|
|
« October 25, 2007 | Today | October 29, 2007 » 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. |
|
ADVERTISING |
|
|
|
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006