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« June 4, 2007 | Today | June 6, 2007 » June 5, 2007Update: Devices at Attleboro station no real threatATTLEBORO, Mass. -- As a precaution, the police evacuated the police station, city hall and nearby area late this afternoon after a man came to the station to drop off a grenade and two small torpedo-shaped items the man had found at a relative's home. An area was also closed to traffic for a time. The two mortar-like items were not live, but a state police squad did take the grenade, believing it could possibly be live, said Capt. David Proia. Proia said state police examined the device and determined it was not an imminent threat of exploding, so they will take it to a secure location to dispose of it. The person who brought the items to the police did not mean any harm and was trying to do the right thing, Proia said. But the police advise that someone who has or finds such items call the police first rather than bring them to the station. The man was clearing items from a relative's home in Attleboro when he found the items. The relative was apparently a war veteran who died and may have brought the items back from war. An officer who just arrived to start a shift shortly before 4 p.m. spoke with the person in the police station parking lot and, upon hearing what the items were, began the steps that led to the evacuation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:20 PM | Comment Senate passes Domestic Violence Prevention ActPROVIDENCE -- New crimes would be classified as acts of domestic violence under legislation passed by the Senate today. The bill would make arson, burglary and the damage to or obstruction of a telephone domestic violence offenses. That means victims of those crimes would be able to get "no contact'' orders and other protection provided by the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Maryellen Goodwin. The House of Representatives has passed similar legislation, which has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The House will now consider the Senate bill. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Newport film fest shoots for the moon tonightNEWPORT -- If you're a cinema buff, a space-program enthusiast or a budding documentary maker, the 10th annual Newport Film Festival kicks off tonight at 7 with In the Shadow of the Moon, which is about the Apollo lunar missions. The documentary will be shown at the Jane Pickens Theater. Or go because you'd like to see something not in the big cineplex. The festival runs through Sunday with several kinds of films. For more information about what's showing, read what Journal arts writer Michael Janusonis had to say today about the festival.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Giuliani to stop at Carnegie Abbey Club, tooPORTSMOUTH -- Presidential hopeful and former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani is scheduled to visit the Carnegie Abbey Club tomorrow during a swing through Rhode Island, according to a news release on Business Wire. Giuliani's visit comes on a day when the Republican will also attend a fund-raiser in Providence, an 11:30 a.m. event at Waterplace Restaurant, for which guests will pay $500 to $1,500. Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton will be on Providence's East Side at the home of former Mayor Joseph Paolino at an 11 a.m. fund-raiser tomorrow on the behalf of his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is running for president on the Democratic side. The release did not list a time of day for Giuliani's visit to Carnegie Abbey. At Carnegie Abbey, Giuliani will be part of an "informal meet and greet with club members," according to Business Wire. The visit is part of the club's World Leadership Guest Series, which has included inviting presidential contenders. Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards began the 2008 Presidential Candidates series event at the club on May 22. And the club is no stranger to other politicians -- including former Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush in 2005. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment Bill introduced to extend Newport Grand's deal to 2020PROVIDENCE -- A bill was introduced in the General Assembly today to extend the state's current contract with Newport Grand for another 5 years. If passed, the bill would lock in the facility's current gaming tax rate through 2020. The bill would also restrict the City of Newport's ability to regulate Newport Grand. The city is embroiled in a court battle with Newport Grand that has prevented the facility from proceeding with renovation and expansion plans. The bill says no city or town, where a video slot facility is authorized, may "seek to prevent the installation and use" of the authorized video slots. It also says no city or town with a video-slot facility "shall enact any zoning restriction or any land-use ordinance or other local ordinance that may restrict or impede the installation and use of a video lottery terminal." The sponsor, Rep. Henry C. Rose, D-East Providence, said he introduced the bill at the request of The Proccacianti Group, the developer that earlier this year announced plans to buy Newport Grand for $155 million. -- Elizabeth Gudrais of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment A first-hand view of Rte. 195 project / Photo / Audio
The state Department of Transportation offered a tour today to news crews of the Route 95-Route 195 interchange project, high above the highway and overlooking the Providence Harbor. Projo.com reporter Kate Bramson put on her walking shoes, dealt with the wind ruffling her hair and notebook, and came back with this first-person account: What a view and what an experience to walk along the unopened highway and envision the new flow of traffic through the capital city. As steel glinted under my feet, reflecting the sunlight as it poked in and out from behind the clouds, the yet-to-be-built stretch of highway rose in front of me to the south and the Providence skyline beckoned from behind. But I get ahead of myself. First, from a staging area off Allens Avenue, with the new arch bridge that motorists have been eyeing east of Route 95 behind us in turquoise blue, we walked uphill toward what will be the ramp carrying Route 195 west to Route 95 south. We bounced along plywood planks, above the ground, that tilted upward to carry us onto the steel deck pans that will hold the new Route 195 westbound ramp. Once on the steel, it took some time to adjust to walking along those pans. How to describe them? They’re shaped like miniature balance beams – one after another -- running perpendicular to the direction traffic will flow. The steel is raised perhaps 3 to 6 inches, with valleys in between each balance beam. And the balance beams aren’t wide enough for us to step on at this angle without having our feet dip into the valleys in between. It’s easier to walk along the balance beam, as a gymnast would, but that won’t help us walk nearly 1,000 feet forward on them, uphill, to reach the end of the completed work. So most of the reporters and cameramen headed to the plywood walkway – just a few feet wide -- off to the side of what will be the roadway. It shook under our feet, feeling less sturdy than the steel beams. But the director of the state Department of Transportation, the DOT’s deputy chief engineer and the DOT’s public information crew walked with us, lending credibility to the plywood path. We had to watch out underneath, as we stepped over bundles of green rebar, the steel rods that will be splayed out in a geometric pattern to further hold the concrete roadway. A light mist gently cooled us as it rained down from above, where crews were pouring concrete along the parallel ramp – the one that will carry Route 95 north to Route 195 east. The mist keeps the concrete wet enough so it won’t crack. Up the ramp we walked, an unusual chance to traverse on foot what cars will soon call their own. The wind whipped hair and notebooks and neckties around. As the temperature crept into the high 70s, it felt good. But it was also an opportunity to consider the highway crews who have been working year-round on these ramps. Frank Corrao III, the DOT’s deputy chief engineer, reminded us how cold that wind could be in the middle of winter. The DOT staff were cautious, offering a hand here and there to reporters, not wanting any missteps. Audio: DOT's Frank Corrao III answers questions from reporters, as they stand atop the ramp. And there we stood, on the partially built stretch of ramp that will cost about $85 million – just a fraction of the total $550 to $570 million for the complete interchange project. We could walk as close to the edge of the steel deck pans as we dared. Ahead of us, sloping upward to the south, lay steel tub girders that are wide open and will remain so – they await the steel deck pans that will top them off. But at the edge of the already-laid steel is the dropoff in between those tub girders. Route 95 races underneath us, some 50 to 60 feet down. “This is really the future of what the interchange will look like,” Corrao told us, calling the entire project one of the most complex Rhode Island will ever see. In its entirety, the ramp we walked today will stretch some 1,900 feet, from the new bridge all the way to Route 95 south. We only got halfway there, as the steel is yet to be laid out to complete that path. It will be some time before we drive on this stretch. The full project is slated to open by around the end of 2009. But we’ll be driving over the new arch bridge before we know it. The ramp that’s parallel with the one we walked today – where the crews were spraying mist on the concrete they laid – is set to open and carry motorists over the new arch bridge within three to five months. Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:59 PM | Comment Liberia's vice president: 'We need everything'
PROVIDENCE -- Liberia is literally turning on its lights, restoring power and water and repairing infrastructure destroyed by prolonged civil war. But the country still desperately needs help as it works towards a peaceful, productive future, its vice president said today. Vice President Joseph N. Boakai said that includes training a new work force, rebuilding schools, hospitals and banks, and harnessing the county’s rich natural resources that became the spoils of war. During a national tour of Liberian diaspora communities that include Rhode Island, Boakai said his homeland is seeking private investment, such as a $1 billion agreement forged in 2005 with Mittal Steel for mining iron ore. Training and education of the country’s youthful majority is also a major focus. And, said Boakai, one key will be to provide salaries that will draw people “from more comfortable circumstances” in other countries. “We need everything,” said Boakai. “We need vocational training. We have to train our young people -- we need auto mechanics, electricians, nurses, doctors.’’ Future efforts will include development of tourism and high-tech industry, Boakai said. Boakai visited Rhode Island during his tour of Liberian diaspora communities across the country. Rhode Island’s estimated 15,000 Liberians constitute the country’s largest Liberian population per capita. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner The Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island, headed by Mator M.F. Kpangbai, hosted Boakai’s visit. It included his press conference at the Urban League of Rhode Island, after which he was scheduled to meet with Governor Carcieri and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, among others. At the Urban League, Boakai expressed hope that Liberia will continue to work free of corruption that previously formed “the bedrock of our society,” and maintain the fragile peace established after the decades-long war ended in 2003. He praised President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female president in any African country who ran on an anti-corruption platform. Johnson Sirleaf’s 2006 visit to Rhode Island drew thousands of people who cheered her speech on the steps of Providence City Hall. “She is a great, great lady,” said Boakai. He also expressed faith that the United States will continue offering temporary protected status to Liberians here who have been extended that status since they fled the civil war. Although some Liberians are returning, Boakai said the war’s devastation makes it impossible, for now, to support a wholesale return. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:48 PM | Comment Report: RI was one of three states that cut budgetRhode Island was one of only three states that cut its budget this year. A report by the nation's governors says nearly every other state increased spending. Only Michigan and Wisconsin also cut their budgets. The report says most other states spent freely -- and spending was up 8.6 percent nationally over the previous year. That's compared to 6.5 percent growth on average over the past three decades. Most states were able to spend more because revenues came in stronger than expected and have for the last several years. Rhode Island is facing a $450-million budget shortfall for this fiscal year and the next. Today's survey comes from the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:16 PM | Comment State-finance agency invests in a biotech companyPROVIDENCE -- The Slater Technology Fund, a state-financed agency that supports start-up companies, announced today that it was investing $250,000 in Vitrimark Inc., a biotechnology company launched by University of Rhode Island Professor Arijit Bose. The company is developing new biomarkers for use in the drug development process, according to a statement from the Slater Technology Fund. The funding will help pay for the company's first employee, Bose's URI colleague, Riyaz B. Mahamma. "A key issue for us is to have someone committed to the company and its activities," Richard G. Horan, the Slater Technology Fund's senior managing director, said in an interview. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:59 PM | Comment Fall River man, wanted for May murder, is arrestedA Fall River, Mass., man whom authorities had been searching for was arrested this morning and charged with the May 12 murder of Jerome Woodard on County Street. Luis Alberto Montalvo Borgos was arrested around 9 a.m. in Springfield, Mass., the office of Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter announced. Authorities served a warrant at a home in Springfield. Borgos, 25, is to be taken back to Bristol County this afternoon and arraigned tomorrow in Fall River District Court. “I am hopeful that today’s arrest will bring some peace to Mr. Woodard’s family as they continue to grieve over this senseless murder,” Sutter said in a statement. “But I also hope the message is sent out loudly and clearly that anyone who commits a homicide in Bristol County will be tracked down through good old-fashioned police work. State Police detectives assigned to Sutter's office, Fall River and Springfield Police, U.S. Marshals and the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section worked on the case. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:48 PM | Comment R.I. sex offender accused under Adam Walsh actA Rhode Island man, convicted three years ago of second-degree child molestation, has been accused by U.S. marshals in Florida for not registering there as a sex offender. As a result, Richard Maurice Dumont, 55, becomes the first person charged in the Southern District of Florida under the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which went into effect last July. Part of that law makes it a federal offense for a sex offender who is required to register with state authorities to fail to do so after moving to another state. The federal law was named for Adam Walsh on the 25th year since the boy was abducted. His father, John Walsh, hosts America's Most Wanted. Dumont is charged with interstate failure to register as a sex offender, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office in Providence.
Dumont pleaded no contest in Providence County Superior Court in February 2004 and was given a four-year suspended sentence with four years of probation. Dumont was required to register as a sex offender in Rhode Island and to notify law enforcement of any change in address. He registered a Woonsocket address initially, according to the news release. In early 2007, Dumont left Rhode Island. A warrant was issued last month for his arrest as a probation violator. U.S. Marshals in Florida arrested Dumont at his camper-trailer in Big Pine Key, Fla., in May. Yesterday, R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced a complaint had been filed against Dumont, who has established a permanent residence in Florida, the release states. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:38 PM | Comment Update: Police ID driver killed in Lincoln collisionLINCOLN -- The driver of a Jeep Cherokee on southbound Route 146 in Lincoln was killed this morning when, while swerving to avoid hitting a deer, he drove his vehicle into the next lane and was struck by a tractor-trailer truck, the state police said. The state police released his name this afternoon. He is David G. Cimini, 50, of Clarendon Street, Johnston. Witnesses told the state police that Cimini was heading south in the right lane in a 1988 Jeep Cherokee just south of the Route 116 exit and north of the Limerock Quarry when the deer came out of the woods on the west side of the road. State police Lt. Glenn Skalubinski said Cimini turned too sharply and his vehicle wound up in the other, left southbound lane. The Jeep was perpendicular to the tractor-trailer when the truck hit the Jeep broadside and pushed it for about 300 feet, Skalubinski said. An initial inspection of the tractor-trailer showed no technical problems with the vehicle and while the accident is still under investigation, Skalubinski said at this time state police do not expect charges to be filed. -- Journal staff writer John Hill The accident happened near a crucial choke point of Route 146. Not only was it near the Route 116 ramps, it was less than a mile south of where Interstate Route 295 connects with Route 146. The accident blocked southbound Route 146 for about 90 minutes, Skalubinski said. Traffic was diverted to Route 246, which parallels Route 146 in that area. State troopers and Lincoln police on the scene were able to get traffic stuck between the accident and the Route 116 ramp turned around, headed north on southbound 146 and then diverted off the highway. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:10 PM | Comment Bills try to stop online bullying, stalkingPROVIDENCE -- Two bills dealing with a new reality -- children using a computer or other gadget to bully -- have been introduced in the General Assembly. One would add "electronic communications" to the list of things a school district can include in its anti-bullying policy. Such policies currently include other forms of harassment and intimidation. The other bill would prohibit "cyberharassing" and "cyberstalking" and seeks to define what is "harassing conduct." The bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. No Senate Judiciary Committee meetings have yet been posted on the General Assembly Web site, which includes committee meetings scheduled through June 7. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:06 PM | Comment Report: R.I. ninth in country in energy efficiencyAs summer starts to simmer, a report today ranks Rhode Island ninth in the country in energy efficiency, based on policies for such things as appliance and equipment standards, transportation and land use, and energy codes in buildings. That puts Rhode Island behind Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts but ahead of the other New England states. Rhode Island tied with Minnesota, according to a news release from American Council for an Energy-Efficient Policy, which published the report. “The top-ten states earn the highest scores due to their records of spending on energy efficiency programs, building codes and appliances standards, and other programs that work to increase investment in energy efficiency,” Maggie Eldridge, a policy program rsearch assistant with the organization, said in a statement. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney “The next fifteen states that trail behind the top ten all have policies to increase efficiency in state-owned facilities, and most are committing funds to energy efficiency programs plus adopting codes and standards. The bottom twenty-six states, however, seriously lag behind the rest,” Eldridge said. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Policy, based in Washington, D.C., describes itself on its Web site as an organization that has made a difference since 1980 in helping to get everything from refigerators to flourescent lightbulbs to be more efficient. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:02 PM | Comment Bishop Tobin's criticism of Giuliani goes nationalPROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island may be running close to empty on electoral votes, but it's got Bishop of Providence Thomas J. Tobin, whose criticism of GOP presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani's abortion views fueled some national attention today. "Bishop slams Rudy on abortion" is the online headline in Newsday today. And in today's New York Times, an article cites Tobin as comparing Giuliani to Pontius Pilate. Articles are on the Web sites of Forbes and MSNBC as well. It stems from the column dated May 31 that the Most Rev. Tobin wrote in the Rhode Island Catholic, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence's newspaper -- the first edition of the new paper in format and name. The column, titled "My R.S.V.P. To Rudy Giuliani," begins: "I probably would have written this article anyhow, so distressed was I. But then I received an invitation to attend a fundraising luncheon for presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, and that absolutely confirmed my decision. "The fundraiser is scheduled for Providence next week. For $500, I could attend a reception with the former New York City Mayor. For $1,500 I could attend a reception with a photo-op. "The first thought that came to my mind is that I’m not charging enough for my Confirmation photos! "Nevertheless, and more to the point, I have no idea why I received an invitation to Giuliani’s fundraiser. I don’t know the mayor; I’ve never met him. I try to avoid partisan politics. Heck, I’m not even a Republican. But most of all, I would never support a candidate who supports legalized abortion. "Rudy’s public proclamations on abortion are pathetic and confusing. Even worse, they’re hypocritical." Some of Bishop Tobin's comments in the column appeared last week in The Journal's article about the official launch of the new diocesan newspaper. They are also not the first time that the bishop has expressed himself toward politicians on the issue of abortion. Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst reported the following in Feb. 19, 2006, column: "Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has a message for Catholic politicians -- such as U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty -- who see their public duties as clashing with the tenets of their faith. "Ditch the job. "The bishop is stung by the attitude of pols, like these two Democrats, who personally think abortion is wrong but who, in their government roles, support abortion rights. "He told me, "We need some moral courage among our politicians. Where are the people who stand up and say, 'This is what I believe and I will live this and I will proclaim it regardless of where it leads in the electoral process'?" " The fundraiser for Giuliani is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at WaterPlace Restaurant in Providence. Another well-known politician is also visiting Rhode Island tomorrow at about the same time -- former President Bill Clinton, on the behalf of his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The private gathering will be at the home of former Providence mayor Joseph Paolino.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:22 PM | Comment Winning video urges individuals to help environmentOne after another, 53 Rhode Islanders tell a camera that they know they should do something about the environment, but what difference would it make if they act alone? What good would it do? What can one person do? A four-minute video cuts all of those comments together and shows that if people do act together, they can make a difference. The video, shot by a Rhode Island based independent film group called eLBOW dEEp (mEDIA), was named this morning the winner of “The Right Way Great Green Shoot Off of 2007,” a project to create short videos promoting Rhode Island’s sustainable living movement. The video is to be shown as a trailer before movies at the Feinstein IMAX theater in Providence. It will be displayed at the all-day “Sustainable Living Festival & Clean Energy Expo that will be held this Saturday at the Nickerson Community Center’s Camp Hamilton in western Coventry. And it should be available for viewing soon at www.apeiron.org, the Web site of The Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living, which sponsored the video contest and Saturday’s festival. -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord Bradley Grove Hyson, executive director of Apeiron, said the video brought tears to his eyes. The video production company is owned by Kristen Killilea, Jeff Hodge and Jason Miller, all in their 20’s, who met at C.C.R.I. and work together on short films, commercials, animation and music videos. Their video shows garbage bags strewn along a stream in Cranston and a traffic jam on Route 95. It concludes with the great quote from Gandhi: “You may never know what results come of your actions; but if you do nothing, there will be no result.” Posted by Jack Perry at 12:27 PM | Comment Update: Severe thunderstorms likely todayDespite those partly sunny skies, severe thunderstorms are possible in southern New England this afternoon, the National Weather Service warns. Some thunderstorms may produce damaging winds and possibly some large hail. The most likely time for potentially damaging weather would be from 1 to 7 p.m. While these storms are possible in any part of southern New England, the most likely location would be in areas north and west of the cities of Boston and Providence. If any thunderstorms approach your location, the weather service reminds, you should take cover immediately. Check radar for their latest movements. The weather service also posted today a report of a record rainfall yesterday for the Providence area, at 1.46 inches. That broke the old record of 0.93 for the date, set in 1935. Currently, the temperature is 71 degrees in Providence, with a light south wind. Highs should reach into the low 80s. There's also a chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight. But the humidity will drop after midnight, the wind will shift to the north, and temps tomorrow should be in the 70s under partly sunny skies. Get the latest conditions and forecasts at: http://projo.com/weather Posted by Jack Perry at 12:11 PM | Comment Diversity Career Fair at convention center todayPROVIDENCE -- More than 20 companies are at the Rhode Island Convention Center from noon until 5 p.m. today conducting interviews for job openings as part of projoJob’s Diversity Career Fair, sponsored by The Providence Journal. Jobseekers can take part in a free résumé panel and career-related seminars. Click here to see a schedule of programs and the full list of exhibitors. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:57 AM | Comment Join Web conversation on women's health in R.I.The Women’s Fund of Rhode Island wants you to join a conversation at lunchtime today on the status of women's health in the Ocean State. The Women's Fund, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, released a study this month on reproductive health. It's the third of the four-part “Snapshot” series on women’s health, and it focuses on factors that impact reproductive health, including pregnancy and infant health, family planning, abortion, comprehensive sex education and fertility coverage. The group is hosting an online conversation – called a “Webinar” – at 12:30 p.m. today. Participants must register here ahead of time for the Webinar. Then, when it’s time to log in, head to this site. Some of the highlights of the health study include data on fertility, pregnancy and infant health. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson In 2000, about 20,000 Rhode Island women of childbearing age – roughly 1 in 10 – became pregnant. During 2002-2003, 36 percent of Rhode Island births resulted from unintended pregnancies. According to state Department of Health findings, 29 percent of those childbearing women said they wanted to become pregnant, but at a later time, and 7 percent said they did not want to become pregnant at any time. Among women with an unintended pregnancy, 53 percent were not using contraception at the time of conception, according to the Women’s Fund study. Of all the pregnancies during that period, 61 percent resulted in live births, 24 percent resulted in abortions and 15 percent ended in miscarriage. There’s plenty more in the study to discuss. Participants who join the Webinar are asked to put their phones on mute so participants don’t hear background noise from multiple participants. People will have an opportunity to submit questions to the panelists via their computers. Those presenting the Webinar are Miriam Inocencio, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island; Jennifer Lawless, assistant professor of political science and public policy at Brown University and a recent candidate for U.S. Congress; and Carroll Medeiros, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Women and Infants’ Hospital and clinical assistant professor at Brown University. Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:53 AM | Comment R.I. sex offender charged for failing to register in Fla.BIG PINE KEY, Fla. -- Prosecutors in Florida say a man who recently moved to the Florida Keys from Rhode Island is the first in that area to be charged with a federal crime for not registering as a sex offender immediately after he moved. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act took effect last year. Under the law, sex offenders and predators who fail to report within 48 hours to authorities whenever they move could face federal charges. Authorities say Richard Maurice Dumont moved there from Rhode Island. According to prosecutors, he wrote his probation officer in March to say he had moved to Florida, but hadn't registered as a sex offender. Dumont was convicted in 2004 of fondling a 12-year-old girl and sentenced to eight years' probation. He's now charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:30 AM | Comment Boston conference to examine lessons of Station fireRhode Island and Massachusetts fire marshals and experts from the National Fire Protection Association will convene in Boston this afternoon to discuss whether the two states have done enough to protect residents from a disaster similar to The Station nightclub fire. One of the worst fires in the state’s history, The Station fire killed 100 people and injured more than 200. The conversation today is part of the NFPA's World Safety Conference. The National Fire Protection Association is the leading organization on fire prevention and building and life safety. Speakers today include the Massachusetts state fire marshal, Rhode Island’s assistant state fire marshal and former state fire marshal, who recently became chief of the Providence Fire Department, and experts from the National Institute of Standards & Technology and the NFPA. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:51 AM | Comment Mount St. Charles history teacher recognizedA Mount St. Charles Academy history teacher, Joseph O’Neill, is one of eight finalists for a National History Day award that recognizes one teacher a year who develops and uses creative methods to make history interesting for students. The winner of the national Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit Award for outstanding success in teaching history will be named on June 14 at the National History Day awards ceremony. That announcement is expected to be Web cast live on the National History Day site. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson O’Neill, who chairs the history department at Mount St. Charles, was named the Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit within Rhode Island last month. Of the 50 state winners, eight have been selected as finalists for the national award, according to Mark Robinson with National History Day. Those eight finalists will be recognized Sunday at the 6:30 p.m. welcome ceremony for National History Day at the University of Maryland. The keynote speaker at that event is award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:56 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs and a story about 40 Chinese expatriates, members of the China Democratic Party, who say they want to restore democracy to mainland China within 10 years. The group marked the 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown by holding its first congress, in Providence. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:50 AM | Comment Traffic: Not too bad at this hourIt’s definitely summer construction season. Check out the roads you use around the state to see what types of construction projects are pending. As the morning commute kicks off, Route 295 north, heading toward the state Central Landfill, is fairly backed up. But otherwise, traffic appears to be flowing, according to the state Department of Transportation’s congestion mapper, which shows how heavy traffic is. 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, listen to or read the radio reports for the week about traffic and construction on specific roadways. To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:15 AM | Comment Cicilline, Kennedy support energy legislationPROVIDENCE -- Providence Mayor David Cicilline is teaming up with Representative Patrick Kennedy to promote energy efficiency. They're announcing support for proposed legislation today that would dole out federal seed money for local climate protection and energy conservation initiatives. It's called the "Energy and Environment Block Grant Act of 2007." A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Providence City Hall. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:05 AM | Comment Red Sox lose in Oakland, 5-4 in 10 inningsRead Steven Krasner's complete game story, with postgame reaction, on projo.com's Sox Blog. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006