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April 28, 2008

Tonight: Rapper Akon at Ryan Center

Akon comes to the University of Rhode Island tonight.

The Grammy-nominated R&B singer and rapper will perform at URI's Ryan Center at 8. Rapper Flo Rida will open the show.

Tickets are $27. Get them at the center box office, Ticketmaster outlets -- www.ticketmaster.com -- or by calling (401) 331-2211.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM | Comment

Economists: R.I. 'picture of weakness' in Northeast

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island stands alone as the only Northeastern state “in recession,” according to economists who reported today that the state’s economy hasn’t been this bad in nearly two decades.

The Ocean State’s employment figures, its foreclosure rates, and personal income growth are worse than its neighbors and national averages.

Rhode Island is one of just nine states in recession -- the next closest is Ohio -- while Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut have growing economies, according to Steve Cochrane, senior managing director for Economy.com, which is owned by Moody’s Investors Service.

“Clearly, in the northeast, Rhode Island is a picture of weakness,” Cochrane said.

The somber news was delivered today in a State House committee room where a dozen budget analysts will convene for the next two weeks to pour through tax receipts, economic trends and state expenditures. The bi-annual event -- dubbed the Revenue & Caseload Estimating Conference -- is more important than the empty chairs in the audience would suggest.

Especially this year.

The governor’s budget office has projected a $384-million deficit for the fiscal year that begins in July, based on data collected the last time the budget analysts gathered in the fall. A growing chorus of state leaders has suggested recently that the massive deficit is actually larger than $384 million.

The analysts who gather in Room 35 will decide in the next two weeks exactly how much larger.

-- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

The Revenue & Caseload Estimating Conference always begins with economic forecasts, because the regional economy has a direct impact on the state’s primary sources of money: income taxes, sales taxes, business taxes and lottery receipts.

Cochrane, of Moody’s, was joined today by economists from the international consulting firm Global Insight.

“Without a doubt, it was a very poor year for the Rhode Island economy,” Michael Lynch, of Global Insight, told the panel of budget analysts, who represented the House, Senate and the governor’s budget office.

Rhode Island was the only New England state to report negative employment growth between March 2007 and March 2008, Lynch said. The state’s unemployment rate grew to 6.1 percent as Rhode Island lost 7,200 jobs in the third quarter of 2007 alone.

Personal income growth in Rhode Island increased by 4.8 percent, but fell short of the national average of 6.2 percent.

And Rhode Island’s foreclosure rate was among the worst in the nation, according to Lynch. Approximately 2.4 percent of all home loans were in foreclosure in the fourth quarter of last year, which was the 7th highest rate nationally.

State officials expected today’s outlook to be bad. But they didn’t expect Rhode Island to be singled out as worse than its neighbors.

“I am disappointed that it’s looking like we’re kind of an outlier in terms of how bad it is in Rhode Island,” state budget officer Rosemary Booth Gallogly said. “I expected that this would be a recession that hit all of New England. It looks like we’re in worse shape.”

Why did Rhode Island fare so poorly, given that most of the country has been hurt by the subprime mortgage crisis and subsequent credit crunch?

Cochrane cited these primary factors:

Rhode Island is losing population at a rate that he likened to the exodus in Silicon Valley after the dot-com bust. People returned to Silicon Valley, he said. But there’s no evidence to suggest that Rhode Island will soon increase its pool of potential taxpayers and consumers.

Rhode Island’s size is also working against it, according to Cochrane. Most larger states have several metropolitan areas; when one area struggles, another may be doing well. On average, therefore, the state may show growth.

Rhode Island, however, is essentially just one metropolitan area, he said.

The economists had varying estimates for how long Rhode Island’s recession may last, but agreed that a slow recovery may begin at the end of 2008 into 2009. But even those predictions were based on major assumptions, such as lower oil prices and improving confidence among consumers and the business community.

State budget officer Gallogly said the good news, if there was any today, was that the economists suggested that a full recovery in state employment may require five years, compared to the 10-year recovery that followed the recession of the early 1990s.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:40 PM | Comment

Update: Fire in vacant house called suspicious / Photo

Journal Photo/Bill Murphy

PROVIDENCE -- A fire of suspicious origin this morning heavily damaged a vacant triple-decker at 45 Reynolds Ave. in South Providence, Fire Department officials said.

The electrical service to the house apparently had been disconnected, according to Deputy Assistant Chief Manny Costa, which would lead an investigator to believe the blaze was not accidental. The cause is under investigation.

The fire apparently began in the front of the house on the second floor and spread to the third floor, according to Costa. Firefighters arrived at about 10 a.m. and had to quell the fire in a steady rain.

A firefighter was injured when debris fell on his head, and he was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

The house is near the intersection of Reynolds and Prairie Avenue.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:33 PM | Comment

URI research boat towed to port after losing power

PROVIDENCE -- A research boat for the University of Rhode Island has been towed back into port after it lost power amid 6-foot swells in Narragansett Bay.

The 50-foot Cap'n Bert stalled this morning just east of Point Judith.

Coast Guard officials say the two-person crew lowered a quahog dredge to keep the powerless boat from drifting too fast in the swells and 30-knot winds.

A Coast Guard boat towed the research vessel back to land.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:28 PM | Comment

Update: Fear of retaliation spurs school's early closing

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Central Falls Police Sgt. Wayne Solan carries a shotgun at the main entrance of Central Falls High School this afternoon as fear of repercussion from a fatal shooting leads to early dismissal of students under the eye of police.

CENTRAL FALLS -- Parents poured in and out of Central Falls High School today to take their children home early following rumors there could be a retaliatory shooting prompted by the deadly shooting last night of a 16-year-old boy.

The 16-year-old, who was a student at Central Falls High School, and a 19-year-old were killed in separate shootings this weekend. The Central Falls police have said the shootings may be related.

At a news conference this afternoon, the police said the 16-year-old boy was found with multiple gunshot wounds at about 11:25 last night near the corner of Dexter and Darling Streets.
The 16-year-old's name has not been released, and the police say they do not have a suspect.

In the high school's entrance/foyer by about 12:45 p.m., parents were picking up students early -- some parents said they had gotten phone calls from their children about a rumored possible retaliation shooting today when school was scheduled to let out.

The police are working with the school district to notify parents and to emphasize a message to parents: Check on your children; know whom they're hanging out with, and be vigilant.

In the other fatal shooting, 19-year-old Anthony Strobert was charged with murder yesterday after a Saturday shooting in which he and the victim, Helder Tomar, 19, of Pawtucket, are believed to have shot at each other.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:20 PM | Comment

Last day for tickets for R.I.'s Heritage Hall of Fame event

It started with Roger Williams in 1965, and soon, a journalist, an artist, a senator, baseall player and several other other prominent Rhode Islanders will join the founder of the Ocean State in the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.

For the 44th year, a group of individuals who have “brought credit to Rhode Island, brought Rhode Island into prominence, and contributed to the history of the state” will be inducted, according to a statement released by Patrick Conley, president of the hall's board of directors.

Included in this year’s induction is the late John “Jack” White, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who became a national figure when he covered President Nixon’s tax problems for The Providence Journal. White died in 2005.

Also among the inductees: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is a three-term U.S. congressman who served in the Rhode Island Senate before moving to Washington. Reed participated in a live chat on projo.com today. The transcript can be found online.

Today is the last day to buy tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner event, which is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online for $75 from ArtTix. Call at (401)621-6123. Those interested can also buy tickets from the Heritage Hall of Fame at (401)433-0044.

Click below for more inductees.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Also on the list is former Providence public safety commissioner John Partington, who died in 2006. Partington was integral in the founding of the U.S. Witness Protection Program.

Artist Marjorie Joy Vogel, who died last year, will also be inducted; she’s best known for detailed pen-and-ink drawings of Rhode Island scenes, including homes, villages and skylines.

Joseph DiStefano is a civic leader who has been involved in many facets of Rhode Island politics. The attorney is a former state Democratic chairman, former chairman of the State Board of Elections, and served as general counsel for the Providence & Worcester Railroad.

Ernest Frerichs is the former dean of the Brown University graduate school. The educator has edited or co-edited nearly 30 books and is the president of the Dorot Foundation, which promotes archaeological research in the Middle East.

Ira Magaziner was adviser to the Clinton administration, a think-tank participant and the principal designer of Rhode Island's "Greenhouse Compact."

James Procaccianti is a hotel magnate with more than 50 hotels in 20 states. The real estate developer and has spearheaded the Downtown Providence building boom.

David R. Stenhouse was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 14 years and the first rookie to start an All-Star game. He played baseball and basketball at the University of Rhode Island, and promotes youth sports around the state. Stenhouse is now a baseball coach at Rhode Island College and Brown University.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:13 PM | Comment

Blackstone River Bikeway getting longer / Photo

Journal Photo/Mary Murphy
John Rohland of East Providence, a member of the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen, tries out the new section of the Blackstone River Bikeway today after the ribbon cutting. Riding in the covered trailer is his year-old son, Christopher. They were taking off at the start of the Lonsdale Marsh boardwalk.

Rain didn't stop the dedication of the newest leg of the Blackstone River Bikeway.

The new, 1-mile segment brings the path up to 10.3 miles in each direction, from Cumberland to Woonsocket.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, bikers and a few onlookers stood in the rain to attend the dedication ceremony for the path, which boasts an elevated boardwalk to carry bikers through the Lonsdale Marsh -- giving bikers an up-close look at the habitat without disturbing it.

"This environmentally sensitive feature allows the bikeway to continue on an off-road path while not disturbing the flow of water in the marsh – something that is critical during times of high river levels,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said in a statement.

“Combined with the restoration of the Lonsdale Drive-In into a scenic meadow and wetland, these projects improve the ecology of the river while allowing everyone access.”

This year also marks the debut of the Blackstone River Valley Bikeway Patrol -- volunteers who will ride the path and help riders with everything from patching flat tires to giving historical tours.

“The continuing expansion of the path provides better access to historic areas along the river that otherwise might be overlooked,” Lewis said. “Each area on its own may not attract much attention, but when linked together by the bikeway, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:30 PM | Comment

R.I. education official finalist for top college job in Penn.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- An education official in Rhode Island is among three finalists to become the new chancellor of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities.

Jack Warner is the commissioner of Rhode Island's Board of Governors for Higher Education.

The other candidates are University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells and University of West Florida President John Cavanaugh.

A spokesman for the State System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania says the candidates will be interviewed on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was not certain when a final decision will be made.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:19 PM | Comment

Chat: Sen. Jack Reed on projo.com / Transcript

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
The Rhode Island Democrat answers questions from projo.com readers during the online chat held today from The Providence Journal newsroom.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed answered questions from projo.com readers ranging from what can be done about the high price of gas to the war of Iraq to increasing pressures on the middle class, during a live online chat at midafternoon today.

In answer to one of the questions, the Rhode Island Democrat acknowledged that he has not yet decided whom he will vote for as a superdelegate to the presidential campaign.

"I have not made a decision with respect to the candidacies of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama," he said. "I am confident that both are eminently qualified to serve. I recognize that we should determine a nomination in the next several weeks in order to prepare for the fall campaign."

See more of what the Rhode Island Democratic senator had to say, in a transcript of the chat, hosted by Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller.

As with all chats on projo.com, Reed was given the option of choosing the questions to answer. Answers were also be limited by the amount of time available.

The Rhode Island Democrat is the subject of a Journal profile by Miller and multimedia report, called "A Humble Path to Power." Click here to visit.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:18 PM | Comment

Money announced for Newport yacht school expansion

NEWPORT -- The International Yacht Restoration School will use $500,000 in federal money to help renovate the 1831 Aquidneck Mill building to expand school offerings and help draw businesses to that area of the city.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The money will also "help revitalize the waterfront area on Lower Thames Street: to attract new businesses to the neighborhood, according to U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse in a news release. The senators secured $500,000 in the 2008 appropriations spending bill to expand the school’s buildings for marine vocational training and help "provide sustainable careers" for more residents.

When restored, the 30,000-square-foot mill will accommodate demand for the school's programs. It will house a library open to students and the public and lease space for organizations and businesses. Several firms-including yacht design firm Sparkman & Stephens, Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, Confident Captain, Legacy Yachts, and The Museum of Yachting-plan to occupy space in the mill, adding a concentration of maritime businesses in the neighborhood.

The mill will be added to the school's 2.5-acre campus, which is open year-round to the public.

“For years, people and businesses have flocked to Rhode Island for our marine trades industry, which is central to our economy and particularly Newport’s waterfront community,” Whitehouse said in the statement. "This funding is a smart investment in our state’s future, and in the men and women whose skilled work is known around the world.”

Reed stated that the money "will enable the school to expand their reach and help more Rhode Islanders get sustainable, high-paying jobs."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:47 PM | Comment

Two $200,000 lottery tickets are sold in Rhode Island

Two $200,000-winning Powerball tickets were sold for Saturday night's $143.2 million drawing.

Each ticket matched the first five numbers but not the PowerBall number, a Rhode Island Lottery news release today says.

One ticket was bought from Stop & Shop at 3 Stilson Road, Richmond. The other was sold at Parkway Convenience & Deli at 1154 Narragansett Parkway, Warwick.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:01 PM | Comment

Little Compton landmark gets national recognition

Journal photo/ Frieda Squires
The Stone House was built in 1854 as a residence for David Sisson. His son, Henry Tillinghast Sisson was a civil war hero and Rhode Island lieutenant governor.

LITTLE COMPTON -- The Stone House, a landmark building dating to 1854 that is now a small hotel, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places as new owners carry out renovations.

Craig Pishotti and Zachary Miller, Little Compton residents who own the building, applied for the historic designation in the fall. Pishotti and Miller are founding partners of development and management company Goosewing Hotels & Resorts, a news release from their company says.

The owners' statement says "significant structural modifications" have been made to the Stone House and "luxury hotel amenities have been provided for every room." That includes repair of the outside stonework and restoration being done "in the historic technique as it was in 1854." Structural steel was installed to allow for porches and cupola that had been lost to storms over the last century.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

According to an account by the Journal last year, the owners bought the property for $5.4 million. The granite building is on 3 Sakonnet Point Road and was originally a private home built by David Sisson, whose son, Col. Henry Tillinghast Sisson, served in the Civil War and also was a Rhode Island lieutenent governor. The building was variously a boarding house, had a basement speakeasy during Prohibition and was flooded during the 1938 hurricane. It's been a hotel prior to its new ownership, with 13 guestrooms.

A barn on the property is a restaurant.

"We are balancing the preservation and renovation of this property with sustainable development and green building standards. This project is leading the way in establishing that these two endeavors are not mutually exclusive,” Miller said in the statement.

Pishotti said Goosewing's "mission is to make every effort possible in developing hotels, restaurants, and spas in a very thoughtful and sensitive manner.

Placement on the register means:

* Recognition that a property is of local, state and national signifiance significance

* Consideration of the building's status in the planning for federal or federally assisted projects.

* Eligibility for federal tax benefits.

* Qualification for federal assistance for historic preservation when money is available.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:54 AM | Comment

7th teen charged in underage Barrington drinking party

BARRINGTON - Benjamin W. Geldmaker, the 19-year-old who admitted buying alcohol that may have played a role in the November car crash that killed Barrington teen Jonathan Converse, became the seventh person to be charged in connection with underage drinking discovered at Brickyard Pond on April 19.

It's the third time in less than a year that the Barrington man has been publicly charged with underage alcohol possession. He turned 18 in January, 2007.

He will be arraigned in District Court, Providence, on May 15, Chief John LaCross said today.

Last Tuesday, another person at the party in the woods, 17-year-old Ryan Greenberg, was sent to the ACI after his bail was revoked for refusing to take a breath test, a condition of remaining free on personal recognizance while awaiting trial for second degree murder in the July boating death of Patrick Murphy.

Five other people, four minors and 18-year-old Corey J. Place, have also been charged with underage possession of alcohol after police stumbled onto the party.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

On June 18, Geldmaker, of 128 Maple Ave., was ordered to pay $150 plus court costs for underage alcohol possession.

Then in December, he was accused of going to Douglas Liquor in East Providence on Nov. 5 and using fake identification to buy a 30-pack of beer. He gave about six cans to a 17-year-old acquaintance, also from Barrington, who took it to an the informal party involving several local youth.

Four of those teenagers got into a car later that evening and the drunk driver, Michael J. Silveira, then 16, ended up slamming into a tree, killing Jonathan Converse, also 16. Silveira is serving a two year sentence at the state Training School.

Geldmaker, for his second offense, was fined $500 and order to undergo substance abuse treatment.

Then on Saturday evening, April 19, a town police officer on ``party patrol'' found Geldmaker and seven others while walking the wooded area from the end of Legion Way to Brickyard Pond, according to the police.

Of the seven, one was reported to have not used or possessed any alcohol and will not be charged, LaCross said. Two girls, age 15 and 16, and two boys, age 16 and 17 were charged.

In all, police found over a dozen beer cans on the ground, a 30-pack with more empty cans on the ground, and over 15 full cans of beer in backpacks, along with a couple of bottles of Gatorade that apparently contained vodka.

Two of the eight were asked to take a breath test; both refused.

One of the two, identified in the police report as #6, ``was using his cell phone calling his parents'' as he walked out of the woods, according to the police report from Ptlm. Wesley G. McCoy Jr. ``He was yelling into the phone, `Call my lawyer, I'm going to the ACI.' ''

The teens also refused to acknowledge that they owned the backpacks that contained beer.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:23 AM | Comment

Gas prices hit new high, up another 15 cents

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have set another record high, jumping 15 cents in the past week, according to AAA Southern New England.

This week's increase follows last week's 19-cent jump.

The average prices for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is now $3.589 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

Rhode Island drivers are paying about two cents less than the national average, but 69 cents more per gallon than they were at this time last year.

Diesel fuel is even higher at $4.40 per gallon.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:36 AM | Comment

New trial request postponed in smoke-shop case

The Superior Court has put off hearing a request by defense attorneys for a new trial in the case of Narragansett tribe members arrested during a police raid on a tribal smoke shop.

The motion hearing has been rescheduled for May 12. No reason was given for the postponement.

The case stemmed from a July 2003 state police raid on a Narragansett Indian smoke shop that was selling cigarettes tax free.

The raid on tribal land turned violent, and seven adult Narragansetts were arrested.

On April 4, after a six-week trial in Providence County Superior Court, a jury found Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas guilty of assaulting a state trooper, but acquitted him of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

In addition, the jury found Tribal Councilman Hiawatha Brown of assaulting a trooper and also of disorderly conduct. He was acquitted of resisting arrest. First Councilman Randy Noka was found guilty of disorderly conduct, while being cleared of resisting arrest.

The jury cleared four tribal members altogether.

Extra: Our full report on the raid and trial

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:45 AM | Comment

S. County police come together to catch suspects

Three people were arrested and an investigation is ongoing after Charlestown police caught up with an alleged ring of thieves.

Someone called Charlestown police early yesterday morning to report a person trying to steal a car from the driveway. When officers arrived, according to the report, three people ran into the surrounding woods.

Officers responded from Richmond, South Kingstown, Hopkinton and Westerly’s K-9 unit to find the suspects. The officers set up a perimeter, the dogs set out on the suspects’ trails, and just before 6 a.m., police had two people in custody.

Christopher Menard and David Silva, both 19-year olds from Warwick, were arrested when they came out of the woods onto Route 112, just north of Old Mill Road.

About 4 hours later, Joseph Sherman, 35, also of Warwick, was also arrested.

During the investigation, police say they recovered a mini-van which had been stolen in early March and tools that police believe were stolen from construction sites in Hope Valley.

The three were arrested and face with various charges, including receiving stolen goods –– a felony. They are all being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:21 AM | Comment

Traffic Alert: Lane blocked on Route 295

An accident this morning has the right lane blocked on Route 295 near the Warwick Mall.

The accident, on the northbound side of the roadway, is near Exit2/Route 2 North/Oaklawn/Warwick Mall.

To keep an eye on traffic, see the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:45 AM | Comment

Bringing back the working waterfront in Newport

A formerly derelict building on Newport’s working waterfront is getting a boost from the federal government for restoration.

Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse will join Keith Stokes, the executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, and Terry Nathan, president of the International Yacht Restoration School, at the school this morning.

The group will announce new funds for the restoration of the 1831 Aquidneck Mill Building, a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places that had fallen into disrepair.

The senators say they’ve secured hundreds of thousands of dollars to expand the school’s vocational training facilities.

A press conference is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. today at 449 Thames St.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:09 AM | Comment

Water main break in Boston could hamper commute

BOSTON -- Motorists are being strongly urged to avoid Boston's financial district and take public transportation after a weekend water main break flooded the underground gas system.

Officials said Congress State would be reduced to one lane today and that the presence of trucks and other equipment would significantly impact traffic in the area.

National Grid has already pumped more than 26,000 gallons of water out of the flooded system. Hundreds of gas customers in the financial district and North End neighborhood lost service when the flood caused a nearby gas line to rupture.

Efforts to restore gas service to North End customers began Sunday, but had to be suspended when crews encountered more water in the system. A National Grid official says crews could face similar problems Monday when they start to restore service in parts of the Financial District.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Spring is back and with it, comes rain

After a brief summer-like reprieve last week, spring is back: cool temperatures, cloudy skies and rain.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near just 54 degrees today with east winds and rain all day.

The heaviest rain should fall tonight, with an expected 1 to 2 inches through tomorrow morning. Temperatures should stay fairly mild, with an overnight low of about 51 degrees, patchy fog, and wind gusts from the southeast as high as 21 degrees.

Tonight's rain should continue into tomorrow morning, ending by 10 a.m.. Temperatures should reach the low 60s with breezy north winds.

To keep an eye on the rain, check projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features the first in a five-part series on the high cost of oil and gas.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment