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July 24, 2007

Movie and a beach, tonight in Westerly

The weather's right for a movie -- on the beach.

Tonight, "RV" will be screened at Misquamicut Beach, part of an ongoing series of family-oriented flicks. The spot is at Atlantic Pizza, 145 Atlantic Ave., in Westerly. The movie starts at 8:45 p.m. Parking is free, and so is admission.

Call (401) 596 -7761 or visit www.westerlychamber.org

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:52 PM | Comment

Phone service disruption in W. Warwick, Coventry

Customers in West Warwick and Coventry were affected by a telephone service outage today, and for a time callers to the Coventry Police station were routed to West Greenwich police.

The extent and cause of the phone failure was not clear. A Verizon spokeswoman had not responded to a phone message and an e-mail this evening.

Coventry Police Sgt. Stephen Michailides said his understanding was the police station's lines were affected around 8 a.m. He said calls were routed to West Greenwich police, who then used other means to promptly get the information to Coventry police. Both departments are on a Nextel system, for instance.

He said 911 service and other lines have since been restored to the Coventry station.

Apparently some digging had been going on in West Warwick and a line or lines were damaged, which led to the phone outage.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment

RISD's expansion will open in September 2008

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island School of Design Museum says its five-story addition will open in September 2008.

It says the building now under construction will open with a new exhibit by noted glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.

Chihuly's work has been displayed everywhere from New York to Jerusalem to the White House.

The Chace Center will provide a 43,000-foot extension to the museum at the Rhode Island School of Design -- which is one of the region's premier art museums.

Chihuly is a Seattle-based glassblower who received a master's degree from R.I.S.D. in 1968.

He's creating an original work in a new five-thousand-square-foot exhibition space at the center.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:07 PM | Comment

Jury finds against Charlie Weis in medical suit

BOSTON -- A jury today found against Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis in his medical malpractice lawsuit against two doctors he claimed botched his care after he had gastric bypass surgery five years ago.

The jury deliberated almost three hours before finding Massachusetts General Hospital surgeons Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin were not negligent.

Weis, 51, who won three Super Bowls as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, accused the surgeons of negligence for allowing him to bleed internally for 30 hours before performing a second surgery to correct the complication.

Weis became gravely ill after the 2002 surgery and nearly died. He testified he still has numbness and pain in his feet and sometimes has to use a motorized cart. Seated next to the surgeons on the front row of a courtroom bench, he was stoic as the verdict was read and left the courtroom without comment. His lawyer, Michael Mone, did not immediately return a call.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:36 PM | Comment

South Kingstowners will get bird's eye view of town

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Residents will be able get a birds’ eye view of their property, check out local voting districts as well as location of coastal ponds and open space beginning tomorrow morning at the Town of South Kingstown Web site.

At 8 a.m., the town Planning Department will link its Geographic Information System to the town Web site at www.southkingstownri.com.

Visitors will have access to aerial images of the town and have the ability to zero-in on particular properties.

The computerized mapping system delineates details such as zoning and voting districts as well as conservation areas and wetlands, said Carol Baker, the town’s GIS administrator. That information can then be paired with tax assessor and other town records.

“The town has a wealth of GIS data,” Baker said.

The project has been in the works for two years. The technology, in the meantime, has been used for projects such as developing school bus routes and emergency evacuation plans, Town Manager Stephen Alfred said.

“We’re ready to go,” Baker said.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:29 PM | Comment

Six Providence police officers sworn in today

PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline today appointed six recruits to the police force in a swearing-in ceremony at the Public Safety Complex.

“So it’s been a long time coming. But today is your day,” Police Chief Dean M. Esserman told the newly minted officers from a lectern in the sunny second-floor atrium. In welcoming them, he declared, “I am a happy police chief.”

They are graduates of the Police Department’s 64th training academy, which concluded in January. But the 6 could not join 18 other graduates who were appointed that month because there were only 18 confirmed department vacancies available at that time.

As vacancies open, appointments are made based on a graduate’s academy class rank. Even with the six appointed yesterday, another five graduates are still jobless, marking time until more vacancies arise. The job pays $823.63 a week.

In a time-honored procedure, Esserman removed each man’s badge from a blue felt-covered display board, attached it to his blue uniform shirt, exchanged salutes and shook his hand. The only exception was for Patrolman Jared Stanzione, whose father, Bart, is a retired Barrington police officer. Bart Stanzione pinned the badge on his son.

Besides Stanzione, 34, an East Providence resident, the other new officers are Ibrahim Yousif, 22, of Johnston; Peter Santos, 24, of Fall River; Juan Rodrigues, 30, of Dorchester, Mass.; Eric Greene, 28, of East Providence; and Jason Andrade, 25, of Brockton, Mass.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:16 PM | Comment

Buddy's back and so is Buddy, the documentary

If you didn't catch "Buddy," Cherry Arnold's documentary of former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. when it was shown in Providence this year, you can catch it for free on Thursday.

The documentary will be shown Thursday night from 9:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. after an NBC special about Cianci.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment

Middletown is fined $50,000 for sewer line breaks

MIDDLETOWN -- Environmental regulators have fined Middletown $50,000 for spilling sewage into Narragansett Bay.

Authorities at the Department of Environmental Management fault Middletown authorities for failing to properly maintain a sewage line that ruptured in 2005 and 2006. As a result, sewage seeped into the ocean.

State officials say the pipeline hadn't been inspected or cleaned since its installation in 1969.

Town Council President Paul Rodrigues says he hopes the fine will be waived on appeal since Middletown is repairing its sewer system.

A spokeswoman for the D.E.M. says the citation speaks for itself.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:56 PM | Comment

3 out-of-state educators are finalists in N. Kingstown

NORTH KINGSTOWN — School officials are considering three out-of-state candidates for school superintendent.

The administrative hopefuls – a special education director and two superintendents -- will talk up their skills during back-to-back interviews beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in the School Committee meeting room. The one-hour interviews are open to the public.

The candidates were chosen from among 29 administrators who applied for the job, which pays around $130,000. A 17-person screening committee reduced the pool of candidates to seven and then three.

Although school officials started late, “we’ve gotten good quality candidates,” said Bill Daly, director of human resources. “The committee has been pleasantly surprised.”

The candidates are Fred Williams, superintendent at Lincoln Consolidated Schools in Ypsilanti, Mich.; Priscilla L. Feir, a superintendent with the Perkiomen Valley School District in Collegeville, Pa.; and Michael J. Singleton, special education director for the Williamstown, Mass. public school system. Singleton also worked as a superintendent at several New York schools.

The new hire will replace former superintendent James M. Halley. Under pressure from School Committee members, Halley resigned last May after working 11 years in the district.

During that time, the district produced top-ranking schools and award-winning teachers. Last October, Halley was named Superintendent of the Year.

But Halley ran afoul of parents and union officials who called him unresponsive. Some critics charged him with mismanaging school funds. Halley agreed to a buyout plan and was replaced by former Narragansett Schools Supt. Albert E. Honnen Jr.

Honnen, who came out of retirement to work for 90 days, can stay longer under his agreement with the district.

But school officials hope to hire a permanent superintendent by the start of the school year, Daly said. Students go back to school Aug. 29.

“We knew it was going to be a sprint to the finish line,” Daly said. “But the screening committee did a great job.” They even won compliments from some candidates for their questions and professionalism, Daly said.

“We’re optimistic that we will have someone on board by the beginning of the school year.”

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:33 PM | Comment

Rhode Island gets $100,000 anti-obesity grant

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island has gotten a $100,000 grant to better children's health and nutrition and to battle obesity.

Rhode Island is one of 10 states to get the National Governors Association grant, which will "support and enhance existing childhood obesity prevention efforts in schools and communities," according to a news release from Governor Carcieri's office.

The grant come under the Center for Best Practices’ Healthy Kids, Healthy America Program, which encourages state programs that increase physical activity, improve nutrition and prevent childhood obesity.

Carcieri said in the statement that Rhode Island is making progress in the area and noted it has new laws that ban junk food sales and sodas in public schools and creates "wellness subcommittees" in each school district.

“This grant will help us build on our momentum to create a culture of health, wellness and activity among our young people,” Carcieri said. “It will improve Rhode Island’s childhood obesity prevention programs and will help make our state a healthier place for our children.”

The state Department of Health will work with non-profit Kids First, school districts and individual schools to improve the nutrition and physical activities of children.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:30 PM | Comment

DEM reopens Warren Town Beach to swimming

WARREN -- The state Health Department today said Warren Town Beach can reopen to swimming.

Water sample results showed bacteria levels within acceptable limits, according to a news release.

To check information about swimming at Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or call (401) 222-2751.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:22 PM | Comment

Holsteins halted traffic in Hopkinton

HOPKINTON – Commuters experienced a brief bovine back-up on Route 95 south this morning as several Holsteins wandered onto the highway.

Troopers James Pardington and Stephen Vanner used air horns and old-fashioned shooing to urge the cows from the roadway around 8 a.m. The cows strayed onto Route 95 south near exit 2 through a hole in a fence at Brook-Knoll Farm, state police reports show.

Traffic was stopped for about two minutes to prevent cars from colliding with the errant cattle, Sgt. Nicholas Tella said.

“If a vehicle hits them, it could cause a serious, serious accident,” Tella said.

After a bit of prodding, the cows turned and ran into the woods.

“They move at their own pace,” Tella said.

The state police contacted the owners of the farm, who explained that the cows had escaped through a 100-foot gap in the fence. And it’s not the first time they’ve broken free.

“Last year, they were out every day,” said Dorothy Reynolds, who co-owns the farm.

DOT records show that state workers erected 2,500 feet of fencing, plus another 100 feet, on Oct. 13, said Heidi Cote, DOT spokeswoman.

“If there was a hole, they didn’t make us aware of it,” she said.

The state will look into the complaint, she said.

“We don’t want anything to hurt motorists or the animals,” Cote said. “We will certainly investigate.”

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

The Reynolds family, which owns Brook-Knoll Farm, says the state Department of Transportation has been responsible for maintaining the fence that runs along the roadway since it took the land by imminent domain. Route 95 slices through the farm's rock-studded meadows.

The state installed a portion of the fence, but left about 100 feet unfinished, Reynolds said. The family has been trying to keep the cows away from that area.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:52 PM | Comment

Update: Heroes ride fun bus in Providence / Photo

FUNBUS 03 BM.JPG
Journal photo / Bill Murphy
The Providence Parks Department's Fun Bus made a stop at the Neutaconkanut Hill Recreation Center, Tuesday morning.


PROVIDENCE – Super heroes have an important job to do in Providence this summer.

They’re bringing roller blades, board games and a 35-foot inflatable obstacle course to the city’s pools and water parks as the city’s Fun Bus tours the capital city.

Actually, it’s employees of the city’s Recreation Department who are donning Super Hero costumes and touring the parks with their games, starting this morning at the Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, at 675 Plainfield St.

Donated by the Free Wheeler Association, the city’s Fun Bus is handicapped accessible. Students from the TruSchool paired up with Straight Up Graphics to paint the colorful exterior, according to the Providence mayor’s office. The Boys & Girls Club of Providence will send two staff members to help supervise the Fun Bus activities.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Here’s the Fun Bus schedule. It expects to stop at each location at 10:30 a.m.:

July 25, Zuccolo Recreation Center;
July 26, Joslin Recreation Center;
July 27, Fargnoli Park;
July 30, Selim Rogers Recreation Center;
July 31, Billy Taylor Park;
August 1, One Recreation Way;
August 2, Chalkstone Avenue George J. West;
August 3, Al Carrington Recreation Center;
August 6, West End Recreation Center;
August 7, Sackett Street Recreation Center;
August 8, Davey Lopes Recreation Center;
August 9, Harriet & Sayles Street Water Park;
August 10, Neutaconkanut Recreation Center;
August 13, Zuccolo Recreation Center;
August 14, Fargnoli Park;
August 15, Joslin Recreation Center;
August 16, Selim Rogers Recreation Center;
August 17, One Recreation Way;
August 20, Chalkstone Avenue George J. West;
August 21, Al Carrington Recreation Center;
August 22, West End Recreation Center.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:26 PM | Comment

Providence building placed on National Register

PROVIDENCE -- State preservation officials will announce this afternoon that Conley's Wharf building, which once was the Providence Gas Company Purifier House, has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

The building, on the South Providence waterfront, has gotten the federal recognition "for its contributions to the history of architecture and industry," according to a news release from the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission

The National Register is the official list of properties throughout the country whose historical and architectural significance makes them worthy of preservation.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

The building is on a 0.7-acre lot at Allens Avenue and Public Street on the Providence River. Built in 1900, the reinforced concrete and brick industrial building has an elliptical arched roof and a four-story stair tower. The building’s most distinguishing characteristic is its steel frame, largely exposed on the interior, consisting of columns, beams, and a series of trusses.

According to the news release, the Providence Gas Company Purifier House building "is a notable example of architectural engineering and early steel construction. Built for producing coal gas and later adapted for warehouse and light industrial uses, the Purifier House represents the ongoing evolution of Providence’s industrial waterfront."

Edward F. Sanderson, executive director of the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, said in the statement: “This unique industrial structure is an excellent example of 19th-century steel truss engineering and was one of the first steel framed buildings erected in New England.”

Property owner and developer Patrick T. Conley stated: “We are privileged to own such a building and grateful that we were able to restore it to community use while retaining its historic architectural character."

The Purifier House had a large amount of high, unobstructed floor space, due to use of trusses. The gas manufacturing process involved roasting coal in a furnace to release raw gas that was piped to the purifier building where it was purified before being stored in a separate tank.

The former Purifier House changed hands several times. It was recently rehabilitated, with the conversion of the fourth floor to the Conley Conference Center, Patrick’s Pier One function facility and the Fabre Line Club headquarters. The first three floors provide space for 10 artists’ studios and Gail’s Gallery.

The announcement of the National Register designation is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the former Providence Gas Company Purifier House.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:21 PM | Comment

Rhode Island sees decline in traffic deaths

With six fewer fatalities in motor vehicle crashes last year, Rhode Island saw its toll of people killed in crashes drop by nearly seven percentage points, according to a national traffic study released today.

There were 81 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the state last year, while there were 87 the year before.

In Massachusetts, there were 441 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005, which dropped to 430 last year -- a decline of 2.5 percentage points. But Connecticut saw an increase from 278 people killed in 2005 to 301 last year -- a rise of 8.3 percentage points.

Nationwide, the number of people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes dropped as well, from 43,510 in 2005 to 42,642 last year, says the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration assessment.
The assessment says it's the biggest decline in number and percentage of deaths from motor vehicle traffic accidents since 1992. However, the assessment notes that motorcycle rider deaths continued their nine-year increase, reaching 4,810 last year -- that accounts for 11 percent of total motor vehicle traffic deaths.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:21 PM | Comment

2 men arraigned in Cheshire, Conn., killings

MERIDEN, Conn. -- Two men described by authorities as career criminals were arraigned today in the home invasion and arson that took the lives of three members of a Cheshire, Conn., family.

Joshua Komisarjevky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted, were formally charged with assault, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery and arson. They were each ordered held in lieu of $15 million bond.

State police have said that additional criminal charges are likely to be filed.

The two men, both in orange prison jump suits and shackles, did not enter pleas, and answered only, "Yes," when asked if they understood their rights.

Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and her daughters, 17-year-old Hayley Petit and 11-year-old Michaela, were found dead yesterday inside their burning home after the family had been held hostage for hours, the police said.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:11 PM | Comment

Cumberland man found guilty of firearms crime

PROVIDENCE -- A federal jury has found a Cumberland man guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm for having three rifles in his house, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced today.

The jury returned the verdict yesterday against Richard Ribeiro, 59, after a one-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee presented evidence that on May 1, 2006, Cumberland Police and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) used a search warrant at Ribeiro’s home on Macondary Street. They seized a rifle in a crawl space.

After interviewing Ribeiro at the Cumberland Police station, an ATF agent returned to Ribeiro’s home and seized two more long guns in another section of the crawl space: a 12-gauge shotgun and a .357 Magnum rifle., according to the news release. The agent also found .357-caliber ammunition in a dresser drawer

Ribeiro has a prior felony narcotics conviction.

The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Ribeiro is detained, pending a scheduled Nov. 16 sentencing.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:50 PM | Comment

Carcieri holds private retreat over state budget

WEST GREENWICH -- Governor Carcieri holds a closed-door retreat today with his directors about next year's budget and a plan to eliminate 1,000 state jobs.

A Carcieri spokesman say they're trying to identify 1,000 state positions this summer that can be eliminated through attrition, privatization and layoffs.

That plan came after the General Assembly passed a $7 billion budget last month. It closed a $450 million dollar deficit but left the door open to similar shortfalls in coming years.

The retreat is being held at a University of Rhode Island campus in West Greenwich.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:54 AM | Comment

Three Charlestown councilors' appeal is dismissed

PROVIDENCE -- Providence County Superior Court Judge Patricia Hurst dismissed Charlestown's appeal of a finding by the Attorney General’s Office that it had violated the Open Meetings Act.

“The only way I can review something the Attorney General’s Office did if it’s brought under the APA (Administrative Procedures Act),” Hurst said.

For that to happen, the plaintiff must prove there is a controversy “within the meaning of the APA” and that the decision being appealed is the agency’s final decision. That was not the case in that Charlestown appeal, Hurst said.

The attorney general’s office concluded in March the Charlestown Town Council violated the Open Meetings Law when three council members-elect -- James M. Mageau, John O. Craig Jr. and Bruce W. Picard -- met “outside the public purview to discuss and plan public business.”

Namely, three council members-elect agreed to appoint former town administrator Edward M. Barrett “town administrator at the Town Council meeting after we were sworn into office.”

The three appointed Barrett acting administrator in December, and administrator later that month, on a 3-to-2 vote.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Mageau, Craig, and Picard appealed the attorney general’s decision, arguing the Open Meetings Law did not apply to them because the election results were yet to be certified.

Town Solicitor Robert E. Craven -- who had advised the three on the matter prior to his appointment as town solicitor and continued to represent them on that issue after his appointment on a private basis -- said his clients will likely ask the state legislature to amend the statute that governs open meetings and clarify if the intention of the act was to “empower the attorney general to issue advisory opinions.”

Last month, the attorney general’s office issued a separate Open Meetings Law violation notice against the Town Council. Read more about that.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:36 AM | Comment

Update: Rte. 95 crashes -- both now cleared

Both accidents that blocked lanes on Route 95 this morning have been cleared up, according to the state Transportation Management Center.

A 10 a.m. rollover that may have involved three vehicles on Route 95 south at exit 24 has been cleared. Although it blocked two lanes of traffic for a short while, it didn't affect traffic too much, TMC operator Robert Cahill said this morning.

A three-vehicle accident on Route 95 north about 20 minutes later was cleared around 11 a.m. It had closed the right lane at exit 22, Cahill said. Traffic was backed up to about Broad Street and Route 195, but it wasn't too bad, Cahill said.

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.

-- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Kate Bramson

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

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 Jack Perry at 11:15 AM | Comment

EMC 2Q profit rises 19.8 percent on sales gains

BOSTON -- EMC Corp. today said its second-quarter profit rose 19.8 percent as the data storage vendor recorded double-digit sales gains at its biggest businesses and posted its biggest revenue gain in more than two years.

Hopkinton-based EMC said net income rose to $334.4 million, or 16 cents per share, for the April-through-June period, up from a profit of $279.1 million, or 12 cents a share, in the same quarter a year ago.

-- The Associated Press

Revenue rose 21 percent to $3.12 billion from $2.57 billion a year ago, the biggest quarterly gain since a 27 percent increase in 2004's fourth quarter.

The latest quarter's per-share profit matched the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. EMC's revenue beat analysts' consensus forecast of $3.07 billion.

Unlike the previous quarter, when EMC's overseas operations posted far stronger sales gains than domestic operations, the company's North American business posted a 20 percent sales gain in the latest quarter, nearly matching 23 percent growth overseas. For the second straight quarter, EMC's fastest-growing area was a region encompassing, Asia, Japan and the Pacific, with a 32 percent gain.

EMC's second-quarter revenue from software licenses jumped 27 percent, outpacing the 18 percent growth in the storage systems business at EMC, whose rivals include IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Network Appliance Inc. Revenue from professional services and systems maintenance grew by 18 percent.

VMware, an EMC subsidiary whose "virtualization" software helps make computing more efficient, continued to show strong growth with an 89 percent increase in revenue to $298 million.

Joe Tucci, EMC's chairman, president and chief executive, said the quarter was highlighted by "solid revenue growth that was well balanced across our systems, software and services businesses and all major geographies.

"Add to this the explosion of digital information and the positive 2007 IT (information technology) spending outlook we see in all major geographies, and it is clear that we are in a sweet spot of the IT industry."

EMC gave a slightly more optimistic forecast of its performance for the full year, compared with expectations it gave in January for 2007 revenue of at least $12.7 billion and a per-share profit of 64 cents. On Tuesday, EMC said it expects "to exceed" those targets, but didn't offer specifics.

Analysts expect EMC to post a full-year profit of 68 cents per share on $12.78 billion in revenue.

The latest quarter marked the 16th consecutive period in which EMC posted double-digit revenue growth.

Its shares rose 9 cents to $19.60 in premarket trading.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:50 AM | Comment

Firefighter injured in Providence fire

PROVIDENCE – A firefighter was treated and released early this morning from Rhode Island Hospital after suffering neck and back injuries from falling debris as he battled a fire in a vacant building in the Wanskuck neighborhood.

The fire on the second-floor of a 2 ½-story building, at 190 Veazie St., was reported at 2:43 a.m. and was under control at 3:28 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:51 AM | Comment

Accidents prompt Boston tunnel design review

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is investigating the geometry of the Tip O'Neill Tunnel after an activist citizen proved to state officials, using their own data, that there have been significantly more car accidents in the new tunnel compared to nearby tunnels.

There were 614 crashes in the new O'Neill tunnel in a two-year period ending in February, compared with 28 crashes in the same period in the aging Callahan and Sumner tunnels, according to statistics Boston activist Vincent Zarrilli obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request which he supplied to The Associated Press.

The O'Neill tunnel, part of Interstate 93, is about 1.5 miles long, the older tunnels, which link downtown to Logan airport, are about a mile long.

-- Read the full Associated Press report

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:25 AM | Comment

Marine report: Seas still rough

It looks like a decent day for the beach, but a rough day on the water.

The clouds should clear out of Narragansett by mid morning, and the temperature should reach 77 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The wind will blow from the southwest between 8 and 11 mph.

After a low pressure area moved into the region yesterday and kicked up the waves, seas from Montauk to Nantucket won't drop below five feet until early tonight.

The dense fog from Boston Harbor to Merrimack River will slowly lift this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Clouds clearing away

The National Weather Service says clouds will clear out today, and the temperature in the Providence area will reach about 84 degrees.

Tonight should be clear with a low around 64 degrees, the weather service says.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features the story of a Barrington priest's claiming in his Sunday homily that the town is in denial about its substance-abuse problems and that alleged witnesses were being urged to keep silent about the death of 17-year-old Patrick Murphy.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

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