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« May 2008 | Today | July 2008 » June 30, 2008Rescue operation under way in Jamestown watersThe Coast Guard, police officers and a helicopter are on the scene of a rescue situation involving a person in the water off Fort Wetherill in Jamestown this evening, the Jamestown police said. -- Journal staff writer Paul Davis Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:34 PM | Comment Query: Have your unemployment benefits run out?Jobless in R.I.: Are you a Rhode Island resident who has run out of unemployment benefits but still can’t find a job? A federal program signed by President Bush today could extend the benefits of jobless residents whose unemployment ran out as of May 2007 or later. If your benefits have run out and you are willing to talk to a reporter about what it’s like trying to make ends meet, please contact Lynn Arditi at larditi@projo.com or call (401)277-7335. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:32 PM | Comment Forklift driver in Pawtucket injured when floor gives wayPAWTUCKET -- A forklift operator who was part of an work crew cleaning out a building on Roosevelt Avenue was injured when the floor gave way beneath him, causing him and the forklift to crash down into the basement. The accident occurred at 3:20 p.m. today on the first floor of the building that the Red Farm Studio greeting card company at 1135 Roosevelt Ave. Pawtucket Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Mercer said the crew had been brought in to clean out the building after the greeting card company closed. The forklift operator wasn’t immediately identified. Mercer said he was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence to be treated for injuries he suffered in the collapse. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:31 PM | Comment Accused killer waives right to extradition hearingPROVIDENCE -- Juan L. Diaz, who fled to Albany, N.Y., after being accused of murdering a woman in Pawtucket last week, has waived his right to an extradition proceeding, expediting his return to the state. Diaz is expected to be picked up by Rhode Island sheriffs on Thursday and held over the July 4th weekend at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston, said Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the state Attorney General’s office. He is expected to be arraigned in the murder case in District Court, Providence, on Monday, July 7. Diaz, 24, is accused of shooting Mayra A. Cruz Wednesday in the basement apartment he occupied at 14 Reservoir Ave. The Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Thursday that Cruz, 26, of Galego Court, died of a single gunshot wound to the head. According to Pawtucket police records, Diaz phoned the police and said he had shot Cruz accidentally during a struggle over a gun. But Diaz fled before the police arrived at the basement apartment, setting off a manhunt that led to Albany, where he has family. He was picked up on the street in Albany after Pawtucket detectives traced a cell phone call he made to a girlfriend in the Prospect Heights housing project in Pawtucket. Diaz is being held at the Albany County Correctional Facility. By waiving extradition, he gave up his right to have a court in New York determine whether the murder charge warranted handing him over to authorities in Rhode Island. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Brown team discovers material to absorb mercury gasesPROVIDENCE -- The swirly-shaped compact fluorescent light bulbs have become the darlings of those who care about saving energy and combating climate change, except for one nagging problem. When they break, they release tiny quantities of highly toxic mercury. Now, a team from Brown University believes it has developed a solution. It has discovered a material that rapidly absorbs mercury gases and could be used as the packaging for mercury bulbs or as a tool for cleaning up broken bulbs. The researchers have applied for federal patents and expect to soon enter into discussions with companies that could manufacture the packaging. The packaging was developed after Robert Hurt, a professor of engineering, and engineering student Natalie Johnson, discovered that a variant of a substance called nanoselenium, a trace element used in diet supplements, absorbed virtually all the mercury released by a broken bulb. Working with Steven Hamburg, associate professor for environmental studies, and other students, the team used the substance to develop a mercury-capturing lining that could be used inside store-bought compact fluorescent packages. -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:30 PM | Comment Smith Hill house fire displaces 7 peoplePROVIDENCE -- Six adults and one child are temporarily homeless after an early morning fire damaged their Smith Hill home, according to the Fire Department. The blaze began in the basement of a triple-decker at 87 Lydia St., and was reported to the Fire Department at 2:15 a.m., according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael J. Dillon. When firefighters arrived, all the occupants were out of the building and nobody was injured. The Rhode Island chapter of the American Red Cross was on hand to help the displaced occupants with temporary lodging and other assistance. The flames extended into the walls and traveled up to the first and second floors, according to Dillon. There was moderate fire damage to the basement and the first and second floors, and damage from smoke and water throughout, which together with the fact that electrical service was disconnected, left the house uninhabitable. Firefighters had the blaze under control within 20 minutes. The cause of the fire is under investigation. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 5:25 PM | Comment 5 R.I. companies awarded workforce expansion grantsThe Governor's Workforce Board and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. have awarded workforce expansion grants for new employee training to five Rhode Island companies. The grants total $387,348. Companies receiving the grants are: Albion Special Care, LLC of Lincoln for $45,990; Duralectra-CHN of Woonsocket for $125,000; Hope Global of Cumberland for $50,809; Infusion Resouce of Providence for $62,497; Senesco Marine of North Kingstown for $103,052. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment RIC dedicates new 'green' dormState education officials today are expected to celebrate a special “green” certification for a new 367-bed residence hall at Rhode Island College. The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education will take part in the celebration at 5 p.m. on the college campus with outgoing RIC president John Nazarian and incoming president Nancy Carriuolo. The new residence hall is the largest building in Rhode Island to receive the so-called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is also the first residence hall in Rhode Island to earn the designation. The 127,500-square-foot building was designed by RGB, a Providence-based architecture, engineering and interior design firm. Energy efficient design is expected to save more than $115,000 annually in heat and air conditioning costs. The building was sited to minimize the clearing of natural vegetation and more than 750,000 tons of trash from the construction work was recycled. -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:22 PM | Comment Cincinnati is not interested in Donnie EvansPROVIDENCE -- City schools Supt. Donnie Evans is no longer a finalist for the Cincinnati school district now that the Cincinnati School Board has decided to keep looking. Evans said he was disappointed but not surprised that the school board decided to launch a new search, adding that the board had told him that it was unhappy with the search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. Evans did say, however, that he was talking with another search firm about applying for three other superintendent openings, which he declined to name because of the confidential nature of the searches. According to The Cincinatti Enquirer, the board decided to re-open recruitment because its members felt that neither finalist would receive a 5-2 majority. The other finalist, Diana Bourisaw of St. Louis, withdrew her candidacy late last month, citing personal reasons, which left Evans as the sole candidate. “We don’t want our new superintendent to start with a factionalized board,” school board president Eve Bolton told The Enquirer. “We’ve done that before.” The Cincinatti board is expected to name an interim superintendent July 14. Meanwhile, Providence’s new superintendent, Thomas Brady, is scheduled to arrive here on July 14. Brady, the interim superintendent of Philadelphia, was hired this winter approximately a week after Evans announced that he would not be seeking a second three-year term in Providence. Brady spent 25 years in the military before entering the educational field and he has held top administrative positions in Fairfax, Va., and Washington, D.C. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:18 PM | Comment Henderson Bridge closed to walkers during repairsRepair work is under way on the Henderson Bridge and that means those who wish to cross the bridge on bicycle or on foot must use a sidewalk on the westbound side of the bridge. The first phase of construction is on the bridge’s eastbound lanes. Cars headed east are limited to one narrow lane, according to a Department of Transportation news release today. Bicycles and pedestrians are banned from the east side of the bridge during construction. On the westbound side, bicyclists must walk their bikes along the sidewalk and across the span. The bridge connects Waterman and Angell streets on Providence's East Side to Massasoit Avenue in East Providence. A detour for bicyclists and pedestrians headed to East Providence is in place from Waterman Street up Butler Avenue to a right on Angell Street, where they can access the sidewalk next to the bridge's westbound lanes. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:15 PM | Comment Pawtucket's Division Street Bridge is 2-way againPAWTUCKET -- The Division Street Bridge is being reopened to two-way traffic, seven months after it became one-way, and an elaborate set of detours was put in place, when a weight limit was imposed on part of Route 95. The bridge, now one-way eastbound, is expected to reopen to two-way traffic Wednesday morning, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are busy painting stripes, working on traffic signals and repaving the roadway, Kazem Farhoumand, DOT’s acting chief engineer, said today in an interview. The work, necessary before two-way traffic is restored to Division Street, has taken longer than expected, Farhoumand said, because of delays by private utility companies relocating wires from utility poles on the city-owned bridge. The Division Street Bridge has been one-way between George and Prospect streets since Nov. 28, when the state transportation department imposed a 22-ton weight limit -- later lowered to 18 tons -- on the bridges that carry Route 95 over the Pawtucket River. The weight limit was intended to prolong the life of the bridges, built half a century ago as part of the interstate highway system. The detours imposed as a result of weight limit involved diverting traffic through Pawtucket’s labyrinthine network of streets. There were concerns, when the detours took effect, that they would cause traffic jams in the city and wear and tear on Division Street Bridge, which was built 130 years ago and rehabilitated in 1985. But the traffic jams didn’t develop. Most trucks too heavily loaded to cross the Route 95 Pawtucket River Bridges legally detoured onto Route 146 or Route 295. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:14 PM | Comment Brown may have solved light-bulb problemPROVIDENCE -- The swirly-shaped compact fluorescent light bulbs have become the darlings of those who care about saving energy and combating climate change, except for one nagging problem. When they break, they release tiny quantities of highly toxic mercury. Now, a team from Brown University believes it has developed a solution. It has discovered a material that rapidly absorbs mercury gases and could be used as the packaging for mercury bulbs or as a tool for cleaning up broken bulbs. Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:12 PM | Comment June 27, 2008Carcieri vetoes bill to build Blackstone Valley courthouseGovernor Carcieri has vetoed a measure to build an $88-million Blackstone Valley courthouse, saying that "never, not even once, has any Rhode Islander -- save a legislator or a judge -- ever spoke to me of the pressing need to build a courthouse in the Blackstone Valley." During his six years as governor, Carcieri's veto message says, "Rhode Islanders from all walks of life have approached me to discuss important issues, including: taxes, health care, roads, open space, budget deficits, renewable energy, education ... ." But, Carcieri adds, building a courthouse has not been one they approached him about. Carcieri acknowledged it's true sometimes people are "forced to deal with cramped spaces, inadequate parking, peeling paint and other difficult conditions." But given that the executive and legislative branches succeeded in closing a $425-million deficit -- and the legislature "could only find $2.5 million in open space bond money" -- Carcieri asks how an $88-million courthouse gets "the imprimatur of the people's representatives." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:09 PM | Comment Tonight: Tribute bands and the bluesTonight, there are a couple of tributes to rock bands known to represent their eras. First up, the '60s and '70s. Classic Albums Live - The Who: Who's Next, is a tribute to The Who at Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, www.mohegansun.com. 8 p.m. No cover. Next up, the '80s. Jovi, as the name suggests, is a tribute to the band Bon Jovi, playing at Twin River, Lighthouse Bar, 100 Twin River Rd., Lincoln. Call 723-3200, (877) 827-4837, www.twinriver.com. 8:30 pm. No cover. 18+. There are also some blues acts tonight. Roger Ceresi, Gary "Guitar" Gramolini and Richard Ribb play rock and rhythm and blues at Duffy's Tavern, 235 Tower Hill Rd., North Kingstown. Call 295-0073. 5 to 9 p.m. The James Montgomery Blues Band plays at Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 765-1900. 8, 10 p.m. $15 early show; $10 late show; $18 both shows. Vieux Farka Toure plays blues at Waterplace Park, exit 22 off Route 95, Providence. Call 751-1177, www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism. 7:30 pm. Free. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Brown's Haffenreffer Museum in Bristol to close Aug. 30Brown University announced it will close its Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology in Bristol on Aug. 30 because of fire code and environmental issues. But Brown intends to move the "Haffenreffer collections closer to its main campus and is seeking a suitable location in or near Providence," according to a news release. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:10 PM | Comment January assault preceded fatal shooting, police sayPAWTUCKET -- The man accused of murdering Mayra Cruz Wednesday night was arrested in January on charges he broke into her Pawtucket apartment, struck and choked her, and ripped the telephone off the wall. After the incident, Juan L. Diaz, 24, was charged with breaking and entering, felony assault, simple assault, disorderly conduct, vandalism and preventing Cruz from using the phone. He was released on personal recognizance after being arrested by Pawtucket police after a traffic accident unrelated to the Jan. 18 break-in at the Galego Court housing project, on Weeden Street in Pawtucket, where Cruz, 26, lived with her 6-year-old daughter in apartment 1D.  Juan L. DiazDiaz was scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court last week on charges stemming from the assault and beak-in. A warrant for his arrest was issued when he failed to appear. Diaz is now being held in a jail in Albany County, N.Y., where he was picked up on a warrant charging him with Cruz’s murder. The Pawtucket police said he fled to Albany after shooting Cruz in the basement apartment at 14 Reservior Ave., where he had been living since the end of March. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci In an interview yesterday, Diaz’s landlady, Jacinta Fernandes, said Cruz was a frequent visitor to the apartment. Diaz introduced her as his girlfriend, Fernandes said, and she usually dropped by at night. The police were called to the apartment at 9:46 p.m. Wednesday, after Diaz called and said he had accidentally shot Cruz during a struggle over a gun. When they arrived, Diaz was gone, Cruz was lying dead in the apartment. The state Medical, Examiner’s Office ruled yesterday that she died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The police found Diaz in Albany after learning he had family there and tracing a cell phone call he had placed to a girlfriend in the Prospect Heights housing project. Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, said it is unclear when Diaz will be returned to the state. “We’re waiting to hear whether he waives extradition,” Healey said. “We won’t know anything until Monday, at which time, if he waives, Rhode Island state marshals will be going to Albany to bring him back.” It was unclear today what has happened to Cruz's 6-year-old daughter. In a written statement she gave police after the Jan. 18 break-in, she said she awoke at approximately 1:40 a.m. to find Diaz trying to remove the girl from the room. Diaz struck Cruz several times, Cruz said in the statement, then choked her, holding her against the bedroom mirror. When she was finally able to leave the bedroom, she told the police, she noticed that Cruz had ripped the telephone from the wall. She sent the girl to her sister’s apartment to get help, but Cruz’s sister, who is not identified by name in the police report, wasn’t home. Diaz finally left the apartment at 4:30 a.m. Diaz is described in the police report as Cruz’s ex-boyfriend. Cautioning that he was not commenting on this case in particular, Healey said, “Unfortunately it is fairly common” for a domestic assault victim to continue to associate with the victimizer. “Oftentimes these relationships are controlled by one person,” Healey said. “It’s very difficult for a whole host of reasons for the person being abused to withdraw.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Update: Jamestown lifeguards accused of drinking, firedJAMESTOWN –– Three lifeguards who police said were drinking alcohol while on the job Thursday were fired yesterday, according to William Piva, Jamestown’s recreation director. Kristy Lebelle, 19, of 100 Asquah Drive, North Kingstown, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, first offense, a misdemeanor. She was arraigned yesterday in district court, where she entered a not guilty plea, and released on $1,000 personal recognizance. Lebelle is next due in court on July 11. No charges have been filed so far against the other two lifeguards, whom police would identify only as a 17-year old man and a 17-year-old woman, both from Jamestown. The matter remains under investigation, Police Chief Thomas P. Tighe said. Jamestown police received a call at about 3:19 p.m. Thursday about an erratic driver on Beavertail Road headed toward Mackerel Cove Beach. Tighe said Lebelle and the 17-year-old female, riding as her passenger, had gone to the Cumberland Farms on North Main Street and were driving back to the beach. Lebelle’s car was swerving on the road and at one point driving on a flat tire “from an apparent impact with a curb,” the police said. The police had to close Mackerel Cove Beach briefly as the three lifeguards were the only ones on duty at the time of the incident. The town later recalled an off-dute lifeguard, reopening the beach until 5 p.m., the regular closing time, said Piva, the recreation director. Piva said there were less than a dozen people on the beach at the time, and that there was no one in the water. The three lifeguards had been suspended as of Thursday afternoon. Termination letters were mailed yesterday morning, Piva said. Mackerel Cove Beach re-opened at its regular time this morning, but Piva said the town plans to post signs reducing the guarded beach area until more lifeguards are hired. The town plans to readvertise the positions and raise the salary to $12 an hour from the current $10 an hour, Piva said. Paiva said in his two years as recreation director, and 20 years as a police officer, he can’t remember any similar incidents. “We hold them in high regard,” he said of the lifeguards, noting the training and certification they have to complete. “We expect these kids to be more mature.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 5:05 PM | Comment West Nile virus, EEE not found in R.I. samplingTest results from mosquito samples around Rhode Island found no West Nile virus or eastern equine encephalitis, the state Department of Environmental Management announced today. The results are for 48 mosquito pools, or samples, from 22 traps set statewide during the week of June 16. But the DEM cautioned that mosquito samples in Connecticut, near the Rhode Island border, recently turned up positive, indicating a "high probability that West Nile virus and possibly eastern equine encephalitis is present in certain areas of the state, though test results to date in Rhode Island are negative." The DEM encouraged residents to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and avoid getting bitten: * Remove anything that holds standing water -- old tires, buckets, junk and debris. * Clean gutters so they drain properly. * Maintain swimming pools correctly. * Use screens on windows and doors and cover up at dawn and dusk. * Put mosquito netting over playpens and baby carriages if outside. * Use mosquito repellant with no more than 30 percent DEET -- but don't use repellant on infants. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:53 PM | Comment Fisherman struck by lightning has diedPROVIDENCE -- A man who Bristol authorities said was struck by lightning earlier this week died yesterday at Rhode Island Hospital. Edgardo Torres died at 5:40 p.m., according to a hospital spokeswoman. The Journal reported on Wednesday that a 42-year-old man had been struck by lightning Tuesday as he was fishing off the rocks near Roger Williams University, in Bristol. About 20 volunteer firefighters worked their way down the shore to the unconscious man, who had collapsed and become stuck in the rocks, Bristol Fire Chief Robert J. Martin said Tuesday. The firefighters lifted him into a Stokes basket and carried him off the rain-slicked rocks, he said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Associated Press and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:49 PM | Comment Senator takes aim at his party's majority leaderIn the state Senate where debate is rare – and dissent even rarer – Sen. Leonidas “Lou’’ Raptakis, D-Coventry, has done the unusual. He has launched a political grenade aimed at taking out Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport. In a statement that he began circulating on Thursday, Raptakis said he “can no longer support’’ Paiva Weed as majority leader because she “failed to live up to her word in terms of promoting’’ several of his pieces of legislation, including a bill to increase the penalties for drunken drivers who drive with suspended and revoked licenses. Raptakis also blamed her for the end-of-session pileup that he said forced Senate votes on “150 bills in the final two days of the session.’’ “To me that’s a sign of ineffective leadership and a willingness to push through bills with little or no public input,’’ Raptakis said. “I had hoped for much better from Sen. Paiva Weed and I think the time has come to give someone else a chance to run the Senate floor in a manner more consistent with the public interest. He didn’t say who he felt would do a better job. -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau Raptakis was the sponsor of a number of high-profile bills, included a failed bill to raise the state’s $7.40-an-hour minimum wage. But the only one he cited in his call for Paiva Weed’s replacement was a measure that would have made it a felony – punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine – to drive with a license that has been suspended for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or refusing a Breathalyzer test. It stalled in the House Judiciary Committee, after clearing the Senate in May. In a brief interview before the State House swearing-in of a new state judge, Paiva Weed said: “Many pieces of legislation are introduced, pass one chamber, don’t pass the other ... It appears that this year, I am being held responsible for every piece of legislation, pass or fail, which is just not true.’’ With respect to Raptakis’ drunk-drivers’ bill, she said she “absolutely, very strongly supported this legislation,’’ but “the House leadership conveyed to me that the committee had concerns about it.’’ Raptakis said her didn’t in any way hold Senate President Joseph Montalbano, D-North Providence, responsible for any of his legislative frustrations, including the Senate’s refusal to pass a House bill requiring all legislators to pay 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums. (Raptakis joined those voluntarily contributing late last week). Why give Montalbano a pass? “Because she’s the one who runs the Senate floor,’’ said Raptakis of Paiva Weed, who is being challenged for reelection by Donna Perry, who is the executive director of the state GOP, and sister of WPRO radio talkshow host John DePetro. Raptakis acknowledged yesterday that he sent his statement to WPRO a day before he distributed to other media. Why? He said that was the only email address he had handy. Posted by maria caporizzo at 3:40 PM | Comment High court upholds September 2005 murder convictionPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of Jacques Gautier, who 10 years ago stabbed his estranged wife's boyfriend multiple times in Providence. A jury in September 2005 convicted Gautier, who lived in Providence, of second-degree murder in the death of Geoffrey Indellicati, who was 17. The verdict was a lesser charge than the first-degree murder in the indictment before trial, and the judge had granted a defense motion to dismiss several indictment counts. In the early morning of Oct. 6, 1998, according to the prosecution, Gautier entered the first-floor Barbara Street apartment of his wife, Minerva Gautier. The Gautiers were separated at the time and a District Court “no-contact” order was in effect because of a charge pending against Jacques Gautier for allegedly assaulting her. Indellicati was awakened in the apartment and the two men began fighting. Gautier chased Indellicati, attacking him again and again, according to testimony, and eventually forced Indellicati to a bathroom floor and stabbed him repeatedly. Indellicati had more than 60 wounds and was stabbed with two knives, according to the Supreme Court opinion. Gautier grabbed Minerva Gautier and the Gautiers' 21-month-old son, Eros, and forced them into his car at knifepoint and fled, according to testimony. Gautier took them to his sister's apartment, and a police officer eventually caught Gautier. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Gautier's appeal to the state's highest court asserted the judge erred by: * Allowing his wife’s prior recorded testimony from the defendant’s probation-violation hearing to be read into evidence. * Excluding an affidavit made by Gautier's wife in which she refuted testimony she gave at his probation-violation hearing. * Admitting evidence of a domestic assault incident and evidence the defendant had used cocaine shortly after Indellicati was killed. * Allowing the state to bolster the credibility of its own witness. * Failing to give the jury an instruction on voluntary manslaughter. * Commenting on the evidence while giving the a jury instruction on burglary. * Denying the defendant’s motion to “pass the case after a witness for the state misspoke.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:23 PM | Comment Feds uphold Mass. denial of Fall River LNG terminalThe U.S. Department of Commerce today upheld a decision by Massachusetts regulators to deny approval for the liquefied natural gas terminal planned by Weaver's Cove Energy LLC in Fall River. The decision is another blow for company, which has been battling widespread public opposition to the LNG plan, as well as series of unfavorable decisions by state regulators and federal agencies. Today's decision was issued by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration. Weaver's Cove had asked the department to overturn a decision by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management that determined that the project was not consistent with the state's coastal management plan. But the department upheld that determination. "Based on information submitted during the appeal, the [Commerce] Department determined that adverse coastal effects – particularly navigational safety concerns associated with delivering LNG to the terminal by tanker vessel up the Taunton River – outweigh the national interest." "Navigational safety concerns were articulated in a U.S. Coast Guard report that concluded the Taunton River is unsuitable for LNG tanker traffic of the size and frequency proposed by Weaver’s Cove." Weaver's Cove has proposed building a $550-million LNG import terminal in Fall River. In 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave its conditional approval of the project. That approval was contigent on Weaver's Cove obtaining approvals from several state and federal agencies, including Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. James Grasso, a consultant and spokesman for Weaver's Cove Energy, said the company was "disappointed" in the ruling, but he said it would continue pursuing the project. "We continue to pursue the project, and we will continue to investigate and examine the documents to decide our next steps," he said. "For some reason, people do not realize that we need this energy and Fall River and Somerset need all the benefits associated with this project," Grasso said. "Most importantly, LNG has a 60-year exemplary safety record that I would say compares to none other." Jeff Donald, a spokesman for NOAA, said department decisions can be appealed by filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court. In a separate decision issued today, federal regulators approved a request by Weaver's Cove to extend by five years the company's conditional permit to build an LNG facility in Fall River. The permit issued by FERC to Weaver's Cove in 2005 was to expire in July 2010. The company was required to have the facility built and operating by then. The company now has until November 2015 to construct the facility and put it into operation. Posted by Tim Barmann at 2:54 PM | Comment Photo essay: A big day for a small N.H. town
UNITY, N.H. (AP) -- Rivals turned allies, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton made a display of unity Friday in a hamlet named for it, their first joint public appearance since the divisive Democratic primary race ended. "Unity is not only a beautiful place as we can see, it's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? And I know when we start here in this field in Unity, we'll end on the steps of the Capitol when Barack Obama takes the oath of office as our next president," Clinton said just after she and Obama took the stage together.
A crowd is gathers in Unity, N.H., to hear Obama and Clinton.
Posted by maria caporizzo at 2:29 PM | Comment Hotels, restaurants step up to fund July WaterFirePROVIDENCE — When organizers announced plans for WaterFire’s 2008 season last month, there was one glaring omission: no WaterFire lightings were scheduled in July, typically one of the slowest months on the city’s arts and entertainment calendar. Consider the problem solved. Thanks to an influx of donations from local hotels and restaurants, a full WaterFire lighting will be held on Saturday, July 19. The lighting, which will begin at sunset (8:16 p.m.) and continue through midnight, will also serve as the official kickoff for the United Way of Rhode Island’s annual “Live United” fundraising campaign. At a press conference today, WaterFire creator Barnaby Evans thanked the dozens of hotels and restaurants who had helped make the extra lighting possible, among them: the Hotel Providence, the Renaissance Providence Hotel, The Capital Grille and Pot au Feu. “We are delighted to be joined by so many of the superb restaurants and hotels of our city as we welcome people from far and wide to enjoy Providence,” Evans said. After the July lighting, the next WaterFire is scheduled for Saturday, August 2. -- Journal staff writer Bill Van Siclen Posted by Jack Perry at 2:21 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Looking into fights at middle schoolAre there any Bridgham Middle School teachers who want to talk about the rash of fights in front of the school? If so, call reporter Linda Borg at 277-7823. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:02 PM | Comment Citing higher cost of diesel, RIPTA raises ferry rates $3A one-way ticket on the Providence-to-Newport ferry will cost an additional $3 because of increased costs of diesel fuel, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced today. RIPTA said a fuel surcharge has been added this week to the cost "due to unprecedented increase" in diesel fuel costs. While the fuel surcharge helps with the cost of fuel, it does not allow the company to break even," Check the fares for using the ferry here. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:22 PM | Comment Governor to sign 'reverse' mortgage legislationGovernor Carcieri is scheduled to hold a ceremonial signing at the State House at 3 p.m. today for legislation designed to improve consumer protections against the risks of "reverse" mortgages. Reverse mortgages allow cash-strapped homeowners age 62 or older who have paid off their houses to borrow against the equity. The loans do not come due until the homeonwer sells the house or dies. The legislation passed by the General Assembly mandates greater disclosures of fees charged by the lender, and requires that borrowers receive financial counseling prior to obtaining a reverse mortgage that is not government-insured. (Federally insured reverse mortgages already require additional protections.) The legislation approved by state lawmakers stops short of banning pre-payment penalties, which allow lenders to charge additional fees to borrowers who pay off the mortgage early. The AARP Rhode Island, a lobbying group for the elderly, had opposed any pre-payment penalties, the group's associate director of advocacy, Stephen Jennings,said. "Our position is that pre-payment penalties trap people in loans that they may have decided weren’t a good thing for them,'' Jennings said, "but we supported the bill because we think other things in it are important.'' The legislation requires, among other things, that borrowers receive financial counseling from a government approved agency prior to entering the loan agreement, creates a three-day waiting period before the closing is finalized, and prohibits lenders from offering or requiring that borrowers also purchase an annuity until after the closing. The House version of the legislation (H-7723 Sub A), which was signed by the governor on June 6, was sponsored by state Rep. Richard Singleton; state Sen. David Bates sponsored the Senate version (S-2598 Sub A). -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi Posted by maria caporizzo at 12:59 PM | Comment Woman claims murder defendant assaulted herWARWICK -- The prosecution rested this morning in the murder trial of a West Warwick man charged with murder, and the defense will have the opportunity to present witnesses this afternoon. Before resting, the prosecution presented a witness who testified that in 2001, she had been assaulted by Brian Mlyniec, 45, who is on trial before a Kent County Superior Court jury on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of a former girlfriend. Mlyniec is accused of killing Kelly Ann Andersen in June 2006. She had been strangled, according to previous testimony. A witness testified this morning that in February of 2001, Mlyniec forced her to drink vodka and take pills in a North Kingstown hotel room. She said she lost consciousness and realized she'd been assaulted when she woke up. The trial is to continue after a lunch break this afternoon. Read more from yesterday's testimony. -- Journal staff writer Nandini Jayakrishna Posted by Jack Perry at 12:41 PM | Comment Tribe member appeals conviction in smoke shop casePROVIDENCE -- A Narragansett tribe member has appealed his conviction for assaulting state police who raided a tribal smoke shop in 2003. A defense attorney for Hiawatha Brown says he filed notice this week that Brown will appeal his conviction on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and simple assault to Rhode Island's Supreme Court. Attorney William Devereaux says Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and tribe member Randy Noka may also appeal their convictions. The three men were arrested for scuffling with state police who raided a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown that was not collecting state taxes. A federal appeals court later ruled the shop was operating illegally. Brown received a one-year suspended sentence and probation and was ordered to take anger management counseling. Read a special report on the smoke shop case. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 12:10 PM | Comment Obama, Clinton almost in Unity, small N.H. town / Photo
A forest of satellite trucks are lined up outside the small elementary school in Unity, a town with no stop lights, and lots of dirt roads, wood stoves and deer hunters. Unity was picked for obvious reasons; first, the name of the town will be the theme for today’s event. Secondly, in New Hampshire’s Democratic presidential primary in January, Obama and Clinton tied. Each received 107 votes in this town of 1,600 people. It's not easy to find Unity on map, and the town roads have no numbered route signs. It’s about as far in the woods of New England as you can get. And the locals here are proud of it. The town’s unofficial souvenir sold at the one store, Will’s Place, is a screen printed T-shirt with an emblem of a moose sleeping in a hammock and the logo: “Unity; life in the slow lane.” -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:01 PM | Comment U.S. Attorney: Celona won't testify at execs' retrialPROVIDENCE -- Federal prosecutors say they don't plan to call disgraced former state Sen. John Celona as a witness in the retrial of two former hospital executives accused of corruption. Prosecutors in new court papers say they don't intend to involve Celona provided they can use the same documents as in the first trial. Celona testified against the former executives of the Roger Williams Medical Center convicted of paying him for legislative favors. Those convictions have since been overturned. Celona was accused of lying on the stand in a separate federal corruption trial of two former CVS executives who were acquitted last month of bribing Celona. Prosecutors have admitted they couldn't be sure what his testimony was going to be. Read more about the federal investigation dubbed Operation Dollar Bill. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:54 AM | Comment Foxwoods Resort Casino lays off 200 workersThe tribe that owns the Foxwoods Resort Casino says nearly 200 employees have been laid off. A spokeswoman for the Mashantucket Pequots says the layoffs of middle managers and some hourly employees are part of what she calls a strategic organizational review process begun in January. "[Layoffs] are scattered across departments," said Lori Potter, the Mashantucket spokeswoman. The job cuts are believed to be the first in the casino's 16-year history and follow a similar layoff last month in the tribal government's workforce. The workers let go yesterday will get two weeks severance pay for each year they were employed up to 13 years as well as health benefits, she said. Foxwoods employs about 10,000 people at its casinos, including 1,747 at the newly opened MGM Grand. This week's job cuts do not affect MGM Grand, the $700-million hotel and casino wing opened last month, Potter said. The addition helped Foxwoods reverse an eight-month decline in slot machine revenues. Foxwoods saw a nearly 8-percent increase in its slot win compared with May of last year. Nearby rival Mohegan Sun also eked out an increase as slot win crept up two-tenths of a percent. Slot win is the money left after the machines pay out any winnings to bettors. The casino industry, like many other employment sectors, is being hurt by a shaky national economy. Spiking fuel prices and plummeting home values are making many Americans cautious about spending. Figures from the 12 states where commercial casinos are legal show revenue at gambling halls in those states dropped 1.3 percent, combined, in the three months ending Jan. 31, compared with the same period a year ago, according to the American Gaming Association. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Jack Perry at 11:38 AM | Comment AIDS Project RI, Family Service announce mergerIn a move designed to achieve bureaucratic efficiencies and improve HIV/AIDS advocacy and prevention efforts, two major social-service groups -- AIDS Project Rhode Island and Family Service of Rhode Island -- this morning announced that they have merged. AIDS Project Rhode Island will now be known as “AIDS Project Rhode Island, a division of Family Service of Rhode Island,” leaders of both groups said at a news conference in the City Hall office of Providence Mayor David Cicilline. “This is a win-win situation for both of us,” said Sue Johnson, a board member of AIDS Project Rhode Island. Cicilline, a former chairman of the APRI board, joined discussions that led to the merger. Family Service CEO Margaret Holland McDuff said the merger will provide a “platform” on which to improve HIV/AIDs prevention and advocacy efforts. Although treatments developed in the last decade extend the life of people with the disease, McDuff reminded those at the conference that the disease has not gone away. “It’s still, unfortunately, alive and ‘well’ in Rhode Island,” McDuff said. -- Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller Posted by Jack Perry at 10:59 AM | Comment Police go to N.Y. to get Pawtucket murder suspectPawtucket police detectives are going to Albany, N.Y., this morning, where the suspect in one of three fatal shootings in three different Rhode Island cities Wednesday night was taken into custody. On Wednesday night, 26-year-old Mayra Cruz was found dead in an apartment where Juan L. Diaz had been living. According to a statement released by Pawtucket Police Maj. John J. Whiting, Pawtucket police were informed early into their investigation that Diaz, a suspect in Cruz’s death, had fled to Albany. Pawtucket police worked with officials in Albany and members of the U.S. Marshals Service to find Diaz. He was arrested on the streets of Albany without incident and is being held on a fugitive from justice warrant and a warrant for murder. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment Governor vetoes key renewable energy billGovernor Carcieri has vetoed a key renewable energy bill passed by the General Assembly that was designed to foster private investment in major renewable energy projects and shift the state away from its reliance on traditional fossil fuels. The bill would require National Grid to enter into "commercially reasonable" long-term contracts with renewable-energy developers to purchase their electricity. That requirement would give assurance to prospective developers that there would be a buyer for the electricity produced by the project. "It is with much regret that I find it necessary to veto this legislation," the governor said in a veto statement issued this morning. "Unfortunately, I believe the legislation before me today fails to balance our desire to invest in renewable energy with the realities that ratepayers currently endure." The governor gave three reasons for his veto. He said he took issue with a provision in the bill that would give National Grid a bonus payment of 3 percent of the renewable energy contracts it entered into, once the project began operations. Electricity customers would have paid for the bonus. National Grid has said that if it enters into these long-term renewable energy contracts, the cost to borrow money throughout the company would have been more expensive. The payment would have offset those additional costs. According to calculations by The Providence Journal, National Grid would receive at least $2.8 million a year if it could purchase the required amount of power at a rate of 11.5 cents per kilowatt hour. (That is the rate National Grid is seeking to charge for electricity as of July 1.) But the governor, echoing arguments made by some legislators, said that any bonus to enter into long-term contracts was "unnecessary and unearned." Secondly, the governor said another flaw in the bill was that it did not require National Grid to enter into renewable energy contracts from developers who are building a project within Rhode Island. The bill required that the project provide some economic benefit to Rhode Island, but did not require it to be located here. While it may be true that a renewable energy project located in Massachusetts, Maine or Canada could provide some economic benefit to Rhode Island, projects based here "deserve greater weight." Lastly, the governor said the most troubling provision was a requirement that 5 megawatts of the renewable energy contracts must come from a Rhode Island-bases solar energy project. "While it's encouraging to see a Rhode Island project get priority, it's unfortunate that the General Assembly picked perhaps the costliest renewable technology and decided to give it, and only it, preferential treatment." He said that a recent study by the University of Rhode Island Partnership for Energy report found that the state is not well-positioned for large-scale solar power. "I'm confident that working with legislative leaders, environmentalists, energy producers and ratepayers we can come up with a better way to support investment in renewable energy projects in Rhode Island," Carcieri said. Posted by Tim Barmann at 10:35 AM | Comment Performing arts in a neighborhood near youThis summer, the best seat in the house may be your front lawn. The Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, the Parks Department and Mayor David Cicilline are set to announce the summer line-up for the 2008 Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative. The program brings singers, dancers, theater and other performing arts events to neighborhoods across the city. At the 10:30 a.m. line-up announcement, the dance company JUMP! will perform live on stage at Dexter Training Grounds in the West End. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:09 AM | Comment Projo blogs will get an upgrade SaturdaySaturday morning we’ll be upgrading the active projo blogs to a new version of the Movable Type software. All blogs will remain available during this process. Afterwards you’ll see a new look and some new features, and we’ll welcome your comments about them. Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:41 AM | Comment Alert: Unhealthy Air Quality; the buses are freeTemperatures are supposed to rise just a few degrees above average, but the Department of Environmental Management says today we’re going to have to deal with unhealthy air today. The DEM is forecasting “unhealthy” air today in the eastern part of the state, and in the southern and coastal areas, because of high levels of ozone. Providence, however, gets a “moderate” rating for today. All buses and trolleys will be free for the day. During “unhealthy” days, people may suffer from a host of health problems, including coughing, eye, nose and throat irritation and other respiratory problems. Ozone, which forms near the surface when pollutants –– such as car exhaust and industrial emissions –– react with sunlight and sufficient heat. DEM recommends limiting strenuous activity during the afternoon and early evening. And children, people with respiratory diseases –– such as asthma –– and people who work outside need to pay particular attention to their health because they may be more sensitive to ozone that the general population. Click below learn ways to stay healthy during high ozone days. Limit driving. Avoid unnecessary car trips. Carpool, walk or ride the bus or a bicycle whenever possible. Minimize starts and avoid unnecessary acceleration. Vehicle emissions are highest during starting and acceleration. Reduce idling. Avoid congested traffic and lines at drive-through windows. Drive your lowest emission vehicle. Use the most fuel-efficient, usually the newest, car you have whenever possible. Refuel at stations, which have vapor recovery. Fill your tank at a station which is equipped with a Stage II vapor recovery system. Don't top off. Maintain your vehicle. Get a tune-up at the beginning of each summer. Minimize lawn mower emissions. Tune-up your lawn mower and use electric or hand powered equipment if possible. Limit use of solvent-based household products. Use water-based or low solvent paints, varnishes, cleaners, and personal care products. Limit barbecue emissions. Use an electric starter instead of lighter fluid to start charcoal fires, or use an electric, natural gas, or propane grill. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:20 AM | Comment Reporter seeks tales of first haircut, last day at homeStaff Writer G. Wayne Miller is looking for candidates for two stories: FIRST HAIRCUT. Miller seeks a toddler, girl or boy, who’s never had her or his hair cut. Miller and a staff photographer would join the child and parents on the day of the first cut. LAST DAY AT HOME for a high school graduate who is heading off to college. A student leaving for a distant school is preferable, but not required; the only requirement is that the student will be living away from home. Miller and a staff photographer would be at the student’s home on the last day If interested, please contact Miller at gwmiller@projo.com Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:17 AM | Comment Today in history: Nazi saboteurs arrive by submarineOn this day in 1942, the FBI announced the capture of eight Nazi saboteurs who had been put ashore from a submarine on New York's Long Island. Watch video about today in history. Read more from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Guess what? Rain in the forecastWill it ever end? Take a look at the abbreviated forecast from the National Weather Service: Today we've got: a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. All with the possibility of hail, lightning strikes and gusty winds. In any event, aside from the possible rain -- late this afternoon -- we'll see cloudy skies today with mild west winds and warm temperatures, headed toward 87 degrees. Tonight, aside from the possible rain, expect to see some fog late tonight/early tomorrow morning. Temperatures should drop to about 67 degrees and we'll have calm, southwest winds. Fog may continue into Saturday morning, and give way to cloudy skies. We'll have very calm east winds with temperatures reaching 85 degrees. Saturday night may bring more storms and dense fog. Temperatures are expected to drop to 68 degrees with east winds. Expect more fog and clouds Sunday, and add to that, south winds gusting up to 23 mph. Temperatures should hit the low 80s. Sunday night looks cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 68 degrees. Back to Monday and we've got, of course, a chance of rain, and cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 80s. If you really want to, you can take another look on projo.com's weather page at the weekend forecast. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: A violent night in the Ocean StateToday's front page features coverage of a violent night in the Ocean State. Within a few hours late Wednesay night, three people were shot and killed in three different cities. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment Projo blogs upgrade set for SaturdaySaturday morning we plan to upgrade the active projo blogs to a new version of the Movable Type software. All blogs will remain available during this process. Afterwards you’ll see a new look and some new features, and we’ll welcome your comments about them. Posted by Sheila Lennon at 7:00 AM | Comment June 26, 2008Tonight: Author tells of pictorial journey in South CountySouth County has plenty of picturesque places. Tonight you can hear from an author who's captured some of them in a book. Eric Wertheimer will present and talk about his new book, Only in South County: A Pictorial Journey, from 7 to 9 tonight at Peace Dale Library, 1057 Kingstown Rd., South Kingstown. For information, call (401) 789-1555. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:54 PM | Comment Update: Suspect sought in Pawtucket fatal shootingA gunshot wound to the head caused the death of a 26-year-old Pawtucket woman found dead at 14 Reservoir Ave., Pawtucket, last night, and a suspect is being sought. The woman was identified as Mayra Cruz in a news release from the state Office of Medical Examiners this afternoon giving the cause of death. She was one of three people shot to death in three Rhode Island cities last night. Pawtucket police are looking for Juan Diaz, 24, who is being sought on a charge of murder, according to Detective Sgt. Cory Jackson, the case's lead detective. He said Diaz may have left the state. A gun has not been recovered, the police said, and Diaz should be considered armed and dangerous. Police described Diaz as white, with brown hair, 6 feet tall, weighing about 200 pounds, unshaven, and not wearing glasses. Diaz "was known to the victim," police said. The police asked that any information be forwarded to the Pawtucket police criminal investigative division at 727-9100: Detective Michael Kane at ext. 759 or Detective Sgt. Jackson at ext. 722. If there is no answer, the police said to call 727-9100, ext. 712. Jackson said police are proceeding on the theory that the shooting was a murder, although the police dispatch log indicates a 9-1-1 call from a distressed male at the site of the shooting -- 14 Reservoir Ave. -- that came in at 9:56 last night. The caller reported he had accidentally shot his girlfriend in the face about two hours earlier during a struggle over a gun. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Earlier today, building owner Jacinta Fernandes said that about 9:50 last night, while at a baseball game with her son, she got a call from neighbors telling her she might want to come home, because there were police cars all over the place. When she returned to her house, Fernandes said, the body was in the basement apartment and she wasn’t allowed in. Fernandes said the man who lived there had been staying in the basement apartment since the end of March. Jackson confirmed later today that Diaz, the suspect the police are looking for, lived in the basement apartment Fernandes had referred to. When the police arrived at the address, they found a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. She was declared dead at the scene, according to Jackson. The police were told that a possible armed suspect was inside the house; the building was secured by the Pawtucket Police Special Response Team. No one else was found in the house, according to Jackson’s statement. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:43 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Are you a cash-strapped student?Are you a cash-strapped student at Rhode Island College or the Community College of Rhode Island who can barely make ends meet and are worried about how you will cover all your college bills this fall? Contact education reporter Jennifer D. Jordan with your story: e-mail her at jjordan@projo.com or call (401) 277-7254 Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:26 PM | Comment Update: Special master to oversee Landmark operationsPROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein approved a petition today from the Landmark Medical Center and appointed an attorney as temporary special master to oversee the financially troubled hospital's operations and consider a potential merger or sale. Jonathan N. Savage, with the firm Shechtman, Halperin and Savage of Pawtucket, will assume control of the hospital's assets and day to day operations. He also will "seek and evaluate potential acquisitions, partnerships and other financial solutions," said Richard Charest, president of Landmark. Charest said, "Although the hospital is in a negative net asset position, based upon current operations, Landmark has sufficient cash on hand to continue operations through the first quarter of 2009." He said, "Landmark will continue to deliver high quality health care to the residents of northern Rhode Island." Savage's appointment is temporary, and the court will reconvene in 21 days to decide if the special master shall be a permanent designation. In statements late this afternoon, Governor Carcieri and Health Department Director David Gifford said they supported the appointment of a special master. Attorngey General Patrick C. Lynch said he appreciated the judge's "quick intercession to try to preserve Landmark as a community asset." The chief executive officer of Landmark petitioned the court earlier today to have a special master to take charge of the financial affairs of the Woonsocket hospital.
In the petition, Gary Gaube, chief executive officer and trustee of Landmark, cited the facility's providing of more than $8.5 million annually in uncompensated care to the uninsured and the underinsured. In addition to threatening a facility that is the third busiest emergency room in the state, the brief filing asserts, at risk are about 1,100 jobs at Landmark. The medical center made a plea in the late innings of the recently-ended General Assembly session for relief from a merger-approval procedure so it could more quickly merge with the financially stronger Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket -- before Landmark is forced to shut down. However, time ran out in that legislative proposal, The Journal reported. Before the session ended, lawmakers asked questions of Landmark executives about how the finances turned so dire. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment Gunshot wound to torso killed Woonsocket youth, 17A gunshot wound to the torso with injuries to aorta and liver caused the death of a 17-year-old Woonsocket male last night -- one of three victims of fatal shootings in three Rhode Island cities overnight. The male was identified as Brandon Smith in a news release from the state Office of Medical Examiners this afternoon. At about 10 last night, the police went to 45 Robinson St. in Woonsocket. A 17-year-old male had been shot and was taken to Landmark Meidcal Center, where he was pronounced dead, Chief Eric Croce said earlier today. Croce said police have not ruled out drugs as a motive for the shooting; no arrests have been made, and police have no suspects. This afternoon, Jason Horne, who said he lived in the first floor of the two-apartment house at 45 Robinson St., told a reporter that the teen had moved into the second floor apartment about six months ago to help the woman who lived there. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:52 PM | Comment Update: Police probe fatal shootings in 3 R.I. cities
In a spate of violence touching three Rhode Island cities within hours late last night, the police in Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket are investigating three fatal shootings. It all happened in a little more than two hours, leaving dead two 17-year-old males -- one in Providence and one in Woonsocket -- and a woman in Pawtucket. At about 9:45 p.m., a report of a shooting came into the Pawtucket Police Department, according to a statement from Sgt. Cory Jackson. When the police arrived at 14 Reservoir Ave., they found a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. She was declared dead at the scene, according to Jackson. The police were told that a possible armed suspect was inside the house; the building was secured by the Pawtucket Police Special Response Team. No one else was found in the house, according to Jackson’s statement. The shooting is being considered suspicious. The police have not released the name of the victim. The victim was a frequent visitor and had been introduced as the girlfriend of the man who lived there, the owner of the building said today. Building owner Jacinta Fernandes said that about 9:50 last night, while at a baseball game with her son, she got a call from neighbors telling her she might want to come home, because there were police cars all over the place. When she returned to her house, Fernandes said, the body was in the basement apartment and she wasn’t allowed in. Fernandes said the man who lived there had been staying in the basement apartment since the end of March. At about 10 p.m. last night, the police went to 45 Robinson Street in Woonsocket. A 17-year-old male had been shot and was taken to Landmark Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Chief Eric Croce. Croce said police have not ruled out drugs as a motive for the shooting; no arrests have been made and police have no suspects. This afternoon, Jason Horne, who said he lived in the first floor of the two-apartment house at 45 Robinson St., told a reporter that the teen had moved into the second floor apartment about six months ago to help the woman who lived there. The woman refused to talk to a Journal reporter at the scene. No yellow crime scene tape was at the house, a two-story with wraparound porch, tan with burgundy shutters, and well kept. Police had also left the scene. Just before midnight last night, the Providence police were alerted to an injured man at 124 Eastwood Ave., according to a statement released by Capt. Hugh Clements. When officers arrived, they found a “young man” with a gunshot wound in the street. The victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and pronounced dead soon after his arrival, according to Clements. Police identified him this afternoon as Virgilio Rojo, 17, of 470 Manton Ave., Providence. No arrests have been made. Clements said this is the city's seventh homicide of the year. This afternoon, a small group of memorial candles had been put in place in front of a small church across the street from the house at 124 Eastwood. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writers W. Zachary Malinowski and Mark Reynolds Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 4:27 PM | Comment Health department reopens 7 beaches for swimmingThe state Department of Health today reopened seven Rhode Island beaches to swimming. They are Third Beach and Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, Camp Grosvenor in North Kingstown, Fort Adams State Park Beach in Newport, and Gorton Pond Beach, Oakland Beach and Conimicut Point Beach, all in Warwick. The health department recommended reopening these beaches based on water samples that yielded bacteria levels within acceptable limits. But it wasn't all good news for swimmers. The health department closed to swimming Bristol Town Beach and Warren Town Beach because of high bacteria counts. Remaining closed is City Park Beach, in Warwick. For updates on swimming at beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:22 PM | Comment Photo / Video: It's good to be home from Iraq
Video: Watch scenes of the soldiers being welcomed home. Posted by Jack Perry at 4:18 PM | Comment Foam firm makes $6.3 M settlement offer in Station suitA Johnston foam company and the salesman who suggested The Station nightclub owners use foam soundproofing have agreed “in principle” to pay $6.3 million to settle lawsuits stemming from the 2003 nightclub blaze that left 100 people dead. The latest in a series of tentative settlements comes from the American Foam Corp., the executors of the estate of the company’s late president, and former company salesman Barry Warner, who lived next to the West Warwick nightclub and told the club owners they could buy foam as soundproofing. The notice of settlement was filed in U.S. District Court in Providence today, saying that a “settlement in principle has been reached” with American Foam Corp., Warner and the three co-executors of Aram DerManouelian’s estate -- Jo-Ann DerManouelian, Everett Marabian and Paul Plourde. The new settlement offer brings the pool of money offered to victims to about $155 million. But it will be months before victims see any of that money because the deals hinge on the approval of the court, the approval of all the plaintiffs, and court approval of the plan for divvying up the money. Extra: The Journal's continuing report on the Station fire and its aftermath. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:47 PM | Comment Shooting victim had been introduced as tenant's girlfriendPAWTUCKET -- A woman found dead in a Pawtucket apartment last night was a frequent visitor and had been introduced as the girlfriend of the man who lived there, the owner of the building said today. At about 9:50 last night, building owner Jacinta Fernandes was at a baseball game with her son, she said, when she got a call from neighbors telling her she might want to come home, because there were police cars all over the place. When she returned to her house at 14 Reservoir Ave., Fernandes said, the body was still in the basement apartment and she wasn’t allowed in. The police say she was shot to death. Fernandes said the woman, in her 20s, did not live there, but was a frequent visitor and had been introduced as the boyfriend of the man who lived there. Fernandes gave his name only as “Johnny.” Fernandes said he was friendly and had been staying in the basement apartment since the end of March. She asked her neighbors what had happened, but they said they didn’t hear anything. “Everybody’s in shock,” Fernandes said. Tonight, members of her church are going to spend the night with her. No one has been arrested in the shooting, police are still investigating. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:18 PM | Comment Governor Carcieri signs $6.9 billion state budget / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today signed Rhode Island's budget for the year that begins July 1 -- a budget designed to close a massive deficit. The governor, a Republican, was flanked by legislative leaders of the Democrat-dominated General Assembly. The state was projected to face a $425 million gap in its finances, something the $6.9 billion spending package is set to close, in part through cuts to programs for the elderly, the poor and the disabled. Carcieri and lawmakers are taking reporters' questions at this hour in the State House State Room, where the signing happened. The room is packed with legislators, state department directors and others. -- With reports from Cynthia Needham of the Journal State House Bureau and Journal archival reports Your turn: What do you think of this year's budget? Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:07 PM | Comment Victim of Providence shooting ID'd as city youth, 17Police have now identified the person killed in a Providence shooting last night as Virgilio Rojo, 17, of 470 Manton Ave., Providence, in one of a spate of deadly overnight shootings in three Rhode Island cities. Just before midnight, the Providence police were alerted to an injured man at 124 Eastwood Ave., according to a statement earlier today released by Capt. Hugh Clements that did not identify the victim. When officers arrived, they found a “young man” with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and pronounced dead soon after his arrival, according to Clements. It is the city's seventh homicide of the year. -- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski and projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:16 PM | Comment Defendant: Strangling victim not coerced into sexWARWICK -- A West Warwick man accused of strangling a woman to death said that the victim was not coerced into having violent sex. “She knew what she was doing,” Brian Mlyniec said on a recording made during a police investigation in 2006. The recording was made shortly after the state’s Medical Examiners Office ruled the cause of death of Kelly Ann Andersen, 41, was strangulation. Jurors watched the interview in Kent County Superior Court before they broke for lunch today. Mlyniec, now 45, is facing murder charges in Andersen’s death. She was found dead in Mlyniec’s apartment two years ago. Earlier in the day, assistant medical examiner Peter A. Gillespie, who also testified yesterday, answered questions posed by defense lawyer Andrew A. Bucci about the toxicity of methadone and alcohol that Anderson had consumed. Although it was possible that Anderson survived strangulation and instead died from the drugs and alcohol, Gillespie said, “In my opinion, that’s not what happened.” After responding similar questions in several ways, Gillespie offered: “If you’re asking hypothetically, anything is possible.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports form Journal staff writer Nandini Jayakrishna Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:56 PM | Comment Woonsocket gets $502,000 drug-abuse prevention grantThe day after a 17-year-old was shot and killed in what police say may be a drug-related crime, Woonsocket officials announced the city had received a grant to help prevent substance abuse and the problems stemming form drug use. The Woonsocket Prevention Coalition, formerly the Woonsocket Task Force on Substance Abuse, and the Woonsocket police department are receiving $502,000 from the federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. In a statement released by Lisa Carcifero, the coalition's executive director, she says the grant “is about making our community safer … educating the community … taking drugs out of our community … decreasing access and availability on the streets, at home and in our schools … and most importantly keeping drugs out of the hands of our youth.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:50 PM | Comment High court: Stiffer penalties apply to breath-test refusalsPROVIDENCE — The state Supreme Court today ruled that harsher penalties approved in 2006 do apply to motorists who refuse to take Breathalyzer tests. In making the ruling, the high court rejected the argument that the new penalties were wiped out when Governor Carcieri signed a budget bill containing the law’s old language. Justice Paul A. Suttell began the court’s 13-page opinion with a quote: “If you like laws and sausage, you should never watch either one being made.” Suttell said, “Otto von Bismark’s laconic observation is apropos to this appeal in which we are asked to consider two legislative acts passed in the waning days of the 2005-2006 session of the General Assembly.” Before the penalties changed, nearly 85 percent of motorists suspected of drunken driving in Rhode Island were refusing to submit to Breathalyzer tests, while the national average was 25 percent. So in 2006, the General Assembly passed a law aimed at cracking down on those who refused to take the tests. For first offenses, the law doubled the minimum license suspension to six months, and it made subsequent offenses criminal rather than civil. For second offenses, the law provided penalties of up to six months in prison, fines of up to $1,000 and up to 100 hours of community service. Governor Carcieri signed the bill on June 28, 2006. And two days later, he signed the annual budget bill, which added a $200 assessment for refusing a Breathalyzer test but did not include the stiffer penalties contained in the other legislation. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Three men charged with Breathalyzer refusal — Theodore H. Such Jr., Eric Ahlborg and Robert MacDonald — asked then-Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. to declare “which of these amendments would control in penal actions brought by prosecutors against them.” And in January 2007, Fortunato, who has since retired, ruled that the budget bill was the “controlling statute.” The Supreme Court put that ruling on hold, pending an appeal. And during oral arguments in May, Pawtucket lawyer and former House Speaker John B. Harwood argued that the budget bill amended the penalties back to their prior level — except for adding the $200 assessment. Harwood told the court, “A law doesn’t become a law until it reaches the governor’s desk.” But in today’s ruling, the Supreme Court noted that while the governor signed the refusal bill first, the Assembly passed the budget bill one day before it passed the refusal bill. “Thus, at the point in the legislative process when both the House and the Senate passed the budget bill, said bill contained the correct language of the refusal statute as it then existed,” Suttell wrote. “The timing of the governor’s signature is irrelevant under the specific set of facts before us. As plaintiffs point out, the ‘Rhode Island Constitution vests legislative authority exclusively in the General Assembly.’ ” The court said the governor does not have the power to repeal one of two bills simply by signing one before the other. Plus, Suttell wrote, “Our task in construing statutes is to give effect to legislative intent, not gubernatorial intent.” The Supreme Court concluded that the Assembly never intended for the budget bill to negate the refusal bill. “The budget bill and the refusal bill were passed in the same legislative session — indeed, one day apart by the General Assembly — and they address the same subject matter,” Suttell wrote. “This court presumes they were actuated by the same policy and that the General Assembly intended them to have effect together.” Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:10 PM | Comment Carny charged with failing to register as sex offenderPROVIDENCE -- A federal grand jury indictment charges a man who was working for a carnival and concessions company in Rhode Island with failing to register as a sex offender here after he was convicted in Georgia 10 years ago of child molestation. Leonard F. Roupe is charged under a 2006 federal law that requires a person to register as such in the state to which he or she moves, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and U.S. Marshal Burton Stallwood. Since late April, Roupe had been living at a Johnston motel and working in Rhode Island for a carnival concessions and game company. Deputy U.S. Marshals arrested Roupe on June 6 on a federal complaint, the news release says. According to an affidavit, Roupe, 51, was convicted in Georgia in 1998 of child molestation and was subsequently required under Georgia Law to register as a sex offender. He did register in Georgia initially, but as of June 5, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Sex Offender Registry Web site listed him as having “absconded,” the statement says. Roupe is charged with two counts of failure to register after traveling interstate: one count with respect to living in Rhode Island and one in connection with working in the state. If there is a conviction, the maximum penalty for each count is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Roupe has been in federal custody since his arrest and will be brought into U.S. District Court, Providence, for arraignment, the release says. It does not provide a time for the arraignment and does not say which company employed Roupe. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:04 PM | Comment Tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys outdoor trackTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State boys outdoor track team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and All-Class teams, at HSGameTime. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis, golf, boys volleyball, softball, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, girls outdoor track Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:34 AM | Comment Entwistle gets life in prison for killing wife, babyWOBURN, Mass. -- A British man convicted of shooting to death his 9-month-old baby and wife as they cuddled together in bed showed no reaction today as he was sentenced to two life prison terms without the opportunity for parole. Neil Entwistle was found guilty yesterday of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2006 deaths of his wife Rachel and their baby, Lillian Rose, in their rented home in Hopkinton. He fled to his native England afterward. He claims his wife killed the baby and then committed suicide as they cuddled in bed. Prosecutors said he was despondent over mounting debt and dissatisfied over his sex life. During the brief sentencing hearing, Rachel's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo, called Entwistle's theory of a murder-suicide "low and despicable." "Suffering does not begin to describe what we have been enduring without our beloved Rachel and Lillian," said Matterazzo, who wore a pink rose on her lapel in memory of her granddaughter. "I have lost two generations of my family." Matterazzo asked that the life sentences be consecutive, to represent the two generations. But Middlesex District Court Judge Diane Kottmeyer said that would be only symbolic since there is no chance he'll be released, and imposed two concurrent life sentences. Entwistle's family continued to support him. "There is no way our innocent son Neil is guilty," his father, Clifford Entwistle, said before the sentencing. He refused comment afterward. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:49 AM | Comment Governor to sign budget todayGovernor Carcieri is scheduled to sign the state’s $6.9 billion budget this afternoon. The plan, which was approved by the General Assembly last week, outlines virtually all state spending for the budget year that begins July 1. The House Finance Committee estimates that the budget will lead to a $97-million deficit for the coming fiscal year, which is down considerably from previous projections. Among other things, the budget increases local education assistance for cities and towns, but freezes non-education aid at reduced levels. It includes $90 million in cuts to the state’s work force (which have yet to be detailed) and another $67 million in savings by reducing Medicaid programs that serve the state's poor, elderly and disabled. See where else cuts have been made in spending. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:08 AM | Comment Photo: Falcon comes down to downtown
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:53 AM | Comment National Guard company set to return todayAfter an 11-month deployment, more than 130 members of the Rhode Island National Guard are scheduled to return from Iraq. The 169th Military Police Company worked as transition teams responsible for educating and training Iraqi police forces. "The importance of having a professional, well-trained police force is necessary for the government of Iraq's ability to provide security and stability for its people," Maj. Robert T. Bray, adjutant general of the RI National Guard, said in a statement. The 135 members of the company certified that the Iraqi officers were trained properly, accompanying them on joint patrols to watch and instruct. The group is scheduled to fly into Quonset Air National Guard Base today between 9 and 10 a.m. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:56 AM | Comment Funeral today for Desiree MesolellaA funeral is scheduled this morning for the daughter of former state representative Vincent Mesolella. Desiree Mesolella, 19, was killed Sunday in a car crash in Port Washington, N.Y. Mesolella was the passenger. Police say the driver, Ansaf G. Imbrahim, crossed the center line and drove head on into another car. Imbrahim is facing charges including driving while intoxicated. Mesolella was an art student at Adelphi University. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, Cathedral Square, Providence. Mesolella will be buried in St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston. Her parents are asking that donations be made to the Desiree Mesolella Memorial Art Scholarship fund, 235 Promenade St., Suite 140, Providence. Friends and family can read Mesolella's obituary and sign her guestbook online. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:48 AM | Comment Today in history: American troops enter WWIOn this day in 1917, the first troops of the American Expeditionary Force arrived in France during World War I. For more from today in history. Watch a video report from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment It's nice out, for nowDid we do something wrong? After a brief respite from dreary weather, it's back. The National Weather Service is forecasting more showers, more thunderstorms, more hail and more gusty winds this afternoon. Temperatures should reach about 81 degrees, with winds from the southwest gusting as high as 22 mph. We can look forward to more of the same tonight, with the added bonus of fog. Temperatures should drop to about 66 degrees and we'll have mild, west winds. Tomorrow's looking good, with clear, sunny skies and temperatures reaching 88 degrees. See projo.com's weather page to watch the storms on live radar.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Life without parole for child killerToday's front page features a story about a Woonsocket man being sentenced to life in prison without parole for the kidnapping, rape and murder of his 8-year-old neighbor. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 25, 2008Tonight: Local acts hit stages around the statePlenty of local acts playing around Rhode Island tonight. Citizens Patrol and Life Trap play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 10 p.m. $6. All ages. Rudy D'Agostino play acoustic rock at Ri-Ra, 50 Exchange Terrace, Providence. 272-1953. 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. East Side Horns play rhythm and blues at 20 Water Street in East Greenwich. 885-3700. 8 p.m. to midnight. Chris Gauthier plays rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. Call 847-9460. 10 p.m. Dick Lupino, Yvonne Monnett and Jeff Fountain play jazz at Sardella's Restaurant, 30 Memorial Blvd., Newport. 849-6312. 7:30 to 10 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Block Island ferry resumes trips todayThe Block Island ferry resumed summer trips today after being unable to leave a Connecticut dock because of delays in Amtrak's Thames River railroad bridge project. Interstate Navigation Company -- which operates the Block Island ferry -- said in a news release that its high-speed vessel and all passenger/car ferries are running as scheduled. The ferry Manitou will start trips between Newport and Block Island on Saturday. For information and schedules, go to www.blockislandferry.com, or call the Point Judith office at (866) 783-7996. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:15 PM | Comment American Airlines to stop regional service at T.F. GreenAmerican Airlines will stop its regional jet service at T.F. Green Airport on Nov. 1, airport officials confirmed, pulling out of the airport it has served since 1984. American Airlines and its American Eagle regional unit will end service to Green and seven other airports and drop flights at other airports as the airline grounds planes and lays off workers because of rising fuel prices. AMR Corp., the airline’s parent company, this week provided details of the cutbacks it had previously announced in May. American, the world’s largest airline, and Eagle, will cut 62 departures from Chicago, 43 from St. Louis and 42 each from Dallas-Forth Worth and New York’s La Guardia airport, the company said yesterday in a statement. The reductions amount to 12 percent of service at American and 11 percent at Eagle. Green will lose three daily departures to Chicago when Eagle leaves in the fall for the last time. Capacity on the regional jets is 44 seats. At one point, Eagle had five daily flights from Green to Chicago and one daily flight to Dallas, according to Patti Doyle, an airport spokeswoman. “They have been reducing capacity for quite some time,” she said. “We have good service into Chicago both from Southwest and United” airlines, he said. “There’s capacity . . . to pick up those passengers.” -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi
Rising oil prices have drained profits from the airline industry, forcing carriers to cut jobs, ground less efficient planes and slash the number of flights in hopes of boosting air fares. Airline fuel prices are up 91.5 percent from a year ago, according to the International Air Transport Association. The airlines recently began charging for a number of previously free services and added ticket surcharges to offset higher fuel prices. American Airlines started the movement when it decided to charge passengers $15 to check their first bag. United Airlines said it would add a $15 fee for passengers flying on leisure fares booked in advance and a $25 fee for checking a second suitcase. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:13 PM | Comment Police identify man struck by lightning in BristolBRISTOL -- Bristol police have identified a fisherman who was apparently struck by lightning during an intense storm Tuesday afternoon. Edgardo Torres, 42, was injured while fishing off the rocks near Roger Williams University, in Bristol.. Authorities say his friend heard thunder, turned around and saw Torres on the ground. He was unconscious and needed CPR. Rescue crews brought Torres to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. A hospital spokeswoman did not know his condition this afternoon. -- The Associated Press Photo gallery: Send in your storm photos, see others Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:06 PM | Comment 2 Democrats, 1 Republican file to run against ReedU.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, will face several challengers for his congressional seat heading into election season, according to candidate filings. Christopher Young, of 184 Angell St., Providence, has filed a declaration to run as a Democrat, according to the Secretary of State's office. Vernon D. Craig, of Newport, also filed a declaration of candidacy to run as a Democrat. Republican Robert Tingle, of Westerly, filed as a Republican to run against Reed. Today was the deadline to file declarations of candidacy with the Secretary of State's office. -- with reports from Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:52 PM | Comment Report: Ex-URI education dean under investigation in Ky.Robert Felner, former dean of the University of Rhode Island’s School of Education, is under investigation by federal officials looking into the possible misappropriation of $500,000 in federal grants, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Felner, who left URI five years ago to become dean of the University of Louisville College of Education and Human Development, was to have become chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside July 1. But yesterday, the Kentucky paper reports, Felner notified officials there he would resign his appointment, because of the ongoing investigation. “Dr. Felner is concerned that this is going to create a problem, even if it’s just a perception problem at the University of Wisconsin,” Felner’s lawyer, Scott C. Cox, told the Courier-Journal. Cox also said his client had not mishandled any funds. The U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s office, Cox said. “As part of that investigation, the agencies seized documents and a computer from Felner’s university office Friday,” reported the Courier-Journal. “Felner also answered questions from investigators while they were on campus…” While in Rhode Island, Felner created the SALT surveys used to assess Rhode Island public schools and was considered a national education figure. A spokeswoman for the University of Rhode Island said the university is now reviewing the records related to Felner’s grant expenditures while he was an employee here at the university. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan Felner came to URI in 1996 and left in 2003, although he continued to serve on URI’s National Center on Public Education and Social Policy until 2006. In addition, the state Department of Education has for several years hired Felner and the center to develop state report cards, information and data for the department’s Web site and conduct an annual review of the federal Reading First program. Currently, URI’s National Center on Public Education and Social Policy is in charge of a three year, $2.1 million grant to conduct this work. Education Department spokesman Elliot Krieger said the department is satisfied “we have gotten what we paid for,” and that all payments are in order, but said the department will review all billing associated with the grant. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:23 PM | Comment Update: Woonsocket girl's killer gets life without parole
PROVIDENCE -- A man who kidnapped, raped and killed an 8-year-old girl in Woonsocket two years ago was sentenced this afternoon to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The family of victim Savannah Smith clapped when Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia announced the sentence for Joshua Davis, who had pleaded guilty in April to first-degree murder, first-degree child molestation and kidnapping a minor. This morning, Indeglia listened as Savannah's mother requested that he impose a life sentence with no possibility of parole. "He is the lowest piece of scum on the earth," Smith said in her victim impact statement in Providence Superior Court. 
Journal photo / Kathy Borchers Joshua Davis, at his sentencing hearing today The sentence makes Davis the 27th person in the state to receive life without parole, and the first one in a case involving a child as a victim. Of those cases, Indeglia said, "None was more cruel, heartless, savage or vicious than the one that was done to this child." The prosecution said Savannah helped her neighbor Davis wash his red convertible in May 2006. She and her sister asked to go for a ride in his car, but her father, David Smith, told them no. The girls went to the Globe Street playground, near Savannah’s home. About a half hour later, one of Savannah’s younger sisters and her cousin returned home and told David Smith that Savannah had left the park with Davis, in his car. The police found her body the following day in woods off Parkview Boulevard in Cranston. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo The prosecution said it had evidence Davis carried Savannah into the woods, which was strewn with trash and glass, because she was not wearing shoes and sexually molested her. Davis' lawyer, public defender John J. Hardiman, had earlier argued for a life sentence with possibility for parole, saying that Davis has suffered in his life with bouts of depression, was abused as a child and has had alcohol and drug problems. The public defender also said Davis pleaded guilty rather than put Smith's family through the ordeal of a trial. Like Samantha's mother, the state Attorney General's Office also asked that Davis receive life imprisonment without parole possibility. Davis was also sentenced today to life in prison on the molestation and kidnapping charges, with all three to be served consecutively. “As I reflect upon all the murders my office has prosecuted during my time as attorney general, I can think of none as brutal, offensive, and despicable as this one," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement after the sentencing. "If ever there was an individual who warranted Rhode Island’s most severe penalty, it is this depraved and monstrous defendant." Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:34 PM | Comment Central Falls 19-year-old indicted for murderPROVIDENCE -- The Providence County Grand Jury has indicted a man on murder and other charges in a slaying that took place in Central Falls on April 26. Anthony Strobert, 19, of 24 Mary St., Central Falls, was alleged to have shot dead Helder G. Tomar, 19, of Harvey Street, Pawtucket. Strobert was wounded in the incident by the same weapon allegedly used to kill Tomar. The next day, Edelmiro Roman, 16, a Central Falls High School student, was shot fatally while he was walking on Dexter Street. The police said they believed Roman’s slaying was related, but no one has been charged with that crime. The incidents brought a state of panic in Central Falls. Mayor Charles Moreau imposed a nighttime curfew on anyone under the age of 18, and two street workers from the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence were brought in work with young people in an attempt to keep the peace. Witnesses told the police that Tomar and Strobert got into a fight in Jenks Park, 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 said. Strobert was treated in Rhode Island Hospital. He is to be arraigned July 9 in Providence County Superior Court. -- Journal staff writer Thomas J. Morgan Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:33 PM | Comment Three beaches closed today by health departmentThe state Department of Health today closed to swimming the City Park Beach in Warwick, Fort Adams State Park Beach in Newport, and Third Beach in Middletown because of high bacteria counts. Locations that remain closed are Atlantic Beach club's beach, Camp Grosvenor, Conimicut Point Beach, Gorton Pond Beach, and Oakland Beach. For updates on swimming status at Rhode Island beaches, go to the Department of Health Web site. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:20 PM | Comment Alert: Entwistle convicted of fatally shooting wife, childWOBURN, Mass. -- A British man was convicted today of shooting to death his wife and infant daughter after jurors rejected his claim the woman had killed their baby then committed suicide while snuggled together in bed. Neil Entwistle, 29, closed his eyes and shook his head slightly upon being found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife, Rachel, 27, and their 9-month-old baby, Lillian Rose. Prosecutors maintained he was in debt and dissatisfied with his sex life when he fatally shot his family in their rented Hopkinton home in 2006. After the shootings, he fled to his native England. The defense did not put on any witnesses. Instead, Entwistle’s attorney claimed Rachel Entwistle shot Lillian Rose and then killed herself while the two snuggled in bed. Entwistle acknowledged he did not call police when he found the bodies. He claimed he returned the gun to his father-in-law’s home 50 miles away because he wanted to preserve his wife’s honor. Jurors deliberated just a day and a half before reaching their verdicts. He also was convicted on two weapons charges. Sentencing was scheduled for Thursday morning. In Massachusetts, the sentence for first-degree murder is automatically life in prison without the possibility of parole. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:11 PM | Comment Tonight: HSGameTime All-State girls outdoor trackTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State girls outdoor track team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and All-Class teams, at HSGameTime. Right now, you can get watch and listen to a multimedia interview with Classical track stars Victoria Flowers and Patrick Onye. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis, golf, boys volleyball, softball, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:03 PM | Comment Friend urged murder defendant to call 9-1-1WARWICK -- During a 1 a.m. phone conversation on the day police would later find Kelly Ann Anderson dead in Brian Mlyniec's house, a childhood friend told Mlyniec to make another phone call: 9-1-1. Bill Healey testified in Mlyniec's murder trial today that Mlyniec said he did not want the police to come over to his house. Mlyniec, 45, had called, in a conversation lasting about 25 minutes, to say he had picked up a woman in Providence and that she was going in and out of it, unresponsive, Healey said in Kent County Superior Court. Mlyniec told him he had already put the woman into a bathtub where, according to previous testimony, he put cold water on her. The prosecutor asked Healey how the call ended, and Healey said he told Mlyniec again to call 9-1-1. Mlyniec, of West Warwick, is charged with first-degree murder, accused of killing the 41-year-old Andersen at his home two years ago. At about 1:30 p.m. on June 23, 2006, an emergency medical technician has said he went to Mlyniec's 95 Harris Ave. address in response to a report of an unresponsive woman and said he found Anderson lying on her back on couch cushions in a disheveled living room with Mlyniec hovering over her. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Nandini Jayakrishna In court today, another witness, Mark Townsend, who is a neighbor of Mlyniec's and has known him from 25 years, testified that later the morning of June 26, about 7:15 a.m., he saw Mlyniec in the area between their homes. Mlyniec told him he had picked up a woman that night and that she was out of it, Townsend said, and that Mlyniec looked concerned about her. Townsend said there was no blood on Mlyniec's face or shirt. Another neighbor, Michael Rothermel, in testimony yesterday said he saw blood on Mlyniec's face and right arm. Rothermal said it was 5:30 a.m. when he saw Mlyniec. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:53 PM | Comment Ex-Lincoln official Picerno accused of arranging beatingA corrupt former town official in Lincoln has been arrested by the Rhode Island State Police on charges that he arranged the beating of a Lincoln town councilman. Robert Picerno, who figured prominently in the Lincoln bribery scandal involving former town administrator Jonathan Oster, was charged this morning with conspiracy and threatening a public official for allegedly arranging for two men to assault and threaten then-councilman Dean L. Lees Jr. in 2001. Lees, who told the state police at the time that the assault was related to his political stands, said that he was leaving a carpet and tile store on Branch Avenue in Providence when a man attacked him from behind as he got into his car. Lees said at the time that the man punched him in the back of the head eight to 10 times, and that the other man threatened him, saying, ``If you keep doing what you’re doing in town, we’ll be back.’ ‘’ State Police Maj. Joseph R. Miech says that Picerno, 61, was arrested this morning at his home at 105 Woodside Drive, North Providence, and has already been arraigned in court and released on bail. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Commission member whose son once ran against Lees for Town Council, was sentenced to eight years, with three to serve, after pleading no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking or trying to solicit, bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes. In a trial earlier this year, the state charged that Oster, with Picerno, conspired to solicit bribes from two potential buyers of a piece of town-controlled land on Route 116 in Lincoln. Oster was convicted and subsequently committed suicide. Because Oster had not been sentenced before his death, the conviction was set aside. According to Miech, the state police developed information this year that Picerno had hired one of the men who accosted Lees. Both men were subsequently convicted and sentenced to more than three years in state prison. One was denied parole during his sentence because of his refusal to cooperate with the authorities regarding who put them up to it. According to an affidavit, Picerno paid $12,500 to have Lees beaten up. Extra: Read the affidavit in support of Picerno's arrest -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:56 PM | Comment Governor to sign $6.9B state budget tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri plans to sign the state budget tomorrow at 1 p.m., the final step in finalizing the $6.9 billion tax-and-spend approved by the General Assembly last week. The plan will become law after it is signed, and outlines virtually all state spending for the budget year that begins July 1. The governor's office issued a statement this afternoon announcing the signing ceremony, which will take place in the ornate State Room on the second floor of the State House. "This signing will mark the resolution of the budget crisis while avoiding any broad based tax increases, an accomplishment that is a credit to the House Speaker Murphy, Senate President Montalbano, and all legislators,” Governor Carcieri said. “It also marks the introduction of structural reforms that will reduce projected deficits in future years.” The House Finance Committee estimates that the budget will lead to a $97-million deficit for the coming fiscal year, which is down considerably from previous projections. Murphy and Montalbano are expected to attend the ceremony. Among other things, the budget increases local education assistance for cities and towns, but freezes non-education aid at reduced levels. It includes $90 million in cuts to the state’s work force (which have yet to be detailed) and another $67 million in savings by reducing Medicaid programs that serve the state's poor, elderly and disabled. After the budget was passed by the Democrat-led House, the Republican Carcieri said, “This budget represents a watershed moment in the recent history of Rhode Island state government. In the face of a severe fiscal crisis, we have worked together to reduce spending and balance the budget without raising taxes.” -- Steve Peoples, Journal's State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:30 PM | Comment Board votes to revoke former chief Prignano's pensionThe Providence Retirement Board this morning voted to revoke the pension of retired police chief Urbano Prignano Jr. The revocation was based on Prignano's assumed "dishonorable service," because Prignano has admitted helping officers cheat on their promotional exams. Prignano is collecting $66,560 a year. His pension has been an issue for the board for six years. Lawyer Vincent A. Ragosta, Jr., who was hired to gather evidence against Prignano, advised the Board at a meeting at City Hall that they had the power to make the final decision, but that "out of an abundance of caution" the board should petition the Rhode Island Superior Court to implement the revokation. The board then voted to accept Ragosta's recommendation and sue in Superior Court. Prignano will continue to collect payments while the Superior Court considers the lawsuit.
Prignano, who was police chief under former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., retired under pressure on Jan. 31, 2001, wrapping up a 34-year career. Prignano implicated himself in some of the cheating in his testimony during the Operation Plunder Dome trial of Cianci and others in 2002. His testimony was among the evidence previously presented to the Board. Prignano's pension has been an issue for years. In June of 2002, a month after Prignano's Plunder Dome testimony, a Retirement Board member began a move on the Board to revoke Prignano's pension. A city ordinance says honorable service is a prerequisite to receiving a pension and, according to the interpretation of city officials, a lack of such service calls for the reduction or revocation of a pension. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:55 AM | Comment Driver changes plea in crash that killed 16-year-oldThe woman accused of causing the fiery crash that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Samantha Marie Beaudette on Route 95 in Pawtucket three years ago changed her plea from not guilty to no contest this morning. Kellie Woodbine, who was disfigured in the crash, entered the plea before Judge Mark A. Pfeiffer in Superior Court. Woodbine, 29, of Cumberland, pleaded no contest to driving while intoxicated, death resulting and reckless driving, death resulting. The charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 25 years in prison. But as a result of a plea agreement between Woodbine's attorney, Steven D. DiLibero, and Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine, the sentence will be capped at eight years in prison, and Judge Pfeiffer will have the option of imposing less prison time at sentencing on Sept. 10. In court, Regine said the state would have proven that Woodbine, with Beaudette as a passenger, was traveling 96 mph. in a borrowed 2003 Chevy Avalanche when she lost control on the Pawtucket S curve, struck a barrier in the low-speed lane, skidded 75 feet and struck the Broadway overpass bridge abutment, causing the SUV to burst into flames. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Jack Perry at 10:59 AM | Comment Deadline near for declaring candidacy for R.I. officesAs today's 4 p.m. deadline nears for filing declarations of candidacy, you can see some of those who are running for Rhode Island's local, state and federal offices on the Secretary of State's Web site. The information is being posted on the secretary of state's "Election 2008"page. at the "2008 Candidate Status" link: www.sec.state.ri.us/candidates/, according to Chris Barnett, spokesman for the Secretary of State's office. But a heads up: The declarations will not show up online immediately. The site's database does not refresh until 4 a.m. the next day. So, today, all filings are available online that were entered before then yesterday. According to Barnett, the Secretary of State's office posts filings for the candidates for federal offices. For state and city/town candidates, the office is networked with each board of canvassers in Rhode Island's communities. So when a board of canvassers enters candidates' filings, the Secretary of State site gets the information. Projo.com plans to obtain all the filings shortly after today's 4 p.m. deadline and post them as soon as possible after that. All forms and a calendar with every key date leading up to Rhode Island’s primary and general election are posted at http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/election08.html. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:46 AM | Comment Funding available for local cleanupsDo you own property that's sitting on top of toxic soil? The state Department of Environmental Management is preparing to distribute money to assess the level of contamination at Brownfield sites.. The agency plans to allocate $200,000 to assess sites contaminated with hazardous substances and $200,000 for sites contaminated with petroleum. An informational meeting is scheduled for today at 3:00 p.m. at DEM's Providence headquarters. Officials will be on hand to answer questions and give out applications. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:42 AM | Comment Amtrak's N.Y. to Boston service canceled until FridayAmtrak service between New York and Boston is canceled until Friday, while the Thames River Bridge in Connecticut gets a touch-up. Limited alternate train and bus service is being offered in the region until the bridge work is done. The moveable span of the bridge is being replaced on the 90-year-old drawbridge, which connects Groton and New London, Conn. Three Boston-New Haven-New York trains via Hartford and Springfield, as well as limited bus services, will offer service, bypassing the bridge . For detailed information on train routes, visit Amtrak’s Web site or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:36 AM | Comment Storm snapshots: Projo.com readers share their photos
Some of our projo.com readers have shared photos they took during the dramatic thunderstorms that passed through the area yesterday. And we'd like to make sure you see them, too. Above, Maria T. Medeiros of Cranston captured a streak of lightning after 6 p.m. in Cranston See more snapshots of the storm, and submit your own, here. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 9:30 AM | Comment Woman facing charges after fatal crash in court todayA Cumberland woman facing possible jail time after a fatal car accident is scheduled to be in court today. The crash was on Route 95, at the Pawtucket S-curve, between Exits 20 and 30. Woodbine was driving her pickup truck, when it struck a highway barrier, flew across the road, crashed into a bridge abutment and came to a rest on the shoulder of the highway where it burst into flames. Woodbine’s passenger, Samantha Marie Beaudette, 16, of Pawtucket, was severely burned. She died two days after the crash. Woodbine has also been receiving treatment for severe burns. Woodbine faces drunken and reckless driving charges in Superior Court, Providence. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:12 AM | Comment Woonsocket man to be sentenced for strangling girlPROVIDENCE -- A Woonsocket man soon learns whether he'll spend the rest of his life in prison for strangling his 8-year-old neighbor after abducting and molesting her. Joshua Davis will be sentenced this morning in Providence Superior Court for killing Savannah Smith two years ago. He pleaded guilty in April to first-degree murder, kidnapping a minor and child molestation. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of life in prison without parole. It's the toughest punishment allowed under Rhode Island law. Davis was a neighbor to the Smith family, and his girlfriend sometimes baby-sat for them. Investigators say Davis lured the young girl into his red convertible on May 7, 2006. He drove to Cranston and killed her in a wooded area. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:10 AM | Comment New sidewalks on Block IslandTen thousand feet of sidewalk has been rebuilt along Block Island’s waterfront and at the island’s busiest intersection. Today, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation will hold a dedication ceremony for the Bridge Gate Square project in New Shoreham. Bridge Gate Square –– the intersection of Dodge Street, Old Town Road, Ocean Avenue and Corn Neck Road –– was the focal point of the project. The dedication will take place today at 11 a.m. in front of the Block Island Historical Society. The $2.4-million project reconstructed an intersection in the Old Harbor district, where most of the ferries land. Improvements were also made to the sidewalks along the waterfront, bringing them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:07 AM | Comment Entwistle jury to resume deliberationsWOBURN, Mass. — The jury in the double murder trial of Neil Entwistle is set to begin a second day of deliberations today. The Middlesex Superior Court jury deliberated yesterday for about six hours. Yesterday, the jury asked to see records from Entwistle’s laptop from Jan. 20, 2006, the day prosecutors say the Briton shot his wife, Rachel, and baby daughter, Lillian. A computer forensics expert testified that Entwistle checked his e-mail about 90 minutes after reporting to police that he’d found the bodies. Entwistle’s defense team said he used his computer to look for jobs before he found his wife and daughter. Prosecutors say Entwistle was dissatisfied with his sex life and frustrated about his debt when he killed his family. The defense says his wife shot her baby, then herself. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:01 AM | Comment Today in history: The Battle of Little Big HornOn June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry were wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in the Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana. Watch a video report about today in history. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Weather: Enjoy it while it lasts...What a day! After days of rain and hail and thunder and lightning, we've got only two things to worry about today -- sun and warm temperatures. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 84 degrees and west winds between 5 and 10 mph. Clouds should roll in tonight, when the temperature drops to about 62 degrees. Expect mild, southwest winds. But tomorrow. Oh, tomorrow. This may sound familiar: A chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Some storms may come with hail and gusty winds. Temperatures should reach about 83 degrees. If you just want to enjoy today's weather, don't check projo.com's weather page. There's not much to look forward to. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Ready to build 50 years laterToday's front page features a story about Anthony Palozza, 87, who fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court for the right to build 74 cottages on 18 acres of saltmarsh in Misquamicut. Now, 50 years after he bought his property, he's ready to build -- just one house. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 24, 2008Update: Latest thunderstorm warning lifted, sun coming
Live regional radar
A slice of sun is visible in downtown Providence, while a brick church spire stands tall against a gray-blue sky to the east. It's a sign of what the National Weather Service said shortly after 7 p.m.: ...The Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northeastern Kent...extreme southeastern Providence...extreme northeastern Washington and southern Bristol counties in Rhode Island is cancelled... The notice followed a severe thunderstorm warning for the regions below, the latest in a band that swept through the area this afternoon, bringing heavy rain, pelting hail, and lightning. A fisherman was struck by lightning in Bristol, and the rain delayed the CVS Caremark Charity Classic final in Barrington four hours. Tonight, the weather service predicts mostly cloudy with scattered showers with a chance of thunderstorms this evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Low temperatures will be around 60, with northwest winds 5 to 10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph this evening. Chance of rain is 50 percent. But tomorrow -- it sounds like a beach day:. Sunny. Highs in the mid-80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Get the latest conditions and forecasts at projo.com/weather -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:30 PM | Comment Tonight: Rock in Providence and NewportIn Providence tonight, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Cuddle Magic and American Hornets play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 10 p.m. $6. All ages. The Hi-Hat Trio with Debra Mann, jazz, The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500, www.thehihat.com. 7 to 11 p.m. The Guest Bartenders play rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. 847-9460. 10 p.m. See more of projo.com's listings. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:19 PM | Comment Man struck by lightning while fishing in BristolBRISTOL -- A 42-year-old man was struck by lightning as he was fishing off the rocks near Roger Williams University this afternoon. Rescuing him was a tricky situation. As rain pelted down and lightning flashed overhead, about 20 volunteer firefighters worked their way down the shore to the unconscious man on the rocks along the shoreline, said Fire Chief Robert Martin. They lifted him into a Stokes basket and carefully carried him off the rain-slicked rocks, Martin said. However, they couldn’t bring the ambulance to him because of the location, so one of the volunteer firefighters drove his pick-up truck down to the scene, and the firefighters loaded the man and basket into the back of the truck. The firefighters were performing CPR on the man as they rushed him to Rhode Island Hospital trauma care unit, Martin said. He estimated it had taken the firefighters 10 minutes to reach the man and rescue him. “You call for a rescue in Bristol, we come,” Martin said. --Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Iraqi refugee brings her story to Providence City Hall
PROVIDENCE -- Two years ago, a U.S. jetfighter dropped a bomb into Ghaydaa Ghalum’s kitchen in Baghdad. “I covered up my children and saw my house fall apart,” Ghalum said. “My daughter was shaking all night and my son kept crying and wouldn’t open his eyes. All night we saw dust coming down from the ceiling. The next morning my entire family came to our house to see if we were dead or alive.” That was the last in a series of cataclysmic events that pushed the family into exile, said Ghalum at a World Refugee Day ceremony today at Providence City Hall that was hosted by the International Institute of Rhode Island. The day was established in 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly. In 2003, her husband, Adel, then working for the U.S. Army as a carpenter, “was kidnapped and tortured by the terrorists and almost died,” she said. “… Like many other Iraqis, we left Iraq because we didn’t feel safe there anymore. Everybody lives in fear; there were gunfights in the streets. My children saw dead bodies on the streets.” Last December, Ghalum, her husband and their children, Miriam and Ahmed, were resettled by the International Institute of Rhode Island. The children attend school, Adel works, and Ghalum said she hopes to earn a nursing degree. Today, Ghalum told an audience that she feels “like a newborn,” and thanked both the Rhode Island community and the Institute “for helping us make Providence our new home.” -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:33 PM | Comment The day ice fell from the sky -- in JunePAWTUCKET -- If it's late June, it must mean patches of hail all over downtown. Not what you were expecting? Pawtucket appeared to have been hit pretty hard by the severe thunderstorm that passed through the region this afternoon, delivering rain and hail, from one reporter's observations. The surge of water from a storm drain was powerful enough to cause buckling on part of Armistice Boulevard, in the area of the Department of Public Works building, near George R. Bennet Industrial Highway. Mayor James Doyle said he expected the asphalt would need replacing. Doyle said he was told the water level on School Street was so high that cars slid into each other. Tree leaves are strewn all over roads. A city Department of Public Works worker said there was flooding on the Roosevelt Avenue Extension, near the Pawtucket River. A couple of cars got stuck on the road where it becomes Pleasant Street. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:48 PM | Comment Watson-Villegas clinch rain-delayed CVS golf tourneyBARRINGTON -- Bubba Watson and Camilo Villegas birdied all three holes of a four-team playoff to win the rain-delayed CVS Caremark Charity Classic today at Rhode Island Country Club. The event was delayed almost four hours by a heavy and at times violent thunderstorm. At the time, the 10 two-player teams all had completed at least 10 holes and had at least five holes to play. Because the course became so wet, it was decided to make it a 28, rather than 36-hole, competition. And, after 28 holes, the teams of Villegas-Watson, Paul Goydos-Tim Herron, Billy Andrade-Davis Love and Rocco Mediate-Brandt Snedeker all were at 15-under-par. Officials opted to have those four teams go out in a three-hole playoff, playing the final three holes on the RICC layout. Villegas birdied both 16 and 17, then Watson clinched it with a five-footer for still another bird on the final hole. The three other teams had only one birdie in the wet conditions, that by Mediate on the 16th hole. First place was worth $150,000 each for Watson and Villegas. --Journal sportswriter Paul Kenyon
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:42 PM | Comment Providence, Local 1033 reach pact covering 4 yearsPROVIDENCE -- The city’s unionized municipal workers have reached contracts with the city covering a four-year period that protects them from rumored layoffs, provides roughly 2 percent wage increases annually, and doubles the amount they pay towards their health care over the life of the contract. A well-known city benefit allowing outside workers to go home with pay on hot days, known as the “90 degree rule,” has also been negotiated out of the deal. The roughly 900 municipal employees represented by Local 1033 of the Laborers International Union of North America have been working under the terms of their old contract since it expired last June 30. This deal covers that period with one contract, and the next three years with another. The contract was ratified by employees by a vote of 811-0 over the last two days, said Local 1033 business manager Donald S. Iannazzi. The City Council must still ratify the deal. Local 1033 represents approximately 900 employees, or the bulk of the city's workforce other than teachers, police officers and firefighters. The employees do a variety of jobs, from issuing licenses, to operating the water system, to helping schoolchildren cross the street, to assessing and collecting taxes. The contract offers employees a 1 percent wage increase on June 1 of this year, and a 1 percent increase on July 1. It then builds in 1 percent increases in January and 2 percent increases in July in both 2009 and 2010, which over the four years covered by the deal works out to roughly a 2 percent increase per year. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi The contract offers little retroactive pay -- retroactive payments only date to June 1 of this year, and continue until the contract is approved by the City Council. The contract will also double the amount that employees pay for their health care over the life of the deal. At the moment, employees on an individual plan pay $400 per year, and employees on a family plan pay $1,000 annually. After several gradual increases over the course of the contract, they will pay $900 for an individual plan and $1,900 for a family plan by the time the contract expires in June of 2011. Those increases will mean a savings of $1.2 million over the course of the deal, city officials said. Cicilline’s Chief of Administration, Richard I. Kerbel, said that thanks to the health care savings and the savings from eliminating the 90 degree rule, the cost increases to the city should be negligible over the next four years. The previous Laborers contract was ratified in the fall of 2004. In that three-year deal, the Laborers agreed to pay a portion of their health benefits for the first time -- 10 percent -- and received a 7.5 percent raise over the life of the contract. The Laborers are now the only major city union with even a tentative contract agreement. The city’s contract with the Providence Teachers Union expired last summer, and negotiations are ongoing. Roughly 1,000 school department employees, most represented by Local 1033, are also still operating under the expired contract. The city is also still in arbitration with the city’s police and firefighters. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:36 PM | Comment Man, 23, who hit police car while driving drunk, pleads
Roman A. Dodd, of 61 Inkberry Drive, was driving drunk July 14, 2007, when the car he was driving north on Route 1 swerved and hit a police cruiser that had just pulled over another vehicle for speeding. The patrol car spun around, striking Lt. Gerald Richard, who had left his car for the traffic stop. The impact hurled Richard 33 feet into a ditch, where he lay with leg, shoulder and arm injuries. Dodd, who had just graduated from the University of Michigan, had been drinking beers and rum and Cokes at Amalfi’s restaurant in Narragansett before the collision, according to court records. Richard, 43, told today of lingering pain in his left shoulder and arm that awakens him four times a night, but worse he said is the realization that he might not work as a police officer again. “The fact that there’s a good chance I won’t go back to work as a police officer is emotionally crippling,” Richard said as his girlfriend wept. Dodd, too, once a high school track star who was debilitated in 2002 after being struck in the head by a hammer thrown by another student, addressed the court. “I know I can’t take it back,” he said. He vowed to do his time, come out and be a productive member of society. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Under the plea agreement reached by Dodd’s lawyer, Richard Humphrey, and Special Assistant Attorney General Mark Trovato, Dodd received 10 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions, with two to serve and eight years suspended with probation for driving under the influence, serious bodily injury resulting. He got five years at the ACI, all to be suspended with probation, for driving to endanger resulting in serious bodily injury. His license will be suspended for three years beginning the day of his release. He must undergo substance abuse counseling and pay all Richard’s medical expenses that are not covered by insurance. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment Storm left 1,900 customers without power at peakThe afternoon's heavy rains, lightning and hail left about 1,900 National Grid customers without electricity at the height of the storm-related power failures. The peak came around 3:15 p.m., with the largest number of reported failures in Richmond, at 515 customers, according to David Graves, a National Grid spokesman. Graves cautioned that the number of power failures may fluctuate as some customers arrive home this evening to find power out and report it. "They could bump up slightly after 5 and 5:30," he said. "We are down to about 1,600 customers [without power] at this point," he said shortly before 4 p.m. Power failures peaked at the following number of customers in these communities: * South Kingstown, 305 Around 3 p.m., Tiverton had 88 power failures, Graves said. The storm, which dumped rain and even hail in some areas, led to some reports of flash flooding in Pawtucket. It also delayed the second and final day of play of the CVS Caremark Charity Classic golf tournament, chasing players and spectators off the course in Barrington. "It was hailing on the 18th fairway,'' said Darren Lee, who was in the Edwards & Angell suite on the 18th. "It looked like golf balls were falling from the sky.'' -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:25 PM | Comment Playoff today will determine CVS Classic championsBARRINGTON -- The patience of CVS Classic organizers apparently is going to pay off with more golf. It has just been announced that the four teams tied at 15-under-par through 28 holes will hold a three-hole playoff, beginning at 4:05 p.m., for the title. It will be telecast live by The Golf Channel. Play has been delayed since 12:10 p.m. because of a major electrical storm. The Rhode Island Country Club course is still waterlogged, but what apparently is the last of the rain is now falling, thus the playoff has been set. It was determined to use 28 holes as the measuring stick for each team's finish since all teams played at least 28 holes. That means the teams of Billy Andrade-Davis Love, Rocco Mediate-Brandt Snedeker, Paul Goydos-TIm Herron and Bubba Watson-Camilo Villegas will be in the playoff. Two other teams also were at 15-under when play was halted, the duos of Dana and Brett Quigley and Nick Price-Charles Howell. However, those teams had played more than 28 holes to get to 15-under. Howell and Price were 14-under through 28 holes and the Quigleys at 13-under. Check a live scoreboard on the CVS Caremark Charity Classic Web site.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:59 PM | Comment Secretary of State's site tracking candidate filingsAs tomorrow's 4 p.m. deadline nears for filing declarations of candidacy, you can see some of those who are running for Rhode Island's local, state and federal offices on the Secretary of State's Web site. The information is being posted on the secretary of state's "Election 2008"page. at the "2008 Candidate Status" link: www.sec.state.ri.us/candidates/, according to Chris Barnett, spokesman for the Secretary of State's office. But a heads up: The declarations will not show up online immediately. The site's database does not refresh until 4 a.m. the next day. So, today, all filings are available online that were entered before then yesterday. Tomorrow around 4 a.m., all filings entered today will be available. According to Barnett, the Secretary of State's office posts filings for the candidates for federal offices. For state and city/town candidates, the office is networked with each board of canvassers in Rhode Island's communities. So when a board of canvassers enters candidates' filings, the Secretary of State site gets the information. Projo.com plans to obtain all the filings shortly after tomorrow's 4 p.m. and post them as soon as possible after that. All forms and a calendar with every key date leading up to Rhode Island’s primary and general election are posted at http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/election08.html. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:59 PM | Comment Two more beaches closed due to bacteriaNot that you were planning a trip to the beach today, but the state has recommended closing three beaches today because of high levels of bacteria. Today, the state’s Department of Health recommended closing the Atlantic Beach Club Beach in Middletown; Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick; and Oakland Beach, also in Warwick. And two beaches that were closed in the past two weeks because of high bacteria levels –– Camp Grosvenor in North Kingstown and Gorton Pond Beach in Warwick –– are still closed. Check the Health Department’s Web site or call 222-2751 to find out when these beaches re-open and what beaches are closed around the state. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:41 PM | Comment Flooding closes lanes on Route 95 in Pawtucket
Flooding has caused a lane closure on Route 95 in Pawtucket. The Transportation Management Center is reporting flooding on the southbound side of the highway at Exit 27/US-1/Pawtucket. The right and right-center lanes are blocked. Traffic is stop and go. See for yourself on the TMC’s Web cameras. Your turn: Send us your storm reports here. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:35 PM | Comment Rain wreaks havoc on second day of CVS / Photo
BARRINGTON -- Give the organizers of the CVS Caremark Charity Classic an ``A’’ for determination. And the players, too. As of 2:15 p.m., the tournament remains in delay. A powerful storm has blown through, flooding much of the course as it brought hail, thunder and lightning. Play was halted at 12:10 and the storm arrived about 12:40. It lasted for about an hour. ``It was hailing on the 18th fairway,'' said Darren Lee, who was in the Edwards & Angell suite on the 18th. ``It looked like golf balls were falling from the sky.'' Some of the suites had damage to their roof. The wine pavilion apparently did not survive. It was taken down by the storm. Many of the fairways were flooded. Weather reports indicate one more storm cell could be on its way soon. Despite all that, hope remains that play will resume. Peter Jacobsen, whose production company organizes the event, just spoke with reporters and said everything is on hold for the time being. Many of the players have flights scheduled today. The only one with a major problem is Justin Rose, who has a commercial flight to Scotland scheduled for 4 p.m. During the storm, spectators were allowed to go to the clubhouse, Champions Club and suites along the 18th hole, all areas normally reserved for sponsors. At least from what has been seen around the clubhouse, few people got caught in the storm. Buses became a shelter more than a source of transportation. There was one report that lightning had hit a building at St. Andrew’s School, where some of the parking is for the tournament. Through it all, the players have cooperated fully, Jacobsen said. ``I think one reason they want to stay is because they have this ice cream bar up there (in the players area),’’ Jacobsen related. ``They have vanilla and chocolate and oreo and heath bar. They’re saying they’re doing fine there.’’ ``Our first priority is to finish out the tournament and all 20 professional are on-site and available to do so,'' CVS officials said in a statement. ``If a complete finish is not an option our next step would be to initiate a playoff between the four teams tied for the lead through 28 total holes.'' -Sports Writer Paul Kenyon Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:31 PM | Comment Cicilline, municipal union agree on labor contractPROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline says he has reached a tentative agreement with the city's largest union. Cicilline and Laborers International Union of North America Local 1033 Business Manager Donald S. Iannazzi will announce details of the four-year labor deal at 3 p.m. in the mayor's office. The membership of Local 1033 is scheduled to vote on the tentative pact today, they've been negotiating with the city since April of last year, according to Iannazzi. The union represents about 900 employees in Providence; the majority of municipal employees, such as workers at City Hall and the Department of Public Works, but it doesn't represent teachers or uniformed personnel such as police officers. The contract includes some losses and some gains for union employees and, Cicilline said in a statement, the contract will significantly rein in costs. "Most significantly," Iannazzi said, "we're safeguarding the employment of all 900 members." Click below for an outline of some of the other changes to the contract. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson According to Donald Iannazzi, the business manager and legal council for Local 1033, the new agreement provides: - An 8 percent increase in wages over the next 37 months - An increase in the cost of health care for employees - Adds contributions from employers to the union benefit fund - Eliminates a provision that automatically lets outdoor workers go home if the temperature hits - Gives workers an additional two floating holidays. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:24 PM | Comment Weather alert: Severe thunderstorm warning / Radar
Live regional radar
The National Weather Service in Taunton has issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for minor flooding of poor drainage areas in... Bristol County in Rhode Island... this includes the cities of...Bristol...Barrington... eastern Kent County in Rhode Island... this includes the city of Warwick... Newport County in Rhode Island... this includes the city of Newport... eastern Providence County in Rhode Island... this includes the city of Providence... eastern Washington County in Rhode Island... this includes the city of South Kingstown... west central Barnstable County in southeast Massachusetts... Bristol County in southeast Massachusetts... this includes the cities of...Taunton...North Attleborough...New Bedford...Fall River...attleborough... Plymouth County in southeast Massachusetts... this includes the city of Plymouth... At 12:47 PM: An airport weather warning for lightning for the Providence area has just been sent out by the National Weather Service: At 12:45 PM a strong thunderstorm was over Narragansett Bay between Prudence Island and Quonset Point...drifting slowly to the northeast. While the storm will likely remain southeast of TF Green Airport...there will be a specific threat of cloud to ground lightning in TF Green/S airspace from this storm until 1:30 PM. Check the latest conditions, live radar and forecasts -- and sign up for your own e-mail weather alerts -- at: projo.com/weather Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:42 PM | Comment Old remains uncovered in Cranston now being re-buried
They were remains from graves dating to the late 1800s, exposed by soil erosion. Two years ago, some employees were walking around at lunch hour and found bones that had washed into the parking lot from a Route 37 embankment, behind the former Davol building in the Sockanosset Cross Road area. Investigation determined they were remains of men, women and children who died at the State Farm -- a place for those who lived in poverty known as the state potter's field -- at the turn of the 20th century. The state burial ground was used by the State Farm from 1875 to 1918. Digging found grave after grave, showing that Route 37 was built over a potter's field cemetery. The DOT decided to remove the 67 graves' remains found to be in danger of being disturbed by embankment erosion caused by drainage pipes and culverts and water coming off Route 37. The remains have been stored in a climate-controlled facility at Public Archeology Lab in preparation for the work that started about 8:30 this morning. The state Veterans Cemetery provided equipment to carry out the digging and re-burials, estimated to take three days. The remains will be re-buried at land at corner of Knight Street and Pontiac Avenue on the Cranston-Warwick line. Michael Hebert, the Department of Transportation archaeologist who has worked on the investigation of the remains, and Public Archaeology Lab, in Pawtucket, are doing the project. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:39 PM | Comment Coming tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys lacrosseTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State boys lacrosse team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and SENE All-League teams, at HSGameTime. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis, golf, boys volleyball, softball, girls lacrosse Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:54 PM | Comment Update: Storm delays CVS Classic / Photo: Rocco blasts outThe horn has just sounded, shortly after noon, stopping play in the CVS Caremark Charity Classic. The stoppage comes just as rain is beginning. Fans are now filing back to safety under overcast skies. However, there are cells in the area that are producing electrical storms. Thunder has been heard several times in the last few minutes. The halt comes with the players between the 11th and 14th holes _ and with six of the 10 teams tied for first at 15-under-par. Two teams, Billy Andrade-Davis Love III and Paul Goydos-Tim Herron, have gotten to 15-under with the help of eagles on the par-5 eighth. Also in the deadlock for the top spot are the teams of Camilo Villegas-Bubba Watson, Rocco Mediate-Brandt Snedeker, Nick Price-Charles Howell and Dana and Brett Quigley. Read more tournament coverage. Follow the action through this live scoreboard. -- Journal staff sports writer Paul Kenyon
Posted by Jack Perry at 12:31 PM | Comment Defendant on video: 'I didn't do anything for her to die'WARWICK -- Jurors in Brian Mlyniec's murder trial this morning watched video of West Warwick police questioning Mlyniec about the acts he and Kelly Ann Anderson engaged in at his house before she was found dead there two years ago. Mlyniec, on the tape, did not really want to talk about the sexual activities. He said that at one point he tied her ankles and wrists but did not want to go into it because "that makes me look like an animal or something." Mlyniec and Anderson had left Kennedy Plaza in Providence and gone to his home on June 22, the day before she was found dead. The police questions kept coming on the tape and Mlyniec ended up describing what he said the two did. At various points in the questioning, he said he did not remember. "I didn't do anything for her to die," said Mlyniec, referring to their sex acts. "I mean, I love that girl." Mlyniec is charged with first-degree murder in the 2006 death of Anderson. West Warwick firefighters found the body of Anderson, 41, inside Mlyniec’s home on the afternoon of June 23, 2006, after getting an anonymous call about a possible overdose. Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene and had face, throat and neck injuries. Mlyniec has denied killing Anderson and told police the two had engaged in consensual, violent sex activities that resulted in the bruises and bleeding. Mlyniec repeated on the tape seen by the jury today in Kent County Superior Court that what they did together was consensual. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Nandini Jayakrishna Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:47 AM | Comment Jury weighs Entwistle's fateWOBURN, Mass. — A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a British man accused of killing his wife and baby daughter. Neil Entwistle is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian, in their Hopkinton home in January 2006, then fleeing to his native England. A jury of six men and six women began deliberating murder charges this morning in Middlesex Superior Court. Prosecutors said Entwistle killed his wife and daughter after sinking deeply into debt and becoming dissatisfied with his sex life. Entwistle told police he found their bodies after returning home from running errands. His lawyer said in closing arguments yesterday that Rachel Entwistle shot the baby and then killed herself, and her husband covered up her actions to “protect her honor.” -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:59 AM | Comment Update: Carcieri defends immigration statement on radioGovernor Carcieri responded on the radio this morning to criticism that he had undermined the work of Providence police officers and their enforcement of immigration policy. In a statement released yesterday, Mayor David Cicilline said that the governor had unfairly blamed the police for Marco Riz –– a Guatemalan living illegally in Rhode Island who is accused of kidnapping and rape –– being able to walk the streets. “This is no criticism,” Carcieri said this morning on WPRO. Instead, he said, he was “giving (the police) a tool to do their job even better and, by the way, to protect themselves.” Carcieri issued an executive order in March urging state and local law enforcement officers to take steps to enforce federal immigration law. “Had the Providence Police Department been working with ICE,” the way they should be , Carcieri said, “this man might have been taken off the street.” In a statement released yesterday, Carcieri said that had the police used the NLTS telecommunications system to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Marco Riz was arrested, in 2007, he would not have had the opportunity to rape and kidnap a woman. Carcieri also touted his Executive Order, which was passed after Riz’s 2007 arrests. In yesterday’s statement, Cicilline said Carcieri was unfairly blaming Providence police for the failures of federal agencies, and that the police followed a decades-old protocol by faxing information about Riz to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Carcieri told WPRO's John DePetro that if “what happened to that woman,” happened to a member of the mayor’s family, “he might view it differently.” Riz has been arrested and faces charges of rape and kidnapping for allegedly carjacking a woman at a grocery store, robbing her, then driving her car to Roger Williams Park and raping her. His trial has not yet begun and he’s being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Your turn: React to the Assembly's handling of immigration issues this year Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:56 AM | Comment R.I. recognizes World Refugee Day todayThe United Nations recognizes World Refugee Day on June 20, but in Rhode Island, the event, which highlights the plight of refugees around the world, takes place today. The state’s 4th Annual Rhode Island World Refugee Day Celebration is sponsored by the International Institute of Rhode Island, which provides education and legal and social services to immigrants and refugees in the state and through southern New England. Speakers will include the former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Mauritania and Nigeria, William Taddell; Ghaydaa Ghalum, a former refugee and recent arrival from Iraq; and Bill Shuey and Baha Sadr, both of the International Institute. Expect music, refreshments and a celebration of the spirit and courage of refugees, as well as efforts to help refugees across the world. The event will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Alderman’s Chambers, 3rd floor in Providence City Hall. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:06 AM | Comment Jogging with John, RISD's running presidentJohn Maeda, the newly installed president of the Rhode Island School of Design, has scheduled the first “Jogging with John” for this morning from 6 to 7, starting in front of his temporary residence, the Hilton Providence, 21 Atwells Ave., Providence. Maeda said that during and after the loop of about 1.5 miles, he plans to talk to his colleagues about Web 2.0 leadership and other innovative ideas. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:14 AM | Comment Today in history: A European spots North AmericaOn this day in 1497, the first recorded sighting of North America by a European took place as explorer John Cabot, on a voyage for England, spotted land, probably in present-day Canada. Read more from today in history. Watch video about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny, muggy but dry so farWhat is with this weather? It's sunny and muggy at 6:30 a.m., but the National Weather Service says there's a slight chance of more isolated showers an thunderstorms late this morning, and again later in the afternoon. The NWS is even predicting a chance of hail, frequent lightning and winds gusting up to 21 mph. Temperatures should reach 81 degrees. And it's the same story tonight, with isolated showers and storms possible until about 9 p.m. Skies should begin to clear as the night goes on, and the temperatures should drop to about 58 degrees. But it looks like we're in for a rain-free Wednesday, with sunny skies and temperatures reaching near 84 degrees and breezy north winds. Check projo.com's weather page for the latest forecasts Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Why the immigration bill failedToday's front page features a look at why a bill to crack down on illegal immigration failed in the General Assembly. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 23, 2008Tonight: Start gearing up for July 4 with Bristol concertIt's almost Fourth of July celebration time in Bristol -- an event that people trek to from all over. Tonight, get a start on it. Catch a free concert in Bristol in Independence Park on Thames Street. Gerry Grimo and the East Bay Jazz Ensemble performs at 7:45 p.m. The event is part of the town's 223rd annual Fourth of July Celebration. It will be held rain or shine, according to the Bristol Fourth of July Web site. If you get there early, you might catch the end of a concert in the same location by The East Bay Summer Wind Ensemble. It was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. For more concerts in tune with the annual celebration, click here for a schedule. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:04 PM | Comment Carcieri again vetoes minimum sentencing, voting billsPROVIDENCE – Governor Carcieri has once again vetoed bills to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for drug-dealers and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to “pre-register’’ to vote. With a flood of bills headed his way from the General Assembly session that ended on Saturday night, the veto messages that Carcieri issued today on these two bills raise all the same issues he raised before when he voted earlier versions of the same bills. The drug sentencing bill introduced in the House by Rep. Joseph Almeida, D-Providence, and in the Senate by Sen. Harold Metts, D-Providence, would not only eliminate the current 10-year minimum sentence, it would also lower the maximum allowable prison term -- life in prison -- for people convicted of manufacturing, selling or possessing “with the intent to manufacture or distribute’’ illegal drugs from life in prison to 20 years. The argument: The Reagan-era law has ruined lives, and contributed to the disproportionate number of minorities behind bars. “Whether intended or not,’’ the Republican Carcieri said, “the practical import of this legislation is that the General Assembly is directing the judiciary to ease up on sentences for serious drug offenses.’’ As to why he again vetoed the so-called teen pre-registration bills introduced in the House by Rep. Edwin Pacheco, D-Burrillville, and Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, he said state law already allows 17-year-olds to register if they will be 18 by the next election. He said the law has worked well and in his opinion “it creates no impediment, nor dissuades anyone eligible to participate in the political system from doing so.’’ -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau Worse, he said there could be counter-productive if the state, which has invested time and money cleaning up the state’s voter rolls, was now “forced to add thousands of names – all people ineligible to vote.’’ His argument: “Adding people to a voter list who are not eligible to vote defeats the purpose of having the list in the first place.’’ In a press release hailing the passage again this year of the pre-registration bill, the sponsors anticipated Carcieri’s objections. In it, both Pacheco and Perry said they didn’t see “any reason pre-registration would be any more susceptible to fraud or confusion that regular registration.’’ They said it would make it more likely that students “who might be away at college when they turn 18’’ would return to vote. They also argued that giving youngsters a “personal link to the voting process at a younger age would increase the likelihood that they will vote now and in the future.’’ Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:54 PM | Comment Update: RAF jets pass on State House flyover todayPROVIDENCE -- If you looked up in the sky at the appointed time, and didn't see the Royal Air Force jets stream by -- it wasn't because you missed them. Instead, the team was forced, after several delays, to drop its plan to fly over the State house. Instead, the jets went to the aiport at Quonset, where they've already landed. The planes were initially scheduled to screech over the State House with smoke trails and all at about 12:30 p.m. But bad weather along the way has led to several schedule changes. The latest announced at around 2:30 p.m., saying they would attempt a 3:45 p.m. arrival. At fault, Lt. Col. Denis Riel of the Rhode Island National Guard said earlier, was a storm in Virginia, from where the jets were taking off, and a low cloud cover here in New England. The jets may try another flyover later this week. And you'll still have a chance to catch the Royal Air Force when the team performs in the Rhode Island National Guard Open House Air Show, which is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 4:12 PM | Comment Update: Ex-legislator Mesolella's daughter dies in crashThe daughter of Vincent J. Mesolella Jr., a prominent former state representative from North Providence, was killed Sunday morning in a head-on car crash in Port Washington, N.Y. The Nassau County Police Department said that alcohol appeared to be a factor in the accident leading to the death of Desiree Mesolella, 19, of Lincoln, an aspiring model, clothing designer and student at Adelphi University in nearby Garden City on Long Island. Mesolella was a passenger in a 2007 Honda Civic that was driven by Ansaf G. Imbrahim, 21, of Port Washington. The police said that Imbrahim was driving north on Port Washington Boulevard at 8:29 a.m. when she crossed the center line and crashed into a Toyota heading in the opposite direction. The impact of the collision forced the Toyota to collide with another car, a 2006 Honda. The drivers of those cars -- a 30-year old woman, and a 44-year old man -- were transported to local hospitals and treated for minor injuries. Mesolella and Imbrahim were brought to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. Less than three hours later, at 10:54 a.m., Mesolella was pronounced dead. It was not known whether she was wearing a seatbelt. Mesololla’s father, now a developer, was unavailable for comment today. Imbrahim, whose injuries, the police said, were described as non-life threatening, was arrested at the hospital and charged with second-degree manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and the aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski, with reports from projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson She was expected to be arraigned today in her hospital bed, or in First District Court in Hempstead, Long Island. A spokeswoman at Adelphi said that Imbrahim was not a student at the university. Desiree Mesolella was a 2006 graduate of St. Mary Academy-Bay View in East Providence. She had been a past contestant in the Miss Rhode Island Teen USA pageant, gaining recognition in the "evening gown’’ portion of the 2005 contest. Colleen Gribben, principal of St. Mary Academy-Bay View, learned of Mesolella’s death on Sunday afternoon, and the news left her shocked. She said that Mesolella came to the Catholic school in the fourth grade and stayed through high school. She was a cheerleader and her parents were supportive of "Manhattan,’’ an annual fund-raising cabaret. "She was great,’’ Gribben said. "She was a very happy kid. She was very social and very outgoing.’’ Last summer, Mesolella was recognized on a local Web site, 4Zero1.com as "Model of the Month.’’ In response to a series of questions on the site, she said that she was taking college business courses and she was interested in owning a clothing boutique in Manhattan. She also said that she loved Las Vegas, Rhode Island beaches and "definitely coffee milk.’’ In the fall of 2006, Mesolella enrolled as a freshman at Adelphi University, largely a commuter school with more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Its campus is about 20 miles west of New York City. Bonnie Eissner, Adelphi’s communications director, said Mesolella had recently declared art as her major, and she was wrapping up a summer session of studies that began last month. "We at the university are saddened by the news,’’ Eissner said. "Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this most difficult time.’’ Mesolella’s father was deputy Democratic majority whip for former House Speaker John B. Harwood, D-Pawtucket. Over the past 14 years, he has been chairman of the Narragansett Bay Commission, the state’s largest sewage-treatment agency. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:40 PM | Comment State gets more money for crime victimsA Rhode Island fund that is used to compensate victims of crime for medical bills, lost wages and other expenses has just received a boost from the federal government. The Crime Victims Fund, which is financed through fines paid by people convicted of federal crimes, is allocating $891,000 to the state’s Crime Victims Compensation Fund, which reimburses victims up to $25,000 for expenses not covered by insurance or court-ordered restitution. “The last thing a crime victim should have to worry about is how they are going to make up for lost wages or cover their medical expenses," Sen. Jack Reed said today in a statement. Reed is a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds Department of Justice Programs. “For years,” he said, “Rhode Island’s Crime Victims Fund has played a vital role in helping crime victims heal their wounds, both physical and emotional, and get back on their feet.” Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:18 PM | Comment Gloucester mayor: No evidence of pregnancy pactGLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- The mayor of Gloucester said Monday there is no evidence a group of young girls made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together, seeking to dispel an explosive theory put forth by the high school principal. "Any planned blood oath bond to become pregnant - there is absolutely no evidence of," Mayor Carolyn Kirk said Monday after a closed-door meeting with city, school and health leaders. Conspicuously absent from that meeting was Gloucester High School Principal Joseph Sullivan, who has not responded to repeated requests for comment after he was quoted last week in a Time magazine story saying the girls planned to get pregnant together. The story made headlines around the world. The mayor, who also sits on the school committee, said she was not comfortable having Sullivan at the meeting. Kirk cited privacy concerns in refusing to answer many questions about the 17 girls who had become pregnant this school year - more than quadruple the number who generally become pregnant at the school. Kirk said she and Superintendent Christopher Farmer have been in touch with Sullivan, and that he was "foggy in his memory" about how he came to believe there was a pact. "When pressed, his memory failed," Kirk said. Authorities have talked to school and health officials who work most closely with the children and, Kirk said, "The people that worked with the children on a daily basis have said there has been no mention whatsoever of a pact." Kirk said the spike in pregnancies is in keeping with similar spikes in other cities. -- Associated Press Farmer said there was a "distinct possibility" that the girls who found themselves in similar, challenging situations later decided to "come together for mutual support." He said the Time magazine piece did not distinguish between "a pact to become pregnant or a pact because we are pregnant." Farmer also said it was clear some of the girls were not trying very hard not to become pregnant. The principal had said some girls gave high-fives and planned baby showers while others were sullen if their pregnancy tests at the high school clinic came back negative. Farmer defended Sullivan saying, "I don't believe anyone has acted in particularly bad faith here." Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:06 PM | Comment Big Dig contractor files for bankruptcy protectionBOSTON — Big Dig contractor Modern Continental Co. has filed for bankruptcy protection, the first business day after federal prosecutors charged the company with lying about its work on the massive project. The contractor made a Chapter 11 filing Monday in federal bankruptcy court in Boston. The bankruptcy petition lists debts of $500 million to $1 billion, and assets of $100 million to $500 million. The Boston Globe reports Modern Continental’s board voted June 11 to seek protection from creditors. On Friday, federal prosecutors charged the Big Dig’s biggest contractor with lying about the quality of its work on two areas of the tunnel system. Those include a section where a ceiling collapse killed a woman. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:44 PM | Comment Bay fish count: Menhaden up, flounder still flounderingJAMESTOWN -- Many fish populations in Narragansett Bay are improving this year, with menhaden showing another big upswing. But fish such as winter flounder that live on the Bay’s bottom continue to do badly. And the Bay’s temperature continues to warm while its ecology is changing. Those were some of the biggest conclusions announced in a press conference today at the state’s fisheries laboratory at Fort Wetherill in Jamestown. State and federal scientists used the occasion to thank the state’s congressional delegation for appropriating $916,000 to continue the unusual federal-state-private effort to monitor the health of the Bay. The so-called Bay Window partnership was initiated in 1997 by the late U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee in response to the North Cape oil spill off Rhode Island in January 1996. See the data online. -- Journal environmental reporter Peter B. Lord Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:42 PM | Comment Governor waiting for Senate leaders to transmit budgetPROVIDENCE -- For those wondering why Governor Carcieri has not yet signed the new $6.9 billion state budget, this is the answer: He can’t, because as of late this morning, he still didn't have it. The bill cleared its last legislative hurdle on Thursday, but Senate Democratic leaders have not yet “transmitted’’ the bill. The fiscal year does not end until June 30, so the delay has not yet caused any financial problems. Lawmakers adopted most of Carcieri's cost-saving proposals, including $67 million in Medicare “reforms’’ and $90 million in personnel savings that have yet to be fleshed out. The new budget preserves the income tax cuts lawmakers promised the state’s wealthiest taxpayers in a rosier year, while cutting hundreds of people from the state’s health and welfare rolls, and millions of dollars from the state colleges and university and a tuition scholarship program. Said Carcieri last week: “This budget represents a watershed moment in the recent history of Rhode Island state government. In the face of a severe fiscal crisis, we have worked together to reduce spending and balance the budget without raising taxes. In particular, the House of Representatives has approved most of the spending reduction plans I and the House Republicans proposed earlier this year. As a result, it’s a huge win for Rhode Island taxpayers.” -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau Posted by maria caporizzo at 1:26 PM | Comment Coming tonight: HSGameTime All-State girls lacrosseTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State girls lacrosse team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and All-Academic teams, at HSGameTime. Right now, you can get watch and listen to a multimedia interview with All-State Chloe Schmitz, from the Division I champion Moses Brown team. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis, golf, boys volleyball, softball Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:59 PM | Comment Update: Defense: Entwistle's wife killed baby, herselfWOBURN, Mass. -- A defense attorney for a British man accused of killing his wife and 9-month-old daughter has told a jury that the defendant's wife shot the baby and then committed suicide. Neil Entwistle's attorney said Entwistle decided to "protect" his wife's honor and cover up her actions after he found Rachel and their daughter, Lillian, dead with his father-in-law's gun on the bed. Lawyer Elliot Weinstein told jurors in closing arguments today that Entwistle took the gun and drove more than 50 miles from his home in Hopkinton, Mass., to his father-in-law's house to return it because he was "committed to not betraying Rachel's memory." The police later determined it was the gun used to kill mother and daughter. Prosecutors are expected to give their closing later today. -- The Associated Press
The defense rested Monday without calling any witnesses after jurors heard a recorded interview of Entwistle asking how quickly they died. Prosecutors claim Entwistle, 29, was despondent over heavy debt and dissatisfied with his sex life. Entwistle told police he returned home from running errands on Jan. 20, 2006, and found his wife and daughter dead in a bed in the master bedroom. He said he flew to his native England the following day because he wanted to be consoled by his parents. Prosecutors rested their case Monday after playing a 45-minute recorded conversation Entwistle had with a state trooper on Jan. 26, 2006, five days after he returned to England. In the phone conversation, State Police Sgt. Robert Manning told Entwistle that the state medical examiner had ruled his wife and daughter died of gunshot wounds. Entwistle had told the same trooper in an earlier conversation that he thought his wife and daughter had been shot, but left the house without calling for an ambulance because it was “obvious” they were dead. “When I saw Lilly, you know, that’s when I could see what happened,” Entwistle said. Entwistle choked up when he asked about his daughter. “It was just the state of Lilly,” Entwistle said. “The blood on her looked like it was more than just a shot.” Closing arguments were expected late Monday morning, followed by the judge’s instruction on the law to the jury. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:25 PM | Comment Pawtucket man sentenced to 13 years for drugs, gunsPROVIDENCE -- A Pawtucket man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison for cocaine trafficking and gun offenses. Timothy Falcon, 44, was sentenced to the 157 months by Judge Mary M. Lisi on Friday in U.S. District Court, Providence, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Pawtucket police last September found more than a half-kilogram of cocaine in two Pawtucket residences linked to Falcon, the U.S. Attorney's office said.They also found a loaded handgun in the trunk of Falcon’s car and another in a safe. Falcon pleaded guilty in March to four charges. Prosecutor Sandra R. Beckner said at the plea hearing that the government could show that, in September 2007, DEA agents and Pawtucket police got search warrants for apartments on Denver and Prospect streets in Pawtucket. While agents were doing surveillance outside the Denver Street apartment, Falcon left in his car, spotted the surveillance and tried to flee. Agents stopped the car, detained Falcon and a passenger, and found about seven grams of cocaine in the passenger compartment, and a loaded .22 caliber pistol in the trunk. In the Denver Street apartment, agents found two bags containing about two ounces of cocaine, a scale and a safe. Agents found in the safe a loaded .45 caliber pistol and $17,000. In the Prospect Street residence, which Falcon owned, agents found 565 grams of cocaine in a kitchen drawer. The total cocaine seized was about 627 grams. Falcon told agents he had been selling cocaine at a rate of about 100 grams per week for the past year. Lisi sentenced Falcon to 97 months in prison for two drug-trafficking offenses and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and another 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:19 PM | Comment Reed, Frank help spur housing market rescue billWASHINGTON -- Despite a veto threat from President Bush, the Senate is prepared to press ahead this week with a sweeping rescue of the housing market that could protect hundreds of thousands from foreclosure. With Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., in the lead on the House side, work on a compromise between the two versions of the bill could begin as early as tomorrow, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has scheduled a key parliamentary vote in the Senate. If it succeeds, full Senate passage could come swiftly. The goal would then be to reconcile the House and Senate bills and get a final version on the president’s desk well before Congress goes on its August recess. "You can have renters who are doing all they can and paying every month and suddenly the owner is foreclosed upon – they’re out of the house. So where do they go?’’ Reed said. Foreclosures can thus have a snowball effect on neighborhood blight, he said. "Good housing is essential to families, not just for shelter but for whether have a chance to live decently, whether they can hold a job, how they can hold a job with a permanent address, whether the kids can do well in school. It’s hard if you go to two of three different schools moving house to house,’’ Reed said. -- John Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:14 PM | Comment Tim O'Shea named men's hoops coach at BryantBryant University today announced that former URI assistant and Ohio University head coach Tim O'Shea is the new head coach of its men's basketball program. O'Shea succeeds Max Good, who has left Bryant to take the head coaching job at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Bill Reynolds was at the news conference, and we'll have more from him later today. Here's a link to the Bryant news release announcing O'Shea's hiring. And here's the link to Kevin McNamara's story last week, which anticipated the choice of O'Shea. Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:07 PM | Comment EMT: Place a mess, woman was dead on floor / Photo
Galloway was the state’s first witness in Mlyniec’s murder trial in Kent County Superior Court today. The 45-year-old West Warwick man faces a first-degree murder charge in 41-year-old Anderson’s death by strangulation. Prosecutors in the case today gave opening statements, telling jurors that they would eventually hear two videotaped statements that Mlyniec made to police after his arrest. “At the end of the case,” John Corrigan, of the Attorney General’s Office, told jurors, “You’re going to have evidence before you so you can call this death exactly what it was: Murder in the first degree.” The defense reserved its right to make an opening statement later instead of today. Previously, Mlyniec had said that he and Anderson had consensual, violent sex. He pleaded "absolutely not guilty" last week. Galloway said when he entered Mlyniec’s home, he saw a room in disarray with Anderson on the floor. The state showed pictures, which led some in the courtroom to cry quietly and cover their faces. Anderson’s shirt and jeans were unbuttoned, and, Galloway testified, Mlyniec was hovering over her and said, “Oh, she’s moving.” But, Galloway testified, it was immediately evident to the EMTs that Anderson was already dead. The state medical examiners office later determined that the cause of death was strangulation. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:58 AM | Comment Newport police keeping an eye on cyclistsThe Newport police are stepping up enforcement of bicycle laws this summer after receiving complaints from the community, according to a statement. The main focus will be on helmet and sidewalk violations. Anyone 15 or younger is required to wear a helmet and riders 13 and older are prohibited from city sidewalks. The police will also use message boards to remind cyclists of the laws. The police have held bicycle safety classes for young riders to make sure they know what the rules are and how to ride safely. And don’t forget. Stop at stop signs and red lights and always obey the rules of the road, whether you’re on two wheels or four. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:31 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Seeking carpoolers into saving gasHave you recently begun carpooling to work as a way to save on gasoline costs? We're interested in hearing from you for a possible Providence Journal story. Please contact The Journal's energy writer, Tim Barmann at tbarmann@projo.com. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:35 AM | Comment West Warwick man faces murder chargesWARWICK -- A West Warwick man accused of beating and strangling a woman is scheduled to go on trial for murder today. In Kent County Superior Court last week, Brian Mlyniec, 45, pleaded “absolutely not guilty” before Superior Court Judge Edwin C. Gale. Mlyniec is accused of killing his house guest, Kelly Ann Anderson, 41. Anderson was found inside Mlyniec’s house in June 2006 with injuries to her face, throat and neck. According to the state Medical Examiners autopsy report, she died of strangulation. Mlyniec said that the two had engaged in consensual, violent sex that resulted in bruises and bleeding. The prosecution is expected to begin its case today. Lawyers for the state have a list of 15 potential witnesses. They include West Warwick police and fire officials, six civilians and a doctor from the state Office of Medical Examiners. -- with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:27 AM | Comment R.I. gas prices drop for first time since MarchGasoline prices in Rhode Island have dropped by one cent this week, according to AAA Southern New England. It's not much, but it follows 12 straight weeks of price increases, for a total of 93 cents, according to AAA. AAA’s survey of prices found self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $4.099 per gallon in Rhode Island. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:02 AM | Comment Good vibrations: Brian Wilson joins folk fest lineupNEWPORT -- The Newport Folk Festival is picking up good vibrations. The festival producers plan to announce Monday that Brian Wilson, a founding member of the Beach Boys, is joining the festival's lineup. He'll headline an evening performance on Friday, Aug. 1 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The festival continues Aug. 2-3 at Fort Adams State Park. Wilson is the latest big-name act added to the festival, which already includes Jimmy Buffett, Trey Anastasio, the Black Crowes and reggae artists Stephen and Damian Marley. The festival is under new management and has branched out beyond more traditional folk this year. Organizers are hoping their roster of popular performers can produce a sellout. The festival marks its 50th anniversary next summer.
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:57 AM | Comment CVS charity golf tournament tees off todayGolfer Rocco Mediate, who lost the U.S. Open to Tiger Woods last week in a dramatic playoff, will be among the most watched golfers when the CVS Caremark Charity Classic tees off this morning at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington. Twenty of the world's top golfers will compete for $1.55 million in the event, which raises money for children's charities throughout southern New England. About 20,000 fans are expected to attend. Read more coverage of the tournament. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:20 AM | Comment Alligator found, rescued on Cape CodHYANNIS, Mass. — See you later, alligator. Residents of a Cape Cod neighborhood are saying goodbye to an unwanted guest after a 3-foot alligator turned up beneath a parked car in Hyannis. Barnstable Natural Resource Officer Thomas Murray used a pole with a noose to remove the alligator Sunday afternoon, then placed the 60-pound reptile into a large plastic carrier. The alligator was being picked up today by staff from New England Reptile and Raptor Rehabilitation in Taunton. Murray said he thought the reptile might have been an escaped pet, though it’s illegal under Massachusetts law to own an alligator. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:52 AM | Comment Today in history: Nixon discusses obstructionOn this day in 1972, President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation. Watch a video report from today in history. Read more about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:03 AM | Comment Today's front page: Housing recover looks bleakToday's front page features a look at the prospects for a housing recovery. Download a copy of todyay's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Rain, hail, lightning ... Happy MondayDepending on where you were this weekend, you may not have felt a single rain drop. But you likely won't be so lucky today. The National Weather Service is forecasting scattered showers and thunderstorms today with heavy rain, hail, lightning and flooding all possible. We'll have cloudy skies all day with temperatures reaching about 78 degrees and south winds between 6 and 11 mph. More of the same for tonight, with a slightly lower chance of rain and thunderstorms. Temperatures should drop to about 63 degrees with winds becoming west. And tomorrow? Rain. Showers likely in the later afternoon with temperatures reaching 83 degrees and west winds between 5 and 14 mph. Keep an eye on the meandering thunderstorms on projo.com's weather page.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment June 20, 2008Tonight: Lawmakers pull late-nighter; you don't have toYou can watch Rhode Island lawmakers make the hoped-for final push tonight as the legislative session draws to a close -- or you can check out projo.com's listings of other things to do. The General Assembly action will be showcased tonight on Capitol TV, Channel 15. Or check back with projo.com, which will be posting late reports from the legislative action. In the clubs tonight, there's a bit of everything. Black & White featuring Gary "Guitar" Gramolini plays rhythm and blues at H2O, 359 Thames St., Newport. 849-4466. piano bar 8:30 pm to 12:30 a.m. In Providence, the bands Poorly Drawn People, 19NINTY7, Brzowski, Outwrite and Jotsone play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 8 p.m. $6. All ages. There's the Rhode Island Songwriters Association: Mark Cutler, Joanne Lurgio and Nicole Berk, playing folk, acoustic rock and pop at Brooklyn Coffee Tea House, 209 Douglas Ave., Providence. 575-2284, www.brooklyncoffeeteahouse.com. 8 to 10 pm. No cover. Roomful of Blues play rhythm and blues at Waterplace Park in Providence, exit 22 off Route 95. Call 751-1177, www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism. 7:30 pm. Free. Tomorrow, there's a WaterFire in Providence. The lighting's on at 8:24 p.m. -- sunset. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Records may fall in Newport Bermuda Race / Photo
NEWPORT – Among the 200 boats on the starting line for the Newport Bermuda Race today, three of them – The Monster, Rambler and Speedboat – could set a new record, even though forecasters are calling for light air. The brand-new 100-footer, Speedboat, is the favorite to win line honors in Bermuda, says Ken Read, skipper of il Mostro, The Monster, a Volvo 70 built for Puma Ocean Racing to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. “Speedboat is a Volvo 70 on steroids,” said Read. The new maxi was designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. It is owned by Alex Jackson and skippered by Mike Sanderson. Its professional crew is loaded with Teamorigin's America’s Cup Team with navigator Stan Honey. Speedboat and The Monster will attempt attempt to the unofficial open-class record set by George David’s Reichel Pugh 90-foot Rambler will be going after the traditional record of 53 hours, 39 minutes, 22 seconds set by Roy Disney in 2002 on Pyewacket. Final entries have dwindled from 218 to 198 entries, according to race spokesman Talbot Wilson. "One boat sank on delivery, another was t-boned on its mooring, one had an electrical fire and other crews have dropped out for business or personal reasons," he said. "Yet this is still the second largest fleet in the 102-year history of the race. The special, centennial race in 2006 had 263 starters and the previous record was 182. Organizers from the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club are positive about the final turnout." -- Journal sports writer Tom Meade Posted by Jack Perry at 6:45 PM | Comment R.I. gets $742,875 for emergency needs, ID protectionRhode Island will get $742,875 in federal money that U.S. Sen Jack Reed said will improve emergency response communications and help protect people from identity theft. The Rhode Island Democrat's office announced late today $242,000 of that will be awarded through a grant program to help Rhode Island’s emergency communications by doing planning, training and other preparedness exercises. The other $500,000 will come via the 2008 REAL ID Demonstration Grant Program to standardize drivers’ licenses. "This money will help train and equip emergency management officials and first responders to protect the public and respond to any threats or disasters that may strike,” Reed said in a statement of the emergency communications preparedness money. Of the ID grant, he said: “This federal grant will also help Rhode Island comply with new federal guidelines for state-issued driver’s licenses to help prevent fraud and identity theft.” The money comes through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:19 PM | Comment Photo: A fern plus free lesson equals work of art
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:14 PM | Comment Tape: Entwistle repeatedly denied killing wife, babyWOBURN, Mass. -- A British man repeatedly denied killing his wife and baby in a taped interview with police played today for jurors at his double murder trial. Neil Entwistle said, "No, no, no" when state police Sgt. Robert Manning asked him if he had anything to do with the deaths of his wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose. Entwistle sighed heavily and stammered when pressed by Manning about whether he could have done anything "out of character" on the day his wife and daughter were killed. "God, no. No," he said. "Of course, no, I couldn't do that. Why would I do that?" Prosecutors say Entwistle, 29, fatally shot his wife and daughter in their Hopkinton, Mass., home on Jan. 2006, after becoming despondent over mounting debt and dissatisfied with his sex life. Entwistle denies killing his wife and daughter, and claims he returned home from a two-hour shopping trip to find them dead in a bed in the master bedroom. On the recording, Entwistle sounded flustered as he tried to explain why he did not call police or seek medical help for his wife and daughter before flying back to England the day after the killings. "Looking back on it, I don't know why I did things in the way that I did," he said. -- The Associated Press At another point, after being asked again by Manning why he left, he apologized for not calling the police. "I just feel that it wasn't the right thing to do, was it?" he said. Manning said he recorded the nearly 2-hour telephone conversation when he called Entwistle at his parents' home in Worksop, England, on Jan. 23, 2006, the day after the police found the bodies. Entwistle told Manning he left his wife and daughter cuddled together in bed at 9 a.m. to go shopping for computer supplies. He said he returned two hours later and found his wife and daughter cuddled in bed together, as he had left them. Entwistle's voice cracked and he sniffled as he was fighting back tears when he described finding the bodies. "When I walked in, I couldn't see Lilly. I could only see Rachel, and she just looked asleep," he said. "The first thing I noticed was just her color, she was kind of pale, and then as I got closer, I could see the blood. ... I pulled the covers back and that's when I saw Lilly. Lilly was such a mess." Entwistle told Manning that was so distraught after finding his wife and daughter that he went to the kitchen to find a knife to kill himself, but he couldn't go through with it because he knew "how much it was going to hurt." He said he then drove to the home of Rachel's mother and stepfather in Carver to find a gun to kill himself, but was unable to get into the house. He eventually ended up at Logan International Airport in Boston, where he said he wandered around the terminals, left, then returned again. He said he decided to fly home to England to be with his parents. "I got to the point where I just needed to be with someone," said Entwistle, who described his condition as "trancelike." The tape was played on the eleventh day of testimony in the trial. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case on Monday. During the conversation, Manning alternated between expressing concern about Entwistle and treating him like a suspect. At one point, he asked Entwistle if he was depressed or under a doctor's care. Entwistle said his parents were taking care of him. "I haven't even cried yet," he said. "You haven't even cried?" asked Manning. "No, not properly," he said. "I think it's because I'm here. It almost doesn't seem real. It's a just a void." Prosecutors have depicted Entwistle as a man who was obsessed with sex and searching the Internet for ways to meet women. On Thursday, a computer specialist showed the jury a profile Entwistle posted on a Web site called "AdultFriendFinder.com" in which he said he wanted to meet "American women of all ages" for sex. Manning asked Entwistle if he and his wife had any marital problems or had argued near the time of the killings. "No, nothing," he said. "It was just a normal day." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:08 PM | Comment 2 picked to fill Traffic Tribunal magistrate vacanciesPROVIDENCE -- R. David Cruise and Alan R. Goulart have been picked to fill two magistrate vacancies on the state Traffic Tribunal. Both are for 10-year terms. They were among 5 finalists chosen June 11 by the Magistrate Selection Committee and sent to state Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, who announced the selections today. Cruise, 51, of Cumberland is chief of staff to state Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano. Goulart, 48, of North Kingstown is criminal division chief of the state Attorney General's Office. The appointments will go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation. "Any of the five candidates whose names were forwarded to me could well serve our citizens as magistrates on the Traffic Tribunal," Williams said in the statement. "In David Cruise, we have an individual whose years of public service in both Rhode Island and in Washington have been outstanding. From the General Assembly, to the Governor's Office, to the U.S. Department of Commerce, he has consistently proven himself as a quick study, a conscientious, tireless worker who has served the public well," Williams said. Williams called Goulart "an individual with eminent qualifications gained during his 17 years of prosecuting cases in the Attorney General's Office, culminating most recently as the chief of the criminal division. Prior to his service with the Attorney General's Office, Mr. Goulart served three years as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Navy." The chief justice last year received authority from the legislature to appoint Traffic Tribunal magistrates. A three-member Magistrate Selection Committee, whose chairman was Traffic Tribunal Associate Judge Edward C. Parker, interviewed five candidates, including Cruise and Goulart, on June 5 and solicited written public comment. The committee considered, but did not re-interview, four candidates who had applied for chief magsitrate last fall. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:30 PM | Comment Assembly passes bill to speed public records releasePROVIDENCE -- A long night still ahead, the House late today passed a Senate-approved bill to quicken release of public records, among them police reports, in Rhode Island. The vote was 49 to 9, with opposition coming from Republicans in the Democrat-dominated House, as lawmakers grind through a host of bills on their way to adjourning the year's regular legislative session. The proposal would change Rhode Island’s Open Records Law, cutting to 7 days from 10 the amount of time a member of the public must wait to receive requested public records. The legislation also requires the release of basic arrest information within 24 hours. -- With reports from Cynthia Needham, Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:29 PM | Comment Cox Communications raising cable TV rates in R.I.WEST WARWICK -- Cox Communications is raising cable television rates in Rhode Island, blaming rising energy costs. Customers with the least expensive basic services or digital service will generally take the biggest hit. Cox says its standard cable service rate will rise 7 percent in August, to $48.99 per month. The price of limited basic service is rising as much as 26 percent, to $12.99, in communities like Cranston and Johnston. In Providence, the increase is 15 percent. Fees for digital service will rise 16 to 20 percent, depending on the package. The company isn't raising rates on packages that bundle cable with Internet or phone services. Cox says high energy prices have pushed costs higher, and it can't afford to absorb the increases. It says digital prices are going up because of rising programming costs. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Amtrak project forces cuts in Block Island Ferry runsDelays in an Amtrak railroad bridge construction project in New London have spilled over to service on the Block Island ferry, which has been forced to cancel some of its runs this Saturday through Tuesday. The delay in work on the Thames River Bridge has blocked one of the ferries, Anna C, from leaving the company's maintenance shipyard and forced cutbacks in ferry runs. The 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ferries orginally scheduled to depart Point Judith on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are canceled. The 11:30 a.m. ferries from Block Island scheduled to depart Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are canceled as is the 5 p.m. from Block Island on Saturday and Sunday, and the 4:00 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. People with reservations to take vehicles on any of those departures can call (866) 783-7996, Ext. 3, to reschedule. People with passenger-only reservations will be able to use their tickets on any other scheduled departure on the same day. There are no other cancellations during this time period. The high-speed ferry schedule has not been affected. Beginning tomorrow, the high-speed ferry leaves daily from Point Judith at 7:15 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 1p, 4:35 p.m., and 6:45 p.m., and leave from Block Island at 8:05 a.m., 10:05 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. For more details on both ferry schedules and services, go to its Web site. The Amtrak contruction project is now scheduled from Tuesday, June 24, to Friday, June 27. For more information and the impact on train service, which will be disrupted, go to amtrak.com. or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 5:14 PM | Comment Health Department reopens 3 beaches to swimmingThe state Department of Health today reopened to swimmers the Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, Saunderstown Yacht Club in North Kingstown and Warren Town Beach. Water sample results showed bacteria within acceptable limits. Remaining closed due to high bacteria levels are Gorton Pond, in Warwick, and Camp Grosvenor, in North Kingstown. For updates about swimming at Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:52 PM | Comment Trooper Doyle back at work, has already made an arrest
Journal photo / Mary Murphy Trooper Brendan Doyle during an interview at State Police Headquarters earlier this week. Almost a year after suffering a nearly fatal head injury, Rhode Island State Trooper Brendan Doyle is back on the job -- and he's already made his first arrest. Doyle returned to work this morning and at about 9:20 a.m., he'd pulled over a vehicle over on Hartford Avene, Providence, and discovered the driver had a court warrant, according to Maj. Steven O'Donnell. "It's great to have him back," O'Donnell said. Doyle overcame great odds to return to the state police. He wasn't expected to survive the severe brain injury he suffered last summer. On June 16, 2007, Doyle was off-duty and out with friends in downtown Providence when he attempted to stop an alleged reckless driver. The driver, a former corrections officer named James Proulx, punched Doyle in the face, according to the police. The trooper fell backward and hit his head on the pavement. The police say Proulx sped off and boasted about the beating in a call to an ex-girlfriend. Proulx is out on bail awaiting trial on felony assault and reckless-driving charges. Doyle, who had been a trooper for three years when he was injured, took some time to conduct interview with local television stations this afternoon, but now it's back to the road for the trooper, O'Donnell says. Read more about Doyle and his recovery. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:54 PM | Comment Jury in Entwistle murder trial hears tapeWOBURN, Mass. -- Jurors in the trial of a British man accused of killing his wife and baby daughter have listened to a tape recording of him saying he had "not done the right thing" by flying home to England without calling police. Neil Entwistle is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in their Hopkinton home in January 2006. Today, prosecutors played a 2-hour recording of a telephone interview Entwistle had with a state trooper from England. Entwistle cried as he told the trooper that he discovered the bodies of his wife and daughter, fatally shot in bed together, after returning home from doing errands. He said he should have called police, but "just couldn't get it clear" in his head. Prosecutors say Entwistle flew to England the following day. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:33 PM | Comment RIPTA begins summer bus schedule tomorrowThe Rhode Island Public Transit Authority has released its annual summer schedule, which will take effect tomorrow. First the good news for the sun seekers: Daily busses to First and Second Beaches in Newport begin on Route 61; daily service to Fort Adams Park in Newport begins on Route 62; and Route 67 will be extended to the Cliff Walk in Newport. Several routes are being canceled for the season, however, such as the 6:05 a.m. Saturday outbound trip at 50 Douglas Ave. and the 77 Benefit/Broadway 7:19 a.m. inbound on Sunday. Still to come -- "Beach Bus" 7-day-a-week express buses from the following points will run from July 1 to Aug. 11: Woonsocket Depot, Cranston City Hall, Central Falls (400 Dexter Street), Pawtucket Transit Center and North Providence (Tim Horton's) run to South County Beaches. Fare is the regular bus fare. Please see Rte. #66 (URI/Galilee) schedule for details. To see a complete list of discontinued, rescheduled or renamed routes, see RIPTA’s Web site or call 401-781-9400 Click below to see the lines that will be affected by schedule changes starting tomorrow. 1 Eddy/Gaspee Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:49 PM | Comment Three accused of tax fraudThree Rhode Islanders face tax fraud conspiracy charges after allegedly using multiple bank accounts, fake business names and writing letters to the IRS to avoid paying taxes. According to a statement released today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bruce Lapierre, 47, of Pascoag, Albert Martin, 58, and his wife Lorraine Martin, 59, both of Woonsocket, were arrested yesterday. Lapierre and Lorraine Martin were arraigned and pleaded not guilty. Albert Martin is scheduled to be arraigned June 26 after he said he did not understand the charges. According to the indictment, which was sealed until the arrests yesterday, Lapierre and Albert Martin hid earnings from their Woonsocket-based machine shop, Classic Machine, between 2004 and 2007. The indictment claims that the two used Lorraine Martin’s personal account, instead of a business account, to deposit receipts and that they used an anonymous “private” account to conceal income. The three each face one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of tax evasion for 2002 and 2003. All three were released on bond. The defendants are also accused of using various business names –– Banner Technologies, Circle Machine, Preferred Enterprises and Royal Enterprises –– to conduct business. And Bruce Lapierre is accused of trying to thwart the IRS by sending “false and frivolous letters to the IRS claiming he was not required to file returns or pay taxes,” according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:04 PM | Comment Portsmouth motel murder plotter's conviction upheldPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court today upheld the murder conviction of Tajendra Patel, who got two consecutive life sentences after a jury found him guilty of hiring a man to kill the manager of a Portsmouth motel. Authorities believe Tajendra Patel blamed the manager of Founder's Brook Motel and Suites, Sanjeev Patel -- his brother-in-law -- for breaking up his marriage. The motel owner's son, Jay Patel testified at trial that he saw his father gunned down, that his father pleaded with the man, “Please, don’t do that, sir. Please don’t do that.” He was the only witness who saw the murder. Sanjeev Patel’s wife, Prena, testified she could hear her husband pleading with the customer and when she entered the office after hearing the shots, she saw her husband covered with blood. Patel's appeal to the state's highest court argued the judge erred when she admitted an in-court identification of defendant "because the identification procedure was unnecessarily suggestive and because the identification lacked independent reliability," the court's opinion says. The appeal also argued that the judge also erred in admitting a 911 call that was "irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial." Among its conclusions, the Supreme Court found "no clear error" in allowing the 911 call recording to be part of the trial. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports The man who was hired, Roger Graham, an immigrant from Barbados who lived illegally in New York City, was convicted of shooting and killing Sanjeev Patel at the motel on New Year's Day 2002. Tajendra Patel was convicted in a separate trial in 2003 of first-degree murder and conspiring with Graham. Tajendra Patel has the possibility of parole. The Journal reported that a prosecutor said Superior Court Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg was barred from considering life without parole in sentencing because of different evidence in the case that didn't meet the legal standard for such a ruling. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:03 PM | Comment Update: Barrington teen put on home confinementPROVIDENCE -- A Barrington teenager accused in the boating death of a fellow teen last summer can be released from the Adult Correctional Institutions and await trial for second-degree murder at home, a special magistrate ruled today. Ryan Greenberg, 18, was sent to the ACI in April after he violated the terms of his bail, but this morning Special Magistrate Joseph A. Keough ruled that Greenberg can go home under a strict set of conditions with the posting of $10,000 cash bail. He'll be released tomorrow. Greenberg is accused of killing 17-year-old Patrick Murphy in a boating incident that involved alcohol last summer. He violated the terms of his bail when the police found him and seven other underage Barrington residents at a local pond with beer and liquor on April 19. Under the terms set by Keough, Greenberg is only allowed to leave his house for medical, legal, educational or religious purposes. He has a strict 8 p.m. curfew under any condition. Greenberg, wearing khakis, a white shirt and blue blazer, spoke only briefly during the short court session. He told Keough he understood the terms. Keough told him he hoped Greenberg's time at the ACI was an eye-opening experience. Although his attorney, William Devereaux, indicated that Greenberg's parents would be able to post the bail, Greenberg did not walk out of Superior Court a free man. He was taken to the ACI to be fitted for an electronic bracelet. -- With reports from C. Eugene Emery Jr. Greenberg's case is in a legal limbo because Greenberg is one of the "gap kids," arrested when state law said that 17-year-olds should be tried as adults. The state has not figured out what to do with all the teens who were arrested before the state legislature put the age limit back to 18, so there’s been no progress toward trying the Barrington youth. The state Supreme Court is weighing arguments in the matter. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:59 AM | Comment Reports: Teen girls made pact to get pregnantGLOUCESTER, Mass. -- A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said. Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine in a story published Wednesday that the girls confessed to making the pact after the school began investigating a rise in pregnancies that has left 17 girls at the school carrying a child. Normally, there are about four pregnancies a year at the school. Sullivan told Time that nearly half of the expecting students, none older than 16, were involved. Sullivan said students were coming to the school clinic multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and "seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were." Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine. -- The Associated Press Superintendent Christopher Farmer confirmed the deal to WBZ-TV, saying the girls had "an agreement to get pregnant." He said the girls are generally "girls who lack self-esteem and have a lack of love in their life." Christen Callahan, a former Gloucester High School student who had a child when she was 15, said on NBC's "Today" show that some of the girls would ask her about her own pregnancy. "They would say stuff like, oh, I think my parents would be fine with it and they would help me, stuff like that," Callahan said. But she said she had no firsthand knowledge of a pact between the girls to get pregnant. "They were just kind of like curious about it, they never actually came out and said it," Callahan said. The first reports of the students' apparent plan to get pregnant were in the Gloucester Daily Times in March, when Sullivan said students were reporting that the girls were getting pregnant on purpose. The rash of pregnancies has shaken the seaside city about 30 miles north of Boston. Last month, two officials at the high school health center resigned to protest the resistance from the local hospital to the confidential distribution of contraceptives. The hospital administers the state money that funds the clinic. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:23 AM | Comment Coming tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys volleyballTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State boys volleyball team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and All-Tournament teams, at HSGameTime. Right now, you can get watch and listen to a multimedia interview with All-State James Boyce, from the Division I champion East Providence team. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis, golf Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:11 AM | Comment Woman arraigned in stabbing death of another woman
WEST WARWICK -- A West Warwick woman pleaded innocent to murder in the stabbing of another woman in March in West Warwick. Abimbola O. Johnson was ordered held without bail following her arraignment this morning in Kent County Superior Court. She was indicted by a grand jury June 4 for one count of murder, accused of fatally stabbing Natasha Gonsalves. Both were 18 at the time. The police have said that on the night of March 20, Gonsalves and two friends followed Johnson to Gonsalves’ 114 Pepin St. home. Johnson and one of Gonsalves’ friends argued, when the police said Johnson went inside and returned with a kitchen knife. During the argument, Johnson pulled the knife from her waistband and stabbed Gonsalves, the police said. Officers arrived to find Gonsalves lying on the ground as neighbors tried to help her. She was pronounced dead at Kent Hospital, in Warwick. A status conference was scheduled for July 14, and a pretrial conference was scheduled for Aug. 5. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Jack Perry at 10:32 AM | Comment Curt Schilling to have surgery, career in doubtBOSTON (AP) - Curt Schilling says he's out for the season, and his career may be over. The Red Sox right-hander said Friday morning he will undergo surgery next week on his injured shoulder. When asked on the WEEI "Dennis and Callahan Show" whether that will end his season, he said "Yes." "My season is over and there is a pretty decent chance I have thrown my last pitch forever," he said. Schilling's physician, Dr. Craig Morgan, confirmed to The Associated Press the surgery would be at his office in Wilmington, Del., on Monday afternoon. "If you use a scale of 1-10 and 10 is pitching in the big leagues, I'm at about 3 right now," Schilling said. He added: "I'm going in to make it not hurt anymore." Early in spring training, Schilling's course of treatment became a sort of melodrama. Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill recommended rehab for a tendon injury. Schilling sought a second opinion Morgan, who operated on the right shoulder in 1995 and 1999. Morgan felt strongly that surgery was best and that rehabilitation would fail - and potentially end Schilling's career. Morgan said Friday that Schilling's shoulder is stronger than it was in spring training when he originally recommended surgery. But the original problem with the tendon persists. He said Schilling could throw off flat ground, but that not from the mound. The 41-year-old Schilling, who's been out since the start of spring training, underwent an MRI Tuesday and after conferring with Morgan and Gill, a decision was made to do the surgery. "We had a rough couple of weeks, so a lot of stuff happened over the last couple of days," Schilling said. "I met with Dr. Morgan ... and Dr. Gill. It got to a point we had to make some decisions." A team spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment. Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:11 AM | Comment Budget may be signed todayThe governor said yesterday that he’s likely today to sign the 2009 budget, which has been approved by the House and the Senate. The Senate voted yesterday to approve a $6.9 million budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The House voted last night. "I look forward to signing this budget plan into law as early as Friday,” Governor Carcieri said yesterday in a statement. Some of the notable highlights of the approved budget: - No increase in income, sales, capital gains or corporate taxes. Taxes on medical and dental premiums increased. - Closes the estimated deficit of $422 million, mostly through spending cuts. Largest include $67 million in Medicaid spending; $90 million in cuts to state work force. - $12.5 million cut in non-school aid. Slight increase for school aid. Find out what other spending plans were approved and rejected in today's Journal. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:42 AM | Comment Today in history: Lizzie Borden found innocentOn this day in 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother. Read more from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment It's official -- almost -- summer ish ereSummer arrives today, at 7:59 p.m., when we reach the summer solstice, The spot in the Earth's orbit when the sun appears at its northernmost position in the sky. Although we'll only have 25 minutes of sunlight left in the day. So what does that mean for the weather? Not much. Today we have more of the same warnings that we've heard most of the week from the National Weather Service: A slight chance of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Rain aside, we'll have cloudy skies, a high temperature near 77 degrees and south winds between 10 and 13 mph. Tonight, we may see more rain through the night, when the temperature hits about 60 degrees. But check this out: tomorrow, Saturday, the sun makes its return, high in the sky, with temperatures reaching 83 degrees and west winds between 7 and 11 mph. Tomorrow night there's another slight chance of rain and storms, with temperatures in the mid 60s and mild south winds. Back to gloom Sunday, with a good chance of rain and storms in the late morning. Also, expect strong south winds, gusting upwards of 25 mph. Temperatures should hit the high 70s with cloudy skies. It's the same story Sunday night, with temperatures int he mid 60s, and a pretty high chance rain and maybe thunderstorms. And Monday sounds like today, with a chance of rain and temperatures in the high 70s. Check for changes in the forecast during the weekend on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: A state trooper's amazing recoveryToday's front page features the story of Trooper Brendan Doyle's recovery from a severe head injury to return to work with the Rhode Island State Police. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 19, 2008Tonight: Time for Gallery Night, with folk art themeIt's Gallery Night in Providence from 5 to 9 tonight. The monthly free event involves the opportunity to visit some two dozen galleries and museums, with free parking at several locations, including One Citizen’s Plaza. The theme of this month’s tour is folk art. For information, go to www.gallerynight.info or call (401) 490-2042. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment N. Kingstown school superintendent resignsNorth Kingstown School Supt. Priscilla L. Feir announced today she will be leaving her post effective June 30. In her letter of resignation to the School Committee, she said, "I have had a wonderful year, in spite of the many fiscal challenges, knowing that my work was done with the student's best interests in mind. However, I have decided to explore the opportunities that are awaiting me." "Please know that I will keep the fine people of this community in my heart and in my prayers as you move forward on taht tightrope of creating and maintaining quality eductation for all students and cutting costs to achieve the fiscal targets that have been imposed on you." The school committee is expected to accept her resignation -- despite a clause in her contract that requires 90-day notice -- and appoint an interim superintendent. That's likely to be Assistant Supt. Phil Thornton, school committee members said. Thornton, who previously served as assistant superintendent in the Chariho Regional School District, was hired by North Kingstown in December. School committee members said the discussion will focus next on whether to launch a national search, appoint Thornton superintendent -- he is yet to apply for the position -- or explore a possible consolidation with neighboring school districts, specifically, West Greenwich and Jamestown. -- Journal staff writer Maria Armental Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Beacon Mutual to lower workers' comp policy ratesThe Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. said today it will lower its workers' compensation rates by an average of 7.2 percent as of Oct. 1. The new rate will apply to new policies or those that are renewed, the company said in a news release. The reduction will save policyholders about $10 million, according to Beacon. “Reductions in claim frequency and the efficient management of claim costs continue to be the drivers for rate decreases,” said James V. Rosati, Beacon’s president and chief executive officer. Rosati credited the company’s loss prevention and claims management programs for helping to reduce costs. Beacon Mutual, a mutual insurance company, is the largest writer of workers' compensation insurance and the largest writer of commercial property casualty policies in Rhode Island. The company is the state’s dominant workers’ compensation insurance carrier, with an estimated 14,000 policyholders. The company said it is financially secure with over $450 million in assets. In April, Beacon announced it had distributed $5.6 million in refunds to about 9,400 policyholders as part of a consent order it signed with state regulators last July. -- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann Companies that held an insurance policy for at least six months, from Oct. 1, 2005, to Sept. 30, 2006, were eligible for the refund. As part of the agreement, Beacon agreed to compensate policyholders who paid inflated premiums starting in January 2005, when the company was using an outdated formula for assessing losses. Beacon adopted new rate guidelines in May 2006. An extensive state examination released in the summer revealed, among other things, widespread pricing irregularities. Beacon for years had given discounted rates to favored policyholders, plied insurance agents with unearned commissions and spent lavishly on fancy golf trips, according to the “market conduct examination.” At the time of the refund announcement, Rosati said the company had reformed its underwriting procedures “to ensure that premiums are calculated in a transparent and equitable manner.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:58 PM | Comment R.I. AG, Fall River oppose extension for Weaver's CoveOfficials in Rhode Island and Massachusetts told federal regulators this afternoon that they oppose a five-year extension sought by the company that wants to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Mass. With time running out, Weaver’s Cove Energy has asked federal regulators to extend its permit to build an LNG terminal by an additional five years. The company is facing a July 2010 deadline to complete the project. In 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave Weaver’s Cove conditional permit to build the terminal. That permit was good for five years. In the three years since that permit was issued, Weaver’s Cove has not begun any construction. It is still awaiting a number of approvals from various federal and state agencies before any work can begin. Weaver’s Cove and Mill River Pipeline LLC, the company that would build the pipeline for the project, filed a joint request with FERC on Tuesday asking for an extension until Nov. 1, 2015. -- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann “As the Commission may be aware, despite Weaver’s Cove’s and Mill River’s best efforts to obtain all the federal and state permits and approvals necessary to begin construction of the project, Weaver’s Cove and Mill River are still in the process of securing certain permits and approvals because of a series of unanticipated delays and decisions affecting the timely receipt of such permits and approvals,” the companies said in their two-page request. “Weaver’s Cove and Mill River have worked diligently to obtain all federal and state permits and approvals related to the construction and operation of the project, but have experienced delays beyond their control.” But Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, and the city of Fall River, said the request is “wholly deficient, unsupported, and premature.” In their nine-page response, submitted to FERC this afternoon, Lynch and the city said Weaver’s Cove has only satisfied one of the 77 environmental conditions it must meet before it is allow to construct the terminal. They said that Weaver’s Cove failed to mention that the U.S. Coast Guard found that it would be too risky to allow LNG tankers to traverse parts of the Taunton River because of the closeness of the old and new Brightman Street bridges. Coast Guard approval is one of the conditions set by FERC that Weaver’s Cove must obtain. That Coast Guard finding, Lynch and the city of Fall River argued, “is largely the reason for delays in issuing permits related to dredging and related activities, including the required dredging permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:49 PM | Comment Photo: Celtics' Garnett breaks out the cigar
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:57 PM | Comment Beach report: Health department opens 3, closes 2The state Department of Health today reopened to swimming these Warwick spots: City Park Beach, Conimicut Point Beach and Kent County YMCA. Water sample results show bacteria counts are now within acceptable limits. The department today closed to swimming the Atlantic Beach Club, in Middletown, and Gorton Pond Beach, in Warwick. Beaches remaining closed are Camp Grosvenor and Saunderstown Yacht Club, in North Kingstown, and Warren Town Beach. For updates about swimming at Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:42 PM | Comment Central Falls man, in U.S. illegally for 3rd time, sentencedPROVIDENCE -- A Mexican man was sentenced today to nearly four years in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported, the U.S. Attorney's office in Providence said. Gustavo Granados, 39, was convicted in 1992 in Family Court of second-degree child abuse, and was deported twice, a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office states. Granados' illegal status was discovered in January after a traffic stop in East Providence. Judge Ernest C. Torres imposed the sentence in U.S. District Court, Providence. Granados, who pleaded guilty in March to illegal re-entry, will again be subject to deportation after his term in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Prosecutor Sandra R. Beckner said at the plea hearing that the government could show Granados was deported as a felon in May 1995, and was deported again in October 1999. He re-entered the United States near Nogales, Ariz., in July 2005, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Granados most recently lived in a Mowry Street apartment in Central Falls. In January, East Providence Police made a routine traffic stop of the car Granados was driving, and contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement for an immigration check, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Immigration agents took Granados into custody on Jan. 15. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:38 PM | Comment House Speaker Murphy will seek another termHouse Speaker William J. Murphy, one of state government's most powerful figures, announced today that he will seek re-election to the House. If he keeps his House seat, Murphy will also seek support in January for a fourth term as speaker, according to a news release. He's been speaker for six years. Murphy, a West Warwick Democrat in a state where that party commands wide House and Senate majorities, has represented District 26 -- West Warwick, Coventry and Warwick -- since 1992. “There is no finer calling than public service, and it is a great honor to be able to represent the constituents of my district and to bring their collective voices to the State House," Murphy said in the statement this afternoon. Early this morning, after the House finished voting on the state budget, Murphy assured Journal reporters he would be running again. Rumors had been swirling that he would not. Today, notices were put in legislators' mailboxes at the State House letting them know Murphy would seek re-election. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Cynthia Needham and Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:25 PM | Comment Coming tonight: HSGameTime All-State golfTonight at 6, we continue our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State golf team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division and the SENE All-League team at HSGameTime. Right now, you can get watch and listen to a multimedia interview with girls golf champion Samantha Morrell, from North Kingstown High School. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Online now: Boys tennis Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:41 PM | Comment Smoke-shop sentence: No jail time for Narragansetts
PROVIDENCE -- The three Narragansett Indian tribal members found guilty of assaulting and scuffling with state police during the 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop will not have to spend time in jail. The outcome is almost anti-climatic, coming as it does after almost five years since the controversial raid pitted the tribe against the state, several court actions costing hundreds of thousands of dollars that spun off from the original case and and a six-week trial on the misdemeanor charges, featuring photos and videos of the raid. At midday, Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl filed the case of Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and one tribal member, ordering them to provide community service by talking to schoolchildren about tribe history. She issued a suspended sentence for the third defendant. Thomas's case was filed for one year, and he will have to provide 150 hours of community service. Thomas had been found guilty of assaulting a trooper. McGuirl said she opted for a filing because because a conviction could have an impact on Thomas's ability, as the tribe's leader, to act as the signatory when dealing with federal agencies. "I do not see merit in punishing [Thomas] as chief sachem," McGuirl said. First Councilman Randy Noka's case was also filed for one year. He was ordered to do 25 hours of community service. Noka had been found guilty of disorderly conduct for grabbing at an officer as police came onto tribal land. According to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the attorney general, a filing is not a conviction. Thomas and Noka must remain on good behavior for a year and then can seek to have the count expunged from their record, he said. Tribal councilman Hiawatha Brown, who had been convicted of assaulting a trooper by slamming her arm in a door, was given a one-year suspended sentence with one year of probation on his assault conviction. He was also given a six-month suspended sentence with six months of probation on a disorderly conduct conviction. On the courthouse steps after the sentencing, Thomas was asked to respond. "It is what it is," he told reporters. "We felt the law was on our side." The tribal members indicated they would look at whether to appeal the case. After the sentencing, Noka told reporters it is "certainly not over in my mind." Your turn: React to the sentencing. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Asked about appealing, Thomas raised again the defense's accusation that one juror banged a water bottle like a tom-tom and that another juror, allegedly saying of a chief sachem "he's nothing," questioned why tribal members rose from their seats when Thomas took the stand. Devereaux raised those contentions on Tuesday in court -- the prosecutor dismissed the accusations as speculation and interpretation about the others’ actions -- and ultimately McGuirl did not order a new trial. "In my mind," Noka said, "there's still unanswered questions," including "what was done to our tribe members." Earlier today, the defense lawyer for the three asked for leniency at a sentencing hearing, referencing the tribe's historically troubled relationship with the state. "Isn't it time for us, the state of Rhode Island, to step for forward and extend a hand to them," said defense lawyer William Devereaux before the sentencing. But Pamela Chin, the prosecutor, asked that the three be held responsible for their actions that day and she said that they had been spoiling for a fight. "These are the tribal leaders, these are the people leading people, and they led them into a fight with state police," said Chin. For Thomas, the state asked for probation and community service. The state asked that Brown get one-year suspended sentence with probation for the assault charge, and six months suspended with probation for the disorderly conduct. For Randy Noka, the state asked for a six-month probation with 25 hours of community service. Each tribal member spoke on his own behalf. The sentencing comes two days after McGuirl denied two bids for a new trial for the three. She rejected defense lawyers’ arguments that the jury was tainted by racial bias. She also denied another motion for a new trial that asserted that the prosecutors had not produced enough evidence to convict. The three had been among six Narragansetts on trial on charges stemming from the raid. Three others -- Bella Noka, Adam Jennings and Thawn Harris -- were acquitted by the jury last April.
The criminal cases were on hold for more than three years until federal courts ruled the state can enforce its laws on tribal land under a 1978 agreement that gave the Narragansetts their 1,800 acres. Extraordinary attempts were made to resolve the cases short of trial. In addition to Judge McGuirl’s efforts to reach a plea deal, the state Supreme Court took the unprecedented step of trying to mediate the matter. The state’s high court also made a critical ruling that spared Carcieri from taking the stand, overruling a decision by McGuirl. Defense lawyers had wanted to question the governor about his orders that day. In a related case, a federal judge last month ordered a new trial for a state trooper, erasing a jury’s verdict that the officer used excessive force when he twisted Jennings' ankle until it broke during the raid. In granting the state’s motion for a new trial, Judge Ernest C. Torres wrote that the state police testimony proved more believable than that of defense witnesses and Jennings. Two weeks after the raid, an internal state police investigation found that state police had "acted well within their legal authority when executing the search warrant." -- With Journal archival reports Extra: Look back at the raid, in photos and video, and its aftermath. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:58 PM | Comment Today's front page: Con man gets 16 yearsToday's front page features a story about con man John P. Kluth's being sentenced to 16 years in prison for scamming 30 people out of thousands of dollars. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:33 PM | Comment Senate panel poised to vote on 'quash and destroy' billPROVIDENCE -- In the rush to adjourn this year’s legislative session this week, a Senate committee is poised to vote this evening on a bill sought by the criminal-defense lobby to automatically “quash and destroy’’ criminal records, no matter how serious the crime. The bill introduced by Rep. Joseph Almeida, D-Providence, cleared the House last month on a 46-to-17 vote, despite objections from the attorney general, the state police and the governor who question how state agencies and other employers can do the meaningful background checks required, in many cases by law, if criminal records are erased. Co-sponsors included: Reps. Grace Diaz, D-Providence, Nicholas Mattiello, D-Cranston, and Frank Ferri, D-Warwick. Advocates say clean records are essential to the kinds of jobs that would provide an individual a second chance. For example, current state law bars people with certain felony convictions from obtaining state licenses to work in nursing, social work and auto repair: this would provide a way around that. "So now we are rewriting history and telling the newspaper they can’t refer to something that everybody knows about?" Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt, R-North Kingstown, asked rhetorically during last month’s House debate. Rhode Island law already allows the “expungement’’ of a single non-violent crime by a first-time offender five years after the individual has completed a sentence for a misdemeanor and 10 years after completing a sentence for a felony. -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau Despite efforts over the years by the minority community, the criminal defense bar and the gun lobby to shorten the waiting periods, this law remains intact and was used to remove 4,360 misdemeanors and 625 felonies from the public record last year alone, and 28,417 criminal cases from the public record since 2000. The bill that is headed for a Senate Judiciary Committee vote tonight, H7583, would automatically “quash and destroy’’ any record of a crime for which the accused received a deferred sentence, regardless of the individual’s criminal history or the nature of the crime. Deferred sentences are often the result of a plea bargain with state prosecutors, in which the state is spared a trial and the accused is spared time in jail as long as they keep the peace for a period of time that usually runs five years. In recent years, such sentences have gone to accused stalkers, embezzlers, an admitted accomplice to a gunpoint robbery in Waterplace Park who traded testimony for a reduced sentence, an executive secretary to the Barrington Police chief who stole town money, one of the admitted co-conspirators in the Lincoln bribery scandal and at least one child molester. The legislation to purge these cases from the public record was sparked by a November decision by the Rhode Island Supreme Court on the treatment of cases in which the admitted criminal had been given a deferred prison sentence. The court’s decision centered on two admitted criminals foiled by a judge in their efforts to get their records expunged. One had pleaded no contest to second-degree robbery; the other to a drug-possession charge. Both received deferred sentences. They both appealed to the high court after a judge ruled them ineligible for expungement: the first because he had committed a violent crime, and the second because she got into further trouble. "Because they never were actually sentenced," their lawyer argued that "they had not been convicted of any offense and therefore all records involving their arrest and plea should be erased." But the Supreme Court disagreed. Since "a plea of nolo contendere is an implied confession of guilt," the court said "it follows that such a plea constitutes a conviction for purposes of weighing who is and is not eligible for expungement, even when it has been followed by a deferred sentence." The bill headed for the Senate committee vote would allow the automatic erasure the Supreme Court rejected as ill-reasoned. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:17 PM | Comment 2 p.m. southbound train packed with Celts fans / Photo
-- Brandie Jefferson, projo.com Posted by maria caporizzo at 2:12 PM | Comment Budget moves on to Senate, House moves on to billsPROVIDENCE -- The 9-hour budget debate last night was just the beginning. After passing a budget, the House must now move on to the real work of voting on hundreds of bills still before them this session. Legislative leaders had originally said they hoped to adjourn by tomorrow. But in an interview in the early hours of this morning, a bleary-eyed House Speaker William J. Murphy said lawmakers may be forced to return on Saturday to finish up the mountain of legislation. Only time, and a lot of work, will tell, he said. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on the budget shortly after 4 p.m. this afternoon. “They’ll likely report [the budget] right out to the Senate floor and we could take it up as soon as today,” Senate spokesman Greg Pare. As one longtime House observer put it, the insiders known never to try to predict the end on Smith Hill. -- Cynthia Needham, State House bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:55 PM | Comment Photos: Chanting, sweaty, happy Celts fans
Fans stood packed, shoulder to shoulder, face to sweaty back, for a glimpse of their heroes in the "rolling rally" celebrating their NBA victory.
-- Words and photos by Brandie Jefferson, projo.com Posted by maria caporizzo at 1:49 PM | Comment In Boston, the Celtics begged the crowd to go wild
Celtics basketball fans descended on the city by the thousands today, and sustained a level of chants, hoots and hollers never before witnessed by this reporter. Fans stood packed, shoulder to shoulder, face to sweaty back, for a glimpse of their heroes in the "rolling rally" celebrating their NBA victory. When they came, they really brought it. Music blared, trophies hoisted, arms outstretched, the players stood on the city’s “duck boats” begging the crowd to go wild. So what else was there to do? The crowd went absolutely insane. This reporter, standing over the crowd on a media platform, saw: Tossing beachballs, women sitting on shoulders of men, arms thrown up over heads, red-faced screaming, and waving banners that said it all: "We beat LA." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:01 PM | Comment Police: Entwistle looked for sex before wife's slayingWOBURN, Mass. -- A police detective has testified that Neil Entwistle posted a profile on a swingers Web site in the weeks before his wife and baby daughter were slain, saying he was looked to meet "American women of all ages" for sex. Entwistle is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, at their Hopkinton home in January 2006. Medford police Detective Lawrence James testified today that Entwistle used his credit card to purchase a monthlong membership in "AdultFriendFinder.com" in December 2005. He then posted a profile, describing himself as an Englishman looking for "1-on-1 discrete relationships with American ladies." The Web site bills itself as "The World's Largest Sex & Swinger Personals Community." Entwistle denies killing his wife and daughter. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:39 AM | Comment Sentencing expected soon in tribal smoke-shop casePROVIDENCE -- Sentencing is expected shortly for three Narragansett Indian tribal members convicted of assaulting and scuffling with state police during the 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop. The defense lawyer for the three asked for leniency at a sentencing hearing before Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl today, referencing the tribe's historically troubled relationship with the state. "Isn't it time for us, the state of Rhode Island, to step for forward and extend a hand to them," said defense lawyer William Devereaux. But Pamela Chin, the prosecutor, is asking that the three be held responsible for their actions that day and she said that they had been spoiling for a fight that day. "These are the tribal leaders, these are the people leading people, and they led them into a fight with state police," said Chin. For Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, the state asking for probation and community service. The state is asking that Hiawatha Brown get one-year suspended sentence with probation for the assault charge, and six months suspended with probation for the disorderly conduct. For Randy Noka, the state is asking fror a six-month probation with 25 hours of community service. Each tribal member spoke on his own behalf. The sentencing comes two days after McGuirl denied two bids for a new trial for the three. She rejected defense lawyers’ arguments that the jury was tainted by racial bias. She also denied another motion for a new trial that asserted that the prosecutors had not produced enough evidence to convict. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:38 AM | Comment Celtics' Pierce at parade: 'Now we get to enjoy our own'
"We're tired of watching these parades on TV. Now we get to enjoy our own," said Pierce, wearing a championship cap and holding the MVP trophy. "I haven't had any sleep yet, so now I'm still enjoying it." Pierce led the Celtics to the team's 17th championship, culminating in Boston's victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6. A sea of fans in green lined the streets of the city Thursday, from the TD Banknorth Garden to Copley Plaza to pay tribute to the team as they rolled through town on 16 World War II-era amphibious vehicles. The rally was similar to five other staged since 2002 - two Boston Red Sox World Series victories and three Super Bowl championships for the New England Patriots. But Thursday, it was all green. "I'm having a great time, as you can see," Kevin Garnett said, stopping to point to his broad, toothy grin. -- Associated Press All along the route, fans held signs declaring "Sweet 17" and "Have a Cigar," a reference to the late patriarch Red Auerbach, who had a hand in the franchise's first 16 titles. President Bush called team owners Wyc and Irv Grousbeck to offer congratulations. Wyc Grousbeck says Bush told him he really enjoyed the game and that the Celtics made Boston proud. Before the parade, the Grousbecks showed off a 2008 championship banner similar to the 16 others already hanging from the Garden's rafters. Coach Doc Rivers made the new banners for the owners and players. Irv Grousbeck says it is "the first of several, we hope." Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:11 AM | Comment South County YMCA closed todayThe South County YMCA in Peace Dale will close today and remain closed until Sunday while the heaviest part of construction begins in the facility's parking lot. Construction began on June 2, since which time traffic has been re-routed and visitors have been detoured to the front gym doors. After the project is completed, the Y will be able to accommodate more cars, with improved safety and better lighting in the parking area. In addition, a new recreational area for members will feature an all-purpose playing court, picnic grove and Adirondack-chair seating area. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:39 AM | Comment Prosecutors from U.S., Canada, Mexico meet in R.I.Government attorneys from three countries are gathering in Rhode Island today to discuss a host of issues that have importance across North America. The National Association of Attorneys General will begin its summer meeting in Providence at the Westin Hotel when attorneys general from across the United States, Canada and Mexico will discuss aspects of immigration in the “North American Cross Border Issues.” Topics include drug trafficking, immigration, human trafficking and security issues. The attorneys will also join a group of academics to discuss the nature of the U.S. Constitution at “Interpreting the Constitution: Originalism v. The Living Constitution.” Later in the evening, in Newport, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch will be honored in a ceremony elevating him to president of the National Association of Attorneys General. His presidency will be a first for the Ocean State. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:27 AM | Comment Photo: Riding to Boston for the Celtics' rolling rally
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:05 AM | Comment Narragansetts to be sentenced in smoke-shop raid fightPROVIDENCE -- Three Narragansett Indian tribe members convicted of fighting with state police during a 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop are scheduled to be sentenced. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Hiawatha Brown and Randy Noka are expected to be sentenced today, two days after a judge rejected their request for a new trial. A defense lawyer says the judge put off the sentencing so she could get more information about the impact sentences would have on the defendants and the tribe. But he also said he doesn't expect them to face any jail time. The three were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault. Police had been ordered to shut down the shop in Charlestown because it was selling cigarettes without collecting state taxes. Read our special report on the smoke-shop case. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Partly cloudy, high 70s, chance of rainHave you heard this one before? It's partly cloudy this morning, with mild temperatures, but the national Weather Service is forecasting a slight chance of rain and maybe thunderstorms later this afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m.. Otherwise expect temperatures to reach the high 70s and mild west winds. Tonight looks dry, with partly cloudy skies and a low temperature near 58 degrees. For Friday's forecast, just re-read today's. Watch the rain as it rolls in -- or retreats -- live via satellite on projo.com's weather page. And if you happen to be making the trek to Boston today for the Celtics' "Rolling Rally" victory parade, the forecast is pretty similar. If it does rain, however, it's expected to begin earlier in Boston. Don't fret, take the commuter train, which has made accommodations for the expected surge in riders.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today in history: Slavery outlawed in U.S. territoriesOn this day in 1862, slavery was outlawed in U.S. territories. Watch a video about today in history. Read more about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 18, 2008Tonight: Partial WaterFire lights up ProvidenceYou can catch a partial WaterFire tonight at 8:24 -- sunset. Some two dozen braziers will be lit in Waterplace Park in Providence, and remain burning until about midnight. For information, head to www.waterfire.org Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Lobster truck con man gets 16 years in prison/ Photo
Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel also ordered that Kluth would not be eligible for parole until serving 14 years. Vogel, in delivering her lengthy sentence, agreed with a description suggested by Mark L. Smith, Kluth's lawyer, that "Mr. Kluth is the best con man in the state." It is unusual that a judge gets involved in specificying when someone is eligible for parole, but the case came under the habitual offender statute. It requires that a judge stipulate a minimum number of years before parole eligibility. Vogel further ordered there be restitution totaling $7,930 to 27 of the 30 victims in the case. The losses were greater than that, but some people got money back from Kluth or an acquaintance of Kluth's, or for technical reasons, they were not entitled to full restitution. The judge noted the restitution is to be paid from the remaining cash bail still on deposit with the court -- money put there at several points in the past. It was not immediately clear who had posted that cash bail. In March, Kluth was found guilty at trial of 30 counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. Almost all of the counts involved the well-known lobster truck scam. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Eight of Kluth's victims took the witness stand to give victim impact statements for the sentencing, including Robert Nyman, retired president and chief executive officer of Nyman Manufacturing, which make paper products, among other things. Nyman said that what Kluth did to him had made him more distrustful of other people. Nyman said he was "embarrassed by having to publicly admit to my gullibility." Kluth addressed the court today as well. "Your honor, I want to own this fully," he said. "I did a terrible thing." Kluth went on to say he has been drug addicted, that this "monkey on my back" and the bad decisions he had made factored into his crimes. "I used people, but I didn't use them the right way," Kluth said. Kluth turned to face assembled victims and said, in at times a quavering voice, that he was "terribly sorry." His face fell as he spoke. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:53 PM | Comment Debate over illegal immigrants and RIte Care hits HousePROVIDENCE -- There was plenty of shouting over the state budget this afternoon, but there's no way it's all over. The House debate on the plan to close a $425 million state deficit turned fiery over illegal immigration. The raging national issue erupted on Rhode Island's House floor over Article 10 that deals with medical assistance and managed care. It started when Rep. Peter Palumbo, D-Cranston, offered an amendment stating: "No person who is residing in this state as an illegal alien shall be entitled to any benefits under the RIte RIte Care provides families on the Family Independence Program and eligible uninsured pregnant women, parents, and children up to age 19 with comprehensive health coverage. The debate centered around whether a pregnant woman in the country illegally is entitled to the benefits. Palumbo urged colleagues to support the people in their districts, "not illegal aliens." And Rep. Joseph Trillo, R-Warwick, talked -- loudly at times and at length -- in support of his colleague's amendment. But views on the House floor seem to vary on what current law says. Shortly after 4:45 p.m., after about an hour of debate, the amendment failed. Lawmakers have moved on to address more of the 39 sections of the budget called "articles." Some 70 amendments have been drafted by lawmakers wanting to change parts of the budget or create sections. Those amendments have not been released publicly. The debate typically runs well into the night and often into the early-morning. Projo.com plans to provide updates into the night. Return tomorrow morning for a full report.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:01 PM | Comment Health Dept. reopens 2 swimming spots, shuts 2 moreThe state Department of Health today reopened for swimming the Atlantic Beach Club, in Middletown, and Barrington Town Beach after water samples yielded bacteria levels within acceptable limits. The two beaches were among six that were closed yesterday after high bacteria counts. Beaches remaining closed are Warren Town Beach, Camp Grosvenor in North Kingstown, and, in Warwick, City Park Beach, Conimicut Point Beach and Oakland Beach. Meanwhile, because of high bacteria levels, the state health department today closed to swimming the Kent County YMCA in Warwick, and the Saunderstown Yacht Club in the Saunderstown section of North Kingstown. For updates on beach status, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:33 PM | Comment With stop for gas, Bermuda adventurer lands in NewportNEWPORT – Bobby Doe had to pay $8 per gallon of gasoline last night so he could complete a 635-mile passage from Bermuda to Aquidneck Island, alone in an 18-foot dinghy, powered by a 9.9-horsepower outboard motor. The 66-year-old Bermudian adventurer left St. George’s late Saturday afternoon aboard Huckleberry, a modified Bermuda dinghy. It was powered by the tiny four-stroke Mercury outboard. A boat builder and commercial fisherman, Doe made the passage to raise awareness and money for the Lady Cubit Compassionate Association, a charity that helps pay for medical care. The group helped him pay for care in a Boston hospital last year after he suffered a serious heart attack. Soon afterwards, he said, the charity lacked the money to help one of his friends in need of a kidney transplant. “I had to do something,” he said. Doe was also trying to prove that the dinghy he built was seaworthy, safe, and economical. He had 60 gallons of gasoline, but had planned to use only 30 gallons. From the start, however, the wind was on the boat’s bow. Crossing the Gulf Stream, the wind quartered on the bow so he could increase speed, but he faced 20-foot seas. “We were airborne at times,” he said. “You would be up in the air, then BANG! You’d think you were getting a minor concussion because your brain would rattle around.” Sometime during the voyage, one of the fuel tanks began to leak. Doe was unaware of the leak because his cockpit’s forced-air ventilation was so efficient, he couldn’t smell the gasoline. Doe reckons he lost 10 gallons. Resting in still air at the Newport Yacht Club, Huckleberry stank of gas. -- Journal outdoors writer Tom Meade He saw only two other vessels during the three-day passage, a cruise liner early on, and a fishing boat yesterday. “The fishing boat appeared providentially,” he said, “because I had run out of fuel.” The Whitewater II spotted Huckleberry drifting about 18 miles south of Point Judith around 5 p.m. yesterday, and offered assistance. “All kudos to that guy,” Doe said. “He stood by and did all the talking on the radio, because the battery in my hand-held [radio] had run out. He was in a hurry to get out fishing, but he waited until he was sure that I was all right.” Whitewater II summoned Safe/Sea, a marine assistance service, according to the Coast Guard. The company brought 5 gallons of gas and charged Doe $40. He figured he could have made the rest of the way to Newport on a gallon, but was in no position to argue. Doe fired up the little outboard, and arrived in Newport Harbor around 8:30 p.m. He plans to start steaming back to Bermuda Friday morning, ahead of the 1 p.m. start of the Newport Bermuda Race. Posted by Tom Meade at 3:59 PM | Comment Click here if you're training it to the Celts' 'rolling rally'If, after last night's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, you have found yourself a Celtics fan, and you just have to go to the celebration parade in Boston tomorrow, don’t worry, the Commuter Rail is thinking of you. Tomorrow, trains departing from North Station and Back Bay in Boston will implement special “queuing systems,” aimed organizing and easing what may otherwise be a hectic commute. Trains will still be operating on –– or close to –– schedule. Authorities suggest buying tickets ahead of time and have made special arrangements at North Station and Back Bay. The "rolling rally" will start at 11 a.m. tomorrow to celebrate the Boston Celtics' win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Sixteen World War II-era amphibious "duck boats" will carry the Celtics players, owners and staff. The team's dancers, former Celtics greats and championship trophies from previous years will travel on two flatbed trucks. The parade will start at the TD Banknorth Garden and wind past City Hall and Boston Common before ending at Copley Square in the city's Back Bay neighborhood. The parade also will be broadcast on a Jumbotron in Copley Square. Click here to find out more about the victory parade. Click below to read how those stations will handle the large crowds, or visit the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson North Station Access to the station will be restricted until each train is ready for boarding. Back Bay Back Bay Station will have a queuing system in operation. Please note the East Berkley/Clarendon exit will be closed. Customers will enter through the Clarendon Street entrance into a queue for Franklin, Needham, and Providence/Stoughton Lines. Customers for the Framingham/Worcester Line will be directed to tracks 5 & 7. Please take the increased ridership into consideration when planning your commute on Thursday. We believe these arrangements will provide the best level of service to our valued customers. South Station Please do not arrive at South Station more than 20 minutes prior to your train’s departure time. Upon arrival, please remain in the station and listen for announcements regarding your trains departure. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:48 PM | Comment Update: Diving into the saga of the sunken Russian sub
Navy and Army divers are working together today on a salvage mission in the Providence River. Yes, it’s the Russian submarine. The submarine, which sank last April after a storm, won’t see the light of day today, but, we’re told, it will happen soon. First there are some technical issues to deal with. Today, Spc. David Craig, ND-2 Michael Mahoney and Spc. Paul Riedner stepped off a boat and into the greenish-gray waters of the river to do their part. After their dive, a hydraulic drill was lowered into the water. The three will work together to drill open the missile tubes on the submarine, then fill them with air, according to Chief Warrant Officer Dale Kasztelan. The air will make the craft more buoyant, a great help when the submarine is actually hoisted to the surface. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson But it’s not that easy to drill a hole under water. It’s kind of like a space walk –– the divers push against the ship, it pushes back. So they have to find ways to brace themselves using the ship, the muddy waters and each other. They’ll be underwater for a few hours, Kasztelan said. But it’s not so bad. Sometimes the salvage divers are under water for upwards of six hours. The salvage effort has another purpose, too. It's a way to provide training for the military divers, through the Defense Department's Innovative Readiness Training, which uses community-based projects. Of course this isn’t the end of the sub saga. In a statement released by the Department of Defense, the work will “culminate in the safe recovery of Juliett-484, a.k.a. a sunken Russian submarine from the Providence River sometime this summer.” But not today. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:42 PM | Comment Protesters show up for budget vote; lawmakers missingPROVIDENCE -- There are protesters with signs, protesters wearing stickers, protesters just protesting. But missing so far from today’s scheduled budget vote are members of the House. The process was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in the House Chamber, but there are only a few state legislators on hand. Instead, a handful of labor-backed protesters are carrying signs; some that rhyme (“Stop the war against the Poor”) some that don’t (“Tax cuts for the rich, budget cuts for the rest.”) Others are wearing stickers on their T-shirts, with “Article 34” and a red line striking through the characters. Their grievance is with the fifth-to-last article in the proposed budget, which puts limits on municipalities’ ability to negotiate contracts with labor unions. And tens of millions of dollars in savings that are wrapped up in ongoing labor negotiations still have not been finalized, according to Dennis Grilli, executive director of Council 94, the largest state employee union. In all, about 20 protesters –– and the rest of Rhode Island –– are awaiting today’s budgetary discussion and an eventual vote. -- With reports from Steve Peoples, Journal State House bureau Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:52 PM | Comment Photo: Baseball great Ripken spreads the word
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:05 PM | Comment Coming tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys tennisTonight at 6, we begin our coverage of spring All-States by unveiling the 2008 Providence Journal HSGameTime All-State boys tennis team. You can find the first-team and second-team All-State listings as well as All-Division, Scholarship Awards and the SENE co-ed team at HSGameTime. Right now, you can get watch and listen to a multimedia interview with state tennis champion Kyle Burke, from South Kingstown High School. Here is the online schedule for spring All-States. The new teams will be announced at 6 p.m. each day. Today: Boys tennis Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:40 PM | Comment Chinese drug maker ordered to forfeit about $2.7 millionPROVIDENCE -- A Chinese drug manufacturer accused of illegally shipping human growth hormone into the United States has been ordered to forfeit about $2.7 million to the federal government. Genescience Pharmaceuticals and its chief executive, Lei Jin, were indicted on federal charges last year as part of Operation Raw Deal, when more than 120 people were arrested and dozens of underground labs were raided. Prosecutors say Genescience illegally marketed human growth hormone over the Internet to a network of distributors. According to an affidavit, agents based in Rhode Island examined more than 20,000 e-mails sent between Lei Jin and his confederates between 2003 and 2007. Federal agents seized money linked to the alleged illegal shipments from the New York branches of Chinese banks. The U.S. Attorney's office in Rhode Island said today that a federal judge ordered the forfeiture earlier this month. The company's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:29 PM | Comment 2 Bristol men plead not guilty to child molestationPROVIDENCE -- Two Bristol men who had served as foster parents pleaded not guilty in Providence County Superior Court this morning to multiple felony child-molestation charges. Special Magistrate Joseph A. Keough ordered the couple, Raymond Grenier, 54, and Sedonio Rodrigues, 57, both of 26 Sampson St., to remain held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston. Grenier is charged with three counts of first-degree child molestation, two counts of second-degree child molestation and one count of indecent solicitation of a child. Rodrigues is charged with two counts of first-degree child molestation and one count of indecent solicitation of a child. A Providence County grand jury indicted the men on the charges, which related to the alleged sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy from Sept. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2006, in Bristol. Bristol police had arrested Grenier and Rodrigues last February after the state Department of Children, Youth and Families received an anonymous tip to its child abuse hotline. The DCYF, after a preliminary investigation, determined that the couple’s two adopted children and two foster children were in “immediate peril,” and removed the children from the home. Grenier and Rodrigues had been licensed for foster care since 2001. Both are being represented by court-appointed lawyers. The judge ordered Grenier and Rodrigues to have no contact with the alleged victim. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Sept. 18. -- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:21 PM | Comment Rocco Mediate: From U.S Open to CVS ClassicRocco Mediate, who took Tiger Woods to a dramatic sudden-death finish in the U.S. Open this past weekend, has been added to the field at the CVS Caremark Charity Classic, June 22 to 24 in Barrington. Mediate will replace Boo Weekley, who has withdrawn for personal reasons. His teammate for the event will be Brandt Snedeker. Mediate is no stranger to the CVS tourney. In fact, he's won it before, in 2003, playing with Jeff Sluman. He's also played in the classic in 2002 and 2004. See who else is playing this year. More to come ... -- With reports from Journal sports writer Paul Kenyon Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:15 PM | Comment Jury selection begins in murder trial of W. Warwick manWARWICK -- Jury selection got underway today in the murder trial of a West Warwick man accused of beating and strangling a woman staying at his house in 2006. Asked how he pleads, Brian Mlyniec, 45, said "absolutely not guilty" in court before Superior Court Judge Edwin C. Gale. Mlyniec is charged with first-degree murder. A jury of 16 will be impaneled to hear the case. Selection is expected to take today and possibly run into tomorrow if necessary. The Journal reported in 2006 that West Warwick firefighters discovered the body of Kelly Ann Anderson, 41, inside Mlyniec's home on the afternoon of June 23, 2006, after getting an anonymous call reporting a possible overdose. Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene. She had injuries to her face, throat and neck. Mlyniec denied slaying Anderson, according to a police affidavit, and told police the two had engaged in consensual, violent sexual activities that resulted in the bruises and bleeding. The West Warwick police arrested Mlyniec after the state medical examiner finished an autopsy and reported that strangulation caused Anderson's death, Police Chief Peter T. Brousseau told the Journal in 2006. Gale today said that opening statements from the prosecution and defense will not begin until Monday. He said he expected the case to be difficult, because of the graphic nature of some evidence. The prosecution lists 15 potential witnesses -- people who may be called to testify and people who may be referenced during the trial. They are from the West Warwick police and fire departments, six civilians and a doctor from the state Office of Medical Examiners. Thomas H. O'Brien is the lead prosecutor. Andrew A. Bucci is the defense lawyer for Mlyniec. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment House to vote on budget today -- and it could be messyPROVIDENCE -- The state House of Representatives will convene today at 2 p.m. to approve a state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget -- which consists of at least 39 separate "articles" -- is aimed at closing a $425 million deficit. The massive budget bill includes proposals to transform the state's Medicaid system for the elderly, poor and disabled. Community service organizations like Meals of Wheels and Crossroads stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. And a new tax on health insurers may lead to higher health care costs for residents. The budget debate on the House floor is expected to be messy. Around 70 "amendments" have been drafted by lawmakers wishing to change specific parts of the budget proposal or create new sections. The amendments have not been released publicly. The budget debate typically spans long into the night and often into the early-morning hours. The Journal will be on hand for the entire debate. Check projo.com later today for updates. The Senate -- which has already negotiated key provisions in the budget with House leadership -- is scheduled to vote on the tax-and-spend plan Friday. That's the same day that the Assembly is tentatively set to recess for the summer. Keep track of the House and Senate calendars via the General Assembly's Web site. Read the budget bill that was passed by the House Finance Committee on June 11 and sent to the full House. -- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:04 PM | Comment Cargo plane crashes at Cape Cod airport, killing 1HYANNIS, Mass. -- A cargo plane has crashed on takeoff at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis, killing the pilot, who was the only person on board. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlence Salac says the plane crashed about 500 feet down a runway about 10 a.m. today. The aircraft was a DeHavilland C6 propeller plane. Salac says the plane's destination and other information including the pilot's identity were not immediately available. The airport has been temporarily closed. Federal investigators will head to the scene to try to determine the cause of the crash. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:30 AM | Comment PawSox to honor 'Iron Man' Ripken for longest gamePAWTUCKET -- Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. is visiting Rhode Island, where he'll be honored for participating in the longest game in professional baseball history more than 25 years ago. Ripken will be at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket this afternoon. In 1981, the stadium had a marathon game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings that spanned 33 innings and was played over two nights. Ripken, a longtime shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, played for Rochester at the time. He is known as the "Iron Man" for breaking Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. The PawSox don't play today. They return to the home field tomorrow to play the Columbus Clippers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:01 AM | Comment The story continues: Raising the Russian subIt’s time to raise the sub. Almost. Navy divers and a salvage team are preparing to conduct a salvage of the sunken Russian Submarine, which has rested at the bottom of the Providence River since it sank more than a year ago. For the divers and salvage experts –– the same salvage team that worked on the recovery efforts after the August bridge collapse in Minneapolis –– this is a training exercise. For the rest of us, it’s a tease. The Soviet cruise missile submarine sank during a storm last April. Today's effort is just one of several surveying and salvage operations that have taken place since then. But still, it’s submerged. According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, the work will “culminate in the safe recovery of Juliett-484, a.k.a. a sunken Russian submarine from the Providence River sometime this summer.” But probably not today. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment Celtics victory parade will be tomorrow in BostonBOSTON (AP) - For the second time in a year, the streets of Boston will be turned into a mobile party. Boston Mayor Tom Menino told WBZ-AM on Wednesday that a "rolling rally" to honor the NBA champion Boston Celtics will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The rally is expected to start at the TD Banknorth Garden. where the Celtics clinched their 17th crown on Tuesday night with a 131-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The city has held the "rolling rallies" on World War II-era amphibious vehicles to celebrate championships from the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. The last one was on Oct. 30, after the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series. Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:38 AM | Comment Photo: Printing Celtics' champs shirts in Pawtucket
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:26 AM | Comment Several arrested in Boston after Celts win NBA titleBOSTON -- Boston police arrested several people after stepping up surveillance and security during and after the Celtics' 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night that clinched the NBA championship. Police spokesman Eddy Chrispin says initial reports showed "a handful of people" were detained on charges of disorderly conduct and vandalism after Boston won its 17th NBA title. Additional details were to be released today. Police increased patrols around the TD Banknorth Garden last night and early today and used video surveillance at key areas around the city to control rowdiness. Parking restrictions were in place near the arena, and officials encouraged fans to use public transportation or taxis. Previous New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox championship celebrations have been marred by deaths among revelers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:15 AM | Comment Con man Kluth to be sentenced today for lobster scamA convicted con man who wrangled money from his victims with tales of woe and bad luck is scheduled to be sentenced today, two days after a judge declared him a “habitual criminal.” John P. Kluth Jr., a former Newport lobsterman, was convicted on March 28 of robbing 30 people of cash in amounts ranging from $25 to $5,200. In a hearing Monday, a Superior Court judge declared Kluth to be a habitual criminal, a designation that requires the sentencing judge to add jail time to his sentence for the crimes. The statute also requires her to impose a minimum number of years Kluth must serve before he is eligible for parole. Victims who testified at Kluth’s trial said he approached them with a hard-luck story. His lobster truck had broken down, they were told, and Kluth needed a quick loan to fix it before his lobsters spoiled. Kluth has also been convicted of more than 50 crimes in three other states and served prison time in Massachusetts. He still faces charges in two additional Rhode Island cases as well as “lobster scam” cases in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He'll be sentenced today in Superior Court, Providence. Multimedia: Hear what John Kluth says he did with the money Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:35 AM | Comment Today in history: U.S. declares war on BritainOn this day in 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. Read more about today in history. Watch a video report on today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's weather: More of the sameThe story starts the same. Let's see how it ends. The National Weather Service is again forecasting some rain, thunderstorms and maybe hail today. They should be isolated, however, so don't feel bad if you don't see one. Otherwise, we'll have partly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching about 77 degrees. There's also a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight, with cloudy skies and a low temperature near 56 degrees. We'll also have mild west winds between 5 and 8 mph. Tomorrow's forecast is pretty much the same as today's; a chance of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures reaching 77 degrees. We'll also have southwest winds, gusting up to 24 mph. See up-to-date forecasts on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: The Celtics win the championshipToday's front page reports that the Boston Celtics have won their 17th NBA Championship, the team's first in 22 years. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 17, 2008Tonight: Celtics aim for NBA title in Game 6Game Six of the NBA finals between the Celtics-Lakers starts tonight at 9, back in Boston. The Celts have a chance to become the champions on home court with a win tonight, as they enter the game leading the series, 3-2. So far, the Lakers haven't been able to put any dents in the Celtics when the games are played in Boston. The Celtics couldn't seal the deal in Game 5 in Los Angeles, though the team managed to pick up one victory while on its opponent's court. Check out projo.com for updates as the game unfolds, and come back tomorrow morning for a full post-game report. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment Entwistle gave different accounts of reporting slayingsWOBURN, Mass. -- Two friends of a British man accused of killing his wife and baby daughter have testified that he gave them different accounts of his actions after the slayings than what he told police. Neil Entwistle is accused in the January 2006 fatal shootings of his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose. One of Entwistle's friends from London testified today that Entwistle told him he went to his wife's parents' home to grieve with them after discovering the bodies and then called police. Another friend said Entwistle told him he called police from his mother-in-law's office to tell them he had found the bodies. Prosecutors say Entwistle flew home to England the day after the killings without ever calling police. He told police he was so distraught after discovering the bodies that he went to England to be consoled by his parents. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:38 PM | Comment Plea deal for W. Warwick man in child-molestation caseWEST WARWICK -- A local man initially indicted on 26 counts of child molestation and sexual assault pleaded no contest to five of the charges as part of a plea deal and sentencing in Kent County Superior Court today. Richard R. Reynolds, 44, of 49A Cowesett Ave., entered the plea to three counts of first-degree child molestation, one count of second-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree sexual assault stemming from a series of incidents as far back as 2004. The remaining counts were dismissed as part of the deal. In exchange, he was sentenced to 40 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, with 8 years to serve and 32 years of the sentence suspended. He will remain on probation for 32 years after his release and be required to register as a sex offender. According to Det. Sgt. Mark Bennett of the West Warwick police, Reynolds was friends with family members of the five girls he assaulted. Reynolds’ case went to trial last month, but the proceedings ended in a mistrial. He was released on bail after the trial ended. A week later, Bennett said, he violated the terms of his bail and turned himself into police on an active warrant. He had been held without bail since May 30. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:31 PM | Comment Update: Kidnap suspect arraigned on rape charges
WARWICK -- In his second court appearance in two days, the man accused of carjacking, kidnapping and raping a woman had little to say. Marco Riz was quiet, mumbling, with his eyes pointing toward the floor. The police allege Riz, 26, carjacked a woman June 8 as she sat in the passenger seat of an idling vehicle, waiting for her mother in the parking lot of a Warwick grocery store. Riz entered the vehicle, according to the police, robbed the woman and then drove her to Roger Williams Park in Providence, where he allegedly raped her. Yesterday Riz faced a District Court judge in Providence, where he was arraigned on two charges of first-degree sexual assault. He was ordered held at the Adult Correctional Institutions without bail. In Kent County District Court today, Riz, through his public defender, waived his right to have the complaint against him read aloud. Here, he faces charges of kidnapping, carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon and first-degree robbery. Those crimes allegedly took place in Warwick, where the Stop & Shop is located. Riz was again ordered held without bail, this time by District Court Judge Elaine Bucci, who also issued a no-contact order on the alleged victim's behalf. Before his arraignment in Providence yesterday, Riz was pushed and kicked by two men who were in custody with him at the ACI Intake Center, according to a state Department of Corrections spokeswoman. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Two inmates also awaiting court appearances pushed and kicked him, according to spokeswoman Tracey Poole, in an incident captured on video. Riz did not require any outside medical treatment, Poole said. The department will now evaluate whether Riz needs protective custody. “That’s something that we don’t do unless we really have to,” Poole said. The ACI would not release the names of the two inmates today. However, it said, they are facing departmental infractions, not criminal charges as originally described. They are being held in "punitive segregation" from other inmates. There will also be an internal investigation. Today, as Riz stood flanked by two armed officers, an interpreter and his public defender, Associate Justice Elaine Bucci also issued a no-contact order on behalf of the alleged victim. Bucci told Riz that under no circumstances could he contact her. "Not by telephone, not by mail, not directly nor indirectly through third parties," she said. If he were to violate the terms of the order, she said, speaking to Riz's interpreter, "he'll be in a lot more trouble than he's already in." Riz's next scheduled court date is June 30, when the charges from Providence and Warwick will be consolidated. According to Michael Gilhooly, spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Riz is in the country illegally from Guatemala and had been ordered removed from the United States in July 2006. Riz disappeared after the order and members of the ICE fugitive unit in Rhode Island were actively seeking him, Gilhooly said, when they received the call about the alleged crime. Gilhooly said that members of his office were involved in Riz’s arrest last week. If Riz is released from state custody for any reason, he will be immediately transferred to ICE custody to face the immigration charges. Posted by Jack Perry at 6:00 PM | Comment Weather alert: Thunderstorms on the way againAnother line of thunderstorms is heading toward parts of our area, the National Weather Service warns, just in time for the evening commute. Here are the latest advisories:
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:56 PM | Comment Bacteria count closes Somerset beach to swimmingSOMERSET, Mass. -- The town beach is closed to swimming at least until Thursday after tests today revealed a high bacteria count, caused by overnight rains. "Normally after a heavy rain, it gets closed" and that part of the state had strong rains and thunderstorms overnight, Recreation Director Frank W. Dorsey said. The pollution usually comes from fertilizer runoff from Dighton farms further up the Taunton River. Pierce Beach itself and the playground will still be open. "You can sunbathe, you just cannot go in the water," Playground and Recreation Commission Chairman Richard Silvia said. Six Rhode Island beaches were closed to swimming today as well. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment DEM gives nod to N. Smithfield shopping complex planNORTH SMITHFIELD -- State environmental regulators have signed off on the proposed Dowling Village shopping complex project on Route 146A, issuing permits for the remaining three phases of the 133-acre development, state officials said today. Though the development still must be reviewed and approved by the town’s Planning Board, lawyer K. Joseph Shekarchi, representing the project’s builder, Bucci Development Inc., said the Department of Environmental Management approval should remove concerns about the project’s impact on the surrounding environment. “This was a big one,” Shekarchi said. Bucci wants to build, in multiple phases, nearly 600,000 square feet of retail space on approximately 133 acres on the east side of Eddie Dowling Highway, Route 146A near the Woonsocket city line, starting roughly at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island and running south to just before the Route 146 split. The buildings will range in size from 11,000-square-feet to 120,000-square-feet big-box retailers. Plans include three restaurants, a three-story office building and 76 townhouses. Bucci Development has estimated that tax revenues from the businesses in the complex could generate at much as $1.5 million a year in tax payments to the town. -- Journal staff writer John Hill Town Administrator Robert B. Lowe said he was pleased at the announcement. “DEM was very thorough in what they did,” Lowe said. “The timing is fortunate because we could use the tax dollars to offset things.” But at what price, critics of the project have said. “Say goodbye to the quality of life that North Smithfield has enjoyed,” Town Council member and former town planner Paul Zwolenski said. He said the increase in economic activity would also bring increased demand for municipal services, and that traffic to and from the complex would spill onto residential side streets “This is going to cost the town of North Smithfield through police, fire and emergency medical technicians, regardless of the taxes they have promised to town,” Zwolenski said. “The quality of life will change dramatically.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:47 PM | Comment Providence's 6th homicide of 2008: Stabbing victim diesPROVIDENCE -- A 36-year-old Providence man who was stabbed Sunday morning became the city's sixth homicide of the year this morning, the Providence police said. Jukumu Felder, of 3 Whelan Rd., who was stabbed in the chest and had been in critical condition, died of the injuries this morning. The police went to Rhode Island Hospital to assist hospital security with a stabbing victim at about 2:50 a.m. Sunday, according to a police news release. The police learned Felder has been taken immediately into the operating room with a "serious stab wound," the police said, after an incident in which he was stabbed "during a disturbance" that happened near Saki's Pizzeria at Clemence and Weybosset streets. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:37 PM | Comment High bacteria counts close six beaches today in R.I.Citing high bacteria counts, the state Department of Health today closed to swimming City Park, Conimicut Point and Oakland beaches in Warwick, the Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, Barrington Town Beach, and Warren Town Beach. Still closed today is Camp Grosvenor in North Kingstown. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:26 PM | Comment Health Dept: R.I. tops for flu vaccination in older adultsRhode Island commanded the nation's highest rate of influenza vaccination among people age 65 and older, the state Department of Health announced today. The department issued a news release stating Rhode Island’s 2007 rate was 80 percent -- up 5 percent from the prior year -- according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics. The national influenza immunization average was 72 percent. Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director, in a statement touted the high rate of adult flu vaccination as attributable, at least in part, "to our innovative adult influenza immunization program, which began in October 2007." Gifford said the immunization program partners health insurers, health care providers, and the Department of Health. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:23 PM | Comment Carcieri nominates ex-Warwick fire chief as fire marshalPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today nominated John E. Chartier, who served as Warwick emergency management director and fire chief from 2001 to 2006, to be the new state fire marshal. “His long experience as fire chief in the state’s second largest city makes him an ideal candidate for this position," Carcieri said in a statement. "He has been on the front line of enforcing the state’s fire codes throughout his career. That background will help him immensely as he takes on the role of the state’s chief enforcement officer. He will also benefit from his longstanding professional relationships with fire chiefs and EMA officials across Rhode Island." Carcieri said he hoped the state Senate would approve Chartier’s nomination before month's end. Chartier,who joined the Warwick Fire Department in 1976, served as assistant chief from 1999 to 2001. Chartier received an executive fire officer degree from the National Fire Academy in Emmittsburg, Md., in 1998. He has certifications and training from other organizations, including the Emergency Management Institute, the National Fire Academy and the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, according to the governor's office. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:16 PM | Comment Carcieri urges elimination of straight-party votingPROVIDENCE – Surrounded by GOP lawmakers, Governor Carcieri today mounted an eleventh-hour appeal to the General Assembly’s Democratic leaders to eliminate the option of straight-party voting and require that voters produce a photo identification before they are allowed to vote. At an afternoon press conference, Carcieri said the voter ID requirement would ensure “that voters are who they say they are’’ and elimination of the straight-ticket option would spur more “thoughtful’’ consideration of candidates in Rhode Island, where Democrats hold an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly and all top statewide offices except the governor’s office. As one of only 17 states that still allow straight-party voting, Carcieri said eliminating this option “will encourage voters to do their homework, consider candidates more carefully, and make informed decisions. Doing away with straight ticket voting would give all candidates a fair chance.’’ In actuality, the bills don’t yet go that far. They call for a non-binding referendum on eliminating the straight-party voting option, which supporters hope will put pressure on the Democrat-dominated General Assembly to act accordingly. A Voters First Advisory Commission also recommended putting straight-ticket voting to the public in a non-binding referendum. Both bills have their critics outside the political sphere, however, and with this year’s legislative session nearing an end, possibly as early as Friday, neither has won the support of a legislative committee. The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has led the campaign against voter ID on grounds that “these laws disenfranchise eligible voters, pose a particular burden on poor, elderly, disabled and minority voters, and divert attention from more serious problems facing the voting process -- all in an attempt to "fix" a largely non-existent problem of alleged voter impersonation.’’ -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House bureau
But in letters to lawmakers and newspaper opinion pieces, ACLU director Steve Brown took issue with Secretary of State Ralph Mollis’s contention that the identification card he envisioned would be available for free because “the documentation a voter would need to prove one’s identity in the first place in order to obtain the card would not be free.’’ Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:16 PM | Comment Weather update: Thunderstorm, hail strike downtown
This is the latest alert from the National Weather Service, as the storm line heads northeast:
...A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 415 PM EDT for northern Bristol and west central Plymouth counties in southeast Massachusetts...and east central Providence County in Rhode Island... Earlier this afternoon, the weather service warned: For your safety...get inside when this storm approaches. Heavy rain may cause minor street flooding as well as ponding of water in poor drainage areas. Widely scattered pop up thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon and evening...with the threat expected to end by 7 PM. Check the latest local observations and forecasts at projo.com/weather Your turn: Did you get caught in? Share your report in our comments area. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:36 PM | Comment Democrats file ethics complaint vs. Carcieri over hiringPROVIDENCE -- State Democratic Party Chairman Bill Lynch said he filed a formal complaint with the state Ethics Commission today about the governor's hiring of his niece-in-law, a former campaign worker, in 2002. Lynch's move came shortly after the ethics commission refused to give Carcieri an after-the-fact legal approval of the hiring and officials said the governor may have violated the Code of Ethics. The ethics commission made its decision after a hearing this morning, and by early afternoon, Lynch, who had criticized the governor for the hiring, said he had filed a complaint. Lynch said the ethics rules exist to keep elected officials from doing exactly what the governor did: "handing out taxpayer-funded positions as a reward for campaign work." He predicted that the commission will agree with him that Carcieri "violated the spirit if not the letter of the ethics law." Lynch also questioned the governor's replacing the commission's longtime chairman, James Lynch Sr., with a former unsuccessful Republican legislative candidate, Edward A. Magro, who arrived on the commission just in time for today's meeting on the hiring. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis The Providence Journal reported in January 2003, that one of Governor-elect Carcieri’s first hires was Stephanie Accaputo, the daughter of his wife’s brother and a worker in the governor's successful campaign in 2002. Accaputo's employment resurfaced as an issue recently when WJAR-TV (Channel 10) reported on it. Carcieri's legal counsel, Kernan F. King, told the commission today that the hiring was proper under the Code of Ethics as it read at the time, in part because the code didn't include "niece-in-law" among the relatives covered by the code's anti-nepotism provisions. "What part of 'by marriage' don't you understand?" retorted commission member Ross Cheit. He was referring to the fact that the code had since 1991 prohibited officials from using their office to benefit relatives, "whether by blood, marriage or adoption," and listed nieces among the relatives covered. King also argued that the ethics code at the time was so unclear that it didn't give officials fair notice of what they were prohibited from doing. Commission lawyer Jason Gramitt said that although "the Code of Ethics prohibits taking official action to benefit one's niece," discovering that prohibition at the time could have required reading three sections of the code. As a result, he said in a memo to the commission, officials "may not have been put on sufficient notice" about the implications to accuse them of violating the code. But the fact that the governor or his staff might have had trouble understanding the anti-nepotism provisions in 2002 only prompted questions about why, if the administration found the Code of Ethics unclear, it didn't ask the commission for a clarifying legal opinion then. To now ask for a legal opinion "going back to bail him out on this is not appropriate," Cheit said. "I'm afraid we're going to end up with a complaint" against the governor, said commission member Richard Kirby. The commission's new chair, Barbara Binder, came close to inviting a complaint, saying that "It would really help us home in on the issues" by "having other parties" involved in helping clarify the question. Binder was elected chair of the commission today, replacing James Lynch Sr, whom Carcieri replaced on the board. Accaputo was hired in late 2002 to work in the governor’s constituent-affairs office at a salary of $37,781 per year, and now makes $52,119 as an "administrative support specialist" in the executive department. Asked about the hiring by the Journal then, Carcieri's press secretary, Jeff Neal, said that Accaputo had "very clearly earned" the job by providing "glowing service" during 14 months she working Carcieri's election campaign. The commission urges public officials who worry about possible ethics violations to ask for formal advisory opinions ahead of time. The result may be approval, which shield officials against future prosecution, or a warning. Carcieri was asking approval for hiring his relative after the fact, which the commission wouldn't give. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:17 PM | Comment Alert: Narragansetts' sentencing delayed to ThursdayPROVIDENCE -- The sentencing of three Narragansett Indians on misdemeanor charges stemming from a state police raid on a tribal smokeshop has been postponed until Thursday. The sentencing had been scheduled for 2 p.m. today, after two defense motions for new trials were denied by a Superior Court judge. The delay was granted to give defense lawyers a chance to look into how particular sentences could affect how tribal leaders can interact with federal agencies. The three defendants are all considered tribal leaders. They are Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, and Randy Noka and Hiawatha Brown, who are on the tribal council. The sentencing has now been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney and photographer Andrew Dickerman Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:12 PM | Comment Photo: Rollover at East Side intersection
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:49 PM | Comment Update: Narragansetts face sentencing; new trials denied
Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl today denied the motion alleging juror misconduct after rejecting a previous defense motion contending that the evidence did not support their convictions. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Randy Noka and Hiawatha Brown are scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. They were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault. Defense lawyer William P. Devereaux's juror-misconduct motion also argued that two jurors had been seen talking apart from the other jurors during deliberations. And he said that, moments before the jury came into court to render its verdict, one juror pounded a water bottle in a way that resembled a tom-tom. A prosecutor said she had no idea what a tom-tom-like cadence was. The judge indicated she was not sure. (The Random House dictionary defines it as "a monotonous rhythmical drumbeat or similar sound.") Another part of the juror-misconduct argument said that a juror had referred to defendants as "those people." Prosecutors responded that the various juror misconduct arguments were mere speculation and assumptions about people's intentions. Earlier today, Devereaux argued for a new trial in each case separately, saying there wasn't enough evidence to support the convictions. Prosecutors responded, and McGuirl ruled on each case separately, denying the motions. Defense lawyers have said the three defendants are unlikely to face jail time. Four other tribe members were acquitted of all charges. The convictions stem from a July 2003 state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown tthat turned violent. State police raided the shop to prevent the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without collecting state taxes. Extra: Look back at continuing coverage of the raid, its aftermath and trial, including photos and video. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:03 PM | Comment Driver's condition serious after I-95 car crash with truckThe male driver of a car was taken by helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital today after a crash on Route 95 south involving a tractor-trailer truck. The crash happened in the Exeter area north of Exit 4. The driver's injuries were said to be serious. State police Capt. James Swanberg said a preliminary investigation indicated the car was traveling in the right lane and tractor-trailer truck in the left lane, and for some reason the car went into the path of the tractor-trailer truck, which could not stop in time. The driver of the truck, William Arroyo of South Carolina, said he works for Scout Boats and was transporting one boat, a type of Sportfish, in the tractor trailer, at the time. The highway is open to traffic. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:00 PM | Comment Speakers warn of climate change's effect on R.I. coastScientists believe Rhode Island's coastal waters will be 2 to 5 feet higher by the end of this century, and the state is preparing to react to those changes. More than 150 people are attending a conference addressing climate change and its impact on Rhode Island's coast, behind held in The Towers at the seaside in Narragansett. Several speakers said that while the federal government has done little in response to climate change, states and communities are taking steps to inform the public and to prepare for the changes that will come. One attendee asked Kate Moran, a professor and associate dean at the University of Rhode Island's Bay Campus, what she thought of a survey that said more Americans now don’t believe in climate change or that humans are causing it. Her response: “That’s astounding. The rest of the world that reads newspapers with science in them gets it. Stop reading The Wall Street Journal editorials." -- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord CORRECTION: Kate Moran's quote has been corrected. A previous post of this blog item included a quote incorrectly attributed to Moran in which she advocated reading Wall Street Journal editorials. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:51 PM | Comment Court overturns dismissal of police officer's convictionPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has overturned the dismissal of a disorderly conduct complaint against an off-duty East Greenwich police officer and ordered a new trial. Bryan J. McManus, an off-duty patrolman at the time, was arrested following a heated argument he allegedly had with patron Tyrone Marshall at an East Greenwich restaurant in October 2004. The state's highest court, in a ruling made public today, vacated the decision of a Superior Court judge, who in November 2005 threw out the June 2005 disorderly conduct conviction of McManus. The Supreme Court has sent the case back to Superior Court for trial. McManus was acquitted of simple assault but convicted of disorderly conduct on June 2, 2005. McManus filed a motion to dismiss the disorderly conduct, contending, according to the Supreme Court opinion, that the guilty finding "was flawed." Superior Court Judge Melanie W. Thunberg granted the motion, the Journal reported, in a six-page decision However, the state appealed to the Supreme Court in December 2005. In dismissing the disorderly conduct, the trial judge "relied upon, and even cited, the District Court transcript," the Supreme Court opinion says. The state's appeal argued the judge applied the wrong review standards and that the judgment should be vacated and the case remanded for trial. The Supreme Court agreed. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:46 PM | Comment Update: Narragansetts face sentencing; new trials deniedPROVIDENCE -- Sentencing is set for 2 p.m. for three Narragansett Indians convicted of misdemeanor offenses stemming from the state police raid on a tribal smokeshop, after a Superior Court judge today denied two motions for a new trial. Judge Susan McGuirl today ruled against a motion that there wasn't enough evidence to support the convictions. She also denied a motion claiming juror misconduct. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Randy Noka and Hiawatha Brown were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault stemming from the 2003 raid. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:18 PM | Comment Update: T-storms still on the wayDon’t be fooled. After the sun started to peek out from behind white fluffy clouds, we got several inquiries into this morning’s forecast. So here's the update: Alan Dunham, at the National Weather Service, says that an area of low pressure is headed our way. And though we’ll have partly sunny skies through the early afternoon, there’s also low pressure through the area. “All that will work together to help trigger the storm,” Dunham said late this morning. The temperatures have risen above this morning’s forecast, and should reach a high of about 80 degrees. That’s a few degrees warmer than the average temperature, 78 degrees, but nowhere near the record-breaking heat we experienced last week. There’s still a chance of showers tonight, but things should clear up as the night goes on. Temperatures still expected to dip into the mid 50s. And for tomorrow? More rain, maybe. There's a chance of isolated showers starting in the late morning, but things should clear up as the day goes on and temperatures will be a little warmer than today. Watch the rain as it moves in via live radar on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:15 PM | Comment From Bermuda to Newport alone in an 18-foot skiff
A Bermuda boat builder, described by his daughter as "a bit of a rebel," is nearing the end of his 635-mile trip from Bermuda to Newport in an 18-foot skiff, powered by a 9.9-horsepower outboard motor. Bobby Doe, 66, who tried and failed to make the trip once before, left Saturday afternoon and is expected to arrive in Newport today, burning about 30 gallons of gasoline. At 1:35 this morning, the satellite transponder aboard his boat showed him to be about 45 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. Tina Barnard, one of Doe’s daughters, said he plans to make the return trip with the fleet of sailing yachts competing in the Newport Bermuda Race, starting off Castle Hill Friday afternoon. In 1980, the native Bermudian built the 72-foot yacht Christian Venture, now called Rock Steady, and sailed it around the world, said his daughter. “He walks his own path,” Barnard said. “If there are two roads to choose, he’ll make a third and take that one. He’s a bit of a rebel.” Doe tried to make the 635-mile voyage from Bermuda to Newport last October. Half way to his destination, he was forced to turn back when he hit foul weather and the Gulf Stream simultaneously. He suffered a heart attack in November and had to be flown from Bermuda to Boston for treatment. On this week's passage, he is trying to raise awareness and money for the Lady Cubit Compassionate Association, which provided the funds for his hospital care, said his son-in-law, Chris Barnard. To follow Doe’s progress, click here. -- Journal outdoors writer Tom Meade Posted by Tom Meade at 11:59 AM | Comment Update: Downed wires cause power failures in SomersetSOMERSET, Mass. -- Downed wires this morning caused 1,244 customers here to lose electrical service, but a National Grid spokesman reports power has been restored. At 9:07 a.m., the wires were discovered at the corner of Lees River Avenue and Wilbur Avenue, according to David Graves, National Grid spokesman. More than half the affected customers had power restored by 10:18 a.m., and 440 followed. Power was restored to the final four customers shortly after 11 a.m. Police were advising drivers to avoid the area. -- Journal staff writer Chloe Thompson CORRECTION: The initial version of this post incorrectly reported the town where the power failures occurred. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:43 AM | Comment Jury can hear about Entwistle's Internet searchesWOBURN, Mass. -- A judge has ruled that the jury in the trial of a British man accused of killing his wife and baby daughter can hear evidence that he allegedly trolled the Internet looking for sex in the days before the slayings. Neil Entwistle is accused of fatally shooting his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in January 2006 in their rented Hopkinton home. Prosecutors claim Entwistle used his laptop computer to search for local escort services and also joined a Web site called "Adult Friend Finder" to look for a sexual relationship. Judge Diane Kottmyer ruled today that the jury will be allowed to hear testimony from a computer expert about how Entwistle's computer was used to do the sex-related searches. Entwistle denies killing his wife and daughter. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:17 AM | Comment Judge denies new trials for Narragansett tribe membersPROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge has denied new trials for three members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe convicted of misdemeanor offenses for scuffling with state troopers during a raid on a tribal smoke shop. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Randy Noka and Hiawatha Brown were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault. Defense attorney William P. Devereaux argued each case separately, saying there wasn't enough evidence to support the convictions. Judge Susan McGuirl ruled on each case separately, denying the motions. However, Judge McGuirl will hear another request for a new trial. The defense will allege juror misconduct. If that fails, sentencing for the three is expected to follow. Defense lawyers have said they are unlikely to face jail time. Four other tribe members were acquitted of all charges. The convictions stem from a July 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown. State police raided the shop to prevent the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without collecting state taxes. -- With reports from Journal staff Katie Mulvaney and the Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:13 AM | Comment Accused kidnapper, rapist is kicked and shoved in jailA man accused of carjacking, robbing and raping a woman June 8 was pushed and kicked by two men who were in custody with him at the ACI Intake Center, according to a state Department of Corrections spokeswoman. The incident happened before Marco Riz, 26, was arraigned yesterday in District Court, Providence, on two charges of sexual assault, according to Tracey Poole, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. Two inmates also awaiting court appearances pushed and kicked him, according to Poole. It was captured on video, and the two inmates were charged with assault; Riz did not require any outside medical treatment, Poole said. The Department will now evaluate whether Riz needs protective custody. “That’s something that we don’t do unless we really have to,” Poole said. Riz is scheduled to appear in Kent County District Court today to face additional charges. The police say he carjacked a woman in Warwick as she sat in an idling SUV at a grocery store. He then allegedly drove her in the car to Roger Williams Park in Providence and raped her. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:14 AM | Comment Weight limit lowered on another R.I. bridgeAfter a recent analysis, coupled with the discovery of more deterioration, the state Department of Transportation has lowered the weight limit on the second bridge in two days. The Pontiac Avenue Bridge in Cranston is now restricted to vehicles weighing less than 10 tons. This new restriction will affect trucks, fire vehicles, loaded buses and many unloaded buses as well. “The Department apologizes for any inconvenience this detour may cause, but safety is paramount,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said this morning in a statement. “We are aggressively reviewing bridges in our inventory to ensure proper weight limits are in place if they need be.” The Pontiac Avenue Bridge carries Pontiac Avenue over the Pocasset River in the Garden City neighborhood. It was built in 1925 using standards, according to the DOT, that were appropriate at the time. “Vehicles weren’t as big back then,” spokesman Charles St. Martin said this morning. A detour will be put in place, bringing vehicles weighing more than 10 tons to Garden City Drive, then to Reservoir Avenue, and finally onto Sockanosset Cross Road. No repair schedule has been set. The Department is considering minor rehabilitations that might make the bridge safe enough to return to the previous weight restriction of 19 tons. Yesterday, the state Department of Transportation said it was for the second time lowering the weight limit on the Sakonnet River Bridge, because its steel beams have continued to corrode. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:56 AM | Comment Carcieri to push for passage of voting billsPROVIDENCE -- With the legislative session hurtling toward adjournment, Governor Carcieri today will urge the General Assembly to approve bills that include asking voters in a non-binding referendum whether to end straight-party voting. The straight-party option on a ballot allows voters to cast one vote for a party's election slate. S-2409, whose prime sponsor is Sen. June Gibbs, R-Middletown, and H-8108, whose prime sponsor is Rep. Jon Brien, D-Woonsocket, are companion proposals that would put the non-binding referendum question before voters. The Journal has reported that Republicans in the state have sought removal of the straight-party option for some time, asserting it helps Democrats, who have held wide majorities in Rhode Island politics. Others, such as the Green Party, have also sought to end straight-ticket voting. Some Republicans have argued the option can dissuade people from running for office. A third bill, H-8243, whose prime sponsor is Rep. Nicholas Gorham, R-Coventry, would require people to present identification before voting and specify acceptable kinds of identification. Carcieri's office issued a news release saying the governor, a Republican, will announce support for the bills at 1 p.m. today in the State Room of the State House. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:30 AM | Comment Tribe members in smoke shop raid due in courtPROVIDENCE -- Three members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe convicted of misdemeanor offenses for scuffling with state troopers during a raid on a tribal smoke shop are due back in court. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and two other tribe members are expected to ask for new trials Tuesday in Providence Superior Court. If those requests are denied, they could be sentenced later in the day. The three were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault. Defense lawyers have said the three are unlikely to face jail time. Four other tribe members were acquitted of all charges. The convictions stem from a July 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown. State police raided the shop to prevent the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without collecting state taxes. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment Republicans to file suit over grant allocationAfter years of protest, some Republican lawmakers plan to file a lawsuit today in an attempt to change the way General Assembly leadership distributes grant money to members of the House and Senate. Complaining that legislative leaders have used these taxpayer dollars as a reward-and-punishment system aimed at keeping lawmakers in line, House Republicans plan to file the lawsuit in Providence Superior Court to force out-front votes on the annual grants package. House Minority Leader Robert A. Watson, R-East Greenwich-West Greenwich, and House Minority Whip Nicholas Gorham, R-Foster, Glocester, Coventry, assert that the process used to allocate out the more than $2 million in funds for local projects and causes, needs to be deliberated and understood by the General Assembly and the general public. And House Republicans are questioning the legality of allowing individual lawmakers –– House speaker William J. Murphy and Senate president Joseph A. Montalbano –– to distribute grant money, which is public, for private projects. Watson, R- East Greenwich, is set to file suit today in Superior Court, Providence, asking for a summary judgment from the court. Click below for a full list of plaintiffs. Joining Watson as plaintiffs in this lawsuit are: Representative Carol A. Mumford, R-Scituate, Cranston Representative Susan A. Story, R-Barrington, East Providence Representative William J. McManus, R-Lincoln, Pawtucket Representative Bruce J. Long, R-Jamestown, Middletown Representative John J. Loughlin, Jr., R-Little Compton, Portsmouth, Tiverton Representative John A. Savage, R-East Providence Representative Joseph A. Trillo, R-Warwick Representative Victor G. Moffitt, R-Dist. 28 Coventry Representative Laurence W. Ehrhardt, R-North Kingstown Not mentioned as plaintiffs, are Rep. Nicholas Gorham R-Foster, Glocester, Coventry and Representative Steven John Coaty, R-Newport, whom are both attorneys. They will be representing the plaintiffs at no cost. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:45 AM | Comment Update: Suspect in rape, kidnap set for 2nd arraignmentA man accused of kidnapping and rape is scheduled for his second court appearance in two days. Marco Riz, 26, will face felony counts of kidnapping, carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon and first degree robbery in Kent County District Court this afternoon. Riz had initially been scheduled for arraignment this morning, but is now scheduled for a 2 p.m. arraignment, according to a deputy sheriff at the court. Yesterday he appeared in Providence District Court to face two sexual assault charges. The police say Riz carjacked a woman at knifepoint while she was sitting in an idling vehicle at a grocery store in Warwick. He allegedly stole her money and credit cards, then drove the vehicle to Roger Williams Park in Providence, where he raped her. Riz, a Guatemalan native whom the Attorney General's office says may be living in the United States illegally, is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:28 AM | Comment Today in history: perfect game for the Providence GraysOn this day in 1880, John Ward of the Providence Grays pitched a perfect game in a 5-0 victory over the Buffalo Bisons, less than a week after the first perfect game in major league history was recorded. (The next would not occur for 24 years.) Watch video from today in history. Read more from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Clouds, rain and maybe even hailWhat a difference a week makes. Last Tuesday we had record-breaking heat, with temperatures just shy of 100 degrees and brilliant, sunny skies. Today, well, just look out the window. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 77 degrees -- just shy of the average 78 degrees. And no blue skies. Instead we're looking at showers and thunderstorms during the day with the possibility of frequent lightning, gusty winds and even hail. More rain is expected tonight, with the possibility of more serious thunderstorms. Temperatures should drop to about 56 degrees. And for tomorrow? More rain, maybe. There's a chance of showers starting in the late morning. Otherwise temperatures should hit the low 70s and we'll feel winds from the west between 8 and 11 mph. Watch the rain as it moves in on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: lobsters, education and the CelticsToday's front page features a story exploring whether a chemical used to combat West Nile virus is killing local lobsters and a story about the House approving a proposal for mayoral academies, which is being criticized by teachers' unions hailed by supporters of eduction reform. Bill Reynolds also writes about the Boston Celtics, who will try to win the championship tonight in Boston. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 16, 2008Tonight: Learn to design with waterYou can learn to turn water into an art tonight. Dave Marchetti will give a free talk and slideshow presentation, “Designing and Building Backyard Ponds and Waterfalls,” at 7 at the Weaver Library, 41 Grove Ave., East Providence. The talk will cover such things as the appropriate size of water features for properties and information on appropriate plants and fish. For information, call the library at (401) 434-2453. For more of what's going on tonight, see projo.com's calendar page. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Photo: 100 citizens for 100 years
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:53 PM | Comment Update: Entwistle jurors see bloody nightclothesWOBURN, Mass. -- Jurors in the trial of a British man accused of killing his wife and 9-month-old daughter were shown an undershirt and polka-dot sleeper caked with dried blood Monday -- a sight that drew gasps in the courtroom. State police chemist Deanna Dygan testified that she determined that the gunshot to chest that killed Lillian Rose Entwistle was a "contact shot," with the gun pressed directly against the baby. Neil Entwistle, 29, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the January 2006 killings of his daughter and his 27-year-old wife, Rachel. Dygan identified the "onesie" undershirt and footed "sleeper" pajamas worn by Lillian when she was killed. The clothes caused some in the courtroom to gasp. Entwistle looked away and later dabbed his eyes with a tissue. His mother, Yvonne, sobbed as she sat in the front row of the courtroom, and was comforted by Entwistle's father, Clifford. A small hole was visible in the upper left chest area of both the pajamas and the onesie. Jurors were also shown the green nightshirt Rachel had been wearing. It was also stained with dried blood. -- The Associated Press Prosecutors allege that Entwistle shot his wife and daughter on Jan. 20, 2006, after becoming despondent over mounting debt and dissatisfied with his sex life. The suspect flew to his native England the day after the killings and was arrested in London three weeks later. Entwistle told police he came home from running errands and found his wife and daughter fatally shot in their bed in the master bedroom of their rented house in Hopkinton, where they had moved 10 days earlier. Entwistle's lawyer, Elliot Weinstein, aggressively cross-examined Dygan about work she and other scientists did at the crime scene. In his questions, he tried to undermine investigators' credibility by highlighting the fact that police initially did not realize that Rachel Entwistle had been shot in the head. At first, police noticed a wound above her left breast, but an autopsy later revealed that she died of a gunshot wound to the head. The post-mortem examination showed that Lillian Entwistle died of a gunshot wound to the chest; investigators said that bullet passed into Rachel Entwistle's chest. "You didn't notice that she had been shot in the middle of her forehead at first?" Weinstein asked. "This was the careful and meticulous work, and yet nobody saw that that evening, did they?" "That's correct," Dygan replied. Another state police chemist, John Drugan, testified that no gunshot residue was found in the family's car, a BMW that Neil Entwistle left at Logan International Airport when he flew to England the day after the killings. Gunpowder residue also was not found on the car keys or on a blue sweater found in the car, Drugan said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:44 PM | Comment Suspicious fire damages vacant Providence triple-deckerPROVIDENCE -- A fire of suspicious origin early this morning heavily damaged an unoccupied triple-decker at 380-382 Smith St., said city Fire Marshal Anthony DiGiulio. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it may be arson because the house was unoccupied and because the pattern of the burn suggests it was aided by an accelerant, the fire marshal said. “It appears to have started in two rooms at the front of the first floor and it extended up the wall to the second and third floors and the loft, where it burned through the roof,” he said. “When the firefighters arrived, the second and third floors were heavily involved in the fire.” The house, which is near the intersection of Esten Street in Smith Hill, apparently had been vacated in the past couple of days. Firefighters were called to the site at 2:42 a.m. One firefighter suffered a back injury and another, a cut on his hand, and both were treated at a hospital, DiGiulio said. The fire marshal said firefighters did “a fantastic job” in containing the blaze to the building. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:28 PM | Comment Dice-K slated to pitch for PawSox tonight in PennsylvaniaBoston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has been out due to a strained right rotator cuff, is slated to start for the Pawtucket Red Sox tonight in Lehigh Valley, Pa., against the Iron Pigs. The Journal reported that Dice-K will probably throw 70 to 80 pitches -- an arm rehabilitation assignment of five innings or so. Get a refresher on Dice-K's stats. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:10 PM | Comment Photo: Raising the flag her way
Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:47 PM | Comment In Coventry, water service could be restored by 7 p.m.COVENTRY -- The Kent County Water Authority expects to restore water service by 7 p.m. to about 30 homes and businesses along Main Street -- including the Coventry Police Department -- that have been without water after a water main broke this morning. Crews from D’Ambra Construction had been digging and installing a sewer-lateral line under Main Street between Sandy Bottom Road and Station Street when they hit an old hydrant base, connected to about ½-mile stretch of pipe, about 7:30 a.m., according to authorities. The hydrant is at least 80 years old, said water authority general manager Timothy J. Brown, who said he was surprised it didn’t leak sooner. Workers from the water authority so far have replaced the pipe, removed the hydrant and replaced it with a valve and a couple of clamps. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:16 PM | Comment Struggling to pay the bills at historic homes, tooHARTFORD, Conn. -- Mark Twain, Edith Wharton and other boldfaced names among the dead have something in common with living Americans in these hard financial times: Their homes are in jeopardy. For scores of historic house museums, simply keeping the lights on has become a challenge. The Mount, Wharton's home in Lenox, Mass., is trying to stave off foreclosure with a feverish fundraising campaign. The Twain House in Hartford can't even afford to buy energy-saving light bulbs that would slash its electric bill. Experts say this summer may make or break some sites, many of which already have cut their hours and staff and are struggling for donations in today's troubled economy. "The jury's really still out on how summer visitation will be, how people will respond to gas prices and what it will mean for us," said Susan Wissler, acting president of The Mount, which needs $6 million by Oct. 31 to avoid foreclosure. The Twain House and Museum is in similar straits, trying to repay a $4.9 million bank loan from earlier expansions and meet its $2.9 million yearly budget. They already cut two-thirds of the staff and made other reductions, but had barely enough money to pay three weeks' worth of bills before recent publicity generated a spate of donations. Many house museums, especially smaller sites, get little or no government help. Tourist dollars, donations, interest earned on endowment funds and corporate gifts -- all highly dependent on the economy -- help keep the doors open. -- The Associated Press The National Trust for Historic Preservation estimates there are between 9,000 and 10,000 historic home museums nationwide. Some, like the Twain and Wharton homes, are established landmarks run by nonprofit groups. Thousands of others are homesteads of early settlers, birthplaces of noteworthy Americans or other modest sites run by local historical societies and volunteers. "Many of them are operating on a shoestring, but they're very important to their communities and people put in a lot of volunteer time and effort just to keep them going," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "It's a complex financial situation out there for a lot of museums, and there's no question that house museums are facing some unique challenges these days," he said. Even government ownership isn't a guarantee of security. As states and municipalities cut their budgets, many have reduced the hours at the historic homes they operate or turned the sites over to private groups. The tiny northern Vermont birthplace of President Chester A. Arthur reduced its hours from five days weekly to two this summer to reflect state budget cuts. The Ohio Historical Society this spring increased admission fees for the first time in four years. It also cut jobs and sliced hours at many sites, including the Marion home where Warren G. Harding launched his 1920 presidential campaign. For the Twain and Wharton houses, yesterday's improvement projects are today's financial burden. Jeffrey Nichols, the Twain House and Museum's executive director since April, says officials now recognize that a $19 million visitor center that opened in 2003 was too ambitious and costly. The gingerbread Gothic home was built in 1874 by the author and humorist who, coincidentally, often struggled with debt and had to sell the home in 1903. "The museum saw a great opportunity to expand and to better preserve and spread Mark Twain's legacy, but in retrospect, it did overreach," Nichols said. In that regard, the Twain House is like private homes throughout America where residents expanded during heady economic times or used home equity credit lines, subprime mortgages and private loans they now struggle to repay. The Mount finds itself in similar straits. The restoration of its mansion and gardens is lauded in architectural and historical circles, and its 2005 purchase of Wharton's personal library for $2.6 million was even singled out by first lady Laura Bush for special praise. But the seller is British, so payments skyrocketed as the British pound's value has pummeled that of the dollar. The group has received $900,000 in donations since February, but needs $3 million by Halloween to secure a promise of matching money from an anonymous donor and avoid foreclosure. Wharton designed and built the 1902 home, where she later finished "The House of Mirth" and got the inspiration for "Ethan Frome." She lived there until 1910, when her marriage collapsed and she moved to France. Wissler said the organization that runs the home reduced its staff, negotiated fixed rates on some utility bills and is working with the bank to restructure the loan terms. "No one has faulted the quality of the restoration or what we did with every dollar," she said. "We've expanded our facilities very carefully. What's occurring now is a timing issue as much as anything." First-time visitor Jocelyn Ramella of Charlestown, Mass., said she toured The Mount after reading of its plight and realizing she knew very little about the property. "I think it's definitely worth preserving," she said as she headed toward the gardens on a recent afternoon. "It's a very special place and now that I know how beautiful it is, it'd be so sad if we lost it." Visitors to Hartford's Twain House had similar feelings. "I am surprised there would be any question about whether it could continue," said Adrian Reddall, who toured with his wife, Elizabeth. "I would hope the idea of preservation, which we're very hot on in England, would be catching on enough in America that this (site) stays protected," Reddall said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:08 PM | Comment Judge designates con man Kluth a 'habitual' criminalPROVIDENCE -- At a Superior Court hearing today, Judge Netti C. Vogel declared convicted con man John P. Kluth Jr. to be a habitual criminal. Attorney General Patrick C Lynch had asked for Kluth be designated such under a Rhode Island statute. The designation carries with it two ramifications: at Kluth's sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday, Vogel will be obliged to add additional jail time on top of the sentence. The statute also requires her to impose a minimum number of years that Kluth must spend in prison before is is eligible for parole. The question of parole is -- except for under the habitual criminal statute -- almost exclusively the concern of the state Department of Corrections and the parole board. At Kluth's hearing today, Lynch selected six of the 30 swindles that Kluth was convicted of to illustrate that Kluth was a repeat offender. Victims who testified at Kluth’s trial said he would tell them that his lobster truck had broken down and he needed a quick loan to fix it before his lobsters went bad. He promised to return money and to thrown in some lobsters to say thanks. But there was no truck, there were no lobsters and there wasn’t any repayment. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Multimedia: Hear what John Kluth says he did with the money Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:31 PM | Comment Diocese faces another suit alleging child abuse by priestThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is facing yet another lawsuit alleging child molestation by a former priest. Jeffery Thomas, 47, a contractor from Massachusetts, alleges in a civil lawsuit filed today that he was molested by the Rev. Brendan Smyth when Thomas was a second grader at Our Lady of Mercy School in East Greenwich during the 1960s. The suit alleges that the diocese as well as Smyth’s supervisors in the order of Norbortine Fathers should have known, if they didn’t already, that Smyth was a pedophile and a danger to children. "They have known about this guy and [his] pedophile behavior for five decades," Thomas’ lawyer, Jeffrey R. Anderson, said this afternoon. "This isn’t about Brendan Smith," who died in an Irish prison in 1997, "but the ones he answered to," said Anderson. Those supervisors "could have controlled him and they chose not to. This suit is about…those who allowed the crimes to continue." Smyth, who left Rhode Island in 1968, was sentenced to four years in a Belfast prison after admitting in 1994 that he molested five girls and three boys in Belfast over a 24-year period. The sexual assaults figured prominently in the collapse last fall of Ireland's coalition government. Anderson said the diocese had received at least one complaint about Smyth prior to the alleged attacks on Thomas. A spokesman for the diocese said he would comment after he had read the complaint filed today. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:57 PM | Comment Troubled Landmark wants Assembly to lift rigid reviewLandmark Medical Center says it’s on the brink of financial collapse and will close by the end of this year unless it merges with another hospital. The hospital is asking the General Assembly to allow it make a quick deal by exempting it from the intense scrutiny that such mergers normally require. The Woonsocket hospital has had longstanding financial problems. Now its debts exceed its assets by $7.2 million, spokesman Bill Fischer said this morning. Landmark has been trying for a number of years to find another hospital to acquire it, and is in discussions with Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, in Pawtucket. But if Landmark and Memorial were to attempt to merge, under current law they would have to undergo a lengthy review by the state Department of Health and the attorney general, a process sure to take at least a year. Landmark can’t survive that long, Fischer said. Legislation filed last week would exempt any hospital that is in a “negative net asset position” from the terms of the Hospitals Conversion Act, the law governing hospital mergers. Instead, such a hospital be would subject to the far less rigorous review that occurs when any health care entity changes hands. Dr. David R. Gifford, director of health, said that the bill as written could have unintended consequences and that there are other options for Landmark, including receivership. The Health Department will probably recommend changes to the bill when it comes before the House Corporations Committee tomorrow afternoon, Gifford said. The legislature will have to work quickly, however, because it plans to adjourn at the end of this week. Fischer said that it was merely “a confluence of events” that led to this legislation being filed in the last days of the session. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer In a response to the request, Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a statement today saying that although he would like to preserve "Landmark as a viable presence and employer, in Northern Rhode Island," he opposed the "fast-track" merger approval. "Therefore, although I’m firmly committed to saving Landmark Medical Center, I’m committed to doing so in a way that’s consistent with state law," Lynch said in the statement, "that protects the charitable assets that are the very foundation of Landmark, and that doesn’t have unintended consequences that may, in the long run, prove harmful to the very people and health-care services we’re trying to safeguard.” Lynch said he doubted that Landmark would be able to "preserve itself" after being absorbed by Memorial. He also expressed concerns about proper expenditure of Landmark's charitable donations in the event of a "fast-track" approval. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:13 PM | Comment Update: Accused rapist held without bail / Photo
Riz, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, is accused of raping a 30-year-old woman on June 8 in Roger Williams Park. Magistrate Joseph T. Ippolito made the ruling as Riz, handcuffed and shackled, listened to the charges through an interpreter. Six sheriffs stood in the small courtroom, along with members of the victim’s family, who did not speak. Riz, who showed no emotion, did not speak, either. Riz is accused of kidnapping the woman from the parking lot in a Stop & Shop on Route 2 in Warwick, then driving her –– in the Ford SUV in which she was sitting, waiting for her mother –– to the park. The police say Riz -- who has used at least a dozen aliases, including Saul Pizzarro-Aviles, the name police first made public -- had just been fired from his job Sunday when he saw the woman in the idling vehicle. Riz also faces a kidnapping and robbery charge in Warwick. -- With reports from Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:24 AM | Comment Coventry P.D., some homes, businesses have no waterCOVENTRY -- Several homes and businesses, including the Coventry Police Department on Main Street, between Sandy Bottom Lane and Station Street, have no running water this morning, due to a water main break between 7 and 8 a.m., authorities said. The break occurred at 1043 Main St., where construction crews are installing a sewer lateral line, and mistakenly hit an old hydrant that was not marked, according to Ken Owens, a private consultant hired to help promote the town’s continuing sewer project. Kent County Water Authority, local police and others are on the scene. They are now pumping the water out of the ditch and off the street, with repairs expected to last about 5 hours before service is restored, Owens said. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:17 AM | Comment Gas prices increase for the 12th week, hit $4.11Gasoline prices have gone up for the 12th straight week in Rhode Island, increasing three cents, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $4.109 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. Rhode Island drivers are paying about $1.15 more per gallon than they were at this time last year. The price of gas has increased about one dollar since the beginning of the year. Here's AAA's fuel saving tip of the week: Don’t idle your car unnecessarily. Drivers can find up-to-date local gas prices and tips for saving gas at the AAA Web site. (Correction: An earlier version of this blog said prices had increased for 11 straight weeks.) Posted by Jack Perry at 10:54 AM | Comment Update: Electric cross sparks fire that damages church
Cranston fire Chief James Gumbley said the call came in at about 4:15 p.m. When fire crews arrived at the Celestial Church of Christ, at 628 Dyer Ave., they found an unoccupied building and heavy fire, he said. The blaze was under control in about 10 minutes, Gumbley said, but firefighters were on the scene for about an hour. The contents and furnishings were destroyed, Gumbley said, but the building itself wasn’t lost and no one was hurt. The state Fire Marshal joined the investigation, and the fire was determined to have been caused by a cross that was plugged into the wall. It overheated, sparking the fire. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:41 AM | Comment Budget a priority as Assembly aims to finish by FridayThe harried state budget season may be down to the final stretch. As they race to pass a budget and a slew of other bills, lawmakers have their fingers crossed that they’ll finish business and adjourn for the session as early as Friday. For that to happen, they’ll have to buckle down and get moving with the floor debates and late night-sessions that mark the final days in the un-air-conditioned General Assembly chambers. The schedule as it stands now looks like this, according to House and Senate spokesmen: Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline for House members to submit amendments to the budget plan. Legislative staffers worked all day Saturday, drafting amendments that representatives think could improve the budget released by the House Finance Committee last Wednesday. Tomorrow, the House fiscal staff will brief members on the 39 budget articles. Wednesday will be the first big decision-making day. That afternoon at 2 House members will begin debating the budget plan, article by article, in what is expected to be an hours-long session, according to House spokesman Larry Berman. To give you an idea, last year’s floor debate in the House lasted more than 11 hours. Two years ago, it stretched on for nine hours. Assuming the House passes a version late that night or early Thursday, the tax-and-spend plan will go before the Senate Finance Committee that afternoon and be rushed to the Senate floor on Friday. Out of breath yet? Back on the House side, representatives will continue tackling the final stack of bills that still require action. Berman said the leadership has “expressed a goal,” of finishing up Friday evening and adjourning for the session. No word yet on whether the Senate hopes to finish then. It could be a very, very long night. Back to today -- the General Assembly is not in session. The House and Senate are scheduled to start up again tomorrow at 4 p.m. Keep track -- or try to -- of the House and Senate calendars via the General Assembly's Web site. -- Cynthia Needham, Journal State House bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:21 AM | Comment Sen. Kennedy preparing to "do battle" vs. cancerSen. Edward M. Kennedy is considering a pill form of chemotherapy that would allow him to stay home on Cape Cod during treatment for a brain tumor, his son U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said this weekend. Kennedy said his father enjoyed the Father’s Day weekend surrounded by family at his home in Hyannisport, Mass., and preparing to “do battle,” undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments for his brain cancer two weeks after surgery in North Carolina, Rep. Kennedy said. He would not say when the radiation and chemotherapy treatments would begin. Read a full story from the Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:20 AM | Comment Raccoons found drowned in trash canThe East Providence police and state environmental officials are investigating the drowning of three baby raccoons, which were found Saturday night in a trash barrel on Second Street. Nobody has been arrested, but whoever drowned the raccoons could face a felony charge of malicious injury or killing of an animal, Lt. Stephen J. Enos said. The owner of the Second Street building, who does not live there, had been having problems with raccoons in an attic space in the building, Enos said. The owner went to the building on Saturday night and found the raccoons in a barrel in the back yard, he said. Enos would not release the exact address of the building. The state Department of Environmental Management is working with East Providence police detectives on the matter, Enos said. The dead raccoons have been seized as evidence, he said. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:39 AM | Comment Weight limit lowered on Sakonnet River Bridge
The weight limit for the Sakonnet River Bridge has again been lowered after an inspection showed increased deterioration. Vehicles weighing more than 18 tons are now prohibited from traveling across the bridge. The previous weight limit was 22 tons. And vehicles and trailers with more than two axles per unit are also prohibited from crossing the bridge, which connects Tiverton and Portsmouth. According to the state Department of Transportation, the bridge, built in 1957, supports more than 40,000 vehicles per day. In a statement released this morning, the DOT said it plans to begin advertising the replacement project late this summer and open a new bridge by 20011. Motorists with concerns or questions can contact DOT customer service at 401-222-2450, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:35 AM | Comment Hearing today for convicted flimflam manA hearing is scheduled today for a convicted con man who used fake stories of woe and despair to trick at least 30 people into giving him money. John Kluth, a former Newport lobsterman, was convicted in March of obtaining money under false pretenses. He is scheduled for sentencing later this week. But today he is scheduled for a habitual-offender hearing, when the judge could add up to 25 years to Kluth’s sentence for repeated unlawful acts. Kluth has been convicted of at least 54 crimes in three states, varying from passing bad checks to drug possession. Victims who testified at Kluth’s trial said he would tell them that his lobster truck had broken down and he needed a quick loan to fix it before his lobsters went bad. He promised to return money and to thrown in some lobsters to say thanks. But there was no truck, there were no lobsters and there wasn’t any repayment. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:02 AM | Comment Severe thunderstorms possible, high near 76 degreesThe National Weather Service warns that severe thunderstorms are possible between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. today with large hail and damaging wind gusts. The greatest threat is in western and central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut but the storms could strike as far east as Boston, Fall River and Lawrence, Mass., the weather service says. The weathers service says people should pay attention to the latest weather information and be prepared to get to a safe place as soon as the first sign of threatening weather. Otherwise, today should be mostly cloudy with a high near 76 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today in historyOn this day in 2004, rebuffing Bush administration claims, the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks said no evidence existed that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein. Read more from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page looks at the impact of cuts in RIteCare, the state-run health plan for poor families. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 13, 2008Tonight: Gilbert and Sullivan fill the air in WakefieldCatch a two-hour program at 7:30 tonight of a selection of songs from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, sung by cast members ages 22 to 75. It's at Cornerstone Playhouse, 213 Robinson St., in South Kingstown's Wakefield section. Tickets are $20. Call (401) 783-8827. If you can't make it tonight, see the performance tomorrow at the same time, same location. Coming up this weekend: The annual Tony awards recognizing's Broadway best can expect to be eclipsed by Game 4 of the NBA finals, when the Boston Celtics try to clinch the championship on the Lakers' home court in Los Angeles. Go green. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:53 PM | Comment Update: Woman abducted 'because she was there'Marco Riz had just been fired from his job as a cook at a Texas Roadhouse on Sunday, a Warwick police captain said, so he walked about a half-mile to the busy Stop & Shop supermarket on Route 2 that afternoon, went inside and changed his shirt. When he came back out, he saw a Ford SUV idling close by the store, with a 30-year-old woman sitting in the passenger seat. The woman’s mother had just stopped into a nearby store to pick something up, said Warwick police Capt. Michael Babula. She didn’t expect to be more than 10 minutes. In that moment, police believe, Riz saw an opportunity. By the time the mother emerged from the store, the SUV was gone -- and her daughter was in fear for her life. Riz, identified as an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, is now accused of kidnapping, robbery and rape. He is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions after an intense multi-agency investigation tracked him down Thursday afternoon in Providence’s West End. He’s being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a fugitive alien. ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier said Riz had been ordered deported from the United States before, but she was unable to answer when the deportation order was issued or why. Police detectives in Warwick and Providence are calling Sunday’s attack “horrific” and “atrocious,” and utterly random. Riz and the woman he’s accused of kidnapping, robbing and raping were strangers, their lives connecting only by happenstance. “This poor woman was picked because she was there,” Babula said. -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits It was a sunny late afternoon, shoppers walking in and out of the store, pushing carriages in the parking lot, seemingly oblivious to the man who opened the door to the idling SUV and jumped inside, brandishing a long steak knife at the woman in the passenger seat. “He was very bold,” Babula said, “and I think from outside the car, nothing got anyone’s attention.” Riz robbed the woman at knifepoint of her money and credit cards, Babula said. Then he put the SUV in gear and drove away with her. They headed toward Providence. Meanwhile, in Warwick, the mother had left the store and realized the SUV was gone. She waited, wondering where her daughter was, and her concern began to grow, Babula said. According to a police report, Riz drove the woman into Roger Williams Park in Providence, where he pulled the SUV off to the side and forced the woman out of the passenger side into the park. He took her into the woods, down by a path, where he sexually assaulted her, according to the report. It was around 6 p.m. and still light out. He became nervous where they were, and moved her to another spot, where he assaulted her again, the report said. Afterward, the report said, he took her back to the SUV and drove to Elmwood Avenue near Roger Williams Avenue, where he took off from the SUV and left the woman behind. Warwick and Providence police joined forces with the state police, the U.S. marshals, and the investigators of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “From the first moment, everyone took this with great seriousness,” Babula said. “Everyone took this as what it was, a terrible crime. … This is one of those that sticks in your mind.” In short order, they had the assailant’s picture from the Stop & Shop surveillance camera, but the victim didn’t know who he was. They needed a name. On Tuesday evening, the police appealed to the public for help and distributed the surveillance photo to the press. In less than a half-hour, Warwick police had their first tip to Riz’s identity. But the Guatemalan man had at least a dozen aliases, said Providence detective Capt. Hugh Clements, and at first the police were searching for him under one of his aliases: Saul Pizzarro-Aviles. When they tracked him down at 183 Linwood Ave. in the city’s West End, Clements said, they matched his fingerprints and learned his real name: Marco Riz. Riz, 26, is scheduled to be arraigned in Providence District Court on Monday. He faces charges on kidnapping and first-degree robbery from Warwick, and two counts of first-degree sexual assault from Providence. “This really was an atrocious crime,” Clements said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:33 PM | Comment Sweep nets 123 fugitives wanted on felony chargesPROVIDENCE -- The U.S. Marshal's office announced this afternoon the arrest of 123 fugitives wanted on a variety of felony charges in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts and California. David Remington, chief deputy marshal in Providence, said that over the past week federal marshals, the Rhode Island State Police and officers from police departments in Providence, Pawtucket, New Bedford, Mass., and San Diego, Calif., arrested the suspects on outstanding warrants. The charges included rape, kidnapping, carjacking, robbery and drug offenses. New Bedford Police Chief Ronald Teachman said one of the bigger grabs was the arrest of Corey Almeida, 35, who he described as "a major drug dealer,’’ in New Bedford. Last month, the U.S. attorney in Boston, Michael J. Sullivan, announced the indictment of Almeida and 21 others on a variety of drug and gun charges, including 16 members of the Montes Park street gang. Almeida was wanted on charges of distributing more than 500 grams of crack cocaine. Teachman said that Almeida was in San Diego when the indictment was unsealed last month. The authorities said that 143 warrants were cleared in the sweep that concluded today. Remington said that some of the suspects had multiple charges against them which accounted for more charges than people arrested. Remington did not have the names and charges of everyone arrested. Most of them are in federal or state custody pending the outcome of their cases. Col. Brendan P. Doherty, commander of the Rhode Island State Police, said that fugitive sweeps often result in wanted suspects turning themselves in. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Amtrak disruptions, set for this weekend, delayedDisruptions in Amtrak Acela trips between Boston and New York have been put off because there are further delays in bridge replacement work in eastern Connecticut. Regular train schedules are therefore restored for June 16 through 19, Amtrak said today. A normal schedule will run this weekend. An Amtrak statement said the company has been notified by the contractor working on the Thames River Bridge -- between New London and Groton -- that installing a new span has been delayed because of "complications encountered in the dismantling and removal of the bridge’s counterweight." The plan was for all Acela Express service north of New York to be canceled during the project, and for express buses to run between New Haven and Providence to connect trains in those cities. "Amtrak expects to receive more information from the contractor about the status of the project on Monday," the statement added. "At that point, Amtrak will provide more information about both the service schedules and expected project completion date." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:52 PM | Comment Update: Station fire defendant offers $25M settlementPROVIDENCE – In the latest in a series of settlement offers, the last “big pocket” defendant in The Station nightclub fire lawsuits has agreed tentatively to pay $25 million to the fire victims and their families. The new settlement offer was made by Sealed Air Corporation, a publicly traded company headquartered in Elmwood, N.J., which manufactures polyethylene foam. It was filed this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Providence. Because Sealed Air is the last “big pocket” defendant sued by the fire victims and their families, the tentative settlement agreement increases the likelihood that the case will never go to trial. The new settlement offer by Sealed Air brings the pool of money offered to victims so far to $148.115 million. But all of the settlement offers are only tentative at this point. The fire victims and their families won’t be getting any of the money anytime soon. While the plaintiffs’ lawyers have agreed to the settlements “in principle,” the settlements hinge on the approval of all of the victims, the approval of Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux, the filing of documents that would preserve claims against other defendants and the court’s approval of a special master’s plan for divvying up the money. One hundred people died in the fire at The Station on Feb. 20, 2003 and more than 200 others were injured. The fire began after Daniel M. Biechele, the manager for the rock band Great White, set off fireworks at the outset of the show. Sparks from the fireworks ignited highly flammable foam that was used as soundproofing. The victims’ lawsuits alleged that Sealed Air manufactured the polyethylene foam that was underneath the highly flammable polyurethane foam that Jeffrey and Michael Derderian installed as soundproofing after buying The Station in 2000. In a statement released after the tentative pact was filed, Sealed Air said: "Our hearts go out to the families affected by this terrible tragedy. In order to reach a resolution, we have agreed to a settlement in principle, and our insurance carriers have agreed to fully fund the settlement. Though Sealed Air was not responsible for the fire, we believe that this result is in the best interest of all concerned. The settlement is subject to Court approval." Extra: Keep up with coverage of the aftermath of The Station nightclub in this continuing report. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:48 PM | Comment Cal Ripken Jr. to appear at Westin, McCoy StadiumCal Ripken Jr., the former Baltimore Orioles star who was a Gold Glove-winning shortstop, is slated to give a speech on a youth crime-prevention effort at a national gathering of attorneys general next week at The Westin in Providence. At 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a news release from Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office today. A question-and-answer session will follow Ripken's speech. Afterward, Ripken is scheduled to go to Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium, arriving at 12:15 p.m., where he will be joined by attorneys general, Pawtucket Red Sox management, Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle, law enforcement, members of the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club’s RBI League, and Rhode Island Interscholastic League players. In doing so, Ripken will return to the stadium where he played in the longest game in professional baseball history, the Triple-A International League’s Rochester Red Wings in the game against the PawSox that began on April 18, 1981, and continued into the next day, Easter morning, before being suspended at the end of the 32nd inning, at 4:09 a.m. Mike Moore, former Mississippi attorney general and a board member of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, will introduce Ripken at The Westin. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:28 PM | Comment Man being held at ACI in kidnapping, rapeThe man accused of kidnapping a woman, 30, taking her car and driving it to a park, where he allegedly raped her, is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions and is scheduled for District Court arraignment on Monday. The suspect's true name is Marco Riz, 26, Providence police said today. Initially identified as Saul Pizzaro-Aviles -- one of several aliases -- he was arrested last night in Providence's West End. The police allege Riz kidnapped a woman at knifepoint while she sat in the parking lot of a Warwick grocery store at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the police, he drove the woman –– in her car –– to Roger Williams Park in Providence, where he raped her. The Providence police arrested Riz last night without incident at 183 Linwood Ave., according to police Detective Capt. Hugh Clements. The police would not say whether the suspect lives at that address. Riz was held at the Providence Public Safety Complex overnight; he was not arraigned in District Court this morning because the judges were attending a conference at the annual meeting of the Rhode Island Bar Association. He instead was arraigned at the police station and transferred to the ACI, according to the Providence police. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:53 PM | Comment Photo: Ready to sink her teeth in
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:37 PM | Comment Year-long investigation nets two suspects, cocaineTwo men -- one from Bristol the other Fall River -- are scheduled for arraignment Monday after a year-long drug trafficking investigation led to their arrests along with the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine. Carlos Evangelista, 33, of Bristol and Peter Ferland, 33, of Fall River are charged with trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine and conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office in Massachusetts. The investigation spanned two states and involved a handful of agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the Fairhaven Police Department, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the New England State Police Information Network. Evangelista and Ferland were arrested yesterday and are being held without bail. They are scheduled for arraignment Monday in Fall River District Court. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:38 PM | Comment Red Cross to simulate disaster's aftermathAfter the disaster –– be it hurricane, attack or a spreading illness –– what happens next? Where do you go? What do you eat? How do you know where your friends and family are? As we get into hurricane season, the Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter’s shelter team is working out the details tomorrow between 9 a.m. and noon at a shelter simulation at Governor DelSesto Middle School at 152 Springfield St. in Providence. “There’s nothing more important than ensuring that our residents are safe in the event of an emergency,” Peter Gaynor, who heads Providence’s emergency management and disaster planning, said in a statement. Members of the community will play the roles of evacuees in need of shelter and members of the shelter team will fulfill the duties they would in the case of a real disaster: registering people; providing food, mental health services and more. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:26 PM | Comment Groups protest immigration raids in Newport, MiddletownNEWPORT -- Representatives from about a half-dozen groups today protested immigration raids carried out in Newport and Middletown on Wednesday and Thursday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that 42 immigration fugitives and violators were arrested during a raid carried out by members of ICE's Rhode Island Fugutive Operations Team. Immigrant advocacy group members stood on the Newport Colony House steps in Washington Square and held a noon news conference. Rev. Raymond Tetrault, pastor of St. Teresa Church in Providence's Olneyville section, said a "cessation" of deportations should be called for until Congress passes immigration reform. He said immigrants are coming to the country to work and are supporting the economy. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:06 PM | Comment Update: Truck accident on Route 95 in ProvidenceThe state Transportation Management Center reports all lanes have been reopened to traffic after a truck hit a bridge in the area of exit 18 -- the Thurbers Avenue exit -- in Providence. Repair work on the bridge has been scheduled for 11:00 p.m. today, closing three of the four southbound lanes. This morning, the Thurbers Avenue exit off Route 95 north was closed as crews cleaned up a diesel fuel spill caused by an earlier accident. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:05 PM | Comment ME: Central Falls couple died from heatThe deaths of an elderly couple found in a second-floor Central Falls apartment "were heat related due to a recent heat wave" and they died "as a result of environmental exposure with hyperthermia," the Office of State Medical Examiners said today. A landlord found Rolande and Raymond Desjardins in their Chestnut Street apartment on Wednesday at 2:39 p.m., Police Chief Joseph Moran has said. Raymond S. Desjardins, 84, was dead when police and rescue crews arrived, Moran said. Rolande M. Desjardins, 86, showed signs of life and was taken to Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Moran said. Rhode Island had its first official heat wave -- three days over 90 degrees -- from Sunday through Tuesday of this week. The Desjardins’ landlord needed to get into the apartment and had called a locksmith to open the door, Moran said yesterday. He said police did not find any signs of foul play. Read tips from the Centers for Disease Control on dealing with the extreme heat. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:26 PM | Comment Crews at scene of fire on Admiral Street, ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Crews are at the scene of a fire at 225 Admiral St., fire dispatch said. Further details were not available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:14 PM | Comment Advocates for immigrants to discuss Newport raidsA handful of advocacy groups are scheduled to hold a press conference today on the steps of the Newport Colony House to discuss a series of federal immigration raids on the island over the past few days. The raids were carried out by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, according to Newport Police Lt. William Fitzgerald, and local authorities did not know about the raids in advance. "I started to get calls Wednesday early morning from community members that were concerned due to the fact that ICE has been raiding several apartment houses throughout the entire city," David A. Quiroa, president of the Guatemalan-American Alliance, said in a statement. Representatives from ICE, Boston, have not been available for comment. The groups participating in the press conference include the Guatemalan-American Alliance, Progreso Latino and the Mexican Association of Rhode Island. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:59 AM | Comment Red tide forces closure of Boston Harbor shellfish bedsBOSTON — Public health officials have closed shellfish beds in Boston Harbor for the first time in 36 years in response to a spreading red tide along the Massachusetts coast. The ban on shellfish harvesting now extends from the New Hampshire border to the Bourne-Sandwich town line, with the exception of a small area along Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury. Officials say about 50 fishermen harvest an average 15,000 to 20,000 bushels of clams annually in Boston Harbor. Red tide is a toxic algae that concentrates in shellfish, making them dangerous for humans to eat. Crabs, lobsters and shrimp are not affected. Michael Hickey, chief biologist for the state’s shellfish sanitation management program, says although the livelihoods of some fishermen will be affected, the agency’s top concern is public health. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:38 AM | Comment List of safe tomatoes updatedMore cases of salmonella have been reported as a result of tomatoes tainted with salmonellosis. The Food and Drug Administration says since mid-April, more than 160 cases of salmonella Saintpaul –– including 23 hospitalizations –– have been reported nationwide, including as close as Connecticut. The warning applies to certain red plum, red roma and red round tomatoes, but does not apply to cherry or grape tomatoes, or to tomatoes still attached to the vine. The FDA has updated its list of places where tomatoes have not been associated with the outbreak: For the list, continue reading.
Salmonellosis is caused by the Salmonella bacteria and can be fatal in the most severe cases. It can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days and typically clears up on its own. But in infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, the illness –– particularly severe diarrhea –– can require hospitalization. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:35 AM | Comment Photo, Video: Diesel spill & accident on Route 95
The Thurbers Avenue exit off Route 95 north is closed this morning as crews work to clean up a diesel fuel spill caused by an earlier accident this morning. An accident, and subsequent diesel fuel spill on Route 95 has a ramp blocked this morning and the highway looking more like a parking log. The accident is on the northbound side of the roadway, blocking Exit 18/US 1A/Thurbers Ave. To see how traffic is moving along, see the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:15 AM | Comment Say goodbye to the Pine Street overpassGetting from the East Side to the West End just got a bit harder. Today the Pine Street overpass over Route 95 closes for good. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is closing the bridge, and will later demolish it, as part of the Iway project. In a statement by the RIDOT, the agency says it will begin building an extension to the northbound service road along Route 95 north, near the existing Route 195 interchange. In the future, a new ramp will give drivers on Point Street access to Route 95 north. In the meantime, motorists will need to follow detour signs directing them to the Broad Street overpass to get to the other side of Route 95. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:50 AM | Comment Today in history: Marshall nominated to Supreme CourtOn this day in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Watch a video report from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A beautiful day today, but turning worse this weekendDid you like yesterday's weather? If so, you're in luck. But -- surprise! -- it won't last through the weekend. Today is looking a lot like yesterday, with brilliantly sunny skies, temperatures reaching about 81 degrees and a calm, north wind. There's a slight chance of showers late tonight. Otherwise, expect partly cloudy skies with a low temperature near about 60 degrees and mild, west winds. To keep with the trend, the weekend won't be nearly as nice as the weekdays were. There's a slight chance of rain -- maybe thunderstorms -- tomorrow afternoon. We'll have mostly cloudy skies and temperatures reaching about 82 degrees. More rain tomorrow night, with a chance of thunderstorms all through the night and into early Sunday morning. Temperatures will drop to about 60 degrees Sunday will be cool, with temperatures reaching about 75 degrees and a north wind. Expect scattered showers and cloudy skies all day. Sunday night -- guess what? -- rain. A chance of showers in the evening with cloudy skies all night and temperatures in the high 50s. And Monday we'll see the same; scattered showers, thunderstorms, cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 70s. Check projo.com's weather page throughout the weekend -- maybe things will change. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Gambling woes, a murder: Download today's front pageStories on the Twin River slot parlor and the murder of a teenager lead today Journal. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:32 AM | Comment June 12, 2008Tonight: Still time to catch Newport Gallery NightIf you head over to Newport, there's still time tonight to experience Newport Gallery Night, which runs from 5 to 8. More than two dozen galleries participate in the free, self-guided tour of art, including pottery, paintings, glass, sculpture and more. Parking is free at the Newport Visitors Information Center, 23 America’s Cup Ave., and at the Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave. For a map and more information, visit www.newportgalleries.org. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:03 PM | Comment Update: Suspect in custody in alleged kidnap-rapeA suspect has been arrested in Providence for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman early Sunday evening, the police said. The man identified by Warwick police as Saul Pizzaro-Aviles, 27, was taken into custody mid-afternoon without incident at 183 Linwood Ave., in Providence's West End, according to Providence police Capt. Hugh Clements. Various police, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and U.S. marshals were involved in the joint investigation, he said. Clements said that Pizzaro-Aviles' immigration status was not known this evening, but may be by morning. He declined to say what, if any relationship, Pizzaro-Aviles had to the Providence address where he was taken into custody. Pizzaro-Aviles is being held at the Providence Public Safety Complex. His arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow morning in District Court, Providence, Clements said. A Warwick warrant charges Pizzarro-Aviles with kidnapping and first-degree robbery while the Providence warrant charges him with first-degree sexual assault. Police have said the incident began shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of a Super Stop & Shop in Warwick, near the West Warwick line in a plaza at Quaker Lane and Cowesett Road. The police -- who released still images from the store surveillance video -- said a man entered the store at about 5:40 p.m. wearing a dark tank top, baggy jeans and dark sneakers. He had a white T-shirt over his left shoulder, the police said, and was believed to have changed into that shirt while in the store. Shortly after going into the supermarket, he was seen leaving in the T-shirt bearing a “Coors Light” logo on the chest. The police said the man walked up to a car in the parking lot where a woman was sitting in the passenger’s seat while she waited for her mother to buy groceries. He threatened her with a kitchen or steak knife, got behind the wheel and began driving, according to the police. The man drove to Roger Williams Park, where he is accused of raping the woman. She was treated at Rhode Island Hospital. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Driver taken to hospital after East Providence crashEAST PROVIDENCE -- A male driver has been taken by rescue to Rhode Island Hospital this evening following a car accident on Route 114, according to the Fire Department. The car was heading south when it veered off the road into woods. The driver was thrown from the car. The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Dig into the latest state budget proposal, item by itemStories about the proposed state budget for FY 2009 passed by the House Finance Committee not enough for you? Dig into the details by looking at the budget articles themselves -- all 39 of them. Projo.com has compiled them all here. You can also read about the budget proposal, and react to its provisions here. Projo.com and The Providence Journal will continue coverage of the budget proposal and its plans to meet the state's massive deficit tomorrow. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:11 PM | Comment Suspect in custody in alleged kidnap-rapeAuthorities have in custody the suspect wanted in the alleged kidnap and rape of a woman early Sunday evening, according to Warwick police Lt. Jeffrey Enos. Police said the woman was kidnapped from her car from a Quaker Lane Stop & Shop parking lot in Warwick and raped in Providence’s Roger Williams Park The suspect is not in Warwick police custody, Enos said. It could not be determined at this time which department took him into custody, but Warwick and Providence police were the departments that had obtained arrest warrants for the man, identitified as Saul Pizzaro-Aviles, 27. Yesterday Warwick Detective Capt. Michael Babula identified the suspect as Pizzarro-Aviles, whose last known address was in Providence. Babula said the Warwick warrant charges Pizzarro-Aviles with kidnapping and first-degree robbery, and the Providence warrant charges him with first-degree sexual assault. Police said the incident began shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of a Super Stop & Shop. They released stills from a store security camera of a man leaving the store. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:37 PM | Comment Photo: City Hall scene of 'Prince of Providence' promo
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:24 PM | Comment Ninigret Park Beach reopened for swimmingThe state Department of Health today reopened to swimming Ninigret Park Beach in Charlestown after samples showed bacteria levels within acceptable limits. Health officials closed it yesterday due to high bacteria levels. But it closed Camp Grosvenor in North Kingstown to swimming due to bacteria levels. Check on the status of beaches around the state. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:17 PM | Comment Update: Making Kennedy Plaza a desirable destinationPROVIDENCE -- The city has announced a long list of regular activities for the greater Kennedy Plaza area this summer, in an effort to make the underutilized, downtown park into a true city square, and overcome the perception that the plaza is unsafe. “This public space in the center of downtown has the potential to become a lively gathering space where families and visitors can enjoy the work of local artists, shop for unique items at the Marketplace Bazaar, enjoy live entertainment or simply sit at café-style tables and people-watch,” said Mayor David N. Cicilline. “I envision a public space as vibrant as New York’s Washington Square Park with the unique character of Providence.” Regular events will include: "Public Square Tuesdays": From 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., area nonprofit agencies will set up kiosks providing information to the public on various topics from the arts to fitness and the environment. "Market Bazaar Thursdays": From 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., vendors selling antiques, books, food and small crafts will set up shop along the Burnside Park sidewalk. "Farmers' Market Fridays": Goods from Rhode Island farms will be on sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Rhythm & Soul Sundays": Providence Black Repertory Company’s Afrosonic Collective will play from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring disc jockeys and drummers. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Through the summer, a string of major events is planned, including the Heineken Latino Celebration, July 6; the IndieArts Festival, July 19; Providence Roller Derby, July 25, and the Bolivian Festival, Aug. 17. The slate of programs is the outgrowth of a February summit led by New York’s Project for Public Spaces, where interested Providence residents mixed with city officials to envision a livelier, well-utilized Kennedy Plaza. The consensus was that if desirable activities were regularly held in the plaza, that would draw people and slowly overturn the perception that Kennedy Plaza is not a desirable destination. The plaza has been the site of numerous fights and robberies, borders the downtown bus depot, and was the scene of a broad-daylight shooting in March. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment Sex offender faces 10 years for failing to registerA Woonsocket man today became the first person convicted in Rhode Island under a federal law for failing to register as a sex offender after moving here from another state. Michael DiTomasso, 35, who moved to Woonsocket from Milford, Mass., last year, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Providence, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. A two-year-old federal law requires sex offenders who move to register as sex offenders in the new state in which they live. Prosecutor Milind M. Shah said at the plea hearing that the government could show DiTomasso pleaded guilty in 1995 in Worcester, Mass., to separate cases of rape and abuse of a child under 16 and indecent assault of a child under 14. DiTomasso moved to Woonsocket in February 2007 and, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, had to register in Rhode Island as a sex offender. DiTomasso is being detained pending a scheduled Oct. 24 sentencing. Maximum penalty is 10 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:08 PM | Comment Bill requiring private employers to use E-Verify on holdPROVIDENCE -- A bill that would require all private employers to use a federal electronic employment verification pilot program has been held for further study to resolve potential constitutional issues. But with the General Assembly session predicted to end next week, the clock is running out. State Sen. Marc A. Cote, chief sponsor of the E-Verify bill, said he has asked the Senate Labor committee for more time to iron out the potential constitutional issues raised in Wednesday’s hearing. The E-verify system allows for online screening to ensure that workers are legally eligible to work in this country. The bill calls for fines against any employer who fails to register or does not participate, but a question was raised on Wednesday as to “whether the employer would have access to due process.” The Woonsocket Democrat, who is vice chairman of the Senate's Corporations Committee, said, “As each hour passes, it gets less and less likely” that the bill could be amended in time for consideration. But, he added, “I do not quit. I’m going to keep working on this.” By an executive order Governor Carcieri issued in March to deal with immigration issues, state agencies and vendors began using the E-Verify system last month. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:58 PM | Comment Pine Street overpass closing tomorrowTake one last drive on the Pine Street overpass over Route 95 –– it’s set to close tomorrow for good. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is closing the bridge, and will later demolish it, as part of the Iway project. In a statement by the RIDOT today, the agency says it will begin building an extension to the northbound service road along Route 95 north, near the existing Route 195 interchange. In the future, a new ramp will give drivers on Point Street access to Route 95 north. In the meantime, motorists will need to follow detour signs directing them to the Broad Street overpass to get to the other side of Route 95. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:53 PM | Comment Man accused of double murder waives bail hearingA man whom police allege killed two women and then burned one of the victim’s apartments to cover his tracks informally waived his right to a bail hearing today and continues to be held at the Adult Correctional Institutions, according Beryl Kenyon, spokeswoman for the Attorney General. In addition to the murder charges, Anthony J. Carter, 23, of Pawtucket, faces charges that he participated in at least six armed robberies with Raymond Clements last year. Clements was sentenced last year to serve 15 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions. Carter was arraigned earlier this month after waiving his right to an extradition hearing. He was serving time in a Florida for a string of 10 armed robberies in that state. The police say Carter killed Heather V. Jesus, 20, and her cousin, Amanda L. Sousa, 17, last June at Jesus’ apartment in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Providence. The police allege that Carter and a conspirator set the apartment on fire to destroy evidence after the women were killed. Carter's next court appearance is a pre-trial hearing, scheduled for June 26. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:49 PM | Comment Update: Pona's conviction in witness killing overturnedPROVIDENCE — The state Supreme Court this morning overturned the conviction of Charles “Manny” Pona on charges that he conspired with others to have 15-year-old Jennifer Rivera gunned down just before she was to testify that she saw Pona running from the scene of another murder. 
"The murder of Jennifer Rivera was especially repugnant,” Justice Francis X. Flaherty wrote in the high court decision. “It was a profound affront to the basic norms of civilized society. Nonetheless, even those accused of despicable acts are entitled to a fair trial. In this instance, we have concluded that the defendant did not receive a fair trial, and we are convinced that it is our responsibility to that same civilized society to reverse for a new trial.” So the Supreme Court vacated Pona’s convictions in the Rivera murder and sent the case back to Superior Court for a new trial. Pona remains in prison for killing 17-year-old Hector Feliciano. The Supreme Court affirmed Pona’s conviction in that murder last year. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick
The Supreme Court said the trial judge, the late Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri Jr., should not have admitted evidence that related solely to Pona’s conviction for Feliciano’s murder, such as evidence that Pona’s pager was found at the scene of Feliciano’s murder. Also, the court ruled Dimitri should not have admitted the entire audio tape of testimony that Rivera gave at a bail hearing. The recording allowed the jury “to hear the young victim’s ‘voice from the grave [as described by the prosecutor in closing] for hours on end,” and some of the recording “focused entirely on demonstrating to the jury that Pona already was a dangerous murderer,” Flaherty wrote. While ruling on those grounds, the Supreme Court said, “We are convinced that the unanticipated testimony concerning Pona’s prior cocaine use, combined with an ineffective curative instruction, was error.” “Although the shocking nature of this crime causes a tremor to the very core of our society,” Flaherty wrote, “it is no less important that those accused of such heinous acts receive a fair trial.” Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement this afternoon that Rivera's murder was an "assault on our justice system," and called the Supreme Court's decision "disappointing." But, he added, "today's decision fills us with the resolve to retry the case in Superior Court and ensure that Pona is once and for all held accountable for his vicious, vengeful, and cowardly actions." Posted by Jack Perry at 2:38 PM | Comment Registration to fish in saltwater? NOAA seeks commentsLocal recreational fishermen will tell you that one of the benefits to casting a line into saltwater is that you don't have to pay to get a license first. That's unlike freshwater fishing, which requires a license, depending on your age, and is limited to a certain season. Now, proposed changes in federal fishing regulations would make it mandatory by 2009 for some recreational saltwater fishermen in the Ocean State to register first with the federal government -- for a fee. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service is seeking comments until Aug. 11 on the proposed rules. NOAA says information from interviews of those registered to fish would help close a gap in data that could help better manage and possibly restore certain stocks of fish. The proposal also applies to those who fish anywhere for species that spawn in freshwater but spend their lives in oceans, such as striped bass, shad and salmon. Unlike Rhode Island, some states already require saltwater licenses, including Alaska and other states along the West Coast, the South Atlantic and the Gulf Coast. Hawaii and states from New Jersey to Maine do not. Your turn: What's your take on the saltwater fishing license requirement? According to Jim Balsiger, acting assistant administrator for the Fisheries Service, “by law, the registry fee taken by NOAA will offset the cost of issuing the registration. It cannot be specifically directed to fisheries management.” Therefore, he suggested, states without licenses have an incentive to start offering them, and use the money to put toward local fisheries. Otherwise, anglers will pay the federal government directly, and no money will be returned to local fisheries. The proposal would require registration before 2009. No fee would be implemented until 2011 when, according to the Fisheries Service, the fee will likely be between $15 and $25 per person. Certain groups of anglers will be exempt, including those 16 and younger, and indigenous groups who fish for sustenance. Those who fish from licensed party, charter or guide boats would also be exempt. Persons who hold commercial fishing licenses or permits, and are legally fishing under them, would also be exempt from registration. To read and comment on the proposal, go to: www.countmyfish.noaa.gov Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:00 PM | Comment Entwistle breaks into tears as jury sees video of bodiesWOBURN, Mass. -- The British man accused of shooting to death his wife and infant daughter broke into tears during his trial as prosecutors showed jurors a videotape of the bodies. Neil Entwistle covered his mouth and his eyes in court Thursday during the 20-minute tape. The video, taken by State Police investigators, showed his wife, Rachel, and their 9-month-old daughter Lillian Rose dead in the couple's bed in their rented home in Hopkinton. Classical music still playing in the baby's nearby bedroom could be heard in the background. Prosecutors allege Entwistle killed his wife and child in January 2006 because he was deep in debt and dissatisfied with his sex life. He was arrested weeks later at his parents home in England. Get the latest from The Associated Press. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:17 PM | Comment Aretha Franklin will join Newport jazz fest lineupNEWPORT -- Legendary singer Aretha Franklin will headline the Saturday show at this year's JVC Jazz Festival Newport, organizers announced today. Franklin, who has won many Grammys and sang the iconic song "Respect," will perform Aug. 9 at Fort Adams State Park. She joins a lineup that includes Sonny Rollins, Chris Botti, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. The festival promises several on-stage collaborations including one featuring Charlie Haden, Bill Frisell and Ethan Iverson on the Saturday. Also that day, there will be an encore performance by a quartet of Dave Holland, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter, and Eric Harland -- they debuted at last year's Monterey Jazz Festival. The festival opens Friday, Aug. 8, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 10. Tickets are at www.festivalnetwork.com or (877) 655-4TIX. Click for a full list of who's slated to perform when. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:11 PM | Comment Search engine with R.I. link dispenses how-to adviceSAN FRANCISCO -- A new specialty search engine is trying to become the Internet's go-to spot for finding how-to advice. Founded by Rhode Island entrepreneur Ted Ives, FindHow.com has assembled an index spanning nearly about 30,000 Web pages with written, photographic and video instructions on a wide variety of topics ranging from prosaic tasks like tying a tie to more exotic missions like inviting the Queen of England to a Super Bowl party. Relying on a team of human editors, FindHow has sifted the information to discrete categories like "food and drink," "careers and work" and "wild and wacky" and emphasizes tips from well-established government and business sources. Ives also is trying to market FindHow as a "family-friendly" site in hopes of attracting a loyal following among librarians and students. Ives believes FindHow's more organized format and emphasis on brands will help separate it from the horde of other Web sites that provide how-to information. The competition includes specialty services like eHow, Helpfulvideo, WonderHowTo, as well as all-purpose destinations like Internet search leader Google Inc. and its video-sharing subsidiary YouTube. FindHow is starting out with about a $300,000 investment from Ives and a handful of other backers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Submarine named for Providence earns honors
A Los Angeles class fast attack submarine is being honored today at a ceremony in Connecticut. And the name of the submarine: USS Providence. The Arleigh Burke Trophy is awarded annually to two ships or aviation fleets that have achieved the most improvement over the previous year. This year, USS Providence becomes one of the few to receive the award. Fast attack submarines are known for stealth, agility and firepower, according to a statement from the Naval Submarine Base in Connecticut. These submarines can deploy special force operations, disrupt or destroy military or other operations and can carry out early strikes at close proximity. The USS Providence, based in Groton, Conn., last year spent 7 months traveling around the world, completing three missions in the Western Pacific. It was also awarded the Tactical Operations White “T” as part of the 2007 Battle Efficiency Award Program. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:02 PM | Comment Kennedy Plaza, more than a place to catch the busThe Providence Black Repertory Company is giving downtown Providence a taste of summer this afternoon when it previews a new series of events planned for this summer at Kennedy Plaza. This afternoon, the Black Rep, Mayor David Cicilline and representatives of the Greater Kennedy Plaza Working Group -- a public/private partnership focused on improving the public space at the Plaza -- plan to announce an initiative designed to make the Plaza a place that people want to go to this summer. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:43 AM | Comment West Warwick DMV closed todayWant to get that motorcycle registered in time for the weekend? Well you can’t do it today at the West Warwick DMV. The Kent County Water Authority is doing work on site today, so the West Warwick branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed for the day. If you’ve got a drivers test scheduled for today in West Warwick, you can try to take it at a different branch, or call 462-5700 to reschedule. Branches are open today from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Pawtucket, at the Apex Plaaza; in Wakefield, on Tower Hill Road; and in Middletown, 73 Valley Street. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:26 AM | Comment Updated Traffic Alert: 95 north in WarwickAn accident that blocked two lanes and had officials rerouting traffic has been cleared as of 8:15 a.m. The accident was on the northbound side of Route 95 at Exit 10/Route117/ Warwick. Traffic is still backed up, see how it's moving along on the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. If this is along your commute, you may want to try to find an alternate route. The West Warwick DMV is scheduled to re-open tomorrow. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:18 AM | Comment Today in history: Nicole Brown Simpson killedOn this day in 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were slashed to death outside her Los Angeles home; her former husband, football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson, was later acquitted of the killings in a criminal trial, but held liable in a civil action. Watch a video report about today in history. Read more from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A perfect morningThere's not much to say -- it's beautiful outside. At 6:30 a.m. it's sunny, breezy and about 70 degrees. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature today near 83 degrees with sunny skies and that always-welcome (in the summer) north wind, keeping humidity low and generating a pleasant, mild breeze. Tonight temperatures are set to drop to 53 degrees with skies remaining clear. We'll have a very slight southwest wind. Tomorrow looks the same as today, high temperature hitting 82 degrees; clear, sunny skies; mild north winds. Enjoy. See the good and the bad in this weekend's forecast at projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: state budget unveiledToday's front page features coverage of the $6.89-billion state budget package unveiled yesterday, which attempts to plug a huge budget deficit primarily through state employee savings, Medicaid cuts and the removal of thousands of people from state health and welfare rolls. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 11, 2008Revised education aid by communityThe House Finance has increased the governor's budget for schools by $12.8 million. Check how much money your community will get. Providence got $3.5 million in extra money in the fiscal year starting July 1. Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:56 PM | Comment Police issue warrant for kidnapping, rape suspectWARWICK -- The Warwick and Providence police have obtained arrest warrants for the man they allege kidnapped a woman in her car from a Quaker Lane parking lot and raped her in Providence’s Roger Williams Park early Sunday evening. Warwick Detective Capt. Michael Babula identified the suspect as Saul Pizzarro-Aviles, 27, whose last known address was in Providence. The Warwick warrant, he said, charges Pizzarro-Aviles with kidnapping and first-degree robbery, and the Providence warrant charges him with first-degree sexual assault. On Tuesday, the departments reported that the carjacking occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of a Super Stop & Shop. They released a photo from a store security camera of a man leaving the store whom they later identified as Pizzarro-Aviles. According to the police, Pizzarro-Aviles entered the store through its north doors, changed his shirt and then left the store. Once in the parking lot, Pizzarro-Aviles allegedly brandished a knife to commandeer the car, which was idling with the woman in the passenger seat waiting for her mother to finish grocery shopping. Babula said Pizzarro-Aviles drove the woman to Roger Williams Park. -- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:04 PM | Comment Goddard reopened for swimming; Ninigret is closedThe state Health Department today reopened to swimming Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick. Samples showed bacteria levels back to within acceptable limits. The department closed to swimming the Ninigret Park Beach in Charlestown because of high bacteria counts. The area will reopen when it is deemed safe for swimming, the health department said. For updates about swimming at Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:38 PM | Comment OSHA criticizes and fines Lincoln factoryPROVIDENCE -- The federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration today cited a Lincoln manufacturing company for not having adequate guarding to prevent a Guatemalan immigrant from getting pinned in a machine last December, and for failing to properly train the worker to use that machine. The worker, Leonardo Cos Elias, lost his leg, buttock and half of one hip after the accident at Packaging Concepts Ltd. He is now confined to a wheelchair at a Massachusetts rehabilitation hospital. OSHA has recommended a total of $21,000 for three serious citations. OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is “substantial probability that death or serious harm could result,” and that the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. OSHA also issued a “letter of significance” to the company that notes there was no emergency stop device installed on the routing machine Cos was using, and that routing machines “were being utilized without formalized training and documentation.” OSHA has asked that the company develop a training manual for operation of the computer-numerically controlled routing machines, and to train its employees on the procedures set out in that manual. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:28 PM | Comment 4 Laos Pride members arrested after shootingPROVIDENCE -- Four members of Laos Pride, a Smith Hill-based street gang, were arrested on weapons charges Monday night just minutes after they allegedly opened fire on a rival gang -- the Hanover Boys -- in the city’s West End. No one was hit in the barrage of gunfire, but the police seized two guns from the car of the suspected shooters. In two other unrelated incidents on Monday night and early today, police made two more arrests and grabbed loaded guns. Maj. Stephen M. Campbell, who oversees the Providence police detective division, said that removing guns from the street is a department priority and a proactive way to stem bloodshed. ``We really want to keep the violence down and we’re keeping it down by going after guns,’’ he said. ``We are out there and we are focused.’’ -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski A tip from a police informant led to the arrest of the Laos Pride gangsters. Around 11 p.m. Monday, Detective Peter Chabot, a state trooper assigned to the Providence Police Gang Unit, received a tip from a confidential source that a house at 121 Bellevue Ave. in the West End ``had just been shot into.’’ The police received information that the shooters fled in a white Toyota Camry. The gang unit officers knew of a Laos Pride gang member who drives a car fitting the description of the Toyota used in the shooting. At the Bellevue Avenue address, several Hanover Boyz were milling around the backyard. They refused to talk to the police about the shooting. Investigators determined that a stray bullet had struck a Volvo parked nearby. A few minutes later, the police spotted the Toyota turning from Waverly Street onto Cranston Street. Inside were members of Laos Pride wearing blue bandannas that were partially masking their faces. The police turned on their lights and sirens and called for backup. The car continued for several blocks. Once the car stopped, the police surrounded the Toyota with guns drawn and ordered everyone from the car. The police looked under the seat and found two guns: a semiautomatic Raven and a Colt revolver. The police said that both guns were loaded. Two of the passengers, juveniles ages 17 and 16, were each charged with possession of a firearm without a license; possession of a firearm by a minor; possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle; discharge of a firearm in a compact area and possession of a ammunition by a minor. A Family Court judge ordered them held at the Rhode Island Training School. Two other gang members, Steven Soundara, 19, of Providence, and a 17-year old juvenile, were charged with failing to have a license or permit required for carrying a pistol. In September 2006, Soundara’s older brother, Bobby, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for throwing a pipe bomb into the home of a member of a rival gang, the Young Bloods. The bomb did not injure the intended target, but it went off in the face of a gang member’s mother and she lost an eye. Soundara was also a member of Laos Pride. Detective Sgt. Michael P. Wheeler, who heads the Providence police gang unit, said the arrests and seizure of guns underscores the deep knowledge of gang activity that his officers have developed over the years. ``We are out there and we know who is out there. The fact that we took two guns from these kids is huge, ’’ Wheeler said. The other two arrests and seizure of guns took place in the city’s South Side. About 12:30 a.m. today, officers assigned to the department’s Gun Task Force received a tip that a woman would be driving a car with a loaded gun to Chad Brown, a housing development off of Douglas Avenue. The tipster described the car, a white Chevrolet, and said that it would be traveling on Broad Street within the next 30 minutes. The officers spotted the suspected car near Parkis Avenue and followed it for several blocks. They pulled the female driver over at the intersection of Broad Street and Pearl Street for a moving violation after it allegedly passed a car on the right. The driver, Althea Latimer, 39, was driving on a suspended license, arrested and taken into custody. The police opened the car trunk and found a loaded .12 gauge shotgun. She was charged with possession of a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle and operating on a suspended license. Earlier on Monday, at 10:25 p.m., the police arrested Joshua Carpenter, 22, of 224 Pearl St., after he allegedly threatened a woman with a handgun on Providence Street. The police later searched the Pearl Street address and found a chrome revolver stashed in a Remy Martin canister. Carpenter was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a weapon without a permit and carrying a dangerous weapon when committing a crime of violence. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment Panel recommends finalists for 2 traffic magistrate jobsA selection committee this afternoon recommended five finalists -- including the Senate president’s chief of staff and a General Assembly lawyer -- for a pair of $128,650-a-year magistrate jobs on the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. Earlier this year, the General Assembly gave Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams the power to make the magistrate appointments, which are subject to Senate confirmation. So Williams may now appoint people to the positions that Judge Marjorie R. Yashar and Magistrate Aurendina G. Veiga vacated in 2005 amid ethics complaints. The selection committee interviewed nine candidates and recommended these five finalists to Williams: -- Joseph A. Abbate, 56, of Providence, who is director of law revision for the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Legislative Services. He is also a part-time Providence Municipal Court judge and was a Providence Housing Court judge from 2002 to 2005. -- R. David Cruise, 51, of Cumberland, who is chief of staff to Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence. He was legal counsel and director of governmental affairs for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation from 2000-03. And he was chief of staff to former Gov. Bruce Sundlun from 1991 to 1993. -- Alan R. Goulart, 48, of North Kingstown, who is chief of the criminal division at the attorney general’s office. He was deputy chief of the criminal division from 1999 to 2004, and he was a U.S. Navy judge advocate general from 1987 to 1990. -- Kelly A. McElroy, 35, of Warwick, who is a special assistant attorney general in the criminal division. She is an adjunct law professor at the Southern New England School of Law. -- Bruce W. McIntyre, 56, of Jamestown, who is deputy legal counsel in the state Health Department. He has advised the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline since 1991, and is a former Democratic Jamestown Town Council member. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick The four candidates who did not make the cut were: -- Richard G. Galli, 62, of East Greenwich, who has a law practice in East Greenwich and was a partner in the litigation group of Adler Pollock & Sheehan from 1976 to 1991. -- Sharon O’Keefe, 61, of Barrington, who has a law practice in Barrington and was the state’s assistant child advocate from 1992 to 2005. -- Gail M. Valuk, 43, of Richmond, who is deputy state court administrator and oversaw the administrative aspects of building the new $21.8-million Traffic Tribunal courthouse in Cranston. -- William J. Vescera, 46, of Woonsocket, who has a solo law practice in Johnston, concentrating on residential and commercial real-estate transactions. The candidates did not appear before the Judicial Nominating Commission, which screens candidates for all state judgeships. Rather, Williams set up a three-member selection committee headed by Traffic Tribunal Judge Edward C. Parker. The other committee members are Robert P. Murray, senior vice president at AAA Southern New England, and Alfred A. Russo Jr., a lawyer and former Democratic state representative from Johnston who served on the transition team of House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, and House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:16 PM | Comment House panel removes $35M environment bond issuePROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee this afternoon effectively cut a proposed $35 million environmental bond issue from the state’s 2009 budget. The money had been targeted for saving farmland and open space, cleaning up storm water and helping communities reduce the nitrogen their sewer plants discharge into Narragansett Bay. The bond item was removed from the budget without comment, and the committee approved the budget article that had contained the bond without comment. The panel is voting a House budget proposal unveiled today, which differs from that submitted previously by Governor Carcieri. Save The Bay executive director Curt Spalding said the cuts were troubling because the governor had originally wanted $87 million for the Bay bond, and reduced that figure to $35 million because of the state’s budget problems. “My big problem is we tried to work with the situation,” Spalding said. “Our good will, trying to figure a compromise, it was ignored. No other programs were cut like this.” The new budget proposal still must be vetted by the full House, and then the Senate. It is also subject to the governor's approval or veto. -- Journal environment writer Peter Lord Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:16 PM | Comment Update: House budget plan avoids broad tax increasesPROVIDENCE -- Facing an unprecedented budget deficit, the House leadership unveiled a budget proposal this afternoon that largely avoids broad-based tax increases, but includes tens of millions of dollars in cuts across state government including services for elderly, disabled and low-income Rhode Islanders. There were some bright spots, however, for those facing even deeper cuts: the House gave cities and towns a slight “bump” in additional education aid -- approximately $12.8 million. There were no new increases proposed in non-education aid. The proposal was revealed at a press briefing held shortly before a House Finance Committee hearing on the 2009 fiscal plan that began at 4 p.m. Read a summary of the plan here. The plan also includes funding for 100 of 400 slots slated to be eliminated from the early childhood education program, Head Start. In addition, the budget restores health care coverage for all but 1,000 of more than 7,000 adults slated to lose coverage under a plan released by Governor Carcieri earlier in the year. House Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino, the architect of the tax-and-spend plan released this afternoon, said the budget does indeed balance a $425-million budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1, despite unanswered questions about savings related to personnel reductions and sweeping Medicaid changes. Rhode Island must have a balanced budget, according to the state Constitution. The budget relies on more than $60 million in personnel savings tied to ongoing negotiations between organized labor and the governor’s office. It also relies on saving $67 million by re-designing Medicaid programs, a figure that both Costantino and the governor’s office have acknowledged may be unrealistic. Despite heavy pressure applied by organized labor and its allies, the budget does not include any changes to the capital gains or flat taxes. Nor does the budget increase any income, business or sales taxes. But it generates $5.6 million in new revenue by increasing the health insurer tax on medical premiums from 1.1 percent to 1.4 percent. Costantino said he hoped the increase wouldn’t be passed on to health care consumers, although that’s what happened when the tax was expanded last year. The tax, previously only applied to health insurers, would now apply to Delta Dental as well. The House Finance Committee will work into this evening to adopt the budget bill, which will be laid out in a series of complex budget “articles.” As each budget item is read, the committee takes a vote. The hearing is being televised live on Capitol TV. -- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau The budget does not include a proposed fine for drivers caught with hand-held cell phones. But it increases fines for all driving violations by $10. The plan also caps the state’s film and television tax credit program, allowing no more than $15 million in credits to be issued each year, a change that may jeopardize plans to bring a movie studio to Rhode Island. The release of today’s plan is the most significant step forward to date for a state that is struggling with its worst fiscal problems since the credit union crisis of the early 1990s. It has been a long road to this point. As is the case every year, Governor Carcieri releases a proposed budget in January. (He subsequently proposed a separate plan to close a $181 million budget hole for the current year, which has already been approved by the Assembly.) Facing an additional $384 million deficit for the coming year, the governor’s plan relied heavily on cutting government spending, particularly on human service programs that he described as overly generous. But state officials learned in May that the deficit was even larger than Carcieri thought. That left the General Assembly, which releases its own version of the state budget every spring, to close a significantly larger hole. The plan released this afternoon is expected to be approved by the House Finance Committee by the end of the day. The full House is expected to vote on the budget bill next Wednesday, in what is traditionally a marathon session that includes dozens of last-minute amendments. Therefore, the plan adopted today may be changed slightly next week, but substantial modifications on the House floor are rare. The Senate must approve the budget next, but that chamber cannot make changes to individual articles. That means the Senate would have to vote down the entire tax-and-spend plan to make any changes, which is not expected. And there’s always the question of whether the governor will veto the Assembly’s final budget plan. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment Update: House Finance unveiling new budget plan todaySTATE HOUSE – After months of protest rallies and lengthy hearings and a hours-long delay this afternoon, the House Finance Committee has begun to unveil the latest version of the 2009 state budget today. The committee had expected a hearing on the plan to begin at about 2 p.m. today, according to a press release from House spokesman Larry Berman. But a press briefing on the proposal by House Finance Committee Chairman Steven Costantino and his staff -- originally scheduled for 12:45 p.m. -- started late and ended a short while ago. The committee went into its hearing on the budget plan next, starting at about 4 p.m. It is being held in Room 35 in the basement of the State House. The committee is also expected to vote on the proposal today. While a summary of some of the budget proposals was provided to the press, the committee will distribute its complete proposal at its meeting this afternoon. Based on past practice, that may come out in sections at a time. Details of the new plan, which aims at dealing with a massive budget deficit in a tough economy, have been hard to come by. Projo.com will provide updates on the budget plan as they become available. The previous version of the plan is online here. The hearing today is scheduled to be broadcast live on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Channel 15 for Cox Communications and Full Channel cable subscribers and Channel 34 for Verizon subscribers. -- With reports from the Journal State House bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:13 PM | Comment DMV's West Warwick branch to be closed tomorrowThe Division of Motor Vehicles branch in West Warwick will be closed tomorrow because of work by the Kent County Water Authority. The motor vehicles division asks that customers go to the DMV's main office in Pawtucket or other branch offices tomorrow. Those with driving tests scheduled tomorrow in West Warwick are asked to reschedule by calling 462-5700 or take the test in Pawtucket. Other DMV offices open tomorrow, from, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., are Pawtucket, at APEX plaza; Wakefield, Tower Hill Road; and, Middletown, 73 Valley St. Some services, such as renewal of vehicle registrations, are also offered online. Click here to see what's available. As long as the water authority work finishes tomorrow, the DMV's West Warwick office is slated to reopen Friday. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:03 PM | Comment Man airlifted to hospital after van hits tree in BurrillvilleBURRILLVILLE -- Police and rescue crews are still at the scene of an accident early this afternoon that led to one man being airlifted to a nearby hospital. According to Lt. Kevin S. San Antonio, a van crashed into a tree at about 12:30 p.m. on Victory Highway. San Antonio said that although it took between 40 and 50 minutes to remove the victim from the van, the man's injuries did not appear to be life threatening. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:50 PM | Comment Amtrak's bridge work delayed; will affect N.Y. AcelaNEW LONDON, Conn. — Amtrak says it has rescheduled a bridge replacement project in Connecticut that will disrupt some train service between New York and Boston. The replacement of a moveable span of the Thames River Bridge between New London and Groton is now set to run Monday through Thursday. It was originally scheduled for Saturday through Tuesday. All Acela Express service north of New York will be canceled during the project. Express buses will run between New Haven and Providence to connect trains in those cities. Train service between New York and Boston will still be available via Hartford and Springfield. The work marks the final stage of a multi-year, $83 million improvement project on the 90-year-old bridge. -- The Associated Press Extra: MBTA: Providence-to-Boston delays this weekend Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:43 PM | Comment Crews responding to structure fire in North KingstownNORTH KINGSTOWN -- Crews are responding to a structure fire at a former Brown and Sharpe manufacturing plant on Frenchtown Road, according to dispatch. More details were not available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:17 PM | Comment 2 Portsmouth police cruisers' drivers injured in collisionPORTSMOUTH -- Two police cruisers on an emergency call crashed on Route 24 yesterday afternoon, injuring the drivers, when one of the officers tried to use the median strip of the divided highway to turn around and his car collided with the one behind him. Patrolmen Jacob Silva, 32, and Nicholas Arruda, 31, were treated at Newport Hospital after the crash, which occurred at 3:07 p.m. yesterday, Police Chief Lance Hebert said today. He said Silva and Arruda initially headed north on Route 24 in response to a report of a possible drunken driver in a car that was being boxed in. Then they received an update that the actual location was in the other direction -- on West Main Road at King’s Grant. Silva was turning left onto the median strip of Route 24, just before the Boyd’s Lane exit, with Arruda car traveling behind him, when Arruda’s car collided with Silva's, according to State Police Capt. James Swanberg. Swanberg said the impact of the collision forced Silva’s cruiser across the median and both southbound lanes of the highway, onto the shoulder. State Police are investigating the accident at the request of local police. The cars involved were Ford Crown Victorias. Hebert said both cruisers -- part of a front-line fleet of 7 marked cars -- sustained extensive damage. -- Journal staff writer Gina Macris It has not yet been decided whether the cars will be repaired or scrapped, he said. The department has four additional high-mileage cruisers reserved for use on special details, he said. The proposed budget for the next fiscal year contains money for three new cars that were intended to replace some of the older vehicles on the front-line fleet. “We’ll have to make do with what we have,” Hebert said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:59 PM | Comment Hidden nail traps planted on disputed roadSomeone is hiding nail-studded boards on a sandy road that runs through a disputed stretch of beachfront in Westerly and Charlestown, which leads to the western side of the Quonochontaug Breachway. Todd Fiske, a landowner there, says his sister Lisa drove her car over one of the hidden nail traps, and she blew out a tire. “I’m just fortunate that my daughter didn’t step on it,” Lisa Fiske said. Investigators found 10 boards with 3-inch nails concealed in the road, according to Lt. Michael P. Longtin of the Rhode Island Environmental Police. The incident was revealed during a public hearing on a Department of Environmental Management proposal to ban parking on state land at the end of the road. Before any action is taken, however, a leading DEM official says his agency is trying to resolve the access dispute in Westerly’s Weekapaug neighborhood by getting landowners to negotiate and compromise. The disputed sandy road runs from the Weekapaug Yacht Club -- where a guard is posted during the summer -- to the state land on the western side of the Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown. Along the way, it runs through property owned by individual families and by organized groups. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the road is closed to everyone except landowners. For the rest of the year, the road has been open to everyone for generations, according to Don Morris, a long-time shoreline-rights advocate. He said he drives to the western side of Quonochontaug Breachway almost every morning to fish. He is a member of Rhode Island Mobile Sportsmen, a club that owns property near the state land. Morris was one of several people, including Todd Fiske, who testified against the proposed parking ban during a public hearing Tuesday evening in Warwick. No one testified in favor of the proposed ban. Michael L. Lapisky, chief of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, was in charge of the hearing. His agency oversees the state land where parking would be prohibited. The land would still be open to anyone who could walk to it or paddle to it from the state boat landing on the eastern side of the breachway, he said. Some landowners along the road contend that anyone who drives to the state land is trespassing. So, said Lapisky, “We have a piece of state property made inaccessible by private property….One can’t get there except by walking or by boat.” Lapisky said he will work toward a compromise to resolve the dispute. “We are trying to work with all parties to make this thing work out somehow,” he said. Several opponents of the parking ban say the disagreement is between the wealthy and everyone else. If the state concedes to wealthy landowners who want to close the road altogether, it would set a precedent, said Todd Fiske, whose family has owned a home there for 30 years. He said that even he could lose access to his family’s property. “Money talks,” said his sister. James Milardo, president of Rhode Island Mobile Sportsmen, another landowner on the road, also testified against the proposed parking ban. However, he and the club’s lawyer, R. Daniel Prentiss, said they will negotiate with other landowners toward a compromise, rather than go to court. “These people are connected,” Milardo said. “Even though it seems like a slam-dunk for us, they can afford to wait for the right judge, and we can still lose it. So we’re saying the best way to go is to get an agreement between the two parties, and to come to some solution.” Though the road dispute has continued for generations, environmental police investigator Longtin said it has descended to new depths with the concealed nail boards. “This was really aggressive and malicious,” he said. He estimated that three cars lost their tires to the nail traps on May 24, but no one reported injuries. “A kid could have stepped on one of these with three-inch nails,” he said. “Nasty.” The boards were 18-by-6-inch plywood, each with several 3-inch nails that appeared to have been driven with a nail gun, he said. They were spread along the length of the road. Anyone who has information about the nail traps, he said, should call the Rhode Island Environmental Police at 222-3070. “It was very aggressive,” he said. “You don’t know what could have happened.” Posted by Tom Meade at 12:27 PM | Comment Update: Diocese offers RIPTA passes to the needyThe Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, announced a new program this morning to help needy Rhode Islanders cope with high gas prices by taking the bus to get to work, go shopping and make doctor's appointments. The Catholic Charity Fund has donated $17,500 that will be used to buy RIPTIKS, the bus passes sold by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. The tickets will be handed out in books of 10 one-way tickets to those apply and are determined to be most in need. The tickets will be available at diocesan satellite offices starting Thursday to people who can prove they need them. The average price of gasoline is $4.095 a gallon, according to AAA. -- Business editor John Kostrzewa, with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:50 AM | Comment Entwistle trial: Officer describes finding dead baby, momWOBURN, Mass. -- A Hopkinton, Mass., police officer has described his gruesome discovery of the bodies of a mother and her baby daughter, who were found fatally shot and snuggled together in bed. Sgt. Michael Sutton testified today in the trial of Neil Entwistle, a British man charged in the 2006 killings of his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose. Sutton said he and another officer first checked the Entwistles' home on Jan. 21, 2006, but they did not find the bodies until the following day when they went back and checked again. He said he lifted a thick comforter on a bed in the master bedroom and saw a woman's foot. When he lifted up the other end of the comforter, he saw a small baby's face, and next to the baby, a woman's face. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:32 AM | Comment Report: 18 cats abandoned in Woonsocket apartmentWOONSOCKET -- Eighteen cats have been found abandoned in a Woonsocket apartment, and officials say they think the animals had been left alone for at least five to seven days. WJAR-TV is reporting that the cats were found at the apartment Tuesday after a neighbor complained to the landlord about a smell in the building. The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is trying to find homes for the cats. Officials are also looking for the owner. SPCA president E.J. Finocchio says the cats have not been spayed or neutered and are in "deplorable condition.'' It's hoping shelters in other towns will be able to take in the cats. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:31 AM | Comment Update: To disaffiliate or not? Today's the dayIf you voted in the Republican or Democratic presidential primary, but you’re not sure who you’ll support in the September state and local primaries, today is the last day to disaffiliate, so you can vote for whomever you please. But you may end up having more time to make a decision. The Senate has green-lighted a bill that could change the date, extending the deadline to Monday, Aug. 11. Under current law, voters have to change or leave a political party 90 days before a primary, special election or general election. If approved by the House and signed into law, the proposal would condense that period to 29 days. Voters in the Democratic or Republican presidential primary were automatically affiliated with that party. A record turnout at the presidential primary means there is likely a higher than usual number of affiliated voters. This September, there may be primaries in the race for state representative, state senate and city and town councils. If voters want to vote in a different primary than in March, they’ll need to disaffiliate from either party -- either today or by Aug. 11. Wondering what to do? Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis said today, "While the bill may become law at some point, June 11 is the law today. "Voters shouldn't gamble with their right to cast ballots in the primary of their choice on September 9. Even if the bill does become law, disaffiliating today will cause voters no harm. It just means they will have another two months to change their minds." To disaffiliate, contact your local board of canvassers. Find contact information on the Secretary of State’s Web site. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:17 AM | Comment Filming for Cianci movie to begin in R.I. in AugustMichael Corrente said today that he will begin shooting his long-planned film about former Providence Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr. in August on Rhode Island locations. 
File photosCorrente verified a report that appeared in the Hollywood Reporter that director Steven Soderbergh, whose films include Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve, would be the executive producer of The Prince of Providence and that Oliver Platt would play the former mayor. The film, which Corrente will direct, is based on the best-selling book by Providence Journal investigative reporter Mike Stanton. David Mamet wrote the screenplay, with an additional writing credit going to Howard Korder. Corrente said that Platt, whom he courted as early as late last August when he brought him to Providence for a dinner at a posh restaurant, was perfect for the role. Platt was seen most recently as New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in the eight-part HBO series The Bronx Is Burning and his credits include the films Kinsey and The Three Musketeers. Corrente praised Platt as a journeyman actor that everyone knows can do what Philip Seymour Hoffman did for Capote.’’ (Hoffman won the best actor Academy Award in 2006 for his performance in that film. “I feel this is Oliver’s chance to hit one out of the park,’’ added Corrente. In the past, Corrente had negotiated with better-known movie stars fort the lead role of Buddy Cianci, including Nicolas Cage and Russell Crowe, who at one time was said to be working on a rewrite of the script. But for a long time the role went unfilled and some people were beginning to say that the film would never be made. “Everyone thought I was dragging my feet on this,’’ he said, “but I was just waiting for the right actor." -- Journal movie critic Michael Janusonis Your turn: Does Oliver Platt fit the role? Posted by Jack Perry at 10:05 AM | Comment $2 million jewelry heist includes Super Bowl ringsATTLEBORO, Mass. — Police say New York Giants Super Bowl rings were among the $2 million worth of items stolen from an Attleboro jewelry company sometime over the weekend. Police say thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion’s building, cut a hole in the roof and made off with a safe that weighed at least 1,000 pounds and containied gold, gems and the rings. The incident was discovered by an employee on Sunday when she was unable to access her work e-mail from home, apparently because phone lines had been cut. Captain David Proia says police are investigating but there are no suspects. Company President Edward Dion Jr. says the company is running as normal and customers know “we’ve run into a bit of a hiccup.” -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:41 AM | Comment Train delays this weekendIf you're planning to take the train between Providence and Boston, or parts in between, take note. The Providence/Stoughton line is going to be doing things a little differently. The Ruggles Commuter Station will be closed Saturday and Sunday. Passengers going to Ruggles on the Providence/Stoughton line will need to transfer to the Orange Line at the Back Bay station for a transfer to Ruggles. Another commuter rail closure, the Hyde Park station will be closed from Saturday until Tuesday, June 17. Passengers instead will need to use the Readville station. There will be shuttle buses to take people to and from Hyde Park to Readville. All Providence line passengers should expect 10-15 minute delays between Saturday and Tuesday; travelers on the Stoughton lines should expect similar delays on Monday and Tuesday. And scheduled work by Amtrak means there will be no Amtrak trains passing through Canton Junction from Saturday through Tuesday, June 17. For more information, including maps and schedules, see the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Web site. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:10 AM | Comment Judge orders arrest of Mashantucket Pequots chairmanHARTFORD, Conn. -- A family court judge in New York has issued an arrest warrant for the chairman of the Indian tribe that runs Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut as part of a child custody case. The Westchester County Family Court judge issued the warrant on Monday because Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Michael Thomas failed to turn over his 4-year-old daughter to her mother, said David Bookstaver, a spokesman for the New York court system. The girl's mother, Vanessa Hyman of New Rochelle, N.Y., said Thomas took the child for a routine visit May 17 and was supposed to return her the next day, but did not. Hyman went to the tribal police department Tuesday morning in eastern Connecticut to try to get her daughter back, but was unsuccessful. Hyman said tribal police told her she would have to bring the issue before the tribal court on Wednesday. "All I want to do is take my daughter home," Hyman said. "I don't know how she is, where she is. He just took her away." -- The Associated Press Thomas occupies a powerful position as chairman of the 850-member Mashantucket Pequot tribe. The tribe owns Foxwoods, one of the largest casinos in the world located about an hour's drive southeast of Hartford. Linda Mariani, Thomas' attorney, said the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court granted Thomas custody of his daughter in February in proceedings that began in 2004. She said courts in New York and Connecticut ruled against Hyman earlier. Mariani alleged in a written statement that Hyman, in documents submitted to the New York court, falsely said that her daughter was not the subject of action by any other court, and wrongly said the girl was not a Native American child subject to the Indian Child Welfare Act. Thomas has hired a New York attorney to try to have the family court judge's orders vacated, Mariani said. "Please be assured that all involved are working toward a parenting plan that will serve the best interests of this child," Mariani said. Joshua Katz, Hyman's lawyer, said the family court judge ruled that the couple's daughter should be released to Hyman's custody immediately and ordered the arrest warrant because Thomas did not bring the child to court Monday so that she could be returned to her mother. Katz also said the judge ruled that New York state has jurisdiction over custody of the girl. "I would hope that this poor little girl is able to come home to her mother and sister and go back to school," Katz said. The girl is supposed to attend her upcoming preschool graduation, her mother said. Hyman talked with state troopers about the issue at the Ledyard post office Tuesday. Trooper William Tate, a state police spokesman, said state police would not enforce a civil court order unless it came from a court in Connecticut. He did say authorities were trying to help resolve the dispute. Hyman appeared at Norwich Superior Court Tuesday, but was referred to tribal court, according to David Gage, deputy chief clerk. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:14 AM | Comment Today in history: A civil rights confrontation in AlabamaOn this day in 1963, Gov. George Wallace confronted federal troops at the University of Alabama in an effort to defy a federal court order to allow two black students to enroll at the school. View a video report of highlights from today in history. Read more about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Hot, but getting betterWe're in for another warm day, but not as hot as it's been. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 91 degrees. The morning clouds should give way as the day goes on and we'll have blue skies and winds from the northwest, gusting up to 21 mph. Of course, we're still nowhere near the average temperature for this time of year -- 76 degrees! Tonight should stay clear, with temperatures dropping to a pleasant 62 degrees with mild, northwest winds. Tomorrow's looking sunny, with temperatures hitting a much more reasonable 83 degrees. Keep an eye on the forecast at projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Another record highToday's Providence Journal front page features more coverage of the record-breaking heat wave that's hit Rhode Island and a report that nearly 5,000 Rhode Islanders ran out of unemployment insurance benefits in the first quarter of this year. Download a copy of the front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 10, 2008Update: Season's first heat wave nets record temp
The record for the high temperature in Providence for this day has fallen. Set in 1974, the old record was 94 degrees. At 2:16 p.m., a new record of 96 degrees was recorded, according to the National Weather Service. It also was the third day of temps 90 or greater, making it the first official heat wave of this year, according to the service. The previous heat wave was Aug. 2-4 of last year. Yesterday, the record for high temperatures for the date was also broken -- twice. By 3:05 p.m., the Providence area had tied, then broke, then broke again a record high for the date of 95 degrees, set in 1984. The second high temperature of the day hit 97 degrees. Hot-weather records were broken today across Southern New England, according to a late-afternoon summary from the National Weather Service. Don't despair. Cooler air is on the way. As of 6:25 p.m., it was down 10 degrees from the day's high, to 86. Tonight, the weather service says there's a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. A cold front should move in overnight, bringing much-needed relief. Tomorrow, the weather service forecasters write, will be "a gem of a day." Here's the forecast: Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. Northwest winds around 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the morning. Get the latest conditions and forecasts at projo.com/weather Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:27 PM | Comment R.I. Senate OKs bill increasing minimum wagePROVIDENCE -- The state Senate today approved raising Rhode Island's minimum wage, sending the bill over to the House of Repesentatives for consideration. The minimum wage would go to $7.60 an hour on Jan. 1, 2009 -- a 20-cent hourly increase over the state's current wage -- under legislation sponsored by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis, a Coventry Democrat who owns Venus Pizza in Coventry. There would be annual wage increases every January 1, linked to the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast. Annual automatic increases would be capped at 3 percent. "This measure will bring a much-needed degree of stability and continuity to the process, which is beneficial for both working Rhode Islanders and businesses in our state," Raptakis said in the statement. He added that this bill "will take the politics out of this and establish a reasonable and specific way of calculating annual increases. It will make sure the minimum wage provides buying power for workers while giving small businesses the chance to effectively regulate and budget their personnel costs.” Rhode Island has among the nation's highest minimum-wage rates in the nation, at $7.40 an hour, The Journal has reported. As of Jan. 1 just seven other states had higher minimum wages, including neighboring- Massachusetts was at $8 an hour and Connecticut at $7.65 an hour. Republican Governor Carcieri let one minimum-wage increase go into effect without his signature early in his tenure, but vetoed another. The House and Senate have wide Democratic majorities. In Connecticut last month, Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, vetoed legislation that would have raised that state’s minimum wage from $7.65 to $8 starting Jan.1, 2009, and to $8.25 starting Jan. 1, 2010, according to a news release. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:00 PM | Comment National Grid: No power failures directly tied to heatDespite record-shattering temperatures, National Grid has seen no power failures in Rhode Island today that were directly tied to the hot weather, according to a company spokesman. "We have about a half-dozen single outages scattered around the state that do not appear to be weather related," said spokesman David Graves. Graves said there had been about 1,600 customers on the Johnston-Providence line without power at 3:41 p.m., but those had been restored by evening. He said "it's difficult to say" if those were weather-related. He said a device that detects faults in the system opened, the way a circuit breaker does, and power had been temporarily down. Projected evening thunderstorms that posed some concern earlier today appeared later to be on course to dissipate over the Berkshires in Massachusetts, Graves said. ISO New England, the organization overseeing the power grid in the six New England states, projected a maximum demand of 27,020 megawatts for the region. It says it also has available an additional reserve ready if demand were to outstrip that projection. One megawatt is enough to power between 750 and 1,000 homes. The current record for actual, realized demand for this month -- not simply the projection the ISO prepares for -- was set last June 27: a peak of 26,055 megawatts, said ISO spokeswoman Erin O'Brien The all-time record for electrical use in New England was 28,130 megawatts, set in August 2006. "Each day," said O'Brien, "We create a forecast for the region's electricity use and available supplies and other sources to meet that demand. We do that by taking a look at weather patterns -- for example, what day of the week it is, is school in session, is it a holiday, and we arrive at a forecast for the region's electricity use." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:53 PM | Comment Suspect sought in alleged kidnap, assault in WarwickWARWICK -- The police are looking for a man alleged to have assaulted a woman with a knife inside a car in a Super Stop & Shop parking lot and then allegedly sexually assaulted her in Roger Williams Park in Providence. Warwick police said in a news release today that a Hispanic male with a slight mustache, 20 to 30 years old, 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-9 and weighing 150 pounds, entered the Stop & Shop at 300 Quaker Lane, at about 5:40 p.m. Sunday. The police said the suspect had dark brown hair above the ears and parted high on his left side. He had on "dirty/baggy jeans with tethered legs" and dark low-rise sneakers with white markings. Video surveillance showed him entering wearing a dark tank top, described as possibly a woman's due to thin shoulder straps, baggy work jeans and dark sneakers. He had a white T-shirt thrown over a shoulder. The police asked that anyone with information contact the Warwick police at (401) 468-4233 or Providence police at (401) 272-3121. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney The police said it's believed he went to the back of the store and into the men's room, washed up, and put on the shirt he had been carrying -- white with a Coor's Light logo on the chest. Then the man is seen in the video walking to and getting into an idling vehicle in the supermarket parking lot. He entered the driver's side and "reportedly assaults an adult female sitting in the passenger side with a long kitchen or steak knife," the statement says. The man drives the vehicle, with the passenger in it, out of the lot. He allegedly sexually assaulted her at Roger Willams Park and then fled, according to police. The woman and the vehicle were found shortly after, the police said. She was treated at Rhode Island Hospital. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:50 PM | Comment Goddard Memorial, Oakland added to closed beachesThe state Health Department closed two beaches to swimming today, and a third beach, closed June 6, remains so. Goddard Memorial Beach and Oakland Beach, both in Warwick, were closed today to swimming because of high bacteria counts. Mackerel Cove Beach, in Jamestown, was closed June 6, also due to bacteria. For updated information about swimming at Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information about call (401) 222-2751. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:43 PM | Comment Update: Check branch before seeking refuge at librariesPROVIDENCE -- Those seeking to escape the heat by heading to the Providence Publc Library should not go to three of its branches -- including one a city Emergency Management Agency recommended in a news release yesterday -- because they do not have air conditioning and are closed. The Knight Memorial branch at 275 Elmwood Ave. is not open. A news release yesterday included incorrect information on its status. The other two branches that are not open are Smith Hill, at 31 Candace St., and Washington Park, at 1380 Broad St. According to the Providence Public Library, the air-conditioned branches that are open today -- along with the correct hours of operation -- are: * Rochambeau, 708 Hope St. (9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) * Mt. Pleasant, 315 Academy Ave. (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.) * Providence central branch, 150 Empire St. (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) * Olneyville branch, 1 Olneyville Square (9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). * Fox Point branch, 90 Ives Street (1 p.m. to 8 p.m.) * Wanskuck branch, 233 Veazie St., (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.) * South Providence branch, 441 Prairie Ave., (1 p.m. to 8 p.m.) -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:27 PM | Comment Woman testifies that Entwistle was loving fatherWOBURN, Mass. -- A "welcoming lady" for the town of Hopkinton, Mass., recalls the British man accused of killing his wife and baby girl as a loving, attentive father who "absolutely beamed" every time he looked as his daughter. Pamela Jackson testified today in the trial of Neil Entwistle, who is accused of fatally shooting his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, at their Hopkinton home in January 2006. Jackson's testimony brought Neil Entwistle's mother, Yvonne, to tears. She was led out of the courtroom by Entwistle's father, Clifford. Jackson welcomes new people into the town and said she visited the Entwistles five days before the killings. She said Neil Entwistle asked about town activities for his wife and daughter and seemed devoted to both. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:30 PM | Comment Too many turn out for RIPTA's free beach bus / VideoPROVIDENCE -- The heat, all 93 degrees of it, is on -- and so were the masses of people in Providence trying to get on free RIPTA buses to the beach. Supervisors in Kennedy Plaza this morning were telling would-be riders that buses were more than full, and asking them to step off because they could not drive buses with so many people aboard. Some passengers at one point refused to get off an overcrowded bus. RIPTA staff were "having a hard time today because the weather is really bad," RIPTA spokeswoman Karen Mensel said. If "there's too many people -- it's a safety issue," she said. All buses and trolleys that can be in use are, Mensel said. But buses that need repairs to such things as air conditioning are not. Adhering to a vehicle's capacity is important, she said. The free rides exclude special services such as the Providence to Newport ferry. There are other ways to stay cool today as well in the city. The Providence Emergency Management Agency has opened an emergency shelter at the Da Vinci Center, 401 Charles Street, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Providence Community Action announced today that the Elmwood Community Center at 155 Niagara St. will be open as a cooling center for seniors residing in the Elmwood and Washington Park Neighborhoods. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow. Providence city officials have encouraged residents to visit one of the following Providence Public Library branches anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.: -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal photographer Bill Murphy * Rochambeau, 708 Hope St. * Mt. Pleasant, 315 Academy Ave. * Central Library Branch, 150 Empire St. * Fox Point, 90 Ives St. * Olneyville, 1 Olneyville Square Providence Mayor David Cicilline's senior services office has "reached out to all of the city’s high rises and senior centers" to offer help and to encourage those living in units without air conditioners to go to community rooms, according to a news release yesterday. The senior services office will also start distributing fans to seniors in need today, the release stated. CORRECTION: Knight Memorial, 275 Elmwood Ave., is not one of the air-conditioned libraries available. It has been closed to the public today. Also closed today due to the heat are Smith Hill Branch Library, 31 Candace Street; and Washington Park Branch,1380 Broad Street. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:10 PM | Comment Restaurants pull tomatoes; FDA investigates salmonellaMcDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell are among the restaurants and supermarkets that have pulled certain types of raw tomatoes from their menus while federal officials hunt for the source of a 17-state salmonella outbreak. The outbreak has been linked to certain red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that since mid-April, 167 people infected with salmonella with the same "genetic fingerprint" have been identified. At least 23 people have been hospitalized. The Food and Drug Administration is recommending that consumers not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless the tomatoes were grown in certain states or countries. The FDA says red Roma, red plum and round red tomatoes grown in the following states or countries were not associated with the outbreak: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands and Puerto Rico. If unsure of where tomatoes are grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomatoes were bought. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home are not associated with the outbreak. More information, including an updated list of safe tomatoes, from the FDA's Web site. Read the AP's national story: Tomatoes pulled off shelves amid salmonella scare. -- With staff and Associated Press reports Salmonellosis is caused by the Salmonella bacteria and can be fatal in the most severe cases. It can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days and typically clears up on its own. But in infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, the illness –– particularly severe diarrhea –– can require hospitalization. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:35 AM | Comment Heat sending Providence students home early, tooAdd Providence to the list of cities and towns closing early because of the record heat. Schools in Providence will close an hour early today and afternoon kindergarten has been cancelled. The temperature in the Providence area is expected to reach 96 degrees, breaking the record of 94 degrees set in 1974. Some 23 public school systems and private schools in Rhode Island are closing early today because of the heat and humidity. Cranston canceled school. Some schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts are also closing early. The Providence School Department issued an advisory yesterday, saying it had scheduled classes as usual today, but was keeping a close watch on the students and would provide them with water bottles to keep them hydrated. Check a list for other early closings. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:56 AM | Comment Local TV company signs retransmission agreementProvidence-based LIN TV Corp., owner of WPRI-Channel 12, has signed an agreement with DIRECTTV Inc. for the retransmission of LIN's broadcast stations signal by the satellite television provider. Terms were not disclosed. LIN TV operates 29 television stations in 17 U.S. markets. -- Journal Business editor John Kostrzewa Posted by Jack Perry at 10:05 AM | Comment Photo: Cool spray on a hot day
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:48 AM | Comment Today in history: Claus von Bulow acquitted
The year before, he had been found guilty of the charges against him in a high-profile trial in Newport. When the case came back a second time, to Providence, The Journal's Alan Rosenberg, now our South County regional editor, was the newspaper's lead reporter. Last year, he wrote a column recalling those days, when the court appearances of von Bulow were covered like he was visiting royalty -- or Paris Hilton. A few months later, he followed up on the whereabouts of Sunny von Bulow. Today, she's in a nursing home somewhere in New York City, according to various online sources, Rosenberg says. Read more about other events in history today. Watch a video of highlights from today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment More record heat likely, ozone alertThe Providence area should push another record high temperature today before the region feels some relief tomorrow. The mercury should climb to 96 degrees, and that would break the record for the date of 94 degrees set in 1974, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton. Yesterday, the temperatures hit 97 degrees, breaking the record for the date of 95 degrees in 1984. The state Department of Environmental Management has issued an air quality alert, meaning that ground level ozone concentrations could exceed unhealthy levels. All Rhode Island Public Transit Authority routes, except for special services, are free today because of the high ozone levels. After the worst of the heat and humidity today, a cold front should bring some relief tomorrow. Still, tomorrow's high should reach 88 degrees. Cooler conditions should move in later this week. The record heat has prompted some schools to cancel classes today or call off school early. Check the list.
Scattered showers should move in late tonight and the temperature should fall to about 65 degrees. For more weather, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of the record heat in Rhode Island and its impact on area schools. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 9, 2008Tonight: Play it cool by staying cool / Photo
So it's probably best to play it cool tonight by staying cool. It's been a day of record-breaking temperatures. More unseasonally high heat is in tomorrow's forecast. Tomorrow is expected to be sunny with a high near 95 degrees. But the today's northwesterly winds will swing around to the southwest. And heat index values could make it feel as high as 101, according to the National Weather Service. Seek refuge in air-conditioning, if you can, before a cold front begins to move in later this week. Tomorrow night there is a chance of scattered thunderstorms, largely between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. Wednesday. For those who do plan to venture out tonight, check projo.com's club listings. Sorry, you'll have to call ahead to find out about that air conditioning. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment Update: No Regents' vote on new superintendent neededPROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Education has determined that prospective superintendent Thomas M. Brady is eligible to receive a superintendent’s certificate, according to a spokesman for the education commissioner. Today, the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education was supposed to vote on whether to grant Brady a waiver from the certificate, but Commissioner Peter McWalters told the board that no action was necessary because Brady apparently has the credentials to satisfy the state regulations. The state educators’ certification office has yet to approve Brady’s request for certification, but education department spokesman Elliot Krieger said he expects that the board will act quickly since Brady is scheduled to arrive here in mid-July. “The Regents don’t have to do anything,” Krieger said today. “The certification office has to review the waiver. Brady does seem to meet the qualifications.” Brady, who is interim superintendent of the Philadelphia school district, has a non-traditional resume. After a 25-year career in the Army, Brady was appointed chief executive officer of the Fairfax, Va., school district. In 2004, he enrolled in the Broad Center, a nationally recognized program that trains military and private CEOs to become urban school leaders. The state Department of Education apparently considers the one-year Broad program as roughly equivalent to a graduate degree in education. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg The state certification office is also giving Brady credit for teaching at the college level, although the certificate calls for teaching in a public school. Brady also has extensive management experience, both in the military and in urban education. Brady was appointed superintendent here in March a week after Supt. Donnie Evans announced that he would step down in September. The Regents postponed acting on the waiver last week because the certification office hadn’t had the opportunity to review Brady’s credentials. A special regents’ meeting was convened today to revisit the request, which came from Mayor David N. Cicilline. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:27 PM | Comment Rhode Islanders injured in 2-vehicle crash on I-495HOPKINTON, Mass. -- A Rhode Island woman driving south on Interstate 495 in Massachusetts lost control of her Honda minivan, struck a second vehicle and rolled over. Three children and two women were injured. State police say 37-year-old Ana Rosario, 65-year-old Alida Cruz-Valdez, both of Providence, and a child who was ejected from the vehicle were flown by helicopter to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester after the crash about 7:30 a.m. Monday. The two other children were taken by ambulance to Milford Hospital. The two girls and a boy suffered serious injuries. Trooper Thomas Murphy says the accident is under investigation. The highway was shut down temporarily, causing long traffic backups, but was cleared about three hours later. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:34 PM | Comment Providence opens shelter, distributes water, fansPROVIDENCE -- Providence's Emergency Management Agency has opened an emergency shelter at the Da Vinci Center, 401 Charles St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow and, according to the news release from the mayor's office, is making arrangements to open more "cooling shelters" in the city. Also, along with safety precautions in the schools tomorrow due to expected oppressive hot weather, city officials said Providence is in the process of distributing 1,800 bottles of water in Kennedy Plaza, to recreation centers, and to other parts of the city. The water will be distributed using the city's police department cruisers. The city EMA has reached out to the Providence Public Library and senior centers, which it said are prepared for extra visitors. Officials encouraged residents to visit one of the following library branches anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.: * Rochambeau, 708 Hope St. * Mt. Pleasant, 315 Academy Ave. * Knight Memorial, 275 Elmwood Ave. * Central Library Branch, 150 Empire St. * Fox Point, 90 Ives St. * Olneyville, 1 Olneyville Square The senior services office will also start distributing fans to seniors in need tomorrow, the news release said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:16 PM | Comment Mammoth hospital merger application filing takes daysBoxes of documents standing 30 feet high thumped into the Office of the Attorney General on Friday, as Lifespan and Care New England began filing their long-awaited application to merge into a seven-hospital conglomerate. A similar set of documents -- 50,000 pages, assembled in three-ring binders, packed into 30 boxes -- also landed at the state Department of Health. And, by the end of business today, it still wasn’t over. As befitting a plan expected to transform the state’s health-care system, the application is so mammoth that the mere process of filing it is taking days. Both paper and electronic versions are being sent. “It will take a few days for the application to be fully filed and the regulatory process to begin,” said Jane Bruno, Lifespan spokeswoman. The paper version arrived Friday but there were technical issues with the electronic version, Bruno said. “We’re not saying we’ve officially received an application,” said Andrea Bagnall Degos, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, acknowledging only the receipt of paper documents. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Michael J. Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, said that officials are checking to see that both agencies have identical material. They’re also sorting out some legal technicalities and devising an index system so that the two agencies can study the electronic application simultaneously without duplicating efforts or missing anything, Healey said. Once Lynch and Health Director David R. Gifford accept the application, they have 30 days to decide whether it is complete. The Health Department will have five staffers plus a lawyer review the application, although they won’t be working on it full-time, Bagnall Degos said. Lynch has expects at least five lawyers, along with several senior paralegals, to review the application. Lifespan did not have pay an application fee. But Healey said that the work would not incur new costs for taxpayers because the legal staffers do not get paid overtime and will work on the merger application in addition to their other duties. “It’s just something we’ve got to do,” he said. Lifespan and Care New England announced plans to merge in July, with the “goal” of completing the application within a month or two. But the process turned out to be more complicated than hospital officials expected. It took until December for the state to draw up the application form. Also, Bruno said, Lifespan originally thought it would need only to file applications for the three Care New England hospitals; instead, the state agencies required complete documentation from each of the seven hospitals, plus the two parent companies -- three times more than expected. If the application is approved, the new Lifespan will encompass the four hospitals that now comprise Lifespan -- Rhode Island, Miriam, Newport and Bradley -- plus the three Care New England hospitals -- Women & Infants, Butler and Kent. Together the new organization would control about 70 percent of hospital services in the state. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:14 PM | Comment Heat wave reduces electricity surplus in New EnglandHOLYOKE, Mass. -- The heat wave has sharply reduced a surplus of electricity in New England as people use more energy to cool down. The operator of New England's power grid reported high electricity demand and a tight supply today, with expectations of a slightly tighter supply on Tuesday in the six-state region. Holyoke-based ISO New England Inc. expects to have adequate system capacity including a required power reserve on Tuesday, but the surplus will be much smaller than usual. The company projects energy use to peak at about 27,000 megawatts tomorrow, up from nearly 26,000 on Monday. As temperatures cool, the surplus is expected to grow beginning Wednesday. The region's all time peak power use was set Aug. 2, 2006, at 28,130 megawatts. In a May release of reliability assessment findings, which gauge how well the region’s power grids are prepared for hot weather, the Northeast Power Coordinating Council predicted the Northeast will have "sufficient" electricity this summer, even under extremely hot and humid conditions. The only situation in which the electricity supply may be overtaxed is the combination of extreme weather conditions, such as a prolonged heat wave with high humidity, along with "severe resource unavailability," or the outage of several power plants in the region, the NPCC said. Under those circumstances, the New England and New York power grids might need to implement procedures that cut demand, such as asking people to conserve electricity. "This scenario is unlikely to occur," the council said. The Northeast Power Coordinating Council, which works to improve the reliability of the power grid in seven states and parts of Canada. -- With reports from The Associated Press and Providence Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment DOT wins award for 'innovative' delivery of Iway bridgePROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Transportation’s dramatic delivery of the new Providence River Bridge by barge in August 2006 after a dozen-mile trip up the Bay has won the agency an award for innovation from a group representing transportation officials. The arch bridge is now the most prominent part of the agency’s biggest project, the relocation of a section of Route 195 and its interchange with Route 95. The award for innovative management, from the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials, also puts the DOT in the running for a national award from the organization’s parent, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. That organization represents transportation officials in all 50 states and is a source for construction standards and other technical services. The region the DOT won in includes the six New England States, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. “The Department is extremely proud of the Iway project and this recognition,” DOT Director Michael Lewis said. He said that building the bridge elsewhere and floating it to Providence "was the safest, most efficient means of constructing it. It was a great feat of engineering.” Lewis became head of the department in March after managing a much bigger bit of engineering: Boston’s Big Dig. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis The conventional way to build a bridge is to assemble it in place, piece by piece. That is how the rest of the new bridge, much less complicated than the arch section, was built. But building a bridge in place is challenging because most of the work has to be done from barges. The Providence River Bridge’s design, meanwhile, yielded a single unit that could be picked up and moved intact. Cardi Corp., the general contractor, chose to build at Pier 2 at Quonset Point/Davisville -- a large, flat, stable area that would support the bridge during assembly and allow Cardi maneuver its cranes and other equipment around it. The mover, Dutch-based Mammoet Corp, specializes in moving extremely large and heavy objects like offshore oil-drilling rigs. It jacked the bridge up 30 feet, so it would fit over the bridge’s concrete piers when it arrived, and used self-propelled transporters to move it onto two 300-foot barges. Spectators watched from both sides of the Bay during an uneventful trip to Providence on the morning of Aug. 27. Designed by William D. Warner architects and engineered by Maguire Associates, the bridge is unusual in the United States. Called a network arch, its deck is supported by cables hung diagonally from the steel arches. According to the DOT, it’s also unique in having three arches rather than two. The competition has three categories: "On Time," "On Budget," and "Innovative Management." The latter, where the DOT was successful, “recognizes new policies or procedures and creative transportation solutions that enhance the effective movement of people, goods and services; increase transportation efficiency and choices; improve safety, accessibility and aid traffic management; and enhance community life.” If the DOT wins nationally, it could also be good news for the University of Rhode Island. A "substantial" monetary award goes to the winning state Department of Transportation to donate to a university to assist a student pursuing a graduate degree in transportation, and the DOT maintains close ties with URI’s civil engineers. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:32 PM | Comment Update: Excessive heat watch canceledThe National Weather Service late today announced that an excessive heat watch for the region has been canceled. "Important but lesser heat advisory conditions are expected Tuesday afternoon but excessive heat warning conditions are not likely," according to a news release. So the watch for the "more dangerous excessive heat conditions Get the latest on area conditions, forecasts and more at: projo.com/weather Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:22 PM | Comment Update: Heat wave putting pressure on area schoolsAs the region faces unusually high temperatures for this early in the season -- and before schools are out -- at least one Rhode Island school system closed schools early today, while others are mulling what they should do tomorrow. Predictions of poor air quality, high humidity and temperatures in the mid-90s prompted the cancellation of afternoon classes in Pawtucket public schools today, with students scheduled to be dismissed right after lunch, School Supt. Hans W. Dellith said. Dellith declined to give exact dismissal times, saying he was “too busy” to talk to a reporter. Just when students are sent home will vary, he said, from school to school. Scituate schools cancelled activities today, while others without air conditioning are deciding what to do tomorrow. By 3:05 p.m., the Providence area had tied, then broke, then broke again a record high for the date of 95 degrees, set in 1984 The second high temperature of the day hit 97 degrees. While dozens of schools in Connecticut sent students home early, Providence decided to keep schools open. The School Department issued a statement this afternoon, saying the schools were taking "necessary steps" to ensure students are safe and that it plans to keep schools open tomorrow, too. The Providence School Department said it was keeping students inside and is giving them bottled water to keep them hydrated. The school department said it would "monitor the needs of students" on buses this afternoon and that emergency personnel would distribute bottled water when it's necessary. It also advised parents to dress their children in light, loose-fitting clothes, to limit physical activity and keep them in air-conditioning when possible. Parents with questions can call the Parent Call Center at 456-0686. Classes will be dismissed early tomorrow in the Bristol-Warren public school districts and in Seekonk, Mass., due to the forecasted excessive heat. “It’s unbearable in the buildings,” Seekonk schools Supt. Emile Chevrette said this afternoon of his school system, where only a handful of classrooms have air conditioning. “It’s very difficult for learning to take place in these conditions. It’s best to take precautions.” North Providence Public Schools say they will dismiss classes tomorrow after lunch. Tiverton public schools also say they will dismiss classes early. Keep up with notices of closings and dismissals via this service provided by the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association. Read tips from the state Department of Health for protecting yourself from hot weather. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci, Meaghan Wims and The Associated Press reports In Pawtucket, the Department of Public Works, which has many employees who work outside, no one was being sent home early, but outdoor activities were being cut back and monitored, DPW Director John E. Carney said. Workers in DPW’s sanitation division started early, at 6 a.m., instead of 7 a.m., Carney said, so they could finish their trash collection routes before the humidity became oppressive and the heat became intense. Over in Seekonk, Mass., those lucky enough to have the day off were cooling off. The Seekonk Swimming & Tennis Club, on Davis Street, has been busy all weekend. On Sunday, says manager Kim Pellerin, “It was flying.” Today during school hours, “a lot of moms and little kids” were enjoying the club’s 170,000-gallon main pool and baby pool, with water temperatures at about 76 degrees. Pellerin said she expected many Pawtucket kids would soon arrive at the club for a dip with school dismissing early. Those looking to cool off at Rhode Island beaches should know that two beaches -- Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick and Mackerel Cove Beach in Jamestown -- are closed because of high bacteria counts. Posted by Jack Perry at 4:10 PM | Comment Firefighters at Elmwood residence fire in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Crews are at the scene of a fire at a residence in the area of Elmwood Avenue and Sawyer Street this afternoon, fire dispatch reports. More information is not yet available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment Update: At 97 degrees, heat breaks R.I. record by 2The Providence area sweated and sweltered on its way to a new record for this day, with temperatures hitting 97 degrees. The previous record of 95 degrees was set in 1984, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick hit the 97-degree mark at 3:03 p.m. The area had hit the 96-degree mark as of 2:02 p.m., and tied the old record of 95 degrees as of 1:01 p.m. The hot weather is driving Rhode Island to seek relief at the shore and so far has closed schools in Pawtucket. Get the latest temperatures for Providence and other places around Rhode Island at projo.com/weather. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Your turn: Does the heat wave lift you to poetic heights? Post your hot-weather haiku Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment State board OK's Brady to serve as Prov. schools chiefThe state Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education has approved a special exception for Thomas M. Brady, selected as the new Providence schools superintendent, to take the position without having a doctoral degree. Brady, who has been interim superintendent of the Philadelphia school district, meets most state requirements, except for not having attending a formal graduate program in education and not teaching in a public school. Mayor David R. Cicilline sought a waiver from the Board of Regents on the grounds that Brady has significant experience -- some 25 years of military service and his decade-long career in top management positions in large urban public schools. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:42 PM | Comment Father-in-law testifies in Entwistle double murder trialWOBURN, Mass. -- A British man accused of fatally shooting his wife and baby daughter asked if they could be buried together because “that’s the way I left them,” his father-in-law testified today. Neil Entwistle is charged in the January 2006 killings of his wife, Rachel, 27, and their daughter, Lillian Rose, 9 months, in their rented Hopkinton, Mass., home. Prosecutors allege Entwistle was in debt and dissatisfied with his sex life when he shot his family, then bought a one-way airline ticket home to England. Rachel Entwistle’s stepfather, Joseph Matterazzo, testified that Neil Entwistle called him from his parents’ home in Worksop, England, several times in the days after the killings. “He asked me if Rachel and Lilly could be buried together,” Matterazzo said. “He says, ’because that’s the way I left them, I mean, that’s the way I found them,’ “ Matterazzo recalled Entwistle saying. When Assistant District Attorney Michael Fabbri asked Matterazzo if he was certain of what Entwistle said, Matterazzo replied emphatically, “That’s exactly what he said.” -- The Associated Press Entwistle told the police he returned him from doing errands on Jan. 20, 2006, and found his wife and daughter lying together in bed, dead from gunshot wounds. He said he pulled a heavy comforter over them, and returned to England distraught, without calling the police. Prosecutors say searches of Entwistle’s computer records from the months before the killings showed he had looked online for escort services, and had researched methods of murder and suicide. Matterazzo said Entwistle called him from England the day after Hopkinton police found the bodies and in a “whimpering” voice told him that he had discovered his wife and daughter fatally shot in their bed three days earlier. “He said, ’Hi, Joe. I don’t know how things got like this,’ “ Matterazzo recalled Entwistle saying. “I asked him, ’Neil, did you do this or do you know who did this?’ “ Matterazzo said. “He said, ’No, I do not.’” Matterazzo said Entwistle also told him that there were many reporters at his parents’ house in England and “that he was concerned that everybody was pointing the finger at him.” Matterazzo also testified about taking Entwistle target shooting with him twice during the fall of 2005. During the first outing, he said he showed Entwistle how to load and fire several guns, including the .22-caliber revolver authorities say Entwistle used to kill his wife and daughter. During one of the phone calls Entwistle made from England, he talked about the guns, Matterazzo said. “He mentioned a couple of times about the fact that he knew I had guns in the house,” Matterazzo said. “I asked him, ’Why do you care that I had guns in the house?’ " The prosecutor asked Matterazzo what Entwistle’s response was. “Nothing,” he said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:40 PM | Comment State considers whether it's ready if a hurricane hitsIs Rhode Island ready for a hurricane? This morning, federal, state and local officials involved in public safety, business, and the public sector met at the Radisson in Warwick for the annual hurricane conference hosted by the state Emergency Management Agency. Hurricane season officially began on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, though for Rhode Island, the worst hurricanes have struck in August and September. The speakers discussed the state’s progress in training enough volunteers to staff Red Cross shelters, as well as launching shelters for the pets who’d otherwise be stranded in a storm. The state is building relationships with the business community, and some corporations have signed up with the Red Cross to train their own employees as shelter volunteers to be dispatched in a statewide emergency. The senior operations manager for Wal-Mart Stores’ emergency management department talked about how the corporate giant established its own methods for responding to a disaster –– getting its stores re-opened and serving communities devastated by a natural or man-made disaster. On the horizon is one more tool that will affect how Rhode Island responds to a major crisis. Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray said he wants to have the state emergency operations center open 24-hours a day by October. Bray, who is the director of the state EMA and adjutant general of the Rhode Island National Guard, said the National Guard Bureau is initiating this 24-7 push in all of the states, and that some are already working collaboratively with the National Guard. The federal funding from the National Guard would mean putting Guardsmen in the state Emergency Operations Center. How it will work, and how it will be funded, are still questions to be answered. -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Posted by Jack Perry at 1:55 PM | Comment Photos: Beating the heat at Lincoln's Olney Pond
Looking to cool off with a dip today? Check our guide to state beaches, the state's Beach Monitoring program and coastal water temperatures before you go. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:47 PM | Comment Update: Sen. Kennedy returns home to Cape / Photo
BOSTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said it was "good to be home" after flying back to Massachusetts on Monday, one week after undergoing an aggressive and delicate surgery to treat a cancerous brain tumor. Kennedy left the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., on Monday morning and arrived at his family's compound in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod just before noon. Kennedy, who was wearing a hat, told reporters waiting outside his home it was "good to be home, good to be here." When asked how he was feeling, he said, "Glad to be home, I'll tell ya." His son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, is doing well after the surgery. "It went better than anyone expected," Kennedy said last night at the Rhode Island Democratic State Convention. Sen. Kennedy's office released a statement today, saying the senator's "doctors are pleased with his progress since surgery a week ago, and he will continue to recuperate at home before starting the next phase of his treatment. He is thankful for the extraordinary care of the doctors and nurses at Duke, and also for the continued prayers and well wishes from the people of Massachusetts and all over the country." Patrick Kennedy said his father is now looking ahead to working with Sen. Barack Obama, whom the Rhode Island Democratic Party yesterday endorsed unanimously for president. "I know he's planning for the future," Patrick Kennedy said of his father, "and being chairman of the committee that will consider the health-care legislation when Obama is president." Sen. Kennedy has worked for universal health care since his election to the senate in 1962. His recent illness, according to Patrick Kennedy, has added urgency to the potential legislation. He really wants to make sure that he's ready to go," Patrick Kennedy said about his father, "so that he can make health care available to everyone else who needs it." -- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay and the Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:43 PM | Comment Firefighters called to fire in PawtucketPAWTUCKET -- Firefighters are responding to a fire at 210 Harrison St., according to fire dispatch. No other details were available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:50 AM | Comment Salmonella found in plum, roma and round tomatoesThe thought of a ripe, red tomato may sound pretty good right now, but choose carefully. The Food and Drug Administration has expanded a warning that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to certain red plum, red roma and red round tomatoes. The warning does not apply to cherry or grape tomatoes, or to tomatoes still attached to the vine. Since mid-April, nearly 150 cases of salmonella Saintpaul –– including 23 hospitalizations –– have been reported in states including Connecticut. According to a statement from the FDA, tomatoes from the following places have not been associated with the outbreak: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico. Find the updated list of safe tomatoes on the FDA’s Web site. Salmonellosis is caused by the Salmonella bacteria and can be fatal in the most severe cases. It can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days and typically clears up on its own. But in infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, the illness –– particularly severe diarrhea –– can require hospitalization. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:41 AM | Comment State budget could get committee vote WednesdayPROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee has marked a major juncture in this year’s waning legislative session by posting notice that it may unveil -- and vote -- on Wednesday on an as yet unseen version of the new state budget for the year that begins on July 1. The meeting has been posted for 1 p.m. Wednesday on the bill officially known as “H7390.’’ As State House veterans know, the meeting may be postponed for hours, days, and longer than that if the House, the Senate and in some years, the governor’s office are unable to reach agreements as happened with the mid-year budget repair bill that was posted and postponed numerous times before it finally cleared the House Finance Committee earlier this spring. But when asked the likelihood House Finance will vote on the big 2008-09 money bill on Wednesday, House spokesman Larry Berman earlier today said: ‘’They are likely to do the budget on Wednesday, but it is always subject to any last minute change in scheduling.’’ The bill in its current state reflects what Republican Governor Carcieri proposed early this winter. Since then revenue estimates have dropped, and the potential deficit next year has swelled to $425 million by one estimate, though the governor and others believe it may be higher. To plug a hole like that, lawmakers have had to at least consider program cuts that would go well beyond what Carcieri proposed, with organized labor -- and some impassioned community activitists -- urging more dramatic steps ranging from tax hikes, to the reversal or postponement of income tax cuts for the state’s wealthiest citizens, to sale of the state Lottery. But in an interview last week, House Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino said he has "major issues" with using bonds or selling the state’s bridges or lottery to help close the gap, but left the door open for limited "one-time fixes." "One-shot deals for one-time expenditures aren’t necessarily a bad thing," he said, while refusing to explain what one-time revenue sources he would support. -- Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:26 AM | Comment Entwistle jury hears testimony from target shooterWOBURN, Mass. -- The trial of a British man accused in the fatal shootings of his wife and baby daughter is continuing with testimony from a man who went target shooting with the defendant. Neil Entwistle is charged with killing his wife, 27-year-old Rachel Entwistle, and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in their Hopkinton home. Today Entwistle's defense attorneys cross-examined Rachel Entwistle's uncle, Lloyd Cooke. Cooke testified Friday that he and Rachel Entwistle's stepfather, Joe Matterazzo, went target shooting with Neil Entwistle twice in the months before the killings. Prosecutors claim Entwistle took Matterazzo's .22-caliber handgun out of a locked gun case to kill his wife and daughter, then drove from Hopkinton to the Matterazzo home in Carver to return it. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:16 AM | Comment Gas increases six cents, up for 11th straight weekThe average price of gasoline has increased for the 11th straight week, hitting $4.079 per gallon for regular, unleaded at self-service pumps in Rhode Island, according to AAA Southern New England's most recent survey. That's six cents more than last week. Nationally, the average price hit $4 per gallon this weekend for the first time ever. Rhode Island drivers are now paying $1.07 more per gallon for gasoline than they were at this time last year, according to AAA's most recent survey. Find the most up-to-date local gas prices with the AAA Fuel Finder by logging onto AAA.com and clicking on Gas Saving Tips & Tools. AAA members can also obtain a copy of the Gas Watcher’s Guide at their local AAA Southern New England office. Here's AAA's fuel saving tip of the week: Use the air conditioner conservatively. Most air conditioners have an “economy” or “recirculation” setting that reduces the amount of hot outside air that must be chilled. Both settings can reduce the air-conditioning load – and save gas. Here are some links that could help you save: AAA daily fuel gauge report for Providence metro area
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:23 AM | Comment Bill Cosby, ex-inmate celebrate education at ACI/ Photo
CRANSTON -- Comedian and education advocate Bill Cosby today joined a former inmate, who's heading to Yale Law School, to speak about something that's important to them both -- education. Wearing a Community College of Rhode Island t-shirt, white sweatpants and his trademark dark shades, Cosby told a group of more than 200 inmates at an education recognition ceremony, that the world would be better with them in it. “Responsibility is what it’s about,” he said in an earnest and at times funny speech. “You can’t go back and let people wait on you. If you want more, you have to give more you have to believe in you. You have to get up. Get up.” Cosby’s speech followed one by Andres Idarraga, a convicted cocaine dealer who began his college career while he was in jail through a joint CCRI/Department of Corrections education program. Idarraga, who begins Yale Law School in the fall, spoke today to three inmates who had earned Associate Degrees through the program, and more than 200 who earned high school equivalency or other education certificates while at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. Cosby, who has a home in Massachusetts, came to the ACI at his own expense after an invitation, said ACI spokeswoman Tracey Poole. “He’s here because of his personal mission to speak about education,” she said. Cosby told the group that in their lives, they could have bursts of achievement and success that would overshadow the mistakes they’d made in the past. But it was up to them. “You did wrong, you got busted,” he said. “But are you still dumb?” --projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:00 AM | Comment Walk, bike, but don't get in the Woonasquatucket RiverSometimes heat makes us do irrational things. With temperatures expected to hit the mid 90s, and a heat index shooting past 100 degrees, any body of water might start to look tempting. But the Environmental Protection Agency is reminding people –– especially residents of North Providence, Johnston and Providence –– to steer clear of the Woonasquatucket River, which has sediment that’s contaminated with dioxins. Of course, it's still a beautiful river in places, and local groups have been working with the EPA to clean contaminated areas and make the river and its banks a pleasant place to be. So walk, run or bike along the river's edge. Even take a canoe or kayak on the river, but be sure to wash thoroughly after any contact with the water or sediment. And here are some more tips for safely enjoying the river: Don’t eat fish, turtles, eels or other wildlife or plants from the Woonasquatucket River. For more information, see information from the EPA about the Woonasquatucket River. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:54 AM | Comment Providence crew visits Providence city todayProvidence, the city, will host crew of Providence, the submarine, today. The crew of the USS Providence, a Los Angeles-class sub, is slated to visit for one day. The reason? To "renew and further strengthen the bond of friendship between Providence sailors and the residents of its namesake city," according to a news release. Scheduled are a “U.S.S. Providence Day” proclamation from the mayor's office, crew member visits to St. Joseph Living Center and Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, a speaking engagement with the Providence Rotary Club, a Navy League reception and a Pawtucket Red Sox ball game. “We’ve enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with the city of Providence,” Michael Holland, the U.S.S. Providence's commander, said in the statement. “USS Providence Day gives us the opportunity to show our appreciation to the city that has supported us for more than 20 years.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:03 AM | Comment R.I. National Guard unit returns todayMembers of the Rhode Island Air National Guard are set to return to the Ocean State this morning after a 6-month deployment in Saudi Arabia. The 25 members of the 143rd Airlift Wing’s 143 Security Forces Squadron are set to arrive at Quonset Point Air National guard Base at 11 a.m. today. The unit was deployed in December and worked on airbase ground defense and law enforcement for a housing area for U.S. forces in the Riyadh area. The 143rd Squadron was the first National Guard unit in Rhode Island to deploy after the attacks of Sept. 11, leaving for command headquarters in Florida by Sept. 16. Since then they have been continuously deployed, serving in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Guantanamo Bay. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:12 AM | Comment Update: The heat is on, record could fall/ Photo
OK, the mercury isn't supposed to really climb that high, it's actually set to reach the mid-to-upper 90s, potentially breaking the 1984 record of 95 degrees. And the National Weather Service is forecasting the heat index could climb well past 100 degrees today. And with that heat comes alerts and hazardous weather watches. The Department of Environmental Management has issued an air quality alert, warning of potentially dangerous levels of ozone, which is created when smog is heated near the earth's surface. Ozone can cause respiratory problems, especially in children and the elderly. This alert means public transportation will be free -- which is a win-win since not only does that mean you can stay out of the heat, it may also keep some cars off the road, limiting emissions that contribute to ozone creation. NWS has also issued a general excessive heat watch. High temperatures and humidity can lead to health problems aside from respiratory -- among them heat stroke. People suffer heat stroke when their bodies become unable to regulate temperature; humidity keeps sweat from evaporating, and the body can't cool down. Heat stroke can be fatal. The National Weather Service recommends staying out of the sun and drinking lots of water -- no alcohol! -- and finding an air conditioned place to rest. Besides the heat, there's a slight chance of thunderstorms later this afternoon, and a south wind 5 to 10 mph. There's also a chance of showers tonight, otherwise we'll have cloudy skies and a low temperature hitting about 71 degrees. Another chance of showers tomorrow afternoon. We may see high winds and lots of lightening. And the temperature? It's set to hit 98 degrees -- without the heat index. Keep an eye on the heat at projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:08 AM | Comment Working on the Providence waterfrontCan Providence do more with its waterfront? Some people think so. In an opinion piece in Friday's Journal, Mayor David N. Cicilline shared some of his ideas for a mixed-use neighborhood on the waterfront along Allens Avenue. Beginning today, residents will have the chance to add their opinions at the first of a series of forums titled “Providence Tomorrow.” The forums will begin this morning with presentations on regulations, the environment, and the current practices at the port. Tomorrow will bring presentations by city planners from Portland, Maine, and Baltimore. They’ll discuss ways to revive commercial waterfront land for mixed uses. And there will be small group discussions, which will continue Wednesday. Thursday night, Cicilline and the City Council will do a final presentation –– the results of which will help guide the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Cicilline said in a statement. For more information, call the city’s Department of Planning and Development: (401) 351-4300 or download a .PDF copy of the full schedule. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:55 AM | Comment 1 dies, 4 injured when lightning strikes Conn. beachMADISON, Conn. -- A state official says one person has died and four remain hospitalized after lightning struck a pavilion at Hammonasset Beach State Park. Dennis Schain of the Department of Environmental Protection says the lightning struck shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday near the West Beach parking area. The names of the victims have not been released. Schain says the person who died was brought to the Shoreline Clinic in Essex. No other details are available. Hammonasset is Connecticut's largest shoreline park, with more than 2 miles of beach along Long Island Sound. Strong thunderstorms moved through the state on Sunday afternoon. Connecticut Light & Power says nearly 26,000 of its customers in the state are without power. Video: See footage from the scene. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:46 AM | Comment Today in history: Author Dickens diedOn this day in 1870, author Charles Dickens died at the age of 58. Check out more from today in history. View a video report on today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about Andres Idarraga, a former inmate at the ACI who went on to graduate from Brown University and has been accepted to the nation's top law school at Yale University. Download today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 6, 2008There are 67 high school commencements this weekendIt's high season once again for high school graduations. Between today and the end of the weekend, 67 of the area's 88 high schools will grant diplomas to some 11,000 students. Not sure where or when your soon-to-be grad will be walking? On Sunday, we'll have a story on the Class of 2008 valedictorians. For a sneak peak, here's a short video. And for more on high school graduations, keep checking projo.com Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:23 PM | Comment 3 Red Sox players suspended for their roles in fightBOSTON -- Coco Crisp was suspended for seven games, Jon Lester for five games and Sean Casey for three games for their roles in Thursday night's on-field fight between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox were informed of the penalties earlier this hour. For more details, see projo.com's Red Sox page. -- Sean McAdam, Journal sports writer Posted by Art Martone at 5:18 PM | Comment Weather update: Air: Hot and muggy; water, still coolTonight's looking foggy, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures staying pretty close to daytime temps, dipping to about 61 degrees, and mild southwest winds. But if you like summer, you'll like what comes next. Saturday we should have mostly sunny skies, southwest winds and temperatures shooting past the 70s and 80s and reaching 91 degrees. Saturday night will stay mostly clear, with temperatures falling to a balmy 71 degrees and calm west winds. And then! Sunday and Monday look like mid-summer, with temperatures hitting the mid-90s and clear, sunny skies. But the sunny, hot days can be deceiving. They're also humid. "Popup thunderstorms" are possible any time during the next few days. Coastal waters remain chilly, drawing a caution from the Coast Guard. As the temperature climbs, air quality will dip. Saturday and Sunday have been declared the state's first two ozone-alert days of the season. State beaches are open. For more on area beaches, see our beach map. One local beach is already closed, however -- Mackerel Cove Beach in Jamestown. Keep up with closures via the state Department of Environmental Management's Beach Monitoring Web page. Find more warm-weather links, and see just how high the mercury climbs this weekend, at projo.com's weather page. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:16 PM | Comment Motions for new smoke-shop raid trial postponedArguments for motions for a new trial for the three Narragansett Indians convicted of misdemeanor charges related to the state police smoke-shop raid have been postponed to June 17, according to a judiciary spokesman. They were scheduled for Wednesday next week in Providence County Superior Court. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas was found guilty of assaulting a state trooper during a six-week trial. Two other tribal members were also convicted of misdemeanor crimes, while four Narragansetts were acquitted. State police used a search warrant on the roadside shop on tribal land in Charlestown July 14, 2003, to stop the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without charging state taxes. Things turned confrontational and eight Narragansetts were arrested. Charges against a juvenile were dismissed in Family Court. The seven other tribal members were tried earlier this year -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:14 PM | Comment Scituate driver, 17, injured today in Johnston car crashJOHNSTON -- A 17-year-old Scituate boy was injured earlier this afternoon when he lost control of a vehicle that smashed through a telephone pole and a fire hydrant before it rolled over and came to rest, the police said. The boy was seen driving at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic as he headed west on Hartford Avenue just before 1 p.m., according to Johnston Deputy Police Chief Gary Maddocks. Firefighters removed the teen from the vehicle. He was conscious but suffering from cuts and bruises, and took him to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. The driver did not appear to be wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, Maddocks said. An investigation continues. Traffic on Hartford Avenue was backed up several miles in east and west as crews cleared the debris and dealt with downed power lines. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:10 PM | Comment Carcieri names 27 to advisory panel on immigration orderPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today announced 27 members of an advisory panel to monitor how his executive order cracking down on illegal immigration is carried out. The order generated controversy and questionsafter it was announced in April. The group includes members from religious communities, community agencies, government, law enforcement and business. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney From the religious community are: Bishop Thomas Tobin, head of the Diocese of Providence; Rabbi Alan Flam of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis; Rev. Donald Anderson of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches; Rev. Eliseo Nogueras of the Hispanic Ministerial Alliance; Rev. Jeff Williams of Cathedral of Life Christian Assembly; Rev. William L. Shaw of the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island, and Rev. James T. Ruggieri of St. Patrick Church of Providence. Representing community agencies are: Adeola Oredola of Youth In Action, Pheamo Witcher of Genesis Center, Toby Ayers of Rhode Island for Community and Justice, Bruno Sukys of International Institute -Feinstein Center, and Merrill R. Thomas of Providence Community Health Centers. From government are: Patricia Martinez of the state Department of Children Youth and Families, Vanessa Cooley of the state Department of Education, Carrie Bridges of the State Department of Health, Elvys Ruiz of the state Department of Human Services, Yvon Chancy of the Governor’s Office of Community Relations, retired Rear Admiral Joseph Strausser -- who will serve as the advisory panel chairman -- and Deborah A. Smith of the Governor’s Office of External Affairs, who will serve as panel vice-chairwoman. From law enforcement are Major Stephen O’Donnell of the State Police, Col. Stephen McCartney of the Rhode Island Association of Police Chiefs, Magdalena Picot of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and Cpl. Wilfred K. Hill of the State Police. Representing the business community are John Gregory of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Keith Stokes of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, Elissa O’Brien of the Human Resources Management Association of RI, and John Gregory of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. “Last month, I indicated that I would form an advisory panel to monitor any unintended consequences that the implementation of my executive order might have for immigrants and others who are in Rhode Island legally,” Carcieri said in a statement. “I’m pleased that so many people, representing so many different backgrounds, have agreed to participate. I’m confident that they will work together to ensure that my executive order only affects those who are in Rhode Island illegally, as was always intended.” Read the executive order itself. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:59 PM | Comment Photo: Flagging a celebration of Portuguese heritage
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:41 PM | Comment Hot weather also bringing season's first ozone alertsIt’s only 60 degrees outside, but authorities are already worried about the potential health risks that we’ll be dealing with this weekend when the temperature shoots past the 70s, past the 80s, and settles in the mid-90s for a few days. The state’s Department of Environmental Management has issued its first air quality alerts of the year for this Saturday and Sunday. The same hot and humid air mass that will likely drive people to the beaches this weekend also leads to overall poor air quality and the potential for health hazards. The biggest problem is ozone, which forms near the surface when pollutants –– such as car exhaust and industrial emissions –– react with sunlight and sufficient heat. Ozone can cause a host of respiratory symptoms, including throat irritation, shortness of breath and chest pains. And the National Weather Service reminds us to be on the lookout for heat stroke, often associated with high temperatures and humidity. So limit exposure; don’t do any strenuous work outdoors midday, and pay particular attention to children, elderly and people with lung diseases, who are at the most risk. RIPTA bus and trolley routes are free whenever there’s an alert. Check for updates at the DEM's air quality forecast Web site. Click below for more tips on how to stay healthy during the extreme heat, and get the latest weather at projo.com/weather. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Limit driving. Avoid unnecessary car trips. Carpool, walk or ride the bus or a bicycle whenever possible. Minimize starts and avoid unnecessary acceleration. Vehicle emissions are highest during starting and acceleration. Reduce idling. Avoid congested traffic and lines at drive-through windows. Drive your lowest emission vehicle. Use the most fuel-efficient, usually the newest, car you have whenever possible. Refuel at stations, which have vapor recovery. Fill your tank at a station which is equipped with a Stage II vapor recovery system. Don't top off. Maintain your vehicle. Get a tune-up at the beginning of each summer. Minimize lawn mower emissions. Tune-up your lawn mower and use electric or hand powered equipment if possible. Limit use of solvent-based household products. Use water-based or low solvent paints, varnishes, cleaners, and personal care products. Limit barbecue emissions. Use an electric starter instead of lighter fluid to start charcoal fires, or use an electric, natural gas, or propane grill. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:14 PM | Comment Update: Mother-in-law testifies in Entwistle murder trialWOBURN, Mass. — Neil Entwistle’s mother-in-law is the first witness in the trial of the British man, who is accused of fatally shooting his wife and baby. Priscilla Matterazzo testified today that his daughter and son-in-law appeared to have a loving relationship. She described being shocked and upset when police told her that her daughter and granddaughter had been fatally shot. Entwistle is charged with the 2006 murders of his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in their Hopkinton home. Earlier today, Assistant District Attorney Michael Fabbri said in his opening statement that Entwistle visited Web sites to look for sex and to sites about killing and suicide before the deaths. Entwistle’s attorney repeatedly told the jury that Entwistle loved his family. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:03 PM | Comment Farm fresh in Providence without the farm
There’s even catnip! Tomorrow is the official start of Providence’s Hope High School Farmers’ Market, bringing local farmers and artisans together at one of the most happening farmers’ markets in the city with more than 15 regular sellers. Cash is always welcome, but shoppers can also pay with Food Stamps/EBT, WIC, Seniors’ Coupons, credit cards and Fresh Bucks –– helping ensure that nearly everyone can bring a taste of Rhode Island to their table. The Farmers’ Market is located in the turnaround of Hope Street High School, at 324 Hope Street and runs through Nov. 29. Visit Farm Fresh Rhode Island for a full list of vendors and available foods, including beets, squash, melons, pork, eggs, milk, cheeses, honey, rosemary, sweet potatoes, tat soi ... -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:37 PM | Comment New Family Court judge sworn in / Photo
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:36 PM | Comment Update: Mayor Cicilline's brother admits to shake-downLawyers John M. Cicilline, the brother of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, and Joseph A. Bevilacqua Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston this morning along with former legal assistant Lisa Torres to charges involving a $150,000 scheme to shake down drug dealers to manipulate the criminal-justice system. The change of plea hearing began at 10:30 a.m. today before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. 
Journal file photoJohn M. Cicilline The plea comes just before Cicilline, Bevilacqua, Torres and another ex-legal assistant, Juan A. Giraldo, were to go on trial Monday. Giraldo has been serving a federal prison term in Ohio on other drug charges. Cicilline, one of Providence's most prominent criminal-defense lawyers, faces 18 months in prison and the loss of his law license as a result of his agreement to plead guilty to charges that he shook down drug-dealer clients for $150,000 to manipulate the criminal-justice system. As his family watched, including Mayor Cicilline, John Cicilline agreed to change his plea before Judge Gorton. Cicilline also agreed to pay $15,000 in restitution and a $4,000 fine. Co-defendant and former law partner Bevilacqua, son of the late chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, agreed to serve 21 months. And Torres, their former legal assistant, agreed to 18 months. Sentencing is set for Sept. 11. The fourth co-defendant, Giraldo, also is expected to plead. The four were indicted early last year on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal authorities. Cicilline pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to federal authorities. Bevilacqua pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and Torres pleaded guilty to three counts –– one each of conspiracy, obstruction and making false statements. Mayor Cicilline issued a statement today, saying: “Right now my focus is on family. This is a very difficult time for my family, especially my three nieces and my parents, and I need to be there for them.” -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton The indictment charged that the lawyers conspired with legal assistants Giraldo and Torres to provide the authorities with information about other drug dealers, which would then be used to bargain for more lenient sentences for their clients. In return, the indictment said, a husband and wife whom Cicilline and Bevilacqua defended in a federal drug and money-laundering case in Boston, John and Jacqueline Mendonca, allegedly paid them $115,000 between late 2002 and early 2004. The indictment says that the remaining $35,000 sought was never paid. The couple secretly tape recorded conversations about the alleged scheme while in jail at the Plymouth (Mass.) County House of Correction. At the time of the indictment, Bevilacqua was less than two weeks from completing an 18-month federal prison sentence for leaking a confidential FBI videotape to a Rhode Island television reporter. That conviction led to Bevilacqua’s disbarment from practicing law. Cicilline appeared in U.S. District Court on Jan. 5, 2007, to formally face the charges. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond and his travel was limited to Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In February, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston moved to revoke or amend the terms of Cicilline’s release saying he violated the terms of his bail in the summer of 2007 when he traveled to New Hampshire to defend an accused drug dealer. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:11 PM | Comment Forum on Providence waterfront to begin MondayCan Providence do more with its waterfront? Many people would say yes. In an opinion piece in today’s Journal, Mayor David N. Cicilline shared some of his ideas for a mixed-use neighborhood on the waterfront along Allens Avenue. Beginning Monday, residents will have the chance to add their opinions at the first of a series of forums titled “Providence Tomorrow.” The forums will begin Monday morning with presentations on regulations, the environment, and the current practices at the port. Tuesday will bring presentations by city planners from Portland, Maine, and Baltimore. They’ll discuss ways to revive commercial waterfront land for mixed uses. And there will be small group discussions, which will continue Wednesday. Thursday night, Cicilline and the City Council will do a final presentation –– the results of which will help guide the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Cicilline said in a statement. For more information, call the city’s Department of Planning and Development: (401) 351.4300 or download a .PDF copy of the full schedule. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:10 PM | Comment Prosecutor uses Entwistle's words to depict him as killerWOBURN, Mass. -- A prosecutor used Neil Entwistle's own words today to depict him as a cold-blooded killer who shot his wife and baby daughter to death as they lay in bed together, then fled to England. In his opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Michael Fabbri quoted comments Entwistle made to the police after the bodies of his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, were found in their Hopkinton home on Jan. 22, 2006. Entwistle told the police he discovered his wife and daughter dead two days earlier after doing errands. He said he covered the bodies and left for his native England -- all without ever calling for police or telling his wife's parents, people Entwistle told authorities were as close to him as his own mother and father, Fabbri said. "I didn't even call 911 or call for help," Fabbri quoted Entwistle as telling the police. In his opening statement, defense attorney Elliot Weinstein said his client's actions after the killings were those of a grief-stricken husband and father. He told the jury repeatedly that Entwistle loved his wife and daughter. "Everything he said and everything he did thereafter, he did because he loved them, he did because he loved them both," Weinstein said. Opening statements began this morning after attorneys spent four days seating a jury of eight men and eight women, including four alternates. Entwistle has pleaded not guilty. -- The Associated Press Entwistle's mother, father and brother were in the courtroom today, as well as Rachel Entwistle's stepfather and about a dozen other friends and relatives. Fabbri said that by outward appearances, the Entwistles seemed "nothing but loving and stable," but there was another side to Neil Entwistle. In the months before the killings, Entwistle visited Web sites to look for sex and e-mailed women to discuss setting up discreet relationships, Fabbri said. He also visited sites about killing and suicide in the days before his wife and daughter's deaths. Weinstein told the jury both Rachel and Neil Entwistle were computer savvy, and said he would present evidence that other people used the computer as well. Fabbri also said the jury would see evidence that showed Entwistle's DNA was found on an ammunition container, a gun lock and the grip of the handgun used to kill Entwistle's wife and daughter. He said Rachel Entwistle's DNA was found in and on the muzzle of the gun. Entwistle and Rachel Souza met in 1999 at Britain's University of York, where she was spending a year abroad. They married in 2003 and lived in England for two years before moving to Carver, Mass., a small town about 40 miles south of Boston, in the summer of 2005 to live with her mother and stepfather. They began renting a $2,700-per-month house in Hopkinton 10 days before Rachel and Lillian Rose were killed. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:06 PM | Comment It may feel like summer, but the ocean is still coldIt’s going to be hot this weekend –– height-of-summer-hot –– with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-90s. But it’s not the height of summer, and ocean waters betray that fact –– they’re still in the 50-degree range. The Coast Guard wants beachgoers, boaters and sun seekers to keep that in mind when they head to the beach this weekend. “I wish I could say it in gentler terms,” Al Johnson, Recreational Boating Specialist for the First Coast Guard District said in a statement. “But plain and simple, cold water shocks, incapacitates and kills, and our waters show no mercy to the innocent, unsuspecting or unprepared boater or paddler." "Wearing a life jacket isn’t guaranteed to save your life,” he added, “but it does guarantee a better chance of surviving.” In addition to life jackets, the Coast Guard recommends in a news release that boaters and paddlers get Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons vessel safety checks. For a list of additional suggestions for staying safe as spring comes to an end, click below. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson • Leave a float plan with a responsible individual who knows your intentions, location, and who to call if you fail to return as scheduled. • Assess the risk -- be realistic about what can go wrong and be fully equipped and prepared to survive. • Wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket and set the example for your passengers or paddling partners. • Be aware of and prepared for the shock of sudden immersion and the incapacitating effects of cold water. • Maintain situational awareness on the water -- be aware of boat traffic and activity around your vessel. • Boat sane, safe and sober -- save the alcohol for when you've safely returned. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:06 PM | Comment Community painting effort aimed at graffiti in ElmwoodFight paint with paint next week at a program aimed at cleaning graffiti from buildings in Providence's Elmwood neighborhood. The Elmwood Foundation, the Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services and the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation are working together for NeighborWorks Paints to bring volunteers to the neighborhood. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Met School on Peace Street Monday at 10 a.m. They’ll paint over graffiti on a building at 804 Broad Street, and on another across from the Met School. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson “NeighborWorks Paints! will be an incredible celebration of neighbors helping neighbors make the places that they live even better,” Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America, said in a statement. The groups are getting help from the National Council on Paint Disposition, Inc. in the form of unused, unwanted paint that might otherwise end up in a landfill. NeighborWorks America is a national organization that works with local community groups to help people secure safe, affordable housing and rentals. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:01 PM | Comment Sen. Reed endorses Obama, while praising ClintonWASHINGTON -- With a blast at ``the failed policies of President Bush,’’ and a tribute to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s ``bond with the people of Rhode Island’’ Sen. Jack Reed pledged his support to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today, calling him ``a leader of tremendous intellect and promise.’’ Reed thus joined the tide of uncommitted ``superdelegates’’ to this summer’s Democratic National Convention who have moved to endorse Obama, the freshman senator from Illinois, since he claimed a presidential nominating majority on Tuesday after a difficult struggle with Clinton, the former First Lady and Senate colleague from New York. "Senator Obama began this race as a leader of tremendous intellect and promise, and now, after a long and hard-fought race, he is the Democratic nominee,’’ Reed said in a statement he issued late this morning. ``Senator Obama will have my full and unwavering support,’’ Reed said. Reed, who has explained that he stayed on the fence in part because the Democratic campaign featured several valued Senate colleagues, said the party was blessed with ``great candidates’’ who ``showed all the passion, integrity, and diversity of this nation.’’ He singled out Clinton for praise as ``a fighter who cares deeply about the issues and the American people.’’ He added: ``She will and must be a significant part of our effort to make America’s future better.’’ Reed said Obama ``has fully earned the right to carry’’ his campaign message of ``change and hope.’’ Now, said the Rhode Island Democrat, ``it is time to come together’’ to reverse Mr. Bush’s ``misguided domestic and international policies.’’ -- John Mulligan of the Journal Washington Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment Oversight problems revealed in DOT concrete reviewPROVIDENCE -- An internal review of the Department of Transportation made public today depicts managers who didn't manage, plans that weren't followed or even distributed to the people who were supposed to follow them and inspections that were done poorly or not at all on concrete for its flagship project, the relocation of Route 195. The review, commissioned by former Transportation Director Jerome F. Williams and made public today, by his replacement, Michael P. Lewis, is the department's attempt to get to the bottom of the concrete inspection failures that cost the state $3.1 million in federal highway aid in February. In releasing the review, Lewis said that the vast majority of the concrete in the project was tested, that all of it proved to be strong enough to do the job and that the highway, partially open since November, is safe. He said that he is already making organizational changes at the DOT and training employees in response to the findings. Two engineers, one who was in charge of materials testing, Mark Felag, and the other supervising the Route 195 project, James Caroselli, had already been transferred within the department. Lewis said he has no immediate plans to replace anybody else. The review describes management failures throughout the DOT's construction hierarchy that contributed to its failure to test the concrete going into in dozens of structures -- piers, foundations and other structural elements -- that are part of its flagship project. That failure to test and otherwise assure quality concrete, which violated industry standards and the DOT's own regulations, lead to a months-long investigation by the Federal Highway Administration and its decision in February to declare the untested concrete ineligible for the normal 80 percent federal reimbursement. That dumps $3.1 million in costs that would have been paid by the federal government onto the state. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:00 AM | Comment Providence celebrates Portugal tomorrow
It’s the Day of Portugal celebration, complete with a parade, crafts, food, music and a giant television screen broadcasting the Portugal-Turkey soccer match, which is set to start at 3 p.m. The official Day of Portugal is Monday, but parties are so much better on the weekend. To make room for the event, which includes a parade from the State House to Kennedy Plaza, five bus routes will be detoured. Click below to see Saturday’s modified schedule. Route 50 (Douglas Avenue) & Route 55 (Admiral/Providence College) Trips leaving downtown Providence will travel the regular route to Francis Street through to Smith, left onto Smith Street, right onto Park Street and then resume regular route. Trips into downtown Providence will travel regular route to Douglas Avenue and Chalkstone Avenue, left onto I-95 North onramp, take the Atwells Avenue exit, left onto Atwells Avenue through to LaSalle Square, left onto Fountain Street, right onto Dorrance Street, then resume regular route. Route 56 (Smith Street) & Route 57 (Chalkstone Avenue) Trips leaving downtown Providence will travel the regular route to Francis and Smith Streets, left onto Smith Street, and then resume regular route. Trips into downtown Providence will travel the regular route to Francis and Smith Streets, right onto Francis Street, and then resume regular route Route 91 (Gold Line Trolley North) Trips traveling to the Marriott Hotel from Kennedy Plaza will travel regular route to Smith Street through to Francis Street, left onto Smith Street, right onto Park Street, and then a right onto Orms Street to the Marriott Hotel. For more information, call RIPTA at 401-781-9400 or visit the department's Web site. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:02 AM | Comment Former Seekonk principal faces child porn chargesDEDHAM, Mass. -- A former high school principal was ordered held on $10,000 bail after pleading not guilty to having thousands of pornographic images involving children on his personal computer. Russell Goyette was arraigned yesterday in Norfolk Superior Court on 16 counts of possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say police started investigating the 61-year-old Goyette in March 2007 after being tipped off by a former girlfriend. Goyette, the former principal at both Seekonk and Hull high schools, retired in 2005. His lawyer, Bruce Watson, tells the Boston Herald he questions some of the evidence. If Goyette makes bail, he must have no contact with children under age 16, stay off the Internet and stay in Massachusetts. He is due back in court on July 8. Goyette was the principal at Seekonk High School from 1992 until he was assigned to the middle school in 2001. He resigned in January 2002 to become the principal of Hull High School. -- The Associated Press with Journal archival reports Posted by Jack Perry at 8:22 AM | Comment Trial begins for British man accused of killing wife, babyWOBURN, Mass. — Opening statements are scheduled for this morning in the case of a British man charged with killing his wife and infant daughter in slayings prosecutors say were motivated by financial strain and dissatisfaction with his sex life. A jury of eight men and eight women was seated yesterday to hear the case of Neil Entwistle, 29, who is accused of fatally shooting his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in their Hopkinton home in January 2006. The panel of jurors, including four alternates, was selected after four days of questioning marked by complaints from defense attorneys that the judge had not done enough to weed out those who had heard about the case or already formed an opinion. A total of 189 people were interviewed. Scores were dismissed after they said they could not give Entwistle the presumption of innocence. -- The Associated Press Judge Diane Kottmyer yesterday denied a request by Entwistle’s attorneys to allow the jury at some point during the trial to go to the Hopkinton home as well as the home of Rachel Entwistle’s mother in Carver. Kottmyer said the layout and key locations inside both homes can be shown to the jury through photographs and video. Defense attorney Elliot Weinstein said he wanted jurors to go to the Hopkinton house to help them visualize the movement of police when they discovered the bodies in the master bedroom. Weinstein said jurors should be allowed to go to the Carver home to see where prosecutors allege Entwistle got the .22-caliber handgun used in the killings. Prosecutors said Entwistle took the gun from his father-in-law’s gun case, used it to shoot his wife and daughter in Hopkinton, then drove 50 miles to Carver and returned the gun. Weinstein told Kottmyer he has never had a request for a view rejected in approximately 50 murder trials. “The resistance that I’m getting here today is unique,” he said. Kottmyer said she was concerned that allowing the jury to see the home in Carver could be prejudicial because Rachel Entwistle’s mother and stepfather are expected to be called as prosecution witnesses in the case and are close relatives of the two victims. “I haven’t heard anything that convinces me that a view would be helpful,” she said. The judge said the defense could renew its request during the trial if it becomes clear that seeing the two homes would be helpful to the jury. Prosecutors allege Entwistle, from Worksop, England, killed his wife and daughter after sinking deeply into debt and becoming dissatisfied with his sex life. A search of his computer after the killings showed he researched ways to commit murder and suicide, prosecutors have said. Entwistle told police he discovered the bodies of his wife and daughter after he returned home from doing errands on Jan. 20, 2006. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:49 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: lane closed on 95 in WarwickFrom Massachusetts to Warwick, it's not a good morning for commuters. And now an accident on Route 95 has a lane closed and is snarling traffic in Warwick. The accident is in the left lane on the northbound side of the roadway, at Exit 15/Jefferson Boulevard. See how traffic is moving along on the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:15 AM | Comment Today in history: The D-Day invasion of EuropeOn this day in 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, in the D-Day invasion of Europe during World War II. Read more about D-Day, including the original AP story and audio from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and a British bomber crew, and more events from today in history. Watch video of today in history.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Weather the storm, then it's all summer all weekendDon't shoot the messenger. If you do, you'll miss the good news at the end. Today: As you can probably see, we've got rain -- showers, thunderstorms, downpours and likely some local flooding. But the National Weather Service is forecasting an end to the rain by late afternoon and possibly a few hours of sunshine, bringing the temperature up to the high 60s. Tonight's looking foggy, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures staying pretty close to daytime temperatures, dipping to about 61 degrees, and mild southwest winds. But if you like summer, you'll like what comes next. Saturday we should have mostly sunny skies, southwest winds and a temperatures shooting past the 70s and 80s and reaching 91 degrees. Saturday night will stay mostly clear, with temperatures falling to a balmy 71 degrees and calm west winds. And then! Sunday and Monday look like mid-summer, with temperatures hitting the mid 90s and clear, sunny skies. Sunday night, 71 degrees and clear. It's not all good news, though. The National Weather Service reminds us to be on the lookout for heat stroke this weekend with the high temperatures and humidity. The two are also possible "pop up thunderstorms" at any time during the next few days. See just how high the mercury climbs this weekend; visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story on the Blackstone Academy Charter School, which takes kids struggling in public schools with the goal of making them college material. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Traffic's a mess on Route 195 westTraffic is backed up from the Massachusetts state line to East Providence this morning after an accident that's blocked a lane. The lane closure is on the westbound side of the roadway, and has cars stopping and going all the way from the state line to Exit 6/Broadway/US 44/East Providence. If you can't find an alternate route, at least see what you're in for on the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 6:52 AM | Comment June 5, 2008Tonight: Celtics-Lakers resume rivalry for all the cardsThe rivalry resumes. The Celtics and the Lakers open game one of the NBA championships tonight at 9. Journal sports writer Mike Szostak writes the Celtics will win the series. Read why. Boston is drawing an international media contingent for the series. The two teams have quite the history together. Projo.com will provide live stats and scores, and Journal sportswriters will blog before, during and after the game. For the latest, go to projo.com/celtics. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:58 PM | Comment R.I. Senate OKs bill improving access to public recordsPROVIDENCE -- The state Senate today approved legislation to speed the release of requested public records and to specify the arrest record information that police must make public. The bill sponsored by Sen. J. Michael Lenihan, D-East Greenwich, which cleared a Senate committee last week before winning the full chamber's backing, goes next to the House of Representatives. According to a news release announcing Senate passage, the measure would mark the first major change to the state’s “sunshine” laws in a decade. The aim, according to proponents, is to see to it that those in charge of public records get them swiftly and in full to the media, the public and any entity that wants them. If it becomes the law, the measure would take effect on Sept. 1. It would reduce the time that public agencies have to respond to public records requests from 10 days to 7. And it would prevent agencies from requiring those requesting the information to provide personally identifiable information or from requiring them to state the reason for their request. The act would also require that all public agencies annually certify in writing that all employees who handle public records requests have been trained in those responsibilities. It also spells out information that police departments are required to release about arrests, including narratives about the arrest, and specifies that the information must be released within 24 hours of any request. “Having a strong policy about providing information to those who want it is beneficial for our government, " Lenhian said in the statement. "Guaranteeing the public’s right to review records encourages honesty and integrity in government, and helps strengthen the public’s confidence in its government." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:29 PM | Comment Update: Extended family mourns death of 19-year-old
PROVIDENCE – Dozens of relatives from all over the country gathered at the home of Michael Fortes’ mother today, hours after the 19-year-old was found dead, shot in the back. The extended Cape Verdean family had recently been together for the funeral of his Fortes’ great-grandmother, who died on May 26. Fortes was one of 26 great-grandchildren. Shortly before 2 a.m., the police were called to 112 Warrington St., where they met with fire department personnel, according to Det. Capt. Hugh Clements. Fortes, who lived at the house with other family members and friends, had gone out around 1:30 a.m., police said later today. About a half-hour later, he was found outside the door, hurt and bleeding. Fortes was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Clements. No arrests have been made. Clements says the police have interviewed several people and continue with their investigation. He would not say whether Fortes was inside or outside the house when he was shot, or how many times he was shot. Fortes had been badly injured six months ago, when he and two other young men were stabbed in a fight in a South Providence apartment just before New Year’s Eve. Family members said that Fortes had been hospitalized for two weeks from that attack. Fortes, whose family nickname was “Mikey-Mike,” was the fifth homicide in the city this year. Providence police are still investigating the shooting. -- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry, and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits
Posted by Jack Perry at 6:09 PM | Comment Air conditioner fire displaces 2 Fox Point hotel guestsPROVIDENCE -- An overheated air conditioning unit caused a small fire at the Radisson Hotel in Fox Point early this morning that sent two hotel guests to the hospital for minor injuries. Firefighters were soon on the scene at the 220 India St. hotel and had the fire under control quickly, Di Giulio said. The fire caused smoke and fire damage to the room, and water damage to other parts of the floor. The two guests, whose names were not immediately available, were taken to Rhode Island Hospital and released soon after. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:05 PM | Comment Man rescued off Watch Hill after boat capsizesWESTERLY -- A man was rescued from waters off Watch Hill this afternoon after his boat capsized, the Coast Guard said. The boat was just south of Watch Hill Reef when something got caught in its propeller, possibly a lobster trap or boat’s anchor line, said Mark Averill, a Coast Guard search and rescue specialist. The man was picked up by the Watch Hill Fire Department and taken to The Westerly Hospital, where he was treated for mild hypothermia, Averill said. The man, identified as Leo Willett, was treated at the emergency room and then discharged, the hospital said. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment Update: R.I. holding steady on rate of foreclosure startsRhode Island's home foreclosure starts showed no increase during the first quarter of this year from the previous quarter, according to a report released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Rhode Island is one of more than a dozen states where foreclosure starts remained essentially unchanged between the last three months of 2007 and the first three months of this year, said Jay Brinkman, the MBA’s vice president research and economics. Twenty other states showed a decline during the same period, the MBA data shows. The last decline in the start rate of foreclosure proceedings in Rhode Island was at the end of 2005. It’s still too early to say whether the leveling off or decline in foreclosure starts in some parts of the country represents an overall improvement in the mortgage market, said the MBA’s Brinkman. “I’m hesitant to say that based on just one quarter,’’ he said. “I would need to see another quarter’s data.” Nationwide, foreclosures during the first three months of this year were up from the end of last year, though the increase reflected the "overwhelming impact" of the hardest-hit states, he said, of California and Florida, followed by Arizona and Nevada. Trend or no trend, people in Rhode Island are unlikely to feel any improvement for a while, since banks are still working their way through much of the inventory of foreclosed properties. While foreclosure starts during the first-quarter leveled off in Rhode Island, the number of properties put up for foreclosure auction has continued to rise, according to data from Rhode Island Housing. During January, February and March, about 1,060 houses were advertised for foreclosure auction in Rhode Island, up 282 percent compared with the first-quarter of last year, according to Rhode Island Housing. See the press release on first-quarter foreclosures issued by the MBA. Extra: Visit our continuing report on foreclosures in Rhode Island. -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:51 PM | Comment W. Warwick woman indicted in Gonsalves' killingAbimbola O. Johnson, the West Warwick woman accused of fatally stabbing Natasha Gonsalves in March, has been indicted on one murder count.  Abimbola O. JohnsonA statewide grand jury handed up the indictment Wednesday, and Johnson, who is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston, is scheduled for a June 20 arraignment in Kent County Superior Court, according to a news release today from the Attorney General's Office. The police have said that on the night of March 20, Gonsalves and two friends followed Johnson to Gonsalves' 114 Pepin St. home. Johnson and one of Gonsalves’ friends argued, potentially over a man, when the police said Johnson went inside and returned with a kitchen knife. The women argued, Johnson pulled the knife from her waistband and stabbed Gonsalves, the police said.  Natasha GonsalvesOfficers arrived to find Gonsalves lying on the ground as neighbors tried to help her. She was pronounced dead at Kent Hospital, in Warwick. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal archives Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:44 PM | Comment Woonsocket man's murder sentencing postponedThe sentencing hearing for Joshua Davis, the Woonsocket man who pleaded guilty in April to kidnapping, raping and killing 8-year-old neighbor Savannah Smith, has been postponed to June 25. The sentencing date, initially slated for today, was continued to later this month at the defense's request. Davis faces life in prison without parole, the Journal reported in April. -- Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:31 PM | Comment Presidential counsel on governor's tribal land case teamGovernor Carcieri's office will rely on the legal acumen of former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson in its fight to keep control of 31 acres owned by the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Olson, a partner with the Washington, D.C., firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, will join a legal team of Assistant Attorney General Neil F. X. Kelly; Joseph S. Larisa Jr., Charlestown’s solicitor on Indian affairs; and Claire J.V. Richards, Carcieri’s former deputy legal counsel, in arguing the Indian land case before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, according to a U.S. Supreme Court docket. Olson served as the government’s top lawyer before the high court under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2004. As an appellate lawyer, he successfully argued the disputed 2000 election case in favor of George W. Bush before the Supreme Court. He represented President Ronald Reagan during the Iran-Contra affair as assistant attorney general during the 1980s. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Olson's wife, conservative political commentator Barbara K. Olson, was a passenger on the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 that was crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in February to decide whether the U.S. Department of Interior should be allowed to take the 31 acres just north of Route 1 into trust on behalf of the Narragansett Indians. Trust status would remove the land from most state and local laws, placing it under tribal and federal control. The tribe bought the land in 1991 for development of housing for its elderly. The state filed suit against the Interior Department after the federal agency agreed to take the land into trust for the tribe in 1998. The parcel is across Kings Factory Road from the 1,800 acres that Congress granted to the Narragansetts in a landmark land-claims settlement law 30 years ago. Lawyers have argued the case could have big implications for Indian land disputes across the country. Sixteen states from New England to Alaska joined Rhode Island in appealing a decision by the federal appellate court in Boston that favored the Narragansetts. Posted by maria caporizzo at 3:18 PM | Comment Rug once owned by Doris Duke sells for record $4.4MPROVIDENCE -- A silk Persian rug dating from the 16th or 17th century has sold for a record $4.45 million at auction, or about $729.87 per square inch. The rug was sold by Christie's auction house Tuesday on behalf of the Newport Restoration Foundation. It had been expected to fetch up to $1.5 million. The rug, which measures 7 feet, 7 inches by 5 feet, 7 inches, had been purchased by the late tobacco heiress Doris Duke in 1990. She left it to the foundation when she died. Elisabeth Parker, head of Christie's rugs and carpets department, says there are only two other known rugs like it. She calls it an "amazing work of art'' and says it has an intricate floral design and an unusually large number of colors, at 17. Christie's says the buyer prefers to remain anonymous. The Newport Restoration Foundation, founded by Duke in 1968, is a nonprofit institution formed with the purpose of preserving, interpreting, and maintaining landscape and objects reflecting Aquidneck Island’s 18th and 19th century architectural culture. Among the properties it oversees is Duke's Rough Point mansion in Newport. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:07 PM | Comment Amtrak: Conn. bridge work to disrupt Northeast corridorNEW LONDON, Conn. -- Amtrak says some of its Northeast corridor service will be disrupted for four days in New England later this month while it renovates an aging Connecticut drawbridge and does maintenance work. Amtrak will replace the span of the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge between New London and Groton from June 14-17. The work marks the final stage of a multi-year, $83-million improvement project on the bridge. The bridge handles 36 passenger trains and two freight trains every weekday. The railroad says it also will do maintenance over the same four days between New Haven and Boston. That work will result in cancellations of Acela Express service between New York and Boston and regional trains between Boston and New Haven. Amtrak is urging passengers traveling between Boston and New Haven to make arrangements with commercial bus lines Peter Pan and Greyhound. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:51 PM | Comment Whitehouse: Report shows Bush misled nation on IraqWASHINGTON -- A new Senate report debunking the Bush administration’s pre-war claims about the threat from Iraq underlines "a disturbing pattern’’ of twisting the facts about important domestic and national defense issues, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse charged today. In a Senate floor speech and at a news conference later in the Capitol, the Rhode Island Democrat said President Bush and his national security leaders "misled this country into a war that never should have been fought.’’ Whitehouse joined other members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in speaking out on the panel’s new report, which scrutinizes several of the administration’s claims about the Iraqi dictatorship’s purported weapons-making ability and links to terrorists and the possibility of establishing a friendly Iraqi democracy in its place. The report generally finds that the administration’s claims went beyond the findings of its own intelligence establishment and in some cases ignored intelligence that did not support its case for invading Iraq. Whitehouse said the administration chose to set aside evidence that "did not conform to its preordained view of the world.’’ -- John Mulligan of the Journal Washington Bureau During the news conference, Whitehouse said the pre-war intelligence claims were part of a pattern echoed later in the firings of several U.S. attorneys for political reasons and in what he portrayed as the official manipulation of scientific evidence about key environmental Such twisting of facts "rots the sinews of our democracy,’’ Whitehouse said. The panel released two documents: One related to the "public statements," or claims, made by the government, and the other addresses more alleged wrongs in marshaling of evidence. The report had a bipartisan cast because two committee Republicans, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, joined the Democrats in voting to accept its conclusions But most of the Intelligence Committee Republicans joined in a dissenting view of pre-war intelligence – and of the majority’s conclusions. Missouri Sen. Christopher Bond, the panel’s ranking Republican, wrote that the new report "confirmed our early suspicions’’ that the committee’s investigation was "a partisan exercise.’’ White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said there was little news in the report on Saddam Hussein and his weapons programs. "We had the intelligence that we had, it was fully vetted and it was wrong,’’ she said, reiterating the administration's regret over the mistakes. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:09 PM | Comment Sen. Kennedy getting honorary degree from HarvardCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy is being awarded an honorary degree by Harvard University. The Massachusetts Democrat was to receive the degree as part of Harvard’s 357th commencement ceremonies today. But he is recuperating from brain tumor surgery earlier this week at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. In a statement, Kennedy, who graduated from Harvard in 1956, said he looked forward to accepting the honor in person very soon. He said that Harvard has long been a very special place for the Kennedy family. Kennedy was expelled from Harvard in 1951 after he was caught cheating but eventually returned, earning his degree in 1956. Harvard’s school of government is named for Kennedy’s brother, the late President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The graduation also comes on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of another Kennedy brother, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who also graduated from Harvard.
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:55 AM | Comment Jury selection continues in Entwistle trialWOBURN, Mass. — Jury selection in the trial of a British man charged with killing his wife and infant daughter is continuing for a fourth day. Neil Entwistle is accused of fatally shooting his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in their Hopkinton home in January 2006. Judge Diane Kottmyer today rejected a request by the defense to allow the jury, once seated, to go to the family’s former home in Hopkinton as well as the home of Rachel Entwistle’s mother in Carver. Many potential jurors have been dismissed after they said they had already formed an opinion about Entwistle’s guilt. A new pool of 70 potential jurors was called in to be questioned on today. Twelve regular jurors and four alternate jurors will be chosen. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:12 AM | Comment Whitehouse, Intelligence Committee, speak on IraqThe Senate Committee on Intelligence today released the final two sections of its report on prewar intelligence. Members of the committee, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., are speaking on the Senate floor about findings of the report, which includes several instances where the committee concludes that statements made by the administration in support of going to war in Iraq were not supported by the intelligence. Among them: Statements by the president and the vice president indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information. Statements by President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the postwar situation in Iraq, in terms of the political, security, and economic, did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products. The intelligence community did not confirm that Muhammad Atta met an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in 2001 as the vice president repeatedly claimed. Watch the hearings live on C-SPAN. Members of the committee are scheduled to discuss the findings further at a press conference later this morning. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:57 AM | Comment Taunton, Mass., soldier killed in IraqTAUNTON, Mass. -- A soldier from Taunton has been killed in Iraq less than two weeks after returning from a short visit home. Mayor Charles Crowley confirmed the death of Army Sgt. Shane Duffy. Crowley did not disclose details of Duffy's death but said the family was notified yesterday. The 24-year-old Duffy's father, Keavin, is a Taunton firefighter. Duffy was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, according to the Taunton Gazette. He served there for 10 months in 2004, and was re-deployed last September. Duffy was honored at a Taunton High School softball game on May 23 in which his sister had the game-winning hit. He leaves behind a wife and young child. Crowley ordered flags on city property lowered to half-staff to honor Duffy. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:18 AM | Comment Today in history: Robert F. Kennedy's assassinationOn this day in 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles after claiming victory in California's Democratic presidential primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was immediately arrested. Kennedy is the uncle of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island and brother of Congressman Kennedy's father, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who is recovering from brain surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Read more about today in history. Watch a video on today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Clouds, clouds and more cloudsSkies are cloudy this morning, and they'll probably stay that way all day. But on the bright side, there's only a slight chance of rain this morning; we should stay pretty dry. Temperatures look similar to yesterday, hitting 66 degrees with northeast winds gusting up to 23 mph. Expect more clouds and tonight, with temperatures in the mid 50s, north winds. Tomorrow morning should look like this morning, with fog and clouds, but as the day moves on, so will the clouds and we'll eventually have a sunny day with temperatures reaching about 72 degrees. For a glimpse of what's to come, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today' front pageToday's front page features a story about Lakers' star Kobe Bryant, who leads his Lakers against the Celtics in the NBA finals, which start tonight, and coverage of the bail hearing for a former Providence police officer charged with killing his Cranston neighbor in dispute. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 4, 2008Tonight: Clapton in Mansfield and other gigsA man whose nickname during the '60s was none other than "God" will make a visit to the Tweeter Center -- make that the Comcast Center -- tonight. Eric Clapton, who with Jimi Hendrix helped forge the template for rock and modern blues guitar, will launch the summer concert season at what will now be called the Comcast Center, formerly the Tweeter Center, in Mansfield, Mass. The Center can accommodate 19,900 people and hosts about 35 to 40 concerts yearly. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 with Robert Randolph & the Family Band opening. Clapton rose to prominence during the '60s as guitarist for Cream, the power trio with drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce that some consider the first super group, given the reputations the three brought to the band -- as players with chops. Clapton, for instance, had played with the Yardbirds and with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. If you don't have a ticket or can't get one, there's music here in Rhode Island for which tickets may prove easier to acquire. Tapemasters Inc., The Lox, Jadakiss, Styles P., Sheek Louch and Tyga perform rap and hip-hop at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 9:30 pm. $25. Check out projo.com's Club Calendar for tonight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Settlement in jeopardy for injured illegal immigrantPROVIDENCE -- A groundbreaking settlement for an injured Mexican illegal immigrant was put in jeopardy today when the man’s former employer, Warwick tree-service owner William J. Gorman Jr., fired his lawyer and told a judge that the agreement “was a total lie. I’ve never even seen it to this day.” Gorman’s lawyer, Michael St. Pierre, reached the $30,000 settlement agreement with lawyers for Edgar Velásquez, the injured worker, in January. Just prior to withdrawing from the case today, St. Pierre told Workers’ Compensation Judge Bruce Q. Morin that he indeed had informed Gorman of the agreement, including sending him “very lengthy, detailed letters” outlining the terms. Velásquez sustained injury in 2006 when a chainsaw kicked back and slashed his face to the bone. At the time, he was working for Gorman, owner of Billy G’s Tree Care. Velásquez is now in Mexico. Though state law entitles undocumented immigrants to pursue workers’ compensation claims, Velásquez was arrested outside the courthouse on the day he first tried to bring his case against Gorman. Velásquez and his lawyers said they believed Gorman notified immigration authorities. Today, nearly two dozen representatives of Fuerza Laboral (Power of Workers) and the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island sat in the courtroom, in support of Velásquez. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment House debating renewable energyThe Rhode Island House of Representatives this afternoon is debating a major energy bill that supporters say will help move the state away from its dependence on electricity generated by fossil fuels. The Senate passed the same bill yesterday. If passed, the bill would require National Grid to enter into “commercially reasonable” long-term contracts with renewable-energy developers to purchase their electricity. That requirement would give assurance to prospective developers that there would be a buyer for the electricity produced by the project. Such assurance, the developers have said, is needed to borrow money to build renewable energy projects. The utility company would have to enter into contracts that total 90 megawatts of average generating capacity. That total is arrived at after accounting for the fact that the wind turbines will only produce electricity some of the time (when the wind blows faster than a certain speed) and the fact that the solar panels won't produce much power when it's cloudy. Here is what that 90 megawatts really means and how it relates to a typical household's energy consumption: First, one needs to figure out how much power that is, expressed in the number of kilowatt-hours. 90 megawatts x 8,760 hours in a year = 788,400 megawatt-hours, or 788.4 million kilowatt-hours over the course of one year. National Grid supplies Rhode Island with about 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. So that means that 788,400 megawatt-hours of renewable energy would represent about 12 percent of all electricity consumed in the state. How many homes would that power? If the average home uses 500 kilowatt-hours per month, that’s 6,000 kwh per year. 788,400,000 kwh / 6,000 kwh = 131,400 homes. Ronald Gerwatowksi, vice president of distribution regulatory services for National Grid, confirmed the calculations but cautioned that other variables should be taken into account. First, he said, it's likely that some of the renewable energy projects-- with which National Grid contracts -- may not be built, "due to siting and other project development difficulties." "Thus, signing contracts to that level is not likely to result in as many megawatt-hours as you assume in the analysis," Gerwatowksi said. "It will be something less." Secondly, he said the legislation relies on rules set by ISO New England that estimate the actual amount of electricity a renewable energy project would produce. He said those rules may be overly optimistic. "For that reason, as well, it is hard to be certain about how many megawatt-hours actually will be produced," he said. -- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann Posted by Tim Barmann at 5:45 PM | Comment Hospital campuses to go smoke free Nov. 20thOn Nov. 20, the Great American Smokeout will take on extra meaning for nine Rhode Island hospitals. Today they announced plans to become smoke free on that date. The hospitals already restrict smoking throughout most of their buildings. But starting Nov. 20, they will also forbid it on their grounds and in their parking lots. Hospitals that provide “smoking shelters” now, will remove them by then. The goal is to have a healthier workforce and workplace. To assist smokers, the hospitals plan to offer free medication and smoking cessation clinics. At the same time, they will not force any employees to quit. “As health care organizations, hospitals have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this important issue,” said Kathleen C. Hittner, president and CEO of The Miriam Hospital and chairwoman of the board of trustees of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island. The ban is being imposed by the Landmark Medical Center, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, The Miriam Hospital, Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center, St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island, South County Hospital, and The Westerly Hospital. -- Journal environment writer Peter Lord Your turn: Do you support the hospitals' smoke-free campus policy? Posted by maria caporizzo at 5:10 PM | Comment Morning fire damages a sawmill in FosterFOSTER -- A fire early this morning damaged Winsor Forest Products, a sawmill at 55 Winsor Rd. Foster Police Lt. Robert Bolger said the fire broke out early this morning and was reported by a motorist at around 6:45 a.m. No one was at the sawmill at the time of the fire. The town’s three volunteer fire departments -- Foster Center, South Foster and Moosup Valley fire companies -- as well as departments from Scituate, responded. Bolger said that when emergency personnel arrived, the 5,000-square-foot metal and steel sawmill was engulfed in flames. To combat the fire, firefighters had to truck in water from a nearby river because, like the rest of town, there are no fire hydrants. The fire was contained by 8 a.m. Firefighters remained on the scene putting down hot spots until about 10:30 a.m., Bolger said. The sawmill is next to some residences and is near the State Police Training Academy. Its contents were destroyed while the badly burned steel building remained standing. A number of lumber and mulch piles on the property, as well as a front end loader, also were destroyed. The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the fire, which Bolger said is not considered suspicious at this point. It was not the first fire to ravage the sawmill, which has been in continuous operation for 36 years, according to The Journal's archives. In August 1999, a fire in the mill’s main structure caused nearly $80,000 in damage; at the time, the company was not insured, according to the police. While firefighters saved the steel mill building, most of the equipment inside was destroyed. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment Top R.I. Clinton supporters swinging over to ObamaSeveral high-placed Rhode Island supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign said today they are ready to support Sen. Barack Obama, who clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday. Three major Clinton supporters, William Lynch of Pawtucket, the Democratic state chairman and brother of Attorney General Patrick Lynch, an Obama supporter; Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, all showed up Tuesday night at an Obama victory event attended by more than 100 supporters of the Illinois senator at the Local 121 Restaurant in downtown Providence. "We are all good Democrats,'' said Lynch. "We have to put the good of the country before personal feelings.'' Lynch said he and other Clinton supporters are ready to begin working for Obama in an attempt to forge a unified Democratic campaign. "It isn't as easy as switching on a light switch, there are feelings involved,'' said Lynch. ``It was a hard-fought race. But for most of us this will be a seamless transition. I intend to work as hard as I can for him.'' -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Said Roberts, "I'm much happier when Democrats are united than when they are divided.'' "I think we have the opportunity to take the excitement of both the Clinton and Obama campaigns and use that excitement to build a campaign that elects a Democratic president,'' she said. Cicilline said he will "do anything they (Obama campaign) asks...campaigning, raising money, talking to other mayors, whatever it takes.'' "I think he'll be a great president,'' said Cicilline. "I think that whatever our differences they are small in comparison to the huge differences between their (Republican) nominee and our nominee.'' Lynch said there will be party unity because there are not major differences on issues between Obama and Clinton. "They are the same on most issues,'' said Lynch. Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:54 PM | Comment Children's foundation benefits from new Tim HortonsWARWICK -- A Tim Hortons opened with an official ribbon cutting today and the day's coffee sales will go to help the restaurant chain's children's foundation. Fifty children from the Providence area will attend one of the six foundation camps at no cost, according to a news release. The Tim Hortons, at 63 Airport Road, opened at 6 a.m. and will give a year's free breakfasts to the first 100 customers who came in today. All of today's coffee sales at Tim Hortons locations go to support the Tim Hortons Children Foundation. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:11 PM | Comment Projection equipment spared in Rustic Drive-In fireNORTH SMITHFIELD -- A fire that broke out today in a two-floor building at the Rustic Drive-In -- Rhode Island's only drive-in theater -- damaged the first-floor concessions area but not the second-floor projection room, according to officials. It is not clear whether the theater will be able to keep to its regular Friday through Sunday showtimes schedule this weekend. Joel Jillson, chief of the North Smithfield Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire, which has been put out, started at about 11:49 a.m. in the first-floor kitchen of the concession stand. The fire, which was reported by a neighbor who saw smoke, was brought under control in about 45 minutes. Jillson said firefighters were able to prevent it from spreading to the second floor and the projection room. The Rustic has a Friday through Sunday showtimes schedule, but Jen Chenail of the Boston Culinary Group, which owns the theater, said it is not clear whether the theater will be open as scheduled this Friday. "We're waiting," she said. "We've got to see what they tell us and go from there." Town building inspector Robert Benoit said damage had been limited to a few roof rafters and wall studs. He said the building was structually sound. Fire damage was confined to one corner behind the concessions stand, though the entire concessions area was covered with pink insulation that firefighters had pulled down while putting out the blaze. The two-story cinderblock building is centrally located in the Rustic's parking area, roughly equidistant from the three movie screens. The theater on Route 146 has been around since the early 1950s. The cause of the fire is under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment Gianquitti denied bail in murder of neighborWARWICK -- Bail was denied today for Nicholas Gianquitti, the neighbor accused of shooting and killing his neighbor, Cranston firefighter Lt. James A. Pagano, after the defense failed to convince the judge that the charge should be manslaughter and not murder. District Court Judge Elaine Bucci refused to buy the argument by Gianquitti's lawyers that the shooting was not premeditated, and therefore the crime was manslaughter. A murder charge requires "malice aforethought." A manslaughter charge under state guidelines requires that bail be allowed. Bucci, however, agreed with the state prosecutors, who argued that the shooting was indeed a case of murder. In doing so, the judge cited the 911 tape played at the bail hearing yesterday in which Gianquitti gets on the phone and calmly says he shot Pagano. The judge also noted that Pagano was shot in the back as he walked away, which she said constituted malice. The decision concluded three afternoons of testimony, including from Pagano's family members, both children and adults, in the bail hearing. Gianquitti, who briefly served as a Providence police officer, is accused of murdering Pagano on May 18 after a dispute started by a child's stray tennis ball. Yesterday, Gianquitti cried in court as he listened to the 911 call that his wife placed while Pagano was dying from a single gunshot wound. -- With reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Gianquitti also came on the phone, saying his neighbor had come to his house and had pushed him down the stairs. “I drew my weapon and I shot him,” he told the 911 operator. “I was afraid for my life,” he said. “He’s on my property,” he said. “I’m in the right.” According to testimony, before the shooting, Gianquitti had sworn at children, who were playing a ballgame outside, after a foul ball struck his car. James Pagano had been holding a birthday party at the Pagano home. He, with his 72-year-old father, came over to Gianquitti's house to confront Gianquitti. Words were exchanged and, according to testimony, James Pagano took a swing at Gianquitti, who stumbled down some stairs and drew a handgun from his waistband. Gianquitti fired at Pagano and chased him from the house, firing again, according to testimony. Extra: Read continuing coverage of the Cranston shooting. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:59 PM | Comment Shire Corp. manager accused of hacking DOT computerA construction manager for the Shire Corporation, a major bridge contractor for the state, was arrested by state and federal authorities today on charges that he illegally gained access to a state Department of Transportation computer to give his company a competitive edge. Anthony G. Mesiti, 41, of 45 Basil Crossing, Cranston, was charged with access to a computer for fraudulent purposes and unlawful access to a computer, according to the Rhode Island State Police. His arrest followed an investigation launched by state police after receiving a complaint from the DOT in April that their construction management computer system had been unlawfully accessed, according to the state police. The state police said their investigation traced the intrusions to the business offices of Shire Corporation, 7 Starline Way, Cranston. On May 22, the state police and federal agents executed a search warrant at the business office of Shire Corporation. State police say they uncovered additional evidence that Mesiti was responsible for the computer intrusions. Extra: Read the search warrant papers, which include an affidavit supporting the warrant request. Police have said in court filings that information about other contractors’ projects and DOT internal documents and communications gave Shire a big advantage in dealing with the DOT, in part by helping it incur cost overruns to the company’s advantage. Mesiti was arrested by members of the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit and special agents from the Federal Department of Transportation/Office of Inspector General, Mesiti was arraigned today in District Court, Providence, on both felonies. Bail was set at $25,000 personal recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in Providence County Superior Court for arraignment on Aug. 13. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:54 PM | Comment Young Indonesian movers and shakers come to RIA group of young politicians and policy makers from Indonesia are coming to Providence tonight to learn about state and local governments in the United States, and to teach our politicians how politics are handled in a country made up of more than 17,500 islands. The delegation is part of the American Council of Young Political Leaders which, despite its name, is an organization made up of young people involved in government in more than 90 countries across the world. During their 11-day tour, the delegation will visit Washington, D.C., Rhode Island and Nebraska to learn not just about politics, but also to get a taste of American culture and to make contacts with movers and shakers around the world. The delegates, who are between the ages of 25 and 40, will be meeting with some of Rhode Island’s top officials, including Attorney General Patrick Lynch, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams and the Democratic and Republican Party chairmen. Local leaders are also taking part, including Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who has been an ACYPL delegate to Brazil and the Philippines. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:59 PM | Comment Crews battle fire at North Smithfield drive-inNorth Smithfield crews are at the scene of a fire at the Rustic Drive-In, the only drive-in theater in Rhode Island. The fire is in the concession stand, according to officials. The theater, on Route 146, has been around since the early 1950s. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:31 PM | Comment Boston shows significant job growth; R.I. dips againRhode Islanders who can't find a job in their home state may have better luck in nearby Boston. In April, jobs in the Boston metro area rose by 24,400 from the same month last year, a one-percent increase, the data shows. Nationally, job growth was slower at 0.3 percent. In the Boston area, education and health services in April gained 11,400 jobs compared to April of last year, the highest growth rate of any sector, the agency reported. Education and health services accounted for nearly half of the total job gains recorded in the Boston area. The second largest job growth sector during the period was professional and business services, which added 6,900 jobs. Rhode Island last month shed another 700 jobs, the fourth consecutive monthly decline, and the state unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1 percent, a government jobs report released today shows. During the first four months of this year, Rhode Island has lost lost 6,300 jobs, and its payroll employment has fallen to its lowest level since June 2003, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi Posted by Lynn Arditi at 12:19 PM | Comment Power failure hits Amgen facility in W. GreenwichAmgen’s biotech manufacturing facility in West Greenwich, along with more than 800 additional customers, lost electricity this morning after a power line came down in Coventry. Amgen, which is set up to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, lost service at 8:04 a.m. today, according to National Grid spokesman David Graves. Service was restored 50 minutes later. The power lines that caused the problem were on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry; one line knocked down another, Graves said. Eight hundred-twenty-six additional customers, mostly in Coventry, also lost power, Graves said. It was returned in stages, and power was fully restored to those affected by 10:10 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:04 PM | Comment Judge lets FM Global continue with new headquartersPROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge has refused to halt construction at the site of FM Global's new heaquarters building in Johnston, but he warned that the insurance company could be forced to tear down the project at a later date. The ruling of Judge Michael A. Silverstein keeps the project alive, but it casts a pall over the municipal permitting process that allowed construction to get underway earlier this spring. The owner of FM Global’s existing headquarters, CapLease, has accused Johnston town officials of violating town zoning and planning regulations in a biased attempt to grease the skids for the project, which is regarded as one of the state’s most important economic development initiatives. The landlord’s appeal of local zoning and planning decisions was filed in Superior Court last month. CapLease also asked Silverstein to halt the project while the court deals with the appeals. In today’s ruling, Silverstein denied the requested stay, saying that CapLease had failed to present evidence showing that the continuation of construction at the site off Central Avenue would inflict irreparable harm. Nonetheless, he warned FM Global that it might have to reverse its project if it decides to press on. “The court simply will say the plaintiff has shown some likelihood of success with respect to the ultimate issues that likely will be before the court as it deals with the appeals,” Silverstein said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:00 PM | Comment In Westerly, large brush fire knocked down overnightWESTERLY -- Firefighters flanked and knocked down a large brush fire early this morning that was moving rapidly toward residential areas, according to the fire chief. The fire, reported at 9:30 last night, was knocked down at about 2:30 this morning. It gorged on about 6 1/2 acres, part of a 160-acre northern area of town bounded by High Street, Route 3, Old Hopkinton Road, and Hope Street, said Fire Chief David Sayles. Three Westerly fire trucks responded, and the Ashaway Fire Department from the neighboring village in Hopkinton sent two trucks. Firefighters took up right and left flanking positions to fight the blaze. Sayles said that at this time the fire is not thought to be suspicious, but it remains under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:54 AM | Comment Tweeter Center now called Comcast CenterStarting with tonight's kickoff of the summer concert season, the name of the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., will be changed to the Comcast Center. Comcast, a cable television provider in Massachusetts, and Live Nation, the owner of the entertainment and concert venue, this morning announced a 10-year partnership that gives Comcast the naming rights. Terms were not disclosed. Beginning with tonight’s Eric Clapton concert, the signs at the outdoor amphitheater will be changed to Comcast Center to reflect the facility’s unique wooded setting. “We are excited to join with Live Nation to place our name on one of the most-loved entertainment venues in New England,” said Randy Waddell, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Comcast’s NorthCentral Division. The Comcast Center can accommodate 19,900 people and hosts approximately 35-40 concerts per year. -- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa Posted by Jack Perry at 10:35 AM | Comment Update: No problems for exit 20 Iway closure/ Photo
Exit 20 on Route 95 northbound, the ramp feeding traffic to Route 195 eastbound, was closed as part of the Department of Transportation's relocation of a section of Route 195 and its intersection with Route 95. Much of the traffic using Exit 20 to reach Route 195 eastbound had already shifted to the new Exit 19 and the new section of highway, which the DOT has named the Iway. This morning's change cut the remaining northbound traffic off from some exits on the old section of Route 195 near downtown. The DOT suggested a variety of detours, including continuing north on Route 95 to other Providence exits and leaving the highway at Allens Avenue and following that north to downtown. Early this morning, most of the northbound traffic appeared to be continuing past the closed exit and taking later exits to reach the city. Frank Corrao III, the DOT's deputy chief engineer in charge of construction management, said this morning that "There really has been no problem with the traffic." He said the exit was The earlier element of the traffic shift, when the new section of highway opened in November, caused an enormous traffic jam that continued for days starting at Route 195 eastbound where the DOT had reduced the highway from three lanes to two. Traffic backed up on Route 195 and then onto Route 95 southbound all the way to the Massachusetts line, and the DOT had to open a new entrance ramp to the highway ahead of schedule to relieve the jam. This morning's exit closing was different in that drivers unaware of the change were forced to continue north on Route 95, take a later exit and find their way back to their destination. A description and maps of the suggested detours are on the DOT's Web site. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:30 AM | Comment State: R.I. high school grad rate lower than thoughtRhode Island’s high school graduation rate is 19 percentage points lower than previously reported, and at 70.1 percent hovers just under the national average of 70.6 percent, according to a new, more accurate method of tracking students. Under the old formula, the state Department of Education reported that slightly more than 89 percent of the Class of 2007 had graduated. But, under the new formula, the percentage plummeted. The new figure means about 3,000 students who should have received diplomas last year dropped out over a four-year period. State education officials say that the old method for calculating graduation rates counted students who took longer than four years to graduate, while the new method, which is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Governors Association, does not, resulting in a 6 percentage point increase in the dropout rate. In addition, many students who left school were previously recorded as “unknown” and were not counted as dropouts. The new system requires those students to be included in the dropout category. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan Chart: Newly Calculated Graduation Rate for the Class of 2007 Several urban schools reported new graduation rates well below 60 percent, including Central Falls High School, with 45.9 percent graduating, and Tolman Senior High School in Pawtucket graduating just 45.7 percent. “Adopting this new calculation was a critical part of our efforts to bring greater transparency to our education system,” said Gov. Carcieri in a statement. “In order to improve Rhode Island’s schools, the public needs an accurate understanding of the challenges we face and how we compare with other states. …. Now that we have a more accurate formula for calculating our graduation rate, we have a better chance of designing the necessary reforms to improve our outcomes.” Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:10 AM | Comment Graduation ceremony for English learnersWhen Alemy Mondestin came to the United States from Haiti, he realized he’d have to go back to school to be able to get a job in the field he had worked in back home -- civil engineering. So when he arrived in Rhode Island, he worked outside of his field, took English classes and volunteered at the Genesis Center in Providence. He will earn his (second) civil engineering degree next year, and hopes to again work in his chosen field. Today Modestin will receive the Genesis Center Graduate and Independent Man award, and he’ll deliver the commencement speech for this year’s English for Speakers of Other Languages graduating class. Today’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Providence. The event is free and open to the public. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:35 AM | Comment Cape Cod lighthouse thought destroyed found in Calif.WELLFLEET, Mass. -- Local historians for decades thought the 30-foot tall lighthouse that once overlooked Wellfleet Harbor had been taken down and destroyed in 1925. Turns out, it had just been moved to the California coast. The fate of the cast iron tower was uncovered last year by lighthouse researchers. Colleen MacNeney reported the find in this month's edition of Lighthouse Digest. MacNeney tells the Cape Cod Times that it was her most exciting discovery. Wellfleet historian Helen Purcell says the discovery of the light at Point Montara at the southern end of San Francisco Bay was a genuine shock. MacNeney says she discovered correspondence that proved the lighthouse, first erected in 1881, had been moved by the Coast Guard from Wellfleet to Yerba Buena, Calif., and eventually to Point Montara. The lighthouse is still used as a navigation aid and a hostel. -- The Associated Press (Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com) Posted by Jack Perry at 9:28 AM | Comment Hearing continues for ex-cop accused of killing neighborThe bail hearing is set to continue today for a former Providence police officer accused of fatally shooting his neighbor. Yesterday, Nicholas Gianquitti cried as he listened to the 911 call that his wife placed while their neighbor James Pagano was dying from a single gunshot wound. The hearing is set to continue for the third day today, with testimony from Dr. Alexander Cherkov, the assistant state medical examiner, who conducted Pagano’s autopsy. Extra: Read the Journal's continuing coverage of the Cranston shooting Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:41 AM | Comment Hurricane preparedness: This is only a testDon’t be alarmed, it’s only a test. Hurricane season began June 1, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts more than a dozen of the storms this year. To prepare for a possible storm, the Providence Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security is leading an emergency evacuation drill today for tenants along the Port of Providence. The exercise will simulate a chemical spill caused by strong wind and waves. It will test the port businesses’ evacuation plans and the first responder reverse 911 system. In addition to the Providence police and fire departments, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will take part, busing evacuees to a staging area at the Johnson and Wales Hospitality Center. Today’s drill, scheduled for 10 a.m., is one of several events planned this month to test hurricane preparedness, including a damage assessment exercise and a hurricane barrier test. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:30 AM | Comment This day in historyOn June 4, 1989, Chinese army troops stormed Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush a pro-democracy movement; hundreds - possibly thousands - of people were killed. Read what Henry Ford, the Supreme Court and Bruce Springsteen did on this day in history. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:06 AM | Comment Today's front pageBarack Obama has secured the Democratic nomination for president. See how Rhode Islander's react on today's front page. Also, read about the 911 call made after a Cranston firefighter was fatally shot. Download a .PDF copy of the page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Could be better, could be worseYes, there's rain. Yes, there are clouds. Yes, the temperature will hover in the 60s today. But it doesn't look so bad. The National Weather Service is forecasting rain all day, but mostly a drizzle in the Ocean State. The temperature should reach a comfortable 66 degrees with south winds between 8 and 13 mph. More showers are in the forecast for tonight, until about 9:00. Skies will remain cloudy, with temperatures dropping to the mid 50s and calm northeast winds Tomorrow may start off with early clouds and showers, but as the day goes on, the clouds will part, the sun will appear and we'll be on our way to a high temperature near 70. See what's in store for the second half of the week on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment June 3, 2008Tonight: A partial WaterFire -- and political fireworksThere's a partial WaterFire tonight in Providence. It will happen in the Waterplace Park basin in the city's downtown. Two dozen or so braziers will be used for this lighting, customarily at sunset, which will arrive at 8:16 p.m. The event goes to about midnight. But if that isn't enough fireworks for you -- you may want to tune into the outcome of today's presidential primaries in Montana and South Dakota. The Associated Press is already reporting that Sen. Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination in his quest to become the nation's first black president. Get the latest from the AP, your TV or your favorite political site. Just like voting -- it's your choice. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment R.I. Senate passes bill requiring renewable-energy buyPROVIDENCE -- Senate lawmakers have approved a bill requiring the state's largest power company to buy renewable energy for at least a decade at a time. Supporters say the Senate proposal will spur the construction of renewable energy projects in a state with just a single wind turbine. The House is still debating a similar bill. The proposals would require National Grid to sign enough contracts by 2013 so that it could meet 9 percent of the state's average electricity needs using wind turbines, solar panels or other systems. The contracts would have to extend at least 10 years. Bill supporters say renewable energy developers won't build here until a large customer is forced to buy renewable energy. House Republicans warn the plan could cause electricity prices to rise. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Motorists: 95N's Exit 20 closing Wednesday AM / MapDo you drive into Providence? Then you need to know: Wednesday's the day. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation says that Wednesday morning it will permanently close Exit 20 on Route 95 north, which has for decades carried traffic from the south to Route 195 east, toward Cape Cod. Two lanes were closed Tuesday on Route 6 westbound between Tobey Street and Hartford Avenue. The lanes will remain closed while crews work on bridge repair. Lanes should reopen by 2:30 p.m. And Tuesday night, the two right lanes will be closed on Route 195 westbound between Exits 2/S. Main Street and Route 95. The Wickenden Street on-ramp to Route 195 westbound will also be closed tonight from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. to fix a hole in the deck of the bridge. Don't know where to go if you can't take Exit 20? Read a Journal story for tips and see a map of the area and alternate routes. To keep up with all of the detours, delays and lane closures, check the Transportation Management Center. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 6:32 PM | Comment Ethics panel called on to close 'loophole' on conflictsPROVIDENCE -- Government reform groups, Governor Carcieri and some legislators today demanded that the state Ethics Commission close a "loophole" in the state’s ethics laws that they said is discrediting state government by allowing corruption to flourish. The provision they want changed is an obscure but pivotal section of the law that forgives some otherwise-illegal conflicts of interest, cases where public officials, their relatives or business associates benefit from their official actions. The commission held a workshop today to accept proposals and hear testimony on whether to change it. Although the debate focused on the state legislature, the issue also comes up regularly in local government and may also have affected the outcome of the recent, unsuccessful federal prosecution of two former CVS executives accused of bribing former state Sen. John Celona. Calling Rhode Island "the most corrupt state in New England," Robert Benson, a board member of the group Operation Clean Government, said the ethics code must be tightened up "to restore the public’s trust." In the last half dozen years, at least seven state legislators prosecuted for an assortment of ethical and criminal violations have suffered penalties ranging from fines to, in the case of Celona and former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau, jail. There is also a continuing federal investigation of influence peddling at the State House. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis The existing rule, a letter from the governor’s office said, "shields activity that would otherwise be considered unethical," and lets state legislators introduce and vote on legislation "that would directly benefit the financial interests of themselves and their private employers." Common Cause of Rhode Island urged replacement of the present exemption with a much tighter rule that would bar officials, like legislators, from voting on an issue if they, their relatives or business associates would benefit any more than the general public or businesses in general. The provision in question, referred to as the "class exception," forgives a conflict of interest if the public official involved, his relatives or business partners, benefit no more from his actions than other members of "a significant and definable class" affected by the law. For example, the commission in January dropped five charges against state Sen. Frank Ciccone, D-Providence. Ciccone, a union official, was accused of breaking the ethics law by voting for legislation benefiting the unions he works for. His bill, which died in the House, would have saved public employee unions money by shifting some of the cost of mediation from the unions to the state. It would have affected union locals that Ciccone represented, but the commission ruled that because it would also have affected more than 100 other locals no differently, his votes qualified for the exception. Today, organized labor and the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opposed a change, saying it would interfere improperly with the General Assembly’s role. Lawyer Robert Mann, representing a coalition of labor organizations, said there is a solid body of law protecting legislators from interference. "You cannot regulate how these legislators participate in the legislative process," he said. The ACLU said in a letter that eliminating the exemption could undermine legislative government by unfairly disenfranchising both elected officials and their constituents. State Rep. Joseph Trillo, R-Warwick, on the other hand, said that union legislators have so distorted the law in the unions’ favor that state and local government can barely function. The legislative immunity issue has already come up during the commission’s ongoing prosecution of former state Senate President William Irons, with the commission arguing, successfully so far, that the state Constitution gives the commission special authority to do so. Commission Chairman James Lynch Sr. has said repeatedly that he wants a change in the "class exception," and some other commission members today indicated interest. "Many of us think that something needs to be done," said commission member Ross E. Cheit. He called the Common Cause suggestion "a great start," but he and other commission members also pointed to complications. For example, Cheit wondered how a town council member who was elderly could legally vote on anything affecting elderly residents, like property tax exemptions, because it would affect that council member more than "the general public." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:23 PM | Comment Child hit by pickup truck in Providence this afternoonPROVIDENCE -- A 9-year-old boy was struck by a small pickup truck on Leah Street this afternoon. Assistant Fire Chief Michael Dillon said the boy had shoulder injuries, abrasions to the forehead, severe road rash to a knee, and internal injuries, including to a lung. The boy had apparently been dragged some distance by the truck. The accident happened in the 180 block of Leah Street . Jim Gomes, a neighbor, said he called 911 after hearing someone exclaim outside his house. He saw a boy leaning against a tree who appeared to be bleeding from the head and had an injury to a leg. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:02 PM | Comment Update: 'Survivor' Hatch takes tax case to highest court
Richard Hatch couldn’t survive a jury trial or an appeals court when defending himself against federal tax evasion charges. Now, the winner of the reality TV show Survivor, infamous for baring all by wearing no bottoms, is taking his case all the way to the top -- the U.S. Supreme Court. At a 2006 trial in U.S. District Court, Providence, a jury found Hatch, 47, of Newport, guilty of not paying taxes on his Survivor winnings, including the $1 million jackpot the show paid him. Hatch maintains that when he confronted producers about cheating on the show, he was promised that in exchange for his silence, the show would pay his taxes if he won. His Texas lawyer, Michael Minns, an author renowned for challenging the Internal Revenue Service, asserts that trial Judge Ernest C. Torres improperly prevented him from exploring this defense. The U.S. District Court of Appeals, in Boston, rejected that argument in a decision handed down in February. It concluded that Minns had plenty of opportunity to delve into how the alleged cheating, denied by CBS, related to his failure to pay the taxes he owed. In a brief filed on May 23 with the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., Minns makes the same argument. Minns also argued the judge unfairly limited his cross-examination of the tax accountant who prepared Hatch’s tax returns and who was a key witness for the government. "He’s extremely optimistic about his appeal," Minns said of Hatch, who is now in federal prison in West Morgantown, W. Va. "He still believes the system should work." -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit The U.S. Department of Justice has until June 30 to respond to Hatch’s appeal. A spokesman declined comment while the case is pending. The U.S. Supreme Court takes up only a small number of the appeals it receives. Hatch is serving a 51-month sentence, the maximum sentence Torres was permitted to hand down after he concluded that Hatch perjured himself. Hatch is scheduled to be released a year from October. Minns said Hatch was writing a book about "his experiences with the legal system and his disappointment not just with the problems that he suffered but with the problems other people have suffered that he has met." Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:21 PM | Comment About 1,500 rally at State House for employee benefitsPROVIDENCE -- An estimated 1,500 union members and their supporters, according to the Capital Police, are rallying outside the State House at this hour. Working Rhode Island, a coalition of labor unions, organized the rally to argue for preserving benefits for state employeees and teachers. "All we're trying to do is keep what we have," said Frank Montanaro, president of the AFL-CIO in Rhode Island, in addressing the crowd. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:54 PM | Comment Update: 911 call punctuates Gianquitti's bail hearing
At first, Jennifer Gianquitti, the wife of suspect Nicholas Gianquitti, was heard screaming incoherently. Then, she reported that a neighbor had intruded and said her husband was a former Providence police officer with a permit to carry a gun. Then Nicholas Gianquitti got on the phone. He said a man charged at him in his house and that he was in the right in having shot the man. Gianquitti also said he was a former police officer with a permit to carry a gun. The tape was played during the testimony of a record manager for the state's 911 emergency system. The record manager was one of two persons called by the Attorney General's Office to testify today at Gianquitti's bail hearing, which will continue tomorrow for a third afternoon in District Court before Judge Elaine Bucci. Gianquitti is accused of shooting and killing his neighbor, Cranston firefighter Lt. James A. Pagano. The hearing is being held to determine whether Gianquitti, who had served briefly as a Providence police officer, will be held without bail pending an arraignment and possible trial. Cranston detective Peter J. Souza also testified today, saying that there were two shots fired, not three. Other witnesses have reported hearing three. The detective attributed that to being a ricochet or an echo. Souza based his finding on a search of properties in the area, which turned up only two shell casings. An official with the state Office of Medical Examiners, who was due to testify today, could not be there and is the only one slated to testify tomorrow afternoon in District Court. The defense at this time has no plans to call anyone to testify but reserves the right to do so. The hearing began yesterday afternoon, with James Pagano’s 12-year-old nephew, 72-year-old father Anthony Pagano, and other relatives saying they were at a birthday party for Pagano’s son when James Pagano got into a fight with Gianquitti. Pagano’s nephew, Benjamin Shola, 12, said Gianquitti got mad when a tennis ball hit his car. From there, other witnesses said, there were harsh words, punches and, ultimately, three shots. Pagano, a Cranston firefighter, died from a single gunshot wound, according to the state medical examiners office. Extra: Continuing coverage on the Cranston shooting. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:43 PM | Comment Police report early morning bear sightings in WesterlyWESTERLY — A black bear had been spotted around the state in the past few weeks, and it seemed particularly fond of South County. But there hadn't been a sighting since last week. Until now. The police received two calls before dawn today about a bear sighting. A Department of Environmental Management officer searched a wooded, swampy area not far from Route 1 but found no sign of a bear, according to spokeswoman Gail Mastrati. Westerly police dispatcher Donald Cornell said two calls came in on the overnight shift. When he began his day shift, he was told to advise any other callers to stay away from the bear and let the DEM authorities handle it. The DEM has some tips on how to handle a bear, should you come across one. -- Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 3:07 PM | Comment Everest climber due back in R.I. tomorrow eveningHe did it. Warwick chiropractor Tim Warren has reached the top of the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, after an unsuccessful attempt last year. And tomorrow, Warren, believed to be the only Rhode Islander to reach the top –– about 29,000 feet above sea level –– will return to the Ocean State to tell his story. Warren has referred to his attempts at climbing Everest as his “Klimb for Kids.” He’s been raising money for the A Wish Come True group, a local foundation that supports children with life threatening illnesses. In 2007, Warren climbed to 24,000 feet, but had to turn back when he became sick with a throat in infection. But on May 23, he reached the summit, writing on his Web site later: “I have been where humans are just not supposed to be and the corpses are in plain sight as a reminder.” He’s set to return to Rhode Island tomorrow at 7:45 p.m. at T. F. Green Airport. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:32 PM | Comment Update: State releases survey on risky youth behaviorState officials today have released youth "risk behavior" survey findings expected to show improvement in several areas but "disturbing worsening trends" in some others -- particularly with regard to dating and sexual violence and nutrition. Find the full release on the Department of Health's Web site. Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director, and Peter McWalters, the elementary and secondary education commissioner, released 2007 findings -- the School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. It marks the first information collected from middle schoolers as well. According to the news release, the middle school information showed certain behaviors begin at a young age and "that prevention efforts must target pre-teens as much as teenagers." Survey aims included identifying "risk behaviors" and determining "public health successes in improving outcomes for youth," the release says. "Sustained improvements in adolescent health require coordinated investments in neighborhoods and schools. There is a role for the state, schools, communities and parents." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:00 PM | Comment Photo: Hanging out at Hanging Rock
Posted by Jack Perry at 1:52 PM | Comment R.I. home sales, prices continue to fallThe Warren Group, a Boston-based real estate tracking firm, this morning said the median price of a single-family home in Rhode Island fell 11.3 percent in April, from last year’s price of $270,000 to $239,500. The year-to-date price fell 10.3 percent from $267,500 to $240,000. The number of home sales in April decreased to 538 in April from 659 in April 2007. Year-to-date sales fell 20.2 percent from 2,336 to 1,864. Although condominium sales continue to fall – dropping by 37.6 percent from April 2007 to April 2008 – their median price remained steady. Sales fell from 210 last year to 131 this year, and the median price rose 1.6 percent from $223,500 to $227,000. Year-to-date sales of condos fell 37.3 percent from 710 last year to 445 this year. The year-to-date median price declined 0.8 percent from $221,750 to $220,000. -- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa Posted by Jack Perry at 11:50 AM | Comment Sen. Kennedy is walking hospital halls after surgeryRALEIGH, N.C. -- Sen. Edward Kennedy had ``a restful night's sleep'' after brain surgery and is recovering with no complications. In a statement issued to The Associated Press today, aides to the Massachusetts Democrat said, ``He is experiencing no complications, and has been walking the hallways, spending time with family and actively keeping up with the news of the day.'' Kennedy is expected to leave Duke University Medical Center in Durham next week. The 76-year-old Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe of his brain after suffering a seizure on May 17 at his home in Hyannisport, Mass. He underwent 3 1/2 hours of surgery on yesterday, during which doctors sliced away at the tumor. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:41 AM | Comment Photo: Car sideswipes building
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:27 AM | Comment Motorcyclist dies in Cumberland crashCUMBERLAND -- A 19-year-old Cumberland man died last night when he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving and crashed on West Wrentham Road, according to the Cumberland police. Patrick R. Holmes, of Abbott Run Valley Road, was riding north with a group of riders shortly before 10 p.m. when he went off the road at a curve near Old West Wrentham Road, said Sgt. Paul Brown. Holmes was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Brown. The police believe excessive speed was a factor in the accident. A helmet was found at the scene, but it's unclear whether Holmes was wearing it. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:38 AM | Comment Teenager shot in Pawtucket; possible drive-byThe Pawtucket police are investigating what they believe was a drive-by shooting. The police say the victim, a 19-year-old male whose name is not being released, was walking along Payne Park at about 8:30 p.m. in the city with friends when they heard shots. One of the victim’s friends ducked behind a car, Lt. Daniel Mullen said. The victim tried to run, according to Mullen. “As he’s running,” Mullen said, “he’s shot.” The victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with one gunshot to the upper back. As of last night, Mullen said, the victim was in stable condition, and he’s expected to survive. Neither the victim nor his friends saw the shooters or a car, Mullen said, they just heard the shots. The police do not have any identification on a vehicle. The case is under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:15 AM | Comment Hearing continues for ex-officer accused in killingThe bail hearing for an ex-police officer accused of shooting and killing his neighbor is set to continue today after testimony yesterday from the victim’s family. Gianquitti, an ex-Providence police officer who was receiving disability payments, is accused of shooting and killing Pagano. Pagano’s nephew Benjamin Shola, 12, said Gianquitti got mad when a tennis ball hit his car. From there, other witnesses said, there were harsh words, punches and ultimately, three shots. Pagano, a Cranston firefighter, died from a single gunshot wound, according to the state Medical Examiners office. Testimony will continue today at 2 p.m. to determine whether Gianquitti will be held without bail pending an arraignment and possible trial for murder. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 95, downtownA single car accident has Route 95 blocked in downtown Providence this morning. The accident is on the southbound side of the roadway, at Exit 21/Atwells Ave. The left and center lanes are blocked, slowing down traffic to a crawl. To keep an eye on the roads, see the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:58 AM | Comment Next up for Sen. Kennedy: Chemo, radiation treatmentsDURHAM, N.C. — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is recovering today at Duke University Medical Center, a day after undergoing risky surgery that experts said was designed to reduce his brain tumor and give chemotherapy and radiation treatments a chance to work. The 76-year-old senator was expected to stay at the North Carolina facility for about a week before returning home to Massachusetts for further treatment. In the following days, Kennedy will probably be given drugs to prevent brain swelling and seizures, which are possible complications of the surgery. The senator will also be closely watched for bleeding and blood clots, because strokes are also a risk, though they are uncommon. “After a brief recuperation, he will begin targeted radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital and chemotherapy treatment,” his doctor, Dr. Allan Friedman, said in a statement following Monday’s procedure. “I hope that everyone will join us in praying for Sen. Kennedy to have an uneventful and robust recovery.” -- The Associated Press Doctors gave few details about the surgery, and did not say how much was removed. The procedure lasted about 31/2 hours, and when he emerged, a family spokeswoman said he told his wife, Vicki, that he felt “like a million bucks.” The sole surviving son of America’s most glamorous and tragic political family was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an often lethal type of brain tumor discovered in about 9,000 Americans a year. Details about Kennedy’s exact type of tumor have not been disclosed, but some cancer specialists have said it is a glioblastoma multiforme — an especially deadly and tough-to-remove type — because other kinds are more common in younger people. Cutting a tumor down to size — or “debulking” it — is extremely delicate because of the risk of harming healthy brain tissue that governs movement and speech. But Friedman, who is the top neurosurgeon at Duke and an internationally known tumor surgeon, said Kennedy should not experience any permanent neurological effects. Median survival for glioblastomas is 12 to 15 months, but the range is wide, said Dr. Mark Gilbert, a brain tumor expert at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The outlook for patients with malignant gliomas is poor, and depends on what type of glioma a patient has. Median survival for patients with moderately severe ones is three to five years, and less than a year for those with the most severe type. Doctors have not revealed Kennedy’s treatment plan, but typical radiation treatment is five days a week for a month, using 3D imaging techniques that narrowly deliver the beams to the tumor, affecting as little surrounding tissue as possible. Kennedy also likely will receive the chemotherapy drug Temodar during and after radiation. It can cause typical chemo side effects — nausea, vomiting and fatigue — but treatments are much better for these than even a few years ago, doctors stressed. He also may be treated with Avastin, a newer targeted drug to deprive the tumor of its blood supply, though this is still experimental as initial treatment, rather than after patients have relapsed. Monday’s operation “spells nothing but hope,” Dr. John Sampson, associate deputy director of Duke’s brain tumor center, said from Chicago, where he was attending a conference of 30,000 cancer specialists. “What we’re seeing with the surgery and this conference is that there’s hope for patients with this kind of cancer.” Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:13 AM | Comment Today in historyOn this day in 1965, astronaut Edward White became the first American to walk in space, during the flight of Gemini 4. Read more about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny and muggy ... ah, JuneIt's already mild outside and it's already a bit more humid than it's been. And that's how it will stay. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 82 degrees and humidity is already at 77-percent. Winds from the south should be between 13 and 16 mph. Late tonight and early tomorrow morning we may see rain showers with increasing clouds and a low temperature near 57 degrees. We'll also have mild winds from the southwest. Tomorrow is a different story. Expect rain most of the day with high temperatures just shy of 70 degrees and calm south winds. For a peek at the rest of the week's forecast, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of the bail hearing for Nicholas Gianquitti, the Cranston man accused of shooting Cranston firefighter James Pagano to death in a neighborhood dispute. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment June 2, 2008Tonight: Learn about an old stagecoach routeEAST PROVIDENCE -- Before there were cars -- and gas prices -- as we know them today, there was a stagecoach route here. Tonight at 7, you can learn about it. Jeffrey Howe, a historian, genealogist and resident of the city's Riverside area, will give a talk and share research about the Old Barrington Road -- the former stagecoach route. The event, at the East Providence Public Library, 41 Grove Ave., is free. For information, call (401) 434-2453 or check out eastprovidencelibrary.org. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Photo: Down goes the water, up go the fish
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:44 PM | Comment Johnston mayor to Arcade tenants: Try us insteadPROVIDENCE -- Like a hawk in search of prey, Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena swooped in on The Arcade today after he heard that various eateries and other businesses in the mall must leave the premises by the end of this month. His pitch was simple: Come to Johnston. “I just want people to realize that Johnston is a great place to do business,” Polisena said afterward. “It’s our way of enticing them into the community,” he added. “When you get business, you get jobs.” Polisena canvassed the Westminster Street building -- the nation’s oldest indoor shopping mall -- with Councilman Ernest F. Pitochelli. He handed out his business card and told various concessioners that Johnston is going to get a lot busier and has room for many more small businesses. After losing money for years, The Arcade is clearing out for an $8 million renovation as well as a potential reconfiguration, according to Evan Granoff of Granoff Associates. Polisena, a tireless business recruiter, learned about the situation last week, thought about it over the weekend, and decided to venture down to The Arcade. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds The building is home to 13 small shops and restaurants and some of its storefronts are vacant. Polisena’s trying to find businesses to occupy various vacant storefronts along Johnston’s major thoroughfares, including an opening in the small strip-small adjacent to Town Hall, just off Atwood Avenue. Another vacancy is the old McDonald’s building on Hartford Avenue. Most of the merchants in The Arcade aren’t interested in leaving Providence. Some have been in town for several decades. Polisena said he can’t negotiate mortgages for anyone or guarantee that a particular business is going to be successful, but he’s ready to do whatever he can to help people get started. He emphasized that small businesses are important to the community, too; his administration has rolled out the red carpet for a handful of big businesses, including FedEx Ground, A. Duie Pyle and FM Global. “It’s nice to have the FM Globals and the A. Duie Pyles and stuff,” Polisena said. “Small business is the backbone of our community.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:43 PM | Comment Man gets 2 life sentences for 2005 Providence murderPROVIDENCE -- A Cranston man already serving time got more today -- a lot more. Tracey Barros, 29, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms' imprisonment -- plus 10 more years -- after firing five bullets into an unarmed Providence man three years ago, killing him. Barros has been serving a seven-year prison sentence after pleading no contest in August 2006 to possessing a pistol without a permit and possessing a firearm after having committed a crime of violence. Today, Judge Robert Krause added consecutive life terms on two of the four counts on which he was convicted in the Providence slaying -- one count of first-degree murder and one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, death resulting. The Attorney General's Office said that Krause also sentenced Barros to 10 years to serve at the ACI on one count of conspiracy to commit murder, concurrent with his sentence for first-degree murder, and 10 years to serve on one count of carrying a pistol without a permit, to be served consecutive to the two life sentences. On April 27, 2005, officers had found the victim in the case, Deivy Felipe, 26, also known as David Felipe, dead at the wheel of a parked Ford Explorer on Althea Street just after 1 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Eight months later, on Dec. 29, officers patrolling the South Providence neighborhood arrested Barros after seeing him go into a Taylor Street home with a gun stuffed in his back pocket. He was arrested on an unrelated gun charge and said during questioning that he had received the gun from Tonea “Nut” Simms. In an unrelated incident, Simms had been shot and killed the night before, according to the Attorney General's Office. Under questioning, Barros said that shortly after he had been released from the ACI -- on April 15, 2005 -- he had shot a person sitting in a Ford Explorer in Providence. Barros said that although he didn’t know the person, he had seen him twice before with Simms. He also said the person he shot owed Simms money. Barros -- when shown Felipe’s driver’s license -- identified Felipe as his victim, the Attorney General's Office said. He also identified the Ford Explorer as the car Felipe was in. When questioned on whether he realized he had killed Felipe, Barros "appeared shocked and stated he didn’t know Felipe was dead because he had left town for Washington, D.C., immediately after the shooting," according to the Attorney General's Office. Barros refused to have his statement recorded unless he saw a photo confirming the death of Tonea Simms. After seeing an autopsy photo, he gave a recorded statement, including that he killed Felipe because Felipe owed Simms money and because Felipe was with people who had killed Barros’s cousin. But a police search of murder-victim databases did not find a victim with the name provided by Barros as belonging to his so-called cousin. A jury convicted Barros of the Felipe murder in January, after Barros’s first trial ended in a hung jury in June 2007. He has been held without bail at the ACI since Dec. 31, 2005. “Given his lengthy record and obvious lack of remorse, it’s apparent that any attempt to rehabilitate this defendant would prove hopeless," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in the statement. "Judge Krause has imposed a sentence that will prevent this vicious criminal from ever harming another individual in free society again." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:25 PM | Comment 3 youths at party accused of possessing alcoholJAMESTOWN -- Police charged three people with underage possession of alcohol early Saturday after breaking up a party that drew close to 100 to Aquidneck Court. Officers responding to a complaint about a loud party at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, found about 100 people, some of whom were under 21, gathered at 5 Aquidneck Court, said Lt. William Donovan. Some partygoers fled into the woods when police arrived; others dropped their cans and bottles in a house strewn with liquor and beer bottles as the officers’ presence was announced. A 20-year-old female told officers the party was a fundraiser for AIDS, reports show. The home is owned by Stephen and Linda Mecca, according to tax assessor’s records. Three people were issued a summons for underage possession of alcohol: Zachary H. Hanners, 19, 10 Coulter St.; Elizabeth J. Gladding, 19, of 242 America Way; and Kevin Pomeroy, 20, of 190 Pheasant Run, North Kingstown, police said. The police are still investigating who supplied the alcohol, but Donovan said he believed some of the partygoers who were over 21 could have brought it. Officers confiscated all the alcohol and warned about the risks of hosting parties in which underage people were drinking, reports show. The arrests come less than a month after North Kingstown police broke up two underage drinking parties in that town and charged a 26-year-old local woman with providing alcohol to minors under the state’s social host law. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Christine Whitely, of Chaucer Drive, was the first person arrested by the “party patrol,” a federally-funded law-enforcement initiative targeting underage drinking, according to police. Laura Hosley, coordinator of Jamestown’s Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, said she and her North Kingstown counterpart tried unsuccessfully to earmark some of those dollars for similar patrols in Jamestown. Nonetheless, they plan to conduct a media campaign aimed at curbing teen substance abuse in both towns. Jamestown teens attend North Kingstown High School. “Of course, I don’t want to see people underage drinking and people over age condoning it,” Hosley said. “It’s a culture change we have to do.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:58 PM | Comment Children, victim's kin testify at Gianquitti's bail hearing
Pagano's father, Anthony Pagano; Pagano's sister, Jean M. Verdi; Pagano's 12-year-old nephew, and another neighborhood child were among those who testified this afternoon. According to children's testimony today, children were playing ball in the street when a tennis ball struck Gianquitti's car and he swore at the children. The children later reported what they said happened to adults in the Pagano house, where the birthday party was happening. Pagano left the house to confront Gianquitti, and his father, Anthony, came with him, according to testimony. James Pagano knocked at Gianquitti's door three times, then turned to leave, according to testimony from Anthony Pagano. A verbal profanity-laced argument ensued and James Pagano, according to the father's testimony, took a swing at Gianquitti. It was unclear today the extent of contact made. Gianquitti stumbled back, pulled a silver handgun out and fired one shot from inside his house, according to testimony, and chased James Pagano with a gun. Gianquitti allegedly fired two more times, and at some point a shot struck Pagano. Testimony is expected to continue tomorrow in District Court, Warwick. Gianquitti, a six-month Providence police officer who was receiving disability, has been held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston since his arrest May 18. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:06 PM | Comment Photo: Waiting to welcome them home from Iraq
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:20 PM | Comment Kennedy out of ’successful’ brain surgeryDURHAM, N.C. — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is out of surgery at Duke University, and his doctor says a procedure to treat his cancerous brain tumor “was successful and accomplished our goals.” The 76-year-old senator now faces chemotherapy and radiation to treat the malignant glioma, a lethal type of brain tumor. Kennedy surgeon Dr. Allan Friedman says Monday his patient was awake during the 31/2-hour procedure, and should experience no permanent neurological effects from the surgery. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democrat says Kennedy spoke with his wife, Vicki, right after surgery. He told her: “I feel like a million bucks. I think I’ll do that again tomorrow.” Click below to read statements issued by Dr. Friedman. -- The Associated Press Statement of Dr. Allan Freidman, who performed brain surgery on Kennedy at Duke University: I am pleased to report that Senator Kennedy’s surgery was successful and accomplished our goals. Senator Kennedy was awake during the resection, and should therefore experience no permanent neurological affects from the surgery. The surgery lasted roughly three and a half hours and is just the first step in Senator Kennedy’s treatment plan. After a brief recuperation, he will begin targeted radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital and chemotherapy treatment. I hope that everyone will join us in praying for Senator Kennedy to have an uneventful and robust recovery. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:14 PM | Comment Farmers' Market to reopen in ProvidenceSeven farms and dozens of specialty vendors will sell their goods at the Hope High School Farmers' Market set to reopen for the summer season on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event, sponsored by Farm Fresh Rhode Island and the Downcity Farmers' Market, will continue at the corner of Olney and Hope Streets in Providence through November. Among the farms participating are Hill Orchards, Arcadian Fields, Wishing Stone Farm, City farm, Bettencourt Farms, Robin Hollow Farm, Treaty Rock Farm and Cooks Valley Farm. -- Journal business editor John Kostrzewa Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:50 PM | Comment W. Warwick picks new town manager from MaineJames H. Thomas, the former town manager of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, has been selected to fill the manager's seat in West Warwick. Thomas will fill the position left vacant in December when former town manager Wolfgang Bauer was fired after he was accused of mismanaging funds related to the Riverwalk Project. Thomas is spending today meeting town staff and working on getting up to speed as acting Town Manager David Clayton helps him transition. The Town Council will officially appoint Thomas during their meeting Tuesday night, and Clayton is set to formally pass the baton to Thomas at noon on Wednesday. His base salary in West Warwick will be $98,000. Thomas, of Biddeford, Maine, most recently served as the town manager of Old Orchard Beach, Maine -- a position he held for a little more than four years. Old Orchard Beach is in southern Maine -- 10 minutes from Portland -- and has a population of 10,000 in winter and more than 100,000 in the summer. "I was looking for a new challenge," Thomas said of his decision to leave Maine. He knew some people who'd previously worked in Rhode Island and after he put his resume in, "things just fell into place after that." -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford He previously served as the village manager in Whitefish Bay, Wis., for two years; village administrator and village clerk in Forest Park, Ill., for three years; and city manager and recorder in Roy, Utah, for two years. He received a bachelor's degree in political science and communication from Weber State College, Utah, in 1982, and a master's degree in public administration from Brigham Young University in 1990. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:02 PM | Comment Roberts bringing health-care meeting to AquidneckResidents of Aquidneck Island will get their chance Wednesday to ask questions and learn about a health-care reform package touted by Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts. Roberts is also asking attendees to share stories about health-care coverage, costs and problems. Residents from Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth and Jamestown are invited to attend. The meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Newport Hospital, 11 Friendship St. in Newport. This is the 12th meeting Roberts has scheduled across the state to promote her health-care initiative. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 12:25 PM | Comment Sen. Kennedy's surgeon: A 'thought leader' in his field
AP photoDr. Allan Friedman RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The 59-year-old Chicago native picked to operate Monday on Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy's cancerous brain tumor is a respected leader in the giant field of neuro-oncology, experts said. When the top doctor at the American Cancer Society, Dr. Otis Brawley, was asked by his daughter's high school math teacher for advice when diagnosed with a brain tumor, he recommended Duke University's Dr. Allan Friedman. He "is one of the thought leaders" in the field, Brawley said. Friedman is Duke's neurosurgeon-in-chief and the program director of the university Division of Neurosurgery at Duke. He also serves as the deputy director of the university's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. More from the Associated Press ... Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:04 PM | Comment Suspect in murders of 2 women returned to R.I. / Photo
Carter, 23, was arraigned this morning in Providence County Superior Court on 22 charges in the slayings of Heather Jesus, 20, and her cousin, Amanda Sousa, 17, at Jesus' Silver Lake apartment on June 14, 2007, and in a slew of robberies over the previous 12 days. An impassive Carter, shackled, with tattoos visible on the backs of his hands and neck, listened as the clerk recited charges in three indictments against Carter. Wearing a blue prison jumpsuit over a white T-shirt, blue tennis shoes and white socks, he spoke only to confirm his name, give his date of birth and recite his home address, 13 Busby St. in Pawtucket. Carter was extradited to Rhode Island from Florida, where he had been jailed after having been convicted of 10 armed robberies in that state. He allegedly fled there after the murders. Assistant public defender Roy Fowler entered a plea of not guilty on all charges on Carter's behalf. Judge Edward C. Clifton ordered that Carter be held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston pending a hearing on bail and a determination of legal representation scheduled for June 12. His alleged co-conspirator in the slayings, Raymond Clements, 24, of 28 Verndale Ave. in Providence is serving time at the ACI for robbery. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:57 AM | Comment Investigators probe cause of weekend W. Warwick fireWEST WARWICK -- Investigators are trying to find the cause of a three-alarm fire in West Warwick over the weekend that destroyed a downtown building. Officials say the building at 72 Washington Street had some retail and residential space but was vacant at the time of the fire. One firefighter suffered a minor back injury battling the flames on Saturday night and was taken to the hospital. There were no other reports of injuries. Neighbors say they heard some sort of an explosion, then saw flames and smoke. West Warwick Fire Prevention and the state Fire Marshal are investigating. Firefighters from Warwick, East Greenwich, Cranston and Providence helped fight the blaze. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:56 AM | Comment East Providence brush fire still hotEast Providence fire crews are on the scene of a brush fire that began yesterday and is still showing hot spots. The fire, near an old railroad bridge off Valley Street, was called in at about 8:00 p.m. yesterday. The low humidity and low dewpoint coupled with heavy timbers and oil and creosote soaked wood fueled the blaze. “It got going pretty good,” Battalion Chief Glenn J. Quick said this morning. Crews were on the scene from about 8:00 p.m. yesterday until 2:00 this morning, Quick said. And East Providence crews had help from Cranston’s fire boat. East Providence’s fire boat is out of commission. The city is expecting a new one next month. Accessibility to the site, near an abandoned railroad line near the banks of the Seekonk River, proved to be one of the biggest difficulties, Quick said. Crews are expected to spend a few more hours on the scene today, putting out the hot spots. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it’s under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:23 AM | Comment Weight restriction lowered for Burrillville bridgeThe weight restriction has been reduced on another bridge in Rhode Island. The posting on Harrisville Mill Bridge in Burrillville has been reduced from 15 to 10 tons, according to the state Department of Transportation. Vehicles heavier than 10 tons will need to find alternate routes. The Cove Bridge in Portsmouth and the Pawtucket River Bridge in Pawtucket both had weight restrictions lowered in May. According to RIDOT, the last of the inspections done on the Harrisville Mill Bridge showed deterioration in the stone arch part of the 106-year-old bridge. Because of the finding, the inspections will become more frequent. Another is scheduled to be done in six months. The bridge, part of Route 107/East Avenue, carries about 10,000 vehicles a day across the Pascoag River. The new limit does not affect passenger vehicles –– cars, pickup trucks, SUVs –– but drivers with any questions should call RIDOT’s customer service office: 401-222-2450 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. See RIDOT's overview of the state of Rhode Island bridges online. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:08 AM | Comment Jury selection begins in Entwistle murder trialWOBURN, Mass. — Jury selection has begun in the trial of a British man accused of killing his wife and infant daughter in the family’s Hopkinton home. Prosecutors and defense lawyers for Neil Entwistle started early this morning to weed through 170 potential jurors in Middlesex Superior Court. Entwistle nodded to them when introduced. Twelve jurors and four alternates eventually will be chosen. Prosecutors allege Entwistle shot his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, in January 2006, then left the country for his parents’ home in England. Prosecutors say Entwistle was despondent about his family’s deteriorating financial situation and dissatisfied with his sex life. Entwistle has pleaded not guilty. He says he loved his family and returned to England to be with his parents after the horror of finding the bodies. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:02 AM | Comment A nice day for a walk on the HillIt’s a nice day for a walk, and our two Senators seem to agree. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse will join local merchants and politicians on a walking tour of Federal Hill to meet with local businesses and residents and talk about economic development and other local issues. The tour is set to begin at 11 a.m. today, and make stops at restaurants and shops, including Venda Ravioli, Federal Hill House and Nancy’s Fancies. The senators will be joined by Providence City Councilman John J. Lombardi; State Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence, and Michelle Alhborg, the president of the Federal Hill Commerce Association. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:49 AM | Comment Gas up in R.I. for 10 straight weeks, hits $4.019 highGasoline prices in Rhode Island have risen for the 10th straight week, surpassing the $4 mark by nearly 2 cents, to yet another ecord high, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $4.019 at the self-service pump, up five cents from last week, according to AAA's weekly survey. Rhode Island hit an average of $4 per gallon Thursday, and the Ocean State is now among 13 states averaging at least $4 per gallon, AAA says. The price has climbed 88 cents the beginning of the year. Read a Journal report last week on the impact of $4 per gallon gas in Rhode Island. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:45 AM | Comment Hearing this afternoon in fatal shooting of firefighterA bail hearing has been rescheduled for this afternoon for the man accused of fatally shooting a Cranston firefighter during the victim’s son’s birthday party. The hearing for Nicholas Gianquitti was originally scheduled for this morning but has been moved back to 2 p.m. because of a busy court calendar. Gianquitti, a six-month Providence police officer who was receiving disability, has been held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions since his arrest May 18. The police say Gianquitti got into an argument with his neighbor, 44-year-old James Pagano, during a birthday party for Pagano’s son. Witnesses said they heard Gianquitti, 40, yelling and swearing that a ball had hit his car. Pagano, a Cranston firefighter for 15 years who had been promoted to lieutenant the previous week, confronted Gianquitti, according to the police. Witnesses say the two fought and then, they told the police, they heard gunshots. Pagano was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. According to the state Medical Examiner’s report, Pagano died of a single gunshot wound. Gianquitti's bail hearing is scheduled for District Court, Warwick, today. -- With reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:14 AM | Comment Rep. Kennedy at father’s side during brain surgeryPROVIDENCE — Rep. Patrick Kennedy is at his father’s side as the senator undergoes brain surgery at Duke University Medical Center. Robin Costello, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island congressman, says the younger Kennedy flew to North Carolina Sunday night to be with Sen. Edward Kennedy during his surgery today. The 76-year-old Massachusetts senator was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. He is being operated on by one of the nation’s top neurosurgeons. Then, he’ll be treated by chemotherapy and radiation. Costello says the younger Kennedy continues to be optimistic and hopeful that his father will beat the cancer. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:59 AM | Comment Sen. Kennedy undergoing surgeryWASHINGTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is undergoing surgery today at Duke University Medical Center for his cancerous brain tumor, his office said. The 76-year-old senator was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. A statement from the Massachusetts Democrat's office said he would be operated on this morning in Durham, N.C., by Dr. Allan Friedman, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. "I am deeply grateful to the people of Massachusetts and to my friends, colleagues and so many others across the country and around the world who have expressed their support and good wishes as I tackle this new and unexpected health challenge," Kennedy said in the statement. "I am humbled by the outpouring and am strengthened by your prayers and kindness." He expects to remain at the North Carolina facility for one week to recuperate and then will begin further treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital and start chemotherapy. Kennedy was hospitalized May 17 at Massachusetts General Hospital after a seizure. Doctors later announced that he had a malignant glioma in his left parietal lobe, a brain region that governs sensation but also plays some role in movement and language. Click below to read the full statement issued by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. -- The Associated Press I am deeply grateful to the people of Massachusetts and to my friends, colleagues and so many others across the country and around the world who have expressed their support and good wishes as I tackle this new and unexpected health challenge. I am humbled by the outpouring and am strengthened by your prayers and kindness. Over the past several days, Vicki and I, along with my outstanding team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, have consulted with experts from around the country and have decided that the best course of action for my brain tumor is targeted surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation. This morning, I will be undergoing surgery with Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke University Medical Center and expect to remain there to recuperate for approximately one week. Shortly thereafter, I will start radiation treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital and begin chemotherapy. After completing treatment, I look forward to returning to the United States Senate and to doing everything I can to help elect Barack Obama as our next president. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:50 AM | Comment R.I. Guard unit returns todayA local National Guard unit is returning home today after a one-year deployment, which included 10 months in Iraq. The eight members of the 65th Press Camp went to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for demobilization. They are set to arrive at Quonset National Guard Base at noon today. The 143rd Airlift Wing, R.I. National Guard is giving them a lift. The unit was activated in June of last year and trained at Fort Dix for two months. In August, they were deployed to Iraq, where members of the unit worked in public affairs positions at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:29 AM | Comment New ladder should boost herring in WoonasquatucketEver seen a fish climb a ladder? If not, today’s your lucky day. OK, so it’s not that kind of ladder, but today there is a fish ladder opening in the Woonasquatucket River. The ladder restores a path for migratory river fish to move freely between the Narragansett Bay and the Woonasquatucket. Damming of the river, for the use of textile mills, had kept the fish from their traditional spawning paths for more than 140 years. “Seven generations ago our ancestors started a path that prevented the fish from going up the river,” said Roylene Rides at the Door, a state conservationist for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. The project to restore the fish ladder was sponsored by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and by the developers and owners of the Rising Sun Mills complex: Struever Brothers Eccles and Rouse, Inc. and the Armory Revival Company. The $465,000 project is expected to increase the number of river herring supported in the river to 40,000. It was funded by public and private sources, including NRCS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coastal Resource Management Council and the RI Saltwater Anglers Association. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse will join USDA Deputy Undersecretary Conservation Gary Mast and local residents to officially open the ladder behind the Rising Sun Mills at 10:00 a.m. today. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:20 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Stay clear of Route 195If you can, avoid Route 195 this morning. An accident on the northbound side of the roadway at Exit 20/Route 195 has the right shoulder closed, and now a two-car accident has the left lane closed on Route 195 westbound at the Massachusetts state line. Earlier today, an accident at Route 195 westbound at Exit 2 had the left lane blocked. The roadway has been described as a parking lot; see for yourself on the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:19 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Did you get caught in house price drop?Did you get caught in the house price downturn? If your plans to sell your house and retire, travel, downsize, or pursue some other venture have been scuttled by this real estate bust, we want to hear your story. Please contact Providence Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi at larditi@projo.com or call (401) 277-7335. Please include a daytime phone number where you can be reached. Thank you. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:45 AM | Comment Today in historyOn this day in 1924, Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all American Indians. Watch a video report on today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Summer's on its wayThat wasn't so bad! The National Weather Service had forecast rain and thunderstorms all day Saturday, but we escaped with a few scattered showers across the state and wound up with a pleasant weekend. And today's not looking too shabby either. Temperatures should surpass 80, reaching 81 in places. Skies should stay mostly sunny and we'll have mild, west winds between 7 and 13 mph. Tonight the temperature should dip to about 56 degrees. Skies should stay clear and we'll have even milder west winds. And tomorrow looks like summer with high temperatures expected to reach the mid 80s, mostly sunny skies and mild, west winds. For updates to the forecast, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the ramp changes on Routes 95 and 195 as part of the Iway project. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006