie McGinest and Adam Vinatieri to free agency this offseason, and one of the theories is that New England was saving money under the salary cap to afford extensions for Seymour and wide receiver Deion Branch.

More tomorrow from Tom E. Curran in the Providence Journal and on projo.com

Posted by Art at 4:35 PM | Comment

CVS pulls contact solution linked to fungus

CVS is pulling a contact lens solution from its shelves that has been linked to a dangerous fungal eye infection.

The Woonsocket-based drugstore chain says it's pulling ReNu MoistureLoc brand contact lens solution from its 5,400 pending the outcome of a federal investigation.

Bausch and Lomb halted U-S shipments of the solution Monday night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating more than 100 reports of infection caused by a fungus called Fusarium in patients in 17 states.

Bausch and Lomb says the source of the problem remains a mystery.

Walgreens and Warwick-based Brooks pharmacies also are pulling the solution from their shelves.

CVS is the largest U.S. pharmacy by store count.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:23 PM | Comment

Red Sox sign Coco Crisp for another three years

The Boston Red Sox will hold a news conference at 3:30 this afternoon to announce a three-year contract extension with center fielder Coco Crisp, the Associated Press is reporting. The contract includes an option for 2010.

The Red Sox and Crisp agreed in February to a one-year, $2.75-million deal that avoided arbitration. The club acquired the 26-year-old Crisp in a multiplayer deal with the Cleveland Indians; Boston gave up top prospect Andy Marte in the deal.

Crisp broke into the majors with the Indians in 2002. Last year, he hit .300 with 16 home runs, 86 runs scored and 69 RBIs. He hit .333 over five games this year before going on the disabled list with a fractured finger.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:43 PM | Comment

Teacher assistants needed in Providence

PROVIDENCE - The city's schools need 100 new teacher assistants - fast.

Thanks to the federal Leave No Child Behind law, teacher assistants must now be highly qualified, which means they need one of the following: an associate's degree, 48 hours of college work or a passing grade on a national test.

Until now, approximately 110 of the district's 550 assistants have not met these new guidelines, so the city launched a recruitment drive yesterday.

To help candidates meet the grade, the Community College of Rhode Island is offering a 33-hour training program. Tutoring is being offered by Local 1033 of the Laborers International Union of North America, while Workforce Solutions of Providence and Cranston will recruit and screen candidates. The union is paying for the lion's share of the training program.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Posted by at 2:32 PM | Comment

West Warwick Marine remembered for his courage / Updated

Journal photo / John Freidah
The body of Marine Cpl. Brian St. Germain of West Warwick, who died in Iraq, is transported to Holy Apostles Church in Cranston for a Mass of Christian Burial.

CRANSTON -- A West Warwick Marine who was killed in Iraq was remembered today as a courageous young man who put his life at risk for his country.

Cpl. Brian St. Germain died April 2 when the truck he was in rolled over in a flash flood in Al Anbar province. He was 22.

Hundreds of mourners attended a funeral service this morning at Holy Apostles Church in Cranston. Governor Carcieri and the Rhode Island Congressional delegation attended.

The Rev. Richard Sheahan said St. Germain didn't back down from a challenge and had willingly put his life at risk.

People wept as his casket was carried out of the chapel.

St. Germain graduated from West Warwick High School in 2001. He was an all-state hurdler on the school's track and field team and an honors student.

Yesterday, uniformed Marines lined the entryway to the funeral home, as hundreds of mourners gathered for St. Germain’s wake.

Germain was later buried with military honors at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter.

-- Journal staff and wire reports

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:19 PM | Comment

Rally for Brown Bookstore

Supporters of the Brown Bookstore who hope it remains independent plan to rally again today at the university.

The Save the Bookstore Coalition was set to meet at 1 p.m. on the university’s main green, behind Faunce House.

The group sprang up earlier this year after a university committee announced that a majority of its members favored leasing the store to a national retailer such as Barnes & Noble’s college division or Follett Higher Education Group. They also rallied on March 15 and have set goals to raise money and awareness about this issue.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:03 PM | Comment

Games at the Legislature over same-sex marriage

More board games are in store at the Legislature this afternoon for the group pushing for an equal marriage bill, which has stalled at the committee level over the past decade and is now caught up in a liberal-conservative tug of war.

Although the bill that would allow same-sex marriage is not on the House Judiciary Committee’s agenda for discussion or a vote today, Marriage Equality Rhode Island is urging people who care about the issue to spend a second day outside the committee’s meeting room playing board games.

“People are upset and frustrated, and we’re going to draw attention to the fact that they’re playing games with our lives,” said Jennifer Steinfeld, co-chair of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, a volunteer organization.

Marriage Equality has also released poll data, which the group says show that “Rhode Islanders are generally fair-minded and have a live-and-let-live mentality toward their neighbors.”

The group wants to “keep an eye on the process,” Steinfeld said about the game-playing planned for today at the State House.

About 65 people camped out in the State House yesterday, the first day the group began what Steinfeld says will continue until the Legislature’s break.

“We have a number of games that we think have relevant titles – Jumble, Boggle, Sorry,” she said. “And we’re trying to draw attention to the fact that they’re playing games with the political process and that these games affect people’s lives.”

The survey of 500 Rhode Islanders that MERI released this week shows that 46 percent support and 40 percent oppose allowing gay or lesbian couples to marry legally. Forty-four percent of those polled said the issue makes no difference in their decision to support a candidate, according to the survey conducted April 6-9 by polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:50 PM | Comment

Roe v. Wade attorney speaks at Roger Williams

BRISTOL -- The winning attorney in the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case will speak this afternoon at Roger Williams University law school.

Sarah Weddington will speak at noon as part of the school's second annual Women in Law Day.

The event is open to the public.

Those looking for more information should contact the university at (401) 254-4650

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:44 AM | Comment

Weather service warns of fire danger

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for fire danger in parts of southern New England.

The warning was issued because of recent dry weather, low humidity and gusty south to southwest winds expected this afternoon, according to the weather service.

It covers parts of Rhode Island, primarily to the north and west of Providence, along with northern Connecticut, southern New Hampshire and much of Massachusetts.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:57 AM | Comment

Governor celebrates Johnston High's accreditation

Johnston High School is gearing up for a celebratory visit from Governor Carcieri this morning to highlight the news that the school has maintained its accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Heading over to the high school shortly before the planned event, Asst. Supt. Kathryn M. Crowley said the senior class will meet with the governor in the auditorium at 9:30 a.m. Also attending will be members of the School Committee and Town Council, Supt. Margaret A. Iacovelli, high school principal Elizabeth L. Mantelli and state Sen. Joseph M. Polisena, D-Johnston, whom Crowley said arranged for the governor’s visit.

The school’s accreditation was in jeopardy this year, following a recommendation last summer by NEASC’s commission on public secondary schools to strip the school of its accreditation. School officials worked feverishly this year documenting changes they made at the school and submitting a detailed case in December for why the school should continue to be accredited.

Late last month, school leaders learned that NEASC had removed the school from its probationary status, which it had carried for five years.

Preparing for what she said would be a great celebration today for the students, faculty and school administrators, Crowley said the commendations from NEASC about the school and why it should maintain its accreditation were “wonderful.”

Carcieri weighed in this summer about the high school’s accreditation worries. In August, he wrote to NEASC saying he was "deeply concerned about the potential revocation" of the school's accreditation.

He said the school had made significant progress in student achievement but must also take additional steps to bring all students "to proficient levels."

"Local officials have jurisdiction over the school; however, we at the state level have a responsibility to those students as well," Carcieri wrote. "We are ready to assist Johnston Senior High School in meeting NEASC standards."

NEASC has accredited more than 95 percent of all public high schools in New England. It requires schools to meet seven standards, which it classifies as either "teaching and learning standards" or "support standards."

Parents, students and educators in Johnston worried this year about what the ramifications for students could be if the school lost its accreditation. Officials were thrilled with the good news last month.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:16 AM | Comment

Medicare meeting for seniors in Providence

Rhode Island seniors have an opportunity to learn more about the new Medicare prescription drug program this morning.

An assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, general counsel Keith Gottfried, plans to speak about the importance of enrolling in the benefit before May 15.

Gottfried will speak with seniors from 10 a.m. to noon today, following a 9:30 a.m. press conference at the Westminster Senior Center, at 133 Mathewson St. in Providence. The presentation is open to the public.

HUD is working with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to educate seniors about changes to the Medicare program, HUD spokeswoman Kristine Foye said. Many elderly people who are beneficiaries of HUD services and programs can also benefit from the Medicare program, Foye said.

Medicare beneficiaries who do not sign up for the Medicare Part D plan before the May 15 deadline must wait until Nov. 15 to sign up for coverage – and that coverage will not begin until Jan. 1, 2007, according to HUD.

For more information, seniors can check out the federal government's Medicare web site or call: (800) 633-4227.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:30 AM | Comment

Tax-relief plan to be unveiled today

Leaders in the state Senate plan to unveil what they’re calling “a major, multiple-bill tax-relief plan” at a State House news conference at 3 p.m. today in the Senate Lounge.

Planning to discuss six legislative initiatives that focus on reducing local property taxes are Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, and Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Stephen D. Alves, D-West Warwick.

Other senators who have already sponsored bills that will be incorporated in the overall tax-relief plan also plan to attend today’s news conference.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

Partly cloudy today, rain late tonight

PROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., forecasts partly cloudy skies today with a high around 65 degrees in the Providence area.

In coastal southern New England, including the Cape and islands, the temperature probably won't climb above the 50s.

Rain is on the way tonight into tomorrow.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 11, 2006

Updated: 7 to 7 at Fenway: The messy back story of victory

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Wondering what our projo.com correspondent Steve Peoples actually looks like? Here's a shot of him phoning in his blog reports today, in the Sox' dugout, before the game and all its leftovers.

Here's the detritus on the dugout floor after the Sox' first home win this season, from the perspective of our correspondent at the game, Steve Peoples:

Dozens of crushed blue paper cups, sunflower seed shells everywhere, a couple bags of unopened David's sunflower seeds, an empty tin of chewing tobacco, melting ice dumped onto the floor, a half-eaten plastic container of Mott's apple sauce (we think Josh Beckett was eating it), six Bazooka Joe gum wrappers with cartoons (and one unopened piece), and some medical tape.

And on the walls, detailed statistical breakdowns of the Sox' relievers, and how Boston's hitters have performed against Toronto starter Josh Towers.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 7:55 PM | Comment

Brown study details die-off of Bay mussels in 2001

Summer after summer, algae blooms and fish kills in Narragansett Bay have lined beaches with dead marine life and tainted the coast with foul odors. Now, a Brown University study has detailed more damage -- the loss of billions of mussels that died largely out of sight on the Bay's bottom.

Researchers estimate 4.5 billion mussels were killed in nine reefs largely around Prudence Island. The mussels had been so prevalent they could filter the waters of the Bay in 20 days, but after the die-off, the filtering capacity dropped by 75 percent.

The mussel deaths occurred in the summer of 2001, when heavy rains and hot weather caused algae blooms more prolific than some observers had seen in years. Oxygen is drawn from the water when algae dies off, creating low oxygen or hypoxic conditions that kill additional marine life.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

The obvious results in 2001 were foamy, brown, sludge-like material washing ashore around the Bay and fish kills in Greenwich Bay and off Cranston. Most of the dead mussels did not wash ashore.

The loss of mussels was made public today, following publication of a paper on the die-off in Ecology, the scientific journal of the Ecological Society of America. Authors are Andrew H. Altieri, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Brown's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Jon D. Witman, an associate profession in the department.

The study coincides with renewed efforts by the Carcieri administration to revive a new Narragansett Bay management program that was kick-started by a massive fish kill in Greenwich Bay in 2003.

More to come in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ...

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:03 PM | Comment

Photo: Airy perch for Sox fans has touch of street

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Red Sox fans can now dine while overlooking Yawkey Way, through the open-air windows in the new EMC Club at Fenway Park. While patrons might pay $35 for a 12-ounce New York sirloin strip, they can still experience a more pedestrian atmosphere. The smoky aroma of sausages and hotdogs wafted in from the street today at the team's home opener, while a saxophone played and the peanut vendors sang out from below.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:52 PM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: Price has chilling effect on hot coffee

The weather for the home opener remained true to its heritage today, turning chilly, windy and overcast as the game progressed, our correspondent Steve Peoples reports.

Fans put on their sweatshirts, ducked for cover into the halls of Fenway and stood in line for hot drinks.

Sheryl Birenbaum, of Framingham, Mass., was among those waiting for coffee at one of the new Dunkin' Donuts stands at the ballpark.

"I'm really cold, and I really want coffee, " she said, after finally finding the shop in a tunnel off the third-base side of the field.

The line was about five minutes long, and the coffee had a higher pricetag than Rhode Islanders may be used to: $3.50 for a regular-sized coffee, and $4.25 for a large. Hot chocolate was $3, and, for the hardier souls, $4 for ice coffee.

Birenbaum almost gave up when she saw the price. But she got her cup, then headed off in another direction – to wait in the beer line.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:35 PM | Comment

Jury: Doctor not guilty of sexually assaulting patient

WARWICK -- A Superior Court jury today found a former Kent Hospital anesthesiologist not guilty of second-degree sexual assault of a patient.

Dr. Russel J. Aubin, of Jamestown, had been accused of fondling a 21-year-old woman during her knee surgery at Kent Hospital in December 2004.

The jury reached its verdict just before 4 p.m. today, its first day of deliberations.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:06 PM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: This Hummer's got Papi's number

Our correspondent Steve Peoples shares this scene from the players’ parking lot behind Fenway Park today:

Amid the Mercedes and the Cadillacs, sits the big white Hummer belonging to Sox' clutch hitter David Ortiz.

It’s not just any Hummer. It’s got chrome trim, tinted glass and the number 34 inside each of its custom wheel rims.

And just in case you don’t know who you’re dealing with, Ortiz has signed the passenger’s door with his name, his number and his nickname, Big Papi.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:42 PM | Comment

Rhode Island to consider divesting from Sudan

Rhode Island should stop investing in companies that do business in Sudan, two Providence legislators are urging their colleagues.

As genocide continues in Sudan’s Darfur region, Sen. Rhoda E. Perry and Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, both Providence Democrats, have sponsored legislation that would require the state to divest from Sudan.

The legislation follows similar action by Brown University and the city of Providence.

The university’s governing board voted unanimously in February to stop investing in companies whose business activities support genocide in the Darfur region. The Providence City Council last week approved an ordinance to divest any city investments in Sudan. The ordinance bans the city from investing in any companies that do business with the Sudanese government.

At the state level, Perry and Almeida said in a statement that they don’t know how much, if any, of Rhode Island’s investments – mainly its retirement pension funds – are invested in companies that do business in Sudan. The legislation would require the state’s financial managers to find out.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:57 PM | Comment

Children's Defense Fund president at Brown tonight

The founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman, will speak at 6:30 tonight at Brown University.

Edelman’s address, titled “Stand up for Children Now,” is free and open to the public. It will be in the Salomon Center for Teaching, located on the College Green. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The award-winning author and children’s advocate will deliver Brown’s sixth annual Casey Shearer Memorial Lecture, which was established in memory of a promising young writer and Brown student who died in May 2000, days before he was to graduate from the university.

Prior to Edelman’s address, the winners of the annual Casey Shearer Memorial Award for Excellence in Creative Nonfiction will be announced, including a first prize of $1,000.

Edelman plans to sign copies of her books before the lecture, from 6 until 6:30 p.m., in the lobby of the Salomon Center.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:51 PM | Comment

Perry students meet the astronaut from undersea / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, who grew up in Massachusetts, speaks to students at Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School in Providence.

PROVIDENCE -- Navy Cmdr. Stephen G. Bowen is hardly your typical astronaut. For starters, he has spent most of his career in a submarine, and he has never been up in space.

But, with his boyish good looks and winsome smile, he looks every inch the astronaut.

No question was too silly or too personal today for Bowen, who visited Perry Middle School in Providence, the state's only NASA Explorer School.

Through Perry's partnership with NASA, students will have access to thousands of restricted Web sites and top scientists from NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center, in addition to field trips. Each grade will also incorporate NASA experiments into its curriculum.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:42 PM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: Even the last row is great today

At least seven Rhode Islanders made it -- really, just made it -- into Fenway Park for today's home opener.

Our correspondent Steve Peoples found David Wyman and his wife, Diane, of Warwick, sitting in the 40th -- and last -- row of the bleachers. They were with Tom Partington of Pawtucket and Shawn Bazinet of Warwick.

Diane got the tickets for David's 37th birthday on March 10. She paid $125 through a broker.

"You don't get further back than this, I think," said Daivid, an electrician. "Hey, there aren't any poles in the way."

"You're always driving down the road, thinking 'I'd love to be there on opening day...Now I am.' "

Sitting a row in front of them was another group of Rhode Islanders. Andy Peterson was accompanied by two friends from Bristol and another friend from New Bedford.

Peterson, a land surveyor, bought his tickets for the $12 face value.

"I wouldn't care if I was on top of the (light) tower, as long as I'm inside" the park, " Peterson said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:37 PM | Comment

Photo: A glad hand for a former teammate

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Red Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson, left, greets former Red Sox hitter Shea Hillenbrand, who now plays for Toronto, as the two teams prepare for the Sox' home opener this afternoon.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:23 PM | Comment

Trot Nixon helping raise money for the Jimmy Fund

Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon wants to visit your workplace.

Yes, you heard that right. Nixon has joined forces with the Jimmy Fund, which supports the fight against cancer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Nixon plans to visit the workplace that raises the most money today for the Jimmy Fund, which has created “Rally Against Cancer Day” in honor of the Sox opener and to help fight cancer.

Organizers have asked businesses throughout New England to encourage their employees to wear Red Sox apparel to work and contribute $5 to the Jimmy Fund to participate in the effort.

The Jimmy Fund wants all donations to be made online.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:04 PM | Comment

Caritas gets $200,000 from feds for drug treatment

PAWTUCKET -- An adolescent substance-abuse treatment program, Caritas, has received $200,000 in federal funding to expand its drug-treatment services, according to U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island.

The money will support new programs to help opiate-addicted and opiate-using adolescents get counseling and medically assisted treatment, according to an announcement from Reed’s office.

Caritas operates a number of treatment services throughout the state, including Corkery House for boys in Richmond, Caritas House for girls in Pawtucket and five out-patient programs throughout the state.

Reed presented Caritas with the federal money today.

“I am proud to have helped Caritas secure this vital federal funding,” he said in a statement. “Caritas doesn’t just treat substance abusers. They help entire families deal with the problems of drug addiction.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:54 PM | Comment

Photo: What's a ball game without peanuts?

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Nick "Peanuts," the legendary peanut salesman on Yawkey Way in front of Fenway Park, was up packing his wares at 6 this morning to get ready for today's home opener between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:47 PM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: A big cheer for Beckett

Taking the field at about 1:22 p.m., Red Sox starter Josh Beckett drew a huge cheer from the Fenway crowd, according to correspondent Steve Peoples.

The park was only about one-third full, but just about everyone to cheered as Beckett went out to do his pre-game stretching.

Beckett, obtained in a trade during the offseason, won his first game as a Sox starter Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:39 PM | Comment

7 to7 at Fenway: A big feed before the big game

When you go to Fenway as a member of the press for the Red Sox home opener, the fare expands well beyond franks.

Our correspondent Steve Peoples discovered a room, just down the hall from the press box on the fifth floor of the stadium, where an all-you-can-eat buffet was spread out, for just $9.

The place was jammed at about 12:40 p.m., Steve reports, with sportswriters and photographers choosing from pizza, pasta, rare roast beef, lobster bisque, fruit salads and vegetables, and, of course, hot dogs and hamburgers.

For dessert, there were apple pie, white chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispie treats, and buttered popcorn from an old-fashioned, movie theater-style machine.

"It was as good as any wedding food I've had," Steve said, revealing that he particularly liked the pasta with an Alfredo-style cream sauce.

One surprise, he said, was to see so many members of the press actually choosing veggies with their meals. All washed down with choice of milk, juice, water or other non-alcoholic beverage.

"A nice, light lunch" before the big game, Steve concludes.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:00 PM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: Ortiz impressive as usual

A day after signing his contract extension, David Ortiz was impressive in batting practice, knocking at least three shots out of Fenway Park this morning, projo.com correspondent Steve Peoples reports from the field.

But then, Ortiz seems to hit all the time, anyway. Doesn't he?

And center fielder Coco Crisp is still smiling despite a broken finger that will keep him out of the lineup for at least 10 days.

Wearing a silver splint on his right index finger, Crisp watched as Ortiz, Trot Nixon and other players took batting practice.

As helicopters flew through the clear sky overhead and his teammates took their rips, Crisp also joked with members of the large media contingent gathered record the Sox 95th home opener. Crisp apparently has as much charm as the guy he replaced.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:31 PM | Comment

Providence library may close 6 of 10 branches

Facing level funding, the Providence Public Library is considering closing six of its 10 branches temporarily and increasing the hours of operation at three of the remaining branches, spokeswoman Tonia Mason said this morning.

The library board’s executive committee meets this afternoon at 4 to consider the proposal, along with other agenda items that include the library’s governance structure. The proposal is a recommendation from library administrators, and it has already won the approval of the library’s finance committee, which met yesterday, Mason said.

Open to the public, today’s meeting is at the central library in downtown Providence, 150 Empire St., in the Barnard Room on the third floor.

The proposal would need the approval of the full library board, which must meet this month before forwarding its budget for the next fiscal year to the city of Providence, Mason said. That meeting has not yet been set.

The library has an overall budget of about $8.5 million, Mason said. It is expected to be about the same for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The library is poised to receive the same $3 million next year that it has received from the city for five years now, Mason said.

The library-closure proposal is an effort to work within the proposed budget, Mason said.

“We fully recognize the city’s funding challenges in these economic times, so this is not an effort to seek more money from the city,” Mason said. “This is an effort to do the best we can with the funding that we have from the city and the state.”

The library is in the midst of a strategic-planning process that it hopes to wrap up by May, Mason said. Library leaders are examining ways to shift funding away from caring for aging buildings and provide services as efficiently as they can with the money they have, she said.

The branches that would close are: Fox Point, Knight Memorial, Olneyville, Smith Hill, Wanskuck and Washington Park (which has already been closed due to some facility problems).

Although Mason said the proposed new hours at the remaining branches have not been finalized, she said they would include evenings and weekends. The branches with increased hours would be the central library and the Rochambeau and Mt. Pleasant branches. The South Providence branch would operate on a schedule similar to its current one, Mason said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:46 AM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: BP under a microscope

With the news media and the Sox brass watching closely, the 2006 Boston Red Sox took the field for batting practice at 11 a.m. today, our correspondent Steve Peoples reports from Fenway.

Players took their cuts and shagged flies and grounders as a horde of media lined up along the field with cameras and notebooks, trying to capture some of the first images of the home opener.

High in the stands, principal owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino looked down at their players.

With the stands mostly empty, security guards also took the opportunity to watch the show.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:26 AM | Comment

7 to 7 at Fenway: Parking premium

Our dedicated correspondent has arrived in Boston, and he's discovered that lucky Sox fans are paying a premium for the privilege of parking near Fenway.

A gasoline station on Boylston Street, about a block from the park, is charging $60. Still, it's apparently not difficult to find fans willing to pay the price. As of 11 a.m., the lot was half full.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:14 AM | Comment

Entwistle pleads not guilty to killing wife, baby

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A British man accused of killing his wife and nine-month-old daughter pleaded not guilty to murder charges today during his arraignment in Superior Court.

Neil Entwistle, 27, is charged with two counts of murder and firearms charges in the Jan. 20 slayings of his wife, Rachel, 27, and their baby daughter, Lillian Rose.

He stood silent and somber as a court clerk read the murder charges. His lawyer told the judge they would waive the reading of the weapons charges and asked him to enter a not guilty plea on Entwistle's behalf to all counts.

Entwistle has been held without bail in a Cambridge jail since he was originally arraigned in Framingham District Court on Feb. 16. His indictment on March 28 moved the case to Middlesex Superior Court, where he was arraigned today.

Rachel Entwistle's mother and stepfather, Priscilla and Joseph Matterazzo, and about a dozen other friends and family members watched the proceedings, which lasted only five minutes. The women wore pink roses in honor of Lillian Rose, who would have turned 1 on Sunday.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:19 AM | Comment

Wake is today for W. Warwick Marine killed in Iraq

The wake for West Warwick Marine Cpl. Brian St. Germain, who died in Iraq on April 2, is today.

Visiting hours will be from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Robert A. Iannotti Funeral Home, 415 Washington St., in Coventry.

St. Germain’s funeral will be tomorrow at 8:15 a.m., from the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 in Holy Apostles Church, 800 Pippin Orchard Rd. in Cranston.

St. Germain, 22, died in a truck crash in Iraq that killed at least five Marines. A flash flood toppled their 7-ton truck on a logistics convoy in the Anbar Province in western Iraq, according to his family.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:29 AM | Comment

Check projo.com today for reports from Fenway

Stuck at work for today's Red Sox home opener at 2:05 p.m. against the Toronto Blue Jays?

We are, too, but one of our projo.com colleagues, Steve Peoples, managed to convince the bosses that he was needed today at Fenway Park. ("Hey, kid, Crisp is hurt. Can you play center field?")

If he isn't pressed into duty, Steve promises to file regular reports for the SoxBlog and 7 to 7 Blog between trips to the hot dog stand and souvenir shop. Steve will have access to the field and locker room before the game, as well as the press box and stands during the game.

Of course, Steve isn't the only member of The Journal team at Fenway. He will join Journal sportswriters and photographers in providing coverage for projo.com and tomorrow's Journal.

Stay with projo.com today for regular updates and photographs.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:23 AM | Comment

British man to be arraigned for killing wife, daughter

A former Hopkinton, Mass., man charged with killing his wife and nine-month-old daughter is scheduled for arraignment at 9 this morning in Middlesex Superior Court, Cambridge, Mass.

Neil Entwistle, 27, has been indicted on two counts of murder, and one count each of illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

The police say Entwistle shot his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Lillian. Their bodies were discovered Jan. 22 in their Hopkinton home after family and friends became concerned and contacted the police.

Entwistle was arrested Feb. 9 in his native England and brought back to the United States. He is being held without bail. He pleaded innocent to charges in District Court and was indicted March 28, shifting the case to Superior Court.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:05 AM | Comment

Report says R.I. economy shows improvement

Rhode Island’s economic performance was stronger in February than it was for much of 2005, according to a new report released by University of Rhode Island economics professor Leonard Lardaro.

The creator and author of the Current Conditions Index, Lardaro analyzes the state’s economy by tracking 12 key economic indicators pertaining to housing, retail sales, fiscal pressures, employment and labor supply.

The Current Conditions Index for February, the latest data available, was 67, with eight of the 12 indicators improving, according to a report issued by the URI news bureau.

In February, single-unit permits, which measure new home construction, rose by 2.6 percent over the value last February. Retail sales fell, by 1.8 percent, a decline that Lardaro reports is good since U.S. consumer sentiment remained weak, falling by 8 percent compared with last February.

The CCI ranges from 0, when none of the indicators improves compared to the levels from a year earlier, to 100, when all 12 show improvement. Values above 50 indicate that the Rhode Island economy is expanding, while values below 50 are indicative of contraction.

The index has been as low as 8, in April 1991, as the state’s banking crisis, a recession and major defense cutbacks took their toll on the economy, according to Lardaro’s Web site. The index reached a high of 100 on several occasions in 1984 and 1986.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:45 AM | Comment

Brooks' owner reports higher revenues, lower profits

Jean Coutu Group, the Canadian company that owns the Brooks drugstore chain, today reported slightly higher revenues, but lower profits, for the latest quarter.

Revenues increased to $2.87 billion from $2.8 billion for the same quarter last year. Profits, however, fell to $31.6 million from $39.9 million.

The company said sales grew “despite a milder flu season in all of our markets.’’ Jean Coutu will have a conference call at 9 a.m. to discuss its results. To listen, go to Jean Coutu's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:33 AM | Comment

Carcieri to push for anti-drunken driving legislation

PROVIDENCE - - Governor Carcieri plans to ask the House Judiciary Committee today to support legislation aimed at cracking down on drunken driving.

The governor is scheduled to speak at the Putting the Brakes on DUI conference at the Rhode Island Convention Center this afternoon.

Carcieri and Attorney General Patrick Lynch have submitted a bill to close a loophole in the state's Breathalyzer refusal law. Their legislation would toughen penalties for drivers who refuse to take a Breathalyzer test.

The Senate has already passed the bill.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:11 AM | Comment

Nice enough to 'play two' on this opening day

It's a great day for a ballgame.

The Red Sox will play their home opener today under mostly sunny skies with a high around 61 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

For those of us stuck listening or watching the game in Providence, the temperature should climb a little higher, to 66 degrees, with partly cloudy skies, the weather service says. The wind will come from the southwest at 4 to 7 mph.

As Hall of Famer Ernie Banks once said, "Let's play two."

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 10, 2006

Hasidic reggae rap star jams at URI tonight

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Matisyahu, the Hasidic Jewish reggae rap star, will perform at a sold-out show at the University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center tonight at 8.

