« December 18, 2006 | Today | December 20, 2006 »

December 19, 2006

Arrest may follow Woonsocket throat slashing

WOONSOCKET — Detective Lt. Timothy Paul said today that a warrant may be issued in connection with an incident Saturday morning that left a Cranston woman injured after her throat was slashed outside a River Street bar.

Kuiwana Prout, 29, of Cranston, received a six-inch gash on the left side of her neck in the incident that occurred at 12:46 a.m. on Saturday. She was treated and released at Rhode Island Hospital.

According to a police report, Prout was dancing at Aly’s Pub with her girlfriend and accidentally stepped on the foot of a Woonsocket woman. Prout told the police that she apologized, and she and her girlfriend left the bar.

Prout said the woman and her friends followed her and her girlfriend outside the bar. In the scuffle that followed, one of the woman’s friends reached over and cut Prout with a box cutter. Another witness said she saw that person throw a glass bottle at Prout during the fight.

Paul said that the incident is still being investigated and that detectives are interviewing the people who were involved.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:28 PM | Comment

Carcieri sits down with new Lt. Gov. Roberts

PROVIDENCE -- The release of Governor Carcieri's daily schedule generally doesn't make news. But it did today.

Tomorrow from 5 to 5:45 p.m., Carcieri is scheduled to sit down with Lt. Gov.-elect Elizabeth Roberts.

It certainly won't be an introductory meeting, according to Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal. The governor is acquainted with Roberts, a state senator from Cranston.

Instead, the meeting will focus on how the state's top two elected officials -- who represent different political parties -- can work together.

Roberts replaces Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, who narrowly lost a bid to unseat Carcieri in November.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:16 PM | Comment

West Warwick company Amtrol files for bankruptcy

Amtrol, the West Warwick-based manufacturer of water storage and pressure control products, announced today that it filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in an effort to transfer more than $97 million of debt into company stock.

The move comes as the company struggles to pay off nearly $180 million in debt.

In May, Amtrol filed a quarterly report that stated Amtrol had “significant working capital deficiency that raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.”

The bankruptcy filing, company officials said, will improve Amtrol’s long-term financial stability by significantly reducing the company’s bond payments, while replacing the company’s owners, the New York City based Cypress Group, which has owned the company since 1996.

Amtrol said it expects to continue to operate in the normal course of business during the reorganization process.

Amtrol said it currently has 400 employees in Rhode Island. It is unclear how the bankruptcy filing will affect the employees.

-- Journal staff writer Arthur Kimball-Stanley

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:20 PM | Comment

New Cranston mayor names top official

CRANSTON -- Mayor-elect Michael T. Napolitano today named Ernest J. Carlucci as his director of administration, the second-highest position in the city government. Carlucci is a veteran Democratic Party activist in North Providence and a family friend.

Napolitano, a Democrat, eked out a victory over Republican candidate Allan W. Fung by 79 votes.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:03 PM | Comment

Child molester gets 40 years at ACI

PROVIDENCE -- A Cranston man has been sentenced to serve 40 years in prison for molesting a child -- the man's second molestation conviction in Rhode Island.

The attorney general's office announced today that James Oliveira, 54, of 41 Franklin Avenue, Cranston, was found guilty of one count of first-degree molestation in September. Yesterday, Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia sentenced him to 60 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions with 40 to serve.

"By the very nature of his abhorrent crimes, this defendant deserves this sentence," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement. "I am pleased that this repeat offender has been removed from society in general, and from children in particular."

In 1988, Oliveira was convicted of one count of first-degree molestation and one count of second-degree molestation. The state Supreme Court, however, reversed the conviction because the defense hadn't been able to challenge the young victim's credibility.

Oliveira then worked out a deal with prosecutors where he plead no contest to two counts of second-degree molestation. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, but served two.

The most recent arrest stems from an incident in Pawtucket in August of 2004.

Oliveira has been held without bail at the ACI since his original arrest on Aug. 13, 2004.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:03 PM | Comment

State buys fire-fighting foam to protect ports

The state now has 2,500 gallons of fire-fighting foam available to help extinguish fires such as the one this past summer at the Motiva Enterprises terminal in the Port of Providence.

The state Department of Environmental Management announced the purchase of the foam today with state money as a “port-protection initiative.” It is enough to produce 250,000 gallons of finish foam, which is more than enough to extinguish a fire in a tank at the Providence port, according to a statement issued by DEM.

The 500 five-gallon pails of foam will be stored at the Providence Fire Department’s Allens Avenue fire station, but it is for use throughout the state, according to Mark S. Pare, the fire department’s assistant chief of administration.

“They’ll be able to transport it to anybody who needs it,” Pare said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

When a fire broke out at the Motiva terminal on July 19, firefighters from the Allens Avenue station heading out on another call saw a fire ball near the tanker that had been offloading gasoline during a violent electrical storm.

State and city officials began early this year discussing the need for the port to have a sufficient supply of fire-fighting foam in case of a catostrophic fire or a disaster resulting in the failure of a large storage tank, according to DEM. Then, the Motiva fire galvanized the need for more foam.

Although each fire engine in Providence now carries 30 gallons of fire-fighting foam, according to Pare, a crew from T.F. Green Airport was also called in that night for its expertise on battling fires with the use of foam.

The fire-fighting foam works because it forms a blanket over burning fumes and eliminates the vapors, thereby removing the source of ignition, Pare explained.

The $82,497 paid for the fire-fighting foam came out of the state’s Oil Spill Prevention, Administration and Response Fund administered by DEM. That fund is maintained with a five-cent-per-barrel fee on oil received at marine terminals.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:07 PM | Comment

Whitehouse names top staffers

Senator-elect Sheldon Whitehouse has announced four top staffers as he prepares the transition to Washington in the coming weeks.

Whitehouse, who ousted the Republican incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee in November, will be sworn into office in early January.

His campaign manager, Mindy Myers, will serve as chief of staff. Myers, a Pennsylvania native, worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs under the Clinton administration and later worked with the Senate's top Democrat Tom Daschle.

Laura Petrou, who worked in Daschle's office for 20 years, will serve as Whitehouse's senior adviser. The North Carolina native most recently served as Daschle's chief of staff in his personal office.

Whitehouse today also named two people who will work primarily in his Rhode Island office. His state director will be George Carvalho, who most recently worked as deputy treasurer and chief of staff to Rhode Island Treasurer Paul Tavares.

Carvalho is a Pawtucket native who still sits on the Pawtucket Board of Appeals and on the board of the Pawtucket Boys’ and Girls’ Club. He graduated from Roger Williams University and holds a law degree from the Detroit College of Law.

Whitehouse's deputy campaign manager, Tony Simon, will serve as the deputy state director. A Johnston native, Simon most recently worked for John Kerry’s presidential bid holding various positions in Iowa, Michigan, and Florida. He attended the University of Rhode Island.

Whitehouse said today that he will temporarily use a downtown Providence office at 170 Westminster St., Suite 1100. If that sounds familiar, it should. That is the soon-to-be-former office of Chafee's Rhode Island staff.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:00 PM | Comment

R.I. schools win awards for environmental projects

Three Rhode Island schools were recognized today for their work on environmentally friendly projects as part of the Loraine Tisdale Environmental Education Awards sponsored by the Environment Council of Rhode Island Education Fund.

The Paul Cuffee School, a maritime charter school in Providence, won an award for a project that monitors energy use in the school and then uses the results to reduce energy consumption.

Sophia Academy, a private girls school in Providence that serves low-income families, was recognized for a school garden project producing produce for a local food pantry.

And North Kingstown High School won an award for a project monitoring water quality on the Annaquatucket River.

Each school receives a grant of $250 to purchase supplies for their project.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:36 PM | Comment

Entwistle denied release on bail

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A British man charged with killing his wife and baby must remain locked up without bail, a judge ruled today, denying Neil Entwistle's request to return to his parents' home in England pending his trial in the double slaying.

Entwistle, 28, is accused of shooting his wife, Rachel, 27, and their daughter, Lillian, 9 months, after becoming despondent over rising debts and dissatisfaction with his sex life.

Middlesex Superior Court Judge Peter Lauriat, who held a hearing on the motion last Friday, denied the motion for pretrial release.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:48 AM | Comment

Search for missing man in Westerly

WESTERLY – Emergency crews are searching for a man reported missing early this morning.

They’re over at the Bradford Boat Launch, after a call came in at 1:30 a.m. today for a man reported to be missing, according to a police dispatcher. That's nearby the Bradford Dyeing Association, located at 460 Bradford Road (also known as Route 91).

More details are not yet available.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:16 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Today's front page includes local stories on increased ridership on the state's bus system and a new health insurance plan that targets small business and the self-employed.

Download today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:54 AM | Comment

Pascoag woman ID'd as victim of fatal Burrillville crash

The police this morning identified the woman who died in the fatal crash in Burrillville last evening as Pascoag resident Teresa A. Goulet.

Goulet, 36, lived at 36 Pleasant St., a home she purchased in 2004, according to town records.

An autopsy is scheduled for this morning at the state medical examiner’s office.

The crash remains under investigation, with the police still working on the accident reconstruction, according to Lt. Kevin S. San Antonio.

The preliminary investigation shows that Goulet was traveling west on Route 107 (Chapel Street) in a 1998 Toyota when her car crossed the center line and collided with a 1977 Chevrolet van heading east, according to San Antonio.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Goulet was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after the crash, which happened between River Street and Railroad Avenue around 5:33 p.m. She died at the hospital, according to San Antonio.

The only person in her car at the time of the crash, Goulet was not wearing a seatbelt, the police said.

The other driver, identified this morning as Francis E. Farrell of Harrisville, was treated and released from Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket. Farrell, 75, of 1001 Sherman Farm Rd., was the only person in his van at the time of the crash, according to the police.

One witness reported to the police that the “white car” – Goulet’s – crossed the travel lane and hit the van, San Antonio said this morning.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:45 AM | Comment

Funerals for 2 Foxy Lady employees killed last week

The funerals for two Foxy Lady employees killed in the shooting rampage last week at the New Bedford strip club are to be held today.

The funeral for Robert Carreiro, 33, of New Bedford, is this morning, with people gathering at 9:30 a.m. at the Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St., in New Bedford. His funeral Mass begins at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, also in New Bedford, at 230 Bonney St.

Carreiro was working as a bouncer inside the Foxy Lady last Tuesday when a Freetown man killed him and club manager Tory C. Marandos, 30.

The funeral for Marandos will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Philip’s Greek Church in Nashua, N.H. Burial will follow at Edgewood Cemetery in Nashua, N.H.

The police say that Scott C. Medeiros, 35, killed the two men after having been banned from the strip club. Medeiros had a relationship with a club bartender that ended badly.

Medeiros took his own life after killing Marandos and Carreiro and shooting two police officers.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:06 AM | Comment

Cumberland road reopens after early morning crash

The police have reopened a stretch of Diamond Hill Road in Cumberland that was closed for about a half hour after an early morning crash.

The accident between a garbage truck and a Jeep Cherokee wasn’t very serious, but the road closure from 6:45 to about 7:15 a.m. will likely “mess up traffic for a while,” Capt. James P. Coyne said.

Both drivers were taken to Rhode Island Hospital – one with a laceration and the other with a possible hip injury, Patrolman Robert Fay said.

The accident closed Diamond Hill Road (Route 114) between Colonial Avenue and Seneca Street, just south of Route 295.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:28 AM | Comment

Lawmaker wants to ban trans fats from Mass. menus

BOSTON -- A state lawmaker wants to follow the lead of New York City and make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to require restaurants to banish artificial trans fats from their menus.

State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, told the Boston Herald that he plans to file legislation today to ban all restaurants' use of the fats that health officials blame for increasing the risk of heart disease.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:17 AM | Comment

Partly cloudy with temps in the 40s today

PROVIDENCE – It’s a cool 34 degrees this morning.

The temperature should rise to 46 today, and our skies will be partly cloudy.

For the rest of the week, we should see temperatures in the 40s – and mostly clear skies until Friday, when we’ve got a 60 percent chance of rain.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment