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September 25, 2007

Rock, jazz and a tribute to Dave Matthews tonight

In area clubs tonight, you can get something new, something jazzy and something that sounds like someone familiar.

Blonde Redhead and School of Seven Bells, rock, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 9 pm. $20.

Dancing Nancy plays a tribute to Dave Matthews, the lead singer of the Dave Matthews Band, which rose to prominence during the 1990s. The show is at Gillary's Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. Call 253-2012. 9:30 p.m.

Half Boozed plays at One Pelham East, 270 Thames St., Newport. Call 847-9460. 9 p.m.

The Hi-Hat Trio with Tish Adams plays jazz at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m.

Lois Vaughan plays jazz at The Chanler, 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport. Call 847-1300. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment

Brush and floss, sure, but consider toothprinting too

If you’re afraid that your child or another family member may wander off or be abducted, and you are storing fingerprints or photographs in the event that happens, consider adding another identifier: a toothprint.

In Cumberland today, Mason, a three-year-old saliva-sniffing German Shepherd, and his handler, police officer William Bailey of Dracut, Mass., visited a dentist's office to show off the dog’s scent-sniffing skills to police officials from Cumberland and neighboring Central Falls.

Dr. Angeles V. Felix opened her office at 490 High Street for a demonstration of the toothprinting process. It's a dental imprint of a person’s bite that can be used to identify a body, especially when the body is that of a younger child who may not have a dental record.

And it can be useful for tracking missing people because the imprint captures a person’s DNA and saliva. Specially-trained police dogs can seek out a missing person or people based on a whiff of saliva and the DNA can be used to compare to other samples gathered at the scene of a crime.

In New England, there are two such saliva-sniffing dogs, kept by the police departments in Milton, Mass. and Dracut, Mass.

-- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment

Car sideswipes school bus on reservoir causeway

SCITUATE -- A car and a school bus collided this morning, causing minor injuries to three people aboard the bus.

Scituate Police Capt. Stephen B. Lang said a car driven by a 16-year-old student bound for Mount St. Charles Academy was headed east on the causeway that carries Plainfield Pike across the Scituate Reservoir around 7:20 a.m. when it sideswiped the bus, which was going in the opposite direction.

Lang said the driver, whose name was withheld because he is a juvenile, apparently was blinded by the rising sun. “The sun is very strong at that time of morning,” he said.

The bus driver, Carol G. Gurjion, 67, complained of chest pains and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

The bus monitor, Erling Holm Jr., 52, reported lower back pain, and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

The only student aboard, a 14-year-old Scituate High School student, had had surgery recently, Lang said, and she was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital as a precaution.

Lang said no charges were filed immediately. He said investigators have not had a chance to interview the bus driver and monitor.

-- Journal staff writer Thomas J. Morgan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:32 PM | Comment

Ethics board calls for probes in E. Prov., Woon. cases

PROVIDENCE -- The state Ethics Commission today ordered investigations into separate complaints against former East Providence Mayor Joseph S. Larisa Jr. and Woonsocket Councilwoman Suzanne J. Vadenais.

The commission also told a third local official, North Providence Town Council President Joseph S. Burchfield, that he cannot vote on a major development planned near his home.

The decisions to investigate the East Providence and Woonsocket cases are the first steps in a process that could lead to prosecution of the two officials under the state Code of Ethics. Both officials are involved in local political disputes related to the complaints.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Larissa is known both for his role in East Providence politics and as a lawyer for both the state and the town of Charlestown in battles against casino plans. Larisa lost a close election and recount for an at-large City Council seat last November, and his replacement was sworn in in December. In East Providence, the mayor is a City Council member.

Larisa is accused of violating the state’s “revolving door” rule, which says that former officials can’t represent persons before their previous agencies for a year after leaving their government positions.

The East Providence Democrats and Republicans are in a continuing battle over the activities of the Canvassing Authority, which is dominated by Democrats. In July, Larisa represented Canvassing Authority member Thomas Riley in a disciplinary hearing before the council. Riley received a reprimand, and the city Democratic Committee chairman, John F. Conley, subsequently filed the ethics complaint against Larisa, a Republican.

Vadenais’ case in Woonsocket cropped up during a dispute over a Police Department appointment. Mayor Susan D. Menard’s appointed Richard A. Dubois deputy chief in March 2006. The council says it can reject the contract. Menard says it can’t.

Vadenais’ son, Kevin Greenough, is a city police officer. The complaint -- filed by Dubois -- states that in February 2005, Dubois was involved in a disciplinary case involving Greenough and damage to city property, with Greenough ordered to pay $642 in restitution. Vadenais, the complaint states, opposed Dubois’ contract.

In the North Providence case, Burchfield had asked the commission for a legal opinion on whether his future participation in a zone change might violate the code.

The commission said that Burchfield shouldn’t vote on the zone change that would allow Generation Realty to build 86 condominiums on the site of Camp Meehan, one of the last parcels of open space in town, because the council president would probably be affected financially.

Burchfield owns a condominium on Quail Ridge Road in the adjacent Lees Farm Commons development. Complicating the question before the commission, Staff Attorney Esme DeVault said, is the fact that while his condo is about 1,200 feet from the proposed development, far enough so its value might not be affected, the common land he owns a share in abuts the development. The commission decision noted that it’s a reasonable assumption that there will be a financial impact, with no contrary evidence.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:28 PM | Comment

Former Mass. Gov. Swift will speak at Brown

PROVIDENCE -- Former Massachusetts governor Jane Swift is scheduled to speak at the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions at Brown University this afternoon.

Swift was the first and only woman to serve as governor of Massachusetts. She was not elected, but appointed while serving as lieutenant governor. She assumed the governorship after Gov. Argeo Paul Cellucci resigned to serve as Ambassador to Canada.

She served from 2001 to 2003.

Her lecture, titled “Rising to the Occasion: Public Leadership in Challenging Times,” is free and open to the public. It begins at 4 p.m. at the Salomon Center for Teaching, on the green, in room 001.

Swift’s visit comes on the heals of another politician looking to make a first, Sen. Hillary Clinton, the first female Senator elected in New York, and aspiring first woman president, is scheduled to arrive in the Ocean State tomorrow for a fundraiser in East Greenwich.

The event caused a shake-up in the capital city, when the threat of a firefighter and police picket of the event forced Providence mayor David N. Cicilline to resign his role as co-chairman of Clinton’s Rhode Island campaign, and pledge not to attend the event.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment

Connecticut man again found not competent for trial

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A Connecticut man charged with shooting at police officers last year on Block Island today again was found incompetent to stand trial in Superior Court.

The next competency evaluation for Ernesto A. Lacayo, 20, of Fairfield, Conn., will be Nov. 27.

Lacayo, who faces a list of felony charges for firing five rounds at police, was declared unfit to stand trial shortly after his arrest on June 25, 2006, but state psychiatrists in April declared him competent, after he was treated for bipolar disorder at Eleanor Slater Hospital.

A defense expert later said Lacayo’s condition had deteriorated. He has been found unfit to stand trial twice since then.

The case has been put on hold pending a determination of competency.

Lacayo continues to be held at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, on $400,000 cash bail and is being treated at Eleanor Slater Hospital.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:18 PM | Comment

Release of gunshot-wounded seal postponed

An adult male harbor seal, found earlier this summer with a gunshot wound to its eye, will not be released tomorrow at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown.

Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium had planned to release the seal at 9 a.m., but today the aquarium said the seal had developed a problem with its right eye -- the only eye with which it can see. Over the summer, the seal was found off the Bridgeport coast with the wound to its other eye.

A $3,000 reward is being offered for information about who shot the seal.

Estimated at 20 to 25 years old, and weighing 212 lbs., the seal had been cleared to be released by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after two months' treatment by aquarium veterinarians.

-- with reports from projo.com staff writer Michalel McKinney

Estimated at 20 to 25 years old, and weighing 212 lbs., the seal had been cleared to be released by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after two months' treatment by aquarium veterinarians.

“Because the animal has vision in only one eye, the veterinary staff at Mystic Aquarium is reluctant to have the animal released until a temporary condition called corneal edema is fully resolved,” Dr. Lawrence Dunn, aquarium veterinarian, said in a statement.

“The seal will be treated and monitored intensively over the next several days until its vision is totally restored,” he said. “Corneal edema is a common transitory condition seen in seals wherein the cornea, the outer clear portion of the eye becomes cloudy, often because of osmotic changes combined with exposure to bright light.”

When the eye problem clears, a new date will be set for its release.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment

Ramirez back in lineup for Red Sox

Manny Ramirez, who has missed the last 24 games, is in the Red Sox starting lineup for tonight's game against the Oakland Athletics. Ramirez will bat second and play left field. For more information throughout the night, go to the projo SoxBlog.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:56 PM | Comment

Disaster drill will be staged Sunday in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- A disaster drill will be staged Sunday at the Rhode island Convention Center to test responders' readiness, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office said.

It will simulate a "full-scale emergency" at the convention center in which toxic chemicals released into the air cause hundreds of injuries. Nearly 300 people have volunteered to portray victims, according to today's news release.

The Providence Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security will hold the drill starting at 8 a.m.

It means carrying out various emergency plans and will involved first responders from Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Central Falls, West Warwick, North Providence, and Johnston, plus mutual aid from elsewhere. Also involved will be Rhode Island Emergency Management, the state Health Department, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, hospitals and other agencies.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:44 PM | Comment

Photo: A few proud drilling Marines

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Members of the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon run through a drill during the filming of a new advertising campaign and video documentary this morning at the Point Judith Coast Guard Station. Gallery: See more photos.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:44 PM | Comment

Traffic advisory: Accident on Rte. 95 south, exit 25

Drivers may encounter heavy traffic traveling through Providence this afternoon. There's a truck accident on Route 95 south near exit 25 and the right shoulder is closed, the state Transportation Management Center reported at 2:16 p.m.

That's the exit for Smithfield Avenue and North Main Street.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:40 PM | Comment

Women's organization settles rosaries-ovaries suit

The Women’s Studies Organization and Rhode Island College have settled after the organization filed suit against the school for taking down signs in 2005 that read “Keep your rosaries off our ovaries,” “Our bodies, our choice,” and “Brought to you by RIC Women’s Studies Organization.”

In a statement from the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, Jennifer Magaw, president of the organization, said she hopes the settlement will encourage other student groups to be more vocal.

“College is a place for the free exchange of ideas and I can now be proud to say I attend a school which allows the free speech rights that are essential to a learning community," she said.

Jane Fusco, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island College, said in a statement today that the school was pleased to have reached an agreement with the Organization.

“The issue was never about free speech or freedom of expression,” she said. “It was a matter of miscommunication of the campus sign policy that has now been clarified.”

The signs were posted in by the group as it got ready for activism the next day on issues such as reproductive health and the refusal of some pharmacists to sell contraceptives.

According to the suit, a Catholic priest saw the signs on his way to weekly Mass at the college president’s home. When he mentioned them, the suit said, President John Nazarian had campus police take them down.

Initially, the college asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, claiming that it was not a government institution and, therefore, had the right to restrict students’ speech.

That claim was quickly withdrawn at the request of state higher education officials.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:27 PM | Comment

Burrillville teachers, committee meeting today

Burrillville teachers are scheduled to meet with the school committee to work out the details of a contract both parties can agree to.

The union’s last proposal was partially based on its recent review of the district budget, union spokesman Patrick Crowley said.

The 203 teachers in the union called for a strike on the first day of school, Aug. 28. That held the first day of school until after Labor Day.

State law does not give teachers the right to strike, and the state Supreme Court has ruled strikes illegal. But the higher court also said the lower level judges cannot order the teachers to return to work without a hearing.

Teachers are scheduled to meet with the committee today and Oct. 5.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:03 PM | Comment

Phase 2 of Northwest Bike Trail opens Thursday

The second phase of the Northwest Bike Trail/ Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway is scheduled to open Thursday morning after ten years in the making.

The 3.6-mile bikeway runs from Valley Street, Providence, to Lyman Avenue, Johnston. Part of the path is on-road, but it 2.9 miles along the Woonasquatucket River is unpaved.

The path connects the 1.5 on-road route from Valley Street to Providence Place mall.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. at the start of the off-road section in Riverside Mills Park, off Aleppo Street, in Providence. Mayor David N. Cicilline, Department of Transportation Director Jerome F. Williams, Department of Environmental Management Executive Director W. Michael Sullivan and Jane Sherman, of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, will be there.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:56 PM | Comment

Fall River real estate agent shot in his office

FALL RIVER — A real estate agent shot at his longtime Fall River office last night was released from the hospital today, a Fall River Police Department spokesman said.

Antonio F. Alberto, 54, owner of Antonio Alberto Insurance and Real Estate Agency on Stafford Road, was going to meet clients shortly after 8 p.m. yesterday when the incident occurred.

When the police arrived, they found Alberto, a Somerset resident, had suffered a gunshot wound to the head area. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

The police said he was released this morning. Additional information was not released because the police department’s Major Crimes Division is still investigating. The police have not made any arrests.

-- Journal staff writer Alisha Pina

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:36 PM | Comment

Traffic alert: Route 195-95 merge is jammed up

The Traffic Management Center is doing emergency maintenance on Route 195 eastbound at Route 95.

The work should be cleared up by about 1 p.m.

For up to the minute traffic information, and to see views of the interstate from traffic cameras, visit the TMC Web site.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:34 PM | Comment

Besides R.I. cuts, Amgen plans California layoffs

WEST GREENWICH -- Rhode Island is not the only state suffering from Amgen's struggles.

In addition to laying off about 450 employees in West Greenwich, the pharmaceutical giant plans to dismiss about 600 staff members at its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Amgen is also laying another 350 employees at other U.S. facilities, part of an effort to reduce spending in response to a sharp drop in sales of Epogen and Aranesp, top-selling anemia drugs that have come under scrutiny after studies found that they may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack in some patients.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:26 PM | Comment

Governor willl announce grant for 'Physics First'

Rhode Island has gotten a $1-million federal grant for a science curriculum that stresses teaching physics to high schoolers, Governor Carcieri's office announced today.

It changes the order of subjects taught to physics in 9th grade, chemistry in 10th grade and biology in 11th grade. (Current curriculum teaches biology, followed by chemistry and physics -- an order of subjects the governor's office says dates to 1893).

The governor's office says at least six high schools are using the Physics First program: Portsmouth, Cranston West, Lincoln, Mount Pleasant, East Providence, and Woonsocket.

Governor Carcieri will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Portsmouth High School to announce the grant, from the National Science Foundation. Robert Tinker of the Concord Consortium, the grant's main author, will attend along with with Portsmouth High School principal Robert Littlefield, state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters, and Jeffrey Schoonover, Portsmouth Science Department chairman.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:44 AM | Comment

Record-breaking temperatures likely

If it starts to feel a bit tropical today, you have the Bermuda High to thank.

Charles Foley, at the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., says this type of weather pattern – with high pressure, clockwise winds – gets its tropical name because it’s so large that it extends from the east coast of the U.S., all the way to Bermuda.

Warm, dry weather is typical for the system, which carries mild, dry air from the southwest up to New England. But the system is not typical of late September; it usually shows up in July and August.

The record high temperature records for today and tomorrow are 89 degrees, set in 1920 and 1930, respectively.

“We stand a good chance of breaking both records today and tomorrow,” Foley said. But the heat should break late Thursday, he said, making way for a cold front and probably some rain.

We’ll see another high pressure system this weekend, Foley said, but with more seasonable temperatures and dry weather.

“For this time of the year,” he said, “you look for temperatures just about 70 or 71 degrees.”

Fall is set to arrive, it will just be a week late.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:36 AM | Comment

Lynch to talk about Lindsay Ann Burke law in NYC

Attorney General Patrick Lynch is in New York today with the parents of 23-year-old Lindsay Ann Burke, a North Kingstown woman who was killed by a former boyfriend, to speak at a domestic violence education initiative.

It’s Time To Talk Day, a creation of Liz Claiborne, Inc., has partnered with the Teen Dating Abuse Helpline to bring attention to violence in teen dating.

At a press conference scheduled for 11:30 today at Liz Claiborne’s headquarters on Broadway, Lynch – with Ann and Christopher Burke – will discuss the Lindsay Ann Burke Law. The law was passed in the General Assembly this year, and requires dating violence education in Rhode Island schools.

The attorney general also plans to interview live with talk show hosts to raise awareness about domestic violence.

On Sept. 14, 2005, 29-year-old Gerardo E. Martinez, of Warwick, murdered Lindsay Ann Burke. The two had dated for two years, but had broken up.

Martinez was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

“It’s a tribute to the work accomplished by Ann and Chris Burke,” Lynch said in a statement, “and very meaningful to me as well, that Liz Claiborne Inc. views the Lindsay Ann Burke Law as a national model in curbing dating violence.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:26 AM | Comment

R.I. students still trail in national reading, math test

Rhode Island students improved in most areas of a national reading and math test given to fourth and eighth graders, but lost ground in eighth grade reading scores, dropping two points since the test was last administered two years ago.

Once again, Rhode Island trailed the five other New England states in the tests, released at 10 a.m. this morning by the National Assessment of Educational Progress and commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card.

As the only national reading and math tests administered to groups of diverse students in all 50 states, the rigorous test is considered a gold standard by many educators and policy makers. Nationally, more than 702,000 students took the tests last spring.

About 3,200 Rhode Island fourth graders took the reading and math tests, as did about 2,600 eighth graders, and the students came from virtually every district, said state education officials.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan

In reading, 31 percent of fourth graders tested in Rhode Island were proficient, an increase of one percent from 2005, but just 27 percent of eighth graders were proficient, down from 29 percent two years ago.

Part of the problem is that Rhode Island provides more reading support for younger children, but once a student reaches the fifth grade, there is less intensive reading help, said Mary Ann Snider, director of assessment and accountability for the Rhode Island Department of Education.

“We need to provide much more professional development to teachers in grades five through eight in reading,” Snider said. “That’s the next work for us as a state.”

Rhode Island students showed gains in math, with 34 percent of 4th graders reaching proficiency – a 3 percent increase from 2005, and 28 percent of eighth graders were proficient, up from 23 percent two years ago. State officials credit math specialists and an increased focus on math and science skills as contributing to the increase.

Nevertheless, Rhode Island continues to trail its neighbors and the national average in most areas. Massachusetts is the highest scoring state in the country, with about half its students proficient in math and reading.

The Nation’s Report Card uses four categories to assess student performance: below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. Rhode Island’s yearly statewide tests for grades 3-8 and 11 use similar categories, but the standard the state uses to determine proficiency lies between basic and proficient for the Nation’s Report Card, Snider said.

“Their proficiency standard NAEP uses is acknowledged to be at a very, very high standard,” Snider said. “Our purpose for proficiency is determining if a student has learned the prior year’s materials and is prepared to be instructed at the next grade level with minimal support.”

When basic, proficient and advanced categories are combined, 65 percent of Rhode fourth graders scored at or above basic, as did 69 percent of eighth graders. In math, 80 percent of fourth graders scored at or above basic, as did 65 percent of eighth graders.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:30 AM | Comment

12-year-old injured in hit-and-run now in fair condition

The 12-year old boy who was critically injured during a hit-and-run accident on Sept. 9th in Providence is now in fair condition at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, according to a spokeswoman.

Eric Jimenez was hurt when, the police say, 26-year-old Dennis Cherry veered off the road, striking Eric and his 8-year-old brother Ivan, who died of his injuries.

Cherry, who turned himself in, is scheduled to be in District Court, Providence, today for a violation hearing on a misdemeanor weapons charge. He is tentatively scheduled to face two charges of leaving the scene of an accident with death or injury resulting – a felony – in early November.

Eric Jimenez was in critical condition for about one and a half weeks after the accident. Although the hospital cannot give out information about his specific condition, Fair is described by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as “Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.”

People who want to donate to the Ivan Jimenez Memorial Fund can make a check out to the fund and indicate that it is intended for account number 91853493 at Citizens Bank. Checks may be dropped off at any Citizens branch office in Rhode Island or Massachusetts or mailed to 333 West River Ave., Providence, 02909.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:04 AM | Comment

DAs want answers from Patrick on casino plans

BOSTON -- The state's district attorneys want to question Gov. Deval Patrick about his casino proposal, saying they'll consider publicly opposing the legislation unless the governor satisfies their concerns about crime.

Along with the tax revenue, resort casinos like the three that Patrick wants to license in Massachusetts will bring increases in property crimes, child neglect, and possibly prostitution and organized crime, said Jonathan Blodgett, Essex district attorney and president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:44 AM | Comment

Traffic Alert: Lane re-opened on 195 East

The Transportation Management Center says the center lane on Interstate 195 eastbound near the Wickenden Street exit has been reopened.

The land was closed for emergency maintenance this morning.

For traffic updates and live views of the roads, check out the TMC Web site.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:13 AM | Comment

Providence mayor wants input on neighborhoods

The mayor is asking the public to join an open discussion about neighborhood development in Providence’s Mount Hope, Hope and Blackstone neighborhoods.

The forum begins this morning and runs through Thursday.

“Feedback from residents and business owners at these neighborhood planning workshops is critical to our efforts to shape the future of our neighborhoods,” Mayor David N. Cicilline said in a statement.

This will be the second in a series of similar forums. The first was held earlier this year in Washington Park.

Participants, who will also include Councilmen Cliff Wood and Kevin Jackson, will discuss the character, affordability, safety, and infrastructure of the neighborhoods. Opening up the neighborhoods to each other and creating open space will also be on the agenda.

The workshop schedules are as follows:

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:54 AM | Comment

R.I. senators tout legislation to help coast, marine life

Legislation that Rhode Island's two U.S. senators say will help restore the state's coastal and marine ecosystems has won congressional approval.

The Estuary Restoration Act (ERA) passed as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes nearly $21 billion for flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, Democrats, said in a news release.

“We have seen what unchecked development combined with more severe storms can do to vital coastal regions,” Whitehouse said in the statement. “Restoring estuarine and coastal ecosystems is one important way we can preserve our environment and our communities."

Reed said: “I am pleased that Congress has taken this important step to help restore the Ocean State’s waterways. Narragansett Bay is one of the many estuaries that play a crucial role in protecting our environment and bolstering the economy."

Narragansett Bay and other estuaries help the coastal environments by serving as barriers that insulate fragile coast from flood waters. Estuary restoration helps local economies, supporting recreational activities and preserving unique coastal cultures, according to the news release.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:02 AM | Comment

A beach day? But isn't it fall?

There may be some beach days left yet. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 87 degrees today with clear, sunny skies and an overnight low in the 60s.

And tomorrow may be just plain hot, with a high of about 90 degrees and sun all day long.

Believe it or not, the first day of fall was Sunday.

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 story about Amgen's plans to lay off 450 workers from its West Greenwich plant.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

Whitehouse to focus on healthcare in D.C. today

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is scheduled to address a healthcare forum this morning in Washington D.C.

The theme of this year’s Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 5th Annual Public Policy Forum is the potential long-term benefits of information technology to the healthcare industry.

HIMSS, a not-for-profit company that works to help integrate information technology and management systems into the healthcare industry.

The forum, at the National Press Club, is set to start at 9:30 a.m.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:59 AM | Comment