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« September 17, 2007 | Today | September 19, 2007 » September 18, 2007Tonight: Don't forget a moment of silence for JimiFor those who can get there fast, "All the King's Men" is on stage tonight at 7 at Trinity Rep in Providence. It's adapted from Pulitzer winner Robert Penn Warren's novel. But if you miss it, it's OK. The play is running at Trinity through Oct. 21. For rockers and jazzers, the club scene tonight is slim. Dancing Nancy, paying tribute to the Dave Matthews Band, plays at Gillary's Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. Call 253-2012. 9:30 pm. Bobby Ferreira plays jazz at The Chanler, 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport. Call 847-1300. 6:30-9:30 pm. Half Boozed plays rock at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. Call 847-9460. 9 p.m. The Hi-Hat Trio with Mariann Solivan riffs on some jazz at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 pm. Besides, rockers, maybe you should be staying in tonight anyway, taking a moment to remember the icon who died 37 years ago today in London. Jimi Hendrix, you're never forgotten. Especially when I'm the one writing the what-to-do-tonight blog post. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:52 PM | Comment Anchor Lou Dobbs' talk at RWU cancelledBRISTOL -- Lou Dobbs, political commentator and anchor of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight,'' has cancelled his Sept. 27 appearance at Roger Williams University for unspecified medical reasons. The university said in a news release today it hopes to reschedule Dobbs' appearance for early next year. Dobbs was slated to present “his unedited take on today’s hot-button headlines,” according to an earlier university statement, as part of a series has included several figures, including writer Salman Rushdie. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:58 PM | Comment West Nile, EEE found in Swansea mosquitoesSWANSEA, Mass. -- A mosquito pool here has tested positive for both West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, the town Board of Health announced today. The sample was collected on Sept. 14 and included culex pipens mosquitoes, a kind that can bite humans and other mammals. The Board of Health and Massachusetts Department of Health advise the public to take action to avoid mosquito bites and to cut down the mosquito population around homes and neighborhoods. In the nearby Rhode Island communities of East Providence and Barrington, mosquitoes have also tested positive recently for West Nile. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Remove standing water around your home, including in ceramic pots, trash cans, recycling containers, old tires, wading pools, and bird baths. People should limit time outside during peak dusk and dawn mosquito activity periods. If someone must be outdoors, wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants. If bringing a baby outside, cover the carriage or playpen with mosquito netting. Put screens on windows and doors; fix holes in screens. Use mosquito repellant containing DEET or Picaridin, or consider oil of lemon eucaplyptus. Repellents should not be used on children younger than 2 months. And oil of eucalyptus should not be used on children who are under 3 years old. Horse owners are encouraged to vaccinate their animals and keep safeguards in places to prevent mosquito exposure. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:59 PM | Comment Vitrus Inc., in Pawtucket, to lay off most staffPAWTUCKET -- Vitrus Inc., a manufacturer of special electrical connectors in Pawtucket, is laying off most of its staff, the company acknowledged today. Vitrus employs about 40 people in its plant on Main Street. It is owned by the Tecumseh Products Co., based in Tecumseh, Mich. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:46 PM | Comment Pawtucket bakery issues bread recallA Pawtucket bakery is recalling 76 loaves of sweet bread that contain egg, which was not declared on the ingredient statement. Luzitania Bakery, of 312 Barton St. is recalling the bread, the state Health Department announced today. The bread was sold at the Pawtucket sore and at several retail markets in the Pawtucket, Attleboro, Mass., and Norton, Mass., area. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to egg products run risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they eat the bread, the Health Department news release said. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the bread. Anyone concerned about an illness associated with the bread should contact a physician immediately. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment Newport stone carver receives national art awardA Newport stone carver became the first Rhode Islander to receive a national award for folk and arts given out today in Washington. Nicholas Benson, a third-generation stone-letter carver and calligrapher, was among a dozen recipients of the 2007 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)’s National Heritage Fellowship, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, who delivered the ceremony's keynote address. “Nick’s work has added immeasurably to our state and our nation’s cultural heritage," Whitehouse said in the statement. "His dedication to the traditional forms of stone carving will help ensure that they survive for generations to come.” The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest public honor awarded for folk and traditional art -- a fellowship in its 25th year. Benson oversees the John Stephens Shop, founded in 1705 on Newport’s Thames Street. His work, and that of his father, graces the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, the World War II Memorial, the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, and the gravestones of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in Washington, D.C.; the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama; the Poet's Corner in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York; and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment Providence officials seek after-school program growthPROVIDENCE -- The city’s after-school programs for middle school students have been so successful that Mayor David N. Cicilline wants to expand the model to include high school students. Today, Gary Bliss, Cicilline’s policy director, explained the concept to 25 school officials and non-profit organizations who gathered at Casey Family Services on Eddy Street. According to Bliss, the high school program would be based on the Providence After School Alliance, a partnership that drew together the city’s public schools, recreation departments and non-profit groups like Save the Bay to provide high-quality after-school activities to middle school students. The creation of Hillary Salmons and the Education Partnership, a business-backed policy group, PASA was born three years ago as a way to bridge the often dangerous gap between the close of the school day and the time that working parents return home. While elementary school children are enrolled in after-school care, middle school students typically go home to an empty house where the combination of boredom and lack of adult supervision can become a recipe for trouble. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg PASA was smart: it didn’t create another layer of bureaucracy, nor did it try to duplicate existing programs. Instead, it set out to enlarge the existing pool of after-school activities and improve their quality. PASA divided up the city into separate zones, which radiate from a middle school. The challenge: to persuade non-profit organizations that they would get a lot more out of collaborating with their colleagues than going their own separate ways. The After School Alliance has two major goals: to improve school attendance and reduce suspensions by offering students incentives to not only attend school, but to do well while they’re there. PASA currently offers a total of 47 activities in its five After Zones. “We were looking at the success of PASA and listening to those people who are active in serving high school students,” Bliss said. “We want to develop a strong after-school program for high school youth.” The middle school initiative was launched with the prospect of a five-year $5 million grant from the Wallace Foundation, which asked Providence to apply for the funding. The high school proposal has no such backing from a prominent charitable organization like Wallace. But Salmons said, “We think there are opportunities out there because of the mayor’s national leadership and the excitement around PASA. We are attracting national attention.” There are definite advantages to starting a high school after-school program. For starters, the city already has a number of innovative programs, from New Urban Arts to the Everett Dance Theater. The challenge, Bliss said, will be persuading high school students, many of whom have jobs or child care responsibilities, to make time for after-school activities. “That’s why we’re turning to those people who have been active in this field,” he said. “We want you to come forward. We’re looking to develop a team of providers to lead the planning process and we’re asking that you collaborate with the school department.” Cicilline has committed $100,000 to finance the planning phase, which will last approximately 10 months. The planning team will figure out what entering ninth-graders need, track their achievement and monitor their graduation rates; explore how PASA can provide organizational support; and identify how many high school students should be targeted for the program. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:33 PM | Comment Sitting in Providence traffic? Count your blessingsPROVIDENCE -- We may curse the traffic on Route 95, but a national study released today says that drivers in the Providence area have less to cuss about than drivers in most other urban areas of its size. Nationally, traffic congestion continues to worsen in cities of all sizes, according to the study by the Texas Transportation Instiutute, which said it creates a $78-billion annual drain on the U.S. economy in the form of 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel. The study estimates that drivers during peak traffic hours in the Providence area lost 19.5 million hours to congestion in 2005, the last year for which data was available, or 29 hours per traveler. That figure has risen seven hours per peak traveler since 2000, but remained stable from 2004 to 2005. The good old days, meanwhile, really were much better as far as traffic was concerned. Back in 1982, the earliest data the study includes, Providence area peak-time travelers lost only 3 hours to delay during that year. The study says that Providence drivers now suffer much lower congestion than the other urban areas in its group, and much slower growth since 1982 in the amount of delay due to congestion than the group as a whole. Nationally, lost time and fuel amount to the equivalent of 105 million weeks of vacation and 58 fully-loaded supertankers, the institute said. Congestion cost Providence-area travelers during peak traffic times $343 million in 2005, the study says, counting travel time at $14.60 per hour, truck time at $77.10 per hour and fuel using average costs per gallon. That cost amounted to $507 per peak traveler. Meanwhile, there was improvement in some factors that help reduce congestion. Use of mass transportation has steadily increased, totaling 99 million passenger miles in 2005 from 64 million miles in 2000. The number of mass transit trips, however, increased only slightly, to 20 million trips in 2005 from 18 millioin trips in 2000. The study dealt with 800 square miles of urbanized area, with a population density of more than 1,000 persons per square mile, in and around Providence and extending into Massachusetts. The Providence urban area's population has grown only 40,000 since 2000, to 1,245,000 persons. It included 780 square miles in 2000. The study ranks the Providence metro area among "large" cities with populations between 1 million and 3 million. There were no other New England urban areas in that group, which includes San Diego, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and.Cleveland. Posted by Pam Cotter at 3:18 PM | Comment ACLU: New criminal law may hurt college applicantsThe Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union says a new state law that treats 17-year-olds as adults for criminal justice purposes could also keep some students from getting into college. That’s because prospective students with state or federal drug convictions are ineligible for federal grants, loans or work study programs for one year to life under Section 483 of the federal Higher Education Act. In a letter to the state Board of Governors for Higher Education, the local ACLU’s Executive Director Steven Brown argues that for the first time here, applicants with drug convictions at age 17 would not be eligible for federal college financial aid. Before the law, such matters were handled in Family Court. In a letter sent today, Brown, a sharp critic of the new law from the start, asked the Board to veer from the federal policy, saying financial aid offices in more than a dozen other states do so. He also requested the board speak out at a state Senate panel hearing tomorrow against charging 17-year-olds as adults. The letter also encouraged the higher education board to contact the General Assembly leadership to urge the repeal of Article 22. Brown said the ACLU has made a similar request to college and university presidents. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:00 PM | Comment Lynch urges repeal of law trying 17-year-olds as adultsAttorney General Patrick C. Lynch today called on the General Assembly to repeal the recently-approved law requiring that all 17-years-olds be prosecuted as adults. With a Senate committee hearing scheduled on the matter tomorrow at 3 p.m., Lynch's office issued a release today saying there are 12 “statutory inconsistencies” that are “in force and effect,'' causing confusion because they do not reflect changes spurred by the law for 17-year-olds. Lynch has said his office has received several inquiries from police and towns' solicitors about prosecuting 17-year-olds. “From a public policy perspective, placing 17-year-olds in the adult criminal process and system is short sighted. From a budgetary point of view, any savings hoped for under the new law are and will continue to be illusory," Lynch said in a letter to House Speaker William J. Murphy and Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano. "From a human perspective, it is dangerous for the 17-year-old offenders themselves and, longer term, damaging to their prospects for productivity and success in life." Lynch is among those expected to testify to the committee tomorrow. The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has also raised objections to the law, including issues created for students applying for financial aid.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:48 PM | Comment Leader of R.I. lead safety initative namedA Rhode Island lead-safety program has a leader and is seeking proposals for the use of $2 million toward raising the awareness of adults and others about lead safety. Lynch and the Children’s Health Forum announced today they have appointed Barbara Baldwin, of Providence -- a former cancer control program leader and, for nine years, the state's Planned Parenthood executive director -- to coordinate the Healthy Kids Collaborative, the statewide lead safety program. Baldwin issued a request for proposals on Sept. 12 for use of $2 million to raise public awareness. The request is looking for community-based organizations to carry out activities that educate and train parents, homeowners and others about lead safety. The collaborative is coming up with a $9 million program, to be used over several years, that will include education, outreach, training, cleanup, and safety regulation enforcement. The program is part of an agreement between Lynch and the DuPont Corporation. Local health advocates, state and municipal agencies, and care providers are helping to shape it, according to an attorney general news release. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney “I’m very pleased to have Barbara Baldwin, with her extensive background in public health and organizational management, joining us to work with the advisory commission to make our mutual goal of preventing childhood lead poisoning a reality,” Lynch said in a statement. Last week, Lynch proposed that three paint companies that lost a 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. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:31 PM | Comment Mass. casino campaign: The debate begins
A day after unveiling the proposal, Patrick was out trying to rally support. He took to the airwaves of three Boston-area radio stations, where morning commuters heard him tout casinos as being able to one day generate up to $450 million annually in state tax revenue. Patrick says he'll split the revenue between paying for transportation upgrades and giving property tax credits to more than a million homeowners. The governor also trumpeted the proposal after an event at Genzyme Corporation in Cambridge, saying his revenue projections are "conservative." The Legislature must approve expanded gambling before casinos can open in Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, where the debate over full-fledged casinos has been hot, political leaders reacted differently to the plans yesterday. Read the story. -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:24 PM | Comment She says menhaden / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- Blues or not. Blues or not. The battle has been raging this morning here in the newsroom. And April Valliere, principal marine biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife at the state Department of Environmental Management, has given us the official scoop: They're menhaden. Adult ones. And they've been observed, in varying amounts, in the Providence River since May. Journal photos taken yesterday of fish circling in the river below the Providence County Superior Court building sparked the debate. But this closeup view, sent to Valliere e-mail, settled the matter today. By return e-mail, Valliere also gave us some details on the fish's presence in local waters this season. Earlier this year, she said, DEM's Marine Fisheries section started an extensive monitoring program of menhaden stocks in Narragansett Bay. It collected data using onboard purse seine vessels, floating fish traps and observations by spotter pilots. Last month, large numbers of juvenile Atlantic menhaden were collected and spotted in both the juvenile finfish survey of Rhode Island coastal ponds and of Narragansett Bay. Huge schools of both juvenile and adult menhaden were seen being chased up into the less saline waters of the Providence and Blackstone Rivers by striped bass, which can tolerate fresh water, and by bluefish, she said, which are menhaden's prime predators. Menhaden can tolerate a wide range of salinity, or salt in the water, from almost freshwater to ocean waters, according to Valliere. They are filter-feeders, primarily feeding on large quantities of phytoplankton, which must be abundant in the river. Menhaden remain in large quantities throughout the Bay. But there's no concern at this time about a large die-off, unlike the recent Slater Mill incident where the oxygen dropped to very low levels and abnormally low tides were occurring. "Hope that clears things up," she concludes. We think it does. Thanks, April. P.S. Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord both concurs and reports that the fish have made their way up into Waterplace Park today, where they're continuing to swirl. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:06 PM | Comment Lincoln council to mull gambling expansionLINCOLN -- The Town Council tonight is slated to consider whether to hold a non-binding referendum on expanding gambling operations at Twin River. Earlier this month, a state elections official said that if the council decides to move ahead with a referendum, then the referendum will probably have to be after Nov. 6. A resolution proposed for consideration tonight, as last reported, includes whether to support expanding casino gaming hours at the facility and, secondly, whether to support expanding gambling to include such things as table games. Twin River operates a video slots facility and dog-racing track. Yesterday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced his proposal for three resort casinos in that state, prompting reaction from top officials in Rhode Island, where recent efforts to build full-fledged casinos have been defeated. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:31 PM | Comment R.I. treasurer joins bid to disclose climate risksThe Rhode Island treasurer has joined a group of more than 20 investors, state officials and environmental advocacy groups to ask the regulating authority of the U.S. securities market to compel publicly traded companies to disclose what financial risks they face from climate change. Frank Caprio and 21 other petitioners, including California’s treasurer and New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, today filed a petition asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to begin closely “scrutinizing the adequacy of registrants’ climate disclosures,” under existing law. The petition says the risks of climate change can affect corporate performance in a number of different ways from basic physical damage of facilities, to presenting opportunities for climate-friendly services and products. In addition, the petition states that under current law, companies may be required to disclose financial risks and opportunities associated with present or probable greenhouse gas regulation and any legal proceedings related to climate change. The 22 petitioners -- who together control more than $1.5 trillion in assets -- are: California State Controller John Chiang Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:51 AM | Comment Parole Board to decide on Biechele's releaseCRANSTON -- The state Parole Board meets tomorrow to decide whether Daniel M. Biechele will be released 16 months into his four-year sentence for triggering the fireworks that started The Station nightclub fire and killed 100 people in 2003. The hearing will be closed to the public. When the hearing ends, parole officials will notify relatives of the fire victims of the outcome. After that, at about 3:30 p.m., officials will hold a news conference to publicly announce the results. This is the first time Biechele, 30, is up for parole since starting his prison term. Biechele pleaded guilty last year to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. The brothers who owned the nightclub, Michael A. and Jeffrey A. Derderian, pleaded no contest to 100 counts each of involuntary manslaughter for fire code violations that helped the fire spread rapidly. Michael, 46, was sentenced to serve four years in prison. Jeffrey, 40, was sentenced to 500 hours community service. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:45 AM | Comment Menhaden near Slater Dam are not now at riskThe state’s Department of Environmental Management is still keeping an eye out on the large number of menhaden spotted near the Blackstone River on August 30, but for now there isn’t much reason to fear a fish kill. April Valliere, the principal marine biologist at the Department’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, said when the fish were reported up stream, near Slater Dam, there hadn’t been much rain. But since then, we’ve had at least one good rain. Menhaden, which thrive in salt water, had been chased up the river nearly to the Slater Dam by bluefish, which can tolerate fresh water. The millions of fish were struggling with low water and low oxygen levels. “Once we got all that rain it was great,” Valliere said, because the water carried the fish back to the lower bay. Adult menhaden are typically in Narragansett Bay from May through September, but juveniles remain throughout the year. Valliere said DEM will continue to monitor the fish’s situation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment Do you prefer old-fashioned bulletin boards?Staff writer Karen Ziner is looking for comment for story on old-fashioned, bulletin boards that survive in the digital age. Do you prefer posting to the cork board? Do you enjoy reading the notices? Where is your favorite board? (i.e., Supermarket? Coffee shops?) Contact: kziner@projo.com Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:24 AM | Comment Pumpkins to passports: It's all happening at the festThere’s just one place to go Saturday if you’re looking to walk away with a passport, a pumpkin and a brand new Harley Davidson -- North Smithfield. Postmaster Christine Charest announced that Saturday’s pumpkin fest, at North Smithfield Elementary School, will also serve as a passport processing center. Woonsocket Postmaster Ron Poulin and staff members will be running the booth. “(They) agree that this is an opportunity for the area residents to meet the new passport requirements,” Charest said in a statement. Beginning next month, US citizens traveling abroad – including to Mexico and Canada – will be required to have valid passports. Interested residents will need to bring a birth certificate with a raised seal and pictures which can be taken ahead of time or purchased at the fest. If you prefer cross country to overseas travel, the Kiwanis Club will be raffling off a 2007 Softail Deluxe motorcycle at 2 p.m. Tickets can be bought at Village Paint and Decorating, Quick Stop Deli, Village Haven Restaurant, Leeway Truce Value, Victory Square Diner in Burrillville and R&D Seafood. This year’s grand prize raffle winner will receive a 2007 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe. The motorcycle is on display at Village Paint & Decorating, Slatersville Plaza. The raffle will take place Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. during the Great Pumpkin Festival at North Smithfield Elementary School. Raffle tickets are $20, and can be purchased at Village Paint and Decorating, Quick Stop Deli, Village Haven Restaurant, Leeway True Value, Victory Square Diner in Burrillville, and R&D Seafood. And of course, there will be pumpkins to eat, pumpkins to decorate --even a town committee sponsored pumpkin chucking booth. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:56 AM | Comment Secretary of State going to colleges to add votersThe Secretary of State is working with the Board of Elections to get Rhode Island students to register to vote. Ralph Mollis plans on presenting a first-hand civics lesson to high schools and colleges across the state. “Students who register to vote are more likely to become active and informed citizens of this state. Some of these young people will be our leaders of tomorrow. Now is the time to engage them,” Mollis said in n statement. He'll be registering students at the University of Rhode Island’s Memorial Union today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. At Salve Regina University's O'Hare Academic Center tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And at Providence College's Slavin Center Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. According to the Center for Information research on Civic Learning and Engagement, about 35 percent of Rhode Islanders between the age of 18 and 29, voted in 2006 mid-term elections. That’s 10 percent higher than the national average of about 25 percent. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York. It's based in the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:04 AM | Comment Barrington Bridge to close tonight, tomorrow, ThursdayA 10-year-old temporary bridge over the Barrington River will be closed tonight, tomorrow and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as the State Department of Transportation for inspections. Northbound traffic will take a detour onto New Meadow Road, take a left onto Masasoit, then return to Route 114. Southbound traffic will turn left onto Masasoit, right onto New Meadow return to Route 114. The DOT new Barrington Bridge is now slated to be finished in 2010 – four years late and, at $22 million, more than twice the contract price. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:24 AM | Comment Bush to congratulate Brown crew at White HouseBrown University’s women’s crew team is going to the White House. The 2007 NCAA Division I rowing champions will join eight other NCAA championship teams at a White House ceremony Friday afternoon. The Bears will be the first collegiate team from Rhode Island to be recognized at a White House ceremony. Co-captains Rachel Dearborn and Elizabeth Fison, 2007 graduates, will meet with President Bush in the East Wing and then join their teammates on the South Lawn for the public ceremony. Brown won its fifth NCAA women’s rowing championship May 27 at Oak Ridge, Tenn. The team could not attend a similar White House ceremony on June 28 because it departed that day for the Royal Henley Regatta in England. - Journal sportswriter Mike Szostak Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment WW II Memorial Commission to open HQ todayThe commission seeking to raise money to finish the state's World War II memorial will open a fundraising office in Warwick today. The 10 a.m. event will be held in the Warwick Mall parking lot across from the carousel food court. Several veterans officials and political figures are expected to attend. Over the summer, memorial supporters began a campaign to increase interest and the almost $600,000 needed to finish the project by this Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Eight granite slabs sit at a stone company in Seekonk. Covered in plastic, the slabs are engraved with the names of 2,559 men and women who died in the war. -- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 AM | Comment It's Rhode Island Day at the Big EToday is Rhode Island day -- In western Massachusetts. It's five days into the annual Eastern State's Exposition -- The Big E -- and today The Ocean State gets to put its best face forward for thousands of fairgoers. The 17-day fair has been showcasing the best of livestock and local fare for 90 years, interrupted only by two World Wars. Last year, more than one million people attended the expo, where each New England state gets one day to showcase its local color. It's a safe bet that lstuffies and coffee milk will be on the menu today. And, like any fair, there's a petting zoo, carnival rides and more than enough food to keep fairgoers from losing any weight, including the Big E Cream Puff. The expo runs until Sept. 30, ending with a musical march performed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:37 AM | Comment It's almost fall and it feels like itIt's crisp, it's clear, and it's sunny. The National Weather Service predicts a high of about 68 degrees. Tonight's low should be in the high 40s. Tomorrow should be a little warmer, with a high of about 73 degrees.
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006