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« March 28, 2008 | Today | April 1, 2008 » March 31, 2008Tonight: Funk, jazz and possibly pranksThere's funk in Providence and jazz in East Providence tonight. The John Allmark 16-Piece Jazz Orchestra plays at Bovi's Town Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave., East Providence. 434-9670. 9 p.m. CC Old School play funk at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500, www.thehihat.com. 7 to 11 p.m. Find more happenings, including movie listings, at projo.com's calendar of events. And perhaps some people will be spending time thinking up ways to mark the first day of April, which is tomorrow and otherwise known as April Fool's Day. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Body of 84-year-old man found in pool in S. KingstownSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The body of an 84-year-old man was found in a pool of a vacant house on Woodland Trail today, the police said. The man was identified by police as William Kramer. The police were called at about 1:50 p.m. from Shirley Kramer, who reported her husband did not come home from walking the dog. She told the police he had left their 8 Indian Trail home at about 7:30 a.m. She left home, then returned at about 12:30 p.m. The police said that, according to a neighbor, the dog returned home at about 8:30 a.m. without Kramer. Police and firefighters searched and at about 3:30 p.m. Officer David Perry saw a dog's leash on the ground near a pool in the backyard of the vacant Woodland Trail house. Further inspection located the man's body. The police department is continuing with the investigation. However, foul play is not suspected. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:51 PM | Comment Suspect sought in Providence shooting death on FridayPROVIDENCE -- The police have obtained an arrest warrant for a 23-year-old man in the shooting death of Richard G. Robinson, 41, on Friday night. Detectives have a murder arrest warrant for Byron Zepeda, described by the police as a 5-foot-9, light-skinned Hispanic man, weighing about 170 or 180 pounds, according to Providence police news release today. The police said the gun has not been recovered and that Zepeda should be considered armed and dangerous. The police asked in the news release that anyone with information on Zepeda should call the Providence police at 272-3121. At about 11:30 p.m. Friday, the police were sent to to a reported disturbance at 652 Douglas Ave., and they had information that shots were fired. Officers found Robinson, victim of a gunshot in the side yard. He was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:12 PM | Comment Update: Carcieri urged to rescind immigration order
Roberts, a Democrat, said, “We need to find a solution” to the problem of illegal immigration, “but the governor’s executive order is not a solution.” She added, “The politics of polarization will not lead us in the right direction.” She called on Republican Carcieri to rescind “what I feel is a very short-sighted executive order.” At least 250 people packed the Algonquin House on Broad Street for the 2 p.m. news conference, sponsored by Immigrants United, We Can Stop the Hate Rhode Island, Univocal Legislative Minority Advocacy and Hispanic Ministerial Association Miguel Sanchez-Hartwein, executive director of the Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy (CHisPA), noted that a letter was hand-delivered to Carcieri this morning. The letter calls Carcieri’s executive order “the biggest attack on the rights of immigrants in Rhode Island in at least a generation.” At several points, people chanted “¡ Un Pueblo Unido Jamás sera Vencido!” (A united people will never be defeated). After the press conference, Carcieri's office issued a statement saying the governor "reiterated his belief that elected officials have an obligation to enforce and support" all federal, state and local laws -- including those barring illegal immigration. Reaction to the order has included both criticism and support, according to a Journal story on Sunday. Extra: Read the full text of the governor's executive order 08-01, Illegal Immigration Control Order. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:45 PM | Comment Pothole problem afflicts Rte. 95 span in AttleboroA large pothole on Route 95 north -- through which concrete is apparently falling to a street below -- has closed one travel lane and the breakdown lane of the interstate highway between Exits 4 and 5 in Attleboro, Mass., according to state officials. According to a posting on traffic.com, the lane restrictions may continue into tomorrow morning. At about 2:20 p.m. on Route 95 north, just north of Route 295 in Attleboro, Massachusetts State Police received a report of a "very large pothole in the right travel lane of the highway" and reports of falling concrete pieces, said Trooper Eric Benson of the state police office of media relations. Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman with the Executive Office of Transportation, said the state had a repair crew there recently doing pothole work and "it very strongly appears" that a pothole has popped up in the same stretch, which crosses over North Avenue. "Thankfully, we have no injuries or property damage reported at this time," Hurtubise said. He said a crew is on site working on repairs now. The bridge will be inspected for structural integrity. The other two northbound travel lanes of Route 95 are open. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment Smoke-shop case: Prosecution: Tribe expected raidPROVIDENCE -- A prosecutor said in closing arguments this afternoon that Narragansett tribal members knew state police were coming on July 14, 2003, and orchestrated events to cause the state embarassment when the police raid on the tribal smoke shop turned into a scuffle. Special Assistant Attorney General Maria Deaton told a Providence County Superior Court jury that state police used minimum amount of force to restrain those who were attacking them. She pressed the theme that this is a nation of laws, not of men, saying you cannot pick and choose when laws apply to you. The prosecutor argued that the seven defendants -- who are all members of the Narragansett Indian tribe including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas -- want the jury to give them a pass because of what their ancestors went through. The prosecution finished its closing argument this afternoon; the two defense lawyers gave their closings earlier today. Tomorrow, Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl will give her instructions to the jury, who will then begin deliberations. The seven tribal members are accused of resisting and scuffling with state police, who were carrying out the raid at the tax-free tobacco shop on tribal land in Charlestown. The tribal members face several misdemeanor charges including resisting arrest and assault. Earlier today, following closing arguments by the defense lawyer representing tribal conservation officer Thawn Harris, defense lawyer William P. Devereaux -- who represents the other defendants -- argued the state used excessive force and that tribal members were forced to defend themselves as a result. Harris's lawyer, Kevin Bristow, called the raid "a politically motivated action by law enforcement" under orders from Governor Carcieri. Extra: See continuing coverage of the trial, and look back at the raid, in stories, photos and video. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Update: Wrapping it up in smoke-shop case / Photo 
Journal photo / Kathy Borchers Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl listens as defense lawyer William P. Devereaux takes his turn at giving closing arguments today.
Bristow represents tribal conservation officer Thawn Harris. He was followed by defense lawyer William P. Devereaux, who represents the six other defendants, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas. Prosecution lawyers were expected to present closing arguments this afternoon. The tribal members are accused of resisting and scuffling with state police, who were carrying out the raid at the tax-free tobacco shop on tribal land in Charlestown. The defense rested its case Friday afternoon after the Chief Sachem Thomas took the stand in Superior Court to describe July 14, 2003, raid. Thomas told jurors that he wore a suit and tie the day of the raid on the tribal smoke shop because he expected the state to take the tribe to court. "We felt we had the regulatory authority to do what we were doing," Thomas said of the tribe's decision to open the open the shop over Governor Carcieri's objections. Instead, he said, state police came onto tribal land, without presenting a warrant despite being asked repeatedly for paperwork. The July 2003 raid on the smoke shop, which had just opened for the sale of tax-free cigarettes, turned into a scuffle. Almost five years later, Thomas and six other Narragansett Indians are on trial for several misdemeanor charges including resisting arrest and assault. Extra: See continuing coverage of the trial, and look back at the raid, in stories, photos and video. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:06 PM | Comment Update: Wrapping it up in smoke-shop case / Photo
Journal photo / Kathy Borchers Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl listens as defense lawyer William P. Devereaux takes his turn at giving closing arguments today.
Bristow represents tribal conservation officer Thawn Harris. He was followed by defense lawyer William P. Devereaux, who represents the six other defendants, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas. Prosecution lawyers were expected to present closing arguments this afternoon. The tribal members are accused of resisting and scuffling with state police, who were carrying out the raid at the tax-free tobacco shop on tribal land in Charlestown. The defense rested its case Friday afternoon after the Chief Sachem Thomas took the stand in Superior Court to describe July 14, 2003, raid. Thomas told jurors that he wore a suit and tie the day of the raid on the tribal smoke shop because he expected the state to take the tribe to court. "We felt we had the regulatory authority to do what we were doing," Thomas said of the tribe's decision to open the open the shop over Governor Carcieri's objections. Instead, he said, state police came onto tribal land, without presenting a warrant despite being asked repeatedly for paperwork. The July 2003 raid on the smoke shop, which had just opened for the sale of tax-free cigarettes, turned into a scuffle. Almost five years later, Thomas and six other Narragansett Indians are on trial for several misdemeanor charges including resisting arrest and assault. Extra: See continuing coverage of the trial, and look back at the raid, in stories, photos and video. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:00 PM | Comment R.I. Convention Center raises some parking ratesFor the third straight year, the Rhode Island Convention Center is changing the price it charges for parking, but this year, while the price will go up for some parkers, it may go down for others. Beginning June 1, the event parking rate will rise to $10 from its current $9. Members of the convention center's governing board say the new price is still a bargain, especially when some nearby parking lots charge $20 or $30 when events are booked at the downtown Providence facility. Also June 1, monthly rates will increase about 5 percent. The center has a three-tiered rate structure for monthly parking, depending on the number of days a week and the hours which are covered. The most expensive plan, currently $195, will rise to $205. The cheapest will go from $145 to $152. But the board voted to study the rates for "transient" parking, which is the hourly rate in effect when events are not booked. Convention center employees will study whether to raise the rate $1 an hour, keep it the same, or drop it $1 an hour to increase traffic. The center currently charges $6 for the first hour and up to $17 for 24 hours. The center lost some of its transient business to neighboring Providence Place mall when the shopping center dropped its requirement for parking validation with a purchase in the mall. That opened up its garage, with three-hour parking for $1, to people not planning to shop, including those visiting the convention center. That prompted one board member to joke that the convention center should collect a toll from people crossing the pedestrian bridge that links the mall to the convention center by way of the Westin Hotel. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:27 PM | Comment Bay State teen driving law having positive impactBOSTON — Massachusetts's revamped Junior Operating Law appears to be having its desired effect. During the past year, deaths involving junior motor vehicle operators and their passengers fell from 19 to 13 in Massachusetts. Speeding citations were down 33 percent. Registrar of Motor Vehicles Anne L. Collins credited the new law for drivers under 18, which took effect on March 31, 2007. It included stiff new penalties such as a 90-day license suspension for first-time speeders and a one-year suspension for a second offense. Previously those people faced a $50 fine. The law also clamps down on drag racing. Those with learner’s permits or junior operating licenses have their license or permit suspended for a year for a first offense. Previously, a first offense brought a fine of up to $500 fine and a 30-day suspension. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:01 PM | Comment Hasbro buys rights to Trivial Pursuit game for $80MPawtucket-based Hasbro (HAS:NYSE) said today that it has purchased for $80 million all of the intellectual property rights related to the Trivial Pursuit brand from Horn Abbot Ltd. and Horn Abbot International Limited. Hasbro has developed, marketed and sold the popular Trivial Pursuit game under license from the Horn Abbot companies since 1983. "Trivial Pursuit created the adult game category in 1982 and has always been one of the most recognized brands in the industry," said Brian Goldner, chief operating officer of Hasbro. "Now, as a wholly-owned and operated part of our deep and rich brand portfolio, we can build Trivial Pursuit beyond traditional venues and capitalize on new opportunities in entertainment, publishing, promotions and digital arenas." -- Journal business editor John Kostrzewa Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:55 PM | Comment Woonsocket man is recovering from hypothermiaSMITHFIELD -- A Woonsocket man is recovering from hypothermia after his boat flipped in a frigid reservoir in Smithfield. The accident happened about noon Sunday in the Woonasquatucket Reservoir. Smithfield Fire Chief Joseph Mollo says the victim, whose name was not released, was in the water about 20 minutes before firefighters pulled him to safety. He was taken to Fatima Hospital in North Providence. Mollo says the boat's motor struck the bottom of the shallow pond, causing the boat to tip. A passer-by saw the man in the water and summoned help. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:48 PM | Comment Red Sox's championship trophies coming to PawtucketBoth the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series trophies will make a Rhode Island appearance on Sunday. They will be at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket before and during the Pawtucket Red Sox game scheduled that day for 1:05 p.m., Governor Carcieri's office announced today. The PawSox will host the Indianapolis Indians. Gates open at 11 a.m. and Pawtucket Red Sox ticket holders can have photos taken with the two most famous pieces of hardware in Red Sox lore. The photos will later be available at pawsox.com, where they can be downloaded. The first 4,000 fans coming into McCoy Stadium Sunday will get a commemorative Red Sox World Series pennant. The PawSox' season opener is this Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at McCoy. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:53 PM | Comment Update: No hazardous leak detected at VA hospital
PROVIDENCE -- Firefighters, using special hazardous material detection equipment, found no leak of poisonous ethylene oxide from the Veterans Medical Center on Chalkstone Avenue this morning, according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael J. Dillon. Firefighters wore special suits and went into a pressurized room where the material is contained. They detected no leak inside or outside. An alarm came in at about 7:45 a.m. from the hospital, at 830 Chalkstone Ave., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. A hazardous materials crew and police blocked off Regent Avenue, which leads into the center's complex. James Burrows, director of communications for the center, said earlier today that the alarm went off in a room where equipment is sterilized. No one was in the room when the alarm went off, he said, and no one was in danger. Ethylene oxide has many uses; in a medical setting, it's often used for sterilization. It's also flammable and highly reactive. Exposure can lead to lung irritation and injury, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and other problems. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith and Journal staff photographer Bill Murphy
Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:49 PM | Comment No need to weigh admissons letter; just click tonightKeep an eye out this evening for server errors brought on by anxious teenagers. This evening, the nation’s eight Ivy League schools –– including, for the 7th year, Brown University –– will release their admissions decisions online. That means no looking out the window for the mail carrier. No weighing of admissions office envelopes. Just point and click. The decisions will be available at 5 p.m. Until then, all there is to do is wait. A message at Brown’s admissions office says a moratorium is in effect today and tomorrow, meaning no last-minute pleas or questions for admissions departments. What’s done is done. Brown won’t publicize how many spots it's offering until the decisions are released this evening. Last year, the school turned away about 85 percent of those who applied –– a record rate of rejection. That year it also had a record number of applications -- more than 19,000. The school accepted just fewer than 2,600 of those applicants. Of course, for any students who prefer the old school process –– and anticipation –– of waiting for a tangible admissions acceptance or rejection letter, those are also being mailed today. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:47 PM | Comment New trial denied in case of murdered Cape social workerBOSTON — The state’s highest court has denied a new trial for a man convicted of killing a Cape Cod social worker who sided with his estranged wife in a custody dispute. Paul Dubois is serving a life sentence in the 1996 killing in Provincetown of Linda Silva, a social worker with the state Department of Social Services who recommended that Dubois’ wife get custody of their two children during the couple’s divorce. Silva was shot once in the back of the head. Dubois claimed the judge at his trial should have suppressed statements he made to police in 2003 when he claimed he had asked for a lawyer, but didn’t get one. In a ruling today, the Supreme Judicial Court found that Dubois did not respond when police asked him if he wanted a lawyer. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:39 PM | Comment Gas prices in R.I. back on the upswingPROVIDENCE -- Gas prices are back on the rise in Rhode Island, after dipping a week ago for the first time in several weeks. AAA Southern New England says the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded rose a penny to $3.19 this week. The state Energy Office pegs the price a bit higher, at $3.20 per gallon. Still, Rhode Islanders are getting a break compared with the rest of the country. AAA says gas prices average $3.28 per gallon nationally. Prices in Rhode Island have risen 19 percent from a year ago, up from $2.67 a gallon at this time last year. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment Update: Fatal shooting victim ID'd as Woonsocket manPROVIDENCE -- Police have identified the victim of a fatal shooting early this morning on Allens Avenue as a 21-year-old Woonsocket man. The shooting took place near Balloons strip club at 257 Allens Ave. at about 2 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, police say they learned that 21-year-old Angel Vargas of Morin Street in Woonsocket had been taken to Rhode Island Hospital by someone on the scene. When they arrived at the hospital, police say they were told that Vargas was pronounced dead at the emergency room at 2:14 a.m. Witnesses told police that a black SUV that may have been involved fled toward downtown on Allens Ave. It was the city's fourth murder this year, and the second in three days. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:51 AM | Comment Possible chemical leak at VA hospital probed / Photos
An alarm came in at about 7:45 a.m. from the hospital, at 830 Chalkstone Ave., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. A hazardous materials crew has arrived and police have blocked off Regent Avenue, which leads into the center's complex. James Burrows, director of communications for the center, said the alarm went off in a room where equipment is sterilized. No one was in the room when the alarm went off, he said, and no one was in danger. Ethylene oxide has many uses, in a medical setting, it's often used for sterilization. It's also flammable and highly reactive. Exposure can lead to lung irritation and injury, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and other problems. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff photographer Bill Murphy
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:11 AM | Comment Update: Trial rescheduled for methadone clinic deathA murder trial has been postponed for a 32-year-old Massachusetts man who police say killed another man outside of a Pawtucket methadone clinic. Police say John Duffy killed Ronald Leone in October 2006 as the two waited to get into the clinic at 31 North Union St. The two allegedly got into an argument about a woman who tried to reclaim her spot in line. Police say Duffy got upset when the woman tried to get back in line. Leone defended the woman. Police say the argument escalated, and Duffy stabbed Leone in the head and in the side. Duffy faces a single charge of murder. His next court appearance is set for April 16. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:02 AM | Comment Brown announces new dean of medicineBrown University has announced that Dr. Edward J. Wing will take over as dean of medicine and biological sciences, replacing Dr. Eli Y. Adashi. Wing, the chairman of medicine since 1998, will take the helm on July 1. It is not known why Adashi decided to leave Brown. He began in January 2005, and announced his resignation barely three years later, without an explanation. The university, which had spent nearly three years on the search that led to Adashi’s hiring, then decided to move quickly to replace him, appointing a small committee to find someone from within Brown. Wing will head an academic division with an annual budget of $129 million, 769 faculty members and 1,200 community-based faculty. He will be responsible for biomedical research and the instruction of medical students and residents, as well as Brown’s relationship with its seven affiliated hospitals. The division is composed of the Warren Alpert Medical School, the Program in Biology and the Program in Public Health. -- Journal Medical writer Felice Freyer Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:21 AM | Comment Advocates for immigrants to respond to Carcieri todayA group of advocates is getting together today to discuss an executive order signed last week to crack down on illegal immigrants in Rhode Island. This afternoon’s press conference is sponsored by three groups: Members of Immigrants United; We Can Stop the Hate Rhode Island; and Univocal Legislative Minority Advisory Coalition. Government officials and community members are also invited. The event is a response to an executive order signed Thursday by Governor Donald Carcieri that will require state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of employees and direct the state Police and Department of Corrections to work with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement “to ensure federal immigration law is enforced.” The press conference is set for 2 p.m. today at the Algonquin House, 807 Broad Street, in Providence. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:42 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Accident shuts down lane on 95 northA lane is closed on Route 95 this morning just north of Providence. The accident, on the northbound side of the roadway, has the left lane closed at Route 95 Exit 23/Route 146 north/State House. To see how traffic is flowing along your route, visit the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:25 AM | Comment Idaho wants to know: how's the weather in Rhode Island?If you reach Rhode Island, hang up and try again. That's what local officials in Boise are telling callers who dial into Idaho's travel information phone service -- 511 -- but are connecting to Rhode Island's 511 service instead. "We apologize for the inconvenience," Jeff Stratten, public information officer for the state of Idaho told the local ABC affiliate. "While many highways in Idaho are still snow covered, I understand the highways in Rhode Island are clear." And just in case you weren't familiar with 511, the nation-wide service gives callers in most areas information about travel conditions and events around the state. In Rhode Island, it's managed by the state's Department of Transportation. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:11 AM | Comment Man shot and killed near Allens Ave strip clubPolice in Providence are investigating an early morning shooting that left one person dead. The shooting was near Balloons strip club at 257 Allens Ave. at about 2:00 a.m. More information to come. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:08 AM | Comment Today's front page: Plastic bagsYou've seen them floating serenely through the sky in the spring breeze: plastic bags. Download a copy of today's front page, which features an article by Metcalf Environmental Reporter Natalie Garcia about the life, death and rebirth of the ubiquitous bags and a plan to curb or ban their use in the Ocean State. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:56 AM | Comment Rain, wind, and finally ... spring.Spring is on its way. But first, the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 48 degrees today with south winds gusting as high as 25 mph. There's also rain in the forecast, beginning around noontime. Rain continues through the night with clouds and a mild overnight low temperature of 43 degrees. Tomorrow brings what we've been waiting for: A high temperature near 65 degrees. Of course, the forecast also includes rain and a breezy southwest wind, gusting as high as 46 mph. More spring-like weather is on the way; see projo.com's weather page for the rest of the week's forecast. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:44 AM | Comment National Grid extends moratorium on winter shutoffsPROVIDENCE -- Tens of thousands of National Grid customers will have two extra weeks to pay their utility bills. National Grid announced today that it is extending by two weeks a moratorium on winter service shutoffs. The extension applies to the estimated 34,500 "protected status'' customers in Rhode Island. Those are often customers who are elderly, handicapped, seriously ill or dealing with financial difficulties. The moratorium started on Nov. 1. It will be extended from April 15 to May 1 for "protected status'' customers only. The moratorium for all other customers will still end on April 15. National Grid officials are urging customers to try to pay at least part of their gas or electric bill during the moratorium. More about the extension ... -- The Associated Press |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006