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June 29, 2007

Catch the circus and the Tall Ships this weekend

It's not too late to catch the circus or check out the Tall Ships.

The Cole Brothers Circus brings acrobats, aerial artists and clowns. There's one more show at the Warwick Mall tonight at 7:30. There will also be trained elephants, horses and poodles. The show continues tomorrow and Sunday.

Tickets are $17. For children younger than 13, it's $12. To reserve tickets, call (888) 332-5200 or visit www.tickets.com.

And the Tall Ships event in Newport continues through the weekend.

From 11:45 a.m. 1 p.m. tomorrow is the parade of Tall Ships crews and captains, local marching bands and militias. The parade runs from Colony House down Thames Street to Wellington Avenue.

On Sunday, there's the parade of sail at 12:30 p.m. on Narragansett Bay.

Admission aboard Tall Ships is free. Parking at various satellite lots is $15 per car. The lots are at Middletown High School on Valley Road, Gaudet Middle School on Turner Road in Middletown, and the highway interchange at the Claiborne Pell Bridge in Newport.

For more information, call 841-0080 or visit projo.com's collection of stories and useful links at projo.com/lifebeat.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM | Comment

Update: Conn. man accused of defrauding immigrants

WARWICK -- A Connecticut man accused of defrauding illegal Irish immigrants out of millions of dollars will be returned to that state after his arrest near T.F. Green Airport.

Ralph Cucciniello appeared in a Rhode Island court today. He waived extradition, and authorities say he'll be returned to Connecticut sometime within the next week.

He's being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston. He was arrested yesterday.

The Hartford Courant reported that Cucciniello was charged on an arrest warrant issued in Connecticut with 59 counts of larceny and one count of racketeering.

Cucciniello is accused of posing as a lawyer affiliated with Yale University in New Haven, and of swindling Irish immigrants with promises of helping them gain U.S. citizenship.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:38 PM | Comment

Fall River man found guilty in RI of drug trafficking

PROVIDENCE -- After a two-day trial and two hours' deliberation, a federal jury has found a Fall River man guilty of drug trafficking.

According to a news release today from the office of U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, the jury rendered its verdict yesterday against Kent Awer, 32.

East Providence police found 500 grams of crack cocaine during a traffic stop last year on Route 195. Awer was a passenger in the vehicle that was stopped.

The penalty is ordinarily 10 years to life imprisonment plus a $4-million fine. But the prosecution told the court Awer has three past drug trafficking convictions in New York, which could subject him to a mandatory life sentence for the Rhode Island offense.

-- projo.com stafrf writer Michael P. McKinney

During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Beckner presented evidence that at about 1 a.m. on May 2, 2006, Awer was a passenger in a car that East Providence police stopped for speeding on Route 195.

The driver did not have a driver’s license, according to the police, and officers took her into custody and had Awer and another passenger removed from the car. During a search, the police said, they found a black bag in the trunk, men's clothing and a vacuum-sealed pack containing a half-kilogram of crack, packaged in bundles for distribution.

The bag also held "items of paperwork" in Awer’s name. Awer later told officers that he had obtained the crack in New York City.

Awer was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment

Superior Court presiding justice is hospitalized

PROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Presiding Justice Joseph F. Rodgers Jr. was hospitalized after collapsing at a social event in Providence at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, a courts spokesman said today.

Rodgers, 65, of Narragansett, was taken by rescue squad to Rhode Island Hospital and was “resting comfortably” at the hospital, spokesman Craig N. Berke said.

Superior Court Judge William E. Carnes Jr., a former Lincoln police officer who sworn in as a judge on March 30, was at the social event and “rendered immediate assistance” to Rodgers, Berke said. He said he had no further information about what caused Rodgers to collapse.

