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May 18, 2006

Judge: Bevilacqua doesn't have to pay probe costs

A federal appeals court says a judge overstepped her authority when she ordered Joseph A. Bevilacqua Jr. to pay the $152,247 cost of a special prosecutor's investigation into who leaked a videotape from Operation Plunder Dome.

U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi could have imposed a fine on Bevilacqua when she sentenced him to 18 months in prison on September 2005. But instead she ordered him to pay the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for "costs associated with the investigation and prosecution," the appeals court said today.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision yesterday, sending the matter back to Providence for a decision on whether Bevilacqua should now be fined.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

"The American legal tradition does not, absent specific statutory authority, require defendants to reimburse the government for the costs of their criminal investigations or their criminal prosecutions," Circuit Judge Sandra L. Lynch wrote in the 12-page opinion.

Bevilacqua, a prominent defense lawyer and son of the late Rhode Island Supreme Court chief justice, pleaded guilty to perjury and contempt of court for lying about his role in handing an undercover FBI videotape to Jim Taricani, an investigative reporter for Channel 10.

The tape showed Frank Corrente, a top aide to then-Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., taking a bribe, and it was key evidence at the Operation Plunder Dome corruption trials that put Corrente and Cianci behind bars.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:57 PM | Comment

Coast Guard, R.I. joining forces for coastal security

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri announced today that the Coast Guard and the state of Rhode Island have entered a maritime security partnership that will give state law enforcement agencies more authority in coastal areas and waterfront facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, R.I. law enforcement officers, working with the Coast Guard, will have the authority to stop and board vessels and take action against people violating federal safety and security zones.

"By strengthening the relationship between our state and local police departments and the U.S. Coast Guard, we have enhanced our ability to protect Rhode Island and to safeguard our citizens,” Carcieri said in a statement.

Carcieri will finalize the agreement with the Coast Guard tomorrow afternoon at the State House.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:48 PM | Comment

Biechele seeks work release; apology letters received

PROVIDENCE -- Daniel M. Biechele, sentenced last week in The Station fire case, has petitioned the court to allow him to leave prison periodically for work release.

The court also announced today that the Probation Department has received 100 handwritten apologies previously drafted by Biechele and will soon contact victims' families to distribute them.

Biechele, whose pyrotechnics ignited the nightclub fire, was sentenced to four years in prison last Wednesday. Today, his lawyers filed paperwork in Superior Court, saying that their client had received “an offer of employment that would permit him to continue in his usual occupation as a bookkeeper or accountant.”

State law allows prisoners in a minimum security facility at the Adult Correctional Institutions to qualify for work release. If granted by Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr., Biechele would be locked up only during non-working hours.

Biechele's motion does not indicate where he might be working. Darigan has yet to schedule a date to review the request.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:09 PM | Comment

Update: Clue to dead shark's fate may be found in tag

NEWPORT -- Scientists are studying a large, dead shark that washed up overnight on a Newport beach. Biologists say the 20-foot fish is a basking shark.

And a clue to what happened may be contained in a satellite tag attached to its fin.

The shark was tagged last year by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and the satellite transponder found on the corpse could provide months of information on its movements.

Greg Skomal, a shark specialist for the division, placed the $3,500 tag on the shark's dorsal fin in June about a mile off Martha's Vineyard. It was supposed to detach from the shark's dorsal fin after six months, float to the ocean's surface and transmit data to a satellite orbiting above. For unknown reasons, the tag never detached, Skomal said.

The device is being sent to its manufacturer whom Skomal hopes can tap into its data.

-- The Associated Press

Nancy Kohler, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says the shark feeds off plankton and is harmless to humans. They're found between Florida and Newfoundland in Canada.

She and her colleagues are studying the life cycle of basking sharks, and they performed a necropsy today to learn more about this fish.

While the shark was a female, Kohler says researchers aren't sure how old the fish was or what caused its death.

The basking shark is protected under a United Nations treaty called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, but it's not listed as an endangered species by the U.S. government.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:53 PM | Comment

Avian flu seminar planned for URI

The state Department of Environmental Management today announced plans to hold an avian flu seminar next week for Rhode Island poultry owners and wild bird organizations.

There will be lectures and panel discussions Monday evening at the University of Rhode Island focused on small farm and backyard poultry with emphasis on the role of wild birds in the spread of the disease.

Scientists have been worried about the possibility of an influenza pandemic sparked by a lethal strain of bird flu -- called H5N1 -- which has passed from birds to humans in Asia and Europe, killing about half the people known to have been infected.

Experts worry that the virus might mutate into one that is easily passed from person to person.

Those who attend the DEM seminar will receive updates on Asian bird flu, avian influenza in the United States, wild birds in Rhode Island, control and prevention of avian influenza, and state planning for a possible pandemic.

The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Chafee Building, Room 271, at URI's Kingston Campus. No registration is necessary.

Rhode Island business leaders met last month to prepare for a possible outbreak of the disease.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:26 PM | Comment

State police museum opens / Photo

Journal photo/ Mary Murphy
Peter M. Garofalo, of North Scituate, checks out the new Rhode Island State Police Museum, which opened today on the grounds of the state police headquarters in North Scituate. The museum's opening followed a memorial ceremony honoring police who've died in the last year.

NORTH SCITUATE -- The Rhode Island State Police have opened a new museum dedicated to the history of the state police force in the Ocean State.

Retired police officers say the memorabilia inside the museum brings back memories of their days of service. The two-story building houses old police equipment, photographs of uniforms and stories of special investigations.

The museum was dedicated this morning at an annual memorial service to remember fallen officers.

At the service, Governor Carcieri said the successes of the state police and law enforcement in Rhode Island were built on the sacrifices and services of those who went before. Seven state police officers have been killed in the line of duty since 1925.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:27 PM | Comment

BridgeBlog: Kaboom! 2nd detonation done / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
The 11:25 a.m. blast today took down the western and eastern girders and truss spans, as well as the top 50 feet of the center concrete piers.

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- With a loud roar, much of the remaining old Jamestown Bridge dropped into Narragansett Bay.

Red flashes were followed by a heavy cloud of smoke. Smoke poured off the water. People clapped.

"Wasn't that cool," somebody said.

It appeared that at least part of the western truss remained standing, while the eastern truss fell into the water.

The piece appears to be 200 to 300 feet of steel. DOT Director James Capaldi says he's unsure why the section didn't come down. He believes it can be taken down manually.

Crews set nearly 1,200 pounds of explosives in an effort to remove 2,200 feet of deck trusses and girder spans, as well as the top 50 feet of the two concrete piers that supported the former center section of the bridge.

Unlike the first explosion on April 18, there was no strong wind blowing, making it easier for viewers to watch without their eyes watering.

The adjacent Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge was closed for the demolition. By 1 p.m., it had re-opened, according to DOT Webcams.

-- projo.com's demolition correspondent Kate Bramson

A Utopian day for an explosion

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- On the sprawling green lawn of homeowners Kenneth and Dori D'Ambrosio, about 45 invited guests of the state Department of Transportation have gathered in the bright, warm sunlight to watch the explosion.

DOT officials, print reporters and television and radio crews are mingling with cameras lined up on tripods just behind a low stone wall at the edge of Narragansett Bay.

A white party tent sits on the lawn gleaming in the sun, almost silver looking from up on the hill where the house sits.

The second part of the demolition of the old Jamestown bridge is now expected to blast off between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m.

Crews are working to prepare the bridge for the blast that should remove 2,200 feet of deck trusses and girder spans, as well as the top 50 feet of the two concrete piers that supported the former center section of the bridge.

As they did for the April 18 explosion, the D'Ambrosios opened their yard as the official viewing area for the DOT and other state officials.

"They're just very generous and we thank them immensely because we couldn't do this without them," DOT spokeswoman Dana Nolfe said this morning.

The governor, who ceremoniously triggered the detonation last month, is not here today. He's in North Scituate for the dedication of the Rhode Island State Police Museum.

DOT Director James R. Capaldi is expected to address the crowd around 11:10 a.m., shortly before the blast.

Everyone is talking about the weather.

"Compared to what we've just gone through, this is Utopia for us," said Frank Corrao, deputy chief engineer for the DOT. "You don't get too many of these. Look. Not a cloud in the sky.".

A few minutes later, just a few fluffy, white clouds were starting to float toward the bridge.

Waiting for another awesome blast

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- People are gathering for shuttle rides over to the yard that will be the official viewing site for the second demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge.

Over in Narragansett, on URI's Bay Campus, a handful of people sat on the beach that drew hundreds, if not more, for the first explosion.

It's not an official site today, so the three women sitting on the beach around 9 a.m. had their own clear view of the bridge.

Ann Storti and her grown daughter, Debbie Storti, both of Cranston, sat in beach chairs on the same spot where they sat last month to watch the first blast.

"It was pretty awesome," Debbie said of the blast that brought down the center span.

Peggy Ross, a retired secretary who used to work for the state, sat on the rocks with her little white dog, Meghan. Ross was away for the first explosion, so she made the trip from Providence this morning.

Old Jamestown Bridge to have another blast

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
The first detonation of the old Jamestown Bridge, on April 18, drew thousands to the shores of Narragansett Bay to see the explosion.

projo.com was there for the
first demolition phase of the old Jamestown Bridge, on April 18, and we’ll take you back to Jamestown today for the second detonation.

Closed since 1992 when the new Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge opened, the old bridge holds a place in the hearts of many Rhode Islanders. People who remember their scary trips over the bridge, looking down through the grating at the water below, showed up en masse last month to watch the detonation from the shores of Narragansett Bay. Plus, people who just wanted to see a good explosion also turned out during school vacation week. They weren’t disappointed.

So we’re heading back today.

Last month, with reports throughout the day, we told you what it was like when the center span of the bridge came down, even at the moment of explosion:

"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"

Today, there’s no public viewing area set for the explosion, which could be the last in terms of the large-scale detonations planned for the bridge.

Although the state Department of Transportation originally planned for three major detonations, it’s possible that today’s blast will bring down enough of the bridge that the DOT won’t need the third, which was to be sometime before the Fourth of July.

So we’ll keep you posted -- from the official viewing area, where DOT folks and politicos expect to watch, and, hopefully, from the perspective of some locals gathered in the area to watch the second phase.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:09 PM | Comment

Atlantic City's Boardwalk off latest Monopoly game

A plan to keep Atlantic City's Boardwalk property on a new version of the Monopoly game board is bankrupt.

In a letter addressed to members of New Jersey's congressional delegation, the president and CEO of Pawtucket-based Hasbro Inc., which makes Monopoly, said the company was unable to include Atlantic City in Monopoly: Here & Now Edition.

"At this time, we are regrettably unable to add another candidate to the board or include a 23rd property to this special edition game," wrote Alfred J. Verrecchia.

Instead of using properties that in the original game were drawn strictly from Atlantic City, the Here & Now version, to be released late this summer, will feature streets, neighborhoods and national monuments from 22 U.S. cities.

Those cities, picked by Hasbro based on population, their popularity as tourist destinations and input from the company's game designers, include Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans - but not Atlantic City.

Read the full story ...

-- Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:09 PM | Comment

Details of first lady's R.I. visit released

PROVIDENCE -- Details of the first lady's visit to Rhode Island were released earlier this morning.

Laura Bush plans to deliver remarks at a reception for U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee at exactly 6:02 p.m. tomorrow. Security will be tight at the Providence Biltmore Hotel event.

The next morning at exactly 10:42 a.m., Mrs. Bush is scheduled to give the commencement address to graduates at Roger Williams University in Bristol. The speech will take place on the university's main athletic field, 1 Old Ferry Road.

Neither speaking engagement is open to the general public.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:56 AM | Comment

R.I. Red Cross to help Mass. flooding victims

Two volunteers from the Rhode Island chapter of the American Red Cross are heading to the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts to help with flooding relief efforts.

Joanne Ramsey of Pawtucket and Steve Anderson of Coventry this morning will be driving Rhode Island emergency response vehicles to Ward Hill, a section of Haverhill, Mass., the Red Cross says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:03 AM | Comment

Morning fog should clear for some sun, clouds

Despite a hazardous weather outlook in parts of the region, it looks like it’s going to be a good day for a bridge explosion – in Jamestown, Rhode Island, that is, where the old Jamestown Bridge faces its second detonation.

The National Weather Service predicts patchy fog before 9 a.m. in parts of Rhode Island, but the bridge explosion is set for about 11:30 a.m. today – plenty of time for the fog to clear and the sun to peek out from the clouds that are also expected today.

We should see highs in the low 70s across Rhode Island, despite a continued hazardous weather outlook throughout northeast Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire because of continued flooding.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

P.S. Pollen levels in Providence are high today, but they’re expected to drop quite a bit tomorrow before creeping back up over the weekend. Check pollen.com for more details.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:06 AM | Comment