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April 29, 2008

Update: Central Falls orders curfew for those under 18

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
A passerby with a baby stops to look at a memorial at the corner of Dexter and Darling streets in Central Falls to Edelmiro Roman, 16, who was shot and killed Sunday night at the location.

CENTRAL FALLS -- After fear spead in this city following two teenagers' deaths in separate weekend shootings, the mayor today ordered a curfew, effective immediately, banning anyone under 18 from being on the streets after 9 p.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Some 300 people attended a community meeting this afternoon about what's happened. They included parents, police and community officials. Parents were urged to be vigilant, keep children indoors and watch who they're hanging out with.

Police have released the name of the second of two teenage boys who were killed in the separate shootings in Central Falls over the weekend.

Police Chief Joseph Moran said 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman, a Central Falls High School student, was found shot and unarmed at the corner of Dexter and Darling Streets on Sunday night. No suspects have been named.

Moran has said that Roman's death may be retaliation for a shooting Saturday afternoon that left 19-year-old Helder Tomar, of Harvey Street in Pawtucket, dead in Jenks Park.

Anthony Strobert, 19, of Pacific Street -- who was also shot during Saturday's incident -- has been charged with Tomar’s slaying.

Fears of another retaliatory shooting led to students being released from Central Falls High School yesterday afternoon under the watch of local police. Dozens of parents took their children out of school early.

Many students stayed out of school today, according to Angelo Garcia, the executive director of Channel One, despite administrators' assurance that school is the safest place for kids to be.

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

Parents have been calling Channel One, a youth services center, saying they were afraid to let their children out of their sight. But Garcia said he's tried to convince them that the safest place the children can be is at the school.

Bryan Ramos, 16, said he was a friend of Roman's. He remembered the teenager as the calm, quiet type who kept to himself and was interested in business. The two had finance class together.

"He didn't really talk a lot unless you knew him," Ramos said.

Ramos didn't put much stock into the idea that his friend was shot as part of an ongoing dispute.

"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," the teenager said of Roman. "He wasn't involved in any of that type of stuff."

Channel One's Garcia said he is taking this recent rash of violence in Central Falls personally.

"People say 'Don't go to Central Falls,'" he explained, "But I'm a Central Falls guy, and it's hard to hear that ... we've never been a violent community."

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment

House passes bill requiring employers to use E-Verify

PROVIDENCE -- The House today approved legislation that would require employers to use a program that checks whether a prospective new hire is in the country legally or can work here legally.

The House voted 53 to 17 for the bill sponsored by Rep. Jon D. Brien, D-Woonsocket, in what a news release called an initiative to deter illegal immigration. All Rhode Island companies would have to use the Federal Basic Employment Verification Pilot Program -- known as “E-Verify” and “Basic Pilot."

According to a news release, about 115 employers in the state already voluntarily use the program in which employers use the Internet to submit to the federal government information they are already must collect from new hires to see -- usually within seconds -- if the person is allowed to work in the United States. Employers enter a person's name, birth date and Social Security number or immigration documentation into a form and submit it using the Internet to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

Companies with 200 or more employees would have to apply to participate in E-Verify by July 1, 2009. Those with 50 to 199 employees would have to apply by Jan. 1, 2009, and those with fewer than 50 would have until Jan. 1, 2010.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

“Instituting E-Verify would send a message to people who are in this country illegally that Rhode Island is not the place for them," Brien said in the statement. "Knowing they won’t be able to work because every employer is going to check their status will make people who are here illegally go somewhere else, relieving our state of the burden that illegal aliens place on our state budget in terms of education, health care, incarceration, and social services."

Matching legislation is pending in the Senate.

Legislation passed in the House last year but not in the Senate.

The use of the E-Verify system is also part of a recent executive order by Governor Carcieri that aims at dealing with several issues tied to illegal immigration. His order, however, only requires state agencies and vendors to use E-Verify.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment

Senate OKs 24-hour gambling on weekends, holidays

PROVIDENCE -- The state Senate voted 27 to 6 early this evening to approve 24-hour gambling on weekends and state and federal holidays at two slot parlors.

But with one twist -- the Senate's approval includes an amendment setting a sunset clause of June 30, 2009.

The House is expected to take up the measure tonight. The votes come at a time when the General Assembly grapples with several measures to deal with a looming budget deficit.

Earlier this year, officials at Twin River estimated the extra gambling hours could raise an additional $11.8 million for the state. The state already depends on slot machines to provide about 8 percent of state income.

And the Senate gave a little extra money to Lincoln -- where the Twin River gaming facility is located -- and Newport, which hosts Newport Grand.

Lincoln will get a projected additional $1.1 million and Newport, a projected additional $173,005, in revenue from the expanded gambling hours.

Also, the Senate committed up to $14.1 million of additional projected gambling revenue to school aid for communities, but there is no explicit promise that will increase anyone's school aid -- just that the expanding gambling will be a source of the aid.

Extra: Take a look at who voted for and against the Senate bill, as well as those who did not vote.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau and the Associated Press

The vote, originally scheduled for last week, was repeatedly delayed while House Speaker William Murphy and Senate President Joseph Montalbano fought over how much extra gambling revenue Lincoln and Newport should receive for putting up with longer gambling hours.

Republican Governor Carcieri will not support expanded gambling if residents in Lincoln and Newport are against it, Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said today. Neal would not comment on whether Carcieri would veto the bill. Last week, Carcieri told Rep. Robert Watson, the Republican minority leader, that he would veto, Watson said.

Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in the House and Senate.

"We're in a tough spot right now," said Democratic Rep. William San Bento Jr., who sponsored the bill. "We need to raise revenue. We're trying not to hurt the elderly and the poor."

But the proposals have critics, particularly among people who live near the slot parlors. In a nonbinding referendum in November, Lincoln residents rejected longer gambling hours at Twin River and also opposed turning the slot parlor into a traditional casino offering card and table games.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:32 PM | Comment

Nursing home supporters rally against proposed cuts

PROVIDENCE -- Several hundred nursing home supporters rallied at the State House rotunda this afternoon, protesting Governor Carcieri’s proposed cuts to payments to nursing homes and chanting “No cuts, no cuts,” as lawmakers arrived for the afternoon session.

“What these cuts mean is that nursing home residents will have to wait a little longer for help,” said Virginia M. Burke, president of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, as hundreds of protesters assembled on the steps of the rotunda and filled the second floor balcony. “These cuts will have a real human impact.”

Approximately 9,000 Rhode Islanders live in nursing homes across the state.

In an effort to bridge a projected $385 million deficit for the coming fiscal year, Carcieri has proposed a series of cuts across virtually all areas of state government. Nursing home advocates say that two areas targeted for reduction in their budgets -- delaying payment of an annual inflationary increase and reducing the labor reimbursement nursing homes receive -- are untenable and would result in the loss of matching federal money.

Under the governor’s budget plan, the state would save $1.9 million by delaying the inflation increase. Nursing home advocates point out that by doing so, the nursing homes would lose and additional $2.1 million in federal funds -- a net decrease of $4 million.

Because the inflationary increase comes one to two years after nursing homes have already paid their bills, the nursing homes are not being reimbursed for money they have already spent, Burke explained. Last year, a similar delay cost Rhode Island nursing homes $7 million, “in money they’ve already spent and will never get back,” Burke said.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

The other proposed cut would save the state $2.4 million by lowering the amount nursing homes are reimbursed for labor costs. Advocates say the nursing homes would lose an equal amount in matching federal money.

One local nursing home would have to lay off 12 percent of its staff in order to break even after the cuts, said Richard Gamache, administrator of the Elmhurst Extended Care Facility.

“When elders call the bell for help, who will be there? Who will help them get to a bathroom or help with meals or soiled sheets?” Gamache asked the cheering crowd. “Is that acceptable to you? These cuts are not only unacceptable -- they are insane.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:33 PM | Comment

Update: PC loses power, cancelling 7 p.m. classes

PROVIDENCE -- A power failure hit Providence College this afternoon, spurring the cancellation of all 7 p.m. classes.

The college is largely without power at this hour. There is some back-up power in place, according to college spokeswoman Pat Vieira.

Power went down shortly before 3 p.m., Vieira said, adding that National Grid is working on the matter.

