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« March 7, 2008 | Today | March 11, 2008 » March 10, 2008Tonight: Live tennis on big screen in NewportIt's not quite tennis weather here yet, but you can catch a simulcast of a match between International Tennis Hall of Fame members Pete Sampras and the world's current No. 1 player, Roger Federer, tonight at 7 at Newport's Jane Pickens Theater, 49 Touro St. The match, in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, has been sold out for weeks. But live satellite broadcast tickets at theater are available online at www.janepickens.com or at the theater box office, (401) 846-5474. Tickets are $35. Call (401) 849-3990 for information. Like jazz? The Duke Robillard/Paul Kolesnikow Jazz Guitar Trio is playing at Chez Ben Restaurant, 345 South Water St., Providence. 521-7722, www.chezben-fahrenheit.com. 7 to 10 p.m. Seeking more things to do? Browse projo.com's calendar of events. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Woman charged with leaving crash scene, death resultingPROVIDENCE -- A 26-year-old Providence woman has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting, after the police said a 54-year-old man was struck and killed early Saturday morning. There was periodic, heavy rainfall that night. Adolfo Gonzalez was pronounced dead shortly after he was found on the 900 block of Atwells Avenue. Lee is scheduled for arraignment in District Court, Providence, tomorrow. The car was found by Patrolman Thomas Connetta behind Hillcrest Apartments, 40 Leander St., at about 10 a.m. today, according to Sgt. Paul F. Xienowicz. Deputy Police Chief Paul Kennedy described the location as a dumping ground for stolen vehicles. The gray 2008 Dodge Avenger had hood and windshield damage consistent with the victim’s injuries, according to the police. The police said they traced the vehicle to the person who rented it, Lee. The police are still trying to obtain a search warrant. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Update: Democratic chief: Where's the money for Kass?Rhode Island Democratic Party Chairman William Lynch today called on Governor Carcieri to explain "exactly where he intends to find the money" to pay both Steve Kass, just named as the state's new emergency management communications director, and the spokesman who replaced Kass in that role for the governor. Kass, a former radio talk-show host whose appointment as EMA communications director was announced Friday, is paid $126,541 -- $50,000 more than the EMA's new executive director and almost three times the amount the current EMA spokesman is paid. John Robitaille, a Portsmouth Republican, has been named as Kass' replacement as the governor's communications director. His salary has not yet been disclosed. In a statement this afternoon, Lynch said, “The only emergency management experience the governor’s office could offer to justify this outrageous move was that Kass had once helped organize a pet shelter. That’s embarrassing. I guess the next time it’s raining cats and dogs we’ll know exactly who to call.” Asked how Kass' salary was being funded, a spokeswoman for Carcieri said later today that she didn't know, describing it as being "in transition." Spokeswoman Barbara Trainor called Kass’ transfer “temporary,” adding it may last months or a year. “It depends on things happening, what Steve Kass finds needs to be done, what the general find needs to be done,” she said. Bray has said the governor’s office is paying Kass’ salary. However, on Friday, the governor’s office had said that half of Kass $126, 541 salary was going to come from federal grants. The funding coming into the EMA is already earmarked for homeland security and public safety projects. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal reports The governor’s office said that the need for improved communications at the EMA has been widely discussed in recent months. Maj. Robert T. Bray, adjutant general of the Rhode Island National Guard, Bray said that Kass is “on loan” and paid by the governor’s office, but Carcieri’s spokeswoman Friday said half of the money will come from federal grants. But Steve Preston, a Woonsocket deputy emergency management director, on Friday said: “As a participant in state Homeland Security programs, I want to see where the governor’s getting this out of federal funds." “The truth is the governor has absolutely no idea how to pay for Mr. Kass and Mr. Robitaille’s salaries,” Lynch stated today. “Unless he intends on creating another new position in state government then one of these two gentlemen need to be let go because Rhode Islanders can ill-afford another high-priced message maven whose only purpose seems to be inflating the governor’s ego." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:14 PM | Comment Photo: The falls runneth over
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:18 PM | Comment Update: Foster parents face child molestation chargesTwo men who are accused of molesting a child while working as foster parents were ordered held without bail in District Court after waiving their right to a bail hearing. The state was ready to move ahead with a hearing, but defendants Sedonio Rodriques, 57, and Raymond Grenier, 53, both of Sampson Street in Bristol, admitted "proof of guilt is evident or the presumption (of guilt is) great," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office said in an afternoon statement.
The couple is accused of molesting a 14-year-old. Judge Albert E. DeRobbio, who ordered them held with out bail in District Court, Providence, today, barred the defendants from contact with the children involved. The men were also ordered to surrender passports. DCYF began investigating the couple in November after receiving a tip on its child abuse hotline. The Department of Children, Youth and Families took custody of two foster children and two adopted children who had been living with the men. According to the agency’s executive counsel, the investigators concluded that the children were in “immediate peril and removed them from the house. The two were arrested without incident on Feb. 22. They face multiple charges of first and second degree child molestation, and attempted first-degree child molestation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:41 PM | Comment The Score goes silent: R.I. loses its all-sports stationRhode Island lost its only local all-sports radio station today when Citadel Broadcasting told employees it would be changing formats on WSKO AM and FM. "In the end, it was purely a business decision," said Barbara Haynes, Citadel's general manager. "The hosts'' -- Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak in the morning, and Scott Cordischi in the afternoon -- "are good men, and they have a great future in radio." "And the programming was first-rate," added Ron St. Pierre, WSKO's programming director. But Haynes confirmed the arrival of WEEI-FM, Boston's powerful all-sports radio station, into the Rhode Island market in April 2004, started a downward spiral in WSKO's ratings. WSKO's FM signal, 99.7, will begin simulcasting WPRO-AM's programming on Tuesday. To avoid confusion with the existing WPRO-FM signal, it will be called "Newstalk Radio 630 and 99.7" on the FM side. The AM signal, 790, will continue to carry "Imus In The Morning" and will carry syndicated ESPN programming for the rest of the week. Haynes and St. Pierre said plans beyond that had not been finalized, though Cordischi indicated the station would switch to a syndicated oldies-music format. Cordischi said he was told of the decision when he arrived at the station Monday afternoon to begin preparing for his show. He did not go on the air; ESPN's "Stephen A. Smith Show" was broadcast in its place. Gresh and Zolak did their normal broadcast, but were told after their show was over. "We had no inkling. None of us did,'' said Cordischi, who said the station's employees will receive four weeks' severance pay. Cordischi had signed a three-year contract in January, but said the contract contained a clause which stipulated the agreement could be severed at any time. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:33 PM | Comment State floats new curbs on film tax-credit programPROVIDENCE – With critics questioning how much Rhode Island has benefited from the $52 million in tax credits the state has offered – and the $30.8 million in tax credits it has already provided -- to the television and movie industry to film here, the state's Division of Taxation this morning proposed new curbs on the operations of the three-year-old incentive program. To qualify for the 25 percent tax credits, a company has to spend a minimum of $300,000 on production costs that are "directly attributable to activity within the state." As to what that means, the state’s Film and Television Office has, up until now, taken its cues from the private accountants working for the film companies. They have interpreted this phrase to mean: "All goods and services purchased for use in the production of the film in the state of Rhode Island will be included as a ‘state-certified production cost’ even if purchased outside of Rhode Island or from a non-Rhode Island vendor." That interpretation has proved costly to Rhode Island. The production company that spent 26 days here filming Hard Luck, a feature film starring Wesley Snipes and Cybill Shepherd that went straight to DVD, received a $2.65 million tax credit. That represented 25 percent of the roughly $11 million the company reported spending in Rhode Island on the production. But only $1.9 million of the $11 million went to "Rhode Island vendors or residents," according to documents the state film office produced late last month after a 15-month records fight with The Journal. That included amounts spent on payroll, makeup, costumes, building materials, hotel accommodations, location rentals, vehicle leases, unspecified "professional fees" and catering. In a move aimed, at least in part, at boosting the measurable benefits to the Rhode Island economy, state tax officials have now taken the position that an expense only counts if it was performed, purchased, provided or rented by a Rhode Island vendor. See the proposed regulations in full here.
Lest there be any further doubt about what this means, state tax officials provide several examples: “Wardrobe purchased or rented from a vendor within Rhode Island will constitute a cost incurred within the state; however, wardrobe purchased or rented from an out-of-state vendor and shipped to Rhode Island will not.’’ Similarly, “catering expenses and services provided by a vendor within Rhode Island will constitute a cost incurred within the state; however, catering from an out of state vendor will not.’’ The proposed regulations will be aired at a public hearing at 2 p.m. on April 11 at the Department of Administration building, across the street from the State House, on Smith Hill. If they remain intact, they will take effect approximately 20 days later. In an interview this morning, state tax administrator David M. Sullivan said the rules more accurately reflect what the film-tax law says. He would not comment when asked if he believed the state film office has been misinterpreting – or misapplying – the tax-credit law at a hefty cost to the state over the last three years. Instead, Sullivan noted that these are the first rules and regulations the state film office, headed by Steven Feinberg, has had since its inception. For the first time, “we have defined in regulation what is a ‘qualified cost,’ ‘’ echoed Gary Sasse, his boss and the new director of the state’s newly created Department of Revenue. At this point, neither department has analyzed how much Rhode Island taxpayers might have saved in tax giveaways had these rules been adopted earlier. “That’s not really my role. My role is to interpret the law,’’ Sullivan said. Asked whether these rules would apply to productions already in the pipeline for the tax credits, but not yet complete, Sullivan said that would be a more apt question for the film office. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:24 PM | Comment Hopkinton man held on child molestation chargesA 42-year-old Hopkinton man faces four counts of child molestation after a secret indictment and arraignment. Joseph Jolly, of 97 Spring St., was arrested Friday, according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office. His indictment was unsealed, and he was arraigned in front of Associate Justice Stephen P. Nugent in Superior Court, Wakefield. Jolly faces one count of 1st-degree child molestation and three counts of 2nd-degree child molestation. The indictment alleges all the incidents occurred in Hopkinton and involved sexual contact with a person, or persons, 14 years old or younger. The alleged incidents took place between Aug. 15, 2004, and July 15, 2005. According to the attorney general's office, a secret indictment means the indictment was not the result of an arrest or a lower court complaint. Jolly is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions. He is due in court March 14 for a bail hearing. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:32 PM | Comment Providence police say they've found car in fatal hit, runPROVIDENCE -- The police say they have found the vehicle that they believe struck and killed a 54-year-old man early Saturday morning. Adolfo Gonzalez, 54, was pronounced dead shortly after he was found on the 900 block of Atwells Avenue. According to Sgt. Paul Zienowicz, at about 10 a.m. today, patrolman Thomas Connetta, of the hit and run bureau, found the car while searching the neighborhood. The gray 2008 Dodge Avenger was found in the parking lot of a complex at 40 Leander St. The car, a rental vehicle, had hood and windshield damage consistent with the victim’s injuries. The police are looking for the person who rented the car, and are awaiting a search warrant. -- with reports from Journal staff reporter Gregory Smith Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:09 PM | Comment Detective: Riot police briefed before smoke-shop raidPROVIDENCE — Members of the state police riot control team were some of the first to arrive at Narragansett Indian land in Charlestown on July 14, 2003, state police Det. Timothy Sanzi testified today in Providence County Superior Court. Maj. John Leyden instructed them at a briefing at the Ladd School to get to the smoke shop and form a perimeter around it so none of the evidence – in this case unstamped cigarettes -- would be destroyed, he said. The state police executed a search and seizure warrant around 1:30 p.m. that day to stop the Narragansetts from selling tax-free cigarettes. The raid erupted into a scuffling match as customers and news crews looked. Sanzi took the stand in the seventh day of testimony in the trial of seven Narragansett Indians charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault. He is part of the state police riot and crowd control team, referred to as the quick response team. Sanzi said he arrested Tribal Councilman John Brown after seeing Brown push a trooper. He considered using pepper spray, but didn’t because he said he feared it would affect bystanders. Extra: See photos and video footage of the 2003 smoke shop raid -- Journal staff reporter Katie Mulvaney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:55 PM | Comment Brown archaeologist wins grant to study Mayan kingdomPROVIDENCE -- For some of us "archaeology" means popcorn in hand and little more than the new Indiana Jones movie set to premiere this May. But a Brown University archaeologist has gotten financial backing to pursue a real-life quest in an exotic locale -- in May, it turns out. Stephen Houston, the Dupee Family social science professor and director of anthropology graduate studies, has been awarded a $125,000 grant from National Endowment for the Humanities for study and excavation where the ancient Maya kingdom of El Zotz was located, the university announced today. "We're learning what happens when a giant stumbles, what happens on the edges of an empire when the empire goes into a nosedive," Houston stated. "The key is the inverse relationship with Tikal. We know from inscriptions that El Zotz had close bonds to Tikal's enemies, and that it was not a good place to farm, earn your keep, hunt. The settlement may have had purely a political motivation." El Zotz opens a window into religious views, too, Houston said. "Inscriptions on pots show new types of cult or emphasis on a supernatural being connected to the dream states of kings: dreams as the essences of the soul," he stated. "There's a lot of tantalizing material that poses fascinating questions about the role of El Zotz in the development of Classic Maya civilization." Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:43 PM | Comment New boating center to dock in NewportA new boating facility and activity center is coming to Newport, and hopefully, according to its supporters, it will bring boaters -- and business -- with it. Department of Environmental Management Director Michael Sullivan joined federal, local and other state officials this morning at the Newport Harbor Center to present a federal grant for $713,000. The facility is owned by the Newport Redevelopment Agency. Updated facilities will include storage, restrooms and showers, washers and dryers, vending machines, Internet access and other amenities. “This new centralized hospitality and activity center will open up opportunities for visiting boaters to experience countless natural and recreational attractions that Newport has to offer,” Sullivan said in a statement. “And it will encourage extended and repeat visits to the City by the Sea and the Ocean State.” In all, the project is expected to cost about $1.4 million. Federal funds are coming from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with matching contributions from local businesses. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:33 PM | Comment Gas prices increase for 4th straight weekGas prices in the state are at the highest they've been since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when all-time gas records were set, according to AAA. For the fourth-straight week, the average price of gasoline has risen, with unleaded averaging $3.14 per gallon; two cents more than last week, and two cents below the national average. Diesel gasoline in Rhode Island is averaging $3.93 per gallon. This time last year, unleaded gas averaged $2.56 in Rhode Island, and in September 2005, the average price peaked at $3.23 per gallon. Here are more details on average gasoline prices now and in the past for the Providence metro area, from AAA. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:46 AM | Comment Update: N. Kingstown businessman taking on Langevin
CRANSTON -- Mark Zaccaria, a Republican business owner from North Kingstown, this morning announced his plan to run against Democrat U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin in the 2008 election. Langevin represents Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District. Zaccaria called Langevin "a good man," but claimed he is biased "in favor of big government" and has shown a "willingness to fund increased bureaucracy through tax mandates." "Congressman Langevin has served in the Rhode Island House and the U.S. House, but I don't think he understands the problems you face in your house," Zaccaria said. Zaccaria says that Congress seems incapable of addressing the country's economic problems at a time when the United States is facing a "colossal housing marketing collapse," and people are losing their homes. Zaccaria called Langevin's recently filed universal health care bill "a feel good piece of legislation. It won't accomplish its objectives." Langevin, who filed his bill last month, wants to provide coverage for all Americans through a system modeled after the program that provides health benefits to federal employees. Joy Fox, a spokeswoman for the congressman, said Langevin welcomed Zaccaria to the race and was looking forward to a "vigorous debate" of the issues. Zaccaria, who has lived in Rhode Island for 10 years, formerly served as a town councilman in North Kingstown. He owns Rustin Marketing Services. He and his wife have three grown children. -- with reports from projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Jack Perry at 11:44 AM | Comment Forum tonight will explore government transparencyIs Rhode Island government open enough? Two groups — the Rhode Island Press Association and ACCESS Rhode Island — will explore those and other issues with lawmakers tonight. The 7 p.m. forum, which will address “The State of Government in Rhode Island,” is at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight campus in Warwick. The forum is being held in advance of Sunshine Week, a national effort to promote open government, which starts March 16. “Access to public records in Rhode Island is still a problem for lots of people,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. “There’s a need for a stronger law. Compliance is sporadic.” Panelists include Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport; Senate Deputy Minority Leader June N. Gibbs, R-Middletown; House Minority Leader Robert Watson, R-East Greenwich; and state Rep. Elizabeth Dennigan, D-East Providence. Sheila Mullowney, executive editor of The Newport Daily News and president of the Rhode Island Press Association, will moderate. Questions will be solicited from the audience, and can be submitted in advance by e-mail to Editor@NewportRI.com. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:46 AM | Comment Sen. Whitehouse makes three appearances in R.I. todaySenator Sheldon Whitehouse is making the rounds in Rhode Island today, where he has three planned stops in Providence and Warwick. At 8:45 this morning, Whitehouse is scheduled to visit students at the Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School. Whitehouse is a member of the Senate budget committee, which recently passed its 2009 Senate Budget Resolution. Read the resolution, including its education component, online. Then, at 10, Whitehouse speaks to older students at Global Rhode Island’s 9th Annual Capital Forum on America’s Future. He’ll talk to about 80 high school students about domestic and foreign policy issues An hour later, the senator is set to take a ride from the Warwick Fire Department to Kent County Hospital in a rescue vehicle to see how the hospital and emergency crews make use of an electronic records system. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:44 AM | Comment Today's weather: Watch out for the iceIt's looking chilly today. Be sure to watch for residual ice on the roads during this morning's commute. As the day goes on, expect clear and sunny skies with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature near 41 degrees with a west wind between 8 and 13 mph. Tonight the temperature should drop down to 23 degrees with the wind calming a bit to between 6 and 10 mph. Sunny skies again in the forecast for tomorrow, where we may gain a degree, with a high of 42 degrees and mild west winds. For weather updates, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph of the Bishop Hendricken coach and players celebrating their fifth straight Division I state basketball championship and coverage of the Rhode Island Academic Decathlon. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment Jury trial set to begin for alleged con man's trialJury selection is set to begin in Superior Court today in the trial of an alleged con man who prosecutors say swindled more than 30 people each out of sums up to $5,200. Thirty-eight people have alleged that John P. Kluth tricked them out of money by asking for money for what police say was a fictional broken-down lobster truck. One accuser died, on is sick, one retracted his allegation and two will not return to the state for trial according to the prosecutor. In all, 32 people are accusing the 48-year-old former-Newport lobsterman of scamming them. For each of the 32 complaints, he faces 20 felony counts of obtaining money under false pretenses from a person over the age of 65 involving a sum of $500 or less; 4 felony counts of obtaining money under false pretenses from a person over the age of 65 involving a sum of more than $500; 7 misdemeanor counts of obtaining money from a person 65 or younger of $500 or less; and one felony count of obtaining money from a person 65 or younger, more than $500. Extra: Hear Kluth talk to Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:58 AM | Comment Verizon to donate $2 million Norman Rockwell painting
Verizon Communications will donate an original Norman Rockwell painting, "The Lineman," to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. The oil-on-canvas painting was created by Rockwell in 1948 for an advertisement for New England Telephone, a predecessor company of Verizon. Rockwell used a telephone employee at work in Cheshire, Mass. as the model, Verizon said. The work was recently appraised at more than $2 million, Verizon said. The phone company and the museum are holding a ceremony to mark the donation on Wednesday at the museum. For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006