Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

SMITHFIELD -- A man's body was found this evening after a single-engine Piper PA-32 aircraft crashed late this afternoon about a half-mile southeast of runway 33 at North Central State Airport, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

FAA spokesman Jim Peters said that investigators have not determined if the man was the pilot or a passenger aboard the plane.

The plane had landed in a wooded area off Clark Road. It had been on its way from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick to North Central, Peters said earlier tonight.

Nearby residents said they heard a loud explosion and saw flames, sometime after 4:30 p.m.

The plane's registration, or tail, number is 2316p, and the plane is registered to Robert A. Zoglio Jr. of 207 New London Turnpike, Wyoming, R.I., according Peters.

However, Peters said it was not known if Zoglio was aboard the plane.

Rescue vehicles responded to the crash site, which is about a mile or less from 46 Clark Road, where a dirt road leads into the woods, according to a police officer on the scene just before 6 p.m. Traffic and pedestrians were being stopped there.

Peters said shortly after 6 p.m. that it was not yet known how many people were on board. When it was first called in, whoever located the plane had not yet located the pilot or any passengers, he said.

Peters said the accident was reported to have happened at 5:06 p.m.

Airport officials contacted by phone said they either had no information or no comment.

Carol Dionisopoulos, who lives at 66 Clark Road, said she first heard a plane after 4:30 p.m., then a loud explosion, followed by flames, about 250 feet from her house.

She said she went out with flashlights, while there was still burning, but no one could be seen.

Ernest Robert, of 43 Clark Road, said he, his wife and son were in their living room when heard a big explosion. He said his wife and son, who were facing a window, saw a huge fireball, about 25 feet high.

They didn't know it was a plane crash at first, and thought it might be an explosion in a nearby barn. Robert went out with a fire extinguisher, but couldn't get close, he said.

He then saw a fuselage and wing.

Both residents say they reported the crash to 911.

No signs of a fire were visible when a reporter arrived at the scene before 6 p.m. After getting closer to the crash site later in the evening, people with spotlights could be seen search the plane. Its tail and fuselage were visible.

-- WIth reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
State Police detectives and FBI agents watch as a backhoe goes to work this afternoon in the backyard of Lisboa Apartments at 378 Bullocks Point Ave. Police say they believe it's where Joseph P. "Joe Onions" Scanlon, a reputed Providence mobster and police informant, was buried after being killed in 1978.

EAST PROVIDENCE -- As darkness fell today, the Rhode Island State Police stopped digging in the backyard of an apartment complex in the Riverside area of East Providence for the remains of a victim of a mob assassination 30 years ago.

An orange backhoe had been on the job for a few hours, succeeding only in heaping mounds of dirt around a growing hole. After halting for the day at 4:45 p.m., state police said they would start up again tomorrow morning. A guard was being posted overnight.

State Police Lt. Col. Steven O'Donnell confirmed the purpose of the search early this afternoon, at the same time state police were announcing the arrests of 18 persons, including two top mob figures, on a variety of criminal charges.

Police officers had cordoned off the search area around the Lisboa Apartments, listed as 378 Bullocks Point Ave., located to the west of the East Bay Bicycle Path, east of Bullocks Point Avenue.

The digging took place in the backyard of the apartment complex, just north of Luray Street, between Earl and Providence Avenues. Several people wearing jackets marked "State Police" on the back were on the scene marked by yellow crime scene tape.

Also spotted: R.I. Attorney General Patrick Lynch and State Police Superintendent Brendan P. Doherty. Lynch told a reporter that he could not confirm they were searching for Scanlon's body, but did say it was connected to racketeering arrests earlier today.

The backhoe stopped briefly at 3:42 p.m., and a dog was sent into the pit, sniffing, as officers watched. But by 3:57 p.m., the machine had started up again.

Journal file photo
Joseph P. "Joe Onions" Scanlon, in 1978

At the press conference today, police said they believe the body to be that of Joseph P. "Joe Onions" Scanlon, a reputed Providence mobster and police informant believed slain in a Knight Street bar in 1978.

Two men, Andrew F. Merola and Nicholas Pari, were convicted of killing him, marking the state's first such conviction without a victim's body having been found.

Pari was arrested today on weapon and racketeering charges as part of an undercover sting operation. Police said Pari told them Scanlon's body was buried at that address in East Providence.

The apartment complex is currently owned by Celestino Antonio, who bought the property in 1991, according to town records. At the time of Scanlon's disappearance, the property was owned by Stanley White III, who built the 18-unit complex in 1977.

-- With reports from Journal staff writers W..Zachary Malinowski, Michael P. McKinney, Richard Dujardin and archival reports

By Bruce Landis
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE -- The state transit authority's board of directors this afternoon approved service reductions affecting 47 of its bus routes and eliminating about 20 bus drivers' jobs.

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority officials said the reductions would save about $900,000 this fiscal year, or about $2 million per year. However, they would not begin to address the estimated $8-million budget deficit which could force much larger service cutbacks within a few months.

On the other hand, Board Chairman John Rupp said he is optimistic that state government will come up with enough money to get RIPTA to the end of the fiscal year, June 30, without those cutbacks.

Where officials said yesterday's cutbacks would eliminate only 2 percent or less of RIPTA's bus service, the cuts that would be needed to cover the deficit could take as much as 20 percent.

General Manager Alfred J. Moscola said there are eight vacancies among the roughly 380 drivers' jobs. That could leave the other 12 drivers vulnerable to layoffs unless retirements made up the difference.

By Tracy Breton
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE -- Victims of The Station nightclub fire aren't going to get any of their settlement money in time for Christmas.

It appears, in fact, that it will be next spring at the earliest, that any funds will be distributed.

A federal magistrate judge, David L. Martin, met this afternoon with lawyers for the victims and the dozens of parties they sued in connection with the February 2003 fire. Representatives of both sides said they'd reached agreement on the next steps to be followed as they try to wrap up the litigation.

Providence lawyer William A. Poore will be appointed special master on behalf of the 181 minors who are slated to receive part of the $176 million that has been offered to settle the 11 federal lawsuits brought by those who lost loved ones or suffered injuries in the fire. During the next 45 days, Poore will confer with a Duke University law professor who has devised a matrix for distributing the $176 million. His job will be to review the matrix to see if it seems fair to the minors.Then Poore will submit a report to the court and the professor, Francis E. McGovern, will submit his grid for court approval.

At some point later in the proceedings, the victims' lawyers plan to ask the court to appoint Poore as guardian ad litem for the minors which will give him additional duties regarding the proposed distribution of funds.

Martin scheduled another status conference with all of the lawyers for Jan. 5 at 2 p.m.

Lawyers for the more than 300 plaintiffs who stand to receive settlement money had hoped to be able to distribute the funds by year's end. But there have been some unexpected delays: Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux, who is presiding over the mass tort cases, has been out ill for several months, and some of the lawyers for the parties who have offered to settle are questioning whether more than one guardian ad litem should be appointed for the minors. They've expressed concern that some minors could try to re-open the lawsuits once they become adults to try to get additional compensation; they've told the court that they want protection against that happening.

In court today, Providence lawyer Mark Mandell, who represents many of the fire victims, told Martin that "we want to move this forward as much as we can." Everyone, he said, is committed to effectuating a closure to this case "so our clients can get their measure of justice as soon as possible." But there are still things that need to be done to wrap things up, he said.

>> Continue reading: More delays for Station fire victims' settlements

By Talia Buford
Journal staff writer

Joseph Crowley, the West Warwick man found dead in his cell at the Adult Correctional Institutions in June, died of undetermined causes, a spokeswoman from the state Department of Health said today.

"With all of the tests run," said Annemarie Beardsworth, "We haven't found any cause of death. ... The tests did not show anything conclusive."

Crowley, 29, was pronounced dead shortly after a guard performing a routine check found him unresponsive in his cell. He suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after losing his home to fires in 2000 and 2007, according to family members. He had been a patient at a methadone clinic for about a year.

Family members, at the time of Crowley's death, said that he had been without his medication in the days since he was arrested.

Crowley was arrested as a part of a drug trafficking investigation by the West Warwick Police Special Investigations Unit. Officers found marijuana, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, a stolen gun and $352 in cash when they searched Crowley's home. He was charged with possession of cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and possessing stolen goods, all felonies.

The lack of a conclusive cause of death is an "uncommon finding" said Beardsworth, though she did not know how often they occurred in the past. She said no other autopsies have been inconclusive to her knowledge during the last six months.

No foul play or suicide was suspected in Crowley's death. The Rhode Island State Police and the Corrections Department's Special Investigations units were investigating the incident.

PROVIDENCE -- The Board of Elections is still reviewing 29 ballots cast from the East Greenwich Town Council race to decide who gets the fifth seat.

Vying for the spot are two Republicans: Richard P. Buonauito and former School Committee member, Steven W. Gregson.

The state Supreme Court had ordered a recount, which started at 9 a.m., according to a statement from the Board of Elections.

The ballots in question will be reviewed and ultimately feed manually back into the machine, said Robert Kando, the executive director.

But it may be a moot point.

Before adding in the remaining 29 ballots, according to the count right now, Buonauito has a 31-point lead, with 4083 votes, over Gregson who has 4,052 votes.

"We do not have a quorum. We won't have a final figure until board meets again," Kando said. "Even if all 29 go to [Gregson] by my math, he still can't win."

-- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

NARRAGANSETT -- A 19-year-old Cranston woman was seriously injured in a two-vehicle accident that happened early Saturday evening on Point Judith Avenue, the police said today.

Courtney Hollingworth was taken to Rhode Island Hospital. She is listed in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said this afternoon. Holllingworth is a student at the University of Rhode Island, the police said.

At about 4:40 p.m. Saturday during the weekend rain storm, Hollingworth was traveling north on Point Judith Avenue when she lost control of her Honda vehicle. Witnesses say the car fishtailed over the double yellow lines and into the path of a Chrysler Mini-Van going southbound, driven by Stephen Carpenter, 56, of Narragansett.

No information was available on the condition of Carpenter, or a passenger, his wife Nancy.

-- Providence staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times' environmental reporter and a native Rhode Islander, is one of two winners this week of the 2008 John Chancellor Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The award includes a $25,000 prize.

The other award winner is Jane Mayer, a staff writer for The New Yorker who was recognized for her coverage of the Bush administration's war on terror.

Revkin grew up in Warwick and East Greenwich and graduated from Brown University. He now lives in the Hudson River Valley with his wife and two children. He has traveled around the world covering the many dimensions of climate change.

Revkin was recognized for his "decades-long coverage of the science and politics of climate change."

"Revkin uses multiple platforms to report about the climate and development," wrote the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, which administers the program. "He blogs on his popular Times blog Dot Earth, podcasts, and shoots photographs and video from around the world, including the sea ice around the North Pole."

Revkin's most recent book, The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World, informs readers of all ages about the impacts of climate change on the Arctic.

The awards are to be presented at a dinner Wednesday at Columbia's Low Library in New York.

-- Journal environmental writer Peter Lord

Journal file photo
In this November 1978 photo, Gerald M. Tillinghast, center, has his arm around the man he was convicted of murdering, George Basmajian, left, with Matthew Guglielmetti, a member of the Patriarco crime family, at right.

The Rhode Island State police have arrested two longtime associates of former New England mob boss Raymond Patriarca -- along with more than a dozen alleged associates -- and charged them with running separate criminal organizations out of the same Providence flea market.

The arrests of convicted killers Gerald M. Tillinghast, 62, of Cranston, and Nicholas S. "Nicky" Pari, 71, of North Providence, followed an 18-month investigation that centered on the Valley Street Flea Market, 500 Valley Street, Providence, according to the state police.

The police allege that Pari and his associates were involved in a wide range of illegal activity, including fencing stolen goods, sale of stolen jewelry and setting up thefts of catalytic converters.

The police say they used undercover detectives and wiretaps to uncover evidence on Pari's alleged criminal operation. They say they bought drugs and firearms from Pari and his associaties. During many of the transactions, Pari exchanged drugs and guns for counterfeit trademarked handbags and sneakers, according to the police.

The investigation has also prompted the police to dig today in the Riverside section of East Providence for the body of Joe "Onions" Scanlon, who was killed by Pari in 1978. His body was never recovered.

The state police say their investigation began after Detective Scot Baruti, of the agency's police Intelligence Unit, received a tip in September 2007 that Pari was operating a large-scale criminal operation out of the flea market.

According to the state police, Pari, of 4 Eben Street, North Providence, has a long-standing association with the Patriarca Organized Crime family, and his criminal history includes a manslaughter conviction.

In July 1979, Pari and the late Andy Merola were found guilty of first-degree murder for their roles in the 1978 killing of Joe "Onions" Scanlon in Merola's social club on Knight Street.

Pari's conviction was later overturned, and he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

As a result of the recent investigation, Pari faces multiple charges, including four counts of delivering a controlled substance to a police officer, one count of carrying a dangerous weapong while committing a crime of violence.

The flea market's owner, Lloyd Morse, was also arrested. He made headlines in 2004 for running for mayor of Cranston after feuding with city officials who wanted him to take down a large "Godzilla" dinosaur balloon on his property facing Warwick Avenue.

While investigating Pari, the police allege they uncovered a separate drug and gambling criminal organization run from the flea market by Gerald Tillinghast.

The police say Tillinghast is a well-known organized crime associate and mob enforcer. Tillinghast was released from prison last year after serving 30 years for the 1978 murder of loan shark George Basmajian. His late brother, notorious mob figure Harold L. Tillinghast Sr., was also convicted in the murder.

His nephew, Harold L. Tillinghast Jr., was profiled in a Providence Journal story yesterday. Three weeks ago, Tillinghast Jr., 44, of Cranston and contractor Gerald Diodati, 59, of Seekonk, Mass., were charged in federal court in Providence with conspiracy to commit labor racketeering.

The police say Gerald Tillinghast had run the alleged operation out of Dyer Discount, a second-hand furniture and appliance store in Cranston, but moved the operation to the flea market when Dyer Discount went out of business.

The charges against Tillinghast include five counts of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit organized criminal gambling.

The suspects were being arraigned this afternoon in District Court, Providence. Tillinghast, who is on parole, was ordered held. Wheelchair bound Pari was released on $30,000 bail.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch said his office looks forward to prosecuting Pari, Tillinghast and their alleged associates.

"My office is proud to have played a role in the efforts leading to today's arrests, whose names read like a Who's Who of Rhode Island's known organized crime universe. What today shows, and what the public would do well to remember, is that although its reach and influence have diminished over many years, organized crime still exists. And although organized crime hasn't been entirely eradicated, we are still pursuing it."

"Shows like The Sopranos are entertaining, but they glamorize the mob lifestyle. There's nothing glamorous about the lives ruined, or the people killed, by the past and alleged actions of those arrested today."

Continue reading for a full list of the defendants and the charges:

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

>> Continue reading: Update: Rackets probe nets mobster Tillinghast, others

PROVIDENCE -- Jury selection began today in Superior Court for the trial of 26-year-old Gilbert Delestre, who is accused of beating 3-year-old Thomas J. Wright Jr. to death four years ago.

Delestre attended court in a black suit with a white shirt. His hair was cut short. He had requested that Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel tell potential jurors that he is in custody. Vogel said that she would not normally instruct the jury that the defendant is in custody -- defendants are usually unshackled before the jurors come into the court -- but she would tell them because he asked her to.

Before Delestre walked into court, his lawyer, Robert Mann, put a second tie around his neck and tied a knot and slipped it off so Delestre could wear it. Delestre is not allowed to have a tie in his possession while in custody of the sheriffs.

After a group of potential jurors was dismissed, the remaining jurors were instructed to fill out a survey and to return to court Tuesday morning. Vogel planned to meet back in court with attorneys at 2 p.m. today.

Delestre has been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions while awaiting trial.

He and his then- girlfriend, Katherine Bunnell, 25, are accused of beating Thomas Oct. 30, 2004 after they returned to their Woonsocket apartment after a night out and found a bowl of yogurt and milk Thomas had spilled on the living room floor.

Bunnell was convicted in May of second-degree murder and a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Delestre and Bunnell were given separate trials because they each accuse the other of inflicting the fatal injuries to the boy.

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- Slot-machine income at the two Indian-run casinos in Connecticut continued to decline in October, although the drops were less steep than September's double-digit decreases.

Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods reported a net slots win of $57.1 million in October. That was down nearly 7.5 percent -- or about $4.6 million -- from October 2007.

Mohegan Sun's slot profits were slightly higher at $65.4 million, down $6.5 million from October 2007. That's a 9 percent decrease.

The casinos pay 25 percent of their slot profits to the state, so Connecticut's budget is affected by casino revenue decreases.

Mohegan Sun is in Uncasville and owned by the Mohegan Tribe. Foxwoods is near Ledyard and owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

-- By the Associated Press

Gas prices in Rhode Island have dropped another 13 cents, marking the ninth straight week that prices have fallen, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.109 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

The average price has fallen by almost $1.50 per gallon in the past nine weeks, AAA says.

A year ago, the average price here was $3.079.

Diesel fuel dropped 19 cents to $3.09.

FALL RIVER -- A Westport, Mass., man charged with assaulting two people Friday with a machete will be arraigned today in district court.

Robert J. Sylvia, 21, of 1399 Drift Road, Westport, faces charges of armed assault with intent to murder, mayhem, domestic assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and threats to commit a crime.

He was held over the weekend and is to be arraigned in Fall River District Court's satellite location, 289 Rock Street, Fall River.

Sgt. Thomas Mauretti said the police responded to 668 Third St. at about 11:45 Friday night and found a man with a deep cut on the right side of his face and his left hand.

Mauretti said the victim, whom the police did not identify, had accidentally hit Sylvia with a keychain. According to the police, Sylvia became upset and ran into a bedroom, where he got a machete from a bag carrying some of his belongings.

Sylvia, Mauretti said, accidentally nicked his girlfriend in the knee as he drew the machete. The girlfriend, whose identity police are also not releasing, pleaded for him to stop, but Sylvia pushed her out of the way, Mauretti said.

The victim, 21, of Norton, Mass., was taken to St. Anne's Hospital with injuries that are not life threatening, Mauretti said.

Sylvia was arrested about an hour later walking on Eastern Avenue. He had blood on his face.

The machete was not recovered.

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Board of Elections today will recount the Nov. 4 ballots in five local races.

• The East Greenwich Town Council recount started at 9 a.m.
• The Tiverton town treasurer recount is to begin at 10 a.m.
• The Burrillville School Committee recount is to begin at 1 p.m.
• The recounts for the Pawtucket Council District 5 and Scituate Town Council races will be at 2 p.m

The ballots in two additional races -- the Portsmouth and Smithfield town councils -- will be recounted tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.

The meetings are open to the public and will be at the Board of Elections' offices, 50 Branch Ave., Providence.

THOMPSON, Conn. -- An East Providence woman is to be arraigned this morning in Connecticut on driving under the influence and second-degree manslaughter charges.

The Connecticut State Police said Julie Sussman, 38, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when she struck and killed an elderly pedestrian with her motorcycle in Thompson, Conn.

Louisa Solitro, 77, of Worcester, Mass., was hit Saturday night while trying to cross East Thompson Road. Troopers say it was foggy and raining when the accident happened, and there are no street lights in the area.

Solitro was pronounced dead at Hubbard Hospital in Webster, Mass.

The police said Sussman became violent when they talked with her. She was held on a $50,000 bond and is to be arraigned today in Superior Court.

The accident remains under investigation.

-- The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence man charged with murdering a 71-year-old Woonsocket man this month is due back in court today for a bail hearing.

Santiago Pena, 54, of 116 Julian St., was charged by a grand jury with first-degree murder, robbery and burglary.

Pena has been held at the Adult Correctional Institutions since Nov. 2 on charges of first-degree robbery and burglary in connection with the assault and robbery of Ivon Dufresne, of 63 Rutland St.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence police are investigating a double shooting last night on Lenox Avenue.

WPRI-TV reports that 20-year-old Miguel Gonzalez and 21-year-old Edward Alvarez were shot late Sunday night while sitting in a car outside Gonzalez's Lenox Street home.

Gonzalez's sister, Marlin Gonzalez, said her brother called her cell phone and asked her to call 911.

Gonzalez and Alvarez were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where they were listed in serious condition last night, according to the police. Hospital records showed no patients by those names this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The police said the shootings happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. outside 246 and 249 Lenox Ave.

-- With staff reports and information WPRI-TV via The Associated Press.

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
Traffic is heavy on Route 195 East in Swansea this morning as the right-hand lane is still closed as crews continue to clean up a fuel spill from Sunday's truck roll-over. Watch the video

SWANSEA -- Route 195's eastbound right lane remains closed this morning at Exit 3 in Swansea following a tanker truck crash early yesterday morning, the Massachusetts State Police said.

The police said a Cape Cod Gas tanker, carrying 12,500 gallons of gasoline, rolled over on Route 195 about 5:40 a.m. yesterday, spilling fuel and snarling traffic in both directions for most of the day as the Massachusetts State Police closed the interstate between exits 2 and 3.

The driver, 55 year-old Kim Kilbreth, suffered minor injuries. No other vehicles were involved, said Sgt. Timothy Finn.

Traffic was detoured onto Route 6 as hazardous-materials crews cleaned up the spill.

The westbound highway was reopened late yesterday afternoon. Eastbound traffic resumed by 9:30 last night. The right and breakdown lanes remain closed.

The police said Kilbreth was driving a 2001 Peterbilt tractor on Route 195 East when he lost control. The tractor went into the breakdown lane and onto the grassy shoulder, eventually rolling over near the Maple Avenue overpass, the police said. The tanker landed on its side in the woods by the highway, spilling an estimated 8,500 gallons of gasoline, said Finn.

Some of the fuel seeped into nearby wetlands. A call to the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency was not immediately returned this morning.

The nearest house was a safe distance away, about a quarter of a mile, so no evacuation was necessary, Finn said.

The road was closed at about 6 a.m. as a precaution against a possible explosion.

Hazardous materials teams from several area fire departments went to the scene, said Finn.

The tanker cab is owned by KDK Enterprises, of Wareham, Mass.

Earlier this month, a tanker truck carrying about 11,000 gallons of jet fuel rolled over on Route 95 in Attleboro, spilling about a third of the fuel it was carrying, closing the highway temporarily and forcing 14 homes to be evacuated.

By Tatiana Pina
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE -- Jury selection begins today in Superior Court for the murder trial of Gilbert Delestre, who is accused of the beating death of 3-year-old Thomas "T.J." Wright.

Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel will hear the case.

Delestre, 26, and his girlfriend Katherine Bunnell, 25, are accused of beating Thomas, Bunnell's nephew, to death after they returned to their Woonsocket apartment Oct. 30, 2004, after a night out and found that the toddler had spilled a bowl of yogurt and milk on the living room floor.

Delestre and Bunnell each accused the other of inflicting the fatal injuries and thus were tried separately.

Bunnell was convicted in May of second-degree murder and a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Bunnell and Delestre were caring for Thomas, his two brothers and their own two daughters while Bunnell's sister Karen Wright served a prison term in Illinois for transporting 100 pounds of marijuana.

The beating of the child was so severe that he was taken unconscious to Hasbro Children's Hospital. He was declared brain dead and taken off life support the next day. Delestre has been held at the Adult Correctional Instituions in Cranston while he awaits trial.

On this day in 1800, Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C., in the partially completed Capitol building.

Read more about today in history.

Look for increasing clouds today with a high near 49 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Tonight should drop to about 28 degrees with a north wind of 3 to 9 mph.

Colder weather moves in for most of the week with highs in the 30s.

Read more weather and get updates at projo.com/weather.

A Brown geologist is among those searching for water on the moon.

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