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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