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« April 1, 2008 | Today | April 3, 2008 » April 2, 2008Crowd forces postponement of Charlestown meetingCHARLESTOWN -- The message was clear tonight: They're going to need a bigger building. A Town Council meeting with state environmental and coastal resource management officials on new wastewater regulations drew such a crowd that it exceeded fire code capacity and the meeting had to be postponed until April 10. More than 100 people descended on the council chamber earlier this evening, and an announcement was made that the meeting would have to be rescheduled. The next meeting is set to take place at the Charlestown Elementary School. The wastewater regulations took effect on Jan. 1 and are expected to affect about a third of the town. The regulations require property owners near the South County salt ponds and the Narrow River to install high-tech septic systems. The systems can cost up to three times as much as conventional systems. The rules would apply to new construction, renovations and cases of septic failure. Some council members have expressed support for the council going to court to block enforcement of the state regulations and to force the state to prove the rules are needed. They also want the council to reconsider installing public sewers in town. This evening, there were three maps showing the areas that fall under the regulations, and people were trying to locate their properties on them to determine if they would have to comply with the regulations. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental and archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Tonight: 'The Covenant' starts in Rhode IslandThe first of a series of public forums kicks off tonight based on the essays in “The Covenant with Black America” a collection of essays edited by journalist Tavis Smiley. In the book, different authors touch on different topics -- from health to housing to education -- and outline strategies to improve the situations for Americans, focusing on the particular ways black Americans can improve their situations. Each forum will be held at different locations throughout the state. The first: “The Covenant on Criminal Justice,” will take place at the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol. All of the forums will run from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., except the Affordable Neighborhoods forum, set for 5:30 through 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31 at the Providence Public Library. The program is being presented by Anne Edmonds Clanton and financed by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. For more information, call 258-1910. Click below for a complete list of lecture sessions. Wednesday, April 2: CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Roger Williams University Law School, Bristol. Monday, April 28: VOTING, Johnson & Wales University Multicultural Center, 60 Broad St. Wednesday, May 14: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, Center for Environmental Studies, Brown University, 135 Angell St. Wednesday, June 11: POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, Providence Public Safety Complex Auditorium, 325 Washington St. Tuesday, June 17: HEALTH AND WELL BEING, University of Rhode Island, Providence Campus, 80 Washington St. Thursday, July 31: AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOODS, Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St. Thursday, Sept. 18: ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, Rochambeau Branch Library, 708 Hope St. Wednesday, Sept. 23: EDUCATION, Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit St. Wednesday, Oct. 8: DIGITAL DIVIDE, Bryant University, Smithfield Tuesday, Oct. 21: RURAL DEVELOPMENT, Congdon Street Baptist Church, 17 Congdon St. November: ACTION FORUM: to be announced
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:50 PM | Comment CVS's Ryan got $17.7 million compensation in 2007PROVIDENCE -- The head of CVS Caremark Corp. received compensation valued at $17.7 million in 2007, the same year the nation's largest drugstore chain swallowed pharmacy benefits manager Caremark, according to an analysis of a regulatory filing. Chief Executive Tom Ryan's compensation went up less than $100,000 from the previous year, a raise of less than 1 percent. It included a $1.35-million salary, stock and option awards that the company valued at $8 million when they were granted, and $7.8 million in cash incentives. He also received $556,732 in other compensation, which included $391,815 in company contributions to retirement plans and perks like the personal use of a company aircraft, valued at $118,000, and $13,000 worth of financial planning services. The numbers were reported in a proxy statement Woonsocket-based CVS filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. The Associated Press calculations of total pay include executives' salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year. The calculations don't include changes in the present value of pension benefits, and they sometimes differ from the totals companies list in the summary compensation table of companies' proxy statements. -- The Associated Press CVS operates 6,245 retail pharmacy stores and 56 specialty pharmacy stores, as well as mail order pharmacies in 44 states and the District of Columbia. It also operates more than 400 MinuteClinics, in-store health clinics that offer treatment for a variety of minor ailments. Ryan, 55, has said the acquisition of Caremark has transformed the company from a retail pharmacy chain to what he calls a "pharmacy health care service company." The combined company earned $2.62 billion in 2007, up from $1.36 billion in 2006 before it acquired Caremark. CVS will hold its annual meeting May 7. The company's acquisition of Caremark last year was contentious, as some Caremark shareholders claimed the offer was too low and favored Caremark insiders over regular shareholders. In July, director Roger Headrick, who had been with Caremark, stepped down from the board following an attempt by shareholders to remove him. Another Caremark holdover, Lance Piccolo, stayed on despite shareholders' protests. He is running for re-election to the board this year. Shareholders are also putting forth a proposal that would allow them to call special shareholder meetings to vote on important matters, such as takeover offers and concerns about directors. The CVS board opposes the proposal. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Cable companies want to keep operating details secretWARWICK -- The state’s three cable television companies have requested state regulators to keep secret some of the details they are required to file about their operations each year. Cox Communications, Verizon Communications and Full Channel TV Inc. all contend that releasing some of the information contained in their annual reports, such as how many customers each company has, would harm their competitive positions. Cox has gone a step further by also requesting that financial information, such as its balance sheet and income statements, be kept confidential as well. These filings, in their entirety, have been made available to the public for the past 25 years. Eric Palazzo, the state’s top cable regulator, has granted that request. The Division of Public Utilities supports cable competition within Rhode Island, Palazzo said. “We do not want to do anything that the companies feel would be negative in the competitive environment.” The three companies filed their annual reports by the deadline, April 1. The Journal has requested that Thomas Ahern, administrator of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, review Palazzo's decision to withhold the information.. Ahern said that state law gives the agency 10 days to respond to The Journal's request. He said that Palazzo has asked the cable companies to file memos that expand upon the need to keep the information confidential. -- Journal staff writer Tim Barmann Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:04 PM | Comment State to seek bids to build, operate off-shore wind farmGovernor Carcieri will announce tomorrow that the state is seeking bids from companies to build and run an off-shore wind farm designed to generate renewable energy. The private companies will bid, in the state's request for proposals, to build a wind farm designed to generate 1.3 million megawatt-hours per year of renewable energy. The governor's announcement is slated for 1 p.m. in the State House's State Room in Providence. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Woman held without bail in fatal stabbing of ex-boyfriendPROVIDENCE -- A 21-year-old woman accused of stabbing her former boyfriend to death was ordered held without bail by a Superior Court judge today. According to the police, Misty Ospina, of 935 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, allegedly stabbed Richard Gibson, 22, of Pawtucket, on Feb. 1 in his apartment after the two argued. Gibson was the father of Ospina’s eight-month-old baby. Ospina was dropping the baby off in the morning when the stabbing occurred. The baby and Gibson’s girlfriend were in the room during the stabbing, according to the police. Gibson later died at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Ospina’s bail hearing began Tuesday and was continued today. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. ordered Ospina held without bail, according to Michael Healy, the spokesman for the attorney general. Ospina is being represented by Paul J. DiMaio, of Providence. Ospina has been held at the ACI since her arrest. She was indicted Feb. 29 and pleaded not guilty at her arraignment March 4. A pretrial conference before Darigan is scheduled for April 14. -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:58 PM | Comment Update: Woman, 98, dies in Warren house fire / Photo
The body of Stacy W. Delekta was found in the basement of her one-and-a-half story Cape at 91 Seymour St. after firefighters were called to the house at 10:08 a.m. It took about 45 minutes for the more than 50 firefighters from Bristol and Warren to get the blaze under control, said Deputy Fire Chief Norman Blake. The fire was extinguished by noon. Blake could not say how the fire started or where it originated. Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office were inspecting the house today. Delekta’s late husband, Ignatius F. Delekta, worked at the pharmacy at 496 Main St. for 15 years before taking over the store in 1940 and operating it under his name. He ran the drug store, famous for its soda fountain and coffee milkshakes called cabinets, for 45 years before his death in 1985. The store, with its black and gold sign, is an immediately recognizable feature of downtown Warren. It was passed on to the Delektas’ son, Ignatius Jr., and he in turn passed it on to his son, Eric. Eric Delekta has maintained the store as an old-fashioned pharmacy. He declined comment today on his grandmother’s death. -- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner The three-bedroom shingled house with green shutters at 91 Seymour St. was built in 1905. It sustained heavy damage in today's fire. The roof was badly charred and the windows around the first floor were smashed by firefighters working to extinguish the blaze. At noon, after the fire had been put out, a single hose snaked up the front steps and in through the main entrance facing Barden Lane. The wooded yard was cordoned off by yellow police tape. The Warren Fire Department sent three fire engines to the scene and was aided by a fire engine and ladder truck from Bristol and a rescue vehicle from Barrington. Swansea, Mass., firefighters were stationed at the main fire station in Warren as backup. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:24 PM | Comment Exeter man killed in car crash died of traumatic injuriesThe cause of death of a 21-year-old Exeter man, killed in a Jan. 6 car crash in Exeter, was multiple blunt traumatic injuries, the Office of the State Medical Examiners said today. Zachary Woods, who was the driver, was killed in a nighttime accident on Mill Pond Road, the police have said. A police sergeant said in January that the car ended up striking a rock about 500 feet south of the intersection of Mill Pond and Liberty roads. The vehicle flipped over several times, and Woods was thrown from the car. -- With Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:07 PM | Comment Search for RIC president narrows to 4 finalistsThe search for a new president of Rhode Island College has narrowed to four finalists. They are: * Nancy Carriuolo, Rhode Island College's interim vice president for academic affairs and deputy commissioner and chief academic officer at the state Office of Higher Education. * John William Folkins, chief executive officer at Bowling Green State University Research Institute in Ohio. * Alfred J. Guillaume Jr., vice chancellor for academic affairs and a French language professor at Indiana University South Bend. * Nancy Kleniewski, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. A presidential search committee appointed by the state Board of Governors for Higher Education has recommended the four. Last October, RIC President John Nazarian announced that he will retire when his contract expires in June, capping 58 years at the college, the last 18 as president. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:04 PM | Comment S. Kingstown man, 84, found in pool died of drowningDrowning caused the death of William Kramer, 84, who police found in a swimming pool in South Kingstown on Monday, the Office of the State Medical Examiners announced this afternoon. Kramer's wife, Shirley, said her 84-year-old husband left about 7:30 a.m. from their house on the southern shore of Indian Lake. She left shortly after for work, returning home at 12:30 p.m. Her husband still hadn’t returned. She called the police, and police, neighbors and Union Fire District members searched. A pool cover was in place, and searchers looking under the cover found Kramer’s body in the water. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment Gunshot to torso caused Providence man's deathThe Office of the State Medical Examiners today said a perforating gunshot wound to the torso caused the death of a Providence man. Police say Richard G. Robinson, 41, of 652 Douglas Ave. was slain Friday night as he tried to stop a fight outside his Smith Hill apartment involving two of his stepsons. The police have said they obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect, Byron Zepeda. -- With Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:51 PM | Comment Update: Clergy ask Carcieri to rescind immigration order
More than 40 clergy members from various denominations gathered outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and applauded as Rabbi Alan Flam described the governor’s order as poor public policy that will have "unintended negative consequences’’ including more "discrimination against people of color and immigrants in Rhode Island.’’ Even Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, leader of Rhode Island’s Roman Catholics, who described Carcieri, also a Catholic, as a compassionate man, said: "At least I would like the governor to look at this issue again very, very carefully and to study, to see if there is another way of accomplishing the goals he has in mind.’’ Bishop Tobin said, "An executive order like this…causes a lot of fear’’ among both properly documented and illegal immigrants. "So it’s caused that kind of ripple of fear and anxiety throughout the community and I’m not sure that was the intended effect but it is a real effect none the less.’’ Later this afternoon, Carcieri said he must "respectfully disagree" with the clergical leaders' position on illegal immigration and his order. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Bishop Tobin, who said he would be talking to Carcieri in the near future about reconsidering his order, said there is a need for national comprehensive immigration reform. But "the immigrants who are already in our state should be able to live without fear.’’ Carcieri signed the six-point order last Thursday saying it will enable “a vast array of state government agencies” to address illegal immigration in Rhode Island. Later today, Governor Carcieri responded to the clergy's remarks. “First and foremost, I respect the opinions of Bishop Tobin, Rabbi Flam and Reverend Anderson,” Governor Carcieri said. “I know and admire their work in our community and I am happy to meet with them to discuss this issue.” “Unfortunately, I must respectfully disagree with their position on illegal immigration in Rhode Island,” the governor said. “While I sympathize with the plight of illegal immigrants in America, I also believe that a nation must have laws and controls on its borders. We cannot simply leave our borders open to all comers.” Carcieri last week said he issued the executive order because the federal government has dropped the ball on immigration reform and left state taxpayers to pick up what he said are the considerable costs of illegal immigration. During a sometimes contentious news conference, the governor said he knew he was tackling “a difficult, sensitive issue,” and one that “stirs great emotion.” “This is not about taking a hard line against immigrants,” said Carcieri. “It’s about making sure that those who come here can realize their goals of economic security and a better quality of life.” Harking to his own immigrant roots, the governor said he supports people who follow legal channels to realize the American Dream.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:48 PM | Comment Governor disagrees with clergy's view on immigration orderGovernor Carcieri responded today to remarks delivered by local religious leaders asking that he rescind the executive order he signed last week on illegal immigration in Rhode Island. “First and foremost, I respect the opinions of Bishop Tobin, Rabbi Flam and Reverend Anderson,” Governor Carcieri said. “I know and admire their work in our community and I am happy to meet with them to discuss this issue.” “Unfortunately, I must respectfully disagree with their position on illegal immigration in Rhode Island,” the governor said. “While I sympathize with the plight of illegal immigrants in America, I also believe that a nation must have laws and controls on its borders. We cannot simply leave our borders open to all comers.” This afternoon, more than 40 clergy members from various denominations gathered outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and applauded as Rabbi Flam described the governor’s order as poor public policy that will have "unintended negative consequences’’ including more "discrimination against people of color and immigrants in Rhode Island.’’ Carcieri signed the six-point order last Thursday saying it will enable “a vast array of state government agencies” to address illegal immigration in Rhode Island. -- Journal and projo.com staff Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:37 PM | Comment Students learn whether they got into charter schoolsToday was charter school lottery day in Rhode Island, and nine of the state’s 11 publicly financed charter schools held open lotteries, announcing the names of the students who got in. Students who were not accepted were placed on wait lists and will be notified by letter or e-mail over the next several days. Statewide, the schools received 4,154 applications for just 501 openings, the highest number of applications to date, said Steve Nardelli, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools. Rhode Island’s charter schools have increased in popularity since the first one opened in 1997. Today, more than 3,100 students attend charters, which tend to have smaller class sizes than regular public schools, and operate as independent districts. Textron Chamber of Commerce High School held its lottery March 26, and New England Laborers Cranston Public Schools Construction and Career Academy did not have a wait list this year, so did not hold a lottery. For more information on Rhode Island’s charter schools, go to www.richarterschools.com -- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:31 PM | Comment Smoke-shop case: Jury sent home, told to clear heads
PROVIDENCE -- The judge sent the jurors deliberating the smoke-shop case home for the day after they sent her a note moments after she clarified their question about self defense. In excusing the jury for the day, Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl also told them to get some rest and clear their heads. Asked through her clerk, McGuirl would not say whether the jury was deadlocked. But she did tell jurors that she will be giving them more instructions tomorrow morning. The jurors were in their first full of deliberations in the case against seven Narragansett Indians arrested during a state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in 2003. This afternoon, they sent a question to McGuirl about self-defense. She explained that a person may defend himself/herself when the person has imminent fear of bodily harm. She also said that person must actually believe he or she is in imminent danger, have grounds to believe so, and must use reasonable force to defend one's self. The person instigating the conflict cannot invoke self defense, she said. After getting that reply, the jury immediately sent back another question -- prompting the judge to send them home for the day. Among the charges the jurors are grappling with are simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, stemming from a scuffle with state police during the raid. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney They deliberated for about four hours yesterday, after McGuirl gave them instructions for about an hour and a half. She told them that it is illegal to resist a lawful or unlawful arrest in Rhode Island. However, she said, an arrestee has the right to use reasonable force to resist an arrest in which an officer is using excessive force. An individual can’t claim he or she is defending another arrestee unless the person being assisted had the right to use reasonable force against an officer, she said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:28 PM | Comment Police seek ID on suspect in Warwick robberyWARWICK -- The police are seeking help in identifying a suspect who robbed a Pawtucket Credit Union branch at 3319 Post Road at about 11:15 this morning. The police described the suspect as a white male, about 5-foot-8 and wearing blue jeans and all-white sneakers. His white hooded sweatshirt, bearing the words Calicio Italiano, was left in the area of the robbery. The police released photos from inside the credit union of the the person they say is the suspect -- one of which shows cash in front of him at a teller's counter. The police statement gave no other details about the robbery. The police ask that people with information call (401) 468-4233 or (401) 468-4364. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:05 PM | Comment Kent Hospital gets permission for angioplasty programKent Hospital today received the state health director's permission to set up a primary angioplasty program for acute heart attack victims. The hospital will be allowed to develop and offer an emergency procedure in which a stent or balloon is inserted in an artery to restore blood flow following a heart attack -- a procedure called primary percutaneous coronary intervention. “This program will provide residents of Kent and Washington counties suffering a heart attack more rapid access to a procedure that can help save lives," said the state Health Departmenrt director, Dr. David R. Gifford, in a statement. To see that the program is carried out safely, the Health Services Counsel and the state Department of Health imposed several conditions: * Kent Hospital will be required to get "oversight and support" from Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence, including access to Rhode Island Hospital's open-heart surgery program were there any emergencies during a stent/balloon insertion procedure. * Kent Hospital also will have to buy, equip and maintain devices called EKG units that can electronically send results to the hospital for all emergency medical services units -- rescue trucks -- serving Washington and Kent counties. * The hospital will need to train emergency medical services personnel, on an ongoing basis, how to use EKGs. * The hospital will work with the area's emergency medical services to set policies to allow heart attack patients to be taken directly to medical buildings with stent/balloon insertion procedure capabilities. * The hospital must devise agreements, called memorandums of understanding, with South County, Westerly and Newport hospitals to ensure there is a standard way to screen people rapidly for the need for angioplasty. And the agreements will need to set policy for moving people suffering from heart attacks from those hospitals, which don't offer the procedure, to Kent Hospital. * The length of time it takes for the hospital to perform the procedure will need to be reported to the state Health Department. * The hospital will need to participate in a national registry on coronary catheterization and the stent/balloon insertion procedure and report regularly to the state Health Department "on quality, outcome, and volume measures comparing Kent with other hospitals nationally in the registry," the release says. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment Smoke-shop case: Jury has a questionPROVIDENCE -- A court spokesman says the jury has a question for the judge on the second day of deliberations in the trial of seven Narragansett Indians arrested during a 2003 state police raid on a tribal smoke shop. The jury's question was not immediately known. Jurors are expected to go back into court today to get an answer from Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl. Jurors are weighing the fate of tribe members who face misdemeanor charges after a scuffle with state troopers during the raid, which was authorized by Governor Carcieri to prevent the shop from selling cigarettes without state-mandated taxes. The state police say tribe members violently resisted, but tribe members say troopers used excessive force that required them to defend themselves. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:54 PM | Comment Larranaga says no to job as PC basketball coachJim Larranaga has decided to remain as head basketball coach at George Mason and not accept an offer to come to Providence College, according to PC associate athletic director Arthur Parks. PC athletic director Bob Driscoll said in a statement: "Over the last several days it became public knowledge that we were in discussions with George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga about becoming our men's basketball coach. We offered him a very substantial package but he was too comfortable in his current situation and opted to stay at George Mason. As a result, I will continue to have ongoing discussions with the other finalists in this search. I remain very optimistic that we will find a head coach who will embrace the rich tradition of Friar basketball and move the program forward." PC recently fired Tim Welsh as its head coach, after a disappointing season and a record in 10 years as coach of 160-143. For updates to this story this afternoon and tonight, check our Sports Blog. Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:09 PM | Comment States try to force EPA to act on global warming rulingBOSTON -- Attorneys general from 17 states -- including Rhode Island -- and several environmental groups are taking the EPA back to court to try to force it comply with a Supreme Court ruling that rebuked the Bush administration for inaction on global warming. The court decided a year ago that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, and ordered the federal Environmental Protection Agency to take action. But the states said in a court filing today that the EPA has not issued a decision on regulation. Their court filing seeks to compel the EPA to act within 60 days. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said the EPA is failing to deal with the dangers of global warming. An EPA spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:26 PM | Comment Update: Woman, 98, dies in Warren house fireWARREN -- A 98-year-old woman and member of the well-known Delekta family died in a house fire this morning. Police say the blaze was reported just after 10 a.m. Firefighters found the body of Stacy W. Delekta in the basement of the wood-frame house. She was the only person in the house at the time. Warren Police Chief Thomas D. Gordon says the fire was very intense. The house is at the intersection of Seymour Street and Bardon Lane, just west of Metacom Avenue. Firefighters did not know yet where the fire began or what caused it. The fire had been mostly put out in the 1-1/2 story house by noon, with firefighters checking for hot spots in the roof. -- With reports from The Associated Press and Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:17 PM | Comment No contact order issued in video voyeurism caseCUMBERLAND -- A 36-year-old man accused of secretly videotaping his fiancée’s teenage daughter as she showered was ordered today not to contact the family. Police allege Dubois installed a tiny surveillance camera in a radio in his fiancée’s shower and used it to record his fiancée’s 19-year-old daughter. The teenager told police that last month she found an unmarked videocassette in the kitchen that showed her taking a shower in their Cumberland home. She said that the video was made without her consent. She then told police that she found the camera inside the shower radio. That’s when Dubois’ fianceé called police. She said Dubois had recently installed the radio. Dubois faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine on a charge of video voyeurism. He’s scheduled for a June 11 arraignment in Superior Court. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Phil Marcelo Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:08 PM | Comment Photo: A budding opportunity
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:57 AM | Comment Crews at house fire in WarrenFire and rescue crews are working to put out a fire this morning in Warren. The crews are on the scene at the intersection of Seymour Street and Bardon Lane, just west of Metacom Avenue. The 1-1/2 story wood-frame building is a home, but officials at the Warren Fire Department do not yet know if it was occupied. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:44 AM | Comment Roberts bringing health-care proposal to communityPROVIDENCE -- State and local officials plan to tout a proposed health plan tomorrow at a community meeting in the city’s south end. In the first of several planned meetings, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and a handful of local officials will answer questions about Roberts' proposed Healthy Rhode Island Reform Act, eight bills aimed at increasing the availability of health care. Roberts will be joined by state Sen. Juan Pichardo, Reps. Grace Diaz, Joe Almeida, Thomas Slater and Anastasia Williams, and Councilman Miguel Luna. Roberts is also soliciting anecdotes from residents illustrating how poor or no access to health care has affected their lives. The public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at Ada's Creations, at 1137 Broad St. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:22 AM | Comment Religious leaders to speak out on immigration orderPROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island's religious leaders are speaking out today about a recent executive order from Governor Carcieri that cracks down on illegal immigrants. Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and Rabbi Alan Fram of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis are among those expected to share concerns about the executive order at a news conference this afternoon. It will be held outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence. The order, signed last week, requires state agencies and companies that do business with the state to verify the legal status of employees. It also directs the Rhode Island State Police and prison and parole officials to more aggressively find and deport illegal immigrants. Extra: Download a .PDF copy of the Governor's executive order. Survey: What do you think about the Governor's executive order? -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:25 AM | Comment Brown's West to take new post at Brookings Institute
Journal file photoDARRELL WEST The director of Brown University’s Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions announced today that he will be leaving Brown to work with the Washington-based Brookings Institute. On July1, Darrell West, who also runs Taubman's Public Opinion Laboratory, will be become the vice president and director of governance studies at Brookings, a nonprofit, public policy organization. “Governance Studies has first-rate scholars committed to improving American democracy and the overall functioning of our political system,” West said in a statement released this morning. “The United States faces many challenges and it is important that our political institutions function effectively.” West, who has spent more than two decades as a faculty member in Brown’s political science department, has focused on understanding growing political polarization, troubled electoral systems, congressional reform and encouraging civil discourse. He has been a member of the Brown political science department faculty for more than 20 years, where he has served as chair. West was a Brookings research fellow in 1980-1981. He’ll be replacing current Brookings Director Pietro Nivola, who has held the position since 2004. “Darrell’s track record in building the Taubman Center covers the full range of challenges facing American politics,” Brookings President Strobe Talbott said in a statement. “He is the perfect person to build upon Pietro Nivola’s legacy of making Brookings the go-to place for strengthening America’s Democratic institutions.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:05 AM | Comment Moon rock en route to Rhode Island
The moon rock that has been on display at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Maryland is set to arrive at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick tonight. Accompanying the rock will be Renee Gamba, director of the Museum of Natural History in Roger Williams Park in Providence. She'll be bringing the rock to the museum, where it will soon be on display. The rock was collected by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt. We’ll be able to see it at “Mission Moon: Past, Present, Future,” along with 3D imagery from the Apollo and Surveyor programs. The exhibit discusses how the moon was formed, how it’s evolved and why it is still a place of interest. The exhibit begins April 12 and runs through Sept. 29. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:44 AM | Comment Smoke-shop case: Jury returns to deliberationsIt's been more than four years, but the jury is finally set to begin its first full day of deliberations in the trial of seven Narragansett Indians accused of fighting with State Police during a rain on a tribal tax-free smoke shop. The jury began their task yesterday after an hour and a half of instruction from Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl. They deliberated for about four hours before ending for the day. In July 2003, state police raided the shop which the tribe had opened despite objections raised by Governor Carcieri. The raid turned into a scuffle, much of which was caught on cameras, and seven people, including Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, now face a number of misdemeanor charges, including assault and resisting arrest. The jury is set to return to deliberations today at 9:30 a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:03 AM | Comment Today's front page: After the Route 195 relocationThe Route 195 highway relocation is well on its way, but what happens to the open land created once it's finished? On today's front page of The Providence Journal, staff writer Daniel Barbarisi writes about a city-state partnership to figure out what to do with the land. Download a PDF file of the front page for April 2, 2008. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment More sun, more windWe can expect more sun than yesterday, and more wind. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 50 degrees with clear skies all day. We can also expect sustained northwest winds of about 25 mph and gusting as high as 38 mph. Skies should remain clear tonight, when the temperature drops to about 23. Winds should also calm, with west winds decreasing to about 7 mph. Tomorrow we'll see more sun and mild west winds and milder temperatures reaching a high of about 56 degrees. Check for weather updates on projo.com's weather page. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006