« February 13, 2008 | Today | February 15, 2008 »

February 14, 2008

Update: Texas diocese: Ex-R.I. priest is HIV positive

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Roman Catholic church officials in Texas say a priest who is accused of sexually abusing children --and who once served as a pastor in Rhode Island -- is HIV positive.

The Rev. Philip Magaldi was removed as a priest in 1999 after sexual misconduct allegations arose in Rhode Island and Fort Worth, Texas.

“Magaldi acknowledged to me that he is HIV positive. We do not know when Magaldi was diagnosed as HIV positive,” Fort Worth Vicar General Michael F. Olson said .

Olson said the diocese does not have access to Magaldi’s medical records, because of privacy laws. But he said the diocese believes Magaldi has been HIV positive at least since 2003.

The diocese says it started alerting people who claim Magaldi assaulted them. Church officials also say they also notified parishes where Magaldi served.

Magaldi left the diocese in spring 2001, for Florida, and returned in spring, 2003. He has been living in a retirement center since his return, the diocese said.

Magaldi had a checkered history while in Rhode Island, which included being accused of lying as part of the infamous 1980s case involving socialite Claus von Bulow and serving time after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $120,000 from his North Providence parish, St. Anthony's.

Then, in 1997 and 1998, he was accused by men in both Massachusetts and Texas of having molested them in the course of his priestly duties, in Rhode Island in the 1970s and in Fort Worth in 1995.

In a statement this evening, the Diocese of Providence said it is in the process of contacting those who have made allegations against Magaldi to share the Texas Diocese's announcement about his HIV status.

-- With reports from The Dallas Morning News, Providence Journal archives and The Associated Press

In the 1980s, Magaldi, charged with lying in a sworn statement on behalf of von Bulow as part of the legal maneuvering surrounding the second trial, saw perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges dropped in 1987. But his legal problems were far from over.

In 1992, he was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $120,000 from his North Providence parish, St. Anthony’s.

Authorities said he had spent some of the stolen money for tropical vacations with adolescent boys and once gave a teenager he met in a park enough money to get a car. He served eight months before being paroled.

After the first allegation of molestation in the late 1990s, The Dallas Morning News reported, church investigators found him “guilty of sexual exploitation” and he was barred from supervising altar boys but allowed to continue as chaplain of the Fort Worth diocesan Boy Scout program.

After the second, he was suspended, but returned to part-time ministry after his accuser died; he was accused of misconduct with boys at his new job and removed again.

Still, in 2000 he celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II at the pontiff’s private chapel at the Vatican. Parishioners argued that if he was fit to share the altar with the pope, he ought to be able to preach in North Richland Hills, Texas.

He was allowed to continue his ministry at the North Richland Hills retirement home where he was living until August 2006, when a new bishop revoked all his priestly powers. But The Morning News reported in November that he had defied the bishop’s orders and remained in ministry at the home.

A message left for him there this month was not returned. But Jerry Koller, a friend and former parishioner of Father Magaldi’s who described himself as the ex-priest’s caregiver, said Wednesday that Magaldi is in “too weak condition” to continue his ministry.

Koller said Magaldi suffers from dementia and has had a series of strokes, which have affected his eyesight and left him legally blind.

In its statement tonight, the Diocese of Providence said anyone who wishes to report sexual misconduct by Magaldi or "by anyone who serves the church" to contact Lt. Robert McCarthy, Office of Education & Compliance, 401-941-0760.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:20 PM | Comment

Tonight: All that jazz -- several schools' worth

While affairs of the heart may be top of mind for some tonight, a musical alternative is on tap.

Local high school bands will jazz it at up starting at 7 tonight in Woonsocket's Stadium Theatre. Participants include Woonsocket High School, Mount St. Charles Academy, North Smithfield, and Blackstone-Millville High School.

Tickets are $5. The stadium is at 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. For information, go to www.stadiumtheatre.com.

For other events in the area, visit projo.com's calendar.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM | Comment

Blue Cross chief Montanaro to step down

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island announced this evening that Frank J. Montanaro will resign as board chairman when his term ends April 30.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield said that will give the Board of Directors "ample time to elect his replacement," the state's dominant health insurer said in a news release shortly after 6 p.m.

"My decision comes after a great deal of reflection," said Montanaro in the statement. "Having been on the board for many years, it¹s my belief that BCBSRI has never been in better hands. I ask the remaining board members to continue the tradition of keeping BCBSRI an organization that takes the very best care of its members and the citizens of the state."

Montanaro has been a board member since 1991. Before being elected chairman in 2004, he served as secretary of the corporation from 2002 to 2004.

Montanaro is also the president of the state's unit of the AFL-CIO union, and a Democratic National Committeeman.

James E. Purcell, president and CEO, said of Montanaro: "He always has fought for the people of Rhode Island and their families. Thus, his legacy is not just the bottom line. It's the human touch. I am so proud to have had Frank serve as chairman of the board."

The new Blue Cross chairman would be in place when Montanaro¹s term ends, Blue Cross & Blue Shield said.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:23 PM | Comment

Romney endorses McCain for GOP nomination

BOSTON -- Republican campaign dropout Mitt Romney endorsed Sen. John McCain for the party's presidential nomination and asked his national convention delegates to swing behind the likely nominee.

"Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent," the former Massachusetts governor said today, standing alongside his one-time rival at his now-defunct campaign's headquarters. "This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour."

"Primaries are tough," said McCain, referring to their earlier rancor. "We know it was a hard campaign and now we move forward, we move forward together for the good of our party and the nation."

The two met privately before appearing together at a news conference. McCain had campaigned in Vermont and Rhode Island today but added a flight to Boston to accept the endorsement.

McCain effectively sealed the nomination last week when Romney withdrew from the race; only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and libertarian-leaning Texas Rep. Ron Paul remain. But neither has a chance to catch McCain in the convention delegate hunt.

In early primaries and caucuses, Romney collected 280 delegates. The number is enough to move McCain close to the total of 1,191 needed to clinch the nomination a full nine months before the November general election.

Huckabee was not ready to bow out.

"Right now there's a great big 'me, too' crowd coming together (for McCain)," Huckabee said in LaCrosse, Wis. "There's a lot of folks, sort of, in the establishment of the party that is not now wanting to be left out."

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment

Survey of 11 to 14 year olds finds date violence

A national survey released today says larger numbers of children as young as 11 are sexually active -- and experience abusive relationships of some kind.

The survey found one in five children between ages 11 and 14 say friends have been dating violence victims.

"Alarmingly, 40 percent of the youngest tweens, those between the ages of 11 and 12, report that their friends are victims of verbal abuse in relationships and nearly 1 in 10 say their friends have had sex," says a news release summarizing the survey results.

The survey was done by Teenage Research Unlimited and commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. -- which issued today's news release -- and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. The poll is described as exploring how young adolescents' relationships are "fueling high levels of dating violence and abuse."

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch pointed to the findings today to highlight the need for schools around the country to teach about the signs of dating violence.

Lynch, the incoming National Association of Attorneys General president, is expected to introduce a resolution at the association's June meeting in Providence urging other states to follow Rhode Island's lead and require schools to teach about dating violence and abuse every year from grades 7 through 12.

“We are committed to addressing this issue through education. Abuse and violence in intimate partner relationships not only cause great individual pain, but this destructive behavior breaks down families, communities and our larger society,” Lynch said in a statement.

Among American teenagers who had sex by age 14, 1 out of 3 teens said they have been physically abused -- hit, kicked or choked -- by an angry partner compared to 20 percent of other teens. Sixty-nine percent of teens who had sex before 14 said they had experienced all aspects of dating abuse including verbal, emotional, physical and mental abuse, according to the release.

“We know that education for tweens and teens helps and is critically important if we are going to break the cycle of abuse and strengthen healthy relationships,” said Sheryl Cates, chief executive of National Domestic Violence Hotline, which runs a teen dating abuse helpline called loveisrespect.org, said in the statement.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Other survey results outlined in the news release are:

* Nearly three in four tweens say boyfriend/girlfriend relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger.

* More than one in three 11-12 year olds say they have been in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship .

* Sixty-two percent of tweens who have been in a relationship say they know friends who have been verbally abused (called stupid, worthless, ugly, etc) by a boyfriend/girlfriend

* Two in five tweens, who have been in a relationship know friends who have been called names, put down, or insulted via cellphone, IM, social networking sites (such as MySpace and Facebook), etc.

* One in five 13-14 year olds in relationships say they know friends and peers who have been struck in anger (kicked, hit, slapped, or punched) by a boyfriend or girlfriend

* Only half of all tweens claim to know the warning signs of a bad/hurtful relationship

* Nearly half of teen girls who have been in a relationship say they have been victims of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse by their boyfriends.

* More than one in three teens report that their partners wanted to know where they were and who they were with all the time. Among teens who had sex by age 14, it’s 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively).

* Twenty-nine percent of teens say their boyfriends/girlfriends call them names and put them down, compared to 58 percent of teens who had sex by age 14.

* Twenty-two percent of teens say they were pressured to do things they did not want to do, compared to 45 percent of teens who had sex by age 14.

* Twenty-four percent of teens in a relationship said their boyfriends/girlfriends called them stupid, worthless, and ugly compared to 45 percent of teens who had sex by age 14.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment

Bridge repairs to close a portion of Route 6 in Mass.

SOMERSET, Mass. -- Expect some headaches for the next two weeks if you travel between Somerset and Fall River along Route 6.

And the headaches will last even longer beginning next month if you cruise along Route 103 from Warren into Somerset.

Beginning Saturday, the Brightman Street Bridge portion of Route 6 will be closed for two weeks for emergency repairs. MassHighway needs to fix a baseball-size hole found in one of the girders.

That will cause extra traffic along the Braga Bridge portion of Route 195.

Then, the first week of March, after the Brightman is fixed, MassHighway will shut down the Route 103 bridge on the Somerset-Swansea border so it can be replaced.

Businesses near the bridge are fearing a downturn in business and Swansea officials complained today that the two-mile detour necessitated by the closure will cost precious minutes if people need to be transported to Fall River hospitals.

``To a guy in the back of an ambulance, that [two-mile detour] can be an eternity,'' said Kenneth Furtado, chairman of Swansea's Board of Selectmen.

``We're hoping to get the road open to traffic by the end of this calendar year,'' said Gerald Bernard, an assistant construction manager for MassHighway.

But, he said, that's if things go well.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:26 PM | Comment

Pawtucket man ordered held on drug charges

A Pawtucket man has been arrested on cocaine and marijuana charges by a State Police/Federal Bureau of Investigation task force, the State Police announced today.

Aaron Carpenter, 24, of 34 Harrison St., first floor, was arrested at about 6 last night for possession of marijuana over 5 kilos, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.

After a two-month investigation, the State Police SWAT Team, with assistance from the FBI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, used a search warrant and seized 12 pounds of marijuana, 11 grams of cocaine and $3,197 in cash, according to the news release.

Carpenter was on home confinement status from the Department of Corrections at the time of last night's raid.

Carpenter was ordered held without bail at District Court, Providence, arraignment today before Judge Michael Higgins. A Feb. 29 bail hearing is scheduled.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment

New: McCain: I will carry Rhode Island / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Republican GOP candidate Sen. John McCain speaks to supporters at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Warwick this afternoon.

WARWICK -- U.S. Sen. John McCain rallied a crowd of Republican Party faithful here today with a strong defense of the military surge in Iraq, a pledge to combat global warming, and a hope for economic recovery.

McCain also told the crowd that, though he respected his opponent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, "I expect to be the Republican party nominee."

The senator spent the early part of the day campaigning in Vermont -- another fairly liberal Democratic state -- and the afternoon here in Rhode Island, which hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

The audience of more than 1,000 at the Crowne Plaza hotel was sprinkled with veterans and, as veteran McCain always does, he recognized them for their contributions and said that he would "fix veterans' health care" if he became president.

"I will carry the state of Rhode Island," he said emphatically. "I do believe I am on the path to getting the nomination of my party."

In an interview outside the rally, McCain was asked how he felt about former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee's announcement this morning that he will be endorsing Democrat Barack Obama.

Rhode Islander Chafee, who has since left the GOP, said he chose Obama because he had not supported the war on Iraq, as had McCain and other top Democratic contender, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.

McCain replied, "I have great respect and affection for Senator Chafee and I respect whatever decision he makes."

Audio: Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst interviews McCain (6 min, 46 sec).

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay, with reports from Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst

Governor Carcieri, who originally supported former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential race, gave a ringing endorsement today to McCain.

"I'm going to do everything I possibly can" to make sure that he's the next president, Carcieri said.

After leaving Rhode Island, McCain headed to Boston, where he is expected to accept Romney's endorsement.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:24 PM | Comment

Woman convicted on gun and drug charges in Mass.

A woman arrested in Fall River, Mass., on gun and drug distribution charges has been convicted in Taunton, Mass., Superior Court after a two-day trial.

Rebecca Nater, 28, formerly of 18 Augustus St., Fall River, will spend five-and-a-half years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter's office announced today.

Nater was sentenced by Judge Lloyd MacDonald to serve three years in state prison on the illegal firearm charges and then another 30 months on the cocaine distribution charge. Nater will also be placed on probation for an additional five years after serving her full state prison sentence.

Fall River vice unit detectives arrested Nater on June 13, 2006, while using a search warrant at her Augustus Street apartment, Sutter's office said.

Officers found four young children inside, along with Nater and two other individuals and during the apartment search, detectives said they seized about 13 grams of crack cocaine, a .22 caliber revolver loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, a 9mm Hi-Point firearm with nine rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, $2,570 in cash, marijuana, more ammunition and drug paraphernalia, according to the news release.

Nater was convicted after 40 minutes' deliberation yesterday for possession of a large capacity firearm, two counts of possession of an illegal firearm without a card that authorizes the possession of certain firearms, possession of a firearm while having been previously convicted of a serious drug offense, possession of ammunition, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of marijuana.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:10 PM | Comment

Carcieri endorses John McCain for president

WARWICK -- Governor Carcieri, who originally supported former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential race, gave a ringing endorsement today to Sen. John McCain.

"I'm going to do everything I possibly can" to make sure that he's the next president, Carcieri said minutes ago.

More than 1,000 McCain supporters are gathered to hear a speech from the first major presidential candidate to visit Rhode Island in this election cycle.

Among those in the crowd are some of his old Naval Academy classmates, including Ed Clune, of North Kingstown, and George Brenner, from Newport.

They were both in the class of 1958 with McCain.

“He was a great guy, a real character,” Brenner said of his former schoolmate. “He was always straightforward and very hard-nosed.”

Clune called McCain a “man’s man. He liked to party, he liked women, he liked sports -- he was just one of those guys, very charismatic, the kind of guy everyone liked.”

When asked if he thought he saw McCain as a future president, Brennar said “actually, I thought it more likely that he would become an admiral like his grandfather and father before him. But now that you think of it,” he added, “I’m not surprised because he’s a real leader.”

Adding to his classmates endorsement, is Mitt Romney, who, officials tell the Associated Press, will endorse McCain today.

Journal staff writer Scott MacKay with reports from the Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:05 PM | Comment

U.S. education secretary visiting R.I. tomorrow

The U.S. Secretary of Education is coming to the Ocean State tomorrow.

Margaret Spellings will be visiting classrooms at a local elementary school. She’ll also meet with educators and education officials for a roundtable discussion moderated by Governor Carcieri.

The meeting is set for tomorrow at the Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School on Broad Street, Providence, at 12:30 p.m.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:03 PM | Comment

Central Falls school chair named to Board of Regents

Governor Carcieri has selected Anna Cano-Morales, chairwoman of the Central Falls School Board, as his nominee for the State Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education.

Cano-Morales would replace Gary Grove, who has served on the board for nine years and whose term is expiring.

The Board of Regents oversees secondary and elementary education in the state, and is the chief policy-setting body. The three-year appointment must first be approved by the state Senate.

Cano-Morales is also senior community philanthropy officer at the Rhode Island Foundation and a member of the Urban Education Task Force.

Through her work with the Central Falls school district, Carcieri said, such as her work forging a relationship between the University of Rhode Island and Central Falls schools, Cano-Morales has “demonstrated her commitment to improving education in Rhode Island.”

“I am honored to be chosen,” Cano Morales said in a statement. “And I look forward to working under (Chairman of the Board of Regents) Justice Flanders on policies and issues that are pressing in today’s education system.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:47 PM | Comment

Oster trial: A fake $105,000 cashier's check

PROVIDENCE -- To help crack an alleged bribery scheme involving then-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster, the State Police needed to show accused co-conspirator Robert R. Picerno the money.

So the State Police got a fake $105,000 cashier's check from Citizens Bank and gave it to David Wayne Daniel, a contractor working with authorities, to give to Picerno, according to testimony today by Officer Stephen Bannon, who at the time was sergeant in charge of the State Police Financial Crimes Unit.

That amount was what prosecutors accuse Picerno and Oster of attempting to get from two different potential buyers at different times for the town-controlled H&H Screw Co. property on Route 116 while also conspiring to get a bribe.

Oster, who served as town adminstrator from 2000 to 2002, in on trial in Providence County Superior Court, where he faces two bribery counts and two conspiracy counts. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking, or trying to solicit, bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes.

Robert Gelfuso, who was a business partner with Daniel on a contract for a playground project in Lincoln, also cooperated with state police investigators, wearing recording devices to meetings when Picerno discussed his plan for Gelfuso to pay him and, the state says, Oster, $25,000 in exchange for getting what was a discount price on the Route 116 land.

Bannon also testified today as to how the State Police put together other money in cash that Daniel was to give Picerno. And he described how authorities set up listening devices and videotape equipment to record a meeting in Daniel's office that happened just before Picerno's arrest.

Bannon described visiting Lincoln Town Hall with some auditors to investigate a file concerning information about the property assessment of Picerno's Lincoln home.

Also today, the jury heard about a recorded telephone conversation Bannon had with Oster, Bannon testified, Oster denied that Picerno was involved in the H&H Screw Co. land and he described how the previous summer's deal with Lincoln car dealer Robert Campellone for the H&H Scre Co. property had fallen through.

And testimony today also covered how authorities set up a Feb. 16, 2002, meeting in Oster's law office. Oster was arrested after the meeting.

From today's Journal: Read about yesterday's testimony in the trial.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports form Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:36 PM | Comment

Sports chat: URI's Jimmy Baron live on projo.com at 1

University of Rhode Island's star guard Jimmy Baron will answer projo.com readers' questions in a live chat today from 1 to 2 p.m.

You can send in your questions now: Go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, choose a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room.

When typing a question, remember not to press enter or click send until you have completed your thought. Questions will display to the room as Jimmy answers them beginning at 1.

Last month, URI teammate Will Daniels chatted with projo.com. You can read a transcript of his chat here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:24 PM | Comment

Update: R.I.'s Chafee backs Obama

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee today endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president, citing the Illinois senator’s longstanding opposition to the war in Iraq.

Chafee, who lost a run for reelection in 2006, was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against giving President Bush the authority to attack Iraq. Chafee left the Republican Party last year and changed his registration to unaffiliated.

Chafee hinted several days ago that he was considering a vote for Obama. In his upcoming book, Chafee criticizes Democrats who supported the resolution to authorize the war, saying a vote for the war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment.

In backing Obama, the former senator said the nation cannot afford another presidential election with two candidates who supported the war.

In a conversation this morning with The Journal, Chafee emphasized that was a major factor in his decison.

Obama was not in the Senate in 2002; he announced his opposition to the war that October in a speech in Chicago.

During a conference call with reporters late this morning, Chafee said he called Obama personally this past Tuesday to offer his support and told him that he was "at his disposal."

The other top contenders, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain, voted for the authorization.

McCain, who campaigned for Chafee in 2006, is in Rhode Island today for a campaign event. He is the likely Republican nominee.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:58 AM | Comment

Court: Assembly can limit commercial fishing licenses

The Rhode Island Supreme Court today issued a ruling that upholds the state legislature’s right to restrict the issuance of commercial fishing licenses as part of an overall effort to conserve and protect the state’s fisheries.

“The General Assembly regulates fisheries in trust for the public, and it is precisely because ‘the rapacity of man’ remains a legitimate concern to the economic viability of this important industry that there is a need for conservation and preservation for future generations,” wrote Justice Francis X. Flaherty.

He wrote for the full court except Justice Maureen Goldberg, who did not participate.

-- Journal staff writer Peter B. Lord

The ruling was in response to an appeal of a Superior Court ruling that was filed by Steven Riley, who was a commercial fisherman in the 1970s before pursuing a career in engineering.

In 2003, Riley wanted to return to fishing so he applied for a commercial license that would provide him access to six species of finfish as well as quahogs and lobsters.

The year before, the General Assembly passed a law allowing the state Department of Environmental Management to limit the issuance of many commercial fishing licenses to help protect certain species of fish that were depleted.

DEM turned down Riley’s license application because he didn’t have a valid license from the previous year.

Riley argued DEM’s denial violated his fundamental right to pursue a lawful calling and violated his rights to equal protection and due-process under the law.

The Supreme Court found that Riley had no fundamental right to pursue the specific license he wanted and that DEM was not unreasonable because it was willing to issue him a license that would allow him to harvest 100 other species.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:52 AM | Comment

Obama campaign to announce 'key' R.I. endorsement

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barrack Obama says it will announce a "key" Rhode Island endorsement today at 11 a.m.

The announcement will be made in a conference call with reporters.

Obama has already been endorsed by Rhode Island's Rep. Patrick Kennedy, his father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy Jr.

Rhode Island will hold its presidential primary on March 4.

Today, GOP frontrunner for the nomination, John McCain of Arizon, will hold a campaign rally in Warwick, at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:50 AM | Comment

Schilling arrives at spring training

BOSTON (AP) - Injured Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has arrived at spring training.
Schilling was at the team's facility in Fort Meyers, Fla., Wednesday morning. He has not spoken to the media.

All pitchers and catchers must report by 5 p.m. They'll undergo physicals Friday, and the first official workout is Saturday.

Schilling has an injured shoulder tendon. The Red Sox's team physician believes the tendon is damaged, not torn, and rehabilitation gives the right-hander his best chance to play this year.
However, Schilling's doctor has said he needs surgery if he wants to pitch again.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:44 AM | Comment

Miriam's critical care unit gets new director

Miriam Hospital's critical care unit has a new director.

Paul L. Marino has been named director of that unit, and will be responsible for overseeing patient care in the intensive care unit, including medical and surgical patients.

The Boston native is best known to the medical community for “The ICU Book,” the top-selling critical-care textbook in the country, according to a statement from Miriam.

Before coming to Miriam, in Providence, Marino was medical director, chairman of the department of medicine, and critical care director at Saint Vincent’s Midtown Hospital in New York City.

“Dr. Marino’s reputation in the medical community precedes himself,” Miriam President Kathleen C. Hittner said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have someone with his expertise managing the care of some of our most fragile patients.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:11 AM | Comment

Weather calming, flooding still possible

The clouds are breaking, and the sun is making a welcomed appearance this morning, but there are still flood warnings in several parts of the state.

The flood warning for the Pawtuxet River at Cranston was canceled. However, some streams and rivers continue to swell thanks, in part, to record-breaking rainfall.

Yesterday, Providence got 2.74 inches of rain; the record, set in 1966, was 2.59 inches. The sheer volume of rain added to the frozen ground and snow-blocked drainage pipes was a recipe for flooding throughout the state.

In Worcester and Providence Counties, the National Weather Service warns the Blackstone River at Woonsocket is still in danger of flooding, as well as several rivers in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Within the next 8 hours – or earlier if need be – the NWS will issue an updated statement. In the meantime, the Service warns people not to play near the rivers, streams or culverts in the warning areas.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:02 AM | Comment

City police celebrate 5 years of community policing

Since 2003, the Providence Police Department has opened up community police substations across the city.

Today, Police Chief Dean N. Esserman, Mayor David N. Cicilline, members of the Providence Police Department and the community will celebrate five years of community policing.

Organizations and residents who have worked with the police department will receive awards and the group will march together through the neighborhood, “symbolizing the collective efforts of police and residents to reclaim the streets and rid Providence neighborhoods of crime," according to a statement from the mayor’s office.

The event is set to begin today at 10:15 a.m. at the community room at Lockwood Plaza, 50 Prairie Ave.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:37 AM | Comment

Guglietta to be sworn in as chief of traffic tribunal

The traffic Tribunal's got a new chief magistrate.

William R. Guglietta will be sworn in tomorrow afternoon in a ceremony in Cranston.

Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams will swear Guglietta in, and Chief Justice Williams, House Speaker William J. Murphy, Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano and House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox will speak at the ceremony.

Guglietta's appointment was confirmed by the state Senate after he was chosen by Williams from a pool of five applicants.

He'll be sworn in at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the John O. Pastore Governmetn Center in Cranston.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:34 AM | Comment

Photo: A river runs over it

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
The Blackstone River is high this morning following yesterday's record rainfall. This view is from the Blackstone River Bikeway in the Ashton section of Cumberland.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:57 AM | Comment

Candidate McCain to visit R.I. today

Republican presidential candidate John McCain will come to Rhode Island this 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 Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

More rain or snow possible this morning

We may see more rain or snow, or rain and snow, this morning, but the clouds should clear later in the morning and the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 40 degrees. Expect a breezy day, with northwest winds up to 16 mph.

Skies should stay clear through the night, when winds calm and the temperature drops to about 25 degrees.

There's a slight chance of more rain tomorrow afternoon, but temperatures will be milder, climbing toward 50. Winds will pick up again, with gusts upwards of 26 mph.

To keep an eye on the weather during the day, check projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features coverage of a fatal police shooting in Pawtucket, including an interview with the mother of the 30-year-old man who was shot and killed.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment