Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

On the local front:

A year ago today:
A town-owned site at the end of Legion Way in Barrington has become the prime candidate for Barrington's wind turbine after Governor Carcieri's office announces that it would allow net-metering legislation to become law today. The law allows a community to produce wind power at one location yet, in effect, use the electricity at other town-owned buildings. Under the old law, communities had to consume the power at the place they generated it, severely restricting where the turbines could be economically located. That's why officials originally said they needed to erect the windmill at the high school, easily the town's largest consumer of electricity.

5 years ago today:
The owner of the Narragansett Theater is seeking permission to sell alcohol to moviegoers as a way of increasing revenue for the struggling cinema. The proposal to extend a liquor license currently held by the Village Inn to the cinema received some tough questioning at a Town Council meeting. It will need to be seriously amended if its going to pass, said Town Solicitor Mark A. McSally, when it returns to the council on Aug. 16. "Popcorn and beer?" asked Council President T. Brian Handrigan, summing up the council's surprise at the unusual proposal.

25 years ago today:
Former Providence Highway Supt. Edward F. "Buckles" Melise pleads guilty in U.S. District Court to five counts of extorting $64,280 from three of the more than 50 private contractors that the city hired to plow snow over two winters. The guilty plea was entered just minutes before jury selection was to begin for Melise's extortion trial. Senior Judge Raymond J. Pettine had transferred the case to Boston because Melise contended that recent widespread publicity that has been unfavorable to him would prevent him from receiving a fair trial in Providence. If Melise had gone to trial and been convicted, he would have faced a maximum of 100 years in jail and/or $50,000 in fines.

On the national front:

In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia.

Read The Associated Press's Today in History.

Watch video highlights from Today in History.

 Tags  Narragansett Theater Wind turbine

Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.