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« April 7, 2008 | Today | April 9, 2008 » April 8, 2008Tonight: The Celtics, live on the big screen in ProvidenceSay you've had your fill of the Red Sox's return to Fenway today. Get a bite to eat, rest up a little and head over to Providence Place Cinemas at the mall if you'd like to catch the Boston Celtics on the big screen. The 8 p.m. live game will be broadcast at the cinema. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children ages 11 and under. For more information, go to www.nationalamusements.com. More sports not on your agenda? See what else is up on projo.com's calendar of events. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Photo: A watery motorcade in Pawtucket
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:52 PM | Comment FAA rejects wind turbine at Portsmouth High SchoolPORTSMOUTH -- The federal government has rejected a proposal to install a wind turbine at a high school in Portsmouth. The Federal Aviation Administration says the 213-foot-tall wind turbine proposed for Portsmouth High School would be too high. The FAA says the plan needs to be modified. The agency had earlier rejected a proposed turbine at Portsmouth Middle School. The turbine is intended to cut the costs of energy use in schools and curb reliance on fossil fuels. Voters last fall approved a $3 million bond to build a wind turbine at either the middle school or high school. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment Sewer main break affects Bullocks Cove, bike pathEAST PROVIDENCE -- A city sewer main that runs along the East Bay Bike Path in the Riverside section of the city broke recently, and public works officials say it will take three weeks to repair. The city discovered the break in a 21-inch sewer main, which crosses Bullocks Cove, yesterday around 7 p.m. In a news release today, Public Works Director Stephen H. Coutu said emergency crews were immediately called to install an “overland bypass system.” Sewage stopped pouring into the cove around 11 a.m. today when the bypass system began. Coutu emphasized the state Department of Environmental Management and Department of Health was notified and updated regularly. He said officials from both state departments also requested “all water recreational activities in the area be prohibited” until 11 a.m. Thursday. The restriction will be in effect for the Bullocks Cove north of Crescent View Avenue area. The bike path just north of Crescent View Avenue will remain closed during the construction. Coutu said a detour route for bike path users isn’t necessary because “the path has been closed all winter [for repairs to Barrington sewer pipes] and now we just have our own project.” -- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:33 PM | Comment Governor to take part in live chat tomorrow on projo.comRhode Islanders will be able to talk with Governor Carcieri tomorrow about his stand on immigration issues, when he appears as the guest of an online chat hosted by projo.com. The live, hour-long chat is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. Questions for the governor may be submitted after 10 a.m., when the chat room will open. To submit questions in advance, or participate in the chat while it's going on, go to: projo.com/chat, log in and enter the chat room named Governor. An online transcript of the chat will be available after it ends. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:24 PM | Comment Martinez will support governor's immigration orderPROVIDENCE -- Department of Children, Youth and Families Director Patricia Martinez -- who yesterday criticized the governor's push to crack down on illegal immigration -- today apologized for "any misperceptions" her comments may have caused. In particular, she said, she "did not mean to imply that the governor's actions were spreading hatred." Martinez's remarks today came in a statement issued by Governor Carcieri's office and followed a meeting between the two of them this afternoon. Yesterday, in a Journal interview, Martinez became the first high-level member of the governor's cabinet to take the governor to task on his recent executive order on steps to curb illegation immigration. She said, "Whether it was the purpose or not, you talk to people in church, you talk to people in the supermarket, you go to the little hair salons, people are afraid. And not because they are undocumented, but it’s just because you are going to be stopped just because you look different, just because you have an accent, just because now it has created this hatred.” Today, Martinez said in the statement that she explained to Carcieri today that "I was relaying what I was hearing in Rhode Island's immigrant community, and that those comments are separate from my personal position on the issue.” Martinez added, “I apologize for any misperceptions my comments might have caused" and says, "In particular, I did not mean to imply that the governor’s actions were spreading hatred. Instead, I was trying to explain that immigration is a very sensitive and polarizing issue.” She added, "I support the governor's executive order addressing illegal immigration" and says she will work with the governor in coming weeks to "dispel public misconceptions about the executive order and to communicate its true intent." Carcieri signed the order last month requiring state agencies and vendors to verify legal status of all employees. It also has the state police and Department of Corrections work with federal authorities to help enforce immigration laws, but does not outline a specific plan. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Candidate's surveillance MO a sign of the times / Photo
SWANSEA, Mass. -- Candidates have long bemoaned the swiping or defacing of their campaign signs during election seasons. Rare, though, is the candidate who captures a sign thief in the act, in broad daylight, and on film. That’s just what Michael G. Berube says he managed to do today when he and a former local TV cameraman staged a low-level dragnet to catch the suspected perpetrator. Berube, a candidate for reelection to the Swansea Board of Assessors in Monday’s annual town election, says his signs have been snatched the last two weeks with some regularity from a Route 6 strip of land popular with locals promoting their candidacies. He says other candidates’ signs have been stolen, too. Berube says he pinpointed morning rush hour as the time the culprit was apparently filching his signs. So this morning, Berube and Frank Clynes set up their surveillance. It wasn’t exactly top-secret: Finding no place to surreptitiously record the theft-in-progress, the two simply stood across the street, cameras rolling. Berube alleges a Rehoboth man who Berube claims has a personal -- not political -- dispute with him, stopped shortly after 9 a.m. and grabbed two signs. Berube and Clynes yelled at the man, but he drove off. “He was like a bear with his paws in the honey jar,” Clynes contended today. But the candid-camera stakeout “didn’t deter him at all,” Clynes said. “He wants to control that corner,” Berube added. Maybe the man had second thoughts because, Berube and Clynes said, he returned minutes later and replaced the signs. Nonetheless, the two went to the Swansea Police Department to lodge a complaint. “I think every city and town has this chronic problem [campaign-sign thefts],” Clynes said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever been caught.” The Swansea police are investigating Berube’s allegations, Chief George Arruda confirmed today. Berube says he just wants his signs back. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Update: Man found alive near his Smithfield group home
Joseph Bardsley, missing since about 2:30 p.m. yesterday, was found around 1:25 p.m. today several hundred feet behind Living Waters Church on Stillwater Road, less than a half-mile from the group home in Smithfield where he lives. He had been last seen when security cameras show him leaving a store on Branch Avenue in Providence with his group home supervisor. Bardsley is receiving medical treatment at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, according to the police, who held an afternoon news conference that included Smithfield Chief William A. McGarry, a deputy Smithfield chief and Providence Police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald. At about 2 p.m. today, Fitzgerald passed the information that Bardsley -- known as Joey -- had been found to a group of about 50 people who'd been searching for him near Branch Avenue. Fitzgerald said, "Joey looks a little dehydrated, a little scratched up, but he's fine." The group responded to Fitzgerald's announcement with a cheer. Last night, Smithfield police were alerted by a woman who said she thought she had seen a man matching his description walking along a trail in Smithfield. The police went out with a thermal imaging device for a while last night and put a boat on the waters of Capron Pond. At daylight today, police officers, on an all-terrain vehicle, intensifed the search, finding Bardsley in a hilly, wooded place behind the church this afternoon. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Bardsley lives in a group home run by Gateways to Change, at 259 Stillwater Road in Smithfield. His sister, Alicia Coogan of Smithfield said today that Bardsley had been in a group home since 1992, and that "he's been very happy" in the Smithfield home, where she said it was his job to go out and get groceries. He likes to eat and shop, she said. Yesterday, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman said, Bardsley and a supervisor from the home took a minivan to the Family Dollar store in a shopping center at 700 Branch Ave. Bardsley and the supervisor -- who police would only identify as a man in his late 40s -- went into the store. Just after 2:30 p.m., the store's camera shows the two leaving the store. When questioned by the police, the supervisor said he was not sure if Bardsley got back into the van. Police were not notified that Bardsley was missing until about 6:30 p.m. “The story is a hard and confusing one to understand,” Esserman said earlier today, before Bardsley was found. After extensive questioning, the Providence police excused the group home supervisor. The police enlisted the public's help with the search, using an automated system to contact people and recruit volunteers via e-mail. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:30 PM | Comment Photo: A toast to spring
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:53 PM | Comment Governor, Martinez meet in wake of immigration remarksPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri is meeting now with DCYF director and cabinet member Patricia Martinez, a day after she said the governor's push to curb illegal immigration had created a climate of "hatred" in Rhode Island. The governor has yet to comment directly on Martinez's remarks, which came in a Journal interview yesterday morning following the annual Kids Count breakfast. It is unclear if Martinez or Carcieri will speak publicly after the meeting, which began around 3:30 p.m. in the governor's State House office. Martinez, a member of the governor’s Cabinet for the last three years and a former leader in the Hispanic advocacy organization Progresso Latino, said Carcieri’s proposal, like a handful of bills proposed by the General Assembly, "is really slamming immigrants" by promoting racial profiling. "I think the executive order along with what has happened in the media has really created an environment that is unfortunate," Martinez said yesterday. "Whether it was the purpose or not, you talk to people in church, you talk to people in the supermarket, you go to the little hair salons, people are afraid. And not because they are undocumented, but it’s just because you are going to be stopped just because you look different, just because you have an accent, just because now it has created this hatred." Extra: Read the full text of Carcieri's executive order. -- Journal State House Reporter Steve Peoples Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:43 PM | Comment Update: Missing man found alive in SmithfieldA 50-year-old man with Down syndrome who has been missing for almost 24 hours has been found alive, according to the police. Joseph Bardsley, who had missing since about 2:30 p.m. yesterday, was found around 1:25 p.m. today behind a church near the group home in Smithfield where he lives, according to the police. At about 2 p.m., Providence Police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald passed the information to a group of about 50 people who'd been searching for him near Branch Avenue in Providence, where he was last seen leaving a store. Fitzgerald said, "Joey looks a little dehydrated, a little scratched up, but he's fine." The group responded to Fitzgerald's announcement with a cheer. Before he was found today, Bardsley had been last seen when security cameras show him leaving a store on Branch Avenue with his group home supervisor. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Bardsley lives in a group home operated by Gateways to Change, at 259 Stillwater Road in Smithfield. Yesterday, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman said, Bardsley and a supervisor from the home took a minivan to the Family Dollar store in a shopping center at 700 Branch Ave. Bardsley and the supervisor –– who police will only identify as a man in his late 40s –– went into the store and, just after 2:30 p.m., the stores camera shows the two leaving the store. When questioned by the police, the supervisor said he was not sure if Bardsley got back into the van. Police were not notified that Bardsley was missing until about 6:30 p.m. “The story is a hard and confusing one to understand,” Esserman said earlier today, before Bardsley was found. But right now the emphasis is on finding Bardsley, he added, rather than finding fault. The police enlisted the public's help with the search, using an automated system to contact people and recruiting volunteers via e-mail. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:31 PM | Comment Update: Warm reception for Buckner at Fenway / Photo
BOSTON -- Those tears he wiped away were real. Bill Buckner admitted that his suprise appearance today at Fenway Park touched him deeply, and that he was indeed teary-eyed as the fans cheered while he made his way in from left field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. "It was about as emotional as it could get," Buckner told a group of reporters in the Fenway Park interview room immediately after the ceremony. "A lot of things were going through my mind" as he walked in from left field. "Just good things . . . which is a good thing. "I appreciate all the thought behind [the invitation from the Red Sox organization]. It was hard to do for me." The emotions stemmed from the ordeal he's beeen through since committing the error in Game Six in the 1986 World Series that came, rightly or wrongly, to symbolize nearly nine decades of frustration for the Boston organization. "I had to . . . " he began, and then he stopped for a few moments, choking up again. "I had to forgive, not the fans of Boston. In my heart, I had to forgive the media for what they put me and my family through. I've done that, gotten over that, and just thought of the positives, the happy things." In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, a ball went through the legs of Sox first baseman Buckner, allowing the New York Mets to stage a comeback victory. In Game 7, Mets went on to win that series. Thousands of fans and a panoply of Boston sports stars massed at the holy site of Red Sox Nation this afternoon for the home opener that featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra playing the national anthem. Other attendees today are Boston Bruins legends Bobby Orr and Johnny McKenzie, Celtics legends John Havlicek and Bill Russell, and the New England Patriots' Tedy Bruschi and Larry Izzo. For complete throughout-the-day Sox home opener coverage, check out projo's Sox Blog. -- Journal sports editor Art Martone, with reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Jack Perry at 3:29 PM | Comment Harp seal is set for release at a Charlestown beachA rehabilitated harp seal is slated to be released Thursday at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown. Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration is set to release the female seal back into natural habitat at 11 a.m. The seal had been seen in the same location for 36 hours, was lethargic and had eye discharge. The harp seal was treated with antibiotics, recovered and has gained enough weight for release. Pending routine blood work results, she will be ready for Thursday. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:02 PM | Comment Pawtucket bank is robbed; police seeking suspectPAWTUCKET -- A Smithfield Avenue bank was robbed this morning and the police are looking for a suspect described as a white male, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 175 pounds and in his early 20s. In a brief news release, the police said that at about 10:45 a.m., the man showed a note at the Bank RI at 499 Smithfield Ave. He fled in a stolen motor vehicle that was later found a short distance from the bank. The police ask that anyone with information call detectives at (401) 727-9100. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:56 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Overturned car on Route 4An overturned vehicle has the right shoulder closed in South County. The accident is on the southbound side of the roadway in North Kingstown at Stony Lane. Local authorities report minor injuries. To see how traffic is moving along, see the Transportation Management Center's traffic cameras. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:33 PM | Comment Update: McCain, Reed, Clinton weigh in on IraqWASHINGTON -- As the top U.S. military officer in Iraq reported “significant, but uneven security progress” in the war there, Ariz. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, warned against Democratic efforts to force troop withdrawals, saying “Congress must not choose to lose in Iraq.” McCain called for sustaining American military support of the fledgling Iraqi government and rejecting what he called “a reckless and irresponsible withdrawal of our troops.” But Democrats made clear today at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that they will continue to press the Bush administration for a change of course in Iraq that includes major withdrawals of troops -- even though they lack the votes for Senate passage of such a policy. Critics included Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. The commander of U.S. ground troops in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker argued in their testimony that there were encouraging aspects to the recent government offensive against Shia militias in Basra, despite their view that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rushed his Iraqi troops into the operation with insufficient preparation. Extra: Live video of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Click below for more on today's testimony, reported by Journal Washington bureau chief John E. Mulligan. After a cease-fire agreement with Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shi'ite cleric who leads one of the key dissident groups, Petraeus said the work to supplant the militias in the key southern port city continues. Petraeus and Crocker argued that the government has sent an important signal to its nation by taking on the militias in the south. But in a blunt exchange with Petraeus, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., argued that the rivalry between Sadr and Shi'ite government leaders is far from the point where it can be resolved by political means. Petraeus said that some members of Sadr's militias will retire from the fight if the government can find them jobs. Reed retorted that the clash between Maliki's allies in the government and Sadr's militias "is less an employment problem than it is an existential problem of the political survival of one or the other." Reed used the example of Sadr's role in the conflict to argue that the internecine rivalries among Iraq's Shia groups remain intractable and fraught with the potential for violence. But Petraeus argued that the multilateral cease-fire shows grounds for hope that the various rivals fear all-out warfare enough to consider political solutions. "Everybody has again looked into the abyss" and pulled back from the fight, at least for the moment, Petraeus said. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, a Democratic presidential candidate, a member of the committee said later that "might well be irresponsible to continue this policy that has not produced the results that have been promised time and time again at such a tremendous cost." As a junior member of the Armed Services committee, Clinton waited her turn to question Petraeus almost three hours after the hearing began. She asserted that beyond the obvious cost to the American military and treasury, the war in Iraq carries "opportunity costs" -- meaning, for example, lost opportunities in the counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan. She also stressed the view that the war has taken a great toll on the mental health of returning veterans. Clinton said that while members of the Bush administration points to what it views as the potential cost of withdrawing forces from Iraq, "they ignore the greater cost of continuing the same failed policy." U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the panel, said the only way to force the Iraqi government to take the political steps necessary for political reconciliation and stability is “to adopt a reasonable timetable for a change of mission and redeployment of most of our troops.” "Promptly shifting responsibility to Iraqis for their own future -- politically, militarily, economically -- is the best hope for a successful outcome in Iraq and represents, finally, an exit strategy for most of our troops,” he said. This morning, the hearing was briefly interrupted when a protester shouting, "Bring them home," had to be escorted from the room at about 10:43 a.m. Some audience members clapped. Petraeus and Crocker are making their first of several appearances on Capitol Hill this week to update Congress on the status of the war in Iraq. Petraeus told the committee that since his last testimony in September, “levels of violence and civilian deaths have been reduced substantially.” Al-Queada and other terrorist groups “have been dealt serious blows,” he said, and Iraqi government forces have significantly improved their position. But in reference to a failed government defensive late last month against Shi'ite militia groups in the southern port city of Basra, Petraeus said the progress made since last spring is “fragile and reversible.” A major point in testimony by Petraeus and Crocker is the potential need for a pause this summer in the long-scheduled reduction of troop strength in Iraq. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:15 PM | Comment Swain's lawyer asks for new civil trial in wife's murderPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments today about whether David Swain, now awaiting trial in Tortola on a charge of killing his wife, should get a new civil trial. A civil jury convicted Swain in 2006 of killing his wife, Shelley Tyre, during a 1999 scuba diving vacation in Tortola. The suit was filed on behalf of Tyre’s parents, Richard and Lisa Tyre, who have said they filed suit against Swain to try to learn some answers to their daughter’s death. Swain, a former Jamestown Town Council member, has maintained his innocence. The civil conviction forced Tortola officials to take a fresh look at the case, and last fall they asked that the United States extradite Swain back to the Caribbean island. He waived his right to fight extradition in January. Anthony R. Leone, representing Swain, argued, in part, for a new trial this morning, saying a Superior Court judge refused his client a continuance after one of his lawyers fell ill. The justices, however, seemed to have little patience with that argument, noting the numerous continuances afforded Swain and his own efforts to drag out the process. ``How many times does a trial justice have to put up with that?’’ asked Chief Justice Frank J. Williams. Further, asked Williams, even if the court was so inclined, how could it order a new trial? "He’s not here. Your client is out of the country. How are we going to have a new trial?’’ Said Leone: ``Frankly, your honor, that is a question I can’t answer.’’ -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:04 PM | Comment Update: Red Sox bring it home this afternoon / Photos
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox, already seven games and three countries into the 2008 season, play their home opener this afternoon at Fenway Park. The Sox, last year's Major League champions, will receive their World Series rings during a 1 p.m. ceremony. Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to throw the first pitch against the Detroit Tigers at 2:05 p.m. The Red Sox' regular season actually started two weeks ago against the Oakland Athletics in Japan. After that, they played three exhibitions and two regular games in California before traveling to Toronto to play the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are 3-4, while the Tigers are still looking for their first win after six games. Coming up: Projo.com will offer up coverage before, during and after the game, via our SoxBlog, from Journal reporters and photographers at the game.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:49 PM | Comment R.I. to get $1.2M share of air pollution settlementRhode Island is set to get $1.2 million to be used for projects to cut air pollution and improve energy efficiency, under a settlement with the nation's biggest power company, state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced today. New England and mid-Atlantic states are getting a combined $24 million through the federal Clear Air Act settlement with the company, American Electric Power, according to the news release. States and environmental groups reached settlement with in October. Part of it required the company to pay the eight states over the next five years. Each state will decide how use its share of money. Potential projects include buying pollution control technologies, installing solar and other renewable energy technologies, supporting the building of “green” buildings, and "investing in energy efficiency and conservation programs." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney “The fact that this major corporation has to take immediate steps to reduce the amount of pollution it spews from 16 of its power plants is, in and of itself, great news for our environment," Lynch said in the statement. "The impact of this settlement, however, is maximized by Rhode Island’s allocation of $1.2 million, representing new and much-needed money to improve air quality right here in our state.” Under the settlement, Lynch's office said, the company also must invest nearly $5 billion to upgrade 16 power plants and cut more than 800,000 tons of yearly air pollution. Air pollution from the plants "threaten human health, are linked to increases in asthma attacks and lung diseases, and are primary contributors to acid rain, which severely damages lakes, forests, and wildlife," the statement says. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:43 PM | Comment Former President Bush to speak at Bryant graduationSMITHFIELD -- Former President George H.W. Bush will address Bryant University graduates and get an honorary degree at the May 17 commencement. Bush, the nation's 41st president from January 1989 to January 1993 and father of current President Bush, is one of four getting honorary degrees from Bryant this year, the school announced today. The former president was vice president during the late Ronald Reagan's two terms in the 1980s. Chinese entrepreneur Fan Jianchuan, developer of China’s largest private museum, and Roxanne Spillet, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, will also receive honorary degrees. So will John C. Warren, chairman and chief executive of Washington Trust and Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. He'll receive his award on May 15, when he gives the keynote address at the graduate school's commencement. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:34 AM | Comment Update: Petraeus calls progress in Basra "fragile"WASHINGTON -- As the top U.S. military officer in Iraq reported “significant, but uneven security progress” in the war there, Ariz. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, warned against Democratic efforts to force troop withdrawals, saying “Congress must not choose to lose in Iraq.” McCain called for sustaining American military support of the fledgling Iraqi government and rejecting what he called “a reckless and irresponsible withdrawal of our troops.” But Democrats made clear today at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that they will continue to press the Bush Administration for a change of course in Iraq that includes major withdrawals of troops –– even though they lack the votes for Senate passage of such a policy. The hearing was briefly interrupted when a protestor shouting, "Bring them home," had to be escorted from the room at about 10:43 a.m. Some audience members clapped. Extra:Live video of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing
"Promptly shifting responsibility to Iraqis for their own future –– politically, militarily, economically –– is the best hope for a successful outcome in Iraq and represents, finally, an exit strategy for most of our troops,” he said. As McCain and Levin laid out the opposing partisan viewpoints, the commander of U.S. ground troops in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker made their first of several appearances on Capitol Hill this week to update Congress on the status of the war in Iraq. Petraeus told the committee that since his last testimony in September, “levels of violence and civilian deaths have been reduced substantially.” Al-Queada and other terrorist groups “have been dealt serious blows,” he said, and Iraqi government forces have significantly improved their position. But in reference to a failed government defensive late last month against Shiite militia groups in the southern port city of Basra, Petraeus said the progress made since last spring is “fragile and reversible.” A major point in testimony by Petraeus and Crocker is the potential need for a pause this summer in the long-scheduled reduction of troop strength in Iraq. -- Journal Washington bureau chief John E. Mulligan Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:47 AM | Comment Mashpee, Mass., residents approve land deal with tribeMASHPEE, Mass. -- Voters in Mashpee have approved an agreement with the Wampanoag tribe which protects the town from future land claims while guaranteeing that a casino will not be built on tribal land. The deal was struck after more than a year and a half of negotiations between selectmen and the tribal council. It was ratified Monday on a near-unanimous vote at a special Town Meeting. The agreement puts 140 acres of land into trust through the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. But it includes a promise that the tribe would not try to build a casino, or make further claims to land owned by the town or private citizens. The Mashpee Wampanoags are seeking to build a resort casino on a 539-acre site in the southeastern Massachusetts town of Middleborough. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:55 AM | Comment Fishing for cars in the Blackstone RiverDid gas prices get too high? No place to park? What ever the reason, there are cars in the Blackstone River and they need to get out. This morning, the Blackstone River Watershed Council and the Rhode Island State Police Dive Team are working to fish about 20 cars out of the river in Pawtucket. Aside from towing cars out of the river, the project is getting local agencies and business owners a chance to work together to clean up an area of the state that is steeped in history. Robinson Crane Services of Lincoln, Town Line Towing of North Providence and Bill’s Auto Parts of Cumberland will be helping the state police and the BRWC. And there may be another bonus; some of the vehicles may wind up in the hands of the Rhode Island State Police for criminal investigation, maybe providing information on unsolved crimes. The Big Tow is set to start at 9 a.m. today at the Blackstone River, next to the Municipal Pier off School Street. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:41 AM | Comment Senate to vote on bill allowing 24-hour gamblingPROVIDENCE -- The state's two licensed slot parlors would remain open round-the-clock on weekends and federal and state holidays under a bill being considered in the General Assembly. The Senate planned to vote Tuesday on the bill, which would apply to both Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand. Under the bill, the facilities could allow gambling 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays. On all other days, the facilities would have to close by 3 p.m. Proponents say that the expanded gambling hours could bring in millions of dollars of revenue for Rhode Island, easing the state's ongoing financial crisis. The full House has yet to take action on the bill. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment The sun returnsThings are looking good. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 55 degrees today, coupled with clear, sunny skies. It will be breezy, though, with an east wind between 9 and 11 mph. If you have tickets for the Red Sox home opener, you can expect clear skies and a high of 48 degrees in Boston. Skies should stay clear tonight, with calmer winds and a low temperature at just about the freezing point. Tomorrow looks even better, with clear, sunny skies and a high temperature climbing toward 60. We'll also have mild east winds becoming south as the day goes on. To keep up with spring's arrival, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the URI student killed when she was struck by a car early Sunday morning. There's also a story about Patricia Martinez, director of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, criticizing Governor Carcieri's crack down on illegal immigration. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006