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« February 21, 2008 | Today | February 25, 2008 » February 22, 2008Storm update: Pell Bridge re-opens after accidentsBoth the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Pell Bridge have been cleared after three minor accidents closed the span temporarily, according to the state's Traffic Management Center. Sgt. Frank Sullivan of the Portsmouth barracks of the State Police said no serious injuries were reported in the bridge accidents. The bridge connecting Jamestown and Newport was closed around 6:10 p.m. as sleet and freezing rain made driving hazardous around the state. The eastbound lane was re-opened at 6:48 p.m., while the westbound lane was still closed. Sullivan said the slippery surface would be retreated after the accidents were cleared. Mixed conditions following the day's snowfall began sooner than expected, state officials said this evening, so drivers should slow down if they must be out on the roads. Icy roads were being reported around the southern part of the state between 6 and 7 p. m., and those conditions were expected to move northward. “Motorists need to use extreme caution. The freezing rain is making roadways slippery," Brendan Doherty, who commands the State Police, said in a statement earlier this evening. The EMA said the evening commute appeared to be lighter "thanks to partnering with municipalities and employers across the state heeding the warnings to stagger releases." The sleet and freezing rain will help keep snow accumulation from continuing to rise, but it can cause other, slippery problems. The National Weather Service says the mixed precipitation will change back to all snow after 10 p.m. It, too, advises travelers to plan for extra time and use caution as hazardous weather conditions are expected. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:17 PM | Comment Update: Narragansetts seek trial delay from high courtPROVIDENCE -- Seven Narragansett Indians accused of scuffling with State Police who raided a tribal smoke shop in 2003 have filed a last-minute appeal and want to delay next week's trial. Defense lawyers filed the request with the state Supreme Court late this afternoon. They are asking the top court to delay the criminal trial so a computer expert can scour State Police computers looking for police e-mails about the raid that might have been deleted. Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl earlier denied their request, saying it's unlikely the e-mails can be recovered. A court spokesman says the Supreme Court has not decided whether to hear the appeal. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said this evening that the state expects to be in front of McGuirl on Monday at 9:30 a.m. ready for the trial. "Judge McGuirl has been remarkably patient and studious in reviewing each issue brought before her," Lynch said. He added that it is the defense's prerogative to again seek a delay. But, he added, the state is grateful McGuirl saw fit to deny a motion to stay, or delay, the case, and that "enough is enough." The defendants, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, were arrested in July 2003 when state police raided the tribe's recently-opened smoke shop, which was not collecting state taxes, on tribal land in Charlestown. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:29 PM | Comment Weather cancelling, delaying flights cancelled at GreenSeveral flights were cancelled today at T.F. Green Airport, according to its Web site, from a 3:05 p.m. departing flight to Atlanta to a 6:30 p.m. departure to Toronto. Life was no better for scheduled arriving flights as the snow falls here. A 5:30 p.m. scheduled arrival from Cleveland was cancelled, and a 10:49 p.m. scheduled arrival from Newark is listed as cancelled. The bright spot, at least according to the airport's Web site? The Windy City: Flights to and from Chicago remain listed as "on time." But to be sure of a flight's status, it may be best to call the airline directly. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:03 PM | Comment Justice Department opens internal waterboard probeWASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has opened an internal investigation into whether its top officials improperly authorized or reviewed the CIA's use of waterboarding when interrogating terror suspects, according to documents released today. The investigation was revealed at the request of Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. A Justice Department spokesman, however, said the inquiry has been ongoing for several years. Questions about waterboarding are part of a larger Justice probe of the so-called Bybee memo, wrote Marshall Jarrett, head of the department's Office of Professional Responsibility, in a Feb. 18 letter to the two senators. "Among other issues, we are examining whether the legal advice contained in those memorandums was consistent with the professional standards that apply to Department of Justice attorneys," Jarrett wrote. Asked for details, Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said, "This is not a new investigation, but rather has been ongoing for some time." Waterboarding involves strapping a person down and pouring water over his or her cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. It has been traced back hundreds of years, to the Spanish Inquisition, and is condemned by nations around the world. Critics call it a form of torture. -- The Associated Press The memo at the heart of the internal Justice inquiry was dated Aug. 1, 2002, and written by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee for then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. It defined torture as recognized by U.S. law as covering "only extreme acts" causing pain similar in intensity to that caused by death or organ failure. The Bush administration maintains waterboarding was legal when it was used by CIA interrogators in 2002 and 2003 on top al-Qaida detainees Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Earlier this month, CIA Director Michael Hayden said waterboarding was used, in part, because of widespread belief among U.S. intelligence officials that more catastrophic attacks were imminent. The CIA banned its personnel from using waterboarding in 2006. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has refused to publicly discuss whether waterboarding is currently legal since it is no longer used by CIA interrogators. Durbin called the internal Justice inquiry "long overdue" and noted that the U.S. government has previously prosecuted waterboarding as a war crime. "Within the question how America could come to use interrogation techniques of the Inquisition is the question how the Department of Justice could have overlooked its own precedents to authorize waterboarding," added Whitehouse, a former federal prosecutor. He suggested "the answer was preordained and the department was driven by politics and obedience, not law and independence." Mukasey told Congress earlier this month that he would not pursue criminal charges against CIA officials who used waterboarding after relying on Justice Department guidance that the interrogation tactic was legal. He said today he did not believe the Bybee memo was politically motivated. "I have no reason to believe that politics was involved in that or any other analysis," Mukasey said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:35 PM | Comment Snow spurs several accidents on area highways / Photo
The state Transportation Management Center's Web site has listed several of them. An accident closed a lane on Route 10 north in the area of Union Avenue in Providence, the TMC reported at 3:52 p.m. An accident Route 95 north at exit 27 for downtown Pawtucket was cleared at 4:03 p.m. An accident was cleared on Route 195 west at exit 6 -- the Broadway exit in East Providence -- this afternoon. Another was cleared on Route 6 west at Hartford Avenue in Providence. Check out the Transportation Management Center's Web site for traffic alerts and Web cam views of major roads throughout the state. The National Weather Service has advised commuters to take care as the snow makes its way through the area. It will continue to fall at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour across northern Connecticut, northern Rhode Island and central and western Massachusetts through 7 p.m. Some sleet and freezing rain will begin to mix with the snow in the immediate Providence area. Visibilities will be reduced to one half mile or less in many locations. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:26 PM | Comment R.I. to get $800,000-plus more for heating assistanceThe state will get $843,229 more in emergency heating money for families' homes this winter, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, announced today. Nearly 30,000 Rhode Island households last year relied on LIHEAP to help pay for heating their homes and to pay delinquent utilities bills so they can restart service, Reed's office said. Rhode Island is one of 11 states to receive this second wave of money from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund, the release said. The other states are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. “When temperatures drop, heating bills rise for many Rhode Island families. This additional funding will help lift the burden on many seniors and parents who need help paying their energy bills,” Reed said. Reed is chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, a group of senators that he said pushes ahead policies to improve region's economy and environment. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Cicilline to appoint new city EMA director MondayPROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline will appoint a new city Emergency Management Agency director, who also will head up the local Office of Homeland Security, on Monday. Cicilline will make the announcement at a 10 a.m. news conference in the mayor's office that day, his office announced today. Providence Police Maj. Monty Monteiro is the city's acting EMA director. He was assigned to the slot after the previous director, Leo Messier, was fired in the wake of a Dec. 13 snowstorm that paralyzed much of the metropolitan region and left some city students stranded on school buses for hours. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:34 PM | Comment Update: Oster apparently kills self in verdict's wake
Oster's body was found in a conference room in his law office in Lincoln, a spokesman for the state Attorney General Patrick Lynch said this afternoon. In a separate statement, Lynch's office said a gun was found in the office. Police had been called there this morning by a 911 call. While not saying how or when Oster died, the statement added, "There is no evidence suggesting that the gun was used by anyone except Mr. Oster." Acting Lincoln Police Chief Brian W. Sullivan, speaking outside Oster's Old Louisquissett Pike law office late this morning, declined to comment specifically on the death, saying police were awaiting the arrival of the state medical examiner. Sullivan described the case as "an active investigation" and would not characterize it beyond that. The medical examiner’s office is also investigating, Lynch's office said this afternoon, and will do the official autopsy on Monday. This morning, police cars were parked in the lot of the law office, and officers were going in and out of the building. In a previous statement at midday, Lynch's office had said "it does not have any details about the apparent suicide today" of Oster, saying those would have to come from police agencies handling the incident. Lynch did say, "This is a tragedy upon a tragedy and, obviously, a heartbreaking loss for Mr. Oster's family and loved ones. I offer them our sincerest sympathies." C. Leonard O'Brien, who was Oster's lawyer during the trial, told a Journal reporter, “My heart goes out to his family. Knowing the guy as I do I feel very, very sorry that he found himself in this desperate a situation.” Oster leaves a wife and two daughters. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill A Superior Court jury returned its verdict against Oster yesterday afternoon, after deliberating less than two days. It found him guilty two counts of bribery and two counts of extortion for actions he took while town administrator from 2000-2002. As he had throughout the almost four-week trial, Oster sat straight-backed and stoic as the verdicts were read, his head only shaking slightly as the first guilty verdict was announced. His wife’s eyes were red and moist as the jury filed out of the room, and a group of friends who had been in court nearly every day embraced and whispered to each other. Oster faced up to 20 years in prison on each bribery count and 10 years on each conspiracy count. Oster was slated for sentencing on May 8; his lawyer said yesterday his client had planned to appeal the jury's verdict. According to prosecutors, Oster had in 2001 been engaged in two conspiracies with Robert R. Picerno to sell a piece of town-controlled land for $105,000 — less than the $600,000-plus that was owed in back taxes on the property. Picerno -- who brought in nearly a quarter of the $43,284 Oster raised for his 2000 town administrator run -- was supposed to find the targets and collect the payoff money, the state said. Oster’s role was to get Town Council approval of the sale. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Storm watch: Leave early, but not all at once / Photo
After 4 p.m., the snow may start to mix with sleet and rain; it’s expected to continue overnight. State agencies are working together to come up with a plan to send employees home early without clogging the roads as snow falls throughout this afternoon. After a conference call this morning, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, the governor’s office, the Department of Transportation, state police, local emergency management agencies, the Rhode Island National Guard, local colleges and universities and the Chamber of Commerce have asked employees to stagger the times they leave. According to a statement from the EMA, the roads are still in fairly good shape, and will be for an hour or so, the safest times to travel. Ideally, the Agency would like everyone off of the roads between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. And in Massachusetts, the state Emergency Management Agency has already activated its State Emergency Operations Center to provide manpower and other assistance to communities hit hard by the storm. Check the latest closings and cancellations for around our area, courtesy of wpri.com. Not only are the roads a mess, the weather service has issued an airport weather warning for heavy snow at the state airports. Nearly 40 arriving and departing flights have been canceled at T. F. Green Airport, and a handful of flights have been delayed. One plus: This is winter vacation week for the state's public schools. While there have been many cancellations of youth activities and daycare programs so far today, the problem of sending students home on school buses is not likely to arise. Providence students stranded on buses for hours after a December snowstorm led to a widespread outrage and a review of how the city and state conduct their emergency system during snowstorms. In Providence, a parking ban went into effect at noon today and based on weather conditions, could remain in effect until noon tomorrow. The ban may be lifted earlier if weather conditions permit. The Department of Public Works has nearly 85 plows on the roadways, including private vendors, clearing the main arteries, overpasses and hospital routes before working their way to secondary roads, the mayor's office said. District lieutenants from the Providence Police Department have been assigned to monitor key intersections in the city and are prepared to respond needed. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:04 PM | Comment Providence chamber: Consider sending workers homeThe Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce has sent its members an email, asking them to consider sending their employees home on "a staggered basis" over the next four hours because of the storm. The Chamber sent the email late this morning after a conference call with Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency officials, Governor Carcieri, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Mayor David N. Cicilline, representatives of the Rhode Island State Police and the National Weather service. While the state's highways are currently in good conditions, heavy snowfall is forecast for this afternoon, the email said. The email added that major employers who have workers coming in on the 3 p.m. to 11p.m. shift should consider making alternative arrangements. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:17 PM | Comment Ex-House leader Martineau to serve 37 months in prisonPROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau this morning was sentenced to 37 months in prison on corruption charges. Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered him to pay a $100,000 fine and serve two years of supervised probation following his release. He will have to report to a prison to be determined by 2 p.m. March 14. Martineau, a longtime state representative from Woonsocket, pleaded guilty in November to corruption charges for steering legislation that benefited the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, with which he had plastic and paper bag contracts worth more than $800,000. Martineau was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Providence. He faced a maximum of 46 months and a fine of $1.8 million on each count. The prosecution had asked Lisi to sentence Martineau to 37 months. Martineau's lawyer asked for a split sentence that would have allowed him to spend part of the sentence on home confinement. Also revealed at this morning's hearing: Martineau is cooperating with the federal investigation into corruption at the State House, Operation Dollar Bill. He has met with the FBI six times. John R. Kramer, former CVS senior vice president for corporate affairs and government relations, and Carlos Ortiz, former vice president of government affairs, are charged with one count each of conspiracy and bribery and 21 counts each of fraud for contracting with Celona. Celona, who resigned from the General Assembly in 2004 amid questions about his business dealings with CVS, pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges in 2005 for his relationships with CVS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical Center. -- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Jack Perry at 11:39 AM | Comment Convicted killer Bishop pleads not guilty to new chargesConvicted murderer Alfred "Freddie" Bishop pleaded not guilty in Superior Court today to a host of charges, including another murder charge. Prosecutors say Bishop, 65, killed Gabriel Medeiros, 35, last June after breaking into a home, and shooting both Medeiros’s brother and sister-in-law before fatally shooting Medeiros. Bishop had spent 33 years in jail for the 1973 murder of James Dunn, who had been Bishop's close friend. He was out of jail for less than a year when he was charged in the Medeiros murder. A 1993 Providence Journal profile reported that in 1978, corrections officials sent out of state Bishop and 14 other inmates deemed to be wielding control inside the prison. Then-Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy said at the time that “guards and inmates live in constant mortal fear for their lives.” Bishop was in shackles, surrounded by marshals at his arraignment today in Kent County Superior Court. Members of the Medeiros family were also on hand. In all, Bishop faces nine charges, including murder, breaking and entering and numerous firearms charges. He's being held on bail and scheduled for a bail hearing March 6. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:17 AM | Comment Pawtucket exit closed SundayThe Exit 28/School Street off-ramp from Route 95 north will be closed this Sunday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. The state Department of Transportation will be boring soil near the Pawtucket River Bridge; the closure should help make the area safer for workers. The boring is one of the first steps toward designing a replacement for the Pawtucket River Bridge The bridge is currently off limits to heavy trucks because of deterioration in its support system. A detour will direct driver to the George Street/Downtown exit and onto School Street via Division Street. This phase of soil boring is expected to end by Friday, Feb. 29. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:46 AM | Comment Photo: Extreme weather doesn't stop Makeover
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:37 AM | Comment Don't forget, snow can be funWhat’s winter break without snow? There’s plenty to do locally now that the flakes are beginning to fall. Skiing, sledding, skating -- it’s all in Rhode Island. Although Yawgoo Valley makes snow all winter long, isn’t there something special about skiing while it’s snowing? Check out the current conditions at the Exeter slopes online. Another way to capture that fun side of winter? Ice skating. Of course, there's the Bank of America City Center rink downtown, a great place to take a half-hour twirl on the ice during lunch -- or after work, while everyone else is skidding out on the highway, you can work on your double axel (it's got that funny spelling because it's actually named after someone). There are also rinks in South County, East Bay and along the Blackstone Valley River. If you'd rather watch, you're in luck, too. The U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships are in Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center. But remember, ice does not an ice skating rink make. According to the state Department of Environmental Management, you can't tell if ice is safe just by looking. There are many factors that determine ice stability, including the salinity, and presence of currents and streams. Get more information about the ice skating safety in the DEM's ice safety guide. Find a list prime sledding hills online at Kidoinfo.com, a blog devoted to activities for parents and kids in Rhode Island. And for a winter break lesson in civic responsibility, have the kids help shovel the sidewalks. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:51 AM | Comment Photo: Careful on the roads
The electronic traffic sign on Route 146 South tells the story of the slippery commute Rhode Island state police are dealing with about a dozen accidents on highways across the state. And at the North Dartmouth barracks of the Massachusetts state police, trooper say Route 24 northbound is down to a crawl, and throughout the area -- which includes Fall River and New Bedford -- there are between 25 and 30 accidents and cars off the road. And more than two-dozen arriving and departing flights have been canceled at T. F. Green Airport. If you're planning to travel or expecting visitors today, check the airport's Web site before you leave. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning -- the snow began earlier this morning and is expected to fall through Saturday. The flurries falling now are just a precursor to what's expected. To quote the NWS, the morning commute will be bad, but not as bad as "the expected, more treacherous mid afternoon hazardous travel." The temperature is expected to hover near 30 degrees and snow is expected to pick up between 2 and 8 p.m. when we can expect an inch per hour at times. The Weather Service is telling commuters to prepare for evening commute times to triple. Total accumulation could pile as high as 8 inches today with another few inches overnight, when the temperature drops to 25 degrees. Snow is expected to taper off Saturday morning, but clouds are here to stay, with a forecast high temperature in the mid 30s. To keep an eye on the weather without having to go outside, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:45 AM | Comment Photo: Spin out in Swansea
Posted by Jack Perry at 9:42 AM | Comment Lottery today for ballot in special Senate raceThe Secretary of State is holding a lottery today to decide how the candidates for the District 20 state Senate seat appear on the March 18 primary ballot. The special election was scheduled to fill the seat of former Sen. Roger Badeau, D-Woonsocket, who died on Jan. 25. Rep. Roger Picard will appear first on the ballot because he is the endorsed Democratic candidate. The lottery will determine in what order the other hopefuls - Rosina L. Hunt and Thomas Scully – appear. The special election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:36 AM | Comment Convicted killer 'Freddie' Bishop due back in courtAlfred “Freddie” Bishop, a convicted killer who spent 33 years behind bars for murder, is scheduled to be arraigned today for a new murder charge. Prosecutors say Bishop, 65, killed Gabriel Medeiros, 35, last June after breaking into a home, and shooting both Medeiros’s brother and sister-in-law before fatally shooting Medeiros. Bishop had spent 33 years in jail for the 1973 murder of James Dunn, who had been Bishops close friend. He was out of jail for less than a year when he was charged in the Medeiros murder. A 1993 Providence Journal profile reported that in 1978, corrections officials sent Bishop and 14 other inmates deemed to be wielding control inside the prison out of state. Then-Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy said at the time that “guards and inmates live in constant mortal fear for their lives.” Bishop’s arraignment is scheduled for this morning in Kent County Superior Court. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:19 AM | Comment Closings, delays and bans are rolling inSchool closings and parking bans are already rolling in in anticipation of what's to come, namely, lots and lots of snow. We're expecting about 8 inches today, and maybe more tomorrow. It's vacation week for public schools, so they're closed anyway. But because of the snow, private schools from Cranston to West Warwick are closed, and so are many daycares. Visit projo.com's closings page to find out what schools are closed and what towns have initiated parking bans. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:20 AM | Comment Ex-House leader to be sentenced, asks for leniencyPROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau, who is scheduled to be sentenced today on federal corruption charges, is asking the sentencing judge for leniency. Martineau, a longtime state representative from Woonsocket who did not run for reelection in 2002, pleaded guilty in November to corruption charges for steering legislation that benefited the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, with which he had plastic and paper bag contracts worth more than $800,000. Martineau’s sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi. Martineau’s lawyer, William P. Devereaux, filed a motion with the court seeking a lenient sentence, citing Martineau’s record as a businessman, legislator and “devoted family man.” “In this case, the Court has before it a man who is truly remorseful; recognizes that he must be held accountable; but asks the Court for consideration of how he has lived his life in comparison to the unfortunate events which have brought him before this Court,” the motion says. Martineau faces up to 46 months in prison and a maximum fine of $1.8 million for each count. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story reporting that Jonathan F. Oster, former town administrator in Lincoln, was convicted of bribery and extortion charges. There's also a photograph and story on the synchronized skating competition in Providence. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006