|
|
« January 28, 2008 | Today | January 30, 2008 » January 29, 2008Photo: No uniform approach to these school clothes
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:04 PM | Comment Carcieri to unveil proposed Medicaid changes tomorrowGovernor Carcieri tomorrow will lay out his plans for changing state Medicaid/Family Independence programs, which he says will derive savings that will be part of his fiscal 2009 state budget proposal. The plans will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. at the State House. The governor expects to submit the 2009 spending plan to the General Assembly this week. The federal/state Medicaid health program is for low-income individuals and families and pays for such things as long-term care for seniors, primarily nursing homes, and helps people with disabilities, often in group homes. At the moment, Carcieri's office said in a news release today, the state departments of Human Services, Children, Youth and Families, Elderly Affairs, and Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals spend Medicaid money to support various state programs. The Family Independence Program -- the state’s welfare program -- is run by the Department of Human Services. “One example of the kind of reform I am talking about is in the area of long-term care,” Carcieri said in last week's State of the State address. “I know from experience that most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes, or be cared for by a loved one, rather than enter a nursing home. All the data shows that not only does it result in greater longevity and improved quality of life -- in fact it is less costly.” Carcieri said he intends to change the state’s Medicaid program “from one centered on institutions and agencies to a system that focuses on the people who use it: our children, elderly, and those with disabilities.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Tonight: The Bard's work at Trinity RepertoryThere's still time, if you hurry over. Trinity Repertory Company in Providence puts on a production of Shakespeare's Richard III -- a "timely, violent" production, writes Journal theater critic Channing Gray. The play starts at 7 p.m. at the 201 Washington St. theater. Tickets are $10 to $30. Call (401) 351-4242 or go to www.trinityrep.com. The play is already sold out for tomorrow's performance, according to its Web site. But the show continues through March 2. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:49 PM | Comment Fired EMA heads hired by Barrington security outfitThe state and Providence emergency management directors who were fired after the debacle of last month’s fast-moving snowstorm have been snapped up as emergency management consultants for a corporate and public-sector security consulting company in Barrington. Robert J. Warren, the former executive director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, and Leo Messier, the former director of the Providence Emergency Management Agency, have been retained for their emergency management expertise as part of the consulting work offered by Enright & Associates, Inc. The company is headed by John J. Enright, former U.S. Secret Service agent and former director of counter-terrorism and law enforcement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island. Enright announced Warren’s hiring today in a news release: “Bob Warren adds a level of experience and professionalism to our company that will provide our clients with the expertise they need to address the emergency preparedness challenges of the future, and the comfort of knowing that it is coming from one of the region’s most knowledgeable professionals.” Messier’s biography also appears on the company Web site www.enrightassociates.com, where he’s noted for his emergency management experience and ability to capture federal grants. Enright said that the expertise both men have in emergency management planning and response will add to his company’s ability to help clients in the public and private sector with establishing plans for continuing their business and municipal operations during a crisis. A posting for the job once held by Warren has now been posted by the state -- without requiring experience in emergency management or public safety. It was listed without notice on the state Department of Labor and Training’s Web site yesterday, with an application period that began yesterday and ends Friday. Meanwhile, the association of local emergency directors in Rhode Island sent a letter to Governor Carcieri today urging him to bring Warren back. The letter signed by the association’s president, West Warwick emergency director Thomas Senerchia, said the group was very disappointed in Carcieri’s decision to fire a man who was “responsive,” “dedicated to the cause,” and “very accessible.” “The ‘storm’ of December 13 2007, was fast and furious and caught everyone of us by surprise. I don’t believe that anyone should be held responsible for this ‘act of God,’” the association’s letter stated. “You must know that Emergency Managers don’t self dispatch. We are NOT first responders. We are a supportive agency that provides help with every resource that we may have at our disposal BUT we MUST be asked for that help. We cannot simply ‘show up’ and impose ourselves on any municipality! This is NOT a military state and it should not be run as such! Please reconsider your firing of a man that took this agency to new heights and of a man that we all admired.” -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Oster trial: Land-transfer concerns ends Day One
The property, the Picerno family home on Preakness Drive, was transferred despite liens on it for unpaid taxes. Martell said that should have prevented any change of ownership until the taxes were paid. Oster is on trial in Superior Court on two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities when he was town administrator from 2000 to 2002. Oster’s case concerns six acres on Route 116 near the Blackstone River called the H&H Screw property. The land's legal status has remained unresolved since the early 1990s when the owner went bankrupt and no one took title to the property. Another prosecutor, Bethany Macktaz, said in opening statements yesterday that the state will show that twice, in 2001 and 2002, with different buyers, Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the property at a “rock bottom” price in exchange for bribes. In 2004, Picerno pleaded no contest to four counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy related to this case. The defense lawyer contends Picerno is seeking leniency in his sentencing. This afternoon's testimony was taken up mostly by L. Robert Smith, a civil engineer who worked for the town of Lincoln in 2001 while it was searching for a permanent, certified town engineer. Smith told how he was recruited by Picerno to work for the town. Under direct examination by prosecutor William Ferland, Smith said at one time he had been frustrated at being unable to reach the town’s lawyers -- he was to be a witness in a land use suit -- and Oster. He said during an encounter at the Lodge restaurant with Oster and Picerno, who had invited him there, Oster told him that if he was having trouble reaching him to call Picerno. But on cross examination, Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, established that when Picerno contacted Smith about working for the town he was part of Oster’s transition team. O’Brien also got Smith to say that though Oster had told him to call Picerno if the engineer needed to reach him, Smith never did. Click the following link to read reports from trial activity earlier today. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer John Hill Prosecution seeks to link ex-planning official Earlier today, the prosecution sought to show that Picerno, an ex-Lincoln Planning Board member, was a significant campaign fund-raiser for Oster. Under prosecutor Macktaz's questioning, Michael Hill, Oster’s campaign treasurer, testified that in 2000 Oster's campaign raised $43,284 -- and that $10,655 of it came from a fund-raiser Macktaz said former planning official/former Oster ally Robert Picerno organized at the Aurora civic club in December 2000. O'Brien sought to play down Picerno's role in the fundraising activities. He pointed out that $10,655 figure did not include expenses for a sit-down dinner. He also pressed Hill on how heavily involved Picerno was in the fundraiser, suggesting to Hill that it was not referred to as a Picerno fundraiser until state police started calling it that with Hill.
The first morning of testimony was taken up mostly by current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen as the state began to lay the groundwork for its case. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning the Route 116 land. On cross examination, O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessor's office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:56 PM | Comment Update: Foxwoods hotel fire forces out hundreds / Photo
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- A seven-alarm fire on a hotel roof forced hundreds of gamblers and guests out of Foxwoods Resort Casino today. It was the second rooftop fire at an American hotel-casino since Friday, when a blaze damaged the top floors of the Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas Strip and sent 17 people to hospitals with minor injuries. There were no injuries reported from the fire today at the Great Cedar Hotel, one of three hotels at Foxwoods, said Arthur Henick, a spokesman for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, which runs the casino. The fire, reported shortly after 11:30 a.m., was still smoldering this afternoon. The cause was under investigation. Henick said Foxwoods officials were not speculating about whether the fire was an accident or arson, but they believed it started on the roof of the eight-story building. He said he was not aware of any construction work that was being done on the roof. Officials first evacuated the top three floors of the hotel, then later evacuated the entire 312-room building. As a precaution, officials also evacuated the Great Cedar Casino, located on the ground floor of the hotel and one of Foxwoods' six casinos. Casino officials were assessing the damage. Henick said most of the damage to the top floors is expected to be from all the water used to put out the fire. He said the fire was confined to the roof area. "We've had some smoky things before," Henick said about previous incidents at Foxwoods. "Certainly in the 10 years I've been here, it's the biggest we've ever had." +-- The Associated Press More than 50 firefighters from the tribe's fire department and nearby towns responded. The tribal and state fire marshals' offices also are investigating. Donna Garfield of Lawrence, Mass., told The Day of New London that she was gambling at a slot machine when security personnel told her to leave the building. "All I was told was that we had to leave for safety reasons but I didn't know there was a fire until I saw the fire trucks outside," she said. On Friday, a blaze on exterior foam-based sculpting at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas caused employees and guests in some 2,400 occupied rooms to be evacuated. A cause of that fire has not been determined. Posted by Jack Perry at 5:37 PM | Comment W. Warwick man indicted today on murder chargeA West Warwick man was indicted today on one count of murder for allegedly stabbing to death Ronald Dufour in November last year in West Warwick. The Kent County Grand Jury handed up an indictment today naming Robert E. Payette on the murder count, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced this evening. Payette will be arraigned in Kent County Superior Court on Feb. 15. The Journal reported that Payette, of 19 Maple Ave, was arrested Nov. 11. State police said they received a tip that Payette stabbed Dufour, 66, of 56 Maple Ave., at River Run apartments, then dumped the body into a hole at the bottom of a ravine leading to the Pawtuxet River behind the complex. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports CORRECTION: The original version of this posting incorrectly reported the name of Ronald Dufour. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Voters in mock election at Central High pick ObamaPROVIDENCE -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, beware. If today’s mock presidential election at Central High School carries any symbolic weight, then it is clear that Barack Obama has captured the hearts and minds of the millennial generation. Today, six “presidential” candidates from Central High School tried to make their pitch to a room of high school juniors and seniors, many of whom are too young to vote in the March 4 presidential primary in Rhode Island. It was all part of a morning-long primer in the democratic process sponsored by Central High School’s Jill Teixeira, who runs Project Impact, a program that helps students make the transition from high school to adulthood. Besides the teenage candidates, the keynote speakers were Secretary of State Ralph Mollis and General Treasurer Frank Caprio. “This is a historic election,” Mollis told 250 high school juniors and seniors in the high school’s cafeteria. “It’s the first election in more than a generation in which neither the incumbent president nor the vice president are running for re-election.” And the diversity of this year’s candidates -- a black man, a woman, a Mormon and a Vietnam War veteran -- is also unprecedented, he said. “Who in this room,” Mollis asked, “has been paying attention to the campaign?” Only a few hands went up. Next, Mollis underscored the power of one vote. If one person in every polling place in every state had changed their vote seven years ago, President George W. Bush would not be sitting in the White House. Then it was time for the main event. Six young men and women took the microphone and made a case for their respective candidates: on the Republican slate, Octavio Gomez for Mike Huckabee; Fily Rosales for Mitt Romney; Julio Jimenez for John McCain; and, on the Democratic side, Linette de Jesus for Barack Obama; Ariel Acosta for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Steven Hopp for John Edwards. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg De Jesus read a compelling article from the Atlantic Monthly called “Why Obama Matters,” in which the author argues that Obama is the only candidate who can heal the generational divide between the baby-boomers and the younger generations. “It isn’t just that Obama is about ending the war,” she said, ‘It’s about ending the war within America that has crippled America. It’s the war over culture, gender, race and religion. “When the world is changing this rapidly, sometimes the greater risk is caution,” De Jesus said. “We may have found that bridge to the 21st century. His name is Obama.” Hopp seemed to be channeling Edwards, with his call for a quick end to the Iraq war, his pledge to make health care universal and his promise to reduce poverty. But it was his pledge to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 that really caught the crowd’s attention because this audience knows what it’s like to earn only $7.40 an hour. “I like that!” one teenager yelled. Acosta stayed on message. Clinton, she said, is the only candidate with enough experience to step into the White House and hit the ground running. Borrowing a phrase from Edwards, she said, “Hillary Clinton has been standing up for the middle class since Day 1.” And taking a page from Obama, Acosta said, “She has what it takes to make a new beginning.” Gomez, a Huckabee man, sounded like he wrote the stump speech himself. More importantly, he sounded like he believed in every word he said. “I want our children to think outside the box, to think outside the cardboard factory,” he said, looking sharp in a neutral-toned suit. “It’s just as important to encourage children with artistic talent as it is to encourage children with athletic talent.” Then, Gomez rattled off a bunch of statistics to bolster his argument that the arts make a difference in the lives of impoverished students: Children who are exposed to the arts do better academically; they are less likely to engage in delinquent behavior and they are less likely to drop out. In keeping with Huckabee’s self-proclaimed outsider status, Gomez was more than willing to rattle the chains of organized labor. In one breath, he promised to oppose the teachers’ union, while in the next, he also said he would raise their salaries. “We need to hold teachers accountable,” Gomez said, his voice rising. “We need to test teachers as well as students. We should forgive teachers’ student loans to attract high-quality teachers to low-performing schools.” After the speeches were over, students were invited to vote in a mock presidential election using real paper ballots and an actual voting machine. A highly unscientific exit poll showed that Obama had captured the imagination of the under-19 crowd. Here’s a few reasons why: “Obama comes from the same background,” said Marisol Oppenheimer, a senior. “Race is a big deal. We’ve never had a black president before.” “Every time he speaks on television, he talks about the future of children,” said Nicoli Beasley, a senior. “That concerns me because I’m going to college.” But there were a few voters who were swayed by the gender issue. As Robert Beausoleil put it, “I want to see a girl for president.” When all was said and done, Obama won the Democratic election by a more than 2-1 majority, with 78 votes to Clinton’s 57 votes. Edwards trailed with a total of 27 votes. On the Republican side, McCain demolished his rivals, scoring 20 votes to Romney’s 6. Huckabee received four votes, Rudy Giuliani received two votes and Fred Thompson, who is no longer a candidate, got one vote. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:10 PM | Comment Providence man injured in Webster, Mass., shootingDUDLEY, Mass. -- A judge has ordered a Worcester man held without bail on a charge of murdering his ex-girlfriend at a Webster auto parts store yesterday. Authorities say 38-year-old William Goddard also shot and injured another worker, who is from Providence, at Action Crash Parts. Goddard was arraigned today in Dudley District Court on a charge of murder and armed assault with intent to commit murder. The charges stem from the shooting death of 30-year-old Kelly Brackley, a mother of five from Auburn. The police say Brackley was the target in the attack and that her co-worker, 25-year-old Yograj Shivoasani of Providence, suffered a gunshot wound in the arm. Goddard eluded the police for several hours before he was arrested in the woods in Berlin after a standoff. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment Lynch, other AGs seek denial of S.C. coal-fired plantCHARLESTON, S.C. -- Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch joined seven attorneys general to ask environmental officials in South Carolina to deny a permit to build a coal-fired power plant. A letter sent this month says the proposed plant would release millions of tons of carbon dioxide in the air, hurting efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Lynch signed it, as did his counterparts from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and other states. The power plant is expected to provide enough power for 600,000 homes. The company proposing it, Santee Cooper, says it will be built with equipment to meet or exceed state and federal standards. The same group of attorneys general sent a letter to Kansas officials last year arguing against a power plant. That permit was denied. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:10 PM | Comment Governor to unveil plans to trim Ocean Staters' figuresGovernor Carcieri, who has made headlines with proposals to put state budget figures on a crash diet, will tomorrow help launch a program aimed at trimming your figure. Carcieri and Dr. David Gifford, the state Health Department director, will be among officials unveiling a "year-long wellness initiative" -- cut the calories, in ordinary-people speak -- called “Healthy Weight in 2008." The announcement will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket. Fifity-six percent of adults are overweight or obese in Rhode Island, the governor's office said in a news release today. Health problems related to being overweight and obesity include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, depression, and various cancers. Tomorrow's goal is to tell people about activities and events being planned this year. The initiative includes several partner organizations. “Rhode Islanders should stay tuned all through the year for Healthy Weight in 2008 events and information that will be fun and helpful,” the governor said. “Once again, Rhode Island will lead the way in wellness.” The news release focused on trimming calories can't resist a little something about trimming finances: "According to the National Governors Association," it says, "taxpayers pay for half the cost of the nation’s medical expenses directly attributed to obesity. "In the State of Rhode Island, that translates to $185 per taxpayer each year." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment Photo: Overflow crowd at House finance panel hearing
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:44 PM | Comment Photo: Tom Brady spots the cover guy
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:59 PM | Comment Audio: Bakst interviews Rep. Kennedy on Obama choice
AP photoSen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, talks with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., shakes hands as they all arrive for President Bush's State of the Union address before Congress last night.
The congressman, his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, and his father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts lent the power of the Kennedy political dynasty to Obama, despite a closer personal and political relationship with fellow presidential contender, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Listen to two audio clips from the interview: Audio: Hear Patrick Kennedy describe speaking with Sen. Clinton for the first time since his family endorsed Obama, after the State of the Union address last night. 2 min., 16 secs.
Posted by maria caporizzo at 2:20 PM | Comment Oster trial: Prosecution seeks to link ex-planning officialPROVIDENCE -- The prosecution in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster sought to show this morning that an ex-Lincoln Planning Board member was a significant campaign fund-raiser for Oster. Under prosecutor Bethany Macktaz's questioning, Michael Hill, Oster’s campaign treasurer, testified that in 2000 Oster's campaign raised $43,284 -- and that $10,655 of it came from a fund-raiser Macktaz said former planning official/former Oster ally Robert Picerno organized at the Aurora civic club in December 2000. But Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, sought to play down Picerno's role in the fundraising activities. He pointed out that $10,655 figure did not include expenses for a sit-down dinner. He also pressed Hill on how heavily involved Picerno was in the fundraiser, suggesting to Hill that it was not referred to as a Picerno fundraiser until state police started calling it that with Hill. Oster faces two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities when he was town administrator from 2000 to 2002. Oster’s case concerns six acres on Route 116 near the Blackstone River called the H&H Screw property. The land's legal status has remained unresolved since the early 1990s when the owner went bankrupt and no one took title to the property. Macktaz said in opening statements yesterday that the state will show that twice, in 2001 and 2002, with different buyers, Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the property at a “rock bottom” price in exchange for bribes. In 2004, Picerno pleaded no contest to four counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy related to this case. The defense lawyer contends Picerno is seeking leniency in his sentencing. Testimony is slated to resume at 2 p.m. today following lunch. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Testimony begins in trial of ex-Lincoln administrator Oster Earlier today, current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen gave testimony as the state began to lay the case's groundwork. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning a piece of property on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw company land. The property figures prominently in the state’s case, as it claims Oster took bribes in exchange for promises to sell it. On cross examination, defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessor's office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:39 PM | Comment Testimony begins in trial of ex-Lincoln administratorFormer Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster faces two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities during his tenure as town administrator, from 2000 to 2002. The first morning of testimony in his trial in Superior Court, Providence, was taken up mostly by current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen as the state began to lay the groundwork for its case. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning a piece of property on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw company land. The property figures prominently in the state’s case, as it claims Oster took bribes in exchange for promises to sell it. On cross examination, defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessors, office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill But Oster’s lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, said every supposed bribe had a reasonable explanation. Testimony is set to resume this afternoon. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:20 PM | Comment House panel meets on parts of supplemental budgetPROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing at noon today on several parts of Governor Carcieri's supplemental budget proposal. The supplemental budget aims to shore up a projected $151 million deficit over the next six months. According to the agenda, the committee will meet today on: * Article 3, which deals with privatization fo state services. * Article 4, which pertains to money for health benefits. * Article 5, which concerns certified teachers' and city/town employees' rights to bargain. * Article 8, which deals with post-retirement employment of public officers and employees. * Article 24, which concerns police officers' and firefighters' relief benefits. The hearing is in room 35 -- Trainor Hearing Room -- in the State House. The committee is slated to meet tomorrow at noon as well on several other parts of the governor's budget proposal. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:14 PM | Comment Pack your wallet if you want to check extra bagsThe airline that accounts for more than half of all passengers at T.F. Green Airport begins charging more for customers who want to check more than two pieces of luggage. Southwest Airlines starts charging $25 for a third piece of luggage, and more for additional bags. A spokesman for the company, Chrisl Mainz, said the new costs would apply to less than 2 percent of the airline's customers. The aim of the new fees is to help free luggage-hold space to carry more cargo, an area the low-fare carrier is targeting to raise revenue, Mainz said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:33 AM | Comment Rhode Island income-tax forms are in the mailState income-tax packages have begun arriving in mailboxes. Michael F. Canole, chief revenue agent for the Rhode Island Division of Taxation's personal income-tax section, said that many of the packages began arriving last week. Others should be received this week. "They are in the mail," Canole said today. Altogether, the agency has mailed about 63,000 packages, he said. Most contain the Rhode Island Form 1040EZ; the remainder contain the longer Rhode Island Form 1040. All the forms are also available online. The state tax agency has also begun mailing forms on which people may claim a rebate under Rhode Island's statewide property-tax relief program. Earlier this month, the agency sent out about 50,000 packets containing forms with which to make quarterly estimated tax payments later this year, Canole said. -- Neil Downing, Journal business writer Posted by Jack Perry at 11:16 AM | Comment EMC profits up, but shares downBOSTON -- EMC Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit jumped 35 percent, beating Wall Street expectations, but the data storage vendor's results were overshadowed by disappointment over a technology firm in which EMC owns a majority stake. EMC's shares fell more than 8 percent in morning trading after software maker VMware Inc. reported disappointing revenue results after markets closed yesterday. The decline in EMC shares "is entirely due to VMware," whose market value of more than $31 billion approaches that of EMC's more than $35 billion, said Matt Bryson, of the technology research firm Avian Securities. EMC owns an 86 percent stake of VMware. Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC said today its net income for the October-December period was $525.7 million, or 24 cents per share, compared with a profit of $388.8 million, or 18 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose 19 percent to $3.83 billion from $3.21 billion a year ago. The profit and revenue performances beat the consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, who had been expecting a profit of 22 cents per share, and revenue of $3.66 billion, on average. In morning trading, shares of EMC fell $1.38 to $15.53. VMware shares were down nearly 32 percent, after the maker of so-called "virtualization" software reported fourth-quarter revenue fell about $5 million short of analysts expectations of $417.4 million. -- The Associated Press EMC's fourth-quarter revenue from software licenses jumped 20 percent, outpacing the 15 percent growth in the storage systems business at EMC, whose rivals include IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Network Appliance Inc. Revenue from professional services and systems maintenance, a smaller business segment than the other two, grew 27 percent. EMC's North American business posted a 16 percent sales gain, compared with 23 percent growth overseas. EMC offered its initial financial forecast for 2008, with expectations for revenue growth of 13 percent to $15 billion, and 14 percent profit growth to $1.04 per share, excluding one-time items and gains. The revenue target beat analysts' forecast of $14.7 billion, but Avian Securities' Bryson said he and many other observers had expected EMC to forecast a slightly higher 2008 annual profit. On a conference call with analysts, Joe Tucci, EMC's chairman, president and chief executive, said EMC was cautious in its profit outlook because of recent economic volatility and fears that it could hurt technology spending. "Today, we have not seen much of a down side, but as we go forward, I think being cautious is the order of the day," he said. EMC's stock has lost about a third of its value over the past three months after hitting as high as $25.47 in October following the August debut of VMware's stock in one of the tech sector's most highly anticipated IPOs since Google's. EMC, whose stock now closely tracks that of VMware, sold a 10 percent stake in the firm. Its software allows a single computer to function like multiple machines. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:15 AM | Comment R.I. researchers find CO may hurt heart, tooWe’ve heard how carbon monoxide starves the body of oxygen, leaving victims of overexposure with headaches, nausea, dizziness, and, in the most extreme cases, death. But according to a study published in Academic Emergency Medicine’s January issue, carbon monoxide also weakens the heart by attacking heart muscle directly. “These findings suggest that heart damage caused by carbon monoxide may have long-lasting effects even after it’s been eliminated from the blood,” Selim Suner, the lead author of the study, and director of preparedness and disaster medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, said in a statement. In the study, a team of researchers from Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, looked at three groups of animals: a group exposed to carbon monoxide and oxygen, similar to the conditions of most poisoning; a group of animals exposed to nitrogen, which also starves the body of oxygen; and a control group that breathed normal air. In both the group that breathed the carbon monoxide/oxygen mix, and the group that breathed the nitrogen, the heart function appeared to be weakened. But after treatment with 100 percent oxygen, the group that breathed carbon monoxide did not recover heart function or blood pressure as much as the nitrogen group did. That led the researchers to believe that something other than oxygen deprivation was at work weakening patients who were exposed to carbon monoxide. Gregory Jay, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital, and associate professor at Brown University, co-authored the study. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:01 AM | Comment Bribery trial of former Lincoln administrator continuesPROVIDENCE -- Six years after his arrest, the trial has started for a former Lincoln town administrator accused of using his position to take bribes and make money for himself, neglecting his town. Jonathan Oster faces two counts each of bribery and conspiracy. His trial began yesterday after being delayed for several years because of a dispute over evidence. But Oster’s lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, said every supposed bribe had a reasonable explanation. Testimony is set to begin today in Superior Court, Providence Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:36 AM | Comment A Super Bowl parade on Super Tuesday?BOSTON -- If the New England Patriots beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, a victory parade would likely be held next Tuesday, the same day Massachusetts holds its presidential primary election, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said. The mayor, while stressing that he did not want to "jinx" the Patriots by mentioning the possibility of a parade prior to the game, told The Boston Globe there would be little choice but to hold the event on Tuesday. The team would not arrive back from Arizona in time to have a parade on Monday, Menino said. But Wednesday would be too late, because a number of players including quarterback Tom Brady are scheduled to leave that day to participate in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii on Feb. 10. "You can't have a parade without the players," Menino said. -- The Associated Press Holding the parade on the same day as the primary would pose a number of practical and logistical concerns. The city is required to assign a police officer to all 254 of the city's voting precincts. But hundreds more police officers would be required for security and crowd control should a parade be held that day. Menino said the election would be the first priority, and city officials would map a parade route that would skirt polling places so that voters would not encounter any problems casting their ballots. The state's chief elections officer, Secretary of State William Galvin, said the city must assure that voters have unfettered access to polling places. "With all due respect to the New England Patriots - and I wish them well; I hope they win - holding the election of the next president of the United States is a little more important," he said. Massachusetts is among 22 states holding presidential primaries or caucuses on Feb. 5, dubbed by many as Super Tuesday. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:30 AM | Comment Providence woman appeals ruling in Nazi art case
In this photo provided by Concordia University, an oil on canvas painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, (1806-1873), entitled "Girl from the Sabiner Mountains," obtained from a 1937 auction catalog via the University. PROVIDENCE — A Providence woman is appealing a court order forcing her to give the estate of a Jewish art dealer a painting her family bought about 70 years ago. In December, a federal judge ruled that Maria-Luise Bissonnette must give back a 19th-century painting called “Girl from the Sabine Mountains” to the estate of Max Stern. Stern’s family owned an art gallery in Germany. Nazi authorities ordered Stern to auction off its holdings. Bissonnette's stepfather purchased the painting, which Bissonnette inherited. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:08 AM | Comment R.I. leaders mourn late senator from WoonsocketPROVIDENCE -- A day of mourning for a late state lawmaker from Woonsocket. Senator Roger Badeau died last week of pancreatic cancer at 71. Governor Carcieri and other politicians are expected to attend a funeral Mass today for Badeau at Saint Joseph's Church in Woonsocket. He will be buried in nearby Bellingham, Massachusetts. A legislative spokesman says the Senate will not meet today to honor Badeau, who was first elected to a seat there in 1984. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment An unseasonably warm day on the wayIt's cold and dry now, it may get cold and wet later. The National Weather Service is forecasting a slight chance of rain later in the afternoon and mild, high temperatures reaching 46 degrees, about 10 degrees higher than normal, but more than 20 degrees shy of the 1934 record of 69 degrees. A higher chance of rain tonight and early tomorrow morning when the temperature drops to the mid 30s. Expect the rain to continue into the day tomorrow when the temperature reaches the mid 40s again. West winds may gust as high as 33 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of the Kennedys endorsing the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. |
|
ADVERTISING |
|
|
|
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006