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June 30, 2008

Rescue operation under way in Jamestown waters

The 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 way

PAWTUCKET -- 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 hearing

PROVIDENCE -- 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 gases

PROVIDENCE -- 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 people

PROVIDENCE -- 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 grants

The 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' dorm

State 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 Evans

PROVIDENCE -- 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 repairs

Repair 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 again

PAWTUCKET -- 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 problem

PROVIDENCE -- 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, 2008

Carcieri vetoes bill to build Blackstone Valley courthouse

Governor 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 blues

Tonight, 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. 30

Brown 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 say

PAWTUCKET -- 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.

Diaz 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, fired

JAMESTOWN –– 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. sampling

Test 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 died

PROVIDENCE -- 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 leader

In 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 conviction

PROVIDENCE -- 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 terminal

The 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

Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton have come to the small rural town of Unity hoping to unify the party. Providence Journal photos by Gretchen Ertl

Obama, Clinton appeal together for party unity

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.

Security amid the tractor parts.

Some 6,000 are in attendance the event in the town of 1,700 people.

Posted by maria caporizzo at 2:29 PM | Comment

Hotels, restaurants step up to fund July WaterFire

PROVIDENCE — 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 school

Are 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 $3

A 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,"
RIPTA stated in a letter to passengers and on its Web site.

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 legislation

Governor 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 her

WARWICK -- 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 case

PROVIDENCE -- 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

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., right, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., wave as they step off the plane in Manchester, N.H., on their way to a joint appearance in Unity, N.H. AP photo/Alex Brandon

UNITY, N.H. -- More than 1,000 people are lined up today in the tiny New Hampshire village of Unity in anticipation of this afternoon’s joint rally, when Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama –– the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee –– will hold a joint public appearance for the first time since the end of their combative primary battle.

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' retrial

PROVIDENCE -- 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 workers

The 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 merger

In 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 suspect

Pawtucket 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.

Two 17-year-old boys were also shot and killed Wednesday night; one in Woonsocket and one in Providence. Police are still looking for suspects in both cases.

Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment

Governor vetoes key renewable energy bill

Governor 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 you

This 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 Saturday

Saturday 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 free

Temperatures 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.

Check the air quality forecast on the DEM Web site.

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 home

Staff 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 submarine

On 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 forecast

Will 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.
Tonight we've got: a chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Saturday we've got: a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Saturday night we've got: a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Sunday we've got: a chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday night we've got: likely showers and thunderstorms.
Monday we've got: a 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 State

Today'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 Saturday

Saturday 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, 2008

Tonight: Author tells of pictorial journey in South County

South 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 shooting

A 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 operations

PROVIDENCE -- 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.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi and Journal archival reports

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, 17

A 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

Journal photos / Sandor Bodo, left and center; Bob Thayer, right
Victims of the separate shootings were found near these homes, from left, 45 Robinson St., Woonsocket; 14 Reservoir Ave., Pawtucket; and 124 Eastwood Ave., Providence.

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 swimming

The 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

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Spc. Kurt Sprengel, right, of North Kingstown, a member of the Army National Guard's 169th Military Police Unit, is welcomed home by his girlfriend, Kate Dunagan, left, of Barrington, at the Guard headquarters in Quonset this morning. This morning, 135 members of the unit flew in by cargo plane as they returned from an 11-month deployment in 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 suit

A 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.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

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 girlfriend

PAWTUCKET -- 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

Journal photo / Connie Grosch
Governor Carcieri signs the state budget at a State House ceremony where he was joined by the General Assembly's leadership.

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, 17

Police 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 sex

WARWICK -- 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 grant

The 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 refusals

PROVIDENCE — 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 offender

PROVIDENCE -- 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 track

Tonight 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
Tonight: Boys outdoor track
Tomorrow: Independent stars
Saturday: Baseball

Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:34 AM | Comment

Entwistle gets life in prison for killing wife, baby

WOBURN, 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 today

Governor 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

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
A young peregrine falcon at the doorway of the Federal Reserve restaurant on Dorrance Street drew some curious looks this morning. Three young falcons nest atop the nearby Bank of America Building in downtown Providence. Read more about the falcons.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:53 AM | Comment

National Guard company set to return today

After 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 Mesolella

A 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 WWI

On 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 now

Did 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 killer

Today'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, 2008

Tonight: Local acts hit stages around the state

Plenty 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 today

The 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. Green

American 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.
Travelers still will be able to fly to Chicago from the Warwick airport, said Kevin Dillon, president of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, which runs T.F. Green.

“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

The cutbacks are another result of the rising fuel costs pinching the airline industry and the country as a whole, driving up costs and keeping Americans closer to home.

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 Bristol

BRISTOL -- 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 Reed

U.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…”

Wh