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« September 2007 | Today | November 2007 » October 31, 2007Tonight: Go get scared or watch Papelbon ... againLooking for a way to get scared tonight? Take a jaunt over to the Factory of Terror, open until 10 tonight, in Fall River, Mass. It's at 33 Pearl St. Admission is $17 for adults and $12 for children under age 10. Cash only. For more about Halloween haunts, check out projo.com's listings. For the rest of you, Sox player Jonathan Papelbon, fresh from doing several parade jigs and performing air guitar with a broom, will be on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS tonight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Photo: Fatal 95 wreck from the air
Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:08 PM | Comment Station fire: Derderian finishes community serviceJeffrey Derderian has finished -- and exceeded -- the 500 hours of community service he was ordered to do after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges in the Station nightclub fire. Derderian, one of two brothers who had owned the club, completed 534 hours of community service, the Rhode Island Judiciary said in a news release this afternoon. An Oct. 22 letter from the Phoenix Society, an organization that helps burn survivors, said that Derderian had performed 402 hours of service. Another Oct. 22 letter from West Greenwich Fire and Rescue showed he had done 132 hours of community service. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. "has accepted the correspondence as verification that Derderian has fulfilled his court-ordered obligation. No further court reviews are planned," the news release said. In the last update, on Sept. 1, Derderian had at the time completed 446 hours. One hundred people died in the fire and in September 2006, Derderian and his brother Michael pleaded no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Michael Derderian is serving a four-year term at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Jeffrey received a suspended setnence, ordered to perform the community service and serve three years’ probation. Read more about the Station nightclub fire here. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:21 PM | Comment Photo/Cars in fatal crash were registered in R.I.
Police say both vehicles are registered in Rhode Island. The two cars collided, then went off the highway, up an embankment and hit the concrete abutment of an Interstate 295 overpass. The cars flipped over and burst into flames. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names haven't been released pending positive identification by the medical examiner and notification of family. One driver was in a 2008 Nissan sedan and the other was in a 2008 Honda sedan, says a state police news release. The two left lanes are now open on Route 95 north in Massachusetts after being closed because of a fatal car crash next exit 4, the Rhode Island Transportation Management Center said this afternoon. The Route 95 right lane and the Route 295 north ramp leading to Route 95 north remain closed. The incident remains under investigation. -- The Associated Press with projo.com staff reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:15 PM | Comment Station fire defendants will pay about $20 millionTwo additional defendants have reached a tentative agreement with victims of the 2003 Station nightclub fire. Polar Industries and The Home Depot have agreed to pay $5 million, according to Mark Mandell, a lawyer for dozens fire victims. Along with $1 million that the court registry is holding from Great White's insurance company, the total amount of settlement money that couild be awarded to the group is now $19.5 million. U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux today appointed Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern to oversee the distribution of money among the more than 300 victims who filed suit seeking damages related to the fire. In a surprise move announced by Mandell, McGovern has agreed to work with the victims for no cost beyond incidental expenses. Read projo.com's Station fire coverage One hundred people died and more than 200 were injured in the Feb. 20, 2003 fire that began when a pyrotechnics display inside the club during a Great White concert. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tracy Breton The additional defendants who have tentatively agreed to settlements so far are: Luna Tech Inc., of Alabama - and two of its European subsidiaries - which the lawsuits contend manufactured the pyrotechnics used by Great White the night of the Station fire. High Tech Special Effects Inc., a Tennessee company that is alleged to have sold the fireworks used by Great White at the club the night of the fire. Celotex Corp., which manufactured SoundStop board and then sold it for distribution to consumers. According to the lawsuits, the Derderians purchased SoundStop for their nightclub from Home Depot and then installed it in the ceiling of the drummer's alcove and elsewhere inside The Station. Triton Realty and Raymond Villanova, owners of the building on Cowesett Avenue where The Station was located. Joseph LaFontaine, of Warwick, owner of New England Custom Alarms, the company that installed the fire alarm system at the club when it was owned by Howard Julian, before the Derderians bought it. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:05 PM | Comment Ocean State Job Lot warns of scamA scam, apparently run out of Canada and involving a fraudulent $40,000-per-check-cashing scheme, illegally used Ocean Job Lot's name to randomly target people around the United States, the company announced today. "Our company’s name has been used illegally and without our knowledge in this financial scam. When this surfaced, Job Lot immediately reported the phony giveaway to the United States Postal Investigation Service, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation] and other law enforcement agencies," Ocean State Job Lot said in a news release. Canadian authorities are also investigating. People began getting letters about a week ago from a company describing itself as Boyer Financial, Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. With each letter was a fraudulent check for about $3,850. The checks appeared as though they had been issued by by Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., parent company of Ocean State Job Lot. People who got the letters were told they would receive “a grant” -- free money totaling $40,000 from the federal government if they simply cashed the enclosed check, faxed information back to the sender and called the “grant advisor." The remainder of the $40,000 would then be sent to the person. But the checks were worthless, Ocean State Job Lot said today. Job Lot and to local law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island, Maine, California, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Hampshire are aware of 33 scam letters brought to their attention. The scam's intention was not clear, but "it may be an attempt to get personal information on the targeted individual, ultimately resulting in identity theft; or it may be a scheme to use the personal information to loot the recipient’s bank account," Ocean State Job Lot said. Ocean State Job Lot is "outraged that residents of these states, and perhaps others, have been targeted as potential victims. We are equally outraged that our company and our good corporate name have been used in this shameful attempt to swindle unsuspecting consumers." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:50 PM | Comment Carcieri's lawyers argue for executive privilegePROVIDENCE -- The state’s high court heard arguments today about whether Governor Carcieri should be called to take the stand at the trial of the seven Narragansett Indians facing criminal charges stemming from the state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in July 2003. Defense lawyer William P. Devereaux and Marc DeSisto, representing the governor, presented their cases under occasionally heated questioning by the Supreme Court justices. DeSisto urged the judges to overturn a ruling by the Superior Court judge that Carcieri could be called to testify about the orders he gave then State Police Col. Steven M. Pare leading up to the raid. DeSisto argued executive privilege should shield the governor -- and high ranking governmental officials -- from testifying unless he has direct and highly relevant personal information about the case that cannot be gotten from other sources. The issue of executive privilege has not been tested in Rhode Island. “Hailing the high executive into court unnecessarily disrupts administrative functions,” DeSisto said. Justice Francis X. Flaherty asked why the governor’s appearances on talk radio and before a commission reviewing the raid in the days and weeks that followed were not equally as disruptive. DeSisto responded that the governor has the obligation to “reach out" to the public on certain issues. “Doesn’t he have the obligation to tell the same story under oath?,” said Chief Justice Frank Williams. The governor should only be called to testify in “rare cases,” otherwise the system will lead to abuse, DeSisto said. Devereaux argued the governor’s testimony could be vital to defense arguments that troopers used excessive force by disregarding Carcieri’s order that they back off if they met resistance. “The jury deserves to consider the orders,” he said. The information being sought, he said, was not confidential. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney The justices questioned Devereaux with equal intensity. Goldberg asked why TV crews had been at the scene the day of the raid and whether the defense was inviting a “circus-like atmosphere” into the courts. Flaherty wondered whether the same evidence could be gotten by other means, which Devereaux likened to providing testimony by “boom box.” The cases grew out of the state police raid of a Narragansett smoke shop in Charlestown on July 14, 2003. Governor Carcieri ordered the police to execute the search warrant on the roadside store after the tribe began selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes, in violation of state law. The raid disintegrated into a violent confrontation. Seven tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, face misdemeanor charges of obstruction, disorderly conduct, assault and resisting arrest. The court will issue a decision in six weeks, Williams said. In the meantime, the Supreme Court has urged the parties, including the attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting, to mediate the cases. “We weren’t kidding when we put that in the order,” Williams said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment Alert: Fatal crash stops traffic on 95 north, AttleboroATTLEBORO, Mass. -- State police say at least one person is dead and there is a possibility of additional fatalities after a fiery multi-vehicle crash in Attleboro. Sgt. Mike Rafferty says the crash occurred at the junction of Interstates 95 and 295 at about 11 a.m. Firefighters were sifting through the charred wreckage of the two overturned vehicles. The crash forced the closure of the two right lanes of Interstate 95 North and the ramp from Interstate 295 North to I-95 North. State Police plan to close all northbound lanes of I-95 during the investigation. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 12:30 PM | Comment Tropical storm Noel on its way to FloridaThe National Weather Service is warning southern Floridians to look out for winds gusting over 25 miles per hour, strong rip currents;15-foot seas; and even a “remote …possibility of a weak tornado or waterspout.” Tropical storm Noel is expected to strengthen during the next 36 to 48 hours, according to the service’s National Hurricane Center. Wind and rain advisories may turn into a tropical storm warning within a day or two. The storm, which is responsible for more than 45 deaths in the western Caribbean, is expected to approach Florida in the next few days.3 See video of the storm's aftermath in the Caribbean and current conditions in Florida. Officials say that despite some rain in Florida, the storm is not expected to bring relief to areas of the Southeast experiencing drought. -- with reports from The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:09 PM | Comment Update: Gas leak repairedTenants at a Lincoln complex are returning to their apartments after the source of a gas smell was pinpointed and sealed. Police said a caller complaining of a gas smell came just before 9:30 this morning from an apartment at the complex on 25 Spring St. in the Manville section of town. A National Grid technician found the source: a loose connector on the back of a stove unit. The gas was turned off, and the technician replaced the faulty is connector, according to spokesman David Graves. The building was vented and residents were allowed to return to their apartments. The technician is manually relighting pilot lights in each unit. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:00 AM | Comment Widow sues woman who crashed into Mass. hospitalBROCKTON, Mass. -- The widow of a doctor killed when a 76-year-old woman crashed her car into Brockton Hospital has sued the driver for $10 million. The wrongful death suit by Kathleen Vasa, widow of 58-year-old Mark Vasa of Norwell, was filed against Jane Berghold last week. Berghold, a breast cancer patient at the hospital, drove her car into the radiation therapy unit at the hospital on October 15. Vasa, the chief of the unit, and 59-year-old hospital secretary Susan Plante sustained fatal injuries in the accident. Berghold's attorney declined comment to The Enterprise of Brockton. She has said previously that her car didn't stop when she tried to brake. Berghold is scheduled to appear before a clerk magistrate in December to determine if she will be criminally charged. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:06 AM | Comment Special master for Station Fire suit to be appointedA U.S District Court judge today will consider the appointment of a special master to devise a plan to divvy up settlement money offered to the victims of the Station nightclub fire. Lawyers representing two foam manufacturers being sued by the victims dropped their objections Monday to the appointment of Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern as special master. Extra: Read about the Station nightclub fire on projo.com Lawyers representing General Foam and Foamex say they’ll hold onto their right to object to settlement offers and won’t have to pay any of McGovern’s fees. In recent weeks, some of the approximately 90 defendants made tentative offers worth about $13.5 million to people who lost loved ones or were injured in the Feb. 20 2003 fire that killed 100 people. -- with archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:54 AM | Comment Carcieri's lawyer to argue before high courtPROVIDENCE -- A lawyer for Governor Carcieri is scheduled to go before the state Supreme Court to argue that Carcieri shouldn't have to testify in a trial over a violent raid at a Narragansett Indian smoke shop in 2003. Seven tribe members face criminal charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault for the state police raid on the shop, which was not charging taxes on cigarettes. Defense lawyers want Carcieri to testify about an order he says he gave to police to pull back if they met resistance. Instead, a fight erupted between tribe members and police. A Superior Court judge has said Carcieri's testimony could be relevant. Carcieri's lawyer says executive privilege protects him from being forced to testify. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Nothing scary about this forecastLook for a sunny day with a high near 65 degrees and a comfortable night for trick-or-treating. Tonight should be partly cloudy with a low around 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the poor condition of Rhode Island's historical cemeteries. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 30, 2007Get scared tonight and tomorrowAside from watching "Halloween" played on some television station tonight, it may be a good time to plan out how to scare yourself and your loved ones tomorrow. Or get a jump on things by getting scared tonight. Open till 10 tonight and tomorrow night is the Factory of Terror in Fall River, Mass. It's at 33 Pearl St., (no phone number available) open Thursdays and Sundays, 6:30 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 6:30 to 11 p.m. through October, as well as tonight and tomorrow, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Admission is $17 for adults and $12 for children under age 10. Cash only.
Check out projo.com's guide to Halloween scariness. As for tonight, there's always the music scene. ContraBand plays acoustic rock at Rocky Point Pub, 1705 West Shore Rd., Warwick. Call 739-9800, www.rockypointpub.com. 7 p.m. Dancing Nancy plays a tribute to Dave Matthews at Gillary’s Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. Call 253-2012. 9:30 p.m. Rod Luther plays jazz at The Chanler, Spiced Pear Restaurant, 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport. Call 847-2244. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sevendust, 10 Years, Neverset and Black Light Burns play rock at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 pm. $22.50 advance; $25 day of show; $30 reserved. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment House committee OKs repeal of law on 17-year-oldsPROVIDENCE -- A legislative committee today took a first step toward repealing state law that treats 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters. Both the House and Senate, which are meeting in special session today, would have to approve the change for it to become law. The bill that came out of the House Finance Committee is not retroactive to existing cases. There have been 49 17-year-olds jailed at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston since July 1, when the law took effect, and others arrested whose cases would continue in adult court if the bill as approved in committee becomes law. There was debate in the committee over the bill's wordin, so whether the absence of it's applying to those alreeady jailed or arrested will remain remains to be seen when the the House and Senate take it up. The bill as passed in committee seals police and court records for the cases of 17-year-olds, including for the people already in jail and arrested. “I want to commend the House Finance Committee for making a necessary course correction to a law that was short sighted and, in the long term, damaging to Rhode Island’s interests,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement this evening. The General Assembly's special session is considering a spate of bills, including efforts to override Governor Carcieri's vetoes of bills. Added to the calendar of bills that wil be considered is one to move the state's presidential primary from March 4 to a Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primary, which many states have gone to. Neither chamber has taken up the measure yet as floor debate heads into the evening. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKiney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:44 PM | Comment Delcarmen drums through the streets of Boston
Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:52 PM | Comment Another Sox parade: Crowds line up in Taco BellsWhile the Sox players paraded through Boston today, a whole other kind of parade wound through -- and, in at least one instance, out the doors of -- several Taco Bells around Rhode Island. Some local outlets of the national chain were swamped with customers this afternoon -- all thanks to a World Series stolen base by Red Sox rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury. Taco Bell agreed to give customers one free taco from 2 to 5 p.m. today if someone stole a base in the series. More than 40 cars lined up at the drive-through of the Taco Bell on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston -- a line-up that stretched out onto Aqueduct Road. At the peak of things, five police officers were on scene to keep traffic flowing. In North Providence, at the Taco Bell on Mineral Spring Avenue, manager Erika Duarte estimated the outlet had given out about 1,000 tacos in the first 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. She said she initially called the police out of concern for the potential for things getting out of hand but that in the end people were well behaved. One detail officer was on scene to keep traffic moving. In Cranston, Lisa Ruggiero and her three sons Brian, 10, Daniel, 8, and Andrew 3 waited in line to go through the drive-through. They had watched most of the series on video because the games ran past their bedtimes. "We love Jacoby Ellsworth, we're glad he's the one who own this for us. We saw him in Pawtucket [for the minor league Pawtucket Red Sox] and we know he's going be a big star," said Lisa Ruggiero. But others coming and going did not display the red "B" one might expect. Yes, there were peole dressed in Yankees garb and even a car bearing a Yankees sticker seen exiting the Taco Bell. However, another patron in Cranston, Hector Cabrera, swore to a reporter his loyalty to the Red Sox despite wearing a Yankees cap. A friend's hat, he explained, while eating a free taco. The line stretched from the counter to the door at the Taco Bell in the Wakefield section of South Kingstown, said Stephanie Histen, assistant manager of the restaurant on Old Tower Hill Road. At least 200 customers have gotten free tacos at an overflowing Taco Bell on Post Road in Westerly since 2 p.m., said Stephanie Thompson, the assistant manager there. She said the restaurant ordered 650 to 1,100 extra tacos in preparation for today. In Warren, the Metacom Avenue Taco Bell has had a full parking lot and six or seven cars waiting in the drive-through. In Attleboro, Mass., the police reported traffic slowdowns in the area of the Taco Bell there. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writers Barbara Polichetti, Richard C. Dujardin, Maria Armental and staff reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:18 PM | Comment Sox' next stop: Providence, Hartford, both, neither?Now for the Sox' next victory lap: Will it be in Providence, Hartford, both, neither? Bids to get a visit from the World Series champs emerged today even as the Duck Boats filled with players and Jonathan Papelbon and his broom/guitar were making their way through Boston streets. Governor Carcieri said this morning his office will be in contact with the Red Sox in hopes of getting a rally similar to the one held in Providence in 2004, the Associated Press reported. Three years ago, Sox pitcher-at-the-time Bronson Arroyo brought the World Series trophy to the State House. Meanwhile, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell -- an admitted Yankees fan -- has sent a letter to Sox owner John Henry seeking to have the team come to Hartford. Rell's office issued a news release today saying that in 2004, "Red Sox players, team management and other representatives of the organization came to Connecticut for rallies in New Haven and Hartford following their historic World Series win," the release said, as well as traveling to other states. Rell declared the 2004 day of the rally “Boston Red Sox Day” in Connecticut, the news release noted. "If team owners agree to bring the team back to Connecticut this year, Governor Rell said she would be honored to issue another official proclamation in the team’s honor." “Connecticut is a state divided among Red Sox and Yankee fans with a fair amount of New York Mets fans in the mix. Nevertheless, Connecticut considers itself to be a big part of Red Sox Nation,” Rell said in the statement. “A rally in Hartford would be an opportunity for Red Sox fans to show their admiration for the team and honor them for their championship season.” Rell's statement conceded she is a "faithful Yankees fan. However, as a baseball fan and someone who appreciates this historic pastime, I would be honored to have the Red Sox organization come to Connecticut so we can join Red Sox Nation in saying ‘congratulations’ for winning a second World Series in four years and ‘thank you’ for another unforgettable Fall Classic." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and the Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:04 PM | Comment Lawmakers will seek earlier presidential primary todayPROVIDENCE -- It turns out lawmakers today expect to introduce legislation to move Rhode Island's presidential primary from March 4 to the earlier, "Super Tuesday" date on which many states will now hold primaries. A new version of the bill is expected to be introduced during today's General Assembly special session. The move follows the failure of legislation in the regular session earlier this year to clear the House after passing in the Senate. The calendar of bills, including attempts to override Governor Carcieri's vetoes, posted yesterday did not include the presidential primary proposal. Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed confirmed the Senate will take up the bill during today's session. House leaders had not yet been reached, but Greg Pare, spokesman for the Senate president, said the House has agreed to take up the bill as well. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment GTECH Holdings cuts about 50 R.I. employeesPROVIDENCE -- GTECH Holdings Corp. fired about 50 of its Rhode Island employees today, saying its acquisition by Lottomatica SpA last summer had made possible a range of consolidations. Over all, the company is laying off 125 employees across its global operations, GTECH spokesman Robert Vincent said. Lottomatica, based in Italy, bought GTECH last August for $4.8 billion. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:53 PM | Comment Reactions to issues on tap at Special SessionPROVIDENCE -- Nurses are planning to show their support at the State House today for a bill that would end mandatory overtime. Absent from the list of bills on the table at today’s Special Session of the General Assembly is one that would end mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes -- legislation an advocacy group had lobbied for last week -- and a measure to move the presidential primary to a "Super Tuesday" on which many states will hold primaries. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archival reports At 3 p.m. today, local nurses plan to hand-deliver letters of support from nurses in more than 25 states. Governor Carcieri vetoed the bill, which passed unanimously, in July, citing a nursing shortage and saying at the time that mandatory overtime “should be negotiated through the collective-bargaining process. In Lynch’s letter to Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Stephen D. Alves, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the Attorney General calls Article 22 “ill-advised” and “myopic.” But the legislation was enacted into law properly, and it is not flawed, Lynch asserted, and so in his letter he “strongly” recommends that if the law is repealed, it is not done so retroactively. Since the law took effect July 1, more than thirty-six 17-year-olds have spent at least one night in the state prison, accused of crimes that previously might have resulted in a locked stay at the Training School. Those youths have adult criminal records now instead of a juvenile record that would have been sealed by the Family Court. The House and Senate posted their calendars yesterday afternoon. The reconsideration of 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters is on a committee calendar and must clear committee to then go to the floor. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment E. Providence man dies today after Sunday collisionPROVIDENCE -- A 51-year-old East Providence man died this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, where he has been since a motorcycle crash Sunday, according to the police. Michael Stevens suffered severe head injuries when his 1977 Harley Davidson motorcycle collided with a 1990 Toyota Corolla just after 5 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Waterman Avenue and North Broadway in East Providence. He was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was in critical condition until today. The female driver of the car was not injured, said Sgt. Thomas Rush, head of the East Providence Police Department’s traffic division. He would not identify her because the investigation of the accident is ongoing. Rush said no witnesses to the accident have yet to come forward, and asked anyone with information to call the traffic division at (401) 435-7654. “We need someone who saw it but wasn’t involved,” he said. -- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:59 PM | Comment Parade scenes: Papelbon mugs; Schilling exults
Red Sox heroes Jonathan Papelbon, top, and Curt Schilling celebrate from the Duck Boats. Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:52 PM | Comment Sox parade: Papelbon's air guitar.. with a broomBOSTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Papelbon is doing air-guitar on a Duck Boat in Boston Common ... with a broom. Already known for the Papelbon dance -- that jig-like series of steps that replaced "Cowboy-Up" of yesteryear as a team badge -- Papelbon's improvisations this afternoon include celebrating the Sox's four-game World Series sweep of the Rockies. (Some purists might quibble over whether it's truly an air guitar if anything other than one's own arms mimic the riffs and licks, but that's a discussion for another time). He's not alone. People are selling brooms and waving brooms celebrating the sweep as the victory parade wends toward its finish at City Hall Plaza. As for any musical aspirations, Papelbon's in good company. Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix was known to strum a broom as a boy before he got his fingers on a Fender Stratocaster. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:39 PM | Comment Diversity Career Fair runs until 5 at the Crowne PlazaWARWICK — Where else can you find more than 15 companies holding on-the-spot interviews? Only at today’s projoJob’s Diversity Career Fair, now through 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, Route 5, in Warwick. More than 15 companies conducting interviews for job openings. Plus, there are free seminars. Learn how to write an effective résumé, and attend seminars on proper workplace attire and professional presentation. Click here to see the full list of exhibitors and seminars at the projoJobs Diversity Career Fair. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:16 PM | Comment Sox parade: Guitars pound and cheers of 'Manny!'
College students are near people taking time off from office jobs, who are next to construction workers holding up signs -- people from different status, backgrounds, incomes, but all united for the Red Sox victory parade. It will make its way to Boston Common and then City Hall. People watch the action from atop the Atlantic Fish Company, where the fresh catch of Chilean sea bass lists for $34 -- for one person. And it's a day when Lord & Taylor, the staid clothing store, accommodates the Irish punk sounds of the passing Dropkick Murphys. At one point, the parade appears to slow as Manny Ramirez plays to admirers from the Duck boat on which he and Ortiz are riding. Look: there are members of the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox of 1967. There's former Sox pitcher Luis Tiant waving to the crowd. Current manager Terry Francona draws cheers and there's a big outburst of support for Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment Nazarian retiring after half-century at RIC
Longtime Rhode Island College President John Nazarian announced today he will retire when his contract expires in June, capping 58 years at the college, the last 18 as president. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but there was always something going on, and I want to leave the college in good hands,” Nazarian said in a phone interview Monday. Last month, on his 75th birthday, Nazarian met with Frank Caprio, chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, and informed Caprio he would not be seeking another three-year term as president. “The name John Nazarian is synonymous with Rhode Island College,” Caprio said. “We are grateful for his years of dedicated service and will miss him, both as a colleague and a friend.” Nazarian, a native of Pawtucket, graduated from the Rhode Island College of Education, as it was then called, with a degree in math, in May 1954. That fall he began his career there as an instructor of math and physics. He was promoted multiple times, becoming an administrator in the early 1970s, and serving as vice president of administration and finance for 13 years before becoming president in 1990. “When I started here, I was a teenager,” Nazarian said. “But to make a commitment for another three years, well, it seemed presumptuous. You don’t know what will happen to you. Thank God I’m in good health and the college is in good shape. I’m happy I’ve been given the privilege to do what I’ve done. But I think it’s time.” Click below to read Nazarian's retirement announcement. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan Your turn: Share your favorite John Nazarian story Nazarian is known for his attention to detail, and his sometimes criticized for his micromanaging style. He personally signs over a thousand diplomas each spring, frequently meets with and e-mails students, and attends even relatively minor meetings on construction projects, to ensure they are built on time and within budget. Nazarian said he is looking forward to some unstructured time when he retires. He hopes to travel, spend time with his relatives — many of whom live in Rhode Island — golf, and read a stack of mystery novels that has grown tall in his Pawtucket home. The Board of Governors will establish a search committee within the coming weeks and will launch a national search for a new president, Caprio said. Nazarian is credited with overseeing a period of growth at the college, both in terms of enrollment, which reached its highest level this fall with almost 10,000 students, and in new buildings and major renovation projects. Highlights include a $30-million, 363-bed residence hall that opened last month, a $4.8-million renovation of Alger Hall, and almost $6 million to expand and renovate the Student Union. In 2000, the college dedicated a $10-million Center for the Performing Arts in honor of Nazarian, a gesture the president says ranks among his happiest memories. “If you ask the question if Rhode Island College is a better place for having John Nazarian as president for the past 18 years — the answer is a resounding yes,” said Jack Warner, Rhode Island’s commissioner for higher education. “Rhode Island College has been his life’s work, a place into which he poured his heart and soul. The students, faculty and staff are better off because John Nazarian was president.” --
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the College for all these years. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment Sen. Kennedy back at work after surgeryWASHINGTON — Sen. Edward Kennedy was back at work in the Senate today for the first time since his surgery earlier this month to clear a partially blocked artery in his neck. “I’m feeling fine,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “I think it’s just about getting the energy level back ... The strength has been coming back daily.” Kennedy, 75, had been resting at the family’s Hyannis Port compound since his Oct. 12 surgery in Boston. The blockage in Kennedy’s left carotid artery, which supplies blood to the face and brain, was discovered Oct. 4 after a routine physical examination and MRI on his back. -- The Associated Press Kennedy’s Tuesday schedule includes planned remarks on the Senate floor about children’s health insurance and Amtrak funding, the weekly luncheon with Senate Democrats and a meeting about education legislation. Kennedy also plans to watch Tuesday night’s televised Democratic presidential debate. The Senator was flooded with get-well greetings from Democrats and Republicans alike as he recovered, though “there was a kind of continuing sense from some of the Republicans that I maybe ought to stay in Massachusetts a bit longer,” he joked. “He was calling to wish me well, but we talked a little shop as well,” Kennedy said. Kennedy also took time to watch the Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series. “What a time for the Red Sox,” Kennedy said. Kennedy said the staples on his neck were removed by doctors on Cape Cod. He has a routine follow-up appointment with his doctors in about 10 days, but does not anticipate any problems. One of Kennedy’s doctors said after the surgery that the senator’s overall health was excellent. Kennedy is on blood-pressure and cholesterol medication. Kennedy has been bothered by an aching back since a 1964 plane crash, which killed a pilot and one of Kennedy’s aides. Then-Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., who was traveling with Kennedy, pulled him from the wreckage but Kennedy suffered a back injury, punctured lung, broken ribs and internal bleeding. Because of the persistent pain, the senator often leans on a wall or sits on a stool when he otherwise would be expected to stand for an extended period. Kennedy is the lone surviving son in his storied political family. His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash; President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and Robert was assassinated in 1968, when he was running for president. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:59 PM | Comment Victory parade gets rolling in Boston
BOSTON -- Thousands of people have crammed the historic streets of Boston’s Back Bay in anticipation of seeing their baseball heroes roll by in World War II-era amphibious duck boats as the city celebrates the World Series victory of the Boston Red Sox. It was the second time in the last 4 years that the Red Sox have been World Series champs. It is a rare to see the main streets of Boston free of cars. People are lined up from Fenway Park, through the Back Bay neighborhood, onto Boston Common and into City Hall Plaza for the parade. It looked somewhat like the annual Boston marathon, another event where onlookers are lined up eight- and nine-people deep. News helicopters hovered over the event as people of all ages streamed into the city: some pushing strollers, college kids from local universities ditching classes, and people wearing all manner of Red Sox regalia and gear to cheer on their team. Jessica Posner, a Northeastern University junior, sat with a hamburger watching the event on the big screen at Daisy Buchanan’s on Newbury Street. “I can’t wait to see Johnny Papelbon do his river dance,” she said. “He is so hot.” The gathering has been peaceful so far. Hundreds of police officers and firefighters are patroling the streets. People are leaning from office windows with “We did it again,“ and “We are champions” signs. Needless to say, Back Bay bars are doing a brisk business. To view the live streaming video of the parade, click here -- Journal staff writer Scott McKay Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:33 PM | Comment Storm leaves Dominican, hits Cuba, BahamasMIAMI -- The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Noel has weakened a bit after causing floods and mudslides and at least 20 deaths in the Dominican Republic. The storm continues to dump rain over portions of Cuba, the island of Hispaniola and the Bahamas. Noel had been forecast to hit Haiti hardest but veered toward the other country on Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, apparently catching residents off guard yesterday. Forecasters say a tropical storm warning remains in effect for portions of Cuba and the Bahamas. They add that a tropical storm watch could go into effect for parts of southeast Florida later today or tonight. Noel temporarily knocked out the Dominican Republic's entire power system, plunging more than 9 million people into the dark for about two hours. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:27 PM | Comment Photo/parade coverage: 'Boston is crazy right now'
Journal photo / Bill Murphy To view the live streaming video of the parade, click here: Posted by Pam Cotter at 12:04 PM | Comment Update: Passenger in fatal crash released from hospitalA Westerly teenager, who was in a one-car accident in Connecticut last night in which the teenage driver and another teenage passenger died, was treated and released from Hasbro Children's Hospital. Brandon Algier of Westerly, who was a passenger, was taken by helicopter to Hasbro Children's Hospital, where he was treated but not admitted. Jay Naylor, 18, and Elizabeth Greenhall, 16, were killed when the car they were in drove off the road. The two Hopkinton teenagers were "great" and "creative" kids, Chariho Superintendent Barry Ricci said this morning. All three were wearing seatbelts, according to a police report. Counselors from throughout the district were sent this morning to to Chariho Regional High School, where the two Hopkinton residents went to school. Ricci said several students have sought time with the counselors, but along with the professionals, "the students also support themselves." Naylor was interested in computers and electronics, and Greenhall was a interested in graphics and communications, Ricci said. "She had an artistic flare... They were both just good young people." Connecticut State Police say Naylor was driving south on Route 49 in North Stonington, and Greenhall was sitting in the passenger seat when the car hit a telephone pole, drove off the road, rolled on its side, and slammed into a tree. The two were pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is still under investigation. -- projo.com staff writers Brandie Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Randall Edgar Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:46 AM | Comment More photos: The Nation awaits the world champions
Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:43 AM | Comment Photos galore for Sox fans as the Nation celebrates
Want more photos of all the Red Sox excitement? click below to see all the best photo galleries of the World Series and its aftermath. You'll find even more at projo.com/redsox: The World Series: Red Sox homecoming The World Series: The post-championship celebration The World Series: The pitchers The World Series: Game 4: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3 Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:27 AM | Comment Update: Teens killed in accident were 'great,' 'creative'Two Hopkinton teenagers killed in a car accident in Connecticut last night were "great" and "creative" kids, Chariho Superintendent Barry Ricci said this morning. Jay Naylor, 18, and Elizabeth Greenhall, 16, were killed when the car they were in drove off the road. Counselors from throughout the district were sent this morning to to Chariho Regional High School, where the two Hopkinton residents went to school. Ricci said several students have sought time with the counselors, but along with the professionals, "the students also support themselves." Naylor was interested in computers and electronics, and Greenhall was a interested in graphics and communicaitons, Ricci said. "She had an artistic flare... They were both just good young people." Brandon Algier, 13, of Westerly, was taken by helicopter to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Connecticut State Police say Naylor, was driving south on Route 49 in North Stonington, and Greenhall, was sitting in the passenger seat when the car hit a telephone pole, drove off the road, rolled on its side, and slammed into a tree. The two were pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is still under investigation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:23 AM | Comment Watch the Sox parade here / photo
Wish you could be in Boston to see the Red Sox' World Series victory parade? We've got the next-best thing: live, streaming video of the noontime rally that will start at Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Commons and end at City Hall Plaza. Our media partner, WPRI-TV in Providence, is providing the live feed via Fox. The link will be posted on our homepage closer to the start of the rally. The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said. Menino said pitcher Jonathan Papelbon will dance, and the Dropkick Murphys also will play along the parade route. “He has to do a dance,” Menino said. “He promised the people he would do a dance.” The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver. Posted by Pam Cotter at 10:20 AM | Comment Photo: Fire damages Warwick tavern
An early morning fire damaged Lakewood House and Tavern in Warwick. Police Lt. Joe Coffey said a fire alarm went off at about 4:15 a.m. When crews arrived, no one was in the building at 651 Warwick Ave. There is damage to the roof and the rear door of the building, but Coffey says it’s not clear yet how much structural damage was done. So far, it doesn’t appear that any nearby buildings were damaged. Arson detectives and the fire marshal are on the scene now. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:06 AM | Comment Governor seeks Sox celebration in Ocean StatePROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri is hoping that Rhode Island will once again be able to join in the celebration of a Red Sox championship. The governor says his office will be in contact with the team over holding a rally similar to the one in 2004, when then-Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo brought the World Series trophy to the State House in Providence. Carcieri points out that Rhode Islanders make up a big part of Red Sox nation. The World Series champions are being honored today with a Duck Boat parade in Boston. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny skies and a high near 63Today is looking a bit warmer than yesterday with the National Weather Service forecasting sunny skies and a high temperature of 63 degrees. Expect some clouds overnight when the temperature should drop to 41 degrees. Tomorrow will look like today, with clear skies, a high temperature near 64 and winds between 11 and 14 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a big photograph of Red Sox' designated hitter David Ortiz holding up the World Series trophy after the team returned to Boston. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 29, 2007Tonight: Big band swings, swinging blues and rockIf you need a break from Sox euphoria, or, more likely, you're a Yankees fan, here are some things to do tonight. Big Band Swings plays at the Cornerstone Playhouse, 213 Robinson St., Wakefield. Call 284-1850, www.thetruebrewcafe.com. 7:30 p.m. SBT, Johnny Clothes Hanger and the Anti Babies and Acetone play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 8 p.m. $5. All ages. Mark Taber plays blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Photos: Sox return to Fenway with trophy
See the earlier blog item.. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:59 PM | Comment Barrington student allegedly compiled 'hit list'BARRINGTON -- Police say they will refer a 16-year-old high school student to Family Court, probably on a charge of disorderly conduct, after he allegedly compiled and printed list, labeled a "hit list," of six students and teachers using a school computer. Police were called to the high school around 3 p.m. Friday after the list was discovered, but by then the teacher who found it and the student who reportedly wrote it had left, Chief John LaCross said today. But the probe continued over the weekend, with the student telling police that the list was meant to be a joke. There was no disruption of classes and the Homecoming football game went off as scheduled Friday night. LaCross said he expects the investigation, including further interviews, to be complete by Wednesday. ``We take this matter as a serious offense, especially in light of the things that happened at Virginia Tech and other schools,'' said the chief. ``Even constructing a list as a joke is no joke. We will investigate it thoroughly.'' Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:46 PM | Comment Station fire: Foam firms won't oppose special masterPROVIDENCE -- Lawyers representing two foam manufacturers being sued by victims of The Station nightclub fire today dropped their objections to the appointment of a special master who would devise a method to equitably distribute settlement money offered to the plaintiffs. This makes it more likely that Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux will approve the appointment of Duke University Law Prof. Francis E. McGovern as special master in The Station fire civil cases. Lagueux is scheduled to take up the matter at a hearing tomorrow Wed afternoon. Lawyers representing General Foam and Foamex, two foam manufacturers that are being sued by the fire victims, had filed objections to McGovern’s appointment by the court. But in newly filed papers, lawyers James A. Ruggieri and Gerald C. Demaria say they are withdrawing their objections because the victims’ lawyers have clarified the limited role McGovern would play. They say that as long as they can preserve their right to object to settlement offers and won’t have to shoulder any of the fees that McGovern charges -- and because the victims are not asking McGovern to play a role in the court’s review of settlements -- they won’t argue against his appointment. Lawyers for those who lost loved ones or who suffered injuries in the Feb. 20, 2003, fire -- which took 100 lives and caused injuries to more than 200 others -- are asking the court to approve McGovern’s appointment so that he can develop a matrix to divvy up money that is being offered by some of the defendants to settle the lawsuits now pending against them. In recent weeks, a handful of the approximately 90 defendants who remain in the civil suits have made tentative offers totaling $13.5 million to settle the victims’ claims. The victims’ lawyers are currently negotiating with more of the defendants and are hopeful that additional settlement offers will be forthcoming. No settlement money has been paid out yet; Lagueux would have to approve all proposed settlements before the victims get any money. McGovern has performed similar duties as a special master more than 50 times in other complex tort cases around the country, including the DDT toxic exposure litigation, the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device litigation and the silicone breast implant cases. He has also participated in developing a reparations system for people, businesses and government entities affected by the Iraq war. If appointed by Lagueux, he would develop a grid to decide how all of the settlement money that is offered would be divided among each of the plaintiffs, depending on the degree of injury, number of dependent family members as well as other variables. McGovern would interview the victims and their families and then devise a matrix that would be used to apportion how much each would get. The court would still independently have to approve all settlement offers after determining that they were being made in good faith. Demaria and Ruggieri say in their court filing that they have been assured by the victims’ lawyers that all costs associated with McGovern’s hiring will be borne by the victims pro-rata and that all of the victims’ attorney fees will be based solely upon whatever their clients recover in damages. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Victory scene: Schilling puts the fans on cameraBOSTON -- While flashbulbs popped at him and his World Champion teammates, Sox pitcher Curt Schilling pointed a camcorder at the faithful hundreds as he and family drove by the cheering crowd outside Fenway Park this evening. For the faithful lining Yawkey Way, it was about sightings. Look, there was Jon Lester. And catcher Jason Varitek. And team owners John Henry and Tom Werner appeared for the crowd. David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, held aloft the World Series trophy as exited the team bus that arrived around 5 p.m. outside the park. Pitcher Mike Timlin walked through the crowd with a little girl sitting on his shoulders. And There was Kevin Youklis. Besides cheers for the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox, the crowd on Yawkey Way chanted: "Don't Sign A-Rod!" The Yankees -- remember them? -- and slugger Alex Rodriguez have apparently parted ways. As the afternoon unfolded, about 1,000 fans lined Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they awaited the return of the Sox, who batted around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep. Media at the scene were hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m. A Direct TV blimp floated overhead. And on Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans noted the cars of their favorite stars. Fans said the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment Cranston East student suspended for toy gun in schoolCRANSTON -- A Cranston High School East student who brought a toy gun to school today has been suspended for 10 days. Officials detained the student after an early-morning report of a gun on the premises brought a school-wide lockdown. Police and school administrators went from classroom to classroom looking for a pupil in a black, hooded sweatshirt, according to students. “We did find him very quickly,” said Raymond L. Votto Jr., the chief operating officer for the Cranston School Department. Votto said a student reported seeing the gun at about 7:50 a.m. Officials, mindful of the Columbine and Virginia Tech school shootings, ordered the lockdown or “shelter-in-place” and summoned police, Votto said. Sophomores Benjamin Pittman and Steven Mulhall, both 15, recalled some anxious moments, as teachers moved to lock classroom doors. “I kind of thought it was the Virginia Tech thing,” Pittman said, standing outside the high school yesterday afternoon. But the students, who train for a lockdown during the school year, said the incident lasted only about a half-hour. Pat Lavey, 17, a senior, praised the administration for moving quickly to lock down the school and for sending students home with letters explaining the situation. “That’s definitely showing that they take everything seriously,” he said. Votto said Cranston East administrators could recommend that Superintendent M. Richard Scherza impose further sanctions on the student with the toy gun, up to and including expulsion. Col. Stephen C. McGrath, the police chief, said there would be no criminal charges in the case. McGrath and Votto both praised the student who reported seeing the gun. -- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:15 PM | Comment Expect road closure in Coventry next monthCOVENTRY -- Beginning next month, for about six weeks, Main Street between Sandy Bottom Road and South Main Street will be closed as a throughway during daylight hours to allow for the next phase of sewer installation fanning westward, officials announced today. Crews will be digging trenches along the Route 117 stretch beginning Nov. 5. Work, including installation of sewer lines and service laterals to homes and businesses, is expected to continue through Dec. 15, weather permitting, said Town Engineer Sheila Barrett. This project is the latest effort to bring sewers to areas now dominated by septic systems. It is costing the town roughly $3.2 million, thanks to a loan from the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency. The project includes the line extended from the Sandy Bottom Lane pumping station toward Main Street, which began in September, and a sewer-line extension out near the police station, west to Ken Ray Drive and then back east toward Main and South Main streets. Coventry police will help motorist and pedestrians if they need access to homes and businesses. Motorists passing through will be directed to detours. They include: *Drivers heading eastbound on Route 117 will detour onto South Main Street, east onto Wood Street and north onto Sandy Bottom Road. *Drivers heading westbound, will detour south on Sandy Bottom Road, west onto Wood Street and north onto South Main Street *Truck or oversized vehicles eastbound on Route 117 will detour onto Hill Farm Road south to Harkney Hill Road onto Route 3 * Trucks westbound on Route 117 will detour south onto Sandy Bottom Road to Tiogue Avenue, (Route 3) south and north onto Hill Farm Road at Harkney Hill Road and back to Route 117 Coventry police advise all large truck traffic to use exit 5 on Route 95, to Victory Highway, northbound and pick up Route 117 there, to access points west of South Main Street, because detoured roads will be too narrow for the wider turns. Motorist with safety concerns may call the Coventry Police Department at (401) 826-1100. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:10 PM | Comment Victory scene: Big Papi holds trophy outside FenwayBOSTON -- David Ortiz, a.ka. Big Papi, held aloft the World Series trophy as he walked along the cheering hundreds gathered outside Fenway Park this evening. It was about 5 p.m. when the team bus pulled up outside Fenway Park. Pitcher Mike Timlin walked through the crowd with a little girl sitting on his shoulders. And There was Kevin Youklis. And look, team owners John Henry and Tom Werner appeared for the crowd. Besides cheers for the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox, the crowd on Yawkey Way chanted: "Don't Sign A-Rod!" The Yankees -- remember them? -- and slugger Alex Rodriguez have apparently parted ways. As the afternoon unfolded, about 1,000 fans lined Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they awaited the return of the Sox, who batted around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep. Media at the scene were hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m. A Direct TV blimp floated overhead. And on Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans noted the cars of their favorite stars. Fans said the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:38 PM | Comment Carcieri appoints new state fire marshalPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today announced that he appointed Frank M. Sylvester, chief of Lincoln's Lime Rock Fire District, the new state fire marshal. Chief Sylvester, a Pawtucket resident, will replace George S. Farrell, who resigned last spring to become Providence fire chief. State Police Supt. Brendan Doherty has been interim fire marshal, with Lt. John Blessing handling the day to day operations. “Chief Sylvester has the broad experience needed to fill the role of State Fire Marshal,” Carcieri said in a statement this evening. “From his time in the Lincoln and Pawtucket Fire Departments, to his military tours, and to his familiarity with marine firefighting and port security, his well-rounded experience in this state is a valuable commodity. I’m pleased he has agreed to serve in this position.” Sylvester retired from the Pawtucket Fire Department in 1988, joining the Lime Rock Fire District as chief. He graduated from Roger Williams College with a bachelor of science degree in administration. He served two years in the U.S. Army and then 18 years with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He is a member of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs, the New England Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Tomorrow's special session: What's on the list; what's notPROVIDENCE -- The General Assembly will tackle a slew of bills during tomorrow's special session, including mandatory overtime for nurses and reconsidering the state's treatment of 17-years-olds as adults in all criminal matters. But absent from the list tomorrow is a bill that would end mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes -- legislation an advocacy group had lobbied for last week -- and a measure to move the presidential primary to a "Super Tuesday" on which many states will hold primaries. Much of what the legislature will do is consider overriding Governor Carcieri's vetoes of bills. The House and Senate posted their calendars for tomorrow's action this afternoon. The reconsideration of 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters is on a committee calender and must clear committee to then go to the floor. This afternoon, Governor Carcieri today urged the General Assembly to approve a tax incentive for A. Duie Pyle, a Pennsylvania trucking company building a distribution center in Johnston, during the special legislative session tomorrow. It would give tax credits to Duie Pyle to offset about $330,000 in sales tax on the materials used to build the $9-million distribution center, the governor's office said. In order to get that, the company has pledged to create at least 120 jobs, most paying between $50,000 and $60,000. The Journal has reported that the failure of the tax incentive to win legislative approval has been the subject of a federal investigation of state Sen. Stephen D. Alves, D-West Warwick, for allegedly killing the bill for not getting Johnston pension-fund business. Alves has denied any wrongdoing ,calling the allegations "ridiculous and baseless." The U.S. Attorney's office and other federal authorities have been conducting a broad probe of alleged State House corruption dubbed "Operation Dollar Bill." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:02 PM | Comment Providence police sergeant injured by a carPROVIDENCE -- Police Sgt. David F. Edes suffered a broken arm and a serious shoulder injury when he was struck by a passing car in front of the Roxy nightclub at 79 Washington St. downtown, the police said today. Maj. Paul C. Fitzgerald, commander of the Uniformed Division, said Edes underwent shoulder surgery Sunday morning and remains a patient at Rhode Island Hospital. Edes was in the street, standing outside a police cruiser and speaking to the officers inside the cruiser when he was struck by a westbound car at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Fitzgerald. He was working off-duty as a uniformed officer on a paid detail for the nightclub at the time. The car was driven by Jeffrey Warhurst, 26, of 3 Colonial Rd., Coventry, the police said. He was given two traffic summonses charging him with failure to exercise due care and failure to have proof of auto insurance. Both are alleged civil infractions that are handled by the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:19 PM | Comment Association president pleads no contest to chargesJOHNSTON -- After his acquittal on a felony assault charge, the vocal president of the Slack Reservoir Association has pleaded no contest to charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct. Mark D. Barnes made the plea on Thursday in the aftermath of a jury trial in Superior Court, Providence, said Michael Healey, a spokesman for the state attorney general. Previously, Barnes had faced a felony charge of assaulting a person over 60. He was accused of punching a man in the face during an argument about a property boundary in April of 2006. Jurors acquitted him of that count, Healey said. After proceedings in September, jurors were unable to reach a Prosecutors opted against retrying the case and negotiated the plea. That means the charges against Barnes will be erased if he stays out of trouble over a year’s time, Healey said. “Given this travel, we think that a nolo contendre filing is both a fair outcome and a wise use of limited resources,” Healey said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment Victory scene: 1,000 fans line Yawkey, awaiting SoxBOSTON -- About 1,000 fans are lining Yawkey Way, batting around beach balls, as they await the return of the World Series champion Red Sox, who bat around the Rockies in a quick four-game sweep. Media at the scene are hearing the team's flight might have been slightly delayed. The team was due to land at Logan Airport about 3:30 p.m. A Direct TV blimp is floating overhead. On Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans say the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment Somerset police are seeking robbery suspectSOMERSET, Mass. -- The police are asking the public's help in finding a male who robbed a Shell gas station at knife point on Wilbur Avenue early yesterday. The suspect, described as a white male, five feet, four inches tall, weighing 145 pounds and 18 to 25 years old, took cigarettes and an undetermined amount of cash from the Shell at 1813 Wilbur Ave., the police news release said today. The suspect was last seen wearing a white baseball cap with a "B" on it and a white hooded sweatshirt with gold lettering across the front. Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday, someone in a white Dodge Intrepid or Dodge Stratus drove through the Shell parking lot, looking inside the store as he drove. The car was then parked, the driver walked into the store and around the counter and uttered an expletive in demanding the drawer be opened. The clerk opened it, the male looked inside and asked where the money was. He brandished a knife about six to eight inches long. The male took the tray from the drawer to look underneath for more money. The clerk told police the male took all the cash from the drawer, grabbed about seven cigarette packages and drove off on Wilbur Avenue toward the Route 195 junction. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:48 PM | Comment Health Department announces nursing home programThe state Health Department announced today a pilot program that aims to promote "individualized" care for nursing home residents. In a news release, the department said most Americans say they never want to live in a nursing home and they do not think of “individualized” or “home-like” when a nursing home comes to mind. But a national movement is trying to "deinstitutionalize" nursing homes and make them better respond to residents' needs, the Health Department said. In Rhode Island, the program will emphasize residents making a "wide variety of decisions and choices, such as when to wake up and go to sleep or when and how to bathe." And the program encourages a setting where older people will feel comfortable living, instead of a hospital-like environment. It will begin Thursday and run for six months as part of the annual survey process for each Rhode Island nursing home. “We want to encourage nursing homes to think about how well they are providing quality care while honoring the individual needs and choices of our elders," Dr. David R. Gifford, the state Health Department director, said in the statement. "This pilot will give all homes an opportunity to consider how well they are creating an individualized, home-like environment where the best personal, health, and medical services are provided." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:40 PM | Comment Photo: Hanging the banner at Fenway
Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:09 PM | Comment Fresh food, fresh calendar/ Photo
But even though many of the urban markets are closing for the winter, there's still plenty of local food available all year long. To help you keep local food in mind, a group of fresh-food enthusiasts have produced Ripe 2008 – a calendar that showcases produce items every month that are grown right here in Rhode Island. The coalition of college students and local graduates posed as naturally as the foods (read: nude), for the pictures. Each month offers a recipe, as well as a philosophy: “Eat slow – revel in the experience, savor the flavor. Breathe it in, bite, taste it. Enjoy, and harvest the beauty.” Calendars are available at Brown University Bookstore, the Farmstead store in Providence and online at Farm Fresh Rhode Island. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment Red Sox Fans await the champs' arrival
On Van Ness Street, next to the 95-year-old stadium, fans say the white Escalade parked on the street belongs to David Ortiz. The minivan nearby is probably the one driven by Curt Schilling’s wife. Among the crowd, wearing a red Sox cap and a green jersey is Greg Martakos, from Salem, N.H. Martakos, a police officer in Hooksett, said he watched the game last night while he was working the overnight shift at the dispatch center. After work – at 8:30 a.m. – he drove straight to Fenway. Martakos had tickets to Game Six, but now, of course, there won’t be a Game Six. He doesn’t say, directly, that he wanted Boston to lose just so he could see a game, but, he doesn’t flat out deny that he’s torn. He admits, he said, he’s a little greedy. “I wish I went to the game,” he said, “but this is just as great.” But if this isn't enough, he can come back tomorrow at noon for the Boston Red Sox World Series victory parade. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:52 PM | Comment Update: Bishop Tobin's live chat has endedAs part of his ongoing series, An American Bishop: Inside the World of One Cathedral Square, Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller hosted Bishop Tobin for an hour-long chat today. Bishop Tobin addressed questions about Catholic education, faith, charity, Mother Teresa and his own background. A transcript of this chat will be posted shortly with the rest of this series, which can be found at www.projo.com/extra/2007/american_bishop/ Posted by Pam Cotter at 2:00 PM | Comment Sox victory parade, with Papelbon dance, tomorrowBOSTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Papelbon will take his wacky Irish gig on the road Tuesday when the Boston Red Sox hold their World Series victory parade. The parade will start at noon from Fenway Park and will travel through Back Bay to the Common and end at City Hall Plaza, according to Boston.com. The “rolling rally” on World War II-era amphibious duck boats will take the same route -- beginning at Fenway Park and ending near City Hall -- as the 2004 championship parade, except they won’t go into the Charles River, Mayor Thomas Menino said Monday. Menino said Papelbon will dance, and the Dropkick Murphys also will play along the parade route. “He has to do a dance,” Menino said. “He promised the people he would do a dance.” The 2004 rally fell on a rainy day, but tomorrow's forecast is for a clear sunny day with a high of 59 degrees and a low of 46 degrees. There will be northwet winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour around noon. Menino acknowledged having the celebration on a week day would inconvenience some businesses and school children away, but he said players were eager to get home to their families and begin their vacation. The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies Sunday night with a 4-3 win in Denver. The team was expected to arrive back in Boston about 3:30 p.m. Monday and head over to Fenway Park. Menino also said a “rolling rally” was easier for city officials to manage, because it spread out the crowds. He estimated security would cost $500,000. Fans began celebrating immediately after the Red Sox won their second World Series title in four years. Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said 37 arrests were made early Monday in the city, mostly for disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported. Thirteen people were arrested after they refused to leave the Kenmore Square area near Fenway Park, police said. After police told a large crowd of people to disperse, several officers were struck by rocks and bottles. Sixteen cars parked along Newbury Street were vandalized, with broken side view mirrors and windows, or damaged windshield wipers. The police department had announced it would have more than 50 cameras trained on the city to record any vandalism. Boston authorities cracked down on rowdy sports celebrations after an Emerson College student was struck and killed when police fired a pepper pellet into an unruly crowd celebrating the Red Sox’ 2004 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:15 PM | Comment Construction set to begin on Quonest Gateway projectNORTH KINGSTOWN -- The Quonset Development Corporation is holding a ceremony today to celebrate the start of construction on the controversial Quonset Gateway project, a complex of retail outlets and office buildings at the entrance to the Quonset Business Park. In March, state planners rejected the original Gateway proposal, criticizing several of its key elements, including the inclusion of two so-called big box stores: a 117,000-square-foot Lowe's and an 89,000-square-foot Kohl's. Those stores remain part of the project, overseen by the New Boston Development Partners. But the QDC made a range of revisions to win approval last month, adding more office space and partially hiding the large retail stores and parking lots. The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:04 PM | Comment Southern Union pleads not guilty to mercury chargesPROVIDENCE -- Gas company Southern Union pleads not guilty to charges that it illegally stored mercury in a vacant building in Pawtucket. The Texas-based company is also accused of failing to report a 2004 mercury spill that occurred when vandals broke into the building and stole containers of the toxic metal. The company faces a fine of more than $67 million if convicted on all charges. Lawyers for Southern Union entered the plea today on the company's behalf in federal court. An indictment earlier this month accuses the company of storing mercury without the required permit between 2002 and 2004. It also failed to notify the local fire department of the mercury spill, as required by law. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:45 PM | Comment Rhode Island Hospital gets $11M grantA federal research center has awarded Rhode Island Hospital more than $11 million – one of the largest in the hospital’s history -- to study skeletal joint diseases. The center will be headed by Qian Chen, director of cell and molecular biology and head of orthopedic biology at Rhode Island Hospital. He’ll lead a team of doctors and research specialists from various fields to study bones development, cartilage degeneration, and ways to repair and rebuild it. This is the sixth grant of its kind to a Rhode Island institution – it’s the second to Rhode Island Hospital. "The aging of the baby boom generation and soaring obesity rates mean we can expect to see a sharp increase in the number of patients with osteoarthritis and other joint diseases,” said Chen said. “That’s why it’s critical that we not only expand our search for new and better treatments for joint diseases, but that we also recruit and mentor the next generation of orthopedic researchers – which our COBRE award allows us to do,” he said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment Gas prices up againGasoline prices have increased another five cents this week in Rhode Island, driven by higher crude oil prices, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.769 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. That's five cents more than last week and nine cents more than it was on October 15. Prices in Rhode Island remain about nine cents below the national average. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:11 AM | Comment No sanctions after alleged racist remarkNORTH KINGSTOWN — Town officials will take no action against Harriet Powell for allegedly making racist remarks during a Groundwater Advisory Committee meeting. Several members at an Oct. 4 meeting charged Powell, the committee’s chairman, with making disparaging remarks about Irish, Italian and Hispanic immigrants. In her defense, Powell said committee members and attendees misunderstood her comments, which were made during a private conversation before the meeting. She said her remarks were aimed at those who are intolerant of other ethnic groups. -- Journal staff writer Paul Davis Powell, 80, also serves on the Planning Commission and Asset Management Commission, as well as on other civic boards. In response to complaints by Town Councilman Steven Campo and others, Town Manager Michael Embury and Town Solicitor James Reilly interviewed those who attended the earlier groundwater meeting. But there were “discrepancies” in the testimony given by attendees, the council said in a statement. There was “inconclusive evidence to conclude the comments as reported were made in a derogatory context,” said council members, who voted 4-1 to take no action against Powell. The council did, however, issue a warning that racism and inappropriate comments would not be tolerated by town officials and employees. “The council in its determination does recognize that there should be no tolerance for any type of discriminatory language or actions, whether actual or perceived, by any member of a board, commission, or employee of the town of North Kingstown,” the board said. “In addition the council believes that under no circumstance should a board or commission, or member of such, be engaged in conversation or debate during an official meeting that is outside the scope of the posted agenda under the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.” A new policy to address the issues will be considered at a future meeting. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:02 AM | Comment Sox on their way home as World Series champsBOSTON --The Boston Red Sox return home to Fenway Park this afternoon, World Series champions again. Mayor Tom Menino tells WBZ Radio he'll meet with team officials before announcing details of a public celebration, which could come as early as tomorrow. Celebrations swept across New England after the Red Sox clinched the Series sweep with a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies last night in Denver. In Boston, people sprayed each other with beer and some climbed street signs and utility poles. At least one small fire was set and a crowd flipped a pickup truck on its side. Police arrested 37 people, mostly for disorderly conduct. One college student says two championships in four seasons is "pure heaven." About 1,500 students at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst poured into the streets there. The school says the crowd was boisterous yet peaceful, but six people were arrested for disorderly conduct. Thousands of students at the University of New Hampshire celebrated in the streets, with many carrying brooms and chanting ``sweep, sweep, sweep.'' -- The Associated press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:47 AM | Comment URI groups meet to discuss "sticker ordinance"A recently revised town ordinance that brands houses with bright orange stickers after they've been cited for hosting loud parties may be effective at keeping noise levels down, but does it unfairly single out students? Are there other ways to manage noise problems? The University of Rhode Island Student Senate is hosting a forum tonight to discuss the ordinance, which has been a point of contention between some students and residents since it was passed in September. External Affairs Chair Tom Aherns and Student Body President Neil Leston organized the event as a way to bring students and residents together to discuss student responsibility and accountability, student rights, the jurisdiction of URI officials, the year-long orange sticker and alternatives to the current ordinance. The forum, tonight from 7 to 9, is open to the public. It will be held in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:04 AM | Comment Hearing for woman accused of parrot mutilation continuedA court appearance by a woman accused of stealing a baby parrot and cutting off its leg has been postponed until next month. The pre trial hearing has been postponed at least three times for a crime Warwick Police Sgt. Robert C. Rocco called "the most bizarre thing" he'd seen in 24 years on the job. Police say Pamela Worden, 56, walked into a Petco store, stole a baby parrot, and cut off its foot to remove an identity tag used by the store to keep track of the $500 bird. Officers found the bird in Worden’s apartment. It was alive, but bleeding. They also found the amputated foot, the bird’s ID tag, and a pair of scissors on a counter. Attorney general spokesman Michael J. Healey said should Worden be convicted, prosecutors intend to ask for jail time, given the severity of the crime. Worden faces one count of felony possession of stolen goods and one count of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor. Her hearing has been continued until Nov. 5 in Superior Court, Warwick. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:27 AM | Comment Photo: The stamp of a World Series champ
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:33 AM | Comment Man arrested after car runs into utility poleA Glocester man was arrested for driving under the influence early this morning after his car drove into a utility pole, knocking it over, according to the Smithfield police. Adam Leszczyk, 22, was taken to the hospital after he lost control of his car just after 1 a.m. today on Putnam Pike near Barnes Street, according to Lt. Mike Mousseau. The car knocked down a utility pole, flipped over, and landed on its roof. Leszczyk suffered superficial injures to his face, according to police. He was arrested for refusing to take an alcohol test and driving under the influence. The downed utility pole was a support structure and did not disrupt any service. It was replaced at about 4:30 this morning. The road was cleared by 2:30 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:53 AM | Comment Dozens arrested after Sox take the SeriesBOSTON -- Police say at least 37 people have been arrested in the post-World Series celebration in Boston. But they report no serious injuries. Officers in riot gear worked to clear crowds that filled the streets after the Red Sox finished off their World Series sweep in Denver by beating the Colorado Rockies 4-to-3. One unruly crowd tipped a pickup truck on its side. Police shut down access to Fenway Park as the game neared its end in Denver. Customers in bars and restaurants around the Red Sox home field were told they would not be allowed to return once they left. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Clear but a chilly startThe good: we can expect clear sunny skies today. The not-so-good: It's going to be chilly. It's not so bad, though. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 53 degrees; still four degrees higher than average for today. A few clouds may roll in tonight when the temperature should drop to 37. Tomorrow should be a little warmer, with a high temperature of about 62 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment October 26, 2007Tonight: Jack-o'-lanterns plus the usual hauntsWith no Sox to watch tonight, maybe it's time to be scared. You can head over to the haunted tunnel at Daggett Farm in Pawtucket’s Slater Park -- entrances on Armistice Boulevard and Newport Avenue -- from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns are on view. Admission is $5, free under 12. For information, call (401) 728-0500, ext. 257. Can't get there from here? Try projo.com's very own light the jack-o'-lanterns game -- featuring Pawtucket's own McCoy Stadium -- created by projo.com designer Kathy DeVault. See how many pumpkins you can light. For other Halloween activities, check out projo.com's Fall Guide. There's also the music scene: Backlash play rock at East Bay Tavern, 305 Lyon Ave., East Providence. Call 228-7343. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Halloween party. Black & White featuring Gary “Guitar” Gramolini play rhythm and blues at the Backstreet Bar and Grill, 2247 West Shore Rd., Warwick. Call 736-0404. 9 p.m. The Paul Broadnax Trio play jazz at Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Steve Burke plays jazz at Gianfranco’s Ristorante and Bar, 183 George Waterman Rd., Johnston. Call 349-4838. 7 to 11 p.m. Also check out the projo.com club listings for more to hear tonight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Daylight Saving Time change: Not yet and here's whyDo not set your clocks back this Sunday. Starting this year, Daylight Saving Time has been extended to the first Sunday in November. Don’t worry about forgetting; we’ll give you plenty of warning. That said, feel free to wonder why most of the United States moves its clocks forward in spring and backward in fall. Energy savings, right? A prevailing argument since before DST's widespread implementation was that moving the clocks forward in the spring would give people a little extra time in the evening before they had to turn on all the lights -- or light candles -- saving on elecriticy -- or wax. While living in France in 1784, Benjamin Franklin suggested in an anonymous letter to the authors of the Journal of Paris that the city could save nearly one-billion livres tournois – just by “using sunshine instead of candles.” “An immense sum! that the city of Paris might save every year” he writes. (I’ll take it on faith as I don’t know what livres tournoiswould be worth today). And during the first and second World Wars, officials in the United States offered DST as a way to conserve fuel for the war efforts. The practice was left up to municipalities to continue if they wanted. In the mid-1960s, the Uniform Time Act was passed as the request of the transportation industry. States were asked to make a decision regarding DST and make it uniform throughout the state. And again, more than 200 years after Franklin’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Parisians be taxed on window shutters that keep out the sun, in 2005 President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act. That called for extending Daylight Saving Time, starting this year, by a month with the intent of conserving energy. Also wondering how it may affect your computer's time? If you have a system with the latest updates, it should take care of itself. Specifically, clocks now spring ahead at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, and fall back at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. But will it help? Read on to find out. -- By Brandie Jefferson, projo.com staff writer A study prepared for the California Energy Commission in 2007 concluded not only that it wasn't clear that increased DST would be a significant energy savings, but that there was a one in four chance that DST could lead to a small increase in energy use. The National Bureau of Standards reviewed the DOT report and went further, saying there were no significant energy savings or differences in traffic fatalities as proponents of DST often say there are. And just this week; a research paper out of Europe contends that the 1.6 billion people who live in places where DST is implemented may be affected physiologically by the change. “This seemingly small hour translates to a repeat of 10 weeks in the annual progression of the relationship between our sleep-wake cycle and dawn,” researcher Till Rosenberg said. “Four weeks in spring and six weeks in autumn. In effect, it’s as if the entire population of Germany, for example, is transported to Morocco in spring and back again in autumn.” “After taking seasonal adjustment into account, our results show that the human circadian clock does not adjust to the DST transition.” It may be a good thing that the Energy Policy Act also gives Congress the right to switch back to the old system if it's not impressed with the savings. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:50 PM | Comment Apartment fire at Charlesgate North quickly dousedPROVIDENCE -- Firefighters responded to a fire in a 10th-floor apartment of the Charlesgate North apartments on North Main Street this afternoon. The fire was reported at 2:45 p.m. and was confined to apartment 10H at 670 North Main St., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. It was brought under control at 3:19 p.m. A person was taken to Miriam Hospital for minor injuries. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:59 PM | Comment Appeals court won't review FERC's LNG decision nowBOSTON -- A federal appeals court declined today to take up a review of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's conditional approval of a controversal liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for Fall River, Mass. Fall River and Massachusetts state officials, joined by Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, had sought a review from the appeals court -- and potential for rejection -- of the FERC's conditional approval. But the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit, concluded in its opinion made public today that "we will not review the merits of FERC's conditional project approval because we find it is not ripe for review at this time. We also find no abuse of discretion in FERC's decision to deny a reopening of the record." The decision comes two days after the Coast Guard released its findings concluding that it would be too risky to let LNG tankers ply the waters of Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River -- a decision that some officials have said the Fall RIver LNG proposal may not be able to overcome. The court notes that its decision "does not preclude" the Fall River and Rhode Island officials from again petitioning the FERC to reopen the record to "subsequently seeking redress with this court -- when the future of [Weaver's Cove Energy's] proposed LNG project is more certain." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:48 PM | Comment Assembly poised to repeal new teen criminal lawPROVIDENCE -- The General Assembly is poised to reverse a controversial new law that required 17-year-olds be treated as adults in all criminal matters. The measure, which became law as part of the state budget adopted in June, has been attacked by critics in recent months for being poor public policy and not cost effective. The head of the Adult Correctional Institutions A.T. Wall has acknowledged that it actually costs the state more to house 17-year-olds at the state prison than at the Training School. The Assembly plans to take up the issue during its special session next Tuesday. While the exact language of the new bill has yet to be released, Senate Finance Committee chairman Steven Alves confirmed today that leaders in both chambers have agreed to "basically repeal" the law. The proposed repeal would be retroactive, Alves said, meaning that any of the 17-year-olds charged in adult court since July 1 would have their cases transferred to the Family Court and their files would be sealed. The House Finance Committee plans to hold a public hearing on the new bill -- modeled after a Senate bill that died late last session -- an hour before the special session begins with the expectation that it be passed and referred to the House floor later that day. The proposal would then require the approval of the full Senate. Governor Carcieri's office would not say this afternoon whether it would veto the proposed law. "This is the first the governor has heard about the possibility that the General Assembly might address this issue at Tuesday's special session. As a result, it is premature for me to comment on what the governor's position will be," Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said this afternoon. -- Steve Peoples, of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:24 PM | Comment Update: Man accused of arson, murder attempt heldFALL RIVER, Mass. -- A Norton, Mass., man is being held on $750,000 cash bail at the Bristol County House of Correction after pleading not guilty today to attempted murder, arson and kidnapping charges stemming from a fire he is accused of setting that seriously injured two young children. Garrett Fregault, an assistant district attorney, had asked for $1 million cash bail for Luis Berrios, 20, during the afternoon arraignment in front of Judge Christopher D. Welch. The police responded to 18B Watuppa Heights at about 12:50 a.m. today for a report of a disturbance and a fire, with children trapped. A large crowd had gathered outside the apartment, and smoke was coming from the windows, according to a police statement. The police learned that nine people were inside the apartment at the time of the fire, including three young children and a babysitter. Police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Mauretti said an angered Berrios had arrived at the apartment, where his ex-girlfriend lives, and took his 6-month-old daughter, set a bedroom on fire and fled. It’s unclear whether the ex-girlfriend, whom the police are not identifying, was inside at the time. The police immediately tried to enter the burning apartment, but were initially driven back by the intense heat and smoke, the police said. Once the fire department arrived, police Lt. Michael Cabral entered the apartment and rescued a 3-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl -- who are brother and sister -- from the apartment. The 6-month-old girl is Berrios' daughter. The police and firefighters performed CPR on the children, who had suffered smoke inhalation. The girl was taken to St. Anne’s Hospital before being airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital. The boy was first taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital before being transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Both children are in critical condition, Mauretti said. No one else inside the apartment was injured, the police said. The fire was contained to the apartment and left $30,000 worth of damage. -- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims The police issued an alert to surrounding law-enforcement agencies with a description of Berrios’ vehicle. A “very astute” Massachusetts state trooper, Jason Morse, stopped Berrios at about 3 a.m. on Route 95 North in Attleboro near Route 495. Along the way, Berrios had dropped his infant daughter off at a relative’s house in Providence. Berrios was arrested and charged with nine counts of attempted murder, kidnapping of a minor by a relative, home invasion and arson of a dwelling, all felonies. Fall River police and fire and the state police are investigating the fire. Greg Miliote, spokesman for Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter's office, said Berrios had been arrested in April in Taunton, Mass., on charges of possession of marijuana and a Class B drug, selling the Class B drug and motor vehicle violations. Those charges are pending. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:19 PM | Comment Mother found guilty of child's murder / Photo
Mawson faced second-degree murder in the 2002 death of her 19-month-old daughter Jade. The official cause of death was homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. For Mawson to be found guilty, jurors had to decide she acted with malice or intentional disregard for her daughter’s life, Superior Court Judge Edwin Gale said. If they did not believe the state proved she acted with malice, Mawson could have been found guilty of manslaughter. In closing arguments yesterday, defense lawyer Kevin Bristow addressed Mawson’s seemingly inconsistent grand jury testimony, and later, pointed the blame back to Mawson’s then-boyfriend, Daniel Fusco. When she tells Fusco to call the ambulance isn’t important, Bristow argued, nor is how many times she called him that day. “What’s important is that when Kim learns of the 9-1-1 call, she doesn’t stop running to her daughter,” Bristow said. “She doesn’t run away. She doesn’t run and get a lawyer. She doesn’t run to Boston or Connecticut. [When the ambulance arrived] she was pointing at the house where they needed to go.” But Mawson’s interactions with investigators and her unreliable recall of the day her child died suggested she was hiding something, Assistant Attorney General William Ferland said. “Let this woman know that you will expose her activities for all of the world to see,” he said. “Do this child justice.” -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:11 PM | Comment Health Dept. to review psychiatric procedures in ERsPrompted by a lawsuit against the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, the state Health Department announced today it will review staffing and admitting procedures for psychiatric patients in Rhode Island hospitals. H. Reed Cosper, the Rhode Island mental health advocate, is suing the state in an effort to stop the practice of psychiatric patients being held in hospital emergency rooms without treatment for days. The suit in Providence County Superior Court seeks to ban the detaining of mentally ill people against their will in any location aside from a licensed psychiatric facility, or to require that patients be put in a psychiatric facility within 24 hours. Dr. David R. Gifford, the Health Department director, said in a news release the review comes after this morning's meeting between Health Department staff and Ellen R. Nelson, director of the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals. Nelson called the meeting to "inquire about hospital licensing requirements and how they may relate to the admission of psychiatric patients at Rhode Island hospitals," the news release says. Allegations in the lawsuit "raise the question of why hospitals are not admitting these patients or having the appropriate staff to evaluate and manage them," the Health Department said. All licensed hospitals must have available on call, 24 hours a day, physicians in specialties "appropriate to the scope of services provided by the hospital." New regulations mandate that hospitals provide charity care for uninsured individuals below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and partial charity care for uninsured individuals between 200 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level. “We are going to take a closer look at the root of what is happening in emergency departments when a psychiatric patient shows up,” Gifford said in the statement. “Are hospitals not complying with licensing requirements or the charity care regulations? If so, these are serious concerns and they must be addressed.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal reports Correction: H. Reed Cosper's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:04 PM | Comment AG Lynch's office warns of scam on elderlyAttorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office warned today that elderly customers of the former Brooks Pharmacy chain should not give personal information such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers to telephone callers claiming they work for Ride Aid Corp. Lynch's office received one complaint of a caller claiming he or she needed the information to ensure the files of Rite Aid, the national drugstore chain that bought Brooks Pharmacy, are updated. The scam "appears to be the result of an organized effort," Lynch's news release said. “Based on our preliminary investigation, this is a scheme that is targeting and attempting to extract confidential information from Rhode Island senior citizens who are living in high-rise communities and assisted-living situations,” Lynch said in the statement. “Fortunately, the woman who called us to make a complaint was wary and refused to provide any details" to the caller. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:54 PM | Comment Span's opening delayed, but ribbon cut on time / Photo
Journal photo / Andrew DickermanGold-painted scissors were ready for the ribbon-cutting on the new Route 195 bridge over the Providence River.
The actual opening of the arch bridge and first section of the $610 million project to traffic, however, has receded into the future. Scheduled for Sunday, it has been put off at least until the following weekend because of rain forecast for this weekend. Today’s event was a normal ribbon-cutting, a chance for politicians and high officials to congratulate each other for the project. Perhaps 100 people, many from the DOT and Cardi Corp., the general contractor that built the project, and the Federal Highway Administration, which is paying for most of it, attended the event. It wasn’t open to the public, but the DOT said the ribbon-cutting "served to remind Rhode Islanders" that the road will open next week end, weather permitting. The top outsider, J. Richard Capka, administrator of the FHWA, said the present stretch of Route 195 is "one of the biggest bottlenecks" in the East Coast transportation corridor, and that the project will reduce congestion there. Governor Carcieri said his administration has speeded up the project by five years by deciding to borrow against the state’s future federal highway aid, and that moving the timetable ahead will save money while getting highway improvements faster. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis When the new section of road and bridge that were the subject of the ribbon-cutting open, they will carry northbound traffic on Route 95 to the eastbound lanes of a new section of Route 195. Most of the one-mile-long project, which includes a new Route 95-Route 195 interchange, the new bridge, and a new section of 195 connecting to the existing Route 195 near the Washington Bridge, are to open next year and in 2009, with the rest of the project to be completed in 2012. Jerome F. Williams, the DOT’s director, said he wants to open the new road next Saturday or Sunday morning “if nature cooperates." Opening the road, the DOT said, "requires a minimum of 12 hours of clear and dry overnight weekend weather." The National Weather Service was forecasting rain for this Saturday and Saturday night. A DOT engineer had explained that the DOT needs to paint stripes on the road the night before it opens, and that rain could wash the paint away, spoiling the striping job and confusing drivers. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:42 PM | Comment Sox rocked Rox, now need attitude for altitude/ Photo
Coors Field in Denver has its upper deck 20th row seats painted purple -- the Rockies team colors -- to signify where the stadium reaches a mile above sea level. Fenway Park is more than a little closer to sea level. And while the Sox bats have been hot, the team is headed into cooler air and currently lower humidity. There was snow there recently, though the forecast isn't calling for that right now. A high of 55 degrees and low of 33 are in the forecast tomorrow for Denver. Saturday night is projected to be mostly clear. Current humidity out there is 43 percent. In comparison, humidity in Boston is 62 percent, and tomorrow's temperatures are expected to be a high of 71 degrees and low of 50 degrees. Up 2-0, the Sox have looked pretty comfortable in cozy Fenway, but will the change in venue -- the altitude, the weather and Coors Field's huge outfield -- take them off their game and help generate a change in momentum? Maybe, maybe not. The best-of-seven series resumes tomorrow at 8:35 p.m. in Denver. Daisuke Matsuzaka goes for the Sox against Josh Fogg for the Rockies. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:08 PM | Comment 4 groups get housing aid for elderly and disabledFour Rhode Island organizations were awarded more than $8 million in federal grants to help cities and towns provide housing assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. The $8.1 million, awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will go to nonprofit organizations in Providence, Little Compton, Cranston and Warwick. Sen. Jack Reed, a member of both the Banking Committee, which oversees federal housing policy and the Appropriations Subcommittee which oversees federal spending for HUD programs, said in a statement that people who live in housing that is subsidized for elderly people and those with disabilities are already on fixed incomes. “This money will help ensure that more of our low-income seniors and people with disabilities have access to affordable housing,” he said in a statement. For a complete list of the organizations receiving grant money, click below. Church Community Housing Corporation, Little Compton Spurwink/RI, Cranston HUD provides the Section 202 and Section 811 funds to nonprofits in two forms: • Capital advances: This is money that covers the cost of developing the housing. It does not need to be repaid as long as the housing is available for at least 40 years for occupancy by very low-income seniors (under Section 202) or very low-income people with disabilities (under Section 811). • Project rental assistance: This is money that goes to each non-profit group to cover the difference between the residents' contributions toward rent and the cost of operating the project. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:42 AM | Comment Polls open tomorrow for some, not all NarragansettsThe polls will open tomorrow for Narragansett Indians to vote for a chief sachem. But it’s not entirely clear who will be allowed to vote. Former tribal councilman Lester Fayerweather, who believes former members' tribal rights should be restored, says people may bring copies of earlier tribal rolls to prove their eligibility. Councilman John Brown says people looking to vote who aren’t on the current membership list could jeopardize the election. Paulla Dove Jennings, 67, is challenging current Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, 46, for the 5-year post. Thomas became the tribe's youngest elected chief since colonial times when he defeated Jennings and another candidate in 1997. Ballots can be cast from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Narragansett Four Winds Community Center on Route 2 in Charlestown. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:21 AM | Comment Jury considers whether mom killed her daughterDid Kimberly A. Mawson kill her 19-month-old daughter? That’s the question 12 jurors will consider when they reconvene at Superior Court, Warwick, this morning. Mawson is charged with second-degree murder in the 2002 death of her daughter, Jade. The official cause of death was homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. In closing arguments yesterday, defense lawyer Kevin Bristow addressed the prosecution’s claim that Mawson gave seemingly inconsistent testimony to a grand jury. He also echoed his opening statements, pointing the blame at Mawson’s then-boyfriend, Daniel Fusco. Fusco was alone with Jade the day she was fatally injured. Mawson said a jewelry box fell on the baby’s head; prosecutors say Mawson had a history of abusing the girl. For Mawson to be found guilty, jurors must decide she acted with malice or intentional disregard for her daughter’s life, Judge Edwin Gale said. If they do not believe the state proved she acted with malice, Mawson can still be found guilty of manslaughter. That lesser charge means the jury believes Mawson acted without malice, and didn’t consider the outcome of her alleged actions. If jurors cannot agree unanimously that Mawson caused Jade’s injuries beyond a reasonable doubt, they must find her not guilty, Gale said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:14 AM | Comment Photo: Projecting faith in the Red Sox
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:03 AM | Comment R.I. man sues Jim Belushi over Land Rover salePAWTUCKET -- Comedian Jim Belushi is being sued by the father of his former driver, who accuses the star of selling him a used 2001 Land Rover that turned out to be a lemon. Ted Lewandowski worked as Belushi's driver when the star was filming the Walt Disney movie ``Underdog'' in Providence. He claims the SUV he bought for his father needed more than $6,000 in repairs -- and he demands that Belushi pay. Belushi's Los Angeles attorney, Brian Wolf, says the claim is false and frivolous because it already has been decided in his client's favor. He said a California court found in February that Belushi doesn't owe Lewandowski any money for repairs to the car. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Clouds moving inThere may be some sun sun earlier today, but clouds should increase as the day goes on. The National Weather Service is predicting a high temperature just shy of 60 degrees. Rain is coming this evening -- as much as a half inch -- likely after 9 p.m. The overnight low will be about 50 degrees. Tonight's rain may last into tomorrow morning. Temperatures should reach the low 70s with wind gusts as high as 33 mpg. More rain, and maybe thunderstorms, overnight Saturday with a low temperature around 50 degrees. The sun is expected to make an appearance Sunday with clear skies and a high temperature of about 60 and an overnight low -- very low -- close to freezing. Chilly weather returns Monday, with clear skies and a high just around 50. To keep up with weather forecasts over the weekend, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs and other coverage the Red Sox' Game Two win in the World Series. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 25, 2007Tonight: Touching all the basesOnce again, there's no sense us telling you there's a baseball game tonight, as the Sox meet the Rox for Game 2 of the World Series at 8:29 in Boston. Stay home. Unless you’re not interested. In which case, there are other things to do tonight. The Colonel is spinning records at Local 121 -- there will be '50s rock'n'roll, '60s soul and maybe some '70s punk. And probably a cowboy hat. And a local champion returns to Providence. Laura Moran was the 1992 Providence Poetry Grand Slam champ and the 1996 Seattle champ. Catch her at AS220 tonight at Free Speech Thursday. And if you've got something to say, step up to the open mike. To see what else is going on, visit projo.com's club calendar. Or just come back to projo.com later tonight as Journal sportswriters and photographers blog their reports before, during and after the game. Add your reactions, too. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:58 PM | Comment Advocates protest plan to merge their officesPROVIDENCE – It its final days last June, the General Assembly inserted language into the state budget that required the governor to propose merging the state’s five advocacy offices – including office of the child advocate and the mental health advocate – under one new Department of Advocacy. This afternoon, the advocates spoke out against the plan, which child advocate Jametta O. Alston fears would essentially kill her ability to protect Rhode Island’s children by stripping her office of its autonomy. The measure would make it extremely difficult, she said, to file lawsuits against the same government leaders who would ultimately create her budgets. Alston filed a sweeping lawsuit against the governor and other state officials in June alleging systemic failures that led to physical and mental child abuse. “We have to really fight and tell people what’s happening,” she said before the meeting. “I think this is on a train that’s pulled into the station and I’m afraid it’s going to take off and destroy our advocacy.” Alston was among representatives from six advocacy offices invited to the basement of the Department of Health building by the governor’s budget office, as it begins to shape the reorganization efforts. The ultimate plan will be presented in the governor’s budget proposal due to be released in February. The motivation, according to the House leadership, was simply to cut costs by streamlining services as the state struggles to close multi-million-dollar budget deficits. State mental-health advocate H. Reed Cosper had sent out an alert urging supporters to go to today’s meeting to defend what he described as a direct threat to his office’s autonomy. Between 40 and 50 people attended the afternoon meeting in all. -- Steve Peoples, of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment Photo: Making a point of being in tune
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:42 PM | Comment A last-minute pitch to abolish minimum drug sentencesPROVIDENCE -- Civil rights leaders and politicians made a last-ditch effort today to get the General Assembly to override Governor Carcieri’s veto and abolish the state’s minimum mandatory drug sentencing laws. The big question remains: Will the issue be presented for an override at Tuesday’s special session of the General Assembly? House Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino, D-Providence, said that the leadership had not committed to an agenda for the special session. Translation: It’s anyone’s guess whether the issue of minimum mandatory drug sentencing will be heard next week. Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, the Providence Democrat who sponsored the House version of the bill, said that Carcieri was not listening to the wants of the people when he vetoed the General Assembly’s decision to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for drug crimes. Almeida, Sen. Harold Metts, D-Providence, and other supporters of the override, including representatives from Direct Action for Rights and Equality, DARE, held a low-key rally on the Smith Street side of the State House late this afternoon. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowsli “Why doesn’t he listen to the people,’’ Almeida said. ``Isn’t this the house of the people?” Steven Brown, executive director of the Providence chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, called the nation’s war on drugs ”a fiasco” and that Rhode Island should follow the lead of many other states that have repealed tough mandatory drug laws that were adopted in the 1980s. Brown said that every public official, ``but our governor,’’ has seen the light. He said the drug laws have lead to overcrowding at the Adult Correctional Institutions and placed a strain on the state budget. Since 1988, the state’s prison population has more than doubled from about 1,500 prisoners to more than 3,500. Metts, the Providence senator, emphasized that Rhode Island residents need better schools and property tax relief instead of locking more teenagers up with Draconian minimum mandatory drug sentences. Metts, who is a minister and assistant principal at Central High School in Providence, said that teenagers make mistakes and should be given second chances -- not long-term prison sentences. “As a society, we have to give people a chance to redeem themselves,” he said. “Instead of more punishment, we need more love.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:14 PM | Comment Gasification plant headed to Brayton PointSOMERSET, Mass. -- A Massachusetts company is building a $25 million facility at the Brayton Point Station to research and test a process for turning coal and other biomass into clean natural gas. The town’s other power plant, Somerset Power LLC, is also planning to install a state-of-the-art gasification system, but it uses a different process to create a synthetic gas. The GreatPoint plant will use a catalyst to create pure methane and, as byproducts, carbon dioxide – a major contributor to global warming – and a small amount of solid “char,” which can be recovered. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery The process can be designed to trap the carbon dioxide, although nobody is sure what to do with it. Dominion is sponsoring research to see if the pollutant can be taken out of the environment by pumping it into coal seams in Southwest Virginia. If the technology is perfected, it could be widely embraced in an era of concern over global warming, high energy prices, and dramatic economic expansion in countries such as China. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said he and his staff want to make the Bay State a leader in clean energy technology. “If we get this right, and I believe we can because we have all the capabilities to do so,” he said, “then we can be a supplier to companies and industries all over the world.” The facility is expected to employ about 100 people, according to GreatPoint Energy, Inc., and take about one year to build. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:04 PM | Comment No verdict yet in case of mom accused of killing babyJurors did not reach a verdict today, their first day of deliberations in the murder trial of Kimberly A. Mawson. A former Warwick resident, Mawson, 37, is accused of killing her 19-month-old daughter, Jade, in 2002. Her trial began Oct. 16 in Superior Court, Warwick. Closing arguments were presented to the jury earlier today. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 4:33 PM | Comment Local business forum at RIC SaturdayLocal entrepreneurs looking for advice on how to grow their businesses may find some of what they need at Rhode Island College Saturday. Information on tax credits, loans, marketing and other tools for business will be available at Tools to Grow: The Mayor’s Small Business Resource Forum, hosted by Mayor David Cicilline. The forum is free and will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., at Rhode Island College in Alger Hall. For a list of agencies and departments who will be represented, click below. Experts from public, private and non-profit agencies will be on hand to answer questions and will include: The Small Business Administration Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 4:32 PM | Comment Skills you can use: Surviving a zombie attackIn the entirely imaginable event that the dead are reanimated and determined to eat your brains, what can you do to help ensure humanity lives on? Haven’t a clue, do you? That’s OK, Max Brooks does, and he’s willing to share his tips for surviving a possible zombie epidemic. Brooks, the author of The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, is speaking tomorrow evening at Brown University. He’ll talk about the zombies place in contemporary media and pop culture in the first event of the Providence Zombie Film Festival. Brooks’ lecture, at Macmillan 117, on the corner of Thayer and George Streets, will likely be the most academic event of the festival, which will showcase zombie movies – such as Graveyard Alive: a Zombie Nurse in Love – Friday through Halloween at the Cable Car Cinema. In case you can’t make it, just a few tips from Brooks’ survival guide: 1. Organize before they rise! Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:58 PM | Comment Case of mom accused of killing child in jury's handsPROVIDENCE -- It may be counterintuitive to believe a mother would kill her daughter, Assistant Attorney General William Ferland told a jury today, but the day that 19-month-old Jade Mawson was fatally injured, “she needed her mother to be there for her,” he said. And when Kimberly Mawson’s former boyfriend called her to say her baby had collapsed and needed help, Ferland said, “She said, ‘Wait.'" Ferland presented the state’s closing arguments against Mawson, 37, who faces second-degree murder charges for the 2002 death of her daughter, Jade. The child died of blunt force trauma on Dec. 4, 2002, two days after arriving at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. He also addressed the defense’s assertions that Daniel Fusco, Mawson’s ex-boyfriend, killed the girl. Fusco, Ferland said, was not smart enough to get away with such a crime. In court last week, Fusco testified that he had initially lied to police about his whereabouts the day Jade was fatally injured because he was selling marijuana. The state offered him immunity from prosecution for that offense for his cooperation with the investigation. This Tuesday, Fusco was arrested at his home in West Warwick and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of cocaine after a search at his house, Det. Sgt. Mark Bennett said today. He is being held at the Adult Correction Institutions pending a bail hearing, Bennett said. After hearing closing arguments today, Mawson’s case is now in the hands of a jury in Superior Court, Warwick. They had been listening to testimony since last Wednesday. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:46 PM | Comment State gets $3 million to upgrade healthcareRhode Island has been awarded nearly $3 million in federal grants to help update its healthcare systems. More than $2.7 million will be used to strengthen the Medicaid system and reduce patient error rates using electronic health records, prescribing programs and other support tools. A second grant of $150,000, will help fund a study on the feasibility of creating a way to identify patients who can’t afford or get health insurance because of preexisting health conditions. In a statement today, Rep. Patrick Kennedy said health information technology was the key to making the healthcare system deliver the right care to the right people. “Not only does health IT provide affordable, quality care by streamlining health information and communication,” he said, “it helps save lives and save money while working to ensure that quality health care is available for everyone.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:32 PM | Comment NBC 10 announces new anchor/reporterChannel 10 WJAR announced today that Dan Jaehnig, who spent five years at Fox 25 in Boston, is returning to Channel 10 to co-anchor the 5 p.m. news with Patrice Wood and to report live weeknights for the 11 p.m. news anchored by Gene Valicenti and Wood. Jaehnig starts Oct. 29. The announcement, on the Channel 10 Web site, said Jaehnig worked at NBC 10 from 1998 to 2002 covering such stories as the Operation Plunder Dome investigation. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:03 PM | Comment Pawtucket man's child sex-assault conviction upheldThe state Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a Pawtucket man sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for first- and second-degree sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. Armando Merced, 72, was sentenced in Providence County Superior Court in January 2006. In his appeal to the high court, Merced argued the trial judge erred by allowing certain testimony from a doctor that he claimed improperly bolstered the victim's testimony, according to the Supreme Court opinion's description. He also complained that the prosecution was allowed to ask leading questions. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:50 PM | Comment R.I. man to face sexual assault charge in Conn.NEW LONDON, Conn. -- A Rhode Island man who's a suspect in a sexual assault case in Connecticut has been extradited from Australia after three years on the run. State police say 42-year-old Ronald Whitewolf was brought back to the country by U.S. marshals, then picked up Wednesday by state troopers. Whitewolf was a resident of Rhode Island. He is facing charges in New London of failing to show up for court in 2004 and second-degree sexual assault. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:40 PM | Comment Drought advisory issued for Ocean StateThe state is issuing a drought advisory after months of below-average rainfall leaves Rhode Island at higher risk for forest fires and water shortages. An advisory is one step beyond normal on a five-step drought scale. After three months of below average rainfall, the Water Resources Board’s Drought Steering Committee is asking municipal officials and residents to closely track water use. “Although fall and winter months are not peak water use periods,” Juan Mariscal, general manager of the board said, “our concern is that this is the period of time when reservoirs and groundwater are recharged.” Over-use could lead to more severe droughts in the spring. He said this may be a good time for homeowners to assess their water systems and for cities and towns to "increase vigilance" regarding water use. More efficient plumbing fixtures can reduce waste and increase efficiency. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Rhode Island is ranked this week as D1, for "Drought - Moderate" on a scale that ranges from D0 for "abnormally dry" to D4 for "Drought - Exceptional." Click here to see a drought map for the state and to get to drought conditions around the country. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:33 PM | Comment Celts to play exhibition game at the DunkPROVIDENCE -- The Celtics will hold an exhibition game in Providence next fall for the first time in more than a decade, according to Lawrence J. Lepore, the executive director of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The arena managers are reserving several dates in October for the Celtics, Lepore said in an interview this morning. "It'd be great," he said said. "We'd sell out." The exhibition games are typically held in Worcester at the DCU Center. But last Friday, a game between the Celtics and New Jersey Nets was canceled at halftime because of condensation on the floor. That decision left some of the 10,625 fans in attendance booing and cursing, according to The Boston Globe. The next day, Leopore said, the Celtics called the Dunkin' Donuts Center to schedule a game for next year. --Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:20 PM | Comment Dancing with the Stars returns to Rhode IslandPROVIDENCE -- The ABC show Dancing with the Stars returns to Providence next year, and tickets are scheduled to go on sale next month. The program's road show is scheduled to come to the Dunkin' Donuts Center on February 9, 2008, Lawrence J. Lepore, the arena's executive director, said this morning at the monthly meeting of the arena's owner, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority. Tickets go on sale Nov. 5, nine days before the arena reopens after the most recent phase of a three-year renovation. "All in all, bookings are looking strong," Lepore said. Dancing with the Stars last came to Providence in February, giving ten local couples the chance to dance before a large audience. The next episode of the popular ballroom dancing show airs on ABC next Tuesday. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:17 PM | Comment Weather postpones opening of Iway portionPROVIDENCE -- The opening of a portion of the Iway to cars and trucks, which was slated for this Sunday afternoon, will be postponed a week because of this weekend's rain forecast, the state Department of Transportation announced today. The section is from Route 95 north to Route 195 east, and the new Providence River bridge. The Iway is also known as the Route 195 relocation project. “Aside from opening up the Iway to motorists, our main goal in this process is to minimize the impact to commuters,” Jerome F. Williams, the DOT director, said in the statement. “The only way to do this is to prepare with time and weather in mind and see if nature cooperates with us next weekend so we can open the road on Saturday or Sunday morning.” The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project, however, is still on for tomorrow at 10 a.m. on the Providence River Bridge.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:10 PM | Comment Defense rests in mom accused of baby's deathKimberly Mawson gave inconsistent testimony to the police and a grand jury which later indicted her for second-degree murder in the death of her baby daughter, her lawyer acknowledged. But lawyer Kevin Bristow said during closing arguments, years went by between 19-month-old Jade’s death, in 2002, and that testimony in 2005. The inconsistencies, he said, were immaterial. “What’s important is that when Kim learned about the 911 call, she doesn’t stop running to her daughter,” he told the jury at Superior Court, Warwick. “She doesn’t run away. She doesn’t run and get a lawyer. She doesn’t run to Boston or Connecticut.” And, as a rescue worker testified earlier, she ran out into the street to get them, “She was pointing at the house.” That was on Dec. 2, 2002. Two days later, Jade died. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma. Bristow returned to the theme of his opening statement last Tuesday, casting Mawson’s former boyfriend, Daniel Fusco, as the culprit. He told different stories to different people, Bristow said, and won’t be prosecuted for drug offenses he admitted to. The prosecution is set to give closing arguments next, and then the case will be handed to the jury. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:07 PM | Comment Papelbon's post-game steps impress the expert
We're talking about Papelbon's dancing, of course. Papelbon has delighted Red Sox fans with his pitching all season, and more recently, with his version of an Irish step dance to celebrate big victories, such as winning the American League pennant. So we requested a review of Papelbon's post-game moves from Terry Songini, a Sox fan and Irish dance expert who teaches at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland. "I was very impressed with his timing. It was spot on. Timing is very important in Irish step dancing," Songini wrote in an e-mail after watching Papelbon on videotape uploaded to YouTube. "He also appears to be light on his feet, making it easy for him to prance around doing heel to toe movements. He really did not do an actual traditional Irish step. I think if he took a class or two, he could pick it up very quickly. Go SOX." Posted by Jack Perry at 12:01 PM | Comment Mass. company to open plant in SomersetGreat Point Energy, of Cambridge, Mass., this morning announced its plan to build a $25 million coal gasification plant and research center at Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset. The plant will demonstrate for companies the technique for converting materials like coal and petroleum byproducts into natural gas. It is expected to create 100 jobs. Governor Deval Patrick was on hand for this morning's announcement. -- With reports from Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:23 AM | Comment Attorney: Judge denies Skakel's bid for a new trialNEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A judge denied Michael Skakel's bid for a new trial today, rejecting the latest startling claim that two other men committed a 1975 killing that sent the Kennedy cousin to prison, his attorney said. Stamford Superior Court Judge Edward R. Karazin Jr. ruled against Skakel based on a week of testimony in April. The ruling was to be released at 11 a.m. today. Attorney Hope Seeley said she was extremely disappointed, citing the quality of the evidence. "We believe Michael Skakel was wrongly convicted, and we will continue to pursue every legal avenue available to us," Seeley said. Those avenues include arguing that Skakel was ineffectively represented by his trial attorney, Michael "Mickey" Sherman. Skakel, a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, is serving 20 years to life in prison after he was convicted in 2002 of fatally beating his 15-year-old neighbor Martha Moxley in Greenwich in 1975 with a golf club. -- The Associated Press To win a new trial, Skakel's attorneys had to prove that new evidence not available before his conviction could have changed the verdict. Prosecutor Susann Gill said she was pleased with the judge's decision. "The state is grateful to see that the judge didn't find anything in the petition that undermined the reliability of the jury's verdict," she said. Skakel sought a new trial based on Gitano "Tony" Bryant's claim that his two friends told him they got Moxley "caveman style." Bryant gave a videotaped statement to a Skakel investigator in 2003, but has since invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The two men he implicated have done the same. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Skakel's cousin, played a central role in investigating Bryant's claim and telling Skakel's attorneys about it. Prosecutors have said Bryant's claim is fabricated and that nobody saw him and his friends in the predominantly white, gated neighborhood the night of the murder. Bryant, who attended the same private school as Skakel, and one of the men he implicated are black; the other has been described as mixed race. But Skakel's attorneys said key parts of the claim were corroborated by others and that Skakel deserved a new trial. Bryant's claim was the latest twist in a case that was improbable from the start, with an unusual murder weapon in a wealthy New York City suburb where violent crime was rare. Skakel's family once owned Great Lakes Carbon, one of the world's largest privately held companies, but the family also had a history of troubled behavior. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:06 AM | Comment 3Q profits down for Journal parent Co.DALLAS -- Belo Corp., owner of The Providence Journal and projo.com, said today its third-quarter profit fell 2 percent on lower advertising sales and costs related to the spinoff of its newspaper group. The media company reported earnings slipped to $18.8 million, or 18 cents per share, from $19.2 million, or 19 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected net income of 20 cents per share. The current period's results included about $2.3 million, or a penny per share, in transaction costs related to the recently announced spinoff of its newspaper group. Revenue fell 3 percent to $364.3 million, from $376.4 million in the previous year. Analysts were looking for sales of $367.7 million. Newspaper group revenue fell 7.8 percent in the quarter, while television group revenue climbed 1.8 percent. The company said it expects to spin off the newspaper group in the first quarter of 2008. Belo expects fourth-quarter television group revenue to be down in the mid-single digits due to the absence of strong revenue achieved in the year-ago period in a political season. Newspaper group revenue is expected to be down consistent with the first nine months of the year, adjusting for one less Sunday in the quarter. Operating costs are anticipated to fall below the prior year after adjusting for charges related to the spinoff. Shares fell 32 cents to $18.21 at the open of trading. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:55 AM | Comment Did Rudy G. make a deal before backing the Sox?Comments by presidential candidate/Yankee fan/American League fan Rudolph W. Giuliani to the Providence Journal in June, in contrast to his recent words in New Hampshire that he will support the Red Sox in this World Series, have made a New York Times article today about less-than-pleased Yankees fans. While campaigning in the state just north of Massachusetts, Giuliani told reporters that he backs the American League, qualifying his support for the Sox in this series. "I'm an American League fan and I go with the American League team," he was quoted as saying. The Times article today said that Giuliani's "most revealing comment" on the subject of being a Yankee loyalist "was perhaps the answer he provided to The Providence Journal." Giuliani's comments, during a campaign fundraising stop in Providence, were in a piece by Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst, who asked about baseball among other topics. Giuliani was asked: If the devil said you can be president if you become a Red Sox fan, would you do it? "I'm a Yankee fan. My father made me a Yankee fan probably before I was born. I always believe it's a sign of my being straight with people, about not wanting to fool them, that I was one of the first mayors to be willing to say I was a Yankee fan. Most mayors pretended they rooted for both sides. I have great respect for Mets fans, Red Sox fans. I have great respect for people who really are fans of the team they say they are fans of. But probably that's a deal I could not make." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 10:30 AM | Comment Craig Price disciplined for incidents in Fla. prisonCraig C. Price, who was first locked up at age 15 for four Warwick murders in the 1980s, has been disciplined for two May incidents in a Florida prison in which he was accused of using a homemade weapon to assault another inmate. Price, who was moved to the Florida prison after requesting an out-of-state transfer, has had 50 days of "good time'' -- time that could be lopped off his prison time -- taken away as a result, according to Tracey Poole, spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. By law, inmates can accrue days of good time each month for good behavior or participation in certain programs. Loss of good time is calculated using a formula, Poole said. The incidents happened on May 21 and 22, Poole said. The other inmate was not seriously injured. Price may be in Florida but he came under Rhode Island corrections rules in determining what his discipline would be. Poole said Rhode Island has been told that Florida authorities are not at this time pressing charges. Price is now 32. In 1987, at age 13, he stabbed to death his Warwick neighbor, Rebecca Spencer. That crime was unsolved two years later when he killed Joan Heaton and her daughters, Jennifer and Melissa.
Two weeks later, the police arrested Price. He admitted to the killings and was sentenced to juvenile detention until his 21st birthday, the harshest penalty allowed at the time. But the state investigated ways to keep Price locked up. After screaming at a correctional officer in 1993, he was found guilty of making threats. The state also charged him with criminal contempt for refusing to take a court-ordered psychiatric exam. Those charges, and three fights in prison, have pushed his projected release date into 2022. Extra: Read the Journal's 2004 in-depth series about Craig C. Price. Posted by Mike McKinney at 10:15 AM | Comment Group pushes for end to mandatory drug sentencesA group will gather outside the State House this afternoon to push for a General Assembly override of Governor Carcieri's veto of legislation that would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes. The legislature passed H-5127 and S-207. The governor vetoed the bills on July 3. "House bill 5127 and its Senate companion bill 207 restores discretion to judges in drug releated cases so that judges can match people with a sentence that makes sense to their individual situation, and paves the way for more effective solutions like treatment and rehabilitation," said the news release from Direct Action for Rights & Equality. Supporters also argue the changes would bring down prison costs by freeing judges to divert people into drug treatment, which costs less than imprisonment and reduce what they say is prison crowding that strains the state budget. Carcieri's veto message, as described in a Journal article about a spate of vetoed bills the legislature may try to override, said state law currently allows judges so much discretion that minimums "exist more in theory than in reality." One section of the legislation would change the prison term of 10 to 50 years to a term that says up to 20 years. While the language of current law saying a person can also fined up to $500,000 would remain, the language saying not less than $10,000 would be removed, according to the bill. In another section, a sentence ranging from 20 years to life would be changed to up to 30 years. The fine of not more than $1 million would remain, but the not less than $25,000 would be removed. The different sections of the bills referred to the manufacturing, selling, possession, or intent to do those three things, for various quantities of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Direct Action for Rights & Equality said bill sponsors state Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, D-Providence, and Sen. Harold M. Metts, D-Providence, will join the community leaders at 4 p.m. on the Smith Street side of the State House. The DARE news release asserted that Rhode Island "is the only state in New England where an offender can receive a life sentence for possession and selling marijauana" and that the state's shortest mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years is twice that of other New England states. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 8:58 AM | Comment Vinny Paz's ex-fiancee scheduled for court todayThe ex-fiancee of former boxer Vinny Paz is scheduled to be in court today on a trespassing charge. The police have said Ashley P. Spencer, 26, of Elliot, Maine, -- who had previously accused Paz of assaulting her but then did not move ahead with the case -- threw a rock through a sliding glass door at Paz’s Tivoli Court home in Warwick on Oct. 16 while he was out of town. Neighbors called the police. Spencer was told not to return to the house, according to the police, but that night police and rescue personnel found her in a locked room in the house. She was charged with violating a no-trespassing order and released on $200 cash bail, the police have said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:47 AM | Comment New campsite reservation option, with fee, to beginA new online camp site reservation system will be available to campers beginning Nov. 14 at 9 a.m., the state Department of Environmental Management announced. A $9 fee per reservation will be required for online reservations and reservations made through the toll-free phone line will be charged a $10 service fee. People will be able to reserve sites at the state's five campgrounds online and by calling the reservation line, with the idea being campers can plan vacations in advance. Campsites may be reserved up to a year ahead at Fishermen's Memorial State Park Campground, Charlestown Breachway, East Beach, Burlingame State Park Campground, and George Washington Management Area Campground. Reservations may be made at www.riparks.com, or by calling toll-free 1-877-RICAMP5, the DEM news release said. Walk-in registration will still be accepted at the campgrounds for the day of arrival so long as sites available. There will be no service fee charged for walk-in registrations on the day of arrival at the campgrounds. There will be no increase in fees for renting a campground, which begins at $14 a night for state residents and $20 for non-residents. Campgrounds are open from April 15 through Oct. 31. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:41 AM | Comment Closing arguments in child-murder trial set for todayWARWICK -- Closing arguments are set for today in the child-murder trial of Kimberly A. Mawson after the defense called six witnesses to the stand yesterday following days of testimony from prosecution witnesses. Mawson, 37, formerly of Warwick, is accused of second-degree murder of her 19-month-old daughter Jade, who died on Dec. 4, 2002, two days after an ambulance took her to Hasbro Children's Hospital with a serious head injury. Judge Edwin Gale told Mawson in Kent Count Superior Court that she has the right to testify should she decide to this morning. The proceedings are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:02 AM | Comment Chance of rain during the day, with a high in the 50s
The unusual warmth of recent days gives way to something more like October today, with highs in the 50s in the forecast. The low is expected to be in the 40s. The forecast says there's an 80 percent chance of rain for the day, though you may already see the drops out there as you head for the morning commute. The National Weather Service said people should expected periods of showers, mainly before 9 a.m., and it put the high near 55 degrees. Northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph. Overall new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are possible. Tonight should be mostly clear with a low around 42 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of the Red Sox' Game One World Series win and a photograph of winning pitcher Josh Beckett. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 24, 2007Tonight: Sox vs. Rox or Bonamassa's bluesObviously, there's something to do tonight: Stay in or go to the pub to watch the Sox open the World Series at Fenway against the Rox. Game time is 8:35 p.m. Wondering where to go to join a crowd for the game? See what The Journal's Bryan Rourke has to suggest. Craving the latest Sox pre-game, game and post-game analysis? Check in with projo.com for reports from Journal sportswriters and photographers and add your comments to the SoxBlog. For the rest of us, all three of us, there *are* other options. Joe Bonamassa plays some hard-charging, inventive modern blues on the electric guitar tonight, with Todd Wolfe and Crosby Loggins also playing. The show's at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 p.m. $20; $35 gold circle. Comic Book Super Heroes, Champion Kickboxer and Far Off Place play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 9:30 pm. $6. All ages. In Newport, Chris Gauthier plays rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. Call 847-9460. 9 p.m. For the rest of who's playing what around Rhode Island tonight, check out our club listings. And come back tomorrow night, for, yes, another Sox vs. Rox World Series game. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Providence pair accused of stashing drugs in Fall RiverFALL RIVER, Mass. -- A Providence couple was arrested today after the police seized a half-million dollars' worth of marijuana from a Fall River house the two rented and allegedly used to stash the drugs. The police executed a search warrant at 551 Ludlow St. at about 12:30 a.m., finding six 20-gallon plastic bins filled with 145 one-pound bags of marijuana, along with 66 pounds of loose marijuana, bale wrappers and a digital scale, according to a Fall River police statement. The house was otherwise vacant. The police valued the drugs at $500,000, based on an average sale of $150 per ounce. Just before entering the house, the police saw a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, driven by Jeremy C. Barnes, approach the address. Barnes, the police said, was the “target” of the search warrant. Barnes noticed the police detectives and quickly drove off, but the police stopped him nearby at Stafford Road and Tucker Street, and he and his passenger, Maritess A. Oandasan, were searched. The police seized a cell phone and $1,153 in cash from Barnes and $816 in cash from Oandasan, as well as notebooks the police said they suspect were used as drug ledgers. Barnes, 33, and Oandasan, 25, who live together in the Promenade Apartments, Apt. 609, at 255 Promenade St. in Providence, were both arrested and each charged with trafficking of more than 100 pounds of marijuana, drug trafficking in a school zone and conspiracy. The Ludlow Street house is within 1,000 feet of Holy Trinity School on Lamphor Street. The couple was arraigned today in Fall River District Court and each is being held on $1 million cash bail, Detective Lt. James Keighley said. -- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Providence man pleads guilty to drug-trafficking chargesPROVIDENCE -- A 28-year-old Providence man pleaded guilty today to federal drug-trafficking charges before U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres. Providence police seized about 200 grams of crack cocaine, some powder cocaine and $25,000 from the apartment of Manuel Coradin on Marshall Street in 2005. The prosecution argued that on July 8, 2005, Providence police were conducting a drug investigation when they stopped a car driven by Coradin. He gave the officers permission to search his apartment. The police seized a cooking pan that had trace amounts of crack, two bags of cocaine and $25,000 from a safe. They also found three more bags of cocaine in a bedroom. Coradin pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is being held pending his sentence on Jan. 15. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, plus a $4-million fine. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment LNG ruling a long-sought victory for Fall River officialsFALL RIVER, Mass. -- As a politician, Edward Lambert has thrown lots of hats into lots of rings. The tan baseball cap, labeled "Hess LNG,’’ was presented to him a few years ago by Hess Corp. CEO John B. Hess. It wasn’t really a gift, Lambert said. It was more of an arrogant assertion that Hess and Weaver’s Cove Energy were going to build the terminal despite nearly-universal opposition. "I told Mr. Hess at the time that I had a very special place for this hat and it would not be joining my hat collection,’’ Lambert said. "It is my hope that before the end of business on Friday, I get to toss this off the Brightman Street Bridge into the Taunton River,’’ he said. "This decision, I think, now gives me the rationale for doing that.’’ Whether Lambert may be able to get past the MassHighway barricades to get on the bridge Friday -- the state has closed it for repair work -- remains an open question. But what isn’t an open question is that the Coast Guard ruling, which declared that LNG tankers would pose an unacceptable navigational hazard, was a devastating blow to the six-year-old terminal proposal. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Coast Guard Capt. Roy A. Nash didn’t even consider other key issues, such as security or environmental concerns in making his ruling. He rejected the Weaver’s Cove plan after simply considering the hazards posed to navigation along the path that LNG tankers would have to take from Narragansett Bay to the Taunton River. "As a practical matter, this project is now dead,’’ declared Thomas McGuire, the city’s corporation counsel, saying one strength of the ruling is that "it’s not just one reason. [Nash] has many reasons this project cannot go forward.’’ There may be an appeal and Hess and Weaver’s Cove may continue to offer legal challenges, he said. However, "The Coast Guard has written a decision that is not going to get overturned.’’ Not only would a court have to dismiss Nash’s experience and his detailed arguments, said McGuire, "Even in the extremely unlikely event that an appeal reversed the decision . . . [Nash has said] the Coast Guard would use its discretionary authority to prohibit repeated LNG traffic.’’ "This is an ending to something that never should have begun,’’ said Rep. David N. Sullivan. "It’s a great victory for the people.’’ Lambert said Fall River "was told six years ago by the industry and others that we could not fight this, that it would happen over our objections, that we ought to just take it, and the longer we disagreed, the more economic benefits would disappear.’’ He said the comments showed "the arrogance of this company’’ and that they, along with some federal regulators, were wrong when they insisted that the city could not stop the project. After approval appeared certain when federal regulators gave it the green light, the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation put on the brakes by declaring that the Brightman Street Bridge was an historic structure and could not be demolished after a new version of the bridge was constructed. That posed a huge problem for Hess and Weaver’s Cove because the drawbridge opening of the old bridge could not accommodate LNG supertankers. Weaver’s Cove then suggested solving that problem by using smaller tankers, ones that haven’t even been built. But the Coast Guard said the navigational issues were insurmountable. If nothing else, the ships would have to come to a complete halt between the bridges and then be pushed sideways in order to make it up the river. And Nash, in his ruling, said that if one of the tankers broke down in the narrow dredged channel leading to the Braga Bridge, the only way to extract it would be to tow it backwards down the Bay, which would be unacceptable. Lambert said, as he has with other victories, that it’s time for Hess and Weaver’s Cove to throw in the towel even as he tosses the Hess LNG cap into the Taunton. He is leaving to take a new job at UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Policy Analysis. The proponents may try to keep it alive, he said, but even with his departure from the mayor’s office at week’s end, the city "will not take our foot off the throat of the beast until that beast is deceased.’’ Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:54 PM | Comment Burrillville man charged with molesting 2 childrenBURRILLVILLE -- A 39-year-old Harrisville man has been charged with sexually assaulting and molesting two children under the age of 14, the police said today. Todd R. Pacheco of 113 East Ave. was arrested by Pawtucket police after Burrillville authorities began investigating the alleged incidents in mid-July, said Burrillville police Lt. Kevin S. San Antonio. Pacheco faces one first-degree child molestation charge and one first-degree sexual assault charge and five counts of second-degree molestation, San Antonio said. One of the children was from Burrillville and the other was from North Providence, he said. Each of them was assaulted in various incidents that took place in Burrillville and Pawtucket between 2002 and 2006, San Antonio said. He declined to reveal the gender of the victims, and he said he is unable to be more specific about the timing of the different incidents. Pacheco was indicted on the charges on Oct. 18. He was already in custody at the time. He has been held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, since his initial arrest, San Antonio said. Pacheco’s arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 7 in Superior Court. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment Cianci to be Channel 6 chief political analystPROVIDENCE -- Former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. is adding another new job title to his resume: Chief political analyst and contributing editor for WLNE-TV. The station says the once-imprisoned former mayor will start his new job on Nov. 1. General Manager Stephen Doerr calls Cianci "legendary'' and says no one knows the region better. Cianci served more than four years in federal prison after being convicted on corruption charges. He was released earlier this year and started hosting a talk show on WPRO-AM last month. WLNE, the local ABC affiliate on Channel 6, recently changed ownership and has been making management changes in a bid to improve its lagging ratings. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment Update: Coast Guard ruling against LNG plan praisedThe Coast Guard has determined that the waterway approach to the proposed Weaver's Cove liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Mass., is "unsuitable" for the type, size and amount of traffic it would bring. The ruling today could all but doom the controversial proposal, which calls for tankers to travel up Narragansett Bay into Mount Hope Bay and along the Taunton River to the Massachusetts port city. It also led to a stream of statements this afternoon in support of the decision, which Weaver's Cove has 30 days to request it be reconsidered. In a press release, Coast Guard Capt. Roy Nash said, “Vessel masters would face extraordinary navigational maneuvers when transiting the waterway The safety risks are too great to favorably recommend the waterways as suitable.” Nash, captain of the port and commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, made the recommendation today in a two-page letter. The Coast Guard assists the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- which makes the final decision on the site's viability -- by determining whether the waterway is suitable for LNG transits. Last summer, the FERC voted, 2-1, not to revisit its earlier decision to approve the Weaver's Cove site for an LNG facility. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson The Coast Guard's ruling comes on the heels of a decision to drop a plan for a major LNG terminal in Providence, which would have also required the tankers to travel up Narragansett Bay. In Fall River, the Coast Guard’s main concern is a tight space between the old and new Brightman Street bridges. The 80-foot wide, 700-foot long tanker would have just about 1,000 feet to maneuver diagonally through an opening with less than 18 feet of clearance, according to the Coast Guard. The Guard was also concerned that tankers would have to travel within 100 feet of the U.S.S. Massachusetts museum, the Braga Bridge, and the State Pier. After the analysis, Nash wrote, “I have concluded that such transits cannot be conducted safely on a routine, repeatable basis, and that the risk of a mishap in Mount Hope Bay, and particularly in the Taunton River in the vicinity of the two Brightman Street Bridges, is unacceptably high.” Earlier this month, National Grid abandoned its pursuit of establishing a major liquefied natural gas marine terminal in Providence. The decision ended a four-year effort by the company's KeySpan subsidiary to revamp its existing storage facility on the Providence River into a terminal that would receive LNG deliveries by tankers. Governor Carcieri issued a statement this afternoon applauding the Coast Guard's stance in the proposal for neighboring Massachusetts. “Hopefully, today’s Coast Guard decision will be the last nail in the coffin for this project,” he said. “With this federal ruling in hand, Weaver’s Cove should finally abandon their ill-conceived and potentially dangerous plan.” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement that he calls upon Hess LNG "to cease proceeding any further. I hope it recognizes the futility of pressing on. Let me assure all Rhode Islanders that while we celebrate this day, should Hess proceed any further with this ill-conceived and dangerous project, we stand prepared to fight for the rights of our Ocean State, as we have from the outset.” “The people who live on the water along the proposed LNG tanker route don’t want this terminal. The fishermen and boaters don’t want it. The environmentalists don’t want it. The political leaders in two states don’t want it. And now the Captain of the Port for the Coast Guard says it’s not safe,” state Rep. Raymond Gallison, a Democrat who represents District 69 in Bristol and Portsmouth, said. “It’s time for Weaver’s Cove to face reality: This proposal is unsafe and unwelcome here and the time has come to drop it.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:58 PM | Comment Update: Defense opens case in child-murder trialWARWICK -- The defense in the child-murder trial of Kimberly A. Mawson opened today with four witnesses and sought to enforce that Mawson's boyfriend, Daniel Fusco, a prosecution witness, varied his accounts of events. Mawson, 37, a former Warwick woman, faces second-degree murder charges for the December 2002 death of her 19-month-old daughter, Jade. The defense in Kent County Superior Court today called to the stand a Hasbro Children's Hospital nurse, a doctor, an emergency medical technician, and a former investigator for the state Department of Children, Youth and Families. The state rested its case today after jurors heard Mawson's 2005 grand jury testimony in which she said she spent her last night with Jade at the hospital, reading stories and watching movies. “I only had 24 hours left with my only child,” she says on a recording of that testimony. “I couldn’t waste it on sleep.” But last week Kimberly Riley, a nurse at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, said when nurses moved furniture so that Mawson could share a bed with her daughter, she declined. Prosecutors later called an assistant registrar from the University of Connecticut to take the stand. Mawson had told the grand jury that she'd been a student at the school, but the assistant registrar testified today that she hadn't attended the school, according to school records. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Including what they heard yesterday, jurors have heard about three hours of recordings. In one recording, after Mawson heard her daughter had collapsed, she said she told her boyfriend -- who was alone with the baby -- to call an ambulance. “She’s unconscious? Is she breathing?, first question,” Mawson told the grand jury. “I said, ‘Call 9-1-1. I’m on my way.’” In testimony earlier this week, prosecutors previously played a voicemail message Mawson left for Fusco that same evening: "Do not call the ambulance until I get there and see her,” Mawson said in the recording. “She may have just passed out. I’ll be there in a minute.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment Providence Head Start has been shut downPROVIDENCE -- Providence Head Start has been shut down by the federal government, and an interim contractor brought in to run the program. Federal authorities discovered that the agency was not properly conducting criminal background checks on its employees. The preschool morning and afternoon programs are closed today through Friday, and are expected to reopen Monday. They will be managed on an interim basis by Community Development Institute Head Start, a Denver-based company that runs Head Start programs temporarily when the local agency cannot continue for any reason. Providence Head Start serves over 1,200 children in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls, providing both morning education programs and after-school care. Officials at Providence Head Start refused to comment on the situation. Federal authorities sent the local Head Start office a letter on Oct. 19, explaining that their federal funding had been revoked and would be transferred to another agency, citing code that allows them to pull funding “if staff or participants' health and safety are at risk.” The letter goes on to detail two separate site visits, one conducted in the summer of 2006, one in the summer of 2007, in which federal investigators found that Providence Head Start was not properly conducting background checks. There have been no suggestions that there were actually criminals employed by the program, only that the proper criminal checks were not conducted. Providence Head Start was also holding classes in a basement area prohibited by the State Fire Marshall, the letter states. The basement of the Mary T. Dean Center was used for two classrooms, despite being one level below the exit. Investigators were told in 2006 that the classrooms would no longer be used to educate children. But in their 2007 visit, they again observed children in those areas. It is not yet clear whether Providence Head Start will be able to return as the overseer of the program, or if another grantee will be introduced. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:51 PM | Comment Update: Coast Guard rules against Fall River LNG siteThe waterway approach to the proposed in Fall River isn’t safe for the amount of traffic it would bring, the Coast Guard announced today. The ruling could all but doom the controversial proposal, which calls for tankers to travel up Narragansett Bay into Mount Hope Bay and along the Taunton River to the Massachusetts port city. “Vessel masters would face extraordinary navigational maneuvers when transiting the waterway,” Capt. Roy Nash said in a statement. “The safety risks are too great to favorably recommend the waterways as suitable.” Nash, captain of the port and commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, made the recommendation today in a two-page letter. The Coast Guard assists the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- which makes the final decision on the site's viability -- by determining whether the waterway is suitable for LNG transits. Governor Carcieri issued a statement this afternoon, applauding the Coast Guard's stance in the proposal for neighboring Massachusetts. “Hopefully, today’s Coast Guard decision will be the last nail in the coffin for this project,” he said. “With this federal ruling in hand, Weaver’s Cove should finally abandon their ill-conceived and potentially dangerous plan.” Last summer, the FERC voted, 2-1, not to revisit its earlier decision to approve the Weaver's Cove site for an LNG facility. The Coast Guard's ruling comes on the heels of a decision to drop a plan for a major LNG terminal in Providence, which would have also required the tankers to travel up Narragansett Bay. In Fall River, the Coast Guard’s main concern is a tight space between the old and new Brightman Street bridges. The 80-foot wide, 700-foot long tanker would have just about 1,000 feet to maneuver diagonally through an opening with less than 18 feet of clearance, according to the Coast Guard. The Guard was also concerned that tankers would have to travel within 100 feet of the U.S.S. Massachusetts museum, the Braga Bridge, and the State Pier. After the analysis, Nash wrote “I have concluded that such transits cannot be conducted safely on a routine, repeatable basis, and that the risk of a mishap in Mount Hope Bay, and particularly in the Taunton River in the vicinity of the two Brightman Street Bridges, is unacceptably high.” Earlier this month, National Grid abandoned its pursuit of establishing a major liquefied natural gas marine terminal in Providence. The decision ended a four-year effort by the company's KeySpan subsidiary to revamp its existing storage facility on the Providence River into a terminal that would receive LNG deliveries by tankers. That appears to be a victory for the citizens, organizations and public officials who fought the proposal. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:20 PM | Comment Brown ranked third in number of U.S. FulbrightsPROVIDENCE -- Brown University is third in the nation among colleges/universities for students with U.S. Fulbrights awards this year, the university announced in a news release today. Twenty-five students from Brown -- 23 undergraduates and two graduate students -- are now studying overseas on Fulbright grants. Brown said in its news release that it also ranks first in the Ivy League for most undergraduate Fulbright awards. The students are studying, teaching or doing research in 18 countries. Among their projects are studying the contemporary music scene in Latvia, teaching English in Korea and examining the integration of Polish immigrants in Norwegian society. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Among this year’s Fulbright recipients are Brown graduate students Rebecca Peters and Sudeepto Mukherji, who got Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation fellowships for research in Angola and Russia, respectively. Undergraduates and recent alumni who got 2007-08 Fulbright awards and the countries they are in: * Elise Jett Baran ’07 (Poland) Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:12 PM | Comment URI College Republicans host speaker tonightThe College Republicans of the University of Rhode Island are holding "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" and tonight will feature as guest speaker Robert Spencer, who wrote "Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam." According to the URI Republicans Website, Spencer is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. It appears to be stirring controversy, as an e-mail has gone out urging students to join a plan to protest the GOP's hosting Spencer, who is among authors/commentators who have drawn criticism and support from various quarters. The Muslim Public Affairs Council has put out a document titled "What You Need to Know about Islamo-Fascism Week" that criticizes what it says is a national push on college campuses. But at the national organizers' own Website, known as the "Terrorism Awareness Project," it says the nation will be "rocked by the biggest conservative campus protest ever -- Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, a wake-up call for Americans on 200 university and college campuses." According to the URI Republicans online description of the week's events, on Monday they held a petition drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. "denouncing Islamo-Fascist violence against women, gays, Christians, Jews," the Web site says,a nd yesterday there was a scheduled 7 p.m. lecture on "Women's rights and political Islam" by URI women studies professor Donna Hughes. The Web site says a documentary is scheduled for tomorrow and on Friday a "memorial service for the victims of Islamic terror." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:55 PM | Comment Update: State rests in tot's murder trialWARWICK -- The state has rested its case against a former Warwick woman who faces second-degree murder charges for the 2002 death of her baby daughter. Today, jurors heard Mawson's 2005 Grand Jury testimony when she said she spent her last night with 19-month-old Jade at the hospital reading stories and watching movies. “I only had 24 hours left with my only child,” she says on a recording of her testimony, given in 2005. “I couldn’t waste it on sleep.” But last week Kimberly Riley, a nurse at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, said when nurses moved furniture so that Mawson could share a bed with her daughter, she declined. Prosecutors later had an assistant registrar from the University of Connecticut take the stand. Mawson had told the grand jury that she'd been a student at the school, but the assistant registrar testified today that she hadn't attended the school, according to school records. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Jurors have heard about three hours of recordings, including a segment where Mawson says after she heard her daughter had collapsed, she told her boyfriend – who was alone with the baby – to call an ambulance. “She’s unconscious? Is she breathing?, first question,” Mawson told the grand jury. “I said ‘call 9-1-1, I’m on my way.’” In testimony earlier this week in Superior Court, Warwick, prosecutors previously played a voicemail message Mawson left for Fusco that same evening: "Do not call the ambulance until I get there and see her,” Mawson said in the recording. “She may have just passed out. I’ll be there in a minute.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:50 PM | Comment Update: Mollis' stepson gets14 months / Photo
Journal photo / Bill MurphyGian Piscione in court today for his sentencing. PROVIDENCE -- Gian Piscione, the stepson of Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for charges stemming from a January shooting. The police say Piscione was angry that his girlfriend was with another man, so he shot into the car that they had been riding in. In August, Piscione pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence. Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause told Piscione that “anger, jealousy and a loaded gun are a volatile combination, and it has serious consequences.” Before he was sentenced, Piscione stood at a lectern to address the judge, and said: "I am very sorry for what I did. I know it was stupid," and added, "I'm not the stupid kid I used to be." Over the past eight to nine months, he said, he has people who love him and he doesn't want to lose that. Mollis was in court today with his stepson, and made a brief statement. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:16 PM | Comment Local Red Cross volunteer heads for CaliforniaAt least one Rhode Island Red Cross volunteer is leaving for Southern California to help as firefighters combat the wall of wildfires leaving people without their homes. Paula Drzal of North Providence, the local volunteer heading for San Diego this evening, is a mental health worker, according to the Red Cross. According to a Red Cross news release today, more than 500 Red Cross workers have been in California since Sunday morning and the organization is "expanding its services rapidly as the needs change and escalate." Here's what the Red Cross said is on the way: • 25,000 cots More than 3,000 people from Southern California spent last night at 11 Red Cross shelters in areas outside of threatened neighborhoods, the Red Cross said. "The Rhode Island Chapter is supporting these efforts by deploying volunteers to Southern California," the news release said. For more on the fires, see pe.com. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency can respond with equipment or personnel to the wildfires if a request known as an "EMAC" came in. Called an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, it's a way that emergency management agencies in the states and Canada can share resources, said Brittan Bates, public information officer for Rhode Island E.M.A. Bates said Rhode Island has sent people and equipment before -- to Lousiana following Hurricane Katrina and to Florida for hurricanes there. She said the Rhode Island E.M.A. has obviously been aware of the situation in San Diego and surrounding areas and is prepared if a request came in. E.M.A.s get notifications about various calamities around the country. The Providence Fire Department has not received a request to send firefighters or others to California, said Chief George Farrell. He said the department and other departments do not "self-dispatch" to out-of-state emergencies, but, rather send assistance when requested. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:28 PM | Comment Weather update: Sox fans should plan on rainWet weather in late October is to be expected. But what may really be giving New Englanders agita is how that weather will affect tonight's opening game of the World Series at Fenway. Showers are forecast on and off today with a high temperature of about 61 degrees -- it's down to 57 degrees in Providence now. Tonight, the temperature will continue to drop to about 50 and, worse than that, rain is likely, especially after midnight. That holds true for both Providence and Boston, so fans at the game should at least bring an umbrella. We'll let you know later how it affects the game, if at all. In Boston, the temperature could dip into the 40s, with a light north wind. Just in time for the second World Series game, also in Boston. Looking ahead to the weather in Denver, when the Sox face the Rockies on Saturday? It's predicted to be partly cloudy and in the 50s. Click here for a full forecast. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:09 PM | Comment Poll: PC predicted to place 8th in Big EastNEW YORK -- Georgetown and Louisville are the co-favorites to win the Big East men's basketball title. Providence College is ranked 8th. The preseason conference coaches poll was released today in New York. Georgetown and Louisville both received eight first-place votes and 217 points in the balloting of the league's 16 coaches. Louisville, coached by former PC coach Rick Pitino, returns its top seven scorers from the team that went 24-10. Georgetown has four starters back from its Final Four team, including preseason player of the year Roy Hibbert. The 7-foot-2 center decided to return for his senior season. Marquette is third in the poll, followed by Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Connecticut, Villanova, Providence and Notre Dame. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:39 AM | Comment R.I. team can repair sewer lines with the best
The six men of Fecal Matters hail from Rhode Island and got second place out of 30 teams in one event at a national competition for wastewater operations professionals in San Diego this month, the state Department of Environmental Management said in a news release this week. The Rhode Island team placed 13th overall for all events. For what, you may wonder. "The team placed second in a tight collection-system repair race," a Department of Environmental Management news release said today. Another of the challenges tested teams on how fast they could repair sewer lines. It marks the second consecutive year Rhode Island's team won a spot in the national competition, the DEM said, and the team "markedly improved their times over last year." Team members are Peter Eldridge, Robert Sheridan, Donald Shurtleff and Brian Lavallee of the West Warwick water treatment plant and Scott Goodinson of Veolia Water North America, the contract operator of the Cranston Water Pollution Control Facility. Read a feature on this Rhode Island 'dream team'. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Teams competed to show their proficiency in such things as: * Water purification process-control strategies. * Laboratory skills. * A fast-paced safety rescue simulation. * Emergency repairs of a pump. The state's top environmental official offered praise. "I am delighted that Rhode Island did so well in the national arena of the wastewater operator profession," W. Michael Sullivan, the Department of Environmental Management director, said in the statement. "The Ocean State is highly dependent upon this profession. They are a group of men and women who treat some 100 million gallons of raw sewage every day, and in so doing protect the health of every Rhode Islander, the quality of our waters, and our statewide economy." Posted by Mike McKinney at 10:50 AM | Comment Whitehouse to take part in confirmation hearingThe Senate Judiciary Committee is set to consider a top nomination to the federal government. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will chair the committee’s confirmation hearing for Ronald Jay Tenpas’, nominated to serve as assistant attorney general in the environmental resources division. Attorneys in that division represent the country in cases of environmental concern, including pollution cleanup, wildlife protection, and other environmental issues. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:42 AM | Comment California fire postpones states' lawsuit against EPASACRAMENTO - California's attorney general is delaying a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency because of massive wildfires in Southern California. Attorney General Jerry Brown tells The Associated Press that California will not sue the agency today as it had planned. Instead, he says he'll likely sue next week. California wants to force the EPA to decide whether California and 11 other states, including Rhode Island, can impose stricter vehicle standards. California asked the EPA nearly two years ago to let the state regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. EPA Administrator Steven Johnson has said he will make a decision on the waiver by the end of the year. Read more about the fires as pe.com. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:35 AM | Comment Trial continues for mom accused of daughter's deathJurors are set to hear testimony from a woman who faces second-degree murder charges for the death of her 19-month old baby. Kimberly A. Mawson, 37, is not scheduled to take the stand, but the state will continue playing a recording of her 2005 grand jury testimony. Yesterday, jurors heard Mawson talking about her early life, and the events of Dec. 2, 2002 – the day her daughter, Jade, was fatally injured. The forensic scientist who examined evidence taken from Mawson’s home also testified. Judge Edwin J. Gale, in Superior Court, Warwick, told the jury that the case may be handed down to them as early as today. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:32 AM | Comment Mollis' stepson to be sentenced todayGian Piscione, the stepson of Secretary of State Ralph Mollis, is scheduled to be sentenced today in Providence County Superior Court. Piscione is charged with three counts, including one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. He admitted in a plea agreement earlier this year to firing a shotgun into the trunk of a Lexus out of jealousy over a girlfriend. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the Colorado Rockies, who will face the Red Sox in the World Series starting tonight, and a feature about a former Rhode Island man now living in Colorado and selling Rockies T-shirts to make money after losing his job. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 23, 2007Tonight: A cavalcade of music around the stateTonight, the cavalcade is under way. The Cavalcade of Bands -- jazz and swing -- is playing at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, in Cranston. Call 941-2717. In the ballroom there's Hank Doiron Strollers, Arthur Medeiros and His 15-Piece Dance Orchestra with Hank Doiron & Terri Giviens, the Tommy Rotondo Group and The Dick Parent 15-Piece Swing Orchestra with Bob Mainelli. In the foyer: Ed Drew and the Dixieland Pops, the Pat Mitchell Group with George Masso & Arnie Krakowski, the Johnny Badessa Group with Vinny Lato & Charlie Harris, the Shawnn Monteiro Group, the Mac Chrupcala Group with Nicolas King, and The Tony Cipolla Quartet with Terri Giviens. The show runs from 6 to 11:30 pm. $10 advance; $15 at the door. Rudy D'Agostino (of The Rock) plays acoustic rock at McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon, 52 Pine St., Providence. Call 861-1782. 10 p.m. to 1 am. No cover. Dancing Nancy plays another tribute to Dave Matthews at Gillary's Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. Call 253-2012. 9:30 pm. Half Boozed plays rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. 847-9460. 9 pm. Harpoon and Tapir play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 10 p.m. $4. All ages. For more events, check projo.com's Lifebeat page and calendar. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment World Series tickets at Denver gone after glitch / Photo
"The online system, after a slow start, certainly worked very, very well for us," club spokesman Jay Alves said. Alves said tickets were selling as fast as 1,500 per minute today and all were gone in 2 1/2 hours. Yesterday, the Rockies were forced to stop the online-only sale of tickets after about two hours when 8.5 million hits overwhelmed the servers set up to take the orders. The Rockies later said they were victims of an attack. Neither the team nor the company hired to run the sale, Irvine, Calif.-based Paciolan Inc., have offered any specifics about what happened. The Rockies are pitted against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, which begins tomorrow night at Fenway Park in Boston. The visitors were in Bean Town today taking practice. The games move to Denver on Saturday. Dave Marcus of McAfee Avert Labs, the research arm of antivirus software maker McAfee Inc., said Paciolan could have been the target of a "denial-of-service" attack yesterday. Under that scenario, attacking computers overwhelm Web servers with repeated but false requests to connect. When the Web server signals the attacking computer to proceed, the attacker doesn't respond, tying up the server. "In a certain kind of denial-of-service attack, you never complete that handshake," Marcus said. Alves said he was unaware of any criminal investigation into what happened yesterday. The FBI did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press. -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:02 PM | Comment Ethics board delays vote on prosecuting 2 lawmakersPROVIDENCE -- The Ethics Commission today put off a decision on whether to prosecute two legislators, dismissed a complaint against a Cumberland Town Council member and lead a North Smithfield Planning Board member to say he’ll drop off the board when his term expires because of possible conflict of interest problems. The commission staff has been investigating state Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III and state Rep. Raymond E. Gallison Jr. on separate accusations that they violated the state Code of Ethics. It has reached the point of bringing the cases before the commission for a probable cause vote that could lead to their prosecution. Instead, saying that the two legislators have asked for delays, the commission voted to put the cases off until January. Gallison, a Bristol Democrat, was accused in a complaint filed by Patricia Morgan, then head of the state Republican Party, of using his seat on the House Finance Committee to benefit his employer, Alternative Educational Programming, and himself. The commission dismissed that complaint in April. But at the same time, Peter J. Mancini, the commission’s deputy chief investigator, filed his own complaint accusing Gallison of breaking the ethics law repeatedly by failing to disclose his income from the College Readiness Program, AEP’s predecessor, for 2000, 2001 and 2002. Ciccone, a Providence Democrat and official with Local 808 of the Rhode Island Laborers International Union, was accused by Operation Clean Government, the government reform group, of sponsoring legislation favoring his union, not disclosing that source of income, and potentially benefiting unionized employees by participating in a legislative investigation of the Carcieri administration’s hiring of temporary workers. While denying most of the accusations, Ciccone has acknowledged that he omitted the union jobs from his last two years’ financial disclosure reports, which are intended to let the public detect conflicts of interest among public officials. He said that was an oversight and a mistake. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis After an inconclusive commission vote, John A. Flaherty, the North Smithfield Planning Board member, said, "I think I’m going to step aside." Besides his Planning Board membership, Flaherty works as director of research and communications at Grow Smart Rhode Island, the nonprofit organization pushing for sustainable growth. Grow Smart includes on its board of directors the principals of private engineering firms which represent developers before local agencies like the North Smithfield Planning Board. A key question for Flaherty was whether he could participate in Planning Board meetings when representatives of the engineering firms, notably Pare Corporation and DiPrete Engineering Associates, represent applicants before the board. He didn’t get a clear answer, contributing to his decision to drop off the Planning Board. Four of the five commission members present voted in favor of a staff recommendation that would have required Flaherty to return for advisory legal opinions from the commission on a case-by-case basis when that question came up. Because five affirmative votes are required to approve an advisory opinion, the motion failed and no opinion was adopted. But with four of eight commission members supporting an outcome Flaherty said could be impractical, he said he will not seek reappointment to the Planning Board when his term runs out in December. The commission also dismissed a complaint brought by Cumberland Zoning Board member Paul W. Santoro against Cumberland Councilwoman Kelley Morris. It accused her of improperly helping her law partner, Thomas Moses, during a Cumberland Zoning Board meeting on June 13. The commission staff’s report on their investigation found contradictions and conflicts in the accusations, and concluded that the complaint didn’t allege enough facts to amount to a knowing and willful violation of the state Code of Ethics. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:51 PM | Comment Reed evaluates Bush's new war funds billWASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats gave a chilly reception today to President Bush’s request for urgent action on a new, $45.9-billion war funds bill that, according to Sen. Jack Reed, will not be needed until early next year. "They won’t run out of money before February,’’ the Rhode Island Democrat said of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reed, a leading military policy maker in the Senate, said Democrats will recruit Republican support for making troop withdrawals from Iraq a pre-condition for passage of a new war-spending bill. Congress attached just such a string to the last big war appropriation, late in the spring, drawing a veto from Mr. Bush. Democrats failed to muster the votes to override the veto and then gave Mr. Bush the money he sought, without any language obliging him to reduce troop levels in Iraq or set a timetable for winding down the war. Democrats lost a similar confrontation with Mr. Bush last month, after the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, rallied Republicans to stick with Mr. Bush’s strategy of adding troops in order to reduce violence in Iraq and give the embattled government more time to establish its own army and police forces. Reed said Republicans who face reelection next year "may be less enthusiastic now’’ about support for still more spending on a war that is unpopular with the public. But Mr. Bush has clearly signaled his willingness to confront Congress once again on the emotional issue of the war. "Congress should not go home for the holidays while our troops are still waiting for the funds they need,’’ he said Monday as he unveiled the new spending bill, which would bring to almost $200 billion the war spending total for fiscal 2008, which began Oct. 1. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:44 PM | Comment Sox vs. Rox: Two mindsets in cyberspaceAs anyone knows who's watched the Papelbon dance, jig, Riverdance -- whatever you call it -- over and over again, Red Sox fans are taking to YouTube and other Internet spots to gear up for the World Series against the Rockies. Type in Red Sox on YouTube, where there are at least 4,360 Sox entries, and there's everything from the aforementioned happy dance to the Dropkick Murphys band playing at Fenway, to pictures of fans from the Game 7 win against Cleveland. On Digg.com, there's a link for getting Red Sox "wallpaper,'' which in this century means the background on your computer desktop. Click on the link and it takes you to Jeffzachowski.com (Not to be outdone by Digg, projo.com has just posted a wallpaper of its own -- it's illustrator Frank Galasso's own version of a Sox victory dance. Click here to get it for yourself.) 
nytimes.comThere's also a site to see here -- the depiction of the history of the Red Sox as a Beatles album cover. Read the story that goes with the picture: "Red Sox in the Sky with Diamonds." Over in the land of the "Rox" -- that's what they call the Rockies, that team from Colorado -- several of the 651 YouTube postings take a more urgent tone: The difficulties some fans had getting selling World Series tickets because of computer system problems the team had. According to news reports today, the team was able to sell tickets through its online system. It's not all ticket mania for Rox fans: One video, titled "Colorado Rockies Song," shows a guy wearing a Rockies hat strumming his tune on an acoustic guitar. The series starts at Fenway tomorrow night. Keep tabs on all the action right here. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment Carcieri calls on legislators to forego raisesPROVIDENCE -- Amid controversy over his behind-the-scenes attempt to win raises of up to 19 percent for his cabinet, Governor Carcieri today called on state legislators to return their own pay raises. Carcieri said in a news release the General Assembly should forego pay increases they have gotten since 2002 and begin paying a share of their health insurance premiums, as other state employees do. The part-time legislators have received six pay raises in the last six years and pay no share of their taxpayer-funded health insurance premium, unlike other state employees, Carcieri stated. The state Constitution, as amended in 1994, stopped the practice of paying Assembly members $300 per year and providing them with pensions. Instead, it nows entitles them to yearly cost-of-living adjustments that began in 1995 with a base salary of $10,000. But, the governor noted today, the Constitution does not require lawmakers to accept those pay increases. "It is simply hypocritical for these legislators to criticize an effort to give department directors the same pay increases all other state employees received, while accepting their own pay raises and refusing to help defray their own health care costs,” Carcieri said in the statement. Carcieri's plan to give state department directors cumulative raises came to light yesterday. -- With reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau, projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and previous Journal reports The governor in late January or early February of each year submits to the General Assembly -- and the public -- a book called the "Personnel Supplement’,’ which contains proposed and anticipated salaries of everyone in state government. But the Personnel Supplement Carcieri submitted this year did not include the 18 to 19 percent directors’ raises his administration proposed in a May 24 memo to the House and Senate finance chairmen that came to light for the first time yesterday. And when asked during the final weeks of this year’s budget debate in late May and early-June if the administration had proposed any last-minute budget amendments, Carcieri's press office said no. Until yesterday, the governor’s office did not disclose or explain why he felt this was the year to give the directors cumulative raises equal to those given other state workers. In the May 24 memo to the House and Senate finance committees' chairmen, Carcieri’s Budget Director Rosemary Booth Gallogly recommended “final adjustments required to address the projected deficit.” The memo also proposed including in this year’s spending bill a law requiring Department of Administration to automatically “provide cabinet directors cost of living increases that are comparable to those accorded other non-union state employees in the executive branch.” The Journal reported today that would have given immediate raises of $14,527 for the state’s $95,387-a-year Elderly Affairs Director Corinne Russo and $24,884 for W. Michael Sullivan, the $130,152-a-year director of the Department of Environmental Management. Last June, Carcieri vowed to eliminate 1,000 state jobs, replace union employees with private workers for “every state service that could possibly be performed more efficiently by the private sector.” He called on the legislature to pass a law allowing him to freeze union-negotiated wage increases. Today, the governor's statement said several state legislators were quoted as condemning Carcieri's plan to give state department directors the pay raises all other state employees have gotten, but "state department directors have not received a cost of living adjustment since 2002. During that time, state employees received four separate pay increases of 3, 3, 4 and 4 percent." Lawmakers got pay increases of 1.5 percent in 2002, 2.4 in 2003, 1.84 in 2004, 2.94 in 2005, and 3.5 in 2006, according to the governor's office. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:25 PM | Comment Tape of mother's testimony played in tot's murder trialThe jury in the child-murder trial of Kimberly W. Mawson is hearing a tape of her April 2005 grand jury testimony in which she talks about everything that happened between her and different men that had been in her life: a boyfriend, an ex-husband and the father of her daughter, Jade. Mawson, 37, formerly of Warwick, has been charged with second-degree murder in 19-month-old Jade's death in 2002. The jury has begun to hear from the tape about Dec. 2, 2002, the day Jade was taken by ambulance to Hasbro Children's Hospital after she collapsed in an Elmwood Avenue apartment with a head wound. Two days later, Jade was declared brain dead. Earlier today, a forensic scientist testified that she found blood stains inside Jade’s one-piece pajamas and matching cap, but, she told a jury, she couldn’t say whose blood it was. Sharon Mallard was a forensic scientist for the state Department of Health in 2002 when Jade died. Mallard, who still works for the department, but in a different capacity, said she did not receive a request for DNA analysis from the Attorney General’s Office nor from the Warwick police, so she could not say if the blood was the baby’s or not. Judge Edwin J. Gale has told the jury the case may be handed down to them as early as tomorrow. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment Wakefield won't pitch in World SeriesRed Sox starting pitcher Tim Wakefield announced today at Fenway Park that he will not be on the team's roster for the World Series due to recurring shoulder problems. For much more, go to the SoxBlog. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:46 PM | Comment Film about quadriplegic diver from R.I. gets grantThe Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve Foundation is awarding a Providence-based company more than $2,000 to help distribute a documentary film about a man’s endeavor to become the first ventilator-dependent quadriplegic diver. The Quality of Life grant will help distribute Ocean Opportunity's film, Diving a Dream, which follows Matthew Johnston, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as he works through the technical, physical and fiscal challenges to accommodating his needs for SCUBA diving. Diving a Dream is the creation of Michael Lombardi, the Providence-based founder of Open Opportunity. The $2,200 grant will help facilitate distribution of the film to more than 100 muscular dystrophy, respiratory care, adaptive scuba, and paralysis support groups. -- projo.com writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:58 PM | Comment Forensic scientist found blood in child's pajamas, capA forensic scientist says she found blood stains inside 19-month-old Jade Mawson’s one-piece pajamas and matching cap, but, she told a jury, she couldn’t say whose blood it was. Sharon Mallard was a forensic scientist for the state Department of Health in 2002 when Jade died. She testified today in the trial of Kimberly A. Mawson, Jade’s mother, who faces second degree murder charges for the girl’s death. Mallard, who still works for the Department, but in a different capacity, said she did not receive a request for DNA analysis from the Attorney General’s office nor from the Warwick Police Department, so she could not say if the blood was the baby’s or not. Prosecutors spent the remainder of the morning playing a recording of Mawson’s grand jury testimony. The tape will continue after a lunch break. Judge Edwin J. Gale has told the jury that the case may be handed down to them as early as tomorrow. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal Staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:42 PM | Comment Amgen wins patent case in federal courtAmgen Inc., the world’s biggest biotechnology company, won a jury verdict in a patent-infringement trial that may prevent Roche Holdings AG from selling a competing anemia medicine until 2013. The federal jury in Boston today upheld the validity of four patents Amgen owns for a means to produce the protein erythropoietin, or EPO, and decided that three of them were infringed. U.S. District Judge William Young previously said the fourth patent was infringed by the Roche drug, Mircera. Amgen, headquartered in California, has a facility in West Greenwich. Amgen sued Roche in 2005 to prevent the medicine from entering the U.S. market and competing with Amgen’s Epogen and Aranesp. Those two drugs had combined sales last year of $6.63 billion, or 46 percent of Amgen’s revenue last year. Roche said it expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve Mircera next month. During the trial, jurors were told by Amgen lawyers that Roche was trying to use its medical inventions, which had revolutionized the treatment of people with anemia. Amgen scientist Fu-Keon Lin’s work on EPO resulted in “a pioneering breakthrough,” attorney Lloyd Day said in closing arguments. Leora Ben-Ami, a lawyer for Basel, Switzerland-based Roche, argued that Amgen impermissibly extended its hold on the technology and used invalid patents to stifle competition. The applications were filed in 1984, and one of Lin’s patents expired in 2004. The earliest two patents in the case expire in 2012. Anemia is a lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, a condition that results in weakness and fatigue. The drugs made by Amgen are genetically engineered copies of erythropoietin, a protein made by the kidney that increases the number of red blood cells. -- Bloomberg News Amgen’s Epogen and Aranesp, a longer-acting version of the drug, are approved by the FDA to treat people with chronic kidney failure and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Roche’s Mircera may provide the first threat to the U.S. monopoly that Amgen has held since 1989 with Epogen, which had $2.5 billion in U.S. sales in 2006. If allowed on the market, Roche’s drug may grab 10 to 15 percent of U.S. sales for chronic kidney disease and undercut Amgen’s Epogen on price, said Geoffrey Porges, an analyst with Sanford Bernstein & Co. in New York. U.S. sales of Aranesp will fall 39 percent to $1.7 billion in 2008 from $2.8 billion in 2006, he said. Amgen also makes the chemotherapy infection drugs Neupogen and Neulasta and licenses its patents to Johnson & Johnson for a version of Epogen, called Procrit. Amgen shares rose on the news. Check the latest price. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:05 PM | Comment URI researchers to study global-warming effectsUniversity of Rhode Island researchers will use $1.1 million in federal grants to study changes to the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean brought on by melting arctic ice from global warming. The researchers at the Graduate School of Oceanography have been awarded grants the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation and from the North Pacific Research Board, the university said in a news release today. The grants were awarded to S. Bradley Moran, a professor of oceanography, and Robert Campbell, associate marine research scientist. Moran and Campbell will look at "shifts in the productivity, abundance and species composition of ice algae, phytoplankton and zooplankton in open water areas of the Bering Sea and in areas where the ice cover is receding due to warming temperatures," the university said. The URI team will spend up to 70 days at sea each spring and summer for the next three years gathering information. The URI scientists' research is part of a six-year, $50-million initiative by the NSF and NPRB to figure out how the eastern Bering Sea shelf -- the area between the Aleutian Islands and St. Lawrence Island, Alaska -- will respond to climate change. That area supports the largest commercial fisheries in the world, the university said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Their studies fall under a project that includes working with scientists from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, University of Miami, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Oregon State University, and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. “The overarching goal of this study is to improve our understanding of climate-driven ecological changes occurring in one of the world’s most productive and economically-driven regions,” Moran said in the statement. “Warmer water temperatures in the Bering Sea in spring due to climate warming could result in an earlier and more rapid seasonal ice retreat, with potentially harmful effects on one of the world’s richest and most productive fisheries," he added. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:02 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Seeking stories from World SeriesAre you going to the World Series? Willing to tell us your story from the games? We'll even take stories from non-Red Sox fans :) If so, please e-mail The Journal newsroom, at pjnews@projo.com, with your name, telephone number and e-mail address, and a reporter may contact you. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:46 PM | Comment Police seize suspected SUV in fatal Seekonk hit, runSEEKONK — The police have seized a sport-utility vehicle suspected in an Oct. 14 hit-and-run crash that killed a 38-year old Seekonk woman. Police Chief Ronald R. Charron said this morning that the police seized the vehicle on Saturday, although he refused to say where or how the police located the vehicle. “We feel it may be connected to this accident,” Charron said. Charron said the state police’s crime lab is analyzing the SUV, including comparing the car’s exterior with paint chips found at the accident scene. He said he did not know how long the analysis would take. The police have said that Maria Aguiar, of 155 Chestnut St., was struck and killed by a white “SUV-type” vehicle Oct. 14 at about 6:22 p.m. while she was walking down her street with her daughter, who was riding a bicycle. The 10-year old girl was uninjured, but witnessed the accident. Aguiar’s funeral was on Friday. -- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:32 AM | Comment New way to get excited about snow daysWith temperatures in the 70s, it’s easy to forget that winter is just around the corner. But it is, and so are freezing temperatures, snow, and school cancellations. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts will showcase a new Web-based way to let kids and parents know when there have been delays or cancellations at schools, businesses and government offices. The new system will also give residents the option to receive closing announcements on their cellphones or in e-mail alerts. Roberts will join members of the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association to present the new system in the State House today at 3:30 p.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:59 AM | Comment Update: Discovery in orbitNine minutes after takeoff, the Discovery Shuttle is now in orbit, two days away from a scheduled rendezvous with the International Space Station. Less than an hour before scheduled liftoff, Inspectors at the launch pad had been concerned that ice formed on a hydrogen line might delay takeoff. But the ice dissipated, the weather held steady, and less than four minutes after liftoff, Discovery was traveling faster than 4,500 miles per hour, and all but gone from view. See continuing coverage on NASA TV. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with Associated Press reports The astronauts are set to spend two weeks on a construction mission that's considered the most complex and challenging in the nine years of assembly of the international space station. Commander Pam Melroy describes their task thusly: “STS-120 is such a cool mission.” What else can you say? Melroy is one of seven astronauts and just the second woman to command a shuttle. They’re planning to add a module, called Harmony, that will make it easier to attach European and Japanese laboratory modules to attach to the station in the future. What a cool mission. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment Recognition for restorationGroups dedicated to the preserving some of the country’s oldest buildings will be recognized tomorrow night at Preserve Rhode Island’s annual meeting. The 2007 Preservation Merit Awards recognize individual and groups “who exemplify sound historic preservation practices and support Preserve Rhode Island's mission to protect Rhode Island's historic structures and unique places for present and future generations," according to a news release.” Awards will be granted in four categories: Preservation education and advocacy The meeting, at 5:30 p.m., will be at the Central Congregational Church, 296 Angell St. And people or groups looking for help with preservation projects have until Monday to apply for the Preserve Rhode Island Citizen’s Bank Mini Grants – up to $1,000 toward planning fees, project designs, and emergency interventions. Grants must be matched with another grant or through fundraising. For more information, visit Preserve Rhode Island’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:10 AM | Comment Warwick holds primary today for special electionThree Democrats vie today for a spot on the ballot in the Warwick special election to replace District 22 Rep. Peter T. Ginaitt, who resigned in September. Frank G. Ferri, an activist and a business owner; Edgar N. Ladouceur, owner of a Warwick-based home improvement business; and Olin Thompson, a lawyer, are competing for a spot opposite Republican Jonathan Wheeler, former treasurer of the state GOP and independent Carlo Pisaturo, a former councilman, in the Nov. 27 general election. Visit the Secretary of State’s Web site to find out where to vote. -- with archive reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:29 AM | Comment Noose in Halloween display prompts protestSTRATFORD, Conn -- A Halloween display on Main Street in Stratford that featured a man hanging from a noose kicked off protests and complaints and has led the homeowners to change it. Black leaders and neighbors say the "hanging man" resembled a black man hanging from a noose and a protest march was being planned. The homeowners initially said they would not succumb to pressure by the community and police to take it down. But after a meeting Monday with the mayor, police chief and community leaders, the homeowners have agreed to remove the figure from the noose and incorporate it into the Halloween display. The figure will be sitting on the house steps with a knife through the heart. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:03 AM | Comment A chance of rain, high near 73There's a good chance of rain today. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 30 percent chance of precipitation after 3 p.m. and a high temperature near 73 degrees. Wind is also in the forecast, with gusts up to 35 mph. More rain late tonight with an overnight low of about 60 degrees. Tomorrow morning will probably bring more rain, and a high temperature in the mid 60s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about a Coventry man who received the Silver Star for gallantry in Iraq. There's also a story about fans heading to stores to buy Red Sox' merchandise after the team's American League championship. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 22, 2007Tonight: Rock, blues and the Papelbon jigIt's a Monday night, so unless you're a pro football fan, the choice of things to do is not so plentiful. If you're a Sox fan awaiting the World Series, you can stay in and watch last night's Papelbon victory dance over and over again on YouTube. Otherwise, here are some of the night's music selections: Audionom, Freedom Cage, Always and Sexy Prison play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call (401) 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. Big Band Swing plays at Cornerstone Playhouse, 213 Robinson St., Wakefield. Call (401) 284-1850, www.thetruebrewcafe.com. 7:30 pm. Mark Taber plays blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call (401) 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:04 PM | Comment Veteran bank robber gets 15 years for latest heistA North Kingstown man with seven prior convictions was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison today by a judge in Connecticut for robbing a Mystic bank of $71,750. Joseph E. Lambert Jr., 49, was sentenced to 188 months' imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Christopher F. Droney in Hartford, according to a news release from Kevin J. O’Connor, the U.S. Attorney in Connecticut Lambert pleaded guilty on March 5 to one count of armed bank robbery, the release said. On Oct. 26 last year, Lambert robbed the People’s Bank on Roosevelt Avenue in Mystic, Conn., and shortly after the robbery, Stonington police found Lambert and and recovered the stolen money. Lambert was sentenced as a career offender because of seven past convictions, five for bank robbery. Since 1981, Lambert has committed 19 bank robberies, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He was in federal prison from August 1986 through November 2004 after bank robbery convictions in New Jersey and New Hampshire. When he robbed the Mystic bank in October 2006, Lambert was on federal parole. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Hasbro ends down in wake of soaring 3Q profitPROVIDENCE -- Shares of Pawtucket-based Hasbro ended the day down one cent in trading today after the toymaker announced its third-quarter profit climbed 62 percent. Hasbro officials attributed the increase to higher sales led by Transformers and Spider-Man toys and a favorable tax adjustment. The firm is the world's second-largest toymaker. Company officials say its business hasn't been hurt by high-profile recalls for lead paint by several other toy companies, including rival Mattel. The company's earnings beat Wall Street expectations. Excluding a one-time tax adjustment, Hasbro stock earned 78 cents per share. That's 7 cents more than analysts had expected. Check a quick quote for Hasbro on its stock performance. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Update: Groups scold Carcieri for interpreter commentsA group of more than 20 advocacy organizations said Governor Carcieri’s comments about the state’s employment of language interpreters feed into "the xenophobic atmosphere" surrounding debates about immigration. Last Wednesday on WHJJ, Carcieri said he didn’t know “why in God’s name” the state should provide English-language interpreters at taxpayer expense, “for people who want benefits from us.” He did not distinguish between citizens, legal or illegal immigrants. His comments were met with vocal calls for a retraction and apology. “As organizations representing, and advocating for, a diverse array of the immigrant community in Rhode Island,” the letter reads, “we are appalled by the glib nature of your negative sentiments about the rights of new immigrants in the state to access the court system and other state services.” The letter was signed by 22 organizations, including the directors of the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Poverty Institute and Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy. Late this afternoon, Governor Carcieri said in a statement that he stands by his comments on the Helen Glover program. In a response to a listener's question, the statement said the governor "simply noted that he was surprised to see the large number of language interpreters employed by state government." As a descendant of immigrants, the governor "recognizes and appreciates the important role that legal immigrants" play in Rhode Island and America, the statement said. "Sadly, it appears that the ACLU is only interested in protecting the speech of people who agree with their point of view." For a complete list of signatories and the full text of the letter, click below. The Hon. Donald Carcieri Dear Governor Carcieri: We write to express our deep distress at comments attributed to you in a news story in the October 18, 2007 Providence Journal. The entire relevant text is included as a footnote to this letter, but in essence, you are quoted as criticizing the availability The immigrants coming to Rhode Island are, on the whole, no different from those who have come here in the past. They are eager to learn English and assimilate into society, as demonstrated by the enormous waiting lists for English as a second language courses at our community organizations. Your comments – which suggest both that immigrants in Rhode Island have no interest in learning English and that those who do not speak English somehow bear special responsibility for the state’s fiscal crisis – are insulting and only feed into the xenophobic atmosphere that permeates the immigration debate in our state and has encouraged a palpable discriminatory attitude towards people of certain ethnicities and races. In fact, some of the interpreter services that you have criticized are constitutionally mandated. For example, we have decided as a society that a non-English-speaking person should not have to fend for him- or herself in a courtroom when facing the loss of liberty and possible imprisonment. Of course, other interpreter services provided by the state – such as in medical care situations – also benefit all of us by making us safer. We strongly urge you to retract these unfortunate and insensitive comments. At a time when immigrants in our state already face a mean-spirited environment, we would hope that the state’s chief executive would not lend credence to that attitude. However unintentionally, your comments can only encourage further discrimination and poisoning of the public debate on the legitimate issues surrounding the presence of immigrants in Rhode Island and the important and positive role that these residents play in our society. Matt McLaren Miguel Sanchez-Hartwein, Executive Director Juan Garcia John Prince, Chairperson Pheamo Witcher, Director Viviana Knowles Julie Nora, Director William Shuey, Executive Director Rachel Miller, Director Karen Malcolm, Executive Director Shannah Kurland
Ramon Martinez, Executive Director Melba Depena, Executive Director Kohei Ishihara, Co-Founder Jim Vincent, President Steven Brown, Executive Director Donna Fishman, Chairperson Sabina Matos Dr. Antonia Barajas, President Vivian Weisman, Executive Director Dennis Langley, Executive Director Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:54 PM | Comment Photo: Shopping for Sox
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:45 PM | Comment Coventry man awarded Silver Star / Photo
A local Navy corpsman was awarded the Silver Star at a ceremony this afternoon. Hospital Corpsman Third Class Joshua T. Chiarini, of Coventry, received the nation’s third-highest military honor for "conspicuous gallantry" in action in Al Anbar, Iraq in February 2006. The Coventry High School graduate also served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from January to June 2002. The ceremony began at 2 p.m. in the Chamber of the House of Representatives. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 4:28 PM | Comment Update: Detectives testify in child-murder trial
They reviewed items seized and put into evidence, and went over transcripts from cell phone calls made by Kimberly W. Mawson, who is accused of killing her 19-month-old son Jade, and Mawson's then-boyfriend Daniel Fusco. Jurors were shown the same evidence that police inspected during their investigation. Among the objects: A pair of one-piece pajamas that Jade was wearing before her fatal injuries and a jewelry box that Kimberly Mawson told the police had fallen on the girl’s head and shattered. Warwick Police Detective Eric Johnson took the stand today. Johnson, who began testimony Friday, arrived at Hasbro Children’s Hospital on the evening of Dec. 2, 2002, two days before Jade Mawson died of blunt force trauma to her head and body. Walter Williams, a member of the Warwick Police Department Bureau of Criminal Investigation, also took the witness stand today, as did police Detectice Barbara Frazier. The state said it expects to finish its case, in Superior Court, Warwick, this week. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:48 PM | Comment No disaster declaration for Rhode Island fishermenFishermen in Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts may think their industry is in turmoil, but the federal government disagrees. “NOAA believes the New England fisheries are turning the corner,” Hogarth said. In fact, Hogarth said, “fishing ports in these states are among the nation’s most productive.” And groundfish revenue in Rhode Island ports increased 73 percent from 2005 to 2006, he said. So when will the restrictions on fishing be eased? Patricia Kunkel, the agency’s Northeast regional administrator, said it is in the middle of a 10-year rebuilding program. When will fishermen see increased days at sea? Kunkel said that at least initially, they won’t see increased days at sea, but will at some point be allowed to catch increased amounts on those days they’re already allowed to be at sea. Read the Journal's series on challenges facing the Rhode Island fishing industry. -- Journal staff writer Paul Davis Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:50 PM | Comment A Colorado series: Fastballs and snowballs?/ Photo
The first two games are to be played in Boston on Wednesday and Thursday. The five-day forecast says the highs in the 70s today and tomorrow will drop to 61 degrees on Wednesday, Game 1, with a low of 43 degrees. Thursday's high is forecast to be 54 with a low of 44 degrees. Then there's a travel day on Friday, with game at Coors Field in Denver slated for Saturday. The weather in Denver lately has been better for skiing than baseball. Snow forced the Colorado Rockies to practice inside yesterday. The storm has moved out, and it's turning warmer and sunny. Saturday's high should reach the 60s in Denver, but the low should be in the 30s. The game doesn't start until 8 p.m. in the Eastern time zone. Here's the Denver forecast for Oct. 27, 28 and 29 -- Games 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, in the best of seven series. If needed, the series would resume in Boston on Oct. 31, with a Game 7 on Nov. 1. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:00 PM | Comment Peta2: Brown U. vying for most vegetarian friendlyPROVIDENCE -- Brown University is among 30 American colleges in the running this year in an animal-rights advocacy group's contest for the nation's most vegetarian-friendly college. Students selected Brown for the list of nominees, according to a news release today from Peta2, a youth-geared part of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Other nominees include Indiana University, the University of Califonia-Los Angeles and the University of Puget Sound. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney According to the Peta2 news release, colleges were chosen according to student nominations, feedback through MySpace and Facebook, and communication with the schools. Winners will be announced in November. Those who vote at peta2.com/college will automatically be entered to win a student prize pack that includes a $50 iTunes gift card, peta2 gear, and vegan snacks. When someone goes to the page to vote, he or she is asked to submit first and last name, country, zip code, e-mail address, and school name. Optionally, a person can give birth date and gender. Below that are the nominated universities, each with a bubble next to three vegetarian or vegan meals the schools offer. The lists do not outline all of the foods served on each campus menu. "Brown University is meeting its students' demand for smart food choices in the most delicious ways imaginable—and educating them in the process," Dan Shannon, of PETA2, said. "After all, what more valuable lessons can students learn than how to help stop animal suffering and protect their own health at the same time?" "Why are so many students giving meat, eggs, and dairy products failing grades?," the PETA2 news release said. "Vegetarians are on average fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters, so being vegan is the way to go if you want to avoid putting on the 'freshman 15.'" Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:31 PM | Comment Minority-owned businesses recognized this weekA week dedicated to minority-owned small businesses is taking off across the country. Along with the U.S. Small Business Administration, in Rhode Island, Minority Enterprise Development Week is sponsored by the Rhode Island Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. Highlights of MED Week include tomorrow’s identity theft protection workshop and Wednesday’s Minority Business Expo. Small minority businesses throughout the state will be recognized at an awards dinner Wednesday night. And the 2007 Rhode Island Minority Small Business Person of the Year, Cheryl W. Snead, president and CEO of Banneker Industries in North Smithfield, will be honored. For more information on the events, workshops and networking opportunities, visit the Rhode Island Small Business Association’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:11 PM | Comment Portion of Iway will open to cars and trucks Sunday
The first section of the Route 195 relocation project known as the Iway will open to drivers on Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, the state transportation director said this morning. The section that will open is from Route 95 north to Route 195 east, and the new Providence River bridge will open as well, Jerome F. Williams, the state Department of Transportation director, said in a news release. “This opening marks a major milestone for the largest construction project in the state’s history," Williams said in the statement. Thousands of people recently had the chance to walk the new Providence River bridge of the Iway. Governor Carcieri, Federal Highway Administrator J. Richard Capka and other officials will join DOT representatives at the Providence River Bridge for a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday at 10 a.m. The DOT said the Iway is designed to improve safety on Route 195. And it will open up "significant real estate in Providence for future development and new parks," the news release said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Iway construction started in 2003. Other projected Iway developments: * The ramp from Route 95 South to Route 195 East is scheduled to open in 2008. * The westbound movements are scheduled to open in 2009. * The whole Iway project is scheduled to be finished in 2012. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:34 AM | Comment Gas prices jump 4 centsDriven by higher crude oil prices, gasoline prices in Rhode Island have increased four cents per gallon, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.719 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. Rhode Island is still 10 cents below the national average. The price locally was just $2.189 a year ago. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:30 AM | Comment Photo: The look of a champion in Pawtucket
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:05 AM | Comment Transformers drive Hasbro's 3Q profit risePAWTUCKET -- Hasbro Inc., the nation's second biggest toymaker, said today its third-quarter profit climbed 62 percent on higher sales led by its Transformers and Marvel brands and a favorable tax adjustment. The company easily beat analysts' expectations for the quarter. Earnings surged to $161.6 million, or 95 cents per share, in the three months ended Sept. 30 compared with $99.6 million, or 58 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Hasbro's shares were up 13 cents to $28.54 in early trading. -- The Associated Press The current period's results included a tax adjustment of $29.6 million, or 17 cents per share. Excluding the adjustment, earnings were $132 million, or 78 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected a profit of 71 cents per share. The estimates typically exclude one-time items. Quarterly revenue rose 17 percent to $1.22 billion from $1.04 billion in the prior year. Analysts expected sales of $1.14 billion, according to Thomson. Revenue climbed on shipments of its Transformers and Marvel product lines as well as growth in brands including Furreal Friends and Littlest Pet Shop. Hasbro reported international segment net revenues of $374 million, an increase of $93.6 million from 2006. The earnings report was the company's first since the July 3 release of "Transformers," a live-action film based on the popular 1980s cartoon. The movie has made about $700 million worldwide since it was released this summer and about $316 million domestically. Hasbro is second to Mattel Inc. among U.S. toymakers. Last week, Mattel reported a 1 percent drop in fiscal third-quarter profit, due to the impact of charges, costs and supply chain delays related to multiple product recalls. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:45 AM | Comment Boston police arrest few fans after Sox win / VideoBOSTON -- For the most part, Red Sox Nation was well-behaved last night, after their heroes won another trip to the World Series. But police in Boston reported about a dozen arrests after the Red Sox whipped Cleveland 11-2 in game seven of the American League championship series. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct. Officers were out in full force, some in riot gear, others on horseback. They were trying to avoid the mayhem that followed the 2004 playoffs, when a young woman was killed by a pepper-pellet shot by police. City officials asked bars not to admit patrons after the seventh inning, and local college students were warned they could also face disciplinary action from their schools if they were arrested. Video: Watch a report on preparations for the victory celebration, and fans after the game. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:32 AM | Comment School canceled at Smithfield High todaySmithfield High schoolers are getting the day off. Superintendent Robert O’Brien says a blown out electrical panel is to blame. Students who are bussed to the school are being supervised in the cafeteria right now, O’Brien said. Buses will return at about 9 a.m. to take them back home. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:45 AM | Comment Road work to affect Newport trafficThe Newport police are suggesting that drivers avoid the area of Bellevue Ave. and Memorial Boulevard because of road work. Travel through the intersection will be limited, the police say. The work is scheduled to continue until Oct. 28. Parking is also restricted in the area. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A summery day in late OctoberHow's this for late October? The National Weather Service is forecasting high temperatures approaching 80 degrees with clear, sunny skies. Tonight should be foggy and cloudy with a low temperature just on the cooler side of 60. We'll probably see some rain tomorrow after 3 p.m. Otherwise, Tuesday should be cloudy and cooler, with a high temperature of 69, degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph of Red Sox' pitcher Jonathan Papelbon jumping in the air and celebrating the Red Sox' victory over the Cleveland Indians, which won Papelbon and his teammates a trip to the World Series. Download today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 19, 2007Weekend: local bands, a Hendrix and more HendrixTonight bands will hit the club circuit, some playing blues and others cranking up the distortion on the guitars. The rest of the weekend, people can learn -- and hear -- something about someone who popularized both of those sounds for the masses. Alter Ego plays rock at Effin's Last Resort, 325 Farnum Pike Smithfield. Call 349-3500. 9 p.m. Steve Anthony and Persuasion play rock and pop at Bovi's Town Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave., East Providence. Call 434-9670. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Automatics play blues and Doug Stanhope does comedy at The Shorebreak, 3 Beach St., Narragansett. Call 783-1022, www.theshorebreak.com. 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The Bandstand Revue plays oldies and swing at Wharf Tavern, 215 Water St., Warren. Call 245-5043. 8 p.m. to midnight. Battery plays a tribute to Metallica, and other bands include Projekt 13 and Lourds, playing rock at J.R.'s Bourbon Street Rock House, Mardi Gras Multi Club and Johnny Bahama's Complex, 1500 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston. Call 463-3080. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday at 3 p.m. Janie Hendrix, the half-sister of the late rock icon Jimi Hendrix and president of the company that promotes Hendrix's music and legacy, is scheduled to be at Border's Books at the Providence Place Mall. She will speak about the new book Jimi Hendrix: The Illustrated Experience, which she co-authored, and do a book signing, according to the official Hendrix Web site. That's not the end of it for Hendrix fans. On Sunday, Experience Hendrix -- a tour by a host of blues and rock luminaries -- is coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center to cover Hendrix songs and perform blues numbers. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at PPAC. Also on the bill is bluesman Buddy Guy -- aficionados know that Hendrix was once spotted in the audience of a Buddy Guy show in the late '60s. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival in California, where Hendrix, a Seattle native who first become a star in London during the '60s, exploded onto the American rock scene. It was at Monterey that his setting his guitar afire became well known. His Woodstock, N.Y., performance, including his reading of the Star-Spangled Banner, in August 1969 is perhaps his best known performance. Hendrix died in September 1970 in London at age 27. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment AG office: Woman admits to leading large drug ringPROVIDENCE -- A Providence woman has admitted to leading what authorities called the city's largest street-level drug trafficking ring -- whose members were welfare recipients allegedly driving around in such distinguished marques as a Porsche Cayenne, a BMW 745i and a Lincoln Navigator, according to a news release from the Attorney General's Office. Joanna Gonzalez, 28, of 49 Anchor St., admitted to leading what authorities called "Operation Rosa," and is scheduled to be sentenced in Superior Court on Nov. 16, according to the news release. The police have said Gonzalez was allegedly a pregnant mother who drove a Porsche SUV while on welfare. Gonzalez waived indictment in Superior Court on Sept. 12 and pleaded no contest to four counts before Judge Susan E. McGuirl. Gonzalez pleaded to one count of RICO, one count of conspiracy to commit RICO, one count of possession of one ounce to one kilogram of cocaine, and one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver. Gonzalez has been held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, since her arrest. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Two others involved in the ring were sentenced by McGuirl today. Tania Rivera, 28, pleaded no contest to one count of conspiracy to commit RICO and one count of conspiracy to deliver cocaine, and got identical concurrent sentences for each charge: 10 years, with 3½ to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions and 6 ½ suspended with probation. Rivera, who has been held at the ACI since Sept. 4, listed an address of 49 Anchor St. in Providence. Xiomara Guitard, 24, who lists the same Anchor Street address, pleaded no contest to two counts of conspiracy to deliver cocaine. Judge McGuirl sentenced her to 10 years, with 1 year to serve and 9 years suspended with probation, with the sentences to be served concurrently, but consecutive to another 1-year term that Guitard is now serving. “A drug dealing operation of this magnitude -- which provided its ringleader and major operators with the means to lead lavish lifestyles -- put an enormous amount of illegal drugs on the streets of our capital city,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in the statement. “Through solid investigative work, cooperation, and collaboration, the family at the heart of this enterprise, plus many employed in various aspects of this large illegal ring, are off the streets and out of business. With next month’s sentencing of Operation Rosa’s leader, Joanna Gonzalez, this criminal family venture will be finished.” Last month, Joanna Gonzalez’s mother and sister -- whom prosecutors said were part of the drug-dealing organization -- waived indictment, entered no-contest pleas, and were sentenced. Evelyn Gonzalez, 26, of 135 Terrace Ave., Cranston was sentenced to 15 years, with 6 years to serve at the ACI and 9 years suspended with probation on one count of delivery of cocaine. She was identified as the ringleader’s sister and pleaded no contest to one count of RICO, one count of conspiracy to commit RICO, one count of delivery of cocaine, and one count of unlawfully conspiring, with Joanna Gonzalez, to violate the Rhode Island Uniform Controlled Substance Act by delivering cocaine. Evelyn Carabello, 46, of 102 Berkshire St., Providence, the mother of Joanna and Evelyn Gonzalez, pleaded no contest to one count of RICO and one count of conspiracy to commit RICO. She was sentenced to 10 years, with 6 months to serve at the ACI, 1 year of home confinement, and 8½ years suspended with probation on each count, to be served concurrently. Carabello was remanded to the ACI where she had been held without bail since a July arrest. Michael Taylor, 22, of 9 Anchor St., Providence -- identified as Joanna Gonzalez’s boyfriend -- waived indictment and pleaded no contest to three counts stemming from Operation Rosa before Judge McGuirl in on Sept. 14, plus three counts from two earlier 2007 cases. For the Operation Rosa, Taylor pleaded no contest to one count of RICO, one count of possessing one ounce to one kilogram of cocaine, and one count of conspiring, with Joanna Gonzalez, to violate the state Uniform Controlled Substance Act by possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver. Taylor was sentenced to 15 years, with 6 years to serve at the ACI and 9 years suspended with probation on each of the cocaine-related charges and to 10 years, with 6 years to serve at the ACI and 4 years suspended with probation on the RICO count. All sentences are to be served concurrently and are concurrent to 2 additional counts of delivering cocaine and one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver that were included in the plea agreement. Joanna Gonzalez, Evelyn Gonzalez, Evelyn Carabello, and Michael Taylor could face additional charges from allegations of welfare and Social Security fraud, which are currently under investigation, the attorney general's office said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:50 PM | Comment Cranston kids are getting a Sox surprise right nowHere's how a lot of us would like to end today. Dunkin' Donuts is at this hour surprising Cranston Western Little League players and coaches with tickets to tomorrow night's crucial American League Championship Series game six of the Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians. The 5 p.m. surprise is happening at the Dunkin' Donuts at 1288 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston. The Cranston team won the Rhode Island Little League title in August. The Sox, having fought their way back into the series with a 7-to-1 win last night in Cleveland, return to Boston today. Cleveland leads the best-of-seven series, 3 games to 2. The players and coaches will get to sit in the Dunkin' Dugout, a seating area where the company hosts abut 20 people from community groups during the season. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:00 PM | Comment 'Everything begins and ends' the night she died
Some write about their days, the classes they would have shared with her at Mt. Hope High School, in Bristol, or the sports they would have played together. Some send messages telling her about seeing the number 21 or 57, numbers Kayleigh wore playing for Mt. Hope’s basketball team and the a youth soccer team in her hometown Warren. And some simply say, “I love you,” or “I miss you.” “Obviously,” John Raposa said today, “she’s still with us.” Raposa spoke at a conference on teen substance abuse hosted by Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. and Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. The conference, “Substance Abuse Among Teens: Connecting the Dots,” drew 450 people to the Crowne Plaza hotel in Warwick to hear strategies to prevent drinking and drug use by adolescents. The participants included police officers, state legislators, teachers and students. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse stopped by, as did Col. Brendan P. Doherty, superintendent of the state police. Raposa was invited to tell the audience how his family has been affected by a drunken driving accident. He came with his wife, his parents and his mother-in-law. Christine Raposa wore a button with a photograph of Kayleigh on the front. Her husband wore a wristband that said, “Kayleigh. Your’re Irreplaceable.” Raposa fought back tears as he talked about the accident. “Everything begins and ends with what happened on February 23rd,” he said. That night, Raposa and her friend 17-year-old Julie E. Alfano were at a party in Bristol. Witnesses said Alfano was drinking shots of Bacardi and Gatorade before leaving to give Kayleigh a ride home. A police investigation showed Alfano was driving her father’s Mazda at least 55 mph in a 25 mph zone when she lost control at 11:25 p.m. and smashed into a utility pole at Michael and Casey drives. Alfano survived with minor injuries. Raposa was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. -- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:35 PM | Comment Contractor, wife, sentenced in tax evasion caseA North Smithfield-based construction contractor and his wife were sentenced in federal court to three years' probation, six months of it home confinement, for failing to report $266,861 in income over three years. Robert Portman and wife Candy Portman were also ordered by Judge Mary M. Lisi to pay all outstanding taxes, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. The Portmans pleaded guilty to tax evasion in July. Prosecutor Andrew J. Reich said at plea hearings that the government could prove that for tax years 2000 through 2002 Robert Portman failed to report all business receipts of his firm, Reliable Builders. Portman asked many customers to pay with checks made out to him personally rather than to the business, the U.S. Attorney's office said, then he deposited the checks into a personal account rather than the business account. Candy Portman maintained the company's books. The U.S. Attorney's office said the couple failed to report $42,239 of income in 2000, $82,237 in 2001 and $142,385 in 2002. The government's net tax loss was $74,721. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:47 PM | Comment Report: No. of R.I. priests accused of sex abuse doublesThe Diocese of Providence has admitted that more than twice as many priests as originally reported have been accused of sexual misconduct against children in the last 35 years, according to a national group that tracks such cases. Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 3:27 PM | Comment Martineau's change of plea slated for Nov. 2PROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau is scheduled to make his plea change to guilty on corruption charges on Nov. 2, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said today. Martineau's change of plea, which is expected under a signed plea agreement, is slated for 2 p.m that Friday before Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi, a news release said. Martineau on Oct. 12 appeared before Magistrate Judge David L. Martin, waiving indictment and agreeing to be charged by criminal information. Martineau pleaded not guilty during that court appearance. His expected upcoming plea change before a U.S. District Court judge is for two felony counts of honest-services mail fraud. Martineau acknowledged in the plea agreement that he sold his office to the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island in return for $900,000 worth of contracts to sell paper and plastic bags to the companies. A 30-page criminal information said that Martineau was paid $175,500 by Blue Cross for 10 million paper bags, but fewer than 2 million were delivered. Martineau also got $715,000 in commissions from 1999 to 2002 for selling paper and plastic bags to CVS. He admitted that, in return, he influenced the fates of health-care legislation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:47 PM | Comment Pawtucket to induct 2 into Hall of FameThe late Rev. Aaron F. Usher Jr., civil-rights activist, Yale graduate, former dairy farmer and world traveler, will be inducted into the Pawtucket Hall of Fame today. Usher’s work in the 1960s with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. set him on a path to a lifetime of service, which took him to, among other places, east Africa and Moscow to work with politically disenfranchised people. Usher, who was 73 when he died in 2004, served as chaplain at the Pawtucket Fire Department for nearly 35 years. He is being inducted into the Hall of Fame along with former School Committee Chairman J. William Busald, an active member in the local community. The two men will be honored at a dinner tonight at 7. Busald served on the School Committee for 12 years and was the recipient of the Pawtucket Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force this year. In 2005, before he left the School Committee, Busald negotiated the deal that enabled the School Department to move offices and several education programs into the former Registry of Motor Vehicles building. The deal was controversial. For years, the City Council balked at authorizing the bonds needed to finance it. Kenneth R. McGill, the chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee, said the committee doesn’t avoid controversial people and that the controversy wasn’t a factor in its decision to induct Busald into the Hall of Fame. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:45 PM | Comment Asst. U.S. Attorney honored for appeals workThe chief appeals lawyer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island today received an award from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys. Donald C. “Skip” Lockhart, who has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Rhode Island for nine years, was recognized for cases he has argued before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, including the racketeering conspiracy case against former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. and the bribery conspiracy case against former Lincoln Park executives Nigel Potter and Daniel Bucci. “Mr. Lockhart is an essential contributor to the District of Rhode Island’s recent success in the prosecution of significant and complex cases,” U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said. “He is a prolific and accomplished writer, and a seasoned advocate before the First Circuit. It is not unusual for Mr. Lockhart to write briefs for more than 40 appeals a year, and in the process, develop favorable legal precedent that furthers law enforcement’s efforts.”
Lockhart, 42, of Needham, Mass., received the award at 10 a.m. during the 24th annual director’s awards ceremony yesterday in Washington, D.C. In all, 132 prosecutors and litigation support personnel were recognized by the Executive Office of United States Attorneys. In United States v. Cianci, the 1st Circuit upheld the racketeering conspiracy conviction and affirmed the convictions of two co-defendants. The court accepted the government’s argument that municipal entities may be part of an “associated-in-fact enterprise” for purposes of violations under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). In United States v. Potter, the 1st Circuit upheld the mail fraud convictions of former Lincoln Park executives who schemed to pay $4 million in bribes for former House Speaker John B. Harwood. No bribes were paid, but the court held that the conspiracy was intended to sway Harwood to use his power to help Lincoln Park and that their conduct was within the scope of honest services mail fraud. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:39 PM | Comment Boyfriend defends false statements in mom's murder trialWARWICK -- In his opening statements Tuesday, defense attorney Kevin Bristow told a jury that Daniel Fusco, Kimberly Mawson’s former boyfriend, killed her 19-month-old baby. Bristow also remarked that Fusco had told different stories to the police, DCYF workers and state officials during the investigation. At Kent County Superior Court today, where Mawson stands trial for murder, Fusco told jurors that he had initially lied to the police about who was at his house the day before his girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter was fatally injured because he was selling marijuana. He has since made a deal with the Attorney General’s office, he said, and was promised he wouldn’t be prosecuted for the drug charges if he cooperated with the investigation. Fusco also said that a few days after Jade died, someone had advised him to take notes of everything that happened to him. He referred to those notes during questioning, recalling, he said, that months after the baby’s death, Mawson appeared to be overly distraught. “It didn’t seem natural." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports form Journal staff writer Talia Buford In his second day of testimony, Fusco said soon after Jade died, Mawson suggested he get another girlfriend, because she was considering killing herself. They broke up for a few months, but later moved in together in Johnston. During this time, the police continued to investigate the girl's death. Fusco returned to the stand after a break for cross examination. “I was exhausted,” Fusco told the jury. “Mentally and physically exhausted; I just wanted to forget that that ever happened.” Fusco, who has a short criminal history of misdemeanors in several New England states, said he had seen injuries on the baby before she died. He said he eventually broke up with Mawson because “I had a lot of anxiety.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:14 PM | Comment Judge awards compensation to injured illegal immigrant
Workers Compensation Judge Bruce Q. Morin entered his order at pretrial that William J. Gorman Jr., owner of Billy G’s Tree Care, pay Velasquez two weeks’ salary and thousands of dollars in medical costs. The case is now expected to move to trial. Velasquez’s lawyer, Stephen J. Dennis, said he will seek more compensation for Velasquez, who will require further surgery on his eye. “We won. This is huge. I know of no other jurisdiction,” he said, where someone has won such a case. Dennis noted however, that the case is not over yet. Judge Morin said it was clear “that a horrific incident occurred” on March 31, 2006, and ordered Gorman to pay an average weekly wage of $400 a week, plus all of Velasquez’s medical bills for hospitalization, surgery and continued medical care. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:25 PM | Comment Caretaker pleads not guilty to murderA woman accused of killing a man she had been cooking and cleaning for pleaded not guilty at her arraignment this morning in Superior Court, Warwick. No bail was issued for Heather M. Catterall, who was remanded to the Adult Correctional Institutions, where she’s been held since her arrest in July. Prosecutors say Catterall smothered 76-year-old Albert Dubois, stole cash, and forged checks from his account. He had let her live with him in exchange for her cleaning his home and cooking. Catterall is facing a murder charge along with one larceny and two forgery charges. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for early December. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment Ex: Defendant discussed marriage for immunityAt one point after the death of Kimberly Mawson's daughter, Mawson and Daniel R. Fusco talked about getting married, because if they were married, Fusco told a jury this morning, the two couldn’t testify against each other. The two broke up shortly after the 19-month-old died. Mawson is now on trial in Superior Court, Warwick, for the 2002 death of her daughter, Jade. In his second day of testimony, Fusco said soon after Jade died, Mawson suggested he get another girlfriend, because she was considering killing herself. They broke up for a few months, but later moved in together in Johnston. During this time, the police continued to investigate the girl's death. “I was exhausted,” Fusco told the jury. “Mentally and physically exhausted; I just wanted to forget that that ever happened.” Fusco, who has a short criminal history of misdemeanors in several New England states, said he had seen injuries on the baby before she died. He said he eventually broke up with Mawson because “I had a lot of anxiety.” He’s preparing to take the stand for cross examination by the defense attorney Kevin Bristow, who said in opening statements Tuesday that Fusco killed Jade. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:00 PM | Comment R.I. gets $8.3 million from feds for drug treatmentA White House deputy "drug czar" today is announcing at a Warwick conference $8.3 million the state will use over several years to provide vouchers to people seeking drug treatment and recovery. Dr. Bertha K. Madras, deputy director for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, is keynoter speaker at a conference where residents affected by teenage drug and alcohol abuse talk about the problems surrounding it. Called an Access to Recovery grant, Rhode Island's will total about $8.3 million over the next three years. The grant is awarded to the governor’s Office in collaboration with the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals’ Division of Behavioral Healthcare. The federal money will target people recently released from the Adult Correctional Institutions, the state Training School for Youth, and parents/guardians involved with Department of Children, Youth and Families. The grant aims to individualize substance-abuse treatment and recovery care, a news release said. It allows faith-based and organizations and providers to help those Rhode Islanders in need. “Rhode Island is on the forefront of substance abuse prevention and recovery,” Dr. Madras said in a statement. “By implementing an ATR program, Rhode Island can get help to those who need it most -- through an individually-structured and organized treatment and recovery regimen -- and help more Rhode Islanders achieve and maintain recovery from addiction.” “Substance Abuse Among Teens: Connecting the Dots” began this morning at 8:30. Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr., are hosting the event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. John Raposa, whose daughter was killed in a car crash, will also speak to the sold-out crowd of 450. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment Conference tackles problem of teen drug abuseCity, state, and federal government officials and advocates are joining residents today whose lives have been affected by teenage drug and alcohol abuse to discuss ways to address the issues surrounding teenage drug and alcohol abuse. The deputy director of demand reduction in the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, Dr. Bertha Madras, is the keynote speaker. John Raposa, whose daughter was killed in a car crash, will also speak to the sold-out crowd of 450. “Substance Abuse Among Teens: Connecting the Dots” began this morning at 8:30. Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr., are hosting the event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:43 AM | Comment Caregiver to be arraigned for murder todayA 28-year-old woman charged with killing the 76-year-old man who she cooked and cleaned for is set to be arraigned today in Superior Court, Warwick. Heather M. Catterall was indicted Aug. 3, more than two months after prosecutors say she smothered Albert Dubois with a garbage bag, stole cash and, a day or two later, forged two checks from his account. Dubois’ stepson said Catterall had been living in Dubois’ house in exchange for her services cooking and cleaning. Catterall is facing a murder charge along with one larceny and two forgery counts. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment Former boyfriend to retake the stand this morningDaniel R. Fusco told a jury that his former girlfriend told him not to call 9-1-1 after her baby daughter collapsed. Two days later, 19-month-old Jade Mawson was pronounced brain-dead. Fusco is scheduled to take the witness stand again this morning in Superior Court, Warwick, where Jade’s mother, Kimberly A. Mawson, faces a second-degree murder charge for the 2002 death of her daughter. Fusco did call 9-1-1, however, and jurors heard the recording, as well as a voicemail message Mawson left for Fusco in court yesterday. Judge Edwin J. Gale instructed jurors not to evaluate the tape for truthfulness, but to establish there was a 9-1-1 call made. In opening statements, Mawson's lawyer said Fusco murdered the baby, citing his conflicting reports to detectives and officials from the state Department of Children, Youth and Families following the incident. The trial is scheduled to resume at 10:00 a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:46 AM | Comment Reform-minded Catholic group gathers in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A reformed-minded Catholic group that was spawned by the priest sex-abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston five years ago is holding its third national convention starting today at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Voice of the Faithful's convention should draw 500 to 700 participants, according to the group's president, Mary Pat Fox. The convention will include more than 30 workshops and talks by such luminaries as the Rev. Richard McBrien, a theologian at the University of Notre Dame. The group is banned from holding meetings in certain places, such as Catholic parishes in the Fall River Diocese, but Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin has written a letter extending his greetings to the group. Read more on the group and its meeting. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:39 AM | Comment Sentencing postponed for doctor in steroid casePROVIDENCE -- A federal judge delays sentencing for a New York doctor who's pleaded guilty to writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for steroids and human growth hormone. Victor Mariani had been scheduled for sentencing today in U.S. District Court. But a judge has granted a request from federal prosecutors to postpone the sentencing until November 2. That is the scheduled sentencing date for two other defendants -- Ana Maria Santi and Daniel McGlone -- who have been charged in the case and have also pleaded guilty. McGlone, a New Jersey businessman, has admitted paying Mariani and Santi, a former doctor, to write steroid prescriptions for clients they had never met or diagnosed. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:19 AM | Comment Magnitude 2.5 quake overnight in MassachusettsLITTLETON, Mass. -- The U.S. Geological Survey reports a small earthquake rattled some communities west of Boston. The epicenter of the 2.5 magnitude quake was about one mile from Littleton Common and about five miles from Ayer. It was felt at 1:23 a.m. today. There were no reports of any damage. Littleton police dispatcher Sam Welch said the department received a number of phone calls from people who heard or felt the temblor and were wondering what it was. But he said there were no reports of any problems associated with it. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Periods of rain today, but better over the weekendIt's not as bad as it looks. Yes, there's rain now, and more forecast for this afternoon when the high temperature should reach 73 degrees. No, there won't be much sun Yes, there's more rain coming overnight, when the temperature should drop to the mid 60s. . But tomorrow looks rain-free after possible drizzle in the early morning. The sun is not scheduled to make an appearance, but the temperature should hold in the mid 70s. Saturday night is looking partly cloudy with a low temperature of about 50 degrees. And then, Sunday, finally: sun. The National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70s and an overnight low around 50. More sun expected Monday morning and more warm weather, with an expected high in the mid 70s. To check weather updates throughout the weekend, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph of Red Sox' starter Josh Beckett, who led the team to victory last night, keeping the Sox alive in the ALCS against Cleveland. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 18, 2007Tonight: Film fest at Providence's Cable Car CinemaThe Africana Film Festival, this week at Providence’s Cable Car Cinema, 204 South Main St., shows two films tonight: Colonial Misunderstanding at 7 p.m., and Tsietsi, My Hero, at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $8. Information: www.brown.edu/aff or (401) 272-3970. The festival, which began yesterday, runs through Sunday. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Tocco fined for failing to file campaign finance reportPROVIDENCE -- Smithfield Town Council President Stephen G. Tocco is being fined daily by the state Board of Elections for failing to file a quarterly campaign finance report by a July 31 deadline. Richard E. Thornton, director of campaign finance for the board, said today that a certified letter was dispatched Aug. 21 notifying Tocco that he had to pay a onetime fine of $25. Because Tocco still did not file the report after this initial fine was levied, he was also fined $2 a day. Thornton said it is not uncommon for office-holders to fail to file on time. “On a quarterly basis, where we may expect to receive 800 to 900 reports, there may be 100 not filed on time,” he said. He said if an official continues to balk, the matter could be referred to the attorney general’s office for prosecution. He said that as of today Tocco owes $101 in fines. “I’m just finishing up the paperwork now,” Tocco said today when reached for comment. “Obviously, with all the duties and responsibilities I’ve been quite busy. I’m very involved in the recall drive. It will be filed in a very timely manner.” -- Journal staff writer Thomas J. Morgan Tocco is the target of a recall campaign aimed at ejecting him from the council because of revelations by The Providence Journal that he was involved in wrongdoing in the 1980s and 1990s. The election is scheduled for Nov. 13. James W. Archer, chairman of the Republican Town Committee, who raised the issue of Tocco’s failure to comply with the campaign finance law, said, “These campaign finance reports are the people’s only way of insuring that there are no illegal funds received and that there is no improper use of the cash and checks given to a political campaign.” He added, “Considering all that Mr. Tocco has been through, and all that he is presently going through with regards to his being recalled, I find it astonishing that he has not filed his most recent campaign finance report. To see his arrogance as he defies the Board of Elections order to comply with the law is stunning. This is yet another example of Mr. Tocco disregarding any law he finds inconvenient. You would think that he would have learned something from his past or at least that he would behave while he is subject to recall and is being investigated for violating our Town Charter.” The council on Tuesday, with Tocco sitting silent, appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Tocco’s alleged violations of the Charter. If the prosecutor finds sufficient evidence, Tocco could be removed from office after a public hearing. Thornton said the missing report covers the period from April 1 to June 30. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment Photo: Whitehouse to nominee -- define 'torture'
AP photo Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey, right, is questioned by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., left, during the second day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
WASHINGTON -- In an intense exchange today with three Democrats, President Bush's nominee for attorney general left the door open for allowing an interrogation technique on terrorism suspects that simulates drowning. Michael Mukasey, a retired federal judge, issued highly-conditioned statements that so-called waterboarding violates the U.S. Constitution only if it is defined as torture. The answer is unclear. In an executive order this summer, Bush allowed the use of some harsh interrogation techniques but his administration refused to say whether waterboarding was among them. Congress has banned waterboarding as part of a detainee treatment law. During today's proceedings, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin probed for Mukasey's opinion. "I'm hoping that you can at least look at this one technique and say: That clearly constitutes torture. It should not be the policy of the United States to engage in waterboarding," said the Illinois Democrat. "It is not constitutional for the United States to engage in torture in any form, be it waterboarding or anything else," Mukasey replied. Under subsequent questioning by Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Mukasey said the practice of waterboarding, if defined as torture, can't be permitted by the president. "If it is torture as defined by the Constitution, or defined by constitutional standards, it can't be authorized," Mukasey said. Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a former federal prosecutor, tried again. "Is waterboarding constitutional?" Whitehouse asked. "It either is or it isn't." Mukasey again demurred, saying he doesn't know what's involved in the technique. "If it amounts to torture, it is not constitutional," the nominee replied. "I'm very disappointed in that answer," Whitehouse said. "I think it's purely semantics." The president himself has repeatedly said "We don't torture" and argued that intense interrogations are sometimes necessary to elicit information about terrorist plots. -- The Associated Press The exchanges were part of what was expected to be the final round of questioning of Mukasey. Later in the day, the panel was set to hear from witnesses that included former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh. So far, Mukasey has told senators he would reject any White House meddling in Justice Department matters and would resign if his legal or ethical concerns about administration policy are ignored. He also said he's resistant to passing a law shielding reporters from being forced to reveal their sources, saying it would be much easier to fix internal Justice Department practice if need be. "The system worked passably well up until now," Mukasey told the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved legislation that would establish such a shield. The House overwhelmingly passed a similar bill last week, but President Bush said he would veto it. Mukasey, a former federal judge who also has represented reporters as a defense lawyer, indicated he would side with Bush against any federal legislation. "One thing about internal procedures is that if you need to change them they're relatively easy to change," he said at his confirmation hearing. "You can adjust the regulation, you can adjust the procedure, you can put more levels in. You can change standards. It becomes much harder when it's etched in stone in the form of legislation. And that is part of the reason for my unease." Majority Democrats, aided by some Republicans, have urged passage of a media shield because they say it would protect reporters and government whistleblowers who reveal improper or illegal official activity. Fifty news outlets, including The Associated Press, support the legislation. The Bush administration has issued a veto threat, saying that subpoenas for reporters are relatively rare and that a shield would make it harder to track down leakers of classified information. Mukasey said that he has reservations about the legislation because it sets too high a legal threshold for prosecutors to meet to overcome the shield. Proving that the disclosure is needed to prevent an attack is difficult in advance, the nominee said yesterday. The measure also pending defines a journalist too broadly and might inadvertently protect, for example, bloggers who are also spies or terrorists, Mukasey said. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who supports the shield, asked Mukasey to submit his specific objections to the committee in writing. Mukasey agreed. On a related topic, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley warned Mukasey that the administration has not been friendly to whistleblowers and urged the nominee to stand up for anyone who exposes government mismanagement. Grassley, R-Iowa, said he once suggested to Bush that he have a Rose Garden ceremony to honor whistleblowers because "for the most part they are patriotic people." "And I got some sort of a comment back about if he did that every nut would come out of the woodwork," Grassley told Mukasey. "So with that sort of an attitude at the highest level of government, you know, it's very important that people a little lower down, as you are...make sure that the spirit of the law is carried out as well as the law." Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:58 PM | Comment State appeals Indian land deal to U.S. Supreme CourtRhode Island filed an appeal today asking the U.S. Supreme Court today to review -- and consider overturning -- a lower court ruling that allowed the U.S. Department of the Interior to take Charlestown land in trust for the Narragansett Indian tribe. As trust land, it would be removed from state jurisdiction, meaning the land would not be subject to state taxation or land-use laws and most criminal laws. The tribe, which bought the land several years ago, has said it wants to use the land for housing. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment Boyfriend details child's collapse in mom's murder trialWARWICK -- Kimberly A. Mawson told her boyfriend back in December 2002 that she was having a bad day -- and that a jewelry box had fallen on the head of her 19-month-old daughter, Jade. Later that day, the boyfriend, Daniel Fusco, said he was watching television near Jade while Mawson went out to a Wal-Mart. He said he saw Jade take a couple of steps -- then collapse and fall face forward. He said her breathing was shallow. Fusco, who testified in Kent County Superior Court today, is a prosecution witness in the trial of Mawson, 37, the former Warwick resident who is accused of killing her daughter in 2002. The prosecution accuses Mawson of inflicting injuries on Jade out of frustration after being alone with the girl for several days. Fusco said he called Mawson's cell phone, but got no reception in the Wal-Mart. He dialed information, called the Wal-Mart number, Mawson was paged over the store intercom and she called him. Don't call 911, she will be right home, he said she told him. Fusco then called his father, who said to call 911. At some point during the calls, Fusco said he tried to revive Jade, including splashing some water on her arms. He called 911, then talked to Mawson again, who said she was almost home. Before that scene unfolded, the couple and Jade had spent Thanksgiving with Mawson's family in Connecticut. They got into a minor car accident on the way back to Rhode Island and had to stay the night with Mawson's Connecticut relatives. Then, on Dec. 2, Fusco went to try to get the car fixed. Mawson stayed home with the child. Fusco said he'd been gone about an hour when Mawson called and said she was having a bad day. Mawson used to work at the shop, owned by Tracy Boughton. Boughton said Mawson called her in December 2002 worried she was having a “meltdown,” and needed someone to take care of Jade. The baby died on Dec. 2 of that year. Boughton remembered facts but not always the dates on which events occurred, she told the court. But Boughton added, “What I do remember is what she said, and what transpired.” -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Rachael Sarzin, who worked at Hasbro Children’s Hospital as a clinical social worker when Jade died, testified that Mawson asked more than once about donating her daughter’s organs. She also pointed to what she saw as inconsistencies in Mawson’s description of what happened the day Jade came into the hospital. According to Sarzin, Mawson said a jewelry box fell off a dresser, onto the baby, and shattered. But during testimony yesterday, Warwick Detective Robert Courtemanche showed pictures of an intact jewelry box sitting on a table at Mawson’s house the day the baby was taken to the hospital. Sarzin did, at one point, acknowledge the defense’s theory, stated Tuesday, that Fusco may have been responsible for the injuries. “If she did not do it, yes, it had to be one of them.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment Help for after-school helpA new initiative aimed at garnering support for after-school programs through funding and expanded program offerings will be announced this evening. The Supporting Student Success in Rhode Island Initiative, announced at Johnson and Wales University by Rep. Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence, will work to include after- school programs in the state education aid formula, create a coordinating office to help allocate resources and pay for a pilot program for summer and other learning opportunities. “We know that after-school programs are extremely important to the success of Rhode Island’s children” Fox said in a statement. “We are taking an important first step with the Supporting Student Success project and I hope it will serve as a catalyst for future action.” Fox will be joined by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed, D-Jamestown, Newport; Mayor David N. Cicilline; Education Commissioner Peter McWalters; Sue Stenhouse, deputy director of community relations for the Office of the Governor; and Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:30 PM | Comment Providence 17-year-old shot on Hartford AvenuePROVIDENCE -- A city man was shot at least twice last night in the leg and an arm in the 300 Hartford Ave. area and taken to Rhode Island Hospital for non-life threatening injuries, the police said today. Carlos Molina, 17, who was shot, told the police he and another man were in that area when what he described as two men wearing black hooded sweatshirts came out of the bushes and shot at Molina. Multiple shots were fired, though it was not clear how many. Molina ran away toward Laurel Hill Avenue. Detectives are investigating the case. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:25 PM | Comment E. Greenwich post office to be dedicated to veteranThe East Greenwich post office will officially be dedicated to the late U.S. Navy Cmdr. Richard L. Cevoli during a ceremony Sunday. U.S. Sen Jack Reed authored the law naming the post office after Cevoli and will be on hand for the 1 p.m. dedication. The post office is located at 5775 Post Rd. Cevoli was an East Greenwich native who received the Navy Cross for bravery during World War II as well as two Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight Air Medals, Reed's office said in a news release today. Cevoli was born in East Greenwich in 1919 and was a lifelong resident. He graduated from La Salle Academy and Rhode Island State College -- now the University of Rhode Island. He died in 1955 when his plane crashed during a training mission, leaving behind his wife, Grace, and their four children: Steven, Carole, Elizabeth and Richard Jr. “Naming this post office after Richard Cevoli is a fitting tribute to a man who contributed so much to Rhode Island and our nation,” Reed said in a statement. “The valor he demonstrated as a Naval officer in World War II and during the Korean War will now be recognized not only in his hometown of East Greenwich, but by all Rhode Islanders.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:20 PM | Comment Johnston educator named R.I. superintendent of the yearJOHNSTON -- The Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association has selected Supt. Margaret A. Iacovelli as superintendent of the year. The association made the announcement earlier this morning at a general membership meeting. Iacovelli has been superintendent since October 2002. Her stint has coincided with budget troubles in the district. A consolidation of the system’s elementary education program has riled a large group of parents who were against changes that forced their children to move from one school, the Graniteville School, to another. “She deserves it,” said the chairwoman of the School Committee, Janice Mele. “She takes a lot of grief from the same people.” “We’re trying to save money and not compromise on the education of the children,” she added. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:15 PM | Comment Mom accused of murder fretted about 'meltdown'WARWICK -- Kimberly Mawson would sometimes bring her baby daughter into work at a local costume shop. One day, the former shop’s owner said from the witness stand today, the girl had a hand-shaped bruise on her face. Mawson, on trial for murdering her 19-month-old daughter, Jade, used to work at the shop, owned by Tracy Boughton. Boughton said Mawson called her in December 2002 worried she was having a “meltdown,” and needed someone to take care of Jade. The baby died on Dec. 2 of that year. Boughton’s memory was not always solid; she seemed to confuse dates and the order of events. But she said, “What I do remember is what she said, and what transpired.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Rachael Sarzin, who worked at Hasbro Children’s Hospital as a clinical social worker when Jade died, testified that Mawson asked more than once about donating her daughter’s organs. She also pointed to what she saw as inconsistencies in Mawson’s description of what happened the day Jade came into the hospital. According to Sarzin, Mawson said a jewelry box fell off a dresser, onto the baby, and shattered. But during testimony yesterday, Warwick Detective Robert Courtemanche showed pictures of an intact jewelry box sitting on a table at Mawson’s house the day the baby was taken to the hospital. Sarzin did, at one point, acknowledge the defense’s theory, stated Tuesday, that Mawson’s boyfriend, Daniel Fusco, may have been responsible for the injuries. “If she did not do it, yes, it had to be one of them.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:57 PM | Comment RIPTA: Ferry use up by 17.8 percentThe Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced today that this season's Providence/Newport ferry service saw a 17.8-percent increase in ridership compared with last season's. In the season from May 16 through Oct. 16, 47,002 people rode the ferry compared to last year's ridership of 39,551, a RIPTA news release says. In season, the high-speed catamaran runs seven days a week, including holidays. It makes five roundtrips a day from Monday through Friday and on Sunday; on Saturdays, it made six roundtrips. In Providence, the ferry docks at Conley’s Wharf at Providence Piers at 180 Allens Ave. In Newport, the ferry docks at Perrotti Park, which is on America's Cup Avenue. New England Fast Ferry runs the high-speed catamaran “Ocean State,” which is used for the service. RIPTA’s ferry service began in 2000. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:02 PM | Comment Whitehouse speaks on lead paint's harmful effectsAt a Senate committee hearing today about lead paint's harmful effects, committee member Sheldon Whitehouse said he was proud Rhode Island has been "a leader" in trying to reverse the problem. "For years, tens of thousands of Rhode Island children have lived in homes contaminated by lead paint, exposed to lead in paint chips or dust," Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, said during the hearing. "More than 30,000 children have been diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels in our state." Whitehouse serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which is slated to take testimony from several health care, government, and industry representatives. One of them is Bruce Lanphear, the director of the Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health Center, who was a witness in Rhode Island's suit against companies that made and sold lead paint. "When I served as Rhode Island’s Attorney General, we brought a public nuisance action against the companies that manufactured lead-contaminated paint, an innovative approach that, after several years and two trials, finally resulted in a jury verdict last year that the paint companies must abate the damage they caused," Whitehouse said. The effects of lead exposure played out in the trial, in Rhode Island, but the high number of recent toy recalls due to lead contamination has renewed attention on the problem nationally. Read the Providence Journal's special series on lead poisoning in children. The hearing was set to start at 10 a.m. and be shown on the Web on the committee's Web site. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson Among those slated to testify in front of the committee are: James Gulliford, assistant administrator for pesticides, prevention and toxic substances, U.S Environmental Protection Agency Bruce Lanphear, director of the Cincinnati Children's Environmental Health Center and professor of pediatrics and environmental health Tom Neltner, on behalf of Improving Kids' Environment, Sierra Club, and Concerned Clergy of Greater Indianapolis Mike Nagel, RemodelOne -- Design/Build Construction, on behalf of the National Association of Homebuilders, Remodeler's Council David Jacobs, director of research, National Center for Healthy Housing Olivia Farrow, assistant commissioner, City of Baltimore Department of Health On Monday, Mattel, Inc. withdrew its agreement to testify at the hearing.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:01 PM | Comment Gang member arraigned, expected to plead guiltyA 28-year-old man who goes by the nickname “Evil K” waived his right to a grand jury hearing related to federal charges stemming from a sting operation in which a federal agent posed as a drug dealer. Khek Choummalaithong, and three other members of a violent street gang were arrested at gunpoint in April after prosecutors say the men were planning to rob the fictitious drug dealer. Choummalaithong, who was arraigned in U.S. District Court today, signed a plea agreement and is expected to plead guilty next Wednesday to three charges: conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum combined sentence for the three charges is life in prison, a $750,000 fine and nine years probation. The U.S. Attorney's office has agreed to recommend a reduced sentence in exchange for the plea. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:41 AM | Comment 19th-century engineering back in actionSome local Industrial Revolution-era engineering has been repaired, re-cast and restored, and will be shown off tomorrow morning. Representatives of the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and demonstration of three underwater gates. The gates, which have been inoperative for the past 20 years, control the flow of water through the canal. They were initially used to provide power to Moses Taft’s Central Woolen Mill, but can now help improve water circulation and control water levels during floods. The restoration project – which involved lowering water levels to disassemble the gates – was paid for by the Corridor Commission, the Massachusetts Office of Public Private Partnerships and the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. The ceremony will take place at the second Gate, behind the former Stanley Woolen Mill at 146 Mendon St. in Uxbridge, Mass. tomorrow at 10. a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:00 AM | Comment Sen. Reed proposes new floodplain mapsLegislation proposed by Sen. Jack Reed that would expand information used by the federal government to predict flood risks has passed its first hurdle. The National Flood Mapping Act of 2007, approved by the Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs yesterday, would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add to their maps the 100- and 500-year floodplains; areas that would be in danger if a dam or levee failed; and areas that could be threatened by coastal surges. “Unfortunately, today’s federal coastal flood maps do not reflect the real flood hazard risks,” Reed said in a statement. “New development has significantly altered watersheds and floodplains. Knowing if you need flood insurance can mean the difference between having no money to rebuild and having $250,000.” FEMA’s maps are used by mortgage lending companies to set insurance rates, community planners, land developers and engineers. The mapping legislation was included in the committee-approved Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007. There is not date yet scheduled for a vote. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:36 AM | Comment Update: Accident clearedThe accident on Interstate-95 southbound near Exit 23 has been cleared. For up-to-the minute traffic information, visit the Transportation Management Center's Web site, and check out the Web cams for recent shots of interstates across the state. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:22 AM | Comment Third gang member set for arraignment todayThe third member of a violent street gang is scheduled for an arraignment today for charges stemming from a federal sting operation in which a federal agent posed as a drug dealer. Khek Choummalaithong, 28, and three others were arrested at gunpoint in 2007 after prosecutors say the men were planning to rob the fictitious drug dealer. Choummalaithong is scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. arraignment in U.S. District Court, Providence. The maximum combined sentence for the three charges is life in prison, a $750,000 fine and nine years probation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:00 AM | Comment New cervical cancer test more accurateNEW YORK -- A relatively new screening test was about twice as accurate as the traditional Pap smear at spotting cervical cancer, according to the first rigorous study of the test in North America. The new test could replace the 50-year-old Pap in a matter of years, experts say. And there's a bonus for women: They won't need a screening test as often. The HPV test, which looks for the virus that causes cervical cancer, correctly spotted 95 percent of the cancers. The Pap test, which checks for abnormal cells under a microscope, only found 55 percent, according to researchers at McGill University in Montreal, who published their findings in today's New England Journal of Medicine. "We've had the Pap test for over 50 years and it's high time it be replaced by technology that's more robust," said Eduardo Franco, director of McGill's division of cancer epidemiology, who led the study. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:46 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Accident on I-95 southboundAn accident on southbound has led to a traffic crunch on Interstate-95. The Transportation Management Center is reporting the accident in Providence near Exit 23, the Charles Street/Route 146 North exit. The left and center lanes are blocked. For up-to-the minute traffic information, visit the TMC Web site, and check out the Web cams for recent shots of interstates across the state. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:35 AM | Comment Hearing on lead poisoning in Washington todayA key witness in Rhode Island’s suit against companies that made and sold lead paint will testify today in Washington about the harmful effects of lead exposure. Bruce Lanphear, the director of the Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health Center, is one of several health care, government, and industry representatives scheduled to speak in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at the Lead and Children’s health hearing. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is a member of the Committee. In Rhode Island, the harmful effects of lead exposure played out in the trial, but the high number of recent toy recalls due to lead contamination has brought the issue into the national dialogue. Read the Providence Journal's special series on lead poisoning in children. The hearing, set to begin at 10 a.m., will be Web cast live on the Committee's Web site. For more information on witnesses, click below. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson James Gulliford, assistant administrator for pesticides, prevention and toxic substances, U.S Environmental Protection Agency Bruce Lanphear, director of the Cincinnati Children's Environmental Health Center and professor of pediatrics and environmental health Tom Neltner, on behalf of Improving Kids' Environment, Sierra Club, and Concerned Clergy of Greater Indianapolis Mike Nagel, RemodelOne -- Design/Build Construction, on behalf of the National Association of Homebuilders, Remodeler's Council David Jacobs, director of research, National Center for Healthy Housing Olivia Farrow, assistant commissioner, City of Baltimore Department of Health **On Monday, Mattel, Inc. withdrew its agreement to testify at the hearing. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Mild but cloudyThe morning fog should lift by 9, but the clouds are here to stay. It should be a mild day, with no rain, and The National Weather Service forecasts a high temperature of 74 degrees. Showers may come in the evening, along with fog after 9 p.m. and an expected overnight low near 60. Tomorrow is looking like another cloudy day, this time with rain in the afternoon. More mild temperatures are forecast, with a high in the mid 70s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a column on the Red Sox' 'Daunting, but not impossible' chance of winning the ALCS playoffs against the Cleveland Indians. There's also more about a Registry worker accused of illegally selling driver's licenses to drug dealers and illegal immigrants. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 17, 2007Rhode Island Foundation leader resignsThe leader of the Rhode Island Foundation is resigning, the foundation's board announced today. Ronald V. Gallo, foundation president and chief executive officer, is stepping down after 15 years, according to a news release. "This was a mutually agreed-upon decision, prompted by Ron's belief that the foundation was ready for new leadership, and by his interest in exploring other career paths," George Graboys, the foundation board chairman, said in the statement. "The board accepted Ron's resignation with great regret. His myriad contributions during the past 15 years have left the foundation in an excellent position to continue the critical work of addressing Rhode Island's most formidable challenges." The foundation is located in Providence's downtown, between the State House and City Hall. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Tonight: Mexican ballet, rock, jazz and soulThere will be people who really know how to dance at Rhode Island College tonight and, in the clubs, a few people who will tap their feet and sway a little to music from rock to jazz. Ballet Folklorico de Mexico celebrates tradition with a costumed ballet performance at 8 p.m. in Roberts Hall, Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence. Call (401) 456-8144 or www.ric.edu/pfa/pas.php. Brickpark plays rock at Olives, 108 North Main St., Providence. Call 751-1200. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. No cover. Includes karaoke. George Leonard plays jazz and pop at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 8 p.m. to midnight. 2nd Avenue plays rock at Pitcher's Pub, 80 Manville Hill Rd., Cumberland. Call 658-0058. 9 p.m. Tribeca plays soul, Motown and disco at Two Jerks Pub and Grill, 446 Waterman Ave., East Providence. Call 434-4111. 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Pawtucket officer cleared in shootingThe actions of a Pawtucket police officer who fatally shot an Attleboro woman whose car sped from -- and at -- officers at high speed on Route 95 were "lawful and legally justified," a Providence County Grand Jury has concluded. The shooting happened on July 26. Investigators said at the time that a Pawtucket officer feared that Bridget DeGrafft, 49, of Attleboro, was about to pin him against his cruiser with the stolen car she was was driving. No indictment of the officer was returned given the grand jury's finding, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced late today. DeGrafft, who was described as having a history of alcohol and drug abuse, had sped south on Route 95 as officers from at least two police departments pursued. She was twice shot as she allegedly tried to run the officers over. What began as a carjacking at the junction of Oak Hill Avenue and Locust Street in Attleboro ended in Warwick, about 15 miles south, investigators said. Attleboro police asked other departments to look for the Honda. At 1:10 a.m., Pawtucket police radioed that they were in pursuit of the car on Route 95 near the Lonsdale Avenue exit, heading south at speeds reaching 90 mph. Rhode Island state troopers pursued as well as the car traveled onto Route 10 southbound in Providence. The Honda tried to exit at Reservoir Avenue but struck the rear of a state police cruiser and veered onto a grass median and then crossed the ramp from Reservoir Avenue to Route 10. Eventually, DeGrafft put the car into reverse at high speed and went down the embankment toward officers, who then took cover. One trooper fell to the ground. As he began to get up, DeGrafft drove at him, authorities have said. The trooper fired one shot at her. She then swerved back onto the road and attempted to hit a Pawtucket officer, who fired rounds. More twists and turns ensued, and eventually a Pawtucket police officer got wedged between his cruiser and the Honda, authorities said, and fired out of fear for his safety. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment 'Virtually embedded' filmmaker joins Brown panelIn 2004, when the New Hampshire National Guard asked documentary filmmaker Deborah Scranton if she wanted to travel to Iraq with one of their units, Scranton wondered how she would take advantage of a chance of a lifetime. The Brown University graduate (1984) went to sleep knowing she couldn’t leave her New Hampshire home for 11 months. Then an outlandish idea woke her: What if she “virtually embedded’’ with the unit? It meant equipping the unit with 21 small video cameras — some mounted inside the unit’s Humvees and on their gun turrets — and allowing the soldiers to tell their own stories of war from the ground, beside the exploded car, the charred corpse and in the frightening uncertainty of the Iraqi night. The soldiers’ raw footage — along with Scranton’s daily iInternet communications and interviews later with the soldiers returned home — became The War Tapes, which won best documentary feature at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. With new technology has come new ways of telling stories, of practicing journalism. The conference, titled: “Front Line, First Person: Iraq War Stories,” begins with a panel discussion at 2 p.m. Friday at the Watson Institute, 111 Thayer St. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney The panelists will include Colby Buzzell, an Army veteran who started a blog while serving in Iraq in 2003-2004 and published a book on about his experiences titled: "My War: Killing Time in Iraq"; and Matthew Burden, a veteran blogger and author of: "The Blog of War: Front-Line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.’’ Scranton said hearing these ground-level, often first-person stories, “force you to listen to other points of view because right now we are so polarized in this country [about the war] that we’re not having conversations anymore.’’ “What really frightens me is with less than 1 percent of the population directly involved with this war …. You can go for days in this country and not know we are a country at war.’’ The unfairness of that reality, she said, is that “there is a military class in our society and they are bearing the brunt” of the war’s cost. Scranton says if more people knew about the realities on the ground — heard U.S. soldiers in their own words “still twitching’’ in the hot wash of emotion following a firefight — more people might care. If nothing else, she said, “I’m sure they would have better protection for their Humvees and the flack jackets they need.’’ Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 6:30 PM | Comment Three-car accident sends seven to hospitalsCRANSTON -- Paramedics transported six adults and a 13-year-old girl to area hospitals last night after a three-car accident at the intersection of Wellington Avenue and Milford Street, according to the police. Col. Stephen McGrath, the chief of police, said today that investigators with the Traffic Unit are still reconstructing the accident. Authorities have not ruled out excessive speed and alcohol as contributing factors. “Some of the injuries were very serious -- life-threatening,” said McGrath, adding that the department was withholding the names of the operators and the injured pending notification of their families. McGrath said a 19-year-old Cranston man, with an 18-year-old woman as a passenger, was turning northbound onto Wellington Avenue in a 1997 Nissan sedan when he collided with a 2005 Saturn sport utility vehicle, operated by a 40-year-old Cranston man, heading south. The Saturn, which also carried a 33-year-old man and a 35-year-old man, then collided head-on with a northbound 1998 Toyota sport utility vehicle. A 62-year-old woman was driving the Toyota, with the 13-year-old girl as a passenger. The six adults were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, McGrath said. The child was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. -- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment Providence fire victim taken to hospitalPROVIDENCE -- A male occupant of a one-and-a-half story residence at 23 Baxter St. was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after he suffered burns on his stomach from a fire this afternoon. The call came in at 3:42 p.m. and Providence firefighters brought the fire at the wood-frame building under control at 3:55 p.m., said James Taylor, chief of communications for the department. The fire happened in the rear of the building, Taylor said. The cause of the fire has not been determined. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:30 PM | Comment Coventry man, 79, indicted on molestation chargesA 79-year-old Coventry man has been indicted on seven counts of first-degree child molestation and four counts of second-degree child molestation -- crimes allegedly committed against a child who was 14 years old or younger. The indictment naming James Day, of 28 Myra Road, was handed up Monday, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced today. It is a secret indictment, meaning that neither an arrest nor a District Court complaint generated the indictment. Day is accused of committing one crime of first-degree child molestation and two crimes of second-degree child molestation in Coventry and committing six crimes of first-degree child molestation and two crimes of second-degree child molestation in South Kingstown. The news release provides no other information about the allegations. Washington County Superior Court Judge Stephen P. Nugent yesterday granted the prosecutor's request that Day be ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Nugent also imposed a no contact order against Day with the victim. A determination of attorney hearing is slated for Oct. 23 and a bail hearing is set for Oct. 30. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Brown medical student's program featured in YankeeA 24-year-old Brown University medical student who cofounded a financial aid program for doctors in four of the world's poorest countries is featured in the November/December issue of Yankee Magazine, the magazine announced today. Rajiv Kumar and his nonprofit Adopt a Doctor program are the subjects of a story titled “Angels Among Us, 2007." Kumar's program enables doctors to stay in home countries and save thousands of lives, according to a Yankee Magazine news release. “I’m giving people the opportunity to do good in the world and giving them my word that I will help steward it,” Kumar said in the article. “Most potential donors aren’t as concerned with the actual dollar amount as with how much good it can do, how much value there is.” Yankee Magazine last year ran its first “Angels Among Us” article.Kumar is one of five New Englanders in this year's article. The other New Englanders include: * Patricia Franchi Flaherty of Natick, Mass., founder of Ovations for the Cure, which pays for research to develop new treatments, preventions, technologies, and awareness programs to combat ovarian cancer; * Gwen Fletcher and Dottie Volosin of Guilford, Conn., volunteers with Charlie’s Closet, an organization that distributes donated medical equipment to those in need; * Robert Chambers of Lebanon, N.H., cofounder of Bonnie CLAC, a program that offers low-interest car loans and counseling to those in need. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:55 PM | Comment Providence man arraigned on robbery chargePROVIDENCE -- A Providence man was arraigned in District Court today on felony charges after approaching a car yesterday and allegedly trying to rob two people at knifepoint. Jacque Lawson, 33, of 19 Fairview St., was charged by the state police with one count of first-degree robbery and one count of weapons other than firearms prohibited -- which refers to possession of a knife with a blade longer than three inches, according to a news release. A male and female were driving into Wanskuck Park, off Woodward Road, shortly after noon yesterday. When they parked their car, Lawson allegedly approached the passenger window and asked the male passenger if he had a cigarette. The male said he did not, Lawson demanded money and both people in the car said they did not have any, according to the police. Lawson leaned into the window, pulled out a knife and ordered them to empty their pockets. The male in the car again said he did not have money and handed the suspect an open pack of cigarettes. As the suspect tried to remove the cigarettes from the pack, the male climbed out of the open sun roof, ran from the car and yelled for help. A state trooper from Lincoln Woods Barracks who was patrolling Woodward Road saw the male running and waving his arms to get the officer's attention. The trooper then noticed the car with the female sitting in the driver's seat, crying, and the suspect leaning into the passenger window, the police said. The trooper did a pat-down search of the suspect and found a large, black-handled knife in the right front pocket of his sweatshirt. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment Whitehouse joins in national hearing on lead paintIn Rhode Island, the harmful effects of lead exposure has played out in the state’s suit against companies that made and sold lead paint. But the high number of recent toy recalls due to lead contamination is bringing the issue into the national dialogue when, tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works convenes a hearing on Lead and Children’s Health. Two panels of health, industry and government representatives will testify before the committee, of which Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is a member. Among the scheduled witnesses is Bruce Lanphear, the director of the Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health Center, who testified on behalf of Rhode Island in both of the state’s trials against lead paint companies. The hearing, set to begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow, will be web cast live on the Committee's Web site. For more information on witnesses, click below. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson James Gulliford, assistant administrator for pesticides, prevention and toxic substances, U.S Environmental Protection Agency Bruce Lanphear, director of the Cincinnati Children's Environmental Health Center and professor of pediatrics and environmental health Tom Neltner, on behalf of Improving Kids' Environment, Sierra Club, and Concerned Clergy of Greater Indianapolis Mike Nagel, RemodelOne -- Design/Build Construction, on behalf of the National Association of Homebuilders, Remodeler's Council David Jacobs, director of research, National Center for Healthy Housing Olivia Farrow, assistant commissioner, City of Baltimore Department of Health **On Monday, Mattel, Inc. withdrew its agreement to testify at the hearing. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:20 PM | Comment 2 children injured in Fall River accidentFALL RIVER -- A 6-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother were injured early this morning when a van involved in a collision at Morgan and Fourth Streets was pushed up onto the sidewalk and struck the children as they were waiting for a school bus. The girl suffered a head injury and was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, the police said. Her brother, whose leg was injured, was taken to St. Anne’s Hospital, where he was reported in good condition this afternoon, according to Sgt. Thomas Mauretti. A man who had been waiting with the children was arrested for assaulting the driver of the van. John Dorvil, 27, of 22 Lyon St., was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a pipe that was knocked loose from a nearby fence that was also struck by the van, Mauretti said. The driver of the van, Sean Leitao, 23, of New Bedford, Mass., was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign, Mauretti said. Leitao also was taken to St. Anne’s Hospital for treatment of a head injury he suffered when he was hit by the pipe. The collision occurred about 7:15 a.m., when the van, going west on Morgan Street, failed to stop at a stop sign at Fourth Street, the police said. The van collided with a pick-up truck going south on Fourth Street before it mounted the sidewalk on the southwest corner of the intersection, Mauretti said. He said the driver of the pick-up truck fled the accident scene. -- Journal staff writer Gina Macris Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Good green rankingThe Biggest Little hasn’t done so well in the last few national rankings we’ve heard about: It’s apparently not the place to look for love; not municipally Web-savvy; has just about the least cost effective roads in the nation; and even though we’re not the country’s worst drivers (anymore), we still have a long way to go. Now for some good news: Forbes magazine has ranked Rhode Island eighth on its list of America’s Greenest States -- that’s eighth best. States were ranked in six categories: carbon footprint; air quality; water quality; hazardous waste management; policy initiatives; and energy consumption. Rhode Island residents are the most efficient users of energy in the country, according to information from a number of different federal and non-government sources. And although the state gets slightly low marks for water quality and lack of “green” technology in new buildings, our clean air and energy efficiency policies are comprehensive enough to keep us in the top ten. Something to shoot for? Beating Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey, the top seven scorers. The bottom five states listed are Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Indiana and, in last place, West Virginia. To find out about the state's energy efficient programs, visit the state's Office of Energy Resources. See where, exactly, the data come from and a slide show of each state by ranking. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:15 PM | Comment Doctors testify in trial of mother charged with murderWARWICK -- Within five minutes of learning her 19-month-old daughter Jade's injuries were life threatening, Kimberly A. Mawson asked about donating the child's organs, a hospital doctor who initially treated the child testified in court today. Dr. Arlet Kurkchubasche, who was Hasbro Children's Hospital attending trauma surgeon, was one of three witnesses to testify for the prosecution so far today in Mawson's murder trial. Mawson is a former Warwick resident accused of killing her daughter in 2002. Kurkchubasche said in Kent County Superior Court that she spoke to Mawson about different treatment options. She described Mawson as seeming very composed. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford John Duncan II, a Hasbro neurosurgeon who performed a craniotomy on Jade, testified that the child had a lot of swelling in her brain and hemorrhaging. Physicians performed the procedure to try to remove pressure from the brain and halt the bleeding. Duncan said that once into the procedure, he noted a recent hematoma in the child's head. Part of the skull was left off in an effort to reduce brain swelling. Dr. Elizabeth A. Laposata, the former state medical examiner, spoke about the autopsy results. She said Jade had a vaginal injury, a one-eighth-inch tear at the opening of her hymen. Laposata said Jade also had bruises all in a line on both sides of her chest, consistent with being grabbed by someone. Jade also had hemorrhaging behind an eye, consistent with either blunt-force head trauma or shaking. The cause of death was determined to be a brain injury due to blunt-force trauma to the head. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:32 PM | Comment Accreditation warning withdrawn from Burrillville HighBURRILLVILLE -- New England accreditation authorities have withdrawn a warning that has marked the credentials of the town’s high school for the past 15 years, the schools superintendent said today. This is the first time the school has had full accreditation, with no deficiencies, since the New England Association of Schools and Colleges put the institution on warning back in 1992, according to a news release. In 2001, a visiting commission from NEASC found the high school deficient in its curriculum, instruction, resources for learning, and assessment. NEASC’s decision is the direct result of a process that culminated this past July when local educators filed a report on their progress in addressing the reported deficiencies. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment Revised Naval strategy unveiled today in NewportWASHINGTON -- In the first major revision of U.S. naval strategy in 25 years, maritime officials said today they plan to focus more on humanitarian missions and improving international cooperation as a way to prevent conflicts. "We believe that preventing wars is as important as winning wars," said the new strategy announced by the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The strategy reflects a broader Defense Department effort to use aid, training and other cooperative efforts to encourage stability in fledgling democracies and create relationships around the globe that can be leveraged if a crisis does break out in a region. "Although our forces can surge when necessary to respond to crises, trust and cooperation cannot be surged," says the 16-page document entitled "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower." It also says forces will be concentrated "where tensions are high or where we wish to demonstrate to our friends and allies our commitment to security" -- something the United States did earlier this year in sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region as a show of force toward Iran. "Credible combat power will be continuously posted in the Western Pacific and the Arabian Gulf/Indian Ocean to protect our vital interests, assure our friends ... and deter and dissuade potential adversaries," the strategy document said. The strategy was unveiled before naval representatives of 100 countries who are attending an international symposium on the seas at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. It was described to them by Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations; Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, and Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. -- The Associated Press Roughead said the Navy completed a two-year study to create the new strategy. "What came through was that our security and our prosperity is completely linked to the security and prosperity of other nations throughout the world," he said. It represents the first time the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard have collaborated on a single, common strategy for defending the U.S. homeland and protecting U.S. interests overseas. Defense Secretary Robert Gates hinted at the cooperative strategy during his recent five-country swing through Central and South America. Pointing to the recent tour of the Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, which delivered medical care to people in 12 Latin American countries, Gates said such aid is critical to solidifying U.S. bonds with other nations. The USS Peleliu amphibious ship recently returned from a four-month tour in the Pacific and the USS Fort McHenry is heading this week for a seven-month mission along the west coast of Africa. Conway said the Marine Corps supported the strategy, but was more focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Marines now most closely resemble the Army, he said. "We are an expeditionary force by our nature. We go down to the sea in ships, but right now, we are very much taking on a profile as a second land army," Conway said. Adm. Mike Mullen -- who just left his job as head of the Navy to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- has said he sees the Navy's humanitarian work as key to the effort to defeat terrorism by winning hearts and minds. When Roughead succeeded Mullen at the Navy last week, he called in a speech for more international partnerships to make the Navy a "force for good" around the globe. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:50 AM | Comment Is this your lucky day?Someone is $51,650.40 richer this morning, after purchasing a winning ticket in Rhode Island's Wild Money progressive jackpot game. The winning ticket was bought last night from the Cumberland Farms at 261 South Main St. in Woonsocket, but the ticket holder has yet to come forward and claim the prize. Wild Money Drawings take place three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights live on WPRI-TV at 7:29pm. Thursday’s estimated Wild Money jackpot is $20,000. Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 11:19 AM | Comment Social Security going up by 2.3 percentWASHINGTON -- Come January, Social Security benefits for nearly 50 million Americans are going up 2.3 percent, the smallest increase in four years. It will mean an extra $24 per month in the average check, the government announced today. The cost of living adjustment means that the monthly benefit for the typical retired worker in 2008 will go from $1,055 currently to $1,079 next year. The adjustment, announced by the Social Security Administration, will go to more than 54 million Americans. Nearly 50 million receive Social Security benefits and the rest get Supplemental Security Income payments aimed at helping the poor. -- Read the full Associated Press story Posted by Jack Perry at 11:11 AM | Comment Bristol Warren school board to vote on spending cutThe Bristol Warren Regional School Committee will vote today on several potentially cost-cutting measures including one plan, submitted by a subcommittee, to close two schools. The public hearing and vote will be tonight at 7 p.m. at the Mt. Hope High School auditorium. The four proposals are as follows: A budget/facilities subcommittee's recommendation to close Byfield and Reynolds schools in Sept. 2008, saving, by the subcommittee’s estimate, an estimated $500,000 over two years. The committee can accept, reject or table the proposal. A task force's recommendation not to commit to closing any schools at this time. The committee can accept, reject or table the proposal. The superintendent’s recommendation to close Main Street and Byfield schools by July 2008 and Reynolds by July 2009. The committee has the authority to accept, reject, table or amend the proposition as it sees fit. The committee also has to vote on the new curriculum, which is handed down by the state. “Whatever happens we have a year to prepare,” School Committee Chairman William Estrella said this morning. “Any impact of any vote we take will not take effect until, earliest, 2008.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:51 AM | Comment Federal Hill man expected to admit drug chargesA drug dealer arrested with the help of an informant is expected to plead to two drug counts in U.S. District Court at 10:30 this morning. The police say in July 2005 they confiscated about $20,000 worth of crack and powder cocaine after raiding Manuel Coradin's Federal Hill apartment. They also say they found $24,000 in cash. Earlier this month, Coradin agreed to plead guilty to possessing 50 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possessing 5 grams or more with intent to distribute. As part of the agreement, Coradin will agree not to try to vacate three previous drug-related felony convictions, and the U.S. Attorney’s office agreed to recommend a lower sentence than the maximum for the two charges: life in prison and $5 million fine. Click below to read a story about Coradin's arrest. -- with archive reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith PROVIDENCE - With the help of an informant, the police have arrested an alleged drug dealer on Federal Hill and seized five bags of cocaine and more than $25,000 in cash. Police Lt. Thomas A. Verdi, commander of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division, said yesterday that a combination of crack and powder cocaine weighing 262 grams was confiscated. The drugs, if cut up for sale on the street, would be worth about $20,000, so the haul constitutes "a sizeable seizure," Verdi said. The police moved in on Manuel Coradin, 25, of 25 Marshall St., Federal Hill, after a tip led them to put his apartment under surveillance. Coradin left his apartment shortly after 5 p.m. Friday and climbed into a white Ford Expedition, but he managed to drive only a few blocks before detectives stopped him on Almy Street. During the arrest, the police said they found a small bag of marijuana in his pants pocket. They took $1,262 in cash from a pocket, too. After obtaining Coradin's consent, the police said, they searched his apartment. They collected five bags of cocaine and, from the bottom drawer of a locked file cabinet, $24,000 cash. They also confiscated items described as being used in the drug trade: ledgers used to record transactions, two digital scales, a box of plastic bags and a box of glassine bags. Also seized, from the kitchen, were a knife and two pans allegedly used to cook crack. Coradin is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of cocaine ranging in weight from 1 ounce to 1 kilo, and possession of marijuana. He also was issued a summons for driving without a license. Detectives said they would seek to keep the $25,262 taken from Coradin's pocket and from his apartment under a law that requires criminals to forfeit the proceeds of illicit drug sales. Because the Expedition is registered to Coradin's girlfriend, Verdi said, the police were not able to keep the vehicle, too. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:30 AM | Comment Photo: Car takes a dunk at Roger Williams Park
Posted by Jack Perry at 9:24 AM | Comment Second gang member expected to plead guiltyA second member of a violent street gang is expected to plead guilty today to charges stemming from a federal sting operation in which a federal agent posed as a drug dealer. Vixay Phommarath, 21, and three others were arrested at gunpoint in 2007 after prosecutors say the men were planning to rob the fictitious drug dealer. Earlier this month he agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime. He's expected to enter that plea in U.S. District Court at 2 p.m. The maximum combined sentence for the two charges is life in prison, a $500,00 fine and six years probation. The U.S. Attorney's office has agreed to recommend a reduced sentence in exchange for the plea. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:14 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Accident slows traffic on 95 northAn accident on Interstate 95 northbound in Providence has traffic backed up between Interstate 195 and Route 10 to Cranston. The left lane is currently closed. For up to date information on traffic conditions, check the Transportation Management Center's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:22 AM | Comment At Brown, Baby memories, decodedPROVIDENCE -- A Rutgers University professor will speak at Brown University about her discoveries into how infants learn and remember. Carolyn Rovee-Collier, a psychology professor, will deliver the Lipsitt-Duchin lecture “the Secret Life of Infants" tomorrow at 4 p.m.in the Salomon Center for Teaching. The lecture is free and open to public. The audience can ask questions after the lecture. Rovee-Collier, a professor of psychology at Rutgers, is "recognized as the founder of infant long-term memory research and an innovator in the scientific quest to understand how experience in the first few months of life affects later behavior," a Brown University news release says. Rovee-Collier developed a procedure in which a ribbon connected an infant’s ankle to a device, allowing her to test learning and long-term memory in babies who have not yet begun speaking. One discovery was that "infants’ forgotten memories can be completely recovered months later by exposing them to a brief reminder of the original event." Rovee-Collier has written more than 200 publications on infant learning and memory. Lewis Lipsitt, professor emeritus of psychology at Brown and founder of the Child Study Center, will introduce her. Other officials are also expected to attend For information, contact the Center for the Study of Human Development at (401) 863-7515. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 8:12 AM | Comment U.S. to unveil first maritime strategy since Cold WarNEWPORT -- The military plans to unveil its first maritime strategy since the end of the Cold War. Defense officials say the chiefs of the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps plan to release the nine-page document during a conference at the Naval War College in Newport. A Navy spokeswoman says the plan is the result of a year of research between all three services. The last maritime strategy was primarily focused on containing Soviet military power. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A high near 67 with sunshineWe'll see a bit of sunshine today with a high temperature near 67 degrees. The National Weather Service is forecasting a slight chance of showers tonight with a low temperature in the mid 50s. There may be more rain late tomorrow morning. We'll have mostly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching the mid 70s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features more bad news about the Red Sox. And you can read how the state is changing coastal development rules, as scientists predict that climate change will cause ocean waters to rise. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 16, 2007Body found in Foxboro is identified as R.I. manPROVIDENCE -- A Rhode Island man who was shot to death and found sprawled along the eastbound lane of Route 106 in Foxboro, Mass., early Monday has been identified as Carlos Gomez, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Gomez was found without identification. He was shot to death along Route 106 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Monday, according to the DA’s office. Gomez, 29, was listed as a Central Falls resident but Central Falls Police Chief Joseph Moran said that Gomez’s last known address was on Benefit Street in Pawtucket. Moran said that Gomez was known to the Central Falls Police Department. Massachusetts State Police and Foxboro police are conducting an investigation into the shooting. Anyone with information about Gomez’s whereabouts on Sunday night or information about his death should contact Foxboro police at (508) 543-4343 or Massachusetts State Police at (508) 820-2121. -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Tonight: Dave Matthews tribute and Newport jazzTonight in Bristol, there's a tribute to Dave Matthews, whose quirky rock sound was ever present in the '90s, and there's also a little jazz in Newport. Dancing Nancy, tribute to Dave Matthews, Gillary's Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. 253-2012. 9:30 pm. Bobby Ferreira plays jazz at The Chanler, Spiced Pear Restaurant, 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport. Call 847-2244. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Half Boozed plays rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. Call 847-9460. 9 p.m. Karl Blau and the Trolleys play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 10 p.m. $5. All ages. The Hi-Hat Trio with Mary Ann Solivan plays pop at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Coventry woman pleads no contest to DUI chargesJOHNSTON -- A tearful Coventry woman pleaded no contest to an indictment that accuses her of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs last year when she was involved in a crash that killed a 17-year-old Warwick boy. In a Providence courtroom packed with the teen’s family and friends, 30-year-old Dawn Simas today did not contest three charges related to the crash: driving under the influence, death resulting; driving to endanger, death resulting; and possession of marijuana. Those counts were the result of a Johnston police investigation into the head-on collision that killed Anthony Gemma as he drove home from work on Dec. 15, 2006. The evidence, which included blood-test results and statements from numerous witnesses, showed that Simas had smoked marijuana and had been drinking at Town Hall Bowling Lanes just prior to the crash on Hartford Avenue, according to the police. Simas, the mother of two children, appeared before Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. and made her pleas under an agreement reached with Assistant Attorney General Cindy Soccia. Gemma’s mother, Kathleen, his grandfather, Ralpha Gemma, and other family members were present. The maximum penalty for the first driving-under-the-influence count is a prison term of 15 years, a fine of $15,000 and the loss of a driving license for up to five years, according to Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. Under the plea agreement, Simas cannot serve more than 12 years in prison, but prosecutors will ask Darigan to impose a 10-year prison term, Healey said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:25 PM | Comment R.I. housing prices predicted to tumble till '08House prices in Rhode Island are forecast to fall until the second quarter of next year, and are not expected to recoup their losses until the first quarter of 2009, according to a Massachusetts-based forecasting firm, Global Insight. If the forecast proves accurate, the statewide median price of a single-family house will hit bottom during the spring of next year— ending a two-year decline that will have shaved the median price by roughly $20,200, or 7 percent. That is more than twice the average 2 percent to 3 percent decline forecast nationwide. “In simplest terms, Rhode Island has been, and will continue to be, more significantly affected by the recent poor performance in the real-estate markets relative to the entire U.S.,’’ said Global Insight housing economist Michael Lynch. Rhode Island’s more dramatic downturn in house prices is, in part, the flip side of the price appreciation rates here during the recent real-estate boom that ranked among the biggest in the country. The double-digit price increases — up 19 percent in the spring of 2002 — prompted economists and real-estate professionals to draw comparisons with the stock market, suggesting that real estate offered a better return than Wall Street. Nobody is saying that now. -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi “Housing is not like the stock market,” said Cecile Cohen, president of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, “and people who try to time the stock market also get into trouble.’’ The trouble in Rhode Island began to emerge last year, after the median price of a single-family house peaked in the second quarter at $282,644, and then began to slide. Rhode Island’s house price declines are expected be less dramatic and shorter in duration than during the 1990s recession, when prices plummeted 13 percent over 7 years. Asked what she would tell first-time buyers who are considering a house now when prices are forecast to decline, she replied, “You’re gambling that prices are going to go down. What if interest rates go up? It’s going have the same effect. You have low interest rates now that make housing affordable…You find your dream house, I say, buy it now. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next year…There’s always risk.’’ Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 6:15 PM | Comment Charges filed against student with 'hit list'DIGHTON -- The police have filed felony charges against a freshman at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School who created what investigators described as a “hit list” of classmates he wanted to harm. “He was going to take care of these students somehow,” said Chief Robert MacDonald. “He had issues with these 15 students. He didn’t say why.” A classmate of the 14-year-old student brought the list to school administrators on Monday, who then notified the police and the youth’s parents. The boy was brought to the school office. He was searched and his locker was searched, MacDonald said. No weapons were found on him. “There was no reason for a lockdown because they knew who the note came from” and because he was brought into the principal’s office almost immediately, MacDonald said. The police took the boy into custody and then brought him to Taunton Juvenile Court for arraignment. He faces multiple counts of threatening to commit a crime and a felony charge of disturbing the peace that falls under terrorism statutes. The police did not identify him because he is a juvenile. He was held without bail and will attend a hearing today to determine whether he is a danger, the chief said. The chief said that officers were continuing to investigate the incident today. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:36 PM | Comment Police release name of girl killed in Lincoln crashLINCOLN -- The Lincoln police have released the name of the Lincoln High School student who was killed and the two students who were hurt in an accident yesterday afternoon. The police say Marissa Lorea, 15, of Lincoln, a passenger in the car, was killed. The driver, Andrew Bessette, 17, of Lincoln, and passenger Amanda Coderre, 16, of Lincoln, were injured. The police said the car struck a tree on Wilbur Road around 2:30 p.m. Counselors were available to students at the high school today, according to the police. An earlier police news release gave an incorrect spelling of the victim's name. Posted by Jack Perry at 5:01 PM | Comment Carcieri to Southern Union: Clean up Tiverton soilFollowing a grand jury's indictment today of Southern Union Company in a Pawtucket mercury spill case, Governor Carcieri this afternoon issued a statement calling on the company to start a long-delayed cleanup of contaminated soil in a Tiverton neighborhood. Texas-based Southern Union remains owner of the Massachusetts division of New England Gas Company and is the former owner of the Rhode Island division of New England Gas Company. “These indictments charge New England Gas, which is owned by Southern Union, with inappropriately storing mercury at a site in Pawtucket and with failing to report a mercury spill,” Carcieri said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this is not the first concern that has been raised with Southern Union in Rhode Island.” Carcieri said his administration has worked for several years to force Southern Union to clean up the pollution in the Bay Street-area neighborhood in northern Tiverton. Blueish soil, laced with cyanide, arsenic, lead and contaminants was identified as waste left by a coal-burning process to produce gas at the former Fall River Gas Co. decades ago. People in the neighborhood have sought for years to get the matter addressed, forming the Environmental Neighborhood Awareness Committee (ENACT) to draw attention to it. The state Department of Environmental Management has assigned responsibility for the remediation to the gas company’s successor, Southern Union. “Unfortunately, Southern Union has done everything in its power to avoid fulfilling the company’s responsibilities, including tying the case up in a hugely expensive and seemingly endless court process. In the meantime, the people of Tiverton have been made to suffer," Carcieri stated. “I hope that Southern Union will now be willing to immediately clean up all the pollution in Tiverton, so that the town’s residents can move on with their lives." Southern Union Company has been indicted on charges it illegally stored mercury at a Pawtucket site and failed to report a mercury spill. The alleged illegal storage drew attention in October 2004 when three young people broke into the building and took several containers of liquid mercury. They broke some of the containers, spilling mercury around the facility’s grounds, the indictment alleges. They also took some mercury to a nearby apartment complex, spreading it around the grounds, For about three weeks, mercury puddles remained on the ground at the Tidewater facility. A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment in U.S. District Court, Providence. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:45 PM | Comment Newport drivers urged to avoid intersectionNEWPORT -- The police are urging motorists to avoid the intersection of Bellevue Avenue and Memorial Boulevard during roadwork that is expected to last at least through Oct. 28. Traffic flow will be “extremely limited” while workers repair the concrete road surface at the busy intersection, the police announced in a news release. Detours will be marked with signs since westbound traffic on Memorial Boulevard and traffic on Bellevue Avenue will be interrupted, the police said. As a result of the construction, no parking will be allowed on Chapel Street from Memorial to Old Beach Road. Parking along any of the detours will be closely monitored for violations. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:58 PM | Comment Defense casts suspicion on accused murderer's boyfriendWARWICK – The boyfriend of a woman accused of murdering her 19-month-old daughter gave conflicting accounts to the police and children’s services representatives of what happened the night she died, according to Kimberly Mawson’s lawyer. In his opening statements today, Kevin Bristow tried to cast doubt on Mawson’s boyfriend, while the 37-year-old blotted her eyes with a tissue. Prosecutors for the state then called two witnesses – Suzette Works and Amy Rapaport – both nurses at Vernon Pediatrics in Connecticut, who treated the baby, Jade, before she was fatally injured. The jury is set to return at 3:30. On Dec. 2, 2002, the child, Jade, was taken to the hospital after Mawson's boyfriend called. The boyfriend was at home with the child while Mawson was out shopping, the man later told the police. Officers arrived to find the child unconscious in the third-floor apartment at 1730 B Elmwood Ave. She died two days later at Hasbro Children's Hospital of blunt force trauma injuries to her head and body. Mawson moved to Connecticut after the death of her daughter. Mawson waived her right to an extradition hearing when she was arrested in May 2005 after a grand jury handed up a secret indictment. Jade Mawson died of “injuries of the head and torso due to blunt-force trauma,” according to the medical examiner. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney, Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:35 PM | Comment Cicilline in IsraelMayor David N. Cicilline thinks he may have found the place from which to import bioengineering technology: Israel. That’s where he’ll be for the next few days, meeting with mayors from around the world at the 25th annual Jerusalem Conference of Mayors. Speaking from Israel, Cicilline explained: “The purpose is really to introduce people to Jerusalem and to Israel, and for the mayors, this is an opportunity to share best practices.” After a visit to the Hadassah Medical Center and its related Hadasit Ltd, a business incubator for the hospital’s biotechnology and life sciences research, Cicilline said his gears are turning. Phase two trials for many of the developing technologies are shipped out to laboratories across the world; Ohio and Nevada even have field offices in Israel to help lure trials to their state. “That part was really great, especially as we try to cultivate that industry in Providence,” he said. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Yesterday the mayors also visited Yad Sarah, a Non-governmental organization that provides social services. “It’s a very interesting, really comprehensive human services organization,” he said. “People can go there whether they’re Muslim or Christian or Jewish for a variety of services.” And the mayor from Providence even shared something with his fellow mayors. He gave a presentation yesterday – to municipal leaders from Kiev, Ukraine; Bangkok, Thailand; Lima, Peru; and dozens more from around the world, including five other American cities – about the benefits of diversity. “As an American city with a diverse population,” he said, “I shared the ways the city has promoted multiculturism.” So far, the governors have had lunch with former Prime Minister and leader of the Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu; talked global warming with President Shimon Peres, at his home; and will meet with current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tomorrow. The group is also visiting the Holocaust Memorial and Old City, where the shared histories of three major Abrahamic religions -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism – as well as Armenians are all represented. The meeting, sponsored by the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, runs from Oct. 14 through Oct. 18. Some of the mayors will stay for an extra day or two to visit religious sites. “But I’m coming back,” Cicilline said. “I’ve got a lot to do.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:25 PM | Comment Photo: Injured seal heads back to the sea
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:46 PM | Comment Southern Union indicted in Pawtucket mercury caseSouthern Union Company, the Texas-based former owner of New England Gas Company, was indicted today on charges it illegally stored mercury at a Pawtucket site and failed to report a mercury spill. The alleged illegal storage drew attention in September 2004 when three young people broke into the building and took several containers of liquid mercury. They broke some of the containers, spilling mercury around the facility’s grounds, the indictment alleges. They also took some mercury to a nearby apartment complex, spreading it around the grounds, For about three weeks, mercury puddles remained on the ground at the Tidewater facility. A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment in U.S. District Court, Providence, today. If convicted on all the charges, the company could face a maximum penalty of more than $67 million, according to a joint news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and other officials. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney In 2001, Southern Union began a program to remove from customers’ homes gas regulators that contained mercury. Southern Union initially had a contract with an environmental services company to safely remove the mercury from the regulators, which had been used in homes built before the 1960s to control the flow of gas. Southern Union employees brought the regulators to a facility at the end of Tidewater Street in Pawtucket, on the edge of the Seekonk River. The contractor removed the mercury from the regulators, and Southern Union’s environmental coordinator shipped it to a facility for distillation. The indictment alleges that the removal contract expired at the end of 2001 but that New England Gas technicians continued to remove the regulators from customers’ homes. The company allegedly stored the mercury-containing regulators in a vacant building at the Tidewater facility, some of them in plastic kiddie pools. The company also stored liquid mercury in various containers in the building, the indictment alleges, and that mercury came from a variety of sources, including the locker of a company employee who had died. In 2002 through 2004, a local company official wrote requests for proposals -- RFPs -- for removing the mercury that was collecting at the Tidewater facility. But the company allegedly never finalized the RFPs or sought bids. The Tidewater facility was in disrepair and there were gaps in the perimeter fencing, extensive graffiti on vacant buildings, broken windows, and broken doors. In May 2004, the company’s environmental coordinator documented evidence of attempted break-ins at the facility. At three company safety committee meetings in 2004, maintenance employees expressed concern about the facility’s safety, but Southern Union took no action, according to the indictment. In September 2004, the three young people broke into the mercury storage building, took several containers of liquid mercury and spilled mercury. The indictment charges Southern Union with two counts of storing hazardous waste without a permit and one count of failing to notify the appropriate local emergency officials of a hazardous waste spill. If convicted, knowingly storing hazardous waste without a permit carries a maximum fine of $50,000 for each day of violation. The indictment alleges the span of the illegal storage in count one, was from Sept. 19, 2002, to Oct. 19, 2004, or 762 days. The alleged duration of count three, which alleges illegal storage of regulators that contained mercury, was from March 25, 2003, to Oct. 19, 2004, or 575 days. At $50,000 per day, the maximum fine for those counts would be $66.85-million. The maximum fine for failing to report a hazardous waste spill is $500,000. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:43 PM | Comment Occupants safely escape Providence fire/ Photo
A call came in at 11:19 a.m. for a fire at 146 Courtland St. The fire was under control by 11:47, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, they saw found the second floor of a three-story multifamily wood-framed house engulfed in flames. Unlike yesterday’s fire, however, no one was injured today. Taylor says the building was occupied, when the call came in, but everyone got out safely. The Red Cross was called, but he is not sure how many people were displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation. An earlier version of the story incorrectly reported the fire as being on the third floor. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:27 PM | Comment Prosecution will call at least 14 witnessesWARWICK -- The prosecution will call at least 14 witnesses to testify in the murder trial of a woman accused of killing her 19-month-old daughter in Warwick, a prosecutor said during opening statements today. Former Warwick resident Kimberly Mawson, 37, is accused of killing her daughter, Jade, in 2002. Thomas O'Brien, a prosecutor for the attorney general's office, said in Kent County Superior Court that witnesses will include Mawson's boyfriend, who initially called the police\rescue personnel, Hasbro Children Hospital doctors and nurses, the medical examiner, and police. The defense will make its opening statement at 1:30 p.m. Seven men and seven women were picked this morning for the jury. Judge Edwin J. Gale directed them not to take notes, but instead focus on the testimony. On Dec. 2, 2002, the child, Jade, was taken to the hospital after Mawson's boyfriend called. The boyfriend was at home with the child while Mawson was out shopping, the man later told the police. Officers arrived to find the child unconscious in the third-floor apartment at 1730 B Elmwood Ave. She died two days later at Hasbro Children's Hospital of blunt force trauma injuries to her head and body. Mawson moved to Connecticut after the death of her daughter. Mawson waived her right to an extradition hearing when she was arrested in May 2005 after a grand jury handed up a secret indictment. Jade Mawson died of “injuries of the head and torso due to blunt-force trauma,” according to the medical examiner. On Monday, the judge told potential jurors that the trial could go for a couple of weeks. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:13 PM | Comment Carcieri tries to drum up support for layoff planPROVIDENCE -- A day after unveiling a broad plan to lay off 414 state workers and cut another 115 temporary employees, Governor Carcieri this morning continued an effort to drum up political support for the plan. He conducted a radio interview just past 8 a.m. and spent nearly an hour on talk radio. Speaking to reporters later in the morning at an unrelated event in the State House, the governor said public reaction to his cost-cutting plan is “what you’d expect.” “People out there, what I call the real world…understand this is a necessary thing,” Carcieri said. Asked why he’s waiting until Nov. 15 to notify the affected state employees, the governor responded: “I appreciate the anxiety. People are concerned as to who’s going to be impacted. We’re trying to do this as fast as possible,” he said. “I would like to do it sooner, but I want it to be done properly. I want those people to hear from their supervisors, their directors. I don’t want them to read about it or hear about it somewhere else. I think that’s a common courtesy that anybody would expect and I want to do that for our employees.” The governor also blasted state Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., who criticized the governor’s press conference yesterday as “a dog and pony show.” In addition to being an elected leader, Tassoni is a paid employee for Council 94, the largest state employee union. “They’re not helping but just attacking me. If they’ve got a better solution, say it. I don’t hear any solutions. All I hear is that the governor doesn’t have a plan. Well, we’ve got a plan. I find it insulting to say it’s a dog and pony show,” Carcieri said. “Part of the problem is exactly that conflict. Here you have a sitting senator who is paid by council 94 that I’m negotiating with. And that they’re going to have to approve or pass some things that affect those people. Those are the kinds of conflicts that have been permeating this building for too long.” Tassoni, reached early this afternoon, took offense to the governor’s comments. He said he never votes on Senate bills directly affecting labor unions. “Shame on him for bringing that up,” Tassoni said. “I’m careful on what I vote on. I don’t want to have an issue with the ethics commission… I’m not up there to cause problems. I have to defend the workers. I have to defend my constituents. And I think I do a damn good job because they voted me in for a fourth straight time.” -- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:51 PM | Comment Firefighters to be recognizedSix Cranston firefighters will be commended at a ceremony this afternoon. The firefighters, from the Scituate Avenue Fire Station 6, will each be awarded with the Liberty Mutual Heroic Firemark Award, and have their names affixed to a larger plaque in the Liberty Mutual office in Smithfield. The ceremony begins at 3:30 this afternoon at Cranston City Hall Council Chambers. The award is designed to recognize firefighters who have helped save a life without regard for their own safety. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:30 PM | Comment Lt. Gov. Roberts outlines state health-care initiative
"We must cover every single Rhode Islander. We must insist that an insurance card is in each of their hands and we must ensure that access to high quality care is our main focus and attainable goal," Roberts said in remarks prepared for delivery as part of the distinguished lecture series at the University of Rhode Island. The four parts are: * Maintain and strengthen what works in the current system. * Give every Rhode Islander access to health care "through a variety of means." * Contain health-care costs and increase the value of care. * Maintain a system that strengthens hospitals and supports primary care providers and helps patients find the best, most affordable coverage. Roberts said people in state subsidized plans should be asked to choose a primary care physician, and make sure the plans emphasize wellness and chronic care management, which would pass along the savings in the form of more affordable premiums. Providers and hospitals would get a boost through a "more rational system for delivering care." Community hospitals need to deliver services communities need, not services tailored to insurance companies' reimbursement rates. "This is the basic framework for what I believe comprehensive health-care reform could look like if we have broad community participation," Roberts said. "It is only a beginning. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I know one thing -- we have to start somewhere. We need to engage the debate and move forward." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:20 PM | Comment Jury picked, opening statements next in murder trialOpening statements are set to begin this morning in the trial of a woman accused of killing her 19-month old daughter. Seven men and seven women were picked this morning for the jury in Superior Court, Warwick. Presiding Associate Justice Edwin J. Gale directed them not to take notes, but instead focus on the testimony. Former Warwick resident Kimberly Mawson, 37, is accused of killing her daughter, Jade, in 2002. She moved to Connecticut after the death of her daughter. Mawson waived her right to an extradition hearing when she was arrested in May 2005 after a grand jury handed up a secret indictment. Jade Mawson died of “injuries of the head and torso due to blunt-force trauma,” according to the medical examiner. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:29 AM | Comment Seekonk still looking for hit-and-run driverThe Seekonk police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle suspected in the hit-and-run accident Sunday that killed Maria Aguiar, 38, of 155 Chestnut St., as she was walking with her daughter that evening. The car, described by the police as a white sport-utility vehicle, did not stop after striking Aguiar on Chestnut Street at about 6:22 p.m. The vehicle is likely damaged on the front of the passenger side and possibly the windshield. The police have received a number of tips prompted by media coverage of the accident, and the police are pursuing those leads, Chief Ronald R. Charron said this morning. Aguiar’s 10-year old daughter, who was riding a bicycle, witnessed the crash, but was uninjured. “I emphasize that the person responsible for this needs to do the right thing, as least for the sake of the daughter and the family, and come forward,” Charron said. “I’m hopeful someone will finally decide to take responsibility. It’s a tragic situation for the poor girl and her family.” The police are asking anyone with information to call the Seekonk police at (508) 336-8123. -- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:27 AM | Comment Feds make sure local hotels comply with ADAThe federal government is reviewing hotels in Rhode Island to make sure they are accessible to people with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has sent surveys to 16 hotels in Providence and Warwick to determine if they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “This is a review process, not an enforcement action,” U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said in a statement. “We will work with hotel owners and operators in an effort to secure voluntary compliance with the law’s requirements. The Americans with Disabilities Act is vitally important to Rhode Island residents and visitors alike, and it is imperative that hotels and other public accommodations comply with their obligations under federal law. “ The Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private companies that own or operate public spaces, including hotels. After the surveys are returned, Corrente said his office may also conduct on-site inspections to confirm the answers given by hotel management. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:41 AM | Comment Act to help those with paralysis moves to SenateAn act aimed at improving medical research and the quality of life for people with paralysis moves to the Senate after passing last night in the House of Representatives. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act was co-authored by Rep. Jim Langevin, D-RI, the first quadriplegic person to serve in the House of Representatives. “I commend all those who worked so tirelessly to pass this bill which will help people with disabilities achieve and maintain their independence and ensure that we are using the best research and technology to help improve their quality of life,” Langevin said in a statement. The legislation is named after the actor -- best known for his role as Superman -- who was paralyzed in a riding accident, and his wife, Dana. Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1995 and died in 2002. Dana Reeve became an activist working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities before her death last year. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation was founded by the couple in 1996. Read the full text of the bill, or click below to read a summary of the bill’s text. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Paralysis Research - Expands research on paralysis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will encourage collaborative research by connecting scientists conducting similar work to enhance understanding and speed discovery of better treatments and cures. Paralysis Rehabilitation and Care - Builds on research to enhance daily function for people with paralysis, including a Clinical Trials Network to measure effectiveness of certain rehabilitation tactics and encouraging shared findings on paralysis to improve rehabilitation. Improving Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis and Other Physical Disabilities - Works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of persons with paralysis and other physical disabilities. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:36 AM | Comment Living wage discussion continuesMost Providence residents are in favor of a “living wage”, which would require companies with city contracts pay their workers at least $12.50 per hour and provide money for health care. That could be one solution to poverty; a panel of poverty experts will discuss other anti-poverty initiatives today at the 8th annual Thomas Anton/Fred Lippitt Conference. Panelists include Paul Sonn of New York University’s School of Law, James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation; and Oren Levin-Waldman of the Metropolitan College of New York. The conference begins at 4 p.m. at the Leung Gallery, Faunce House, on the Brown University Green. To see the full survey, see Inside Politics. Do you believe the national minimum wage should be increased from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour? Do you support a so-called “living wage” in which companies receiving contracts from the city pay their workers at least $12.30 an hour plus $1.25 an hour for health-care benefits? Do you think the government should increase cash assistance for people who are poor? Do you believe the government should expand subsidized daycare for people who are poor? Do you think able-bodied recipients on public assistance should be required to work as a condition of the aid? Do you believe there should be a lifetime limit of five years on federal benefits for poor people? In your view, are most people who receive public assistance genuinely in need of help or are they taking advantage of the system? Do you think that most poor people could get along without public assistance if they tried? Do you think that most poor people are lazy? How big a problem is poverty in our society today? Would you say that you and your family living there are: 31 percent better off, 38 percent the same, 28 percent worse off financially than you were a year ago, 3 percent don’t know or no answer. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:10 AM | Comment Seal on its way back homeA harbor seal that was shot is preparing to reenter the water. The adult male sea, found stranded at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn., in July, is scheduled to be released at Blue Shutters Town Beach in Charlestown today at 9 a.m. Mystic Aquarium veterinary staff has been helping the animal recover. After two months, the staff had given the seal the OK to go. That was on Sept. 26. But the seal developed a problem with its right eye, the one that wasn't damaged by the shooting. “Because the animal has vision in only one eye, the veterinary staff at Mystic Aquarium was reluctant to have the animal released until a temporary condition called corneal edema was fully resolved,” Lawrence Dunn, staff veterinarian at Mystic Aquarium, said in a news release. The seal will never have use of its left eye because of the wound. But it will still be able to hunt and survive in the wild despite its handicap, the aquarium said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:03 AM | Comment Lt. Governor to speak about changing health careLt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts is speaking about the state’s health care system today at the University of Rhode Island. Roberts will give the keynote speech, “Life Liberty, and the pursuit of Health Care: Why You Should Care (If You Don’t Already),” at the school’s Distinguished Lecture Series. She'll discuss what roles she thinks business, families and government should play to change the health care system. The speech, set to begin at noon, will be held at the URI Providence Campus Paff Auditorium, 80 Washington St. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about Governor Carcieri's plan to lay off 414 state employees, and there's a photograph of a frustrated Manny Ramirez in the Red Sox' losing ALCS playoff game in Cleveland. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment Today is going to be a wonderful dayToday is going to be great, sunny and warm with a soft wind from the north. But then, there's rain in the forecast for every day this week through Saturday. So get out and take a walk. The Weather Service says it's going to hit a high of 66 today with a low tonight of 42. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:52 AM | Comment October 15, 2007Update: Lincoln crash kills girl, 15LINCOLN -- The police are investigating a car accident this afternoon that killed a 15-year-old female passenger. The girl, whose name has not been disclosed, was in the car heading east on Wilbur Road and struck a tree in the area of the intersection with Longmeadow Road. An unidentified male was driving the car. A total of three people were in the car, according to the police. The police believe the car might have been traveling at a high rate of speed. The car was a four-door Chevrolet Cavalier, its hood charred. The crash was in a residential, wooded area of town. The call came in reporting the accident shortly after 2:30 p.m. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Tonight: Bands by any name, be it mild or menacingSome of the musicians playing in clubs tonight have names like Milo Greene. Others have names like 3 Inches of Blood. 3 Inches of Blood, Divine Heresy, Cutpurse and Acariya play rock at The Living Room, 23 Rathbone St., Providence. Call 521-5200. 9 p.m. $12. All ages. Mariee Sioux, Aaron Ross, Allysen Callery, Lee Bob Watson and Milo Greene play rock and folk at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 8 p.m. $7. All ages. Mark Taber plays blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Rhode Island gets environmental-theme license plateAnd the latest addition to one of Rhode Islanders' seemingly favorite pastimes is ... the osprey license plate. If the lore is true, an Ocean State resident takes keen interest in procuring a low-numbered license plate. But a new license plate unveiled this afternoon aims for those who like to wear their environmental conscience on their cars. The plate bears four blue waves from the right moving to the center while the left side is taken up by a large image of an osprey sitting on a nest. The plate bears three words "conservation through education." The Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Save the Bay jointly unveiled the new plate today. Twenty dollars from each plate bought will go to environmental education. The fee for a plate is $40, according to the Web site of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:50 PM | Comment State to get nearly $600,000 in Oxycontin settlementPROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island will receive nearly $600,000 for its Medicaid program from drug maker Purdue Pharma L.P. as part of a nationwide settlement over the marketing of the painkiller OxyContin. Attorney General Patrick Lynch says the state's Medicaid Fraud Unit will get $589,310. In July, Purdue Pharma and three current and former executives were fined $634.5 million by a federal judge in Virginia for misleading the public about the painkiller's addiction risks. OxyContin -- the brand name for oxycodone -- has been blamed for hundreds of deaths across the country in recent years. Lynch says making false claims to promote a drug can have deadly consequences. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment Update: 2 Providence firefighters slightly hurt
While combating the blaze, two firefighters suffered minor injuries such as a sprain or a strain, he said. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene shortly before 1:30 p.m., and the fire was pronounced under control at 2 p.m. No tenants were home at the time. Mirza said the blaze began on the third floor, at the rear, and that the cause is under investigation. Due to the dry windy weather, firefighters initially were concerned about protecting an adjacent house, but Mirza said it turned out that no particular precautions were necessary to prevent the fire from spreading. Flames did significant damage to the third floor and there was smoke and water damage on the lower floors of the house, which for now is not habitable, according to Mirza. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment Central falls man pleads guilty in firearms/drug casePROVIDENCE -- Oluwabusayo Ogundare, 21, most recently of Central Falls, today pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office announced. In May, the Providence police seized a handgun and several crack cocaine packages from Ogundare at a gas station on Elmwood Avenue, a news release says. Prosecutor Peter F. Neronha said at the plea hearing that the government could show that on May 19 at about 2:45 a.m. police officers went to an Elmwood Avenue gas station for a 911 call about a man with a gun. Officers saw Ogundare, who answered the description from the 911 call, getting into a car, and ordered him out of the car. They seized a 0.22-caliber pistol from a holster in his waistband and seized from him seven bags of crack cocaine. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment Mobster's son accused of stealing ex-girlfriend's dogJOHNSTON -- The son of a well-known mob associate was arrested Sunday after his ex-girlfriend accused him of breaking into her apartment and stealing her dog, the police said today. Michael A. Gomes, the 44-year-old son of the late Richard Gomes, was charged with domestic breaking and entering as well as assault following an encounter with the woman outside her Greenville Avenue home, according to Deputy Police Chief Gary W. Maddocks. Maddocks said the woman was almost home when she saw Gomes with her dog in his Volvo. She also saw a piece of artwork belonging to her, he said. One of the woman’s friends stopped Gomes by standing in front of his car, Maddocks said. An argument ensued, and Gomes threw his cell phone at the woman, he said. Police later went to Gomes’s home at 57 Walnut St., Apartment 1, and arrested him, Maddocks said. Maddocks identified Gomes as the son of the late Richard Gomes, an organized crime figure who was friends with the late John Gotti, once the most famous mob boss in America. The elder Gomes was released from the ACI in August 2005 after serving nearly 20 years for shooting two men outside an Olneyville wiener shop, He died of natural causes in his North Providence last year. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:49 PM | Comment Special veto session of Assembly calledPROVIDENCE -- Lawmakers have been summoned back to the State House for a one-day veto override session on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Senate leaders were unavailable for immediate comment, but a spokesman for House Speaker William J. Murphy confirmed reports that letters notifying the lawmakers started going out today. While the lawmakers are “likely’’ to vote to override Governor Carcieri’s veto of a high-profile bill banning forced overtime for nurses at hospitals, spokesman Larry Berman said action on other bills remains possible, including a Senate-passed bill to move Rhode Island’s presidential primary up from March 4 to Feb. 5. Once the lawmakers reconvene, the Senate is expected to hold confirmation hearings for William Guglietta, the former state prosecutor, attorney general candidate and State House lawyer whom Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams recently selected for the new chief magistrate’s job lawmakers created this year in the state Traffic Tribunal. Interest groups have been keeping up a vocal campaign to win over-ride votes on an array of other issues, ranging from domestic-partner benefits to the “pre-registration ’’ of 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. At a State House press conference recently, others urged the lawmakers to use the occasion to reverse a cost-cutting decision they adopted at Carcieri’s urging: The treatment of 17-year-old offenders as adults for purposes of criminal sentencing. Berman said it has not yet been decided what bills will be taken up at the special session. -- Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:43 PM | Comment Bullets found in vending machines; school searchedTIVERTON -- Two bullets were found in a pair of cafeteria vending machines at Tiverton Middle School today, prompting the police and school employees to impose an unprecendented lockdown of the building while searching for ammunition and weapons. “There were two rounds of what appeared to be rifle ammunition. I’m not sure of the caliber,” said Deputy Chief Nicholas Maltais. “They were live rounds. They had not been fired.” Supt. William Rearick said that a student found the first bullet in the part of the machine where items are dispensed. After he brought it to the attention of a teacher, a school administrator notified school resource officer Kenneth Cabral. Rearick said that a second bullet was found when administrators began searching the other vending machines. After Cabral informed his supervisor of the situation, the police ordered that the building be locked down, Rearick said. Students were sent to their classrooms behind locked doors and the entrance doors to the building were secured, said Rearick. “Obviously, our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of the students and the school employees so we took it very seriously and did a thorough search of the building,” Maltais said. Officers arrived at the school around 11:30 a.m. Police and school administrators searched lockers and backpacks inside the lockers, Rearick said. Backpacks inside classrooms were searched by teachers, he said. “No firearms or weapons of any type were found,” said Maltais, adding, “There were no threats made in association with this. We did not receive information that there was going to be harm to anyone.” The police remained at the school until about 2 p.m. When asked why someone would have placed the bullets in the vending machine, Rearick replied, “I couldn’t fathom.” Maltais said it might have been a prank. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:38 PM | Comment Update: Carcieri roughs out personnel cutsPROVIDENCE -- Months after vowing to cut 1,000 jobs, Governor Carcieri has announced the outlines of a plan to lay off 414 state employees, trim the state’s temporary employment rolls by another 115 workers and wipe 487 empty jobs off the state’s books. The personnel cuts are a central piece of the governor’s plan to avert a projected $200 million deficit in the state budget year that begins on July 1. Carcieri did not detail which state workers face job cuts. In his presentation this afternoon, he did say every department would be affected. "Out of respect for our employees who will be impacted, I will not be sharing more details today regarding the specific positions. The particulars as to the individual people and positions affected will be released as they have been notified," Carcieri said in his speech. Before the speech, the governor’s staff would say only that the cuts would be focused on “back office” workers. For example, 115 positions would be cut among the five state health and human services departments, including jobs in human resources, information technology and finance, the governor’s Chief of Staff Brian Stern told reporters Friday. The executive branch plans to begin notifying those contract employees affected on Nov. 1. State employees will be notified Nov. 15. As for the 414 state employee positions to be eliminated, Carcieri said, "Positions have been identified in every department." He also noted that not all the targeted jobs are union jobs. Carcieri was expected to largely ignore the other elements of his deficit-reduction plan today: $50 million in cuts to social service programs and another $50 million in cuts to the health benefits of those employees who survive the layoffs. Stern said that those cuts would be reflected in the governor’s budget proposal scheduled for release in February and throughout negotiations with unions whose contracts expire in the coming year. Today’s press conference marks the attempt of a governor, with plummeting poll numbers, to take control of the Smith Hill spending debate months before lawmakers return to the State House and try to rehabilitate his image along the way.
-- Steve Peoples and Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau and projo.com staff After a September public-opinion survey by Brown University found his job approval rating had plunged since last January from 59 percent to 44 percent, Carcieri suggested the numbers were a reflection of voter concern “about our financial status.’’ He said people seeing teachers on strike, unions lobbing preemptive strikes against his vow to cut the state work force by 1,000, and headline after headline about the people affected by the legislature’s adoption of his proposals to lop thousands off the state’s child-care rolls leave people “feeling as though the state isn’t running itself well because of the budget.’’ Meanwhile, labor laws are expected to complicate the governor’s staff reduction plans. Carcieri will have no problem eliminating 115 contract employees, who have no union protections. But laying off 414 state employees would trigger seniority provisions outlined in workers’ contracts. The executive branch can move to eliminate specific jobs, but the employees in those jobs generally have the right to move to vacant positions, or new jobs elsewhere in state government by “bumping” other workers from their jobs. The legal challenges were illustrated when former Governor Sundlun issued layoff notices to more than 500 employees in 1992, trying to avert a huge deficit. Two months after notices went out, more than half of the targeted group still had jobs. Governor Carcieri’s office acknowledges challenges, but Stern said that bumping rules have been relaxed since the early 1990s. Employees generally are allowed only three “bumps,” he said. Labor unions have criticized the governor’s plan to cut 1,000 jobs since it was first announced last June for ignoring the additional cost to the state in expected social welfare costs. The layoffs could result in $7.5 million in new costs to taxpayers for the unemployment and health-care benefits for displaced workers, according to Dan Majcher, supervisor of fiscal services for the Department of Administration. “This number will vary based on many factors and again is a worst case estimate and assumes everyone would be eligible for full benefits,” he said this morning in an e-mail to The Journal. Stern acknowledged Friday that the governor may be using a “conservative” estimate for the projected 2008-09 budget deficit. While his Budget Officer Rosemary Gallogly puts the projection at $211.3 million, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council estimated the deficit at $306.5 million in June. Since then, Gallogly said, assumptions have changed, caseload projections have dropped and lawmakers, in an unprecedented move, placed a virtual freeze on local school aid this year. As an example, the outdated deficit-projection assumed new state employee contracts would provide the workers with a 2-percent across-the-board raise next year, according to Gallogly. Knocking that one assumption out cut the projected deficit by $26.8 million. Freezing school aid this year lowered the starting point for next year by another $19 million. And so on. -- Steve Peoples and Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau and projo.com staff Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:26 PM | Comment Seal, wounded by gunshot, to be returned to oceanThe adult male harbor seal found stranded at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn., in July after suffering a gunshot wound is slated to be released at Blue Shutters Town Beach in Charlestown tomorrow at 9 a.m. The seal, believed to be 20 to 25 years old and weighing 212 lbs., had gotten the OK to be released on Sept. 26, after two months' treatment by Mystic Aquarium veterinary staff. But the seal developed a problem with its right eye, the only one that works because of the gunshot wound. “Because the animal has vision in only one eye, the veterinary staff at Mystic Aquarium was reluctant to have the animal released until a temporary condition called corneal edema was fully resolved,” Lawrence Dunn, staff veterinarian at Mystic Aquarium, said in a news release today. The seal will never have use of its left eye because of the wound. But it will still be able to hunt and survive in the wild despite its handicap, the aquarium said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:03 PM | Comment Police ask for help after fatal Seekonk accidentThe Seekonk police are asking for the public's help in finding the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a 38-year-old woman who was walking with her daughter yesterday. Maria Aguiar of 155 Chestnut St. was struck and killed by a “white SUV-type” vehicle while walking down her street at about 6:22 p.m. with her daughter, who was riding a bicycle, according to Seekonk police. The 10-year-old was not injured, police say, but she did see the accident. The driver of the vehicle did not stop, but drove west down Chestnut Street. The Seekonk police are investigating with the Massachusetts State Police. They are looking for a white SUV with damage to the passenger side front and possibly to the windshield. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call Seekonk police at (508)336-8123 Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:54 PM | Comment Trial begins for woman accused of killing daughterJury selection began this morning in the murder trial of a former Warwick woman whose 19-month old daughter died in late 2002 from head and trauma injuries. The trial of Kimberly Mawson, 37, in Superior Court, Warwick, is expected to continue for a couple of weeks, according to Associate Justice Edwin J. Gale, who is presiding. Jury selection is expected to take all day. Mawson was arrested in May 2005 in Connecticut after a grand jury handed up a secret indictment charging her with the death of her daughter, Jade. Her trial begins today in Superior Court, Warwick. Jade Mawson died of “injuries of the head and torso due to blunt-force trauma,” according to the medical examiner. Mawson, who had moved to Winchester, Conn., after the death of her baby, waived her right to an extradition hearing. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:50 AM | Comment Gang member, 21, admits conspiracy, gun crimesPROVIDENCE -- A member of the Laos Pride street gang pleaded guilty today to federal charges that could send him to prison for the rest of life. Nheat Nhim, 21, of 329 Webster Ave., who was was escorted into U.S. District Court in handcuffs and leg shackles, entered guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge William E. Smith set sentencing for Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. The maximum penalty for the charges is life imprisonment and $750,000 in fines. Last April, Nhim and three other gang members were arrested at gunpoint in an undercover sting operation. The operation, which was supervised by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, targeted the Laos Pride street gang that has been active in Providence and Cranston. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski An undercover ATF agent, posing as a drug dealer from Boston, recruited Nhim and three other Laotian gang members to burst into the home of a fictitious drug dealer and grab 6 kilograms of cocaine. They were arrested on April 26 in a parking lot in Cranston. The gang members were armed with shotguns and handguns, the authorities said. Nhim is the first of the foursome to plead guilty. Assistant U. S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha said that Vixay Phommarath, 20, unknown address; and Khek Choummalaithong, 28, of 74 Pekin St., Providence; also have signed plea agreements and they are expected to formally plead to the charges in the days ahead. The fourth defendant, Souvanh Keosouvanh, 27, of 673 Atwells Ave., Providence, has pleaded not guilty. The authorities have called him the alleged leader of the gang. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:09 AM | Comment Gas prices down another pennyGasoline prices in Rhode Island trickled down another penny this week, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.679 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The average price also dropped a penny last week. That's the lowest it has been since April 2, AAA said. Rhode Island's average is eight cents below the national average, according to AAA. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:41 AM | Comment License plate with environmental angle to be unveiledRhode Islanders' affinity for license plates of the low-numbered variety has been documented. But befitting a place called the Ocean State, Save the Bay announced today an "environmental education license plate" is on the way. As to what it will look like, we'll have to wait until this afternoon. A ceremony unveiling the plate will be this afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club, 1 Moeller Place, Pawtucket. Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva Weed is slated to speak at the ceremony/news conference and other officials are expected to attend. Your Turn: What would you like to see on the Save The Bay license plate? Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:03 AM | Comment Update: Accident clearedAn accident on Interstate 95 south near Exit 25 has been cleared up. The Transportation Management Center has is reporting the morning pile-up -- near Exit 25, Branch Avenue -- has been moved from the road and all lanes have been reopened. For up-to-date traffic information, visit the TMC Web site, or check out the slightly-delayed traffic cameras. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:32 AM | Comment Patrolman accused of rape set for court conference todayA 14-year police veteran accused of raping a 19-year-old at a police substation last March is scheduled to appear in court today. Marcus Huffman, a city police patrolman, pleaded not guilty to a charge of first degree sexual assault in August. He was suspended without pay pending the resolution of the case. Prosecutors say Huffman brought the alleged victim to his patrol car after she was turned away from a nightclub because she appeared to be intoxicated. Surveillance cameras later show Huffman leaving the substation, on Gordon Avenue in South Providence, shortly before the woman leaves the same building, according to prosecutors. Special Assistant Attorney General Erik B. Wallin also told Judge Daniel A. Procaccini that Huffman’s semen was found on the alleged victim’s boxer shorts. Huffman’s lawyer, Raymond J. Angell, said his client “vehemently contests” the charge. Huffman is scheduled for a pretrial conference in Superior Court, Providence. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:23 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Accident on 95S near Exit 25PROVIDENCE -- An accident on Route 95 south near Exit 25 has traffic tied up. State police are working on clearing vehicles from the road. There is no information right now on how serious the accident was or if there were any injuries. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:47 AM | Comment Bryant lacrosse coach suing ex-employer DukeSMITHFIELD -- Bryant University lacrosse coach Mike Pressler is suing his former employer, Duke University. Pressler resigned from Duke last year amid allegations that three of his players raped a stripper. The players were later cleared of the false charges. Pressler and Duke reached a financial settlement this year. But Pressler's suit alleges that Duke broke the terms of the settlement when a university official made disparaging remarks about him. The suit asks a North Carolina court to void the settlement and hold a trial on Pressler's claim of wrongful termination. A Duke official says the school is disappointed that Pressler is trying to undo his agreement with an unfounded claim against the school. Reade Seligmann, one of the falsely accused lacrosse players, transferred to Brown University to play lacrosse for the Bears. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:25 AM | Comment Carcieri to announce job cuts todayPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri this afternoon will outline his plan to cut the state's workforce to rein in a projected $211-million budget deficit. He will speak at 2 p.m. in the State Room at the State House, according to an advisory from his office. Carcieri has said his aim is to cut $200-plus million in state spending and 1,000 state jobs. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:17 AM | Comment Body found in Foxborough streetFOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Police are investigating the death of a young man whose body was found lying in a Foxborough street. Police say a passing motorist discovered the body at about 1 a.m. on Route 106 near an Interstate 95 underpass. Authorities have not determined how the unidentified man died. Foxborough police set up a crime scene perimeter and contacted the State Police and Norfolk District Attorney's office for assistance. Traffic on Route 106 - also known as Green Street - was being detoured in both directions while investigators gathered evidence at the scene. -- The Associated Press
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny and pleasant after a chilly startMostly sunny today, with the National Weather Service forecasting a high near 61 degrees. Clouds should roll in this evening when the temperature should drop to 43. Although today should turn pleasant, early risers were greeted by chilly temperatures. In Richmond this morning, the temperature at 6:45 a.m. just 32 degrees. Still, one teen was seen heading to a bus stop in short sleeves. The clear skies made for a beautiful sunrise, with a pale blue background streaked with peach. More sunny skies tomorrow with a high temperature of about 62. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph of quarterback Tom Brady, who led the Patriots to a 48-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys yesterday in Texas. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 12, 2007Tonight: John Mayall in Newport, Sox and Clapton on TV
John Mayall, a legendary force in the British blues boom that exploded in the 1960s, plays at 9 p.m. at the Newport Blues Cafe, 286 Thames St., Newport. Tickets are $25. Call (401) 841-5510. This is the same Mayall in whose original John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers a young Eric Clapton played some of his best blues. Just listen in to "Have You Heard" or "Double Crossing Time" on the seminal Bluesbreakers album. After playing with the Bluesbreakers, Clapton went on to join this other outfit called Cream and the rest is history. In a bit of serendipity, Clapton's due to be on Larry King Live at 9 tonight -- same time Mayall starts playing -- talking about his new autobiography. Remote control in hand, you can flip to that between innings. No doubt the rest of you will be watching the Sox. That's a 7:10 p.m. start at Fenway. Can't get to the TV? Aching for pre- and post-game analysis, and a chance to sound off? Then visit projo.com's SoxBlog, where Journal staff writers will be busy posting the latest from the press box. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:02 PM | Comment Carcieri to announce plan for workforce cutsPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri will outline Monday his plan to cut the state's workforce to rein in a projected $211-million budget deficit. He will speak at 2 p.m. in the State Room at the State House, according to an advisory from his office late today. Carcieri has said his aim is to cut $200-plus million in state spending and 1,000 state jobs. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Woonsocket man killed in crash on Fla. highwayA Rhode Island man was killed this morning in Florida when the four-door Mazda he was driving on Route 75 north struck the back of a dump truck, the police said. A Florida Highway Patrol news release says Leonardo N. Austi Bracey, 25, of 614 East School St., Woonsocket, was heading north in the outside lane of the highway, "traveling much faster" than the dumptruck ahead of him, which was driven by Carlos Miguel Garcia Valdes, 31, of Naples, Fla. The dumptruck had just merged onto the highway from Alico Road. The accident happened about 6:50 a.m., about a mile north of Alico Road. For unknown reasons the victim's car struck the truck, the release states, and after the collision the car came to rest facing north in the highway's outside lane. The truck's brakes were disabled by the collision, the police said, and it rolled to a stop facing north in the highway's outside lane. Valdes was not injured, the police said. No witnesses were identified at the scene. The accident is still under investigation. The victim was not wearing a seatbelt, the news release indicates. The Florida Highway Patrol asked that anyone with information call the patrol at (239) 354-2377, extension 350. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:53 PM | Comment AG: Dispatchers can't be charged in woman's deathPROVIDENCE – The Attorney General’s Office ruled today that the Pawtucket Fire Department dispatchers who delayed sending an ambulance to the home of a woman who was bleeding heavily can’t charged with a crime because it isn’t possible to establish that the nearly 15-minute delay caused her death. The bleeding was so “voluminous” and Maria G. Carvalho was such poor health that she probably would not have survived even if the rescue truck had been sent to her house when it was first requested, Assistant Attorney General Stacey Pires Veroni said, quoting Dr. Peter A. Gillespie, an assistant state medical examiner. “Due to the inability to establish that the delay in the dispatch of the rescue was the proximate cause of the death of Mrs. Carvalho, I will not present this matter to the grand jury,” Veroni said. The ruling, which Veroni laid out in a letter to Pawtucket Police Chief George L. Kelley III, came three weeks and a day after Mrs. Carvalho, a 53-year-old kidney patient, bled to death from a shunt, or bypass, inserted in her blood vessels to facilitate dialysis. The ruling was immediately disputed by Stephen M. Rappoport, a lawyer hired by the Carvalho family to file a wrongful death claim in the case. In an interview today, Rappoport said that the medical experts he consulted have been unanimous that the delay dispatching a rescue truck to her home the morning of Sept. 20 resulted in her death “I would respectfully say that we are in total disagreement with Dr. Gillespie,” Rappoport said. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:59 PM | Comment E. Greenwich cosmetic surgeon's license suspendedThe state has suspended the medical license of Dr. Curtis J. Perry, whose cosmetic surgery practice in East Greenwich was shut down last month because the facility was not licensed for surgery and employed “dangerous” practices. Perry relied on unlicensed workers to administer intravenous anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery such as tummy tucks and breast enlargement in his office, and didn’t have appropriate safeguards and backups in case of complications. The state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline this week suspended Perry’s medical license for three months, retroactive to Sept. 26, followed by three years' probation. The board also required him obtain a surgery license for his office before resuming any surgical procedures there, to maintain arrangements with other doctors and hospitals to care for patients if there are complications, and to make sure in all communications that he does not lead anyone to believe that he is board-certified in plastic surgery. He is an ear-nose-and-throat specialist. Reached by phone today, Perry said that he planned to “work with the board” to get his facility fully licensed, but declined further comment. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Under state law, procedures can be performed in a doctor’s office only when they involve the skin or the tissues just underneath and require only local anesthesia and a mild tranquilizer. Otherwise, the office must be licensed as an outpatient surgery center. Although Perry’s Artistic Surgical Center had advertised widely, health officials did not know the extent of the surgeries being performed there until a patient complained, said Dr. Robert S. Crausman, chief administrative officer of the state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Health Department inspectors visited Perry’s office in 2001. At the time, according to Crausman, Perry said he was only doing minor procedures that did not require licensure. Then this year the board received a complaint from a patient who required hospitalization and physical therapy after being treated by Perry. That prompted the investigation that led to the closing of his practice on Sept. 26. Since then, the board has received six additional complaints about Perry, which are under investigation. Crausman said the board’s biggest concern, and the main reason why the Health Department shut down his office, was Perry’s approach to anesthesia, which Crausman called “dangerous.” “He was using terrifically potent medications,” Crausman said, including Versed, a fast-acting tranquilizer, Ketamine, an anesthetic that separates mind from body, and Propofol, a fast-acting anesthetic. Unlicensed workers were mixing and administering the medications. There were no medical personnel -- such as a nurse anesthetist, physician assistant or anesthesiologist -- to monitor the patients while Perry performed surgery. The procedures required his full attention, and any of the drugs could have caused a person to stop breathing, Crausman said. “He’s very fortunate that there haven’t been any tragic outcomes of that type,” he said. The board also faulted Perry for not having hospital privileges that would allow him to perform the same procedures in a hospital, and for not arranging to have another physician cover for him if patients need help while he is away. Also Perry’s advertising “had the tendency to be misleading,” Crausman said, because it implied that he was board-certified in plastic surgery. Perry is board-certified in otolaryngology, and he also has certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, which was formed to recognize ear-nose-and-throat doctors who obtained additional training in plastic surgery. How could Perry have operated with impunity for so long? Crausman said that other doctors were probably aware that Perry was doing surgery, but not that his office was unlicensed -- because “he was so open and blatant about this,” Crausman said. Also, patients paid out of pocket for his services, so no insurance company was involved to check on his credentials and licensure. It’s a cautionary tale for cosmetic-surgery patients, Crausman said. He offered this advice to people contemplating cosmetic surgery: --Consult your primary care physician and ask for a referral to an appropriate surgeon. --If your surgery is not being done in the hospital, make sure the place where it happens is licensed. The license should be posted, or you can check with the Health Department’s division of facilities regulation. In Rhode Island, any surgery center that is licensed must also be accredited. --Check your doctor’s credentials. Ask how many times he or she has done the procedure before. Ask what happens if there are complications -- who will care for you, and where? Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:33 PM | Comment Federal Hill murder case resolved after 9 yearsPROVIDENCE -- Destie B. Ventre’s extended chess match with the law has come to an end. He pleaded no contest yesterday to a Federal Hill murder nine years ago and received a 40-year sentence, 17 years of which was suspended. The plea, accepted by Associate Justice Susan E. McGuirl of Superior Court, came just before Ventre would have stood trial for the fourth time on a charge that he shot a friend dead outside the Acorn Social Club on Spruce Street on June 6, 1998. He also wounded the murder victim’s companion, for which McGuirl gave him a 10-year concurrent suspended sentence. According to Michael Healey, spokesman for Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch, Ventre admitted as part of the plea that: * On June 5, 1998, Richard Cruso, Vincent Leonardo, David Bettencourt, and Lance Verrocchio, who were long-time friends, were at the former Bootlegger’s, a bar near Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. Ventre was also at the bar, with his brother, Ryan Guinto, and a friend, Gregory Warren. * The two groups left separately when Bootlegger’s closed for the night. They met in downtown Providence, where an argument escalated into a fight involving all of them. The police arrived, but neither side wanted to pursue charges. * In a later phone call between Cruso and Ventre, they agreed to meet on Acorn Street. Ventre arrived with Guinto at the parking lot of the Acorn Social Club, where Cruso and Leonardo waited. * Ventre shot Cruso and Leonardo with a handgun, hitting Cruso in the chest and hip. Leonardo was shot in the shoulder. Guinto and Ventre fled before the police arrived. * Cruso’s death was attributed to cardiac arrest caused by the gunshot wound. * Ventre and Guinto disposed of the gun and the vehicle they traveled in. They remained at large until July 31, 1998, when they were found at a private residence in Mount Pleasant. At his first trial in 2000, Ventre claimed self-defense. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge John F. Sheehan (now deceased) sentenced him to 50 years in prison. The Rhode Island Supreme Court overturned that conviction in 2002. The justices said that Sheehan’s jury instructions on the self-defense doctrine were “gravely inadequate.” -- Journal staff writer Thomas J. Morgan The attorney general’s office retried the case in November 2004. But that ended in a mistrial when, during deliberations, one juror gave other jurors information he had found on the Internet about the legal definitions of murder, manslaughter and self-defense. Prosecutors quickly brought Ventre back to trial, and in December 2004, another jury convicted him of second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. At the time, Attorney General Lynch said, "The message of this verdict is, don’t give up. Retrials and mistrials are facts of life for prosecutors." In February 2005, Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia of the Superior Court sentenced Ventre to 50 years in prison - including 40 years to serve for second-degree murder and a consecutive 10-year sentence for assault with a dangerous weapon. But last December, the Supreme Court vacated that conviction and sent the case back to Superior Court for retrial, saying Indeglia may have misled the jury on the question of burden of proof. “More than anything else, this conviction is a testament to the persistence of Paul Daly, who handled the case from the start, and to the fine work of Providence Police Detective Robert Drohan,” Lynch said. “Although it is justice delayed, I hope the knowledge that the defendant is behind bars for a substantial sentence provides a small measure of solace to Richard Cruso’s family and friends.” Lynch was referring to Assistant Attorney General Paul F. Daly Jr., who prosecuted the case for the State. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:06 PM | Comment Update: Ex-House leader Martineau arraigned
PROVIDENCE -- Former House majority leader Gerard M. Martineau was formally arraigned on corruption charges today, entering a plea of not guilty that he is expected to change to guilty when his case goes to U.S. District Court. Martineau has admitted in court documents to using his power to act favorably on legislation that benefited CVS and Blue Cross. He has agreed to plead guilty. He entered the not-guilty plea this afternoon before Magistrate Judge David Martin. As part of the process, he'll make a change of plea when he comes before federal Judge Mary Lisi at a later date. Martineau plans to plead guilty to a "criminal information," avoiding the grand jury indictment process. The proceedings were over at 2:17 p.m after starting shortly after 2 p.m. Martineau spoke solemnly, answering the judge's questions, including his age and education level. The former lawmaker faced the judge with head down, his hands clasped in front of him. On the recommendation of the prosecution, the judge set Martineau's bond at $50,000 unsecured, permitting two travel requests: a business matter in Newark, N.J., and family visit in the Blackstone, Mass. area. The judge also required Martineau to maintain employment. -- By Michael McKinney, projo.com staff writer Federal prosecutors have charged him as part of a wide-ranging probe into State House corruption called "Operation Dollar Bill." Martineau is accused of selling bags to a health insurer and a pharmacy company and then using his position at the State House to benefit them. In particular, prosecutors say he worked to defeat a bill that both companies opposed. Martineau faces two counts of "honest services mail fraud." Each carries a maximum five years in prison and several hundred thousand dollars in fines. Read the full text of the charges against Martineau. Read the full text of Martineau's plea agreement. -- With Associated Press and projo.com reports Posted by Jack Perry at 3:39 PM | Comment League of Women Voters hosts immigration forumThe League of Women Voters of Rhode Island wants to understand the issues and debates surrounding immigration, both legal and illegal. The League, which has no formal position or policy recommendation regarding immigration, says that's because there are still too many questions. At a forum tomorrow at Rhode Island College, the group will try to get a hold on the different aspects of immigration with help from speakers on health care, history, the economy, education and public policy. The forum, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at RIC’s Gaige Auditorium, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students. Speakers will include RIC Professor Chester W. Smolski; Providence Schools Superintendent Donald W. Evans; Deputy Director Catherine B. Walsh, RI Kids Count; John Uvin, director of the Rhode Island Division of Adult Education; and William Shuey, director of the International Institute of Rhode Island. Small group discussions will be led by local media personnel. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:52 PM | Comment No West Nile or EEE in last batch of testingMosquito testing is done for the season and the Department of Environmental Management says the last batch of insects tested negative for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. In all this season, five samples tested positive for West Nile Virus, but none tested positive for EEE. Although mosquitoes are almost gone for the season, officials are still urging people to be careful until the first hard frost -- cover up and wear mosquito repellent. There were no confirmed cases of West Nile or EEE in humans in the state, according to the state Health Department, but DEM did report a visitor from the United Kingdom was diagnosed with EEE after a six-week visit to New Hampshire and Rhode Island. "Although it is impossible to pinpoint the location, or in fact, the state in which he contracted EEE," a DEM press release said, "The visitor's life-threatening illness should drive home the message that all residents and visitors should protect themselves against mosquito bites." Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:05 PM | Comment Rhode Island woman wins $1 million in Mass. lotteryA woman from the Hope Valley section of Hopkinton has won $1 million playing the Massachusetts Lottery Linda J. Evans claimed the prize on Wednesday, according to the lottery's Web site. Evans won the prize in the lottery's "$20 Billion Blockbuster Instant Game." She bought the ticket at Luke's Liquors in Yarmouth, Mass. The lottery Web site says she will collect 20 annuity payments of $50,000 before taxes. The store gets a $10,000 commission on the sale. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:19 PM | Comment Poll: Most Providence residents favor 'living wage'PROVIDENCE -- Seventy percent of Providence residents favor a “living wage” where companies getting contracts from the city pay workers at least $12.30 per hour plus $1.25 an hour for health care benefits, says a Brown University poll out today. The poll, done Sept. 29 and 30 by the university's Taubman Center for Public Policy, used a citywide random sample of 491 Providence residents and had a margin of error of about plus or minus 5 percentage points. The survey coincides with the eighth annual Thomas J. Anton/Frederick Lippitt Urban Affairs Conference on “The Living Wage” slated for Tuesday. A panel of national experts at the conference will look at economic and political aspects of the living wage and other anti-poverty initiatives, the university said in a news release. Speakers will include Paul Sonn of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation, and Oren Levin-Waldman of the Metropolitan College of New York. The conference starts at 4 p.m. in Leung Gallery in Faunce House on the college green. The poll found 90 percent of residents believed the national minimum wage should be raised from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. Sixty-nine percent thought government should boost cash assistance for poor people. Eighty-three percent believed the government should expand subsidized daycare for poor people. Eighty-two percent thought able-bodied recipients on public assistance should be made to work as a condition of the aid. Thirty-four percent believed there should be a lifetime limit of five years on federal benefits for poor people. Below are several of the poll questions and the response results. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Do you believe the national minimum wage should be increased from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour? 90 percent yes, 6 percent no, 4 percent don’t know or no answer Do you support a so-called “living wage” in which companies receiving contracts from the city pay their workers at least $12.30 an hour plus $1.25 an hour for health care benefits? 70 percent support, 15 percent oppose, 15 percent don’t know or no answer Do you think the government should increase cash assistance for people who are poor? 69 percent yes, 18 percent no, 13 percent don’t know or no answer Do you believe the government should expand subsidized daycare for people who are poor? 83 percent yes, 11 percent no, 6 percent don’t know or no answer Do you think able-bodied recipients on public assistance should be required to work as a condition of the aid? 82 percent yes, 9 percent no, 9 percent don’t know or no answer Do you believe there should be a lifetime limit of five years on federal benefits for poor people? 34 percent yes, 50 percent no, 16 percent don’t know or no answer In your view, are most people who receive public assistance genuinely in need of help or are they taking advantage of the system? 52 percent genuinely need help, 28 percent taking advantage of system, 20 percent don’t know or no answer. Do you think that most poor people could get along without public assistance if they tried? 28 percent yes, 59 percent no, 13 percent don’t know or no answer. Do you think that most poor people are lazy? 15 percent yes, 77 percent no, 8 percent don’t know or no answer. How big a problem is poverty in our society today? 74 percent a big problem, 19 percent somewhat of a problem, 3 percent not much of a problem, 4 percent don’t know or no answer. Would you say that you and your family living there are: 31 percent better off, 38 percent the same, 28 percent worse off financially than you were a year ago, 3 percent don’t know or no answer.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Sen. Kennedy has surgery on blocked artery in neckBOSTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy underwent surgery today to repair a partially blocked artery in his neck, which was discovered during routine examination of a decades-old back injury. The hourlong procedure on his left carotid artery - a major supplier of blood to the neck and head - was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Richard Cambria, the hospital's chief of vascular surgery. The Massachusetts Democrat -- father of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island -- suffered no complications and the senator was expected to be released in several days, Kennedy's office said. "As part of a routine evaluation of Sen. Kennedy's back and spine, MRI studies picked up an unrelated, asymptomatic blockage in the senator's left carotid artery," said a statement from Kennedy's Washington office. "This morning, Sen. Kennedy underwent preventive surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital to remove the blockage." -- The Associated Press Kennedy, 75, is in relatively good health for his age, but he has been bothered by an aching back since a 1964 plane crash, which killed a pilot and one of Kennedy's aides. Then-Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., who was traveling with Kennedy, pulled him from the wreckage but Kennedy suffered a back injury, punctured lung, broken ribs and internal bleeding. Because of the persistent pain, the senator often leans on a wall or sits on a stool when he otherwise would be expected to stand for an extended period. Kennedy had a routine back examination on Oct. 4, followed by an MRI exam at Cape Cod Hospital on Tuesday. That night, doctors told him of the arterial blockage. Kennedy campaigned Wednesday in the Merrimack Valley for Niki Tsongas, a Democrat seeking the 5th Congressional District seat in a special election next week, before heading to Massachusetts General for additional tests. Kennedy is the lone surviving son in a famed political family. His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash, another sibling, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963, while his remaining brother, Robert, was assassinated in 1968. Kennedy, considered a liberal lion in the Senate, was re-elected in 2006. His current term ends in 2013. The senator made a failed run for the presidency in 1980. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:53 AM | Comment Good Mornin', Providence / Photo
So he drew up a sign that reads, “Good Mornin,' '' and went to the corner of Fountain, Dorrance and Eddy Streets. He stands there this morning holding the sign, waving and audibly greeting passers by. The results of his unscientific study? “Providence has been pretty friendly, considering it’s bigger a city and all.” Davis is originally from the South -- the rural South. He's a native of Polk County, North Carolina. Some "northerners," such as his wife, don't immediately appreciate the friendly habits that people from small, southern towns are known for. She’s a native of New York state. “When she started going South, she didn’t understand why people started saying, ‘Hi,' ” Davis said. Now that he lives in Ohio, Davis said he’s been sure to try to instill friendliness into his children. He tells them it’s OK to smile, OK to say hello to people. So he practices what he preaches, albeit to the extreme. Most people smile, many wave, some say good morning back, and others ignore him. One person did tell Davis that he was missing a "G" on his sign. But, he said, "I have an accent. And I don't add 'Rs' where they don't belong." In all he's pretty pleased with the responses. “Some of it is forced civility,” he said, “but it’s something.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Your turn: Did you / would you say good morning to him? Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment Red Bull Race will close some Providence streetsSpeed is just one factor in a race where judges will also look for creativity and showmanship. See what the drivers get away with at the Red Bull Soapbox Race when they bring their homemade vehicles to College Hill in Providence tomorrow. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the first race begins at 1 p.m. Safety, too, is on the agenda. Expect street closures to delay travel across the East Side, but ensure the soap box cars don't have to compete with traffic. Prospect Street between Meeting and Angel Streets will be closed to traffic by 10 a.m. today and preparation begins in earnest tonight at 6 p.m. when a good chunk of the East Side will be closed to traffic. Click below to find out what streets will be closing. At 6 p.m., the following streets will close: Waterman Street between Memorial Blvd. & Brown Street And at 2 a.m. tomorrow, North Main Street, between Market Square & Thomas Street, will close. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:14 AM | Comment Pot pie recall includes some local storesConAgra Foods is recalling a variety of frozen pot pie products that may be linked to a Salmonella infection, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The brands subject to the recall include Great Value, which is sold at Wal-Mart; Western Family, which is sold at local stores throughout the country, and the following store brands: Banquet The recall applies to all varieties of frozen pot pies, including beef, chicken and turkey. The products were distributed throughout the country, in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands. A Salmonella infection lasts about a week and is typically characterized by diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without treatment within a week, but for certain populations, including elderly people and those with compromised immune systems, infections can be deadly. For more information about the recall, call the USDA's toll-free food-safety hotline: (888)674-6854 or visit the USDA's food safety and recall Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:40 AM | Comment First convicted in 2000, man sentenced for 1998 murderA 35-year-old man who was twice convicted of murder – and had both convictions overturned – has again been sentenced for the crime. Superior Court Associate Justice Susan E. McGuirl sentenced Destie B. Ventre to 40 years with 23 to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He was also sentenced to 17 years suspended with probation for the 1998 murder of Richard Cruso outside a Federal Hill Market. Ventre, of North Providence, pleaded no contest yesterday to the charges, according to Attorney General Patrick Lynch’s office. Ventre was first convicted in an April 2000 jury trial. That conviction was reversed by the state Supreme Court in December 2002. There was a mistrial in Oct. 2004, a subsequent guilty verdict by a Superior Court jury in Dec. 2004, and another Supreme Court reversal in Nov. 2006. “More than anything else, this conviction is a testament to the persistence of (Assistant Attorney General) Paul Daly, who handled the case from the start, and to the fine work of Providence Police Detective Robert Drohan,” Lynch said in a press release. “Although it is justice delayed, I hope the knowledge that the defendant is behind bars for a substantial sentence provides a small measure of solace to Richard Cruso’s family and friends.” -- with archival reports from Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Ventre was accused of fatally shooting a former friend, Richard R. Cruso, outside the Acorn Social Club on June 6, 1998. He also was accused of shooting and wounding another former friend, Vincent Leonardo, in the same incident, which stemmed from a two-year-old dispute over a broken dirt bike. During his first trial in 2000, Ventre claimed he acted in self-defense, but a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge John F. Sheehan (now deceased) sentenced him to 50 years in prison. In 2002, the Supreme Court overturned that conviction, saying Sheehan made several mistakes. For instance, the high court said Sheehan's jury instructions on the self-defense doctrine were "gravely inadequate." The attorney general's office retried the case in November 2004. But that ended in a mistrial when, during deliberations, one juror gave other jurors information he had found on the Internet about the legal definitions of murder, manslaughter and self-defense. Prosecutors quickly brought Ventre back to trial, and in December 2004, another jury convicted him of second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. At the time, Lynch said, "The message of this verdict is, don't give up. Retrials and mistrials are facts of life for prosecutors." In February 2005 Ventre was sentenced to 50 years in prison - including 40 years to serve for second-degree murder and a consecutive 10-year sentence for assault with a dangerous weapon. But in late November, the Supreme Court vacated that conviction and sent the case back to Superior Court for retrial. According to the decision, Ventre's defense lawyer, John F. Cicilline, argued that Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia had erred when he instructed the jury that being armed with an unlicensed firearm "shall be prima facie evidence" of an intention to commit a crime of violence. Cicilline said that instruction wrongly shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution to Ventre by requiring him to prove he did not intend to commit those violent crimes. DURING DELIBERATIONS, the jury sent a note to the judge, asking him to define the Latin term "prima facie." Indeglia responded in a note that said: "Prima facie evidence is evidence that may assist in establishing a fact." Cicilline objected again, saying the original instruction coupled with the definition of "prima facie" created a presumption that Ventre intended to commit crimes of violence. Supreme Court Justice William P. Robinson III wrote the high court's 15-page decision, saying Indeglia "may well have caused the jury to reach an incorrect conclusion as to which party bore the burden of proof." "We have concluded that the erroneous 'prima facie evidence' instruction directly impacted defendant's plainly articulated defense of self-defense by allowing the jurors to infer that defendant intended to commit the crime of violence with which he was charged," Robinson wrote. "Consequently, we cannot in good conscience hold that this particular instructional error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt." The shooting stemmed from an argument that dated back to 1997, when Ventre brokered the sale of a dirt bike to Cruso. The motorcycle didn't work, and Cruso gave it back to be fixed, but neither the bike nor the money was ever returned to Cruso. According to trial testimony, Ventre had a chance encounter with Cruso and Cruso's friend, Leonardo, outside a Providence nightclub. The men got into a fight and later met in the parking lot shared by Tony's Colonial market and the Acorn Social Club on Atwells Avenue. Ventre was accused of shooting the 23-year-old Cruso in the chest - within an inch of a crucifix tattooed on his chest - and then shooting him again when Cruso was on the ground. Ventre also was accused of shooting Leonardo in the shoulder. The police have said Ventre and his brother hid in a Mount Pleasant house for two months, and Ventre dyed his hair and grew a moustache. The police said the two-family house had surveillance cameras and listening devices installed outside. The police raided the home in July 1998 and arrested them. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:24 AM | Comment Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Albert Arnold Gore Jr.Yesterday he was a former vice president; an unsuccessful presidential candidate; an environmental advocate; or maybe a documentary filmmaker. But today, he’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore. The Foundation awarded to prize to Gore, along with the International Panel on Climate Change, for their “efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." Watch a video of the announcement. See a list of previous winners. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:02 AM | Comment Unregistered sex offender set for arraignment todayThe first person in Rhode Island to be charged under a 2006 federal law for failing to register as a sex offender with local police when he moved to here from another state is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court today. Michael DiTomasso, 24, failed to register after moving to Woonsocket from Milford, Mass. in March according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The charge was brought under a section of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act known as the Sex offender Registration and Notification Act. It requires sex offenders who move from one state to another to register their new address. DiTomasso is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. arraignment with Judge Lincoln D. Almond. U.S. Marshals arrested DiTomasso in Milford, Mass., on Oct. 4. According to an affidavit, DiTomasso registered as a sex offender in 1997 with an address in Milford, as required by Massachusetts law. In March 2007, eight months after passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, DiTomasso moved to a Woonsocket apartment but failed to register with Woonsocket police or notify the Milford police of his new address. On March 27, a Woonsocket police officer found DiTomasso at his new address and told him that he should register with the Woonsocket police within a week. On April 4, after DiTomasso had not registered, the Woonsocket police arrested him. The Milford police charged him with failing to update his registration. The U.S. Marshal’s Office in Providence investigated, resulting in the Oct. 4 complaint and the indictment returned yesterday. If convicted, DiTomasso faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. DiTomasso has been in federal custody since his arrest last week. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:45 AM | Comment Ex-House leader to face corruption charge todayPROVIDENCE -- A former state lawmaker is expected to appear in court to face corruption charges. Former House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence. He has signed an agreement promising that he will eventually plead guilty to mail fraud charges in exchange for a reduced sentence. Federal prosecutors charged him as part of a wide-ranging probe into State House corruption called "Operation Dollar Bill." Martineau is accused of selling bags to a health insurer and a pharmacy company and then using his position at the State House to benefit them. In particular, prosecutors say he worked to defeat a bill that both companies opposed. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment After more rain, the sun should appearSurprise: More rain expected today, mostly this morning. But another surprise: The National Weather Service is forecasting clearer skies and an appearance by the sun this afternoon with a high temperature near 61. There's also a chance of isolated thunderstorms this morning in Eastern Massachusetts. Tonight should remain clear, with an overnight low near 40. Just in time for the weekend, the sun should come out Saturday morning and temperatures should barely clear the 60s; then clear overnight with a low temperatures in the 40s. With sunny weather all weekend long, it may be a good time to check out the muted, but still impressive, New England foliage. Check out the foliage report to see what's to see. More sunshine Sunday with high temperatures near 62 degrees and then an overnight low around 43. More of the same is expected for Monday, with clear skies, sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s. For weather updates throughout the day, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Download today's front pageThe Red Sox and state pensions lead today's Journal. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:56 AM | Comment October 11, 2007Tonight: What to watch before the playoffs
Catch The Fabulous Thunderbirds, who will play rhythm and blues this evening at Newport Blues Cafe, 286 Thames St., Newport. Call (401) 841-5510, www.newportblues.com. 9 p.m. $30. Check out out Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers, who play blues at Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 401-765-1900. Shows at 8 and 10 p.m. $15 early show; $10 late show; $18 both shows. (He's recorded a mean instrumental version of "Who Knows" by Jimi Hendrix from Hendrix's brief Band of Gypsys era.) As for tomorrow, what to do instead of watching the Red Sox? Which doesn't seem likely in these parts. Could be a tough night to be in a band -- unless you got tapped to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Fenway. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment 2 more arrests in DMV fake-license caseTwo more people have been arrested, and 19 others are still wanted, for allegedly getting valid Rhode Island driver's licenses falsified by two clerks at the state Division of Motor Vehicles. The clerks had sent the licenses to dozens of illegal immigrants and suspected drug dealers who’d paid middlemen between $2,500 to $3,000 apiece in order to conceal their identity with a valid driver's license, according to the state police. Some of the “customers” have since been rearrested on drug charges in various states -- where their true identity was revealed by fingerprints -- but others are on the run. As the state police search for the suspects, they are still trying to determine how the licenses were used – whether in financial transactions, to buy guns, or exchanged in different state for another valid license. In several cases, the licenses were used by people who’d been deported and illegally reentered, or who were wanted on drug warrants. Anastacio Segura, 34, who also uses Martinez as his surname, was caught at a work site in Boston last night with a fake Rhode Island license, said state police Capt. Stephen Lynch. He’d already been deported to Mexico, but had illegally reentered the country, Lynch said. Daniel Liranzo, 41, was arrested this morning in New York City with a falsified Rhode Island license, Lynch said. Now, both Liranzo and Segura are being held for deportation. -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:38 PM | Comment Man accused of cyberstalking pleads not guiltySOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A cable access cameraman has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge that he cyberstalked a former public access TV host by posting a threatening video on the Web site YouTube. Daniel R. Davidson, of Richmond, allegedly posted the video in May and was arrested last week. The video's title included the name of former public access host Marilyn Sheldon, and state police say it featured images of the man convicted nine years ago in Florida of killing her son. A voice on the video said, "Remember me, get ready to die, you did a bad thing.'' Davidson was released on $5,000 personal recognizance. A call to a lawyer listed as Davidson's attorney was not immediately returned. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:32 PM | Comment City of Pawtucket faces wrongful-death claimPAWTUCKET -- The family of the woman who died waiting for a Fire Department rescue truck has put city officials on notice it intends to file a wrongful death claim. In legal papers, Stephen M. Rappoport, the lawyer for the family of Maria G. Carvalho, charged that the city, through its employees, two rookie fire dispatchers, displayed “gross, willful, or wanton negligence,” failing to send an ambulance until Mrs. Carvalho bled to death Despite three 911 calls, Rappoport said, the rescue truck wasn’t dispatched for at least 20 minutes. “By the time Maria G. Carvalho received the help that was requested, it was far too late and she bled to death before emergency personnel arrived.” The notice of claim comes as city officials brace themselves for a lawsuit from the Carvalhos, who said in interviews they were bewildered by the delay they encountered getting a rescue truck the morning of Sept. 20, when Mrs. Carvalho, a 53-year-old kidney patient, began to bleed from a shunt, or bypass, inserted so she could undergo dialysis treatment. The notice of claim was filed more than a week ago, after it was reported that the two fire dispatchers on duty at the time of the incident -- Sean P. Mooney and Christopher A. Jeffrey -- had been fired by the administration of Mayor James E. Doyle. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci The notice of claim doesn’t specify how much the Carvalhos will be seeking in damages. “Obviously, it’s in its preliminary stages. There’s certainly a lot of information and facts that could be gathered,” Rappoport, a lawyer with the East Providence firm Rappoport, DeGiovanni and Caslowitz, said over the telephone today. He said the notice of claim was a procedural step to let the city know that the Carvalhos intend to pursue legal action. Doyle administration officials declined to comment on the wrongful death case, citing an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office that they said is just about done. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:04 PM | Comment BIF-3: Mark Cuban wants to buy Cubs -- and Verizon
The billionaire entrepreneur says he's been practicing his waltz and has lost 27 lbs. After that, Wall Street Journal tech columnist Walter Mossberg got to ask him some questions at the second day of the Business Innovation Factory summit.
Why would you want to buy the Cubs? It's not a sure thing yet, add Cuban, who does own the Dallas Mavericks. "All I've been able to do is say I'm interested and go through the qualification process and we'll go on from there." On the early days: Mossberg said, "You were one of the great innovators, coming up with a great idea -- video -- and selling it for a bunch of money. (Broadcast.com) These folks are interested in how." Cuban: "I look at myself as a consumer. When I started Micro Solutions in 1982, I was selling PCs... the success factor was understanding the application of tech to business. "In 1983 I got in touch with Novell Shared Data systems, and said at some point we're going to want to link all these PCs together. The rest is history." Is video on the Web a destination or just a data type? On broadband: Cuban said: "Public companies want a return. Innovation has stagnated because of (the demand for) earnings per share. You're going to see more companies go private that need to make significant investments in order to compete. "...to me the flinch point is 100 megabytes throughput to the home. Verizon, or anybody who uses fiber can do it. "...If I could buy one company, it would be Verizon." On HDTV: "There are more hi-def channels but not a lot of hi-def content. Seventy percent of men will turn to high-def channels no matter what's on." (Mossberg added he'll watch shows on hi-def he doesn't even like.) 3-D is coming back in a big way. More than 1,000 theaters will be 3-D enabled in the next few months. "No more paper glasses." On Google's future:"Google is completely dependent on that PC. That's a bet I'm not willing to make." On the digital future: "The greatest opportunity is a new operating system." After which he listed the flaws of all the current ones. The takeaway: "Sweat equity overcomes the need for capital every time." Posted by Sheila Lennon at 5:43 PM | Comment Carcieri appoints Brown U. official to urban task forcePROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri has appointed Warren Simmons, the director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, to chair a new task force that will try to figure out how to build a successful urban school system. Carcieri made the announcement during a speech today before a group of business leaders attending the annual economic outlook breakfast, sponsored by Sullivan & Company at The Hope Club. Carcieri underscored something that Rhode Island Education Commissioner Peter McWalters has been saying for many years: there are two Rhode Islands, the haves and the have-nots. Students from suburban and rural schools are performing as well as their middle-class peers around the country, with an average of 75 percent of elementary and middle school children reading at proficiency. But those figures drop dramatically in urban school districts, where only 40 percent of students are reading at grade level. “The big issue is the disparity between the urban schools and the non-urbans,” Carcieri said. “If we can’t get all of our youngsters (to graduate) with the skills they need, we’re all in big trouble.” While there are pockets of excellence in urban school districts, the high-performing schools aren’t sharing what they know with their colleagues. According to Simmons, one of the greatest problems is that each school district exists in a vacuum: public schools aren’t talking to charter schools; city schools aren’t talking to suburban schools and innovative schools like the Metropolitan Regional Career & Technical Center aren’t sharing what they know with everyone else. “We have to break down those boundaries,” Simmons said. “We need to create a new vision for our urban education system. In Rhode Island, we have a fractured vision and a fractured system.” -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:55 PM | Comment Feuding sisters unlikely to settle fight over their motherPROVIDENCE -- It doesn’t look like there will be a settlement anytime soon in the battle between two feuding sisters over the future of their mother, Laurette Borduas Eifrig, a former school teacher whose affairs are now being handled by a court-appointed guardian. Eifrig’s lawyer, Richard A. Boren, told Superior Court Judge Alice B. Gibney today that he was “shocked’’ by an accounting submitted this week by Eifrig’s Virginia daughter, Francine Ardito, who formerly had power of attorney for her mother and was co-trustee of her trust. He said the accounting shows that Ardito transferred close to $350,000 from her mother’s trust accounts in Virginia to bank accounts in her own name and then used thousands of dollars of that money to pay a Virginia lawyer to sue her mother as part of an attempt to reassert control over her mother’s finances. Ardito, who lives in Virginia, and her older sister, Suzette Gebhard, the former head of the Rhode Island League of Women Voters who resides in Warren, have been involved in a bitter tug of war over where their mother should live and who should have control of her money. In May 2006, Gebhard moved her mother from Reston, Va., to live with her in her home and then refused to let anyone visit her. Gibney determined that neither sister was fit to be guardian for their mother because of the acrimony between them. She appointed a lawyer, Paula M. Cuculo, to fill that role. Eifrig, who will celebrate her 91st birthday next week, currently resides at Capitol Ridge, an assisted-living facility on Smith Street. She is blind and suffers with dementia. Ardito is currently barred by the court from visiting her. Over the last year and a half, the legal fight between her two daughters has cost Eifrig almost $200,000 in lawyer and guardian fees and, according to her guardian, much anxiety. In court today, Boren told Gibney that during the past month, Ardito has dropped the lawsuits she had brought against her mother and Cuculo in Virginia in an attempt to reassert her position of authority over her mother’s money and residence. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Cuculo has received over $250,000 of the money that Ardito took from the trusts and most of the rest of the money has been accounted for, according to representations made in court today. Among the fees that Gibney has approved being paid from Eifrig’s trust is the $60,000-plus charged by Rhode Island lawyer Janet Mastronardi, who was hired by Ardito in her unsuccessful bid to become her mother’s guardian. But Boren said today that Ardito -- without court authorization -- may have used up to $21,000 of her mother’s money to sue her mother in Virginia. He told the court he wants to see copies of the checks Ardito has written since her mother’s arrival in Rhode Island. “I just don’t trust the numbers,” he said of the accounting that Ardito furnished to him this week. Boren told the court that over the past year and a half, Ardito has repeatedly minimized how much money her mother has. In the first accounting she offered to the court on Aug. 24 -- less than two months ago -- he said, Ardito claimed there was $500,733 in her mother’s trust. She said in that her mother forgets about money she’s spent and “details. She verbally told me what her assets were and I believed it. Much later, when I roughly added up her assets, I realized they were less than she had said. I have never heard the figure $735,000 until now,” Ardito wrote -- a reference to what Boren claimed Eifrig was claiming she had in savings. In the most recent accounting, provided to Boren by Ardito through her Virginia lawyer on Monday, Ardito asserted that her mother has $745,085.59 in her trust. “There’s a $245,000 difference” between what she accounted for in August and what she says is there now, he told the judge. It’s clear, he said, that “she did not intend to let anyone know of that additional $245,000” and would not have revealed without his pressing for it. James Philip Head, Ardito’s Virginia lawyer, said today he would have no comment on Boren’s remarks. “I can see where he’s going with this,” he added. Gibney asked how much time Boren would need to continue his investigation of Eifrig’s unaccounted for money. He asked to have three weeks. The judge continued the matter until Nov. 1 – at which time, Boren says, he is going to press his motion that Ardito be held in contempt. During today’s hearing, Boren told the judge that Ardito has offered to repay her mother $5,000 of the money she spent on her Viginia attorney -- but that she wants a $1,900 deduction because she thinks her mother should pick up the tab for trips she, her daughter and her mother’s sister made to Rhode Island to visit her. Boren said that he thinks Ardito actually used much more than $5,000 of her mother’s money to pay her Virginia attorney -- so may owe substantially more than that in restitution, perhaps as much as $21,000 based on the accounting she submitted this week. Gibney said she would not approve the $1,900 that Ardito was seeking from her mother for the visits to see her. “You don’t owe her anything,” she told Boren and Cuculo. Cuculo told the judge that Ardito’s actions have been very disturbing to her. “I think she owes us,” she told the judge. Before adjourning the hearing, Gibney told the lawyers, “I think we all need to think about what Step 2 will be if there is no explanation” from Ardito regarding the gaps in her accounting. “I’ll ask for your input,” she said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:44 PM | Comment Rocky Point Park signs go on auction tomorrowGoing once, going twice -- signs from the former Rocky Point Park. Palladium and Windjammer, Midway and Shore Dinner Hall signs from the amusement park will be some of the things auctioned tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the second annual Stage Door Soiree Live Auction, a benefit for Trinity Repertory's education programs.
* Three nights' stay at Dromoland Castle, which sits amid 410 acres in Ireland. Two complimentary days on a golf course are included. * A Chicago theater tour -- and two tickets to the Oprah Winfrey Show. * A trip to New York City, including to see August: Osage County at the Steppenwold Theatre and to have dinner with an actress from the production, Amy Morton. Yeah, yeah, that's all great, a Rhode Islander might say, but back to those Rocky Point signs. Get a look at the signs and the rest of the stuff being auctioned here. Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Channel 12 WPRI news anchor Karen Adams are the "special celebrity auctioneers" for the event at the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., Providence. Tickets are $100 per person, available at the door. For information, call (401) 521-1100, extension 237 -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:38 PM | Comment Rhode Islanders' dream: A new license plate optionRhode Islanders' affinity for license plates of the low-numbered variety has been documented. But befitting a place called the Ocean State, Save the Bay announced today an "environmental education license plate" is on the way. A ceremony unveiling the license plate will be Monday at 4 p.m. at the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club, 1 Moeller Place, Pawtucket. A news release makes no mention of what the plate will look like. Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva Weed is slated to speak at the ceremony/news conference and other officials are expected to attend. Your Turn: What would you like to see on the Save The Bay license plate?
Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:02 PM | Comment Update: Former TSA worker sentenced to 3 monthsA former baggage screener convicted of lying to the federal government on a security questionnaire was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to three months incarceration and three years of supervised release. Judge Ernest C. Torres also recommended to the Bureau of Prisons that John Riccio, 63, of North Kingstown, be incarcerated at “an institution with a mental health treatment program,” and that the treatment continue after three months as a condition of his release. Riccio worked for the Transportation Security Administration at T.F. Green Airport, checking luggage for weapons or contraband. In May, jury found Riccio guilty of concealing a prior job he had with Wal-Mart for which he was collecting total disability payments in the wake of an alleged on-the-job injury. When TSA investigators questioned Riccio, he denied ever having received disability payments from his previous employer, Thomas Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office, said. Riccio is currently out on bail; he must report to his designated institution on or before Nov. 9. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment Labor leaders mum on details of Carcieri meetingPROVIDENCE -- A group of organized labor leaders met with Governor Carcieri behind closed doors for roughly an hour today. They emerged from the governor's office at around 1 p.m. largely silent about the content of the discussion, which focused on Carcieri's plan to cut state spending by $200 million by reducing the state's workforce and cutting existing benefits for those who keep their jobs. It was a "very cordial meeting," according to Robert A. Walsh, Jr., executive director of the National Education Association in Rhode Island, declining to discuss the specifics. "We agreed we would let him tell the story on Monday." The governor plans to hold a press conference Monday to disclose the details of his plan. The leaders said they were pleased that the governor had invited them to sit down. Union representatives said they were largely caught off guard when the governor disclosed his $200-million cost-cutting plan at a dinner for business leaders last week. "I think it was a courtesy to us to tell us what the plans are," said Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. Asked whether the meeting may have improved relations between organized labor and the Republican governor, Reback said, "I think the future is going to have to speak for itself." -- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau Also in attendance were Dennis Grilli, executive director of Council 94, the largest state employees union; AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer George Nee; Lucie Burdick, president of Local 580, the Rhode Island Alliance of Social Service Employees. The governor did not leave his office immediately after the meeting. This morning, a report commissed by the governor's office was released on the impact of at how much it would cost to freeze the state's pension system to new employees as of July 1, 2008. It found that moving the state retirement system to a "defined contribution" would cost the state at least $151.5 million next year but lead to substantial savings in the long term, according to a study commissioned by the governor's office. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:41 PM | Comment $200,000 PowerBall winners see strength in numbersA $200,000 PowerBall prize has been sliced up by a group of 10 people who came into the state lottery office yesterday to claim it, Rhode Island Lottery announced today. After divvying the prize money, and with taxes taken out, each person got $13,600, according to a news release. The group of people work at a Massachusetts company and claimed the prized from the PowerBall drawing of Wednesday last week. The group has been playing PowerBall together for about two years, save for one person who joined three weeks ago. Rhode Island Lottery's news release said the group credited the new member with being their "good luck charm." Each person typically puts in $2 for each PowerBall drawing. The ticket was bought at the Cumberland Farms, 302 North Main St., in Slatersville. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:58 PM | Comment Virtual help for students at Providence Public LibraryTutoring is going online at the Providence Public Library. Students now have real-time access to live tutors online to help with their math, science, social studies or English school work. Tutors from Tutor.com will be online Sunday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. to help students – in English and Spanish – from the 4th to 12th grade and introductory college courses. To use the free service, students need a valid Providence Library card number. They can log-on from the library or their home computer. Libraries across the state are also partnering with the online service; check with your local library to find out if virtual tutoring is available. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:14 PM | Comment Changes at Channel 6 after sale
The ABC affiliate has been a perennial loser in the news ratings in Providence, lagging behind WJAR and WPRI. Providence-based Global Broadcasting announced in the spring it would buy WLNE from Irvine, Calif.-based Freedom Communications. That deal closed Tuesday, station spokesman Jason Nye said. "Their main goal is in improving the news product," he said. -- The Associated Press The new owners hired Stephen Doerr in the dual role as general manager and news director. Doerr, 46, replaces General Manager Roland T. Adeszko and News Director Edwin Hart, Nye said. Doerr most recently worked at the Dallas-based media consulting firm Audience Research and Development. Before that he was senior vice president of news programming and creative development for NBC in New York, a position he left in 2002, Nye said. He also has worked at KXAS in Dallas and WWRC in Washington. Cryan retired Friday, Nye said. He came out of a four-year retirement in 2004 to take over the evening anchor spot at WLNE. Before that he was an anchor for 35 years at WPRI. Correction: An ealrier version of this report incorrectly described Doerr's most recent job. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:59 AM | Comment Pension change: Short-term cost, long-term savingsPROVIDENCE -- Moving the state retirement system to a "defined contribution" would cost the state at least $151.5 million next year but lead to substantial savings in the long term, according to a study commissioned by the governor's office. The state retirement board briefly discussed the study this morning, but members largely deferred comment to Governor Carcieri's office. Both the governor and House Speaker William J. Murphy have endorsed a plan that would end the practice of lifetime pensions for all new employees. Murphy recently said he'd like to see a shift from the "defined benefit" system to a "defined contribution system," similar to a 401(k), enacted as soon as the coming legislative session. The study was produced by the retirement board's actuary, Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company of Texas. It looks specifically at how much it would cost to freeze the pension system to new employees as of July 1, 2008. With fewer employees paying into the state pension fund, there would be fewer dollars helping to cover pensions for existing employees and the state's unfunded liability. The change would require the state to pay an additional $151.5 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2008, to make up the shortfall. And it would cost taxpayers more than $520 million over the current system through 2015, according to the study. The projected costs do not take into account any potential state match for the 401(k) system. However, the state would begin to see savings in 2016 under a defined contribution system, according to the study. Those savings would increase substantially from 2016 to 2029. State budget officer Rosemary Gallogly said the study is an important first step in deciding whether or not to make a change. "We knew it wasn't going to be a slam dunk. We knew it wasn't going to be easy," she said this morning of the short-term costs. The next step is to analyze some alternative proposals that the study suggested, but did not explore in detail. One option referenced this morning by State Treasurer Frank Caprio, for example, would allow the state to take out pension obligation bonds to help cover the short-term costs. -- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:52 AM | Comment Take a walk on the IWayHopefully it will be the only time you’ll be walking across the interstate. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation today announced it’s giving residents a chance to walk across the IWay ramp that will soon connect Interstate-95 north to Interstate-195 East. Rain or shine, the half-mile walk is set for Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon. RIDOT officials will be on hand to explain how they hope the ramp will affect traffic and routes. “The Department felt it was important to organize this event to let the public see the Iway,” RIDOT Director Jerome F. Williams said in a statement today. “This is a significant change to our interstate highway and this will be the only chance anyone will have to walk on this roadway before it opens.” A shuttle bus will bring visitors from satellite parking lots to the IWay. For more information, visit the DOT's IWay Web site. DIRECTIONS TO SATELLITE PARKING LOCATIONS: North lot: From I-95 North, take Exit 23 (state offices). At the end of the ramp, go straight through the traffic signal. Two access roads to the right lead to large parking lots adjacent to the Department of Administration, the Department of Health, and RIDOT buildings. Additional parking will be available in the lot on the east side of the State House, accessible off Smith Street. Get shuttle on the north side Smith Street, adjacent to the RIDOT building. South lot: From I-95 North or South, take Exit 18 (Thurbers Avenue) and follow signs to Allens Avenue (U.S. 1). Take a right onto Allens Avenue south and follow approximately 1 mile to Harborside Boulevard. Take a left onto Harborside Boulevard. In about one-third of a mile, take a left onto Shipyard Street. Parking is available on the left in Lot C and on the right in the commuter lot (Lot F). Get shuttle at bus turnaround north of Lot C. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:51 AM | Comment Man charged for not registering as sex offenderA man who moved to Woonsocket from Massachusetts in March is the first in Rhode Island to be charged under a 2006 federal law for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved, the U.S. Attorney's office announced today. Michael DiTomasso, 34, failed to register after moving from Milford, Mass., in March, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said in a news release. DiTomasso, who is required to register under federal law, traveled interstate and failed to register his new address. The charge was brought under a section of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act known as Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and requires sex offenders who move from one state to another to register their new address. U.S. Marshals arrested DiTomasso in Milford, Mass., on Oct. 4. According to an affidavit, DiTomasso registered as a sex offender in 1997 with an address in Milford, as required by Massachusetts law. In March 2007, eight months after passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, DiTomasso moved to a Woonsocket apartment but failed to register with Woonsocket police or notify Milford Police of his new address. On March 27, a Woonsocket police officer found DiTomasso at his new address and told him that he should register with Woonsocket Police within a week. On April 4, after DiTomasso had note registered, Woonsocket police arrested him. Milford Police charged him with failing to update his registration. The U.S. Marshal’s Office in Providence investigated, resulting in the Oct. 4 complaint and the indictment returned yesterday. If convicted, DiTomasso faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. DiTomasso has been in federal custody since his arrest last week. He is slated for arraignment tomorrow in U.S. District Court, Providence. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:40 AM | Comment Guglietta selected for top Traffic Tribunal postThe chief legal counsel for the state House of Representatives has been appointed chief magistrate of the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams announced today that he will appoint William R. Guglietta, of Cranston, to the new Traffic Tribunal position. The 46-year-old Guglietta is also a part-time Cranston Municipal Court judge and a former assistant attorney general. Guglietta is one of five people who applied for the position. They were publicly interviewed last month by a three-member committee, then again by Chief Justice Williams. “Bill Guglietta shares my vision for and believes strongly in access to justice and user-friendly courts,” Williams said in a statement today, “especially in our Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, which sees over 100,000 citizens a year.” The General Assembly decided this year to give the Traffic Tribunal its own chief judicial officer in the form of a chief magistrate. The salary for the position will be $132,062. The appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:23 AM | Comment R.I. nonviolence advocate blogs from Northern Ireland
Journal file photoTENY GROSS Teny Gross, director of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in Providence, will blog in projo.com's Guest Blog during his trip to Northern Ireland to train residents in nonviolence. Gross and others from the institute are working with adults and children in a sectarian area of Belfast that has suffered from poverty and violence. Gross, a former Israeli soldier, runs a streetworkers program in Providence that counsels people in nonviolence and has helped the police reduce violent crimes, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman has said. Although violence has decreased in Northern Ireland, Gross's hosts at the Forthspring Inter Community Group say sectarianism and polarization continue as problems. Forthspring says the group's mission is to promote nonviolence and build relationships of trust and understanding in the community. "Within communities such as ours, where Protestants and Catholics live separately, people rarely come into contact with each other and Forthspring therefore provides a much needed safe and welcoming environment where people of both communities can meet," Forthspring says on its Web site. Gross headed to Ireland Oct. 5 and plans to stay until Oct. 20. (Technical difficulties prevented Gross's first entries from arriving sooner, but projo.com will begin publishing them today.) To see Gross's blog, follow this link. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:44 AM | Comment Former Trudeau worker to be arraigned in rape caseA former employee of a center for developmentally disabled people is scheduled to be arraigned today in Superior Court, Warwick, to face charges that he repeatedly raped a client. Prosecutors say Robert E. Bellow, 67, of North Kingstown, sexually assaulted a 41-year–old woman who was a client at the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center. Bellow faces more than a dozen charges of sexual assault for incidents that prosecutors say occurred between June 2006 and March 2007. A grand jury issued a secret indictment last month. Bellow worked for Trudeau as a direct-support professional. Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the attorney general, likened the job to a home health aide - someone who cooks and cleans and administers medication to the adults at the center. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:40 AM | Comment Former baggage screener faces sentencing todayA former baggage screener convicted of lying to the federal government on a security questionnaire is set to be sentenced today. John Riccio, of North Kingstown, checked luggage at T. F. Green Airport for weapons and contraband. In May, a jury found Riccio guilty of concealing a prior job he had with Wal-Mart for which he was collecting total disability payments in the wake of an alleged on-the-job injury. When Transportation Security Administration investigators questioned Riccio, he denied ever having received disability payments from his previous employer, Thomas Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office, said. Riccio is scheduled for a 9:15 sentencing in U.S. District Court this morning with Senior District Judge Ernest C. Torres. The maximum penalty for making a false statement to a federal official is five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:26 AM | Comment Masquerade for food on paradeThe Renaissance city is coming to life this morning. A colorfully clad group walking through the city in over-the-top period clothing is trying to spread the word about a masquerade ball fundraiser this weekend. The group, ProVisions United, works with the hospitality, entertainment and marketing industries to raise money for local charities. The group’s founder, John Tarrats, wearing a medieval-esque crown of gold leaves, said ProVisions works with Amos House, Crossroads, Meals on Wheels and other local organizations to provide money and food to at-risk populations. Local restaurants and hospitality businesses, such as the Providence Biltmore hotel, where the ball will be held, have been generous partners, Tarrats said. “I think that speaks volumes about the caring community in our state.” The Gods and Goddesses Masquerade Ball will be held Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Biltmore’s Grand Ballroom. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:41 AM | Comment Carcieri to discuss new graduation requirementsPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri plans to speak today at a Providence club about new standards for earning a high school diploma. Under the changes, students must complete 20 courses in English, math, science, social studies and other subjects. They must also demonstrate proficiency in statewide tests for English and math and complete a portfolio that demonstrates what they've learned. Until now, graduation requirements have been set by local school districts. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Foggy and drizzly / Photo
Today's looking foggy and wet with cloudy skies, areas of drizzle and rain expected after 3 p.m. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high near 61. Expect more rain and maybe thunderstorms overnight with a low temperature in the low 50s. Tomorrow we can expect even more rain early, then clear, partly sunny skies with a high in the low 60s and wind gusts up to 30 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the arrest of two Division of Motor Vehicles workers for allegedly falsifying dozens of Rhode Island drivers licenses for illegal immigrants and people involved in drug dealing. And the five-part series on fishing concludes. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 10, 2007Catch a film at Local 121 or hear Redbone' s bluesProvidence restaurant Local 121 is offering a filmfest, with a 1950s film noir tonight. But hurry -- the movie Kiss Me Deadly, directed by Robert Aldrich, is slated to start at 7 p.m. Keep in mind the restaurant advises recommendations for the movie coupled with an a 5 p.m. la carte dinner, so there might not be room. Still, it might be worth a shot tonight, which is the first scheduled movie night. If there's no room, well there's always the music scene. Leon Redbone plays blues at Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 765-1900. 8 pm. $33. Brickpark plays rock at Olives, 108 North Main St., Providence. Call 751-1200. 10 p.m to 1 a.m. No cover. Includes karaoke. Jim Hitte plays jazz at Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 7 to 11 pm. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment BIF-3: Mossberg interviews Richard Wurman
Mossberg taks about conferences Richard would host that would feature, typically, Larry Ellison (Oracle), Bill Graham, a juggler, Yo Yo Ma, Norman Lear, Jeffrey Katzenberg showing parts of Shrek, a storyteller, singers, Nobel prize winners. Wait for the punchline: "But he sends emails in all caps." Mossberg: Why is everybody here? Wurman: It's the age of also... We use email, snail mail, phone, fax... We're always approaching how to communicate with another human being. We do it in a fancy way and make money from it but underneath it all, you're making conversation. You should only be able to copyright bad ideas. Good ideas should be public. W called R and asked what to call his conference: "Call it D," Walt said, shaking his head. (He did.) Wurman is the man behind many atlases. "You don't drive across the United States alphabetically. And the maps are all different scales and different legends. You leave one state and on the next map it takes an hour to go the same distance that took 10 minutes. So I decided to make my own atlas. "Which Rand McNally then picked up." Newest project: The rise of supercities. 19 cities in the world with a population of 20 million people each in the 21st century. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:45 PM | Comment Wounded seal will be released in R.I. watersMYSTIC, Conn. -- A seal that stranded itself in Bridgeport this summer after being shot in the eye will soon be released into the ocean following successful treatment of its other eye. The adult male harbor seal, which stranded itself in July, had no vision in its left eye because of the gunshot. Veterinarians at Mystic Aquarium had planned to release it earlier, but were reluctant because of a condition in its good eye known as corneal edema, or clouding of the eye. Now that's cleared up and the seal is scheduled be released into the ocean on Tuesday in Charlestown, Rhode Island. The seal should be able to hunt and survive in the wild despite its handicap. The animal is between 20 and 25 years old and weighs 212 pounds. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment DMV workers, four others, arraigned in license fraud
Three others were also arraigned in District Court, Providence, today for buying the licenses and another for being the accused middleman, according to a prosecutor. Five of the six made bail and are now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. In all, the State Police today announced 11 arrests. The police said they have arrest warrants for another 21 people. The 10-month investigation began after State Police Detective Matthew C. Moynihan of the High Intensity and Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information about Registry workers being involved in a scheme to issue fake driver’s licenses. This is how the scheme worked: The police said customers would obtain a Rhode Island identification card using fraudulent documents and assumed names. For a fee of at least $2,500, the fraudulent identification card would then be converted to a Rhode Island driver’s license. In most cases, the Registry employee who handled the transaction would note in the file that an out-of-state license was turned in to the Registry in exchange for the new Rhode Island license. The investigation revealed that the out-of-state licenses did not exist. "The new licenses allowed the recipients of the new Rhode Island license to establish this new identity and conceal their past identity for reasons that included, but were not limited to, their criminal history, outstanding warrants and/or immigration status," the State Police said in their press release.
Dolores Rodriguez-LaFlamme, 40, Providence, who worked in the Registry's Pawtucket branch, was charged with making 17 licenses -- 17 counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud. She and Soraya Santiago, 42, of Pawtucket approached the judge, their arms linked by handcuffs. Rodriguez-LaFlamme posted the $5,000 bail with surety imposed by Judge Walter Gorman in District Court, Providence, according to a court clerk. She must surrender her passport and sign a waiver of extradition, the judge ruled. Erik Wallin, a prosecutor with the state attorney general's office, had sought $10,000 bail with surety -- which means a person must pay 10 percent of the dollar amount or post the full amount in property. Wallin told the judge he was concerned of her flight risk, saying she demonstrated the ability to make identification that looked real but was not validly obtained. An affidavit by state police detective Matthew C. Moynihan states a check with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Providence found that Rodriguez LaFlamme is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic "who has been ordered deported from the United States after an application fro adjusted status was denied following an investigation into two fraudulent marriages. She currently has an appeal pending on this deportation order." A defense lawyer countered in court that Rodriguez-LaFlame she has not been deported, but rather there is a proceeding pending. He also said she has children and is married to an American citizen. Santiago is accused of making 11 licenses -- 11 counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud. She was released on personal recognizance, must relinquish a passport and sign a waiver of extradition. The same defense lawyer who spoke on behalf of Rodriguez-LaFlamme argued on Santiago's behalf for a less stringent bail than the prosecution sought. The lawyer said Santiago has lived in Rhode Island 20 years -- 18 of those in Providence and has several children Santiago was hired June 2000 and LaFlamme was hired July 2000. Both were making $38,055. The accused middleman is Luis Rivera, 55, of Providence who had not made the $5,000-with-surety bail as of late afternoon. He must relinquish a passport and sign a waiver of extradition. Rivera was charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting/ "This defendant collected money, which he would then pass on to individuals," Wallin said in court. Also arraigned was Jose Bueno, 30, of Providence, who made the $5,000-with-surety bail set by the judge this afternoon; Jose Nieves, 43, whose bail was set at $5,000 with surety; and, Arismendy Gonzalez, 51, of 33 Elma St., unit 3B, Providence, who was released on $10,000 personal recognizance. All were charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting. Nieves was being held without bail anyway as a fugitive from Brockton, Mass. All six are due for Dec. 5 pre-arraignment conferences and Dec. 12 arraignments in Providence County Superior Court. Some have determination of attorney hearings set ofr Oct. 24 because they said they could not afford a lawyer. "In the post-9/11 world, law enforcement agencies at every level literally ‘cannot be too careful,’ and the integrity of the records systems relied upon by law enforcement is mission-critical," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement. "Therefore, this scheme was a serious breach of the public trust, and I commend the State Police for their fine work in having dismantled it. We will prosecute these cases, and any others resulting from this investigation, to the fullest extent of the law. Wallin argued in court that each defendant presented a flight risk, given that each had allegedly shown the ability to get a real-looking license through fraudulent means. That argument worked in some instances, but not others. The Immigration and Naturalization Services has lodged immigration detainers against several of the defendants. Wallin said outside the courtroom that this is a ,way to determine whether someone is a citizen. . Identity fraud is a felony offense punishable by up to 3 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine for a first conviction. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:42 PM | Comment Photo: Dice K strikes a pose
AP Photo Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:29 PM | Comment BIF-3: Pirates as innovators
Matt Mason (The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture Is Reinventing Capitalism) talks about illegal activity. Pirates are one of the most outstanding groups of innovators on the planet. "People have turntables in their bedrooms... connected to transmitters and they play all kinds of music for the city. Completely unregulated, completely illegal, and I loved it." "There are 150 pirate stations, mostly in London. They're tolerated because it's providing innovation that trickles up."
Posted by Sheila Lennon at 3:56 PM | Comment House panel clears Kennedy's mental-health billWASHINGTON -- A key House subcommittee today cleared Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy’s signature legislation to put insurance coverage of mental illness on an equal footing with that of physical ailments, bringing the bill a step closer to what Democrats and Republicans both said is a likely presidential signing ceremony this fall. "I think there is a determination by the leadership in both houses of Congress to get mental health parity enacted before adjournment this year,’’ said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which passed the measure on a voice vote. The full committee is slated next week to clear the measure for action on the House floor. The measure already enjoys the support of a bipartisan House majority. If the House passes the mental health bill, compromise negotiations would ensue with the Senate, which passed its version on a bipartisan voice vote last month. The chief Senate sponsors are Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. -- father of Rep. Kennedy -- and Sens. Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, both Republicans. While he has not endorsed either bill, President Bush has expressed support for equal medical insurance treatment of mental and physical illnesses, so backers of both versions are optimistic that he would sign an eventual compromise. Nevertheless, some spirited fights lie ahead on the details of the legislation, as today’s subcommittee debate confirmed. Republicans argued strenuously that Kennedy’s bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., would impose unnecessary costs on insurers and perhaps even drive some to drop mental health insurance altogether. But they failed on a 19 to 9 vote, generally along party lines, to amend the measure to bring it closer to the Senate version, which enjoys the support of the business community. -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:33 PM | Comment Hard news out of Cleveland: School shootingEyes are turning toward Cleveland this afternoon for breaking news after a gunman opened fire at a downtown high school. Mayor Frank Jackson said three young people and two adults were hurt, according to the Associated Press. Cleveland.com is reporting four people were shot, and one girl was hurt leaving the building. SuccessTech Academy had been secured and there was only one suspect, he said. "They have the shooter," Jackson said. He did not elaborate. Cleveland has been on the radar of baseball fans since the Indians defeated the New York Yankees to face the Red Sox in the upcoming playoffs. Game 1 of the series is this Friday in Boston. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:04 PM | Comment Mass. man charged with murdering wife 21 years agoACUSHNET, Mass. -- A judge has ordered an Acushnet man to be held without bail for allegedly murdering his estranged wife 21 years ago. Forty-four-year-old Robert Roy is charged in the death of Marni Roy, who was 19 years old at the time of her death. Prosecutors say Roy went missing on March 4, 1986. Her body was discovered four years later by recreational divers in a privately owned quarry in Dartmouth. The skeletal remains were tied and weighted down by cinder blocks. Bristol District Attorney spokesman Gregg Milliote says Roy was a suspect when his wife went missing and when her remains were found. Testimony from new witnesses allegedly tied Roy to the killing. Milliote says Roy was jealous of the attention men were giving his young wife. He is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on December 5. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 3:03 PM | Comment Man found under SUV died from skull, brain traumaA 57-year-old Central Falls man found dead under his SUV Sunday in a Cumberland parking lot died from injuries to his skull and brain due to blunt force trauma, the state Medical Examiner's Office announced this afternoon. Arthur Hyatt, a Vietnam War veteran, died Sunday — his birthday — in the parking lot of a Cumberland American Legion Post. The police and bar patrons said that they believe Hyatt drove up one of the lot's ramps but perhaps went too fast and tumbled off the ledge. The police received a call from one of the bar patrons but were not saying yesterday whether there were any witnesses to the accident. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:00 PM | Comment Station Education Fund gets boost from local schoolsSeven local colleges and universities today announced their contribution to children who lost one or both parents or guardians in The Station nightclub fire. The pledges could be worth nearly $13 million to the Station Education Fund, which works to provide the 76 teenagers and children with financial aid to use for their educations. Johnson and Wales University; the New England Institute of Technology; Bryant University; and Roger Williams University together made pledges that could be worth up to $12.8 million. All recipients must meet the same academic standards as other students. In addition, Providence College, Brown University and Salve Regina University have pledged support in different ways. The Station Education Fund is a nonprofit charity co-founded by Station nightclub owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, along with Jody King, a childhood friend of the Derderians, whose brother Tracy King was a bouncer at the club who died the night of the fire. Extra: More about the disastrous fire and its aftermath ... -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Johnson and Wales announced a $15,000 scholarship, renewable for four years, to each of the 76 children. New England Tech pledged up to five scholarships per year to the children worth a maximum $13,000. Bryant and Roger Williams both pledged to offer three children renewable scholarships worth $15,000. Brown is accepting the group into its summer college preparatory program and Salve Regina is offering college advisory services to everyone as well as an annual $500 book scholarship for those enroll at the school. Providence College will establish a scholarship in the name of Rebecca Shaw, a former PC student and daughter of a faculty member who died in the fire. The scholarship will cover 100 percent of the student’s need. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:53 PM | Comment BIF photos: 'Green architect'; 'Feed' 'zine founderMore storytellers. I've taken photos and a break, so I'm linking to Brian Jepson's posts on the BIF blog.
His demonstration of Recombination: Today, BIF is optimized to save lives. In our minds, we redesign Kaplan.
Johnson on Outside In: "City papers aren't going to cover granular news -- a new deli opening." The takeaway meme here: "Hunch-supporting environments." The scene:
Posted by Sheila Lennon at 1:55 PM | Comment Federal money to help with home ownershipThe federal government has awarded two Rhode Island organizations $213,547 to help homeowners, renters, buyers and homeless people make sound decisions about buying and keeping homes. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation $164,624 and the Urban League of Rhode Island $48,923. “These awards will help make certain that more families have access to housing counselors who can give them advice about how to find affordable rental units, purchase a home, and avoid foreclosure,” said Sen. Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Housing and Transportation Subcommittee, which oversees HUD. “We need to ensure that families in Rhode Island can live in safe, high-quality, and affordable housing.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:38 PM | Comment State police to announce identity-theft arrestsThe Rhode Island State Police will hold a 3 p.m. news conference at headquarters in Scituate about "numerous arrests related to identity theft," a news release says. Several defendants in the identity theft arrests will be arraigned in District Court, Providence, at 2 p.m. No other details are available. Come back to projo.com for more information after the arraignment and the press conference. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:14 PM | Comment Mayor takes his night out to Washington ParkPROVIDENCE – Washington Park residents can meet with Mayor David N. Cicilline tonight in their neighborhood to ask questions, voice concerns or just talk. The monthly Mayor’s Night Out events give residents a chance to meet with their elected officials and city department directors, one on one. Meetings – up to 10 minutes per person or group – are on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you want Cicilline’s ear, be sure to show up on time. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at the Washington Park Community Center, 42 Jillson St. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:13 PM | Comment Sundlun settles Lloyd's lawsuitPROVIDENCE -- Former Gov. Bruce G. Sundlun won’t have to face a federal trial tomorrow morning because a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit that the Society of Lloyd’s filed against him in an attempt to collect $300,000, lawyers for both sides said today. Robert G. Flanders Jr., the former state Supreme Court justice representing Sundlun, and Matthew T. Oliverio, a Providence lawyer representing Lloyd’s, both said they are “reasonably satisfied” with the resolution. They said the terms of the settlement will not be disclosed. “We agreed the terms would be confidential, including what amounts, if any, are paid,” Flanders said. They said they reached final terms yesterday and planned to file a dismissal stipulation in U.S. District Court in Providence today. A bench trial had been scheduled to begin at 10 tomorrow morning before Senior U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux. Lloyd’s claimed Sundlun, a Democrat who was governor from 1991 to 1995, had failed to pay a required premium for reinsurance and now owed about $300,000 in principal and interest. Lloyd’s is a British insurance market in which financial backers -- or “members” -- come together to pool and spread risk. The members include corporations and individuals -- or “names” -- who provide the capital that serves as security for Lloyd’s policies. Sundlun, 87, of Jamestown, became a Lloyd’s member in 1979 and effectively “ceased underwriting” in January 1993, according to the lawsuit. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Lloyd’s market sustained losses of more than $12 billion, thanks in part to large claims from American workers afflicted with asbestosis and lung cancer. With its survival threatened, Lloyd’s instituted a plan that required each member to buy reinsurance for their pre-1993 underwriting responsibilities. But Sundlun never paid the required premium, according to the lawsuit. And in June 1997, a default judgment was entered against him in England for $163,835. Sundlun had maintained he didn’t owe anything. In an affidavit, Sundlun said he “understood that any membership in Lloyd’s would be an honorary position and that I would face no risk or liability.” He also claimed he never signed a membership application or a 1987 “General Undertaking Agreement,” but he has since withdrawn that legal argument. In a pretrial memorandum filed Sept. 28, Flanders said Sundlun’s “legal position in a nutshell” was that the default judgment should not be enforced because Lloyd’s failed to serve Sundlun before obtaining that judgment. “Instead of causing Sundlun to be personally served with legal process, Lloyd’s served process on an entity in England that it unilaterally designated as Sundlun’s ‘agent’ three years after Sundlun resigned (effective Jan. 1, 1993) as a member of Lloyd’s,” Flanders wrote. “But Sundlun never even knew about such a designation, much less did he even agree to it.” In its pretrial memo, Lloyd’s said, “Sundlun personally signed applications and provided financial information to Lloyd’s with the specific purpose of becoming an underwriting member of Lloyd’s. Moreover, Sundlun acknowledged his potential unlimited liability and risks of membership.” The memo, written by Oliverio, said that while Sundlun stopped underwriting, his membership would continue until all his obligations were settled by Lloyd’s. Oliverio argued that serving Sundlun’s agent in England constituted valid service on Sundlun himself. Lloyd’s asked the court to make Sundlun pay for the attorney’s fees and costs it incurred in defending the validity of Sundlun’s signature. “It is appropriate for this court to impose a monetary sanction of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to be paid to the plaintiff, as defendant Sundlun was objectively unreasonable in contesting his signature,” Oliverio wrote. “This defense thwarted summary judgment, as it purportedly created a genuine issue of material fact, and it necessitated the retention of a handwriting expert to authenticate Sundlun’s signature.” Last week, Flanders said Sundlun had dropped the challenge to the signature’s validity because “we wanted to focus on the service of process and cut the length of the case. It simplified the case greatly.” Today, Flanders and Oliverio declined to comment on how the signature issue had been resolved. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:20 PM | Comment Martineau to be arraigned on fraud charges Friday
PROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau is scheduled to be arraigned in District Court Friday afternoon after prosecutors say he steered legislation on behalf of a health insurer and a pharmacy company while receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to make plastic and paper bags for the companies. Martineau agreed to plead guilty to two fraud charges related to the scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced yesterday afternoon. Today, the office said he is expected to sign a plea agreement after Friday's arraignment. Now, Martineau is the second ex-legislator, after former state Sen. John Celona, to admit to selling his office in the federal State House corruption probe known as Operation Dollar Bill. As part of a $900,000 corruption scheme that the longtime Woonsocket Democrat has admitted to, Martineau sold 10 million bags to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island — but fewer than 2 million bags were ever manufactured, according to court documents filed yesterday by federal prosecutors. In return, according to U.S. District Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, Martineau used his position in the legislature to affect the outcomes of legislation for the two companies. Martineau faces two counts of "honest services mail fraud." Each carries a maximum five years in prison and several hundred thousand dollars in fines. Read the full text of the charges against Martineau. Read the full text of Martineau's plea agreement.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:59 AM | Comment At the aquarium: My, what a toothy grinJust try asking these patients to open their mouths and say ahhhh ... But come next Thursday, Oct. 18, it's time for their semi-annual physicals: sharks, that is, at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in Connecticut. The aquarium today invited the media to attend with this line: "How do you give a shark a physical? Very carefully!" The aquarium's "shark residents" check-ups from the aquarium's veterinary staff are slated to happen from 6 to 10 a.m. Staff measure the sharks' length, girth and weight while also taking blood samples. "As you can imagine, sharks aren’t the easiest animals to examine," the aquarium says in a news release, "and you can forget about trying to get them to share their dental insurance information with you!" -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:43 AM | Comment BIF-3: WSJ's Walter Mossberg
Co-host, WSJ columnist -- and Warwick native -- Walter Mossberg, right, is interviewing Jason Fried of 37 Signals, which makes Web-based software for businesses: -- Basecamp collaboration tool -- messaging, scheduling, calendar. Mossberg compliments the wonderfully named, open-source* Ruby on Rails, a web development framework that helps in writing write web based applications. "How come most of America is shackled to a piece of crap like Outlook?" asks Mossberg, to much laughter. He's stealng the show here. "Outlook was made by a small, smart team at Microsoft-- a combination of a PIM (personal information manager) and email in one product. (It was) sleek and small and clever and it just has become, I think, a sort of mess." (Walt doesn't like Google's gmail either -- "I don't look to read mail like a conversation.") He doesn't buy that Web-based software eludes the mess. "Different delivery model, but not a new service model. It's still subject to the pressure of feature creep." "How do you balance the mantra of simplicity? (Have you tried to buy a clothes dryer lately -- it's like a 747.) ...the demands of a vocal set of customers who want more features?" Fried: "You have to be Steve Jobs. You have to say no." Mossberg agrees, quoting Jobs: "I'm prouder of the things we haven't done." His best line: "People who write open-source sourceware would not know a normal consumer from a bag of Cheetos." Fried agrees: "Customer experience is not the point of open source software." *Open source: "Refers to software that is distributed with its source code so that end user organizations and vendors can modify it for their own purposes." The Firefox browser is open source, and most of the extensions written for it come as a result of someone writing a little tool for their own use and releasing it to everyone else. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:25 AM | Comment Firefighters compete for kitchen bragging rightsWho's the best firehouse chef in the city? Providence firefighters will drop their gloves and pick up their spatulas this afternoon in an effort to find out. Chefs from at least four firehouses and the dispatch office will compete at 2 p.m. in the Providence Firefighters' Cook-off at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant in downtown Providence. Firefighters are holding the competition to raise awareness for Fire Prevention Month, which is this month. The department will distribute educational material and has also donated smoke detectors to be distributed to restaurant patrons. The winning chefs will win prizes, and the restaurant will place winning dishes on its menu this month.
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:45 AM | Comment Conn. company recalls chicken and pasta dishA Connecticut company is recalling more than 70,000 pounds of prepackaged chicken and pasta because it may be contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria. Aliki Foods, Inc., is recalling its chicken broccoli fettuccine alfredo made with white chicken after sampling revealed potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The product was distributed in the northeast, including in Rhode Island. The five-pound boxes have the establishment number “Est. 219” and best if used date “Sept. 08.” In some populations – including pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and cancer patients – the bacteria can lead to influenza-like symptoms, septicemia, meningitis, encephalitis, cervical infections and other problems. For more food recall information, visit the USDA or FDA recall Web sites. Recorded food safety messages are available in Spanish and English 24-hours a day at 1(888) MPHotline (1-888-6854). Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:38 AM | Comment Getting to know the police on a different levelWEST WARWICK – The police want you to know what they’re doing when they’re not writing you a ticket. Enter Citizens Police Academy. Today’s the first day of 12 classes that will give civilians a glimpse into the life and duties of a police officer. Participants will get a chance to identify an impaired driver, investigate crime scenes and identify illegal drugs. They’ll also get a tour of the police station and a chance to test their shooting skills at a police firing range. "Most people don't deal with the police on a good level," said patrolman Scott Amaral of the community policing unit, which is holding the academy. "They see us when a crime has been committed, there's an accident or they're getting a citation. It's a good way to see police on a different level where they can interact with one another, teach and ask them questions." -- with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:33 AM | Comment Creativity counts in Soapbox Race this weekendThe rules of the Red Bull Soapbox Race go something like this: no engines, and make sure your vehicle conforms to some size requirements. That’s about it. For seven years, the race has seen its fair share of odd vehicles as it traveled to more than 30 countries. The first U.S. pit stop was in St. Louis in 2006 See what the drivers get away with when they bring their homemade vehicles to College Hill in Providence this Saturday. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the first race begins at 1 p.m. Speed is just one factor in a race where judges will also look for creativity and showmanship. That may be what propelled the A-Team to 1st place in the Seattle competition earlier this year: Click below for street closures. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson And while there may not be too many rules about what kind of vehicles drivers can race, there are quite a few about what spectators can and can't do during the race: no food, no pets no glass, though coolers are allowed. Read the complete list of rules and parking regulations online. Beginning tomorrow, the following streets will be closed to all but local traffic: -- Waterman Street between Memorial Blvd. and Brown Street -- Canal Street between Steeple Street & Washington Place -- Washington Place between N. Main Street & Memorial Blvd. -- Benefit Street between Angel and College Streets -- Prospect Street between College & Waterman Streets N. Main Street between Market Square & Thomas Street will remain open until 2 a.m. on Saturday Prospect Street between Angel & Waterman Streets will close to all traffic at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and remain closed until Sunday. All of the streets involved will close to all traffic at 6 p.m. Friday and reopen after the race on Saturday as soon as they're clear. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:23 AM | Comment BIF-3: Esserman on community policing
PROVIDENCE -- Chief Esserman is saying most crime does not get reported, or solved. "We're anonymous and distant and you don't know who we are... It's a one-way relationship. America has accepted that." Community policing: "We're in the midst of a quiet revolution. We're thinking of becoming a different type of police force, a department that has moved into the neighborhoods of the community." "Crime is up nationwide...But crime is down here. ... We have an honest mayor. Let me say that again. We have an honest mayor." "One day I hope people will call 'the family cop.' " Posted by Sheila Lennon at 10:21 AM | Comment URI to host Web chat with CNN's AmanpourCNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will take questions via the Web next week through a chat service at University of Rhode Island. The 30-minute Web chat is slated for Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to a news release. Amanpour, a 1983 URI journalism graduate, will answer questions about her work, experiences and career. People can submit questions in advance or the day of the chat. Amanpour will respond to as many questions as possible during the 30 minutes. A transcript will be posted when the chat ends. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:29 AM | Comment BIF-3: Under wayBusiness Innovation Factory is hosting a theater of ideas called the Collaborative Innovation Summit at Trinity Rep today and tomorrow. I spent the first half-hour of this conference wrestling my laptop onto the wi-fi network while taking notes for when I got in. Finally, we're here. Saul Kaplan of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation -- his title here is Chief Catalyst -- welcomed the roughly 350 attendees. Euan Semple, who introduced blogs, wikis and rss to the BBC, spoke of "the daftness of organizational life, where people sometimes fight with each other who should be helping each other." The BBC's "troublemakers -- the people who were breaking the things that needed to be broken -- were video editors." Posted by Sheila Lennon at 9:28 AM | Comment Business Innovation Factory taking over TrinityWall Street Journal columnist and editor Walt Mossberg will join Mavericks at Work author Bill Taylor in Providence today as hosts of the Business Innovation Factory’s Collaborative Innovation Summit. The BIF, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Providence, works with its private and public sector members to develop, test and implement new ideas. The BIF Web site promises the event will be free of PowerPoint slides, but full of “storytelling” from participants across the spectrum of industries, such as Providence Police Chief Colonel Dean Esserman, and Paul English, who created gethuman.com, a Web site to help callers bypass automated phone systems. Another prominent participant -- Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and a blogger himself. Even the location of the event could be considered a new idea -- it's being held at the Trinity Repertory Company's theater on Washington Street. The event, which begins this morning, is already sold out, but projo.com blogger and producer Sheila Lennon will post updates to the projo.com's 7to7 blog and her own Subterranean Homepage News blog throughout the day. BIF is hosting its own blog as well, at: http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/weblog/ Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:40 AM | Comment Incumbent Menard wins Woonsocket primaryWOONSOCKET — Mayor Susan D. Menard is in the running for a seventh term in office. She was the top vote-getter in yesterday’s mayoral primary, receiving 1,802 votes. She’ll run against Todd R. Brien, a retired police officer, who received 1,528 votes. Brien ran unsuccessfully against Menard in 2005. A third candidate, Michael A. Mello, received 94 votes. In the City Council races, the top 14 of 17 vote-getters will go on to the November election to vie for seven seats. Click below for the results of the council primaries. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina In the City Council races, the top 14 of 17 vote-getters will go on to the November election to vie for seven seats. President of the City Council Leo T. Fontaine was the top vote-getter, receiving 2,369 votes. Incumbent John F. Ward received 1,927. Suzanne Jean Vadenais, an incumbent, received 1,660 and former state Rep. Stella Brien received 1,544. Incumbent William D. Schneck Jr. received 1,522. Newcomer Christopher A. Beauchamp received 1,439. Incumbent J. Michel Martineau received 1,393 and fellow council incumbent Normand J. Laliberte Jr., received 1,348. Newcomer Robert D. Phillips received 1,313 votes while former Councilman Roger G. Jalette Sr. received 1,261. Newcomer Daniel M. Gendron received 1,154. Edward M. Roy Jr., a newcomer, received 997 votes. Christopher M. Roberts who is running for the first time received 904 votes. Newcomer Thomas W. Wrona received 640. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:24 AM | Comment Fisherman's death being investigatedNEW LONDON, Conn. --The U.S. Coast Guard is reviewing its evacuation of an asthmatic fisherman who died after he was flown by helicopter to a hospital. Kyle Riley, of Rhode Island, was aboard the scallop boat Resilient off New Jersey last Saturday when he was taken by a Coast Guard helicopter to a New Jersey trauma center. Riley was conscious when he left the boat, but his condition deteriorated within seconds. Coast Guard officials say Riley needed CPR when he was hauled onto the aircraft. He died the following day in an Atlantic City hospital. Riley's brother, Norman, says he wonders if his brother might have survived had Coast Guard rescuers inserted a breathing tube into his airway. Coast Guard officials say they're investigating the case. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:06 AM | Comment Rainy and about 60 degreesWhat you see is what you get. The National Weather Service is forecasting rain on and off all day today with the most rainfall before 9 a.m. The temperature should just break 60 degrees. More rain tonight, turning into a drizzle later in the evening with an overnight low in the low 50s. Fog is expected to roll in after 3 a.m. tomorrow, giving way to light rain and possibly heavier rain later in the day. Temperatures should reach the mid 60s. For weather updates throughout the day, check out projo.com's weather page Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau's plan to plead guilty to fraud charges. And the fishing series continues with the fourth of the five-part series. Download a copy of today's front page. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 9, 2007Tonight: Toothy grins, all aglow, at McCoyThe PawSox may be done for the year, but there will still be glowing smiles at McCoy Stadium. At least 5,000 of them through Oct. 30. A jack-o-lantern display -- 5,000 toothy pumpkin grins -- is now open every night through that day at 6 p.m. For tickets, call (401) 724-7300 or go to pawsox.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 years old get in free. Groups of 25 or more can call for special group rates. The event is open rain or shine from 6 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 6 to 10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays. The last entry into McCoy will be 45 minutes before closing time each night. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment Photo: Boo!
Jouranl photo / /Bob Thayer Posted by Donna McGarry at 6:35 PM | Comment Hotel Providence makes Expedia's top 100 listA downtown hotel has made Expedia.com’s list of top 100 hotels in the world – just barely. Hotel Providence on Westminster Street comes in at No. 100 on the list of 874 hotels, which includes hotels and resorts in cosmopolitan cities such as Paris, Prague and Dubai. The list is generated using traveler reviews, price comparisons and input from hotel staff. Another Providence hotel, Dolce Villa on Federal Hill, made the long list, coming in at number 210. See how hotels across the world rank. See more information about ranking methods. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:10 PM | Comment Murphy, Carcieri react to Martineau fraud chargesHouse Speaker William Murphy and Governor Carcieri reacted to today's announcement that former House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau has signed an agreement to plead guilty to two charges related to using his position to help a health insurer and pharmacy company. At the State House, Murphy, a Democrat, said, "I assume that this is something that happened years ago. My heart goes out to Representative Martineau." At the same time, Murphy declared, "If somebody has done something wrong in this building, shame on them. But I know that the House of Representatives is being run correctly now." Martineau had been majority leader and a Democrat from Woonsocket under then-House Speaker John Harwood. When Murphy succeeded Harwood as the 2003 House was coming in, Rep. Gordon Fox suceeded Martineau as majority leader. Carcieri, a Republican, today pointed to the Martineau case as fresh evidence of a culture of corruption -- "people using what they do up here to benefit themselves personnally." Carcieri asserted, "We've got to stop it." -- With reports from Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:36 PM | Comment Update: Ex-legislator to plead guilty to fraud
PROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau has agreed to plead guilty to two charges related to steering legislation on behalf of a health insurer and pharmacy company while receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to make plastic and paper bags for the companies. Martineau arranged to sell paper bags to the health insurance company for use as promotional items and to sell plastic and paper bags to a pharmacy company for use in its merchandising. In the case of the health company, millions of bags were never manufactured. Martineau, who served as a Democrat representing Woonsocket, is alleged to have been paid more than $900,000 in the two schemes, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island said this afternoon. In return, according to U.S. District Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, Martineau used his position in the legislature to affect the outcomes of legislation for the two companies. When asked by reporters today if the companies were Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and the Woonsocket-based CVS chain, Corrente did not say yes or no. Instead, he explained that under federal rules, he could not name the companies in the information. The case is the latest development in a federal probe called Operation Dollar Bill, which is looking into corruption at the Rhode Island State House. Read the full text of the charges against Martineau. After first being in favor of the pharmacy freedom of choice legislation -- which the companies opposed -- in 1999 Martineau announced that he was changing his position to oppose it. That was after a business entity Martineau created, The Upland Group, starting selling bags to the health insurer and the pharmacy, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. “In reality, this was not a group at all – it was just Martineau,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Martinueau has not entered a guilty plea, but has signed an agreement to waive indictment with the intent of pleading guilty. He will have a chance to formally enter a plea at a U.S. District Court hearing that is not yet scheduled. He faces two counts of "honest services mail fraud." Each carries a maximum five years in prison and several hundred thousand dollars in fines. Read the full text of Martineau's plea agreement. -- Journal staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson The health insurer had contracted with the pharmacy company for a network that required insured clients to use that network for prescriptions. Legislation would have opened the network to other pharmacies. In a two-part series that ran in The Journal in 2004, investigative reporter Mike Stanton reported that two of Martineau's customers were CVS and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, companies that regularly lobbied the General Assembly on health-care legislation. The Journal investigation found that Martineau, while he was in a position to influence legislation affecting CVS and Blue Cross, was profiting from his private business with those companies, according to the 2004 story. Martineau was selling bags to CVS, including the familiar white plastic bags with the red CVS logo, when he voted against pharmacy-choice legislation in 1995, the series reported. Later, as majority leader, Martineau was instrumental in the passage of laws regulating health care and Blue Cross, the state's largest health insurer. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office this afternoon, Martineau, through the Upland Group, periodically billed the insurance company for bags in lots of 1 million and 3 million, at $19,500 per million. In December 1998, December 2000 and in December 2001, he billed the company just days or weeks before the start of a legislative session. Martineau billed the health insurer $195,000 for 10 million bags and was paid $175,500, but fewer than 2 million were ever manufactured, according to the information filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Between 1999 and the end of the 2002 legislative session, Martineau also worked for or against legislation on the insurance company’s agenda, including a 1999 bill that would have helped with the sale of the insurer to a for-profit company. Before 1999, Martineau had a "long-standing business relationship with the pharmacy, selling commodities to it for commission." After forming The Upland Group, between 1999 and the end of 2002 he received a total of $716,435 in commission payments on contracts with the pharmacy for bags. Martineau worked for or against other legislation on the pharmacy’s agenda. Martineau never disclosed to the public "his conflicts of interest with the pharmacy and the health insurer," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He "even took steps to conceal the relationships, by such devices as not signing his name to invoices, and writing business letters from the Upland Group to the health insurer over the signature of another person who had no relationship to the Upland Group." The allegations against Martineau are the latest in Operation Dollar Bill, a wide-ranging investigation of corruption at the State House by a task force that includes the FBI, the state police, the IRS, U.S. Department of Labor, and the the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence. In March, John Celona, the former North Providence state senator convicted of using his public office for private gain, began serving a 2 1/2-year prison term. In August, he was quietly moved from a federal prison in western Pennsylvania to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls. Sen. Stephen Alves, D-West Warwick, is reported to be under investigation by the FBI. It's alleged he killed a resolution that sought a tax break for Pennsylvania trucking company A. Duie Pyle, which is looking to build a distribution center in Johnston, to punish Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena for not investing Johnston's pension funds with Alves, a stockbroker. Alves has denied any wrongdoing. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:18 PM | Comment Man found guilty of killing Dallas officer from R.I.A jury today found a man guilty of capital murder in the 2005 fatal shooting of Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson, a 28-year-old former Rhode Islander. Juan Lizcano was convicted in the death of Jackson, and the prosecution is now expected to seek the death penalty. Proceedings in the punishment phase were under way this afternoon. Officer Jackson was killed in November 2005 while responding to a domestic violence call at the home of Lizcano's former girlfriend who called 911 twice to report he threatened her with a gun. Defense attorneys had argued Lizcano was not guilty because the officer's death was not capital murder. "This is in no way a capital murder," said defense attorney Brook Busbee. "He's not guilty of capital murder because he couldn't see the officer." But prosecutor Josh Healy called Officer Jackson's slaying "an assassin-style killing" and told jurors there was no doubt Lizcano was guilty of capital murder. Prosecutors said that the yard where Officer Jackson was killed was well lit. Prosecutor Patrick Kirlin told jurors that "the credible evidence cries out for" a guilty of capital murder verdict. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:02 PM | Comment R.I. gas prices drop slightlyGasoline prices in Rhode Island fell by one cent this week to $2.689 for a gallon of regular, unleaded at the self-service pump, according to AAA Southern New England. Gas prices have fluctuated slightly over the past six weeks, according to AAA, which conducts a weekly survey. At Labor Day, the price was also $2.689 and has varied only slightly since then, AAA said. Rhode Island is eight cents below the national average. The local price was $2.279 a year ago. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:38 PM | Comment U.S. Attorney to discuss 'matter involving corruption'PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. "on a criminal matter involving public corruption," his office announced this afternoon. No other details were yet available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:30 PM | Comment Critic of creationism to speak at Roger Williams tomorrowOne of the nation's leading advocates for science education will discuss the theories of evolution and natural selection, as well as creationism and intelligent design, at Roger Williams University tomorrow. In 1980 Eugenie Scott, the executive director of the National Center for Science Education, headed a successful campaign to stop the teaching of creationism in Lexington, Ky., public schools. She co-authored with Glenn Branch “Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools.” Intelligent design is a belief that says certain features of the universe and living things are best explained as being created by some form of intelligence, rather than evolution via natural selection. The university said in a news release today that Scott has described herself as “Darwin’s golden retriever" in defending Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and the teaching of evolution in public schools. Scott plans to speak to the issues tomorrow at 5 p.m. in RWU’s New Academic Building on the Bristol Campus, One Old Ferry Road. The event is free and open to public as space allows. Scott's visit is part of a Roger Williams lecture series. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:14 PM | Comment High court hears arguments on same-sex divorcePROVIDENCE — The Supreme Court this morning heard arguments from lawyers for two Providence women seeking Rhode Island’s first same-sex divorce. Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston married in Fall River in May 2004, shortly after Massachusetts became the first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Their case marks the first time any of the same-sex couples married in Massachusetts have sought a divorce in another state. “The issue today is one that is very narrow in scope,” lawyer Louis M. Pulner told the high court. “Very simply stated: Do we recognize a validly entered into marriage in the state of Massachusetts for the purposes of granting a divorce here in the state of Rhode Island?” Pulner said that while the state legislature has had opportunities to pass a law on same-sex marriage, “they have not embraced it nor have they rejected it,” and he noted House and Senate leaders did not respond to the court’s invitation to file friend-of-the court briefs in this case. Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams pointed out that in recent years, the legislature also has chosen not to pass laws allowing civil unions or same-sex marriages. “They have opted not to take a position either way,” Pulner replied, “which I think speaks largely relative to how this court should be looking at this particular issue.” Williams said, “We are not the legislature, though, Mr. Pulner.” “I grant you that, you honor,” Pulner said. “But the fact is that the legislature has known same sex couples from the state of Rhode Island have been going over the border into Massachusetts and availing themselves of that particular licensing statute. This legislature has done nothing, not withstanding the fact they have been given several opportunities over several years to be able to make that kind of decision.” -- Journal writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:09 PM | Comment R.I. delegation decries children's health care veto
Congress first passed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997 and it currently covers about 6 million children of families who earn too much to qualify for welfare but not enough to afford their own private health insurance. In Rhode Island the program covers about 25,000 Rhode Islanders through the state’s Rite Care program for children, families and pregnant women. At a morning news conference at the Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin called Bush’s veto unconscionable and pledged to work to find the votes in Congress necessary to override the president’s veto. The president is asking future generations to pay for the war in Iraq, said Reed; the least the country can do is help pay for their health insurance. Video: This afternoon, President Bush is expected to promote his No Child Left Behind legislation. Support for its reauthorization has declined in the wake of his veto. Watch his Rose Garden press conference live starting at 2 p.m. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:43 AM | Comment Judge dismisses charge against R.I. Guard generalNORTH SMITHFIELD -- A disorderly conduct charge against the Rhode Island National Guard’s second in command was dismissed in District Court today, after the officer, Brigadier Gen. Brian W. Goodwin, completed 28 hours of community service. Goodwin, 55, of 500 Greenville Road, had been charged Sept. 4, after North Smithfield police said he went on an obscenity-laced tirade in the police station that left officers concerned for their safety. The one-star general was in the police station while his wife and son were being interviewed by police. The family was there because Goodwin’s son had lodged a complaint in which he said he was attacked by three other youths in the driveway of his family house three days before. The fight left the younger Goodwin with a broken jaw. According to police reports, when they tried to resolve discrepancies between the younger Goodwin and his mother’s statements, the general became enraged. In his report on the incident, Lt. Stephen E. Riccitelli said Goodwin’s behavior was enough to make him reach for his pepper spray. "I felt that the offender’s actions were threatening, disruptive, and I thought he was about to attack me physically," Riccitelli said in his report. -- Journal staff writer John Hill Goodwin was ordered out of the station, but police said he continued to yell obscenities and demand that his son and another witness leave, Riccitelli’s report said. He said police decided not to arrest Goodwin at that time for fear that would provoke “a more serious physical confrontation.” Goodwin later arranged to turn himself in and be booked, after which he extended his hand and apologized to patrolman Francis Gallagher, who had been in the station during the incident, Gallagher noted in his report. Town Solicitor Mark C. Hadden, who prosecuted the case, said he felt dismissal was appropriate because Goodwin had no criminal record and had completed the community service he would have been sentenced to anyway. “It was not even a misdemeanor, it was a petty misdemeanor,” Hadden said. “For his age, and with no criminal record, it was appropriate.” Goodwin deferred to his lawyer, Richard Bicki, who said only that Goodwin was pleased with the dismissal, calling it “the right, appropriate thing to do.” Goodwin worked his community service time with groups that help the homeless. He worked 13 hours for Operation Stand Down, an outreach group for homeless veterans, seven hours for Project Homeless Connect and eight hours for the Rhode Island Donation Exchange. Hadden said the plea agreement he negotiated initially called for 20 hours of community service, but he was concerned that the seven hours for Project Homeless Connect, because it gets state funding, could be construed as working for his employer, the state of Rhode Island. He said Goodwin worked the extra eight hours at the donation exchange to resolve Hadden’s concern. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:35 AM | Comment Campus safety event at CCRI tomorrowIn the wake of the fatal shootings at Virginia Technical Institute and other acts of violence on college and university campuses, the Community College of Rhode Island is hosting a campus safety forum. Sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Anti-terrorism Advisory Council, the state police and the state Emergency Management Agency, the forum will focus on ways to prevent, detect and deter shooting incidents on campus. Public safety and health officials, and administrators from colleges and universities in Rhode Island are expected to attend. The Virginia Tech Review Panel will present its findings after studying the fatal April shooting on that campus that left 34 people, including the gunman, dead. United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Brendan Doherty, and Robert Warren, the executive director of RIEMA, are scheduled to speak at the forum tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. on the College’s Knight Campus, room 4090 Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:26 AM | Comment Man convicted of murder gets new trialA Providence man who was convicted of murder outside a nightclub in 1998 is scheduled to appear in Superior Court this morning. In December, 2002, the state Supreme Court ruled Destie Ventre deserved a new trial, overturning a second-degree murder conviction by a lower court. Ventre, now 35, was accused of fatally shooting one man and wounding another outside the Acorn Social Club in Providence in 1998. He said he acted in self defense. Retired Chief Justice Joseph Weisberger wrote in his decision that the trial judge, the late John Sheehan, should have allowed evidence that one of Ventre’s attackers, Vincent Leonardo, who was injured, had been convicted of murder when he was 14. Weisberger said Ventre may have reasonably been afraid for his life. The Supreme Court also called the trial judge’s instructions to the jury on the self-defense doctrine "gravely inadequate." Ventre's attorney, John "Jack" Cicilline Sr., agreed, saying he believed the trial justice took a narrow view of the law. Cicilline said his son, David Cicilline, now the mayor of Providence, and lawyer Ann Marsh wrote the brief outlining the appeal in late 2001, but the elder Cicilline argued it before the court because his son was campaigning. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:22 AM | Comment Senate committee to discuss foster care changesThe state Senate Health and Human Services Committee today will discuss the impact of cuts in services to hundreds of 18-to-21-year-olds raised in state care. Cuts in services such as housing assistance, health insurance and college tuition payments went into effect in June as part of a plan to cut state expenses. State Department of Children Youth and Families Director Patricia Martinez, Child Advocate Jametta O. Alston and Ross Harris, a court-appointed special advocate for children, are expected to testify. There will also be testimony from youth in state care, the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association and the public. The hearing, at 3 p.m. in room 313, is one in a series that the Senate Health and Human Services Committee is holding on issues raised about the care of children served by DCYF. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:44 AM | Comment Woonsocket mayoral primary todayThe top two vote getters in today’s Woonsocket mayoral primary will face each other next month. Retired police officer Todd R. Brien, 43 and Michael M. Mello, 50, a retired civilian employee for the Navy, are challenging 59-year-old Mayor Susan D. Menard, a 12-year incumbent. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Mello said Menard is inaccessible to the public and has created a sense of secrecy around what happens at city hall. He’s said he wants to make municipal government more open, and will reestablish relationships with the Police Department and City Council. Brien, who ran against Menard in 2005, said integrity had broken down during her years as mayor. He’s spoken against Menard’s decision to increase firefighters’ wages nearly 13 percent over three years. At that time, Brien said, taxpayers were expecting a tax increase to offset bonds for two new middle schools, but could not afford to pay for the firefighters’ benefits. Menard says she’s running for reelection to see the completion of the middle schools to their completion. Negotiating with the firefighters, she said, which included the elimination of co-pays, saved the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. The top 14 vote-getters for City Council will also run in the November elections. Six of the seven City Council members are running for reelection, including Council President Leo T. Fontaine, Normand J. Laliberte Jr., J. Michel Martineau, William D. Schneck Jr., Suzanne Jean Vadenais and John F. Ward. Brian Blais announced in August that he would not seek reelection. Challenging the incumbent council members are Christopher A. Beauchamp, Stella G. Brien, Daniel M. Gendron, Roger Harris, Roger G. Jalette Sr., Michael E. Moniz, Harvey F. Nabozny, Robert D. Phillips, Christopher M. Roberts, Edward M. Roy Jr., and Thomas W. Wrona. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:24 AM | Comment Power co. to pay $4.6B to reduce Northeast pollutionWASHINGTON -- One of the nation's largest power generators has agreed to end a years-long federal lawsuit filed jointly by Rhode Island and seven other sates, by paying $4.6 billion dollars to reduce pollution that has eaten away at Northeast mountain ranges and national landmarks. Watch the Department of Justice announcement “These companies not only increased the amount of harmful air pollutants they were generating but also failed to install the best technologies available," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement today. "They did so at the economic expense of power plants here in Rhode Island that were in compliance with the most stringent technology requirements of the Clean Air Act.” The settlement requires Ohio-based American Electric Power to reduce chemical emissions that cause acid rain by at least 69 percent over the next decade. It also fines AEP an additional $15 million in civil penalties and another $60 million in cleanup and mitigation costs. Read the consent decree online. "The reduction in pollutants from these huge power plants should help us in gaining attainment of our ozone standard by 2009 as well as reducing particulate matter and regional haze," DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan said in a statement. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff reports "The outcome is a good example of how, by working together within Rhode Island and with other states and the federal government, we can solve persistent air quality problems." Eight states including Rhode Island, a dozen environmental groups and the EPA brought the lawsuit against AEP in 1999. They accused the energy company of rebuilding coal-fired power plants without installing pollution controls as required under the Clean Air Act. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:30 AM | Comment Court to hear gay divorce argumentPROVIDENCE — The state Supreme Court will hear arguments this morning in Rhode Island’s first same-sex divorce case. Lawyers for Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston are scheduled to appear before the high court at 9:30 a.m. The Supreme Court has denied motions from the attorney general and others to participate in today’s arguments, courts spokesman Craig N. Berke said Friday. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment It's finally feeling like fallHere's that fall weather: The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 65, partly sunny and northeast winds with gusts up to 25 mph. And then there's rain. Showers are likely overnight, mostly after 3 a.m., paired with patchy fog. The overnight low should be about 50. More rain likely tomorrow morning with cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features the third part of a five-part series on fishing. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 5, 2007Off for the Columbus Day holidayThe 7to7 newsblog will be taking a break this Monday, as we observe the Columbus Day holiday. But projo.com will be active in lots of other ways. We'll continue to keep you up to date on the latest sports action, especially the Red Sox and the playoffs, as well as how the Patriots fare on Sunday. Look for a special five-part series this weekend called "Rough Seas" on the state of the fishing industry in Rhode Island. And feel free to answer our surveys, upload your photos and browse as you will. We'll be back on the news blog beat on Tuesday morning.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:15 PM | Comment Tonight: A fret-burner named Vai, with violins, tooSteve Vai, formerly of the late Frank Zappa's band and then a few of those '80s hard rock groups, is set to show off a little fretwork-- probably crossing paths with every fret on the guitar neck by night's end -- tonight at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel. This time around, he's got two violinists playing with him, and his new album has live compositions with orchestra backing electric guitar. Opening for him is Zack Wiesinger, whose bluesy guitar playing includes more than a little theatricality, at least if YouTube videos are any indication. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, or go to www.etix.com. $29.50 advance; $34 day of show; $35 reserved. Those who prefer their violins acoustic at all times and sans the distorted guitar must wait 'til next weekend, when the Rhode Island Philharmonic opens its season at Providence Performing Arts Center. Tomorrow, comedian Charlie Hall hosts the Ocean State Follies, playing the role of Rhode Island's newest radio celebrity, Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci, the former mayor who ... well, you know the rest. This time, Hall as Buddy will croon to his old hairpiece, which the former mayor has decided to shed. The follies start at 8 p.m. at Courthouse Center for the Arts, West Kingston. For tickets, go to info@courthousearts.org or call 782-1018. For more of the club scene , check out the projo.com club listings. For more of what's going on this holiday weekend, see projo.com's Lifebeat page and its calendar of events. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment Dunkin' Donuts withdraws glow sticks due to hazardDunkin' Donuts is voluntarily withdrawing 1 million orange glow sticks, saying they were not labeled properly to warn customers of a choking hazard. The cap and lanyard, when dislodged from the glow stick, pose the choking hazard for children under age 3, the company said in a news release today. The company said it has not gotten any complaints or reports of injury. Dunkin' Donuts distributed the glow sticks free with each purchase of a dozen doughnuts or 25- or 50-count box of Munchkins beginning the week of Sept. 24 at participating restaurants around the country. Consumers who have gotten a glow stick should take them from children and get rid of them immediately. For information, call Dunkin' Donuts Consumer Care at (800) 859-5339 or go to www.DunkinDonuts.com. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:06 PM | Comment Christopher Columbus! The Hill's in USA Today's top 10PROVIDENCE -- Federal Hill, where red, white and green stripes being painted on Atwells Avenue make the obvious more obvious, has made USA Today's Top 10 list of America's great Italian neighborhoods. Mayor David N. Cicilline's office issued news release trumpeting the designation -- In just in time for this weekend's Columbus Day festivities. The top-10 listing comes from an interview in today's USA Today's travel section with chef, restaurateur and TV personality Mario Batali, who offers quotes on where to go in each neighborhood around the country. Of Federal Hill, Batali is quoted as saying: "Stop by Scialo Brothers Bakery and then head to Venda Ravioli for a beautiful lunch with fresh pasta made every day from scratch, all served in a delightful little piazza with opera music blaring from tiny speakers in a Fellini-style setting." The item suggests catching a WaterFire -- one of which is indeed on for tomorrow night in downtown Providence. The others in the top 10 are Boston's North End, Murray Hill in Cleveland, Ohio, Little Italty in Manhattan, North Beach in San Francisco, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, Chicago's Little Italy, the 9th Street Italian Market in Philadelphia, the Hill in St. Louis, and San Diego's Little Italy. Yesterday, Cicilline's office announced crews would start painting permenant stripes in the Italian flag's colors down the center of Atwells Avenue starting at 11:30 last night, in time for the Columbus Day parade and festival, which starts tomorrow. Officials will kick off the Columbus Day Parade and Festival tomorrow with opening ceremonies at noon in DePasquale Square, 265 Atwells Ave. The parade is Sunday at noon, heading east on Atwells Avenue to Bradford Street. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:12 PM | Comment No West Nile, EEE in latest R.I. mosquito testsNo West Nile virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis cropped up in test results of samples taken during the week of Sept. 22, the state Department of Environmental Management announced today. Results of 44 mosquito pools from 46 traps set that week came up negative. However, both West Nile and EEE are "firmly established" throughout the state, so disease transmission remains possible, the DEM says in a news release. The mosquito population has dropped significantly, there's less biting going on, and no new mosquitoes are being produced, DEM says. But there will be some mosquito activity, especially during warmer days -- check out today's warm temperatures -- until a hard frost. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:58 PM | Comment Station plaintiffs: Defense can't block special masterPROVIDENCE -- Lawyers for The Station fire victims claim that no one they are suing has standing to object to the court’s appointment of a special master who would help divvy up settlement proceeds among those who lost loved ones or suffered injuries in the nightclub fire. In newly filed papers, they also assert that if a federal judge declines to appoint a special master, the fire victims will have to bear additional costs to get money from parties who have offered to pay them out-of-court settlements, and that it will take longer for them to get paid. A handful of defendants being sued by the fire victims have tentatively agreed to pay $13.5 million to settle the victims’ federal lawsuits. The settlements, if approved by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux, would be the first in what the victims’ lawyers hope will be many with a wide cast of parties -- about 90 all together -- that remain as defendants in the federal civil suits. The victims’ lawyers want Lagueux to appoint Duke Law School Prof. Francis E. McGovern as special master in the case. McGovern has performed similar duties more than 50 times in complex tort cases including the DDT toxic exposure litigation, the Dalkon-Shield litigation and the silicone breast implant cases. He has also participated in developing a reparations system for people, businesses and government entities affected by the Iraq war. If appointed by Lagueux, McGovern would decide how all of the settlement money would be divided among each of the plaintiffs who suffered injuries in The Station fire. He would interview the victims and their families and then devise a grid that would be used to apportion how much each of them would get. The court would still independently have to approve all settlement offers after determining that they were being made in good faith. Lagueux has scheduled a hearing on McGovern’s appointment for Oct. 18. Lawyers for the fire victims say that if the judge approves McGovern’s hiring, it would provide assurance to the victims and the public “that there will be a recognized, objective and transparent settlement distribution formula in place to ensure that all plaintiffs are treated as fairly and objectively as possible in the resolution of these complex and emotionally-charged claims.” But lawyers representing two foam manufacturers who are being sued -- General Foam and Foamex -- are objecting to the court appointing a special master. They say if the victims want to hire their own consultant to help them divide settlements, they are free to do so but that the court should not be involved. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton One hundred people died in the fast-moving blaze and more than 200 suffered injuries. The fire began when the tour manager for the rock band Great White set off fireworks inside the club without a permit. Sparks from the pyrotechnics ignited highly flammable polyurethane foam that the owners of the club, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, installed on the walls and ceiling of the club as soundproofing. All three men were prosecuted on involuntary-manslaughter charges. Two were given prison terms, the third, a sentence of community service. In court papers filed with Lagueux this week, the victims’ lawyers say that hiring McGovern independently -- without court oversight -- would be detrimental to their clients. Since there are many minors suing for damages, as well as estates of people who died, Lagueux and a raft of probate judges will have to determine if the proposed settlements are in the best interest of the deceased and their surviving children. If McGovern isn’t appointed by Lagueux, they say, his efforts in developing a grid for settlement distributions “would have to be duplicated by a multitude of specially appointed guardians ad litem for all minor plaintiffs and many of the estates and potentially by the court itself.” The victims’ lawyers assert that they have “built-in conflicts of interest” in allocating settlement funds and that they need to have an independent, court-approved master who would decide what each person should get. They say it would be unethical for them to decide what each of their clients should receive from the settlement money because they each represent more than one victim and their job is to ensure that each client gets the maximum amount possible. Having an independent, court-authorized third-party decide what each victim should receive, based on a grid, would be the fairest and most objective way of distributing the money, they argue. They point out that of the approximately 90 defendants they are suing, only two -- General Foam and Foamex -- are objecting to McGovern’s appointment by the court. And they contend that none of the parties they are suing has a legal right to object. The victims lawyers say that if Lagueux appoints the special master, it will not entangle him in any fee disputes, nor will it cost the defendants any money. Any fees charged by McGovern would be paid by the plaintiffs, they say. The defendants who have offered tentative settlements thus far are: * Luna Tech Inc., of Alabama -- and two of its European subsidiaries -- which the lawsuits contend manufactured the pyrotechnics used by Great White the night of The Station fire. * High Tech Special Effects Inc., a Tennessee company that is alleged to have sold the fireworks used by Great White at club the night of the fire. * Celotex Corp., which manufactured SoundStop board and then sold it for distribution to consumers. According to the lawsuits, the Derderians purchased SoundStop for their nightclub from Home Depot and then installed it in the ceiling of the drummer’s alcove and elsewhere inside The Station. * Triton Realty and Raymond Villanova, owners of the building on Cowesett Avenue where The Station was located. * Joseph LaFontaine, of Warwick, owner of New England Custom Alarms, the company that installed the fire alarm system at the club when it was owned by Howard Julian, before the Derderians bought it. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:15 PM | Comment Embezzlement alleged at Johnston ChurchJOHNSTON — An allegation of embezzlement at St. Rocco Church is being investigated by state police detectives, authorities said today. “A matter has been referred to us and we are reviewing it,” said state police Capt. Stephen J. Lynch. Lynch said the matter had been referred to detectives in mid-September. He declined to say who had made the allegation or to comment on the scope of the alleged embezzlement. The church’s pastor, Rev. Charles Zanoni, acknowledged the case, but limited his comment, directing a reporter to the diocese’s public relations staff. "Once we had a suspicion we referred it to the chancery office,” he said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:44 PM | Comment Peace Dale bridge set to open tomorrowThe Peace Dale Stone Arch Bridge is set to reopen to traffic tomorrow by 3:30 p.m. The bridge, which carries Route 108 over the Saugatucket River in South Kingstown, was closed nine weeks ago after a consulting engineer raised concerns about its integrity. Built in the late 1800s, the stone bridge was widened in the 1920s with concrete that had no steel reinforcement. As water made its way through the cracks, holes developed. And the posted weight limit -- 15 tons, which was reduced to 10 tons in February -- was not adhered to. As part of the repairs, an aluminum liner was added underneath the bridge and connected to the existing structure. The concrete barrier above the bridge was replaced and the walls were restored. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:39 PM | Comment Grant to help local children with parents behind barsA local group that works with children who have parents in jail or prison has been awarded a grant worth more than $350,000. Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education will receive $120,000 per year from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children Youth and Families. The money will be put towards a program that matches mentors with children whose parents are incarcerated. “We are thrilled with the opportunities that this crucial funding represents to so many children throughout Rhode Island,” the group’s executive director, Jennifer Shimkus said in a statement. The organization also works with schools across the state to provide scholarships. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:35 PM | Comment DOT's Parker retiring in wake of probePROVIDENCE – Edmund T. Parker, the chief engineer at the state Department of Transportation who was placed on paid leave from his $147,456 a year job in June amid inquiries into his role in securing a $9 million contract for a relative, is retiring. In a statement issued this morning, DOT Director Jerome Williams said Parker had “been asked to return to work’’ but chose to retire. Williams also said: “The State Police informed RIDOT that based on their investigation, RIDOT’s Chief Engineer Edmund T. Parker, Jr. was not a target of any criminal wrongdoing.’’ State police were unavailable for immediate comment, and DOT spokeswoman Dana Nolfe did not respond to inquiries about what Williams meant since it had never been suggested that Parker had been the target of a crime. Williams was also unavailable to comment on what he learned from state auditors, the state police or his internal investigation that prompted him to ask Parker to return. But he said: “RIDOT recognizes the 37 years of service that Ed Parker gave the State of Rhode Island.” Parker has worked for the DOT since he was first hired as an associate civil engineer in November 1971. He was placed on leave on June 14 amid a widening state and federal probe of the state road-building agency’s contracting practices. Williams, a former deputy director in the Department of Administration who took over the DOT’s reins in late December, said he placed Parker, 60, on an indefinite, paid leave because it seemed prudent to do so while there is a state police investigation into "areas where he is directly involved." Speaking at an impromptu news conference that day, Governor Carcieri confirmed that he had asked both the state police and the state’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, to investigate "potential wrongdoing’’ at the DOT. Extra: Read a a special projo.com report on the probe at the DOT. -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:57 PM | Comment A.G. Lynch warns against Hannah Montana scamsA week ago today, people were preparing to camp out in chairs in Providence to buy tickets the next morning to the December Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Today, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch issued a statement warning Rhode Islanders to be wary of scams and ticket scalping for the upcoming show by the Disney Channel performer popular with the younger set. Concerns about online ticket sales have been making national headlines. “With Hannah Montana coming to Providence during the height of the holiday season, parents and other adults intent on giving kids these coveted tickets as presents may decide to splurge,” Lynch said. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of people on the streets, and probably even more online, using unscrupulous means to make money on these tickets at the expense of others.” The Dec. 20 show is sold out, and Lynch's office said state law bans resale at prices more than 10 percent, or $3 above, the price printed on the ticket, including tax. Someone found guilty of the misdemeanor faces up to a $1,000 fine for each offense. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Officials from Lynch's office, including from the his Consumer Protection Unit, have met with Dunkin’ Donuts Center officials to "address issues arising from the frenzy to obtain Hannah Montana tickets. Also, Lynch’s office has been monitoring the problems that other prosecution offices have encountered nationwide related to the teen pop star’s sold-out 54-date tour," the statement says. Guidelines to follow: * Buy tickets to an event, at the box office or via the authorized online vendor, with a credit card, rather than using cash or a check, to create an electronic paper trail in case the tickets' validity is questioned. * Buy tickets directly from the box office or an authorized online system to ensure refunds are available to you in case a show is cancelled. Refunds aren’t part of the package, or guaranteed, Lynch said, if tickets are bought at an online marketplace site. * The general rule of “if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is" applies, since tickets offered for resale are not always legitimate. Some tickets offered for resale online may not exist at all. Any tickets offered for resale can be counterfeit, and tickets for phantom seats can also enter into play. Check the seating chart to see that that rows and seats printed on the tickets exist. Consumers with questions or concerns are urged to call the attorney general’s consumer protection unit at 274-4400. Press 1 at the first prompt for English or 2 for Spanish, then 1 at the second prompt. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:47 PM | Comment Golf fundraiser for Providence family to get under wayREHOBOTH, Mass. -- They're teeing off at Hillside Country Club this afternoon to raise money for the Jimenez family of Providence, who lost 8-year-old son Ivan last month to a hit-and-run driver and whose other son was injured in the incident. Eric Jimenez, 12, has been recovering from injuries at Rhode Island Hospital and his mother, Elizabeth, said recently that it's expected he will need rehabilitation at a Boston facility after Rhode Island Hospital. The expenses, she and Providence City Councilman Leon Tejada said, will add up. Today's first annual Ivan Jimenez Memorial Golf Tournament, $100 per person at the country club, is meant to raise money for the family. The tournament fee had to be paid in full by yesterday, according to the flyer describing the event. The event also solicited for sponsors. Dennis Cherry, who is accused of the hit-and-run, gave himself up to police last month. Tejada had also announced a memorial fund set up for the family. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:41 PM | Comment 3 former Duke lacrosse players sue prosecutorGREENSBORO, N.C. -- Three former Duke lacrosse players who were falsely accused of rape are suing former prosecutor Mike Nifong and the city of Durham. The three had been accused of raping a woman who'd been hired to perform as a stripper at a lacrosse team party, but charges were later dropped. Reade Seligmann, one of the falsely accused players, transferred to Brown University to play lacrosse for the Bears. The team's former coach, Mike Pressler, became the coach at Bryant University in Smithfield after he was forced to resign from Duke in April 2006. Brown and Bryant lacrosse teams will be playing each other this Sunday as part of a fall tournament at Brown. -- The Associated Press, with projo.com staff reports The civil lawsuit names Nifong and 13 other individual defendants, including police detectives who investigated the case. Two sources close to the case have told The Associated Press that the suit was filed about a month after city officials met with lawyers for the families seeking a $30 million settlement and several legal reforms. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:35 PM | Comment Weekend weather: Warm temps and, finally, some rainPatience with the fog has paid off. It’s cleared and left in its wake partly sunny skies (or partly cloudy, depending on how you look at it). And a much higher temperature than anyone could possibly expect as we head into the long Columbus Day weekend. The National Weather Service forecast predicts temps will hold steady in the low 80s until about 8 p.m. when the temperature should drop to 70 and reach an overnight low of about 63 degrees. Tomorrow should look a lot like today – foggy, then partly cloudy – but with the temperature barely reaching 80 degrees. There’s a 20 percent chance of showers in the evening. Possibly another rainy night tomorrow; temperatures will drop through the 60s overnight, bottoming out at 50 early Monday morning. Clouds are expected to hang around all day Sunday, when the high temperature won’t get much warmer than 60 degrees. Forecasting Columbus Day weather is a stretch, but it’s looking like more of the same mix of rain, clouds and a bit of sun with fall-like temperatures in the mid-to-high 60s. Maybe a few drops will help Rhode Island’s foliage prospects. With the exception of a few maples, the leaves have yet to turn around most of the state. In some places, there's no color show – just dry, dead leaves falling. Get the latest weather forecasts, and check on foliage reports around New England as part of projo.com's Fall Guide. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:36 PM | Comment DCYF head disputes report on foster-parent supportThe state Department of Children, Youth and Families director this morning criticized a national study that found Rhode Island government's reimbursement rates for foster parents are below those in Massachusetts and Connecticut. DCYF Director Patricia Martinez said in a statement that the report did not account for several other kinds of payments made by DCYF to foster parents. The report, by the National Foster Parent Association, Children Rights, a child advocacy group, relied only on DCYF's "standard board rate" in figuring Rhode Island's support for foster families, DCYF counters. The study says Rhode Island foster parents receive monthly rates of $463 for children from birth to age 3, $454 for childrren 4 to 11, and $543 from ages 12 to 18. The national average is $479 monthly for children between birth and 3, $501 for ages 4 to 11 and $559 for those ages 12 and up. The average monthly payment to Rhode Island foster parents is actually closer to $729.39 when all financial support is accounted for, DCYF says. In Connecticut, the report says, foster parents are paid $756 monthly for children from birth to to age 3, $767 for children ages 4 to 11 and $834 for children over 12. In Massachusetts, it's $490 monthly for children from birth to age 3, $531 for those ages 3 to 11 and $616 for children over 12, the report says DCYF's statement does not say whether the same additional financial supports for fosters parents its cites are exclusive to Rhode Island or would be found -- and therefore added to -- the numbers in other states. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney “We all agree that foster parents should be compensated fairly,” Martinez said in the statement. “Foster parents have earned our praise and our gratitude for caring for many of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children. They are the backbone of the child welfare system. "The issue in the report, however, is in how to calculate what is included in that compensation. Financial support for foster parents goes beyond the standard foster board payment.” “For instance, the report incorrectly states that the standard board rate is intended to cover regular ongoing expenses such as clothing,” Martinez said. “However, the department actually pays ongoing clothing allowances to all children in DCYF foster care totaling between $300 and $750 per year (in 3 installments), depending upon the age of the child. Inclusion of the clothing allowance increases DCYF's average board rate to $530 per month from $438.” “The department needs more time to further analyze the data to make sure that other important sources of DCYF support have not been similarly overlooked,” Martinez stated. “Nevertheless, as DCYF continues to transform the system, supports for foster families are an important part of the equation and part of the ongoing conversation with the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment State urges safe disposal of mercury thermometersHere’s a safe way to get rid of mercury in the home without sending it to the landfill, where it could contaminate the ground and on-site workers. The state Department of Health is implementing a Mercury Thermometer Exchange and Thermostat Disposal Program. Residents can drop off their old mercury thermometers (no digital products) Oct. 13 at the Cranston Fire Department, or check out the Rhode Island Resource Recovery guide to properly disposing of toxic materials. Exposure to mercury can cause developmental damage in children and can impair the immune system, liver or kidney function in people of all ages. Bring your used thermometer to the Cranston Fire Department, 160 Sockanosset Cross Rd., from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Oct. 13 and exchange it for a coupon to CVS/Pharmacy. You can buy a new mercury-free thermometer, or save the coupon and check the temperature at projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:11 AM | Comment Kraft recalls baking squaresKraft Foods is recalling a dessert product because of possible salmonella contamination. Customers should not use the 6 ounce containers of Baker’s Premium White Chocolate Baking Squares with a UPC Code 0043000252200 and the following “best when used by” dates: 01 MAR 2008 xcz Fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps are all symptoms of the foodborne illness salmonella bacteria can cause. In people with poor health or with weak immune systems, the bacteria can cause life-threatening infections. For more information from the company, including how to receive reimbursements, call 1-800-310-3704. For information about other recalled products, visit the Food and Drug Administration’s safety recall Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:34 AM | Comment R.I. Hospital gets $5 million to prepare for emergenciesRhode Island Hospital is receiving $5 million from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen and develop its emergency preparedness systems. The hospital is one of five in the country to receive the 2007 Healthcare Facilities Emergency Care Partnership Program. “The grant will allow us to work with key state agencies and hospitals around the state to further strengthen emergency preparedness and ensure communications during major events,” hospital interim president and chief executive officer George Vecchione said in a statement. “Ultimately, this will lead to improved medical care in emergency situations.” The state Department of Health, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and other offices will coordinate the one-year grant’s administration. Its main goals are: - To establish an electronic patient tracking system for daily and emergency use. Patient tracking was identified as an area of concern in a study of The Station nightclub fire response. - To develop an emergency communications systems for each hospital. - To expedite compliance with the national Incident Management System which, when completed, will give hospitals and emergency responders a way to communicate in case of a disaster. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:44 AM | Comment Man jailed for 63 months in glass-eating fraud schemeBOSTON -- A man was sentenced yesterday to more than five years in jail for his role in a multistate insurance fraud scheme in which federal prosecutors said he and his wife intentionally ate glass fragments and collected more than $200,000 in compensation. Ronald Evano, 49, also was ordered to repay $340,000 for his role in defrauding restaurants, grocery stores, insurers, hospitals and doctors in the scheme in which he and his wife claimed that there was glass in the food they ate. The couple claimed that the glass was in food they had eaten at restaurants and grocery stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Washington D.C. Prosecutors say Evano and his wife, Mary, who remains a fugitive, filed fraudulent insurance claims worth more than $200,000 and incurred more than $100,000 in unpaid medical bills in several states between 1997 and 2005. -- The Associated Press In August, Evano pleaded guilty in federal court to 20 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, making false statements on health care matters and Social Security fraud. Prosecutors dropped four counts of identity fraud and health care fraud in the plea agreement. An arrest warrant was issued last year for Mary Evano on the same charges as her husband. Prosecutors said the two were treated at hospitals for glass ingestions at least a dozen times. They allegedly collected payments from insurance companies but never paid their hospital bills. Evano asked the judge for mercy, saying in court that he and his wife are members of the minority Roma community, and needed the money to pay for dowries and other costs associated with the marriages of his sons under cultural practices. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:18 AM | Comment Will Cape house alter 'Hopper Landscape?'BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- A Cape Cod planning agency has agreed to review plans for a house that would alter a landscape that once inspired painter Edward Hopper. The 6-4 vote by the Cape Cod Commission means the agency could limit the size and location of the proposed 6,500 square foot house on nine acres in Truro. But the agency has said it doesn't intend to stop or stall the project. Donald and Andrea Kline want to build the house on a hill overlooking Cape Cod Bay. Hopper saw the same view from his summer cottage, and for 70 years, the landscape has been unchanged. -- The Associated Press Neighbors have objected both to the size of the proposed house and how it might alter the "Hopper Landscape." Donald Kline says the home is designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:10 AM | Comment City fire leaves five homelessNo one was seriously injured in a residential fire in Providence last night, but five people were left without a place to sleep. A call for a possible kitchen fire came in at about 9:30 last night, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. When fire and rescue arrived, he said, there was heavy fire on the first floor of the building at 942 Douglas Ave. The blaze was under control just after 10 p.m., Taylor said. Five people were evacuated from the two-story, wood frame building and taken in by the Red Cross. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment All about fog with fog all aboutCar accidents, frizzy hair and a general yucky feeling; byproducts of those low-lying familiar fall clouds known as fog. Morning fog is fairly common after the longer, clear fall nights, when leftover summer heat, stored in the ground, can escape the atmosphere without getting bounced around by clouds or counterbalanced by sunlight. Your turn: How foggy was it this morning? That lost heat causes the temperature near the ground to drop rapidly, bringing it closer to the dew point. This morning, at 5 a.m., the temperature in Providence was 61 degrees, the dew point 59 and the fog, thick as molasses. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:14 AM | Comment Warm, dry conditions delay trout stockingPROVIDENCE --The unusually warm and dry start to fall may set back Rhode Island trout fishermen a bit. The Department of Environmental Management says it has been forced to delay trout stocking because the water is too warm and too low in most rivers and lakes. Only the Wood River, with its cool water and rapid flow, has been stocked before the Columbus Day weekend. The agency says it still expects some 20 other rivers and lakes to be stocked with about 10,000 trout before the end of October. Temperatures in much of Rhode Island are expected to once again top 80 degrees today. Forecasters say a cooling trend will begin on Sunday and next week should feel more like fall. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:27 AM | Comment Khrushchev's son: Soviets won space raceCHICAGO -- A celebrated American astronaut and the son of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agree that the launch of the first man-made satellite 50 years ago this week was an influential event in both their lives. But when Jim Lovell and Sergei Khrushchev met yesterday in Chicago to mark the anniversary of that event they diverged on the question of which country won the space race launched by Sputnik I. The 73-year-old Khrushchev, now an American citizen and a professor at Brown University, put it in terms of a game score. "The Soviets won 3 to 1," he told The Associated Press. "The Soviets launched the first Sputnik, the first man in space, the first manned space station. ... Americans have one victory: The man on the moon." Khrushchev was at Chicago's Adler Planetarium on yesterday, 50 years to the day that the shiny, basketball-sized orbital broke the bounds of Earth's gravitational pull. One of the people who greeted Khrushchev was Lovell, whose leadership of the Apollo 13 mission was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the movie of the same name. In a separate interview Thursday, with Khrushchev standing nearby, the 79-year-old Lovell took issue with the notion of a Soviet space-race win. "Well, I kind of think that, eventually, we came out on top," Lovell said. "If you say landing on the moon is the finish line, we did (win). The Russians tried very desperately to land on the moon ... but failed." Both men say Oct. 4, 1957 - the day the U.S.-Soviet race began in earnest with Sputniks launch - remains fresh in their minds. Sergei Khrushchev and his father Nikita were staying at a Czarist-era palace in the western part of the Soviet Union when they got a call from a space official saying Sputnik was circling the globe. "My father had a smile on his face. He was very proud. We were all very proud," said Khrushchev, who, with his round head and thinning hair looks strikingly similar to his father. A few hours later, they huddled excitedly around a radio to hear the satellite transmitting steady beeping sounds as it went by miles above them. Later that day, thousands of miles away in Milwaukee, young naval officer Lovell stepped outside as news broke of the successful Soviet launch. In amazement, he looked toward the sky to see Sputnik's spent rocket booster - lit by the late-evening sun - that also orbited the globe. For Lovell and other Americans, word that the Soviets had beaten the Americans into space came as a shock. "I kept saying, 'We got all these supposedly technical people, how come the Russians could suddenly put a satellite in an orbit and we can't do that?'" Lovell recalled. Lovell said he's convinced the U.S. could have put a satellite into space two years before the Soviets using military rocket technology. But he said President Eisenhower at the time did not want to employ military hardware for that task. As it was, the United States put its first satellite in space four months after Sputnik. Eleven years later, the Americans landed on the moon. "It bothered my father that the U.S. got to the moon first," Khrushchev said. "He intended to go to the moon, but he didn't want to pay for it. Putting money in Soviet agriculture and housing was a bigger priority." Both Lovell and Khrushchev were quick to say that Sputnik and Cold War space race changed their lives forever. Sputnik, which spent about three months in orbit before burning up in the atmosphere, inspired Khrushchev to pursue his studies in science; in the late 1950s and into the 1960s, he worked in the Soviet space and missile programs. Lovell readily credits Sputnik for inspiring him and the whole country to push harder for successes in space. "If it wasn't for Sputnik, we never would have gone to the moon when we did," he said. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment High today in the mid 80sThe fog should lift in a few hours and the sun should make an appearance, according to the National Weather Service. The high temperature should reach the mid 80s. The clouds should return tonight and the low should be about 60. Saturday is looking sunny with a high temperature in the low 80s. There's a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms in the evening and an overnight low near 57. There may be more rain in store Sunday morning. The clouds will stick around during the day and the temperature should reach the mid 60s. There's an overnight low of 51 with possible late-night rain. Columbus day is looking rainy as well with fog and clouds in the morning and a high near 70. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs of the Route 195 relocation project and a story about the concern over Governor Carcieri's plans to cut 1,000 state jobs and $100 million in programs and benefits. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 4, 2007Sen. Moura to propose 24-hour gambling billState Sen. Paul E. Moura said today he will introduce legislation to allow 24-hour gambling when a special session of the General Assembly convenes, possibly later this month. Moura used Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's recent announcement that he wants to bring three resort casinos to the Bay State to emphasize that Rhode Island should take action right away. "Massachusetts is moving along very steadily with plans to develop gaming facilities that will provide thousands of jobs and contribute to much-needed property tax relief. As their plans come to fruition, the threat to Rhode Island becomes greater and greater," the East Providence Democrat said in the statement. His bill would apply to the Twin River and Newport Grand gaming facilities. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:53 PM | Comment Senate leader Montalbano standing by AlvesSenate President Joseph Montalbano said today that he stands by Sen. Stephen D. Alves, D-West Warwick, and will not push him out as Senate Finance Committee chairman. Alves, a stockbroker, denies allegations he killed tax-incentive legislation last June as payback for not receiving pension fund business from Johnston. The matter is under FBI investigation. Republican Governor Carcieri has called on Alves to step aside as chairman. But Alves rejects the idea, and Montalbano said he is “100 percent’’ behind Alves’ staying on the job. Montalbano, a North Providence Democrat who recently settled a case with the state Ethics Commission, said, “I don’t make leadership decisions based on newspaper articles.’’ He said he based his decision on Alves’ service in the chairmanship. “He’s got a record of accomplishment. He’s a person of compassion.’’ -- Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:52 PM | Comment At RIC, diversity ranges from powwow to origami / Photo
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:03 PM | Comment Judge to reluctant debtor: Pay up or go to jailPROVIDENCE -- A Barrington man, who cracked a Warwick man’s skull in a 1988 brawl, now has 60 days to make payments to the victim and his lawyer or he’ll wind up behind bars. Since a 1992 civil judgment, Paul D. Grieder has paid about $21,000 toward the $1.5 million he owes Michael P. Trainor for an assault outside a Providence nightclub. With interest, the debt totals nearly $5 million. Trainor’s years-long legal battle reached the state Supreme Court earlier this year before bouncing back to Superior Court. Today’s sanctions stem from Grieder’s failure to pay $400 per month during a portion of 2002, when he was found in willful contempt of court. Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini told Grieder he will send him to the Adult Correctional Institutions for 30 days unless he pays $3,000 to Trainor and $1,000 to Trainor’s lawyer within the next 60 days. “In the words of our Supreme Court, Mr. Grieder now carries the key to his prison cell in his own pocket,” Procaccini said. Grieder, 42, lives with his parents on Linden Road in Barrington. At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, he lifts weights and works three nights a week as a “floor host” at a Providence strip club. Procaccini described Grieder’s testimony during a previous hearing as “selective, evasive and disturbing,” saying Grieder “offered no explanation, excuse or justification for his total noncompliance with this court order. This court finds his failure to pay is self-imposed.” Procaccini said people pay fines and judgments every day. “Most of these individuals are far more disadvantaged than Mr. Grieder, yet they respect the orders of this Superior Court regarding their payments,” he said. “These sanctions imposed upon defendant Grieder are designed to do nothing more than to command that same respect.” The judge noted Grieder’s lawyer had described him as someone “who muddled along and did not have a great work ethic.” “In this court’s view, that is a gross understatement,” Procaccini said. “This court will not condone defendant Grieder’s callous disregard and disrespect of an order of the Superior Court.” After today’s court hearing, Grieder said, “It just seems that it’s a matter of time before I’m put in jail. I’m without the privilege of wealth. I just can’t satisfy the judgment.” He said he has already borrowed money from family members and friends, so he doesn’t know how he’ll make the payments. “I’ll go to the casino and see what I can do,” he said with a laugh. He added, “I’m not making light of it. My freedom is at stake.” -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Grieder said he stopped paying Trainor in the middle of the Supreme Court case because he had to pay attorney’s fees for the successful appeal, and he said, “That case should never have happened.” Grieder’s lawyer, J. Ronald Fishbein, said it was too soon to decide whether Grieder will appeal the ruling. “I can understand the judge’s take on the proceedings of Tuesday,” Fishbein said. But he said Grieder was mistaken when he testified that he was making $300 a week in 2002 and not paying Trainor anything. He said Grieder was not working regularly during that period. “As wacky as he is, I don’t think he lies,” Fishbein said. “He’s a truth teller.” Trainor’s lawyer, Robert M. Brady, called the judge’s ruling appropriate. But, he said, “It’ll be interesting to see if (Grieder) complies with the order or does what he has typically done in the past — take an appeal to delay the process.” Grieder and Trainor had never met before an altercation near the Living Room nightclub on July 22, 1988. Trainor received a fractured skull and a loss of hearing, and after being convicted of felony assault, Grieder received three years’ probation and a suspended prison sentence. Trainor, now a 44-year-old carpenter, did not attend today’s hearing because he would not have been able to hear the proceedings, and a closed-captioning device was unavailable, Brady said. He said Trainor did not want to discuss the ruling with The Journal, but he said Trainor “would see some sense of justice because the court recognizes this guy’s behavior is antisocial, nonconformist.”
“He was a person of no great expectations, no great work ethic,” Fishbein said. “He just bumbled along.” While Grieder has not worked as much as others do, he is now working more than he has in past, Fishbein said. “He has improved his lot in life in his perspective, though hardly by our perspective,” he said. Fishbein said collecting civil judgments can be difficult, and he noted Joseph Mollicone, the state’s most notorious embezzler, has been paying restitution of just $75 per month toward the $12 million looted from the Heritage Loan & Investment Company. By comparison, Grieder has been ordered to pay $400 per month, and Procaccini attempted to double that amount before the Supreme Court overruled him because proper procedures had not been followed for revisiting how much Grieder could pay. In his closing arguments, Brady called the Mollicone reference “offensive,” saying Mollicone “merely stole money” while Grieder “pummeled someone” to the point that it has been difficult for Trainor to do his job and earn money. “In my 30 years of practicing law, I’ve never met a more recalcitrant debtor than Mr. Grieder,” Brady said. “He has no sense of obligation to pay off his debt to society, or to pay off his debt to Mr. Trainor.” Brady said Grieder “tried to beat the system to avoid paying a dime.” While Grieder was found in contempt in 2002, sanctions have been delayed while Grieder unsuccessfully tried to declare bankruptcy and successfully appealed Procaccini’s ruling to the Supreme Court, he said. “He doesn’t like to work,” Brady told the judge. “I’d send him to the ACI. His lifestyle will fit in nicely. They don’t like working either.” -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:51 PM | Comment Narragansett motorist died from multiple injuriesThe cause of death for a Narragansett woman who was killed in a one-car crash in North Kingstown yesterday was multiple traumatic injuries, the Office of the Medical Examiners said this afternoon. Police said 41-year-old Liisa Daniels suffered traumatic injury to her head and torso when her car struck a heavy gauge, steel signpost, northbound on Tower Hill Road, near the entrance to Wickford Lumber. Earlier today, Capt. Charles Brennan said witnesses reported seeing the woman driving erratically before the accident: passing in no passing zones, speeding and cutting off traffic. Daniels apparently lost control and struck the pole on Tower Hill Road, just south of Ten Rod Road, at about 2 p.m. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where, two hours later, she was pronounced dead. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:43 PM | Comment Update: Motorcycle crash victim criticalPROVIDENCE -- A West Greenwich man who lost control of the motorcycle he was riding on Route 95 this morning is in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital. Mario Baptista, 44, was heading north in the high-speed lane when, for a reason that is still unknown, he lost control of the vehicle just north of Exit 18 Thurbers Avenue at about 8:50 a.m., according to state police Cpl. John Bearegard. Baptista was not wearing a helmet, the police said. The accident occurred during peak commuting time, and slowed traffic on the curved stretch of highway. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:29 PM | Comment 4 Providence firefighters suffer minor injuriesPROVIDENCE -- A fire that started in a third-floor apartment at 29 Blaine St. this afternoon caused minor injuries to four firefighters and two residents of the three-floor wood-frame house. One firefighter had a back injury and three had heat exhaustion, according to Battalion Chief Peter Celani. At least one firefighter was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, another to Miriam Hospital in Providence and a resident was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. Preliminary indications are the cause of the fire was electrical in nature. Seventeen adults and three children live in the building, though not all were home at the time of the fire. The Red Cross, which often assists people displaced by fire, was called to offer help to people, said Taylor. The building contains six apartments. Firefighters responded to the 1:08 p.m. call and the fire was brought under control at 1:30 p.m. Seven rescue trucks went to the scene -- five from Providence, one from North Providence and another from Pawtucket. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:35 PM | Comment Photo: Invasion of the Big Blue Bug?
Posted by Jack Perry at 3:07 PM | Comment Lifespan chief joins Sci-Tech CouncilPROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council today announced the appointment of Arthur Klein, the chief physician officer for Lifespan, as its newest member. "His breadth of experience and record of achievements make him an ideal candidate to serve on STAC," Clyde Briant, a council co-chairman and the vice president for research at Brown University, said in a statement today. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Klein, who was named Lifespan's chief physician officer and senior vice president in May 2006, replaces Daniel E. Martin, a vice president at Raytheon. The council has 13 members. They include Saul Kaplan, executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation; Kimball Hall, the general manager of Rhode Island operations for Amgen; Paul Choquette Jr., chairman of Gilbane, the construction management firm; and Thomas Ryan, chief executive officer of CVS. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:49 PM | Comment Providence fire injures 2 firefighters, 1 residentPROVIDENCE -- A third-floor fire at 29 Blaine St. this afternoon has sent two firefighters and a resident of the building to Providence hospitals. Their injuries were not yet known. Another resident and firefighter were being evaluated at the scene. And the Red Cross, which often assists people displaced by fires, was called to offer help to more than a dozen people. Firefighters responded to the 1:08 p.m. call at a three-story wood-frame house containing six apartments, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The fire was brought under control at 1:30 p.m. Six ambulances were on scene, Taylor said. One of the firefighters and one of the residents were taken to Rhode Island Hospital. The other firefighter was taken to Miriam Hospital. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Photo: This mushroom takes up lots of room
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:34 PM | Comment Federal Hill will be painted red, white and greenPROVIDENCE -- You pretty much can't miss Federal Hill's true colors. But after tonight, you'll never miss them. They're painting it red, white and green. Crews will start painting permanant stripes in the Italian flag's colors down the center of Atwells Avenue starting at 11:30 p.m, in time for the Columbus Day parade and festival, which starts Saturday, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office announced today. “I am proud to return this important symbol of Italian-American pride back to its rightful place on Atwells Avenue,” Cicilline said in a statement. “Federal Hill is known throughout the northeast for its rich Italian history and culture, and these green, white and red stripes will stand as a lasting reminder of the significant contributions Italian-Americans have made to our city and our nation.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney The stripes will go along Atwells Avenue from Harris Avenue to the arch -- the gateway to Federal Hill. Cicilline and other officials will kick off the Columbus Day Parade and Festival Saturday with opening ceremonies at noon in DesPasquale Square, 265 Atwells Avenue. The parade is Sunday at noon, heading east on Atwells Avenue to Bradford Street. Federal Hill won't be the only Rhode Island spot with special stripes. Hope Street in Bristol bears red, white and blue center stripes in homage to its famed Fourth of July parade. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:12 PM | Comment NIH children's research program coming to BrownCiting the lofty goals of treating and possibly preventing devastating medical conditions such as autism, heart disease and obesity, the National Institutes of Health today announced the creation of more than 20 research centers. The centers will be located across the country, including Brown University in Providence, and manage enrollment and data collection for a study of 100,000 participants from birth until their 21st birthdays for the National Children’s Study. “Study researchers will examine not only what children are eating and drinking,” Duane Alexander, director of the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said in a statement, “but what’s in the air they breathe, what’s in the dust in their homes, and their possible exposures to chemicals from materials used to construct their homes and schools.” Brown, with partner hospital Women & Infants, was awarded a five-year, $14.1 million contract to enroll 1,000 Providence-area children. It is the university's largest NIH research award in a decade. Other state and private health partners will also be involved. Sen. Jack Reed co-authored a letter last year with fellow members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, which oversees funding for the project when they learned funding was set to be cut. They were successful in getting funding reinstated. “I commend Brown University and the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island for their partnership in the program,” he said in a press release. Twenty-two centers are planned in 20 states; they include centers affiliated with Yale University in Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts. The first part of funding comes from a $69 million congressional appropriation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:34 PM | Comment Update: Victim in yesterday's accident from NarragansettA Narragansett woman is dead after a one-car accident in North Kingstown yesterday. Police say 41-year-old Liisa Daniels suffered traumatic injury to her head and torso when her car struck a heavy gauge, steel signpost, northbound on Tower Hill Road, near the entrance to Wickford Lumber. Capt. Charles Brennan said witnesses reported seeing the woman driving erratically before the accident: passing in no passing zones, speeding and cutting off traffic. Daniels apparently lost control and struck the pole on Tower Hill Road, just south of Ten Rod Road, at about 2 p.m. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where, two hours later, she was pronounced dead. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:25 PM | Comment Tonight: Child soldier turned author at RWUFormer child soldier and best-selling author Ishmael Beah is scheduled to discuss his memoir “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” at Roger Williams University. Beah was born in Sierra Leone in 1980. In 1992, one year after an attack that eventually turned into a civil war, Beah’s family had been killed and he was alone, surrounded by war. Soon after, he was recruited as a soldier in the government army. By 2002, when the war ended, as many as 50,000 people had been killed. UNICEF officials rescued Beah from the front lines when he was 18. He now serves on the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee. The advocacy group estimates as many as 300,000 children currently are serving as soldiers for rebel and government armies. Beah will talk about his book, which also explores the difficulty of reentry to civilized society, at the Recreation Center gymnasium at Roger Williams University today at 7 p.m. The discussion is free and open to the public. Come back to projo.com and tomorrow's Journal for a report on his talk. Video: Beah speaks about his reasons for writing the book in this excerpt: Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:11 AM | Comment Senate panel hearing testimony on port security / VideoWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Senate Commerce Committee this morning will tackle the topic of port and cargo security and its implementation. Officials from The Department of Homeland Security and others will be witnesses at the hearing, which starts at 10 a.m. Port security continues to be a hot button topic in the post-Sept. 11 world, internationally as well as here in the Ocean State. Witnesses include Coast Guard Rear Adm. David Pekoske, assistant commandant for operations; Maurine Shields Fanguy, director, Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program, TSA; Thomas Winkowski, assistant commissioner for field operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Stephen Caldwell, GAO; and Anthony Coscia, chairman, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:00 AM | Comment R.I. store sells $200,000 Powerball ticketCRANSTON -- The big winner -- $15 million -- in yesterday's Powerball drawing was sold next door in Connecticut, but a Rhode Islander may have won an impressive consolation prize, according to the Rhode Island Lottery. A $200,000 winning ticket was purchased from the Cumberland Farms at 302 North Main St. in Slatersville. And a $10,000 ticket was sold by Sunshine Market at 181 Washington St. in Central Falls. Neither of the prizes has been claimed. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:44 AM | Comment Whitehouse speaks about Bush veto on Senate floorU.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was scheduled to speak on the Senate floor this morning about President Bush's veto of legislation that would have expanded children's health insurance, according to Whitehouse's office. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:34 AM | Comment Drugs hidden in Mr. Potato Head toy
SYDNEY, Australia -- Customs officers discovered nearly 10.5 ounces of ecstasy tablets hidden inside a Mr. Potato Head toy sent to Australia from Ireland, the agency said today. Upon opening the parcel, the officers were greeted with the smiling face of the popular children's toy, which is made by Pawtucket-based Hasbro Inc. and features a potato-like head and removable facial features. But when they removed a panel from the back of the toy, the officers found 10.34 ounces of ecstasy in a plastic bag. The Australian Customs Service referred the matter to federal police, but no arrests were immediately made, the agency said. The maximum penalty for importing drugs to Australia is life imprisonment. "Whilst this is one of the more unusual concealments that we have seen in recent times, people need to be aware that Customs officers are alert to unusual and often outlandish methods of concealment," Customs Director Post Karen Williams said. -- The Associated Press with projo.com reports. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:55 AM | Comment Still no contract for Tiverton teachersTiverton teachers and the school committee have yet to reach a contract agreement. According to Patrick Crowley, spokesman for the teachers' union, the union's offer last night was not accepted by the committee at a meeting that lasted until 11 p.m. Crowley said an outside arbitrator may come in to set the terms of a new contract. The teachers union held a one-day strike in early September, and voted two weeks ago to perform only duties officially in their current contract. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:03 AM | Comment Mrs. Carcieri to host breast-cancer awareness eventPROVIDENCE -- First Lady Sue Carcieri is participating in an event this afternoon to raise awareness of breast cancer. Carcieri will join the Rhode Island Breast Cancer Coalition in hosting the tenth annual Pink Ribbon Tea. The event, to be held in the State Room of the Statehouse, honors women who have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. The event is part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A reception is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. A program will begin at 4. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny skies and a high in the 80sThe morning fog should clear by 9 and the National Weather Service is predicting sunny skies and a high of 84 degrees. The temperature should come close to the record high for the day of 85 set in 1959. Clouds should roll in tonight and the temperature will drop to 61 degrees overnight. Tomorrow should be another summer-like day with a high in the mid 80s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph and story on the Red Sox win in the first game of the playoffs and a story about Governor Carcieri's proposing $100 million in cuts from the state budget. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 3, 2007Tonight: Music in the clubs, the carrier war at a lectureTonight, you can hear a former member of '80s band Journey at a club in Cranston or head to Barrington for a lecture on the carrier war in the Pacific during World War II. No, those are not your only choices. Here's who's playing what tonight: George Leonard, jazz and pop, The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 8 p.m. to midnight.
Bob Mainelli, jazz, Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 7 to 11 p.m. 2nd Avenue, rock, Pitcher’s Pub, 80 Manville Hill Rd., Cumberland. Call 658-0058. 9 pm. Jeff Scott Soto (formerly of Journey), Action, ZO2, Louis D’Augusta, Krankenstein and Project Broken, rock, J.R.’s Bourbon Street Rock House, Mardi Gras Multi Club and Johnny Bahama’s Complex, 1500 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston. Call 463-3080. 7 pm. $17 advance; $20 at the door. State Radio and The Beautiful Girls, rock, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8:30 pm. $15 general; $20 reserved. Natalia Zukerman, country and jazz, Rhode Island College, Nazarian Center, Sapinsley Hall, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence. Call 456-8144. 1 pm. Free. At Barrington Public Library at 7 the carrier war lecture gets underway with Naval War College professor Douglas Smith. That's at 287 County Rd. Call 247-1920. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Court fires clerk who threw away 'vital' documentsPROVIDENCE -- A clerk in the District Court clerk's office in Providence, accused of putting vital documents into a recycling bin instead of the appropriate court file, has been fired, a state judiciary spokesman said. State police detectives arrested James F. Patterson, 45, of 2 Homestead Avenue, Warren, yesterday for obstruction of the judicial system and attempted vandalism (obstruction of lawful pursuits), according to the Rhode Island State Police. At an administrative hearing today, Magistrate Joseph P. Ippolito recommended to Chief Judge Albert E. DeRobbio that Patterson, who had union representation at the hearing, be terminated from his job and Delrobbio concurred, spokesman Craig Berke said. Placement of the files in the recycling bin "could have resulted in adverse actions against the parties involved," the state police said in a press release today. Patterson is alleged to have put "several" civil documents related to garnishments in the recycling bin, state police Capt. Stephen J. Lynch explained. "They're documents vital to the court proceedings," Lynch said. Patterson was arrested after a one-week investigation, which included video surveillance and was corroborated by witness accounts, the state police said. He has been suspended with pay pending a disciplinary hearing today, said Craig Berke, a court spokesman. The obstruction of the judicial system charge is a felony punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine. The attempted vandalism charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. Patterson was arraigned yesterday before Judge Michael Higgins and released on $10,000 personal recognizance. A prearraignment conference has been scheduled for Dec. 3 and a Superior Court arraignment has been scheduled for Dec. 10. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Jack Perry Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:07 PM | Comment Alves calls allegations against him 'utterly baseless'EAST PROVIDENCE -- State Sen. Stephen Alves says allegations that he blocked legislation to punish a town that didn't do business with him are "utterly baseless.'' Alves, a stockbroker and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke with reporters before a scheduled radio interview about news reports that he is being investigated by the FBI. Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena has said FBI agents questioned him about Alves's decision to kill tax incentive legislation designed to bring a trucking company to the town. The mayor said FBI agents indicated they were investigating whether Alves blocked the plan because the town didn't invest its pension fund through him. But Alves told reporters that he never solicited pension work from Johnston or its mayor. In the wake of the reports, Governor Carcieri yesterday called for Alves to step aside as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:23 PM | Comment R.I. congressmen blast Bush's health-insurance vetoRhode Island congressmen tore into President Bush's decision today to veto legislation they said would better help children get access to health insurance. The delegation of Democrats issued statements asserting the Republican president let politics get in the way of good policy. It is a federal initiative that helps pay for RIteCare in the state and other states' children’s health programs. “Playing politics with the health care coverage of 10 million children is unacceptable, but that is exactly what President Bush did today when he vetoed H.R. 976, the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, better known as RIte Care in Rhode Island,” Rep. Jim Langevin said. Langevin called it a "bipartisan plan" that would help more than 30,000 low-income Rhode Island children while not changing eligibility rules. "I look forward to the opportunity to cast my vote to override this unfortunate and misguided veto," Langevin said. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said the veto “is a stunning rejection of one of America’s most deeply-held convictions: that every family, and every child, must have access to health care they can afford." Rep. Patrick Kennedy said it is “unconscionable" that Bush would veto something "aimed at providing 10 million children the health care they deserve. The President’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is a slap in the face to families all across America." The White House sought little attention for Bush's action, with the president casting his veto behind closed doors without any fanfare or news coverage. He defended it later today during a budget speech in Lancaster, Pa., addressing a welcoming audience organized by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry in GOP-friendly Pennsylvania Dutch country. "Poor kids first," Bush said. "Secondly, I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system." Read a White House transcript of his remarks. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Associated Press reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:53 PM | Comment 2 bond rating agencies give Providence an 'A'PROVIDENCE -- The city is getting all A's -- from two agencies that rate communities' ability to borrow money on the bond market. Moody’s Investment Services and Standard & Poor’s each gave the city "A" bond ratings, which Mayor David N. Cicilline's office today touted in a news release as a result of "rapidly expanding tax base, strong management practices and progress towards reduced the unfunded pension liability" cited in the agencies' reports. “We’ve worked hard over the past four-and-a-half years to create a strong business climate for potential investors and to improve the City’s financial health,” Cicilline said in the statement. “Top grades from Wall Street make it easier for the city to borrow money at a lower rate, resulting in significant savings for taxpayers.” Moody’s gave “A” ratings to two Providence Public Building Authority bonds for Building a Legacy school construction, Series 2007-A ($75 million) and Series 2007-B ($15.6 million). They will finance projects, including renovations to the Hanley Vocational Building and Central High School, building an indoor physical education and sports complex, and to refund outstanding debt. Moody’s investors reports states “the city’s financial position will continue to benefit from prudent fiscal management and conservative budgeting” and lauded the city’s progress at paying for pensions at 100% of actuarially recommended levels, the mayor's office said, adding that the city won praise for "responsibly maintaining cash reserves for the third consecutive year." The mayor's office characterized Standard & Poor’s report as praising Providence’s position "as an economic driver for Rhode Island." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:18 PM | Comment Update: Man in hospital from self-inflicted gun woundCOVENTRY -- A 39-year-old man is at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence following a self-inflicted shot-gun wound to his chest last night, the police said this afternoon. It was not a suspicious shooting, according to the police, and the man, who is not a Coventry resiudent, is said to be doing OK at the hospital. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:00 PM | Comment State police get grant to pursue Internet predatorsThe State Police will get a $250,000 federal grant for the effort to crack down on people who prey on children through the Internet. The money will help provide updated training and equipment to improve upon a state police task force focused on Internet predators, according to a news release today in which U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Governor Carcieri announced the money. The Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children task force resulted from a 1998 federal law prfoviding money to states to set up the task forces. "This money will help the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force crack down on online predators and bring them to justice," Reed said in the statement. "It will also help raise public awareness about online threats and help educate students and parents to prevent future cases of child exploitation." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:42 PM | Comment Artists: 'It was about letting the mall decide' / AudioPROVIDENCE -- What were those artists thinking about, as they conceived the idea for, then built, a hidden room in the Providence Place mall? Hear two of them -- Michael Townsend and James Mercer -- talk about the project, in these excerpts from an interview with projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson. (MP3 format, total time 5 mins., 25 secs.) Read the related Journal story (currently the most popular on projo.com's Web site) and take our survey on whether the project is art -- or not -- here. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:27 PM | Comment Coventry police investigate shootingCOVENTRY -- The Coventry police say they are investigating the shooting of a man not far from the police station. Authorities say the man, whose name was not released, was wounded last night while he was inside a vehicle on Route 117. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for treatment. He was alert and conscious at the time. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:10 PM | Comment State launches business health care campaignPROVIDENCE -- The state launched a campaign this morning to promote a new health care plan designed to encourage small businesses to cover their employees. State officials say the plan will reduce premium costs by 20 percent over existing options, savings made possible by commitments from participants to pursue “wellness” initiatives, such as quitting smoking and eating healthier foods. “There is no single issue that comes up more strongly and consistently than access to affordable health care,” Saul Kaplan, the head of the state Economic Development Corporation, said today. “It is very important that we tackle this issue.” Posted by Jack Perry at 12:06 PM | Comment A Newport Cicilline to run for Crowley's House seatA former state senator today announced his intention to run in the special election to fill the House District 75 seat left open by the death of longtime Rep. Paul Crowley, who was a Newport Democrat. J. Clement "Bud" Cicilline, a Newport Democrat and chairman of Newport's Democratic City Committee, issued a news release saying that despite the short time from now to the election, "I do plan to campaign vigorously and to meet as many of the voters in the district as possible." The special election is set for Dec. 18 in Newport. There is an Oct. 16 deadline for submitting nomination papers, with signatures of at least 50 registered voters from District 75. Crowley died at 57 last week after a struggle with melanoma. His funeral was Thursday. He had represented Newport in the General Assembly for 27 years, the longest serving Democrat in the legislature and its second-longest serving member. "Integral to resolving our budgetary problems are such issues of importance as economic development and good paying jobs, an improved system of education, health care and health insurance, adequate service to needy citizens, housing and environmental issues, and public safety and infrastructure planning," Cicilline states. "There is an obvious need for a sound policy and pragmatic program approach to all of these issues." Cicilline is the uncle of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:00 PM | Comment State announces adult flu clinicsAdults can start getting their flu shots in Rhode Island October 17, according to the state Department of Health. There are 519 public flu clinics scheduled in Rhode Island this season. Private providers can also give shots. This flu season marks the first year of the Immunize For Life program after legislation was passed mandating the state Department of Health purchase and distribute adult flu vaccine in Rhode Island, according to the state Department of Health. State Health Director Dr. David R. Gifford calls it a "more efficient approach to adult influenza immunization." “We are pleased to be kicking off this new, more efficient approach to adult influenza immunization,” said Director of Health, David R. Gifford, MD, MPH. “All adult providers and facilities enrolled in the program will receive a sufficient quantity of vaccine so that they can start their vaccination efforts on October 17,” Gifford said. The department has ordered 258,000 doses of vaccine for the adult flu program. The first round of deliveries to adult providers and facilities will be made this week. For information on public clinics, call 1-800-942-7434 or visit www.health.ri.gov.
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:57 AM | Comment Irish jury rules R.I. climber died by `misadventure'DUBLIN, Ireland -- An extreme rock-climber known for scaling cliffs without safety equipment died by ``misadventure,'' rather than in a simple accident. That's the ruling by a jury in Ireland following an inquest into the death of 42-year-old Rhode Island native Michael Reardon, who was swept into the Atlantic Ocean in July. His body was never found. A coroner testified that Reardon almost certainly drowned after a wave knocked him off of a slippery rock on Valentia Island in July. The coroner recommended that the jury record a verdict of ``death by misadventure,'' not ``accidental death.'' The distinction means that Reardon's dangerous pastime contributed to his accident. The jurors agreed. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:05 AM | Comment Caprio to discuss Sudan divestment in WashingtonThe state's general treasurer is scheduled to testify this morning in Washington, D.C., about Rhode Island's efforts to divest public pension funds from companies that do business with Sudan. Frank Caprio was the only state treasurer invited to testify in front of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which Sen. Jack Reed sits on. More than 400,000 people are thought to have been killed since 2004 and nearly 3 million displaced, mostly from the southern region of the country. A divestment measure died before making it to the floor of either chamber last year, when Paul J. Tavares, the state general treasurer at the time, expressed reservations about it. But this year, Caprio supported the bill and, in fact, requested that it be introduced. He is scheduled to address the committee at 9:30 a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Foggy and cloudy with a high near 74The sun may not make an appearance today. The fog that's out there is expected to stick around until noon, and the rest of the day should be cloudy with a high temperature near 74 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The fog should return tonight, and the low temperature will be in the low 60s. Another change of pace tomorrow, with morning fog giving way to mostly sunny skies and a high in the mid 80s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's Journal front page features a report that House Speaker William J. Murphy, one of the three most powerful elected officials in state government, says it's time to reconsider pensions for state employees, a move that could eventually end the practice of guaranteed lifetime pensions for new state employees and public school teachers. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment October 2, 2007Brits, Canadians and Americans rock Lupo's tonightIt's an international presence on the stage of Lupo's tonight. Bloc Party, the British indie rock band, plays tunes, as do Canadian indie rockers Tokyo Police Club and the American indie band Smoosh. The show begins at 8. Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel is at 79 Washington St., Providence. Tickets are $23, $30 for reserves. Call (401) 331-5876 or (401) 272-5876 or visit www.etix.com. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Verizon seeks to expand R.I. cable TV serviceVerizon Communications is seeking permission to expanding its FiOS cable television service in 10 more Rhode Island communities, mostly in the northern section of the state, the company said today. Verizon filed applications with state regulators to provide the service to the 115,000 households in cable service areas 1 and 4. The communities in those areas are Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket. The applications were made with the state’s Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which grants cable TV franchises, as long as a prospective provider is fit, willing, and technically and financially qualified to deliver cable TV service. Assuming it gets that approval, Verizon said it expects to begin offering its service in those communities next year. The company is already offering its FiOS TV service to about 80,000 households in service area 6, which includes Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, North Kingstown, Warwick, West Greenwich and West Warwick. Verizon is awaiting state approval to offer FiOS in service areas 2, 3, and 8, which includes 158,000 households in Charlestown, Cranston, Foster, Hopkinton, Johnston, Narragansett, North Providence, Providence, Richmond, Scituate, South Kingstown and Westerly. The company expects to begin offering the service in these three service areas by the end of this year, Verizon said. Altogether, Verizon has permission, or is seeking permission, to provide service in 29 of the state’s 39 cities and towns. The company competes directly with Cox Communications in those communities. Posted by Tim Barmann at 6:37 PM | Comment 2 Pawtucket dispatchers fired after woman's deathPAWTUCKET -- The Fire Department dispatchers who were on duty when a woman bled to death waiting for a rescue truck have been fired. Rookie firefighters Sean Mooney and Christopher Jeffrey were let go last Friday, a week after they were suspended with pay following the Sept. 20 death of Maria A. Carvalho, 53. City Director of Administration Harvey E. Goulet Jr. confirmed the firing, but declined to give the reason, saying that the matter remains under investigation and all information related to the incident is being forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office for review. In an interview last week, Mrs. Carvalho’s husband, João, and son, John, said that, despite frantic telephone calls to 911, there was a delay dispatching an ambulance to their home at 101 Gooding St. While she was waiting for the ambulance, Mrs. Carvalho, a kidney patient, bled to death. The state Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the bleeding was from a shunt inserted for dialysis treatment. John Carvalho said his mother dialed 911 as soon as the bleeding started. When she told his father that no one was helping her, João Carvalho got a neighbor to call 911 as well. Police are reviewing the calls to determine if there was a indeed delay dispatching a rescue truck and, if so, who was responsible. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Goulet, the top aide to Mayor James E. Doyle, said Doyle ordered that the investigation be conducted by the Police Department’s internal affairs division. At the same time, he said, Fire Chief Timothy P. McLaughlin and the Fire Department’s training officer are conducting a review of Fire Department’s training and procedures. “They’re looking at every aspect of this incident,” Goulet said. “We certainly don’t want this happening again." Neither Mooney and Jeffrey could for reached for comment. Both men were probationary employees who had been firefighters less than a year. Lt. Robert Neill, the president of the Pawtucket firefighters union, said neither Mooney and Jeffrey have been in to tell him they were terminated. “If that is the case, and they have been terminated, then we will probably be filing a grievance,” Neill said, adding that he will be discussing the matter with the union’s executive committee. “Our position is that, if they started paying dues the day they were hired, then they’re entitled to all their rights under the collective bargaining agreement,” Neill said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:21 PM | Comment Bomb threat evacuates Woonsocket HighWOONSOCKET -- Woonsocket High School evacuated 1,910 students today after the Police Department received notice around noon that there was a bomb at the high school. No device was found after a search of the school. High School Principal Lourenco Garcia said that police told him they had been notified that there was a bomb at the high school and that it would go off at 12:30 p.m. Garcia said that students were asked over the public address system to go to their classrooms where their teachers were, and the teachers led them out of the school and away from the building. The students were out by 12:20 p.m., he said. The students were dismissed early, and the buses came to pick them up. Woonsocket Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle said that 12 officers went to the high school and the state bomb squad was called. “We had them go through the school with negative results,” he said. The police are investigating the bomb threat, he said. Garcia said the school followed procedures to get students out of the building as quickly as possible. He said that students had specific instructions to wait for their buses but some took off. “Everyone was trying to do the best they could under the circumstances. When something of this nature happens it is impossible to have things run the way you want, but we will learn from it.” -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:12 PM | Comment Online giving to schools makes push in Providence
PROVIDENCE -- A social studies teacher in Brooklyn wants 22 tickets to take her girls to The Lion King. A biology teacher in Flushing, N.Y., wants to buy a set of carnivorous plants for her 10th grade science class. A fifth-grade teacher wants to introduce her students to farm-fresh food at the Union Square Farmer’s Market in Manhattan. What do all of these projects have in common? They were paid for by one or more “citizen philanthropists,” individual donors who don’t have the resources of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffet, but who want to make a difference in small but meaningful ways. Today, the founder of DonorsChoose.org, Charles Best, announced the arrival of this Web-based giving program at the Fortes Elementary School, where he was joined by Mayor David N. Cicilline, Supt. Donnie Evans and Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith. Best, a Yale University graduate, was a novice social studies teacher in the Bronx when he dreamed up the idea of using the Web to connect small donors to worthy public school projects. “It was my first year of teaching,” Best said, “and we were all griping about not having enough money to do our projects. I figured there must be some way to fund a classroom project and then see how the money was being spent.” Inspired by requests from around the country, DonorsChoose decided to go national, which means that the Web site is now open to any public school in the United States. Best selected Providence to announce the program’s national push because Cicilline was so enthusiastic about the project after hearing about it from City Councilman Cliff Wood. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Best, who was living at home with his parents at the time, used his students to brainstorm how the program would work. A donor logs onto the Web site and then uses keywords to identify a project of interest. Perhaps, the donor loves gardening. Using the words, gardening and Providence, the site will pull up a list of school projects that involve both keywords. DonorsChoose volunteers screen each proposal before it is posted online and verify that the teacher and the project meet the program’s eligibility requirements. The organization buys the materials and ships the items to the school along with a disposable camera and a stamped envelope in which to enclose student feedback. Students write thank-you notes to the donors and DonorsChoose develops the photos, compiles the letters and mails them to the donors.
The Rhode Island Foundation has already promised $30,000 to get the program off the ground, and Best said that one way the seed money might be spent is to buy gift certificates and give them out to potential donors as a way to jump-start the effort. “I encourage people in the business community to go this Web site,” Cicilline said. “You can choose to support a class, a school, a field trip, even a book. You can make a pledge of $10 and up. Every donor gets a camera with pictures of the project. What you get in return is a vivid image of what your donation bought.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:34 PM | Comment Salve soccer suspension tied to hazing incidentNEWPORT -- The men’s soccer team at Salve Regina University has forfeited five games as a result of a hazing incident which led to a confrontation and an assault on a sidewalk about 10 days ago. She said the university has an “an ongoing internal investigation” concerning the actions of “a number of students,” not only in connection with the hazing on Sept. 23 but with regard to “a number of incidents at different times and different dates.” “It’s not the soccer team as a whole,” Hendrickson said. She said the forfeiture makes a “strong statement about the men’s soccer coach,” Brian O’Rourke II. His “swift reaction” emphasizes the “point that in Division 3 athletics, you win as a team, and unfortunately, you also lose as a team,” Hendrickson said. Apart from the five-game suspension announced yesterday, Hendrickson declined to discuss any sanctions which have been imposed against individual students or elaborate on the internal investigation. Early in the morning of Sept. 23, witnesses at Jimmy’s Saloon at 37 Memorial Boulevard told police they had seen three Salve students and several other people involved in a scuffle over a racial slur written on the back of one student’s T-shirt. The student wearing the shirt reported he hadn’t known about the writing on the back, according to police Lt. William Fitzgerald. He believed the slur had been written on the shirt earlier in the evening while he and the other students were drinking at a party on Spring Street, Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald said Romani was punched in the face and then kicked in the head after he fell to the sidewalk, according to witnesses’ accounts. Police charged Luis Viruet, 19, from 20 Chapel St., with simple assault. The suspension began Sept. 27, when the Salve Regina Seahawks were scheduled to play at Western New England College. Competition will resume Oct. 13 at New England College. NCAAHazing is dedicated to exposing hazing in college athletics, according to spokesman William Schut. In one of the photos, a young woman -- her face blacked out -- is shown inside a dog cage while another woman kneels to the side. Today, Hendrickson denied Schut’s contention that the university took no action. The students involved have already graduated, Hendrickson said. “They are all aware they will suffer the consequences if they engage in that type of behavior,” she said. The only incident of hazing that is part of the current ongoing investigation is the one that occurred Sept. 23, Hendrickson said. She declined to release any other details of the investigation or the number of students involved, citing federal privacy laws. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment State seeks to dismiss suit against DCYFLawyers for the state today filed a motion to dismiss the class-action brought against the state Department of Children, Youth and Families by state Child Advocate Jametta O. Alston, arguing that Rhode Island Family Court, not U.S. District Court, is the best place to review cases of children in DCYF custody. Acting for Governor Carcieri and two state agency directors, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch and lawyers for agencies named in the lawsuit filed the motion in federal court, Lynch's office announced this afternoon. Alston's lawsuit "involves many things relating to children that are confidential under state law," so the state asked the federal court to "accept parts of the motion and accompanying memo under seal." In another memo, filed publicly, Carcieri’s lawyers, including Lynch, described the lawsuit’s definition of the proposed class of children who are allegedly being harmed as “ambiguous." The civil rights lawsuit, which became public in June, alleges that children in state foster care are being beaten, molested, neglected, burned with cigarettes and, in one instance, killed. Since word of the lawsuit became public, a state legislative committee has held hearings on the issues at DCYF. After launching a review, Governor Carcieri announced there were no findings of intentional wrongdoing by DCYF. Read the original lawsuit here. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:11 PM | Comment Providence man critical with electrical burnsPROVIDENCE -- A Providence man is in critical condition this afternoon after sustaining burns to his body after coming into contact with an electrical transmission tower yesterday. Kenneth Soltys, 36, of 36 Manhattan St., was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after personnel responded to Stanhope Street at 11:48 a.m. for a report of an explosion with a man injured, according to the police incident report, which identifies Soltys. Early indications suggested the injured man may have been trying to cut through two heavy-gauge guy wires that support a transmission tower off Stanhope Street. A witness told the police that he heard a loud explosion and then saw a large ball of flames coming from electrical wires on Stanhope Street, the report says. The witness said he walked in the direction of the wires and saw a man on the ground, apparently burned. The witness called for help and was met by fire and rescue responders. The police report said officers saw a wire dangling from the utility pole and two sections of wire, "rolled up and held together by electrical tape at the entrance to the field." Detectives at the scene seized burned clothing and a cell phone. National Grid is conducting its own investigation, David Graves, a National Grid spokesman, said today. One wire apparently broke free, shot upward and came into contact with the transmission line above. That connection sent 115,000 volts down the second guide wire, burning the man. Standard voltage in a U.S. household socket is 120 volts. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:32 PM | Comment Lt. Gov. Roberts to head panel visiting TaiwanPROVIDENCE -- Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and a group of New England legislative leaders head to Taiwan on Friday in part to "foster economic ties between Taiwan and Rhode Island," her office said today. Taiwan's government invited Roberts to head the delegation of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine legislative leaders, according to a news release. The delegation will learn about Taiwan's health care system, meet with Taiwanese economic development officials and work "on strategies for regional economic growth based on the lessons learned in Taiwan, focusing on biotechnology." Roberts and the delegation will meet with the vice minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the vice president and chief financial officer at the Bureau of National Health Insurance, the secretary general of the Taiwan Provincial Government, and the vice superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital. The delegation will also visit Taipei World Trade Center and the Taipei International Electronics Autumn Show, meet with the director general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and with the Taiwan Importers and Exporters Chamber of Commerce. They will "explore the economic development potential" of Taiwan's high-speed rail and meet officials at technology and biotechnology companies. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:28 PM | Comment N.Y. Times reporter to speak on China at URISOUTH KINGSTOWN -- David E. Sanger, reporter in The New York Times' Washington bureau, tonight will talk at the University of Rhode Island about security issues regarding China and Northeast Asia. Part of the fall honors colloquium "China Rising" at the university, it starts at 7:30 p.m. in Chafee Auditorium. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:06 PM | Comment Photo: First four wheels roll off the rails at Quonset
Posted by Jack Perry at 1:54 PM | Comment Body of Providence woman found in CoventryCOVENTRY -- The police said today that the body found last week off Trestle Trail was that of Marian H. Edmonds of Providence, who had been reported missing. The body of Edmonds, 52, of 5 Cathedral Square -- the Cathedral Square Apartments -- was found in the western section of Coventry. She had been reported missing by her brother on Sept. 18, the Coventry police said. The cause of death is pending, the police said in a news release, "however, it is not considered to be suspicious." The Providence police have said that Edmonds left home on Sept. 3 and had not been heard from. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:29 PM | Comment Alert: National Grid drops bid for Providence LNG siteNational Grid announced this afternoon it has dropped its pursuit of establishing a major LNG marine terminal in Providence. The decision ends a years-long effort by the company's KeySpan subsidiary to re-vamp its existing storage facility on the Providence River into a terminal that would receive LNG deliveries by tankers. And it is apparently a victory for the citizens, organizations and public officials who fought the proposal. Though KeySpan's proposal was rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2005, the company had appealed that decision in federal court. The company was scheduled to make oral arguments on Oct. 26 at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. In a brief statement, National Grid said it met with Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, who has been among the most vocal opponents of the KeySpan proposal. After that meeting, the company said it announced it was dropping its appeal. "National Grid announced that it has dropped its appeal of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decision not to approve proposed changes to the company’s Field’s Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Providence," the statement says. "National Grid Executive Vice President of Business Development, Steve Zelkowitz, advised the Attorney General that the company would continue to evaluate natural gas needs in the region," the statement said. " The company believes LNG will continue to play a critical role in both energy reliability and price. National Grid committed to work with public officials prior to any future decision impacting the facility." The statement did not say why the company had decided to drop its appeal. Lynch issued his own statement in which he hailed National Grid's decision. “The public safety issues surrounding this plan were always clear to me," Lynch said. Those issues, he said "were confirmed by the experts I retained, including Richard A. Clarke, who prepared an extensive report detailing the perils of locating an LNG terminal in an urban area.” Lynch added, “I fully recognize the need to address our region’s energy needs. I am confident that National Grid, which has a history as one of our state’s most responsible corporate citizens, will continue to play a leading role as government, business, and other interested parties work together to find safe, efficient, environmentally responsible, and economical solutions to meeting those demands.”
Posted by Tim Barmann at 12:27 PM | Comment Man dragged by train in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A man who was dragged about 100 feet by a train this morning was taken by rescue to Rhode Island Hospital, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The call came in at 7:18 a.m. and personnel responded to a report of an injured male in the area of 100 Gaspee St., the Amtrak station. The man's identity or condition was not yet known. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:14 PM | Comment Seekonk man arrested after landing at Cape air baseBOURNE, Mass. -- State police have arrested a Seekonk man who made an unauthorized landing of a small plane on a military runway at Otis Air Force Base. State police say 26-year-old Brian Dedrick landed a single-engine Cessna 172 Skyhawk early yesterday afternoon and was detained by officials at the base. Clifford McDonald, a spokesman for the 102nd Fighter Wing, tells The Standard-Times of New Bedford that Dedrick told security officers he landed because he was lost and low on fuel. McDonald said they called police after the questioning "deteriorated." Dedrick was arrested on charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct, and two counts of possessing a dangerous weapon, double-edged knives. Dedrick was being held at the state police barracks in Bourne. A telephone message at a listing for Dedrick wasn't immediately returned. McDonald said that civilians make unauthorized landings at the base a few times a year, usually because of mechanical problems. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:36 AM | Comment Traffic Update: Accident on I-295 cleared
The driver of the 18-wheeler was able to walk away from the wreck. For up to date information about traffic conditions, and to see videos from the Department of Transportation's highway cameras, check the TMC Web site. -- With reports from Journal staff photographer Bill Murphy. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:20 AM | Comment R.I. Guard general scheduled for arraignment todayThe assistant adjutant general of the Rhode Island National Guard is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Providence. Brig. Gen. Brian Goodwin was charged with disorderly conduct on Sept. 4 after allegedly yelling at and threatening police officers who were interviewing his son about an assault that took place on the lawn of his North Smithfield home. In a police report, an officer said he thought Goodwin was going to physically attack him. Police said Goodwin became upset when they questioned his son, 18-year-old Pvt. Brian Goodwin, Jr., about apparent discrepancies in his statement about a Sept. 1 fight where the teenager’s jaw was broken. Goodwin is scheduled to appear in District Court, Providence. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:03 AM | Comment Download today's front pageA story about a group of artists who lived in a secret corner of Providence Place mall and more om former Sen. John Celona lead today's Journal. Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:32 AM | Comment There's a primary in Central Falls todayCentral Falls residents vote today in a three-way primary for a city-council seat. After three terms, Ricardo Patino is not running for reelection. He has said he needs to care for his elderly parents. Kevin N. Bryan, of 15 Darling St., Carmen A. Mirabal, of 35 Rand St., and Patrick J. Szlashta Jr., of 385 Dexter St. are running to replace Patino, who was often the lone dissenter on some of the mayor’s proposals. The top two vote-getters will meet in the Nov. 6 election. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:30 AM | Comment Operation Holiday Cheer benefits soldiers overseasCRANSTON -- State officials want to make sure that members of the Rhode Island National Guard who are stationed overseas are remembered during the holidays. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts is among the officials planning to attend a kickoff event today for Operation Holiday Cheer, a program that sends care packages to soldiers serving abroad. The program is in its seventh year, and organizers expect more than 300 Guard members to benefit. Major Robert Bray, the commanding general of the National Guard, and corporate sponsors are also scheduled to attend the event at the National Guard Command Readiness Center. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick speaks tonight at BrownMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is coming to town. The Democrat will deliver the Frank Licht Lecture on Contemporary Issues tonight at Salomon 101, on the main Green, off Waterman Street. The lecture, titled “An Evening with Deval Patrick,” will be free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy. Patrick has recently made news with his plan for three full-scale gambling casinos in Massachussets, which has left some wondering what the impact would be on neighboring Rhode Island, where voters have defeated proposals for such operations. The lecture begins at 7 p.m. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment More sun on the horizonAnother sunny day. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 71 degrees. Tonight's low will be in the high 50s with patches of fog in the early morning. That should clear by 9, and the day should be sunny with a high in the mid 70s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment October 1, 2007Tonight: Tourzilla stomps into ProvidenceTourzilla arrives at Lupo's tonight at 7 Slated to play are Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, The Audition and We the Kings. $15. For events with perhaps less-threatening names, visit projo.com's Lifebeat page and our calendar. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Man sentenced in Central Falls triple slayingA Pawtucket man was sentenced to two consecutive life prison sentences today for the murder of his estranged girlfriend, her new boyfriend and her daughter. Adelino Duarte, 40, formerly of 659 Main St., admitted to killing estranged girlfriend Elizabeth Orellana, her boyfriend and her daughter in Central Falls in August 2006, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced. Duarte will serve at least 40 years before parole eligibility. “In the matter of a chilling few short minutes, this enraged defendant destroyed two families and made orphans out of Elizabeth Orellana’s four surviving children,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in the statement. “As appropriate as Judge Krause’s sentence is, today’s sentencing only ends the legal aspects of this brutal multiple homicide. Elizabeth’s survivors will be in our thoughts and prayers as they must contend with a much more difficult sentence — a life without their mom.” Duarte pleaded guilty to four of the seven counts for which he was indicted in December 2006: three counts of murder and one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, death resulting. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney In exchange for the plea and the two consecutive life sentences, the state dismissed one count of breaking and entering and merged two additional charges of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, death resulting, into the gun charge to which Duarte pleaded. Prosecutors Maureen Keough and Daniel Guglielmo would have presented at trial that on Aug. 18, 2006, between 1 and 2 a.m., Duarte went to the home of Elizabeth Orellana at 712 High St. in Central Falls. He had shared the second-floor apartment with Orellana and her five children until about one to two months before the crimes. Duarte went into the apartment, found Orellana’s two 16-year-old daughters in the living room. The girls saw him carrying a gun, later found to be a 0.25-caliber Raven Firearm handgun. Duarte found Orellana with her new boyfriend, Octavio Calcagno. The two girls ran to different rooms, tried to call for help. Duarte shot Orellana and Calcagno each one time in the head at close range. A third daughter, Kristal Duarte, believed to have been asleep in a second bedroom when the incident started, encountered Duarte in the living room. She was shot once in the head. Central Falls police responded within minutes of the shooting and found Duarte with the gun in the apartment. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:46 PM | Comment Sign of what's ahead? Celona now in R.I. prisonJohn Celona is back in town, a sign that the long-running federal corruption probe of the Rhode Island State House is heating up. The convicted former senator from North Providence, whose State House double-dealing sparked the sprawling investigation known as Operation Dollar Bill, has been quietly moved from a federal prison in western Pennsylvania to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls. In March, Celona began serving a 2-1/2-year prison term after pleading guilty to using his public office for private gain and agreeing to cooperate with the authorities against some of his former legislative colleagues. Celona’s assistance, a prosecutor told a judge in January, had spawned 14 "active investigations’’ of 7 politicians and 7 corporations. From Blue Cross to Beacon Mutual, from CVS to Citizens Bank, the investigation is being handled by a task force encompassing the FBI, the Rhode Island State Police, criminal investigators from the IRS and U.S. Department of Labor, as well as one-fifth of the resources of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Providence. Five months after Celona reported to a low-security prison in Loretto, Pa., he was transported back to Rhode Island around Aug. 7 by federal authorities, U.S. Marshal Burton Stallwood confirmed today. U.S. Atty. Robert Clark Corrente declined to comment on Celona. But his homecoming likely means that investigators need to talk to him, or have him testify before the grand jury, as their efforts on a number of fronts progress. Celona’s lawyer, William C. Dimitri, said that Celona is happy to be closer to home and family, even if it is a high-security facility for accused drug dealers and others awaiting trial, as well as convicts waiting to be sentenced. "He’s doing fine, hanging in there,’’ said Dimitri. "Obviously, it’s easier for him to see his children and his wife, and that’s some comfort. He’s anxious to finish his sentence and get home to his family.’’ Dimitri declined comment on the reasons for Celona’s transfer, and said that he has no idea when he might be sent back to a federal prison, or even whether he would be returned to the same prison. Celona, 54, whose whereabouts have previously been identified on the Bureau of Prison’s Web site as Loretto, is now listed on the "inmate locator’’ as being "in transit.’’ His scheduled release date is March 28, 2009. Extra: A special report on Celona's case and its fallout. Read more in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ... -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:38 PM | Comment Johnston mayor wants lawmakers to reconveneJOHNSTON -- The Rhode Island legislature should reconvene and pass a tax incentive package that was derailed during the assembly’s 2007 session, Mayor Joseph M. Polisena said today. The proposed tax incentives were for A. Duie Pyle, a Pennsylvania trucking company setting up shop in Johnston. However, the proposal was blocked by Sen. Stephen D. Alves, D-West Warwick, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. On Sunday, The Journal reported that the FBI is investigating whether Alves killed the measure to punish Polisena after he decided that Alves, a stockbroker, would not be involved with the investment of various Johnston pension funds. “This is outrageous,” Polisena said. The legislature can vote to give Pyle the tax incentives if it should reconvene to override other legislation vetoed by Governor Carcieri, Polisena said. Otherwise, lawmakers should come back to pass the measure for Pyle, he said. “It’s a fairness issue,” said Polisena. A town lawyer is drafting a resolution that asks the legislature to take action, he said. The resolution will be presented to the Town Council for approval at the council’s meeting on Oct. 9, Polisena said. The trucking company, A. Duie Pyle, is still coming to Johnston, because it had already committed to the project before the legislation died, its chairman said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:26 PM | Comment Update: 1 killed, gang leader hurt in separate shootingsPROVIDENCE -- One man was killed in a parked car early today, while a second man was wounded in a separate shooting in what the police suspect is the latest volley in a ongoing feud between rival street gangs. Police Maj. Stephen Campbell said the murder victim, Luis Abreu, was fatally shot as he sat in the driver’s seat of his black BMW sedan outside his first-floor apartment at 282 Ohio Ave., in the city’s Washington Park neighborhood. The shooting took place about 12:15 a.m., and Abreu was pronounced dead at the scene. He is the 10th person murdered in the city this year. Campbell said that police do not suspect that Abreu’s murder was linked to the shooting of Nirut "Shorty’’ Seng, 21, of 45 Hanover St., in the city’s West End. Seng, who the police described as a leader in the Young Bloods street gang, was shot in the buttocks about 30 minutes after Abreu was killed. The police say that he was sprayed with gunfire by a passing car as he climbed the front steps of his apartment building. Seng, who was taken by rescue to Rhode Island Hospital, has refused to cooperate with detectives and declined to file a complaint with the police department. The scenes of the shootings are about two miles apart. No arrests have been made in either case. Detective Sgt. Michael P. Wheeler, who heads the Providence Police Gang Unit, is very familiar with Seng and the ongoing feud between the Young Bloods and the Hanover Street Boyz. The police gang unit has been monitoring the actions of both groups for months. Both gangs are comprised of Asian, Hispanic, white and black youths who live primarily in the city’s West End and in Cranston. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Last Friday, at about 2 a.m., police responded to 74 Hanover St. for a report of shots fired. The police gang unit learned that a member of the Young Bloods had moved into that address last month. On Sept. 8, Seng was arrested after police spotted him on the porch of 45 Hanover St. at 12:30 a.m. holding what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun. Members of the gang unit, who were in an unmarked police car, bounded up the stairs of the address and handcuffed Seng. They found a .loaded 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun with what appeared to a be a sawed-off barrel. The police also seized a loaded Maverick pistol from beneath a couch cushion. Campbell said the charges were dismissed in District Court at the request of the police department after investigators determined that the shotgun was longer than the minimum length of a sawed-off shotgun. Upon further investigation, police also determined that Seng did not have a felony conviction and was within his rights to lawfully be in possession of the shotgun and the pistol. The Providence police remain in possession of both weapons, but Campbell said that Seng could petition the department for both weapons and he would probably be allowed to retrieve them. Seng’s address has been the site of multiple shootings this year. On Jan. 28, police responded to his 45 Hanover St. apartment for a report of shots fired. That same day, Vicheth Klakratok, a Young Bloods gang member was beaten and murdered near the corner of Cranston and Benedict streets. Five members of the Hanover Street Boyz have been charged with Klakratok’s murder and are awaiting trial. In August, there was an escalation of shootings in the city -- 20 overall -- and the police said that gang violence was responsible for many of the shootings. One of them occurred at 45 Hanover St. Police said that someone with a BB gun shot Jose Lopez, 18, in the chest. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:41 PM | Comment Update: Rocky Point has new owners / Photo
WARWICK -- The court-appointed receiver for the former Rocky Point amusement park has signed a purchase and sale agreement with a Providence developer, it was announced today. Rocky Point Partners LLC. has agreed to buy the approximately 83 acres while the City of Warwick will buy the other 41 acres for open-space purposes, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced. Under the agreement terms, final closing on the sale must take place on or before March 28, 2008. Behind Rocky Points Partners, which was incorporated on Sept. 14 in papers signed by lawyer Zachary G. Darrow, is Leach Family Holdings. James and Peter Leach attended a press conference today on the sale. Before today's announcement, the fate of the former park, well known to generations of Rhode Islanders, was approaching a deadline. The park was such a fixture in the public's minds that it even became the subject of a recently-released documentary. The purchase and sales agreement has been submitted to U.S. District Court, Rhode Island, for "review and disposition." "The [Small Business Administration], as receiver, is pleased to take this latest step toward assuring an acceptable use for this valuable property," Mark S. Hayward, the SBA Rhode Island district director, said in a statement. "This is definitely a step in the right direction and we will await final approval of the U.S. District Court in order to move forward with this project." -- With reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:36 PM | Comment Distinguished crew takes part in Bay cleanup
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Governor Carcieri and Timothy R.E. Keeney, a deputy assistant secretary in the federal government’s oceans agency, all grabbed handfuls of refuse and threw them into a garbage container inside the 56-foot landing craft. Then they all stood back as a crane on the landing craft pulled a beached, 20-foot section of floating dock off the shore, lifted it high in the air, and dropped it onto the garbage container. That’s how state and federal officials celebrated renewed federal funding for the unusual public-private program that has been performing an unprecedented cleanup of Narragansett Bay with minimal staff and zero bureaucracy. First, of course, there were the usual speeches under a tent at the water’s edge in Colt State Park. But all focused on the two civilian sea captains, Ed Hughes and Alan Wentworth. They created Project Clean Sweep and pushed, prodded and cajoled to get state support and federal funding to use their unusual boat and all the volunteers they could round up to remove the discarded boats, bollards, piers, tires and other refuse that line the Bay’s shoreline. Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave the two $150,000 and they used it to remove 1,100 tons of refuse. They worked under the supervision of the state Department of Environmental Management, with permits from the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council and lots of help from other local and state agencies. The state’s Resource Recovery Corp. lets them discard the refuse for no charge at the state’s Central Landfill. Today’s gathering was prompted by a new NOAA award of $170,000 -- the second highest such grant awarded to a single state. -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:34 PM | Comment Developer, Warwick to be new Rocky Point ownersWARWICK -- The court-appointed receiver for the former Rocky Point amusement park has signed a purchase and sale agreement with a Providence developer, it was announced today. Rocky Point Partners LLC. has agreed to buy the approximately 83 acres while the City of Warwick will buy the other 41 acres, the U.S. Small Business Administration said in a news release. Before today's announcement, the fate of the former park, well known to generations of Rhode Islanders, was approaching a deadline. The park was such a fixture in the public's minds that it even became the subject of a recently-released documentary. The purchase and sales agreement has been submitted to U.S. District Court, Rhode Island, for "review and disposition." -- With reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:02 PM | Comment DOT directing motorists to podcasts for 195 updatesPROVIDENCE -- The relocation of Route 195 should drive motorists into the 21st century, and the state Department of Transportation is using a 21st-century method to signal the change. The state DOT posted the first in a series of podcasts, multimedia files distributed over the Internet, on its Web site today to inform drivers about the Iway, which is expected to open in part by the end of this month. The relocation project, called the Iway will provide a new interchange between Routes 95 and Route 195 in Providence across the new Providence River Bridge. Two lanes -- bringing traffic from Route 95 north onto Route 195 east -- are scheduled to open by the end of this month. According to the DOT, the project will make it safer and easier to travel between Route 195 and Route 95. The current interchange was designed in the 1950s when 75,000 cars and trucks traveled it daily. It's now gets twice as much traffic. The DOT has produced 12 podcasts, six in English and six in Spanish. They are like mini-documentaries running about three minutes each. The first two podcasts provide an overview on the project and then more information on design and construction. Drivers can safely travel over unfinished portions of the project, thanks to computer-generated simulation. Dana Alexander Nolfe, chief public affairs officer for the DOT, says the department expects the podcasts to reach a younger audience, one that doesn't rely as much on traditional media. "Teens and 20-somethings embrace technology and these podcasts will allow RIDOT to reach out to them with new media and do something no DOT has done before," she said. She said the podcasts cost $7,500 each to produce. The department will also use traditional means, such as television and newspapers, to spread the word. In addition to the DOT's Web site, the podcasts will be available on Blinkx, http://www.blinkx.com/, iTunes, www.apple.com/iTunes and on YouTube, YouTube. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:15 PM | Comment Update: High court won't hear appeal of R.I. liquor lawPROVIDENCE -- The U.S. Supreme Court on today rejected an appeal challenging a 3-year-old Rhode Island law that bans liquor sales by franchise stores. Wine & Spirits Retailers, a company that had struck franchise agreements with several stores in the state, filed a federal lawsuit in 2004 arguing the law was unconstitutional. The company said the ban violated its right to free speech and free association. Though state authorities enacted the law in 2004, they delayed enforcing it for two years while a legal challenge was pending. Before the nation's highest court was asked to weigh in, a federal appeals court declined to block the law from taking effect. "At any step of the way, a court could basically invalidate the law, so we took a very measured approach to our enforcement," said Richard Berstein, a lawyer for the state Department of Business Regulation, which is responsible for enforcing the law. The law broadened an existing ban on liquor chain stores by preventing business owners from using names that suggest their store is part of a franchise, which could give the stores a competitive advantage if consumers assumed they have a wider selection. Berstein said the Supreme Court's decision meant the department would continue enforcing the law. Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return calls for comment today. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:08 PM | Comment Expect Rte. 95 closings in Providence for re-pavingWas your ride a little rough heading into Providence on Route 95 this morning? Well, it should be smoother soon. On some nights this week, stretches of the highway will be closed from Exits 18 through 20 for road surface removal -- known as cold planing -- and paving beginning at 11 p.m. and running till 5:30 a.m. Exit 18 is Thurbers Avenue and Exit 20 takes motorists on and off Route 195. That stretch of Route 95 north will continue to be closed tonight and tomorrow night. The stretch of Route 95 south will be closed tonight, tomorrow night and Wednesday night, and also on Friday night, the state Department of Transportation advised today. There will be no closings Thursday night. Drivers should expect a rough road due to the surface removals. The DOT advises motorists to use Route 295 or Routes 6 and 10 to reconnect with Route 95 during the overnights impacted by the closings. For traffic helpers, such as Web cams and traffic alerts, check the DOT's Traffic Center site. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:02 PM | Comment Update: Power line may have badly burned manPROVIDENCE -- A man in his early 20s was sent to Rhode Island Hospital with severe burns after possibly coming into contact with a transmission line. The man, who has not yet been named, was burned on roughly 100 percent of his body, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid, said the company was sending investigators to the scene, on Stanhope St. The initial incident was called into MacGregor Street, which intersects Stanhope between Route 146 and Charles Street. The nature of the accident has not yet been officially determined, but Graves said it appears that the man – who is not a National Grid employee – may have come in contact with the power company’s equipment. A transmission line runs through that area, he said. A transmission line, by definition, carries more than 69,000 volts, Graves said. The standard voltage in a U.S. household socket is 120 volts. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:31 PM | Comment Man gets more than 15 years for drug traffickingPROVIDENCE -- A Providence man with two-dozen past convictions has been sentenced to more than 15 1/2 years in federal prison for crack cocaine trafficking, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office announced today. Ronald Hill, 35, sold crack cocaine in Providence on two occasions last year, a news release says. Hill's two-dozen prior convictions included five drug convictions. He was sentenced Friday as a career offender by Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court, Providence. Other convictions included domestic assault, drug possession and drug trafficking. Hill pleaded guilty in January to two counts of distributing cocaine base. At the plea hearing, prosecutor Sandra R. Beckner said the government could show that on Sept. 11, 2006, Hill sold a gram of crack and, on Sept. 18, he sold nearly 10 grams. Providence police monitored both sales, the U.S. Attorney's office said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:21 PM | Comment Gas prices up for second consecutive weekGasoline prices in Rhode Island have increased for the second week in a row, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline has increased two cents, to $2.699 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The price also increased two cents last week, AAA said. Rhode Island is still 10 cents below the national average.
Posted by Jack Perry at 12:08 PM | Comment Update: Belo to split into TV, newspaper companiesDALLAS -- Belo Corp., the owner of The Providence Journal, says it will spin off its newspaper division to create separate newspaper and television companies. The new company, to be called A.H. Belo Corp., will also own the Dallas Morning News and The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif. The company said A. H. Belo will also own and manage the various Web sites associated with these properties, as well as certain niche products and direct mail and commercial printing businesses. A. H. Belo's combined newspaper and related online businesses reach a total audience of 3.7 million people. These businesses currently have annual revenues of approximately $750 million and about 3,800 employees. Robert W. Decherd, currently chairman and chief executive officer of Belo Corp., will become chairman, president and CEO of A. H. Belo, and non-executive chairman of Belo Corp. A. H. Belo will be debt-free upon completion of the spin-off. The Dallas-based media company says the spin-off will be made through a tax-free distribution of new A.H. Belo shares to Belo Corporation shareholders in early 2008. Belo says it expects to spin-off to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. "As a separate public company focused exclusively on newspapers and online news and information," Decherd said, "A. H. Belo will be better able to respond to the diverse and rapidly-evolving needs of customers in the local markets it serves, and with no debt, the company will have the financial flexibility to compete in this challenging operating environment and return cash to shareholders through an attractive recurring annual dividend yield." At the effective date of the spin-off, the company's release today said Belo Corp., with approximately 3,200 employees, will be the "largest pure-play publicly-traded television station company in the nation." By late morning, Belo stock had gone up $2.64, to $20 per share. Check the latest price here. Read the dallasnews.com report on the decision. --- With reports from the Associated Press Belo will own and operate 20 television stations (including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and MyNetwork TV affiliates) reaching 14 percent of U.S. television households, and their associated Web sites, in 15 markets across the U.S. Nearly all Belo stations rank first or second in their local market based on audience reach. Belo operates 9 stations in 7 of the top 25 markets in the nation, with 6 stations located in the top-15 markets of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Seattle/Tacoma and Phoenix. Belo will also own two 24-hour regional cable news channels: Northwest Cable News (NWCN) and Texas Cable News (TXCN). NWCN is the nation's second-largest regional cable news channel, reaching 2.1 million households in the Pacific Northwest. TXCN is Texas' only regional cable news channel, reaching more than 1.8 million homes. Belo will also retain ownership of two additional news channels and will continue to operate two others through partnerships. Dunia A. Shive, currently president and chief operating officer of Belo Corp., will become president and CEO of Belo Corp.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:45 AM | Comment Mass Gov. Patrick to speak at Brown tomorrowMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is coming to town. The Democrat will deliver the Frank Licht Lecture on Contemporary Issues tomorrow evening at Salomon 101, on the main Green, off Waterman Street. The lecture, titled “An Evening with Deval Patrick,” will be free and open to the general public. It is sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy. Patrick has recently made news with his plan for three full-scale gambling casinos in Massachussets, which has left some wondering what the impact would be on neighboring Rhode Island, where voters have defeated proposals for such operations. The lecture begins at 7 p.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:26 AM | Comment Feds giving R.I. $170,000 to clean Narragansett BayThe state Department of Environmental Management and Clean the Bay, a non-profit organization, are expected to receive a $170,000 federal grant today at Colt State Park in Bristol. Gov. Carcieri will join federal, state and local officials at the park to discuss Project Clean Sweep, a state effort to clean large marine debris from Narragansett Bay. The grant, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is intended to help the program continue. Carcieri, NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary Tim Keeney and other officials will take a tour of the Bay and the cleanup operation on a Clean the Bay landing craft. Also slated to attend the event, which begins at 10 a.m., are DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan, Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. Patrick Kennedy. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:08 AM | Comment 2 shootings, 1 fatal, early today in ProvidenceOne person is dead, and another was injured after two separate shootings early this morning in Providence. One man is dead after being shot while he was in a vehicle near 290 Ohio Ave. in the city’s Washington Park neighborhood, just after midnight, according to the Providence police. A half hour later, another man, also 21, was shot in the left buttocks near 45 Hanover St., about two miles away. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, according to Providence Fire Chief of Communications James Taylor. The police have not released the names of the victims, nor said whether the two shootings were related. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:58 AM | Comment Special election Dec. 18 for Crowley's seatPROVIDENCE -- A special election to fill the seat of the late Newport state Rep. Paul Crowley will be Dec. 18, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis has announced. A primary will be Nov. 13, if necessary. Rhode Island’s general laws give the Secretary of State the authority to set special elections under certain circumstances, according to Mollis. Crowley’s death last week with more than half his term remaining is "one of the triggers in the law," Mollis said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his friends and all the people he represented so well over the years,” said Mollis. “Our priority is making it easier to vote. We selected a date that met the letter of the law as well as encouraged the highest voter turnout possible given the challenge of the upcoming holiday season.”
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A clear and crisp dayThe National Weather Service is forecasting clear, sunny skies and a crisp day with a high near 69 degrees. Tonight's low should be about 52 with a calm, south wind. Tomorrow's looking a little warmer, with partly cloudy skies and a high in the mid 70s. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of a statewide disaster drill at the Rhode Island Convention Center that was at the center of attention last week when the Providence firefighters union threatened to picket the drill because of contract problems. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006