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June 7, 2006

Update: Evacuations likely late tonight along Pawtuxet

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
A car plows through flooded Valley Street near the Woonasquatucket River in front of the Rising Sun Mill complex between Atwells Avenue and Delaine Street in Providence early this afternoon.

Evacuations are likely after midnight tonight along the Pawtuxet River in Warwick and Cranston, according to the National Weather Service.

Minor flooding is already occurring in some urban areas and immediately along the river.

The Pawtuxet reached 9.4 feet earlier this afternoon, exceeding the flood stage of 9 feet. The weather service is predicting that the river will reach 12.3 feet after midnight, prompting evacuations.

The American Red Cross of Rhode Island is prepared to house residents in hotels or in a temporary shelter if needed, Red Cross spokeswoman Angie Moncada said this afternoon.

Forecasters are calling for heavy rain tonight through tomorrow morning. Wet weather is predicted until Sunday. Already, 5 inches has fallen across Rhode Island.

Get the latest forecast and weather alerts ...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:41 PM | Comment

No evidence of foul play 'to date' in missing-girl case

CRANSTON -- Local police said late this afternoon there is no evidence of foul play "to date" in the case of 11-year-old Shai Ramsdell, who was found wandering near the Providence Place mall yesterday 24 hours after she was reported missing.

The Police Department is continuing its investigation, according to the brief statement, and has been joined by the state Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Police offered no new information as to the girl's whereabouts between 7:30 a.m. Monday until Tuesday evening at about 6:45 p.m. The report that she was missing prompted a massive search that included local residents and various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

"The Cranston Police Department and DCYF will continue to monitor this case," the statement concluded.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:47 PM | Comment

Carpio jury set, opening arguments tomorrow

PROVIDENCE -- The jury in the trial of Esteban Carpio, charged with killing a police detective last year, was finalized this afternoon.

There were 16 jurors selected. After the trial, the court will randomly pick 12 of them to decide Carpio's fate.

Lawyers for both sides are set to deliver opening arguments tomorrow morning. The jurors were told to report to court at 9:30 a.m.

The defense team plans to argue that Carpio was legally insane at the time he was accused of shooting Det. Sgt. James L. Allen inside police headquarters last year.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:42 PM | Comment

Sox-Yanks tilt rained out

Tonight's scheduled game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees has been postponed due to rain. No makeup date has been announced, but there will not be a doubleheader tomorrow, when the Red Sox and Yanks are scheduled to meet again in the Bronx at 7.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:37 PM | Comment

Michael Derderian's trial date put off to Sept. 5

PROVIDENCE -- The trial of Michael Derderian, who faces 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly fire at The Station nightclub, has been postponed from July 31 to Sept. 5.

Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. told prosecutors and defense lawyers in a conference Tuesday that he was delaying the trial because of concerns that the new Kent County Courthouse, where the high-profile trial will be held, won’t be fully operational by the end of July.

Joseph V. Conley Jr., deputy Superior Court administrator, said he was informed today of the change in trial date for Derderian. His brother and club co-owner Jeffrey Derderian also faces trial on the same charges, but no date has yet been set for that.

The trial, which may take 8 to 10 weeks to try, is not being held in Providence because the courthouse there cannot accommodate the number of anticipated spectators.

More to come ...

-- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:35 PM | Comment

Chafee helps defeat gay-marriage ban amendment

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee was among a handful of Republicans who joined Democrats today to defeat an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage.

The senators' vote was 49-48 to limit debate and bring the amendment to a yes-or-no decision. That was 11 short of the 60 needed, killing the measure in the Senate for this year.

Other senators who joined the Rhode Island Republican in the effort to block the amendment were John McCain, of Arizona; Arlen Specter, of Pennsylvania; and every Republican senator from New England: Maine's Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and New Hampshire's John Sununu and Judd Gregg.

Connecticut's Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, did not vote. Like almost all of his fellow Democrats, Rhode Island's Jack Reed voted against the motion.

Supporters knew they wouldn't achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment, but they had predicted a majority of votes. Instead, they fell one short, 49-48.

See the roll call vote.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:27 PM | Comment

Carcieri kicks off campaign for re-election / Photo

Governor Carcieri sings "God Bless America" with his grandchildren at the end of the announcement today, held at the Varnum Memorial Armory in East Greenwich, the town where Carcieri lives.

EAST GREENWICH -- Governor Carcieri officially announced his re-election bid for governor today, saying he wants to continue to cut government spending, lower taxes and make health care and energy more affordable for Rhode Islanders.

"I told you that we were going to challenge the system, and challenge it we have," Carcieri said at a news conference to kick off his campaign. "I said we were going to reclaim Rhode Island from the special interests that were strangling our future, and ladies and gentlemen, the reclaiming has begun."

Carcieri faces Dennis Michaud, a part-time Brown University professor, in the Republican primary. Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty is running as a Democrat.

Carcieri, who is finishing his first term, entered politics after retiring as a banking executive. Carcieri said his first term saw reforms to root out special interest dealings and political corruption.

He has made economic growth the primary focus of his administration, and said he has created 15,000 new jobs during his first term, just 5,000 short of what he has promised. The governor's spokesman later noted that Carcieri has nearly six months left in his first term and plans to make good on the promise.

Fogarty has blamed Carcieri for a projected deficit in the state budget, saying Rhode Island is one of the only states in the nation to have a deficit. He also has criticized Carcieri's proposals to balance the budget by cutting some social programs, saying they do not take into account the needs of all Rhode Islanders.

-- Staff and wire reports

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:55 PM | Comment

Electric Boat chief upbeat on sub deal

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The president of Electric Boat says he's confident his firm can cut submarine construction costs enough to convince the Navy to double production to two submarines per year.

"I'm here to tell you today that we can do that," Electric Boat President John Casey said at a briefing with reporters outside Washington, D.C., earlier today.

Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp., is working with the state's congressional delegation to lobby for increased sub production, which could help save jobs at the company's Groton, Conn., and Quonset Point, R.I., facilities. Planned layoffs were announced earlier this year and officials said between 1,900 and 2,400 jobs could be in jeopardy.

The Navy wants Electric Boat to reduce costs from about $2.4 billion to about $2 billion for each sub.

"We have every intent of achieving that challenge," Casey said.

Electric Boat wants the Navy to double sub production by 2009. The Navy has set 2012 as a target date.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:50 PM | Comment

Club Diesel keeps license, but is penalized

PROVIDENCE -- The city Board of Licenses ruled this afternoon that the city did not provide enough evidence to prove the Club Diesel was a “disorderly house’’ and found that the Washington Street business should not have its operating licenses revoked.

The board did find, however, that Diesel was responsible for one incident, in which a city police officer was struck while trying to break up a fight.

As a result, the club was issued a penalty that requires them to close one hour early – at 1 a.m. -- on Friday and Saturday nights during the month of July and close one hour early on the eve before July 4. The club will also face a six-month probationary period.

Club owners told the board they will appeal the decision. The board denied a request by club owner to stay the penalty pending the appeal to the state Department of Business Regulations.

The decision comes after multiple hearings in recent months which included complaints by police about violent episodes at or near the club.

-- Journal staff writer Karen A. Davis

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:16 PM | Comment

Middletown man pleads guilty to insider trading case

NEW YORK - The owner of a Rhode Island company that supplied produce to U.S. Foodservice Inc. pleaded guilty today to making nearly $300,000 through inside stock trades based on a tip from a U.S. Foodservice executive.

Brady Michael Schofield, 39, of Middletown, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan and apologized for trading on inside information he received in February 2000 from Timothy Lee, a former U.S. Foodservice purchasing executive.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of insider trading and a single count of conspiring to falsify records.

Schofield is president of Seafood Marketing Specialists, a Newport company that sells seafood, fresh produce and frozen vegetables to U.S. Foodservice.

-- With staff and wire reports

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:00 PM | Comment

Judge blocks convict from jailhouse preaching

A federal judge has upheld a prison rule barring a convicted killer from preaching at jailhouse services.

Wesley Spratt has been imprisoned at the maximum security wing of the state prison in Cranston since he was convicted of fatally shooting a parking lot attendant a decade ago.

He began preaching seven years ago during Christian services at a prison chapel and cafeteria -- saying he was spurred by a religious calling.

A new warden eventually banned Spratt from preaching, saying it's dangerous to put prisoners in positions of authority.

Spratt sued, saying that the warden violated a federal law granting religious rights to prisoners.

Judge William Smith today ruled the preaching ban is legal because it serves a compelling government interest -- maintaining prison security.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:56 PM | Comment

Photo: Ducking out of the rain

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
Katrina Nunes, 5, of Warren, scurried out of the rain to the car with her mom, Ozzie Nunes, after shopping along Main Street in Warren today, with a litte help from Katrina's favorite umbrella. For updated forecasts and more information, check projo.com/weather/

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:44 PM | Comment

Stepfather said he was suspect in girl's disappearance

CRANSTON – The stepfather of an 11-year-old girl who was missing for more than a day said this morning that he was the police's lead suspect until she was found yesterday in downtown Providence.

Clifton Choiniere said he was suspected because he told police he was the last to have seen Shai Ramsdell on Monday morning at their Montgomery Avenue home, just before she was supposed to leave for school.

Choiniere said that he was preparing to take a lie-detector test around 6 p.m. yesterday at Cranston police headquarters when word arrived that Shai had been found across from the Providence Place mall.

Cranston police officials would not comment this morning. A receptionist said that a news conference on the incident would likely be held later today.

After Shai was found last night, she was taken to Cranston police headquarters and to
Hasbro Children’s Hospital, her stepfather said. Since then, Choiniere said that Shai has been sequestered with her mother. He wouldn't say where they were.

Later this morning, Lydia Choiniere, Shai's mother, came to the door of her mother's house, which is nearby in the neighborhood. “We can’t talk to you right now,” she told a reporter. “We can’t talk to you right now.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:15 PM | Comment

GTECH shareholders approve sale to Lottomatica

WEST GREENWICH -- GTECH shareholders this morning approved the company's sale to Lottomatica SpA for $4.8 billion.

The sale was approved by 67.31 percent of the shares outstanding, or 85.7 million shares.

W. Bruce Turner, president and chief executive officer, said, "This has been a very exciting time for our company, but somewhat bittersweet."

There were only a handful of shareholders at this morning's meeting, which lasted about 20 minutes. Most, if not all, votes were already cast before the meeting at the company's offices in West Greenwich.

The stock closed yesterday at $34.64, just off its 52-week high of $35 a share.

-- Journal staff writer Andrea Stape

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:49 AM | Comment

Dimitri funeral set for this morning

PROVIDENCE -- The funeral for former Superior Court Judge William A. Dimitri Jr. will be held this morning at the A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home at 200 Hawkins St.

Dimitri, a former high-profile criminal defense lawyer and state and federal prosecutor, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 76.

His funeral is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1081 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence.

Burial with military honors will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.

People can add thoughts and memories about the judge at the online guestbook.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:04 AM | Comment

Carcieri to announce re-election bid today

EAST GREENWICH -- Governor Carcieri plans to announce his plan to run for reelection during a press conference early this afternoon.

The announcement is scheduled for noon at the Varnum Armory in Carcieri's hometown, East Greenwich.

Carcieri will face Dennis W. Michaud, a consultant and part-time Brown University professor, in the Republican primary for governor. The winner is expected to face Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:02 AM | Comment

Flood watch issued with heavy rain forecast

PROVIDENCE -- The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the region with moderate to heavy rain expected through tonight.

Rainfall amounts between 2 to 4 inches is likely, the weather service says. Isolated thunderstorms could develop later today, especially near the eastern Massachusetts coast.

The high temperature is expected to reach only about 59 degrees with northeast winds between 13 and 20 mph.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment