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« August 10, 2007 | Today | August 15, 2007 » August 14, 2007Update: Injury at protest spurs probe, demonstration
That image emerged from Saturday's demonstration outside Jacky's Galaxie restaurant in North Providence in which the union and North Providence police scuffled. The union -- the International Workers of the World -- said the restaurant does business with Dragon Land Trading, a New York-based restaurant supplier that the union says has violated labor laws. See freelance photos of Saturday's protest, posted here. The restaurant's owner said Monday that he had ceased doing business with the supplier targeted by the marchers. Officials said today the police department is doing an internal investigation into the conduct of officers at the demonstration. Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino denied allegations of police brutality. As part of the investigation, police are asking businesses with outdoor security cameras near the demonstration site to give police their tapes. Police are making a similar request to the state Department of Transportation, which has a traffic camera at the intersection where the protesters staged. The mayor met with police officials this afternoon. Those attending what they called a vigil at the hospital this afternoon said they hand-delivered this morning a letter to the state attorney general asking for an investigation, according to Jason Tompkins, a member of Industrial Workers of the World. They have set a deadline for noon on Thursday for a response form the attorney general. If there is no response, they will demonstrate at the attorney general's office that afternoon at 4. Mark Bray, another spokesman for IWW, said the organization has been served with a temporary restraining order prohibiting them from picketing at any of the five Jacky's Galaxie locations in the state and that there is a hearing on the restraining order Thursday in Superior Courr. As the vigil began, Svoboda's parents were outside the hospital for a time while their daughter was undergoing her second surgery, this one to repair a severed vein at the back of the knee. Scott Svoboda, Alexandra's father, flew in from Nebraska and said earlier today that his daughter is doing “as well as can be expected.” His daughter has been listed as in “good” condition in the Intensive Care Unit. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writers Gina Macris and Richard C. Dujardin Alexandra had already had one operation to reattach a detached fibula (calf bone), and will be having another to reattach severed arteries and relieve pressure from accumulating fluids, Scott said. Alexandra's mother, Jan Enstrom, said the first surgery havrested a vein from Alexandra's foot to repair the artery and it saved the leg. She said the second operation is to increase the blood flow to the lower leg and to make sure she wil have use of the leg. "I’m amazed at the support and the rallying around this incident for Alex," Scott Svoboda said. He said this afternoon that said there are two FBI agents and a deputy sheriff in the extended family -- that's espeiclaly why his daughter knows not to resist police. "She’s a very passive individual, not the type that would strike out at a police officer ... she respects law, and respects her right to protest," he said earlier today. He added, "I respect her right to protest as well." Svoboda said his daughter called from the hospital on Sunday, after her first surgery “with just enough information to scare the living daylights out of me.” In a statement, the IWW says police told the protesters to move to the sidewalk. After first ignoring the order, the protesters began to move. As they did, police surrounded them and began making arrests. Svoboda and her friend, Jason Friedmutter, were arrested. She faces charges of assaulting an officer, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. Friedmutter was released shortly after his arrest, according to Mike Brey, spokesman for the IWW, and faces minor charges. A spokesman for the Industrial Workers of the World says the labor union will be meeting with attorneys Thursday to discuss what action the group will take. “I can’t comment on what we have in store, but we will be filing complaints and trying to gain compensation for Alex and for her injuries,” Brey said. Brey said the union is planning an anti-police brutality rally in North Providence on Aug. 26. He said he was shocked at what he saw Saturday. “Many of us have been to larger protests, and even with riot police, none of us had ever seen an injury like (Svoboda’s) in our entire lives,” he said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:20 PM | Comment New Bedford man accused of assault in baby's deathNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A 28-year-old New Bedford man is accused of assault and battery on a 10-month-old boy who was pronounced dead today at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. Manuel Antonio Torres Lopez, described by police as the boyfriend of the boy's mother, was arrested on warrants, the police said in a news release. The baby, Josiah Pacheco, died at approximately 10:35 a.m., the police said. On Saturday at about 2:12 p.m. the police got a 911 call reporting the baby had stopped breathing at 56 Deane Street in New Bedford. Detectives Paul Demers and Shane Reul found the baby unresponsive and not breathing when they arrived. The detectives began CPR, reviving the child until fire department and emergency medical services arrived to take over. The child was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and then immediately taken Hasbro Children's Hospital because of severe injuries, the police said. He remained there on life support. New Bedford Police investigators and State Police assigned to District Attorney Sam Sutter’s office investigated and Lopez was questioned at police headquarters. Lopez, who was arraigned today in New Bedford District Court, was charged with assault and battery upon a household member and with assault and battery upon a child under 14 resulting in serious bodily injury. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment Labor Dept. grants $617,515 for ex-Quaker workersFALL RIVER -- Former employees of the shuttered Quaker Fabric Corp. plant received a rare piece of good news today, when the Department of Labor announced that it had approved a National Emergency Grant of $617,515 to assist former Quaker staff. The money will pay for career counseling and job search assistance at a special career center being established in Fall River for former Quaker employees, according to Linnea Walsh, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Massachusetts has set aside $250,000 to help establish the reemployment center, where four former Quaker workers have been hired as staff. It is scheduled to open next month, Walsh said. “While my preference would be to make changes in our national economic policies that would prevent these kinds of closures from happening, as long as they do occur, we need to do all we can to see that those who lose their jobs receive as much help as possible,” U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said in a statement today. Last month, Quaker fired all 930 employees, including at least 62 Rhode Island residents, when it ceased manufacturing. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:30 PM | Comment N. Kingstown officials want faulty concrete removedNORTH KINGSTOWN -- Two Town Council members are urging the state Department of Transportation to remove what they say is unsafe concrete used on a bridge tied to a Route 403 road project. In a news release today, GOP councilmen Anthony F. Miccolis Jr. and John A. Patterson asked the state to replace 75 cubic feet of concrete that was used by the construction company Cardi Corp. on a bridge abutment. In an earlier interview, Frank Corrao III, the DOT’s deputy chief engineer, said that a batch of concrete used on a highway project near Quonset Point did not meet state specifications. The concrete was used to build a 21-foot high bridge abutment. The abutment holds up one end of the bridge carrying Frenchtown Road over an off-ramp from Route 4 north to the new Route 403 east. Corrao earlier dismissed the problem as a minor one related to the concrete’s strength. Where the specification called for it to be able to resist 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, the batch in question failed at 4,781 pounds per square inch, Corrao said. That doesn’t mean the bridge is unsafe, Corrao said today.
“We test to ensure that we get the highest quality products,” he said. In this case, DOT engineers determined that the concrete is more than strong enough for the job. “There’s absolutely nothing unsafe about it,” Carrao said. Instead, the state will take a $6,000 credit from the Cardi company. But Miccolis and Patterson today said the state cannot be too careful -- especially in light of the Aug. 1 collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis during the evening rush hour. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:29 PM | Comment Update: N. Providence police to probe protest incidentNORTH PROVIDENCE -- Officials said today the police department is doing an internal investigation into the conduct of officers at Saturday’s demonstration that left a protester hospitalized. Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino denied allegations of police brutality. As part of the investigation, police are asking businesses with outdoor security cameras near the demonstration site to give police their tapes. Police are making a similar request to the state Department of Transportation, which has a traffic camera at the intersection where the protesters staged. The mayor met with police officials this afternoon. The father of a 22-year-old who was injured Saturday during a labor union protest in North Providence has flown in from Nebraska and said ealrie rtoday that his daughter is doing “as well as can be expected.” Alexandra Svoboda suffered serious injuries after an encounter with the North Providence police during the protest outside a restaurant. Scott Svoboda said he will not be outside during a planned vigil this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, where his daughter is listed as in “good” condition in the Intensive Care Unit. He’ll be inside with Alexandra, who has already had one operation to reattach a detached fibula (calf bone), and will be having another to reattach severed arteries and relieve pressure from accumulating fluids, Scott said. "I’m amazed at the support and the rallying around this incident for Alex," he said. "She’s a very passive individual, not the type that would strike out at a police officer ... she respects law, and respects her right to protest." He added, "I respect her right to protest as well." -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Richard C. Dujardin Svoboda said his daughter called from the hospital on Sunday, after her first surgery “with just enough information to scare the living daylights out of me.” Alexandra, who works at a restaurant, was protesting outside Jacky’s Galaxie restaurant Saturday with the Industrial Workers of the World. The IWW says the restaurant does business with Dragon Land Trading, a New York-based restaurant supplier that the union says has violated labor laws. The restaurant's owner said Monday that he had ceased doing business with the supplier targeted by the marchers. In a statement, the IWW says police told the protesters to move to the sidewalk. After first ignoring the order, the protesters began to move. As they did, police surrounded them and began making arrests. Svoboda and her friend, Jason Friedmutter, were arrested. She faces charges of assaulting an officer, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. Friedmutter was released shortly after his arrest, according to Mike Brey, spokesman for the IWW, and faces minor charges. A spokesman for the Industrial Workers of the World says the labor union will be meeting with attorneys Thursday to discuss what action the group will take. “I can’t comment on what we have in store, but we will be filing complaints and trying to gain compensation for Alex and for her injuries,” Brey said. Brey said the union is planning an anti-police brutality rally in North Providence on Aug. 26. He said he was shocked at what he saw Saturday. “Many of us have been to larger protests, and even with riot police, none of us had ever seen an injury like (Svboda’s) in our entire lives,” he said. See freelance photos of the protest, posted here. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:10 PM | Comment Truck roll-over closes exit on Route 146 northNORTH SMITHFIELD -- The Route 104 exit ramp off northbound Route 146 north was closed for the entire morning rush hour today, after a truck loaded with approximately 1,000 one-gallon jugs of bleach rolled over while trying to get off the highway. The driver of the truck, Papa Mbodji, 50, of 27 Cady St. Woonsocket, suffered a broken arm and a broken rib in the accident, State Police Sgt. Mark B. Surtel said. Mbodji was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was being held for evaluation, Surtel said. The accident occurred at about 5:20 a.m., when Mbodji who had been driving all night from Aberdeen, Md., with a load of between 750 and 1,000 gallon jugs of bleach destined for the BJ’s warehouse in Uxbridge, Mass., tried to get off the northbound highway. Surtel said the truck failed to negotiated the curve of the ramp and drifted on the grass on the left side of the off-ramp. At that point, it lost traction on that side and tipped over and down the embankment. The trailer came to rest on its roof and the cab was crushed, he said. Most of the bleach jugs that burst stayed in the trailer, Surtell said, as did the bleach that leaked out of them. Clean Harbors envirmental cleanup crew removed the intact jugs and put them in another tractor-trailer, Surtel said, and then clean up the spilled bleach in the truck and removed what soil was affected by the spill. The ramp reopened at around 1 p.m., Surtel said. -- Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:34 PM | Comment Hasbro upping safety reviews in wake of toy recallsThe recent spate of toy recalls has prompted Hasbro to “redouble its safety reviews,” according to Wayne S. Charness, senior vice president of corporate communications for the nation’s No. 2 toymaker. The bulk of Hasbro’s toys are manufactured through contracts with factories in China and Asia. The company still makes its classic board games, puzzles and activity sets at a factory it owns in East Longmeadow, Mass. The Pawtucket-based company pulls samples from production runs for testing before the goods reach store shelves around the world, he said. “We conduct regular reviews at a variety of quality control points during manufacturing,” Charness said. “The paints that are used on our products are screened, tested and retested.” When Hasbro finds a problem with a product, it first gives the manufacturer an opportunity to correct the flaw, he said. The toymaker has “terminated” relationships with manufacturers who fail to meet its quality standards. The recent recall of the Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Oven was due to a design flaw, Charness noted, and not a manufacturer’s mistake. Hasbro is considering a redesign of the toy. “We would certainly hope to have it back on the market,” he said. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:03 PM | Comment Group urges donations to finish WWII monument
PROVIDENCE -- The committee overseeing the building of the World War II memorial here launched an urgent campaign today to finish the South Main Street monument. Committee members said they need to raise an additional $600,000 in order to finish the monument by this Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Former Gov. Bruce Sundlun, himself a World War II pilot, called specifically on the Rhode Island banking industry to pick up a majority of the tab. Sundlun said only one Rhode Island bank, which he did not name, has donated to the memorial, giving $25,000. Other speakers at the news conference called on regular Rhode Islanders to each donate a few dollars so that the monument could be finished in time. People can send checks to the The World War II Memorial Commission, 408 Broadway, Providence, R.I., 02909. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:55 PM | Comment Sex offender arraigned on rape charge / Photo
Gary P. Lamountain, of 37 Miller St., is now scheduled to appear in Superior Court for a bail violation hearing Aug. 28 for a previous offense. A 27-year-old resident of Ashton Village section of Cumberland went to the police early Sunday morning and alleged that Lamountain -- a man she knew from the neighborhood -- had forced his way into her home and raped her. Lamountain had been released from the Adult Correctional Institutions on April 23 and registered with the police as a Level III, or "high risk," sexual offender. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Police had begun the process of notifying local schools, public buildings and places where children frequent that there was a "high risk" offender in the neighborhood. According to a police statement, Lamountain was arrested on this new charge "prior to the process being completed." Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:50 PM | Comment Tougher fight urged against Cranston concrete plantCRANSTON -- Advocates this morning urged city officials to offer more robust opposition to a partially-built concrete batching plant on which construction has stopped while the dispute winds through the court system. At a news conference outside City Hall, representatives of Boston-based Toxics Action Center, the American Lung Association and the Sierra Club protested the half-built plant on Marine Drive, off Pontiac Avenue near the Pawtuxet River, and called on the mayor and city council to ramp up the fight. Mayor Michael T. Napolitano and council have expressed opposition to the plant,. by Cullion Concrete Corp. And local opposition to the plant has gone on a year or so now, with neighbors raising concerns about traffic, noise and dust. Concerns about runoff into the river have also been expressed. Some residents have deemed the support from city officials as not strong enough. Toxics Action Center organizers passed out flyers in neighborhoods on Sunday and yesterday. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:54 PM | Comment Vote today in Woonsocket on $74 million for schoolsWoonsocket voted today on a $74 million bond issue to build two middle schools on Hamlet Avenue. Officials say it's time to move forward in replacing Woonsocket Middle School, which some refer to as the city's 100-year-old "dungeon." With 1,600-plus students, it's the largest middle school in New England and the fifth largest in the nation, according to the school district. The bond issue is supported by the School Committee, City Council and the administration. A group of people from the School Department, the Parent Advisory Council, the School Committee, the City Council and the Building Committee have held meetings at high rises and housing complexes for senior citizens for the past three weeks to explain the bond referendum and why it’s important to get the money for the schools this year. -- based on reports by Tatiana Pina Posted by Pam Cotter at 1:41 PM | Comment Quaker Fabric asks to have its stock delistedFALL RIVER, Mass. -- The struggling Quaker Fabric Corp., which fired its 920 employees last month and shut down its Fall River plant, has asked to have its stock delisted from NASDAQ. The former textile giant, founded in 1945, had previously announced plans to liquidate its assets to pay back lenders. Late Monday, Quaker told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had asked NASDAQ to "terminate the listing of its common stock" and suspend trading after the market closes on Thursday. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:40 PM | Comment Update: Father of injured protest marcher speaksThe father of a 22-year-old who was injured Saturday during a labor union protest in North Providence has flown in from Nebraska and says his daughter is doing “as well as can be expected.” Alexandra Svoboda suffered serious injuries after an encounter with the North Providence police during the protest outside a restaurant. Scott Svoboda said he will not be outside during a planned vigil this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, where his daughter is listed as in “good” condition in the Intensive Care Unit. He’ll be inside with Alexandra, who has already had one operation to reattach a detached fibula (calf bone), and will be having another to reattach severed arteries and relieve pressure from accumulating fluids, Scott said. "I’m amazed at the support and the rallying around this incident for Alex," he said. "She’s a very passive individual, not the type that would strike out at a police officer ... she respects law, and respects her right to protest." He added, "I respect her right to protest as well." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson He said his daughter called from the hospital on Sunday, after her first surgery “with just enough information to scare the living daylights out of me.” Alexandra, who works at a restaurant, was protesting outside Jacky’s Galaxie restaurant Saturday with the Industrial Workers of the World. The IWW says the restaurant does business with Dragon Land Trading, a New York-based restaurant supplier that the union says has violated labor laws. The restaurant's owner said Monday that he had ceased doing business with the supplier targeted by the marchers. In a statement, the IWW says police told the protesters to move to the sidewalk. After first ignoring the order, the protesters began to move. As they did, police surrounded them and began making arrests. Svoboda and her friend, Jason Friedmutter, were arrested. She faces charges of assaulting an officer, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. Friedmutter was released shortly after his arrest, according to Mike Brey, spokesman for the IWW, and faces minor charges. A spokesman for the Industrial Workers of the World says the labor union will be meeting with attorneys Thursday to discuss what action the group will take. “I can’t comment on what we have in store, but we will be filing complaints and trying to gain compensation for Alex and for her injuries,” Brey said. Brey said the union is planning an anti-police brutality rally in North Providence on Aug. 26. He said he was shocked at what he saw Saturday. “Many of us have been to larger protests, and even with riot police, none of us had ever seen an injury like (Svboda’s) in our entire lives,” he said. North Providence police say they will release a statement later today. See freelance photos of the protest, posted here.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:43 AM | Comment IWW to hold vigil at hospital for injured marcherA labor union is planning a vigil this afternoon for a woman who suffered a broken leg after a scuffle with police during a protest Saturday. The vigil will be at Rhode Island Hospital where 22-year-old Alexandra Svoboda is in the Intensive Care Unit. Svoboda was with the Industrial Workers of the World, protesting outside Jacky's Galaxie in North Providence on Mineral Spring Avenue. According to the IWW, the restaurant does business with a supplier the union accuses of violating labor laws. Svoboda faces charges of resisting arrest, assaulting an officer and obstruction of justice. See a photo gallery of photos from the protest. The restaurant's owner said Monday that he had ceased doing business with the supplier targeted by the marchers.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:24 AM | Comment Four East Bay beaches remain closedIt may be sunny out, but four beaches are off-limits for health's sake, according to the state Health Department. Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, and the Barrington, Bristol and Warren Town Beaches are still closed due to high bacteria counts. The beaches were closed to swimmers Friday after heavy rains washed pollutants into the water. The Health Department will continue to monitor water quality. For up-to-date information on which of the state's beaches are closed, and when they reopen, visit the state's beach monitoring site at www.ribeaches.org or call the beach closure hotline at 222-2751 Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:56 AM | Comment Download today's front pageDay three of Green Power and the status of the state's fire code lead today's Journal. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:49 AM | Comment So far, no West Nile or EEE in RI mosquito testsThe stickiest month is well under way, but so far no mosquitoes in Rhode Island have tested positive for West Nile Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Results from 54 mosquito pools -- from 37 traps set around the state -- came up negative, the state Department of Environmental Management said today. The traps were set during the week of July 30. Results from two additional mosquito pools are still pending. But the DEM cautions that the viruses "are both firmly established throughout the state," so people should take protective measures. Eliminate mosquito breeding grounds from yards by removing anything that holds standing water, such as old tires, buckets, junk and debris, clean gutters so that they drain correctly, and maintain swimming pools properly, the DEM says. Use screens on windows and doors to avoid mosquito bites and cover up at dawn and dusk. Place mosquito netting over playpens and baby carriages when they are outside. And use mosquito repellent, but with no more than 30 percent DEET. Don't use repellent on infants. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:39 AM | Comment Today's Weather: BeautifulNice and cool. Tonight's low is expected to be around 58 degrees with patchy fog rolling in after 3 a.m. It should warm up tomorrow to the high 80s, and there's a slight chance of rain tomorrow evening. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006