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December 18, 2007

Tonight: Kenny Rogers hosts Christmas event at PPAC

Kenny Rogers and others will host a Christmas concert tonight at 7:30 at Providence Performing Arts Center. It's the 20th anniversary of the Christmas tour.

With him for the performance are Linda Davis and Julienne Irwin. Tickets are from $45 to $79 for the show at PPAC, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. For information, visit www.ppacri.org or call (401) 421-ARTS.

More ideas for the holiday season can be found on projo.com's calendar of events and our holiday page.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment

Traffic alert: Rte. 195 west accident causing backups

PROVIDENCE -- If you're heading through parts of the city or onto Route 195 around exit 2 west at this moment, ready yourself for delays.

An accident in the area of exit 2 -- the South Main Street exit -- is causing backups on the highway and may be contributing to traffic holdups in downtown itself.

The accident is in the high-speed lane, state police said, and apparently involved minor injuries. More details of the accident were not clear.

A Providence police sergeant said there have been reports of traffic backups at this hour, though it could be one or a combination of things such as the accident and a concert at Providence Performing Arts Center tonight. Not to mention holiday shoppers at Providence Place mall.

Check the state DOT's Web site for jam-factor reports, traffic indicent updates and Web cam views.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:04 PM | Comment

Update: EMA director Warren fired in storm's wake

Robert J. Warren, the executive director of the state emergency management agency, was fired today by Governor Carcieri and Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray.

The move comes after government officials were taken to task for their response to last Thursday's snowstorm and a short time after a meeting of the Emergency Management Advisory Council to discuss the litany of operational problems after the storm.

The storm caused gridlock throughout the greater Providence area and northern region of the state, resulting in commutes that lasted three to six hours in the nation's smallest state. In Providence, about a hundred school children were stranded on school buses for several hours. The city emergency management director and the mayor were unaware the children were stranded until hours later.

Warren told The Journal last week that he was unaware of the gridlock until around 5:30 p.m. He said he’d gone home to South Kingstown and then returned to the EMA that night, when he was notified by a grandfather at 9 p.m. that children were on school buses caught in the storm. Warren said he offered Providence assistance but was refused.

Carcieri, who was in the Mideast during the storm and its aftermath, acknowledged yesterday that his administration did a “poor job” of communicating with the public during the storm.

The state Emergency Management Advisory Council met this afternoon. It was the first time in months that Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, who is the chairwoman, had convened a meeting of the council.

While she and Bray discussed the failures and problems in the response to Thursday’s storm, Warren was conspicuously absent. In response to reporters' questions, Bray -- to whom Warren reports -- said Warren was at his office, working.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits and projo.com staff reports

Bray evaded questions about Warren's comments on a talk radio show this morning, when he told host John Depetro that he was “working on other projects” during the storm and didn’t know about the gridlock until hours later.

The governor’s office announced Warren's termination at 5:30 p.m. Jeff Neal, the governor’s spokesman, said the governor would have no comment. Calls to Roberts and Bray for more information were not returned.

Bray, who is also the commander of the state's National Guard, will assume the duties of EMA executive director until an interim replacement is named, the governor's office said.

Warren, a former Cranston fire chief, was appointed by Governor Carcieri to head the EMA in August 2005. The state EMA had long been considered a backwater in state politics, and Warren was the first EMA head with experience in public safety.

Under Warren, the state EMA produced its first hurricane plan, its first statewide evacuation routes, and established an interoperable radio communications system meant to help officials from various state and local agencies communicate in a disaster.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:01 PM | Comment

State EMA director Warren fired in storm's wake

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri announced that the employment of Robert Warren, director of the state Emergency Management Agency, has been "terminated, effective immediately."

A statement late this afternoon from the governor's office said the decision was made jointly by Carcieri and Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, to whom the EMA executive director reports.

The move comes after government officials were taken to task for their response to last Thursday's snowstorm and a short time after a meeting of the Emergency Management Advisory Council to discuss the litany of operational problems after the storm.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, who chairs the council, met with Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, the state’s adjutant general, and other officials at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Warren, who Bray said was working at his office, did not attend the meeting.

Warren reported to Bray, who is also the commander of the state's National Guard. Bray will assume the duties of EMA executive director until an interim replacement is named, the governor's office said.

Carcieri, who was in the Mideast during the storm and its aftermath, acknowledged yesterday that his administration did a “poor job” of communicating with the public during the storm, which choked most of the state's major arterieis, stranded Providence schoolchildren on buses until late at night, and left some motorists in the nation's smallest state struggling to get home for three to six hours.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:22 PM | Comment

Fish stepping away from Citizens day-to-day ops

Lawrence K. Fish announced today that he is retiring from all "day-to-day" responsibilities at Providence-based Citizens Financial Group.

Fish, one of the state's best-known business leaders, relinquished direct control over Citizens in March, when he was replaced as the bank's chief executive officer. At the time, he said he was taking on more broad responsibilities for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Citizens' parent company. He adopted a new title, chairman of RBS America, a new organizational unit.

But only nine months later, Fish is diminishing his role, becoming "non-executive" chairman of RBS America and Citizens Financial Group. His announcement, in a letter to employees today, reflected on his career at the bank.

"After 15 remarkable years, I am enormously proud of what we have built together," Fish said. "A small Rhode Island savings bank has become one of the 10 largest commercial banking companies in America."

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin Gedan

Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 5:54 PM | Comment

Broken water pipe closes Mount Pleasant High School

PROVIDENCE -- Mount Pleasant High School closed at 1:30 p.m. today after a broken pipe set off the fire alarms and sent water gushing along the first and second floors.

Late this afternoon, school officials were discussing whether to open school tomorrow morning.

According to spokeswoman Christina O’Reilly, that decision will depend on whether the heat sensors, which were touched by water, have been damaged and can be fixed in time for the 8:20 a.m. start of class. School usually ends at 2:50 p.m.

A pipe ruptured in a second-floor bathroom around 12:45 p.m., O’Reilly said. The school department decided to dismiss the students at 1:30 p.m. because they had to shut off water to the building.

Meanwhile, school department technicians were working on the main computer server because that, too, had been touched by water. O’Reilly said that it wasn’t clear whether any individual computers were damaged by the flooding.

A computerized phone message will be sent out to Mount Pleasant parents if school is cancelled tomorrow or if classes are delayed.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:47 PM | Comment

ABC6 to launch unusual 4 p.m. newscast in January

PROVIDENCE -- ABC6 will launch a 4 p.m. newscast beginning Monday, Jan. 14, which may be the first TV newscast at that time slot in Rhode Island.

Jason Nye, a spokesman for the ABC affiliate, said today that new anchor Allison Alexander, whose appointment takes effect Jan. 1 and who comes from the Cleveland CBS affiliate, will be part of the hour-long newscast on Channel 6.

It was not clear who another anchor will be for the newscast, which Nye said will be a hard-news format, not a talk show.

"It give [the station] an opportunity to try some new things," Nye said, and "new segments and do more live interviews." And, with a big political year ahead, Nye added the slot will help with expanding political coverage.

The station will have programming at 5 p.m. then return with the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.

NBC10, the local NBC affiliate, and WPRI's Eyewitness News, which is affiliated with both CBS and Fox, currently have evening formats of 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m

At 4 p.m., NBC10 carries the popular Oprah Winfrey Show.

NBC10 issued a news release today stating that it saw growth in its ratings lead in key time periods during the November sweeps.

(An earlier version of this story had the wrong title for Nye.)

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:00 PM | Comment

URI picks one of its own to be new football coach

Returning to the scene of his All-American career, Darren Rizzi took over today as head coach of the University of Rhode Island football program.

Rizzi signed a five-year contract at a base salary of $160,000. He succeeds Tim Stowers, who was fired last month after eight seasons.

Rizzi predicted that Rhode Island will become a contender in the Colonial Athletic Association, even to the point of eventually challenging for the championship. "Failing is not going to be an option," he said.

Rizzi, who is associate head coach at Rutgers, will divide his time between Rutgers and URI until the Scarlet Knights play in the International Bowl Jan. 5 in Toronto against Ball State.

"I am very happy for Darren and his family," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said in a statement. "He has done a great job here at Rutgers and I know that he will do a great job as the head football coach at the University of Rhode Island. We will miss him but are very happy for him and his family."

Rizzi, 37, graduated from URI in 1992, where he had been a tough and durable receiver for then- Coach Bob Griffin.

-- Michael McDermott, projo.com

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:53 PM | Comment

Update: Fire out at Brown University heating plant

PROVIDENCE -- Firefighters put out a blaze in about 40 minutes this afternoon that began in a roof exhaust vent of a Brown University heating plant that supplies "quite a few" of the university's buildings on the city's East Side, a fire battalion chief said.

No one was injured in the fire at 235 Lloyd Ave.

Battalion Chief Thomas Brearley said the affected exhaust vent is for a boiler in the building and that vent appeared to have had some corrosion before the fire. The vent does handle high temperatures.

The fire spread to some degree to the roof.

Brearley said firefighters had to cut an area of roof around the vent to knock out the fire's source. He said he did not believe the boiler was affected.

Brearly said he believed the university was able to use another boiler and that heating for buildings was not affected.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Update: Bay View mercury spill from home thermometer

EAST PROVIDENCE -- No students at St. Mary Academy-Bay View were exposed to harmful levels of mercury after a thermometer, apparently brought in by a student, broke today.

Students are not supposed to bring thermometers to school, said Sister Elizabeth McAuliffe, the school's president. She said she expected to send home a letter tomorrow reminding parents and students.

Students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight had been evacuated to the school's athletic wellness center, then dismissed early.

Responders checked the shoes of all students who walked on the second floor of St. Joseph Hall, where the spill occurred, said Stephanie Powell, a state Department of Environmental Management spokeswoman.

"There was definitely no exposure to any type of hazardous levels," Powell said.

The contamination detected, Powell said, was lower than the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's standard by a factor of thousands.

McAuliffe said the spill was found in a corridor on the second floor of St. Joseph Hall outside the nurse's office. She had made it clear early that the mercury was not from the nurse's office.

Grades nine through 12 at the school were unaffacted because they do not use St. Joseph Hall for classes and were not allowed into it today for dining hall purposes, McAuliffe said.

The academy, a four-building campus on Pawtucket Avenue in the city's Riverside section, is a private, Catholic school for girls .

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

Parents were first notified, then updated, about the incident through the electronic alert system Connect-Ed.

A second message to parents stated that the state Department of Environmental Management and Clean Harbors Environmental Services, which cleans up hazardous material spills, were on site.

The students were dismissed early because they had not had lunch and were not able to reenter the building to get belongings and coats. Buses were on as scheduled, according to the second message, which was confirmed by the school.

A second exam scheduled for today will be administered after the break, but exams will continue tomorrow as scheduled, the later message said. After-school care was canceled.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:10 PM | Comment

Photo: Upside-down rainbow over Union Street

projo.com photo/ Brandie Jefferson
A circumzenithal arc in the sky above downtown Providence.

The circumzenithal arc floated over Union Street early this afternoon.

The arcs are sometimes called upside-down rainbows -- although they're not. Rainbows are caused by reflection and refraction of light through rain drops.

The arcs are formed when sunlight passes through flat, horizontally oriented ice crystals in the atmosphere.

The center of the arc always faces the sun, and if the arc were to be drawn out into a circle, it would circle the zenith point in the sky -- directly overhead. This means, of course, that you almost have to be looking straight up to notice them.

Circumzenithal arcs one of a handful of cool atmospheric phenomenon that are more common in during the colder months.

Keep an eye out.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:10 PM | Comment

Carcieri touts new graduation requirements / Photo

Journal photo/Frieda Squires
Marissa Simeone and Rebecca Stein, both juniors at Mt. Hope High School, Bristol, listen to Governor Carcieri as he speaks to a group of students about new graduation standards.

BRISTOL -- In his first stop on a series of visits to high schools around the state, Governor Carcieri emphasized to students at Mt. Hope High School today the importance of a new system of standards-based graduation requirements.

“I feel so strongly about this,” he said, “because I believe it’s the future of our state.”

Carcieri spoke to a group of 15 students representing each of the four high school grade levels about standardized testing and the new diploma system, which requires graduating students to demonstrate proficiency through either a senior project, a multiyear portfolio of their work or end-of-course exams.

He told them about the importance of his own education, which led to a brief stint as a teacher before becoming a successful businessman and politician, and said that education reforms in Rhode Island are aimed at better preparing students for life after graduation.

“What do we need to do to give our youngsters the skills to be successful?” he said.

Carcieri met with the students for about an hour in the school library after sitting down with teachers earlier in the morning. He plans to visit six high schools around the state to talk about the new system and listen to comments from faculty and pupils about the changes. His next stop is Westerly High School on Thursday.

Many of the students selected by school administrators to meet with Carcieri today told him the portfolios that all Mt. Hope teenagers are required to create is a useful and accurate tool to gauge performance.

“We can really see what we need to do and how we’ve grown,” said senior Robert Cotta.

The digital portfolio system was started at Mt. Hope four years ago. It’s put together on a computer over a student’s entire tenure in school and, when completed, can include more than one hundred assignments, along with awards and even video clips.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

In May, before a student graduates, he or she must give a panel of teachers, administrators and community members a “tour” of the highlights of their portfolio to demonstrate proficiency. The portfolio must be judged proficient for the student to receive a diploma.

Sophomore Jonathan Silva showed the room his portfolio, which is still in the works and consists of 24 pieces of work, including a history paper, a play critique and a lab report from the school science fair.

“It almost sums up everything I’ve done the entire year,” he said.

Freshman Jordan Moshkwoski, however, said that with the focus on proficiency, the portfolio doesn’t accurately reflect if a student is taking accelerated or honors courses.

“I think that’s kind of a flaw that should be improved on,” she said.

State Department of Education Commissioner Peter McWalters, who was also present, said that could be something officials take a second look at.

In an interview after the meeting, Edward P. Mara, superintendent of the Bristol Warren Regional School District, said the new diploma system is the result of an overall change in philosophy.

“Before, you did your work, received your grades, and you just left high school,” he said. “These kids now get constant feedback. They know what they’re doing well, so it gives them the opportunity to get better.”

Earlier, senior Jason Moniz told the governor about recent positive changes at Mt. Hope, which has seen steady improvement in standardized test scores over the past five years and in 2005 was named a Regents’ commended school. Moniz’s older brother graduated from the school several years ago and remarked on the gains.

“He says my diploma’s worth a lot more than his,” Moniz said.

“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Carcieri responded. “We’re trying to do that at every school in the state.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:58 PM | Comment

FTC won't stand in way of hospital group merger in R.I.

Lifespan and Care New England, the two hospital groups in Rhode Island, announced today that the Federal Trade Commission will not stand in the way of their plans to merge.

That means that the groups have cleared the first hurdle in their effort to unite into a seven-hospital corporation controlling two-thirds of hospital services in Rhode Island. But they still need approval from state regulators, likely to be a more arduous process.

The FTC reviewed the plans to see whether the merger would violate anti-trust laws. If the commission believed that the merger would lessen competition in the marketplace, it would have made a second request for information. Instead, the FTC notified the hospitals last week that a committee had recommended against seeking additional information, and then the deadline for making that second request passed at midnight last night, said Lifespan spokeswoman Jane Bruno.

Bruno said that the merger would not create a monopoly because the health-care marketplace extends well beyond the borders of Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, Lifespan and Care New England still have not filed their application with the Department of Health and the attorney general. Bruno said the hospitals have been working with state regulators to complete the application but could not predict when it would be completed.

If approved, the newly merged company will be called Lifespan and will encompass Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Bradley Hospital and Newport Hospital (the current Lifespan groups) along with Women & Infants Hospital, Butler Hospital and Kent Hospital (now part of Care New England).

-- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer

“We are pleased to receive this favorable decision from the Federal Trade Commission on our proposed merger,” said George Vecchione, president and CEO of Lifespan. “We believe this merger would create a comprehensive health care delivery system that will allow us to continue to provide high quality care to all Rhode Islanders and to maintain our respective missions to care for the uninsured and underinsured.”

John J. Hynes, Esq., president and CEO of Care New England, agreed. “We now look forward to moving ahead with the state regulatory review process and to working with the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Health,” he said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:39 PM | Comment

Woman found dead in Burrillville was victim of homicide

The state medical examiner today released a cause of death for the 33-year-old Woonsocket woman whose body was found in a wooded area in Burrillville.

According to the medical examiner’s release, Vicki Connolly's death was the result of multiple sharp and blunt force injuries and ligature about the neck, referred to as “homicidal violence.”

Her body was found by hunters near Spring Lake Road in Burrillville on Nov. 9, the body was identified as Connolly's five days later.

Connolly had been missing about two months before her body was found. The police had said she was last seen on Sept. 6.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:26 PM | Comment

Update: Newport voters deciding today on new legislator

Journal photo / Freida Squires
Charlie Berluti and Teresa Sullivan check in a voter at Carey School, 3rd Ward, Newport, in the special election to determine who will replace the late Rep. Paul Crowley.

Voters in Newport today are deciding who will fill a seat in the State House left by Paul W. Crowley, who died Sept. 25 as the longest-serving Democrat in the House of Representatives.

Democrat J. Clement “Bud” Cicilline, head of a mental health agency and former state senator, faces Republican Steven J. Coaty, a lawyer local to Newport who’s making his first bid for public office.

James Stanek, an independent, will also appear on the ballot although he withdrew from the race last week. Any votes for Stanek will be disregarded.

The polls for this special election will be open until 9 p.m.

Click below to find your polling place.

•Ward 1, District 5: St. John’s Church Hall, Willow Street

•Ward 2, District 4: Thompson Middle School, 39 Broadway

•Ward 2, District 5: Donovan Manor, 19 Chapel St.

•Ward 3, District 1: Clarke School Apartments, 24 Mary St.

•Ward 3, District 2: Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St.

•Ward 3, District 3: St. Augustin’s School, 5 Harrison Ave.

•Ward 3, District 4: Carey School, 27 Narragansett Ave.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:45 PM | Comment

Roof of Brown University heating plant on fire

PROVIDENCE -- Firefighters are on the scene at a working fire at the Brown University heating plant.

A fire alarm came in at about 1:15 this afternoon from 235 Lloyd Ave., adjacent to the university's athletic complex.

The fire is on the roof, according to Chief of Communications James Taylor, but it is not yet clear if roofing materials or something else caught on fire.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:39 PM | Comment

Motiva cuts 24 jobs in Providence in wake of retail sale

Motiva Enterprise LLC, a Texas-based supplier of fuel to Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, has eliminated 52 trucking jobs, including 24 in Providence, as part of the sale of its retail operations, a company spokesman confirmed today.

Motiva, which operates a gas supply terminal on Allens Avenue, Providence, said that 9 of the 52 union truck drivers at the company’s Providence, Bridgeport, Conn., and Brooklyn, N.Y., terminals accepted other jobs within the company; the remaining 43 received “enhanced severance packages,” said Motiva spokesman Stan Mays.

Motiva last week announced that it sold its interest in 34 Shell gasoline stations in Rhode Island to Colbea Enterprises LLC, which is owned by a Rhode Island family. The sale is part of what Motiva has said is an effort to refocus its business on wholesale operations. The new owners of the gas stations are expected to provide transportation of the fuels from the terminals to the stations, said Mays.

Motiva will continue to operate the fuel terminals which supply its wholesale customers.

-- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:22 PM | Comment

Grease caused car fire in which body was found

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Leaking grease started the fire in the car in which a woman's body was found last week, according to the state Fire Marshal's office.

Grease leaking in the engine block caused the 2000 Subaru Forester to catch fire outside 86 Berry Hill Lane in Kingston, the Fire Marshal's office says.

Firefighters found the body of Katherine C. Helweg, who lived at that address, inside the car after they put out the fire shortly after 5:40 p.m. Dec. 11.

The state Medical Examiner’s office has not released a cause of death, but a spokeswoman there said it was expected to be issued as soon as tomorrow.

Investigators concluded that the car had been running for “a period of time” before catching fire, said Michael Sweeney, chief of investigations in the state Fire Marshal's office.

A mechanic explained that grease can ignite if it leaks from the boot surrounding the axles onto the exhaust manifold. Sweeney associated any leak with “normal wear and tear” experienced by a car that age.

“It was accidental,” Sweeney said.

“It’s certainly unusual,” he said, adding “She should have gotten out of the vehicle, but she became incapacitated and couldn’t get out.”

Helweg, 59, a special education teacher in the Chariho school district, suffered from diabetes, according to the police.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:44 PM | Comment

Update: Families of troops skate for free tonight

A holiday special for families of Rhode Islanders serving overseas during the holidays is set for today at the Bank of America City Center skating rink.

Family members can stop by between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. for free skating and rentals, a skating demonstration and free pizza and hot chocolate. An earlier post incorrectly stated the event was all day long.

Families of military personnel can also get season passes that give them free skating and rentals throughout the winter.

The event was rescheduled after last week’s winter storm; it was initially scheduled for Sunday.

“The holiday season can be an especially difficult time for family members whose loved ones are thousands of miles away fighting overseas,” Mayor David Ciciline said in a statement.

The celebration, he said, is a way is a way for residents "to thank the men and women of the armed forces for their dedication, patriotism and bravery and to thank their families for the sacrifices they have made.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:05 PM | Comment

Mass. casino hearing drawing industry heavyweights

BOSTON — A Statehouse hearing on casino gambling today is drawing some industry heavyweights.

Among those expected to testify are billionaire Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands; and Gary Loveman, chief executive of Harrah’s Entertainment.

Gov. Deval Patrick is also scheduled to speak at the hearing. The governor has filed legislation to bring three resort casinos to Massachusetts. He believes the casinos would generate $400 million in annual tax revenue and 20,000 new jobs.

The hearing will have a pro-casino flavor, as it’s being chaired by Rep. David Flynn, a Bridgewater Democrat who supports expanded gaming.

House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has in the past opposed an expansion of gambling. He says the House won’t take up the governor’s bill until sometime next year.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:03 PM | Comment

Lawmaker pays $6,000 to settle ethics complaint

PROVIDENCE — A state lawmaker has agreed to pay $6,000 for failing to disclose details about his income in state filings.

Rep. Raymond Gallison Jr. failed to report more than $100,000 of income he received from an employer, The College Readiness Program. Gallison did not list the income over three years, starting in 2000.

Under the state ethics law, lawmakers must disclose the source of their income.

State Ethics Commission prosecutor Jason Gramitt says the commission voted today to accept the settlement. The commission isn’t recommending that the attorney general’s office prosecute Gallison.

Gallison, a Democrat from Bristol, wasn’t immediately available for comment.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:58 AM | Comment

Woman gets 35 years for daughter's murder/ Photo

A woman convicted of murdering her 19-month-old daughter was sentenced this morning to spend 35 years behind bars.

If she serves the entire sentence, Kimberly Mawson will be 72 when she is released from the Adult Correctional Institutions.

"This whole thing is very surreal," she said before the sentence was read.

Mawson's bail was revoked, she was handcuffed and taken to immediately begin serving the sentence.

In all, Kent County Superior Court Associate Judge Edwin J. Gale sentenced Mawson to 60 years, with 35 to serve and 25 years suspended. Mawson will also serve 25 years probation after her sentence, including mental health counseling. She is not allowed any unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 16.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

In December, 2002, the baby, named Jade, collapsed in the living room floor of an Elmwood Avenue, Warwick, apartment. Two days later she was declared brain dead at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

An autopsy showed the girl had bruises on her head and her body that suggested an adult had grabbed and squeezed Jade so hard that one of her ribs broke.

A blow to the girl’s head burst the blood vessels behind her eyes.

And an object the size of a pencil had apparently penetrated the girl’s vagina.

Despite Mawson’s lawyer’s claim that Daniel Fusco -- Mawson’s former boyfriend who was watching Jade at when she collapsed -- was responsible for the girl’s death, a jury in October found Mawson guilty of second-degree murder.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:21 AM | Comment

Providence City Council calls special meeting on storm

PROVIDENCE -- A special City Council meeting has been scheduled for Thursday to discuss the city’s performance during last week’s snow storm.

The City Council has invited the director of public works, the school superintendent, the police chief, the fire chief, the director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and representatives from the company that operates the city school buses.

“The circumstances associated with last Thursday’s snow emergency have called into serious question certain operational responses that have left Providence residents bewildered and outraged,” councilman Terrence M. Hassett said in a release.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:07 AM | Comment

Officials will announce $1.2M to fight lead poisoning

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch and other officials today will announce $1.2 million in grants to organizations that his office said will tackle lead poisoning in the state.

Lynch and Kurt L. Schmoke, a board member of the Children’s Health Forum in Washington, will announce at an 11 a.m. news conference this first round of money made available by the Healthy Kids Collaborative. The collaborative is the statewide effort financed by DuPont and carried out as a partnership between the Children’s Health Forum and the attorney general, with input from Attorney General’s Advisory Commission on Lead Paint.

The news conference will be in the St. Joseph Hospital lobby, 21 Peace St., Providence.

Representatives of organizations getting the money will also attend, as will children and families who will benefit from the grants.

Schmoke, a former mayor of Baltimore, is dean of the Howard University School of Law.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:26 AM | Comment

Carcieri goes to school on new graduation requirements

Governor Carcieri will visit Mt. Hope High School in Bristol today, the first of several stops aiming to "highlight the importance of the state’s new graduation requirements for high school seniors," his office said in a news release.

Carcieri will be joined by state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters at a closed meeting with teachers and administrators at 9 a.m., then an an open meeting with students at 10 a.m.

"Governor Carcieri wants to learn how high school students are dealing with the challenge of new high school graduation requirements," the release said.

Carcieri supports the change in diploma requirements as a necessary move to to give students the skills needed for college or the workforce.

On Thursday, the governor will visit Westerly High School.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 8:24 AM | Comment

Traffic Alert: Accident on I-295 closes highway

An accident on Route 295 has traffic slowed to a stop this morning.

State police say the accident, on the northbound side of the roadway, is near Plainfield Pike/Exit 4.

Police and rescue authorities are on the scene right now, no further information is currently available.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:15 AM | Comment

La Salle bribery case continued until next month

A pre-trial conference for two men accused in a bribery scheme at La Salle Academy has been postponed until early next year.

In December of last year, Richard Rochefort, former director of buildings and grounds at the school, was indicted on charges that he solicited or accepted more than $10,000 from contractors who did work at the school.

His wife Gail A. Rochefort was also indicted on one count of conspiring to solicit or accept a bribe

Contractor Ralph Catallozzi was indicted on a count of bribery for allegedly giving Rochefort a "kickback."

In all, Rochefort is accused of soliciting or accepting bribes from five companies that received contracts to perform work at La Salle between Aug. 1, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2005.

A pre-trial conference scheduled for this week has been postponed until January, according to Berryl Kenyon, spokeswoman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:09 AM | Comment

Boston bus drivers leave 680 students without rides

BOSTON -- Providence isn't the only city having trouble getting students to and from school on its school buses.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is calling for a full investigation into an unusual number of absences among school bus drivers for the city.

About 680 children were left without a ride to school yesterday after 70 drivers called in sick or took personal days off.

School officials said the high number of absences did not appear to be any kind of organized protest by drivers.

In a statement, Menino called the situation "unacceptable and unfair" to children who missed school and parents who may been forced to miss a day of work.

School Superintendent Carol Johnson says she'll ask the city's school bus contractor to review every absence to ensure there was no abuse of sick leave or vacation time.

The president of the bus driver's union, Frantz Mendes, blames the city for not having enough standby drivers to cover the routes.

Some Providence students were stuck on school buses for hours trying to get home during Thursday's snow storm, and yesterday students were late for school when 30 buses had trouble climbing an icy hill near the bus yard.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:26 AM | Comment

State EMA council meets today to discuss storm woes

The state’s Emergency Management Advisory Council is meeting today to discuss the litany of operational problems after last week’s snow storm.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, who chairs the council, will meet with Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, the state’s adjutant general and the vice chair of the council, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Warren and other officials.

Issues on tap for the meeting include a review of general preparedness issues surrounding last week's snow storms.

The group also plans to address the procedures enacted at T.F. Green airport Sunday when a jet carrying 31 passengers and three crew members slid off the runway. And the Transportation Security Administration will review the September homeland security airport drill.

The meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:19 AM | Comment

Newport voters to elect new lawmaker

NEWPORT -- Newport voters head to the polls today to elect a new state representative.

The election determines the successor to a General Assembly seat left vacant by the death of longtime Representative Paul Crowley. He died of cancer in September at age 57.

Democrat Bud Cicilline faces Republican Steven Coaty in the general election.

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Another chilly day

The high temperature today in the Providence area will reach only about 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

But at least it won't be as windy as yesterday. Today's wind will be 6 to 8 mph from the west.

The temperature should drop to about 20 degrees tonight.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story reporting Governor Carcieri's take on the state's response to last Thursday's storm.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment