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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