Born Matthew Miller in Westchester, Pa., and raised in White Plains, N.Y., the 26-year-old Matisyahu is a rising star on the pop scene, combining his strict religious beliefs with rap and reggae. His latest album, Youth, debuted recently on the Billboard charts at number four.

Look for Journal pop music writer Rick Massimo's review after the show, or review the show yourself, at: projo.com/music/

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 PM | Comment

Photo: All wired up for home opener at Fenway

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Electrician Al Fox, of Woburn, Mass., works on the new sound system at Fenway Park in Boston this afternoon. The Red Sox' home opener is tomorrow, starting at 2:05 p.m., against the Toronto Blue Jays. Projo.com will offer live updates of the game and the scene, as well as seek reader contributions, in words and photos.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:36 PM | Comment

Survivor Hatch being held in protective custody

PROVIDENCE -- Survivor winner Richard Hatch is being held in protective custody apart from other inmates until his sentencing this month on tax evasion charges.

Rhode Islander Hatch, who won $1 million in the debut season of the CBS reality TV series, was found guilty in January of failing to pay taxes on his winnings and other income. He was taken into custody immediately because U.S. District Court Judge Ernest Torres said he posed a flight risk.

Hatch, 45, asked to be put in protective custody shortly after he was detained, his attorney, Michael Minns, said Monday. Hatch is being held at a jail in Plymouth, Mass., until his sentencing April 25.

Charles Wyant, a supervisory deputy U.S. marshal, said Hatch was placed in protective custody because he is a celebrity. Any prisoner can make such a request. "The situation he's in is the best possible position for him to be in at this point in time, the safest and most secure," Wyant said.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:04 PM | Comment

Big turnout for immigrants' rights march in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- Carrying signs and chanting, hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people gathered late this afternoon for a pro-immigration march through the city's west side.

The loud, but peaceful, gathering moved from Olneyville to the Dexter Training Grounds near the Armory, where organizers currently are giving speeches to the huge group.

The rally snarled traffic during the late afternoon as marchers clogged the roadways for nearly an hour.

Similar protests are being held across the country today, as immigration advocates rally for legislation that would help illegal aliens to become legal. There are an estimated 11 million illegal aliens living in the United States, with thousands of them in Providence.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:00 PM | Comment

State police ID shooting victim as Richmond man

State police today identified the 23-year-old Richmond man killed when he accidentally shot himself in the head.

Richard Titzmann's death is being investigated as a fatal, self-inflicted, accidental shooting, according to police.

Titzmann was in Hopkinton with a friend, 23-year-old William Lake, at around 2 a.m. Sunday when the accident occurred. The pair were planning to go shooting at a nearby gravel pit when Tizmann was fidgeting with his gun.

He "dry-fired" the .22-caliber revolver once without a bullet in the chamber. Pointing the gun at his head, he pulled the trigger a second time.

Police say he did not know the gun was loaded.

Police are investigating whether alcohol may have played a role in the incident.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:34 PM | Comment

R.I. gets $6.75M science research grant

PROVIDENCE - Governor Carcieri and state legislators announced today that the state has received a $6.75 million research grant from the National Science Foundation and unveiled a package of legislation and budget appropriations focused on building the state’s science and technology sectors.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., was instrumental in securing the grant for Rhode Island, through the NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The program was created to help states that historically haven’t received large amounts of research funding from the federal government.

Under the grant, the state will receive $2.25 million a year through fiscal 2008. The University of Rhode Island will administer the grant, which will be used primarily to set up three facilities for studying genomics, the studying and characterization of proteins, and marine life sciences.

The facilities will be shared by Rhode Island’s academic institutions, including Brown University and URI.

Carcieri has asked for $1.5 million in next year’s budget to match the $6.75 million worth of research funding.

The request is part of a total $2.1 million legislative and budget package unveiled yesterday and based on recommendations made earlier this year by the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:23 PM | Comment

Photo: Ortiz closes deal with a smile

AP photo/Charles Krupa
Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, left, smiles as he sits with the team's executive vice president and general manager Theo Epstein this afternoon after the announcement of Ortiz's contract extension. The four-year deal comes five months after the player finished as runner-up for the American League MVP award.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:15 PM | Comment

Doctor denies fondling patient

WARWICK -- Dr. Russel J. Aubin took the stand today in his sex-assault trial, flatly denying that he ever fondled the breasts of the patient who has accused him.

In more than three hours of testimony today, Aubin, 40, of Jamestown, said he treated the patient normally and touched her only to place electrodes on her chest and to massage her neck while she underwent knee surgery.

After the December 2004 procedure at Kent Hospital in Warwick, the 21-year-old woman complained she had been assaulted, and Aubin's license to practice medicine was revoked.

Aubin was the last witness called in his two-week trial in Kent County Superior Court. The case goes to the jury tomorrow.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary R. Mider

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:03 PM | Comment

Photo: Langevin tours Hispanic businesses

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
U.S. Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., is greeted by Carlos Arias, manager of Compare Foods, at 863 Broad St., as part of the congressman's tour today of area Hispanic businesses. With the number of such merchants growing, Langevin said he wanted to listen to any of their concerns and how he could help.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:34 PM | Comment

Students, Evans discuss Bishop's closing

PROVIDENCE -- Nathan Bishop Middle School students had their chance today to tell Schools Superintendent Donnie Evans what they thought about his decision to close their Elmgrove Avenue school this fall.

Students wondered why their school was being singled out when all of the city's nine middle schools are plagued with low test scores and aging physical plants.

Afterward, several students said they didn't believe the reasons Evans gave for the closing, including declining enrollments, low test scores and the fact that few children live in the neighborhood.

"I feel like our school is being grabbed from beneath our feet,'' said Charleen Mitchell, 12. "The superintendent is being very sneaky. He planned to push this through and now he's acting like its because of the grades.''

The school is supposed to re-open in the fall of 2007, although the exact grade configuration hasn't been decided.

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

More to come in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com...

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:20 PM | Comment

4 more years for Ortiz and Sox

BOSTON -- Red Sox management today annouced that the club has reached a four-year contract extension with designated hitter David Ortiz, a deal that will keep one of the team's most popular players in Boston through at least the 2010 season.

The agreement with the 30-year-old Ortiz, who is known for his history of clutch hits, includes an option for the 2011 season. The contract is reportedly worth more than $12 million a season; Ortiz is under contract to make about half that this year.

Ortiz appeared at the press conference at Fenway Park, where the Sox play their first home game tomorrow, alongside team principal owner John Henry and top club executives Larry Lucchino, Tom Werner and Theo Epstein.

Lucchino and Epstein said the club contacted Ortiz during the offseason about extending his contract, and that Ortiz was very receptive. Henry said the slugger expressed a fondness for the city of Boston and Red Sox fans that Henry had not encountered in negotiations with any other player.

Ortiz joined the Red Sox in 2003 as an unheralded player who had been nontendered by the Minnesota Twins. In Boston, he has been a star with a penchant for delivering game-changing hits. He was the MVP of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees in 2004, delivering two game-winning hits, and was the runner-up for American League Most Valuable Player last year. He has played in the last two All-Star Games, last year as a starter.

He hit .288 with 31 home runs in 2003; .301 with 41 home runs in 2004; and .300 with 47 home runs last year. Through six games this season, he's hitting .292 with a home run and 4 RBIs.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:39 PM | Comment

Carcieri promotes workplace 'wellness' over breakfast

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri met for breakfast this morning with a group of business executives to discuss his health-care agenda and his efforts to promote healthier workplaces in Rhode Island.

Joining Carcieri at the State House were Robert DiMuccio, president and CEO of Amica Insurance; John Muggeridge, general manager of Fidelity; Ken Belcher, acting president of Roger Williams Medical Center; and Jean Hood, vice president/human resources for Roger Williams University.

Carcieri is pushing to have Rhode Island designated as the first "well state" by the Wellness Councils of America, a distinction the organization would award the Ocean State when 20 percent of employees here are working for organizations it certifies as "well workplaces."

State government, the largest employer in Rhode Island, is completing its application to become a “well workplace” through its state employee wellness initiative, known as Get Fit, Rhode Island, according to Carcieri's office.

And what, you might wonder, did the group have for breakfast today? No-fat bran muffins, fresh fruit, whole wheat or plain bagels, and coffee, tea and water, acccording to Carcieri's spokesman, Jeff Neal.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:37 PM | Comment

House panel to consider voter initiative bill

PROVIDENCE -- The House Judiciary Committee will consider legislation this afternoon that would change the state Constitution, allowing voters to change state laws through a process called voter initiative.

Governor Carcieri, who introduced the constitutional amendment, has urged the House committee to approve the measure, as opposed to delaying action as the Senate Judiciary Committee did last week.

"As a candidate for office, I promised to reform state government, and to make it more open and accessible to the citizens of Rhode Island," Carcieri said in a statement today. "Voter initiative will make state government more responsive to its citizens."

The House Judiciary Committee will consider Carcieri's proposals at the rise of the House, which is set for 4 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:33 PM | Comment

Red Sox' Coco Crisp has fractured finger

The Red Sox this afternoon announced that outfielder Coco Crisp has a fractured finger and will be sidelined for an indefinite period. The press release:

Boston Red Sox Medical Director Dr. Thomas Gill this afternoon issued the following statement regarding the condition of outfielder Coco Crisp:

“Coco has a non-displaced fracture at the base of his left index finger,” said Gill. “He will be placed in a splint for 10 days and reevaluated at that time. Once sufficient healing has occurred, Coco can begin batting and return to baseball activities. No surgery is indicated at this time.”

Crisp injured the finger during the top of the third inning Saturday at Baltimore. He is batting .333 (8-for-24) with a double, triple and six runs scored in five games this season.

Posted by Art at 2:58 PM | Comment

Boston man gets 13 years in R.I. cocaine sting

PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge has sentenced a Boston man to more than 13 years for helping to guard a fake shipment of cocaine in an undercover FBI sting in Rhode Island, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente.

Anthony Gobbi, 36, had been found guilty in October of two charges: conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Gobbi on Friday to 160 months in prison.

During the jury trial, federal prosecutors presented evidence that Gobbi was one of two men sent in April 2001 by Robert Nardolillo, of Providence, to guard a 17-kilogram shipment of cocaine at a Providence hotel.

Gobbi circled the hotel in a car, while his associate, Clifford T. Falla, of Wolfeboro, N.H., remained in a hotel room guarding the cocaine. Falla was armed with a pistol, prosecutors said.

Judge Smith sentenced Nardolillo to 15 years in prison in December. Falla has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing next month, according to spokesman Thomas Connell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island.

At a hearing, evidence surfaced that Nardolillo served as "the right hand man,'' for Matthew L. Guglielmetti Jr., a longtime captain in the Rhode Island-based Patriarca crime family.

Guglielmetti, who was snared in a similar, but separate undercover probe, pleaded guilty to a drug charge last year and was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:17 PM | Comment

Ortiz contract likely topic of 3 p.m. press conference

The Boston Red Sox have called a press conference for 3 p.m., where they are expected to announced they have reached agreement on a contract extension with designated hitter David Ortiz.

The Sox would not divulge details of the conference, but did say that Ortiz, general manager Theo Epstein, principal owner John Henry and other members of the management team would be in attendance.

-- Journal sports editor Art Martone

Posted by Art at 12:53 PM | Comment

3 men plead guilty in $500,000 check scam

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced this morning that three Providence men have pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud charges in a scheme that netted more than $500,000 over nine months.

In making the pleas, Joseph D’Anna, 23; Charles Lambert, 21; and Anthony Dimeo, 35; admitted stealing about $566,000 from Citizens Bank through an elaborate bogus check scheme involving 12 others who are facing state charges.

The three men admitted recruiting college-aged individuals to deposit worthless checks in accounts at Citizens. On the morning after the deposit, one of them would escort the account holder to three different Citizens branches, and a check would be cashed at each branch.

The conspirators were able to obtain up to three times the value of the deposited check before the bank could determine that the deposit was worthless.

After the withdrawals, the individual whose account was used was typically paid $1,500, Lambert and D’Anna each kept $1,500, and Dimeo kept the remaining money, typically between $9,000 and $10,000.

The men worked the scheme 53 times between March and November 2005.

The United States Secret Service, the Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the check scheme, making the arrests earlier this year.

D’Anna is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, Dimeo and Lambert on June 30.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud is 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount gained through the fraud.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:48 PM | Comment

Air traffic controllers protest contract offer

Providence's air traffic controllers today announced plans to launch a multi-million dollar ad campaign to protest the status of contract negotiations with the Federal Federal Aviation Administration.

Providence's controllers issued a statement condemning the FAA's recent rejection of a contract offer that would have saved taxpayers $1.4 billion. Unless Congress intervenes, the controllers warn, the resulting contract would include a "drastic pay cut," causing one in four air traffic controllers to retire.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is subsidizing the ad campaign, aimed at "educating the public about the dangers of the FAA's actions" -- the reduction in staffing, NATCA says, leaves fewer controllers to guide planes in Providence and around the country.

The FAA ended contract talks late last week, after the NATCA union rejected its latest offer, which was more than $200 million better than its previous proposal.

Congress now has 60 days to review the FAA’s proposal and NATCA’s objections. By statute, the FAA is authorized to implement its proposal if Congress does not intervene.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:15 PM | Comment

March today in Providence for immigrants' rights

As immigrant groups nationwide plan rallies today, about 10 local groups plan to march in Providence from the Price Rite at 80 Manton Ave., to the Tabernacle Baptist Church, at 134 Bridgham St.

The groups expect to meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Price Rite and begin marching to the church around 5 p.m., said Juan Garcia, a local community organizer with the group Committee of Immigrants in Action.

At the church, organizers plan to hold a public forum around 5:40 p.m. to explain what’s happening on the national level and what it would take to implement immigration changes in Washington, he said. Organizers expect a diverse mix of people and plan to speak in Spanish and English, he said.

Groups are calling for health insurance for their children, access to college, workers' rights, "legalization, not criminalization," drivers' licenses and an end to the high costs of sending money home.

National and local groups are planning the next big action for May 1, Garcia said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:56 AM | Comment

Gas prices up another 10 cents

PROVIDENCE -- Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have increased by 10 cents per gallon for the second straight week, according to AAA Southern New England's weekly survey.

The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is now $2.66 per gallon at the self-service pump, 40 cents more than it cost at the beginning of the year, AAA said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:44 AM | Comment

Bathroom fire prompts evacuation of city school

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Students at the Providence Academy of International Studies at the Juanita Sanchez Complex on Thurbers Avenue wait outside the school after a fire in a restroom caused the evacuation of the building. Providence firefighters responded at 8:24 a.m. and were still on scene shortly after 9, according to Fire Lt. Russell Gross.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:41 AM | Comment

Electronic records seen as way to improve health care

PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will join other lawmakers and officials at the State House this morning for the announcement of an effort to provide Rhode Island doctors with a state-of-the-art electronic medical records system.

Electronic Health Records of Rhode Island, EHRRI, is a effort to improve health care through the adoption of an electronic health record record.

Kennedy has pushed for improving the use of technology, including electronic medical records, to lower health-care costs.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:21 AM | Comment

Sox won't comment on Crisp injury report

A Boston Red Sox team spokesman last night would not confirm or deny a television report that center fielder Coco Crisp has a broken index finger and will miss up to a month of action, according to a story on mlb.com. Boston's Channel 7 (WHDH) reported the broken-finger story last night.

Crisp sat out yesterday's game in what the club said was a precautionary move. The fleet-footed Crisp jammed a finger sliding into third base during Saturday night's win at Baltimore. He was replaced yesterday by Adam Stern, who knocked in two runs as the Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Orioles. Crisp said before yesterday's game that he could have played if needed, and the club had not at that point taken x-rays.

The Red Sox are scheduled to play their home opener tomorrow at Fenway Park.

In five games, Crisp has batted .333 while showing speed on the basepaths and skill with the glove. He has given fans early reason to be optimistic that losing Johnny Damon to the Yankees might not be such a big handicap. If Crisp does miss significant time, however, the club's center-field options would appear to be limited. They have Stern, who has never been a regular big-league starter. Wily Mo Pena has also played at the position, but he is considered a defensive liability.

In other Red Sox news today, The Boston Herald is reporting that a contract extension with slugger David Ortiz could be announced as soon as today. A similar claim was made two weeks ago on Spanish-language ESPN Deportes. The Herald says the extension would be for four years at more than $12 million a season.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:49 AM | Comment

Buttons for Brown Bookstore to be on campus

Red and white “Save the Bookstore” buttons may be seen around Brown University’s campus today.

Anyone who signs a petition on the main college green will get a free button, according to the coalition that sprang up in the wake of news that the university could lease its bookstore to a national retailer.

The coalition reports that they’re well on their way to meeting three goals in what they’re calling the “1000 Campaign.” They’re hoping to collect 1,000 signatures in support of the bookstore, raise $1,000 to pay for their efforts and distribute 1,000 of the red and white buttons by Wednesday. They’re planning a rally for Wednesday at 1 p.m. on the university’s main green.

A newsletter distributed this weekend by the coalition reports that the group is hopeful about the bookstore’s future. Although school officials told the Journal last month that no final decision has been made, the coalition now says the administration appears to have changed its “rhetoric.”

“Rather than defending the recommendation to outsource, they seem to be denying that a recommendation of any kind was ever really made,” the e-mail states. “We find this change in tone very encouraging.”

News of a potential bookstore change surfaced in early March, after a university review committee said its majority favored leasing the bookstore to a national retailer. At the time, the committee recommended that outsourcing and continued self-operation “should be explored more fully” before any decision was made.

The coalition rallied in mid-March to show their support for the bookstore.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:06 AM | Comment

Sunny and clear today

With the weekend over and the work week back in full swing, the sun is out. Isn't that how it always goes? Expect sunny weather with a high near 63 today. No rain in the forecast until Wednesday evening.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 7, 2006

Weekend starts wet, winds up warm

Wet, cold weather will persist through much of tomorrow, with the National Weather Service predicting periodic showers until 9 p.m. and temperatures in the high 40s.

But spring is expected to return dramatically by Sunday. The forecast calls for clear, sunny skies throughout the day with highs reaching 56 in Providence.

Nice weather is expected to last through the middle of next week.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts here ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment

Sox' Wells to start tonight in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET -- Boston Red Sox pitcher David Wells is in Rhode Island tonight, preparing to start tonight's Paw Sox game.

McCoy Stadium is scheduled to be the 42-year-old left hander's last stop before rejoining the professional club next week in Toronto. Wells is working his way back from off-season knee surgery.

Tonight's game starts at 7:05 p.m.. Despite wet conditions, the game will be held, according to a Paw Sox representative at about 6:15 p.m.

Tickets are available.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:22 PM | Comment

9 nabbed in probe into Fall River gangs

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Authorities have arrested nine people, including a man believed to be the head of the Mafioso gang, following a year-long investigation into local gang activity.

Local, state and federal authorities collaborated to make the arrests -- five of which were made this morning. The charges vary, but are related to drug distribution and possession of illegal firearms.

Authorities -- including the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms -- held an afternoon press conference in Fall River to announce the arrests.

Two gang members remain at large, they said.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:54 PM | Comment

R.I. waters aswim with trout for season's start

Get your hooks, lines and sinkers ready -- the 2006 trout and general freshwater fishing season in Rhode Island starts in less than 13 hours.

State environmental officials expect more than 20,000 anglers to turn out at the state's lakes, streams and ponds when the season opens at 6 a.m.

The Department of Environmental Management has been busy stocking more than 80 ponds and streams with about 70,000 two-year-old brook, brown, and rainbow trout, with an average individual weight of about one pound.

About 10 percent of the fish are two-pound brown and rainbow trout.

DEM has set up a Web page with opening day information, including a list of trout-stocked waters, freshwater boat ramps, kids-only ponds, and freshwater fishing regulations.

For more, visit projo.com's fishing and hunting page ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:27 PM | Comment

1-0-0-1 adds up to $249,409 in lottery payouts

The Rhode Island Lottery awarded $249,409 worth of prizes based on last night's Daily Number drawing.

Yesterday's winning number was 1-0-0-1.

The payout was three times more than the state took in from sales -- $76,533.50.

"This unusually high payout has brought in dozens of happy customers this morning to the validations office, including one player who claimed a $5,000 Daily Number prize," reads a statement released by the state lottery.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:41 PM | Comment

Glocester man pleads guilty to killing wife

PROVIDENCE -- A Glocester man has pleaded guilty to a series of charges related to the murder of his wife last year, the state Attorney General's Office announced today.

Ralph E. Racca, 47, of 49 Echo Road, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, one count of committing a crime of violence while armed, and one count of possession of a firearm after a previous conviction for a crime of violence.

His sentencing will take place June 1.

In making the plea, Racca admitted to shooting his wife with a .22-caliber rifle at their home, following a day of drinking and arguing about finances and the state of their marriage.

Racca has been held without bail since the July 16 shooting.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:02 PM | Comment

Photo: Celebrating 25 years of learning at Dorcas Place

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Chamrouen Mom, center, talks to Connie Parker, of Barrington, a former Dorcas Place board member, about Cambodia, his native country, at the Dorcas Place 25th anniversary celebration today. Behind him is Sochettra Yieng, also a student with Mom at the literacy center. They are Buddhist monks from Cambodia. Dorcas Place provides low-income people a range of services from basic literacy instruction to career guidance.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:32 PM | Comment

Providence man dies in Johnston crash

JOHNSTON -- The police have identified a 65-year-old Providence man who died yesterday after losing control of his car, striking the rear of a trailer and veering into woods off Shun Pike.

A police officer found Teodocio Marino, of 20 Greenwood St., about 10 feet away from the damaged Mazda sedan, lying on the ground in a fetal position, said Deputy Chief Gary Maddocks.

Marino was taken to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Maddocks said.

The police are waiting for the state Medical Examiner to determine the cause of the man’s death, he said.

A patrolman who went to the scene yesterday at 5:41 a.m., Officer Jeffrey Cicchitelli, reported “moderate to heavy damage” to the front end of the Mazda, said Maddocks.

Maddocks identified 33-year-old Kermit Guilliams as the driver of a truck that was towing a trailer on the road ahead of Marino before the crash.

Guilliams told the police he heard a bang to the rear of his trailer and saw Marino’s vehicle leave the road and enter a wooded area. An investigation of the incident continues.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:22 PM | Comment

Photo: The sky's the limit

Journal photo / Bob Thayer

Jim Feeney of Providence lets one fly today at the Seekonk Drive Range off Route 6 in Seekonk, Mass. "I'm legally blind, but I love hitting balls at the driving range. I get a ride over twice a week and spend a few hours out in the fresh air," he says, adding, "Pretty soon I'll be out on the bay fishing with friends."

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:51 PM | Comment

Brown a top 10 "Dream College"

Brown University is a top 10 "Dream College," according to the results of a national survey released today.

The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company, released the rankings as part of its annual "College Hopes and Worries Survey."

Nearly 4,000 high school students applying to colleges ranked Brown University sixth in the nation. They were asked, "What would be your 'dream' college?"

The full list is as follows:

1: New York University; 2: Harvard University; 3: Princeton University; 4: Stanford University; 5: Yale University; 6: Brown University; 7: Columbia University; 8: Duke University; 9: Cornell University; 10: University of California Los Angeles.

More than 1,000 parents who were asked what school they'd most like their child to attend ranked the schools slightly differently, but Brown remains in the top 10:

1: Princeton University; 2: Stanford University; 3: Harvard University; 4: University of Notre Dame; 5: Duke University; 6: Yale University; 7: Boston College; 8: Brown University; 9: Cornell University; 10: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:35 PM | Comment

Judge drops Roger Williams from corruption case

PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge today dismissed a 36-count indictment against Roger Williams Medical Center, accepting a deferred prosecution agreement that the hospital struck with federal prosecutors in January.

Under the agreement, the venerable Providence nonprofit hospital took responsibility for "criminal misconduct’’ of two of its former executives, president Robert A. Urciuoli and Frances P. Driscoll.

Urciuoli, Driscoll and Peter Sangermano remain under indictment for allegedly stealing the ``honest services’’ of a state senator, John A. Celona.

But the hospital itself, the first Rhode Island nonprofit to face federal corruption charges, is now out of the case.

More to come on projo.com ...

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:19 PM | Comment

Antiwar activists plan anti-Hillary Clinton rally tomorrow

Antiwar organizations in Rhode Island plan to protest tomorrow against U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton when she speaks at Brown University.

They plan to have an Iraqi Kurdish human rights and anti-occupation activist publicly confront the senator, according to the Rhode Island Community Coalition for Peace, one of multiple organizations sponsoring the protest.

A Kurdish woman born in Iraq, Sureya Sayadi, plans to speak at 4 p.m. tomorrow in Wilson Hall on the Brown campus and then march with protestors over to Meehan Auditorium, where Clinton is slated to speak at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets for Clinton’s talk were scooped up quickly after the university offered one each to holders of a valid Brown ID.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:44 AM | Comment

3 teens injured in early morning Warwick crash

WARWICK -- Three teens were injured, one of them seriously, when a Jeep Wrangler they were riding in lost control on Post Road and struck a utility pole shortly before 1 this morning, the police said.

None of the three was wearing a seat belt, but alcohol and speed were not thought to be involved, Maj. Joseph H. Tavares said.

Back-seat passenger Joseph Paquette, 19, of Warwick, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition, Tavares said. As of 10:15 a.m., the hospital listed him in serious condition.

The driver, Natalia R. Moretti, 19, of Zinnia Street in Warwick, and her front-seat passenger, Peter Carbone, 19, of Groton, Conn., were taken to Kent Hospital with minor injuries, Tavares said.

-- Journal Staff Writer Zachary R. Mider

The collision was at the intersection with Ocean Point Drive, where Post Road bends slightly.

Inattention to the road may have played a role, though the investigation continues and Moretti has not been cited, Tavares said. It appears the open-top Jeep drifted and lost control after Moretti overcompensated, he said.

None of the occupants was thrown from the vehicle, Tavares said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:57 AM | Comment

Law and Order star Thompson to be at Chafee fundraiser

Former U.S. senator and Law and Order star Fred Thompson plans to attend an East Greenwich fundraiser tonight for U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee’s re-election campaign.

“Everyone’s welcome, and we’d love to see them,” said Ian Lang, a campaign spokesman for the Rhode Island Republican.

Price of admission: A $250 ticket for the event at the home of Al and Lauren Greer. Call (401) 921-1920 to buy a ticket for tonight’s reception, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The race for Chafee's Senate seat -- considered one of a handful in the country that is vulnerable -- is attracting national attention, as well as money.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:59 AM | Comment

Photo: Glazing over GTECH's new building

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

A glazier works on the windows of the east facade of the new GTECH world headquarters this morning in downtown Providence. At the end of this year, the company plans to relocate about 700 people from its current West Greenwich headquarters to its new headquarters under construction at the corner of Francis Street and Memorial Boulevard.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:58 AM | Comment

Celtics' Szczerbiak done for the season

Boston Celtics forward Wally Szczerbiak needs surgery on his left knee and will miss the final seven games of the regular season, the Associated Press is reporting today, dealing another blow to the team's fading playoff hopes.

The Celtics acquired Szczerbiak, who is 29, in a multiplayer deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 26. Since coming to Boston, he has averaged 17.5 points over 32 games.

The team expects Szczerbiak to be ready for the start of training camp in October, the AP reports.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:57 AM | Comment

Clouds and rain in store until Sunday

The blue skies and beautiful sunlight glinting off downtown Providence buildings early this morning are supposed to fade as clouds roll in and rain takes over. Expect rain off and on through Saturday night.

If you were hoping for sunny weekend weather, plan to cram all your outside activities into Sunday, which is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of 54.

The National Weather Service has posted a strong small craft advisory for East Coast waters today and tonight.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:13 AM | Comment

Iraq invasion to be subject of Brown lecture

A former director of the National Security Agency plans to argue at a Brown University lecture today that the invasion of Iraq has effectively paralyzed the United States, both diplomatically and militarily.

Lt. Gen. William E. Odom, retired from the U.S. Army, is speaking at 4 p.m. today in Smith-Buonanno Hall, Room 106.

He argues that a military withdrawal is merely the first step toward regaining mobility, according to the university’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

Odom’s lecture, part of a Watson series on contemporary international affairs, is free and open to the public.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:58 AM | Comment

April 6, 2006

Johnston council to mull Trump exclusivity deal

JOHNSTON – The Town Council is expected to decide tonight if Johnston should agree to negotiate exclusively with Donald Trump’s development company – and no other competing casino firm -- until June 30.

The 7 p.m. meeting is at the Johnston Municipal Court, 1395 Atwood Ave., Suite 109.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:01 PM | Comment

Two $10,000 PowerBall winners sold in R.I.

Two $10,000 winning tickets were sold in Rhode Island for last night’s PowerBall drawing, the Rhode Island Lottery announced today.

The tickets were bought at the Stop & Shop on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence and at Stateline Wine & Spirits on Central Avenue in Pawtucket. The numbers drawn were: 3 9 24 29 39, with PowerBall 42.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:43 PM | Comment

Blackstone water chief details water contamination

BLACKSTONE, Mass. -- Pranksters who tampered with the water supply last week urinated into a holding tank, officials say, though the water has since been deemed safe to drink.

Shane Moody, water and sewer superintendent for the town, said that teenagers accused in the incident also threw a road flare into the tank.

Moody would not comment on how he knew the information, just that the tank was taken off line shortly after the town learned of the break-in and the water has since been tested and is safe to drink.

Calls to the Blackstone Police Department today have not been returned.

-- Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Last Tuesday, police arrested two 15-year-old boys and charged them with trespassing, malicious destruction of property, polluting a water supply and tampering with a public water supply. The boys were arraigned in Juvenile Court in Worcester.

A 15-year-old girl was also expected to face a trespassing charge last week.

Rhode Island and Massachusetts customers of the Blackstone water system were initially told to avoid all contact with their tap water after a security breach at the department's Bellingham Avenue facility was discovered early last Tuesday.

-- Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:45 PM | Comment

Coventry police probing report of gem theft

COVENTRY – Police are investigating a report that a thief made off with more than $350,000 in cash and gems from a Stamford, Conn., man in the parking lot of the Home Depot at 700 Centre of New England Blvd.

According to a statement police issued today, the man told police he is a jeweler who was traveling to Boston to sell the jewelry. He said he was approached from behind, forced into the backseat of his vehicle at gunpoint and bound and gagged.

Police said they have spoken with witnesses, one of whom observed the complainant and another man sitting in the rear of the vehicle. That witness and another said they later saw the man bound and gagged in the back of his vehicle.

Police said no suspect has been identified, and Stamford Police have told Coventry detectives that they have experienced similar robberies.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:53 PM | Comment

Governor pushing N.E. Gas to clean up Tiverton land

PROVIDENCE - State authorities are trying to block the $498 million sale of New England Gas's Rhode Island assets until the firm submits a plan for cleaning up contamination affecting more than 100 properties in Tiverton.

"It's very frustrating when you have a gas company that's dragging its feet," Governor Carcieri said at a news conference today. "No one's going to run away from their responsibility as far as I'm concerned."

The threatened government intervention came as a group of Tiverton residents led by Gail Corvello presented Carcieri and Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch with 700 petitions requesting that the sale to National Grid be blocked until their land is clean.

Carcieri today authorized the state Department of Environmental Management to file a motion to intervene.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:53 PM | Comment

Providence educators try hand at designing future

PROVIDENCE -- What should an urban high school look like in the 21st century? How will technology change the way students are taught? Should we think about schools as community hubs that stay open long after the final bell?

These were a few of the challenging questions that more than 100 Providence teachers and administrators tackled today during a forum run by DeJong, an educational planning company hired to help the city decide what to do with its aging school buildings.

Armed with felt pens and drawing paper, teachers sketched out the dream school of the future: airy, light-filled spaces with atriums, student lounges and wireless classrooms. The goal is to provide the architects with plenty of raw information from which they can design the schools of the future.

More to come in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ...

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:59 PM | Comment

Education bills on House Finance panel's plate

The House Finance Committee plans to discuss a number of education bills this afternoon, including bill that would establish regional county superintendents and a bill that would ban teacher and municipal contracts from making the choice of employees’ health insurance providers an item that’s eligible for contract bargaining.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:51 PM | Comment

Pats pick up kicker, safety

Tebucky Jones is back with the New England Patriots. And they've finally found a replacement for departed kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Veteran kicker Martin Gramatica, who last kicked in the National Football League in 2004, has agreed to contract terms with the Pats. Gramatica kicked for Tampa Bay from 1999-2003, and was with the Colts in 2004.

Jones, a former No. 1 draft choice with the Pats, will return as a safety. He spent 2003-04 with New Orleans and 2005 in Miami. Jones played for the Pats from 1998-2002.

More in tomorrow's Providence Journal and in projo.com...

-- Journal sportswriter Tom E. Curran

Posted by Art at 2:46 PM | Comment

Photo: PawSox to roll out new season tonight

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

Prepwork for tonight's Pawtucket Red Sox' season opener at McCoy Stadium started well before today. Workers were out in force last week. Groundskeeper David Catalan, of Bristol, was mowing the outfield grass. Others were rolling the infield dirt, painting and stocking shelves. The PawSox take on the Indianapolis Indians at 7 p.m. tonight.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:11 PM | Comment

Patriots' 2006 schedule released

The New England Patriots will welcome Adam Vinatieri back to Foxboro on Sunday night, Nov. 5, when they host Vinatieri's new team, the Indianapolis Colts, in a nationally televised game, one of at least three prime-time appearances for the Patriots in 2006.

The National Football League released the 2006 schedule this afternoon, and the Pats will open at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Sept. 10. They have a Sunday night game at Foxboro on Sept. 24, hosting Denver, and will play one Monday night game (at Minnesota on Oct. 30). The Sunday night games this year will be televised on NBC, and the Monday night games on ESPN.

The NFL reserves the right to switch Sunday afternoon games to Sunday nights during Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17. The Pats thus may have more night games if the league switches any of their games.

The complete schedule:

Sunday, Sept 10: Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 17: at N.Y. Jets, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24: Denver, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 1: at Cincinnati, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8: Miami, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15: BYE
Sunday, Oct. 22: at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 30: at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5: Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12: N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 19: at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26: Chicago, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 3: Detroit, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 10: at Miami, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 17: Houston, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 24: at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 31: at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Posted by Art at 2:07 PM | Comment

Owners of contaminated Tiverton land protest at State House

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Before presenting their case to the governor, Gail Corvello, of Tiverton, speaks about environmental problems that she says have prevented her and her neighbors from selling their homes.

PROVIDENCE -- They say they have been prisoners in their homes since the state discovered toxic soil in their neighborhood in 2002.

Residents of Tiverton's Bay Street neighborhood gathered at the State House this morning to protest the sale of the Rhode Island portion of New England Gas Co. until a plan is in place to clean up the contamination.

Leaders from a neighborhood group delivered a petition to state leaders at the 11 a.m. rally, asking the attorney general and the governor to intervene.

Yesterday, Attorney General Patrick Lynch said he will ask state regulators to ensure the Tiverton contamination is addressed as part of the gas company's pending sale to National Grid.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:41 PM | Comment

Photo: Fire hits 3-decker in Providence's West End

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

A fire late this morning at 93-95 Ellery St. in Providence's West End appeared to have caused extensive damage to the multi-family, three-decker house. Firefighters were working to put out the remains of the fire around 11 a.m.

Posted by at 12:25 PM | Comment

Ch. 10 confirms Vieira as Couric's replacement

Local NBC affiliate WJAR-TV, Channel 10, confirmed during its noon broadcast that Rhode Island native Meredith Vieira will replace Katie Couric on NBC's Today show.

Vieira worked for Channel 10 early in her career. Anchor Frank Coletta recalled her as a hard worker and said she was a good choice for the job.

Coletta cracked that Vieira had the "sloppiest desk in the newsroom" when she worked for Channel 10 -- even sloppier than his own.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:09 PM | Comment

Source: R.I's Meredith Vieira to replace Couric

NEW YORK -- A day after Katie Couric announced she was leaving for CBS, NBC has chosen Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer's new partner on the Today show.

NBC scheduled a news conference for this afternoon to announce its new Today host, and a person close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that it was Vieira.

-- Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:59 AM | Comment

Updated / WJAR sold to Media General

Rhode Island television station WJAR-TV, Channel 10, the local ratings leader, has been sold to Media General, a multimedia conglomerate that owns newspapers and television stations primarily in the Southeast.

Media General announced today that it paid $600 million cash for WJAR and three other NBC stations in Columbus, Ohio, Birmingham, Ala., and Raleigh, N.C..

"While the Columbus and Providence stations we are aquiring are outside the Southeast, our station portfolio will benefit from their strength in audience and revenue share and from their position in growing, larger" markets, Media General said in a press release.

WJAR employs 150 people, according to the state Economic Development Corporation.

Channel 10 investigative reporter Jim Taricani said that he and others at the station were pleased that the buyer is a media company that emphasizes good journalism.

``We're all really glad it's a journalism organization both with television stations and newspapers,'' Taricani said in a telephone interview. ``We have a pretty dedicated staff, and we were hoping for a company like that that focuses on journalism.''

Media General, based in Richmond, Virginia, owns three metropolitan newspapers -- The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal -- 122 daily and weekly community newspapers, and 26 network-affiliated television stations.

WJAR was first a radio station, going on air in 1922. Then, in 1949, WJAR-TV became Rhode Island's first television station.

The TV station was originally affiliated with the Outlet Department Store, in downtown Providence.

In 1980, the department store was sold and Outlet Communications, which had acquired additional stations, became strictly a broadcasting company.

In 1996, NBC acquired Outlet Communications - which owned a station in Columbus, Ohio, and one in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., as well as Channel 10 -- in a deal valued at $396 million.

-- With reports from Journal business writer Timothy Barmann

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:47 AM | Comment

Driver in Providence Place mall crash speaks

The driver of the mall security vehicle that nearly plunged from the fourth level of the Providence Place parking garage earlier in the week has been hospitalized since the Tuesday incident.

"I didn’t go home," Ramon LaBoy, 22, of Warwick, said this morning in a phone interview, referring to media reports that he was treated and released soon after the accident. "I was in the hospital – I'm still in the hospital ... I broke my thumb to the point that they have to put a pin in it, and they put me on a machine to monitor my heart all day and all night."

LaBoy, who has worked as a security guard at the mall for about a year and a half, said he doesn't remember driving his patrol car through a barrier on the edge of the parking garage, nearly plunging over the edge.

"I remember driving around doing regular patrols," LaBoy said, talking on a cell phone this morning from his hospital bed. "The next thing I know the EMTs were pulling me out of the [patrol car]. The doctors are saying possibly that I had a seizure when I was driving, or I fainted."

There were no skid marks found at the scene that would have indicated LaBoy tried to stop the vehicle before hitting the parking garage barrier.

He said he didn't know how serious the accident was -- that he could have been killed had the security vehicle moved a few more feet -- until he saw a picture of the car dangling from the garage later that day.

The doctors have not found any evidence of a medical condition that could have caused a blackout, LaBoy said. Nor does he have a history of anything like this.

"I’ve never had any type of fainting spells, blackouts, seizures, that’s why they aren't sure what happened," he said.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:32 AM | Comment

Photo: Fire at a Providence bakery

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Sarah Archembault, an employee of Johansson's Bakery at the Arcade in downtown Providence, waits for the Providence firefighters to clear the scene after putting out a fire in an oven at the bakery this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:25 AM | Comment

To avoid shortage, state raises pay for lifeguards

To attract more lifeguards to Rhode Island beaches, the state decided to boost their hourly pay by more than 15 percent in some cases.

According to a salary restructuring plan endorsed by the governor, pay for the guards this summer will range between $9.25 and $11.75 per hour, depending on experience and seniority, up from $8 to $10.50 last year.

The Department of Environmental Management has announced the raises, noting that it has been difficult in recent years to find enough guards -- around 150 are needed each year -- because of a strong economy and lagging salary rates.

DEM is actively recruiting to fill its complement of lifeguards for the upcoming season, and still needs to fill several lifeguard positions in critical areas, including Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, Beach Pond at the Arcadia Management Area in Exeter, Lincoln Woods in Lincoln, and World War II Memorial State Park in Woonsocket.

Lifeguard positions all require certification and special training in first aid, CPR, and senior lifesaving. DEM will administer both conditional surf and non-surf lifeguard certification tests beginning next month.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:25 AM | Comment

Doctor's sex-assault trial resumes today

WARWICK -- The trial of a Kent Hospital anesthesiologist accused of sexually assaulting a patient during surgery will resume this morning.

Superior Court Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg dismissed the jury yesterday, halting the proceedings to determine whether a witness had tainted the jury.

Russel J. Aubin, 40, of Jamestown, is accused of fondling a patient during a knee surgery at Kent Hospital in December 2004. He has argued that anesthesia could have caused her to hallucinate the incident.

Thunberg spent most of yesterday questioning each juror in her chambers after a former anesthesiologist, Kathleen C. Hittner, testified that she didn't think the victim had hallucinated -- speculation on her part that nearly caused a mistrial.

The trial resumes at 10:30 this morning at Kent County Superior Court.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:04 AM | Comment

"Oil Can" won't play for Nashua, N.H., team after all

NASHUA, N.H. -- Former Red Sox pitcher Dennis ``Oil Can'' Boyd won't be playing with the Nashua Pride after all.

The team has voided an agreement with Boyd to play this season, less than a week after announcing a tentative deal last week. The deal was contingent on a favorable resolution to Boyd's legal problems in Mississippi, where he has been indicted on charges he threatened his former girlfriend and her son

Pride manager Butch Hobson said the minor-league team decided to void its agreement with the former East Providence resident after Hobson reviewed the indictment.

-- The Associated Press with information from the Nashua Telegraph

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:17 AM | Comment

Good news: No snow today

PROVIDENCE -- Snow is not in today's forecast.

That's right. After parts of Rhode Island saw a dusting of April snow yesterday (while the Red Sox were playing baseball in the Texas heat), today's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high near 52 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass.

Fans who plan to attend tonight's Pawtucket Red Sox opening game should bundle up. The temperature will drop to 37 degrees, the weather service says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

April 5, 2006

R.I.'s Vieira poised to replace Couric on Today

Rhode Island native Meredith Vieira is considered the front-runner to replace Today show host Katie Couric, who today announced plans to become the next CBS Evening News anchor.

Vieira currently hosts the TV shows The View and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Vieira started her career as a news announcer for WORC-Radio in Worcester, Mass., in 1975. Next, she worked as a television reporter and anchor for WJAR-TV in Providence.

Journal TV writer Andy Smith will have more tomorrow on projo.com and in The Providence Journal ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment

Mall guard fired after exchange with TV reporter

A spokesman for Allied Barton Security Services confirmed this afternoon that the company has fired a Providence Place mall security guard accused of threatening a television reporter yesterday.

Channel 6 reporter James Hummel and cameraman John Guice filed a complaint today against the guard and a parking attendant who tried to block the news team from filming a security vehicle dangling from the mall parking garage's fourth floor.

The security guard -- whose name has not been released -- allegedly threatened the television reporter, according to Hummel's statement to police. "Sometime when I don't have this uniform on and you don't have that camera and I run into you, you're dead. I will kill you,'' the security guard said, according to Hummel.

Providence police are investigating the incident.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:49 PM | Comment

Treasurer joins AG in bid to reduce judge's pension

PROVIDENCE -- State General Treasurer Paul Tavares joined Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch in filing a complaint today in Superior Court urging the judiciary to reduce the pension of embattled former traffic judge Marjorie Yashar.

Yashar's pension was established at $120,310, though some state officials believe the figure improperly included eight months of unpaid leave -- a move that boosted her pension by more than $38,000 annually for life.

Today, Lynch and Tavares filed their complaint in Superior Court, asking a judge to rule that her pension should be based on actual service of less than 20 years.

"Plaintiffs further seek a declaration that defendant Yashar's pension be reduced ... and that she be ordered to repay the state any overpayments she has received from the date of her retirement to the date her pension is properly reduced," reads the filing.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:33 PM | Comment

TV reporter files complaint against mall guard

PROVIDENCE -- Channel 6 reporter James Hummel and cameraman John Guice filed a criminal complaint today against a Providence Place security guard and parking attendant whom they accused of pushing their TV camera and threatening.

The group exchanged words during an argument yesterday over whether Hummel and his cameraman could stand on a sidewalk while a security car dangled from the fourth floor of the mall garage.

Hummel alleges in his complaint that the Allied Barton Security Services guard threatened to kill him. "Sometime when I don't have this uniform on and you don't have that camera and I run into you, you're dead. I will kill you,'' the security guard said, according to Hummel's complaint.

At another point during the exchange, the complaint says, a parking garage employee told the cameraman to stop recording.

"After we told him 'no,' he grabbed the camera and shoved it while John was looking through the viewfinder and attempting to videotape," Hummel wrote.

Aside from the alleged death threat, much of the exchange was caught on tape, which was given to police when Hummel filed the complaint.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:49 PM | Comment

Weather concerns delay bridge demolition

Demolition teams require three successive days of good weather to destroy the old Jamestown Bridge.

State officials announced today that the demolition planned for next Tuesday has been postponed for a week because forecasts are calling for poor weather. And they warned that further delays may be follow.

The state "knows that this demolition is anxiously anticipated, but weather and safety have been, and will continue to be, factors in taking the old Jamestown Bridge down," said Department of Transportation Director James R. Capaldi in a statement.

Demolition experts require "three continuous good weather days" to go forward with the controlled detonation of 350 explosive charges that will dismantle the old bridge.

Authorities will divert traffic from the new Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge for about four hours on the morning of the demolition -- now planned for Tuesday, April 18. Motorists are urged to avoid the area.

Read more about the project, in a Sunday Providence Journal story...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:32 PM | Comment

Demolition of old Jamestown Bridge postponed

Demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge has been postponed for a week.

The demolition was scheduled for next Tuesday with a controlled detonation of 350 explosive charges, but now won't happen until April 18, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Weather was cited as a reason for the postponement.

-- Journal staff writer Arthur Gregg Sulzberger

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:03 PM | Comment

R.I. youths speak out on Kick Butts Day / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Codi Ethier, a senior at Chariho High School in Richmond, and a Teen as Teacher, talks to students at Chariho Middle School about making decisions about the use of tobacco.

Youth leaders and educators planned events throughout the day to celebrate the 11th annual Kick Butts Day, which is sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

At Chariho Middle School, students from the high school group Teens as Teachers taught decision-making skills about tobacco. Students wrote their feelings about tobacco on a “graffiti wall.”

At the state Capitol, youths planned to display 1,200 empty pairs of shoes to symbolize the 1,200 Americans who die every day because of tobacco use. At Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Providence, soccer team players from Brown University and Lifespan Community Health staff planned to hold a rally for fourth- and fifth-graders.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:32 PM | Comment

Johnston mayor to deliver state of the town address

Johnston Mayor William R. Macera plans to make his seventh annual state of the town address at 7 tonight in the Johnston Municipal Court.

In this election year, there’s plenty to talk about in Johnston. As Donald Trump is seeking to bring a casino to town, the Town Council is poised to meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Court to consider ratifying a “letter of intent” related to the gaming proposal.

Town and school leaders also face a school deficit, at a time when the high school just got word that it will maintain its accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The school had fought since July to convince the association not to pull its accreditation.

Macera’s talk will be televised on Cox Cable at a date to be set. Residents can call the mayor’s office, at 553-8800, next week to find out when it will air.

The talk will also be posted on the town’s Web page tomorrow.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:25 PM | Comment

Workshop to dig up giant pumpkin-growing secrets

Scott Palmer nearly squashed the world record last year. The Coventry farmer won top honors (and $3,500) at the 12th Annual Rhode Island Giant Pumpkin Championship with a pumpkin that weighed 1,443 pounds (the world record was 1,446 pounds).

The state Department of Environmental Management hopes to entice more Rhode Islanders to shoot for the world record this year.

DEM has announced a giant pumpkin-growing workshop for April 15.

The event, which will include exhibits and a question and answer period, will be held at Frerichs Farm on Kinnicut Avenue in Warren, beginning at 1 p.m. Many of New England's top giant pumpkin growers will be on hand to share their secrets. Free seeds will be available.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:07 PM | Comment

Bishop to lead 'rosary for life' tonight at RIC

PROVIDENCE -- The bishop of Providence will lead a student right-to-life group tonight in an evening of prayer at Rhode Island College.

The student group, called RIC 4 Life, is hosting the Rosary for Life, led by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.

The event will be at 7 p.m., regardless of the weather, at the school's Quad. It's been approved by the college and is open to all, according to the diocese.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:50 PM | Comment

Norovirus sickened school-dance attendees

The state Department of Health has confirmed that norovirus is what sickened about 20 Cumberland parents and schoolchildren who attended a father-daughter dance last weekend.

Norovirus is very contagious when people come into contact with vomit or feces of an infected person, the Health Department said. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and low-grade fever.

The Health Department began investigating after receiving complaints Sunday from people who attended the dance at the Bocce Club Restaurant in Woonsocket on Friday night. The dance was organized by the Parent Teacher Organization at the Cumberland Hill Elementary School.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:28 PM | Comment

Doctor's trial on hold as judge queries jurors

WARWICK -- A judge wants to know what impact an expert witness's testimony had on jurors in a sexual assault trial against a former Kent Hospital anesthesiologist.

In agreeing to a request from Dr. Russel J. Aubin's lawyer, Judge Melanie W. Thunberg said she would question each juror about yesterday's testimony from Dr. Kathleen C. Hittner, a veteran Rhode Island anesthesiologist and the president and CEO of Miriam Hospital, in Providence.

The trial was abruptly halted yesterday when Aubin's lawyer, Robert D. Mann, objected to an answer from Hittner.

Mann said he initially requested a mistrial during a meeting in the judge's chambers, but decided against pursuing that request today. He instead asked the judge to question the jurors to determine how much Hittner's testimony had influenced them.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

During cross-examination yesterday, Mann asked Hittner about an article in a medical journal about a patient who reported sexual hallucinations while sedated. While hallucinations might be a side effect of drugs used in anesthesia, Hittner said, "in my professional opinion, that is not what is responsible in this particular case we're talking about today."

That prompted Mann's objection. Thunberg told the jurors to disregard the statement and stopped the trial.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:56 AM | Comment

Nurse to sign up for medical marijuana program

PROVIDENCE -- A nurse with multiple sclerosis who worked to pass the state’s new medical marijuana bill planned to turn in her paperwork to register for the program this morning at the state Department of Health.

Nurse Rhonda O’Donnell planned to join another patient who worked to pass the bill, Warren Dolbashian, and the bill sponsor, Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, according to the organization the Marijuana Policy Project.

At 11 a.m., they were set to meet at the main entrance of the Health Department, 3 Capitol Hill in Providence.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:24 AM | Comment

Defense may seek mistrial in doctor's sex-assault case

WARWICK -- After an abrupt halt to the trial yesterday, a hearing was scheduled this morning in the case of a former Kent Hospital anesthesiologist accused of fondling a patient during her surgery.

The defense in the case of Dr. Russel J. Aubin appeared likely to ask the judge for a mistrial after defense lawyer Robert B. Mann objected yesterday during testimony by an expert witness for the prosecution.

The hearing was to begin at 10 a.m.

Read more in today’s Journal.

More to come on projo.com...

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:21 AM | Comment

Photo: Spring snow

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Angela Harnois of Harrisville brushes snow from her car this morning so that she can take her sister to a doctor's appointment. She had to use her hand, because she put away her snow brush last week. The National Weather Service is calling for periods of snow before 1 p.m. and then rain.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:12 AM | Comment

Tax debate today: Good or bad?

PROVIDENCE -- A debate on taxes is set to take place today before the General Assembly's Permanent Joint Committee on Economic Development.

The committee is expected to meet from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Senate Lounge at the State House.

Experts from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and the Poverty Institute of Rhode Island will offer views at the opposite end of the spectrum.

The hearing will be televised live by the General Assembly’s Capitol TV and can be viewed on Channel 15 by Cox Cable and FullChannel subscribers.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:49 AM | Comment

EMC collaborates with Japanese company

TOKYO -- NEC Corp. and the U.S. data storage company EMC Corp. are expanding their partnership to work together in developing, making and selling future data storage technologies and products, the companies said Wednesday.

Japanese electronics maker NEC and EMC, based in Hopkinton, Mass., will license technologies from each other for new products made by both companies, they said.

They plan to develop jointly ways to manage and store data to help customers better address regulatory compliance and security to sell them globally, especially in Japan.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:46 AM | Comment

Gay marriage debate in House today

Supporters and detractors plan to testify today before the House Judiciary Committee on legislation that would allow same-sex marriage in Rhode Island.

The committee will meet around 4:30 p.m. in Room 313 of the State House.

The bill removes gender-specific language from the section of the state’s general laws that governs eligibility for marriage.

According to the organization Marriage Equality RI, the legislation has never been voted on in the 10 years it has been introduced.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:40 AM | Comment

Safety on agenda for fishing show in Providence

PROVIDENCE - Commerical fishermen and others from the industry will gather at the Rhode Island Convention Center today for Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic, the largest and longest-running East Coast commercial fishing show, according to its organizers.

The show will feature workshops on industry trends and safety, including a safey drill.

It runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow. Admission is $20.

For more information, check the show's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:16 AM | Comment

Snowy in Burrillville, more to come elsewhere

It’s snowing in Burrillville and has been for about an hour, a police dispatcher in the heart of town said at 6:40 this morning. Nothing was sticking at that point, but look out.

The National Weather Service is predicting scattered snow showers throughout northern Connecticut and northern Rhode Island during the morning commute. A coating of an inch or two of snow may accumulate on grassy surfaces and car tops until about 10 a.m.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:56 AM | Comment

Mrs. Carcieri returns to the classroom

PROVIDENCE -- First Lady Suzanne O. Carcieri will return to her teaching roots today as a guest teacher at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, where she will discuss the danger of alcohol abuse.

Mrs. Carcieri, a former science teacher, will teach two 6th grade science classes, starting at 9:15 a.m. and 10:12 a.m.

Mrs. Carcieri is a member of the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a coalition of governor's spouses dedicated to preventing alcohol abuse among 9-to-15-year-olds.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:50 AM | Comment

April 4, 2006

Latest forecast: April (snow) showers likely

Just when you thought winter was over...

Snow showers are expected overnight and may persist until about 10 a.m. tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service.

And it will be cold. Temperatures will fall to around freezing tonight, and a stiff breeze may bring the wind chill to much colder. Wind gusts may reach 28 mph.

Snow showers may change to rain later tomorrow as temperatures climb to the high 40s.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:54 PM | Comment

Election board to appeal ruling on GOP probe

PROVIDENCE -- The state Board of Elections will ask the state Supreme Court to overturn a recent ruling that barred the board from investigating an allegation that the Republican Party and Governor Carcieri's campaign violated election law in 2002.

The board voted unanimously this afternoon to appeal Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato's decision to the Supreme Court.

Fortunato last week said that the board's years-long failure to make it clear to candidates and political organizations what they can and can't do and how the board would handle violations meant that the investigation trampled on the First Amendment and due process rights of the Republicans.

The underlying question of the case is whether the Republicans did anything wrong in 2002, when the state party got $250,000 from the Republican National Committee and used part of it to finance a pro-Carcieri TV commercial.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:30 PM | Comment

Alternative rock band LIVE to play Lupo's

LIVE, whose new album, "Songs from Black Mountain," is to released April 18, will appear at Lupo's in Providence at 7:30 p.m. April 22.

Advance tickets are $30 (with limited reserved seats at $38.50); they go on sale tomorrow at noon at the box office, at ticketmaster.com or by calling (401) 331-2211.

LIVE is an alternative-rock band that peaked in the 1990s with top 10 singles such as "I Alone," "Lightning Crashes," and "All Over You."

Posted by at 5:04 PM | Comment

Rally against minimum drug sentences postponed

PROVIDENCE -- A rally planned for today to criticize the state's mandatory minimum drug sentences has been postponed.

The organizers, of the Providence nonprofit group Direct Action for Rights and Equity, rescheduled the event for Thursday at 3:30 p.m. outside the State House.

The group had hoped to hold the event today, on the anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, to highlight the ways mandatory minimum sentencing fuels racial disparities in the state's prison population.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:34 PM | Comment

Administrator welcomes review of Yashar pension

PROVIDENCE -- The administrator of the Rhode Island judiciary said this afternoon that he welcomes a Superior Court review of the decision to grant former Traffic Tribunal Associate Judge Marjorie R. Yashar a full pension.

The move was sharply criticized by the governor and lawmakers who argued that Yashar's eight months of unpaid leave should not have counted toward the pension. In following the standard protocol for determining court pensions, Court Administrator J. Joseph Baxter included the eight months, boosting Yashar's pension from $81,650 to $120,310.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch plans to ask a Superior Court judge tomorrow to interpret the law as it pertains to Yashar’s pension.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:14 PM | Comment

Police seek man in bank-surveillance photo

CRANSTON -- The police today released a photo of a man they are trying to identify in connection with the robbery of a Sovereign Bank branch on March 8.

The 555 Reservoir Ave. branch was robbed that day by a man who passed a note demanding money to a teller, the police said.

Two days later, the man in the photo walked into the same branch, wearing a glove on one hand and carrying a slip of paper, said Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar. The image was taken from a bank surveillance camera.

The same teller who was robbed two days’ previously recognized the man, who wore a parka with a fur-trimmed hood, Blackmar said. The two made eye contact, and the man fled the office, Blackmar said.

So far, the police have been unable to identify the man. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 942-2211.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary Mider

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:01 PM | Comment

Group criticizes mandatory minimum drug sentences

PROVIDENCE -- Community leaders and legislators were to meet at the State House this afternoon to criticize mandatory minimum drug sentences.

Since the sentencing policy was enacted in the 1980s, Rhode Island's minority populations have been disproportionately penalized, contends Direct Action for Rights and Equality, a Providence nonprofit organization hosting today's press conference.

The group decided to hold an event, on the anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, to highlight the ways mandatory minimum sentencing fuels racial disparities in the state's prison population, according to a statement.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment

Sovereign to open call center in New Bedford

Sovereign Bancorp said today it will open a new call center in New Bedford, Mass., this summer to handle increased call volume expected following the purchase of a New York City bank.

The call center will employ more than 100 people and is expected to open in June, said the parent company of Sovereign Bank.

Sovereign will locate the new facility in the former headquarters of Seacoast Financial Services Corp., the holding company of the former CompassBank acquired by Sovereign in 2004.

Posted by at 3:15 PM | Comment

Victim's father to push tougher sexual-predator penalties in R.I.

PROVIDENCE -- Mark Lunsford's daughter was raped and killed in Florida by a sexual predator last year.

This afternoon, Lunsford will testify before two legislative committees at the State House, urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would strengthen penalties for sexual predators and provide more safeguards for the community.

Lunsford serves as president of the Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation. He has led efforts nationwide to pass laws that would give police better tools to capture sexual predators, imprison them for 25 years or more, and protect the community through notification and electronic monitoring.

Lunsford will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at around 4:30 p.m. and later testify at the House Health, Education, Welfare Committee.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:14 PM | Comment

Senate panel to debate governor's education budget

The Senate Finance Committee expects today to discuss Governor Carcieri’s proposal to increase state aid to local school districts by $41 million next year.

The 3 p.m. committee hearing will be held in the Senate Lounge.

The governor's budget proposal represents the highest increase in local education aid in six years, according to the governor’s office.

The committee will also hear testimony on the governor’s proposal to increase the state share of pension costs for local teachers, from the current 40 percent to 50 percent in the 2008 fiscal year.

Read earlier Journal articles about Carcieri’s education priorities for next year:
March 15, March 10 and Feb. 8.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:55 PM | Comment

W. Warwick Marine had just started 2nd tour in Iraq

Marine Cpl. Brian St. Germain had been back in Iraq for about two months when he was killed, according to his family.

St. Germain, a former track star for West Warwick High School, worked as a mechanic for the Marines, according to his uncle, Terrence Adamo, who spoke to The Journal this afternoon at St. Germain's mother's home in West Warwick, where family members were gathered.

He initially joined in 2002, after a brief stint at the University of Rhode Island, and began his second tour of duty in February. St. Germain liked the Marines and planned to re-enlist for another four years, Adamo said.

The 22-year-old Marine died Sunday when the vehicle in which he was riding rolled over in Al Anbar Province during a flash flood.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Read the full story ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:38 PM | Comment

Reading celebration at State House today

Books Are Wings, a program whose goal is to put a book in the hands of every Rhode Island child, will celebrate reading at the State House this afternoon.

One hundred children from Cranston plan to join program founder Rep. Elizabeth M. Dennigan, D-East Providence and Pawtucket, in the State House Rotunda.

The program has distributed more than 200,000 books throughout the state.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:27 PM | Comment

Free health-care career fair today

WARWICK -- More than a dozen health-care companies are at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick today looking for employees in the nursing and allied health fields.

The career fair, free to job seekers, is open noon to 5 p.m. and is sponsored by The Providence Journal.

Job hunters should bring a hard copy of their resumes for free distribution to all participating companies and for immediate posting on projo.com’s resume center.

For a full list of exhibitors, go online to www.projo.com/jobcenter.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:57 PM | Comment

Debate over traffic judge's pension heading to court

PROVIDENCE -- The debate over former Traffic Tribunal Judge Marjorie R. Yashar’s pension now heads to the courts.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch plans to ask a Superior Court judge tomorrow to interpret the law as it pertains to Yashar’s pension.

Lynch’s staff has determined that the eight months Yashar spent on unpaid leave do not make her eligible to receive a pension equal to 100 percent of her final salary. State Court Administrator J. Joseph Baxter has a different interpretation. He says that judges’ pensions are based solely on their hire and retirement dates.

To clarify the situation, Lynch will seek a declaratory ruling from a judge tomorrow, according to his spokesman, Michael J. Healey. A hearing is expected to be scheduled at a later date.

The Providence Journal reported last week that by getting credit for eight months of unpaid leave, Yashar’s annual pension was boosted from $81,650 to $120,310. The pension comes with a 3-percent annual cost-of-living increase.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:45 PM | Comment

URI postpones today's softball, baseball games

The University of Rhode Island has announced that a softball double header, scheduled for 2 p.m. against Boston University; and a baseball game, scheduled for 3 p.m. against Central Connecticut, have been postponed due to the weather. Both games were to have been played in Kingston. The make-up dates have not been annouced.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:06 PM | Comment

Brown senior dies in Peru rafting accident

A Brown University senior, who was poised to graduate next month, has drowned in a rafting accident while traveling in Peru, according to university officials.

Alison Michener, whose parents live in Pasadena, Calif., died Friday, according to a letter e-mailed to the university community by Dean of the College Paul Armstrong and David A. Greene, vice president for campus life and student services.

Another passenger on the raft also reportedly drowned when the raft capsized, but university spokeswoman Molly de Ramel said the university has no information about that person.

Armstrong and Greene have said they will share information with the university community as it becomes available about any memorial services for Michener. Nothing is planned yet. Counseling is available for Michener's friends on campus, de Ramel said.

A close friend of Michener's from Brown was also in the raft and survived the accident, officials said. De Ramel has not released that student’s name.

Armstrong and Greene described Michener as “an exceptionally talented student,” who was scheduled to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology next month.

Michener was writing a senior thesis on bacteria populations in marine waters. She had hoped to earn a Ph.D. in biology and direct research projects that would improve the lives of others, officials reported.

Born in Colorado, Michener later moved to Pasadena with her parents, Stuart and Nancy Michener, who still live there.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:37 PM | Comment

W. Warwick Marine died in flash flood in Iraq

Cpl. Brian St. Germain, a 22-year-old Marine from West Warwick, died in Iraq on Sunday, the victim of a single-vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province.

Governor Carcieri released a statement just after noon today offering the first details of the circumstances surrounding the West Warwick High School graduate's death.

According to the statement, the Marine Corps said St. Germain was a passenger in a "Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement" that was caught in a flash flood and rolled over.

This was his second tour in Iraq.

St. Germain was meritoriously promoted to corporal during his first tour, according to the governor's statement.

He was an active-duty Marine attached to the 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force .

School Supt. David Raiche said earlier today that St. Germain was the first West Warwick graduate to die in Iraq.

Carcieri has ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff in St. Germain's honor.

More to come on projo.com ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:37 PM | Comment

Photo: Security vehicle breaks through garage barrier at Providence mall

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

A Providence Place security vehicle hangs over the side of the 4th floor parking garage on the promenade side of the mall at about 11:15 this morning. The accident happened at 10:45 a.m. while a mall security officer was on mobile patrol in the garage, according to a statement from the mall. The driver, Ramon LaBoy, 22, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital when he complained of neck pain. He will probably be held overnight for observation, said Rubin Lawrence, a spokesman for Allied-Barton Security Services. Lawrence said the security company is investigating whether a mechanical malfunction caused the accident.

-- With reports from the Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:16 PM | Comment

West Warwick Marine killed in Iraq

A 22-year-old Marine from West Warwick has been killed in Iraq.

Brian St. Germain was a 2001 West Warwick High School graduate, according to school Supt. David Raiche. He was the first from the school to die in Iraq, Raiche said.

The school has also released a statement regarding St. Germain's death.

More to come on projo.com ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:26 AM | Comment

Providence teen jumps out window to escape fire

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Providence firefighters douse a blaze this morning at 104 Robinson Street. Nineteen-year-old Michael Allen, who was asleep when the fire started, jumped from his second-floor bedroom window to escape injury. His mother and brother were also home and were not injured. Fire officials said the fire was started by a candle left burning

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:22 AM | Comment

Photo: Walking dogs in the fog

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Joaquim Fonseca walks his employer's dogs at Prospect Park in Providence this morning in the fog. For dogs Phoebe, left, and Simon and Mac, walking is part of their daily routine no matter what the weather. They could be walking through snow tomorrow. The National Weather Service is predicting a chance of snow showers tonight and tomorrow morning. Where did last week's spring weather go?

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:28 AM | Comment

Brown has record number of applicants

Brown University had a record number of applications this year, partly because it has spent the past two years recruiting low- and moderate-income students in about 100 U.S. cities, Dean of Admission James Miller said.

The university accepted 13.8 percent (or 2,523) of the record 18,313 applicants for admission to the Class of 2010, spokeswoman Deborah Goldstein said.

-- Bloomberg News

Brown switched to a need-blind admission policy four years ago, Miller said. About 41 percent of the university’s 5,750 undergraduates receive an average aid package of $24,000, he said.

“Now that we have a need-blind policy, everybody comes through the front door,” Miller said. “The family’s ability to pay doesn’t influence admissions decisions.”

Brown is not alone. Ivy League schools are receiving a record number of applications this year.

The number of U.S. high school graduates may rise 10 percent to 3.2 million in the 2013-2014 school year, up from 2.9 million in 2001-2002, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:20 AM | Comment

Mascot urges kids to play nice

There’s an elephant in town today, and he’s talking to kids about playing nice on the ball field and being a good sport.

Packy PlayFair is a new mascot for good sportsmanship, and he plans to meet more than 300 students this morning at Providence’s George J. West Elementary School. At noon, he’ll visit patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and then at 4 p.m. he’ll put on an assembly at the YMCA located at 164 Broad St. in Providence.

Packy began a national educational tour last week in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:40 AM | Comment

Experts to discuss tourism trends

The Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association is holding its 3rd annual Economic Outlook Breakfast this morning, from 8 to 10 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Industry leaders are expected to provide an update on the economic status of the hospitality and tourism industry locally and nationally. A panel of experts will offer an in-depth look at trends and growth opportunities.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:28 AM | Comment

Car burns on Route 195

EAST PROVIDENCE -- A car involved in an accident on Route 195, East Providence, caught fire early this morning.

Police officers were nearby, and a fire engine and an ambulance were rushing toward the car on Route 195 East shortly before 6:30 a.m.

The front of the car was heavily damaged, and fire was leaping from its engine compartment. The car appeared to be empty.

A dispatcher for fire and rescue in East Providence said police officers and firefighters were still on Route 195 at about 6:45 a.m. She said several cars were involved, and the accident was affecting traffic.

No more information was available.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:58 AM | Comment

Weather service: Go slow on roads today

Rain. That’s what today has in store for us.

The rain should continue through most of the morning commute and will be heavy at times, accumulating on roads and in poor drainage areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service is urging drivers to keep driving speeds down to avoid hydroplaning with the morning’s rain.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:56 AM | Comment

April 3, 2006

Post-dance stomach bug spurs Health Dept. warning

State health officials are investigating a cluster of stomach problems that followed a father and daughter dance held Friday night in Woonsocket.

It is unclear exactly how many people have been affected with the illness that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low-grade fever, but the state Department of Health received enough complaints to issue a public warning today.

The father and daughter dance was sponsored by the Cumberland Hill Elementary School and held at the Bocce Club.

Anyone who attended the event who is experiencing symptoms is encouraged to seek medical care. The Health Department urged those affected to stay home if they work at child-care facilities, restaurants, or in a health-care setting.

State officials have yet to identify the cause of the illnesses.

Those who attended another event at the Woonsocket club the following day have not reported any negative health effects.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:58 PM | Comment

Fire damages former Masonic temple in Burrillville

BURRILLVILLE -- Fire crews spent much of the afternoon battling a three-alarm fire that damaged a former Masonic temple on Chapel Street today.

The building's owner, Guy Lima, had spent much of the winter converting the old temple into apartments.

No one was hurt in the afternoon blaze reported at about 2:15 p.m., but it snarled traffic and caused power outages to many area residents.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which began in the attic, but do not believe it to be suspicious.

-- With reports by Journal staff writer Talia Buford

The building was fully insured, Lima said in an afternoon interview, but he’d already invested between $80,000 and $100,000 into construction. He planned to convert the building into two floors of apartments, with a business space on the bottom floor, he said.

The building can be salvaged, Lima said, but the blaze set back the construction process indefinitely.

-- With reports by Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:50 PM | Comment

Teens in Glocester car crash identified

GLOCESTER -- Police have identified three teenage boys hospitalized earlier today after a car crash on Chestnut Hill Road.

The driver, Kyle Brodeur, 17, of Chopmist Hill Road, was initially trapped in the wreckage. Once removed, he was airlifted to the UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. Police could not comment on the extent of his injuries.

Both passengers -- Nathaniel Rogler, 16, of Douglas Hook Road, and Stephen Lataash, 16, of Terrace Drive -- were able to leave the car after the accident. They are being treated at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence.

The car was travelling east when Brodeur lost control, hitting a tree with the driver's side, according to his police.

-- With reports by Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:42 PM | Comment

Evans to recommend closing Bishop Middle School

PROVIDENCE -- Schools Supt. Donnie Evans will recommend closing the Nathan Bishop Middle School at tonight's School Board meeting, a move expected to draw praise from concerned East Side residents.

If the board approves Evans' recommendation, the school would close its doors at the end of this semester. The superintendent has a complicated plan to deal with the 260 sixth, seventh, and eight graders planning to attend the school next fall.

Evans detailed his plan in an afternoon interview with The Journal.

Tonight's meeting location has also been changed, from the School Board's office to Classical High School. It will start at 6 p.m.

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:26 PM | Comment

Lawyers' payment in lead-paint case debated

PROVIDENCE -- A private law firm that won the state's lawsuit against former lead paint makers stands to win millions of dollars after a jury found three companies liable for creating a public nuisance.

But the paint companies say the state's contract to pay the lawyers was unconstitutional.

Lawyers for both sides appeared in the state Supreme Court today to argue over the contract -- which gave private law firms more than 16 percent of what the state receives in the case. The clean-up costs could reach billions of dollars, depending on what a judge decides.

The manufacturers argued the deal created a financial incentive -- and the private lawyers should have been paid on an hourly basis or in some other way that was not connected to the outcome of the case.

The state says the contract was legal.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:39 PM | Comment

Updated: Hearing delayed for driver accused in hit-run

PROVIDENCE -- A probation violation hearing for the North Smithfield woman facing charges after a fatal hit-and-run accident in Glocester last month was continued today until April 24, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Lori J. Benoit will continue to be held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston until her next Superior Court hearing, Healey said.

At Benoit’s request, her lawyer, John D. Lynch Jr., asked the court to continue the hearing until a later date, Healey said. The state did not object.

Benoit has been charged with crashing her car into a group of friends at about 1 a.m. on March 18, killing Robert George, 36, of Glocester, and Jason Roy, 36, of Rehoboth, Mass., and injuring three others.

The state is seeking to have Benoit held at the ACI for two years for violating the terms of an earlier court matter, Healey said.

"Given the seriousness of the new allegations against her, we think it's appropriate," he added.

Benoit pleaded no contest in February 2005 to charges of cocaine possession, obstructing a police officer, disorderly conduct and simple assault. She received suspended sentences and probation.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:20 PM | Comment

3 teens hurt in Glocester car crash / Photo

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Glocester Police Sgt. Matthew Fague and Patrolman David Hebert look around the car that a teen driver crashed into the woods off Chestnut Hill Road.

GLOCESTER -- One teenage boy has been airlifted to the UMass Memorial Medical Center and two others are being treated at Hasbro Children's Hospital following a car crash this afternoon.

Police have not released the names of the teens, all males either 16 or 17 years old. Nor would they confirm whether they were students at the nearby Ponaganset High School.

Their car was travelling east on Chestnut Hill Road when the driver lost control and hit a tree at about 2 p.m., around the same time school let out.

-- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:20 PM | Comment

Coventry policeman in fatal shooting ID'd

COVENTRY -- The Police Department today identified the officer who fatally shot a 24-year-old man in the front yard of his mother’s house as Officer Kevin P. Nolan, 29.

Police Chief Brian O’Rourke said the 11-year-veteran was on administrative leave at his home.

O’Rourke also said the victim, Timothy Gileau, was not living at his mother’s house at 10 Lowell St. where the incident took place early Saturday morning.

O’Rourke said, “We have a couple of addresses,” but he did not elaborate.

Police said officers responding to a complaint of a domestic disturbance fired at Gileau when he came at them swinging a crowbar.

-- Journal staff writer Peter Elsworth

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:11 PM | Comment

Sox' Ortiz hits first HR of season

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has hit the first home run of the season for his team.

In the fifth inning, with one man on base, Ortiz hit a Kevin Millwood pitch over the fence to give Boston a 5-0 lead in their opener against the Texas Rangers.

Pitcher Curt Shilling is also having an excellent start, giving up just two hits and no runs through the first four innings against the potent Texas lineup.

Keep up with the rest of the game via projo.com's SoxBlog.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:46 PM | Comment

Board to decide Bishop middle school's fate tonight

PROVIDENCE -- The Providence School Board is poised to decide the fate of Nathan Bishop Middle School.

At tonight's meeting the board is expected to decide whether to convert the East Side middle school into a high school -- a plan that has angered many local residents who fear it may hurt the neighborhood.

The city has proposed the move to ease the crowding. Providence has 400 more high school students than the current buildings can handle. Nathan Bishop, the smallest of the city's nine middle schools, has 400 students that would be reassigned to other middle schools.

Tonight's meeting will be held at 6 o'clock at the Providence School Board, 797 Westminster St. It will begin with a public comment period.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:33 PM | Comment

Red Sox season under way

The Boston Red Sox have opened their 106th season on a sunny, mild afternoon in Arlington, Texas. Newly acquired center fielder Coco Crisp led off, and ended up taking a called strike three from Texas Rangers starter Kevin Millwood.

The Red Sox have a five-game opening day losing streak, the longest such slump in Major League Baseball. Their last win was in 2000, when Pedro Martinez shut down the Seattle Mariners. In club history, the Red Sox are 50-54-1 on opening day.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:10 PM | Comment

WBRU back in its original groove

Radio station WBRU is back to its regular alternative-rock format after an abrupt switch turned out to be an April Fool's hoax.

Last Friday, station DJ's were mournfully announcing that the station had changed management, and its Web site had posted a notice thanking listeners for the last 36 years, adding "we will miss you all." At 5 p.m., there was a brief blast of static and a new voice announced the new "Buddy FM."

Buddy FM was an eclectic-to-the-max mixture that played everything from Johnny Cash to Black Sabbath to the Village People.

That lasted until about noon Saturday, April 1, when rebellious DJs and a "crowd'' of incensed listeners -- actually recordings of crowd noise -- retook the station from its mysterious corporate masters and restored the old format.

-- Journal TV writer Andy Smith

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:38 PM | Comment

Middletown woman pleads no contest to assaulting aunt / Photo

Journal photo / Kris Craig
Evangeline "Lea" Henry talks with her lawyer, J. Terence Houlihan, about her change of plea to no contest.

NEWPORT -- In the midst of her trial on felony assault charges, a Middletown mother of three today pleaded no contest to attacking her elderly aunt with bleach in an incident that almost killed the 70-year-old woman.

The defendant, Evangeline "Lea" Henry, 45, of 64 Beagle Drive, Middletown, was serving as guardian for her aunt, Mary S. Goulios, at the time of the bleach attack which occurred on Dec. 15, 2004, at Goulios's apartment at the AHEPA House, elderly subsidized housing at 87 Girard Ave.

In a plea bargain with prosecutors, the defendant will face up to six years in prison in exchange for her admission of guilt.

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

In response to questioning by Superior Court Judge Edwin J. Gale, Henry, who stood weeping, said she accepted full responsibility for her actions.

As a result of her no contest plea to a charge of assault and battery on a person over 60 with serious bodily injury, the attorney general's office agreed to drop a second felony assault charge in connection with the same incident.

The judge scheduled sentencing for May 30.

Prosecutors announced in court that prior to the sentencing, they plan to bring another felony charge accusing Henry of embezzling her aunt's money while serving as her guardian.

Henry has already repaid her aunt about $20,000, but prosecutors said after court, they will be seeking additional restitution from her.

Henry was removed as her guardian after the bleach attack. Goulios is now living independently.

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:31 PM | Comment

Roger Clemens visits with Red Sox in Texas

Roger Clemens, back with the Red Sox?

The star pitcher planted that thought in many minds today when he spent more than an hour visiting with Boston players and team officials in the Sox clubhouse prior to the Opening Day game in Texas. Afterwards, Clemens told the media that while he hasn't decided where -- or even whether -- he'll pitch in 2006, some members of his family are warming to the idea of his returning to Boston, where he spent the first 13 years of his career before leaving after 1996. He said his wife, Deb, had ''tears in her eyes'' at the thought of going back to the Sox.

For more details, check the Red Sox blog.

-- Art Martone, with reports from Sean McAdam in Texas.

Posted by Art at 1:22 PM | Comment

Write-ins may affect Seekonk selectman's race

SEEKONK, Mass. -- Balloting began at noon for a Board of Selectman's race that could be decided by write-in ballots.

Two seats on the board are open, and the only two candidates on the ballot are incumbent Francis Venditti and newcomer John K. Turner. But Venditti's critics are waging a write-in campaign for incumbent John Whelan, who had decided to step down so he could run for state Rep. Philip Travis' seat in the fall.

Because there are no contested races on the ballot, turnout for the municipal elections would normally be extremely light. During the first half hour of voting, 35 residents had cast ballots in Town Hall, one of the four polling places. But an hour later, at the town library, only four people had voted.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Last week, Whelan, chairman of the Selectmen, endorsed the campaign. Yesterday, he and his supporters were urging voters to use pre-printed stickers to put Whelan's name in the write-in spot, and to vote for Turner as well.

Venditti, who was been running hard since getting wind of the write-in campaign, has cried foul and threatened a court challenge. But by late last week he had backed off from the threat.

The only other reason to go to the polls: two seats on the library board have no candidates on the ballot. Those two races will be decided by write-ins as well.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:17 PM | Comment

Photo: Building a bridge in Providence

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Workers swarm over a bridge support that has been erected for the relocation of Interstate 195 near the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier in Providence this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:34 PM | Comment

'Waterfront' wrapping up; 'Underdog' next

PROVIDENCE -- Filming for the CBS pilot Waterfront will wrap up today, just in time for many of the same camera crews and support personnel to move to a new project, the Disney movie Underdog.

Waterfront, a show about an ethically-challenged mayor played by Joe Pantoliano of The Sopranos, has been filming in Providence for the past two weeks. Trailers clogged alleys around City Hall last week. Mayor David N. Cicilline even loaned out his office.

Walt Disney Pictures will begin filming Underdog in Providence on Thursday. A popular children's TV cartoon series, Underdog ran during the '60s and early '70s.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:21 PM | Comment

CCRI hoop star stabbed

WEST WARWICK -- The star forward on the Community College of Rhode Island’s basketball team was stabbed in the abdomen during a house party in West Warwick yesterday morning, the police said.

Marvin Owens, 19, a sophomore who led the NJCAA Division II in scoring last season, sustained only superficial wounds, the police said. He was listed in good condition at Rhode Island Hospital at noon today.

The police went to a home at 5-7 Sisson Street at about 12:30 Sunday morning, after neighbors complained about a large party there, said police Sgt. Richard M. Ascoli. The party involved the mens’ and women’s CCRI basketball teams, and was breaking up when the police arrived, Ascoli said.

Inside, they found Owens suffering from the stab wounds. The police have no suspects and have not been able to get a clear picture of what happened, Ascoli said.

-- Zachary R. Mider

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:20 PM | Comment

Gavitt shoots into Basketball Hall of Fame

Dave Gavitt -- the Westerly native, former Providence College men's basketball coach and Big East Conference visionary -- has won election this morning to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Gavitt joins NBA stars Charles Barkley, Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkens; University of Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma; and Italian National Team coach Sandro Gamba as members of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2006. The new Hall of Famers will be enshrined during ceremonies Sept. 8 and 9 in Springfield, Mass.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:44 AM | Comment

Bay Queen will return, but with new manager

A 33-year tradition will continue on Narragansett Bay later this month when the Bay Queen resumes its dinner cruises out of Warren.

Capt. Luther H. Blount, the 89-year-old owner of the vessel, was unsure whether he could continue the operation, but he said today he found "a good fit" to manage it in Michael Ferreira, owner of Gillary's Night Club and Tavern in Bristol.

Blount, well-known as a shipbuilder, won't be acting as captain of the ship, but will still own the business.

He'll also still be able to see off many of his guests. He lives in a house near the departure gate, "so I have literally enjoyed seeing quite possibly a million guests over the years."

The Bay Queen Cruises office opens April 10, seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is already booking charters. Call 401-245-1350. The first trip is April 21.

Blount's shipyard also makes similar vessels for cruises in ports around the country. Last year, the Harbor Queen began operation out of Newport.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:34 AM | Comment

Photo: A proud new citizen

Photo / Mary Murphy

New citizen Titilayo Oluseun Omisore, right, poses for a photograph with her mother, Eunice Omisore, outside Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence this morning after Titilayo was sworn in as a new citizen. The Omisores are from Nigeria. Eunice is already a citizen. Five hundred Rhode Island residents from 70 nations became U.S. citizens in this morning's ceremony.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:08 AM | Comment

Ethics reform bill to be publicized today

PROVIDENCE -- An ethics reform bill that would mandate ethics training for all public officials will be announced this morning at 11 in the House Lounge at the State House.

Introduced at the request of Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty, the 2006 Public Accountability and Reform Act also would require greater disclosure by lobbyists and public officials and would increase penalties for ethics violations.

In touting the bill, Fogarty will be joined this morning by H. Philip West Jr., executive director of Common Cause of Rhode Island, and the legislators who introduced the House and Senate bills at Fogarty’s request – Sen. J. Michael Lenihan, D-East Greenwich, and Rep. Peter F. Kilmartin, D-Pawtucket.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:30 AM | Comment

Suspicious fire destroys closed Woonsocket bar

WOONSOCKET -- City firefighters are on the scene of a suspicious fire that destroyed the old O’Grady’s, a bar that has been closed for about two years, Fire Chief Henry Renaud said.

State and local fire marshals are investigating the fire that began around 6:10 this morning in the vacant building at 230 Bernon St., which includes an upstairs apartment.

Party Town, a party shop and banquet facility, is adjacent to the building. Out of fear that the fire could spread to that structure, the city’s entire fire crew responded – five engines, two ladders and two rescue trucks, Renaud said.

The fire began in the bar area and spread to the second floor. It took crews about 30 minutes to get it under control, Renaud said.

Renovations were being done on the building a couple of weeks ago, the chief said. He labeled the fire suspicious because the building is empty.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:18 AM | Comment

Official word due on Gavitt's hall of fame selection

An announcement is expected this afternoon that former Providence College coach and Big East commissioner Dave Gavitt has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Although the formal announcement isn't until later today, Journal sports columnist Jim Donaldson reported yesterday that Gavitt has won election.

Read Donaldson's Friday column on why Gavitt deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:10 AM | Comment

Photo: Morning run

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Teresa King of Providence gets in her morning run under blue skies at India Point Park this morning. The sky probably won't be as clear tomorrow morning. Rain is in tomorrow's forecast.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:46 AM | Comment

Gas prices up 10 cents

PROVIDENCE -- Gasoline prices jumped 10 cents per gallon in Rhode Island over the past week, the fifth consecutive week that prices have increased, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.56 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. It's the highest price since October.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:10 AM | Comment

N. Providence girl hurt in ATV-SUV collision

SCITUATE -- A 14-year-old North Providence girl was in the hospital with broken bones this morning after she drove out into traffic on a small all-terrain vehicle and collided with an SUV, town police said.

Scituate Police Sgt. Stephen Lang said today that the girl, who was not identified, had been driving the four-wheeler for the first time on a friend's property at 953 Danielson Pike.

She started going “really fast” and could not figure out how to stop the vehicle, Lang said. Yelling to her friends, asking how to stop the vehicle, she shot out into traffic and into the path of an oncoming Jeep Cherokee, Lang said.

She collided with the Jeep, the ATV flipped, and she became trapped under the Jeep.

Police are not releasing the name of the Jeep's driver, a 41-year-old Johnston resident, he was driving with his wife. No charges are being filed against him, Lang said.

Lang said the girl, who was not wearing a helmet, was in Hasbro Children’s Hospital with a broken collarbone, broken leg and a shattered ankle, according to her mother.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:30 AM | Comment

Students, R.I.'s senators to discuss world issues

PROVIDENCE -- Students from 11 Rhode Island high schools are visiting the State House today to discuss international problems with Rhode Island's two U.S. senators and others.

Students participating in Rhode Island's seventh annual Capitol Forum on America's Future will discuss issues such as international security, the environment and global economics with U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Lincoln Chafee.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:13 AM | Comment

Cloudy day, rainy night

Expect partly cloudy skies with a high near 57 today.

Tonight, there’s an 80 percent chance of rain, and we could see one-quarter to one-half inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:57 AM | Comment

500 in R.I. to become U.S. citizens today

PROVIDENCE -- Nearly 500 Rhode Island residents will take the oath to become U.S. citizens during a 9:30 a.m. citizenship ceremony today at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence.

The new citizens come from more than 70 nations, including the Dominican Republic, Senegal and Bulgaria.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:50 AM | Comment