« March 25, 2008 | Today | March 27, 2008 »

March 26, 2008

Tonight: Rap at Lupo's, rock at AS220 and blues at Chan's

Looking for some musical nourishment tonight? The area provides.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Blestenation and The Rhode Show perform rap at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 9 p.m. $20 advance; $25 day of show.

Pterodactyl plays rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 9 p.m. $7. All ages.

An open-mike blues jam is at Chan’s Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 765-1900. 7 to 10 p.m. No cover.

Check out more of the Journal's club listings.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

CVS Caremark will pay Texas $315,000 to settle suit

HOUSTON -- CVS Caremark will pay the state of Texas $315,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the drugstore operator of dumping records from more than 1,000 customers into a garbage container.

The Rhode Island-based company will also overhaul its information security system.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who sued CVS in April, announced the agreement today.

The suit accused CVS Caremark, which operates the nation's largest retail pharmacy chain, of dumping credit card numbers, medical information and other material from customers at a store in Liberty, about 45 miles northeast of Houston.

Abbott says the $315,000 from CVS will be used by Texas to investigate and prosecute other identity theft cases.

CVS said in a statement that it's pleased with the settlement and that it takes seriously the privacy of patient health information.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:58 PM | Comment

Note alerts authorities to bomb threat at Burrillville High

BURRILLVILLE -- A note left in a bathroom at Burrillville High School today indicated that "there will be a bomb" during tomorrow night's parent/teacher conferences, according to a news release from the School Department.

The news release said the school will be locked down tonight and bags will be searched when students enter the school building tomorrow.

Parents/teacher conferences are expected to take place as scheduled, but no one will be allowed into the building until just before the conferences, at 5 p.m.

Other action taken by the School Department in response to the threat include:

*A state bomb squad was scheduled to sweep the building this afternoon using bomb-sniffing dogs.

*Teachers will check their rooms for "any unusual or out-of-place items" when they leave tomorrow night. All classrooms will be locked when teachers leave for the day.

*Beginning tomorrow, the school will also take "some administrative steps to more closely supervise students' movement in the building."

The School Department said the moves are being carried out in consultation with the town police and state bomb squad personnel.

"Unfortunately, this recent spate of bomb threats has needlessly interrupted the education of the students at Burrillville High School, and caused a great deal of stress for the students, their families and the staff," the statement said.

Officials are continuing to investigate this threat and several other recent ones. The School Department said there are "significant criminal and school penalties" tied to making such threats and that the administration and the police are "committed to prosecuting anyone" involved with it "to the fullest extent possible."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment

Developer denied extension to buy Rocky Point land

PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge today denied Nicholas E. Cambio’s request to extend the time he has to finalize his purchase of the former Rocky Point property.

Cambio, whose roughly $17-million bid on the foreclosed property had been accepted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, was seeking at least another three months to continue his due diligence in researching the property. With the request denied, Cambio, working as Atlantic American Rocky Point Partners Group, has only until Friday to close on the land.

After denying Cambio’s request for an extension, District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux gave the SBA permission to grant the development bid to the only other bidder on the property, Rocky Point Partners LLC. At the SBA’s request, Lagueux gave the SBA permission to give Rocky Point Partners, which is headed by James Leach 120 days to conduct its own due diligence on the property.

Nothing can happen until after Friday, when Cambio’s deadline passes. In an interview after court, Cambio indicated that he is not likely to proceed with the closing without an extension. He said that he had run into questions about sewer discharge, drainage and other issues that would have to be address before he felt comfortable about taking title to the roughly 80 acres on which he had planned to build homes.

“Your client got into this matter with their eyes wide open,” Lagueux said in denying the motion for an extension. “Now is the time to fish or cut bait.”

Rocky Point Partners submitted a letter to the court stating that it wants to pursue the project and that the issues raised by Cambio would not be a stumbling block for them.

-- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:05 PM | Comment

Carcieri to sign executive order on illegal immigration

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri tomorrow will sign an executive order "designed to increase the state’s efforts to deal with the problem of illegal immigration," his office announced this evening.

The governor will sign the order, for which a news release offers no specifics, at a 2 p.m. State House news conference in the State Room.

The statement says the governor will also endorse legislation introduced in the General Assembly to "accomplish the same goal."

It notes that, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, about 20,000 to 40,000 illegal immigrants live in Rhode Island.

"Illegal immigrants are entitled by law to access a number of taxpayer funded services, including public education and uncompensated hospital care," according to the release. "In the face of growing numbers of illegal immigrants and the inaction of the federal government, many states are doing what they can to address the issue."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:54 PM | Comment

Update: 3 more offer Station fire tentative settlements

Three more parties sued by victims of The Station nightclub fire victims have offered tentative settlements in the civil cases now pending in U.S. District Court.

JBL Incorporated, formerly known as James B. Lansing Sound dba JBL Professional, which allegedly manufactured amplifiers and speakers used in the nightclub the night of the deadly fire on Feb. 20, 2003, has offered to settle for $815,000.

The lawsuits filed by the fire victims allege that the speakers and amplifiers contained highly flammable foam and “were a proximate cause of the personal injuries and/or deaths of the decedents in the combustion of the so-called Station nightclub.”

The other two parties offering to settle are ABC Bus, Inc., and Superstar Services LLC, which provided bus transportation for the rock band Great White to The Station for its concert, as well as more than 25 kilograms of explosive fireworks material that the band carried on its road trip. Together they are offering $500,000.

Sparks from fireworks set off by Great White’s manager, Daniel M. Biechele, ignited highly flammable polyurethane foam that the owners of The Station, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, had installed as soundproofing in the club. One hundred people died as a result of the fire; more than 200 others were injured.

The new settlement offers -- disclosed today in federal court filings -- bring the total amount of settlement money tentatively offered thus far to $72.815 million.

Those who lost loved ones in the fire and others who were injured in the blaze have to approve all of the settlements before any of this money is distributed, as must Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux.

A court-appointed special master is currently working on a matrix that would be used to determine how much each plaintiff would receive and that also must be approved by the court.

– Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:18 PM | Comment

Smoke-shop case: Tribal officer contradicts troopers

PROVIDENCE -- A Narragansett Indian tribal conservation officer testified today that he was following orders when he tried stopping the state police from entering tribal land during a raid on a tribal smoke shop.

"I said, 'You're trespassing,' " Thawn Harris testified this morning, the 16th day of trial for seven Narragansetts accused of resisting and scuffling with state police as they executed a search warrant to stop the tribe from selling tax-free tobacco in July 2003.

Harris said he was told by Lt. Rodney Champlin, then the tribe's acting chief, that they were not to let state police on the land without federal papers, meaning a federal warrant.

Harris said he stuck up his hand to try blocking Trooper Ann Assumpico as she ran onto the property and that she hit him and pushed him back before Trooper Kenneth Jones flung him into a car.

Another trooper then brought Harris to the ground, where, Harris testified, he put his hands up to be cuffed when asked.

Harris's testimony about his arrest contradicted earlier testimony by various troopers.

Judge Susan E. McGuirl earlier this month acquitted Harris of assaulting a trooper during the fracas, but ruled that the state had produced enough evidence for the jury to consider other counts against him and other tribe members.

Harris was the only witness to testify this morning.

This afternoon, defendant Adam Jennings took the stand. He was the only one to do so before the court session ended for the day.

Tomorrow, Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas may testify.

Read full coverage of yesterday's testimony.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Jack Perry at 5:03 PM | Comment

Trinity Rep wins National Pell Award

PROVIDENCE -- The Trinity Repertory Company has won a special National Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts, among the 12th annual awards honoring the arts on the local and national level.

The repertory company, currently home to 15 actors and actresses, joins the many over the years who have been chosen for the awards named in tribute to former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.

Previous Pell Award honorees include Jason Robards, Arthur Miller, Beverly Sills, Stephen Sondheim, Toni Morrison, Robert Redford, Maurice Sendak, Jane Alexander, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis and Chita Rivera.

Since the 1960s, according to a press release, resident acting companies around the country have built a special relationship with their communities, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts -- established through Pell's initiative.

Forty-five years after it was founded by a group of Rhode Island citizens, Trinity Rep is the last large long-standing resident acting company left in the country.

In its 43-year history, the theater has presented 52 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its graduate-level theater arts conservatory, trained hundreds of new actors and directors, the press release said.

The Rhode Island Pell Award winners will be announced shortly.

The Pell Awards Gala will be held on Friday evening, May 30, at Trinity Rep. Honorary chairs for the event are Governor Carcieri, Mayor David N. Cicilline and Sen. and Mrs. Claiborne Pell.

Tickets are $250 or $500 for patrons and corporate sponsor tables are also available. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit artistic programming at Trinity Rep.

For information and reservations contact, Trinity Rep at (401) 521-1100, x237.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:25 PM | Comment

Lawyers make their cases for and against Kluth

PROVIDENCE -- The case against John P. Kluth Jr., accused of using a phony broken-down lobster truck story to appeal to people's better angels while actually preying on them for money, is headed to the jury.

Prosecutor Stephen A. Regine sought in Providence County Superior Court today to remind jurors of what the case is about.

It's about good people, he asserted in closing arguments, who want to help others -- thirty-one people who, when encountered by the accused, wanted to help.

Regine walked toward Kluth in the courtroom, pointing at him, and said: "Good citizens in our state who came up against this man. A con man. A confidence man."

Regine also said: "If this happened to you, are you going to remember it? It's going to be embedded in your mind."

But lawyer Mark L. Smith vigorously defended Kluth, saying in his closing argument that the jury needed to consider all 31 allegations individually.

Smith compared the photo array that various police departments, including Providence's, used for people to pick out a suspect as a shell game for witnesses. He sought to raise doubts about how all of the complainants could pick the same person each time. He talked about how some were older and could not see well yet identified Kluth.

Smith also raised the question of whether they intended money they gave as a gift. He also noted an instance in which some people gave Kluth money at a casino but did not question why, if his lobster truck had broken down, he was at a casino.

Smith spoke of the professions of some of those who gave Kluth money -- including a retired lawyer, an official at the state Attorney General's Office and an accountant.

Kluth, a former Newport lobsterman, went on trial beginning on March 12 on charges of obtaining money under false pretenses.

Following closing arguments, Judge Netti C. Vogel was slated to give the jury its instructions this afternoon.

Read about more testimony from the trial.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:22 PM | Comment

350 turn out to protest cuts to Head Start program

PROVIDENCE -- With a handful of 3- and 4-year-olds leading the singing of "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands," some 350 people protested at the State House this afternoon against Governor Carcieri's proposal to cut all state money for the federal Head Start preschool program.

Parents, children's advocates and Head Start staffers from around Rhode Island held signs bearing such messages as "Stop cuts to Head Start" and "Save Head Start." It is a federal early-childhood program mainly open to 3- and 4-year-olds in families at or below the federal poverty level, which is $17,600 for a family of three.

The Capitol Police estimated the rally crowd at 350.

Some people held paper cut-out likenesses of children -- 400 cut-outs representing the number of children who would lose Head Start.

"The gospel is very clear: We are our brothers' keeper," said one speaker, the Rev. Donald C. Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches. He added: "Rhode Island children are not someone else's responsibility. They are our children. They are our responsibility."

The Head Start cut, which would eliminate 400 of 2,800 preschool slots statewide, would save taxpayers $3.3 million, the Journal has reported.

Preschool classes through Head Start see to it that poor children begin school “on an equal footing with their more economically-advantaged peers,” according to a policy brief produced by Rhode Island Kids Count, a child advocacy group. The brief says children from families at or below poverty level are typically 18 months behind their peers in learning and social skills at age 4.

But the pro-Head Start rally was just one on a day of public stumping at the State House on budget debate issues. Another rally was set to start at 3:30 p.m., during which the state Chamber of Commerce was expected to protest, along with the governor, proposals to roll back the state flat tax and changes to the capital gains tax.

At 5 p.m. the House Finance Committee will hear a bill that would affect the flat and capital gains taxes and expand the sales tax -- proposals the Chamber of Commerce rally was expected to oppose.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment

New England not meeting pollution reduction targets

CONCORD, N.H. -- New England is not on track to meet its targets for global warming pollution reductions, despite a commitment the region made back in 2001.

That's according to a report issued today by a coalition of environmental groups.

The only state to show a drop in emissions was Rhode Island, with a 7 percent drop between 2001 and 2005. Most of that was due to fewer emissions from power production and transportation.

The report says global warming emissions have increased in most sectors of the region's economy, from transportation, electricity generation, and fossil fuel consumption. The report says the region could be in trouble if it doesn't reverse the trend and could see more coastal flooding, damage from more severe storms and other problems.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:15 PM | Comment

City official struck by van near Central Falls City Hall

CENTRAL FALLS -- City Personnel Director Gene Noury is in serious condition this afternoon in Rhode Island Hospital after he was struck by a van driven by former mayoral and city council candidate Hector Solis, police said.

Noury, 52, suffered two broken legs and possible internal injuries after he was hit by Solis’ Ford Windstar van as he was walking along Summit Street across from City Hall, police said.

Solis, 59, was also hospitalized, after complaining of chest pains. Police said he was taken to Miriam Hospital and was in stable condition.

Details of the 8:43 a.m. accident were not available today. Central Falls police said they are investigating with assistance of the Rhode Island State Police

Before becoming city personnel director in 2004, Noury served on the School Committee from 1976 to 1987 and was a member of the City Council for six and half years, stepping down in 2003.

Solis ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003 and 2005. He lost in a bid for City Council in 2007.

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:38 PM | Comment

Barrington teen gets 6 months in alcohol-related crash

PROVIDENCE — A Barrington teenager was sentenced this morning to six months in the state Training School for driving while impaired, fleeing a police officer at Colt State Park and then slamming into a wall, pinning a pedestrian beneath his car on Dec. 29.

The 17-year-old Barrington High School student must perform 200 hours of community service, write a letter of apology to the victim and undergo alcohol counseling, and he cannot have a driver’s license until he’s 21.

After reviewing a background report on the teen, the Attorney General’s Office withdrew a petition seeking to have him waived out of Family Court and into an adult court.

As part of a plea agreement accepted today, the teen admitted to driving to endanger with serious bodily injury resulting, driving while impaired, eluding a police officer, destruction of state property and possession of alcohol by a minor.

The teen, whose name has not been released publicly because of his age, stood before the judge, saying his actions were "inexcusable," and apologizing to the victim, who was in court.

The teen also apologized to his family, friends and the community of Barrington.

“This is a child with great potential,” Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. said in sentencing the teen. “I don’t understand why the children of Barrington have such a problem.” He said 12 other Barrington teens have been referred to his court for alcohol possession charges.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

CORRECTION: The initial version of this report incorrectly described the driving while impaired charge.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:27 PM | Comment

Carcieri nominates three for judgeships

Governor Carcieri today nominated three judges for state Superior, District and Family Courts.

Bennett R. Gallo was nominated to fill the Superior Court seat vacated after the recent retirement of Associate Justice Stephen Fortunato, Jr. Gallo of West Greenwich is a lawyer at Gunning, LaFazia & Gnys of Providence. He served as assistant attorney general from 1973 to 1975 and as special attorney general from 1971 to 1973. He received a bachelor's degree in 1966 from Providence College and his law degree from Suffolk University in 1969.

Supreme Court Clerk Pamela W. Pfeiffer was nominated to succeed District Court Associate Judge John McLoughlin, who retired. Pfeiffer has served as state Supreme Court clerk since 2003. She was a special assistant attorney general from 1997 to 2003 and an associate at two Massachusetts law firms. She got her bachelor's from Hofstra University in 1983 and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1988.

Family Court Magistrate Debra E. DiSegna was nominated to take the position formerly held by Family Court Associate Judge Pamela M. Macktaz. DiSegna has been a Family Court Magistrate since 1989. She was a special assistant attorney general from 1983 to 1987. DiSegna also taught law classes part-time in the 1980s at Bryant College and Johnson and Wales University. She has a bachelor's from Rhode Island College in 1977 and her got her law degree from Suffolk University in 1982.

The nominations are subject to "advice and consent" of the state Senate, the governor's office said in a news release.

“I’m very pleased to nominate Bennett Gallo, Pamela Pfeiffer and Debra DiSegna to serve as judges in Rhode Island’s court system,” Carcieri said in the statement. “I believe they all possess the experience, ability and temperament to serve the people of Rhode Island well for years to come.”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:08 PM | Comment

Red Sox in Japan: A's 5, Sox 1: The complete report

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Red Sox players wave goodbye to the fans at the Tokyo Dome after the game. The team will get on a charter and fly back to the United States tonight.

A quick list of all Journal sportswriterSean McAdam's stories from today's 5-1 Red Sox loss to the A's, as the teams met for the second time in Tokyo to kick off their seasons:

-- Game story: Rich Harden was the difference as the A's won, earning a split of the two games in Japan.

-- The trip is complete and, all in all, the Red Sox say they enjoyed their time in Japan.

-- Coco Crisp replaced Jacoby Ellsbury in center field for the second game of the series, but Terry Francona says he can't tell Crisp exactly how he'll be used this year because he doesn't yet know himself.

-- J.D. Drew missed his second straight game because of back spasms . . .

-- . . . which means Brandon Moss played again. But after the game, he was shipped to Pawtucket.

-- David Aardsma did his part to avoid joining Moss on the Fenway-to-McCoy shuffle by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday.

-- Bartolo Colon's scheduled to pitch Friday night in Los Angeles and other notes.

-- And finally, the A's felt like they were treated as the Red Sox' poor cousins during their time in Tokyo.

Posted by Art Martone at 12:03 PM | Comment

Photos: Fighting a fire in Providence

Journal Photo/Bill Murphy
Firefighters spent hours this morning putting out a house fire in Providence.

PROVIDENCE -- A fire this morning at 9 Longmont Street may have been arson, according to the city’s Fire Marshal.

Anthony DiGiulio said the blaze, which was called in at 7:30 a.m. and cleared just before 10 a.m., is still under investigation. But, he said, the fire seems to have originated in more than one spot.

“It does appear to have been set intentionally,” he added.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury, but the house, which is vacant, was unoccupied when fire and rescue crews arrived on the scene.

The 2 ½ story wood house was so badly damaged, DiGiulio said, that the building department is looking to have it demolished right away. There’s word yet on whether the owner has been contacted.

Scroll down to see more photos from the scene by staff photographer Bill Murphy

--projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Firefighters use ladders to get better access to the fire in the 2 1/2 story residence.

A firefighter sprays water into a second-floor window

A woman from a neighboring home looks up at the fire. Firefighters were concerned that the fire might spread to occupied homes on either side of the burning building.

A firefighter checks the burning roof.

Firefighters survey the damage to the second floor.

The aftermath shows a badly damaged building.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:55 AM | Comment

Bill to expand gambling hours to be heard today

PROVIDENCE -- The Senate Constitutional and Regulatory Issues Committee today is scheduled to hear a bill that would allow 24-hour gambling at Twin River and Newport Grand.

The state receives a slice of the revenue from the two gambling facilities.

The committee is slated to hear the bill, among other legislative proposals, at the rise of the Senate, according to the meeting agenda.

Sen. Paul Moura, an East Providence Democrat, is the bill's prime sponsor. The meeting will be in Room 211 at the State House.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:52 AM | Comment

Two protests this afternoon against state budget

PROVIDENCE -- Two groups with two concerns about one tight budget are expected to rally this afternoon at the State House.

Advocates for Head Start are expected to meet at 2 p.m. to voice their opposition to a proposal that would eliminate 400 of the youngest and poorest children from the social services program.

Then, at 3:30, a group of business leaders plans to rally against an array of proposed taxes, including new taxes on goods and services.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:51 AM | Comment

Funeral tomorrow for teen victim of fatal stabbing

Funeral services will be held tomorrow for a Cranston teenager who police say was fatally stabbed during a confrontation with another teen last week.

Natasha Gonsalves, 18, died after the incident in West Warwick last Thursday night. Another 18-year-old female, Abimbola Johnson, was arrested in connection with the stabbing and is facing a first-degree murder charge.

According to her obituary,Gonsalves was a model who had participated in the Miss Teen USA pageant. She also sang with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Jazz Ensemble, played piano and was described as an avid basketball player.

A funeral is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9 at the Bell Funeral Home on Broad Street in Providence. A service will follow at the North Providence Assembly of God. Calling hours are tonight from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friends and family can submit messages and condolences to an online guestbook.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:52 AM | Comment

Indian bureau hears Wampanoag casino proposal

Massachusetts residents fighting over plans for a tribal casino in Middleboro, Mass., last night aired their views before federal officials who must review the proposal.

About 300 people turned out at Middleboro High School for the hearing, many carrying signs supporting one side or the other in the debate over a request by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to have the federal government take land into trust for them in this town about 30 miles east of Providence.

A decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs favoring the Mashpee Wampanoags is a precursor to the tribe's building a casino resort on more than 500 acres in Middleboro. The tribe is seeking the same trust designation for 140 acres in Mashpee, Mass., for a reservation.

The tribe wants to build a casino in Middleboro in two phases. The first phase would include a 600,000-square-foot gambling hall on two levels, with 4,000 slot machines and 200 table games, as well as an array of restaurants, retail shops and an event center. The first phase would also include a hotel with 1,000 to 1,200 rooms -- scaled down from the 1,500 initially proposed by the tribe. The second phase would include a golf course and other recreational facilities.

-- Journal Business writer Paul Grimaldi

More than 50 people spoke at last night's hearing, putting their views on the trust application record in 3-minute intervals at a microphone set before video cameras, audio recording devices and a dais behind which a pair of BIA officials sat, overseeing the commentary.

Their speeches touched on a number of issues, from the historic grievances of the tribe to the potential economic boom a casino would bring to the area, and the possible environmental and societal harms a gambling resort could foster.

"This is reservation shopping, pure and simple," said Mark Belanger. "What the Mashpees should get is a Class 2 (slot machine) facility in Middleboro."

Virginia Bowman, a recent transplant from San Diego, spoke about how a tribe there handled its casino development.

"The impact on the area economically was absolutely of a positive nature," Bowman said. "The people of the area trusted to the Barono Indians to respect the environment, and this they did."

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:44 AM | Comment

Photo: Fire damages Providence house

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy

Crews are still on the scene of a morning fire at 9 Longmont Street.

Providence Fire Captain William J. Moise says the fire is under control at the vacant, 2 1/2 story house.

No injuries have been reported.

-- projo.com com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:20 AM | Comment

Chief Justice Williams to address General Assembly

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island's Supreme Court chief justice is set to address the General Assembly.

Frank Williams will give his seventh State of the Judiciary address at the Statehouse Wednesday afternoon.

Williams, a former trial judge, became chief justice of the state's highest court in 2001.

During his address to the legislature last year, Williams said he would refuse Gov. Carcieri's cost-cutting demand that court system employees be given unpaid days off. At the time, the governor was proposing furlough days for nonessential state workers to help close the state's budget deficit.

Williams will address both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the House Chamber.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:21 AM | Comment

Commuter trains still running late after crash

The commuter rail into Boston is running about 25 minutes late this morning after a freight car yesterday rolled off the Stoughton branch of the tracks onto the main line and struck a commuter train.

The accident yesterday sent dozens of people to the hospital and left commuters waiting for at least an hour as tracks were cleared.

This morning, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, the 6:07, 7:12, and 7:40 trains from Providence to Boston will run 20 to 25 minutes. It is not yet clear if the delays will remain through the day.

See the commuter train schedule on the MTBA Web site.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:12 AM | Comment

Police in New Bedford searching for accused rapist

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- Police are searching for an accused child rapist who escaped while in custody at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.

The Bristol District Attorney's office says 38-year-old Anthony Flye, who is said to have ties to Rhode Island, was in New Bedford Superior Court yesterday for arraignment on an indecent exposure charge when he apparently jumped from the top of a stairwell, injuring himself. Flye was brought to the hospital, where authorities say he later managed to escape.

Flye was previously being held on $500,000 bail on charges of child rape and indecent assault and battery on a disabled person. He was originally arrested outside his Nantucket home last month.

Flye also has a residence in Swansea and prosecutors say he also has ties to Martha's Vineyard, Wareham and Maine.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Light rain possible with a high near 55

We escaped the light snow that was forecast for last night. Maybe we can escape the light rain that's possible for this morning. The National Weather Service is also forecasting a high temperature near 55 degrees and high, west winds gusting up to 33 mph.

Clouds remain tonight, when the temperature drops to about 31 degrees with milder west winds.

Tomorrow may bring rain in the afternoon. We'll have clouds all day, temperatures in the low 50s and mild, southwest winds.

For weather updates, check projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features the fourth in an eight-part series on Officer Candidate School in Newport and an interview with the new superintendent of Providence schools.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment