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« June 2008 | Today | September 2008 » July 11, 2008Political sites: Obama going to Iraq with Sen. ReedTwo political Web sites are reporting that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be traveling to Iraq -- and taking Rhode Island's Jack Reed with him. Citing an unidentified source familiar with details of the trip, thehill.com said Obama would also be bringing Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and that the trip would include a stop in Afghanistan. CNNpolitics.com has just reported that Obama will be heading to Iraq later this month with both senators, citing two sources familiar with Obama's plans. Hagel serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, while fellow Democrat Reed, a West Point graduate, is on the Armed Services Committee and has made several trips to Iraq. The reports also refer to speculation that both men may be on Obama's short list for a vice presidential candidate. A spokesman for Obama would neither confirm nor deny to thehill.com that senator is traveling to the area. Aides to Hagel and Reed both refused to comment when asked by CNN about the upcoming trip. Thehill.com is the Web site of The Hill newspaper, which covers the activities of the U.S. Congress. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:04 PM | Comment Update: Great white shark sighting off Vineyard a hoaxEDGARTOWN, Mass. -- A 60-year-old man is facing a disorderly conduct charge after allegedly lying about seeing two great white sharks off a Martha Vineyard’s beach. Edgartown Police Chief Paul Condlin said Michael Lopenzo warned people to get out of the water at the Joseph Silva State Beach on Thursday. Lopenzo claimed he had seen two sharks about 22 feet long and 3,000 pounds each while he was fishing. Officials closed the beach, but Condlin said investigators later determined Lopenzo was lying. Condlin say Lopenzo gave the name of a nonexistent boat and owner to detectives investigating the sighting. Attempts to reach Lopenzo were not immediately successful. A second beach was closed Thursday on the island -- where the classic horror movie “Jaws” was filmed -- after lifeguards at South Beach said they might have seen a great white shark. In 1974, Steven Spielberg chose Martha’s Vineyard for “Jaws,” depicting a series of deadly great white attacks in the fictional community of Amity. The beaches were reopened Friday. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:38 PM | Comment Update: Shots fired from car while mother, baby on porchPROVIDENCE -- Multiple shots were fired from a car that drove by a Bergen Street residence twice early this morning, where a mother and her baby were among several people on the porch, according to a police report. As a result of the incident, the 9-month-old boy suffered a minor injury to the right side of the back of his head, according to police, and was taken by rescue truck to Hasbro Children's Hospital. The child had no visible external injury, Deputy Police Chief Paul Kennedy said this afternoon. A CT scan done as a cautionary measure found two metal objects, each about 2 millimeters in size, in the baby's skull, Kennedy said. The objects did not penetrate the skull or go into the brain, he said. Kennedy said it's not known what the objects are or how they got there. He cited a number of possibilities, from something richocheting off the house during the shootings to a unrelated incident in the past. The police said no other injuries were reported. The police had responded to 65 Bergen St. at 12:55 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Rashida Lovett, 27, told police she was holding her infant in her arms when, witnesses said, a dark, four-door older-model Oldsmobile or a 1994 Oldsmobile 88 with tinted windows drove onto Bergen from Regent Avenue. As the car drove past, about four shots were fired in the direction of those on the porch, according to the police report. The car turned around at Andem Street "for a second pass and fired approximately 5 more shots." The car then left, going onto Regent Avenue. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney A Buick in front of the residence was struck by shots in the driver-side window and the trunk. The police said witnesses described the occupants of the car the shots came from as four dark-skinned males. Several .25-caliber shell casings were located in the road at 65 Bergen St. Kennedy said the police have no specific suspects as of this afternoon. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:43 PM | Comment Body found off Tiverton ID'd as missing Conn. sailorA body found near the Tiverton shore was identified today as the Connecticut man who fell off his sailboat Monday afternoon near the Sakonnet River's northern entrance. The cause of death for Bernard Mochan, 65, of Clinton, Conn., is still pending, a state Health Department spokeswoman said today. Mochan fell off his 32-foot sailboat after being struck in the head by the boat’s boom. He was not wearing a flotation device. The Coast Guard called off its search for Mochan on Wednesday. Yesterday, Tiverton Fire Chief Robert Lloyd said that his department received a 911 call at about 10:30 a.m. from the head chef of the Boathouse Restaurant, who said he saw a floating object in the river about 300 yards offshore. Firefighters retrieved the body on the shore just south of the restaurant, in the Riverside and Poplar drives area. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Chloe Thompson and Journal archives Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:34 PM | Comment Update: Iway worker hit by construction vehicle / Photo
The worker for Cardi Corp. was brought by rescue to the hospital, state Department of Transportation spokesman Charles St. Martin said. St. Martin said the incident happened about 2 p.m. to the right of Route 95 north, in a protected area behind barriers near the Point Street overpass. He said the location is on the western side of Route 95 near the old Exit 20, which has been closed for the Route 195 relocation project known as the Iway. The work site is shortly before a sign advising motorists they have a quarter-mile until Exit 21. After a rescue truck had left, some yellow construction trucks of different types could be seen at some distance from each other at the site. Among them was a large yellow Caterpillar vehicle with four massive wheels, its front-end shovel filled with dirt. A few state troopers were on scene; at one point they stood on the northbound highway's right side, motioning with their hands for traffic to take it slow. Several construction workers in white hard hats were on site, too. -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Michael McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:24 PM | Comment Mass. court upholds revoking R.I. dentist's licenseBOSTON -- The highest court in Massachusetts has upheld the state's decision to revoke the license of a dentist accused in Rhode Island of stealing thousands of dollars from patients. Gary Anusavice was accused of billing patients for services they didn't receive at his Pawtucket business, Premier Dental. In 2005, Rhode Island Health Department suspended his license and ordered him to close his office in Pawtucket. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry later revoked Anusavice's license to practice in its state. Anusavice appealed that decision. But on Friday, the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts said dental regulators can discipline a dentist in Massachusetts based on discipline imposed on him in Rhode Island. Read the 2005 Rhode Island consent order in the matter. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:13 PM | Comment Candidates face deadline today for submitting signaturesToday is the deadline for prospective political candidates to submit enough Rhode Island voters' signatures in order to get on this year's ballot. The signatures, however, must be validated, or certified, in order to count. The thresholds range from 50 signatures for the state House of Representatives and many town/city offices to 1,000 signatures for the U.S. Senate. You can chart candidates' progress in gathering valid signatures at the Secretary of State's Web site, by using its searchable database. The number of signatures that have been certified for every candidate will be updated each morning, according to the Secretary of State Ralph Mollis's office. The office has until July 18 to finish certifying the names for candidates to make the ballot for the Sept. 9 primary or Nov. 4 election. At 5 p.m. on July 18, Mollis will hold a public lottery at the State House to determine the order in which unendorsed candidates for Congress and the General Assembly will appear on primary ballots. The lottery will also set the order in which recognized political parties and independent candidates will appear on the November ballot. The 2,800 Rhode Islanders who filed candidacy declarations last month have had since July 1 to collect voters' signatures. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:14 PM | Comment Journal honor roll, Reynolds scholarships to be namedWhat male and female Rhode Island high school scholar-athletes will receive this year's Providence Journal High School Honor Roll awards? Who will be named the 2008 Dick Reynolds Correspondent award winner? The three scholarship recipients will be revealed Sunday in ProJo Sports and online at hsgametime.com/rhodeisland. The Providence Journal Honor Roll Girl and Boy will each receive a $5,000 Wendy's/Peter Bennett Scholarship. The Dick Reynolds Correspondent award winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:41 AM | Comment Shades of 'Jaws': Great white said seen off VineyardEDGARTOWN, Mass. -- The island where “Jaws” was filmed got a real-life shark scare when two beaches were closed due to an unconfirmed sighting of a great white shark off Martha's Vineyard. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said state-run South Beach was closed for a time Thursday after the Coast Guard received reports of the shark sighting. Swimmers were also kept out of the water at State Beach in Edgartown. A plane was sent up to try to confirm the sighting. In 1974, Steven Spielberg chose Martha’s Vineyard for the movie version of “Jaws,” depicting a series of deadly great white attacks in the fictional community of Amity. Shark attacks are extremely rare in waters off New England, but great whites have been known to occasionally prowl in the region. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:34 AM | Comment Photo: I can't wait to get a new iPhone
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:20 AM | Comment 50 will lose jobs when Ashaway flashlight plant closesHOPKINTON -- The Garrity Industries flashlight plant in Ashaway will close in April, putting more than 50 people out of work. A spokesman for Duracell, Garrity's corporate owner, says operations in Ashaway and Madison, Conn., will be consolidated at the company's Bethel, Conn., facility. The spokesman says more than 50 employees at the Ashaway facility and 28 in Madison will be laid off over the next six to nine months. Garrity Industries was founded in 1967, and in 2006 was bought by battery maker Duracell, a division of Procter & Gamble Co. Spokesman Kurt Iverson says some employees will be offered jobs at other Duracell locations and some will get severance packages. Westerly resident Carol Young, a Garrity employee since June 2000, says workers were ``upset and angry.'' The Associated Press with information from The Westerly Sun. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:37 AM | Comment Mostly sunny with a high near 80 degreesLook for a mostly sunny day today with a high near 80 degrees in the Providence area, according to the National Weather Service. But there is a risk -- although it's low -- of thunderstorms this afternoon, mainly north of the Massachusetts Turnpike, the weather service warns. The weekend looks great, too, with a sunny day tomorrow and a mostly sunny day forecast for Sunday. The temperature should reach the low 80s on both days. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today in history: The Babe makes his debutOn this day in 1914, Baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth made his major league debut as a pitcher for the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston. Read more about today in history. Watch a video about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's front page: Utility rates to increaseToday's front story reports that the Public Utilities Commission has approved dramatic increases in electricity and gas rates charged to customers. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment July 10, 2008Tonight: Tour Newport's galleries -- for freeOK, I know what some you will say to this. You're suggesting we go to Newport? Over the bridge? At night? In the summer? When the City by The Sea is already hosting a music festival in the mansions and the annual Hall of Fame tennis tournament? When all the tourists are there? Yes, I am. So deal with it :) It's Newport Gallery Night, when the city offers a couple of dozen choices on this second Thursday of the month. It's a free self-guided tour of art of all sorts: pottery, paintings, glass, textiles and sculpture. And a big bennie. Even parking is free at the Newport Visitors Center, 23 America’s Cup Ave., and at the Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave. For a map and more information, visit www.newportgalleries.org. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:49 PM | Comment New England governors seek more federal heating aidNew England governors, including Governor Carcieri, are asking for an increase in the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program money that comes to New England. The governors signed a letter asking that LIHEAP money be raised to $1 billion this year. The letter, signed at an energy summit in Boston yesterday, is addressed to President Bush, congressional leaders and presidential candidates Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. A news release issued this afternoon did not say how much the most recent yearly appropriation was. Carcieri said in the statement he also forwarded a copy of the letter to Rhode Island's congressmen. “Never before in modern history has New England faced the prospect of so many residents being unable to heat their homes as there will be this coming winter,” the letter said. The governor, in the news release about the governors' letter, said home heating oil costs are "skyrocketing," so the buying power of LIHEAP money "has been decimated." Since winter 2005-06, New England's home heating oil price has gone up 87 percent. An increase to $1 billion in LIHEAP money for New England states would deliver the same amount of fuel the program provided in 2005-06, the news release says. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Details of the letter come as the state Public Utilities Commission this afternoon approved a 21.7-percent increase in the price National Grid charges its customers for electricity and an 8-percent increase in the price it charges customers for natural gas. The combined increases, which go into effect July 15, would raise the average utility bill for a typical home heated by gas by almost $30 a month. The increase would be higher in winter months and lower in summer months. National Grid requested the increase because the company says it's paying more to purchase electricity and natural gas. Carcieri pledged "continued dialogue" with the other New England governors to find short-term and long-term solutions to help residents with heating costs. The letter also called for: * More money for the Weatherization Program, which the governor's office said helps pay for more efficient heating units and appliances. * Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants to allow for "family supplemental payments for greater utility and heating costs." * Social services block grants to "cover additional costs in transportation and energy for center-based care." * Expanded Medicaid rules to allow for increasing "allowable costs to help cover spikes in energy costs in group homes, residential care and nursing homes." At the energy summit, Andrew Dzykewicz, the governor's chief energy adviser who is commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, presented on developing renewable regional power options, the governor's office said. The news release noted Rhode Island's plans to expedite the permits for an offshore wind farm with the goal of supplying 15 percent of the state's electric energy use. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Photo: Putting it all on the line at Y camp
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:18 PM | Comment 4 men in ICE custody after N. Kingstown traffic stopNORTH KINGSTOWN -- Four Brazilian men are in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and will be deported after they were found to be illegal immigrants during a state police traffic stop this week, according to ICE. State police stopped a southbound van around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, after it ran a red light on Route 4 at West Allentown Road, according to a state police press release. The officer sent an electronic query to ICE that revealed there was a deportation warrant out on one of the men, said Paula Grenier, ICE spokeswoman. A check of identification of others in the van showed warrants for three additional men as well. The deportation warrants issued by a judge are not based on criminal charges, but because they were “in the country without authorization,” Grenier said. The men are in ICE custody and are expected to be deported by to Brazil, their native country, in the coming weeks, she said. They are listed by state police as Sinval Ferreira Do Carmo, 31; Joao Da Silva, 24; Fabiano Oliviera-Monteiro, 27; and Marcio Fereira-Da Silva, 23. The four men worked for Colonial Construction, of Stoughton, Mass., and were heading to Narragansett, where they were framing condominiums as subcontractors for the Gilbane Development Co. project at the Pier, said Wes Cotter, spokesman for Gilbane. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney “We ask each of our subcontractors to comply with all federal and state laws and employ all legal workers,” Cotter said. Gilbane will check with Colonial about the status of the rest of its work crew, he said. About 120 people, mostly subcontractors, work at the site each day, he said. The listed owner of Colonial -- Diogo Dosantos -- did not return a phone call. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:45 PM | Comment Update: PUC OKs increase in gas, electricity ratesAs expected, the state Public Utilities Commission has approved a 21.7-percent increase in the price National Grid charges its customers for electricity and an 8-percent increase in the price it charges customers for natural gas. The combined increases, which go into effect July 15, would raise the average utility bill for a typical home heated by gas by almost $30 a month. The increase would be higher in winter months and lower in summer months. National Grid requested the increase because the company says it's paying more to purchase electricity and natural gas. The PUC put a time limit on the natural gas increase, however, approving it only through Nov. 1. The PUC's approval comes as little surprise. In an interview this week, PUC Chairman Elia Germani says the PUC has little leeway in cases where a utility is simply passing on increases it pays for energy. Under such circumstances, state statute limits the commission to decising three questions: Did the utility make “prudent” decisions in buying the energy that led to the higher costs? Are the numbers the utility cited in requesting the increase correct? When will the increase take effect? The increase in the gas rate was slightly less -- about two cents -- than National Grid had requested, which brought the projected 10-percent increase down to 8 percent. National Grid, Rhode Island's dominant utility company, provides electricity to 477,000 customers in 38 communities and natural gas to about 245,000 customers in 33 communities.
Posted by Jack Perry at 5:17 PM | Comment Middletown plane crash survivor remains criticalKeith Ulich, the sole survivor of Thursday's plane crash in Middletown that killed the aircraft's other two occupants, remains in critical condition this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The single-engine Piper PA-28 went down that night at Newport State Airport, some 700 feet from the runway. The state police this week identified the dead as Pamela Ulich Lancaster, 43, who owned and ran the Dragonfly Inn, at 33 Russell Ave., and Charles W. Thompson, 63, of 4 Manning Court, a flight instructor. Keith Ulich, of Newport, is the husband of Ulich Lancaster. Read The Journal' s profile of the victims.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:18 PM | Comment Update: Man's body discovered near shore in TivertonTIVERTON -- A man's body has been discovered near shore in the Riverside Drive area in Tiverton, according to the Coast Guard. Tiverton Fire Chief Robert Lloyd said the department received a 911 call at about 10:30 a.m. from the head chef of the Boathouse Restaurant, who reported seeing a floating object in the Sakonnet River. Firefighters retrieved the body of a male adult just south of the restaurant, in the area of Riverside and Poplar drives, after river currents brought it onto shore from 300 yards offshore, Lloyd said. The medical examiner’s office is working to identify the body, Lloyd said. Annemarie Beardsworth, a spokeswoman for the Office of State Medical Examiners, said the office anticipates it will have an identification tomorrow. Officials have not said if it is the body of a missing Connecticut man who, according to the Coast Guard, fell off his sailboat Monday near the northern entrance to the Sakonnet River. The Coast Guard yesterday said it had ended its search for the man. Bernard Mochan, 65, of Clinton, Conn., had been sailing with his wife on the 32-foot Elizabeth when the vessel’s boom hit him on the head and he fell overboard. He wasn’t wearing a flotation device. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment Health Dept. reopens Oakland Beach, shuts AtlanticThe state Department of Health today reopened to swimming the Oakland Beach in Warwick, based on water samples that showed bacteria within acceptable limits. The department today closed to swimming the Atlantic Beach in Middletown because of high bacteria counts. Remaining closed are Camp Grosvenor Beach in North Kingstown and Gorton Pond Beach in Warwick. For updates about Rhode Island beaches, go to www.health.ri.gov or for recorded information call (401) 222-2751. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:16 PM | Comment Federal, state campaign stresses hurricane readinessPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri and Adjutant General Robert T. Bray, who leads the state Emergency Management Agency, today emphasized the importance of preparing for a hurricane. Their remarks came as the Northeast Hurricane Mitigation Leadership Forum takes place this afternoon and tomorrow in Newport. At the forum, a joint effort by the state and the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes is promoting a public information campaign to help everyone in Rhode Island mitigate the damage from a hurricane. No two hurricanes are alike, said National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read, who met this morning with the governor at the State House. That's why, Read said, it's important for people to be informed and prepared well before the hurricane strikes. Those who survive a storm with lives and property intact believe it was luck, said FLASH President Leslie Chapman-Henderson. It's not luck, she said, it's because someone did something ahead of time to prepare. The last time Rhode Island faced anything approaching an emergency -- the Dec. 13 snowstorm -- neither Carcieri nor Bray were on the job. Carcieri was in the Middle East and out of contact; Bray was out sick. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts said she was rebuffed on attempts to run the emergency and that the governor often didn't inform her when he was away. A Journal reporter asked Carcieri whether he would inform the lieutenant governor when he is out of state in case of an emergency, and whether he plans to curtail Bray's federal travel. A recent Journal review that Bray was out of the state about seven months in his first 22 months on the job. The governor has said previously that the general would be responsible for the state's emergency response during Carcieri's absence. Under the state's emergency plans and state law, the governor is in charge of directing an emergency; otherwise, the responsibility falls to the lieutenant governor. The governor didn't address the question about the lieutenant governor, but said that they all travel and they try to be sensitive about when a hurricane is going to hit. He said he had no concerns about the general's travel. "There will be leadership," Carcieri said. "Dave Smith [the new executive director of the state EMA] is going to do a great job." -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits The FLASH campaign was developed in Florida after devastating Hurricane Andrew took its toll in that state. Now, the organization works nationwide on disaster mitigation. Rhode Island is the first of the New England states for the hurricane campaign. The campaign, which is paid for by a federal homeland security grant and matching money, also includes a 42-page booklet with preparation tips, information about hurricanes, and contacts. The pamphlets are being distributed inside all local Stop & Shop stores, CVS stores, Dave's Marketplace locations, Shaw's supermarkets, and AAA offices. Spanish-language pamphlets and information posted on the Internet at GetHurricaneReadyRi.org is forthcoming. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:43 PM | Comment Ruling: Family Court has jurisdiction in 'gap kid' casesPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court ruled this morning that the state Family Court has initial jurisdiction over the case of a 17-year-old Barrington youth facing a murder charge and another so-called "gap kid" who was charged as an adult during a brief change in the state law. The high court upheld a Superior Court judge's decision and rejected the Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's argument in ruling that the indictment of Ryan Greenberg should be held in abeyance until the Family Court holds a hearing and decides whether it will waive its jurisdiction over him. The court also ruled that the misdemeanor assault case of Harold Chartier be transferred to Family Court. Some 500 "gap kids" were charged as adults during the 130 days that the state treated 17-year-olds as adults. The Supreme Court ruled directly only on the cases of Greenberg and Chartier, but it said it would attempt to issue a mandate through its ruling on the handling of the other youths and expected those cases to be resolved through stipulations. In July 2007, the General Assembly adopted Governor Carcieri’s budget proposal to save money by treating 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters. But the move didn't save money, and on Nov. 7 the Assembly repealed the law, without making the repeal retroactive. That left the courts facing questions on how to treat those youths. The attorney general said he would prosecute them as adults, but the high court today ruled that the Family Court never lost jurisdiction. "The Family Court is the last barrier separating the child from the adult criminal justice system, and a decision to waive jurisdiction over a juvenile is not to be undertaken lightly," the court said in its opinion. It continued," After careful review of the record in the Greenberg case and examination of settled law with respect to delinquent children, we are satisfied that, whatever the crime charged, the prosecution of a child under the age of eighteen is controlled by title 14 of the General Laws and jurisdiction rests, in the first instance, in the Family Court, subject to a waiver of jurisdiction over the child in accordance with the statute." Greenberg, who is charged in the boating death of a fellow teen, could still face charges in adult court, if the Family Court waives jurisdiction. Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a statement late this morning, saying, "We are resolute and fully prepared to go back to Family Court and move quickly to seek waivers on the indicted cases." While the high court specifically addressed the cases of Greenberg and Chartier, it had this to say about handling of the other cases: "We are cognizant of the fact that many juveniles fall within the parameters of the July and November Amendments and that our holding will affect their cases. We therefore shall address the types of cases — felonies and misdemeanors — that are pending or have been adjudicated, and will endeavor to issue a mandate that is comprehensive and clear and that may be applied to those cases as they are reached in the Superior and District Courts. " "We direct that counsel for the state and the Public Defender shall attempt to resolve these cases by stipulation and agree on those cases that may be adjudicated in the Family Court. With respect to any case in which the Attorney General files a motion pursuant to chapter 1 of title 14, a waiver hearing shall be scheduled in the Family Court as soon as practicable. The time period for filing such a motion shall not begin to run unless and until the juvenile is presented in the Family Court. " Posted by Jack Perry at 12:04 PM | Comment Two RIPTA routes will be detoured starting SaturdayStarting Saturday, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority buses won't cross the Pontiac Avenue and Reservoir Avenue bridges because of new weight limits on the spans. RIPTA said in a statement today it will detour the route 13 bus -- Arctic/Washington -- and the route 22 bus -- Reservoir/Pontiac -- starting Saturday and continuing indefinitely. RIPTA is also introducing routes 21 and 23. Get details about the detours and new routes here. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:47 AM | Comment Judge Lisi rules on Urciuoli, Driscoll pretrial motionsA federal judge in Providence ruled this morning on motions in the corruption case against Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll, former Roger Williams Medical Center executives charged with bribing former state Sen. John Celona. Chief U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi also took under advisement other motions by the defense, which is seeking to limit the evidence that the government can present in its second trial of Urciuoli and Driscoll, which is scheduled to begin in September. The pair was convicted in 2006, but a federal appeals court in Boston earlier this year ordered a new trial, saying that the judge, Ernest Torres, had improperly instructed the jury. This time, Celona, the government’s star witness against Urciuoli and Driscoll, has been so discredited that prosecutors have said that they don’t intend to call him to testify in the second trial, provided that the defense agrees to allow the introduction of certain documents, including faxes between Celona and the former hospital executives about his State House efforts on their behalf. Urciuoli is the former CEO of Roger Williams; Driscoll was a vice president. Celona worked as a consultant to the hospital and its affiliated assisted-living center. The defense says that he performed legitimate senior outreach; the prosecution says that was a sham and that Celona was paid for political favors. The government and the defense are also squabbling over what instructions Lisi should give the jury in this case. In the recent acquittal of two former CVS executives charged with bribing Celona, Lisi’s jury instructions were much different than those issued in the first Urciuoli-Driscoll case. In the CVS case, Lisi told jurors that it was permissible under Rhode Island ethics law for a company to hire a part-time Rhode Island lawmaker and even communicate with him or her on legislation affecting that company. The instructions, combined with Celona’s lack of credibility, led to a swift acquittal of the two former CVS executives, John Kramer and Carlos Ortiz. Judge Lisi today also denied Urciuoli’s motion to pursue allegations that Roger Williams improperly fired him and cut off his legal fees under pressure from prosecutors. The government has said that the deferred prosecution agreement it reached with the hospital did not require Urciuoli’s firing. The judge also denied Driscoll’s motion for a separate trial. Although Driscoll was acquitted of conspiracy in the first trial, and cannot be retried on that charge, she was convicted of a single count of honest-services mail fraud. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 3, with opening arguments set for Sept. 8. -- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton Extra: Our continuing report on Operation Dollar Bill Posted by maria caporizzo at 11:19 AM | Comment Doctor cleared in husband’s killing returning to workBOSTON -- A Cape Cod doctor who was cleared last year in the self-defense killing of her husband is returning to medical practice. Dr. Ann Gryboski received approval yesterday from the state Board of Registration in Medicine to start seeing patients again. She had surrendered her medical license after she was arrested in April 2007 for the fatal shooting of her husband, Patrick Lancaster. Prosecutors said last August that Gryboski would not face criminal charges because of overwhelming evidence that she had been abused by her husband. Her lawyer, Paul Cirel, told The Boston Globe the doctor will return to her internal medicine practice with Cape Cod Healthcare in South Yarmouth beginning next month. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:41 AM | Comment Bacteria problems close 3 beachesPROVIDENCE -- Health authorities have closed three Rhode Island beaches after testing showed high bacteria counts. The Department of Health has warned swimmers to stay away from Camp Grosvenor Beach in North Kingstown and Gorton Beach Pond and Oakland Beach in Warwick. State authorities say they'll keep testing each beach and will notify the public when they are safe for swimming. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 9:34 AM | Comment 70 years later -- are we ready for another hurricane?PROVIDENCE — Governor Carcieri is expected to announce a public service campaign today to help residents prepare in the event of a major hurricane, and to speak at a hurricane preparedness conference in Newport. He’s expected to unveil the details of the campaign -- which include hurricane resource guides and a new Web site -- today at 10 a.m. at the State House. Carcieri is also slotted to speak later this afternoon at the Northeast Mitigation Forum, an invitation-only conference with panel discussions and experts assessing the threat of a major hurricane in the region -- and our ability do handle one. Also scheduled to speak is Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center. The all-day forum comes 70 years after the deadliest hurricane in Rhode Island history, which killed hundreds of people in 1938. Read about the hurricane, and see Journal archive photos of the damage the storm caused. And follow current tropical weather conditions, including Hurricane Bertha, on projo.com's tropical weather page. -- with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:30 AM | Comment PUC votes on rate hike todayThe PUC, which heard from the public on the request Tuesday, is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m . at its headquarters at 89 Jefferson Boulevard. At its hearing Tuesday, about 20 customers told the commission what a hardship the rate hike would be and implored the PUC not to approve it. National Grid upped its electricity rate request last week, from a 15.6 percent increase, citing increases in energy costs. The request is the largest single rate increase the company has ever sought, and would put rates at their highest level ever. National Grid has asked the new rates to go into effect on July 15. Extra: See the proposal as put forward before the PUC. Your Turn: If you were at the PUC meeting, what would you have told them? Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:04 AM | Comment Today in history: The Battle of Britain beginsOn this day in 1940, The Battle of Britain began during World War II as Nazi forces attacked southern England by air. Read more about today in history. Watch a video report on today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Today's weather -- no sign of rainHow's this for a change: there's nary a mention of rain in today's forecast. And there's not much else, either. Sunny skies, temperatures reaching about 88 degrees and mild west winds. Humidity is low, too, at just 68 percent. Skies should remain clear tonight, with temperatures dropping to about 60 degrees and mild west winds. Tomorrow looks good, too, with clear, sunny skies, temperatures reaching about 85 degrees and mild north winds, becoming south. To get an early look at the weekend weather, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Sen. Kennedy returns to WashingtonToday's front page features a photograph and story about Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's returning to the Senate for the first time since suffering from symptoms of what proved to be a malignant brain tumor. The senator returned to vote on a Medicare vote. Accompanying Sen. Kennedy were his son U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Sen. Kennedy's wife, Victoria. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment July 9, 2008Tonight: So much to pick from, plan forBig Apple Circus in Charlestown. Newport Music Festival in the mansions. Blues on the Beach in Misquamicut. Sound Sessions in Providence. Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport. Summer is in its heyday here in the Ocean State, as several annual events take to the stage this week. You're sure to find one that tickles your fancy. Check the listings on our calendar page and on our Lifebeat page to see what's happening where.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:00 PM | Comment Photo: Group protests Carcieri vetoes on prison bills
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:53 PM | Comment R.I. senators split vote on surveillance legislationWASHINGTON -- Rhode Island's Senate delegation split today as the Senate voted overwhelmingly for an overhaul of the nation's foreign intelligence-gathering system, giving President Bush a hard-fought victory on the question of legal immunity for telecommunications companies that helped him to conduct a secret program of warrantless surveillance after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been an outspoken critic of the administration's warrantless wiretap program, voted with the majority that - like the Bush administration - favored the intelligence overhaul, a compromise hammered out over the course of many months and several impasses. Sen. Jack Reed, a fellow Democrat, joined the minority in opposition to the bill, which passed on a 69 to 28 vote. Both Rhode Islanders voted for a series of amendments that failed, including one that would have killed the provision that will effectively protect the "telecom'' companies from lawsuits over their role in the wiretap program. Whitehouse, who had supported the bill in a key test vote before the July 4 Senate recess, said at the time, "This is a large and comprehensive bill that solves a whole variety of problems.'' He had played a role, for example, in drafting a provision to safeguard the rights of Americans overseas who are inadvertently caught up in government eavesdropping on telephone and e-mail traffic among suspected terrorists. The bill is very much a political compromise, brought about by a deadline: Wiretapping orders authorized last year will begin to expire in August. Without a new bill, the government would go back to old FISA rules, requiring multiple new orders and potential delays to continue those intercepts. That is something most of Congress did not want to see happen, particularly in an election year.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:09 PM | Comment Sen. Kennedy gets cheery welcome in Senate / Video
The business at hand was a bill to restore cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. As the roll was called, through "Mr. Reed of Rhode Island,'' and "Mr. Reid of Nevada,'' the white-maned Massachusetts Democrat entered the Senate chamber in the Capitol. The roll call stopped as senators and onlookers in the galleries above burst into applause and cheers. Kennedy embraced colleagues, walked to the well of the Senate and raised his hand. "Aye!'' he could be heard to say, signifying his vote for the bill and raising two thumbs up. Video: See the Senate's response as Kennedy arrives today. -- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington Bureau Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:00 PM | Comment Block Island ferry service back to normal after collisionBLOCK ISLAND — Ferry service to Block Island is fully restored following last week’s collision between a ferry and a Coast Guard ice-breaking tug in dense fog. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard are continuing their investigations into the midday collision. The Coast Guard did not expect to issue its final report on the crash for at least a month. The NTSB, which is the lead investigator, will probably not complete its findings for a year of more, said Bridget Serchak, spokeswoman for that agency. NTSB investigators have looked at the ferry’s horn and radar system as well as downloaded electronic navigational data from the Coast Guard vessel, Serchak said. The results of blood and alcohol tests of Coast Guard and ferry crew members are expected next week, Serchak said. The 140-foot Morro Bay and the ferry, Block Island, collided in thick fog about 3 miles north of Block Island on Wednesday. The impact left a four-foot dent in the ferry’s bow and a gash on the rear starboard railing of the Morro Bay. The ferry had left Point Judith in Narragansett at 11:45 a.m. carrying 257 people plus crew. No one was seriously injured, but three passengers were checked out at an island medical center. Its captain, Steve Kimball, has worked for Interstate Navigation, the ferry company, for 20-plus years, said William A. McCombe, director of security for Interstate. The Morro Bay was returning to its base in New London, Conn., following a ceremony the day before in Newport that installed Lt. Douglas Wyatt as its commanding officer. Wyatt enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1978 and has served as the officer in charge of the 65-foot ice-breaking tug Hawser and executive petty officer on the 65-foot ice-breaking tug Wire, according to the Coast Guard. Block Island returned to service Saturday after being taken to Providence for minor work to repair the dent and getting cleared by the Coast Guard, McCombe said. The Morro Bay is now docked at its homeport in New London, where it is undergoing previously scheduled maintenance and being used for training, Petty Officer Lauren Jorgensen said yesterday. Wyatt remains as its commanding officer, she said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:42 PM | Comment 2 Warwick and one N. Kingstown beach on closing listThe state Department of Health today recommended closing three beaches to swimming, as the thermometer climbs. The Camp Grosvenor beach in North Kingstown, and Gorton Pond Beach and Oakland Beach, both in Warwick. The three beaches all tested positive for high levels of Enterococci, bacteria that thrive in animal intestines and are, therefore, indicators of sewage contamination. Things could change any day, though, so check the Department of Health's beach monitoring Web site, or call the beach hotline, at 401-222-2751. The Web site also keeps track of previous closings and bacteria levels. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 4:32 PM | Comment Washington Bridge lane closure this weekendIf your commute takes you over the Washington Bridge, the Department of Transportation has good news and bad news. The bad news first: The slow lane on the eastbound side of the bridge, which carries Route 195 over the Seekonk River, will be closed this weekend to pour and cure concrete, making a new lane. The lane –– a shoulder, breakdown lane and exit lane –– will reopen for travel Monday at 6 a.m. Now for the good news, this is the last time a lane will be closed for this part of the project. You may remember, there were similar closures in May and last August. The lane closure will begin Saturday at 5 a.m. between Exit 3, Gano Street, and Exit 4, Taunton. And the DOT has issued a special request that trucks drive only in the middle lane, to reduce vibration. That’s the reason for the lane closure; to reduce vibration so that the concrete cures and bonds to the existing concrete deck. Find out more about the Washington Bridge replacement on the DOT's Web site. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 4:08 PM | Comment Photo: A winning combination: GA 100
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:24 PM | Comment Barrington school board member charged with vandalismBARRINGTON - A lawyer and veteran member of the Barrington School Committee pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of vandalism and malicious injury to property during her arraignment in District Court this afternoon. The police said Amy Page Oberg, 49, of 42 Chapel Rd., appeared to be drunk when she was arrested the evening before Independence Day. Officers went to her house because a Cranston man, John P. O'Malley, had reported that a woman, later identified as Oberg, had smacked his car twice, scratching the paint on his trunk, allegedly because she objected to him having his high beams on as he drove slowly along Annawamscutt Road. "The suspect was intoxicated and had some trouble keeping her balance standing in the doorway while I was speaking with her," according to the report from Ptlm. Wesley McCoy. Oberg declined comment in court today. Magistrate Joseph Ippolito released her on $1,000 personal recognizance. She is due back in court in two weeks. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:24 PM | Comment GTECH could lose Kansas contract over lottery blunderTOPEKA, Kan. -- Recent computer blunders in the Kansas Lottery Pick 3 game could cost international gaming giant GTECH a contract to run the games at the four state-owned and -operated casinos. The Providence-based firm manages state lottery and casino data systems for gambling jurisdictions worldwide, including Kansas. In April, the firm was tentatively awarded the state's casino data systems contract. But Ed Van Petten, executive director of the Kansas Lottery, said that final contract negotiations with GTECH were now "at a standstill." "We are not going to move forward until they can establish some degree of credibility," he told The Kansas City Star yesterday. GTECH spokesman Bob Vincent acknowledged the casino contract issue. "We believe we will shortly resolve these issues that have come up with Pick 3," he said. "We are very confident we can do that to the satisfaction of the Lottery and renew our discussions with the Lottery about the gaming contract," Vincent said. A law enacted last year allows for state-owned and -operated resort casinos in Cherokee, Ford, Sumner and Wyandotte counties to be managed by casino companies. The Lottery would own the games. As for the Pick 3 problem, "it was a software glitch that happened," Vincent said. "It should have been caught, and it shouldn't have happened." Lottery officials last week disclosed that GTECH's systems reported the wrong winning numbers in the state's daily Pick 3 drawings on June 29, June 30 and July 1. Officials feared many genuine winning tickets were discarded before the errors were discovered July 2. -- The Associated Press Since then, Van Petten said only seven of the 169 rightful winners had claimed their share of $23,740 in prizes that should have been awarded. The Lottery also is honoring 136 tickets that were sold with numbers mistakenly reported as the winners. Van Petten said the blunder had Kansas second-guessing itself on whether GTECH is up to the task of managing data for the casinos. "We made them the apparent successful bidder" for the casinos contract, said Van Petten. But, he added, "We have not formally awarded anything. We are in the process of requesting further information to verify their capabilities." The cause of the three-day computer glitch has not been determined, Van Petten said. But GTECH's system has correctly reported every Pick 3 drawing since July 1. He said GTECH was converting its Kansas system to new software on June 29 when the problem first occurred. "It was supposed to be better and quicker," he said of the new data control software. "But thus far it has been a nightmare." The error was detected during the Lottery's security verification process. Meanwhile, Van Petten said the state would press GTECH for $20,730 in damages for prizes it paid on the incorrect numbers that were announced as winners. The lottery last year sold $5.8 million worth of Pick 3 game tickets, at 50 cents or $1 each, depending on the type of wager placed. Daily prizes range from $40 to $500. Since 2006, GTECH has been a subsidiary of the Italian firm Lottomatica S.p.A. The final award of the state's casino data systems business is subject to negotiation of a seven-to-10 year contract, and approval by the Kansas Lottery Commission and the Kansas Information Technology Office. The lone rival bidder was Scientific Games Corp. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:18 PM | Comment Save The Bay names Gerhardt as interim directorA man who has served as interim director for an orchestra, a school, a hospice, and other organizations is now stepping in as interim executive director of Save The Bay. On June 30, Curt Spaulding left the environmental organization, which aims to protect Narragansett Bay, after 18 years. Now Michael Gerhardt has been appointed to lead Save The Bay during its transition. "It is an enormous advantage to have an experienced leader in this important interim role. The board, our staff and our membership will surely benefit from the steady hand, clear vision and vast wisdom Michael Gerhardt brings to Save The Bay." Gerhardt has headed nonprofit organizations including the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank; the Providence Ronald McDonald House, Home and Hospice Care; the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island and others through periods of organizational transition. Before focusing on transitional leadership, Gerhardt was president and COO of HMO Rhode Island and executive director of AIDS Project Rhode Island. “As a long-time member of Save The Bay,” Gerhardt said in a statement, “I look forward to the opportunity to assist in this critical organization’s leadership transition process.” Save The Bay has done a national search for a new director and is now interviewing candidates. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 2:05 PM | Comment Update: Coast Guard ends search for missing sailorThe Coast Guard has ended its active search for a 65-year-old Connecticut man who fell out of his sailboat Monday near the northern entrance to the Sakonnet River. This morning, a Coast Guard helicopter flew over the search area looking for Bernard Mochan, of Clinton, Conn. Mochan had been sailing with his wife on the 32-foot Elizabeth sailboat Monday when the vessel’s boom hit him on the head. He wasn't wearing a flotation device, and fell overboard. That evening, searchers found a hat that Mochan’s wife said belonged to her husband in the water about a tenth of a mile west of Tiverton. The Coast Guard has been searching for him since but with no further signs. "Ending a search is a very difficult decision,” Capt. Raymond Perry, commander of Sector Southeastern New England, said today in a statement. “But we think it is highly unlikely that someone could survive more than 40 hours in the water without a lifejacket on.” “We express our deepest condolences to Mr. Mochan's family and friends." Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 1:11 PM | Comment PUC to decide on National Grid rate hike tomorrowWARWICK -- The state Public Utilities Commission will make a decision on National Grid's request for 21.7 percent increase in rates tomorrow. The PUC, which heard from the public on the request yesterday, is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m . at its headquarters at 89 Jefferson Boulevard. At its hearing yesterday, about 20 customers told the commission what a hardship the rate hike would be and implored the PUC not to approve it. National Grid upped its electricity rate request last week, from a 15.6 percent increase, citing increases in energy costs. The request is the largest single rate increase the company has ever sought, and would put rates at their highest level ever. National Grid has asked the new rates to go into effect on July 15. Extra: See the proposal as put forward before the PUC. Your Turn: If you were at the PUC meeting, what would you have told them? Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:36 PM | Comment Whitehouse takes Mukasey to task over waterboardingWASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse jousted today with U.S. Attorney General Michael Bernard Mukasey over his refusal to make a legal declaration as to whether waterboarding amounts to torture. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:12 PM | Comment Weather service warns of high surfThe National Weather Service has issued a high-surf advisory for south-facing beaches from 4 p.m. today until 8 a.m. tomorrow. The high surf will produce rip currents. Southwest winds have built up seas of five feet just south of Block Island and Martha's Vineyard. Those waves are expected to build to seven feet. Rip currents are strong but narrow currents of water flowing from the beach to the surf zone, the weather service says. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:10 PM | Comment Update: Teen pleads not guilty in Central Falls murder
PROVIDENCE –– The teenager accused of fatally shooting another 19-year-old in a confrontation in Central Falls two months ago was arraigned in Superior Court this morning on an indictment charging him with murder. Anthony Strobert, 19, was charged not only with first-degree murder, felony assault and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in the shooting, which ended the life of Helder Tomar, 19, of Pawtucket, and prompted a curfew in the panicked City of Central Falls. Strobert, 19, of Central Falls, was also charged with carrying a pistol without a license -- a charge that indicated a dramatic change in the way law enforcement officials view the case. Statements provided immediately after the April 26 shooting led police to believe that Tomar brought the murder weapon to the spot on Fletcher Street where the confrontation occurred. Based on those statements, the police believed that Strobert managed to take the weapon from Tomar and kill him with it after Strobert suffered a gunshot wound in the fight. Subsequent investigation revealed that it was Strobert, not Tomar, who brought the murder weapon, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said. “The facts support the allegation that Anthony Strobert shot and killed Helder Tomar after Strobert pulled a gun out of his waistband and approached Tomar near Jenks Park,” Michael J. Healey said. This morning’s arraignment took place before Magistrate Joseph A. Keough, who asked Strobert whether he had a lawyer, and designated the Public Defender’s Office to represent him during the proceeding when Strobert answered, “I think so. I don’t know.” Assistant Public Defender Joseph Dwyer conferred with Strobert briefly, before stepping up to the courtroom microphone and entering a not guilty plea on Strobert's behalf. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Dwyer, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, towered over the defendant, a slightly built, 5-foot 3- or 4-inch-tall teenager with a thin mustache and close-cropped hair. Keough continued the case until next week and in the meantime ordered that Strobert continued to be held at the Adult Correctional Institutions without bail. The April 26 murder was followed by another, a day later, in Central Falls. Edelmiro Roman, 16, was shot dead on Dexter Street. No suspects have been arrested in that slaying. Healey was asked whether it was in retaliation for Tomar’s slaying, as police believe. “I know Central Falls police believe that is a plausible theory, but since there are no suspects, here’s really nothing to back it up at this point,” Healey said Posted by Jack Perry at 11:48 AM | Comment Update: Parents of slain Mansfield man speak outNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in the shooting of a Mansfield man found dead behind the wheel of a running car. Mark Hayden of Mansfield was arrested last night at the town's police station. He faces charges including murder at his arraignment, which has been postponed until 2 p.m. today. Eighteen-year-old Andrew Colwell was found Monday night in a car with a gunshot wound to the head outside a condominium complex in Mansfield, about 25 miles south of Boston. The Colwell family has sent a statement, through the Bristol County District Attorney's Office: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the heath care professionals and law enforcement agencies for their relentless efforts in assisting Andrew and our family during this very difficult time. We ask that the media respects our need for privacy as we begin to grieve the loss of our son Andrew.” Hayden was wanted for questioning after the shooting and was spotted by MBTA officials Monday afternoon at South Station in Boston. He was stopped by police and agreed to return to Mansfield for questioning. Authorities did not immediately comment on a motive. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:20 AM | Comment Olympic swimming finals will be live on NBCOlympic swimmers will be doing their work very early in the morning in Beijing, and that is good news at least for viewers in the United States. All 32 gold-medal swimming events will be televised live, in prime time, on NBC, the network announced today. That means the swimmers -- and gymnasts, too -- will be competing between 8 and 11 in the morning Beijing time, according to Michael David Smith of AOL's FanHouse blog. One of the medal hopefuls, of course, is North Kingstown's own Elizabeth Beisel. -- Mike McDermott Posted by Jack Perry at 9:26 AM | Comment Carcieri joins New England governers to talk energyRhode Island will be represented in the New England Governors' Energy Summit today in Boston. Governor Carcieri and his fellow New England governors will have a chance to discuss options for collaborative solutions to regional energy problems. And they'll discuss regional approaches to energy issues, including rising energy costs and the development and promotion of renewable and efficient energy. Two weeks ago, Carcieri vetoed a proposed renewable energy bill. He cited its requirements that National Grid get bonuses; a lack of requirement that National Grid enter into local contracts; and its dependence on solar energy, which some have said is not a feasible source of renewable energy for Rhode Island. Joining Carcieri at the Summit will be Andre Dzykewicz, the commissioner of the state's office of Energy Resources. Dzykewicz, who was in favor of the energy bill, will make a presentation on developing renewable power options to the summit. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:22 AM | Comment Update: Search continues for missing Conn. sailorA Coast Guard helicopter was used in the search this morning for a 65-year-old Conn. man who fell off his sailboat Monday afternoon near the northern entrance to the Sakonnet River, and hasn’t been seen since. Late yesterday there had been reports that the search for Bernard Mochan had been suspended, but Coast Guard Petty Officer Lauren Jorgensen said they were incorrect. This morning’s helicopter search did not find anyone or any signs of the Clinton, Conn. man. “Right now,” Jorgensen said, “we’re reevaluating where we’re going from here.” The search, she said, has not been suspended. Clinton had been boating with his wife aboard the 32-foot sailboat Elizabeth, when the vessel’s boom hit him in the head. He went overboard and was not wearing a flotation device. His wife called the Coast Guard at about 4:50 p.m. The Coast Guard found a hat in the water about one tenth of a mile west of Tiverton. Mochan’s wife said it belonged to her husband. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:49 AM | Comment Sunny with a high of 89Today will be sunny with a high near 89 degrees in the Providence area, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms could hit parts of southern New England later today, particularly northern Rhode Island. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today in history: Washington's troops hear DeclarationOn this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York. Read more about today in history. Watch a video report about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: The Ocean State's teen OlympianToday's front page features a story on Elizabeth Beisel, the 15-year-old from North Kingstown who qualified for the Olympics in swimming. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment July 8, 2008Tonight: Take your pick of outdoor concertsToo summery to stay inside tonight? Then you might enjoy one of these outdoor summer concerts: The John Moitoza Band, Dixieland jazz, Easton’s Beach, 175 Memorial Blvd., Newport. 845-5810. 6 pm. Rescheduled if rain. Summer Concert, featuring violinist Alanna Tonetti-Tieppo and a folk-rock group featuring Marie Chabot, Veterans Park, North Attleboro Town Hall, 43 South Washington St., North Attleboro, Mass. 7 pm. Free. Summer Concert Series: The Bandstand Revue, oldies and swing, Wickford Town Dock, Brown Street, North Kingstown. 294-3331, ext. 241, www.NKArtsCouncil.org. 7 pm. Rain site: North Kingstown High School, 150 Fairway Drive. (FYI, the forecasts for points around Rhode Island expect the evening to stay mostly clear, if hazy near the shore, and warm.) More ideas on what to do from projo.com ... Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:54 PM | Comment PUC hears pleas against utility rate hikes / Photo
Speaker after speaker at a public hearing said the increased rates -- 21.7 percent for electricity and 10 percent for gas -- will force more people to lose electricity, which they need to stay cool in the summer, and gas, which they need to stay warm in the winter. "None of us today in 2008 can live without electricity. We all need it," Elizabeth Dees testified. "It is unaffordable for a large percentage of the population of Rhode Island." "Our income is not that much, and the bill is so high," said Elaine Keller. "Everything's expensive, but they're paying me the same thing." She said her gas had been shut off because she was behind on her bills, and National Grid wanted to put her on a payment plan to catch up. The utility asked her for $400 a month over three months. But, she said, her monthly income is only $700, and she has five children. National Grid upped its electricity rate request last week, from a 15.6 percent increase, citing increases in energy costs. The request is the largest single rate increase the company has ever sought, and would put rates at their highest level ever. National Grid has asked the new rates to go into effect on July 15. In testimony to the commission after the public hearing ended, a National Grid representative said he sympathized with people whose utilities had been shut off. "We're trying as best as we can to not ask any more than we feel is essential," said Gary L. Beland, a manager in the gas pricing department. But, he said, the utility's own fuel costs are also rising. "Our gas bill, if you look at the part that is not hedged, has gone up over 70 percent in the last three months." Regulators have little discretion when it comes to rate-increase requests that are based on rising fuel prices. State and federal laws allow a utility company to recover from customers what it pays for electricity or natural gas, as long as the company makes "prudent" buying decisions. The PUC could cut the proposed rate increase, or delay it. But eventually, customers will have to pick up the increased costs. No more public hearings will be held on the rate requests. The PUC will decide on them either this Thursday or next Thursday, July 17. Extra: See the proposal as put forward before the PUC. -- Journal staff writer Paul Parker Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:55 PM | Comment Update: Whitehouse reads Washington's letter to TouroRhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse was among U.S. senators today who read from important documents that helped shape our nation, as the Senate celebrated Independence Day. While the Declaration of Independence was among the documents, Whitehouse read from a 1790 letter from President George Washington to the congregation of Touro Synagogue in Newport. The group chose Newport, according to the congregation’s Web site, after hearing of Rhode Island founder Roger William's dedication to religious acceptance. The synagogue, established in 1763 by a group of 15 Jewish families, has served as a meeting place for the Rhode Island General Assembly and a hospital for British troops, sparing it from destruction during the American Revolution. In Washington’s letter to the congregation, Washington asserted that the new sovereign nation would “… give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance;” an example of the country’s commitment to religious freedom. Video: Watch Whitehouse's reading of the letter and learn more about its history. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 5:14 PM | Comment Rhode Islander moving in to Big Brother houseA new chapter is about to open in the saga of Rhode Islanders and reality TV. Michelle Costa, 28, of Cumberland is one of 13 competitors, ranging in age from 22 to 75, about to move into the Big Brother 10 house as the CBS series returns to its original concept, strangers living together in a house and battling it out for the $500,000 first prize. The show, which will air three nights a week — Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday — premieres Sunday, July 13, at 8 p.m. on Channels 4 and 12. Costa is single and lists her occupation as a Realtor on the CBS announcement. -- Journal features writer Lynne Chaput Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:42 PM | Comment Narragansett tribe member stabbed at Cape powwowA 19-year-old Narragansett tribal member is in stable condition at Cape Cod Hospital after being stabbed while trying to break up a fight at a Mashpee Wampanoag powwow last weekend, according to his mother. While police refused to identify the man who was stabbed, his mother, Bella Noka of Richmond, said today it was her son, Norman Gonsalves, of Providence. She said Gonsalves suffered a punctured liver, diaphragm and collapsed lung after being attacked from behind while trying to protect a woman. He has drifted in and out of consciousness, she said, but described today as his first “very stable day” since the incident. Gonsalves was competing as a traditional dancer at the annual powwow, she said. “He’s just a hard-working kid and for something like this to happen,” she said. Gonsalves is the stepson of her husband, Tribal Councilman Randy Noka. The Mashpee, Mass., police were called to a wooded area behind the Mashpee Wampanoag land at 4:16 a.m. Sunday, according to Police Chief Rodney Collins. They learned that a man had been stabbed twice in the torso from behind after trying to break up a fight between two people. The man, whom Collins refused to identify, was taken to Cape Cod Hospital with serious injuries. The police have not recovered a weapon, but believe it was a knife, he said. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Officers were met by hostility when they arrived and have gotten little cooperation from the 25 to 30 people who were at the scene, Collins said. “Until some of the so-called witnesses step up and assist in our investigation, we’re being obstructed in making an arrest,” he said. The local police have authority on tribal land there, which has been deeded to the Mashpee Wampanoags but has not been placed in trust, Collins said. Collins asked anyone with information about the stabbing call Detective Robert Waterfield at (508) 539-1480, ext. 242. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:41 PM | Comment Inmate returned to ACI after assault chargeAn inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions who is accused of assaulting another inmate is back at the ACI after a judge ordered him held on bail. George Ortiz, 34, was arraigned on felony assault charges in 3rd District Court yesterday, and held on $50,000 surety, or $5,000 cash bail. He was presented as a Superior Court probation violator for prior Possession of Narcotics charges State police Maj. Stephen O'Donnell said yesterday that on July 4, Ortiz and Robert Bainter, 20, got into an argument, and then Ortiz hit Bainter in the head three times. Bainter fell, striking his head and suffering severe head trauma, O’Donnell said. Bainter was in critical condition yesterday morning, according to the state police, but Rhode Island Hospital would not provide updated information on Bainer's condition to projo.com today. The hospital has a policy that prohibits employees from releasing conditions of patients who are inmates at the ACI, according to spokeswoman Jill Reuter. Ortiz, whose most recent address is in Central Falls, is serving six months for domestic assault, according to Department of Corrections spokeswoman Tracey Poole. He was due for release Aug. 13. Bainter, whose most recent address is in Coventry, is serving four years for robbery, Poole said. He is scheduled for release in October 2010. Both men were in minimum security; Ortiz has since been moved to high security. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 11:48 AM | Comment Education Partnership's finances, scholarship aid awryPROVIDENCE -- The financial records of the nonprofit Education Partnership are in such disarray they will require a forensic accountant to review them, the lawyer appointed to sort out the organization’s finances said this morning. Among those owed money are 95 college students who were promised about $177,000 in scholarships that apparently have not been paid, attorney Allan M. Shine told Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein. So far, about 30 of the affected students have contacted Shine directly, he said. “As of now, your Honor, the records are not in perfect condition … I think that is an understatement,” Shine said. “… We need to reconstruct records that are, as I say, less than complete. It will take us a while to sort this out.” The Education Partnership, an advocacy organization backed by local businesses, went into receivership last month, in part because several contracts for conducting research for municipalities and school districts fell through, said Shine. He was appointed permanent receiver by the court this morning after serving as temporary receiver since June 18. Shine said that money from different sources — including federal grants earmarked for specific programs, grants from private sources and scholarship money –– apparently was mingled with the Education Partnership’s operational expenses. “There were no separate escrow accounts,” Shine said. Since 2005, the Partnership has administered the Louis Feinstein Memorial Scholarship, created 15 years ago by philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein in honor of his late father, Louis. An attorney for Feinstein said his client was dismayed to learn that the scholarship money was not kept in a separate account, used solely for student aid. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan “We understood that money would remain segregated,” said lawyer Mark Morse. “We remain concerned about the management of these funds and the failure to abide by the investment policy and … the scholarship guidelines. Mr. Feinstein is also concerned about the damage to his reputation because of the mismanagement of these funds.” Other creditors include Sovereign Bank, which loaned the organization $305,000, and several teachers and instructors who said the Education Partnership never paid them for after-school programs they provided this year at a Providence public school. The Rhode Island Attorney’s General Office is concerned about the scholarship money and will review financial records and legal documents associated with the scholarship fund as they becomes available, said Assistant Attorney General James Lee, who attended the hearing. Creditors now have four months to make their claims to Shine. A hearing to appoint a forensic accountant was scheduled at Superior Court, July 21, at 9:30 a.m. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:38 AM | Comment Survivor of Middletown plane crash still criticalThe sole survivor of a plane crash in Middletown is still listed in critical condition today, according to Rhode Island Hospital spokeswoman Jill Reuter. Keith Ulich, 28, is in an induced coma, and doctors removed both of his feet because of the extent of his burns, family members said. Killed in Thursday's crash were Ulich’s wife, Pamela Ulich Lancaster, 43, and flight instructor Charles W. Thompson –– all of Newport. Read about their lives on projo.com. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 10:21 AM | Comment Audubon to reopen Bristol boardwalk todayIt’s a nice day for a walk by the waterfront. Luckily for Rhode Islanders, the Audubon Society is reopening a boardwalk that was damaged in April after a fire moved through the brush and marsh near the Audubon’s Environmental Education Center in Bristol. In addition to fire damage, firefighters had to tear up sections of the boardwalk to get to flames as they began to make their way toward the Education Center building, as well as homes and businesses. At 2 p.m. today the boardwalk reopens, newly reconstructed, nearly three months after the fire. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 9:48 AM | Comment Search continues for missing boater from Conn.The Coast Guard and other agencies were continuing their search this morning for a Connecticut man who fell off his sailboat yesterday afternoon near the northern entrance of the Sakonnet River A helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod this morning joined the cutter Tiger Shark, which searched through the night without finding Bernard Mochan, 65, of Clinton, Conn., according to Petty Officer Connie Terrell at the Coast Guard's First District headquarters in Boston. Mochan was boating with his wife aboard the 32-foot Elizabeth when he was struck on the head by the vessel’s boom and went overboard. He was not wearing a flotation device. Mochan's wife called the Coast Guard around 4:50 p.m. Late last night the crew of a 25-foot Coast Guard boat out of Castle Hill in Newport found a hat in the waters of the search area centered about one-tenth of a mile west of Tiverton, the Coast Guard said. Mochan's wife confirmed it belonged to her husband. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:35 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Oil spill on Route 95An oil spill has a lane closed and is slowing traffic this morning. The accident, on the southbound side of the roadway has the right lane closed near Exit 6A/Hopkins Hill Road. To see how traffic is being affected, see the Transportation Management Center's Web cameras. Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 8:21 AM | Comment Today in history: The king grants R.I. a charterOn this day in 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to Rhode Island. Read more about today in history. Watch a video report about today in history. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A high near 89, humid, thunderstorms possible laterThe temperature in the Providence area should climb to 89 degrees under partly sunny skies today, according to the National Weather Service. The warm and humid air now in the region could bring scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. The weather service is also warning of an increasing risk of rip tides on south-facing beaches.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front page: Paroled killer charged in robberyToday's front page features the story of a paroled murderer accused of entering a North Kingstown house, threatening a woman at home with her baby and stealing her SUV. Download a copy of the front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment July 7, 2008Rev up your appetite; it's Restaurant Week againAre you hungry? Good. The area's annual Restaurant Week started yesterday –– but it’s not too late to make a reservation at one of the more than 50 participating restaurants. Whether it’s pasta Florentine at CAV, or a meatball sandwich at Fatty McGee’s, there should be something for just about everyone. There are fixed-price menus for three-course lunches and dinners at most restaurants: $12.95 for lunch and $29.95 for dinner, not including tax, tip or beverages. Restaurant Week runs through July 19 –– it takes at least that long to try all that food –– and is sponsored by the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. Find a meal or 20 online that sound good, where you can also find the phone numbers to book reservations. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 6:45 PM | Comment Narragansett couple rescued after boat explosionA Narragansett couple were rescued from a boat about a mile off Point Judith Sunday by Good Samaritans who saw an explosion and came over to help, the Coast Guard said. The explosion, shortly before noon, came from the boat’s console area, injuring Richard and Alicia Derise, said Chief Wendy MacLean, of the Coast Guard’s Woods Hole station. The couple were transported to shore aboard the Piper’s Dream with a Coast Guard escort and were taken to South County Hospital, MacLean said. Alicia Derise, 61, was later transported to Rhode Island Hospital and was in fair condition this afternoon, a Rhode Island Hospital spokeswoman said. Richard Derise, 59, did not need to be admitted as a patient. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:58 PM | Comment Search on for man who fell overboard from sailboatPORTSMOUTH -- Firefighters and rescue personnel are searching for a 55-year-old man who fell overboard from his sailboat late this afternoon. The man was boating with his wife when he was struck on the head by the vessel's boom and went overboard. The man was not wearing a flotation device. Rescuers were heading toward a spot north of Common Fence Point in Mount Hope Bay. Portsmouth Fire Department said it has two marine units at the scene, and Tiverton and Bristol rescue crews are also responding.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:55 PM | Comment Update: Convicted murderer held after break-in arrestA convicted murderer has been ordered held without bail after the police say he broke into a woman’s home in North Kingstown, armed with an "edged weapon," and stole her car. Raymond E. McWilliams, 45, appeared in District Court today after police said he broke into the house of a 33-year-old North Kingstown woman on Friday. McWilliams did not enter pleas to charges stemming from that incident because they are all felonies, which are not handled at the District Court level. But Judge William Clifton ordered him held until a July 14 hearing on a probation violation. McWilliams was convicted of murder in 1984 for the death of Peggy M. Flynn. At the time, the police said McWilliams stabbed Flynn seven times as she was giving him a ride to work. Flynn, 20, lived in the same apartment complex. The police said McWilliams stabbed Flynn after she turned down his offer to go on a date. On Aug. 2, 1984, Superior Court Judge Albert E. DeRobbio, following the attorney general's recommendation, sentenced McWilliams to 40 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions, suspended 15 years of the sentence and ordered 15 years probation upon his prison release. At the time, Asst. Atty. Gen. Jeffrey Pine said McWilliams would be eligible for parole in 15 years. The victim's family objected to the sentence. Vincent Flynn said it was unfair that McWilliams would be eligible for parole in 15 years. "My daughter will never get paroled," he said. McWilliams was also arrested in 2002. He was extradited from Arizona on car theft charges and being a parole violator. He was sentenced to five years with 18 months to serve. He has 11 1/2 years of his suspended sentence left on the murder conviction. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 5:40 PM | Comment Update: Suspect arraigned in Pawtucket woman's murder
Journal photo / Steve SzydlowskiJuan Diaz, center, who fled to Albany after being accused of murdering Mayra Cruz in Pawtucket two weeks ago, is arraigned in District Court, Providence, today. PROVIDENCE -- A suspect in the murder of Pawtucket woman was arraigned today on the murder charge as well as two prior domestic charges that allegedly involved the same victim. Juan Diaz, 24, had waived his right to extradition after being arrested by police in Albany, N.Y., after the June 25 murder of 26-year-old Mayra Cruz in Pawtucket. Diaz faced charges for a January incident in which he's accused of breaking into Mayra Cruz's house, striking and choking her, and ripping the telephone off the wall. He also faced charges of violating a no-contact order following the January arrest. About a half-dozen of Cruz's family members and friends appeared today in District Court, where Diaz was arraigned on the murder and assault charges, wearing T-shirts with pictures of Cruz and the words “Gone, but not forgotten.” Diaz wept during his appearance to face the murder charge, but seemed composed by the time he faced a judge for violating the no-contact order. Police were sent to Diaz's apartment on June 25 after Diaz called and said he had accidentally shot Cruz during a struggle. When the police arrived, Diaz was gone, and Cruz was dead in the apartment. The state medical examiner’s office said she had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Diaz is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson at 5:13 PM | Comment North Kingstown woman, 19, dies in Conn. car crashA Rhode Island woman died yesterday in a car accident in nearby eastern Connecticut. According to a police report, Laura Tetreault, 19, of North Kingstown, was driving west along Route 2 in North Stonington, Conn., just east of Swantown Hill Road, when her car crossed the double yellow line. The car she was driving, a 1997 Saturn, registered to Sharon Tetreault, struck a 1997 BMW head on. |