Rodgers was expected to remain at Rhode Island Hospital last night, Berke said. “He’s under observation,” he said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:20 PM | Comment

DCYF allegations 'extremely' concern Carcieri

PROVIDENCE -- A day after a lawsuit became public alleging children in state foster care are being burned with cigarettes, beaten, molested, and in one instance, killed, Governor Carcieri's office this afternoon issued a statement saying he was "extremely concerned over the allegations of abuse."

But Carcieri also defended steps taken by his administration, saying in the statement that some information in the lawsuit "may be outdated and fails to take into account the reforms that have been made under Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) Director Patricia Martinez."

“Any case of abuse involving children is extremely upsetting to me, which is why I take this lawsuit very seriously. Children who are placed in foster care are extremely vulnerable, and we have worked very hard since I took office to ensure that their needs are met,” Carcieri said in the statement. “We have instituted a number of reforms within DCYF that are making a difference, but are not reflected in the lawsuit.”

The suit says Rhode Island was the nation's worst in the number of children abused and neglected while in state foster-care custody between 2000 and 2005.

The lawsuit was announced yesterday morning while the governor was in Newport for scheduled events that included greeting President Bush during his visit to the Naval War College, a meeting with Republican political donors at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Goat Island, and a clambake at Fort Adams State Park.

Carcieri has refused interview requests from The Journal today.

Carcieri, who was elected in 2002, said he would meet with Child Advocate Jametta O. Alston -- who is suing Carcieri, the governor who appointed her to the post -- on Monday. He said they will talk about the suit and ways to "improve the lines of communications between her office and the Governor’s office, [the Department of Children, Youth and Families], and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services."

The child advocate's suit is being assisted by a national group Children's Rights that has gotten involved in similar cases around the country.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment

L.A. Times reporters win RI-based environment award

NARRAGANSETT -- Two Los Angeles Times reporters, whose series gave readers and policymakers a vivid wake-up call about a "virulent pox on the world's oceans," have won the 2007 Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment.

Reporters Kenneth R. Weiss and Usha Lee McFarling will receive the $75,000 prize for the five-part "Altered Oceans" series that ran from July 30 to Aug. 3, 2006.

The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting, based at the University of Rhode Island, and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment made the announcement today. It began awarding the prize in 2005.

The prize and the three awards of special merit will be given at a Sept. 24 ceremony and seminar to be held at the Metcalf Institute in Narragansett.

The institute was named for Michael P. Metcalf, the late publisher of The Providence Journal, "who was keenly interested in marine and environmental issues and was known for his integrity, vision, and high standards for writing," according to the institute.

In a news release, the jurors said the Los Angeles Times reporters "did more than simply research the literature and talk to the best minds. They went to the scene to make the case.

"This extraordinary series gives life to all those generalities about the decline of the oceans in a way that should grab the imaginations not only of politicians responsible for taking corrective steps but also of ordinary readers."

The series drew an "overwhelmingly positive response," according to the news release, and the U.S. House of Representatives Oceans Caucus distributed copies of the series to every House member.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

The awards jury also named three award of special merit recipients:

-- Eugene Linden for his book The Winds of Change, published by Simon & Schuster.

-- The NOVA television program "Dimming the Sun," a DOX Production for NOVA/WGBH and the BBC, produced by senior executive producer Paula S. Apsell, written and produced by David Sington and directed by Duncan Copp.

-- A team of writers from the East Oregonian Publishing Company for their series, "Our Climate Is Changing … Ready or Not."

The jurors said Linden's book "manages the remarkable feat of bringing a new light to the most written-about environmental challenge of the era, climate change," according to the news release.

The NOVA production for presented "a different, but critical, take on global warming… Exceptional production values, great storytelling, and important subject matter make this a fascinating and disturbing report."

And the East Oregonian Publishing Company series "represented an extraordinary effort on the part of a group of small newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. The result is sophisticated, compelling journalism, extraordinary for publications of this size and scope."

The Grantham Prize was paid for by Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham through The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. The foundation supports natural resource conservation programs both in the United States and internationally.

Eligible for the annual prize are journalists, writers and producers in the United States and Canada. So is nonfiction work published or broadcast in the previous calendar year.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment

State lowers weight limit for Sakonnet River Bridge

After finding steel-truss deterioration on the Sakonnet River Bridge, the state Transportation Department this afternoon is lowering to 22 tons the posted weight limit for a truck that can use the bridge.

Thirty-eight tons was the previous posted weight limit for three- and five-axle trucks and 22 tons the limit for two-axle trucks. The department said the bridge is safe for travel, but that heavier vehicles will need to use alternate routes.

“This weight posting mainly impacts large truck travel,” said Jerome F. Williams, the transportation department director. The department "has reached out to the Rhode Island Trucking Association to help get the word out.”

Regularly scheduled bridge inspection crews discovered the steel truss deterioration, the department said, and repairs will start as soon as possible.

The bridge connects Portsmouth and Tiverton. The affected steel trusses, which are below the bridge and run across it width-wise, not length-wise, are closer to the Tiverton side. Crews will take between six and eight weeks to complete their work.

Construction that might affect drivers will be scheduled for non-peak travel times.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:05 PM | Comment

Update: Abandoned car leads to robbery arrests

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Pictured are, from left, Sgt. P.J. Bessette, holding an evidence bag, Officer Brian D'Amico, Officer Jeff Duclos, and Det. John Cardone, all of the Cranston Police Department.

CRANSTON -- Using search dogs, police arrested two men hiding in the woods east of Route 295 this morning after allegedly robbing a branch of Bank Rhode Island at 2104 Plainfield Pike.

Two people entered the squat, small building just after 9:42 a.m. brandishing a handgun and demanding money, according to police. The robbers fled shortly thereafter in a gray, older model vehicle with an undisclosed amount of currency.

Officers received a tip that the getaway car was abandoned at a nearby construction site on Amflex Drive next to Route 295. A Cranston police officer saw two people matching the description of the robbers crossing the highway and entering the woods.

Officers from Cranston, Johnston, Coventry and the State Police set up a perimeter and called in search dogs from surrounding departments.

Police are still working to identify the suspects.

-- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:02 PM | Comment

Providence no longer New England's 2nd biggest city

WORCESTER, Mass., -- Once again, Worcester, Mass., can lay claim to the title of New England's second-biggest city.

Worcester surpassed Providence in the latest round of census data -- but not by much. The central Massachusetts city had just 199 more people than the Rhode Island city as of July 2006.

The latest federal census estimate lists Worcester's population at 175,454, with Providence at 175,255.

Providence had moved ahead of Worcester as New England's second-largest city behind Boston in 2001.

Worcester City Manager Michael O'Brien says it's nice to have the title back.

A spokeswoman for Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline did not immediatelty return a phone call seeking comment.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:00 PM | Comment

Woman sentenced for spate of bank fraud

PROVIDENCE -- A California woman was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison in connection with making $332,600 in fraudulent withdrawals from Bank of America branches in Rhode Island and six other states.

Zelpha Conyers, 53, of Inglewood, Calif., was sentenced to 51 months by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente.

Conyers and two other Los Angeles area women were arrested last July after making withdrawals at Rhode Island Bank of America branches.

Previously, Judge Lisi sentenced the other defendants who pleaded guilty: Patricia Moore, 55, of Los Angeles, to 42 months; and Debbie Jolene Tucker, 45, of Rialto, California, to 32 months, according to the release.

Conyers was also linked to similar fraudulent withdrawals in Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri, Kansas, and Connecticut, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

-- projo.com stafrf writer Michael P. McKinney

At Conyer’s February plea hearing, prosecutor Lee H. Vilker said the government could prove that on July 11, 2006, Conyers, Moore, and Tucker drove to Bank of America branches in Cranston, East Providence and North Providence.

Moore waited in the car, either Conyers or Tucker entered the bank branch, presented fake identification in the name of a real bank customer with a California address, and made or attempted to make a withdrawal, authorities said. They successfully made about $10,800 worth of withdrawals at three branches.

