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June 2, 2006

Chartered jet crashes in Groton, killing 2 pilots

GROTON, Conn. -- A Learjet owned by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson crashed in Long Island Sound while flying in heavy fog earlier today, killing the two pilots and injuring three passengers, the Coast Guard said. Robertson was not aboard.

The rescued passengers were able to get out of the plane on their own and were taken to the hospital for minor injuries, state police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance said.

The jet was believed to be headed to Connecticut for a charity golf tournament at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in nearby Mashantucket, authorities said. It went down a half-mile short of the runway at the Groton-New London Airport.

It is registered to Virginia-based Robertson Asset Management. The company is owned by Robertson and is separate from the Christian Broadcasting Network, spokeswoman Angell Vasko said.

She said Robertson was not on the plane and rents it out because he uses it infrequently. The company has a leasing agreement with International Jet Charter of Norfolk, Va., which chartered the plane today, Vasko said.

Mark Ousley, International Jet's sales and marketing director, declined comment.

Coast Guard officials said the chartered, twin-engine Learjet 35 took off from Norfolk, Va., about 12:30 p.m. Friday and stopped in Atlantic City, N.J., to drop off two passengers before heading to Connecticut. Police said the cause of the crash, reported about 2:30 p.m., was unknown.

Rachel Waszkelewicz said she heard the crash and ran out of her house and onto her dock, but it was too foggy to see, so she called out to a group of lobstermen.

"Everybody jumped in their boats," she said. "You could hear voices. I don't know if it was from the plane or if it was boaters yelling to them."

Dick Sawyer, who lives in the neighborhood, said, "You could barely see past your hand at the time." Five minutes later, he said, the fog lifted just enough to reveal the jet in the water.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:24 PM | Comment

RISD making rain plans for tomorrow's graduation

PROVIDENCE -- As the college graduation season winds down, two area commencements are planned for this weekend.

The Rhode Island School of Design will hold graduation at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning on South Water Street at Power Street. An abbreviated ceremony will be held in case of heavy rain, and in the case of thunderstorms, the outdoor ceremony will be cancelled.

Bristol Community College has scheduled its commencement for tomorrow at 11 a.m. on the Fall River, Mass., campus.

Find more coverage of area college and high school graduations, send a graduation e-card and upload graduation photos at: http://projo.com/extra/graduation/

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:03 PM | Comment

Reed to appear on Fox talk show Sunday morning

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is scheduled to appear on a nationally-televised morning talk show this Sunday.

The Rhode Island Democrat will appear with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Fox News Sunday. Both men serve on the Senate's Armed Services Committee.

The pair will weigh in on allegations of U.S. military war crimes during a segment entitled "Cover-up in Haditha?"

The program airs in Rhode Island at 9 a.m. on Channel 11.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:55 PM | Comment

Local movie theaters prepare for The Omen's return

Satan will appear in Rhode Island early next week on a date that would make the devil smile: 6/6/06.

20th Century Fox has chosen to release the remake of the 1976 thriller, Omen, on a date bearing numbers used in the Bible's Revelation 13 to describe the devil, known as the beast.

"Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon," it reads in part. "If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666."

Omen tells the story of a child named Damien, the anti-Christ, who bears the numbers 6-6-6 on his skull.

Movie theaters across the state have just re-arranged next week's schedules to accommodate the Tuesday release. Check for times and locations via projo.com's searchable database of movie listings.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:53 PM | Comment

2 gang members plead guilty in Cranston pipe bombing

PROVIDENCE -- Two admitted street gang members pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this afternoon to carrying out the bombing of a Cranston home last year that cost a 46-year-old woman her eye.

Three cars carrying members of the Laos Pride street gang descended on a dead-end street early in the morning of Sept. 11, and threw a home-made pipe bomb through a window of a rival gang member’s home, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose said in court, giving the government’s first public description of the incident.

Their apparent target, Samnang Tep, was not home, but his mother, Tha-Sean Tep, picked up the bomb just before it exploded.

In court today, Bobby Soundara, 20, of 13 Richter St., Providence, admitted throwing the bomb through the window. Vanhhatdy Souvaunaxab, 19, of the Wanskuck neighborhood in Providence, admitted building the pipe bomb and three others like it, using fireworks from New Hampshire, discarded metal pipe, and a hot glue gun.

The two struck a plea deal with prosecutors that will reduce their prison time. Each faces a mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison, and could be sentenced to more than 10.

-- Journal staff writer Zachary R. Mider

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:51 PM | Comment

Photo: Torch run kicks off Special Olympics

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

William Winsor School Principal Bridget Morisseau is cheered by her students as she carries the Special Olympics torch today in front of the school on Putnam Pike in Smithfield, on the way to tonight's opening ceremonies for the event.

The torch run, which precedes the ceremonies each year, is generally one of the largest fundraisers for Special Olympics Rhode Island.

There are five legs to the run, which started today at 1 p.m. in East Providence. Runners from Westerly, Charlestown, and South Kingstown will meet up later for the final leg -- a five-mile stretch down Route 138 into University of Rhode Island's Meade Stadium in Kingston at about 8:20 p.m.

Nearly 1,500 athletes are scheduled to compete in the 38th Special Olympics Rhode Island Summer Games, being held today through Sunday at URI.

Governor Carcieri will help kick off the competition, which includes basketball, bowling, powerlifting and soccer. Carcieri will greet the athletes and coaches during opening ceremonies at 7:30 tonight at URI.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:43 PM | Comment

R.I. high court stays out of dispute in lead-paint case

The state Supreme Court declined today to rule on charges by defendants in the state’s precedent-setting lead paint public nuisance case that the state improperly enlisted private lawyers to argue its case.

The defendants argued that the state’s contingency fee agreements with the law firms of Motley Rice and Decof & Decof amounted to "an unlawful delegation of the Attorney General’s authority" and violated their rights to due process.

The defendants were joined by such outside groups as the Washington Legal Foundation, the Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and the American Tort Reform Association.

Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, writing for the court, noted that the court does not issue advisory opinions. It also will not decide on constitutional issues when it is clear a case can be decided more readily on other issues.

Williams noted that a remedy has yet to be crafted in response to the jury’s verdict for the state. And more appeals are pending.

Since the arguments raised by the defendants over hiring legal counsel involve "novel questions of constitutional law in this jurisdiction,’’ Williams said the justices decided to postpone their review until the many other issues in the case are resolved.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:54 PM | Comment

WaterFire still on despite wet forecast

PROVIDENCE – Despite the wet forecast, WaterFire is on for tonight, with the lightings expected shortly after sunset, which is at 8:15 p.m.

However, according to the outgoing message on the WaterFire information line, the jazz stage scheduled for tonight’s lighting has been cancelled because of the weather.

The first scheduled WaterFire of this season, Saturday, May 13, was cancelled due to inclement weather. The popular performance event on the downtown waterways was held two weeks after that.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:39 PM | Comment

Police union endorses Whitehouse for Senate

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers announced today that it is endorsing U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse.

The largest law enforcement labor union in the country, the IBPO cited Democrat Whitehouse's experience in criminal justice and support for the law enforcement community as reasons for the endorsement.

Whitehouse, a former U.S. attorney and Rhode Island attorney general, is expected to be the state's Democratic nominee in November, squaring off against either Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey or the incumbent Lincoln Chafee, both Republicans.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:30 PM | Comment

Conn. poll finds gas prices affect all Americans

Fifty-six percent of American voters have cut back significantly on how much they drive as a result of rising gas prices, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

And 50 percent of American voters say they have cut back on household spending because of gas prices, according to the Connecticut university pollsters, who surveyed 1,534 registered voters across the country from May 23 to May 30.

“In varying degrees, depending on whether you're rich or poor, a Democrat or a Republican, a man or a woman, black or white, Americans are feeling the pain of rising gas prices, with most of us cutting back on our driving and half of us pinching pennies to fill the tank,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:48 PM | Comment

Lynch fined again, this time for $10,000

PROVIDENCE – A Superior Court judge has fined Attorney General Patrick Lynch an additional $10,000 for public comments he made to the media about the lead paint case earlier in the year.

Judge Michael A. Silverstein early today ordered the fine for civil contempt, which Lynch must pay with his own money. It is the second fine against Lynch in relation to the lead paint case.

The first was for $5,000. The penalty was for a brief comment Lynch made to The Providence Journal after a hearing Nov. 16. Lynch described the defendants as "those who would spin and twist the facts."

Lynch has appealed that fine.

The judge signaled earlier in the month that a second fine was forthcoming for comments Lynch made in February after a jury found that the three defendants, Sherwin-Williams Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries, created a public nuisance by selling lead paints in Rhode Island.

Earlier in the month, Lynch issued a written statement regarding the fines.

“As much as I respect the court's diligence I disagree with the court's two findings of contempt and believe that, ultimately, when they are appealed and evaluated on their legal merits, the findings will be set aside."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:44 PM | Comment

Program today on how to help special needs children

WARWICK – The Rhode Island Parent Information Network is convening parents and medical professionals for a one-day conference today to grapple with how families and professionals can help children with special needs reach their fullest potential.

The event is free and open to the public, so parents can feel free to drop in at a session that interests them, according to Matthew Cox the network’s associate director.

The 11:45 a.m. luncheon will focus on trends in health care and financing with the following speakers: William Waters, Ph.D., of the R.I. Department of Health; Chris Koller, state insurance commissioner, and Meg Comeau from the Catalyst Center.

It will be followed by several afternoon programs.

The conference is at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick, 2081 Post Road, and runs until 4 p.m. today.

The afternoon workshop session begins at 1 p.m. and includes topics such as adolescent-to-adult transition and pediatric care.

There’s an open discussion on the issues at 2 p.m. and a program at 3 p.m. focusing on caring for families living with special health care needs. Speaking at the 3 p.m. session are Lisa Landry, an attorney from Hasbro Children's Hospital, and Linda McMullen, program coordinator for the Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP). Both are parents of children with disabilities.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:25 AM | Comment

Go fishing for free this weekend in R.I.

Tomorrow and Sunday are free fishing days in Rhode Island, according to the state Department of Environmental Management.

That means Rhode Islanders can fish in the state's fresh waters without a fishing license or a trout conservation stamp, the DEM says.

The free fishing days, established more than a decade ago, are designed to give Rhode Islanders extra incentive to get outside and try something new, the DEM says.

Fledgling fishermen and women can even borrow fishing rods from the Scituate, Lincoln and Coventry libraries.

Regulations on size and catch limits apply on the free fishing days. More information is available at the DEM's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:24 AM | Comment

Warwick metals refinery reopens after chemical leak

WARWICK – The metals refinery Pease & Curren has opened for business today after a 12-member hazardous materials team stopped a hydrochloric acid leak and cleared the air, Fire Battalion Chief David DelVecchio said.

The team left the business at about 7:45 a.m., nearly three hours after getting the call about a hazardous materials leak, which turned out to be hydrochloric acid, DelVecchio said.

No one was injured.

The team discovered that a 300-gallon container used for removing precious metals such as platinum, gold and silver from manufacturing facilities’ waste products had overheated. The acid in the tank was boiling off and producing dangerous vapors, and it then damaged the company’s ventilation system, DelVecchio said.

By shutting down the steam lines used in the heating process, the hazardous materials team stopped the emission of the vapors and then stabilized the unit, the battalion chief said.

-- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Kate Bramson

Hydrochloric acid causes skin damage if it comes into direct contact with a person, and it causes varying degrees of eye and nose irritation. If its strength and concentration are high enough, the acid can cause death, DelVecchio said.

The fire department dispatched its hazardous materials team this morning to the metals refinery after police detected fumes in the building when they responded to a burglar alarm, according to Police Lt. Kevin Mowry.

The police were called to Pease and Curren at 75 Pennsylvania Ave. at 4:38 a.m., Mowry said.

The responding police officers saw a cloud of smoke coming from a ventilation opening outside the building. They called for a company representative to let them in. Once inside, they detected fumes, left the building and called the fire department, Mowry said.

The hazardous materials team was dispatched just after 5 a.m., DelVecchio said.
Police detected no signs of a burglary and aren’t sure what set off the alarm, Mowry said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:46 AM | Comment

WPRO adds Jay Severin, Jim Cramer

News/talk radio station WPRO-AM (630) has announced some programming changes.

The station has added Jim Cramer's "Real Money" Sunday afternoons from 3 to 5. (That started last Sunday). On weekdays starting June 5, WPRO will add "Jay Severin Has Issues" at 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sean Hannity's show will move to the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. slot.

-- Journal staff writer Andy Smith

Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:58 AM | Comment

Ryan sticking with expansion plan at CVS

CVS CEO Tom Ryan tells the Wall Street Journal today that debt will not change the company's plan to open 250 to 275 new stories a year.

CVS is expected to close today on its $2.93 bill aquisition of 700 Osco and Sav-On pharmacies.

Ryan says he is not worried by recent downgrades of CVS' debt by credit-rating companies. And he says CVS will continue to look at new deals.

"Acquisitions are a big part of our business, adn we do [them} well,'' Ryan says.

CVS, Rhode Island's largest corporation, will have 6,200 stores

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:20 AM | Comment

Hey, kids, Wiggles to return to Ryan Center

The Wiggles bring their new concert tour -- Wiggledancing! -- to The Ryan Center in Kingston on Tuesday, Aug. 22, for two shows at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m., the venue has announced.

Tickets go on sale June 9 at 10 a.m. at The Ryan Center box office, at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at (401) 331-2211 in Rhode Island, or (203) 224-0033 in Connecticut.

Prices range from $17.50 to $34.50. Seating for tickets purchased at the $34.50 level will take place in the “hot potato seats” and will include an exclusive peel ‘n’ stick Wiggles game.

Posted by at 8:01 AM | Comment

Hazmat team sent to metals refinery

WARWICK – The fire department dispatched a hazardous materials team this morning to a metal refinery in town after police detected fumes in the building when they responded to a burglar alarm that went off, Police Lt. Kevin Mowry said this morning.

Police were called to Pease and Curren at 75 Pennsylvania Ave. at 4:38 a.m., Mowry said.

The responding officers saw a cloud of smoke coming from a ventilation opening outside the building. They called for a company representative to let them in the building. Once inside, they detected fumes, left the building and called the fire department, Mowry said.

Police detected no signs of a burglary and aren’t sure what set off the alarm, Mowry said.

The Warwick Fire Department is still on scene responding to the hydrochloric acid leak, but they’re starting to send crews away from the building, a dispatcher said around 7:20 a.m.

The battalion chief is still at the metral refinery and unavailable to comment at this time, the dispatcher said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:24 AM | Comment

Update: Accident slows Route 95, roadwork later today

Traffic has slowed on Route 95 North, apparently because of an accident near Exit 23, the exit for Route 146.

The DOT has issued a traffic alert, saying an accident is affecting the left shoulder.

Also today, the late morning commute could be affected on Route 95 this morning in and around downtown Providence.

The DOT has scheduled work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Providence, northbound at Exit 22 and southbound at Exit 21.

In Pawtucket and Central Falls, various lanes will also be closed during those hours at Exits 26 and 30.

Check traffic reports on the state Department of Transportation's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:19 AM | Comment

Thunderstorms likely, flash flooding possible today

PROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service is calling for showers, thunderstorms and the possibility of flash flooding today in southern New England.

The potential for flash flooding will be the highest across northern Connecticut, Rhode Island and much of eastern Massachusetts, the weather service says.

The weather service has issued a small craft advisory for coastal waters.

For more information and updates, check projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment