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August 16, 2007

The King, 30 years gone, may have had one wish

Sure there are Elvis look-alikes and -- sort of -- sound-alikes, but perhaps on this, the 30th anniversary of the King's passing, he would have simply liked us all to go out tonight for some tunes. (And enjoy a peanut butter and banana sandwich -- said to be one of his favorites).

Here are some acts playing in the region tonight:

Steve Anthony and Persuasion, pop, 20 Water Street, 20 Water St., East Greenwich. 885-3700. 8:30 pm-12:30 am.

The Automatics, rhythm and blues, American Legion Post 10, 830 Willett Ave., Riverside. 433-9859. 9 pm.

Matty B. & Joe, pop, Club Royale at Newport Grand, Admiral Kalbfus Boulevard, Newport. 849-5000. 9 pm.

Black & White featuring Ted Stevens, rhythm and blues, Rusty's, 44B Wave Ave., Middletown. 846-8141. 9 pm.

Chris Botti, pop, Cape Cod Melody Tent, 21 West Main St., Hyannis, Mass. (508) 775-5630, www.melodytent.org. 8 pm. $37.25, $51.25.

Brass Force, pop, Bovi's Town Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave., East Providence. 434-9670. 9 pm-1 am.

The Complaints, rock, Olives, 108 North Main St., Providence. 751-1200. 10 pm-2 am. $5.

The Coppola Sisters, pop, Cher's Restaurant, 86 Waterman Ave., North Providence. 231-6209. 9 pm.

Cruise Control, rhythm and blues, The Room at Waterstreet Cafe, 36 Water St., Fall River. (508) 672-8748, www.waterstreetcafe.com. 9 pm.

For the full array, check out the Journal's club listings.

And note this:

Rhode Island has a stronger connection to Elvis than just a group of bands trying to find that magic on the road. Jeanne LeMay Dumas, a former secretary of the King's, now lives in Coventry. You can read about her -- she's gone to Graceland this week.

For those who choose to stay in, you can remember the King by learning more about him here.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment

DCYF director: R.I. needs 50 more social workers

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island must hire almost 50 social workers at the state's foster care agency to meet national guidelines. That's according to testimony today from Patricia Martinez, the director of the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

She spoke before a state Senate committee investigating how DCYF handles children in foster care. A federal civil rights lawsuit filed this summer alleges that the agency failed to stop the abuse and neglect of some children in its care.

The lawsuit by the state's child advocate alleges that DCYF social workers are overwhelmed -- especially in its Providence office.

A national advocacy group recommends a standard of 14 families per caseworker. Martinez says achieving that goal would require hiring 44 social workers and four more supervisors.

Fifteen new social workers are starting the job in September.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:39 PM | Comment

Union won't picket, restaurant stops using supplier

PROVIDENCE -- The Industrial Workers of the World, which waged a demonstration Saturday outside the North Providence Jacky's Galaxie restaurant, said in Superior Court today it will no longer picket the state's five Jacky's Galaxies.

And the owner of the North Providence restaurant, Kin “Jacky” Ko, assured in court that he is no longer using Dragon Land Trading, a New York restaurant supplier that spawned the labor union's protest. The organization has accused the restaurant of buying supplies from Dragon Land and that Dragon Land has violated labor laws.

Saturday's demonstration led to an apparent scuffle with police. A 22-year-old woman involved in the protest suffered serious leg injuries.

The IWW's Providence chapter had said it would demonstrate outside state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office today if he did not respond to "demands" they had listed. But Lynch did respond, so the group held a news conference outside the attorney general's building instead.

Lynch, through a spokesman yesterday, called on North Providence police to turn over the results of any investigation into the injuries suffered by the demonstrator, Alexandra Svoboda, so his office can conduct a review. He said the state police will assist in the review.

Top North Providence police officials have denied police brutality, and Major Joseph Lombardi said in today's Journal
he had become more convinced the demonstrators staged the march to "lure police into a confrontation" to call attention to themselves.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Richard C. Dujardin

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:36 PM | Comment

Governor appeals ruling he must testify about raid

Governor Carcieri this afternoon filed an appeal of a judge's ruling that he must testify at the trial of seven Narragansett Indian tribal members who were arrested during a state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in 2003.

The appeal, which had been anticipated, was filed at about 3 p.m. with the state Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, Judge Susan E. McGuirl ruled in Providence County Superior Court Friday that the defendants’ rights to put on a defense and cross-examine witnesses outweighed the governor’s claim of executive privilege.

Extra: More about the raid and its aftermath ...

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:58 PM | Comment

Update: Bristol veterans home chief put on leave

BRISTOL -- The administrator of the Rhode Island Veterans Home has been placed on administrative leave, with pay, while the state carries out a review of management issues at the Bristol facility.

David Kirchner, who has been administrator since July 1998 and is paid an annual salary of $93,592, was placed on leave yesterday, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services, which oversees the operation of the nursing home.

Charles Ramos, who has been an assistant administrator at the home for many years, has taken on Kirchner’s duties on an interim basis. Ramos is a licensed nursing home administrator.

The move follows the public release last month from a special legislative commission studying the home of an interim report that criticized some aspects of its management and operation.

The commission, convened by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, found signs of problems in the nursing system, low morale among staff members, antagonism toward residents or their families who complain or challenge established procedures, and abuse of policies concerning the authorized release of information to families.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

The 11-page report, dated July 6, included allegations that the president of the home’s Residents Council had been ordered to take 35 mental competency evaluations in a seven-year period because of his advocacy for residents’ rights and his frequent disagreements with home administrators.

It also reported that members of at least two families who had frequently disagreed with resident care had, on separate occasions, been threatened with arrest by home administrators.

In its report, the five-member special commission chaired by state mental health advocate H. Reed Cosper cautioned that it had not confirmed the accusations.

The commission is set to write a second interim report before issuing its final report in January.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Parole denied for drunk driver in fatal 2003 crash

PAWTUCKET -- The drunk driver who caused the accident that killed community-minded businessman Joseph T. McHale four years ago has been denied parole.

The decision came after an emotional hearing at which McHale’s wife, son and daughter described the devastating effect that McHale’s death has had on them and implored the Parole Board to keep Dean M. Martin behind bars.

“I hope that he will be made to complete his sentence because he imposed on my son, daughter and me a life sentence,” Rose McHale, 64, said during yesterday's hearing.

The accident that took her husband’s robbed her of a longtime companion, Mrs. McHale said. “I will never be the same and the depth of that loss is immeasurable,” she said.

McHale, who lived in Seekonk, Mass., was chief executive officer and co-owner of John J. McHale and Sons, Inc., and PRM Concrete Corp. of Pawtucket. He was 59, a businessman active on local boards and commissions, when he died of the injuries he suffered in the June 24, 2003, crash.

The Parole Board decision was made public today, 24 hours after Parole Board members met with the McHales, then talked to Martin in prison.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Martin, a 45-year-old Pawtucket man who was a mason at the time of the accident, won’t be eligible for parole again until August 2009, Parole Board spokeswoman said.

He is serving a nine-year sentence at the Adult Correctional Institutions as a result of his conviction on charges of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, death resulting, and reckless driving, death resulting.

Assistant Attorney General Jay Sullivan said Martin had methadone in his bloodstream, plus twice the legal limit for alcohol, when his car, traveling at 65 mph, rear-ended the McHales’ car in a construction zone near the Pawtucket ‘S’ curve on Route 95.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:07 PM | Comment

Update: GTECH pays out $450,000 for slot error

GTECH has reimbursed the state for more than $450,000 that a video lottery terminal at the Twin River gambling parlor paid out in error over a seven-week period earlier this summer.

The state is entitled to a share of the video slot-machine gambling revenues at Twin River.

GTECHis conducting an investigation to determine how the error occurred and whether the company might recover any of that money, a spokesman for the lottery giant, Bob Vincent, said today.

The machine was accepting patrons’ money and immediately doubling the amount inserted -- for example, allowing patrons to redeem a $40 credit if they inserted $20 -- up to a maximum of $100 credit for $50 inserted, Vincent said.

Although the investigation is ongoing, Vincent said it appears the machine was equipped with a feature that allowed gambling facilities to double patrons’ money on purpose as part of a promotion, and that the option may have been turned on by mistake when the machine was installed May 25.

Vincent said the machine was removed from the Lincoln gambling facility on July 15 after GTECH noticed the machine’s payout-to-play ratio was higher than it should have been.

Vincent said the machines are monitored continuously, but malfunctions may still go unnoticed for a period of weeks because a large payout can also temporarily drive a machine’s ratio much higher than the average. A ratio that stays elevated, rather than returning to average, would indicate a malfunction, he said.

-- Elizabeth Gudrais of the Journal State House Bureau

Vincent said the company is reviewing surveillance videos to see if it’s possible to identify individuals who redeemed the doubled credits. In particular, he said the company will try to determine whether anyone organized an effort to obtain the payouts systematically. “I would assume that would go into an area that is criminal activity,” Vincent said.

Although the state police are the enforcement arm of the state lottery, the police are not yet involved in the investigation, officials said. “We have no criminal investigation being conducted at this time,” Maj. Joseph R. Miech, state police spokesman, said today. “There’s been no criminal complaint filed.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:46 PM | Comment

R.I. Guardsman to receive Purple Heart tomorrow

A Rhode Islander back from Iraq will receive the Purple Heart tomorrow morning at a ceremony in Providence.

Lt. Robert M. Vaccaro of Kingston will get the medal -- awarded in the name of the nation's president to anyone in the armed forces who is wounded or killed during combat -- after being wounded on Jan. 14 while doing route-clearing operations in Baghdad, the Rhode Island National Guard said in a news release today.

Vaccaro, of the Rhode Island National Guard, had critical wounds and was treated initially at Bethesda Medical Center and then at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Tampa, Fla. He recently returned home.

The ceremony will be held at the Armory of Mounted Commands, 1051 North Main St., at 7:45 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Vaccaro was comissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps upon graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2005. He immediately joined the Rhode Island Army National Guard and was assigned to the 861st Engineering Company, which had recently returned from Iraq.

After completing the U.S. Army Basic Officer Engineering Course, he responded to a request for volunteers to deploy with the 130th Engineering Company, Puerto Rico Army National Guard.

He remains on active duty while recovering from wounds.

"We are thrilled to have Lt. Vaccaro back with us here in Rhode Island today. His actions in Iraq on the day he was injured speak to the incredible level of dedication to duty which he displayed," Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, who commands the Rhode Island National Guard, said in the statement. "That he volunteered to deploy with another unit so that they did not have to go short handed is a true testament to Lt. Vaccaro and we couldn't be prouder of his actions nor happier that he is back with us."

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:15 PM | Comment

Providence murder victim ID'd as Fall River man, 20

PROVIDENCE -- Providence police today identified last night's murder victim as Marc Quintal, 20, of Fall River, Mass.

Maj. Stephen Campbell, commander of police investigative division, said Quintal and three other men drove to Providence last night to make a drug deal.

Campbell said Quintal parked his Nissan Altima at Hayward and Pearl streets. He was approached by a group of men who attempted to rob him.

Then, one or more of the men pulled a gun and fired into the car. Quintal was hit. The gunman ran away.

Quintal was able to drive half a block to the parking lot of a Burger King where one of the passengers asked someone in the restaurant to call 911.

Quintal was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. The police later found a semi-automatic handgun in the area that they suspect killed Quintal.

No arrests have been made. But Campbell said detectives have information that they believe will lead them to a suspect.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:52 PM | Comment

Public can share DCYF experiences at hearing

PROVIDENCE -- The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services is holding a http://www.projo.com/news/content/dcyf_public_hearing_08-14-07_066M2DQ.326e367.html3 p.m. hearing on the public's experiences with the state Department of Children, Youth and Families.

It is scheduled to be in the Senate Lounge on the second floor of the State House.

The committee is holding hearings in part because of the recent state child advocate's lawsuit over DCYF's handling of children in state care.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:41 PM | Comment

New ice rink bubbles up in Cranston / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
After months of waiting, a new ice rink took shape today in Cranston. The bubble dome was inflated by 8 a.m., and workers were making adjustments around the entrances. The dome had been bought from the city of Vail, Col., to replace the city's popular rink, which was destroyed by fire in January 2006. Officials had hoped to erect the bubble alongside Cranston Veterans Memorial as early as April of last year. But transportation tie-ups and a flap over whether the rink met building codes contributed to long delays. Read more about the rink in today's Journal story.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:02 PM | Comment

Campaign against drinking and driving to begin

The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association announced today it's teaming with the Department of Transportation to crack down on people who drink and drive, beginning tomorrow and running through Sept. 17.

The campaign's theme is "choose a designated sober driver or someone else will choose one for you," the chiefs' association said in a news release.

Nearly half of Rhode Island's highway deaths involve alcohol, the association said.

The kickoff will be held tomorrow at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence at 2:15 p.m. Speakers includes Col. Brendan P. Doherty -- who heads up the state police -- the vice president of the chiefs assoication, the Department of Transportation director, and the chief state medical examiner.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:50 AM | Comment

Route 95 lane restrictions tonight for the Iway project

PROVIDENCE -- Drivers tonight can expect temporary lane restrictions in the exit 18 to exit 20 area, the Department of Transportation said.

Starting at 8 p.m., workers will begin shutting lanes on one or both sides of the highway between Exits 18 and 20, with the maximum lane closures taking place after 11 p.m.

At least one lane in each direction will be open. All lanes will be reopened by 5:30 a.m. for the morning commute.

Work will take place on Sunday through Thursday nights. No work is scheduled for Friday or Saturday night or holidays. The DOT advises drivers to use Route 295 or Route 10 as alternate routes during the overnight.

The DOT had shut down part of I-95 over the past two weeks to allow for safe installation of steel beams on the Iway project.

Steel beam setting will resume in approximately six weeks over Eddy Street and Allens Avenue. Local road closures may happen then.

And the DOT expects to resume overnight full highway closures sometime toward year's end to allow for pouring of a concrete deck on top of the steel assemblies.

Information on lane restrictions will be posted daily at www.dot.state.ri.us/traffic.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:14 AM | Comment

Update: Bristol veterans home chief put on leave

BRISTOL -- The administrator of the Rhode Island Veterans Home has been placed on paid administrative leave, pending review of the management issues at the veterans home, a state Department of Human Services spokeswoman said.

David Kirchner was put on leave yesterday while the department investigates complaints from families of residents about limited access to their loved ones after questions were brought up about care.

It was not yet clear what dollar figure is attached to the paid leave.

A special legislative commission's interim report earlier this month criticized some operations at the veterans home, finding problems that include antagonism toward residents.

The 11-page report found morale problems among staff and some policy abuses, including denying information releases to families.

The report said "reliable sources" gave information to the five-member Special House Commission to Study Potential Administrative and Functional Improvements at the Rhode Island Veterans Home.

The study is continuing and the commission won't issue a final report until the General Assembly regular session resumes in January.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:11 AM | Comment

Smithfield couple: Essay won't get you their house

SMITHFIELD -- A Smithfield couple has decided to sell their ranch house the traditional way after an earlier plan to give it to the winner of an essay contest met with little interest.

Yelena and Anoosh Khaze said they wanted the four-bedroom house to go to a low-income family who would explain in an essay why they needed the home.

The couple charged a $100 entry fee for the contest and said they needed a minimum of 3,200 entrants to make the contest financially viable for them.

They didn't come close. Despite attempts to publicize the contest, the Khazes said they received only 48 entries.

The couple promised to reimburse 90 percent of the entry fees if they failed to reach the minimum number of entrants, and they say they will now make good on that promise.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:07 AM | Comment

$200,000 PowerBall ticket bought in Pawtucket

The Lottery Commission says a winning ticket worth $200,000 was sold in Rhode Island.

The ticket matched the first five numbers in last night's PowerBall drawing for $183.7 million, but not the final PowerBall number.

The ticket was bought at Joe's Cedar Street Shell in Pawtucket.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:57 AM | Comment

Update: Cianci makes a deal with WPRO

Former Providence Mayor Vincent Buddy Cianci will be resuming his talk-show career at WPRO. He'll start September 20.

Cianci, who got out of federal prison this spring, will host a show in a time slot that has yet to be determined. The station manager today said a decision would be made in two weeks.

The announcement was made at 7:10 with morning host Ron St. Pierre and Cianci chatting about the former mayor's return to WPRO.

There had been speculation that Cianci was going to WPRO's rival, WHJJ. And Cianci this morning didn't deny that he had looked at more than one proposal.

So why, St. Pierre asked, did Cianci choose WPRO?

In addition to the money, or as Cianci called it, "the faces of the presidents," the former mayor said he picked WPRO because it's "the heritage station of Rhode Island."

Over the past 20 years, Cianci has sandwiched radio work around two long stretches at Providence City Hall. He first worked at WHJJ and then briefly at WPRO in 2002 before going to prison on a corruption charge.

St. Pierre introduced his interview today with Cianci with a joke about how early it was.

"I bet you didn't think I could get up this early," Cianci replied.

Cianci said he would be provocative, but not negative. "I don't have an agenda. I'm out of politics," Cianci said.

-- Peter Phipps

Your turn: What time slot is best for Buddy?

Program Director Paul Giammarco said the details of the station's line-up of talk show hosts will be announced later. Giammarco said that the station's four existing hosts, St.Pierre, John DePetro, Rush Limbaugh and Dan Yorke, will all remain at the station.

"Ron, John, Rush and Dan are important members of our station's line-up," he said. "Each provides the public with their unique perspectives on local, regional and national issues, and the forum for the public to engage, be entertained and be informed."

"Right now," Giammarco said, "everyone is going to be here."

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:56 AM | Comment

Thunderstorm possible today; weekend looks great

It will be mostly cloudly today and hot.

But there's a cold front on the way, the National Weather Service says. That means we could get a thunderstorm tonight and tomorrow.

But then the weekend looks like it will be dry and sunny.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:55 AM | Comment

Routes 95 and 195 reopen on schedule.

All three parts of Routes 95 and 195, closed overnight, reopened this morning by 4:40.

The crews building the new 195-95 interchange last night closed all or parts of: Route 95 north between exits 18 and 20; the Route 195 ramp to 95 south and Route 95 south.

The lanes closed at 11 last night. The Department of Transportation promised to have the highways reopened by 5:30 for the morning commute.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:49 AM | Comment

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The latest crisis at DCYF and part 5 of Download file">Green Power lead today's Journal.
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Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:46 AM | Comment