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« November 26, 2007 | Today | November 28, 2007 » November 27, 2007Vacant building on fire on Veazie Street in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A vacant 3 1/2-story building is on fire on Veazie Street, according to a fire official. Capt. James Taylor, chief of communications, said firefighters are checking out the wood-frame building at 88 Veazie St. to make sure no one is in it. No other information was available at this time. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:11 PM | Comment Tonight: Jazz, more jazz and a reborn Grateful DeadTonight there's a jazz ensemble, a jazz combo and jazz at AS220. On the other hand, there's the Grateful Dead reborn as Dark Star Orchestra. The Afro-Cuban and Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, directed by Eric Platz, and The Modal Jazz Combo, directed by Jared Sims, performs at University of Rhode Island, Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Upper College Road (off Route 138), Kingston. Call (401) 874-2431. 7:30 p.m. $8; $2 students. The Alban Bailly/Heddy Boubaker Duo and Meghan Yates play jazz at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. (401) 831-9327. 10 p.m. $4. All ages. Dark Star Orchestra and The Bridge play rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 p.m. $20 advance; $25 day of show. The John Badessa Big Band plays swing at Lombardi's 1025 Club, 1025 Plainfield St., Johnston. Cal (401) 944-1025. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. For more event listings, visit projo.com's calendar page. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Cyber Monday spending up 21 percent from year beforeCyber Monday -- the online equivalent of old-school Black Friday -- racked up $733 million in online spending, up 21 percent from last year's Cyber Monday and an 84-percent increase from average daily online spending during the past four weeks. That is according to comScore, Inc. which measures the digital world and released figures late today. Amazon and Wal-Mart were the top retailers on Cyber Monday, comScore found. “Cyber Monday once again set a record with $733 million in sales, the first time a single day of online retail spending has broken the $700 million threshold," comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement. "While that makes it the heaviest online shopping day on record, we expect that a number of individual shopping days during the coming weeks will surpass the Cyber Monday total, with some days potentially surpassing $800 million.” The company also found: * The number of online buyers was up 38 percent from Cyber Monday 2006, while the average money spent per buyer was down 12 percent. The drop in dollars per buyer may be because of deeper and broader price discounts offered by online merchants this year and because new Cyber Monday buyers tended to spend less online than returning buyers. * Six percent of the Internet users on Cyber Monday made an online buy. * Forty-four percent of Internet users on Cyber Monday shopped online -- visited an online retail site or used a comparison shopping engine. * Sixty percent of dollars spent online on Cyber Monday came from work computers, with the balance coming from home and university computers. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Wind farm group to seek towers to get weather data firstThe company that wants to erect hundreds of wind turbines off the Rhode Island coast plans to first ask state regulators for permits to install four, 300-foot meteorological masts so it can gather weather data in the waters off Watch Hill, Block Island and Little Compton. Two top executives of Allco Renewable Energy Group Limited met with state energy coordinator Andrew Dzykewicz last week to try to answer concerns Dzykewicz raised when the company’s plans became public two weeks ago. Both sides said the meeting was cordial, but they don’t appear to agree on how Rhode Island should develop its potential coastal wind energy. Dzykewicz said state officials want to proceed with a stakeholder group to identify and permit acceptable sites along the coast, and then seek proposals from the many potential vendors who can develop wind farms. “I have a hard time -- with so many potential vendors out there -- committing to a single supplier,” Dzykewicz said today. “I’ve been preaching this as a Rhode Island project to benefit Rhode Islanders. If we are going to sell this, we have to convince people that someone is not going to come in and take away all the revenues." He also questioned whether Allco has the capital to develop a $1 billion wind farm. James Wavle, Allco’s managing director, and Bill Fischer, a Rhode Island public relations specialist, said in an interview today that they believe their proposal and the state’s plans can continue on parallel tracks. The state can continue with its stakeholder process for selecting sites, while the state’s coastal regulatory body, the Coastal Resources Management Council, can establish criteria for permitting wind farms, and then consider Allco’s application, they said. -- Journal environment writer Peter Lord Fischer said there are still many unknowns with the state’s plans. Governor Carcieri's proposal to create a new state energy agency never got out of a House committee last summer and nothing is certain about what the General Assembly’s intentions will be this winter, or when it will act. The state has a tremendous budget deficit that could thwart the governor’s plans as well, he said. “There are so many unknowns,” Fischer said. “CRMC has never regulated a wind farm. So with everything still in its infancy, we don’t think we’re disrupting the path he (Carcieri) has chosen.” The important thing to Allco, Wavle said, is that the state is committed to wind energy. And regardless of whether the wind farms are developed the way the state wants them, or whether “I can’t overstate the importance of the commitment of state government to renewables,” said Wavle. “The only places where windpower is happening is where states are committed.” Allco is a New York-based, private investment banking firm that specializes in renewable energy projects. It is investing in solar energy projects with Sun Edison LLC in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Arizona and Washington, D.C., according to Fischer. The company filed its preliminary applications with CRMC in September. Spokeswoman Laura Ricketson-Dwyer said today the agency still needs more information from Allco before it can respond. CRMC staff will probably meet with Dzykewicz in a few weeks to start talking about how to permit and regulate wind farms, she said. While coastal wind farms are common in Europe, they are still rare in the United States. The Cape Wind company has been battling for five years to develop a wind farm in Nantucket Sound. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:43 PM | Comment Van Halen -- Eddie's guitar plus Roth -- coming to DunkPROVIDENCE -- Rock band Van Halen is performing at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in March, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority announced today. The band, including David Lee Roth, is scheduled to perform on March 24, according to Lawrence J. Lepore, the arena's executive director. Tickets go on sale Dec. 8, Lepore told The Providence Journal today. The Rhode Island tour date is not yet listed on the band's Web site, www.van-halen.com. But Van Halen had planned to be performing on the East Coast around the same time. Dates have been scheduled for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania for next March. Last month, the creators of "Hot for Teacher" played at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Head of Providence Preservation Society takes new jobPROVIDENCE -- Jack Gold, the well-respected director of the Providence Preservation Society, is leaving the local historic preservation group to take a job heading a similar organization in San Francisco. Gold, 56, came to Providence three years ago December, and since then the organization has doubled its endowment and is no longer running a deficit. The traditionally East Side-centered group has also expanded its focus to the West Side of the city during Gold’s tenure. He said that leaving Providence will be bittersweet -- while San Francisco is a bigger and more famous market, Providence has a great history and an ever-present role for preservationists. But Gold has a sister in San Francisco, and said he had always wanted to live there. “I’m at a point in my life where I’ve always loved that city, and when the opportunity came up I felt I had to take it,” he said. The San Francisco job will be somewhat similar to his Providence position, Gold said, but there is a shorter architectural history there, and fewer rules protecting historic buildings. There is a great deal of development in San Francisco, and the head of the local organization is expected to build partnerships with neighborhood groups and provide a preservationist’s take on new buildings and changes to neighborhoods. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi “It’s a similar organization with a larger membership,” Gold said. “It’s a bit of a different milieu, there aren’t as many government controls on preservation per se, so there’s more of a role for activism out there.” Preservation Society Board Chairman Mark Van Noppen said that Gold’s leaving for San Francisco actually speaks well of the Providence group. “We are delighted for Jack -- this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone in his position in the preservation world. It’s a real feather in PPS’s cap that San Francisco Architectural Heritage has hired Jack, who has been a great executive director for us during the past three years,” Van Noppen said. Gold’s last day will be Dec. 20. Van Noppen said that PPS will conduct a nationwide search for a successor. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:06 PM | Comment Pawtucket water board issues drought advisory, tipsPAWTUCKET -- The Pawtucket Water Supply Board has issued a drought advisory, saying water levels in its reservoirs are low and customers need to conserve. The water system’s reservoirs contain about 2.1 billion gallons, down from the 3.4 billion gallons that is typical for this time of year, said to Allen Champagne, the Water Supply Board’s source water manager. If the drought doesn’t ease during the winter, Champagne said, the water shortage will worsen, making it necessary to impose restrictions during the spring. The Water Supply Board supplies water to Pawtucket, part of Cumberland and all of Central Falls. To conserve water, the board says customers should: * Use dishwashers and washing machines only when full. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Truck detours to avoid Pawtucket bridge could last yearsPAWTUCKET -- The detours that will begin routing trucks through local city streets tomorrow to keep them off a weakened Route 95 bridge could be needed for several years, a state Department of Transportation official said today. The DOT’s acting chief engineer, Kazem Farhoumand, also said the agency will carefully watch how its detour plan works during the next few days and will be ready to adjust it if necessary. The detours are intended to keep heavy truck traffic off the Pawtucket River Bridge, which the DOT has posted for a maximum of 22 tons because of the bridge’s deteriorated condition. The DOT said it would post the highway tonight, barring those trucks from the bridge. It will also close the northbound George Street entrance ramp, also because of deterioration of the bridge. Farhoumand said that the agency has not yet decided whether, or how much, to repair the bridge until it can be replaced. Asked during a news conference if the detours could continue for as long as five years, he said, "I do not know. We haven’t finished our analysis yet." But he said that a person guessing that it could take that long "could be right" if the DOT concludes that "it is not cost-effective to repair the bridge." Inspections have shown a variety of problems, mostly due to rust, affecting steel members scattered throughout the structure. He said that the 22-ton limit effective tomorrow, together with the closing of the entrance ramp, will keep the bridge safe. The DOT’s next step is to decide whether it is worth making repairs that would allow raising the weight limit above 22 tons until the bridge is replaced. Extra: Browse alternate routes, maps and more from the state DOT's Web site. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis There are large sums involved. Farhoumand estimated the cost of a new bridge at $40 million to $50 million. He said the DOT has already spent about $500,000 on repairs this year. The state, meanwhile, had tentatively budgeted $5 million to rehabilitate the bridge, a project now up in question. Asked whether the situation amounts to an emergency, Farhoumand said that the answer depends on your point of view. "If you’re one of those truckers, it is an emergency. From a safety point of view, it is not" an emergency. The DOT wants truckers going anywhere but the immediate Pawtucket area to use highway detours, like Routes 146 and 295, to get around the bridge. Locally, it has set up detours on local streets. Southbound traffic is to leave Route 95 at exit 30, Roosevelt Avenue, in Central Falls, and head south on that street, across Goff Avenue, Pine and Garden streets to the ramp from Cedar Street to Route 95 southbound. Northbound truck traffic will be directed off Route 95 at Exit 27 and follow Marrin Street, along the highway, and Division Street to the Division Street Bridge, which crosses the river just south of the Route 95 bridge. The DOT said it will make that bridge one way, making two lanes headed east, to carry northbound truck traffic and the traffic that would normally use the George Street ramp onto Route 95 northbound. Farhoumand said there may be traffic congestion at first as drivers get used to the changed traffic pattern. People have their habitual routes to work and elsewhere. "One you change that, there is a learning curve," he said, as people adapt. The DOT will have personnel on the scene tomorrow, he said, and local police will direct traffic and help keep it moving. He said that the DOT will "respond very quickly" if more signs are needed or traffic light timing needs adjustment. What the agency can’t do during the rest of the week, he said, it will do during the weekend, which it will have two days "to do everything else we can do" to make the detours work. Also, he said, if people who don’t need to be there would avoid the detour routes, he said, "We would certainly appreciate that." Will it work? Paul Kennedy, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Trucking Association, thinks it might -- if the DOT has the right signs up. "The trucking industry is basically used to this stuff," he said. Bridges and roads are regularly closed and big accidents block the highways. Truckers will find their way, "as long as there’s proper signage." "It’s the through trucks that I’m concerned about," he said. Truckers might be coming from the Carolinas headed for Boston, and "If the signage isn’t there, they’re going to end up going through the center of Pawtucket." That worries him. Big trucks going through local streets and pedestrians who aren’t used to them could be dangerous combination, he said. Extra: Check DOT Web cams for a live view of traffic. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Photo: Small hands can be a big help
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:17 PM | Comment Lottery audit reveals slight drop in General Fund amountYou win some, you lose some. Revenue from state video lottery games, helped by the renovated Twin River in Lincoln, rose $91.2 million during the last fiscal year. But revenue from online and instant lottery games was down about $16 million. Those figures, along with expenses, according to a state audit of the Rhode Island Lottery released today, mean the Lottery’s contribution to the General Fund is down about one percent, to $320.9 million. The Lottery, a division of the state Revenue Department, had about $78 million more in expenses in fiscal year 2007, which ended June 30, than in the previous year. The bulk of these expenses came from larger payouts, according to Financial Administrator Daniel Sarro. The Lottery paid out about $80 million more in prize money in FY 2007 than in FY 2006. But that, Sarro said, was not what led to the decrease in the Lottery’s contribution to the General Fund. “How much we can turn over to the state to help with programs is based on the amount of sales,” he said. “The prizes, you really don’t have control over.” Sarro did not have a concrete reason for the drop in sales but suggested general economic conditions were to blame. “The more people pay for fuel,” he said, maybe “the less money they have for Powerball and so on.” Read the state's audit of the Rhode Island Lottery for the FY 2007. Compare it to the audit for FY 2006. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:03 PM | Comment Police probing shots fired from car in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- The police are investigating an incident late last night in which the occupant of a passing car fired a handgun at another car in the West End. A man and a woman from Cranston, Juan Espinal, 22, and Elsida Nin, 21, both of 955 Dyer Ave., told the police that they were in an eastbound car on Superior Street shortly after 11 p.m. and that shots were fired at them from a car that pulled alongside theirs. Neither Espinal nor Nin was struck by any of the three shots they said were fired. But the police later found a bullet lodged in the bumper of their car. After the shots were fired, Espinal, who was driving, said he turned east on Dexter Street and that the shooter’s car turned west on Dexter and left. The victims were unable to provide a useful description of the shooter’s car, according to the police. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Photo: Putting a green thumb to work for the holidays
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:11 PM | Comment Traffic advisory: overturned vehicle on Rte. 295 southAn overturned vehicle in the area of exit 10 is blocking two lanes on Route 295 south, the state Transportation Management Center is warning at this hour. Exit 10 is for Route 122. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:08 PM | Comment Arrests made in rash of Warwick housebreaksWARWICK -- Two men have been charged in a rash of housebreaks in which laptops, televisions, video game systems and more were grabbed. And the father of one of the men has been charged with obstructing the police investigation. The police announced today that Derek Leblanc, 18, of 259 Buttonwoods Ave., Warwick, is charged with three counts of breaking and entering, four counts of conspiracy, three counts of possession of stolen goods, larceny of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and carrying firearm without a license. Robert L. Angell, of no permanant address, is charged with three counts of breaking and entering, four counts of conspiracy, larceny of a firearm, and possession of a stolen good, according to the police. David Leblanc, 49, Derek’s father, of the same Buttonwoods Avenue residence, is charged with obstructing the investigation based on false statements he made to the police, according to the police statement. In early October, Warwick police noticed similarities in a series of house breaks: through back doors or windows, with some doors kicked in. Items grabbed included firearms, liquid crystal display television sets, Xboxes and other video game systems, laptops, tools, and jewelry. The housebreaks happened over six weeks. About the same time, similar break-ins were reported in North Kingstown and Coventry where firearms were taken along with similar items taken in the Warwick housebreaks. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Warwick detectives learned Leblanc had pawned items at a Providence pawn shop using his brother’s name. He had also sold items stolen from some Warwick housebreaks at a Warwick electronics store in Warwick, the police said. Detectives seized stolen items from those businesses -- items later linked to another housebreak in Warwick's Greenwood section, including power tools, numerous laptops, electronics, and liquid crystal display televisions. On Nov. 14, the older Leblanc -- Derek's father -- surrendered a handgun that was later found to have come from one Warwick housebreak. Witnesses at the pawn shop and electronics store identified Derek Leblanc as selling the stolen items along with another suspect yet to be identified, according to the police. Derek Leblanc was arrested at his home later that day and preliminarily charged with possession of stolen goods over $500, a felony. The police said he was also a violator based on a previous Warwick arrest, which is pending. Two others were charged in connection with the breaks. Derrick Hutchins, 19, of 249 Natick Ave., Warwick, is charged with conspiracy relative to arranging the sale of a stolen handgun taken in a Warwick housebreak. Raymond Unwin, 31, of 121 Church St., Woonsocket, is charged with conspiracy and possession of the stolen gun. Woonsocket police tried to arrest Unwin at his residence, but he was found to be temporarily out of state. The warrant is outstanding on Unwin. Warwick detectives recovered the gun.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:25 PM | Comment Rhode Island Hospital commended day after reprimandTwo Lifespan hospitals were named to a list of 100 Best hospitals by the Thompson Corp. The Miriam and Rhode Island Hospitals were ranked at about the middle of the list of hospitals for its cardiovascular services. The list as released today, one day after the state Department of Health reprimanded and fined Rhode Island Hospital $50,000 for the third wrong-site surgery in one year in its neurology department. The rankings were based on clinical outcomes related to congestive heart failure, heart attacks, coronary artery bypass grafts, and percutaneous coronary interventions – such as angioplasties. The results of the hospitals that made the list included stays that were, on average, 12 percent shorter and costs that were about $2,000 less than non-listed hospitals. See the complete list: a href="http://www.100tophospitals.com/winners/cardiowinners.aspx">2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals®: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:48 PM | Comment Rah-Rah, we're going to Florida!A group of cheerleaders from Rhode Island is heading to Florida to compete for a national title. The Exeter-West Greenwich Knights Pee Wee Cheerleaders are the New England Regional Champs for Division 12, small team, after a win Sunday in Worcester, Mass. Next stop: the University of Florida, for the American Youth Cheer National Championship Title. The team of middle school Cheerleaders began their ascent to the Championships in October, when they won the Blackstone Valley Youth Cheerleading Competition at the Community College of Rhode Island. Now the championship team will compete in Florida Dec. 5 -7. The team is coached by Laurie Jordan, Brittany Hedger, Karen Peltier and Krisine Demoranville; Laurie Demoranville is the cheer coordinator. Click below for a list of team members. Danielle Moore Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:37 PM | Comment Voters turn out for special election in Warwick/ Photo
Three candidates are competing in a special election in Warwick District 22 to replace Democratic Rep. Peter Ginaitt, who resigned this summer. They are Democrat Frank G. Ferri, 53, of 38 Lippitt Ave.; Republican Jonathan Wheeler, 41, of 444 Warwick Neck Ave., and independent Carlo Pisaturo, 66, of 181 Narragansett Bay Ave. District 22 includes the upscale Warwick Neck section of the city, the more modest Oakland Beach neighborhood and parts of Conimicut. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at these locations: Ward 4, District 5: Warren Sherman School, 120 Killey Ave. Ward 5, Districts 1, 4: John Greene Elementary School, 51 Draper Ave. Ward 5, District 2: Warren Sherman School. Ward 5, Districts 3, 5, 6: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 358 Warwick Neck Ave. Ward 6, District 1: JONAH Community Center, 830 Oakland Beach Ave. More information about polling places is available at the Warwick Board of Canvassers, (401) 738-2000 x6222. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:33 PM | Comment Providence is getting a full marathon in MayPROVIDENCE -- A new full marathon is coming to the city, officials announced today, and it will include a charity component in the name of a Rhode Island State Trooper who is recovering from serious injuries. The marathon, which will be a qualifier for the 2009 Boston Marathon, will be on May 4. There will also be a half-marathon, a marathon relay and a 5K race, all part of the Cox Providence Rhode Races. One of the charitable beneficiaries is the Brendan Doyle Recovery Fund, which benefits state trooper Brendan Doyle, son of Johnson & Wales All-American runner Bobby Doyle. A former state correctional officer is accused of punching Doyle, who was off duty, in Providence over the summer. Last week, a Superior Court judge ordered the accused, James Proulx, held on $100,000 bail. Other charitable partners include the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Cox Charities New England. The race will start at Johnson & Wales' Harborside Campus, winding through Roger Williams Park toward the city's East Side, and down Blackstone Boulevard. A short trip through the downtown culminates in the finish line at Gaebe Commons on the university’s downcity campus. Runners can register online through the marathon's Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney The new marathon is co-sponsored by Johnson & Wales University. It will also pay tribute to people with Johnson & Wales ties. There will be an award in the name of Col. John McNulty, a former Johnson & Wales administrator who helped launch cross country racing at the-then Johnson and Wales Junior College. The university "has had a long tradition of participating in cross country racing which dates back to the early sixties,” Irving Schneider, president of the Providence campus of Johnson & Wales, said in the statement. “We are proud to be a part of this premier athletic event. He added that the race would provide students with "practical experience" in marketing, sponsorship sales, operations and planning through internships with Eident Sports Marketing. “Eident Sports Marketing is looking forward to developing the Cox Providence Rhode Races into one of the country’s premier running events,” said John Mathews, president of Eident Sports Marketing. “We aim to make this not only a top notch marathon, but an educational experience for the students of Johnson & Wales University and an enjoyable event for the greater Providence and Rhode Island communities.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:53 PM | Comment Trial of convicted killer's alleged accomplice under wayPROVIDENCE -- Six months after a Central Falls man was convicted of murdering one woman and shooting another, the man's nephew and alleged accomplice Barry Offley went on trial today. Offley, 20, "revered" his uncle, 29-year-old Alonzo P. Shelton, and "looked up to him," Offley's defense lawyer, Terence Livingston, said in his opening statement in Providence County Superior Court. On the early morning of July 27, 2006, when Shelton's estranged girlfriend Julie Lang was shot and her friend, Jessica Imran, 24, was murdered, Livingston said, Shelton was the killer. Offley had gone with his uncle to Imran's 88 Lawn Ave. apartment in Pawtucket because, Livingston said, he thought they were going to have sex with the women, or "hook up." In his opening statement today, prosecutor Paul Carnes said Julie Lang, despite being shot four times, was taken to the hospital after the shooting. "And when she was finally realeased from the hospital, months later," Carnes said, "she identified this defendant as the person who shot and killed her friend Jessica Imran and shot at her." -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Offley's trial on charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, assault with intent to murder, and discharging a firearm, death resulting, is expected to last a week and a half. Shelton, who had addresses in Providence and Central Falls, and Offley, who lived in Providence, were arrested in Ocala, Fla., six weeks after the shooting. Shelton was found guilty last May of murdering Imran and shooting the other woman, Julie Lang, his accuser in the drug case, multiple times. Shelton was found guilty of murdering Imran despite Lang's testimony that he didn't actually pull the trigger. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:09 PM | Comment RIC students vote early, real earlyRhode Island College is getting a jump on Decision 2008. Students tomorrow will cast votes in a "primary" for the current crop of presidential contenders. The college said in a news release today that the primary is one of a year's worth of efforts aimed at "engaging college students in the electoral process and urging them to vote in the 2008 presidential election." The college, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis and the state Board of Elections will hold a "campaign rally" tonight from 6 to 9 in Roberts Auditorium, where representatives from each candidate’s campaign will discuss issues of the 2008 election. Represenatives from the campaigns of Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Thompson, Tancredo, Biden, Clinton, Edwards, Gravel, Obama, Kucinich, Huckabee and Paul have confirmed they will be at tonight's rally, the college said. Each presidential campaign representative is invited to hold a demonstration to drum up support for his or her candidate and answer student questions. Commercials and taped messages from candidates will be shown during the rally. Victor Profughi, a Rhode Island College professor emeritus of political science, will moderate. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:25 PM | Comment Traffic: Left lane of Rt. 146 in Providence re-openedPROVIDENCE -- All lanes on Route 146 north have been re-opened after officials cleared a late-morning accident. The right lane on Route 146 northbound near the intersection with Admiral Street had been closed after an accident. For up-to-date traffic conditions, check the Transportation Management Center's Web site. To see for yourself how the roads look, check out the traffic cameras.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:24 AM | Comment Astor's son, accused of mishandling estate, indictedNEW YORK -- Brooke Astor's only son and his lawyer have been indicted on charges apparently stemming from their handling of the late socialite's $198 million estate, a defense attorney said. Michael S. Ross, attorney for lawyer Francis X. Morrissey Jr., said Monday he received a telephone call from the Manhattan district attorney's office informing him of the indictments against Morrissey and Astor's son, Anthony D. Marshall, 83. "He has been indicted," Ross said about Morrissey. He said the charges had not been unsealed and he didn't know what they were pending a hearing expected today. Morrissey and Marshall, a Broadway producer, had been accused in a civil suit by Marshall's son of misappropriating cash, real estate, securities and other property belonging to the socialite, who died in August at age 105. Marshall's son, Philip, a professor at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., prompted the criminal investigation last year after he accused his father of neglecting Astor's care and stealing her money. He said Monday he did not know his father had been indicted. -- Associated Press A Manhattan grand jury heard testimony for almost a month about the district attorney's investigation of how Marshall and Morrissey managed Astor's estate. Ross said Morrissey was out of town Monday and would return later in the week. He said he thought Marshall would be arraigned today. Marshall's current lawyer, Kenneth Warner, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Monday. Prosecutors declined to comment. Philip Marshall's spokesman, Frazier Seitel, said his client had testified before the grand jury. Seitel said banker David Rockefeller, who had spoken out on behalf of Philip Marshall's side of the dispute, had not. Astor, known for decades as the grande dame of New York society and philanthropy, gave away nearly $200 million to institutions such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall and to other causes. In the final year of her life, the nasty family feud over her care was splashed all over the city's tabloids - including allegations that she was forced to sleep on a couch that smelled of urine while subsisting on a diet of pureed peas and oatmeal. Anthony Marshall is a former diplomat and producer who won Tony awards in 2003 and 2004. He has denied allegations that he abused his mother's trust - saying that he cared about her more than anyone else. In the early 20th century, the Astor family spent many summers at its Beechwood mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, R.I. The building still offers tours and performances featuring actors portraying the Astor family. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:06 AM | Comment Former Mass. DA's wife to remain in jailNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- The wife of the former Bristol County District Attorney has been jailed after a judge found she'd violated her probation on drunken driving charges. Judge William Riley said Sheila Martines Pina, a former Rhode Island television personality, will remain in jail until she can be moved to inpatient hospital for treatment of alcoholism. The hospital stay will last at least six months. During her probation afterward, she must submit to drug and alcohol testing and will be confined to her home for all but six hours daily. The wife of former district attorney Ronald Pina, Martines Pina has three drunken driving convictions. Martines Pina finished serving 150 days for her third conviction on October 23, but was back in jail November 16 after failing to report to probation officials. -- The Associated Press with information from The Herald News Posted by Jack Perry at 9:29 AM | Comment Suspect in three-year-old murder in court todayA man who was 18 years old when he was arrested for murdering a 17-year-old on Elmwood Avenue is scheduled to appear in court today. Marquise Jones is now 21 years old. He is scheduled for a bail hearing today in Providence Superior Court. In March 2005, Jones was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Charlotte, N.C., while taking out the trash at the house of a relative more than three months after the murder of Brian Davis. The police say on Dec. 7, 2004, Davis and two men were driving on Route 95 when they noticed a car driven by men they knew as enemies. The trio exited, but the other car followed, the police said, and shot at the car Davis was in, hitting him in the back of the head. He died two days later. The police say Jones shot out of the car -- which was stolen -- with a handgun. Also wounded in the attack were Davis' companions, Oliver Channing, 19, and Malcolm Pulliam, 29, both of Providence. -- with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:22 AM | Comment Health director discusses wrong-site surgery on radioSometimes, when you are cooking, you get distracted, state Health Director David R. Gifford said this morning on WPRO radio. The phone rings, a baby cries, someone’s at the door. “You forget, and leave an ingredient out,” Gifford said. “’Did I put that in or not?’” That, he said, is an analogous to what happened at Rhode Island Hospital Friday, when a surgeon began to operate on the wrong side of a patient’s head. The surgeon realized the error and completed the procedure in the right spot. It was the third wrong-site surgery at the hospital this year. A patient died a few days after a wrong-site surgery in July. The Health Department fined the hospital $50,000 and state licensing boards for doctors and nurses will investigate whether to take disciplinary action. The hospital will also have to provide the Health Department with a checklist that employees will follow before beginning a procedure. Gifford told the Journal yesterday that the blame probably lies with the hospital’s systems for preventing errors. “Errors occur because things slip through the cracks,” Gifford said this morning. Read the Health Department's compliance order to the hospital after this month's incident. Read the Health Department's compliance order to the hospital after the July 30th incident. -- projo.com writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:56 AM | Comment Reminder: Route 95 detours begin tomorrowJust another reminder, three and five axle trucks that weigh more than 22 tons will find a detour in place on Route 95 in Pawtucket tomorrow. Between exits 27 and 28, trucks will have to follow one of three recommended detours. Trucks bypassing Providence can use Route 295; Trucks going north to Massachusetts can use Route 295 south to Route 146 south. Trucks that need to get off in Pawtucket will have to follow local detours. Detour for trucks driving south on Route 95 Detour for trucks driving north on Route 95 Division Street westbound detour for cars to the George Street exit Car detour to Route 95 north at the closed George Street entrance ramp. Don't worry, we'll remind you again tomorrow. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:42 AM | Comment Ted Kennedy inks deal for memoirNEW YORK -- Senator Edward Kennedy is joining the ranks of politicians with blockbuster book deals. The youngest and last surviving brother of the country's most famous political siblings has sold the rights to his memoirs to the Hachette Book Group. Financial terms aren't being released, but a publishing official says the deal is comparable to ones given to other politicians recently. Hillary Clinton got $8 million dollars for her book, while former British Prime Minister Tony Blair received $9 million for his upcoming memoir. Kennedy, the father of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., has the same agent as Clinton and Blair. The Massachusetts senator says he's been fortunate to have "a front row seat at many key events" in the nation's history. He wants the book to give a "more in-depth picture" of the Kennedys. The autobiography is slated to come out in 2010. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:32 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Are you going green this season?Are you planning to buy any green gifts this Christmas, and if so, where are you finding the best presents in Rhode Island? Are you considering charitable donations in lieu of buying presents, and if so, what motivated that decision? Which organization did you choose, and do you think your gift will be well-received by your loved ones? Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:11 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 95 PawtucketOne lane is closed on Route 95 northbound in Pawtucket after an accident this morning. The right lane is closed near Exit 29/Boradway Cottage Street/Route 1. For updated traffic information, check the Transportation Management Center’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:10 AM | Comment Free holiday parking starts today in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Holiday shoppers have one less thing to worry about when hitting the stores around Providence. The city is resuming its annual tradition of giving free street parking in key shopping neighborhoods. The program starts today and goes through New Year's Day. Motorists in neighborhoods including downtown, Wayland Square, Atwells Avenue and Broad Street will be able to park for free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at metered parking spaces. The city also won't give tickets for parking longer than the posted time in those neighborhoods. The city warns that cars are still not allowed to park in tow zones or crosswalks. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny and warmDon't get too excited. It's near 60 degrees now, but the temperature is falling. The National Weather Service is forecasting 50 degrees by early evening. But the sun is here to stay. And if you get outside soon, look for the moon in the west; bright red Mars is still visible just about 2 degrees below. This evening the skies should remain clear and the temperature will drop to about freezing. Winds should pick up from the west with gusts as high as 23 mph. Tomorrow look for clear, sunny skies and a high temperature in the low 40s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features the story of Rhode Island Hospital's being fined $50,000 after a doctor starting operating on the wrong side of a patient's head, the third wrong-site surgery at the hospital this year. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006