« November 2006 | Today | January 2007 »

December 29, 2006

Last-minute tips for celebrating New Year's

Still pondering your plans for New Year's Eve?

Browse our collection of ideas for how to ring in 2007, from where to see the fireworks, to special dinners at area restaurants, to First Night festivities in area communities.

If you're heading to Providence, the city wants you to know that some of the streets will be closed to motor vehicle traffic during Bright Night hours. They are: State Street, from 8 a.m. on Sunday, to 1 a.m. on Monday; Smith Street between Park and Gaspee Streets, on Sunday, from 5:15 and 6 p.m., then again between 11:45 and 12:45 a.m. (Hint: Those last times correspond to fireworks displays.)

Happy holidays!

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:02 PM | Comment

On deck: Steppin' up the action after holiday break

The action is starting to heat up after the Christmas holiday.

PC will be without sophomore guard Sharaud Curry (17.3 ppg) tonight at 9:30 at Florida State in the Friar's final important non-conference game of the season. Curry, the team's leading scorer and backcourt leader, was suspended by head coach Tim Welsh for a violation of team rules. Catch the game on TV Cox.

In hockey, the Providence Bruins travel to Philadelphia for a 7:30 p.m. game, while the Boston Bruins are in Chicago against the Blackhawks at 8:30.

In college football, after three afternoon bowl games, tonight's matchup pits Maryland against Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl at 8 on ESPN. Check out the results via projo.com's college sports page.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:30 PM | Comment

House fire in Coventry under control

COVENTRY -- Firefighters have brought a late-afternoon fire in a home on Barbs Hill Road under control.

Everyone in the wooden, single-family structure at 205 Barbs Hill Road got out safely, said police Lt. Robin Winslow, and there were no injuries.

Police believe the fire may have started about 4:15 p.m. in the attic of the house near the border with the town of Foster and Connecticut. Mutual aid from Connecticut and Foster also responded to the blaze.

No more information was available.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:24 PM | Comment

Day of mourning closes federal offices in R.I.

Tuesday has been declared a national day of mourning for former President Gerald Ford, who died this week.

The declaration means federal offices will be closed that day. The New York Stock Exchange will also be closed.

In Rhode Island, closings include U.S. postal services and the federal District Court in Providence.

There are no plans to shut down state government for the day, though Governor Carcieri has decided to postpone his inaugural ball, set for that night, until Wednesday.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:46 PM | Comment

New emergency beacons required for boaters

Commercial and recreational watercraft have a few more days to get rid of old emergency radio beacons that are being phased out.

The U.S. Coast Guard is reminding boaters that beginning Jan. 1, they are prohibited from using 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (known as EPIRBs).

From then on, boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue beacon aboard their vessels must use a digital 406 MHz model, according to the Coast Guard. This type of EPIRB is designed to operate with satellites, according to the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book.

The change in emergency beacons is required to improve the efforts of the International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System, which provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the world.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The older EPIRBs have been deemed unreliable in emergencies, according to the Coast Guard. Data shows that just one alert out of every 50 with the 121.5 MHz beacon is a genuine distress situation.

The 406 MHz beacons require boaters to enter personal and contact information into a registration database. Therefore, when a beacon signal is received from that type of EPIRB, search and rescue personnel can retrieve information from that database, including identifying characteristics about the vessel that is in distress, according to the Coast Guard.

The changes probably affect the operators of pleasure boats far more than commercial fishing vessels, according to Erik Orman, the co-owner of Tempest Fisheries Ltd. in New Bedford. Orman, who co-owns five fishing boats, said he and his partner already have the latest emergency equipment on board.

Although he was not familiar with the 406 MHz terminology, he said anything required by the Coast Guard is most likely already on board his boats.

“The fishing industry has always been pretty proactive as far as safety equipment goes,” Orman said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:24 PM | Comment

Governor's inaugural ball postponed

While most of the state's inauguration activities are still a go for Tuesday, Governor Carcieri has postponed by one day the festive inaugural ball he had planned for that night "out of respect" for President Bush's declaration of Tuesday as a national day of mourning for former President Gerald R. Ford.

Carcieri spokesman Michael Maynard said the inaugural ball will take place "same time, same place" on Wednesday, at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. He said "everyone was very accommodating."

But Maynard said there are no plans to shut down state government for the day, as a handful of states are doing; and he and others noted that both state law and the Constitution require the swearing-in of the governor, lieutenant governor, general treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state and the members of the General Assembly on what is described as "the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election."

And spokesmen for the House and Senate said legislative leaders have decided to go ahead with their opening day sessions at which the only official business – after new Secretary of State Ralph Mollis swears-in the members – will be the anticipated re-election of House Speaker William J. Murphy and Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano.

“We are required by the state Constitution to come in, so we will come in,’’ Senate spokesman Greg Pare said.

House leaders are also planning to go ahead with a “simple reception’’ in the House lounge after the session.

-- Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg

Early in the day today Maynard acknowledged there was “some discussion’’ about whether to go forward with the black-tie optional, 2007 inaugural ball.

The ball will now be from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. It is free to the public, with a shuttle bus available to transport attendees from nearby parking lots.

Earlier announced plans for the event said it would feature light hors d’hoeuvres, desserts and entertainment by the Night Life Orchestra, the Big Nazo Puppets and the Johnson & Wales Ballroom and Latin Dance Team.

A spokesman for the National Governor’s Association said Rhode Island is one of three states that had inaugurations planned for Tuesday, the others being Florida and Minnesota.

Florida officials could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman for Minnesota’s newly re-elected Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said “we are not postponing or canceling any of the inauguration activities.’’

At that point in the day, the spokesman was unclear if state government would shut down for the day. But NGA spokesman Barry Van Lare said he sent out an all-states inquiry and of the 15 or so that responded, only three were planning to close down for the day: Nebraska, Kansas and, of course, Michigan, where Ford will be transported after a memorial in Washington Tuesday morning and will lie in repose until his burial near his presidential museum the following day.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:56 PM | Comment

Residents wake up to find tires slashed

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

Tag Tanalski and his daughter Anna Tanalski, 10, of Hillside Ave. in Pawtucket, in their driveway after tires on their cars were slashed overnight.

Tag Tanalski of Pawtucket had an unpleasant surprise when he went outside this morning around 10 a.m.

Tires on two of his family’s four cars had been slashed – one tire on the Toyota Camry station wagon parked in his Pawtucket driveway on Hillside Avenue and two tires on the Camry station wagon in the parking lot across the street, which is in Providence.

He’s not alone.

Tanalski said as many as 10 people he knows who live on Hillside Avenue, in buildings numbered from about 80 to 180, had their car tires slashed overnight, also. The incidents occurred below -- or west of -- Hope Street. Tanalski lives between Swan and Dartmouth streets.

As Hillside Avenue is the dividing line between Providence and Pawtucket, Tanalski said he spoke this morning with police from both cities. He knows some neighbors have also spoken with the police.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

At 11:30 this morning, a Pawtucket police lieutenant, who declined to come to the phone, told the woman who answered the department’s line to tell projo.com the police know nothing of the incident. A Providence police captain has not returned a call from projo.com.

In talking with neighbors, Tanalski said he has heard that perhaps 50 people’s tires were slashed. The cuts in his tires were about an inch wide and deep enough to penetrate the side walls and flatten the tires, rendering them “useless.”

He hasn’t started pricing new tires but imagines replacing the three and re-balancing the tires on the cars will run about $200. He’s contemplating going to a junkyard to see if he can get a cheaper replacement, as “there’s not a lot of money in the till” just after Christmas.

A substitute teacher in East Providence middle and high schools, Tanalski, 45, doesn’t have much hope that those responsible will be caught.

He thinks whoever did the slashing is “truly unaware of the implications” of what they did.

“There are a lot of repercussions to things like this,” he said. “People could get fired because they’re late to work, they don’t have the money now to pay for something that they really needed. It’s a senseless thing, but obviously they weren’t really thinking about that. They were just having fun.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:43 PM | Comment

DA: No charges in fatal Fall River social club fire

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- No one will be charged in the deaths of four women who perished in the June fire that tore through a social club as they prepared for a Feast of the Holy Ghost celebration, according to a report made public today by the Bristol County District Attorney’s office.

Though the state fire marshal found several code violations -- the building was not a licensed meeting hall, doors were not solid, opened inward and were not the right width -- the 20-page report states that “there is no evidence to support" that the St. John's Holy Ghost Association "was reckless or wanton in not obtaining the appropriate licenses.”

And the report says “the fact these code violations existed did not contribute to the deaths of these women. There is no evidence that the doors, the location of the doors, the width of the doorways contributed to the death of these women.”

Geraldine Andrade, 63, Emeliana Carvalho, 80, Mary Raposa, 70, and Christina Costa, 30, died in the June 14 fire that began at 7:20 p.m. on the first floor of the 228 County St. social hall. The building’s occupants at the time were St. John’s Holy Ghost Association, Recreation Association Nossa Da Luz, and four apartments.

The state fire marshal's report, which with a memorandum from an assistant district attorney to the district attorney makes up the report, draws parallels to The Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people in West Warwick in 2003.

"The use of large amounts of highly flammable paper and wax impregnated paper decorations in this facility contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The survivor accounts of this fire sound eerily similar to the survivor accounts from the Coconut Grove, Station Nightclub, and Hartford Circus fire," says the report from State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.

The fire marshal's report also makes seven recommendations, focusing on fire officials' outreach to social and civic organizations and the use of flammable decorations.

-- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:20 PM | Comment

Club closed until Jan. 8 after deadly shooting

PROVIDENCE — Club Pulse, the South Providence nightclub rocked by a triple shooting on Christmas morning, will be closed until Jan. 8, when a full hearing is scheduled to determine whether the club should keep its licenses to operate.

At the request of the Police Department, the license board suspended the operating licenses of the nightclub because three men were shot — one later died — inside the club on Christmas morning. The police allege that it was only the latest in a string of troublesome incidents at Pulse.

An emergency hearing had been scheduled for this morning to give the club’s owner, Alex Tomasso, owner of A.A.T. Restaurant Corp., the right to contest the suspension and reopen over the busy New Year’s weekend.

But Tomasso’s lawyer, Joseph Keough, officially waived Tomasso’s right to the emergency hearing, and the club will stay closed until the board makes its decision on Jan. 8.

Club ownership temporarily returned its licenses to operate to the city’s license administrator today, pending the results of the full hearing, according to Richard H. Aitchison, city license administrator.

— Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:00 PM | Comment

Inaugurations galore after New Year's break

PROVIDENCE -- Let's hope state leaders don't party too hard to celebrate the New Year. Tuesday will be a busy day on Smith Hill.

Governor Carcieri's inauguration is set for noon. He'll be joined by the state's five general officers: the new lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and general treasurer. And both chambers of the 2007-2008 General Assembly will follow.

All 38 senators are scheduled to be sworn in at 3 p.m. by the state's new Secretary of State Ralph Mollis. Four newcomers are among the senators.

The House inauguration is set to follow at 4 p.m. There will be 10 new representatives among the 75 people sworn in. All the new officials are Democrats.

Each chamber will formally elect its leader for the new session as well. Democratic caucuses met last month and voted to endorse current Speaker William J. Murphy and current Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano.

But the endorsements are expected to be made official Tuesday, according to an announcement released by the legislative press bureau.

The opening day sessions will be broadcast by Capitol TV, which is Channel 15 for Cox Communications subscribers.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:59 AM | Comment

Tell us: Are Denver snows affecting your travel plans?

Rhode Islanders: Has the big snow in Colorado stranded you or a family member or changed your travel plans?

The second major snowstorm in a week has dumped another 2 feet of snow on the Western state, canceling hundreds of flights at the Denver International Airport and possibly affecting travel in other parts of the country.

We'd like to hear from you if the storm has got you or a loved one stuck in an airport or otherwise forced a change in travel plans. Please e-mail The Journal newsroom at pjnews@projo.com with your name, location, e-mail address and, if possible, a phone number, in case a reporter wants to contact you.

Locally, T.F. Green Airport in Warwick and Logan International in Boston report that most flights are still arriving and departing on time.

One United Airlines flight out of Logan – set to depart at 11 a.m. today – was canceled, but others appear to be arriving from Denver and scheduled to depart for Denver and beyond later today.

"There's no major problems so far," said Phil Orlandella, a spokesman for Logan.

Inbound flights from Denver appear to be delayed by about 30 minutes, while flights to Denver, aside form the canceled flight, "seem to be on time," he said.

Airline travelers cannot fly directly to Denver from Green. Flights to and from that airport appear to be arriving and departing on time, according to its Web site.

Given the wintry conditions elsewhere – and tomorrow’s chance of snow here in Rhode Island – it’s a good idea to doublecheck your flight information before heading to either Green or Logan.

Get the latest on the storm.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:00 AM | Comment

Police seeking missing Fall River woman / Photo

Aguiar-Jordan

FALL RIVER – Local police are seeking the public’s help in their search for a woman reported missing since Tuesday night.

Lee Aguiar-Jordan, 38, from the east end of Fall River, was last seen Tuesday around 9 p.m. by family members, her family has told the police, Sgt. Ronald Furtado said this morning. From Wednesday on, Aguiar-Jordan has also not reported for work at the Fall River real estate company where she is employed, Furtado said.

The police believe she could be driving her 2002 black convertible Chrysler Sebring, with Massachusetts plates 23HT48.

The police ask anyone with information about Aguiar-Jordan to call the department, at (508) 676-8511.

“We’re treating it as a missing person report at this time, but certainly any time a person is missing for an extended period of time, it does become a concern,” Furtado said. “We’re following up on any leads. That’s why we’re asking for the public’s help.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:17 AM | Comment

Boston bars skirting fire safety law, report says

BOSTON -- Fewer than half of Boston's bars and nightclubs covered by new fire safety regulations enacted after the fatal Station nightclub fire in West Warwick are complying, according to a published report.

Fire officials say 142 of 229 establishments required to install sprinkler systems are getting around the law or trying to, The Boston Globe reported.

Many clubs have complained about the cost of installing sprinklers, saying it could put smaller establishments out of business. Some have persuaded local and state building agencies to lower their official capacity below 100 people, the law's threshold.

Others are building walls to attempt to qualify as two businesses, each below the 100-person capacity. Bars that serve food are arguing they should be considered as restaurants, which are exempt.

"This is terrible," Boston Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser told the Globe. "Our goal is to make public areas more safe, not look for loopholes."

-- The Associated Press

Read the full story here.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:08 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident on Route 95N near Exit 20

The state Department of Transportation has posted a Providence accident on Route 95 North on its traffic advisory page.

However, the state police report that no one was injured in the one-car crash just prior to Route 195 (Exit 20) at 6:50 this morning. No lanes are closed, according to Lt. David Neill.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find the alert about this morning’s crash and any other 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 7:11 AM | Comment

Sunny today, snow possible tomorrow

PROVIDENCE – Did we hear snow?

Yes, the National Weather Service predicts a 30 percent chance of snow tomorrow, mainly between noon and 3 p.m. Now won’t that feel out of place, given all the warm weather we’ve had this month?

It’s 28 degrees this morning, and temps should rise to about 39. It should be mostly sunny today. Tonight, we can expect a low around 20 and mostly clear skies.

New Year’s Eve should be partly cloudy with a low around 27, and New Year’s Day is likely to be rainy, with a high of 41.

Check back with us throughout the weekend for the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:03 AM | Comment

Today's Journal front page

Today's front page includes local stories about a Middletown mansion selling for $5 million and a Rhode Island educator being picked to run Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for poor girls in South Africa.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

December 28, 2006

On deck: Quiet sports locally, big college bowl night

There's no Celtics or Bruins tonight. Even the University of Rhode Island and Providence College men's basketball teams are off.

Need something to watch anyway, even if there's no connection to Little Rhody?

It's no secret it's college football bowl season. And ESPN airs the Holiday Bowl between 21-ranked Texas A&M and 20-ranked California at 8 p.m.

But really, all eyes tonight will be on Bob Knight. The former Indiana coach is tied with coaching legend Dean Smith's all-time Division 1 mark with 879 wins. Knight can break the record tonight when his Texas Tech Red Raiders take on UNLV in Texas.

Check the results via projo.com's College Sports page.

The game will be aired on ESPN2 at 9 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:20 PM | Comment

Club Pulse seeks continuance of suspension hearing

PROVIDENCE — Yesterday, the city Board of Licenses ordered that the nightclub Pulse be shut down temporarily as a threat to public safety after a fatal Christmas Day shooting.

Now, the club owner is asking the board to hold off on a hearing scheduled for tomorrow that would allow him to contest the shutdown.

The move means that the club is voluntarily closing for this New Year's Day holiday weekend.

At the request of the Police Department, the license board yesterday suspended the operating licenses of the South Providence nightclub because three men were shot — one fatally — inside the club early Christmas morning. The police allege that it was only the latest in a string of troublesome incidents at Pulse.

The board had scheduled a hearing for 10 a.m. tomorrow at City Hall, as required by law, to give club licensee A.A.T. Restaurant Corp. an opportunity to contest the suspension.

The lawyer for the club owner contacted city officials today to ask for a continuance of the scheduled hearing. Tomasso has agreed to temporarily waive his rights to a swift hearing and an appeal and to keep Pulse closed for the time being, according to Richard H. Aitchison, city license administrator.

Pulse closed after the shooting, and according to police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald, the club was not scheduled to reopen until tomorrow night. By asking for a delay, police officers said, Tomasso is giving up what promised to be lucrative business over the New Year’s weekend.

The board will meet tomorrow morning to consider the request for a continuance, and no testimony about the management of Pulse or the shooting is expected to be presented, Aitchison said. The scheduled meeting time has been moved back by one hour, to 11 a.m.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:27 PM | Comment

State wins auto emissions lawsuit

PROVIDENCE – The two-month battle over the state’s multimillion-dollar contract for auto emissions testing is finished.

Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein ruled this afternoon in favor of the state’s purchasing officials, who decided to hire a new company, SysTech International LLC., to supervise the state’s vehicle emission and safety inspection programs.

The ruling saves the emissions program from descending into limbo over the uncertainty of who would conduct the state-mandated tests, which are part of motor vehicle inspections, in the new year.

The lawsuit against the state was brought by Applus Technologies Inc., the state’s current contractor. For the past seven years, Applus charged $13 for each vehicle tested in the state. When the contract went out to bid this year, Applus proposed to charge $8.95 per vehicle while SysTech proposed to charge $4 per vehicle.

In the suit, Applus Technologies said state officials acted in bad faith by giving concessions to their competitor and ignoring the advice of a review committee which favored their company.

In Silverstein’s ruling, he said “there is simply no evidence before the court that suggests bad faith, corruption, political or otherwise, of the purchasing agent.”

Silverstein also said it was up to the state’s purchasing agent to make a final selection.

“Ultimately, the taxpayers of Rhode Island have won here,” said Brian P. Stern, the executive of the Department of Administration. “We’ve sent a message to all businesses out there that the state is open for business.”

The transfer of auto testing programs in the state’s 294 inspection stations starts on Monday, New Year's Day, with Tuesday the first day of implementation. Applus and SysTech representatives promised state officials that they will make sure the handover goes smoothly.

-- Journal environment writer Michelle J. Lee

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:55 PM | Comment

Court upholds conviction of man nabbed in FBI sting

BOSTON -- A federal appeals court today upheld the conviction and sentencing of Anthony Gobbi, a Boston man charged with providing protection for a supposed cocaine shipment from behind the wheel of a black Cadillac outside a Providence hotel.

Gobbi was one of three men snared in a reverse sting operation, in which an FBI agent posing as a wealthy businessman arranged protection through Robert Nardolillo, described in the court’s decision as a “suspected underworld figure.”

Gobbi, 37, of Marion Street in Boston, was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine and attempting to possess cocaine with intent to distribute it. And in April, U.S. District Judge William E. Smith sentenced Gobbi to 13 years and four months in prison.

Gobbi’s lawyer appealed, arguing there was insufficient evidence Gobbi tried to possess cocaine and that the judge should not have admitted certain evidence. The defense lawyer also contended Gobbi’s sentence should not have been increased based on the presence of a gun at the hotel and the conclusion that Gobbi committed perjury.

But the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeal. “Concluding, as we do, that Gobbi’s arguments are devoid of merit, we affirm the judgment below,” Judge Bruce M. Selya, the court’s only Rhode Islander, wrote in a 25-page opinion.

Gobbi is now at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, N.J., according to the federal Bureau of Prisons' Web site.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:02 PM | Comment

Carcieri picks administration exec as DOT director

Governor Carcieri has named a new director for the state Department of Transportation.

Jerome F. Williams, currently executive director of the state Department of Administration, will replace James Capaldi, who is retiring, according to the governor's office.

Williams served as his department's No. 2 official since 2003, where he was responsible for seven departments, including accounting, internal auditing, taxation, facilities management, capital projects, sheriffs and the Capitol Police.

Carcieri called Williams "a tremendously effective leader" at the Department of Administration.

“In his current role at the Department of Administration and in his prior experience in both the public and private sectors, Jerry has excelled. He has significant financial experience administering large and complex contracts and managing complicated budgets,” Carcieri said in a statement.

“With an annual budget of $350 million, the DOT is responsible for the state’s infrastructure and intermodal transportation systems. This is an agency that requires a leader who can manage multi-faceted contracts and complicated financial issues,” Carcieri said. “Jerry is someone that I can count on to continue the success that the DOT has enjoyed over the past four years under Jim Capaldi in moving our state’s roads and rail systems forward.”

Williams served as a deputy director of the Department of Administration from 1991 to 1994. He also served as the deputy general treasurer for Rhode Island from 1986 to 1991 and town treasurer of Barrington from 1979 to 1986.

Williams was a senior vice president for FleetBoston Financial from 1994 to 2003.

“With the relocation of Route 195 – the state’s largest construction project in history – on its way and several other major transportation projects currently under way, it is critical that we have Jerry’s leadership at DOT," Carcieri said. "He understands how to make things happen and solve problems.”

Capaldi announced in early December that he would retire this month after more than 35 years with the state agency, the last three as its leader.

Capaldi, who recently turned 60, helped fuel the extraordinary burst of construction, particularly visible in Providence, by pushing a new-to-Rhode Island - some said risky - financing mechanism that made hundreds of millions of dollars available to the state government through borrowing.

He has presided over two of the DOT's more dramatic performances, the explosive demolition of the Jamestown Bridge, spread over several months this year, and the towing of the new Providence River Bridge arch up Narragansett Bay on barges in August.

But Capaldi also endured some embarrassments - seemingly endless delays on projects, including the Point Street overpass over Route 95 in Providence and the replacement of the Barrington River Bridge in Barrington, and expensive settlements with contractors because of design problems - but nothing that derailed the main construction program.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:16 PM | Comment

Poverty activists protest at State House / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
The group holds up a "laundry list" of their demands at the State House this morning.

PROVIDENCE — About 40 advocates for the poor descended upon the State House today as part of an effort to urge Governor Carcieri to take actions to help the poor, disabled and elderly.
.
The group led by the George Wiley Center and the Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Poverty presented the Republican governor with a “laundry list” of items and issues that it says remain “unanswered and ignored.”

Henry Shelton, coordinator of the center, said that he and others have tried time and time again to get the governor’s attention but have been routinely ignored.

“We’ve tried to bring to a head our many frustrations with this governor. We’re getting ignored with vital issues,” he said. “[The governor] never responds to phone calls, faxes, hand-delivered stuff.”

Carcieri’s staff today said that Carcieri will personally meet with the advocates but that no date has been set.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:50 PM | Comment

Cumberland firm accused of shipping hazardous waste

PROVIDENCE -- A Rhode Island shipping company is facing more than $100,000 in fines after being charged with knowingly transporting hazardous waste in violation of federal law, the U.S. Attorney's Office said today.

Berkeley Transportation Company, of Cumberland, is accused of illegally shipping hazardous waste on two occasions in 2004 from 155 Amaral St. in East Providence to a transportation depot on Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick.

Prosecutors, in the two-count information filed today in U.S. District Court, Providence, did not detail the type of hazardous waste involved.

The owner of the shipping company, Bradford Dean, 56, of Cumberland, is a partner and an officer for Amaral Street Associates, which had recently sold the East Providence property and hired Berkeley Transportation to truck away waste that had been stored there, according to federal prosecutors.

Berkeley Transportation has agreed to plead guilty to the charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. As part of the agreement, the company will pay $35,000 to the state Department of Environmental Management's Environmental Response Fund.

Prosecutors also plan to seek an additional fine of $80,000 and an order forcing the company to establish an environmental compliance program.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

The state DEM worked with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the case.

Company representatives are set to be arraigned on two charges of illegally shipping hazardous waste in U.S. District Court Jan. 3 at 10 a.m. No date has been set for a judge to consider the plea bargain.

Each count carries maximum penalites of five years in prison and a fine up to $50,000 or twice the amount of gain or loss.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:09 PM | Comment

Update: Route 95 in Connecticut fully open now

Interstate 95 in Bridgeport, Conn., has reopened following a major fuel spill this morning.

The accident near Exit 22 initially closed both northbound and southbound lanes, according to a statement from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation around 10:30 a.m.

Southbound lanes were reported open again about 25 minutes later.

The northbound lanes were reported open again about 1 p.m., according to Rhode Island Transportation Management Center operator Robert Miller.

Click here to see a traffic cam of the area (click on the "Exit 20-21" link).

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:47 PM | Comment

Woonsocket residents hurt in Mass. collision

The police said today that excessive speed may have been a factor in a serious head-on crash yesterday afternoon in Bellingham, Mass.

A motorist heading west on Paine Street behind a Jaguar sedan at 4 p.m. told the police the Jaguar was “operating in the westbound lane at an extremely high rate of speed,” Bellingham Police Lt. Kevin Ranieri said today.

The speed limit on that stretch of road is 25 mph, Ranieri said.

The witness lost sight of the Jaguar as it drove up a hill and into what Ranieri described as a “blind corner.” Then, as the driver behind the Jaguar came around the corner, that driver saw that the sedan had collided head-on with a Toyota Corolla, Ranieri said.

Two Woonsocket residents in the Toyota were taken by helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center’s university campus in Worcester, Mass., according to the police and the helicopters that transported them. A hospital spokeswoman who did not give her name said today that it has been requested that no information be released about the patients' status.

Ranieri said those two Woonsocket residents -- the driver of the Toyota and her back-seat passenger -- were the most badly injured. The Toyota driver was identified as Bethzaida Grajales, 22, of 139 E. School St. The rear passenger was Beatrice Gonzalez, 44, of the same address.

Grajales was trapped in her seat, and rescue crews needed to use the "Jaws of Life" to extricate her, Ranieri said. Gonzalez was thrown and had gotten wedged under the front seat, Ranieri said. She suffered head injuries, he said.

The driver of the Jaguar was treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Nancy Cawley said. The police identified him as Pundy Kim Khath, 27, of 55 Huntington St. in Lowell, Mass.

The front-seat passenger in the Toyota was treated and released from Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, according to spokeswoman Addie Piette. The police identified him as William Louberil-Vasquez, of 139 E. School St. in Woonsocket. His age was unavailable, Ranieri said.

No one involved in the crash was wearing a seatbelt, Ranieri said.

A police reconstruction team continues to investigate the accident. No charges have been filed at this time, Ranieri said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:16 PM | Comment

Update: Pawtucket man killed in Foxboro crash ID'd

FOXBORO, Mass. – The state police this morning identified a 52-year-old Pawtucket man killed late yesterday afternoon in a three-car crash on Route 1 near Gillette Stadium.

Michael Leonard had been traveling north in a 2003 Hyundai sedan when a pickup truck spun into his lane after the truck was struck in a head-on collision, according to the state police.

The pickup truck, driven by Kelley Soucy, 32, of Woonsocket, had been stopped in the northbound left lane, attempting to turn across the southbound lane and into a parking lot, when a southbound van driven by John Lomasney Jr., 25, of Plainville, Mass., crossed into the northbound lanes and hit the pickup, according to the police.

Leonard had swerved from the left to the right lane to avoid a collision, but the impact of the first accident sent the pickup truck into the right lane, according to the police.

Leonard was taken to Norwood Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Massachusetts state police.

Both Soucy and Lomasney were brought to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro. Lomasney was treated for minor injuries and released last night, while Soucy remained hospitalized today in good condition, according to the hospital.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:49 PM | Comment

Today's front page

On today's Journal front page, Rhode Island political leaders recall former President Gerald R. Ford as an honorable, folksy man. Also, the family of a man shot to death at a Providence club Christmas morning criticize club security.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:04 AM | Comment

Traffic: Tractor-trailer accident in N. Kingstown

Police and fire crews have responded to a North Kingstown accident in which a tractor-trailer on Namcook road has struck a pole.

Namcook, which is off Post Road, is a side road. Therefore, the accident shouldn’t impede traffic much, Sgt. John Murphy said. Any injuries are believed to be minor.

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 7:48 AM | Comment

Partly cloudy and mild

Look for another mild day today with a high near 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Expect partly cloudy skies and a west wind between 7 and 13 mph.

The temperature should drop to about 27 degrees tonight with the wind from the northwest at 7 to 9 mph.

The normal high temperature for today is 39 degrees and the normal low is 22 degrees.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

December 27, 2006

On deck: Celtics, Rams, P-Bruins on the road

The Boston Celtics shouldn't be battling for first place in their division.

But in the Eastern Conference's woeful Atlantic Division, 10 wins and 16 losses puts a team one game out of first place.

Coming off their third loss in a row last night, the Celtics hope to improve their record to 11-16 against the Los Angeles Clippers in California tonight. And from Boston's perspective, this is a good time to be playing the Clippers, who are in the midst of a slump of their own, having lost seven out of their last eight games.

Boston is still without leading scorer Paul Pierce, who's expected to miss another two to three weeks with a foot injury.

Tip off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m.

If you'd prefer to watch a basketball team with a winning record tonight, the University of Rhode Island men's club faces Ohio University at 7 p.m. in Athens. URI has seven wins and five losses so far this year. Ohio is 7-3.

Not a basketball fan?

The Providence Bruins take on the Norfolk Admirals tonight in Virginia at 7:15. The teams are in fourth and third place in their respective divisions.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:01 PM | Comment

Lombardi to make 4th run for N. Providence mayor / Correction

NORTH PROVIDENCE — Charles A. Lombardi, a former Town Council president and three-time mayoral candidate, is throwing his hat into the ring for a fourth shot at the city’s top job.

Lombardi is seeking to succeed outgoing Mayor A. Ralph Mollis, who will be sworn in as secretary of state on Tuesday. A special election will be held to replace him.

"To be mayor is something I’ve always wanted,” Lombardi said today, adding that he wants to make North Providence a community where officials “prioritize our spending based on need, not politics.”

Mollis, who has held the mayor’s office for 10 years, won election as secretary of state in the middle of his third four-year term, forcing the special election. In the interim, the Town Council is expected to appoint its president, John Sisto Jr., as acting mayor at a special meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The council will also set the date for a mayoral election, which must take place within 90 days.

Correction: The initial post on this topic incorrectly reported the dates for the secretary of state's inauguration and the special North Providence council meeting.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Lombardi ran against Mollis in 2004 and lost, receiving 40 percent of the vote in his third try for mayor. He also ran unsuccessfully against then-Mayor Salvatore Mancini in 1988, and against Mancini and former state Sen. John Celona in 1992.

Lombardi ran as an independent against Mollis in 2004, but said he will run as a Democrat this time.

An opponent has yet to be named.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:44 PM | Comment

Atwells Avenue bank robbed

PROVIDENCE -- The police are investigating a bank robbery on Atwells Avenue this afternoon.

A woman in her 30s entered the Bank of America branch at 215 Atwells Ave. at about 1 p.m. and passed a note to a teller indicating that she had a gun, according to Providence police Capt. Hugh Clements. No gun was shown.

The woman made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Clements said that the branch had been robbed before, but he thought the last time was more than a year ago.

More details to come...

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:24 PM | Comment

Health department warns of Norovirus in R.I.

The state is experiencing an increase in Norovirus infection, a spike that is typical this time of year, according to an announcement today by the state Department of Health.

The highly contagious Norovirus is a short-term, gastro-intestinal illness sometimes referred to as the “stomach flu.” Symptoms include the sudden onset of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the health department.

The symptoms generally last two or three days, though the infection can be passed on as long as three days after the symptoms disappear.

The health department did not provide an exact count of the Norovirus cases in Rhode Island. But health care providers in the state are reporting some Norovirus-like illness, and some cases have already been confirmed at the state laboratory.

The health department is encouraging Rhode Islanders to protect themselves from the virus by washing their hands often using soap and running water.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:24 PM | Comment

ACLU sues state treasurer over crime victim policy

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union sued General Treasurer Paul J. Tavares today, challenging new regulations that allow his office to deny or reduce compensation to crime victims who have been convicted of drunken-driving or drug-dealing offenses.

The treasurer administers the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Program, which pays claims to crime victims under certain conditions. And over the past two years, Tavares has adopted regulations that allow him to deny or reduce compensation if, in the previous five years, crime victims have been convicted of driving while intoxicated, selling or delivering drugs, or possessing drugs with the intent to sell or deliver them.

Steven Brown, executive director of the local ACLU affiliate, said it is “unfortunate that the General Treasurer has turned a program that is supposed to aid crime victims into one that punishes them for their past misdeeds. A former drug addict who is sexually assaulted should not have to fear reduced compensation because she once sold drugs to feed her habit.”

ACLU volunteer lawyer Frederic Marzilli filed the suit in state Superior Court on behalf of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island.

The association's executive director, Neil A. Corkery, said, “The regulations discriminate and marginalize persons, many of whom have addiction disorders." He said, "If we really believe in the restorative potential of persons who receive treatment for addiction disorders, we need to abandon such negative stereotypes and regressive measures. The measure appears punitive in nature and lacking in logic in excluding individuals who, other than a prior indiscretion, appear to be assigned a double penalty.”

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:18 PM | Comment

Board temporarily closes Club Pulse after shooting / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Board members, from left, Arys Batista, Allene Maynard and Chairman Andrew Annaldo listen during testimony today about Club Pulse.

PROVIDENCE -- In the wake of a Christmas morning shooting that killed one man and injured two others at Club Pulse, the city’s Board of Licenses voted unanimously today to issue a cease and desist order, shutting the club down for 72 hours.

Under the law, that’s the most the board could do since today’s emergency show-cause hearing was one-sided, with only the police speaking before the board. The police argued that the club presents an imminent public safety threat.

The licensee had not been notified and was not there. Since the law requires that the licensee be given an opportunity to be heard, another show-cause hearing has been set for Friday at 10 a.m.

The closure is effective immediately.

The night of the shooting, there was an unusually large police presence at the club on Crary Street.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Including four off-duty Providence police officers working a detail outside the club, a total of 11 officers were there, according to Maj. Paul Fitzgerald. Two to three of those were state troopers.

The police chief himself, Col. Dean M. Esserman, was outside the club until about 12:30 a.m.

Gunfire erupted at the club at about 1:30 a.m.

The police were there as a precaution, Fitzgerald said today. There is often trouble at Club Pulse on the Sundays before holidays because, he said, the club is open late, there’s more drinking and more people and on Sunday nights the club plays hip hop music, which the police consider a troublesome music format.

When the shooting began inside, Lt. Luis San Lucas heard shots.

Fitzgerald said it is too difficult to police clubs inside and outside at the same time.

“We stay outside unless we have some specific information that something is going to occur inside,” he said.

Fatally wounded was 29-year-old Providence resident Kendall Marshall. Also wounded were Darius Armardor, 26, of Groton, Conn., and James Rue, 31, of the Mattapan section of Boston.

The shooter escaped the club.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:00 PM | Comment

Update: Governor, R.I. delegation honor Ford

The Rhode Island state flag will be flown at half-staff in honor of former President Gerald R. Ford, who died yesterday, Governor Carcieri announced.

The state flag will remain at half-staff until January 25, the period of time that the U.S. flag has been ordered to remain at half-staff, according to the governor's office.

Carcieri said in a statement, “President Ford was an honorable and decent man who led our nation during an extremely tumultuous period. He provided measured and steady leadership that was needed to heal the country and restore confidence to the Office of the President.”

“President Ford was a great American and we are all saddened by his passing. Sue and I join all Rhode Islanders in expressing our condolences to the family of President Ford.”

Read the extended entry to see statements from Rhode Island's congressional delegation about Ford.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said: "Former President Gerald Ford led our nation with honor and dignity at a very difficult time in our nation's history. While his passing marks a sad day for all Americans, his leadership and bipartisan spirit will be remembered for generations to come."

Congressman Jim Langevin said: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of a great American - Gerald Ford. President Ford assumed office during one of the most challenging times for our nation and provided Americans with a steady leadership and optimism.

"President Ford's elevation to the presidency from the U.S. House - and the manner in which he helped bind our nation's wounds - will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as a kind-hearted man who embodied the qualities that our citizens expect in a commander in chief: strength, resolve, honesty and a deep appreciation for our constitutional democracy.

"It is with great sadness and respect that I extend deepest condolences to Mrs. Ford and her family. I hope it is a comfort to them that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time."

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:58 PM | Comment

Photo: Monsters take the ice in Providence

Journal photo/ Kathy Borchers

Children and adults, including several families from Adoption Rhode Island, were able to meet the stars of Monster Inc. during a special, free performance this morning at the Bank of America Skating Center in Kennedy Plaza, Providence. The Disney on Ice performance opens tonight and is playing through the weekend at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:25 PM | Comment

Ford brought stability, says former R.I. Congressman

Former Rhode Island Congressman Edward P. Beard today recalled President Ford seeking his expertise as a painter when Ford met with the Rhode Island Congressional delegation at the beginning of Beard’s first term in office.

It was late 1975 or early 1976. The president and Beard – along with Sen. John Pastore, Sen. Claiborne Pell and Rep. Fred St. Germain -- were waiting for breakfast to arrive at the White House when Ford turned to Beard and said, “I understand you were a painter. Will you take a walk with me?”

“Where the hell is he going?” Beard recalled thinking as they headed outside.

“Can I call you Eddy?” the president asked Beard, who had worked as a professional painter for the Rhode Island School of Design before winning the Congressional seat in 1975, the first time he sought it.

Ford wanted advice. The paint on his home -- the White House, of course -- was peeling, and he knew Beard had the expertise to know what should be done.

“I said, ‘First of all, that’s not paint. It’s whitewash,’ ” Beard recalled this morning. “ ‘ You need somebody who knows Georgia whitewash.”

“Would you want to do the job?” the president joked.

“No way,” Beard replied.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Beard said the White House is probably still coated with whitewash and not paint.

“It would be a very Herculean task to paint over it,” he said.

Whitewash is good at handling the kind of moisture that is typical for D.C., Beard said.

“For that building, that was the perfect solution,” Beard said.

That conversation was so casual that Ford felt comfortable using Beard’s first name, Beard recalled today. The next time the president saw Beard, “it was Congressman Beard,” he said.

“I, of course, never called him anything other than Mr. President,” Beard said. “He felt comfortable, at that one moment, to call me Eddy.”

Ford was “a nice gentleman” and “a good president,” Beard said today.

Beard, now 66, represented the state’s Second District as a Democrat from 1975 until early 1981. He lost a re-election bid to Claudine Schneider.

As Beard sees it, Ford’s legacy was “bringing stability back to the government after Watergate.”

Beard agreed with Ford’s controversial decision to pardon former President Nixon.

“That put an end to the public misery of what happened with Watergate,” Beard said. “In other words, that was the end of it.”

Had Ford let Nixon go to jail, Watergate would have dominated his entire term, Beard said.

Beard said he wishes he could travel to Ford’s funeral, but he has been sick and is unable to do so.

“But in my mind, I remember a wonderful president, and that’s how I’ll always remember him,” he said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:17 AM | Comment

Mass. court says it can't force gay marriage vote

BOSTON (AP) -- The state's highest court today said it had no authority to force lawmakers to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, even if the Legislature is showing "indifference or, or defiance to, its constitutional duties."

Opponents of same-sex marriage who were angered that lawmakers failed to act on the proposed amendment during a joint session in November had sued, asking the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to clarify if the state's constitution required lawmakers to vote.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:53 AM | Comment

Download two versions of today's front page

The death late yesterday of former President Gerald R. Ford forced editors to remake the Journal's front page.

Download the original front page in .pdf format.

Download the remade front page, also in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:49 AM | Comment

Traffic: Crash slows traffic on 95 South in Warwick

The state police have responded to a minor two-car crash on Route 95 south in Warwick, between exits 12 and 13.

Traffic has slowed as other motorists are pausing to look at the crash, which happened shortly before 8 a.m., according to a police dispatcher.

If you’re wondering how your morning commute will be, 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 8:10 AM | Comment

Warmer late December temps than normal

PROVIDENCE – With a high expected near 44 today, we’re considerably warmer than normal.

At 36 degrees now, it’s already warmer than the average normal temperature for this time of year, which is 31 degrees.

Yesterday, we had a high of 52 – 7 degrees shy of the record set back in 1973, but quite a bit warmer than the normal high of 39.

So, the warming trend continues. Today, we could see rain sprinkles after 9 a.m., and it should be mostly cloudy. The low tonight should be around 28 degrees.

The National Weather Service predicts more high temps in the 40s for the rest of the week.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:12 AM | Comment

December 26, 2006

Warwick PD ask for help finding 2 bank robbers

WARWICK -- The police are asking the public to help locate two men who robbed a crowded Bank of America branch here Saturday morning.

The masked men stormed into the bank at 50 West Shore Rd. just after it opened at 9 a.m. At least 10 customers were inside, as well as several tellers and other employees.

Two surveillance cameras captured the robbery. One shows a masked man enter the bank, remove an article of clothing that had concealed a shotgun, and aim his weapon at customers.

Another camera captured the second thief, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, and his body obscured by rubber gloves and a tan trench coat.

No one was injured during the robbery, according to a police statement. The robbers are believed to be in their 20s or 30s.

The police say the robbers arrived at the bank in a blue Buick stolen earlier that day from the Super Stop & Shop parking lot on Warwick Avenue. Following the bank robbery, the police say, the thieves abandoned the Buick in the parking lot of a nearby Ocean State Job Lot, leaving its engine and windshield wipers running.

Police detectives, who have interviewed bank staff and customers, are searching for witnesses who may have seen the suspects leave the Buick and possibly flee in another vehicle. Detectives can be reached at (401) 468-4233.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:48 PM | Comment

Update: Providence man victim in club shooting / Photo

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Club Pulse, at 86 Crary St., was the scene of the fatal shooting early Christmas morning.

PROVIDENCE -- The police say a Providence man was killed in the shooting early Christmas morning at Club Pulse.

They released the identity of the man this morning as Kendall Marshall, 29. The police did not release his address.

The police say they have no suspect in the 1:30 a.m. shooting, which injured two other men.

Because of the shooting and previous incidents of violence at the club on Crary Street, the police are seeking an emergency meeting with the city's licensing board in an effort to close the club.

"We've had a number of problems there in the past," said Maj. Paul Fitzgerald, commander of the uniformed division.

The meeting hasn't yet been scheduled, but Fitzgerald wants the board to hear the request before the club is scheduled to reopen Friday as part of its regular schedule.

The injured men were identified as Darius Armador, 26, of Groton, Conn., and James Rue, 31, of Boston. The police declined to release their street addresses.

The police are still investigating the motive for the shooting. "We're still looking into what precipiated the violence," said Det. Capt. Hugh Clements, detectives commander.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Armador suffered a grazing wound to the neck. He was treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released, according to the police.

Rue was shot in the lower back and was in stable condition at the hospital yesterday, according to the police. The hospital couldn't provide an update when contacted today by projo.com.

The shooter was able to escape through one of the club's many exits in the confusion after the gunfire. The police say a handgun was used but would not say how many shots were fired.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Jack Perry at 4:40 PM | Comment

Zoning official suspended without pay

The Hopkinton building and zoning official has been suspended without pay after accusations that he gave preferential treatment to local elected officials and falsified his time card.

Charles M. Mauti said today that he is fighting the suspension.

Hopkinton and Westerly police officers delivered the 30-day suspension notice to Mauti’s Westerly home Friday afternoon.

Mauti had been the target of a two-year criminal investigation after accusations that he gave certain people -- the former Town Council president, another council member, and Mauti's own wife among them -- preferential treatment. No criminal charges were filed.

The recent suspension follows accusations that Mauti indicated on his time card that he worked one day last month that he actually took as a personal day. Mauti said it was a simple mistake.

There will be a hearing on the suspension in the coming weeks.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:23 PM | Comment

Peak season for state unemployment checks

PROVIDENCE -- Waiting for a state unemployment check? No worries -- it should be in the mail.

While dozens of unemployment checks were lost in the mail last holiday season, state officials say that those depending on unemployment insurance this Christmas shouldn't expect any major delays.

"This is our peak season; we're filing a high volume of claims," Raymond Filippone, the assistant director of income support for the Department of Labor and Training, said today. "But the checks went out fine."

State officials waited seven hours longer than usual to print checks on the Friday before Christmas to accommodate as many people as possible, Filippone said.

Still, some people may get their check a day later than expected because Christmas fell on a Monday -- there was no mail service yesterday and the state didn't print any checks that day.

Filippone estimated that the state will distribute 14,000 checks this week, compared to around 11,000 during non-holiday periods.

Why the increase?

Many companies lay off seasonal workers after Christmas, while other businesses close to conduct inventories, Filippone said. And there are many temporary layoffs for school-related jobs like crossing guards and bus drivers.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:58 PM | Comment

1 hospitalized after fire on Atwells Ave. / Photo

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Tameka Rahu comforts family members after a fire gutted her home at 857 Atwells Avenue, Providence.

PROVIDENCE -- One person has been hospitalized for smoke inhalation following a fire in a two-story building on Atwells Avenue this morning.

The victim, who has not been identified, is one of seven people -- four adults and three children -- to be displaced by the blaze, which started in the basement of 857 Atwells Ave., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The Red Cross has been called to help the residents find new shelter.

Authorities were first notified of the fire at 11:07, and the flames were under control by 11:59, Taylor said. Fire crews are still there.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:24 PM | Comment

Back at it with just 364 shopping days left

After taking a breather for the Christmas holiday, Rhode Islanders headed back into the stores early this morning.

People began lining up outside stores and malls in the early morning looking to snap up holiday-themed goods at deep discounts and other items on sale, as well as return a misguided gift or two.

Your turn: What Christmas gift are you returning and why?

"I was kind of surprised," said Fran Olean, store team leader at the Target on Bald Hill Road in Warwick. "It was kind of a mini-Black Friday."

Black Friday is the nickname retailers have for the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

While the day after Christmas doesn't have a pet name, it too is typically a busy one for retailers. It's a day when the often slash prices on red- and green-colored dinnerware, silver and gold tree trimmings and other holiday-related gimcracks.

They also reduce prices on other goods they want to clear out before undertaking annual store inventory counts, which typically begin in mid-January.

"These are the people who've eyed something and didn't want to pay full price," Olean said of shoppers at Target.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:51 AM | Comment

Gas prices jump another 8 cents

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island climbed another eight cents last week, the seventh straight week of increases, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gas is $2.43 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. That's 25 cents more than drivers were paying when prices started increasing in the middle of November.

Gas saving tips and tools from AAA.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:05 AM | Comment

Mass. health officials puzzled by outbreak

BOSTON -- What city health officials at first thought was an outbreak of whooping cough among employees at Children's Hospital Boston may have been something else entirely.

But exactly what is still in question.

It started when a 19-month-old patient came down with the classic symptoms of whooping cough, a respiratory disease also known as pertussis. Symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, slight fever, and mild cough, which can develop into a violent and persistent cough.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:29 AM | Comment

Light traffic, wet roads

The roads are wet from rain and drizzle this morning, and patchy fog could also be a problem for drivers.

But commuter traffic should be light for most of this week because of holiday vacations. The state Department of Transportation's Web cameras are showing light commuter traffic. The DOT doesn't have any current traffic alerts.

Check out its Web site for more travel information.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:54 AM | Comment

Rain, drizzle, fog

PROVIDENCE -- The rain should continue until 9 a.m. today with drizzle, fog and cloudy skies after that, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperature should climb to 52 degrees, although the weather service was warning of the chance for wet snow to mix with rain this morning at higher altitudes in the Berkshires and southwest New Hampshire.

Isolated gale force gusts are also possible on coastal waters south of New England, the weather service says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's Journal front page includes stories on British forces raiding a police station in Iraq and freeing tortured inmates, the death of singer James Brown and a local story on the Meeting Street School.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

December 25, 2006

Santa drives a cruiser in Cumberland

Cumberland police have been moonlighting as Santa Claus.

Midday yesterday a resident found a large bag on the road with 13 wrapped gifts and few clues about how to get it to the owners. After some sleuthing and a little help from a local TV station, the police got a tip about who might own the missing gifts.

After a little more police work - and a drive to Woonsocket - the police were able to reunite the gifts with their rightful owners: a 5-year-old, 6-year-old and a 9-year-old.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:31 PM | Comment

Man shot and killed this morning at Club Pulse

PROVIDENCE — A club with a history of violence was the scene of the city’s 11th homicide early Christmas morning.

Just after 1:30 this morning shots were fired inside Club Pulse, killing one person and injuring two others, according to police.

The police are not yet releasing the names of the deceased or the other victims, saying they are waiting to notify relatives. No arrests have been made.

-- Scott Mayerowitz, Journal staff writer

Club Pulse, at 86 Crary St., just north of Rhode Island Hospital, has been the scene of several violent outbreaks in recent years.

Arguing in the past for the club’s closure, the police have said its clientele has a “propensity for violence.”

Maj. Paul Fitzgerald, head of the uniform division, told the city’s Board of Licenses in March of 2005 that “if the club continues to stay open, we will continues to have shootings, we will continues to have incidents there.”

Those comments came after an incident that month where someone fired six shots toward a small group standing outside the entrance. The group included three police officers called to the scene to help deal with a disturbance.

The South Providence nightclub was closed but only for two weeks and not because of the violence but because the fire alarm and sprinkler systems were not in compliance with state law. The Board of Licenses ultimately decided that the link between the shooting and the club was too tenuous to blame the owner.

However, after another breakout of violence in November 2005, the board did take action against the club. In March of this year, the board fined the club $1,500 for failing to prevent violence when a large fight began on the dance floor. The club’s security removed the combatants but the police said they were then forced to disperse a group that resumed fighting in the parking lot.

The club, which can hold up to 450 patrons, has been required in the past to hire six police officers on Fridays and three officers on Saturday and Sunday nights. It is owned by Alex Tomasso, who also owns Bar One in Providence and Feast of Famine, a chain of restaurants.

Tomasso has owned several Providence nightclubs, including Sanctuary, which was closed by the city in March 2004 by after violent incidents including a fatal shooting and another shooting months later in the club’s parking lot.

The victim of this morning’s shooting at Club Pulse was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. The other two victims were in stable condition this morning, according to police.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:05 PM | Comment

Download Sunday's front page

A story about a generous man of meager means leads the Sunday Journal.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:00 AM | Comment

December 22, 2006

Update: Cesar Chavez statue unveiled / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
State Sen. Juan Pichardo, left, congratulates Julio Cesar Aragon and Providence City Councilman Terrence Hassett, right, after they unveiled the bronze statue of Cesar E. Chavez at the State House this afternoon.

A grand goal for the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island was realized today at the State House when a red cloth was pulled off the bronze statue of activist Cesar E. Chavez.

It has been almost nine years in the making, this memorial for the iconic Mexican-American who led a grape boycott in California in the 1960s that resulted in better labor conditions for farm workers.

The statue, unveiled this afternoon, will remain in the Bell Room at the State House for about three months, according to Julio Cesar Aragon, head of the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island.

Then it will be moved by March 31 to its permanent place – a small memorial garden for Chavez that has yet to be built in Davis Park, across from Nathanael Greene Middle School at 721 Chalkstone Ave.

That’s Chavez’s birthday, and everything must be in place by then, Aragon said today.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:12 PM | Comment

New class of correctional officers ready to roll / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Christina Carr, of Cranston, stands at attention as Joseph Charette, of Woonsocket, adjusts her tie and collar before their graduation ceremonies today.

PROVIDENCE -- A new group of correctional officers will be spending the holidays behind bars.

Graduation ceremonies were held today for 69 men and women who completed nine weeks of rigorous training for the state Department of Corrections Correctional Officer Training Class.

The 75th graduating class includes 17 women, the most to ever graduate at one time. All were feted in a somber ceremony in the auditorium at Rhode Island College’s Sapinsley Hall.

Ashbel T. Wall, the director of the Adult Correctional Institutions, told the audience of corrections officers and their family and friends that this class was selected from 2,000 applicants last spring. "This is truly a group of the elite,’’ Wall said. "They had what we were looking for.’’

Emmanuel Correia was recognized as the class valedictorian.

Training included CPR and weapons certification, as well as classroom topics such as law and communication skills. They also were required to take weekly exams.

The new graduates will work their first shifts on Sunday, Christmas Eve, and will be teamed up with senior officers for two weeks. After that, they will be working on their own.

Prison officials have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new graduates. Last month, the ACI announced that its population has averaged more than 3,700 over the previous four months, the highest in the history of the prison complex in Cranston. The new officers will bolster the existing staff of 850 officers.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Jack Perry at 5:24 PM | Comment

Photo: Generations in harmony for the holidays

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Marie Dionne, 101, a resident at the Alpine Nursing Home, Coventry, talks with Madison McCulley and Megan Hetherman, right, fifth-graders at Western Coventry Elementary School. Sixty-six students visited the Alpine residents today, singing Christmas carols and hanging art work they made. The program is funded by local philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:22 PM | Comment

Health Dept.: Certain soft cheeses recalled

As you’re planning holiday appetizers and dinners in the next few days, the state Health Department is warning people not to eat certain soft cheeses, known as Portuguese or Brazilian cheese, made by Julima, Inc.

The cheeses have been recalled because they were made with unpasteurized milk, according to the Health Department. Unpasteurized milk may contain disease-causing agents that can cause severe illness and, in certain cases, death.

To date, no illnesses linked to these products have been reported to the department.

The cheeses may have “sell by” dates of Dec. 23 or Dec. 25. The two types of recalled cheeses are:

Julima Cheese, Inc.: Queijo Fresco, Sabor de Minas Farm Fresh Cheese and
Manny’s Dairy Farm: Portuguese Fresh Cheese, Queijo Accoreano.

The products are found in hard plastic containers of various sizes, including one-pound, two-pound and 12-ounce containers. They were sold in Portuguese and Brazilian stores and in certain Market Basket outlets in eastern and central Massachusetts and two stores in Rhode Island.

The stores in Rhode Island are Luzitania Bakery, at 312 Barton St., in Pawtucket, and Taunton Ave. Bakery, at 208 Taunton Ave., in East Providence.

Businesses and consumers who have purchased these products are advised to remove them from sale shelves and discard the product.

People should contact their doctors if they have consumed these cheeses and are experiencing any of the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, stiff neck or intense headache.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:13 PM | Comment

Christmas party tomorrow for Station victims, families

Station fire survivor Gina Gauvin is holding a Christmas party tomorrow for Station survivors, their families and relatives of those who died.

The party is from noon to 3 p.m at St. Robert Bellarmine Church, 1804 Atwood Ave., Johnston. Santa is expected to make an appearance.

Gauvin is using money raised from her Regal Reptiles Halloween benefit to buy gifts for the children. There might also be toys donated by others.

She is asking those who attend to bring a favorite plate or snack to add to the buffet.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:40 PM | Comment

State, feds agree to keep Coast Guard at Cape base

BOSTON -- State and federal officials signed an agreement today that preserves the Coast Guard's aviation presence at the Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod.

The agreement, between the Coast Guard, the National Guard Bureau and the state, created the Massachusetts Military Reservation Installation Partnership. It will allow the Coast Guard to assume control of the aviation facilities from the Air Force, while the Air National Guard operates common utilities and the state provides fire protection.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:12 PM | Comment

Update: 2 tractor-trailers in accident at Rte. 95's Exit 15

WARWICK – All lanes are open after an accident involving two tractor trailer trucks on Route 95 North at Exit 15.

The right and center lanes near the Jefferson Boulevard exit were blocked, slowing traffic, according to the state Department of Transportation’s Transportation Management Center.

At 12:52 p.m., the DOT reported that lanes were back open. More details are not available.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:01 PM | Comment

Update: Motorist crashes as Scituate police pursue

SCITUATE -- A 24-year-old Cranston man is lucky to be alive after his car went hurtling through the air early this morning in Scituate as he eluded a police officer who had been following him for speeding, according to the police.

Savy Yon, of 84 Governor St., was driving west around 1 a.m. on Tunk Hill Road in the wrong lane several times, the police said. Scituate Police Officer Keith Yeaw watched him veer into the wrong lane several times and turned on his sirens to pull the driver over.

Instead, the driver accelerated to about 55 miles per hour in the 35 mile-per-hour zone, Lt. Stephen Lang said this morning. Yon continued at that speed for about 4 to 5 miles as Yeaw pursued him, Lang said.

Then, when the roadway became a straightaway shortly before the intersection with Route 102 – where Tunk Hill Road comes to a T – Yon accelerated, Lang said.

At that point, Lang said, police backed off on their pursuit.

“He then accelerated his car at a high rate of speed and pulled away from the police officer like nothing, he was just gone,” Lang said. “He hit the gas, went clean through the intersection and never hit his brake lights.”

The vehicle went head-on into the woods, flipping over end to end and cutting trees in half in the air, Lang said.

The car was torn apart, and Lang was found trapped with his torso underneath the dashboard of the car and his legs in the seat area, Lang said. He was extricated and transported to Rhode Island Hospital by helicopter.

He’s in stable condition with several bones in his face fractured, all his ribs broken and several bones in his back broken, Lang said. He is not paralyzed and has no brain damage, according to Lang.

"So he's really lucky," Lang said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:13 PM | Comment

R.I. ranks second in population loss

Little Rhody has gotten, well, even littler, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Rhode Island lost 5,969 residents, or 0.6 percent of its population, from July 1, 2005, to July 1, 2006.

The only state to lose more was Louisiana, which lost 220,000 residents, nearly 5 percent of its population. Louisiana was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005.

Texas gained more residents, 579,275, than any other state.

Read more on the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:08 PM | Comment

T.F. Green is idyllic compared with Denver

On this busy travel day at T.F. Green Airport, those waiting to get through security this morning have been lucky – with "short waiting lines,” according to Joseph Salter, Rhode Island’s federal security director for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

The situation here is idyllic compared with Denver, Colo., where the airport has been closed since 2:45 p.m. Wednesday because of a blizzard. With that airport slated to re-open today at noon Denver time, travelers from around the country trying to get to or through Denver have certainly had their plans thwarted.

Flights into and out of Green, however, seem to be on time for the most part. Perhaps that’s because you can’t travel directly to Denver from Providence.

It’s tough to say how many Providence passengers may be affected by the Colorado blizzard, but “it’s a ripple effect,” Salter said.

AAA estimates that 64.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this holiday, an increase of 2.2 percent from 63.5 million last year.

AAA says 81 percent of travelers will go by motor vehicle, 14 percent will go by airplane and 5 percent will go by train, bus or other mode of transportation.

At Green, the TSA has hired extra security workers to ease congestion during the holiday travel period.

To ease your time at the airport, travelers should check the TSA's Web sitewhere new restrictions about traveling with liquids, gels and aerosols are well-defined, according to Salter. Also, TSA offers general travel tips there.

Although more people travel for Christmas than Thanksgiving, the Christmas travel period tends to be less congested because travel days are spread out over 10 days instead of five.

About 38.3 million people traveled 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving, according to AAA.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:38 AM | Comment

Carcieri names acting director of human services

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri announced today that he has appointed Gary Alexander as the acting director of the state Department of Human Services.

Alexander has served as the assistant to the director since 1998. He will oversee the department after today, when Director Ronald Lebel is scheduled to retire, until a permanent director is named.

Before joining DHS in 1998, Alexander served for two years as former Lt. Gov. Bernard Jackvony’s policy director. Previously, Alexander worked as a health care budget and policy analyst for the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Alexander earned his law degree from Suffolk University in 2002. He also holds a master of divinity degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Mass. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern University in Boston with a bachelor of arts in political science.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:33 AM | Comment

Car crash on Route 6

State police have responded to a two-car crash around 10:15 a.m. on Route 6 East at the Dean Street exit.

More details are not yet available.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:29 AM | Comment

RIPTA buses to adjust schedules for holidays

Regular bus routes in Rhode Island will be running on Sunday/Holiday schedules for the next two Mondays – Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s administrative offices will be closed on those holidays as well.

For information on other routes -- including the Route 210 Kingston Flex Service and the Route 211 Kingston Connection, which won’t run on either holiday – check the RIPTA Web site.

For other holiday weekend traffic news, check out the state’s 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 8:54 AM | Comment

Download today's Journal front page.

Today's front page includes local stories about a Superior Court judge's decision to release testimony from a grand jury's investigation into The Station nightclub fire and the high amount of donations from state workers to the candidates in last month's race for governor.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:07 AM | Comment

Rain possible today, likely tonight

PROVIDENCE – We’ve got a 30 percent chance of rain today – and then almost certain rain tonight, mainly after 9 p.m.

We should have highs near 45 today and in the low 50s over the weekend.

Expect more rain tomorrow, sunshine on Sunday and possible rain on Monday, which is Christmas Day. We should have a high of 48 on Christmas.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:03 AM | Comment

December 21, 2006

Update: Fire at Pippin Orchard Nurseries in Cranston

CRANSTON -- A fire at the Pippin Orchard Nurseries apparently destroyed a greenhouse early this evening.

Shortly after 7 p.m., white smoke could be seen pouring from the building, which was surrounded by four fire trucks. There were no signs of flames.

A sign indicated that the operation had been closed for the season. The nurseries are located on Pippin Orchard Road, which has been closed a short distance in both directions.

Robin Muksian-Schutt, the mayor's chief of staff, had said earlier that a barn and the greenhouse were on fire.

There were also police-scanner reports of high flames and concerns over various tanks with explosive gases at the location.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:15 PM | Comment

Providence unveils plans for this year's Bright Night

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Big Nazo puppets accompany Mayor David N. Cicilline at City Hall today as Bright Night festivities are announced. Cicilline said the New Year's Eve event is the perfect opportunity to showcase Providence’s arts and culture, particularly through the use of local artists.

PROVIDENCE — City Hall was invaded today by a legion of costumed who-knows-what’s, singing and dancing and doing magic tricks as they took over the austere government building.

But it was only a taste of the scores of performers, artists, and shows that will descend on Providence on Bright Night, the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

The night promises over 160 performers in 24 venues throughout the city’s downtown. But it will be the first Bright Night not to feature WaterFire, which could not find a sponsor for a New Year’s Eve lighting.

The artist-run, arts-oriented festival begins with events starting at noon on Dec. 31. But the evening really kicks into gear at 6 p.m., with the first performances by the Bright Night Circus of Wonders, the Gilday Magic Show, a poetry slam, jazz and dance performances, and more.

There will also be fireworks displays at 5:30 p.m. and midnight.

The main event will be the full circus, held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The other large new event is the Gilday Magic Show, a 20-person show billed as the largest touring magic show in 25 years. The show will run at 6 and 9 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the first time Bright Night activities have used that venue.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:57 PM | Comment

Verizon closer to offering cable TV in R.I.

Verizon Communications is a step closer to offering cable television service to about 80,000 households in Rhode Island.

State cable regulators have awarded the company a “compliance certificate” for Service Area 6, following a 10-month review of Verizon’s application to become a cable provider.

That service area is comprised of Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, North Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and West Greenwich.

The award allows Verizon to own a cable television system in that region. But the company must get two more approvals from the regulators before it can actually begin the service – one allowing it to construct its network, and the other to operate its service.

Those approvals are likely to take just two to four months, according to a Verizon spokeswoman.

Verizon would become the first new cable company to enter the state since 1983, and provide the first land-based competition to Cox Communications in the West Bay area.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 5:44 PM | Comment

Several events to mark Cicilline's 2nd inauguration

PROVIDENCE — Mayor David N. Cicilline has announced plans for his second inauguration, with events starting Wednesday, Jan. 3, and continuing until Saturday, Jan. 6.

Cicilline, who won his second four-year term with over 80 percent of the vote last month, will be officially sworn in at 11 a.m. on the steps of City Hall, followed by his inaugural address.

“My inaugural address will set the stage for my second-term agenda, and emphasize the importance of making youth our first priority in creating a city of our greatest ambitions,” Cicilline said.

Cicilline’s inauguration will be followed by a party on Friday night at the Biltmore Hotel. Proceeds from the events will benefit Providence’s after-school programs and Volunteers in Public Schools.

The inaugural celebrations will also extend to Saturday, when skating at the Bank of America City Center will be free from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., as will admission to the Providence Children’s Museum from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Roger Williams Park Zoo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

The early days of the new year will also witness the arrival of five new members on the City Council, and the change in its leadership from John J. Lombardi to Peter S. Mancini. The council will become entirely Democratic with the loss of David Segal, a member of the Green Party.

The new council will be officially — and briefly — sworn in on Jan. 1, and then hold their full inaugural ceremonies on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:38 PM | Comment

Update: State suspends doctor's license after arrest

The state's health director today suspended the license of a doctor from Barrington, who was charged with multiple counts of lewd behavior following allegations of incidents at the Newman YMCA in Seekonk, Mass.

Dr. Andrew C. Stone, 36, of 53 Martin Ave., was arrested at home last night by the Barrington police. Stone waived extradition in Providence District Court this morning and later appeared at court in Taunton, Mass., where he pleaded not guilty and posted a $5,000 cash bail.

"The director of health has determined that the continued practice of Andrew C. Stone, M.D., would constitute an immediate danger to the public," reads a summary suspension notice from state Director of Health David R. Gifford.

The state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline reviewed evidence provided by Seekonk and Barrington police following allegations that Stone "exposed himself and touched himself inappropriately in front of young boys" at the Newman YMCA, according to a board filing.

Stone is a critical-care lung specialist on staff at the VA Medical Center in Providence. He also practiced at Roger Williams and Rhode Island hospitals. Stone completed post-graduate training under Brown University's program in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Rhode Island Hospital.

Dr. Robert S. Crausman, chief administrative officer of the state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, said that the board learned of Stone's arrest about 48 hours ago, when it received a call from the police.

In its summary suspension report, the medical board indicated that "this is not the first incident of this nature." The report did not provide any details.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Felice J. Freyer

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:17 PM | Comment

Update: Body of missing Westerly man found

Rescue officials have found the body of a Westerly man after searching a river and the wooded area along Westerly-Hopkinton line for much of three days.

Authorities confirmed this afternoon that a body found this morning is that of Giorgio Celico, 66, of 23 Bradford Road, whose car was found abandoned Tuesday near a bridge over the Pawcatuck River, which forms the border between the two towns.

Search crews have called off the search the last two nights and resumed it in the mornings around 8 a.m.

The police said Celico was depressed and may have had a gun when he left his house Monday night. The police could not confirm if Celico was armed.

The Medical Examiner's Office is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. An answer is expected later this afternoon.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:47 PM | Comment

Judge: Station fire jury transcripts may be released

PROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge has ruled that the public may see transcripts from the secret grand jury that investigated The Station nightclub fire.

Judge Joseph F. Rodgers Jr., the presiding judge of the Superior Court, heard legal arguments from the attorney general, a lawyer for the grand jury and other lawyers last week about whether to disclose transcripts of testimony given to the grand jury.

This is believed to be only the second time that a Rhode Island court has allowed the wholesale public release of grand jury testimony. The first was the case of Sgt. Cornel Young Jr., the off-duty Providence police officer shot by fellow officers in 2000.

Rodgers cited the “unique circumstances” of the case in granting Attorney General Patrick Lynch's petition to disclose the testimony. The judge limited the release to the materials sought in the attorney general’s initial petition – the transcripts of the grand jury – and the instructions of law given the grand jury by the attorney general.

Rodgers said he would not expand the scope of the petition beyond the transcripts, and he reserve