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December 13, 2007

On a day -- and now night -- of crisis-proportion traffic gridlock, no one is going anywhere in Rhode Island. And in Providence the police said many people have abandoned cars in frustration, causing more problems for snow plows.

Just before 8 p.m., 60 out of the 152 Providence school buses were still on the road trying to drop off youngsters, according to Christina O'Reilly, spokeswoman for the Providence school district.

O'Reilly said that many youngsters are probably elementary school students. Because of the School Choice program, buses must cross the city to drop off students who are not attending schools in their neighborhoods. The majority of buses have dual runs as well, dropping off one set of students then going back to another school for different-age students. At 9:30 last night, police were searching for a bus that carried a diabetic student.

There is concern that people stuck in cars on paralyzed highways will run out of gas. And while the snowfall is minor compared to the Blizzard of '78, Providence police Sgt. Paul Zienowicz said "it's almost comparable" in the fact that businesses and other institutions dismissed employees early -- which caused massive congestion -- and some of those people abandoned cars after getting stuck in hours-long traffic jams.

Providence schools dismissed high school and middle school students at about 12:30 p.m. The elementary students were dismissed at 1 p.m.

In North Providence, a dozen students were at Greystone Elementary School for an hour after the school closed at 2 p.m., waiting for their parents or a special-education school bus. Six students were still there at 3:30 p.m. The principal stayed with them at the school.

Drivers have had trouble getting on the highway from Providence since early this afternoon. And if they managed to make it on the interstates, they found that nothing was moving.

One of the factors creating the gridlock was a tractor-trailer that jack-knifed at Exit 18 near the Thurbers Avenue curve on Route 95. Also, there are reports of major gridlock in both directions on Route 10.

The state Department of Transportation insisted it had thrown 445 trucks at the snowstorm to sand and plow across the state. A DOT spokeswoman said the storm fueled a noon rush hour of people fleeing work rather than the usual late-afternoon commute.

Many people reported commutes of up to six hours in the nation's smallest state. And a Journal reporter out on Route 95 south at about 5 p.m. said backups appear to stretch for three miles, cars appeared to be stalled on one entrance ramp to the highway, and the road seems untouched by a plow.

"The roads are passable. It's just that there is so much congestion out there it's hard for the plows to keep up," said spokeswoman Heidi Cote, whose normally 20-minute trip home took more than an hour. She added that motorists "will get home safely -- just take it slow" and keep a safe distance between cars.

Cote said the DOT knew the storm would dump 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour and had done so.

As of 9 p.m., the storm had subsided but not before dropping about 7 to 9 inches of snow in Providence and about a foot in the northwest corner of the state.

Eleanor Vallier-Talbot,a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., noted that sleet and freezing rain had been detected in Westerly late this afternoon, suggesting signs of the storm's forecasted slushier side predicted for tomorrow.

T. F. Green Airport is open to people, but that doesn't mean they should expect to fly out. There were flights this morning, but many early evening flights are listed as canceled on the airport's Web site. Airport spokeswoman Patti Goldstein advised that people should check the site and call their air carrier before going to the airport.

North Central State Airport on the Lincoln-Smithfield line was closed early this afternoon, said Paul Smith, airport operations manager.

Smith said the airport will wait for the snow to stop then plow all at once. He said the airport currently expects to open by tomorrow morning at the latest.

The Providence Place mall, normally open untill 10 p.m. this time of year, closed at 6 p.m. today. Many people could still be seen window-shopping.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writers Karen Lee Ziner, John Castellucci, Richard Dujardin, G. Wayne Miller, Meaghan Wims, C. Eugene Emery Jr., John Hill, Katie Mulvaney, and Tom Mooney

The storm does not meet the classic definition of nor'easter -- there's the snow, but not the powerful winds that characterize that breed of storm, according to Vallier-Talbot. Winds have been 5 to 10 mph. But, she added, another storm forecast to hit the state over the weekend may well be a nor'easter.

The Providence Department of Public Works has nearly 70 plows on the road, including those from private vendors, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office announced. "However, road conditions remain treacherous as snowfall continues into the evening. Mayor Cicilline advises residents to stay off the roads so that plow operators can make the streets safe for travel," the mayor's news release said.

In Pawtucket, the snowstorm wreaked havoc. Major roads, such as Broadway, turned into parking lots as people were let out of work early, causing traffic jams. A privately owned sander truck broke down on School Street. The resulting backup made the situation worse.

Pawtucket Highway Supt. Ronald J. Leitao said a major contributor to the problem was the elaborate truck detours that the state DOT put into place when a 22-ton weight limit was posted on the Pawtucket River Bridges, between Exits 27 and 28 on Route 95, two weeks ago. Heavy truck traffic diverted through the city between those exits was intensifying the traffic jams, Leitao said, making it difficult for the plows to move.

“We’re in a little predicament,” Leitao said, speaking by cell phone from a truck stuck in traffic on Broadway at 3 p.m. “Our trucks are in their routes, but they’re just moving slow because of the detours and being stuck in traffic.”

An on-street parking ban went into effect at 1 p.m., but it wasn’t making much of a difference.

Three more parking bans have been announced: Two went into force at 5 p.m. in Providence and Barrington. The Providence ban is in effect through 6 a.m. tomorrow. Another ban in in effect in Seekonk, Mass. People must get cars and trucks off roads so that plows can clear them.

For numerous parking bans and their start times in communities around the state, check here.
Providence police traffic division said East Side streets, with their steep hills, are particularly slippery.

And here's some proof: Providence police responded to a school bus that apparently slid on Cypress Street, a steep East Side road. No injuries were reported.

You really don't want to drive anywhere -- take it from some people who have and others who still are.

Traffic was slinking on Routes 136 and 114 through Bristol all day. In East Providence's Rumford section, a particularly nasty stretch was Pawtucket Avenue, where cars appeared to have spun out in front of Newman Congregational Church. A half-mile down from that, a man was helping some young women whose Mercedes appeared to have spun out near where Pawtucket Avenue and Newport Avenue meet.

Lanes were indiscernible on a stretch of Route 195 west from Massachusetts into Rhode Island.

Commuters to Providence from North Kingstown last night reported that the drive took six hours; other commuters from Glocester to Providence took five hours, four of them in Providence. Route 146 south from Mineral Spring Avenue into Providence was a parking lot this afternoon. And a commute from Woonsocket to Johnston took the better part of three hours for one man.

The storm is expected to dropped 7 to 10 inches across southern New England.

Check out live local radar and track the storm.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:50 PM | Comment

Seeking any parent of a stranded Providence student

If you are the parent of a Providence school student who was stranded on a school bus for several hours, please call us at 277-7303 or 277-8100 or e-mail us at 7to7blog@projo.com and pjnews@projo.com to tell us your story. It would be very helpful if you could give us a phone number to reach you as well. Thanks.

Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 9:08 PM | Comment

Weather Service: Snowfall expected to stop at 9 p.m.

The snowstorm that gridlocked most of the state today is expected to end around 9 p.m., a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

The traffic meltdown, well, that could be a different story.

Snowfall totals are expected to reach one foot in the state's northwest corner, said Bill Simpson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Lincoln had recorded about 10 inches as of about 7:30 p.m.. Providence should see less of the white stuff, about 7 to 9 inches. Temperatures are expected to peak in the low 30s tomorrow, which may mean some melting but not much.

Brace yourselves, though, because another storm is expected to blow into the state on Saturday and into Sunday. That one is expected to follow the snow-to-rain-to-snow pattern. Since Sunday's storm has a potential for icy conditions, it may be considered more of a nor'easter with higher winds.

Perhaps the only consolation for people who sat in cars for three to five hours today is that the next storm is due to hit on a weekend. "If there's any blessing, that's it," Simpson said.

Today's storm -- the first major one of the season -- probably won't top the 15.1 inches that fell on Rhode Island during all of last winter.

But Sunday's storm could certainly help break last year's record.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 8:05 PM | Comment

Prov. liquor store owner pleads guilty to selling to minors

PROVIDENCE -- Shawn Merilan, the owner of S&M Liquors, pleaded guilty today in District Court to two violations of selling alcohol to minors and was fined $250.

Merilan, 37, whose store was implicated in the death of a Barrington teenager following a car crash last month, was one of several liquor store owners or clerks summoned to court today as part of a police sting on stores selling alcohol to minors.

The offense that Merilan and store workers faced was a municipal violation -- not a statutory crime -- though the police could charge any of them with a misdemeanor on a second offense.

Two Barrington teenagers have told police that they went to S&M Liquors on Douglas Avenue and bought the alcohol that played a role in the car crash that killed 16-year-old Jonathan Converse last month.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:10 PM | Comment

Gridlock causes hours-long delay for commuters

On a day of staggering traffic gridlock, the state Department of Transportation insists it has thrown 445 trucks at the snowstorm to sand and plow across the state. A DOT spokeswoman said the storm fueled a noon rush hour of people fleeing work rather than the usual late-afternoon commute.

Many people reported commutes of three hours or more in the nation's smallest state. And a Journal reporter out on Route 95 south at this hour said backups appear to stretch for three miles, cars appeared to be stalled on one entrance ramp to the highway, and the road seems untouched by a plow.

"The roads are passable, it's just that there is so much congestion out there it's hard for the plows to keep up," said spokeswoman Heidi Cote, whose normally 20-minute trip home took more than an hour. She added that motorists "will get home safely -- just take it slow" and keep a safe distance between cars.

Cote said the DOT knew the storm would dump 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour and had done so.

As of 4 p.m., the storm had dropped 5 1/2 inches of snow in Pawtucket, said Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. She said the snow has fallen at 1 to 1 1/2 inches per hour. As of 2 p.m., snow accumulations were 4 inches in Lincoln and Warwick, but have grown since.

Vallier-Talbot noted that sleet and freezing rain had been detected in Westerly late this afternoon, suggesting signs of the storm's forecasted slushier side predicted for tomorrow.

North Central State Airport on the Lincoln-Smithfield line was closed early this afternoon, said Paul Smith, airport operations manager.

"We're fighting a losing battle here now," he said. "We go down the runway [clearing it] and when we go back up it's already covered again."

Smith said the airport will wait for the snow to stop then plow all at once. He said the airport currently expects to open by tomorrow morning at the latest.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Leitao, who could see Route 95 from where he was sitting, said that it, too, looked like a parking lot. The city’s private weather service was predicting 6 inches of snow by 6 p.m., he said. With all the traffic, Leitao said, it won’t be until 6 p.m. that city snowplows will be able to plow the streets.

An on-street parking ban went into effect at 1 p.m., but it wasn’t making much of a difference.

And here's some proof: Providence police responded to a school bus that apparently slid on Cypress Street, a steep East Side road. No injuries were reported.

You really don't want to drive anywhere -- take it from some people who have and others who still are.

A Journal reporter traveling north on Route 114 in Middletown-Portsmouth reports very slippery conditions even at the lowest speeds. She's been on the road back to Providence from Newport for three hours. She said that cars pull over for a time, then resume the crawl.

Traffic was slinking on Route 136 heading through Bristol. In East Providence's Rumford section, a particularly nasty stretch is Pawtucket Avenue, where cars appeared to have spun out in front of Newman Congregational Church. A half-mile down from that, a man was helping some young women whose Mercedes appeared to have spun out near where Pawtucket Avenue and Newport Avenue meet.

Another reporter, heading from Bristol to Pawtucket, found that a normally half-hour journey was running past one hour and 20 minutes -- and she wasn't home yet. Still, during that journey, two men could be seen looking at a Christmas tree in a lot next to the Eskimo King ice cream spot in Swansea, Mass.

Lanes were indiscernible on a stretch of Route 195 west from Massachusetts into Rhode Island.

A journey from downtown Providence to the Pascoag section of Burrillville in the state's northwest corner endured for one hour and 45 minutes instead of the usual 40 minutes or so at midday. Much of the delay was simply getting onto Fountain Street in Providence and then up to Route 146 north, with treacherous ramps. Driving Route 146 north was about a 10 mph pace at first but got up to about 30 mph as drivers neared the North Smithfield line. Few accidents were seen on the route -- but one gasoline tanker flew by at perhaps 45 mph.

However, Route 146 south from Mineral Spring Avenue into Providence was a parking lot this afternoon. And a commute from Woonsocket to Johnston took the better part of three hours for one man.

It began snowing in Providence late this morning. By early afternoon, the snow was piling up around the state.

The storm is expected to drop 5 to 10 inches across southern New England.

Check out live local radar and track the storm.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

The brunt of the snowstorm is expected to continue during the evening commute. The trucks have pre-treated highways with a mixture of one part salt, to lower the freezing temperature of water, and one part sand, for traction and to keep the ice crystals from forming.

“We’re basically trying to keep everything as open as possible during the evening commute,” said Baker. “Hopefully, everything will be going smoothly at that point.”

In state government, the Department of Administration, which oversees people working in the executive branch, is carrying out an adverse weather policy in which state employees can take unused vacation, personal leave or leave without pay today.

Providence City Hall closed at 3 p.m.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writers Karen Lee Ziner, John Castellucci, G. Wayne Miller, Meaghan Wims, C. Eugene Emery Jr., John Hill, and Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:20 PM | Comment

Mellencamp stuck in Conn.; concert canceled

The John Mellencamp-Los Lobos concert scheduled for tonight at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center was canceled as the weather and the traffic made it nearly impossible for the star attraction to make it to the arena.

Dunk general manager Larry Lepore said that the crew had gotten to the arena in the morning as usual, and the stage was ready to go. Mellencamp left New York, traveling by bus, at noon, and “after three hours he’d gone maybe 10 miles,” Lepore said.

Lepore said he conferred with the Connecticut State Police, who informed him that sleet and freezing rain made road conditions even worse there than in Rhode Island.

Taking all that into consideration, Lepore said, if Mellencamp made it to the show at all, he’d be “cutting it really close,” and that “our biggest concern [was] having people leave the house, come here, and then [we] cancel.”

So the decision was made shortly after 4 to cancel the show. A statement by the arena said that the show would not be rescheduled. Ticketholders can get refunds where they bought their tickets.

-- Journal staff writer Rick Massimo

Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 5:05 PM | Comment

Utility shutoffs in R.I. hit record high of 30,000

The number of households that have lost utility service for unpaid bills this year has surpassed 30,000 for the first time since the state began tracking shutoff figures in 1997.

The exact tally, kept by the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, was 30,088 accounts terminated from January to November.

That figure includes 6,222 households that are considered "protected," meaning a customer is elderly, handicapped, seriously ill, receiving unemployment compensation, receiving federal heating assistance or qualifies as a financial hardship.

The number of shutoffs indicates how many households had their service turned off for nonpayment at some point during the year. It does not include customers who moved or canceled service voluntarily.

And it does not reflect the current number of customers without service, since many have had service restored.

State rules set by the Public Utilities Commission allow utility companies to shut off service to a customer if the delinquent balance rises above $500. However, the service of protected customers cannot be terminated during the winter moratorium of Nov. 1 to April 15.

-- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann

Posted by Tim Barmann at 4:35 PM | Comment

Photo: Treacherous afternoon commute

projocom%20gridlock.jpg

Journal photo / Frieda Squires

Vehicles crawl along the exit ramps from and onto Route 95 near the Providence Place mall yesterday afternoon. A combination of slippery roads and heavy traffic created gridlock in most communities throughout the state.

Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 4:23 PM | Comment

Alert: Mellencamp concert canceled tonight

The John Mellencamp concert that was scheduled tonight at The Dunkin' Donuts Center has been canceled.

A statement from the arena says the show will not be rescheduled and that ticketholders can get refunds wherever they bought the tickets.

Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 4:06 PM | Comment

Update: Gridlock and hours-long slogs grip the state

Gridlock is gripping Providence. Forty-minute journeys through East Bay are stretching beyond three hours. Cars are spinning in East Providence. The season's first storm is punching Rhode Island hard.

A mass exodus of cars out of the capital city has been under way for hours, with businesses dismissing people early because of the storm. And that exodus is at a crawl, with slippery conditions creating lots of accidents on the roads, with some people reporting waiting hours just to get from city streets onto highways.

In Providence' s Kennedy Plaza, a woman said she and many others had been waiting for two hours for a bus that had not yet come.

An on-street parking ban went into effect at 1 p.m., but it wasn’t making much of a difference.

Three more parking bans have been announced: Two go into force at 5 p.m. in Providence and Barrington. The Providence ban is in effect through 6 a.m. tomorrow. Another ban in in effect immediately in Seekonk, Mass. People must get cars and trucks off roads so that plows can clear them.

And here's some proof: Providence police responded to a school bus that apparently slid on Cypress Street, a steep East Side road. No injuries were reported. There was also an accident at Abbott and Knowles streets, near Cypress.

You really don't want to drive anywhere -- take it from some people who have and others who still are.

Lanes were indiscernible on a stretch of Route 195 west from Massachusetts into Rhode Island.

However, Route 146 south from Mineral Spring Avenue into Providence was a parking lot this afternoon.

North Central State Airport on the Lincoln-Smithfield border has been closed, said Paul Smith, airport operations manager.

"We're fighting a losing battle here now," he said. "We go down the runway [clearing it] and when we go back up it's already covered again."

Smith said the airport will wait for the snow to stop then plow all at once. He said the airport currently expects to open by tomorrow morning at the latest.

Rhode Islanders, lore says, should have done a milk-and-bread run by now. But one man had more exuberant choices.

Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina's mother Penny was at the Stop & Shop on Newport Avenue in East Providence near the Pawtucket border. A man in line behind her had a bag of apples and proclaimed: "I'm gonna make me a pie!"

It began snowing in Providence late this morning. By early afternoon, the snow was piling up around the state.

The snow, which began in South County before 11 a.m., is expected to drop 5 to 10 inches across southern New England.

Check out live local radar and track the storm.

Some schools have already canceled classes, and parking bans are in force in many towns.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

The brunt of the snow storm is expected to hit during the evening commute. The trucks have pre-treated highways with a mixture of one part salt, to lower the freezing temperature of water, and one part sand, for traction and to keep the ice crystals from forming.

“We’re basically trying to keep everything as open as possible during the evening commute,” said Baker. “Hopefully, everything will be going smoothly at that point.”

Shortly after noon, for instance, lottery corporation GTECH dismissed people from its Rhode Island offices if they chose to head home to avoid the storm's brunt, security there said.

Providence City Hall closed at 3 p.m.

If the snow picks up, the DOT can bring in more trucks. The state owns 100 and has the ability to call up to 345 contacted vehicles to the roads. “I don’t think we’ll need that many,” Baker said.

Let’s hope not.

Check out the T. F. Green flight cancellations, school closings and the current weather conditions.

The National Weather Service is predicting a snowfall rate of between 1 and 3 inches per hour at times with a total possible accumulation of 9 inches by this evening and more into the night.

A lot of snow. But there’s another question, is it a Nor’easter?

“It’s a term that’s loosely thrown around,” said Charles Foley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. “I suppose it could be characterized as a Nor’easter,” he said, but went on to explain why it wasn’t, really.

The definition from the Glossary of Meteorology defines the storm as one with gale force winds from the northeast, precipitation, rough seas and, sometimes, flooding.

Today's storm, Foley said, is coming from the South, “this is the storm that caused a lot of the misery through the central part of the country with all the ice and snow.” It’s moved east, jumped off the New Jersey Coast and strengthened.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment

Blue Cross to pay $20 million to resolve probe

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office to pay $20 million to resolve a federal investigation.

The money will be put into a trust fund administered by the Rhode Island Foundation and used to improve the quality and affordability of health care in the state.

Under the agreement, the state's dominant health insurer has also consented to make ethical reforms.

The agreement announced this morning comes just two days after four top executives at Blue Cross were dismissed.

Blue Cross has been under investigation in a widespread probe into influence peddling at the State House; the company will not face criminal charges if it complies with the terms of the agreement.

“We understand the position that Blue Cross is in in the state,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente. “They hold a predominant market share in insurance. They insure a lot of Rhode Islanders. That was one of the things we looked at when we arrived at the agreement.”

As part of the agreement, Blue Cross cannot seek rate increases to cover the $20 million payment.

Extra: Read the full agreement.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Brandie Jefferson

Two former state legislators have been convicted for their roles in the federal corruption investigation that has come to be known as Operation Dollar Bill. Blue Cross acknowledged the former lawmakers actions in the agreement.

Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau, of Woonsocket, pleaded guilty to accepting $900,000 worth of paper and plastic bag contracts from CVS and Blue Cross in exchange for influencing legislation.

Former Senator John A. Celona, a North Providence Democrat who had served as chairman of the powerful Senate Corporations Committee, two years ago admitted selling his office to Roger Williams Medical Center, the drugstore chain CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He gained $319,000.

The company also acknowledges in the agreement that it paid $400,000 in insurance brokerage commissions to former Rhode Island Senate President while also lobbying him for legislation.

The state ethics panel has accused former Senate President William V. Irons of breaking state ethics laws by voting on pharmacy legislation while he had a conflict of interest.

The company confirmed yesterday that two senior vice presidents, Lynne A. Urbani and Matthew T. Brannigan, and two longtime State House lobbyists, Scott A. Fraser and Brian Jordan, had “departed” the insurance company on Tuesday. Urbani and Brannigan had been promoted earlier this year.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:30 PM | Comment

Helping Red Cross help fire victims

Dozens of people have contacted the American Red Cross, Rhode Island Chapter after a fire Tuesday in Woonsocket left five families homeless.

The organization provided supplies for the family right after the fire and will provide shelter and food for them through the weekend.

“Once again, individuals are responding to their neighbors in need by offering assistance to the families in Woonsocket,” CEO John Holt said in a statement.

Individuals and businesses who want to help can send donations to the Rhode Island Chapter at 105 Gano St., Providence, RI 02906. Donations are also accepted on the Red Cross Web site.

If a donor wants the money go to Woonsocket families in particular, they should be sure to write “Woonsocket Fire” on the memo line of the check.

Typically, the Rhode Island Red Cross spends $1,000 to assist a family of four. The organization relies on private donations to provide help to displaced families.

“I would like to remind Rhode Islanders that the Red Cross responds to a fire on the average of once every other day," Holt said, "and that our resources are already stretched thin this fiscal year.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:15 PM | Comment

Judge denies alleged crack dealer's request

Judge William E. Smith today denied Derrick Isom's request to withdraw his guilty plea for conspiracy and drug dealing in connection with the intergovernmental investigation known as Operation Crackdown.

Isom requested to change his plea after a co-defendant, Khalid Mason, had his case tossed out after A series of missteps during the investigation, including the discovery that the lead detective, Scott Partridge, had stashed surveillance records in his attic, came to light.

Williams refused to dismiss Isom's case, however, saying that Isom was guilty, and simply seeking a tactical advantage that wasn't guaranteed to work in any event.

Isom pleaded guilty in exchange for a 20-year sentence instead of mandatory life. He is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 15.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:35 PM | Comment

Photo: Walking in the snow

SNOW%20121301%20BM.JPG
Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
Michele Jimenez of Central Falls (left) and Vivian Ponte of Johnston (right) share an umbrella as they make their way through Kennedy Plaza as the snow starts to fall this afternoon. The women were on lunch break from their jobs at Rhode Island Housing.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:50 PM | Comment

Reed seeks funding to help lobstermen

PORTLAND, Maine -- Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Jack Reed of Rhode Island are calling on the Bush administration to provide at least $14 million to lobstermen to help them comply with a new rule banning floating rope.

A federal rule that takes effect next October requires lobstermen to use sinking rope instead of floating rope on their traps. Supporters of the change say it will protect right whales from getting entangled in floating rope.

Industry estimates have placed the cost of compliance at $10,000 to $15,000 for each near-shore lobsterman. The costs could be far steeper for those lobstermen who drop their traps farther out to sea in offshore waters.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:40 PM | Comment

ESPN source says Clemens named in steroids report

NEW YORK -- Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte were the first names to emerge today from the Mitchell report.

ESPN.com reported Brian McNamee, a former trainer for the Yankees and Clemens, told investigators he supplied Clemens and Pettitte with steroids and that information is in the report. The Web site cited an unidentified source close to the trainer.

"We will respond after the report," said Randy Hendricks, the agent for Clemens and Pettitte.

The Los Angeles Times reported in 2006 that Clemens and Pettitte were among the players former major league pitcher Jason Grimsley accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, according to a federal agent's affidavit. Clemens and Pettitte have denied the allegations. On Wednesday, Pettitte said "I've not heard a word from anyone" about former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's investigation.

Citing two lawyers familiar with the investigation, The New York Times reported McNamee also provided information about retired first baseman David Segui. On Monday, Segui admitted he used steroids and purchased shipments from former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski.

Mitchell's report exposes a "serious drug culture within baseball, from top to bottom," fingers MVPs and All-Stars and calls for beefed-up testing by an outside agency to clean up the game.

The report by Mitchell will include names of 60 to 80 players linked to performance-enhancing substances and plenty more information that exposes "deep problems" afflicting the sport, one of two sources with knowledge of the findings told the AP. Both sources said the report would not address amphetamines.

The two sources were familiar with discussions that led to the final draft but did not want to be identified because it was confidential until its scheduled release. They said the full report, which they had not read, totaled 304 pages plus exhibits.

One person familiar with the final version would only speak anonymously but described it as "a very thorough treatment of the subject" and said some aspects were surprising. He said the report assigns blame to both the commissioner's office and the players' union.

MLB's "not going to love it, the union's not going to love it," he said.

-- The Associated Press

In an e-mail sent to agents today, the union said it would get a copy of the report at 1 p.m. "based on our pledge not to disclose its contents before 2 p.m."

"We suggest that, for today at least, you decline general comment on the report and respond only on behalf of a particular player named in the report," the union told the agents.

One source said that while the report will cite problems "top to bottom," it also will expose "deep problems, the number of players, high-level MVPs and All-Stars," as well as clubhouse personnel who allowed steroids and other banned substances in clubhouses or knew about it and didn't say anything.

The rest of the report, the sources said, focuses on recommendations that include enhanced year-round testing and hiring a drug-testing company that uses the highest standards of independence and transparency. Baseball's program currently is overseen by a joint management-union Health Policy Advisory Committee, with an independent administrator approved by both sides.

Mitchell, a Boston Red Sox director, planned to release his report at 2 p.m. Thursday during a news conference in New York City. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was to hold his own news conference a few blocks away 2 1/2 hours later.

The report comes at the end of a year when San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds broke the career home run record, only to be indicted 100 days later on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroid use.

It also was expected to recommend that baseball develop a credible program to handle cases with evidence of athletes receiving or taking drugs but not testing positive for them.

Just last week, Kansas City's Jose Guillen and Baltimore's Jay Gibbons were suspended for the first 15 days of next season, and media reports said they had obtained human growth hormone in 2005, after baseball banned it.

Much of the first part of the report will be based on evidence obtained from Radomski, and from information gleaned from the Albany district attorney's investigation into illegal drug distribution that focused on Signature Pharmacy of Orlando, Fla., the sources said.

Radomski was required to cooperate with the investigation as a condition of his federal plea agreement last April. Radomski pleaded guilty to illegally distributing steroids, HGH, amphetamines and other drugs to players and is awaiting sentencing. Some professional athletes have been linked to the Signature probe, though none have been charged.

On Thursday morning at Radomski's Long Island, N.Y.-based business, Pro Touch Detail Center, a man who identified himself as Radomski told The Associated Press: "I have no comment. Talk to my lawyer. This is private property. Please leave."

Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, reviewed at least part of the report this week to ensure no confidential information from the drug-testing program was disclosed, a person with knowledge of the union's discussion with Mitchell said, also on condition of anonymity.

Despite repeated requests by the players' association to Mitchell's law firm, the union had not been allowed to review the report, that person said.

"I certainly hope after 21 months and getting zip by way of cooperation from the players' association that they'll come up with some recommendations for improvement," said World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound. "If not, it's a complete waste of time."

But he said he's not sure baseball would follow any recommendations.

"My guess is that the management side probably would, but the players' association will dig in and continue its steel-town union approach to life," he said.

Agents have said they expect the report to be highly critical of players and the union for largely refusing to cooperate with Mitchell.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, sent an e-mail to owners and team presidents in advance of the report with instructions how to respond to media inquiries.

"We look forward to carefully reading the results of Sen. Mitchell's investigation," the recommended response said. "Protecting the integrity of our game is vital, and we intend to study his findings and recommendations, and will not comment until we have done so."

Baseball did not have an agreement to ban steroids until September 2002, did not have testing with penalties until 2004 and did not ban HGH until 2005, when it also instituted a suspension for a first positive test.

Mitchell was hired by Selig in March 2006 after the publication of "Game of Shadows," a book by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters about Bonds' alleged steroid use. The rise in power in the 1990s, which drew national attention when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased Roger Maris' single-season record in the Great Home Run Race of 1998, was accompanied by a rise in suspicion.

Maris' record of 61 homers had stood since 1961, but McGwire hit 70 that year and Sosa had 66. During the chase, the AP reported McGwire had used androstenedione, a supplement then available over the counter that produced testosterone.

A bulked-up Bonds then shattered McGwire's record by hitting 73 homers in 2001.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:36 PM | Comment

It's already snowing

It's already started snowing in Hopkinton and Westerly as a storm expected to drop 5 to 10 inches of snow into southern New England moves into the area.

Check out live local radar and track the storm.

The snow wasn't expected to move into the region until after noon.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:48 AM | Comment

State preps roads for storm, residents prep cupboards

The brunt of the impending snow storm is expected to hit during the evening commute. But the state Department of Transportation is getting ready to hit the road after the morning commute.

The trucks will be pre-treating highways with a mixture of one part salt, to lower the freezing temperature of water, and one part sand, for traction and to keep the ice crystals from forming.

“We’re basically trying to keep everything as open as possible during the evening commute,” said Joseph Baker, a senior civil engineer with the DOT. “Hopefully, everything will be going smoothly at that point.”

If the snow picks up, the DOT can bring in more trucks. The state owns 100 and has the ability to call up to 345 contracted vehicles to the roads. “I don’t think we’ll need that many,” Baker said.

Let’s hope not.

And of course, DOT workers aren’t the only ones preparing for the weather. At the Cranston Stop & Shop on Atwood Ave., the parking lot was busy, the shopping carts were scarce, and the checkout lines were three and four people long.

There’s still time to stock up any essentials you might be missing. The snow isn’t expected to start for a few hours yet. But once it starts, sometime after noon, it’s expected to persist until tonight, possibly dumping near a foot of snow when it’s all said and done.

Check out the T. F. Green flight cancellations, school closings and the current weather conditions.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Gene Emery

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:16 AM | Comment

Baseball report on steroids may name MVPs, All-Stars

NEW YORK -- Judgment Day arrived for baseball's steroids era, with the Mitchell report set to be released and posted on the Internet for all to see.

Many questions from a decade of doping will be answered, but many will remain and perhaps new ones will emerge.

The Mitchell Report exposes a "serious drug culture within baseball, from top to bottom," fingers MVPs and All-Stars and calls for beefed-up testing by an outside agency to clean up the game, The Associated Press learned yesterday.

The report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell will include names of 60 to 80 players linked to performance-enhancing substances and plenty more information that exposes "deep problems" afflicting the sport, one of two sources with knowledge of the findings told the AP. Both sources said the report would not address amphetamines.

MLB's "not going to love it, the union's not going to love it," he said.

-- The Associated Press

Mitchell, a Boston Red Sox director, planned to release his report at 2 p.m. today during a Manhattan news conference in New York City. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was to hold his own news conference a few blocks away 2 1/2 hours later.

It also was expected to recommend that baseball develop a credible program to handle cases with evidence of athletes receiving or taking drugs but not testing positive for them.

Much of the first part of the report will be based on evidence obtained from former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, and from information gleaned from the Albany district attorney's investigation into illegal drug distribution that focused on Signature Pharmacy of Orlando, Fla., the sources said.

Despite repeated requests by the players' association to Mitchell's law firm, the union had not been allowed to review the report, that person said.

But he said he's not sure baseball would follow any recommendations.

"My guess is that the management side probably would, but the players' association will dig in and continue its steel-town union approach to life," he said.

Agents have said they expect the report to be highly critical of players and the union for largely refusing to cooperate with Mitchell.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, sent an e-mail to owners and team presidents in advance of the report with instructions how to respond to media inquiries.

A bulked-up Bonds then shattered McGwire's record by hitting 73 homers in 2001

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:41 AM | Comment

National Guard remembers its roots

The National Guard is turning 371 years old.

That's right, 371 years old.

"The National Guard traces its roots to the militia," according to Lt. Col. Denis J. Riel. "In 1636... the four oldest National Guard regiments were formed in Massachusetts Bay Colony ... That's where we trace our lineage. "

At 11 a.m. today, newly enlisted Rhode Island Army and Air National Guardsmen will be inducted at the R.I. National Guard headquarters in Cranston. WWII veteran and guest of honor retired Col. Howard Brown will also be on hand, marking the event with a ceremonial cake cutting.

According to the Guard, since September 2007, more than 3,900 members of the Army and Air National Guard have deployed in support of international conflicts; the largest number since the Civil War.

"It is right and fitting to recognize the long and proud tradition of the Guard in Rhode Island, both in its federal role and its unique state role," Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray said in a statement.

"It is also important to take a moment and celebrate our modern-day minutemen, members of our own community who, in the finest tradition of their predecessors, continue to leave their homes and drop their figurative plow-shares to pick up arms in defense of this great nation."

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:31 AM | Comment

U.S. Attorney's office to discuss integrity

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence will hold a news briefing concerning "a public integrity matter" this morning.

The briefing begins at 11 a.m.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:28 AM | Comment

Is it a nor'easter?

We’ve established that there’s snow on the way: the National Weather Service is predicting a snowfall rate of between 1 and 3 inches per hour at times with a total possible accumulation of 9 inches by this evening and more into the night.

A lot of snow.

But there’s another question, is it a Nor’easter?

The definition from the Glossary of Meteorology defines the storm as one with gale force winds from the northeast, precipitation, rough seas and, sometimes, flooding.

“Even though we do have northeast winds with this, the winds aren’t going to be significant” he explained.

Winds aren’t expected to get any stronger than 10 mph today; gale force winds -- as mentioned in the Glossary of Meteorology -- begin at about 30 mph.

Nor’easters are pretty serious storms. “This is a good sized storm,” Foley said, “but I wouldn’t say it’s a blockbuster. It’s a subjective kind of thing.” . ”

For a real Nor’easter, we’ll have to wait – until Saturday.

“A powerful Nor’easter will affect the region Saturday night into Sunday,” reads the NWS hazardous weather warning. Although its track is uncertain, we may see snow, rain, gale force winds and flooding.

That sounds like a blockbuster storm.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:03 AM | Comment

Maine troopers investigate brazen robbery of R.I. man

WEST GARDINER, Maine -- Maine state troopers are investigating the brazen robbery of a motorist from Rhode Island on Route 95.

Troopers say two men in a pickup forced the man’s vehicle off the road, then pulled over to ask if he was OK. Instead, the two men allegedly subdued the man with pepper spray and took his wallet, along with a Sony Play Station video console and a portable Play Station.

Robert Simpkin of Warwick, R.I., lost $135 in his wallet and all of his identification. The stolen merchandise was valued at $1,200.

Trooper Lee Vanadestine says he believes the men intended to steal Simpkin’s Suzuki X-90 but failed to do so because he removed the key.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:04 AM | Comment

Pending storm prompts cancellations, parking bans

Some schools have already canceled classes, and parking bans have been implemented in some towns because of the pending storm.

Check the list, which will be updated regularly.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Winter storm warning posted for southern New England

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning: "a significant winter storm will bring heavy snowfall to much of southern New England Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening."

What more is there to say?

The snow shouldn't begin until after noon. Until then, expect a high temperature of just 28 degrees and mild winds from the north and then the east.

The temperature will drop just a few degrees overnight, and the snow should continue. In all, expect between 7 and 13 inches of snow accumulation.

A warmer Friday may melt some of the snow, with a high temperature near 45 degrees.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features the story of four top executives ousted at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment