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September 14, 2007

All RI's a stage, and some feature mere guitar players

Rhode Island's fall theatre season is in swing tonight. And for another kind of theater -- the guitar-slinging variety -- there's plenty going on too.

At Trinity Rep. in Providence, All the King's Men opens tonight at 8. It's adapted from Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, with music by Randy Newman.

For more theater listenings, go here.

At Chan's Restaurant in Woonsocket, Popa Chubby -- no that's not a typo -- plays blues and rock, channeling Jimi Hendrix. (He's just put out a two-CD set of live performances of Hendrix songs.) Head over to Chan's, 267 Main St.. Call 765-1900. 8, 10 pm. $15 early show; $10 late show; $18 for both shows.

In Newport, Josh Barber and the Stack play rhythm and blues at Club Royale at Newport Grand, Admiral Kalbfus Boulevard. Call 849-5000. 9 pm.

In Providence, Brickpark play rock at Olives, 108 North Main St. Call 751-1200. 10 pm-2 am. $5.

The Paul Broadnax Trio play jazz at Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 9 pm-1 am.

For the younger set, there's the Dropkick Murphys, Horrorpops and Everybody Out playing rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8:30 pm. $22.50 advance; $25 day of show; $28 reserved.

Check out the rest of the Rhode Island club listings tonight.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment

Cranston police seek public help to solve break-ins

CRANSTON -- Police are asking for the public’s help in solving a rash of house breaks in the Eden Park-Auburn section of town.

Police Maj. Ronald Blackmar today said that there have been homes burglarized in the area between Sept. 4 and Sept. 13, and that police are asking residents to phone in any suspicious or unusual activity -- even if it is just an unfamiliar person walking around a neighbor’s yard.

Detectives are pursuing a number of leads, according to Blackmar who said who could not divulge many details yet, except that all the homes were burglarized during the day, were unoccupied at the time, and that the entry was forced. He said that the thief or thieves have been taking jewelry and small electronic equipment.

“It’s mostly been the type of things that you can hide in a jacket and carry without being too noticeable,” he said.

Blackmar declined to say if the suspects are believed to be using a vehicle.

-- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti

He said that the Cranston police have community policing officers working in the area and have increased the number of cruisers patrolling the neighborhood which consists of closely-placed houses on side streets that extend from the west side of Pontiac Avenue near Rolfe Square.

Blackmar said that police believe that enlisting the eyes and ears of residents in the area will greatly increase the chances of catching the culprits. He said the burglaries have occurred within an area consisting of just a few blocks – roughly from Waldron Avenue to Lexington Avenue.

“We’re asking for the public’s help,” he said today. “If anybody sees anything out of the ordinary, we want them to call. People shouldn’t worry about bothering us and they should call at the time they see something and not wait until a couple of hours later.

“We’re here 24-7.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:14 PM | Comment

Man struck by car on Hope Street earlier today

PROVIDENCE -- A 77-year-old man was struck by a motorist earlier today on Hope Street.

The man, whom police have not identified, was taken to Miriam Hospital and then on to Rhode Island Hospital, according to Major Paul Fitzgerald. More details were not yet available.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment

Missing R.I. woman on America's Most Wanted site

Katherine N. Corcoran, the missing Lincoln woman whom police say was apparently sighted twice in Newport, is now being featured on the missing-person section of the Web site of America's Most Wanted.
The posting includes photo of Corcoran, 35, and a brief "case file" that says she's been missing since Sept. 5. It also offers a place for people to report a tip.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:35 PM | Comment

More E. Providence mosquitoes reveal West Nile

Another mosquito pool sample has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the fifth to do so this year, the state Department of Environmental Management announced today.

The mosquitoes were trapped at the same southern area of East Providence, next to the Seekonk, Mass., border where three West Nile-positive mosquito pools were found in recent weeks.

The sample was from 44 traps set around the state during the week of Sept. 1. Results from 47 other mosquito pools collected that week were negative for both West Nile and Eastern Equine Encaphalitis. Results from 10 pools from the week of Aug. 28 are still pending.

The DEM advised the public to keep screens on windows and doors and to cover up at dawn and dusk. Mosquito netting should be put over playpens and baby carriages when outside. People should use mosquito repellant with no more than 30 percent DEET in it; don't put repellant on infants.

Get rid of mosquito breeding grounds such as old tires, buckets, junk and debris. And clean gutters so they drain correctly, the DEM said.

More about mosquitoes, West Nile virus and EEE...

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Rainy forecast moves Pawtucket Pops to Sunday

PAWTUCKET -- The Pops in the Park concert that had been scheduled for tomorrow has been rescheduled to Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Slater Park.

Mayor James E. Doyle said, “With rain and blustery winds forecast for late Saturday afternoon, we decided to play it safe and use the rain date schedule. We want everyone who attends the concert to have the best possible experience and we feel drier is better.”

Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops conductor Francisco Noya has planned an exciting program that includes the 1812 Overture complete with fireworks.

Officials said parking for people with handicaps is available. Participants are reminded to bring a lawn chair and a sweater or jacket as cooler temperatures are forecast for Sunday.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:12 PM | Comment

GOP hires former Chafee staffer who sent e-mails

PROVIDENCE -- The state Republican Party has hired a one-time staffer for former Senator Lincoln Chafee who sent negative e-mails about Chafee's opponent from her government computer.

Lammis Vargas was placed on unpaid leave from her job in Chafee's Providence office a week before the November election after she admitted sending e-mails criticizing Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. She used her office computer, violating Senate rules.

State party executive director Donna Perry says party chair Giovanni Cicione discussed the incident thoroughly with Vargas. Perry says Vargas made a mistake and apologized, and she deserves a second chance.

Vargas will help with outreach and other duties.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:35 PM | Comment

Ocean State due for coastal cleanup tomorrow

Ocean Conservancy volunteers have a lot to show for 21 years of work: 100 million pounds of garbage, all from coastal areas.

Tomorrow, you can join the millions who have volunteered since then and clean up Narragansett Bay.

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island will host local activities for the International Coastal Cleanup, which was started by the Conservancy unofficially in Texas in 1986.

If you're in Providence, join the Woonasquatucket Watershed Council at corner of Kinsley and Sims Avenues in Providence to clean up debris along the Providence River which would ultimately find its way into the Bay. Another cleanup crew will tackle Fields Point.

Lunch, T-shirts, and an excuse to spend a sunny, mild day outside are on the council.

Click here for a list of cleanup areas and coordinators around the state.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:22 PM | Comment

Photo: Finding ways to improve the R.I. economy

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
The Economic Policy Council, a group of business, academic and political leaders that advises the governor, released the "Next Ten Ways" it believes Rhode Island can improve its economy at its quarterly meeting today. Here, council member Kip Bergstrom addresses the group. The council stressed that the state must solve the problems of water scarcity to hasten the pace of job creation. Its list also included goals for altering the state's public transportation network and high-school and adult education.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:15 PM | Comment

Is it fugitive 'Whitey' Bulger or not? You decide

The FBI today released a photograph and videotape of a man and woman in Italy in April, believing the man in the images could be fugitive gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives.

We cropped one of the photographs and put it next to a known photo (right) of Bulger to help readers compare the photographs and draw their own conclusions.

Your turn: Tell us if it's him.

Read the Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:28 PM | Comment

Lynch outlines $2.4B lead-paint abatement plan

PROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick Lynch is proposing that three paint companies that lost an historic public nuisance trial last year now spend $2.4 billion removing lead paint from more than half the houses and apartments in Rhode Island.

The so-called abatement plan, if approved by the courts, would lead to the single biggest construction job in state history and create a precedent that is being closely watched around the country.

Lynch’s office wants the three paint companies to clean up lead paints in 240,000 houses and apartments, 12,969 seasonal housing units, 419 child care centers and 339 elementary schools over a four-year period.

He is proposing that some 10,000 workers will be needed to complete the work quickly. The massive job of replacing windows and doors and covering walls would require a “substantial training and outreach effort . . . to attract the needed workforce,” the attorney general said, in a 132-page document filed today at Providence Superior Court.

“We believe the state plan is, in a word, ridiculous,” Scott Smith, one of the lawyers representing Millenium Holdings, said.

“It’s completely unprecedented, it’s unworkable and it will, indeed, be harmful to the state.”

A six-person jury made history in February 2006 when it found Sherwin Williams, Millenium Holdings and NL Industries created a public nuisance generations ago when they made and sold the lead paints that continue to poison children in Rhode Island. The jury did not find against a fourth company, ARCO.

A fifth, DuPont, settled with the state for about $12 million. (Just last week the Healthy Homes Collaborative, formed to manage the funds, sought proposals to spend up to $2 million on public outreach and education programs in Rhode Island.)

The jury ordered the defendants to abate, or clean up, the lead paints. At the time, the state estimated the cost would range from $1.37 billion to $3.7 billion.

Researchers have shown that inhaling or ingesting even minute quantities of dust or flakes from lead paints can damage the neurological systems of developing children. Since 1991, more than 36,000 Rhode Island children have been found with elevated lead levels.

The verdict was the first loss for the paint industry in the country despite dozens of lawsuits by individuals, housing authorities and various governments.

Extra: Look back at a 2001 special report on the lead paint poisoning crisis in Rhode Island.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Last February, Judge Michael A. Silverstein, who presided over the trial and some six years of litigation that preceded it, rejected every plea and motion the companies filed to retry or throw out the case.

Now the defendants are pinning their hopes on an appeal to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. But that hasn’t moved forward because all sides are awaiting completion of an official transcript of the trial.

In the meantime, Silverstein rejected the companies’ petition to stop planning for the abatement work until after the appeal is heard. Instead, he set a timetable for the two sides to present abatement plans, which he said he wouldn’t put into effect until the appeal is completed.

Following Silverstein’s schedule, the companies will have until Nov. 15 to respond to the state’s plan, and then the state will have until Dec. 15 to rebut the companies’ arguments.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:54 PM | Comment

Jackknifed truck closes Richmond' s Rte. 138 ramp

RICHMOND -- The Route 138 east ramp onto Route 95 north should reopen soon after being closed this morning since a tractor-trailer jackknifed about 3:50 a.m., according to state police Capt. James Swanberg

The truck carried clothing and furniture in three pod containers, which apparently dislodged when the truck went off the highway and ended up on its side.

The truck driver was taken to Westerly Hospital for what were believed to be minor injuries.

The driver indicated to the police that he had been cut off, though the police haven't been able to verify that.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:19 PM | Comment

Convicted killer Bishop's bail hearing again put off

A bail hearing scheduled for convicted killer Alfred "Freddie" Bishop this morning has been postponed for the second time.

The hearing will be rescheduled for one week from today, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

After spending 33 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions, Bishop now faces a murder charge stemming from a June home invasion in Warwick.

Last week, Bishop's lawyer said he was not sure if Bishop would go forward with a bail request or waive his right to a hearing.

If he does elect a hearing, it is unclear whether District Court Judge Elaine T. Bucci would grant bail given Bishop's extensive criminal background.

He was on parole at the time he is accused of fatally shooting Gabriel Medeiros and wounding two others in the home.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:00 PM | Comment

Driver charged after man struck, killed changing flat

SOMERSET, Mass. -- A Somerset man is being charged this morning in connection with a car accident yesterday afternoon that killed 35-year old Sergio M. DaSilva, of Fall River, who was struck as he changed a flat tire.

At about 2:30 p.m., DaSilva was changing a tire on a trailer belonging to his employer, Century Paving, on Riverside Avenue in front of Somerset Marina, Police Chief Joseph Ferreira said today in a news release. DaSilva had parked in the breakdown lane, disconnecting the trailer from a truck and placing two orange safety cones behind it.

A car driven by Shain Vandal, 18, of 195 Grant Ave., struck the trailer and then DaSilva, who was in the roadway near the breakdown lane, Chief Ferreira said.

DaSilva was taken by ambulance to North Elementary School, where he was airlifted to the trauma unit at Rhode Island Hospital. The police said he was pronounced dead at about 3:55 p.m.

An off-duty Somerset Police Department reserve officer was driving behind Vandal and witnessed the accident. A preliminary investigation has ruled out alcohol and excessive speed. Vandal was reportedly putting a CD in his car’s audio player when he swerved and crashed into the trailer and DaSilva, Ferreira said.

Vandal was charged with operating a car negligently, with death resulting, a felony. He was also cited for failing to travel inside marked lanes.

A 15-year old passenger in Vandal’s car was not injured.

DaSilva’s wife gave birth to the couple’s first child two weeks ago, the police said.

-- Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:47 AM | Comment

2 Warwick men nabbed in URI dance stabbing

Authorities have arrested two Warwick men in connection with a stabbing at a University of Rhode Island dance.

Police say they do not believe Antinori D. Butterfield, 20, or Troy D. Whorms-Chotan, 22 – both of 3595 Post Road – stabbed the 20-year-old victim, who was treated and released.

But the victim said both men assaulted him, according to police.

Both men are full-time students at New England Technical Institute, in Warwick.

Whorms-Chotan is a native of the cayman Islands, Butterfield is from the Bahamas and has lived here for one month.

University and Warwick police say are anticipating more people will be charged before the investigation is complete.

A 20-year-old URI student was stabbed at an on-campus dance last week. As a result, officials have canceled school dances while they review the school’s safety procedures and determine the next course of action.

The student who was injured in the incident was treated at South County Hospital and released, according to URI.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:01 AM | Comment

Was gangster Whitey Bulger spotted in Italy?

BOSTON -- The FBI today released photographs and a videotape taken in Italy in April that show a man and woman who resemble fugitive gangster James "Whitey" Bulger - one of the agency's 10 Most Wanted - and his longtime girlfriend.

(Read more about Bulger and see video on the FBI's Web site.)

A facial recognition analysis to determine if the photos were Bulger, 77, and girlfriend Catherine Greig, 56, was inconclusive, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Authorities also questioned the couple's associates, but still couldn't determine if the photos were Bulger and Greig.

The video was taken on April 10 in Taormina, an Italian city on the island of Sicily, by someone who thought they recognized the fugitives. Authorities now want to speak with anyone who visited that area in March, April, or May 2007 and may have seen Bulger and Greig.

-- The Associated Press

The possible Bulger sighting was first reported in May by Providence television station WPRI and The Boston Globe.

WPRI in Providence, R.I., reported that a source gave the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration two photographs taken in Italy, showing a man and a woman who bear a resemblance to Bulger and Greig. The DEA turned the evidence over to the Bulger Task Force, based in Boston. FBI agents went to Italy to investigate.

Bulger, the former leader of the notorious Winter Hill Gang who also an FBI informant, fled just before he was indicted on racketeering charges in 1995. He is charged in 19 murders.

Bulger planned for life on the run by leaving cash in safe deposit boxes around the world. Safe deposit boxes believed used by Bulger have been discovered in Florida, Ireland, England and Canada and authorities believe there are more out there.

Authorities have received hundreds of tips about possible Bulger sightings in more than a dozen countries.

The last confirmed sighting, according to the FBI, was in London in September 2002. Many of the sightings have turned out to be Bulger lookalikes.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:24 AM | Comment

Break leaves 100s without gas in East Providence

National Grid employees are walking door to door in the Riverside neighborhood of East Providence turning the gas back on and igniting pilot lights after a gas main break disrupted service to about 400 households yesterday.

According to David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid, the company got a call from a construction crew working on Crescent View Avenue at about 3 p.m. reporting the main had been ruptured.

Graves said a loose drainage pipe rose with the tide along the Providence River -- where construction crews were working on a bridge – and knocked into the gas main.

National Grid employees walked to all of the houses, manually turning off gas and letting residents know that they'd call when main was repaired.

"Many residents said, 'Don't bother waking us up,'" Graves said. The damage was repaired at about 11:30 p.m.

Graves said he does not know exactly how many people are still without gas, but employees are calling and going door-to-door until they’ve reached everyone.

After turning on the gas line to individual homes, workers need to get inside the house and relight pilots.

It's not hard work, Graves said, "but it's labor intensive."

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:46 AM | Comment

Update: Patient goes off Kent Hospital roof

A patient dropped from a one-story rooftop at Kent Hospital yesterday and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in stable condition, according to a Kent spokesman this morning.

The spokesman said that the male inpatient, admitted to Kent Monday, was in a room with a nurse and a staff member when he left his bed and broke through a window, falling one story and landing on the roof of another hospital building.

He went from one rooftop to another, one-story structure, and then "left the roof and landed on the ground," according to Brian Wallin, director of public relations at the Warwick hospital.

Wallin said he was not able to say whether the patient jumped or fell. He would not identify the patient.

An EMT near the spot where the patient landed responded. The patient was taken to Kent's emergency room, stabilized, and then transported to Rhode Island Hospital "because of the nature of his injuries," Wallin said.

Kent reported the incident, and the state Department of Health visited the hospital yesterday to begin a review.

"We certainly conduct our own review," Wallin said, "and will make it known to the department."

This incident less than a month after a 59-year-old Westerly woman died from her injuries after falling out of a window at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence.

This week, the Health Department issued a formal reprimand in that case and ordered the hospital to hire an independent consultant to determine whether systematic problems led to the woman's fatal fall.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:26 AM | Comment

Teacher talks continue in East Greenwich

EAST GREENWICH — Contract talks between the East Greenwich teachers’ union and the School Committee resume this evening at 5.

This is the first scheduled meeting for both sides, since the 235 rank-and-file members were ordered back to work by a Superior Court judge last Friday, following a three-day strike that delayed the start of school.

On the third day, the School Committee filed a compliant against the union in Kent County Superior Court seeking an injunction.

Teachers are working under their previous contracts which expired Aug. 31

-- Journal staff reporter Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:08 AM | Comment

Chinese pingpong star to tour Bryant University

SMITHFIELD -- A Chinese pingpong star who helped rekindle contact between the U.S. and China during the Cold War plans to appear at Bryant University tonight.

Zhuang Zedong was a member of the Chinese national pingpong team in 1971, when Communist leader Mao Zedong had closed off contact with the West.

During a competition in Japan, Zhuang spoke with a member of the American team, one of a series of exchanges that culminated in President Nixon's groundbreaking visit to China in 1972.

Promoted within the Chinese Communist Party, Zhuang was drawn into a power struggle after Mao's death and detained. Freed years ago, he's now traveling the U.S. to promote Chinese language and culture institutes, including one at Bryant.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Sunny and 76

What a great way to start the weekend.

The National Weather Service is predicting a high today of 76 degrees and sunshine all day long.

Tonight's low will be in the high 50s.

There's a chance of rain tomorrow morning, but the clouds should move on and Saturday should be mostly sunny with a high in the low 70s and an overnight low in the high 40s.

Sunday is looking sunny too, but chilly, with a high in the mid 60s and an overnight low in the mid 40s.

Next week looks like it will get off to a nice start, with a high in the low 70s and sunny skies.

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

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a report on the NFL's penalizing the New England Patriot's and Coach Bill Belichick for illegally videotaping an opposing coach in Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment