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June 21, 2007

Gallery Night Providence expands

Art is in the air tonight.

The summer edition of Gallery Night Providence starts tonight, featuring many of the city’s top galleries, museums and historical sites.

There will be traditional and contemporary works by Southwestern artist Caroline R. Carpio at the Gallery at 17 Peck; photographs of modern-day Vietnam at URI’s downtown campus; an exhibit chronicling recent excavations on the Greek island of Crete at Providence College; and a celebration of contemporary Rhode Island art at Gallery Z on Federal Hill.

Two new venues, in the Wayland Square area, debut tonight: Twist on Angell, an Italian restaurant at 500 Angell St., celebrates its in-house art gallery with an exhibit of works by Russian-born painter and collage artist Onega Astaltsova.

And the former Sexual Assault & Trauma Center is marking the opening of its new headquarters at 100 Medway St. with an exhibit of works by members of Wakefield’s Hera Gallery. The center is now called Day One.

There will be free buses among Gallery Night sites. Free parking is available, including at the Metro Park lot behind One Citizens Plaza and the Providence Art Club lot at 186 Benefit St.

For information, call (401) 490-2042 or go to www.gallerynight.info.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment

Bill to ease fire code hits some snags

PROVIDENCE — A bill to ease some fire code restrictions on businesses hit opposition today from the fire services professionals who would have to enforce it, sending the architects of the legislation into new rounds of meetings to pound out the differences.

The bill’s lead sponsor, state Rep. Peter T. Ginaitt, D-Warwick, said late this afternoon that after several hours of meetings with members of the fire services, the bill was “almost there.”

He sounded optimistic that the General Assembly would have a chance to pass the legislation before the end of the session. “We don’t want to leave here without something approved,” he said.

The bill struck opposition at a hearing before the House Finance Committee today.

Providence Fire Chief George Farrell, a former Rhode Island state fire marshal, suggested the legislation had been rushed. “We haven’t clearly looked at all the issues in this bill,” he said. “There has not been enough time to address the drastic changes...I’m just not in favor of this piece of legislation.”

The bill filed last week proposes a variety of changes to address complaints from businesses. Under the bill, business owners forced to install sprinklers or new fire alarms would be entitled to a tax credit of up to $10,000, retroactive to 2003, though a business owner could not claim it until 2009. It would provide a 10-percent credit on Rhode Island income tax for safety improvements totaling up to $100,000.

The bill also proposes that “performances theaters” that hold 800 or fewer patrons and stage events without alcohol, such as the Odeum in East Greenwich and the Columbus in Providence, would be exempt from sprinkler requirements — if they double their exit capacity.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Representatives of the fire sprinkler industry objected today to a section of the bill calling on the Department of Labor and Training to create a new license to allow pipe fitters to install a properly designed, retrofitted sprinkler system in buildings smaller than 10,000 square feet. That work, several representatives said, should be done by people specially trained to install lifesaving fire protection systems.

Farrell objected to language in the bill to extend deadlines for businesses that haven’t complied with new fire alarm standards.

Under the legislation as it was proposed, certain businesses with older alarms in working order would have until 2012 to upgrade to a new system that meets modern standards. Owners of buildings with no alarm would have until 2009 to install a system. Owners of small, mixed-use buildings that include residents would have one year to upgrade existing alarms.

The bill would compel local fire inspectors to attend at least two training sessions per year to be conducted by the state fire marshal’s office. This regular training is an effort to even out the enforcement, addressing what has been a persistent complaint since the new laws were passed — that enforcement is inconsistent among the cities and towns. Farrell questioned if the state fire marshal’s office had the resources to provide the training.

The legislation is the work of the House Oversight Commission to Study the Ramifications of the Fire Safety Code, an advisory committee.

The commission’s leaders include Ginaitt and Rep. Joseph A. Trillo, R-Warwick. After The Station nightclub in West Warwick burned down in 2003, killing 100 people and injuring twice that number, Ginaitt and Trillo sat on a 17-member commission that took testimony from dozens of experts and then crafted a new state fire code, which adopted national standards, removed grandfather protection that had shielded older buildings from newer codes, and added special requirements for nightclubs and other places where people gather.

Representatives from a number of local chambers of commerce testified in support of the bill today.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:00 PM | Comment

House completes override of medical-marijuana veto

PROVIDENCE -- The House and Senate have made permanent the state's medical marijuana program by overriding Governor Carcieri's veto and giving final approval to the legislation.

The medical marijuana law, which had been due to expire this month, allows seriously ill patients to use marijuana to ease their symptoms for a range of debilitating medical conditions.

The Senate overrode the veto yesterday 29 to 4. The House followed suit this evening in a 58-to-11 vote.

Democrats hold large majorities in the House and the Senate. Carcieri, a Republican, was against the law because he said it could allow federal prosecution of those who use it and encourages them to buy drugs from illicit dealers. He vetoed it on June 5, but Democratic legislative leaders expected an override to follow.

A patient diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition would be allowed to possess up to 12 marijuana plants and 2.5 ounces of marijuana. An adult who has agreed to help an ill person’s medical use of marijuana — a caregiver — could have 12 plants and 2.5 ounces of marijuana for each of up to five qualified patients.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:17 PM | Comment

Update: Legislature overrides Carcieri's budget veto

PROVIDENCE -- The Democrat-controlled House and Senate muscled past Governor Carcieri's noontime veto and gave final approval early this evening to the nearly $7-billion state budget for the coming fiscal year.

The approved override means the fiscal 2008 budget stands as Democratic legislative leaders proposed it.

The House approved the override 58 to 12, a party-line outcome save for two Democrats who broke ranks: Rep. Rene R. Menard, who represents Lincoln and Cumberland, and Rep. Steven F. Smith, who represents Providence and Johnston and is a teacher in the Providence schools.

The Senate approved the override 28 to 7.

A three-fifths majority was required in each chamber to achieve the override.

To find out more about what's in, and what's not in, the budget, click here.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

As Carcieri signed the expected veto at shortly after noon today, he tore into Democratic legislative leaders for a budget that would eliminate an education-aid increase, keep funding in for a new state courthouse in Lincoln and raises taxes.

"This budget in my judgment puts the burden of the state's fiscal crisis clearly on the backs of Rhode Island families," Carcieri said in opening his veto press conference at the State House.

Carcieri had touted his budget proposal as one that provided a 3-percent across the board education aid increase to communities. But he had also sought to cut 1,000 state employees jobs, a proposal that came in for heavy criticism.

Carcieri said he opposed the $6.99 billion spending plan because it cuts school aid, raises taxes, "squanders" a one-time payment from tobacco settlement funds and limits the governor's ability to use private firms.

He says the budget prioritizes a new $113 million courthouse in Lincoln at the expense of property taxpayers and communities.

He said the General Assembly eliminated his proposal to increase school aid by 3 percent. The assembly also eliminated his proposal to include $5 million in scholarship money, he said.

Carcieri claims the General Assembly's spending plan "will result in school budget cuts that will impact children, putting tremendous pressure on property taxes."

The governor had promised to veto the budget immediately after it was passed by the Senate Tuesday evening. The proposal was the same as that passed by the House early last Saturday morning.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:04 PM | Comment

Providence man had 42 pounds of pot, police say

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence man has been charged with possession of 42 pounds of marijuana, the state police announced today.

Juan Paula, 41, of 230 Dexter St. was charged with marijuana possession in excess of five kilograms and with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. He was also wanted on a warrant for illegal re-entry into the country after deportation, according to a news release.

At about 9:30 p.m., the state police said authorities used a search warrant at the Providence residence and seized the mairjuana, $2,236 and drug-packaging materials in Paula's residence.

Paula is being held without bail after arraignment in District Court, Providence, this morning, the police said. A bail hearing is slated for July 5.

Involved in the arrest were members of the State Police/Federal Bureau of Investigation HIDTA Task Force and members of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:43 PM | Comment

Somerset town administrator can move on to new job

SOMERSET, Mass. -- The Board of Selectmen unanimously signed a release agreement for Town Administrator John McAuliffe this afternoon, allowing him to move to a similar -- but better-paying -- post in Wareham, Mass.

Under his current contract with Somerset, McAuliffe was required to give the board six-months notice before leaving.

The deal signed today calls for him to stay on the job through next week. Beginning July 3, he will be paid for six weeks of accumulated vacation and sick time.

That means he will probably start working full time in Wareham on Aug. 13, although he said he may work one day a week in his new town beginning next month so he can be up to speed when he officially starts.

He has also agreed to spend up to three days as an unpaid consultant to help his successor in Somerset.

McAuliffe, 45, who has been Somerset's chief executive for more than nine years, began looking for a new position after after one of his two supporters on the Board of Selectmen was voted out this spring in the wake of a divisive verdict in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the town.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

His chief critic on the board, Eleanor Gagnon, is now the chairwoman. She had called for his suspension in connection with the lawsuit, and the two of dueled repeatedly over several issues, including a controversy over whether her husband properly developed land on North Street, an issue now in Superior Court.

This spring, Gagnon has strongly opposed giving McAuliffe a new three-year contract with a $10,000 raise, arguing that the administrator, paid $94,500, should have gotten the same increase as other municipal employees. McAuliffe negotiated a higher salary by arguing that, after nearly a decade on the job, he should be making at least as much as the new police chief, whom he oversees.

At his new job, McAuliffe is expected to make roughly $115,000, although details of his pact with Wareham are not expected to be released until Tuesday.

McAuliffe took a vacation day and spent it meeting with officials in his new town and attending a Board of Selectmen's meeting there.

At this afternoon's meeting, there was no hint of those past strains, as his critics on the board wished him well.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:18 PM | Comment

N. Kingstown beach can reopen to swimmers

On a day like this outside, here's news with timing.

The state Health Department today recommended re-opening North Kingstown Town Beach to swimming, based on water sample results that show bacteria levels within acceptable limits.

The beach had been closed to swimming since Tuesday, when the Health Department announced findings of elevated bacteria.

To check the status of beaches for swimming, go to the Department of Health Web site's beach closings page or call (401) 222-2751.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:14 PM | Comment

Alexion Pharmaceuticals opens R.I. plant / Photo

Journal photo / John Freidah
Alexion President and COO David Keiser, second from left, speaks with R.I. Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Saul Kaplan, left, Senior Director Jim Rich and Governor Carcieri at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Smithfield.

SMITHFIELD -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals opened its Rhode Island manufacturing plant today, giving tours of the facility where it hopes to produce the drug Soliris, used to treat a rare blood disease that destroys red blood cells.

The company already produces the drug at a contract laboratory in New Hampshire. It has hired more than 100 people to staff the Smithfield plant, its first commercial manufacturing facility.

At a ceremony today, Governor Carcieri celebrated the company's arrival as a sign that the state's nascent biotechnology sector was growing.

"This is really an exciting day," he said. "This is the future."

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:04 PM | Comment

Defense rests after murder suspect's mother testifies

WARWICK -- The defense rested in the murder trial of James Richardson after calling his mother and his son's former girlfriend to the stand today. Closing arguments are expected tomorrow.

Edythe Richardson's son, James, is accused of murdering Margaret Duffy-Stephenson in Warwick in 2005. Her testimony was aimed at establishing an alibi for her son for the time police have said that Duffy-Stephenson was killed -- during the night of Nov. 16 or morning of Nov. 17, 2005. .

Edythe Richardson testified that on Nov. 16, 2005, she and her son cleaned the house, had dinner and then she, her grandson and the grandson's girlfriend watched a movie while James was upstairs.

James Richardson went upstairs after dinner, came downstairs around 8:30 p.m. or so, went upstairs a little bit later and returned downstairs around 10:20 p.m., Edythe Richardson said. He went back upstairs about 10 minutes later.

Edythe Richardson said she went to bed around 12:30 a.m. and said her son did not come back down the rest of the night.

She got up around 3:30 a.m. and went into the bathroom and stayed awake, first in the living room and then in bed upstairs until she had to wake up her husband and grandson at 5:45 a.m. After that, she slept for about a half-hour, waking up around 8 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

The prosecution countered today that what happened in the middle of the night through the morning was not in Edythe Richardson's statement to the police.

"They only asked me up until the time I went to bed," she said in court, but did not ask her what happened through the next morning.

Duffy-Stephenson, 37, was found slain in her Blackmore Street home on Nov. 18. She had come back a few days earlier from a wedding in Florida while her husband and son remained there to see relatives. Duffy-Stephenson worked as a teacher’s aide for special education students at Archie R. Cole Junior High School in East Greenwich.

James Richardson is also charged with stealing $11,000 from a safe in the basement office of James O. Stephenson III, Duffy-Stephenson’s husband.

The prosecution rested its case yesterday after calling more than 20 witnesses since the trial opened on June 7.

Among the prosecution's arguments has been testimony from a state medical examiner's official who said that while more than 99 percent of the population could be ruled out for having DNA found under Duffy-Stephenson's fingernail, Richardson could not.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:37 PM | Comment

Journal reporter catches some air / Photos

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Before takeoff, Maj. John Klatt briefs reporter Brandie Jefferson on the maneuvers they'll undertake while airborne.

This morning, Journal staff writer Brandie Jefferson accompanied Maj. John Klatt of the Air National Guard's aerobatic team for a short flight as the Guard prepares for this weekend's Quonset Air Show. Here's her first-person report:

Sitting in front of Air National Guard Maj. John Klatt in his Extra 300L aerobatics plane, I couldn’t see what he was doing.

Being just 5’3”, I couldn’t even see over the nose of the plane.

But once we took off, it didn’t matter.

Looking up, there, flying up-side-down and within arms reach was Sean D. Tucker. Flying nearby, were Eric Tucker and Michael Goulian.

Looking down were the houses dotting Prudence Island, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, sailboats in the Bay.

With short notice, down became up, I was hanging on the seatbelt harnesses and Klatt was exclaiming “Isn’t this great?”

We agreed we may have the best jobs in the world.

-- Journal staff writer Brandie Jefferson

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

After some loops, spirals and a hammerhead turnaround – straight up, pause, spin, straight down – I felt the first wave of nausea.

As soon as we touched down, it faded, only to return with a vengeance as I was driving down Post Road.

I was wrecked.

I pulled into a shady lot, rolled down the windows and breathed the deepest breaths I could, keeping down the morning’s coffee.

Would I do it again tomorrow? My boss asked.

Tomorrow? No. Next week? Without a doubt.

If you go:

The Quonset Air Show brings a roster of fighter aircraft from all over the world to North Kingstown's Quonset Point Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, will perform along with F-15, F-16, and C-17 aircraft, precision-flying teams and parachute teams. Gates open to Quonset at 9 a.m. both days. The Rhode Island National Guard event is free, but a parking donation is requested.

For more information on the family-oriented show, call (401) 275-4110, or visit www.riairshow.com.

Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:35 PM | Comment

Update: Assembly due to override budget veto / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
Governor Carcieri puts his veto on paper at a noon press conference at the State House while fellow Republicans watch.

PROVIDENCE -- Before the ink on it dries, Governor Carcieri's budget veto may become a document of the past.

The House and Senate this afternoon are scheduled to vote to override the Republican governor's noontime veto of the nearly $7-billion state budget that the two chambers passed over the past week.

The House will go first, beginning with a 4 p.m. session and the Senate will follow. Democrats hold large majorities in both chambers.

As Carcieri signed the expected veto, he tore into Democratic legislative leaders for a budget that would eliminate an education-aid increase, keep funding in for a new state courthouse in Lincoln and raises taxes.

"This budget in my judgment puts the burden of the state's fiscal crisis clearly on the backs of Rhode Island families," Carcieri said in opening his veto press conference at the State House.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael McKinney, with reporters from Journal staff writer Steve Peoples

Carcieri said he opposes the $6.99 billion spending plan, because it cuts school aid, raises taxes, "squanders" a one-time payment from tobacco settlement funds and limits the governor's ability to use private firms.

He says the budget prioritizes a new $113 million courthouse in Lincoln at the expense of property taxpayers and communities.

He said the General Assembly eliminated his proposal to increase school aid by 3 percent. The assembly also eliminated his proposal to include $5 million in scholarship money, he said.

Carcieri claims the General Assembly's spending plan "will result in school budget cuts that will impact children, putting tremendous pressure on property taxes."

The governor had promised to veto the budget immediately after it was passed by the Senate Tuesday evening. The proposal was the same as that passed by the House early last Saturday morning.

The Democrat-controlled Assembly is expected to easily override the Republican governor's veto.

More coverage of the budget ...

Posted by Jack Perry at 4:20 PM | Comment

North Kingstown man, 83, dies after two-car crash

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- An 83-year-old North Kingstown man died at South County Hospital from injuries he sustained as a passenger in a two-car crash early this afternoon at the intersection of Boston Neck Road and Earle Drive, the police said.

Police Capt. Charles Brennan said in an afternoon news release that the police are withholding identification of the man pending notification of next of kin.

At about 1:20 p.m., the police and fire departments were called to the accident, which temporarily closed Boston Neck Road (Route 1A). Police on scene told the ambulance to "expedite their response to urgent" and said that the driver of one of the vehicles would need to be removed using an extrication device.

A police accident reconstruction team has been investigating.

The crash involved a Subaru Legacy wagon and a Pontiac Grand Prix. One person from the Subaru and two from the Pontiac went to the hospital.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:09 PM | Comment

Trooper opens eyes for 1st time since hurt, father says

PROVIDENCE -- State Trooper Brendan R. Doyle opened his eyes this morning, for the first time since he was critically hurt early Saturday while trying to stop an alleged reckless driver in downtown Providence.

His father, Robert Doyle, said today that his 25-year-old son was showing some signs of improvement, although his prognosis is still uncertain. Trooper Doyle opened his eyes at around 7 a.m. today, his father said, and seemed to recognize his family.

The younger Doyle had been off duty and out with friends when they saw a convertible BMW jump the curb and speed into crowded Pine Street, according to the police.

Doyle held out his badge and yelled for the driver to stop, but when he approached the car and began to make a call, the driver got out and punched him in the face, the Providence police said.

Doyle fell backward and hit his head on the pavement, suffering severe head injuries that nearly cost him his life that morning.

He is listed in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital, where his father said he has been in a medically-induced coma.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:41 PM | Comment

Tractor-trailer rollover slows Middletown traffic

MIDDLETOWN – A tractor-trailer rollover at the intersection of Routes 138 and 214 has severely restricted traffic flow.

The truck was removed around 2:30 p.m., and Transportation Management Center operator Stephen McGovern said the area will likely be cleared within 20 minutes.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:32 PM | Comment

Update: Boston Neck Road re-opens after crash

NORTH KINGSTOWN – A section of Boston Neck Road has just re-opened after a two-car accident sent three people to the hospital, according to the police.

As of about 2:20 p.m., an accident reconstruction team was investigating. The accident, near Earle Drive, was reported at about 1:19 p.m.

It involved a Subaru Legacy wagon and a Pontiac Grand Prix. One person from the Subaru and two from the Pontiac went to the hospital.

You can find traffic alerts describing accidents on the state DOT's Web site.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer Randal Edgar

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:25 PM | Comment

Former N.Y. exec. guilty in Nantucket murder

NANTUCKET, Mass., -- A former New York bank executive today was found guilty of killing his former girlfriend by a jury that rejected his claim that he was temporarily insane when he stabbed her to death in her island bungalow.

Jurors returned the verdict of guilty of first-degree murder against Thomas Toolan III following about five hours of deliberations over two days. Afterward, Toolan, 39, was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors said Toolan killed Elizabeth Lochtefeld, 44, a successful New York entrepreneur, after she rejected his marriage proposal and broke up with him.

Toolan had been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston for a time in 2004 since Rhode Island State Police arrested him that October on a drunken driving charge -- hours after Lochtefeld was found slain on Nantucket. He was charged with driving under the influence and as a fugitive from justice.

-- The Associated Press, with Journal archival reports

Toolan's defense lawyer told jurors that Toolan was suffering from a mental disease and struggling with alcohol addiction when he killed Lochtefeld on Oct. 24, 2004, three days after she turned down his proposal.

Defense experts claimed years of drug and alcohol abuse by Toolan had caused brain damage and left him unable to control his behavior.

But a psychiatrist who testified for the prosecution said Toolan knew his actions were wrong, despite his substance abuse problem.

Toolan, a former Citigroup executive, met Lochtefeld during Labor Day weekend of 2004. The couple had a whirlwind romance, but Lochtefeld broke off their relationship the weekend before she was killed.

Prosecutors said Toolan held Lochtefeld hostage in his New York City apartment the night she broke things off, but she escaped while he was asleep and fled to Nantucket.

Toolan attempted to board a plane bound for Nantucket the day before Lochtefeld was killed, but was stopped after security screeners at New York's LaGuardia Airport found a knife in his coat. The next day, Toolan took another flight to the island, then rented a car and bought a fishing knife at a local store, authorities said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:44 PM | Comment

Photo: Courting summer at the State House

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
The lawn of the State House in Providence subs as a volleyball court on this first afternoon of summer. The season officially arrives at 2:06 p.m. Eastern time. Looking for more summer activities? Check our Lifebeat page today and projo.com's Summer Guide.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:42 PM | Comment

House to consider changes to fire code

PROVIDENCE – The House Finance Committee is poised to begin debate this afternoon on changes to the state fire code, which was altered in the aftermath of the tragic Station nightclub fire that killed 100 and injured 200.

Business owners forced to install sprinklers or new fire alarms would be entitled to a tax credit of up to $10,000 under legislation written after several months of hearings by a special House panel.

In the General Assembly’s rush to wrap up the session this week, there’s plenty more on committee calendars this afternoon, including coastal home insurance.

Check out committee sessions here. Also, check out the House calendar here and the Senate calendar here.

Debate on the fire-code bill was set to start at 1 p.m. but appears not to have begun yet.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:25 PM | Comment

Providence's leafy limbs save greenbacks / Photo

PROVIDENCE -- The mayor says there's value in the city's trees: $2,932,731 annually, to be exact.

That's the annual benefit -- $118 per tree -- in terms of the amount of carbon and pollution the trees "intercept," the storm water they collect and the cut in energy consumption and increase to property values, according to a Providence tree inventory.

Mayor David N. Cicilline's office called it the most comprehensive tree inventory in the city's history and said the tally will allow Providence to make decisions about caring for the nearly 25,000 street trees.

The tally found that for every dollar the city spends on its tree program, it is "paid back" $3.33 in benefits yearly.

More than 23 percent of trees were in excellent condition and 48.9 percent in good condition, according to the tally results. More than 18 percent were in fair condition, 7.3 percent in poor condition and 1.6 percent were dead.

The tally also found that 41.5 percent of the trees had utility wires above them.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

“One hundred dedicated volunteers became our foot soldiers and spent the past year collecting critically important information about one of our most precious resources, our street trees," Cicilline said in a statement.

Heading into "every single" city neighborhood, the volunteers used hand-held electronic devices to record the number of trees, species, age, location, size and the trees’ condition.

More than 1,000 of the city's trees were planted last year.

The Providence Tree Tally was paid for by the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust and the Rhode Island Foundation.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment

State police announce new anti-graffiti effort

A State Police anti-graffiti effort will include use of undercover surveillance detectives and installing new surveillance cameras to work with Providence, Cranston and Pawtucket police.

The State Police today announced the "2007 Graffiti Initiative" to address excessive graffiti in Greater Providence.

"This graffiti vandalism is a crime that is not only unsightly but reduces property values and encourages further criminal acts in these affected areas," according to the news release.

The Rhode Island Island State Police Graffiti Initiative will use new surveillance cameras as well as state Department of Transportation cameras. And there will be increased patrols in areas impacted by graffiti to try to prevent more graffiti and to identify and arrest those who do it, the state police said.

The public is asked to report acts of graffiti vandalism, which can make them eligible for up to a $500 award for information that leads to detection, apprehension, and conviction of any offender.

The state police ask that Information about graffiti acts be reported to State Police headquarters at 444-1000 or the State Police Lincoln Woods Barracks at 444-1100.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:11 PM | Comment

Photo: Fire burns 3-family house in Pawtucket

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Pawtucket firefighters fight a stubborn blaze at a three-family house at 87 Belmont St. in Pawtucket around 9:30 this morning. No injuries were reported.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:23 AM | Comment

Defense set to begin today in Warwick murder trial

WARWICK – The defense in the murder trial of James Richardson is expected to begin presenting its case today.

Richardson is accused of killing Warwick resident Margaret Duffy-Stephenson, 37, who was found slain in her Blackmore Street home on Nov. 18, 2005.

The prosecution rested its case yesterday, after calling more than 20 witnesses to the stand. A physician with the state medical examiner’s office and a forensic scientist at the state Department of Health were the state’s last two witnesses. They testified about the autopsy report and DNA findings.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:06 AM | Comment

Time to settle in for some good summer reading

PROVIDENCE – There are some old classics and lots of newer titles on the children’s summer reading list available on the Providence Public Library Web site.

Created collaboratively with the Providence Public Schools, the reading lists are online at the library’s site and are linked directly to the library’s catalog so parents and children can easily find the books, place them on hold and check them out.

The reading lists are broken down in classroom groupings, like kindergarten through first grade, grades 2 to 3, etc.

Also, check out the library’s summer performance schedule, which includes visits from authors, musicians and storytellers to branch libraries.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:45 AM | Comment

Mariners, beware of afternoon lightning threat

Mariners, beware today’s weather forecast. What with the threat of hail, strong to severe thunderstorms and lightning, boaters and surfers should be prepared to seek safe harbor this afternoon.

For marine weather information, check out the National Weather Service’s interactive coastal marine map for this region and the ever-popular Maine Harbors site. The latter is packed with tide charts, marine weather news, information on fishing tournaments and links to local boat builders, charter operators, lighthouses and publications. The tide charts on this site are so well done that boaters rave about them. Check out Rhode Island’s chart.

Beach-goers, if you’re looking to welcome summer with a laid-back trip to the beach, we’d suggest an early trip, given the afternoon forecast. To check the status of any beach for swimming, go to the state Department of Health’s beach-monitoring siteor call (401) 222-2751 for recorded information.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:33 AM | Comment

A gusty arrival for summer

PROVIDENCE – Thunderstorms, lightning and hail could arrive this afternoon, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a hazardous weather outlook for today.

But for now, this first day of summer looks glorious. It’s 59 degrees already and should approach low-80s later today. The skies are dazzlingly blue.

Scattered storms could begin developing as early as mid-afternoon but are more likely to arrive between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. The thunderstorms could be strong to severe. Along with the potential hail, we could also get gusty winds, the weather service reports.

We’ve now got a 20 percent chance of rain tomorrow, a sunny Saturday on deck and a potentially rainy Sunday.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:05 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a photograph and story about a survey by Rhode Island Kids Count that shows a troubling increase in the percentage of pre-term births in Rhode Island.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment