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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