Tucker unsuccessfully tried to withdraw money at a branch in Cranston, and the manager notified other branches of her suspicious activity. Another branch manager later saw Tucker and Conyers changing wigs in a car outside a branch on Smithfield Road in North Providence. That manager called North Providence Police, who broadcast the car’s license plate number.

Seekonk, Mass., police stopped the women’s car on Route 6, and notified North Providence Police. Seekonk police seized $13,646 from Conyers and Moore.

North Providence police seized luggage from the women’s motel room in Seekonk and, in the luggage, found ten fraudulent California driver’s licenses in various names, bearing either Tucker’s or Conyer’s photograph. They also found fake social security cards in various names, and Bank of America customer profiles.

At separate hearings, the defendants pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy, various counts of bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, which is committing identity theft in connection with another felony, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The United States Secret Service and North Providence Police investigated the case, with assistance from Seekonk Police.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:52 PM | Comment

Update: At Providence Place mall: I want my iPhone

PROVIDENCE -- Mum’s the word on how many Apple iPhones are for sale in Rhode Island, but the six people at the front of the line at the Apple store in Providence Place mall are pretty confident there’ll be enough for them.

The talk of gadget lovers everywhere, the cell phone with the 3.5-inch display screen is being offered to consumers for the first time today.

Signs posted on mall entrances state that lines were to form today at 6 a.m. at The Apple Store on Level 1 and the AT&T store on Level 3. They also noted that customers were prohibited (with that word in bold) from lining up anywhere on mall property prior to 6 a.m.

That didn't stop some from trying to get into the mall last night, but they were asked to leave -- and another was asked to leave at 4:30 a.m. today.

Inside The Apple Store, employees and a man who said he was the manager but couldn’t give his name to the media said only that the iPhones would be on sale today at 6 p.m. – but only after the store closes at 2 p.m. as all Apple stores have been instructed to do, they said.

By about 2 p.m., 55 people stood in line.

The Apple store itself had perhaps six to eight shoppers inside just after 10 a.m., when the mall opens.

Outside the store, some 25 people had staked out a spot in line -- set apart from other shoppers by pedestals with line dividers -- hoping to buy the much-anticipated phone as soon as it goes on sale. Six of them were there right at 6 a.m., they said, two in sets of two and two others there individually.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tim Barmann

A few were disappointed Apple hadn’t given them chairs or a spot against the wall where they could wait. They felt a bit as if they were in a fishbowl.

Chris Silva, 21, of Narragansett, sat at the front of the line with his PowerBook. He was perusing the Web site MacRumors.com to see what new information he could learn about the iPhones and sharing information with others on line. He’s eager to get his hands on the iPhone.

“What isn’t there about the iPhone that I want?,” he replied when asked which features he most wanted.

He’s excited about the visual voice mail, which will allow him to view who has left messages for him and when and then decide in which order he wants to listen to his voice mail messages. And he’s glad he’ll be able to fast forward and rewind messages by touching a scroll bar on the iPhone, he said.

He has his mind set. He wants the more expensive version of the iPhone, which is selling for $499 with 4 Gigs of memory and $599 for 8 Gigs.

Silva said the MacRumors site is reporting that the flagship Apple stores will have 1,000 iPhones each for sale. Granted, Providence probably isn’t one of the flagship stores, but at the front of the line, Silva wasn’t worried about not getting one of the coveted iPhones.

When someone walked by and asked what the line was for, a few at the front replied they were waiting to buy the iPhone. The passer-by said he’d just order his online.

“But he won’t get it until Tuesday or Wednesday,” said one of the men at the front of the line.

One of the first six people to make up the line, Bassem Megally, 27, hails from Milwaukee, Wis., but he was quick to say that he hadn’t traveled all the way from Wisconsin to buy his iPhone from The Apple Store in Providence.

He’s in the capital city to help his cousin at the Transformers BotCon convention at the Rhode Island Convention Center. He was glad to come help, but he told his cousin he’d need to find an Apple store where he could get his iPhone while here for the convention.

Those near the front of the line were making friends and said they felt like one big family by 10 a.m.

Want to know more about the phone? Projo.com's Sheila Lennon has blogged advance reviews from a variety of tech experts.

Projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson knows a thing or two about making friends while waiting in a line. She met her husband hoping to buy tickets to the Women’s Olympic Figure Skating final in Norway in 1994. That was the year of the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding controversy – which meant no extra tickets for Kate, her mom or the man she’d later marry.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:39 PM | Comment

Transformer lovers find soulmates at BotCon / Photo

Journal photo / Sandor Bodo
A display of Transformers is inspected by a conventioneer yesterday. Can't make it over to the Rhode Island Convention Center for the show? Test your knowledge of cinematic, TV and cartoon robits with projo.com's version of a Lifebeat Pop Quiz.

PROVIDENCE -- His luggage is lost. Yet Erwin De Jong is happy.

He’s here, in the Rhode Island Convention Center. The 28-year-old Dutchman is thousands of miles from home, without a change of clothes, but he’s finally with his people. He’s at BotCon.

That’s a contraction for robot convention. It began here yesterday and continues through Sunday, celebrating all things Transformers: the toys, the comics, the videos, the TV series, the movies . . . the life.

With airfare, lodging, food and Transformers paraphernalia purchases all totaled, De Jong figures this trip will cost him $2,000.

"It’s worth it, once. It’s the whole experience.”

It’s an experience De Jong is sharing with about 2,000 people, who come from all over this country and more than a dozen others, including Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

BotCon is in its 11th year. And it’s never been bigger. It’s the timing: the convention, the new Transformers movie (opening on Tuesday, although BotCon goers got a sneak peak yesterday), and the tours yesterday of Hasbro, the Pawtucket-based toymaker of Transformers and the orchestrator of this weekend’s perfect promotional storm.

“You have the convention, the movie and Hasbro,” De Jong says. “If you’re going to go to BotCon, this is the year.”

BotCon continues tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence. Admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12.

-- Journal staff writer Bryan Rourke

This is the first year BotCon has been in Rhode Island. And for that Joseph Igo is grateful. The 22-year-old East Providence man didn’t have to travel far. He just had to arrange his work schedule, months in advance.

Maybe you wouldn’t understand.

“Most people remember Transformers from watching the cartoon one day. Or they just nod and smile. They don’t get it, but they try to be polite.”

Transformers are robots that can convert into cars, trucks, planes, animals, you name it. They were first introduced in 1984, and there have been hundreds, even thousands of variations on the theme since.

Igo, who “lost count at 900” for his collection, recalls the draw of Transformers as a child.

“It was like getting two toys in one. You get a robot and you can transform it into another toy.”

However, toys tend not to be sought by adults, which is most of the BotCon crowd. And most Transformers come packaged with the words: For ages 4 and up.

“Well, we were 4 and up when the Transformers first came out,” says Stephan
Bibeault, 30, of Montreal, Canada. “That got us hooked.”

“Us,” in this case, refers to Bibeault and his companion Heather Chase, 28, also of Montreal.

“I’m the addict,” she says. “He’s the follower.”

Chase says that as an adult she “respects Transformers as an art form,” and marvels at their engineering, and their potential for intrigue. Her follower agrees.

“It’s like a Rubik’s Cube with a purpose,” Bibeault says. “At the end, you get more than just colors.”

All these people at the convention can see Transformers characters online, on TV, on videos and on display in their homes. They come to BotCon for many reasons, which include dozens of forums with, among others, the writers, actors and designers involved in various Transformers projects. They also shop. They get exclusive access to Transformers not yet released to the public, and the opportunity to purchase replacements.

“They’ll have parts I’m missing,” says Evan Brown, 30, of San Francisco. “The guns are always gone.”

You’ve got to understand, Transformers fans say, there’s a huge range of
Transformers in varying degrees of complexity, from something simple a young child can understand and manipulate to something large and complex an adult can appreciate. Or maybe you won’t understand, which is why all these people are at BotCon.

“We’re on the fringe,” says Mary Rogers, 27, of Washington D.C. “There is a feeling of solidarity here.”

That, in part, is why De Jong, the Dutchman, has traveled so far: to be part of the Transformers community. He’s wearing a black T-shirt and a dark brown pair of pants, the only clothes that successfully made the trip with him.

And he’s standing in a long line, waiting to buy new Transformers merchandise. And he has a brilliant thought.

“I’m going to buy a T-shirt!”

BotCon continues tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence. Admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12.

-- Journal staff writer Bryan Rourke

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:26 PM | Comment

Smooth sailing for second day of Tall Ships visit

NEWPORT -- It's cloudy, and not very hot in the City by the Sea this afternoon -- very comfortable for walking around and taking a turn aboard a Tall Ship.

While many visitors are milling around today, the historic community with its narrow streets and busy waterfront doesn't feel jampacked.

It's the second official day of the Tall Ships event here, and signs of their presence are obvious on land and at sea.

Sailors from the ships, who have gathered from several corners of the world, walk in small groups in their dress whites and caps. Lots of foreign languages are being spoken.

There are lines of people waiting to board some of the larger ships, like the Gloria on Bannister's Wharf. But at others, especially smaller ships, there's no wait at all.

Even the car traffic is bearable, with no signs of gridlock. (Organizers have urged drivers to park at designated sites outside the downtown.)

Back at the Gloria, a woman is playing an accordion, helping to keep those waiting in line entertained.

A nautical jig perhaps? No, not quite, a reporter on the scene suddenly realizes.

He knows that song. It's "A small world after all."

And today and through this weekend, in Newport, it certainly is.

-- projo.com staff, with reports from Journal reporter Richard Salit

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:49 PM | Comment

Photo uploads: Of lightning strikes and tall ships

Scott Lindemann of Providence sent projo.com this photo he took from his porch in Smith Hill as the storm passed over the region last night.

You, too, can send in your photos of Providence life, and look at others, via our photo upload gallery.

And, today, we're also inviting readers to send in their pictures of the Tall Ships visit to Newport. S. Taylor of Pawtucket has already sent some in. Take a look, and upload yours here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:18 PM | Comment

Explosion heaves, loosens pavement in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- National Grid utility workers confirmed an underground explosion today on Elmgrove Avenue on the city's East Side, leading to some power failures in nearby houses.

It caused pavement to swell around a manhole cover. A 5-by-5 section section of pavement also broke loose and heaved up around the manhole.

The cover is in front of the home at 511 Elmgrove Ave., near the intersection of Woodbury Street.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:00 PM | Comment

DMV begins new surcharge next week

The state Division of Motor Vehicles announced today that a $1.50 surcharge will be added to customer transactions starting Tuesday.

The surcharge goes into effect as a result of the recently approved state budget.

The surcharge will go on such things as license and registration renewals, said Gina Zanni, a spokeswoman for the Division of Motor Vehicles. It will not apply to sales tax paid when someone buys a new or used car.

It also will not apply to things where no fee is charged, such as a handicapped placard, she said.

The revenue from the surcharge will be used "exclusively" for paying debt service on a $13-million bond issuance for a new computer system at the DMV, according to the release. The division said the computer system "will dramatcially enhance the ability of the DMV to offer efficient and quality customer service."

To find out more about the surcharge, the Division of Motor Vehicles said to call (401) 462-4DMV or go to www.dmv.ri.gov.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:51 AM | Comment

Warwick police still seek clues in fatal shooting

WARWICK – For the second day in a row, the Warwick police are searching the house at 43 Warwick Lake Ave. for clues to an early morning shooting that killed a man and injured two of his relatives.

“We have a great deal of materials being brought in by our forensics” unit, Deputy Police Chief Mark Titus said this morning. The police do not yet know when they will release the crime scene.

Also this morning, detectives are still on the lookout for the masked assailant who allegedly entered the house just after midnight yesterday with a gun. When the owner, Caesar Medeiros, confronted the suspect, he was shot in the arm. His wife, Claire, was shot in the leg and Caesar’s brother, Gabriel Medeiros, who was living with the couple, was shot in the chest and killed. The gunman escaped through a back door.

After releasing a sketch of the assailant, the police say they’ve received several phone calls, but have not yet identified a suspect. The gunman is described as clean shaven, 5’8” to 5’10” with a thin build and red hair.

Titus said the police “continue to talk” to the injured couple – Caesar and Claire Medeiros – about the incident. Both were released from the hospital late yesterday and Titus said they are being cooperative.

It is unknown if the assailant is still in the Warwick area. Titus said Warwick residents who are concerned about safety should practice basic crime prevention: lock their doors, activate alarms and turn on floodlights if they are available.

The police ask anyone with any information about the shootings to call them at (401) 468-4233 or (401) 732-8477.

-- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:26 AM | Comment

Beach and marine info as you plan your weekend

On this beautiful beach weekend, nearly all beaches around the state are open and ready for sunbathers, swimmers and surfers. Just the GINNY-B Campground Beach in Foster, which the state Health Department recommended closing yesterday because of high bacteria counts, is closed today, according to the department’s Web site.

To check the status of any beach for swimming, go to the department’s beach-monitoring site or call (401) 222-2751 for recorded information.

If you’re looking for marine weather information, check out the National Weather Service’s interactive coastal marine map for this region.

Also, for all your nautical needs, boaters love the Maine Harbors site, which 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.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:25 AM | Comment

Traffic: Light problems on Route 4, North Kingstown

NORTH KINGSTOWN – The state Department of Transportation is on its way to fix a malfunctioning traffic light on Route 4 at West Allenton Road. For now, the police are directing traffic, which is building already, according to a police dispatcher.

Otherwise, traffic in the Ocean State seems pretty normal for the moment. That could change, of course, as people begin heading out of town for the July Fourth holiday, which AAA Southern New England predicts will bring a record number of travelers onto the roads, beginning as early as today.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is – here and 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 7:17 AM | Comment

Fire Safety Day comes to Washington Park

PROVIDENCE – The Providence Fire Department plans to bring safety tips, free smoke detectors and a Fire Safety House that simulates how quickly fire and smoke spread to Washington Park tomorrow.

Fire Safety Day in the city’s 10th ward will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Columbia Park. On Michigan Avenue, the park is in front of Johnson & Wales University’s Harborside campus.

Pizza and other food is free, and attendees are eligible to win children’s toys, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and other raffle prizes, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the fire department.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

The fire department will give tours of the Fire Safety House, which is a trailer designed for demonstrations on how fires start and spread. Firefighters will offer tips on fire prevention and fire safety and will hand out fire safety pamphlets.

Providence residents are also invited to sign up to receive free smoke detectors, which fire prevention specialists will install in homes and apartments at a later date, Taylor said.

The safety day is sponsored by City Councilman Luis A. Aponte, state Rep. Joseph S. Almeida and Sen. Harold M. Metts, both Democrats from Providence.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:07 AM | Comment

Heat wave over, great summery weather in store

PROVIDENCE – Relief.

The heat wave has broken, and it’s comfortably cool out there now, at just 63 degrees now. Feels nice, doesn’t it?

Today is expected to be less humid than in the past few days, with highs in the mid-70s.

This weekend should be beautiful. The National Weather Service predicts highs in the low-80s and mid-70s and lows at night in the low- to mid-50s.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:03 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features photographs and a story on President Bush's visit to Rhode Island, the first of his presidency.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment