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April 30, 2008

Suspect in Central Falls shooting taken to hospital

Anthony Strobert, the 19-year-old Central Falls man charged with Saturday's shooting death of Helder Tomar, was transported from the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston to the hospital today for treatment of a medical condition, a state corrections spokeswoman said.

Strobert was taken from the ACI intake to the hospital at 1 p.m. today, according to Tracy Z. Poole, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections. He was accompanied by two correctional officers. He was not expected to be released tonight, she said.

Although officials would not release the name of the hospital, an ACI van was parked in front of Rhode Island Hospital's emergency entrance earlier this afternoon.

Rhode Island Hospital spokeswoman Gail Carvelli would say only that there was heightened security at the hospital today, but said she could not elaborate.

The police said witnesses told them that Strobert and Tomar got into a fight Saturday in Jenks Park, Central Falls. After Tomar shot Strobert, Strobert took the gun from Tomar and shot and killed him, according to the police.

The shooting of Tomar was one of two separate shootings in Central Falls over the weekend that prompted a 9 p.m. to 5.a.m curfew in the city for all people under age 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney with reports from Jennifer D. Jordan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:15 PM | Comment

Senate OKs bill to end minimum jail time in drug cases

PROVIDENCE -- The state Senate today threw support to eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for offenders in certain drug-related crimes.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Harold M. Metts, D-Providence, was approved 33 to 3 in the Senate, according to a news release.

The same legislation won approval from the Democrat-controlled General Assembly last year but Governor Carcieri, a Republican, vetoed it. The legislature opted not to override that veto last year.

Metts asserted the bill would not make Rhode Island soft on crime, but, rather, give judges discretion when it comes to deciding when someone would benefit from treatment and when it’s time to penalize.

“Judges are selected because they have the ability to weigh the facts and make reasonable decisions, and we should give them the freedom to use that discretion in each individual case,” said Metts, according to the news release. “This legislation will inject common sense and a certain level of compassion into sentencing people with drug problems. We need a better balance between punishment and restoration.

“As it stands now, judges are not allowed to consider any type of mitigating circumstances. In my opinion, judges should be given some sort of discretion in these types of cases,” he added.

The bill would end mandatory minimum sentencing for drug possession and change the maximum sentences to 20 years for the smaller quantities of drugs, and 30 years for larger quantities. It eliminates minimum fines -- currently $10,000 for smaller quantities and $25,000 for bigger ones.

But maximum fines will remain -- at $50,000 and $1 million, respectively.

The Senate bill goes next to the House.

A matching House bill, sponsored by Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, D-Providence, got House Judiciary Committee approval last week. The House is expected to take it up next week, according to the news release.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:35 PM | Comment

14 co-workers in R.I. share $200,000 Powerball win

Fourteen co-workers calling themselves the "FMG Fab Fourteen" today claimed a $200,000-winning Powerball ticket from Saturday night's drawing.

They work at a Johnston-based company, but a lottery news release did not say which one.

The employees have played the lottery together for six years. The group’s organizer bought the winning ticket from the Stop & Shop at 3 Stilson Rd., Richmond.

Another $200,000 Powerball ticket sold for the Saturday drawing remains unclaimed. It was bought from Parkway Convenience & Deli at 1154 Narragansett Parkway, Warwick.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:30 PM | Comment

Alert: Senate sends gambling hours bill on to governor

PROVIDENCE -- The state Senate late this afternoon approved the House-passed version of legislation to allow 24-hour gambling on weekends and holidays at Rhode Island's video-slot emporiums: Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand.

The bill cleared the Senate in a 29-to-6 vote.

The approval was expected and marks the final legislative vote. The bill will go to the governor.

Governor Carcieri said at an impromptu new conference earlier today that he will "most likely" veto the bill, which won House approval last night.

(The House and Senate each passed their versions of 24-hour gambling yesterday. As is customary at the State House, Senate members had to approve the House version of the bill, and vice versa, if one or both is to become law).

Read coverage of the gambling-hours expansion debate and vote in the House last night.

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

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:56 PM | Comment

Photo: That'll be a comb and dry, please

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
Ellen Stomp vacuums and combs Jimmy before his event this afternoon at the Newfoundland Club of America National Specialty Show at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. The two traveled from Saskatchewan, Canada, for the five-day show. All the events are open to the public. See a show schedule here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:42 PM | Comment

Same-sex divorce case is back in court

PROVIDENCE -- While the state Supreme Court has said she can’t get divorced in Family Court, one of the women seeking Rhode Island’s first same-sex divorce wants the high court to weigh in on whether another state court -- Superior Court -- can dissolve her marriage.

Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston married in Fall River, Mass., in 2004, shortly after Massachusetts became the first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Providence couple sought a divorce in Rhode Island Family Court in 2006. But in a December 2007 decision that drew national attention, a divided Supreme Court ruled that Family Court lacked jurisdiction to grant the divorce.

The majority opinion said that under the law allowing Family Court to handle divorces, the word “marriage” means just one thing: the union of a man and a woman.

Last week, a lawyer representing Chambers filed a motion asking Superior Court to pose a different question to the Supreme Court: “May the Superior Court properly recognize, for the purpose of entertaining a divorce petition, the marriage of two persons of the same sex who were purportedly married in another state?”

That question “is one of extreme public importance, which is capable of repetition but will evade review unless decided by the Supreme Court,” the motion said.

Chambers’ lawyer, Louis M. Pulner, said in an interview that the December decision was based on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the 1961 statute that created Family Court, but there would be no such statute to analyze in determining if the Superior Court can grant the divorce.

Superior Court, the state’s main trial court, has broader jurisdiction than Family Court, and it handled all divorces before Family Court was created, Pulner said. “So I’m going to back to the court of original jurisdiction,” he said.

“How can these people not have a valid right to get a divorce somewhere in this state?” Pulner asked. “How can this state not provide a forum for a lawfully married, albeit same-sex couple to get divorced — just as for any other unhappy, heterosexual, legally married couple?”

But Ormiston doubts the Supreme Court will allow the couple to get divorced in Superior Court, and she is preparing to move to Massachusetts, according to Julie A. Lynch, a Fall River lawyer who has been retained by Ormiston to eventually file for divorce in Massachusetts.

Lawyers have said the women could get divorced if one of them moves to Massachusetts and lives there for a year.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

Lynch, who is not representing Ormiston in the Superior Court matter, said the new motion to certify a question to the Supreme Court is “just delaying the inevitable.”

“([Ormiston]) feels, as I do, that they will get the same answer, although I am not, obviously, on the Supreme Court,” Lynch said. “They are asking the same body of people the same question. I find it hard to believe they would answer differently.”

Lynch said the couple has been seeking a divorce for two years now and has gotten “absolutely nowhere.”

And while she is still living in Providence, Ormiston is planning to move to Massachusetts soon, Lynch said. “She’s looking at different options in Massachusetts,” she said. “The sooner the better, because she needs to get divorced.”

When the Supreme Court ruled in December, Ormiston said she did not plan to move. “This is my home,” she said at the time. “To move to Massachusetts when I own a home here is an unfair and unreasonable burden that no other citizen has to bear.”

Lynch agreed that it’s an unfair burden. “It’s unfortunate she has to do this, but it’s what the country is going to be facing: All these people who have gotten married in Massachusetts don’t all live in Massachusetts,” she said. “And they are faced with the same issue that my client faces faces, of states that won’t recognize same-sex marriages and won’t allow divorces or annulments.”

The case received national attention because it was believe believed to mark the first time that any of the same-sex couples married in Massachusetts had sought a divorce in another state.

In December’s 3 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court said, “It is possible that today’s members of the General Assembly might have an understanding of the term ‘marriage’ that differs from the understanding of those legislators who enacted ([that law]) in 1961, but our role is to interpret what was enacted and not to speculate as to what some other not-yet-enacted statute might say or mean.”

Citing definitions of marriage from 1961 dictionaries, Justice William P. Robinson III said, “There is absolutely no reason to believe that, when the act creating the Family Court became law in 1961, the legislators understood the word marriage to refer to any state other than ‘the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex.’.”

Pulner said he is hopeful Superior Court will grant Chambers a divorce. “The Supreme Court didn’t say they were not validly married,” he said. “It’s impossible to think that these people, who are legally married, have no recourse.”

Pulner said Chambers has “absolutely no intention of packing up and moving to Massachusetts, nor should she have to. That is why I continue to pursue this litigation in the state of Rhode Island, which is where she lives.”

The motion to certify a question to the Supreme Court is scheduled to be heard before Superior Court Judge Patricia A. Hurst on May 8.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment

Senate to take up House's gambling bill today

PROVIDENCE -- The state Senate today will take up -- for immediate consideration -- the House-passed version of legislation to allow 24-hour gambling at Rhode Island's video-slot emporiums: Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand.

If approved, as is expected, it would mark the final legislative vote and the bill would go to the governor. (The House and Senate each passed their versions of 24-hour gambling yesterday. As is customary at the State House, Senate members still have to approve the House version of the bill, and vice versa if one or both is to become law).

But Governor Carcieri said at an impromptu new conference earlier today that he will "most likely" veto the bill, which won House approval last night.

Read coverage of the gambling-hours expansion debate and vote in the House last night.

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

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:54 PM | Comment

Will May weather wither April flowers?

You'd really dig this, were it an April Fool's joke that got lost in the e-mail and arrived the last day of the month.

But it's not: A frost advisory is in effect from midnight tonight to 7 a.m., according to a National Weather Service advisory out today. Yes, frost -- the cold stuff that comes when fall heads toward winter -- is arriving as April turns into May.

Temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-30s between midnight and 7 a.m. That will result in areas of frost, the weather service said. The advisory applies to southeast Providence, eastern Kent, Bristol, and Newport counties.

Not digging it? At least you won't be plowing through inches of cold stuff on May 1. That's according to what the weather service advisory says, anyway. (Rhode Islanders know to never tempt fate).

The weather service reports that a cool Canadian air mass "will continue to overspread" southern New England tonight.

People with "agricultural interests" are advised to harvest or protect tender vegetation.
Potted plants normally left outside should be covered or brought inside.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:37 PM | Comment

Update: Governor 'likely' to veto 24-hour gambling bill

At an impromptu press conference this afternoon, Governor Carcieri said he would “most likely’’ veto the 24-hour gambling bill approved last night by the House and Senate.

He said he has “serious reservations and concerns about the amount they are estimating. I really think its way over inflated.’’

He said he was also unswayed by the pledge that up to $14.1 million of the new gambling dollars would go into school aid, because “money from lots of different pockets goes into schools aid.’’

But Carcieri said the overriding issue for him is this:

“I just don’t feel that it’s the state’s role to steamroll cities and towns…and both Lincoln and Newport have been pretty clear they don’t want 24-hour (gambling). I’ve said this consistently. I told that to the speaker and Senate president…so I’ve got to see, but it’s going to be very difficult for me to support this.’’

Representatives of both communities also weighed in today on the bill's passage.

-- Journal staff writers Katherine Gregg and John Hill

Despite the promise of additional money for Lincoln, Town Councilman Keith E. Macksoud, whose district includes the Twin River gaming complex, had this to say: “I’m disappointed it passed...the General Assembly has gone against the wishes of the people of Lincoln.”

He said he was at least pleased that the bill included their three requests: limiting it to weekends and holidays; more money for Lincoln and a "sunset" provision in 2009.

“But the town has already said no. I think he [the governor] should veto it … He said he would leave it up to the people of Lincoln.”

Town Council Vice President James R. Jahnz said, “The expansion really doesn’t follow the wishes of the citizens of Lincoln. … If the governor sticks to what he said, he’ll veto it. That would go with the wishes of the community and the council."

Asked if the money was enough to assuage his displeasure, Jahnz said, “My real concern is that there is going to be a steady stream of traffic up from Providence after 1 a.m. We’re going to need additional police and fire” and road work.

He said he was somewhat resigned to the change.

“I’m not sure what the alternative is,” Jahnz said. “You can sit there and scream as loud as you want, but it doesn’t look like anyone is listening.”

Newport Mayor Stephen C. Waluk said his community’s position “has been and is opposition to any kind of increase in hours or table games, any kind of expansion of gambling without our approval and there has been no referendum. There has been no ballot question whatsoever on the issue so we remain opposed to it.’’

“We appreciate the governor keeping us in mind as well as the people of Lincoln who have spoken out against it as well,’’ he said.

“From my personal perspective, Newport Grand is a good neighbor. I have no problems with them whatsoever and I don’t even think this is their doing necessarily, but the the reality is this is an end-around the people of Newport having a say (in) what actually goes on in our own community.That’s bad. It’s bad at present, and it doesn’t bode well for the future when other casinos attempts are made to cut us out of the loop.’’

With the threat of 24-hour gambling in the wind, the Newport City Council voted unanimously in September for a resolution opposing 24-hour gambing and noting that “the citizens of Newport have voted consistently against the establishment and expansion of gambling facilities in Newport.’’

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:07 PM | Comment

Verizon expands its technology investment in R.I.

Verizon said this morning it is making a capital investment of approximately $86 million in new network technology to expand its FiOS cable television service to more communities in Rhode Island.

The company said it is also expanding its Providence-based Fiber Solutions Center, where at least 50 more union-represented technicians and customer service representatives will be hired. A total of 350 new jobs have been created since the center opened in 2006.

The company also will upgrade its Verizon High Speed Internet Service, based on DSL technology, to Cranston, Hope Valley, Jamestown, Narragansett, Pawtucket, Providence, Tiverton and Weekapaug.

Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless announced that it spent $292 million to upgrade its New England voice and data networks and hired more than 500 employees in the region in 2007.

-- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:01 PM | Comment

Pawtucket man sentenced for 'fill this bag' bank robbery

PROVIDENCE -- A Pawtucket man was sentenced today to more than three years in prison for robbing the Pawtucket Credit Union in March last year.

William Harper, 41, received the 37-month sentence for taking about $3,600 from the the Pawtucket Credit Union on Broadway, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office.

Harper pleaded guilty in October to bank robbery.

Prosecutor Zechariah Chafee said at the plea hearing the government could show that on March 14 last year Harper, wearing a ski mask, went into the Credit Union at 540 Broadway. According to the news release, when Harper did not get attention at one teller window, he went to another teller, pushed in front of a customer, and thrust a plastic bag toward the teller, saying, “Fill this bag. Hurry up.”

The teller put about $3,600 in the bag, and Harper fled.

He was arrested at his Woodlawn Avenue apartment about a month later. Prosecutors said that after detectives confronted him with bank surveillance photos, he admitted to the robbery.

Pawtucket police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:55 PM | Comment

Mass. eyes rail link to New Bedford, Fall River

BOSTON -- State transportation officials say they've narrowed their list of possible routes for a proposed $1.4 billion commuter rail link to New Bedford and Fall River, Mass.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick made the rail project one of his top transportation goals. It's intended to help reinvigorate the South Coast economy.

Officials looked at 65 possible alternatives and narrowed the list to five.

The final list includes running the commuter rail through Attleboro or Middleborough using diesel or electric power or running through Stoughton also using diesel or electric power.

Another option is creating an express bus in a dedicated lane to South Station using Routes 24 and 128.

A final decision is expected in 2010.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:52 PM | Comment

Update: A plea to Bishop Tobin to reach out to abused

The national director for a group representing clergy abuse victims called this morning on the Most Rev. Thomas Tobin, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Providence, to take a more active role in helping prosecute two priests who once worked in the diocese and are now facing allegations that they molested children.

``We’re begging Bishop Tobin to be a true pastor and reach out to the wounded,’’ said David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, describing Tobin’s response to the issue so far as ``reckless.’’

``When any of us have an ability to jail a serial predator’’ and chose instead to do ``the bare minimum,’’ Clohessy said, ``we believe that is reckless.’’

Clohessy says his group believes that there are, in the Providence diocese, victims of abuse by The Revs. Phillip A. Magaldi and Aaron J. Cote, or at least witnesses, who, if Tobin encouraged them to step forward, could help police criminally prosecute the two priests.

Father Magaldi served in at least three Rhode Island parishes from 1961 through the 1980s before being transferred to parishes in Texas in 1990. Father Magaldi was removed from active priesthood in 1999 after a sexual-misconduct allegation emerged here. Two more local allegations arose in 2002 and 2007. Three other allegations have arisen in Texas. He lives in a private retirement center in Texas and is now reportedly HIV positive.

Last year the Dominican order and the archbishop of Washington awarded a Maryland man $1.25 million to settle a suit that he was allegedly abused as a teenage boy by the Rev. Aaron J. Cote, who later, in 2003, was transferred to Providence to be a youth minister at St. Pius V Church. Clohessy said this morning that police in western Massachusetts are now investigating another allegation that Cote molested two young brothers after the Providence diocese suspended him in 2005.

The Diocese issued a statement today, saying it's "important to note that allegations of sexual abuse relative to Fr. Magaldi were not made until after he left the Diocese of Providence. The diocese did however launch an investigation into the allegations. The findings were then forwarded to the Diocese of Ft. Worth to assist in their investigation. Additionally, Bishop Tobin has written to Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Ft. Worth in support of his efforts to seek laicization of Fr. Magaldi. The Office of Education and Compliance is in frequent communication with local law enforcement concerning allegations of sexual abuse by clergy."

It added, "Upon receiving a credible allegation of abuse relative to Fr. Cote, the Diocese of Providence immediately requested that his order remove him from ministry. Fr. Cote was never a diocesan priest, rather a Dominican priest assigned to the diocese by his order."

Clohessy suggested that if Tobin does not respond in the more aggressive way, Catholics could withhold church donations and give their money to other charitable causes.

The Diocese responded by saying it "is unfortunate that SNAP would encourage the faithful to withhold donations that support a number of charitable efforts for those in need. As state leaders face difficult choices and are forced to cut social service programs, organizations such as the Diocese of Providence make every effort tofill gaps created by such cuts. Withholding charitable donations to the diocese only hurts the most vulnerable Rhode Islanders who struggle each day to provide life’s basic needs for their families."

The diocese says anyone who wants to report sexual misconduct by anyone who serves the church to contact Lt. Robert McCarthy, Office of Education & Compliance, at 941-0760. McCarthy is in "regular contact with local law enforcement about such matters," according to the diocese.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:56 PM | Comment

Providence woman admits forging prescriptions

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence woman has admitted to a drug distribution and health-care fraud operation in which she sold forged oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions or traded them for crack cocaine.

Carol M. DiPina, 55, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to forging prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone on stolen forms and having other people fill the prescriptions at pharmacies, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. They got the prescriptions at little or no cost because health insurers, including Medicaid, reimbursed the pharmacies.

Prosecutor Adi Goldstein said at the plea hearing the government could show DiPina got pads of blank prescription forms from Rhode Island Hospital then forged prescriptions for various drugs, including OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicet, and Vicodin.

The prosecution at the plea heaing said evidence showed DiPina obtained the Rhode Island Hospital pads through other individuals. She sometimes drove conspirators to the hospital so they could steal the forms, the prosecution contended, according to Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.

DiPina had no connection to Rhode Island Hospital. It was not clear whether conspirators had a direct connection to the hospital.

DiPina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, and health-care fraud.

She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distributing a controlled substance; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for health-care fraud; and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit health-care fraud.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5.

According to prosecutors, DiPina wrote prescriptions in the names of people who benefitted from Rhode Island Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield RiteCare or private insurance. She sometimes used her own maiden name, Carol Sheed.

DiPina paid associates to have prescriptions filled at pharmacies. They gave her the medications, sometimes keeping some for themselves, and she either sold the rest or traded it for crack cocaine.

A DiPina associate told investigators that DiPina would pay him between $50 and $90 for each OxyContin prescription that he filled.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

A January search of DiPina’s apartment found a shoe box containing Rhode Island Hospital prescriptions for controlled substances. Agents also seized prescription pill bottles, ledgers containing DiPina’s customers' names, health insurance information of other people, doctors' names and their DEA registration numbers, and crack pipes.

Using forged prescriptions, DiPina got about 307,000 milligrams of OxyContin -- a typical pill has 40 to 80 milligrams -- for her and customers, plus some 13,100 dosage units of hydrocodone.

From 2001 to January 2008, Medicaid reimbursed pharmacies about $121,000 for the fraudulent prescriptions, and Blue Cross Blue Shield reimbursed about $17,000.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:01 PM | Comment

Loudspeakers deliver curfew message in Central Falls

The police in Central Falls hit the streets last night in police cruisers to enforce the first night of a curfew initiated by the mayor after two teenagers were shot and killed on the streets.

Patrol officers used the loudspeakers to remind residents that anyone younger than 18 had to be off the streets or with a guardian between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

“First we did education,” Police Chief Joseph Moran said today.

On Saturday, 19-year-old Helder Tomar, of Pawtucket, was shot in Jenks Park. The police say Tomar and Anthony Strobert, 19, Central Falls, got into a fight and Tomar pulled out a gun.

He shot Strobert, who was able to take the gun from Tomar, and shot and killed him, the police say. Strobert, who was being treated at Rhode Island Hospital, was charged with Tomar’s death.

The next day, thr police found 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman, a Central Falls High School student, shot at the intersection of Dexter and Darling Streets. The police have not made an arrest in his killing.

Moran has said he believes Sunday’s shooting may have been retaliation for Saturday’s shooting.

Your Turn: React to the curfew imposed in Central Falls

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

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:46 PM | Comment

Senate resolution honors Khmer Rouge survivor

A resolution to honor the life and work of a Cambodian photojournalist and human rights advocate has passed in the Senate.

Senate Resolution 515 –– sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and co-sponsored by 11 additional senators, including Jack Reed –– refers to Dith Pran as a modern day hero; an exemplar of what it means to be an American citizen as well as a citizen of the world.

Pran documented many of the atrocities by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the late 1970s. He also coined the term “killing fields” -- the title of a feature film released in 1984 -- to refer to the concentrations of dead bodies he saw as he made his way from Cambodia to Thailand.

“From his efforts to help foreign journalists escape from a collapsing Cambodia, to his own struggle to escape the Khmer Rouge’s killing fields, to his tireless work on behalf of genocide victims worldwide, Dith Pran showed a never ending commitment to human rights and dignity,” Whitehouse said in a statement.

“On behalf of Rhode Island’s Cambodian community, I’m proud that the Senate has honored Dith Pran, and I hope this resolution will help his message endure.”

Rhode Island is home to one of the largest Cambodian refugee populations in the country.

Pran, who died March 30 in New Jersey, sought refuge in the United States in 1980 and eventually became a citizen. He founded the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project to educate the world about what he witnessed in Cambodia.

Read the text of the resolution online.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:16 PM | Comment

RIC poll: Voters weigh in on ways to close deficit

To close a projected budget deficit, majorities of Rhode Islanders support getting rid of the lieutenant governor's office, cuts to welfare and merging Rhode Island College and CCRI, according to a poll out today.

A news release on the poll, conducted from April 17 to 28 by the Bureau of Government Research and Services, at Rhode Island College, also notes that people opposed cutting state money to Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island and the Community College of Rhode Island.

The poll took in 400 randomly selected registered voters and has a 4.5 percentage-point error margin.

Voters surveyed favored Governor Carcieri's proposal to reduce the maximum amount of time a family can stay on welfare.

Majorities also supported eliminating the office of lieutenant governor and merging Rhode Island College and CCRI into one school to reduce expenses.

But they were closely divided on the following proposals:

* About one in two supported round-the-clock gambling in Newport and Lincoln, while an almost identical number opposed it.

* Almost half of poll takers opposed large state employee layoffs, while a similar number supported them.

* Slightly more than half disagreed with the proposal to release early well behaved, non-sex-offender prisoners from the ACI, while four in 10 supported the proposal

* A little more than half opposed privatization to reduce the state workforce about 40 percent were in support.

* About half were against RIte Care cuts, while one-third support them.

State aid cuts to CCRI, RIC,and URI or to cities/towns did not win majority support, according to the release summarizing the poll:

* More than eight in 10 surveyed disagreed with cutting $17.1 million from the budget of CCRI, RIC, and URI; about one in 10 supported it.

* Two in three opposed cuts in state aid to cities and towns for non-school purposes.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment

T.F. Green to install new emergency notification system

The Rhode Island Airport Police at T. F. Green Airport said this morning it will install a new emergency notification system to aid in their communications during emergencies and security breaches.

The system, supplied by PURVIS Systems Inc., based in Middletown, will allow airport police officials to establish immediate contact with officers, first responders and outside units nationwide.

RI Airport Police Chief David Hayden said, “Since our work at T.F. Green presents a myriad of security issues, we required a communications system that would allow us to extend our reach beyond the members of our own unit, while enabling us to inform key officials in other airports nationwide.”

Don Dupuis, director of public safety at PURVIS Systems, Inc., said, “Travel safety remains a top-of-mind issue among officials, employees and travelers alike, and the need to communicate effectively is a critical element in providing that security. PURVIS ENS has been designed precisely to accommodate this form of communication, and we look forward to working with the Rhode Island Airport Police as they put the system to use.”

-- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:08 PM | Comment

Doctor convicted for legal abortion to speak tonight

Kenneth Edelin was convicted of manslaughter after performing a legal abortion in Massachusetts in the 1970s.

One year later, his conviction was overturned, and Edelin went on to become a dean at Boston University’s Medical School.

Tonight he is set to address Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island’s annual spring fundraiser: Justice for All.

The event is set for tonight 6 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Edelin will talk about the experiences chronicled in his book, “Broken Justice: A True Story of Race, Sex and Revenge in a Boston Courtroom."

Tickets for the event range from $25 to $100. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the PPRI Web site.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:26 AM | Comment

Providence pub owner in D.C. to see Irish P.M.

The owner of Patrick’s Pub, on Smith Street, is in Washington today to hear an address by the prime minister of Ireland.

The bar’s owner, Patrick Griffin, is a native of Ireland who came to the United States in 1984. Two years later he opened the bar, and has also served as the president of the state’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

“I’m proud that Patrick Griffin will represent Rhode Island on this remarkable occasion,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who sponsored Griffin’s visit, said in a statement.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, is stepping down after more than a decade.

Joining Griffin will be Speaker of the House William Murphy and John Murphy, Chairman of Home Loan Investment Bank, FSB. The two Murphy's are guests of Rep. James Langevin.

“I am delighted that Speaker Murphy and Mr. Murphy will be able to join me on this historic occasion, especially since this will likely be the Taoiseach’s last address before Congress,” Langevin said in a statement.

"As active members of the Irish community in Rhode Island, I thought they were fitting to represent our state at this address.”

Ahern’s address to Congress will be televised on C-SPAN 1 today at 11:00 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:59 AM | Comment

Taking the State House to the people tonight

Capitol City is coming to Warwick.

The House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare is holding a formal hearing in that city today. Testimony will be heard on the following bills:

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.

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 conferences.

H-7713: A bill by Rep. Steven Smith, D-Providence, Johnston, to make changes related to the Rhode Island Certification Standards Board for teachers and administrators.

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

The hearing is set for this evening at the Aspray Boat House, near Pawtuxet Park. It should begin between 6 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 8:41 AM | Comment

Health care forum heads to Woonsocket

In the sixth of several meetings, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts is taking her health-care proposal on tour, this time, to Woonsocket.

Tonight Roberts will be joined by local officials and supporters of her eight-bill health-care plan to a community meeting.

The public is invited and encouraged to ask questions and share stories about the effects of rising health care costs.

Woonsocket and Smithfield residents are invited to the meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Thundermist Health Center, 450 Clinton Street in Woonsocket

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:31 AM | Comment

Signs the circus is coming to town

PROVIDENCE -- If you drove into work through downtown this morning, you may already have spotted the sure signs that the circus is in town.

Pink, yellow, blue fluffy "things" are hanging from poles near parking garages and crosswalks, aimed at catching the eye of youngsters as they head to the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Sabin Street.

Tonight, the 138th edition of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opens a five-day run at the Dunk with a 7 o'clock show.

Tickets are $15 to $75, available at the Dunk box office or through Ticketmaster at (401) 331-2211 and www.ticketmaster.com. For information, call (401) 331-0700 or visit www.ringling.com.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:27 AM | Comment

Former New England mob leader indicted in Mass.

DEDHAM, Mass. -- A grand jury indicted 13 people, including former New England mob leader Vincent Ferrara of Boston, on state gambling charges yesterday.

Ferrara, 59, once a captain of the New England Mafia, was released early from a federal racketeering sentence in 2005 by a federal judge who found that prosecutors may have coerced Ferrara into admitting to a murder he did not commit.

In the Norfolk County indictment, he is accused of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to use a telephone for gambling purposes. He faces a possible year in jail and $2,000 fine if convicted. He could be sent back to prison if found to have violated his federal probation by committing any new crimes.

Ferrara's attorney, Martin Weinberg, declined to comment on the gambling case, saying he has not seen the indictment.

"The mere allegation of being involved in a misdemeanor does not dictate that he's culpable or facing federal jeopardy," Weinberg said Tuesday night.

-- The Associated

Dominic Santoro, 62, of Quincy and Marston Mills is accused of being the leader of the alleged gambling ring that operated in Boston and on the South Shore between June and October last year. He is charged with organizing a gambling ring, using a telephone to register bets, placing bets and conspiracy.

Santoro could not immediately be reached. It's not known if he has an attorney.

Norfolk District Attorney William Keating said the indictments ended "a substantial illegal gaming racket."

The defendants have not been arrested, and will be summoned to court when a date is set for arraignment.

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf in Boston released Ferrara in May 2005. He found that a federal prosecutor failed to tell defense lawyers a key witness recanted testimony claiming Ferrara ordered the 1985 killing of Vincent "Jimmy" Limoli, a mob foot soldier who allegedly stole drugs from another mobster.

Weinberg said Ferrara was innocent, but pleaded guilty to the murder along with racketeering charges to avoid a possible life sentence.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Rain reprieve

Today is starting off sunny and dry, but only one of those two will persist throughout the day.

The National Weather Service is forecasting increasing cloud cover as the day goes on with a high temperature near 61 degrees and west winds up to 16 mph.

Skies should clear up later tonight when the temperature drops to the freezing point and breezy winds come from the west.

There's a slight chance of rain tomorrow when the temperature is set to reach 62 degrees. Expect clouds all day and a light, south wind.

To keep an eye on the weather, check 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 a curfew set in Central Falls after the fatal shootings this weekend of two teenagers.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment