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« June 9, 2006 | Today | June 13, 2006 » June 12, 20063 companies vie to operate R.I. Web sitePROVIDENCE -- Two companies have submitted proposals to take over operation of the state's Web site, which was broken into by hackers, who stole credit card information, last year. The current operator of RI.gov also submitted a proposal by today's 2 p.m. deadline to continue running the site. State purchasing officials took the proposals under advisement to evaluate them before selecting an operator for the Web site. It is not a competitive bidding process, where the contract would go to the lowest bidder. The state does not pay the Web site operator, which derives its income from collecting convenience fees for conducting online transactions. No details of the proposals were made public today, other than the names of the vendors who submitted them. The two new competitors for the contract are EDS of Warwick and Scientific Applications International Corp., of San Diego, Calif. The current contractor is NIC, the parent company of New England Interactive, which handles NIC's business in the region. In December 2005, hackers exploited an error made by New England Interactive employees and broke into RI.gov's database of credit card transactions. The hackers gained access to 4,117 complete credit card numbers. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker
The numbers belonged to people who had made online transactions at RI.gov between Dec. 31, 2004, and March 8, 2005. Transactions after March 8 were not vulnerable because New England Interactive stopped storing complete credit card numbers. On Dec. 29, New England Interactive discover that, between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. the previous day, hackers had attacked the site. At that time, the company believed only eight credit card numbers had been compromised, and the breach was not made public. The scope of the attack became public in the middle of January on a Russian-language hackers' Web site. It came to the attention of state officials near the end of January. The security breach did not seem to affect users' confidence in the site. In May of this year, about three months after the news broke, RI.gov logged 48,797 transactions. In the same month last year, it had 49,273. The same data for April showed 50,025 this year and 50,502 last year. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:44 PM | Comment House pulls bill to allow police to search records without a warrantPROVIDENCE _ After a barrage of criticism, the House Leadership today pulled a bill that would give proposed legislation police the right to obtain Rhode Islanders' telephone call records without a warrant. Larry Berman, a spokesman for the House leadership, said the bill was being taken off the House Judiciary Committee agenday for tomorrow. He said the leadership needed more time to make revisions. Earlier today, the leadership said it would drop phone records from the bill. Maj. Steven O'Donnell said the State Police will continue to ask the legislature for permission to obtain some customers' Internet records without a review by a judge. The police say that getting a warrant is too cumbersome and takes too long to deal with increasing numbers of complaints about Internet-borne crime. The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote tomorrow on two similar bills, one House, one Senate, from the State Police.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:58 PM | Comment Carpio update: EMT recalls trying to save AllenPROVIDENCE -- Detective Sgt. James Allen was in cardiac arrest and wasn't breathing when Providence firefighter and emergency medical technician Joseph Mollis arrived on the scene. Mollis, who was among the first medical personnel to respond to the April 2005 shooting inside police headquarters, took the witness stand this afternoon in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio, describing Allen's injuries in graphic detail to the jury. Allen had been shot twice -- once in the head and once in near the clavicle. Mollis immediately worked to resuscitate Allen, who was rushed to the hospital. Mollis testified that once they reached the hospital, and by the time he returned from washing his hands, Allen was pronounced dead.
McGann told the jurors in Providence Superior Court that he had been in the room with Allen and Carpio but left to get Carpio water at Carpio's request. McGann heard the door slam shut behind him, discovered that it was locked from inside and tried twice to force it open by running into the door and slamming into it with his body. From inside the room, McGann heard Allen calling for help, the sounds of "people crashing into walls," and gunshots. "Jimmy's yelling for help," McGann said. "I was in a frantic state trying to get into the room." McGann heard more shots. He and another detective yelled to Allen and Carpio. It took three hits with a metal sledge hammer to finally open the door. Inside, McGann saw a room in disarray and his fellow detective dead on the floor. McGann began testifying on Friday. He said that Carpio was not under arrest when officers were questioning him on April 16, 2005, after the stabbing of 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. In Carpio’s trial before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause, the prosecution has painted the picture of Carpio as a cold-blooded killer who craftily sized up the situation and struck at Allen when he spotted a weakness. In stark contrast, the defense argues that Carpio is a psychotic and cannot be held legally responsible for what his lead lawyer concedes he did – stab an elderly woman and kill a police detective. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:57 PM | Comment Glocester man gets 35 years for killing wifePROVIDENCE -- A Glocester man who shot and killed his wife in their home in July 2005 was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Superior Court judge late this morning. Ralph E. Racca, 47, of 49 Echo Rd., pleaded guilty in April to second degree murder. His case never went to trial. On July 16, 2005, Racca shot Susan Racca, 42, his wife of eight years, in the forehead, chest, and back with a .22-caliber rifle. Rescue workers responding to a 911 call made by Ralph Racca found his wife's body lying on the master bed covered in blood. Today’s sentence was handed down by Judge Robert D. Krause. Racca will serve his term at the Adult Corrections Institutions in Cranston. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:50 PM | Comment Nursing home owner to plead guilty to misusing fundsAntonio L. Giordano and an associate have agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge of misusing money from three Rhode Island nursing homes. The charge, a felony, alleges that Giordano, who owned the nursing homes, and John Montecalvo, who held supervisory roles, hired a company headed by Giordano’s daughters to give parties for employees even as the nursing homes were in the red and defaulting on their federally backed mortgages. The federal government alleges that the expenditure of $780,539 over six years was “not reasonable and necessary for the operation of the nursing homes,” as required by the mortgage terms. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Under their plea agreements, Giordano and Montecalvo agreed to pay back the $780,539 to representatives of the now-defunct Hillside Health Center in Providence, the Coventry Health Center, which has changed hands, and Mount St. Francis Health Center, in Woonsocket, which Giordiano still owns but is negotiating with a buyer. Over the past year, however, federal audits of each of the three nursing homes have found several million in questionable payments from the nursing homes to various companies associated with Giordano. According to the information filed in court, the mortgages were insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which led the criminal investigation. In exchange for guilty pleas from both men, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said it will recommend a prison term “at the lowest point of sentences,” not including probation.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:30 PM | Comment R.I. gas prices up, by 2 centsPROVIDENCE -- Gas prices are up slightly this week from last week, to just under $3 a gallon. The average price of a gallon of self-serve, unleaded gas was $2.99, according to a survey by AAA of Southern New England. That's 2 cents more expensive than last week. State energyy officials say home heating oil is running about $2.61 per gallon. Crude oil futures haven't fluctuated much today, as the market shrugs off earlier concerns about the potential impact of the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:06 PM | Comment Sovereign adds 100 new jobs in East ProvidenceSovereign Bank today announced the addition of 100 new jobs at an existing call center in East Providence. The new positions will bring Sovereign’s employment in Rhode Island to more than 1,000 following the recent acquisition of Independence Community Bank Corp. of Brooklyn, N.Y. As part of the $3.6 billion purchase, Sovereign plans to shut down Independence’s two existing call centers and shift the work to Sovereign call centers, including East Providence and a new one in New Bedford. Call centers are a backbone of the contemporary banking business with Rhode Island a hub for such operations. Sovereign, Citizens Bank and Bank of America all operate major call centers in Rhode Island that each employ hundreds of people. Sovereign Bancorp of Pennsylvania is the parent company of Sovereign Bank. Posted by at 2:59 PM | Comment Union rejects offer from Providence-based TextronFORT WORTH, Texas -- Union leaders at Bell Helicopter Textron today told members to report to work as usual after the membership rejected the company's contract proposal. United Auto Workers Local 218 voted 1,390 to 476 yesterday to reject the proposed three-year contract. The old contract expired last night. Bell says negotiations were to continue. After yesterday's vote, the UAW Web site urged workers to report to their jobs as usual today. A Bell spokesman says the company offered a 21 percent cumulative wage increase over three years, ratification bonuses of $3,500 and a choice of three health plans. The company said its average health care cost per employee had tripled since 1999 to $18,000. The helicopter company is a unit of Providence-based Textron. -- The Associated Press Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:27 PM | Comment Update: Fans in Providence bemoan U.S. soccer play
And it didn't get much better. The American team was shut out 3-0. With a collective shout of anguish, the crowd at McFadden’s reacted to the Czech Republic's first goal about five minutes into the game. The downtown restaurant had more than a dozen televisions tuned to the game, and nearly every table was full and virtually every seat at both bars was full of people looking up at the sets. The hostess said this is a big crowd for a Monday. Ever since Friday, when the World Cup started, McFadden’s has seen an increase in patrons, she said. Get the latest on the World Cup games here ... -- with reports from projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:14 PM | Comment Carpio update: Detective tells of scene at police HQ / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- A Providence police detective testifying this morning in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio told jurors how he frantically tried getting back into an interview room to help fellow detective Sgt. James Allen on the night he was killed. Detective Timothy McGann told the jurors in Providence Superior Court that he had been in the room with Allen and Carpio but left to get Carpio water at Carpio's request. McGann heard the door slam shut behind him, discovered that it was locked from inside and tried twice to force it open by running into the door and slamming into it with his body. From inside the room, McGann heard Allen calling for help, the sounds of "people crashing into walls," and gunshots. "Jimmy's yelling for help," McGann said. "I was in a frantic state trying to get into the room." McGann heard more shots. He and another detective yelled to Allen and Carpio. It took three hits with a metal sledge hammer to finally open the door. Inside, McGann saw a room in disarray and his fellow detective dead on the floor. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith
McGann began testifying on Friday. He said that Carpio was not under arrest when officers were questioning him on April 16, 2005, after the stabbing of 84-year-old Madeline Gatta. In Carpio’s trial before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause, the prosecution has painted the picture of Carpio as a cold-blooded killer who craftily sized up the situation and struck at Allen when he spotted a weakness. In stark contrast, the defense argues that Carpio is a psychotic and cannot be held legally responsible for what his lead lawyer concedes he did – stab an elderly woman and kill a police detective. Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:09 PM | Comment Alberto aiming at Florida's Gulf Coast -- for nowAs Tropical Storm Alberto strengthens over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for Florida’s Gulf Coast. A five-day forecast for the first named storm of the hurricane season predicts its path will head head up the entire East Coast. Thinking about how to protect your Rhode Island home during this hurricane season? Head to projo.com’s hurricane watch page. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:44 PM | Comment Fall River man seriously hurt in Rehoboth crashREHOBOTH, Mass. -- A 27-year-old Fall River man was airlifted to a hospital early this morning overnight after his 2006 Ford Escape slammed into a tree on Route 195. The state police said Jared Pelletier had serious injuries from the crash that happened about 1:50 a.m. near exit 2, according to the state police. Preliminary investigation found that the car driven by Pelletier and a 1995 Plymouth Voyager driven by Craig Debartolo, 19, of Fall River were each traveling west on Route 195, said Sgt. David Paine, a spokesman for Massachusetts State Police. The two vehicles made contact, the police said, causing Pelletier to lose control of the Escape, which went off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Pelletier was trapped in the vehicle, according to the police, but Swansea and Rehoboth firefighters used an extrication tool to remove him. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Paine said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Pelletier was wearing a seatbelt, the state police said. The state police said DeBartolo was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for minor injuries. The westbound lanes of Route 195 were closed at around 2:30 a.m. for about 20 minutes, Paine said. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:06 PM | Comment Late-night crash in Lincoln sends 4 to hospitalsLINCOLN – The police are investigating a head-on collision late last night in the vicinity of 505 Old River Road that sent four people to area hospitals, Sgt. Joseph Kelley said. Kelley would not say which vehicle left its lane of travel in the accident around 11 p.m. Nor would he release the names of the juveniles in one of the cars. Kelley said a 16-year-old girl, with a 17-year-old female passenger, was driving a 1998 Volvo south on Old River Road, and a 44-year-old Woonsocket man, with a 38-year-old female passenger, was driving a 2003 Chevrolet north. The Woonsocket man, Richard Ledoux of 2134 Mendon Rd., is in good condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said. No condition was available this morning for his passenger, Kristine Lorange, Barbosa said. The police did not immediately have Lorange’s address available. Kelley said both juveniles were taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening, he said. All four people were wearing seatbelts, he said. The speed limit on Old River Road in the vicinity of the accident is 35 mph. The roadway is curvy and hilly and was not lit at the time of the accident, Kelley said. He would not say how fast the two cars were traveling or if charges were pending against either driver, saying that’s part of the police investigation. Both cars sustained heavy front-end damage, Kelley said. Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:23 AM | Comment Cranston man still critical after fall from mall escalatorPROVIDENCE -- A Cranston man remains in critical condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital after falling about 20 feet from an escalator at Providence Place Mall on Friday night, hospital spokeswoman Andrea Barbosa said. Randy Coward, 26, apparently tried to stand on the handrail of a moving escalator at the end of the mall closest to Filene's, according to the police. Coward was with his girlfriend and both were apparently using a down escalator when he jumped onto the railing, the police said. Police Sgt. John O'Connor III said the police were called to Level C, a lower floor of the mall, where Coward was unconscious. Coward has been in critical condition since the accident. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:11 AM | Comment Update: Traffic delays on 95 North, accident on 195PROVIDENCE – Several accidents and disabled vehicles have tied up traffic on Route 95 northbound this morning. Delays start around exit 12A and continue into downtown Providence. An accident earlier this morning at Exit 23, near Route 146, remains on the state Department of Transportation’s Web site under a traffic advisory. The state police said the accident was not very serious, with only "minor injuries." Check the DOT’s traffic cameras for un up-to-date look at the road conditions. Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:11 AM | Comment High pollen count, temperature should reach 77PROVIDENCE – With a high pollen level today of 8.7 on a 12-point scale, Providence has the distinction of being one of the five worst cities listed on pollen.com’s web site. But for now, the sun is shining, so if you can get past your allergies, enjoy it. There’s a chance of rain in the forecast every day this week until Friday. Today’s chance of rain isn’t expected until after 3 p.m. It should be partly cloudy today with a high around 77. Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com. Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:02 AM | Comment Remodeled DMV branch to open in WoonsocketWOONSOCKET -- Governor Carcieri will be on hand this morning to formally open Woonsocket's remodeled Department of Motor Vehicles branch on Pond Street. The state spent more than $800,000 for renovations on the facility, which has been closed since last year. Carcieri will join state and local officials and the DMV’s staff in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006