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« February 11, 2008 | Today | February 13, 2008 » February 12, 2008Update: McCain is coming to Rhode Island ThursdayRepublican presidential candidate John McCain will come to Rhode Island Thursday afternoon for a rally in Warwick. He's the first presidential candidate to do so in the lead-up to the state's March 4 primary. McCain is slated to appear at 1:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, said state Rep. Robert Watson, who is chairman of McCain's campaign in Rhode Island. Watson said the rally is a free-to-the-public, first-come first-serve event. “We're very excited,” said Watson, an East Greenwich Republican who is House minority leader and who recently traveled with the McCain campaign in New Hampshire and South Carolina. After commanding wins in many of the Feb. 5 “Super Tuesday” primary contests, and with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign suspended, McCain is the GOP front-runner. McCain is set to fly from Washington, D.C., for Vermont for a morning event and then come to Rhode Island, where he is expected to spend about two to two-and-a-half hours in Warwick, according to Watson. There is also expected to be an official meet-and-greet with McCain for his campaign team in the state and McCain supporters. There is also expected to be a fund-raising component. No word yet on visits from the Democratic candidates, with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama locked in a battle for delegates. Rhode Island, Vermont, Texas, and Ohio hold presidential primaries on March 4. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:39 PM | Comment Update: Cicilline assesses 'State of the City'PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline focused his fifth State of the City address this evening in part on the city's economic concerns relative to the state's and the nation's financial difficulties. Cicilline, a Democrat, was slated to begin speaking at 7 in the fifth-floor rotunda of the Rhode Island Convention Center -- a speech open to the public. Couldn't make it? See a copy of the mayor's prepared remarks, now available on the city's Web site. Among the quotes: “The human soul can handle tremendous adversity if we know it’s necessary for something better in the long run. That’s called sacrifice. After all, it is that spirit of possibility, innovation, and original thinking that has powered the incredible story of Providence.” The Journal reported today that Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern's advisory said this speech will focus on city economic issues, among other things. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:26 PM | Comment NFL head to meet with Specter on Pats' 'Spygate'NEW YORK -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet tomorrow with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter to discuss the Spygate case involving the New England Patriots. NFL officials say the afternoon meeting will take place in Specter's office. The Pennsylvania Republican has asked Goodell to explain his decision to destroy the tapes and notes from the case. Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000. The Patriots also forfeited a first-round draft pick. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:44 PM | Comment Firefighters at Tobey Street fire in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Firefighters and rescue personnel are on scene of a fire reported in a three-story occupied building at 106 Tobey St. The call came in at 6:05 p.m. for the fire, which is on the first floor, according to James Taylor, spokesman for the Providence Fire Department. No other details were yet available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:34 PM | Comment Ethics board: Warren shouldn't hire chief's son-in-law
The commission also moved to resolve an impasse in Smithfield by offering a way for the town Zoning Board to act despite conflicts of interest involving some of its members, and it issued the latest in a series of rulings in a long-running dispute between the Tiverton Yacht Club and its neighbors. Members also fired back at a state representative who criticized the commission. Warren Chief Thomas D. Gordon had said he insulated himself from the selection and supervision process involving his son-in-law, Darrell Forman. However, the candidates’ scores were partly based on interviews conducted by two police lieutenants who report to Gordon, and officers reporting to Gordon would continue to supervise his son-in-law. With two other candidates getting high scores in the evaluation process but on the verge of being passed over, commission member Ross Cheit said, "I couldn’t possibly tell them this process was fair." The town has already made a conditional job offer to Forman, according to the commission staff. Gordon and other town officials had created an "alternate chain of command" and said it insulated Gordon from the hiring and supervision. The commission staff agreed, but the commission members didn’t, vigorously. "If there’s a nepotism problem in this state, it’s because of this," said commission Chairman James Lynch Sr. Gordon had asked the commission for a legal advisory opinion approving the ethical propriety of his son-in-law’s hiring and supervision. Its denial today means that if it goes ahead, he could be found in violation of the state ethics laws if a complaint were filed against him by any member of the public. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis Also, the commission apparently resolved an impasse in Smithfield, where ethics issues left the town Zoning Board of Review unable to act on a 12-lot subdivision plan. The board needs five voting members to decide an appeal, but the commission has said that three of the board’s seven members have conflicts of interest and can’t vote. Today, the commission said the board can use a state law permitting one of the disqualified board members, chosen by lottery, to vote in order to give the board enough voting members to make a decision. The commission also took another step in the long battle concerning the Tiverton Yacht Club, which wants a zoning change to permit it to rebuild its burned-down clubhouse in a residential area. The commission said that the fact that Tiverton Planning Board member Frederick C. Stachura’s children took swimming lessons there last summer doesn’t mean he would have a conflict of interest in voting on the club’s plans. Several of the Planning Board members have a relationship with the club, but David M. Campbell, a neighbor and one of the club’s opponents, said yesterday’s decision would apparently leave the board with enough members to make a recommendation on the proposal to the Town Council. He said, however, that the neighbors will continue to oppose the proposal on a number of grounds. The commission also took up, and made public, a letter from state Rep. Douglas W. Gablinske, D-Bristol, saying the commission has reinforced "the public’s distain for all elected officials." He faulted the commission’s finding that state Sen. Frank Ciccone, D-Providence, didn’t break the ethics rules when he voted for legislation that would benefit unions he works for. The commission decided that because the legislation would benefit more than 100 other bargaining units similar to the ones Ciccone is involved with, his votes qualified for an exception under the state Ethics Code. Gablinske, however, said that "just because it is the rule, it does not mean the rule is right." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:03 PM | Comment Rescued harp seal is released todayCHARLESTOWN -- A harp seal that was rescued last month after getting stranded off Napatree Point in the Watch Hill section of Westerly has been released back into the ocean. The seal was found stranded at Napatree Point on Jan. 16. Staff from Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration saw him on the beach eating sand. The aquarium says it treated the seal for dehydration and an elevated white blood count. He was released early Tuesday afternoon from Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown. Harp seals are typically found farther north and aren't usually seen in Rhode Island. The seal is thought to be one to two years old. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment Tonight's storm may be messy, but timing could helpAnother messy winter storm is on the way. Rhode Island storm response planners expect snowfall to begin closer to the end of this evening's commute -- timing that bodes better for any plowing because traffic should be much lighter than the Dec. 13 daytime exodus that became an epic traffic morass. “At this point in time, the forecasts are showing that commutes tonight and tomorrow morning may be minimally affected by the snow and rain,” Major Gen. Robert T. Bray, the state emergency management director, said in a statement. “With that in mind, weather changes quickly and commuters should check on road and weather conditions before getting on the road and allow themselves extra time to complete their travels.” Snow is expected to start between 6 and 7 p.m. and change over to sleet, freezing rain and eventually to all rain later this evening. A southwest-to-northeast transition is currently forecast, with heaviest snowfall north and west of the Providence area. Several organizations have already cancelled events scheduled for tonight, and some communities, including Providence, are putting parking bans in place. Check the continuously updated list from partner wpri.com. Tomorrow could prove more of a concern, when the forecast suggests potentially heavy rains during the day and flooding. The National Weather Service issued both a winter weather advisory for tonight and a flood watch for tomorrow morning into Thursday morning. The service said one to two inches of rain are expected to fall tomorrow between 7 a.m. and mid-afternoon. Runoff from this rainfall, coupled with some snow melt, will lead to the potential for "significant urban and poor drainage flooding." Areas of slush-covered storm drains and underpasses are also a flooding risk. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Some smaller rivers and streams may rise out of banks tomorrow and into tomorrow night. That includes but is not limited to the Pawtuxet River in Cranston and other rivers more north in Massachusetts. "What is important about the morning commute is that people should probably get up a little earlier than normal to check out the weather and the conditions -- there may be flooding if they live in [flood-prone areas]" and they may wan to seek alternate travel routes, Brittan K. Bates, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman, said in an interview. If people do drive later this evening, do not attempt to pass plows and give them space to get the job done, urged Charles St. Martin, a state Department of Transportation spokesman. With a snow-to-rain changeover, St. Martin said plows will try to clear any snow build-up in such a way as to not block drainage and take another pass, after pushing snow off a road, to better free up drains. There could still be flooding of course, and St. Martin said the DOT can dispatch maintenance crews to such locations. “The combination of snow this evening and rain early tomorrow morning may impact storm drains causing localized street flooding,” Jerome F. Williams, the DOT director, said. Check the latest weather forecasts and conditions, including live radar. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:37 PM | Comment Update: Pawtucket police officer shoots, kills man
It is the third fatal shooting involving a Pawtucket police officer within the last year. The officer was one of three responded to a 7:31 a.m. call of an "emotionally disturbed individual with a knife" outside an apartment building at 71 Lupine St. The man shot was identified as Jason Swift, who lived in the building. The officers were not identified. All have been placed on administrative leave. Police Chief George L. Kelley 3rd said some of the circumstances surrounding the shooting today remain unclear. But he emphasized that Swift -- who was 6 feet tall and 300 pounds -- had been acting in an "aggressive and threatening" manner when discovered outside the building, fully clothed and with the knife. At some point, he got past the officers, went inside the building -- where he lived with his mother -- and up to a third-floor apartment. Two of the officers followed him and found him naked. What happened next is still unclear, the chief said. The officers apparently tried to subdue Swift with pepper spray. The chief said he agreed to be handcuffed, and then refused. There was a struggle. Two shots were fired by one of the officers, killing Swift. It is not clear if he was armed at the time. A Samurai-style knife was found outside the building. -- With reports Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo The chief said that police had gotten a domestic violence call complaining about Smith about midnight last night from the mother of one his two children. She had come into the station to make a statement. Police were planning to follow up today. The woman and child were not in the apartment building when the shooting occurred today, the chief said. It's not clear if they also lived there. Last summer, Pawtucket police were involved in two fatal shooting in two days. A grand jury on Oct. 17 determined that Officer Derrick Smith believed his life was in danger when he shot and killed Bridget DeGraftt, a 49-year-old woman who police said hijacked an SUV at knifepoint and led police on a chase down the highway. No charges were filed against Smith, who was injured on July 26 when, according to police, DeGraftt tried to run him down with the vehicle. The next day, July 27, three Pawtucket police officers opened fire on Jason Audette, a 34-year-old burglary suspect who, police said, refused to drop his gun. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:12 PM | Comment Judge does not dismiss smoke-shop case / Photo
Defense lawyers had sought dismissal, saying the state has been “grossly negligent” in meeting pre-trial discovery rules that mandate the state to turn over any evidence that could be used to exonerate a defendant. But the judge today said that it did not rise to the level of flagrant prosecutorial misconduct and that the defendants were not significantly prejudiced. She did say that the prosecutors and the State Police did not do their due diligence and that she is concerned about defendants who are less privileged -- essentially, if this could happen in a high-profile case such as this one, what happens in your average case? "More worrisome is the thought of less prominent cases seeing such handling," McGuirl said in Providence County Superior Court. Asked for comment after the judge's decision, Matthew Thomas, the Narragansett Indians' chief sachem, said: "This is Rhode Island, I didn't expect anything different."
McGuirl on Friday denied a request by lawyers for the Narragansett Indians to have forensic investigators appointed to try to recover potentially deleted state police e-mails. McGuirl ruled that security concerns such an invasive search would raise, the estimated $30,000-plus cost and the improbability that valuable information could be retrieved outweighed the potential benefit to the tribal members’ defense. At the governor's order, State Police used a search warrant at the smoke shop on tribal land in Charlestown on July 14, 2003, to stop the tribe from selling tax-free cigarettes. The raid. however, soon turned into a scuffle and was caught on television cameras. Seven tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, have been waiting trial for misdemeanor charges related to the raid. The trial was set to begin later this month. During arguments yesterday, McGuirl questioned Special Assistant Attorney General Pamela Chin on why the state was late in getting evidence to defense lawyers and in some instances did not turn over information until under court subpoena. Chin, however, said she had asked State Police to disclose relevant material and that she too was not aware of some of the hundreds of documents turned over by state police in recent weeks until they were subpoenaed. Defense lawyers had asked McGuirl to order a search of the state police computer systems to recover e-mails and other records possibly sent to retired Inspector Gary Treml. They argued the state should bear the projected cost. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:06 PM | Comment Update: Lt. governor unveils health-reform packagePROVIDENCE -- Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts unveiled her proposed health-care reforms today to a State Room packed with legislators, advocates and medical professionals. "People have told me that we cannot afford to reform health care this year. I know that we can't afford not to. This is not one of those problems that will just go away if we ignore it," she said. The lieutenant governor announced eight bills that were developed after nine meetings with stakeholders and guest speakers over the past few months. The package is aimed at increasing access to health care for the 13 percent of Rhode Islanders who don’t have it, in part by requiring individuals and employers to purchase health insurance or face penalties. For more details, read today's Journal story. -- With reports from Cynthia Needham, Journal State House bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:51 PM | Comment Multimedia: Red Sox set up camp in Fort MyersClick the play button below to see Bob Breidenbach's photos from today in Fort Myers, and to hear how it all sounded today, as recorded by Bob. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:43 PM | Comment Update: Art as therapy opening postponedArtwork by people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and other memory disorders will be displayed at an art gallery on Providence's East Side starting tomorrow. An opening night reception was scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Bellini Ruggeri Gallery, 182 Wayland Avenue, but has been postponed because snow is expected. It has been rescheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. next Tuesday. The show will feature more than 30 watercolor paintings, as well as vases and bowls created as part of the pottery program at Hope Alzheimer's Center in Cranston. “Not only is the work we are exhibiting beautiful, it tells a story of hope and love and achievement” says gallery owner Angela Ruggeri. “We want our show to truly honor the artists, their families and the wonderful work being done at Hope.” Cynthia Conant-Arp, Hope executive director, said, “We are delighted to see our artists receiving this kind of recognition. Art therapy has been a centerpiece of our program for more than a decade and we have seen over and over how working creatively expands our participants’ worlds, brings them joy and helps them rediscover memories and feelings that once seemed lost.” The show runs through Feb. 19. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:08 PM | Comment Swiffer inventor: Innovators must anticipate needs
PROVIDENCE -- Successful business innovation isn’t about giving consumers what they need now, says Gianfranco Zaccai, but about giving them something they’ll desire in the future. Since the early 1980s, Zaccai’s Newton, Ma.-based design company, Continuum, has been helping some pretty big companies develop products that customers hadn’t yet realized they wanted. Among its successes has been the Reebok ``pump’’ basketball shoe, the Moen Pure Touch shower faucet and the Swiffer mop. Each innovation earned their respective companies more than $1 billion in sales. And each was created, Zaccai said today during a lecture at Johnson & Wales, using the principle: that ``design innovation isn’t just what something looks like but how it interacts with people and moves people emotionally.’’ Read more in tomorrow's Business section. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Jack Perry at 3:02 PM | Comment Whitehouse amendment gets approval from SenateThe most recent version of a 30-year-old bill that sets the parameters for spying gives the court the ability to approve law enforcement’s strategy for surveillance, including how far an agency can go in regards to spying on Americans. Today the Senate passed an amendment to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that would ensure that the court not only has the authority to approve surveillance procedures, but that the court retains the power to review whether the procedures are being followed and, if not, to order compliance. “We need to assure that rules protecting Americans’ rights are being followed,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, sponsor of the amendment, said in a statement, “and because this administration fears and rejects judicial oversight; that is precisely what is most needed.” The amendment deals with information gathered about Americans abroad who are not the targets of surveillance, but whose information is gathered incidentally during an investigation. The ability to review whether an agency is complying with a court order is common to all courts, but was not explicit in the most recent version of the FISA. “It makes no sense to limit the court’s inherent authority to see whether rules it has approved are being followed, and to enforce compliance with these approved rules,” Whitehouse said in his statement. “It is not up to the executive branch to grade its own exams. That is a job for the courts.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:49 PM | Comment North Smithfield family loses home in fireThe Rhode Island chapter of the American Red Cross is providing shelter, food and clothing to three adults and three children whose North Smithfield home was destroyed by fire this morning. Firefighters responded to the fire reported at 8:51 a.m. at 492 Farnum Pike. Heavy flames and smoke were visible from two sides of the first floor of the two-story wood-frame house, according to Joel Jillson, chief of North Smithfield Fire and Rescue Service. Once responders opened the roof, the fire was brought under control within an hour. All people were out safely. Four pets were lost in the fire. The fire's cause was not yet known, Jillson said, but the local fire marshal is working with the state fire marshal on the investigation. Marisa Albanese, Red Cross community relations director, said in a news release that the chapter typically spends $1,000 per family of four and that all Red Cross disaster assistance is provided to clients free of cost to them, due to contributions from people and organizations. The Red Cross news released encouraged people and local businesses to send a donation to the Rhode Island Chapter at 105 Gano Street, Providence, R.I., 02906 or online at www.riredcross.org. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:31 PM | Comment Ex-R.I. teacher to step down as head of national unionEdward J. McElroy, a past president of the Warwick and state teachers unions, announced today he will not seek re-election as leader of the national 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers. He plans to retire from it. McElroy, who started as a Warwick social studies and English teacher, was elected president of Warwick Teachers Union in 1967. He became president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and president of Rhode Island AFL-CIO at age 30. He held the two state positions until 1992 when he went to the national organization. A news release said McElroy has spent 16 years as a national officer of the American Federation of Teachers, including a dozen years as secretary-treasurer. The organization said it's added 500,000-plus new union members during the 16 years. "From my time as a newly minted junior high school teacher, I knew that being a part of the AFT would help me make a difference," McElroy said in the statement. "And it has -- from improving conditions for teaching and learning, to lobbying for issues important to AFT members and those they serve, to giving professionals a voice on the job, the AFT makes a difference." McElroy will continue to lead the organization until its July convention in Chicago, where more than 2,000 delegates are expected to vote for a new president and several more positions. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:21 PM | Comment Update: Tractor trailer rig accident shuts down I-84
WATERBURY, Conn. — Dozens of homes were evacuated today because a tractor trailer was leaking highly volatile hydrogen gas after crashing on Interstate 84 in the Waterbury/Middlebury area. The evacuations took place in the Shadduck Road area of Middlebury following the shutdown of I-84 in both directions from the early morning tractor-trailer accident. The police said the highway, one of the main routes from Massachusetts into New York state, might be shut down for most of the day. Middlebury Police Chief Richard Guisti said 60 to 70 people were evacuated from their homes when officials learned of the danger from the hydrogen leak. They were taken to a shelter at the Middlebury Fire Department. Guisti said the highway would remain shut down for most of the day. “We’re waiting for a company out of Massachusetts to attempt to unload the vehicle before we can have it removed from the site,” Guisti said. U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, of Illinois, the fourth highest-ranking Democrat in the House, got stuck in the traffic while traveling from New York to Hartford for a fundraiser for Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney. Emanuel said he had to get off at Exit 16 on the Southbury/Middlebury line and take Route 188. “We’re just in one long snake-line here,” he said in a cell phone conversation with Courtney and reporters. -- The Associated Press Highly volatile hydrogen gas was leaking from some canisters of compressed gas on the flatbed truck, which overturned about 5:30 a.m. near exit 17. The highway was first shut down westbound, but discovery of the hydrogen leak prompted the closing of the highway eastbound from exit 16 and the call for evacuations. Guisti said the shutdown of the highway meant that local roads in his town and Waterbury were congested almost immediately. He said Route 64, a main thoroughfare in his town, was almost at a standstill five hours after the truck overturned. Guisti said state and local police still had their hands full with trying to get traffic around and away from the area and were encouraging travelers to use Route 8 north and south or Routes 6 and 67 to avoid the area. State police said the driver of the overturned rig suffered minor injuries. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:17 PM | Comment Oster trial: Director told Oster of bribe allegationsSharon Barr, the town’s finance director for the first five months of Jonathan F. Oster’s administration in 2001, and the wife of former state Rep. John D. Barr II, testified that she told Oster about contractor Robert Gelfuso’s allegations that Robert Picerno had sought a bribe in connection with the Fairlawn Playground project and that his first reaction was to call the state police. Former Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster is on trial in Superior Court, facing conspiracy and bribery charges for allegedly working with Picerno to sell a piece of town-owned land on the cheap in exchange for bribes. Barr said she had overheard the charges when then-Lime Rock Fire Chief Frank Sylvester had brought Gelfuso to their home early one morning in August 2001. She said she overhead Gelfuso, who was upset, Sylvester and her husband discussing Gelfuso’s statements that Picerno had extorted $5,000 from his Gelfuso’s business partner. “(Oster) got extremely mad and wanted to call the state police right away,” Barr testified. She said at the time she told Oster that Gelfuso was concerned about threats he said Picerno had made against his family and was undecided over whether to call police.
In testimony earlier this morning, Sylvester described his perspective of that meeting, saying he’d brought Gelfuso to see Barr because he, Sylvester, was concerned about the bribery allegations and wasn’t sure who to talk to. He recommended Gelfuso contact the state police, which Gelfuso ultimately did. Sylvester also testified that some time after that session, Picerno invited him Picerno’s house. Sylvester said when he arrived, around noon, his was the only car in the driveway. He said when Picerno let him in much of the interior was covered in drop cloths because painting was going on. He said Picerno asked him if he had heard rumors of kickbacks and payoffs in town. “My response was I didn’t know what you’re talking about,” Sylvester testified. Sylvester said he then noticed a shadow on the floor and turned to see Stephen Balestra, the town official who was overseeing the Fairlawn project, in Picerno’s house. He said he became concerned about Balestra’s presence and left. On cross examination, defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien pressed Sylvester on who he passed his concerns on to. Sylvester mentioned that he passed Oster in the hallway at Town Hall and told the administrator that Picerno “isn’t doing you any favors.“ “That’s all you said,” O’Brien said. Despite having talked to Gelfuso about the shakedown at Fairlawn, and his surprise encounter with Balestra at Picerno’s house, he didn’t mentioned those events. “No, I did not,” Sylvester said. But, O’Brien continued, after he mentioned his general discomfort with Picerno, Picerno’s presence in Town Hall decreased. He saw evidence that Oster “heeded your warning.” "Picerno was no longer there,” Sylvester said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:13 PM | Comment Senate committee finds shortage of DCYF caseworkersA key Senate committee issued a comprehensive report today warning that there aren’t enough Department of Children, Youth and Family workers looking after neglected and abused children across the state. “State budget constraints and the cap on state FTE’s (full-time equivalent positions) that may be filled, contribute to a disconnect between cases and staffing -- between children in need of protection and the state’s ability to respond,” reads the 25-page report, which includes a host of recommendations by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee following four public hearings aimed at investigating DCYF practices. The committee heard several hours of testimony from DCYF director Patricia Martinez, in addition to dozens of people concerned with the state of Rhode Island’s child welfare system. DCYF Family Service Unit caseworkers monitor approximately 2,576 families, according to figures released last month. -- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau The Senate report notes that staffing levels are moving in the right direction. DCYF told the panel in the fall that it had hired 17 new workers in September, which would help in moving towards the nationally-recognized goal of assigning 14 families to every caseworker. “Adding 17 new workers will bring caseloads to a median of 16-17 cases per worker, when these workers pick up full caseloads, and if no new vacancies occur,” reads the report. But data released last month suggest that the situation has not improved. In every part of the state aside from Kent and Washington Counties, DCYF staff were each assigned at least 18 families, according to the January figures. In East Bay, for example, the average caseload was 20.2 families (representing 29 children) for each caseworker, who is charged with visiting each child at least once a month. “The Department of Children, Youth and Families has enormous responsibilities and very limited resources with which to fulfill them. Our committee’s study has shown us just what DCYF’s caseworkers are up against, and it’s not surprising that they’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed,” said Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Rhoda E. Perry, D-Providence. “Ultimately, we want DCYF to have what it needs to properly protect all the children and families in Rhode Island.” The report calls on better cooperation between DCYF and the Family Court to allow state resources to be shifted to where they are most needed. The Family Court ultimately approves the placement of each child, and the report says that many children – especially truancy cases – don’t need state involvement. But the relationship between the DCYF and the Family Court has been strained in recent months. “I personally try to cooperate with DCYF. They don’t cooperate with me half the time,” Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. said yesterday. DCYF attorney Andrew Johnson said today that he believes his agency has a good working relationship with the Family Court, but declined to comment specifically on Jeremiah’s concerns. The DCYF and various child welfare advocates were contacted by The Journal today, but have yet to respond to the report. More to come. Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:54 PM | Comment Chief justice: Courthouse a central place in R.I. history
PROVIDENCE -- Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. this morning launched the centennial celebration of the federal courthouse in downtown Providence, marking the first time a sitting Supreme Court chief justice has been in Rhode Island on official business in more than two centuries. Roberts noted the day also marked the 199th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and during his 16-minute speech in a packed courtroom, he traced Lincoln’s career as a lawyer ranging from a frontier courthouse in Boonville, Indiana, to the single case Lincoln argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Roberts began with some humor. After being introduced by Senior Circuit Judge Bruce M. Selya, a Rhode Islander noted for using long and little-known words in his decisions, Roberts said, “It is truly an historic anniversary, or as Judge Selya might put it, a primogenial antecedent for jollification.” A group could be heard protesting on the sidewalk outside the courthouse, and Roberts said, “Some of you may be able to hear the protesters outside. This is a group of people who prefer the Classical Revival style to the Beaux Arts style [of the courthouse] that was actually adopted, and they are, of course, entitled to be heard.” (The group of at least 70 was demanding that the United States close its detention center at Guantanamo. See a related post.) Looking out over a crowd filled with dark pinstriped suits and more than one bow tie, Roberts said, “It is, of course, not unusual to see contractors and architects with many lawyers in a courtroom, but it’s usually not on such a happy occasion. And there is good reason today to celebrate historic courthouses such as this one.” “Throughout our nation’s history, federal and state courthouses have been both literally and figuratively at the center of civic life,” Roberts said. “This courthouse, gracing Exchange Place, is no exception. As Chief (U.S. District) Judge (Mary M.) Lisi has explained, the courthouse not only sits prominently in the heart of Providence, but it occupies a central place in Rhode Island’s history.” Robert’s day-long visit highlights a year-long centennial celebration for the five-story gray granite building, which was built between 1904 and 1908 as the Providence Post Office, Court House and Custom House. In recent years, the building has hosted high-profile legal cases such as the 2002 corruption trial of then-Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. and the tax evasion trial of "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch two years ago. Both were convicted. In 1991, former Pawtucket Mayor Brian J. Sarault admitted he was the ringleader of a criminal enterprise operating out of Pawtucket City Hall. And in the 1970s, the late Chief U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Pettine ordered and began overseeing a years-long overhaul of the state prison system. Gallery: See a collection of photos of the federal courthouse.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:17 PM | Comment Update: LNG tanker disabled off Cape Cod under towBOSTON — The Coast Guard says a problem with the computers that control an LNG tanker’s boilers caused a loss of power that left the tanker adrift off Cape Cod. The Coast Guard said today that the 933-foot Catalunya Spirit was being towed by tug to an area about 20 miles east of Provincetown where it can safely sit while being repaired. The tanker was carrying 138,000 cubic meters of liquified natural gas from Trinidad and Tobago to Boston when it lost power early Monday about 45 miles off Chatham. Coast Guard Lt. John Cusch said Distrigas, which operates the facility where the tanker was headed, was speeding up its next LNG shipment and there were no concerns about local LNG supplies. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment Update: Pawtucket police involved in shootingPawtucket police were involved in a shooting early this morning. The shooting was at 71 Lupine St., at about 7:31 a.m., according to a statement released by the police department. Pawtucket and state police, and representatives from the Pawtucket mayor’s office and the Attorney General’s office are meeting for a joint news conference at 3 p.m. Last summer, Pawtucket police were involved in two fatal shooting in two days. A grand jury on Oct. 17 determined that Officer Derrick Smith believed his life was in danger when he shot and killed Bridget DeGraftt, a 49-year-old woman who police said hijacked an SUV at knifepoint and led police on a chase down the highway. No charges were filed against Smith, who was injured on July 26 when, according to police, DeGraftt tried to run him down with the vehicle. The next day, July 27, three Pawtucket police officers opened fire on Jason Audette, a 34-year-old burglary suspect who, police said, refused to drop his gun. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment Dozens use chief justice's visit to protest Guantanamo
PROVIDENCE -- At least 70 protesters marched outside the federal courthouse today during the visit of Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John G. Roberts Jr., demanding that the United States close its detention center at Guantanamo. Many dressed in orange jumpsuits, signifying the detainees held at Guantanamo. They marched to chants and carried signs: “Patriot Act = Lost Rights,” and “Shut Down Guantanamo.” “The present administration in Washington does not believe in the rule of law. Our country is in the business of torture,” said Martin Lepkowski, a member of Witness for Peace. “I think the chief justice is making wrong decisions,” said Constance Allen, a member of the Raging Grannies. “I think prisoners should have rights. Torture is wrong. We should close Guantanamo -- it’s a shame on America.” The protest began with a rally in Burnside Park at 10:30, and moved over to the sidewalk in front of the courthouse. It began breaking up at noon. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:30 PM | Comment Update: Snow expected, then flooding possibleThe National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, effective at 5 p.m., for "a significant winter storm" expected to affect southern New England late this afternoon into tomorrow. A storm is expected to two to four inches of snow to much of southern New England, four to six inches north and west of Boston before turning to rain. And when it turns to rain, it could bring other problems -- flooding. The National Weather Service has also put out a flood watch for Rhode Island and neighboring places for tomorrow morning through Thursday morning. It means flooding potential based on current forecasts. But first, snow should develop near the end of this evening's rush hour, becoming heavy at times late tonight, before mixing with sleet and freezing rain by midnight, according to the National Weather Service. Some cities and towns have already instituted parking bans. Afternoon and evening activities have been canceled at some schools. Check here for more information. Mixed precipitation is expected to change to all rain between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. tomorrow. The winter weather advisory continues until 9 a.m. tomorrow. But then the flood watch goes into effect into Thursday. The service said one to two inches of rain are expected to fall tomorrow between 7 a.m. and mid afternoon. Runoff from this rainfall, coupled with some snow melt, will lead to the potential for "significant urban and poor drainage flooding." Areas of slush-covered storm drains and underpasses are also a flooding risk. Some smaller rivers and streams may rise out of banks tomorrow and into tomorrow night. That includes but is not limited to the Pawtuxet River in Cranston and other rivers more north in Massachusetts. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:10 PM | Comment Oster trial: Contractor turns for advice after shakedownThe state fire marshal told a jury today that when an alleged ally of the Lincoln town administrator was shaking down a contractor, the contractor came to him for advice. At the time, Frank Sylvester was not the state fire marshal; he was the chief of the Lime Rock Fire Department in Lincoln. Sylvester testified today in the trial of former Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster, who faces conspiracy and bribery charges for allegedly working with Robert Picerno to sell a piece of town-owned land on the cheap in exchange for bribes. Under direct examination by Assistant Attorney General Bethany Macktaz, Sylvester corroborated earlier testimony by the contractor, Robert Gelfuso, about Gelfuso’s coming to him after his partner had been shaken down by Picerno for more than $4,700 at the site of a job the company was working on. Sylvester told the jury that he brought Gelfuso to meet then-state Rep. John Barr II. Sylvester said after conversations with Barr, he urged Gelfuso to contact the state police. Gelfuso would later cooperate with the authorities by providing evidence and recording conversations with Picerno. Sylvester also said he would see Picerno around town hall in the months after Oster’s election in November, 2000, boasting of his roll on Oster’s transition team and talking about personnel changes he wanted to make in town hall. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:58 AM | Comment ALDI Supermarkets recruits workers for RI storesALDI Supermarkets, the German-based company that plans to open five stores in Rhode Island is recruiting cashiers and shift managers for stores in Warwick and Cranston. The company held a job fair on Monday and is holding interviews today. Resumes can be sent by email to aldiswncareers@yahoo.com ALDI said it plans to open stores in Cranston, Warwick, West Warwick, East Providence and Providence. ALDI, also known as Albrecht Discount, has 7,500 stores worldwide and 850 in the U.S. The company is making a push to expand its presence in New England and is building a distribution center in South Windsor, Conn. Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:42 AM | Comment Photo: Dice-K lets it fly in Florida
Providence Journal/Bob Breidenbach
Minor league players and a few major league starters from last year were working out before the official start of training camp. Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka threw the ball for a while this morning at the training facility. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:31 AM | Comment PC honored for serviceProvidence College made the honor roll last year. The school is one of nearly 530 schools across the country that made the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a public-private organization, and a handful of federal agencies including the Department of Education. The honor roll recognizes colleges and university community service programs based on about a dozen factors, including: - Percentage of total student enrollment engaged in community service activities and service learning courses - Requirements for academic service-learning as part of the core curriculum - Percentage of students enlisted in the Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC - Percentage of alumni in the Peace Corps In addition to the Corporation for National and Community Service, sponsors include the Department of Education; the Department of Housing and Urban Development; USA Freedom Corps; Campus Compact; and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. Download a .PDF file of all the colleges and universities that made the list. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:14 AM | Comment Protesters demonstrate for chief justice's visitPROVIDENCE -- A group of protesters has gathered outside the U.S. District Court, Providence, for the arrival of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts. Roberts is visiting Rhode Island today for a celebration of the courthouse. More than 50 protesters, many of them carrying signs, are outside the courthouse. Some of the protesters are wearing orange to symbolize prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay Prison. Protesters are also carrying signs with messages such as "Close Guantanamo," "Respect the Bill of Rights" and "Uphold the Constitution." -- With reports from Journal staff photographer Andrew Dickerman Posted by Jack Perry at 11:09 AM | Comment Rescued seal heads home todayIt’s a cold day for a swim, unless you’ve got blubber keeping you warm. Luckily for the harp seal rescued from Watch Hill, it’s got blubber. The seal was rescued on Jan. 16 from Napatree Point. The Mystic Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue team nursed it back to health, and has deemed the animal fit to return to the wild. The seal is set to be released at 11:30 a.m. from Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown, at the end of East Beach Road, where the rescue team releases many of its rescued animals. Each year, the staff cares for more than 50 stranded animals including whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea turtles and, of course, seals. Learn more about the animal rescue program on the aquarium's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:19 AM | Comment Chief justice to be met by Governor, protestorsPROVIDENCE -- U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts is set to visit Rhode Island today for a celebration of the federal courthouse in downtown Providence. Roberts’ visit will highlight a yearlong centennial celebration of the five-story gray granite building, which was built between 1904 and 1908 as the Providence Post Office, Court House and Custom House. Governor Carcieri is scheduled to be at the celebration, from 11 to 11:50 a.m. The governor's schedule also shows a noon to 2 p.m. federal courthouse centennial celebration luncheon at Cafe Nuovo, One Citizens Plaza, in Providence. A group of protesters will also try to catch Roberts' attention. According to a statement released last week, the religious, political and activist groups say they'll hold a rally and procession to advocate for the closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp and "an end to U.S. use of torture." Groups endorsing the rally include RI Spring Mobilization Committee, the International Socialist Organization and the Rhode Island Unitarian-Universalists for Social Justice. They're set to meet at 10:30 this morning at Burnside Park. The Journal has reported that it will be the first time a sitting chief justice has come to Rhode Island since Charles Evan Hughes was here in 1937. Yet Roberts' visit won't be the last by a sitting justice of the nation's highest court this year. Justice Antonin Scalia is scheduled to visit the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol in April. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:07 AM | Comment Smoke-shop ruling due todayA judge is expected to decide whether or not seven Narragansett Indians will have to stand trial for various misdemeanor charges resulting from a 2003 state police raid on a smoke shop on tribal land. The defendants argued that the case should be dismissed after a subpoena uncovered documents that the state police had not handed over to the court. After Judge Susan E. McGuirl ordered officers to inspect computer and paper files, the state turned over hundreds of pages of additional e-mails, several witness statements, a civilian complaint and McGuirl said yesterday that she'll rule on today the request to have the charges dismissed. Extra: Read coverage and see photographs of the 2003 raid. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's weather could add up to a stormToday looks like yesterday, minus wind, plus snow. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 29 degrees with a much milder wind. Yesterday we saw gusts as high as 50 mph., today a northwest wind should should be between 6 and 9 mph. Snow is a maybe, with a 30 percent chance of precipitation after 3 p.m. continuing into the night. The temperature will drop to 25 degrees, and the snow will turn to sleet and freezing rain with a southwest wind picking up a bit to 13 mph. Expect some accumulation -- 2 to 4 inches of wintry mix. The rain should continue into tomorrow, getting heavy at times. The temperature is expected to rise significantly to the mid-40s. For updates on the snow situation, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page reports that a Brown University poll found that three-quarters of Rhode Islanders think the state is heading in the "wrong direction," and an increasing number of Rhode Islanders don't approve the way Governor Carcieri and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline are doing their jobs. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006