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August 15, 2006

New Providence River Bridge move delayed again

PROVIDENCE -- With the weather doubtful, the Department of Transportation today again postponed moving the new Providence River Bridge, putting off the first step, jacking up the bridge, until at least Friday.

The DOT's contractors want calm weather and a good forecast before beginning the days-long job of moving the bridge by barge from where it is now, sitting on the pier at Quonset Point where it was assembled, to its destination just south of the Providence Hurricane Barrier.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:49 PM | Comment

N. Kingstown school board meeting on start times

NORTH KINGSTOWN – The School Committee will hold an emergency meeting tonight at 7 to reconsider – and possibly re-vote – on daily school starting times for the coming year.

Last week, the school board approved a new high school start time of 7:30 a.m. – compared with the previous 7:05 a.m. time -- and a new middle school start time of 8:30 a.m., compared with the earlier 8:05 a.m. time.

Tonight, the board’s reconsideration of the start times will follow an open forum at the high school, 150 Fairway Drive.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:44 PM | Comment

More detonations at old Jamestown span next week

JAMESTOWN – Additional explosions at the old Jamestown Bridge are now set for next Wednesday, Aug. 23, the state Department of Transportation announced today.

The detonations will be similar to those done last Tuesday to demolish portions of underwater piers.

Motorists may experience brief delays on the new Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but the DOT hopes to avoid the previously planned 30-minute closure of the bridge.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:42 PM | Comment

Update: 2 nabbed in Woonsocket shooting

WOONSOCKET – The man found shot today on a city street has been treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital, while two of his acquaintances now face charges.

Jeremi Mills, 18, of Woonsocket suffered a single gunshot wound to the back, according to a news release issued this afternoon by police Lt. Steven M. Nowak. After the shooting, the police found Mills walking on Rathbun Street.

Charged with one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm within city limits are John Disano, 23, of 84 Chester St., and a 17-year-old juvenile, according to Nowak.

The shooting took place at 10:39 a.m. The police received multiple calls reporting gunshots in the area of Chester Street, and an undercover officer in the area also heard the shots, according to the police.

With a description of a suspect vehicle, that officer followed the vehicle until other officers joined him and stopped the car. The occupants – Disano and the juvenile – were taken to the station for questioning and later charged, according to Nowak.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:55 PM | Comment

Update: Program launched to rid Bay of debris / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
A specially-equipped 58-foot mechanized landing craft, with an on-board crane, was showcased at the press conference today to announce the newly formed group, Clean The Bay. The boat will be used to remove large pieces of debris from the Bay.

WARWICK -- Huddled under a tent to protect them from a driving rain, the state's congressional delegation, Governor Carcieri and Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty this morning celebrated the launching of an effort to clean an estimated 500 tons of debris from Narragansett Bay.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration presented the state Department of Environmental Management and the group Clean the Bay with a $150,000 grant to support the 18-month initiative. The grant is the largest ever given to a state under the Federal Marine Debris program, according to the governor’s office.

Debris in the bay and along its shore includes wrecked boats, docks and dozens of huge blocks of creosote-soaked wood and steel known as camels.

The lawmakers at the Oakland Beach boat ramp credited two private sea captains Alan Wentworth and Ed Hughes for creating Clean the Bay, the group that spearheaded the cleanup.

"I'm amazed. The system works," Wentworth said.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Jack Perry at 5:42 PM | Comment

Doug White, longtime Channel 10 anchor, dies at 61

Doug White, anchorman for Channel 10 since 1978 and a presence in Rhode Island broadcasting since 1972, died today at his Warwick home. The 61-year-old White had been battling cancer.

White went on medical leave from Channel 10 in September 2005 to receive cancer treatment.

"All of us at NBC 10 are saddened by the news of Doug's death,'' Channel 10 said in a statement. "We are losing a generous friend and esteemed colleague who has touched each of our lives.

"Doug served as this station's evening news anchor for 27 years. His leadership was marked by his commitment to the highest standards of journalism and his genuiune affection for his co-workers and his audience. We will all miss him very much.''

Channel 10 broadcast news of White's death at 5 p.m. today and plans to air a half-hour tribute to White.

As anchorman on Channel 10 for so long, White was the trusted face of local broadcasting for thousands of Rhode Islanders.

"There are not many people in a TV market who become an icon the way Doug became an icon here,'' Channel 10 meteorologist Gary Ley said.

-- Journal TV writer Andy Smith

White took a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to the news that served him well, whether he was dealing with blizzards or election returns.

"He displayed a steadiness, a trustworthiness and a consistency that was important in maintaining Channel 10's dominance in the ratings,'' said John Martin, who covered television for The Providence Journal from 1987 to 1999.

"He had a very natural, normal way of talking to you -- he always talked to you, not at you.''

Martin said White was quick to remind people that Channel 10 has been such a powerful force in Rhode Island television that no individual anchor, himself included, could claim responsibility for its success.

White worked at Channel 10 since 1978. He started his Rhode Island broadcasting career at Channel 12 in 1972. He was a member of the Silver Circle of the New England Chapter of the National Television Academy, which recognizes individuals who have made a signifciant contribution to broadcasting for 25 years or more.

One of White's trademarks was a dense hairdo that appeared to cover his head like a helmet -- dark in the early years of his career, then slowly shading to gray, and then white.

Tim Gray, Channel 10 sports reporter and anchor from 1999 to 2004, said he grew up in South Kingstown watching White. "The hair was part of the legend,'' Gray said.

In a 1993 Journal article about haircuts, White said that was just the way his hair naturally grew: "Believe it or not, I don't use any hairspray. I'm blessed. I have my father's hair. It just kind of falls straight down.''

White is survived by his wife, Barbara, two sons, Matthew and Jonathan, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are not yet complete.

Share your memories of White, and post condolences.

-- Journal TV writer Andy Smith

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:01 PM | Comment

Whole Foods recalls soy cream that may contain milk

Whole Foods Market has recalled an ice cream-like soy product because it may contain undeclared milk proteins.

The Texas company that has two locations in Providence has issued a recall notice for “365 Everyday Value Soy Cream Chocolate” and “365 Everyday Value Soy Cream Vanilla.”

People with allergies or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they eat the milk proteins, according to the Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market.

The frozen product is sold in half-gallon yellow packages with gold and white lettering inside a red box and may be in all stores nationwide, according to a Whole Foods statement released today by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Anyone who has bought the soy cream is urged to return it for a full refund to the market where it was purchased.

The chocolate-flavored soy cream has a UPC code of 9948241414, and the vanilla-flavored soy cream has a UPC code of 9948241415.

The product was recalled after a confirmed allergic reaction was reported and the company conducted random testing on the soy cream.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:13 PM | Comment

Chafee-Laffey debate draws C-SPAN to Rhode Island

In a Senate race that's gaining national attention, the first televised debate between Republican opponents U.S. Senator Lincoln D. Chafee and challenger Stephen P. Laffey will be broadcast nationally on C-SPAN.

Locally, the Aug. 23 debate will be broadcast on WPRI-TV (Channel 12), which is co-sponsoring the 8 p.m. hour-long debate with The Providence Journal. The debate will also air on projo.com and wpri.com.

The winner of the Republican primary, on Sept. 12, faces the winner of the Democratic primary between Sheldon Whitehouse, the former U.S. Attorney and state attorney general, and Carl Sheeler, a West Greenwich business consultant who has never held elective office.

In a race that could affect which party controls the U.S. Senate – where Republicans only have a five-seat majority – Chafee and Laffey have agreed to face off four times this month, twice on television and twice on the radio.

Last week, they clashed in the first radio debate [on Arlene Violet's radio show on WHJJ (920-AM)] over the issues of immigration, taxes and federal spending, the Iraq war and Mideast policy, school vouchers and stem-cell research. Thursday, they’ll spar on the Dan Yorke Show on WPRO (630-AM) from 5 to 6 p.m.

The fourth and final debate is set for next Thursday at 7 p.m. on WJAR (Channel 10).

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:00 PM | Comment

Photo: Timeout at the pool

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
David Harris, of Cranston, cleans the Budlong Pool in Cranston as part of his duties as a summer maintenance worker at the facility. The outdoor pool, normally full of swimmers, was closed today because of rain.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:02 PM | Comment

Elderly complex evacuated after apartment fire

PROVIDENCE – A late-morning fire led to an evacuation of an apartment complex for the elderly at 993 Manton Ave. and sent three residents to Roger Williams Hospital.

The conditions and personal information about the three are not yet available, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the fire department.

Firefighters were called to Riveredge Village apartments at 11:35 a.m., where a blaze apparently started in one of the apartments. They were still on the scene early this afternoon. It was not clear, however, how much damage had been done.

More than 100 people were evacuated from the the six-floor building, which has 99 apartments and houses about 114 elderly and disabled residents, apartment manager Karen Doherty said.

They were still out early this afternoon as crews assessed the damage and cleaned up the water from the complex’s sprinkler system, Doherty said. She was already back in her first-floor office, however, and anticipated that cleanup should be done by the end of the day.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The Providence Emergency Management Agency, which could help provide shelter for apartment residents, also responded to the fire, Taylor said.

Doherty said the agency assured her they will help house displaced residents, but until a damage assessment is completed, she won’t know if that’s necessary.

The apartment where the fire started is not habitable at this time, but that resident – not one of the three who were hospitalized – has already gone to stay with family, Doherty said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:22 PM | Comment

South County news, classical radio stations sold

A small family company, Judson Group Inc., has purchased two Rhode Island radio stations – including the state’s only classical station – from Massachusetts-based Charles River Broadcasting.

The final sale of classical station WCRI 95.9 FM of Block Island and News Radio WCNX 1180 AM of Westerly is pending Federal Communications Commission approval, which will likely come in late October, according to Jamie Jones, who will work for Judson under his father, Christopher Jones, the current president of Charles River Broadcasting.

The Judson Group – named for the street where the Jones grew up – also includes Jamie’s brother and a family friend. Jamie Jones said the company would look to grow in the near future. “After we get our feet on the ground, we’re hoping we can expand beyond the two stations,” he said.

Jones wouldn't disclose the sales price.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:06 PM | Comment

High surf advisory this afternoon

A high surf advisory will be in effect until at least 4 p.m. in Rhode Island and in southeastern Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service.

Waves are expected to reach 7 to 10 feet on south-facing beaches in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The weather service also warns of dangerous rip currents.

Conditions are expected to moderate tomorrow.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:57 PM | Comment

Police looking for missing 17-year-old Woonsocket girl

WOONSOCKET -- The police are investigating the disappearance of 17-year-old Courtney Palin, a local teenager last seen more than a week ago.

Palin, of 300 Cass Ave., Woonsocket, was first reported missing Aug. 9 by her father, who temporarily let his daughter stay with friends while he was working in Hawaii. The father apparently grew worried when his daughter stopped answering her phone, according to the police.

The girl's mother said that Courtney didn't call her brother on his birthday, which is not normal.

"Right now, we consider all [missing person reports] suspicious until we prove otherwise," Woonsocket Lt. Steven Nowak. "There is somebody actively working the case and looking for her."

The girl's father told the police that Courtney "had family issues that caused her to leave home before," according to Nowak.

People with information about the girl's whereabouts are encouraged to call the Woonsocket police at (401) 766-1212.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:55 AM | Comment

For about $400, you can ride on a B-17

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Always wanted to be a bomber pilot?

Now's your chance.

Pilots at the Quonset Airport will offer public rides on a restored World War II-era B-17 bomber today beginning at 9:30 a.m. Aluminum Overcast, operated by the Wisconsin-based Experimental Aircraft Association, is on national tour this summer. It arrived yesterday at Quonset's Landmark Aviation.

Though they cost $385 to $425 each, flights will occur today and tomorrow every 45 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A minimum of six people is required per flight.

For those with a tighter budget, tours of the plane will be offered from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m both days, are $10 for a family, $6 for adults, $5 for students, and no charge for WWII veterans or to accompany children under age 8.

Read more in today's Journal.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:57 AM | Comment

Wet weather today, but not for long

Don’t get used to it.

While the National Weather Service is calling for periods of light rain and possibly a powerful thunderstorm before noon, this week’s forecast should give vacationers something to smile about.

The rain is expected to stop later today and things are expected to dry out for good tomorrow morning. The weather service is calling for partly sunny skies with day-time temperatures in the mid 80s through Saturday.

But today will be muggy, with highs around 84 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent, and late morning thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfall.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:54 AM | Comment