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January 31, 2007

Celona case: Governor pleased 'nobody above the law'

Governor Carcieri issued a statement after the corruption sentencings today of former state Sen. John A. Celona and former Roger Williams Medical Center executives Robert A. Urciuoli and Frances P. Driscoll that said in part:

“It is certainly a sad day when a public official is sentenced for violating the laws that he was sworn to uphold. It is equally disheartening when two executives from one of our state’s respected medical centers are sentenced for their roles in attempting to buy influence in the General Assembly.

“But I am pleased that our system also holds people accountable for their actions, that nobody is above the law, and that these instances of corruption are being pursued vigorously,” he continued.

“We all know that there is much more work to be done to close loopholes that have led to these types of abuses in government,” Carcieri said, pledging to continue to bring about reforms to the ethics code to establish greater accountability.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts said that the convictions further tarnish citizen's faith in their elected officals.

"Another sad account of corruption comes to a conclusion today. These criminal acts continue to undermine public trust in government," she said in a statement, noting that she had some hope for the future.

"Good government, led by honorable and decent people, can do great things for Rhode Island and I am hopeful that this sentencing will allow us to concentrate fully on restoring the public's faith through our continued dedication," she said.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:49 PM | Comment

More Station fire evidence to be released tomorrow

PROVIDENCE -- The Attorney General's Office plans tomorrow morning to release thousands of pages of previously secret grand jury testimony, witness statements and videos associated with The Station nightclub fire criminal investigation.

The release, which is expected at 9 a.m., follows a public records' request by The Providence Journal, The Associated Press and the Boston Globe.

Among the materials will be the nearly unprecedented release of 4,878 pages of grand jury testimony, 609 witness statements totalling 5,207 pages and seven videos -- including three shot by amateurs the night of the February 2003 blaze, three videos of bands that played in The Station before the night of the fire, and one police crime scene video.

The blaze, one of the worst in the state's history, killed 100 people and injured more than 200.

All of the materials will be edited for privacy and sensitivity, according to the Attorney General's Office, which will release the evidence to the media on computer hard drives. The grand jury testimony will also be posted on the attorney general's Web site.

The attorney general will not release a video shot by a Channel 12 camera operator at the West Warwick club that night, even though Lynch had planned to do so.

"We were prepared to release the Channel 12 video, but we had a conversation with a lawyer for the [TV] station's parent company, and he specifically asserted the copyright privilege, and we thought it wise to respect that privilege," Lynch spokesman Michael J. Healey said last week.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker

Late last year, Lynch released dozens of other videos that had been copyrighted by professional broadcast media. Those included NBC's Dateline, a Discovery Channel documentary about the fire, CNN's Larry King Live, Channel 6 coverage of the fire and news stories that one of the nightclub's owners had done when he worked as a reporter at a Boston television station.

The Attorney General's Office plans to release another batch of evidence following tomorrow's release, though no date has been set.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:19 PM | Comment

Celona case: Driscoll gets 8 months / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Frances Driscoll, right, arrives at U.S. District Court in Providence this morning with a family member for her sentencing.

PROVIDENCE -- Former Roger Williams Medical Center vice president Frances Driscoll was sentenced this afternoon to eight months in prison.

Driscoll, a 67-year-old grandmother, was the third person sentenced today in the wake of former state Sen. John A. Celona's admitting that he sold his services to Roger Williams and two other businesses.

Driscoll was convicted by a jury in October on one count of mail fraud, but acquitted of conspiracy in Celona's hiring.

She is a former public relations executive. Her defense argued for leniency because of age and health concerns.

"I think those needs can be met just as easily in prison," said Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres.

Driscoll must start serving her sentence on April 2. After completing her sentence, Driscoll must spend eight months on home confinement and another 16 months of supervised release. She was also fined $10,000.

Full coverage ...

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

According to evidence presented by prosecutors at trial, Celona was hired as a consultant to an affiliate of Roger Williams Medical Center, The Village at Elmhurst, ostensibly to promote the assisted-living center among his extensive network of senior citizens.

But in reality, Celona was paid to promote the hospital's political agenda through his position as a senator from North Providence - influencing legislation, lobbying municipalities to increase ambulance runs to the hospital and pressuring health insurers with bills before his committee to increase their reimbursements to Roger Williams.

In August 2005, Celona pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud. He admitted selling his honest services to Roger Williams Medical Center, CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He was paid $319,000.

He has been cooperating with investigators in an ongoing probe.

In October of this year, Urciuoli was convicted after the same trial as Driscoll of one count of conspiracy and 35 counts of mail fraud. Today in U.S. District Court, Urciuoli was sentenced to 3 years on each of the counts and all are to be served concurrently.

Celona also today was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for each of the three counts, but they are to be served concurrently.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:38 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: Celtics almost without parallel

The Boston Celtics tonight will try to avoid matching the 60-year-old franchise's longest-ever losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics last night lost their 12th straight contest, and one more will match the 13 straight losses posted by the horrendous 1996-97 squad, which finished 15-67 and still missed out on getting Tim Duncan in the draft. (They did end up landing Rick Pitino to coach.)

The Lakers (27-18) welcome back their star Kobe Bryant, who just served a one-game suspension for clocking Manu Ginobili -- unintentionally it appeared. The game starts at 7:30 on Fox Sports New England. Oh the humanity.

On the high school scene, Rhode Island ice hockey power Mount St. Charles welcomes undefeated Catholic Memorial (get a load of their fight song), ranked number-one in Eastern Massachusetts by The Boston Globe, to Woonsocket's Adelard Arena. The game starts at 4:30. You'll find a story by Carolyn Thornton and a gallery of game photos tomorrow on our High School GameDay page.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:37 PM | Comment

Body of Lady of Grace's captain ID'd

The body located in the wheelhouse of the sunken New Bedford fishing vessel has been identified as the captain of the Lady of Grace, Antonio Barroqueiro.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office notified the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office around midday today that it had completed the autopsy and identification of the fishermen’s body, First Assistant District Attorney Michael Trudeau said this afternoon.

Divers recovered Barroqueiro’s body around 2:30 p.m. Monday, after diving for nearly nine hours.

The boat’s captain and three-member crew had cut their eight-day trip for groundfish in half and headed back toward New Bedford Friday afternoon, heeding warnings from the Coast Guard about single-digit temperatures, lashing winds of 45 knots and 22-foot seas. The 75-foot dragger was apparently overcome with ice.

Late Saturday, Coast Guard search crews using sonar and underwater cameras discovered the boat in 36 feet of water on the bottom of Nantucket Sound. They were drawn to the area by an oil slick about 11 nautical miles north of Nantucket.

Lost at sea were Barroqueiro’s crew -- Rogerio Vendura, Mario Farinha and João Silva.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:29 PM | Comment

O'Connell Street, Providence, reopens

The state Department of Transportation announced today that it has reopened O’Connell Street in Providence.

The road, connecting Eddy Street and Allens Avenue, had been partially closed since late October with access to businesses only.

It was closed for the construction of piers and abutments to support new roadway segments for the Route 195 relocation project.

The DOT says it might have to temporarily close other roads in the area of Allens Avenue in the next few months.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:08 PM | Comment

Who's laughing now about Theo's wedding?

It was all a joke and the Globe fell for it.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein quietly got married this month.

The Boston Globe reported today that Epstein's father, Leslie Epstein, confirmed his son married Marie Whitney in New York at the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand, built in 1916.

"We're very happy for them, of course, but we can't say much more other than Marie has some strong childhood memories of Coney Island, and that's why we all went down to watch the orthodox rabbi who married them at Nathan's Famous. It's amazing the grip that nostalgia has on people," the elder Epstein, head of the creative writing department at Boston University, told the Globe in an e-mail.

However, that wasn't true.

The Globe later posted a correction on its Web site to say the wedding did not take place at Coney Island. It did not give any other details.

“Leslie Epstein meant it as a joke and we took it as being straightforward,” said Globe Sports Editor Joe Sullivan.

WFNX-FM reported today that Theo Epstein, 33, and Whitney, 28, got married earlier this month on the yacht of John Henry, the Red Sox team owner.

The couple reportedly became engaged last May, but did not make a formal announcement.

Whitney, who did graduate study in health care policies at Harvard, has been a volunteer at Horizons for Homeless Children, a group that focuses on the needs of homeless children.

The Associated Press

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:16 PM | Comment

Governor unveils proposed $7 billion state budget

PROVIDENCE -- Calling it a time for “sacrifices,” Governor Carcieri this afternoon unveiled a $7 billion state budget that would shut most of state government down periodically to save money, lay off several hundred state workers and knock thousands off the state subsidized child care and health insurance rolls.

While there are no major increases in taxes, SUV owners and the scores of others who do business at the registry of motor vehicles would pay higher fees.

Carcieri relies on several accounting tricks, one-time sources of revenue and other gimmicks to balance his tax and spending plan.

They include raiding the state’s rainy-day fund for the first time in memory, selling the state’s future payments from a settlement with major cigarette manufacturers and selling state-owned land from Providence to Charlestown to Woonsocket.

Carcieri also ignores a projected $7.3 million deficit at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in his budget, essentially saying he will leave it up to RIPTA to figure out how to keep the buses running.

Overall, the proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 raises spending by 5.3 percent. The budget draws on $3.2 billion in state revenues.

Examine the governor’s executive summary of the budget.

-- Journal State House Bureau reporters Scott Mayerowitz and Katherine Gregg

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:00 PM | Comment

Israeli police officials visit Providence

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Major General Mickey Levy (left) and Brigadier General Simon Perry
(right) of the Israeli National Police, are greeted by Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline (far left) and State Police Col. Steven Pare (far right), before the start of a session on terrorism at the Providence Public Safety Complex this morning. The two generals are international experts on terrorism, and are in town for two days of training for members of the Providence Police and the statewide law-enforcement community.

Posted by Pam Cotter at 1:34 PM | Comment

Fire at Friendly's in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET – A fire at the Friendly’s restaurant at 45 Newport Ave. is under control.

Crews were dispatched at 12:49 p.m. and arrived at the scene two minutes later, according to a Pawtucket Fire Department dispatcher.

There are no known injuries. More details are not yet available.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:21 PM | Comment

Celona case: Urciuoli gets 3 years / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Robert A. Urciuoli, center, gives a statement to the press after his sentencing today about how he will appeal his conviction in Boston.

PROVIDENCE -- Former Roger Williams Medical Center president Robert A. Urciuoli was sentenced to three years in prison today for stealing the honest services of former state Sen. John A. Celona.

Standing before Senior U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres, Urciuoli took responsibility for Celona's hiring and requested leniency for co-defendant Frances Driscoll, a former vice president at Roger Williams.

"It was my decision and my decision alone to hire John Celona," Urciuoli said.

Driscoll was convicted by a jury on one count of mail fraud, but acquitted of conspiracy in Celona's hiring. She is scheduled for sentencing at 2 p.m. today.

Urciuoli was convicted after the same trial of one count of conspiracy and 35 counts of mail fraud. He was sentenced today to 3 years on each of the counts and all are to be served concurrently.

Urciuoli has until noon April 2 to turn himself in to prison officials. Torres denied a request to stay Urciuoli's sentence until his appeal can be heard.

projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

According to evidence presented by prosecutors at trial, Celona was hired as a consultant to an affiliate of Roger Williams Medical Center, The Village at Elmhurst, ostensibly to promote the assisted-living center among his extensive network of senior citizens.

But in reality, Celona was paid to promote the hospital's political agenda through his position as a senator from North Providence - influencing legislation, lobbying municipalities to increase ambulance runs to the hospital and pressuring health insurers with bills before his committee to increase their reimbursements to Roger Williams.

Urciuoli asked Torres for leniency. He said his father had been a machinist, his mother a homemaker. He said he has worked hard all his life. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1969 and started working at Roger Williams in 1972 as a budget director.

He said he has lost almost everything, including his job, his reputation and has been "devastated financially."

"This has been a very painful and humiliating experience," he said.

Urciuoli had faced 6 1/2 to 8 years in prison, but Torres found that personal greed was not Urciuoli's motivation.

"Almost everything you did was designed to benefit Roger Williams, not you personally," he said to Urciuoli before issuing his sentence.

That's a distinction Torres made between Urciuoli and Celona, who was paid more than $300,000 for selling his services to Roger Williams, CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Celona was sentenced to serve 2 1/2 years in prison earlier today. He pleaded guilty to charges in August 2005 and has been cooperating with investigators.

In addressing an argument brought by Urciuoli's defense, Torres also expressed some concern that Urciuoli would get more jail time than Celona, who was a public official charged with maintaining the public trust.

But he noted that "an individual who pleads and cooperates justifiably gets a lesser sentence than one who doesn't."

After his release from prison, Urciuoli will also serve two years of supervised release.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:51 PM | Comment

A peek at the city's new Botanical Center

Journal photo / Andy Dickerman
Landscape architect Mary Ellen Flanagan, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and city Parks Superintendent Alix Ogden welcome members of the media during a tour of the new Roger Williams Park Botanical Center today.

With plants still arriving, the press got a peek today at the new Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. Like all gardens, its beginnings are modest, but by the time the greenhouses open to the public March 2, the 40-foot tall conservatory should be teeming.

Displays in the main conservatory will change constantly, maintained with the help of local garden organizations. The first, with a red and purple Valentine's Day theme, will pair red anthuriums with purple glory trees.

You'll be able to get married in the adjoining Mediterranean room, framed by a stucco and terra cotta moongate against the backdrop of a modest waterfall. A 68-foot linear pool runs the length of this greenhouse, which will house collections, including camellias and carnivorous plants, and a fish pond. Teak benches are arriving soon from Smith & Hawken nurseries, according to Mary Ellen Flanagan, landscape architect for the center.

Just a single carnivore, a nepenthes, hangs in a white pot there now, its bladders hanging down about eight inches. Priscilla Purinton of West Kingston, vice president of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society, said that in the wild these bladders grow to three-liter size and can catch rats and lizards. Feeding time at the greenhouses could be a must-see show for kids who have seen the movie Little Shop of Horrors.

-- projo.com Sheila Lennon

Two other greenhouses, milling with workers today, will serve as educational spaces and can host small flower shows.

There's no wi-fi in the plans, but Parks Superintendent Alix Ogden said it has been discussed for the future.

If the original, crowded greenhouses, with narrow aisles and the ambience of well-stocked potting sheds, had a nostalgic charm, these airy buildings of light and glass are more obviously public spaces, with wide areas of cement walkways to accommodate lots of visitors. These aren't anywhere as artificial as those at the flower show, and once the plants get growing, they'll introduce their own wildness.

The new facility is scaled way down from the original vision Journal reporter Karen Davis wrote about in May 2003:

A seven-story, glass-encased replica of a landscape in Papua New Guinea, a conservatory with artwork by the late actor Anthony Quinn, and a replica of the 12th hole of the Augusta National Golf Course will be focal points of the new $15-million botanical gardens at Roger Williams Park, scheduled to be completed next year.

None of that came to pass. Mayor David Cicilline, who came along on the tour, scaled back the project to make maintaining it more manageable with the money actually available, rather than depend on private fundraising. The $7.7-million facility was constructed by Gilbane Building Company with federal, state and city money and and major support from the Champlin Foundations.

Among the partners, who'll collaborate on the rotating displays, are:

University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners

Rhode Island Orchid Society

Rhode Island Rose Society

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association

New England Carnivorous Plant Society

The American Hosta Society

Gardening for Good

Rhode Island Bonsai Society

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 12:05 PM | Comment

Celona prosecutor: 14 more criminal cases possible

PROVIDENCE -- Former state Sen. John A. Celona's cooperation with investigators has already led to the indictments this month of two former CVS executives and the convictions in October of two former executives for Roger Williams Medical Center.

During Celona's sentencing this morning in U.S. District Court, a prosecutor said that Celona's cooperation in an ongoing investigation could lead to 14 more criminal cases, involving seven politicians and seven corporations.

The federal government’s lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan, characterized the information Celona has provided to federal prosecutors as unparalleled.

Sullivan said there’s a possibility of 14 more cases, which include seven politicians and seven corporations. He didn’t go into any details about who or what is involved. Sullivan said it’s not clear how many prosecutions will come from those 14 separate investigations.

-- projo.com staff

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:02 PM | Comment

Update: Celona gets 2 1/2 years in prison / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Former State Sen. John Celona, center, gives a statement to the press outside U.S. District Court after his sentencing on corruption charges. He was accompanied by his lawyer, William Dimitri, right, and his wife.

PROVIDENCE -- Former state Sen. John A. Celona, once one of the most powerful lawmakers at the Rhode Island State House, was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for selling his office for personal gain.

Celona, a North Providence Democrat who had served as chairman of the powerful Senate Corporations Committee, two years ago admitted selling his office to Roger Williams Medical Center, the drugstore chain CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He gained $319,000

He pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in August 2005. This morning in U.S. District Court, Celona was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for each of the three counts, but they are to be served concurrently.

He was ordered into federal custody March 2.

Celona's cooperation with investigators has already led to the indictments this month of two former CVS executives and the convictions in October of two former executives for Roger Williams Medical Center.

An emotional Celona spoke for six minutes, telling Senior U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres, that he will continue cooperating.

“I would like to express my remorse, apologize and take full responsibility for my past actions. I am truly sorry,” Celona said. “I am in some ways glad all of this has happened.”

That’s because, Celona said, in the past three years he has become “a better husband, better father and in some respects just a regular person living in the real world.”

“I was living in a superficial world in the State House,” he said.

At that moment, through tears and with his voice cracking, Celona professed his faith in Jesus Christ.

The last three years have affirmed that “family and honor are the most important aspects of life, not power, not politics, not glory,” he said.

Up next today for sentencing are Robert A. Urciuoli, the former president of Roger Williams Medical Center, and Frances P. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, who were convicted in October of stealing Celona's honest services.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Judge Torres told Celona, “I have a feeling that you are genuinely remorseful for what you’ve done."

Referring to future prosecutions, he said, “You’ve testified and apparently will be testifying in future cases.”

Torres spoke of the culture of corruption and said he hopes this sentence will send a message to other office-holders.

“The message doesn’t seem to have sunk in,” he said, referring to other cases in Rhode Island.

“I hope, but I’m not sure I can say I’m optimistic, that what’s happened in this case” will deter further corruption, Torres said.

Celona must also serve two years of supervised release. As conditions of that supervised release, he must commit to eight hours of community service each week for two years.

He also must pay the cost of the supervised release, the cost of which is $3,450.

During this morning's sentencing in U.S. District Court, a prosecutor said that Celona's cooperation in an ongoing investigation could lead to 14 more criminal cases, involving seven politicians and seven corporations.

The federal government’s lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan, characterized the information Celona has provided to federal prosecutors as unparalleled.

Sullivan said there’s a possibility of 14 more cases, which include seven politicians and seven corporations. He didn’t go into any details about who or what is involved. Sullivan said it’s not clear how many prosecutions will come from those 14 separate investigations.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:21 AM | Comment

3rd suspect in gang murder arraigned / Photo

Journal photo/John Freidah
Sarith Chith, 19, at his arraignment this morning on a murder charge.

PROVIDENCE – A third suspect in the gang fight early Sunday morning that led to the city’s first homicide this year was arraigned this morning on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Sarith Chith, 19, of 140 Bridgham St., Providence, was arraigned before District Court Judge Albert J. ReRobbio and was assigned a public defender, George Muksian.

Chith is believed to have hit the victim in the head with a pipe, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

He is being held without bail.

Chith walked into court this morning handcuffed to another defendant. He said very little, with his public defender doing most of the talking.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal photographer John Freidah

Two other suspects – ages 20 and 17 – from the West End were arrested Sunday.

They are accused of murder in the slaying of Vicheth Klakratok, 23, of 11 Atlantic Ave., Elmwood. He was struck in the head multiple times with a club or pipe and fell in the middle of Cranston Street in the West End, dead from blunt-force trauma, according to Baum.

Veasna F. Pich, 20, of 172 Whitmarsh St., was arraigned Monday before District Court Judge Michael A. Higgins, who ordered him held without bail pending a bail hearing Feb. 12.

The 17-year-old, whose name was withheld because he is a juvenile, was brought to Family Court and ordered held at the Rhode Island Training School. The Attorney General’s Office will seek to have him waived out of Family Court and charged as an adult in Superior Court, according to Assistant Attorney General J. Patrick Youngs III.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:31 AM | Comment

Update: West End fire sends 2 to hospital / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Broken windows can be seen at this house at 103 Hanover Street, Providence, after a fire early this morning.

PROVIDENCE – An early morning fire in the West End sent two residents of a 3 ½-story wood-frame dwelling to Rhode Island Hospital with smoke inhalation.

The fire was reported at about 4 a.m. on the second floor of the building at 103 Hanover St. and was under control by 4:30 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Taylor said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:19 AM | Comment

E. Providence police officer tried in suspect assault

Jury selection continues today in the Superior Court trial of an East Providence police officer accused of kicking a handcuffed suspect in the face nearly two years ago, as the suspect sat in a back hallway at the police station.

About 50 potential jurors were whittled down to 16 yesterday. Final selection is expected this morning, with opening statements to follow. Lawyers expect the trial to last four to six weeks.

Jason Francis, 29, of 884 Putnam Pike in Glocester, has been suspended without pay since he was indicted in May 2005 on one count of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, his foot, with serious bodily injury resulting, and with two misdemeanors.

Read today’s Journal story for more details.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:17 AM | Comment

Did you leave your car on the side of Route 95?

Looks like that car that was abandoned Sunday on Route 95 South in Cranston, near Exit 13 for T.F. Green Airport, still remains on the side of the road, in the right breakdown lane, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The DOT has posted a traffic alert about the car since Sunday.

Route 195 West is slightly congested at this hour in Providence, but it’s just getting worse each time we check, according to the DOT’s congestion mapping program, which shows how heavy traffic is on the area’s roadways.

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.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:27 AM | Comment

Snow mostly misses

PROVIDENCE – Just a few flakes on cars this morning. So much for the predictions yesterday of a possible one to three inches overnight.

But wait, the National Weather Service reports there’s still a slight chance of more snow before 9 a.m.

It’s just 18 degrees now, but that will improve.

Today’s clouds in the southern sky should gradually turn, and we should have mostly sunny skies with a high near 33.

We’ve got more snow on the horizon predicted on and off through Friday night, and then the sun should join us in time for the weekend. Saturday will be partly sunny with a high of 32 and Sunday should be mostly sunny with a high of 26.

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

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:12 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story on Governor Carcieri's State of the State speech and a report on Rhode Island students' improving test scores.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 30, 2007

Jury selection begins in police brutality case

PROVIDENCE -- Jury selection began today for the East Providence police officer accused of beating a handcuffed suspect almost two years ago.

Jason Francis, of 884 Putnam Pike, Glocester, an officer in East Providence since 2000, faces multiple criminal charges related to an incident inside police headquarters in February 2005. He has been suspended without pay since then.

Michael Healey, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, said Francis kicked the suspect in the face while he was sitting with his hands cuffed behind his back. Healey said the suspect suffered a broken nose as a result.

Francis is charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon (his boot) and writing a false police report.

Opening arguments are expected to begin as soon as tomorrow.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:55 PM | Comment

Multi-car crash briefly closes Rte. 95 in Warwick

A multi-car accident in the beginning of rush-hour created miles of traffic back-ups on Route 95 from Warwick to Providence this afternoon.

Four vehicles collided at around 4:30 p.m., landing in the second and fourth southbound lanes of the highway just south of the T.F. Green Airport connector, said State Police Cpl. John Beauregard.

Traffic had stopped in both of those lanes, and then state police needed to shut down the entire highway for five minutes to tow the vehicles out of the way, he said. Just a few minutes was enough to stall traffic all the way into the capital city, he said.

One car had rolled over, but there were no serious injuries, Beauregard said. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:47 PM | Comment

Update: Carcieri to deliver State of State at 7 p.m.

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri will deliver his annual State of the State address tonight, focusing on education, the environment and energy, according to his office.

The governor will announce three "major new initiatives" in those areas, according to his office. He will also spend part of his speech reflecting "on some of the progress Rhode Island has made over the last four years," according to his spokesman, Jeff Neal.

Carcieri’s speech is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. A response by House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed will follow.

Two local television stations, Channel 10 (WJAR) and Channel 12 (WPRI), will air the address live, as will Statewide Interconnect C, Channel 15 for Cox Cable subscribers.

Projo.com, courtesy of wpri.com, also expects to stream the speech live.

Read today's advance story on the address by Journal State House reporter Elizabeth Gudrais.

Read what Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst would like to hear Carcieri say.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:32 PM | Comment

AG: Woonsocket police cleared in suspect's death

The Woonsocket Police have been cleared of wrongdoing in the death of a Woonsocket man who collapsed after being subdued with an electronic stun gun while in police headquarters.

At the same time, the state Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled that the stun-gun shot was not a factor in the man’s death, according to medical tests. However, it did not say what the cause of his death was.

Timothy Picard, 41, had been taken into custody on the morning of Aug. 20, 2006, after police responded to an apparent domestic disturbance between Picard and his 19-year-old son.

Picard struggled with officers at the time of his arrest, and then again once he was in custody at the Woonsocket police station.

Woonsocket officers were trying to subdue Picard during a struggle in the station's booking area when they hit him with two shocks from a TASER stun gun.

Shortly after, Picard collapsed, unresponsive, and died within an hour at Landmark Medical Center.

The attorney general’s review found that "...the use of force in restraining Timothy Picard was lawful under Rhode Island law. Further, the Woonsocket officers had probable cause to believe that Mr. Picard posed a danger to the officers or himself, based upon his continue aggressive and erratic actions toward the officers."

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

The state Medical Examiner’s Office determined that electrocution was not a factor in his death, and that while there was evidence of trauma consistent with the struggle, his injuries were superficial and not life-threatening.

Police reports released shortly after Picard’s death indicated that police suspected that Picard was under the influence of drugs at the time of his arrest.

Attorney General Lynch stated, "The use of the Taser by the Woonsocket Police warranted a close review of the circumstances leading to Mr. Picard's death. It is now clear that Mr. Picard's death was not caused by the Taser, or by the actions of the Woonsocket Police. The Picard family and their attorney have been briefed on the results of this review and, as a criminal investigation, this matter is now closed."

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:23 PM | Comment

Update: Fire investigation under way in E. Providence

EAST PROVIDENCE -- Fire investigators are interviewing neighbors this afternoon to try and figure out what happened at 49 Baker St.

At 4 p.m., four fire trucks, an ambulance and two police cars were parked near the two-story house. One ambulance was seen leaving the street.

Both front windows of the house were smashed and the blinds were hanging out. There was no other sign of damage at the house on a short street near South Broadway.

Fire Chief Joseph Klucznik said his department responded to a call about a kitchen fire at 3:30 p.m. He said the fire was under control in 15 to 20 minutes.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:45 PM | Comment

Last suspect pleads guilty in murder on Indian land

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The last of three people accused of killing a 19-year-old Providence woman and dumping her body over a bridge in Connecticut pleaded guilty today.

Tawanna Sampson, 31, admitted to second-degree murder and conspiring with her half-sister and cousin to murder Stacy Ann Brissett on Narragansett Indian land in Charlestown on July 26, 2005. The three at the time believed Brissett, a former Providence stripper, played a role in the shooting death of their brother, Dwayne “DA” Sampson, weeks earlier.

In Washington County Superior Court today, Sampson wept and stared back at the 20 or so friends and family members gathered in the courtroom as she agreed to the deal in which she faces 50 years, with 40 to serve, at her sentencing March 27.

Sampson’s accomplice, Shea Cook, 22, of 364 Curtis Corner Rd., pleaded guilty to similar charges in late November. The shooter, Shonda Northup, of Ledyard, Conn., pleaded no contest in May to second-degree murder, conspiracy and two firearms charges in exchange for a 60-year sentence, with 40 to serve. She provided statements against Cook and Sampson, of 89 Broad St., Cumberland.

Prosecutors say the three lured Brissett into their 1991 Plymouth Voyager and with three others, who were not charged, drove to Narragansett Indian land in Charlestown. There, Cook and Northup argued about who would kill her with Sampson’s .25-caliber handgun. Northup shot the 19-year-old Providence woman three times, court records show.

They carried her to the minivan, where they beat and strangled her as she tried to escape. They then threw her body over a footbridge at Indian Leap Falls on the Yantic River in Norwich, Conn.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:21 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: Pick your poison

Our bumbling winter pro sports teams are at it again tonight, as the Boston Celtics try to snap an 11-game losing streak while the Boston Bruins try to stop a 3-game slide.

The Celtics are in Indianapolis tonight to face the Indiana Pacers, who are firmly in what Bill Reynolds would call the "amorphous middle" of the NBA pack. The game starts at 7; you can see it on Fox Sports New England. In the meantime, click here to read why Bill thinks the Celts would be better off just losing this one, and the next one, come to think of it.

The Bruins, who keep skating away from the playoff chase, have a tall order on their hands if they want to get back on track against tonight's opponent, the Buffalo Sabres. At 33-14-4, Buffalo has the best record in the Eastern Conference and is tied for the second best record in the entire NHL. The game starts at 7 on NESN.

In high school sports, two of the top girls basketball teams in Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division II will collide when North Providence (9-0 in the division, 13-2 overall) visits Scituate (9-1, 12-2). The game starts at 7. Carolyn Thornton will have a story on the game in tomorrow's Journal and on our High School GameDay page, where you'll also find a gallery of game photos. Click here to see what Carolyn had to say about the Cougars this weekend.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:25 PM | Comment

Sunken N.B. boat's emergency beacon didn't surface

An emergency radio beacon that could have emitted a satellite distress signal for the New Bedford fishing vessel that sank in Nantucket Sound Friday night or Saturday morning never had the chance to work, according to the Coast Guard.

The Lady of Grace’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (known as an EPIRB) appears to have released as it was designed to do – when it’s three meters underwater – but it got stuck on the vessel’s scupper and never had a chance to rise to the surface of Nantucket Sound, chief petty officer Scott Carr of the Coast Guard’s first district said this afternoon.

The EPIRB could have started emitting a signal, but its signal would have been muffled by the water, preventing a satellite from picking it up, Carr said.

The commercial fishing vessel had the most reliable type of EPIRB available, a digital 406 MHz model, which it was required to have, Carr said.

Had its signal transmitted, the Coast Guard would have known very quickly the latitude and longitude of the boat’s location and – if the crew had appropriately registered the EPIRB as the Coast Guard requires – the name and type of the boat and contact information for probably the owner and perhaps crew members.

When the Coast Guard receives such mayday signals from 406 MHz EPIRBs, rescue crews mobilize instantly, Carr said.

“They would have launched,” he said. “They would have started searching.”

With 406 MHz distress signals, the Coast Guard “immediately” moves its closest “asset” – a small boat, a cutter, a helicopter, a jet, whatever is closest – to the boat’s location, Carr said. Also, the Coast Guard would immediately issue in the boat’s general area an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast reporting a vessel in distress “because there might be another boat in the area who might be able to get there faster than you can,” he said.

It’s unknown at this time if the EPIRB was appropriately registered, Carr said. The Coast Guard may never be able to determine if its batteries were functioning at the time the boat went down. Corrosion of the EPIRB would have begun instantly in the salt water, he said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:21 PM | Comment

Update: 2 CVS execs plead not guilty / Photo

PROVIDENCE -- Two CVS executives, John R. Kramer and Carlos Ortiz, pleaded innocent today in federal court to charges of bribery and conspiracy for hiring former state Sen. John A. Celona as a $1,000-a-month CVS consultant.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Martin ordered the two men released on $10,000 bond apiece and restricted their travel.

Kramer, who also has a residence in Arizona, was allowed to travel there and within Rhode Island. Ortiz, who lives in Amherst, Mass., had his travel restricted to Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

This morning's court appearance was brief. Neither man had any additional comments.

Ortiz and Kramer were charged on Jan. 18, in a 23-count indictment of conspiracy, of fraud and bribery. They are accused of hiring Celona as a consultant from early 2000 to the fall of 2003, paying him a total of about $45,000 and also lavishing him with golf outings, trips to Florida and California and tickets to professional sporting events.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Although Celona was ostensibly paid to improve CVS' image among consumers, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente charged that Kramer and Ortiz put Celona on the payroll "to advance the company's legislative agenda … through illicit payments to Senator Celona.''

In return, the indictment said, Celona used his political clout to kill controversial "pharmacy choice'' legislation that would have expanded the Rhode Island network of pharmacies that accepted Blue Cross reimbursements. CVS, which dominated the restricted network, opposed the bill so strongly that the company tied Kramer's and Ortiz's performance reviews to defeating the legislation.

Killing the legislation, Ortiz wrote in one review, had "helped to protect millions of dollars of sales.''

The indictment says that Celona also opposed the licensing of Canadian pharmacies in Rhode Island, pushed legislation to allow the electronic filing of prescriptions and promoted the creation of a state-backed loan program for pharmacy students.

Celona pleaded guilty in 2005 to selling his office to CVS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical Center. He testified last fall in the corruption trial leading to the conviction of former Roger Williams executives Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll.

Urciuoli and Driscoll are also set to be sentenced tomorrow.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:40 PM | Comment

Mullawala admits 'mistakes,' denies ties to terrorism

BOSTON -- Mohammed Mullawala admitted giving authorities "false information" at a hearing in federal immigration court this morning, but the Indian national denied assertions that he had ill intentions while enrolled at a Rhode Island truck driving school.

"I did mistakes, but I’m not a criminal. I’ve never done any harm to this country. I did give false information for some (questions), but I’m not a criminal. I’m an innocent student,” he said during nearly two hours on the witness stand before Judge Matthew D'Angelo in the Boston courthouse.

Outside the courtroom, Mullawala's attorney June Beack also acknowledged that her client was dishonest with investigators, but said he was the victim of racial profiling.

"Certainly, post 9/11 there is hightened national security as there should be, but that leads potentially to people being profiled," Beack said, noting that Mullawala is a dark-skinned Muslim. "That was how his trucking school instructor initially flagged him."

Mullawala is fighting for "voluntary departure" from the United States. Such a designation would allow him to apply to return to this country in the future, perhaps as a student, his attorney said today.

The 28-year-old Indian national has been held in federal detention on a violation of his student visa since Rhode Island State Police arrested him in early December.

Mullawala's behavior at the Nationwide Tractor-Trailer Driving School, in Smithfield, triggered Homeland Security concerns that have since widened into an investigation by an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

According to the school's instructor, that behavior included Mullawala's expressed interest in buying software or videos on hazardous materials and his stated interest in only learning how to drive the truck forward - not how to back it up or any other required technical maneuvers.

Today's hearing spanned nearly two hours. D'Angelo said he'd rule on the voluntary departure request on Feb. 13. Should the judge deny the motion, the prosecutor said she will ask that he be deported -- a move that would make it difficult for him to return within the next 10 years.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:03 PM | Comment

Divers tend to sunken N.B. fishing boat

A dive team was in the waters of Nantucket Sound this morning, plugging vents and working to mitigate any pollution from the sunken fishing vessel the Lady of Grace, out of New Bedford, which ran into trouble Friday night with four fishermen aboard.

The Coast Guard in Woods Hole, Mass., sent out a small boat to provide a safety zone around those divers, chief petty officer Scott Carr of the Coast Guard’s first district said this morning.

The boat’s captain and three-member crew had cut their eight-day trip for groundfish in half and headed back toward New Bedford Friday afternoon, heeding warnings form the Coast Guard about single-digit temperatures, lashing winds of 45 knots and 22-foot seas. The 75-foot dragger was apparently overcome with ice.

The one body that was recovered, yesterday afternoon, was taken to the state Medical Examiner’s Office and has not yet been identified. Late Saturday, Coast Guard search crews using sonar and underwater cameras discovered the boat in 36 feet of water on the bottom of Nantucket Sound. They were drawn to the area by an oil slick about 11 nautical miles north of Nantucket.

Today, the state police may send out an additional dive team to search the area for the other three bodies, Carr said. However, such a decision will be made only after consultation with the Coast Guard, the district attorney’s office and insurance companies connected with the boat, state police Sgt. Robert Bousquet said today.

The Coast Guard mitigates the environmental concerns associated with a sunken vessel that contained fuel, Bousquet said. However, salvage operations and pollution prevention “would ultimately be the responsibility of the owner of the vessel,” Carr said. Jaime Santos of New Bedford is the boat’s owner.

Lost at sea were the boat’s captain, Antonio Barroqueiro, and his crew – Rogerio Vendura, Mario Farinha and João Silva.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:02 PM | Comment

R.I. students improve in reading, math

PROVIDENCE -- The latest round of statewide test results for elementary and middle school students released at 10 a.m. today brought good news: the scores showed improvement in both reading and math.

Statewide, 62 percent of elementary and middle school students scored proficient in reading, an increase of 4 percentage points from last year, and 53 percent of those students were proficient in math, an increase of 3 percentage points.

Notably, scores improved in all parts of the state: in the urban districts, Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket; the so-called urban ring communities: Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Newport, North Providence, Warwick and West Warwick; and the suburban districts that make up the rest of the state.

Various groups of students, such as black, Hispanic, English language learners and students living in poverty, also made significant gains.

“This is truly a turning point in education results for our state in reading and mathematics,” said Governor Carcieri at the press conference held at the State House. “I am especially gratified that we are seeing substantial improvements in our urban communities.”

Compare scores by district.

Compare scores by school.

Compare scores by grade.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

Peter McWalters, commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, credited teachers and a new system of standards and testing with the encouraging results.

“The improvements this year in test scores is the result of many years of hard work by educators,” McWalters said. “We have adopted clearly articulated statewide standards in mathematics and reading, implemented a new testing system, increased professional development for educators and developed the first statewide curriculum.”

Students in fifth and eighth grades also took a writing test, and those scores dipped five percent from last year, to 46 percent scoring proficient. However, officials at the Rhode Island Department of Education said because the writing test questions change from year to year, writing scores will always be more volatile.

Students in grades three through eight took the standardized tests last October, in compliance with the federal education law No Child Left Behind, which requires yearly testing in those grades and one high school grade. (High school juniors will take a test in the spring and those results will reported in the fall.)

The tests, called the New England Common Assessment, were developed in conjunction with New Hampshire and Vermont and rolled out for the first time in the 2005-2006 school year. New Hampshire’s scores should be available later today; Vermont will release its scores Feb. 2.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:17 AM | Comment

Traffic: Abandoned vehicle, construction tie up roads

The state Traffic Management Center has lifted one of two traffic alerts.

A disabled vehicle on Route 95 North before Exit 24, which affected the right lane, has cleared. However, an abandoned vehicle on Route 95 South in Cranston near Exit 13 remains in the right breakdown lane. It has been there since Sunday, according to Transportation Management Center operator Stephen McGovern.

In other traffic news, construction on Route 95 North in the area of exits 23 and 24 has closed the left lane and will likely cause congestion back to exit 21 through much of the day, McGovern said. Construction on Route 146 North, from Route 95 to Branch Avenue, has closed the right lane. Both lane closures should continue until at least 2 p.m. today, McGovern said.

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 9:27 AM | Comment

Photo: Car warms up too much, catches fire

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Sandra Akinmurele (left) and Providence Fire Department investigator Tim Whalen (right) examine the Pontiac Grand Am belonging to Akinmurele's boyfriend after it caught fire this morning at her home on Willard Avenue in Providence. Akinmurele said she started the car to warm it up, and as she started to pull away, a neighbor alerted her to a gas leak. As she got out of the car, the engine went up in flames. She and a friend tried unsuccsessfully to put it out. No one was hurt.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:48 AM | Comment

Snow likely tonight

Snow is on the way.

Today should be mostly cloudy with a high near 33, and then snow is likely after 9 tonight into tomorrow morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Accumulation of one to three inches is possible, the weather service says.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story about the sinking of a New Bedford fishing boat with four men on board and a report on the health and economic status of women in Rhode Island.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 29, 2007

Elton John tour to stop in Providence

Elton John will sing at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, in Providence, on Thursday, March 22, at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $139, $99 and $69, and go on sale Monday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. They’re available at the box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and by calling (401) 331-2211. There is a limit of eight tickets per buyer.

Rocket Club members can buy tickets now, according to John's Web site.

John is touring in support of his latest record, The Captain and the Kid, released in September as a sequel to his blockbuster 1976 record Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. The Providence concert comes three days before his 60th birthday concert in New York.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:11 PM | Comment

3 months later, Comfort Zone murder suspect arrested

PROVIDENCE -- The police announced today that they have arrested a Massachusetts woman for the Oct. 13 stabbing death of David De La Rosa Ruiz outside a local sports bar.

Penny Juan, 26, of 66 Highland Ave., Roxbury, Mass., has been charged with one count of murder. She was arrested Friday on unspecified outstanding arrest warrants and brought to Providence Police headquarters, where she confessed to stabbing De La Rosa Ruiz, according to the police.

De La Rosa Ruiz, 36, of 99 Ford St., in the West End, was found by the police lying in a pool of blood in the middle of Public Street on Oct. 13.

"It's a disturbance inside this nightclub, the Comfort Zone sports bar, that spills out the front door onto Public Street," Detective Capt. Hugh T. Clements Jr. said at the time.

The city revoked the Comfort Zone sports bar's liquor license as a result of the incident. The business, located at 102 Public St., remains closed, according to the police.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:40 PM | Comment

Update: 2nd suspect charged in Providence murder

PROVIDENCE -- The police have arrested a second suspect in the city's first homicide of the year, which authorities believe to be gang-related.

Veasna Pich, 20, of 172 Whitmarsh St., Providence, was charged with murder and ordered held without bail this afternoon pending the results of a Feb. 12 bail hearing.

The other suspect, who is facing murder and conspiracy charges, has been identified only as a 17-year-old boy from Providence. His case was referred to Family Court today.

The suspects are members of the Hanover Boyz gang, according to the Providence Police. The victim, Vicheth Klakratok, 23, of Providence, is believed to be a member of the rival gang, the Young Bloods.

Police discovered Klakratok's body at around 3 a.m. Sunday when they responded to reports of an injured man at the intersection of Cranston and Benedict streets.

During today's arraignment, the prosecutor said that a witness reported that Pich hit the victim in the head with a baseball-bat-like object. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pich appeared today before District Court Judge Michael Higgins in a white prison jumpsuit. He was handcuffed, shackled and barefoot. The police said that they confiscated all of Pich's clothes -- including his shoes and shocks -- for evidence.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:23 PM | Comment

Update: Judge denies Celona's double jeopardy bid

PROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judged ruled this afternoon that former state Sen. John A. Celona can be tried for breaking state laws, despite arguments by the former North Providence legislator that the state case amounts to double jeopardy.

Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini rejected Celona's arguments today, saying that the former North Providence legislator had not met the burden of proof. Celona's attorney hasn't decided whether to appeal the decision.

Celona, who has pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges of selling his office to Roger Williams Medical Center, the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, still faces related criminal charges in state court of using his public office for private gain. His lawyer asked Procaccini to dismiss four of the five counts, arguing that Celona has already pleaded guilty to similar conduct before the Rhode Island Ethics Commission.

Read Procaccini's written decision.

In response to it, Attorney General Patrick Lynch said this afternoon, "This case can now properly move to the next phase, which appears to be a trial."

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:48 PM | Comment

School now says sword photo can run in yearbook

PROVIDENCE -- A school district that refused to publish a yearbook photo showing a student with a sword has changed its mind.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the Portsmouth School District has agreed to publish the photo of Portsmouth High School senior Patrick Agin -- which showed Agin in chain mail and slinging a prop sword over his shoulder.

The school initially wouldn't allow the photo, citing its zero-tolerance policy for weapons. Agin and his mother sued with the help of the ACLU, saying the decision violated his First Amendment rights.

Earlier this month, Rhode Island's education commissioner sided with Agin. The ACLU says the district's decision to settle the lawsuit means it won't appeal that decision, and will also pay $2,000 for legal fees.

Representatives for the school didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:42 PM | Comment

Update: Ex-traffic judge fined $500 in accident

A judge this afternoon fined former Traffic Tribunal Judge Marjorie R. Yashar $500 for bumping another judge's car in a courthouse parking lot and driving away without leaving a note.

Workers Compensation Court Chief Judge George E. Healy Jr. presided over the unusual two-day trial last week because the Traffic Tribunal judges and magistrates had recused themselves from hearing the case of a former colleague.

And while the incident and subsequent fine may seem relatively minor, Healy issued a 12-page written decision this afternoon evoking the teachings of Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster and the poet William Wordsworth.

"While we may well have come to that point in human civilization where 'The world is too much with us; late and soon. Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers' (William Wordsworth), this Court refuses to believe that society has devolved to the point where we will be held accountable only for the more serious infractions and that violations which do not cause a great deal of harm should be ignored. Despite the eloquence of respondent’s counsel, Ms. Yashar can not avoid responsibility for her actions," Healy wrote.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Healy continued:

"Finally, counsel has suggested that Ms. Yashar should not be held to any higher standard because of her prior position as a judge of the Traffic Tribunal. Initially, it must be noted that the evidence adduced in the present matter would justify a finding against any respondent so charged. Nevertheless, I strongly disagree with counsel’s position.

"When the judges of this state are honored with the opportunity to serve their fellow citizens, they take a solemn oath 'To support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and Laws of the State of Rhode Island.'

While this oath is taken voluntarily, it is nevertheless taken advisedly. It can not be dispensed with simply because it becomes inconvenient. Thomas Jefferson noted: 'When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.' We who have accepted positions of service must be mindful of Daniel Webster’s aphorism regarding our profession: 'The law: It has honored us; may we honor it.'

"It is, therefore, not too much to expect that a sitting member of the Traffic Tribunal would stop and provide information regarding the occurrence of a collision in compliance with the statute.

"Thus, I do believe that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that Ms. Yashar has violated the provisions of R.I.G.L. § 31-26-4."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:38 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: Girls hoops showdown in East Greenwich

Two of the state's top high school girls basketball teams meet tonight, when La Salle (12-0 in Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division I, 15-1 overall) visits East Greenwich (10-2 Division I, 11-3 overall). The game begins at 7 p.m. Projo.com's GameDay page will have a gallery of photos from the game.

In the pros, the Boston Bruins will be looking to right their ship against the New York Rangers at the TD Banknorth Garden. The game is on the Versus Network at 7 p.m. Joe McDonald will have a game story tomorrow in The Providence Journal and on projo.com.

Meanwhile, the AHL All-Star Game is on NESN tonight, live from Toronto. The game pits U.S.-born players against Canadian-born players; defenseman Matt Lashoff will represent the P-Bruins on the U.S. team.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:43 PM | Comment

Photo: Brown medical school celebrates $100M gift

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Herbert Kaplan, left, president of the Warren Alpert Foundation, and Galen Henderson, a graduate of Brown University Medical School, talk at the school this morning. Behind them is a portrait of Warren Alpert, who has given the school $100 million. The school will now be named for Alpert. For more, read this morning's story on the donation.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:27 PM | Comment

Cape Cod soldier killed in Iraq

The Department of Defense today announced the death of a Cape Cod soldier who was one of two soldiers who died Jan. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad.

Sgt. Alexander H. Fuller, 21, of Centerville, Mass., was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Fuller and his wife, Anastacia, 19, were expecting their first child, according to the Cape Cod Times.

Pfc. Michael C. Balsley, 23, of Hayward, Calif., was also killed in the attack.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:12 PM | Comment

Update: Coast Guard suspends search for 4 fishermen

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- The Coast Guard is suspending its search for four fishermen missing after their boat sunk in Nantucket Sound.

At a press conference at the State Pier here, Coast Guard spokesmen said they believe there is no chance the men could still be alive in the frigid waters.

However, divers are trying to reach the Lady of Grace, located in 36 feet of water 11 nautical miles north of Nantucket, to determine if the four are still on board.

The vessel, homeported in New Bedford, was found on early Sunday with its life raft in its case and attached to the boat. The 75-foot dragger was first reported missing Friday night.

The Coast Guard said they did not yet know why the boat sunk, but a leading theory is that it may have become too heavy with ice and capsized.

The crew had previously contacted its owner to say that one attempt at de-icing had been successful and that they expected to make it back to New Bedford. One mile after that, contact with the boat was lost.

The Coast Guard identified the crew as Antonio Barroqueiro, Rogerio Vendura, Mario Farinha, and Joao Silva. No ages or hometowns were released.

The Guard conducted 27 separate searches covering more than 6,300 square miles, using boats, HU-25 Falcon jets and HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters. See a graphic of the search pattern.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney, with Associated Press reports

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:45 PM | Comment

Bank robber sentenced to 4 years, 9 months

PROVIDENCE -- A man who told a Providence bank teller that he had a bomb has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison.

Robert G. Palardy, pleaded guilty to bank robbery in the fall for robbing the Bank RI branch at One Turks Head Place in November 2005. Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced him to serve 57 months in prison on Friday, the U.S. Attorney Office announced today.

Palardy admitted that he walked into the bank, placed a plastic bag on the teller counter, and said, “I have a bomb. Give me all your money.” The teller gave him $1,230, and he fled.

The Providence police arrested him about 10 minutes after the robbery. Palardy told the police that he’d been drinking and smoking marijuana and needed money for “more marijuana and more booze.”

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:22 PM | Comment

Brown poll: R.I. voters favor Sen. Clinton for president

Rhode Island voters prefer U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for president in both the Democratic primary and general election, according to a new survey by Brown University.

If the primary was held today, 33 percent of the 341 voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the 2008 Democratic primary say they will vote for Clinton, 15 percent support Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and 8 percent favor former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

Four percent would vote for Joe Biden, 2 percent favor Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, 1 percent support Bill Richardson, 1 percent favor Tom Vilsack, and 0 percent want Dennis Kucinich. Thirty-six percent are undecided.

The margin of error for this Democratic primary sample is about plus or minus 6 percentage points.

If the presidential general election was held today and the nominees were Democrat Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, 49 percent they would support Clinton, 36 percent favor McCain, and 15 percent are undecided.

If the GOP nominee is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Clinton has a lead of 49 to 37 percent, with 14 percent undecided.

And if the Republican choice is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Clinton is favored by 56 to 26 percent, with 18 percent undecided.

The survey was conducted Saturday at Brown by Darrell M. West, director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy and the John Hazen White Sr. Public Opinion Laboratory.

It is based on a statewide random sample of 475 registered voters in Rhode Island. Overall, the poll had a margin of error of about plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:07 AM | Comment

Gas prices fall for 5th straight week

PROVIDENCE -- Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have dropped another eight cents this week and have fallen 15 cents in the last two weeks, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.209 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

Gas prices have now fallen for five straight weeks and are at the lowest price since the middle of November, AAA said.

The average price was $2.409 a year ago.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:59 AM | Comment

Reed: U.S. must become more self-reliant on energy

LINCOLN -- Senior U.S. Sen. Jack Reed this morning outlined critical areas where America must do better in order to flourish in the global economy. Reed told a breakfast meeting of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce that energy, education, health care, and a balanced federal budget top his list.

``Unless we become more self-reliant on energy, we're going to face very difficult problems,'' Reed said. ``Time is of the essence.''

Reed, the new father of a baby girl, said that education must be improved for grammar- and secondary-school students. ``We also have to have life-long education,'' he said. In an age of high technology, he said, ``college is a necessity.''

Reed predicted that better health care will be one of the ``marquee issues'' of the 2008 presidential race – which, he noted, is already well underway.

The senator was not optimistic that President Bush will make much headway on these issues, given his status as a lame-duck president and the unpopularity of his Iraq war policies. ``The days are ticking off,'' Reed said.

-- Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:39 AM | Comment

Police arrest suspect in Providence homicide

PROVIDENCE -- The Providence police have arrested a suspect in the killing of a 23-year-old Providence man this weekend.

The suspect, Veasna Pich, 20, address unavailable, is scheduled for arraignment on a murder charge this afternoon in District Court, Providence, according to the police.

The police say Vicheth Klakratok, 23, of Providence, was the victim in the city's first homicide of 2007.

At 2:42 a.m. Sunday, police officers found Klakratok when they responded to a report of a man injured at Cranston and Benedict streets, according to a press release from the Providence Police Department.

Klakratok had been assaulted and suffered a fatal head injury, the police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to the state Medical Examiner's Office.

-- With reports from Gregory Smith, Journal staff writer.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:29 AM | Comment

GTECH owner expects higher sales

ROME -- The Italian owner of Providence-based GTECH expects sales to increase by as much as 8 percent this year.

Lottomatica SpA, the operator of Italy's national lottery, said today sales will probably be in the range of 1.65 billion euros to 1.75 billion euros ($2.13 billion to $2.26 billion).

Full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization will probably be in the range of 650 million euros to 670 million euros ($839.9 million to $865.8 million) with growth of 8 percent to 9 percent, the company said.

"Our strategic goals over the next three years are to drive growth and maintain our global leadership position in the public gaming markets, to pursue international and domestic value-accretive growth opportunities," said Lottomatica Chief Executive Bruce Turner.

Lottomatica last year acquired GTECH, a provider of lottery systems and services.

Shares in Lottomatica dipped 2.4 percent to 32.73 euros ($42.29) in Rome.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:16 AM | Comment

Photo: Car accident in Providence

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Two children who were involved in a two-car accident wait for an ambulance around 8:30 a.m. today on the steps in front of 75 General Street in Providence. Another child was transported to the hospital earlier.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:04 AM | Comment

World's oldest just 4 days, Conn. woman, 114, dies

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Emma Faust Tillman, whose life spanned three centuries and 21 U.S. presidencies, died Sunday night at an East Hartford nursing home, the facility's administrator said. At 114, she was the world's oldest known living person.

Tillman, the daughter of former slaves, was born during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. Her reign as the world's oldest person was short-lived; she assumed the title Jan. 24 with the death of 115-year-old Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico.

"She went peacefully," Karen Chadderton, administrator of Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center, said Monday. "She was a wonderful woman."

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:10 AM | Comment

Curt Schilling says he won't retire after this season

Pitcher Curt Schilling announced this morning on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show that he will not retire at the end of the 2007 season, but will pitch in 2008. Schilling, who is not under contract with the Boston Red Sox past 2007, says he hopes that he will be back at Fenway, but he left open the possibility that he would pitch in another uniform. He did say that he would not pitch in New York.

Schilling had earlier indicated that this year would be his swan song, which had left some to speculate on whether the loquacious pitcher would start a political career in 2008. He said today, though, that he was encouraged by his injury-free 2006 season, and that his family was more than willing to see him remain in the sports limelight.

Here's the link to the full interview.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:48 AM | Comment

Traffic: Alerts near T.F. Green Airport

The state's Transportation Management Center has issued two traffic alerts this morning.

There's debris on Route 95 South near Exit 13 for T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.

An abandoned vehicle nearby is also affecting the right shoulder, the center says.

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 Jack Perry at 7:04 AM | Comment

Lots of sun today, but just 25 degrees

Today should be mostly sunny with a high near 25 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The wind will be out of the north between 11 and 15 mph.

Tonight should be partly cloudy with a low near 15 degrees.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a photograph and story on ice fishing and a report on a $100 million gift to Brown's medical school.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 26, 2007

Appeals court rejects relaxing power-plant rules

Prompted by a challenge from Rhode Island and five other states, a New York appeals court has overturned federal changes to the Clean Water Act that allow power plant operators to use cost considerations in deciding what clean-water technology to use, a decision that may force the industry to spend more to protect the environment.

The U.S. Second Court of Appeals in New York City said yesterday in an 80-page decision that the Environmental Protection Agency was wrong when it issued a rule relaxing environmental standards for power plants like Brayton Point Station in Somerset, Mass. Brayton Point is adjacent to Mount Hope Bay on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border.

The ruling may force power plants like Brayton Point, which uses millions of gallons of water a day as a coolant, to add costly new cooling systems that rely on less water and kill fewer fish, according Alex Matthiessen, president of Riverkeeper, a Tarrytown, New York-based environmental group that was part of the lawsuit.

“This is going to force the old dinosaur plants across the country to use this technology,” Matthiessen said. “No question -- it’s going to impose a cost on the companies.”

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a statement today praising the court ruling, which came in response to a suit filed in 2004 by Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Delaware, along with environmental groups including Riverkeeper.

"With yesterday’s ruling, we have prevailed over regulations that were contrary to the goals and purposes of the Clean Water Act, contrary to the plain meaning of the Clean Water Act, and contrary to common sense," Lynch said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Bloomberg

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule in 2004 that made it easier for existing power plants to avoid installing the best technologies to help reduce the large amounts of water currently being withdrawn from oceans, bays and rivers by older power plants.

The rule governs existing power generating facilities — like Brayton Point — that withdraw more than 50 million gallons of water per day and use at least 25 percent of the water withdrawn exclusively for cooling water purposes, according to Lynch's office.

The rule violated the intent of Congress by enacting regulations that rejected closed-cycle cooling as the best technology based on cost considerations, a move that essentially encouraged existing power plants to avoid technology upgrades and pollute more, according to Lynch.

Referring to Brayton Point, Lynch said, “I have an obligation to make sure the company operates in a manner that protects Rhode Islanders’ rights to use and enjoy Mount Hope Bay and in a manner that is consistent with federal law.

"In this case, EPA wrote a rule that undermined federal law and jeopardized the state’s interests in Mount Hope Bay," Lynch said. "I am elated by the outcome of this case, for what it means for the nation’s waters and for what it means for the waters right here in Rhode Island.”

The federal court has ordered the EPA to correct the rule consistent with its findings.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:07 PM | Comment

Photo: Looking sharp on ice

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
The Munchkins of the Warwick Figure Skaters compete today at the 2007 Eastern Synchronized Team Skating Sectional Championships, being held through tomorrow at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. Teams from all over the eastern United States were expected to take to the ice. Thankfully, we're sure, inside at the Dunk' and not outside at the Bank of America City Center skating rink.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:14 PM | Comment

Update: AG to seek stiffest sentence for Martinez

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Gerardo E. Martinez, left, listens as Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. gives final instructions to the jury this morning. With Martinez is his defense attorney, Mark Smith.

WARWICK -- The guilty verdict in the murder trial of Gerardo E. Martinez will allow prosecutors to recommend he be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole -- the severest penalty under state law -- according to Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

A jury this afternoon convicted Martinez of first-degree murder for the 2005 slaying of his former girlfriend, Lindsay A. Burke. The verdict came about four hours after the 12-member jury began deliberations around 12:30 p.m.

In his closing statement, Martinez's lawyer, Mark L. Smith, did not dispute that his client had killed Burke by slitting her throat with a 6-inch steel knife in September 2005.

But he disputed prosecutors' assertion that the crime was premeditated, and he called on the jury to find Martinez not guilty of first-degree murder. They could have found him guilty of second-degree murder or acquitted him.

“This domestic violence murder of a lovely, accomplished young woman was preceded by one of the most brutal attacks imaginable,” Lynch said in a statement. “My heart goes out to the Burke family for the incomprehensible loss they have suffered.”

The sentencing recommendation will be made to Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr.

-- Journal staff writer Benajmin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:44 PM | Comment

New Traffic Tribunal to star on R.I. PBS Monday

Courthouse buffs, set your DVR.

Rhode Island PBS is scheduled to air a feature Monday night on Rhode Island's newest courthouse, according to an announcement released this afternoon by the state judiciary.

The new Traffic Tribunal at the John O. Pastore Government Center in Cranston opened for business last week after operating for many years "in a cramped, outdated facility" on Harris Avenue in Providence.

The half-hour program, scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m., features a short video tour of the new facility and a discussion with Rhode Island Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, Steve Aveson of WPRI-TV, Traffic Tribunal Magistrate William T. Noonan and Traffic Tribunal Administrator Kevin Spina.

The show is the latest installment of “Citizens’ Summit,” the Rhode Island Judiciary’s quarterly television show on WSBE-Channel 36. Rhode Island PBS is seen on Channel 8 on both the Cox and Full Channel cable networks.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:31 PM | Comment

Woonsocket police probe rash of violent robberies

WOONSOCKET -- Two men were beaten and one of them was robbed just after midnight this morning in the city’s third robbery in four days.

In the latest, the two victims -- ages 20 and 21 -- were walking down Clinton Street near the Walgreen’s drugstore when they were approached by two men.

One of the suspects punched the 20-year-old, and then followed the victims to a parking lot near the intersection of Social and Chester streets, where the 21-year-old was punched in the face and robbed of his cell phone, according to Detective Lt. Timothy Paul.

There have been no arrests so far.

Paul said additional detectives have been assigned to two separate robberies that occurred on Tuesday, where a 15-year-old boy and a 29-year-old man were beaten minutes apart from each other by a group of up to six teenagers. Paul said those robberies are similar to the one that occurred today, and that they may have been committed by the same people.

Paul stressed that the three Woonsocket robberies are unrelated to a robbery that occurred in Cumberland last week, when two boys were arrested for beating and robbing a mentally disabled man.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:01 PM | Comment

Update: Fire crews save most of W. Greenwich home

WEST GREENWICH -- Fire crews fought through brutally cold temperatures early this morning to save a single-family home from being consumed by flames.

The fire, reported to the fire department at about 3 a.m., started in the stove pipe of a built-in metal fireplace at 8 Fox Run Rd., according to Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Andrews. By the time fire crews arrived, the fire had penetrated the roof.

All three family members were waiting outside for help, Andrews said. There were no injuries.

The temperature was 3 degrees "with a slight breeze," he said. "I can’t imagine how cold it was with the wind chill."

All three fire companies from West Greenwich responded to the scene, as did two companies from Exeter. The firefighters contained the fire in about half an hour and saved most of the home, Andrews said.

"We lost one room," he said, "but there was very little smoke, fire damage in the main house. We had a good stop."

Did the cold temperatures make things more difficult?

"Everybody worked a little harder because of the cold, and we got it knocked down," Andrews said, noting that the weather did create some problems.

"The minute we hit the patio with water, everything turns to ice, you create your own skating rink," he said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Most of the fire crews had left by 4:30 a.m., but one engine was on the scene until about 9 a.m. as the firefighters and engineers had to manually release its brakes, which had frozen.

"We’re still trying to thaw out our ladder truck – it froze up solid," Andrews said at about 3:15 p.m.

The residents spent the rest of the night at a neighbor's house. It's unclear if they'll be able to spend tonight in their home, though Andrews thought it likely.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:12 PM | Comment

Sports this weekend

For the first time in more than five months (if you count preseason), it's a Friday and there's no football to look forward to. The big event tonight is in high school ice hockey. The state's two top boys teams, Bishop Hendricken (6-0-1)and Mount St. Charles (7-1-1), face off at 6:30 at the West Warwick Ice Rink. The two teams skated to a tie in their first meeting of the season. Our GameDay page will have a story and a photo gallery from the game tomorrow. In the meantime, click here to read John Gillooly's hockey column, which includes his take on the game.

The Boston Celtics are in action North of the Border tonight, trying to stop their nine-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors, who hold the unimpressive title of Atlantic Division leaders. The game starts at 7 on Fox Sports New England.

Tomorrow at 12 noon, the PC Friars (3-3 Big East, 13-6 overall) are in Storrs to take on the UConn Huskies (2-4, 13-6). While always talented, UConn is a far cry from the dominant squad they were last year. You can catch the game on Cox Sports TV (Channel 3).

The red-hot Rhody Rams (6-1 Atlantic 10, 13-8 overall) are back at the Ryan Center tomorrow to take on second-place George Washington (5-1, 14-4). The game, which is not televised, begins at 2.

The Boston Bruins return from the All-Star break tomorrow at 3 p.m. They'll be on the road to take on the Ottawa Senators. Concidentally, that's the team that beat the B's right before the break.

The P-Bruins are on the road for games Friday and Saturday night.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:01 PM | Comment

Cicilline elected V.P. of Democratic mayors group

Mayor David N. Cicilline has been elected vice president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, which provides a forum for Democratic city leaders to develop, recommend and enact public policy for America’s cities.

Cicilline was nominated to the post by Mayor Dannel P. Malloy of Stamford, Conn., and the election took place last night in Washington, D.C., Cicilline’s spokeswoman Karen Southern said today. Cicilline has been in Washington this week for the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting.
“I am deeply honored that my colleagues have elected me to this critically important position on the National Conference of Democratic Mayors,” Cicilline said in a statement issued today. “At this time in our nation’s history with new leadership in Congress, the NCDM is poised to play a pivotal role in advocating for and supporting an urban agenda that strengthens America’s families.”

Today and tomorrow, Cicilline is expected to participate in conferences on urban education, regional growth and urban transportation.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:00 PM | Comment

Caravan from R.I. to join Washington protest

PROVIDENCE -- A caravan including three buses, two vans and about 40 cars plans to pull out of the Branch Avenue Stop & Shop's parking lot just after 10 p.m. tonight.

The group, which is expected to include around 300 Rhode Islanders, will drive through the night and likely arrive in Washington, D.C., by 6 a.m. for what will be the largest anti-war rally in this country in more than a year.

The total Rhode Island contribution to the protest -- expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the National Mall tomorrow afternoon -- could reach 1,000, according to Robert Malin, media coordinator for Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America, one of a number of local groups participating.

"This is just to show the senators and congressmen that there are numbers of people interested in this and we’re watching," Malin said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

And while he said he's been active in protest movements dating back to the Vietnam conflict, Malin said the composition of the group leaving tonight is decidedly different.

"We had to arrange an extra van for elderly people who couldn’t climb up the bus steps," he said. "That’s not your usual planning group."

He said he actually turned away an 85-year-old man, citing the huge crowds and likelihood the man wouldn't be able to keep up. "He's going to a protest in Providence instead," Malin said.

(A peace vigil is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow on the State House lawn.)

The Rhode Island group plans to be back in the Ocean State by Sunday morning. That means the caravan will leave Washington tomorrow night. That also means two consecutive nights sleeping on a bus, a van, or a car for the protesters.

Malin doesn't seem to mind.

"This is important," he said. "The idea is to keep the street heat going so politicans know we’re serious about this. A nonbinding resolution does not a solution make."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:50 PM | Comment

Short circuit briefly evacuates Cumberland High

CUMBERLAND – Nearly 1,600 students were evacuated from Cumberland High School earlier this morning after there was a short circuit in the fire panel between the kitchen and the boiler room in the school’s main building.

Two buildings on the school campus were evacuated, and everyone was sent into the campus wellness building, which houses the gymnasium, Assistant Superintendent Susan Carney said this morning.

The students – who were “absolutely superb about being cooperative” – were outside no more than five minutes on the coldest day of the year, Carney said.

The whole incident took about 15 minutes, Carney said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:00 AM | Comment

Photo: Looking cool in the cold

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Charles Black, of Providence, protects himself from the cold with a ski mask and sunglasses as he heads for his bus in Kennedy Plaza this morning. The National Weather Service's wind chill advisory has expired for Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, but wind chills should linger between zero and 10 degrees below. The weather service advises people to dress in layers and wear hats and gloves.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:37 AM | Comment

Local police get surplus military equipment

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island police departments are equipping themselves with bullet-resistant vests, laptop computers and other items thanks to a Department of Defense program.

It matches secondhand military gear with cash-strapped law enforcement agencies.

An analysis by The Associated Press shows the state received 2,450 items in fiscal year 2005 valued at more than $716,000. Rhode Island was the second-largest beneficiary in New England behind Massachusetts.

Coventry police have used the program to get digital cameras, weapons, helmets, vests and laptop computers.

The program started in 1990. It allows the transfer of surplus military parts to police departments.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:34 AM | Comment

Photo: Providence's finest among its coldest

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Neither rain, sleet nor cold, cold temperatures apparently prevent Providence police motorcycle officers from their rounds. These two are bundled up against the coldest weather of the season (3 degrees with a wind chill of 12 below zero) as they patrol this morning in downtown Providence.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:36 AM | Comment

Journal Register sells its R.I. newspapers

YARDLEY, Penn. -- The Journal Register Co. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its three daily community newspapers and its weekly newspaper group in Rhode Island to R.I.S.N. Operations Inc. for $7.6 million in cash, subject to a review of the newspapers’ finances.

Included in the sale are The Call in Woonsocket, The Times in Pawtucket and Kent County Daily Times in West Warwick and the Journal Register’s weekly group, the Southern Rhode Island Newspaper Group, in Wakefield.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

-- Bloomberg

The chairman and chief executive officer of Journal Register Co., Robert M. Jelenic, said: “We thank all of our talented employees at our Rhode Island newspapers for their contributions over the years and wish them all well.”

The company, battered by a plummeting stock price, announced last August that it was exploring a sale of its Rhode Island and Massachusetts newspapers.

Last month, the company announced it was selling its seven southeastern Massachusetts newspapers to GateHouse Media for $70 million in cash. Those papers included The Herald News of Fall River and the Taunton Daily Gazette, as well as three weekly newspapers and two shopper publications.

Journal Register Co. owns 27 daily newspapers and 368 nondaily publications. The company currently operates 239 individual Web sites affiliated with the company’s daily newspapers, nondaily publications and its network of employment Web sites.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:27 AM | Comment

Traffic update: Disabled vehicle on Route 95

A disabled vehicle on Route 95 North near Exit 23 in Providence is now affecting the right shoulder, according to an alert from the state Traffic Management Center.

For 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 Jack Perry at 9:21 AM | Comment

Photo: Feeling the cold on Kennedy Plaza

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Joaquim DeBarros, of Providence, feels the cold as he waits for his bus in Kennedy Plaza this morning. It's just 3 degrees in Providence this morning with a northwest wind gusting to 21 mph and making it feel like 12 degrees below zero.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:15 AM | Comment

It's cold here, but you could be on Mt. Washington

You think it's cold here at 3 degrees and a wind chill of 12 below?

It's relatively balmy compared to the top of Mount Washington in North Conway, N.H., where it's 30 degrees below zero with winds gusting to 74 miles per hour and making it feel like 79 degrees below zero.

That's the morning's report from the Mount Washington Observatory's Web site, which proudly promotes the mountain, 6,288 feet above sea level, as "Home of the world's worst weather." The world's strongest wind gust was recorded there -- 231 miles per hour in April 1934.

The site provides plenty of information, including photographs andWeb cams offering beautiful views of the region and comments from the weather observers.

Check it out. After all, today is a good day to stay inside, keep warm and enjoy this extreme weather virtually from a comfortable chair.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:09 AM | Comment

Update: A busy AAA offers car-starting advice

This is the busiest morning of the year so far for AAA Southern New England.

AAA dispatchers have fielded a couple thousand calls already, shortly before 8 a.m., spokesman Robert Murray said. That’s probably twice the volume they’ve handled in the past few days, he said.

The people with problems today are those who haven’t prepared and gotten their cars in working winter order.

Car batteries die from old age, and if you have a fairly weak battery – say, maybe, one that’s on the older side of its anticipated three- to four-year life span – it would have been ready to go anyway, but today’s cold will push it over the edge, Murray said.

“That battery limps along in warm weather, but in single digits, it will just die,” he said.

So what to do if you wake up and worry that you haven’t replaced that battery but you really need to get to work today? Be patient, Murray said. That’s the “No. 1 starting trick,” he said. On a really cold day, the car has to start itself, so don’t rush it.

Turn the key, let the car crank for 20 seconds and if it doesn’t start, stop. Let the car sit for a minute or so. Turn the key again, let the car crank a little while and stop again. Go slowly.

If you keep going and the first time it doesn’t start you stomp on the gas and flood the engine, there’s no way it’s going to start, Murray said.

“If you try to force it and you panic and step on too much gas, then you do drain the battery,” he said. “With patience, you’ll get it going.”

More winter driving tips from AAA ...

Another common problem reported to AAA on days like today are frozen locks or frozen doors.

You really want to plan ahead to avoid problems like that, Murray said, by getting your car ready for winter around Thanksgiving.

The only real method Murray would suggest on a day like today with a frozen lock is using a lock de-icer – a lubricant with an antifreeze in it -- if you have it. Pouring hot water on the lock or trying to warm up your key before using it just aren’t effective solutions on such cold days, he said.

What you really want to do, though, is spray silicone or a lock de-icer into your locks once a year, before winter. Also, AAA recommends spraying silicone weather stripping around the doors and trunk of your car so they don’t freeze shut.

A car in proper condition should start today – and every day – like it does in the summer, Murray said.

“The greater majority of cars start on a day like today,” he said. “It’s probably 80 percent that start and 20 percent that don’t, and you want to be in the 80 percent that start.”

If your car won't start today, here are some explanations, and, hopefully, a tip to get you started.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:33 AM | Comment

Some school bus delays in Scituate

The Scituate School Department is reporting that some school buses are delayed this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:03 AM | Comment

Stay warm, stay safe

You've probably heard it before, but in the dangerous cold, stay inside if possible, but if you must go outside, dress in layers and cover the skin.

Here are some tips for dressing and staying warm and safe today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:57 AM | Comment

It's 4 degrees, bundle up against frost bite

PROVIDENCE – It’s a far cry from the record high temp for Jan. 26, which was 64 degrees back in 1916. Now wouldn’t that feel balmy?

As you might have guessed if you’ve ventured outside this morning, it’s cold, cold, cold out there. With an official temperature of 4 degrees this morning at T.F. Green Airport, the official location the National Weather Service uses for Providence and surrounding areas, we’re close to the record low. That was 1 degree back in 1927.

A normal high for today’s date would be 37, and a normal low would be 20, based on 30 years of past history, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a wind chill advisory today. Across the entire region, dangerously cold wind chill values of 15 to 20 below zero are expected. Gale warnings are posted for all our waters except Boston Harbor and Narragansett Bay. A wind chill advisory is issued when the wind chill index is likely to reach minus 15 to minus 24 degrees for at least three hours.

Exposing your skin to such conditions can cause frostbite in a very short time, and prolonged exposure can also lead to hypothermia, the weather service warns. So dress in layers. Wear hats and gloves. Cover your face as much as possible. Stay indoors when you can.

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

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:12 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a local story on the trial of a former traffic court judge for striking another judge's car then driving away without leaving a note, along with stories on Iraq and addiction.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 25, 2007

Rep. Kennedy backing Dodd for president

PROVIDENCE -- Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy said tonight he will endorse, raise money and work for the underdog campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination of Connecticut's Sen. Christopher Dodd, a veteran senator who is also close to Kennedy’s father, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

“Chris Dodd has a breadth of experience in both the House and the Senate,” the Rhode Island Democrat said in an interview.

Kennedy cited Dodd’s leadership on children’s education and health care issues, his foreign policy expertise and service in the Peace Corps. He also noted that Dodd is bilingual; he speaks fluent Spanish.

“He answered President Kennedy’s call to serve in the Peace Corps, in the Dominican Republic,” said Kennedy, whose uncle was the late President John F. Kennedy. “I think that being fluent in Spanish in this day and age is such a powerful asset that it cannot be overvalued.”

Kennedy said Dodd has a deep understanding of domestic programs, especially those that affect children.

“Every major piece of legislation with regard to children he has been deeply involved with,” Kennedy said. “The Head Start Association voted him the senator of the decade.”

Dodd is also familiar with military matters because his state is home to major defense contractors. Like Patrick Kennedy, Dodd is the son of a U.S. senator, the late Thomas Dodd, who once represented Connecticut.

Kennedy’s father has long been a close political ally and personal friend of Dodd’s, but Patrick Kennedy said tonight that his endorsement of Dodd should not be seen as a harbinger of his father’s intentions.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Edward Kennedy was supporting his fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. John Kerry, but Kerry announced earlier this week that he would not run for president in 2008.

Edward Kennedy is chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Also sitting on that committee are Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, both of whom have announced their intention to run for the presidency.

Patrick Kennedy and Dodd also share an alma mater -- Providence College.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:58 PM | Comment

Warwick man claims $30K PowerBall prize

CRANSTON -- The $30,000 winning ticket sold in Rhode Island for yesterday’s PowerBall drawing has been claimed.

Kevin Gilchrist of Warwick arrived at Lottery Headquarters late this morning to collect the prize, the Rhode Island State Lottery announced today.

Gilchrist’s ticket matched four numbers and the PowerBall number. The standard payout for this type of win is $10,000. However, he opted to purchase the Power Play feature for an additional dollar, so the $10,000 prize was multiplied by 3, Wednesday’s Power Play number, to equal $30,000.

Gilchrist purchased the ticket from Lakewood Liquors at 774 Warwick Ave. in Warwick, where he says he always takes his lottery business. For good reason -- this past August, he scratched his way to $60,000 on a “Hit by Lightning” instant ticket, sold by Lakewood Liquors.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:55 PM | Comment

Bundle up as bitter cold comes our way

PROVIDENCE – Brrrr! It’s 18 degrees out there, and temps are dropping.

Perhaps for the first time this winter, it’s time to pull out your real cold-weather gear, like the stuff you took on that trip to Norway or piled on when you lived in northern Minnesota.

Bitterly cold air is expected to surge across southern New England tonight and tomorrow, according to a special weather statement issued this evening by the National Weather Service.

Temps will fall into the single digits across most of our region tonight, with readings below zero across higher terrain in southern New Hampshire and western Massachusetts.

Across higher elevations, high temps tomorrow will not get out of the single digits. In Providence, Boston and Hartford, high temps will struggle into the teens, according to the National Weather Service.

Combined with sustained northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph, these bitter cold temperatures will produce below-zero wind chills. Late tonight, wind chills will drop to between 5 and 15 below zero. They will remain below zero tomorrow.

Exposing your skin to such conditions can cause frostbite in a very short time, and prolonged exposure can also lead to hypothermia, the weather service warns. So dress in layers. Wear hats and gloves. Cover your face as much as possible. Stay indoors when you can.

Check the latest conditions here, and figure out the wind chill yourself here.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:48 PM | Comment

Update: Video confession shown at murder trial

WARWICK -- A video showing Gerardo E. Martinez confessing to killing his 23-year-old girlfriend, apologizing for the slaying and begging forgiveness from his mother and father was shown at his murder trial today.

The recording was presented by prosecutors to jurors in Kent County Superior Court as the final piece of evidence before closing statements, which are scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Martinez is accused of killing his girlfriend on Sept. 13, 2005, by slitting her throat with a 6-inch knife.

"Mom and Dad, forgive me for what I did," Martinez said in Spanish on the recording, filmed in his bedroom.

As he spoke, the body of his girlfriend, Lindsay A. Burke, lay in a pool of blood in the bathtub one floor below. After Martinez was arrested in New Hampshire later that day, the police found Burke’s body and the video in Martinez’s Warwick home.

"To everyone, I'm sorry," he said on the video.

The prosecution called its final witness today in the murder trial. The defense attorney, Mark L. Smith, does not plan to call any witnesses, so the case is scheduled to go to the jury tomorrow afternoon following closing arguments.

The prosecution contends Martinez killed Burke at his Warwick home in a jealous rage after discovering photographs of another man in her purse.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

CORRECTION: An earlier item incorrectly stated where Burke was killed.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:24 PM | Comment

Harbor project dredging up more than planned / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Rope, fishing gear, old beer cans, rubber boots and gloves are among the litter washed up along the shoreline from East Matunuck to Roy Carpenters Beach in the wake of the harbor dredging.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The beach replenishment project is surely bringing sand to Matunuck’s shores, but along with it are coming reams of rope, rubber gloves and pop-top beer cans galore.

Lobster bands littered the beach like confetti today as concerned citizens and environmental officials inspected the coast line near Deep Hole, a popular fishing and surfing spot. It appears that the dredging project under way at the Harbor of Refuge is digging up three decades of trash that has fallen or been thrown off boats.

Now, that waste is landing on the beaches as a result of a plan to dump the dredged material just offshore to restore Matunuck’s storm-stripped beaches.

“This was supposed to be clean sand and gravel from Point Judith Pond. … We were under the understanding there was no garbage,” said John Torgan, baykeeper with Save The Bay.

Save The Bay, which was contacted by residents, is asking that the project be suspended until it is determined to be safe to proceed.

Laura Ricketson, spokeswoman for the state Coastal Resources Management Council, said the refuse was not hazardous. “None of it’s contaminated. This is all stuff that has been either lost overboard or tossed overboard,” she said.

A tour of the beach in the vicinity of Deep Hole and the Ocean Mist found fishing nets, rubber gloves and boots, hoses, a leather belt, and hundreds of pop-top beer cans, some apparently dating back 30 years to when the harbor was last dredged.

Ricketson said there was no plan to stop the dredging. CRMC is the state sponsor of the dredging operation, which is being overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“If we pull out now the channel will not be navigable,” she said. “We have to weigh having non-hazardous material wash up on the beach and having the channel not be safe.”

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:59 PM | Comment

Health Dept: Restaurant worker has hepatitis A

The state Health Department announced today that a male restaurant employee who works at both The Cheesecake Factory in Providence and the Texas Roadhouse in Cranston has a confirmed case of hepatitis A, which is a liver disease caused by a virus.

After consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the health department decided to dispense preventive immune globulin (antibody) shots to the employee’s co-workers over the next few days to ensure the safety of those restaurant employees.

Because the employee with hepatitis A was not a food handler at the restaurants, the health department said there’s no need for preventive measures for the public or people who dined at the restaurants.

The worker is receiving medical treatment and is recovering.

Both restaurants are cooperating with the health department and “continuing to monitor for and ensure safe food handling practices,” according to a news release issued by Director of Health Dr. David R. Gifford.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

“Both establishments are safe and open for business,” Gifford said in the statement.

Hepatitis A is uncommon in Rhode Island, where the health department says there are approximately 25 cases reported a year. The disease is spread when people do not wash their hands well after going to the bathroom. Germs on people’s hands can spread to others and cause the infection.

Most people who get hepatitis A recover in a few weeks, according to the health department. Once you recover, you cannot contract the disease again.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:26 PM | Comment

Elusive carjacking suspect arraigned / Photo

PROVIDENCE -- For more than a day, carjacking suspect Gregory Coffey refused to come out of his cell at police headquarters so his fingerprints and mug shots could be taken. As a result, his District Court arraignment was postponed until this afternoon.

“He’s just getting a little belligerent,” said Sgt. Paul Brousseau, who oversees Providence police prosecutions. “But this (resistance) is kind of getting to the extreme.”

The police generally try to avoid holding anyone at headquarters for more than 48 hours. Suspects either are released or transferred to the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.

The police did not press the issue at first, and Coffey relented this morning, submitting to fingerprints and mug shots. He was brought to court this afternoon. As he stood before Judge Michael Higgins, he pulled up his sweatshirt in an attempt to hide his face from news photographers.

Providence and East Providence police lodged 13 charges against him, including charges that he broke into his mother’s house and stole her car, and that he later carjacked his girlfriend and led East Providence and Providence police on separate chases Tuesday and Wednesday.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Providence police finally captured him at about 5 a.m. yesterday, after he ran across Route 95 and climbed a fence. Officers caught up to him when he slipped and fell on ice.

In court today, lawyer John Bevilacqua said Coffey, who has an extensive criminal record, “has a history of mental health problems.” Bevilacqua said he will seek a competency examination to test Coffey’s capability to face the charges against him.

Because some of the charges are felonies, no plea was entered on Coffey’s behalf. Higgins ordered Coffey held at the ACI pending a court hearing Feb. 8 regarding bail and his status as an alleged probation violator.

Given the concern about Coffey’s mental health, Providence police inspector David Brien said Coffey will be kept under special observation at the ACI Adult Intake Center.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:09 PM | Comment

Next release of Station fire evidence on Feb. 1

The state Attorney General’s Office said today it plans to release next Thursday all of the testimony heard by the grand jury that indicted the three defendants in The Station nightclub fire case.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch will also make the third disclosure of case evidence to news media outlets through the state’s Access to Public Records Act. The releases are in response to open records requests by The Providence Journal, The Associated Press and The Boston Globe.

This latest release will include hundreds of witness statements and several video clips, including: footage taken of the crime scene by the West Warwick Police Department early on the morning after the Feb. 20, 2003, fire; three amateur clips of the exterior of The Station at the time of the fire, and additional clips of bands that played at the nightclub before the fire.

The fire killed 100 people and injured more than 200. The cases against the club's co-owners and band manager who lit the pyrotechnics that started the blaze, never came to trial, however, after each submitted pleas.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:40 PM | Comment

Update: Yashar to learn outcome of traffic case Monday

CRANSTON – Former Traffic Tribunal Judge Marjorie R. Yashar, who is accused of causing a minor traffic incident herself, should know the outcome of her case Monday.

Yashar did not attend today’s proceedings at the new Traffic Tribunal complex here. She was not required to be there, as long as her lawyer attended.

Lawyers for both sides addressed Judge George E. Healy Jr., who said he will issue a written decision in the matter by the end of Monday.

Yashar is accused of bumping a car in the court parking lot, at its former home in Providence, and leaving without notifying the car's owner, Magistrate Domenic A. DiSandro III. She is accused of causing minor damage.

The incident occurred in June 2005. Yashar retired as a traffic judge in September 2005.

Healy, the chief judge of the state Workers’ Compensation Court, heard the matter in court today because all of the Traffic Tribunal judges and magistrates recused themselves from the proceeding, according to courts spokesman Craig N. Berke.

The trial began on Monday, Berke said, with the testimony of some witnesses. Yashar also did not attend that day. The matter was adjourned until today.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:08 PM | Comment

Sports today...and tonight

After a couple of full evenings, there's not much going tonight for our local pro and college sports teams.

There is a pretty big high school event going on this afternoon at the Bayside YMCA in Barrington, when the Hendricken boys swim team takes on the hometown Eagles. Both squads come into the meet at 6-0. Click here to read what John Gillooly said recently about the threat that Barrington poses to Hendricken's 17-year reign as boys champion. Projo.com will present a gallery of photos from the meet tomorrow.

On TV tonight, you can see the NBA's top team, the Dallas Mavericks, in action on TNT. The Mavs (35-8) visit Chicago to take on the Bulls (24-19). The game starts at 8. Also, the nation's third-ranked college basketball team, UCLA, visits unranked California in a game on Fox Sports New England at 9.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:05 PM | Comment

Fall River Co. fined $480K for dumping wastewater

BOSTON -- A Fall River textile company has agreed to pay a $480,000 federal fine after the Environmental Protection Agency found three of the company's plants illegally dumped polluted wastewater into the city's sewer system.

Duro Textiles makes camouflage and high-performance sports fabrics in a process that produces large amounts of highly acidic and highly alkaline wastewater, according to the New England office of the EPA.

The EPA alleged that three of Duro's plants repeatedly violated legal limits on the acidic and alkaline wastewater discharged into the Fall River sewer system. Such wastewater is corrosive and can damage sewer piping and water treatment plant equipment.

The agency also accused Duro of failing to routinely inspect potential sources of stormwater contamination, such as outdoor fuel tanks, and failed to keep an incinerator temperature high enough to sufficiently destroy certain emissions that cause ground level ozone, a serious air problem in New England.

A company spokeswoman had no immediate comment today.

The EPA said the company agreed to the $480,000 fine, has made changes to comply with federal pollution laws, and also agreed to further penalties if it commits future violations.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:31 PM | Comment

Lane reopens for first time since Big Dig accident

BOSTON -- A short section of the High Occupancy Vehicle lane on Interstate 93 reopened this morning for the first time since last summer's fatal accident inside a Big Dig tunnel.

The HOV or car-pool lane just north of Exit 20 provides access to South Station and Kneeland Street. It can be used by private vehicles with two or more passengers.

State transportation officials say the remainder of the HOV lane is expected to reopen in the spring when all repair work is completed.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:21 PM | Comment

State going paperless for unemployment, TDI checks

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Adelita Orefice (left), director of the state Department of Labor and Training, holds a replica electronic payment card while discussing how it will work during a press conference.

To save money and improve service, the state of Rhode Island will do away with all paper unemployment checks as of March 26 and instead will deliver unemployment benefits via direct deposit or “electronic payment cards,” which can be used at ATMs, grocery stores and other retailers.

The move is expected to save the state about $500,000 a year in printing and processing costs and reduce the potential for delays or theft, said the state Department of Labor and Training’s director, Adelita S. Orefice.

Electronic payments, including payment cards, also will begin to replace the paper checks used for Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) in July, in hopes of eliminating all paper TDI checks by Sept. 20, said the department’s assistant director, income support, Raymond A. Filippone.

-- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

The state will offer unemployment and temporary disability recipients a choice of receiving their benefits via direct deposit or the payment cards being issued in cooperation with JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase will supply about 50,000 debit cards a year carrying unemployment insurance benefits approved by the state. The cards function similarly to VISA cards, allowing holders to withdraw cash from participating ATMs or make point-of-sale purchases anywhere VISA is accepted, the department said in a news release.

Nearly 100,000 people received unemployment or TDI paychecks from the state last year, Filippone said. About 42 percent of the state's TDI and UI recipients -- or roughly 41,500 people -- are “unbanked,” meaning they have no bank account, he said.

The payment cards will eliminate the need for those without bank accounts to use check-cashing stores, which charge fees to cash checks. People with the payment cards will be allowed one free withdrawal per deposit each week. They can also use the card free of charge to pay for items in stores, as long as it's a "signature" transaction. Cardholders will have to pay some type of fee if they use the card's debit function (which does not involve a signature) or if they make additional ATM withdrawals, Filippone said.

Currently, about 8 percent of the people who receive UI or TDI benefits have their funds deposited directly into their bank accounts, he said. The state has been offering that function since about 2000. The figure is relatively low, Filippone said, because many recipients have no bank accounts.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:07 PM | Comment

Catholic school calls for silent lunch

WARWICK -- The chapel isn't the only place where silence is expected at one Rhode Island Catholic school.

The Saint Rose of Lima School in Warwick has new lunch rules that require students to remain silent during lunch.

The move comes after three recent choking incidents in the school cafeteria.

All three students are fine -- but school Principal Jeannine Fuller said in a letter to parents that ``the school's priority is the safety of each child.''

The letter says all students must remain silent during lunch. Students who don't follow the policy will receive a lunch detention.

Providence Diocese spokesman Michael Guilfoyle says the school is enacting a temporary safety measure. He says the school doesn't expect complete silence but enough quiet to keep students safe.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:32 PM | Comment

Mrs. Carcieri won't attend anti-abortion rally

PROVIDENCE -- It was almost a year ago that Sue Carcieri led a group of anti-abortion advocates in saying of the rosary amidst placards displaying images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary inside the State House rotunda.

This afternoon, another rally will be held at the State House to promote the anti-abortion agenda. But the governor's wife isn't planning to attend.

"She will not be participating," said the governor's spokesman Jeff Neal this morning. Asked why, Neal responded that he wasn't sure if the first lady had been invited.

Carcieri's role at last year's rally, led by the group Catholics for Life, drew criticism from some political leaders, including Senate President Joseph Montalbano, who questioned whether it violated the separation between church and state.

Today's rally also will not be held inside the State House. The group RI Right to Life is scheduled to meet from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. outside the Capitol building off Smith Street. Alveda King, niece of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., will be a featured speaker.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:59 AM | Comment

Some Powerball luck for R.I. after all

Rhode Island missed out on the $254 million Powerball jackpot last night --since the big winner was sold in Missouri -- but one $30,000 winning ticket and five $10,000 winners were sold in the Ocean State, according to the Rhode Island Lottery.

All six winning Rhode Island tickets matched four numbers and the Powerball number, according to the Rhode Island Lottery. The standard payout for that type of win is $10,000, but one player also purchased the Power Play feature for an extra dollar, tripling the award.

That ticket was sold at Lakewood Liquors, 774 Warwick Ave. in Warwick.

The other five tickets were sold at the following stores: Gold Mart, 1531 Newport Ave., Pawtucket; Brooks Pharmacy, 1200 North Main St., Providence; Hess Express, 1112 Post Rd., Warwick; Colbea Enterprises, 1207 Pontiac Ave., Cranston; and Sherwood's Shell, 10 Post Rd., Warwick.

The tickets haven't been claimed yet.

The winning numbers were 9-19-29-42-53; the Powerball number was 17, and the Power Play was 3.

Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball share the $254 million jackpot. But there was just one big winner.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:55 AM | Comment

Foster man recovering after nearly severing leg

PROVIDENCE -- The 71-year-old Foster man who nearly severed his leg yesterday in a brush-cutting accident is recovering at Rhode Island Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa.

Richard Simons is in good condition this morning, Barbosa said.

He was rushed to the hospital yesterday afternoon after cutting nearly 80 percent through his right leg while cutting brush with a gas-powered saw on his property. Simons was expected to undergo surgery today, his wife said yesterday.

Alone and without a cell phone, Simons, a former Marine and Korean War vet, made a rudimentary tourniquet and dragged himself across the ice, his backyard and driveway — nearly 300 yards — to his house and the nearest telephone.

For more, read the story from today's Journal.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:26 AM | Comment

Conn. woman quickly captures world's oldest title

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Emma Faust Tillman, who marked her 114th birthday last fall by crediting God for her longevity, has become the world's oldest known person.

Tillman, born in 1892 to former slaves in North Carolina, earned the distinction Wednesday after the death of 115-year-old Emiliano Mercado del Toro at his home on the northern coast of Puerto Rico.

Tillman, of East Hartford, had been the world's third-oldest person until 115-year-old Julie Winnifred Bertrand of Montreal, Canada, died in her sleep last week.

With del Toro's death yesterday, Tillman became the world's oldest validated "supercentenarian" in records maintained by the Gerontology Research Group in Los Angeles and other organizations.

At 114 years and 63 days old, Tillman reached the top spot more quickly than the average "oldest known" person verified by Guinness World Records, who is usually closer to 114.5.

Tillman is the youngest title holder in six years, said Robert D. Young, senior consultant for gerontology for Guinness World Records.

Her ascent - from sixth-oldest in August 2006 to the top position Wednesday - was particularly speedy. The average time for a person to be the world's oldest is about eight months, Young said.

"I think everybody's astounded that the other people died as quickly as they did," he said.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:28 AM | Comment

Hundreds gather at municipal conference

WARWICK -- Hundreds of municipal leaders across the state won't be at work today.

That's because the 7th annual convention of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns kicks off this morning. More than 700 city and town employees are expected to attend.

Attendees will have a chance to visit more than two dozen departments and agencies of state government over the course of the day, which also offers 20 workshops.

"The exposition is the most cost-effective way to have face-to-face meetings with major vendors and state agencies who will showcase their products and services in a setting designed exclusively for city and town officials," reads the conference's Web site.

Today's conference, which is being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, began at 8:30 a.m. and is scheduled to run through this afternoon. Attendance is free.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:42 AM | Comment

No more paper unemployment checks?

CRANSTON -- State officials will unveil a plan this morning to change the way 100,000 Rhode Islanders get paid.

Officials at the state Department of Labor and Training will hold a 10:30 a.m. press conference to talk about a new method to distribute unemployment and temporary disability insurance checks.

Paper may soon be a thing of the past.

Rhode Island plans to be the first state in New England to do away with printed checks. The new system -- the details of which will be unveiled this morning -- is set to begin in the fall.

The state hopes to save $500,000 each year by eliminating check printing, processing and mailing.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:39 AM | Comment

1 hurt, 8 displaced by fire at apartments for elderly

EAST PROVIDENCE -- Fire crews responded to a blaze at an elderly housing complex overnight in which one resident was hospitalized, but dozens more spared as firefighters quickly moved residents and contained the fire.

Firefighters arrived at the Taunton Plaza apartments, 20 Whelden Ave., just after midnight, according to Fire Chief Robert Jobin.

At that time, the fire was burning in apartment 124 on the first floor of the four-story complex.

Jobin said that the fire alarm had been triggered and the sprinkler system was working. But that wasn't enough to extinguish the fire, which was started by unattended candles left in an elderly resident's bedroom.

Firefighters moved the residents -- many of whom were "disabled and mobility-impaired" out of immediate harm and into another section of the building. They were reluctant to move them outside because of the cold, Jobin said.

Firefighters were able to confine the flames to the single apartment, which sustained heavy fire damage.

"The firefighters did an outstanding job," he said. "They contained that fire. There was a lot of potential with the elderly in the building."

One resident was hospitalized after suffering smoke inhalation.

Jobin said there was heavy smoke damage to the second, third and fourth floors and water damage to the first. Fire crews were on the scene of the two-alarm fire until around 3:30 a.m.

At least eight residents were displaced, according to Jobin. Some are staying with neighbors, he said, and the Red Cross is working with others to find hotel rooms.

"We're very, very lucky," Jobin said.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:07 AM | Comment

No luck for R.I., winning Powerball sold in Missouri

DES MOINES, Iowa -- One of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Wednesday night in Missouri matched all six numbers drawn, which were: 9-19-29-42-53; the Powerball number was 17, and the Power Play was 3.

Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball share the $254 million jackpot. But there was just one lucky winner. There's no word yet on who that winner is.

Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were 20 of those. They were sold in: Arizona (2), District of Columbia (1), Iowa (1), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (1), North Carolina (2), New Mexico (2), Pennsylvania (5), Tennessee (4), and Wisconsin (1).

The prize goes to an estimated $15 million for Saturday.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:12 AM | Comment

Enjoy the 20s -- it's going to be freezing

PROVIDENCE -- Today's high temperature isn't supposed to top 30 degrees. Enjoy the mild weather.

It will be "dangerously cold" by the end of today.

Arctic air is going to pour into Rhode Island tonight, according to the National Weather Service. The temperatures will plummet to 10 to 20 below zero taking into account the wind chill.

"These bitter cold temperatures will combine with sustained northwest winds of 15 to 30 mph to produce dangerously cold wind chills," reads a special statement issued this morning by the weather service. "Wind chills will drop to between 10 and 20 below zero late tonight and remain well below zero on Friday."

But temperatures are supposed to be in the high 20s for most of today. A north wind from between 5 and 10 mph is expected. And there's a slight chance of snow showers before 3 p.m.

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

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story on a U.S. Senate resolution opposing President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq and a local story on a state lawmaker's proposal to ban smoking in cars containing children 6 or younger.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 24, 2007

Tickets on sale for annual Tour RI event / Photo

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Anne Holst, dressed in a soldier's outfit from the 1700s, of Cloud Hill, a historic inn in Burrillville, and Mark Young, of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, holding an early wooden tennis racquet, were among those in costume attending the announcement today.

PROVIDENCE -- Governor and Mrs. Sue Carcieri announced today that the fourth annual Tour Rhode Island, There's No Place Like Home, event will be held on Saturday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at locations throughout the state.

The event, which coincides with National Tourism Week, is designed to give Rhode Islanders a chance to see many of the state's well-known sights.

Participants can select from one of 24 tour options. New this year are three tours that will visit multiple regions while focusing on a specific theme: Jewels of the Bay, a Kids’ Fun and Diners and Ethnic Foods in Rhode Island.

Tickets went on sale today, and are available only over the phone by calling AAA Southern New England at 1-877-874-7845. Ticket prices are $30 per adult and $20 for children 12 and younger. Ticket sales are on a first-come, first-served basis, and the event has sold out in the past. Additional information on each tour is available at: www.VisitRhodeIsland.com/tourri.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:56 PM | Comment

Update: Carjacking suspect nabbed after pursuit

PROVIDENCE -- After a lengthy chase by car and on foot, the police apprehended a carjacking suspect early today when he slipped and fell after running across Route 95.

The chase was a resumption of an event-filled police pursuit a day earlier after Gregory Coffey, accused of carjacking his girlfriend in East Providence.

He sped away early yesterday, striking two other cars with his girlfriend's car as he fled, according to the East Providence police. The second hit-and-run caused a miles-long rush-hour traffic jam on Route 195 as the East Providence police pursued Coffey.

At about 4:30 a.m. today, in Providence, a patrolman spotted what he said was a speeding car on Dexter Street in the West End and gave chase. The driver of the fleeing vehicle, later identified as Coffey driving a stolen car, ignored stop signs and other traffic control signals.

The chase left city streets and entered Routes 10 and 6, and finally 95 South, where police said Coffey drove recklessly, cutting off other cars and crossing lanes without using his turn signal. Coffey stopped the car about one-half mile north of Exit 13, got out and jumped over the highway median, ran across the northbound lanes of the superhighway, and climbed over a fence.

Officers finally caught him when he slipped and fell on a patch of ice, bruising and scraping his head, according to the Providence police.

At Providence police headquarters, Coffey, 22, of 21 Pomona Ave., Providence, who has an extensive criminal history, refused to come out of his holding cell in order to be fingerprinted, according to police. As the result, his arraignment in District Court was postponed until tomorrow.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Providence police charged him with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, eluding police and operating with a suspended license. The registered owner of the stolen car, the police said, is Kianha Hayman, 19, of 134 Summit St., East Providence.

Coffey also was issued a handful of court summonses for traffic-law violations.

An arrest warrant obtained by East Providence police says he is wanted for carjacking and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with an occupied motor vehicle.

Coffey was released from the Adult Correctional Institutions last month, according to the East Providence police.

Coffey’s mother, Lisa Pinto of 55 Magnolia St., East Providence, has previously accused the East Providence police of racial profiling, harassment and abuse of power, regarding her sons and other people, and has led a petition drive based on her accusations.

East Providence police allege Coffey stole his mother’s car on Sunday night and abandoned it in Providence. He was in a third car, also allegedly stolen, that broke down Monday. That breakdown prompted him to seek help from his girlfriend.

When she refused to take him to his mother’s house, police said, he allegedly threw her to the ground, stole her car and began the hit-and-run episode.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:46 PM | Comment

House fire in Burrillville under control

BURRILLVILLE -- A house fire on Wallum Lake Road this evening is now under control and was confined to a bedroom.

No one was hurt in the fire, according to Fire Dispatcher Glen Biddiscombe. It was reported to authorities at around 6 p.m., at 555 Wallum Lake Rd.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:35 PM | Comment

United Way seeks move, selling East Side HQ

PROVIDENCE — The United Way of Rhode Island is selling its East Side headquarters, and is considering moving into a recently rehabbed Olneyville mill building.

The move is part philosophical change, as the United Way is seeking to get closer to the people it helps — difficult from its current headquarters at 229 Waterman St. — and at the same time move into larger, more modern quarters, said spokesman Hank Sennott.

“As an organization, we’re shifting from being more than a fundraiser and a distributor of funds to being an organization that really has some impact in the community,” Sennott said, adding that this seemed inconsistent with keeping their building on the affluent East Side.

“It seemed to us to make sense that we should in a way put our money where our mouth is,” he said.

With that in mind, the United Way is in negotiations to move into Calender Mills, a recently completed mill renovation in Olneyville, in the shadow of the Rising Sun Mills.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

The project is one of several in Providence conducted by Baltimore’s Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse. It is a mixed-use, 40,000 square-foot project at the 50 Valley St. site of the former Providence Bleaching, Dyeing and Calendaring property.

But Sennott said that that is just one of several properties the United Way is looking at, and a deal with Struever is by no means complete.

Several weeks ago, the United Way hired real estate broker CB Richard Ellis to sell its three-story, 42,000-square-foot headquarters, which was built in 1945 and sits on 58,000 square feet of land at the corner of Waterman and Wayland Avenue.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:36 PM | Comment

With almost-severed leg, man drags self to call for help

FOSTER -- A 71-year-old man was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital this afternoon after nearly severing his leg in a brush-cutting accident.

Richard Simons, of 10 Ram's Tail Road, was cutting brush with an electric saw on a frozen pond near his home at about 2 p.m. when the blade apparently detached from the saw, according to Foster Police Chief Robert Coyne.

The blade cut into Simons' right leg near the knee, leaving it 80 percent severed, Coyne said. Simons was alone and nearly 300 yards from his house at the time of the accident.

Using his hands and elbows, Simons dragged himself the length of three football fields to his home, pulled himself inside and used a first-floor phone to call for help.

An ambulance arrived at 2:18 p.m., Coyne said, and rushed him to the hospital. Simons was conscious and alert when he left the scene.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:35 PM | Comment

Icy road sends cruiser into rock cliff in Smithfield

A state trooper escaped injury this morning when his cruiser struck a rock cliff off the side of Route 295 north in Smithfield, according to the state police.

The cruiser, operated by Trooper John Shelhart, slid on black ice and spun out of control at about 9:20 a.m., said Lt. Steven Lefebvre.

Shelhart had been monitoring traffic with radar north of the Route 104 overpass. The accident happened as he was pulling out from the side of the highway to pull over a suspected speeder, Lefebvre said.

The back of the cruiser was heavily damaged, while the front had some minor damage, Lefebvre said.

There were "a lot of spinouts" because of the black ice on state highways this morning, according to Lefebvre.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:16 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: URI faces big test vs. UMass

The first-place URI Rams (12-8 overall, 5-1 conference) face their toughest Atlantic 10 foe thus far when they host the UMass Minutemen (14-5, 4-1) at the Ryan Center. This one should be a good indication as to whether the Rams can handle a team with a dominating inside game. If you're not going, you can catch the game at 7 on Cox TV. Projo.com will also have a gallery of photos from the game tomorrow. Click here to read Paul Kenyon's preview.

Meanwhile, the slumping Celtics, losers of eight straight games, try to get back on the winning track when they host the Atlanta Hawks at the TD BankNorth Garden. The Hawks are, as usual, pretty awful themselves, with a 13-26 record. But they did beat Boston last week in a meeting down in Atlanta. The game is at 7:30 on Fox Sports New England.

If hockey's your thing, then you should definitely catch the NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The game is on at 8 on the Versus Network. Zdeno Chara, winner of last night's fastest-shot competition, is the Boston Bruins' sole representative in the game; he's on the Eastern Conference's reserve squad.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:11 PM | Comment

Update: Crash a case of deja vu for trooper? / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Rhode Island State Police troopers investigate an accident involving one of their cruisers on Route 146 south, near Route 295 in Lincoln this morning.

LINCOLN -- The same state trooper whose cruiser was struck last Friday by a wrong-way driver on Route 95 was providing security at an accident scene this morning when his cruiser was rear-ended by a small car carrier.

Trooper Daniel O’Neil was taken to the hospital for neck and back pain, but is expected to be fine, state police Sgt. Richard Ryan said this afternoon.

O’Neil was not injured last week and was back on the road that same day, Lt. Joseph DelPrete said at the time.

This time, Ryan said, O'Neil will be recovering for the next two days at home.

Neither accident was O’Neil’s fault, Ryan said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

At about 8:55 a.m. this morning, after a minor accident on the access road from Route 295 to Route 146 south, O’Neil was sitting in his cruiser with the emergency lights on, Ryan said.

The cruiser – not the same one he was driving last week when he was hit on Route 95 – was straddling the white line between the high speed lane and the left-side breakdown lane, because there wasn’t enough room for the cruiser to sit entirely in the breakdown lane, Ryan said.

A two-car carrier truck approaching the accident scene “was unable to stop in a timely manner and struck the rear of the police cruiser,” Ryan said.

O’Neil saw the truck coming and threw his vehicle into drive but had no more time to react, Ryan said. The impact of the crash propelled the cruiser across both lanes of travel, beyond the right-side breakdown lane and into the grass on the side of the road, Ryan said.

The accident investigation is still under way; no charges have been filed against the driver at this time, Ryan said.

The police identified the truck driver as David Frazier, 44, of 11 Catlin Ave., East Providence.

The cruiser was towed from the scene and is being assessed for damages.

Last Friday, O’Neil’s cruiser was struck by Providence resident Michael Liggins, 37, Liggins attracted police attention while swerving erratically between all lanes of travel on Route 95 north during the morning commute. He eventually ended up driving the wrong way and colliding with O’Neil’s cruiser.

According to the state police, Liggins fled to the Courtyard by Marriot hotel in Warwick, where 25 state troopers and additional Warwick officers surrounded the hotel and then took Liggins into custody.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:11 PM | Comment

Celona asks court to dismiss state corruption charges

Former state Sen. John Celona has asked a Rhode Island judge to throw out corruption charges against him, arguing that it would constitute double jeopardy.

William C. Dimitri, Celona’s lawyer, argued today that four counts of a five-count state indictment should be thrown out, because Celona has already admitted to related ethics violations and has been fined a hefty $130,000 by the Rhode Island Ethics Commission for the same offenses.

Asst. Atty. Gen. J. Patrick Youngs III countered that the ethics commission meted out a civil punishment last year that does not preclude the state from seeking to hold Celona accountable criminally.

Celona has already pleaded guilty to similar charges in federal court that he sold his public office to Roger Williams Medical Center, the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He faces sentencing Jan. 31 in federal court.

The courts have held that a defendant can be prosecuted in both state and federal courts for related criminal activity.

Meanwhile, Celona’s state charges remain pending. Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini promised to issue a decision next Monday.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:06 PM | Comment

Cicilline joins mayors in Washington

Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline met with congressional leaders this afternoon in Washington, D.C. to discuss global warming, part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual winter meetings.

Cicilline arrived in the nation's capitol yesterday, along with his director of policy, for the conference and will stay through Saturday, according to his spokeswoman Karen Southern. He attended the "Mayors Against Illegal Guns National Summit" yesterday, and started today along with many of the 250 mayors in Washington this week at a brief meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

There are a host of meetings and receptions planned through Saturday, including one about the best cities in America for young people set for tomorrow. Cicilline also plans to attenda two-day conference Friday and Saturday about best practices in urban education, regional growth and urban transportation.

Local taxpayers are paying about $4,300 for the conference, Southern said, a tab that includes $1,100 in registration fees, $1,373 in roundtrip airfare for two, and two hotel rooms at the Capitol Hill Hilton at $193 a night.

"The mayor feels those conference are very valuable in sharing best practices," Southern said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Cicilline sits on the U.S. Conference of Mayor's advisory board and holds various other positions with the group, including national chairman of the Children, Health & Human Services Committee.

Today's meeting on global warming was arranged by the mayor of Seattle, according to Southern. Several elected officials are meeting with the group to "focus on what Congress can do to help mayors control climate change," she said.

“This will be an intense and important week of meetings for mayors from across the country, at one of the largest-ever winter meetings of the United States Conference of Mayors,” Cicilline said in a statement. “For the first time in many years, we have a Congress eager to hear what the leaders of our American cities have to say about the direction this nation is taking."

In 2009, the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors will be held in Providence.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:45 PM | Comment

Kerry intends to stay out of 2008 race

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democrats' losing presidential candidate in 2004, does not intend to run again in 2008, a Democratic official said today.

This official said Kerry intends to seek a new six-year term in the Senate.

Kerry plans to disclose his political plans in remarks on the Senate floor later in the day, according to this official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting a formal announcement.

Kerry, 64, who lost the White House when Ohio voted for President Bush by 118,601 votes on election night in November 2004, was attending a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting and unavailable for comment.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:29 PM | Comment

Carjacking suspect nabbed in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- A man accused of carjacking his girlfriend's car in East Providence yesterday morning then causing two accidents that tied up rush-hour traffic on Route 195 west for miles is in Providence police custody this morning.

Gregory Coffey, 22, of 21 Pomona Ave., was arrested early this morning, said East Providence Lt. Steven P. Kennedy, who called the man armed and dangerous yesterday. The police sought Coffey after he fled in his girlfriend’s silver Acura, then struck two occupied vehicles and drove away, according to the police.

The Providence Police Department called East Providence police early this morning to inform them of the arrest.

The Providence police are charging Coffey with reckless driving, eluding the police and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Coffey will be arraigned tomorrow morning.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:59 AM | Comment

Traffic update: 95 South is slow going

An incident that has drawn police to the 95 south exit ramp at Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick has backed up traffic into Cranston.

A disabled vehicle on Route 95 South near the intersection of Route 195 is affecting the exit ramp for Exit 20, according to the state's Transportation Management Center.

Route 195 West also looks slow, according to the center's cameras.

For 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 Jack Perry at 9:08 AM | Comment

Photo: The Sunrise in Lincoln

Journal photo / Bill Murphy

Wednesday morning's sunrise seen from Great Road in Lincoln. The National Weather Service forecasts a mostly sunny day in Lincoln with a high near 38 degrees and a west wind between 7 and 11 mph. But watch out. The coldest air of the season moves in tomorrow night.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:20 AM | Comment

Boy burned in a fire at West End apartment

A 9-year-old boy is at Hasbro Children’s Hospital this morning after he suffered second- and third-degree burns on 30 percent of his body last evening when his clothing caught on fire.

The boy was burned in his West End apartment, located at 675 Cranston St., at about 6:21 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The fire marshal is investigating the fire, Taylor said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:05 AM | Comment

R.I. lawmakers to unveil new anti-peeping law

PROVIDENCE -- Two lawmakers plan to unveil a bill today that closes a loophole in Rhode Island's anti-peeping law.

The issue came to light this month when prosecutors dropped criminal charges against a Middletown gym owner accused of spying on a showering woman in a locker room. (Read the Journal's story.)

The attorney general's office says the man couldn't be prosecuted because he wasn't trespassing -- a requirement under the existing criminal code.

Representatives Amy Rice and Donald Lally Jr. plan to unveil their bill this afternoon in the State House.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:42 AM | Comment

High near 40 today, but colder air on the way

PROVIDENCE -- Today should be mostly sunny with a high near 40 degrees and a northwest wind between 5 and 11 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

But the coldest air of the season should move into the area tomorrow night, with dangerously cold wind chills expected across southern New England late tomorrow night and Friday morning, the weather service says in a special weather statement.

Wind chills will drop to 15 to 20 degrees below zero late tomorrow night and Friday morning across the interior and 10 to 15 below along the south coast.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's Journal front page features stories on President Bush's State of the Union address and the state Ethics Commission's decision to pursue charges against state Sen. President Joseph Montalbano.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 23, 2007

Providence scene wins 4th annual governor's contest

The winning entry, "Approaching Providence."

Governor and Mrs. Carcieri announced today the winner of the fourth annual “Scenes of Rhode Island” art competition and show, sponsored in partnership with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

This year’s winner is "Approaching Providence," an oil painting by Marjorie Ball of East Greenwich. The winning artist is awarded $1,000 by Governor and Mrs. Carcieri for the painting, which hangs at the State House during the Carcieri administration. The piece is used to create limited edition prints which are provided to charitable organizations for their fundraising purposes.

The second place award of $250 goes to "Pomham Light" by Andrew Mechisen of Warwick. This photograph of the historic East Providence lighthouse was taken last year.

Third place, and a $100 prize, was awarded to a photograph entitled "Stone Bridge, Scituate" by Christine Delag of Providence.

This year there were 175 total entries, of which 33 were selected for exhibit in the Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill. The artists must be Rhode Island residents and the pieces must feature scenes of the Ocean State.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:42 PM | Comment

Fox joins Langevin as State of Union nears / Photo

Photo courtesy of the Office of Congressman James Langevin
Actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and has become an outspoken proponent for stem cell research, joins U.S. Rep. James Langevin at a private reception this evening before the State of the Union address. Fox is Langevin's special guest for the event. Langevin, paralyzed by a shooting accident, supports lifting Bush's ban on most federally financed research into potential medical treatments derived from stem cells in human embryos.

Rhode Island's four members of Congress will be among the millions watching tonight as President Bush makes his State of the Union address from the Capitol.

Bush, whose approval ratings are the lowest going into a State of the Union since Richard Nixon, is scheduled to go live at 9 p.m.

Projo.com expects to carry live streaming video of the speech. We'll add news updates as the president outlines his international and domestic priorities for the next year.

Projo.com will also publish reaction from the Rhode Island delegation as it becomes available. As always, we want your reaction to the speech. Come back later tonight or tomorrow and tell us what you think.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:34 PM | Comment

Terrorism suspect nabbed in R.I. held without bail

BOSTON -- A federal immigration judge denied bail today for Mohammed Yousuf Mullawala, the man now at the center of a national anti-terrorism investigation following his enrollment at a tractor-trailer school in Rhode Island.

Mullawala, who maintains that he has no ties to terrorism, is facing deportation to India after authorities discovered that he overstayed a student visa. He appeared with his lawyer in federal immigration court today for a hearing that spanned about an hour and a half.

Judge Matthew D'Angelo was clear in explaining his decision to deny bail. He called Mullawala "a danger" to the community and "an extreme flight risk."

"I do not find his responses or his explanations to be credible," D'Angelo said, adding, "The court is concerned about his behavior at the tractor trailer school."

Prosecutors presented a detailed state police affadavit that outlines Mullawala's responses to various questions following his Dec. 5 arrest. The terrorism suspect told authorities that he had multiple addresses throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.

Through his attorney, Mullawala said that he moved often because he was "a single guy" and liked to be mobile. He also said he moved away from places where it was difficult to find parking.

Other behaviors that attracted the attention of authorities included “problematic” cell-phone calls; enrollment at three schools (including Johnson & Wales University) where he apparently never attended; and his expressed lack of interest at the Smithfield trucking school in learning how to back up a rig, and his request to buy software on hazardous materials from the school.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment

Fall River woman found guilty in fatal stabbing

TAUNTON, Mass. -- Karen Cordeiro, the 22-year-old Fall River woman on trial for fatally stabbing Courtney Sau after a confrontation at a Providence nightclub, was found guilty of second-degree murder this afternoon.

The jury deliberated for less than a day. She was also sentenced immediately, to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 15 years.

Cordeiro, who admitted to the police that she grabbed a kitchen steak knife and broke a beer bottle so she and her roommate could confront Sau on the street in front of their Fall River apartment, had said she acted in self defense. Sau, then 19, had driven from Providence to Fall River on Feb. 5, 2005 to have it out with the two women.

But the jury did not accept the self-defense argument after the prosecution argued during closing arguments yesterday that Cordeiro had plenty of opportunities to avoid the battle with Sau, who got out of her car, unarmed, after being taunted by Cordeiro and her rooomate.

She died from stab wounds to the back and neck. The neck wound sliced her jugular vein. The attack was so violent, one knife blade broke off in her back. She ended up lying on her back on John Street, her head against the rear tire of her car, bleeding profusely.

The verdict was reached in mid-afternoon after the jury of nine men and three women asked the judge for further instructions on whether all 12 had to agree on the factors that constituted "extreme atrocity and cruelty" in a murder case. The judge said they only had to agree that a killing met that standard, not on the specific factors involved.

Cordeiro's roommate, Carla Carvalho, will be tried later.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:36 PM | Comment

Suspect sought in hit-run spree on Route 195

EAST PROVIDENCE – Police are searching for a suspect described as "armed and dangerous" after a hit-and-run spree that tied up the morning rush hour on Route 195 west this morning.

The suspect, Gregory Coffey, 22, of 21 Pomona Ave., Providence, is accused of carjacking his girlfriend's car and striking two vehicles this morning.

But the incident's roots apparently go back to Sunday night, when Coffey’s mother reported that her car had been stolen. His mother is Lisa Pinto, of 55 Magnolia St. in East Providence.

This afternoon, Lt. Steven P. Kennedy said that Coffey had taken his mother’s 1997 blue Ford without consent and abandoned it in Providence, where it has been recovered.

Coffey and his family were the topic of conversation at an East Providence City Council meeting last week, when police Det. John J. Rossi defended the police department in the wake of allegations made by Coffey’s mother of police misconduct and abuse of power. Rossi said Coffey has a “lengthy criminal record.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Last night or early this morning, Kennedy said Coffey was in another stolen vehicle that broke down on North Brow Street in East Providence. Coffey convinced his girlfriend to take him in her car to get gasoline. But when they returned to the stolen vehicle, it wouldn’t start, Kennedy said, Coffey demanded that his girlfriend take him to his mother’s house in her car.

The girlfriend refused. Coffey, who was in the passenger seat, grabbed the keys out of the ignition, walked around the car to the driver’s side and forcibly removed his girlfriend from the car, Kennedy said. He threw her to the ground and said he was “carjacking” her, Kennedy said. She was later treated at the police station for a minor facial injury.

At about 6:30 a.m. this morning, Coffey drove off with her silver Acura with the R.I. license plate YH 212, Kennedy said. He traveled from North Brow Street, onto Cross Street and then south on Summit Street, where he allegedly struck an occupied vehicle and kept going. Speeding and driving erratically, Kennedy said, he took the on-ramp on Summit Street onto Route 195 west, where he struck another occupied vehicle and kept going.

Coffey’s girlfriend had called the police from her cell phone, and the police anticipated he might get on the highway. A cruiser on Route 195 west spotted him, Kennedy said, but lost sight of him in traffic once they reached Route 95.

The arrest warrant for Coffey from this morning’s incident charges him with carjacking, which is essentially second-degree robbery, and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with an occupied vehicle, Kennedy said.

Coffey’s girlfriend said he has told her that he has access to firearms, and the police have other information that indicates he may have weapons, hence the description of Coffey as armed and dangerous, Kennedy said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:09 PM | Comment

On deck: Friars lead tonight's local sports menu

The Providence College Friars men's basketball team (13-5 overall, 3-2 Big East) hosts a crucial Big East game in its quest for an NCAA tournament berth, when the Villanova Wildcats (13-5, 2-3) roll into the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Projo.com will have a photo gallery of the action tomorrow morning. The game starts at 7:30 and can be seen on Cox TV. Click here to read Kevin McNamara's preview of the game, and click here to talk about the keys to the game for PC.

If you're a hockey fan, the NHL's Young Guns Game and SuperSkills Competition is on the Versus network beginning at 7:30.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:37 PM | Comment

State police: No foul play in inmate's death

The state police see no reason to suspect foul play in the truck accident at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston yesterday that killed an inmate at the state prison.

They have conducted 55 interviews with staff and inmates in the minimum security facility where the accident occurred, Capt. Stephen J. Lynch said this afternoon.

A state prison spokeswoman has identified the inmate who died after being run over by a box truck as Walter J. Jamro, 52, who had last lived in Pawtucket. Neither the police nor the prison has released the name of the truck driver, although the ACI might release the name at some future point, spokeswoman Ann Fortin said.

The final report from the state medical examiner’s office is still pending, Lynch said.

Jamro, who died shortly after he was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital yesterday morning with severe head trauma, was serving a 90-day sentence for a probation violation. His anticipated release date was Feb. 13.

Fortin said that Jamro had recently fallen and broken both his arms, which were in casts when he was killed.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:51 PM | Comment

Ethics commission pursues charges vs. Montalbano

PROVIDENCE -- The state Ethics Commission decided this afternoon to move forward with charges against Senate President Joseph Montalbano.

After more than an hour behind closed doors, the commission announced that probable cause exists for eight separate charges that Montalbano violated state law by failing to disclose legal work done by his firm related to the casino proposal.

Now, there are two possible outcomes: The case could be brought to a trial-like hearing before the Ethics Commission, or Montalbano could strike a deal with the commission.

Robert P. Arruda, former head of Operation Clean Government, which originally brought the complaint, said after the hearing that there was clear evidence of a "substantial conflict of interest" as Montalbano "sheparded through" a bill that would allow voters to decide the casino proposal.

"The evidence...in my opinion is overwhelming," Arruda said.

Montalbano did not attend today's hearing. His lawyer, Max Wistow, refused to comment on the commisssion's decision as he left the hearing. He previously ackowwledged that Montalbano failed to file the proper financial disclosures, but that the oversight was not intentional.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:21 PM | Comment

Photo: A snowy scene in Burrillville

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
A layer of snow coats a stone wall and a field off Hill Road in Burrillville this morning. Bright sunshine has helped melt much of the dusting Rhode Island received over night, but there's a chance of snow tomorrow and the coldest weather of the season should move into the region Thursday, the National Weather Service says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:56 PM | Comment

High court rejects apnea defense in drunken fatality

The state Supreme Court has denied an appeal by a man who is serving time for a 1999 drunk-driving accident in East Greenwich that killed 13-year-old Kaitlyn DeCubellis and her best friend’s mother, Marsha Bowman, and injured three others.

The Oct. 29, 1999, accident drew statewide attention and propelled the parents of DeCubellis to become two of the state's leading activists against drunken driving and substance abuse.

Stephen Reise pleaded no contest in 2000 to five counts of driving while intoxicated, two of which resulted in death and three of which resulted in serious bodily injury. He received a sentence of 14 years to serve followed by 15 years suspended, with probation.

With what he called newly discovered evidence that he suffered from obstructive sleep apnea, Reise applied to Superior Court in March 2004 for post-conviction relief. The state filed a motion to dismiss in October 2004, on the ground that Reise had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. The Superior Court granted the state’s motion, and Reise filed a notice of appeal in November 2004.

The Supreme Court has now upheld that Superior Court denial, writing, "Regardless of the existence or absence of the medical condition to which Mr. Reise now points, he still was legally intoxicated when he struck Marsha Bowman’s vehicle, causing the deaths of both Marsha Bowman and Kaitlyn DeCubellis and serious injury to other persons.”

Read the court's ruling here.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

According to the facts of the case outlined in the Supreme Court ruling, which was filed today, Reise drank multiple alcoholic beverages at three different locations in the early evening of that October 1999 night. He was driving his mother’s 1986 Toyota, with two passengers, north on Route 4 toward Providence. On that same road was Marsha Bowman, driving her 1999 Honda with her daughter, Rebecca Bowman, and her daughter’s friend, Kaitlyn DeCubellis.

Driving erratically around 8 p.m., Reise took his eyes off the road to search the floor of the car for cigarettes. At that point, his vehicle struck the rear of Bowman’s, propelling her car over the Route 4 median and directly into the path of a vehicle being driven south by Robert Sylvestre. The collision between Sylvestre’s and Bowman’s vehicles killed both Marsha Bowman and DeCubellis and caused serious bodily injury to Rebecca Bowman and two other people.

In the Supreme Court ruling, the court states that Reise admitted, in pleading no contest, that he drank alcoholic beverages before the collision, that his blood alcohol level was 0.130 two hours after the collision and that his actions were the sole cause of the deaths of Marsha Bowman and Kaitlyn DeCubellis.

"Even if Mr. Reise were able to prove (1) that he suffered from obstructive sleep apnea at the time of the collision; (2) that he was unaware of this condition at the time of the collision; and (3) that the condition was not discoverable prior to trial despite due diligence, we are nonetheless unable to perceive how, given his express acknowledgement of the truthfulness of the state’s recital of facts, he can prove that this newly discovered evidence would change the verdict," the court states.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:41 PM | Comment

Narragansett tribe members plead not guilty

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, approaches the bench for his arraignment. Attorneys John J. Killoy, left, and William Devereaux, right, are representing the Narragansetts.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The seven Narragansett Indians arrested in the state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in July 2003 pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges at formal arraignments today in District Court, Wakefield.

William Devereaux, their lawyer, asked that the cases be prosecuted in Superior Court, where he said they would proceed to jury trial.

Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six other adults were arrested for resisting officers trying to shut down a tax-free smoke shop the tribe had opened on its land in Charlestown. Governor Carcieri ordered the raid to stop the tribe from selling tobacco without charging state-mandated taxes. It disintegrated into a violent and widely televised scuffle between tribal members and police.

In addition to Thomas, those arrested include Tribal Councilmen Randy Noka and John and Hiawatha Brown; Bella Noka; Thawn Harris, a tribal conservation officer on duty at the time of the raid; and Adam Jennings.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Most of the defendants were arraigned immediately after the raid, but Judge Frank Cenerini ordered that all be arraigned on the misdemeanor charges formally in District Court because so much time had elapsed since the July 14, 2003 incident.

Devereaux said after the proceedings that the tribal members believed at the time "that they enjoyed certain protections on federal Indian land. Certainly their intent wasn't to interfere with normal police activities."

"I believe there is video taken from various angles that will show quite a lot," said Devereaux, who is seeking all footage from the raid.

The state, said Deputy Attorney General Gerald Coyne, does not "agree with the legal significance of their arguments."

He said the tribal members were being treated as any other Rhode Islander would be.
The cases had been on hold as the federal courts weighed what authority the state police had on tribal land. The Supreme Court opted not to hear those issues last year, upholding a lower court's ruling that state criminal and civil laws applied on the land.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:56 AM | Comment

4 teens charged in beating, robbery of disabled man

CUMBERLAND – Two teen-age boys are being held at the state Training School in Cranston after they were charged in the beating and robbery of a man whom the police describe as mentally challenged.

They are among four teenagers accused of luring the man into the woods, where he was beaten and robbed, Cumberland Police Capt. James Coyne said. The teens had been friendly with the man, according to Coyne.

The two who remain at the Training School, ages 15 and 17, are accused of punching the man in the face and the rest of his body a week ago and then repeatedly kicking him in the face and head after he fell to the ground.

They have been charged with felony assault, second-degree robbery and conspiracy and are being held pending Family Court appearances.

The 15-year-old has a Family Court hearing tomorrow morning, and the 17-year-old has a pre-trial conference set for March 5.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The crime was not a random act, according to the police.

“They picked out their victim,” Coyne said. “It was a crime of opportunity. They felt he had money on him, and it was a way for them to get the money.”

In the end, the four got a “very small amount of money” and the man’s iPod, Coyne said. Unsure exactly how much money they took, Coyne described it as “less than $10.” There’s some debate over whether the iPod even works, he said.

Two other teens -- a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy -- are charged with conspiracy for walking into the woods with the others and watching the beating, Coyne said.

“They all agreed for the four of them to go together,” Coyne said.

The teens met up with the man at his Cumberland home around 7:30 p.m. last Tuesday and went for a walk with him along Branch Avenue, Coyne said. The five walked into a wooded area at the end of the street, and the 15- and 17-year-old boys started to attack the man. The teens had been friends with the man for some time, Coyne said.

The two teens charged with conspiracy “just stood and watched,” Coyne said.

“They did help him up after the assault, and they pointed him in the direction of his house,” Coyne said.

The man, whom Coyne declined to identify, walked to his home, where he lives with his parents, and someone there called for help. The man was treated that night for injuries to his face and head at Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket and was released. The next day, he spoke to the police and identified the four teenagers, Coyne said.

Wednesday evening, the police arrested the 14- and 15-year-old boys. The older boy, one of the two accused of doing the beating, was held overnight at the Training School and appeared in Family Court the next morning. The judge decided to hold him at the Training School until the probable cause hearing tomorrow, where the court will decide whether there’s enough reason to continue to hold him.

The 14-year-old, charged with conspiracy, was released to his parents pending action in Family Court, which has not yet been scheduled.

The 16-year-old girl, also charged with conspiracy, turned herself in to the police Friday morning. She arrived with her parents and was voluntarily taken to Family Court, where she was arraigned and released to home confinement, according to Coyne.

Having not yet located the 17-year-old boy, the police obtained an arrest warning for him on Friday morning. He was arrested that afternoon at his home in Lincoln and was held through the weekend at the Training School. When he was arraigned in Family Court yesterday, Coyne said he waived his right to a probable cause hearing and went back to the Training School. He will be held there until a pre-trial hearing, which is set for March 5.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:31 AM | Comment

Photo: Dusting with a snow shovel in N. Smithfield

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Nanci Stankus, of North Smithfield, clears the snow from the driveway of her Victory Highway home this morning following an overnight dusting. The snow has cleared out and partly cloudy skies are forecast for today. There's a slight chance of snow showers tomorrow and then the coldest weather of the season will move into southern New England Thursday night, according to the National Weather service.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:13 AM | Comment

Traffic update: Traffic clearing up

PROVIDENCE – The state Transportation Management Center says all traffic incidents on Route 195 West in Rhode Island have been cleared and traffic should soon be back to normal.

Earlier, the center had issued an advisory that the right lane on Route 195 West before Exit 2 (South Main Street) was closed. On a morning when transportation experts expected snow to tie up traffic, it was a hit and run accident related to an incident in East Providence that caused trouble, TMC operator Stephen McGovern said this morning.

Traffic was backed up into Massachusetts during the heavy morning commute.

Snow over night left only a dusting, but it was enough to make roads slick and also apparently led to some other minor accidents.

For 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 Jack Perry at 8:49 AM | Comment

EMC 4Q profit more than doubles

BOSTON -- Profits more than doubled in the fourth quarter for information-management vendor EMC Corp. and beat the estimates of Wall Street analysts Tuesday.

In the last three months of 2006, EMC earned $389 million, 18 cents per share, on revenue of $3.21 billion. In the comparable quarter last year, the Hopkinton-based company earned $148 million, or 6 cents per share, on revenue of $2.71 billion.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:36 AM | Comment

Scraping snow this morning

PROVIDENCE – Leave the house an extra few minutes early this morning to scrape the snow off your car and then manage the lightly coated roads in the area or to trudge through the snow to your bus stop.

There’s not much of the white stuff, but it sure looks like winter out there, doesn’t it?

Today, we’ll have a mostly cloudy morning, with the sunshine peeking out later. We’ll have a high of 31 and a low tonight of 21.

Last night’s snow, for the most part, has moved beyond our area. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for today, predicting snow rotating south from the Gulf of Maine may reach Cape Ann, north of Boston, this morning and the outer Cape this afternoon and tonight.

Tomorrow, we could see a bit more snow, mostly after 9 a.m.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:07 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page displays a photograph and story on 88 deaths attributed to explosions in Baghdad and features a local story reporting that gambling revenues are dropping in Rhode Island and other states.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 22, 2007

Weather update: Flakes are falling, but how much?

PROVIDENCE -- Big, fluffy flakes are falling in Providence this evening. But don't get too excited.

The National Weather Service says that Rhode Island will only get around an inch of snow between now and tomorrow morning. It will be, however, the first substantial snowfall of the season.

And because temperatures will be in the 20s overnight and the ground is frozen, even a small accumulation could make for dangerous driving conditions, according to the weather service.

"The snow will stick and possibly make for slippery travel," reads the weather service forecast.

The heaviest snow from this system is expected to fall north of Rhode Island, along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Get the latest conditions here, check for any snow-related closings here, and send in your snow snapshots here.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:59 PM | Comment

On deck: Celts aim to overcome San Antonio

You'll have to go to Boston to fill your local sports appetite tonight.

After Saturday's overtime loss at Washington Saturday, the Celtics try to regroup tonight at 7:30 against San Antonio at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Can't be there in person? Catch them on FSNE TV or WEEI-FM radio.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:44 PM | Comment

Smoke-shop arraignments tomorrow, 3 years after raid

Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six other tribal members are scheduled to appear in District Court tomorrow morning on charges stemming from a state police raid on a tribal smoke shop more than three years ago.

The group will face an array of criminal charges related to the July 2003 state police raid on the shop the tribe opened on its lands in Charlestown. The police were acting on a search warrant issued by a District Court judge to stop the sale of tax-free cigarettes. A violent struggle erupted when tribal members refused to accept the warrant.

Though some of those arrested appeared before bail commissioners at the time of their arrest, on July 14, 2003, District Court Judge Frank J. Cenerini last month ordered that they be formally arraigned in District Court.

The charges had been on hold as federal courts weighed what authority the state had. They were resurrected in November, when the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court's ruling that the state police could enforce Rhode Island laws, against the tribe, on tribal land.

"With the [1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals] decision in hand, we plan to prosecute these defendants as we would any other defendant in the system," Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the attorney general, said last week.

The arraignments are scheduled for 9 a.m. at the McGrath Judicial Complex in Wakefield.

More background on the charges ...

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:06 PM | Comment

Reed heads military panel; Kennedy on appropriations

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed has added the chairmanship of a military subcommittee to his roster as the 110th Congress gets under way.

The Rhode Islander, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger who has emerged as a Democratic leader on military affairs, has already been chosen to sit on two powerful committees: Armed Services and Appropriations.

He announced today that he will chair the Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, whose focus includes combating terrorism and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

“The global war on terror is not a conventional war and Iraq is not the frontline. It is a special operations war, fought on many fronts and relying on intelligence and special operations troops,” Reed said in a statement. “As chairman of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, my focus will be overseeing our military’s special operations."

And Reed will also head the subcommittee that regulates financial markets and the insurance industry, as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on on Securities, Insurance, and Investment. Reed previously worked as a lawyer for the Providence firm Edwards & Angell, which represents several banks.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Reed said he would use the subcommittee to address a shortage of nurses in Rhode Island and would work to "increase Pell Grants and other need-based grant aid to ensure that more Rhode Island students and their families can afford a college education."

Rhode Island's senior senator has also been named as the acting chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Administration, filling in for Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., who is recovering from a brain hemorrhage.

On the House side, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will also serve on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Administration, according to a statement released today by the Rhode Island Democrat's office.

The House Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs has direct oversight of all military construction and veteran-related issues. And it has tremendous influence in military spending.

In fiscal year 2006, for example, the House Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill recommended a total FY appropriation of $136.9 billion, according to Kennedy's office.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:58 PM | Comment

Providence Wal-Mart opens amid protests / Photo

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Protesters travel down Silver Spring Street from the UFCW union hall to the new Wal-mart in Providence.

PROVIDENCE -- About 40 protesters greeted shoppers this afternoon as they arrived at the capital city's first Wal-Mart.

The 135,247-square-foot chain store at the corner of Charles and Silver Spring streets opened its doors for the first time this morning. Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, it will employ 350 people in a mix of full- and part-time jobs, according to company officials.

But the protesters, representing Local 328 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, criticized Wal-Mart for what they said were low wages and unfair hiring practices.

“Wal-Mart wages war on its workers,” Jim Riley, secretary-treasurer of Local 328, said to a crowd of about 40 protesters gathered on the sidewalk across from the store's main entrance.

The group, wielding signs that stated, "Wal-Mart violates child labor laws" and other slogans, drew the attention of several customers as they drove into the packed parking lot. Some shoppers yelled criticism and others words of encouragement to the protesters, who gathered for about half an hour.

Company spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien, meanwhile, said that Wal-Mart has changed its employee benefits in recent years "to be more reflective of [workers'] needs."

She said the number of workers participating in the company's health benefits package rose 10 percent last year. She also said workers at the Providence store are earning, on average, $10.45 an hour, more than the $10.11 an hour Wal-Mart pays, on average, to its workers in the United States.

And while the union loyalists criticized Wal-Mart for discrimating against its female workers, the Providence store manager said three of the six assistant managers there are women.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:47 PM | Comment

CVS officials to be arraigned next week

PROVIDENCE -- Two CVS officials accused of bribery, conspiracy and fraud are set to be arraigned in federal court next week, the U.S. Attorney's Office said this afternoon.

Company executives Carlos Ortiz and John R. "Jack'' Kramer were accused in a 23-count indictment last week of fraud and bribery stemming from the hiring of former state Sen. John A. Celona.

Celona was a $1,000-a-month consultant from early 2000 to the fall of 2003, the indictment says, who was paid a total of about $45,000 and lavished with golf outings, trips to Florida and California and tickets to professional sporting events.

The indictment alleges that the two engineered the agreement in order to gain legislative action favorable to drugstore giant CVS.

Ortiz and Kramer are scheduled to appear together in U.S. District Court, Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. before Judge David L. Martin.

Kramer, of East Greenwich, and Ortiz, of Amherst, Mass., have been on leave from their CVS jobs since 2004.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:09 PM | Comment

No autopsy results yet in Cranston woman's death

CRANSTON -- The police said today that the autopsy results on the woman found dead in her Hopewell Avenue home last week probably will not be released until Wednesday, at the earliest.

Several police cruisers blocked the dead-end street after the body was discovered last Thursday, while detectives and members of the department's Bureau of Criminal Identification investigated. But the police have not said they suspect foul play in the death, according to police spokesman Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:02 PM | Comment

Jury gets Fall River murder case

TAUNTON, Mass. -- The question of whether Karen Cordeiro is guilty of murder or if she killed Courtney Sau in self defense two years ago in Fall River went to the jury this afternoon.

The nine men and three women began deliberating after Cordeiro's lawyer suggested that Cordeiro, 22, acted in defense of her roommate, who had left their apartment to confront Sau, 19. Sau had driven to Fall River to pick a fight.

But prosecutor Steven Gagne countered that Cordeiro fully intended to kill Sau. She bled to death after Cordeiro's roommate struck her in the face with a broken beer bottle and Cordeiro, armed with two steak knives, stabbed her in the neck and back.

Defense lawyer Francis O'Boy reminded the jurors that people who knew Cordeiro described her as a peaceful person.

But Gagne noted that instead of calling the police, keeping her door locked or seeking the help of the three men in her apartment, Cordeiro armed herself with two steak knives before going outside to taunt and confront Sau, who was unarmed and sitting in her car.

Said Gagne: "How peaceful was that?"

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:51 PM | Comment

Providence officials: Major crime down 12 percent

PROVIDENCE -- Major crime in the capital city was down 12 percent from 2005 to 2006, police and community leaders announced at a news conference today.

That’s a difference between 11,190 major crimes in 2005 to 9,829 last year.

Major crime, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny.

Total crime is down 30 percent from 2002, the year before Police Chief Dean Esserman took the reins of the department, through 2006. Esserman began in his current post in January 2003.

The 14,039 major crimes committed in 2002 fell to the 9,829 in 2006, according to the police.

Joining Esserman at this afternoon’s news conference were Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, police officers, other law-enforcement agencies and community groups such as the Urban League and the NAACP.

The Journal reported yesterday that murders in the capital city fell from 22 in 2005 to 11 last year, and that violent crime overall declined sharply in 2006, by 18.6 percent, according to a preliminary police document on crime figures obtained by The Journal.

In that article, Esserman pointed to improved law enforcement strategy and tactics such as the streetworkers and gun task force having a cumulative effect.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:40 PM | Comment

Expert testifies about blood in murder trial

CRANSTON – The murder trial of Gerardo E. Martinez continued this morning with testimony from Warwick police criminalist Walter Williams.

An expert in blood pattern interpretation, Williams detailed evidence he collected in Martinez's Warwick Avenue home that prosecutors say links Martinez with the killing of his girlfriend, Lindsay A. Burke.

Martinez, a former Navy seaman, is accused of murdering his girlfriend by slitting her throat and leaving her body in the bathtub in his house. Burke, 23, was killed on Sept. 14, 2005.

The trial is in Kent County Superior Court, in Warwick.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:03 PM | Comment

Update: Inmate killed in accident at ACI

CRANSTON – An inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions was killed this morning when he was accidentally run over by a box truck that had just completed a delivery to the minimum security facility's kitchen.

The state prison is attempting to notify the family of the 52-year-old white male, spokeswoman Ann Fortin said. Until they can be notified, the ACI is not releasing the man’s name, she said.

The inmate was outside and not in a prohibited area, Fortin said. He was pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m.

The state police are now investigating, Fortin said. Mental health staff are at the prison to provide counseling to staff and inmates.

In the wake of the incident, all visits to minimum security have been cancelled for the day.

The ACI has not released the name of the person driving the truck since the accident is “actively under investigation,” she said. Fortin did say he was a correctional officer.

However, knowing that families of approximately 700 people in the minimum security facility will want to know the identity of the prisoner, Fortin said they are releasing some identifying information.

The man’s last city of residence was Pawtucket. He was serving a 90-day sentence for a probation violation, and his anticipated release date was Feb. 13. He also faced a pending charge for possession of a controlled substance, Fortin said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Crews respond to accident at ACI
Posted 11:15 a.m.

CRANSTON – There’s been an accident at the minimum security facility for the Adult Correctional Institutions.

Inspectors and the state prison’s assistant director of institutions and operations, Jake Gadsden, are at the facility now. More details about the accident are not yet available, according to ACI spokeswoman Ann Fortin.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:07 PM | Comment

$1million PowerBall ticket sold in R.I.

No one won Saturday night's $212 million PowerBall jackpot.

But someone in Rhode Island is $1 million richer, according to an announcement released today by the state lottery.

Someone bought a ticket at Lincoln Park that matched the first five numbers -- but not the PowerBall number -- of Saturday's drawing. Generally, matching the first five numbers pays $200,000. But because the player purchased the "Power Play" feature, the prize was multiplied by five.

There were also three $10,000 winning tickets sold in Rhode Island. None of the prizes have been claimed yet, according to the state lottery.

The estimated jackpot for Wednesday's PowerBall drawing is $240 million.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:26 PM | Comment

Former Pats' coach Parcells retires

IRVING, Texas -- Former Patriots' coach Bill Parcells retired from coaching today, leaving the Dallas Cowboys after four seasons and ending a stellar career that featured three Super Bowl appearances and two championships.

The announcement came 15 days after the Cowboys' season ended with a heartbreaking playoff loss in Seattle. He'd been at his office nearly every day since, and there were other indications that the 65-year-old coach was returning for a fifth year in Dallas and 20th as an NFL head coach.

"I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time," he said in a statement. "I leave the game and the NFL with nothing but good feelings and gratitude to all the players, coaches and other people that have assisted me in that regard. "

Parcells coached the Patriots for four seasons, from 1993 through the 1996. He resigned after leading the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI against the Green Bay Packers, a game the Patriots lost.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:17 PM | Comment

Update: Fire at Central Falls business / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Central Falls firefighters battle a fire at AMC Exclusives at Fales and Railroad Streets this morning. The fire was reported at 9:23 a.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:00 PM | Comment

A rare sight: Snow is falling, send us your photos

RICHMOND – What started out this morning as very light flurries is looking more snow-like every moment.

The ground is starting to turn white.

The National Weather Service says little accumulation is expected, but the roads could get slippery.

Upload your snow photos and check out more weather photos at projo.com's weather page.

-- projo.com staffer Andrea Panciera

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:42 AM | Comment

Gas prices drop 7 cents

Gasoline prices have dropped another seven cents this week, the fourth week in a row that prices have fallen, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.289 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

The price has dropped 13 cents since the beginning of the month, and it's 11 cents per gallon cheaper than it was at this time last year.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:34 AM | Comment

Blue Monday in New England; Blue Heaven in Indy

So the Pats lost their bid last night to return to the Super Bowl.

If that wasn't reason enough to fret, a British psychologist has officially designated today, January 22, "Blue Monday," the most depressing day of the year.

He used mathematical equations to conclude that people are most likely to get the blues today because of a combination of bad weather, Christmas debts and broken New Year resolutions.

He didn't mention anything about a favorite football team blowing a 21-3 lead.

In Indiana this morning, football fans are plenty blue, but that's a good thing -- for them. Indystar.com reports the Colts' first Indy-era Super Bowl bid under the headline 'Blue Heaven!'

Read it, if you want to weep.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:32 AM | Comment

Sen. Reed to announce committee assignments

PROVIDENCE – Sen. Jack Reed is set to announce his full roster of committee assignments this morning as Democrats firm up their control of Congress.

Reed serves on four committees -- Appropriations, Armed Services, Banking and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

With new leadership in the Senate, the Rhode Island Democrat is poised to assume the chairmanship of two key subcommittees.

One subcommittee oversees the stock exchange, financial markets and the insurance industry. A second subcommittee that Reed will chair focuses on combating terrorism abroad and at home by preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and cracking down on drug traffickers.

Reed will formally make the committee announcements at his office in Cranston.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:27 AM | Comment

Smithfield High closed due to water main break

SMITHFIELD – At 4 a.m. today, the superintendent of schools learned that a water main break was causing troubles in the district.

Smithfield Senior High School has no water today because the water main that broke around 10 last night leads right into the school. That meant Supt. Robert M. O’Brien had to cancel school.

“You can’t have school without water,” O’Brien explained.

But luckily, he said, the nearby Vincent J. Gallagher Middle School and the Anna M. McCabe Elementary School are not served by the same water main. School’s in session at those two schools because the water main that broke only affects the high school, he said.

A road near the high school is closed off as crews work this morning, O’Brien said. He’s hoping everything will be repaired in time for school tomorrow.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:00 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident on Route 195 West

PROVIDENCE -- An accident on Route 195 West in Providence is slowing the morning commute.

The state Department of Transportation has issued a traffic alert for the accident, which is near the exit for Route 103/ Route 44.

The crash is affecting traffic in the left lanes.

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 Jack Perry at 7:48 AM | Comment

Central Falls Catholic church might close

CENTRAL FALLS -- One of the state's oldest French-Canadian churches may close.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence confirms that the group that oversees Notre Dame in Central Falls has asked the Bishop of Providence to close and possibly decommission the church.

The church pastor and church trustees say the building needs extensive renovations and repairs that could cost several million dollars.

A diocesan spokesman says Bishop Thomas Tobin will consider the request to close -- but the decision may take awhile.

The brick Romanesque church with a 195-foot steeple was dedicated in 1933. It survived two hurricanes and is the second oldest church in the diocese that originally served a mostly French-Canadian congregation who worked in the area's mills.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:22 AM | Comment

Chance of snow, freezing rain

PROVIDENCE -- There's a chance of snow and freezing rain this afternoon and tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

It's 21 degrees in Providence at 6:45 a.m., and the high is expected to reach only 30 degrees with a calm wind.

We'll see a lot of clouds.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

On the front page of today's Journal, a photograph of a grim-faced Patriots' linebacker Tedy Bruschi tells the story of last night's loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game. A Bill Reynolds column helps put the loss in perspective and maybe even helps forlorn Pats' fans feel a little better this morning.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 19, 2007

A day after rescue, Coast Guard braces for storm

The Coast Guard plans to use military planes and radio signals to warn mariners of a powerful weekend storm along the New England coast.

The storm, set to peak Saturday, is expected to generate 20-foot seas and 40-knot winds. Locally, a gale warning is in effect for Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound through tomorrow evening.

The Coast Guard will broadcast warnings to boats on the water via VHF/FM radio, according to a statement released this afternoon. Authorities also plan to use HU-25 Falcon jets to provide storm information to off-shore mariners.

Check the latest conditions and forecasts for mariners along the East Coast here.

Should there be any emergencies tomorrow, the Coast Guard won't be rusty.

Yesterday afternoon, the Coast Guard learned that a Rhode Island fishing boat was taking on water roughly nine miles off the Newport coast. There were three fishermen aboard the the Seamus Liam, owned by Kevin Sullivan, when it went down in 43-degree water, according to Coast Guard spokesman Richard Uronis.

The boat sank before its occupants could put on survival suits. But they quickly inflated a life raft to escape the chilly water. Uronis said the fishermen waited in the raft for about 20 minutes before another fishing boat, responding to a Coast Guard emergency broadcast, rescued them.

Uronis did not have the names of the rest of the boat's occupants. He said he didn't know what caused the Seamus Liam to sink.

The fishermen were escorted to their home port of Sakonnet Harbor (believed to be Little Compton, though neither local authorities nor Uronis could confirm the exact location), where they were transported to the hospital. Uronis did not know their condition.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:50 PM | Comment

Update: Wrong-way driver attracts attention - and police

A Providence man attracted police attention -- and lots of it -- as he swerved erratically between all lanes of travel on Route 95 north this morning, eventually going the wrong way before colliding with a state police cruiser.

Michael Liggins, 37, of 242 Indiana Ave., was taken into custody after 25 state troopers and additional Warwick officers surrounded the Courtyard Marriot in Warwick, where, the police say, he fled after the collision.

Around 9 a.m. today, Liggins' erratic driving caught the eye of a state trooper on Route 95 north on the Warwick-Cranston line, between the Jefferson Boulevard exit in Warwick and Route 10 in Cranston, Lt. Joseph DelPrete said.

The trooper turned on his lights in an attempt to pull over the gold Chrysler sedan, but the driver kept going, DelPrete said.

Liggins spun out of control and ended up traveling south – in the northbound 95 lanes. At that point, the state police stopped pursuing the car because of the hazard involved with driving the wrong way, DelPrete said.

The vehicle struck the left rear of a state police cruiser that had just arrived to help the first trooper, DelPrete said. The driver continued south, not stopping despite the accident, according to the police.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Around then, state police dispatch lines started lighting up with other drivers calling in what they were witnessing, DelPrete said. They had seen the Chrysler swerving back and forth between lanes and taking a U-turn to get off the Jefferson Boulevard exit.

The car parked in the back of the lot at the Motel 6 on Jefferson Boulevard. People saw the driver and two others flee into the Courtyard Marriot nearby and told the police.

At that point, the troopers surrounded the hotel, DelPrete said. They apprehended Liggins and his two passengers.

The whole incident lasted maybe five to six minutes, DelPrete estimated. Liggins probably drove about a half mile in the wrong direction of the highway, at a “very busy” time of day.

The trooper whose cruiser was struck, Daniel O’Neil, was not injured, DelPrete said.

“He’s doing well,” DelPrete said. “And we’re also very fortunate there were no other accidents of civilian vehicles as a result of his reckless operation.”

Liggins appeared at Kent County Superior Court this afternoon and was ordered held without bail by Judge Vincent A. Ragosta, who said of Liggins: "This man is no newcomer to the criminal justice system."

Liggins has been convicted twice in the last 10 years for drug-related crimes. He is serving a 5-year suspended sentence for a 2002 drug conviction.

Also arraigned today were Liggins' two passengers, Catie Potter, 22, and Ricy Campbell, 26, who were charged with obstruction.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:42 PM | Comment

5 rape, 2 murder cases among indictments

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence County grand jury today handed up indictments charging a total of 18 people -- including five for rape, two for murder, one for arson, one for child molestation and another for attempted murder. The grand jury also found insufficient evidence to charge anyone in the homicide of a man who was stabbed in the neck in a Providence apartment.

Among those charged with murder was John Duffy, the 31-year-old Massachusetts man who police allege killed Ronald Leone in an argument outside a Pawtucket methadone clinic in October.

The police said the two men were standing in the line that forms every morning outside the Addiction Recovery Institute, at 31 North Union St., when they got into an argument over whether a woman who left the line had the right to reclaim her place.

When the woman tried to step back in, Duffy objected and Leone told him it was customary to allow someone who leaves the line briefly to reclaim his or her place, Detective Maj. John J. Whiting said.

The police say that the argument escalated and Duffy stabbed Leone at least twice, once in the head and once in the side.

Duffy is set to be arraigned in Providence County Superior Court on Feb. 7.

In a separate case, the grand jury found insufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime in the death of John Neary, who was stabbed in the neck inside a Providence woman's apartment.

The woman, Lucille Williams-Sanford, 47, of 4 Cathedral Square, was initially charged with the murder. Authorities said that Neary was stabbed several times inside Williams-Sanford's Cathedral Square apartment, and that he collapsed in the hallway, a few feet from her door.

Williams-Sanford had been on home confinement bail since the September stabbing, according to Michael Healey, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office.

But the grand jury investigated the death and declined to indict anyone in the case. The move effectively dismisses the case against Williams-Sanford, Healey said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

The other man indicted for murder today is Juan Rivera, 19, of 69 Hendricks St., Providence, who the police say is responsible for the shooting death of 21-year-old Michael Goncalves in October. Authorities believe Rivera shot Goncalves, just a block from Goncalves' home.

Regarding the sexual assault indictments, three men were charged with first-degree sexual assault in connection to a case in which the victim was deemed "physically helpless."

While details of the March incident are not currently known, the defendants are: Spencer Ward, 24, of 76 Petteys Ave., Providence; Kenneth Sakor, 21, of 197 Garden St., Pawtucket; and Alaba Sobowale, 46, of 79 Ivan St., North Providence.

Another Providence man was charged with first-degree sexual assault in relation to another case. Lonnie Stallworth, 33, was also charged with second-degree robbery for a crime committed on Feb. 22, the same day as the alleged sexual assault.

In a third rape indictment handed up today, Michael Lee, 49, of 547 Post Rd., Warwick, is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault in connection with a June incident in Providence.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:25 PM | Comment

Rally to call for keeping Portuguese consulates open

PROVIDENCE -- Portuguese organizations, General Assembly leaders and state office-holders plan to rally Sunday in hopes of convincing the Portuguese government not to close the Providence Portuguese consulate.

The recent proposal by the Portuguese government to close both the Providence and New Bedford, Mass., consulates has unsettled the local Portuguese community and has already led to protests in New Bedford. The two local consulates are among 11 consular offices worldwide that the government proposed closing last month.

On Sunday at 11 a.m., the rally is set to start in front of Providence City Hall in Kennedy Plaza, with a march planned from there to the Portuguese consulate, at 56 Pine St.

U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy -- all Rhode Island Democrats -- plan to speak at the rally. State Rep. Helio Melo, D-East Providence, and state Sen. Daniel Da Ponte, D-East Providence, plan to attend as well, according to a statement issued today by Melo and Da Ponte.

The General Assembly last week passed a joint resolution, sponsored by Melo and Da Ponte, urging the Portuguese government to continue operating the Providence consulate, according to the statement.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:50 PM | Comment

On deck: Pre-Patriots sports offerings

The struggling Celtics take to the court tonight for the first time since Monday, when they're at home against the Sacramento Kings. The Kings come in limping themselves, in last place in the Pacific Division. Boston is expecting to have guard Delonte West back in the lineup.

Saturday is, as usual, a full day in college hoops. For the second Saturday in a row the URI Rams are in Philadelphia, this time to take on the Temple Owls. URI will go into the game all alone in first place in the Atlantic 10, with a 4-1 conference record. Temple, struggling in the post-John Chaney era, is just 1-3 in the conference. The game starts at 2.

The Providence College Friars will look to regroup from two straight losses when they play host to Rutgers (1-4, 8-10) at 7:30 tomorrow night. Neither the Rams nor the Friars are on TV.

In hockey, the Boston Bruins are at home tomorrow at 7 to take on the Ottawa Senators.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:56 PM | Comment

Coming up: Patriots playoff coverage on projo.com

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stretches with a smile as he looks up at Coach Bill Belichick, at the start of practice in the indoor facility at Gillette Stadium today, the team's last practice before leaving for the AFC Championshop game in Indianapolis.

Projo.com will have full coverage before, during and after Sunday's AFC Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Shalise Manza Young will begin filing PatsBlog reports before kickoff, and we'll also have John Freidah's photo gallery of the pregame scene from the Circle City (that's what they call Indianapolis, if you didn't know).

Once the game starts, we'll have reports on the blog and photos from the field. And in the hours following the game, we'll have a complete postgame report, including more photos and your chance to talk about the game.

It will all be on our Patriots page Sunday evening.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:28 PM | Comment

Research vessel could be heading to Ocean State

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., says Rhode Island has taken an important step in bringing a second major research vessel to the Ocean State.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is evaluating Quonset Point/Davisville in North Kingstown as the home port for Okeanos Explorer, which will be the nation's first federal ship dedicated solely to ocean exploration, according to NOAA's Web site.

In 2005, Reed worked with Sens. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., to secure $18 million for NOAA to convert a former Navy vessel, the Capable, into the Okeanos Explorer, according to Reed's office.

The conversion is expected to be completed by the spring 2008. After that, the 224-foot ship is expected to spend 250 days each year exploring oceans throughout the world.

Leading researchers, including Dr. Robert Ballard, an oceanography professor at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography, will use the ship to conduct research and discovery expeditions, using sophisticated ocean mapping, deepwater remote-operated vehicles and real-time data transmission, according to information from Reed's office and NOAA's Web site.

NOAA is expected to complete a pro forma environmental review of the Quonset Point/Davisville site by this spring, according to Reed's office.

Okeanos would join the research vessel Endeavor, which has been based at the pier at URI's Bay campus in Narragansett for many years, in giving Rhode Island two major research vessels.

“I am pleased that NOAA intends to homeport the Okeanos Explorer in our state,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. “This new vessel, the first of its kind for NOAA, will provide us with fascinating new information about our oceans and help keep Rhode Island on the cutting edge of ocean exploration and research. Home-porting Okeanos in Rhode Island could have a profound impact on the future of oceanography and a positive economic impact on our state.”

On its Web site, NOAA notes that Quonset Point/Davisville is close to many laboratories and universities associated with the ship’s ocean exploration mission. It says the site was identified as "best able to facilitate and enhance critical ocean research partnerships and to spur technological innovation in ocean research."

It also notes the port's proximity to a new telecommunications center to be constructed on URI's Narragansett campus, called the Inner Space Center. NOAA says it will be the "ocean equivalent to NASA's space center in Houston."

The Inner Space Center will be able to link to Okeanos Explorer via a high bandwidth satellite system and make it possible for scientists and educators to participate in ocean exploration cruises real-time without ever stepping foot on the ship, according to NOAA.

The $18 million in federal funding secured by Reed, Inouye and Dodd also provided command and control equipment for URI’s Inner Space Center, according to Reed's office.

Governor Carcieri has joined Reed in asking NOAA to home-port Okeanos in Rhode Island.

“I’m very pleased that NOAA has agreed to seriously consider basing the Okeanos Explorer in the Ocean State,” Carcieri said in a press release. “I have long argued that Rhode Island can and should be one of America's leading centers of oceanic research."

Bringing the ship to Rhode Island "will enable our state to build on the research capacity we’ve already developed at URI, while also exploiting the potential of Quonset Point/Davisville as a launching point for exploring the ocean's untapped and largely unknown resources," Carcieri said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:33 PM | Comment

Men sentenced for bank robbery

PROVIDENCE -- Two men who admitted robbing a Providence bank last June have been sentenced to several years in federal prison, according to an announcement released today by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Duwayne Womack, 29, of Providence, and Scott Hill, 35, of Boston, had pleaded guilty to robbing the Coastway Credit Union branch on Greene Street. U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced Womack last month to 10 years and Hill yesterday to 151 months, or about 12-and-a-half years.

The prosecution said that Hill, wearing a bandana over his face, entered the bank on June 24, 2006, indicating that he had a gun. Hill threatened to harm a pregnant woman at the counter and demanded money. The teller gave him $1,180, along with a concealed dye pack.

A witness outside the credit union told police that the robber had walked toward Cathedral Square, where Dexter Manor is located. A review of Dexter Manor surveillance tape showed Hill and Womack in an elevator shortly before the robbery as Hill put on the bandana and Womack adjusted it for him.

Police arrested both men later that day. Hill’s hands were stained with a reddish dye, evidently from the exploded dye pack.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:22 PM | Comment

Final testimony heard in Fall River murder trial

TAUNTON, Mass. -- A Superior Court jury heard its final witnesses this morning in the trial of Karen Cordeiro, the 22-year-old accused of murdering 19-year-old Courtney Sau, who died nearly two years ago in a Fall River streetfight over a boyfriend.

The case will go to the jury Monday.

None of today's testimony directly involved Cordeiro. With the Fall River woman claiming self-defense, her lawyer has been trying to show that Sau had a history of attacking other women.

Yesterday, Nicole Silva of Taunton, testifying for the defense, described an incident where Sau punched her in the face, kicked her once in the belly and kicked her again after she had fallen.

But this morning, prosecutor Steven Gagne produced two other witnesses to the altercation, both friends of Sau, who claimed that Silva threw the first punch, giving Sau a bloody nose.

Sau died after being stabbed at least twice after she drove to Fall River to confront Cordeiro and her roommate. Cordeiro was left bruised and bloodied by the fight.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:52 AM | Comment

Morning fire injures 1, displaces 3 in S.Providence

PROVIDENCE – The Red Cross was called early this morning to assist one adult and two children displaced from their apartment after a fire at the Lockwood Plaza housing complex in South Providence.

A 10-year-old girl was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for smoke inhalation, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The fire at 60 Prairie Ave -- in apartment 45 and building 8 -- was reported at 12:36 a.m. The fire was contained to that apartment and was under control by 1:31 a.m., Taylor said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:50 AM | Comment

Report: Trot Nixon Cleveland-bound

Trot Nixon, the Red Sox' regular right fielder since the 1999 season, has signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Cleveland Indians, according to ESPN's Peter Gammons. Nixon, a fan favorite in Boston, has been nagged by injuries in recent years. His production was also limited by his poor success against left-handed pitchers.

Yet Nixon seemed to have a penchant earlier in his Red Sox career for big home runs, including a couple of memorable shots off Roger Clemens when the Rocket was with the New York Yankees.

Click here to read the ESPN report.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:57 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

The CVS indictments lead today's Journal.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:19 AM | Comment

Like R.I., Mass. facing drop in gambling revenues

BOSTON -- Like Rhode Island, Massachusetts is facing a drop in gambling revenues, and officials are concerned about the impact on government budgets.

The highly successful Massachusetts State Lottery experienced a $71 million decline in revenues in the first five months of the fiscal year, according to figures filed with the governor's office, sparking concern among municipal officials.

Most lottery money is funneled back to the state's communities.

"The lottery right now is extraordinarily important to cities and towns," said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "We're hoping that the lottery sales rebound. It's something we're watching very closely."

Rhode Island faces a similar concern since revenues from video-slot machines at Lincoln Park and Newport Grand have dropped for the first time since they were introduced in 1993.

The state, which is already facing projected budget deficits, gets about 60 percent of every dollar gamblers lose at the two slot parlors.

But Rhode Island's take this year is down by 4.9 percent. State budget analysts had originally predicted that the state would take in $292 million - a 13.9-percent increase - from slot machines during this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

But when they last met on Nov. 10, the analysts from the House, Senate and governor's office decided that their prior prediction made in May was unrealistic. They came up with a new estimate of $255 million. Now it appears even that target might be unattainable. Last year, the state took in $256.4 million from 4,672 slot machines.

House Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino, D-Providence, earlier this month said he is concerned that the drop in gambling revenue will compound the state's budget problems.

"Certainly," he said, "you have to be concerned that there hasn't been growth at Lincoln" which accounts for more than 80 percent of the slot play.

-- From Journal and Associated Press reports.

In Massachusetts, sales through November were down for all lottery games except Keno, which was up 3.5 percent from the same time last year. The steepest decline was in MegaMillions sales, which were off nearly 48 percent.

Sales of instant scratch tickets, the lottery's biggest seller, were down 3.6 percent, or about $46 million. The Numbers Game was down 1.2 percent and Mass Cash was down 6.3 percent.

Sales slipped to $1.801 billion from $1.872 billion through the first five months of the fiscal year, a 3.8 percent decline, compared to the year-ago period.

A week after the November figures were released, State Treasurer Timothy Cahill changed leadership at the lottery.

Many communities are already counting on this year's lottery aid, but Beckwith said the towns shouldn't assume the lottery will continue to grow indefinitely.

"The lottery is one of the most successful, if not the most successful, in North America," Beckwith said. "I don't think we can continue to count on it ranking number one and always hitting its growth target.

"This is one of the reasons we're advocating for diversified local aid, for example, a local options meals tax and revenue sharing," he said.

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, called declining lottery sales "a serious short- and long-term problem facing the state and cities and towns."

Massachusetts trailed only New York in total lottery sales in each of the past three years and was fifth in per capita sales in the last fiscal year, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.

The decline in lottery revenues comes at a time when Gov. Deval Patrick is trying to close an estimated $1 billion deficit in the next fiscal year's budget.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:19 AM | Comment

Traffic: Tractor-trailer moved, no more delays

A tractor-trailer that broke down on Route 95 North in Warwick after 7 a.m. today has been moved to the side of the road, according to the state police.

Just before the airport connector, the break-down caused some traffic delays but shouldn’t be too problematic now that it’s off the road, a police dispatcher said.

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 7:51 AM | Comment

Wind and snow on tap for the weekend

PROVIDENCE – The National Weather Service has issued a gale warning for the region’s coastal waters, starting later this afternoon, and a high wind watch, in effect from tomorrow morning through evening for much of southern New England.

We’ll see a high of 41 degrees today. Northwest winds should be between 8 and 16 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 33 miles per hour.

At the weather service, meteorologist Charles Foley said the expected precipitation for this morning is clearing a little earlier than expected and is now just about over. There could be some rain and maybe occasional flurries until noon, but the main feature to watch out for is the winds predicted for tomorrow.

With winds expected to be 25 to 35 miles per hour, with possible gusts to 50 miles per hour, wind chills will be down in the single digits – “so it will be kind of a brutal day as far as cold,” he said. There's no precipitation predicted for tomorrow, Foley said.

And what about that white stuff? Is winter really here? Well, Foley said there's another chance for snow on Monday.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:10 AM | Comment

Today's Sports page

Today's Sports page includes stories on the upcoming AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Colts and a story about the Bruins beating the Buffalo Sabres on a shootout goal by rookie Phil Kessel.

Download today's sports page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

January 18, 2007

Update: Polar cold, winds to follow rain, snow mix

There may be snowflakes showing in the National Weather Service's illustrated forecast for tonight, but the latest alert from the service says it looks more like rain for our area.

As the service said this afternoon:

"One would think that the precipitation type forecast would be easy given the very cold air that moved into New England the last few days. However ... this is not the case as cold high pressure has moved offshore and southerly winds are warming the boundary layer up over a good portion of southern New England."

So, at the most, it appears rain and snow will mix overnight, with little or no accumulation. As an area of low pressure pulls away, rain could change over to snow for an hour or two tomorrow morning.

What the service still sees as a sure thing -- the arrival of polar cold tomorrow afternoon, followed by strong, northwest winds on Saturday.

The combination could lead to broken tree limbs, poor driving conditions and power failures.

By Sunday morning, wind chills are expected to drop between zero and 15 degrees below.

Get the latest weather forecasts and helpful links for travelers here, and check for any delays or closings here.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:25 PM | Comment

Police investigate death of Cranston woman

CRANSTON -- The police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered this morning inside a two-story home on Hopewell Avenue.

The police have not declared the death a homicide, according to Maj.
Ronald T. Blackmar, the police spokesman.

The police have not released the woman's name. The house is owned by Frank Guidi, according to a city real estate database.

-- By Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:11 PM | Comment

Pats blog: No changes to Thursday injury report

Hey all --

There were no changes to the injury report for either the Pats or Colts today.

Rodney Harrison remains doubtful (75 percent chance he will not play).

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 5:58 PM | Comment

Update: CVS, governor react to CVS exec indictments

Drugstore chain CVS and the governor have both issued statements in the wake of the indictment of two CVS executives on corruption charges stemming from the hiring of former state Sen. John A. Celona as a consultant for CVS.

Woonsocket-based CVS said in a one-paragraph statement said that it learned of the indictments today of longtime employees Jack Kramer and Carlos Ortiz, who have been on administrative leave from the company.

It noted that no charges have been filed against CVS, which, it said, "has cooperated fully with the government in connection with its investigation of the matter since its inception."

It added that the matter has been previously reported in the company's annual reports and SEC filings. Beginning in its 2004 reports, the company noted that state and federal officials were investigating dealings between some General Assembly officials and certain Rhode Island companies, including CVS.

Kramer and Ortiz were placed on administrative leave in 2004, but the company has not said why.

In his statement, Governor Carcieri said:

“It is always disappointing when allegations of corruption touch on the actions of a major Rhode Island-based corporation like CVS. As a major contributor to our community and as an important employer in our state, CVS plays a vital role in Rhode Island. Despite these indictments, I am confident that the CVS brand will remain strong. That said, if there is wrongdoing, it must be investigated, stopped and prosecuted, no matter who is involved.”

Carcieri also said he was "pleased that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is continuing to pursue the Celona corruption case aggressively.”

The U.S. Attorney's Office reiterated today that its probe of corruption was continuing, but would not comment on questions posed about its specific direction.

CVS stock closed up 13 cents today, to $32.61.

-- With Journal reports

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:47 PM | Comment

Now only R.I. is out of regional pollution pact

Governor Deval Patrick announced today that Massachusetts will join a regional plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

That leaves Rhode Island as the only New England state not to have joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

In a press statement, Patrick said the pact will benefit the state by creating new economic opportunities and curbing greenhouse gas pollution.

“Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time,” Patrick said. “On this day, we want everyone to know that Massachusetts will not stand on the sidelines.”

By Michelle Lee

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a “cap and trade” program that allows New England states to charge power plants for air emissions in 2009. Money generated from the program could be used for energy-efficiency programs, clean alternative energy or electricity bill rebates

Last year, Governor Donald Carcieri backed out of the initiative because he was concerned about the impact on electricity rates.

Three local groups- the Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action and Environment Rhode Island- are petitioning for Carcieri to join the pact.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:13 PM | Comment

Mental-health advocate to be Kennedy's guest

Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy today announced that Jim McNulty, President Emeritus of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), will attend President Bush's State of the Union address as his guest.

"It is always such an honor for me to select a Rhode Islander to visit the Capitol for such an historic event. Jim and I share many of the same concerns when it comes to insuring Americans have access to mental health treatment and addiction,"
Kennedy said today.
.
"For years, he has been out in front on the need for equity in treatment and his passion and compassion for this issue have never waivered. He has dedicated his career to helping those with mental illness get the treatment they need and I am proud to have him as my guest."

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:11 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: Bruins and not much else

There was a lot of activity on the local sports scene last night, so tonight is a pretty quiet one.

The Boston Bruins, who gave up six goals last night in losing to Buffalo, are back at home to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby. The Bruins are just a point behind the Penguins in the Eastern Conference standings, and four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. You can catch the game at 7 p.m. on NESN.

If you're into college hoops, ESPN is showcasing the Atlantic 10 tonight, as UMass -- the conference's only undefeated team -- travels to Cincinnati to play Xavier. The game is at 7.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:58 PM | Comment

Update: 2 CVS execs charged with corruption / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announces the indictments today against CVS officials John R. Kramer and Carlos Ortiz. Also shown at the afternoon press conference are state police Capt. Steven Lynch, center, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Matos.

PROVIDENCE -- Two executives from drugstore giant CVS face federal corruption charges after a grand jury today issued a 23-count indictment against them.

Longtime senior vice president John R. Kramer and government affairs executive Carlos Ortiz were charged with fraud and bribery stemming from the hiring of former state Sen. John A. Celona as a consultant. The two had gone on leave in 2004; it is unclear at this time what their current status is.

The indictment alleges that Kramer and Ortiz engineered a consulting agreement in which CVS paid Celona $1,000 a month, ostensibly to improve CVS’s image among consumers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

However, the indictment alleges, Celona’s actual job was to thwart legislation deemed harmful to CVS, and to advance bills that favored the company.

The indictment also alleges that Kramer and Ortiz concealed the true nature of Celona’s relationship with CVS from other CVS executives and lobbyists, and from the public.

Extra: Read the full 28-page indictment against Kramer and Ortiz.

More: Keep up with the developing story here.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

In August 2005, Celona pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges, admitting he accepted payments from corporations to do their political bidding while he served as a state senator. He has been cooperating with the government in an investigation into corrupt political influence in the Rhode Island General Assembly, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Celona is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 31.

No date has been set for the arraigments of Kramer and Ortiz. A summons will be issued for them to appear in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Upon conviction, the conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for bribery is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, except for six counts allegedly committed before July 2002, which have a maximum of five years in prison plus the fine, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:41 PM | Comment

Police looking for 2nd suspect in Fall River shooting

FALL RIVER — The police say they have obtained an arrest warrant for a second suspect in connection with the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy Tuesday night.

The police say they are searching for the suspect, Kyron A. Gorham, 18, who has a last known address of 199 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston.

The police believe they have recovered the weapon used in the shooting of Shakeem T. Davis, of 106 Quequechan St., Fall River, but, the police say, Gorham should nevertheless be considered armed and dangerous.

Davis was shot multiple times in an apartment building in the southern part of the city.

One suspect — Jason S. Bates, 27, of 54 Brow St. — has been taken into custody.

The police say they do not know the motive for the killing.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:14 PM | Comment

Cranston police probing woman's death

CRANSTON -- The police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered this morning inside a two-story home on Hopewell Avenue.

The police have not declared the death a homicide, according to Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar, the police spokesman. The woman's name has not been released.

The house is owned by Frank Guidi, according to a city real estate database.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin Gedan

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:04 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID man killed by car walking to shelter

CRANSTON – The police have released the name of a man who was struck by a car and killed last night while walking along New London Avenue to a homeless shelter.

He is Jacob Tella, 28, with no known address, according to the police.

Tella was with another pedestrian at the time of the accident. He was crossing New London Avenue, in the area of Mulligan’s Island, walking from west to east when he was struck in the outside north-bound lane, according to Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar.

On the coldest night of the year, the Tella was walking at about 8:25 p.m. to one of the two nearby homeless shelters, either the Welcome Arnold shelter or Harrington Hall, according to Leo F. Kennedy, Cranston Fire Department’s deputy chief of emergency medical services. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with critical injuries, Kennedy said.

Until the police investigation into the accident is completed, Blackmar said he will not release the name of the driver of the 1994 Toyota that struck the man. The driver was interviewed by the police and was released.

There’s no indication that alcohol played a part in the accident. Whether the driver was speeding has not yet been determined, Blackmar said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

CORRECTION: An earlier report gave an incorrect age for Tella.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:23 PM | Comment

Rodney Harrison at Patriots practice

Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was spotted during the team's media-access portion of practice this afternoon, which was held inside the Dana Farber Fieldhouse behind Gillette Stadium.

Harrison is listed as doubtful (75 percent chance he won't play) with a knee injury on the team's injury report. He strained the medial collateral ligament of his right knee in New England's final regular season game, on Dec. 31 against Tennessee and has not been on the field since.

This latest injury came just six quarters into Harrison's return from a broken shoulder blade, suffered Nov. 5 against Indianapolis. The 34-year old co-captain sustained a three-ligament tear in his right knee in Sept. 2005.

New England plays the Colts Sunday in the AFC Championship game.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:23 PM | Comment

Providence couple enters plea for insurance fraud

William J. Wind and Alberta J. Wind of Providence have entered into a plea agreement in a fraud case brought by North Carolina's insurance commissioner.

The couple, who owned ESI America, cable assembly company in North Carolina, were charged with more than 200 counts of embezzlement, willful failure to pay group insurance premiums, and willful failure to deliver notice of termination of a group insurance plan.

The commissioner announced today that the couple was ordered to pay restitution to their former employees and their families for unpaid insurance claims that came due after health coverage was dropped in 2002.

The North Carolina insurance commissioner extimates that the total will exceed $200,000.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:33 PM | Comment

Witnesses testify murder victim attacked them

TAUNTON, Mass. -- Two women testified today in Superior Court that they had been attacked in the past by Courtney Sau, who died nearly two years ago in a Fall River streetfight over a boyfriend.

The two were defense witnesses in the trial of Karen Cordeiro, 22, accused of murdering Sau after a verbal argument in Providence promoted Sau to drive to Fall River to confront Cordeiro and Cordeiro's roommate, who also faces murder charges. Sau, who was unarmed, was stabbed at least twice in the brawl. Cordeiro is claiming self defense.

Jessica Fottler of Norton, Mass., said Sau approached her car in April of 2004, opened her car door, and repeatedly struck her with her fist and the spiked heel of her shoe. ``I was beaten pretty badly. I was bleeding,'' she said as the jury was shown pictures of heel-like marks on her body.

Nicole Silva of Taunton testified that Sau punched her in the face, kicked her once in the belly and kicked her again after she had fallen after she and Sau talked about a mutual boyfriend. Silva's older sister, in later testimony, confirmed Silva's account.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:44 AM | Comment

Rite Aid shareholders approve Brooks, Eckerd deal

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. shareholders today overwhelmingly approved a deal to buy more than 1,800 Brooks and Eckerd stores and become the largest drugstore operator on the East Coast.

Rite Aid, the nation's third-largest drugstore chain, has billed the deal as a way to catapult it within reach of the rapidly growing drugstore leaders Walgreen Co. and CVS Corp.

Shareholders voted 404.1 million to 9.1 million in favor of acquiring the U.S. Eckerd and Brooks operations of Canada's Jean Coutu Group Inc. for $1.45 billion in cash and 250 million shares valued at about $1.5 billion, plus the assumption of $850 million in debt.

Read the full Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:08 AM | Comment

Cape DA wants to seal fashion writer murder photos

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- Prosecutors have filed a motion to permanently seal the graphic photographs and video used in the trial of a trash collector convicted of killing former fashion writer Christa Worthington.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe filed the motion in Barnstable Superior Court on Tuesday after a request earlier this month by CBS television to access pictures and video from the trial.

Christopher McCowen was convicted in November of murdering and raping Worthington in her Truro home in 2002.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:01 AM | Comment

The morning commute was a disaster

Morning accidents and disabled vehicles are tying up traffic on Route 95 south, Route 195 west and Route 146 south.

On the state Department of Transportation’s congestion mapper, all three roadways were all measuring 8.1 on the 10-point congestion scale, with 10 being the worst.

A disabled vehicle at 8:18 a.m. on Route 95 south at Exit 23, which is where Route 146 south merges with 95, is affecting the right lane. An 8:30 a.m. accident on Route 195 west at Exit 3 (Gano Street/India Point) is affecting the right shoulder. An 8:32 a.m. accident on Route 95 south at Exit 21 (Atwells Avenue) is also affecting the right shoulder.

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 8:48 AM | Comment

Woonsocket's Social Street School closed today

WOONSOCKET – There’s no school today at Social Street Elementary School, where technicians located a crack in the boiler yesterday.

The part needed to fix the boiler was not immediately available, so the district had it express shipped, according to the facilities department. Technicians will be working through the day, with the goal for school to reopen tomorrow.

Letters were sent home to parents with students yesterday afternoon about the school’s closure.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:48 AM | Comment

Snow on the way

PROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service forecasts a slight chance of snow after 3 p.m., then snow likely before midnight and periods of rain and snow after that.

The snow and rain is likely to slow tomorrow morning's commute.

Look for partly cloudy skies today with a high near 36 degrees and a calm wind between 8 and 11 mph, but possibly gusting as high as 22 mph.

Expect a low tonight of 31 degrees.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page: A mobster leaves prison

Today's front page includes a local story on the release from prison of mobster Gerald M. Tillinghast after nearly 30 years in prison and a national story on the decline in cancer deaths.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 17, 2007

General Assembly to examine cesspool bill

PROVIDENCE -- The General Assembly is set to examine a new bill that would eliminate many cesspools in Rhode Island.

Rep. Donna M. Walsh is sponsoring the Rhode Island Cesspool Act of 2007. The South County Democrat says that the cesspools are ineffective and a threat to public health.

"Cesspools are not an appropriate method of sewage disposal. They don’t do anything to treat sewage, so homes that use them are just dumping raw sewage into the environment. The worst part is that the cesspools in Rhode Island seem to be concentrated in coastal areas, where they can leach into the water," she says in a statement.

The bill would require inspections of cesspools in coastal areas or on property that is sold, and would require failing cesspools to be replaced with a sewer connection or septic system within a year. The legislation would force property owners in those areas to abandon and replace their cesspools by 2013.

Cesspools are essentially pits of untreated raw sewage. Most homes across the state are connected to their city's sewer systems or have septic systems, which treat sewage by removing harmful bacteria from wastewater and preventing it from overloading the soil.

Rhode Island banned new construction of cesspools in 1968, but the Department of Environmental Management estimates as many as 50,000 are still in service across the state.

Walsh introduced a similar bill in 2002 that failed. A similar version of the cesspool bill was debated last year, but failed by three votes in the House, according to the legislative press bureau.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:35 PM | Comment

Update: Celebrated mobster out of prison

CRANSTON _ Gerald M. ``Gerry'' Tillinghast, a celebrated mob figure who has spent nearly 30 years in prison for an underworld killing, is out of jail.

At 3 p.m., Tillinghast, 60, walked out of the John J. Moran Medium Security Unit of the Adult Correctional Institutions with a parole officer. They drove to the prison's Pinel Building where the mobster was fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet and briefed on the terms of his release.

Tillinghast will live in western Cranston with an unidentified family member.

Ann Fortin, acting ACI spokeswoman, said prison policy prohibits her from releasing the exact address. She said that she did not know if Tillinghast has found a job. As a rule, parolees on home confinement are required to work.

State and local police detectives positioned their unmarked cars outside of medium security this afternoon to get a glimpse of the mob hitman.

``The Department of Corrections and the Parole Board saw fit that he be released after 29 years in prison,'' said State Police Maj. Steven G. O'Donnell. ``We will monitor his acitivities. Hopefully, he has learned from his past.''

In the 60s and 70s, Tillinghast was known as a feared enforcer for the Patriarca crime family. He also had leadership skills and could tap into a vast network of criminals to wreak havoc in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Tillinghast and a host of other mobsters from Rhode Island were accused of participating in the $3 million Bonded Vault heist in Providence. A Superior Court jury found declined to convict him of criminal charges.

Tillinghast also was implicated, but never convicted, in several other underworld murders.

He has been imprisoned since the late 1970s for first-degree murder in the 1978 gangland slaying of loan shark George Basmajian.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:50 PM | Comment

Rite Aid set to pull within striking distance of CVS

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Shareholders are scheduled to vote tomorrow on whether to approve Rite Aid's planned purchase of more than 1,800 Eckerd and Brooks drugstores in the U.S.

The stores are currently owned by Canada's Jean Coutu Group, whose headquarters is in Warwick.

The plan would drastically expand the nation's third largest drugstore chain, and bring it within striking distance of Walgreens and Woonsocket-based CVS.

But Wall Street analysts and proxy advisers are divided on whether it's a good deal.

If it's approved, Rite Aid would pay $1.45 billion in cash, shares valued at about $1.5 billion dollars, plus the assumption of $850 million in debt.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:33 PM | Comment

PC women headline tonight's sports menu

The up-and-coming Providence College women's basketball team (12-5, 2-2 Big East) faces a major test tonight, when the Friars host the powerhouse UConn Huskies (14-2, 4-0) tonight at 7 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. UConn, which lost its second game of the season on Monday to second-ranked North Carolina, is ranked number six in the country. You can catch the action on Cox TV.
Click here to see what Journal sports writer Mike Szostak has to say about the game.

Meanwhile, the PC men's team (12-4, 2-1 Big East) is in New Jersey, looking to get back on the winning track against Seton Hall (10-6, 2-2). The Friars beat the Pirates in Providence earlier this month. The game can be heard starting at 7:30 on WSKO-FM (99.7).

The URI men's team (10-8, 3-1 Atlantic 10) is at home tonight to take on St. Bonaventure (4-12, 1-2). It should be a good chance for the Rams to extend their impressive start in conference games. If you can't make it to the Ryan Center, you can hear the game on WHJJ-AM (920), WJZS-FM (99.3) and WRIU-FM (90.3).

On ice, the Boston Bruins are in Buffalo tonight to take on the Sabres. Despite their on Monday in Boston, the Sabres enter the game with the third-best record in the NHL. The action is on NESN starting at 7.

Finally, the Providence Bruins play the Hartford Wolf Pack at 7 in Connecticut.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:07 PM | Comment

Seekonk school to re-open after minor flooding

SEEKONK -- Work crews have repaired a water main break just outside the George R. Martin Elementary School that forced school officials to cancel school today.

The water main sent water spewing into the parking lot and into the school through the cracks under the doors. Water literally flowed down the hallways late last night, though school officials this afternoon reported only minor damage.

School will be open tomorow, Schools Supt. Emile Chevrette said this afternoon.

School officials used a phone-tree system to spread the word that there was no school today. Only about five parents arrived at the Cole Street school this morning with their children, Chevrette said.

There's no word on what caused the water main break, though school officials suggested that the cold weather may have been a factor.

-- With reports from C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:34 PM | Comment

Sampras to be inducted in Newport's hall of fame

NEWPORT -- Pete Sampras, who won a record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, a four-time major tournament champion, were voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame today.

The pair will be inducted will be inducted in a July 14 ceremony in Newport.

Sven Davidson, the first Swede to win a Grand Slam title, and photographer Russ Adams will also be inducted.

Sampras, 35, will play in an exhibition match before the singles and doubles finals of the Hall of Fame Championships tournament.

Known for his serve and volley game, Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles, five U.S. Opens and two Australian Opens, and was the world's top-ranked men's player a record six straight years from 1993-98. He beat Andre Agassi to win the 2002 U.S. Open, then announced his retirement a year later. Margaret Smith Court won a record 24 Grand Slam women's singles titles.

Sanchez-Vicario, 35, won three French Open titles and in 1994 was the first Spanish woman to take the U.S. Open singles championship. She also was the first Spanish player to get the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, and the first woman to hold both top rankings at the same time.

Davidson, 78, won the 1957 French Championships, which later became the French Open. He added the Wimbledon doubles title the following year.

Adams, 76, has been director-liaison of photographers at the U.S. Open since 1968 and has taken photos of tennis for the past 50 years.

-- Bloomberg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:08 PM | Comment

Update: Man displaced by Cumberland house fire

CUMBERLAND -- A homeowner is displaced today after he escaped an early morning fire at 9 Cumberland St.

The man, whose name was not available from the police or fire department, is staying with relatives, according to Valley Falls Fire Lt. Paul Dunham.

No one was injured in the 5 a.m. fire, Dunham said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:48 PM | Comment

Jams still the norm at new traffic court / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
The vestibule at the new Traffic Tribunal was already crowded at 8:30 a.m. today when the doors opened for people to pass through security.

CRANSTON -- The state's new $21.8 million Traffic Tribunal opened this morning in Cranston with a spanking new look but an old feel.

At least at the door.

A line of several dozen alleged traffic violators stood in the cold outside the new courthouse at the corner of Howard and New London Avenues in Cranston, doing what many said they were familiar doing whenever they came to pay or explain away a speeding ticket: waiting.

The new courthouse replaces the one on Harris Avenue in Providence and comes with many new amenities, such as bus service.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:37 PM | Comment

Governor appoints new CRMC member

Governor Carcieri today appointed a Little Compton School Committee member to serve on the Coastal Resources Management Council, replacing outgoing member Jerry Sahagian.

Donald T. Gomez of Little Compton has been involved in local politics for a number of years, back in the early 1970s and since 1995. State law requires the seat Gomez will fill to be held by an elected official from a coastal community with a population of fewer than 25,000.

After a 32-year career at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Gomez retired from his position as division head in 1996. His involvement in local politics includes a four-year stint in the 1970s on the Little Compton Planning Board, a seat on the Little Compton Zoning Board of Review from 1995 to 2002, a spot on the Little Compton Municipal Trust from 1999 to 2002, a seat on the Little Compton Charter Review Commission from 2000 to 2002 and the presidency of the Little Compton Town Council from 2002 to 2004.

Carcieri’s appointment of Gomez does not require approval by the state Senate, according to the governor’s office.

“Don Gomez will make a great addition to the Coastal Resources Management Council,” Carcieri said in announcing the appointment. “For over three decades, Don has admirably served his town, his state and his nation in a number of capacities. As a former town council president and zoning board member, he understands how to work with other members to get things done. His experience as a town official has also provided him with a background in land use management. And as an engineer at one of the U.S. Navy’s most prestigious development facilities, he has a background in underwater research.

“I am confident that Don Gomez will help this critically important state commission move forward with its mission of protecting Rhode Island’s endangered coastal resources,” Carcieri concluded.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:12 PM | Comment

Starbucks says no to milk with growth hormone

SEATTLE -- Starbucks Coffee has begun using milk products without an artificial growth hormone in several regions, including New England.

Officials of the Seattle-based chain say dairy products sold in those regions no longer contain Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone.

Some advocacy groups say there has not been enough research on the effects on humans from milk products from cows that were given of the hormone.

Dairy operators who use the hormone say there is no scientific evidence to suggest any effect on humans.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:03 PM | Comment

Legislation would ban trans fats in R.I. restaurants

PROVIDENCE -- Legislation being considered in the General Assembly would prohibit restaurants from serving foods with trans fat.

The bill is the latest effort to promote healthy eating by seeking a ban on the artery-clogging substance.

New York City last month became the first city to ban trans fat, and similar legislation has been introduced in states including Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The Rhode Island legislation was introduced yesterday by Representatives Joseph McNamara and Eileen Naughton. McNamara says there's medical data to support the legislation.

Trans fat is found in foods ranging from cookies and cakes to french fries and potato chips.

They're believed to be harmful because they contribute to heart disease by raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol at the same time.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:50 PM | Comment

Same-sex marriage case sent back to Family Court

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Supreme Court has decided that it’s premature for the state’s highest court to decide whether the Family Court can hear a divorce case involving two Providence women who married in Massachusetts.

According to an order entered today, the Supreme Court has ruled that additional proceedings should take place in Family Court before the state’s highest court determines whether it can respond to a question posed last month to the Supreme Court by Chief Family Court Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr.

The question at issue is “Does the Rhode Island Family Court have subject matter jurisdiction under R.I. General Laws 8-10-3 (1956) to hear a divorce complaint wherein the plaintiff and defendant are of the same sex, were lawfully married in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, are both domiciled inhabitants of the State of Rhode Island for at least one year, have met all other jurisdictional requirements and are seeking a divorce?”

In remanding the matter to Rhode Island Family Court, the state Supreme Court directed Family Court to address a host of questions, some of which include: Was a Massachusetts marriage license issued to the parties? Where was each of the parties domiciled at the time that they applied for a Massachusetts marriage license? Did each of the parties reside in Rhode Island at the time of the application for a Massachusetts marriage license? If so, for how long had each resided in Rhode Island?

The case involving Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston represents the first time a same-sex couple has sought a divorce in Rhode Island, and it's believed to mark the first time that any of the 8,000 same-sex couples married in Massachusetts have sought a divorce in another state.

Chambers, 70, and Ormiston, 59, married in Fall River in May 2004, shortly after Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Rhode Island law does not explicitly prohibit or allow same-sex marriages, so attention has focused on whether Jeremiah would conclude he had jurisdiction to handle the divorce case.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:32 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID Fall River shooting victim

FALL RIVER – The police this morning identified the 15-year-old shot to death in the city last night.

Shakeem T. Davis, of 106 Quequechan St. in Fall River, was shot in an apartment building in the southern part of the city.

The police do not know the motive for the killing, Lt. Jeffrey Cardoza said.

One suspect in the shooting – Jason S. Bates, 27, of 54 Brow St. – has been taken into custody. The police are still searching for a second suspect, whom they have not identified.

Fall River police received a 911 call at 10:19 p.m. reporting that a male had been shot at Bennie Costa Plaza, an apartment complex on Amity Street, according to a press release from the police department.

Upon responding to the scene, Officer Michael McConnell, of the housing police unit, was told that an altercation had taken place inside apartment 107 between two males and the victim. One of the suspects had a gun and fired at the victim.

Davis was shot multiple times. He was taken to Saint Anne's Hospital, in Fall River, and later transferred to Hasbro Children's Hospital, in Providence, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives from the major crimes division and the district attorney's office are investigating the shooting. The suspects and victim knew each other, according to the police.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner, with reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:40 AM | Comment

Prosecution rests in Fall River murder trial

TAUNTON, Mass. -- The prosecution rested its case this morning in the Superior Court murder trial of Karen Cordeiro as a DNA expert testified that he found the blood of victim Courtney Sau all over the Fall River murder scene, including on the slacks of Cordeiro.

But a lawyer for Cordeiro, 22, who is claiming self-defense, zeroed in on another DNA finding -- Cordeiro's genetic material on Sau's right stiletto-heeled boot.

Defense lawyer Francis O'Boy showed DNA expert Kevin Noppinger a photo of Cordeiro's injuries from the fight, asking if the DNA could have come from Sau kicking Cordeiro in the forehead or jaw. Noppinger said that was possible.

Sau was killed in the early morning hours of Feb. 5, 2005 after she drove from a Providence nightclub to Fall River to confront Cordeiro and her roommate over a boyfriend. Sau, who was unarmed, ended up bleeding to death after being stabbed by two steak knives from the Cordeiro apartment. One blade broke off in Sau's body.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:38 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident on Route 195 West

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has issued a traffic advisory for an accident on Route 195 West in Massachusetts.

It's affecting travel on the left and left-center lanes.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:57 AM | Comment

Cold weather can increase risk of fires

With this morning’s cold weather, be careful as you try to warm up your house or apartment.

Firefighters typically see more fires in dwellings on days like this, as people use methods they shouldn’t to heat their living spaces, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

Taylor cautions people not to use their kitchen ovens to heat their homes and to be careful with kerosene heaters and other kinds of space heaters. Make sure they’re situated far away from curtains and other combustible material.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:04 AM | Comment

One-car crash on Route 95 North at Exit 23

PROVIDENCE – A car has crashed into the roadside barrier at the left side of Route 95 North near Exit 23 (Route 146), apparently slowing traffic.

The 7:02 a.m. accident doesn’t appear to be serious, and no lanes are closed at this time, according to the state police. However, it looks as if traffic is fairly sluggish from Exit 20 up to the Massachusetts line, according to the state Department of Transportation’s congestion mapping program.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the DOT'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.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:39 AM | Comment

No school at Seekonk's Martin Elementary

SEEKONK – There’s no school today at the George R. Martin Elementary School, at 445 Cole St., because of a water main break late last night.

The school department decided before midnight to close the school today, according to the Seekonk Police Department. The water main broke sometime between 10 and 11 p.m., according to the police.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:27 AM | Comment

New traffic tribunal opens today with lots of parking

Journal photos / Mary Murphy
A $21.8 million building, left, on New London Ave., Cranston, replaces the former traffic tribunal, right, on Harris Avenue in Providence, a converted factory building located near a strip club.

CRANSTON -- The state's new traffic tribunal will open today in Cranston, with enough parking spaces so the court's customers can, hopefully, avoid parking tickets.

The 86,650-square-foot building replaces the cramped and dilapidated quarters on Harris Avenue in Providence that had so little parking that its users would sometimes find parking tickets waiting for them after taking care of their traffic troubles in court.

The $21.8 million building is located at 670 New London Ave., Cranston, at the corner of Howard Avenue, at the entrance to the John O. Pastore Government Center.

It will open at 8:30 a.m., and there are 450 spaces of free parking available.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:15 AM | Comment

Frigid air fills the region

PROVIDENCE – Are you happy now?

Winter is here today, that’s for sure. When the drivers in the cars next to you are sitting with their shoulders hunched up, into their jacket hoods, as if they’re struggling just like you to make warmth, you know it’s cold out.

It’s just 9 degrees right now, but look on the bright side. It’s going to warm all the way up to 25 degrees. (Except that with wind chill, it will feel like anywhere between minus 1 and up to 9 degrees). And it should be mostly sunny. We’ll be back to 9 degrees for the low tonight.

The National Weather Service has also issued a gale warning for nearly all waters in the region today – except Boston Harbor and Narragansett Bay.

Tomorrow, there’s a 50 percent chance of snow, but the high will be higher tomorrow at 32 degrees. Tomorrow night and Friday should bring rain or snow.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:04 AM | Comment

Today's Journal front page

Today's front page features a local story about a $792-milion proposal to improve Providence school facilities and a national story about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama indicating his plans to enter the Democratic presidential race.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 16, 2007

New traffic tribunal opens tomorrow in Cranston

CRANSTON -- There's a new place to take care of traffic tickets in Rhode Island.

The state's new 86,650-square-foot traffic tribunal will open to the public tomorrow for the first time at 8:30 a.m.

The $21.8 million building is located at 670 New London Ave., Cranston, at the corner of Howard Avenue, at the entrance to the John O. Pastore Government Center. There are 450 spaces of free parking available.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:18 PM | Comment

Update: ACLU critical of proposed political do-not-call list

The General Assembly is proposing a crackdown on unsolicited political phone calls.

Sen. William A. Walaska, the bill's sponsor, said that in the last election cycle, the calls became “a bit abusive” and, he said, it’s time for some relief.

While the calls might be annoying, restricting them could run afoul of the Constitution.

The local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and others say any such do-not-call lists infringe on the rights of political groups to communicate.

“It’s one thing to have a no-call list for commercial solicitations. They do not have the same value under the First Amendment that political speech does,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island ACLU affiliate. “This is attempting to restrict what is a core First Amendment activity: calling a person to discuss politics.”

Walaska, D-Warwick, said he drafted the bill after receiving calls from “a couple of irate constituents.” “I think this election year far exceeded the other years” in the number of calls made, he said.

Under his proposal, residents would put their numbers on a new no-call list maintained by the state Board of Elections. Any political entity -- whether they were calling in support of a candidate, in opposition to an issue such as the casino, or to conduct a poll -- would be prohibited from calling numbers on the list. Fines would be up to $1,000 for each violation.

The legislation also would prohibit calls between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Telephone solicitors also would be forced to disclose their names and which candidate, party or issue they are calling on behalf of in the first 30 seconds of a call.

“Now, is it feasible?” Walaska asked. “I don’t know.”

The bill will be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:16 PM | Comment

Couple donates $2M in furniture to Newport group

NEWPORT -- It’s not every day you can get your hands on a 17th-century Flemish Baroque silver- and brass-mounted ebony red tortoiseshell and giltwood cabinet.

Especially for free.

That’s why the Preservation Society of Newport County is heralding the gift of the cabinet and other pieces of antique furniture worth an estimated $2 million. An out-of-state couple donated the antiques to be put on display in the society’s famous Newport mansions, according to an announcement released today.

Most of the pieces have been placed at The Elms, which was built in 1901 in the style of a French chateau but has been missing many of its original furnishings for many years.

“We’re always trying to improve our collections. We’ve succeeded in re-acquiring many original furnishings that had been auctioned from The Elms, but is always an expensive proposition,” executive director Trudy Coxe said in a statement. “The pieces are of comparable quality and very similar to some of the original furnishings that were lost from The Elms.”

Sam and Annette Mandel, of Palm Beach, Fla., and New York City, donated the antiques to the society from their private collection.

“We are thrilled with the way the pieces are being displayed in the Preservation Society’s houses,’’ Sam Mandel said in a statement. “And we anticipate making additional donations in the near future.”

-- Journal staff writer Richard Salit

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:09 PM | Comment

Bail set at $25,000 for accused purse snatcher

Deirdre C. Brown, who was arrested last Friday by the Cranston police and charged with stealing purses from three public school buildings, was arraigned today in Kent County District Court, in Warwick.

Judge Stephen Erickson set bail at $25,000 with surety, equivalent to $2,500 cash.

Brown’s case has been referred to the public defender’s office. Her next court date was scheduled for March 8 in Superior Court, in Providence.

Brown is facing five counts of misdemeanor larceny, two misdemeanor counts of cashing fraudulent checks, two felony charges of signing fraudulent checks and one felony count of using stolen credit cards.

She potentially faces charges in several other communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts related to similar alleged crimes.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:38 PM | Comment

Is there anti-Italian bias in the media?

NORTH PROVIDENCE -- Is there an anti-Italian bias in the media? Did news organizations unfairly target Ralph Mollis for attending a mob associate's funeral during Mollis' secretary of state campaign?

Those questions will be addressed during tonight's forum on the "history of anti-Italianism" at the Dillon Council Knights of Columbus Hall at 1675 Douglas Ave.

The forum, which is sponsored by the Italian American Historical Society and the Sons of Italy-Loggia Vittoria, will begin with the showing of the film, Anti-Italianism: Discrimination and Defamation in the History of Italian Americans, from 7 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a discussion led by John Pantalone, a professor of journalism at the University of Rhode Island.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:38 PM | Comment

Photo: Sharing a story of recovery

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., left, talks about his recovery from alcoholism and what it did for his career to become sober at a press conference after the hearing at the State House today on parity for mental health care. Ramstad and U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, right, are the sponsors of a bill that would make it illegal for insurers to impose limits on the number of outpatient visits or inpatient days covered, or charge higher deductibles, higher out-of-pocket limits, for mental health and addiction treatment than they do for other types of medical treatment. They are traveling around the country to gather testimony to build momentum for the passage of the legislation. The first hearing was this morning at the Rhode Island State House.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:26 PM | Comment

Master plan for City schools would cost $792M

PROVIDENCE — An education consultant has recommended sweeping changes to the city’s 42 public schools that would cost at least $792 million and calls for building seven new schools during the first phase of construction.

DeJONG, the education planners hired by the city in March, released a master plan today that outlines which schools should be closed, which should be renovated and which should be built from scratch. The 10-month study not only looked at the conditions of the city’s public schools but at the need to create dynamic new environments for teaching and learning.

“This is a plan of hope, of direction, a facility master plan which can lead to a new generation of schools in the city of Providence,” DeJONG wrote in its 80-page report, released today.

The plan calls for building 19 new schools, mostly elementary; closing five schools, including Perry Middle School and converting Del Sesto High School into a middle school.

Hope High School would be renovated, not closed. One of the original options proposed closing the building, which is in poor condition, and building two smaller high schools, possibly on the same campus.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

During the first phase of contruction, DeJONG proposes:

-- Replacing Nathan Bishop Middle School with a new 6-8 school

-- Building a new alternative high school for 200 students. Renovating an existing commercial or retail space is also possible.

-- Replacing Mount Pleasant High School with two smaller high schools. One would be a career technical school focused on the construction trades. The total enrollment at both schools would equal 1,200 students.

-- Building the following new elementary schools: George West, Alan Shawn Feinstein, Asa Messer and Laurel Hill Annex.

In its report, DeJONG concluded that many of the existing school buildings, while structurally sound, are larger than what is needed and would be expensive to convert into contemporary schools.

“The balance between renovation of older structures and construction of new buildings will need to be determined,” the consultants wrote. “The final solution is likely to be a combination of new and renovated schools.”

The school facilities plan is premised on the idea that schools should be smaller. DeJONG recommends no more than 600 students at the elementary level, 750 at the middle level and 900 at the high school level.

After listening to parents and other community leaders, the consultants have embraced the concept that elementary and middle school students should be able to walk to school.

They also acknowledged that a project of this magnitude faces numerous challenges, including the lack of land available for new construction. One possible solution, DeJONG said, is to locate new schools on park sites and then convert the school property into parks. This would allow new construction to begin without disrupting the lives of students at existing schools.

In making its recommendations, the consultants took into account the age of the existing buildings, their condition and the projected enrollments. Almost half of the city’s schools were built prior to 1930 and 78 percent are in poor condition.

Many schools are no longer located in neighborhoods where public school students actually live, so the new plans reflect those demographic changes. Elementary school enrollments are expected to increase over the next 10 years, middle school enrollments are expected to rise slightly and high school enrollments are expected to decline starting in 2008-2009.

When they began, the planners divided the city into six regions with roughly equal numbers of children in each area. Four options were developed for each of the regions and each option typically included a mix of new construction, renovations and school closings.

During the planning process, DeJONG held four meetings to solicit feedback from the community. Teachers and staff participated in a number of workshops in which they crafted what schools should look like during the 21st Century.

Educators stressed that they wanted a variety of middle school options, including the traditional grade 6-8 configuration and K-8 schools, a model favored by Supt. Donnie Evans. As a result, middle schools were designed to accommodate the classic 6-8 model as well as a K-8 design.

DeJONG also recommends breaking most of the city’s large comprehensive high schools into smaller learning communities, where each student is well-known and stable relationships between students and teachers can be cultivated.

One model breaks a 1,200-student high school into three smaller schools; the other calls for a small high school of no more than 750 students that would also be divided into smaller units.

The master plan proposes dividing the renovations into four phases, with 6 to 8 schools per phase until all of the schools scheduled for work are renovated or replaced.

Both Mayor David N. Cicilline and the Providence School Board will have to approve the plan. A series of public hearings will be held next month to explain these recommendations to the community and DeJONG will arrange to meet with various community groups.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:06 PM | Comment

Medical experts testify about choking in murder trial

TAUNTON -- Two medical personnel who treated Karen Cordeiro immediately after she was accused of fatally stabbing Courtney Sau in Fall River in February, 2005, testified today that they saw no evidence that Corediro suffering any neck trauma as a result of her fight with Sau.

Cordeiro, on trial for murder in Taunton Superior Court, has claimed self defense, saying that, at one point in the battle, she was choked by Sau, who had traveled from a Providence nightclub to Fall River to confront Cordeiro over a boyfriend.

Dr. Arthur Carter of Charlton Memorial Hospital, who used three stitches to sew up a cut on Cordeiro's chin on the morning of her arrest, testified that her neck showed no evidence of tenderness. But Judge E. Susan Garsh would not allow prosecutor Steven Gagne to pursue the question of whether Carter was familiar with cases where someone had been choked.

James Lewis, a physician assistant at Charlton, testified that when he treated Cordeiro for a chest pain the following day, "my findings were her neck was normal."

The trial continues this afternoon.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:08 PM | Comment

Trial starts for man charged with killing girlfriend

A pool of 49 prospective jurors reported to Kent County Superior Court this morning as the murder trial of Gerardo E. Martinez begins.

Martinez, a Cranston High School West graduate, has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly slitting his 23-year-old girlfriend Lindsay A. Burke's throat in his Warwick home in 2005.

Attorneys will narrow the jury pool down to 14 in the coming days before opening statements begin. Today, the prospective jurors were sworn in and began filling out a 10-page questionnaire.

Attorneys also began arguing a motion to suppress evidence before Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr.

After the killing, the police say, Martinez drove Burke's 2001 Subaru to Canterbury, N.H., where he crashed into a tree in what authorities characterized as a suicide attempt.

Inside the car, New Hampshire police officers discovered a note in which Martinez appeared to take responsibility for the killing, according to affidavits filed by the police in Warwick and New Hampshire.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:59 AM | Comment

Langevin's mystery guest: Michael J. Fox

The word is out.

Rep. James R. Langevin has released the name of the "mystery guest" who will accompany him to President Bush's State of the Union address next week.

Longtime actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, will join Rhode Island's junior congressman for the Jan. 23 high-profile speech.

"Congressman Langevin is a tireless champion for the advancement of medical research, and I am honored to join him next week at the State of the Union," said Michael J. Fox in a statement released by Langevin's office. "Jim has been a leader in the recent passage of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. I have often said diseases and disorders are a non-partisan issue that requires a bi-partisan solution. Jim Langevin is part of that solution."

Fox is perhaps best known for his role as Alex P. Keaton on NBC's "Family Ties." He also starred in all three Back to the Future movies.

Langevin's previous guests include Dana Reeve, the wife of Christopher Reeve. Langevin said he tries to invite people who can "help raise greater awareness about important issues..."

"In 2005, the late Dana Reeve attended as my guest to highlight the importance of pushing embryonic stem cell research forward," Langevin said in a statement. "I am sure Michael will help to further Chris and Dana's legacy and underscore for the President just how serious I am about pursuing the promise of stem cell research."

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:46 AM | Comment

Mercury falling

PROVIDENCE -- Colder weather moves into the region today with the temperature in Providence expected to drop from 37 degrees this morning to 28 degrees by 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The day will also start out cloudy but become partly sunny. The wind will blow from the north between 9 and 14 mph.

The temperature should drop to about 11 degrees tonight and reach only 23 degrees tomorrow.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page includes photographs and a story on Rhode Islanders celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and a story about a Rhode Island inventor who was awarded $20 million after a jury found that his designs for a medical device were stolen.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 15, 2007

Photo: Flagging the cause of peace

Journal photo / Sandor Bodo
Rodney Byrd, 8, of Woonsocket, holds a string as peace flags are assembled for display across the stage at Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremonies at Woonsocket High School today. At left is Ty Scurry, 6, holding one of the flags, made by participants in a workshop, to be attached to the string.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:00 PM | Comment

Raucous Charlestown meeting airs again tonight

CHARLESTOWN – Town residents can watch the repeat of the Town Council’s raucous meeting last Thursday in which the town solicitor was replaced.

The meeting will be broadcast tonight at 8 p.m. on Cox Communications Public Access Channel 18 in Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton, and Westerly.

Councilman James M. Mageau said the tape will also show Council Vice President Harriet A. Allen staging the theft of a purse in the council chambers and then jokingly urging residents to call Homeland Security because the purse could contain a bomb. The incident occurred after the meeting, while Cox Cable was still filming, Mageau said.

Mageau said he is filing a criminal complaint against Allen.

That would be the second complaint filed since the new council took power in November, not including three open meetings complaints.

A criminal complaint, also filed by Mageau, against 17 South County residents, some with environmental interests, charging them of being “eco-terrorists” is still being reviewed, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General’s Office has found merit to three Open Meetings Act complaints against Mageau and fellow Councilmen John O. Craig Jr. and Bruce W. Picard.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

The first open meetings complaint, filed on Nov. 15, accuses then-council members-elect of violating the open meetings law by meeting without proper notice to discuss town affairs, namely the election of the new council president and vice president and the position of the town administrator.

Two other complaints were filed on Jan. 5. The first alleges that three members violated the open meetings law by trying to adopt an abbreviated version of a meeting’s minutes that did not reflect a vote taken, witnesses present, or an accurate description of council members’ comments at the meeting.

The second accuses the three council members of going into a closed session on Jan. 4 without properly disclosing the reason for such meeting. The minutes from the closed portion of the meeting have been sealed.

Council meetings in Charlestown have become true town affairs in the past months with residents packing the Council Chambers at every meeting, often chiding and reproaching the council’s votes and appointments.

Police officers have been assigned to all but one council meeting as a precaution.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:54 PM | Comment

Cranston police seek suspect in hit-and-run

CRANSTON -- The police have obtained an arrest warrant for a 27-year-old man accused of driving his Ford station wagon into a woman as she left church on Jan. 6, then fleeing.

The man, Arthur E. Logan, whose address was not released, faces a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury, according to a police statement. Police are searching for Logan.

The victim, 67-year-old Nancy Bacon, of Providence, had just left St. Paul Church at the corner of Warwick Avenue and Broad Street when she was hit.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:42 PM | Comment

Update: Man who fled into Blackstone River ID'd

WOONSOCKET – The police have identified the Woonsocket man who inexplicably ran from the police Saturday night and jumped into the river.

Louis J. Gauthier III, of 457 Wood Ave., told police that he didn't want to go to jail, just before running into the frigid waters of the Blackstone.

The police say they do not know why he ran. Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle said they have no outstanding arrest warrants for Gauthier.

Dive teams searched the water yesterday for 38-year-old local man, but have since called off the search, according to Houle.

Gauthier was pulled over on Bernon Street near Front Street when the police noticed his license plate was not properly illuminated. He fled moments after the police arrested a man who had been riding in the back seat of his car.

An officer saw the man jump into the river, but the police lost sight of him, Houle said.

When asked if he thinks the man is still alive, Houle replied, “I have no idea.”

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:22 PM | Comment

Group to rally for Providence minimum wage proposal

PROVIDENCE -- Supporters of a $10 minimum wage for employees of businesses receiving city tax breaks will rally this afternoon at City Hall, to try to revive the dormant proposal with the help of the late Dr. Martin Luther King.

Organizers with Rhode Island Jobs For Justice said that the rally will be a gathering of faith leaders, community activists, and political leaders to call for a higher minimum wage for the working poor, a cause they said that the slain civil rights leader supported during his life. The rally will start today at 5:15 p.m. in the Alderman's Chambers, on the 3rd floor.

The ordinance would set a minimum wage of $10.19 per hour for any company receiving a city tax break. It would also apply to any nonprofit organization that receives $100,000 annually from the city and has more than 25 employees. Qualifying businesses would have to provide health care to their employees, or pay an additional $1.78 hourly.

It would have also meant immediate raises to city employees earning less than $10.19, which city officials estimated would have cost Providence about $1.6 million in the next fiscal year. Supporters of the ordinance said it would cost far less.

At the end of last year, at the last meeting under the old council leadership, the bill was sent back to the council’s Finance Committee, and new Council President Peter S. Mancini has said it needs more work before it will return to the full council for consideration.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Ingrid Fernandez is a Providence School substitute clerk, and is one of the dozens of city employees who would be directly affected if the Living Wage Ordinance passes.

“I want City Council and the Mayor to realize that we just want to work and have a paycheck that is enough to live,” Fernandez said, “If my daughter, Genesis, who is three years old, gets sick, I can’t take time to be with her, or if I do, the wages are not enough.”

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:51 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID woman charged in purse snatchings

CRANSTON -- The police have released the name of the woman arrested Friday in connection with a string of purse snatchings over the past two years as Deirdre C. Brown, 25, of Providence.

She has been charged with seven misdemeanors and three felonies, and the Cranston police say she will likely face additional charges in six other Rhode Island communities, as well as several in Massachusetts.

The woman is accused of targeting the Western Hills Middle School and Woodridge Elementary School in Cranston; a pediatrician's office in Lincoln; the St. Philomena School in Portsmouth; and sites in Brockton, Norton and Attleboro, Mass.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:48 PM | Comment

What they're saying in San Diego about the Pats

What are the San Diego media saying about the New Englands Patriots' dramatic come-from-behind victory yesterday against the Charges?

The San Diego Union-Tribune has a story about the Patriots' post-game celebration. Aside from the highly-publicized comments from MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, the paper features comments from rookie quarterback Philip Rivers:

"Rivers said he saw some Patriots pointing to the scoreboard, doing Merriman's 'Lights Out' dance and stomping on the Chargers helmet logo at midfield. 'They won and they deserve a lot of credit,' Rivers said. 'Personally I was disappointed in the way they handled winning. I mean, for as much as everybody said they expected them to win, they didn't act like it.' "

Chargers.com has a story with reaction from Marlon McCree, the Chargers' defensive back who intercepted a Tom Brady pass only to be stripped by Troy Brown on a key play in the fourth quarter.

"Had McCree simply knocked the ball down instead of intercepting it, the Chargers would have taken possession at their own 41-yard line," reads the story. "Instead, New England had new life at the Bolts 32, but McCree was confident in his actions."

Meanwhile, Journal sports columnist Jim Donaldson has already filed his post-game story for tomorrow's Journal, saying:

"SAN DIEGO -- The Chargers woke up here this morning wondering how they had lost to the Patriots. If, that is, they slept at all during a tortured night of tossing and turning, going over and over in their anguished minds how they’d blown a game they certainly could have — and, arguably, should have — won."

Read the full story now on projo.com.

Browse more game and post-game coverage, and add your comments, at:
http://projo.com/patriots/

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:17 PM | Comment

MLK speaker talks of roles of legislators, church / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Kemi Odunaike, 5, of Providence, a member of the Aiuma Youth Choir of Rhode Island, performs at the 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast today.

CRANSTON -- The keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast today told about 650 people in attendance that they must be aware of the problems in their communities if they want people to fix them.

“Our legislators – their role is to get out and improve the process by improving education, which will lead us to income and justice,” said the Rev. Lonnie McCleod, pastor of the Church of Living Hope in East Harlem, N.Y. “Our role, as the church, is to read the handwriting on the wall.”

The Ministers’ Alliance of Rhode Island breakfast, held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, drew a host of political leaders: U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Governor Carcieri, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. (The newly elected mayor in Cranston, Michael T. Napolitano, was attending a funeral.)

The Ministers’ Alliance honored the company MetLife for being a major supporter of the alliance over the last 23 years, and gave out 24 scholarships to high school students, each worth $400.

The Aiuma Youth Choir of Rhode Island and the Mix Magic Theatre each sang several selections at the breakfast.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Extra: Browse other local Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.

Multimedia: Hear King's speeches, send e-cards and more.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:58 AM | Comment

Gas prices down 5 cents from last week

Good news if you’re traveling in the car today.

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have fallen an average of five cents per gallon in the last week, the third consecutive week of decreases, according to AAA Southern New England.

Regular unleaded gasoline at the self-serve pump is averaging $2.35 per gallon, according to AAA’s weekly survey of prices throughout the state. That’s down seven cents from three weeks ago.

A year ago, the average price was $2.38.

Prices for regular unleaded gasoline range from $2.25 to $2.49 in today’s survey.

Average prices for other types of gasoline follow: midgrade unleaded, $2.48; premium unleaded, $2.59; and diesel, $2.75.

On AAA’s Gas Savings Tips & Tools Web page, find the most up-to-date local gas prices.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:08 AM | Comment

Missing Portsmouth man found in good health

The 48-year-old Portsmouth man who had been missing since Thursday night has been found in Connecticut in good health.

The family of Brian J. Kinsella called the Portsmouth Police Department this morning, shortly before 9 a.m., to report that the man had been found, according to the police. The police and Kinsella’s family and friends had been looking for him since Thursday night, when he didn’t come home.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:57 AM | Comment

Traffic on Route 295 is slow this morning

Route 295 northbound is fairly congested this morning, from Route 95 to Route 6 East, according to the state’s congestion mapper, which shows how heavy traffic is on area roads.

With an average speed of 45 miles per hour, the road’s jam factor is a 4.5 on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the worst.

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.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:56 AM | Comment

Watch out for sleet, snow in parts of region

PROVIDENCE – Wouldn’t snow be better than this chilly rain?

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for northern Rhode Island, most of northern Connecticut, central and most of eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire because of the mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow expected to fall during the day and into tonight.

Here in Providence, it’s 34 degrees and raining, with more rain and patches of fog in today’s forecast. Doesn’t look as if we’ll get snow here.

The highest accumulation of snow and sleet is expected over southern New Hampshire, where one to four inches will accumulate before ending tonight.

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

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:08 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page includes a big photograph of Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski being mobbed by teammates after kicking the winning field goal in yesterday's game and a primer by John E. Mulligan on Rhode Island senators over the years.

Download today's front page.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 12, 2007

Sun for San Diego Sunday, snow here Monday?

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement that calls for up to an inch of snow in parts of Rhode Island Monday night.

"While details and timing of a potential significant ice or snow event are still to be determined, travelers should be prepared for the possibility of hazardous travel Monday," according to the weather service.

A combination of sleet, freezing rain and snow will affect much of New England, from Hartford to Worcester to New Hampshire, where "several inches" of snow are expected.

The forecast is a little different for Sunday afternoon in San Diego, where the New England Patriots will face the San Diego Chargers in a playoff game.

The weather service says that San Diego may actually see some "snow pellets" tonight, and there's a frost advisory on for overnight. But Sunday's forecast consists of mostly sunny skies with highs around 60 degrees. The probability of precipitation? Zero percent.

Get the latest local weather here, and check the San Diego forecast here.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:59 PM | Comment

Update: National Guard airmen return tomorrow

Thirty-seven airmen with the Rhode Island Air National Guard who were set to return this morning from the Middle East are delayed in Germany because of bad weather.

They are now expected to return to Quonset Air National Guard Base tomorrow at 10 a.m., according to National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Denis Riel, who confirmed this evening that the troops were in the air.

They were among 74 airmen deployed in September from the 143rd Airlift Wing for two- and four-month deployments.

The 143rd has been returning home recently, one at a time or in twos and threes. The remaining 20 airmen of that initial deployment four months ago should be home within the next two weeks, according to National Guard spokesman Denis Riel.

The 143rd airmen will return in a Rhode Island C-130 J. Some of the 143rd were based in Qatar and flying that C-130 J regularly into Iraq and Afghanistan.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:52 PM | Comment

Communities to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day

PROVIDENCE -- The state's official Martin Luther King Day celebration this Monday will feature music, discussion and a keynote address by a local college student.

It starts at 4 p.m. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, 475 Cranston St. The festivities on the federal holiday are expected to attract Governor Carcieri and a host of elected officials and community leaders.

But the event -- organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King State Holiday Commission -- is just one of several planned in our area to honor the fallen civil rights leader. They include:

Sunday, 4 p.m.
The Rhode Island Civil Rights Roundtable will host a celebration at the Providence Black Repertory Theater, 276 Westminster St., Providence. The free event will also focus on hot topics in civil rights, including the priorities of the Rhode Island Minority Legislative Caucus, the human trafficking problem in Rhode Island, racial profiling and improvements to witness identification procedures to help prevent wrongful convictions. It will conclude with a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m., including light refreshment.

Monday, 7 a.m.
The Ministers’ Alliance of Rhode Island will present the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. The featured speaker is the Rev. Lonnie McLeod, pastor of the Church of Living Hope, East Harlem, N.Y. This year's theme is "United We Stand."

Monday, 8 a.m. and noon
The Newport County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee's 22nd annual birthday celebration honoring Martin Luther King Jr. will be observed. The morning program begins at 8 with a prayer breakfast at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 12 Marlborough St., followed by the torch run that begins at at the 1st Rhode Island Regiment Monument, Route 24 at Route 114, Portsmouth, and the annual birthday program at 9:30 at Cranston-Calvert School, 15 Cranston Ave.

The annual lunch will be at noon at the Atlantic Beach Club Pavilion, 53 Purgatory Rd., Middletown. This year's guest speaker will be Vanessa Johnson, associate professor and director of student development and counseling at Northeastern University. Mistress of ceremonies will be Amanda Frye Leinhos, executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center.

Monday, 11:30 a.m.
As many as 200 local AmeriCorps members are expected to gather at the Holy Rosary Church, 21 Traverse St., Providence, to listen to speeches by community leaders. Then the group will disperse and head to a collection of workshops and volunteer activities such as quilting, cleaning India Point Park and visiting nursing homes.

Monday, noon
A mass rally to "Defend the Dream" is scheduled for the State House rotunda in Providence. The event, sponsored by the Peoples Assembly, will consist primarily of attendees reading King's own words.

Monday, 1 and 2 p.m.
The Providence Children's Museum will feature storytellers Valerie Tutson and Rochel Gardner Coleman's performance portraying civil rights activists King, Rosa Parks, Ralph Abernathy and others during the civil rights movement. Monday's performances will be at 1 and 2 p.m. at the museum, 100 South St., Providence.

Events elsewhere in the area include:

WOONSOCKET
“Walking in the Footsteps of Nonviolence," a day-long experience of community learning and celebration, will focus on the teachings of King, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Woonsocket High School, 777 Cass Ave.

FALL RIVER
Community breakfast: Bernard LaFayette Jr., director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island, will be the featured speaker at Bristol Community College's seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast on Monday at 7:30 a.m., at the Fall River campus, 777 Elsbree St. The breakfast is free, and the community is encouraged to attend.

As part of the celebration, Fall River Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. will introduce the winners of a high school essay contest and a middle-school poster contest based on a theme from King's speeches and writing. The college's Alumni Association will honor Tabitha and Robert White as its Distinguished African American Alumni award winners.

To schedule a reservation, contact Bristol Community College at (508) 678-2811, ext. 2150.

Interfaith prayer service: The Interfaith Council of Greater Fall River will conduct its annual interfaith service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), 146 Hanover St. The guest preacher will be the Rev. Denise Myers, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lowell, Mass. She will be joined by the Rev. Milne I. Johnson, pastor of Bethel AME Church, the Rev. Robert Lawrence of the First Congregational Church and the Rev. Marc H. Bergeron, pastor of St. Anne's Church who serves as ecumenical officer for the Diocese of Fall River. The event will be followed by a luncheon in the church hall.

LITTLE COMPTON
Interfaith service: A Service of Prayer and Reflection for Peace in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. at St. Andrew's By-The-Sea on Willow Avenue. The service, which is sponsored by area churches and the Sakonnet Peace Alliance, will include participants from different religious traditions.

-- Compiled by Journal and projo.com staff

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:33 PM | Comment

Woman, 21, turns self in after Johnston hit-run

JOHNSTON — A 21-year-old Johnston woman was arrested today and charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury, the police said.

Alicia Miller, of 32 Contillo Drive, was arrested when she went to the police station with her parents, according to Johnston Deputy Police Chief Gary W. Maddocks Jr.

The police say that Miller was the person who drove away after hitting and seriously injuring a 52-year-old Providence woman, Jane F. Williams, on Atwood Avenue at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Williams was battered by the Ford Escort’s front end, windshield and rearview mirror, and ended up on the sidewalk with a severely broken leg, according to Maddocks.

Police investigators lacked a physical description of the driver. But they did have the vehicle’s rearview mirror, which had broken off and fallen on the ground. That led them to believe that the car was probably a Ford Escort.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

In a Journal article today, the police described the suspect vehicle and asked the public to help them find the driver. Miller read the article herself and decided to turn herself in, Maddocks said.

“It was the right thing to do,” he said. “She fully cooperated with us on the investigation.”

She is being held at the police station pending an arraignment tonight, Maddocks said.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:05 PM | Comment

Arraignments in smoke-shop arrests delayed

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The prosecution of the Narragansett tribal members arrested in the July 2003 smoke-shop raid has been delayed one week at the request of the tribe’s lawyers, the Attorney General’s Office says.

Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six other Narragansetts face an array of criminal charges related to the state police raid on the tobacco shop the tribe opened on its lands in Charlestown. The police were acting on a search warrant issued by a state District Court judge to stop the sale of tax-free cigarettes. A violent struggle erupted when tribal members refused to accept the warrant.

Though some of those arrested appeared before justices of peace at the time of their arrest on July 14, 2003, District Judge Frank J. Cenerini last month ordered that they be formally arraigned in District Court. Those arraignments, originally set for Tuesday, have been rescheduled to Jan. 23.

The tribal members have also enlisted a new lawyer to assist in the case: William P. Devereaux, previously a casino lobbyist. Devereaux, who recently represented Roger Williams Medical Center, did not return a phone call placed to his Providence office today.

The charges had been on hold as federal court’s weighed what authority the state had. They were resurrected in November, when the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court’s ruling that the state police could enforce Rhode Island laws, against the tribe, on tribal land.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:00 PM | Comment

On deck: Pre-playoff sports entertainment

AP photo / Stephan Savoia
Richard Seymour carries his lunch to the team bus this afternoon as the Patriots prepare to leave their football facility in Foxboro.

The Patriots are on their way to San Diego. In the meantime, we have the Celtics.

The Green are at home tonight against their Atlantic Division rivals the Toronto Raptors. The teams in this horrible division are a combined 69-108; on the other hand, everyone is very close to first place. Tonight's action begins at 7:30.

All three of our big local college teams are in action on Saturday. PC is at Louisville at noon, URI is at Saint Joseph's at 2 (both games are on Cox TV), and Brown hosts Yale at 7.

As for Patriot Sunday, projo.com will have live pregame coverage on our PatsBlog beginning around 2 p.m. There will also be a pregame slideshow, photos and commentary throughout the game, and stories posted live as we get them on Sunday night. Go to our Patriots page to add some extra flavor to your Sunday football feast.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:54 PM | Comment

Pare: 'Bigger world out there beyond law enforcement'

SCITUATE -- Col. Steven M. Pare, the head of the Rhode Island State Police, sat down with The Journal in his office this afternoon to talk about his decision to retire after 26 years on the force.

Pare, 46, has led the state police since October 2001. He qualified for a full pension last year. The governor's office announced last night he would be retiring in February.

He said he started thinking about retirement since maxing out his pension benefit last June after 25 years of service. Since then it was always in the back of his mind, Pare said, but during the last month he began considering it more seriously and discussing it with family and close friends.

He said he realized that at 46 years old he had an opportunity to pursue other interests. “It’s a bigger world out there beyond law enforcement and law enforcement has been my world for 26 years,” he said.

Pare said that looming budget cuts that may lead to 54 layoffs at the state police did not impact his decision. Difficult budget discussions take place every year, he said.

Pare added that he plans to stay in Rhode Island. His wife still works as a school teacher here and his two daughters attend the University of Rhode Island. He said he had no definite plans for his next job.

Pare will be missed, according to State Police Maj. Steven O'Donnell.

"Next to my father, he’s the most honorable man I’ve ever met," O'Donnell said of Pare. "He has integrity, he has class, he’s a leader, he’s visionary, and he’ll be a loss for the state police.”

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:50 PM | Comment

Two more student arrests outside Woonsocket school

WOONSOCKET -- Two more Woonsocket Middle School students have been arrested, the police confirmed today, bringing the number of students charged with crimes outside the school this week to six -- a number that doesn't include two mothers involved in a brawl on Monday.

The latest arrests, which took place yesterday afternoon, are not related to Monday's melee, in which four students and two parents were arrested.

Yesterday afternoon, a 14-year-old girl was trying to cross the street after school. She was instructed by a teacher not to cross because of oncoming traffic, but the girl responded, "I'll cross wherever ... I want to cross," according to Detective Lt. Timothy Paul.

The girl then crossed the street, nearly getting hit by a white car, Paul said, noting that the girl then yelled and cursed at the driver.

A police officer, who was stationed at the school as part of the increased law enforcement presence after Monday's brawl, arrested the girl for disorderly conduct. As the officer was leading the girl to the police car, the girl's 13-year-old brother grabbed the officer by the back of his jacket, Paul said, in an apparent attempt to free his sister.

The brother was then placed under arrest, also charged with disorderly conduct.

The cases have been turned over to the juvenile detective division. The names of the children have not been released.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:31 PM | Comment

Invalid lottery tickets accidentally sold in Cranston

If you bought a lottery ticket at Oaklawn Mart on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston yesterday, it could be a dud.

The Rhode Island Lottery announced today that when a lottery terminal at the store broke, a GTECH technician “inadvertently” replaced the existing terminal with a model terminal that’s used for training sessions.

Model terminals are used to demonstrate how wagers are placed for online games, but they are not connected with the central lottery system for actually placing wagers. They print “sample” tickets, the Lottery said in a statement today.

About 70 sample tickets were printed by the model terminal before the error was recognized and a proper terminal was installed.

All of the sample tickets show a date of 1999. The Lottery is urging anyone who may have purchased a ticket at Oaklawn Mart yesterday to contact the Rhode Island Lottery at 463-6500, ext. 114.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:09 PM | Comment

Car crashes into South County Hospital building

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The main entrance to the Medical Office Building at South County Hospital is temporarily closed this afternoon after a driver crashed into the south side of the building.

As contractors work to repair the building, which houses doctor's offices and laboratories, patients have been diverted to other entrances. All physicians’ offices have been notified and are still seeing patients, hospital spokeswoman Cindy Wyman said.

The main entrance to the hospital’s Medical Laboratory, located inside the medical building, is also closed. Patients are being diverted through the hospital’s main entrance and into the staff entrance to the lab, Wyman said.

Shortly before noon, a man drove a Buick Roadmaster over the parking block and crashed against the south side of the medical building.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

The area has been temporarily cordoned off because the crash appeared to throw out of alignment a three-story glass curtain wall whose weight is estimated at 6,000 to 7,000 pounds.

“They don’t want the glass curtain wall to collapse, so they want to make sure that they can support that,” Wyman said.

Contractors are working through the afternoon to support the damaged area.

Contractors were already on site since the hospital is currently building a three-story 60-bed in-patient building and a 10-bed orthopedic unit.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:54 PM | Comment

Terrorism suspect speaks out from federal prison

Mohammed Yousuf Mullawala, whose arrest in Rhode Island last month has spawned a national anti-terrorism investigation, today denied that he is a terrorist.

"I’m not. One hundred percent, I am an innocent student,’’ said Mullawala in a telephone interview this morning from the Suffolk County House of Correction, where he is being held on an immigration violation of his student visa.

"I’m not here to do anyone to harm. Really … swear to god. I am here for doing good,’’ he said.

Mullawala spoke during a nearly hour-long interview with the Providence Journal. At times, he veered from questions and rambled off point. At times he was difficult to understand. But many of his answers were clear.

Mullawala said that when he asked to make an overseas phone call when he arrived at the Boston federal detention center, prison officials told him, `` `You are a terrorist. You are Number One. Go inside that room.’ ‘’

The 28-year-old Indian national was arrested Dec. 5, after his behavior at a Smithfield tractor-trailer driving school aroused suspicion.

According to the school’s owner and one of its instructors, Mullawala said he was not interested in learning how to back up a rig. He asked to buy software on hazardous materials, and pressed the school on how soon he could get a commercial driver’s license with a "HAZMAT" -- or hazardous materials -- permit.

Since then, investigators said Mullawala’s cell phone records show numerous calls to and from ``people of national interest’’ who are linked to ``terrorist-type activities.’’

``That is totally wrong. I didn’t make a single call to these kind of people … This is wrong. Not only that, this is like blaming for no reason …’’ he said.

Mullawala said he was recruited from overseas to attend Johnson & Wales University. While here, he says, he took computer classes and lived on Carpenter Street in Providence.

Asked about favorite places or restaurants he liked to visit in Rhode Island, Mullawala replied, ``As a student, I went to so many downtown clubs. I went to dance, to go out, hang out with girls. I go out to strip club, Foxy Lady,’’ and other nightclubs.

He said he was a Muslim, and as such, attended a mosque in North Smithfield and another in Providence.

He also asked for help.

``I’m begging. I’m asking, anybody who can help me, any student committee or student organization … Please, I need help from them.’’ He’s not needy, he said, ``but if anyone can help me anywhere, I will be appreciate.’’

-- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:15 PM | Comment

Authorities promote cell phone Amber alerts today

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Islanders can do more to help children in danger.

A host of state officials will meet at the State House this afternoon to promote cell phone alerts available through the Amber Alert system, designed to notify the public when children have been abducted and are believed to be in immediate danger.

The alert, named for a 9-year-old Texas girl who was kidnapped and murdered, was set up to swiftly publicize over the broadcast media and on highway signs. Rhode Island adopted the system in September 2002.

Today's press conference, hosted by Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Rhode Island State Police Capt. James Swanberg, is being held to promote National AMBER Alert Awareness Day, which is technically tomorrow, the 11th anniversary of Amber's death.

The group will promote a new Amber alert postage stamp and cell phone alerts that are being added to the Amber system. Rhode Islanders can sign up on the Amber Alert Web site to be notified when an alert is posted.

Today's press conference is set for 1:30 p.m. in the State House's State Room.

Once the local police know a child has been abducted and believed to be in imminent danger, they contact the state police to issue an Amber Alert. Once the state police determine that the matter does meet the Amber Alert criteria, the system can be activated in minutes, according to the State Police, which oversees the program. The alert puts out a description of the child, kidnapper, and a suspected vehicle that's broadcast on radio and television stations, and on highway signs, so the public can react quickly.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:59 AM | Comment

Police to walk the beat at Woonsocket Middle School

Woonsocket Middle School will soon have a police resource officer walking the halls on a regular basis.

Mayor Susan D. Menard has authorized adding a resource officer at the school in response to the fight Monday involving four girls, two mothers and a teacher.

The superintendent of Woonsocket schools, Maureen B. Macera, said Wednesday she intended to request such an officer of the mayor. As in many districts around the state, the high school in Woonsocket already has a resource officer dedicated to the school.

“I feel it would be a very good preventive tool,” Macera said about having an officer in the middle school.

Menard said today that she has instructed the superintendent to meet with the chief of police to work out the details about getting an officer into the middle school.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:06 AM | Comment

Two women suspected in Cape dog beheading

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- Two Mashpee women arraigned on charges of threatening the owner of a pit bull who found the animal's severed head on her car are now facing additional charges.

Just hours after Rebecca Clancy and Kelly Hayden were released on bail Thursday on charges of intimidating a witness, a Falmouth District Court magistrate issued forgery and uttering charges against them.

Clancy and Hayden, who operate a kennel in Mashpee on Cape Cod, were arrested Wednesday after a 22-year-old woman told police they threatened her after she found her dog's severed head in a tin on her car last week. They pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of threatening, intimidating a witness and assault related to that incident.

Hayden and Clancy, both 24, are suspects in the beheading of the woman's dog, according to court records. They have not been charged in the dog's killing.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:02 AM | Comment

Snow could be moving in this weekend

PROVIDENCE – It’s beginning to look a bit like winter – particularly when you look at the night forecast for the next few days.

Today will be mostly cloudy with a high near 50. We could have rain overnight and will most likely have rain showers tomorrow as well.

Then, the National Weather Service predicts snow three times over the next couple days. There’s a 30 percent chance of snow and sleet tomorrow night, a 50 percent chance of rain or snow on Sunday and what they’re calling a “wintry mix” on Monday night, which includes a 70 percent chance of snow.

We’re probably not talking snow-day conditions, but still. Snow. We haven’t seen much of that this winter.

So bundle up and stay warm. And check back with us for the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page includes stories about the arraignments of two Woonsocket mothers arrested after a brawl outside the middle school and a report about the opposition in Congress to President Bush's order to send more troops to Iraq.

Download the front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 11, 2007

Pare, head of state police, retiring at 46

The head of the Rhode Island State Police is retiring, after 26 years on the force, and at age 46.

Col. Steven M. Pare will leave in February, the governor's office confirmed early this evening.

Pare, of Cranston, has been the agency's top official since October 2001, when he was appointed by former Gov. Lincoln Almond. He has been with the state police since 1980.

In a statement released by the governor's office, Pare noted that he reached the maximum retirement age in June 2005. He declined to comment by phone tonight.

“Now that I’ve reached retirement age, and now that Governor Carcieri has completed his first term, this seems the appropriate time to look for new opportunities,” Pare said in the statement. “I love the State Police, but I believe I should make this move while I’m still young enough to have a second career.”

At the governor’s request, Pare has agreed to continue in his post until the end of February while a new superintendent is identified.

“Over the last 26 years, Colonel Pare has been a tremendous public servant,” Governor Carcieri said in a statement. “In fact, he has given his entire adult life to protect the people of Rhode Island. Rising through the ranks to become superintendent, Colonel Pare demonstrated the talent, leadership and sense of duty to lead the state police through the early years of the 21st century."

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:05 PM | Comment

On deck: Action at the high school level

It's pretty quiet on the area college and professional sports front tonight.

The Boston Bruins face off against the New York Islanders on home ice tonight, starting at 7 p.m.

Outside of that, you'll find more action on the local high school scene, with boys' and girls' basketball games on tap, as well as wrestling.

For a full list of today's high school events, click here.

Speaking of high school, it's time for the announcement of The Providence Journal's All-State teams for fall 2006. You'll find who's been selected, plus a new, Web-only feature. Each of our first-team athletes will have his or her own personal Web space. There, you'll be able to see their achievements during the fall season, browse photo galleries and find out a little more about these top young athletes.

Just go to http://projo.com/highschool.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:02 PM | Comment

Update: Langevin vocal in House OK of stem cell bill

WASHINGTON -- Setting up a veto confrontation with President Bush, the Democratic-ruled House of Representatives moved today to expand federally subsidized embryonic stem cell research.

The House voted 253 to 174 to lift Bush's 2001 ban on most federally financed research into potential medical treatments derived from stem cells in human embryos.

The bill is identical to legislation that Bush vetoed last year. Today's majority was not enough to override a veto, but Democrats control both the House and Senate now so they can attempt parliamentary maneuvers to pursue their goals more easily than before.

Nevertheless, opponents of the bill said their hand has been strengthened by reports on stem cell research that does not require the destruction of human embryos. Opponents of embryonic stem cell research say it is morally wrong to destroy living embryos.

Embryonic stem cell research holds out hope for millions and "can be done ethically,'' said Rep. James R. Langevin, D-R.I., a prominent supporter of the research, in addressing the House today. Fellow Rhode Island Democrat Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy also voted for the bill.

The debate renewed a quandary that Langevin resolved in favor of embryonic stem cell research, shortly after he came to Congress on 2001.

-- Journal staff writer John E. Mulligan

Scientists reported days ago on research suggesting that stem cells from a woman's amniotic fluid may have the same property that makes embryonic stem cells such a promising avenue in the quest for medical treatment breakthroughs. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of human tissue. But amniotic fluid is routinely taken from pregnant women during checkups, so the stem cells taken from it do not require the destruction of embryos.

The report prompted House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, an opponent of embryonic stem cell research, to ask the Democrats to delay their push to roll back the research restrictions.

Langevin said the new finding about amniotic stem cells "doesn't really change the debate for me.'' He called the report "`exciting'' but cautioned that "eureka'' studies on potential medical breakthroughs can prove disappointing.

Langevin said that even if further research bears out this early finding on amniotic cells, "the right thing to do'' is to pursue every avenue of research.

Langevin's own medical condition -- a crippling injury almost 26 years ago that confines him to a wheelchair -- has given him a significant voice in the stem cell debate. Langevin has said the shooting accident that severed his spinal cord made him acutely sensitive to the value of human life. He often cites the experience in explaining why he opposes abortion.

At the same time, Langevin has said his handicap helps him to identify with those who place hope in the prospect of stem cell-related treatments for a wide array of afflictions, from spinal cord injuries to various diseases.

He recalled in a speech how he was told after his accident years ago "that I'd never walk again.'' Still, Langevin said he has held onto the hope of "a miracle of science and prayer'' -- a hope that stem cell research has kindled.

Scientists hope to learn much from embryonic stem cells about how it is that a single living cell can contain all the makings of a full-grown human being.

The research raises difficult issues of right and wrong because it uses frozen embryos left over from in vitro fertilization -- the modern technique that has enabled many infertile couples to have offspring. The extraction of the stem cells destroys the embryo that contained them.

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research put the frozen embryo on the same moral footing with the embryo inside a woman. It is equally wrong to destroy either form of human life, they argue.

But much of the public, particularly abortion rights supporters, disagree. Public polls suggest that embryonic stem cell research enjoys wide support.

Langevin is among the comparatively few legislators on the middle -- opposing abortion but holding that the destruction of embryos for obtain stem cells is permissible. He has based his position on two main points. One is that the lifesaving and curative power of embryonic stem cells is too rich to be dismissed easily. Langevin also notes that the stores of frozen human embryos are large. Most if not all of those embryos are destined to be discarded in any event, he maintains, so it is proper to use them in research intended to alleviate suffering.

In the view of some foes of embryonic stem cell research, Bush himself struck something of a moral compromise when he permitted one exception to his ban on federal subsidies for the research. Bush decided in August 2001 to support federal spending to explore the very few lines of stem cell that had already been taken from embryos.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:56 PM | Comment

New Cranston mayor fires highway chief

CRANSTON -- Mayor Michael T. Napolitano has fired the head of highway maintenance, Arthur J. Jochmann II, in his first personnel decision outside his personal staff. He did not name a replacement.

Napolitano cited "issues" in the highways division, but would not elaborate. Jochmann could not be reached for comment.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:43 PM | Comment

Update: Ailing mobster gets 56 months for extortion

PROVIDENCE -- A longtime capo regime in the Patriarca crime family was sentenced this afternoon to serve almost five years in federal prison for extortion.

In July, Anthony M. “The Saint,” St. Laurent, of Johnston, pleaded guilty to conspiring to extort $100,000 from a pizza parlor owner and a second Massachusetts man. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to ask for the minimum sentence.

U.S. District Judge William Smith gave St. Laurent 56 months, which falls in the middle of the sentencing range he could have applied.

St. Laurent wore a prison-issued khaki outfit and sat in a wheelchair in today's sentencing. He addressed the court before the sentence was issued and spoke about his health problems. He said he has "cement" in his bowels.

St. Laurent suffers from a myriad of health ailments including congestive heart failure, back problems and dysfunctional bowels. At a past hearing, his lawyer, John F. Cicilline, said that St. Laurent takes "40 enemas a day."

In applying the sentence, Smith noted that the conviction was St. Laurent's 17th. The punishments are not working, the judge said, noting that he would have given St. Laurent more time if he was in better health.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

The extortion plot dates to last spring when an FBI agent received information from a confidential informant. The informant agreed to wear a hidden microphone and participate in the investigation.

On April 4, the informant and an associate met with St. Laurent, at the mobster’s house at 2 Rotary Drive, in Johnston. St. Laurent provided both men with instructions to head to Massachusetts and collect money from “two guys.” A third man, named “Larry,” St. Laurent said, was also going to be part of the collection crew.

St. Laurent told the men that if the two men refused to pay, “you give ’em a smack or something and tell them not to go to the cops or we’re coming at you.”

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:38 PM | Comment

Governor replaces two Beacon board members

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri moved today to replace two longtime board members of Beacon Mutual Insurance, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer.

Raymond C. Coia and Michael J. Ruggieri will join the board, replacing George Nee and Henry Boeniger, whose terms expired on November 29.

Carceri last year waged an unsuccessful legal fight to oust Boeniger and Nee, two union-backed Democrats, before their terms expired. Both seats are gubernatorial appointments.

The governor's effort to oust Nee, secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO in Rhode Island, and Boeniger, government relations director for the National Education Association Rhode Island, followed the release, in April, of an independent report on Beacon by a team led by former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond. The report turned up evidence that Beacon gave preferential insurance rates to some large companies and maintained "inappropriate relationships" with certain insurance agents.

The governor has accused Nee and Boeniger, board members for more than a decade, of presiding over the mismanagement of Beacon.

Both new apointees also have ties to organized labor.

Coia is a coordinator for the New England Laborers’ Tri-Funds in Providence. Ruggieri is president of the Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council in Cranston. State law requires that all board members be Beacon Mutual policyholders.

“The cost of workers’ compensation insurance is felt especially among employers in the building and construction trades industry, where the risks of on-the-job injuries are so much greater. Ray Coia and Michael Ruggieri understand the impact that workers’ compensation costs have on these companies, and their expertise on the Beacon Mutual Board of Directors will be invaluable,” Carcieri said in a statement released this afternoon announcing the appointments.

When reached this afternoon, Nee said, "I have nothing but praise for those appointments.''

"I have worked with them both in the labor community for years and they are both solid, reputable people,'' he said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:13 PM | Comment

Update: Rte. 4 lanes in N. Kingstown reopened

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- All lanes on Route 4 North are open again after a Bobcat construction vehicle toppled off a trailer and closed both lanes, forcing traffic into the breakdown lane.

No other vehicle was struck, according to the state police, who responded to the 12:40 p.m. accident just north of Route 102. No injuries have been reported, but traffic was backed up on the roadway, according to traffic.com.

A tow truck removed the Bobcat from the roadway around 1:45 p.m. The vehicle had flipped onto its side and could not be driven away, according to the police.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:59 PM | Comment

Photo: Saluting the City's top police graduate

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

Newly sworn-in Providence Police Patrolman Douglas Steele, right, salutes Officer Michelle L. Braga as she presents him with the honor graduate award for being at the top of his 30-member class at the 64th Providence Police Training Academy. Braga was one of the instructors in the academy. The graduation ceremony took place at Sapinsley Hall at Rhode Island College.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:52 PM | Comment

Judge denies new trial for Urciuoli, Driscoll

PROVIDENCE -- Two former executives of Roger Williams Medical Center have lost their bid for a new trial.

At a hearing today, U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres denied motions by Robert A. Urciuoli and Frances P. Driscoll, who were convicted last October of corruption in the hiring of a state senator, John Celona.

That sets the stage for the two to be sentenced on Jan. 31.

Celona, who testified against Urciuoli and Driscoll after admitting to charges that he sold his office, is also scheduled to be sentenced that day.

Previous court dates have been postponed due to Celona’s continued cooperation in a widening State House influence-peddling probe. The former longtime North Providence senator has admitted selling his office to Roger Williams, CVS and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

Michael J. Connolly, Urciuoli’s lawyer, argued today that the evidence in last fall’s 3-1/2-week trial did not support the jury’s verdict that his client had stolen the honest services of Celona.

Kevin J. Bristow, Driscoll’s lawyer, argued that his client’s conviction on a single count of mail fraud, tied to a check for Celona’s services in April 2000, was not supported by any evidence at trial of any illicit actions that month.

But Torres rejected the defense arguments as too narrow to justify either’s case to have the conviction overturned, through a judgment of acquittal, or to grant their motion for a new trial.

Urciuoli, the former president of Roger Williams, was convicted of one count of conspiracy and 35 counts of mail fraud. Driscoll, a former hospital vice president, was acquitted of conspiracy but convicted of one count of mail fraud.

Urciuoli and Driscoll plan to appeal.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:47 PM | Comment

Woonsocket moms arraigned in middle school brawl

PROVIDENCE -- Two Woonsocket mothers who were arrested along with their daughters after a brawl outside Woonsocket Middle School Monday answered charges this morning in District Court, Providence.

One of the mothers, Ana Rivera, pleaded not guilty to a simple assault charge, which alleges that she punched the 13-year-old daughter of Maribel Santiago.

Appearing before Judge Michael A. Higgins, Rivera, 44, was asked through an interpreter if she accepts the misdeanor charge.

"No, that's false," she said. Her case was turned over to the public defender, and she is scheduled to return to court Jan. 29.

Maribel Santiago, the other mother, pleaded no contest to a simple assault charge, which alleges that she punched vice principal Robert J. Picard, who intervened in the scuffle.

She was given a one-year filing, the lowest level of punishment for first time offenders. If she stays out of trouble for that period, the charge will not be on her permanent record.

-- Journal staff write Kia Hall Hayes

Both women were arrested Monday after a fight outside the middle school, which is New England's largest middle school with 1,500 students. Police and school officials allege that Rivera drove her daughter--whom they claim was suspended -- to the school to initate a fight with Santiago's daughter.

Officials say that Rivera also assaulted Santiago’s daughter after the two girls began fighting, and that Santiago punched Picard in the face when he tried to break up the altercation. Rivera’s hand was cut in the brawl, but officers have found no evidence that a weapon was used.

Santiago and Rivera's daughters, as well as two other 13-year-old girls who made threats, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. The four girls were suspended from school.

Interviewed after her arraignment, Rivera gave a different account than has been provided by police and school officials. She said that her daughter was not suspended at that time, but she told her to stay home from school for her own protection.

"I told my daughter not to go to school, because they were going to jump my daughter," she said. Her daughter, who came to the arraignment with her, nodded in agreement.

Santiago, however, has said that it was Rivera and her daughter who were making threats, and that Santiago went to the school to collect her daughter and bring her home.

Not so, says Rivera.

After ordering her daughter to stay home, Rivera said she went to work. But the other girls continued calling the house and taunting the girl, prompting her to walk to the school to face them.

"I was like 'Oh really?,' so I left the house and went to school to fight the girl," Rivera's daughter said.

When Rivera called her daughter and found out she was on her way to confront the other girls, she drove to the school to stop the fight. In her effort to intervene, her hand was cut.

"I was trying to separate the girls," she said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:47 AM | Comment

Connecticut Democrat Dodd will run for president

NEW YORK -- Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd announced today he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, saying problems at home and abroad meant it was time for him to "get out of the bleachers and onto the arena floor."

Dodd, a 26-year Senate veteran, told the "Imus in the Morning" radio show he will file paperwork to establish a campaign committee later in the day.

"I know how to do this. I know what has to be done. I'm going to get out and make my case," Dodd said. He described himself as a dark horse in a Democratic field dominated by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois - neither of whom have yet entered the race.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:15 AM | Comment

Warren shipbuilder honored at Boat Show

Before the 14th annual Providence Boat Show officially opens today at noon, a legendary shipbuilder, philanthropist, inventor and entrepreneur who died in September will be honored posthumously as the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association 2007 Boater of the Year.

Three daughters of Luther H. Blount, whom friends called “an institution of Warren,” will accept the award for their father at 11:30 a.m. during the boat show’s opening ribbon cutting ceremony on the 2nd floor of the Rhode Island Convention Center, according to the association.

Blount, who died at 90, held more than 20 patents, owned several cruise lines and shipbuilding companies, created more than 300 vessels and donated millions to local institutions to protect the waterfront and support shellfish research.

“The Boater of the Year Award was given in recognition of Mr. Blount’s extraordinary lifetime of accomplishment and exceptional contributions as inventor, entrepreneur, shipbuilder, cruise line inventor, philanthropist, aquaculturist, explorer, historian, father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” said Gerry DiSchino, president of the association, who will present the award to Blount’s family.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The boat show, held at the Convention Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, continues through Sunday. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets cost $12, with free admittance for children under 12.

Read Journal staff writer Tom Meade's story about the market for boats.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:49 AM | Comment

Another Mollis son arrested, for shoplifting

The 17-year-old son of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis was arrested and accused of shoplifting at Providence Place mall on Tuesday night, the second of Mollis’ children to have a brush with police in a week.

Capt. Keith Tucker, head of the Providence Police Department’s Youth Services Bureau, confirmed today that Angelo Mollis was brought to the police station and that his father came to the station and took him home.

Tucker declined further comment, citing the younger Mollis’ status as a juvenile. He said that the matter was referred to Family Court and will follow the usual process and that no special treatment was sought or given.

According to people familiar with the situation, Angelo Mollis allegedly tried to take a $10 shirt at J.C. Penney.

The elder Mollis’ first week in office was marred by the arrest last Wednesday night of his 19-year-old stepson, Gian Piscione, on a charge of attempted murder and by questions about how the police handled two other incidents involving the youth last year.

Mollis issued the following statement, which is included in the extended entry.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

In a statement, Mollis said: ``My family, like other families, faces personal struggles every day. My family is well aware that when they make mistakes, they will face the consequences of their actions. They are also aware that they will face those consequences and challenges with the love and support of a strong, close family.

``As a public official who holds dear the trust and confidence of Rhode Island, I know that my family must be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability. We will continue to strive to meet the standards Rhode Islanders expect and deserve.

``I have been accessible and forthright to the media during this difficult week, and I respect the media's responsibility to pursue these matters. I would ask, in the best interests of my family which I love very much as well as the proud office I hold and people I serve, that some privacy be provided to my family during this time.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:28 AM | Comment

R.I. Guard won't be among the first to fill Bush's order

As 37 airmen with the Rhode Island Air National Guard are about to arrive home from Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar tomorrow, the number of Rhode Islanders at war is decreasing, despite President Bush’s call last night to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.

The returning airmen were among 74 deployed in September from the 143rd Airlift Wing for two- and four-month deployments. The 143rd has been returning home recently, one at a time or in twos and threes, according to National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Denis Riel. The remaining 20 airmen of that initial deployment four months ago should be home within the next two weeks, Riel said.

And for now, the National Guard is not sending another group in to replace those 74. Thus, the Guard will be down to 157 Rhode Island Army National Guardsmen left in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 3,400 Rhode Island Guard troops have been deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.

As for the president’s suggested surge in troops, Riel stressed that those troops will come primarily from active-duty Army troops already in the region whose tours will be extended and the early deployment of active-duty Army troops and Marines who are already scheduled to go to Iraq.

“We don’t see any initial impact on not only the Rhode Island National Guard but on the National Guard as a whole,” Riel said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The 143rd airmen will return tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. to the Quonset Air National Guard base, in a Rhode Island C-130 J. Some of the 143rd were based in Qatar and flying that C-130 J regularly into Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Rhode Island Air National Guard was responsible for supplying those 74 airmen for four months out of every 20 months, Riel explained. Rhode Island also had a commitment to supply an aircraft for two years, and that commitment has come to an end.

As for sending more airmen, it will be 16 months from now that “we’ll be on the hook again,” Riel said. Additionally, some members of the Rhode Island Army National Guard have already been alerted that they’ll be deployed later this year, but they don’t yet know when they’ll be going, he said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:48 AM | Comment

Police stop leads to fugitive, gun charges

EAST PROVIDENCE – When the state police stopped an SUV on Route 195 East for speeding around 1:30 a.m. today, they discovered two men who were wanted, one as a fugitive from justice in Ohio, and a loaded .45 caliber handgun under the driver’s seat.

The driver, 27-year-old Clentonio Watson, of Fall River, was wanted for failing to appear in District Court, Providence, on a charge of driving without a license. Watson, of 2 Weaver St., was charged again with driving without a license, according to State Police Lt. David Neill.

Watson’s passenger, 25-year-old Shawn Lumpkin of the same address in Fall River, is wanted in Ohio for felony possession of dangerous drugs, Neill said. He was charged as a fugitive from justice, and Ohio police have said they’ll move to extradite him, according to Neill.

With the arrest of both men, the car was impounded. That’s when the police found the loaded handgun under the driver’s seat, Neill said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Both men will be arraigned this morning in District Court, Providence, where they will also be charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of marijuana, conspiracy to possess a firearm and conspiracy to possess marijuana, Neill said.

The police do not know if the men had plans to use the firearm, Neill said. They’ll ask the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to run a trace on the gun.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:05 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident near entrance ramp to 295, Johnston

A tractor trailer carrying canned peaches rolled over on Shun Pike this morning, just before the entrance ramp for exit 5 onto Route 295 north, over near the state Central Landfill.

No one was injured in the 6:55 a.m. accident, and no other cars were involved, State Police Lt. David Neill said.

The accident has not obstructed access to the highway and doesn’t seem to be affecting traffic, Neill said.

The peaches have not spilled onto the roadway, Neill said.

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 Jack Perry at 7:19 AM | Comment

All-State Friday on projo.com

The Providence Journal's All-State section for the fall 2006 season is out tomorrow, and projo.com will offer enhanced coverage of the All-State selections.

Each of our first-team athletes will have his or her own personal Web space where you will be able to see their achievements during the fall season, browse photo galleries and find out a little more about these top young athletes.

Just call up http://www.projo.com/highschool on Friday.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 7:17 AM | Comment

Cool and clear

PROVIDENCE -- Today will be sunny with a high near 39 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

That high is considerably colder than what we've had many days this winter, but it's still warmer than normal, according to the weather service. The normal high for today is 37 degrees.

The temperature should drop to 29 degrees -- about nine degrees higher than the normal low -- tonight under partly cloudy skies.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page includes stories about President Bush's proposal to send more troops to Iraq and the state's plan to sell a building that houses a strip club.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 10, 2007

Update: Like other Dems, Reed critical of Bush's plan

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a powerful Democratic voice on military matters in the Senate, said today that President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq is "too little and too late."

Bush is scheduled to make a primetime address to the American people tonight in which he will reportedly outline a plan to substantially increase troop levels to battle sectarian violence in Iraq.

"Like most Rhode Islanders and many military leaders, I think the president's plan is going to be too little, and too late," Reed said in a statement released today. "If 20,000 troops is the proposal, it will probably be inadequate, just as this fall’s increase in troop levels in Baghdad was unsuccessful. The president and others can try to paint this as a dramatic and aggressive move, but the key factor in Iraq remains reaching a political resolution among sectarian factions."

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Reed is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as well as a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Yesterday, Rhode Island's two congressmen dismissed Bush's reported plan as inadequate. A Gallup poll released yesterday shows that most Americans agree.

Sixty-one percent of the nation is opposed to an escalation in Iraq, while 36 percent supports the president's plan. The poll found that support for a troop surge mirrors the president's approval rating, which stands at 37 percent.

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., released a statement yesterday dismissing the president's proposal as "misguided."

"While our armed forces have heroically pursued their mission in Iraq, I don't believe any objective observer thinks that a gradual escalation of 20,000 troops will fundamentally change the unfortunate realities on the ground in Iraq. Indeed, we have tried this strategy in the past and it has failed each time," Kennedy said. "The president's proposed escalation is not a change, it's just another chapter in his stubborn refusal to base policy in reality. It's time to begin transitioning the mission and bringing our troops home, not sending even more into harm's way."

Rep. James R. Langevin, D-R.I., feels the same way.

"I have long stated that the time for U.S. military involvement has run its course and must come to an end. I firmly believe sending 20,000 more troops into Iraq will do little to strengthen Iraqi security and help to bring peace to the region," Langevin said in a statement released today.

He continued: "As I have stated in the past, it is time to make a significant shift away from combat activities while continuing to train and advise the Iraqi military. The Iraqi government must understand that we do not plan to be in Iraq indefinitely, and they must step in soon to ensure their own security."

Reed said that a surge in American troops would prevent the Iraqis from playing a more serious role in their own security.

"The president has to get the Iraqis to step up," Reed said. "And if they are going to step up, then the size of our force is less important than the commitment of the Iraqi government to fundamental changes in their approach to sharing power and resources as well as addressing the militias."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:24 PM | Comment

Sports tonight: URI takes act on the road

The Rhode Island Rams look to win their third straight Atlantic 10 game when they play at Saint Louis. The Billikens are 0-2 in conference play. The game begins at 8; it is not on TV, but you can catch it on the radio on WJZS-FM (99.7), or WHJJ-AM (920).

Staying on the hardwood, the Celtics are back in Boston tonight to take on the Indiana Pacers (19-16). The game begins at 7:30.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:31 PM | Comment

Update: N. Kingstown woman found in Providence

Authorities have located a 69-year-old local woman who had been missing from her North Kingstown residence since about 7:15 last night.

The Providence Police found Irene McMann in downtown Providence this afternoon, in the area of 58 Weybosset St., after responding to reports of a woman who appeared to be disoriented, a North Kingtown Police news release stated.

McMann was taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to the police. She appears to be in good health.

The police did not suspect foul play in McMann's disappearance. They had spent much of today searching for the North Kingstown woman with rescue dogs.

"Police hope to speak with her in the near future in order to determine how she managed to get to Providence," the news release stated.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:50 PM | Comment

Prosecutors in Cape slaying deny racial bias on jury

BOSTON -- Remarks allegedly made by several jurors who convicted a black trash collector of killing a white fashion writer may have been "insensitive," but did not show racial bias on the part of the jurors, prosecutors said.

An attorney for Christopher McCowen last month submitted sworn affidavits from three jurors who claim three other jurors made disparaging racial remarks about black people during deliberations.

McCowen was convicted in November in the 2002 rape and murder of Christa Worthington, a fashion writer who was found fatally stabbed in her Cape Cod home, with her 2-year-old daughter clinging to her body. The girl was not harmed.

McCowen, 34, who was Worthington's trash collector, claimed he had consensual sex with her but said a friend of his killed her.

McCowen's attorney, Robert George, is asking a judge to hold a hearing on the allegations as part of his bid for a new trial, arguing the three jurors were biased against McCowen and their remarks may have influenced other jurors.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:57 PM | Comment

Lunchtime was quiet outside DOT office/strip club

PROVIDENCE -- Shortly after noon, a Department of Transportation employee puffs on a cigarette outside the front door of her One Franklin Square office.

She pays little attention as a middle-aged man parks his black SUV next to a white DOT truck in the parking lot in front of her. The man tucks his shirt into his slacks as he walks in her direction.

He doesn't ring the buzzer to enter the DOT special projects office. Instead, the man rounds the corner and heads for the main door marked, "Desire ENTRANCE."

The strip club, which occupies the first floor of the state-owned building, opened at noon. Inside the small club, "lovely Sarah" dances on a small stage in a black thong as Desire employees set up the complimentary lunch buffet.

Led Zeppelin's D'yer Mak'er blasts through the sound system.

A club employee says he hasn't seen the front page story in today's Journal, which details terms of the club's agreement with the State of Rhode Island.

You can't hear Led Zeppelin at the DOT entrance. And there's no sign of the security detail provided by the club "to keep parties away from DOT personnel from noon to 5 p.m. each afternoon."

The DOT worker, who wouldn't give her name because she "values her job," said she didn't understand the fuss. The DOT and the club have been sharing the three-story brick building on Allens Avenue just off Eddy Street for years.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:49 PM | Comment

R.I. Guard members returning Friday

CRANSTON -- About three dozen airmen from the Rhode Island National Guard will return home Friday -- after spending four months overseas.

The airmen from the 143rd Airlift Wing were deployed in September and served in various locations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar.

Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, the state adjutant general, says this has been the sixth tour of duty for some returning airmen.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:33 PM | Comment

School chief: Adults need to learn nonviolence

The Woonsocket schools superintendent said today she plans to take an aggressive stance against the feud between two 13-year-old girls that led to the arrest of the girls, their mothers and two other female students.

At tonight’s School Committee meeting, Supt. Maureen B. Macera plans to ask parents in the school district to speak with their community leaders – at local churches, housing corporations and health centers – to explore how everyone can work together “to help educate the adults on nonviolent behavior.”

“I want everyone at the table,” she said.

The school has nonviolence programs – for its students – but it’s not enough, Macera said.

Although the district had involved a social worker, counselor and school administrators to mediate between the two girls who fought on Monday, Macera said it hadn’t worked.

If students are going home and the nonviolent message isn’t enforced – “and very much the opposite is enforced” – more must be done, she said. “Home and community pressures or parental pressures” were too strong, in this case, for the school intervention to work, Macera said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

“Now this is an isolated incident,” Macera said of the Monday afternoon fight that broke out when one mother drove her already suspended daughter to the school to fight another girl. “But I’m going to take a much more aggressive stance with it because I don’t want even the slightest opportunity for this to occur again.”

Macera said the two mothers will attend a hearing sometime this week before a disciplinary officer for the Woonsocket School District before the case goes before the School Committee. The superintendent doesn’t typically attend such hearings, but Macera said she’s making an exception in this case and plans to be there.

Tonight’s School Committee meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center, 400 Aylesworth Ave., in Room 303. The superintendent typically offers her report at the end of the meetings, but she said she’ll ask the committee chairman if she can address the community before the meeting starts.

Macera said she doesn’t know what prompted the fight.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:22 PM | Comment

Bus companies to pay for violating clean air rules

Three bus companies in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts have agreed to pay $237,000 in penalties and to install new filters on most of their buses to settle violations of federal clean air and clean water rules.

The companies that reached a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are Bonanza Acquisition in Rhode Island, Arrow Line Acquisition in Connecticut and Peter Pan Bus Lines in Massachusetts – all of which are owned by Peter Pan Bus Lines Trust of Springfield, Mass.

In announcing the settlement today, the EPA said all three companies violated Clean Water Act storm water permit requirements and violated federal oil spill prevention regulations and associated spill prevention plan requirements. In addition, the EPA said, Peter Pan violated the vehicle idling limitations in Massachusetts.

In addition to monetary fines, Peter Pan also agreed to perform an environmental project. The company will equip nearly its entire New England passenger bus fleet with new filters to minimize storm water pollution from bus oil leaks.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:05 AM | Comment

Original Christmas Tree Shops store closing

YARMOUTH, Mass. -- The original Christmas Tree Shops store in Yarmouth is closing at the end of the month when its lease is up because it is too cramped and out of date, the store's parent company says.

The layout of the facility is too cumbersome and difficult to maintain, the company said. The store has inadequate parking and has difficulty competing in the current retail climate.

The store's 18 employees will be transferred to the chain's other six stores on Cape Cod, company spokesman William Gilooly told the Cape Cod Times.

The store was opened in 1971 by Charles and Doreen Bilezikian. The chain has expanded to 34 Christmas Tree Shops stores in New England, New York and New Jersey selling discount housewares, knick-knacks, paper products, books and almost everything else.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:06 AM | Comment

Police seek missing woman in North Kingstown

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Police and firefighters have been searching with dogs for a 69-year-old local woman who was last seen at her North Kingstown residence about 7:15 p.m. last night.

Irene McMann was reported missing last evening, the police announced in a statement early this morning. She is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a green turtleneck, dark slacks and possibly a brown coat.

The police do not suspect foul play, according to the statement issued by Patrol Commander Lt. Joseph Hart. Anyone with information about McMann is urged to call the police department at (401) 294-3311.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:22 AM | Comment

High near 39 degrees, partly cloudy

Today will be a little cooler with a high near 39 degrees under partly cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service.

Look for the clouds to clear tonight, and the temperature to drop into the teens. Winds from the northwest will blow between 10 and 16 mph.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

On today's Journal front page, staff writer Katherine Gregg reports that the state of Rhode Island is the owner of a Providence building that houses a strip club. And staff writer Kia Hall Hayes reports on a brawl at Woonsocket Middle School that led to the arrests of two girls -- and their mothers.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 9, 2007

Traffic alert: Accident at Rte. 6/10 connector cleared

The Transportation Management Center at the state Department of Transportation reports an accident on the Routes 6/10 connector outbound, under the Tobey Street overpass in Providence.

Two left lanes were closed, as of 5:57 p.m., and there were "very heavy" delays. But by 6:16 p.m., the lanes had been cleared, although some delays were still being experienced.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:53 PM | Comment

Update: Lawyers debate trust status for tribal land

BOSTON -- Lawyers for the state and the Department of Justice today faced off before the full federal appeals court about whether 31 acres of land in Charlestown could be held in trust for the Narragansett Indian Tribe.

A three-judge panel from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2005 that the U.S. Department of Interior could hold the land in trust for the tribe. Unrestricted trust status would free the land largely from state and local jurisdiction, though most federal laws would apply. It would also place the land under the authority of the Narragansetts.

Some fear that would clear the way for the tribe to build a casino, smoke shop or other industry, without state oversight. The tribe has said it intends to build housing for its elders on the land, which is located off Kings Factory Road, north of Route 1, across from the tribe's settlement land.

The full court agreed to consider the issue last month at the state's request.

On face value, it might appear the case is about the tribe's quest to build affordable housing for its elderly residents, but much more is at stake, said lawyer Joseph S. Larisa Jr., representing the Town of Charlestown.

"It is really about one thing: jurisdiction," he said. It would strip land from the laws of Rhode Island for the first time in history, he said.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

He argued the Interior Department could not take the land into trust because the tribe was not federally recognized when the Indian Reorganization Act was passed in 1934. Congress enacted that act to restore certain rights and lands to Native Americans.

Additionally, the state asserted the tribe bargained away its rights when it entered the agreement that gave it 1,800 acres in Charlestown in 1978. That agreement, now law, places those tribal lands under state and local criminal and civil jurisdiction.

But Department of Justice lawyer Elizabeth Ann Peterson, representing the Interior Department, said that the agreement, referred to as the Settlement Act, does not explicitly bar the tribe from buying other property and having that land placed in unrestricted trust for the tribe.

Further, she said, the secretary of the interior "does not distinguish between tribes [recognized] before and after 1934."

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:50 PM | Comment

Woonsocket Middle School fracas spurs police presence

WOONSOCKET -- Police officials were out in force this afternoon at Woonsocket Middle School, after a long-simmering conflict between two 13-year-old girls resulted in a fracas involving the girls, their mothers, two other 13 year-old girls, and a teacher when school let out yesterday.

Police and school officials say the fight was facilitated by one of the mothers, who allegedly drove her already-suspended daughter to the school to fight one of the other girls.

"She was with Mom across the street at dismissal time waiting for this particular girl,” said Woonsocket Middle School Principal Patrick McGee, who called the entire incident “beyond ridiculous.”

Parents Maribel Santiago, 34, of 75 Village Road and Ana Rivera, 44, of 241 Park Ave., were both arrested and charged with simple assault for their involvement in the fight.

Their 13-year-old daughters and two other 13-year-old girls were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Their cases were turned over to the Juvenile Detective Division.

Read the full story in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hayes

Officers responding to the school yesterday afternoon were met with several hundred students and adults, and several girls yelled and threatened Rivera’s daughter as she was led to a police vehicle. Police ordered the girls to stand back, and eventually arrested two other girls who continued to scream at and threaten the girl.

In response to the incident yesterday, police officials, who normally patrol school grounds when school lets out at 1:50 every afternoon, were out in force today. At least four police vehicles — including a paddy wagon — and a dozen of officers welcomed the 460 eighth-grade students when they filed out. Among the officials were Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle, Deputy Chief Richard Dubois, and Public Safety Director Michael Annarummo.

There were no disruptions today as students boarded buses and headed home.

Read the full story in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hayes

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:40 PM | Comment

On deck: A night for the B's

There’s only one game on the local sports scene tonight, as the Boston Bruins head to Ottawa to take on the Senators. The B’s will be looking to get a win streak going after beating Philadelphia on Saturday.

A bit farther afield, the Boston College men’s basketball team looks to improve to 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference when it visits Wake Forest at 9.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:32 PM | Comment

Update: Hotline for parents of children in crisis

PAWTUCKET – Parents and other caregivers of children who are in emotional crisis – such as crying inconsolably or hurting themselves or others – have a new way to get help fast.

As outlined in a press conference today, a state-run hotline (1-866-429-3979) can put parents in touch with a clinician trained in children’s mental health and related family issues. The rules require a return call within 15 minutes, and if a face-to-face interview is warranted, the clinician should be available within two hours.

The family can also arrange a meeting the next morning. These clinicians should then locate the appropriate type of care for the distressed child.

Prompted by a new state law, this mental health clearinghouse – called Kid’s Link -- has been operating quietly since Nov. 1 on a pilot basis.

This morning, Governor Carcieri joined state and mental health officials at Gateway Healthcare to announce that Kid’s Link is ready for prime time and will start an advertising campaign.

Carcieri said Kid’s Link gives families, for the first time, a single point of entry into the mental health system. “The sooner we can pick up youngsters in crisis and get them plugged into the care they need, the better they will do,” he said.

-- Journal health writer Felice J. Freyer

New hotline offers help for children in crisis
Posted 10:55 a.m.

Parents and caregivers of children in emotional crisis have a new place to go.

They can now reach out to learn more about all the children’s services available in the state by calling one number – a centralized emergency hotline that is already in operation.

This morning, the state Department of Children, Youth and Families and Gateway Healthcare are holding a press conference to announce the Kid’s Link RI hotline.

So pull out a pen and jot down this number in case you ever need it: (866) 429-3979.

“When a child is acting out, experiencing excessive anger or hurting himself, parents may not know where to turn for help,” DCYF Director Patricia Martinez said in a statement.

“Families often turn to the hospital emergency room, which may not always be the best place for their particular problem. This hotline will be extremely valuable, as the emergency service clinicians who answer the phone know all the available resources in the state, are trained to help sort out the child’s symptoms and can point families in the right direction for the best care.”

Hotline administrators assure parents they will be called back within 15 minutes of placing the call and that qualified clinicians will see children for face-to-face assessments if needed within two hours.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:22 PM | Comment

R.I. congressmen oppose increasing troops in Iraq

Rhode Island's Democratic congressmen don't want more American troops sent to Iraq -- along with the majority of Americans, according to a poll released today.

President Bush plans to deliver a primetime speech tomorrow night in which he will reportedly outline a plan to send thousands more troops to Iraq in the coming months.

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., released a statement today dismissing the president's proposal as "misguided."

"While our armed forces have heroically pursued their mission in Iraq, I don't believe any objective observer thinks that a gradual escalation of 20,000 troops will fundamentally change the unfortunate realities on the ground in Iraq. Indeed, we have tried this strategy in the past and it has failed each time," Kennedy said. "The president's proposed escalation is not a change, it's just another chapter in his stubborn refusal to base policy in reality. It's time to begin transitioning the mission and bringing our troops home, not sending even more into harm's way."

The majority of Americans agree, according to the results of a Gallup Poll released today.

Based on a national sample conducted Jan. 5-7, Gallup found that 61 percent of Americans oppose the president and just 36 percent support his plan when asked this question: "As you may know, the Bush administration is considering a temporary but significant increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to help stabilize the situation there. Would you favor or oppose this?"

The survey also found that Bush's current approval rating is 37 percent.

A spokeswoman for Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., did not release a new statement today in anticipation of the president's speech. Instead, Langevin spokeswoman Joy Fox referred to a Dec. 20 statement in which the congressman unequivocally opposed any troop increases.

"I am opposed to increasing our troop levels. The time for sending more combat troops to Iraq has long come and gone. It is time to make a significant military shift away from combat activities while continuing to train and advise the Iraqi military," Langevin said. "Furthermore, sending more combat troops now will do nothing to address the underlying problems in Iraq, which are largely political in nature."

Bush's speech tomorrow night is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Survey: What would your plan for dealing with Iraq be now?

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:11 PM | Comment

Update: Terror suspect Mullawala professes innocence

BOSTON -- A 28-year-old Indian national, arrested last month after his behavior drew attention at a Smithfield tractor-trailer school, appeared briefly in a federal immigration court this afternoon.

"No matter what you read, I came to attend the University of Bridgeport,” a very anxious, but polite Mullawala said to Judge Matthew J. D’Angelo. "I’m going to tell everything honestly, the truth, sir."

But Mullawala didn't get a chance to say much more than that at today's deportation hearing.

D'Angelo asked him if he spoke English.

"I speak," Mullawala responded.

Then the judge asked him if he wanted more time to get a lawyer. Mullawala, who was arrested in early December, said he did.

"I don’t know anybody," said Mullawala, who appeared handcuffed wearing blue prison garb marked with the letters "I-C-E," for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I didn’t get the opportunity to call my parents to tell them to send money."

D'Angelo continued the hearing to Jan. 23. Earlier today, the court had planned to hold the hearing on Jan. 16.

Authorities have widened their investigation into Mullawala, citing "problematic" cell-phone records and his apparent guise as an international student.

Mullawala’s interest in purchasing software on hazardous materials and his lack of interest in learning to back up a rig drew the attention of the Smithfield trucking-school owners, and eventually, the federal Department of Homeland Security.

He has been held at the Suffolk County Detention Center in Boston since Dec. 5, on a civil immigration charge of violating his student visa.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples and Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

R.I. state police seek deportation of driving student
Posted 12:04 p.m.

The Rhode Island state police today plan to ask for the deportation of a 28-year-old Indian national who raised suspicion at a Smithfield tractor-trailer school and eventually the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mohammed Yousuf Mullawala is expected at a 1 p.m. hearing in immigration court at the JFK Building in Boston.

Mullawala has been held at the Suffolk County Detention Center in Boston since Dec. 5, on a civil immigration charge of violating his student visa. The police expect to ask for his deportation because of that immigration violation.

Read more in today’s Journal about how the investigation into Mullawala has widened over the past month.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:40 PM | Comment

Founder of conservation group admits embezzling

PROVIDENCE -- Geoffrey M. DiCenso, a charming and energetic environmental advocate who created the first statewide association of local conservation commissions, has pleaded no contest to embezzling and stealing checks from the same organization and agreed to make restitution of $4,300.

DiCenso admitted that he was able to embezzle the checks because they were unauthorized, and he failed to produce receipts, Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch, said today. DiCenso converted the money to his personal use, Healey said.

Superior Court Judge Mark A. Pfeiffer sentenced DiCenso yesterday to two years probation for the two felonies.

In an e-mail today, Dan Novak, who now serves as co-president of the Rhode Island Association of Conservation Commissions with William Bivona, described the DiCenso case as a “long and agonizing saga” and a “tragic waste of talent and time.”

He said he hoped the case would warn other environmental organizations of DiCenso’s troubled past and help him “hew a straighter path.”

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:32 PM | Comment

Cranston police seek car that hit woman, 67

CRANSTON -- The police are searching for the driver of a brown station wagon who allegedly hit a 67-year-old pedestrian on Saturday afternoon and fled.

The woman, Nancy Bacon, of Providence, had just left St. Paul Church at the corner of Warwick Avenue and Broad Street when she was struck, the police say.

She is being treated for serious injuries at Rhode Island Hospital, according to a police statement.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:30 PM | Comment

Ripken and Gwynn voted in Hall; Rice denied, again

Former Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice failed to gain admission to baseball's Hall of Fame today, as shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. and outfielder Tony Gwynn were elected on their first ballot appearance.

Mark McGwire, whose home run totals have been tainted by steroid suspicions, was not elected.

Click here to read the full story from mlb.com

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:33 PM | Comment

Ethics Commission broadens nepotism rules

PROVIDENCE -- The state Ethics Commission today approved revisions to the state Code of Ethics, broadening its nepotism provisions to include households along with families. The change makes unmarried couples subject to the same rules against conflicts of interest as apply to family members.

The only testimony at a public hearing before the vote came from the state’s principal government reform groups, Common Cause and Operation Clean Government. Both groups said they generally like the changes but think the commission should tighten the rules even more.

The ethics code is aimed at banning, or punishing, conflicts of interest, where government officials use their offices to benefit themselves, business associates or family members. The section of the code revised today involves nepotism, or favoritism for relatives.

Commission Chairman James Lynch Sr. said the commission will also “consider” a request from Governor Carcieri that it substantially tighten the rules applying to state legislators. The governor wants the commission to require state senators and representatives to disclose far more about their personal business ties and to forbid them from voting on legislation affecting industries from which they, their families or business associates get more than a minimal amount of income.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Today’s vote was the second in a series of revisions the commission has produced, and Lynch said he wants to move ahead on other changes. In September, the commission substantially broadened the “revolving door” rules to include hundreds of local officials, including elected officials and as well as both elected and appointed school committee members.

Those rules are intended to prevent elected officials from arranging jobs for themselves after they leave office, and forbid officials from taking jobs with their own agencies for a year after they leave office.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:18 PM | Comment

Trial under way in Fall River fatal stabbing

TAUNTON, Mass. -- The trial of a Fall River woman charged with stabbing to death another woman with a steak knife is under way.

Karen Cordeiro, of 136 John St., Fall River, has been charged with murder in the death of 19-year-old Courtney Sau of Taunton. Police believe the stabbing stemmed from an argument over a boyfriend in a Providence, R.I., nightclub in February 2005.

Authorities say that following the argument, Sau drove to Fall River, and called the two women on a cellular phone to let them know she was coming.

When Sau arrived at John Street, Cordeiro and a friend, Carla Carvalho, came out of the apartment, wielding improvised weapons. According to court records, Carvalho sliced Sau's neck with a broken bottle, and Cordeiro stabbed the Taunton woman with a steak knife.

Cordeiro's lawyer has argued that his client acted in self-defense.

Both sides made opening remarks yesterday in Superior Court, according to the clerk's office. This morning, the jury, the judge and the stenographer traveled to Fall River to view the crime scene.

Witness testimony is expected to continue this afternoon.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:14 PM | Comment

New Bedford police officer cleared in fatal shooting

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A New Bedford police officer who fatally shot a man brandishing a pellet gun will not face criminal charges because the shooting was justified, according to an investigation into the incident.

Officer Justin Kagan was justified in firing his gun during the Oct. 26 incident because he thought his partner's life was in danger, according to an investigation by the Bristol district attorney's office.

Lamont Cruz, 38, pulled an airgun that looked like a real gun on the officers in the hallway of known drug house and said, "I'm going to use it," according to the investigation. Cruz, a convicted felon, did not live at the house.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:57 AM | Comment

Traffic slow on Route 95 South

Route 95 South appears congested at this hour, based on the Department of Transportation’s congestion mapping system.

The state police say it’s not related to a single-car accident at Exit 20 (the Route 195 exit). That car is off the road and in the right shoulder and traffic is flowing there, according to a police dispatcher.

Nevertheless, the state Department of Transportation Web site says traffic on Route 95 south is moving at an average speed of 25 miles per hour from the Massachusetts state line all the way down to Exit 20.

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.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:57 AM | Comment

Dispute over Narragansett land heads to court

BOSTON -- A legal fight over which laws apply to a parcel of land owned by the Narragansett Indian Tribe heads for a Boston courtroom today.

The case centers on whether the federal government can hold 31 acres in Charlestown in a trust for the Narragansetts. That move could exempt the land from state and municipal law -- perhaps opening the door to a casino banned under Rhode Island law.

Arguments are set for 2 p.m. in the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

State lawyers say the federal government can only hold land for Indian tribes recognized before a federal law took effect in 1934, unless Congress decides otherwise. The Narragansetts were recognized in 1983.

Indian rights advocates say that argument could call into question the ownership of Indian lands across the country.

Read in today's Journal about last night's contentious Charlestown council meeting, where more than 100 residents packed the chambers. One resident said the public was in attendance, because they are nervous about the direction of the town under the current council and the potential of a slot parlor being built on Narragansett lands.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:39 AM | Comment

Clouds moving in, a high near 47

PROVIDENCE – The moon was a brilliant white as it was setting this morning.

Now expect cloud cover to move in. We’ll have a high near 47 today, with west winds between 10 and 16 miles per hour.

We’ve got a slight chance of snow showers from midnight tonight until about 3 a.m. tomorrow. Expect a low tonight around 28.

The rest of the week should be partly cloudy, with high temps ranging from the high 30s for the next two days to the mid-50s on Friday and Saturday.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:06 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page includes a stories about heating oil prices remaining high despite the warm weather and the challenges President Bush faces in convincing Congress and America that sending more troops will help the situation in Iraq.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 8, 2007

Pawtucket toddler killed by falling TV

PAWTUCKET -- A 3-year-old girl died early today after a television that sat on a stand toppled on her as she apparently tried to reach the remote control, the Pawtucket police said.

The death appears to be an accident, but Pawtucket Police are awaiting the results of the medical examiner, said Det. Maj. John J. Whiting.

The child lived at 560 Prospect Heights, Apt. 283, with her mother. Her mother told police that she would sleep on the couch on the first floor of the two-floor apartment with the child out of fear that if she slept on the second floor the child would go downstairs in the middle of the night.

The mother shut off the television and told the child it was time for bed and ran upstairs for a brief moment. While upstairs, she heard a loud crash and ran downstairs. She found the baby with the 27-inch-screen TV on top of her. The toddler sustained several head injuries, according to police.

A neighbor who heard the mother screaming took the child to Pawtucket Memorial Hospital. The toddler was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m.

-- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:56 PM | Comment

Weather update: Gray skies shifting to sunny start

It was gray -- for a day.

The wet, but mild, weather, is heading out of our area, to be replaced by clearing skies tonight. A flood watch on for earlier today is now off.

A sunny start is expected for tomorrow, followed by partly cloudy skies.

Then, as Wednesday arrives, the National Weather Service says, it will -- finally -- be seasonably cold and dry. "Blustery" west winds will develop, too, making it feel even chillier. Thursday will be cold, too, but with more sun.

And by Friday, mild weather returns to southern New England, at least for a day or two.

On Sunday? Well, if the Patriots were playing their playoff game at Gillette, we might care more, with locally heavy rains possible. But they'll be in San Diego, where the long-range forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, highs 58 to 63.

Flood watch extended
Posted 12:45 p.m.
The National Weather Service has extended its flood watch into the afternoon as heavy rains continue to fall across Rhode Island.

The weather service says that the heaviest rains from today's storm are expected to fall in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts by about 2 p.m. Rainfall totals could reach 2 inches today in some areas.

The heavy rains will likely cause areas of urban and poor drainage flooding, according to the weather service, which also said that an isolated thunderstorm is possible.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:45 PM | Comment

Prudence Island man dies after being found in woods

An 83-year-old Prudence Island man who was reported missing from his home and then found by firefighters last week has died, a Newport Hospital spokeswoman said tonight.

Thomas Swindells died at 10:04 p.m. Saturday, according to hospital spokeswoman Margaret O'Keefe. She said privacy rules prevented her from divulging the cause of his death, but added that he had been suffering from hypothermia, a dangerous lowering of the body's temperature.

Swindells had been found at 10:45 a.m. Friday in a wooded area a half mile north of his home, Fire Chief Jeffrey P. Lynch said. Swindells was first reported missing around 4 p.m. Thursday.

Lynch said Swindells suffered from a medical illness "many elders have" and "just couldn't find his way back home."

Swindells was taken to Newport Hospital for treatment.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker

Posted by Paul Parker at 6:42 PM | Comment

Officials: No new cases of mycoplasma pneumoniae

PROVIDENCE -- State and federal health officials said today that they have discovered no new cases of the mycoplasma pneumoniae that killed a 7-year-old Warwick boy last month.

In an announcement released this afternoon, the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control said they are continuing to look at West Bay schools where three students -- including the Warwick boy -- have had illnesses related to the mycoplasma. The schools being monitored include Greenwood Elementary in Warwick; Oak Haven Elementary and Blackrock Elementary in Coventry; and the John F. Deering Middle School in West Warwick.

State officials are also working today to distribute 15,000 hand sanitizing gel dispensers to all elementary, middle and high schools in the state, per an executive order signed by Governor Carcieri last week.

About half the dispensers were delivered this morning, according to the health department. The other half were expected to be delivered by the end of the day.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples and Journal staff writer Talia Buford

It seems the disinfectant gels will have a permanent home in at least the Warwick school system, Supt. Robert Shapiro said today.

“We’re setting up the disinfectant gels in the classrooms as I speak and this is going to be ongoing,” he said. “We will have teachers and health classes encourage students about keeping up with their personal hygiene. That’s the key. That’s what it’s all about.”

Shapiro said school absence levels today across the district were at normal levels - about 7.8 percent in the elementary schools and 11 percent in secondary schools.

In West Warwick, attendance levels this morning were down slightly in at least two elementary schools, said Supt. David Raiche, though final figures were not expected until the end of the day. Still, Raiche said, a "sense of calm" was returning to the schools.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples and Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:55 PM | Comment

Mollis' stepson had October brush with police

The troubled stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, who was charged with attempted murder last week, had another brush with the police in North Providence last October, but was not charged. Mollis was the mayor of North Providence at the time.

According to the police report, Gian Piscione, 19, was with Seth Beauchaine at a gas station in North Providence when a patrolman smelled marijuana on them. The report says that they appeared nervous and got into the car and crouched down; "it appeared to me that the two subjects were attempting to put something under the seats.’’

The police searched both men and the car, which was operated by Beauchaine and belonged to Beauchaine’s mother, and found a small plastic bag of marijuana in the glove compartment.

According to the report, the interior of the car smelled of marijuana. Police also seized a glass bowl used for smoking marijuana.

Beauchaine told the police that the marijuana was his, and that Piscione was unaware of its presence. Piscione also denied knowledge of the marijuana in the glove compartment, and the police, who patted him down twice, did not find any on his person.

Piscione and Beauchaine both admitted to smoking marijuana earlier that night.

Beauchaine was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana and taken to the police station and booked.

Piscione was not charged, since no marijuana was found on his person and both men said that Piscione was unaware of the marijuana in the glove compartment.

Instead, the police report says that they called a relative of Piscione’s, Ernest Carlucci, who is Mollis’ cousin. Carlucci, who is the chief of staff for new Cranston Mayor Michael Napolitano, came to the gas station and gave Piscione a ride home.

Mollis told The Journal this afternoon that Piscione was not living at home at the time, and that he did not learn of the incident until a few days later. He said that no influence was brought to bear.

Mollis said that he learned of the incident from his chief of staff, John Fleming, whom the police contacted that night. Fleming happened to be with Carlucci, who agreed to go get Piscione.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:35 PM | Comment

Bevilacqua ordered held in prison pending hearing

BOSTON -- Joseph A. Bevilacqua Jr. briefly appeared in U.S. District Court here today, bound in shackles and handcuffs, three days after being charged with scheming to collect $150,000 from drug-dealer clients to manipulate the criminal-justice system.

Lawyer John M. Cicilline, the brother of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, was also charged in the alleged scheme and arraigned last Friday. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Bevilacqua, a Rhode Island lawyer disbarred for leaking a confidential FBI videotape to Rhode Island TV newsman Jim Taricani, was ordered today to serve the final days of an 18-month federal prison sentence for the leak. That term will expire on Jan. 17.

The next day, Jan. 18, Bevilacqua is scheduled to appear again in the Boston federal court to be arraigned for the new charges, which include conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

Bevilacqua will spend the next nine days in the Barnstable House of Corrections. He had been serving the final days of his 18-month sentence on home confinement.

Also appearing in Boston federal court today was Lisa Torres, 39, of Cranston, who was arrested at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick about midnight Thursday as she returned home on a flight from the Dominican Republic. Torres is an alleged conspirator in the scheme.

She was ordered held without bail today pending a Thursday hearing.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:13 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID man killed in Hopkinton crash

HOPKINTON – A 27-year-old Connecticut father was thrown from the vehicle and killed and his 2-year-old daughter was seriously injured when the car they were riding in went out of control and flipped on Route 95 South yesterday afternoon.

The police today identified the man as Marquis Polidore of Groton, Conn., an active U.S. Navy serviceman. He was not wearing a seatbelt, State Police Capt. James Swanberg said.

Polidore’s daughter, Marissa Polidore, is in critical condition this afternoon at Hasbro Children's Hospital, according to the hospital. She was in a child car seat, Swanberg said.

The police do not believe drugs or alcohol, excessive speed or reckless driving were factors in the crash, according to Lt. Darren Delaney, patrol commander for the Hope Valley state police barracks.

The driver of the Jetta may be cited for having passengers who were not wearing seatbelts, Delaney said. That is a motor-vehicle violation.

The police continue to investigate whether the other passengers in the car were wearing seatbelts, he said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The crash occurred shortly after 3 p.m. after a Toyota pickup truck traveling in the left of two travel lanes tried to change lanes into the right lane, after activating its turn signal, Swanberg said.

The 1997 Volkswagen Jetta in which the Polidores were traveling was in the right lane. It’s unclear if the Jetta was in the lane right next to the pickup or was approaching from behind, but the pickup driver pulled back into the left lane after partially moving over and noticing the Jetta, Swanberg said.

The vehicles made no contact, but the driver of the Jetta, 27-year-old Jennifer Stevens, lost control of the car and went into the right breakdown lane, Swanberg said. The car rolled over and came to rest in the right lane of travel.

Also in the car were Polidore’s wife and the mother of the toddler – Joanne Polidore, 24, and the front passenger, 24-year-old Joy Estoqe.

Everyone in the car was from Groton, Swanberg said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:59 PM | Comment

Kids try to build the best LEGO robot

Forty-eight teams of students ages 9 to 14 will be armed with homemade LEGO robots in a competition Saturday at Roger Williams University in Bristol.

Hundreds of students have been working for the past two months to strategize, design, build, program and test robots made of LEGOs.

Their robots will face off in a series of competitions designed to spark a passion for science and technology in children. Hosted by the university’s School of Engineering, Computing and Construction Management, this is Rhode Island’s sixth annual FIRST Lego League Robotics Competition.

A Roger Williams faculty member with a Ph.D. in robotics brought the competition to the university, according to spokeswoman Sarah Knapp. Matthew Stein teaches a robotics course and coaches a team from Warwick that includes two of his own children, she said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

This is the second year in a row that Roger Williams has hosted the competition. East Providence High School hosted it for three years in a row, and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center hosted the first competition, in 2002.

The competition is sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League International, an international partnership between FIRST and The LEGO Group, the company that makes LEGOs.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:54 PM | Comment

No pulse at Club Pulse; Tomasso gives up licenses

Club Pulse is closed forever.

The owner of the club has given up the fight before the city’s Board of Licenses in the wake of the fatal Christmas Day shooting at the South Providence nightclub.

Club owner Alex Tomasso did not appear before the board today.

His lawyer, Joseph A. Keough, told the board: “Mr. Tomasso’s going to permanently surrender … [the club’s] licenses to the city.”

The club had four basic licenses: liquor, nightclub, entertainment and food.

Keough offered no reason for the surrender of the licenses.

Board chairman Andrew J. Annaldo, who had expected today’s hearing on the club’s fate to be postponed, said afterward that he believes Tomasso concluded his case was unwinnable.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

--- Journal File photo

The board had suspended the club’s operating licenses at the request of police after the shooting. Tomasso had been seeking to contest the suspension.

Today, family members of the man who died in the Christmas Day shooting at the club attended the hearing.

“I am so happy and overwhelmed,” said Patrice Martin, the sister of
Kendall Marshall, who died after being shot at the club. “My heart’s
pounding right now.”

The family has been praying for several things, Martin said, including
the permanent closure of the club and a successful conclusion to the
police investigation.

No one has yet been arrested for the shooting of three people at the
club early on Dec. 25. The investigation is ongoing, Providence Maj.
Paul Fitzgerald said today.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:04 PM | Comment

In W. Warwick schools, 'sense of calm' returns

West Warwick Supt. David Raiche said a "sense of calm" is returning to town schools as they re-opened today, after state health officials deemed a case of meningitis in Coventry was not related to earlier cases in Warwick and West Warwick.

Schools had been closed since Thursday while officials waited for the results.

Though final attendance numbers will come in at the end of the day, Raiche said that at two town elementary schools -- Greenbush and Maisie Quinn -- the attendance rate was slightly below normal.

"They're both in the low 90 percent range, which is 2 to 3 percent lower than normal," he said.

Some parents are still keeping their students home at Quinn, Raiche said, though very few.

"I'm not getting calls into my office saying 'I'm going to keep my kid home until you do something else'," Raiche said. "My hope is that is diminishing, too, and that parents, if they are keeping their kids home, will feel comfortable enough to send them back pretty soon."

-- Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:01 PM | Comment

ACLU sues state police for alleged racial profiling

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court today challenging what it calls the illegal detention of a van of Guatemalans on Interstate 95 in July.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 11 of the 14 immigrants, argues that "the actions by the state police violated the state's Racial Profiling Prevention Act, as well as the driver and passengers' constitutional rights to be free from discrimination and from unreasonable searches and seizures," according to an announcement released this morning by the ACLU.

The suit seeks a declaratory judgment that the defendants violated the constitutional rights of the driver and passengers, and an award of unspecified damages and attorneys' fees.

Today's lawsuit stems from a July 11 traffic stop on Route 95 southbound in Richmond.

State trooper Thomas Chabot said he stopped the van, because the driver failed to signal a lane change. When the driver and 13 occupants could not produce immigration documents, Chabot called federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.

The 14, who now face deportation, allege that Chabot threatened to shoot or kill them if they tried to escape the van on its way to ICE headquarters in Providence.

Chabot was cleared of wrongdoing in September after an internal state police investigation, which found that the trooper "acted professionally and appropriately in this traffic stop," including his seeking involvement by federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.

The head of Rhode Island's ACLU said there's no doubt that the incident was a result of racial profiling.

“Since the license and registration papers of the van’s driver were valid and there was never any suggestion of criminal activity, the questioning and detention of the passengers was clearly based on one element: their ethnic appearance," ACLU executive director Steven Brown said. "This is the essence of racial profiling."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:52 PM | Comment

Club Pulse hearing likely to be postponed

PROVIDENCE – A hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. today over the fate of Club Pulse, the South Providence nightclub rocked by a triple shooting on Christmas morning, is likely to be postponed.

Chairman Andrew J. Annaldo of the city’s Board of Licenses expects the hearing to be continued to a later date, because the lawyers involved in the hearing have not had enough time to confer.

Meanwhile, the club remains closed. Club ownership temporarily returned its licenses to operate and to serve alcohol to the city’s license administrator at the end of December, pending the results of a full hearing before the license board.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:47 PM | Comment

Romney starts presidential bid with fundraising blitz

BOSTON -- Republican Mitt Romney began his drive for the presidency in earnest today, gathering his national fundraisers in Boston and having them call their network of friends and colleagues in a push to raise the first of an estimated $100 million this year.

The former Massachusetts governor, just four days after leaving office, aimed to establish himself as a credible challenger for the 2008 GOP nomination with a glitzy event far different from the hot dog-and-soda fundraisers that were a staple of President Bush's two White House campaigns.

A four-screen projection TV system hung from the center of a ceiling at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, displaying pictures that included Romney in the Oval Office and at the presidential lectern.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:30 AM | Comment

Gas prices drop another penny

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have fallen one cent for the second consecutive week, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.409, one cent less than last week, according to AAA's weekly price survey.

The price dropped last week after increasing for seven straight weeks.

The average price at this time last year was $2.379.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:51 AM | Comment

R.I. woman dies in Connecticut crash

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- A 46-year-old Rhode Island woman has died in a two-car crash on Route 95 in New London.

The state police say Stephanie Gallup of Wakefield was driving south on the highway when her car hit the median guardrail, crossed into the northbound lanes and was struck by another car.

The accident occurred about 5:30 a.m. and shut down the northbound lanes for a few hours in the area of exit 82A.

The driver of the other car and a passenger in that car were taken to a New London hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The accident remains under investigation.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:45 AM | Comment

Children go back to school after health scare / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
Students empty off the school buses and head in to Greenwood Elementary School for the start of school today.

WARWICK – At Greenwood Elementary School this morning, many children rode the buses to school and some arrived with parents for their first day back at school since the December holiday break.

The school was closed all last week after two students in the same second-grade classroom developed encephalitis caused by the mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria. One of those students died from the illness.

This morning, the students at Greenwood are among more than 20,000 children in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick expected back at school after being kept home for two days last week. Those three districts closed all of their schools last Thursday when a Coventry child displayed symptoms of meningitis, which can also be caused by the mycoplasma bacteria.

Test results over the weekend showed the Coventry student's illness was not related to the mycoplasma bacteria that caused the other illnesses.

At Greenwood today, the Parent-Teacher Association president walked her 12-year-old son, Nathan Johnson, up to the school’s front door before classes began at 8:40 a.m. He was heading back to sixth-grade today.

“The whole situation has been stressful, but I think that the principal has done a wonderful job calming everyone down and keeping us aware,” Tracie Johnson said.

Also at the school, a medical doctor with an office in East Greenwich dropped off his 5-year-old son.

“My child is well, so I knew it was not a risk to have him be at school,” Dr. Chad Lamendola said. “We know enough to watch for symptoms, and we’re happy to have him back at school.”

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:44 AM | Comment

Traffic: Hope you're not traveling on Route 195 West

On a 10-point scale, with 10 being the worst, congestion on Route 195 West heading from the Massachusetts state line to Route 95 is hovering at 8.1.

Cars are moving at an average speed of 15 miles per hour.

That’s just one of the many roadways tied up during this morning’s commute.

Check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here for your morning traffic needs.

Also, 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.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:27 AM | Comment

Caremark prefers CVS offer over rival bid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Good news for CVS in its attempt to acquire prescription benefits manager Caremark Rx Inc.

The Nashville-based Caremark says today it does not believe that a rival bid by Express Scripts is in the best interests of shareholders, and it will continue pursuing a tie-up with Woonsocket-based CVS Corp.

CVS, the nation's largest operator of drugstores, offered $21.2 billion in stock for Caremark.

Express Scripts offered $26 billion in stock and cash.

Analysts say Caremark managers prefer the CVS offer, while shareholders like the Express Scripts deal better.

A pension company with Caremark stock has gone to federal court to try to stop the CVS deal.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:37 AM | Comment

Rainy but mild

PROVIDENCE – It’s a dark and stormy morning.

The rain just keeps falling, on the heels of a flood statement and hazardous weather statement for the area issued this morning by the National Weather Service.

Heavy rain on Long Island – falling at the rate of one-half inch per hour – began moving toward southeast New England about 4 a.m.

Wind advisories are in effect until 11 a.m. for Block Island and until 9 p.m. for Cape Cod. Gale warnings are in effect for all Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal waters.

Rainfall totals today of 1 to 1.5 inches – with 2 inches in some areas – may cause minor flooding in urban areas and spots with poor drainage.

Expect a high of 56 today, on this January day. And remember, this could all be snow if we weren’t having such a warm departure from normal winter temps.

Snow actually shows up on the weather outlook for Wednesday of this week.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:08 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's Journal front page includes a story about students returning to school in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick after a health scare and a photograph of Asante Samuel celebrating his fourth-quarter interception in the Patriots' 37-16 playoff win over the New York Jets.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:54 AM | Comment

January 5, 2007

Police: Man shot himself, blamed fake robbery

WOONSOCKET -- A local man who blamed a self-inflicted gunshot wound on a fake robbery was charged today with filing a false police report.

Evan Keefe, 21, of 941 Mendon Rd., told the police at Landmark Medical Center that he was walking down Cass Avenue near Elm Street around 1 a.m. when he was approached by two men in hooded sweatshirts. Keefe claimed that one of the men bumped him in the shoulder and then put a semi-automatic handgun to Keefe’s head and demanded his wallet.

Keefe said that when he raised his hand to push the gun away, he heard a gunshot and the men ran away. He told the police that it felt at first like his hand had been cut.

When Keefe saw the gunshot wound, he said he hitchhiked to his apartment and his girlfriend drove him to the hospital.

But the police, who searched the area on Cass Avenue, found no evidence to support Keefe’s story. When the police questioned Keefe again, he said he accidentally shot himself in the hand. He told police that alcohol was involved.

Keefe was charged with filing a false police report, obstructing a police investigation and discharging a firearm within city limits. His brother and girlfriend, who had corroborated Keefe's story, were also charged with obstructing a police investigation.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:53 PM | Comment

On deck: Active weekend for area sports teams

While the Patriots get ready to host a playoff game on Sunday, the Celtics and the Boston Bruins will take on the teams with the worst records in the NBA and the NHL, respectively.

The Celts are in Memphis to face the 8-25 Grizzlies tonight at 8. The Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers (11-25-4) tomorrow in a 1 p.m. matinee. Of course, the way the home teams have been playing lately, there’s no such thing as a sure win.

In Providence tonight, rookie Phil Kessel is expected to make his return from cancer surgery with the P-Bruins, who host the Worcester Sharks at 7.

The PC men’s hockey team is also at home tonight at 7 against nationally ranked Boston University. The Friars hoopsters will go for their second straight Big East victory when they host Seton Hall tomorrow night at 8.

Also this weekend, the URI men’s basketball team will try to improve to 2-0 in the Atlantic 10. The Rams host Dayton on Sunday at noon.

Come back to projo.com over the weekend for the results, stories and photos as they become available.

-- projo.com staffer Mike McDermott

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:07 PM | Comment

Update: Shotgun found in Providence pond

Journal photo / Sandor Bodo
Members of the North Providence Police and Fire Departments searched for the gun this afternoon in Canada Pond, located in Providence, near Branch Avenue. Divers from the state police and Smithfield were also on the scene.

Authorities have found the shotgun believed to have been used in a shooting incident that led to the arrest of the stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.

A state police dive team discovered a 20-gauge shotgun just after 5 p.m. today in about 15 feet of water about 46 feet off the shore of Canada Pond on the North Providence-Providence line. Authorities had been searching the pond much of the day for the shotgun they allege 19-year-old Gian Piscione used to shoot into a gold Lexus occupied by two men earlier in the week.

Piscione and an acquaintance, James Lynch, 18, of 1362 Mineral Spring Ave., have been charged with two counts of attempted murder. No one was hurt in the shooting, but one bullet hole was found in the right rear fender of the Lexus.

The North Providence police are taking the shotgun back to the police station to determine who owns it, according to North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino. Mollis has denied ownership.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:04 PM | Comment

Update: Bevilacqua, Cicilline indicted for conspiracy

John M. Cicilline, the brother of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, pleaded not guilty to federal conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in a Boston federal court this afternoon.

It was announced hours earlier that Cicilline and former law partner Joseph A. Bevilacqua Jr. have been indicted in Boston on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

Cicilline, 49, of Cranston, was released in lieu of $10,000 bond. Bevilacqua is set to be arraigned later in the month.

Bevilacqua, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to charges of leaking an FBI videotape to Rhode Island television reporter Jim Taricani, had been completing his prison term in a Massachusetts halfway house. He is the son of former Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph A. Bevilacqua, and the brother of former Senate Majority Leader John Bevilacqua.

The indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Boston, charges Bevilacqua and Cicilline with leading a conspiracy in which they took at least $150,000 from clients accused of drug dealing to help them gain a more lenient sentence.

Also charged is Juan Giraldo, who worked as an interpreter for Bevilacqua and Cicilline, and Lisa Torres, a paralegal interpreter, who is also accused of assisting the lawyers in the scheme. Giraldo is serving a federal prison term for cocaine trafficking.

Bevilacqua and Cicilline surrendered to authorities in Boston this morning, according to Samantha Martin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts. Giraldo, who is already in prison, will be summoned at a later date.

The case stems from the 2002 arrest of John Mendonca and his wife, Jacqueline Mendonca, in Warwick by federal and local authorities. Agents also seized marijuana and $1.3 million in cash, and the Mendoncas were subsequently indicted in Boston in 2003 on drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges. Cicilline and Bevilacqua became their lawyers.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton, with reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits and The Associated Press

According to the 21-page indictment, the defendants solicited and received large sums of money from the Mendoncas, purportedly to help set up other drug dealers with information that would then be credited to the Mendoncas to win themselves a lighter sentence.

The indictment charges that the defendants also pressured the Mendoncas to plead guilty as part of the scheme, and that they lied to federal authorities who prosecuted the Mendoncas.

Shortly after the couple’s arrest, Bevilacqua allegedly met with John Mendonca at the Plymouth House of Correction and told him that for a payment of several hundred thousand dollars, he could "keep John Mendonca out of jail.’’

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton, with reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:35 PM | Comment

Martines Pina fired as visitors' bureau president

Sheila Martines Pina, who gained local fame as the co-host of a Channel 10 magazine show with Matt Lauer, has been fired from her longtime job as president of the Southeastern Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Martines Pina, who has suffered with alcohol problems, was an “at-will” employee who was let go because of unexplained absences from work, said Rob Gould, chairman of the New Bedford-based bureau's board of directors. “You’ve got to draw the line once you’ve warned somebody so many times.”

The move was not directly related to any alcohol problem, he said. “It really is a shame because she really was good at what she does.”

Gould said the bureau would be looking for a replacement “who wears the face of the agency 24 hours a day, seven days a week and behaves themselves.”

Martines Pina became a local celebrity during her TV stint in the 1980s as co-host on Channel 10’s PM Magazine with Lauer, now co-host of NBC's Today show.

She has had several brushes with the law, and her 18-year tenure has been the subject of repeated controversy within the bureau.

She was convicted of drunk driving in 1989 and 1998, losing her license for two years. She was reported missing in November 2002 by her husband, former Bristol County District Attorney Ronald Pina. That prompted a police search that ended nine days later when she was discovered at Rhode Island Hospital.

She was given a medical leave from the bureau after all three incidents. The decision to reinstate her following the 2002 disappearance prompted protest resignations from the organization.

One of the most bizarre incidents came in 1988 when, while dating Pina and still at Channel 10, she was found locked in the trunk of her car, which was parked in a secluded dirt driveway in Dighton.

She claimed she had been abducted at knifepoint at a rest stop on Route 195 in Seekonk, driven to Dighton and locked in the trunk for 18 hours. No arrests were ever made in the case.

She is now due in New Bedford District Court Feb. 26 in connection with automobile accidents on Aug. 8 and Aug. 23.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:02 PM | Comment

Missing Prudence Island man, 83, found

PORTSMOUTH — An 83-year-old man reported missing from his Prudence Island home yesterday afternoon was found by local firefighters this morning.

Thomas Swindells was found at 10:45 a.m. in a wooded area a half-mile north of his home on the island in Narragansett Bay, Fire Department Chief Jeffrey P. Lynch said. Swindells was first reported missing yesterday at around 4 p.m.

Lynch also said that Swindells suffers from a medical illness “many elders have," though he wouldn't be more specific. The man “just couldn’t find his way back home,” Lynch said.

Swindells was taken to Newport Hospital for observation.

-- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:42 PM | Comment

Update: It's a girl, for Sen. Jack and Julia Reed

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is a father, his office announced this afternoon.

Julia Hart Reed gave birth to a healthy girl, Emily Hart Reed, at a hospital in Alexandria, Va. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

"Mother and daughter are doing well, and we feel truly blessed," Reed said, according to his office.

"Senator and Mrs. Reed are overjoyed and everyone is doing very well,'' said Reed press secretary Chip Unruh. He said the Reeds expressed gratitude for the warm wishes that friends and supporters have given them.

The Rhode Island Democrat, 57, and his wife, 41, were married in April 2005. It is the first child for them both.

Emily arrived a little later than expected, however. Her original due date was two weeks ago.

-- Journal staff writer John E. Mulligan

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:06 PM | Comment

Hand sanitizers to be installed in schools

Journal photo / John Freidah
Dr. David Gifford, director of the state Department of Health, at a press conference this afternoon, points out hand sanitizers.

State health officials are moving forward with plans to install hand sanitizers in each classroom in every school in Rhode Island, as they aim at a Monday reopening of schools in three West Bay communities.

The dispensers, which will be placed in all public and private schools in the coming days, will be filled with an alcohol-based gel.

The move was disclosed this afternoon during a press conference at the Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Cranston. It was prompted by an executive order signed by Governor Carcieri yesterday following a rash of bacterial illnesses among West Bay school children that included one death.

The state has recommended that public schools close in West Warwick, Warwick and Coventry until at least Monday.

The state's health director, Dr. David R. Gifford, said today that the schools would likely be opened Monday pending the results of additional testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sent five people to Rhode Island to investigate the sickness.

"If we don’t see an increase [of illnesses] that we are concerned about, we expect to open the schools on Monday," Gifford says.

State health officials learned Wednesday that a Coventry student has been hospitalized with a probable case of meningitis. They've sent samples taken from the student to the CDC labs to check for a connection to three previous cases of encephalitis recently reported at West Bay schools.

Gifford said today that the test results are expected to come back over the weekend.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:02 PM | Comment

Pawtucket police arrest bank robbery suspect

PAWTUCKET – A suspect in last week’s robbery of a bank on Newport Avenue has been arrested and turned over to the Pawtucket police.

Stephen A. Davidow, 44, of 120 Cottage St., was picked up by State Police in Central Falls yesterday on a warrant charging him with first-degree robbery, receiving stolen property and “uttering and publishing” a bad check.

Detective Maj. John J. Whiting, the Pawtucket police spokesman, said the receiving stolen property and bad check charges stem from a check from the estate of a relative that Davidow allegedly obtained and cashed early in December.

A warrant was issued, and police were seeking Davidow’s surrender, when a man fitting his description passed a note to the teller at the Webster Bank, 265 Newport Ave., at 1:35 p.m. Thursday and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, Whiting said.

Davidow was identified as a suspect in the bank robbery through interviews with witnesses, Whiting said. He said Davidow is scheduled to be arraigned today in District Court.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:23 PM | Comment

Balmy weather sets new record

Today's unusually warm weather is a record-breaker. The National Weather Service said that at 10:40 a.m., the temperature at T.F. Green Airport reached 62 degrees.

That topped the old record for today, set in 1950, of 61 degrees. The final report is expected to show today's temperature rise even higher. The weather service reported that it was 63 degrees at the airport at 12:05 p.m.

Check current conditions, and get the latest forecast.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 2:05 PM | Comment

Former Mass.speaker pleads guilty, avoids prison

BOSTON -- Former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, once considered the most powerful man on Beacon Hill, pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice in a deal that spared him prison time for misrepresenting his role in a redistricting plan that diluted the clout of minority voters.

Federal prosecutors agreed to drop three perjury charges against Finneran in exchange for his guilty plea to a single count of obstruction of justice.

Under the deal, Finneran will pay a $25,000 fine and be placed on 18 months of unsupervised probation, according to the documents filed in U.S. District Court in Boston. He has also agreed not to seek political office for at least five years.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:52 PM | Comment

2nd man charged, with Mollis' stepson, in shooting

The North Providence police have charged a second man with conspiracy and two counts of attempted murder in an alleged shooting by the stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.

James Lynch, 18, of 1362 Mineral Spring Ave., was arraigned this morning, according to a court official.

Mollis’ stepson, 19-year-old Gian Piscione, was arraigned again this morning – on an additional charge of conspiracy – after being arraigned yesterday on two counts of attempted murder for firing a shotgun into a gold Lexus occupied by two men who had been visiting with two women. The police have described one of those women as a female acquaintance of Piscione’s.

Police and fire dive teams are now searching Upper Canada Pond on the North Providence-Providence line for the shotgun they say was used in the shooting, North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino said. They believe the gun was tossed into the pond after the shooting, in which nobody was struck, but one bullet hole was found in the right rear fender of the Lexus.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:05 PM | Comment

Prosecutors oppose overturning Hatch conviction

In a brief filed this morning with the U.S. Court of Appeals, federal prosecutors argue that Survivor star Richard Hatch's conviction on tax evasion should not be overturned and that his sentence of more than four yours in prison is fair.

Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence filed the brief in response to Hatch's Dec. 7 appeal of his conviction for not paying taxes on the $1 million he was paid for winning the reality TV show. Hatch, 45, of Newport, is serving his 51-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institutions at Morgantown in West Virginia.

In his appeal, Hatch's lawyer, Michael Minns, argued that Judge Ernest C. Torres prohibited him from raising allegations of cheating on Survivor. Hatch maintains that the cheating was intended to prevent him from winning and that once he became aware of it he talked to producer Mark Burnett about it. The discussions, he said, led him to believe that CBS might make it up to him by paying his taxes if he won.

-- Journal staff writer Richard Salit

The prosecutors argued in the brief that Torres never ruled that Minns couldn't ask questions about how CBS planned to pay him, only that the judge stopped him from asking about the rules of the Survivor competition itself. The prosecutors said Minns never directly asked Burnett, a witness, nor Hatch, who testified on his own behalf, about whether the Survivor production company had made any promises about payment of Hatch’s taxes.

"The case against Hatch was overwhelming, to say the least," the prosecutors state, going on to argue that the sentence imposed by Torres, at the maximum of guidelines, was appropriate.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:28 AM | Comment

Did New Bedford boat catch wooly mammoth tusk?

CUSHING, Maine -- A fisherman pulled up what appears to be the tusk of a wooly mammoth from Georges Bank off the Maine coast.

The Maine State Museum is examining the dark, curved and pointed specimen, which was dredged up in a load of shells by the New Bedford, Mass.-based scallop dragger Celtic.

Fisherman Tim Winchenbach of Cushing brought the piece home to his wife, Michelle, who began researching to see if it could be from a wooly mammoth.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:24 AM | Comment

Children who want families speak out

Twenty professional portraits now on display of Rhode Island children ages 5 to 17 provide insight into the personalities of children hoping to be adopted. The accompanying essays help shape the images of these children, who talk openly about what they want in a permanent family.

One boy, identified as 9-year-old Raymond, “dreams” of finding a family of his own.

“I want a new family that takes care of kids, that never lets you go, feeds you when you are hungry and doesn’t get mad at me for asking for a toy,” he says in his essay. “I want to be adopted, because I want a family that will take good care of me and isn’t rude to me or yells at me. I wish for a nice family with a big pool … because I’ve never had one … and I’d love to have a dog.”

On display at the Providence Public Library’s central branch beginning today and lasting through Jan. 31, A Journey of the Heart is an exhibit by local photographers. The gallery is available atAdoption Rhode Island’s Web site.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The idea behind the traveling exhibit is that the photographs will motivate people to get involved in the children’s lives – by adopting them, fostering or mentoring them or making a donation to the state’s adoption network.

The portrait gallery began in Rhode Island in 2005, inspired by a then four-year-old New Mexico initiative to inspire people to adopt. Now the second set of photographs is on display in Rhode Island.

At the Central Library, 150 Empire St. in Providence, the exhibit is free and open to the public during the library’s regular hours.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:22 AM | Comment

Former Mass. speaker expected to plead guilty

BOSTON (AP) -- Former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, accused of lying during his testimony in a voting rights lawsuit, is expected to plead guilty to obstruction of justice, a person familiar with the agreement says.

A federal lawsuit claimed that a 2001 law that drew up new legislative district boundaries discriminated against blacks and other minority voters in Boston while protecting incumbents, including Finneran.

Finneran's trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 16. A change-of-plea hearing was listed on today's U.S. District Court docket, another indication that a deal had been struck.

Under the plea deal, he won't face prison time and federal prosecutors will drop three perjury counts, the person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press yesterday. Finneran also will agree not to seek political office for five years.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:54 AM | Comment

Check for closings

After public schools were closed in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry, some organizations decided to cancel other activities, such as religious education classes, Girl Scouts and figure skating classes.

Check a list of closings from projo.com.

See closings reported to WPRI.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:07 AM | Comment

Rain and possible record warmth today

The warm weather continues today, and the Providence area could reach a record high, but showers could ruin plans for picnics or trips to the beach.

If the temperature in Providence reaches the expected high of 61 today, it will match the record for the date set in 1950, according to the National Weather Service.
Expect showers and patchy fog, primarily after noon, the weather service says. Periods of showers should continue tonight with areas of dense fog, the weather service says.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Stories on the governor's friend getting the top job at Beacon Mutual, the closing of the schools in West Bay and the arrest of the Secretary of State's stepson lead today's Journal.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:52 AM | Comment

January 4, 2007

Update: Whitehouse Senate's newest member / Photo

Special to The Journal / Linda Spillers
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, his wife, Sandra, and children Molly and Alex, pose with Vice President Dick Cheney, who swore in the new senators today.

WASHINGTON -- Sheldon Whitehouse was sworn in as the newest member of the United States Senate at 12:24 this afternoon, joining a narrow Democratic majority.

By virtue of his surname's place in the alphabet, the Rhode Islander was the last of 33 senators who swore the constitutional oath of office. Whitehouse was among six freshman Democrats whose election last fall gives their party a majority of 51 to 49.

Since the House of Representatives is also ruled by Democrats, the party has full control of the 110th Congress.

As he marched down the center aisle of the Senate chamber with Rhode Island's senior senator, fellow Democrat Jack Reed, Whitehouse blew a kiss into the gallery above, where his wife, Sandra Thornton Whitehouse, and their children, Molly and Alex, were seated with a legion of celebrants.

After he took the oath, and walked toward the rear of the chamber, Whitehouse turned again and repeated the gesture to his wife and children.

-- John Mulligan, Journal Washington Bureau.

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:45 PM | Comment

N. Kingstown gas leak sends 2 to hospital

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Two people were taken to Kent Hospital this evening following a gas leak inside their apartment building.

Rescue officials responded to a two-story apartment complex at 23 Dayton Court where they discovered "a minor gas leak," according to Fire Chief Patrick Campion, who said the gas is carbon monoxide.

The names of the victims have not been released. More information was not yet available.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:34 PM | Comment

On deck: PC at the Dunk, Bruins host Toronto

Tonight in sports, the Providence College men’s basketball team gets its Big East season started when it plays Marquette at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The Golden Eagles come in at 13-2 overall, while the Friars are 10-3 in nonconference games.

Also, the Boston Bruins try to get back on track following a miserable road trip, when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7. A win would lift the Bruins past Toronto and out of last place in the Northeast Division.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:27 PM | Comment

Update: Derderian segregated after 'escape attempt'

CRANSTON -- Station nightclub co-owner Michael A. Derderian "tried to pull away" last month from an officer, and has accumulated five other infractions, an ACI spokeswoman said today.

Prison authorities today put Derderian in segregation at a medium security facility of the Adult Correctional Institutions, said spokeswoman Tracey Poolem where he'll stay until mid-February.

The "attempted escape from escorted custody’’ occurred on Dec. 5, when Derderian was being moved from minimum security to the intake center for what prison officials described as his inability to adjust to confinement after he was sanctioned for having an unauthorized visit from a non-family member, and accepting chicken soup from a family member in violation of work-release rules.

"He tried to pull away from the (correctional) officer, and that’s all,’’ Poole said. ``He didn’t get away. The officer grabbed his arm and they put him into the van for transport.’’

Derderian, 45, was sentenced to a four-year term on Sept. 29, after pleading no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the fire that killed 100 people at the nightclub he co-owned with his brother.

-- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

In early December, Derderian was scheduled to be moved from minimum security to medium security for 15 days as punishment for three violations related to his work-release job at the Allendale Auto Body and Sales in Warwick, according to ACI Director A.T. Wall.

Those violations included an unauthorized visit from someone who was not a family member; accepting non-prison food (chicken soup) from a family member while at his work-release job, and lying to authorities who were investigating those infractions.

Poole said Derderian lost his appeals after two hearings, on Dec. 13 and this past Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:19 PM | Comment

Brown gets NIH grant to train R.I. science teachers

PROVIDENCE — Brown University announced today that it has received a $636,131 grant from the National Institutes of Health to train Rhode Island high school science teachers how to integrate high-level concepts and hands-on experiments into their lesson plans.

Each summer, Brown faculty and graduate students will teach a two-week course to 15 high school science teachers selected as fellows to help them achieve the national science education standards for teacher professional development and teaching.

The fellows will have access to laboratory equipment and an adviser during the school year to help them develop new curriculum. In the spring, teachers and their students will go to Brown to share independent research projects and attend seminars led by biologists from Brown.

Over the course of the grant, 45 teachers will be trained, who will teach more than 3,000 students through the program.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:32 PM | Comment

Carcieri to order schools to carry hand sanitizer

Governor Carcieri said this afternoon that he plans to issue an executive order later today requiring all Rhode Island elementary schools to offer alcohol-based hand sanitizer in the wake of "a cluster" of illnesses in West Bay schools.

"The schools themselves can do and need to do a much better job," Carcieri said during a 3 p.m. media briefing at the Emergency Management Agency in Cranston.

The governor told residents not to be overly alarmed by the recent cases reported and said that schools in West Warwick, Warwick and Coventry should be re-opened by Monday.

"We do not have at this time any indication that there are any other districts affected. That can change," Carcieri said. "We’re not expecting to do any more school closures."

State health officials learned last night that a Coventry student has been hospitalized with a probable case of meningitis. They've sent samples taken from the student to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labs to check for a connection to three previous cases of encephalitis recently reported at West Bay schools.

State health director Dr. David R. Gifford, who appeared at this afternoon's briefing, said that the Coventry student "is doing very well" and is expected to be discharged from the hospital today.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:42 PM | Comment

Live video: Health Dept. update on meningitis fears

State officials are conducting a press briefing this afternoon on the closing of schools in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry today in the wake of concerns over an increase in pneumonia-like illnesses.

The briefing was scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Watch it live via wpri.com.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:08 PM | Comment

Mollis' stepson fired two shots at a gold Lexus

The North Providence today said Gian Piscione, the stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, fired two shots at a 2001 gold Lexus in front of 17 Third St., North Providence, last night.

No one was hit, the police said.

Piscione, 19, was arraigned this morning in Sixth District Court on six counts, including two counts of assault with the intent to commit murder, unlawfully possessing a loaded shotgun while driving, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

The police said Piscione had driven over to the area in his mother’s 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee after talking on the phone with a female acquaintance who was in the Lexus with two men and another woman. The women got out, Piscione argued with one of them and one got in the Jeep with Piscione, according to North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino.

Piscione got back out of the Jeep with a shotgun and fired at least two shots at the Lexus, Marino said. The police found one bullet hole in the right rear fender of the Lexus.

Piscione fled and was later stopped by Warwick Police after the North Providence police issued an all-points bulletin seeking help locating him, Marino said.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:05 PM | Comment

Photo: Signs of no school

The scene this morning at Deering Middle School in West Warwick. All schools are closed until at least Monday in West Warwick, Warwick and Coventry. Private schools, sporting events, day-care centers and YMCAs have also closed in the three towns as state Health Department officials investigate higher rates of pneumonia and a probable case of meningitis.

--- Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:14 PM | Comment

ACLU: Police doing little to address racial profiling

Very little has changed at local police departments in the nearly two years since the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union published a report outlining significant racial disparities in the stops and searches of motorists.

That’s according to a 36-page report issued today by the ACLU that charges many police departments in the state with doing very little to address the well-documented problem of racial profiling in their communities.

This is the fourth ACLU-issued report since data became available from a traffic stop study back in March 2005.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:07 PM | Comment

Photo: Secretary of State answers questions at court

Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis answers questions today after his stepson, Gian Piscione, was charged with attempted murder. “Gian has made a grave mistake, and we understand there are consequences with such mistakes,” Mollis said.

--- Journal Photo/Kathy Borchers

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:03 PM | Comment

Update: Mollis' stepson charged with attempted murder

The stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Gian Piscione, 19, was arraigned this morning in Sixth District Court on six counts, including two counts of assault with the intent to commit murder, unlawfully possessing a loaded shotgun while driving, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

At the time of his arrest last night, Piscione was driving a vehicle owned by his mother, Laurie Mollis, the wife of the newly elected secretary of state. Piscione, one of the Mollis' four children, lives in North Providence with his mother and stepfather.

The arrest stems from a shooting in North Providence last night. Piscione allegedly fired a shotgun into an occupied car. No further information was immediately available about the incident.

Piscione was released on a $50,000 bond after Mollis posted $5,000 in cash.

-- With reports from Journal staff writers Dan Barbarisi, Richard Dujardin and projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

After freeing his stepson on bail, Mollis gave a brief statement and answered questions outside the courthouse.

“Gian has made a grave mistake, and we understand there are consequences with such mistakes,” Mollis said.

Court records identify the two people Piscione was allegedly shooting at as Kyle Terzian and Anthony Munio. The two names, Mollis said, are unfamiliar to him.

“The two names you just gave me don’t ring any bells.”

While adding that he had few details about the incident himself, Mollis said that “Gian was involved in a very dangerous and serious situation… Somehow, someway, along this path yesterday evening, a mistake was made.”

Mollis saw his stepson briefly at the courthouse. Mollis has known Piscione for 10 years, and married his mother, the former Laurie Rinaldi, eight years ago. Piscione lives with Mollis at his home on Modesta Street in North Providence.

Mollis said that Gian is remorseful, and understands that prison time is a possibility.

“Whatever mistakes he’s made, there’s consequences that come with that,” Mollis said.

“In our brief time together, there is obviously someone who is very sorry for what he is putting himself through and what he is putting his family through.”

Mollis said that Piscione is a North Providence High School graduate who has held several jobs since graduating, including a stint at Napa Auto Parts, but is not currently employed.

Mollis said that Piscione had been in “lesser trouble” with the law in the past, but “nothing of this magnitude,” and no felonies, he said.

“We have worked with him before to get him on the right track,” Mollis said.

Mollis said that for his wife and their four children, from his inauguration as secretary of state to Piscione’s arrest, the last several days have been the ultimate roller coaster ride.

“In the last 48 hours, we’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows as a family,” Mollis said.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:00 PM | Comment

Informational meeting canceled in Coventry

Coventry Superintendent Kenneth R. Di Pietro has canceled an informational meeting that was planned for tonight to discuss an investigation by the state Health Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into past pneumonia cases at two district schools.

Officials last night decided to cancel school in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick today and tomorrow after learning that an elementary school student in Coventry had been hospitalized with a probable case of meningitis.

Dr. David Gifford, director of the Health Department, said health officials need to collect more information and further investigate. Officials are trying to determine if there's a link between the Coventry student's meningitis and cases of pneumonia, meningitis and encephalitis in the schools. A Warwick boy died Dec. 21 from encephalitis.

The Coventry child’s blood test, results of which should be ready this weekend, should help health officials determine if that student’s illness is in any way associated with mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacteria that led to the cases of encephalitis in schoolchildren in Warwick and West Warwick, Gifford said.

Between October and December 50 students who attend Black Rock and Oak Haven Elementary schools in Coventry came down with pneumonia, causing a high rate of absenteeism. The student with the probable case of meningitis attends Hopkins Hill Elementary School.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:19 PM | Comment

Car break-ins under investigation in Cranston

CRANSTON -- The police are investigating reports that thieves stole items from as many as eight cars in the Edgewood section last night.

The cars were unlocked, said Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar, the police spokesman. The stolen items included cellular phones and cash, he said.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:11 PM | Comment

Downtown mailbox burns

PROVIDENCE -- Firefighters were called to the scene of a burning U.S. Postal Service mailbox shortly before 1 p.m. today on Dorrance Street at the corner of Westminster Street.

It's unclear how the fire started inside one of the two blue mailboxes in front of the Dress Barn clothing shop.

Firefighters used fire extinguishers to put out the smoldering mailbox and then turned over the charred letters to letter carrier Bill Turner, who just happened to be walking downtown at the time of the fire. Turner first thought the firefighters were dealing with a fire in the clothes shop, he said.

Turner took possession of the white plastic postal cartons that sit in the base of each blue mailbox, saying he would need to turn the mail over to a supervisor immediately. Some letters from the one box were half-disintegrated, with black and tan charred corners. The letters in the second box on Dorrance were unharmed.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:00 PM | Comment

No high school sports for athletes in affected towns

High school and youth hockey players in the Rhode Island communities of Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry will be off the ice for the next few days as a result of the concerns about meningitis that prompted officials in those three communities to close schools today.

Rhode Island Interscholastic League officials said today that they have been informed by the directors of both Thayer Arena in Warwick and the West Warwick ice rink that they are suspending both high school and youth hockey programs at the rinks at least through Saturday.

The rink closing means that two-game Interscholastic League hockey programs scheduled for Thayer and West Warwick both Friday and Saturday night will be canceled. Interscholstic League officals are working to reschedule games from those four doubleheaders that do not involve teams from the three communities to other rinks this weekend.

According to league officials, no public school high school athletes or teams, in any sport, from the three communities will compete during the school closings. In addition Hendricken High School, a private school in Warwick, closed yesterday and Hendricken teams will not compete this weekend.

Click here to read more
-Sports Writer John Gillooly

Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:30 PM | Comment

Update: Health director to hold briefing at 3 p.m.

Dr. David R. Gifford, state director of health, will hold a press briefing at 3 o'clock this afternoon at the Emergency Management Agency in Cranston to discuss the health scare related to mycoplasma pneumoniae. Only media representatives with photo identification will be admitted.

Although Health Department officials have forwarded some questions posed to projo.com about the increase of infectious disease in West Bay to department physicians, the doctors have not yet responded to those questions.

“Most of the doctors here are busy trying to actually deal with the immediate issue,” said Jeff Neal, spokesman for Governor Carcieri. “I don’t have the specialized knowledge to give medical advice.”

The Health Department agreed yesterday to answer some questions posed by readers to projo.com over a two-day span. However, before addressing questions that came in yesterday, officials learned a Coventry student had been hospitalized with a probable case of meningitis.

In the middle of the night, officials decided to close all public schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick. They’re working to determine if that student’s illness is related to the mycoplasma that led to three cases of encephalitis in children in Warwick and West Warwick.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Projo.com readers are asking, among other questions, whether the Health Department is looking into the patterns of illness in local child-care facilities, and whether the Health Department is recommending that such facilities also close.

“At this point, we have not issued anything specific, to my knowledge,” Neal said.

They want to know which precautions parents should take, including if all children should be immunized for meningitis.

“That’s a medical question I have not heard the answer to,” Neal said. “That is the type of thing we’ll be able to address at a general briefing” this afternoon.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:19 PM | Comment

Mollis' stepson charged with attempted murder

The stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis has been charged with attempted murder.

Gian Piscione, 19, was arraigned this morning in Sixth District Court on six counts, including assault with the intent to commit murder, North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino said.

He was driving a vehicle owned by his mother, Laurie Mollis, the wife of the newly elected Secretary of State. Piscione lives in North Providence with his mother and stepfather.

The arrest stems from a shooting in North Providence last night. Piscione allegedly fired a shotgun into an occupied car. No information was available at this time about the victim.

Adam Bozzi, Mollis' spokesman, said the shooting occurred after Piscione had a fight with his former girlfriend.

Bozzi said more information would be provided by Mollis, who was giving a statement on the steps of the courthouse steps in Providence after noon today.

Piscione was released on a $50,000 bond by posting $5,000 in cash.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin and projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:00 PM | Comment

Carcieri fundraiser named to top insurance job

Governor Carcieri's chief political fundraiser has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the Beacon Mutual Insurance Company, the state's dominant worker's compensation insurer.

James V. Rosati, who is also chairman of the board for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, replaces former president and chief executive Joseph A. Solomon.

The company announced the appointment today.

Beacon, created in 1990 to rescue the state from an insurance crisis, has been the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation after revelations last year of unfair pricing practices and preferential treatment to some of the state's big businesses.

A former Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. executive was indicted last year as a result of the investigation. David R. Clark, a former company vice president, pleaded not guilty in November to five felony counts of conspiracy, insurance fraud and computer crime at his arraignment in Kent County Superior Court.

Clark and Solomon had been fired after an external audit of the company, conducted by Giuliani Safety & Security, found evidence that Beacon gave preferential treatment to some of its largest policyholders.

A national search to find a new president and chief executive started in August, according to Beacon.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg

“Today’s announcement is a major step in the continuing process of restoring faith in The Beacon with our policyholders, regulators, employees and members of the Rhode Island business community,” Carl Hayes, chairman of Beacon’s board, said in a statement. “

"Jim has demonstrated the ability to lead large and complex organizations and brings a wealth of business and financial services expertise to the company at a critical juncture. He has the confidence of the board of directors and we believe under his leadership the company will reach new levels of performance, accountability and growth.”

Rosati said in the statement, “On behalf of The Beacon’s 14,000 policyholders, I intend to work with regulators and state officials in a cooperative manner. To protect Rhode Island’s workers’ compensation system, we will institute new policies, procedures and governance models. The challenges may be numerous, but they are not insurmountable and The Beacon Mutual Insurance Company will emerge from these challenges a healthier and stronger company.”

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:59 AM | Comment

Diocese closes schools in 3 communities

The Diocese of Providence has closed all Catholic schools in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry today and tomorrow, according to diocese spokesman Michael Guilford.

The move follows the closing of all public schools in the three communities due to health concerns prompted by high incidences of pneumonia and the development in a few students of more serious ailments.

None of the schools opened today except Bishop Hendricken High School. The Warwick high school was closed today at 10:45 a.m.

-- Journal education writer Linda Borg

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:58 AM | Comment

Warwick youth activities canceled

WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian says he's canceling the city’s Parks and Recreation Department youth activities at the pool and skating rink for today and tomorrow.

“In light of the decision, out of an abundance of caution, to close the schools in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry, it only made common sense to cancel youth activities that are sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department,” Avedisian said. “I do want to stress that these are precautionary measures and that no new cases have been reported in the City of Warwick.”

The mayor's full statement can be read at Warwick's Web site.

Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:55 AM | Comment

Health director: Tests will tell if illnesses are linked

The state Health Director expects to have blood tests and additional investigations completed by this weekend to determine whether three public school districts should reopen by Monday.

“I believe it is very likely that the information will show we can open the schools on Monday,” Dr. David R. Gifford told projo.com this morning.

When health officials learned late last night of a Coventry student hospitalized with a “probable case of meningitis,” the Health Department worked furiously with school and town leaders late last night and into this morning to determine a course of action. They decided “out of an abundance of caution” to close public schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick for the rest of this week, Gifford said.

The Coventry child’s blood test, results of which should be ready this weekend, should help health officials determine if that student’s illness is in any way associated with mycoplasma pneumoniae, Gifford said. That common bacteria has led to three cases of encephalitis in schoolchildren, including one fatal case in Warwick.

The same infectious disease specialists who have treated those three children with encephalitis are treating the Coventry child, Gifford said. In any other year, those physicians would say the latest case is “probably just an atypical pattern of what we normally see,” Gifford said.

But with a “heightened index of suspicion” this year as state and federal health officials analyze the recent illnesses, doctors determined it was necessary to test this child for mycoplasma pneumoniae, Gifford said.

“This is not a situation where I say I’m really suspicious this [blood test] is going to come back positive,” Gifford said. “I think it’s going to come back negative, but, you know, you never know when you send the test out.”

If the test were to come back positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae, health officials would re-evaluate whether to open schools on Monday, Gifford said. If school closures are necessary, Gifford said they would cover a much narrower pool.

With this latest potential case of meningitis, health officials are now questioning whether the bacteria is still active. Most other cases of pneumonia they’ve examined are back in November and December, Gifford said.

“This new case raises the question: Are we still seeing mycoplasma around here?” Gifford said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:53 AM | Comment

Health director believes schools will reopen Monday

The state health director said in a radio interview this morning that he believes the department will have enough information about a Coventry child’s illness to reopen public schools in three communities by Monday.

The Coventry elementary school child is now at Hasbro Children’s Hospital with a “probable case of meningitis,” according to health officials.

The health department has not confirmed that the child’s illness was caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae, the common bacteria that has led to three cases of encephalitis, including one fatal case in Warwick, Dr. David R. Gifford said.

However, as it gathers more data, the health department decided it should close those schools where there’s a high level of illness right now, Gifford said.

With the new case, health officials are now questioning whether the bacteria is still active. Most other cases of pneumonia they’ve examined are back in November and December, Gifford said.

“This new case raises the question: Are we still seeing mycoplasma around here?” Gifford said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:42 AM | Comment

Update: More CDC investigators coming

The state Health Department is expecting more epidemiologists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to travel to Rhode Island to help investigate the increase of infectious disease that has now closed three school districts in the state for the rest of the week.

The governor's office says about a half dozen CDC epidemiologists are already in the state, working around the clock to investigate mycoplasma pneumoniae, the common bacteria that has led to three cases of encephalitis in children in Warwick and West Warwick, one of whom died on Dec. 21.

After the health department learned late Wednesday evening that a child from Coventry’s Hopkins Hill School has been hospitalized with a “probable case of meningitis,” the department recommended around 1 a.m. that three Rhode Island school districts close for the rest of the week, according to Michael Maynard, director of public information in the governor’s office.

That means 20,670 children, according to the districts' October enrollment numbers, are out of school today. Coventry schools have 5,635 children, Warwick schools have 11,236 children and West Warwick schools have 3,799 children.

There have been no other reports “of anything unusual” in any other school districts, Maynard said, and so there are no plans at this time to close other public schools.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:55 AM | Comment

It will be warm again; rains coming Friday

We'll get another spring day with a high near 58 and a gentle west wind.

The National Weather Service expects the winds will shift to the southwest overnight bringing showers Friday. The rain could be heavy Friday night.

Saturday will be warm and wet with a possible high of 63.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:34 AM | Comment

Download today's front page.

Stories on the Grand Jury's investigation of The Station nightclub fire and the swearing in of Sheldon Whitehouse lead today's Journal.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:10 AM | Comment

Meningitis concern closes schools in 3 communities

PROVIDENCE -- Schools in three Rhode Island communities are shutting down for the rest of the week after a Coventry elementary school student is admitted to the hospital with a probable case of meningitis.

State health officials say schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick will close starting today.

The probable meningitis case in the Hopkins Hill School student reported last night is similar to previous cases in the area that have been reported.

Doctor David Gifford, director of the state health department, says there has been an unusually high incidence of pneumonia in the three communities.

Gifford said during a 6 a.m. press conference today that the schools are being closed out of an "abundance of caution." The decision was made after consultation with school superintendents.

He said in a statement early this morning that health officials need to "collect additional information and further investigate this recent case of meningitis and the high incidences of pneumonia at several of these schools."

Gifford said health officials are awaiting tests to see if the probable case of meningitis is related to the mycoplasma bacteria that sickened students in other communities.

A second-grader from Warwick died of encephalitis last month. Two other students in the area were also diagnosed with the disease but have since recovered.

The decision on whether to reopen the schools will be made over the weekend.

-- The Associated Press with projo.com staff reports

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:41 AM | Comment

January 3, 2007

Traffic update: Lanes cleared at 95's Exit 9 accident

A serious accident involving at least two vehicles on Route 95 South has been cleared, the state Department of Transportation advised at 7:06 p.m.

The accident was causing heavy delays, according to an alert sent out at 6:20 p.m. Some traffic delays should still be expected in the area until about 7:20 p.m.

The left two lanes were closed in Warwick before Exit 9, which clogged traffic between Exit 15 (Jefferson Boulevard) to Exit 9 (Route 4), according to the DOT.

More information on the accident was not available.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:14 PM | Comment

Lincoln student's illness not tied to encephalitis

LINCOLN — School officials said today a review of their attendance records turned up an instance of a middle school student who had viral meningitis in November, but said the case was unrelated to the bacteria being blamed for three instances of encephalitis — one of them fatal — in Warwick and West Warwick.

Dr. David R. Gifford, the state’s director of health, said that the Lincoln child was one of several cases of neurological illness that the Health Department investigated.

Blood samples from all were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., to be tested for mycoplasma pneumoniae, the bacteria believed to have caused three cases of encephalitis in Warwick and West Warwick over the past two months. The blood sample from the Lincoln child, as well as all the others, did not have any of the mycoplasma bacteria, Gifford said.

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:10 PM | Comment

N. Kingstown picks town manager

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Michael E. Embury, who served as Middletown’s town administrator from 1989 to 2003, was appointed North Kingstown’s town manager today.

He will begin his duties later this month, Council President Edward Cooney said today in a prepared statement.

No details on his contract were released. Earlier, town officials said the job would pay about $105,000 a year.

Embury, who was a finalist for a similar position in Harwich, Mass., last year, was selected from a field of 35 candidates.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:58 PM | Comment

On deck: URI, Celtics and P-Bruins play tonight

Here's what area teams are up to tonight:

URI men's basketball (7-7) looks to bounce back from losses at Ohio and Kansas when it begins its Atlantic 10 season against La Salle (6-6) tonight at 7 at the Ryan Center in Kingston. Listen to the game on WHJJ (920) or WJZS-FM (99.7) radio.

The Celtics return home tonight at 7:30 against Cleveland after ending their six-game slide with a win at Portland Monday night. Catch them on TV FSNE or WEEI-FM radio.

The P-Bruins look to bounce back from a loss at Hershey Sunday when they travel to Hartford tonight at 7. Listen to the game on WLKW, WNBH, WNRI, WQRI-FM, or WBLQ-FM radio.

Come back to projo.com for results.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:50 PM | Comment

Man pleads not guilty in Pawtucket triple murder

PROVIDENCE – The man suspected of killing his estranged girlfriend, her new boyfriend and her daughter in a triple shooting in Central Falls last summer pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in Superior Court today.

Adelino Duarte, 39, formerly of 659 Main St., Pawtucket, was ordered held without bail by Court Magistrate Joseph A. Keough at this morning’s hearing, pending a Feb. 1 status conference.

Duarte has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of using a firearm in the commission of the crime in relation to an Aug. 18, 2005, shooting spree inside the 712 High St., Pawtucket, apartment of his former girlfriend, Elizabeth Orellana. The police say that Duarte used a .25-caliber pistol to shoot Orellana, 37, her daughter Kristal Duarte, 20 (no relation to the defendant), and Orellana's boyfriend, Octavio Calcagno, 23.

All three victims were shot below the ear. The police, responding to a 2:35 a.m. call that there was a man with a gun in the apartment, found Kristal Duarte lying wounded on a sofa, Orellana and Calcagno on the bedroom floor.

Adelino Duarte was also found lying on the bedroom floor, but he was unhurt. His hand was extended under the mattress where the pistol was found, the police said.

More than 300 people attended Kristal Duarte's funeral Mass at St. Anthony Church in Pawtucket a week after the shooting. About 100 people took part in a vigil for the shooting victims two weeks later at Notre Dame Church in Central Falls.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:48 PM | Comment

New, joint post for top Roger Williams cancer doctor

PROVIDENCE -- Brown University announced today that a leading doctor from Roger Williams Hospital will head cancer programs at Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and the university's medical school.

Dr. Peter Quesenberry has spent four decades researching cancer treatment. Most recently, he served as chair of Roger Williams's department of research, the head of the center for stem cell biology and the director of its blood and marrow transplant program.

Extra: Read Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller's 2002 profile of Quesenberry.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:40 PM | Comment

Update: Jurors pressed Larocque on the deadly foam

Jurors in the grand jury investigation repeatedly questioned West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque about why he didn't notice illegal acoustic foam inside The Station nightclub.

According to transcripts obtained by The Journal today, Larocque told the grand jury that he wasn't checking for issues such as illegal foam during a November 2001 inspection prior to the fire that killed 100 club patrons and injured another 200 in 2003.

"Now how is that, that you were not able to see that material?" asks a juror.

"These are called fire safety inspections, what we do for liquor license renewals. These are not full building code-compliance inspections," Larocque says.

"What we call the — we call a four E’s, these types of inspection. That’s extinguishers, emergency lighting, exit signs and egress. These type of inspections are pretty much focused on those items. ... These are inspections geared toward those basic items."

Extra: Read a 114-page transcript of an audio tape of Larocque's testimony.

The prosecutors changed subject to talk about building capacity after Larocque's response. But later in the hearing jurors returned to questioning about the foam, which produced toxic smoke when the fire started and is largely blamed for the high death toll.

Larocque told the grand jury that he was upset during a November 2002 inspection when he discovered that the club installed a door that swung the wrong way.

Juror: "Well, when you got to that door that swung in, the one that you were concerned about...that had foam on it."

Larocque: "Yes. From the reports I'm hearing and supposedly this door had foam on it. The door itself, again, it shouldn't have been there number one, so I'm not really focussing on what's on the door. My inspection at that time is what I said earlier, was -- it's a basic fire safety inspection."

Juror: "I realize that."

Larocque: "Seeing the door and surprising to see the door, I was more concerned that the door was even there, not what was on it."

Juror: "But if you see another potential hazard --"

At that point the prosecutor interrupted the questioning to talk about the dates of the inspections.

The 114-page transcript of West Wariwck fire marshal Denis P. Larocque and 84 pages from Barry Warner, a nightclub neighbor, were among materials that lawyer Kathleen M. Hagerty provided to The Providence Journal and the Associated Press today.

Warner was a salesman for American Foam, a Johnston company that sold highly flammable polyurethane foam to the nightclub for use as soundproofing. The foam caught fire when showered with sparks from a rock band's fireworks.

Normally, grand jury testimony is kept secret. But, in this case, Superior Court Presiding Judge Joseph F. Rodgers Jr. ordered that transcripts be made public and directed the attorney general to disclose them.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch has said he hopes to release the materials in their entirety by the end of the month.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:36 PM | Comment

Driver charged in crash that killed passenger, 16

PROVIDENCE -- Kellie Woodbine, who was behind the wheel of the pickup truck that crashed and burned on Route 95 a year ago, killing a passenger, was arraigned in Superior Court this morning on two felony charges stemming from the crash.

Woodbine, her face disfigured by the burns she suffered in the accident, pleaded not guilty to one count of driving while intoxicated, death resulting, and one count of driving to endanger, death resulting.

Samantha Marie Beaudette, 16, of Pawtucket, the popular former Darlington Braves cheerleader who was Woodbine’s passenger, was fatally injured in the crash.

“She was such a good kid. Parents always say that about their kids,” Samantha’s mother, Sharon Beaudette Achorn, said last week in an interview.

But “ask anybody,” Achorn said. “Read her MySpace profile. And it’s clear how great a kid she was.”

The accident occurred 12:40 p.m. Dec. 30, 2005 on the notorious Pawtucket S-curve. State Police said Woodbine, 28, of 18 Scott Road, Cumberland, lost control of her pickup truck, which struck a highway barrier, flew across the road, struck a bridge abutment, came to rest on the grassy shoulder and burst into flames.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine said Woodbine was drunk when the accident occurred. He agreed to allow her to remain free pending trial on the condition she neither drink nor get behind wheel of the car.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

To make sure Woodbine complies with the conditions, Regine asked Magistrate Joseph A. Keough to order that she be regularly tested for alcohol consumption.

The request prompted Woodbine’s lawyer, Steven D. DiLibero, to request a sidebar, after which Regine’s request for regular alcohol testing was denied.

Woodbine, who was released from the hospital in November, is still undergoing treatment for the burns she suffered, DiLibero told Keough. She was so severely injured in the accident she is unable to drink alcohol, he explained outside court.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:49 PM | Comment

Belichick confirms Rodney Harrison won't play Sunday

FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick said this morning that Rodney Harrison will not play Sunday against the Jets due to his right knee injury.

There was a massive media contingent here, about 70 to 75 reporters and camera people by our estimate, befitting both the teams playing -- New York being a huge media city -- and the sexiness of this matchup and the mentor vs. student angle.

Belichick complimented the Jets' staff, headed by Eric Mangini, for the job it has done with the team this season, noting that New York has won six of its last eight games and won all three of its AFC East road games.

When he was asked about his relationship with Mangini, Belichick said this game "isn't about relationships" and that he and Mangini aren't playing one another, their teams are.

This is the first time that the Patriots have played a team three times in one season under Belichick.

- Shalise Manza Young

Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:34 PM | Comment

Land swap clears way to extend Kingston bike path

NARRAGANSETT – A land swap between the town of Narragansett and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will permit the expansion of a bike trail from Wakefield into Narragansett.

Fish and Wildlife announced today that it has given the town a 1.46-acre former railroad right-of-way in exchange for 15.43 acres of coastal marsh adjacent to existing refuge land.

The larger parcel adds important coastal habitat to the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge at Pettaquamscutt Cove, according to the federal agency.

The parcels were appraised at equal market value, according to Fish and Wildlife.

“The exchange allows for both the continuation of the bike path and the protection of highly valued wildlife habitat in Pettaquamscutt Cove,” said Charles Vandemoer, Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex manager.

The town and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation are now able to extend the bike path from Wakefield to the east side of U.S. Route 1 into Narragansett. The path starts at the Kingston Railroad Station off Route 138 and now ends in Wakefield at Route 108 just west of Route 1.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:28 PM | Comment

R.I.'s Fischer case to be featured on Court TV tonight

Court TV will air a special segment this evening on the case on Ronald Fischer, the Rhode Island doctor who fled the state in the midst of his rape trial. He was later convicted in absentia.

Journal photo editor Babette Augustin, who briefly dated Fischer, will be interviewed for the segment, which is scheduled to run at 5 p.m. on "Catherine Crier Live."

On its web site, Court TV says: "A wealthy New England doctor used his yacht to seduce and rape his dates -- now he is on the run. AMW has the latest in the manhunt, plus Catherine will speak to one of his former girlfriends."

Fischer, disappeared April 23, 2005 -- days before he was convicted of raping a Westerly woman aboard his yacht dubbed The Lion King. He sent his lawyer a farewell e-mail and hasn't been seen since.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:10 PM | Comment

Crews respond to Hopkinton house fire

HOPKINTON – Fire crews are battling a house fire at 14 Wincheck Pond Rd. this afternoon.

The police have no reports of injuries, according to a Hopkinton police dispatcher.

Hope Valley Fire crews were the first on scene.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:43 PM | Comment

They're official: Cicilline, council sworn in / Photo

Journal photo / Kris Craig
Mayor David N. Cicilline makes his inauguration speech today during an outdoor ceremony in front of Providence City Hall.

PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline and the 15 members of the Providence City Council were sworn in this afternoon during concurrent ceremonies at City Hall that attracted Governor Carcieri and a host of state political leaders.

Cicilline began his second term with a 20-minute speech in which he outlined plans to address social issues such as poverty and affordable housing while maintaining his efforts to rid city government of corruption.

"Four years ago, you took the risk that things could be different, that the cost of corruption in waste, tarnished reputation, and lost opportunities did not have to be a part of the cost of government," he said in his prepared remarks. "Since that time you have lent me your unwavering support, as we have gone about the slow, painstaking work of changing a culture."

Roughly 500 people -- the governor, all of the state's general officers, and the leaders of the House and Senate among them -- attended Cicilline's inauguration, which was set on the front steps of City Hall.

The City Council swearing in ceremony was held in the council chamber. Of the 15 councilmen, five are newcomers. All 15 are Democrats.

Read the full text of Cicilline's prepared speech.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:10 PM | Comment

Romney files paperwork to explore presidential bid

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said today he was filing papers to form an exploratory committee to run for president in 2008.

The filing would make Romney the third Republican to take the step, after Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"We've filed exploratory papers today, and so the process is moving forward on that front," he told reporters today, his final full day in office. He added, "No announcement date for you yet," but he is planning a major fundraiser in Boston next Monday.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:22 PM | Comment

Judge Fortunato to retire Feb. 1

Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. is retiring from the bench, effective Feb. 1 -- the day after he turns 65.

In a letter he sent yesterday to Governor Carcieri, Fortunato, a member of the court for more than 12 years, said, "It has been a pleasure and honor for me to work with and for the people of Rhode island since 1994 in what I believe is one of the premier trial courts in this nation."

"Despite occasional differences with your administration over points of legal interpretation, I have enjoyed being a justice during your tenure; and I remain everlasting grateful to one of your predecessors, the Honorable Bruce Sundlun, for having appointed me to this position. Naturally, my gratitude also extends to the legislature for its support in confirming me."

Fortunato, a former Democratic state senator and civil liberties lawyer who now lives in Warren, has sat on some of the most newsworthy calendars during his tenure on the bench -- and has issued some of the most controversial opinions, some of which have irked politicians and members of the public who have written letters to the editor criticizing him.

But in an editorial written in 1998, Foretunato said that "the judicial branch of government in which the judges serve is and must be independent from the mob in the street and the editorial writer at his or her word processor."

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:17 PM | Comment

Cranston mayor appoints deputy administration chief

CRANSTON -- Mayor Michael T. Napolitano has appointed Frank Migliorelli as his deputy director of administration, the third-highest post in the municipal government.

Migliorelli is a former Cranston Municipal Court administrator who worked with Napolitano when he sat on the bench. He replaces Robin Muksian-Schutt, who had served as former Mayor Stephen P. Laffey's deputy chief of staff and spokeswoman for four years.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:12 PM | Comment

Update: Providence City Hall abuzz for inauguration

PROVIDENCE -- City Hall was buzzing late this morning as the second inauguration of Mayor David N. Cicilline got under way.

It kicked off at 8:30 with an interfaith breakfast for invited guests at the Westin Hotel.
The actual inauguration is taking place on the front steps of City Hall, shortly after 11 a.m., which is when the new Providence City Council will be sworn in.

Just before, politicians, police and members of the public were gathering inside and out the gray stone building on the south end of Kennedy Plaza. On the second floor, appetizers from a Russian restaurant on Broad Street were waiting.

On the third floor, City Council members getting ready to be sworn in in their council chamber. The council, with five new members, will open its meeting inside City Hall and then walk out to the stage for the mayor’s inauguration, according to Rhoades Alderson, communications director for the city.

The mayor has said his inaugural address will set the stage for his second term and “emphasize the importance of making youth our first priority in creating a city of our greatest ambitions.”

Extra: Read a prepared draft of Cicilline's address.

After the inauguration, the public is invited for refreshments on the third floor of City Hall.

Due to the inauguration, the following streets will be closed from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m.: Dorrance Street, between Washington and Fulton streets; Washington Street, between Eddy and Dorrance streets; Fulton Street, between Dorrance and Eddy streets.

The mayoral celebration continues with a party on Friday at the Biltmore, the proceeds of which will benefit Providence after-school programs and Volunteers in Public Schools.

Then, on Saturday, the mayor has declared free admission to various city locations as part of a celebration of the city, neighborhoods and families.

Skating at the Bank of America City Center, 2 Kennedy Plaza, will be free from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., as will admission to the Providence Children's Museum, 100 South St., from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, 224 Benefit St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:12 PM | Comment

No injuries after school bus rear-ended

EAST PROVIDENCE -- No one was injured this morning in a minor accident involving a school bus that was merging into a northbound lane of Pawtucket Avenue from Wampanoag Trail.

The bus stopped in traffic and an SUV behind it rolled into the rear of the bus, East Providence Police Sgt. Thomas Rush said.

The police who responded to the 7:51 a.m. accident used a sign-language translation book that was on the bus to communicate the special-needs children who were being transported, Rush said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:11 PM | Comment

School bus accident in E. Providence

EAST PROVIDENCE -- Emergency responders are at the scene of a school bus accident at the intersection of Pawtucket Avenue and Wampanoag Trail.

The bus was traveling north on Pawtucket Avenue at 7:51 a.m., the time of the crash, according to East Providence Police Lt. John Wyrostek.

More details are not yet available.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:23 AM | Comment

Exit 24 on Route 95 North to close this morning

PROVIDENCE – The Branch Avenue exit (No. 24) on Route 95 North will be closed this morning from 9 to 10 a.m. for construction.

The state Department of Transportation reports there’s a detour in place.

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 7:12 AM | Comment

Spring in early January?

Today should feel more like spring than early January.

The temperature should climb to 55 degrees under sunny skies, according to the National Weather Service.

The wind should be calm, between 8 and 11 mph, but could gust to 28.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's Journal front page includes coverage of former President Gerald R. Ford's funeral, Governor Carcieri's inauguration and a report on the confirmation of a third case of encephalitis in a Rhode Island student.

Download today's front page.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

January 2, 2007

Medical mystery around student infections deepens

Health investigators concluded today that a third child, a West Warwick middle schooler, had suffered from encephalitis probably brought on by a common infection that usually causes pneumonia, deepening a medical mystery that has drawn the attention of federal medical authorities.

The bacteria that seems to have caused the infection, mycoplasma pneumoniae, very rarely causes encephalitis, and encephalitis itself is extremely rare, so the cluster of three cases -- which included one death -- has prompted an intensive investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The surviving children have recovered.

Five doctors from the federal agency are in Rhode Island talking with school nurses and the families of children who have been out of school, trying to identify any additional cases. One possibility under consideration is that a new, more virulent strain of the bacteria may have developed, according to Dr. David R. Gifford, Rhode Island director of health.

But so far health officials do not know of any children who are currently ill with mycoplasma or with encephalitis. All the eight known mycoplasma cases -- which include five children who had pneumonia without encephalitis -- occurred in November and December.

Seven of the eight infections were in children who attended the Greenwood Elementary School in Warwick. The Health Department has closed the school for this week, and has offered antibiotics to the families every student. Nearly all agreed to take the drugs.

The Health Department distributed 1,182 doses of antibiotics on Sunday, yesterday and today. The department ordered the drugs from a distributor at a cost of $57,000, charged to a Health Department credit card. Several children had upset stomachs, a common reaction to the medication, but no allergic reactions were reported.

The Health Department has been holding meetings with parents in West Warwick yesterday and today to talk about the illnesses.

-- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:33 PM | Comment

Lincoln councilman accused of domestic assault

LINCOLN -- Town Councilman Ronald A. Loparto was arrested for domestic simple assault today after his wife came to the police station and said he had pushed her down during an argument, police Chief Robert T. Kells said.

Today is Loparto's last day in office.

Kells said Loparto’s wife came into the station at about 2 p.m. and said her husband had shoved her during an argument that began on the evening of New Year’s Day. He said she told police she was in fear of her husband and had obtained a restraining order against him.

Loparto, 53, of 91 Old River Road, was charged with one count of domestic simple assault and released on his own recognizance pending a Friday morning arraignment in District Court, Kells said. Loparto “cooperated fully” with police throughout the arrest process, Kells said.

Loparto’s afternoon arrest came in the final hours of his council term which expired at about 7 p.m., with the swearing-in of the new Town Council elected in November.

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Loparto had passed on a running for council reelection last year in favor of running for state representative. He lost the election in the 46th House District to incumbent Republican William J. McManus by 12 votes.

During his term on the council, Loparto was criticized at times by opponents for what they considered an excessively aggressive debating style on issues he cared about. He and his wife have three daughters, ranging in age from approximately 5 to 12.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:59 PM | Comment

At the Assembly: Montalbano, Murphy get nod / Photo

Journal photo / Connie Grosch
Five-year-old Tiffanie Pichardo, joins her father, state Sen. Juan Pichardo, D-Dist. 2, in Providence, in the Senate chamber for the first day of the 2007 legislative session.

PROVIDENCE -- As expected, the Democratic leaders of the state General Assembly were reelected this afternoon by overwhelming majorities.

Both Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence, and House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, had been endorsed at party caucuses in the fall.

Today's votes took place on the first day of the new legislative session and followed the swearing-in of members in each chamber. It means that Montalbano and Murphy will lead the state's legislative branch for the next two years.

Not sure who your state senator and representatives are now? Search this database on the secretary of state's Web site. Find contact information for your legislators here.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:55 PM | Comment

New Cranston mayor seeks budget cuts ASAP

CRANSTON -- Mayor Michael T. Napolitano is calling for deep, mid-year budget cuts from every department to compensate for a $2-million shortfall in projected tax receipts.

Napolitano mentioned the cuts during his inaugural address last night. Today, during his first day in City Hall, he said he would summon all department heads to discuss the city’s fiscal condition and the need for immediate reductions in spending.

The cuts could reach 5 percent of departmental spending, Napolitano’s chief of staff, Ernest J. Carlucci, said in an interview.

The projected deficit in tax receipts was caused by an error in calculating the total cost of partial tax exemptions during budget writing last year. Former Mayor Stephen P. Laffey has said that surpluses in other accounts will erase the shortfall in taxes, but Napolitano is insisting the emergency cuts are needed.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin Gedan

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:31 PM | Comment

State asking all schools to review, report absences

The state Health Department has asked all schools in the state to examine their absentee records and report back to the department if they believe their students have had excessive respiratory illnesses lately.

The department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate a string of bacterial illnesses that killed one Warwick elementary student.

If a school believes they have had an excessive amount of respiratory illnesses, the health department and specialists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will investigate further, according to Dr. Robert Crausman, chief administrative officer of the state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.

This afternoon, health department and CDC officials will hold a press briefing at 4:30 to provide an update regarding the ongoing investigation of mycoplasma bacteria at local schools. This afternoon’s briefing will be at the Emergency Management Operation Center, at 645 New London Ave. in Cranston.

The state and federal agencies are working to determine if there’s a connection between illnesses in Warwick that killed one boy and hospitalized a girl in the same Greenwood Elementary School classroom, an illness in West Warwick and higher-than-normal absences at two Coventry schools, which may be the result of walking pneumonia.

Health officials announced last night that new test results show a student at West Warwick’s John F. Deering Middle School who was hospitalized about a month ago probably suffered from encephalitis, a brain infection, brought about by the mycoplasma pneumoniae infection that caused illnesses in seven students at Greenwood Elementary, including second-grader Dylan Gleavey. Gleavey died of encephalitis on Dec. 21.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:13 PM | Comment

Mass. lawmakers advance proposed gay marriage ban

BOSTON -- Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, today voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, a critical step toward putting the measure the 2008 ballot.

The proposed amendment, which would define marriage as between one man and one woman but ban future gay marriages, still needs approval of the next legislative session before it can go onto the ballot.

The vote today in the constitutional convention came without debate, immediately after Senate President Robert Travaglini officially opened the joint session.

Read the full Associated Press story

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:59 PM | Comment

Update: 5 displaced by Providence fire

PROVIDENCE -- A Washington Park family was left homeless after a fire tore through their home early this afternoon.

A detective passing through nearby happened to see smoke rising over Calla Street. Detective Charles Matracia said he rushed over to 68 Calla St., calling for help over his radio while he banged on the door in search of anyone inside.

No one was home, said Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Desmarais, which was fortunate, because flames and smoke were flashing the windows and roof of the small white house when the first fire trucks pulled up.

The stairs between the first and second floor had burned through before firefighters made it inside, he said, so they raised ladders to the second floor and roof.
While they kept the fire from spreading to the neighboring houses barely yards away, the fire destroyed much of the inside of the house.

The family who lived there came home as firefighters were still extinguishing the flames. One woman ran up to the porch, screaming for her sister, until she was turned away by firefighters. Her sister and other relatives were gathered on the sidewalk in tears.

The state chapter of the American Red Cross was called to help the family of five. The cause of the fire, which began in the basement or first floor, was being investigated this afternoon.

One firefighter was brought to Rhode Island Hospital after injuring a shoulder while fighting the blaze.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:11 PM | Comment

Update: Education is Carcieri's top priority for 2nd term

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Governor Carcieri waves to the crowd on the State House lawn after being sworn in to day to his second term.

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri stressed the importance of education today during a 15-minute inaugural address under bright blue skies on an unusually warm January day.

Carcieri called education the greatest challenge facing the state, and said it's his top priority for his second term.

Noting his efforts to develop the state's economy, he said the state cannot thrive if its children, who will compete in a global economy, don't have the skills and knowledge they need to reach their potential.

Carcieri said he will also focus on health care and reducing the state's dependence on foreign oil through renewable resources such as solar and wind power.

The state's general officers sat behind Carcieri as he spoke. Down the hill, the governor could look out at three major construction projects and cranes reaching high into the sky.

Carcieri stressed economic development and made much of the need for change during his first address, four years ago.

"Clearly, the winds of change are still strong," he said,- as strong gusts buffeted the governor and spectators on the State House steps.

Extra: Read a prepared draft of Carcieri's inaugural address.

-- With reports projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

It's official for Governor Carcieri
Posted 12:21 p.m.
PROVIDENCE -- At 12:14 p.m., it became official for Governor Carcieri -- again.

The Republican governor was sworn in for his second term by Attorney General Patrick Lynch, shaking Democrat Lynch's hand at the conclusion.

Carcieris, supporters gather for inauguration
Posted 12:09 p.m.
Governor Carcieri and First Lady Sue Carcieri walked hand-in-hand down the marble steps of the State House to the south lawn moments before the governor’s noon inauguration.

Roughly half of the approximately 1,800 seats set out on the lawn were filled with supporters dressed in winter coats and gloves.

The State House flags – still at half-staff in honor of President Gerald R. Ford – are whipping in the wind.

The 88th Army band of the National Guard is playing.

Carcieri is dressed in a black coat and red scarf. No gloves for him. The first lady is wearing a red coat with a furry red collar.

Walking in behind the governor and his wife were outgoing Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty, Lt. Gov-elect Elizabeth Roberts, incoming Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, Attorney General Patrick Lynch and state Treasurer-elect Frank Caprio.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Governor's inauguration to start at noon
Posted 9:08 a.m.

Governor Carcieri's inauguration is scheduled for noon today and will include a tribute to former President Gerald Ford, who died last week at 93.

Out of respect for Ford, the governor postponed his inaugural ball for one day. It will start tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet. President Bush has designated today as a national day of mourning for Ford.

Under Rhode Island law, an inauguration must be held on the first Tuesday of January following an election. The state's five general officers -- the new lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and general treasurer -- will also be sworn in during the inaugural ceremony.

“The inauguration Ceremony will go on as planned,” Carcieri said last week. “The business of state government will continue, and the inauguration marks the new terms for the governor, the general officers, and the legislators.”

“We will honor the memory of President Ford and recognize what he did for our country during the inauguration ceremony,” Carcieri said.

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.

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

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:53 PM | Comment

Gas prices down one penny

Gas prices have dropped by one penny in the new year, after rising for seven consecutive weeks.

Regular unleaded gasoline in Rhode Island is averaging $2.41 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA Southern New England. At this time last year, the average price was $2.25.

This is the first time prices have fallen locally since early November.

Prices in the AAA survey fall into a 25-cent range, from a low of $2.30 to a high of $2.55.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:44 AM | Comment

Photo: Flowers in January? Where's winter?

These flowers are blooming on Fruit Hill in North Providence.
Photo/Pat Heslin

PROVIDENCE – Looks like today may be the coldest day of the week – with a high of 48 degrees.

The National Weather Service predicts mid-50s for the rest of the week, and even a high of 57 on Saturday.

There is a hazardous weather outlook, though, for the region, with gale warnings posted for outer coastal waters and Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound.

Northwest wind gusts of 35 to 40 knots are expected today before diminishing this evening.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:45 AM | Comment

Meeting on encephalitis draws about 50 parents

WEST WARWICK -- Forty to 50 parents met with Health Department officials this morning to discuss a string of bacterial illnesses that has left one elementary school student dead and sickened others.

The press was barred from the meeting today in West Warwick, but state Health Director Dr. David Gifford met with members of the news media after the session to discuss the meeting.

The Journal reported today that new test results show that a student at West Warwick’s John F. Deering Middle School, who was hospitalized last month, probably suffered from encephalitis, a brain infection, brought about by the mycoplasma bacteria which caused illnesses in seven students at Warwick’s Greenwood Elementary School, including second grader Dylan Gleavey, who died of encephalitis on Dec. 21.

The Deering student has recovered from that illness, and health officials do not believe there is any additional evidence of an outbreak at that school. But they are now exploring the possibility that the illnesses are connected.

The state is also investigating higher-than-normal rates of absenteeism in two Coventry schools.

Five representatives of the Centers for Disease Control have come to Rhode Island to help, according to Gifford.

After this morning's meeting on the campus of Deering and the West Warwick High School, Gifford characterized the level of concern among parents at the meeting as "appropriate."

He told them that good hygiene procedures, such as regular hand washing, and covering up while coughing is the best way to prevent the spread of the mycoplasma bacteria.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common bacteria that spreads much like a cold and usually manifests itself as bronchitis, or as walking pneumonia. In what health officials say are “very, very rare” cases, people who contract the bacteria can develop meningitis, an inflammation around the brain, or encephalitis.

State health officials have established a toll-free information line at (800) 942-7434 for parents of children in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry schools. People can also visit the Health Department's Web site.

Written questions were also handed out this morning to West Warwick parents to monitor whether their children had been sick recently.

A second meeting will take place today at 5:30 p.m.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:53 AM | Comment

Press barred from meeting on encephalitis

The news media has been barred from a meeting this morning in which the state Health Department is explaining to parents an investigation into a student's case of encephalitis.

The media was barred because some parents were concerned that the names of children would be brought up in the meeting, according to Wayne Talbot, principal of the West Warwick High School.

The meeting is happening now in an auditorium at the campus for the high school and John F. Deering Middle School. Officials say they will meet with the press after the meeting.

In the wake of a string of bacterial illnesses that left one Warwick elementary student dead, the health department’s investigation has spread to West Warwick and Coventry.

A representative for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is attending.
The meeting at Deering Middle School, 2 Webster Knight Drive, is at 7:45 a.m. today.

Read more in today’s Journal.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:09 AM | Comment

Traffic: Providence streets closed for inauguration

The city of Providence will close and restrict traffic on several streets today because of Governor Carcieri's inauguration.

Service Road Eight from Broad Street to Washington Street will have limited access from 8 a.m. until about 10:30 a.m. for the Governor's Mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

Starting at 10 a.m., the following streets will be closed: Gaspee Street from Smith to Francis Street and Francis Street from Smith to Gaspee.

There will be no parking on Smith Street between Francis and Gaspee.

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 7:39 AM | Comment

Mass. lawmakers take up gay marriage again

BOSTON -- Lawmakers are scheduled to meet in a constitutional convention to vote on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union of one man and one woman today, the last day of the legislative session.

Those opposed to gay marriage proposed the amendment, but in November, gay marriages advocates led by House Speaker Sal DiMasi voted 109-87 to recess without a taking vote, well above the simple majority needed to recess. The move was seen as a way to kill the measure.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:21 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

An advance on the Ford funeral and a story on second case of encephalitis in Warwick lead today's Journal.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:14 AM | Comment

January 1, 2007

Happy new year

We're off today, celebrating the holiday. Breaking news coverage will resume here tomorrow.

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 9:33 AM | Comment