David Graves, a National Grid spokesman, said it looks as though a wire that belongs to the college may have come down and struck a device called a riser on a utility pole.

He said National Grid personnel were checking to see if there was any damage to a power cable that runs within the riser.

Classes at 4 p.m. were going on as scheduled.

Students may call the emergency message line at 865-1012 for information.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:54 PM | Comment

College Graduate Job Fair now at Save The Bay Center

PROVIDENCE — Today, companies are at the Save The Bay Center, 100 Save The Bay Drive, on the Providence/Cranston line, from 4 to 7 p.m., conducting interviews for job openings as part of the projoJobs College Graduate Career Fair.

Sponsored by The Providence Journal, this free career fair features résumé critiquing, on-the-spot interviewing, and prize giveaways.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:47 PM | Comment

Newfoundland comes to Warwick -- dogs, that is

WARWICK -- The Newfoundland Club of America National Specialty Show began today and will run through Saturday at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

More than 600 people, some bringing their dogs and some to watch the proceedings, are expected from nearly every state and many countries for the event, whose theme this year is "SEAS the Day."

Opening day features a Draft Test with 15 dogs and carts in the competition, obedience trials, regional rally trial, a cardiac clinic, and a speech by Janet Wojciechowski, DVM, on allergies and skin problems.

Tomorrow, a second Obedience Trial National Rally will be held along with judging for puppies and veteran dogs. A Breeders’ Class will showcase successful breeders. There will be a working dog educational seminar and forum on breeding with a panel of experts, from 8 until 10 p.m.

More dog classes and selections will be held on Thursday including a Pet Partners event for those interested in animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy. In the afternoon there will be a rescue parade featuring personal stories of people and their Newfoundlands. In the evening a black-tie event will follow the awards and allow spectators to visit with the dogs, their owners and handlers.

On Friday more events and judging are planned, including a Decorative Darting Exhibition on the theme of “by the sea.” The day will end with the Honors Parade to salute title holders and celebrate versatile Newfoundlands.

The final day will be judging for Junior Showmanship, Best of Breed, and an awards banquet.

All the events are open to the public. See a show schedule here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:49 PM | Comment

Brown professor joins National Academy of Science

A 145-year-old scientific organization that politicians and scientists look to for guidance has inducted 72 new members.

And Rhode Island has made a contribution.

Johanna Schmitt, the Stephen T. Olney Professor of Natural History and Environmental Studies at Brown University, joins more than 2,000 members in the United States of the National Academy of Science.

The group for was signed into being by Abraham Lincoln to be called upon by government to act as investigators an advisers on issues of science and technology.

The newest inductees, who are chosen each April from a list of nominees, were announced today.

The operating arm of the National Academy is the National Research Council. These two organizations, along with the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine are known as the National Academies.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:10 PM | Comment

Man gets 2 years in prison for role in mob-linked extortion

PROVIDENCE -- A Taunton, Mass., man linked to a Rhode Island-based extortion ring was excoriated by a federal judge today for ``a history of assaultive behavior,’’ and sentenced to two years in prison.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi told the defendant, Lawrence Crites, that she felt he deserved more time than the 18 months in prison that had been recommended by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Crites, a large strapping man in a dark suit, stood before a microphone and answered several questions that Lisi posed. She was bewildered that a married father with three children who runs his own roofing company would agree to be a ``muscle’’ guy for the mob.

``What were you thinking?’’ she said.

``Evidently, I wasn’t,’’ he said.

In imposing the stiffer sentence, Lisi noted that Crites had previously been arrested four times on assault charges, including one that involved a police officer. ``You’ve got some issues that you need to deal with,’’ she said.

The extortion plot dates back to 2006. The authorities say that the ring was directed by Anthony M. ``The Saint’’ St. Laurent, a longtime capo regime in the Patriarca crime family. St. Laurent ran the ring from his home at 2 Rotary Dr., in Johnston.

In January 2007, St. Laurent was sentenced to five years in prison.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

At the sentencing, federal prosecutors said that had the case gone to trial, the government could prove that in April 2006, St. Laurent directed James G. Manning of Cranston, and Ricky E. Silva, of North Providence, a felon with a lengthy and violent past, to collect $100,000 from a pizza parlor owner and bookmaker/drug dealer in the Taunton area. If the two targets failed to pay, St. Laurent instructed Manning and Silva to ``bash’’ them.

On April 6, 2006, Manning, Silva and an unnamed FBI informant traveled to Massachusetts to look for the intended victims. Once there, Crites met them and he was supposed to help them find the extortion targets.

All four men were arrested the next day.

Silva was sentenced to 5 years in prison, while Manning received 2 years.

Today, Crites’ lawyer, Timothy Morgan, and Peter H. Nerohna, the federal prosecutor, had very different views of Crites’ role in the extortion scheme. Morgan described him as a minor player; while Nerohna said,``he was the muscle with Mr. Silva.’’

Nerohna said that Crites was secretly recorded telling one of the extortion victims, ``You’re dealing with The Saint. You’re paying now and that’s it.’’

That recording, coupled with Crites’ record of assaults, weighed heavily on Lisi. She also felt that Crites deserved the same penalty as Manning: 2 years in prison.

``There is a history of assaultive behavior and that’s exactly what (Crites) was going to do here,’’ she said. ``You had every opportunity to walk away from it and you didn’t,’’ she said.

She ordered Crites to report to a yet-to-be named federal prison on May 23 to begin serving his sentence. Until then, he remains free on bail.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:06 PM | Comment

Update: 2nd teen shooting victim in Central Falls ID'd

Police have released the name of the second of two teenage boys who were killed in separate shootings in Central Falls over the weekend.

Police Chief Joseph Moran said 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman, a Central Falls High School student, was found shot and unarmed at the corner of Dexter and Darling Streets on Sunday night. No suspects have been named.

Moran has said that Roman's death may be retaliation for a shooting Saturday afternoon that left 19-year-old Helder Tomar, of Harvey Street in Pawtucket, dead in Jenks Park.

Anthony Strobert, 19, of Pacific Street — who was also shot during Saturday's incident — has been charged with Tomar’s slaying.

Fears of another retaliatory shooting led to students being released from Central Falls High School yesterday afternoon under the watch of local police. Dozens of parents took their children out of school early.

Many students stayed out of school today, according to Angelo Garcia, the executive director of Channel One, despite administrators' assurance that school is the safest place for kids to be.

Correction: The police earlier today gave an incorrect spelling for the 16-year-old boy's name.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Parents have been calling Channel One, a youth services center, saying they were afraid to let their children out of their sight. But Garcia said he's tried to convince them that the safest place the children can be is at the school.

Bryan Ramos, 16, said he was a friend of Roman's. He remembered the teenager as the calm, quiet type who kept to himself and was interested in business. The two had finance class together.

"He didn't really talk a lot unless you knew him," Ramos said.

Ramos didn't put much stock into the idea that his friend was shot as part of an ongoing dispute.

"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," the teenager said of Roman. "He wasn't involved in any of that type of stuff."

Channel One's Garcia said he is taking this recent rash of violence in Central Falls personally.

"People say 'Don't go to Central Falls,'" he explained, "But I'm a Central Falls guy, and it's hard to hear that ... we've never been a violent community."

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:01 PM | Comment

Photo: Car crashes into Woonsocket bagel shop

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
Jacques Langlais, of Woonsocket, a tow truck operator for Sandy's Towing and Repair, prepares to pull a Honda out of the front window of Sunrise Bagel Co. on Social Street in Woonsocket, after the car crashed into the building this morning. Further information on the crash was not immediately available from public safety officials.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:34 PM | Comment

Teen wanted in mall guard slashing turns himself in

A teenager whom the police say stabbed a security guard in Providence Place mall turned himself in this morning.

Providence Police Capt. Hugh Clements said 19-year-old Anthony Osorio came to the police station this morning at about 8 a.m.

Clements said the police had been working the case since the incident on April 20 when, they say, four shoplifting suspects were approached by security guards. According to the police account, Osorio slashed one of the guards in the neck with a folding knife.

After airing videotape of the suspects and asking the public for help, the police secured a warrant for Osorio.

Clements said Osorio turned himself in as a result of cooperation from his family.

Osorio is scheduled for arraignment on two charges of felony assault today at 2 p.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:30 PM | Comment

Senate finance panel to consider deficit bill tomorrow

PROVIDENCE -- The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled the hearing on the deficit-avoidance plan, known as the supplemental budget, for tomorrow afternoon.

It is slated to start at rise of the Senate session, around 4:45 p.m., in Room 211 on the State House's second floor.

A hearing on the bill, which was passed by the full House on Friday, was originally scheduled for today. Read The Journal story on its passage.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:28 PM | Comment

State House will move committee hearing to Warwick

Capitol City is coming to Warwick.

The House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare is holding a formal hearing in that city tomorrow.

Testimony will be heard on the following bills:

H-7713: A bill by Rep. Steven Smith, D-Providence, Johnston, to amend change the Rhode Island Certification Standards Board

H-7714: A bill by Rep. Smith to give the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education the authority to require parents of “chronically disruptive students” to attend conference.

H-8167, by Rep. Carol Mumford, R-Scituate, Cranston, would create an ordinance allowing Scituate Town Council to charge for animal licenses

H-8187, by Rep. David Segal, D-Providence, East Providence, would prohibit any hospital, chair and/or network of hospitals from merging when the resulting entity would control or operate more than 50 percent of the hospitals beds in the state.

The hearing is set for tomorrow at the Aspray Boat House, near Pawtuxet Park. It’s should begin between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The hearing is open to the public and will be taped by Capitol TV for later broadcast.

Capitol TV programming can be seen on Channel 15 by Cox Communications and Full Channel subscribers and on Channel 34 for Verizon subscribers).

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:23 AM | Comment

R.I. economic development wants to expedite permits

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation wants to let businesses looking for an expedited permitting process to promise more jobs and higher wages.

Today, RIDEC announced in a press release that it has revamped the Certificate of Critical Economic Concern –– the process by which businesses can request expedited permits.

“Adjustments to the CCEC program are an important step in realigning Rhode Island's economic development toolkit to support our strategy,” RIDEC Director Saul Kaplan said in a statement, “to build a higher wage economy that provides job opportunities for all Rhode Islanders.”

The new rules will impose several requirements on projects seeking expedited permitting create at least 100 new full-time jobs that have average wages at or higher than 105 percent of the average state wage –– which, according to the Department of Labor and Training, is $37,067.

RIDEC is also working with state agencies –– such as the Department of Environmental Management –– to speed up communications between them for faster responses.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:42 AM | Comment

Traffic Alert: Accident on 95 North

The right shoulder is closed this on Route 95 after an accident just north of the city.

The accident is on the southbound side of the roadway at Exit 24/Branch Avenue.

To keep up with traffic this morning, see the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:17 AM | Comment

R.I. lawmakers likely to vote on 24-hour gambling today

PROVIDENCE -- State lawmakers are hoping to strike a deal allowing the state's two slot parlors to operate around-the-clock on weekends and holidays.

The General Assembly has scheduled a vote today on identical bills allowing 24-hour gambling on weekends and holidays and setting a 3 a.m. closing time on weekdays.

Lawmakers hope that more gambling will mean more revenue for a state facing a $568 million budget deficit. Critics have said the state should find other ways to balance its books.

A vote on the bills was repeatedly delayed last week because Senate President Joseph Montalbano wanted more slot parlor revenue for the town of Lincoln, which he represents. A Montalbano spokesman said negotiations were ongoing last night.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

More rain today, flooding, thunderstorms possible

Showers, downpours, flooding, thunderstorms. It's all in the forecast.

Keep an eye on drainage problems and ponding, especially on the roads. And look out for sideways rain, with a north wind gusting as high as 30 mph. On the bright side, temperatures are fairly mild, with a high in the high 50s.

The rain should clear up tonight, with clear skies and a low temperature near 36 degrees. Winds from the northwest between 8 and 16 mph will make it a breezy night.

Tomorrow, welcome back the sun, with clear skies, temperatures in the high 50s and breezy northwest winds.

To keep an eye on weather around the state, 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 parents, fearful of retaliation for two fatal shootings over the weekend, pulling their kids out of Central Falls High School. There's also a story about economists who say that Rhode Island is the only Northeast state already in recession.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment