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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