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« September 2006 | Today | November 2006 » October 31, 2006CDC watching salmonella strain that infected six in RIA spokeswoman for the state Department of Health said today that six people from Rhode Island have been infected with a recent strain of salmonella that has affected 172 people across the country. The Rhode Island cases involved only the strain of salmonella of concern to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they arose separately over several months, according to health department spokeswoman Maria Wah-Fitta. Salmonella is a fairly prevalent infection; 112 cases were reported in Rhode Island in 2005. The illness typically lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. To reduce the risk of infection, Wah-Fitta urged Rhode Islanders to wash their produce and cook their meat thoroughly. -- Journal staff writer Felice J. Freyer Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:48 PM | Comment Man arrested at airport with gun, brass knucklesWARWICK -- A former reserve police officer was arrested this morning at T.F. Green Airport for trying to bring a gun, ammunition and a set of brass knuckles past security. Everett Almeida, 64, of Dighton, Mass., had an unloaded .25 caliber handgun stored with ammunition in the same container, alongside a pair of brass knuckles, according to Lt. Kevin Hopkins, Airport Police acting police chief. As Almeida attempted to check his bags before boarding a flight around 8:30 a.m., the weapons were discovered, and the airport police were notified, Hopkins said. Almeida, a former reserve police officer in Everett, Mass., submitted to Airport Police without incident. Weapons and ammunition may not be kept in the same container, and any weapons must be declared to the Transportation Security Administration prior to the security screening. Almeida was charged with felony possession of a pistol without a permit and misdemeanor possession of brass knuckles. He was arraigned at Kent County Courthouse and released. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:26 PM | Comment Verizon cuts down on free 411 callsVerizon Communications is cutting down on the number of free directory assistance calls its customers can make from home. As of tomorrow, the company will provide three free 411 calls each month to its residential customers in Rhode Island, instead of the previous limit of five per month. Customers still can request up to two numbers per call. Calls beyond the free allowance remain 72 cents each. The company stopped providing free directory assistance calls for its business customers in 2003. -- Journal staff writer Tim Barmann Posted by Tim Barmann at 5:12 PM | Comment DOT workers spend Halloween moving bodiesCRANSTON -- Four bodies were uncovered near a Department of Transportation construction project, the latest of nearly 70 corpses discovered in the former state insane asylum, infirmary and poor house cemetery along Route 37. Several state workers spent Halloween morning moving the bodies -- three infants and one adult -- which surfaced yesterday in an embankment along a DOT drainage project off Sockanosset Cross Road, after this weekend's heavy rains. “There were several small pieces of bone showing, so we knew we had to do something quickly,” said Michael Herbert, an archeologist for the DOT. The first seven bodies surfaced in June. Today’s four brings the total to 69. Hebert said that moving the bodies isn’t a particularly unnerving task -- even on Halloween -- especially “when you’re used to moving human remains.” “At least they’ve been dead quite awhile,” he said, noting there’s no skin. In fact, most of the people were buried in their hospital gowns, Hebert said, leaving behind virtually no remains aside from their bones and buttons from the gowns. Today's remains include those of a one-month old infant who died in 1890, the youngest corpse to surface so far, Hebert said. -- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:08 PM | Comment Update: PUC OKs 5.4 percent natural gas rate decreaseWARWICK -- The Public Utilities Commission today approved a 5.4 percent decrease in natural gas rates charged by National Grid. The new rate goes into effect tomorrow. The annual bill for a typical heating customer who uses 1,035 therms a year will decrease to $1,609 a year -- down about $92, or 5.4 percent -- from the current bill of $1,701, according to the PUC. This is the first rate change since the 17.3 percent rate hike one year ago that added $20.83 a month to a typical customer’s bill. The decrease is more than the 3.9 percent decline originally requested by National Grid on Sept. 1. The PUC asked National Grid to recalculate the rate decrease to take into account more recent figures of its collections from customers and the actual costs it incurred to buy gas. If the market price of natural gas remains at current levels, there could be another rate decrease this winter, said Steve Frias, an attorney for the PUC. Posted by Tim Barmann at 4:44 PM | Comment Laffey blasts Democratic council for 'power grab'CRANSTON -- Republican Mayor Stephen P. Laffey is opposing proposed changes to the City Charter that he has described as a power grab by the Democrat-dominated City Council. The proposed amendments would increase the council's ability to appropriate money, limit the mayor's authority to promote employees and make it more difficult for the mayor to dispose of city property. "The Charter, by its nature, should not be an issue-driven document -- one which is at the whims of City Councilors who are angry that the current language didn’t work in their favor when they wanted to hand away taxpayer money or erode management rights,” Laffey said today in a statement. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:31 PM | Comment Download today's front page
Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:22 PM | Comment N. Providence newborn death a criminal investigationNORTH PROVIDENCE -- The police are pursuing a criminal investigation in connection with the death of a baby girl found yesterday in a Lori Drive home. The newborn was discovered at about 9:30 a.m. Preliminary results from the medical examiner's office indicate the death was not accidental, according to North Providence Police Deputy Chief Paul Marino. Marino said authorities executed a search warrant at the family's 6 Lori Drive home yesterday. Marino would not release any details regarding the condition of the child or how the police had been alerted. Local authorities are working with the state attorney general's office on the case, Marino said. -- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:09 PM | Comment Fundraiser set for tow truck driver killed on Route 4WARWICK -- A rally has been set to raise money for the children of the Warwick tow truck driver, Daniell Steinberg, who was killed Oct. 16 while assisting a motorist whose vehicle had a flat tire on Route 4 north, near Exit 6 in East Greenwich. Tow truck drivers from Maine to New York will be invited to bring donations to the Nov. 26 rally at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick, Rhode Island Public Towing Association president Jim Robbins said. The towing association and Herb’s Towing Service Center in Warwick, where Steinberg worked for 5 years, are sponsoring the rally, Robbins said. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the pavilion at the park. All donations will go to the Daniell Steinberg Memorial Fund for Tomorrow, which has been set up by Citizens Bank, Robbins said. The fund will benefit Steinberg’s three daughters. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:07 PM | Comment Update: Driver jailed after Woonsocket fatal crash
PROVIDENCE -- The driver in the crash that killed three Woonsocket men Sunday night agreed this afternoon to be held without bail, awaiting a probation violation hearing next week. It was Patrick G. Coyle's second court appearance today. Coyle, 21, of 41 Congress St., Woonsocket, also appeared in the courtroom this morning on charges of driving to endanger, death resulting and driving under the influence, death resulting. Because Coyle is already on probation -- serving an 8-year Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine asked that Coyle be held Coyle's face was badly cut and swollen and he said little in court this morning. His family, including his sister, cried quietly in the audience when they saw him. The three men killed in Sunday night's crash are brothers Victor and Steven Vasquez, 24, and 21, and Travis Thifault, 20. Witnesses reported seeing Coyle crawl out of the car. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment of his injuries. He faces three counts each of driving to endanger, death resulting, and driving under the influence, death resulting. -- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:51 PM | Comment Photo: Shiver me timbers!
Want to share your own spooky decor? Upload photos of your pumpkin carvings and pets in costume, plus find more ways to have fun tonight, at: projo.com/seasonal/halloween/ Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:18 PM | Comment N. Kingstown woman, 21, killed in crash on 95The state police this morning identified a 21-year-old North Kingstown woman who died last evening in a single-car crash on Route 95 North in Warwick. Sarah Allyn was pronounced dead at the scene after she lost control of the car she was driving and struck a guard rail in the median after the car rolled over several times, State Police Lt. Joseph DelPrete said. The accident, which happened around 6:15 p.m., is still under investigation, DelPrete said. The police believe that inattention may be the cause, he said. Allyn was traveling north in the high-speed lane, between exits 9 and 10 in Warwick, when she lost control of the 1996 Saturn about 3,000 feet south of the Cowesset Road overpass, DelPrete said. According to witnesses, the car swerved to the left, into the breakdown lane. Allyn apparently overcompensated to the right and then overcompensated again, swerving back to the left. The car rolled over several times and then struck the guard rail, DelPrete said. The evidence does not suggest that “excessive speed” was a factor, and neither alcohol nor narcotics appear to be the cause, DelPrete said. Allyn was apparently traveling to a class, although DelPrete said he does not know exactly where she was going. She was wearing her seatbelt, the police said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:43 AM | Comment Correction: Demolition Thursday for old Jamestown BridgeNORTH KINGSTOWN -- More demolition of the old Jamestown Bridge will happen Thursday, not today, as the Associated Press previously reported, according to the state Department of Transportation. Several piers have already been destroyed in previous underwater demolition efforts. Get more information about the demolition and check out photographs on the DOT's Web site. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:21 AM | Comment Police investigate baby's death in North ProvidenceNORTH PROVIDENCE – The police worked through the night investigating the death of an infant at a home on Lori Drive in the Graystone area of town. Investigators this morning are waiting for the results of an autopsy, Deputy Chief Paul Marino said. The state medical examiner’s indicated that would be completed sometime today, Marino said. The police learned yesterday morning of the child’s death, but Marino did not say when the child died. There have been no arrests in connection with the death, Marino said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:35 AM | Comment Commuters, watch out for smashed pumpkinsA few smashed pumpkins on Hope Street caused a little swerving this morning – and a sigh of sadness for the children who lost their Halloween decorations overnight. Hope your commute’s smooth this morning. Before you head out, check the state roadways with help from the Department of Transportation. You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here. Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here. To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at: (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:05 AM | Comment Trick-or-treating kicks off early in OlneyvillePROVIDENCE -- Some little ones will have plenty of candy to eat at lunch. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence plan to bring pre-school and kindergarteners to trick or treat at the businesses in the Rising Sun Mills Complex this morning in the city's Olneyville section. The children, ages 3 to 5, will stroll through the complex in costumes between 10 and 11 a.m. Check projo.com's Halloween page for more information on today's holiday and more events. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's forecast: Definitely a treatWe lucked out with the warmest day of the week on Halloween, so get out those costumes and enjoy the late-afternoon trick-or-treating. We’ll have a high of 68, with winds initially light at 12 to 15 miles per hour. However, winds could gust as high as 29 miles per hour today. A little blustery atmosphere for the holiday? Fine, we’ll take it. Later on, after midnight, we could get a little rain. Check back with us throughout the day for the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment October 30, 2006Traffic alert: 'Serious' accident on Rte 95N at Exit 10The state Department of Transportation's Traffic Management Center is reporting a "serious accident" on Route 95 north at Exit 10, Route 117, in Warwick. Multiple lanes are reported closed as of about 6:40 p.m. Motorists in the area can expect heavy delays, the TMC says. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:55 PM | Comment Will he play? Seymour warming up for PatsMINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Injured defensive lineman Richard Seymour is on the field now, warming up for New England, his black brace on his left elbow outside of his long-sleeved shirt. It may all be a ruse, a clever charade to mislead the Vikings, but time will tell. Keep checking our Pats Blog for more pre-game reports. And come back projo.com after the game for reaction and more coverage from Minnesota as the Patriots battle the Vikings on Monday Night Football. -- WIth reports from Journal sportswriter Shalise Manza Young Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:19 PM | Comment Haz-mat team responds to suspicious packagePROVIDENCE -- A hazardous materials team responded to a downtown building this afternoon after a security guard called the police about a powdery substance on a suspicious package. The haz-mat team entered One Citizens Plaza at 3:47 p.m. and "secured the package" by 3:51, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The package, which was discovered in the building's lobby with no return address, will be tested for signs of toxins, Taylor said, adding that a white, powdery substance was seen on the outside of the package. It wasn't opened. There are no reports of any illnesses related to the package. -- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:17 PM | Comment Update: Driver in Woonsocket fatal charged with DUI
WOONSOCKET – Two brothers and a third young man are dead after the car they were traveling in left the road and hit a tree last night. The driver of the car, Patrick G. Coyle, of 41 Congress St., Woonsocket, was the only one to survive the wreck. He was treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released to the custody of Woonsocket Police. Coyle has been charged with three counts of driving under the influence, death resulting, and driving to endanger, death resulting. Late this morning, two of the victims were identified by their mother, Paula Mariano of Woonsocket, as brothers Victor Vasquez, 24, of Northbridge, Mass., and Steven Vasquez, 21, of Woonsocket. The police confirmed the identities and the name of the third victim, Travis Thifault, 20, during a brief afternoon news conference. The accident occurred at about 10:45 p.m. at the intersection of Winter Street and Harris Avenue, near Cold Spring Park. Two of the men were dead at the scene, and a third man was pronounced dead at Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, Capt. Ronald Landry said. The police said all four men were in their early 20s. All four men remained in the vehicle during the crash. The police have not determined whether they were wearing seat belts, Landry said. The accident remains under investigation, Landry said. The state medical examiner will conduct autopsies to determine the cause of death, Landry said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:01 PM | Comment Providence "heroes" honored tonightPROVIDENCE -- City officials will honor 100 firefighters for "heroic actions" during a ceremony tonight at Roger Williams Park Casino. The firefighters being honored were involved in responding to several incidents in recent memory, including an October 2004 fire on Ophelia Street in which a woman barricaded herself inside a burning house with her two daughters. Tonight's ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:35 PM | Comment Citizens to buy Chicago bankCitizens Financial Group Inc. of Providence announced today an agreement to acquire GreatBanc Inc. of Lisle, Ill., for $180 million as it looks to expand in the Chicago area. GreatBanc will give Citizens' Midwest subsidiary, Charter One Bank, 10 new branches and $1 billion in deposits in metropolitan Chicago. GreatBanc is a bank holding company with three community banking subsidiaries, GreatBank, GreatBank Chicago and First National Bank. The deal expands Charter One’s presence in Chicago, Skokie and Evanston, Ill., and moves it into several new communities around Chicago. The deal is the first bank acquisition by Citizens since its breakthrough purchase of Charter One Bank in 2004 that moved Citizens deep into the Midwest. Citizens Financial Group, the holding company for Citizens Bank, is a subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC. Posted by at 3:17 PM | Comment Update: Ex-councilman found guilty of 4 sex-assault chargesPROVIDENCE -- A former East Providence city councilman was found guilty today on four of seven counts of first-degree sexual assault against a boy who had worked for him in his flower shop 20 years ago. Gerald R. Lynch, 62, was found not guilty on the three other counts. There was some suspense in the courtroom as the Superior Court jury announced it had found Lynch not guilty on the first three counts. But when the verdicts of guilty came in, the victim, now 37, clasped his fist and said "Got him." In the courtroom, he was embraced and patted on the arm by his sister and mother. Outside court, he was embraced by other relatives. After the verdicts, the victim said that trial experience was worthwhile because it gave him a sense of relief and of vindication and because it will "put a pedophile behind bars." Lawyers in the case argued about whether Lynch should be held pending sentencing or released pending an appeal, which the defense indicated it would do. Judge Edward C. Clifton denied the prosecution's request that Lynch be jailed immediately. Instead, he ordered that he be placed on home confinement. Lynch was led away in handcuffs by deputy sheriffs for processing. Each count carries a term of 10 years to life in prison. The jury reached the verdict late this morning after beginning deliberations late Friday. After having some testimony read back and deliberating about another half hour today, they informed the judge they had made a decision. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:37 PM | Comment Chafee, Whitehouse debate one more time tonightThe candidates for Rhode Island's high-profile U.S. Senate race will go head to head tonight in their last scheduled debate before the election a week from tomorrow. The meeting will be aired live on Channel 10 at 7 p.m. It will be the fifth debate between the incumbent Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse. The race has drawn national attention as Democrats seek to regain the Senate majority. They need to pick up six seats. Recent polls show Whitehouse leading. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:11 PM | Comment State trooper sentenced to serve 1 year for assaultPROVIDENCE -- A suspended state trooper has been sentenced to serve one year in prison for beating a handcuffed man in the custody of the South Kingstown police and then lying about it. Jeffrey L. Clark, a 10-year police veteran, on June 1 was found guilty by a jury of felony assault for punching William Skwirz Jr. as he was handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser on Labor Day weekend 2004. Clark, who was off duty when the incident occurred, was also convicted of simple assault and filing a false report. Judge Edward C. Clifton today sentenced Clark to a total of seven years, with one year to serve and six suspended on the felony assault charge. He also imposed two one-year suspended sentences to run concurrently for the charges of simple assault and filing a false report. Clifton spoke sternly to Clark during today's sentencing in Superior Court, Providence, about trying to circumvent the law and enlisting help from others. Clark expressed sorrow to his family. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney. Skwirz, of Narragansett, had been celebrating his stepbrother's return from Iraq at his father's house at 274 Laurel Lane early Sept. 5 when Clark, of 254 Laurel Lane, returned home from a wedding and began yelling about a barking dog. An argument ensued and punches were thrown. Witnesses testified during the trial that Clark threw the first punch. Clark said he acted in self-defense. Clark moved to press charges against Skwirz. South Kingstown Patrolman Robert F. Costantino II responded. Skwirz and Costantino, and others, told jurors that Clark repeatedly punched Skwirz as he sat handcuffed in the back of the cruiser. Clark testified he did not know how Skwirz had suffered a gash to the back of his head that required eight staples. Clark then tried to enlist South Kingstown officers to cover the incident up, prosecutors said -- a claim Clark denied. Clark has been suspended without pay from the state police since he was arrested Feb. 9, 2005. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:33 PM | Comment R.I. gas prices steady after falling for 12 weeksGasoline prices in the state have held steady this week, at the lowest they’ve been at any point this year, after falling for 12 consecutive weeks. Self-serve, regular unleaded gasoline is averaging $2.18 per gallon, according to AAA Southern New England’s weekly survey of gas prices. At this time a year ago, the average price of gas per gallon was $2.38. Now, unleaded regular gasoline prices are varying 11 cents, from a low of $2.13 to a high of $2.24. For those of you who don’t pump your own gas, full-serve prices for regular unleaded gasoline average $2.30, with a low of $2.19 and a high of $2.39. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:21 AM | Comment Two sides working the casino debate todayOpposing sides in the casino debate will host events today to build support for their arguments. At 11 a.m., Rhode Islanders for Jobs and Tax Relief, supporters of the proposed casino, promises to "connect the dots" for the media and unveil the "insidious relationships" between the anti-casino group Save Our State and Rhode Island "insiders," according to a media alert. Later today, Save our State will co-host a Rhode Island Leadership Rally, where speakers, including Governor Carcieri, Lt. Governor Charles Fogarty and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, are expected to speak against amending the state Constitution to allow Harrah's Entertainment and the Narrgansett Indian Tribe to build a casino in West Warwick. Rhode Islanders for Jobs and Tax relief will host its event at McCormick & Schmick's, 11 Dorrance Street, Providence. Save our State's rally, co-hosted by We the People, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Airport Sheraton, Post Road, Warwick. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:07 AM | Comment Download today's front pagePosted by Peter Phipps at 8:07 AM | Comment Traffic: Sun glare this early?PROVIDENCE – When the radio traffic reporter is advising commuters to watch out for the sun glare, we’ll take it at 6:30 in the morning. It’s a nice change, and the early morning sunlight should be with us for about a month or more before the darkness of winter settles in. So if you’re heading east, bring your sunglasses. For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings. You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here. Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here. To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at: (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:14 AM | Comment French company to purchase West Kingston's APCSchneider Electric SA, a French company that is the world's biggest supplier of circuit breakers, is buying American Power Conversion Corp. for $6.1 billion. Schneider, based near Paris, offered $31 a share for APC, 30 percent more than last week's close, the French company said in a statement today. It will fund the deal with a $5.7 billion loan and $1.4 billion of new stock. In September, APC, based in West Kingston, began cutting about 7 percent of its work force to save as much as $32 million. Its second-quarter earnings fell 41 percent to $24.71 million. APC's board backs the transaction and will recommend it to shareholders, who will vote early next year, the companies said. Approval from Schneider's investors isn't required. ``This transaction provides APC stockholders with an immediate and substantial cash premium for their investment in the company,'' APC Chief Executive Rob Johnson said. Rodger B. Dowdell Jr., APC's former chief executive, and Neil Rasmussen, the company's chief technical officer, own 9.6 percent of the company and agreed to sell their shares. Founded in 1981, APC had sales of about $2 billion last year, compared with 11.7 billion euros at Schneider. Buying APC will double Schneider's sales in a secured-power market that's expected to grow 8 percent a year as clients -- including Microsoft Corp., Boeing Co. and AT&T Inc. -- seek to guard against blackouts and electrical surges. Shares of Schneider, which makes Square D-brand circuit breakers and automation controls that help bottle Veuve Clicquot champagne, have gained 17 percent this year, giving the company a market value of 20 billion euros. The stock was suspended from trading until noon in Paris. -- Bloomberg Posted by Jack Perry at 7:10 AM | Comment Sunny and breezy todayPROVIDENCE -- At 39 degrees this morning, it’s crisp and invigorating out there. At least it’s light out, given that we’re back to Eastern Standard Time. What a nice change to step outside and be able to see well enough to put the house key in the lock, huh? Today should be sunny, and temps are expected to rise to about 58, but it will be breezy. West winds could be between 14 and 21 miles per hour, and gusts could be as high as 31 miles per hour. Tomorrow, Halloween, is still slated to be the warmest day of the week. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:04 AM | Comment October 27, 2006Cranston contractor arrested for scamming homeownersRobert Vaughn, a Cranston contractor who has allegedly scammed 20 homeowners of up to $200,000, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of fraud. He is being held on $22,000 cash bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch today said that the Connecticut State Police arrested Vaughn yesteday at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville. "By allegedly taking money for work that he either did not complete or did not perform at all, Mr. Vaughn has harmed homeowners all over the state of Rhode Island," said Lynch. "Unfortunately, we expect more criminal complaints to emerge from his arrest. My office will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law." Vaughn, of Reservoir Ave., was arraigned today before Kent County District Court Judge William C. Clifton on 12 counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. He was also arraigned on various other charges. Detective Michael Casey of the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit led the investigation into Vaughn's work. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:46 PM | Comment Car falls off jack; a 46-year-old is seriously injuredPROVIDENCE – Two men were injured this evening while changing a car tire near500 Valley St. They were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, one of them with “serious head injuries.” James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department, said a The other man involved in the accident, which occurred about 5:30 p.m., was not as badly injured, he said. -- projo.com staff writers Kate Bramson and Steve Peoples Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:09 PM | Comment Wet forecast results in Saturday sports postponementsTomorrow's menacing forecast has already resulted in a number of postponements, including the RIIL cross-country class meets, which will now take place Sunday at noon. The makeup dates, when known, are listed in parentheses. Tonight's game between Classical and Scituate was rescheduled to 4:15 this afternoon. For updates tomorrow, go to the Interscholastic League Web site. Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:41 PM | Comment Carcieri, Fogarty duel over spending, jobs, adsPROVIDENCE -- At their second-to-last debate, Rhode Island's candidates for governor fought this afternoon over spending, jobs and negative ads. Republican Governor Carcieri faces Democratic challenger and Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, in next month's election. Taped today, their one-hour debate on Channel 6 (WLNE) TV will air Sunday at 7 a.m. and at 1 p.m. Fogarty criticized Carcieri for agreeing to increase the number of slot machines in the state. He also said state spending and the unemployment rate have remained chronically high. Carcieri said he agreed to increase the number of slot machines at Lincoln Park only because the facility had to be sold. The former owner had been indicted, and Carcieri said the state risked losing revenue. The Republican incumbent also said he has forced decreases in state spending. The debate was sponsored by Channel 6 and AARP.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:55 PM | Comment Coast Guard will be on alert this weekendBOSTON - The Coast Guard urges mariners to closely monitor weather information and take early action to keep safe this weekend. Thursday and Friday Coast Guard jets flew three off-shore flights warning mariners at sea of the approaching storm. The Coast Guard anticipates winds ranging from 20-60 knots some small boat stations have called in their heavy-weather boat operators and cutters have been put on the alert to respond to problems off of the Maine coast. Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:49 PM | Comment Immigration officials bust fake marriage scam in R.I.PROVIDENCE -- A New Bedford man was ordered held today after being charged with arranging "fraudulent marriages" in Rhode Island for undocumented immigrants seeking permanent resident cards. Federal immigration officials arrested Carlos Alberto Da Veiga earlier this week following a five-month investigation, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Employees from various Rhode Island towns had notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement about marriage license applicants "who behaved suspiciously." Some couples couldn't speak the same language, and others were accompanied by a third person. Federal agents began monitoring Da Veiga and learned that he facilitated at least 15 such fraudulent marriages between American citizens and undocumented immigrants between May 2005 and this month, according to the U.S. Atttorney's Office. Prosecutors say that Da Veiga charged between $3,000 and $9,000 to The U.S. Attorney's Office believes that Da Veiga brought couples to Rhode Island to get married because there is no waiting period or blood test requirement. Cumberland and East Providence Police assisted ICE in the investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:30 PM | Comment Lynch sexual assault case headed to juryPROVIDENCE --The case of a former East Providence City Councilman accused of sexually assaulting a boy who worked in his flower shop is expected to go to the jury today after the judge instructs jurors on the law. Judge Edward C. Clifton is expected to tell jurors that they can find 62-year-old Gerald R. Lynch guilty of sexual assault only if they determine that force or coercion was used in the sexual encounters, which the prosecution says took place between 1982 and 1985 at Blease Florists and Greenhouses on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket. Lynch owned the store at the time and employed the alleged victim, a boy from his council district in East Providence who was in his early teens. In closing statements this morning, lawyers for the defense and prosecution painted starkly different scenarios of the sexual encounters that took place between the alleged victim and Lynch. Special Assistant Attorney General Maureen Keough reminded jurors of testimony that Lynch grabbed and held the victim forcefully whenever he performed oral sex. Defense lawyer Lise J. Gescheidt said that Lynch himself insisted the sex was consensual and that any sexual acivity that took place was after the alleged victim was over 16. The alleged victim, now a 37-year-old man, testified for three days, providing most of the incriminating evidence in the case. Keough and Gescheidt disagreed vehemently his credibility as a witness. ``I suggest to you that (the alleged victim) is not a reliable witness,’’ Gescheidt said. ``He has been smoking marijuana regularly and frequently for half his entire life.’’ Keough urged jurors to focus on the witness’ demeanor, pointing out that he had described what had happened to him in a way that was dispassionate and matter-of-fact. ``There was nothing about his testimony that was rehearsed. He was honest. He was candid. He was forthcoming,’’ Keough said. ``He talked about things that he had kept from his entire family for 20 years.’’ Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:43 PM | Comment Update: Former U.S. Attorney Curran endorses ChafeePROVIDENCE -- Former U.S. Attorney Margaret Curran, whose office prosecuted former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., today endorsed incumbent Lincoln Chafee for the U.S. Senate. With the election less than two weeks away, Chafee, a Republican trailing in the polls, has stepped up his criticism of his Democratic opponent, Sheldon Whitehouse, charging that Whitehouse failed to address public corruption during his terms as U.S. attorney and state attorney general. But at a press conference this afternoon at the Federal Reserve restaurant, Curran refused to criticize Whitehouse's performance. "I am supporting Senator Chafee. I'm not campaigning against Sheldon Whitehouse," she said in the face of repeated questions from reporters. Chafee, too, refused to comment on his criticisms of Whitehouse. He did, however, repeat that it was Curran who secured the Operation Plunder Dome corruption convictions, which included Cianci's. "I think we are all losers if we lose Senator Chafee," said Curran, who acknowledged she voted as a Republican in the September primary in which Chafee beat Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey to run again for his seat. Meanwhile, on the Whitehouse side, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to visit Rhode Island today to stump for her fellow Democrat. The former first lady will be at the 1025 Club in Johnston tonight. --- Steve Peoples, projo.com staff writer Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:25 PM | Comment Cordiality rules at today's Chafee-Whitehouse debate / Photo
LINCOLN -- In contrast to the vicious campaign barbs they’ve traded in recent days, Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse sat down this morning for what was a surprisingly cordial debate, sponsored by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. Held at the Kirkbrae Country Club, the 30-minute forum centered on core campaign issues such as health care and education, with questions submitted by the Chamber’s members. There was no mention of former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., or the FBI’s former Operation Plunder Dome probe into corruption at Providence City Hall-- topics which have heated up the high-profile Senate race this week. Following the debate, Whitehouse said he was content to get back to the central issues. “I think that Senator Chafee was right back in his first race when he said negative campaigning is a disservice to voters, so I think that to be involved in talking about the issues that people care about is the right place to be,” Whitehouse said. But Chafee said he sees the recent disputes differently. “I don’t consider looking at someone’s record as negative, I consider that as legitimate campaigning activity,” the senator said. “If the facts are there such as I am pointing out on Plunder Dome and Roger Williams Hospital than that’s what I think the voters want to hear. I’m not doing my job as a candidate if I’m not looking at critical shortcomings in my opponent’s record.” -- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:08 PM | Comment Garbage truck knocks out power in East GreenwichA garbage truck backed into an electric power pole on Water Street in East Greenwich just after 10 a.m., knocking out power for a number of homes near the waterfront. The East Greenwich Police say service has been restored and there were no injuries, fire, or other damage as a result of the accident. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:04 PM | Comment Closed-door hearing set on Station fire jury testimonyPROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Presiding Justice Joseph F. Rodgers Jr. has scheduled a closed-door hearing for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 13 on the state attorney general's petition to release grand jury testimony in The Station nightclub fire case. Before then, the Attorney General's Office is required to send notices to the people who were indicted in the case, people who were targeted for prosecution but not indicted, the Rhode Island Bar Association, the Rhode Island Criminal Defense Association and lawyers involved in civil litigation. Anyone who wants to file a memo on the petition must file it with the judge by 4 p.m. Dec. 1. A Roger Williams University law professor who is defending the secrecy of grand juries has until Dec. 11 to respond to anything filed. Rodgers held an open hearing this morning on Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's petition for the release. The request came after the trial for three defendants was averted by their decisions to enter pleas. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Jack Perry at 11:58 AM | Comment Young Pawtucket woman killed in one-car crashPAWTUCKET -- A 22-year-old woman was killed in a one-car crash early this morning on George Bennett Highway, the Pawtucket police said. Haley Raworth, whose last known address was 242 Walcott St., Pawtucket, was alone in the car, according to Maj. John J. Whiting. A driver heading to work came across the accident near Campbell Street at about 1:17 a.m. and contacted the police, according to Whiting. The cause of the accident hasn't been determined. The police are awating a report from the department's accident reconstruction team and the state Medical Examiner's Office. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:51 AM | Comment RIC announces largest gift to R.I. public collegeRhode Island College says it has received the largest single gift ever donated to a Rhode Island public college. Helen Ginsberg Forman, a special education teacher who graduated in 1934 from what was then Rhode Island College of Education, now Rhode Island College, has left $5.1 million to the college, the college has announced. Forman died August 14, 2005 at the age of 93. An official announcement of the gift will be made on November 4 in a tribute to Forman in RIC’s Nazarian Center. Forman wanted the money be used to endow scholarships for students of music, theatre and dance, and special education. She also designated a portion of her bequest to support an endowment for the James P. Adams Library and the President’s Music Series. A theatre in the Nazarian Center was named in her honor in 2000. RIC describes Forman was "a middle-class woman with no inherited wealth." She and her husband, Sylvan, a railway and postal worker, lived modestly and invested wisely in the stock market, according to RIC. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:22 AM | Comment Daylight Saving a good time to tend smoke detectorsPublic safety officials say the end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend is also a good time to change batteries in home smoke detectors. James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department, says more than 6,000 deaths occur annually in house fires, and most deaths are preventable. Smoke detectors, available in stores for about $10, are among the most effective ways for homeowners to protect themselves and their families, according to Taylor. He says there should be at least one smoke detector on each floor. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, so homeowners should turn back their clocks an hour. Taylor reminds homeowners to also change their smoke detector batteries. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:04 AM | Comment Photo: An effort to increase Latino job opportunities
Ramon Borges-Mendez, an assistant professor at UMass, Boston, speaks this morning at the Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy's first-ever Latino Workforce Development Conference at the Providence Westin Hotel. Rhode Island political candidates also spoke during this morning's breakfast session, which is being followed by seminars aimed at helping Latinos increase job opportunities. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:57 AM | Comment Traffic: A cool ride for this commuter; check yours nowIt's not often this writer leaves the house with the stars on one side of the sky, and a pinkish glow in the other. But she did it today, and the early ride into Providence from South County was both smooth and pretty. Despite the fact the car thermometer read 32 degrees. Heading out now yourself? Check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings. You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here. Or browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways. Check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here. Need updates in the car? Call the DOT's phone line, at 511 in state and out of state, 1-888-401-4511. To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at: (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:00 AM | Comment Hearing today on releasing Station grand jury testimonyPROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Presiding Justice Joseph F. Rodgers Jr. is scheduled to begin a hearing at 11 a.m. on whether to release secret grand jury testimony in The Station nightclub fire case. Judge Rodgers is not expected to rule on a petition by Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch to release the information, but will outline how he plans to proceed. The hearing will be at 11 a.m. in courtroom 12 on the fifth floor of the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit St., Providence. A statewide grand jury was impaneled within days of the February 2003 fire at the West Warwick nightclub that killed 100 people. The grand jury conducted a 10-month investigation before indicting Daniel Biechele, the band manager who set off the pyrotechnics that ignited the blaze, and club co-owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian on involuntary manslaughter charges. All three pleaded to charges, averting any disclosure of the testimony during a trial. The attorney general filed a four-page petition and a 61-page supporting memorandum Wednesday seeking the release of the grand jury testimony. The hearing is open to the public. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:50 AM | Comment Chafee, Whitehouse back at it in another debateLINCOLN -- Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse will square off again this morning in a debate sponsored by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. Part of the chamber's Eggs and Issues breakfasts, the debate between the Senate candidates will begin at 8 a.m. in the main ballroom at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln. Debate questions will be based on issues important to the Rhode Island business community, Rhode Island residents and the nation as a whole, according to the chamber. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:23 AM | Comment Watch out for flying witches, windy weekend on the wayAfter today's mostly sunny weather with a high near 54 degrees, southern New Englanders will want to secure their outdoor Halloween decorations this weekend as a powerful storm moves into the region. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch for tomorrow morning through tomorrow afternoon as sustained winds could reach 30 to 40 mph by noon and gusts could hit 60 mph. Strong wind and heavy rain, including potential thunderstorms, could knock down power lines Saturday, the weather service says. Another round of strong winds could affect the region Sunday. The weather service is monitoring conditions and could issue another high wind watch for Sunday. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 26, 2006RIC poll: Whitehouse, Carcieri leading; many still undecidedPROVIDENCE -- Democratic Senate challenger Sheldon Whitehouse and the incumbent Governor Carcieri have double-digit leads over their opponents in a poll released today by Rhode Island College's Bureau of Government Research and Services. With the election just 12 days away, Whitehouse leads Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee by 10 points -- 43 percent to 33 percent, with 24 percent undecided. GOP Carcieri leads his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, 49 percent to 35 percent with 16 percent undecided. And voters continue to oppose the proposal to amend the state Constitution to bring a Narragansett Indian casino to West Warwick; 55 percent oppose the measure, while 36 support it. Another 8 percent are undecided. The survey of 408 registered voters was conducted Oct. 23-25 and has a margin of error of 5 percent. It seems to confirm recent polling trends that show Carcieri and Whitehouse increasing their leads and casino opposition holding steady. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:19 PM | Comment Chafee, Whitehouse tussle over GOP in 2nd TV debate / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- Democratic Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse continued today to hammer the Republican Party in his second TV debate with incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee, often invoking the name of President Bush and saying it would have been "gutsy" if Chafee had left the party. Chafee fired back with his own record of disagreement with his party, including his vote against authorizing war in Iraq and his dislike of President Bush. "I didn't vote for him. Rhode Island didn't vote for him," Chafee said. "This is a race between Lincoln Chafee and Sheldon Whitehouse." The candidates met in an hour-long debate taped at WLNE-TV and co-sponsored by the Rhode Island chapter of AARP. The debate was scheduled to air on Sunday. -- Associated Press Whitehouse has run his campaign around one central theme: there are serious problems in Washington, most due to the Republican Party, and Democrats must take back the Senate to change things. He rarely deviated from that message today. At one point, when asked to say why he should replace Chafee without using the words "Republicans" and "George Bush," he referred to "you know who" and "you know which party." Chafee said Rhode Island benefits from having members of both parties represent them in the Senate. When asked what he would do if he wins the seat but Republicans keep control of the Senate, Whitehouse did not answer directly. "Democrats can take control of the Senate in this election," he said. "It will never happen if we don't win in Rhode Island." The debate was largely cordial, even though it comes at a time when the race has become increasingly nasty. The campaign is one of the most closely watched across the country as Democrats seek to win a majority in the Senate. Recent polls have shown Whitehouse with an apparently widening lead, although the results are still within the margin of error and many of those polled say they're undecided.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment Derderian working at Warwick auto body shopStation nightclub co-owner Michael Derderian went to work this morning at a Warwick auto body shop for his fourth day of a work-release job from the Adult Correctional Institutions. Derderian was sentenced last month to serve four years in the ACI's minimum-security work-release program after he pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges related to the 100 deaths from The Station nightclub fire. Today, ACI spokeswoman Tracey Poole said the state prison is not allowed to disclose the name of Derderian’s employer. But The Journal learned that Derderian is working at Allendale Auto Body and Sales, located at 2058 Elmwood Ave., in Warwick. The business owner, James Buckley Jr., confirmed that he and Derderian have been friends for a long time. The auto body shop arranges for Derderian's transportation to and from work each day. Poole initially said Derderian is working from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on a Monday-Friday schedule. However, early this afternoon she said he’s being picked up at the ACI at around 7:15 a.m. by one of four people at his new workplace. They bring him back to the ACI around 6:30 p.m. each day. He is in the ACI evenings, weekends and any days off from the job, which Poole described as “office-type work” and “some light bookkeeping.” In addition, he is working an occasional Saturday. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writers Tracy Breton and Tom Mooney The work-release program at the ACI requires inmates to find and convince an employer to hire them, Poole said. So inmates in the program often work for someone they know or have some connection to. Derderian is earning $10 an hour, Poole said. Thirty percent of his salary goes to the state Department of Corrections, Poole said. From what is left after taxes, 15 percent will be applied to fines and costs assessed by the court. Twenty-five percent of the salary, up to $500, goes into an account that is frozen and held for the inmate until his release. Derderian, like the ACI’s other 36 work-release inmates, will receive $35 a week for job-related expenses such as bus fare, gasoline or lunches. Any money remaining after that can be put into an account that he can use in the ACI commissary or transfer to his relatives, Poole said. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:14 PM | Comment Bilodeau waives motion for new trial; sentencing in Dec.PROVIDENCE -- A Providence man convicted last week of two felonies related to the death of a 17-year-old North Providence high school student today waived his motion for a new trial. Jacob D. Bilodeau, of 16 Vinton St., 25, faces up to 25 years in prison after being convicted of driving to endanger, death resulting, and leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting. Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause today scheduled his sentencing for Dec. 4. The motion for a new trial is relatively standard after serious criminal convictions. Louis J. Salvatore, 17, suffered severe head injuries and died after a car crash July 19, 2004. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:58 PM | Comment Hearing set on release of Station fire grand jury testimonyThe judge weighing whether to release secret grand jury testimony in The Station nightclub fire case – at Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch’s request – has set a hearing for tomorrow on the matter. However, the judge will not rule on Lynch’s petition tomorrow, according to courts spokesman Craig N. Berke. Superior Court Presiding Justice Joseph F. Rodgers Jr. will address Lynch’s request at 11 a.m. tomorrow in courtroom 12 on the fifth floor of the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit St., Providence. Rodgers said today that he will outline how he intends to proceed with the petition. A statewide grand jury was impaneled within days of the February 2003 fire at the West Warwick nightclub that killed 100 people. The grand jury conducted an independent, 10-month-long investigation before indicting Daniel Biechele, the band manager who set off the pyrotechnics that ignited the blaze, and club co-owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian on involuntary manslaughter charges. All three pleaded out, averting any disclosure of the testimony during a trial. The attorney general filed a four-page petition and a 61-page supporting memorandum yesterday seeking the release of the grand jury testimony. Tomorrow’s hearing is open to the public. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:39 PM | Comment Fogarty, Carcieri clash on jobs in morning debateGovernor Carcieri and Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty laid out their views of the state's economy this morning at a breakfast forum sponsored by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce at the Providence Westin. Carcieri, who is running for his second term, pointed to the construction in downtown Providence and Fidelity Investments plans to bring 1,000 new workers to the state as evidence that the state's economy has grown during his first four years in office. "When people are investing in the state it means they are positive about its future," said Carcieri, who also highlighted his efforts to cut taxes for businesses and improve education. Fogarty, however, attacked Carcieri on his job creation record, saying Carcieri has not delivered the 20,000 jobs he promised to create at the beginning of his first term and questioned Carcieri's track record on health care affordability. Fogarty called himself a true advocate for the state's small businesses. "The state has to improve its business climate, business taxes have to be fair," said Fogarty. "Taxes must help, not hinder growth." -- Journal staff writer Andrea Stape Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:57 AM | Comment Autism experts to gather in North KingstownNORTH KINGSTOWN – The Autism Project of Rhode Island has gathered about 150 speech and language pathologists, teachers, social workers and parents today and tomorrow for a conference on developing children’s social skills. Michelle Garcia Winner, who operates the Center for Social Thinking in San Jose, Calif., teaches children with autism how to understand the nuances of interpersonal communications that their peers take for granted. Winner, an author and speech pathologist known for her “I Laugh” approach will speak and lead group workshops. The challenges for children with many forms of autism include dealing with a lack of social skills, problems making friends, getting along in groups or just “getting” the joke, which contribute to academic struggles as well, according to Joanne Quinn, director of the Autism Project of Rhode Island. Although people have pre-registered for the conference, which is at the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, there is an opportunity for parents of autistic children to attend tomorrow’s sessions, according to spokesman Mike Dawson. The fee is $69. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:44 AM | Comment Apartment fire at Charlesgate chases residentPROVIDENCE – One person is living in temporary quarters today after a fire last night at the Charlesgate East Apartments at 50 Randall St. Firefighters were called to the scene at 9:47 p.m. for a kitchen fire and heavy smoke on the third floor, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. No one was injured. Although some residents of the large apartment complex were evacuated, all were able to return to the building by 10:09 p.m., except for the resident of Apartment 3C, the location of the fire, Taylor said. The Red Cross was called to assist that resident, Taylor said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:33 AM | Comment Mild today, but a storm is brewing for the weekendPROVIDENCE – A significant coastal storm is predicted to bring heavy rainfall to southern New England on Saturday as well as wind gusts up to 50 knots over coastal waters. East to southeast winds are forecast to shift to the west by Saturday night, but winds may still gust to 40 knots through Sunday. With a small craft advisory in effect, the National Weather Service warns mariners to consider postponing travel until after the storm passes and winds and seas subside. As for today, we’ve got something more mild in hand. It should be partly cloudy with a high around 52 and a low tonight of 32. Keep an eye on the forecast for the next few days at projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:15 AM | Comment October 25, 2006House fire displaces 7 in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A minor house fire broke out this afternoon at a three-story wood-frame house at 131 Wadsworth St. The fire started at 4:43 p.m. and was under control 20 minutes later, according to the Providence Fire Department. There were no injuries. Four adults and three children who live at the house are being dislocated for a few days, according to the American Red Cross, Rhode Island Chapter. They are all staying with family and friends, but the Red Cross is helping with food and providing financial assistance. -- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:54 PM | Comment Update: Plunder Dome witness shows up in Senate racePROVIDENCE -- U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee continued criticizing his Democratic opponent Sheldon Whitehouse today, charging the former attorney general with incompetence and a "continuing pattern of putting his ambition over duty." The press conference late this morning was the second called by the Chafee campaign to attack his opponent in the last seven days. Two separate polls released yesterday showed Chafee trailing his opponent by at least 5 percentage points, with the election less than two weeks away. At last week's event -- held on the federal courthouse steps -- Chafee claimed that Whitehouse failed to pursue criminal charges in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case. Today's press conference was held outside the Providence office of JKL Engineering, owned by Antonio Freitas, undercover informant and star witness in the FBI's Plunder Dome case that targeted City Hall corruption.
Chafee said that Whitehouse has improperly taken credit for the Plunder Dome prosecutions that really came under the watch of Whitehouse's successor, U.S. Attorney Margaret Curran. Chafee's campaign displayed a 2002 Journal photo showing a smiling Whitehouse next to former Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci Jr., who is now serving time in prison for corruption. In the picture, Whitehouse points to an old Cianci campaign button similar to his own. Later, Freitas told reporters that he distrusted Whitehouse, and only agreed to work undercover for the FBI in 1998 if his identity was kept a secret from Whitehouse to avoid leaks to Cianci. But Freitas’s news conference veered off into his domestic-abuse convictions in 2000-01, including unsubstantiated allegations that his subsequent imprisonment was the result of a political deal between Whitehouse and Cianci.
After the Democratic party operative filming the Chafee news conference told the Whitehouse camp what was said, Whitehouse held his own hastily called news conference outside the Warwick offices of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “For Senator Chafee to minimize this man’s criminal record, this man’s record of violence against women, is truly atrocious," Whitehouse said. "It is a measure of how desperate Senator Chafee has become and how low he and his campaign will stoop to execute the Republican smear strategy that we are seeing across the country.’’ -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writers Katherine Gregg and Mike Stanton Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:51 PM | Comment AG asks for release of Station fire grand jury testimonyPROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick Lynch has asked the head of the state Superior Court to make public testimony presented to the grand jury that eventually indicted Daniel Biechele and Jeffrey and Michael Derderian for manslaughter in The Station fire case. A statewide grand jury was impaneled within days of the February 2003 fire at the West Warwick nightclub that killed 100 people. The grand jury conducted an independent, 10-month-long investigation before charging the three. All three pleaded out, averting any disclosure of the testimony during a trial. Normally, grand jury materials are secret. But in rare circumstances, they can be released with the permission of the presiding judge of the Superior Court, in this case, Joseph F. Rodgers. Lynch promised to release evidence pertaining to the high-profile case after he announced the plea bargain involving the Derderians. "Disclosure of the grand jury testimony will serve the public interest because it will provide insight as to the scope and nature of the investigation," Lynch said today in a statement. "This case has generated more public comment and scrutiny than any other case in our state's recent history. If and when the court decides to release this information, the people of Rhode Island can make their own decisions about how and why this tragedy occurred." Rodgers plans to announce a procedure tomorrow for reviewing Lynch's petition. It's unclear how soon the grand jury testimony could be released if Rodgers agrees with Lynch. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:44 PM | Comment Photo: A wolf in the hand ...
Magpie, a 4-year-old wolf, visited Archie R. Cole Middle School in East Greenwich today to educate students and teachers about the role wolves play in the environment. Above, the wolf meets Kelly Grennan, a seventh-grade science teacher at Cole. Magpie, who was born in captivity, traveled with Kent Weber and Tracy Brooks, co-founders of Mission: Wolf, a Colorado sanctuary and education center. They had visited East Greenwich High School the night before, and the wolf met students at schools in Smithfield and Pawtucket yesterday. -- Journal environmental writer Michelle J. Lee Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:40 PM | Comment Harrah's third-quarter profits up on Vegas resultsLAS VEGAS -- Harrah's Entertainment says its third-quarter profit rose 5 percent. Harrah's says an incentives program drove players to its properties in Las Vegas during the third quarter. But it missed analysts' expectations because of poor performance in Atlantic City. In Rhode Island, the world's largest casino company is looking to operate a casino in West Warwick in partnership with the Narragansett Indian Tribe. State voters will decide next month whether to approve a proposed constitutional amendment allowing the casino to be built, and Harrah's is spending millions of dollars on its campaign. Harrah's officials did not make any comments about a buyout bid by two private equity firms. But it did say a special committee of non-management directors continued to appraise the offer. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:07 PM | Comment Langevin, Driver will debate tonightU.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, a Democrat, faces off against his independent challenger, Rod Driver, in a live debate tonight to be televised on Channel 36, Rhode Island PBS. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the debate is at 7:30 p.m. It will be re-broadcast on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Read more about Driver and Langevin in Journal profiles. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:37 PM | Comment Carcieri files complaint against labor's Working RIPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri's campaign filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections today, accusing the union-backed group Working Rhode Island of illegally funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into this year's election. Carcieri has requested a temporary restraining order to bar Working Rhode Island from contributing to any campaign that opposes Carcieri or promotes the ballot question involving the West Warwick casino. Working Rhode Island is not registered as a political action committee with the state Board of Elections, although any group that accepts contributions for advocating the election of any candidate or ballot question must do so. The group received $200,000 in September from the Harrah's-backed Rhode Islanders for Jobs and Tax Relief, according to a Board of Elections filing. In the past, Working Rhode Island has run television ads criticizing Carcieri, though it's unclear what the group did with the latest contribution. The group did not immediately return a message requesting comment. “Working R.I. has repeatedly broken Rhode Island election laws by laundering union money to fund political advertisements against Governor Carcieri," said Carcieri campaign manager Kenneth K. McKay in a statement. "Not only did they produce and send out flyers advocating that Governor Carcieri be fired, but they even ran television ads against the Governor during the last election cycle. The facts are clear: Working RI has been operating as an illegal PAC.” -- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:22 PM | Comment Globe says former GE CEO is looking to buy the paperBOSTON -- In a story that runs across the top of today's Globe, the newspaper writes that retired General Electric Co. chief executive Jack Welch and advertising executive Jack Connors have been exploring the possibility of making an offer to buy the paper from The New York Times Co. The Globe story, which called Welch and Connors "two of Boston's best-known businessmen," cited several unnamed executives who have participated in the discussions. The Globe said neither Welch nor Connors would comment and said its sources have cautioned that the plans are preliminary. The newspaper said the executives are working with investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co. to evaluate a potential deal, and that JPMorgan has valued the Globe at $550 to $600 million, below the $1.1 billion the Times Co. paid in 1993. A JPMorgan spokesman declined to comment to the Globe. The Times Co. has said the Globe, despite its continued weak financial results, is not for sale. Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:13 AM | Comment It's going to warm upPROVIDENCE – It’s just 37 degrees out there at this hour, but temps should climb to the low 50s today. That’s about the sum of it this week, lows in the mid- to upper-30s and highs in the low 50s. Looking ahead to this weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday and a mostly sunny day on Sunday. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment October 24, 2006Poll: Whitehouse holds edge over ChafeeDemocrat Sheldon Whitehouse continues to hold a slight lead over U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee in the race for the Rhode Island Republican's seat, according to a poll released today by a national pollster. MSNBC-McClatchy released a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, Inc. that gives Whitehouse a 5 percent lead -- 48 percent to 43 percent, with 12 percent undecided. The poll of 625 registered voters was conducted Oct. 18 to Oct. 20. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Mason-Dixon's last poll showed the candidates locked in a virtual tie; Whitehouse led 42 percent to 41 percent. The election in the nationally-watched campaign is two weeks away. Mason-Dixon also found that Governor Carcieri enjoys a more comfortable 10-point lead over Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty -- 49 percent to 39 percent, with 12 percent undecided. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:30 PM | Comment New trial denied for man convicted in toddler's deathPROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge today refused to grant a new trial to a Providence man convicted of beating a 2-year-old child to death. Akeem King, 21, was convicted of second-degree murder earlier in the month after a jury found him responsible for the death of Marquel Davis, whom King was babysitting one night in August 2005. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30, according to the Attorney General's Office. King has been held without bail at the ACI since his arrest. Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in statement that according to trial testimony, Marquel Davis's 19-year-old mother, Michelle Thurmon, worked as a prostitute for Troy Figgs, King's roommate. She left the child with King and Figgs in their third-floor apartment on Erastus Street on the afternoon of Sunday, July 31, while she went to Boston to work, and said her son was healthy when she left. When she returned at about 11 that night, she gave Figgs money she made had made in Boston and was sent back to work in Providence. She said she saw her son lying face-down on King's bed and thought he was asleep. He was found dead the next morning. An autopsy showed the that the child died of acute subdural hemorrhage -- a bleeding under a membrane that covers the brain -- and brain injury caused by blunt force trauma. He also suffered contusions to his scalp, face and body. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:00 PM | Comment UMass casino-impact researcher arrested for assaultThe researcher behind University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth studies supportive of the proposed Harrah's-Narragansett Indian casino faces charges of assault and battery, intimidating a witness and marijuana possession after being arrested in Fall River over the weekend. Clyde W. Barrow, 50, director of the UMass Center for Policy Analysis, pleaded not guilty in Fall River District Court today. Barrow was arrested after police were called to his apartment at 3865 North St. just before midnight on Saturday, where they found Nancy Dececco, 52, of Robeson Street, outside. She was bleeding lightly from a small scratch, with redness and swelling around the bridge of her nose, according the police report. She told officers that she and Barrow had been drinking and gotten into an argument. She alleged Barrow knocked her to the floor and began to hit and strangle her. When she tried to phone for help, the police report quotes her as saying, Barrow "smashed my cell phone and threw it in the toilet.'' She was treated and released from St. Anne's Hospital. According to the report, Barrow, who is divorced, said the fight was over the issue of marriage. He repeatedly told police the dispute had not become physical, and he said he went to bed after she left the house, noting at one point, "She falls down all the time.'' Barrow was mentioned in a Political Scene blog item yesterday regarding his plans to speak at a Harrah's-backed conference in Las Vegas next month. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:16 PM | Comment Brown buys 7 buildings in Jewelry DistrictPROVIDENCE -- Brown University announced today that it has signed an agreement to purchase seven buildings in the city's Jewelry District, one of the largest purchases in the school's history and a major step in Brown's plan to expand from College Hill. The purchase comprises 232,000 rentable square feet in seven buildings, as well as a 400-car parking garage and other parking areas. The school has not yet released the purchase price. Last year, Brown bought an 11-story building -- the home of Hemenway's seafood restaurant -- on South Main Street for $31.5 million. The university says it has not determined how to use the new space and that it will honor existing leases on the buildings, which largely consist of office space and limited retail space. Should Brown eventually convert the space into university use, the property would eventually become tax exempt. The properties aquired by the university include: - 196, 222 and 233 Richmond Street Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:57 PM | Comment Lawyer questions man who says he was raped as a boyPROVIDENCE _ For three days, a short, stocky man with a goatee and his hair in a ponytail has taken the witness stand and testified that former East Providence City Councilman Gerald R. Lynch raped him as a boy. This morning, for practically the first time at Lynch’s trial on first-degree sexual assault charges, that testimony was contested, with C. Leonard O’Brien, a defense lawyer for Lynch, hammering away at what he said were inconsistent statements the witness gave Pawtucket police. The first time the witness went to the police, on Jan. 5, 2004, he told Detective William Magill that Lynch forced him to have oral sex when he was a 13 to 15-year-old boy working in the flower shop Lynch owned on Newport Avenue. But it wasn’t until a week later, on Jan. 12, 2004, that the witness told Magill he had told Lynch no. In between, the witness had made two calls to Lynch that police tape-recorded, the first on Jan. 7, 2004 the second on Jan. 9. During both calls, Lynch had denied forcing the witness to have sex. The tapes of the two calls were introduced by the prosecution and played in court yesterday. ``During this tape recording on the 7th and on the 9th, you heard Mr. Lynch say that he had not forced you, and it was after that that you went back into the police department and said you recall saying no several times, ’’ O’Brien asked the witness during cross-examination this morning. The witness started to argue: ``Well, the first …’’ ``That is a fact, is it not,’’ O’Brien demanded. ``Yes,’’ the witness replied. On direct examination by Special Assistant Attorney General Maureen Keough, the witness explained that his statement had changed between Jan. 5 and Jan. 12, 2004 because he had had time to develop a detailed recollection of a 20-year-old set of events. O’Brien used the Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, 2004 tape recordings to impeach that testimony, contending that Lynch’s adamant denial he had forced the witness to have sex had caused the witness to hype his testimony to incriminate Lynch. The name of the witness is being withheld because of the nature of the crime. For the most part, he remained self-possessed during the cross-examination, giving O’Brien answers that were brief and to the point. But every now and then, the witness became argumentative, prompting Judge Edward C. Clifton to intervene. --- John Castellucci, Journal Staff Writer Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:38 PM | Comment Cranston custodian charged with 2 molestation countsA Cranston custodian was charged today with molesting a student at the Hugh B. Bain Middle School. John Shutt, 64, of Cranston, was arraigned today in Kent County District Court on two felony counts of second-degree child molestation. Shutt, who was arrested yesterday at the police station, was released on a $40,000 bond. At a news conference after the arraignment, Cranston Police Chief Stephen McGrath and Superintendent M. Richard Scherza said a complaint was filed with the police on Friday. The police then investigated the complaint over the weekend. Scherza said the school ran a criminal record check before hiring Shutt in 2000. "We wish that these kind of things would never happen,'' Scherza said. "But we remain vigilant." The police did not disclose any information about the victim or where the alleged crimes took place. -- Journal Staff Writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:02 PM | Comment Career fair today in WarwickWARWICK -- A variety of local companies are at the Crowne Plaza Hotel today to conduct interviews with jobseekers pursuing careers in fields ranging from financial services and manufacturing to technology and retail sales, as part of a projoJobs' Workforce Career Fair. The free fair, sponsored by The Providence Journal, is open until 5 p.m. It includes on-the-spot interviews and a free résumé critique. Click here for a list of exhibitors. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:46 PM | Comment Conference addresses the city's adult-entertainment industryPROVIDENCE – City residents seem to be trying to strike a balance between the economics and morality of the adult-entertainment industry. A clear majority said they believe the industry gives the city a negative reputation and contributes to crime (57 percent and 54 percent, respectively), but on the other hand, more than one-third of residents (34 percent) said adult entertainment clubs make either a very or a somewhat important contribution to the local economy, according to a recent survey conducted by researchers at Brown University. Public attitudes toward the industry and ways to regulate adult entertainment are on the docket this afternoon in a public affairs conference -- titled “Sex and the City” -- sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University. In preparing for the 7th annual Thomas J. Anton/Frederick Lippitt Urban Affairs conference, the Taubman Center conducted a public opinion survey Oct. 14-17. It was the response from 46 percent of residents who said they think there are too many adult entertainment clubs in Providence that stood out for Professor Darrell M. West, director of the Taubman Center and the John Hazen White Sr. Public Opinion Laboratory. In a city West says is now known as “the strip club capital of New England,” the Taubman Center thought it was time to address the economic and moral aspects of the industry. The industry certainly provides jobs in Providence, “but whether it’s the kind of jobs people want is the debatable question,” West said. West said the center hopes this year’s conference will focus public attention on the issue and gather expert views on what the city needs to do about the industry. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Past Urban Affairs conferences have centered on schools, the police, homeland security and last year’s – emergency preparedness. The survey in conjunction with that conference showed most people didn’t know what evacuation routes they should follow if there were a natural disaster and that they were poorly prepared for disaster, West said. “And I think the city and state governments took that seriously and have done a lot of work,” West said. “Most cities now in the state have their emergency routes up.” Read more about preparations for disaster in a Journal series. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:33 PM | Comment Radio debate between Secretary of State candidates at 11Dueling candidates for the open Secretary of State seat will debate this morning at 11 on Helen Glover’s radio talk show on WHJJ 920-AM. Republican Sue A. Stenhouse and Democrat A. Ralph Mollis are vying for the seat vacated by Matthew Brown, who held the post for one term and unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate this year. When Brown dropped out of that race in April, he said he wouldn’t seek any other office this year. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:49 AM | Comment North Providence room heater sparks fireNORTH PROVIDENCE – A fire apparently caused by a malfunctioning gas heater caused just minor damage to the walls of a home at 243 Francis Ave. Nobody was injured. The fire was contained to the room where it began, on the first floor of the home that includes an in-law apartment, North Providence Fire Battalion Chief David Charello said this morning. The heater, attached to the wall, was properly vented, Charello said. Some type of mechanical malfunction appears to have caused the fire, he said. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 7:13 a.m. and had the fire under control by about 7:30 a.m., Charello said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:38 AM | Comment Update: Man escapes crash on 295, with minor injuriesJOHNSTON – The driver of a 1999 Jeep Wrangler that went off the road today in an early-morning crash on Route 295 south escaped with minor injuries. The man was traveling alone and told the police that a truck cut him off, causing the crash that occurred about a half mile north of Plainfield Pike on the Johnston-Cranston town line, state police Lt. Thomas Underhill said. The accident was reported to the state police at about 7 a.m. The driver was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, Underhill said. The Jeep was quickly towed, and traffic was not affected much, Underhill said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:16 AM | Comment Update: Providence home fire injures occupant, firefighterPROVIDENCE – An early morning fire in a three-story occupied home in the Valley neighborhood injured one resident and sent a firefighter to an area hospital. The 30 Linton St. fire was reported at 3:58 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. Heavy fire was reported on the third floor. One man in the building was found unconscious from smoke inhalation on the second floor, Taylor said. His condition at Rhode Island Hospital cannot be determined at this time. The Red Cross was called in to assist two families in addition to the third-floor resident who was hospitalized, Red Cross spokeswoman Angie Moncada said. Two adults and two children from the second-floor unit, and three adults and one child from the first-floor unit were allowed back in to the building to gather some of their belongings, but they cannot stay in the home, Moncada said. Both families are staying with neighbors and relatives, she said. The Red Cross provided food and other supplies for the children. A firefighter, who injured his shoulder, was taken to Roger Williams Hospital, Taylor said. The fire was under control at 4:34 a.m., Taylor said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:52 AM | Comment Rhode Islanders apparently escape Triple-E threatPROVIDENCE -- Cool weather has probably killed Rhode Island's remaining mosquitoes, largely ending the threat of mosquito-borne illness, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. The DEM say 13 pools of mosquitoes tested positive this year for West Nile Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis, also called Triple-E. But there are no reported cases here of either virus spreading to humans. Both diseases are transmitted through mosquito bites. Triple-E killed two people in neighboring Massachusetts this year and several more became ill, primarily in southeastern Massachusetts. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:47 AM | Comment Mostly cloudy with a high of 52 degreesPROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service forecasts a mostly cloudy day today with a high near 52 degrees and northwest winds of 7 to 15 miles per hour. The temperature should drop to 37 degrees tonight, and partly cloudy skies will obscure the stars. For more information and updates, check projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 23, 2006Court hears tape of call to accused in sex-assault casePROVIDENCE -- The first indication Gerald R. Lynch got that he was going to be charged with sexually assaulting a teenager was a telephone call he received 20 years after the incidents allegedly occurred. Details regarding the phone call took center stage in court today as Lynch's trial spanned into its third day. It was Jan. 7, 2004, and Lynch, who was director of the East Providence Boys & Girls Club at the time, took a call there from a man he had employed at the flower shop he had once owned in Pawtucket. "I’ve been going to counseling for a while now, Gerry -- for a few years -- and I need to talk to you about some things that are bothering me, that you did to me when I was a teenager working for you at the flower shop ... Do you know what I’m talking about?’’ the man said. "Yeah, I think so,’’ Lynch answered. "I … I don’t know.’’ "You might think it was just oral sex, Gerry, but you raped me. I was a little kid. I was young. I was scared. You forced me to do things I didn’t want to do,’’ the caller said. The caller didn’t say so, but the call was being taped by detectives for the Pawtucket Police Department, where he had gone to accuse Lynch of having sex with him. Today, the tape was played from beginning to end in Superior Court, where Lynch, now 62, is being tried before Judge Edward C. Clifton on nine counts of sexual assault -- the oral sex that caller alleged Lynch forced on him when he was a boy working at Blease Florists and Greenhouses on Newport Avenue. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 PM | Comment Wife of Warwick council candidate dies in car crashWARWICK -- Lynn Masterson, 35, wife of Ward 4 City Council candidate Shawn Masterson, died this afternoon in an accident in which her car struck a house on her street, according to city police and municipal officials. Masterson, of 34 Grace Ave., lost control of her car and hit a house in the area of 21 to 31 Grace Ave. at 2:37 p.m. today, according to police. Few details were available from police as the accident is under investigation, according to Capt. Robert Nelson. Police would not release the victim’s name, but Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian confirmed that it was Masterson. Police would not discuss the cause of death, but Avedisian said it is believed that she passed out behind the wheel, and the car then struck the house. The cause of death is not yet known. Shawn Masterson, a Republican, is making his first bid for elective office. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:55 PM | Comment Update: 19 hurt in train accident in Franklin, Mass. / Photo
The injured were taken to local hospitals, according to Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. All of the injuries were “bumps and bruises,” said Terri McDonald, public relations director at Milford Regional Medical Center. The people will be released as quickly as their paperwork can be filled out, she said. The six-car train crashed at 7:53 a.m., shortly after 250 people boarded at the Forge Park station in Franklin. The train engineer had time to warn passengers that they were about to crash. The engineer noticed the rock crusher, a tank-like construction vehicle with tracks, on the tracks just as the train rounded a bend less than a mile from Franklin Station. He threw on the emergency brake and opened a door to another car, yelling for passengers to brace for impact. The train usually travels at about 40 mph, Pesaturo said, though it's unknown exactly how fast it was travelling when hit the rock crusher. Pesaturo said it was not known why the rock crusher was stuck on the rails of the Fisher Street crossing in the community just north of the Rhode Island-Massachusetts border. The front train car derailed, plowing the rock crusher into a tree. Crews worked for hours trying to untangle the mess, using two front-end loaders and a crane to lift the 63-ton train car. The rock crusher was removed at about 1:45 p.m. Train service was restored this afternoon as of 4:10. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:02 PM | Comment It will be $8 cheaper to test your car's emissionsThe state has signed a new contract for auto emissions testing that it says will cut the cost of the test from $47 to $39. The contract also will raise the fees going to inspection stations for each test from $18 to $19. The new test lowers the fee going to the contractor from $13 for each test to $4. The state's share of the fees will remain at $16. Governor Carcieri announced the new contract early this afternoon in a press conference in front of Tire Pro on Harftord Avenue in Johnston Tire Pro is one of nearly 300 inspection stations in Rhode Island. A company named Applus, and its predecessors, have run the state motor vehicle inspection system since 1999. Applus is based in Barcelona, Spain. The state's new contractor will be SysTech International, based in Cranbury, New Jersey. Its contract with the state is for five years. Governor Carcieri credited members of his Fiscal Fitness team with finding a way to save money and then doing what it took to make that happen. Taxpayers will save $15.75 million over five years, according to Carcieri. "It doesn't sound like a lot of money, but I'll take it," Carcieri said. -- Journal staff writer Peter Lord Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:13 PM | Comment 10 picket National Grid to restore service for the winterAbout 10 members of the Rhode Island Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Poverty picketed outside the downtown Providence offices of National Grid this afternoon to protest the utility company’s refusal to restore natural gas and electricity service this winter to any customer who has been shut off for non-payment. Henry Shelton, coordinator of the anti-poverty group, said he estimates that thousands of Rhode Islanders are facing a winter without heat or electricity because they cannot afford to pay overdue balances. He said the group will continue its noontime picketing at National Grid daily until at least election day. Posted by Tim Barmann at 3:33 PM | Comment Sound, Photo: Eid al Fitr prayers end month of fasting
About 2,000 Muslims gathered at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Warwick today to attend Eid al Fitr, the prayers and celebration that ends the month of fasting of Ramadan. The worshipers, from mosques from around the area, filled five ballrooms and spilled out into the foyer. The event was organized by the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:25 PM | Comment Trial set for nurse accused of embezzling from patientPROVIDENCE -- Everett ``Ed’’ Dunn, the former Pawtucket School Committee member and licensed practical nurse accused of stealing more than $200,000 from an elderly woman in his care, has decided to fight the charges. A trial date of Dec. 4 was set today, after Dunn, 57, rejected a plea agreement that would have required him to make restitution to the woman and serve time in jail. Dunn is expected to be tried separately from his co-defendant, Gilbert J. Blais, 58. Jeffrey Pine, the lawyer for Dunn and Blais, said he plans to move to have their cases severed, although he will continue to represent both men. A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said prosecutors plan to try Dunn first because of his greater liability in the case. ``Dunn, we allege, is the major player here,’’ said Michael J. Healey, the spokesman. Dunn and Blais were living together as companions when $207,673 was looted from two bank accounts belonging to Jennie M. Rucci, an elderly woman whom Dunn had befriended. Dunn is accused of carrying out the embezzlement after obtaining power of attorney in 2002 from Mrs. Rucci, who was 87 and living in the Epoch Assisted Living residence in Providence at the time. Blais is charged with aiding and abetting in the embezzlement by using his credit card to make purchases that were allegedly paid with money from Rucci’s bank accounts. He is also charged with receiving stolen property -- the Florida condominium that Dunn is alleged to have bought with stolen funds. Both defendants were arrested in Florida in 2005, after Mrs. Rucci’s family discovered the alleged embezzlement, revoked the power of attorney, and filed a civil suit to recover the money. The arrests resulted from an investigation by the State Police financial crimes unit. Dunn and Blais remain free on $50,000 bail. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Jack Perry at 2:52 PM | Comment Update: Two men who fled to Florida arraigned for murderPROVIDENCE – Two men accused of killing a 24-year-old Pawtucket woman in July and leaving her friend for dead were arraigned in Superior Court this morning and are being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions after their return to Rhode Island from Florida. Barry Offley, 19, of 124 Moore St., Providence, and Alonzo P. Shelton, 28, of 70 Lincoln Ave., Central Falls, were arraigned on multiple charges -- including murder, burglary, conspiracy to commit murder and burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license. The July 27 murder of Jessica C. Imran, 24, and shooting of Julie Lange, 28, in Imran’s apartment at 86-88 Lawn Ave. in Pawtucket set off a nationwide manhunt. Suspects Offley and Shelton were profiled on the Fox TV program America’s Most Wanted, but in the end, law-enforcement officials tracked them to Ocala, Fla., by tracing phone calls. They were arrested Sept. 7 and fought extradition to Rhode Island. Once they fled, a grand jury was convened to consider the charges against them. When the grand jury returned an indictment on Oct. 4, the case automatically moved to Superior Court, said Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. The men waived their right to an extradition hearing on Oct. 6, Healey said. They were brought back to Rhode Island sometime after that, but Healey has not said when they came back. Today in court, Shelton was also presented as a probation violator, Healey said. He was out of jail on probation for an earlier assault charge the day of the Pawtucket shooting. The men are due back in court on Oct. 30 for a determination-of-attorney hearing and on Nov. 6 for a bail hearing. A pre-trial conference has been set for Dec. 4 before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson and Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:45 AM | Comment Gas prices continue to fallPROVIDENCE -- Gas prices are down three cents this week -- to an average $2.19 for a gallon of regular unleaded, according to a survey by the state Energy Office. Gas prices have been tumbling for weeks. Prices are 16 percent lower than at this time last year, after a series of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast drove prices up. Two years ago at this time, prices were averaging $2.07 a gallon. -- The Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:57 AM | Comment Slow going for morning commutersPROVIDENCE – Commuters report it’s taking them 40 minutes to an hour to get to Providence from Warwick on Route 95 this morning after one accident tied up traffic and caused another crash. Drivers who hopped off Route 95 and took Route 295 north, hoping for better results, also ran into tie-ups. The first accident on Route 95, around 8 a.m., involved a tractor trailer and a couple of cars just south of Route 10 in Cranston, state police Cpl. John Beauregard said. The accident, which blocked the right-hand lane, is being cleared, he said. Tow trucks responding to the crash were stuck in traffic as well. Traffic now is tied up all the way down to the airport connector road at Exit 14, Beauregard said. The second crash occurred near Exit 16 during the stop-and-go traffic that was the result of the first accident, Beauregard said. The state police report that crash involved a car and a tractor trailer, but motorists report seeing three trucks in a chain-reaction crash. That crash will not need a tow truck, Beauregard said. Once the police complete an accident report, the motorists will be able to drive away, he said. One person from the first crash was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with minor injuries, Beauregard said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:57 AM | Comment Minority caucus is campaigning for the casinoPROVIDENCE – The state's minority caucus community are working to pass Question 1, the constitutional amendment to permit the construction of a casino in West Warwick. Co-chairmen of the Rhode Island Minority Leadership/Legislative Caucus, Rep. Joseph S. Almeida and Sen. Juan M. Pichardo, both Democrats from Providence, expect to address the media at a State House press conference at 1 p.m. today. In two weeks, Rhode Island voters will decide -- when they vote on Ballot Question 1 – whether to amend the state constitution to allow the Narragansett Indian Tribe and its “chosen partner” to build a resort casino in West Warwick. The Narragansetts are working with Harrah’s Entertainment to build such a casino. Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, other members of the minority caucus and other proponents of the casino expect to attend today’s news conference. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:56 AM | Comment Hasbro profit increases 8.2 percentPAWTUCKET - - Hasbro Inc., the nation's second largest toymaker, said today its third-quarter profit rose 8.2 percent, thanks to strong sales of brands including Littlest Pet Shop and Playskool. Net income rose to $99.6 million, or 58 cents per share, for the three months ended Oct. 1 from $92.1 million, or 47 cents per share, a year ago. The latest quarter includes stock option costs of 2 cents per share and a mark-to-market adjustment for Lucas warrants which cut into earnings by 9 cents per share. Revenue was up 5 percent to $1.04 billion, including a $9.6 million favorable foreign exchange benefit, versus $988 million a year ago. Excluding Star Wars sales, revenue rose 13 percent, Hasbro said. According to a Thomson First Call survey, analysts forecast earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $963.4 million. "With the overall breadth and depth of our product portfolio we have been able to grow our business for the quarter and year-to-date, in spite of the revenue decline of $58 million for the quarter and $193 million year-to-date in Star Wars," said Alfred J. Verrecchia, president and chief executive. Star Wars toys posted quarterly revenue of $69 million. During the quarter, Hasbro repurchased about 6.6 million shares for $131 million. Hasbro is the second biggest U.S. toymaker after Mattel Inc. - - The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:43 AM | Comment Today's high of 57 could be as good as it gets this weekPROVIDENCE – It’s a drizzly, dark morning, and although the rain won’t last all day, it should remain partly cloudy. Expect a high of 57. That should be the highest temp we see this week. For the rest of the week, expect highs in the low 50s and nighttime lows in the high 30s. If you’re heading toward the water today, beware of a small craft advisory from the National Weather Service, for the area from Montauk, N.Y., to Block Island and over to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:07 AM | Comment October 20, 2006Season's last WaterFire tomorrow night
Here's how Lifebeat Weekend put it yesterday: The final WaterFire of this season takes place Saturday, with the full lighting of the bonfires on the river beginning at sunset, which is at 5:56 p.m., creeping before 6 p.m. this time, marking the earlier nightfalls of fall and winter. WaterFire is urban conceptual art, braziers fed wood by people in boats at night on three rivers. It's the brainchild of Providence artist Barnaby Evans, each "fire sculpture," as Evans calls it, sponsored by a different local group or business. They have been a regular part of Providence's mild Saturday nights since 1997. (Sometimes on a Friday, or midweek too.) WaterFire is outdoors, and it is free. If you've never seen it, head downtown to catch the "classic" version -- recorded music (usually classical in some culture) and fires on the river; walk over bridges, around the rivers, see street art, shadows, flickering lights, reflections, relax. Nobody knows what it is, but it works. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:50 PM | Comment Providence man guilty in fatal car crashA Providence man has been found guilty of two felonies for his part in a 2004 car crash that killed a North Providence high school student. A Providence County jury convicted Jacob D. Bilodeau, of 16 Vinton St., this afternoon after deliberating for four hours. The trial spanned five days. Bilodeau was found of guilty of driving to endanger, death resulting, and leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years on the first count and 15 years on the second. Bilodeau called 911 after the July 2004 crash which took place on Route 295 in Smithfield. Prosecutors believe that Bilodeau caused the accident that claimed the life of 17-year-old Louis J. Salvatore. Bilodeau’s sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:28 PM | Comment RFK Jr. to keynote Brown Parents Weekend tonightIt's Parents Weekend at Brown, so expect to see folks craning their necks to look up at the architecture, and know that the restaurants will be crowded. Among the scheduled events, in a few minutes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., parent of a Brown senior, is to deliver a keynote lecture titled, “A Contract with Our Future.” Also interesting: The last WaterFire of the season takes place tomorrow night. More on that in a few minutes. To see what else is going on in the area, here are our weekend Calendar listings, sorted by topic, and a list of restaurant reviews and menus going back to the turn of the century. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:16 PM | Comment Judge temporarily bars firing of 3 correctional officersPROVIDENCE -- A superior court judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring state prison officials from firing three correctional officers accused of forcing an inmate to eat his own feces on Valentine’s Day. The officers were scheduled to lose pay and benefits beginning tomorrow after receiving letters of termination last week. Their union appealed the decision to federal court, which agreed to block the move temporarily, pending a full hearing scheduled for Oct. 30. R.I. Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. said that the officers didn’t receive a fair termination hearing because they weren’t allowed to present witnesses on their behalf. Capt. Gualter Botas, Lt. Kenneth J. Viveiros and Officer Ernesto Spaziano were arrested in May for assaulting five inmates at the Adult Correctional Institutions. The criminal charges are still pending. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Sheila Lennon at 4:25 PM | Comment Replacing spoiled vaccine may delay flu shots for somePROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Health announced today that it has returned a shipment of 10,000 doses of flu vaccine because it was stored at the wrong temperature during shipping. The total supply of the flu vaccine “remains plentiful,” according to the health department notice, but some Rhode Islanders may have to wait to be vaccinated until late November or early December when the replacement shipments are scheduled to arrive. Overall, 500,000 doses of the flu vaccine purchased by the Centers for Disease Control were recently ruined when the company, Cardinal Health, didn’t store them at the proper temperature during shipping; 10,000 of the doses were headed to Rhode Island. The state has distributed 6,000 new doses purchased from another supplier to local doctors, according to today’s announcement. But the lack of the CDC doses may force some Rhode Islanders to wait for their vaccine. Flu season lasts through the end of March, according to the Health Department, which said that “it is not too late to get a flu shot at any time during the winter.” -- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Sheila Lennon at 4:10 PM | Comment Woman missing after Bonnie Raitt concert returnsJessica Anne McGuirk, the Millville, Mass. woman who disappeared while attending a Bonnie Raitt concert three days ago has been found. The Providence Police today said her family knows where she is, and the police are no longer looking for her. According to the police, McGuirk, walked out of Tuesday's concert at the Providence Performing Arts Center, has since been spotted in Warwick. "We did an investigation and found she left of her own and she’s been seen since then,” Providence Police Maj. Stephen Campbell said this afternoon. McGuirk was spotted at an Exxon gas station near T.F. Green airport around 2:30 p.m. yesterday, according to Warwick Police Col. Stephen McCartney. Earlier that day, McGuirk may have placed a 911 call from DB Mart on Post Road in Warwick, McCartney added. Campbell said the Providence Police have spoken with several witnesses who saw McGuirk walk out of the PPAC Tuesday evening. After she left, Campbell said a Providence police officer “made contact with her.” “She expressed a desire to go to her home in Massachusetts. [The officer] gave her some assistance in that, but she didn’t go home,” Campbell said. Since that time, police have not made direct contact with McGuirk. He added that a third person has been in contact with McGuirk since her disappearance, but would not elaborate on who that person is. McGuirk, 29, had gone to the concert with her husband, Patrick, and two friends. Patrick J. McGuirk, a Smithfield dentist, told the police he and his wife had argued briefly toward the beginning of the concert. At about 8:30 p.m., Jessica McGuirk got up from her seat and never returned. Her husband filed a missing person’s report with the Providence police the next day. Jessica McGuirk, who has two young children, works as an emergency room nurse at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. -- Journal staff writer Peter Phipps Posted by Sheila Lennon at 3:46 PM | Comment Lynch, Harsch to debate on WPRO this afternoonEAST PROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick Lynch and his Republican opponent, J. William W. Harsch, will face off this afternoon in a live radio debate likely to touch on The Station nightclub fire of 2003. Democrat Lynch was criticized by some, including Harsch, for his handling of the prosecutions stemming from the state’s worst nightclub tragedy, especially that of club co-owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian. Both recently pleaded no contest to manslaughter charges. WPRO’s Dan Yorke will host the "no rules" debate, scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The candidates are scheduled to debate twice more before the Nov. 7 election: Oct. 22 on television station WPRI (Channel 12), and Nov. 5 on television station WJAR (Channel 10). -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Sheila Lennon at 3:28 PM | Comment Carcieri, Fogarty spar over spending cap, education, corruptionLINCOLN -- Republican Governor Carcieri and Democratic challenger Charles Fogarty clashed over spending limits, education funding and corruption scandals during a debate today. Speaking before the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Carcieri touted his credentials as a former CEO of Cookson America. He described himself as a governor who holds at bay a Democrat-dominated General Assembly he frequently calls corrupt. "This state has suffered for so long from a bunch of insiders who constructed a system just to benefit themselves, take care of themselves," he said. Fogarty criticized Carcieri for backing a tax cut for the richest Rhode Islanders while authorities raised tuition rates at the state's colleges and universities and the ranks of those without health insurance grew. "That doesn't make sense. It's poor public policy," Fogarty said. "Governor, you're out of touch on that issue." With two weeks before the election, Carcieri stuck to his anti-corruption platform while Fogarty faulted Carcieri for policies that he says hurt the poor, the lower middle class and the state's cities, reliable Democratic bastions. -- The Associated Press Posted by Sheila Lennon at 2:50 PM | Comment Witness testifies to alcohol, drug use with former councilmanPROVIDENCE _ The man whom former East Providence City Councilman Gerald R. Lynch is accused of sexually assaulting as a boy testified that he drank liquor with Lynch and also smoked marijuana before several of the assaults occurred. The witness, now 37, offered the testimony this morning in Superior Court, where Lynch is being tried on nine counts of sexual assault. The prosecution says the alleged sexual assaults occurred in 1982, 1983 and 1984, when the witness was an employee of the flower shop Lynch owned with his wife on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket. Lynch’s wife Jane worked at the flower shop part-time, usually arriving at mid-morning and leaving between 3:30 and 4 p.m., said the witness, whose name is being withheld because of the nature of the charges. When his wife left, Lynch would drink vodka martinis, the witness testified, sharing the vodka with him although he was only 13. A year later, the witness testified, he started smoking marijuana with Lynch, at first bringing it from school, where he bought it; eventually growing it with Lynch in a greenhouse behind the flower shop. The flower shop was seized by a creditor in 1996, after Lynch filed for bankruptcy. -- John Castellucci, Journal staff writer Posted by Sheila Lennon at 2:06 PM | Comment 3 ACI officers seek temporary hold on dismissalsPROVIDENCE – Three correctional officers at the Adult Correctional Institutions facing termination by their employer as of tomorrow are in court today seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the dismissals. Superior Court Judge Stephen Fortunato has ordered both sides back to his courtroom at 2 p.m. today, following arguments in court this morning, according to Richard Ferruccio, president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, the union that represents the three correctional officers. The three -- Capt. Gualter Botas, 38, of 186 School St., Pawtucket; Lt. Kenneth J. Viveiros, 54, of 211 Woonasquatucket Ave., North Providence; and Officer Ernest Spaziano, 38, of 50 Whipple Rd., Burrillville – were fired by ACI Director A.T. Wall after an internal administrative hearing found "numerous violations of departmental policy," ACI officials said earlier this week. Multiple assault charges by the state police are pending against the three in District Court in Providence. Today, Ferruccio said the union believes the three deserve to have those charges handled in court before Wall makes a decision about the officers’ employment status. "The brotherhood’s position is that they should have the same opportunity for due process that’s granted to every inmate behind the walls of the ACI," Ferruccio said. “And they, unfortunately, haven’t had that." -- Kate Bramson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Sheila Lennon at 12:18 PM | Comment RV show motors into ProvidenceAbout 8,000 people are expected to attend the Rhode Island RV/Camping Show, which starts this afternoon at the Rhode Island Visitor and Convention Center and continues through Sunday. The show will feature more than 40 different recreational-vehicle makes and models, covering everything from pop-up camping trailers to luxury motor homes and RV accessories, according to its organizers. Attendees can also learn about insurance and finance options and find out more about East Coast campgrounds. The show runs from 1 to 9 p.m. today, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children from 12 to 17 and free for those under 11. Seniors can get in for $5 today only. Tomorrow night is date night with 2-for-1 admission after 6 p.m. The show's Web site: http://www.macevents.com/show.cfm?eventID=118 -- Jack Perry, projo.com staff writer Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:33 AM | Comment Keith Urban cancels casino show tonightTonight’s Keith Urban show at the Mohegan Sun casino has been canceled due to illness. No new date has been announced. If you have tickets, you can get refunds at the same place you bought them. -- Journal staff writer Rick Massimo Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:27 AM | Comment PC students to live like the homeless tonightSome Providence College students are planning to sleep outside tonight, in cardboard shelters they’ll create on campus this afternoon, wearing just the clothes on their backs. They’ll only eat whatever food passers-by might be willing to give them. As a small group has done for the past two years, they’re hoping to raise awareness of the realities of homelessness, said PC junior Kevin Moore, the president of the school’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. He hopes to see 25 students at an event that has drawn about 10 each of the last two years. “It’s always a meaningful event for those who participate, and the larger number of people we have, the more impact it has on those just passing by,” he said. “It wouldn’t be realistic to think it would give you an insight into what it would be like to be homeless because we’re on a secure campus, we have bathrooms if we need them, shelter’s only a few feet away, but it does allow the campus to become a little more aware of the issues of homelessness and the need for affordable housing.” In a new turn this year, the group of students will also build wooden planters, starting at 4 p.m. on the Slavin Center Lawn on campus. They’ll donate those to the South Side Community Land Trust, which plans to give them as gifts to people moving into a small cluster of affordable houses being built on the south side of Providence, Moore said. The campus chapter of Habitat – with about 100 active members – works to build local homes with the Providence affiliate. Students build about once a month. They also travel on spring break to other projects and take summer trips. Last spring break, 72 students worked on eight different projects, and last summer about 15 people went to Bridgeport, Conn., Moore said. By Kate Bramson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:19 AM | Comment Forecast: Rain today, windy tonight, cool sunny weekendPROVIDENCE – Strong to potentially damaging west winds may move through the area later today and through the evening. The National Weather Service predicts the winds may develop just behind a strong cold front that should move quickly through the Connecticut Valley this afternoon and over to the Cape and Islands by early this evening. Once the cold front passes, west winds are expected to increase to 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour possible. Such strong winds are capable of knocking down trees and power lines and damaging property, the weather service cautions. If the weather service upgrades its current high wind watch to a high wind warming, the service advises people to stay indoors and away from windows. Meanwhile, this morning’s drizzly, gloomy weather has only gotten worse in the past few hours. The rain should continue throughout the day, with perhaps some thunder in the mix as well. We should see a high of about 65 today. As for the weekend, it’s still predicted to be a dry one, with sunshine and a high of 59 on Saturday and some clouds and a high of 58 on Sunday. Rain showers could return as we head back to work on Monday morning. -- Kate Bramson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:09 AM | Comment October 19, 2006Millville woman disappeared during Bonnie Raitt concert
Jessica Anne McGuirk, 29, was last seen at a Bonnie Raitt concert while with her husband, Patrick, and two friends. Patrick J. McGuirk, a Smithfield dentist, told police he and his wife had argued briefly towards the beginning of the concert. At approximately 8:30 p.m., Jessica McGuirk reportedly got up from her seat and never returned. Her husband filed a missing person’s report with the Providence police the next day. State police Maj. Stephen O’Donnell said his department is also aware of McGuirk’s disappearance. Jessica McGuirk, a mother of two young children, works as an emergency room nurse at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. A hospital official said she was aware of McGuirk’s disappearance but could not provide any further information. --- Cynthia Needham, Journal Staff Writer Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:58 PM | Comment 'Roger Williams' helps casino proponents make a pointPROVIDENCE -- Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas accused an anti-casino group of misleading voters about how often the state constitution has been amended during a campaign rally today that was attended by a former mayor dressed as the state's founding father, Roger Williams. Thomas said the group, Save Our State, has repeatedly claimed that constitutional amendments are rare and unprecedented ``when the truth is that Rhode Islanders have voted to amend the state constitution on 60 separate occasions.’’ Thomas made his point at an afternoon news conference -- with visual aid assistance coming from former West Warwick mayor and casino lobbyist Michael Levesque. Patti Doyle, a spokeswoman for Save Our State, said in response to Thomas’s charges: ``We’ve never made a claim that the Rhode Island constitution hasn’t been amended, so I’m unclear where they are coming from with that. What we’ve said is it’s inappropriate to allow our state constitution to be put up for sale and I’m hopeful the voters of Rhode Island agree with that on Nov. 7.’’ -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:07 PM | Comment Homeless, advocates march to State HousePROVIDENCE – About 70 homeless people and advocates for the homeless are entering the State House after holding a rally this afternoon that began at the Beneficent Church, 300 Weybosset St. They are hoping to meet with Governor Carcieri and deliver some 200 cards, each signed by a homeless person, that call for the state to focus on creating transitional and affordable housing rather than creating a warehouse-like facility for the homeless. The group includes homeless residents of the Welcome Arnold Shelter, which is Rhode Island’s largest shelter and has been marked for demolition as the state prepares to build a new state police barracks on the site of the shelter. State officials have said the shelter won’t be touched until a replacement location has been found. At the rally today, the groups People to End Homelessness and Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere and other advocates are calling for the state to move away from housing like the William Arnold Shelter. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard C. Dujardin Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:58 PM | Comment Lynch, Harsch get aggressive in first debateEAST PROVIDENCE -- The Republican candidate for attorney general launched an aggressive attack this morning on Patrick C. Lynch in their first debate, accusing the incumbent Democrat of protecting insiders and calling his handling of The Station nightclub disaster a fiasco. But Lynch touted what he said was a "record of accomplishment" during his first term as the state's top law enforcement official and said his opponent lacked crucial courtroom experience. "Our streets, our elders, our schools, our people, our environment is safer because of work I've done over the last four years," Lynch said. In a caustic forum recorded at the Channel 12 (WPRI -TV) studios, Harsch said he had been practicing law since Lynch, 41, was still in diapers. But Lynch told Harsch, a private attorney, that the only exposure he had to a grand jury came from courtroom television shows. The two candidates tangled over the outcome of The Station nightclub fire criminal case, which ended last month when club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges. Michael Derderian was sentenced to four years in prison, and Jeffrey Derderian was spared jail time. Relatives of the 100 people killed by the fire have been infuriated by the plea deals and what they believe are overly lenient sentences. The debate airs Sunday morning on Channel 12 and later in the day on FOX 64 (WNAC-TV). -- The Associated Press Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:05 PM | Comment Update: Suspect, 18, nabbed in fatal shooting / Photo
PROVIDENCE – The police are charging an 18-year-old city man with murder and firearms charges today after the fatal shooting last night of 21-year-old Michael Goncalves, also of Providence. Juan Rivera will be arraigned in Sixth District Court, Providence, this afternoon on charges of murder, possession of a firearm without a license and discharging a firearm, death resulting, police Maj. Stephen Campbell said this morning. Goncalves was shot around 11:20 p.m. outside 39 Burnside St. while riding a bicycle, Campbell said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Campbell would not discuss the motive for the shooting but said it was “not a random shooting.” The police have additional suspects and much work remains to be done in the investigation, Campbell said. No one else was injured. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:31 PM | Comment Trial opens in sex-assault case against ex-youth club directorPROVIDENCE -- The trial of former youth club director Gerald R. Lynch opened in Superior Court this morning with the testimony of a man, now 37, who alleges that Lynch sexually assaulted him as a teenage boy. Taking the witness stand and making eye contact with the jurors, the man, whose name is being withheld because of the nature of the crime, said that the first sexual contact between himself and Lynch occurred in the summer of 1982 when he was 12 years old. Although Lynch, 62, of East Providence, a former East Providence city councilman, worked at two youth clubs -- the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club and the East Providence Boys & Girls Club -- none of the charges involves a youngster at either of the clubs. All of nine the first-degree assault charges he is facing are said to have occurred in the early 1980s with the same teen, who worked at his flower shop. At the time, the witness testified, he was working for Lynch at Blease Florists and Greenhouse on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket. On Memorial Day that year, he and Lynch drove down to South County, the witness testified, where they spent the day planting geraniums and other flowers at the summer home of one of Lynch’s customers. After they finished, they drove to Wakefield, where the witness testified Lynch pulled into the parking lot of a liquor store and bought some beer. Lynch gave him a beer, the witness testified, and drank several himself. Then, after the boy went into the bushes to relieve himself, the man testified, Lynch reached into the boy's bathing suit and briefly fondled him. The testimony was elicited by Maureen Keough, special assistant attorney general prosecuting the case. One of Lynch’s lawyers, C. Leonard O’Brien, objected when Keough asked the witness to state his and Lynch’s respective ages. The trial opened this morning with opening statements by Keough and O’Brien. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci O’Brien, who said in his opening statement that the defense would offer evidence that the alleged sexual encounters took place after the alleged victim turned 18, had earlier gotten Judge Edward C. Clifton to caution the jury that the “age differential” between Lynch and the victim and their employee-employer relationship were not elements of the crime of sexual assault. O’Brien said during colloquy before the testimony opened this morning that a key element in proving the crime of sexual assault is that the victim had been physically coerced or forced. O’Brien said during his opening statement that evidence and testimony presented by the defense would show that there was no physical force or coercion. He repeatedly objected when Keough sought to elicit testimony suggesting that the alleged victim felt overpowered by Lynch because of the employer-employee relationship or the difference in their ages. The witness is expected to resume testimony in Superior Court this afternoon at 2. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:24 PM | Comment Belo 3Q profits down, stock prices move upNewspaper and television station owner Belo Corp. said today that third-quarter profit dropped 13 percent due to charges, as revenue edged up slightly amid weak results from the company's newspaper group. Belo, publisher of The Dallas Morning News and The Providence Journal, said its net income fell to $19.2 million, or 19 cents per share, from $22.1 million, or 20 cents Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had been looking for third-quarter earnings of 18 cents per share. The results reflected $5.4 million, or 3 cents per share, in severance charges at the Dallas Morning News, and $10 million, or 6 cents per share, in transition costs associated with technology initiatives and $2.9 million, or 2 cents per share, in stock-based compensation costs. Revenues rose 0.8 percent to $376.4 million from $373.4 million, missing analysts' estimates of $386.3 million. Television group revenue rose 6.9 percent, while newspaper group revenue fell 4.2 percent. At midday, Belo's shares had risen 22 cents to $16.97 on the New York Stock Exchange. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:53 PM | Comment Chafee, Whitehouse meet tonight in first TV debatePROVIDENCE -- With less than three weeks until the election, the two candidates battling to represent Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate will meet tonight for their first live televised debate. With time running out and polls showing the Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse with a slim lead over the incumbent Lincoln Chafee, the candidates have recently ratcheted up attacks against each other. Chafee held an unusual press conference on the federal court steps yesterday to accuse Whitehouse of intentionally ignoring corruption to protect his party when he served as attorney general six years ago. Tonight's debate -- co-sponsored by The Providence Journal -- will start at 7 p.m. Journal reporters Mark Arsenault and John Mulligan will be among the questioners.The hour-long meeting will take place at Warwick’s Toll Gate High School. Seats are no longer available, but WPRI-TV will air the debate live on Channel 12, and wpri.com and projo.com will stream the event live on the Web. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:43 PM | Comment CBS pulls the plug on WaterfrontPROVIDENCE -- CBS has decided to pull the plug on Waterfront, a drama series shot in Rhode Island that was supposed to begin airing next year. Producers had already filmed four episodes of the program, which starred Joe Pantoliano, of the Sopranos, and William Baldwin. Today's news means the episodes likely will never be seen by the public. The head of the state's Film and TV Office, Steven Feinberg, was told that virtually all of CBS' fall shows had been successful, leaving no room for Waterfront in next year's lineup. Also, Feinberg learned that the show didn't fit into the network's "demographic plans." Waterfront starred Pantoliano as Jimmy Centrella, the flamboyant mayor of Providence; Baldwin played Paul Brennan, the state's ambitious attorney general. While Waterfront is dead, Feinberg noted that several film and television projects remain. They include the Showtime series Brotherhood and the films, Evening, and Dan in Real Life. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:40 PM | Comment Update: Boy in intensive care after being struck in CranstonCRANSTON – The 12-year-old boy struck by a vehicle last night on Narragansett Boulevard is being treated in the intensive care unit at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The boy, who was unconscious and lying in the middle of the road when rescue crews arrived two minutes after the 6:54 pm. accident, was taken to the hospital with “potentially life-threatening injuries,” police Maj. Ronald Blackmar said this morning. The police have not released the name of the boy or the male driver, who was traveling north on Narragansett Boulevard when the boy walked into the roadway from the eastern curb at the intersection of Smith Street. The investigation into the accident continues. No charges have been filed at this time, Blackmar said, and the man’s identity will not be released until the investigation is complete. Cranston rescue crews transported the boy to Hasbro Children’s Hospital at 7:16 p.m., Deputy Fire Chief Leo Kennedy said this morning. Kennedy said he does not believe the boy regained consciousness while in the care of the Cranston rescue crew. A van at the scene was believed to be involved in the accident, Kennedy said. The fire department assisted the accident reconstruction team last night by sending over a ladder truck and a special hazards truck, which each have flood lights that allowed the police team to work at the scene after the accident. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:30 AM | Comment LIN TV sells Puerto Rico stationsLIN TV Corp., based in Providence, said this morning it agreed to sell three television stations in Puerto Rico to InterMedia Partners L.P. for $130 million in cash. Posted by at 9:14 AM | Comment Textron profits boosted by jet salesPROVIDENCE -- Strong sales of Cessna business jets in the third quarter propelled profits at Providence-based Textron to $176 million, or $1.36 a share, from $146 million, or $1.07 in the year-ago period. Cessna Aircraft Company, which is among Textron's businesses, posted 18 percent revenue growth and said the company will deliver 300 business jets in 2006 and 370 in 2007 as solid corporate earnings spur demand for the aircraft. Overall, Textron's third quarter sales were $2.84 billion, up 18 percent from last year. The company said revenues also rose because of sales of its Bell helicopters and armored security vehicles used in Iraq. Posted by at 7:14 AM | Comment Sun to emerge from the morning cloudsPROVIDENCE – This morning’s cloudy sky should turn to a mostly sunny one later today, with a high near 68. We’re getting much nicer weather than was predicted earlier this week, so enjoy it. Tomorrow, we’ll likely have to endure lots of showers throughout the day and possibly thunderstorms, too, between noon and 3 p.m., but then the weekend looks glorious for late October. The National Weather Service predicts Saturday will be drenched with sunshine. Temps should be about 60. Sunday will be partly cloudy, with a high around 59. Sounds perfect for some great fall activities. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:12 AM | Comment October 18, 2006Man with dysfunctional penile implant will take the moneyPROVIDENCE -- Charles “Chick” Lennon, the retired handyman who sued over a penile implant that won’t remain in the down position, is going to receive a $400,000 judgment after all, according to a state Supreme Court order issued today. Lennon, 68, of North Providence, is expected to get a total of $950,000, with interest included, because of the Dura-II penile implant that he says has been causing him pain and embarrassment for a decade. “I’m just glad it’s over. It’s been a pain,” Lennon said of the legal battle with the implant manufacturer, Dacomed Corp., and its insurance company. For a while, it had appeared Lennon was not going to get a dime despite a jury’s decision to award him $750,000. Superior Court Judge Edward C. Clifton had lowered the jury award to $400,000. And after both sides appealed, the Supreme Court had given Lennon 20 days to accept the $400,000 or to have a new trial on damages. Lennon decided to take the money. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:11 PM | Comment Westerly store owner charged with bookmakingWESTERLY -- The owner of a local variety store is facing multiple felony charges accusing him of running an "illegal gambling and narcotics distribution operation" out of his Canal Street establishment, according to an announcement today by the state police. Manuel R. Fretard, 53, owner of Manny’s Variety, located at 10C Canal St., was one of two men arraigned this morning in District Court after being arrested yesterday following a state police investigation that spanned a month. Fretard, of 120 High St., Westerly, is charged with promoting a lottery, maintaining a gambling nuisance, bookmaking, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and possession of marijuana. Police detectives noticed a man leaving the variety store yesterday afternoon carrying a bag wrapped in newspaper. The detectives followed the man, later identified as Dino Urso, 48, of 48 High St., Westerly, to his home and confronted him. Inside the bag, the police found various football betting cards and more than $1,000 in cash. State police searched the variety store and discovered "a large assortment" football gambling cards, approximately an ounce of cocaine, a scale and more than $8,000 in cash. Urso has been charged with bookmaking, promoting a lottery and possession of marijuana. He spent the night in jail and was released on $10,000 surety bail this morning. Fretard was released on $20,000 surety bail. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:59 PM | Comment National Republicans back Chafee with new TV adPROVIDENCE -- National Republicans are attacking Democratic Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse in a new television ad that began airing today. The 30-second ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee criticizes Whitehouse for favoring Social Security taxes and blames the Democrat for wanting to scale back tax cuts and repeal the estate tax. Whitehouse, the state's former attorney general, faces incumbent Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee in next month's election. The ad is significant because it's the first time national Republicans have stepped in to help Chafee in the general election. National Democrats and Whitehouse have run 10 ads since last month's primary. Chafee has only run three. A Chafee spokesman confirmed today that the NRSC spent $126,000 on the new ad. National Republicans played a significant role helping Chafee campaign in the final days of his Republican primary battle against Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey, but they have been largely silent during the general election. Chafee confirmed today that they "have been helping," but besides confirming the new television ad, he wouldn't detail their involvement. -- Staff and Associated Press reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:39 PM | Comment Update: Beacon exec indicted on conspiracy, fraudA former top executive of the Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. has been indicted on state charges of conspiracy and insurance fraud. David Clark, the former vice president for underwriting at Rhode Island’s dominant worker’s compensation insurer, has been charged this afternoon with two counts of conspiracy, one count of insurance fraud and two counts of computer crimes – accessing a computer for fraudulent purposes and deleting data. Clark is the first Beacon employee to be indicted since state and federal authorities began investigating the nonprofit company, created by the General Assembly, for giving certain customers lower rates and paying preferred brokers higher commissions. "Our investigation with the Rhode Island State Police is far from over," Lynch said in a statement released this afternoon. "We have continued to meet with the appropriate federal law enforcement agencies and with other state agencies that share an interest in the practices of Beacon Mutual. We will go where the facts lead us." Governor Carcieri, a longtime critic of former Beacon management, said, “Today’s indictment is an important step in cleaning up the mismanagement and the misdeeds that have plagued Beacon Mutual.” Today’s indictment, by a statewide grand jury in Kent County, comes some six months after the grand jury began looking into Beacon amid widespread controversy over the company’s rates and allegations of preferential treatment for certain customers. Clark is scheduled to be arraigned in Kent County Superior Court on Oct. 27. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton The controversy prompted Beacon’s board to hire an outside company, Giuliani Safety & Security, to conduct a two-month review overseen by former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond. That review, released in April, found that Beacon had given preferential rates to some companies and maintained ``inappropriate relationships’’ with certain insurance agents. The Giuliani investigators found that Beacon had maintained a ``VIP list’’ of about a dozen companies. According to the report, Solomon denied the existence of the list, but Clark told investigators that Solomon had instructed him to delete it from his computer. The Giuliani team also reported that Beacon executives did not provide them with the ``unfettered access’’ that had been promised, refusing access to the computer hard drives of Solomon and Clark. Their refusal, the report concluded, was ``a red flag that the hard drives may contain evidence of possible wrongdoing.’’ In the ensuing shakeup of Beacon, Solomon and Clark were fired, and Beacon’s new management pledged to address the problems that had been discovered. The Giuliani report also found that some insurance agents were paid excessive commissions, that there was insufficient documentation to justify the commissions and that the commissions were reviewed only by Clark, who would then obtain Solomon’s approval. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:34 PM | Comment Brown issues long-awaited report on its ties to slaveryPROVIDENCE -- A committee examining Brown University's centuries-old ties to the slave trade issued a report this afternoon recommending the creation of a memorial and an academic center focused on slavery and justice. The Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice -- formed three years ago to look into its "grievous crimes" of the past -- also recommended that the university's relationship to the slave trade be introduced to freshmen as part of their orientation and calls for a commitment to recruit and retain minority students, especially those from Africa and the West Indies. "We cannot change the past," according to the 106-page report, released on the university's Web site. "But an institution can hold itself accountable for the past, accepting its burdens and responsibilities along with its benefits and privileges." In 2003, Brown President Ruth Simmons, the first black president of an Ivy League school and a descendant of slaves herself, appointed a 16-member committee of students, faculty and administrators to study the university's ties to the slave trade and recommend how the college should take responsibility. As part of its research, the committee had discovered a document hanging in University Hall that names slaves whose labor helped build it. The school's first president, James Manning, owned a slave at one time. Although the committee said Brown needs to help those disadvantaged by the legacy of the slave trade, it does not recommend creating scholarships specifically for African-American students. The report strikes an academic tone, tracing the university's centuries-old link to slave traders and calling slavery a "crime against humanity" that left an ugly legacy of discrimination and a wide gulf between rich and poor. "If this nation is ever to have a serious dialogue about slavery, Jim Crow, and the bitter legacies they have bequeathed to us, then universities must provide the leadership," the report says. -- The Associated Press Brown, the nation's seventh oldest university, was formally chartered in 1764 as the College of Rhode Island. Its founder, the Rev. James Manning, freed his only slave but accepted donations from slave owners and traders, including the Brown family of Providence. Nicholas Brown, a wealthy merchant, was listed in the school's charter. His brother, John Brown, a slave trader, paid for half the cost of the college's first library. While John Brown defended slavery until his death, another brother, Moses Brown, and Nicholas Brown's son, Nicholas Jr., became ardent abolitionists and worked to end slavery by pushing for a tougher prohibition against slave ships entering American ports. Nicholas Brown Jr. is the university's namesake. "Our sense of what appropriate actions might be has been guided by our undertaking of what kind of institution Brown is and what it does best - which is to learn and to teach," said James Campbell, the committee chairman and an associate professor of American civilization and Africana studies. -- The Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:08 PM | Comment ACI fires 3 who allegedly 'tarnished' reputation of all guardsThree correctional officers at the state prison, including a captain who allegedly forced an inmate to taste his own feces, have been fired by Director A.T. Wall after an internal administrative hearing found “numerous violations of departmental policy,” according to Adult Correctional Institutions spokeswoman Tracey Poole. Multiple assault charges by the state police are pending against the three in District Court in Providence. The dismissals from the ACI won't take effect until Saturday and are entirely separate from the criminal proceedings against the men, Poole said. The men have been on paid leave since Wall signed their letters of termination on Oct. 10. The officers are: Capt. Gualter Botas, 38, of 186 School St., Pawtucket, a 17-year ACI veteran; Lt. Kenneth J. Viveiros, 54, of 211 Woonasquatucket Ave., North Providence, a 25-year ACI veteran; and Officer Ernest Spaziano, 38, of 50 Whipple Rd., Burrillville, a 15-year veteran. Wall was surprised to learn during the internal investigation that it is not a crime in Rhode Island to force an inmate to “sample his own feces,” Poole said. “But certainly, no one would question whether it’s a violation of departmental policy when we’re charged with the care and custody of inmates,” she said. Wall said today that the “conduct of these three officers tarnished the reputation of 1,600 men and women who do their job with pride and professionalism every day,” Poole said. The officers will have 10 days from Saturday to appeal their termination. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:34 PM | Comment Carcieri, Fogarty debate this afternoonGovernor Carcieri will face his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty in a live radio debate this afternoon. The candidates will meet at 4:45 p.m. on WPRO 630 AM. Radio host Dan Yorke will moderate. With election day less than three weeks away, the incumbent Carcieri holds a slight lead over Fogarty, according to two independent polls released last week. Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:39 PM | Comment Photo/Chafee accuses Whitehouse of 'willful blindness'
PROVIDENCE -- In an unusual press conference on the sidewalk outside the federal courthouse this afternoon, Sen. Lincoln Chafee blasted his political opponent for not "doing his job" six years ago for not pursuing fraud charges against the head of Roger Williams Hospital. Former president Robert Urciuoli was convicted last week in the same federal court for illegally paying former state Sen. John Celona to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. The Chafee campaign is facing a strong challenge from Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, who holds a slight lead according to several recent polls, in a race that has garnered national attention as Democrats seek to regain a Senate majority. The election is less than three weeks away. Whitehouse previously served as Rhode Island's attorney general and U.S. attorney. "I accuse Mr. Whitehouse of willful blindness," Chafee said today, repeating a phrase he used earlier in the week during a Senate debate. "Mr. Whitehouse didn't do his job to fight corruption in Rhode Island." Chafee said that Whitehouse, while serving as attorney general six years ago, ignored hospital employees' allegations of improper spending by Urciuoli. Whitehouse said in a debate Monday that the hospital didn't want to pursue criminal charges. Whitehouse also said that a report detailing expense account abuses by Urciuoli was protected by attorney-client privilege. Chafee refutes Whitehouse's responses. At today's press conference, he even distributed copies of Rhode Island law that he says contradicts Whitehouse's claims about attorney-client privilege. "Are you in trouble in this race?" one reporter asked Chafee, suggesting that today's press conference was a political stunt. "It's a close race," Chafee said. "Very, very close." Whitehouse issued a statement this afternoon characterizing today's press conference as a "desperate" move by someone who refuses "to talk about the real issues in this campaign." “He’s engaging in these desperate attacks, right out of the George Bush-Karl Rove playbook, because he refuses to explain why his continued support of Republican leadership in Washington is good for Rhode Island families,” Whitehouse said. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:15 PM | Comment Update: Residents back in nursing home after fireJOHNSTON – An empty wheelchair and towels in a fourth-floor shower caught fire this afternoon at Cherry Hill Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, forcing a brief evacuation of part of the building. No one was injured, and firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which was reported at 12:06 p.m., according to Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Moretti. There’s no word yet on the cause of the fire. A few bedridden residents were evacuated from the four-story brick building that houses 148 people, according to fire officials. Most of the 24 affected residents, however, were just moved to the opposite side of the fourth floor as crews extinguished the fire, Moretti said. Those who had been evacuated were brought back into the building at 2 Cherry Hill Road shortly before 1 p.m. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina and Journal staff photographer Andrew Dickerman Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:32 PM | Comment Update: Martha gets 'very excited' by R.I. pumpkin and gourd guys
Martha couldn't contain her enthusiam. "Fantastic ... I love these things," she said. A representative of Guinness World Records was on hand to give Wallace and Jutras certificates for their agricultural feats. Jutras told Martha that his 126.5-inch gourd, displayed in a protective sleave, grew 5 to 6 inches a day. That's nothing. Wallace said his 1,502-pound pumpkin, unveiled on TV with a drumroll, added about 35 pounds a day. After the guys from Rhode Island left the set, singer Charo joined Martha to make Halloween-themed totem poles. -- Peter Phipps Posted by Jack Perry at 11:40 AM | Comment Cranston man charged in fire at cousin's houseCRANSTON – The police have charged a local man with first-degree arson in relation to a house fire last night at 79 Woodland Ave., where a cousin of his lives. David Paolo, 41, of 50 Tomahawk Trail in Cranston, was arrested at the scene of the fire after allegedly throwing what appears to be gasoline at the house, Cranston Police Major Ronald Blackmar said this morning. What exactly was thrown at the house remains to be identified through tests, Blackmar said. No one was injured in the blaze, which was reported at 10:30 p.m. by the residents of the home, John and Kenneth Gaspar, Blackmar said. The Gaspars are father and son, and Paolo is a cousin of one of the men, Blackmar said. Kenneth Gaspar is 79, and John Gaspar is 51. The fire was contained to the exterior of the single-family home, Blackmar said. Paolo is expected to be arraigned this morning in the Kent County Courthouse. The incident remains under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:42 AM | Comment Massachusetts savings banks mergeBristol County Savings Bank, based in Taunton, Mass., and Randolph Savings Bank, based in Randolph, Mass., said this morning they have agreed to merge, creating the sixth largest mutual savings bank in the Bay State. Both banks have branches and loan production offices in Rhode Island. The deal needs the approval of state and federal regulators and the corporators of the two banks. The merged bank will be called Bristol County and by run by Dennis Kelly, currently the president and CEO of Bristol County. Posted by at 10:27 AM | Comment Police release name of tow truck operator killed MondayEAST GREENWICH – A 32-year-old Warwick man has been identified today by the state police as the tow truck operator who was struck and killed Monday afternoon by a lumber truck on Route 4 when he ran onto the road to pick up debris. Daniell Steinberg, of 45 Cottage St., was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the accident, Capt. James Swanberg said today. Steinberg had been dispatched to Route 4 north, near exit 6 and Route 2, to help a motorist with a flat tire, according to the state police. An employee of Herb’s Towing Co. in Warwick, Steinberg was hit at 2:25 p.m. by a 36-ton lumber truck owned by Douglas Lumber Kitchens & Home Center in Smithfield. Just as Steinberg ran into the roadway to pick up some debris at a bend in the road, the truck driver was heading north on Route 4, Swanberg said. Steinberg ran toward the median, and the truck driver apparently hesitated, Swanberg said, both men trying to avoid a collision and decide which direction to move in order to do so, Swanberg said. “It seems like they both went the same way, and it was an unfortunate accident,” Swanberg said. The police are examining the truck’s mechanism to determine if it was operating properly, which is typical after such an accident, Swanberg said. The accident remains under investigation. No charges have been filed against the truck driver, Swanberg said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:33 AM | Comment Social Security checks to go up 3.3 percentSocial Security checks will go up 3.3 percent in January for 191,710 Rhode Islanders and 1.1 million people in Massachusetts, the government announced this morning. The annual cost of living adjustment will translate into an average monthly increase of $33 for the typical retired worker, hiking the average monthly benefit from $1,011 currently to $1,044. The 3.3 percent increase is smaller than the 4.1 percent rise in 2006 and is based on the inflation rate in the U.S. In all, the cost of living adjustment set by the Social Security Administration will go to about 48 million who receive Social Security benefits and another 4 million who receive Supplemental Security Income payments. Posted by at 8:41 AM | Comment Update: South County Hospital fully operating after fireSouth County Hospital is open and taking patients this morning after a fire around 5 p.m. yesterday closed the emergency room and forced the hospital to evacuate patients from that part of the hospital. The emergency room opened back up last night at about 10 o’clock, according to Cynthia Wyman, vice president of planning and market development. “Cleaning crews worked throughout the night and have cleaned any areas that needed it, and all areas [of the hospital] are operating at 100 percent,” Wyman said this morning. Hospital officials still do not know the cause of the fire, which caused minimal damage, Wyman said. She's attending an early-morning meeting today where she hopes to get more information about the fire’s cause. Fire officials yesterday said ongoing renovations at the hospital may have played some part in starting the fire. Damage was limited to a few ceiling tiles in a storage area, Wyman said. There was no damage to any of the hospital’s patient-care areas, she said. Although some potential hospital patients were diverted to Newport and Westerly hospitals last night and emergency-room patients already at South County Hospital were shuttled in wheelchairs to a cafeteria away from the smoke, the hospital never stopped operating last night, Wyman said. “We admitted patients in the emergency department that had to be admitted,” she said. “So we were still accepting walk-in patients.” -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:40 AM | Comment Jury set, trial for murder of fashion writer to begin todayBARNSTABLE, Mass. -- The high-profile trial of a man charged in the murder of fashion writer Christa Worthington was expected to get under way today, after the selection of three more jurors. The state's highest court yesterday turned down a defense appeal to move the trial away from Cape Cod and to sequester the jury. Seven women and six men have been picked so far the hear the case of Christopher McCowen, a trash collector charged in the January 2002 slaying of Worthington, a member of a prominent family who was found fatally stabbed in her Truro home. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:01 AM | Comment Accidents, rain make for long commuteA couple accidents and the rainy weather are tying up traffic more than usual this morning. Cars along Route 95 south are moving at just 41 miles per hour, from exit 29 down to exit 27, according to Robert Miller, a Transportation Management Center operator for the state Department of Transportation. Also, Route 195 West, which is packed every morning, is backed up even more from the Gano exit in downtown Providence back to the Massachusetts state line, Miller said. Accidents shortly after 7 a.m. on both highways have contributed to the delays, Miller said. Before heading onto the roads this morning, check out the DOT’s traffic cameras online. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:52 AM | Comment Showers, fog to give way to partly sunny skies, 71 degreesPROVIDENCE -- The rain should clear out today with the sky turning partly sunny with a high near 71 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Patchy fog and a chance of showers will continue until noon. Partly cloudy skies will clear tonight and the temperature will drop to about 51 degrees. For more weather and updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 17, 2006Update: South County Hospital fire closes ER
WAKEFIELD -- Fire crews from several communities battled a small fire at South County Hospital late today, confining the smoky blaze to the emergency room area. Hospital staff moved patients out of the emergency room -- which has been shut down this evening -- in wheelchairs and on gurneys, even while at least one was still attached to an oxygen tank. The group was moved to the hospital cafeteria as fire crews worked to clear the smoke and test the air quality in the emergency room. No one was injured in the fire, according to a hospital spokeswoman. About 80 patients housed in other parts of the hospital weren't affected. It's still unclear exactly what caused the fire and what burned. The state fire marshal is at the scene investigating. But officials believe the fire started in an area on the roof in back of the emergency room. Heavy smoke was later detected in the basement, a result of the fire traveling down the elevator shaft. Firefighters first arrived at the hospital at about 6 p.m. They fought the fire largely from the roof, putting it out by about 6:30. Crews from various South County communities, and even as far Providence, responded to the three-alarm blaze. Hospital officials expect the emergency room to re-open later tonight. Police temporarily closed Kenyon Avenue, which borders the hospital, but have since opened it. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:47 PM | Comment Update: Opponent files complaint against AG LynchPROVIDENCE -- The man looking to unseat Attorney General Patrick Lynch has sent a letter to the state Board of Elections accusing Lynch of "grossly ignoring Rhode Island campaign finance laws." In a letter dated Oct. 16, Republican candidate for attorney general J. William W. Harsch asked the state board to investigate allegations that Lynch's political action committee, Friends of Patrick Lynch, has failed since 2003 to complete reports listing the name, address and place of employment of hundreds of contributors whose contributions exceeded $100. Harsch acknowledged the reporting requirements are "cumbersome." But Harsch said that Lynch omitted information about donors with ties to large tobacco and beverage companies. Harsch said he did not know if the omissions were intentional. "Either way, as chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general cannot afford to either undermine or ignore the law,” Harsch said. In a statement released this afternoon, Lynch denied the allegations. "We’ve recorded every contribution that we’ve received, and comply with every applicable campaign-finance law. My opponent’s latest attack is just a desperate attempt to bring life to his stagnant campaign in the last 21 days," he said. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:37 PM | Comment Common Cause chastises legislators on separation of powersPROVIDENCE -- Common Cause Rhode Island, a government watchdog group, says that support among public officials is waning for the separation of powers amendment that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2004. Common Cause today asked incumbent lawmakers and candidates for General Assembly seats to make a "high priority" pledge regarding the reorganization of four powerful public groups, including the Coastal Resources Marine Council and the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Common Cause found that many lawmakers would not commit to the effort. For a full list of which lawmakers or challengers agreed to make the pledge, click here. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:52 PM | Comment Mosquitoes down, but not outPROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Environmental Management issued a warning this afternoon that although mosquito numbers in Rhode Island are "way down" because of colder weather, the pesky disease carriers are still around. "The mosquito population has declined significantly, biting activity is much lower, and no new mosquitoes are being produced," the DEM says. "However, there will be some mosquito activity, particularly during periods of warmer daytime temperatures." DEM warns Rhode Islanders to protect themselves by wearing protective clothes and using bug spray, especially when in wooded areas. So far this year, 10 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile Virus, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis was detected in three samples. No human cases have been reported in Rhode Island. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:41 PM | Comment Secretary of State candidates to debate on live radioEAST PROVIDENCE -- The candidates in the race to become Rhode Island's next secretary of state are scheduled to meet this afternoon for a live radio debate. North Providence Mayor Ralph Mollis will battle his Republican opponent, Warwick City Councilwoman Sue Stenhouse live at 4:30 p.m. on WPRO 630 AM. Radio host Dan Yorke will moderate the debate. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:37 PM | Comment Carcieri unveils plan to combat online predatorsPROVIDENCE – The recent arrest of an Exeter man accused of using his MySpace.com Web site to lure teenage girls into his trailer to smoke marijuana with him crystallized for Governor Carcieri the need to do more to combat online predators. An incident like that “drives home even more” the need for the state to expand how it protects children, the governor said today as he unveiled a multi-pronged approach for the state police and the state Department of Education to work together more closely. “I have 13 grandchildren,” the governor said at a press conference today. “The last thing we want to see is our children being preyed upon.” Carcieri unveiled what he’s calling his Combating Online Predators (COP) plan today at the Wanskuck branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, which already requires all children who use the clubs’ computers to complete an online safety program. Much of the governor’s plan requires legislative approval, either to change laws or to pay more for additional state police. Approval would come next year at the earliest for some of the governor’s suggestions. Carcieri has asked state departments to report by the end of the year how much money they’ll need in next year’s budget to implement various parts of his plan, Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters said today. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:07 PM | Comment Hood recalls Apple JuiceHood 100 percent Apple Juice is being recalled today because it may contain undeclared milk. The juice produced by HP Hood LLC of Chelsea, Mass., has been distributed throughout New England to retail locations, distributors and institutions. People with allergies or severe sensitivities to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product, according to a statement from the company distributed today by the Rhode Island Department of Health. No related illnesses have been reported to date, according to the company. The recall includes plastic half-gallon and pint containers with a code date of NOV 14/06 and a plant code of 2508. The company initiated the recall after a discovery that milk was contained in packaging that did not indicate the presence of milk on the label. The company is urging anyone who has purchased such apple juice with the sell-by date of Nov. 14 and the plant code of 2508 to return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact HP Hood at (800) 242-2423. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:05 PM | Comment Investigators dig into wreckage of Rocky Point fireWARWICK – It could be a week or two before investigators determine the cause of yesterday’s fire that destroyed the Cliff House at the former Rocky Point Amusement Park. Investigators this morning are digging through the wreckage with heavy equipment to determine the cause of the spectacular blaze, Warwick Fire Battalion Chief Robert Letourneau said. The team includes members of the state fire marshal’s office, including its arson squad, and the Warwick police and fire departments, Letourneau said. Any evidence of foul play would be sent to the state police lab for examination before conclusions about the fire’s cause could be drawn, Letourneau said. Although Letourneau spoke from the fire department’s offices this morning, he said he doesn’t believe any part of the structure remains standing. Anything that is still standing would be demolished for safety reasons, he said. Fire crews began battling the blaze at 11 a.m. yesterday. It was contained within an hour, but the crews stayed there until about 5 p.m., Letourneau said. Then, an overnight crew remained on scene putting out hot spots throughout the night, he said. The investigative team began examining the wreckage around 10 a.m. today and should be there throughout the day, Letourneau said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:34 AM | Comment Students to put Bay water under the microscopeStudents are expected to join efforts today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to celebrate World Water Monitoring Day, a day that is officially celebrated tomorrow. Over at the Taft Street Pier in Pawtucket, students will learn about the restoration of fish passage and fish habitat on the Blackstone River. They’ll also demonstrate the use of monitoring instruments at the 1 p.m. event that’s expected to draw EPA and state Department of Environmental Management folks, as well as representatives from the Blackstone River Coalition and the Blackstone River Watershed Council. Then at the Save the Bay facility and dock at Fields Point in Providence at 3:45 p.m., second- and third-graders will learn about bay water-quality and biological monitoring. They’ll drag plankton nets through the water to gather samples to examine back in the classroom under microscopes, according to the EPA. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:06 AM | Comment GTECH cutting ribbon on new building in ProvidencePROVIDENCE – GTECH Holdings Corp. executives are cutting the ceremonial ribbon this morning in the company’s new $80-million building at the corner of Francis Street and Memorial Boulevard. Five hundred employees are expected to start work at their new offices on Nov. 13. For today, Governor Carcieri is expected to join company leaders at the festivities. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:00 AM | Comment EMC plans job cutsEMC Corp., the computer storage company based in Hopkinton, Mass., said this morning that it will reduce its workforce by 1,250 jobs, or four percent, by the end of 2007. The job cuts are part of a plan to better integrate the 21 acquisitions EMC has made since 2003, including the purchase of RSA Security earlier this year. EMC also reported third quarter profits fell to $284 million from $422 million in the comparable year-ago period, largely due to stock option and research costs. Posted by at 9:34 AM | Comment Heating season: Detectors wake up two Burrillville familiesBURRILLVILLE – Members of two separate families were taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital early this morning after carbon monoxide detectors alerted the families to potential leaks in their homes. The Harrisville Fire Department transported to the hospital a mother and two children from a River Street home around 1 a.m. and a child from a Sherman Farm Road home at about 4 a.m., assistant chief Mike Gingell said this morning. “When they left us, they were conscious and alert and comfortable – all patients,” Gingell said. They were lucky, he said. Both families were awakened by their carbon monoxide detectors. The separate incidents underscore the importance at this time of year of some safety and heating maintenance, Gingell said. As people are firing up their furnaces with this colder weather, fire officials advise families that it’s wise to have certified technicians check their heating devices annually. Now’s also a good time to check the batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, Gingell said. As October is fire prevention month, fire departments throughout the country are reminding people that it’s a good time to check those batteries, Gingell said. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning material containing carbon. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain damage and, in severe cases, death. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:11 AM | Comment Rain moving in later todayPROVIDENCE – The rain predicted for this week should set in today, most likely after 3 p.m. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain this afternoon and a 100 percent chance of it tonight, mainly after 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Temps should top out near 57 today and fall as low as 51 tonight. The weather service has issued a hazardous weather outlook in parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts for the next few days because of the rain. A warm front will produce rain throughout the area tonight, and a strong cold front is expected to move through New England Thursday and Friday, which should bring rain that’s heavy enough in areas to produce large puddles on area roads. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:11 AM | Comment Jury being picked in Cape fashion writer murder caseBARNSTABLE, Mass. -- More potential jurors were to be questioned today for the trial of a Cape Cod trash collector accused of killing fashion writer Christa Worthington, whose 2-year-old daughter was found clinging to her lifeless body more than four years ago. Christopher McCowen, 34, is accused of killing the 46-year-old single mother in her home in Truro, a small community near the tip of Cape Cod about 100 miles from Boston. Six jurors were selected yesterday, after several were dismissed for admitting prejudices that would influence them, forming an opinion of the case because of press coverage, having trouble remaining impartial or knowing at least potential witness. McCowen is black, while Worthington was white. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment October 16, 2006Tow-truck driver struck, killed by lumber truckEAST GREENWICH -- A tow-truck operator assisting a disabled motorist was struck and killed this afternoon by a lumber truck on Route 4 when he ran out onto the roadway to pick up debris, the state police said. The man, whose name is being withheld until family members are notified, was hit by a truck owned by Douglas Lumber of Smithfield at about 2:25 p.m., state Trooper Capt. James Swanberg said. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after. The operator of the 73,000-pound lumber truck has not been charged, the police said. The victim had been dispatched to Route 4 north, near exit 6, to help a female motorist who had a flat tire, Swanberg said. The disabled motorist was parked on the shoulder. The tow-truck operator pulled over near her vehicle and got out of his truck. The man ran out to retrieve some debris on the highway and was hit by the truck. The police are not certain what the debris was. The accident closed one lane on the northbound side of Route 4 for about an hour and a half. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:50 PM | Comment WPRI-TV poll: Majority oppose casino proposalFor the third time in recent weeks, a poll has found that the majority of Rhode Islanders oppose efforts to amend the state Constitution to bring a casino to West Warwick. The poll, which was conducted between Oct. 11 to Oct. 14, found that support for the proposal decreases as the age of the voter increases. For example, those surveyed who are between 18 and 39 years old support the casino, 57 to 31 percent. Of those between 40 and 59, support falls to 38 percent, with 48 against. Voters 60 and over -- traditionally a large voting bloc -- strongly oppose the casino with 66 percent against and 25 percent supporting the proposal. The difference between men and women surveyed isn't statistically significant. Men oppose the casino, 51 to 37 percent; women oppose it 52 to 38 percent. A poll released last week by Rhode Island College's Bureau of Government Research and Services showed that 56 percent of likely voters opposed the casino, while 33 percent supported it; 10 percent were undecided. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:31 PM | Comment Update: Chafee, Whitehouse debate on familiar linesA live radio debate this afternoon between the two candidates for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island was largely civil -- and largely repetitive. As he has done for months, Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse did his best to connect his opponent to the Republican Party and President Bush. "We need a new direction in Washington...To change America, we have to change the Senate," Whitehouse said. And as he has done since winning the Republican primary, Sen. Lincoln Chafee downplayed his ties to the GOP, highlighting his character and his ability to work with people from both parties. "Senator Chafee has the guts to make tough decisions," he said. Chafee added that it would work to Rhode Island's advantage to have at least one member of its Congressional delegation be in the party in power. Rhode Island's three other delegates to Congress are Democrats. "Not only have I voted my conscience time and time again, but I’ve also delivered for Rhode Island," Chafee said. The race is being watched nationally as Democrats look to regain the majority in Congress. Chafee did his best to turn the debate to local issues and Whitehouse's actions as a former U.S. attorney in Rhode Island, compared to Whitehouse's repeated efforts to focus on the direction of the country and other national issues such as health care and Iraq. Chafee sharply criticized Whitehouse's record as U.S. attorney, alleging he failed to pursue charges related to political corruption while in office. “Mr. Whitehouse is guilty of willful blindness” in not pursuing an investigation, Chafee said. “He did not want to step on the toes of his friends.” Again and again, Whitehouse focused on the national implications of the election. “The Bush administration has been a disaster for America and a disaster for Rhode Island," Whitehouse said. “We have a chance to put a Democratic Senate in place, and a Democratic Senate can stop the nonsense.” -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Today's debate was held at WHJJ, 920 AM. Radio host Arlene Violet moderated. Whitehouse and Chafee will meet this Thursday night for their first televised debate. The Providence Journal and WPRI-TV, Channel 12, are co-sponsoring the hour-long debate, which will air live from Warwick’s Toll Gate High School at 7 p.m. on WPRI. The general election is Nov. 7, about three weeks away. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:20 PM | Comment Providence man gets 15 years for drug-traffickingPROVIDENCE -- A local man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today after pleading guilty to heroin trafficking and being a felon in possession of a gun. Laron Paschal, 36, of Providence, had at least three prior felony and drug trafficking convictions, which qualified him as an "armed career criminal" under federal law, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Paschal's latest charges came after Providence police stopped his car after observing an apparent drug deal outside the Providence Place mall last November. As Paschal got out of his car, he dropped two bags of heroin, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Police discovered more heroin and some cocaine on his possession after he was arrested. Authorities later found a .357 caliber revolver and a box of .357 caliber ammunition when they searched his home. U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith imposed the sentence today. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:14 PM | Comment Prison for head of Woonsocket temp agencyA federal judge has sentenced a former Woonsocket man to 18 months in prison. His crime: failing to turn over to the government the taxes that he had collected from clients of his Woonsocket-based temporary employment agency. Chuong V. Nguyen, 40, now of Lowell, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on Friday in U.S. District Court, Providence. Sentencing details were posted by U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente. The case had been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigation branch. Nguyen ran a temporary employment agency out of his residence in Woonsocket, the government said. Client companies paid him for each worker he provided – typically between $6.50 and $8.75 per hour. By 2002, he was supplying about 40 workers, primarily Asian immigrants, to various manufacturing companies in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Instead of turning over payroll taxes to the IRS as required by law, Nguyen kept the money and spent much of it on gambling, the government said. Altogether, the government lost $557,180 in withholding taxes that Nguyen should have handed over from 1998 through 2002, the government said. Nguyen must report to prison Nov. 13. When he eventually gets out, he'll have to file amended tax returns, cooperate fully with the IRS, and pay the taxes he owes. He also must refrain from gambling. Posted by Neil Downing at 4:05 PM | Comment Brown students dig into history at country's oldest Baptist churchPROVIDENCE – There’s an archeological dig going on in our own backyard. That’s right. Brown University students and instructors are over at Providence’s First Baptist Church this afternoon excavating seven test pits on the property of the oldest Baptist church in America. They will be there on Mondays throughout the month as part of a new class at the university that allows students first-hand experience with an archeological dig. The class of 18 students has unearthed ceramics, coins, a glass marble and some buttons – some dating to the mid-1800s. The students are enjoying the class, Anthropology 160, which is sponsored by the university’s anthropology department and the Artemis A.W. and Martha Sharp Joukowsky Institute for Archeology and the Ancient World, institute director Susan Alcock said this afternoon. “And the point is not really so much about what they find,” Alcock said. “If they find some nice things, that’s great. But it’s really just about the process of doing it. It’s like cooking. You can read about it and you can talk about it, but until you do it – it really comes into focus then.” -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson The project began within the church community, Alcock said. The minister of religious education at First Baptist Church talked about the possibility of such an archeological dig with the head of the search committee charged with finding the director of the Joukowsky Institute. When Alcock began that job in January, she learned of the idea and contacted the Rev. Michael Burch, she said. “At First Baptist Church, we’ve always had the desire to contribute to undergraduate education at Brown,” Burch said in a news release issued by Brown. “In addition, this dig is an opportunity to increase our knowledge of local culture and history of Providence.” The university would like to continue the class beyond this semester – “whether at the church or elsewhere in the area,” Alcock said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:24 PM | Comment AG's lawsuit claims Johnston violated public records lawJOHNSTON – The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office announced today that it is suing the town of Johnston for violating the state’s Access to Public Records Act, the second such lawsuit Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch has brought against a public entity in nearly four years. Lynch is bringing the lawsuit on behalf of Johnston resident Carmine Perrotti, who filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office in May, alleging that the town never provided him public records he had sought and never responded to his request under the Access to Public Records Act. Lynch's office alleges that the town violated the law by failing to respond to Perrotti’s request for copies of two different contractual agreements and that the town’s violation of the law was “knowing and willful.” Lynch is seeking a civil fine – not only, he said, “to rectify the town’s violation in this case, but also to encourage the town to comply with our Open Government laws in the future and to warn other public bodies that, when warranted, we will litigate these cases aggressively.” -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson and Journal reports After filing papers in Providence County Superior Court, Lynch said in a statement today that the town has not cooperated with his office’s investigation. “These findings result from a review by our Open Government Unit that was made more difficult because the town of Johnston failed to respond to our reasonable requests for information during our investigation,” Lynch said. “The town has failed to respond to our reasonable inquiries in the past, just as they failed to respond to Mr. Perrotti’s reasonable -- and lawful -- request earlier this year. We are left to conclude that the town’s inaction is a willing and knowing violation of our Open Government laws, and that is unacceptable.” The first such lawsuit filed by Lynch’s office was against the town of Barrington, on behalf of Jeff and Janice Black, who ran into roadblocks when asking why their home’s assessment nearly doubled. In July 2005, the town of Barrington admitted – in an unprecedented consent judgment filed in Superior Court -- that it violated the state's open-government laws in the Blacks’ case. The town agreed to pay a $1,500 fine. The judgment also gave the town 30 days to create specific procedures regarding access to public records -- a document all towns are required to have -- and distribute the policy to every public body in town. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:35 PM | Comment Extension deadline for tax filing is tonightIf you obtained an extension of the usual April deadline for filing your federal or Rhode Island income-tax returns, now's the time to fess up. The automatic extension postponed the deadline for only six months. So your new filing deadline is midnight tonight. The Internal Revenue Service has forms and publications available. So does the Rhode Island Division of Taxation. (If you're eligible, you may prepare and file your federal return online at no charge, through the IRS Free File program.) Posted by Neil Downing at 2:32 PM | Comment Citizens investment sales arm fined $850,000The securities industry's self-regulatory body announced today it has fined the investment sales arm of Citizens Bank $850,000 for a series of violations stemming from its sale of variable annuities and 529 college savings plans. The National Association of Securities Dealers cited CCO Investment Services Corp. for violating regulations relating to supervision, record-keeping and telemarketing, among other practices. "This bank-affiliated firm missed the mark with regard to several important requirements, including some that impacted retirees -- an especially vulnerable group for whom NASD rules, the federal securities laws, and the telemarketing laws provide valuable protections," NASD executive vice president and head of enforcement James S. Shorris said in a statement. The fine by NASD follows earlier fines and penalties of $3.8 million imposed by regulators in Rhode Island and Massachusetts over variable annuity sales by Citizens brokers to elderly customers. Posted by at 1:57 PM | Comment Update: Vacant building at Rocky Point burns to ground / VideoWARWICK -- The former main office building at the old Rocky Point amusement park burned to the ground this morning in a spectacular fire that sent large plumes of smoke high into the air that were visible for miles. The building, known as the Cliff House, was unoccupied, according to the Warwick Fire Department, which has about 25 firefighters at the two-alarm blaze. No injuries have been reported. Shortly after 1 p.m., a pale-gray plume of smoke still towered abve Narragansett Bay, and flames were still active at the scene. Firefighters successfully kept the large fire from spreading. The wood-frame two-and-one-half-story building, located on a hill, is one of about 25 vacant structures -- most spray-painted and vandalized -- in the area. The 124-acre parcel is slated for redevelopment, though the owner, the federal Small Business Administration, is still in negotiations regarding the size of the condominium development. In September 2004, a suspicious fire destroyed The Big House at the park. The building had housed the cooks and other staff members when the park was operating. The park opened in 1847, and for more than 100 years was one of America's greatest and most famous amusement parks. It was nearly destroyed in the hurricane of 1938, but the park was rebuilt with new rides and enjoyed a renaissance. The park closed in 1995. Video, courtesy of wpri.com: See an aerial view of the fire at the park. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:54 PM | Comment Chief Thomas, Almond debate casino proposal on radio todayEAST PROVIDENCE -- The voices of the casino debate will be broadcast this afternoon when Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and former Gov. Lincoln Almond debate the merits of the proposal on live radio. The leaders of each side will meet in the East Providence studio of WPRO 630 AM, where radio host Dan Yorke will moderate the hour-long debate. Almond heads the anti-casino group Save Our State, while Thomas's tribe has partnered with Harrah's Entertainment to sponsor the proposed casino in West Warwick. The issue will appear as Question 1 on the ballot in the Nov. 7 general election. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:48 PM | Comment Senate candidates to debate today on live radioThe candidates in Rhode Island's high-profile U.S. Senate race will meet this afternoon for their second debate, three days after they first traded public barbs in a spirited clash on live radio. The Democratic candidate, Sheldon Whitehouse, is trying to unseat U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee. The race is being watched nationally as Democrats look to regain the majority in Congress. Today's live radio debate is scheduled for 4 p.m. on WHJJ, 920 AM. Radio host Arlene Violet will moderate. Whitehouse and Chafee will meet this Thursday night for their first televised debate. The general election is Nov. 7, about three weeks away. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:10 PM | Comment Gas prices down for 11th consecutive weekGas prices in Rhode Island are at their lowest in eight months, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for regular unleaded self-serve gasoline last week was $2.21 per gallon, which is nearly the lowest price of the year, according to a AAA survey released this morning. Last February the average price in the state was $2.19; last year at this time the price was $2.71. AAA found a range in prices of 20 cents at various gas stations -- from a low of $2.15 to a high of $2.35. Customers are encouraged to shop around to find the best deal. Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:32 AM | Comment Civil rights activist to speak in favor of felon voting rightsPROVIDENCE -- A civil and human rights activist, minister and retired Congressman who worked with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus will speak today in favor of restoring voting rights to Rhode Islanders on probation or parole. The Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy will speak at noon at the Rhode Island Right to Vote Campaign Headquarters, at 841 Broad St. The Right to Vote campaign is working to promote the passage of Ballot Question 2 – which would amend the state Constitution to allow felons to vote upon release from prison. “We are honored and pleased that Reverend Fauntroy has joined with us in Rhode Island to spread the word to all members of all faith communities that passing Ballot Question 2 will be as historic for Rhode Island as the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s were for Southern states,” said the Rev. Jeffery Williams, campaign manager of the Rhode Island Right to Vote movement and senior pastor of the Cathedral of Life Christian Assembly, in a statement. “Our civil rights struggles continue to this day, and we hope that everyone recognizes the need to continue to work for justice and equality. Voting yes on Ballot Question 2 on Nov. 7 is an important step toward achieving that justice and equality.” Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:26 AM | Comment Providence firm, partner to buy software makerA Providence-based private equity firm is one of two groups that have agreed to purchase the Glastonbury, Connecticut-based Open Solutions Inc. for about $1.3 billion as buyout firms increase their takeovers of technology companies. Providence Equity Partners Inc. and Carlyle Group, two U.S. buyout firms, will acquire the Open Solutions, which makes software for financial-services companies, for $35 a share, 25 percent more than the stock’s closing price on Friday. The deal will include takeover of the company’s debt as well. “We intend to support the continued growth and expansion of Open Solutions with aggressive investment in internal research and development, customer service and complementary acquisitions,” Carlyle Managing Director Bud Watts said in a statement. -- Bloomberg News and Journal reports Open Solutions’ management, led by Chief Executive Officer Louis Hernandez, is participating in the buyout, according to a statement issued today. The transaction follows last year’s $11.4 billion takeover of Sungard Data Systems Inc., which like Open Solutions provides software for financial-services companies, by a group of seven buyout firms. The buyout firms are targeting software companies because their maintenance contracts generate stable revenue. More than three quarters of Open Solutions’ sales are recurring. Providence Equity Partners was one of a number of investors named last month who plan to acquire Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. for $12.3 billion, a deal that must still pass regulatory approval. The Providence group also led the investor group that bought Kerzner International Ltd., part owner of the Lincoln Park video slots venue. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:22 AM | Comment Providence police investigating home invasionsPROVIDENCE – The police today are investigating two home invasions and an unrelated stabbing yesterday that left two men hospitalized. No arrests have been made in connection with any of the incidents, Capt. Hugh Clements said this morning. The stabbing occurred downtown after a large disturbance around 2 a.m. yesterday at the nightclub Bar One, at 1 Throop Alley, Clements said. Weapons were drawn as a group of men argued. One man was stabbed in the chest and upper abdomen with a knife. He was initially in critical condition, but his condition has now stabilized, Clements said. The other man was stabbed in the right side of his torso and is in stable condition. Both are at Rhode Island Hospital, Clements said. Last night, around 10:30 p.m., a few men wearing hoodies and dark clothing entered 150 New York Ave. in Washington Park with a shotgun and a handgun. They ran away with numerous items, according to Clements. In an earlier home invasion, five men wearing masks and hoodies kicked in the rear door to an apartment at 644 Douglas Ave. in the Wanskuck neighborhood around 1:45 a.m. yesterday, firing one shot from a shotgun to gain entrance, Clements said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:49 AM | Comment Candidates to discuss health care today at forumIf you’re interested in what the major party candidates for Rhode Island's U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats and for governor and lieutenant governor think about health care issues in Rhode Island, head over to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 10 a.m. today. The candidates plan to discuss their ideas for expanding health insurance to cover more Rhode Islanders and the role that health centers play in providing care to the state’s growing uninsured population. They’ll speak at a forum that’s part of the Rhode Island Health Center Association’s annual meeting. The 90-minute forum is free and open to the public. It will be held in Salon 3-5. RIHCA is a health care advocacy and membership organization, representing the 12 community health centers that provide care to 10 percent of the state's population (more than 135,000 people). Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:59 AM | Comment Enjoy the sunshine while it lastsPROVIDENCE – Even if you think it’s a bit chilly today, enjoy the sun. This is the only day this work week that doesn’t have showers or at least the chance of them on the horizon. At 6:35 a.m. today, it was only 30 degrees. Thankfully, that won’t last all day. It should rise to about 62 today. The rest of the week will be in the high 50s or low 60s, with rain, rain and more rain – a 30 percent chance of showers tomorrow during the day, a 90 percent chance of rain tomorrow night and a 90 percent chance of heavy rain Wednesday during the day. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:03 AM | Comment October 13, 2006Disney holding casting call tomorrow in WarwickWARWICK -- Are you a tough-looking guy? A teenage girl? A woman older than 75? If so, you have a chance to appear in an upcoming Walt Disney Pictures movie, which is due to start filming in Newport at the end of the month. The studio is holding an open casting call tomorrow in Warwick for "featured background performers" for the movie, Dan in Real Life. Disney is looking for a wide variety of people, according to an announcement released earlier in the week. The studio wants "tough looking guys, college guys, teen girls," and women older than 75. It's also looking for photo doubles and stand-ins for several actors. Disney suggests checking the Internet Movie Database to learn more about the actors. The casting call is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1473 Warwick Ave. People should bring a picture of themselves that Disney can keep. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:02 PM | Comment Sharp words kick off Chafee-Whitehouse debate / Photo
EAST PROVIDENCE -- The first debate between the two candidates for U.S. Senate got off to a contentious start this afternoon. Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse began the debate by talking over each other. Chafee accused Whitehouse of being an ineffective state attorney general and turning a blind eye to corruption. Whitehouse says Chafee is going negative because he has had few accomplishments. The live, hour-long radio debate started at 4 p.m. on WPRO. Both candidates are critical of the war in Iraq, support legalizing gay marriage and oppose tax cuts for the rich. So instead, the campaigns have focused largely on party. Whitehouse has asked whether voters in this heavily Democratic state want a Senate dominated by Republicans. Chafee argues that his conscience guides his votes, not GOP leaders. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:55 PM | Comment Update: Rudy Giuliani speaks to 'first responders' / Photo
Giuliani, who held office at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, was in town on behalf of fellow Republican Governor Carcieri's re-election campaign. “We are honored to have Rudy Giuliani in Rhode Island to discuss critical homeland security issues,” Carcieri said in a statement. “Mayor Giuliani obviously has unparalleled experience in protecting America’s homeland. I believe he can impart some important insights to Rhode Island’s first responders and to our citizens.” Giuliani appeared at a luncheon fundraiser for Governor Carcieri earlier in the day. Carcieri is battling the Democratic candidate, Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, in the contest for the state's top elected official. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:47 PM | Comment Update: Victim of barroom fight ID'd as Providence man
PROVIDENCE – The police have identified the man killed early this morning after a bar fight in the Elmwood neighborhood. David De La Rosa Ruiz, 36, of Providence, was found in the middle of Public Street lying in a pool of blood when authorities responded to the Comfort Zone nightclub at 702-704 Public St., according to police Capt. Hugh Clements. Authorities have not yet determined how Ruiz was killed but say the murder was connected to a fight in the barroom of the nightclub around the 1 a.m. closing time. No one has been arrested at this point, and the police continue to interview others in the nightclub last night, Clements said. The state Medical Examiner’s Office was to have conducted an autopsy on the body this morning, Clements said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:05 PM | Comment Cranston post office to be dedicated to Holly CharetteCRANSTON -- The United State Postal Service expects several hundred people, including all the state's senators and congressmen, to attend a ceremony this Sunday to dedicate a post office in Cranston to Lance Cpl. Holly A. Charette. The 21-year-old Marine was killed in June 2005 in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. At least 150 Marines are expected to attend Sunday's dedication, including several who served with Charette, according to Christine Dugas, a postal service spokeswoman. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at 57 Rolfe Street. Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:14 PM | Comment Update: Fight outside Pawtucket methadone clinic ends in stabbing deathPAWTUCKET – A Pawtucket man was stabbed to death today after an early-morning fight outside a methadone-maintenance clinic that began when the victim stood up on the behalf of a woman who tried to get back in line. The police are charging John M. Duffy, 30, of 3 Sailor Lane, Norton, Mass. with first-degree murder in the death of Ronald R. Leone, 32, of 23 Lucas St., Pawtucket. Duffy was arrested within minutes of the stabbing, according to police Maj. John J. Whiting. He was arraigned this afternoon and ordered held at the Adult Correctional Institutions without bail pending a hearing later in the month. The police received a 911 call around 5:50 a.m., Whiting said, from a woman who had accompanied Leone to the Addiction Recovery Institute this morning. Several people were lined up outside the clinic waiting to receive a dose of methadone -- a drug used to wean addicts off heroin -- when a fight broke out. A woman, who stepped out of line, then tried to reclaim her spot. Leone stood up for her. Duffy objected, Whiting said. The men began to fight, moving from the line down into the street. Whiting alleged that Duffy stabbed Leone in the head and side. Leone was pronounced dead a short time later. -- Journal staff writers John Castellucci and Tatiana Pina and projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:47 PM | Comment U.S. attorney: Corruption probe now 'bigger and more active'PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente said this afternoon that following today's conviction of two former Roger Williams Medical Center executives, the government will expand its investigation into allegations of public corruption in Rhode Island and that more officials and companies could be implicated. "There was a good deal of testimony of our dealing with other companies and with other members of the General Assembly," Corrented said in an afternoon news conference. "In January, I told you this was a big investigation that was extremely active. It is now even bigger and more active." He said he gave his staff the rest of today off given the convictions of former Roger Williams head Robert Urciuoli and former vice president Frances Driscoll. They and a third defendant had been accused of abusing the honest services of former state Sen. John Celona. "But Monday morning our work will continue on all fronts, full speed ahead," he said. Corrente refused to name the other companies or individuals being investigated. Read the related story on the convictions. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:56 PM | Comment Man shot in Providence's Mount Hope neighborhoodPROVIDENCE -- A man was shot just before noon today at Camp and Cypress streets in the Mount Hope neighborhood. Police at the scene called the Providence Fire Department at 11:59 a.m. for rescue assistance. The fire crew took the man, who was shot in the buttocks, to Rhode Island Hospital, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. More details were not yet available. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:12 PM | Comment Update: Motiva dock reopensPROVIDENCE --The Motiva dock at the Port of Providence is unloading its first fuel shipment since a major fire in July. The terminal, owned by Motiva Enterprises, has been undergoing repairs since a fire erupted about three months ago while a Danish tanker was unloading gasoline during a thunderstorm. Company officials said this afternoon that a barge had begun unloading 5 million gallons of gasoline. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:40 PM | Comment Update: Urciuoli, Driscoll convicted in hospital corruption case / Photo
Former hospital president Robert A. Urciuoli has been found guilty on most counts, including conspiracy, Peter J. Sangermano was found not guilty on all counts and Frances P. Driscoll was found guilty of one count of mail fraud and not guilty of conspiracy. The three had been charged with concealing the true work of former state Sen. John Celona – using his political muscle to further the hospital’s ends. Urciuoli and Driscoll were both freed on bail, pending their sentencing, scheduled for March 9, 2007. Michael Connolly, one of Urciuoli's lawyers, said, "We respectfully but vigorously disagree with the verdict. We're anxious to apply to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals to have this overturned. We are all extremely disappointed.'' Urciuoli had no comment. Outside court, Driscoll's lawyer Kevin Bristow said: "Fran is just devasted." He went on to say that "it's incomprehensible to us how the jury came to that verdict." Sangermano's lawyer, John Pappalardo, called the prosecution "flawed." Asked what Sangermano will do next, his lawyer said, "What he's always done." When asked what that was, Pappalardo replied, "Conduct himself appropriately." Both Sangermano and his wife, Diane, appeared with their lawyer outside court. Urciuoli came out next, and Driscoll appeared last. It was announced shortly after 11 a.m. that the verdict was coming in. It was read at 11:50 a.m., and the jury was dismissed just past noon. A press conference will be held by the U.S. Attorney's Office at 3 p.m. Get more details, updates here. Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:40 PM | Comment It's Friday the 13th; Are you scared or overly enthused?If you’ve got triskaidekaphobia or triskaidekamania, today’s your day. Fear it or love it, it’s Friday the 13th, the second such day in 2006. [The last one this year was in January.] Your turn: Do you fear Friday the 13th? Some people may be avoiding signing contracts today, eating dinner with 13 folks around a table or otherwise doing something they believe could bring them bad luck. What about you? Test your phobia knowledge in this online quiz. Steeped in history and mythology, Friday the 13th has long been considered an unlucky day – by many Christians because Friday was the day Jesus was crucified and 13 was the number of people at The Last Supper. In Norse Mythology, the evil god Loki caused the death of Balder – the god of light, joy and reconciliation – after Loki was not invited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, the banquet hall of the gods. While there’s plenty of fear and superstition associated with the day and the number 13 in general – which is known as triskaidekaphobia, others are popularizing the term triskaidekamania, or the excessive enthusiasm for the number 13. At Brown University in Providence, a longstanding tradition continues. Today is “Carberry Day,” named for Josiah S. Carberry, the fictional professor of psychoceramics (the equally fictional study of cracked pots). Ever since the university received an anonymous gift of $101.01 on Friday, May 13, 1955, for the professor’s “future late wife,” Brown folks have donated loose change in various brown jugs around campus to buy books that Carberry “might or might not approve of.” Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:11 AM | Comment Cool today with a frost advisory on the wayPROVIDENCE – It’s colder, and the days are getting shorter, that’s for sure. Now we also have to worry about frost, so if you have any last-minute gardening that needs to be done, get out there this afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for much of coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Narragansett Bay but not Block Island or Nantucket. In effect from midnight tonight to 8 a.m. tomorrow, a frost advisory means frost is expected to develop during the growing season. Be advised to harvest or protect tender vegetation and to protect potted plants normally kept outside by covering them or bringing them inside away from the cold. Aside from the frost worries, it’s just a chilly day today. It’s currently about 39 degrees and expected to rise to 60 degrees later today – the warmest predicted temperature for the next five days. For more weather and updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment October 12, 2006Man charged with felony assault after downtown fightPROVIDENCE – A 28-year-old man is charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana after an early-morning fight downtown that left two men injured. As patrol officers stopped their car and responded to a fight they observed at 1:48 a.m. this morning at Weybosset and Clemence streets, they saw a man get out of a red van, run toward the fight with a bottle in his hand and assault a man, according to a police report. Police caught the man with the bottle, later identified as Thomas J. Jeffreys, of 65 Broadway St. #4 in Taunton, Mass. Those involved with the fight, including the man Jeffreys allegedly assaulted, began to flee, the police said. They later found a man identified in the police report by two different spellings -- Samuel Rodrigues and Samuel Rodriquez, 18, of 188 School St. in Taunton, Mass. – bleeding in the front seat of Jeffreys’ van. He had been stabbed with a sharp object in the right rib cage area and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where a hospital spokeswoman said he was in good condition this afternoon. The police later found another victim at Pine and Garnett streets with a cut on the left side of his face. Sean Nelson, 18, of 26 Highland St. in Taunton, was treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Nancy Cawley said this afternoon. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:02 PM | Comment Family: No word yet from runaway momSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The mother of four who hopped a flight to Las Vegas after vanishing from her family's campsite Sunday still has not been in touch, leaving her relatives mystified and distressed. "We haven’t heard a thing,’’ said Roseanne Henry, mother of Bonnie Fernandes. Fernandes’s disappearance from Worden Pond Family Campground sparked a massive search over the holiday weekend. The effort was called off late Monday when police learned the 36-year-old stay-at-home mother had spent Sunday night at the National Hotel on Block Island. On Tuesday, she caught a 6 a.m. flight to Las Vegas. "Until she contacts somebody, there’s nothing we can do,’’ said Maureen Cabral, her aunt. Fernandes, of Ludlow, Mass., had lived with her aunt in Easthampton, Mass., for a while while growing up. Family members have decided against trying to track her down in Las Vegas. "It’s a big place. Nevada’s a big state,’’ Henry said. Her sister has even offered to pay for her flight back to the East Coast, she said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:44 PM | Comment R.I. companies share in record-high DowIt was a good day for Wall Street -- and for some publicly traded Rhode Island companies. The Dow set a record high today after closing up 95 points at 11,947.70. Stocks rallied after several major companies, including McDonald's Corp., Costco Wholesale Corp., and motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. reported earnings that topped estimates. Various Rhode Island companies joined the fun, including the Journal Register Co., which gained 11.5 percent; Kopin Corp., up 6 percent; LIN TV, up 4 percent, and KVH Industries Inc., up 3.7 percent. See a full list of Rhode Island's Impact 50 companies. And check any stock quote on projo.com's market report. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment Hope cook's recipe wins national competition
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl Gina Marino of Hope won a cook-off Wednesday at the Culinary Marino edged out Lisa Patrin of Chanhassen, Minn., and Andrea Laguna of Los Angeles, Calif., after the three judges -- Emmy-winning chef Michael Chiarello, Bon Appétit contributing editor Mara Papatheodorou, and Sargento Marino will now have her collection of cheese recipes published as a cookbook. -- Journal Food Editor Gail Ciampa Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:29 PM | Comment Roger Williams jury again fails to reach a verdictPROVIDENCE – The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has been dismissed after the sixth day of deliberations without a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., according to Thomas Connell, spokesman in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Providence. Former hospital president Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:28 PM | Comment Fidelity marks start of expansion in Smithfield
State officials, including Governor Carcieri, were scheduled to attend a ground-breaking ceremony this afternoon at the Fidelity Investments campus in Smithfield. The event will mark the start of construction of a third building on the Fidelity campus. The new building is being constructed as the company brings 1,000 workers to Rhode Island. The company is taking advantage of tax breaks approved by the General Assembly in the state's efforts to lure more Fidelity jobs to the state. Posted by at 1:21 PM | Comment Update: Conn. man charged with DUI in Smithfield crashSMITHFIELD – A 20-year-old Fairfield, Conn. man was arraigned this morning on a felony count of driving under the influence, serious injury resulting, in connection with a three-car crash late last night on Douglas Pike. One woman is in critical, but stable, condition. Joshua Lipton, who received minor injuries in the crash near Lydia Ann Road, was arraigned before Judge Michael Higgins, and bail was set at $25,000 with surety, pending an appearance in Superior Court. Jade R. Combies, 20, of Lincoln, the driver one of the other cars, is in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital. She was trapped and had to be freed from the car by members of the Smithfield Fire Department. Four other people suffered minor injuries in the accident, which happened at about 10:50 p.m. in heavy rain, the police said. -- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Kate Bramson Combies’ passenger, Amber Rocha, 23, of Woonsocket, was treated for minor injuries at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence and was released. Two passengers in Lipton’s car received minor injuries but refused medical treatment. The police identified them as Kimberly Dragon, 20, of Ludlow, Mass., and Timothy Frame, 21, of North Haven, Conn. The passenger of the third vehicle involved in the crash was also treated for minor injuries at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and was released. The police identified him as Douglas Fowler, 22, of Cranston. He was alone in his vehicle. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:58 PM | Comment Update: Station fire jurors' questionnaire releasedThe Providence Journal may see a copy of the blank questionnaires that prospective jurors for the trial of Station nightclub owner Michael A. Derderian completed before the parties reached a plea agreement last month. However, The Journal will not see the completed questionnaires, Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. has ruled. His decision was filed this morning in Superior Court. The questionnaire was released shortly after the ruling. Its first question: "Did anyone you know, or with whom you were acquainted, die or become injured in the Station fire?" The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the West Warwick nightclub killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others. The Journal had sought the release of the questionnaires answered by 421 prospective jurors, arguing that jury selection is an open process protected by law. The office of Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected to releasing the 32-page questionnaires, saying the release would violate the privacy of the prospective jurors. See the blank questionnaire, and read the 21-page judge's decision. (Both in PDF format, wait for download.) Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:55 PM | Comment Woman, 19, arrested after baby found in clothes hamperWEST WARWICK -- A 19-year-old woman has been arrested after police found her baby wrapped in a towel stuffed in a clothes hamper at the woman's apartment, according to a press release issued today. The baby, who was in good health, was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital, where the Department of Children, Youth & Families took custody of the child. The woman -- whose name was listed as both Ivana Brooks and Ivena Brooks in the press release -- was charged with cruelty to or neglect of a child and arraigned in Family Court yesterday. The police learned of Brooks after she came to the Kent Hospital emergency room and staffers found she was suffering from post-pregnancy complications. Brooks denied giving birth, according to the release. The hospital staff called the police, who searched Brooks' apartment yesterday and found the baby in the clothes hamper, the release states. She is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston on $10,000 bail. The police have not immediately returned phone calls to confirm the spelling of the woman's name or provide more details. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:30 PM | Comment Providence firefighters put out fire on Hugo StreetPROVIDENCE – A kitchen fire on the first floor of a 2.5-story house at 70 Hugo St. has been knocked down.
Everyone got out of the home safely, Taylor said. The fire was reported at 11:53 a.m. Fire crews have shut off the electricity and utilities into the home, Taylor said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:16 PM | Comment Pumpkins replace pitches at McCoyPAWTUCKET – More than 5,000 illuminated pumpkins make their debut tonight at McCoy Stadium, where the Citizens Bank Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns to Rhode Island and remains nightly through Halloween. The stadium has been transformed into a true “field of dreams” for the event, Pawtucket Red Sox President Mike Tamburro said. The ball field has been decorated with corn stalks and hay bales, in addition to 150,000 pounds of hand-carved pumpkins. A team of professional pumpkin carvers has spent the past six weeks carving intricate portraits and scenes on hundreds of pumpkins, as well as traditional jack-o’-lantern patterns on thousands of others. This year’s theme is a time line, tracing the history of baseball from the mid-1800s — when the game was introduced — through the Red Sox and Yankees teams of today, according to the show’s creators, John and Travis Reckner of Oxford, Mass. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular opens at 6 p.m. each night and closes at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 10 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $7.50 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are free. Citizens Bank is offering coupons for $1 off the admission price. Group rates are available. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:10 AM | Comment Illinois Sen. Obama visits R.I., stumps for WhitehousePROVIDENCE – U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, will deliver the Gov. Frank Licht Lecture at 9 p.m. tonight at Brown University, an event that is free and open to the public. “An Evening with Barack Obama” is sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions. The lecture will be in Room 101 of the Salomon Center for Teaching. Obama also will be featured in two campaign fundraisers today for Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee. Obama will be at a fundraiser rally at the Rhode Island College Recreation Center, at 5:30 p.m., and then at a $1,000 Whitehouse and Democratic Party fundraiser at the home of Providence lawyer Jack McConnell. -- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:05 AM | Comment Deliberations in hospital corruption trial to enter 6th dayPROVIDENCE — A U.S. District Court jury will begin its sixth day of deliberations this morning in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption trial. Jurors worked on the case for more than six hours yesterday before Chief Judge Ernest C. Torres dismissed them about 4 p.m. They had deliberated in a private room on the second floor of the courthouse on Kennedy Plaza. No questions were posed to Torres so there was no indication that there were major obstacles that the jury was dealing with to decide the fate of Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll and Peter J. Sangermano Jr. Urciuoli, the former president of Roger Williams, is accused in a 38-count indictment of conspiring with Driscoll, a former hospital executive, and Sangermano, a partner in the hospital’s assisted-living center, to steal the honest services of a former North Providence state senator and of committing mail fraud. The ex-legislator, John Celona, was hired in 1988 as a consultant to the assisted-living center, The Village at Elmhurst, and was paid $257,000 over the next six years. Celona, who has admitted his guilt, was the government’s key cooperating witness. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:03 AM | Comment Showers should clear out by noonA chance of showers continues until noon today, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight should bring mostly clear skies and a low of 44 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 11, 2006Slain Providence teen's father thanks police, prosecutors / Photo
PROVIDENCE – The father of teenage murder victim Errol J. Clinton today publicly thanked the police and the Attorney General’s Office for swiftly bringing to justice his son’s killer. “One thing that kept me going was knowing that the Providence Police Department was doing everything they could,” declared Julius Clinton, of Glenham Street in South Providence. Errol Clinton, 16, was shot dead in July 2005 as he tried to scramble away from a fight outside a house party at a triple-decker on a dead-end street in Elmwood. Julius Clinton, the father of five living children, said it was remarkable that the killer, Eddie Gonzalez, pleaded no contest to a second-degree murder charge only 14 months after the shooting. Gonzalez was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 33 years to serve, Some murders are never solved, he pointed out. “Let Rhode Island know that they have good cops,” Clinton said at a brief thank-you ceremony in the auditorium of the Public Safety Complex. “I know from now on that I can rely on the Providence Police Department.” -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:45 PM | Comment Update: Handyman accused in elderly woman's kidnapWARWICK -- A handyman with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with robbing, assaulting and briefly kidnapping an 82-year-old woman who was a former client, the police said. Frederick A. Fain, 46, was arrested at his Elmwood Avenue apartment and charged with multiple felonies, including breaking and entering, burglary and kidnapping. The police allege Fain broke into former client Joyce MacLeod’s Jennie Lane home around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. She alerted the police around 10 p.m. when she returned from work and discovered missing computer and stereo equipment, according to police Captain Michael J. Babula. As detectives investigated the thefts, Fain allegedly forced his way into a second house, on nearby Farmland Road, and used tape to bind the hands of 82-year-old Doris Soder and cover her eyes, the police said. Babula said Fain repeatedly punched Soder as he robbed her home. He then dragged her into his truck, drove to an ATM and forced her to hand over her ATM card and pin number, the police said. After withdrawing money, he drove her to a nearby side street, where he left her bound and beaten on the curbside, the police said. “This is an unusually egregious, violent crime against an elderly woman who was robbed and terrorized,” Babula said. Fain was arraigned at Kent County District Court this morning and was ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions by Judge Stephen Erickson. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:27 PM | Comment Inspection at registry turns up fire code violationsPAWTUCKET -- An inspection today of the space leased by the Registry of Motor Vehicles in the Apex building turned up an unspecified number of fire code violations but nothing warranting an immediate shutdown of the registry. “They did the inspection. It lasted an hour and a half to two hours,” State Fire Marshal George S. Farrell said late today. “My guys came back and said there was nothing that was an immediate danger.” Farrell declined to detail the violations in the meantime. In January 2005, a Registry employee who works in the Apex building testified at a union grievance hearing that “there have been ongoing issues with fire code compliance.” Cheryl Maggiacomo said the issues included inadequate electrical outlets and a non-existent evacuation plan. Hearing Officer David E. Carpenter denied the grievance, noting that the Apex building has a sprinkler system and the state “has made every reasonable effort to provide and maintain safe working conditions for its employees.” -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci The grievance went to arbitration, in the course of which the union -- Council 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- discovered that the temporary certificate of occupancy issued for the Registry had expired. This morning’s inspection of the Apex building was scheduled after union officials contacted the state Fire Marshal’s Office to express concern. The Registry moved to the Apex building in January 2004, after a cold snap caused some pipes to burst in its prior building, at 286 Main St. The move was supposed to be temporary while the Registry searched for a new home. But several lease deals fell through and a bond that would have authorized the Department of Administration to spend $9 million renovating a building in the Pastore Center in Cranston for the Registry was defeated at the polls. Department of Administration officials now say they hope to resurrect the plan, obtaining $14 million from the General Assembly to renovate the Aimes Forand building on New London Avenue. In the meantime, the plan is to remain in the Apex building, where the Registry has been operating on a month-to-month lease with the Apex Development Corp. On Tuesday, the state Properties Committee authorized Associate DOA Director Brian Peterson and John Ryan, deputy chief for property management, to enter into negotiations with Apex for a two-year lease.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:15 PM | Comment W. Warwick releases host agreement with Harrah'sThe town of West Warwick today released the details of the highly guarded host agreement with Harrah's, the entertainment gaming company that has partnered with the Narragansett Indian tribe to build a casino in West Warwick. The host agreement has been hammered out in Town Council executive sessions for months, culminating in the 75-page document released today. Bottom line: The town will receive $300,000 regardless of whether the proposed casino amendment to the state Constitution is passed by voters this November or not. Harrah's will also pay for the additional public safety personnel and equipment necessary to adequately protect the building. The host agreement also provides for $750,000 to offset possible residential property value loss for residents near the casino. The town is still working out language to define who will be eligible for the compensatory funds. Read the 75-page host agreement here (PDF document, wait for download). -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:58 PM | Comment Study: A scale could be a dieter's strongest allyA Rhode Island researcher has developed a method that helps people to keep off the weight they’ve lost, always the hardest part of weight control. The cornerstone of the program is doing something that many dieters have been advised against -- weighing oneself every day. Other key aspects are responding quickly to even small weight gains, and getting support from others. In a study being published tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine, about half the program’s participants -- who had lost an average of 42 pounds before enrolling -- succeeded in maintaining their weight within five pounds over 18 months, compared with just over a quarter of those who didn’t participate. Participants received encouragement and information – either in meetings or on the Internet -- and those who received that help face-to-face were more likely to maintain their weight. “We know how to get people to lose weight. We don’t know how to get them to keep it off,” said Rena R. Wing, the study’s lead author. “This worked. This is one of the very few efforts to improve maintenance where we really were successful.”
Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:00 PM | Comment No verdict for fifth day in hospital corruption casePROVIDENCE – A fifth day has gone by without a verdict in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case. The jury adjourned late this afternoon, and deliberations will continue tomorrow morning at 9:30, according to Thomas Connell, spokesman in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Providence. Former hospital president Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:31 PM | Comment R.I. police get $300,000 for bulletproof vestsTwenty-four Rhode Island police departments have received almost $300,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice to help buy 1,163 bulletproof vests. The city of Providence has received the most, with $78,000, according to U.S. Senator Jack Reed’s office, which announced the grants today. The federal money has been awarded under the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, which is designed to help save the lives of police officers. Reed co-sponsored legislation in 2000 that authorized $50 million per year for the program, and he co-sponsored a bill in 2003 to extend the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act through 2007, according to his office. The program pays up to 50 percent of the cost for state, local and tribal governments to equip their officers with bulletproof vests. The following police departments received grants through the program: Providence: $78,000.00 East Providence: $36,000.00 Rhode Island: $21,844.93 Johnston: $20,250.00 Middletown: $17,850.00 Woonsocket: $16,800.00 Cranston: $15,675.00 Newport: $13,950.42 Westerly: $11,865.00 Portsmouth: $11,750.00 East Greenwich: $9,000.00 Pawtucket: $8,280.00 Coventry: $6,400.00 Barrington: $6,000.00 Scituate: $4,950.00 South Kingstown: $4,100.00 Smithfield: $3,520.00 West Warwick: $3,490.00 West Greenwich: $3,350.00 North Providence: $2,012.50 Glocester: $1,600.00 Lincoln: $1,500.00 Bristol: $952.50 Foster: $618.00 Total: $299,758.35 Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:20 PM | Comment Update: Package at Providence water board no problemPROVIDENCE -- A suspicious package that prompted an evacuation of the Providence Water Supply Board this morning has turned out to be nothing dangerous. Despite an earlier report from the Fire Department that La Salle Academy was also evacuated because the package was found near a fuel tank between the school and the water offices, students and teachers were not ordered to leave the building, said LaSalle’s vice principal of student life, Edward Cronan. The city's bomb squad X-rayed the package and determined at 1:23 p.m. that all was OK for water board employees to return to the offices at 552 Academy Ave., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Fire Department. They were evacuated shortly before noon. Before the bomb squad began checking on the package, the police reported at 12:09 p.m. that they would evacuate the school, Taylor said. However, the students were not evacuated, Cronan said. The Fire Department told school officials that “everything was fine, so we just dismissed at the regular time,” Cronan said shortly after the school's 1:30 p.m. dismissal. Taylor said that a vice principal at the school would not allow any students to exit out of the south side of the building. After today’s dismissal, the president of the school, Brother Michael McKenery, said school officials were asked to lock the LaSalle parking lot earlier in the day, and they did so. They were aware of activity in the water supply board’s parking lot next door, but did not know details, Mc Kenery said. The school would have kept students later than their typical dismissal time if the problem next door had not been solved, Mc Kenery said. projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Jack Perry at 2:45 PM | Comment Limited seating open for Chafee-Whitehouse debatePROVIDENCE -- Limited seating to the live, televised senatorial debate on Oct. 19 between Republican incumbent Lincoln D. Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse became available today for the general public. The Providence Journal and WPRI 12 are co-sponsoring the hourlong debate, which will air live from Warwick’s Toll Gate High School at 7 p.m. on WPRI. Rhode Island voters can register to attend by e-mailing their full names, addresses and daytime phone numbers to debates06@projo.com by noon next Monday. There is a limit of two names per request. Registrants will be notified on Tuesday. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:46 PM | Comment Tobacco company to stop selling flavored cigs in U.S.RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company has agreed to a stop selling candy, fruit and alcohol-flavored cigarettes in the United States, according to a deal announced today between the tobacco giant and 38 states, including Rhode Island. The states argued that the specialized cigarettes were aimed at underage smokers in violation of the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which prohibits tobacco companies from targeting young people in advertising and marketing. RJ Reynolds manufactures various cigarette brands, such as Camel, Salem, Vantage and Winston. "With smoking leading the pack as the cause of preventable deaths in our nation, the manufacturing and marketing of cigarettes aimed at capturing teenagers and even children as users of a product that can be deadly is unconscionable," Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said today in a statement. The states argued that the company targeted young people by using certain kinds of advertising and packaging with graphics, fonts, colors and styles. The states also cited the use of "scratch and sniff" and "lift and sniff" promotional cards scented with sweet, candy aromas, but lacking any scent of tobacco. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:44 PM | Comment Update: Exeter man accused of soliciting girls on MySpaceA 48-year-old Exeter man allowed to have marijuana under the state's new medical marijuana law is accused of soliciting teenage girls on the popular Web site myspace.com and smoking marijuana with them, police said today. Steven Trimarco, a resident of the Split Rock Trailer Park at 480 South County Trail, has been charged with 19 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, cultivation of marijuana, and multiple counts of possession of firearms and a silencer. The North Kingstown Police Department began investigating Trimarco after receiving information that he was meeting female teenagers online and was arranging to drive around with them to smoke marijuana, according to a press release from the North Kingstown Police and the state police. The police allege that at least five North Kingstown girls, ages 13 through 15, smoked marijuana with Trimarco more than one time. They allege that several of the girls went to Trimarco's home, where they smoked marijuana and drank alcohol. Trimarco is allowed to have marijuana under the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act recently passed by legislature, according to the police. Under the act, Trimarco is allowed 12 marijuana plants, the police say. But the police say they seized 72 marijuana plants from Trimarco's property, along with three rifles, a shotgun, a computer and other items. Trimarco was arrested Friday by the North Kingstown police and the Rhode Island State Police. He was arraigned yesterday in 4th Division District Court on charges lodged by the state police and North Kingstown police. He was ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institution until an Oct. 18 hearing. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:25 PM | Comment Mass. officials begin MBTA searchesBOSTON -- Random searches for explosives by the MBTA transit police are under way and many commuters say they support the tightened security. Officials say they found no contraband in yesterday's inspections with portable screening machines. Transportation officials estimate the process took less than one minute per passenger. Police are fanning out unnanounced on commuter trains, subways, buses and commuter boats, randomly choosing riders. They're using a piece of cloth to swab the zippers, bottom or handles of carry-ons, and the portable machines then analyze the swabs for explosive residue. Massachusetts authorities were prompted to begin the practice for the first time since the 2004 Democratic National Convention by Gov. Mitt Romney, a likely 2008 Republican presidential candidate. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:51 AM | Comment Rush hour accident on 95 South closes two lanesPROVIDENCE -- A traffic accident involving a tractor trailer and a van has snarled rush hour traffic this morning on Interstate 95 South. There's no word on injuries, but the state Department of Transportation issued an alert at about 9:15 a.m. indicating that the two of three lanes are closed at Branch Avenue, Exit 24, which is just north of downtown. More to come on Projo.com... Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:29 AM | Comment Shareholders sue Harrah's to block saleLAS VEGAS -- Two shareholders of Harrah's Entertainment are suing the company and the two firms that recently made a $15.1 billion buyout offer for the casino operator. In documents filed in a Delaware court, the shareholders say the deal is not in the best interests of investors -- and they're asking a court to block the deal and force Harrah's to solicit other bids. If the deal goes through, it would be the largest ever buyout in gambling history. In Rhode Island, Harrah's is pouring millions of dollars into a Nov. 7 ballot question that asks voters to amend the state constitution to allow the Narragansett Indian Tribe to build a casino in West Warwick. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:05 AM | Comment Murder victim's father to address the media todayPROVIDENCE -- The father of teenage murder victim Errol Clinton will "address the media" at the Providence police headquarters this morning, according to an announcement released today by the police. The specific reason for Julius Clinton's public appearance is unclear, but his son's killer, Eddie Gonzalez, pleaded no contest to the crime and was sentenced two weeks ago to serve 33 years in prison. Clinton will appear this morning inside the auditorium at the Providence Public Safety Complex along with police officials and members of the state attorney general's staff. Errol Clinton, 16, was shot to death while running away from a fight at a house party last July in the city's Elmwood neighborhood. Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:01 AM | Comment Governor, state lawmakers to get green report cardPROVIDENCE -- The governor and other state lawmakers will learn this morning if they made the "green honor role," or even the coveted "energy star" status. The Environmental Council of Rhode Island will host a press conference at 11 a.m. where it will "grade" elected officials on votes related to clean air, clean water, renewable energy, sustainable land use, transportation and toxic chemicals, among other things. The council will also reviews Governor Carcieri's environmental record over the past two years. Today's event, to be held at the State House rotunda, will feature several speeches and is expected to attract several lawmakers and public officials. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:35 AM | Comment Sidhu replaced by Campanelli at SovereignJay Sidhu was ousted as chairman and chief executive officer of Sovereign Bancorp, the third biggest bank in Rhode Island and New England, after a feud with the board of directors over the company's sluggish stock price. Sovereign, based outside Philadelphia, Pa., said in a news release this morning after a late night board meeting, that Joseph Campanelli, previously head of the bank's New England unit, will replace Sidhu as CEO. Sidhu will remain non-executive chairman until Dec. 31. Sidhu, 55, lost a 17-month fight with the directors over the company's stock price, which lagged peer banks, and the sale of a 20 percent stake in the company to Spain's Santander Central Hispano. Posted by at 7:34 AM | Comment EPA pushes new lightbulbs for low-incomePROVIDENCE -- Federal officials will meet this morning at the Villa Excelsior housing complex to promote its "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development hope to convert the 76 low-income units at Villa Excelsior from incandescent light bulbs to Energy Star qualified ones. The new lightbulbs use two-thirds less energy and last 10 times longer, according to the EPA. The government says that changing one bulb will result in a savings of $40 over the life of the bulb and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA and HUD is hoping to convert more than 3,000 low-income units to the new lightbulbs. Today's meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:34 AM | Comment Jury to resume deliberations in Roger Williams casePROVIDENCE -- The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case will resume deliberations this morning, marking its fifth day trying to decide the case. The 12-member jury adjourned yesterday afternoon without reaching a verdict. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:02 AM | Comment Beautiful stretch of fall weather about to turn wetPROVIDENCE -- The beautiful stretch of fall weather Rhode Island has enjoyed in recent days is about to end. Sunny skies will disappear. And it's going to be wet. The National Weather Service is calling for showers to begin today after 3 p.m., with highs in the low 60s, and a steady east wind blowing between 8 and 13 mph. Conditions will deteriorate tonight, as heavy rain could bring between a half inch and three-quarters of an inch of cool rain. Get used to carrying an umbrella this week. The weather service says that wet weather may stick around until Saturday. Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:01 AM | Comment October 10, 2006Evening spends day in Newport / Photo
NEWPORT -- Brenton Point played host to Hollywood today, as the filming of an upcoming Focus Features production continued. Evening is being shot in Tiverton, Jamestown and Newport, but today was the first time that its production crews have filmed in a such a public location. Actress Clare Danes joined actor Hugh Dancy in filming one of the movie's first scenes. The movie has an all-star cast, including Vanessa Redgrave, her real-life daughter, Natasha Richardson, and Glenn Close. Meryl Streep and her daughter, Mamie Gummer, also play a mother and daughter. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:26 PM | Comment Update: Runaway camper turns up at Midwest airportThe Ludlow, Mass., mother who walked away from her family’s campsite in South Kingstown this weekend turned up today, alive and healthy, at an airport somewhere in the Midwest, the police say. But authorities will not identify where Bonnie Fernandes, 36, landed. "The family has been through enough,’’ South Kingstown Police Capt. Jeffrey Allen said. Fernandes family pleaded today for the missing woman to contact them after police learned she spent Sunday night on Block Island. "I have no clue what happened,’’ said Fernandes’s mother, Roseanne Henry, of Holyoke, Mass. Fernandes, 36, a mother of four, walked away from her family’s campsite at Worden Pond Family Campground around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Police undertook an extensive search for Fernandes after learning of her disappearance from her husband, Lee, around 5:30 p.m. that day. Police had planned to resume the search this morning, but that effort was called off after police received a call late Monday from a man who gave her a ride to the Block Island ferry terminal in neighboring Narragansett on Sunday, Police Capt. Allen said. Police learned through credit card records that she had taken the 1 p.m. ferry to the island and spent the night at The National Hotel, Allen said. She was then identified through a surveillance videotape taken by Interstate Navigation, the company that owns the ferry. She returned to the mainland around 6 p.m. Monday and took a taxi to an unknown destination, Allen said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Fernandes’s husband Lee returned to Ludlow with their four children, ages 2 to 14, Allen said. Her parents and siblings remained in the area, with her mother making television pleas for her daughter to touch base. Fernandes is a stay-at-home mom, and her husband works as a correctional officer. "She may have felt overwhelmed,’’ Allen said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:47 PM | Comment Fourth day without verdict in hospital corruption casePROVIDENCE -- Four days and no verdict. The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has adjourned for the fourth consecutive day without reaching a verdict. Deliberations will continue tomorrow morning at 9:30. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:35 PM | Comment Carcieri: 'Students should always feel at ease'WARWICK -- Following a recent series of fatal school shootings across the country, Governor Carcieri convened a "safe school summit" today for Rhode Island law enforcement and school officials to discuss ways to strengthen school safety. “All of our hearts have been wrenched by what we’ve seen in the past several weeks,” Carcieri told a group of about 200 school officials, state and local police and lawmakers, who met for four hours at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight campus. “Schools are nurturing environments where students should always feel at ease.” But in places such as Nickel Mines, Pa., Cazenovia, Wis., and Bailey, Colo. -- communities where a principal and several students were killed within one week -- that ease has been destroyed. One of the biggest challenges is securing school buildings, said Col. Steven M. Pare, superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police. Far too many schools allow visitors to enter and walk through hallways without signing in at the front office and wearing a visitor’s pass, he said. Pare said he plans to work with Tom Powers, the agent in charge of the Providence office of the U.S. Secret Service, to develop training programs for the State Police to perform risk analysis on school buildings. In addition, Carcieri wants the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education to study this issue and come out with recommendations for improving school safety. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:11 PM | Comment Full Channel officials get probation in cable theft casePROVIDENCE -- An unusual case of cable television service theft came to close this morning when two officials from Full Channel Cable TV of Warren pleaded no contest to stealing the Portuguese Channel from rival cable company, Cox Communications. Michael D. McGonagle, 60, Full Channel's general manager, and David R. Rasmussen, 42, Full Channel's chief engineer, pleaded no contest to obtaining telecommunications services by using an ``unlawful'' device, and conspiring to steal telecommunications services. The pleas were offered this morning in Superior Court, as their trial was set to begin. Indeglia dismissed five other related counts against both men on the recommendation of Special Assistant Attorney General Dawn L. Huntley. McGonagle and Rasmussen declined to comment to a reporter at the court proceeding. Linda Jane Maaia, chief operating officer of Full Channel, could not be reached for comment. "At the end of the day, the case was about two senior leaders at Full Channel conspiring to steal our services," said John Wolfe, vice president of government and consumer affairs for Cox Communications. "They pretty much admitted that was the case." The attorney general's office had alleged that Rasmussen, at McGonagle's direction, installed a tap on Cox Communication's network near Full Channel's signal-processing center on Serpentine Road in Warren. A cable from the tap went into Full Channel's facility, and the Portuguese Channel was taken from that feed, and rebroadcast onto Full Channel's network. The alleged theft took place between September and December 2003. Full Channel has been fighting for survival for the past four years, ever since Cox Communications began offering service in its three-community area. Full Channel had been the sole provider of service for Barrington, Bristol and Warren for 20 years before Cox's entry. Posted by Tim Barmann at 3:21 PM | Comment Young seal released back into wildCHARLESTOWN -- A young seal that has been receiving medical treatment after being found this summer off Rhode Island is back in the wild after being released this morning in Charlestown. The female hooded seal was first spotted Aug. 13 in the water off Green Hill Beach in South Kingstown. It then swam into the Charlestown Breachway and entered Charlestown Pond. Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration has been treating it. The 65-pound seal was dehydrated and had mistakenly eaten sand. During the seal's treatment, it had a seizure that led to brain swelling and pneumonia. The seal's condition slowly improved with antibiotics and assisted feedings. Hooded seals live in the icy northern parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes they head south to visit parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut in the winter. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:20 PM | Comment Southern New England on tap for mild winterWASHINGTON -- Good news for southern New Englanders. A weak El Nino under way in the Pacific Ocean should contribute to a mild winter for much of the United States, the National Weather Service reported today. "The strengthening El Nino event will influence the position and strength of the jet stream over the Pacific Ocean, which in turn will affect winter precipitation and temperature patterns across the country," Michael Halpert, lead forecaster at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, said in a statement. Expected to have warmer-than-normal winter temperatures are the West, Southwest, Plains states, Midwest, most of the Northeast and northern mid-Atlantic, as well as most of Alaska. Readings are forecast to be close to normal for parts of the Southeast, while below-average temperatures are anticipated for Hawaii. The outlook is for equal chances of warmer or cooler than normal for Maine, the southern mid-Atlantic, Tennessee Valley and much of Texas. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:08 PM | Comment Whitehouse leads Chafee in two new pollsThe man hoping to oust incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee is leading in two new polls released today. Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse has a 10-point lead in the poll conducted by the national independent pollster Rasmussen Reports. He leads Chafee 49 percent to 39 percent with 8 percent undecided and 4 percent supporting other candidates. A separate poll released by Rhode Island College's Bureau of Government Research and Services found that Whitehouse leads by 3 percentage points, 40 percent to 37 percent with 23 percent undecided. Both polls have a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points. Rasmussen surveyed 500 likely voters on Oct. 4. RIC surveyed 459 registered voters Oct. 2 and Oct. 4. The race is being watched nationally because it is one of a handful whose outcome could affect the balance of Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate. The election is four weeks away. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:48 PM | Comment Update: Carpio gets life without parole
Journal photo / Kathy Borchers Esteban Carpio reads a statement of apology at his sentencing today.
On top of that, Krause gave Carpio an additional life sentence for the use of a firearm while committing a crime. The judge also sentenced Carpio to 20 years in prison for the assault on Madeline Gatta, now 84. "It would appear to the court, Mr. Carpio, that you are incorrigible," Judge Krause said. He went on to say that to allow Carpio even the possibility of parole would be antithetical in a civilized society. Before the sentencing, Carpio told the court: "I was doing all right until one day I woke up and there was something wrong with me." In his first public statement, Carpio today said that he was unable to control himself the night at the police station when he killed Sgt. Allen with the detective's gun. Carpio, who began to cry during his statement, also addressed the Allen family. "I am truly sorry for what has happened to the victims and the victims' families," he said. His lawyer, Robert L. Sheketoff, said he will appeal the conviction and sentence. Carpio never denied that he killed the officer. He pleaded not guilty by virtue of insanity, a rare defense that was not accepted by the jury. Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a statement this afternoon praising the ruling. "I thank the Court, I thank Judge Krause, for this sentence. There is no greater punishment, no tougher penalty, than that which Judge Krause just -- and justly --imposed: life without the possibility of parole," Lynch said. "Clearly, Esteban Carpio's crimes, of which he was convicted in June, qualify as the worst of the worst. In the event that the defendant pursues his Constitutional rights and appeals his conviction, and this sentence, I will fight to the very end to ensure that they stand. To do any less would dishonor the memory of one of the best officers ever to wear the badge of the Providence Police Department." Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline also weighed in. "Although today’s guilty verdict concludes an important chapter in the criminal proceedings, it’s important to remember that the loss of Detective Allen continues to be a great source of pain the Allen family, Police Department and the city of Providence," Cicilline said in a statement. "The sacrifices Detective Allen made on behalf of the residents of this city will never be forgotten." -- Gregory Smith, Journal staff writer Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:39 PM | Comment Tractor trailer rollover clogs 295 SouthThe state Department of Transportation has issued an alert this afternoon that a garbage truck rollover has snarled traffic on Interstate 295 South. The accident occurred at about 2 p.m. at Exit 6 in Johnston, causing officials to temporarily close the exit. "Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes and to expect delays," according to the DOT alert. In is unclear if anyone was injured in the accident. More to come on projo.com... Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:18 PM | Comment Cranston group to protest construction projectCRANSTON -- A citizens group in Cranston is planning a large protest today at City Hall to pressure Mayor Stephen P. Laffey to stop the construction of a controversial concrete batching plant. The group, Cranston Citizens for Responsible Zoning and Development, wants the mayor to invalidate a building permit issued in March for the Cullion Concrete Corp. project on Marine Drive. The group says the proposed plant would pollute waterways, lower air quality and pose health risks for nearby residents. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:17 PM | Comment New poll shows voters oppose casinoPROVIDENCE -- For the second time in less than three weeks, an independent poll has shown that the majority of Rhode Islanders oppose an effort to change the state Constitution to bring a Narragansett Indian casino to West Warwick. The latest poll, released today by Rhode Island College's Bureau of Government Research and Services, shows that 56 percent of likely voters oppose the casino, while 33 percent support it; 10 percent are undecided. In contrast to a previous Brown University poll that reported similar findings late last month, the RIC poll mentioned that casino tax revenue would be used for property-tax relief, just as the ballot question will. RIC pollers asked, "Thinking now about the proposed casino, will you vote for or against the constitutional amendment to authorize a resort casino in West Warwick, to be privately owned and operated in association with the Narragansett Indian tribe, with casino taxes used for property-tax relief?" The survey of 459 randomly selected registered voters was conducted Oct. 2 to Oct. 4 and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points. Last month's Brown University poll found that casino opponents outnumber supporters 55 percent to 36 percent. The election is four weeks away. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:31 PM | Comment Gas prices drop againPROVIDENCE -- Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have dropped again. The state Energy Office says its latest survey finds prices dropped 11 cents since last week to an average $2.25 per gallon of regular gas. AAA Southern New England says its survey found a slightly higher average price -- $2.28 per gallon. Prices are averaging 59 cents lower than at this time last year, when the nation was still recovering from the affects of hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast. But prices are 30 cents more than two years ago at this time. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:14 AM | Comment Sentencing hearing this morning for CarpioPROVIDENCE -- A presentencing hearing is scheduled this morning for Esteban Carpio, the man convicted of killing Providence Police Det. James Allen. Carpio faces a sentence of life in prison without parole after being convicted last June of murdering Allen with the detective's own gun. Jurors rejected Carpio's insanity defense in finding him guilty of first-degree murder and other charges. A prosecutor and defense attorney are expected to make arguments at 9:30 a.m. about Carpio's sentencing. Then, Superior Court Judge Robert Krause will announce when he'll impose the sentence. Life in prison without parole is the toughest penalty possible in Rhode Island, which doesn't have the death penalty. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:53 AM | Comment Jury to resume deliberations in hospital corruption casePROVIDENCE -- The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case will resume deliberations this morning, marking its fourth day trying to decide the case. The jury adjourned Friday without reaching a verdict, putting the case on hold for the Columbus Day weekend. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Partly cloudy today, high near 66Another nice day is in store for southern New Englanders with a high near 66 degrees under partly cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service is warning drivers of thick fog in areas this morning. The fog should burn off by 8 a.m., the weather service says. Tonight should be mostly cloudy with a low near 51 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 6, 2006Cranston post office to be dedicated to Holly CharetteCRANSTON -- The United State Postal Service expects several hundred people, including all the state's senators and congressmen, to attend an elaborate ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 15, dedicating a post office in Cranston to Lance Cpl. Holly A. Charette. The 21-year-old Marine was killed in June 2005 in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. At least 150 Marines are expected to attend Sunday's dedication, including several who served with Charette, according to Christine Dugas, a USPS spokeswoman. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:58 PM | Comment Massive search under way for young teen in CoventryCOVENTRY -- A massive search is under way for a Coventry teenager who has been missing from his father's home since this morning. The boy, 14-year-old Daniel Shields, whose father is Coventry Police Officer John Shields, stayed home from school today because he was sick, according to Coventry Police Lt. John Sullivan. Around 25 Coventry police officers and fire departments from more than 10 communities are searching the wooded area around the boy's home, 37 Carrs Trail, which is off Route 117. They are using at least two search dogs and all-terrain vehicles, Coventry police dispatcher Anthony Nardolillo said. The search began at about 1 p.m., soon after Shields' father returned home and discovered that the boy was missing. While Nardolillo acknowledged that it's not uncommon for teenagers to be missing for short periods of time, he said it is "very out of character for this kid to leave." Shields was a straight-A student at Prout High School, a private school in South Kingstown. There is no evidence of foul play or forced entry at the scene, Sullivan said. And the police have already checked with family and friends, without success. Sullivan said his department has notified area hospitals and transportation companies of the boy's disappearance. Shields has brown hair and blue eyes; he's 5' 7" and weighs 120 pounds. He may have been wearing a black shirt, Nardolillo said. Daniel Shields' mother, Donna Shields, who had been a teacher at Exeter-West Greenwich school department, died in 2001. Anyone with information as to Shields' whereabouts is encouraged to call Coventry police at (401) 826-1100. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:47 PM | Comment No shortage of things to do this holiday weekendThousands of people will likely leave the Ocean State on this Columbus Day weekend, but for those who stay there's no shortage of things to do. Here are a few ideas: - Atumnfest in Woonsocket, Saturday, Sunday and Monday: Annual celebration features live entertainment, giant midway, arts and crafts vendors, food court with more than 20 vendors, kiddie fest, sports events, consumer showcase, talent show. Fireworks Sunday at 9:30 p.m.; giant parade on Monday at 9:30 a.m. Oktoberfest in Newport, Saturday, Sunday and Monday: This annual festival features authentic Bavarian bands direct from Germany, alongside national orchestras and dance troupes. Enjoy delicious international food and beverage, the Biergarten, harvest marketplace and children's area. Festa Italiana in Newport, Saturday, Sunday and Monday: Italian cuisine and family activities will be a highlight of the Festa Italiana, celebrating Italian heritage throughout Newport County. Scituate Art Festival, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on the North Scituate Village Green: 200 artists and craftspeople, 30 antique dealers, arts and crafts raffle, musical entertainment, regional and ethnic foods. Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night and Fireworks in Misquamicut, Saturday: Trumpets and bagpipes commemorate Britain’s most notorious traitor. Complete with re-enactment of 1605 trial for treason by the Misquamicut Players. Complete with music, Morris Dancers, Fife and Drum and more. Follows day-long Fall Festival. Fireworks finale.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:43 PM | Comment Another day passes and no verdict in Urciuoli casePROVIDENCE -- Three days and no verdict. The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has adjourned for the third consecutive day without reaching a verdict. That means that Rhode Island and the three hospital executives will have to wait at least another three days before learning the final outcome of the high-profile case. Deliberations will continue on Tuesday morning at 9:30, following the holliday weekend. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:16 PM | Comment Updated: Route 195 travel restriction liftedPROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Transportation has lifted a travel restriction imposed after a "soft spot" was discovered in the center lane of Route 195 West in Providence. Transportation officials temporarily restricted vehicles over 5 tons from the center travel lane. The problem was discovered about 200 yards before the Route 95 split. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:15 PM | Comment Chafee to appear on HBO tonightU.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee is scheduled to appear on the HBO program "Real Time with Bill Maher" tonight at 11 p.m., according to an announcement released by the Chafee campaign. Maher, a political satirist, will interview Chafee from his studio in Washington, D.C. via a satellite feed from Rhode Island. Maher's show airs each Friday night, featuring an interesting mix of political officials and entertainers. Other guests on tonight's show will include U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., actor-comedian Robin Williams, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and terrorism expert Richard Clarke. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:23 PM | Comment Pit bull gets inside middle school, nips studentPROVIDENCE -- A young pit bull got inside a Providence middle school this morning and nipped a female student on the hand. Authorities think that the black and white animal, believed to be about six months old, slipped into the Oliver H. Perry Middle School on Hartford Avenue this morning as a group of students walked in. Johnston animal control officer, Erin Beal, responded to the scene at about 8:30 a.m. By that time a police officer was waiting outside the school with the dog on a leash. Beal said the dog did not appear to be dangerous. "It was just running around and followed someone in," she said. "The dog was a mushball, just sweet." Beal learned that the female student tried to grab the dog's collar while inside the school. The pitbull turned and nipped the girl's hand, a slight wound that didn't break the skin, she said. The girl remained in school after the incident. The dog was taken to the Providence Animal Rescue League, where it will remain in quarantine for 10 days -- standard procedures in dog bite cases. Beal was working this afternoon to identify the canine's owner. It was wearing a black collar, but nothing with any identification. Beal said she believed that she was called to the scene because, when the incident was reported, the Providence animal control officer had yet to report to work. She said the two municipalities often help each other out. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:05 PM | Comment Tomorrow is the deadline to register to voteTomorrow's the last chance to register to vote in this year’s general election. Rhode Island, unlike a few other states, does not allow voters to register on the day of an election. And the state does not allow people to register to vote online. However, there’s plenty of information on the Board of Elections Web site and the Secretary of State’s Web site about where you can go to register, what you’ll need to bring with you and what you can do ahead of time to streamline the process. In order to register and vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the Rhode Island city or town where you’ll vote and at least 18 years old before the general election on Nov. 7. You cannot vote if you are a convicted felon still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, probation or suspended sentences) or if a court has legally declared you to be mentally incapable. You can register to vote at the local board of canvassers in your town or city hall, at any Division of Motor Vehicles location, at agencies providing public assistance (such as the Department of Human Services), at state-funded programs that assist people with disabilities and at armed forces recruiting offices. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:27 PM | Comment Brown to dedicate new biology building tonight / Photo
Susan Hockfield, president of MIT, will give the keynote address at the dedication of the Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences. The Meeting Street complex cost $95 million and is nearly 170,000 square feet. It has 62 offices, 30 labs and 10 conference rooms. Faculty members in neuroscience, biology and biochemistry will call the new center home. The building is named after the late Sidney Frank, a Brown graduate and the single largest donor to the university. Frank also donated $100 million for scholarships and $5 million for the university to help students devastated by hurricane Katrina. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:00 AM | Comment Quonset gateway plans to be unveiledPlans for a new ``gateway'' to the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown include a mix of retail stores, office space, walking paths and greenspace. The Quonset Development Corporation that runs the old Navy base and New Boston Development Corp., the company hired to design the entrance, will present the plans this morning at the park. The proposal includes ``The Shops at Quonset Point,'' an $80 million mix that includes a hotel, visitors' center, restaurants, a bank, a drug store and other shops. Posted by at 7:38 AM | Comment Photos / Jurors to try again in hospital corruption case
PROVIDENCE -- The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption trial is set to start its third day of deliberations this morning. The jury deliberated all day yesterday without reaching a verdict. Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres dismissed them shortly before 4:30 p.m. Jurors are trying to decide whether former hospital president Robert A. Urciuoli and two other executives conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona, the star witness at trial. The other defendants are Francis P. Driscoll and Peter J. Sangermano. Driscoll is a former hospital vice president, and Sangermano was a partner in the hospital’s assisted-living center, The Village at Elmhurst. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment A nice day today with even better weather on the wayPROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service forecasts a nice day today with even better weather over the Columbus Day weekend. Today should be partly cloudy with a high near 61 degrees and northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph. The weather service expects sunny weather from Saturday through Monday with the temperature climbing from highs near 63 tomorrow to 68 Sunday and 74 on Monday. The temperature will drop into the 40s at night. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 5, 2006Mass. to begin random MBTA bag searchesBOSTON -- Police will resume inspections of bags on public trains, buses and boats in the greater Boston area for the first time since the city hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Gov. Mitt Romney said today. Romney, a Republican weighing a 2008 run for president, said the inspections will be random and were not in response to an immediate threat, but were an acknowledgment that railways and subways are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. They will begin as early as next week. The inspections will occur across the entire MBTA system, which stretches into Rhode Island. Michael Maynard, a spokesman for Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri, said Rhode Island State Police had no plans for anything similar. To conduct the inspections police will use a detection system that allowed them to inspect for possible explosives hidden in bags. The system lets police swab the outside and seams of a bag, then put the swab in a detector to search for traces of explosive materials without opening the bags. The process takes about a minute and police can request a rider to open a bag if warranted. -- The Associated Press The method is the same that was used during the 2004 convention. MBTA officials say the inspections will occur before riders enter a station. They said the inspections - set to begin as early as next week - could occur across the entire MBTA system including subways, buses, boats and commuter rails. In Massachusetts, Police will either inspect all riders entering a station or pick out riders on a random numerical basis - every third, or fifth or eighth rider - to guard against racial or ethnic profiling, according to Transit Police Chief Joseph Carter. Carter would not say how many machines the system has or where they would be located, saying one goal is to build some unpredictability into the inspection process to throw off would be attackers. "It could be daily. It could be every other day," he said. The transit system is also adding uniformed teams of officers trained to try to pick out potential terrorists based on their behavior. Daniel Grabauskas, general manager of the MBTA, said the inspections can be done quickly enough to guarantee that riders aren't slowed down or miss their trains. Romney said when he's talked to MBTA riders, they've urged him to increase security. "Their questions are: How can you do more? Can't you do more searches?" He said. "They never say 'Gosh we're really concerned about being inconvenienced."' Amie Cressman isn't so sure. The graduate student rides the subway from her home in Somerville to classes at Boston University and says she understands the need for security, but isn't looking forward to an even longer commute. "I don't want the train to be bombed, but there's a fine line between better homeland security and infringing on people's privacy rights," Cressman said, exiting the city's Park Street stop. "I think a lot of people are going to be mad." The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was the first subway system in the nation to begin random inspections of bags and packages on subway and commuter trains. The 2004 convention was the first national political convention after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Fears of terrorism during the convention prompted extraordinary security measures in the city, including shutting down some roads and sealing off the area around the former FleetCenter where the convention was held. Those inspections ended after the convention was over. Civil liberties groups opposed the measure saying the policy violated Fourth Amendment rights protecting people against unreasonable searches. Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:00 PM | Comment New polls, same results: Whitehouse, Chafee evenAnother national pollster has weighed in on Rhode Island's Senate race. And for the third consecutive poll, Sheldon Whitehouse and the incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee are locked in a dead heat. With the election less that five weeks away, the poll released today by Zogby International gives Whitehouse a slight edge, 45 percent to 41 percent. But because the margin of error in the poll is 4.1 percentage points, the lead is statistically insignificant. Nearly 13 percent are undecided. The results reflect a survey of 601 likely voters conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2. They were asked, "If the election for U.S. Senate were held today and the candidates were Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse and Republican Lincoln Chafee, for whom would you vote?" Another national pollster, Mason Dixon Polling & Research reported Monday that Whitehouse lead Chafee 42 percent to 41 percent -- also a difference within the poll's margin of error. Brown University reported similar findings late last month. People across the nation are eyeing Rhode Island's Senate race because it tip the balance of the Senate. Democrats must pick up six seats. Zogby today is reporting that of 10 "battleground states," Democratic candidates are leading in five races, trailing in two, with two others tied. Independent candidate Joseph Lieberman, who lost his Democratic primary, leads in the other race. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:29 PM | Comment Another day passes and no verdict in Urciuoli casePROVIDENCE -- Two days and no verdict. The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has adjourned for the second consecutive day without reaching a verdict. Deliberations will continue at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:27 PM | Comment Finger pointing, feisty one liners during casino debateCRANSTON -- The opposing faces of the casino debate met today inside Channel 10 WJAR's studio. And it wasn't pretty. There was plenty of finger pointing, shouting and feisty one liners to go around during the debate between Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and former governor Lincoln Almond, who heads the casino opposition group Save Our State. And the cameras never stopped rolling. Thomas: "The problem with the governor is that he's got an eight-track mentality in a CD world." Almond: "This is all hocus pocus." During the half-hour exchange, the opponents largely recycled the arguments that have been presented on television and radio ads in recent weeks. Thomas said the casino would provide property-tax relief. Almond said it would end up costing taxpayers in the long run because of a loss of tax revenue from Lincoln Park and the Newport Grand. The debate will be aired on Channel 10 tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. and again Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. Voters will be asked in one month to amend the state Constitution to allow a casino in West Warwick. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:46 PM | Comment Speakers: Coventry police guilty of racial profilingThe recent search by Coventry police of the Central Falls soccer team was racial profiling said several speakers at a State House meeting today. Elected minority officials and members of the NAACP, Progreso Latino, the Urban League, the Hispanic Ministry Association, Immigrants in Action, the Rhode Island Mexican Association and the Black and Latino political action committees met today to respond to the incident. They said the search was racial profiling. Rep. Joseph Almeida, D-Providence called for the reactivation of the Select Commission on Race and Police Community Relations. Ramon Martinez, executive director of Progreso Latino, read a four-point plan of action that includes passing legislation to direct Rhode Island schools to include ethics as part of their curriculum and creating a Minority Caucus Advisory Council that would develop, monitor and evaluate a list of legislative bills that impact minority communities each year. “Racial profiling will stop now,” Martinez said. “We do not tolerate this illegal practice. Racial discrimination must end in Rhode Island. We will not accept this immoral conduct.” -- Journal Staff Writer Tatiana Pina The Select Commission on Race and Police Community Relations, In Coventry on Sept. 28, as the Central Falls team prepared to go home, about 20 members of the Coventry football team confronted Central Falls coach Bobby Marchand and accused his players of stealing cell phones and iPods from their locker room. Marchand searched his boys’ items and found nothing. Then, with Marchand’s permission, the police took the boys off the bus and searched their belongings. A crowd formed, and the Central Falls players and coaches said that they were humiliated to be searched by the police in front of the crowd. During today’s meeting, the parents of the soccer players were encouraged to file suit against the Coventry Police. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:49 PM | Comment Leak prompts evacuation of Pawtucket supermarketPAWTUCKET -- Firefighters evacuated a Shaw's Supermarket late this morning after a refrigeration system leaked potentially harmful gas. Nobody was injured. Pawtucket Battalion Chief Richard Meerbott, the first to arrive at the store at Smithfield Ave. and North Main Street, ordered the 30 to 35 employees and 20 to 25 customers out of the building. "We didn't know what we were dealing with and when you don't know what you're dealing with, you get everybody out," Meerbott said. Firefighters later determined that the leak was spreading a mist of pentafluorethane, a potential asphyxiant, into the store, Fire Chief Timothy P. McLaughlin said. The leak was contained quickly, according to firefighters. Firefighters were called at 11:26 a.m., and employees went back in about 1 p.m., after firefighters had used fans to clear the air. After firefighters gave the okay for workers to return to the store, store manager Tom Dwyer said, "Let's go. Everybody back. We're on the clock." Dwyer earlier referred a reporter to corporate headquarters when asked why the store wasn't evacuated before firefighters arrived. --Journal staff writer John Castellucci. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:39 PM | Comment Cranston candidates for mayor to debate againCRANSTON -- The candidates looking to succeed Mayor Stephen P. Laffey agreed today to participate in two debates. Republican Allan W. Fung, a Laffey loyalist and City Council member, will face Democratic newcomer Michael T. Napolitano in a Nov. 2 debate hosted by the Cranston Herald and the Comprehensive Community Action Program. The two campaigns also agreed to take questions from WPRO radio talk show host Dan Yorke. Their exchanges will be broadcast live on the Dan Yorke Show. The date of that debate has not been announced. The two candidates debated Tuesday at Cranston East High School. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:38 PM | Comment Rep. wants renewal of race relations commissionThe controversy over the Coventry police search on Sept. 28 of the Central Falls soccer team continues today. A group of Latino organizations and state Rep. Joseph Almeida of Providence is holding a news conference this morning to talk about the situation at the State House. Almeida, co-chairman of the Rhode Island Minority Leadership/Legislative Caucus, plans to call for the reactivation of the governor’s Select Commission on Race and Police-Community Relations, which he complained was underfunded in 2004. During a news conference yesterday afternoon at Central Falls High School, the executive director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League urged students from both schools to come together and urged schools to kick fans and parents out if they can’t behave themselves during a game. The search took place after the Coventry and Central Falls soccer teams finished a game with a 2-2 tie in Coventry. About 20 members of the Coventry football team confronted the Central Falls soccer coach and accused his players of stealing iPods and cell phones. The discussion yesterday centered on race, and perceptions and emotions ran high at times. Today, Latino and minority elected officials were expected to be at the 10 a.m. State House news conference. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:19 AM | Comment Updated: Jury resumes deliberations in corruption casePROVIDENCE -- The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has started its second day of deliberations today, set to start at 9:30 a.m. After a full day of deliberations yesterday – and lunch that was sent into the jury room – no verdict was set, and there was no visible sign of how deliberations were progressing. U.S. Chief District Judge Ernest C. Torres sent the jurors home yesterday shortly after 4 p.m. Although the case officially went to the jury late Monday, the four men and eight women did not begin deliberations that day, and they had the day off on Tuesday due to a death in one juror’s family. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:49 AM | Comment Suspicious fire damages Warwick homeWARWICK – Fire officials are investigating a suspicious early-morning blaze in a two-story home at 16 Jennison Rd. The fire was reported at about 3 a.m. in the wood-frame house located on Jennison, a short street just off Route 117 (also known as West Shore Road) in the Conimicut neighborhood. It started on an open front porch and extended up into the walls of the house, causing substantial structural damage, Colantonio said. Firefighters brought the fire under control within 20 to 30 minutes. Colantonio said that anytime a fire begins outside a structure at night, fire inspectors begin with the assumption that it’s suspicious. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:06 AM | Comment Disaster drill closes road near Warwick's Pilgrim HighWARWICK – If you see emergency vehicles over at Pilgrim High School this morning, don’t panic. It’s just a drill. The school, police and fire departments and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency are conducting a mock airplane crash exercise at the school today. The road the school is on, Pilgrim Parkway, will be closed to traffic from 8:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., so if your morning commute takes you that way, plan to detour around the road. Anyone wishing to watch the drill was advised to arrive by 8 a.m. The drill will be held near the industrial wing of the school and will most likely not be visible from the roadway. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:17 AM | Comment Cooler today, gale warnings still in effectPROVIDENCE – It cooled down considerably overnight. It’s 50 degrees at this hour and expected to rise just to 67 or so today. It should be mostly sunny all day. However, the National Weather Service reports that a gale warning remains in effect from for outer waters in the area as northerly wind gusts are expected up to 35 knots. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:05 AM | Comment October 4, 2006Strong airport growth predicted in New EnglandBOSTON -- New England's airports can expect passenger traffic to grow 77 percent by 2020, with most of the region's smaller airports like T.F. Green seeing bigger gains than dominant Logan International, according to a study released today. The report (large pdf), sponsored by the New England Airports Coalition, says New England is equipped to handle the growth without building a new airport, but only if the region's 11 passenger service airports improve performance and prepare for more passengers. "By continuing to enhance the operation of each airport in the system, the region can avoid the tremendous cost and community disruption that developing a new major airport would require," the report concluded. Among the region's six airports with more than 1 million passengers per year, the report projects the highest growth rate - 88 percent - at New Hampshire's Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. In Warwick, T.F. Green Airport is forecast to see 72 percent growth, from 5.3 million to 9.1 million. The report looked at Green's proposed runway extension, noting that they will require significant investment. It found that the costs of the projects are justified by the contribution Green makes to the regional airports system. The report noted that the Providence market is approaching sufficient size to support nonstop service to the West Coast and certain destinations in Canada, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic and Europe. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:58 PM | Comment 'We can no longer accept that this is normal behavior'CENTRAL FALLS -- An event aimed at quieting the controversy that erupted last week when the Coventry police searched the Central Falls soccer team, instead seemed to stir up more emotion. Thomas Mezzanotte, the head of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, today called community members from each side to come together to learn from the situation. But many of the parents and community leaders gathered today inside the Central Falls High School auditorium were not in any mood to be calmed. With the soccer team watching from the auditorium balcony, parents and community leaders criticized Coventry's handling of the situation. And state Rep. Daniel Issa said there have been other incidents of discrimination surrounding Central Falls sports teams. "This is a wakeup call. There is a bigger issue going on everywhere,” said Anna Cano Morales, the head of the Central Falls school board. "We can no longer accept that this is normal behavior. It’s blatantly discriminating and unacceptable." Surrounded by a jeering crowd, the Central Falls team last week was subjected to what the coach and some players described as a humiliating search by the Coventry police after some Coventry football players accused the boys of stealing their cell phones and Ipods from their locker room. The search turned up none of the missing items. A group of Latino organizations and state Rep. Joseph Almeida will hold another press conference to talk about the situation tomorrow at the State House. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:34 PM | Comment Jury done for the day in Urciuoli casePROVIDENCE -- The jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has adjourned for the day without reaching a verdict. The jury will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9:30 to begin its second day of deliberations. Former hospital President Robert A. Urciuoli, Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, and Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital's assisted-living center, are facing conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors say the officials conspired to steal the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona by hiring him to do the hospital's bidding at the General Assembly. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:25 PM | Comment CVS to partner with insurer for senior Medicare educationINDIANAPOLIS -- The nation's largest health insurer said it is teaming up with the country's largest retail pharmacy to help educate seniors about Medicare Part D options during the upcoming open enrollment period. The partnership between WellPoint, Inc. and CVS/pharmacy will provide seniors with information at more than 5,800 CVS stores in 43 states, Wellpoint said Wednesday. "Through this partnership, WellPoint will make it easier, more personal and very convenient for seniors looking for support to find the best plan, price and drug benefit for them," said Joan E. Herman, president and chief executive officer of Specialty, Senior and State-Sponsored Business for WellPoint. CVS/pharmacy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Woonsocket-based CVS Corp. The Indianapolis-based WellPoint will provide CVS stores with educational booklets about the Medicare Part D prescription plan. WellPoint also plans to have agents at several CVS stores during the enrollment period to help seniors. "It's really an information resource that can help someone navigate the options," said company spokesman Jim Kappel. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:54 PM | Comment National Grid's U.S. chief to resignNational Grid PLC announced today the resignation of its top U.S. executive as the British utility company approaches a critical juncture in its push to become the Northeast’s largest energy supplier. The company said Michael Jesanis, president and chief executive officer of National Grid USA, will leave the company at the end of this year. The announcement comes as National Grid prepares to close on its $7.3-billion purchase of Keyspan Corp., a Brooklyn-based natural gas and electricity supplier. The company also is focused on integrating the Rhode Island operations of New England Gas bought from Southern Union Co. in late August. With the New England Gas purchase, National Grid now controls both electricity and natural gas delivery throughout Rhode Island. Posted by at 3:25 PM | Comment Photo / McCain calls Foley's alleged actions "odious"
--- Journal Photo Bill Murphy While speaking at a campaign fundraiser for Lincoln Chafee today, Arizona Senator John McCain shared his thoughts on the scandal involving former Congressman Mark Foley, R-Fla., accused of sending sexually explicit e-mails to teenage boys. "I think we can all agree that we cannot tolerate the intolerable," McCain said, characterizing Foley's alleged actions as "totally unacceptable" and "particularly odious. McCain said that an independent panel of well-respected former lawmakers like former senator Warren Rudman and former representative Lee Hamilton should be convened to investigate the situation and make recommendations. "We have to hold people responsible," he said, adding that he didn't know who was responsible. "I think the issue needs to be quickly addressed and by people who are credible." McCain said that the American people's confidence in their institutions needs to be restored. Foley resigned last week after being confronted by ABC News with copies of the suggestive e-mails. He has since admitted being molested by a clergyman in his youth and entered rehab for alcoholism. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:41 PM | Comment McCain: 'do whatever is necessary' for ChafeePROVIDENCE -- Arizona Senator John McCain, a likely 2008 presidential candidate, went to bat for his moderate Republican counterpart Lincoln Chafee at the Hotel Providence this afternoon, calling on the 100 or so lunch guests to "please do whatever is necessary" to help re-elect Chafee. A relaxed and largely light-hearted McCain spoke for 18 minutes in the downtown hotel as campaign contributors ate mandarin orange salads, roasted chicken, and chocolate mousse at the $500-a-plate luncheon. Standing at a small podium with a wireless microphone in his right hand, McCain cracked a few jokes -- including one about drunken Irish twins -- before diving into the real reason for his visit. "We all know this is going to be a close race," he said of Chafee's battle against Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. McCain urged the crowd to put bumper stickers on their cars, signs on their front lawns, and even for them to call neighbors. The most recent polls show Chafee and Whitehouse locked in a dead heat. Chafee briefly addressed the crowd before McCain, acknowledging that his "piggy bank" was nearly empty after the contentious primary battle against Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey. On top of the $500 for the luncheon, contributors had the opportunity to meet privately with McCain earlier today for $1,000. "Thank you very much for putting some coins in my piggy bank," Chafee said. "I need those resources to be competitive." -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples McCain noted his working relationship with Chafee, especially their efforts to form the "Gang of 14" -- a bi-partisan group of senators -- which helped avoid "the nuclear option" during the recent Supreme Court nomination debates. Chafee represents an "independent voice" in the Senate, McCain said. "He's honest, he votes his conscience, he studies the issues." Gathered among the 15 or so tables in the Hotel Providence banquet room today was Warwick Mayor Scott Avedesian, who sat next to McCain while they ate, Republican candidate for Secretary of State Sue Stenhouse, and Reginald Centracchio, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:18 PM | Comment It's hot, but probably not hot enough for a recordYes, it’s a beautiful day today, but we’re not likely to set any records, according to the National Weather Service. At 1:25 p.m. today, it was 75 degrees at T.F. Green Airport. That temperature is expected to rise to about 80 – “give or take a degree or two,” meteorologist Mike Ekster said. The record for Oct. 4 is 85 degrees, Ekster said. That was set in 1959. Record or not, it’s still a great October day. So get outside if you can. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:30 PM | Comment Johnston police looking for 3 men who invaded homeJOHNSTON -- Detectives are following several investigative leads in an effort to capture three men who held a couple and child at gunpoint, the police said today. Raymond Walker, 35, and his 25-year-old girlfriend, Dayna Caparco, may have seen the suspects at “establishments they had frequented in the past,” according to Johnston police Maj. Ralph Bubar III. After deceiving Walker to gain entry to his Spraque Circle home around 4 p.m. yesterday, the men marched the couple -- and Caparco’s 5-year-old daughter -- out of the house at gunpoint and ordered them into nearby vehicles, Bubar said. Ignoring the men’s commands, Walker sprinted across the street and told a neighbor to call the police, an action that prompted the suspects to flee before Caparco and her daughter had climbed into any vehicle, Bubar said. “This was not a random home invasion where they picked a house and took what they wanted to find,” Bubar said. “These people were targeted.” Police investigators urge anyone with information about the case to telephone them at 231-4210. -- Journal Staff Writer Mark Reynolds Investigators don’t know the suspects’ motives and they don’t know why the intruders tried to put the victims into vehicles, according to Bubar. The three men were seen fleeing the neighborhood in a silver or tan minivan with tinted windows and a five-character license tag, beginning with the letters BG and followed by three numbers. The gunman was wearing a blue uniform-type shirt and carrying a handgun while another suspect was masked by an orange bandanna. They took jewelry, Walker’s watch and several hundred dollars in cash, Bubar said. Neither Walker -- a construction worker -- nor his girlfriend could identify the three suspects by name, Bubar said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:19 PM | Comment Paris Hilton claims R.I. beauty queen punched her
LOS ANGELES -- Paris Hilton claimed former beauty queen Shanna Moakler punched her in the face at a Hollywood nightclub early today, police and Hilton's publicist said. Moakler, a Rhode Island native, contended she was attacked by Hilton's ex-boyfriend Stavros Niarchos, who bent her wrists, poured a drink on her and shoved her down some stairs, Moakler publicist Susan Madore said. Hilton, 25, and Moakler, 31, both filed police reports alleging battery, police Officer Karen Smith said. The hotel heiress said she was struck around 1 a.m., shortly after arriving at Hyde nightclub with Niarchos, her publicist Elliot Mintz told The Associated Press. The Associated Press Mintz said Hilton told him Moakler walked up to his client, "used the most vile of language" and then struck Hilton in the jaw with her fist. Hilton claimed the alleged attack was unprovoked. Madore said Moakler, Miss USA in 1995 and a "Dancing With the Stars" contestant this season, exchanged profanities with Hilton when Niarchos stepped in and threatened to beat her. Police took pictures of Moakler and Hilton at the station, Smith said, and will speak with witnesses at the club as part of their investigation. Hilton and Moakler's ex-husband, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, were recently linked romantically in tabloid reports. Mintz said the two were "just friends." Posted by Jack Perry at 12:28 PM | Comment Grand jury indicts two men for fatal Pawtucket shootingPROVIDENCE -- Two men were indicted today on first-degree murder charges in the execution-style shooting of a 24-year-old woman. A Providence County grand jury indicted Barry Offley and Alonzo Shelton on charges of murder, burglary and multiple weapons offenses. Read the full Associated Press story Posted by Jack Perry at 12:26 PM | Comment Update: Deliberations under way in corruption trialPROVIDENCE -- Jurors began deliberations in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption trial shortly before 10 this morning. Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres clarified part of the instructions he gave jurors Monday before sending them out of the courtroom to try reaching a verdict. Although the case officially went to the jury late Monday, the jurors decided not to stay and begin deliberations that day. Yesterday, the jury had the day off due to a death in one juror’s family. Today, the jurors are deliberating whether state Sen. John Celona was selling his public office, as the government contends, or his testimony, as the defense asserts. Former Roger Williams Medical Center President Robert A. Urciuoli is accused of conspiring with former hospital executive Frances P. Driscoll and with Peter J. Sangermano Jr., a partner in the hospital’s assisted-living center, to steal Celona’s honest services. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:07 AM | Comment Commission on Women names 3 Women of the YearWARWICK -- The Rhode Island Commission Women has recognized three women who - by their example and their advocacy - have done much across their careers to foster the advancement of women in the Ocean State. The Women of the Year 2006 are State Police Lt. Linda Bailey, the state's first female trooper; Dr. Kimberly Cipolla, a hydrodynamicist at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport; and Kathy Jellison, former director of the Women's Center in Providence, and currently interim director at Slater Mill in Pawtucket. At the Crowne Plaza Hotel last night, WPRI-TV Channel 12 anchor Karen Adams hosted an event in their honor. First Lady Sue Carcieri congratulated the winners and shared the head table with the award winners, Adams and women's commission selection committee chairwoman Linda Newton. Governor Carcieri and Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty also offered their congratulations. Proceeds support the commission's Freda H. Goldman Education Award, a scholarship providing supplemental financial assistance to women in need who are continuing their education. The Rhode Island Commission on Women was established in 1970. Its mission is to support women in achieving full equality in all areas of life, through the promotion of rights and opportunities for all women. Posted by maria caporizzo at 9:44 AM | Comment Sen. McCain in R.I. today to help Sen. ChafeePROVIDENCE – U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., a potential 2008 presidential contender, is stumping in Rhode Island today for U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee. McCain will attend a luncheon fundraiser at the Hotel Providence for the Republican incumbent who is locked in a close race with Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse. He’ll also join Chafee at Save the Bay this afternoon for a discussion with Rhode Island’s leading environmental advocates about their federal legislative priorities. They’re expected to discuss energy, climate change, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, according to Chafee’s office. Then, at 2:45 p.m., the Republican senators are expected to meet with the families of deployed service members of the Rhode Island National Guard. They’ll tour the Guard’s office of family programs in Cranston. --- Kate Bramson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:48 AM | Comment Verizon seeks license to offer cable television in R.I.Verizon, the biggest local telephone service provider in Rhode Island, this morning will tell state regulators of its plans to offer cable television in parts of the state, setting up competition with Cox Communications, the dominant cable provider. Verizon officials will testify in Warwick at the first of four public hearings held by the state Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which will consider Verizon's request. Posted by at 8:06 AM | Comment A high near 80 today under partly cloudy skiesPROVIDENCE – If you’re driving to work today, beware of patchy, dense fog predicted for this morning, before 9 a.m. Then find a way to kick out of work for a long lunch break, if you can. We should have a high near 80 today, with partly cloudy skies. Tonight, we should see a low of 56 and potentially heavy rain. The National Weather Service has predicted a hazardous weather outlook for the region later today, but the gusty thunderstorm that meteorologists say could arrive between 7 pm. and 10 p.m. is not supposed to hit Rhode Island. It could hit southwest New Hampshire and western Massachusetts. Later this week and weekend, easterly winds and astronomically high tides could cause minor coastal flooding, most likely in Nantucket. Nevertheless, the weather service suggests monitoring this changing weather through Monday. Check back with us periodically for the latest conditions and forecasts . Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:11 AM | Comment October 3, 2006Jury quickly convicts man in toddler's beating deathPROVIDENCE -- It took a jury just 20 minutes this afternoon to convict Akeem King of second-degree murder for his part in the beating death of a 2-year-old toddler in Providence last year. King, 21, did not testify in his four-day trial. "It's hard to imagine a more senseless and brutal murder than this one -- the murder of a precious young child," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement. "We look forward to prosecuting, and convicting, the co-defendant in this case as well." The jury found that King beat 2-year-old Marquel Davis to death while he and a friend, Troy Figgs, were babysitting the toddler last summer. Prosecutors said the child's mother worked as a prostitute for Figgs and that she had gone to Boston to work that night. An autopsy revealed that the toddler died of "acute subdural hemorrhage" and brain injury due to blunt force trauma. He suffered contusions to his scalp, face, and body, with some deep enough to cause bleeding to the muscles. Figgs, who was King's roommate, is awaiting trial for murder for his part in the crime. King will be held at the Adult Correctional Instititutions in Cranston pending his sentencing. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:59 PM | Comment Business magazine Inc. gives Carcieri mixed reviewIn an issue on the stands today, a national business magazine ranked the 26 sitting governors seeking reelection nationwide. They included Rhode Island's top elected official, Governor Carcieri, a former business executive, who received just two out of four stars. The article, which appears in the October issue of Inc. magazine, said its ranking for Carcieri indicates a governor who realized "some fine achievements" in terms of making the state's climate business-friendly, but whose achievements were "mitigated by mistakes, failures or oversights." Seven other governors, including Connecticut's Jodi Rell and Maine's John Baldacci, shared the two-star category. The article says the Republican Carcieri "has loaded up his annual budgets" with incentives for new businesses, but that he has not done enough to reform the state's tax code, which it said slaps businesses with "some of the highest rates and most complicated requirements in the country." -- Journal staff writer Elizabeth Gudrais Inc. executive editor Mike Hofman said six reporters worked on the story, interviewing entrepreneurs, academics, venture capitalists and public officials to get their thoughts on the state's business climate. Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said the two-star ranking does not mean Carcieri fell short, but rather "shows you how much work still needs to be done" to make Rhode Island friendly to businesses. "It is not easy to enact radical reform, to completely overhaul the system when you are faced with a General Assembly that is dominated by the people who put the old system in place," Neal said. -- Journal staff writer Elizabeth Gudrais Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:51 PM | Comment A celebration of reading protests closed library / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- More than 100 residents gathered on a grassy plaza outside the Washington Park library branch today to celebrate reading and to protest the fact that the library has been closed since January because of structural repairs. A community group formed 18 months ago to protest cuts to local library services and the branch closing hosted a public “Read In’’ on the plaza at 1316 Broad St. this afternoon. The event included readings of such classics as “The Little Engine That Could” and “The Amazing Bone’’ with volunteers such as community activists Rochelle Lee and Rev. Duane Clinker. Local actors and storytellers also participated. “We’re here to tell the library board that neighborhood branches are important to us,’’ said Ellen Schwartz, event coordinator from Save Our Branches, the group that hosted the event. “We want to let them know that we’re still reading in Washington Park!” The Providence Public Library board of trustees voted to close the branch last January, after building contractors found serious structural problems with the facility, caused by a leaking roof. The building -- a former firehouse that the city sold to PPL for $1 in 1950 -- had sustained so much water damage on its South End that that portion of the structure had to be cordoned off to keep people away. -- Journal staff writer Karen A. Davis Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:48 PM | Comment Judge bars prescription co-pays by poorPROVIDENCE -- The state Medicaid program cannot charge co-pays for prescription drugs unless the General Assembly changes the law, a Superior Court judge ruled today. That means that, at least for now, some 14,000 poor people will not have to pay the $1 co-pay for generics and the $3 co-pay for brand-name drugs that the state wanted to collect starting Sept. 21. But the state is considering appealing the decision -- and will also ask the Assembly to change the law when it returns in January -- so that Medicaid can collect payments expected to total about $60,000 a month. The ruling by Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato applies to a subset of people covered by the state health program, mostly disabled adults who are not eligible for Medicare, a federal program. It has no effect on people enrolled in RIte Care, a state managed-care program for low-income families, nor does it have any bearing on the federal Medicare Part D drug benefit. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:34 PM | Comment Want to know where your child has been online?WEST WARWICK -- Cox Communications today will describe how parents who are their customers can monitor their children's Internet activity. Today's meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. At the Boys and Girls Club at 42 Frederick St., Warwick. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:05 PM | Comment Appeals court upholds Francisco convictionThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has affirmed the conviction of Joel “Joey Crack” Francisco, who is serving a sentence of life in federal prison without parole for a crack-cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Francisco, the former leader of the Almighty Latin King Nation in Rhode Island, had challenged his conviction by a jury in April 2005. He was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine. The Circuit rejected several challenges Francisco made regarding the use of federal wire-tap laws and testimony provided by Providence police detectives during his trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today. “Francisco has failed to show that the rulings [by the trial judge] were in error,” the court wrote in its opinion, which was issued yesterday. “The evidence of guilt was overwhelming.” Francisco was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi in September 2005 to life in federal prison. Since Francisco had two prior felony drug convictions, federal drug-sentencing laws made it mandatory for the court to impose a life sentence for the crack-cocaine trafficking conviction. Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:00 PM | Comment New Englanders enjoyed healthier air this summerBOSTON -- New Englanders breathed a little easier during the summer. The Environmental Protection Agency says the number of unhealthy air days dropped in the region from 26 last year to 16 this summer. Around New England, the number of unhealthy air days dropped from eight to three in Rhode Island, 20 to 11 in Massachusetts, 20 to 13 in Connecticut, four to two in New Hampshire and four to one in Maine. Vermont had no bad air days in either year. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 2:10 PM | Comment In Cranston, Mayor Laffey still gets a lot of attentionThe Cranston mayoral candidates, Republican Allan W. Fung and Democrat Michael T. Napolitano, met this morning in their first debate since the Sept. 12 primary. Taking questions from students at Cranston High School East, Fung and Napolitano set an aggressive tone that differed sharply from the relatively quiet Democratic primary in which Napolitano defeated Cynthia M. Fogarty. In the debate, Fung warned that Napolitano, if elected, would reverse the fiscal accomplishments of Republican Mayor Stephen P. Laffey, who was defeated in the GOP Senate primary. Napolitano countered by questioning Laffey's record, arguing that Laffey and Fung, a City Council member, had imposed an enormous tax burden on city residents. Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:44 PM | Comment Bolton foes set forums on Chafee's vote on UN ambassadorPROVIDENCE -- A group of professors, former government officials and students will hold town hall-style meetings in Bristol and Providence this afternoon to discuss U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee's role in nomination of John Bolton as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. As a moderate Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chafee could play a critical role in whether the former under secretary of state represents the United States at the United Nations. The first forum is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Roger Williams University's Main Library in Bristol. The speakers include Lawrence J. Korb, a former assistant secretary of defense; Luise Druke, of MIT's Center for International Studies and former United Nations official; and Seth Green, the president of Americans for Informed Democracy, a non-partisan advocacy group. The second meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Brown University's Smith Buonanno building. Both forums are free and open to the public. A Chafee spokeswoman said the senator wasn't aware of the forums and had not been invited. A representative from Roger Williams' chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy confirmed that the senator wasn't invited to attend. "It's more about engaging the students so they can send letters to their senators," said Youmna Diri. After the Senate refused to endorse Bolton last year, President Bush nominated him to serve temporarily at the United Nations while the Senate was in recess. The Bush administration and Republican Senate leaders have courted Chafee -- who has expressed concern about Bolton -- for his vote in recent days. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:50 PM | Comment Assault charges dropped against ex-Patriot JohnsonWALTHAM, Mass. -- Assault charges were dropped today against former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson and his wife after the couple refused to testify against each other. Johnson, 33, and his wife, Jacqueline, 40, were arrested in July after a domestic dispute at their Weston home. Days later, Jacqueline Johnson sat beside her husband during a televised interview and said she was responsible for what she called an argument that escalated, adding, "At no time did Ted ever hit me, did he ever hurt me. He's the most gentle, loving, respectful man I know." The former linebacker was arguing with his wife about her trying to take his prescription drugs, according to the police report. Jacqueline Johnson said in the report that her husband twisted her arm behind her back and shoved her into a bookcase. She said she fought back by punching and scratching him. The police found her in the driveway of the couple's home. Waltham District Court Judge Tobin Harvey dismissed the case today, after prosecutors said they did not have evidence to go forward because the Johnsons asserted their marital privilege not to testify. Johnson retired before last season, citing the effects of several concussions. The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Johnson was drafted by the Patriots in 1995 out of Colorado and helped the team win three Super Bowls. He finished with 865 tackles and 11 1/2 sacks in 125 regular-season games, including 106 starts. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:46 PM | Comment Hear, see James Earl Jones at Knight library todayPROVIDENCE -- You won't have to go to a galaxy far, far away to hear the famously deep, dark-side voice of Darth Vader this afternoon. You can just hyperdrive over to the Knight Memorial Library at 275 Elmwood Ave., where actor James Earl Jones -- the man behind the voice -- will be appearing. Jones plans to read a story to children and talk about the importance of reading as part of a larger celebration of the local nonprofit group, Books Are Wings, which will receive a grant from Verizon at the event. Jones, who is a Verizon Yellow Pages spokesman, has starred and done voice work in movies ranging from Star Wars (as the voice of Vader), The Lion King, Coming to America and Field of Dreams. Today's appearance at the library is scheduled for 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:44 PM | Comment Update: Man escapes from his burning mobile home / Photo
COVENTRY – When a fire broke out this morning in a mobile home in the Mapleroot Village, the resident came running out of his home in his underwear, covered in black smoke. A maintenance worker for the mobile home park who was across the street stopped the man from going back into his home for clothes, said David Lippitt, the vice president of the Mapleroot Corporation. That man was taken to a hospital for treatment, but no one else was injured in the blaze, which began sometime after 8 a.m. today in the park located at 2155 Nooseneck Hill Rd. (also known as Route 3), Lippitt said. The man’s mobile home was a total loss, and two to three others on Lane 3 within the 185-unit park were partially damaged, Lippitt said. Lippitt does not know the cause of the blaze in the park, which residents purchased in 2004. Lippitt praised the local volunteer fire departments for their quick response, which he said people at the scene estimate was within five minutes. “I’m really amazed that the volunteers got here as quickly as they did,” Lippitt said. “They ought to get praise for it.” By around 9:20 a.m., firefighters were still on scene, Lippitt said. There was no worry of the fire spreading at that time, he said. Crews were just cleaning up and shutting electricity off for about 16 homes in the immediate vicinity of the fire. Responding to the blaze were the Central Coventry and Hopkins Hill departments in Coventry and the Lake Mishnock department from West Greenwich. The mobile home park is located in western Coventry, not far from the West Greenwich line. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:11 PM | Comment LIN TV names new chairman as part of restructuringPROVIDENCE – LIN Television Corp., which owns and operates WPRI-TV, Channel 12, has named a new chairman of the company’s board of directors and other board and company leaders in a realignment of the management team under the company’s new CEO. Douglas McCormick will serve as chairman of the board of directors, marking a change in how the company operates, according to a statement issued today by the company. Since 2000, McCormick served as chairman and CEO of iVillage Incorporated, a leading Web site for women, according to LIN TV. He also served as president and CEO of Lifetime Television. Providence-based LIN TV has moved away from having its CEO serve in dual roles as chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer. When the new CEO, Vincent L. Sadusky, was tapped in July to lead the company, he said the company was seeking a new chairman because he would not take on that role within LIN TV. He said the trend in corporate governance was moving away from having CEOs also serve as chairmen of their companies’ boards. LIN TV also announced today the appointment of Mitchell Stern to its board of directors. Previously, Stern was president and CEO of the DirecTV Group Inc., a leading digital television provider. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Other changes to LIN TV’s corporate lineup include: Gregory M. Schmidt as executive vice president of digital media, a new position for the man who has served as the company’s vice president and general counsel since 1995; Scott Blumenthal as executive vice president of television, a move up from co-vice president of television, a position Blumenthal has held since last year; Edward Munson as vice president of station sales, a new position for the company’s other co-vice president of television since last year; and Denise M. Parent as vice president and general counsel. She has served as vice president and deputy general counsel since 1997. In addition to Channel 12, a CBS affiliate, LIN TV also locally operates Fox-affiliate WNAC, Channel 64. The company owns and operates 30 television stations in 18 midsize markets in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:27 AM | Comment Only four days left to register to voteSaturday’s the last chance to register to vote in this year’s general election. Rhode Island, unlike a few other states, does not allow voters to register on the day of an election. And the state does not allow people to register to vote online. However, there’s plenty of information on the Board of Elections website and the Secretary of State’s website about where you can go to register, what you’ll need to bring with you and what you can do ahead of time to streamline the process. In order to register and vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the Rhode Island city or town where you’ll vote and at least 18 years old before the general election on Nov. 7. You cannot vote if you are a convicted felon still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, probation or suspended sentences) or if a court has legally declared you to be mentally incapable. You can register to vote at the local board of canvassers in your town or city hall, at any Division of Motor Vehicles location, at agencies providing public assistance (such as the Department of Human Services), at state-funded programs that assist people with disabilities and at armed forces recruiting offices. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:15 AM | Comment Deliberations in hospital case to resume tomorrowThe jury in the Roger Williams Medical Center trial has the day off, so we’ll have to wait longer to know the fate of the hospital executives charged with stealing the honest services of state Sen. John Celona. The case went to the jury late yesterday afternoon, but the eight women and four men will not be deliberating today due to a death in the family of one of the jurors. Deliberations are set to begin tomorrow. Read more about the closing arguments in the corruption trial in today’s Journal. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:32 AM | Comment Summer's hanging onPROVIDENCE – Warm, summer weather seems to be hanging in here as long as it can. Good, we’ll take it. Today’s supposed to be partly cloudy with a high near 74. There’s a slight chance of showers this afternoon, after 3 p.m., and this evening before 9 p.m. Tomorrow, the high should climb to 78. As for nights this week, they’re feeling more like fall. Expect the low tonight and tomorrow night to be around 56 degrees. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:10 AM | Comment October 2, 2006Poll: Chafee, Whitehouse neck and neckA poll released today shows that the candidates battling for the state's U.S. Senate seat are neck-in-neck -- based on those who say they've decided -- with the election just five weeks away. The survey, taken between Sept. 25 and Sept. 28, shows that 42 percent support Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, while 41 percent endorse incumbent Republican Lincoln Chafee, and 17 percent were undecided. The difference between the candidates is within the poll's 4 percent margin of error. A Brown University poll released last month also characterized the race as a dead heat with Whitehouse holding the slimmest of leads, 40 to 39 percent with 21 percent undecided. The latest poll of 625 registered voters was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, of Washington, D.C. And for the second consecutive poll, Mason-Dixon found that Governor Carcieri has a double digit lead over his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty. Carcieri leads 50 percent to 34 percent with 16 percent undecided.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:19 PM | Comment Update: Chief not worried by possible Harrah's saleNarragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas says he's not concerned by news that Harrah's Entertainment Inc. may be bought by two private-equity firms. "Harrah’s has advised me that it remains 100 percent committed to the Narragansett Indian Tribe as its chosen partner, to the people of Rhode Island, and to building the Narragansett Indian Casino," Thomas said in a statement released this afternoon. "This is, and has always been, about the Narragansett Indian Tribe. And that fact is ensured in the constitutional amendment that stipulates that the Narragansett Indian Casino will be owned and operated 'by the Narragansett Indian Tribe and its chosen partner,'” he continued, quoting the proposed amendment that voters will decide on in November. Harrah's, the company that's trying to build a West Warwick casino with the Narragansett Indians, said today it has has received a $15.05 billion offer for the company from private-equity firms Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group. -- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples It was not immediately clear whether the bid would have any effect on its efforts in Rhode Island. A related constitutional amendment that will appear on November's statewide ballot does not specifically name Harrah's. The private-equity firms are offering $81 per share in cash, a 22 percent premium to Harrah's closing stock price on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. After the news, Harrah's shares surged $9.19, or 14 percent, to $75.62 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Harrah's said it has established a special committee of independent directors to review the offer and has retained UBS Securities LLC as an adviser. Extra: Read more about the casino debate in Rhode Island. Harrah's is the world's largest casino company. It operates about 40 casinos, including Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, its namesake chain, Bally's, Horseshoe, Showboat and other brands throughout the country. The Las Vegas-based company beefed up its portfolio with last year's purchase of Caesars Entertainment Inc. Also today, Harrah's said it entered a deal with a unit of Boyd Gaming Corp. to exchange about 24 contiguous acres that Harrah's controls on the Las Vegas Strip for Boyd's Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino. Financial terms for that deal were not disclosed. The real-estate transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007, subject to customary closing conditions, including government approvals. Boyd said it expects to see a non-cash gain of about $280 million in the quarter the deal closes. -- staff and wire reports Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:51 PM | Comment Update: RWMC corruption case in jury's handsPROVIDENCE -- The Roger Williams Medical Center corruption case has gone to the jury. After a full day of closing arguments by the various lawyers, followed by an hour of legal instructions from the judge, a jury of eight women and four men officially received the case at 4:15 p.m. About 15 minutes later, they returned to the courtroom, having opted not to stay late and deliberate, and Chief U.S. District Ernest C. Torres adjourned for the day. Due to a death in the family of one juror, there will be no deliberations tomorrow. The jury will reconvene on Wednesday morning. Robert A. Urciuoli, the former president of Roger Williams, is on trial along with former hospital executive Frances P. Driscoll and former Village at Elmhurst partner Peter J. Sangermano. The three are charged with stealing the honest services of John Celona, the longtime state senator who earned $260,000 as a consultant to The Village at Elmhurst from 1998 to early 2004. In their closing statements, lawyers for the prosecution and defense painted contrasting pictures of the voluminous evidence presented during three weeks of testimony. Both sides dwelled on whether the defendants intended to deceive the citizens of Rhode Island and steal Celona's honest services as a senator. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton RWMC closing arguments focus on intent PROVIDENCE -- Closing arguments are under way in federal court today in the Roger Williams Medical Center corruption trial. Lawyers for the prosecution and former Roger Williams president Robert A. Urciuoli painted contrasting pictures for the jury this morning of the voluminous evidence presented during three weeks of testimony. Both sides dwelled on whether the defendants – Urciuoli, former Roger Williams executive Frances P. Driscoll and former Village at Elmhurst partner Peter J. Sangermano Jr. – intended to deceive the citizens of Rhode Island and steal the honest services of a state senator, John A. Celona. Asst. U.S. Atty. Luis Matos argued that the defendants deliberately concealed the true nature of Celona’s duties when they hired him as a consultant to the Village at Elmhurst, an assisted-living center, in 1997, saying that he would promote the Village among his wide network of senior citizens. Even as they were in the process of obtaining an advisory opinion from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission regarding what Celona could and could not do in his job, Matos argued, they hid the fact that they were "tasking’’ the senator to use his political influence to kill legislation and to convince municipalities to increase their ambulance runs to Roger Williams. "The defendants were willing and able purchasers of that office and they intended to deceive the citizens of Rhode Island,’’ charged Matos. "John Celona was hired to pursue their political interests and be their political errand boy.’’ Richard M. Egbert, Urciuoli’s lawyer, was quick to offer a differing interpretation of the documents, and to assail Celona’s credibility as a government witness who "lied and lied and lied to us continuously to save his rear end.’’ "The government’s case, like John Celona’s testimony, is built upon a failure of logic and a failure of common sense,’’ said Egbert. While acknowledging that Celona is "a political opportunist’’ who has lied to the government, Matos also told jurors that his actions are supported by a mountain of evidence – a paper trail documenting his pursuits on behalf of the defendants. "John Celona is a corrupt individual who has lied in the past,’’ said Matos. But, he added, there is a paper trail to support all of the key acts and charges. Egbert said that the rmountain of documents the government relies on shows just the opposite – that the defendants kept a written record of their dealings with Celona because they had nothing to hide and no intent to commit a crime. They told their lawyers, they told the state Ethics Commission and they even broadcast Celona’s involvement on the senator’s cable-access television show. In order to convict, Egbert told the jurors, "You need to embrace John Celona. You have to go home tonight and say, `I believe John Celona, beyond a reasonable doubt,’ and be able to sleep well. Good luck to you!’’ Pointing his finger at Matos, as Matos had pointed at the defendants during his closing, Egbert also accused the government of complicity in Celona’s lies and inconsistent statements. "This is a case without intent,’’ said Egbert. "It’s a series of acts and conduct that doesn’t make any sense at all, unless that Bob Urciuoli and Fran Driscoll and Peter Sangermano never intended to violate any law.’’ Matos and Egbert each spoke for about an hour. Lawyers for Driscoll and Sangermano are set to argue after the lunch recess, followed by a brief rebuttal from Matos. Then, Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres will instruct the jury on the law and, late this afternoon, deliberations should begin. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:01 PM | Comment FDA warns against drinking carrot juiceThe Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to drink a specific brand of California carrot juice after a fourth case of botulism surfaced in Florida. Consumers should avoid Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice, both the 450 milliliter and 1 liter plastic bottles, with "best if used by" dates of Nov. 11, 2006 or earlier. The government is also urging people to keep carrot juice -- including pasteurized carrot juice -- refrigerated. Investigators have determined that the four people who have contracted botulism did not properly refrigerate their juice, which allowed the dangerous bacteria to grow. Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium commonly found in soil, according to the FDA warning. Under certain conditions, it can cause botulism, a disease that may cause paralysis or death, although the FDA says that cases of botulism from processed food are extremely rare in this country. Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:30 PM | Comment Sox begin overhaul with pitching, hitting coachesBOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox began their offseason overhaul today by deciding not to renew the contracts of pitching coach Dave Wallace and hitting coach Ron Jackson. Manager Terry Francona said the team was not trying to blame the two, but merely to bring in a new "voice" that would be more effective. "Please don't write that I think it's their fault," Francona said. "It's not a very fun decision to make." Al Nipper, who filled in for Wallace while he had hip surgery, will be a candidate for the job full-time. The former Red Sox pitcher was also the pitching coach in Boston and Kansas City in the 1990s. "I think we have an obligation to see who is available," general manager Theo Epstein said. "Nip is right on that list." -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:28 PM | Comment Carcieri, Fogarty to discuss mental health issues tonightCRANSTON -- With the election just five weeks away, the leading candidates for governor will face off tonight in a debate-like discussion about the state's mental health system. While organizers characterize the 6:30 p.m. meeting as a "forum discussion, rather than a debate," two moderators will ask Governor Carcieri and Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty 10 prepared questions and a few written questions submitted by the audience. Each candidate will have three minutes to answer each question. A Brown University poll released almost two weeks ago shows Carcieri with a 12-point lead over his Democratic challenger -- 50 percent to 38 percent. Tonight's meeting is sponsored by the Save Our Mental Health Services Coalition and will take place at Gibbs College on Garfield Avenue in Cranston. The candidates will take part in a televised debate this Friday, from Toll Gate High School in Warwick. Click here for more details and how to get tickets. Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment RWMC's interim head Belcher named new presidentPROVIDENCE -- The Boston hospital executive who has worked to bring Roger Williams Medical Center out of the shadow of a federal indictment has been appointed its new president and chief executive officer, the hospital announced today. Kenneth H. Belcher came to Roger Williams from the Boston Medical Center in December 2005 to serve as interim president, replacing Robert A. Urciuoli, who was put on a leave because he was the target of a federal investigation. A month later, the hospital, Urciuoli, and two other employees were indicted on federal corruption charges. Belcher, 52, of Braintree, Mass., has led Roger Williams as the hospital negotiated a deal that lifted the federal indictment against the hospital (but not the three employees), fended off a union-organizing effort, won back patient loyalty after seeing volume drop precipitously last winter, and began restoring its financial health. Hospital spokesman Brett Davey said that it’s “pure coincidence” that the announcement occurred on the same day as closing arguments in the trial of Urciuoli and two others on charges they paid a state senator to pursue the hospital’s interests in the General Assembly. The board voted unanimously to name Belcher president last Thursday and told employees on Friday. A search committee of trustees, physicians and employees recommended Belcher, after considering several candidates identified by an executive search firm. Additionally, the board received a petition signed by about 300 employees urging Belcher’s appointment. -- Journal staff writer Felice J. Freyer “Ken Belcher has the experience, leadership and vision necessary to carry Roger Williams into the future,” Edward A. Hjerpe III, chairman of the board, said in a statement today. “He joined Roger Williams at a challenging time and has done tremendous amount of work to move the hospital in a positive direction.” Dr. David R. Gifford, director of the state Department of Health, which has been keeping a close watch on the hospital since the indictment, welcomed Belcher’s appointment. “He has been very frank and forthcoming in every meeting I’ve had with him,” Gifford said. “He clearly has the best interests of the institution and the people they serve in mind.” Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:36 PM | Comment Tickets available for gubernatorial debatePROVIDENCE -- Limited seating to the Friday, Oct. 6 live, televised Rhode Island gubernatorial debate between incumbent Donald L. Carcieri and Democratic challenger Charles J. Fogarty became available today for the general public. The Providence Journal and Fox Providence are cosponsoring the debate, which will air live from Warwick’s Toll Gate High School from 8 to 9 p.m. Rhode Island voters can register to attend the debate by e-mailing their full names, address and daytime phone numbers to debate06@projo.com by noon Thursday, October 5th. There is a limit of two names per request. Registrants will be notified on Thursday. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:26 PM | Comment Brown graduate shares Nobel Prize for medicine / Photo
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- A graduate of Brown University is sharing the Nobel Prize for medicine. Craig C. Mello, 45, is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He and Andrew Fire, 47, a Stanford University professor, discovered a way to turn off the effect of specific genes. "RNA interference" is already being widely used in basic science and is being studied as a treatment for virus infections, heart diseases, cancer and several other conditions. The two published their seminal work in 1998. Mello got his B.S. from Brown in biochemistry. Mello says he was taken by surprise when learning about the award which he calls a "tremendous honor." Mello and Fire will share a $1.4 million-dollar prize. Full story ... Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:51 PM | Comment A key Rhode Island interest rate skyrocketsRhode Island now charges one of the highest rates in the nation on overdue taxes. Under provisions of a state law that took effect yesterday, the state now charges 18 percent on delinquent taxes. That's up from the old rate of 12 percent. It's also higher than what any other New England state charges. The new Rhode Island rate is tied for the highest nationwide. In general, only South Dakota and Wisconsin charge 18 percent, and no state charges more, according to a recent survey by CCH Inc. of Riverwoods, Ill., a national publisher of tax information for accountants and other tax professionals. Posted by Neil Downing at 12:19 PM | Comment Harrah's could be soldLAS VEGAS -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the company that's trying to build a West Warwick casino with the Narragansett Indians, said today it has has received a $15.05 billion offer for the company from private-equity firms Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group. It was not immediately clear whether the bid would have any effect on its efforts in Rhode Island. A related constitutional amendment that will appear on November's statewide ballot does not specifically name Harrah's. A spokeswoman for a Harrah's-funded group pushing for the casino did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. The private-equity firms are offering $81 per share in cash, a 22 percent premium to Harrah's closing stock price on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. After the news, Harrah's shares surged $9.19, or 14 percent, to $75.62 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Harrah's said it has established a special committee of independent directors to review the offer and has retained UBS Securities LLC as an adviser. Read more about the casino debate in Rhode Island. -- The Associated Press Harrah's is the world's largest casino company. It operates about 40 casinos, including Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, its namesake chain, Bally's, Horseshoe, Showboat and other brands throughout the country. The Las Vegas-based company beefed up its portfolio with last year's purchase of Caesars Entertainment Inc. Also today, Harrah's said it entered a deal with a unit of Boyd Gaming Corp. to exchange about 24 contiguous acres that Harrah's controls on the Las Vegas Strip for Boyd's Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino. Financial terms for that deal were not disclosed. The real-estate transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007, subject to customary closing conditions, including government approvals. Boyd said it expects to see a non-cash gain of about $280 million in the quarter the deal closes. Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:35 AM | Comment E. Greenwich police: Man fires shots at police, kills selfEAST GREENWICH -- A 25-year-old man fired several shots at police officers from a high-powered rifle before shooting and killing himself yesterday, according to local police, who are continuing to investigate the incident today. Michael Boyajian, of 271 Tillinghast Road, fired at the police officers from the second floor of his home after the police were called there at 4:07 p.m. yesterday for a family disturbance, said East Greenwich Police Det. Lt. Tom Marcello. Boyajian's father, Harold, was at the end of the driveway waiting when the officers arrived. He told the three or four officers that his son was armed with a high-powered rifle and handgun, according to Marcello. As they talked, Boyajian came to the window and fired about four shots, Marcello said. The police officers, who were about 50 yards away from the house, took cover, but did not return fire, Marcello said. "During the confusion," Boyajian's mother, Mary, who was still inside the house, then went upstairs and found her son, with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Marcello. Boyajian was treated at the scene by rescue then taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Marcello. "It does look to be a suicide," he said. A sister, Melissa, 23, had also been inside, but left the house as the shots were being fired, Marcello said. Marcello said he believed the incident started over a problem Boyajian had had at work. He said the police had been called to the house before for "domestic-related" issues. The police were in the process of securing the house, clearing neighbors from their homes and cordoning off the street when the shots were fired. The whole incident lasted about 15 minutes, Marcello said. After three or four officers initially responded to the call, other East Greenwich officers and North Kingstown officers also responded. The police have seized the rifle they believe Boyajian used to fire at them, two handguns, pellet guns and some ammunition from the home, according to Marcello. As part of their investigation, the police are trying to confirm which weapon was used and how many rounds were fired. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:30 AM | Comment Gas prices down another 18 centsGas prices in Rhode Island have dropped another 18 cents over the past week and have now fallen 75 cents since the end of July, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.36 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. That's 50 cents less than it was a month ago. A year ago the average price was $2.86. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:15 AM | Comment Today is Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement"Yom Kippur, one of the most important holidays of the Jewish year, started before sunset yesterday and continues until after nightfall today. Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement," and it is a day for Jews to atone for the sins of the past year. Working, eating and drinking are prohibited during the 25-hour period. Most of the holiday is supposed to be spent in the synagogue, praying. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:51 AM | Comment Italian ambassador visits Rhode IslandItaly’s ambassador to the United States will visit Rhode Island today for the state's first observance of Italian-American heritage month. Giovanni Castellaneta will be on hand at noon as Governor Carcieri holds a ceremonial signing of the bill, passed by the General Assembly this year, designating October as Italian-American heritage month. After the signing, Castellaneta will join about 90 people, described by a House spokesman as leaders in the Italian community, for a catered luncheon in the House lounge. Nineteen percent of Rhode Islanders claim Italian roots, the highest percentage of any, according to the House news release. Italians are also the largest ethnic group in Rhode Island, according to U.S. census data. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:08 AM | Comment Closing arguments today in hospital corruption trialPROVIDENCE -- Closing arguments are scheduled for this morning in the corruption trial of former Roger Williams Medical Center president Robert A. Urciuoli and two other health care executives. Urciuoli, former hospital vice president Frances P. Driscoll and Peter J. Sangermano, a partner with the hospital in The Village at Elmhurst assisted-living center, are accused of stealing the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona. Celona, who has pleaded guilty to selling his office, has served as the government's central witness during the trial in U.S. District Court, Providence. Testimony concluded Thursday. Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres gave jurors the day off Friday to let lawyers prepare for today's closing arguments. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:20 AM | Comment Partly cloudy today with a high near 70The National Weather Service forecasts a partly cloudy day with a high near 70 degrees. Patchy fog should clear out by 9 a.m. The stars should be visible tonight through mostly clear skies, and the temperature will drop to about 50 degrees, the weather service says. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006