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April 19, 2006

Beacon board meeting draws state senator's protest

WARWICK -- The public was not invited to attend a board of directors' meeting at the headquarters of Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. tonight, where the group has been meeting since 4 p.m. to continue its discussion of report released last week highly critical of the workmen's compensation insurer.

But that didn't stop state Sen. James Sheehan, of Narragansett and North Kingstown, from showing up.

Sheehan was there to greet the seven board members as they arrived this afternoon. He was holding a homemade sign bearing images of two boats. He called them the S.S. Public Trust and the S.S. Workmen's Compensation.

One had crashed on the rocks and the other was sinking, Sheehan said. "You have to come forward, come clean and make the neccesary changes to begin to restore public faith in this organization," he said.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Last week the board decided to suspend Beacon's CEO, Joseph A. Solomon, with pay, in the wake of demands by Governor Carcieri to overhaul its leadership. The board also suspended, with pay, its vice president of underwriting, David Clark, and board member Edward J. Braks resigned.

Carcieri has called on the board to make more changes. It is unclear if the board may make further changes at tonight's meeting.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:52 PM | Comment

Air sickness strikes 14 cadets on cargo plane ride

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Fourteen boys and girls were briefly hospitalized this afternoon after they complained of nausea and dizziness during an orientation flight on a Rhode Island National Guard cargo plane.

None of them are in serious condition, according to Lt. Col. Michael McNamara, a Guard spokesman.

"It was classic motion sickness across the board," he said. "They anticipate everybody being sent home, back to camp."

The youths, ages 12 to 18, were among a group of 86 Civil Air Patrol cadets riding in a C-130J Hercules cargo plane today as part of a week-long training program held in Rhode Island each year.

Among other activities, the cadets ride helicopters and military planes, McNamara said.

The plane was out of Quonset Point. The majority of the cadets are from Rhode Island, he said, but some are from New York and Massachusetts and other states.

The group of cadets will graduate from the program Saturday at Camp Varnum in Narragansett.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:38 PM | Comment

Salvaging of old Jamestown span begins tomorrow

There's little rest for the old Jamestown Bridge, whose center span was blasted into Narragansett Bay yesterday.

Tomorrow, the process of salvaging its steel from the waters of the Bay's West Passage will begin. It will take about a month for barges and divers to recover the steel, which will then be sold for recycling.

During that time, the passage between the Narragansett shore and the island of Jamestown will be shut down.

More of the remaining span will be demolished in another blast, now scheduled for mid-May.

Miss yesterday's explosion? Take a look at projo.com and Journal coverage, including projo.com readers' photos and comments, at: http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/jamestownbridge/

More in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com ...

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Arthur Gregg Sulzberger

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:56 PM | Comment

Shipbuilder Blount to give cruise ship to 3 colleges

Warren shipbuilder Luther Blount will donate a 175-foot cruise ship to three area colleges, according to an announcement released today.

Blount, who owns American Canadian Caribbean Lines, has planned a ceremony to mark the transfer of the $6.5 million ship for May 1.

"Education gave me the foundation to be where I am today and I am thankful to give something back," Blount said in a statement.

The boat, named the Niagara Prince, was commissioned in 1994 and is certified to carry up to 90 passengers and crew. In 12 years of service, the ship has carried thousands of guests along the cruise line's routes, including a popular trip from New Orleans to Chicago.

Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology, of Boston, will assume co-ownership of the vessel at the end of its scheduled summer and fall foliage cruises in October.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:29 PM | Comment

Photo: Fishing for a winner in North Providence

Journal photo / Kris Craig

Angela Brasil of North Providence gives her daughter, Megan, a hand steadying her fishing pole while checking to see if her bait is still on the hook this afternoon at North Providence's annual fishing derby. The derby, held at Geneva Pond in Governor Notte Park, was open to North Providence boys and girls age 14 and under.

Like to fish, but missed the derby? Check out state rules and regulations, plus Journal outdoor writer Tom Meade's regular column, at: http://projo.com/fishing/

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:01 PM | Comment

Court upholds parole violation for Narragansett sex offender

PROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court today upheld the probation violation of convicted sex offender Eugene C. Texter -- which likely means he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.

Texter, 44, was convicted last November of two counts of second-degree sexual assault for dragging a Narragansett High School freshman into the woods and groping her in September 2003.

The attack led the state Attorney General's Office to obtain a probation violation against Texter in October 2003. Texter, in his appeal, said that relied on evidence he contended was illegally seized by Narragansett police investigating the attack.

The Supreme Court's ruling adds 39 years to the 30-year sentence he received for the Narragansett assault.

Texter has a lengthy record.

In 1988, Texter was convicted of raping a woman in her Westerly apartment at knifepoint. A year later, he was convicted of kidnapping a pregnant woman and forcing her to perform oral sex at gunpoint. He served 13 years and was out on parole at the time of his Narragansett arrest.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:43 PM | Comment

Hatch's sentencing delayed until May 16

PROVIDENCE -- The sentencing for Survivor star Richard Hatch on his tax-evasion conviction has been delayed until Tuesday, May 16, it was announced today.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said the sentencing will now take place at 10 a.m. that day before U.S. District Chief Judge Ernest C. Torres, at the U.S. District Court building here.

Hatch, of Newport, had been scheduled for sentencing on April 25. He was being held in protective custody at a Plymouth, Mass., jail.

Hatch won $1 million in the debut season of the CBS reality TV series. He was found guilty in January of failing to pay taxes on his winnings and other income.

The charges carry a maximum of 13 years in prison. Torres has said he expected a sentence of between two years, nine months and three years, five months, but it could be longer because prosecutors accuse Hatch of lying during his testimony.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:31 PM | Comment

Route 95 crash jams traffic in Attleboro; one hurt

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- A 21-year-old North Attleboro man suffered serious injuries following a crash on Route 95 this afternoon that has clogged traffic in both the north and southbound lanes.

Massachusetts State Police would not release the man's name, pending the notification of family members. But spokeswoman Trooper Veronica Dalton said he is being treated at Rhode Island Hospital after being thrown from his Jeep Cherokee in a collision on 95 South at about 1:10 p.m.

The left lanes on both sides of the highway were closed for at least two hours, according to Dalton. The southbound lane was still being cleared at 3:45 p.m.

The Jeep was following a Volkswagen Jetta this afternoon when the driver of the Jetta braked suddenly to avoid debris in the road, Dalton said. The injured Jeep driver swerved to avoid the Jetta, but lost control and rolled his vehicle onto the median.

The driver of the Jetta, 24-year-old Kellie McKenna, of Salem, N.H., was not hurt.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:56 PM | Comment

Update: Pawtucket officer's bullet killed robbery suspect

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Pawtucket police Maj. John J. Whiting, center, gives details after a City Hall press conference this morning of the shooting by a Pawtucket officer.

PAWTUCKET -- A police spokesman confirmed this afternoon that a robbery suspect was killed by a policeman's bullet, not by the car accident that immediately followed the shooting.

John D. Martins, 47, of 33 Rodman St. in Providence, was shot to death yesterday by Pawtucket Patrolman Jeffrey S. Allen outside the Cumberland Farms on the corner of East and Pidge Avenues at about 10:20 a.m.

Martins had rammed Allen's patrol car, prompting the policeman to fire three shots before Martins briefly escaped the scene, crashing about a block away.

Pawtucket police Maj. John Whiting said that Martins was hit by at least one bullet, that entered the left middle part of his back, went through his left lung, heart and aorta before becoming lodged in his body.

The medical examiner determined that Martins lost about half the blood from his body as a result of the shooting, according to Whiting.

The state police is investigating the shooting and will turn over its results to the Attorney General's Office to determine whether the shooting was justified.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:43 PM | Comment

Sierra Club endorses Chafee

The Sierra Club announced today its endorsement of Lincoln Chafee in the battle for his U.S. Senate seat.

Chafee faces perhaps his toughest battle in the primary election against Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey. Top Democratic opponents in the general election include former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse and Secretary of State Matthew Brown.

The Sierra Club, a national environmental organization that lists more than 750,000 members, has decided to endorse Chafee for both the primary and general elections.

"We are confident that he will continue to protect Rhode Island’s and the nation’s environment in the Senate for many years to come," said Carl Pope, executive
director of the Sierra Club at a morning press conference in Warwick. "Senator Chafee is a key leader in our work towards a pro-environment majority in the Senate.”

Along with the endorsement, the Sierra Club plans to lend its volunteer strength to Chafee's campaign, according to a statement.

"We pledge to do all we can to help ensure Senator Chafee is re-elected," said Alison Buckser, chapter chair of the Rhode Island Sierra Club. "Sierra Club volunteers will work with the campaign to contact voters about his exemplary environmental record."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:11 PM | Comment

PawSox win, 6-0, in Durham

Jimmy Serrano pitched six strong innings and Jeff Bailey hit his fourth home run of the season, tying for the International League lead, as the Pawtucket Red Sox defeated the Durham Bulls, 6-0, today in North Carolina.

Serrano combined with relievers Manny Delcarmen and Mike Holtz on a five-hit shutout. Holtz struck out the side in order in the ninth.

Bailey's two-run home run off Durham starter Jamie Shields broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Bailey scored three runs in the game. Hee Seop Choi added a solo home run in the eighth inning.

The game had an unusual 11 a.m. start.

The win moved the PawSox' record to 7-7.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:03 PM | Comment

Protesters demand lead-paint removal

About 125 protesters chanted during a peaceful march outside the annual Sherwin Williams Co. stockholder meeting in Cleveland, demanding that the paint maker pay to remove lead paint from homes.

The sidewalk protest, organized by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or ACORN, included placards and the chant, "Pay up, clean up, get the lead out."

Police barred protesters from the office tower where the annual meeting was held.

In February, a Providence jury held Sherwin Williams and two other paint makers liable for problems caused by lead paint in Rhode Island. Sherwin Williams said lead paint, which can cause brain damage in children, was legal until it was banned in 1978 as unsafe.

The paint maker had no immediate comment on the protest and it wasn't clear if the chanting could be heard in the meeting. A message seeking comment was left at company offices.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:40 PM | Comment

Beacon board meeting again today on critical report

Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.’s board of directors is set to meet at 4 p.m. today with a representative from Giuliani Security & Safety, the firm whose report last week detailed “mismanagement and abuse of policyholder funds” dating back years, Beacon spokesman Bill Fischer said this morning.

This is the second time the board of the state’s dominant workers’ compensation insurer has met since the report was released last week by an independent committee headed by former Gov. Lincoln Almond.

On Friday, in the wake of demands by Governor Carcieri, the board suspended, with pay, the company’s chief executive officer, Joseph A. Solomon, and its vice president of underwriting, David Clark.

Fischer said today that the board has indicated those suspensions were “pending further review of the Almond Committee report.”

“It was their intention to conclude that review at this board meeting” today, Fischer said.

Fischer could not say how long today’s meeting might go, but the meeting on Friday lasted nearly nine hours.

The board will meet at company headquarters at One Beacon Centre in Warwick.

Read the report.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:27 PM | Comment

Real-estate license renewals go online

Real-estate agents and salespeople are going to be able to renew their licenses online, according to the state Department of Business Regulation.

The DBR plans to announce the changes to the renewal process at 10 a.m. today in their offices at 233 Richmond St. in Providence.

Members of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors and Governor Carcieri’s staff plan to be on hand to discuss the changes.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:38 AM | Comment

Highs around 71; fire watch in place

With highs around 71, it looks like it’s going to be a good day for a trip to the Roger Williams Park Zoo to check out that new zebra colt. Just one of many options on this school vacation day in Rhode Island.

On the cautionary side, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag fire weather watch from noon until evening today. That means critical fire weather conditions are possible. That warning could be upgraded this morning.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment