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« May 2006 | Today | July 2006 » June 30, 2006Weather: A summery weekend awaits / Photo
On Sunday, the skies should be partly cloudy, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms inthe afternoon. It'll be humid with highs in the mid-80s and southwest winds10 to 20 mph with gusts. Looking ahead to the Fourth of July holiday on Tuesday? More clouds are due to roll in, but temps will still be in the 80s, with a chance of thunderstorms. But, after all, it is July! Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Looking to keep up with what's happening at the U.S. Women's Open? Keep checking our blog, by projo.com staffer Mike McDermott, who will continue to cover the event, in words and photos, through the weekend. Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:52 PM | Comment Naked man nabbed as he ran from N. Kingstown houseNORTH KINGSTOWN -- Police arrested a 26-year-old North Kingstown man early this morning after he tried to run naked from a 77-year-old woman's basement. Daniel C. Walters of 169 Heritage Rd. was arraigned today at District Court, Wakefield, on the charges of breaking and entering of a dwelling when resident home, simple assault (on a police officer), resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and vandalism. Police received a call around 1:30 a.m. from Faith Thibault, who was staying at her mother's house with her grandmother. When officers arrived, they found a basement window off of its hinges. They later heard a male "growling" on the other side of the basement door. When police opened the door, Walters allegedly tried to run and hit an officer. He was pepper sprayed and taken into police custody. Capt. Charles Brennan said Walters told police that he had been under the influence of alcohol, Ecstasy and cocaine. Walters' clothes were found close to the house, on a path near Forest Park Elementary School. Walters was ordered held in prison for violating the terms of his probation. His next court date was scheduled for July 17. -- Journal staff writer Bethonie Butler Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:47 PM | Comment LNG developer accuses CRMC of foot-draggingWeaver's Cove Energy has accused a Rhode Island regulatory agency of dragging its feet in reviewing the company's dredging plans in order to stall construction of the company's proposed LNG facility in Fall River, Mass. The company cannot proceed with its plans to build the 73-acre facility until it gets the okay from several agencies, including the Rhode Island Coastal Management Resources Council, or CRMC. That's because some of the dredging would occur in Rhode Island waters. "... The CRMC has abused its federally delegated authority under [federal law] by using it as a political tool to delay, block or otherwise obstruct this important energy infrastructure,'' Weaver's Cove said in a filing to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. CRMC has said in previous filings that it had not processed the application because it was incomplete. It was missing a "water quality certification'' from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Weaver's Cove said DEM "has shown no inclination" to give it that certification, and that it is not needed anyway. Posted by Tim Barmann at 6:04 PM | Comment Record travel, extra police on tap for weekendPROVIDENCE -- AAA of Southern New England has predicted that 40.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend -- a national record -- and the Rhode Island State Police plan to boost theirs presence across the state to meet the high demand. "We're putting more patrols out there," said State police Maj. Steven G. O'Donnell, noting that six more officers than usual have been assigned to Providence on Monday night, when the city has scheduled fireworks and public concerts. "Their specific mission is drunk driving enforcement," O'Donnell said. The state Department of Transportation is reporting just one planned highway lane closure this weekend. Between 1 and 7 a.m. early tomorrow, crews plan to shut down two right lanes on Interstate 195 westbound between Exit 3 (Gano St.) and Exit 1 (Downtown Providence). Heading out yourself? Check projo.com's collection of online travelers' resources, from highway cameras to ferry schedules to airport information around our area. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:44 PM | Comment High court upholds Barrington affordable housing planPROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Supreme Court has upheld a decision by the State Housing Appeals Board granting approval for the construction of a 50-unit affordable housing development in Barrington. The ruling, released to the public today, appears to clear the way for the East Bay Community Development Corporation, a Bristol-based nonprofit, to build the Sweetbriar housing proposal on the site of the former West Barrington Elementary School, off Washington Road. In its ruling, the court instructs the Barrington Zoning Board to issue all necessary permits and approvals for the $9.8 million project, which has been in the works since 2003. But it does not prohibit the board from imposing conditions on the proposal. It was the Zoning Board that initially turned down the application for the proposal, finding in 2004 that the housing proposal was not consistent with Barrington’s comprehensive plan. The plan recommended redeveloping the approximately 9-acre site of the school for commercial purposes, rather than housing. -- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:19 PM | Comment Update: Governor signs state budget into law / Photo
PROVIDENCE - Governor Carcieri signed a $6.7 billion state budget today that reduces some taxes while scaling back social services and cutting 420 state jobs to avoid a projected $243 million shortfall. Carcieri signed the budget one day before the start of the new fiscal year. "While it does not include all the reforms I would have hoped for, the budget plan that was passed by the General Assembly last week largely addresses the priorities I put forward in February," Carcieri said. The General Assembly passed the budget a week ago after some last-minute wrangling in which House members voted to lower the state cap on property tax increases in return for Senate passage of the House's budget plan. The spending plan closes a shortfall estimated at $243 million. Republicans and Democrats call the budget a fair deal in tough economic times. It enacts tax cuts for high-income families and increases the car tax exemption from five-thousand dollars to six-thousand dollars. Carcieri says he soon expects to sign legislation limiting local property tax increases. But the budget reduces health insurance for people leaving welfare from 18 months to 12 months. It also keeps new non-citizens from enrolling in the state's health insurance program for the poor after the end of the year. -- Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:15 PM | Comment School, tax groups face off in PortsmouthPORTSMOUTH -- Chanting "Saving Our Schools" and holding signs saying "Shame on You PCC," dozens of concerned parents and students filled the town clerk's office this morning to protest a citizens group's effort to call a special financial meeting and cut the school budget. Save Our Schools supporters surrounded members of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens as they submitted 2,200 signatures from residents calling for the meeting, referred to locally as a tent meeting. The group needed about 1,250 signatures – 10 percent of the registered voters. One teenager stood behind group leader Lawrence Fitzmorris and held a sign saying, "Don't Hurt the Kids, U Had a Good Education, We Need One Too." A police officer eventually quieted the demonstrators, but the two sides engaged in shouting matches over the $32.5 million school budget approved on Monday that brings a 9.2-percent tax-rate increase. -- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes Officials projected the tent meeting would cost around $50,000. "We could use it for a lot better purposes than holding a tent meeting to cut the budget," said SOS supporter Michelle McGaw, who has two teenagers in Portsmouth schools. Hearing her comment, PCC member Nancy Askew told her that residents should be proud their town allows people to be heard. "Let the people speak," she said. Town Clerk Kathleen Viera-Beaudoin said it should take a couple of days to verify the signatures. If enough are deemed valid, the meeting will take place on either Aug. 12 or Aug. 19. -- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:10 PM | Comment Strawberry-picking season in full swingNear-record rains in June may have flooded area rivers, helped boost mosquito populations, and depressed some Rhode Islanders, but it did not hurt the state's strawberry farmers. The state Department of Environmental Management issued a statement today reminding state residents that despite recent bad weather, this is the height of strawberry season in Rhode Island. "Strawberries like water," said Stephen Volpe, deputy chief of DEM's division of agriculture and resource marketing. "Although there may be cases of a field or two being particularly wet, overall the fields are in decent shape, and there is a good crop of strawberries this year." Volpe said he recently visited 17 pick-your-own berry farms in the area and found no serious problems. See DEM's list of berry-picking farms in Rhode Island. June and July are the peak months for strawberry picking. Blueberries and raspberries come in July and last through early fall. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:07 PM | Comment George Mitchell, who's investigating baseball, to address scholar athletesThe former Senate majority leader who has recently been tapped by Major League Baseball to investigate steroid use among players is set to give the 20th anniversary address tonight at the World Scholar-Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island. George Mitchell, former U.S. senator from Maine, is set to speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Keaney Gymnasium, on URI’s Kingston campus. The weeklong event that has brought 1,900 teenagers from 157 nations is set to wrap up tomorrow night with closing ceremonies at 7 p.m. in URI's Ryan Center. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:00 AM | Comment RIPIRG readies to warn against global warming / Photo
The globe is about 18 feet high and has flames painted on the bottom, Auten said a few minutes before the news conference was set to begin at 10:30 a.m. With that as their backdrop, environmental activists are releasing “The Carbon Boom,” a national study about trends in global warming pollution since 1960. Here in Rhode Island, Auten said that modeling shows emissions will remain at current levels. While it’s good they’re not increasing, the state must do more and decrease emissions levels, Auten said. Find "The Carbon Boom" report online. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:42 AM | Comment EMC shares fall after announcing $2.1 billion dealEMC Corp. stock dropped 7.4 percent to $10.24 a share in trading this morning, as investors reacted negatively to the company's plans to purchase Beford, Mass.-based RSA Security Inc. for about $2.1 billion. The Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC said yesterday evening that it plans to pay $28 a share to acquire RSA, which specializes in Internet security technology. EMC, a data storage company, employs several hundred Rhode Islanders in its Massachusetts' facilities. --- Andrea L. Stape Posted by Peter Phipps at 10:29 AM | Comment Photo / A leaderboard with leaders
By 9 a.m., 60 players had begun play with the first groups almost through nine holes. --- Journal photo Kathy Borchers Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:03 AM | Comment Finally, they're playing in NewportThe fog has lifted and the first groups teed off this morning at the U.S. Women's Open in Newport. The women will pay 18 holes today and 18 holes tomorrow. Then the field will be cut in half and the women will play 36 holes on Sunday. Monday has been set aside if a playoff is required. Despite all the rain overnight, play began close to schedule this morning. The National Weather Service says there's a 30 percent chance for more rain today. For news, links, profiles and the latest news from a team of eight projo writers, editors and photographers go to projo's U.S. Women's Open page. Posted by Peter Phipps at 8:30 AM | Comment It's going to be a great weekend in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- The big 4 holiday weekend kicks off tonight at WaterPlace Park. Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist Greg Abate will perform at 7:30 p.m. He is considered to be one of the best BeBop alto players in the country, according to the mayor's office. Then tomorrow night, there will be a full lighting of WaterFire will begin downtown at sundown. And on Monday, a series of events are planned. A 12-member orchestra known as Plena Libre will begin playing at Station Park at 6:30 p.m. The Grammy-nominated group specializes in a new and revitalized form of traditional Afro-Rican musical style. The Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops orchestra will follow at 8 p.m., with fireworks above Station Park scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:58 AM | Comment June 29, 2006Skier Bode Miller talks tonight at URISOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Champion skier Bode Miller will talk about his experiences at the last Winter Olympics games tonight as part of the World-Scholar Athlete Games event at the University of Rhode Island. Miller, of New Hampshire, had failed to bring home a medal despite high expectations for his performance at the games in Turin, Italy. His talk starts at 7:30 p.m. at Keaney Gymnasium on the Kingston campus. Tickets are $15 at the door. Come back to projo.com and The Providence Journal tomorrow for a report on his talk ... Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:23 PM | Comment R.I. GOP to endorse candidates tonightCRANSTON -- Republicans from around the state will gather at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet this evening to endorse GOP candidates for the November elections. The event is open to the public and free, though only delegates are allowed to vote. The state party will officially endorse candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, general treasurer, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Absent from tonight's event will be U.S. Senate hopeful and Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey. “The state party made clear last September that they prefer the insider candidate over the reformer, and I have no interest in participating in their charade of a convention," Laffey said in a statement released today. Laffey is set to face off against incumbent Lincoln D. Chafee in a Republican primary in September. Tonight's convention begins at 6 p.m. Read more about it in today's Journal story. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:38 PM | Comment Music, fireworks, WaterFire for holiday in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- There will be music, a WaterFire and fireworks in the days leading up to the July Fourth holiday, according to a schedule of events released this afternoon by the mayor's office. On Friday night, Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist Greg Abate will perform at Waterplace Park at 7:30 p.m. He is considered to be one of the best BeBop alto players in the country, according to the mayor's office. On Saturday night, a full lighting of WaterFire will begin downtown at sundown. And on Monday, a series of events are planned. A 12-member orchestra known as Plena Libre will begin playing at Station Park at 6:30 p.m. The Grammy-nominated group specializes in a new and revitalized form of traditional Afro-Rican musical style. The Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops orchestra will follow at 8 p.m., with fireworks above Station Park scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:00 PM | Comment Sen. Reed to visit Iraq for 8th timeWASHINGTON -- Sen. Jack Reed will make his eighth wartime visit to Iraq next week, traveling with fellow Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware. They will focus on the prospects for reductions in U.S. force levels. Reed said in an interview this afternoon that he will seek a first hand "sense of the judgement and insights" of military leaders in Baghdad, as well as those of front line troops in the outlying hotspots. A key question that Reed and Biden will explore is the ability of Iraqi security forces to start taking the lead in fighting battles. Reed said they will try to examine the less dramatic but equally important issue of how far the new Iraqi government has progressed on the political battlefront. In that regard, Reed said he hopes to meet with top Iraq officials to urge them to make changes in their new constitution that would provide for a fairer distribution of the nation's resources -- especially oil -- among its contesting ethnic and religious groups. -- Journal staff writer John E. Mulligan Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:40 PM | Comment Carcieri signs energy billPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri signed an energy bill into law this afternoon, a move that helps low-income residents and pushes the state towards increased use of renewable energy. The bill is designed to "increase energy resources, increase energy conservation, ensure a safety net for low-income families, and bring down the cost of energy for all Rhode Islanders," according to a statement released this afternoon by Carcieri's office. Under the new law the state will: -- Merge its two engergy funds to create an even larger funding source for investment in renewable resources. This would move about $7 million toward renewable energy, helping achieve Carcieri's stated goal of obtaining 15 percent of the state’s electricity requirements from wind power. -- Create the Office of Energy Resources to conduct long-term energy planning. -- Discount gas and electric rates and discount heating oil procurement for low-income families with money from the gross receipts tax on electricity and natural gas, and a portion of the sales tax on heating oil. -- Encourage natural gas efficiency by increasing the rebates to consumers who purchase energy efficient equipment. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:34 PM | Comment Judge OKs Derderians' request for fire marshal infoPROVIDENCE -- A judge has authorized requests by attorneys for Jeffrey and Michael Derderian seeking to subpoena detailed information about the training of former West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. ruled today that the Derderian defense team can access records regarding Larocque from the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office, the town of West Warwick, and the National Fire Protection Association. According to the motions, the Derderians want "copies of any and all itineraries, syllabi, records, reports, or written materials of any kind relative to training received by Denis Larocque." Darigan also ruled today that he would begin assembling potential jurors for Michael Derderian's trial on Aug. 9. The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. The Derderian brothers, co-owners of The Station nightclub in West Warwick, have been charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fire that killed 100 people there in 2003. The brothers are scheduled to be tried separately. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:07 PM | Comment Vote today on tuition increases at R.I. collegesThe Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education is scheduled to meet late this afternoon to vote on a proposal to raise tuition and fees at the state's public colleges and universities. The proposal comes recommended from two of the board's subcommittees and is expected to pass. See the recommendation. The plan would increase in-state tuition by 6 percent at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, and 8.7 percent at the Community College of Rhode Island. Out-of-state tuition would go up 7.5 percent at URI and RIC, and 8.9 percent at CCRI. A last-minute increase in the proposed fees at RIC and CCRI was announced last week. The Board of Governor's meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Office of Higher Education in Providence. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:00 PM | Comment Play suspended at U.S. Women's Open / Photo
NEWPORT -- Tour officials officially suspended play today at the U.S. Women's Open due to the wet weather. The decision was made at 2:45 p.m., after fog-bound players had been waiting since 7 a.m. for play to begin. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:23 PM | Comment Update: Lynch took donations from DuPont during lead-paint talksPROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick Lynch accepted campaign contributions from the chief negotiator for DuPont Co. at the same time he was in talks with the company to drop it from the state's landmark lawsuit against former lead paint companies, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Attorney Bernard Nash, who represented DuPont, negotiated the deal reached with the state in June 2005 to drop it from the lawsuit in exchange for DuPont donating about $12.5 million to three charities. Campaign documents filed with the state show that both before and after the settlement was reached, Nash contributed at least $1,500 to Lynch's campaign committee (see the filings). The deal allowed DuPont to drop out of a lawsuit that now may cost other companies in the industry billions of dollars. A jury in February decided that three of the remaining companies in the lawsuit were liable for creating a public nuisance by manufacturing and selling toxic products. The campaign of Bill Harsch, Lynch's Republican challenger in this year's elections, has filed a complaint today with the state Ethics Commission, alleging conflict of interest and influence peddling, Harsch told the AP. Lynch's campaign manager dismissed the allegations this afternoon as a political stunt. "[Harsch's] allegations of an ethics conflict are so absurd and political that we intend to seek an immediate and summary dismissal of his complaint," Lynch campaign manager Andrew Roos said in a statement. "It is wrong for Bill Harsch, on the day after he’s filed his paperwork declaring himself a political candidate, to misuse and politicize the Ethics Commission." Nash did not immediately return a phone message left at his office in Washington. -- Staff and wire reports The deal with DuPont dismissed the company from the lawsuit in exchange for its donations to the Children's Health Forum, a nonprofit group that works to prevent lead poisoning, Brown University Medical School and the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston. Nash first made contact with Lynch's office to work out a deal for DuPont in 2003, according to court documents related to the lead paint case. Depositions from January of Lynch and his chief of staff, Leonard Lopes, show Nash was DuPont's primary contact with the Attorney General's Office as the deal was negotiated. The deal was announced June 30, 2005. Documents filed by Lynch's campaign with the state Board of Elections show Nash gave Lynch donations totaling at least $1,500. The first, for $500, was on June 30, 2004. On Dec. 20, 2005, Nash gave Lynch's campaign $1,000, the maximum individual political donation allowed in Rhode Island per calendar year. According to campaign records, Lynch also accepted a $250 donation from Olivia Morgan, executive director of the Children's Health Forum, which stands to receive millions of dollars from DuPont's deal with the state. Her donation was recorded Dec. 20, 2005, about six months after the settlement was reached. Morgan did not immediately comment when reached by telephone this morning. Lynch is seeking a second term as attorney general. He was sworn in as Rhode Island's top law enforcement official in 2003. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:37 PM | Comment Cicilline unveils graffiti task forcePROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline held a press conference this morning to unveil an intense effort to combat graffiti, something he says has become "an assault on our neighborhoods." City officials this morning showed off two special vans with power-washing capabilities. The vehicles are covered with bright colorful words urging residents to report graffiti, offering up to $500 for information leading to the arrest of offenders. The city recently amended its graffiti ordinance to increase the penalty for graffiti offenses from $200 to up to $1,000 and up to 200 hours of community service. The new law prohibits anyone from selling aerosol paint containers, broad tipped markers, etching equipment, paint sticks or graffiti sticks to a minor without written permission from a parent or guardian. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:12 PM | Comment Hammer hitman gets 30-year sentenceWARWICK -- The man who was paid to kill a Coventry woman and badly injured her with a claw hammer was sentenced this morning to serve 30 years in prison. Thomas M. Kenna pleaded guilty in January -- on the day his trial was to begin -- to assaulting Kris M. Sao Bento at her Coventry home two years ago, while her infant son played nearby. Kenna, an acknowledged drug addict, was hired by Sao Bento's ex-husband, Thomas J. Lewis, to commit the crime. Earlier in the month, Lewis was given the same sentence that Kenna received this morning. Both men were facing a maximum sentence of 35 years to serve, according to terms outlined in plea bargains. Superior Court Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg sentenced them both to 60 years in prison, 30 to serve. "In my eyes, you are nothing less than a depraved assassin," Thunberg said to Kenna at today's hearing. Sao Bento and her mother were in the front row of the courtroom today. Prosecutors showed pictures of her bloodied face and head on an easel to encourage a harsh sentence. Kenna made a brief statement before his sentence was handed down, apologizing to his victim. Read a previous Journal story about the case. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:50 AM | Comment Report: Region losing highly educated workersThe percentage of young workers with college degrees will drop in most New England states, including Rhode Island, by the year 2020, if current trends continue, according to a report released in Boston this morning by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. The trend has troubling consequences for the economic vitality of the region, say education leaders, who want more young people to attend and graduate from college, and remain in the area to work in good-paying jobs. The report, New England 2020: A Forecast of Educational Attainment And Its Implications for the Workforce of New England States, is available online at www.nmefdn.org At the same time, all six New England states will see dramatic increases in the percentages of minorities in their workforces. By 2020, nearly half of the 25 to 29 year olds in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts will be minorities. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan The region must grapple with these changes, says Jack Warner, Rhode Island's commissioner of higher education. "Highly skilled workers are migrating out of New England, and they are being replaced by lower-educated workers, many of whom are low-income or immigrants," Warner said. Rhode Island and other New England states are developing strategies to deal with these shifts, Warner says. The effort includes doing a better job educating the people currently in New England, bringing more college students to New England and keeping them here by offering high-paying jobs. "It's not rocket science," Warner said. "It's really all about jobs." -- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan Posted by Jack Perry at 10:11 AM | Comment Update:Fog delays start of U.S. Women's Open / Photo
Read projo.com's U.S. Women's Open Blog. Posted by Peter Phipps at 10:00 AM | Comment Report: Financial health of R.I. hospitals improvingThe financial health of Rhode Island hospitals is improving, but they aren't as profitable as other hospitals, according to a report by the state Department of Health. The Health Department's financial review of the state's 13 hospitals found that the top-performing hospitals in 2005 were Newport, Miriam and Bradley, according to the report, which was released today. The net worth of Rhode Island hospitals grew at a faster pace than hospitals in other parts of the Northeast and the country, but the state's hospitals were less profitable, the report says. Rhode Island hospitals did well collecting accounts receivable, and their capacity to borrow improved, the report says. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:33 AM | Comment Governor eats to promote tourismCRANSTON -- Governor Carcieri plans to dine at the Twin Oaks Restaurant this afternoon, the beginning of a summer eatery tour designed to promote the restaurant industry. The governor is scheduled to make brief remarks at the restaurant at noon before having lunch with Cranston city officials and State Tourism Director David DePetrillo. The restaurant industry is "one of the most vital engines powering the state’s economic development efforts and tourism industry," according to an announcement released by the governor. As part of his summer restaurant tour, the governor plans to visit "everything from favorite local breakfast nooks, to lunch counters, to evening dining spots" across the state. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:52 AM | Comment Weather service warns of lightning riskThe National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather advisory for Rhode Island and much of southern New England for thunderstorms, lightning, high wind gusts and possible flooding. The forecast, which calls for showers and thunderstorms, could hamper play at the U.S. Women's Open, scheduled to start this morning in Newport. Temporary downpours could cause flooding in urban areas and areas with poor drainage, the weather service says. Areas of fog by the coast should lift after 9 a.m. A high surf advisory continues on the coast. For more weather and updates, check projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 28, 2006Update: Few surprises in candidate filingsThe parade of local candidates running for election this year became official as those seeking political office met the state deadline for filing documents needed to qualify for the September primary and November general election ballots. There were few surprises. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent Lincoln D. Chafee of Exeter faces Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey for the GOP nomination. On the Democratic side, former attorney general Sheldon Whitehouse of Providence, Carl Sheeler of West Greenwich, Christopher Young of Providence and Rebeka Palmer Rockefeller of Providence seek the nod. For Congress, 1st District Rep. Patrick Kennedy has no primary opposition, but three Republicans -- Edmund Leather of East Providence, Joseph Zuccolo of Providence and Jonathan Scott of Providence -- have taken out papers for the GOP nomination. In the 2nd District, incumbent Democratic Rep. James Langevin of Warwick is opposed by Jennifer Lawless of Cranston. No Republican candidate is running for the 2nd District U.S. Congress. In the governor's race, Republican voters have a choice between incumbent Governor Carcieri of East Greenwich and Dennis Michaud, a Providence business consultant. Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty was the lone Democrat to file for governor, but Democrats will have a primary for lieutenant governor between Spencer Dickinson of South Kingstown and state Sen. Elizabeth Roberts of Cranston. Republicans have two candidates to choose from for lieutenant governor: Former state adjutant general Reginald Centracchio of Scituate and Kernan "Kerry" King of Narragansett. The Republican attorney general candidate is William Harsch of Jamestown. He will face Democratic incumbent Patrick Lynch. Democrats have a secretary of state primary between North Providence Mayor Ralph Mollis and Guillaume deRamel of Newport. The lone GOP candidate to file for secretary of state is Warwick City Councilwoman Sue Stenhouse. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:44 PM | Comment Detective's widow gives thanks for 'justice for Jimmy'PROVIDENCE -- The widow of slain police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen issued a statement of gratitude late this afternoon to many of those involved in what she called bringing "justice to Jimmy." Marguerite Allen's remarks came about 24 hours after a jury convicted Esteban Carpio of her husband's murder at Providence police headquarters last year, rejecting Carpio's insanity defense. Marguerite Allen said that she is indebted to the men and women of the jury "who recognized the truth and acted on it." She acknowledged staff of the state Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted the case, Police Department members, the mayor of Providence and family and friends. "But most of all, I am thankful to God," she said, "whose presence and protection I have never doubted. "I miss Jimmy every day, his face, his laugh, his love," the mother of two daughters continued. "He was a loving husband and a great father. May he now rest in peace." Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:30 PM | Comment R.I. Training School to hold graduation tonightCRANSTON -- They will don caps and gowns tonight, pose with smiling family members for pictures, and receive diplomas. But these graduates won't go home after the ceremony. Some won’t go home for years. The Rhode Island Training School -- a detention facility for convicted criminals between the ages of 13 and 21 -- will hand out diplomas or GEDs to 71 students at 6:30 tonight at a ceremony inside the locked facility’s cafeteria. An outdoor program under a large tent was canceled because of the rain. “It’s a commencement and a celebration of an academic milestone for these youths that they might otherwise not have achieved if they weren’t here,” said Arlene Chorney, the principal of the facility’s school program, which employs more than 40 teachers and school staff and caps class sizes at 12 students. “In actually a brief amount of time, by attending school every day -- and school is mandatory here -- they’re able to fill in the gaps in their education,” Chorney said. “It’s amazing how much they’re able to do by simply attending class. And we have just about 100 percent attendance here.” Many of the students had spotty school attendance records before entering state custody, she said. Most of the graduates are between 17 and 19 years old, though some are as old as 21. Chorney said she expects about 150 family and friends to attend tonight’s ceremony. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:50 PM | Comment Women's Open: 1st day may be tough, wet slog
NEWPORT -- If the worst forecasts turn out to be true, tomorrow could be a rough first day of play at the U.S. Women's Open. The United States Golf Association is expecting anywhere from a quarter to a full inch of rain, in addition to the 3.7 inches that fell on the course over the weekend. "I think it's fair to say it can probably handle a quarter inch, maybe a half inch without too much problem," said Mike Davis, the USGA's senior director of rules and competitions. "If we truly get the inch, then we're going to have some severe puddling out there and probably some bunkers that are going to need to be pumped. It's going to be a wet, long U.S. Open, at least tomorrow." The rain could force delays in play or possibly force the action to be suspended, in which case four days of golf would have to be compressed into Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when better weather is expected. The wet conditions will also make the course in the famed City by the Sea harder to play, and make long drives a necessity. The USGA is contemplating shortening the course, to make it less difficult, if things get really rough. See the latest forecast for Newport. - With reports from Journal sports writer Paul Kenyon
Despite the rain, the final day of practice play for the U.S. Women's Open went as as scheduled. Projo.com will ramp up coverage of the U.S. Women's Open tomorrow, with a special section from The Journal newspaper and expanded coverage on projo.com. Beginning at noon, you can satisfy your appetite for news and pictures from Newport on the U.S. Women's Open Blog. We'll keep it running through the weekend and until a champion is crowned. Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:08 PM | Comment Update: Body found in Hopkinton ID'd as British manRhode Island authorities confirmed this afternoon that the body discovered in a shallow grave in the Rockville Management Area is that of a missing British man, Adrian Exley, 32, of London. The state police issued a statement indicating that the state medical examiner's office used dental records to verify the man's identity. Lynn, Mass. police had been investigating Exley's disappearance since late April. They were led to the gravesite yesterday morning by a suicide note. More to come ... Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:45 PM | Comment Carcieri signs sex offender monitoring billPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri signed a law requiring electronic monitoring for certain sex offenders this afternoon. The new law requires state authorities to track some sex offenders with global positioning software from the time they're released from prison until their death. The bill also raises the minimum mandatory sentence for first-degree sexual assault to 25 years in prison, a five-year increase. The law takes effect January 1, 2007. It applies to child rapists and other sex offenders deemed likely to reoffend. Senator James Doyle, a bill sponsor, says the General Assembly will create a commission next year to consider excluding sex offenders from certain areas, for example, around schools. He says the new tracking system would allow state authorities to see if any offenders have violated those zones. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:22 PM | Comment Report: Bruins to hire new coachDETROIT -- Former Detroit Red Wings coach Dave Lewis has been hired as coach of the Boston Bruins, an official within the NHL said today. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bruins had not yet made an announcement. The Bruins fired Mike Sullivan yesterday, ending weeks of speculation. Sullivan coached the team the past two seasons. Boston finished last in the Northeast Division last season. The Bruins said today they would hold a news conference tomorrow at 1 p.m. to introduce their new coach, although the team did not disclose his name. Messages left with him Wednesday were not immediately returned. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:06 PM | Comment Deadline looming for declaration of candidacyPlanning to run for office in Rhode Island this year? This afternoon is the deadline for filing your declaration of candidacy. The deadline applies to candidates who may run in a primary this September or as an independent in November. Those running for statewide and federal offices have until 4 p.m. to file with the Secretary of State. Candidates for General Assembly, local offices, state and district committees and local committees file with their local boards of canvassers. Come back to projo.com and The Journal tomorrow morning for a look at some of those who filed today. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:44 PM | Comment High surf advisory equals poor surfing todayMIDDLETOWN -- The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for the Rhode Island coast starting at 1 p.m., warning of high winds and powerful rip tides. And while such waters keep swimmers away, local surfers often flock to Ocean State beaches during such storms. Not today. Although the waves are reportedly at least waist high at Middletown's Second Beach -- a popular surf spot -- they're terrible for surfing. "It is super bumpy, really windy, choppy, sloppy swell," according to today's surf report from Middletown's Elemental surf shop. Today's strong off-shore winds cause the waves to break very quicky and come in from different directions -- far from ideal surf conditions regardless of how large the waves are, according to local surfer Christopher Murphy. Surfline.com's report for Narragansett beaches agrees, reporting that wave heights were 1 to 2 feet just before noon, with poor conditions.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:37 PM | Comment North Kingstown man arrested after police chaseAfter a police chase from East Greenwich to Woonsocket early this morning, Woonsocket Police arrested a 21-year-old North Kingstown man who now faces multiple charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges after allegedly ramming police vehicles. Rocky Cote, of 42 Iron Horse Terrace, in North Kingstown was arrested by Woonsocket officers after a struggle, Johnston Deputy Police Chief Gary W. Maddocks Jr. said this morning. The Woonsocket officers used a taser gun to incapacitate Cote, Maddocks said. East Greenwich police wanted Cote for felony assault on a police officer, Maddocks said. “It appears that East Greenwich tried to stop him, and he tried to assault the officers with his vehicle,” Maddocks said. Johnston police joined the chase at 12:27 a.m. today. More details to come on projo.com Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:43 AM | Comment Fire in vacant Providence building quickly controlledPROVIDENCE – Within a half hour, a fire this morning in a vacant three-story wood structure at the corner of Friendship and Broad streets was under control, according to Battalion Chief Joseph Desmarais. At least two dozen firefighters responded to the 6:49 a.m. blaze that Desmarais said appeared to start on the first floor and spread to the upper two floors. There were no injuries, he said. The building has been vacant for years and had been boarded up, Desmarais said. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, Desmarais said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:32 AM | Comment Warning: Heavy surf, thunderstorms due this afternoonPROVIDENCE -- Here’s to Saturday! A change in the forecast now predicts that it will be partly cloudy – but without rain – during the day. Yes, you heard that right. After days of rain on the horizon and in the forecast, looks like we might get a partly sunny-partly cloudy weekend day, with a high of 83. As for today, it should be mostly cloudy with a high around 76. Rain is likely and a thunderstorm in the early afternoon is possible. Along the southern coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory and urges anyone venturing out on the water this afternoon or tonight to be cautious. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:59 AM | Comment June 27, 2006Man's body found in shallow grave in HopkintonHOPKINTON -- State police discovered a man's body this morning, buried in a shallow grave deep in a wooded section of this rural town, according to State Police Capt. Stephen Lynch, who said the discovery is related to the apparent suicide of a Massachusetts man. The body was buried beneath about a foot and a half of dirt, Lynch said, in a gravesite set back about 75 feet off North Road, a dirt road off Canonchet Road. He said the body had been there for "several weeks" and that decomposition had begun. The body has not been identified, and authorities have yet to determine a cause of death. Lynch said that Rhode Island State Police were directed to the area -- which is miles from the nearest house -- last night by Massachusetts authorities, who had been investigating the suicide last week of 48-year-old Gary Leblanc, of Lynn, Mass. There were some large, identifying rocks in the area where the body was found, said Lynch, who declined comment on the Massachusetts investigation that led authorities to Rhode Island. Spokesman for Massachusetts local and state police could not be reached early this evening for more details. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:07 PM | Comment No sign yet of West Nile virus in R.I. mosquitoesPROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Environmental Management announced this afternoon that samples taken from 85 mosquito pools earlier in the month have produced no evidence of West Nile virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. So far this year, DEM says, no mosquitoes have tested positive for either virus, although state officials have confirmed their existence in Rhode Island in recent years. Therefore, Rhode Islanders are warned to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds on their property such as standing water and to protect their skin from bites. Mosquitoes are trapped every week statewide by DEM staff and tested at the state Department of Health. DEM normally reports mosquito test results once a week throughout the summer. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:05 PM | Comment Derderians seek details of local fire marshal's trainingPROVIDENCE -- The attorneys for Jeffrey and Michael Derderian filed motions in Superior Court today seeking to subpoena detailed information about the training of former West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque. The subpoenas would apply to the fire academy of the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office, the town of West Warwick, and the National Fire Protection Association. The Derderian brothers, co-owners of The Station nightclub in West Warwick, have been charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fire that killed 100 people there in 2003. According to the motions, the Derderians want "copies of any and all itineraries, syllabi, records, reports, or written materials of any kind relative to training received by Denis Larocque." Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. has scheduled a hearing to rule on the subpoena requests for Thursday. The brothers are scheduled to be tried separately. Michael Derderian's trial is set to begin Sept. 5. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:44 PM | Comment Women's Open warning: Be prepared for mudNEWPORT -- The organizers of the U.S. Women's Open hope they have a few more hot, dry days like today ahead. Unfortunately, the weather forecast has more rain this week. A tour of the Newport Country Club course today showed that many of the paths that fans will have to tread are already very muddy. So if you're planning on heading to Newport, be warned: It could be messy.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:38 PM | Comment FLASH: Carpio guilty on all 3 countsPROVIDENCE -- Esteban Carpio has been found guilty of killing a Providence police officer at headquarters last year. The 12-person jury deliberated about nine hours over two days before convicting Carpio on all three counts against him. The highly-anticipated verdict followed a case that asked jurors to decide whether Carpio was a calculating criminal or a psychotic who did not know what he was doing. After the verdict was read, a couple of hushed "thank God's" could be heard in the standing-room-only crowd in Superior Court courtroom. More to come... -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:30 PM | Comment Man denies murder, blames violent sexWEST WARWICK -- A West Warwick man was arraigned today in Kent County District Court on first degree murder charges for allegedly brutally beating and strangling a woman staying at his house. Brian Mlyniec, 43, had his case referred to Superior Court. He is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions. West Warwick firefighters discovered the woman’s body on Friday afternoon, after receiving an anonymous call reporting a possible overdose. Firefighters called the police, and patrolmen later found Kelly Ann Anderson, 41, inside Mlyniec’s home, bruised and bleeding, according to a police affidavit. Mlyniec, who is on probation for an unrelated sexual assault in 2001, has denied slaying Anderson, according to the police affidavit. He told police the two had engaged in consensual, violent sexual activities that resulted in the bruises and bleeding. The police arrested Mlyniec late yesterday, after the state medical examiner completed an autopsy and reported that strangulation caused Anderson's death, according to Police Chief Peter T. Brousseau. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:04 PM | Comment Westerly police officer accused of off-duty sex assaultWESTERLY -- A town police officer is being charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of disorderly conduct leveled at him by the state police, according to a news release issued today by Police Chief Edward A. Mello. The charges arose after a state and local police investigation into a female’s complaint to the Westerly Police Department on June 16 that she was sexually assaulted by Officer Don Thompson, according to Mello. Mello confirmed this afternoon that the complainant is a 17-year-old girl. Thompson, 39, was off duty at the time of the incident in question, the police said. He also faces Westerly police charges of reckless driving, operating with a suspended license and refusal to submit to a chemical test. Thompson surrendered himself at the State Police Barracks in Hope Valley last night, according to Mello. He was arraigned at that time before a justice of the peace on all charges and was released on personal recognizance, according to the police. “The Westerly Police Department has taken these allegations very seriously, as it does with all criminal complaints of this nature,” Mello’s statement reads. “Officer Thompson has been placed on unpaid suspension as result of these charges.” -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:01 PM | Comment Supreme Court to review lead paint lawPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has agreed to review the legality of a 2005 lead paint that was deemed unconstitutional in January by a Superior Court judge. Attorney General Patrick Lynch filed a motion in March asking the high court to review the lower court's decision. In an announcement released today, Lynch praised the Supreme Court's willingness to examine the case. "This is the law that finally moved Rhode Island away from a system aptly described by one witness as 'using babies as lead detectors,'" Lynch said. "That is, we no longer wait for a child to be poisoned in a property before steps are mandated to remove lead hazards." The Lead Hazard Mitigation Act of 2005 requires absentee landlords of pre-1978 units to learn about lead hazards, evaluate whether any exist in their units and correct any problems. No timeline has been set for the Supreme Court's review. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:50 PM | Comment Update: Man accused in Block Island shooting spree held / Photo
"I want to represent myself,'' Ernesto A. Lacayo, of Stratfield Road., Fairfield, told Judge John M. McLoughlin. "No sir,'' McLoughlin said. "You're referred to the public defender.'' A determination of attorney date is set for July 7. Lacayo, who wore navy blue sneakers, khaki shorts and a T-shirt and was shackled at the ankles, faces seven counts of assault with the intent to commit murder. Police allege he fired five rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun -- three aimed at a state trooper; another two at Block Island police officers who arrived at the scene, police said. State police said Lacayo was spotted by State Trooper Michael Reynolds Sunday night as he walked toward the New Shoreham Police Department carrying a shotgun. After he fled from the trooper, o Block Island Police Chief Vincent Carlone said Lacayo lay in wait in dunes near Scotch Beach and fired upon the local officers as they arrived at the scene. All the shots missed. Lacayo is being held on $400,000 cash bail. For more background, read today's Journal story. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Lacayo was carrying the names and addresses of Fairfield, Conn., police officers at the time of the shootings, Rhode Island State Police Major Steven G. O’Donnell said this morning. Although he has had some contact with the Fairfield police department, O’Donnell described the past instances as “nothing of substance, nothing major.” One of the state troopers on scene Sunday night said Lacayo “had a lot to say verbally” during the incident and acted out “things from movies,” including, O’Donnell said, the film Scarface. Local police are working with Connecticut state and Fairfield police to investigate Lacayo’s background and family. O’Donnell said the police do not know why he approached the New Shoreham police department carrying the names and addresses of Fairfield police officers. “It’s difficult to get into the mindset of a person who would be doing something like this,” O’Donnell said. According to O’Donnell, Lacayo was spotted by State Trooper Michael Reynolds Sunday night as he walked toward the New Shoreham Police Department carrying a shotgun. A chase ensued, and Lacayo fired five times at officers before dropping his gun, which was out of ammunition. Officers apprehended him and discovered he was also carrying a buck knife. Additional charges may be filed against Lacayo as the investigation continues, O’Donnell said. For now, he is also charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, for pointing the shotgun at Reynolds, but not firing, as he walked across the lawn toward the Block Island police department, and with one count of using a firearm while committing a crime of violence. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:48 PM | Comment 22-story tower proposed for old Providence police buildingPROVIDENCE -- City officials joined The Procaccianti Group today in announcing the preliminary plan for development of the old public safety building in LaSalle Square. The announcement, made at a morning news conference in front of the LaSalle fire station bays, coincided with the completion of The Procaccianti Group’s $3 million purchase of the property from the Providence Redevelopment Agency. The developer’s plan for the property – which is conceptual and must still go before city design review and zoning boards – calls for demolishing the old public safety building and constructing a 22-story, 496,000-square-foot office tower. -- Journal staff writer Karen Davis The project – which is called The Empire at Broadway -- would include a 522-space parking garage and 25,000 square feet of “pedestrian-friendly’’ retail space, according to Tom Niles, executive vice president of development for Procaccianti. “This is an exciting announcement of importance to the city,’’ Mayor David N. Cicilline said. “The Procaccianti Group is a critical partner in building upon the incredible momentum we have in Providence and its purchase of the long-vacant LaSalle Squate property is a shining example of that important work.’’ Cicilline said the project accomplishes several key objectives: to convert a vacant, blighted property into an asset and a gateway to downtown; to provide the downtown area with added parking and infuse the central city with a large mass of office and retail space. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:06 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Jury requests help with audiotapesPROVIDENCE -- The jury deliberating the fate of Esteban Carpio has asked for help listening to recorded interviews Carpio gave immediately after the shooting death of Detective Sgt. James Allen last year inside Providence police headquarters. The jurors indicated to the judge this morning that they were having trouble playing the recordings or finding the part of the interview they were looking for. Carpio was interviewed at the police station and inside the hospital after Allen's death. Jurors deliberated for about 3-1/2 hours yesterday after hearing closing arguments from the defense and prosecutors. They resumed their deliberations earlier this morning. Carpio's lawyer says his client was psychotic at the time of the killing and should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. But prosecutors say Carpio was a calculating killer who knew what he was doing when he shot Allen to death with the officer's own weapon. Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause instructed the all-white jury for about 25 minutes yesterday before they began deliberations. Although Carpio was indicted on four felony charges, the prosecution has withdrawn one of those charges – assault on a person older than 60, causing bodily injury. The remaining charges are murder; discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, death resulting; and assault with a dangerous weapon on 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. Carpio had been brought in to police headquarters for questioning in the stabbing earlier that day of Gatta outside her home. Read more in today's Journal story about the lawyers’ closing arguments in court yesterday, and review coverage of the trial, including audio clips of police interviews with Carpio after the shooting. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:50 AM | Comment Brown poll: Incumbents Chafee and Carcieri slippingPROVIDENCE -- Democratic challengers are gaining ground in the race for the U.S. Senate and Rhode Island's governor, according to a new poll released this morning by Brown University. If the general election were held today between Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse and Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, Whitehouse would get 38 percent of the vote, Chafee would take 37 percent, and 25 percent would be undecided. As recently as February, Chafee led Whitehouse 40 percent to 34 percent. Today's poll shows Whitehouse's lead over Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey, growing as well. Whitehouse leads Laffey 55 percent to 25 percent, up from 44 percent to 29 percent in February. Governor Carcieri's lead over Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty is also shrinking. In February, Carcieri led 46 percent to 35 percent. But in today's poll, Carcieri leads 44 percent to 39 percent -- nearly within the poll's 3.5 percent margin of error. The survey was conducted June 24 to 26 by Brown's Taubman Center for Public Policy which randomly sampled 719 registered voters in Rhode Island. Regarding the casino vote, 52 percent say they oppose amending the state constitution to allow a gambling casino in West Warwick operated by Harrah’s in association with the Narragansett Indian Tribe; 39 percent favor a casino and 9 percent are undecided. Sixty-six percent think there should be competitive bidding on the right to operate a gambling casino in West Warwick, while 22 percent do not. Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:30 AM | Comment AAA predicts record travel for July 4 holidayAuto club AAA projects a record Fourth of July holiday weekend for travel with 40.7 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more from home. That represents a 1.2 percent increase from last year, and the highest number of holiday weekend travelers ever projected by AAA Southern New England said in a press release today. The holiday weekend follows Thursday's 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, which was created when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act on June 29, 1956, AAA noted. “Vacation travel has changed dramatically in the past 50 years and this will be no more obvious than during this holiday weekend, which is the biggest vacation travel weekend of the summer,” said Robert P. Murray, AAA Southern New England's senior vice president of corporate affairs. AAA noted that this weekend’s drivers will have a much different travel experience than the highway travelers of 50 years ago. Today’s highway vacationers will be paying more than $2.90 a gallon for gas compared to 22 cents in 1956, and the national average hotel rate will be $96.08 a night compared to $8.86 in 1956, AAA said. And Orlando, Fla., has replaced Niagara Falls as the top vacation destination in the U.S., AAA said. AAA estimates that 34.3 million travelers (80 percent of the total) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 1.3 percent increase from the 33.8 million who drove a year ago. Another 4.6 million plan to travel by airplane, the same number flying last Fourth of July. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:11 AM | Comment West Warwick police say woman, 41, was murderedWEST WARWICK -- The police in West Warwick have arrested a resident for allegedly killing a female acquaintance in his apartment on Harris Avenue. Brian Mlyniec, 43, is being arraigned this morning in connection with the death of Kelly Ann Anderson, 41, of Cranston, on Friday. -- Journal Staff Writer Benjamin Gedan Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:09 AM | Comment Update: Burrillville man in serious condition after crashGLOCESTER – A 27-year-old Burrillville man was seriously injured early this morning when he lost control of his Jeep on a curve. The police say Eric Johnson, of Victory Highway, was driving westbound on Putnam Pike around 1:10 a.m. when he rolled his 2004 Jeep near the intersection of Chestnut Hill Road, according to a preliminary police investigation. Johnson is in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital this morning, spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said. The Jeep struck a guardrail before coming to rest on the driver's side, according to a news release issued by Police Lt. Joseph V. Mattera. The Chepachet Fire Department transported Johnson to Rhode Island Hospital, according to Mattera. Glocester Patrolmen Charles Entwistle and Jeffrey Jenison are investigating the accident. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:31 AM | Comment Arraignment today for man accused of shooting at policeWAKEFIELD – The man accused of firing a shotgun at state and Block Island police officers on Sunday night is expected to be arraigned in Fourth District Court, in Wakefield, this morning. Ernesto A. Lacayo, 19, of 1746 Stratfield Rd., Fairfield, Conn., was arrested after fleeing from State Trooper Michael Reynolds, whom the police say just happened by chance to be in the area and see Lacayo walking toward the New Shoreham police station carrying a shotgun. State Police Major Steven G. O’Donnell said yesterday that the police believe Lacayo had just one thing on his mind – killing police officers – when he walked toward that station. When the police nabbed Lacayo, he tried to pull a buck knife from his backpack. The police discovered that Lacayo was also carrying a list of police officers’ names and addresses in that backpack, O’Donnell said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:17 AM | Comment Department investigating Coventry fireCOVENTRY – Firefighters are still on scene investigating an early morning fire at 40 Hill Farm Camp Rd., according to the Central Coventry Fire Department. Coventry Police Sgt. Frederick Heise said the structure fire was reported at 3:09 a.m. More details are not yet available. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:59 AM | Comment American Power Conversion to cut jobs in IrelandAmerican Power Conversion Corp, of West Kingston, plans to lay off 200 to 250 workers in its Castelbar, Ireland, facility, the company announced today. The cuts will come primarily from manufacturing, operation and customer support, said APC, which makes equipment that keeps computers running during power failures. The company says it plans to move some positions closer to customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. APC plans to keep some sales, information technology and research-and-development jobs in its Galway, Ireland, facility, the company said in a press release. Rodger P. Dowdell Jr., the company's president and chief executive officer, said APC is trying to reduce operation costs and improve customer productivity by moving production to lower cost areas and deploying some jobs closer to customers. The company expects the cuts to cost $4 to 5 million, primarily for severance payments. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:29 AM | Comment Providence Equity Partners in group to buy UnivisionA buyout group including Providence Equity Partners will pay $12.3 billion for Univision Communications, the country's largest Spainish language broadcaster. Providence Equity Partners, which is based here and manages about $9 billion in investments in media and communcations companies, combined with three other investment companies to win Univision. Univision controls about 80 percent of the Spanish-language TV market in the United States. -- Bloomberg Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:07 AM | Comment Respite from the rainPROVIDENCE – We should get a respite from the rain today before it starts back up around 3 a.m. tomorrow or later tomorrow afternoon. Today’s weather forecasters predict a mostly cloudy day will gradually become a mostly sunny day, with a high around 84. Tonight should bring fog, which could be dense in some areas. Then the rain returns -- and potentially thunderstorms -- and the drizzle could stick around at least through Saturday. Despite the lack of rain today, the flood warning for the Pawtuxet River in Cranston will continue until late morning. With a flood stage of 9 feet, the river was at 9.1 feet at 5 a.m. today. At 9 feet, minor lowland flooding will occur along the river through Warwick and Cranston. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment June 26, 2006Clinton stumps for Whitehouse at URISOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Former President Bill Clinton urged a crowd of about 150 Democratic supporters this evening to work hard to get Sheldon Whitehouse elected to the U.S. Senate. Clinton said that the Senate majority was in the Democrats' reach this November. The $1,000 per person fundraiser at the University of Rhode Island's University Club netted about $150,000 for Whitehouse, who will face the winner of the Republican primary between the incumbent Lincoln Chafee and Cranston mayor Stephen Laffey. Clinton is scheduled to deliver the keynote address for the World-Scholar Athlete Games at 7:30 p.m. at the Ryan Center on the URI campus. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment Brotherhood showing in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- By 6:30, more than 100 people had lined up on Thayer Street in Providence outside the Avon theater for tonight's showing of the Brotherhood pilot episode. The screening, which begins at 7:00, is free and open to the public. To get in, people needed to bring a full-page ad that appeared on page E7 of Thursday's Providence Journal, which admits two. Seating is not guaranteed and is first come, first serve. Guests at the screening will include Jason Clarke, who plays Tommy Caffee, one of the two leads in the series, and Kevin Chapman, who plays mob boss Freddie Cork. Brotherhood stars Clarke and Jason Isaacs as two brothers, one a politician and the other a criminal. Posted by at 6:35 PM | Comment Big Papi does it againThe Red Sox won their 10th straight game this afternoon on a walk-off 12th inning single by David Ortiz. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon gave up a solo homerun to the Phillies in the top of the 9th inning -- just his second earned run this season -- to knot the game at 6 to 6. The game stayed tied until the 12th inning, when young Red Sox reliever Craig Hansen allowed an inherited runner to score, giving the Phillies a one-run lead. Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp led of the bottom half of the inning with a double. He scored to tie the game on a two-out single by Kevin Youkilis. Mark Loretta then walked, bringing up the slugger, Ortiz. And then, true to form, Ortiz lined a single to left centerfield, scoring Youkilis to win the game, bringing Fenway to a frenzy. The final score was 8 to 7. The Red Sox will host the New York Mets at Fenway tomorrow. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:05 PM | Comment R.I. lesbian couple argues for marriage in Mass. courtBOSTON -- A lesbian couple from Rhode Island who were denied a marriage license in Massachusetts argued in court today that a century-old Massachusetts law should not bar them from marrying here. A lawyer for Wendy Becker and Mary Norton, of Providence, argued the 1913 law that prohibits nonresidents from marrying in Massachusetts does not apply to Rhode Island because Rhode Island law does not "expressly prohibit" same-sex marriage. "Rhode Island has implicitly decided not to stand in the way of its citizens who want to marry here," said Michele Granda, an attorney with Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which represents Becker and Norton. Becker and Norton, a couple for 18 years, filed a notice of intention to marry in Massachusetts days after the state began performing same-sex marriages in May 2004. But they were denied a license after state officials cited the 1913 law. In March, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Massachusetts could use the 1913 law to bar gay couples from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont from marrying here because those states explicitly prohibit gay marriage. But the high court sent the part of the case involving New York and Rhode Island couples back to superior court, saying it was unclear whether gay marriage was prohibited in those states. Superior Court Judge Thomas E. Connolly heard arguments on the Rhode Island case today. No date has been set yet for a hearing on the New York case. Assistant Attorney General Peter Sacks argued that Rhode Island statutes use gender-specific terms - including both "bride" and "groom" - and make it clear that their intention is to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Becker and Norton, who are raising two children together, said their desire to get married was a natural extension of their long relationship. "We feel like the word 'marriage' has a particular meaning of dignity, love and respect. We want that for our families," Norton said after the court hearing. "It's sad that we have to go to court to get married," Becker said. Connolly said he expects to issue his ruling in the case within five to six weeks. In 2002, Connolly dismissed a lawsuit filed by seven gay couples who challenged the state's ban on same-sex marriage. His ruling was reversed by the SJC in its landmark 2003 decision legalizing gay marriage in Massachusetts. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:10 PM | Comment Open update: Pros get to practice, but fans are barred
Michelle Wie was one of the few players to play a practice round this morning, while many more -- in small groups and alone -- played the course this afternoon after some sun and wind helped dry the area. Heavy weekend rains soaked the Newport course. One player, Cristie Kerr, joked that club officials had pumped three million gallons of water off the course today. Absent for the course for the morning, Anika Sorenstam made an appearance on the practice range this afternoon. Players will continue practicing tomorrow in preparation for the first day of play on Thursday. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Paul Kenyon Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:51 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Jurors end first hours of deliberationsPROVIDENCE -- The jury that will decide Esteban Carpio's fate has been released for the day, after deliberating for about 3-1/2 hours. Jurors will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9:30. Earlier today, attorneys for both sides delivered closing arguments to a packed courtroom in the high-profile case. The prosecution labeled Carpio, accused of killing a police detective at headquarters last year, cunning and cool. But the defense held that it was easy to find Carpio psychotic and unable to follow the law.
Fictional spy James Bond would have envied the cool cunning that Carpio used to murder a Providence police detective and elude authorities, prosecutor Paul F. Daly Jr. told the jury this morning. “This would have gone down in the annals of history as the crime of the century,” Daly said. "James Bond would have been envious." Daly called Carpio "cunning," "manipulative" and "evil." Emphasizing the high stakes of the case, just as the defense attorney had done before him, Daly told the jury: "You represent the collective will of the people in this state." The defense lawyer for Carpio presented his closing arguments to the jury this morning before a standing-room-only crowd. The easy part, attorney Robert L. Sheketoff told the jury, is to determine that Carpio was psychotic and couldn't follow the law. The hard part, he said, is, "Do you have the courage to actually follow the law?" Before the beginning of closing arguments, Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause instructed the jury that Carpio is not legally responsible for the murder of a Providence police detective if Carpio was "unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct," or was "unable to conform his conduct" to the requirements of the law at the time of the offense. Sheketoff told the jury to "look at this crowd," during his 20-minute argument, referring to the huge public interest and impact of its decision. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:44 PM | Comment Update: Clinton to appear at Whitehouse fund-raiser at URISOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Before he takes the stage as keynote speaker for the World-Scholar Athlete Games tonight, former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse. The $1,000 per person fundraiser will be held at the University of Rhode Island's University Club at 5:30 p.m. Clinton has been to Rhode Island many times to raise money and stump for Democratic candidates. The former president's most recent visit was on April 8, when he appeared at a fundraising event for his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in East Greenwich, at the home of Democratic activists Mark and Susan Weiner. After the event, Clinton is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. at the Ryan Center on the URI campus. Tickets may be purchased for $77 (lower level seating) or $62 (upper level seating). As of this posting, tickets were still available, and can be obtained at the ticket window until the time of the event. Call (401) 874-RAMS for more information. Honor students from around the world have gathered for the games at the Kingston campus, which promote friendship, communication and cultural exchange. Some 1,900 students from more than 155 countries and all 50 states are expected to participate this year, Sponsored by URI's Institute for International Sport, the games are held every four years. But this year is unique, because the institute is teaming up with the United Nations to promote world peace through sports. U.N. delegates are expected to attend on Wednesday. More about the games from its Web site ... Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:27 PM | Comment Sale of Channel 10 completedRICHMOND, Va. -- Media General, owner of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, said today it has completed its purchase of four NBC stations, including WJAR Channel 10 in Providence. In April, the Richmond-based media company announced its plans to buy the television stations from NBC Universal in an all-cash deal estimated at $600 million. Media General says the stations are in large and growing markets. With the acquisition, Media General now has nine NBC stations. Media General also owns The Tampa Tribune and Winston-Salem Journal. NBC Universal is 80 percent owned by General Electric Company. Vivendi Universal Entertainment holds the remainder. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:27 PM | Comment June has a soggy record within reachWith rain forecast for all four remaining days this month, the region has an outside chance at setting a new rainfall record for June. This June is already the third rainiest for Providence since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1904, according to Charles Foley, a meteorologist for the weather service in Taunton. Providence had 8.92 inches of rain through yesterday, which is 6.08 inches more than the June average of 2.84 inches, according to the weather service's Web site. (The measurements for Providence are actually taken at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.) The second rainiest June was 1998, when 9.61 inches fell, according to Foley. The wettest June was 1982, when 11.08 inches fell. A record for June 25 was set yesterday, when 1.13 inches fell. The old record was .60 in June 1984. The weather service has forecast heavy rain for this afternoon and a chance of rain tomorrow through Friday, the final day of June. But Foley thinks it's unlikely the record will fall. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:20 PM | Comment World Cup: Italy's fans have something to cheer aboutItalians around our area had something to cheer about this morning, as the Italian national soccer team defeated Australia in the second round of World Cup play. The Italians earned a 1-0 victory over Australia after scoring on a controversial penalty kick awarded in injury time. Italy advances to the quarter finals and will play the winner of the Switzerland and Ukraine match. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:16 PM | Comment R.I. same-sex couples argue for right to marry in Mass.BOSTON -- Lawyers for gay couples from Rhode Island will be in a Boston court today, arguing that they should be allowed to get married in Massachusetts. The couples say a 1913 law that bars non-residents from marrying in Massachusetts if their marriage would not be legal in their home state does not apply to them -- because gay marriage is not specifically banned in Rhode Island. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the 1913 law, but left open the door for same-sex couples from Rhode Island as well as New York. The justices said there was a question of whether gay marriage was legally allowed in those two states. Today's hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in Suffolk Superior Court. Read a previous Journal story. Read more about the case on the Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders Web Site. Read about Marriage Equality RI's movement seeking legal recognition of same-sex couples through civil marriage in Rhode Island. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:41 AM | Comment Gas prices fall for second weekGasoline prices in Rhode Island dropped 2 cents per gallon this week, the second straight week that prices have fallen, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.96 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The average price has dropped 4 cents over the past two weeks, but drivers are still paying 71 cents more per gallon than they were at this time last year. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:29 AM | Comment Providence board to discuss moving principals tonightPROVIDENCE – A controversial plan to move 11 middle school principals or assistant principals goes before the Providence School Board tonight. Supt. Donnie Evans is proposing the changes, which include reassigning some principals as assistant principals and vice versa, as part of a sweeping reorganization of the city’s seven middle schools. The changes are aimed at increasing student achievement. Read more in a Journal story on the topic. The board will address the proposed administrative changes at a 7 p.m. meeting in the district’s administrative offices, 797 Westminster St. However, the board meets prior to that, at 5:30 p.m., for a workshop on the new state testing program and how Providence student scores compare to the statewide scores, district spokeswoman Maria Tocco said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:50 AM | Comment Summer Pops concert set for tonight in WesterlyThe Chorus of Westerly's free Summer Pops concert, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved by rain to 8 tonight, with a pre-show starting at 6:30 p.m. The concert takes place in Wilcox Park in downtown Westerly. It features the 200-voice Chorus of Westerly, the Boston Festival Orchestra, and special guest bass-baritone Kevin Short. The pre-show offers the URI Jazz Big Band, the Kevin Byrne Band and the Westerly Morris Men. No plastic ground covers are allowed; they'll be removed if put down. Items other than blankets that are left unattended will also be removed.
Posted by at 9:30 AM | Comment SUV rolls over on Exeter's Victory HighwayEXETER – Both fire departments in town, the Exeter Rescue and the State Police responded to a single-car rollover on Victory Highway at the New London Turnpike early this morning, according to rescue officials and the state police. The accident was called in at 1:42 a.m., Exeter Rescue Lt. Bryan Gardiner said. The SUV was traveling southbound when it rolled over at the intersection with the New London Turnpike, State Police Trooper Marc Alboum said. More details are not yet available. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:50 AM | Comment Time to declare candidacy for state, federal officesIf you’ve been contemplating running for a federal or statewide office, you’ve got just a couple days left to make up your mind about whether to throw your hat in the ring. The declaration of candidacy period begins today and ends Wednesday at 4 p.m. In order to run for office, you must be registered to vote, and the deadline for that has passed. Potential candidates must also fill out and submit this form. There’s plenty of information on the process on the Secretary of State’s Web site, in English and in Spanish, including a How to Run for Office Guide.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:11 AM | Comment Carpio trial: Closing statements expected todayPROVIDENCE – After medical experts have offered vastly different accounts of Esteban Carpio’s state of mind, lawyers are expected this morning to offer their closing statements in the trial of the man accused of killing a Providence police detective. Carpio is accused of stabbing 84-year-old Madeline Gatta and, hours later, killing Detective Sgt. James L. Allen at police headquarters on April 16, 2005. Carpio’s defense team has never questioned whether Carpio stabbed Gatta or killed Allen. The defense has argued that Carpio is innocent by reason of insanity. Come back to projo.com later today for more ... The insanity defense sets up a two-part trial with differing burdens of proof. In the first phase, the state needs to prove Carpio is guilty of four charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Krause reminded potential jurors at the beginning of the trial that Carpio is presumed innocent and the state must prove otherwise. In the second phase, Krause explained, the burden of proof shifts to the defense in its argument that Carpio cannot be held legally responsible for any of the alleged crimes. A preponderance of the evidence is a lesser standard than beyond a reasonable doubt. Robert L. Sheketoff, Carpio's lawyer, told potential jurors that the phrase means "more likely than not." -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:01 AM | Comment Clinton to give keynote at student games tonightSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Former President Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker tonight as the World-Scholar Athlete Games kick into high gear at the University of Rhode Island. Clinton is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. at the Ryan Center. Tickets may be purchased for $77 (lower level seating) or $62 (upper level seating). Call (401) 874-RAMS for more information. Earlier today, state Attorney General Patrick Lynch is to take part on a panel about non-violence, at 9:30 a.m. at Keaney Gymnasium. More about the games from its Web site ... Honor students from around the world have gathered for the games at the Kingston campus, which promote friendship, communication and cultural exchange. Some 1,900 students from more than 155 countries and all 50 states are expected to participate this year, Sponsored by URI's Institute for International Sport, the games are held every four years. But this year is unique, because the institute is teaming up with the United Nations to promote world peace through sports. U.N. delegates are expected to attend on Wednesday. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:52 AM | Comment Bleak week: More rain likely, flood warning onPROVIDENCE – Haven’t we had enough rain already? There’s a 40 percent chance of more rain on this mostly cloudy day, and a flood warning has been extended until this evening for the Pawtuxet River in Cranston. With the river already at 9.2 feet by 5 a.m. today and expected to rise to nearly 9.4 feet, minor flooding has already occurred in the area, according to the National Weather Service. Flood stage for the river is 9 feet. So even if you have had enough rain, just wishing apparently isn’t the right formula to make it go away. The rain appears to be here to stay. And we’re sorry to say that the rest of the week’s forecast doesn’t look particularly sunny. The high today should be around 75. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:07 AM | Comment June 23, 2006Scholar-Athlete Games begin Sunday at URI / Photo
KINGSTON -- Student-athletes from more than 150 countries and all 50 states are gathering in Rhode Island for the 2006 Scholar-Athete Games. The games formally begin on Sunday at the University of Rhode Island. Former President Bill Clinton will give the keynote speech on Monday night at 7:30 at the Ryan Center. The theme of that day's events will be world peace and nonviolence. Participants will hear from an eclectic group of speakers during the week of events. Television talk-show host Bill O'Reilly will speak at 7:30 on Sunday; Olympic skiier Bode Miller will speak Thursday at 7:30; former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell speaks on Friday; and disgraced former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland will speak on the morning of July 1, in a presentation meant to emphasize the dangers of abusing power. Talan Toriero and Taylor Cole of the wildly popular TV show Laguna Beach will join the Tuesday night festivities. All of the events, including sports events featuring youngsters from around the world, are open to the public, but tickets must be purchased for many of the speakers. Go to the official event Web site for ticket information. Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:57 PM | Comment Woman, children attacked by fox in North KingstownNORTH KINGSTOWN -- A woman and her two children -- ages 1 and 3 -- were treated at Kent Hospital today after a rabid fox bit the woman and dragged the 1-year-old boy across a lawn here. The police said that Mary McGarry, of Johnston, was just taking her children out of her car at about 7:30 this morning when the small fox attacked. They had just arrived at 140 Brookhaven Rd. The fox bit McGarry in the wrist and would not let go; she had to shake the fox off her wrist. The fox then bit her leg, got her son, Aidan, by the shoe and dragged him across the lawn. McGarry struck the fox repeatedly to get it to let go. The North Kingstown police found and killed the fox 20 minutes after receiving the call. Mary and Aidan McGarry suffered minor puncture wounds. The 3-year-old girl, Abigail, was not injured, but she was also treated for a potential rabies infection at Kent Hospital. A woman on Peach Tree Road alerted Sgt. Steven St. Onge that the animal was on her property. He fired at the animal with his gun, but it was still alive. He and a fellow officer had to fire two more shots to kill the fox. State veterinarian Dr. Christopher Hannifan announced later today that the fox did have rabies. State Sen. James Sheehan told the police yesterday that he was attacked by what is now believed to have been the same fox while he was riding his bike on Blueberry Lane. He was able to get away on his bike. Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:20 PM | Comment Zoo, health care on Kennedy-Gingrich agenda / Photo
Robin Costello, Kennedy's spokeswoman, says Gingrich, “has a passion for zoos,” and he particularly enjoyed the giraffe exhibit, where one male and two females get quite close to visitors. Over the years, Costello says each time Gingrich has been in Rhode Island, he has asked to visit the zoo. Gingrich spoke in Newport this morning about changing the country's health-care system. Kennedy and Governor Carcieri also attended the conference. After the meeting, Costello said the timing was right for Gingrich to get in a trip to the Providence zoo. This afternoon, Kennedy was to visit the Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, where he and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, from California, are expected to talk about 3:30 p.m. Tonight, Pelosi will speak at an event in Providence organized by Women Ending Hunger. Kennedy will join her for her talk at the Rhode Island Food Bank. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:40 PM | Comment Judge Torres relents, gives harsher crack sentencePROVIDENCE _ A federal judge imposed longer prison terms on two crack offenders today, saying he had no choice since an appeals court has ruled that he was wrong to reject sentencing guidelines that treat 1 gram of crack like 100 grams of powder cocaine. Last year, when Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres sentenced Sambath Pho and Shawn Lewis, he called the 100-to-1 ratio “unreasonable” and used the 20-to-1 ratio recommended by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. But in January, the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that while it shared concerns about the fairness of the 100-to-1 ratio, “the proper place to assuage that concern is in the halls of Congress, not in federal courtrooms.” When Pho and Lewis came back for resentencing this morning, Torres told them that the only reason he had sentenced them below the guideline range was because he had used the 20-to-1 ratio, rather than the 100-to-1 ratio. “It would be dishonest of me, having already stated that except for the ratio the guideline range was reasonable, to come up with a pretext of why I now think the guidelines don’t provide a reasonable context for your sentence,” Torres said. So Torres sentenced Pho to 87 months in prison, up from his original sentence of 64 months. And he sentenced Lewis to 235 months in prison, up from 188 months. Assistant Federal Defenders Edward C. Roy Jr. and Kevin J. Fitzgerald said they plan to appeal the sentences imposed on Pho and Lewis yesterday. “It’s an issue that ultimately may have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Roy said. Thomas M. Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said, “Given the recent 1st Circuit decision, we believe that Judge Torres fashioned and imposed reasonable sentences in both cases today.” -- Report from Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:23 PM | Comment Weather update: Severe thunderstorm warning in effectA severe thunderstorm warning is on for northern Providence County in Rhode Island, which includes Woonsocket and the extreme southeastern Worcester County in central Massachusetts until 5 p.m. At 4:07 p.m., National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. This storm was located near Burrillville, or about 7 miles northeast of Putnam, and moving east at 20 mph. Earlier today, the National Weather service has expanded its flood watch to include all of Rhode Island and parts of southeastern Massachusetts. The watch is in effect through tomorrow afternoon. Rainfall of 2 to 5 inches, and in some places up to 6 and 7 inches, is possible through tomorrow, the weather service said. The heavy rain may cause flooding of streams and urban flooding. Periods of heavy rain are possible into next week. With the flood watch in effect, be sure to monitor forecasts throughout the day and be alert for possible flood warnings. Check projo.com for the latest conditions and forecasts. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:22 PM | Comment Update: Bones found in Cranston confirmed to be humanCRANSTON – An anthropoligist from the University of Maine has confirmed that bones found yesterday in Garden City are human, according to the state Medical Examiner's Office. More testing will be needed to determine their age. Authorities searching the area today found more bones, along with a lead burial nameplate that dates to the early 1900s. State police and the Cranston police were at the site, which is at the bottom of a steep slope near the former Davol Building at 100 Sockanosset Cross Rd., from this morning until about 1:30 this afternoon. There were three search dogs used, including Maximus, the state police's most experienced search dog. The bones were first discovered yesterday by a person who works in the area and was taking a walk; they were visible above the ground. Today, as more bones were discovered, they were placed into individual paper bags. Read more about the discovery of the bones in today’s Journal story. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:51 PM | Comment Photo: All-clear given at the State House
PROVIDENCE -- Just before 3:30 this afternoon, employees were allowed back into the State House after a two-hour evacuation caused by a bomb threat. The evacuation order came at 1:25, following a phoned-in threat received by the governor's office. Jeff Neal, spokesman for Governor Carcieri, said it was a "very brief call," and "there were very few specifics." Governor Carcieri was not at the State House, located at the top of Smith Hill, overlooking downtown. He was at a previously scheduled event in Warwick. The governor's office called the Capitol police, which followed the standard protocol in ordering the building to be evacuated. The fire marshal's bomb squad arrived on scene at 1:51 p.m. Dogs from the fire marshal's office, the state police and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation are involved in the search. The evacuation came just after General Assembly committees were scheduled to start meeting, and as legislators were hoping to wrap up this year's session tonight. There is no word yet on how the evacuation will affect today's legislative schedule. "It's unfortunate. We have a lot of work to get done for the people of this state," said Sen. John J. Tassoni, D-Smithfield. As the crowd gathered across Smith Street, lawmakers appeared anxious. But the business of government continued, as lobbyists worked the crowd, talking with legislators about their issues. After being outside for more than an hour, some lawmakers and staffers are huddled in their cars with the air conditioning running. Several people expressed concern that this was a bad way to start what was already going to be a long evening. One lobbyist was overheard saying, "There are better ways to kill off a piece of legislation." About 11 minutes after the announcement to evacuate the historic white marble building, several state troopers and Providence police officers arrived to assist Capitol police officers. -- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:34 PM | Comment Photo: Boggs, ex-mates join PawSox celebration
PROVIDENCE -- In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, April 19, 1981, Joe Morgan knew that baseball history was going to be set. Morgan, the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox at the time, had been thrown out of his team's game against the Rochester Red Wings in the 22nd inning with the score tied, 2-2, for arguing with the umpires. It was a windy, cold night, and Morgan retreated to a runway directly behind home plate at McCoy Stadium to watch the rest of the action. ''The players were coming back there [between innings],'' Morgan related today at the Providence Marriott Hotel on Orms Street, ''moanin' [about the cold] like you can't believe. I knew there was no way anyone was going to score. I said to myself, 'This game is going to go on for eternity.' "Was I right?" Well, almost. Morgan and 15 of his former players -- along with his pitching coach, Cranston's Mike Roarke, and eight members of the opposing Red Wings -- gathered today at noon for a luncheon hosted by the PawSox honoring the 25th anniversary of the end of longest game in professional baseball history. The entire roundtable discussion was light and lively, drawing laughter and appluase from the capacity crowd estimated at about 400 people. When Morgan pointed out that the PawSox made only one error in 33 innings, Hall of Famer Wade Boggs retorted: ''That's because nobody was making contact!'' Boggs also recalled a phone call he made to his father in Florida the next morning. ''I got four hits last night,'' he said. ''Hey, you had a good game!'' his father replied. ''Well, I did it in 12 at-bats,'' he admitted. -- Journal sports editor Art Martone The PawSox players at the luncheon, in addition to Boggs, Bruce Hurst, Marty Barrett and Dave Koza (who finally knocked in the winning run when the suspended game was resumed on June 23, 1981) included Jim Dorsey, Keith MacWhorter, Russ Quetti, Roger LaFrancois, Sam Bowen, Mike Smithson, Chico Walker, Luis Aponte, Russ Laribee, Ed Jurak and Mike Ongorato. Also on hand were Roarke, first-base umpire Tony Maners and official scorer Bill George (whose scoreboard is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame). Weather permitting, the festivities will continue before tonight's PawSox game against the Columbus Clippers. The ceremony will begin at 7. The game was suspended after 32 innings at 4:07 a.m. on April 19 and resumed on the evening of June 23. When it did, Koza singled home Barrett in the bottom of the 33rd inning, giving the PawSox a 3-2 victory. Morgan and Barrett were part of a discussion panel about the game, hosted by Red Sox television announcer Don Orsillo, that included Boggs and Hurst. ''I'd been a baseball fan since I was a kid,'' said Barrett, the team's second baseman who played with the Boston Red Sox from 1983-90, ''and I knew the longest game before that was 26 innings. So when we got to the 27th, I told everybody, 'We're playing in the longest game ever.' '' They had gotten that far because Boggs had driven in the tying run in the bottom of the 21st, after Rochester had scored in the top of the inning to take the lead. ''I didn't know if the guys on the team wanted to hug me or slug me,'' said Boggs, a career .337 hitter with the Red Sox from 1982-92. Hurst, one of the best left-handed pitchers in Red Sox history, worked the 28th through 32nd innings, allowing only two hits and striking out seven. He recalls striking out Rochester's Cal Ripken, another Hall of Famer, at about 4 a.m. on a 3-and-2 curveball. ''A 3-and-2 curve at 4 in the morning is a hard pitch to hit,'' joked Hurst. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:02 PM | Comment Popular daily number pays off1003 was a lucky number for a lot of Rhode Islanders last night. The Rhode Island Lottery says that there are $188,522 worth of winning tickets from last night's Daily Number drawing, against just $73,274 in ticket sales -- a payout that amounts to 260 percent of ticket sales. On an average day, the Lottery's payouts are 47 percent of ticket sales, Lottery spokeswoman Jennafer Rampone said today. Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:54 PM | Comment Centracchio to enter race for lieutenant governorFormer state Adjutant General Reginald Centracchio plans to enter the race for lieutenant governor and will contest for the Republican Party's endorsement at the state convention next week, Chuck Newton, a spokesman for the state GOP, said today. Centracchio retired at age 65 last September, after 48 years in the National Guard. During the Cold War, he was a battery commander for missile sites throughout Rhode Island. Former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond appointed Centracchio adjutant general in 1995; Governor Carcieri reappointed him in 2003. Centracchio has long acknowledged an interest in running for the office of lieutenant governor. -- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:28 PM | Comment A taste of the farm in downtown ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- The farmers’ markets are in full swing. Today is the second Friday for the Downtown Farmers’ Market, which comes to town each Friday from now until October. It’s a place to buy baked goods, fresh strawberries, coffee, chocolate, vegetables, fruit, T-shirts and flowers. The white, blue or green tents over each of the tables dot the landscape downtown, on the brick sidewalk next to the skating rink. They’ll be there from 11 until 3 p.m. – unless torrential rains cause the farmers, bakers and other salespeople to pack up early. Can't make it to Providence? Check this list of markets around the state, provided by Farm Fresh Rhode Island. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:55 AM | Comment Rain could curb air show events, but it's a go for nowNORTH KINGSTOWN – With an 80-percent chance of rain predicted for tomorrow and a 70- percent chance on Sunday -- some expected to be quite heavy -- we asked the Rhode Island National Guard about plans for this weekend’s 15th annual air show at Quonset. The show normally goes on, rain or shine. But spokesman Lt. Col. Michael McNamara said this morning, “We’ll probably have to curtail some things.” Safety comes first, he said. “We fly as much as we can. We do the ground acts as much as we can,” he said. “The only time we really look at canceling is when it becomes unsafe – high winds, lightning. Then we go ahead and cancel.” The last time weather was a problem was in 2001, when the Guard had to cancel Sunday’s events in mid-afternoon because of torrential, driving rain, McNamara said. For now, he’s hopeful that the show will go on as planned at Quonset Point, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. For more information, call (401) 275-4110 or visit www.riairshow.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:28 AM | Comment Lawmakers hope to adjourn tonightPROVIDENCE – As state legislators strive to wrap up this year's General Assembly session, they’ve yet to pass the state’s $6.66 billion budget. They’ve left that for debate tonight by the Senate Finance Committee, which is expected to begin tackling the budget at 6 p.m. in Room 211 of the State House. But will the legislators be able to get to all that’s left in order to finish tonight? One can wonder, considering the 45-minute debate in the House last night over whether to honor Anne Hutchinson, a 17th-century champion of civil liberties and religious freedom who lived in Portsmouth for a time, by naming a bridge after her. In a state with no bridges named after a woman, the legislators argued along gender lines about whether Hutchinson could have that honor or must share it with Capt. Robert Gray, a Tiverton native who served as a Revolutionary War officer. "I urge you all to name one thing after one great woman," said Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, in support of the legislation introduced by Rep. Amy Rice, D-Portsmouth. Rep. Timothy Williamson, D-Coventry, drew laughs when he suggested naming one lane of the bridge after Hutchinson and another after Gray. More laughs came when House Speaker William Murphy responded, "Or name it after Anne Hutchinson and paint it gray." With 93 items on the full House calendar for today, and 34 on the Senate's, when will it end? -- With reports from The Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:10 AM | Comment Last area high school graduation tonightCommencement exercises tonight at South Kingstown High School will put a cap on the local high school graduation season. Tonight's ceremony begins at 7 p.m. at the Ryan Center on the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:36 AM | Comment Carpio trial: Off for the day, closing arguments MondayPROVIDENCE -- The trial of Esteban Carpio, accused of murder in the fatal shooting of a Providence police detective, takes a break today. Testimony in the trial wrapped up yesterday, as the prosecution continued to challenge the defense's claim that Carpio should be found not guilty because he was insane at the time. Next: Closing arguments on Monday. Read today's Journal story for the latest. Find a photo gallery, audio clips and more coverage of the trial here. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:13 AM | Comment June 22, 2006CCRI, RIC fees up for last-minute increaseIn an unusual, last-minute move, tuition and fees at two Rhode Island public colleges will increase beyond the rates set last fall, if the Board of Governors for Higher Education approves the changes at a meeting next week. Students at the Community College of Rhode Island would have to pay $216 more in tuition and fees for the coming academic year, an 8.7-percent increase, for a total of $2,686 a year for in-state students. Originally, the Board of Governors said the increase would be 3.3 percent, or $74 a year. But sluggish enrollment growth and reduced state funding means that CCRI faces a deficit of about $2.5 million in the coming year, according to budget projections by the Office of Higher Education. Rates also would be higher at Rhode Island College, which is facing a $3.1-million shortfall next year. Instead of a 4.9-percent increase, or $208 more a year for in-state students, tuition and fees will increase by $282 a year, or 6 percent, for a total of $4,958. The 6-percent increase set for in-state students at the University of Rhode Island will be unchanged. The Board of Governors is expected to vote on the proposed budget changes at its 5 p.m. meeting on Thursday, June 29. -- With reports from Journal education writer Jennifer Jordan Posted by Mike McDermott at 6:23 PM | Comment Update: Lit incense started Pawtucket apartment firePAWTUCKET -- Fire broke out in a basement apartment at Trenton Street this afternoon, city fire officials said, when incense lit in a bathroom ignited toilet paper. The fire was within a 12-apartment complex made up of two connecting buildings. No injuries were reported, though minor smoke and water damage was sustained to the apartment and one next to it. Several Fire Department crews responded to the scene at 127 Trenton St. after the call came in around 2:45 p.m. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:52 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Testimony ends, closing arguments next
Dr. Martin Kelly, a Boston psychiatrist, testified today that, in his opinion, Carpio showed no signs of mental illness or defects before, during or after he shot Detective Sgt. James L. Allen last year at Providence police headquarters. But Carpio's lawyer, Robert L. Sheketoff, questioned during cross-examination why Kelly did not interview Carpio's mother or girlfriend, or other people who had seen the defendant shortly before he shot Allen, in making his assessment. Kelly was called as a rebuttal witness by prosecutor Paul F. Daly Jr. in Carpio's murder trial. Kelly said he found no evidence of mental illness from police reports, transcripts, videotapes and his own interview with Carpio. Kelly said he relied on reports from police interviews of people close to Carpio, and did not think it necessary to talk to them himself. Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline attended the proceedings for part of the afternoon. About a dozen police officers, including Cmdr. Paul Kennedy and Maj. Stephen Campbell, were also there. This morning, neuropsychologist David Faust testified that Carpio grossly exaggerated on a test last November meant to identify mental disorders. Faust also accused the defense's expert witness of incorrectly scoring the 500-question true-false test and of using outdated texts to interpret the results. On cross-examination, Sheketoff accused Faust of being a professional witness, and cited a book that Faust wrote that is a handbook for lawyers on how to attack expert witnesses. Also today, Sheketoff said that police soon after the shooting simultaneously interviewed Carpio at the hospital and his girlfriend, Samein Phin, and that both spoke of Carpio's hearing voices and behaving strangely in the weeks before the shooting. The implication was that they could not have agreed on what to say ahead of time. The defense is arguing that Carpio was insane and cannot be held legally responsible for the death. Prosecutors began challenging that assertion yesterday, after the defense rested.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:44 PM | Comment W. Greenwich boy, 12, dies from accident injuriesA 12-year-old boy has died from injuries he sustained when he collided head-on with his younger brother in a cycle accident on a wooded trail at the Coventry-West Greenwich line. The Coventry Police Department said today that Taber Kelley, 12, of West Greenwich, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving yesterday at Kent Hospital, in Warwick. His 11-year-old brother, Preston Kelley, was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital with severe injuries to his left forearm and lower left leg. The brothers were riding on a wooded trail off Mishnock Road with two other boys. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks One of the other boys, Jake Bercham, 14, of West Greenwich, injured his right shoulder in a secondary collision. The fourth boy, Zakery Duclos, 15, of East Greenwich, was not injured; he attempted to perform CPR until help arrived, the Coventry police said. It was not clear this afternoon what type of cycle the boys were riding. All four, however, were wearing protective equipment and helmets, police said yesterday. The police said the state medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy tomorrow. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:21 PM | Comment Update: Bill gives Senate OK over Beacon gubernatorial appointeesPROVIDENCE – A bill requiring Senate approval of gubernatorial appointees to the board of the Beacon Mutual Insurance Company is scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Labor today. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Roger Badeau, D-Woonsocket, comes at a time when Governor Carcieri is engaged in a court battle with two board members, George Nee and Henry Boeniger, over his right to remove them from the board. Both had been appointed by former Gov. Lincoln Almond. In April, an independent report on Beacon by a team led by Almond turned up evidence that the insurer, among other things, gave preferential insurance rates to some large companies and maintained "inappropriate relationships" with certain insurance agents. The governor has accused Nee and Boeniger of presiding over the mismanagement of Beacon for more than a decade. Beacon spokesman Bill Fischer said the bill – which was posted last night for hearing -- was not a Beacon bill and that he does not know where it came from. In a press release this afternoon, Governor Carcieri denounced the bill, saying it contained two specific flaws. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi He said the separation of powers amendment to the state constitution requires the governor to make all appointments to state boards and commissions. The bill also appears to be "a veiled attempt" to allow current board members to stay on the board until after their appointments expire, Carcieri said. Appointees hold their seats until a new appointment is made, according to the governor's office. “This bill is an outrageous and unconstitutional attempt to stop the reforms being implemented at the state’s largest workers compensation insurer,” Carcieri said. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:58 PM | Comment Providence aims to take the bite out of summerPROVIDENCE -- The city Department of Public Works announced today that it will treat 11,370 catch basins throughout the city with a larvicide to prevent mosquitos from hatching. The larvicide will be released slowly throughout the entire mosquito-breeding season, and will only have to be applied once. The city says it is important for residents to limit their own exposure to West Nile and other mosquito-borne illnesses by using insect repellent with DEET, keeping standing water off their properties, wearing long pants and long sleeves at dawn and dusk, and putting screens on windows and doors. Click here to see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tips for avoiding mosquito bites. Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:27 PM | Comment Cleanup plan for W. Kingston Superfund site to be airedThe state Department of Environmental Management and the federal Environmental Protection Agency have scheduled a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday to present the cleanup plan for the West Kingston Superfund site. The hearing will be at the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus in the conference room, 210 Flagg Rd. The 18-acre parcel includes the old West Kingston dump and the URI disposal area. It was placed on the Superfund priority list in 1992, after chemical contamination was detected in the groundwater in and around the site. The land is contained within more than 100 acres that URI would like to buy for $1.35 million, in what would be the most expensive land purchase in recent university history. The Superfund land is being carved out by its current owners and will be given to the Town of South Kingstown. There will be a public hearing on July 26, where people will be able to comment on the plan. Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:17 PM | Comment DEM advises: Batch of rabies vaccine being recalledThe state Department of Environmental Management said today that it is alerting veterinarians, pet shops and others of a voluntary manufacturer's recall of a batch of rabies vaccine. Animals that received the recalled vaccine should not be considered properly protected against rabies until they have received another shot, the DEM said. The manufacturer, Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of the pharmaceutical company Wyeth, has recalled all existing RabVac 3 TF (serial 873113A) vaccines produced and distributed from Nov. 1, 2004, through the product expiration date of June 29, 2006. The DEM says that the company has notifed veterinarians who bought the vaccine directly and suggested that they notify the owners of pets that received the vaccine. Animal owners can check their pets' rabies certificates; these often include the manufacturer and serial number for the product. A 13-month-old dog in Connecticut that received the vaccination ended up contracting rabies less than a year later. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:43 PM | Comment Study: 'Graduated' driving laws for teens help save livesTeenage driving laws like Rhode Island's that limit nighttime driving and enforce passenger restrictions save lives, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The study compared crash rates and patterns of teenage drivers in Oregon, which has nighttime and passenger restrictions, with those in Ontario, which does not mandate such restrictions. The study also surveyed a random sample of 1,000 teens -– half of whom had been involved in a car crash and half of whom had not been. What the researchers learned is that death and injury crash rates for 16-year-old drivers were 20 percent lower in Oregon where those restrictions exist than in Ontario, where they do not, according to AAA. Rhode Island’s “graduated driving laws,” which is the term for laws that allow teens to build experience behind the wheel before encountering complex driving situations, prevent newly licensed drivers from being on the road between 1 and 5 a.m. and require new drivers to limit those under-21 passengers to one. Just last summer, the Rhode Island General Assembly decided to limit 16- and 17-year-old drivers with provisional licenses from transporting more than one passenger under age 21. Brothers and sisters are still able to drive with older siblings. A bill pending in the General Assembly would forbid drivers younger than 18 from using cellular phones. Repeat offenders could potentially lose their licenses until their 18th birthdays. Heading into the summer months, AAA also reports that July and August are the deadliest months for 16- and 17-year-olds. In Rhode Island, 20 teens ages 16 or 17 died in car crashes that killed a total of 58 people from 1995 to 2004. AAA offers tips for teaching teens to drive on its Web site. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:30 PM | Comment No indictment in shooting by Pawtucket police officerA statewide grand jury has completed its investigation and issued no indictment in the death of 47-year-old John D. Martins, who was shot and killed by a Pawtucket police officer while fleeing the scene of a robbery. The Pawtucket Police Department said after the April 18 shooting that the officer, Jeffrey S. Allen, had followed protocol in the case. Allen has been on administrative duty since the incident. The police said that Martins threatened a clerk and grabbed money from a cash register at the Cumberland Farms store at 711 East Ave. Allen, who was nearby, arrived at the scene quickly after someone who heard commotion called the police. Allen tried to use his cruiser to block Martins in the parking lot of the store. The police said that Martins rammed the cruiser two times with his car before driving out of the lot. Allen then fired through his open car window; Martins' car crashed into seven other cars in a service station parking lot before flipping over. He was pronounced dead at the scene; the police later said that he died from a single gunshot. Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:06 PM | Comment Poll: Chafee, Laffey running neck and neckA Rhode Island College public opinion survey of the state Republican primary voters shows that U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey are locked in a dead heat for the GOP Senate nomination. The survey of 256 likely Rhode Island primary voters conducted between June 19 and 22 shows that 39 percent support Chafee and 38 percent would back Laffey. The poll carries a margin of error of 6 percent. Laffey leads among men, 44 percent to 34 percent, while Chafee has the edge among women, 37 percent to 35 percent. The survey, conducted by veteran RIC political science professor Victor Profughi, also shows that Chafee does better among independents, who are eligible to vote in the GOP primary. Chafee does much better with independents than he does with base GOP voters. For example, among unaffiliated voters, Chafee betters Laffey 49 percent to 31 percent. Among registered Republicans, Laffey leads Chafee 45 to 28. Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:57 PM | Comment Update: U.S. soccer team sent packing
NUREMBERG, Germany – The U.S. World Cup team fell to Ghana, 2-1, in today's The result, coupled with Italy's 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic, means that Italy wins Group E, while Ghana also advances as the second team in the group. Their opponents will be determined later today, when Japan plays against Brazil while Croatia takes on Australia. The American team, which came in with a high international ranking and high hopes, goes home. Rick Siravo of South Kingstown, public relations director for Soccer Rhode Island, says he was "very disappointed" by the result. "I feel that the U.S. team should be on the forefront of soccer, and therefore it is certainly disappointing when we can't advance to the second round and we lose to teams that we should be able to defeat." He said the U.S. team showed no offensive ability during its three first-round games, and that its defensive strategy was a mistake. But he predicted that the result would not dampen enthusiasm for the game in this country, and that the attention drawn by the World Cup would "only enhance the level of play and participation, particularly at the youth level." Interact online with other readers and tell us whether you're watching the World Cup. -- projo.com and Associated Press reports Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:24 PM | Comment Senate rejects Democratic efforts to withdraw troopsWASHINGTON -- The Republican-led Senate today rejected two Democratic efforts to put the United States on a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, further hardening a partisan split that reflects the American public's division and looms as a major issue in November's elections. "Withdrawal is not an option," Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said shortly before this morning's votes. "Surrender is not an option." With Rhode Island's Democratic Sen. Jack Reed among the leaders of the opposition, the Senate first rejected a liberal Democratic bid to withdraw all U.S. combat troops by July 1 of next year. Then in a closer but still decisive margin, the Senate killed a more modest troop-withdrawal resolution by Reed and Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan and other Democrats. That measure fell, 60-39. Reed's fellow Rhode Island senator, Lincoln Chafee, was the only Republican to vote with Reed-Levin. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who faces a primary challenger opposed to the war, was one of the six Democrats who voted against the Reed-Levin measure. The vote to kill Kerry's amendment to the 2007 Senate defense authororization bill was 86-13. It followed two days of highly charged partisan debate on the wisdom of setting any specific timetable for a pullout. Reed and Chafee both voted against the Kerry amendment. The GOP had denounced both measures as embodiments of a Democratic strategy to "cut and run" from Iraq – a charge the Democrats hotly disputed -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:17 PM | Comment Winning lottery tickets have not been cashedLottery tickets totalling $145,250.62 have yet to be claimed by the lucky ticket holders, the state Lottery Commission announced today. The richest prize by far was an $85,250.62 Wild Money winner, sold at the County Farms on Pocasset Avenue, in Providence. That drawing was Tuesday night. Rhode Island had two big winners in Saturday's PowerBall drawing. A $40,000 winner has been traced to the Express Food Mart on Post Road, in Warwick, while a ticket sold at Douglas Wine and Spirit on Wampanoag Trail, in East Providence, was worth $10,000. The state's hot streak continued during last night's PowerBall drawing; someone who bought a ticket at the Liberty Market on Main Street, in Woonsocket, will be $10,000 richer when they claim their prize. Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:44 AM | Comment Update: Central Falls police cracking downCENTRAL FALLS – The police department is telling residents on Darling Street that it won't put up with anymore fighting after arresting nine people this week, Police Chief Joseph Moran III said this morning. The trouble started Tuesday after a fight broke out between two women who live in separate apartments at 103 Darling St. The police returned to the scene multiple times. The incident drew 100 people who screamed at police, threw full plastic soda bottles, pushed the police away and tried to stop the arrests, Moran said. The police responded with pepper spray and a pepper ball gun that fires plastic balls with pepper-like powder, Moran said. The department met yesterday with people in the neighborhood to deliver a zero-tolerance message, Moran said. “People can either be one of two things over here in Central Falls. They’re either part of the solution or part of the problem,” Moran said. “The ones that are part of the problem, we’re going to straighten out.” The police have towed a few cars from the neighborhood that weren’t properly registered, they’ve taken license plates that have expired off at least one car, and they’ve sent the city’s minimum housing officer to the area to issue citations for housing code violations as well, Moran said. “We told them that they’re not going to do anything to try or attempt to embarrass the police department by acting like fools,” Moran said. “They understand. The people in the city are smart. They know when they overstep their boundaries. We’re not tolerating people’s garbage, not people living in a way that’s inconsistent with the way the good people of Central Falls want to live.” --- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson The police arrested 8 people Tuesday evening and issued an arrest warrant for one more person wanted on charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. The police tracked down that man, Billy Hernandez, 27, of 89 Broad St., Cumberland, and arrested him late last night. He is also charged with a felony possession of crack cocaine from last night, Moran said. Central Falls called for assistance and got it from Cumberland, Lincoln and Pawtucket police departments, Moran said. The Central Falls officers pulled back a bit until help arrived, he said. The following were also arrested Tuesday night: Rosemarie Ayala, 25, of 126 Sumner Ave., Central Falls, was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest; Gloria Santiago, 32, of 88 Sylvian St., Central Falls, was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and simple assault for punching Sgt. John Laboissonniere; Eliseo Hernandez, 19, of 55 Darling St., Central Falls, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest; Jesus Ayala, 27, of 213 Hunt St., Central Falls, was charged with disorderly conduct; Gloria Ayala, 53, of 266 Lonsdale Ave., Pawtucket, was charged with disorderly conduct; A 17-year-old Central Falls girl was charged with disorderly conduct. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:00 AM | Comment Zoo's online auction extended until 5 todayYou just know you were sitting there with this weekend’s weather forecast wishing you could get away. Well, how about taking a South African Photo Safari in the same location where Kim Basinger and pals filmed “I dreamed of Africa”? Here’s your chance. You’ve got until 5 p.m. to bid on that 6-day travel package and other cool items available on Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Zoobilee Online Auction. The auction is part of the zoo’s annual fundraising effort, Zoobilee: Feast with the Beasts, which is Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. Don’t forget, as the zoo prepares for the party, they’ll close the zoo early Saturday, at 2 p.m. to set up. They promise, too, that even if it’s raining, they’ve got indoor fun and extravaganza planned.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:30 AM | Comment Workforce Board of R.I. meets todayWARWICK -- The Governor’s Workforce Board of Rhode Island holds its annual meeting this morning from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Radisson Airport Hotel. The board works at upgrading the skills of Rhode Island's existing workforce in order to compete in the global economy. Governor Carcieri is expected to attend the meeting.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:30 AM | Comment Rain likely -- and then more rainPROVIDENCE – The delicate white wisps of clouds in the robin’s-egg-blue sky this morning likely won’t last long. There’s a chance of showers after 9 a.m., and it’s supposed to be partly cloudy today with a high around 83. We’re not looking at a very pleasant forecast over the next few days. Showers and thunderstorms expected tomorrow could produce heavy rainfall, perhaps up to half an inch of rain. Then, with a 90 percent chance of rain on Saturday and a 60 percent chance on Sunday, the weekend’s looking like a good time to tackle some inside projects. Isn’t it time to clean your basement? Check back at projo.com for the latest conditions and forecasts. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:01 AM | Comment June 21, 2006Christie's restaurant sold for $6.7M to soup heiressNEWPORT - Christie's of Newport, the city's oldest waterfront restaurant, has been sold to Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance H. Hamilton for $6.7 million. The purchase agreement was signed this afternoon, ending months of speculation about the future of the Thames Street restaurant that's been a fixture for tourists and residents for over 60 years. 802 Partners, LLC, of Delaware, a family trust established by Hamilton, is listed as the buyer in the deal that was recorded yesterday and includes $26,616 in tax stamps. Paul Fleming, a spokesman for the company, said the restaurant, which closed for business last week, will remain closed indefinitely. The marina, which will undergo improvements over the next few weeks, should re-open by the end of July and offer limited food and beverage service to marina patrons. Christie's, which was opened in 1945, closed its indoor dining area last week, and the bar was open until Sunday. -- Journal staff writer Kia Hayes Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:52 PM | Comment Update: 2 boys shot in Woonsocket; suspect heldWOONSOCKET -- Two boys were shot in an incident early this afternoon at West and Hope streets in the Constitution Hill section, police said. A 16-year-old victim was shot in the lower back and does not have life-threatening injuries, Detective Lt. Timothy S. Paul said. The police are still looking for the second victim, a 17-year-old male. An earlier report that he walked into a local hospital was inaccurate, according to Paul, who said the report was based on incorrect information to police. A third youth who was with the two victims at the time of the incident, and who was not shot, is now at the police station. A 16-year-old male suspect is in custody. Paul said a police officer caught the suspect running through Costa Park, a couple blocks from where the shooting took place. The weapon police believe was used in the shooting was located in Costa Park. At least a dozen police officers were on the scene, working with the canine unit of the Adult Correctional Institutions and searching a wooded area. The search dogs are specially trained to look for guns. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by maria caporizzo at 6:08 PM | Comment RIC poll: Top races, casino vote -- all close callsPROVIDENCE -- Call 2006 the year of unpredictable elections: A Rhode Island College public opinion survey released today shows very close state races for governor, U.S. Senate and the referendum that would allow the Narragansett Indians to build a West Warwick casino in partnership with Harrah's Entertainment. Among the findings of the poll, conducted by veteran RIC political science professor and pollster Victor Profughi: *The governor's race between Democratic Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty and Republican incumbent Governor Carcieri, the likely GOP nominee, is a statistical dead heat. *In the Senate race, incumbent Republican Lincoln Chafee and the Democratic favorite, former attorney general Sheldon Whitehouse, are locked in a virtual tie. But if Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, Chafee's GOP primary challenger wins the nomination, he would be defeated by nearly 2 to 1 by Whitehouse. Profughi plans to release a GOP Senate primary sample tomorrow that will show the Laffey-Chafee contest close, with a low turnout benefitting Laffey and a larger voter turnout working to Chafee's advantage. * Voters are also overwhelmingly against the legislation favored by House leaders and Carcieri that cuts taxes for Rhode Island's wealthiest residents. Sixty-seven percent are against the cut, 25 percent support it and 8 percent are undecided. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:59 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Defense rests its casePROVIDENCE -- The defense rested and the prosecution began its rebuttal this afternoon in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio. But the main event of today's court session was a debate between the two sides as the prosecution challenged the defense's contention that Carpio was not guilty of fatally shooting a Providence police detective because he was insane at the time. Assistant Attorney General Paul Daly Jr. questioned whether Carpio was hallucinating and hearing voices or simply repeating the lyrics of a well-known rap song, whether he was psychotic when he shot police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen at police headquarters last year or just had a troubled love life. Daly raised the questions in his cross-examination of clinical and forensic neuropsychologist Paul A . Spiers, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine. He also argued that Carpio had a history of using the drug Ecstasy, noting it was the impression of the emergency personnel who transported Carpio to Faulkner Hospital in Boston on April 2, 2005, two weeks before Allen was killed, that Carpio was exhibiting bizarre behavior and they suspected drug use. Daly's cross-examination came after testimony yesterday that featured the playing of tapes from police interviews with Carpio at Rhode Island Hospital and at police headquarters after he was arrested for Allen's murder. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Ed Fitzpatrick After the cross-examination, the defense presented its last witness -- a police officer who accompanied Carpio as he was being brought to the police station on April 16, 2005, took the stand. His testimony was followed by the start of the prosecution's rebuttal, featuring clinical psychologist David Faust, from the University of Rhode Island professor. The rebuttal will continue tomorrow. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Ed Fitzpatrick Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:49 PM | Comment Hundreds greet R.I. Guard unit back from Iraq / Photo
They were welcomed at T.F. Green Airport just after 1:30 this afternoon a crowd of several hundred, including family and friends. The combat engineers were deployed to front lines across Iraq in teams of five or six. While some were wounded, every member returned home. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:19 PM | Comment Ex-Sox pitcher admits using performance-enhancing drugsBaseball's steroids/human-growth-hormone/amphetamines controversy hit home yesterday, as ex-Red Sox pitcher Paxton Crawford admitted in an article in ESPN The Magazine (subscription required) that he used all those performance-enhancing drugs while in the Boston system. Read more on projo.com's Red Sox blog Posted by Art at 5:16 PM | Comment Photo: War memorial at Dunk to be moved
PROVIDENCE – Veterans and their family members attended a public ceremony today to view the War Memorial at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center before it is put in storage to protect it during renovations at the center. The memorial is an honor roll of Providence veterans who died in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, as well as Rhode Island Medal of Honor recipients. The actual memorial will remain outside the Dunkin’ Donuts Center until Sunday, July 9, when construction is scheduled to begin in that area. The Rhode Island Convention Center Authority is also creating a “virtual memorial” on its Web site that will include photos and the honor roll of veterans so the public can continue to see the honor roll while the memorial itself is in storage. According to the Convention Center Authority, the organization is working with the city’s planning department to relocate the war memorial in a prominent location near its current site after the renovations. Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:23 PM | Comment Fourth Fall River fire victim's services setFALL RIVER -- Burial arrangements for the fourth woman killed in the fire that tore through a Portuguese social hall last Wednesday evening have been set, according to the funeral home that has handled all four funerals. The wake for Christine Costa, 30, of 273 Warren St. in Fall River, will be held Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Silva-Faria Funeral Home, 730 Bedford St., in Fall River. Costa’s funeral will be held Saturday at 8 a.m. from the Silva-Faria Funeral Home, with a funeral Mass to follow at 9 a.m. in Saints Peter and Paul Parish at Holy Cross Church, 47 Pulaski St., in Fall River. Costa will be buried at Notre Dame Cemetery, 1540 Stafford Rd., in Fall River, immediately after the Mass. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:20 PM | Comment Update: 2 boys shot in WoonsocketWOONSOCKET – Two boys were shot this afternoon in an incident at the corner of Hope and West streets around 1:30 p.m., police said late this afternoon. A male suspect is in custody, Detective Lt. Timothy S. Paul said earlier today. At that time, he said one juvenile was shot and that his injuries were not life-threatening. Police have since reported that another boy walked into a hospital with a gunshot wound in the arm. The shooting took place in the Constitution Hill area of the city. More to come on projo.com ... Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:55 PM | Comment Cape Wind project gets reprieve from vetoCape Wind Associates scored a significant victory today as two key senators agreed to drop language from a pending bill that would have allowed the governor of Massachusetts or the U.S. Coast Guard to veto the wind farm project for any reason. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who backed the original measure, agreed to new language that drops the veto provisions, but gives the Coast Guard additional oversight over the siting of the Cape Wind project. A spokeswoman for Kennedy said that he still believes the governor should have a say over whether the project should be built. But he agreed to the new language, she said, because it will ensure that "public safety is going to be central'' in siting the project. The new provision requires the Coast Guard to develop a list "reasonable terms and conditions'' to provide navigational safety. Cape Wind would be required to meet those conditions, and they would be included in any lease granted to the project developers. The provision applies only to an off-shore project in Nantucket Sound. It would not apply to any other wind project, such as the one proposed by Jay Cashman Inc. for Buzzards Bay. Posted by Tim Barmann at 3:10 PM | Comment Red Sox acquire pitcher Jason Johnson
Associated Press photo Jason Johnson
Johnson, 32, was designated for assignment by the Indians last week. More details on projo.com's Red Sox blog. Posted by Art at 2:10 PM | Comment Giordano pleads guilty to skimming from nursing homes / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- Nursing-home operator Antonio L. Giordano and a top employee, John J. Montecalvo, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to skimming $780,539 from three Rhode Island nursing homes from 1998 to 2004. The crime, a felony count of "equity skimming,’’ involved diverting the money from nursing homes that were in the red to an employee-relations firm run by Giordano’s two daughters for services that were not reasonable or necessary. The company, My Place, provided services to boost nursing-home employee morale, including throwing holiday parties and organizing raffles and arts and crafts and handing out "nominal'' gifts with employee paychecks. The nursing homes were the defunct Hillside Health Center in Providence, the former Coventry Health Center and the financially ailing Mount St. Francis Health Center in Woonsocket, which Giordano sought yesterday to place in receivership. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi accepted the plea and set sentencing for Sept. 15. Giordano and Montecalvo each face up to five years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Federal prosecutors plan to ask the judge for prison time, though less than the maximum as part of the agreement under which the two men agreed to plead guilty. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:49 PM | Comment Update: Fall River soccer fans cheer a winning Portugal / Photo
FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Dozens of soccer fans routing for Portugal in the bar Academica went wild this morning when their team scored a goal to take the lead against Mexico in just the sixth minute of play, restaurant worker Jaime Cabral said. Young and old, retired and employed, the Portuguese community gathered to enjoy the game, Cabral said. Manny Raposa, watching the game in the bar, could barely carry on a telephone conversation a few minutes later, saying there’s just “so much noise” in the place. “Everyone is so happy,” Raposa said. Then, in the 24th minute of play, Portugal scored the second goal of the game on a penalty kick by Simao Sabrosa following a hand ball by the Mexican team’s captain. Mexico scored its first goal in the 29th minute. At the half, it remained 2-1, Portugal. And that's how it ended, with a win for Portugal, who advances to the second round of World Cup Play. Even though it lost, Mexico also advances to the round of 16. Portugal won all three first-round games in Group D. It got goals today by Maniche and Simao Sabrosa in the first 25 minutes. Mexico's Omar Bravo missed a chance to tie the game on a second-half penalty kick that soared over the net. Check out the World Cup games live on the official World Cup site, where you can follow the latest news in a host of languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Or check the scores posted by the Associated Press. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:15 PM | Comment Guard members to return from Iraq todayWARWICK -- Families and friends of the 95 men in the 861st Engineer Company scheduled to arrive today after a year of combat engineer operations in Iraq for the Rhode Island National Guard should be gathering soon at the Warwick Armory. The unit is expected to land at 1:30 p.m. at the Northstar Aviation Facility, a private terminal for corporate jets located at 544 Airport Rd., according to Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Michael McNamara. This unit did not suffer any fatalities or serious injuries, McNamara said. The terminal where the men will arrive is just across the street from the Warwick Armory, and the Guard plans to direct the returning engineers across the street to the Armory for a celebration with their families, McNamara said. The Warwick Police Department will stop traffic on Airport Road so the men can cross, McNamara said. Although this unit is typically a co-ed unit here in the States, the Guard had to reassign the women in the unit since the 861st was sent over as combat engineers and the military does not allow women to serve in direct combat roles, McNamara said. This is the first time a returning Guard unit has had to land here, McNamara said. They couldn’t land at the Quonset Air National Guard base, where they typically do, because everyone there is setting up for the Guard’s Open House & Air Show there this weekend, McNamara said. And it would have been too disruptive at T.F. Green Airport for the men to return there, he said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:43 AM | Comment Summer arrivesAt 8:26 this morning, Rhode Island officially welcomed the start of summer. The planet is now at the point where the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most directly toward the sun, and the sun is at its highest path through the sky. To see how this year's arrival of the summer solstice compares with years past and future, check out the U.S. Naval Observatory's Calendar of Earth Seasons (all times are listed in Universal Time, or Greenwich Mean Time). The summer solstice is cause for celebration around much of the world. In Stonehenge, England, today, an estimated 17,000 people gathered this morning to watch the sun rise over the ancient stone circle. This should also be the longest day of the year; the sun rose today at 5:10 a.m. and will not set until 8:24 tonight. Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:26 AM | Comment Carpio defense may rest its case todayPROVIDENCE – The defense may conclude its case today in the trial of Esteban Carpio, who is charged with killing Providence Police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen at police headquarters on April 16, 2005. Once the defense rests its case, the prosecution can mount a rebuttal and may call additional witnesses. Yesterday, jurors listened to two tape recordings in which detectives questioned Carpio on April 17, 2005. Listen to excerpts from that tape. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:08 AM | Comment Sunshine, high in the 80s and low pollen count: Enjoy!PROVIDENCE – A beautiful day to usher in summer. Today’s the best-looking day on the week’s forecast. Expect mostly sunny weather with a high near 82. Plus, just days after Providence was listed as one of pollen.com’s five worst cities for allergy sufferers, the pollen count today is at a medium level, and it’s expected to drop the next three days to quite a low count on Saturday. So kick back and enjoy the day. What’s that you say? Today’s not Saturday? Well, if you’re lucky you can get out of work early and bask in the sunshine for at least a short while. You can always make up the work on Saturday, when there’s a 70 percent chance of rain predicted. Check the latest conditions and forecasts at projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:59 AM | Comment June 20, 2006Woonsocket nursing home petitions for receivershipPROVIDENCE -- Lawyers for a Woonsocket nursing home and the state Health Department met with a state Superior Court judge today to discuss whether the home should be placed in a state form of bankruptcy and whether it should be sold to a Maryland company. Mount St. Francis Health Center today petitioned to be placed in receivership and asked the court to appoint American Senior Living Communities, of Maryland, to run the home, with the expectation that American Heritage would seek to buy the home after it is in receivership, according to Gregg Perry, a spokesman for Mount St. Francis. A Health Department spokeswoman this afternoon said that the lawyers will continue to meet with Judge Michael A. Silverstein and that officials expect a smooth transition for the nursing home. The spokeswoman said residents of the nursing home should not be affected by the transition. The home’s current owner, Antonio L. Giordano, will be in federal court tomorrow, where he is expected to plead guilty to misusing $780,539 from Mount St. Francis and two other homes he owned: Hillside Health Center, in Providence, which closed in 2004, and the former Coventry Health Center, which he no longer owns. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by at 6:09 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Jury hears audio of hysterical defendantPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio today heard audio recordings of two police interviews with the suspect in the murder of a city detective at police headquarters. One featured a sedated Carpio, being interviewed by Detective John Finegan at Rhode Island Hospital at about 3 a.m., a few hours after the fatal shooting of Detective Sgt. James L. Allen. The second was an hour-long interview at police headquarters shortly after 10 the same morning. In it, a hysterical Carpio was questioned by Finegan and Detective Sgt. Vincent Mansolillo, who could be heard alternating his questions with attempts to calm Carpio down. Carpio at times sobbed and insisted he was "crazy" and that nobody loved him. The defense will continue tomorrow, with the cross-examination of one of its witnesses today, a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Neuropsychologist Paul A. Spiers testified today that Esteban Carpio suffered from a major mental illness and "was probably in the throes of psychosis" when he shot and killed a city police detective last year. Spiers took the stand today for the defense, which hopes to prove that Carpio is not guilty of the murder by reason of insanity. Spiers said that in his opinion, as a result of the psychosis, Carpio lacked the capacity to conform his behavior to the requirements of the law. Spiers based his conclusions on an interview with Carpio last November and on medical records from Carpio's visits to Faulkner Hospital, in Boston, and Rhode Island Hospital days before the April 16, 2005, shooting at Providence police headquarters. He also listened to tapes of a police detective's interview with Carpio at Rhode Island Hospital after Carpio's arrest in the shooting. Those tapes were being played today in court. The defense is expected to question its last witness today; the prosecution would then begin its rebuttal tomorrow. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:59 PM | Comment Update: Major thunderstorm moving through ProvidenceJust after 5:30 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning through 6:15 for eastern Providence County and northwestern Bristol County in Massachusetts, including Attleboro and North Attleboro. The weather service reported that at 5:31 p.m., a storm capable of producing nickel-size hail and wind gusts of 60 mph was near North Providence and moving east at 35 mph. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for much of New England through 8 tonight. Get the latest weather and conditions... Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:39 PM | Comment Chafee breaks party line in vote on military contractsRhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee today was the lone Republican to vote in favor of a Democratic proposal for an investigation into waste and fraud in military contracts. The proposal was made by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, and called for a panel modelled on the one that uncovered abuses in military spending during World War II, according to the Web site of The New York Times. The 52-to-44 vote followed party lines almost exactly; no Democrat voted against the proposal. Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:25 PM | Comment Fidelity to open Florida call centerFidelity Investments today announced plans to open a new customer call center in Jacksonville, Fla., that would ultimately employ 1,200 people. The company said it hopes to have the facility operating by the end of this year to support customer service for its retail brokerage division, Fidelity Personal Investments. Fidelity said the plans are contingent upon approval of local and state incentives. The company announced them at a joint press conference with Jacksonville officials, including Mayor John Peyton. The Jacksonville announcement comes as the company prepares to relocate several hundred employees from Boston to downtown Providence and build a second building on its Smithfield campus to accommodate expansion there. Posted by at 5:10 PM | Comment 95 Rhode Island Guard members return tomorrow from IraqThe 95 men of the 861st Engineer Company are scheduled to land at the Northstar Aviation Facility, 544 Airport Rd., Warwick, tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., after 12 months of combat engineer operations in Iraq, the Rhode Island National Guard announced today. The unit, which is based in East Greenwich, left Rhode Island in January 2005 for training and overseas certification at Camp Shelby, Miss. In Iraq, the compnay has worked in support of anti-insurgency operations throughout Iraq, the National Guard said. The Rhode Island National Guard now has 175 members deployed in combat operations overseas. Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:39 PM | Comment Update: Accident snarls Routes 195, 95 downtownThe state DOT reported this afternoon that an accident on Route 195 near Point Street resulted in "heavy congestion" around the start of the evening commute. DOT traffic cams showed heavy traffic westbound at the Route 95 split. At 4:30, the DOT announced the accident had cleared, but the traffic was still jammed in and around downtown Providence. Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:37 PM | Comment Photo: Indie film crew shooting in Pawtucket
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:56 PM | Comment Playoff birdie wins CVS tourney for Price-ClarkBARRINGTON -- With a birdie on the second playoff hole, Tim Clark and Nick Price edged out hometown favorite Brad Faxon and Mike Weir to win the CVS Charity Classic today at the Rhode Island Country Club. Both members of the winning team were born in Durban, South Africa. This was Clark's first CVS appearance; Price won the tournament with Mark Calcavecchia in 2001. The top two teams finished today's second and final round tied at 19 under par. Both teams entered today one shot off the lead, which was held after the first round by Stewart Cink and Jeff Sluman. Check out projo.com and tomorrow's Providence Journal for complete coverage of the CVS Charity Classic. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:37 PM | Comment Johnson & Wales adds robotics degreePROVIDENCE – Johnson & Wales University’s School of Technology announced today it will offer a new two-year associate degree program, “Robotic Engineering Technology,” in September 2006. The robotics and automation degree program will include courses in math, science and engineering and has been designed to provide a solid background in this growing field, according to a statement released by the university. Robotics programs are being developed around the country, from middle schools to universities, but Johnson & Wales is the only New England college to offer an undergraduate degree in robotics, according to the university’s statement. A recent study cited by Johnson & Wales reports that the market for industrial robotics is booming. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:15 PM | Comment Senate to consider lowering property tax capPROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Senate is expected to discuss – and vote on -- legislation this afternoon that would lower the cap on local tax increases. Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, is pushing to lower the cap on local tax increases, which is now 5.5 percent, but the issue has met resistance from several communities and the state's teachers unions. In other Senate news, it is not yet clear when the Senate Finance Committee and the full Senate will address the state budget, which the House of Representatives passed last night. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:00 PM | Comment Update: Providence firefighters battling house firePROVIDENCE – The Fire Department is on scene fighting a house fire at the corner of Lowell Avenue and Nye Street, according to fire officials. The fire in the 2 1/2-story structure was reported at 11:46 a.m. at the location, south of Hartford Avenue. Services for five adults have been requested from the Red Cross. More information is not yet available. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:49 PM | Comment Cuban aid group stops at Providence restaurantPROVIDENCE – About 20 members of an interfaith group that’s traveling from Canada, through the United States and Mexico, and into Cuba made a noontime stop at the Cuban Revolution Restaurant, 149 Washington St. to spread their message. There are no Rhode Islanders with the group, the Pastors for Peace Medical & Humanitarian Aid Caravan to Cuba, which is working to peacefully challenge the U.S. government’s policy to block trade, aid and other relations with Cuba. Out in front of the restaurant, they’ve parked their big blue bus with the yellow-and-red painted message, “Cuba Blockade Busting,” on its side. The group is on its 17th annual trip to Cuba with donations of medicine, medical equipment, educational material and technical equipment for needy communities in Cuba. Trip coordinator Wally Sillanpoa said today that he’s concerned it will be more difficult for the group to get into Cuba this year than in past years because of changes President Bush has put in place. -- With reports from Journal Staff Writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:16 PM | Comment EMC expanding in IndiaEMC Corp. plans to more than double its investment in India to $500 million by 2010, expanding its research and sales capacity in the country, according to Bloomberg News. The Hopkinton, Mass.-based technology company also plans to have 3,200 employees in India in the next two years, taking advantage of the country's high number of technology professionals. Currently, EMC employs 800 in India and has invested about $100 million in the country, according to Bloomberg. --- Providence Journal staff writer Andrea L. Stape Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:27 AM | Comment Hundreds mourn victims of Fall River fireFALL RIVER, Mass. -- Hundreds of mourners are attending funerals this morning for two of the four victims of last week's deadly fire at the Fall River Portuguese social club. Mary Isabel Raposa, 70, of Westport and her aunt, 80-year-old Emiliana Carvalho of Fall River, will be laid to rest after the morning service at Espirito Santo Church. Another victim, 63-year-old Geraldine Andrade of Fall River, was buried yesterday after a private ceremony. Burial arrangements for the fourth victim, Christina Costa, 31, of Fall River, are pending. The four women were taking part in a religious ceremony at a County Street social club last Wednesday evening when a candle sparked the blaze. Twelve other people were injured, including two firefighters. A vigil remembering the victims will be held tonight. Participants plan to march from the Bishop Eid Housing Complex in Fall River to the site of the fire on County Street. -- Staff and Associated Press reports Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:19 AM | Comment Fire damages 2 restaurants in NarragansettNARRAGANSETT – Two restaurants caught fire in the Mariner's Square shopping center this morning, damaging the building in which both were housed. The blaze did structural and smoke damage to Arturo Joe's and Poncho O'Malley's. The cause is under investigation. The fire in the Point Judith Road complex was reported before 9 a.m. by a passer-by, and more than 50 firefighters from four communities responded. It was under control by 10 a.m. -- Journal staff writer Paul Davis Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:19 AM | Comment Dan Biechele reports to work-release jobDaniel M. Biechele went to his work release job in Woonsocket this morning for the first time. A driver for his employer, The Arc of Northern Rhode Island, picked him up at the minimum-security section at the Adult Correctional Institutions before 8:30 this morning, according to Kenneth Findlay, acting spokesman for the Department of Corrections. Biechele will work as a bookkeeper at the nonprofit agency, which supports adults and children who have disabilities. The 29-year-old Biechele, of Florida, was sentenced last month to four years in prison after pleading guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter for setting off the pyrotechnics that sparked the deadly Station nightclub fire. Findlay said the employer has agreed to transport Biechele back and forth to Woonsocket so that he does not have to take public transportation. Background checks were done on the drivers as part of the investigation into Biechele's new job. -- With reports by Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:07 AM | Comment Update: Midnight fire destroys boat in East ProvidenceEAST PROVIDENCE – A 30-foot Hunter sailboat still in winter storage at the Narragansett Marina at the end of Riverside Drive was destroyed by fire early this morning, fire officials said. The fire on the Bagatelle, owned by North Providence resident Joseph Keating, is under investigation, East Providence Fire Marshal Capt. Curtis Wise said this morning. Firefighters were initially concerned that the fire could spread to a nearby structure, believed to be part of the marina, Fire Battalion Chief Robert Jobin said. But they were able to contain the fire to the boat, which was not in the water yet but still up on a wooden stand, Jobin said. To prevent the boat from collapsing on its stand under the weight of the water used to fight the blaze, firefighters had to cut a hole in the bottom of the boat for drainage, Jobin said. The fire was reported at 12:14 a.m. and officers cleared the scene at 3:46 a.m., East Providence Police Lt. John Wyrostek said. About 20 boats are moored at the marina, Wyrostek said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:45 AM | Comment Can we tell you how to get to R.I.'s beaches?Summer may officially begin tomorrow, but the start of a Rhode Island summer tradition waits until Friday. That’s the first day the Beach Bus operated for the past two decades or so by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority begins its summer service. The Beach Bus/South County Express will run daily, including holidays, through Aug. 7. Departing from six locations in northern Rhode Island, the bus carries beach-goers to Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett and Scarborough State Beach in Narragansett. Round trip tickets – which cost $3.50 – must be purchased in advance. The bus picks up in Central Falls, Cranston, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket. For information on schedules and ticket sale locations, see the Coast 93.3 South County Express Beach Bus link on RIPTA’s website. But with summer starting tomorrow, if you need a Rhode Island way to welcome the next season before the Beach Bus starts running, it’s not too early to find a Del’s Lemonade truck somewhere. Also, be sure to check out projo.com’s interactive map of Southern New England beaches, which includes information on lifeguards, concession stands, fees and more. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:02 AM | Comment Hot and humid today, thunderstorms on horizonPROVIDENCE – It’s hazy and warm already and expected to heat up even more, to a high of around 81 degrees today. The haze should stick around until noon. This afternoon, strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across much of southern New England, according to the National Weather Service. When today’s summer heat and humidity combine with an approaching cold front this afternoon, the strongest storms could produce damaging winds and large hail. With some thunderstorms producing torrential downpours, with one to two inches of rain per hour, some urban areas and places with poor drainage could see minor flooding. In addition, a small craft advisory remains in effect in Rhode Island Sound through this afternoon. Southwest winds are expected to be 10 to 15 knots, and seas could be 4 to 6 feet high. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment June 19, 2006Update: Education aid ignites House budget debatePROVIDENCE -- Debate over a proposed $6.6 billion state budget developed into an argument over education funding this afternoon. The Democrat-controlled House voted 67-5 to give each school district 4.8 percent more money for education next fiscal year than it received this year. Thirteen rural and suburban school districts would have received more money under a plan put forward by GOP Governor Carcieri. At one point during the debate, House Minority Leader Robert Watson urged representatives from the 13 towns to hold up the budget until their school districts received as much money in the House plan as Carcieri had recommended. Rep. Paul Moura, D-Providence, urged House members not to take money from one school district to give more to others. Each district should receive an equitable increase, he said. The Senate must approve the budget plan before it becomes law. The House budget debate, which begin early this afternoon, is continuing at the State House. -- With Associated Press reports Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:05 PM | Comment Phone companies to PUC: Forget records' probePROVIDENCE -- The state Division of Public Utilities should forget about investigating whether two of the nation's biggest phone companies illegally gave Rhode Islanders' phone records to the federal government's biggest spying agency, the companies have told the division. AT&T and Verizon said that if the division does try to investigate, it won't get any evidence because the whole matter is covered by a blanket of national security and the companies won't tell. If it did get some evidence, it couldn't do anything about it, the companies said. First, that area of law has been preempted by the Federal Communications Commission, which has already said it wouldn't investigate the accusations. Second, it's protected by the government's special national security privilege. AT&T and Verizon were replying to complaints from the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union that the companies broke a variety of state laws intended to protect telephone customers' privacy. ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown said the responses were "straight out of George Orwell." In essence, Brown said, the phone companies are saying, "You shouldn't assume we did anything wrong, and even if we did, it's none of your business, and even if it is, we won't tell you anyway." -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis Posted by maria caporizzo at 6:56 PM | Comment Court to decide on governor's ballot questionsPROVIDENCE -- Secretary of State Matt Brown is asking a court to decide whether voters will be presented with two nonbinding ballot questions during the November election. The questions on limiting property taxes and voter initiative are being pushed by Governor Carcieri. Although they're not binding, the governor has used the results of such questions in the past to show that voters support certain issues. The Democrat-dominated General Assembly recently stripped the Republican governor of his power to place questions on the ballot, but not before the governor moved to put the two questions to voters in November. The bill said the law would "take effect upon passage." -- Associated Press, with projo.com reports Jeff Neal, a spokesman for the governor, said Carcieri had ordered the secretary of state's office to put the question on the ballot before the bill passed, and would fight in court to ensure the questions make it to voters. The governor submitted the questions to the secretary of state's office on May 3, and the General Assembly passed the bill May 25, Brown's office said in a news release. Carcieri vetoed the bill on May 30. The House overrode the veto on June 6, and the Senate overrode it June 13. The governor's office submitted amended versions of one of the questions twice, on May 30 and June 1. In a filing last week, Brown, a Democrat, asked the Superior Court in Providence for a declaratory judgment. He also asked the court to expedite the process because his office must begin printing the ballot by Aug. 9. The case has been assigned to Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato, and is schueld for a hearing July 3, a court clerk said today. -- Associated Press, with projo.com reports Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:41 PM | Comment Barrington hosting emergency meeting on school aidBARRINGTON -- The Town Council will convene a special meeting tonight and could be joined by officials from other Rhode Island towns bracing for potential school aid cuts as part of the budget the state House of Representatives is considering today. Since announcing the emergency meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Barrington Town Hall, Council President Jeffrey Brenner said this afternoon that town officials have received some inquiries from people in some of the communities facing cuts. At issue is the recommendation, which cleared the House Finance Committee last week, that could cut tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars of the state aid recommendations that were in Governor Carcieri's proposal, according to Brenner and state aid numbers published in The Journal last week. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Among the communities facing reductions in their state aid increases are Barrington, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Narragansett, East Greenwich, Westerly, Scituate, New Shoreham, Jamestown and the Chariho district. "The first thing we are going to have is a report as to what happened in the legislature today ... and how that potentially impacts all the towns," Brenner said. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:48 PM | Comment Reed behind plan to withdraw some troops from IraqWASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats this week will propose withdrawing some troops from Iraq this year in an effort "to prod the president'' toward a major policy shift -- an explicit warning to Iraqi leaders that the U.S. military commitment there is not open-ended, according to U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, one of the architects of the legislation. The amendment to the 2007 defense authorization bill has already drawn sharp criticism from Republicans. Its consideration, as early as tomorrow, could continue the markedly partisan debate on Iraq that began last week in the House of Representatives but failed to produce a consensus among Democrats on how the United States should proceed in the war. Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the measure's chief sponsor, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., unveiled it during a news conference in the Capitol today. Their measure is not legally binding on President Bush, does not specify how many troops ought to be redeployed out of Iraq and seeks no timetable for removing the U.S. fighting force. Thus, the resolution is far more cautious than the proposal by U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., to withdraw the bulk of the U.S. force from Iraq by the end of this year. -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:02 PM | Comment Kerry expected at Fogarty fund-raiser tonightPROVIDENCE -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry is expected to appear tonight at a Federal Hill fund-raiser for Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, who is running for governor. The Democrat will face off against the winner of the Republican primary contest between business consultant Dennis Michaud and GOP incumbent Governor Carcieri. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and former presidential candidate, will appear at the formal opening of Fogarty's campaign headquarters at 239 Atwells Ave., then appear at a Fogarty fund-raiser at the headquarters. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by at 4:51 PM | Comment Update: Cink, Sluman lead after 1st day at CVS golf tourneyBARRINGTON -- The team of Stewart Cink and Jeff Sluman shot an 11-under par 60 to take a one-shot lead at the end of the first day of the CVS Charity Classic at the Rhode Island Country Club. Here are how the other nine teams finished: Nick Price and Tim Clark: 61 Turn to tomorrow's projo.com and The Providence Journal for complete tournament coverage. Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:49 PM | Comment Weather update: Getting wet / Photo
Only one public beach in Rhode Island is now closed to swimming, according to the state Department of Health. That's the freshwater Gorton Pond Beach in Warwick, which is still dealing with a high bacteria count. While radar shows a line of thunderstorms heading into Massachusetss and New Hampshire from the west, it appears Providence and other southern coastal areas will escape the storms. Showers, however, are likely, with lows in the upper 60s and south winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. The chance of rain is now 60 percent. But on the air quality front in Rhode Island, pollen levels are ranking today among the worst in the country. Pollen.com ranks Providence with Concord, N.H. and three cities in Oregon. The ozone level for Rhode Island, however, was rated good today. Get the latest conditions and forecasts ... Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:40 PM | Comment Seekonk voters deciding on tax-limit overrideSEEKONK, Mass. -- The fate of an elementary school and dozens of jobs in the school and police departments are on the line today as voters decide whether to authorize a one-time override of the state's Proposition 2 1/2 limit on local property tax increases. The override, in the form of two ballot questions, would permit the town to levy an additional $3.4 million in taxes. Proponents say that's only $36 a month for the typical homeowner and it would prevent the layoffs and the closing of one of the town's three elementary schools. Opponents note an override would translate to a jump of nearly 20 percent in the tax rate, argue that residents on fixed incomes can't afford the increase, and contend that the town should live within its means. If the override fails, taxes will increase 5 percent. Polling places, open from noon to 8 p.m., are at North School, on North Street -- the school slated to close if the override fails -- the Seekonk Public Library, on Newman Avenue; Town Hall, at 100 Peck St.; and Martin School, on Cole Street. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:10 PM | Comment Scituate roads reopened after five-hour closureSCITUATE – An 18-wheeler that swerved around a van stopped on Route 101 eastbound this morning tipped over, lost its cargo – a 40,000-pound, 50-foot concrete beam – and required the State Police to close several Scituate roadways for about five hours. The roads opened shortly before 2 p.m. today, said State Police Lt. Steven Lefebvre, who worked the scene all day as crews righted and towed the tractor trailer and lifted the concrete beam onto another flatbed with airbags and a large wrecker. The concrete beam was bound for a parking garage at Boston’s Logan Airport. No one was injured, Lefebvre said. The truck driver, Ivoryton, Conn., resident Charles Bohannon of Tony’s Longwharf Transportation of New Haven, refused medical treatment, Lefebvre said. The police do not know why the van was stopped in the roadway. The van left the scene of the accident, Lefebvre said. The accident occurred at 8:15 a.m. on Route 101 just east of where the Route 6 bypass merges with 101. The police had to close the Route 6 bypass from Route 102 to Route 101 and they closed Route 101 between Gleaner Chapel Road and Route 116, Lefebvre said. Lefebvre said he didn’t believe the road closures caused much of a traffic problem. Most of the vehicles on the road at that time of day are commercial, he said, and the police directed traffic onto other roads around the problem area. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:07 PM | Comment Thunderbirds announce their arrival / Photo
The Air Force Thunderbirds rolled in as scheduled at 2 p.m. today for the upcoming air show at Quonset Point in North Kingstown. The eight jets, along with their C-17 support plane, are now on the ground after flying in from Pennsylvania, Col. Michael McNamara, the Rhode Island National Guard spokesman, said. He said the jets came in from the north, went over the State House in Providence, then on to the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington, where the CVS Charity Classic is being played today, before heading south to Quonset. You can see the famous flying team perform at the Rhode Island National Guard Open House and Air Show on Saturday and Sunday at Quonset Point Air National Guard Base. The show will also include demonstrations of F-15s and F-16s, the Black Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:38 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Girlfriend tells of alarming behavior / Photo
Phin said he would talk to himself and to his hand and recalled him saying, "I'm the finest gold." "He was telling me that somebody did voodoo on him and he was scared," said Phin, 24, who described herself as a retired escort and streetwalker as well as the mother of Carpio's 4-year-old daughter. Phin, of Cambodian descent, said she took Carpio to a Buddhist temple to pray for help. A monk blessed a string that Carpio tied around his waist to drive away the devil and evil spirits, Phin said. When police came to her home to question Carpio about the stabbing of an elderly woman in April 2005, Phin said she warned the detectives that Carpio was suffering a nervous breakdown, was having trouble sleeping and was not in his right mind. She said she gave the same information to Detective Sgt. James L. Allen during a brief conversation at police headquarters and that the detective offered to get Carpio help if he needed it. Carpio is on trial for shooting Allen at police headquarters during an interview several hours later, on April 16, 2005. -- Associated Press This morning, Carpio's mother, Yvonne Carpio, testified that in the weeks before the killing, her son told her the devil was out to get him and that he was cursed. She said she grew so concerned about her son's behavior that on April 2, 2005, she called for an ambulance to come to her home in Boston. She says her son was taken to Boston's Faulkner Hospital but later released and given five Ambien pills. She says her son later showed her a string that he tied around his waist that was supposed to keep the devil and evil spirits away. The defense has acknowledged that Carpio killed Allen, but argues that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. For more about such a defense, read a Sunday Journal story. More to come on projo.com ... -- Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:15 PM | Comment East Providence gets $250,000 from NASAEAST PROVIDENCE - Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy presented a quarter-million dollar NASA grant to the East Providence school board today at Edward R. Martin Middle School. The money will address “critical technology updates” for the math and science programs at middle and high schools in the city. “I will continue to fight this administration for the full funding promised to you in No Child Left Behind, and I will continue to speak out against any further cuts to our education programs.” -- With reports from Journal Staff Writer Justin Amoah Posted by maria caporizzo at 12:52 PM | Comment Rhode Island among 16 states challenging EPA mercury rulesTRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey's attorney general filed a court petition today on behalf of 16 states - including Rhode Island - challenging the federal Environmental Protection Agency's new mercury pollution rules. The petition asks a federal judge to reactivate a lawsuit filed last year challenging a rule known as "cap-and-trade." Cap-and-trade allows power plants to buy emissions reduction credits from plants whose emissions fall below target levels, rather than installing their own mercury emissions controls. It is to go into effect in 2010. The lawsuit was put on hold in October after the EPA agreed to reconsider the rules, but on May 31, the agency's announced revisions didn't included cap-and-trade. -- Associated Press "After six months of stalling, EPA not only failed to address the grave dangers posed to communities and children by its cap-and-trade program for mercury emissions, it made the program worse by further weakening standards," New Jersey Attorney General Zulima Farber said. The petition was filed in federal court in Washington. Mercury from smokestacks can enter waterways and be consumed by humans who eat contaminated fish. The toxic metal can cause nerve damage and damage the heart, brain and kidneys, according to the EPA. The states argue that the cap-and-trade system will endanger children near some power plants that pollute but use credits to do it legally. The agency has defended its mercury rules in the past, saying they will reduce mercury emissions by 70 percent and they represent the nation's first attempt to control such emissions. The other states included on the petition are: Wisconsin, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. -- Associated Press Posted by maria caporizzo at 12:42 PM | Comment Langevin making homeland security priority in re-election bidCOVENTRY -- U.S. Rep. James Langevin formally kicked off his reelection bid today with a speech at the Washington Fire Station. The 2nd Congressional District Democrat said he chose the fire station because it highlights his support for homeland security issues and the federal money he has brought back to Rhode Island for first responders and disaster preparation. Democrat Langevin, 42, of Warwick, is a former state representative and Rhode Island secretary of state who was first elected to Congress in 2000. He sits on the House Armed Services Committee. He faces a primary challenge from Jennifer Lawless, a Brown University political science professor. "To me, national security is family security, and it is all about these issues and more,'' said Langevin, who spoke to a crowd of about 50 under the hot sun in the fire station parking lot. "If our families are not secure, our country cannot be secure. Fom health care to homeland security, it will take our combined effort to ensure that this generation and those that follow are safe in their communities and proud of their country.'' -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:30 PM | Comment Providence stabbing victim in good conditionPROVIDENCE – The Pawtucket man who was stabbed during an argument outside a food truck in Providence is in good condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital, according to spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa. Police said Alex Negron, 31, of 88 Lawn Ave., was stabbed several times in the arm and stomach after after a man who approached him and began to argue with him early yesterday. His condition was not available yesterday. The police said they searched the area where the stabbing occurred at Broad and Sassafras streets, but they could not find the assailant. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:21 PM | Comment Tractor trailer overturned in ScituateSCITUATE – A tractor trailer rollover on Route 6 eastbound where the road intersects with Route 101 has snarled the morning commute, according to the State Police. The police could not provide more information at this time. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:53 AM | Comment Carpio trial to resume with defense team todayROVIDENCE – The defense team for Esteban Carpio is expected to start presenting their insanity defense today for the man on trial for killing Detective Sgt. James L. Allen with his own weapon at police headquarters and for stabbing 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. Prosecutors rested their case on Friday afternoon. The defense is now expected to call psychiatrists; Carpio’s girlfriend, Samein Soul Phil; and one or more of Carpio’s releatives. After the defense presents its case, the prosecutor can mount a rebuttal.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:29 AM | Comment Newport students to release baby salmon
The students participated in the state Department of Environmental Management's Salmon in the Classroom program, a federally-funded effort now used in every New England state. The DEM loaned the middle school equipment to construct an incubator system to raise 400-500 salmon eggs, which were donated by the US Fish and Wildlife's North Attleboro hatchery. Thompson was one of 24 schools from throughout Rhode Island that participated in the program this year. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:25 AM | Comment State officials to change bay discharge permittingPROVIDENCE -- State environment officials plan to hold a press conference this morning to announce changes to the permitting process that regulates nitrogen discharges in Narragansett Bay. Representatives from the state Department of Environmental Management will join members of the Narragansett Bay Commission at 10 a.m. at the Fields Point wastewater treatment plant on Ernest Street in Providence. Among those scheduled to be in attendance are the directors of the DEM, Save The Bay, the Narragansett Bay Commission, and the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:15 AM | Comment June 16, 2006Season's biggest WaterFire set for tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- The city will host its largest lighting of WaterFire of the season tomorrow night, according to a statement released this afternoon. The popular multimedia event along downtown waterways will begin tomorrow at sunset, set for 8:22 p.m. Highlights of the night will include free live jazz on the Verizon Jazz Stage on Steeple Street. The Debra Mann Trio will play from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. There will also be Cape Verdean music and dancing in the Sovereign Plaza Ballroom from 8 p.m. until midnight. From 7 to 8 p.m. there will be a free dance lesson. Browse more weekend events in our calendar listings. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:09 PM | Comment High school graduations on tap for tonightSeveral area high schools will hold commencement ceremonies tonight as the graduation season winds down. Two graduations are set to begin at 6 p.m., including Westerly High School and Newport's Rogers High School. Narragansett High School's commencement is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., as is Woonsocket's Beacon Charter School. Chariho Regional High School's ceremony in Richmond begins at 7 p.m. Find coverage of area graduations, send e-cards and upload photos here. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:04 PM | Comment R.I. makes the federal grade for disaster plansWASHINGTON -- Rhode Island is just one of 11 states rated in a Homeland Security Department scorecard as having sufficient plans to respond to disasters. Governor Carcieri says the report shows how far Rhode Island has come in upgrading its preparations for catastrophes. But he says there's still more work to be done, and he hopes Rhode Island can become a national role model for emergency planning. President Bush ordered the review of state and city emergency plans in a visit to New Orleans last Sept. 15, weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city. The report analyzes response and evacuation procedures for all 50 states, the nation's 75 largest cities and six U.S. territories. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:59 PM | Comment Update: Line forms for firefighter's wake / Photo
Calling hours are 3 to 8 p.m. at the Russell J. Boyle Funeral Home, 331 Smith St. Various firefighters from the region plan to gather at the home with Mayor David N. Cicilline and Fire Chief David Costa at 5:30 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held tomorrow at 8 a.m. at the Russell J. Boyle Funeral Home. It will be followed at 10 a.m. by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Pius Church, 44 Elmhurst Ave. Burial will follow at St. Ann Cemetery, 75 Church St., in Cranston. Sign an online guestbook for Day. In lieu of flowers, the Day family asks that donations be made to the St. Pius V. Church Capitol Campaign, in Deputy Assistant Chief Day’s memory, 30 Elmhurst Ave., Providence, R.I. 02908 or to the Deputy Assistant Chief Michael J. Day Memorial Fund, c/o Providence Firefighters Union Local 799, 92 Printery St., Providence, R.I. 02904. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:13 PM | Comment Red Sox recall Gabe Kapler, place Matt Clement on DLATLANTA -- The Red Sox made a dizzying series of roster moves this afternoon, but the result at the major-league level was a one-for-one swap -- one player moving to the disabled list and another being promoted back from Pawtucket. The player placed on the disabled list was, as expected, starting pitcher Matt Clement. He was removed from Wednesday night's start at Minnesota after 4 2/3 innings because of shoulder pain, and was placed on the 15-day DL because of what was described as ''shoulder weakness''. Clement was scheduled to start Monday night's game at Fenway Park against the Washington Nationals. As of late this afternoon, they have yet to announce a replacement starter. The player recalled was outfielder Gabe Kapler. Kapler, recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered late last season, was batting .200 (3-for-15) in four rehab games with the PawSox. The Sox also claimed pitcher Kyle Snyder off waivers from Kansas City, but have yet to assign him to a roster in the organization. They have 72 hours to do so. Snyder has spent most of the season at Triple-A Omaha, posting an 0-4 record but with a 3.88 ERA in 10 games, 9 of them starts. In his one appearance with the Royals in 2006 he allowed 10 hits and 9 runs, 5 of them earned, in 2 innings. His career record in the major leagues is 2-9 with a 5.64 ERA. The Sox had to purchase Kapler's contract to add him to the 40-man roster. To make room for Kapler and Snyder on the 40, the Sox designated relief pitcher Mike Holtz (who had started a rehab assignment at Pawtucket) and outfielder Dustan Mohr (who had been demoted to the PawSox last month) for assignment. The Sox have 10 days to trade or waive the two players; otherwise, they will automatically become free agents. -- SEAN McADAM Posted by Art at 5:07 PM | Comment Mt. Pleasant students rally against violence / Photo
Branden Ferrell spoke of how his brother, Barry, was shot to death at a bus stop outside Hartford Park on April 6, 2005. Barry Ferrrel attended an alternative high school but played basketball for Mount Pleasant. Last month, on the one-year anniversary of Ferrell’s death, the students in Tracy Boothman’s English class wrote a letter decrying gun violence, which was signed by 700 students and staff and sent to 59 elected state and local officials. Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, Mayor David N. Cicilline and U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente attended today's event, held on the last day of school at Mount Pleasant. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:57 PM | Comment Update: Newport woman only American on missing boatNEWPORT -- Of the four people aboard the missing sailboat Free Spirit, only Molly Finn is an American citizen. Finn, 19, of Newport, and a 2004 graduate of Barrington's St. Andrew's School, had met the other passengers in the past year when the boat was docked in Portsmouth for repairs, according to Finn's family. She became friendly with Jack Bielecki, the 19-year-old son of the boat's owner, Jacek Bielecki, and was invited to join the two British citizens and a United Kingdom citizen for "a long" voyage. In an interview today, Finn's family said they did not know exactly where the Free Spirit was headed. They were told it would be a long trip from Newport to Europe or even farther. The Coast Guard began searching for the boat yesterday after getting a phone call from Jacek Bielecki's stepdaughter in Newport, stating that the vessel and crew were in distress and needed to be rescued immediately. Bielecki had called her using a satellite phone. Today, rescue teams discovered a debris field in the search area that included a gas can, a wooden boat door, and a milk carton. There was no confirmation, however, that the debris was from the Free Spirit. The Coast Guard has released a map of the 6,500-square-mile search area and a photo of the boat. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard Salit The massive search by the Coast Guard, Canadian Air Force and Canadian Navy has been stepped up because of the debris located at 5:10 a.m. today, Coast Guard Petty Officer Lisa Hennings said. Search and rescue crews have found a wooden door from a boat, a nautical hatch cover, a bleach bottle and a milk carton with a line tied to it and a gasoline can about 200 nautical miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hennings said. That is the last known position of the sailing vessel Free Spirit. The Canadian Navy has assumed command of the search and rescue area, and the U.S. Coast Guard is now following the Canadians’ lead, Hennings said. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:26 PM | Comment Update: 4 victims of Fall River fire officially identifiedFALL RIVER, Mass. -- The city's Fire Department issued a statement this afternoon officially identifying the four victims of Wednesday's deadly fire at a religious social club. The four -- all women -- are: Emiliana Carvalho, 80, of 22 Covel St., Fall River; Geraldine Andrade, 63, of 505 Tower St., Fall River; Mary Raposa, 70, of 14 Bob St., Westport; and Christina Costa, 31, no address given. Andrade's name had previously not been available. The fire raced through the small club around 7 p.m. Wednesday when a candle tipped over in a room decorated as a shrine with crepe paper, white paper rose blossoms, satin ribbons and miniature Christmas lights for what was to be the club’s Holy Ghost feast this weekend. Firefighters were back at the scene of early this morning to douse hotspots, reported around 2 a.m. More about the blaze from today's Journal story ... Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:06 PM | Comment Forecast: Take suntan lotion and head for the beachThis weekend could prove to be the first big beach weekend of the year with the temperature expected to climb well into the 80s Saturday, even reaching the 90s in parts of the region Sunday. After a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, the weekend should bring partly cloudy skies with the temperature well into the 80s tomorrow and possibly reaching the low 90s Sunday in Providence, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service is warning that areas northwest of Route 95 could climb into the mid 90s on Sunday. The agency says people outside for extended periods of time should drink a lot of water. The state Department of Health has recommended the temporary closing of Oakland Beach and Gorton Pond Beach, both in Warwick, because of high bacteria counts. But the Health Department notes that Rhode Islanders looking to escape the heat have plenty of other options since there are 117 licensed beaches open to swimming. Check projo.com/weather for more weather and updates. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:56 PM | Comment Congress approves money for red tideWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congress has approved $5 million in federal funding for New England shellfish harvesters hurt by last summer's red tide outbreak. The money is meant to help the tourism and fishing industries that saw millions of dollars in losses during the outbreak, lawmakers said. "Last year's red tide outbreak was more massive than any the region has faced in more than 30 years ... This disaster aid is meant to help them get back on their feet," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., in a statement. The toxic algae bloom last summer closed shellfish beds from Maine to Massachusetts putting thousands of clammers, oyster farmers and mussel harvesters temporarily out of work. "Anyone who visited Maine last summer saw first hand the effect it had on the state and regions economy," said Sen. Olympia Snow, R-Maine. Red tide is formed when a microscopic algae reproduces at an explosive rate. The algae produces a neurotoxin that can paralyze or make breathing difficult for fish, manatees or even humans that inhale or ingest it. No illnesses associated to the outbreak were reported last year in Massachusetts. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:28 PM | Comment State rep urges shift in Providence library trusteesRepresentative Paul Moura, D-Providence, said he will introduce a resolution urging the Providence Public Library to accept more publicly appointed representatives on its Board of Trustees. The library, a private nonprofit, has only two public appointments on its 33-member board, although the city and state provide more than half of the library's budget. Moura announced his resolution at a rally outside the Smith Hill neighborhood library this morning. The rally was hosted by a citywide coalition that is advocating to keep the library branches open and to change the governance of the library. -- Journal staff writer Cathleen F. Crowley Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:56 AM | Comment Underdog filming will close Providence streetsSeveral streets in downtown Providence will be closed starting at 6 p.m. today for the filming of Underdog, according to the mayor's office. The following streets will be closed from 6 p.m. today until 6 a.m. tomorrow: Weybosset Street between Dorrance and Westminster; Peck Street between Pine and Weybosset; and Orange Street between Westminster and Weybosset. The following streets will be closed from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday: College Street between South Main and Prospect; Benefit Street between George and Waterman. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:46 AM | Comment June 15, 2006Man convicted in murder-robbery gets 2 life sentencesPROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Patricia A. Hurst today sentenced Kendall Whitaker to two consecutive life sentences for the 2002 murder and robbery of Joel Jackson. The investigation into the murder was led by the late Providence police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen, who was killed at police headquarters last year. The suspect in Allen's murder, Esteban Carpio, is on trial now. "Today's sentencing results from what is most likely the last major prosecution of an investigation headed by Detective Allen," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement. "It's a fitting tribute to Jimmy Allen's outstanding attributes, both as an officer of the law and a human being, that this brutal murderer has been brought to justice." More than a dozen witnesses testified during the month-long trial before convicting Whitaker last October. Whitaker, of Providence, who was 18 at the time of Jackson's murder, did not take the stand. Jackson, 19, was the brother of 12-year-old Jermaine Ellis, who was shot and killed at the Chad Brown Housing Development just a few months before Jackson's killing. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:30 PM | Comment Update: Prosecution concludes case in Carpio trial / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- The prosecution today rested what the judge calls its "case in chief" in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio with testimony from the state medical examiner. The defense will now present evidence to support its position that Carpio was not responsible for killing Detective Sgt. James L. Allen. After the defense makes its case that Carpio is innocent by reason of insanity, the prosecution will have a chance to present additional evidence. In testimony today, Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, the former state medical examiner, said one likely scenario was that Allen was slightly bent forward when he was shot. Both bullets entered the body at a downward angle. She said one bullet struck his forehead and lodged in his spine. The second hit him in the sternum, went through his aorta, lung and lodged in his back. -- By staff writer Gregory Smith In earlier testimony, Robert A. Hathaway, a firearms examiner, demonstrated the gun that killed Allen as he was interviewing Carpio at police headquarters last year. Hathaway, who works for the state crime lab, also said that the three bullets and eight cartridge casings recovered from Allen's body and the conference room all came from the detective's revolver. Hathaway left the witness stand at one point in his testimony to demonstate how Allen's gun worked for the jury. He fired the empty gun several times in court. Later, at the request of Carpio's lawyer, Robert L. Sheketoff, Hathaway fired the gun three times rapidly, duplicating the way Carpio allegedly shot Allen. Earlier today, Providence Detective Patricia Cornell discussed blood splattered on the wall and the back of the door in the conference room. -- By Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:05 PM | Comment Supreme Court: Lynch may not have to pay finePROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court ruled today that Attorney General Patrick Lynch may not have to pay $15,000 in fines levied against him by a Superior Court judge during the lead-paint trial. Judge Michael A. Silverstein Lynch twice found Lynch in contempt of court rules prohibiting lawyers from publicly criticizing each other during this year's trial. The judge ordered Lynch to pay $15,000 using personal funds. In its order today, the Supreme Court stayed Silverstein's contempt order, suggesting that his instructions to attorneys may have constituted prior restraint, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled violates the First Amendment of the Constitution. "Without definitively passing upon the issue at this time, we are troubled by the apparent 'prior restraint' effect of that order," reads the Supreme Court decision. "Accordingly, being acutely mindful of our legal tradition of opting in favor of permitting the exercise of free speech rights except in truly unusual circumstances, we have concluded that the order in question should be stayed pending final resolution by this court." Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:00 PM | Comment Fire update: 3 victims identified; the scene at the hall / PhotoFALL RIVER, Mass. -- A crowd had gathered inside the Portuguese social club to say a group prayer last night when the hall erupted in flames. About 30 people were preparing to say the Rosary inside the County Street club when someone toppled a lit candle into the morass of paper decorations meant to celebrate an upcoming feast of the Holy Ghost. White paper roses, streamers and paper crowns filled about half the hall. Even the ceiling was covered with blue paper to represent the sky.
Today, mourners have scattered red roses at a door to the club, as a tribute to the four women who died and others who were injured in the blaze. Family members in Fall River today identified three of the victims: Christine Costa, 31, Emiliana Carvalho, 80, and Isabel Raposa, who family members believed was 67. The fourth victim has not been identified. For more, read the continuing story on projo.com, with photos and audio, and in tomorrow's Journal ... -- With reports from Journal staff writers Paul Edward Parker, Maria Armental, and C. Eugene Emery Journal Photo/Frieda Squires Twelve people were hurt in the fire, including two firefighters, officials said at press conference this morning.Three suffered critical injuries, according to Fire Chief David Thiboutot. Two are in Rhode Island Hospital and the third is in Hasbro Children's Hospital, he said. The firefighters have been treated and released. The 220 County St. club, housed on the first floor of a triple-decker building, had no license that would have required inspections by the Fire Department, officials said at a press conference this morning. In the absence of a liquor or other licenses, "there was nothing to trigger an inspection," Thiboutot said. The question of inspections was among the many issues raised in the aftermath of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I., that killed 100 people in February 2003. State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan called the fast-moving fire a "wake-up" call, and said he's urging fire chiefs throughout the state to inform operators of such clubs about the danger of open flames and flammable decorations. "A combination of candles and flammable decorations are at times a recipe for tragedy and disaster as we saw last night," said Coan said. He said he didn't want to curb religious ceremonies, just educate people about safety.
The scene outside the charred, three-story building on County Street was quiet this morning. A partly blackened St. John's Holy Ghost Association Inc. sign hung over the street. Maria DeCosta, who lives in an apartment on the third floor, said she escaped through heavy smoke with her two children. She felt her floor shake, looked out the window and saw "flames everywhere." She pushed her children out in front of her and down a stairway, unable to see because of the smoke. Outside, she saw people breaking windows from the inside outside, trying to escape the building. Other neighbors were looking at the building this morning and talking quietly. Several said that they don't use candles in their homes because of their fear of fire. Witnesses told investigators that a votive candle accidentally ignited a ceremonial paper tree, according to Bristol County District Attorney Paul F. Walsh Jr. -- With reports from Journal columnist Bob Kerr and projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:50 PM | Comment W. Warwick man gets 30 years for hiring hitman to kill wifeWARWICK -- Thomas J. Lewis was sentenced this afternoon to 30 years in prison, six months after admitting he hired a former drug addict to kill his wife. Lewis had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in exchange for a prison term of no more than 35 years, then tried to retract his plea. Today in Superior Court, Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg gave Lewis five years less than the maximum. Lewis, 44, of West Warwick admitted in January that he hired Thomas M. Kenna, a former drug addict from Arizona, to kill his wife, Kris Sao Bento. Kenna tried unsuccessfully to commit the crime in July 2004 with a hammer. Kenna has also pleaded guilty in the same deal offered to Lewis. Kenna is scheduled to be sentenced later in the month. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:35 PM | Comment Police charge father and two others with murderPROVIDENCE -- Providence police today charged three people with murder for their part in shootings that left one man dead and another seriously wounded. The police allege the father and friends of 18-year-old Neffi Crisostomo, who was shot yesterday on Brackett Street at around 11 a.m., later shot and killed a 20-year-old man. Police said that Neffi's father, Ramon Crisostomo, 60, of 11 Balcom St., believed that Richard Perez, 20, was responsible for shooting his son. Within an hour, Ramon Crisostomo had gathered two of his son's friends to look for Perez in the neighborhood. Within an hour they spotted him riding a bike on Hamilton Street, according to police. Ramon Crisostomo and a 17-year-old boy pulled up to Perez and shot him several times, the police said. The third man was not in the car. Perez died later at the hospital. Police said today they believe that Perez was indeed the man who shot the younger Crisostomo earlier that day. Using a description of the vehicle from witnesses, police located Crisostomo's car early yesterday afternoon and arrested him, the juvenile, and 18-year-old Edward Luna, of 95 Emerson St., Providence. Police said they recovered the murder weapon at a nearby home. All three were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Ramon Crisostomo was additionally charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and a drive-by shooting. The three are being held without bail their arraignment this afternoon in District Court. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard C. Dujardin Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:58 PM | Comment Car crash in TivertonTIVERTON – Police and fire crews have responded to a possible rollover accident on Route 24 southbound in the area of Eagleville Road. Further details aren't immediately available. No police officer is available to talk at this time, according to a dispatcher. Fire Chief Robert Lloyd is at the accident and unavailable to talk at this time, according to the fire department. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:17 PM | Comment Mass. trooper killed in crash on Rt. 495, WrenthamWRENTHAM, Mass. -- A Massachusetts State Police trooper was killed early today when his cruiser drifted into the breakdown lane of Interstate 495 and struck a parked dump truck. Trooper Paul Barry, a 39-year-old father of seven children, died from injuries in the crash, which occurred before sunrise in Wrentham. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:04 PM | Comment Cicilline taps Democratic official to head commissionPROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today the hiring of a new executive director for the city's Human Relations Commission. Melba Depena will lead the agency, which is responsible for investigating complaints of alleged housing and employment discrimination, and promoting social justice through advocacy, training and education. Depena, a University of Rhode Island graduate, previously worked in social services. But most recently, she served as the executive director of the Rhode Island Democratic Party. “I am thrilled that the Commission has selected me as its new executive director,” Depena said in a statement. “I will work diligently to ensure that the residents of Providence feel that they are treated fairly and justly.” Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:58 PM | Comment Red Sox swap relief pitchersThe Boston Red Sox, following three straight implosions by their bullpen, have traded reliever David Riske to the Chicago White Sox for another reliever, 28-year-old left-hander Javier Lopez. It has been known that the Red Sox were interested in acquiring Lopez. The team actually selected Lopez in the 2002 Rule V player draft, but he was traded to the Colorado Rockies before ever playing in a Red Sox uniform. Lopez has appeared in 171 major league games with the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting a 6.09 E.R.A. He has pitched well this season with the White Sox' Triple A team in Charlotte, going 2-1 with 12 saves and a 0.55 E.R.A. The Associated press reports that Lopez is likely to be in uniform when the Red Sox play the Minnesota Twins tonight. Riske, a 29-year-old right-hander, joined the Red Sox this past offseason and has seen limited time because of injury problems. He came from Cleveland as part of the trade that also brought Coco Crisp and Josh Bard to town. Bard has since departed in yet another trade. Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:47 PM | Comment Ex-teacher who faked cancer gets two years in prisonNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A former special education teacher who faked cancer and collected $37,000 in donations, which she later spent on a vacation and jewelry, was sentenced today to two years behind bars. Heather Faria, 27, of Dighton, also was sentenced to eight years of probation during a hearing in New Bedford Superior Court, according to Lisa Leonard, a spokeswoman for Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:32 PM | Comment West Warwick principal retiresWest Warwick High School Principal Cheryl Tutalo is retiring. The School Committee is expected to announce a replacement at a special meeting next week. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:31 PM | Comment Brown introduces new head basketball coach
AP file photo Craig Robinson
Robinson, 44, a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year in the early 1980s at Princeton, had been an assistant coach at Northwestern University before being tapped for the Brown job. His brother-in-law is Democratic Congressman Barack Obama of Illinois. Brown athletic director Michael Goldberger said Robinson fit the school's three requirements for a new coach: integrity, ability to balance athletics and academics, and leadership abilities, according to the Associated Press. Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:06 AM | Comment Goodbye, AlbertoSmall craft warnings. Gale flags flying off much of the Massachusetts coast. And this afternoon, a chance of showers and thunderstorms across Rhode Island. It's the hurricane season and the National Weather Service says Southern New England will be buffeted today by Alberto as it curls out to sea and dies. With Alberto gone, the weather will improve. Skies will clear tonight with gentle west winds and a low around 54. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 54. West wind between 5 and 8 mph. Tomorrow it will be mostly sunny, and hot, with a high around 84. The weekend doesn't look too bad.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:17 AM | Comment June 14, 2006R.I. delegation reports income, gifts, travelThe Rhode Island congressional delegation detailed personal financial information -- ranging from wedding gifts to privately-funded trips -- in financial disclosure reports made public today. Sen. Jack Reed and his wife received an oil painting, china, silverware, crystal and one night of accommodations at the Inn at Perry Cabin Hotel in St. Michaels, Md., among other gifts, at their wedding last year. Rep. Patrick Kennedy reported unearned income between $15,001 and $50,000 from Arctic Royal Limited Partnership, which owns oil and gas royalty interests, according to Kennedy's report. The American Israel Education Foundation paid for Rep. James Langevin's trip to Israel in August 2005. The American Shipbuilding Association paid for his trip to Naples, Fla., last fall. Sen. Lincoln Chafee and his wife own undeveloped land in Sorrento, Maine, valued between $500,001 and $1 million. Chafee's wife owns WeeHoose Farm, LLC, a family horse farm in the senator's hometown of Exeter. It is valued at more than $1 million and produced rental income. Read the full story on the filings. -- With Associated Press reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:06 PM | Comment Photo: A flag comes home to Warwick
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:03 PM | Comment DEM hearing tonight on fishing, hunting changesWARWICK -- The state Department of Environmental Management will hold a public hearing tonight to talk about proposed changes to hunting and freshwater fishing regulations. State officials plan to shift fishing season dates and make permanent a ban on the use of goldfish as bait. DEM enacted an emergency temporary ban on goldfish use last month. There are also various changes that will affect hunters, primarily those who hunt turkey and deer. Check here to see the details of the proposed changes. Tonight's hearing will take place at 7 p.m. inside the Warwick Police Department's Community Room at 99 Veterans Memorial Drive. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:16 PM | Comment Brown to introduce new men's basketball coach ThursdayPROVIDENCE --- Brown University is expected to introduce Craig Robinson as its new men's basketball coach Thursday morning in a press conference. Robinson is a former star player at Princeton who has been an assistant coach Northwestern for the last six years. -- KEVIN McNAMARA and BILL REYNOLDS Posted by Art at 6:12 PM | Comment Bald eagles discovered in Fall River / Photo
The mayor's office today announced the unusual discovery of two eaglets -- a male and a female -- and two adults living in a nest atop an 80-foot white oak in the North Watuppa watershed. State wildlife officials joined representatives from the Fall River Water Department at a "banding ceremony" today, in which state wildlife biologists placed tracking devices around the eaglets' talons. The eaglets are believed to be about a month old. The mayor's office also launched a naming contest. The person who suggests the best name for the brother and sister eaglets will win a American eagle gold coin worth $100. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hayes Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:04 PM | Comment Carpio trial: Both of Allens' wounds were fatal, detective says
Cornell, who took the stand this morning at the trial of murder suspect Esteban Carpio, has been reviewing crime scene evidence. She said this afternoon that the headshot to Allen was at close range, according to gunshot residue on him. A gunshot to the clavicle was from at least three feet away, she said. Three bullets were fired in the conference room at police headquarters where the shooting occurred in April 2005. Cornell said today that the third was lodged in the base of a table in the room. The evidence shows that that bullet was fired from someone standing with his back to the interior of the closed conference room door, she said, adding that rabbit fur from Carpio's rabbit fur jacket was found on the door. Cross-examination of Cornell began before the trial stopped for today. It will resume tomorrow morning. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Earlier today, the owner of a Boston barber shop, where Carpio told police he worked on the day Allen was killed, appeared on the witness stand. Doyen Dunkley, of A-1 Barber Shop, denied knowing or ever seeing Carpio, now on trial for murdering Allen and stabbing an elderly woman hours before. Later in the proceedings, Providence police Sgt. Robert Boehm, who works in the department's weapons unit, used Allen's holster -- known as a pancake holster -- to show the jury how one would remove the gun. In a detailed demonstration, Boehm used Allen's actual gun, its evidence tag hanging off.
Zarrella, the first witness to testify today said he hit Carpio on Washington Street a few blocks from police headquarters. "I struck him because he was trying to strike me. And I thought he had a weapon,'' Zarrella testified. He added during further questioning that Carpio was swinging at him and that he believed that his life was in danger. Until today's testimony, the public never knew who injured Carpio the night of the arrest. According to today's testimony, Zarrella broke bones in Carpio's face. Carpio last year wore a protective face shield at his arraignment, which corrections officials said was to prevent him from spitting at officers. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections called the use of the mask a rare security measure. The spokeswoman did not mention Carpio's injuries. -- Staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:08 PM | Comment Update: 2 shootings -- one fatal -- may be connectedPROVIDENCE -- A 20-year-old man died today after being found lying in the street just after noon at the corner of Hamilton and Congress Streets, suffering from several gunshot wounds, police said this afternoon. Richard Perez, of Providence, was found about an hour after an 18-year-old man was shot several times on Sackett Street. He was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. The earlier shooting victim, Neffi Crisostomo, of Balkan Street, is in stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, according to police. Police are exploring the possibility that the two shootings are connected. No more information was available at this time. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment 3 more farmers' markets open this weekThe season for fresh, local fruits and vegetables is finally under way again in Southern New England. From Noah Fulmer at Farm Fresh Rhode Island comes word that farmers' markets begin at three more locations this week: -- Armory Park at the Cranston Armory, Parade St and Hudson St., Thursday 3 - 7 p.m. -- Downtown Providence, Kennedy Plaza, Friday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Pawtucket, downtown at Broadway & Exchange St., Sunday, 12 - 3 p.m. They join two that are already in full swing: -- Wickenden Street, in the parking lot of Doyle Realty, Brook St and Alves Way, Tuesday, 2 - 6 p.m. -- Hope High School, 324 Hope St., Saturday, 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. More markets -- at least 27 in all -- are expected to open as the crops come in. More information about the farms, current crops, "pick your own" fields and roadside stands is linked from that Farm Fresh homepage. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 2:55 PM | Comment Cicilline cancels Federal Hill dinner tourPROVIDENCE -- Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline will not visit three Federal Hill restaurants later today as part of the Taste the Neighborhoods initiative. The mayor issued a statement earlier today canceling his plans, citing the death of Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Michael Day, who passed away last night inside a Providence fire station. Each month, the mayor invites the public to join him and his staff at a different neighborhood restaurant to support local businesses and to showcase dining establishments in Providence. The Federal Hill visit will be rescheduled. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:30 PM | Comment Warwick man crushed by boat trailerWARWICK _ A man was crushed and killed at his 38 Fuller St. home last night when his boat trailer pinned him to the driveway, the police said. The police today say William H. Shoesmith, 34, was trying to fix a bolt on the trailer when it snapped and the trailer and his 24-foot powerboat fell on his head. A police officer used a floor jack to free Shoesmith. He was then taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7 p.m. yesterday. Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:45 PM | Comment Deadline today for switching voter affiliationPROVIDENCE – Today is the deadline for voters who want to change their affiliations to be eligible to vote in the Sept. 12 primary. Under Rhode Island's hybrid primary system, independents -- also known as unaffiliated voters -- can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries. But registered Democrats and Republicans are allowed only to vote in their respective primaries. Voters have until 4 p.m. to visit their local town or city halls and change their affiliation. Read the latest story in the Journal for more background on the issue. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:29 PM | Comment ACLU sues feds for gathering info on anti-war groupsWASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court today demanding more information about a Defense Department database that collected information on anti-war groups and U.S. citizens. ACLU affiliates in Rhode Island, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania and Washington, along with more than two dozen activist groups, joined the lawsuit, which charges that the Pentagon is violating federal freedom of information laws by refusing to provide information on the database. The lawsuit asks that the Defense Department turn over records it collected in its TALON database, a system developed by the Air Force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a way to collect information about possible terrorist threats. Anti-war groups and other organizations, including a Quaker group - the American Friends Service Committee - protested after it became public that the military had monitored anti-war activities, organizations, and individuals who attended peace rallies. "The U.S. military should not be in the business of maintaining secret databases about lawful First Amendment activities," said ACLU attorney Ben Wizner. "It is an abuse of power and an abuse of trust for the military to play any role in monitoring critics of administration policies." Pentagon officials did an internal review of TALON - or the Threat and Local Observation Notice - and concluded that it was an important tool in counterterrorism investigations. The review also found that as many 260 reports were improperly collected or kept in the system. At the time, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said there were about 13,000 entries in the database, and that less than 2 percent either were wrongly added or were not purged later when they were determined not to be real threats. The ACLU lawsuit argues that the organizations and individuals monitored by the Pentagon have a right to know what information the military has collected about them. "Spying on citizens for merely executing their constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly is chilling and marks a troubling trend for the United States," said Joyce Miller, assistant general secretary for justice and human rights of the American Friends Service Committee. "These actions violate the rule of law and strike a severe blow against our Constitution." -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:29 PM | Comment Armed robbery at Cumberland Domino'sCUMBERLAND – Detectives are searching this morning for two men who robbed the Domino’s Pizza at 250 Mendon Rd. armed with a hunting knife late last night, police detective William Wilkie said. Although police canvassed the area in the moments after the robbery was reported, they were unable to locate the suspects, Wilkie said. Wilkie said his department has not had any similar incidents recently, nor have they heard from surrounding departments about robberies with a hunting knife. The manager at the small pizza delivery and pick-up location called 911 shortly after 11 p.m. last night to report the robbery, Wilkie said. The man told the police two men in dark clothing with their faces covered – one of whom was brandishing a “large hunting knife” – walked into the building around closing time and demanded money, Wilkie said. The business manager complied, handing the men an undetermined amount of money, Wilkie said. The men fled on foot into the surrounding commercial area. Near the pizza business, there’s a Stop & Shop, another pizza place and a used car dealership, Wilkie said. Behind Domino’s is a wooded area and the Blackstone River, he said. Anyone with any information about the robbery could call the police department at 333-2500 and ask to speak with detectives, Wilkie said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:28 AM | Comment Updated: Providence Fire Department mourns first line-of-duty death in 29 years / Photo
Journal photo / Bob Thayer Providence Fire Department Lt. Philip Payne tells about his colleague and friend, Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Michael Day, who died yesterday at the age of 49. PROVIDENCE – The death of Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Michael J. Day, 49, who died while on the job in the downtown fire station last night, was the first line-of-duty death for the department since 1977, Assistant Chief of Administration Mark S. Pare said this morning. 
Journal file photoProvidence Fire Chief David Costa, far right, awarding a badge to Michael Day.
Day, who is survived by his wife and four children, was found in his office, unconscious and with no heartbeat by his coworkers at the Washington Street Fire House last night, firefighter union president Paul A. Doughty said. According to Fire Chief David Costa, Day had gone to assist at the scene of a fire earlier yesterday evening, but he was not there very long. This morning, Pare said the department does not believe there was any connection between that fire and Day’s death. The department is reeling from Day’s death, Pare said. The flag at the Providence Public Safety Complex has been lowered to half-staff in Day's honor. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:12 AM | Comment LIN TV will be looking for a new chairman and CEOPROVIDENCE-- LIN TV, which owns 30 television stations in 18 markets around the U.S. and Puerto Rico says it will soon launch a search to replace Gary R. Chapman. Chapman, the company's CEO since 1994, will leave LIN July 10. The company says Vincent L. Sadusky, the company's vice president and chief financial officer, will run the company during the search for Chapman's replacement. The company, in its statement, did not explain why Chapman was retiring as CEO, president and chairman. Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:50 AM | Comment Chance of showers todayPROVIDENCE – Expect a high of 77 degrees today with a slight chance of showers between 9 a.m. and noon and then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Tomorrow, mariners should be prepared for high seas over the waters south and east of Nantucket -- remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto. The storm may track close enough to New England to bring up to 10-foot seas, which are dangerous for operators of small recreational boats. Winds may also gust to around 30 knots over the waters southeast of Nantucket. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:10 AM | Comment Carcieri to lobby for homeland security aid in WashingtonGovernor Carcieri will argue for additional homeland security funding for Rhode Island when he meets with officials in Washington, D.C., later today. The governor is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at a health information technology conference in the nation's capital tomorrow morning and decided to arrive a day early to meet with Department of Homeland Security officials, according to his spokesman Jeff Neal. "He's wanted to meet with homeland security officials since May 31," Neal said, referring to the day Carcieri learned that Rhode Island's homeland security grants for 2007 had been cut in half. This afternoon, the governor is scheduled to meet privately with DHS Security Under Secretary for Preparedness George Foresman, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Grants and Training Tracy Henke, and State and Local director Chet Lunner. Carcieri plans to return to Rhode Island tomorrow after the conference. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:06 AM | Comment June 13, 2006Man struck by train in Pawtucket ID'dPAWTUCKET -- A man struck and killed by a train last weekend has been identified by his fingerprints, Pawtucket police said today. Anthony Bataitis, 46, of Providence, was hit by a northbound Amtrak train near Lonsdale Avenue Saturday morning, said Lt. Dan Mullen of the Pawtucket Police Department. The accident occurred at 10:34 a.m., and the tracks were cleared about three hours later. The 180 passengers aboard the Washington-to Boston train were transferred to a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter train to continue to Boston. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:50 PM | Comment Carpio trial: 'Something didn't seem right' to cabbiePROVIDENCE -- Cab driver Michael Crugnale had just heard that police were looking for a man who killed a police officer when he got the call. His dispatcher wanted him to pick up a man looking for a ride to Boston or New York. "Something didn't seem right to me," Crugnale testified this afternoon in the Superior Court trial of Esteban Carpio, the man accused of murdering police Detective Sgt. James Allen in April 2005. He testified that he spotted a police cruiser on his way to pick up the passenger. He stopped and told the officers he thought his prospective passenger might be the man they were looking for. The policeman said, "Go ahead, we'll follow you," Crugnale testified. Crugnale pulled up to the corner of Washington and Empire streets in downtown Providence. He locked his doors. "Then I seen (sic) a gentleman walking up toward the cab, looking at the cab," Crugnale said. The man, who police believe was Carpio, looked at Crugnale through the windshield, before turning and running down Washington Street. Crugnale will continue his testimony when the trial resumes tomorrow morning. He was the last of six witnesses to take the stand today. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Nicole Hanson, 24, of East Cheshire, Conn., testified this afternoon that she heard glass shattering and saw a man jump from a police station window on the night that Allen was killed. The police say Carpio killed Allen with Allen's gun, escaped by jumping out of a third-floor window and was later captured downtown. Hanson told jurors that she was a passenger in a car driven by her boyfriend, Nathan Fiero, which was traveling south on Service Road 7. After hearing the sound of shattering glass, Hanson looked up, saw glass falling from the sky and watched a man pushing glass out of a window frame, she testified. Then she saw the man climb through the window frame and hang from the ledge for a moment before dropping to the ground, she said. "He hit the ground and instantly got right up. He began ...striding" past them, Hanson said. Hanson testified that she saw the man go across a Route 95 overpass, then jump over a wall or a fence on the east side of Route 95. The jury this afternoon also heard from FBI Special Agent Justin Bowers, who described how he helped apprehend Carpio on Washington Street in front of the Roger Williams University Campus.
The jury spent much of this morning listening to a digital recording of police dispatchers involved in the search for Carpio right after Allen's murder. "Out the window! Out the window!" an officer said on the recording, which the jury followed with the aid of a transcript because it was often difficult to hear. "Does anybody know which way they ran?" a dispatcher said later in the roughly 45-minute recording. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:28 PM | Comment Red Sox place Foulke on DLWell, it turns out there was a reason Keith Foulke was lit up like a Christmas tree over the weekend. And it had nothing to do with a bad back. The Red Sox placed the veteran reliever on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon because of elbow tendinitis. Jermaine Van Buren was recalled from Pawtucket to replace him. Foulke, who was inactive for nearly a week because of what the Red Sox described as back spasms, returned to action Saturday night against the Rangers. In one inning, he gave up a walk and a two-run homer. He was worse on Sunday, surrendering seven hits and four runs in two innings. He didn't mention any arm pain after either game, nor did the Sox indicate his arm was hurting. Van Buren, who has had two earlier stints in Boston this year, was sent back to Pawtucket late last week. Normally he couldn't be recalled for two weeks, but that rule is waived when a roster move is made because of injury. Van Buren is 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA in five relief appearances over two stints with the Red Sox in 2006. With the PawSox, he was 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA and a team-leading seven saves in 13 games. -- ART MARTONE Posted by at 4:56 PM | Comment House finance panel quickly OKs budget proposalPROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee approved a $6.66 billion budget proposal from fellow lawmakers this afternoon in what may be record time -- less than two hours. The tax and spending plan for the coming year -- only unveiled today -- raises spending by 4.9 percent. It goes to the House floor next week for a vote. It would restore many -- but not all -- of the human service cuts proposed by Governor Carcieri, give a tax break to the state’s richest residents and significantly increase aid to local school districts. The Democratic lawmakers chose not to reduce state employee benefits, as the Republican governor had proposed, but left it up to the Carcieri’s staff to somehow reduce the workforce enough to save $36.5 million. The budget also further reduces the state’s car tax, includes a $50-million bond for affordable housing and provides a tax credit for companies that donate to private or parochial schools. More to come on projo.com and in tomorrow's Journal ... -- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:53 PM | Comment Update: Kennedy gets probation, community serviceWASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will serve no jail time for driving under the influence of prescription drugs May 4, but he was sentenced this afternoon to one year of probation, $350 in fines, and 50 hours of community service. Kennedy appeared before a Judge Aida Melendez in Washington Superior Court earlier this afternoon wearing a navy blue suit. He did not smile during the 20-minute hearing and answered the judge's questions in simple phrases, such as "yes, your honor." His longest statement was: "I am pleading guilty to driving under the influence." Melendez outlined several conditions for Kennedy's probation. They include attending one meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous per week, attending monthly treatment sessions with a doctor at Bethesda Naval Hospital, attending a weekly recovery group meeting in addition to the AA meeting, having weekly contact with his AA sponsor, submiting to random urine drug abuse screenings, and staying in touch with psychiatrists to monitor mood symptoms, anxiety and use of psychotropic prescription medication used to treat his mental illness. Melendez sentenced Kennedy to 10 days in jail, which was suspended. Kennedy also must pay $100 to the Victim's of Crime Fund, and $250 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, D.C. -- the same organization to which he must commit 50 hours of community service. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:55 PM | Comment Photo: A very Brady moment at Pats' mini-camp
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:48 PM | Comment House finance panel begins debate on budgetPROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee has begun its debate on a state budget proposed by Democratic lawmakers. The discussion is expected to take hours before the panel could vote on the $6.6 billion spending plan. Details on the previously unseen proposal to come on projo.com and in tomorrow's Journal. For background, read today's related Journal story. -- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:23 PM | Comment W. Warwick man presumed dead after 11-day searchPolice disclosed today that they have been searching for a West Warwick man who disappeared in the Big River Management Area 11 days ago and who is now presumed dead. Gerald G. Cox, 44, a production manager for a floral company in Cranston, left a suicide note at his home and drove to the 14-square-mile woodlands in West Greenwich on Friday, June 2, said his wife, Teresa Cox. The state police searched exhaustively for Cox over the following weekend, but failed to find him. Last week, volunteers from the Sheriff's Department began searching the area in all-terrain vehicles, still with no success. Some State Police and volunteers are continuing the search, but in a more limited way. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:56 PM | Comment Seekonk police searching for Maine fugitiveSEEKONK, Mass. – Local police are searching for a 28-year-old man wanted by the police in Maine and profiled on the television show America’s Most Wanted. The manhunt, which also involved Massachusetts State Police, began late last night, Seekonk Police Chief Ronald Charron said. The police have issued a bulletin to all police departments in southern New England about their search for a stolen vehicle they believe the man took in the midst of the search, Charron said. Authorities in Maine alerted the Seekonk Police around 9 p.m. yesterday that a task force searching for Jesse Anthony Caron had information that he was at the Stop & Shop on Highland Avenue in Seekonk. Caron was wanted on a weapons offense and a forgery charge, Charron said. The America’s Most Wanted Web site says Caron faces a rape charge and was arrested on Feb. 14. Charron said he does not know about that charge and was told that Caron was arrested but later skipped bail. Charron said Seekonk officers impounded Caron’s car, which they found last night in the Stop & Shop parking lot, and spoke with a woman who had been sitting in it waiting for him, but the interview did not lead them to the man. Around midnight, the police responded to the call of a burglar alarm sounding at Martin Elementary School, Charron said. A school employee who arrived shortly afterward with a key and entered the building reported to the police that a man escaped out of a classroom window as the employee searched the school, Charron said. "We're not sure if it was the suspect (Caron), but we took the initiative that it was him, and a grid search was set up around the neighborhoods" in the area of Anthony Street and Cole Street, Charron said. The Massachusetts State Police entered the search around 10:30 p.m. with a helicopter, canine unit and “numerous patrols on the ground,” Trooper Thomas Ryan said. The state police stopped its search about 5 a.m. today, Ryan said. Seekonk’s search continues, spurred on by the 8 a.m. report of a stolen 2001 Acura from the Cumberland Farms at Route 6 and Warren Avenue, Charron said. A witness in the parking lot there described a suspect in the parking lot, and when the police showed him a photo of Caron, the witness identified the Maine fugitive, Charron said. Two Seekonk officers are still actively searching for the fugitive, Charron said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:30 PM | Comment Trinity Rep director gets Chicago awardCurt Columbus, artistic directory of Providence's Trinity Repertory Company, has won a Joseph Jefferson Citations Award, a prize given to non-Equity professional theaters in Chicago, according to the website Backstage.com. Columbus won the award for his adaptation of Three Sisters for Chicago's Strawdog Theatre Company. Columbus worked in Chicago theater before moving to Trinity Rep this year. The Citations are different from the Joseph Jefferson Awards, which honor productions that employ personnel from Equity, the union for actors and stage managers. Posted by at 9:17 AM | Comment R.I. ranks near the bottom in volunteeringRhode Islanders are among the stingiest in the nation when it comes to volunteering, but the number of Ocean State residents who volunteer has increased every year since 2002, according to a national study. Rhode Island ranks 45th in the nation with its rate of 24.9 percent of residents aged 16 or older who volunteer. That's a far cry from the top-ranked state of Utah, where 48 percent volunteer. Rhode Island is tied with Arizona, according to the study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that tracked volunteer efforts for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. That volunteer rate covers the last three years and is lower than the three-year rate of 26.4 percent for the Northeast and lower than the three-year rate of 28.8 percent for the nation, according to the study. Connecticut ranks 21st, with 30.8 percent of its residents volunteering, and Massachusetts ranks 36th, with 27 percent. Read the full report, "Volunteering in America," check out individual state rankings and read key statistics from the study. -- Staff and wire reports
Rhode Island is, however, one of just eight states in the country in which the number of volunteers has increased each year since 2002, according to the study. In each state, the study found that women volunteer at a higher rate than men. The greatest percentage of volunteers in the U.S. volunteer primarily through religious organizations. The largest groups of people who volunteer are between the ages of 35 and 44, including members of both Generation X and Baby Boomers. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:46 AM | Comment Diversity Career Fair is todayPROVIDENCE -- More than 35 companies are at the Rhode Island Convention Center in downtown Providence today for the Diversity Career Fair. The Career Fair, sponsored by The Providence Journal, runs from noon to 5 p.m. Job seekers should bring a hard copy of their résumé that will be distributed to all participating companies. A panel from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, local colleges and universities will be on hand for a free résumé critique. Rene Godefroy, author of Kick Your Excuses Goodbye, will speak at 11:30 a.m. in the convention center foyer, near registration. For a full list of exhibitors, go to projoJobs.com/careerfair. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:04 AM | Comment Money going to help children with parents in jailNew Roots Providence, a program that serves needy people in the city, this morning plans to announce the recipients of 21 grants designed to help small community and faith-based organizations. The so-called "capacity building grants" range from $12,000 to $18,000 and will help the organizations in areas such as training and development. The recipients were selected from 34 applications. The organizations address one or more of the following areas: children of men and women who are in prison; people returning to the community from prison; youth in danger of getting involved with violence or gang activity; and people moving from public assistance into employment. New Roots Providence will announce the grants during a 9 a.m. breakfast at the Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Square, Providence. New Roots Providence is a program of The Providence Plan, which is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1992 to help in such areas as jobs, neighborhood safety and affordable housing. The following organizations are receiving grants: * The Blessing Way Posted by Jack Perry at 7:50 AM | Comment Nice June day today, but Alberto's effects loomPROVIDENCE – Looks like we’re going to have another June-like day today, with this morning’s clouds expected to dissipate and give us a mostly sunny day – with a high around 79. But the rain we’ve come to know so well could soon return. There’s a chance of showers tomorrow, mostly between noon and 3 p.m., and then we may see the effects of Tropical Storm Alberto. The storm that has already forced evacuations in Florida is forecast to track about 100 miles south of Nantucket Thursday, which could be close enough to bring rain and eventually gusty winds to the Cape and islands late tomorrow night into Thursday. The storm will have a greater impact on the marine community with gale force winds and rough seas possible over the waters south and east of Nantucket, according to the National Weather Service. Check back for the latest conditions and forecasts at projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:04 AM | Comment Cops to sell cookies for Big BrothersPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri will help Big Brothers of Rhode Island launch its 2006 fundraising campaign at a State House press conference this morning. Big Brothers hopes to raise $250,000 this year by selling boxes of chocolate chip cookies made by Au Bon Pain stores. The nonprofit group this year has partnered with the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. Starting this month, police departments around the state will offer boxes of cookies -- with six in each box -- for $5. "The cookies will be a high-quality, gourmet product. They'll be absolutely delicious and all the proceeds will go toward a good cause right here in Rhode Island," said Big Brothers President Edward A. Carosi in a statement. "That's why they'll be the greatest. This effort has never been attempted by a Big Brother agency." Today's press conference will be at 10 a.m. at the State House rotunda. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 AM | Comment June 12, 20063 companies vie to operate R.I. Web sitePROVIDENCE -- Two companies have submitted proposals to take over operation of the state's Web site, which was broken into by hackers, who stole credit card information, last year. The current operator of RI.gov also submitted a proposal by today's 2 p.m. deadline to continue running the site. State purchasing officials took the proposals under advisement to evaluate them before selecting an operator for the Web site. It is not a competitive bidding process, where the contract would go to the lowest bidder. The state does not pay the Web site operator, which derives its income from collecting convenience fees for conducting online transactions. No details of the proposals were made public today, other than the names of the vendors who submitted them. The two new competitors for the contract are EDS of Warwick and Scientific Applications International Corp., of San Diego, Calif. The current contractor is NIC, the parent company of New England Interactive, which handles NIC's business in the region. In December 2005, hackers exploited an error made by New England Interactive employees and broke into RI.gov's database of credit card transactions. The hackers gained access to 4,117 complete credit card numbers. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker
The numbers belonged to people who had made online transactions at RI.gov between Dec. 31, 2004, and March 8, 2005. Transactions after March 8 were not vulnerable because New England Interactive stopped storing complete credit card numbers. On Dec. 29, New England Interactive discover that, between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. the previous day, hackers had attacked the site. At that time, the company believed only eight credit card numbers had been compromised, and the breach was not made public. The scope of the attack became public in the middle of January on a Russian-language hackers' Web site. It came to the attention of state officials near the end of January. The security breach did not seem to affect users' confidence in the site. In May of this year, about three months after the news broke, RI.gov logged 48,797 transactions. In the same month last year, it had 49,273. The same data for April showed 50,025 this year and 50,502 last year. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:44 PM | Comment House pulls bill to allow police to search records without a warrantPROVIDENCE _ After a barrage of criticism, the House Leadership today pulled a bill that would give proposed legislation police the right to obtain Rhode Islanders' telephone call records without a warrant. Larry Berman, a spokesman for the House leadership, said the bill was being taken off the House Judiciary Committee agenday for tomorrow. He said the leadership needed more time to make revisions. Earlier today, the leadership said it would drop phone records from the bill. Maj. Steven O'Donnell said the State Police will continue to ask the legislature for permission to obtain some customers' Internet records without a review by a judge. The police say that getting a warrant is too cumbersome and takes too long to deal with increasing numbers of complaints about Internet-borne crime. The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote tomorrow on two similar bills, one House, one Senate, from the State Police.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:58 PM | Comment Carpio update: EMT recalls trying to save AllenPROVIDENCE -- Detective Sgt. James Allen was in cardiac arrest and wasn't breathing when Providence firefighter and emergency medical technician Joseph Mollis arrived on the scene. Mollis, who was among the first medical personnel to respond to the April 2005 shooting inside police headquarters, took the witness stand this afternoon in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio, describing Allen's injuries in graphic detail to the jury. Allen had been shot twice -- once in the head and once in near the clavicle. Mollis immediately worked to resuscitate Allen, who was rushed to the hospital. Mollis testified that once they reached the hospital, and by the time he returned from washing his hands, Allen was pronounced dead.
McGann told the jurors in Providence Superior Court that he had been in the room with Allen and Carpio but left to get Carpio water at Carpio's request. McGann heard the door slam shut behind him, discovered that it was locked from inside and tried twice to force it open by running into the door and slamming into it with his body. From inside the room, McGann heard Allen calling for help, the sounds of "people crashing into walls," and gunshots. "Jimmy's yelling for help," McGann said. "I was in a frantic state trying to get into the room." McGann heard more shots. He and another detective yelled to Allen and Carpio. It took three hits with a metal sledge hammer to finally open the door. Inside, McGann saw a room in disarray and his fellow detective dead on the floor. McGann began testifying on Friday. He said that Carpio was not under arrest when officers were questioning him on April 16, 2005, after the stabbing of 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. In Carpio’s trial before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause, the prosecution has painted the picture of Carpio as a cold-blooded killer who craftily sized up the situation and struck at Allen when he spotted a weakness. In stark contrast, the defense argues that Carpio is a psychotic and cannot be held legally responsible for what his lead lawyer concedes he did – stab an elderly woman and kill a police detective. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:57 PM | Comment Glocester man gets 35 years for killing wifePROVIDENCE -- A Glocester man who shot and killed his wife in their home in July 2005 was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Superior Court judge late this morning. Ralph E. Racca, 47, of 49 Echo Rd., pleaded guilty in April to second degree murder. His case never went to trial. On July 16, 2005, Racca shot Susan Racca, 42, his wife of eight years, in the forehead, chest, and back with a .22-caliber rifle. Rescue workers responding to a 911 call made by Ralph Racca found his wife's body lying on the master bed covered in blood. Today’s sentence was handed down by Judge Robert D. Krause. Racca will serve his term at the Adult Corrections Institutions in Cranston. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:50 PM | Comment Nursing home owner to plead guilty to misusing fundsAntonio L. Giordano and an associate have agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge of misusing money from three Rhode Island nursing homes. The charge, a felony, alleges that Giordano, who owned the nursing homes, and John Montecalvo, who held supervisory roles, hired a company headed by Giordano’s daughters to give parties for employees even as the nursing homes were in the red and defaulting on their federally backed mortgages. The federal government alleges that the expenditure of $780,539 over six years was “not reasonable and necessary for the operation of the nursing homes,” as required by the mortgage terms. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Under their plea agreements, Giordano and Montecalvo agreed to pay back the $780,539 to representatives of the now-defunct Hillside Health Center in Providence, the Coventry Health Center, which has changed hands, and Mount St. Francis Health Center, in Woonsocket, which Giordiano still owns but is negotiating with a buyer. Over the past year, however, federal audits of each of the three nursing homes have found several million in questionable payments from the nursing homes to various companies associated with Giordano. According to the information filed in court, the mortgages were insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which led the criminal investigation. In exchange for guilty pleas from both men, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said it will recommend a prison term “at the lowest point of sentences,” not including probation.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:30 PM | Comment R.I. gas prices up, by 2 centsPROVIDENCE -- Gas prices are up slightly this week from last week, to just under $3 a gallon. The average price of a gallon of self-serve, unleaded gas was $2.99, according to a survey by AAA of Southern New England. That's 2 cents more expensive than last week. State energyy officials say home heating oil is running about $2.61 per gallon. Crude oil futures haven't fluctuated much today, as the market shrugs off earlier concerns about the potential impact of the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:06 PM | Comment Sovereign adds 100 new jobs in East ProvidenceSovereign Bank today announced the addition of 100 new jobs at an existing call center in East Providence. The new positions will bring Sovereign’s employment in Rhode Island to more than 1,000 following the recent acquisition of Independence Community Bank Corp. of Brooklyn, N.Y. As part of the $3.6 billion purchase, Sovereign plans to shut down Independence’s two existing call centers and shift the work to Sovereign call centers, including East Providence and a new one in New Bedford. Call centers are a backbone of the contemporary banking business with Rhode Island a hub for such operations. Sovereign, Citizens Bank and Bank of America all operate major call centers in Rhode Island that each employ hundreds of people. Sovereign Bancorp of Pennsylvania is the parent company of Sovereign Bank. Posted by at 2:59 PM | Comment Union rejects offer from Providence-based TextronFORT WORTH, Texas -- Union leaders at Bell Helicopter Textron today told members to report to work as usual after the membership rejected the company's contract proposal. United Auto Workers Local 218 voted 1,390 to 476 yesterday to reject the proposed three-year contract. The old contract expired last night. Bell says negotiations were to continue. After yesterday's vote, the UAW Web site urged workers to report to their jobs as usual today. A Bell spokesman says the company offered a 21 percent cumulative wage increase over three years, ratification bonuses of $3,500 and a choice of three health plans. The company said its average health care cost per employee had tripled since 1999 to $18,000. The helicopter company is a unit of Providence-based Textron. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:27 PM | Comment Update: Fans in Providence bemoan U.S. soccer play
And it didn't get much better. The American team was shut out 3-0. With a collective shout of anguish, the crowd at McFadden’s reacted to the Czech Republic's first goal about five minutes into the game. The downtown restaurant had more than a dozen televisions tuned to the game, and nearly every table was full and virtually every seat at both bars was full of people looking up at the sets. The hostess said this is a big crowd for a Monday. Ever since Friday, when the World Cup started, McFadden’s has seen an increase in patrons, she said. Get the latest on the World Cup games here ... -- with reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:14 PM | Comment Carpio update: Detective tells of scene at police HQ / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- A Providence police detective testifying this morning in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio told jurors how he frantically tried getting back into an interview room to help fellow detective Sgt. James Allen on the night he was killed. Detective Timothy McGann told the jurors in Providence Superior Court that he had been in the room with Allen and Carpio but left to get Carpio water at Carpio's request. McGann heard the door slam shut behind him, discovered that it was locked from inside and tried twice to force it open by running into the door and slamming into it with his body. From inside the room, McGann heard Allen calling for help, the sounds of "people crashing into walls," and gunshots. "Jimmy's yelling for help," McGann said. "I was in a frantic state trying to get into the room." McGann heard more shots. He and another detective yelled to Allen and Carpio. It took three hits with a metal sledge hammer to finally open the door. Inside, McGann saw a room in disarray and his fellow detective dead on the floor. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith
McGann began testifying on Friday. He said that Carpio was not under arrest when officers were questioning him on April 16, 2005, after the stabbing of 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. In Carpio’s trial before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause, the prosecution has painted the picture of Carpio as a cold-blooded killer who craftily sized up the situation and struck at Allen when he spotted a weakness. In stark contrast, the defense argues that Carpio is a psychotic and cannot be held legally responsible for what his lead lawyer concedes he did – stab an elderly woman and kill a police detective. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:09 PM | Comment Alberto aiming at Florida's Gulf Coast -- for nowAs Tropical Storm Alberto strengthens over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for Florida’s Gulf Coast. A five-day forecast for the first named storm of the hurricane season predicts its path will head head up the entire East Coast. Thinking about how to protect your Rhode Island home during this hurricane season? Head to projo.com’s hurricane watch page. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:44 PM | Comment Fall River man seriously hurt in Rehoboth crashREHOBOTH, Mass. -- A 27-year-old Fall River man was airlifted to a hospital early this morning overnight after his 2006 Ford Escape slammed into a tree on Route 195. The state police said Jared Pelletier had serious injuries from the crash that happened about 1:50 a.m. near exit 2, according to the state police. Preliminary investigation found that the car driven by Pelletier and a 1995 Plymouth Voyager driven by Craig Debartolo, 19, of Fall River were each traveling west on Route 195, said Sgt. David Paine, a spokesman for Massachusetts State Police. The two vehicles made contact, the police said, causing Pelletier to lose control of the Escape, which went off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Pelletier was trapped in the vehicle, according to the police, but Swansea and Rehoboth firefighters used an extrication tool to remove him. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Paine said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Pelletier was wearing a seatbelt, the state police said. The state police said DeBartolo was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for minor injuries. The westbound lanes of Route 195 were closed at around 2:30 a.m. for about 20 minutes, Paine said. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:06 PM | Comment Late-night crash in Lincoln sends 4 to hospitalsLINCOLN – The police are investigating a head-on collision late last night in the vicinity of 505 Old River Road that sent four people to area hospitals, Sgt. Joseph Kelley said. Kelley would not say which vehicle left its lane of travel in the accident around 11 p.m. Nor would he release the names of the juveniles in one of the cars. Kelley said a 16-year-old girl, with a 17-year-old female passenger, was driving a 1998 Volvo south on Old River Road, and a 44-year-old Woonsocket man, with a 38-year-old female passenger, was driving a 2003 Chevrolet north. The Woonsocket man, Richard Ledoux of 2134 Mendon Rd., is in good condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said. No condition was available this morning for his passenger, Kristine Lorange, Barbosa said. The police did not immediately have Lorange’s address available. Kelley said both juveniles were taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening, he said. All four people were wearing seatbelts, he said. The speed limit on Old River Road in the vicinity of the accident is 35 mph. The roadway is curvy and hilly and was not lit at the time of the accident, Kelley said. He would not say how fast the two cars were traveling or if charges were pending against either driver, saying that’s part of the police investigation. Both cars sustained heavy front-end damage, Kelley said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:23 AM | Comment Cranston man still critical after fall from mall escalatorPROVIDENCE -- A Cranston man remains in critical condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital after falling about 20 feet from an escalator at Providence Place Mall on Friday night, hospital spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said. Randy Coward, 26, apparently tried to stand on the handrail of a moving escalator at the end of the mall closest to Filene's, according to the police. Coward was with his girlfriend and both were apparently using a down escalator when he jumped onto the railing, the police said. Police Sgt. John O'Connor III said the police were called to Level C, a lower floor of the mall, where Coward was unconscious. Coward has been in critical condition since the accident. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:11 AM | Comment Update: Traffic delays on 95 North, accident on 195PROVIDENCE – Several accidents and disabled vehicles have tied up traffic on Route 95 northbound this morning. Delays start around exit 12A and continue into downtown Providence. An accident earlier this morning at Exit 23, near Route 146, remains on the state Department of Transportation’s Web site under a traffic advisory. The state police said the accident was not very serious, with only "minor injuries." Check the DOT’s traffic cameras for un up-to-date look at the road conditions. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:11 AM | Comment High pollen count, temperature should reach 77PROVIDENCE – With a high pollen level today of 8.7 on a 12-point scale, Providence has the distinction of being one of the five worst cities listed on pollen.com’s web site. But for now, the sun is shining, so if you can get past your allergies, enjoy it. There’s a chance of rain in the forecast every day this week until Friday. Today’s chance of rain isn’t expected until after 3 p.m. It should be partly cloudy today with a high around 77. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:02 AM | Comment Remodeled DMV branch to open in WoonsocketWOONSOCKET -- Governor Carcieri will be on hand this morning to formally open Woonsocket's remodeled Department of Motor Vehicles branch on Pond Street. The state spent more than $800,000 for renovations on the facility, which has been closed since last year. Carcieri will join state and local officials and the DMV’s staff in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 AM | Comment June 9, 2006Lynch files arguments to reduce Yashar pensionPROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick Lynch today followed through on a pledge to reduce the pension of Traffic Tribunal Judge Marjorie R. Yashar, filing a motion for summary judgment in Superior Court. Lynch went to court on April 5, asking a judge to reduce the pension from $120,310 to $86,650. Today, Lynch elaborated on arguments he made earlier in court. The court administration included eight months of time that Yashar was on unpaid leave to push her years of service to 20 years. Those extra months qualified Yashar for a 25 percent increase in her pension. The court will schedule a hearing after reviewing the motion. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:40 PM | Comment Photo: The Blackstone
The Blackstone rushes through Woonsocket today. Although a flood watch continues for northern Rhode Island, the Blackstone has been falling. According to the National Weather Service, the river peaked at 9.78 feet at 2 a.m. yesterday -- about a foot over flood stage. At 2 p.m. today, the Blackstone was measured at 7.18 feet. Posted by Jack Perry at 4:54 PM | Comment Johnston man accused of dumping paint wastesEAST PROVIDENCE -- A Johnston man was arrested today on charges of dumping hundreds of cans of paint waste at the city’s Department of Public Works complex on Commercial Way. Richard A. Rebello, 35, of South Williams St., was charged with illegal disposal of hazardous waste and illegal transport of hazardous materials without a manifest by the state Department of Environmental Management. The charge carries a penalty of up to $10,000 and up to five years imprisonment. Kurt Schatz, DEM's chief of criminal investigation, alleged today that the dumping isn't Rebello’s first.
“They were certainly upset when they found another load of cans [this] morning,” Schatz said. “And then he came back with another pickup truck full of cans.” The public works workers held him and called the police. “He wouldn’t tell us where he got it from,” Schatz said. “All he said was he was doing a job for someone else.” -- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:49 PM | Comment Seniors around R.I. marching to graduation beat todayIf you think you hear the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance" in your neighborhood today -- you could be right. Thousands of area high school seniors will partake in commencement exercises today, among the busiest days for high school graduations of the year. Students from the Wheeler School, in Providence, received diplomas this morning. Students from 19 other high schools in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts will join them later today. The Woonsocket High School commencement is scheduled for 4 p.m., while the rest are set for 6, 6:30 or 7 p.m. They include Providence's Hope High School, Burrillville High School, Lincoln High School, West Warwick High School, Ponaganset High School, Tolman High School, E-Cubed Academy, Providence's School One, the New England Christian Academy, Portsmouth High School, the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, Somerset High School, Tiverton High School, Scituate High School, Fall River's Durfee High School, Johnston High School, Bishop Keough High School, and Bishop Hendricken High School. For more graduation coverage this year, click here. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:04 PM | Comment Pawtucket bash takes aim at gun violencePAWTUCKET -- The Attorney General's Office is hosting the 8th annual Toy Gun Bash tomorrow afternoon at Payne Park on West Avenue. The yearly event aims to discourage gun violence by allowing children to destroy their toy guns in a machine dubbed the "Bash-O-Matic" that "crushes, smushes, smashes, and otherwise bashes toy guns like nobody's business," according to an announcement today by the attorney general's office. In addition to "gun bashing," there will be free food, games, raffles, and a 3-point basketball shooting contest featuring Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:58 PM | Comment Old Jamestown bridge demolition moving to new phaseJAMESTOWN -- Beginning next week, construction crews will use a jackhammer-like device called a hoe ram to destroy the old Jamestown Bridge's remaining concrete piers, as the massive demolition project moves into a new phase. The state Department of Transportation revealed details today regarding next week's efforts, which will not include explosives or require any road closures. The top 50 feet of the bridge's center piers were demolished with explosives last month, along with 2,200 feet of deck trusses. The hoe ramming will begin next week and continue through August, according to today's announcement. Crews are limited to using the machine from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. because of the noise level, which the state says will be lower than another construction method known as pile driving. Later in the summer, the demolition will include a round of underwater explosions that will require a brief closure of the new bridge. Miss the two earlier bridge explosions? See photos and video here: http://projo.com/extra/2006/jamestownbridge/ Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:58 PM | Comment First round of play postponed at Champions TourCONCORD, Mass. -- The first round of the Bank of America Championship scheduled for today was postponed for a day because of rain that made the Nashawtuc Country Club course saturated and unplayable. Play will instead start at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, with the goal of finishing at least 18 holes and possibly 36 holes on Sunday, Champions Tour tournament director Ben Nelson told reporters. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:16 PM | Comment Cat spay and neuter bill to become law soonPROVIDENCE – Although his office had considered holding a public ceremony today for Governor Carcieri to sign the mandatory spay and neuter bill that was overwhelmingly passed by the House and Senate, there will be no ceremony, spokesman Jeff Neal said today. That’s in contrast to what the animal advocacy group Defenders of Animals has publicized. The group issued a news release saying the governor would be signing the bill today at a 1:30 p.m. State House ceremony. Not so, Neal said. And because he had gotten so many calls about the ceremony, Neal even issued a media advisory via e-mail, labeled “No Cat Bill Ceremony.” “Ultimately, we simply could not find a way to fit it into the governor’s calendar for today,” Neal said. Ninety-eight percent of the bills the governor signs are done so without a ceremony, Neal said. Sponsors of the bill have said it would make Rhode Island the first state in the country to prohibit people from harboring fertile cats. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:11 PM | Comment Supreme Court upholds redistricting planPROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Supreme Court today upheld a lower court's ruling that the General Assembly's 2002 redistricting plan is legal. Rhode Island voters approved amendments to the state constitution more than a decade ago that eliminated 37 lawmakers from the General Assembly. Afterward, lawmakers established a commission that created new legislative districts. Bristol voters and town officials filed a lawsuit, saying their town was carved into parts of three separate Senate districts. Bristol voters weren't in the majority in any of those districts. The Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs didn't prove that lawmakers created the districts without reason or for pure political gain. The judges say lawmakers should have broad discretion in redistricting. Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:24 AM | Comment The View says farewell to R.I.'s Vieira todayFans of Rhode Island native Meredith Vieira will have their last chance to see her on The View today, as she bids farewell to the show after nine years. A celebrity roast and surprise guests are planned, the show says. The broadcast will be aired live at 11 a.m. today, on local ABC channels 5 and 6. But it won't be the last TV network appearance for View moderator Vieira, who is replacing Katie Couric as co-hose of NBC's Today show this fall. She's scheduled to start sometime in September. Read what Vieira has to say about her leave-taking and new job in a recent interview with Journal TV writer Andy Smith. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 9:06 AM | Comment Cumberland house fire under investigationCUMBERLAND – Fire and police officials and the state fire marshal’s office are investigating an early morning fire in a house that was still under construction, according to police Sgt. Mark England. After a woman driving along Route 295 reported a house on fire to the police at 1:47 a.m., the police located the home at 1:50 a.m., and firefighters were on scene at 1:53 a.m., England said. At that point, the fire at the two-story home at 2 Jenna Way was “pretty significant,” he said. Crews from four of the five fire stations in town – 1, 2, 4 and 5 – responded to the blaze. The home is one of about three or four structures in a new development off Abbott Run Valley Road, England said. None of the homes is inhabited, he said. It took a “couple hours” to extinguish the blaze, England said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:44 AM | Comment Sewage spurs closure of some shellfish bedsPROVIDENCE -- Shellfish beds are being closed in some Rhode Island waters because of sewage that's leaked into the ocean due to heavy rain. The Department of Environmental Management is closing beds in Bristol Harbor and around Hog Island until at least June 17. The DEM says sewage from Bristol's wastewater treatment facility has overflowed. It has to check the levels of fecal coliform bacteria next week and make sure the amount is safe. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:08 AM | Comment Flood warnings continue as more rain fallsPROVIDENCE – It’s drizzling now, but there’s more to come. As flood watches and warnings continue throughout the region today, expect possible showers this morning and afternoon. Brief heavy rains this afternoon in parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire should cause renewed risings of already swollen rivers and streams. Expect a high of around 70 degrees. Until further notice, the flood warning continues for the Pawtuxet River in Cranston, which was already at 12 feet – three feet higher than flood stage – at 5 a.m. today. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment June 8, 2006Photo: Lining up for graduation practice in Lincoln
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:35 PM | Comment Update: Carcieri loses latest bid to oust Beacon board membersPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today suffered another setback in his effort to remove two members of Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.’s board before their terms expire in November. The state Supreme Court this morning issued an order denying the governor’s request to stay a lower court ruling which prohibits him from removing Beacon board members George Nee and Henry Boeninger. The Supreme Court also denied the governor’s request to provide a speedy, or "expedited’’ hearing on the governor’s appeal of the Superior Court’s May 23 ruling. The decision means that Carcieri’s appeal will not get a hearing in the Supreme Court until the justices reconvene in late September. And there is no guarantee that the hearing would be completed before Nee and Boeniger’s terms on the Beacon board are due to expire. "This simply was a decision by the Supreme Court to not give special treatment to this case,’’ Jeff Neal, the governor’s spokesman, said this afternoon. "They in no way ruled on the merits of our appeal.’’ The governor had not yet had a chance to discuss the ruling with his legal staff, said Neal, to decide what the next step is.
Carcieri had asked Nee and Boeniger to resign, for cause, or be terminated, in the wake of disclosures of mismanagement at the state's largest worker's compensation insurer. The two men refused and filed suit in Superior Court, saying the governor was discriminating against them because of their union affiliations. Nee is the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO; Boeniger is the government relations officer of the National Education Association in Rhode Island, a teachers’ union. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:53 PM | Comment Dunkin' Donuts unveils expansion plansCANTON, Mass. -- Executives at Dunkin’ Donuts today unveiled plans for expanding the chain to 15,000 stores during the next 10 years, nearly tripling the number it has now. The Canton, Mass., company wants to replicate its New England “fortress markets” throughout the eastern United States by appealing to on-the-go, middle-income Americans and young consumers with a new menu of morning staples and afternoon treats. More to come tomorrow on projo.com and in The Journal ... -- Journal business writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:48 PM | Comment Update: Stabbing victim testifies in Carpio case / Photos
Madeline Gatta, now 85, recounted how a man -- his hat pulled down and jacket covering his mouth -- approached her outside her Providence home. "As he got closer, I started to yell, 'help me, help me,' "she said. "The next thing I know, I felt like somebody hit me in the back. Then he shoved me down on the ground." The man did not, however, take a purse she was carrying, a point that Carpio's defense emphasized on cross-examination. Gatta's appearance followed opening statements by the defense and prosecution in the high-profile trial and a visit by jurors to the city's Public Safety Complex, where Det. Sgt. James L. Allen was shot to death while questioning Carpio about the stabbing. -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples
In contrast, the defense took 10 minutes before the jury, acknowledging that the evidence would be overwhelming against Carpio. But, lawyer Robert L. Sheketoff said, "The issue is – is he a seriously mentally ill person or not? That's the issue." The courtroom was packed for the opening day of the trial. Carpio was brought in with handcuffs in front of him, wearing a dress shirt. In some previous court sessions, he had been heavily restrained and appeared by videoconference. Carpio, 27, faces four charges, including murder, in the death of the 50-year-old Allen and Gatta's stabbing. He is accused of wresting away the detective's gun during questioning about the stabbing at police headquarters and then shooting him twice. For more background, read today's Journal story. -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:06 PM | Comment Court rules on confiscated-property casePROVIDENCE -- A city police officer can be convicted of embezzling a confiscated minibike even though the officer discarded it, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled today. The decision means that state officials can face criminal charges for improperly discarding seized property even if the officials don't directly profit from it. Providence Officer John J. Lough filed the appeal after he was convicted in May 2004 of embezzlement and fraudulent conversion for throwing away a $350 minibike seized from a child three years ago. Lough took the bike, which had a scratched-out serial number, after a rookie officer seized it because he suspected it was stolen, the ruling said. Police officers told the young driver he could get the bike back if he showed proof of ownership at police headquarters. Instead of driving the minibike back to the police station, Lough left it behind a trash bin after he got into a traffic accident. -- The Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:10 PM | Comment Flood warning continues for Pawtuxet and BlackstoneThe National Weather Service continues its flood warnings for the Pawtuxet River at Cranston and the Blackstone River at Woonsocket, which are both above flood stage. The Pawtuxet River is more than three feet above flood stage and expected to continue rising before it crests and begins falling tonight. "The river itself is well above flood stage, so we're experiencing moderate flooding in the area," said Neal Strauss, a meteorologist for the weather service. The river reaches flood stage at 9 feet. It was at 12.3 feet this morning and should rise to 12.6 before it begins falling, according to the weather service. In Providence early this afternoon, the Woonasquatucket had retreated back within its banks from Olneyville to the Providence Place Mall. The Moshassuck was not near flood stage. The weather service said the Pawtuxet's rise could force evacuations near the river in Warwick and Cranston, but Armand Randolph, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, said he hadn't heard of any evacuations today. Minor flooding has already occurred and is expected to continue along the Blackstone River, according to the weather service. The river's flood stage is 9 feet. At 10 a.m. today, it had reached 9.5 feet, but the river is falling. But more rain is on the way tomorrow, Strauss said. Check the weather service's river's report. For more weather information and updates, check projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:40 PM | Comment Reed: Al-Zarqawi's death "good news," but problems persistWASHINGTON -- The killing of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is "a huge symbolic setback'' for the insurgency in Iraq, Sen. Jack Reed said this morning, but he warned U.S. leaders against overplaying a victory that won't necessarily boost prospects for the creation of a stable Iraqi democracy. "It's good news" that U.S. bombers killed al-Zarqawi after months of applying the "most intense pressure" that modern technology could muster against the key leader of the foreign insurgents who have sowed violence in Iraq since soon after the U.S. invasion, Reed said. "Anytime you can take out someone who is a ruthless and homicidal terrorist, that's progress." But al-Zarqawi's death "represents more of a tactical success than a strategic one," said Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee whose first career was as an Army airborne officer. -- John Mulligan, Journal Washington Bureau For one thing, Reed said, al-Zarqawi's effectiveness as a leader has been reduced for some months by the pressure of the manhunt, so his death may not make for a major loss of "operational" capacity by the small terrorist cells that are likely to continue their campaign of car bombings and other violence. Reed noted, moreover, that the small bands of foreign terrorists embodied by al-Qaida constitute only one part of the multi-faceted insurgency against the struggling Iraqi government. He noted that a major force in the insurgency springs from the Sunni Muslims bloc that ruled Iraq for generations. Some of its members are making war against a central government - and the American support behind it. In addition, there is the continuing and sometimes violent struggle for ascendancy among the three major population groups that have an interest in the new regime - Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims and ethnic Kurds, Reed said. There remains a serious threat that these competing groups will splinter into full-fledged civil war, Reed said. Still, al-Zarqawi's death can be of significant help to the cause of a stable Iraq, depending on "how it is handled," Reed said. One strong first step toward that end was that President Bush and other U.S. officials took a back seat to Iraq's prime minister in announcing the successful operation to kill al-Zarqawi, Reed said. U.S. officials should continue that restraint, Reed said, recalling "how much of the rhetoric going back over several years that I think this administration has come to regret." Reed pointed, for example, to the official euphoria that greeted the capture of Saddam Hussein; within weeks it gave way to the reality of a depening insurgent crisis, he recalled. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:02 AM | Comment Most power has been restoredDown from a peak of nearly 8,000, National Grid this morning reports just two homes in Rhode Island and 173 households in Massachusetts remain without power. National Grid spokeswoman Elise Del Barone said 10 of those Massachusetts homes are in Seekonk. The rest are scattered around its network in the state.
The worst of it was at 2 p.m. yesterday when about 6,000 Massachusetts households and 1,900 Rhode Island households were without power, Del Barone said. Throughout yesterday and last night, though, more than those peak numbers actually lost power. By 9:30 p.m. last night, just 1,400 Massachusetts homes and 66 in Rhode Island still had no power. Technicians worked through the night to pull those numbers down, Del Barone said. Most of the outages were caused by downed tree branches on wires, she said. In Rhode Island, Bristol was hit the worst, Del Barone said. At one time, 1,896 homes were without power there. In Johnston, 66 households lost power. National Grid provides electricity to 3.3 million customers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and upstate New York, Del Barone said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:18 AM | Comment Update: Two-alarm fire in Providence early this morningPROVIDENCE – Firefighters got a two-alarm fire early this morning at 15-17 Harvard Ave. under control in a little over two hours, Lt. William Moise said. The fire in the three-story structure, which was not occupied, was reported at 3:42 a.m. and was under control by 5:56 a.m., he said. The department does not know yet how the fire started, Moise said. An investigation continues. In the thick of the fire, one firefighter got separated from his crew, The firefighter called a May Day alert, Asst. Fire Chief Mark S. Pare Pare said. The crew battling thefire then conducted a roll call and the firefighter found his way back to the group, Pare said. The Cranston Fire Department covered the Broad Street station as backup after those Providence firefighters were called out on the first alarm for this morning's fire, Moise said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:30 AM | Comment June 7, 2006Update: Evacuations likely late tonight along Pawtuxet
Minor flooding is already occurring in some urban areas and immediately along the river. The Pawtuxet reached 9.4 feet earlier this afternoon, exceeding the flood stage of 9 feet. The weather service is predicting that the river will reach 12.3 feet after midnight, prompting evacuations. The American Red Cross of Rhode Island is prepared to house residents in hotels or in a temporary shelter if needed, Red Cross spokeswoman Angie Moncada said this afternoon. Forecasters are calling for heavy rain tonight through tomorrow morning. Wet weather is predicted until Sunday. Already, 5 inches has fallen across Rhode Island. Get the latest forecast and weather alerts ... Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:41 PM | Comment No evidence of foul play 'to date' in missing-girl caseCRANSTON -- Local police said late this afternoon there is no evidence of foul play "to date" in the case of 11-year-old Shai Ramsdell, who was found wandering near the Providence Place mall yesterday 24 hours after she was reported missing. The Police Department is continuing its investigation, according to the brief statement, and has been joined by the state Department of Children, Youth and Families. Police offered no new information as to the girl's whereabouts between 7:30 a.m. Monday until Tuesday evening at about 6:45 p.m. The report that she was missing prompted a massive search that included local residents and various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. "The Cranston Police Department and DCYF will continue to monitor this case," the statement concluded. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:47 PM | Comment Carpio jury set, opening arguments tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the trial of Esteban Carpio, charged with killing a police detective last year, was finalized this afternoon. There were 16 jurors selected. After the trial, the court will randomly pick 12 of them to decide Carpio's fate. Lawyers for both sides are set to deliver opening arguments tomorrow morning. The jurors were told to report to court at 9:30 a.m. The defense team plans to argue that Carpio was legally insane at the time he was accused of shooting Det. Sgt. James L. Allen inside police headquarters last year. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:42 PM | Comment Sox-Yanks tilt rained outTonight's scheduled game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees has been postponed due to rain. No makeup date has been announced, but there will not be a doubleheader tomorrow, when the Red Sox and Yanks are scheduled to meet again in the Bronx at 7. Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:37 PM | Comment Michael Derderian's trial date put off to Sept. 5PROVIDENCE -- The trial of Michael Derderian, who faces 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly fire at The Station nightclub, has been postponed from July 31 to Sept. 5. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. told prosecutors and defense lawyers in a conference Tuesday that he was delaying the trial because of concerns that the new Kent County Courthouse, where the high-profile trial will be held, won’t be fully operational by the end of July. Joseph V. Conley Jr., deputy Superior Court administrator, said he was informed today of the change in trial date for Derderian. His brother and club co-owner Jeffrey Derderian also faces trial on the same charges, but no date has yet been set for that. The trial, which may take 8 to 10 weeks to try, is not being held in Providence because the courthouse there cannot accommodate the number of anticipated spectators. More to come ... -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:35 PM | Comment Chafee helps defeat gay-marriage ban amendmentWASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee was among a handful of Republicans who joined Democrats today to defeat an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage. The senators' vote was 49-48 to limit debate and bring the amendment to a yes-or-no decision. That was 11 short of the 60 needed, killing the measure in the Senate for this year. Other senators who joined the Rhode Island Republican in the effort to block the amendment were John McCain, of Arizona; Arlen Specter, of Pennsylvania; and every Republican senator from New England: Maine's Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and New Hampshire's John Sununu and Judd Gregg. Connecticut's Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, did not vote. Like almost all of his fellow Democrats, Rhode Island's Jack Reed voted against the motion. Supporters knew they wouldn't achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment, but they had predicted a majority of votes. Instead, they fell one short, 49-48. See the roll call vote. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:27 PM | Comment Carcieri kicks off campaign for re-election / Photo
"I told you that we were going to challenge the system, and challenge it we have," Carcieri said at a news conference to kick off his campaign. "I said we were going to reclaim Rhode Island from the special interests that were strangling our future, and ladies and gentlemen, the reclaiming has begun." Carcieri faces Dennis Michaud, a part-time Brown University professor, in the Republican primary. Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty is running as a Democrat. Carcieri, who is finishing his first term, entered politics after retiring as a banking executive. Carcieri said his first term saw reforms to root out special interest dealings and political corruption. He has made economic growth the primary focus of his administration, and said he has created 15,000 new jobs during his first term, just 5,000 short of what he has promised. The governor's spokesman later noted that Carcieri has nearly six months left in his first term and plans to make good on the promise. Fogarty has blamed Carcieri for a projected deficit in the state budget, saying Rhode Island is one of the only states in the nation to have a deficit. He also has criticized Carcieri's proposals to balance the budget by cutting some social programs, saying they do not take into account the needs of all Rhode Islanders. -- Staff and wire reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment Electric Boat chief upbeat on sub dealALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The president of Electric Boat says he's confident his firm can cut submarine construction costs enough to convince the Navy to double production to two submarines per year. "I'm here to tell you today that we can do that," Electric Boat President John Casey said at a briefing with reporters outside Washington, D.C., earlier today. Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp., is working with the state's congressional delegation to lobby for increased sub production, which could help save jobs at the company's Groton, Conn., and Quonset Point, R.I., facilities. Planned layoffs were announced earlier this year and officials said between 1,900 and 2,400 jobs could be in jeopardy. The Navy wants Electric Boat to reduce costs from about $2.4 billion to about $2 billion for each sub. "We have every intent of achieving that challenge," Casey said. Electric Boat wants the Navy to double sub production by 2009. The Navy has set 2012 as a target date. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:50 PM | Comment Club Diesel keeps license, but is penalizedPROVIDENCE -- The city Board of Licenses ruled this afternoon that the city did not provide enough evidence to prove the Club Diesel was a “disorderly house’’ and found that the Washington Street business should not have its operating licenses revoked. The board did find, however, that Diesel was responsible for one incident, in which a city police officer was struck while trying to break up a fight. As a result, the club was issued a penalty that requires them to close one hour early – at 1 a.m. -- on Friday and Saturday nights during the month of July and close one hour early on the eve before July 4. The club will also face a six-month probationary period. Club owners told the board they will appeal the decision. The board denied a request by club owner to stay the penalty pending the appeal to the state Department of Business Regulations. The decision comes after multiple hearings in recent months which included complaints by police about violent episodes at or near the club. -- Journal staff writer Karen A. Davis Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:16 PM | Comment Middletown man pleads guilty to insider trading caseNEW YORK - The owner of a Rhode Island company that supplied produce to U.S. Foodservice Inc. pleaded guilty today to making nearly $300,000 through inside stock trades based on a tip from a U.S. Foodservice executive. Brady Michael Schofield, 39, of Middletown, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan and apologized for trading on inside information he received in February 2000 from Timothy Lee, a former U.S. Foodservice purchasing executive. He pleaded guilty to six counts of insider trading and a single count of conspiring to falsify records. Schofield is president of Seafood Marketing Specialists, a Newport company that sells seafood, fresh produce and frozen vegetables to U.S. Foodservice. -- With staff and wire reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:00 PM | Comment Judge blocks convict from jailhouse preachingA federal judge has upheld a prison rule barring a convicted killer from preaching at jailhouse services. Wesley Spratt has been imprisoned at the maximum security wing of the state prison in Cranston since he was convicted of fatally shooting a parking lot attendant a decade ago. He began preaching seven years ago during Christian services at a prison chapel and cafeteria -- saying he was spurred by a religious calling. A new warden eventually banned Spratt from preaching, saying it's dangerous to put prisoners in positions of authority. Spratt sued, saying that the warden violated a federal law granting religious rights to prisoners. Judge William Smith today ruled the preaching ban is legal because it serves a compelling government interest -- maintaining prison security. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:56 PM | Comment Photo: Ducking out of the rain
Posted by Jack Perry at 12:44 PM | Comment Stepfather said he was suspect in girl's disappearanceCRANSTON – The stepfather of an 11-year-old girl who was missing for more than a day said this morning that he was the police's lead suspect until she was found yesterday in downtown Providence. Clifton Choiniere said he was suspected because he told police he was the last to have seen Shai Ramsdell on Monday morning at their Montgomery Avenue home, just before she was supposed to leave for school. Choiniere said that he was preparing to take a lie-detector test around 6 p.m. yesterday at Cranston police headquarters when word arrived that Shai had been found across from the Providence Place mall. Cranston police officials would not comment this morning. A receptionist said that a news conference on the incident would likely be held later today. After Shai was found last night, she was taken to Cranston police headquarters and to Later this morning, Lydia Choiniere, Shai's mother, came to the door of her mother's house, which is nearby in the neighborhood. “We can’t talk to you right now,” she told a reporter. “We can’t talk to you right now.”
Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:15 PM | Comment GTECH shareholders approve sale to LottomaticaWEST GREENWICH -- GTECH shareholders this morning approved the company's sale to Lottomatica SpA for $4.8 billion. The sale was approved by 67.31 percent of the shares outstanding, or 85.7 million shares. W. Bruce Turner, president and chief executive officer, said, "This has been a very exciting time for our company, but somewhat bittersweet." There were only a handful of shareholders at this morning's meeting, which lasted about 20 minutes. Most, if not all, votes were already cast before the meeting at the company's offices in West Greenwich. The stock closed yesterday at $34.64, just off its 52-week high of $35 a share. -- Journal staff writer Andrea Stape Posted by Jack Perry at 9:49 AM | Comment Dimitri funeral set for this morningPROVIDENCE -- The funeral for former Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri Jr. will be held this morning at the A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home at 200 Hawkins St. Dimitri, a former high-profile criminal defense lawyer and state and federal prosecutor, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 76. His funeral is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1081 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. People can add thoughts and memories about the judge at the online guestbook. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:04 AM | Comment Carcieri to announce re-election bid todayEAST GREENWICH -- Governor Carcieri plans to announce his plan to run for reelection during a press conference early this afternoon. The announcement is scheduled for noon at the Varnum Armory in Carcieri's hometown, East Greenwich. Carcieri will face Dennis W. Michaud, a consultant and part-time Brown University professor, in the Republican primary for governor. The winner is expected to face Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:02 AM | Comment Flood watch issued with heavy rain forecastPROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the region with moderate to heavy rain expected through tonight. Rainfall amounts between 2 to 4 inches is likely, the weather service says. Isolated thunderstorms could develop later today, especially near the eastern Massachusetts coast. The high temperature is expected to reach only about 59 degrees with northeast winds between 13 and 20 mph. For more weather and updates, check projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 6, 2006Update: Missing Cranston girl found in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A missing 11-year-old girl from Cranston was found alive and apparently well early this evening, across the street from the Providence Place mall. Shai Ramsdell was by herself on Park Row West, wearing shorts and carrying some bags. She was surrounded by city police, who quickly bundled her into a cruiser. "Thank God we got her," one officer said, while another was heard telling Shai, who had been missing since yesterday morning, "You had everybody sick to their stomachs." Shai was spotted by a surgeon from Roger Williams Hospital, who notified police and followed her. Police said they had been scouring downtown Providence and the Kennedy Plaza area, popular with youngsters, for Shai. Flyers had been distributed around her Cranston neighborhood, which borders Providence, and local police, FBI, and state police had joined in the search. For more background, read today's projo.com report. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples
Late this afternoon, her mother and stepfather appealed to the community to help find their daughter during an afternoon press conference that offered no new clues as to the girl's whereabouts. Lydia and Clifton Choiniere appeared at the press conference called by Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey. Early this afternoon, authorities sent out a recorded phone message to 30,000 households in Providence, Cranston and Warwick, expanding outreach efforts to all homes within a 5-mile radius in the search for Shai. At the request of local police, the Florida-based organization A Child is Missing coordinated the mass distribution of the message, which details Shai’s physical description down to the color of her sneakers and backpack, and a wart above her right eye. Volunteers were also helping to distribute leaflets with Shai's photo on them. Shai was described as black, with brown hair and eyes, about 5 feet tall and weighing about 100 pounds. She was last seen wearing blue denim shorts and a blue shirt. The same message was distributed last night at 8 p.m. to about 2,000 households within a 2-mile radius of her home on Montgomery Avenue in Cranston, on the Providence line. The message urged people to go outside and check around their yards or housing complexes for signs of the young girl. Shai was reported missing by her family early last evening. She was last seen just before leaving her home at 270 Montgomery Ave. around 7:30 yesterday morning. She never arrived at Park View Middle School.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:10 PM | Comment Photo: Putting the hunger problem on the table
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:21 PM | Comment House overrides Carcieri veto of ballot billPROVIDENCE - Rhode Island could soon lose its distinction as the only state that allows its governor to place nonbinding questions on the ballot. The House voted 50-23 today to override Governor Carcieri's veto of a bill that would strip him of that power. The Senate also would have to override the veto. Carcieri vetoed the bill last week, saying nonbinding questions give state executives an important means of assessing public opinion. Today, he decried the House vote, calling it "a clear attack on Rhode Islanders’ right to express their opinions on important issues facing our state.” Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:53 PM | Comment Update: 14 Carpio jurors tentatively pickedPROVIDENCE -- Jury selection for Esteban Carpio, accused of killing a Providence police detective last year, has ended for the day without a single juror being confirmed. However, 14 of the 16 required jurors passed the initial screening and were tentatively seated. The ultimate composition of the jury could change dramatically by the end of the selection process. Neither attorney exercised a challenge today -- each side is allowed to dismiss eight jurors without cause. Eighty prospective jurors were brought into court today as active selection began. The process will resume tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Carpio arrived handcuffed and under heavy guard. Instead of prison garb, he was wearing ivory-colored pants, a white shirt with blue pinstripes and white sneakers. His hair is longer than seen previously and curly. In some previous appearances, he has been more severely restrained, including the wearing of a face mask known as a spit shield. He has been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Carpio is accused of shooting Det. Sgt. James Allen at police headquarters in April 2005, then jumping out a third-floor window in a bid to escape. Allen's widow walked down the hall and into the courtroom a short time after Carpio passed by. The press and other spectators on the floor were kept well away as she and Carpio entered. Krause also said he will not allow news cameras in the courtroom for jury selection. Carpio's case had been transferred to Krause from Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri as his health failed. Dimitri died Saturday. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Greg Smith and Journal photographer Kathy Borchers Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:43 PM | Comment High school graduations galore tonightHigh school students will don caps and gowns across the state this evening, as high school graduation season hits its stride. Among the schools holding commencements tonight are Cumberland High School, Woonsocket Area Career and Technical High School, the Alternate Learning Projects High School, Mount Pleasant High School, Harold A. Birch Vocational School, and Providence Academy of International Studies. For more coverage of this year's high school graduations, to send an e-card or upload graduation photos, click here. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:27 PM | Comment McCain to visit R.I. for Chafee campaignU.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee's campaign announced today that Arizona Senator John McCain will appear at a picnic fundraiser next weekend at Chafee's home in Exeter. McCain, who stumped for Chafee in 2000, and is often mentioned as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2008, praised Chafee in a statement released yesterday. "Senator Chafee is one of the most fiscally responsible members of the U.S. Senate," said McCain. Said Chafee, "I am so excited that John McCain has agreed to come to Rhode Island on my behalf. He is respected for his integrity, his candor, and his forward-looking positions on the economy and the environment. We both have a reputation for independence and shared commitment to return fiscal responsibility to Washington." The picnic is scheduled for Saturday, June 17. Chafee faces challenger Stephen P. Laffey in the Republican primary later this fall. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:25 PM | Comment Judge Dimitri's wake set for later today / Photo
PROVIDENCE – The wake for Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri Jr. will be held later this afternoon at the A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home at 200 Hawkins St. Dimitri, a former high-profile criminal defense lawyer and state and federal prosecutor, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 76. Calling hours for today’s service are scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. and are open to the public. Dimitri’s funeral will be held tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. at the same funeral home, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1081 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:38 PM | Comment Senate has bill to lower property tax capPROVIDENCE -- The Senate Finance Committee this afternoon is to debate a plan to limit the amount cities and towns can increase property taxes. Current state law caps annual property tax increases at 5.5 percent, though exceptions may be granted by the state auditor general. Senate Bill 3050 would reduce the percentage increase to 5.25 percent in 2008 and to 4 percent in 2013. The committee is scheduled to consider the bill at 4:15 p.m. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:36 PM | Comment DEM needs help counting turkeysPROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Environmental Management issued a statement today calling on Rhode Islanders to help wildlife biologists count wild turkeys. The state wants to know of any sightings of turkey hens "with or without broods of young turkeys, known as poults," according to the release. "The reported information [last year] helped us determine the number of young birds that survived after various mortality factors, such as predators, poor weather, road kills, or domestic cats and dogs took their toll," Brian Tefft, principal wildlife biologist at DEM, said in the statement. Last year, 157 turkey brood sightings were reported. The total number of adults reported was 208, while 782 poults were reported, for a brood ratio of 3.8 young per hen surviving until fall. To report turkey sightings, people should record the date, the location, and the total number of hens and poults seen and contact Tefft via email to brian.tefft@dem.ri.gov, or phone at (401) 789-0281. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:14 PM | Comment W. Warwick council preps for casino negotiationsWEST WARWICK -- West Warwick's town leaders will meet behind closed doors tonight to prepare for negotiations with a Las Vegas casino company. Barring legal challenges, Rhode Island voters will decide this fall whether the Narragansett Indian Tribe and an unnamed business partner should be permitted to build a casino in West Warwick. The tribe has long been partnered with Harrah's Entertainment. Councilman Peter Calci Jr. says town officials will use the session to discuss their negotiation positions. He says lawyers from the Narragansett Tribe and Harrah's won't be at the meeting. Council President John Flynn says any deal will be made public before the council votes on it. Members of the group West Warwick Citizens Against The Casino, led by Frank Lombardo, plan to heckle council members as they arrive for the 7 p.m. closed-door strategy session in advance of negotiations with Harrah's. -- Staff and wire reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:07 PM | Comment Bill Weld drops out of New York governor's raceALBANY, N.Y. -- Bill Weld, the former Massachusetts governor, dropped out of the New York governor's race today, saying it was time to look beyond his own aspirations for the good of the party. The state GOP backed former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso as its candidate last week, meaning a potentially bruising and expensive September primary if Weld had stayed in the race. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:03 PM | Comment Providence restaurants to offer deals in JulyMore than 30 Greater Providence restaurants will offer special deals as part of Providence Restaurant Week, July 16 to 22, according to the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is organizing the event. The restaurants, including The Capital Grille, New Rivers and XO Steakhouse, are offering three-course lunch specials for $12.95, dinner specials for $29.95, or both. Some pubs and cafes are offering two lunches or dinners for those prices. A guide to the participating restaurants will appear in the July issue of Rhode Island Monthly and is now available at ProvidenceRestaurantWeek.com. The restaurant week deals will be offered in addition to the regular menu. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:42 PM | Comment Amgen settles licensing dispute over EnbrelMassachusetts General Hospital recently received $186 million from Amgen Inc. to settle a licensing dispute over the rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel. Enbrel was created based on research developed by a scientist at Mass General, according to Boston Globe reports. The drug was licensed to Immunex, which was purchased by Amgen. Amgen now manufactures the drug in West Greenwich and sells it in North America and internationally. The settlement eliminates any additional royalty payments to Mass General on Enbrel sales in North America. Amgen sold $2.5 billion worth of Enbrel last year. Mass General will continue to earn royalties from the sale of the drug internationally. -- Journal staff writer Andrea Stape Posted by Jack Perry at 12:21 PM | Comment Rep. Kennedy returning to work today in D.C.Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy is returning to work in Washington, D.C., today, just four days after concluding 28 days of rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic's addiction center in Minnesota. Congress goes back into session today after its Memorial Day break. The Rhode Island Democrat was in Providence yesterday for his first public appearance since the pre-dawn car crash that drove him into treatment last month for alcohol and drug abuse. He spoke at a Brown University conference on addiction and mental illness that the congressman had helped to organize long before his May 4 crash. -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Jack Perry at 9:15 AM | Comment Underdog filming at Providence City HallPROVIDENCE -- The Hollywood crew in town filming the Disney movie Underdog will be at City Hall again today, where they’ve staked out a room on the third floor for the first three business days of this week, according to Jenny Peek, the city’s cultural affairs and film manager. There are no street closings today or tomorrow for the filming, Peek said. Trucks have been parked on Eddy Street during the filming, but a travel lane has remained open, she said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:29 AM | Comment Morning fog should lift; expect high of 73PROVIDENCE – Before long, this morning’s patchy dense ground fog should be lifting. But until then, the National Weather Service is urging commuters to travel with caution in parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The dense fog is expected to burn off by about 7:30 a.m., but some could hang low until a little later. Today’s high is predicted at 73, and there’s a slight chance of showers after noon. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment June 5, 2006N. Smithfield man wins big at Delaware casinoEverett Brown never got to use his ticket for this weekend’s car races in Delaware, but he’s not complaining. That’s because during his semi-annual trip to Dover International Speedway to see the NASCAR Nextel Cup, Brown took his chances on the nickel slots and won. Big. “I went there for car racing and I won at the slot machines,” said Brown, 61, of North Smithfield, in an interview today. “It changed my whole weekend.” A $100 bill turned into a $375,179.87 windfall for Brown. According to a press release today from the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Delaware, the jackpot is the largest prize ever given away at the casino. A self-employed plumbing contractor, Brown has been going to Dover for 33 years for the NASCAR races there but only began playing the slots 5 years ago, he said today. He plans to use the money to build a retirement home in North Carolina, near "NASCAR Country," where he'll be close to numerous race tracks. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford
Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:56 PM | Comment Photo: Celebrating a happy 107th birthday
-- With reports from Journal staff writer Rich Salit
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:24 PM | Comment Providence Fire Dept. promotes 1st female to captainPROVIDENCE – One of the city's first two female firefighters and the first woman promoted to an officer’s position in the department has accomplished another first. Heidi J. Rivard today became the first woman in the department’s history to be promoted to the rank of captain. In 1998, when she was promoted to lieutenant, she took the first female officer’s role in the department. Rivard has been with the department since August 1991. Today she joined four other Providence firefighters at a promotions ceremony at the Public Safety Complex. Also promoted to captain are Kenneth J. Cirelli and Scott G. Mello, who both joined the department in 1984 and were promoted to lieutenant in 1995. Promoted to lieutenant were Anthony J. Lancellotti and Peter K. McMichael, who joined the department in 1989. Mayor David N. Cicilline and Fire Chief David D. Costa administered the oaths of office at the promotions ceremony. Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:05 PM | Comment S. Kingstown police probe shooting at hip-hop studioSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The police are investigating a weekend shooting incident outside hip-hop recording studio offices on Railroad Street. Bullets pierced the old train station at 43 Railroad St., home of Syko Rekordz, around 1:50 a.m., Saturday, in what police believe was a targeted shooting, said Capt. Jeffrey Allen. Kevin K. Guarriello and Fearon K. Wright, who live in the building, were asleep at the time. Guarriello's girlfriend was awake; no one was hurt, Allen said. "Obviously someone was targeted,'' Allen said. Police view the shooting as isolated and ``specific to that residence,'' he said. The shooter, on foot or in a slow-moving car, is believed to have fired three shots at the building, one of which penetrated the wall, Allen said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Guarriello, 25, said he awoke to a loud noise early Saturday morning that he initially thought was something falling from the wall. As he investigated, he kicked a bullet that had come through the wall facing the street and landed on the kitchen floor, he said. A hole could be seen above the front door today. "I know a lot of people. I don't have a problem with anyone,'' said Guarriello, who grew up in town. "I don't know if someone is trying to scare us.'' Syko Recordz's clients include Phokus, a rapper who once opened for Ludacris at the University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center. A video of Phokus's song "Shake it 4 Me'' shows him performing in front of the old rail station. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:05 PM | Comment Another chance today to air contractor troublesPROVIDENCE – Homeowners with contractor-horror stories have a second chance this afternoon to address the Special House Commission to Examine the Issue of Licensing Builders and Contractors. The commission is holding its second public hearing today from 4 to 6 p.m. in Room 313 of the State House. Thirteen people who signed up for a May 25 hearing but didn’t get a chance to speak will get the first opportunity to testify today. Others will be allowed to speak on a first-come, first-served basis. To check a contractor’s record, go to the Rhode Island Contractors’ Registration Board Web site. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:15 PM | Comment Accessible R.I. giving away 10,000 guides covering 300 buildingsPROVIDENCE – This year’s updated accessibility guide for restaurants, theaters, museums and recreational venues will be unveiled at a State House ceremony from 4 to 6 this afternoon. Accessible Rhode Island is distributing 10,000 copies of the 48-page guide that outlines what’s accessible statewide for people with disabilities. The guide is available at nonprofit organizations, the airport, the State House, welcome centers in Rhode Island and in the offices of congressmen, according to Don Perna of Accessible Rhode Island. The 200 restaurants, more than 70 theaters, museums, historical and recreational venues and more than 30 libraries statewide that are in the guide are also on the organization’s website, Perna said. The site is updated year-round, but many people with disabilities prefer the pamphlet-sized guide instead, Perna said. At today’s event, Gov. Carcieri is expected to issue a proclamation, U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin will speak and the chair of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Peter Kiernan, will attend. This year’s guide is dedicated to the memory of Christopher and Dana Reeve. Langevin, who uses a wheelchair since an accidental shooting damaged his spinal cord when he was a teenager, has worked closely with the Reeve foundation and was involved in establishing a federally funded program, named after the couple, that promotes the health and well-being of people living with paralysis.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:56 PM | Comment State flag at half-staff in honor of Judge DimitriPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri has ordered the state flag to be lowered to half-staff today to honor the memory of Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri Jr., who died Saturday at the age of 76 after a lengthy illness. The flag will remain at half-staff until memorial services are complete. Dimitri was formerly a high-profile criminal defense lawyer and a state and federal prosecutor. His wake will be held tomorrow from 4 to 8 p.m. at the A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home, 200 Hawkins St. in Providence. His funeral will be Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. from the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. in the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1081 Mineral Spring Ave. in North Providence. “Judge Dimitri served the Superior Court with honor and dedication and was an active and energetic presence in the state’s legal and political circles for more than three decades,” the governor said in a written statement. “My wife, Sue, and I extend our condolences to the entire Dimitri family.” Extra: Sign an online guest book in Dimitri's memory. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:40 PM | Comment Casino opponents to protest at W. Warwick meetingWEST WARWICK -- Opponents of the proposed Harrah's Entertainment casino plan to stage a protest outside West Warwick Town Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m. The protesters, including members of the group West Warwick Citizens Against The Casino, will gather as members of the West Warwick Town Council meet behind closed doors to discuss their upcoming negotiations with Harrah's over the host-community agreement. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:34 PM | Comment Update: Police ID motorcycle victimSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Police have identified the local man who died yesterday morning in a motorcycle accident. Kyle Rocha, 24, of 59 Shelldrake Road, South Kingstown, was killed when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in the northbound lanes of Route 1. He was not wearing a helmet. The accident occured shortly before 11 a.m. at the Succotash Road exit. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly gave the date of the accident. Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:06 AM | Comment Gas prices up againGas prices across the state rose four cents per gallon over the past week, wiping out the modest decreases of the previous two weeks. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded self-serve gasoline in Rhode Island is $2.97, according to a AAA Southern New England gas survey released this morning. AAA reported slight decreases each of the past two weeks, but today's price is back to where it was two weeks ago. The current price is up 72 cents from the start of the year, and up 85 cents from a year ago at this time. Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:49 AM | Comment Update: Patrick Kennedy out of rehab, speaks at BrownPROVIDENCE - Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy was greeted with a standing ovation when he was introduced at Brown University this morning, his first public appearance since a car crash near the U.S. Capitol drove him to enter an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center on May 5. The congressman arrived at the seminar on mental illness shortly after 10 a.m. -- tracked by a horde of photographers and television cameras -- wearing a navy suit with a royal blue shirt, and a red tie with yellow stripes. "This year, more than any other, has special personal importance to me," Kennedy said of the conference to a partly-filled auditorium this morning. Rep. James R. Langevin and U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse were among his supporters in the audience. Kennedy, who still may face police charges in connection with the pre-dawn accident, was discharged late Friday from the addiction center at the Mayo Clinic. A self-described pain pill abuser and binge drinker for most of his adult life, Kennedy completed a four-week course of rehabilitation at the Minnesota clinic, according to his office. Kennedy has said he took a prescription sleeping drug and other medication before the predawn accident. The congressman spent most of the weekend at the home of his sister, Kara Kennedy Allen, and her family in suburban Washington. He returned to Rhode Island last night. Today, the Rhode Island Democrat addressed an annual conference that he helped found at Brown Medical School. He is scheduled to introduce one of the key-note speakers. He was greeted this morning by a full-page advertisement in The Providence Journal that expressed support from members of the state's medical, mental-health and drug-abuse treatment communities. Several politicians were also among the 50 signers of the ad. "Substance abuse treatment is available and effective, but not enough people seek it,'' the advertisement said in part. "Patrick Kennedy's entry into intensive treatment provides an excellent model for others who are dealing with an addiction.'' Meanwhile, in a statement released by Kennedy's office, the Mayo Clinic said: ``Congressman Kennedy's doctors are encouraged by his progress and have worked with him to put in place a stringent system of after care that may include periodic visits to Mayo Clinic for continued health care consultation.'' At the podium this morning, Kennedy addressed the seriousness of his situation. "I recognize that 'concluded' is not a word that I’ll ever be able to use when it comes to my aftercare," he said. -- Journal Washington Bureau John E. Mulligan Posted by Jack Perry at 10:30 AM | Comment Big Dig dedication to recall 'Tip' O'NeillBOSTON -- It has cost more than $14.6 billion, transformed the face of downtown Boston, and unclogged one of the most notorious bottlenecks in the country's interstate highway system. Today, in yet another sign that work on the Big Dig is finally winding down, political leaders are scheduled to converge for a ceremony to formally dedicate the project's Interstate 93 tunnel. The event, led by U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, will also honor one of the political godfathers of the massive highway project, the late House Speaker Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill - a Massachusetts Democrat who helped secure federal funding for the project. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:42 AM | Comment Reed wants World War II shoreline hazards removedNORTH KINGSTOWN -- U.S. Sen. Jack Reed will hold a press conference later today to urge federal officials to remove "hazardous camels" from the Rhode Island shoreline. The camels -- 10-by-5-foot blocks of creosote-soaked wood and steel -- were placed along the shore by the Navy during World War II to help keep ships away from piers. Rhode Island's congressional delegation sent a letter to Navy officials last fall urging their removal. Reed will provide an update on the situation at his 1 p.m. press conference while he inspects camels along the North Kingstown shoreline with representatives from Clean the Bay. Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:35 AM | Comment Update: Johnston shooting victim's wound self-inflictedJOHNSTON -- A dead man found inside the Johnston Motor Lodge last night is the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to local police. The Medical Examiner's Office this morning confirmed that a body was discovered last night at about 10:15 p.m. The man shot himself, according to Johnston Deputy Police Chief Gary Maddocks. An employee at the Johnston Motor Lodge, located at 2750 Hartford Ave., said the man had been a guest at the motel. Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:30 AM | Comment Dry weather returnsPROVIDENCE -- After a wet weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting some sun today, with a slight chance of a thunderstorm in the late afternoon. Early morning fog in some parts of the state is expected to burn off, giving way to a mostly cloudy day with some breaks of sun. Temperatures are expected to range from the low 60s along the coast to the mid 70s inland. Fog may return in some areas later tonight, while mostly cloudy skies are predicted with highs dropping down to the mid 50s. For more weather and updates, go toprojo.com/weather. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 AM | Comment Carcieri speaks to volcanologists in GreeceNARRAGANSETT -- Governor Carcieri will speak to a team of University of Rhode Island volcanologists aboard the research vessel Endeavor in Greece this morning. The governor will join URI president Robert Carothers in asking the team via satellite video conference about their exploration of undersea archaeology and geology near the Greek island of Thera. The eruption of a volcano there around 1600 B.C. is considered the second largest volcanic eruption in history. The Endeavor, owned by the National Science Foundation, has been managed by URI's graduate school of oceanography for 20 years. This morning's discussion will take place a 9:15 a.m. inside URI's Coastal Institute Auditorium. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:55 AM | Comment June 2, 2006Chartered jet crashes in Groton, killing 2 pilotsGROTON, Conn. -- A Learjet owned by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson crashed in Long Island Sound while flying in heavy fog earlier today, killing the two pilots and injuring three passengers, the Coast Guard said. Robertson was not aboard. The rescued passengers were able to get out of the plane on their own and were taken to the hospital for minor injuries, state police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance said. The jet was believed to be headed to Connecticut for a charity golf tournament at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in nearby Mashantucket, authorities said. It went down a half-mile short of the runway at the Groton-New London Airport. It is registered to Virginia-based Robertson Asset Management. The company is owned by Robertson and is separate from the Christian Broadcasting Network, spokeswoman Angell Vasko said. She said Robertson was not on the plane and rents it out because he uses it infrequently. The company has a leasing agreement with International Jet Charter of Norfolk, Va., which chartered the plane today, Vasko said. Mark Ousley, International Jet's sales and marketing director, declined comment. Coast Guard officials said the chartered, twin-engine Learjet 35 took off from Norfolk, Va., about 12:30 p.m. Friday and stopped in Atlantic City, N.J., to drop off two passengers before heading to Connecticut. Police said the cause of the crash, reported about 2:30 p.m., was unknown. Rachel Waszkelewicz said she heard the crash and ran out of her house and onto her dock, but it was too foggy to see, so she called out to a group of lobstermen. "Everybody jumped in their boats," she said. "You could hear voices. I don't know if it was from the plane or if it was boaters yelling to them." Dick Sawyer, who lives in the neighborhood, said, "You could barely see past your hand at the time." Five minutes later, he said, the fog lifted just enough to reveal the jet in the water. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:24 PM | Comment RISD making rain plans for tomorrow's graduationPROVIDENCE -- As the college graduation season winds down, two area commencements are planned for this weekend. The Rhode Island School of Design will hold graduation at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning on South Water Street at Power Street. An abbreviated ceremony will be held in case of heavy rain, and in the case of thunderstorms, the outdoor ceremony will be cancelled. Bristol Community College has scheduled its commencement for tomorrow at 11 a.m. on the Fall River, Mass., campus. Find more coverage of area college and high school graduations, send a graduation e-card and upload graduation photos at: http://projo.com/extra/graduation/ Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:03 PM | Comment Reed to appear on Fox talk show Sunday morningU.S. Sen. Jack Reed is scheduled to appear on a nationally-televised morning talk show this Sunday. The Rhode Island Democrat will appear with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Fox News Sunday. Both men serve on the Senate's Armed Services Committee. The pair will weigh in on allegations of U.S. military war crimes during a segment entitled "Cover-up in Haditha?" The program airs in Rhode Island at 9 a.m. on Channel 11. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:55 PM | Comment Local movie theaters prepare for The Omen's returnSatan will appear in Rhode Island early next week on a date that would make the devil smile: 6/6/06. 20th Century Fox has chosen to release the remake of the 1976 thriller, Omen, on a date bearing numbers used in the Bible's Revelation 13 to describe the devil, known as the beast. "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon," it reads in part. "If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." Omen tells the story of a child named Damien, the anti-Christ, who bears the numbers 6-6-6 on his skull. Movie theaters across the state have just re-arranged next week's schedules to accommodate the Tuesday release. Check for times and locations via projo.com's searchable database of movie listings. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:53 PM | Comment 2 gang members plead guilty in Cranston pipe bombingPROVIDENCE -- Two admitted street gang members pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this afternoon to carrying out the bombing of a Cranston home last year that cost a 46-year-old woman her eye. Three cars carrying members of the Laos Pride street gang descended on a dead-end street early in the morning of Sept. 11, and threw a home-made pipe bomb through a window of a rival gang member’s home, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose said in court, giving the government’s first public description of the incident. Their apparent target, Samnang Tep, was not home, but his mother, Tha-Sean Tep, picked up the bomb just before it exploded. In court today, Bobby Soundara, 20, of 13 Richter St., Providence, admitted throwing the bomb through the window. Vanhhatdy Souvaunaxab, 19, of the Wanskuck neighborhood in Providence, admitted building the pipe bomb and three others like it, using fireworks from New Hampshire, discarded metal pipe, and a hot glue gun. The two struck a plea deal with prosecutors that will reduce their prison time. Each faces a mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison, and could be sentenced to more than 10. -- Journal staff writer Zachary R. Mider Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:51 PM | Comment Photo: Torch run kicks off Special Olympics
William Winsor School Principal Bridget Morisseau is cheered by her students as she carries the Special Olympics torch today in front of the school on Putnam Pike in Smithfield, on the way to tonight's opening ceremonies for the event. The torch run, which precedes the ceremonies each year, is generally one of the largest fundraisers for Special Olympics Rhode Island. There are five legs to the run, which started today at 1 p.m. in East Providence. Runners from Westerly, Charlestown, and South Kingstown will meet up later for the final leg -- a five-mile stretch down Route 138 into University of Rhode Island's Meade Stadium in Kingston at about 8:20 p.m. Nearly 1,500 athletes are scheduled to compete in the 38th Special Olympics Rhode Island Summer Games, being held today through Sunday at URI. Governor Carcieri will help kick off the competition, which includes basketball, bowling, powerlifting and soccer. Carcieri will greet the athletes and coaches during opening ceremonies at 7:30 tonight at URI. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:43 PM | Comment R.I. high court stays out of dispute in lead-paint caseThe state Supreme Court declined today to rule on charges by defendants in the state’s precedent-setting lead paint public nuisance case that the state improperly enlisted private lawyers to argue its case. The defendants argued that the state’s contingency fee agreements with the law firms of Motley Rice and Decof & Decof amounted to "an unlawful delegation of the Attorney General’s authority" and violated their rights to due process. The defendants were joined by such outside groups as the Washington Legal Foundation, the Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and the American Tort Reform Association. Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, writing for the court, noted that the court does not issue advisory opinions. It also will not decide on constitutional issues when it is clear a case can be decided more readily on other issues. Williams noted that a remedy has yet to be crafted in response to the jury’s verdict for the state. And more appeals are pending. Since the arguments raised by the defendants over hiring legal counsel involve "novel questions of constitutional law in this jurisdiction,’’ Williams said the justices decided to postpone their review until the many other issues in the case are resolved. -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:54 PM | Comment WaterFire still on despite wet forecastPROVIDENCE – Despite the wet forecast, WaterFire is on for tonight, with the lightings expected shortly after sunset, which is at 8:15 p.m. However, according to the outgoing message on the WaterFire information line, the jazz stage scheduled for tonight’s lighting has been cancelled because of the weather. The first scheduled WaterFire of this season, Saturday, May 13, was cancelled due to inclement weather. The popular performance event on the downtown waterways was held two weeks after that. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:39 PM | Comment Police union endorses Whitehouse for SenateThe International Brotherhood of Police Officers announced today that it is endorsing U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse. The largest law enforcement labor union in the country, the IBPO cited Democrat Whitehouse's experience in criminal justice and support for the law enforcement community as reasons for the endorsement. Whitehouse, a former U.S. attorney and Rhode Island attorney general, is expected to be the state's Democratic nominee in November, squaring off against either Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey or the incumbent Lincoln Chafee, both Republicans. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:30 PM | Comment Conn. poll finds gas prices affect all AmericansFifty-six percent of American voters have cut back significantly on how much they drive as a result of rising gas prices, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released today. And 50 percent of American voters say they have cut back on household spending because of gas prices, according to the Connecticut university pollsters, who surveyed 1,534 registered voters across the country from May 23 to May 30. “In varying degrees, depending on whether you're rich or poor, a Democrat or a Republican, a man or a woman, black or white, Americans are feeling the pain of rising gas prices, with most of us cutting back on our driving and half of us pinching pennies to fill the tank,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:48 PM | Comment Lynch fined again, this time for $10,000PROVIDENCE – A Superior Court judge has fined Attorney General Patrick Lynch an additional $10,000 for public comments he made to the media about the lead paint case earlier in the year. Judge Michael A. Silverstein early today ordered the fine for civil contempt, which Lynch must pay with his own money. It is the second fine against Lynch in relation to the lead paint case. The first was for $5,000. The penalty was for a brief comment Lynch made to The Providence Journal after a hearing Nov. 16. Lynch described the defendants as "those who would spin and twist the facts." Lynch has appealed that fine. The judge signaled earlier in the month that a second fine was forthcoming for comments Lynch made in February after a jury found that the three defendants, Sherwin-Williams Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries, created a public nuisance by selling lead paints in Rhode Island. Earlier in the month, Lynch issued a written statement regarding the fines. “As much as I respect the court's diligence I disagree with the court's two findings of contempt and believe that, ultimately, when they are appealed and evaluated on their legal merits, the findings will be set aside." Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:44 PM | Comment Program today on how to help special needs childrenWARWICK – The Rhode Island Parent Information Network is convening parents and medical professionals for a one-day conference today to grapple with how families and professionals can help children with special needs reach their fullest potential. The event is free and open to the public, so parents can feel free to drop in at a session that interests them, according to Matthew Cox the network’s associate director. The 11:45 a.m. luncheon will focus on trends in health care and financing with the following speakers: William Waters, Ph.D., of the R.I. Department of Health; Chris Koller, state insurance commissioner, and Meg Comeau from the Catalyst Center. It will be followed by several afternoon programs. The afternoon workshop session begins at 1 p.m. and includes topics such as adolescent-to-adult transition and pediatric care. There’s an open discussion on the issues at 2 p.m. and a program at 3 p.m. focusing on caring for families living with special health care needs. Speaking at the 3 p.m. session are Lisa Landry, an attorney from Hasbro Children's Hospital, and Linda McMullen, program coordinator for the Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP). Both are parents of children with disabilities. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:25 AM | Comment Go fishing for free this weekend in R.I.Tomorrow and Sunday are free fishing days in Rhode Island, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. That means Rhode Islanders can fish in the state's fresh waters without a fishing license or a trout conservation stamp, the DEM says. The free fishing days, established more than a decade ago, are designed to give Rhode Islanders extra incentive to get outside and try something new, the DEM says. Fledgling fishermen and women can even borrow fishing rods from the Scituate, Lincoln and Coventry libraries. Regulations on size and catch limits apply on the free fishing days. More information is available at the DEM's Web site. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:24 AM | Comment Warwick metals refinery reopens after chemical leakWARWICK – The metals refinery Pease & Curren has opened for business today after a 12-member hazardous materials team stopped a hydrochloric acid leak and cleared the air, Fire Battalion Chief David DelVecchio said. The team left the business at about 7:45 a.m., nearly three hours after getting the call about a hazardous materials leak, which turned out to be hydrochloric acid, DelVecchio said. No one was injured. The team discovered that a 300-gallon container used for removing precious metals such as platinum, gold and silver from manufacturing facilities’ waste products had overheated. The acid in the tank was boiling off and producing dangerous vapors, and it then damaged the company’s ventilation system, DelVecchio said. By shutting down the steam lines used in the heating process, the hazardous materials team stopped the emission of the vapors and then stabilized the unit, the battalion chief said. -- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Kate Bramson Hydrochloric acid causes skin damage if it comes into direct contact with a person, and it causes varying degrees of eye and nose irritation. If its strength and concentration are high enough, the acid can cause death, DelVecchio said. The fire department dispatched its hazardous materials team this morning to the metals refinery after police detected fumes in the building when they responded to a burglar alarm, according to Police Lt. Kevin Mowry. The police were called to Pease and Curren at 75 Pennsylvania Ave. at 4:38 a.m., Mowry said. The responding police officers saw a cloud of smoke coming from a ventilation opening outside the building. They called for a company representative to let them in. Once inside, they detected fumes, left the building and called the fire department, Mowry said. The hazardous materials team was dispatched just after 5 a.m., DelVecchio said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:46 AM | Comment WPRO adds Jay Severin, Jim CramerNews/talk radio station WPRO-AM (630) has announced some programming changes. The station has added Jim Cramer's "Real Money" Sunday afternoons from 3 to 5. (That started last Sunday). On weekdays starting June 5, WPRO will add "Jay Severin Has Issues" at 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sean Hannity's show will move to the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. slot. -- Journal staff writer Andy Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:58 AM | Comment Ryan sticking with expansion plan at CVSCVS CEO Tom Ryan tells the Wall Street Journal today that debt will not change the company's plan to open 250 to 275 new stories a year. CVS is expected to close today on its $2.93 bill aquisition of 700 Osco and Sav-On pharmacies. Ryan says he is not worried by recent downgrades of CVS' debt by credit-rating companies. And he says CVS will continue to look at new deals. "Acquisitions are a big part of our business, adn we do [them} well,'' Ryan says. CVS, Rhode Island's largest corporation, will have 6,200 stores Posted by Jack Perry at 9:20 AM | Comment Hey, kids, Wiggles to return to Ryan CenterThe Wiggles bring their new concert tour -- Wiggledancing! -- to The Ryan Center in Kingston on Tuesday, Aug. 22, for two shows at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m., the venue has announced. Tickets go on sale June 9 at 10 a.m. at The Ryan Center box office, at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at (401) 331-2211 in Rhode Island, or (203) 224-0033 in Connecticut. Prices range from $17.50 to $34.50. Seating for tickets purchased at the $34.50 level will take place in the “hot potato seats” and will include an exclusive peel ‘n’ stick Wiggles game. Posted by at 8:01 AM | Comment Hazmat team sent to metals refineryWARWICK – The fire department dispatched a hazardous materials team this morning to a metal refinery in town after police detected fumes in the building when they responded to a burglar alarm that went off, Police Lt. Kevin Mowry said this morning. Police were called to Pease and Curren at 75 Pennsylvania Ave. at 4:38 a.m., Mowry said. The responding officers saw a cloud of smoke coming from a ventilation opening outside the building. They called for a company representative to let them in the building. Once inside, they detected fumes, left the building and called the fire department, Mowry said. Police detected no signs of a burglary and aren’t sure what set off the alarm, Mowry said. The Warwick Fire Department is still on scene responding to the hydrochloric acid leak, but they’re starting to send crews away from the building, a dispatcher said around 7:20 a.m. The battalion chief is still at the metral refinery and unavailable to comment at this time, the dispatcher said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:24 AM | Comment Update: Accident slows Route 95, roadwork later todayTraffic has slowed on Route 95 North, apparently because of an accident near Exit 23, the exit for Route 146. The DOT has issued a traffic alert, saying an accident is affecting the left shoulder. Also today, the late morning commute could be affected on Route 95 this morning in and around downtown Providence. The DOT has scheduled work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Providence, northbound at Exit 22 and southbound at Exit 21. In Pawtucket and Central Falls, various lanes will also be closed during those hours at Exits 26 and 30. Check traffic reports on the state Department of Transportation's Web site. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:19 AM | Comment Thunderstorms likely, flash flooding possible todayPROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service is calling for showers, thunderstorms and the possibility of flash flooding today in southern New England. The potential for flash flooding will be the highest across northern Connecticut, Rhode Island and much of eastern Massachusetts, the weather service says. The weather service has issued a small craft advisory for coastal waters. For more information and updates, check projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 1, 2006State trooper convicted of felony assaultSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A Washington County jury has convicted state trooper Jeffrey Clark, 34, of assaulting a young man who was handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser. The jury announced its verdict this afternoon after about two hours of deliberations. Clark was convicted of felony assault, simple assault, and filing a false report. He faces more than 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said that in 2004, Clark, while off duty, repeatedly punched a young man who was in police custody, causing injuries that required eight staples. He has been suspended without pay since the incident. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:02 PM | Comment Update: Senate passes casino bill, 23-13
PROVIDENCE -- Barring some unforeseen court challenge, voters in November will be asked to amend Rhode Island’s constitution to allow a Harrah's-Narragansett Indian casino in West Warwick. After about an hour and a half of discussion, the Senate passed a resolution 23-13 early this evening placing the question on the Nov. 7 ballot. The House passed the same measure last week. As a joint resolution, it does not have to cross the desk of Governor Carcieri, who is opposed to a casino. It required the approval of a majority of the full 38-member Senate to pass. Come back to projo.com later tonight for more, and find full coverage tomorrow morning on projo.com and in The Journal. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:09 PM | Comment Providence and Worcester talking with national rail operatorProvidence and Worcester Railroad Co., a regional freight railroad serving Rhode Island, said today it is ``exploring possible business opportunities'' with RailAmerica Inc., a national rail operator based in Florida. Representatives of both companies declined to elaborate on what ``possible business opportunities'' might mean, but RailAmerica has acquired more than 60 railroads since its formation in 1986. RailAmerica owns 42 regional and short line railroads in the United States and Canada. In New England, the Boca Raton-based company owns Connecticut Southern Railroad of East Hartford and New England Central Railroad of St. Albans, Vt. Providence and Worcester Railroad announced its discussions with RailAmerica in a midday statement that said the two companies had signed a confidentiality agreement with respect to exploring ``business opportunities.'' ``The Company stressed there is no agreement between the parties relating to any such business opportunities,'' the Providence and Worcester Railroad statement said. General counsel Mary A. Tanona declined further comment on the statement. Susan Wright Greenfield, a spokeswoman for RailAmerica, said, ``On a regular basis, we do talk to a number of parties on joint marketing and business development opportunities.'' Shares of Providence and Worcester Railroad shot up in trading on the American Stock Exchange after the announcement, closing up 6.1 percent at $18 a share. RailAmerica's stock rose 10 cents today, closing at $11.35 on the New York Stock Exchange. Posted by at 5:11 PM | Comment Update: Accident on Rt. 95 in Conn. kills oneNORTH STONINGTON, Conn. -- Authorities have re-opened all lanes of travel along Interstate 95 South after clearing an afternoon accident that killed one person and blocked southbound traffic for an hour and a half. A Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper William Tate said the one-car accident in North Stonington led to the closure between exits 93 and 92 at about 2:15 p.m. Tate said one person was killed, though he couldn't provide any further details this afternoon. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:02 PM | Comment YMCA laptop with 65,000 members' information stolenPROVIDENCE -- YMCA officials announced today that a laptop computer was stolen last week containing personal information for more than 65,000 members in Rhode Island. The members belong to the YMCA of Greater Providence and branches in Woonsocket, Smithfield and Pawtucket. The information includes names and addresses and, for some members, credit card numbers, checking account numbers, bank routing numbers, and, "for a very small minority," Social Security numbers, the Y said. The personal information on the computers is "not readily available," according to a statement released this afternoon by the YMCA, which noted there are "several measures of security built into the system." The Y added that it may not be apparent to thieves that the information is contained on the computer. The Greater Providence YMCA notified authorities last week when the company discovered two laptop computers were missing. There are no indications to date that the personal information on the computer has been compromised, according to the announcement. "All affected individuals are being notified about this issue, and we will work with them to address any concerns or questions they may have," said Susan Rittscher, president and CEO of the Greater Providence YMCA, in a statement. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:02 PM | Comment Jury selection for Carpio trial to start TuesdayPROVIDENCE -- Jury selection will begin next week in the trial for Esteban Carpio, the man accused of killing a Providence police detective inside police headquarters last April. The Superior Court released a statement today announcing that the first day of jury selection will be Tuesday. A pool of 125 potential jurors has been summoned for the case. Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause plans to select 16 jurors for the trial, which is expected to take three to four weeks. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:27 PM | Comment Update: Providence man stabbed while heading homePROVIDENCE – A man stabbed after midnight near 79 Washington St. was heading home to an apartment in that building, which houses the nightclub Diesel and Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, according to a Providence police report about the incident. Andrew Hotes, 22, has been treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital, a spokeswoman said today. Hotes told the police he had left Finnegan’s Wake, a downtown bar, and was walking in the alley behind Blake’s Tavern when a man he didn’t know approached him, asking for money. When Hotes told the man he had no money and kept walking, the suspect held him by the arm and stabbed him, Hotes told the police. He said the man then fled on foot, toward Snow Street, and Hotes walked to his apartment, where he then contacted the police. According to the incident report, Hotes told officers that he would go to the central station on his own if he wanted to make any further statements. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:00 PM | Comment Grease buildup blamed for fire at Providence eateryPROVIDENCE -- Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael J. Dillon said today that a grease buildup in kitchen ductwork was responsible for a fire that ruined Downcity Food and Cocktails last week. A chef was cooking meat when the heat from the stove ignited the grease, he said. A fire inspector in December had warned the restaurant that the stove hood and exhaust duct system was too greasy. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:51 PM | Comment S.E. Mass. soldier sues filmmaker Michael MooreA veteran from southeastern Massachusetts who lost both arms in the war in Iraq is suing filmmaker Michael Moore for $85 million, alleging that Moore used snippets of a television interview without his permission to falsely portray him as anti-war in Fahrenheit 9/11. Sgt. Peter Damon, a National Guardsman from Middleborough, is asking for damages because of "loss of reputation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and personal humiliation," according to the lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court last week. Damon, 33, claims that Moore never asked for his consent to use a clip from an interview Damon did with NBC's "Nightly News." He claims in his lawsuit that the way Moore used the film clip in Fahrenheit 9/11 - Moore's scathing 2004 documentary criticizing the Bush administration and the war in Iraq - makes him appear to "voice a complaint about the war effort" when he was actually complaining about "the excruciating type of pain" that comes with the injury he suffered. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:25 PM | Comment New Urbanists descend on Providence / Photo
PROVIDENCE – Some 1,500 architects, urban planners and government officials have descended upon the capital for a four-day conference dedicated to a town-planning movement known as the New Urbanism. The Chicago-based nonprofit Congress for the New Urbanism is holding its 14th annual conference here to celebrate and spread the New Urbanist cause. The local work of developer and New Urbanism advocate Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr. helped bring the conference to Providence. His longtime friendship with CNU cofounder Andres Duany played a role, too. Today, the first day of the conference, the New Urbanists have fanned out for walking tours of Providence’s old retail district, now known as Downcity, the Blackstone Valley, the historic port city of Newport and Boston’s Fenway Park and the Big Dig, the largest and most expensive urban construction project in American history. -- With reports from Journal Arts Writer Bill Van Siclen In urban laboratory sessions, New Urbanists will examine design and development challenges on Cranston Street near the Armory, along North Main Street and in Cathedral Square. After a site visit, the labs will conclude with a design session. Read the commentary in today's Journal by David Brussat, a member of The Journal's editorial board. -- With reports from Journal Arts Writer Bill Van Siclen Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:23 PM | Comment Providence roots-music series teams up for webcasts"Your Roots Are Showing" -- Providence's monthly music series showcasing artists performing roots rock, country, twang, Americana, alternative country and other styles of "No Depression"-influenced music -- announced today that it has teamed up with the Providence-based Internet radio station DownCity Signal to webcast live The premiere DownCity Signal webcast of "Your Roots Are Showing," from the May 13, 2006 show at AS220, features artists Tennessee Hollow, John 'Crawlin' Snake' Mac y Los Fashionistas, Van Bronson and hosts Lucky 57. It can be accessed at http://www.downcitysignal.com/listen.cgi?roots The next edition of "Your Roots Are Showing" will take place at AS220, 115 Empire St., Posted by at 1:44 PM | Comment State police tally holiday-weekend driving arrestsThe State Police today announced the results of stepped-up police enforcement during the Memorial Day Weekend in an effort to ensure that drivers buckle up and appropriately use child car seats and other restraints. The state police arrested eight people for driving while intoxicated; investigated 104 motor-vehicle crashes, none of which were alcohol related; issued 872 speeding citations; and issued 172 seat-belt violations and 11 child-restraint violations, according to a statement released by Maj. Steven G. O’Donnell. The state police did not investigate any fatal crashes, although Providence Police handled one fatal accident, O’Donnell reported. In that accident, three men died when the car they were traveling in crashed into a building, Ferguson Perforating and Wire Co., located at 130 Ernest St. The driver is charged with three felony counts of driving to endanger, death resulting. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:17 PM | Comment RI Monthly block party postponedDue to expected rain, Rhode Island Monthly’s “Welcome to Summer” Block Party, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been moved to the rain date of Thursday, June 8, the magazine announced today. The free celebration, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bank of America City Center in downtown Providence (formerly the Fleet Skating Center), will still include all its original ingredients, including live music, hot food and cold drinks. For more details the party, call (401) 277-8291. Posted by at 12:33 PM | Comment Central Falls police investigating a homicideCENTRAL FALLS – The police are investigating the early-morning death of a 46-year-old man, Chief Joseph P. Moran III said. Police responded to the report of a stabbing at 435 Pine St. in Central Falls at 12:30 a.m. today, Moran said. The man, whom Moran said is “known to the police department,” was taken to Pawtucket Memorial Hospital by Central Falls rescue, and he was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m. Moran said he’s withholding the man’s name pending notification of his family. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:06 AM | Comment Update: AG names contractors nabbed in morning sweepPROVIDENCE – In a sweep that targeted at least 20 contractors, the state police and the Attorney General’s Office arrested six individuals this morning on misdemeanor charges of not complying with orders from the state Contractors Registration Board, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the AG’s office. Five of the contractors are expected to be arraigned in Sixth District Court, Providence, this morning, Healey said. One will be arraigned in district court in Warwick. The contractors arrested today have been ordered by the Contractors Registration Board to pay restitution to homeowners – ranging from $350 to more than $20,000 – and have failed to comply with those orders, Healey said. According to Healey, the following men face the following charges: Angel DeJesus, 53, of 130 Cleveland St. in Providence, owes $350 in restitution to a homeowner; Reginald Felder, 37, of 26 B Somerset St. in Providence, owes $4,000 in restitution to a homeowner and a $3,500 fine to the CRB ; Joseph Gonsalves with JMG Construction, 48, of 2020 Elmwood Ave in Warwick, faces four counts totaling $21,500, all of them fines to the CRB, in the amounts of $4,500, $1,500, $11,000 and $4,500; Arthur Johnson, 45, of 237 Harris Rd. in Smithfield., owes a $500 fine to the CRB; Kevin McGovern, 49, of 159 Wood St. in Warwick, is the one who will be arraigned in 3rd District Court in Warwick. He owes $17,000 in restitution to a homeowner and a $4,500 fine to the CRB; and Rene Valcourt, 52, of 120 Turner Ave. in Cranston, owes $5,000 in restitution to a homeowner and a $4,000 fine to the CRB. Healey said that the fines due to the CRB are so that the CRB can “make the harmed homeowners whole.” The Contractors Registration Board resolves disputes between homeowners and contractors, Healey said. The attorney general’s office provides legal advice to the board, and in that role has worked with the state police in this matter, Healey said. Because the charges facing the targeted contractors are misdemeanors, the police could not go outside of the state to arrest people, Healey said. Thus, not all of the 20 targeted contractors could be arrested this morning, he said. “The attorney general believes this is a quality-of-life issue,” Healey said. “And the law says that this is a misdemeanor, but try telling that to a homeowner who’s out $20,000 for a job that didn’t get done or maybe one single thing of the job got done.” Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:43 AM | Comment Warwick Teachers Union elects new presidentWARWICK – The Warwick Teachers Union has elected a new president in a race that pitted a former vice president of the union against Mary Pendergast, who held the leadership role for 15 years. Challenger Samuel Holtzman said this morning that he won with 581 votes against Pendergast’s 304. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:36 AM | Comment Cirque du Soleil to return to BostonCirque du Soleil returns to Boston after a two-year absence to present Corteo, its latest touring show. Corteo will open on Friday, Sept. 8 and run through Oct. 8 at Suffolk Downs. Cirque Club members can purchase exclusive prime seats immediately by connecting free of charge to cirquedusoleil.com. New club membership is free and available immediately at cirquedusoleil.com. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Sunday, June 11 at 9:00 a.m. and may be purchased by calling Admission Network at 1 800 678-5440 or online at cirquedusoleil.com. Posted by at 9:21 AM | Comment Chafee to tour proposed wind farm siteU.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee plans this morning to visit the site of the proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound that would build 130 wind turbines to produce up to 420 megawatts of renewable energy, according to the senator’s office. Chafee is expected to travel from Patriot Party Boats in Falmouth on Cape Cod to an avian research barge and meteorological tower on Horseshoe Shoal. Chafee will travel with representatives of Cape Wind, the project being developed by Energy Management Inc., a Massachusetts-based energy company. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:01 AM | Comment Textron sells its fasteners business for $630 millionTextron today announced that it had reached an agreement to sell its Troy, Mich. fasteners division for $630 million. The buyer is Platinum Equity, a California-based company that specializes in mergers and aquisitions. Founded in 1995, Platinum reports that it has acquired more than 60 companies with $13 billion in aggregate annual revenues. "Everyone will benefit from our smooth transition process and our long-term plans to build this business,'' said Tom Gores, chairman and CEO of Platinum. Textron Fastening Systems makes a range of fasteners for the aerospace, automotive, construction and other industries. The two companies expect the deal to close during the third quarter. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:55 AM | Comment High of 82, potential flooding in Mass. and N.H.PROVIDENCE – Expect partly cloudy skies again today a high near 82 and the chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Although Rhode Island isn’t expected to be hit hard, the National Weather Service is predicting that thunderstorms this afternoon and evening will produce brief torrential rainfall, most likely in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Those areas experienced widespread flooding last month. This time, no widespread flooding is expected, but the areas that receive the heaviest rainfall will face an increased threat of flash flooding in the late afternoon and tonight. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. P.S. For all you allergy sufferers out there, the pollen count will be high today. It should drop off significantly tomorrow and then increase gradually through Sunday. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006