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July 12, 2007

E. Providence canvasser dispute drawing GOP chief

EAST PROVIDENCE -- State Republican Party Chairman Giovanni Cicione will attend tonight's meeting of the City Council, which is considering disciplinary action against Thomas C. Riley, the lone Republican on the Canvassing Board.

“I want to put the East Providence City Council on notice that the state Republican Party is monitoring their actions and will demand fair treatment of Tom Riley, the sole Republican on their Canvassing Board,” Cicione said in a news release today.

“They can’t find time to do their job, but they make time for this witch hunt. This is why East Providence has one of the most embarrassing records on fair elections and why the state police have had to take action in past years.”

Other state GOP leaders may also attend.

But City Canvassing Authority Chairwoman Dorothy O’Gara made clear she had enough of remarks made about her by Riley in e-mails. She asked the council to do something. In a June 20 certified letter to Riley, the city Law Department said O’Gara described Riley’s correspondence as “hateful and incorrect.” She also called it “vulgar, insulting, slanderous slurs” that were “reprehensible and unacceptable,” the letter said.

The state GOP news release says Riley asserts O'Gara has ignored his repeated requests for the Canvassing Authority to hold a hearing on allegations of voter fraud in East Providence in the 2006 primary and general elections.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. in City Hall. Riley requested the hearing be open to the public.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:54 PM | Comment

R.I. lawmakers rebuff Bush's call back war strategy

WASHINGTON – Rhode Island's four Democratic lawmakers today rebuffed President Bush’s call for Congress to stand behind his war strategy.

Reps. Patrick J. Kennedy and James R. Langevin also joined a House majority that voted to force troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin within four months.

During public events over the Fourth of July congressional recess, Langevin said, "Iraq was on everyone’s minds’’ in Rhode Island.

"The overwhelming consensus was that we need a new strategy,’’ he said, explaining his vote for the bill, which would downshift the U.S. mission in Iraq to fighting terrorism, continued training of Iraqi forces, and protection off the remaining American force.

Langevin and Kennedy both noted the finding in a new report by the White House that Iraq’s government has made satisfactory progress in fewer than half of its measurements of military and political progress toward stabilizing the war-torn nation.

"The time for talking has ended. We must act, without delay, to redeploy our brave troops out of Iraq,‘’ Kennedy told his colleagues during the House debate.

Video: President Bush defends progress in Iraq at press conference today.

The successful House bill is similar to the Senate measure – co-sponsored by Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. – that has become the centerpiece of the latest Democratic effort to impose a war policy change on Mr. Bush.

-- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau

Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., the deputy Democratic leader, said next week’s Senate vote on the Levin-Reed measure will provide "a moment for Republican senators who question the policy of this administration to demonstrate that they really want change. If they vote for Levin-Reed it’s a vote for change,’’ Durbin said. The Levin-Reed measure triggers mandatory – though unspecified – U.S. force reductions.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Levin-Reed amendment might permit between 20,000 and 70,000 U.S. troops to remain in Iraq next spring after the new, reduced mission takes effect. "But it won’t be 160,000 troops. We won’t be surging anymore,’’ Reid said. He referred to Mr. Bush’s strategic surge of new troops this year in an effort to improve security around Baghdad.

Despite the new strategy, Rhode Island's junior senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, said in a Senate floor speech, "little has changed on the ground. Violence has worsened. Sectarian fighting goes on virtually unabated, with deadly attacks taking a severe and relentless toll. While courageous Americans die, Iraqi politicians argue and stall’’ over legislation to reconcile the nation’s warring ethnic and religious groups.

Reed pointed to the news of a new intelligence report that the al-Qaeda terrorist network has reconstituted itself in a remote part of western Pakistan. Reed interpreted the report as meaning that the U.S. effort in Iraq – and in particular the loss of thousands of American troops -- "has had no tangible effect against al-Qaeda." That "underscores the failure’’ of the administration’s strategy, he said.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:47 PM | Comment

Update: HHS probing drug-ring suspects' welfare links

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
This Porsche Cayenne is now in the custody of the Providence Police Department, along with several other luxury vehicles seized in the drug bust.

What's better than driving a 2004 Porsche Cayenne SUV?

Driving a 2004 Porsche Cayenne SUV and not having any car payments.

Joanna "Rosa" Gonzalez, a pregnant welfare recipient accused of heading a Providence drug ring, isn't straddled with big monthly payments on her $42,000 Porsche, according to the police.

The SUV, which was seized by the police during a bust last week, is registered to Gonzalez, who has paid it off, according to Lt. Thomas Verdi, head of the Providence Police Department's narcotics unit.

The police say that Gonzalez, a 28-year-old mother of two in Wanskuck, was employing dozens of people including her mother, her sister, their boyfriends, and their children in a crack-cocaine enterprise that covered the city from the North End to the West Side.

She also owns a 2002 Kawasaki motorcycle and a Nissan Maxima, according to the police.

The state Department of Human Services is investigating whether the accused were receiving state assistance, acting director Gary Alexander said today.

The Providence police say that eight people – including alleged CEO Gonzalez, her mother, her aunt, her sister and her boyfriend, and Gonzalez’s boyfriend – were receiving some welfare benefits.

During a news conference yesterday, Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch referred to them when he talked about them “dealing poison, claiming welfare, and driving expensive vehicles.”

All of the luxury vehicles, from the Porsche to a BMW and Mercedes-Benz, were owned by the alleged top operators, according to the police.

-- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Jack Perry at 6:28 PM | Comment

A.G. drops case alleging sex assault 32 years ago

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced today it has dismissed a sexual assault case against a Narragansett man dating to 1975, saying the witness's testimony based on repressed memory would have difficulty clearing a legal hurdle in court.

A Washington County grand jury had charged Harold Allen, of 30 Riverview Road in Narragansett, with one count of first-degree sexual assault by way of secret indictment on May 25.

However, a prosecutor filed the dismissal form in Washington County Superior Court today.

"After meeting with the victim and assessing her grand jury testimony in light of the holding in State v. Quattrocchi, the State dismisses this case," the dismissal form states.

The form goes onto say that "the victim indicated she understood and accepted the state's dismissal. The state dismisses despite its belief that the allegation made by the victim and corroborated by independent evidence established probable cause.

"However, the high burden for admissibility, at trial, of testimony based on repressed memory as set forth by the court in Quattrocchi provides a legal impediment that the State is unlikely to overcome."

The victim made a complaint to the North Kingstown Police, which referred it to the Attorney General's Office on June 15, 2006. Lynch's office presented the case to the grand jury in May.

Allen voluntarily appeared in court May 31 and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with archival reports

Allen had been accused of raping someone when both he and the alleged victim were 16 years old, between April 1 and Oct. 31, 1975, court record showed.The indictment had not been announced, but the Attorney General’s Office confirmed it when contacted by The Journal in mid-June.

Last month, Walter R. Stone, Allen's lawyer, said Allen is married, has children who are high school age or older, and never faced any criminal charges before.

“He was shocked,” Stone said. “He says they never had intercourse — willing, unwilling or otherwise.”

Stone has said Allen and the woman grew up in the same neighborhood and their families knew each other, but they were never boyfriend and girlfriend.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment

Mass. governor signs budget based on 'collaboration'

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed his first budget today, vetoing just $41 million in spending.

Patrick, a Democrat, described the $26.8 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year as the result of teamwork between his office and the Democrat-controlled state Legislature - a marked departure from recent years when Republican governors routinely clashed with Democratic lawmakers.

"For the first time in a very long time we have built a budget on real collaboration between the Legislature and the administration and based on shared goals," Patrick said, adding that the 4.2 percent spending increase is the smallest in the past three years.

The budget includes additional money for a number of key areas, including local aid to cities and towns, public schools, affordable housing, expanded kindergarten and community policing.

It also includes $1.8 billion for the state's landmark health care reform effort.

There are no new taxes or fee increases in the budget, he said.

-- Associated Press

One of the items vetoed in the massive document would have provided health insurance to a single person in Massachusetts - the mother of former Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh. Patrick said the item shouldn't have been included in the budget and would have set a bad precedent.

He said he agreed with some of the other items he ended up vetoing, but "the timing isn't right or the money isn't there."

Patrick also said he was concerned about dipping into state savings to fund some items in the budget, but was hopeful that the state could make up the money with increased revenue.

State lawmakers have the option to override the vetoes, or allow them to stand.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:51 PM | Comment

Update: Brothers arrested in E. Providence stabbings

EAST PROVIDENCE -- Brothers Frank and Glenn Miller were arraigned this afternoon in District Court, Providence, on charges stemming from accusations that they stabbed two men early this morning.

Frank Miller, 47, from Ohio and formerly from East Providence, and Glenn Miller, 53, of Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit felony assault.

The two Miller brothers were at a local bar around 10 last night in the city's Riverside section when Glenn Miller's ex-girlfriend walked in with another woman and two men.

According to police Capt. Walter Barlow, words were exchanged and Frank Miller went outside with one of the men. A fight broke out outside. It was quickly broken up.

However, shortly after 1:30 a.m. today, police said the Miller brothers arrived at 22 Bluff St. in the Riverside section where they allegedly stabbed both men. The man who lived in the Riverside home is 39 and the other man, who lives in Cranston, is 38.

The men were taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence with non-life threatening injuries. Police would not release their names.

The ex-girlfriend identified the Miller brothers and told the police where their mother lives. The police learned the men were driving a car with an out-of-state license plate. At about 2:30 a.m., four officers arrested the Miller brothers near the mother's home.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment

Update: Several Pastore buildings still without A.C.

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Davey Medeiros of Warren, a worker for Lightship Group in North Kingstown, connects cables to supply power from a portable generator into Harrington Hall at the Pastore Complex this afternoon.

CRANSTON -- Eight of the 23 state government buildings that suffered disruptions in the week's second power outage at the Pastore Complex remain without air conditioning this afternoon.

When the power failure struck last night, however, backup generators kicked in instantly, so people in some instances would not have seen that much of a change, the officials said.

But some of the backup generators do not have enough power to provide all the services in the buildings. So external generators have been brought in, with two more on the way tonight, which do have the juice to reactivate air conditioning in the eight buildings.

Some of the still-affected buildings are also using dimmed lights to conserve.

At the Eleanor Slater Hospital, administration buildings and one patient building -- the Adolf Meyer building -- are among those still without air conditioning because of the failure. However, the main patient-care building is not affected.

Temperatures around Rhode Island reached into the low 80s today under sunny skies. They are predicted to drop into the mid-50s tonight and go back up into the 80s tomorrow.

On Sunday night, two underground electrical fires were to blame for the first Pastore Complex outage.

It was not an actual fire that caused the outage this time, the officials said today. There was smoke and a failure of a power line caused by a surge of current, which caused two other lines to fail, officials said at a press conference this afternoon.

Officials today would not give an estimate for when power will be fully restored, saying only that it could be a while.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

All state employees who work at the complex were told to report to work today.

Attending the news conference were Marco Sciappa, of the Department of Administration, Ellen Nelson, director of the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, and A.T. Wall, director of the Department of Corrections.

Earlier today, workers were seen bringing in a 180-kilowatt generator for Harrington Hall, location of Division of Motor Vehicles operator control office, where one employee said things had been "a mess" because of the power failure.

The operator control office handles all driving record requests.

The workers are from Lightship Group in North Kingstown and said there will be quite a few generators in the area.

Corinne Russo, director of the state Department of Elderly Affairs, said central air conditioning in a building housing the Department of Elderly Affairs office had been described as "spotty." Individual air conditioners are working.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:11 PM | Comment

Update: Power back on at RIC, after 2 days

PROVIDENCE -- Power is back on at Rhode Island College this afternoon, two days after it first failed.

The power was restored at 3:18 p.m., and classes scheduled for 4 p.m. and after will be held, according to college spokeswoman Jane Fusco.

College classes were canceled yesterday.

A bushing that is part of the transformer failed in some way and was replaced in order to restore power, Fusco said. She said it has not been determined why it failed. The replacement part arrived from South Carolina.

Thanks in part to generators, the college did hold many of the other planned activities for this week, including freshmen orientation and the parents’ luncheon set for today, Fusco said. Even some art and music classes for the elementary through high school students on campus for summer camps have gone on as scheduled, she said.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Kate Bramson

“We had art students outside drawing, using the natural light and the natural environment,” she said.

And a marching band class played on -- practicing outside as most marching bands do.

"Given the conditions, everything went very smoothy with a lot of the moving people around or outdoors," said Fusco.

The attitude on campus toward the unusual loss of electricity has been “great,” though, Fusco said.

Many employees were taking this time away from computers to clean their desks, clean out files and otherwise do the kind of work they have set aside for when they have a slow period, she said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:45 PM | Comment

Cranston man nabbed in credit-card theft and spree

SOMERSET, Mass. -- A Cranston man has been arrested and accused of taking a co-worker's credit card at the Brayton Point power plant and charging more than $3,400 on it at restaurants, liquor and convenience stores, and gas stations.

Shawn Kiernan, 35, of 26 Lake Garden Drive was charged with 23 counts of forgery and with larceny under $250, the police said in a news release today.

On July 3, Officer Raymond Almeida took a report of a stolen credit card at the power plant. The police said they found the card was used at several places and they got video surveillance of a man using the card.

The next day, Officer Jason Matos spotted a car matching the description of the suspect's, the police said, and he charged Kiernan with operating without a license. Detective Tracey Costa helped in getting a search warrant, which police said they used to find "incriminating receipts" in the car.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:37 PM | Comment

Somerset male, 17, accused of counterfeiting cash

SOMERSET, Mass. -- A 17-year-old Somerset male was arrested today on charges that he used his father's computer to print and make counterfeit money that he distributed.

Brayton Mentavlos, of 328 Wood St., has been charged with15 counts of forgery, possession of counterfeit money, and one count of conspiracy, the police said in a news release.

The police said the charges followed an investigation into counterfeit bills being used at area stores and restaurants.

"One of his friends used the counterfeit money and is being summonsed into court," the police release said.

The police said they used a search warrant and seized two computer towers, two printers, paper and counterfeit bills.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:28 PM | Comment

Some RI'ers eligible for Ameriquest settlement money

More than 1,000 Rhode Island consumers are eligible for restitution payments from the settlement of a predatory lending lawsuit against Ameriquest Mortgage Company and related companies, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announced today.

The available restitution for Rhode Island totals more than $3 million, according to a news release.

Lynch's office and the state Department of Business Regulation have authorized that letters and claim forms be sent to eligible consumers this week.

The settlement resolves allegations by attorneys general and banking and finance regulators of 49 states and the District of Columbia that Ameriquest and its affiliates, among other things, misrepresented and did not adequately disclose the terms of home loans

To receive restitution, consumers must mail completed and signed forms to the settlement administrator by Sept. 10.

The forms going out to each consumer will indicate the minimum payment the consumer can expect to get. The precise amount could be larger, depending on how many eligible Rhode Islanders choose to participate in the settlement, according to Lynch's office.

For more information, Lynch's office said, go to www.ameriquestmultistatesettlement.com. Consumers also may call the settlement administrator at (800) 420-5875.For hearing-impaired individuals, call (866) 494-8274.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

"I encourage all wronged consumers in our state who are part of this sweeping settlement agreement to carefully review the claim forms and accompanying information," Lynch said in the statement. "Those who choose to participate should reply as soon as possible, keeping in mind that the deadline is less than two months away."

Consumers who decide to received restitution payments give up their rights to file lawsuits against Ameriquest related to the loans covered by the settlement.

Therefore, Lynch's office encouraged consumers to consult with a private attorney or, if they qualify, with a legal services attorney before deciding whether to participate in the settlement.

Consumers who participate in the settlement do not give up any claim that might be raised if their homes go into foreclosure, Lynch said.

Under the settlement, more than 481,000 borrowers who were customers of Ameriquest Mortgage Company, Town and Country Credit Corporation, and AMC Mortgage Services Inc. (formerly known as Bedford Home Loans) between Jan. 1, 1999, and Dec. 31, 2005, are eligible for restitution.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:51 PM | Comment

Ex-FBI agent gets 2 1/2 years for assault on marshal

A federal judge today sentenced retired FBI special agent Gary L. John to 2 ½ years in prison for assaulting a U.S. marshal trying to place him under arrest.

John, formerly of 110 Post Rd., Westerly, had been on the lam for two months, when U.S. marshals working with Rhode Island Sheriffs Department, tracked him to Stratford, Conn., in December 2005. He was wanted in Rhode Island at the time for allegedly violating orders barring him from contacting his ex-wife and for failing to appear in court.

The marshals were acting on a tip that John was living with a woman and supporting himself through odd jobs, such as splitting wood and driving a limousine, said Charles J. Wyant, of the Rhode Island U.S. Marshal’s office.

John, 58, swung at a deputy marshal trying to take him into custody, court records show. He was arrested after a struggle and charged with felony assault on a federal marshal, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A federal jury found him guilty of the charge in January.

Judge Janet C. Hall additionally sentenced John to three years’ supervised release and fined him $4,000 today in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, Conn., said Thomas Carson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. He had faced up to 8 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000.

“This sentence should send an appropriate message that assaults on federal law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O’Connor said in a release.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

The sentencing marks yet another chapter in John’s troubled path since he and his wife of 20 years separated six years ago. John has been charged with an array of offenses, including domestic disorderly conduct and repeatedly violating orders prohibiting him from contacting his ex-wife.

He has been held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls since his arrest in 2005. The court ruled he posed a flight risk and a danger to his ex-wife and the community, Carson said.

John worked as a surveillance specialist in the FBI’s Boston office until he retired in 2002 after a 29-year career. His lawyer, Robert Mann, could not be reached for comment.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:39 PM | Comment

RIC classes should resume at 4 p.m. today

PROVIDENCE – College classes at Rhode Island College are expected to resume at 4 p.m. today, and the power that has been out on campus since Tuesday afternoon should be coming back on throughout the afternoon.

The necessary part to fix the college’s main transformer, which failed Tuesday afternoon, has arrived from South Carolina and is being installed, college spokeswoman Jane Fusco said at noon today.

The power is likely to be restored gradually, one section of the grid at a time, Fusco said.

Other than the college classes that were all canceled yesterday, RIC has managed to hold many of the other planned activities for this week, including freshmen orientation and the parents’ luncheon set for today, Fusco said. Even some art and music classes for the elementary through high school students on campus for summer camps have gone on as scheduled, she said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

“We had art students outside drawing, using the natural light and the natural environment,” she said.

And a marching band class played on – practicing outside as most marching bands do.

The college’s main dining hall and the residence hall where much of the freshmen orientation activities are taking place are being powered by generators, Fusco said. Otherwise, most of RIC’s buildings are “still in the dark,” she said – with no power, no computers, no lights.

The attitude on campus toward the unusual loss of electricity has been “great,” though, Fusco said. Many employees are taking this time away from computers to clean their desks, clean out files and otherwise do the kind of work they have set aside for when they have a slow period, she said.

RIC students and professors can continue to check the college Web site or call the information line at (401) 456-9500 for updates throughout the afternoon.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:30 PM | Comment

State employees working at Pastore despite 3rd fire

CRANSTON – Despite the power failures caused by fires this week at the Pastore Complex, including one last night that negated some repairs that had been done earlier in the week, all state employees who work at the complex were told to report to work today.

Administrators are planning a “coordinated media briefing” for 3:30 p.m. today at the state Department of Corrections, according to Laurie Petrone, communications director for the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals.

Petrone declined to answer questions about whether power has been restored to the complex or if the affected state departments are still operating on generators, saying she needed to focus on this afternoon’s press conference.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:17 AM | Comment

2 stabbed, 2 in custody in East Providence

EAST PROVIDENCE – Two people are being treated this morning for stab wounds, and the police have already taken two others into custody in connection with the crime.

By 4 a.m., the two people were already in custody following the stabbing, which happened sometime overnight, Lt. Bruce Kidman said this morning.

Detectives are busy investigating at this time, and Kidman said he doesn’t know details such as the precise time or location of the stabbing, the nature of the wounds and what hospital the people have been taken to.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:15 AM | Comment

Swimmers, watch out for rip currents

The National Weather Service warns there's a moderate chance of rip currents today off Rhode Island, Block Island and the south coast of Massachusetts.

As usual, it will be cooler along the coast, with a high of 78 degrees expected in the Westerly area. It should be mostly cloudy through mid morning before gradually clearing.

If you’re looking for marine weather information, check out the National Weather Service’s interactive coastal marine map for this region.

Also, for all your nautical needs, the Maine Harbors site is packed with tide charts, marine weather news, information on fishing tournaments and links to local boat builders, charter operators, lighthouses and publications. Check out Rhode Island’s chart.

To check the status of any beach for swimming, go to the state Department of Health’s beach-monitoring siteor call (401) 222-2751 for recorded information.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:05 AM | Comment

A high near 83 degrees, drier air

The National Weather Service says drier air moves into the region today with a high of 83 degrees in the Providence.

There's a slight chance of showers before 9 a.m.

It should be mostly cloudy through mid morning before clearing. Tonight will be clear with a low around 63 degrees.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a photograph and story about Narragansett's Camp Varnum, where children can enjoy the outdoor life with a military slant.

There's also a story about the bust of a drug ring allegedly run by a pregnant woman who collected welfare and drove a Porsche SUV.

Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment