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« November 15, 2007 | Today | November 18, 2007 » November 16, 2007Thanksgiving travel predictions -- and tipsWhether you’re planning a trip to visit family this holiday season, or trying to get a break from them, it’s likely going to cost you more than it did last year. But, according to the annual AAA survey, that's probably not enough to stop you. It seems neither record-high gas prices, nor fears of sitting in a plane on a runway for hours is enough to deter holiday travelers from packing their bags and heading out as the busy Thanksgiving travel week begins. Although the increase is expected to be slight, more people are planning to travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend; 38.7 million people compared to last year’s 38.1 million, according to AAA’s annual Thanksgiving travel survey. And 80 percent of them are planning to travel by car, that’s a 1.3 percent increase over last year. Any increase could be seen as surprising considering this year America is facing the highest November gas prices ever; more than $3 per gallon. Last November, a gallon of gasoline ran about $2.20. Last week in Rhode Island, gas hit an average of nearly $3.04 a gallon, but Robert Murray, senior vice president at AAA if Southern New England, isn’t surprised that people are still planning to travel. “It’s a pretty big jump,” he acknowledges, but said it wasn’t a significant deterrent, especially around Thanksgiving, “because it’s about family.” And travelers are also finding they may be able to make up the difference in other ways. Rates are down for many hotels, and rental prices have dropped, on average, 12 percent, according to AAA. If you do decide to drive, check the cost of gas for your trip the AAA fuel calculator. Even commercial airline tickets are down more than 5 percent from this time last year, according to AAA, and about 4.7 million Americans are expected to travel by plane this holiday season. In Rhode Island, T. F. Green Airport is expecting heavier-than-usual holiday traffic. The airport will have extra police officers, airline and rental car personnel, food and retail staff, parking attendants, and shuttle service. Even so, a press release with travel tips issued by the airport Friday warns travelers to arrive early, but of course to check for cancellations in the case of bad weather. Bring positive identification and don’t forget the TSA3-1-1 rule: any gels or liquids must be containers of 3 ounces or less and packed in one quart zip top bag to make it through the security checkpoint. Amtrak is also alerting travelers to heavy traffic during the next few days, and plans to add extra cars in the Northeast corridor to cope. The train service is also operating on a special Thanksgiving holiday timetable. Extra: Find more resources on projo.com's travelers' tips page. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:55 PM | Comment Photo: Coming soon to a Thanksgiving table near you?
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:05 PM | Comment Tonight: A trio performs on flute, viola and harp at URICatch a trio performing tonight at the University of Rhode Island. The Aureole Trio -- flute, viola and harp -- takes the stage in the Great Performances series of concerts at 8 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Rd., Kingston. Percussionist Gregg Charest joins in for some Hispanic music. Tickets are $15. For informations, call (401) 874-2627 or go to www.uri.edu/greatperformances. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Pawtucket man robbed of $30,000 in home invasionPAWTUCKET -- An elderly man told police he was robbed of $30,000 and a wrist watch by two men who forced their way into his home. Antonio Caetano, 69, was watching the 6:30 p.m. news in his apartment at 18 Ivy St. Thursday when he heard a knock on the door and answered it without asking who it was, according to the police. When he opened the door, Caetano told police, he was confronted by two men wearing ski masks. One of the men was holding what appeared to be a handgun. The men stormed into the apartment. One of them grabbed Caetano by the neck and demanded, “Where’s the money?” Caetano said he was shoved into the bedroom, where one of the men pushed him to the floor and held him there while the other man flipped over his mattress and opened all his bureau drawers, the police report said. Caetano told police that he tried without success to pull off the face mask of the man who was holding him. At that point, he said, a blanket was tossed on top of him so he couldn’t see. Caetano told police he heard more bureau drawers being opened, then the sound of the men running out of the apartment. Before leaving, one of the men took the wrist watch Caetano was wearing. Caetano told police he was very scared. He got up, closed the bureau drawers and righted the mattress, which had been flipped on its side in his bedroom. Then he went into the spare bedroom, where he noticed the bottom bureau drawer open and the tin can where he kept his money emptied of cash. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Caetano, who speaks little English, went next-door and asked a neighbor to call the police. David R. Medeiros, who speaks fluent Portuguese, was called in to translate. “Caetano stated that he had approximately $30,000 in cash in the tin can,” Medeiros said in the police report. “He was asked if he could describe the two males and he stated that they were approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall” with medium builds. Caetano was taken to police headquarters, where was interviewed by detectives. The empty tin can was seized as evidence and turned over to Detective Scott Feeley, who is investigating the case. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Man charged with setting his house on fireA Charlestown man was indicted today on one count of first-degree arson after the police alleged that he set his house on fire in July and fled the scene. Along with the arson charge, the indictment handed up by the Washington County grand jury accuses Brett Perkins, 44, of 46 Charles Ave. of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of resisting arrest. Perkins on July 3 allegedly "knowingly caused or created by means of fire or explosion a substantial risk of serious physical harm to any person or damage to the building located at 56 Charles Avenue," said a news release from Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office. Perkins allegedly assaulted a victim with a dangerous weapon, "to wit, a 1993 white Chevy Corsica, and that he also used force in resisting arrest by a police officer." About 50 volunteer firefighters responded to a 9-1-1 call that July day just before 10:30 a.m. to find the single-story brick house in flames. A police officer told The Journal at the time that witnesses reported hearing arguing before the fire and, possibly, a threat to burn the house down. Perkins lived in the house with his wife, The Journal reported. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Concerns aired over care for developmentally disabledCRANSTON -- Impending changes in the way the state cares for the developmentally disabled drew nearly 300 people today to the first of several conferences that Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals director Ellen Nelson has scheduled over the next several weeks. The state budget crisis will make reform all the more difficult, Nelson said. That message -- and concerns about the future shape of services -- did not please many of the developmentally disabled and relatives, advocates and providers who attended the overflow gathering at One Rhodes Place. “We’re at a teetering point,” said Nelson, whose department Thursday issued layoff notices involving 293 MHRH positions. Once a national model, Rhode Island’s system of care for the developmentally disabled has fallen on difficult times, with waiting lists for group homes and programs. Employment opportunities are limited, and aging parents worry about the fate of their adult children. Similar problems affect care of the mentally ill, another group in MHRH’s charge. Today’s session was only the beginning of a planning process, Nelson said; while she and her staff have identified critical areas, they have not determined solutions. Public input will continue through Feb. 15 under Nelson’s timetable, with new contracts and services to be in place next summer. “There isn’t any predetermination as to outcome,” Nelson said. Several who spoke said they feared that reform would bring reductions in services -- and a return to the days, more than two decades ago, when the developmentally disabled either lived at Exeter’s Ladd Center, now closed, or with families who had little or no support. “You say you’re looking for creative ideas. Thirty-four years ago, we had creative ideas,” said Pat Vincent, whose autistic son, now 34, lives in a group home. Vincent was among the advocates who helped create Rhode Island’s community-based system of care. “I can’t go through this again,” Vincent said. Nelson tried to reassure her audience that MHRH does not intend to “dislodge, disrupt or otherwise negatively impact a person with a developmental disability.” But the present system, she said, cannot endure. -- Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller Among the most critical issues is the state’s network of group homes, some run directly by the state and others by private agencies with government funding. Most were built twenty of more years ago, and are now in need of upgrading and repair -- but the state lacks the money to accomplish that. One option that MHRH is considering, Nelson said, is creation of a “housing trust” from proceeds of sales of some homes to agencies that would continue to operate them. Another option is expansion of supported-living programs, in which the disabled live with non-related individuals who earn a stipend from the state for the care they provide. Such programs are less costly than group homes. Nelson said she could not discuss the impact of the state budget since the governor and General Assembly have yet to sift through the crisis. “Trust me, this year is a different year,” said Nelson. “There is a reality looming out there… which is there will be limits.” Several in the audience said that the developmentally disabled should not bear the brunt of cuts. “Why are the politicians getting rich and we’re getting cut?” said Julia Ionata, of Providence. Herself developmentally disabled, Ionata cares for a 30-year-old daughter who is also disabled. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:38 PM | Comment Couple rescued from burning Richmond houseRICHMOND -- A Richmond police officer rescued a local couple and their pet dog from their burning house this afternoon. No one was injured. The officer, John E. Randall, who’s been on the force for two years, said he arrived at the house at 1:30 p.m. responding to a call of a burning structure at 481 Kingstown Road (Route 138) engulfed in flames and heavy smoke. Randall said he saw the silhouette of a man “standing but slumped over in a front room,” apparently trying to reach the front door. “I was yelling at him, ‘Here I am. Are you OK?’” Randall said. “He couldn’t say anything, just move his arms.” Randall kicked the front door open and carried out Arthur A. Kocsi, 52. Kocsi then told him that his girlfriend remained in the house, in a back room. Randall said he tried to go back into the house, but couldn’t see or breathe through the thick black smoke. Instead, he went around the house. He said he heard glass cracking from a basement window and heard a woman’s voice yelling, “help me, help me.” Lisa Sykes, 46, had partially collapsed by the window, as she continued trying to smash the glass with her left arm. Randall broke the window and pulled her and the dog out. -- Journal staff writer Maria Armental But Sykes, Randall said, wanted to go back in, unaware that Kocsi was already out. By the time Randall went around the house to get Kocsi, Kocsi had already started to reenter the house tyring to reach Sykes. Kocsi and Sykes were taken to South County Hospital as a precaution. The dog was taken to the Richmond pound. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:56 PM | Comment List of positions being cut hits hard at MHRHThe list of 483 state employee positions released by Governor Carcieri's office today includes an "A list" of those informed their positions are being cut and a "B list" of those informed their positions are targeted for cutting. The list was foreshadowed by copies of layoff and warning notices provided by union officials to The Journal yesterday, which showed cuts largely targeted at jobs in the state’s welfare and hospital arenas, including interpreters who work with poor immigrants, and workers in one of the last psychiatric units at Eleanor Slater Hospital. The governor also laid the groundwork for closing the West Warwick branch of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The numbers also reflect some of the Carcieri administration's ideas about privatization of services, such as housekeeping services at the state hospital complex. Here is a sampling of some of the 153 "A list" positions for which employees received layoff notices yesterday: * The Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals loses 45 positions, including 13 certified nursing assistant positions and five seasonal certified nursing assistant positions. Also going are two clinical laboratory scientists' positions, two licensed practical nurse positions, and five registered nurse positions.
* At the Department of Environmental Management, an environmental scientist, a senior environmental planner, a chief of strategic planning and policy, a chief of information and public relations, and a park caretaker supervisor are among nine positions eliminated. * Two interpreters of Cambodian, an interpreter of Hmong and an interpreter of Portuguese are among 31 Department of Human Services positions being cut. * Department of Administration loses three chief deputy sheriff positions among 16 position eliminations. * Department of Health loses 11 positions, including an associate director of health, an assistant director of health (community affairs), a chief field inspector, a health policy analyst, a sanitarian, and a virologist.
* At the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, positions that would be cut include eight licensed practical nurses, a supervising registered nurse, 11 registered nurses, 21 certified nursing assistants, 11 cooks, more than 50 cook's helpers, 14 food service supervisors and more than 50 janitors. * Department of Administration would lose five deputy sheriff positions and the sheriff positions in Newport and Kent counties. * Department of Corrections would see 27 adult counselor positions and four classification counselor positions eliminated. * Five customer service representative positions at Division of Motor Vehicles would go, as would a motor vehicle operator examiner position. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:05 PM | Comment Sox adding 800-plus seats to Fenway for next seasonBOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox are adding more than 800 new seats at Fenway Park as part of a slate of improvements planned for next season. The new seats and standing room areas for about 60 people will be added to the pavilion level, which is the third level of seating above home plate. The pavilion area will be extended down the first base line and the third base line, where about three-quarters of the new seating will be located, the team announced. In total, Fenway's capacity will increase by about 900 fans. The pavilion seats will cost between $75 to $90 and the standing room area tickets will cost $25. "We understand the demand for such seats; thus we are adding to the supply," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. The team also plans to install new scoreboards, new stairways and elevators and open a year-round restaurant in center field that will have a view of the ballpark. The announcement comes the same week the team said 2008 ticket prices would increase an average of 9 percent. Prices at Fenway range from $12 for upper bleachers seats to $125 for field box seats. Lucchino said the added revenue was needed to keep the team competitive, particularly as the rival New York Yankees see a major revenue increase when they move into a new stadium in 2009. The new seats and other improvements are part of the annual offseason renovations the team has undertaken at the league's oldest and smallest ballpark since the ownership group led by John Henry bought the Red Sox in 2002. Among the major renovations were adding seats above the "Green Monster" in left field in 2003. Before last season, the team added a new bleacher section on the roof deck in right field. "For decades, there was a presumption that Fenway Park had outlived its useful life and, sentiment aside, would have to be replaced by a modern facility in another location," Lucchino said. "We are eager to see, in 2012, this ballpark become the first ever to celebrate its 100th anniversary." Posted by Jack Perry at 2:57 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Leaving R.I. for economic reasons?A Journal reporter is seeking interviews with people who are leaving Rhode Island for economic reasons, including taxes or business climate. Please contact Karen Lee Ziner at kziner@projo.com. On a lighter note, the same reporter is working on a Thanksgiving story. Have relatives or friends subjected you to scorched turnips, green beans and Velveeta or burnt turkey at Thanksgiving? Please share your worst Thanksgiving holiday food experiences for publication. Again, please contact Karen Lee Ziner at kziner@projo.com. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:45 PM | Comment R.I. sending packages to troops overseasRhode Island troops overseas can look forward to receiving a little bit of home this holiday season thanks to Operation Holiday Cheer. The program sends care packages to troops filled with donations from the Ocean State. Tomorrow morning, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray and volunteers from across the state will meet at the North Main Street Armory to assemble packages. Corporate sponsors include some obvious choices for Rhode Island: Del’s Lemonade, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ocean State Job Lot, and The Providence Journal. Also supporting the program: AAA of Southern New England; the American Red Cross, R.I. Chapter; Amica Insurance; Arthur Lambi and Associates; Bank of America; the Boston Celtics; National Grid; the New England Patriots and the U.S. Postal Service. Volunteers will meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Main Street Armory. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:52 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 95 southboundTwo lanes are closed on Route 95 southbound is after an early afternoon accident in the high-speed lane. The Transportation Management Center is reporting the right and right-center lanes closed at Exit 21/Atwells Avenue after an accident at about 12:25. For more information, check the TMC’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:37 PM | Comment Update: Carcieri releases list of positions being cutGovernor Carcieri has just released the list of 483 state employee positions being cut or targeted for cutting. It does not include names, just positions and pay-grades. One-hundred and fifty-three state employees got layoff notices yesterday. Another 330 received notices their positions are targeted for cutting by fiscal year's end in June 2008. All told, the current plan is to cut about 536 state positions. “Reducing the size of the state workforce is an option nobody wanted to take,” Governor Carcieri said in the statement. “Unfortunately, this is one of the most effective options we have left to address the state’s growing budget problems. We did not take this step lightly. Nor do we believe that reducing the size of the state workforce is the entire solution to the state’s budget problems. In fact, this is just the beginning of the spending we will need to cut." Not all notices were delivered to affected employees yesterday; the remaining ones will be delivered over the coming weeks. "Additions, adjustments or revisions to the list will be provided to the media as they become finalized," the governor's office said today. The governor's office said eliminating the 536 positions is projected to save about $41.6 million a year starting next fiscal year. Average savings per cut position, including salary and benefits, is about $77,648, according to the governor's office. Read the list. Carcieri on Nov. 1 announced plans to save another $7.7 million per year by eliminating 168 contract positions. Carcieri also anticipates millions of dollars in savings through eliminating about 487 positions from retirement and attrition by fiscal 2008's end. Carcieri said his goal is to save about $100 million yearly, beginning in fiscal 2009, by reducing the state workforce. “The state’s projected budget deficit has nearly doubled since I first announced my spending reduction plan,” Carcieri stated. “As the state’s budget forecast has grown even worse, it has become clear that we must redouble our efforts to cut state spending. At this time, we are not planning another round of significant job cuts. But in the coming weeks and months, I hope to work with the General Assembly and others to develop long-term solutions to the state’s budget problems.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:22 PM | Comment Visit the landfill -- no, really!Protect your identity, lay off the landfill, cultivate a garden. You can do it; the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation can help. Tomorrow, the RIRRC, which runs the Central Landfill in Johnston, is inviting residents to stop by for Rhode Island Recycles Day. A shredder will be on hand for disposing sensitive documents that people may not feel comfortable throwing in the recycle bin although, Sarah Kite, recycling manager at the landfill said, it’s “exceedingly rare” that identity theft occurs from a recycling bin. The landfill will also be accepting electronic waste – things like computers, cell phones and televisions – that contain toxins such as mercury or lead, and should not be thrown away with other trash. There is a $5 fee for disposing televisions because of the difficulty of handling cathode-ray tubes, which may be lined with toxic powders and which are prone to implode if damaged. The RIRRC will also have compost bins for sale. The bins are a great way to dispose of biodegradable waste, and turn it into nutrient rich soil – perfect for gardens. Not sure what to do with your compost? Sign up to become a master composter at the University of Rhode Island. They’ll show you how to put it to good use. Saturday’s events run from just 8 a.m. until noon at the Central Landfill, 65 Shun Pike in Johnston. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:33 AM | Comment Former prison guard denies trooper assault charge
Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
James Proulx, right, during his arraignment.
James Proulx, 37, faces one count of felony assault and one count of misdemeanor reckless driving after a June 16 incident that left trooper Brendan Doyle in the hospital. During this morning's arraignment, Proulx's bail was reduced from $1 million with surety to $100,000 with surety. His lawyer, William Dimitri, had asked that the bail be reduced to $20,000 with surety, but Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia sided with a request from prosecutor James Baum for higher bail. Proulx must also surrender his passport. Proulx, wearing a suit, looked straight at the judge and said little other than giving his name and date of birth. Dimitri entered the plea on his behalf. Doyle suffered a serious head injury, went into a coma and was administered the Catholic church's sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites. His stepmother, Lori Doyle, attended the arraignment and said the trooper is doing "better and better in every aspect." She maintains a Web site providing updates on the trooper's progress.
Doyle was off duty, and leaving a restaurant with friends on Pine Street when they saw a car jump a curb and weave through a crowded street, according to the police. Doyle shouted at the driver, who eventually stopped at Pine and Dorrance Streets. Police say Doyle, 25, identified himself as a trooper and walked toward the car. Proulx got out and punched Doyle in the face, according to the police. The trooper fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement. He spent three weeks at Rhode Island Hospital. Proulx faces a maximum of 21 years in prison. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:52 AM | Comment Upcoming work on Route 95 in PawtucketBy mid-November, trucks and other heavy vehicles with three or five axles will not be able to cross the Pawtucket River Bridge; Route 95 between Exits 27 and 28. The state Department of Transportation will begin the process tonight to reduce the weight allowed on the bridge; by Nov. 26 the posted restriction will be 22 tons. The DOT will begin re-striping lanes on the bridge at 11 tonight to help redistribute traffic weight from the outer edges of the bridge to the main girders. Eventually the bridge will be replaced. Until there is a new bridge in place, the George Street on-ramp will be closed. The bridge was built for 60,000 cars per day, according to the DOT, but today volumes about three times that amount cross it daily. As of August, Rhode Island has the highest percentage of bridges in the nation listed as "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete," according to Kazem Farhoumand, deputy chief engineer for the Rhode Island DOT. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson DOT’s director, Jerome F. Williams, says the bridge is safe, and that the work is an attempt to ensure it remains so. “RIDOT inspects all of its bridges at least once every two years,” Williams said in a statement, “RIDOT has monitored and repaired this bridge consistently since 2002. A full inspection was conducted summer 2006 with additional inspections late this summer.” At least one lane will be open at all times during the work, which is set to begin tonight at 11 and continue through tomorrow morning. Northbound work will begin on the northbound side of Route 95 near Exits 27 and 28. Southbound work is scheduled to start Sunday at 11 p.m. and continue until 5:30 a.m. Monday. DOT officials will announce details about replacing the bridge toward the end of the month, according to spokeswoman Dana Alexander Nolfe. " Nolfe said the Department has been in contact with trucking companies to work out viable detours. Non-commercial traffic and service vehicles, such as ambulances, won't be affected, she said. The Pawtucket River Bridge is a part of the original interstate system. It was built in 1958 to carry traffic over Taft Street and the Pawtucket River. It is actually two separate structures; it has two girders with cantilever brackets on each side. This is the only one of its kind on Route 95 in Rhode Island. The bridge is formed by two projecting trusses that are connected in the center, supported by piers, and anchored by counterbalancing members. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:18 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 10 trafficRoute 10 is a mess. Avoid it if you can. See for yourself. Several accidents, including one at the Reservoir Avenue exit, have cars stopped. For the latest traffic information, visit the Transportation Management Center's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:20 AM | Comment Iway construction continues
Starting this Saturday morning, northbound traffic on Allens Avenue will share one lane of alternating traffic with construction crews as another phase of work on the Iway begins. Southbound traffic on Allens Avenue will follow a detour to Eddy Street and return to Allens at Public Street. The detour will remain through the weekend, and the work will continue Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Construction crews will be on the street, lowering the grade on Allens Avenue in preparation for placing steel along the Avenue as part of the Iway “superstructure” that will bring traffic from Route 195 west to Route 95 north. The steel installation should begin early next year. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Clearing but coolThere may be snow in your future. Yesterday's high was 65 degrees. Today, the National Weather Service is forecasting a maximum temperature of 46. The rain, or sleet, or whatever this is should clear up soon, the clouds will part, and the sun is expected to make an appearance. The wind, however, is here to stay, coming from the northwest at 13 to 22 mph. Gusts could reach 34 mph. A few clouds will roll in tonight when the temperature drops to 30 and wind gusts up to 31 mph. Tomorrow should be cloudy and cold, with a high in the mid 40s and gusty west winds. Tomorrow night will bring more rain and then -- snow. Maybe. The temperature should drop to about 30 degrees. Sunday, a chance of snow, then rain. Cloudy skies are forecast for the day and a high temperature just on the warmer side of 40. Sunday night is looking cold, with temperatures dropping into the mid 20s. No precipitation forecast for Monday; just sunny skies and a high temperature near 40. Keep tabs on the weather throughout the weekend on 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 proposals to build wind turbines off the Rhode Island coast to generate electricity. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006