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« August 1, 2007 | Today | August 3, 2007 » August 2, 2007Rhythm and Blues Society plays tonight in ProvidenceBefore the Newport Folk Festival starts jamming this weekend, you can catch some tunes tonight. The Rhode Island Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Band plays at the Concert Under the Elms, on the grounds of the John Brown House, 52 Power St., Providence, at 6:30. Admission is $8, $5 for RIRBPS members; children under 12 are admitted free. Be warned, finding a place to park could prove tricky. Find out who else is playing where this week, for the folk fans who will be gathering at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, to those whose ears are attuned to a different drummer, iPod or cell phone, at: projo.com/music
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Seal hit by bullet is 'a bit better today'MYSTIC, Conn. -- Mystic Aquarium veterinarians today tried to feed the adult male harbor seal that was found shot in the left eye, but the seal did not eat. However, refusing to eat it not unusual for animals that have been moved for treatment, given the change in environment and original feeding habits. The seal had been rescued from seaside park in Bridgeport. “He’s a bit better today, a little perkier,” said Cara Field, a veterinarian at the aquarium. “However, tests results on a possible viral infection won’t be back until probably next week. We should know more then. We believe there is more going on with the seal than just the bullet wound. That’s what the tests will show.” The seal’s left eye has not responded to any visual stimuli, meaning it's not functioning. The animal was given more antibiotics today in an effort to fight any possible infections. The National Marine Fisheries Service and local law enforcement officials have been told of the seal’s condition and that it was wounded by a bullet. Harbor seals are a protected species. Harassing or injuring a harbor seal is a federal offense and punishable by jail time and a fine. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:39 PM | Comment Update: Pawtucket motorcyclist critical after crashThe motorcyclist in this morning's motorcycle-car collision on Route 95 south is in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital. Douglas Oliveira, 46, of Sachem Street, Pawtucket, was taken to the hospital from the 8 a.m. accident that happened between the Branch Avenue and Charles Street exits. According to state police Lt. Glenn Skalubinski, a white Toyota Camry driven by Evan Fullerton, 17, of Attleboro, Mass., was traveling south and, about 250 feet south of Branch Avenue, began to slow down because of heavy traffic. Oliveira's motorcycle did not slow down enough in time and collided with the back of the Camry. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Kate Bramson Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Update: Motorist thrown from SUV out of hospitalCRANSTON -- A West Warwick passenger thrown from a Ford Explorer this morning when it rolled over on Route 37 east was treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital. The police said the injuries to Beverly Labbee, 30, of Providence Street had been serious but not life threatening in the accident that happened about 7:45 a.m., according to state police Lt. Glenn Skalubinski. Her three children -- whose ages ranged from about 6 to 10 -- and stepfather, who were in the SUV with her, were all taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with minor injuries, according to Leo F. Kennedy, deputy chief of emergency medical services with the Cranston Fire Department. Emergency crews were called to the crash around 7:50 a.m. Skalubinski said a black Volkswagen apparently cut in front, causing Labbee's SUV to slow down suddenly. A truck pulling a 23-foot boat atop a trailer was unable to reduce speed in time and struck the SUV from behind. The SUV veered to the left, hitting a guard-rail, deflecting off that, veering to the right and rolling over. The SUV stopped toward the middle of the highway. Labbee, thrown from the SUV, landed in the road. The boat detached from the truck that was towing it and came to rest about 60 feet east of the SUV. That maneuver forced the SUV up onto the guardrail, where it rolled over. The trailer detached from the truck and was left behind in the roadway, Kennedy said. The boat dislodged from the trailer, he said. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Kate Bramson A father and his adult son were traveling in the truck. The father was taken to Kent Hospital in Warwick, with what appeared to be minor injuries, and his son refused treatment at the scene, Kennedy said. Everyone but Labbee appeared to be wearing seatbelts, Kennedy said. She was conscious when rescue crews arrived and was taken to the hospital with lacerations and a possibly fractured arm, he said. “I think she’s very lucky,” Kennedy said. The crash closed the east side of the road for about an hour between Pontiac Avenue and Route 95, said Skalabinski. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:27 PM | Comment Update: R.I.H. doctor operates on wrong side of brainThe state Health Department today ordered Rhode Island Hospital to hire a consultant and double-check surgical sites after a neurosurgeon operated on the wrong side of a patient’s head on Monday -- the second wrong-site procedure this year at the hospital. Additionally, the surgeon who performed Monday’s case, Dr. J. Frederick Harrington, has been ordered to stop performing surgery and undergo an evaluation. Health Director David R. Gifford said the order against the hospital -- called an “immediate compliance order” -- is the first such order that his staff can recall being issued against a hospital. It indicates that the problem was serious enough to require immediate action even before a full investigation can be completed. Gifford said he issued the order because of the “pattern” of wrong-site surgeries, all involving neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital. In addition to Monday’s surgery, wrong-site neurosurgery procedures were performed in January 2007 and in December 2001. (Earlier today, the Health Department had issued a news release giving the incorrect date for the 2001 incident.) “The hospital needs to change its culture and its systems,” Gifford said. “Maybe these were three isolated events. It certainly doesn’t look that way.” The patient involved in Monday’s surgery had blood between his brain and his skull, on the left side, according to Health Department documents. Harrington and others “failed to make an accurate assessment of the correct location,” the documents said, and operated on the wrong side. When the error was discovered, they immediately performed the surgery on the left side. The hospital said the patient is in stable condition today.
The other wrong-site surgeries both also involved bleeding on the brain. In January a drain to relieve bleeding was placed on the wrong side, and in 2001, doctors drilled holes in the wrong side of a patient’s head after an X-ray was placed backwards on the viewing screen. After the 2001 incident, Dr. John Duncan III, the hospital’s neurosurgeon-in-chief who had supervised the surgery, was deemed responsible for the error and ordered to make recommendations on preventing such errors in the future. “We deeply regret the incident that occurred on Monday, July 30,” the hospital said in a statement. “This should not have happened: We have policies and procedures in place to prevent an incident like this from occurring. The preliminary investigation indicates that at least one of our standard policies was not followed.” The hospital said it was in the process of hiring the consultant as ordered by the Health Department; in addition it plans to hire “a prominent neurosurgeon to review our entire neurosurgical program.” “The public trusts and relies on our hospital for this care,” the hospital’s statement concluded. “We can and must do better to ensure the safety of our patients.” -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:24 PM | Comment Man suspected of high-level drug dealing nabbedPROVIDENCE -- A man who police allege had about $100,000 worth of packaged drugs in his attic and more than $183,000 in his bank account was arrested by the state police yesterday morning, the police said today. Steven T. Corry, a 34-year-old bartender at a high-end private social club on the East Side, is suspected of being a high-level drug dealer supplying mid-level dealers in Providence County, according to state police Lt. John T. Leyden III. The state police began investigating Corry a week ago after learning of an allegation he was running a large-scale drug-dealing operation. Then, while detectives had him under surveillance yesterday morning, Corry picked up a bag from a storage garage behind his house and drove off. The detectives tailed him as Corry headed south, and on Route 4 in East Greenwich, a state trooper pulled him over for a “lane violation,” Leyden said. He told the trooper that he was on his way to the beach, Leyden said. But when Corry acted nervous, the troopers searched him and found an ounce of marijuana and three grams of cocaine, Leyden said. “He said he was just going to the beach to have a little party,” Leyden said. The detectives returned to Corry’s apartment house in the Charles neighborhood. The state police said they found 60 pounds of marijuana packaged in one pound increments inside duffle bags in the attic at 245 Hawkins St., as well as 6 ounces of cocaine and $935 cash in his second-floor apartment. This morning, the state police seized $183,237.04 from Corry’s bank account, believed to be the proceeds of drug deals, Leyden said. The street value for the marijuana and cocaine is approximately $100,000, according to the state police. Leyden declined to identify the social club where Corry is employed. He formerly worked for the New York Yacht Club in Newport, and he is a landlord in Providence, according to records. -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Corry is charged with possession of marijuana in excess of five kilograms, possession of cocaine between one ounce and one kilogram, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, and possession of cocaine and marijuana. He is being held without bail pending a hearing set for Aug. 16. He was also presented as a bail violator based on a misdemeanor charge in Newport in April. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:51 PM | Comment DOT: Many bridges deficient, but not about to collapsePROVIDENCE -- More than half of Rhode Island’s 764 bridges are considered “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete,” according to the Federal Highway Administration. That is the highest percentage of any state in the nation. “On the structurally deficient, it doesn’t mean they are in danger of collapsing,” said DOT Director Jerry Williams, when asked in the wake of yesterday's collapse of a bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minnesota. “It could mean they are scheduled for replacement in 5 or 6 years, for example," Williams continued. "If you look at a number of our bridges, they have been shored up by either timber or steel, and that is done to make sure of the integrity of the bridge. But obviously you don’t want to maintain that for 20 years. While they are safe to travel on, it is something where they need to be rehabbed or replaced in order to take them out of that category.” The term “functionally obsolete” generally means the bridge is not the ideal width or height for the job is has to do. It does not mean unsafe. The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of repairs when it buckled during the evening rush hour. Dozens of cars plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River, some falling on top one of another. The death toll is now at four, but more bodies are said to be in the water. The White House said an inspection of the 40-year-old bridge in 2005 found problems. The Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 100 for structural stability and was classified as "structurally deficient," transportation officials said. In Rhode Island, state officials blame the state’s old infrastructure, its dense population and the winter climate for the percentage of bridges considered in some way deficient. Governor Carcieri said today that state officials "have every reason to believe" that every Rhode Island bridge currently open to traffic is safe. “My office has been in contact with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation throughout the day,” Carcieri said in a news release. “We had the same questions as everyone else: Are Rhode Island bridges safe and are any of our bridges in danger of collapsing?” Carcieri said the state Department of Transportation is "largely up-to-date" with road and highway bridge inspections and, therefore, officials have every reason to believe the open bridges do not "pose a threat to the driving public." But the governor said that even though they are safe for use, many of the bridges "are in less than perfect condition." He added that though currently safe for travel, "bridges deemed 'structurally deficient' will require repairs in the coming years to ensure their future safety." Those repairs, he said, "will require a huge investment of scarce dollars." The state Department of Transportation began several months ago to analzye what investments will be needed make all needed repairs to all state bridges and related highway infrastructure. "I expect that DOT officials will be prepared to brief me on this analysis by the end of the month," Carcieri said. -- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Associated Press reports DOT director Williams has asked his team to do another review of the Rhode Island bridges that have been deemed safe, but structurally deficient, Carcieri said. “While we believe all these bridges have been recently inspected, we are determined in light of the collapse in Minnesota to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone traveling on Rhode Island roads," he said. The governor, a Republican, also used today's statement to say that he tried to use "residual money" from Rhode Island's share of the national tobacco settlement to pay for road and bridge repairs. He blamed a General Assembly -- controlled by Democratic majorities -- that "declined to approve this plan." So, Carcieri said he will reach out to the state's congressmen to ask for federal assistance. “In that light, I am pleased that two delegation members sit on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, while another sits on the committee that oversees federal highway programs," the governor said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:50 PM | Comment Providence company's scientists get genome grantsPROVIDENCE -- Scientists affiliated with the Providence life sciences company NABsys Inc. have been awarded nearly $1 million in grants from the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The two grants, announced today, were among eight awards for researchers in the U.S. and Canada who are trying to discover more affordable methods of sequencing the human genome. In an interview today, the president of NABsys, Barrett Bready, said the company’s technology would promote “personalized medicine,” allowing patients to learn their vulnerability to certain illnesses and pursue preventative treatment or lifestyle changes. “It’s working on an incredibly important problem, some would day the most important problem in medicine,” Bready said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Complaint filed against former E. Providence mayorEAST PROVIDENCE -- East Providence Democratic Committee Chairman John F. Conley filed a formal complaint today with the state Ethics Commission against former Mayor and Republican Joseph S. Larisa Jr. for allegedly violating Rhode Island’s code of conduct for public officials. A section in Chapter 36 of the state’s general laws says public officers and employees cannot “represent any other person before any state or municipal agency of which he or she is a member or by which he or she is employed.” It also states the person can’t do this for “a period of one year after he or she has officially severed his or her position.” Larisa lost against current Mayor Isadore Ramos Jr. for the at-large council seat during a close election and recount late last year. Ramos was sworn in to the position in December. Seven months later, Larisa, a lawyer, represented Canvassing Authority member Thomas Riley for free in a disciplinary hearing in front of the council. The July 12 hearing concluded with a written reprimand in Riley’s personnel file. “My members believe that no one is above the rule of law,” Conley said in a short, three paragraph news release. “These rules and regulations were put in place for a purpose.”
The city Democratic Committee’s corresponding secretary, Wendy S. Caputo, who writes the news releases on behalf of Conley, who is blind, added, “It wouldn’t have mattered whether a Democrat or Republican filed this complaint…. Mr. Larisa, of all people being an attorney, should have known. I was very surprised he was there [at the hearing] that night.” In a page-long response to The Journal, Larisa said he “actually” represented himself, the city’s taxpayers and voters on three occasions pro bono, not once, since his departure from office. He said all the appearances were in full compliance with the state’s Code of Ethics and protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. “The complaint by Mr. Conley is baseless,” Larisa wrote. “If he and others truly want to start following the law, they should join the good government groups in demanding that the voter list be cleaned up immediately instead of obstructing and resisting night time meetings where complaints can be heard.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:33 PM | Comment Report: Beacon played favorites, spent lavishlyBeacon Mutual Insurance Co., the state's dominant workers compensation insurer, has agreed to pay fines and refund policyholders after an investigation uncovered favoritism in pricing, lavish spending and disregard for the regulatory process, among other things, the state Department of Business Regulation announced this afternoon. As a result, Beacon must refund policyholders $7 million and pay a fine of $2.5 million, with $1.5 million suspended, pending compliance with recommendations made in the report, according to the Department of Business Regulation. For instance, according to the 312-page market conduct examination, Beach paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for senior managers' country club memberships, Beacon also paid $20,000 to support the PGA golf career of the son of a Beacon Mutual agent. A copy of the report is available on the Department of Business Regulation's Web site. Here are some of the report's specific findings, according to the DBR: -- Certain employers related to board members and other favored employers were given unsupported discounts. -- Charitable contributions were made to institutions related to board members and senior management with little or no evidence to support the efficiency of the contributions. -- Commissions were paid to select agents, although minimum performance thresholds in their contracts were not met. -- Management, favored agents and some clients enjoyed golf trips and other perks constituting unsuitable expenditures. In a news release, Governor Carcieri said the report shows "the problems went much deeper than even I suspected. In short, it is a damning indictment of Beacon Mutual’s behavior as the state’s dominant workers compensation insurer, and insurer of last resort.” James V. Rosati, Beacon's president and CEO, said in a press release, "The report is a review of Beacon’s past practices. It does not reflect the reforms and changes that have been instituted at Beacon since April of 2006. We have worked in a cooperative manner to address all of DBR’s recommendations contained in the report and I am pleased to say we have accomplished that goal on behalf of our policyholders. “Today at Beacon there are procedures and guidelines in place which will prevent the type of findings contained in the report from reoccurring in the future," he said. -- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Michael P. McKinney The market conduct examination was undertaken to evaluate Beacon's compliance with laws and insurance regulations. It also set out to determine whether Rhode Island employers and claimants were being treated equitably. The state exam began in September 2005 as a routine market-conduct review, and expanded. Investigators found Beacon spent more than $1.1 million on golf-related events, clothing from 2003 through 2005 that that "these expendutiures benefited Solomon and David Clark. Here's the breakdown: * More than $540,000 paid to a Massachusetts golf club for a corporate membership where Beacon senior management "entertained select agents and other guests." The amount included the cost of certain functions "where Beacon's sponsorship was kept private and the benefit to Beacon was unclear," the report says. * More than $340,000 paid to a Rhode Island country club, including $203,000 paid to the pro-shop for merchandise. * About $110,000 incurred by Beacon releated to golf trips that senior management and selected agents took to Florida, Scotland, California, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The trip to Scotland alone cost $34,000. * At least $20,000 was paid "to support the PGA career of an agent's son." * From 2003 through 2005, Beacon paid $1.1 million to charitable organizations. The investigation found Solomon approved a $25,000 payment to a hospital in December 2005 that the Board of Directors had not approved. Solomon was corporate chairman for a charity event and his wife was on the board of trustees of the organization. Senior management members got other perks. * Solomon was provided a leased corporate car under his employment contract. Beacon payments for a Lexus and a Volvo over from 2003 through 2005 came to about $50,000. "Solomon also authorized Beacon to buy a Lexus vehcile that was previously leased fro him, and then to immediately sell the car to a Beacon vice president," the report says. Beacon sold the car tot eh vice president for $11,363 less than it cost Beacon, and the price difference was not included as income on the vice president's tax forms. * Solomon paid for club memberships in addition to the corporate country club membership, for several senior managers. The report found $41,000 in payments related to the club memberships. State law makes it illegal for someone to knowingly give false information to the Department of Business and Regulation. "We found one instance where Beacon underwriting management instructed underwriting personnel to create and backdate a document to be provided to [the Department of Business and Regulation] as part of the examination," the examination says. A separate study, commissioned by Beacon and conducted by consultants from a company of New York City's former mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, was released last April. The Giuliani report concluded that Beacon had given preferential rates to some companies and maintained "inappropriate relationships" with certain insurance agents. In the past 1½ years, Beacon has fired its former CEO and chief of underwriting and accepted the resignations of several board members who had served since the nonprofit mutual insurer was formed by an act of the General Assembly in the early 1990s. Beacon's former board chairman, Sheldon S. Sollosy, resigned in February 2006, after an internal audit conducted by Beacon named Sollosy as refusing to cooperate with the auditors looking into allegations that Beacon was unfairly discounting insurance rates for companies with connections to Beacon's board. A statewide grand jury last October indicted Beacon's former chief of underwriting, David R. Clark, of conspiracy and insurance fraud in what was described as a widening criminal probe of the company. Last January, the board hired Rosati -- a former executive at Old Stone Bank with Carcieri -- to be the new president and CEO. Rosati replaced Joseph A. Solomon, whom the board fired early last year amid an ongoing criminal probe of alleged price breaks given to certain companies and "inappropriate relationships" with certain insurance agents. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:06 PM | Comment Judge: Trial can probe whether Carcieri ordered raidPROVIDENCE -- A judge ruled today that the issue of whether Governor Carcieri ordered the raid on the Narragansett Indian smoke shop in 2003 will be allowed at the upcoming trial. This afternoon, lawyers are slated to argue in Providence County Superior Court for and against the subpoena to have Carcieri testify at the trial. The governor received the subpoena on Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, the former superintendent of the state police testified that the governor did not order him to withdraw troopers if they met resistance when they raided the smoke shop on tribal land in Charlestown in July 2003. The testimony contradicted statements the governor made in days following the raid. Carcieri repeatedly said he told the state police to retreat if they encountered opposition. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:02 PM | Comment 6 injured in Cranston crashCRANSTON – A woman thrown from her SUV this morning when it rolled over in a two-vehicle crash on Route 37 east was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with injuries that don’t appear life-threatening. Her three children – whose ages ranged from about 6 to 10 -- and stepfather, who were in the SUV with her, were all taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with minor injuries, according to Leo F. Kennedy, deputy chief of emergency medical services with the Cranston Fire Department. Emergency crews were called to the crash around 7:50 a.m. after a pickup truck pulling a boat on a trailer either touched or cut off the SUV, Kennedy said. That maneuver forced the SUV up onto the guardrail, where it rolled over. The trailer detached from the truck and was left behind in the roadway, Kennedy said. The boat dislodged from the trailer, he said. The state police are investigating the crash, Kennedy said. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson A father and his adult son were traveling in the truck. The father was taken to Kent Hospital in Warwick, with what appeared to be minor injuries, and his son refused treatment at the scene, Kennedy said. Everyone but the woman thrown from the SUV appeared to be wearing seatbelts, Kennedy said. She was conscious when rescue crews arrived and was taken to the hospital with lacerations and a possibly fractured arm, he said. “I think she’s very lucky,” Kennedy said. The crash caused the road to be closed for about 40 minutes between Pontiac Avenue and Route 95. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:36 PM | Comment Photo: Spraying it cool at City's new water park
Water Parks: Cabral Park – next to Vartan Gregorian School at Fox Point Davey Lopes Recreation Center – 227 Dudley St. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:22 PM | Comment Overwhelming interest in Underdog's early showing
The supply of free tickets "has been exhausted" for the showing at the Providence Performing Arts Center tonight "due to overwhelming response," according to the hotline at Rhode Island Film and Television. The movie was filmed in Providence. Some passersby may remember trucks and crews and areas cordoned off last summer at the State House for some of the filming. No doubt some viewers will see the movie to catch glimpses of Providence buildings as well as the pooch with the cape. Tomorrow, The Journal's Michael Janusonis will review the film, based on a popular cartoon about a superhero dog. Can't make either premiere? There's no need to fear! Underdog is here -- in a collection of trailers from the movie. Just click on the Bloopers link. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment State posts new laws on Web siteIf you’ve been wondering what new laws were enacted during this year’s legislative session, you can now find out online. The state’s Law Revision Office has completed updating the General Assembly’s Web site to reflect this year’s new laws, Speaker of the House William J. Murphy announced today. Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:06 PM | Comment Study says New England will rely on natural gasBOSTON, Mass. -- A new study says New England's electricity market will continue to heavily rely on natural gas as a fuel source over the next two decades. The report today from ISO New England says unless the price of natural gas falls sharply, there will be no significant drop in electricity rates. Few energy investors are forecasting such a decline. ISO New England runs the region's power girl as well as its $10-billion wholesale power market. Its report highlights the region's growing reliance in recent years on natural gas to produce electricity. The report examines 52 approaches to meeting demand for electricity through 2025 -- including massive conservation efforts and building nuclear generators at existing nuclear plants. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:00 PM | Comment Giant anteater to debut at zoo Saturday / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- The Roger Williams Park Zoo offered a preview glimpse this morning of its new giant anteater exhibit, which opens to the public on Saturday. The giant anteater is the world’s largest species of anteater. It measures up to 7 feet long from snout to tail and weighs up to 80 pounds. Plus, with its 2-foot-long tongue, it devours up to 35,000 insects a day. The exhibit is part of the zoo’s $35-million “New Zoo” master plan and capital campaign. It’s the third new exhibit to open this summer. African wild dogs opened in May, and the new bald eagle habitat opened last month. Check out the zoo’s plans for revitalization. Admission is $12, $8 for seniors and $6 for children, 3 to 12. The zoo, located at 1000 Elmwood Ave., is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (401) 785-3510 or visit www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:47 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story and photograph about a workshop that encourages teens to take part in alcohol-free activities. There's also more on how the police linked convicted killer Alfred "Freddie" Bishop to a home invasion and murder in Warwick. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:15 AM | Comment Mother to tell how drunk driver hurt daughter, familySome 160 teenagers attending a Mothers Against Drunk Driving workshop at Bryant University will hear this morning from the mother of a West Warwick teenager critically injured by a drunk driver. The teens’ parents, too, are invited to Cathy Andreozzi’s talk, when she is expected to dispel the notion of “It won’t happen to me,” according to MADD. Andreozzi will talk about the ongoing medical challenges her daughter, Tori, faces and the ripple effect that a drunk-driving crash has on someone’s family. Tori Andreozzi was walking home from Deering Middle School in West Warwick in March 2003 when driver Marilyn D. Brownell struck her while driving drunk. Brownell was later sentenced to serve 10 years in prison. Read more about the MADD conference in today’s Journal. Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:45 AM | Comment Update: Collisions on Rte. 95 and Rte. 37/ Photo
One was a car-motorcycle collision on Route 95 south at Charles Street, which is south of the Branch Avenue exit, Lt. Glenn Skalubinski said. The other was a rollover in Cranston on Route 37 east, above the southbound lane of Route 95. Motorists on Route 95 can see the overturned vehicle, with wheels in the air, and state police in the roadway on Route 37. Skalubinski said he doesn’t have details about how many vehicles were involved in that accident. Two lanes on Route 37 east were closed around 8:30 a.m. because of the accident, according to the state Department of Transportation. For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings. You can find any 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 and listen to or read the radio reports for the week about traffic and construction on specific roadways. To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:38 AM | Comment CVS Caremark 2Q profit doubles on revenue surgeWoonsocket -- Retail drug store company CVS Caremark Corp. said today its second-quarter profit more than doubled along with a near-doubling of revenue. The company earned $720.1 million, or 47 cents per share, compared with $334.4 million, or 40 cents per share, during the same period a year prior. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected profit of 46 cents per share. Revenue jumped to $20.7 billion from $10.6 billion. Analysts were expecting revenue of $20.6 billion. CVS bought Caremark for $26.5 billion on March 22 to create the new company. CVS Caremark had just over 1.54 billion shares outstanding as of June 30, compared with 850 million shares outstanding a year earlier. -- The Associated Press
During the quarter the company opened 37 new stores, including a specialty pharmacy store. It also closed 15 stores and relocated 30 stores. As of June 30, the company operated 6,177 retail pharmacy stores, 53 specialty pharmacy stores, 22 specialty mail order pharmacies and 10 mail order pharmacies in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:00 AM | Comment Get free projo.com shades at two beachesThe Providence Journal’s “Beach Patrol” will be at Narragansett Town Beach and Horseneck State Beach in Westport, today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. handing out promotional sunglasses. Just look for the Journal crew wearing t-shirts with the projoJobs, projoHomes and projoCars logos.
Posted by Peter Phipps at 8:41 AM | Comment Beach Report: Woonsocket beach reopensIt's hot. It's humid. It's the Ocean State. Temperatures are expected to reach the 90s in much of the state today and humidity will hit 80 percent, according to the National Weather Service. The state Health Department reopened World War II Memorial State Park Beach in Woonsocket today after testing showed bacteria levels returned to acceptable levels. For up-to-date information about beaches around the state, call the beach hotline at 222-2751 or visit RI Beaches Boaters can check marine conditions at the National Weather Service Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:12 AM | Comment University of Iowa provost to lead UCONNSTORRS, Conn. -- The vice president and provost of the University of Iowa has been selected as 14th president of the University of Connecticut, officials said yesterday. Michael J. Hogan, who has been Iowa's top academic officer since 2004, will replace outgoing UConn president Philip E. Austin. Austin was president of UConn for more than 10 years before announcing plans last year to retire in September. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Mostly clear with a high of 91More sunshine today. The National Weather Service says Providence can expect a high of 91 degrees today with mostly clear skies and calm, south winds. It should cool down to about 70 degrees overnight. Tomorrow is expected to bring haze after 9 a.m., and there's a 30 percent chance of rain after 3 p.m. In some areas, thunderstorms may lead to hail and gusty winds. The high for Friday is 91 degrees. For more weather updates, visit projo.com/weather
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment Route 95 S lanes open for morning commutePROVIDENCE – The southbound lanes of Route 95 and the Route 195 westbound lanes to Route 95 south reopened this morning without a hitch after the nighttime closure for the Route 95-Route 195 interchange work. The southbound lanes were open by 4:45 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. Last night was the third closure in a row for the southbound lanes in this second round of closures for the highway project. The DOT's Transportation Management Center reported that Route 195 west to Route 95 south and Route 95 south itself, between exits 18 and 20, was closed by 11 p.m. last night. Tonight's work is expected to shutter both northbound and southbound lanes of Route 95 between exits 18 and 20 by 11 p.m. – with individual lane closures starting by 8 p.m. The lanes are expected to reopen by 5:30 a.m. tomorrow. Check out the road-closure schedule on the DOT’s site. For a look back at the earlier closures this year, see projo.com’s special reports section. -- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006