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November 28, 2007

Tonight: Early look of Christmas in Bristol at Blithewold

Catch Christmas early tonight at Blithewold mansion in Bristol.

An 18-foot decorated tree in the entrance hall opens to rooms of Victorian-themed displays in the Tudor-style mansion, just south of Bristol center on the shore of Narragansett Bay.

It is open till 8. Admission is $10. For information call (401) 253-2707 or www.blithewold.org.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

ACLU: Cuts could put state in violation of Civil Rights Act

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is questioning whether Governor Carcieri’s recent cuts of four interpreter staff jobs will put DHS at risk for federal legal action under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination “on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.”

The ACLU charges that the state Department of Human Services may have violated a 1997 consent agreement with the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, which forced the state to overhaul the way in which it provides interpreter services.

Executive director Steven Brown said the ACLU is also considering filing a formal discrimination complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights, in light of those layoffs.

“The layoff of all three staff interpreters for the Southeast Asian community, as well as one of only two Portuguese interpreters, raises serious questions about the Department’s ability to comply with the agreement,” Brown said today.

According to Brown, recent public comments on talk radio by the governor objecting to any state-funded interpreters at the agency "casts doubt on his commitment to acting in accordance with federal civil rights laws on the subject.”

A spokesperson for the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights said the agency “would not be able to make a judgment about whether or not a state was in compliance without a holistic analysis” of the state’s current program.

-- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment

Photo: Rocking the Vote at RIC

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Michelle Brophy-Baermann, right, assistant professor of political science at Rhode Island College, listens to Hollie Courage, president of the League of Women Voters of Rhode island, speak at a discussion today at RIC on the topic of what it takes for women to win elections. Students today were also casting votes in a "primary" for the current crop of presidential contenders, as part of a school initiative aimed at engaging students in the electoral process.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:41 PM | Comment

Alum gives URI $1 million towards wellness center

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The University of Rhode Island has received a $1 million donation to help construct a new student wellness center.

The gift comes from Michael Fascitelli, a member of the class of 1978 and a real estate executive.

The school says the money will go toward the $5.5 million renovation of the former Roger Williams Dining Hall. It will be converted to a wellness center that will include cardiovascular equipment, aerobics and dance studio space, as well as offer wellness workshops.

URI says when it surveyed students about what they wanted to have campus, a wellness center was at the top of the list.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:47 PM | Comment

AG seeks to try driver, 16, in fatal crash as an adult

State Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch’s office today filed a motion in Family Court seeking to try as an adult the 16-year-old Barrington driver of the car in the car crash that killed Jonathan Converse, 16, this month in Barrington.

The driver, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, has been charged with one count of driving to endanger, death resulting, the attorney general's office said in a news release.

The driver is scheduled to be back in Family Court on Dec. 17.

The filing of the motion came on a day that saw another development in the matter: Barrington police announced that two Barrington teens who bought alcohol the night of the fatal crash did so at SNM Liquors in Providence.

A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, of 491 Douglas Ave., 2nd floor, Providence, is slated to answer a charge of selling an alcoholic beverage to a minor in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13.

Lynch’s office has subpoenaed the driver’s medical records to see if he was under the influence at the time of the crash on New Meadow Road.

“I never make the decision to try to waive a juvenile lightly because I believe in the rehabilitative power of our juvenile-justice system and of kids themselves,” Lynch said in the statement. “I didn’t make this decision lightly, but I make it resolutely. How many teenagers have to die before Rhode Island, collectively, grasps the fact that reckless and irresponsible behavior often results in human misery?”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Assistant Attorney General Susan Urso, chief of Lynch’s Juvenile Unit, and Assistant Attorney General Jay Sullivan filed the discretionary waiver motion before Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., Lynch's office said.

It will be up to Family Court to determine if waiving the youth is appropriate.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:04 PM | Comment

Johnny's got a letter for his dad / Photo

Johnny Pina and his letter.
Journal Photo/Bob Thayer

CENTRAL FALLS -- Six-year-old Johnny Pina has a letter folded up eight times which he carefully opens like a treasure box to show other people.

It’s a picture of a person with a big ball in his hand in front of bowling pins. The picture is of his dad, John Pina, 27, who has been training with the National Guard for the past 75 days in Fort Dix getting ready to go to Kuwait and then Iraq. “My dad loves bowling,” he says.

Johnny and his classmates at Capt. G. Harold Hunt School spent part of today writing letters to his dad and the other men and women of the National Guard 103rd Field Artillery who will be deployed in mid-December to Kuwait and then Iraq.

While his teacher Christine Cianciolo played American hymns like God Bless America, the children in Johnny's class wrote letters that say, “Thank you for fighting to protecting us,” and covered the letters with drawings, letters and words they are learning to write. They put stickers on them that say things like “You are my Hero” and “Love You.”

Johnny will get to give his letter to his dad in person in a couple of weeks when his dad comes in December for four days before going to Kuwait. “I think those four days stick out in his mind,” says Cianciolo. “He is always saying four days."

-- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:01 PM | Comment

Examiner identifies 85-year-old found off Galilee

The body found in the water in the Port of Galilee, Narragansett, on Nov. 15 was that of Robert Forloney, 85, of South Kingstown, the State Medical Examiners office said today.

The cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries," the Medical Examiners news release said.

The morning of Nov. 15, a ferry worker had informed Coast Guard that a man who frequented the docks could have fallen into the water. A walker was found at the end of the pier where the ferry is usually berthed and his car remained parked overnight on the dock.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment

Airport promotes lawyer to fill in as executive director

WARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today promoted its top lawyer, Peter A. Frazier, to head the agency as it searches for a permanent replacement for Mark P. Brewer.

Brewer, the executive director since 2004, is leaving next month to run the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. He is paid $188,000 for overseeing T.F. Green Airport, the North Central airport and the state airports in Quonset, Block Island, Newport and Westerly.

Frazier, the first staff attorney at the 15-year-old agency, will be responsible for three costly and complex projects: an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million new airport transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Kathleen C. Hittner, the agency’s chairwoman, says Frazier will succeed as temporary caretaker because he has been involved with those projects for several years.

“We don’t expect any slowdown in any of our projects. He is a very good leader,” Hittner, an anesthesiologist and the president of The Miriam Hospital, said in an interview. “He really knows what’s going on, and he has a relationship with the board.”

The agency’s Human Resources committee -- made up of members Robert Sangster, Joseph M. Cianciolo and James C. Forte -- endorsed Frazier as interim director on Nov. 14. The full board approved the appointment today.

“The board recognizes Peter’s involvement in a number of critical airport projects and feels he will serve the corporation well in the interim position,” Hittner said in a statement after the vote.

Frazier has worked for the agency for less than three years. He was hired in February 2005 as chief general counsel after leaving the Holland and Knight law firm.

But Frazier has worked extensively in the aviation industry, according to Patti Goldstein, the agency’s spokeswoman.

After completing a law degree from the University of Akron, in Ohio, Frazier earned a masters degree in air and space law at McGill University in Montreal. At Holland and Knight, he specialized in aviation law.

Still, Frazier is not in the running to replace Brewer as the agency’s fourth director, Goldstein said. The board has hired The Mercer Group, of Atlanta, Ga., to lead a nationwide search for the post.

“This is a very pivotal time for us,” Hittner said. “We want to make sure we do this right.”

Frazier’s tenure as interim director, meanwhile, may be short. Today, Hittner said the board has scheduled five interviews for next month, including candidates identified by The Mercer Group and others who approached the agency.

Brewer’s replacement could be named by next spring, Hittner said.

“I don’t think it will be that long. It’s a pretty popular job,” Hittner said. “I don’t think we looked for a long-term, short-term solution.”

Hittner declined to disclose the names of the candidates being interviewed next month.

The airport corporation recently named a replacement for Laurie Cullen, the former senior vice president for planning, engineering and environment. Ann Clarke is scheduled to start next week, almost two years after Cullen left.

The board is still searching for a successor to Marci Greenberger, the senior vice president of operations and maintenance. She left her position in August.

In addition to the expansion projects, Brewer’s replacement will inherit an airport at perennial loggerheads with its neighbors and grappling with steep declines in passenger traffic.

Last year, passenger traffic at Green plummeted by 9 percent, from 5.7 million in 2005 to 5.2 million last year. This year, airport officials project passenger traffic will be approximately 5 million, a 4-percent drop.

But Hittner insists those trends will not discourage quality candidates. “It isn’t going to make it difficult,” she said. “We have people who are very interested in the challenge.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment

Providence store ID'd as alcohol source in Barrington fatal

BARRINGTON -- SNM Liquors on Douglas Avenue in Providence was the store where two Barrington teenagers bought alcohol that was involved in the New Meadow Road car crash that killed 16-year-old Jon Converse this month, the Barrington police said today.

A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, is accused of making the sales, the police said in a news release. He is scheduled to appear in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13 to answer the allegation of selling an alcoholic beverage to an underage person.

The two boys who made the purchase, ages 16 and 17, will be petitioned to Family Court. They were not in the car at the time of the crash, Det. Josh Birrell said.

On Nov. 5, prosecutors allege that a 16-year-old Barrington boy was driving a car more than twice the speed limit after drinking six beers. The car then struck a tree in the area of 200 New Meadow Road.

Converse, who was not wearing a seat belt, was the front-seat passenger. He was declared dead at the scene. The driver and two back-seat passengers -- ages 16 and 17 -- survived.

All four boys in the car were juniors at Barrington High School.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment

Update: Providence fire brought under control

PROVIDENCE -- A heavy, second-floor fire at the 150 Rounds Ave. residence was brought under control just after 3 p.m.

Two firefighters were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for what was believed to be minor injuries.

The residence was occupied, but the person or people inside got out safely.

The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. About 15 minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm.

Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:23 PM | Comment

Exec. director of RI Philharmonic has stepped down

The executive director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic has stepped down after being told he was being let go. David Wax, who joined the orchestra in 2001 after a long stint as head of the Houston Symphony, submitted his resignation to the board last week.

In a news release, board president Almon C. Hall said that the board feels a “different form of leadership is required for the Philharmonic’s future growth. Hall would not elaborate on the phone except to say that board wants to look at the leadership skills required for the next five to seven years to “take this organization to a totally new level.”

But Wax, in letter sent to board members, said that Hall told him that there was a “need for new executive leadership” and therefore the board wouldn’t be renewing his contract, which would have been up in the fall of 2008.

Philharmonic conductor Larry Rachleff said that he was not consulted about the move to oust Wax and said that he was surprised when Wax told him about it on Nov. 17. Rachleff said he had a “wonderful” relationship with the executive director.

-- Journal arts writer Channing Gray

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:00 PM | Comment

Man who defrauded RISD to be sentenced tomorrow

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence man who pleaded guilty to mail and tax fraud charges for defrauding the Rhode Island School of Design out of nearly $1 million in a billing scheme is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Patrick Clyne, who was RISD fire safety manager for several years, set up a shell company that billed the college for work that was never done, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said in a statement.

The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for filing a false tax return is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In August, Clyne, 65, entered a guilty plea before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi, Corrente's office said.

An information charged Clyne with one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. An indictment returned in March accused Clyne and his wife, Ibtisama Bradley, of participating in the scheme.

As a result of the plea, the government said it would dismiss that indictment and Bradley would not face any additional charges.

From 1997 to November 2005, Clyne was RISD fire safety manager, overseeing and maintaining fire safety equipment, including alarm systems, emergency lighting, and fire extinguishers. He had authority to request and approve fire safety work for the school.

Prosecutor Andrew J. Reich said at the plea hearing the government could show that in 1997 Clyne caused a company called Ankh Electric Ltd to be incorporated and bank account to be opened in the company’s name.

Between 1997 and 2005, Clyne approved fraudulent invoices for fire safety work said to have been performed by Ankh Electric for RISD.

RISD mailed checks to Ankh Electric, initially to 88 Manton Ave., and then to a Providence post office box.

Over eight years, the fraudulent invoices totaled $981,794, but Ankh Electric did not provide the services described in the invoices.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Reich said the government could also prove Clyne filed a 2003 income tax return that failed to report all of $180,754 that RISD paid to Ankh Electric in 2003.

Under the plea agreement, Clyne admitted to a total tax loss to the government of $162,743 between 2001 and 2005.

Clyne is also forfeiting to the government any ownership interest in property that he and Bradley bought in Ballinamore, Ireland, with fraud-scheme proceeds.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment

Working Fire on Rounds Ave., Providence

Crews are at the scene of a heavy, second-floor fire at 150 Rounds Ave in Providence, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm.

Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:43 PM | Comment

R.I. sex offender faces new charges in Maine

A 36-year-old former Rhode Island man with a history of child molestation convictions that stretches back to the 90s has been arrested in Maine and faces new sexual assault charges.

On Nov. 16, Olin Stevens was taken into police custody in Maine, where he was living, to await extradition to Woonsocket for failing to notify the police that he had moved.

Four days later, allegations surfaced that Stevens had sexually assaulted two victims under the age of 14 in that state, according to Charles Rumsey, deputy chief of police in Watterville, Maine.

He now faces two counts of gross sexual assault and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with persons under the age of 14.

Stevens was also in violation of Maine laws by not registering as a sex offender when he moved to the state.

“We were not going to charge him for that,” Rumsey said, “simply because we were happy that Woonsocket was going to take him off our hands. Now we’re charging him with the whole laundry list.”

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:38 PM | Comment

Trial of woman charged with DUI postponed

The trial for Kellie Woodbine has been postponed.

Woodbine, of Cumberland, faces a charge of driving under the influence, death resulting and driving recklessly, death resulting after a crash on Route 95 that led to the death of her passenger, 16-year-old Samantha Marie Beaudette.

The accident occurred near the Broadway overpass of Route 95 about 12:40 a.m. Dec. 30, 2005. Samantha, trapped in the wreckage, was severely burned. She died at Rhode Island Hospital on New Year's Day after surgery in which both legs were amputated.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:05 PM | Comment

RIPTA does detours, too

Full tankers and local residents aren't the only ones affected by the new weigh restrictions on the Pawtucket River Bridge.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced an immediate detour for its #99 – Providence/Pawtucket line.

The inbound bus to Providence will leave Roosevelt and take Main Street to High Street, then Exchange Street and finally onto Dexter-George, where it will pick up the old route.

The route of the outbound bus to Pawtucket will remain the same.

For schedule information, please call 781-9400 or visit ripta.com.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:00 PM | Comment

Providence library to get an upgrade

A 130-year institution is upgrading its information systems thanks to a $106,000 grant from the Champlain Foundations, an organization that awards grants to tax exempt organizations for renovations, expansions or debt payments.

The Providence Public Library will use the money for a host of technology updates, including upgrades to hardware and expansion of public access to computers.

Don’t be mistaken, the library already has a comprehensive Web site where visitors can download free audio books, send librarians questions via email, or view pages of old photographs from the library’s collection of historical documents.

“This year’s grant will help us not only stay abreast of developments in technology,” Director Dale Thompson said in a statement, “but to move forward with varied digital library services as we pursue the Library’s mission in an increasingly technology savvy world.”

-- staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:48 PM | Comment

Study: R.I.'s wealthiest gave least to charity in 2005

BOSTON -- An annual study on charitable giving finds Rhode Island's wealthiest residents gave the least money to charity in 2005.

The wealthiest Rhode Islanders gave about $12,500 to charity in 2005. By comparison, wealthy residents in the top-ranked state, Wyoming, gave away an average of nearly $95,000.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy ranks states on average income and average amount given to charity. For the first time, the 11th annual study measures only the philanthropic generosity of those with incomes above $200,000, based on 2005 federal tax data.

The nonprofit organization has in the past faced criticism for not taking into account state-by-state tax burdens and cost of living.

The latest study addresses those concerns.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:45 PM | Comment

Supreme Court denies man's appeal for new trial

PROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision denying a convicted child molester's appeal for a new trial.

James Woods appealed to the high court his conviction on two counts of second-degree child molestation after the Superior Court denied two motions for a new trial.

Woods was living in Providence when he was accused of touching a girl on her buttocks and forcing her to rub his penis over his clothing, according to the state Supreme Court decision today.

The girl's foster mother confronted Woods, who denied the allegations, and the foster mother reported the allegations to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, which sent an investigator to the home.

The Providence police investigated and a warrant was issued for Woods on Jan. 20, 2004. Woods turned himself in on Feb. 3, 2004.

A jury returned a guilty verdict after about 90 minutes of deliberation. Woods moved for a new trial, asserting that no reasonable jury could find the girl he was convicted of molesting credible. The Superior Court judge disagreed.

Before the sentencing hearing, Woods filed another motion for a new trial based on new evidence. At an evidentiary hearing, the judge found that testimony from Woods' main witness was not credible and denied the motion.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:05 PM | Comment

R.I. Airport Corp. will appoint interim director

WARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today will appoint an interim director to replace Mark P. Brewer, who is leaving next month to take over Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire.

The corporation board has promised a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. In the meantime, the interim executive director will be overseeing three costly and complex projects, an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway.

The board meeting begins at 4 p.m. at 2000 Post Road in Warwick.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:38 AM | Comment

Fire destroys almost-finished Block Island home

BLOCK ISLAND — A house that was in the final stages of construction was destroyed last night in a fire that was already shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived, said Fire Chief Ned Connelly.

No one was living in the single-family, two-story house on Champlin Road, and no one was injured, Connelly and other town officials said.

Firefighters were on the scene from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get the fire under control and then several hours to make sure it was extinguished, Connelly said.

About 25 firefighters responded and “did a great job combating this fire,” he said.

“The roof was gone when we got here, flames were coming from everywhere,” he said. “It was a defensive operation from the very beginning.”

Connelly said state fire marshals were expected on the first morning ferry to help with the investigation.

-- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:21 AM | Comment

State police enforcing truck ban on 95 bridge

PAWTUCKET -- As the state police handed out tickets to overweight trucks crossing the Pawtucket River Bridge on Route 95, the detours the state Department of Transportation has laid out to get trucks through the city's streets seemed to be working smoothly this morning.

It wasn't clear what would happen during the rest of the day, but one of the DOT officials watching the situation this morning said the detours were working so smoothly that, "This is like watching grass grow."

Paul T. Kennedy, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said truck traffic seemed light, apparently because truckers were using the highway detours the DOT has set up around the city, primarily using routes 146 and 295.

The DOT has posted a 22-ton weight limit on the bridge after discovering that many of its structural elements have deteriorated to the point that it can't carry its normal load. The DOT has set up detour signs on Route 95 north and south of the city directing truckers to the highway detours. The local detours, through city streets, are intended to carry trucks going to and from the immediate Pawtucket area.

Fully loaded tractor-trailer trucks can weigh more than 100,000 pounds. A truck weighing that much can be fined as much as $8,000, the state police said. Troopers were using portable scales the size of a thin suitcase that can weight a truck anywhere it can park. One scale is put in front of each wheel and the driver told to move forward onto the scales.

The DOT was filming a key intersection, at Marrin and George Streets, where the agency has blocked off the George Street ramp onto Route 95 northbound where it crosses the bridge, again because of deterioration of that edge of the bridge. But only a scattering of trucks were using the detour, which diverts traffic to the Division Street Bridge to cross the river.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:33 AM | Comment

Pawtucket station owner hopes business isn't detoured

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Traffic is heavy but manageable on the Division Street bridge in Pawtucket this morning, the first day of ramp closures and detours to lessen traffic on the Rt. 95 Pawtucket River Bridge. Division Street has been made a one way street with the detours.

PAWTUCKET -- The area enclosed by School, Division and Prospect Streets, bounded by the Exit 28/School Street ramp off of Route 95 northbound isn’t quite a disaster, but traffic is stop-and-go, with some drivers obeying traffic lights, others watching traffic officers and others seemingly oblivious to both.

Right in the middle, just off the exit ramp, is a Sunoco gas station run by Omar Ahmed.

In 2001, the School Street exit was closed for two months. Ahmed said it almost put him out of business.

This morning, the fears returned after the state Department of Transportation said the detours may be in place for years.

The Pawtucket River Bridge has been restricted to vehicles weighing less than 22 tons as the DOT works on repairs to the bridge and works out a plan for eventually replacing it.

Although the exit ramp is still open, detours and blocked roads make it difficult for any traffic other than vehicles exiting the ramp to get into the station.

It’s also likely that the stopped traffic and presence of police on several corners discourage people from making the U-turn from Prospect onto school Street.

Ahmed said he was also upset with the lack of information he received from the DOT.

“Nobody informed us,” he said. “They just started up yesterday.”

Traffic driving east on Division Street and northbound on Prospect created a miniature traffic jam near the intersections of Prospect and School Street.

Only a few trucks, which were re-routed to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, drove through the area this morning. They were, however, particularly conspicuous next to the no truck signs dotting the narrow streets.

See the DOT's posted detours.

Traffic on the Route 95 slowed to about 25 mph just on the bridge this morning, but picked up after Exit 29 northbound and Exit 27 southbound.

The brief backup made it just as short of a trip from the now-closed George Street entrance to the next entrance on the detour as on the highway.

It may be frustrating, but if today is an indication, commuters may not have to worry about too much time lost – the detours added up to about three minutes.

For Ahmed, however, the loss could be greater. He wants the government – whether local, state or federal to offer some assistance. “I’d like to see some sort of compensation,” he said, but he’s not optimistic.

Six years ago, he said, “I talked to (state officials) and asked them to compensate me for my loss. They say they don’t do this.”

-- Brandie Jefferson, projo.com staff writer

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:08 AM | Comment

Mass. lawmakers consider bill that would ban spanking

BOSTON -- A bill that would prohibit parents from spanking their children is being criticized as unnecessary and unenforceable by many Massachusetts lawmakers.

The measure - being heard today by a legislative committee - defines corporal punishment as "the willful infliction of physical pain or injurious or humiliating treatment." Representative Jay Kaufman of Lexington said he submitted the bill at the request of a local nurse.

Several lawmakers said parents are best able to decide on discipline, and point out that state law already bans the physical abuse or neglect of children.

The state's highest court ruled in 1999 that parents could spank their children, so long as it doesn't cause serious bodily harm.

Some lawmakers question how police could possibly enforce such a ban.

The Legislature has ended formal sessions for 2007, so the earliest the bill could be debated would be next year.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:20 AM | Comment

Last Reminder: Detours on Route 95 begin today

Detours on Route 95 in Pawtucket begin today, and you may want to get used to them.

A state Department of Transportation official has said they may be in place for several years.

Beginning today, vehicles weighing more than 22 tons will need to take detours to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, between exits 27 and 28. For trucks that need to go to Pawtucket, local detours have been posted today.

The Northbound George Street entrance ramp will be closed to all traffic.

Southbound traffic will be directed to exit at Exit 30/Roosevelt Avenue, in Central Falls and follow detour signs to the Cedar Street entrance ramp.

Northbound traffic will use Exit 27 and follow signs to the Division Street Bridge, which will handle traffic that would normally use the George Street ramp.

Browse alternate routes and maps at the DOT's Web site.

The DOT’s acting chief engineer, Kazem Farhoumand said that the agency has not yet decided whether, or how much, to repair the bridge until it can be replaced.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:37 AM | Comment

Race-car driver wins "Dancing with the Stars'

LOS ANGELES -- Fan support is just as critical as fancy footwork when it comes to winning "Dancing With the Stars."

As a pure dancer, Spice Girl Melanie Brown was easily the most polished finalist, consistently wowing the judges with her versatility and flair. She and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were the highest-scoring couple throughout the hit show's fifth season.

But on Tuesday night, viewers snubbed Brown and gave the mirrorball trophy to race-car driver Helio Castroneves. The fourth consecutive man to win the contest, Castroneves' personality, enthusiasm and flashing smile - combined with an effortless quickstep on his final performance - clearly resonated more with voters.

"It's not only about dancing, you know? It's about popularity," Castroneves said after the show. "That's what I'm actually very happy about."

His partner, Julianne Hough, also had won last season's competition, with speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno. "She has an incredible fan base," Castroneves said.

The only female winner has been Kelly Monaco, who took the crown during the first season in 2005.

Despite her talents, Brown was unable to break the streak. She said that losing "was a horrible feeling. I'm not going to deny it."

Earlier Tuesday, Marie Osmond was the first finalist to be eliminated. She probably deserved it after a doll-inspired freestyle dance that was panned by judges and bloggers alike. Osmond came into the finale in third place. Castroneves was in second, just one point behind Brown.

At age 48, Osmond's frisky days were behind her, especially compared with young hotsteppers like Scary Spice or Sabrina Bryan of the Cheetah Girls. But Osmond said voters kept her afloat during the 10-week contest as she endured the death of her father and fainting on stage.

"We knew every single week that we were here because of them," she said after the finale. "Obviously, I'm not the best dancer. We know that."

The ABC show began in September with a dozen dancers. Model-actress Josie Maran was the first to be eliminated. Other nixed contestants were actresses Bryan, Jennie Garth and Jane Seymour, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, entertainer Wayne Newton, boxer Floyd Mayweather, model Albert Reed and actor Cameron Mathison.

Mathison shed his shirt after his last dance Tuesday. Maybe if he had done that earlier, he would have ended up as the man holding the trophy

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

2nd man on trial for murder in Pawtucket

PROVIDENCE -- The trial continues today in the case of a 20-year-old man in the killing of a Pawtucket woman last year.

Barry Offley's uncle Alonzo P. Shelton, 29, of Central Falls, has already been convicted of murdering one woman and shooting another. Now Offley is on trial.

Offley, 20, "revered" his uncle 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 released 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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Where did the warm weather go?

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday, it was 60 degrees at 6 a.m. Today, it was about 30. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 45 degrees with a northwest wind with gusts up to 22 mph.

The temperature dips to 29 degrees tonight with calm, south winds.

Tomorrow might bring some rain during the day. We'll start out with clouds, but may see some sun in the afternoon, when the temperature reaches the high 40s.

For more weather, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment