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April 10, 2008

Tonight: A book unveiling at the Providence Athenaeum

A new book by Rhode Island author and Illustrator Mary Jane Begin will get an unveiling at 7 tonight at the Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit St.

The book, titled "Willow Buds, The Tale of Toad and Badger", is first in a series of tales involving characters from the children's classic, "The Wind in the Willows," when they were young.

The unveiling celebration is free and open to the public and includes a cocktail reception, talk and book signing.

More about book events in the area at: projo.com/books and more event listings here.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

Deliveryman who fell to death ID'd as Warwick man

PROVIDENCE -- A deliveryman who suffered a fatal fall in a downtown building owned by Johnson & Wales University has been identified today by the police as Paul M. Corrigan, 51, of 117 Benedict Rd., Warwick.

A police report obtained today said Corrigan, an employee of Sherwin Williams who was delivering paint at about 10 a.m. yesterday, fell about 30 feet from an unfinished stairway in a building that was being reconstructed at 274 Pine St.

He was found by a construction worker, having suffered severe head and facial injuries in his fall to a concrete floor.

Corrigan, a widower and the father of a son and two daughters, died at Rhode Island Hospital.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:28 PM | Comment

Update: Bodies of man, woman found at Cumberland fire

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
Cumberland firefighters were the scene of a house fire at 500 Nate Whipple Highway this morning.

CUMBERLAND -- The bodies of a man and a woman were recovered from a house destroyed by fire this morning, and police are treating the area as crime scene.

Neither body has been identified, Police Chief John Desmarais told the press early this afternoon. He also would not say where they were found but did say they were not near each other. A dog was also found dead at the scene.

Two people live in the house, Desmarais said at the scene earlier this morning. He still declined to say who the owners of the house are, but did say in response to a question that they have not made contact.

According to Cumberland tax assessment records, the property at 500 Nate Whipple Highway is owned by Norman and Beatrice Langelier. Neighbors at the scene also said the Langeliers lived there.

Neighbors said they heard explosions before realizing the house was on the fire.

This afternoon, the chief confirmed that there was ammunition in the house. Because of that, he said scene was still considered dangerous and it was slowing down the investigation.

He also said there were two separate explosions. But the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Desmarais said officials do not believe the house had been broken into, and that there were no cars there that did not belong there.

Asked if a note had been left, he said, "That is part of the on-going investigation."

Also this afternoon, the police chief explained it was standard procedure in a case where there is a death to treat it as a crime scene.

Both bodies were being brought to the state medical examiners' office today. Desmarais said he hoped to have causes of death tomorrow.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds, projo.com staff reporter Brandie Jefferson and staff photographer Bill Murphy

The residence at 500 Nate Whipple Highwayis near Little Pond County Road and Diamond Hill Road.

The fire was called in at about 4:30 a.m. today and "under control" a little before 6:30 a.m.

At about 9 a.m., Desmarais told reporters that police and firefighters had yet not gone into the house. He had said earlier that firefighters hadn't gone into the building because of propane tanks on the property.

Two explosions were heard earlier. One neighbor heard a sound like "a car crash." Another said flames were 30 feet in the air when firefighters arrived.

Neighbor Cathy Joly, 70, said an explosion woke her. At first, she thought it was a transformer. Then a neighbor rang her doorbell to alert her to the fire.

"Before you knew it, you could hear 'pop,' 'pop,' 'pop.'

"I have no idea what happened, but it definitely was explosions," she said.

Her husband, Robert Joly, who said he was a former local fire chief and former Marine, said it sounded like small arms ammunition going off.

Both Jolys identified the Langeliers as the residents of the house.

Mrs. Joly said the couple have lived at the house for about 8 years. They don't have children, but they have three dogs. Last year, they sent a Christmas card with a photo of the dogs, described as Yorkies.

A man in military uniform, whom the police chief identified as the nephew of one of the residents, also wore a name tag with the last name Langelier.

A section of the road was closed. Rescue and fire crews, as well as Mayor Daniel McKee, were on the scene. A medical examiner's vehicle was also spotted.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:12 PM | Comment

New buffer against eviction for artists, small businesses

PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline, City Councilman Luis Aponte and others announced the passage of an ordinance that will keep artists and small business owners from being evicted from their buildings on short notice.

Sponsored by Aponte, the measure requires building owners to pay relocation costs for displaced artists and businesses and inform them 80 days in advance that they will be no longer be able to to lease the space.

At today’s news conference on Hartford Avenue, Cicilline said that the redevelopment of historic mills and former industrial buildings should not take place at the expense of artists and small businesses that create jobs and stimulate commerce.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our knowledge-based economy,” he said, “and, as we continue to grow, it’s critically important that we ensure small businesses continue to thrive.”

“Providence has many designers, inventors and entrepreneurs who are the driving force behind small businesses in our creative sector,” said Erik Bright, co-director of the Partnership for Creative Industrial Space, a private city organization that dreamed up the measure. “This relocation ordinance provides a degree of protection and insurance for these small businesses and the mayor and City Council should be commended for taking steps to ensure the future job growth and expansion of the city’s tax base.”

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Bright estimates that 100 businesses and roughly 1,200 jobs have been displaced since 2004 because of development. A building owner who doesn’t comply with the ordinance would not be eligible for any sort of tax break or grant money awarded by the city.

The ordinance is modeled after a similar measure in Seattle and was spearheaded by the Partnership for Creative Industrial Space under the leadership of co-directors Bright and Lisa Carnevale.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:02 PM | Comment

Expect vacation crowds at Green Airport this weekend

For those traveling through T.F. Green Airport in Warwickthis weekend, expect crowds.

The weekend before April vacation week is among the busiest of the year at the state's largest airport, said Patti Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

She said that for tomorrow, 91 percent of all available seats are booked. For Saturday, 93 percent are booked. There are a total of 186 arriving and departing flights every weekday, she said.

To make matters worse, inspection issues with American Airlines planes could affect the travel plans of those booked on American Eagle flights who plan to travel beyond Chicago.

American canceled 900 more flights today after safety inspections discovered that the airline failed to follow a directive by the FAA regarding the securing of wiring in the wheel wells of some of its Boeing MD-80 jets. American canceled 1,094 flights on Wednesday and 460 on Tuesday.

While American does not operate the MD-80 out of Green Airport, those who plan to transfer to another flight in Chicago could experience delays, Goldstein said.

American Eagle has three daily flights from Green Airport to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of American's hubs. The flights all depart in the morning, and each has a capacity of 44 passengers.

American has set up a Web page with updates about the problem and how travelers can go about changing their plans.

-- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:48 PM | Comment

4 accused of stealing IDs as part of cell-phone fraud

A former Rhode Island Hospital security guard and three former Radio Shack employees have been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations they used hospital patients’ identity information to buy electronic equipment and cell phone accounts.

Former guard Michael Bermudez is accused of using his security job to get the data of patients, employees and others at the hospital in Providence, including names, birth dates and Social Security numbers.

Bermudez used the information to open credit card accounts and to activate cell phone accounts at a RadioShack store on Garfield Avenue in Cranston and at another on Atwells Avenue, Providence, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said today.

Prosecutors say Bermudez used the charge accounts to buy electronics and sold the phones that he got with the activated cell phone accounts.

The grand jury indictment also accuses Roberto Valerio, Hector Alvarez and James Hernandez, who worked at the stores, of helping Bermudez open the fraudulent accounts.

The four are charged with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit access devices and trafficking in counterfeit access devices. Bermudez is also charged with aggravated identity theft, which is using identity theft to commit another crime.

The indictment identifies nine victims by initials, all of whom are said to have been Rhode Island Hospital patients between April 2006 and February 2008, when Bermudez worked as a security guard contractor and was assigned to posts at the hospital, the news release says.

Bermudez, Alvarez, and Valerio were named in a federal complaint last month, which is supplanted by the indictment.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Corrente and Thomas Powers, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Providence office, announced the indictment, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court, Providence.

Bermudez, 26, of Regent Avenue, Providence, and Alvarez, 29, of Sisson Street, Providence, appeared on March 14 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.

Valerio, 25, of Thackery Street, Providence, appeared before Almond on April 2. Hernandez, 22, of Parnell Street, Providence, was not named in last month's complaint.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:32 PM | Comment

Update: Education Chief McWalters to leave next year

PROVIDENCE -- Longtime state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters will step down from his position next year, after the state board that oversees public education decided to extend his contract by just six months, instead of giving him a customary three-year agreement.

Today, Robert G. Flanders Jr., chairman of the state Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, announced the regents had agreed to extend McWalters’ contract, which runs out Dec. 31, through June 2009.

In its yearly review of McWalters' performance, the Board of Regents "reached consensus" on the renewal in a March closed session, according to a news release. McWalters, "however, let it be known to the board at that time that he was not seeking a two-year extension of his current contract, which lasts through the end of this year," the release states.

At the board's request, McWalters agreed to stay on as commissioner through June 2009.

The state Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education will formally vote April 23 to extend McWalters's contract through June 2009.

“I am pleased that Commissioner McWalters has agreed to stay on as Commissioner through June of 2009 so as to address the critical issues we are facing in Rhode Island,” Flanders said in the statement. “Since I joined the Board last year, I have worked closely with Commissioner McWalters on several critical topics of school reform. It is vital that we focus on this critical agenda over the course of the next year.”

Governor Carcieri said in the statement that McWalters "has been a key ally and advocate as we work to improve public education in Rhode Island."

Carcieri added: “In this first year of our new state Diploma System and the first year of new high-school tests and science assessments, we need continued strong leadership. Commissioner McWalters will ensure that efforts will continue on behalf of all schoolchildren.”

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

McWalters agreed to stay on as commissioner through June 2009 to follow through on these things:

* Carrying out the new Regents’ Diploma System emphasizing proficiency-based graduation requirements.

* Improving school districts that have missed yearly targets, particularly Central Falls and Providence.

* Coming up with new teacher evaluation methods "for ensuring teacher quality."

* Revising the State Basic Education Program, regulations that set the academic and support services that districts must offer in all schools.

“I am honored to serve as Commissioner of Education in Rhode Island, and I thank the Regents for their endorsement of my commitment to public education and my ongoing work in Rhode Island,” McWalters stated. “I plan to work with the Governor and the Board over the next year to follow through on the many Regents’ initiatives currently under way and to ensure that we manage a smooth transition to new leadership.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:30 PM | Comment

$5M granted for house acquisitions near Green Airport

The Rhode Island Airport Corporation will receive $5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to acquire 21 houses in the voluntary house acquisition program located near T.F. Green Airport.

“This program continues to provide an alternative for families around T.F. Green Airport who have been forced to cope with airport noise,” said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., who announced the award this morning. Reed is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee which oversees federal funding for the program.

Kevin Dillon, president and chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation said, “We are appreciative of the efforts of Senator Reed and the members of our congressional delegation to obtain federal funding for important airport projects. This $5 million allocated to the important voluntary home acquisition program will accelerate the buyout of additional homes in Warwick.”

Reed has brought FAA officials to Rhode Island in the past to show them the airport’s growth and the related growing pains that expansion has had on the local community, especially in terms of greater aircraft noise.

Reed also has urged the FAA to carefully study the increased airport traffic to determine what additional steps would be needed to abate airport noise and secured a commitment to increase the amount FAA funds for soundproofing at T.F. Green.

-- Journal Business editor John Kostrzewa

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:14 PM | Comment

Site change suggested for new Blackstone courthouse

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams and two lawmakers today proposed putting a new Blackstone Valley Courthouse in Smithfield, calling "unacceptable" the traffic-reducing plans for a previously proposed Lincoln location.

Williams, Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano and state Rep. Peter John Petrarca announced the courthouse is now eyed for 13 state-owned acres on a part of George Washington Highway between Douglas Pike and Farnum Pike -- not far from Bryant University.

The Smithfield spot is "more centrally located" within northern Rhode Island, according to a judiciary news release and has better highway access and traffic control. And the proposal "has been warmly received by town officials there."

In his annual State of the Judiciary address last month, Williams announced that construction of the proposed $71-million courthouse will be postponed for a year and commence in fiscal year 2010, because of the state's budget woes.

Lawmakers have already approved borrowing money to build the new courthouse. Legislation related to the new location and financing is expected to come before the House Finance Committee at its 2 p.m. meeting today.

“I was never happy with the results of the traffic studies in Lincoln,” Williams said in the statement.

Williams stated that he Montalbano and Petrarca have talked about the need to find another location.

"They have been totally committed to taking care of the concerns of the people of Lincoln. I promised the people of Lincoln, the Lincoln town administrator, the Lincoln Town Council and especially Councilman Keith Macksoud -- that we would examine other sites, and we have done that in good faith," Williams said.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:13 PM | Comment

Fund, spaghetti dinner set up to help teen hit by car

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Hit by a speeding driver on Route 1, Sylvia Bogusz faces months of physical therapy. The 18-year-old walks with a cane. Family members help her climb the front steps to their home.

Soon she’ll get help with her medical bills, too.

Today, philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein said he will match up to $10,000 in gifts to a fund set up for the teenager.

Also today, the Westerly Lions Club and NewportFed Bank will hold a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Calabrese Club, at 28 Pleasant St. in Westerly. The dinner money and donations will go to Bogusz.

Donors who want to participate in the Feinstein challenge should send checks payable to the Sylvia Bogusz Recovery Fund. The checks, postmarked no later than April 30, should be sent to Alan Shawn Feinstein at 37 Alhambra Circle, Cranston, R.I. 02905.

Bogusz was struck on June 23 after she left her car with two flat tires in the breakdown lane of Route 1, minutes from her Green Hill home. She stood on a grassy shoulder and called her mother for help for help. Shortly after, a car driven by woman accused of driving drunk hit her and threw her 100 feet.

The doctors at Rhode Island Hospital thought she would die. But despite severe blood loss, broken bones and brain damage, Bogusz started talking after four months. For more, read today's Journal story on her road to recovery.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Davis

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:10 PM | Comment

Photo: So long, Mac

Journal photo/ Andrew Dickerman
A worker clears debris after a brick wall collapses onto truck and sidewalk during demolition of the former McDonald's restaurant today on Fountain Street. A hotel will take its place.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:01 PM | Comment

Judge orders Grove Street School knocked down/ Photo

Journal photo/ Andrew Dickerman
The exterior view of the former Grove Street School, which was ordered demolished today.

PROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge has ordered that the historic, partially-demolished Grove Street School be knocked down because it is a threat to public safety, even while acknowledging that the building’s owners violated the law when they tried to destroy the vacant schoolhouse without a valid building permit.

The Tarro family, owners of the schoolhouse, sought to raze the building in February of 2007 to create more parking for their funeral home, but were stopped by the city, which took the family to court seeking fines and the reconstruction of the building.

Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini issued a bench decision this morning ordering the Tarro Family to obtain a building permit and demolish the 100-year-old building.

“This court has determined that the Grove Street School building poses a substantial threat to public safety and should be demolished immediately,” Procaccini said.

At the same time, Procaccini said that the “Tarro’s commencement of demolition without a permit was unlawful,” and fined the family $4,868.98, the cost of police details to oversee the site and the fines accrued over six days worth of building code violations.

Procaccini blamed the “mixed signals” sent by the city’s legal and building departments as part of the reason for the situation both sides find themselves in.

-- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi

Michael St. Pierre, lawyer for several of the Tarro siblings, said that despite the fines, the Tarros will be happy with the result.

“I think the relief we sought was granted. I think my clients will be quite pleased with the outcome.”

He said that demolition will commence as soon as a permit can be issued. “It’s an unsafe building. Any further delay is a danger to the neighborhood.”

Attorney Deming Sherman, representing the city, declined to comment immediately following the decision.

No demolition permit is likely to be issued today, and city lawyers may appeal the decision and seek a postponement of the judge’s order sometime today or tomorrow.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:38 PM | Comment

Hendricken senior wins award for Pope's welcome

Bishop Hendricken High School senior Michael Wahl has won a national high school competition for writing words of welcome to Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to the country next week.

Michael's 500-word essay and one-paragraph personal welcome were selected by an 11-judge panel. The judges initially picked six regional winners before selecting Wahl. More than 2,700 contestants from 116 high schools in 37 states competed.

He also gets $3,000 in cash as national winner. The local winners each receive $1,000.

Bishop Hendricken, in Warwick, is a boys' Catholic high school run by the Christian Brothers.

The national Knights of Columbus and the Diocese of Green Bay sponsored the competition to welcome the pope, whose first visit to the United States and the United nations runs from April 15 to 20.

Peter Thomas, the school's assistant director of advancement, said today that Michael is one of three Hendricken students who have been chosen by the Diocese of Providence to go to the pope's visit later this month at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Michael wrote about tradition and progress, according to a news release, and "impressed the judges with the depth of understanding of the Pope’s writings."

Here are his words of welcome to the pope:

“With hearts full of joy and gratitude to God, we welcome you to the United States of America. Your presence is a source of great hope for a part of the Church that seeks to renew itself in service to God and His people. Having you in our midst is a great privilege that we hope will inspire the Church in America to again return to her roots, embracing tradition and progress in a healthy balance. We pray that your visit will set our hearts ablaze with faith, that we may bear great fruit and grow closer to God. May your time with us bring abundant blessings to your pontificate, our nation and the Church.”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:30 PM | Comment

Woonsocket man, accused of abduction, held without bail

PROVIDENCE -- A Woonsocket man, accused of abducting an 11-year-old girl at knife point yesterday with intention of molesting her, is being held without bail after District Court arraignment in Providence this morning.

The Woonsocket police have said Miguel Navarro, 20, forced her to go with him to an abandoned apartment after she was walking on Willow Street on her way to Woonsocket Middle School yesterday morning. Navarro is charged with kidnapping and assault with intent to commit first-degree child molestation.

Also in court today, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office presented Navarro as an accused bail violator on a different case that is slated for a Sept. 1 trial: a first-degree child-molestation charge in Woonsocket.

Navarro was ordered without bail because of the alleged bail violation, according to an attorney general's office news release. Navarro's next court dates are an April 17 determination of attorney conference and an April 24 status conference on the violation hearing.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:14 PM | Comment

Man rescued from Bay after neighbors hear screams

A Warwick man was pulled from the water last night after neighbors heard him screaming for help.

Paul Hopkins, 32, of Friendship Avenue in Warwick, was boating on Narragansett Bay near Rocky Point around 11 p.m. when neighbors heard his screams and dialed 911.

When officials from the Warwick Fire Department arrived, they found Hopkins clinging to a mooring near Burnett Road and Priscilla Avenue, said Chief John Oliveira.

“We got there and before we could launch a boat, we figured it would be quicker to put some guys in dive suits,” he said. By then, Oliveira estimated, Hopkins had already been in the frigid water for at least 15 minutes.

Two firefighters went into the water and, within five minutes, pulled Hopkins to safety. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital to be treated for exposure, Oliveira said.

-- Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:29 PM | Comment

Suspended doctor accused of almost $3M in fraud

A federal complaint lodged against a Rhode Island doctor accuses him of fraudulently billing Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers almost $3 million.

The physician, Tarek Wehbe, had his medical license suspended by the state health department director on Monday after investigation discovered several dozen of Wehbe's cancer patients may have gotten inadequate chemotherapy doses between 2004 and 2006.

Today, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office announced a forfeiture complaint against assets "traced to Wehbe," a news release says.

The federal complaint alleges that Wehbe billed for "services not performed, inflated the type of treatment given, and billed for 'impossible days,' consisting of more than 24 hours worth of visits," the U.S. Attorney's office said.

A federal affidavit with the complaint says that Wehbe owns and operates the Renaissance Medical Group, which has offices in North Providence and Providence.

The complaint seeks to have forfeited an account at Citizens Bank as well as real estate in North Providence, Lincoln, Jamestown, and Smithfield, "all wholly or partially owned" by Wehbe, either "directly or through corporate entities." The federal government argues the properties represent proceeds from health-care fraud.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the state Attorney General’s Medicare fraud unit, and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigation, were involved in the investigation. The complaint was filed Tuesday.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:42 AM | Comment

R.I. man accused of soliciting sex from Brazilian boy

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- A Brazilian judge issued an arrest warrant yesterday for a U.S. immigration officer accused of soliciting an 11-year-old boy for sex in Rio de Janeiro.

Michael Joseph Clifford, 43, of Providence, allegedly took the boy, one of Rio de Janeiro’s many impoverished street children, to his Copacabana hotel room last month and paid him $175 for sex, police inspector Jairo Pessanha said.

Clifford, who has since returned to the United States, is accused of child sex exploitation and sexual abuse of minors. The charges carry up to 26 years in prison, Pessanha said.

The Associated Press left messages seeking comment at several phone numbers listed under Clifford’s name in the Providence area, but they were not immediately returned. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington said the agent has been placed on leave while it conducts its own investigation.

-- The Associated Press

Brazilian authorities say hotel personnel handed over security camera footage showing Clifford and the boy entering the hotel at 3:00 a.m. on March 15 and leaving five hours later.

Pessanha said the cameras also filmed Clifford giving money to two Brazilian men who allegedly arranged the encounter. They were arrested yesterday and face similar charges.

Police are still investigating whether a larger sex ring could be involved, the inspector said.

Pessanha said the suspect traveled to Brazil frequently to escort deported illegal immigrants here.

Police, U.S. consular officials and Interpol and FBI agents will meet on Thursday “to discuss how to get Clifford back to Brazil to stand trial,” he said.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:51 AM | Comment

Pawtucket man killed in Fall River crash

The Massachusetts State Police are still investigating a one-car accident Tuesday night in Fall River that killed a Pawtucket man.

Raymond A. Cochran, 57, of Pawtucket, was driving a 1998 Volvo station wagon on Route 24 North, and as he began to travel onto the ramp for Brayton Avenue, he lost control of the vehicle, according to a preliminary investigation by the state police.

The Volvo traveled off the left shoulder and struck the ramp’s left guardrail, then Cochran turned the Volvo hard to the right and the front of his vehicle crashed into the ramp’s right shoulder guardrail where it came to rest, according to the state police.

He was taken by ambulance to Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and then transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the state police said.

The police say it's unknown if Cochran was wearing a seatbelt.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:47 AM | Comment

Sunshine and warmth here today, gone tomorrow

You've heard it on and off for the past month. "Spring is coming." You may not believe it, but listen to this: The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 70 degrees today with partly cloudy skies giving way to sunshine later in the day.

The catch is the wind. We'll have breezy west winds gusting up to 20 mph.

Skies will cloud over later in the night, when the temperature drops to about 40 degrees. We'll have west winds between 5 and 10 mph.

Tomorrow's not so nice looking, with cloudy skies, temperatures reaching the mid 50s and calm southeast winds. There's also a 50 percent chance of rain.

To keep up with spring's ever-changing moods, see projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story about Sylvia Bogusz, a young woman who has recovered with the help of months of rehabilitation after being struck by an alleged drunk driver.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

Mayor to sign bill to help artists small business

PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline, City Councilman Luis Aponte and others will be pushing an ordinance the mayor says will help small businesses and artists displaced by development.

The mayor will sign the ordinance this morning at MEDPort, 99 Hartford Ave., in the Contech medical building in the city's Olneyville section.

A business owner and artists who have been displaced by redevelopment are expected to attend.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:05 AM | Comment