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« July 26, 2007 | Today | July 30, 2007 » July 27, 2007Weekend: Gaze at cars, WaterFire ... and Buddy?
WaterFire watchers tomorrow night might also become Buddy watchers. The lawyer for former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Charles Mansolillo, said today the man known as Buddy may well attend the festivities. Cianci spent the afternoon today dining at the Old Canteen on Federal Hill after being released an electronic monitoring device -- one of the last remnants of his sentence on a corruption conviction. This WaterFire will feature saxophonist Myanna and her band on the Verizon Jazz Stage. WaterFire begins at the 8:09 p.m. sunset and ends at 12:30 a.m. But be watchful for potentially rainy weather. Heavy rain may cause cancellation. Check for updates at waterfire.org. or call (401) 272-3111. In Newport tomorrow, car lovers rejoice. The Concours d'Elegance will be open to the public from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on the grounds at Chateau-sur-Mer. Judging will happen Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the awards ceremony scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Among vintage cars slated to be there are Clark Gable’s 1934 Packard, several rare Dusenbergs and such high-end marques as Alco -- which were built in Providence -- Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Delahaye, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Porsche and Rolls-Royce. In Narragansett, the Blessing of the Fleet Weekend kicked off today with a 10-mile road race that started at 5 p.m. The race was to end at The Towers, next to Veterans Memorial Park where there’s a seafood festival from 5 to 11 p.m. tonight and continuing tomorrow from noon to 11 p.m. The annual parade of commercial and recreational boats will be blessed by local clergy at noon tomorrow at the Port of Galilee. For more weekend events, check projo.com's calendar listings. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment New England jobless rate essentially unchangedBOSTON, Mass. -- The U.S. Labor Department says the number of jobless people across New England was essentially unchanged over the past year. The region's unemployment rate in June was 4.6 percent, up just slightly from 4.5 percent a year ago. Massachusetts had the highest number of unemployed in New England at 4.9 percent last month. Labor Department regional commissioner Denis McSweeney says that except for the March to April period this year, the unemployment rate in New England has been in the 4.5 to 4.7 percent range since September 2004. Vermont had the lowest jobless rate last month in New England at 3.8 percent. Maine comes in at 4.4 percent, Connecticut at 4.3 percent, Rhode Island at 4.7 percent and New Hampshire at 4 percent. The national jobless rate is 4.5 percent. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Newport schooner runs aground; crewmember hurtNEWPORT -- A crewmember aboard the two-masted schooner Madeleine suffered head injuries today when the 72-foot sailing vessel ran aground near the Dumplings off Jamestown with 24 people on board. Newport Harbormaster Tim Mills said that he transferred the injured crewmember, a woman, from the Madeleine to the Coast Guard Station at Castle Hill, where rescue personnel were waiting to transport her to Newport Hospital. The woman was conscious and her injuries did not appear life-threatening, Mills said. Her name was not released. Meanwhile, a 25-foot Coast Guard response boat from Castle Hill removed a pregnant woman and her husband from the schooner and took them ashore, according to the Coast Guard. They declined medical treatment. After running around about 1:30 p.m., the Madeleine floated free and was escorted to her berth at Bannister’s Wharf by the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark. -- Journal staff writer Gina Macris Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:24 PM | Comment N.E. Pest Control did not break law in killing birdsPROVIDENCE -- New England Pest Control did not violate environmental laws when it killed several sparrows at a National Grid facility in Lincoln, a state Department of Environmental Management investigation has found. The exterminators used poisoned corn to kill the birds, which were nesting and roosting at a National Grid facility in Lincoln. The DEM visited the facility and interviewed the New England Pest Control employee who distributed the poison. In a letter to the company sent on Thursday, Eugene Pepper, the Pesticide Enforcement Program supervisor, said the company had not violated state or federal environmental laws. New England Pest Control, Pepper said, used the minimum effective amount of poison; took steps to avoid killing “non-target” birds; and applied poison only after non-lethal methods attempted by National Grid had failed. The killing of the sparrows prompted a Providence animal rights group, Defenders of Animals, to call for a boycott of New England Pest Control. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:19 PM | Comment Break-in suspect fatally shot by Pawtucket police
PAWTUCKET -- A man who had allegedy tried to break into a multi-family home on Coyle Avenue and was brandishing a gun was shot by the police during a confrontation this afternoon, a police official said. The man, described as being in his late 30s or early 40s, died at a hospital. The incident happened about 3:30 p.m. Details of what happened are not yet clear. A resident of the three-story home was coming into his driveway when he spotted the man kicking in the basement door, according to police Maj. John Whiting. The resident reported the break-in to the police. When officers arrived, Whiting said, the suspect brandished a semi-automatic pistol. Whiting did not describe what happened after that. Esther Kingston, of 681 Broadway, said she heard six popping sounds. At first, she said, she told her son it was firecrackers. She said she learned a few minutes later that a person had been shot. Early yesterday morning, a Pawtucket officer shot and killed a woman who allegedly had tried to run over officers during a pursuit that began in Attleboro, Mass., and went through other communities. In April 2006, a Pawtucket police officer fatally shot a man who police say robbed a convenience store, then rammed his car into a police cruiser. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment Developer has OK to open 200 rooms at WestinPROVIDENCE -- The Procaccianti Group has been given permission to open the 200 hotel rooms in the new 32-story tower at The Westin Providence, the company said today. The rooms will be occupied starting Aug. 3, Procaccianti spokesman Ralph V. Izzi Jr. said. The Providence Department of Inspection and Standards issued a temporary certificate of occupancy on July 19, according to city records. The new hotel rooms were a requirement of the sale of the Westin by the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, the independent state agency that owns the convention center and Dunkin' Donuts Center. “We followed through on the agreement and we’re delivering a first-class facility right in the heart of the city,” Izzi said. “We delivered it on time and on target, just as we set out to do.” -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:32 PM | Comment Update: Cianci leaves restaurant, with hat on / Photo
Cianci got into a waiting Mercedes sedan at a side door to the restaurant. A family member, John Turchetta, drove the car with the former mayor away. But Cianci, who was freed from his electronic monitoring device this morning, should return to his former city soon. He expects to attend tomorrow night's WaterFire celebration in Providence, said his lawyer Charles Mansolillo. Cianci expects to be out and about at the event but did not speak to a horde of media waiting outside the Federal Hill restaurant this afternoon. Mansolillo said the mayor did not want to go through a "cacophony of questions" today. Mansolillo said Cianci said he is happy to be back, was outgoing and told stories about life in prison. Cianci was among seven people having lunch together. At least two of the restaurant's entrances saw cars driven up to the them and left running. Mansolillo said he was not certain whether Cianci, who did not wear his well-known hairpiece at lunch today, will continue to go without the toupee. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Cianci had been sitting in a window seat at the front of the restaurant, with the curtain drawn. The former mayor was having haddock Sicilian, according to a kitchen worker at the restaurant, who told a Journal reporter that's what he always had when eating there. Cianci’s nephew, Brad Turchetta, left the restaurant around 2:30 p.m. after eating with his uncle. “Bracelet cut off, looking great, feeling better,” Turchetta said of his uncle. The electronic monitoring device worn by Cianci was removed at 10:45 a.m. today, according to David Neal, spokesman for the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office on Cape Cod. Cianci chatted with officers a little bit, and then he left, Neal said. He had been driven there by his nephew, with whom he had been serving his home confinement in East Greenwich. The ankle bracelet was one of the last remnants of Cianci's sentence for racketeering conspiracy. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:53 PM | Comment Update: Governor reacts to hospital merger planGovernor Carcieri said while today's news of the merger between Lifespan and Care New England "raises a number of important concerns" it offers potential for "significant positive progress on a number of fronts." The governor said in an afternoon statement: “Done correctly, this merger could actually help drive health care reform in Rhode Island. In particular, we expect this merger will create opportunities to improve health care quality, reduce health care costs, make the use of health information technology more widespread and effective, and bolster Rhode Island’s primary care system.” Carcieri said his administration “is committed to using its powers under the Hospital Conversion Act" to see that the merger meets those goals. "We will take every precaution under this law to guarantee that we have thoroughly and completely evaluated the merger proposal and its impact on the state’s health care delivery system,” the governor added. As the news of the merger between Lifespan and Care New England, rumored for weeks, began to eke out today, reaction was wary and restrained. The state’s two largest health insurers, which could face tougher negotiations over reimbursement rates with a united hospital system, both said it was too soon to comment. Dr. Barry Wall, president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, called the merger a symptom of problems in the health care system. “This looks like it’s going to change the landscape. I think a change in landscape is a sign of trouble,” Wall said. “I don’t think beyond that anybody can say anything.” Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, whose office must approve the merger, said that Lynch “believes that although these institutions are extremely important, they’re still not as important as the people they serve.” Healey noted that “a ton” of work remains to be done before the merger can go through. Rick Brooks, director of the United Nurses and Affiliated Professionals, the union that represents 2,000 nurses and technical workers at Rhode Island Hospital, said that the merger would require greater accountability by the hospitals. “These hospitals really belong to the people of Rhode Island,” he said. “They don’t belong to any one person or any one company.” Louis R. Giancola, president of South County Hospital, one of the community hospitals that will not be part of the new Lifespan, said it was too soon to predict what effect the merger would have on his institution. But he agreed with Wall that it was a sign of trouble. “It demonstrates how challenged community hospitals, including Kent, are -- that this kind of combination is necessary to be able to continue to serve their community,” Giancola said. Kent, which is part of Care New England, has been struggling financially and some observers see the merger as an attempt to rescue Kent. Hynes, however, said that merger would not involve infusions of cash to Kent, and that Kent was expected to improve through administrative changes already under way. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:46 PM | Comment Update: Cianci lunching at old haunt on Federal Hill
Journal photo / Bill MurphyMembers of the press wait outside the Old Canteen for a glimpse of Cianci.
He’s there eating lunch today, just hours after his electronic monitoring device was removed at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office on Cape Cod. Cianci was with five other men, including his lawyer, Charles Mansolillo. He was not wearing his trademark toupee, and was bald, except for close-cropped hair around the sides. He was sitting in a window seat at the front of the restaurant, with the curtain drawn. The former mayor was having haddock Sicilian, according to a kitchen worker at the restaurant, who told a Journal reporter that's what he always had when eating there. A horde of media were gathered outside. Cianci’s nephew, Brad Turchetta, left the restaurant around 2:30 p.m. after eating with his uncle. “Bracelet cut off, looking great, feeling better,” Turchetta said of his uncle. Cianci may just stay at home this weekend, his nephew told the 15 or so reporters waiting outside the restaurant for a glimpse of Cianci. Turchetta said he doesn’t know if his uncle enjoys all this media attention. As for Turchetta, reporters asked if he was surprised by the crush of media around him. “After Boston, nothing will surprise me,” he said. Turchetta was the one who drove Cianci from the federal prison to the halfway house in Boston when the former Providence mayor was released. Today, Turchetta then got into his gray Lexus SUV and drove away. Your Turn: Where's Buddy? Send in your sightings -- Associated Press writer Eric Tucker, Journal staff writers Daniel Barbarisi and Karen Lee Ziner and projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson In the late 1990s, when Cianci proposed a skating rink for downtown Providence, the original plan was to locate it near the Amtrak station near the State House. Cianci was having a veal supper one night at the Old Canteen when he was chatting with Marzilli about the proposed rink, modeled after the famous ice surface in Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. Marzilli urged Cianci to place the rink in Kennedy Plaza, in the heart of the city’s revived downtown. Cianci agreed and when the rink opened on Nov. 25, 1998, Marzilli was a guest of honor. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:45 PM | Comment Housing bond money goes to affordable projectsThe first installment of a $50 million state housing bond has been divided among 20 development projects that are expected to start producing more than 250 affordable apartments, condominiums and houses before the end of the year. Approved by voters in the November election, Ballot Question 9 asked Rhode Islanders to approve a $50-million affordable housing bond that would help create 2,000 affordable houses and apartments over the next four years. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:07 PM | Comment In Providence: Iron chef contest is under wayPROVIDENCE -- At this hour, someone is on his or her way to becoming the iron chef. The first annual Iron Chef Compeition, sponsored by Farm Fresh Rhode Island, began at noon and runs until 1 p.m. It's at the Downtown Farmers' Market. Chefs, who have the hour to prepare an appetizer, entree or dessert, were told only what ingredients they have to work with. Locally grown secret ingredients are being used. Farmers donated the produce. The guest judge is from Jen's Dish, and she does a weekly live radio program about food. There's also a people's choice award in the balance to be determined by ballot vote. You can still help decide who that is. Everyone who goes can sample dishes and vote for their favorite. Time's running out. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:55 PM | Comment ALERT: Buddy's finally a free manBuddy's bracelet is off. The electronic monitoring device worn by former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr.was removed at 10:45 a.m. today, according to David Neal, spokesman for the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office on Cape Cod, where the last remnant of his imprisonment was taken off. Cianci chatted with officers a little bit, and then he left, Neal said. He had been driven there by his nephew, with whom he had been serving his home confinement in East Greenwich. The ankle bracelet was one of the last remnants of Cianci's sentence for racketeering conspiracy. Barry J. Weiner, chief U.S. probation officer for Rhode Island, said late this morning that Cianci’s sentence technically elapses one minute after midnight tonight – regardless of when the ankle bracelet is removed. “If he goes out tonight at 11:59 and commits a crime, he’s still definitely under the supervision of the Bureau of Prisons,” said Weiner. “The release dates are determined by statute, and it’s not likely” that Cianci will become a private citizen until just after midnight. Cianci must then serve two years of supervised release and perform 150 hours of community service. Cianci has worn the monitoring device while serving the last six weeks of his sentence on home confinement at his nephew’s home and working in marketing at The 903 Residences in Providence. The former mayor had served 4 1/2 years in federal prison at Fort Dix, N.J., after being convicted of corruption following the FBI probe of City Hall known as Operation Plunder Dome. Just what the man known as Buddy will do after he's free has been a popular matter of speculation, ranging from whether he'd try to re-enter the political arena or return to talk radio -- or appear without his toupee. Nonetheless, Cianci’s lawyer, Charles Mansolillo, who is Cianci’s long-time confidante and lawyer, said today: “It’s all over as of now. I’m very happy for him.” -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:25 PM | Comment Lifespan, Care New England to merge / Photo
Hospital officials, whose plans face a gauntlet of federal and state reviews, envision a united system able to compete with the Boston medical centers in attracting medical researchers, winning grants and offering top-quality care. Coupled with Brown University’s plan to build a new medical school near Rhode Island Hospital, they describe the new organization as a boost to the state’s economy and biotechnology industry. But they will have to convince regulators and the community that their union will not monopolize the market, threaten the financial health of the outlying community hospitals, or raise the health care costs. The two corporations had come close to a similar union seven years ago, despite opposition from business and labor, and then mysteriously walked away from the deal after working on it for 23 months. Officials dismissed the previous plans as “irrelevant” to the recent decision. While last time the focus was on efficiencies and cost-savings, this time the talk is all about investment and expansion. Unlike last time, both groups are financially strong and engaged in massive building projects. Additionally, they have a fully developed definitive agreement, which has been quietly in the works for a year. “It’s not about cuts or layoffs. This is about growing the business,” said George Vecchione, Lifespan’s president and chief executive officer. “Trying to grow research dollars takes great coordination.” “We hope it generates excitement and enthusiasm rather than concern,” said John J. Hynes, Vecchione’s counterpart at Care New England. Plans call for selling or developing the highly valuable 110-acre campus of Butler Hospital, on the East Side of Providence, which the city last year assessed at $115.8 million. The proceeds would be used to build a new psychiatric hospital at Rhode Island Hospital and endow a brain science institute there, furthering Butler’s ground-breaking work in surgery to treat psychiatric conditions. Additionally, a Level 2 trauma center would be established at Kent Hospital, in Warwick, to provide an alternative and backup to the state’s only trauma center, at Rhode Island Hospital -- a step considered crucial to preparing for disaster that might occur at or near Rhode Island Hospital. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer The hospitals must still prove to federal regulators that their merger would not be an illegal monopoly, and win approval from the state Health Department and the attorney general. But if they succeed, a united Lifespan and Care New England would become not just the biggest health-care organization in the state, but the biggest company of any kind doing business chiefly in Rhode Island. Its annual patient revenues would approach $2 billion; its employees would number 17,600. Lifespan encompasses the state’s biggest hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, as well as Miriam Hospital, also in Providence, Bradley Hospital, a children’s psychiatric hospital in East Providence, and Newport Hospital. Care New England consists of Women & Infants Hospital, in Providence, where the majority of Rhode Island babies are born; Kent Hospital, in Warwick; and Butler Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Providence. All the hospitals are not-for-profit. The new organization would be called Lifespan and Vecchione would remain as CEO. Hynes would become senior vice president for special projects. The combination would bring together five of the seven hospitals affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, coming closer to creating the “academic medical center” that Brown has long craved. But the six hospitals left out of the new Lifespan include the most financially vulnerable in the state. Every one of the six lost money last year, and Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket is amid a particularly deep financial crisis. How the merger will affect those hospitals’ viability is likely to be a top concern for regulators. Vecchione revealed that Lifespan is “having exploratory discussions” about acquiring Landmark. The decision will hinge, in part, on whether Landmark would increase Lifespan’s market share enough to breach antitrust laws. As the news of the merger, rumored for weeks, began to eke out today, reaction was wary and restrained. The state’s two largest health insurers, which could face tougher negotiations over reimbursement rates with a united hospital system, both said it was too soon to comment. Dr. Barry Wall, president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, called the merger a symptom of problems in the health care system. “This looks like it’s going to change the landscape. I think a change in landscape is a sign of trouble,” Wall said. “I don’t think beyond that anybody can say anything.” Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, whose office must approve the merger, said that Lynch “believes that although these institutions are extremely important, they’re still not as important as the people they serve.” Healey noted that “a ton” of work remains to be done before the merger can go through. Rick Brooks, director of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals, the union that represents 2,000 nurses and technical workers at Rhode Island Hospital, said that the merger would require greater accountability by the hospitals. “These hospitals really belong to the people of Rhode Island,” he said. “They don’t belong to any one person or any one company.” Louis R. Giancola, president of South County Hospital, one of the community hospitals that will not be part of the new Lifespan, said it was too soon to predict what effect the merger would have on his institution. But he agreed with Wall that it was a sign of trouble. “It demonstrates how challenged community hospitals, including Kent, are -- that this kind of combination is necessary to be able to continue to serve their community,” Giancola said. Kent, which is part of Care New England, has been struggling financially and some observers see the merger as an attempt to rescue Kent. Hynes, however, said that merger would not involve infusions of cash to Kent, and that Kent was expected to improve through administrative changes already under way. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:21 PM | Comment Photo: Coach Belichick is back at it
Posted by Peter Phipps at 12:16 PM | Comment Reported accident causing congestion on Route 95Drivers, take heed. Traffic congestion is building on Route 95 south from Exits 27 to 23 in Pawtucket due to an accident, the state Transportation Management Center advised at 12:11 p.m. Exit 27 is the Route 1 exit and Exit 23 is Route 146 north. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:14 PM | Comment Judge: Smokeshop defendants must be tried togetherPROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl this morning ruled that all of the Narragansett Indian smokeshop defendants will be tried together. The state had sought to have Matthew Thomas, chief sachem of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, separated because of concern his statements could prejudice the state's case when it went to a jury. Judge McGuirl also today rejected a defense motion to have charges dismissed against two defendants, Bella Noka and Adam Jennings. This month marked four years since the state police stormed the smoke shop on tribal land in Charlestown -- a raid that sparked tensions in what was an effort to stop the tribe from selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:46 AM | Comment Journal parent reports 2Q profit dropDALLAS -- The parent corporation of The Providence Journal says its second-quarter profits fell 15 percent, although it beat expectations on Wall Street. Dallas-based Belo Corporation owns newspapers and TV stations. Company officials say they're struggling with weak newspaper advertising. Net income between April and June dropped to $36 million, or about 35 cents per share. That's compared to $42 million, or roughly 41 cents per share, a year ago. Even so, those numbers beat analysts' estimates. The corporation says it expects its third-quarter TV revenue to grow while newspaper revenue drops. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:03 AM | Comment Photo: Barrington teen arraigned in boating death
Ryan A. Greenberg, 17, of 33 Lamson Rd., was arraigned on one felony count of operating a boat recklessly, death resulting, and one misdemeanor count of refusing to submit to a chemical test. The police added a third charge at the arraignment: being a minor in possession of alcohol, a misdemeanor. Patrick Murphy, 17, also of Barrington, was killed in the accident on the Barrington River. Greenberg, tall and lanky, appeared in court wearing a blue blazer, tie and khaki pants. Not guilty pleas were entered on the misdeameanor charges. No plea was entered on the felony charge, which is typical practice in District Court because Superior Court has jurisdiction on felonies. Murphy's mother, Phoebe Murphy, was among those in the courtroom. Greenberg was ordered released on $10,000 personal recognizance on the two previously existing charges and $2,000 personal recognizance on the new alcohol charge. Outside the courthouse after the arraignment, Greenberg's attorney, William Dimitri, said Greenberg is "sick over this. This is not easy for him. This was his best friend." He also defended his client against allegations that he was drunk. "If he was so intoxicated as they allege, why did they let him search for an hour?" Greenberg, who helped in the massive search for Murphy, is scheduled to return to court Aug. 28. Yesterday, hundreds of mourners bid their goodbyes to Murphy at a memorial service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington. -- With reports from Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. and Journal photographer Mary Murphy. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:00 AM | Comment Federal judge criticizes Providence police in rulingPROVIDENCE -- A federal judge has refused to dismiss evidence in a drug case amid allegations that lawyer John M. Cicilline, the mayor’s brother, conspired with the Providence police to frame a drug suspect and take more than $125,000 from him for fixing his case. U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith issued his 20-page ruling late yesterday and said that more than two days of hearing provided ``scant evidence’’ supporting allegations made by Khalid Mason, of Providence, a felon awaiting trial on federal crack cocaine dealing charges. Among other things, Mason alleged that Cicilline had a close relationship with Detective Scott Partridge, the lead investigator in the drug probe, and took him to the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston. Partridge took the stand and vehemently denied the charges and pointed out that he did not even attend the Super Bowl three years ago. Nonetheless, Smith was highly critical of the Providence police for its ``decrepit policies and practices’’ for failing to properly document six weeks of police surveillance that led to the arrests of Mason and a second man, Derek Isom, of Pawtucket. Smith said had the Providence police handled the investigation in a more professional manner, the suppression hearing that led to yesterday’s ruling could have been avoided. Isom has pleaded guilty. Mason is expected to go to trial in the coming weeks. If convicted, he faces substantial time in federal prison. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Jack Perry at 10:52 AM | Comment Major tie-ups on Route 95 southwest of BostonWESTWOOD, Mass. – A single-car crash on Route 95 north, south of exit 13, that closed both the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway for an hour so a helicopter could land, continues to tie up traffic. If you were trying to get to work in the Boston area or to the New England Patriots summer camp in Foxboro this morning and instead spent the whole time sitting in traffic, this is most likely the cause. At 5:29 a.m. today, an adult male driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla in the middle northbound lane of Route 95 struck a storm drain that had dislodged from the roadway, according to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas Murphy. The grate bounced up and broke through the Toyota’s windshield, striking the driver. The car then veered across the left travel lane and collided with the median, Murphy said. The man, who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston by helicopter. His condition, name and town of residence are not yet available from the police, Murphy said. By about 6:30 a.m., the southbound lanes were all opened again, but only the right and breakdown lanes on the northbound side have reopened since the crash, Murphy said. The left and center lanes will be closed “for an extended period of time,” Murphy said, as an accident reconstruction team continues to investigate. The accident occurred in a construction zone. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:45 AM | Comment State identifies man rescued at Charlestown beachCHARLESTOWN – The state Department of Environmental Management this morning identified the 72-year-old Massachusetts man who was rescued by lifeguards at East Beach yesterday afternoon. Walter Sulek, of East Hadley, Mass., was flown by helicopter to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Conn., after he apparently lost consciousness in waist-deep waters around 3 p.m. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:20 AM | Comment Overnight fire at Charles Place Apts. in ProvidencePROVIDENCE – No one was injured in an overnight fire at the Charles Place Apartments. The fire in apartment 801 at the 460 Charles St. building was reported at 12:31 a.m. and was called a second-alarm blaze a few minutes later, requiring additional fire equipment to be sent, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The fire was under control at 1:04 a.m., Taylor said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:27 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs and a story about a police chase early yesterday morning that resulted in the death of a 49-year-old woman carjacking suspect. Download a copy of today's front page. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment Do you like thunderstorms? You're in businessHot, muggy with a chance of thunderstorms. Got it? That's today's forecast for Newport and coastal Rhode Island. And basically, that's the forecast for the whole region tomorrow through Tuesday. For Providence today, the National Weather Service is calling for a high of 86 with a 30 percent chance of rain. But for coastal Rhode Island this evening, the service has issued a hazardous weather outlook because of the threat of thunderstorms. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:51 AM | Comment Plan calls for installing E-Z Pass on the Pell BridgeJAMESTOWN -- The days of digging into your wallet for a toll to cross the Pell Bridge may be numbered. The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority says it's planning to install E-Z Pass electronic tolling on the bridge. They're aiming to have it up and running by 2008 or early 2009. Authority Chairman David A. Darlington says Rhode Island is the only state on the Eastern Seaboard north of Virginia that does not use E-Z Pass. He says adding E-Z Pass will help Rhode Islanders get through the Pell Bridge tolls faster, and will also help them get through tolls faster in other E-Z Pass states. The operations of the turnpike and bridge authority are funded by the tolls on the Pell Bridge. -- The Associated Press |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006