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September 12, 2007
Tonight: Documentary spotlights Tony Bennett
"Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" pairs two artists who have demonstrated both longevity and the creative strength to remain unaffected by fashion, says the Los Angeles Times.
There's 81-year-old songster Bennett, of course, and actor-director Clint Eastwood, who made the documentary, which airs tonight at 9 on Channel 2.
Find out more about the show here. For more on what's happening tonight, check projo.com's calendar.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:05 PM
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RWU, Bristol sign $42M compensation pact
BRISTOL -- In the first pact of its kind between the two sides, the town and Roger Williams University today signed an agreement that will provide an estimated $42 million in compensation for municipal services over the next 20 years.
The centerpiece of the deal is a $150,000 annual payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) from the school that will increase by 1.5 percent a year. In addition, Roger Williams will give the town $100,000 every five years to help defray the cost of a fire or rescue vehicle, will donate $25,000 per year to civic activities and events, and will increase the value of scholarships to local students to a total of $37 million over the life of the agreement.
Town Administrator Diane Mederos, Town Council Chairman Kenneth A. Marshall and university President Roy J. Nirschel signed the document after a brief meeting in which the council unanimously voted to approve it. The university’s Board of Trustees endorsed the offer in a meeting Aug. 30.
The ceremony at the old State House this afternoon came after nearly four years of sometimes contentious negotiations. Mederos called the agreement a “new beginning.”
“I am delighted that the town and the university have persevered,” she said. “Today is a good day for Bristol and the university.”
Nirschel acknowledged the rocky relationship with the town, calling it “a wonderful, occasionally turbulent, four-decade marriage.” He also reminded those in attendance that the university is a tax-exempt institution that isn’t obligated to provide financial compensation to the town.
“But I believe in the importance of being a good neighbor, above and beyond the requirements of the law,” he said.
-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner
Negotiations between the town and the school opened in 2003 after a landmark accord was announced in Providence in which Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Johnson & Wales University and Providence College -- like Roger Williams University, all tax-exempt educational institutions -- would contribute a total of $50 million to the city over two decades.
Talks continued in fits and starts over the next four years. Although a deal appeared close several times, it wasn't until this summer that both Roger Williams and town officials said they were getting ready to sign anything.
What was ratified today is the first PILOT agreement between Roger Williams and the town since the university moved to its campus overlooking Mount Hope Bay in 1969.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM
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Judge: States can regulate greenhouse gas emissions
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Vermont and several other states including Rhode Island scored a victory in their battle to get automakers to comply with rules aimed at reducing global warming.
A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that states can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
The judge rejected automaker claims that federal law overrides state rules and that technology can't be developed to meet them.
During a trial, auto industry executives said that the regulations would not stop global warming but would impose devastating new costs on the industry. Besides Rhode Island, the rules have been adopted in 11 other states and are pending in three others.
Automakers may appeal the decision. A similar lawsuit is pending in Rhode Island.
-- The Associated Press
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:54 PM
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Fall River police make major heroin bust
FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Three Fall River residents were arrested, and 4,872 bags of heroin and $11,146 in cash seized, in what the police today called one of their biggest heroin grabs in police department history.
Also seized were 95 Oxycontin tablets and 131 tablets of generic methadone.
Police put a more than $70,000 value on the drugs seized
Aaron T. Mello and Nicholas S. Denardo, both of 454 Whipple St., 3rd floor, and Holly A. Mathews of 112 Osborn St., 3rd floor, were arrested yesterday, according to today's news release.
All were charged with trafficking in heorine, trafficking of Class A substance in a school zone, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance, and possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance in a school zone.
Detectives using a search warrant at the third-floor apartment of 454 Whipple St. said they found the drugs and money.
"Removing this quantity of heroin from our streets in one investigation is commendable," Chief John M. Souza said in a statement.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney
Also today, the Fall River police said they seized several hundred counterfeit items from two city stores, including those described as Coach handbags, Ralph Lauren shirts and Nike Air Force One sneakers.
The police said they worked with investigator -- who were hired by major manufacturers -- as part of raids done around the country yesterday. The Shoe Box Store at 1359 Plymouth Ave. and the Mi Communidada Record Shop Variedades at 418 South Main St. were where the Fall River police said they found the items.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:48 PM
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Sponsors vow to strengthen 'social host' law
The sponsors of Rhode Island's "social host" law vowed to strengthen it after The Journal reported today about a July incident in which Barrington police concluded they could not prosecute adults at a home where underage drinking was allegedly happening outside.
"It is unfortunate that this chink in the law exists, but now that it has been uncovered, we will do what is necessary to correct the language and make the law do what it was intended to do -- send a strong message to youngsters and adults about the danger of underage drinking," said state Sen. Walter Felag, D-Warren, in a news release.
Felag and state Rep. Jan Malik, D-Warren, were prime sponsors of the current law, which allows charges to be brought against an adult who permits the consumption of an alcohol by an underage person inside of his or her residence, but apparently not outside.
Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in an interview today the “social-host” law may not be perfect, “Yet, we’ve prosecuted cases and it stands as a tool to allow police to get onto the property,” taking control of parties where there may be underage drinking.
-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with Journal archival reports
The police did not try to charge Kelly Stiness after police said they found evidence of a party with alcohol and underage partygoers in her backyard last July.
Stiness' 16-year-old son, Zachary, had died in 2005 in a car accident that raised the town's level of awareness of underage drinking. The police learned that Stiness, the driver of the car, and passengers Michael Neubauer and Brenden McGonagle had visited two house parties earlier that night. Alcohol was available at one of the parties, according to the police.
The police eventually concluded that there was no correlation between the high-speed accident and a house party, but Chief John M. LaCross said at the time the community and the country needed to work to deter young people from drinking.
At this past July's party, police did confiscate a keg and take empty beer bottles from the party as evidence from the property. Eventually, three 18-year-olds were charged with underage drinking.
"When we enacted the legislation last year, we did so because the law needs to be clear that it is the responsibility of adults to keep alcohol away from children and that they certainly should not provide it directly to minors," Malik said in a news release. "We don't believe it is necessary to alter much of the existing language of the law, especially the penalty section. But clearly we need to make a few adjustments in the law so that police are not prevented from taking action, as was the case in Barrington."
In an interview today, Felag said the new legislation would focus on changing the bill's definition to include a property, not simply someone's residence. But he said that in crafting the changes there will also need to be discussion about "common property" situations such as a development with several units in which different families live.
Lynch said that educating minors about alcohol is a big component in preventing underage drinking. Today, he joined industry and law enforcement officials to increase public awareness through a “We don’t serve teens week” now going on.
He said Providence is one of 17 communities selected for the campaign, run by the Century Council, a group funded by distilleries. The group visited a liquor store in East Providence, broadcast radio announcements and handed out educational brochures about the potential consequences of underage drinking.
“They selected (Providence) which, in a way I’m grateful for,” Lynch said, “but in a way, it was because we have some issues here.”
Lynch said 99 percent of parents say they wouldn’t let their children drink in their homes, but according to the Century Council, about 65 percent of underage drinkers get alcohol from family and friends.
“I think it’s driven by the mentality … ‘it won’t happen to me,’” Lynch said. “It’s that mentality we’ve got to shake.”
Lynch said he was not averse to taking another look at the social host law’s wording.
“We’ve made headway in the legislation,” he said, “but in no way am I suggesting its over.”
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:03 PM
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Photo: The children send their love

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Children at the West End Community Center in Providence have made cards for Eric Jimenez, 12, who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident Sunday that killed his brother Ivan, 8. The suspect in the case has since surrendered.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:45 PM
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Nike-smuggling ring 'broken', Feds say
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Federal authorities say they have dismantled a ring that smuggled tens of thousands of pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers from China into the United States, where they were sold on street corners in several cities.
Terrance Flynn, the U.S. Attorney in Buffalo, announced a grand jury indictment charging 21 people in Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin and Illinois with conspiracy and trafficking. Sixteen people are in custody and additional arrests were expected.
-- The Associated Press
Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:12 PM
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$50,000 reward offered for finding Lincoln woman
LINCOLN -- Katie Corcoran, the 35-year-old woman missing from Lincoln, was spotted on Thursday and as recently as Monday in Newport, Lincoln Police Chief Robert T. Kells said today.
And Corcoran's family is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to finding her.
State and local police put out an alert and photograph last week for Corcoran, who has a history of psychiatric problems, reported missing since last Wednesday.
A Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority bus driver reported spotting her and she was also spotted at a shelter -- both times, in Newport.
Last Wednesday, Corcoran was headed to the Crossroads Rhode Island center at 160 Broad St., in Providence. She was reported to have arrived at Crossroads but apparently did not enter the building. The police have said Corcoran was last seen that day entering a cab at Butler Hospital on Providence's East Side at about 11:30 a.m.
The police said today that Corcoran had some jewelry with her when she went to Butler Hospital, and it's believed she had been trying to sell it.
The police description last week said she is 5-feet-7 inches tall, about 120 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. She was wearing a long blue dress, a cream-colored or white sweater and flip-flop sandals and carrying two white shopping bags.
The Lincoln and Providence police departments, as well as the state police, are asking anyone who may have been in the Broad Street area at that time or who thinks they may have seen her since to call the Lincoln Police at (401) 333-1111, the Rhode Island State Police at (401) 444-1000 or the Providence Police at (401) 272-3121.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer and Journal archival reports
Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:29 PM
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$5M heading to R.I. for community development grants
More than 30 Rhode Island cities and towns are getting some of the nearly $5.2 million in grants coming through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program to fund local improvements.
The program was started 25 years ago to help communities remain viable by providing quality housing and economic opportunity.
States must dedicate at least 70 percent of the funds received for the benefit of low- and moderate- income residents.
This is the second year that the state Office of Housing and Community Development has administered the program.
Find out more about the program, including how much the towns are receiving.
Central Falls received one of the largest grants. The $448,000 will be used for human services, fire safety code upgrades in multi-family homes, a senior meal site and to support services for seniors and youth at the Holden Community Center.
Some of the money will also be used to create five low-income housing units and to buy a vehicle that is accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:24 PM
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Photo: Reflections in a pond

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
The reflection of fast-moving clouds glides along the surface of Pawtucket Country Club pond today -- a reflection, too, of a quick overnight change, after heavy rains yesterday put an end to a long stretch of dry weather.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:08 PM
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Sept. 27 hearing is set for man charged with rape
A bail violation hearing for Gary P. Lamountain, a convicted sex offender now accused of raping a woman in Cumberland, is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Providence County Superior Court.
In August, Lamountain, of Cumberland, was assisting a 27-year-old woman move an air conditioner into her apartment, residents have said. Early the next morning, the police say Lamountain broke into the woman’s apartment and raped her.
Lamountain was arrested after a four-hour search that morning and was charged with first-degree sexual assault and breaking and entering.
The woman was treated and released from Women & Infants Hospital in Providence on Sunday.
Lamountain had recently been released from prison, for a rape a few years ealeri, before the alleged sex assault last month.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo
Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:26 PM
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Sen. Reed to speak at 1:30 on Petraeus' Iraq report
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, is one of three Democratic senators who will hold a 1:30 p.m. news conference today about the direction in Iraq after Gen David H. Petraeus's testimony to Congress this week about troop levels there.
Besides Reed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan are also slated to speak at the news conference, according to a news release.
The senators' comments are scheduled to be aired on c-span.org.
Along with Petraeus, Ambassador Ryan Crocker came under critical questioning by congressional committees this week about the Iraq situation.
Rhode Island's Democratic delegation and other congressional Democrats have criticized Petraeus's reports to them as towing the line for continuing the Bush administration's approach in Iraq despite problems there. But Petraeus and others said there are signs of improvement in Iraq since the increase in troops -- known as the surge -- went into effect.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney
Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:25 PM
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2 youngsters to be commended for calling 9-1-1
Five-year-old Shannon Simoneau, of Hopkinton, called 9-1-1 when her mother fell in the back yard and needed help.
When 8-year-old Logan Agrisani’s mother fell and needed help, he called 9-1-1.
Because they both knew what to do, rescue was able to get to both of the children’s mothers.
Governor Carcieri will recognize both Agrisani and Simoneau this afternoon for their quick-thinking at a State House ceremony at 4:30.
“These children are examples of the correct use of the 9-1-1 telephone system,” Carcieri said in a statement. “When real help was needed, and other adults were not present, the children knew what to do.”
And when emergency services need to get in touch with residents?
Today, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline introduced "reverse 9-1-1," a new service that gives officials services the ability to send recorded messages to residents in case of an emergency.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:16 PM
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Health insurance study shifts focus to large employers
Large employers in Rhode Island have recently been restricting which of their employees qualify for health insurance, and these moves are the chief reason why the number of uninsured people has been rising steadily since 1999.
The finding, in a first-of-its-kind report today from the state health insurance commissioner, casts a new light on the debate over the uninsured, which has focused on helping small businesses that can’t afford premiums.
The new study shifts the spotlight to large businesses, which employ about two-thirds of the work force. It found that these employers (with more than 50 employees) continue to offer health insurance at the same rate as in the past, but they have been controlling premium costs by limiting eligibility. For example, employees might not be eligible if they work fewer than a certain number of hours or if they are newly hired.
As a result, Rhode Island compares poorly with Massachusetts and the nation in terms of employer-sponsored health insurance. In 2004, 69 percent of Rhode Island workers were eligible for insurance through their employer, compared with 77 percent in Massachusetts and 78 percent nationally.
Now, about 1 in 8 Rhode Islanders under age 65 has no health insurance. At the beginning of the century, less than 1 in 10 were uninsured. If this trend continues, the report estimates that 1 in 5 people will be uninsured by 2010.
Studies have shown that uninsured people are less likely to go to the doctor or dentist, have poorer health, and impose considerable costs on the hospitals that care for them when they fall ill. Most uninsured people have jobs and low incomes.
Today’s report from the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner is the first statistical portrait of who is uninsured in Rhode Island, and why. It combines data from the U.S. Census Bureau with the results of the Rhode Island Health Interview Survey, a telephone survey last conducted in 2004.
PDF: Read the full report
Your turn: Has your employer changed your health insurance coverage recently? How?
-- Journal staff writer Felice J. Freyer
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:07 PM
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URI announces dual business, environmental degree
SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The University of Rhode Island announced today it's coming up with what it called the world's first graduate degree combining a master's of business administration with a master's in ocean and climate science.
In a news release, the university said the international business community "will likely bear the brunt of the challenge to find ways to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions for years to come."
It's a two-year dual degree, which URI aims to offer in fall 2008.
“Climate change represents a major challenge and opportunity to a broad range of businesses and the global economy. Climate change is happening, and businesses need to adapt to this change,” S. Bradley Moran, a URI oceanography professor, Moran said in the statement.
The degree is aimed at students with undergraduate training in science, environmental science or engineering who want to get management skills and broaden job opportunities.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:59 AM
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Restrictions by big employers boost rolls of unisured
Large employers in Rhode Island have recently been restricting which of their employees qualify for health insurance, and these moves are the chief reason why the number of uninsured people has been rising steadily since 1999.
The finding, in a first-of-its-kind report today from the state health insurance commissioner, casts a new light on the debate over the uninsured, which has focused on helping small businesses that can’t afford premiums.
The new study shifts the spotlight to large businesses, which employ about two-thirds of the work force. It found that these employers (with more than 50 employees) continue to offer health insurance at the same rate as in the past, but they have been controlling premium costs by limiting eligibility. For example, employees might not be eligible if they work fewer than a certain number of hours or if they are newly hired.
As a result, Rhode Island compares poorly with Massachusetts and the nation in terms of employer-sponsored health insurance. In 2004, 69 percent of Rhode Island workers were eligible for insurance through their employer, compared with 77 percent in Massachusetts and 78 percent nationally.
Now, about 1 in 8 Rhode Islanders under age 65 has no health insurance. At the beginning of the century, less than 1 in 10 were uninsured. If this trend continues, the report estimates that 1 in 5 people will be uninsured by 2010.
-- Journal staff writer Felice J. Freyer
Studies have shown that uninsured people are less likely to go to the doctor or dentist, have poorer health, and impose considerable costs on the hospitals that care for them when they fall ill. Most uninsured people have jobs and low incomes.
Today’s report from the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner is the first statistical portrait of who is uninsured in Rhode Island, and why. It combines data from the U.S. Census Bureau with the results of the Rhode Island Health Interview Survey, a telephone survey last conducted in 2004.
The report identified four categories of people without health insurance, and suggests ways in each case to solve the problem:
--The largest group, 38 percent, are childless adults with incomes of less that 300 percent of the federal poverty level, such as a single person who makes less than $30,630 a year or a couple making less than $41,070. Unless they are disabled, childless adults do not qualify for Medicaid and those with incomes at this level cannot afford the premiums. Covering this group would require an expansion of Medicaid, the report said.
--The next biggest segment, 32 percent, are people who, based on income alone, are eligible for Medicaid or RIte Care but have not enrolled. Expanded outreach efforts by Medicaid could reach many of them, but some may not be eligible for other reasons beside income, such as not being citizens.
--Some 22 percent of the uninsured have incomes over 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which means making more than $62,950 for a family of four. To reach this group, the report said, the state would have to require employers to offer health insurance and individuals to buy it.
--The smallest group, 8 percent, comprises low-income children and parents, with income below 300 percent of poverty, who do not quality for RIte Care. The report suggests subsidies to make insurance affordable for this group.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:52 AM
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Providence offering 'reverse 911' for cell phone users
PROVIDENCE -- The city's emergency management/homeland security office has expanded its "reverse 911" system to alert cellphone users, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office announced today.
The Reverse 911 Community Notification System, carried out last year, lets public safety officials send a recorded message to residents about emergencies and tell them how to take protective action.
According to a news release, Providence is the state's first city to begin offering reverse-911 notification to cellphone users.
“This state-of-the-art technology gives us the ability to put life-saving information in the hands of our residents when seconds count," Cicilline said in the statement.
“In this technological age, many Providence residents do not own traditional residential telephones and rely on cellphones for daily use,” said Leo D. Messier, the city's director of emergency management and homeland security. “It is very important that we have the ability to reach out to all of our residents."
To register for the voluntary reverse-911 system for cellphones, go to www.providenceri.com or call the city's emergency management agency at (401) 228-8000.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney
Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:44 AM
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R.I. company builds new Army Humvee in Ohio
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Army will soon begin testing a composite, non-metal Humvee utility vehicle that is 900 pounds lighter than its conventional counterpart.
The prototype vehicle was built by Rhode Island-based TPI Composites at the company's plant in Springfield, Ohio.
The idea is to make a vehicle that can carry extra armor to better protect soldiers against roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Company President Steven Lockard says two more vehicles are currently being built in Rhode Island, and the Army plans to test them later this year,
The vehicle's frame and body is made of composites -- a combination of Fiberglas, balsa wood, foam and carbon reinforcements all held together with resin.
-- The Associated Press
Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:28 AM
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Belichick issues apology over video-gate
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has released a statement through the Patriots' media relations department:
"Earlier this week, I spoke with Commissioner Goodell about a videotaping procedure during last Sunday's game and my interpretation of the rules. At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling. Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league’s decision, I will have further comment."
Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:51 AM
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Senate committee to hold hearing on toy safety
The Senate Appropriations committee will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on improving toy safety, removing lead paint and the role of the Consumer Products Safety Commission in toy safety.
The toy industry has been battling safety concerns and recalls over toys made in China.
Mattel, the world's largest toymaker, has had to recall three batches of products made in China because of paint that may contain excessive levels of lead.
Pawtucket-based Hasbro Inc. is the world's second-largest toy maker. In July, Hasbro recalled all of its Easy-Bake Ovens because children were getting burned by the imitation kitchen appliance.
Check back at 11 a.m. to watch video coverage of the hearing.
-- With Journal archival reports and Bloomberg News reports.
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:50 AM
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Photo: No serious injuries after daycare van rolls over

The van on its roof this morning on Bald Hill Road in Warwick.
Journal photo/Bill Murphy
A spokeswoman at Hasbro Children's Hospital says all of the nine children who were in a daycare van that rolled over during a morning accident near the intersection of Bald Hill Road and West Natick Road in Warwick have been released..
None of the children, ages 5 to 11, had serious injuries.
Michelle St. Denis, owner of Totally Kids School Age Adventures in Warwick, says some of the children may have suffered cuts but no one was seriously hurt. She says the youngsters were ``in hysterics'' but everyone was alert and talking.
-- With reports from The Associated Press
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:22 AM
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Hearing today for personal trainer accused in murder
A West Warwick man accused of binding and killing a Cranston woman in the summer of 2006 is scheduled for a competency hearing today in Superior Court, Warwick.
Brian Mlyniec, 44, is also scheduled for a competency hearing and a probation violation hearing related to a 2001 case where he pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of simple assault.
Prosecutors say when officers responded to an anonymous call on June 23, 2006, they found Kelly Ann Anderson in Mlyniec’s home, lying on her back, with injuries to her face, throat and neck. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
The state medical examiner concluded that Anderson died of strangulation, the police reported.
According to an affidavit filed at the time of his arrest, Mlyniec denied killing Anderson, but admitted to causing her injury during a consensual and violent sexual encounter.
In the earlier incident, an employee of a West Warwick pub accused Mlyniec, a personal trainer, of drugging her, binding her hands and feet, and sexually assaulting her inside a Kingstown motel.
He pleaded no contest and given a 13-year suspended sentence and ordered to enroll in a sex-offender program and substance-abuse counseling, according to court records.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:20 AM
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Former teachers' aide to be arraigned for murder
PROVIDENCE -- Hamlet Lopez, a former teacher's aide, is scheduled to be arraigned in Providence Superior Court today for murder in the stabbing death of his former girlfriend.
Read about the details here.
The police say that on May 20, Lopez murdered Miledis Hilario, stabbing her on the floor of her apartment at 42 Courtland Street. Hillario ran a daycare business out of her second-floor apartment.
The police found her body after one of her teenage daughters, who was at work, couldn't reach her by phone. She told the police to check because of previous threats on her mother's life.
Lopez is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:54 AM
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Seismic changes for fishermen coming in 'sectors'
BOSTON (AP) -- Fishermen catch fish. At least, Robert St. Pierre thought that was his job, but years of working under restrictive and complicated federal rules made him wonder.
Daily catch limits on protected species such as cod were so low, he had to be careful not to catch too many fish too fast. Once he reached the 1,000-pound limit, he had to stop fishing for everything else, and any cod caught over the limit were thrown back dead.
But now, St. Pierre fishes differently by working in one of the so-called "sectors" that are bringing profound change to how the troubled New England fishery is run.
Under the new system, fishermen form groups that have annual catch limits and decide together when and how to fish. This system frees them from hated current restrictions, including a shrinking number of days they're allowed to fish and daily catch limits.
Read the full Associated Press story.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM
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Have a nice day: Sunny and 76
The National Weather Service is predicting a beautiful, sunny day with a high temperature near 76 degrees. Clouds will increase during the day, but there's no rain on the radar.
Tonight should be clear with temperatures in the 50s.
Tomorrow is looking sunny too, with a high in the low 70s.
For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM
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Today's front page
Today's front page features a story on the arrest and arraignment of Dennis Cherry, the driver accused of striking two brothers with his car, killing one of the brothers and critically injuring the other Sunday in Providence.
Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM
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