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December 11, 2006

Chafee appears tonight on The Daily Show

The taping has begun for U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee’s appearance tonight on comedian Jon Stewart's The Daily Show.

Chafee was poised to begin the taping around 6 or 6:30 tonight for the popular show, which airs at 11 tonight, Comedy Central spokeswoman Renata Luczak said.

Stewart approached Chafee's office about being on the The Daily Show a day or two after Chafee wrote an op-ed piece that appeared in the New York Times on Nov. 12 -- five days after he was defeated by Democratic opponent Sheldon Whitehouse, Chafee spokesman Christopher Spina said.

"I think he really respects the senator and offered to have him on the show," Spina said.

If you're not up late enough to catch the show tonight, it will be re-broadcast tomorrow at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Ed Fitzpatrick

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:06 PM | Comment

Update: Crash on Route 10 north has been cleared

Emergency crews have cleared a serious accident on Route 10 north by Cranston Street, on the Cranston-Providence line, which closed one lane of traffic earlier this evening and caused heavy congestion.

The state’s Transportation Management Center reported the multi-vehicle accident just after 6 p.m. It was reported to be cleared around 6:30.

Check here for updates on how congested the roadway is.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:53 PM | Comment

Bronze sculpture stolen from late actor's Bristol estate

BRISTOL -- A 6-foot-tall, 500-pound bronze sculpture created by the late actor Anthony Quinn was stolen from the front lawn of his estate, and the curator for Quinn's trust fears it will be melted down and sold as scrap.

The sculpture, titled "Mercedes Woman," was made in 1990 and is valued at more than $250,000, curator Benjamin Bergenholtz said today. Quinn's widow, Katherine Quinn, noticed the sculpture missing last week, and the estate called the police.

"Mrs. Quinn is really just interested in getting it back -- no questions asked," Bergenholtz said. "She just wants the piece back."

Quinn's estate is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the sculpture's recovery, Bergenholtz said. While the thief may have stolen the sculpture because of its value as art, he said he fears it will sell as scrap because the price of bronze has gone up in the last year.

-- The Associated Press

The estate was in the process of moving its outdoor sculptures to secure locations, prompted by the theft last December of a bronze statue from the Henry Moore Foundation's headquarters in London.

"Mercedes Woman" was scheduled to be moved later this month. Katherine Quinn noticed the sculpture missing when she went to inspect it in preparation for the move, Bergenholtz said.

Quinn died in 2001 at the age of 86. He had lived in Bristol for the last years of his life. His trust owns 3,000 pieces of art, including pieces he made and collected.

Quinn starred in 100 feature films, including a role as the fierce Bedouin leader in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962, and the earthy hero of the 1964 film "Zorba the Greek."

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:34 PM | Comment

Could slots revenue be on the agenda tomorrow?

PROVIDENCE -- Narragansett Indian tribe Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas will meet with Governor Carcieri in his State House office tomorrow afternoon, the first meeting between the two leaders since the tribe’s casino bid failed.

The tribe requested the meeting a couple of weeks ago, according to Jeff Neal, Carcieri’s spokesman.

Neal did not say what would be discussed at the meeting except that the governor and chief sachem would “explore relations between the tribe and the state” and how “they can work together in the coming year.”

Among the outstanding issues between the state and the tribe is a payment of $392,547 that represents the tribe’s share of revenue from new slot machines at Lincoln Park. Carcieri has offered the money but the tribe has yet to take it, saying it wants clarification about what the money can and cannot be used for.

An effort by the tribe and Harrah’s Entertainment to build a casino in West Warwick was rejected by a wide margin last month. Carcieri was long opposed to the casino.

With the casino effort dead for the time being, the two sides might be able to more easily move on to other topics.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Those include the lawsuit filed by one of the tribe’s previous partners on a casino project, which says it is owed $10 million because of the Lincoln Park cash. The shareholders of the former Capital Gaming International Inc. say that the tribe’s promised cut of new video slot machines at Lincoln Park triggers an agreement made with the gambling company in 2001.

Then there is the issue of the July 2003 raid by state police on a smoke shop on tribal land that was selling tax-free cigarettes. Troopers seized cigarettes and arrested eight tribal members, including Thomas.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on the case. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is now moving forward with prosecuting the criminal charges, with a pretrial conference scheduled for Friday.

Thomas and the governor are also likely to talk about general economic development steps for the tribe. The two have met several times in the past, including two high-profile meetings in February and May of 2005.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:44 PM | Comment

Providence police to target drunken drivers

PROVIDENCE – The Providence Police Department will put new emphasis on arresting drunken drivers, after focusing elsewhere in recent years.

Now that the department has brought down violent crime, “we’ll be able to devote more and more of our resources to other concerns,” particularly drunken driving, Chief Dean Esserman said today.

Thirty-nine Providence officers are being trained this week in conducting field sobriety tests and operating breath testing equipment, Esserman said.

“We are devoting resources, training, personnel and time” to the problem, he said.

Esserman spoke at the announcement of a statewide program, called “Operation Blue Riptide,” which uses federal money to hire police officers on overtime to try to catch drunken drivers, particularly during the holidays.

The state has about one fatal traffic accident a week, Esserman said, and about half of those are alcohol-related. For years, officials lamented the fact that the state was worst in the nation in its proportion of fatal accidents that were alcohol-related.

“We are now the third worst,” said Janice Loiselle, administrator of the state Office of Highway Safety. “This is not good news, but we are headed in the right direction.”

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Loiselle today urged party-goers to designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time, and she told party hosts, “You’re responsible; take the responsibility to get the guests home safely.”

She also warned hosts not to give alcoholic drinks to those younger than 21, reminding them that “It is illegal.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:14 PM | Comment

Car-school bus collision in Johnston injures driver

JOHNSTON – The police are still investigating a car-school bus crash this morning that left the driver of the car hospitalized.

None of the teenagers on the Johnston High School bus were injured, Deputy Police Chief Gary W. Maddocks Jr. said this afternoon.

The crash occurred at 6:57 a.m. today at the intersection of Hartford Avenue and Memorial Avenue, Maddocks said. After the collision, the 1994 Buick came to a stop about 35 feet east of Memorial Avenue, in the left eastbound lane of Hartford Avenue with heavy front-end damage. The bus came to a stop about 35 feet east of Memorial Avenue in the right eastbound lane, also with front-end damage, Maddocks said.

The driver of the Buick -- Florida Sepe, 67, of 200 Cantone Drive in Johnston -- was taken to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, where her condition was not immediately available. The bus driver – Wendy Lacombe, 34, of 68 Scituate Ave. in Johnston – was not injured, Maddocks said.

The police are still trying to determine the cause of the crash. They have conflicting accounts from the drivers and a witness of what happened, Maddocks said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:26 PM | Comment

Updated: Bruins rookie receiving medical treatment

The Boston Bruins today annouced that 19-year-old rookie Phil Kessel, the team's first-round pick (fifth overall) in the most recent NHL Draft, is receiving medical treatment for an issue not related to hockey.

There was no further information about his condition. But an industry source told Journal sports writer Joe McDonald that Kessel should be fine. In the meantime, Boston has recalled Yan Stastny from Providence to fill Kessel's place on the roster.

The team said that Kessel's family had requested the release of a statement about Kessel's treatment. The statement reads: "At this time there is no further update on Phil's condition. When there is an update, and it is appropriate to do so, we will update everyone on Phil's health. We kindly ask that you respect the Kessel family's privacy during this time."

Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:59 PM | Comment

More windmills for Portsmouth?

PORTSMOUTH -- The Town of Portsmouth has won approval to issue $2.6 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds to go forward with a proposal to build up to two major wind turbines to offset municipal energy costs.

The Internal Revenue Service notified the town last week that it could issue the interest-free bonds to fund the purchase and installation of one or two turbines at the public high school or middle school, town officials confirmed today.

The federal agency approved the borrowing of $800 million in bonds for 610 renewable energy projects across the country. The Clean Renewable Energy Bond program was created under the federal Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005.

The Portsmouth Abbey, a private school in Portsmouth, put up the state's first major wind turbine in the spring.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

The town's Economic Development Committee is looking at the financial benefits of inPortsmouth was one of only two entities in Rhode Island to be approved for the federal funding. The Narragansett Bay Commission will also be allowed to issue $2.6 million in bonds to put up a proposed wind turbine at its Fields Point facility in Providence and pursue a bio-gas project at its plant in East Providence.

The proposal for wind turbines in Portsmouth is still being studied.

vesting in wind energy and expects to make a recommendation on whether to go ahead with the project by next spring. The Town Council would then make a decision on the recommendation.

Any bond issue would need to be approved in a townwide referendum.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:53 PM | Comment

Update: Police bust gambling, drug ring

PROVIDENCE -- State and local authorities converged to arrest 11 people on drug and gambling charges last night, according to an announcement released this morning by the attorney general's office.

Two of the suspects were processed at state police headquarters last night in Scituate, while the other nine are scheduled to appear in various district courthouses today. The suspects' names and the specific charges they are facing are not all available yet.

At least three of the suspects have ties to organized crime, according to the police. The most significant mob figure arrested is Edward C. Lato, 59, of North Providence, a capo regime in the Patriarca crime family. He was charged with several counts of racketeering and gambling-related offenses.

The attorney general's office, the state police and Providence police plan to hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the allegations in detail.

Check back with projo.com for an update later today.

-- with reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:42 PM | Comment

Sen. Reed speaks in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is in Rhode Island today. And he's not talking about Iraq. He's talking about housing.

The high-profile member of the Senate Armed Services Committee was in the center of the Iraq debate last week after the release of the Iraq Study Group report.

But this morning, Reed, who also serves on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, addressed a small community development breakfast group at the Bank of America building in downtown Providence.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

"We are about to have a new Congress in Washington in January," Reed said to a tempered round of applause, before briefly discussing federal efforts to help state and local community development.

He suggested that the banking committee under Democratic control would seek to strengthen federal support for local initiatives like affordable housing.

Reed was scheduled to appear at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at an affordable housing complex in Woonsocket later in the morning. And he's planning to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. to discuss efforts to preserve health insurance for Rhode Island's low-income chidren.

Reed said he'd spend much of the coming weeks traveling back and forth to Washington as Democrats make the transition to the Senate majority. He's also been preoccupied with his personal life.

His wife is expecting their first child in less than two weeks.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:45 AM | Comment

Gas prices up again

PROVIDENCE -- Gas prices are up. Again.

AAA Southern New England reports this morning that gas prices across Rhode Island rose last week on average by 1 cent. And while the increase was modest, it was the fifth consecutive week that gas prices rose.

The average cost of regular, self-serve gasoline was $2.31 per gallon -- up 14 cents from five weeks ago and up 17 cents from a year ago.

Prices across the state ranged from a low $2.27 to a high of $2.35, according to AAA.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:47 AM | Comment

Photo: Fire crews battle Providence blaze

Providence firefighters work on a fire at 135 Almy Street. Journal Photo / Mary Murphy

PROVIDENCE -- Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at 136 Almy Street in the city's West Side this morning. Three families lost their homes.
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The occupants escaped the three-story home without suffering serious injuries, according to James Taylor, the fire department's chief of communications. A pitbull was briefly trapped in the basement, but later rescued.

The Red Cross has been called in to help the six adults and four children. The building suffered heavy damage, though most of the fire was on the second floor.

The fire department was first called to the scene at 8:09 a.m. The fire was under control at about 8:45 a.m.

Taylor said that one firefighter taken to the hospital with a finger injury.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:42 AM | Comment

Download today's front page.

The Patriots' loss, a Hezbollah rally in Beirut and a story on science education lead today's Journal.
Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:51 AM | Comment

Carcieri hosts national governors this morning

NEWPORT -- Governor Carcieri plans to host a conference with the National Governors Association this morning in Newport dedicated to examining collective bargaining and education.

Approximately 10 states and a number of national experts will participate in the conference, which is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Hyatt Regency Newport on Goat Island.

There will be a series of panel discussions and speakers today, including Alan Bersin, the California Secretary of Education; Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City; Marcia Reback, president of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals; Richard Stutman, president of the Boston Teachers Union; and Brad Jupp, senior academic policy advisor for the Denver Public Schools.

Carcieri released a statement regarding the focus of today's conference:

“The rapid pace of school reform and increased expectations for student learning require us to re-examine what improves or inhibits our ability to provide children the skills they need to succeed. We cannot afford to allow the collective bargaining process to operate independently of that goal. Instead, we must ensure that teacher contracts are constructed in a way that best serves the students we are educating.”

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:28 AM | Comment

Police to release details on 'Operation Blue Riptide'

PROVIDENCE -- Local police agencies will hold a press conference today to discuss the details of "Operation Blue Riptide."

The program was launched last year in an effort to battle drinking and driving across the state. Representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving will be on hand at the 1:30 p.m. press conference, along with an official from the state Department of Transportation.

"Operation Blue Riptide" may be better recognized by its slogan, which regularly appears on local television commercials: "You drink, you drive, you lose."

Check back later on projo.com for an update from the press conference.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:24 AM | Comment

'Tranquil' weather continues today

PROVIDENCE -- This weekend's mild temperatures will stick around for a while.

The National Weather Service is predicting a high near 53 degrees today. Mostly cloudy skies are expected, though some sprinkles may pass through after noon.

Temperatures across the region are roughly 5 to 10 degrees warmer than usual, according to the weather service, which describes our current weather pattern as "fairly tranquil."

Today's clouds should clear out tonight as temperatures fall to around 30 degrees.

Tomorrow will be a bit cooler, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 44 degrees.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:45 AM | Comment