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« October 2007 | Today | December 2007 » November 30, 2007Tonight: Memory House opens at Trinity Rep.Opening tonight at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence is a production of Memory House. The play starts at 8 p.m. It is a pay-what-you-can night before regular prices kick in. The tickets tonight go on sale at 7 p.m. A blurb on the Trinity Rep. Web site describes it this way: "Maggie’s always tried to do the right things. But her dance career has been replaced by the grind of office-work, her ex-husband has found a younger model, and now her 18-year-old daughter Katia is questioning everything as her college application deadline looms -- especially her adoption from Russia." Read a preview of the show from Journal arts writer Channing Gray. The play runs through Jan. 6. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment FCC OKs TV stations' sale to investors group with R.I. tiesWASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $1.3 billion sale of 35 television stations owned by Clear Channel Communication Inc. to Newport Television LLC, a private equity group, subject to certain conditions. Newport is an investment group controlled by Rhode Island-based Providence Equity Partners. The sale will result in a violation of FCC ownership rules in nine markets and will require the divestiture of several stations. The agency announced the decision Thursday night. The sale was conducted within the context of a much larger plan that will take Clear Channel private. The San Antonio, Texas-based company is the nation’s largest operator of radio stations. Last month, shareholders approved the $19.5 billion sale of the company to a private equity group led by Thomas H. Lee Partners LP and Bain Capital Partners LLC for $39.20 per share. The sale of the 35 television stations will mean the new owner will be out of compliance with FCC rules that limit the number of stations one company may own in a single market. The market areas include Bakersfield, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Fresno and Monterey in California; Salt Lake City; Albany, New York; Jacksonville, Fla., and San Antonio, Texas. The companies asked the FCC for waivers to operate the stations for six months until it comes into compliance with the rules. The FCC granted waivers in eight of the nine markets, denying the request for Albany. Providence also owns a stake in Spanish language network Univision Communications Inc. and Freedom Communications Holdings Inc. and is in violation of the newspaper-broadcast station cross-ownership rule in five markets. Providence has said it would divest properties in those markets but has yet to do so, blaming “volatile conditions” in the credit markets. As part of its reasoning for granting the waivers, the agency in its decision noted the larger sale, which will result in Clear Channel spinning off a number of radio stations. -- The Associated Press When Clear Channel announced the buyout in November 2006, it said it would sell 448 of its 1,150 radio stations, all located in smaller markets, in deals separate from the larger transaction. Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps, an outspoken opponent of the consolidation of ownership in the media, filed the lone dissent to the transaction. “No one should be under any illusion that Clear Channel’s sale of its 35 full-power stations strikes a blow for de-consolidation,” he wrote. After the deal closes, Providence will have “attributable interests in a whopping 86 television stations and 99 radio stations in the United States” among other media properties, he added. Copps questioned the recent trend of public media companies being taken private, and asked whether the FCC has enough information about the ownership and control of such groups to determine whether such transactions are in the public interest.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Pop Warner team gets money to play in championshipPROVIDENCE -- The Mount Hope Cowboys Pop Warner football team has gotten the financial help it needs to get to the national Pop Warner championship in Florida, Mayor David N. Cicilline and City Councilman Kevin Jackson announced today. Cicilline and Jackson said they raised $12,000 to send the team -- Northeast champions -- to the national tournament in Orlando. The release says the team enlisted the mayor's help to lead the money-raising effort. A boost came from "a major contribution" from the New England Patriots, which Cicilline's office said responded to the mayor's request. Players ages 11 to 13 play on the Mount Hope football team. They won the regional title on Sunday over the Millbury-Sutton Raiders of Massachusetts. They previously defeated teams from New Hampshire and Connecticut. “I am incredibly proud of the Mount Hope Cowboys and I wanted to make sure that limited resources did not prevent the team from competing in the national championships,” Cicilline said in the statement. “I want to thank these generous organizations for answering the call. Their quick show of support speaks volumes about the spirit of community among businesses and other organizations in Providence.” Along with the Patriots' contribution, "gifts" came from the city Department of Recreation, the Vincent Brown Recreation Center Support Fund, Ocean State Job Lot, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sodexho, Aramark, and Walgreens, which will also provide travel bags to the players. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment In W. Greenwich, it's lights, cameras and family barnWEST GREENWICH -- A local movie crew is expected to wrap up filming in West Greenwich of “Tanner Hall,” an independent film created by two Brown University graduates Tatiana von Fustenberg and Francesca Gregorini. Filming began on Tuesday at Mishnock Barn, adjacent to Lake Mishnock near the Coventry line, town officials confirmed. Danny Albro, whose family owns the barn and some of the land around the lake, leased the grounds for the film’s parking lot and club scenes, he said. Albro said the intent was to make the area look like a fall festival. The crew has been going around shooting in various locations around the state. According to town officials, the entire area is set up like a carnival, complete with a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a cotton-candy machine, and other arcade-style equipment and games. The area is zoned commercial and film crews don’t need local permits to go on the land. Albro said the intent was to make the area look like a fall festival. The crew has been going around shooting in various locations around the state. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Photo: He wants Christmas in Cranston display
-- With reports from Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:15 PM | Comment R.I. Guardsmen head to Fort Benning, then IraqSix Rhode Island Army National Guard members will leave for Fort Benning, Ga., tomorrow ahead of deployment to Iraq. The six members are from Company D, 126th Theater Aviation, and will take their C-23 Sherpa transport aircraft to Iraq for the unit's second deployment since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The unit's headquarters is Quonset National Guard Base. The unit was last in Iraq from December 2005 to November 2006. The unit won recognition as the Army’s Fixed Wing Unit of the Year in 2006. Most members being deployed were deployed with the unit in 2005-2006. A departure ceremony is tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Hangar 2, 104 Airport St., North Kingstown. The public is invited. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:35 PM | Comment Two Mass. men arrested on crack cocaine chargesTwo Massachusetts men were arrested on crack cocaine charges last night after a motor vehicle stop on Route 95 in Richmond. Paul A. Pitts, 39, of 204 Sycamore St., Holbrook, and John F. Burke Jr., 38, of 62 Constitution Ave., Abington, were each charged with possession of crash cocaine, a state police news release said today. Pitts was also charged with driving under the influence-narcotics, refusal to submit to a chemical test-blood, and driving while in possession of a controlled substance. The men, who were arrested at 8:50 p.m., were held at the state police Hope Valley barracks pending District Court arraignment, the police said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:21 PM | Comment Narragansetts' Brown protests Treaty Rock Farm dealLITTLE COMPTON -- Not everyone was happy with the recent deal to protect Treaty Rock Farm. John Brown, historic preservation officer for the Narragansett Indian tribe, attended today’s news conference announcing the deal and declared the land arrangement “illegal, suspicious and sneaky.” He said usually when federal funds are used to purchase development rights for land that has Native American history, the associating tribe is contacted. Brown said the Narragansett tribe should have been consulted on this venture and wasn’t. “We have a serious problem here,” he said. “What they’ve done they cannot do.” The tribe member said three federal acts require tribes to be notified when such deals are made. His tribe wasn’t aware of the pact, however, until a National Conservation Resource Service official called them this morning. Brown said he immediately called U.S. Sen. Jack Reed -- who was supposed to appear at today’s affair, but had a last-minute change of plans -- and didn’t get a response. He believes Reed didn’t come primarily because of Narragansetts’ complaints. The tribe is asking the federal funds be withdrawn and suspend the deal until the tribe is included, Brown said. He said there isn’t any way for those involved to fully know what is sacred, historical and important to the tribe without their input. -- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina At the news conference he confronted representatives of the conservation agencies and state officials, including Michael Sullivan, director of the state Department of Environmental Management. “There is tribal history on this farm, it’s called Treaty Rock Farm for a reason,” Brown said to those within earshot. Pointing toward Sullivan, he continued, “This gentleman told me it’s a done deal and it’s not a done deal without me. I am the tribe in these matters. With this [alleged illegal deal], I wonder what else the tribe is being left out of.” “For us not to know about this is unheard-of.” Few commented publicly on Brown’s concerns. John Berg, of The Nature Conservancy, said he has questions about Brown’s objections, especially because the tribe historically connected to Little Compton is the Wampanoag tribe and not the Narragansett tribe. Published town history says Little Compton originally belonged to the Wampanoag tribe, who were led by Awashonks, the sister of Metacom (commonly known as King Philip). They called the area Sakonnet. Treaty Rock Farm is the site on which she signed a 1676 peace pact with colonist Benjamin Church. “Our goal was to protect the place for everyone,” Berg said. “That’s what we did.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:13 PM | Comment OSHA may fine Smithfield contractor $116,200The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is proposing $116,200 in fines against a Smithfield contractor -- with a history of violations -- for failing to provide cave-in protection for employees at three Rhode Island job sites. OSHA said in a news release it has cited John Rocchio Corp. for alleged "willful and serious violations of safety standards" after inspecting East Greenwich and North Kingstown work sites. "On all three occasions, the company was reminded of its responsibility to provide cave-in protection, yet we repeatedly found employees working in imminent danger situations," Patrick Griffin, OSHA area director in Providence, said in the statement. "Equally disturbing is the fact that we have cited this employer six times in the past 10 years for this same type of hazard, and this behavior has not changed." The company has 15 days from receipt of its citations to ask for and participate in an informal cofnerencw with OSHA or to contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. All digs of 5 feet or deeper must be guarded because walls in such excavations can collapse suddenly, "burying employees beneath tons of soil and debris before they have a chance to react or escape," OSHA said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney For the lack of cave protection, OSHA said it gave two "willful citations" and one "serious citation," which carry a total of $109,200 in proposed fines. OSHA said it also issued three serious citations, with $7,000 in fines, for there being more than 2 feet of a trench's sidewall explosed below the trench box; letting an empoyee in a dig to work without a hardhat; and "not properly shoring a telephone pole adjacent to an excavation." OSHA said a willful violation is committed with "plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.' A serious citation is given when a death or serious physical harm is likely to result "from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known." Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:43 PM | Comment Alert: 2 Clinton volunteers held hostage in N.H.ROCHESTER, N.H. - A man claiming to have a bomb was holding one or more hostages at Hillary Clinton's campaign office today, police said. The man had what appeared to be a bomb strapped to himself, said Bill Shaheen, a top state campaign official. The two hostages were volunteers, Shaheen said. "We are in close contact with state and local authorities and are acting at their direction," Clinton said in a statement. "We will release additional details as appropriate." The man ordered the hostages onto the floor and then released a mother and her baby, said State Police Maj. Michael Hambrook. Two campaign volunteers were still being held, said Bill Shaheen, a top state campaign official. Witness Lettie Tzizik told television station WMUR of Manchester that she spoke to the woman shortly after she was released and that she was crying, holding the infant. "She said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape," Tzizik said. Clinton was scheduled to give an address at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Vienna, Va., Friday afternoon, but DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced from the podium that Clinton would not speak. Get the latest from the Associated Press ...
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:04 PM | Comment Status of state worker layoffs' today unclearPROVIDENCE – Today is supposed to be D-Day for the dozens of state employees who received layoffs notices two weeks ago. By mid-day today, however, it remained unclear how many were, in fact, packing up to leave and how many had initiated a months-long process that would allow them to “bump’’ into a job held by another less senior employee. No immediate answers were available this morning on the status of Governor Carcieri’s vow to eliminate 1,000-plus jobs to save $100 million to help stave off a projected deficit of up to $450 million during the year that begins on July 1. And the numbers on how many people had received layoff notices dropped slightly from where they were at last report by the administration. But Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said as of today 154 layoff notices have gone out; another 330 state workers have been notified their jobs may be abolished or “privatized’’ in the future. In addition, the administration says it has put 168 temporary workers – also known as contract employees – on notice that, in the event they are still here, their jobs will end on June 30. Rounding out the administration’s count are reported plans to leave vacant the jobs of a presumed 487 state employees who leave voluntarily by June 30. If all of those assumptions pan out, the state will have eliminated 1,139 of the 15,000-plus state employees and 660 contractors who, at last report, were working for state government. -- Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg Neal confirmed the administration has offered state employees whose positions are being eliminated “the opportunity to remain in state service until the end of the current fiscal year if they agree to retire by June 30.
At this point, Neal said, “we currently expect that the majority of state employees with statutory status will bump into filled positions. As a result, while that employee may still be employed by the state at the end of this process, another currently unidentified employee will not.’’ In the end, he said, the administration expects the process "will result in savings.'' Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:44 PM | Comment World AIDS Day: Fundraising dance, dinnerFeel like dancing? Well then you’re in luck. Youth United for Global Action (YUGA) is hosting a 5-hour dance-a-thon tomorrow, World AIDS Day. The event, sponsored by Plan USA, will raise money for the group’s HIV/AIDS program in Uganda. Dancers need to register, but anyone can come and sponsor a dancer, make a donation or just pay the $10 cover. According to YUGA, 100 percent of donations will be used to help fund secondary education, AIDS-related workshops, vocational training and other support programs for young people affected by AIDS. The dance-a-thon is at the Loom Studio, 69 Eagle St, Providence. It starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight – so wear comfortable shoes. The fundraising begins tonight, though, at a sold-out dinner sponsored by AIDS Project RI where the Red Ribbon Community Service Awards will be presented. Honorees include David Abbott, Dr. Anne DeGroot, Sen. Rhoda Perry and Rep. Thomas Slater, among others. There will also be a silent auction and a performance by the Providence Gay Men's Chorus. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:30 PM | Comment Farmers' market moves inside as winter's bite arrivesWith winter air pretty much upon us, an every-Saturday indoor farmer’s market kicks off tomorrow from noon to 3 p.m. at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. At farmfresh.org, it says the Providence Wintertime Farmers Market promises winter-long "lettuces, arugula, bok choi, kale, collards, cabbage, chard, apples, cider, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, radishes, chilis, fresh herbs, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter squash, oysters, beef, pork, Narragansett Creamery cheese, eggs, honey, maple syrup." This month, too, there will be wreaths, trees, cauliflower, and broccoli. Come March, there will be maple syrup. Good timing. The high temperature in the area tomorrow is forecast to be 31 degrees. The low: 12 degrees. But it will be a clear day, though that's, um, cold comfort. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:47 PM | Comment Appeals court to hear Urciuoli, Driscoll argumentsOral arguments are scheduled for Monday in the First Circuit Court of Appeals, Boston, in the case of two former top Roger Williams Medical Center officials convicted of paying a state senator to carry out the hospital's agenda at the State House. Robert Urciuoli, who was medical center president, and Frances P. Driscoll, who was a senior vice president, were convicted in October 2006. They're both arguing that instructions U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres gave to jurors before deliberations prejudiced the case. Former state Sen. John A. Celona, a North Providence Democrat, was hired to a supposed job at an assisted living center and nursing home linked to the medical center. Prosecutors alleged that Celona's $700 to $1,000 weekly salary was payment to stop legislation that ran against the hospital's interests. Arguments will be heard at about 10:15 a.m. In September, prosecutors told the appeals court that the trial judge gave correct jury instructions. Federal prosecutors have been conducting a broad probe of alleged State House corruption. Most recently, Gerard M. Martineau, the former house majority leader, pleaded guilty to two felony charges. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Calif. man gets 5 1/2 years in bank-card scamA California man faces deportation after agreeing to plead guilty to taking part in a scheme to steal bank-card information from supermarket customers in Rhode Island. Arutyun Shatarevyan, 21, of Los Angeles, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 66 months in prison for his role in the scheme earlier this year that siphoned $132,000 from the accounts of Stop & Shop customers in Rhode Island. He will have to serve at least 85 percent of that sentence, or roughly 56 months, before he’s eligible for release, according to his lawyer Alex R. Kessel. The chance that Shatarevyan will be deported is “very high,” Kessel said, after a hearing this morning in U.S. District Court. Shatarevyan emigrated from Armenia to the U.S. as a boy. In sentencing Shatarevyan, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith noted the Californian “didn’t appear to be the ringleader of the operation,” which played out at Stop & Shop supermarkets in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Shatavyan and three other Californians were arrested by state and Coventry police Feb. 26 at the Stop & Shop on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry where, federal and state authorities said, the four had gone to retrieve a checkout lane PIN pad rigged to capture shoppers' financial-account information. Videotape evidence linked the men to 1,100 account thefts at Stop & Shops in Providence, Cranston and Coventry, and ultimately, to ATM withdrawals made in California, according to federal officials. The men removed or tried to remove original PIN pads from at least six stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The men were living in California before they flew to Rhode Island in early February. Two of the men, Arman Ter-Esayan, and Gevork Baltadjian, have already been sentenced in the case. Ter-Esayan, 22, of Valley Glen, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and aggravated identity theft. Baltadjian, 20, of Winnetka, was sentenced to 61 months in prison for playing a "minor" role in the scheme that siphoned $132,000 from the accounts of Stop & Shop customers in Rhode Island. Sentencing for Mikael Stepanian, 28, of Studio City, is set for Dec. 6. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Jack Perry at 12:05 PM | Comment Craftland show: Where function meets fantasyPROVIDENCE -- Feeling crafty? Even if you’re not up to the task of sewing, gluing, screen printing or welding, you can still send out homemade holiday cards and stock your closet with crocheted goods. Crafts galore can be found at Craftland, which kicks off this evening with an opening party and a chance to score some free goodies if you get there early. The 6th annual craft fair will feature doo-dads, tchochkes and nick-knacks from more than 150 artists in Rhode Island and beyond. Practical and whimsical, the fair is self-described as a place “Where Function Meets Fantasy.” The window at 235 Westminster St. is already offering a glimpse not only into what crafts will be available, but the ethos behind them. A dedication to the former Lupo’s nightclub, which used to occupy the space and featured murals of dead rock stars, adorns the wall. The current window display references the spirit with paintings and photographs different music icons, including Wendy O. Williams of Plasmatics fame and Lee Hazlewood – country and pop-music songwriter-musician-singer. See what DIY artists of a different type can do at Craftland, today through Dec. 22, Wed. – Sun., 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Th. and Sat., 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Can't wait or can't make it? Visit projo.com's new Holidays blog, where projo.com staffer Donna McGarry, an avid crafter, will be offerings tips on decorating for the holidays and more. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:57 AM | Comment Former Mass. selectman sentenced to five yearsA former Massachusetts selectman who attempted to lure a 15-year-old girl over the Internet to meet for sex was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to serve 5 years in federal prison. William Christensen, 61, of Southborough, Mass., pleaded guilty in August to using the internet to entice a minor for sex and interstate travel for sexual conduct with a minor. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly said if there had been a trial, prosecutors would have proved that in May 2006 a parent told Rhode Island state police that she had seen inappropriate sexual overtures in an online chat room. A detective posed as a 15-year-old girl and, prosecutors said, became involved in conversations with Christensen, who arranged a meeting for sex at an East Providence apartment complex. When Christensen, a former Southborough selectman, arrived at the complex, he was arrested by state police detectives. He was ordered to report to prison on Dec. 28; until then, Christensen in on home confinement. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:27 AM | Comment Ex-C. Falls councilman faces new sex abuse chargesA former Central Falls councilman who was arrested when the police found him partially dressed with a 15-year-old boy in his back seat faces new charges of sexual abuse brought yesterday by the state police. Capt. Stephen Lynch said Luis Gil, 45, turned himself in to the state police yesterday at 11 a.m. and was arraigned on three additional charges of sexual assault involving the same 15-year-old boy whom Gil was found with on Nov. 12. Gil was arrested and charged with one count of third degree sexual assault after Providence police found him and a 15-year-old boy both partially dressed, parked in Gil's car near the Henderson Bridge , both partially dressed. During the investigation that followed the arrest, Lynch said the Providence police learned Gil had sexually abused the 15-year-old at the former rectory of the Notre Dame Church, now privately owned, and in Lincoln Woods. The latest charges stem from those allegations. Police say in August 2007, Gil propositioned the 15-year-old while the teenager was waiting for a bus. The boy refused and, according to police, when he got on the bus, Gil followed him. When the 15-year got off the bus, according to Lynch, Gil propositioned him again and the two went to to Lincoln Woods. Gil was arraigned in District Court, Providence, and released on $10,000 personal recognizance in front of Judge Michael Higgins. He is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 15. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:47 AM | Comment Symposium to address 'valuable menhaden fishery'Wildlife in Providence, it’s not an everyday sight. But last month, thousands of fish found their way into the Providence River, slowly swimming in front of the Rhode Island School of Design and some making their way to Waterplace Park. The surge of fish, adult menhaden, was unexpected. But their appearance came as recreational and commercial fishermen have been at odds over who is catching them and if they are being over fished. To address some of the issues surrounding the allocation of menhaden, the Rhode Island Sea Grant and the state Department of Environmental Management are hosting a daylong “Menhaden Science and Policy Symposium” today. Biology, feeding practices, stock assessment and other scientific information about the fish are on the agenda of the symposium, which will include panels hosted by state legislators, commercial and recreational fisheries, Save the Bay and other stakeholders. The event starts at 8 a.m. at the Village Inn on Beach Street in Narragansett. “Menhaden are an important contributor to the health of Narragansett Bay and the ecosystem, as well as the economy,” DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “This symposium presents a forum for scientists, policy makers and stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues and share information concerning this valuable fishery.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:15 AM | Comment Historic spot in Little Compton to remain working farmLITTLE COMPTON -- Preservation groups and state and federal agencies have contributed $3.6 million to protect a historic farm in Little Compton. Treaty Rock Farm will remain a working farm. The coastal farm has been in continuous agricultural use since colonial times and was the site where a Sakonnet sachem and a colonist became allies during King Philip's War. The three sisters who own the farm will retain private ownership of it. The women sell beef locally through a program called RI Beef Co-Op, and that will continue. The conservation of the land will be announced at a news conference today with Senator Jack Reed among the officials expected in attendance. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny, but windy and chillyIt's going to be sunny, but don't let that fool you. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 43 with gusty west winds as high as 22 mph. The temperature should drop to 25 overnight. The winds should keep up, gusting as high as 28 mph. Saturday's looking even colder, with a high temperature near 32 and more wind from the northwest, gusting as high as 34 mph. Saturday night the clouds and the cold make comeback with a low temperature of just 13 degrees and mild northwest winds. Now for the big news: A 40 percent chance of snow Sunday afternoon, when the temperature should just break through the 30s. Sunday night the precipitation continues, but whether it's rain, sleet or snow, we'll just have to wait and see. The temperature will hit the high 20s. Rain should welcome us back to the work week Monday. Again, it could turn to sleet or snow in the afternoon. The temperature should reach the mid-to-high 30s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story on the big question in Warren. Who won the $151-million Powerball jackpot? Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 29, 2007Tonight: Rock, R & B, in Providence clubsThere's plenty to hear in Providence clubs tonight. Andrew Bird plays rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 7 p.m. $20 advance; $24 day of show; $25 reserved. Mark Cutler and Friends play rock at Nick-A-Nees, 75 South St., Providence. Call 861-7290. 9 p.m. East Side Horns and Mac Odom and Chill play rhythm and blues and Motown at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500, www.thehihat.com. 8 p.m. to midnight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment At least 2,500 in Cumberland get mistaken tax lettersCUMBERLAND -- At least 2,500 taxpayers received letters from banks and mortgage firms incorrectly stating that their property taxes were past due. Town Finance Director Thomas Bruce III said today that the mistake was caused by First American Corporation, which accessed town records earlier this month and incorrectly reported real estate tax account information to its banking and mortgage firm clients. Those financial institutions, in turn, issued delinquent notices based on the incorrect information. The Santa Ana, Calif.-based firm issued an apology to residents this week. Meanwhile, the town is limiting the company’s access to its records, according to Bruce. Many residents received the delinquent letters the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Carrie Gaska, a spokeswoman for First American, said that the less than 325 delinquent payment notices were sent out by area financial institutions as a result of the flawed data; Bruce says the town estimates that between 2,500 and 5,000 residents were sent the notices. The town was not aware of the problem until Monday, when some residents came to Town Hall demanding an explanation, said Bruce. Town officials met with the company’s regional representatives, who are based in Worcester, Mass., this morning. “Taxes are a very emotional thing. We had some elderly residents come in who were very upset. This ruined their holiday weekend,” he said. “People work hard to pay their taxes on time, and I think Cumberland taxpayers in general respect due dates.” First American Corporation is one of the largest business information firms in the nation with approximately 2,100 offices and $8.5 billion in revenue last year, according to its Web site. Most years, First American collects real estate tax payments from financial companies and delivers them to the town in one lump sum in May, said Bruce. This year was the first year that the company also assisted area clients with gathering information for late payment notices. It began gathering information from the town via the town Web site sometime around Nov. 12, said Bruce. But the software that the company designed was flawed, classifying residents who had not paid their taxes for the third and fourth quarters of the year (Nov. 30 and Feb. 28, respectively) as delinquent, according to Bruce. Gaska confirmed that a code in the program used by the company’s tax service branch was omitted, causing the error. “The result was that some [taxpayers] appeared delinquent when in fact they had paid,” said Gaska. The town was not informed that First American would be accessing the town information this month, said Bruce. In the future, First American will need to get written approval from the town Finance Department before it can access town records on a quarterly basis for the purpose of issuing delinquent notices, according to Bruce. The company will still be able to access town information and transfer tax revenue to the town from financial institutions once a year in May, he said. “At the moment we do not trust the company’s controls and therefore the town reserves the right to take control of the release of the information that is needed for” banks to send out delinquent notices, he said. Bruce stressed that the late payment notices were sent out by the banks and mortgage companies, and not the town. Gaska says that no other city or town in the state was affected by the flawed program. Home owners who need further assistance can call the Town of Cumberland’s Office of Tax Collections at (401) 728-2400 or First American at (800) 452-3787. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment Photo: Up on the housetop
Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 5:36 PM | Comment Update: No claim on $151.9-million winning ticket yetNo one has yet claimed the $151.9-million Powerball jackpot, the ticket for which was sold in Warren at Warren Mart on Child Street. The person who got the ticket played Quick Pick. A person this afternoon did claim a $10,000 prize at Rhode Island Lottery headquarters in Cranston. Besides the big jackpot, still outstanding are a $200,000 prize and a $10,000 prize purchased in Rhode Island as well. The winning combination was: 8 -- 23 -- 32 --37-- 39 Powerball: 38. The winner has 60 days from the validation date to make the difficult decision: annuity or cash payment. Choose annuity, and the winner gets $151.9 million in 30 yearly installments of a little more than $3.44 million after taxes. Chose the cash and the winner gets a lump sum of about $51.1 million after taxes. And that’s not the only choice: When to go public? What to buy? Which long-lost relatives get your new phone number? If you do happen to be the lucky winner, or are planning to win in the future -- aren’t we all? -- check out the FAQ section on the Powerball’s Web site. If your question isn’t answered on the Web site, send an email. It will be answered by someone who, apparently, is quite the comedian. Before today, the largest prize was $93.5 million in 2001 which went to Michael Goulden, of Pawtucket. And of course, the taxpayers of Rhode Island are supposed to get something too. If the big winner chooses annuity, the state gets profits from the taxes totaling about $354,000 over 29 years. If the winner goes for the cash option, the sate would receive a lump sum tax payment of about $5.26 million. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Cape Cod woman, son, sue tabloid over Kennedy storiesBOSTON, Mass. -- A Cape Cod woman and her son have sued The National Enquirer, claiming the supermarket tabloid fabricated stories that said she gave birth to a child fathered by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy. The defamation suit filed in federal court in Boston on Tuesday claims two articles that appeared in the tabloid in early 2006 contained "false and sensationalized reporting and outright fabrications." The articles claimed Caroline Bilodeau-Allen of Sandwich gave birth to a child fathered by Kennedy more than two decades ago, and the Democrat gave her money and other gifts to keep the incident a secret. The lawsuit claims Bilodeau-Allen and her son, Christopher Allen, were "emotionally devastated" by the articles and sought mental health counseling as a result. Bilodeau-Allen suffered severe weight loss and Allen, a 22-year-old college student, "was subjected to ridicule and scorn among his peer group." "These articles negatively affected every aspect of their being," said David H. Rich, a lawyer for mother and son. Rich would not comment on whether Bilodeau-Allen and Kennedy knew each other. The National Enquirer said in a statement that it had no reason to doubt the source of the information and that the plaintiffs declined several opportunities to deny the initial story prior to publication. "We intend to vigorously defend the lawsuit and have every confidence that we will prevail at trial," the statement said. Kennedy's office did not immediately return a message for comment. The lawsuit also named the tabloid's parent company, American Media Inc., which operates in Boca Raton, Fla., and reporters Alan Butterfield and Richard Moriarty as defendants. It seeks unspecified monetary damages. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:07 PM | Comment Ballard's Inn to pay $250,000 in wages, penaltiesNEW SHOREHAM -- A popular Block Island restaurant, accused of paying employees below the federal minimum wage and failing to compensate them for overtime, will pay $250,000 in back wages and penalties. In a written statement, the U.S. Department of Labor says Shoreham Inc., the parent company of Ballard's Inn, and its president must pay 154 employees about $207,000 in back wages. The restaurant admits no liability under the agreement, but it will pay a $42,000 civil penalty. Earlier this year, labor officials sued the restaurant for paying workers less than the federal minimum wage and forcing them to work overtime without adequate pay. According to the lawsuit, the restaurant also violated federal child labor laws. Officials at Ballard's Inn did not immediately return a call seeking comment. They have denied the allegations. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:49 PM | Comment AG asks Supreme Court to overturn smoke-shop rulingThe state attorney general is seeking for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that upheld a jury’s finding that a state trooper used excessive force when he twisted a Narragansett tribal member’s ankle during the 2003 smoke-shop raid. The state has filed an appeal with the high court, asking for a review of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision. If the ruling is allowed to stand, the state argues, it will have a chilling effect on police officers trying to arrest suspects who resist while claiming they are being hurt. “If we win in Supreme Court, this is over,” said Jim Lee, chief of the attorney general’s civil division. “If we win on the motions for a new trial, we have to try it again.” The case stems from a state police raid on a Narragansett smoke shop in Charlestown on July 14, 2003. Governor Carcieri ordered the police to execute the search warrant on the roadside store after the tribe began illegally selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes. The raid disintegrated into a violent confrontation and eight tribal members were arrested, including Adam Jennings whose ankle was broken during his arrest for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Jennings, his mother and another shop worker filed suit, alleging the state police violated their civil rights. A U.S. District Court jury concluded after a five-day civil trial in Providence that Trooper Kenneth Jones used excessive force and battery when he twisted Adam Jennings' ankle while placing him under arrest during the raid. The 10 jurors ruled in favor of two other troopers while awarding Jennings $301,000 in damages. Trial Judge Ernest C. Torres overturned that verdict, finding that Jones was protected by qualified immunity, which shields officers from liability when they act reasonably in doing their jobs. The judge concluded that though the public has a strong interest in ensuring that police do not abuse their authority, it has an equal interest in seeing that officers are not deterred from performing their duties for fear of liability. Jennings appealed to the 1st Circuit. A three-judge panel reinstated the jury’s verdict in March. That decision was affirmed by the full court in August, when it declined to review the case but sent it back to Torres in U.S. District Court to consider motions for a new trial. The state has opted to, instead, seek the high court’s review. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Lee repeated the state’s contention that Jones acted within the line of duty. “We think Trooper Jones’s action were appropriate under the circumstances,” he said. “Mr. Jennings was resisting arrest and Trooper Jones was using an appropriate hold to get him under control.” Jennings is among seven Narragansetts, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, awaiting trial in Providence County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges related to the raid Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:35 PM | Comment Hopkinton man gets 8 years in prison for molesting boySOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A Hopkinton man was sentenced today to eight years in prison after admitting he molested a boy during a 1998 camping trip. Domenic Marchetti, 30, pleaded guilty Nov. 23 to two counts of first-degree child molestation in a plea deal reached with state prosecutors. Six other child molestation charges were dismissed. Marchetti was sentenced to 25 years, with eight to serve and 17 years suspended with probation. He was ordered not to have contact with the victim until November 2032. Marchetti, of 704 Main St., is being represented by William J. Murphy, a lawyer who is also Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Before being taken into custody, Marchetti thanked Washington County Superior Court Judge Stephen Nugent for staying the start of the sentence until today. He was given credit for time he served following his arrest in April 2006. The police say Marchetti, then 21, molested the 12 or 13-year-old boy after they ate dinner while on a camping trip in the vicinity of Alton. The exact date and location of the incident was not known, but it was estimated to have occurred between May 31, 1998 and Aug. 31, 1998 at a site they reached by boat. The six dismissed child molestation charges stem from incidents that occurred between May 31, 1999 and Aug. 31, 1999, near Skunk Hill Road in Hopkinton, court records show. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:24 PM | Comment R.I. Hospital's chief of neurosurgery steps asideDr. John A. Duncan III has voluntarily stepped aside as chief of neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital, and Dr. Curtis E. Doberstein is serving as interim chief. Hospital spokeswoman Gail Carvelli said that Duncan retains full privileges to practice at Rhode Island Hospital, and the arrangement is temporary. No decisions have been made on who will be the permanent chief, she said. Duncan decided to step aside on Saturday, the day after a neurosurgery resident started to operate on the wrong side of a patient’s head, according to the hospital. The resident had broken the skin but realized the error before reaching the skull. Because two previous incidents of wrong-site neurosurgery had occurred this year at Rhode Island Hospital, the Health Department on Monday reprimanded the hospital and fined it $50,000. The Health Department had no role in Duncan’s move on Saturday. But in 2003, the department had found Duncan responsible for a December 2001 incident in which neurosurgery residents operated on the wrong side of a patient's head after a CT scan was placed backward on the viewing screen. Duncan was ordered to study and make recommendations on preventing medical errors. -- Journal staff writer Felice Freyer Posted by Jack Perry at 2:57 PM | Comment Former RISD employee's sentencing postponedPROVIDENCE -- The sentencing of a former Rhode Island School of Design employee who's admitted bilking the prestigious art school of nearly $1 million has been postponed until Tuesday. A sentencing hearing for Patrick Clyne started today in federal court, Providence, and it continued for much of the day when the prosecution and defense argued whether Clyne had lied about his ownership of property in Ireland. A probation officer will be called to testify Tuesday. Clyne has pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and filing a false tax return. Clyne was responsible for the upkeep of fire-safety equipment, such as alarms and extinguishers, at the art and design school in Providence. Prosecutors say he set up a shell company that billed the school for fire safety-work that was never actually done. He was fired from the school in 2005. Clyne pleaded guilty in August, and prosecutors have agreed to seek a reduced sentence. -- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski and The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 2:53 PM | Comment Police: Central Falls man followed trucks, stole parcelsForget following the money. In cracking this crime, the police say, it was about following the mail. A Central Falls man has been arrested on larceny charges after the state police said he followed delivery trucks then stole parcel packages left at addresses on Providence's East Side. Obdulio Crespo, 32, of 30 Washington St., Unit 817, was arrested Tuesday on two counts of larceny over $500, a state police news release said today. Crespo was released on $10,000 personal recognizance at District Court, Providence, arraignment before Judge Michael Higgins. A Dec. 11 determination of attorney hearing is scheduled and a pre-arraignment conference is slated for Jan. 29. The state police said the arrest capped a two-week investigation into parcel package thefts. Detectives were told of a suspicious vehicle following delivery trucks in the area, and the police said surveillance resulted in Crespo's arrest after he was allegedly caught stealing packages that had just been dropped off at two Grotto Street residences. The police said they recovered more goods stolen from parcel delivery services when they searched his home and vehicle. Those included household items, beauty supplies, power tools, jewelry and electronic equipment. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment T.F. Green ending valet at Garage B, dropping parking priceWARWICK -- T.F. Green Airport is ending valet service at Garage B and halving the price for parking at the covered lot. The move follows the expiration, at midnight tomorrow, of a contract with The Parking Company, the longtime operator of the complex. The Chicago-based Standard Parking Corp. is the new parking operator for all parking facilities at the state's main airport. Parking at the 750-space parking complex will now cost $17 per day, about half the price under The Parking Company. Under the previous arrangement, about 50 to 100 travelers used the garage every day, according to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. It is now expected to fill up, corporation spokeswoman Patti Goldstein said. “It was being underutilized,” Goldstein said. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:36 PM | Comment Video: Bank robber may have to return lottery jackpotBOSTON -- The winner of a $1 million lottery scratch ticket may not be so lucky after all: He's a convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to gamble. Timothy Elliott faces a Dec. 7 court hearing over whether he violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the $800 Million Spectacular game at a supermarket in Hyannis. Elliott was placed on five years' probation after pleading guilty in October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a January 2006 heist at a bank on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, he "may not gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played." Elliott, 55, has collected the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from the Massachusetts lottery commission. A picture of Elliott, holding his first check, was posted on the lottery's Web site Monday, though it was removed by Wednesday. As part of his sentence, Elliott was put under the care of the state Mental Health Department and sent to a hospital for treatment, and state officials refused Wednesday to say whether he was still being treated. "This is kind of new territory," he said. See a related video from the Associated Press. -- The Associated Press A telephone number for Elliott could not immediately be located Wednesday, and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer. The lottery routinely cross references the names of winners with the state Revenue Department to see if they owe back taxes or child support, lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld said. In those cases, winnings go straight to the Revenue Department. But in this case, it will be up to the court to determine what will happen with Elliott's winnings. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:29 PM | Comment ABC 6 announces new evening anchor
PROVIDENCE -- ABC 6 WLNE today announced Allison Alexander, who most recently anchored morning and noon newscasts at the Cleveland CBS affiliate, as the new anchor for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. Her appointment takes effect Jan. 1. Stephen Doerr, ABC 6 vice president and general manager, said in a statement that Alexander "is one of the brightest, most talented journalists working in local media." "I am delighted to be joining WLNE, one of the fastest-growing, most innovative news organizations in the business," Alexander said in the statement. ABC 6 said that Alexander has won an Edward R. Murrow award for reporting and has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press. She graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, ABC 6 said. She and her husband, Craig, will move to Providence next month. How the appointment affects the anchor line-up -- and what form the evening newscasts will take -- was not clear. Doerr said the station is sorting through assignments. NBC 10 recently added Dan Jaehnig, who worked at 10 before spending five years at Fox 25 on Boston, to co-anchor its 5 p.m. news and report weeknights for the 11 p.m. news. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:48 PM | Comment Carcieri calls ACLU assertions about interpreters falseGovernor Carcieri today called "irresponsible" the Rhode Island ACLU's questioning whether cutting four Department of Human Services language interpreters will violate a consent agreement and raise the specter of federal legal action against the department. In a news release, Carcieri's office described the ACLU's assertions as false charges and said the human services is fully complying with applicable state and federal laws and the 1997 consent agreement "requring that the state make available language interpretation services for those seeking welfare and other benefits." “Governor Carcieri is confident that the Department of Human Services will continue to provide access to the appropriate language interpretation services, as required by federal law and by the 1997 consent agreement,” Jeff Neal, Carcieri's spokesman, said in the statement. “This issue was examined in depth as the state prepared its plans to reduce the size of the state workforce. The state was convinced that we could reduce the number of language interpreters -- especially those translating less commonly encountered languages -- while continuing to provide the appropriate translation options through existing contracts with outside language interpretation services.” The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is questioning whether Carcieri’s cut of 4 out of 17 DHS staff interpreters will violate the consent agreement. The Journal reported today that it has made requests since last month to interview the governor about the interpreters and that Neal said yesterday the governor plans to announce new initiatives in the area and would not do an interview with the Journal until then. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:11 PM | Comment Roger Williams hospital fulfills agreement with U.S.Roger Williams Medical Center has fulfilled its deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said in a statement. The 2006 agreement between the medical center and the U.S. Attorney's Office required the medical center to meet certain conditions to avoid prosecution for wrongdoing by two executives. The programs mandated by a deferred prosecution agreement “generated needed ethical reforms,” Corrente said, “Yet allowed the hospital to maintain its vital role in Rhode Island’s health care system and preserved the livelihood of hundreds of dedicated professionals.” The Medical Center, itself, was also indicted in 2006; the hospital and the U.S. Attorney’s Office entered into the deferred prosecution agreement, agreeing to a series of ethical changes. U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres dismissed the charges against the Medical Center. In turn, the hospital agreed to several new programs, including the creation of a comprehensive ethics program, the transition of 16 seats on the board and new governance. "Today," the Medical Center's current President and CEO Kenneth Belcher said, "Roger Williams is a better and stronger institution because of the programs and systems we have implemented with the guidance of the U.S. Attorney's office and our monitors. " Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:01 PM | Comment Study: Anti-terrorism missions diluted at local centersWASHINGTON -- Local intelligence-sharing centers set up after the September 11 attacks have had their anti-terrorism mission diluted by a focus on run-of-the-mill street crime and hazards such as hurricanes. That's the conclusion of a survey by the Government Accountability Office that was obtained by the Associated Press. Of the 43 ``fusion centers'' already established, only two -- one in Rhode Island and the other in Kansas -- focus exclusively on preventing terrorism. The original intent of the centers was to coordinate resources, expertise and information of intelligence agencies so the country could detect and prevent terrorist acts. But directors of the facilities complain they are hampered by lack of guidance from Washington and were flooded by often redundant information from multiple computer systems. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:55 AM | Comment Update: $151M Powerball winner still a mysteryThe odds that you’ve won the largest Powerball jackpot in the state’s history are still pretty slim – about one in 146,107,962 -- but the winner hasn’t come forward. So if you haven’t checked your ticket yet, here’s what you're looking for: 8 -- 23 -- 32 --37-- 39 Powerball: 38. If that’s what you see, Jennafer Rampone of the Rhode Island Lottery suggests you sign it, lock it up, and find a good financial and legal advisor. But do it fast. The winner has 60 days from the validation date to make the difficult decision: annuity or cash payment. Choose annuity, and the winner gets $151.9 million in 30 yearly installments of a little more than $3.44 million after taxes. Chose the cash and the winner gets a lump sum of about $51.1 million after taxes. Decisions decisions. And that’s not the only choice: When to go public? What to buy? Which long-lost relatives get your new phone number? If you do happen to be the lucky winner, or are planning to win in the future – aren’t we all? – check out the FAQ section on the Powerball’s Web site. It breaks down all of your burning questions about statistics, taxes and annuities. It also answers some questions you may not have thought of, like ‘Why not give 151 people $1 million each instead of one gigantic prize?’ If your question isn’t answered on the Web-site, send an email. It will be answered by someone who, apparently, is quite the comedian. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson This is the first time in more than six years that a Rhode Islander has won the Powerball – the largest prize in the state’s history. Before today, the largest prize was $93.5 million in 2001 which went to Michael Goulden, of Pawtucket. The mysterious Warren shopper wasn’t the only RILOT winner – there was one $200,000 and two $10,000 Powerball tickets sold in state as well. And of course, the taxpayers of Rhode Island are supposed to get something too. If the big winner chooses annuity, the state gets profits from the taxes totaling about $354,000 over 29 years. If the winner goes for the cash option, the sate would receive a lump sum tax payment of about $5.26 million. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:45 AM | Comment Clearing with a high of 52The early morning clouds should part soon, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 52 degrees. South winds should pick up as the day goes on, gusting up to 33 mph. The skies should stay clear tonight when the temperature drops to 27 degrees. Sunny tomorrow with a high temperature in the low 40s and west winds gusting up to 24 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features photographs and a story about the problems residents of downtown Providence have with the city's nightlife. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 28, 2007Tonight: Early look of Christmas in Bristol at BlithewoldCatch Christmas early tonight at Blithewold mansion in Bristol. An 18-foot decorated tree in the entrance hall opens to rooms of Victorian-themed displays in the Tudor-style mansion, just south of Bristol center on the shore of Narragansett Bay. It is open till 8. Admission is $10. For information call (401) 253-2707 or www.blithewold.org. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment ACLU: Cuts could put state in violation of Civil Rights ActThe American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is questioning whether Governor Carcieri’s recent cuts of four interpreter staff jobs will put DHS at risk for federal legal action under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination “on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.” The ACLU charges that the state Department of Human Services may have violated a 1997 consent agreement with the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, which forced the state to overhaul the way in which it provides interpreter services. Executive director Steven Brown said the ACLU is also considering filing a formal discrimination complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights, in light of those layoffs. “The layoff of all three staff interpreters for the Southeast Asian community, as well as one of only two Portuguese interpreters, raises serious questions about the Department’s ability to comply with the agreement,” Brown said today. According to Brown, recent public comments on talk radio by the governor objecting to any state-funded interpreters at the agency "casts doubt on his commitment to acting in accordance with federal civil rights laws on the subject.” A spokesperson for the federal Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights said the agency “would not be able to make a judgment about whether or not a state was in compliance without a holistic analysis” of the state’s current program. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Photo: Rocking the Vote at RIC
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:41 PM | Comment Alum gives URI $1 million towards wellness centerSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The University of Rhode Island has received a $1 million donation to help construct a new student wellness center. The gift comes from Michael Fascitelli, a member of the class of 1978 and a real estate executive. The school says the money will go toward the $5.5 million renovation of the former Roger Williams Dining Hall. It will be converted to a wellness center that will include cardiovascular equipment, aerobics and dance studio space, as well as offer wellness workshops. URI says when it surveyed students about what they wanted to have campus, a wellness center was at the top of the list. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:47 PM | Comment AG seeks to try driver, 16, in fatal crash as an adultState Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch’s office today filed a motion in Family Court seeking to try as an adult the 16-year-old Barrington driver of the car in the car crash that killed Jonathan Converse, 16, this month in Barrington. The driver, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, has been charged with one count of driving to endanger, death resulting, the attorney general's office said in a news release. The driver is scheduled to be back in Family Court on Dec. 17. The filing of the motion came on a day that saw another development in the matter: Barrington police announced that two Barrington teens who bought alcohol the night of the fatal crash did so at SNM Liquors in Providence. A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, of 491 Douglas Ave., 2nd floor, Providence, is slated to answer a charge of selling an alcoholic beverage to a minor in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13. Lynch’s office has subpoenaed the driver’s medical records to see if he was under the influence at the time of the crash on New Meadow Road. “I never make the decision to try to waive a juvenile lightly because I believe in the rehabilitative power of our juvenile-justice system and of kids themselves,” Lynch said in the statement. “I didn’t make this decision lightly, but I make it resolutely. How many teenagers have to die before Rhode Island, collectively, grasps the fact that reckless and irresponsible behavior often results in human misery?” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Assistant Attorney General Susan Urso, chief of Lynch’s Juvenile Unit, and Assistant Attorney General Jay Sullivan filed the discretionary waiver motion before Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., Lynch's office said. It will be up to Family Court to determine if waiving the youth is appropriate. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:04 PM | Comment Johnny's got a letter for his dad / Photo
CENTRAL FALLS -- Six-year-old Johnny Pina has a letter folded up eight times which he carefully opens like a treasure box to show other people. It’s a picture of a person with a big ball in his hand in front of bowling pins. The picture is of his dad, John Pina, 27, who has been training with the National Guard for the past 75 days in Fort Dix getting ready to go to Kuwait and then Iraq. “My dad loves bowling,” he says. Johnny and his classmates at Capt. G. Harold Hunt School spent part of today writing letters to his dad and the other men and women of the National Guard 103rd Field Artillery who will be deployed in mid-December to Kuwait and then Iraq. While his teacher Christine Cianciolo played American hymns like God Bless America, the children in Johnny's class wrote letters that say, “Thank you for fighting to protecting us,” and covered the letters with drawings, letters and words they are learning to write. They put stickers on them that say things like “You are my Hero” and “Love You.” Johnny will get to give his letter to his dad in person in a couple of weeks when his dad comes in December for four days before going to Kuwait. “I think those four days stick out in his mind,” says Cianciolo. “He is always saying four days." -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:01 PM | Comment Examiner identifies 85-year-old found off GalileeThe body found in the water in the Port of Galilee, Narragansett, on Nov. 15 was that of Robert Forloney, 85, of South Kingstown, the State Medical Examiners office said today. The cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries," the Medical Examiners news release said. The morning of Nov. 15, a ferry worker had informed Coast Guard that a man who frequented the docks could have fallen into the water. A walker was found at the end of the pier where the ferry is usually berthed and his car remained parked overnight on the dock. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment Airport promotes lawyer to fill in as executive directorWARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today promoted its top lawyer, Peter A. Frazier, to head the agency as it searches for a permanent replacement for Mark P. Brewer. Brewer, the executive director since 2004, is leaving next month to run the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. He is paid $188,000 for overseeing T.F. Green Airport, the North Central airport and the state airports in Quonset, Block Island, Newport and Westerly. Frazier, the first staff attorney at the 15-year-old agency, will be responsible for three costly and complex projects: an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million new airport transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway.
Kathleen C. Hittner, the agency’s chairwoman, says Frazier will succeed as temporary caretaker because he has been involved with those projects for several years. “We don’t expect any slowdown in any of our projects. He is a very good leader,” Hittner, an anesthesiologist and the president of The Miriam Hospital, said in an interview. “He really knows what’s going on, and he has a relationship with the board.” The agency’s Human Resources committee -- made up of members Robert Sangster, Joseph M. Cianciolo and James C. Forte -- endorsed Frazier as interim director on Nov. 14. The full board approved the appointment today. “The board recognizes Peter’s involvement in a number of critical airport projects and feels he will serve the corporation well in the interim position,” Hittner said in a statement after the vote. Frazier has worked for the agency for less than three years. He was hired in February 2005 as chief general counsel after leaving the Holland and Knight law firm. But Frazier has worked extensively in the aviation industry, according to Patti Goldstein, the agency’s spokeswoman. After completing a law degree from the University of Akron, in Ohio, Frazier earned a masters degree in air and space law at McGill University in Montreal. At Holland and Knight, he specialized in aviation law. Still, Frazier is not in the running to replace Brewer as the agency’s fourth director, Goldstein said. The board has hired The Mercer Group, of Atlanta, Ga., to lead a nationwide search for the post. “This is a very pivotal time for us,” Hittner said. “We want to make sure we do this right.” Frazier’s tenure as interim director, meanwhile, may be short. Today, Hittner said the board has scheduled five interviews for next month, including candidates identified by The Mercer Group and others who approached the agency. Brewer’s replacement could be named by next spring, Hittner said. “I don’t think it will be that long. It’s a pretty popular job,” Hittner said. “I don’t think we looked for a long-term, short-term solution.” Hittner declined to disclose the names of the candidates being interviewed next month. The airport corporation recently named a replacement for Laurie Cullen, the former senior vice president for planning, engineering and environment. Ann Clarke is scheduled to start next week, almost two years after Cullen left. The board is still searching for a successor to Marci Greenberger, the senior vice president of operations and maintenance. She left her position in August. In addition to the expansion projects, Brewer’s replacement will inherit an airport at perennial loggerheads with its neighbors and grappling with steep declines in passenger traffic. Last year, passenger traffic at Green plummeted by 9 percent, from 5.7 million in 2005 to 5.2 million last year. This year, airport officials project passenger traffic will be approximately 5 million, a 4-percent drop. But Hittner insists those trends will not discourage quality candidates. “It isn’t going to make it difficult,” she said. “We have people who are very interested in the challenge.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Providence store ID'd as alcohol source in Barrington fatalBARRINGTON -- SNM Liquors on Douglas Avenue in Providence was the store where two Barrington teenagers bought alcohol that was involved in the New Meadow Road car crash that killed 16-year-old Jon Converse this month, the Barrington police said today. A store clerk, Sean Merilan, 37, is accused of making the sales, the police said in a news release. He is scheduled to appear in District Court, Providence, on Dec. 13 to answer the allegation of selling an alcoholic beverage to an underage person. The two boys who made the purchase, ages 16 and 17, will be petitioned to Family Court. They were not in the car at the time of the crash, Det. Josh Birrell said. On Nov. 5, prosecutors allege that a 16-year-old Barrington boy was driving a car more than twice the speed limit after drinking six beers. The car then struck a tree in the area of 200 New Meadow Road. Converse, who was not wearing a seat belt, was the front-seat passenger. He was declared dead at the scene. The driver and two back-seat passengers -- ages 16 and 17 -- survived. All four boys in the car were juniors at Barrington High School. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Update: Providence fire brought under controlPROVIDENCE -- A heavy, second-floor fire at the 150 Rounds Ave. residence was brought under control just after 3 p.m. Two firefighters were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for what was believed to be minor injuries. The residence was occupied, but the person or people inside got out safely. The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. About 15 minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm. Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:23 PM | Comment Exec. director of RI Philharmonic has stepped downThe executive director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic has stepped down after being told he was being let go. David Wax, who joined the orchestra in 2001 after a long stint as head of the Houston Symphony, submitted his resignation to the board last week. In a news release, board president Almon C. Hall said that the board feels a “different form of leadership is required for the Philharmonic’s future growth. Hall would not elaborate on the phone except to say that board wants to look at the leadership skills required for the next five to seven years to “take this organization to a totally new level.” But Wax, in letter sent to board members, said that Hall told him that there was a “need for new executive leadership” and therefore the board wouldn’t be renewing his contract, which would have been up in the fall of 2008. Philharmonic conductor Larry Rachleff said that he was not consulted about the move to oust Wax and said that he was surprised when Wax told him about it on Nov. 17. Rachleff said he had a “wonderful” relationship with the executive director. -- Journal arts writer Channing Gray Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:00 PM | Comment Man who defrauded RISD to be sentenced tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- A Providence man who pleaded guilty to mail and tax fraud charges for defrauding the Rhode Island School of Design out of nearly $1 million in a billing scheme is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 11 a.m. Patrick Clyne, who was RISD fire safety manager for several years, set up a shell company that billed the college for work that was never done, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office said in a statement. The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for filing a false tax return is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An information charged Clyne with one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. An indictment returned in March accused Clyne and his wife, Ibtisama Bradley, of participating in the scheme. As a result of the plea, the government said it would dismiss that indictment and Bradley would not face any additional charges. From 1997 to November 2005, Clyne was RISD fire safety manager, overseeing and maintaining fire safety equipment, including alarm systems, emergency lighting, and fire extinguishers. He had authority to request and approve fire safety work for the school. Prosecutor Andrew J. Reich said at the plea hearing the government could show that in 1997 Clyne caused a company called Ankh Electric Ltd to be incorporated and bank account to be opened in the company’s name. Between 1997 and 2005, Clyne approved fraudulent invoices for fire safety work said to have been performed by Ankh Electric for RISD. RISD mailed checks to Ankh Electric, initially to 88 Manton Ave., and then to a Providence post office box. Over eight years, the fraudulent invoices totaled $981,794, but Ankh Electric did not provide the services described in the invoices. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Reich said the government could also prove Clyne filed a 2003 income tax return that failed to report all of $180,754 that RISD paid to Ankh Electric in 2003. Under the plea agreement, Clyne admitted to a total tax loss to the government of $162,743 between 2001 and 2005. Clyne is also forfeiting to the government any ownership interest in property that he and Bradley bought in Ballinamore, Ireland, with fraud-scheme proceeds. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Working Fire on Rounds Ave., ProvidenceCrews are at the scene of a heavy, second-floor fire at 150 Rounds Ave in Providence, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The call for the fire came in at 2:21 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, the fire was designated a two-alarm. Taylor said National Grid was called to the three-story residence to cut the electricity as crews continue to work. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:43 PM | Comment R.I. sex offender faces new charges in MaineA 36-year-old former Rhode Island man with a history of child molestation convictions that stretches back to the 90s has been arrested in Maine and faces new sexual assault charges. On Nov. 16, Olin Stevens was taken into police custody in Maine, where he was living, to await extradition to Woonsocket for failing to notify the police that he had moved. Four days later, allegations surfaced that Stevens had sexually assaulted two victims under the age of 14 in that state, according to Charles Rumsey, deputy chief of police in Watterville, Maine. He now faces two counts of gross sexual assault and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with persons under the age of 14. Stevens was also in violation of Maine laws by not registering as a sex offender when he moved to the state. “We were not going to charge him for that,” Rumsey said, “simply because we were happy that Woonsocket was going to take him off our hands. Now we’re charging him with the whole laundry list.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:38 PM | Comment Trial of woman charged with DUI postponedThe trial for Kellie Woodbine has been postponed. Woodbine, of Cumberland, faces a charge of driving under the influence, death resulting and driving recklessly, death resulting after a crash on Route 95 that led to the death of her passenger, 16-year-old Samantha Marie Beaudette. The accident occurred near the Broadway overpass of Route 95 about 12:40 a.m. Dec. 30, 2005. Samantha, trapped in the wreckage, was severely burned. She died at Rhode Island Hospital on New Year's Day after surgery in which both legs were amputated. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:05 PM | Comment RIPTA does detours, tooFull tankers and local residents aren't the only ones affected by the new weigh restrictions on the Pawtucket River Bridge. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced an immediate detour for its #99 – Providence/Pawtucket line. The inbound bus to Providence will leave Roosevelt and take Main Street to High Street, then Exchange Street and finally onto Dexter-George, where it will pick up the old route. The route of the outbound bus to Pawtucket will remain the same. For schedule information, please call 781-9400 or visit ripta.com. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:00 PM | Comment Providence library to get an upgradeA 130-year institution is upgrading its information systems thanks to a $106,000 grant from the Champlain Foundations, an organization that awards grants to tax exempt organizations for renovations, expansions or debt payments. The Providence Public Library will use the money for a host of technology updates, including upgrades to hardware and expansion of public access to computers. Don’t be mistaken, the library already has a comprehensive Web site where visitors can download free audio books, send librarians questions via email, or view pages of old photographs from the library’s collection of historical documents. “This year’s grant will help us not only stay abreast of developments in technology,” Director Dale Thompson said in a statement, “but to move forward with varied digital library services as we pursue the Library’s mission in an increasingly technology savvy world.” -- staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:48 PM | Comment Study: R.I.'s wealthiest gave least to charity in 2005BOSTON -- An annual study on charitable giving finds Rhode Island's wealthiest residents gave the least money to charity in 2005. The wealthiest Rhode Islanders gave about $12,500 to charity in 2005. By comparison, wealthy residents in the top-ranked state, Wyoming, gave away an average of nearly $95,000. The Catalogue for Philanthropy ranks states on average income and average amount given to charity. For the first time, the 11th annual study measures only the philanthropic generosity of those with incomes above $200,000, based on 2005 federal tax data. The nonprofit organization has in the past faced criticism for not taking into account state-by-state tax burdens and cost of living. The latest study addresses those concerns. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:45 PM | Comment Supreme Court denies man's appeal for new trialPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision denying a convicted child molester's appeal for a new trial. James Woods appealed to the high court his conviction on two counts of second-degree child molestation after the Superior Court denied two motions for a new trial. Woods was living in Providence when he was accused of touching a girl on her buttocks and forcing her to rub his penis over his clothing, according to the state Supreme Court decision today. The girl's foster mother confronted Woods, who denied the allegations, and the foster mother reported the allegations to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, which sent an investigator to the home. The Providence police investigated and a warrant was issued for Woods on Jan. 20, 2004. Woods turned himself in on Feb. 3, 2004. A jury returned a guilty verdict after about 90 minutes of deliberation. Woods moved for a new trial, asserting that no reasonable jury could find the girl he was convicted of molesting credible. The Superior Court judge disagreed. Before the sentencing hearing, Woods filed another motion for a new trial based on new evidence. At an evidentiary hearing, the judge found that testimony from Woods' main witness was not credible and denied the motion. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:05 PM | Comment R.I. Airport Corp. will appoint interim directorWARWICK -- The Rhode Island Airport Corporation today will appoint an interim director to replace Mark P. Brewer, who is leaving next month to take over Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. The corporation board has promised a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. In the meantime, the interim executive director will be overseeing three costly and complex projects, an $83.5-million renovation of the terminal, a $242-million transportation hub and a controversial effort to expand the runway. The board meeting begins at 4 p.m. at 2000 Post Road in Warwick. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:38 AM | Comment Fire destroys almost-finished Block Island homeBLOCK ISLAND — A house that was in the final stages of construction was destroyed last night in a fire that was already shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived, said Fire Chief Ned Connelly. No one was living in the single-family, two-story house on Champlin Road, and no one was injured, Connelly and other town officials said. Firefighters were on the scene from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get the fire under control and then several hours to make sure it was extinguished, Connelly said. About 25 firefighters responded and “did a great job combating this fire,” he said. “The roof was gone when we got here, flames were coming from everywhere,” he said. “It was a defensive operation from the very beginning.” Connelly said state fire marshals were expected on the first morning ferry to help with the investigation. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:21 AM | Comment State police enforcing truck ban on 95 bridgePAWTUCKET -- As the state police handed out tickets to overweight trucks crossing the Pawtucket River Bridge on Route 95, the detours the state Department of Transportation has laid out to get trucks through the city's streets seemed to be working smoothly this morning. It wasn't clear what would happen during the rest of the day, but one of the DOT officials watching the situation this morning said the detours were working so smoothly that, "This is like watching grass grow." Paul T. Kennedy, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said truck traffic seemed light, apparently because truckers were using the highway detours the DOT has set up around the city, primarily using routes 146 and 295. The DOT has posted a 22-ton weight limit on the bridge after discovering that many of its structural elements have deteriorated to the point that it can't carry its normal load. The DOT has set up detour signs on Route 95 north and south of the city directing truckers to the highway detours. The local detours, through city streets, are intended to carry trucks going to and from the immediate Pawtucket area. Fully loaded tractor-trailer trucks can weigh more than 100,000 pounds. A truck weighing that much can be fined as much as $8,000, the state police said. Troopers were using portable scales the size of a thin suitcase that can weight a truck anywhere it can park. One scale is put in front of each wheel and the driver told to move forward onto the scales. The DOT was filming a key intersection, at Marrin and George Streets, where the agency has blocked off the George Street ramp onto Route 95 northbound where it crosses the bridge, again because of deterioration of that edge of the bridge. But only a scattering of trucks were using the detour, which diverts traffic to the Division Street Bridge to cross the river. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis Posted by Jack Perry at 10:33 AM | Comment Pawtucket station owner hopes business isn't detoured
Right in the middle, just off the exit ramp, is a Sunoco gas station run by Omar Ahmed. In 2001, the School Street exit was closed for two months. Ahmed said it almost put him out of business. This morning, the fears returned after the state Department of Transportation said the detours may be in place for years. Although the exit ramp is still open, detours and blocked roads make it difficult for any traffic other than vehicles exiting the ramp to get into the station. It’s also likely that the stopped traffic and presence of police on several corners discourage people from making the U-turn from Prospect onto school Street. Ahmed said he was also upset with the lack of information he received from the DOT. “Nobody informed us,” he said. “They just started up yesterday.” Traffic driving east on Division Street and northbound on Prospect created a miniature traffic jam near the intersections of Prospect and School Street. Only a few trucks, which were re-routed to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, drove through the area this morning. They were, however, particularly conspicuous next to the no truck signs dotting the narrow streets. Traffic on the Route 95 slowed to about 25 mph just on the bridge this morning, but picked up after Exit 29 northbound and Exit 27 southbound. The brief backup made it just as short of a trip from the now-closed George Street entrance to the next entrance on the detour as on the highway. It may be frustrating, but if today is an indication, commuters may not have to worry about too much time lost – the detours added up to about three minutes. For Ahmed, however, the loss could be greater. He wants the government – whether local, state or federal to offer some assistance. “I’d like to see some sort of compensation,” he said, but he’s not optimistic. Six years ago, he said, “I talked to (state officials) and asked them to compensate me for my loss. They say they don’t do this.” -- Brandie Jefferson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:08 AM | Comment Mass. lawmakers consider bill that would ban spankingBOSTON -- A bill that would prohibit parents from spanking their children is being criticized as unnecessary and unenforceable by many Massachusetts lawmakers. The measure - being heard today by a legislative committee - defines corporal punishment as "the willful infliction of physical pain or injurious or humiliating treatment." Representative Jay Kaufman of Lexington said he submitted the bill at the request of a local nurse. Several lawmakers said parents are best able to decide on discipline, and point out that state law already bans the physical abuse or neglect of children. The state's highest court ruled in 1999 that parents could spank their children, so long as it doesn't cause serious bodily harm. Some lawmakers question how police could possibly enforce such a ban. The Legislature has ended formal sessions for 2007, so the earliest the bill could be debated would be next year. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:20 AM | Comment Last Reminder: Detours on Route 95 begin todayDetours on Route 95 in Pawtucket begin today, and you may want to get used to them. A state Department of Transportation official has said they may be in place for several years. Beginning today, vehicles weighing more than 22 tons will need to take detours to avoid the Pawtucket River Bridge, between exits 27 and 28. For trucks that need to go to Pawtucket, local detours have been posted today. The Northbound George Street entrance ramp will be closed to all traffic. Southbound traffic will be directed to exit at Exit 30/Roosevelt Avenue, in Central Falls and follow detour signs to the Cedar Street entrance ramp. Northbound traffic will use Exit 27 and follow signs to the Division Street Bridge, which will handle traffic that would normally use the George Street ramp. Browse alternate routes and maps at the DOT's Web site. The DOT’s acting chief engineer, Kazem Farhoumand said that the agency has not yet decided whether, or how much, to repair the bridge until it can be replaced. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:37 AM | Comment Race-car driver wins "Dancing with the Stars'LOS ANGELES -- Fan support is just as critical as fancy footwork when it comes to winning "Dancing With the Stars." As a pure dancer, Spice Girl Melanie Brown was easily the most polished finalist, consistently wowing the judges with her versatility and flair. She and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were the highest-scoring couple throughout the hit show's fifth season. But on Tuesday night, viewers snubbed Brown and gave the mirrorball trophy to race-car driver Helio Castroneves. The fourth consecutive man to win the contest, Castroneves' personality, enthusiasm and flashing smile - combined with an effortless quickstep on his final performance - clearly resonated more with voters. "It's not only about dancing, you know? It's about popularity," Castroneves said after the show. "That's what I'm actually very happy about." His partner, Julianne Hough, also had won last season's competition, with speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno. "She has an incredible fan base," Castroneves said. The only female winner has been Kelly Monaco, who took the crown during the first season in 2005. Despite her talents, Brown was unable to break the streak. She said that losing "was a horrible feeling. I'm not going to deny it." Earlier Tuesday, Marie Osmond was the first finalist to be eliminated. She probably deserved it after a doll-inspired freestyle dance that was panned by judges and bloggers alike. Osmond came into the finale in third place. Castroneves was in second, just one point behind Brown. At age 48, Osmond's frisky days were behind her, especially compared with young hotsteppers like Scary Spice or Sabrina Bryan of the Cheetah Girls. But Osmond said voters kept her afloat during the 10-week contest as she endured the death of her father and fainting on stage. "We knew every single week that we were here because of them," she said after the finale. "Obviously, I'm not the best dancer. We know that." The ABC show began in September with a dozen dancers. Model-actress Josie Maran was the first to be eliminated. Other nixed contestants were actresses Bryan, Jennie Garth and Jane Seymour, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, entertainer Wayne Newton, boxer Floyd Mayweather, model Albert Reed and actor Cameron Mathison. Mathison shed his shirt after his last dance Tuesday. Maybe if he had done that earlier, he would have ended up as the man holding the trophy Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment 2nd man on trial for murder in PawtucketPROVIDENCE -- The trial continues today in the case of a 20-year-old man in the killing of a Pawtucket woman last year. Barry Offley's uncle Alonzo P. Shelton, 29, of Central Falls, has already been convicted of murdering one woman and shooting another. Now Offley is on trial. Offley, 20, "revered" his uncle and "looked up to him," Offley's defense lawyer, Terence Livingston, said in his opening statement in Providence County Superior Court. On the early morning of July 27, 2006, when Shelton's estranged girlfriend Julie Lang was shot and her friend, Jessica Imran, 24, was murdered, Livingston said, Shelton was the killer. Offley had gone with his uncle to Imran's 88 Lawn Ave. apartment in Pawtucket because, Livingston said, he thought they were going to have sex with the women, or "hook up." In his opening statement today, prosecutor Paul Carnes said Julie Lang, despite being shot four times, was taken to the hospital after the shooting. "And when she was finally released from the hospital, months later," Carnes said, "she identified this defendant as the person who shot and killed her friend Jessica Imran and shot at her." -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Where did the warm weather go?What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, it was 60 degrees at 6 a.m. Today, it was about 30. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 45 degrees with a northwest wind with gusts up to 22 mph. The temperature dips to 29 degrees tonight with calm, south winds. Tomorrow might bring some rain during the day. We'll start out with clouds, but may see some sun in the afternoon, when the temperature reaches the high 40s. For more weather, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment November 27, 2007Vacant building on fire on Veazie Street in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- A vacant 3 1/2-story building is on fire on Veazie Street, according to a fire official. Capt. James Taylor, chief of communications, said firefighters are checking out the wood-frame building at 88 Veazie St. to make sure no one is in it. No other information was available at this time. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:11 PM | Comment Tonight: Jazz, more jazz and a reborn Grateful DeadTonight there's a jazz ensemble, a jazz combo and jazz at AS220. On the other hand, there's the Grateful Dead reborn as Dark Star Orchestra. The Afro-Cuban and Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, directed by Eric Platz, and The Modal Jazz Combo, directed by Jared Sims, performs at University of Rhode Island, Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Upper College Road (off Route 138), Kingston. Call (401) 874-2431. 7:30 p.m. $8; $2 students. The Alban Bailly/Heddy Boubaker Duo and Meghan Yates play jazz at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. (401) 831-9327. 10 p.m. $4. All ages. Dark Star Orchestra and The Bridge play rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. Call 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 p.m. $20 advance; $25 day of show. The John Badessa Big Band plays swing at Lombardi's 1025 Club, 1025 Plainfield St., Johnston. Cal (401) 944-1025. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. For more event listings, visit projo.com's calendar page. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Cyber Monday spending up 21 percent from year beforeCyber Monday -- the online equivalent of old-school Black Friday -- racked up $733 million in online spending, up 21 percent from last year's Cyber Monday and an 84-percent increase from average daily online spending during the past four weeks. That is according to comScore, Inc. which measures the digital world and released figures late today. Amazon and Wal-Mart were the top retailers on Cyber Monday, comScore found. “Cyber Monday once again set a record with $733 million in sales, the first time a single day of online retail spending has broken the $700 million threshold," comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement. "While that makes it the heaviest online shopping day on record, we expect that a number of individual shopping days during the coming weeks will surpass the Cyber Monday total, with some days potentially surpassing $800 million.” The company also found: * The number of online buyers was up 38 percent from Cyber Monday 2006, while the average money spent per buyer was down 12 percent. The drop in dollars per buyer may be because of deeper and broader price discounts offered by online merchants this year and because new Cyber Monday buyers tended to spend less online than returning buyers. * Six percent of the Internet users on Cyber Monday made an online buy. * Forty-four percent of Internet users on Cyber Monday shopped online -- visited an online retail site or used a comparison shopping engine. * Sixty percent of dollars spent online on Cyber Monday came from work computers, with the balance coming from home and university computers. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Wind farm group to seek towers to get weather data firstThe company that wants to erect hundreds of wind turbines off the Rhode Island coast plans to first ask state regulators for permits to install four, 300-foot meteorological masts so it can gather weather data in the waters off Watch Hill, Block Island and Little Compton. Two top executives of Allco Renewable Energy Group Limited met with state energy coordinator Andrew Dzykewicz last week to try to answer concerns Dzykewicz raised when the company’s plans became public two weeks ago. Both sides said the meeting was cordial, but they don’t appear to agree on how Rhode Island should develop its potential coastal wind energy. Dzykewicz said state officials want to proceed with a stakeholder group to identify and permit acceptable sites along the coast, and then seek proposals from the many potential vendors who can develop wind farms. “I have a hard time -- with so many potential vendors out there -- committing to a single supplier,” Dzykewicz said today. “I’ve been preaching this as a Rhode Island project to benefit Rhode Islanders. If we are going to sell this, we have to convince people that someone is not going to come in and take away all the revenues." He also questioned whether Allco has the capital to develop a $1 billion wind farm. James Wavle, Allco’s managing director, and Bill Fischer, a Rhode Island public relations specialist, said in an interview today that they believe their proposal and the state’s plans can continue on parallel tracks. The state can continue with its stakeholder process for selecting sites, while the state’s coastal regulatory body, the Coastal Resources Management Council, can establish criteria for permitting wind farms, and then consider Allco’s application, they said. -- Journal environment writer Peter Lord Fischer said there are still many unknowns with the state’s plans. Governor Carcieri's proposal to create a new state energy agency never got out of a House committee last summer and nothing is certain about what the General Assembly’s intentions will be this winter, or when it will act. The state has a tremendous budget deficit that could thwart the governor’s plans as well, he said. “There are so many unknowns,” Fischer said. “CRMC has never regulated a wind farm. So with everything still in its infancy, we don’t think we’re disrupting the path he (Carcieri) has chosen.” The important thing to Allco, Wavle said, is that the state is committed to wind energy. And regardless of whether the wind farms are developed the way the state wants them, or whether “I can’t overstate the importance of the commitment of state government to renewables,” said Wavle. “The only places where windpower is happening is where states are committed.” Allco is a New York-based, private investment banking firm that specializes in renewable energy projects. It is investing in solar energy projects with Sun Edison LLC in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Arizona and Washington, D.C., according to Fischer. The company filed its preliminary applications with CRMC in September. Spokeswoman Laura Ricketson-Dwyer said today the agency still needs more information from Allco before it can respond. CRMC staff will probably meet with Dzykewicz in a few weeks to start talking about how to permit and regulate wind farms, she said. While coastal wind farms are common in Europe, they are still rare in the United States. The Cape Wind company has been battling for five years to develop a wind farm in Nantucket Sound. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:43 PM | Comment Van Halen -- Eddie's guitar plus Roth -- coming to DunkPROVIDENCE -- Rock band Van Halen is performing at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in March, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority announced today. The band, including David Lee Roth, is scheduled to perform on March 24, according to Lawrence J. Lepore, the arena's executive director. Tickets go on sale Dec. 8, Lepore told The Providence Journal today. The Rhode Island tour date is not yet listed on the band's Web site, www.van-halen.com. But Van Halen had planned to be performing on the East Coast around the same time. Dates have been scheduled for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania for next March. Last month, the creators of "Hot for Teacher" played at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Head of Providence Preservation Society takes new jobPROVIDENCE -- Jack Gold, the well-respected director of the Providence Preservation Society, is leaving the local historic preservation group to take a job heading a similar organization in San Francisco. Gold, 56, came to Providence three years ago December, and since then the organization has doubled its endowment and is no longer running a deficit. The traditionally East Side-centered group has also expanded its focus to the West Side of the city during Gold’s tenure. He said that leaving Providence will be bittersweet -- while San Francisco is a bigger and more famous market, Providence has a great history and an ever-present role for preservationists. But Gold has a sister in San Francisco, and said he had always wanted to live there. “I’m at a point in my life where I’ve always loved that city, and when the opportunity came up I felt I had to take it,” he said. The San Francisco job will be somewhat similar to his Providence position, Gold said, but there is a shorter architectural history there, and fewer rules protecting historic buildings. There is a great deal of development in San Francisco, and the head of the local organization is expected to build partnerships with neighborhood groups and provide a preservationist’s take on new buildings and changes to neighborhoods. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi “It’s a similar organization with a larger membership,” Gold said. “It’s a bit of a different milieu, there aren’t as many government controls on preservation per se, so there’s more of a role for activism out there.” Preservation Society Board Chairman Mark Van Noppen said that Gold’s leaving for San Francisco actually speaks well of the Providence group. “We are delighted for Jack -- this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone in his position in the preservation world. It’s a real feather in PPS’s cap that San Francisco Architectural Heritage has hired Jack, who has been a great executive director for us during the past three years,” Van Noppen said. Gold’s last day will be Dec. 20. Van Noppen said that PPS will conduct a nationwide search for a successor. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:06 PM | Comment Pawtucket water board issues drought advisory, tipsPAWTUCKET -- The Pawtucket Water Supply Board has issued a drought advisory, saying water levels in its reservoirs are low and customers need to conserve. The water system’s reservoirs contain about 2.1 billion gallons, down from the 3.4 billion gallons that is typical for this time of year, said to Allen Champagne, the Water Supply Board’s source water manager. If the drought doesn’t ease during the winter, Champagne said, the water shortage will worsen, making it necessary to impose restrictions during the spring. The Water Supply Board supplies water to Pawtucket, part of Cumberland and all of Central Falls. To conserve water, the board says customers should: * Use dishwashers and washing machines only when full. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Truck detours to avoid Pawtucket bridge could last yearsPAWTUCKET -- The detours that will begin routing trucks through local city streets tomorrow to keep them off a weakened Route 95 bridge could be needed for several years, a state Department of Transportation official said today. The DOT’s acting chief engineer, Kazem Farhoumand, also said the agency will carefully watch how its detour plan works during the next few days and will be ready to adjust it if necessary. The detours are intended to keep heavy truck traffic off the Pawtucket River Bridge, which the DOT has posted for a maximum of 22 tons because of the bridge’s deteriorated condition. The DOT said it would post the highway tonight, barring those trucks from the bridge. It will also close the northbound George Street entrance ramp, also because of deterioration of the bridge. Farhoumand said that the agency has not yet decided whether, or how much, to repair the bridge until it can be replaced. Asked during a news conference if the detours could continue for as long as five years, he said, "I do not know. We haven’t finished our analysis yet." But he said that a person guessing that it could take that long "could be right" if the DOT concludes that "it is not cost-effective to repair the bridge." Inspections have shown a variety of problems, mostly due to rust, affecting steel members scattered throughout the structure. He said that the 22-ton limit effective tomorrow, together with the closing of the entrance ramp, will keep the bridge safe. The DOT’s next step is to decide whether it is worth making repairs that would allow raising the weight limit above 22 tons until the bridge is replaced. Extra: Browse alternate routes, maps and more from the state DOT's Web site. -- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis There are large sums involved. Farhoumand estimated the cost of a new bridge at $40 million to $50 million. He said the DOT has already spent about $500,000 on repairs this year. The state, meanwhile, had tentatively budgeted $5 million to rehabilitate the bridge, a project now up in question. Asked whether the situation amounts to an emergency, Farhoumand said that the answer depends on your point of view. "If you’re one of those truckers, it is an emergency. From a safety point of view, it is not" an emergency. The DOT wants truckers going anywhere but the immediate Pawtucket area to use highway detours, like Routes 146 and 295, to get around the bridge. Locally, it has set up detours on local streets. Southbound traffic is to leave Route 95 at exit 30, Roosevelt Avenue, in Central Falls, and head south on that street, across Goff Avenue, Pine and Garden streets to the ramp from Cedar Street to Route 95 southbound. Northbound truck traffic will be directed off Route 95 at Exit 27 and follow Marrin Street, along the highway, and Division Street to the Division Street Bridge, which crosses the river just south of the Route 95 bridge. The DOT said it will make that bridge one way, making two lanes headed east, to carry northbound truck traffic and the traffic that would normally use the George Street ramp onto Route 95 northbound. Farhoumand said there may be traffic congestion at first as drivers get used to the changed traffic pattern. People have their habitual routes to work and elsewhere. "One you change that, there is a learning curve," he said, as people adapt. The DOT will have personnel on the scene tomorrow, he said, and local police will direct traffic and help keep it moving. He said that the DOT will "respond very quickly" if more signs are needed or traffic light timing needs adjustment. What the agency can’t do during the rest of the week, he said, it will do during the weekend, which it will have two days "to do everything else we can do" to make the detours work. Also, he said, if people who don’t need to be there would avoid the detour routes, he said, "We would certainly appreciate that." Will it work? Paul Kennedy, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Trucking Association, thinks it might -- if the DOT has the right signs up. "The trucking industry is basically used to this stuff," he said. Bridges and roads are regularly closed and big accidents block the highways. Truckers will find their way, "as long as there’s proper signage." "It’s the through trucks that I’m concerned about," he said. Truckers might be coming from the Carolinas headed for Boston, and "If the signage isn’t there, they’re going to end up going through the center of Pawtucket." That worries him. Big trucks going through local streets and pedestrians who aren’t used to them could be dangerous combination, he said. Extra: Check DOT Web cams for a live view of traffic. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Photo: Small hands can be a big help
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:17 PM | Comment Lottery audit reveals slight drop in General Fund amountYou win some, you lose some. Revenue from state video lottery games, helped by the renovated Twin River in Lincoln, rose $91.2 million during the last fiscal year. But revenue from online and instant lottery games was down about $16 million. Those figures, along with expenses, according to a state audit of the Rhode Island Lottery released today, mean the Lottery’s contribution to the General Fund is down about one percent, to $320.9 million. The Lottery, a division of the state Revenue Department, had about $78 million more in expenses in fiscal year 2007, which ended June 30, than in the previous year. The bulk of these expenses came from larger payouts, according to Financial Administrator Daniel Sarro. The Lottery paid out about $80 million more in prize money in FY 2007 than in FY 2006. But that, Sarro said, was not what led to the decrease in the Lottery’s contribution to the General Fund. “How much we can turn over to the state to help with programs is based on the amount of sales,” he said. “The prizes, you really don’t have control over.” Sarro did not have a concrete reason for the drop in sales but suggested general economic conditions were to blame. “The more people pay for fuel,” he said, maybe “the less money they have for Powerball and so on.” Read the state's audit of the Rhode Island Lottery for the FY 2007. Compare it to the audit for FY 2006. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:03 PM | Comment Police probing shots fired from car in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- The police are investigating an incident late last night in which the occupant of a passing car fired a handgun at another car in the West End. A man and a woman from Cranston, Juan Espinal, 22, and Elsida Nin, 21, both of 955 Dyer Ave., told the police that they were in an eastbound car on Superior Street shortly after 11 p.m. and that shots were fired at them from a car that pulled alongside theirs. Neither Espinal nor Nin was struck by any of the three shots they said were fired. But the police later found a bullet lodged in the bumper of their car. After the shots were fired, Espinal, who was driving, said he turned east on Dexter Street and that the shooter’s car turned west on Dexter and left. The victims were unable to provide a useful description of the shooter’s car, according to the police. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Photo: Putting a green thumb to work for the holidays
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:11 PM | Comment Traffic advisory: overturned vehicle on Rte. 295 southAn overturned vehicle in the area of exit 10 is blocking two lanes on Route 295 south, the state Transportation Management Center is warning at this hour. Exit 10 is for Route 122. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:08 PM | Comment Arrests made in rash of Warwick housebreaksWARWICK -- Two men have been charged in a rash of housebreaks in which laptops, televisions, video game systems and more were grabbed. And the father of one of the men has been charged with obstructing the police investigation. The police announced today that Derek Leblanc, 18, of 259 Buttonwoods Ave., Warwick, is charged with three counts of breaking and entering, four counts of conspiracy, three counts of possession of stolen goods, larceny of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and carrying firearm without a license. Robert L. Angell, of no permanant address, is charged with three counts of breaking and entering, four counts of conspiracy, larceny of a firearm, and possession of a stolen good, according to the police. David Leblanc, 49, Derek’s father, of the same Buttonwoods Avenue residence, is charged with obstructing the investigation based on false statements he made to the police, according to the police statement. In early October, Warwick police noticed similarities in a series of house breaks: through back doors or windows, with some doors kicked in. Items grabbed included firearms, liquid crystal display television sets, Xboxes and other video game systems, laptops, tools, and jewelry. The housebreaks happened over six weeks. About the same time, similar break-ins were reported in North Kingstown and Coventry where firearms were taken along with similar items taken in the Warwick housebreaks. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Warwick detectives learned Leblanc had pawned items at a Providence pawn shop using his brother’s name. He had also sold items stolen from some Warwick housebreaks at a Warwick electronics store in Warwick, the police said. Detectives seized stolen items from those businesses -- items later linked to another housebreak in Warwick's Greenwood section, including power tools, numerous laptops, electronics, and liquid crystal display televisions. On Nov. 14, the older Leblanc -- Derek's father -- surrendered a handgun that was later found to have come from one Warwick housebreak. Witnesses at the pawn shop and electronics store identified Derek Leblanc as selling the stolen items along with another suspect yet to be identified, according to the police. Derek Leblanc was arrested at his home later that day and preliminarily charged with possession of stolen goods over $500, a felony. The police said he was also a violator based on a previous Warwick arrest, which is pending. Two others were charged in connection with the breaks. Derrick Hutchins, 19, of 249 Natick Ave., Warwick, is charged with conspiracy relative to arranging the sale of a stolen handgun taken in a Warwick housebreak. Raymond Unwin, 31, of 121 Church St., Woonsocket, is charged with conspiracy and possession of the stolen gun. Woonsocket police tried to arrest Unwin at his residence, but he was found to be temporarily out of state. The warrant is outstanding on Unwin. Warwick detectives recovered the gun.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:25 PM | Comment Rhode Island Hospital commended day after reprimandTwo Lifespan hospitals were named to a list of 100 Best hospitals by the Thompson Corp. The Miriam and Rhode Island Hospitals were ranked at about the middle of the list of hospitals for its cardiovascular services. The list as released today, one day after the state Department of Health reprimanded and fined Rhode Island Hospital $50,000 for the third wrong-site surgery in one year in its neurology department. The rankings were based on clinical outcomes related to congestive heart failure, heart attacks, coronary artery bypass grafts, and percutaneous coronary interventions – such as angioplasties. The results of the hospitals that made the list included stays that were, on average, 12 percent shorter and costs that were about $2,000 less than non-listed hospitals. See the complete list: a href="http://www.100tophospitals.com/winners/cardiowinners.aspx">2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals®: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:48 PM | Comment Rah-Rah, we're going to Florida!A group of cheerleaders from Rhode Island is heading to Florida to compete for a national title. The Exeter-West Greenwich Knights Pee Wee Cheerleaders are the New England Regional Champs for Division 12, small team, after a win Sunday in Worcester, Mass. Next stop: the University of Florida, for the American Youth Cheer National Championship Title. The team of middle school Cheerleaders began their ascent to the Championships in October, when they won the Blackstone Valley Youth Cheerleading Competition at the Community College of Rhode Island. Now the championship team will compete in Florida Dec. 5 -7. The team is coached by Laurie Jordan, Brittany Hedger, Karen Peltier and Krisine Demoranville; Laurie Demoranville is the cheer coordinator. Click below for a list of team members. Danielle Moore Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:37 PM | Comment Voters turn out for special election in Warwick/ Photo
Three candidates are competing in a special election in Warwick District 22 to replace Democratic Rep. Peter Ginaitt, who resigned this summer. They are Democrat Frank G. Ferri, 53, of 38 Lippitt Ave.; Republican Jonathan Wheeler, 41, of 444 Warwick Neck Ave., and independent Carlo Pisaturo, 66, of 181 Narragansett Bay Ave. District 22 includes the upscale Warwick Neck section of the city, the more modest Oakland Beach neighborhood and parts of Conimicut. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at these locations: Ward 4, District 5: Warren Sherman School, 120 Killey Ave. Ward 5, Districts 1, 4: John Greene Elementary School, 51 Draper Ave. Ward 5, District 2: Warren Sherman School. Ward 5, Districts 3, 5, 6: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 358 Warwick Neck Ave. Ward 6, District 1: JONAH Community Center, 830 Oakland Beach Ave. More information about polling places is available at the Warwick Board of Canvassers, (401) 738-2000 x6222. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:33 PM | Comment Providence is getting a full marathon in MayPROVIDENCE -- A new full marathon is coming to the city, officials announced today, and it will include a charity component in the name of a Rhode Island State Trooper who is recovering from serious injuries. The marathon, which will be a qualifier for the 2009 Boston Marathon, will be on May 4. There will also be a half-marathon, a marathon relay and a 5K race, all part of the Cox Providence Rhode Races. One of the charitable beneficiaries is the Brendan Doyle Recovery Fund, which benefits state trooper Brendan Doyle, son of Johnson & Wales All-American runner Bobby Doyle. A former state correctional officer is accused of punching Doyle, who was off duty, in Providence over the summer. Last week, a Superior Court judge ordered the accused, James Proulx, held on $100,000 bail. Other charitable partners include the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Cox Charities New England. The race will start at Johnson & Wales' Harborside Campus, winding through Roger Williams Park toward the city's East Side, and down Blackstone Boulevard. A short trip through the downtown culminates in the finish line at Gaebe Commons on the university’s downcity campus. Runners can register online through the marathon's Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney The new marathon is co-sponsored by Johnson & Wales University. It will also pay tribute to people with Johnson & Wales ties. There will be an award in the name of Col. John McNulty, a former Johnson & Wales administrator who helped launch cross country racing at the-then Johnson and Wales Junior College. The university "has had a long tradition of participating in cross country racing which dates back to the early sixties,” Irving Schneider, president of the Providence campus of Johnson & Wales, said in the statement. “We are proud to be a part of this premier athletic event. He added that the race would provide students with "practical experience" in marketing, sponsorship sales, operations and planning through internships with Eident Sports Marketing. “Eident Sports Marketing is looking forward to developing the Cox Providence Rhode Races into one of the country’s premier running events,” said John Mathews, president of Eident Sports Marketing. “We aim to make this not only a top notch marathon, but an educational experience for the students of Johnson & Wales University and an enjoyable event for the greater Providence and Rhode Island communities.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:53 PM | Comment Trial of convicted killer's alleged accomplice under wayPROVIDENCE -- Six months after a Central Falls man was convicted of murdering one woman and shooting another, the man's nephew and alleged accomplice Barry Offley went on trial today. Offley, 20, "revered" his uncle, 29-year-old Alonzo P. Shelton, and "looked up to him," Offley's defense lawyer, Terence Livingston, said in his opening statement in Providence County Superior Court. On the early morning of July 27, 2006, when Shelton's estranged girlfriend Julie Lang was shot and her friend, Jessica Imran, 24, was murdered, Livingston said, Shelton was the killer. Offley had gone with his uncle to Imran's 88 Lawn Ave. apartment in Pawtucket because, Livingston said, he thought they were going to have sex with the women, or "hook up." In his opening statement today, prosecutor Paul Carnes said Julie Lang, despite being shot four times, was taken to the hospital after the shooting. "And when she was finally realeased from the hospital, months later," Carnes said, "she identified this defendant as the person who shot and killed her friend Jessica Imran and shot at her." -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Offley's trial on charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, assault with intent to murder, and discharging a firearm, death resulting, is expected to last a week and a half. Shelton, who had addresses in Providence and Central Falls, and Offley, who lived in Providence, were arrested in Ocala, Fla., six weeks after the shooting. Shelton was found guilty last May of murdering Imran and shooting the other woman, Julie Lang, his accuser in the drug case, multiple times. Shelton was found guilty of murdering Imran despite Lang's testimony that he didn't actually pull the trigger. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:09 PM | Comment RIC students vote early, real earlyRhode Island College is getting a jump on Decision 2008. Students tomorrow will cast votes in a "primary" for the current crop of presidential contenders. The college said in a news release today that the primary is one of a year's worth of efforts aimed at "engaging college students in the electoral process and urging them to vote in the 2008 presidential election." The college, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis and the state Board of Elections will hold a "campaign rally" tonight from 6 to 9 in Roberts Auditorium, where representatives from each candidate’s campaign will discuss issues of the 2008 election. Represenatives from the campaigns of Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Thompson, Tancredo, Biden, Clinton, Edwards, Gravel, Obama, Kucinich, Huckabee and Paul have confirmed they will be at tonight's rally, the college said. Each presidential campaign representative is invited to hold a demonstration to drum up support for his or her candidate and answer student questions. Commercials and taped messages from candidates will be shown during the rally. Victor Profughi, a Rhode Island College professor emeritus of political science, will moderate. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:25 PM | Comment Traffic: Left lane of Rt. 146 in Providence re-openedPROVIDENCE -- All lanes on Route 146 north have been re-opened after officials cleared a late-morning accident. The right lane on Route 146 northbound near the intersection with Admiral Street had been closed after an accident. For up-to-date traffic conditions, check the Transportation Management Center's Web site. To see for yourself how the roads look, check out the traffic cameras.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:24 AM | Comment Astor's son, accused of mishandling estate, indictedNEW YORK -- Brooke Astor's only son and his lawyer have been indicted on charges apparently stemming from their handling of the late socialite's $198 million estate, a defense attorney said. Michael S. Ross, attorney for lawyer Francis X. Morrissey Jr., said Monday he received a telephone call from the Manhattan district attorney's office informing him of the indictments against Morrissey and Astor's son, Anthony D. Marshall, 83. "He has been indicted," Ross said about Morrissey. He said the charges had not been unsealed and he didn't know what they were pending a hearing expected today. Morrissey and Marshall, a Broadway producer, had been accused in a civil suit by Marshall's son of misappropriating cash, real estate, securities and other property belonging to the socialite, who died in August at age 105. Marshall's son, Philip, a professor at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., prompted the criminal investigation last year after he accused his father of neglecting Astor's care and stealing her money. He said Monday he did not know his father had been indicted. -- Associated Press A Manhattan grand jury heard testimony for almost a month about the district attorney's investigation of how Marshall and Morrissey managed Astor's estate. Ross said Morrissey was out of town Monday and would return later in the week. He said he thought Marshall would be arraigned today. Marshall's current lawyer, Kenneth Warner, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Monday. Prosecutors declined to comment. Philip Marshall's spokesman, Frazier Seitel, said his client had testified before the grand jury. Seitel said banker David Rockefeller, who had spoken out on behalf of Philip Marshall's side of the dispute, had not. Astor, known for decades as the grande dame of New York society and philanthropy, gave away nearly $200 million to institutions such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall and to other causes. In the final year of her life, the nasty family feud over her care was splashed all over the city's tabloids - including allegations that she was forced to sleep on a couch that smelled of urine while subsisting on a diet of pureed peas and oatmeal. Anthony Marshall is a former diplomat and producer who won Tony awards in 2003 and 2004. He has denied allegations that he abused his mother's trust - saying that he cared about her more than anyone else. In the early 20th century, the Astor family spent many summers at its Beechwood mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, R.I. The building still offers tours and performances featuring actors portraying the Astor family. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:06 AM | Comment Former Mass. DA's wife to remain in jailNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- The wife of the former Bristol County District Attorney has been jailed after a judge found she'd violated her probation on drunken driving charges. Judge William Riley said Sheila Martines Pina, a former Rhode Island television personality, will remain in jail until she can be moved to inpatient hospital for treatment of alcoholism. The hospital stay will last at least six months. During her probation afterward, she must submit to drug and alcohol testing and will be confined to her home for all but six hours daily. The wife of former district attorney Ronald Pina, Martines Pina has three drunken driving convictions. Martines Pina finished serving 150 days for her third conviction on October 23, but was back in jail November 16 after failing to report to probation officials. -- The Associated Press with information from The Herald News Posted by Jack Perry at 9:29 AM | Comment Suspect in three-year-old murder in court todayA man who was 18 years old when he was arrested for murdering a 17-year-old on Elmwood Avenue is scheduled to appear in court today. Marquise Jones is now 21 years old. He is scheduled for a bail hearing today in Providence Superior Court. In March 2005, Jones was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Charlotte, N.C., while taking out the trash at the house of a relative more than three months after the murder of Brian Davis. The police say on Dec. 7, 2004, Davis and two men were driving on Route 95 when they noticed a car driven by men they knew as enemies. The trio exited, but the other car followed, the police said, and shot at the car Davis was in, hitting him in the back of the head. He died two days later. The police say Jones shot out of the car -- which was stolen -- with a handgun. Also wounded in the attack were Davis' companions, Oliver Channing, 19, and Malcolm Pulliam, 29, both of Providence. -- with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:22 AM | Comment Health director discusses wrong-site surgery on radioSometimes, when you are cooking, you get distracted, state Health Director David R. Gifford said this morning on WPRO radio. The phone rings, a baby cries, someone’s at the door. “You forget, and leave an ingredient out,” Gifford said. “’Did I put that in or not?’” That, he said, is an analogous to what happened at Rhode Island Hospital Friday, when a surgeon began to operate on the wrong side of a patient’s head. The surgeon realized the error and completed the procedure in the right spot. It was the third wrong-site surgery at the hospital this year. A patient died a few days after a wrong-site surgery in July. The Health Department fined the hospital $50,000 and state licensing boards for doctors and nurses will investigate whether to take disciplinary action. The hospital will also have to provide the Health Department with a checklist that employees will follow before beginning a procedure. Gifford told the Journal yesterday that the blame probably lies with the hospital’s systems for preventing errors. “Errors occur because things slip through the cracks,” Gifford said this morning. Read the Health Department's compliance order to the hospital after this month's incident. Read the Health Department's compliance order to the hospital after the July 30th incident. -- projo.com writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:56 AM | Comment Reminder: Route 95 detours begin tomorrowJust another reminder, three and five axle trucks that weigh more than 22 tons will find a detour in place on Route 95 in Pawtucket tomorrow. Between exits 27 and 28, trucks will have to follow one of three recommended detours. Trucks bypassing Providence can use Route 295; Trucks going north to Massachusetts can use Route 295 south to Route 146 south. Trucks that need to get off in Pawtucket will have to follow local detours. Detour for trucks driving south on Route 95 Detour for trucks driving north on Route 95 Division Street westbound detour for cars to the George Street exit Car detour to Route 95 north at the closed George Street entrance ramp. Don't worry, we'll remind you again tomorrow. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:42 AM | Comment Ted Kennedy inks deal for memoirNEW YORK -- Senator Edward Kennedy is joining the ranks of politicians with blockbuster book deals. The youngest and last surviving brother of the country's most famous political siblings has sold the rights to his memoirs to the Hachette Book Group. Financial terms aren't being released, but a publishing official says the deal is comparable to ones given to other politicians recently. Hillary Clinton got $8 million dollars for her book, while former British Prime Minister Tony Blair received $9 million for his upcoming memoir. Kennedy, the father of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., has the same agent as Clinton and Blair. The Massachusetts senator says he's been fortunate to have "a front row seat at many key events" in the nation's history. He wants the book to give a "more in-depth picture" of the Kennedys. The autobiography is slated to come out in 2010. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:32 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Are you going green this season?Are you planning to buy any green gifts this Christmas, and if so, where are you finding the best presents in Rhode Island? Are you considering charitable donations in lieu of buying presents, and if so, what motivated that decision? Which organization did you choose, and do you think your gift will be well-received by your loved ones? Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:11 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 95 PawtucketOne lane is closed on Route 95 northbound in Pawtucket after an accident this morning. The right lane is closed near Exit 29/Boradway Cottage Street/Route 1. For updated traffic information, check the Transportation Management Center’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:10 AM | Comment Free holiday parking starts today in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Holiday shoppers have one less thing to worry about when hitting the stores around Providence. The city is resuming its annual tradition of giving free street parking in key shopping neighborhoods. The program starts today and goes through New Year's Day. Motorists in neighborhoods including downtown, Wayland Square, Atwells Avenue and Broad Street will be able to park for free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at metered parking spaces. The city also won't give tickets for parking longer than the posted time in those neighborhoods. The city warns that cars are still not allowed to park in tow zones or crosswalks. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny and warmDon't get too excited. It's near 60 degrees now, but the temperature is falling. The National Weather Service is forecasting 50 degrees by early evening. But the sun is here to stay. And if you get outside soon, look for the moon in the west; bright red Mars is still visible just about 2 degrees below. This evening the skies should remain clear and the temperature will drop to about freezing. Winds should pick up from the west with gusts as high as 23 mph. Tomorrow look for clear, sunny skies and a high temperature in the low 40s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features the story of Rhode Island Hospital's being fined $50,000 after a doctor starting operating on the wrong side of a patient's head, the third wrong-site surgery at the hospital this year. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format.
Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 26, 2007Tonight: The dish on Julia Child, in East ProvidenceHurry over, if you're interested, to hear author/chef Nancy Verde Barr tonight when she will sign copies of her book on Julia Child, who popularized the television chef and brought French cooking to so many. The discussion and book signing is free and will be held at Weaver Library in East Providence at 7 p.m. The book is "Backstage with Julia." Barr, who was a longtime executive chef to Child, will talk about what it was like to work with her on her shows. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Update: Solid start to holiday shopping seasonA lot of Americans spent money shopping during the four-day Thanksgiving period but they each spent a little less than last year, according to data compiled by market researchers, giving retailers a solid yet unconvincing start to the holiday season. While more people were out shopping, they spent less this year than last, an average of $347.55 versus $360.15 each last year, according to a joint survey by BIGresearch and the National Retail Federation. BIGresearch said 44.1 percent of those surveyed shopped over the four-day Thanksgiving period, up from 42.9 percent last year and 41.8 percent in 2005 and the NRF said 147 million people visited stores over the four-day period. The weekend activity was followed by a Monday expected to be one of the busiest online shopping days on record, though final tallies won’t be ready until later this week. “If there was any doubt that the consumers would be out there,” the weekend may have eased those worries, said Paul T. DeRoche, vice president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. “People were out there shopping.” Sales on the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, rose 8.3 percent to an estimated $10.3 billion, according to ShopperTrak RCT Corp. Americans still have a lot of spending to do if they are to eclipse predictions for a conservative retailing holiday, an outlook emphasized by a number of observers. The months of November and December are critical for retailers because, combined, they represent 20 percent of stores’ annual revenue. Today will be just as critical for retailers as the day after Thanksgiving, as one market research firm predicted it would be the largest online shopping day ever. The Monday after Thanksgiving even has its own marketing shorthand -- Cyber Monday -- because online sales spike after the long weekend. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi “Though Black Friday was a complete success for many retailers, the results of the holiday season won’t be determined until the last two weeks of December,” said NRF President Tracy Mullin in a statement. At least one Wall Street stock analyst agrees with Mullin. “We are at the beginning of the 32 days of up-and-down data with [profit] margins at the end of the key pre-Christmas selling days being as or more important than this first weekend,” Gary Balter, a Credit Suisse analyst wrote in a note to investors. While online sales were $531 million on Black Friday, according to ComScore Networks, sales today could surpass $700 million, making it the heaviest online spending day on record. (Actual sales figures won’t be available to later in the week at the earliest.) Spending preferences online are getting more and more like those people exhibit in stores, according to the analysts, as clothing becomes a popular item to hunt and purchase. Nearly half of all who shopped over Thanksgiving, 46.8 percent bought clothing or clothing accessories, while 41.7 percent said they bought books, CDs or other media products, according to the BIGresearch/National Retail Federation survey. Nearly, 26 percent bought consumer electronics or computer-related accessories. Electronics for years had reigned as the top Web search term during the holidays, but no more, according to an analyst with Yahoo! “Apparel is actually our top [search] category the last few years electronics has been a top category,” said Fiona Lake Waslander, director or Yahoo! Shopping, the Web portal. “It points to a broader audience shopping online.” “A lot of retailers are giving 60 to 65 percent off on clothes” sold online, said Kyle Langley, one reason electronics and toys may slip out of the top purchasing categories, Langley said. About 30 percent of consumers will shop today, according to Langley, senior research manager in the retail research group at Maritz. "Online retailers stepped up their promotions on Cyber Monday this year, and millions of consumers responded,” said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, the organization that coined the term. “If there was any doubt before, this year it is certain: Cyber Monday is a permanent fixture on the retail calendar,” Silverman said. Regardless of how much people spend online today, analysts expect the next two Mondays -- Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 -- to be bigger shopping days on the Web, as Americans take advantage of increasing price discounts and speedier shipping systems. Americans will spend about $637 each on holiday shopping, in all, online and elsewhere, according to St. Louis-based Maritz. The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $470.10 each on gifts this year and forecasts holiday shopping sales will rise 4 percent overall, to $474.4 billion. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Traffic alert: Two accidents causing delaysIn Providence, an accident on Route 146 north in the area where it meets Branch Avenue this evening is causing traffic delays, the state Transportation Management Center cautions. In Pawtucket, an accident in the area of exit 29 on Route 95 north is causing delays as well, the TMC reports. That is the Broadway/Cottage Street exit. Check the status of the accidents and browse Webcam views of area highways at the TMC's Web site. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:34 PM | Comment Man who died after truck rollover in Exeter is identifiedThe Connecticut man who died Tuesday after his pickup truck rolled over in Exeter has been identified as George A. White, 53, of Andover, Conn., and the cause of death was a heart problem, authorities said. A spokeswoman at the Medical Examiner’s office said today that the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia complicating arterial sclerotic hypertensive cardiovascular disease. State Police Capt. James Swanberg said today that alcohol was not a factor in the accident last Tuesday on Exeter Road, about half a mile from Route 2. He was not wearing a seatbelt. Rescue workers freed the unconscious man from the truck and took him to South County Hospital, where he was declared dead. He is survived by his parents, Frank Allen and Marion Theresa (Gagne) White of East Hartford, three sisters in Connecticut and six nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. from the Newkirk & Whitney Funeral Home, 318 East Hartford, Conn., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Rose Church, 33 Church St., East Hartford and burial in Silver Lane Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made in his name to the Arthritis Foundation, Connecticut Chapter, 35 Cold Springs Road, Suite 411, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3611 or Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center, c/o Hartford Hospital, Fund Development Office, 80 Seymour St. P.O. Box 5037, Hartford, CT, 06102-5037. -- Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment Providence taking a break on OT parking violationsPROVIDENCE -- In parts of the city this holiday season, people will catch a break from the bain of the parking meter: Overtime violations. Starting tomorrow and running through Jan. 1, no tickets for violations will be given at metered parking spaces or parking spaces with time limits, Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in these areas: * Downtown Providence -- bounded by Steeple Street, west to Route 95; Route 95 south to Route 195; Route 195 east to Point Street; Point Street to Wickenden Street; north on South Main to North Main Street at Steeple Street. Cars busting the time limits before the 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. cycle will be subject to ticketing. Mayor David N. Cicilline's office today announced the easing of ticketing for the holidays "aimed at making it easier for people to enjoy the excitement of Providence." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:52 PM | Comment Another R.I. Hospital doctor operates on the wrong sideA doctor at Rhode Island Hospital operated on the wrong side of a patient’s head on Friday, barely four months after a similar incident at the same hospital. The Health Department today fined the hospital $50,000, noting that this was third wrong-site surgery at the hospital this year, and the fourth in six years -- all involving neurosurgery. Friday’s surgery occurred at a patient’s bedside. The chief resident performed a procedure to remove blood that had pooled between the patient’s brain and skull on the left side. The resident, a doctor-in-training, began drilling a hole on the wrong side, realized the error, and completed the procedure on the correct side, the left. The hospital notified the Health Department on Friday, and a Health Department investigation determined that no staff member present during the procedure verified the site as dictated by hospital policy. “The repeated nature of these events suggests a system and culture problem with patient safety that needs to be addressed,” said a Health Department statement. The department ordered the hospital to have a fully licensed physician attend every neurosurgical procedure from beginning to end, and to require the operating physician to complete a checklist before starting. Read the Health Department's compliance order stemming from the incident. The previous incident, which occurred July 30, involved an emergency procedure in an operating room. An 86-year-old patient arrived at the hospital emergency room three days after a fall, and was found to have blood between his brain and skull. Neurosurgeon J. Frederick Harrington didn’t check the CT scans to see which side to work on, and instead relied on his memory. Harrington drilled into the wrong side of the patient’s head, realized his error, and immediately operated on the correct side. The patient died a week later. Read the Health Department's compliance order stemming from this incident. -- Journal medical writer Felice J. Freyer Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:47 PM | Comment Suspect sought in afternoon Pawtucket bank robberyPAWTUCKET -- The police are seeking a man who robbed a Sovereign Bank on Main Street this afternoon after handing a teller a note that referred to a weapon and demanded money. The suspect is described as a white male, about 25 to 30 years old, 5-foot-8 to 6-feet tall, wearing a baseball cap with a logo on the front, glasses, and a dark jacket, according to a Pawtucket police news release. The suspect went into the the bank at 215 Main St. at about 2:40 p.m. and gave the teller a note. The police ask that anyone with information related to the robbery or identification of the suspect call Detective Donti Rosciti at (401) 727-9100, ext. 737. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:30 PM | Comment Three lead paint makers object to $2.4 billion cleanupPROVIDENCE -- Three former lead paint manufacturers are objecting to a proposal by the state that would force them to pay an estimated $2.4 billion to clean up roughly 240,000 homes contaminated with lead paint. The companies last year lost a public nuisance lawsuit brought by the state. But they say the state's proposal has serious legal problems and are asking a judge to strike it down. For instance, the companies say they don't have the authority to access properties contaminated with lead paint. They also say the clean-up plan can't cover individual homes since no evidence on specific properties was presented at trial. Jack McConnell, an attorney for the state, says the companies' arguments have already been rejected. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Ex-bank manager faces sentencing in electronics scamA former Bank Rhode Island branch manager faces prison time for his part in a 2005 scam that put the Providence-based bank on the hook for more than $3 million in losses and left electronics distributors and others out millions more. A federal judge will sentence David Carpenter, 34, of Cranston, in April as a result of a guilty plea the former bank official made last week in federal court in Providence. During a hearing Wednesday before Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court, acknowledged that he accepted a bribe in exchange for helping defraud the bank of nearly $1 million -- the amount the bank lost before the fraud was discovered. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence called the job "significant motivation" for Carpenter's actions, while Carpenter's lawyer described him as being conned himself in a scheme that bilked nearly $15 million from people nationwide. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi The deposit letters assured other companies that Mixitforme.com had enough money in its accounts to pay for the goods it ordered from them. Banks issue letters of credit that serve as guarantees for payment to a specified person under pre-set conditions. With those documents in hand, the people who headed Mixitforme persuaded a California firm to ship consumer electronics products worth nearly $1.5 million either to the Providence company or directly to its customers. Carpenter went to work for Mixitforme in early November 2005 as its chief financial officer, a job that was to pay him $120,000 a year. The salary was about twice what he made as a bank branch manager, according to Jeffrey Pine, Carpenter’s lawyer. Bank Rhode Island officials learned of the unauthorized documents within days of Carpenter’s departure when eCost.com., of Torrance, Calif., wanted to get paid for the electronic gadgets it had shipped out, said Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney here. “A significant motivation was his desire to work for Mixitforme,” Connell said. The bank was forced to pay $1.5 million to eCost because of the financial commitments, though Bank Rhode Island later recovered $545,000 from Mixitforme. In a statement e-mailed to The Journal last week, the bank said it recovered $800,000 from an insurer, enough to cover some of the loss resulting from the incident. Carpenter has greed to pay the bank $945,605 as a result of a deal he made with federal authorities, according to federal court documents. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond and ordered him to remain in Rhode Island or Southeastern New England, unless he’s granted permission to travel elsewhere by a probation officer. Pine, his lawyer, portrayed Carpenter as an unwitting participant in a scheme that bilked nearly $15 million from people across the country. “His situation is very different from the other two individuals,” Pine said today, a reference to the two men who created Mixitforme.com. “He himself was conned. Carpenter, a husband and father of two, has another job, Pine said, but the lawyer refused to disclose where his client is employed. Carpenter is cooperating with federal authorities, Pine said, in their investigation into Mixitforme and the related activity of two men, Cory Johnson, of Warwick, and a second man, whose identity law enforcement officials have yet to clearly identify. Johnson was the owner of Mixitforme.com, which had an office at 275 Westminster St. The company imploded in early 2006 after law-enforcement officials raided its offices at 275 Westminster St. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Service, state and Providence police seized business records and computer equipment during the raid in March 2006. A related business, Biggles Toys, also shut down as a result of the raid. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:54 PM | Comment Providence second-grader contracts MRSAPROVIDENCE -- A second-grade student at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School has contracted a drug-resistant staph bacteria called MRSA. Two weeks ago, a city school bus monitor was stricken with the so-called “superbug.” School spokeswoman Kim Rose said today that a parent informed the school this morning that her daughter had contracted the infection, known as methicillin-resistent staphylococcus aureus. The child was in class for less than 10 minutes before her parents took her home, and the Wickenden Street school temporarily moved her classmates while the original classroom was disinfected. Rose said that Vartan Gregorian parents are being sent a letter from the school department today, informing them of the incident. An automated phone message will inform parents of the situation tonight. Rose said that the child will be allowed back in the classroom as long as the wound is covered and her doctor has indicated that it is OK for her to return to school. No additional precautions are necessary, Rose said, because MRSA is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact and contact with infected surfaces. Covering the cuts or lesions greatly reduces the risks of surfaces becoming contaminated with the infection. No one knows how many cases of MRSA have occurred in Rhode Island’s public schools because the state Department of Health does not require that the infection be reported. But Andrea Bagnall Degoss, a health department spokeswoman, said the infection is so common that this is probably not the first case in the state’s public school system. “It is serious,” she said today, “but it also can be treated and it can be prevented by using good personal hygiene. Students don’t need to stay out of school.” -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg The health department is working with the state Department of Education to educate school maintenance staff about what procedures should be followed when a case of MRSA is reported. The Providence School Department asks that parents contact the school if their child has contracted the infection. On Nov. 10, a bus monitor, who had a rash on her leg, notified the school department that she had become infected with MRSA, and the bus was sanitized. And last month, seven inmates from the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, contracted the infection. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:41 PM | Comment TPI Composites, in R.I., plans Iowa wind turbine factoryNEWTON, Iowa -- A Rhode Island company has announced plans to build a factory in Newton, Iowa, and employ 500 workers over the next three years. TPI Composites Inc. will begin construction next week on a 316,000-square-foot wind turbine blade factory. The plant will make blades for General Electric Energy's 15-megawatt wind turbines. GE Energy says it has 6,500 of the turbines installed, making it 1 of the most popular units used today. TPI chief executive Steven Lockard says the company's facility on 33 acres near a new biodiesel plant in Newton will make turbine blades up to 150 feet long and weighing up to 20,000 pounds. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:57 PM | Comment Holiday shopping, the old-fashioned way / Photo
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:54 PM | Comment Coast Guard tows Fall River boat out of storm's pathThe Coast Guard is towing a disabled Fall River, Mass., fishing boat with six people aboard to get it out of the path of an approaching storm. The McKinley, a 94-foot lobster boat, was about 125 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass., a Coast Guard news release said this afternoon. The vessel contacted Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England around 10:20 last night -- after the vessel's engines failed -- and asked for assistance because of the upcoming storm. The Coast Guard sent a request by marine radio for vessels in the area to assist the McKinley, but none responded. With a gale warning in effect, the National Weather Service forecasts 30 to 40-knot winds with seas reaching 14 to 19 feet tonight. Coast Guard shore units are issuing safety broadcasts via VHF/FM radio to inform mariners of the approaching storm. Additionally, an HU-25 Falcon jet from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is providing storm information to off-shore mariners. A Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma boarding team, out of Kittery, Maine, boarded the McKinley to do a safety inspection and to help the crew with repairs. The cutter's crew was unable to quickly repair the engines, and the cutter is now towing the McKinley. "With the upcoming severe weather, the McKinley did the best thing by calling the Coast Guard for assistance," Lt. Andrew Madjeska, a search and rescue controller with the Coast Guard in Boston, said in the statement. "The ocean can be a very unforgiving place when the weather gets that severe." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:47 PM | Comment Student arrested after handgun found at Hope highPROVIDENCE — The police arrested a Hope High School student last week after school officials found a loaded handgun in his locker. According to the police, the officer on duty at the high school received information from an anonymous source that several students had brought handguns to school. After finding out the names of the students involved, the police contacted Principal Arthur Petrosinelli, one of three principals at the school, and asked him if the students were in school. Petronsinelli told the police that two of the youths were present and that one of the vice principals would conduct a search of the lockers of the students in question. During the search, Vice Principal Robert Dimuccio found a fully loaded silver handgun and a small silver pocket knife in the pocket of the suspect’s coat. The police, accompanied by high school administrators, went to the student’s classroom, handcuffed him and escorted him to the student referral office. After informing the student of his rights, the student confirmed that the gun was his and said he brought it to school for protection from a fellow Hope student. The suspect was taken to the police station and charged with possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun on school grounds. He was held at the Rhode Island Training Center until the next session of Family Court. The student’s name was not released by the police because he is a minor. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:12 PM | Comment Man charged with buying booze for teens at Bristol partyA 21-year-old Warren man was arrested and charged with buying alcohol for a minor after a teenager at a Bristol house party identified him to police. Kevin Toste on Friday pleaded not guilty in Providence District Court and was released on $1,000 personal recognizance. More than two dozen La Salle Academy students were suspended for attending the party. According to a Warren police report, the 17-year-old host of the party, who turned 18 at midnight, told the Bristol police that she had asked Toste to buy alcohol for the party. -- Brandie M. Jefferson with Journal archive reports She went to Toste’s house, according to the report, gave him $85 and waited at his house until he returned with the alcohol. According to the report, when Toste returned, he put the alcohol in the teenager's car. Police arrived at the party, on Nov. 11, at 11 p.m. after neighbors complained of noise at the house. When they arrived at the house on Mulberry Road, in Bristol, officers said they found teenagers with alcohol. The 17-year-old who lived in the house was arrested and charged with underage possession of alcohol before she turned 21. That’s when, according to the Warren police report, she told authorities that Toste bought the alcohol. Bristol police contacted Warren police, who contacted Toste. According to the report, Toste said he knew 17-year-old was under age. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 3. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:53 PM | Comment 2nd trial set for January in murder of teacher's aideWARWICK -- A new trial date of Jan. 7 has been set for James Richardson, the 40-year-old Cranston man accused of murdering Margaret Duffy-Stephenson in her Warwick home in November 2005. Richardson's first trial for first-degree murder, which lasted a month, ended on June 27 in a mistrial when a Superior Court jury was unable to reach a verdict. The new trial will be in the Kent County Court House, Superior Court, as was the first trial. Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. will again hear the case. Lawyers from the public defender's office and the attorney general's office have been meeting for the past few months at Kent County Court House for status conferences to decide upon a new trial date, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the attorney general’s office. Richardson is accused of fatally stabbing Duffy-Stephenson, 37, in her home and stealing $11,000 from a locked safe. She was a teacher's aide in East Greenwich for special-needs students. Richardson worked for a landscaping business operated by Duffy-Stephenson's husband, James O. Stephenson III. In Richardson's first trial, the jury deliberated for 3½ days, considering testimony by more than 20 witnesses and scores of evidence. On June 27, they told Darigan that they could not agree on a verdict on the charges of first-degree murder and burglary. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:37 PM | Comment Update: Stabbing-death case sent to Superior CourtWARWICK -- A Superior Court judge will hear the case of a man charged earlier this month with the stabbing death of a 66-year-old man over a debt. Judge Elaine T. Bucci decided this morning in District Court, Warwick, to transfer the matter to Superior Court. Robert E. Payette, 45, of West Warwick, arrested on Nov. 11 on a charge of first-degree murder, was scheduled for a bail hearing today in District Court. Payette did not appear this morning. He remains at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, without bail. Police said they found the body of Ronald Dufour, allegedly stabbed by Payette, in a ravine that leads to the Pawtuxet River. Police say Dufour was stabbed several times after a dispute concerning a small debt that he owed Payette. -- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:17 PM | Comment Downed wire causing outages on East SidePROVIDENCE -- About 210 National Grid customers on the city's East Side are currently without power, down from about 2,180 customers at 11:30 a.m., after a wire came down from a pole on Gano Street, National Grid spokesman David Graves said. The downed wire had knocked out service to portions of Fox Point and the East Side. It looks as though 60 to 70 customers in the immediate area of the affected pole/wire are expected to be without service for about three hours. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:11 PM | Comment State EDC will name first recipients of new tax creditPROVIDENCE -- The state Economic Development Corporation will name the first recipients of a new tax credit today, giving out as much as $600,000 in credits to companies that have promised to create high-wage jobs. The initiative, announced in June, offers up to $100,000 to investors who bet on small companies in so-called innovation-based industries. Those include biotech, information technology, financial services, marine and defense manufacturing and several others. The first six applicants are Bionica Corporation, Lighthouse Security Group, Ocean State Solutions, Providence Health Solutions, Public Display and Tizra, according to state records. The EDC board will review the applications today at 4 p.m. at 315 Iron Horse Way, off Valley Street. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:28 PM | Comment Reed: Checks and balances needed on presidentPROVIDENCE -- This morning, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed decried President Bush’s attempts to “disrupt the balance of powers” between the three branches of government, telling a lawyers' group that the president is using “dubious constitutional theories” to exert his authority unchecked by Congress. Bush “has taken the notion of separation of powers, which I think is an idea that has proved its worth over several centuries, and tried to eviscerate it,” Reed said as he and fellow Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse spoke to the Federal Bar Association’s Rhode Island chapter during a breakfast meeting at the Providence Biltmore Hotel. After three administrations and 16 years in Washington, D.C., Reed said he is struck by the various means that Bush, a Republican, has used to extend his authority. Since 2001, Bush has used 152 “signing statements” to reserve the right to ignore or reinterpret measures that he has signed into law, Reed said. Also, Bush has used executive orders and legal opinions to assert his power, and he has ignored “bona fide” requests from Congress for information, he said. “All of these I think raise the serious question of where is the executive going,” Reed said. “I believe that we need serious checks and balances on the president. I think it’s not only just to demonstrate the prerogative of the Congress, but also it provides, I think, for much better government.” Reed said he hopes that members of the administration are beginning to realize that congressional oversight can be a help and not a hindrance. “One of the sad facts of the whole operation in Iraq is that there was no serious congressional review of the any of the plans for occupation,” Reed said. “The Congress -- the Republican Congress -- was simply supine. And as a result, there was no plan.” -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:17 PM | Comment Shopping this CyberMonday? Wait until laterWhile CyberMonday may be more of a marketing term than a reality, there's no doubt that some will take to the keyboard today for holiday shopping. If you're among those planning to do so, you might want to wait until after lunch. Research shows that the online sales spike at midday, when many workers are on break. Heavy traffic to a site could slow service. Or not. But this writer finds the best bet for any online work requiring responses could be the middle of the night, when, with luck, at least the East Coast is asleep. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:05 PM | Comment Free flu clinics will test emergency systemLincoln, North Kingstown and West Warwick will hold influenza clinics this week and next to test methods for administering vaccinations in an emergency. The clinics are designed as tests of the Emergency Vaccination Dispensing Systems, while offering free vaccinations to the public. Each town has developed a “Point of Dispensing” plan that involves security, staffing, communications and accommodations for people with special needs while at the same time efficiently dispensing vaccines. “These clinics provide an excellent opportunity,” state Director of Health David Gifford said in a statement, “not only to vaccinate people against flu this season, but to test how things might run if we needed to vaccinate many people quickly, in their own city or town, during a flu pandemic or other public health emergency.” The North Kingstown clinic will run Wednesday at North Kingstown High School from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Lincoln clinic will run Sat., Dec. 1 at Lincoln High School from 9 a.m. to noon. The West Warwick clinic will run Dec. 4 at the West Warwick Teen Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants need a photo ID and health insurance information if applicable. Participants younger than 18 will need to bring a guardian. For more information, click below. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson If you cannot make one of the clinics, visit your primary care physician or call the Department of Health’s flu hot line at 800-555-7858. An operator will help callers find a place to get a vaccination. The Department of Health also has these recommendations to prevent the spread of the flu virus; they are good practice all year long: Wash your hands often with soap and water. Teach children the same healthy habits. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze. Use a tissue or your arm -- not your hands. Throw away used tissues right away. If you are sick, stay home from work, school, childcare and errands. Stay away from people who are sick. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:07 AM | Comment Smooth holiday travel? Not todayATLANTA -- Articles last week about painless holiday travel seemed too good to be true; and maybe they were. Rain and fog in the East have been delaying some passengers today as they head home following a Thanksgiving weekend of turkey, football and holiday shopping. The longest delays have been at New York's LaGuardia airport, where AirTran Airways has had delays of up to three hours for departing flights. At T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, a few flights are listed as canceled as of 11 a.m. today. An AirTran spokesman says flights out of Philadelphia have been backed up by nearly two hours. And Delta Air Lines is expecting delays in the Northeast, especially in Boston and New York. Delays were also being reported in Atlanta, where last night rain and fog delayed some incoming flights more than two hours. In Chicago, rain and fog have been causing minor delays at O'Hare Airport, threatening to cause problems for travelers during one of the airport's busiest days of the season. -- The Associated Press with projo.com reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:57 AM | Comment Man accused of setting his house afire due in courtA Charlestown man accused of setting his house on fire, fleeing the scene, and resisting arrest upon returning to his burning home is due to be arraigned today in Washington County Superior Court. More than 50 firefighters responded to the July 3 fire where they find the single-story brick house engulfed. Police Lt. Jack Shippee said witnesses reported hearing arguing before the fire, and possibly "a threat to burn the house down." As firefighters worked on the blaze, Shippee said, Perkins drove back to the house and appeared intoxicated. When officers tried to get him out of the car, Shippee said, Perkins allegedly put it into reverse, striking an officer. He faces two felony charges: first degree arson and assault. Perkins was also charged with resisting arrest. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:53 AM | Comment Gas prices unchanged after five-week riseAfter increasing for five straight weeks, gasoline prices in Rhode Island were unchanged last week, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is still $3.079 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. That's 40 cents more than drivers were paying six weeks ago. Rhode Islanders are paying one cent less than the national average of $3.089. AAA found a range of 16 cents between the lowest and highest prices, $3.039 to $3.199, in its survey. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:40 AM | Comment 2nd man faces murder charge in double shootingThe second of two men accused of killing a woman and shooting another who threatened to implicate one of them in a drug case is due in court today. In the summer of 2006, 24-year-old Jessica Imran was killed in her Pawtucket apartment. Police say Alonzo P. Shelton and his nephew, Barry Offley, of Woonsocket, killed her while looking for Julie Lang. Shelton, of Central Falls, was convicted in May of this year in Imran’s murder. He was sentenced to 72 years. Offley’s trial is scheduled to begin this morning in Superior Court, Providence. -- With Journal archive reports Both men were arrested in Florida last year. Lang was also shot, but she survived and testified that the two men wanted to kill her because she would not take the blame for a drug possession charge. In Shelton’s trial, Lang testified that she wanted Shelton to confess that the crack cocaine found in her bag when her car was stopped by police belonged to him. Shelton, who was on probation, refused to do so. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:28 AM | Comment Suspect in West End murder goes to courtThe trial for a 28-year-old Elmhurst-area man accused of murder is scheduled to begin today in Superior Court, Providence. Police say Tracey Barros killed Deivy Jose Felipe, a West End man who was found dead at the wheel of his car in April 2005. Felipe had been shot several times, according to a police report. At the time of Barros’ arrest in late December, 2005, Providence police Maj. Stephen Campbell said Felipe and Barros were involved in “a drug transaction that had gone bad.” Barros faces the murder charge, as well as a charge of carrying an unlicensed pistol, and two counts of violating the terms of previous suspended sentenced. -- with Journal staff reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:04 AM | Comment Another excuse to shop?NEW YORK -- Online retailers expect that people booting up their work computers after a long weekend might be doing some Internet shopping. The National Retail Federation labels the Monday after Thanksgiving "Cyber Monday" and a number of e-tailers are hosting one-day sales or making special offers for the occasion. More are offering free shipping this year with no conditions, such as a minimum purchase. According to a press release, the retail organization coined the term after noticing a trend in online shopping that begins the Monday after Thanksgiving. Early estimates are that online sales got off to a rousing start on Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Forrester Research expects Americans to spend $33 billion dollars online during the holidays this year. Another research firm, ShopperTrak, says overall retail sales Friday and Saturday combined were up more than seven percent from the same two-day period a year ago. -- The Associated Press, with Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:40 AM | Comment Connecticut going high-tech with dam safetyHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- If a major rain storm soaks Connecticut, Wes Marsh will soon know with a click of a mouse or a text message on his cell phone whether any of the 234 dams owned by the Department of Environmental Protection are in trouble. After spending 26 years with the state's dam safety division, often trekking through the woods and climbing around dams to look for problems, Marsh will be able to use a new high-tech system to help him quickly identify which dams pose the greatest public safety threat. "There's actual alarms that will be tripped when rainfall amounts or stream fall are exceeded," Marsh said. "You will know what dams will not need to be looked at." Connecticut is the first state in the country to use DamWatch, a system invented by USEngineering Solutions Corp. in Hartford, to monitor the DEP-owned dams. The system is expected to be fully operation by early 2008. A 2005 investigation by The Associated Press found many dams in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were not inspected as often as they should have been, and some went years without repairs. In many cases, private owners were reluctant to shoulder repair costs or couldn't afford to. In others, the government was unable to act or unwilling to spend the money. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:03 AM | Comment New gun-tracing technology demo todayPROVIDENCE -- It sounds like something out of Blade Runner. But a new technology that allows the police to link a bullet casing to the exact gun from which it was fired will be demonstrated to the media today. Known as microstamping, it can trace a bullet casing to the make, model and serial number of the weapon, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office said in a news release. Cicilline, Rhode Island congressmen, state lawmakers, Providence Police Chief Dean M. Esserman and other law enforcement representatives will join forensic experts for the demonstration scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Providence Public Safety Complex, 325 Washington St. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 AM | Comment Guard members to leave for AfghanistanCRANSTON -- Sixteen members of the Rhode Island Army National Guard will be deploying to Afghanistan to help train Afghani soldiers on combat infantry tactics. They'll be honored in a ceremony tonight at Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich and will head out tomorrow. Nearly 140 members of a military police company are currently in Iraq. An additional 175 members of an artillery brigade are training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, and are preparing to deploy for Iraq. Most of the Guardsmen deploying to Afghanistan next week have been previously sent to either that country or to Iraq. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Heavy rain with a chance for floodingThe weather's not just gloomy, it could be hazardous. That's according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a hazardous weather watch, warning of heavy rains and spot flooding throughout the day. Temperatures should reach the high 40s, and in all, we could see two inches of rain. The temperature should hold in the high 40s overnight; rain is expected to continue accompanied by fog and southwest winds that may gust up to 35 mph. Tomorrow will bring cloudy skies and a chance of rain in the morning, but the clouds may roll out, giving way to a sunny afternoon with a high temperature in the mid 50s. The temperature will drop in the afternoon, however, into the 40s with west winds gusting up to 30 mph. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Download today's front pageThe 14-year-old who died at a Providence Bruins hockey game and a story about the long drive home are featured on today's front page. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:54 AM | Comment November 23, 2007Update: Central Falls celebration turns into arrest festCENTRAL FALLS -- On Thursday, friends and family gathered in the three-family house at 161 Lincoln Ave. for what was supposed to be a combined Thanksgiving feast and celebration of Yahaira Ramos’s 18th birthday. Before it was over, officers from five different police departments had to be called, and one teenager and six adults were arrested, including the young woman marking her birthday, on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to simple assault. Police Chief Col. Joseph P. Moran III said the celebration turned into a disturbance when partygoers defied police, spilling out into the street and refusing to disperse when they were told the party as over. No one was seriously hurt, Moran said, but one man was taken to the hospital after being subdued with pepper spray. No shots were fired, but a police officer pulled his firearm after a pit bull was unleashed, Moran said. “The pit bull (came) out of a room, I guess, and one of the officers took his weapon out to… provide safety for himself and the other officers,” Moran told reporters. “And (he) ended up putting his gun back in his holster once the pit bull was restrained.” A crowd of about 40 people gathered at the party, which took place in the third-floor apartment and drew people from all three floors. Police said that, when they asked the party’s organizers around 9:20 p.m. to keep the noise down, Maritza Sierra, 20, and Luis Rodriguez, 19, agreed. But things got ugly 30 minutes later, when the police returned to 161 Lincoln Ave. after complaints that the party had gotten noisier and people were spilling out into the street. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci At that point, the police said, Sierra and Rodriguez agreed to end the party, but the partygoers refused to leave. As police were trying to disperse the crowd, a teenage boy began shouting profanities and confronting one of the officers. The officers tried to arrest the boy. He shouted an obscenity and ran into the second-floor apartment. Three officers followed the boy inside, where about 20 angry partygoers gathered and two men, Juan Ramos, 59, and Victor Medina, 27, tried to block the police from making the arrest. Another man, Luis Ramos, 19, shoved one of the police officers. Harold Diaz, 22, stormed into living room shouting and charged the police officers. He was pepper-sprayed, the police said. At that point, the pit bull was let loose, the gun was drawn, and the police radioed for assistance. Another burst of pepper spray was unleashed so they could get out of the apartment, the police said. Outside, Yahaira Ramos struck a police officer in the chest and tried to flee, the police said, when they tried to arrest her. Ramon Lopez, 24, tried to stop police from putting Yahaira Ramos in a police cruiser and struck the police officer who tried to restrain him, the police said. Diaz, who was pepper-sprayed, was taken to Memorial Hospital after being issued a summons for disorderly conducted. The teenage boy, who was released in the custody of his mother, was also charged with disorderly conduct. Everyone else was arrested: Juan Ramos and Victor Medina on charges of obstructing a police officer and disorderly conduct; Luis Ramos on charges of obstructing a police officer and assault; Ramon Lopez and Yahaira Ramos on charges of assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:52 PM | Comment Tonight: From Christmas carols to rock and bluesThere are still some tickets available to tonight's 8 p.m. performance of A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep. in Providence. The production runs through Dec. 30. Check the schedule of performances. For sports fans, the Boston Celtics play tonight. The Baby Bruins play Portland tonight in Providence, at 7:05 p.m. (The Big B's already took to the ice today, beating the Islanders 2-1.) And for others, there are the staples of any Friday evening: Tunes. Black & White featuring Gary "Guitar" Gramolini play rhythm and blues at American Legion Post 10, 830 Willett Ave., Riverside. Call 433-9859. 9 p.m. Steve Burke plays jazz at Li'l Bear Lounge, 983 Main Rd., Tiverton. Call 624-9164. 5 to 9 p.m. Mary Ellen Casey plays folk at Christmas in the Barn, 30 Middle Rd., East Greenwich. 6 to 9 pm. It's a benefit for the Tomorrow Fund. Roger Ceresi's All Starz play rhythm and blues at Narragansett Cafe, 25 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown. Call 423-2150. 9 p.m. to 1 am. No cover. Deer Tick, Wrong Reasons, Brown Bird and Chris Fullerton play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. Hollywood U2 plays a tribute to Irish rockers U2 at Twin River, Lighthouse Bar, 100 Twin River Rd., Lincoln. 723-3200, Call (800) 720-7275, www.twinriver.com. 9 p.m. No cover. 18+. In the Groove plays rhythm and blues at Newport Blues Cafe, 286 Thames St., Newport. 841-5510, www.newportblues.com. 9 pm. $10. Check out the Journal's club listings for more shows tonight. And find more events and movie listings for the weekend on our calendar. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Photo: Scooping up scones at Block Island stroll
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:10 PM | Comment Update: Buying local could make or break the tree
Higher gas prices are leading to costlier Christmas trees, and weather changes may affect their needles, the Associated Press reported today. But a Rhode Island Christmas tree farm co-owner who heads the state Christmas tree growers association said if people buy trees grown locally, they shouldn't be much affected by higher prices and shedding predicted for trees from out of state. Instead, Jane Durning said Rhode Island's wet spring should have a positive effect. "The wet spring we had ... was actually very good for the Christmas trees that are saleable this year," said Durning, president of the Rhode Island Christmas Tree Growers Association. She added: "If consumers go out [to buy trees grown locally] they are going to find gorgeous Christmas trees now. If they go to some place where they bought those trees from out of state, those are going to be dry and suffer some issues from the drought season." By buying locally, she added, "It's going to save the farm and you know you are getting the freshest product you can possibly get." The manager of the self-proclaimed biggest Christmas tree auction in the country, in Pennsylvania, says buyers should prepare to pay a bit more this year. Fuel costs drove prices up about 10 percent over last year for the nearly 40,000 trees sold Tuesday at the auction. The trees may cost more, but auction officials say you can also expect more shedding of needles due to the extended and dry fall season. The National Christmas Tree Association says Americans purchased nearly 29 million Christmas trees last year. That's down from about 33 million in 2005. For a look at some of the Christmas tree farms in Rhode Island, visit the Rhode Island Christmas Tree Growers Association Web site. You'll also find tips there for selecting and caring for a tree, plus a history of Christmas trees. (And see if you can guess the name of the song that plays when you open the Web site's home page.) -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:57 PM | Comment Barry official as QDC's director of financeNORTH KINGSTOWN -- The major changes in leadership at the agency that runs the state-owned Quonset Business Park are continuing. At its last meeting, on Nov. 19, the Quonset Development Corporation board appointed Kevin M. Barry as director of finance. Barry, an 11-year employee, most recently held the title of controller. Barry is replacing Mary Lake, who resigned on Sept. 1, according to QDC spokeswoman Dyana Koelsch. He has been serving as Lake's interim replacement. "I was pleased with what some of the board members had to say," Barry said after the recent board meeting. "I'm able to keep doing what I've been doing." The EDC hired Barry in 1996 as the facility controller at Quonset, a 3,000-acre former Navy base in North Kingstown that is now used by the state to attract new businesses to Rhode Island and to promote job growth at local companies. In July, Saul Kaplan, the head of the state Economic Development Corporation and chairman of the Quonset board, dismissed Quonset's chief executive officer, W. Geoffrey Grout. He appointed chief operating officer Steven J. King as the interim CEO. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment Central Falls councilor, accused of sex assault, quitsCENTRAL FALLS -- A week after saying he wouldn’t resign, the City Council member accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy stepped down today, declaring that his presence was distracting the council from important business work. Ward 4 City Councilor Luis A. Gil, who had adamantly refused to resign, changed his mind after Monday night’s council meeting, where coverage by news media focused on the fact that he didn’t show up, his lawyer, Richard Corley said. Gil maintains his innocence and his decision to resign no has bearing on the criminal case, Corley said. “He’ll have his day in court and no one should rush to judgment.” City Council President William Benson Jr. said that Gil is doing the right thing, but should have done it sooner. When Gil, 45, was arrested two weeks ago on a third-degree sexual assault charge, Mayor Charles Moreau called upon him to resign, and Benson supported the mayor in that call. As long as Gil remained in office, there was the risk the council would be tarnished by the allegations against him, Benson said. The allegations arose Nov. 12, when Gil, a well-known Latino radio personality, was found by Providence Police with a 15-year-old boy in his car on lover’s lane near the Henderson Bridge.
The boy, who had a bruise on his neck he said Gil gave him, was in the back seat buttoning his jeans and trying to put his shirt on, the police said. Gil, who was the boy’s soccer coach, was in the driver’s seat with his pants pulled down below his knees, according to the police. Gil said in his letter of resignation, “We live in the best country in the world, where those accused of crimes, like myself, have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.” “I look forward to my day in court,” Gil wrote. He closed by wishing his colleagues on the council “the very best." Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:44 PM | Comment Update: R.I. man., rescued from burning car, criticalA Rhode Island man rescued from a burning car early Thanksgiving morning in Attleboro, Mass., suffered burns and is in critical condition today at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Shortly after 4:40 a.m. yesterday, Dominateur Bernier, 43, was rescued when a man on Carrier Avenue, in the southern section of Attleboro, heard an engine racing. The resident went outside and saw the stationary car smoking from the front, according to the Attleboro police. The man went back inside, got his uncle, and they worked to extinguish the fire and rescued the man from the car, which was engulfed in flames, according to police reports, Attleboro police Sgt. James Keane said. The man and his uncle called Attleboro police and firefighters, Keane said. A check of public records lists Bernier's most recent address as Central Falls, as does a report on the rescue in today's Attleboro Sun Chronicle. Keane said today that a police report listed Bernier as being from Cumberland. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:23 PM | Comment Update: Gift of giving warms body and soul / Photo
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Al Moquin, 91, of Pawtucket, gets help from volunteers during the Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket's Warm a Heart Buy Nothing Coat Day at the Pawtucket Visitor's Center. "If a storm comes up, I am all set," said Al.PROVIDENCE -- Hundreds of Rhode Islanders celebrated Buy Nothing Day by donating and receiving winter coats at the 11th annual Buy Nothing Coat Exchange held on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, the coat exchange was held in four venues around the state, in Newport, Wakefield, Pawtucket and in downtown Providence on the South Lawn of the State House in the shadow of the Providence Place mall, which was filled with holiday shoppers. The coat exchange was the largest in the 11 years it has been run at the State House lawn, said Greg Gerritt, co-founder and organizer of the event. This year more than 60 community organizations, churches, and other agencies, including the state police contributed coats and volunteered to help distribute them. Well over 1,000 coats were given to the needy by volunteers who dropped off coats. Some people stopped in their cars and handed coats out car windows to waiting volunteers. Hundreds who cannot afford winter coats lined up for them. Particularly popular were coats for children. "Thank God for places like this," said Heather Vieira, who is unemployed, said she is living in an East Providence shelter, with two children ages 5 and 3. Buy Nothing Day is recognized by community and activist groups around the world. The Rhode Island Green Party sponsored the first observance in the Ocean State. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:35 PM | Comment A few mountains get early start on ski seasonAlthough mild weather ushered in Thanksgiving, many New Englanders may have colder climes on their minds. Ski enthusiasts know that some of the region's resorts are already open this weekend. While they are largely dependent on snowmaking this time of year, a few mountains from Maine to Massachusetts say they have slopes open for business. Take a look at projo.com's ski conditions report to see who's open, what they've got on the ground, and when other mountains around New England, and the country will open this year. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:15 PM | Comment Cyber Monday: The next big thing?Shoppers looking for bargains beat the sun this morning, heading to malls as early as midnight to ring in the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. But as Black Friday winds down, shoppers may be looking for the next shopping-themed day to spend. Cyber Monday is the phrase coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation to describe the Monday after Thanksgiving, and it’s being touted as the official start of the online shopping season. But while Black Friday is often the busiest day of the year for stores, Cyber Monday doesn’t even make the top 10, according to the ShopperTrak Retail Traffic Index. ShopperTrak, a Chicago-based firm that conducts market research for the retail industry, predicts that this year Black Friday will be the busiest shopping day, followed by “Super Saturday,” Dec. 22. After that, the top shopping days work backwards from late December, with tomorrow rounding out the list at number 10. Kathy Grannis at NRSF, said the organization doesn’t keep tabs on Cyber Monday sales, which “don’t have anything to do” with Black Friday sales. According to a press release, the organization coined the term after noticing a trend in online shopping that begins the Monday after Thanksgiving. Click below to see the Traffic Index's predictions for the top shopping days this year. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson 1 -- Black Friday Nov. 23 These results come from a survey of more than 50,000 retail and enclosed malls throughout the country. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:54 PM | Comment 'Midnight madness' at Wrentham stores comes trueWRENTHAM, Mass. -- "Midnight Madness" lived up to its billing at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. Most of the 170 stores in the mall opened their doors at midnight, and motorists trying to reach the outlets reportedly created a four-hour traffic jam on Routes 1A and 495 in the area near Rhode Island's northern border. When they finally arrived, many shoppers found the parking lot full and had to leave their cars on the grass, creating further chaos. Long lines were also reported outside other stores in Massachusetts that opened their doors to shoppers at 5 a.m. on so-called "Black Friday," the morning after Thanksgiving. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts forecasts a 2.2 percent increase in holiday sales compared with last year. The state forecast is more pessimistic than the National Retail Federation's projection of a four percent increase nationwide. -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:39 PM | Comment There's another way: Buy nothing, give insteadThere may be sales at Providence Place mall today, but across the street, volunteers have coats on hand for a better price -- free. The 11th annual Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange takes place this morning -- as it has for 11 years -- on Black Friday, one of the two busiest shopping days of the year for American retailers. In the shadow of the mall, the event stands in sharp contrast to Black Friday by giving away coats, sweaters, hats, books and other used good for free to anyone who stops by. Buy Nothing Day is recognized by community and activist groups around the world. The Rhode Island Green Party sponsored the first observance in the Ocean State. Since then, more than 60 community groups have pitched in, donating supplies and clothes, and spreading the word about the event which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the State House lawn. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:02 AM | Comment Birthday party goes bad; 5 arrested in Central FallsFive adults were arrested last night at what police say was a birthday party that turned violent. Central Falls police arrived at 161 Lincoln Ave. at about 10 p.m. last night where a young woman was having an 18th birthday party. Five adults were arrested, including the guest of honor, and they face several charges, including disorderly conduct, assault, and resisting arrest, according to Sgt. James Mendonca. Police will not release the suspects' names, but say that the five are due in court this morning. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:51 AM | Comment Weekend forecast: Cold and windyIt's almost like it was planned. Yesterday, the clouds parted for a few hours, and we had spring-like weather as if just for the holiday. The holiday has passed, and so has the weather. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature just in the mid 40s today. The skies should be sunny, but cold, northwest winds could gust up to 25 mph. The winds persist tonight, when the temperature drops to about 20 degrees. Tomorrow should be sunny again, but colder, with the temperature just reaching 40. Saturday night the temperature should drop to the mid 20s. Sunday looks a bit warmer than Saturday, with highs in the upper 40s, sunny skies, and a return of the wind gusts, up to 25 mph. Saturday-night skies will be partly cloudy, with temperatures around 30. And those returning from a long weekend Monday will be met with clouds, possible rain, and a high temperature in the high 40s. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:30 AM | Comment Black Friday starts when it's still darkPROVIDENCE -- For some, it was done by 6 a.m As the sun rose, a few shoppers dotted the streets with brightly colored bags from stores at Providence Place mall. One shopper, who asked to remain nameless out of guilt for shopping on Black Friday-- so-called because it can be the day when heavy shopping puts retailers' accounts in the black -- said she couldn't sleep, so at 4 a.m., she hit the stores. And workers who prepared for the early-morning openings were met with a small crowd. The mall never shuts its doors, allowing about 100 shoppers to start buying the moment the stores opened. But Kelly Allard was one of the luckier employees. Her store isn't set to open until 8 a.m. She and a co-worker were unusually bubbly for 7 a.m., chatting and laughing as they rode an escalator to the top floor. "This is one of the funnest days to work," she said to a reporters amazement. "You've got mothers, 10 sisters, nephews, brothers ... it's a family day." By 7 a.m. there were more than 500 people looking for sales on goods for the holidays and, no doubt, for themselves. It's 50-50, her co-worker said, taking on the voice of a Black Friday shopper. "One for you, one for me." "It's not like Christmas Eve," Allard said, when the pressure is on to find something -- anything. But working on Dec. 24 does have advantage over today, she said. "We know, after that, it's all over." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:38 AM | Comment Download today's front pageA high school football photo and a story about the Route 95 bridge in Pawtucket lead today's Journal. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:45 AM | Comment November 21, 20077to7 taking a break for the Thanksgiving holidayWe'll be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow and not publishing our usual updates to the 7to7 news blog. But that doesn't mean that projo.com is completely off for the day. We'll be updating the results of the traditional high school football games tomorrow afternoon and evening, as well as producing photo galleries of selected games. As usual, you're invited to upload your own photos and talk about the games, on HSgametime.com We'll be offering surveys and more photo uploads, sports blog updates, and our continually updating feeds of national, world and sports news from the Associated Press. On Friday, 7to7 will be back on the job at -- 7 a.m. Until then, have a happy Thanksgiving. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:43 PM | Comment What's coming up: Club scene, movies and footballBefore you dig into the turkey tomorrow, shake a leg tonight: Clipd Beaks, Green Bean and Bed of Knives play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call (401) 831-9327. 9:30 p.m. $6. All ages. The Chasers and Signs of Life play rock at Ocean Mist, 895 Matunuck Beach Rd., Matunuck. Call (401) 782-3740 or go to www.oceanmist.net. 10 p.m. $5. The Kevin Crandall Band play blues and swing at Hilltop Café/Pod's Pizza, 23 Canal St., Westerly. Call (401) 596-9299. 9 p.m. Tribeca plays soul, Motown and disco at Two Jerks Pub and Grill, 446 Waterman Ave., East Providence. Call (401) 434-4111. 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Unplugged plays, as one might expect, acoustic rock at Good Times Restaurant and Pub, 1668 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland. Call (401) 333-8828. 9 p.m. Check out more of tonight's club calendar listings. Movies are always a big hit on the Thanskgiving weekend. Get a head start on the crowd at the ticket line now. Check out projo.com's movie listings for tonight and for tomorrow. Of course, what would Thanksgiving be without sports? See the feast of Rhode Island high school football games scheduled for tomorrow. And check out the schedule of National Football games tomorrow here. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Update: Police release report on under-age Bristol partyThe Bristol police have released the report of the Nov. 11 under-age party that has led to the suspension of more than two dozen La Salle Academy students. The girl who hosted the party -- age 17 at the time and now 18 -- has been charged. Some of the nearly 30 teenagers at a Nov. 11 house party in Bristol were from Providence. Some were from Smithfield. Others were from as far away as Cumberland. But Bristol Police Lt. Nicholas Guercia said one thing was clear: “The majority were from La Salle.” La Salle Academy, a private Catholic high school in Providence, made headlines after Principal Donald Kavanagh suspended more than two dozen students and barred them from taking part in the annual Thanksgiving football game because of their conduct at the party. “I respect what I’m hearing,” Guercia said, “that the school is taking an aggressive position on this.” He said that the police department is investigating the incident aggressively, and will charge anyone involved in criminal activity, including violators of the state’s “social host” law. -- projo.com staff writers Brandie M. Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney with reports from The Journal East Bay bureau In an interview with The Providence Journal, Guercia mentioned the alcohol-related deaths of Kayleigh Raposa last February, and the deaths in 2003 of Justin Nunes and Steven Botelho in a drag-racing accident. He credited neighbors who called in with possibly saving the kids from hurting themselves. “What we can’t do, we are glad to see a school district doing and what the schools can’t do, we look to see parents doing,” he said. “We encourage the community, when they see things like this going on, to pick up the phone and make the call.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:07 PM | Comment 2 South County men accused of child pornographyThe State Police have arrested two South County men in unrelated cases involving child pornography charges. David Norman, 43, a former employee at the state Department of Administration, is alleged to have viewed child pornography on two laptop computers he used in his job, said Sgt. John Killian, head of the State Police Computer Crimes Unit. Killian said investigators found more than 100 images of child pornography on the computers, spread among eight series of photographs, each showing a particular child in increasingly lewd poses. Most of the images showed girls who were about 10 years old, he said. “It starts off like maybe a kid dressed up in a little dance like dress,” he said. “It eventually gets to the point where it meets our criminal statute,” with images showing the child’s private areas. The State Police began investigating after a forensic analysis of the computers by the Department of Administration identified “sexually oriented and obscene” instant message communications, Killian said. Norman, of 27 Whitehorn Dr., South Kingstown, was arrested Tuesday morning after turning himself in, Killian said. He is charged with possession of child pornography, a felony that carries a fine of up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison. He is free on $25,000 personal recognizance and has since been fired from his state job, Killian said. In the other arrest, also on Tuesday, Bryan K. Letson II, 32, of 131 Bowling Lane, Westerly, was arrested after troopers executing a search warrant found child pornography images on his computer, Killian said. The investigation began after authorities in Utah contacted the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit to report that Letson had been chatting on line with two undercover officers. From Aug. 16 to Nov. 8, Letson is alleged to have had 13 online communications with officers, 10 of them involving the transmission of child pornography, Killian said. Killian said the images showed children, about 3 to 10 years old, having sex. “It’s not a child in a nudist camp,” he said of the images. “It’s a child engaged in sex.” Letson is charged with possession of child pornography and transmission of child pornography, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 and up to 15 years in prison. He was released on $25,000 personal recognizance. -- Journal staff writer Randal Edgar Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Traffic: Pretty smooth going on Rhode Island roadsThe state police report that traffic this evening is generally moving smoothly. State police Cpl. John Beauregard said this evening that it's similar to a Friday evening. The police have no reports of highway accidents and related tie-ups. The state Transportation Management Center is not issuing any traffic accident advisories at this time. A look at the Transportation Management Center's traffic cameras suggests steady flow in predictable spots such as Routes 95, 195 and 295, but no outright traffic jams. "It's actually been pretty smooth," said Beauregard. By this afternoon, indications were that travel by train and plane had been surprisingly smooth. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment Coast Guard responds to minor fuel spill in Narr. BayAn estimated 10 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a barge into upper Narragansett Bay this morning, drawing a Coast Guard response and clean-up by the tugboat crew. The Coast Guard said in a news release that a fuel filter malfunction caused the minor leak. Coast Guard investigators and personnel from the tug Nicole Reinauer found that about 50 gallons had come out of a failed generator filter. The tug's crew cleaned up about 40 gallons from the barge deck and 10 gallons from the Bay. The cargo aboard the double-hulled barge was not involved in the incident. A 41-foot utility boat sent from Coast Guard Station Castle Hill found no signs of fuel in the water from Newport to the Port of Providence. A crew member aboard the tug had noticed fuel on the deck of the barge's generator room. At about 6:20 a.m., the Coast Guard got the report of a diesel fuel spill on the deck of the barge RTC-135, with some spilled into the water. The Coast Guard said it immediately reported the incident to the state Department of Environmental Management and responded with Coast Guard personnel. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:00 PM | Comment Accused drug dealer wants to withdraw guilty pleaPROVIDENCE -- An accused drug dealer wants to withdraw his guilty plea to cocaine dealing charges because a Providence police detective never gave his defense attorney a stack of documents related to the case before he admitted guilt. Derrick Isom's attorney says that lapse violated Isom's constitutional rights. Isom is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 7 for conspiracy and dealing crack cocaine and faces up to life in prison. Isom's request is the latest twist in a bizarre criminal case that allegedly involves a conspiracy led by defense attorney John M. Cicilline, the brother of Providence Mayor David Cicilline, and police work so sloppy that an exasperated federal judge called it "incredible." Federal prosecutors dropped similar charges against Isom's co-defendant, Khalid Mason, after Isom had already pleaded guilty. The U.S. Attorney's office dropped the charges against Mason after Sgt. Scott Partridge found police reports and other documents related to the investigation in his attic. He had testified a few weeks before that he never took a single note during six weeks of surveillance. Providence police have started an internal affairs probe into the lapse. Police officials and Partridge did not immediately return calls seeking comment. In court filings, defense attorney Patrick Sullivan said Isom should be allowed to withdraw a guilty plea made nearly eight months before the missing documents turned up. Without seeing the documents, Isom could not fully evaluate the government's case against him before deciding to plead guilty, Sullivan said. Isom maintains his innocence, his lawyer said. During one court hearing, Isom testified that he pleaded guilty to avoid a possible life sentence, according to court records. Prosecutors oppose Isom's request but have not yet responded in court, said Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. -- The Associated Press Months after pleading guilty, Isom testified that his former attorney, John M. Cicilline, told him that he could make the criminal case against Isom disappear in return for $200,000, some of which would be used to bribe police officers. U.S. District Court Judge William Smith said the allegations were troubling but remain unproven. Cicilline has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators for his role in an alleged extortion plot. Cicilline allegedly offered to set up drug deals that his clients could report to police in exchange for lesser sentences. Cicilline did not return a call seeking comment. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment R.I. man turned over to face Foxboro murder chargeA Central Falls man accused of shooting a man to death in Foxboro, Mass., has been turned over to Massachusetts authorities after not contesting the transfer at a District Court, Providence, hearing today. Luis Lopez, 24, is accused of the Oct. 15 murder of Carlos Gomez, 29, whose last known address was on Benefit Street in Pawtucket, said a news release from Norfolk County, Mass., District Attorney William R. Keating. A driver in a remote area of Route 106 in Foxboro where the road goes under Route 95 spotted Gomez’s body in the east lane after 1 a.m. on Oct. 15. He was not carrying identification. Lopez was arrested at his Cross Street home on the early morning of Nov. 8 on a warrant, Keating's office said. After today's rendition -- also referred to as extradition -- hearing in Providence, Lopez was brought to the Foxboro police station. Keating’s office anticipated Lopez will be taken to Wrentham District Court for arraignment on the murder charge at or after 2 p.m. today. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:15 PM | Comment Seekonk police search for bank robberSEEKONK, Mass. -- The police said today they are looking for a suspect who wore a purple bandanna when he robbed a Sovereign Bank yesterday afternoon after passing a note to a teller that said he had a gun. No weapon was shown. The robbery happened about 3 p.m. at the Sovereign Bank at 21 Central Ave. A police news release described the suspect as a Caucasian male, about 50 years old, 6-feet-2-inches tall, weighing about 220 pounds, and wearing a purple bandanna that covered his head. The suspect had a goatee and a grayish beard. The police asked anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect's identity to contact the police at (508) 336-8123 or (508) 336-7027. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment Judge lets mom, 91, share Thanksgiving with daughterPROVIDENCE -- For the first time since January -- when her court-appointed guardian removed her from her daughter’s house in Warren -- 91-year-old Laurette Borduas Eifrig will be allowed by a judge to leave her assisted-living residence in Providence. The reason? So she can share Thanksgiving dinner with her daughter in a Seekonk, Mass., restaurant. Eifrig’s guardian, lawyer Paula M. Cuculo, told Superior Court Judge Alice B. Gibney in a chambers meeting today that she no longer considers Suzette Gebhard a kidnapping risk and that the mother-daughter outing would be good for her ward, a retired schoolteacher who is now blind and suffers from dementia. Eifrig and Gebhard, the former head of the Rhode Island League of Women Voters and a one-time Democratic congressional candidate, will dine together at Audrey’s restaurant in Seekonk. Under the terms of Gibney’s order, the outing will be limited to four hours and Gebhard must take a cell phone with her and stay in contact with Cuculo while Eifrig is with her. At the request of Gebhard and Cuculo, Gibney also agreed for the time being to allow Gebhard to start taking her mother on other outings once a week in Rhode Island for a maximum of four hours. The judge told Gebhard she was loosening the reins as “an act of faith” and would revisit the situation sometime after the new year. Tomorrow’s outing will be the first time that Eifrig has been allowed by the court to leave Capitol Ridge since the Warren police removed her from Gebhard’s home on Jan. 29 after breaking down the door. Gebhard was charged with obstruction of justice after she moved her mother from Reston, Va., to Rhode Island in May 2006 and then secreted her in her house for months, barring family members and Cuculo, from visiting with her. She spent a night in prison but was later acquitted. In an interview today, Cuculo said that she has learned from Eifrig that -- contrary to representations made by Francine Ardito, Eifrig’s Virginia daughter who formerly had power of attorney for her -- it was Eifrig’s wish to move to Rhode Island with Gebhard. “She wasn’t moved here against her will,” said Cuculo. “She was tired of living under Francine’s rule. She told me, “If you had the chance to get out, wouldn’t you have taken it?’ ‘’ The current restrictions on Eifrig’s freedom of movement -- and the subsequent appointment of an outside guardian -- was spurred by a bitter feud between Ardito and Gebhard over what is in their mother’s best interest and who would control her finances. Extra: More about the feud between sisters over their mother's care ... -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Gibney found, after protracted hearings, that because of their animosity toward each other, neither daughter was a suitable substitute decision-maker for their mother and appointed a paid guardian -- Cuculo -- instead. Cuculo now controls Eifrig’s investments, expenditures, health care decisions and with whom she may associate. Ardito is currently barred from seeing her mother. On Nov. 1, Gibney found her in wilfull contempt for repeatedly violating court orders that barred her from removing money from her mother’s trust. Over the past few months, Eifrig’s lawyer, Richard A. Boren, has submitted evidence to Gibney showing that Ardito took more than $300,000 of her mother’s money -- about 40 percent of her life savings --from Eifrig’s trust and deposited it in accounts in her own name, without disclosing to Boren or Cuculo that the money existed. In September, Ardito returned $251,183.27 of the money. Gibney has ordered her to repay an additional $16,000. If the money isn’t repaid by Dec. 14, an arrest warrant could be issued for Ardito and the judge could order her to pay a daily fine until she turns over the $16,000. According to canceled checks submitted to the court, Ardito used the $16,000 from her mother’s trust to pay a Virginia lawyer to sue her mother and Cuculo in an attempt to regain control over her mother’s affairs. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:51 PM | Comment Nursing home outfit with R.I. ties declares bankruptcyHARTFORD, Conn. -- A nursing home company run by the same executive who heads up the record label for country star Travis Tritt has declared bankruptcy amid allegations of poor care and a state inquiry into whether it illegally used federal funds meant for patients for other purposes, including a lakeside home and the record company's launch. Middletown-based Haven Healthcare Corporation filed for voluntary Chapter 11 yesterday in New Haven bankruptcy court, asking for protection from the tens of millions of dollars it owes creditors while it restructures. The company operates more than 40 health-related companies in New England, including nursing homes, clinic and medical supplies. According to its Web site, it operates four health centers in Rhode Island, in Coventry, Greenville, Pawtucket and Warren. The company's largest debt listed in the bankruptcy documents is $13.7 million owed to Kentucky-based Omnicare Value Health Care, which provides pharmaceutical care to the elderly. In Connecticut, the company owes the state tax department nearly $600,000. It owes Connecticut Light & Power more than $400,000 in utility bills, according to the bankruptcy records. It also owes taxes in Vermont and Rhode Island. State officials alleged that the company let bills go unpaid while using company funds to launch a Nashville record label among other investments. That record company, Category 5 Records, does not appear in the bankruptcy filings. Ray Termini, the record company's chief executive officer, is also the CEO of Haven Healthcare. -- The Associated Press Termini has said much of the company's problems were caused by a low Medicaid reimbursement rate for health care services. He has denied misusing Haven Healthcare money. "Haven Healthcare has taken the extraordinary step of filing for Chapter 11 protection in federal court to protect our company, our staff, and most importantly the thousands of patients and residents that we care for each day," Termini said in a statement. Allegations against the company have drawn the attention of Tritt, who records under the Category 5 label. Tritt's manager, Duke Cooper, has said that Tritt is prepared to protect his interests by taking legal action, if needed against Termini. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was set to announce plans today to appoint an independent trustee to take over the nursing home operations. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:16 PM | Comment Big trucks to be banned from Pawtucket bridgeThe state Department of Transportation next Wednesday will ban trucks weighing 22 tons or more from using the Pawtucket River Bridge on Route 95 -- exits 27 and 28. Trucks will have to follow any of three recommended detours in or around Pawtucket and Providence. Trucks going to Providence from Massachusetts should use Route 295 south to Route 146 south. Trucks headed to Pawtucket will need to follow signs for local detours. Detour through Pawtucket for trucks from Route 95 South. Detour through Pawtucket for trucks from from Route 95 North. Division Street westbound detour for cars to George Street offramp. George Street onramp closure car detour route to Route 95 North. The Rhode Island State Police will work with the DOT to enforce the restrictions. “The Pawtucket River Bridge is safe,” Jerome F. Williams, the DOT director, said in the statement. “The posting restrictions that go into effect next week are another step RIDOT is taking to ensure that it stays that way.” The posted ban on Route 95 will not affect cars, SUVs, ambulances, and light trucks. Buses, school buses and large empty trucks will still be able to go over the bridge. Trucks and heavy vehicles, such as most full tractor-trailers, will need to use the alternate routes. Fixed and variable message signs will alert truckers to the changes. The DOT has been doing emergency repairs on the bridge. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:55 PM | Comment Update: Travel seems smooth by train or plane
“Right now, operationally, we’re pretty much on or close to on schedule and things are running smoothly.” That’s the word from Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole on the morning of the day before Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year. And the vice president of communications at T. F. Green Airport used the word “seamless” to describe the experience today in Warwick. Even though Amtrak expects a 70 percent increase in travelers over a typical Wednesday, additional trains in the Northeast have helped ease congestion and keep trains running close to schedule. Most trains are booked, so anyone who hasn’t already bought a ticket today is probably out of luck, but Cole suggests people with last-minute travel plans to check the Web site, Amtrak.com, in case somebody with a ticket has canceled. Travelers should bring their photo identification, and tag their bags with their names and addresses, Cole said. The carry-on limit is two per person. People going to busy train stations should plan on getting there about 45 minutes early if they have to pick up their tickets at the train station. “The lines can get a little long,” he said. Green Airport has between 9,000 and 9,500 available seats, spokeswoman Patti Goldstein said. On a typical day, about 80 percent of those seats are booked. Today, she said, about 85 percent of the seats are filled, that's a difference of a few hundred people. At midday, Green's Web site was reporting that almost all flights were on time, both arriving and departing from the airport. -- projo.ciom staff writers Brandie M. Jefferson and Jack Perry Extra employees are working in all areas of the airport, including security and ticketing, Goldstein said, and the extra hands are helping. “It’s been quite seamless with people traveling through the terminals," Goldstein said of the airport, "they’ve been prepared.” But the airport isn’t out of the woods yet. Snow, rain and fog have slowed things down in the Midwest and, although we won’t see much precipitation today, those delays add up and could slow things down for people traveling later this evening. Keeping up with that crowd will be quite a task for airport workers. Reporter's query: Projo.com and The Journal are seeking tales from travelers as they return home from the holiday weekend. Are you driving home from out of state Sunday? We'd like to hear about your trip. If you’d like to share your story, e-mail us with your itinerary, the times you’ll be traveling on Sunday, and your cell phone number. Our address is: pjnews@projo.com. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:43 PM | Comment Damp, mild weather on tap for T-Day football tiltsHeading to a high school football game tonight or tomorrow? It may not be as cold as some years, but it more than likely will be damp. There's a 30 percent chance of rain tonight, with temperatures in the mid-40s. Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, one might wonder if we're observing the right holiday. Although a 40-percent chance of showers is predicted, the temperatures, fueled by south winds, are expected to climb into the 60s. Six games are scheduled for tonight in Rhode Island and 14 on Thanksgiving morning. Here's the schedule for today, and for tomorrow. You can preview them and make your own predictions for game results at projo.com's High School Game Time, which covers Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts schools. Projo.com's HSGameTime will have photo galleries posted late tonight from Rogers' football game at St. Raphael, and Narragansett at East Greenwich. Tomorrow evening, we'll have photo galleries from Cumberland vs. Woonsocket, Cranston East vs. Cranston West and La Salle vs. East Providence. HSGameTime will also post the results to the high school games as we get them on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon (coaches should call in the games between 4 and 7 p.m.) Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:20 PM | Comment 'Invincible' Eagle serves R.I. troops Thanksgiving dinnerPHILADELPHIA — He dished it out on the football field. Now he’ll be dishing it out for service personnel from Rhode Island. Former Philadelphia Eagle Vince Papale will be serving Thanksgiving dinner in southern New Jersey to National Guard troops waiting to be shipped out for active duty. This year’s out-of-town troops are from Illinois and Rhode Island. Papale, a former bartender, is famous for making the Eagles at age 30, a story told in the movie “Invincible.” Papale is now the president of the Camden County Bar Association. He told KYW radio in Philadelphia that people should support U.S. troops regardless of whether they support the country’s overseas wars. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment Airport head expected to resign todayPROVIDENCE -- Mark P. Brewer, the head of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, is expected to submit a letter of resignation today, giving the corporation 30 days to find a replacement. The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen confirmed Brewer's appointment last night as the next director of Manchester-Boston regional airport in New Hampshire, according to a deputy city clerk. Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta nominated Brewer on Nov. 7. The corporation board plans to appoint an interim director at its meeting on Wednesday. The board will also appoint a subcommittee to lead the search for a permanent replacement. “I feel bad for Providence,” Sean Thomas, a senior policy advisor to Mayor Guinta, told The Providence Journal this morning. “We’re getting a great guy.” -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:19 AM | Comment DOT to announce Pawtucket River Bridge detoursThe state Department of Transportation this morning is announcing detours for the Pawtucket River Bridge on Route 95. By next week, only vehicles weighing less than 22 tons will be allowed on the Route 95 bridge. The DOT will discuss the detours from 11 a.m. to noon in the Director's office, Room 210 at Two Capitol Hill. Deterioration in support brackets have made the 49-year-old bridge a candidate for replacement. The session is geared to the press, not the public, as a previous blog indicated. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:44 AM | Comment Photo: Dousing a fire in Pawtucket
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:31 AM | Comment Amtrak adds trains for its busiest day of the yearDid you expect to hear this today? “Right now, operationally, we’re pretty much on or close to on schedule and things are running smoothly.” That’s the word from Amtrakspokesman Cliff Cole. Even though the company expects a 70 percent increase over a typical Wednesday, additional trains in the Northeast have helped ease congestion and keep trains running close to schedule. This is the busiest travel day of the year for Amtrak. Most trains are booked, so anyone who hasn’t already bought a ticket today is probably out of luck, but Cole suggests people with last-minute travel plans to check the Web site, Amtrak.com, in case somebody with a ticket has cancelled. Travelers should bring their photo identification, and tag their bags with their names and addresses, Cole said. The carry-on limit is two per person. Travelers going to busy stations should plan on getting there about 45 minutes early if they have to pick up their tickets at the station. “The lines can get a little long,” he said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:33 AM | Comment State to name the lucky entrepreneurs MondayPROVIDENCE -- The state Economic Development Corporation will name the first recipients of a new tax credit on Monday, assisting companies in several high-wage industries. The initiative, announced in June, offers up to $100,000 to reward investments in so-called innovation-based industries. Those include biotech, information technology, financial services, marine and defense manufacturing and several others. The tax credit, which comes at a time when tax breaks are under intense scrutiny, reimburses an investor or a company's senior management for half of any investment made in the firm, up to $100,000. The credits will be applied toward state income-tax bills. The EDC is authorized to distribute $2 million in tax credits every two years until 2016, when the program will expire. The EDC board plans to vote on six applications at its meeting on Monday, according to EDC spokesman Andrew S. Cutler. "We're trying to attract and keep serial entrepreneurs in the state," Saul Kaplan, the executive director of the EDC, said in June. "We need more of them in Rhode Island." Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:40 AM | Comment Morning house fire sends one to hospitalAuthorities are still at the scene of an early morning fire in Cranston that sent one person to the hospital. Firefighters arrived at the one-story house at 90 Grace St. just before 3:30 a.m., according to Deputy Chief Jeff Wall. When they arrived, fire was seen coming out of the back of the home. The fire was out by about 6 a.m., but authorities are still there trying to determine a cause. One resident was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for possible smoke inhalation, Wall said. The person’s condition is unknown. • Keep space heaters at least three feet away from bedding, clothing, furniture, drapes and anything else combustible. • Turn space heaters off if you are not available to monitor this equipment. • Children near space heaters must be supervised at all times. • Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing when cooking to avoid ignition by stove burners. • Make sure all burners are off when you are done cooking. • Never leave stove burners unattended while cooking. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:14 AM | Comment Reporter's query: Seeking tales of the Sunday ride homeAre you driving home from out of state Sunday after the holiday weekend? We'd like to hear about your trip. If you’d like to share your story, e-mail us with your itinerary, the times you’ll be traveling on Sunday, and your cell phone number. Our address is: pjnews@projo.com. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:02 AM | Comment A chance of rain today, warmer but cloudy tomorrowThere's a slight chance of rain later this afternoon. Otherwise, the National Weather Service is forecasting another cloudy day with a high around 47 degrees. Rain could continue into the evening, when the temperature should drop slightly, to 44 degrees. And the holiday is looking gloomy too, but mild, with cloudy skies, a chance of rain, and a high temperature near 60 degrees. Thanksgiving night may bring even more rain and an overnight low of 36 degrees. Friday, finally, a little sunshine. Expect partly cloudy skies with a high temperature in the mid 40s and winds gusting up to 23 mph. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about Thanksgiving horror stories from the kitchen. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 20, 2007Tonight: 'High School Musical' hits PPAC stageSome of us will be at home cutting up vegetables, chasing the dust out of corners and otherwise getting ready for Thanksgiving. But for those of you who are ready for a night out, take note: It became a sensation on the Disney Channel, and tonight a touring stage version of "High School Musical" comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center. The show starts at 7 p.m. and has a six-day run at PPAC. Tickets: $28 to $60 by calling (401) 421-2787 or www.ppacri.org. For those of you well past your early teen years and hoping for something more enduring musically, Jethro Tull comes to PPAC on Nov. 30 with its brand of rock n'flute n'roll. Looking for more of what's happening tonight and this long holiday weekend? Check out projo.com's Lifebeat page. Seeking last-minute ideas for the Thanksgiving table? Visit our Thanksgiving Time page, for tips, recipes and much more. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Pickup driver dies after rollover in ExeterEXETER -- The driver of a pickup truck that went off Exeter Road, up an embankment, struck a tree and rolled onto its side earlier today has died at South County Hospital, state police said. State police Capt. James Swanberg said police confirmed the man, who had been unconscious but had a pulse when he was taken from the scene to the hospital, later died. The police have not yet identified the driver because next of kin must be notified. The Chevrolet pickup had Connecticut plates and bore on its side the name of a business out of Farmington, Conn. Initial investigation indicates the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, the police said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:13 PM | Comment Man arrested at gunpoint in Warwick courthouseWARWICK -- A Warwick man was arrested at gunpoint this morning in the Kent County Courthouse after he walked through a metal detector and allegedly told officers he was carrying a gun. Paul Hutchins, 29, of 73 Church Ave. was charged by State Police with disorderly conduct, according to a Rhode Island Judiciary news release. Hutchins entered the courthouse about 9:10 a.m., approached the security station and allegedly told the Capitol Police officer on duty that the metal detector would activate as Hutchins walked through it. The detector "registered the presence of metal," the news release said, and Hutchins was asked if he had metal objects in his possession. "Hutchins then reportedly told officers he had a gun and pointed to his waist." Two Capitol Police officers wrestled Hutchins to the floor and handcuffed him while a third officer drew his gun, the news release said. No weapon was found when officers searched Hutchins. It all happened when the lobby was filled with people entering the courthouse at the beginning of the day. Officers escorted Hutchins to the courthouse’s cell block until state police arrived. District Court Judge Jeanne E. LaFazia ordered that Hutchins receive a mental health evaluation. The news release said no additional information about Hutchins and why he was in the courthouse was available. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:57 PM | Comment Crews work to clean up fuel spill in Pawcatuck RiverWESTERLY -- Firefighters are working to clean up a fuel spill in the Pawcatuck River, after a fuel truck overfilled a tank in Westerly's business district. Westerly Fire Chief David Sayles tells The Westerly Sun that teams will place booms in the river to contain the fuel. The Hope Valley-Wyoming Fire Department is also sending a hazardous-materials truck and crew. The spill was reported shortly after noon. Sayles says the driver of the fuel truck is being held responsible. The Pawcatuck River abuts buildings in Westerly's downtown and at that point forms the boundary between Rhode Island and Connecticut. It empties into Little Narraganset Bay and eventually Block Island Sound. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:52 PM | Comment N. Providence High team aces 'financial literacy'A North Providence High School student team is New England's best in "financial literacy" after beating out high school teams from each state in a college bowl-like competition this afternoon. The North Providence High School students won Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s 2007 “Reserve Cup” challenge, which focuses on economics, personal finance and financial current events, according to a news release from Secretary of State Ralph Mollis's office. North Providence High School seniors Kelly DeAngelis, Vincenzo Gianfrancesco, Raymond Iannuccillo, Rita Nerney and Luisa Murillo represented Rhode Island. Mollis, who is from North Providence, was invited by the Federal Reserve to talk with the cup competitors "about the importance of being smart consumers and smart savers" before the competition, the release said. Mollis warned students the number of college freshmen with credit cards tripled between 1999 and 2002. Freshmen carry an average of $1,585 in credit card debt, according to the national student-loan lender Nellie Mae, the secretary of state's office said. The competition will be aired on NECN cableTV at a later date, according to the Reserve Cup's Web site.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:23 PM | Comment Ex-bank manager faces charge in online sales schemeA former Bank Rhode Island branch manager pleaded innocent today to a federal charge that he solicited a bribe in exchange for helping defraud the Providence bank of nearly $1 million, according to federal court documents. David Carpenter, 34, of Cranston is the first person to face criminal charges in connection with an Internet sales scheme that bilked nearly $15 million from people across the country who wanted to buy electronic gadgets. Appearing in U.S. District Court today, Carpenter said little during a brief hearing before U.S. Magistrate David L. Martin. He pleaded innocent to a felony charge of soliciting a bribe as a bank officer. He also waived his right to an indictment on the charge, which carries a penalty of up to one year in prison. He is due back in federal court tomorrow afternoon when he is expected to change his plea to guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Carpenter allegedly arranged for a $1 million line of credit that helped two men, one of them a former Warwick resident, set up a Rhode Island company selling consumer electronics over the Internet. It’s unclear what Carpenter accepted to arrange the credit line. The customers of Mixitforme.com tended to be people who scour the Web to find deals on bulk purchases of consumer electronics, such as Xboxes, PlayStations, iPods, or cell phones, and then resell them in small lots to independent retailers or individuals. Workers at Mixitforme.com office in Providence took hundreds of orders from people over the Internet. But the company filled only some of its smallest orders, according to court records and former customers, and even many of those orders were late in arriving or generated billing headaches for customers, who began complaining to law-enforcement agencies. The company imploded in early 2006 after law enforcement officials raided its offices at 275 Westminster St. in Providence. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Service, state and Providence police seized business records and computer equipment during the raid in March 2006. A related business, Biggles Toys, also shut down as a result of the raid. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Mixitforme’s owner, Cory Johnson, of 272 Pierce St., Warwick, and a second man connected with the company, fled the state at the time. State and federal authorities have never clearly established the identity of the second man, who went by various names, including David Andrews, David Whitaker and “Chase,” according to people familiar with the businesses. The raid followed a move by Bank Rhode Island to push Mixitforme into state receivership in an attempt to collect at least $900,000 it was owed by the online electronics retailer. State receivership is a form of bankruptcy in which a court appoints a fiduciary either to sell company or to liquidate the company to pay the accumulated debt. A Superior Court judge appointed Joseph Ferrucci, a Providence lawyer, as the receiver to manage Mixitforme’s assets. Bank Rhode Island has so far received little of the money it says it’s owed. Ferrucci sold off furniture, computers, toys and other goods belonging to the related companies, but garnered less than $1 million. He also sought about $940,000 from a credit-card payment processor that managed purchases for Mixitforme. This summer, Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein awarded $340,000 of that money to a Florida electronic broker, Gamma Trading. The bank’s holding company, Bancorp Rhode Island Inc. said in late 2005 that it expected it would take a hit to its earnings “related to the unauthorized actions of a former employee.” The company said in the December 2005 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “Our maximum exposure is $1.4 million,” though the bank expected its “exposure” to decline over time. A bank representative, Senior Vice President William C. DeWitt, today declined to specify how Johnson and his associate where able to secure the financing through Carpenter, whether the Cranston man was fired or quit his job after the discovery of the Mixitforme credit line arrangement, or whether any other employees were disciplined in connection with the case. In a statement e-mailed to The Journal, the bank said it recovered $800,000 from an insurer, enough to cover some of the loss resulting from the incident. “In the first quarter of 2006, Bank Rhode Island reported that it had incurred a loss on a ‘note receivable’ of approximately $850,000,” the e-mail states. “The bank disclosed that the receivable arose in connection with the ‘unauthorized actions of a former employee.’ Bank Rhode Island also disclosed that it had filed a claim with its insurance carrier seeking recovery for the loss. “In the fourth quarter of 2006, the bank reported that it had recovered approximately $800,000 on the insurance claim it had filed with respect to that loss. “ The bank and others carry insurance precisely to protect themselves from these types of actions. “The bank repeatedly has made disclosure of this situation as well as that there have been reviews of all the facts and circumstances by its internal auditors and external auditors (KPMG Peat Marwick), and they found no lack of internal controls. “The bank has cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney’s office and its investigation. “Given the arraignment of Mr. Carpenter, the bank can now disclose that Mr. Carpenter was, in fact, the former employee referenced in its previous statements on this matter.” Carpenter, the former branch manager at the bank’s Park Avenue branch in Cranston, has agreed to pay the bank $945,605 as a result of the agreement he made with federal authorities, according to federal court documents. Martin released Carpenter on a $10,000 unsecured bond and ordered him to remain in Rhode Island or Southeastern New England, unless he’s granted permission to travel elsewhere by a probation officer. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment Canadian drug company charges Lin TV with defamationA Canadian drug company claims that it was defamed by a story on allegedly fake drugs produced by a Lin TV station in Indianapolis. CanaRx Services, based in Windsor, Ontario, sued Lin TV, WISH and reporter Karen Hensel in federal court in Indianapolis Monday seeking unspecified monetary damages and an order prohibiting any further broadcast of the stories. Lin is based in Providence. ``The reports prepared by Hensel and broadcast and posted by LTC, taken as a whole, conveyed to viewers the message that CanaRx deals in counterfeit drugs,'' the company said in its complaint. ``Such message was false.'' Importation of foreign drugs into the U.S. is opposed by President George W. Bush who has said he'll veto any new law easing restrictions on imports that doesn't resolve safety concerns. Municipal and state governments have lobbied for easier access to foreign drugs to reduce costs, with brand-name drugs in other countries costing as much as 70 percent less than in the U.S. Bloomberg News said it was unable to get a comment from two Lin TV officials.
-- Bloomberg News The WISH station's investigative team, known as I Team 8, showed U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials opening packages of counterfeit drugs, which the report said came from China, India and Canada. ``FDA officials say they're concerned drugs found in the packages could be sugar pills, could have strychnine or ground up concrete, which was found in some tablets,'' the report said, according to court filings. CanaRx denied any sugar pills, strychnine or ground up concrete was ever found in any prescription the company filled. CanaRx also objected to Hensel's statement that the company didn't return I Team 8's calls for comment, saying one message was left on an answering machine at 4:03 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, after the first part of the report was broadcast the previous day and hours before the second part was to be aired. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:28 PM | Comment URI gets anonymous $1M gift for baseball upgradesAn anonymous donor has given $1 million to the University of Rhode Island's athletics department for upgrades to the school's baseball team field, an indoor batting range and more. A university news release today said it was the first $1 million pledge to the athletics department as part of the university's $100-million "Making a Difference" capital money-raising campaign. Among improvements planned are: * A synthetic surface installed on Bill Beck Field, home of URI baseball. * A sod and sprinkler system for the outfield. * An indoor batting range used by the baseball and softball teams. * A donation toward the student-athlete development center, including naming rights for the baseball offices. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney "We are so appreciative of this extremely generous gift to URI Athletics and, in particular, to our baseball program," Thorr Bjorn, the URI athletics director, said in the statement. "Because of this gift, we are able to upgrade the playing surface at Bill Beck Field, as well as provide both our baseball and softball student-athletes with an indoor batting facility." Bjorr added that the donor "understood the importance of allocating a portion of the gift toward the Student-Athlete Development Center, which is going to enhance the overall experience for the 500-plus URI student-athletes." He stated that the university is working to raise $5 million for the student-athlete development center and other upgrades under "Making a Difference" capital campaign. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:55 PM | Comment Recalls highlight need for careful toy buying / Photo
The Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group released “Trouble in Toyland” -- its annual report on hazardous toys -- during a meeting at the Mount Hope Child Care Center in Providence. The group used the opportunity to urge Congress to strengthen product safety laws and increase funding for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, one of the nation’s primary oversight agencies. “Recent high-profile product recalls have given us a chance to urge Congress to pass strong product safety reforms and give kids the best holiday gift of all,” said Laura Brion of RIPIRG. Similar presentations were made today by PIRGs in other states around the country. Standing before a table in a daycare classroom, Brion pointed out a handful of suspect toys found on shelves in Rhode Island stores. Among them was a stuffed Curious George doll, a hand-sized John Deere front-end loader, lip gloss and other items. Each, she said, presented some hazard to children. The Curious George doll, for instance, contained five times the amount of lead allowed by the CPSC and a toy zipper that contained 65 percent lead by weight. “We were shocked to see how dangerous this would be” to children, she said. RIPIRG’s research focused primarily on six categories of dangerous toys: those that pose choking hazards; are dangerously loud; pose strangulation hazards; contain toxic chemicals; contain improperly secured magnets; or those that could form dangerous projectiles. As in past years, the public advocacy group found balls, plastic playthings and other toys with small pieces continue to be marketed toward children. Magnets have recently raised more concerns as they’ve been added to more toys in recent years. Mattel Inc., the nation’s largest toymaker, this year recalled 18 million toys with small magnets that could be swallowed by children. “We all know toddlers love to put things in their months,” Brion said. “These small powerful magnets pose a serious hazard.” Find RIPIRG tips on toy safety here. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi There are at least three proposals in Congress to strengthen the nation’s consumer product laws. The bills all would increase the CPSC’s, raise the penalties manufacturers face for producing faulty toys and make product testing mandatory -- though only one, the SAFE Consumer Product Act would require testing by entities independent of the manufacturers themselves. “We urge passage of the SAFE Products Act,” Brion said. RIPIRG’s efforts come during a year when toymakers are dealing with repeated recalls and lawsuits tied to faulty or dangerous products. This summer, more than 21 million Chinese-made toys were recalled because of high lead levels or dangerous magnets. More recently, a toy high on wish lists, Aqua Dots was recalled because it was tainted with a date rape drug. Aqua Dots and other Chinese-made toys make up 80 percent of the playthings made in this country. Between 1990 and 2005, at least 166 children choked to death on children’s products, accounting for more than half of all toy-related deaths at a rate of about 10 deaths per year, according to RIPIRG’s national counterpart, U.S. PIRG. Several times this year potentially dangerous toys were sold without the required warning labels of possible choking risks while the CPSC also has been slow to issue public warnings, U.S. PIRG said. Other consumer safety groups are urging Congress to act as well. “The root cause of the imported product safety crisis lies in U.S. trade policies, trade agreements and incentives that have promoted the export of whole swaths of the U.S. manufacturing base, while simultaneously imposing limits on import safety standards and inspection,” Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch Division, told a congressional panel in September. That same month, a House of Representatives subcommittee disclosed its expectations that recalls of lead tainted toys would continue into late fall. Mattel disclosed to congressional investigators earlier this year that some of the 1.5 million toys it recalled because of lead-paint hazards contained nearly 200 times the legal amount of lead. Disclosures like that forced Mattel, the nation’s largest toymaker, and even far smaller companies, to ensure they’re preventing lead from getting into their supplies. One such company is Little Kids, of Providence, which makes bubble toys and other plastic playthings intended for small children. "We have customers who are asking us to certify that all of our toys are lead free,” said Jim Engle, president of Little Kids Inc. “They want to make sure all toys coming out of Chine are tested the right way.” The company has not had to recall any of its toys, Engle said. Retailers, such as Toys R Us Inc., and companies that contract others to make toys for them, such as Walt Disney Co., this year have increased their own tests of the products they sell or license. Even the Toy Industry Association, a trade group, is calling on Congress to make toy testing mandatory. In formal statements, the association said it shares consumers’ concerns about the recent recalls of toys made with lead paint and other potentially harmful ingredients. “Recent recalls from a few manufacturers are an indication that we need to strengthen the testing and inspection procedures used to verify that all toy products, from all sources, comply with U.S. safety standards,” Daniel Grossman, the association’s chairman, said in September. In September, the CPSC and a Chinese governmental agency agreed to crack down on the use of lead in toys being exported to the U.S. China agreed to increase inspections at Chinese factories. RIPIRG though, is focused on seeing the CPSC strengthened. The agency is charged with oversight of some 15,000 kinds of products, but has only one toy inspector and 15 inspectors for the more than 326 import entry points around the country. Its staff of 400 is about 60 percent less than the nearly 1,000 workers it had in 1980. The 33-year-old agency currently operates on a $62-million budget, about one-seventh the size of the Food and Drug Administration’s funding for food safety alone. Current Congressional proposals would increase the CPSC budget to between $100 million to $140 million over the next three to six years. RIPIRG wants Congress to give the agency more staff and more authority, ban lead in toys and require independent toy testing. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:40 PM | Comment These turkeys won't have to stand the heat / VideoWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former President Harry Truman may have had some advice for these birds, the current Oval Office holder suggested today. If you can't stand the heat, you should "definitely" stay out of the kitchen, said President Bush, paraphrasing Truman's famous quote during his annual pardon of a Thanksgiving turkey. Bush was re-enacting a tradition that begin with Truman in 1947. And he incorporated a more recent one, by announcing the names of the two turkeys, which were selected through online voting. They are: "May" and "Flower" -- put them together and you get Mayflower, the ship the Pilgrims sailed to the New World, and whose first thanksgiving the holiday this Thursday recalls. The vice president, Bush joked, had suggested "Lunch" and "Dinner." Watch a video of today's ceremony in the Rose Garden. What's in store for the pair? Their next stop is Disney World, where they will be the honorory marshals of the the Thanksgiving parade there.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:39 PM | Comment R.I. Guardsmen heading out to train Afghani soldiersSixteen Rhode Island Army National Guard members will deploy to Afghanistan next week to train Afghani soldiers in combat infantry tactics and procedures. Major General Robert T. Bray, the Rhode Island adjutant general and commanding general of the Guard here, announced today that the soldiers all have military specialties as infantrymen and belong to the 56th Troop Command at Camp Fogarty, East Greenwich. They will be honored at a departure ceremony Monday at 6 p.m. at Camp Fogarty. About 80 percent of the soldiers have deployed before in support of combat operations in either Iraq or Afghanistan. The deployment brings the number of Rhode Island National Guardsmen serving in combat zones to 377. There are 136 members of the 169th Military Police Company serving in the Ar Ramadi, Iraq, area while 175 members of C Battery, 1st Battalion, 103d Field Artillery Brigade, are in final stages of post-deployment training at Fort Dix, N.J.,and are slated to deploy to Iraq shortly. Eight members of the 65th Press Camp, all public affairs specialists, are serving in Baghdad. More than 3,800 Rhode Island National Guardsmen -- Army and Air -- have served in the combat zone since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:11 PM | Comment Photo: A download of snow in Burrillville
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:53 PM | Comment JFK's daughter inspired Sox anthem 'Sweet Caroline'LOS ANGELES -- Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his smash hit "Sweet Caroline." "I've never discussed it with anybody before - intentionally," the 66-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Monday during a break from recording. "I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday." He got his chance last week when he performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's 50th birthday party. The enduring hit recently reappeared on the singles chart, thanks in part to the Boston Red Sox. "Sweet Caroline" is played at every home game. "I think they consider it good luck," Diamond said, adding that the World Series champs have become his favorite baseball team. Diamond was a "young, broke songwriter" when a photo of the president's daughter in a news magazine caught his eye. "It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony," Diamond recalled. "It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there." Years later, holed up in a hotel in Memphis, he would write the words and music in less an hour. "It was a No. 1 record and probably is the biggest, most important song of my career, and I have to thank her for the inspiration," he said. "I'm happy to have gotten it off my chest and to have expressed it to Caroline. I thought she might be embarrassed, but she seemed to be struck by it and really, really happy." The tune's return to the charts leaves Diamond "speechless," he said: "That song was written 40 years ago, so I am just overwhelmed by the fact that it has returned and that, more importantly, people have taken it into their hearts for so many years." Audio: Listen to a clip of "Sweet Caroline." -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:33 PM | Comment Prep for rain at Thanksgiving football tiltsFor high school football fans gearing up for games tomorrow and on Thanksgiving, make sure to pack an umbrella. The forecast calls for a chance of rain both days. A high of 49 degrees is forecast for tomorrow, with a low of 41 degrees. Thanksgiving's forecast calls for a high of 59 degrees and low of 36 degrees. Six games are sheduled for tomorrow night in Rhode Island and 14 on Thanksgiving morning. Here's the schedule for tomorrow, and for Thursday. You can preview them and make your own predictions for game results at projo.com's High School Game Time, which covers Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts schools. To find out if games are cancelled, check the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:22 PM | Comment Update: Ethics panel keeps Irons' case in its handsPROVIDENCE -- The state Ethics Commission has denied former state Senate president William Irons’ requests that the commission dismiss a case against him and that he be allowed to take his case to a jury. Irons may appeal the decision. But if the ethics panel has its way, his case is due to go before its members at a trial-like hearing. In April, the Ethics Commission turned down a proposal from its staff to settle the case again Irons. Irons is accused of breaking state ethics laws by voting on pharmacy legislation when he had a conflict of interest. The charge is related to his involvement in the Senate Corporations Committee’s consideration of pharmacy “freedom of choice” legislation in 1999 and 2000. Irons chaired the Corporations Committee at the time, and as an insurance salesman, he had business dealings with CVS and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He resigned from the Senate in 2004. Irons’ lawyer, John A. Tarantino, said he was not surprised by the decision because of the similarities between Irons' case and that of Senate President Joseph Montalbano, who made the same demands, which were denied. The issues had been so fully argued that both sides agreed today that rulings on Irons' requests could be made without any testimony. Tarantino said he plans to appeal the commission's decision to Superior Court. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Tarantino, like Montalbano’s lawyer, Max Wistow, wanted the case to be dismissed on the grounds that it violated the state constitution’s “Speech in Debate” clause, which states that “For any speech in debate in either house, no member shall be questioned in any other place.” After the commission’s decision, Tarantino said that he did not interpret the clause to mean legislators were immune from prosecution, but that the “sole basis” of a charge could not be if or how a legislator voted. Although Wistow made a similar argument, Montalbano’s case was settled without the commission making a determination on that issue. Tarantino hesitated to say whether he foresaw a settlement in Irons’ case. “I learned a long time ago to never say never,” he said, “but I think it’s highly unlikely.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:02 PM | Comment Swain's extradition hearing postponed to Dec. 5PROVIDENCE -- An extradition hearing for David Swain, charged with killing his wife while scuba diving in the Caribbean in 1999, has been postponed until next month. The hearing had been scheduled for tomorrow. But a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence said the hearing is now on for Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. Swain, a former Jamestown council member who owns a dive shop, was arrested last week on a murder warrant brought by authorities in Tortola. Swain’s arrest culminated months of quiet diplomacy between U.S State and Justice department officials and diplomats with the British Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. Until then, 51, had never been criminally charged in the death of his wife, a private school administrator and expert diver. The lawyer for Swain, an assistant federal defender, has requested more time to prepare for the international extradition hearing, citing its rarity and the "voluminous" nature of the warrant. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:08 AM | Comment Break out the ice skates, winter is hereWinter is here. If snow in the forecast isn’t enough proof, there’s more: the Bank of America City Center Skating Rink is opening today at noon. Mayor David Cicilline says last year there more than 60,000 skaters used the rink, and hopefully this year will be just as successful. “This promises to be a very exciting season at the Bank of America City Center,” he said in a statement. This year’s prices will be the same as last year: $6 for adults; $3 for seniors and children under 12; $2 admission for school groups. Skate rental is $4. And free admission and half-price skate rentals for residents on the first Saturday of each month. Click below for a list of upcoming events. * Skate with Santa the weekends of December 15th and 16th and December 22nd and 23rd from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:52 AM | Comment Download today's front pageThe governor decries welfare and the state's poverty rate is examined on today's front page. Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:23 AM | Comment Ex-Trudeau Center staffer due in court on rape chargesA former employee of a health services center that serves more than 1,000 individuals with disabilities is due in court today on charges related to a series of sexual assaults. Robert E. Bellow, 67, of 53 Indian Trail, Coventry, pleaded not guilty in October to more than 15 counts of sexual assault. He has been accused of attacking a client at an off-site apartment owned by The J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center. Bellow is scheduled to return to Superior Court, Warwick, today for a pre-trial hearing. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:20 AM | Comment Cicilline hosts Thanksgiving food drive tonightPROVIDENCE -- Hundreds of people are expected to drop by Mayor David N. Cicilline's house tonight with turkeys and other foods that will go into Thanksgiving food baskets for people in need. It is the mayor's 17th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive reception, from 5 until 9 p.m., at Cicilline's home at 702 Elmgrove Ave. Volunteers will be there to put the food into the baskets, which will be distributed to Amos House, Camp Street Community Ministries, John Hope Settlement House, Mount Hope Community Baptist Church, Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, Nickerson House, St. Vincent De Paul Ministry and other nonprofit agencies. Local businesses are also contributing to the food drive, including Eastside Marketplace, Gasbarro’s Wines-Providence, Gary’s City Gardens, Sodexho, A.G. & G. Inc., and Jephrey’s Floral Studio. Cicilline and volunteers will distribute the food baskets on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The first stop will be Camp Street Community Ministries, 190 Camp St., then stops at nonprofit agencies throughout the city. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:20 AM | Comment USDA: Tyson Foods' labels may be misleadingThe Department of Agriculture says it overlooked a feed additive when it gave Tyson Foods the OK to label its fresh chicken "raised without antibiotics.'' Now the USDA wants Tyson to change the label and the company says it will -- but that the "raised without antibiotics'' phrase will stay. Tyson says the feed additive in question isn't an antibiotic. The USDA says it is, but Tyson says the Food and Drug Administration disagrees. The company says the additive is permitted by the federal government as a preventive measure against intestinal illness in chickens. The USDA has given the company until late December to submit a new label and new arguments, to change its feed formula, or to stop using the label. Tyson says it will modify the label to include additional wording stating that no ingredients have been used that could create antibiotic resistance in humans. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Rain, sleet, snow... maybe.Cross your fingers. The National Weather Service is forecasting a mix of rain, sleet and snow later this morning with a high temperature near 41 degrees. There's also a chance of rain tonight, before midnight. The overnight temperature should drop to about 32 degrees. Tomorrow, look for rain in the afternoon, but milder temperatures with a high near 50 degrees.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment November 19, 2007Tonight: Beautiful Girls, a Lagoon and the bluesThe Beautiful Girls play rock at The Living Room, 23 Rathbone St., Providence. Call 521-5200. 9 p.m. All ages. Lagoon, Cardboard Fort and Cat/Book/City play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 9 p.m. $5. All ages. Mark Taber plays the blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. Call 453-6500. 7 to 11 p.m. Still not enough ideas for you? See what's happening on projo.com's music page and events calendars around the area. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Work starts to shore up Route 95 span in PawtucketPAWTUCKET -- The state Department of Transportation started emergency repairs on the Pawtucket River Bridge today and is removing a non-structural part for fear it might fall on someone. The work began following the agency’s announcement Friday that it will post a reduced weight limit and close one entrance ramp permanently because of deterioration of the structure. Late today, workers from Aetna Bridge Co. were using heavy timbers to build the base of a temporary pier that will help support part of a northbound lane of Route 95 where part of the steel supporting structure has rusted away. The work is under way on the east bank of the Seekonk River, to help support the ramp for the School Street exit from the highway Kazem Farhoumand, the DOT’s acting chief engineer, said that while the agency plans to close an adjacent entrance ramp, from George Street, "We have to keep School Street open." He said the School Street exit ramp carries 16,000 vehicles per day and is critical in part because it serves Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Read more about the work in tomorrow's Journal and on projo.com. -- Journal stafff writer Bruce Landis Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment District Court judge: 'Gap kids' belong in Family CourtPROVIDENCE -- District Court’s top judge this morning ruled that Family Court is the proper place for many of the “gap kids” who were charged with crimes during the 4-1/2-month period when state law treated 17-year-olds as adults. The state’s chief public defender estimated that 100 to 200 of the 500 gap kids would be transferred to Family Court as a result of the decision, but the attorney general’s office vowed to appeal the ruling. District Court Chief Judge Albert E. DeRobbio agreed to transfer misdemeanor cases involving gap kids to Family Court if charges are still pending, and he said gap kids who have entered pleas to misdemeanor charges but have not completed their sentences will have the option of seeking a transfer to Family Court. But it will be up to Superior Court to decide whether to transfer felony cases involving gap kids to Family Court because Superior Court adjudicates felonies, DeRobbio said. In making his ruling, DeRobbio said state law had been applied in an unconstitutional way. Citing the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, he said, “The court is concerned about the various classes that occurred as a result of the legislation that has passed.” Earlier this year, state lawmakers changed the law to treat 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters, predicting that would save money because the Adult Correctional Institutions would be cheaper than the state Training School. But the savings turned out to be questionable at best, and on Nov. 7 the legislature repealed the law. The change was not retroactive, however, so that left 500 “gap kids” who were charged as adults between July 1 and Nov. 8. That also meant they faced the same penalties as adults. -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick “I’m happy,” chief public defender John J. Hardiman said after the hearing. “I think it does justice to what we call ‘gap kids’ who, unfortunately, entered the justice system in that four-month period. They now will get the services and privileges that other 17-year-olds have received in the past and will receive in the future.” Attorney general’s spokesman Michael J. Healey said, “On behalf of the victims of these cases, we are glad that the court agreed there is no reason to dismiss the felonies, because they do belong in Superior Court. We appreciate the fair hearing the court gave to the issue, and with respect to the misdemeanors, we respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling and will appeal to the Supreme Court.” Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:16 PM | Comment Tiverton teachers picket over newsletter flap / Photo
They picketed in shifts after schools closed, maintaining a presence of about 50 to 60 teachers across more than an hour outside Supt. William J. Rearick's office. Today's actions came as school district/committee and the teachers union attempt to reach a contract agreement amid acrimony. The School Committee is seeking non-binding arbitration. The letter was published in the local teachers union newsletter "Voice of Reason" and described as "from a group of parents and students from THS." It states "it is about time we do something about the behavior of our school committee officers." The letter adds specific criticism of School Committee Chairwoman Denise deMedeiros, who "most of all" is the one who "angers us." One of the issues the letter focuses is on is a dispute over when some teachers wrote recommendations for students -- deMedeiros' suggestion at a recent committee meeting that the teachers might have stopped writing recommendation letters for high school seniors amid contractual negotiations, which the union disputes. The union has said teachers' recommendation letter writing is at a normal pace and accused deMedeiros of misleading statements. The NEA-RI news release identifies the two teachers who were put on administrative leave as Chris Fielding and Christina Hallman. Rearick declined to comment today about the teachers because there is an "ongoing investigation." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gina Macris Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:51 PM | Comment Providence chamber giving out awards tonightPROVIDENCE -- The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce has named Summer Infant Inc. its Small Business Leader of the Year. The company is to receive the award tonight at the chamber’s annual meeting, the largest gathering of business leaders of the year. Summer Infant, a manufacturer of children’s care products in Woonsocket, was founded in 1984. The chamber awards businesses with 100 employees or fewer for creating original products or services and for job growth, profitability and community involvement, according to chamber spokeswoman Bethany E. Costello. Last year, Stephen Lane and Aidan Petrie, co-founders of Item Group, a product development firm in Providence, received the chamber’s small business award. Tonight's event, at the Rhode Island Convention Center, is expected to draw at least 700 people. Joseph Quinlan, the chief market strategist for Bank of America, Global Wealth and Investment Management, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at 8:10 p.m. Also at tonight’s ceremony, the chamber plans to name Concordia Manufacturing as the Manufacturer of the Year. Concordia, based in Coventry, is growing its staff at a time when many manufacturers in the state are shrinking or closing their local operations. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Last year’s honoree was Hexagon Metrology Inc., a global supplier of metrology equipment and software in North Kingstown. The chamber is also honoring Jeannine Dugas, a senior account executive for Cox Media, as its Ambassador of the Year. She was chosen by a committee of 70 people who “provide critical membership liaison services between the chamber and its member businesses.” Last year, Ralph Coppola, of Providence-based Meridien Benefits Group Inc., an executive benefits firm, received the recognition. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:31 PM | Comment Update: Mercury spill in E. Providence High cleaned upEAST PROVIDENCE -- A mercury spill, described as the size of a half-dollar, has been cleaned up after being found in the East Providence High School boiler room this morning. The spill, which came out of a boiler switch, was contained immediately in an area that only certified maintenance staff are allowed access to, said Robert Rodericks, a school district spokesman, after he spoke with Assistant Schools Supt. Edward Daft. School is going on as scheduled. The school district said no students or teachers were exposed to the substance. Mercury is a hazardous heavy metal that can cause concerns if someone is exposed to it as a vapor. Rodericks said the spill was discovered between 10 and 10:30 a.m. He said the district would not have hesitated to evacuate the school had officials deemed it necessary. Work has been wrapping up on a major replacement of what was a 50-plus-year-old boiler/heating system in the school. Clean Harbors Environmental Services, which cleans up hazardous material spills, cleaned up the spill.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Blue Bug goes green for the holidaysThis holiday season the Big Blue Bug is going green. For 15 years Nibbles Woodaway – better known as the Big Blue Bug – has been fitted with a festive holiday outfit, adorned with lights, a red Rudolph-esqe nose, and antlers. This year there’s an added adornment: efficiency. The bug, which overlooks Route 95 from atop the New England Pest Control building, will be wrapped in 5,200 LED holiday lights. Michael Ryan, the president of R.I. Electric Distribution for National Grid, will flip the switch tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. "This lighting display will remind the thousands of drivers who pass the Big Blue Bug every day that they can easily do their part to reduce energy use and carbon emissions this holiday season," he said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:37 PM | Comment URI fires football coach Tim StowersBY MIKE SZOSTAK The University of Rhode Island has fired football coach Tim Stowers after an eight-year tenure that produced one winning season in 2001. His overall record at URI was 33-57. His last game was a 35-30 victory over Northeastern last Saturday. Stowers has one year remaining on his contract. He earned $196,027 in 2006. "I have been informed that I will no longer be the coach of the University of Rhode Island football team," Stowers said early this afternoon. The director of athletics, Thorr Bjorn, was in a meeting, and other administrators were unavailable for comment. Stowers received the word this morning. Several weeks ago, Bjorn said he would discuss Stowers' fate after the season. The Rams lost six of their first seven games this year but won two of their last four, including a 12-6 upset of third-ranked Massachusetts on Nov. 3. "Obviously, we had one winning season," Stowers said. "Even though we had a difficult schedule -- we played six playoffs teams and one I-A team -- you never know. They just wanted to ake a decision for the future of the program, and I respect their opinion." Stowers came to URI in 2000 after two years as an assistant coach at Temple. He was head coach at Georgia Southern for six years, winning the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in 1990. His career record as a head coach is 84-80. Posted by Art Martone at 2:35 PM | Comment LNG company vows new push for Fall River plantBOSTON -- The company hoping to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River is forging ahead even after the Coast Guard rejected the proposal last month. Opponents called the Coast Guard's decision a near death blow for the Weaver's Cove Energy terminal, but Hess LNG President Gordon Shearer said today the company will appeal the ruling as early as Wednesday. At the same time, Shearer said the company will submit a new proposal designed to address the concerns raised by the Coast Guard, a move that would automatically trigger a new review. "It's fair to say that the project is by no means dead," Shearer said today. A revised proposal will be submitted to the Coast Guard in the next few months, he said. The proposal can be filed even if the Coast Guard hasn't yet ruled on the appeal. The Coast Guard said if the company submits a new proposal, it's prepared to completely reanalyze it. "Weaver's Cove could present an entirely new proposal, which would require the Coast Guard to conduct an entirely new analysis," Coast Guard Senior Chief Richard Uronis said. -- The Associated Press Opponents have fought against the proposed LNG terminal saying a terrorist attack or accident would be devastating to residents in the densely populated area. The Coast Guard on Oct. 24 rejected plans for the terminal, ruling tankers would not be able to safely negotiate between two bridges on the river leading to the site. Opponents celebrated the decision, which they hoped spelled the end for the project. Then-Fall River mayor Edward Lambert said the decision delivered a "near death blow, if not a fatal blow" to the project. Shearer said the decision was more of a setback than a death blow. He faulted local Coast Guard officials, saying they failed to base their decision on marine simulations and the judgment of pilots - both of which Shearer said would have worked in the project's favor. If local Coast Guard officials uphold their earlier decision, Shearer plans to appeal up through the chain of command. "As you go up the appeals process, it ceases to become a local Coast Guard issue and less susceptible to local pressure," he said. At the same time the company will submit an entirely revised proposal. Shearer said that proposal would try to address some of the concerns raised by the Coast Guard, including the size of the ships and their ability to navigate through two bridges. The Coast Guard based its decision to reject Weaver's Cove initial proposal in part because it determined the tankers wouldn't have sufficient space to safely navigate to the LNG site between two bridges that are about 1,100 feet apart on the Taunton River. The bridges became obstacles to the project after maneuvering by opponents. The old Brightman Street Bridge was slated for demolition, but was preserved as a pedestrian walkway when opponents realized they could use it to stop the project. The old bridge has a narrow, 98-foot-wide opening that is not aligned with the opening on the new Brightman Street Bridge, which is just 1,100 feet away. That leaves too little room for the tankers to maneuver between them. Shearer said the tankers used on the project would be specially designed and those designs could be modified to allow them to make the trip safely. The Weaver's Cove LNG terminal was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2005 and has the support of various local unions. Company officials argued the project was badly needed to meet the region's growing energy demands. It met fierce opposition in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which borders the route the tankers would have taken to reach the Fall River site. They vowed to kill the proposal any way possible, and have tried various approaches, including a current fight to have the heavily industrialized former Shell Oil site protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:02 PM | Comment Red Sox re-sign Mike LowellBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- The Red Sox finished their holiday shopping early, re-signing free agent third baseman Mike Lowell today to a three-year deal worth $37.5 million according to someone with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The salary will be $12 million for each of the next three years, with a $1.5 million signing bonus. Lowell's signing means the Sox will return the 2007 team almost in its entirety. Earlier this month, the Sox also re-signed pitcher Curt Schilling to a one-year deal. The Sox had made it clear from the beginning that they were not willing to give Lowell a four-year deal, an approach they had previously taken with Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon. Lowell attracted various levels of interest from the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and at least some of those clubs were apparently willing to go to a fourth year. But Lowell made clear that he would prefer to remain with the Sox. His long-term contract, which paid him $9 million annually, expired after the season. With the 2007 World Series MVP back under contract, the Sox' off-season wish list has shrunk to the depth positions. The Sox could still use a veteran outfielder, a corner infielder and perhaps an upgrade over Doug Mirabelli at the backup catcher position. Posted by Art Martone at 1:58 PM | Comment Update: Man gets 18 years for shaking baby to deathPROVIDENCE – A man accused of shaking his girlfriend’s baby so violently that the child died of internal head injuries was sentenced this morning to 18 years in prison.
-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:35 PM | Comment Update: Humpback whale freed / Photo, video
A humpback whale has been freed from fishing nets, but may be slightly injured after spending days anchored off the coast of a Westerly beach. After getting loose after 10 o'clock this morning, the whale still had some yellow fishing line or netting wrapped around it and over its back just behind the blowhole. But in a statement from Mystic Aquarium, observers in a helicopter said the whale had already traveled east from Weekapaug to near Blue Shutters Beach, in Charlestown, by about 10:45 a.m. “Once freed," the release read, "he seemed to be swimming fairly well despite the problem.” Representatives from the Mass. -based Center for Coastal Studies said the 30-foot animal seemed a little thin, but would probably be fine after feeding. Scott Landry was out on the water, about a quarter mile off Weekapaug Beach, for more than two hours, working to disentangle the animal, thought to be a juvenile. “He’s a sick little whale,” said Landry, who works with the center on whale rescues. The center worked alongside employees from the state Department of Environmental Management and Mystic Aquarium in nearby Connecticut to free the whale, which was first spotted on Friday, according to Cindy Davis, stranding assistant at the aquarium. “People initially thought it was feeding,” she said. “But we knew something was wrong because the animal was staying in the same place for a long time.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Arline Fleming Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:26 PM | Comment Cumberland man is sentenced to eight years in prisonA Cumberland man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for illegally having three rifles. A jury in July found him guilty of being a felon in possession of fire arms. Richard Ribeiro, 59, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. Ribeiro has a past felony narcotics conviction. During the July trial, prosecutor Zechariah Chafee presented evidence that on May 1, 2006, Cumberland police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents used a search warrant to go into Ribeiro’s Macondary Street home. They seized a rifle in a crawl space. After interviewing Ribeiro at the Cumberland police station, an ATF agent went back to Ribeiro’s home and seized a 12-gauge shotgun and a .357 Magnum rifle in another area of crawl space, the news release said. The agent also found .357-caliber ammunition in a dresser drawer. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:26 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Seeking Thanksgiving horror storiesHave relatives or friends subjected you to scorched turnips, green beans and Velveeta or burnt turkey at Thanksgiving? Please share your worst Thanksgiving holiday food experiences for publication. Please contact reporter Karen Lee Ziner at kziner@projo.com. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:33 AM | Comment Gas prices up for 5th straight weekThe average price for a gallon of gasoline in Rhode Island has increased for the fifth straight week and is just one cent below the high for the year, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline has increased four cents to $3.079 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The high for the year is $3.089, reached on May 28. The price has climbed 40 cents in the past five weeks. A year ago the price here was $2.239. The average price for gasoline in Rhode Island is two cents below the national average of $3.099. Still, AAA says the high prices aren't expected to deter Thanksgiving travel acrosss the country. AAA estimates that 38.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 1.5 percent increase over last year. About 31.2 million are expected to travel by motor vehicle, a 1.3 percent increase over last year. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:56 AM | Comment Police issue warning after Cape Cod heroin deathsFALMOUTH -- Police on upper Cape Cod are warning the public after two deaths linked to what they believe is a lethal mixture of heroin. Within a roughly three-hour span yesterday, police in Falmouth responded to two deaths believed to have been caused by heroin use. Autopsies are planned on the men, aged 38 and 40. Falmouth police say they're unsure whether the deaths are connected to a high-potency drug that led federal authorities to issue a heroin alert last year. That warning involved a powerful version of heroin cut with the painkiller Fentanyl. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 9:56 AM | Comment Reminder: Allens Avenue detour
Don't forget, more Iway construction means more detours. Today, through Wednesday, northbound traffic on Allens Avenue will share one lane of alternating traffic with construction crews as. Southbound traffic on Allens Avenue will follow a detour to Eddy Street and return to Allens at Public Street. The detour will remain through the weekend, and the work will continue today, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Construction crews will be on the street, lowering the grade on Allens Avenue in preparation for placing steel along the avenue as part of the Iway “superstructure” that will bring traffic from Route 195 west to Route 95 north. The steel installation should begin early next year. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:35 AM | Comment 2 firefighters hurt, 5 people displaced by Providence fireTwo firefighters went to the hospital, and five residents were displaced by a fire this morning on Orms Street, Providence, according to the Providence Fire Department. The fire at 421 Orms St was reported at 6:45 a.m. and brought under control around 7:53 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Fire Department. The fire, which is under investigation, caused extensive damage to all three floors of the wood-frame building, Taylor said. Firefighters were evacuated from the building because of the fire's intensity and fought it from outside, he said. One firefighter was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with a burned hand, and another was taken to Roger Williams Hospital with an unknown but apparently minor injury, Taylor said. The Red Cross was called to help the five people, all adults, displaced by the fire, according to Taylor. Everyone was out of the building when firefighters arrived. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:01 AM | Comment Cloudy and a chance of rainThe early morning sun may just be a tease. The National Weather Service is forecasting a cloudy day with a chance of rain this afternoon and a high temperature of 42 degrees. Clouds are expected to stick around overnight, when the temperature drops to 28 degrees. Tomorrow is looking grim, with a slight chance of snow early in the morning, turning to mixed rain and sleet, and then just rain. Clouds all day with a high temperature of about 43. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph and headline about the Patriots' blowout win in Buffalo and the epilogue to staff writer G. Wayne Miller's series on Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 18, 2007Former Pawtucket Mayor Dennis Lynch, father of AG Patrick Lynch, diesAttorney General Patrick C. Lynch released the following statement Sunday night on the news of the death of his father, former Pawtucket Mayor Dennis M. Lynch: “It is with great sadness that I announce that my father, Dennis M. Lynch, passed away early this evening at Roger Williams Medical Center. Although he had not been in good health for some time, his death was quite unexpected and has left our family stunned. ''Elected Mayor of Pawtucket five times, he served the people of my hometown purposefully and honorably from 1973 to 1981. As Rhode Island’s State Purchasing Agent, he worked for five Governors in more than 20 years of exemplary and honest service. He instilled in my brothers and sisters and me the value of public service, teaching us to do well by doing good and to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves. ''Even more important, however, by his own example, he showed us how family matters more than anything else in life and how life is meant to be lived to the fullest, which is certainly how he lived his life. I offer my heartfelt sympathies to my Mom, Irene, my children, Kelsy and Graham, my brothers and sisters, and my 14 nephews and nieces.” Posted by Art Martone at 10:27 PM | Comment November 16, 2007Thanksgiving travel predictions -- and tipsWhether you’re planning a trip to visit family this holiday season, or trying to get a break from them, it’s likely going to cost you more than it did last year. But, according to the annual AAA survey, that's probably not enough to stop you. It seems neither record-high gas prices, nor fears of sitting in a plane on a runway for hours is enough to deter holiday travelers from packing their bags and heading out as the busy Thanksgiving travel week begins. Although the increase is expected to be slight, more people are planning to travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend; 38.7 million people compared to last year’s 38.1 million, according to AAA’s annual Thanksgiving travel survey. And 80 percent of them are planning to travel by car, that’s a 1.3 percent increase over last year. Any increase could be seen as surprising considering this year America is facing the highest November gas prices ever; more than $3 per gallon. Last November, a gallon of gasoline ran about $2.20. Last week in Rhode Island, gas hit an average of nearly $3.04 a gallon, but Robert Murray, senior vice president at AAA if Southern New England, isn’t surprised that people are still planning to travel. “It’s a pretty big jump,” he acknowledges, but said it wasn’t a significant deterrent, especially around Thanksgiving, “because it’s about family.” And travelers are also finding they may be able to make up the difference in other ways. Rates are down for many hotels, and rental prices have dropped, on average, 12 percent, according to AAA. If you do decide to drive, check the cost of gas for your trip the AAA fuel calculator. Even commercial airline tickets are down more than 5 percent from this time last year, according to AAA, and about 4.7 million Americans are expected to travel by plane this holiday season. In Rhode Island, T. F. Green Airport is expecting heavier-than-usual holiday traffic. The airport will have extra police officers, airline and rental car personnel, food and retail staff, parking attendants, and shuttle service. Even so, a press release with travel tips issued by the airport Friday warns travelers to arrive early, but of course to check for cancellations in the case of bad weather. Bring positive identification and don’t forget the TSA3-1-1 rule: any gels or liquids must be containers of 3 ounces or less and packed in one quart zip top bag to make it through the security checkpoint. Amtrak is also alerting travelers to heavy traffic during the next few days, and plans to add extra cars in the Northeast corridor to cope. The train service is also operating on a special Thanksgiving holiday timetable. Extra: Find more resources on projo.com's travelers' tips page. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:55 PM | Comment Photo: Coming soon to a Thanksgiving table near you?
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:05 PM | Comment Tonight: A trio performs on flute, viola and harp at URICatch a trio performing tonight at the University of Rhode Island. The Aureole Trio -- flute, viola and harp -- takes the stage in the Great Performances series of concerts at 8 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Rd., Kingston. Percussionist Gregg Charest joins in for some Hispanic music. Tickets are $15. For informations, call (401) 874-2627 or go to www.uri.edu/greatperformances. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Pawtucket man robbed of $30,000 in home invasionPAWTUCKET -- An elderly man told police he was robbed of $30,000 and a wrist watch by two men who forced their way into his home. Antonio Caetano, 69, was watching the 6:30 p.m. news in his apartment at 18 Ivy St. Thursday when he heard a knock on the door and answered it without asking who it was, according to the police. When he opened the door, Caetano told police, he was confronted by two men wearing ski masks. One of the men was holding what appeared to be a handgun. The men stormed into the apartment. One of them grabbed Caetano by the neck and demanded, “Where’s the money?” Caetano said he was shoved into the bedroom, where one of the men pushed him to the floor and held him there while the other man flipped over his mattress and opened all his bureau drawers, the police report said. Caetano told police that he tried without success to pull off the face mask of the man who was holding him. At that point, he said, a blanket was tossed on top of him so he couldn’t see. Caetano told police he heard more bureau drawers being opened, then the sound of the men running out of the apartment. Before leaving, one of the men took the wrist watch Caetano was wearing. Caetano told police he was very scared. He got up, closed the bureau drawers and righted the mattress, which had been flipped on its side in his bedroom. Then he went into the spare bedroom, where he noticed the bottom bureau drawer open and the tin can where he kept his money emptied of cash. -- Journal staff writer John Castellucci Caetano, who speaks little English, went next-door and asked a neighbor to call the police. David R. Medeiros, who speaks fluent Portuguese, was called in to translate. “Caetano stated that he had approximately $30,000 in cash in the tin can,” Medeiros said in the police report. “He was asked if he could describe the two males and he stated that they were approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall” with medium builds. Caetano was taken to police headquarters, where was interviewed by detectives. The empty tin can was seized as evidence and turned over to Detective Scott Feeley, who is investigating the case. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Man charged with setting his house on fireA Charlestown man was indicted today on one count of first-degree arson after the police alleged that he set his house on fire in July and fled the scene. Along with the arson charge, the indictment handed up by the Washington County grand jury accuses Brett Perkins, 44, of 46 Charles Ave. of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of resisting arrest. Perkins on July 3 allegedly "knowingly caused or created by means of fire or explosion a substantial risk of serious physical harm to any person or damage to the building located at 56 Charles Avenue," said a news release from Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office. Perkins allegedly assaulted a victim with a dangerous weapon, "to wit, a 1993 white Chevy Corsica, and that he also used force in resisting arrest by a police officer." About 50 volunteer firefighters responded to a 9-1-1 call that July day just before 10:30 a.m. to find the single-story brick house in flames. A police officer told The Journal at the time that witnesses reported hearing arguing before the fire and, possibly, a threat to burn the house down. Perkins lived in the house with his wife, The Journal reported. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Concerns aired over care for developmentally disabledCRANSTON -- Impending changes in the way the state cares for the developmentally disabled drew nearly 300 people today to the first of several conferences that Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals director Ellen Nelson has scheduled over the next several weeks. The state budget crisis will make reform all the more difficult, Nelson said. That message -- and concerns about the future shape of services -- did not please many of the developmentally disabled and relatives, advocates and providers who attended the overflow gathering at One Rhodes Place. “We’re at a teetering point,” said Nelson, whose department Thursday issued layoff notices involving 293 MHRH positions. Once a national model, Rhode Island’s system of care for the developmentally disabled has fallen on difficult times, with waiting lists for group homes and programs. Employment opportunities are limited, and aging parents worry about the fate of their adult children. Similar problems affect care of the mentally ill, another group in MHRH’s charge. Today’s session was only the beginning of a planning process, Nelson said; while she and her staff have identified critical areas, they have not determined solutions. Public input will continue through Feb. 15 under Nelson’s timetable, with new contracts and services to be in place next summer. “There isn’t any predetermination as to outcome,” Nelson said. Several who spoke said they feared that reform would bring reductions in services -- and a return to the days, more than two decades ago, when the developmentally disabled either lived at Exeter’s Ladd Center, now closed, or with families who had little or no support. “You say you’re looking for creative ideas. Thirty-four years ago, we had creative ideas,” said Pat Vincent, whose autistic son, now 34, lives in a group home. Vincent was among the advocates who helped create Rhode Island’s community-based system of care. “I can’t go through this again,” Vincent said. Nelson tried to reassure her audience that MHRH does not intend to “dislodge, disrupt or otherwise negatively impact a person with a developmental disability.” But the present system, she said, cannot endure. -- Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller Among the most critical issues is the state’s network of group homes, some run directly by the state and others by private agencies with government funding. Most were built twenty of more years ago, and are now in need of upgrading and repair -- but the state lacks the money to accomplish that. One option that MHRH is considering, Nelson said, is creation of a “housing trust” from proceeds of sales of some homes to agencies that would continue to operate them. Another option is expansion of supported-living programs, in which the disabled live with non-related individuals who earn a stipend from the state for the care they provide. Such programs are less costly than group homes. Nelson said she could not discuss the impact of the state budget since the governor and General Assembly have yet to sift through the crisis. “Trust me, this year is a different year,” said Nelson. “There is a reality looming out there… which is there will be limits.” Several in the audience said that the developmentally disabled should not bear the brunt of cuts. “Why are the politicians getting rich and we’re getting cut?” said Julia Ionata, of Providence. Herself developmentally disabled, Ionata cares for a 30-year-old daughter who is also disabled. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:38 PM | Comment Couple rescued from burning Richmond houseRICHMOND -- A Richmond police officer rescued a local couple and their pet dog from their burning house this afternoon. No one was injured. The officer, John E. Randall, who’s been on the force for two years, said he arrived at the house at 1:30 p.m. responding to a call of a burning structure at 481 Kingstown Road (Route 138) engulfed in flames and heavy smoke. Randall said he saw the silhouette of a man “standing but slumped over in a front room,” apparently trying to reach the front door. “I was yelling at him, ‘Here I am. Are you OK?’” Randall said. “He couldn’t say anything, just move his arms.” Randall kicked the front door open and carried out Arthur A. Kocsi, 52. Kocsi then told him that his girlfriend remained in the house, in a back room. Randall said he tried to go back into the house, but couldn’t see or breathe through the thick black smoke. Instead, he went around the house. He said he heard glass cracking from a basement window and heard a woman’s voice yelling, “help me, help me.” Lisa Sykes, 46, had partially collapsed by the window, as she continued trying to smash the glass with her left arm. Randall broke the window and pulled her and the dog out. -- Journal staff writer Maria Armental But Sykes, Randall said, wanted to go back in, unaware that Kocsi was already out. By the time Randall went around the house to get Kocsi, Kocsi had already started to reenter the house tyring to reach Sykes. Kocsi and Sykes were taken to South County Hospital as a precaution. The dog was taken to the Richmond pound. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:56 PM | Comment List of positions being cut hits hard at MHRHThe list of 483 state employee positions released by Governor Carcieri's office today includes an "A list" of those informed their positions are being cut and a "B list" of those informed their positions are targeted for cutting. The list was foreshadowed by copies of layoff and warning notices provided by union officials to The Journal yesterday, which showed cuts largely targeted at jobs in the state’s welfare and hospital arenas, including interpreters who work with poor immigrants, and workers in one of the last psychiatric units at Eleanor Slater Hospital. The governor also laid the groundwork for closing the West Warwick branch of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The numbers also reflect some of the Carcieri administration's ideas about privatization of services, such as housekeeping services at the state hospital complex. Here is a sampling of some of the 153 "A list" positions for which employees received layoff notices yesterday: * The Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals loses 45 positions, including 13 certified nursing assistant positions and five seasonal certified nursing assistant positions. Also going are two clinical laboratory scientists' positions, two licensed practical nurse positions, and five registered nurse positions.
* At the Department of Environmental Management, an environmental scientist, a senior environmental planner, a chief of strategic planning and policy, a chief of information and public relations, and a park caretaker supervisor are among nine positions eliminated. * Two interpreters of Cambodian, an interpreter of Hmong and an interpreter of Portuguese are among 31 Department of Human Services positions being cut. * Department of Administration loses three chief deputy sheriff positions among 16 position eliminations. * Department of Health loses 11 positions, including an associate director of health, an assistant director of health (community affairs), a chief field inspector, a health policy analyst, a sanitarian, and a virologist.
* At the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, positions that would be cut include eight licensed practical nurses, a supervising registered nurse, 11 registered nurses, 21 certified nursing assistants, 11 cooks, more than 50 cook's helpers, 14 food service supervisors and more than 50 janitors. * Department of Administration would lose five deputy sheriff positions and the sheriff positions in Newport and Kent counties. * Department of Corrections would see 27 adult counselor positions and four classification counselor positions eliminated. * Five customer service representative positions at Division of Motor Vehicles would go, as would a motor vehicle operator examiner position. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:05 PM | Comment Sox adding 800-plus seats to Fenway for next seasonBOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox are adding more than 800 new seats at Fenway Park as part of a slate of improvements planned for next season. The new seats and standing room areas for about 60 people will be added to the pavilion level, which is the third level of seating above home plate. The pavilion area will be extended down the first base line and the third base line, where about three-quarters of the new seating will be located, the team announced. In total, Fenway's capacity will increase by about 900 fans. The pavilion seats will cost between $75 to $90 and the standing room area tickets will cost $25. "We understand the demand for such seats; thus we are adding to the supply," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. The team also plans to install new scoreboards, new stairways and elevators and open a year-round restaurant in center field that will have a view of the ballpark. The announcement comes the same week the team said 2008 ticket prices would increase an average of 9 percent. Prices at Fenway range from $12 for upper bleachers seats to $125 for field box seats. Lucchino said the added revenue was needed to keep the team competitive, particularly as the rival New York Yankees see a major revenue increase when they move into a new stadium in 2009. The new seats and other improvements are part of the annual offseason renovations the team has undertaken at the league's oldest and smallest ballpark since the ownership group led by John Henry bought the Red Sox in 2002. Among the major renovations were adding seats above the "Green Monster" in left field in 2003. Before last season, the team added a new bleacher section on the roof deck in right field. "For decades, there was a presumption that Fenway Park had outlived its useful life and, sentiment aside, would have to be replaced by a modern facility in another location," Lucchino said. "We are eager to see, in 2012, this ballpark become the first ever to celebrate its 100th anniversary." Posted by Jack Perry at 2:57 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Leaving R.I. for economic reasons?A Journal reporter is seeking interviews with people who are leaving Rhode Island for economic reasons, including taxes or business climate. Please contact Karen Lee Ziner at kziner@projo.com. On a lighter note, the same reporter is working on a Thanksgiving story. Have relatives or friends subjected you to scorched turnips, green beans and Velveeta or burnt turkey at Thanksgiving? Please share your worst Thanksgiving holiday food experiences for publication. Again, please contact Karen Lee Ziner at kziner@projo.com. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:45 PM | Comment R.I. sending packages to troops overseasRhode Island troops overseas can look forward to receiving a little bit of home this holiday season thanks to Operation Holiday Cheer. The program sends care packages to troops filled with donations from the Ocean State. Tomorrow morning, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray and volunteers from across the state will meet at the North Main Street Armory to assemble packages. Corporate sponsors include some obvious choices for Rhode Island: Del’s Lemonade, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ocean State Job Lot, and The Providence Journal. Also supporting the program: AAA of Southern New England; the American Red Cross, R.I. Chapter; Amica Insurance; Arthur Lambi and Associates; Bank of America; the Boston Celtics; National Grid; the New England Patriots and the U.S. Postal Service. Volunteers will meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Main Street Armory. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:52 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 95 southboundTwo lanes are closed on Route 95 southbound is after an early afternoon accident in the high-speed lane. The Transportation Management Center is reporting the right and right-center lanes closed at Exit 21/Atwells Avenue after an accident at about 12:25. For more information, check the TMC’s Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:37 PM | Comment Update: Carcieri releases list of positions being cutGovernor Carcieri has just released the list of 483 state employee positions being cut or targeted for cutting. It does not include names, just positions and pay-grades. One-hundred and fifty-three state employees got layoff notices yesterday. Another 330 received notices their positions are targeted for cutting by fiscal year's end in June 2008. All told, the current plan is to cut about 536 state positions. “Reducing the size of the state workforce is an option nobody wanted to take,” Governor Carcieri said in the statement. “Unfortunately, this is one of the most effective options we have left to address the state’s growing budget problems. We did not take this step lightly. Nor do we believe that reducing the size of the state workforce is the entire solution to the state’s budget problems. In fact, this is just the beginning of the spending we will need to cut." Not all notices were delivered to affected employees yesterday; the remaining ones will be delivered over the coming weeks. "Additions, adjustments or revisions to the list will be provided to the media as they become finalized," the governor's office said today. The governor's office said eliminating the 536 positions is projected to save about $41.6 million a year starting next fiscal year. Average savings per cut position, including salary and benefits, is about $77,648, according to the governor's office. Read the list. Carcieri on Nov. 1 announced plans to save another $7.7 million per year by eliminating 168 contract positions. Carcieri also anticipates millions of dollars in savings through eliminating about 487 positions from retirement and attrition by fiscal 2008's end. Carcieri said his goal is to save about $100 million yearly, beginning in fiscal 2009, by reducing the state workforce. “The state’s projected budget deficit has nearly doubled since I first announced my spending reduction plan,” Carcieri stated. “As the state’s budget forecast has grown even worse, it has become clear that we must redouble our efforts to cut state spending. At this time, we are not planning another round of significant job cuts. But in the coming weeks and months, I hope to work with the General Assembly and others to develop long-term solutions to the state’s budget problems.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:22 PM | Comment Visit the landfill -- no, really!Protect your identity, lay off the landfill, cultivate a garden. You can do it; the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation can help. Tomorrow, the RIRRC, which runs the Central Landfill in Johnston, is inviting residents to stop by for Rhode Island Recycles Day. A shredder will be on hand for disposing sensitive documents that people may not feel comfortable throwing in the recycle bin although, Sarah Kite, recycling manager at the landfill said, it’s “exceedingly rare” that identity theft occurs from a recycling bin. The landfill will also be accepting electronic waste – things like computers, cell phones and televisions – that contain toxins such as mercury or lead, and should not be thrown away with other trash. There is a $5 fee for disposing televisions because of the difficulty of handling cathode-ray tubes, which may be lined with toxic powders and which are prone to implode if damaged. The RIRRC will also have compost bins for sale. The bins are a great way to dispose of biodegradable waste, and turn it into nutrient rich soil – perfect for gardens. Not sure what to do with your compost? Sign up to become a master composter at the University of Rhode Island. They’ll show you how to put it to good use. Saturday’s events run from just 8 a.m. until noon at the Central Landfill, 65 Shun Pike in Johnston. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:33 AM | Comment Former prison guard denies trooper assault charge
Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
James Proulx, right, during his arraignment.
James Proulx, 37, faces one count of felony assault and one count of misdemeanor reckless driving after a June 16 incident that left trooper Brendan Doyle in the hospital. During this morning's arraignment, Proulx's bail was reduced from $1 million with surety to $100,000 with surety. His lawyer, William Dimitri, had asked that the bail be reduced to $20,000 with surety, but Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia sided with a request from prosecutor James Baum for higher bail. Proulx must also surrender his passport. Proulx, wearing a suit, looked straight at the judge and said little other than giving his name and date of birth. Dimitri entered the plea on his behalf. Doyle suffered a serious head injury, went into a coma and was administered the Catholic church's sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites. His stepmother, Lori Doyle, attended the arraignment and said the trooper is doing "better and better in every aspect." She maintains a Web site providing updates on the trooper's progress.
Doyle was off duty, and leaving a restaurant with friends on Pine Street when they saw a car jump a curb and weave through a crowded street, according to the police. Doyle shouted at the driver, who eventually stopped at Pine and Dorrance Streets. Police say Doyle, 25, identified himself as a trooper and walked toward the car. Proulx got out and punched Doyle in the face, according to the police. The trooper fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement. He spent three weeks at Rhode Island Hospital. Proulx faces a maximum of 21 years in prison. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:52 AM | Comment Upcoming work on Route 95 in PawtucketBy mid-November, trucks and other heavy vehicles with three or five axles will not be able to cross the Pawtucket River Bridge; Route 95 between Exits 27 and 28. The state Department of Transportation will begin the process tonight to reduce the weight allowed on the bridge; by Nov. 26 the posted restriction will be 22 tons. The DOT will begin re-striping lanes on the bridge at 11 tonight to help redistribute traffic weight from the outer edges of the bridge to the main girders. Eventually the bridge will be replaced. Until there is a new bridge in place, the George Street on-ramp will be closed. The bridge was built for 60,000 cars per day, according to the DOT, but today volumes about three times that amount cross it daily. As of August, Rhode Island has the highest percentage of bridges in the nation listed as "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete," according to Kazem Farhoumand, deputy chief engineer for the Rhode Island DOT. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson DOT’s director, Jerome F. Williams, says the bridge is safe, and that the work is an attempt to ensure it remains so. “RIDOT inspects all of its bridges at least once every two years,” Williams said in a statement, “RIDOT has monitored and repaired this bridge consistently since 2002. A full inspection was conducted summer 2006 with additional inspections late this summer.” At least one lane will be open at all times during the work, which is set to begin tonight at 11 and continue through tomorrow morning. Northbound work will begin on the northbound side of Route 95 near Exits 27 and 28. Southbound work is scheduled to start Sunday at 11 p.m. and continue until 5:30 a.m. Monday. DOT officials will announce details about replacing the bridge toward the end of the month, according to spokeswoman Dana Alexander Nolfe. " Nolfe said the Department has been in contact with trucking companies to work out viable detours. Non-commercial traffic and service vehicles, such as ambulances, won't be affected, she said. The Pawtucket River Bridge is a part of the original interstate system. It was built in 1958 to carry traffic over Taft Street and the Pawtucket River. It is actually two separate structures; it has two girders with cantilever brackets on each side. This is the only one of its kind on Route 95 in Rhode Island. The bridge is formed by two projecting trusses that are connected in the center, supported by piers, and anchored by counterbalancing members. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:18 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Route 10 trafficRoute 10 is a mess. Avoid it if you can. See for yourself. Several accidents, including one at the Reservoir Avenue exit, have cars stopped. For the latest traffic information, visit the Transportation Management Center's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:20 AM | Comment Iway construction continues
Starting this Saturday morning, northbound traffic on Allens Avenue will share one lane of alternating traffic with construction crews as another phase of work on the Iway begins. Southbound traffic on Allens Avenue will follow a detour to Eddy Street and return to Allens at Public Street. The detour will remain through the weekend, and the work will continue Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Construction crews will be on the street, lowering the grade on Allens Avenue in preparation for placing steel along the Avenue as part of the Iway “superstructure” that will bring traffic from Route 195 west to Route 95 north. The steel installation should begin early next year. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Clearing but coolThere may be snow in your future. Yesterday's high was 65 degrees. Today, the National Weather Service is forecasting a maximum temperature of 46. The rain, or sleet, or whatever this is should clear up soon, the clouds will part, and the sun is expected to make an appearance. The wind, however, is here to stay, coming from the northwest at 13 to 22 mph. Gusts could reach 34 mph. A few clouds will roll in tonight when the temperature drops to 30 and wind gusts up to 31 mph. Tomorrow should be cloudy and cold, with a high in the mid 40s and gusty west winds. Tomorrow night will bring more rain and then -- snow. Maybe. The temperature should drop to about 30 degrees. Sunday, a chance of snow, then rain. Cloudy skies are forecast for the day and a high temperature just on the warmer side of 40. Sunday night is looking cold, with temperatures dropping into the mid 20s. No precipitation forecast for Monday; just sunny skies and a high temperature near 40. Keep tabs on the weather throughout the weekend on projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about proposals to build wind turbines off the Rhode Island coast to generate electricity. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 15, 2007Magistrate Almond tapped to succeed Judge TorresPresident Bush has nominated Lincoln D. Almond, a U.S. magistrate judge in Rhode Island and son of the former Republican Gov. Lincoln C. Almond, to succeed Ernest Torres as a full-time U.S. District Court judge in Providence. Almond's nomination has been sent to the U.S. Senate, according to a White House statement this evening. Torres left full-time service and assumed senior judge status. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:14 PM | Comment Brown gets $10M for long-term care research databasePROVIDENCE -- A Brown University center has gotten a five-year, $10-million grant to create the first national database that will let researchers study how state policies and market forces affect quality of long-term care, such as by nursing homes. The university's Center for Gerontology and Health Care received the grant from the National Institute on Aging, a university news release said this afternoon. Vincent Mor, department of community health chairman at Brown, and his team will take existing federal information on Medicare reimbursement claims, patient hospitalization rates and other data and combine it with new information the team will gather on the health of residents, reimbursement rates for long-term care services, the organization of those services, and more from a random sample of 2,600 American nursing homes. The group will also collect information on policies from the 50 states. More than 1.4 million Americans live in nursing homes and by 2020, an estimated 12 million will need long-term care, whether in a nursing home, assisted living facility, chronic care hospital or at home, according to the release. The goal, according to the press release, of the database is to "allow researchers to trace a clear relationship among state policies, local market forces and the quality of long-term care. Policy-makers can then use the information to craft state and local guidelines that promote high-quality, cost-effective, equitable care for older Americans." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:44 PM | Comment RISD exploring branch in Charlotte, N.C.PROVIDENCE -- Commenting on a report today that Rhode Island School of Design officials are in talks with Charlotte, N.C., officials about opening a branch there, a RISD spokeswoman said college officials have visited there three times but that it is "very exploratory" and there is "no program proposal" as of yet. "It's not like there is going to be some sort of anouncement next week," said Jaime Marland, spokeswoman for the Rhode Island School of Design. What, if any, form a RISD presence in Charlotte may take is not settled, she said. Marland said RISD officials have been to Charlotte on a few occasions, at the behest of Center City Partners, in Charlotte, which seeks to promote that city's business and cultural climate. A report on the Charlotte Observer's Web site today said Charlotte officials are in talks with RISD about opening a branch in Charlotte's uptown. The report said RISD President Roger Mandle has visited Charlotte three times, with Mandle's last visit in September. There are several universities in the Charlotte area -- including a branch of Providence-based Johnson & Wales. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:46 PM | Comment Victim's parents grateful for charge in 1999 murder
But a day after Swain was formally charged with murdering Shelley Tyre, her parents offered gratitude to those same authorities while speaking with reporters. "I am tremendously grateful to the people and the government of Tortola that they have gotten around to it,’’ said Lisa Tyre at a press conference this afternoon. "Took a long time, but we’re there and gratitude is literally overflowing.’’ Swain’s arrest culminated months of quiet diplomacy between U.S State and Justice department officials and diplomats with the British Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. It also followed a successful suit against Swain, filed by by Warwick lawyer J. Renn Olenn on behalf of Shelley Tyre's parents. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Until yesterday Swain, 51, had never been criminally charged in the death of his wife, a private school administrator and expert diver. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence and said that Shelley Tyre’s death was an accident — as had officials on the popular vacation isle of Tortola until Olenn, based on his successful civil case against Swain, pressed them last year to take another look. After reviewing much of Olenn’s evidence, Tortola authorities filed a criminal complaint against Swain in March. And in May they filed an extradition request, beginning a months-long process, that Swain return to Tortola to face one count of murder. If extradited and eventually found guilty, Swain could spend the rest of his life in a Tortola prison, said Assistant U.S. District Attorney Lee Vilker. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:19 PM | Comment Firm pleads guilty to fraudulent sales of ED drugPROVIDENCE -- The owners of a Florida-based pharmaceutical company pleaded guilty to federal charges today of selling more than $4 million of an erectile dysfunction drug that had never been approved by the federal regulators. James Mienik, 37, chief executive officer of White Broadman Inc., and Paul Romano, half owner of the company, admitted to misdemeanor charges that they introduced a drug that had been misbranded. They agreed to turn over more than $794,000 to White Broadman, who, in turn, will surrender the money to the government. The government also has seized $205,000 that Meinik had in bank accounts. White Broadman, through its lawyer, Anthony Traini, of Providence, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of introducing a new drug through interstate commerce without approval by the Food & Drug Administration. Terrence Donnelly, an assistant U.S. attorney, told the court that the firm sold Penetrix, which later became Penetrin, to thousands of customers nationwide through direct mail. Bottles of the drug sold for $59.95 and $79.95 from 2001 through February 2004. The U.S. Postal Service launched an investigation after it received complaints from customers. Asked whether the erectile dysfunction drug worked, Donnelly said, ``I’m not prepared to comment on that.’’ The direct mail order brochures included a corporate address on Post Road in East Greenwich. Donnelly said that the company had a post office box, but no offices in Rhode Island. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment Newport woman accused of commodity fraudA Newport woman has been charged in a federal civil complaint with fraudulently soliciting and obtaining more than $500,000 from members of the public to invest in trading commodity futures. Federal Judge Deborah A. Batts in New York's Southern District issued an order freezing assets of Elizabeth Baldwin of Newport and barring the destruction of business records, according to a news release today summarizing the complaint lodged by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Baldwin is accused of defrauding people participating in a commodity pool to trade E-Mini S&P 500, 10-year notes and 30-year bond futures contracts. The complaint alleges that, from at least January 2004 to now, Baldwin, doing business in her name and in the name of Newportant Group, fraudulently solicited and obtained more than $500,000. Baldwin "represented to at least one participant" that money would be pooled for the purpose of trading futures contracts and that the pool had been making monthly profits from 3 to 10 percent. The complaint asserts that was false, that the pool lost money trading in all but one month. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Baldwin fraudulently represented to customers that their money would be held in segregated trading accounts at futures commission merchants, the complaint alleges. However, the complaint says, Baldwin maintained trading accounts in her own name only and never maintained an account at the futures commission merchants in the name of the pool. The complaint also alleges that "Baldwin provided pool participants with false monthly account statements and illegally acted as a commodity pool operator without being registered" with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The commission said assistance came from the National Futures Association, the Rhode Island State Police, Newport Police, and Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:01 PM | Comment Lawyer for murder suspect Bishop drops out of caseThe bail hearing for Alfred J. "Freddie" Bishop, who faces a new murder charge stemming from a June home invasion after spending 33 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions for killing a friend, will not happen tomorrow morning. The hearing was scheduled for tomorrow in District Court, Warwick. But Bishop's lawyer, Paul DiMaio, has informed the court he plans to withdraw from the case and ask the court to refer it to the public defender's office, according to a news release from state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office. Police documents asserted that DNA samples taken from a bloody ski mask at the scene of the triple shooting in June matched the genetic makeup of Bishop. The case is pending a grand jury investigation. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:52 PM | Comment Repair crew headed to Smithfield gas lineSMITHFIELD -- A National Grid crew is on the way to the Douglas Pike-Whipple Avenue intersection to repair gas service after a contractor damaged a two-inch line that runs from the the gas main in the street to customers. The damage resulted in a gas leak. The incident was reported about 2 p.m. and a National Grid technician arrived at 2:14 p.m. and shut off the line. The crew headed to the scene now will repair the service. Someone reported from another location on Douglas Pike the smell of gas but it may just be the odor from the leak where the line break occurred. National Grid will also check on the other location, Graves said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:46 PM | Comment Chat: Judge: Teen drinking not just problem for parentsFamily Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, who recently made headlines for admonishing parents in Barrington over teen drinking, visited projo.com this afternoon for a live chat about the problem of teen drinking. Jeremiah told projo.com readers that the police should more often bring criminal charges against parents who have contributed to a child's delinquency. "I don't know why the various police departments do not bring this charge (contributing to the delinquency of a minor) more often," Jeremiah wrote. Jeremiah also endorsed a reader's suggestion that he address the teen drinking problem by setting up a "moderated town meeting," involving the governor, head of the Rhode Island State Police, speaker of the Rhode Island General Assembly and the head of the Rhode Island Chiefs of Police Association. In response to a question about lowering the drinking age to 18, he wrote, "I think they should raise the drinking age to forty." Here's a transcript of the chat: Edward Fitzpatrick: Judge, thank you for joining us. Let me begin by asking what prompted you to say that parents in Barrington are not taking responsibility for the underage drinking that has been linked to several deaths in that town? Judge Jeremiah: I think I should qualify that statement by saying that it is a small minority of parents that are not taking responsibility for their children. I made the statement because recently I have had about 16 children from Barrington who appeared before me on alcohol related offenses and when I discussed the seriousness of the offense with the child and the parent, the parent related to me that it was not a problem. On one case a parent began being very argumentative with me or did not show respect for the court.
Judge Jeremiah: Fortunately, each case of a juvenile who has an alcohol offense is treated differently than the other because we must look at the child and the family to see what related problems may exist, remembering that the Family Court is a rehabilitatvie court and our aim is to make a good citizen out of the child. 2. I am sure the legislature is aware of the loopholes and will try to correct them in the next session. You are right, adults need to take more responsibility. Sometimes, I wish that I could punish the parent instead of the child for their lack of responsibility. ironmichael: Teenagers have always experimented with underage drinking. In some cases the parents are definitely to blame. But how can you single out the parents and not address some of the other sources? Judge Jeremiah: In answer to your question, the Family Court is limited in its jurisdiction. You are right. The person who runs the package store, who makes the fake ID, who sells to minors, should be held accountable, but unfortunately, they do not fall under our jurisdiction. cc: Does the Rhode Island Judiciary have any plans to institute a proactive education plan as it relates to the existing laws violating said laws and the penalties, for both children and parents.
Concerned Parent: What can parents do - really do - to help kids? Judge Jeremiah: Concerned Parent: Parents can just show a lot of love and affection and build up a close relationship with their child. When was the last time you had dinner as a family? When was the last time your child was complimented for doing a good job? when was the last time you said, "I love you" to your child? or were you so busy with your own life that this goes neglected.
Judge Jeremiah: Donna: I would assume that a child under these circumstances is a neglected child under the law. I would suggest that you contact DCYF to report this.
Judge Jeremiah: I don't think you understand me. My whole objective as a judge is to make a child successful in life. I do not enjoy locking any child up at the training school. All I want to do is see these children from Barrington who have all the potential in the world succeed. With that, I'm sure I can be impartial. dan: My question has to do with college students and drinking. It used to be you were somewhat protected and supported, if you will, on college campuses. Today, at URI, for instance, the university has pushed the kids “down the line” – now the Narragansett police harass them, house to house, pushing them out of the houses and into their cars. Where do they go? Providence – to the clubs – then they drive home after even a few drinks. Hopefully without killing someone or themselves. These policies are NOT saving our children – what do you think we can do – now – today – when we don’t have the luxury of time of changing mindsets – which is a long term goal?????
Ali: Would raising the driving age to 18 help with this problem?? Judge Jeremiah: No
Judge Jeremiah: It's obvious the recent article in the Projo that your did not read the second page. What I said was that it is a problem throughout the state and it effects only a small amount of parents in barrington. Read the paper again.
Judge Jeremiah: bookworm: The parent may be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. I don't know why the various police departments do not bring this charge more often. Andrea (Panciera, projo.com editor): Judge Jeremiah just referred to a Journal report on his remarks during a hearing stemming from the recent death of a Barrington teen in an accident linked to alcohol. You may read the full story here. Judge Jeremiah: Jim: I think the problem is the same, except police departments are more diligent. I don't think the problem is any greater in Barrington than anywhere else. The police department in Barrington is very diligent. NancyD: So, what else can be done to hold adults responsible for underage drinking? Judge Jeremiah: This is a good question, that I find very difficult to answer. For adults who do not take on the responsibility for raising a family are very hard to work with. Other than charging the parents with neglect or contributing to the delinquency of a minor, there is not much that can be done. Eileen: Can you (family court) develop family programs that encompass both the child (offender) and the parents to raise awareness Judge Jeremiah: Yes. We have already developed several program for this purpose. We have a specialized juvenile drug court where youngsters with drug/ alchol problems are referred for intense supervision and testing. The recidivism rate for this court is under 3%. We have a specialized program for children who have alcohol problems called YDD (youthful drunk driving) where children have a fifteen hour education course which includes spending 4 to 5 hours on a Saturday night at the emeregency room at RI Hospital to see what happens to victims of alcohol related accidents. There is another program where children are taken to the ACI and addressed by a former CEO who is incarcerated for driving under the influence death resulting. We have other programs that are too lengthy to describe. Please see the family Court's website. Debbie: Judge: In all due respect, your answer about showing love and affection, etc, is a good one but it does not address what parents who are doing all of these things should be doing differently to help prevent their kids from abusing alcohol. A lot of kids who get into this type of trouble are from very good strong family units. 4Browns: Has it been determined where these kids are getting the alcohol from? It seems to me that the justice system need to hit the suppliers hard. We are the smallest state in the counrty, and we should have the toughest laws in the land. Others would see that our programs work and follow us. Judge Jeremiah: 4Browns: In many cases, the alcohol is coming from the home or from liqour dealers who are more concerned with making a dollar than checking ID's. bookworm: judge: any chance you could set up a moderated town meeting with you, the Governor, the State Police Commander, the House speaker, and the head of the Police Chief's Association? Judge Jeremiah: bookworm: I have talked to several of my judges and it has been suggested that this is a good idea. It may happen in the future.
Judge Jeremiah: Norma: I have great respect for teachers. They do a wonderful job of educating children. I don't know what else I could do. We have tried opening drop-in centers, but the children do not come because it is too childish for them. Andrea: We've been talking just about alcohol abuse today. Judge, are you also routinely seeing other kinds of substance abuse? IF so, what kind? And is drinking the the most common substance being abused by teens? Judge Jeremiah: Andrea: In my many yearts on the bench, I have had many wonderful children appear before me. Everyone of them has stated that they could get drugs and alcohol in the school they were in. I think smoking pot is just as prominent as drinking alcohol.
Judge Jeremiah: cc: They are all interelated. A person who has had a few drinks usually has a feeling of power and therefore will drink faster and more recklessly.
Judge Jeremiah: mjendza: Several years ago, I heard a case where a child was killed sitting in the rear seat of a jeep, where all the passengers and the driver had consumed a large amount of alcohol. I said to the father of the deceased child, "it is quite possible that had your child not been under the influence, it is possible that your child would not have been a passenger." However, the authorities only looked to the driver and are not concerned with the other passengers. bc: Judge Jeremiah, my son is the oddball out at URI because he DOESN'T drink! This is in the dorm rooms! He has to leave the room.....the room that we are paying for! They are drinking and doing drugs and he is there to become a teacher....he wants to learn they drink all night long!!!!!!!!!! He can't even study in his room! They are all underage. Judge Jeremiah: bc: You should be very proud of your son. I am sure he will be very successful. I think this behavior by the other students should not be tolerated and should be made public. Maybe a call to Ed Fitzpatrick at the Journal, a reporter who is very concerned with this problem, would bring this problem to the attention it should.
Judge Jeremiah: Peter: I think they should raise the drinking age to forty.
Judge Jeremiah: Hope: The parents can be held responsible, but it is up to law enforcement to charge them.
Judge Jeremiah: They will have the option. The only problem I have, althought the hearing borads do an excellent job, they do not report alcohol related arrests of juveniles to anyone. A youngster can be arrested in Newport, and again in Westerly, and Westerly would be unaware of the prior charge. We hope to correct this in the next legislative session. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:02 PM | Comment R.I. fishermen, researchers net big prize / Photo
Cod and flounder are heavily restricted by federal fisheries regulations, and fishermen often have to throw thousands of pounds back into the ocean – where they will likely die – because they were caught alongside haddock. And so fishermen often had to stop short of reaching their haddock quota. But a team of researchers in Rhode Island have designed a net that effectively eliminates that problem. And today they were awarded the grand prize in the World Wildlife’s International Smart Gear Competition -- $30,000 -- for their efforts. University of Rhode Island Fisheries Center researchers Laura Skrobe and David Beutel worked with fishermen Jon Knight, Phil Ruhle Sr., Phil Ruhle Jr., and Jim O’Grady on a net called “The Eliminator,” which takes advantage of haddock’s tendency to swim up when faced with a net, when other fish swim down. The group received the reward today in Washington. “We’re excited to be receiving this award," Buetel said in a statement, "and look forward to continuing to research effective ways of reducing bycatch in fishing.” The International Smart Gear competition was created to encourage engineers and fishermen to develop technologies that would reduce bycatch, according to Ginette Hemley, the senior vice president of the WWF. “Bycatch is a critical environmental and economic problem,” she said. “These inventions have shown to be effective solutions in our efforts to make fishing ‘smarter’ and we’re pleased to honor their creators today.” Click below to learn how the net discriminates between cod, haddock and flounder. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson The design, which beat out more than 70 contenders from 22 countries, is more than seven years in the making. In 1999, Knight, who has fishing and engineering degrees from URI, began work on a net to help O’Grady and the Rhules catch squid. It was designed with mesh larger than traditional trawler nets and did well with squid. But the fishermen also noticed that there were no cod or flounder showing up as bycatch. Beutel and Skrobe placed an ad in trade publications and newspapers looking for help designing a selective net. Knight, O’Grady and the Rhules answered. The group put their heads together and used a lot of math and fishing trips to perfect the design: large, 8-foot mesh on the bottom of the net that cod and flounder can easily slip through, and smaller, 6-inch mesh on top and in the back to catch the haddock. “The collaborative design and development of the Eliminator trawl is a great example of industry and scientists working together with managers,” Beutel said, “to develop innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate bycatch.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:59 PM | Comment Chat Update: Family Court judge on teens and drinkingPROVIDENCE -- Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., who recently lambasted parents over problems related to teen drinking, answered many of your questions this afternoon during a chat on projo.com. The chat room, at: http://projo.com/chat, has now closed. Projo.com will post a transcript of chat shortly. Family Court’s top judge said last week it’s “an utter shame” that parents in Barrington “don’t take responsibility” for the underage drinking linked to the deaths of four local teens in the last couple of years. Jeremiah made the comment during a hearing in which a 16-year-old Barrington boy was accused of drinking six beers and driving more than twice the speed limit before slamming a car into a tree, killing one of his passengers, 16-year-old Jon Converse. Extra: Read a transcript of Jeremiah's comments from the hearing. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:00 PM | Comment Update: Body found near Point Judith after searchNARRAGANSETT -- Authorities have found a body in Narragansett Bay after a Point Judith ferry terminal worker alerted the Coast Guard this morning that an 85-year-old man who regularly walked the area might have fallen in the water last night. A walker and a green Ford Taurus were both found near the site. They are believed to belong to the missing man -- known to some witnesses only as "Bob." The body that was pulled out of the water at about 1:10 this afternoon has not been officially identified. The state Department of Environmental Management's law enforcement officers are investigating at the scene. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:51 PM | Comment Five arrested in investigation of Johnston drug operationFive men have been arrested following an investigation of an alleged illegal prescription drug operation run out of a Johnston social club. The police seized more than 400 prescription drugs -- painkillers such as Percocet and Vicodin -- and marijuana that was allegedly being sold to customers within the club, a State Police news release said today. At 1:30 p.m. yesterday, the release said, State and Johnston police used a search warrant at the social club at 1357 Plainfield St. Louis Romanelli, 80, of 12 Victoria Street, Providence, was charged with two counts of possession of Schedule II controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of Schedule III controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of Schedule IV controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of marijuana. The prescription drugs that were seized were Vicodin, Percocet, Suboxone and Xanax. Detectives said they seized $1,172 in cash from Romanelli. Richard G. Mangiante, 39, of 12 Rialto St., Providence,was charged with possession of Schedule IV controlled substance after detectives said they found him in possession of Xanax pills. Michael E. Chiello, 29, of 363 Simmonsville Ave., Apt. 1305, Johnston, was charged with possession of Schedule II controlled substance after detectives said they found him in possession of Percocet pills. Earlier yesterday, State Police arrested two men who they said went into the social club then left it a short a time later. Detectives were doing surveillance of the social club, Michael R. Correra, 58, of 108 Skunk Hill Road, Hope Valley, was Correra with possession of Schedule II controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of Schedule IV controlled substance with intent to deliver. Police said they seized more than 150 Percocet and Xanax pills. George Broderick, 52, of 2 Layton St., North Providence was charged with possession of Schedule II controlled substance after detectives said they seized six Percocet pills, one Vicodin pill, a mirror, a razor blade, and a straw from Broderick.
The arrests followed a a three-week investigation by Detective Timothy Allen and State Police Intelligence Unit members. Allen had received information that Louis Romanelli was running an alleged illegal prescription drug distribution operation from the social hall. This morning Correra was arraigned in District Court, Providence, where bail was set at $10,000 with surety, the news release said. Romanelli was arraigned in District Court, Providence, with bail set at $20,000 with surety. The other three men were released on $1,000 personal recognizance, the release said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:28 PM | Comment Memorial/vigil tonight for former Cumberland student, 19CUMBERLAND -- A former Cumberland High School student who died in a car accident in Fort Meyers, Fla., on Sunday, will be remembered at a memorial service and candlelight vigil at Tucker Field, located across from the high school, this evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Kelly Nascimento, 19, was a passenger in a 2005 Ford Explorer that was struck by another vehicle at Arrow Road at about 3:40 a.m., according to police. Nascimento was pulled from the vehicle by the driver and a witness to the crash. Robinson was transported to Gulf Coast Hospital with possible injuries. The driver was not injured in the crash. Nascimento was born in Pawtucket and attended North Cumberland Middle School and Cumberland High until her sophomore year, when her family moved to Cape Coral, Fla. She leaves her parents Nelson Nascimento, of Cape Coral, and Fatima Moon, of Cape Coral, her sister Michelle Nascimento, 21, of Ft. Myers, Fla. as well as her grandparents, nine aunts, eight uncles, and 23 cousins, all of whom reside in Rhode Island, according to her obituary and family friends. Funeral services were held in Cape Coral yesterday and Nascimento was cremated today. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:09 PM | Comment Bill signing to salute National Guard membersGovernor Carcieri will ceremonially sign a bill tomorrow letting the state adjutant general award the Rhode Island Defense Service medal to National Guard members who have served since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Previously, the medals, created in 1992, could only go to those who served for a period before that date. The signing will be at 1 p.m. at the National Guard headquarters, 675 New London Ave., Cranston. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:56 PM | Comment Warwick truck driver to be honored risking his lifeA truck driver from Warwick will be honored this afternoon as a hero -- for risking his safety to help others at a multi-car crash on Route 95 in eastern Connecticut on Nov. 2. James V. O’Connell, 44, will be honored at 3:30 p.m. at The Hudson Companies operations center, 30 Shipyard St., Providence. O'Connell words for The Hudson Companies, which will award him a certificate, according to a news release. He will also be recognized by state and federal officials. Also scheduled to attend are company officials and representatives from the Connecticut Professional Firefighters Association, Sen. Jack Reed’s office, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s office, Rep. James Langevin’s office, and Governor Carcieri’s office. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:55 PM | Comment Photo: Saluting Providence firefighters
Posted by Jack Perry at 12:45 PM | Comment Six to be inducted into R.I. Aviation Hall of FameThe Rhode Island native who designed and built the first aluminum propeller used in the country will be recognized tomorrow for his accomplishments in the field of aviation. Victor Pagé, Classical High School class of 1904, also may have designed and built the first airplane to fly in the state. He’ll be inducted tomorrow into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Varnum Armory in East Greenwich. Three of the six inductees are still living: Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Philip Conley, a West Warwick native, earned accolades for flying with the Mosquitoes forward air controller unit in Korea, and supervised the development of every major aircraft now flown, including the B-1 bomber. East Providence native and 1949 graduate of St. Raphael High School in Pawtucket, retired Commander Edward Cunningham had a career that included more than 20,000 flight hours, spanning propeller planes to jet bombers to airliners. He flew many highly classified electronic intelligence missions, where he shadowed and photographed Soviet missiles. And an Army Air Corpsman who took part in an intense air battle that was documented for an episode of the History Channel’s “Dogfights” television show will round out the living inductees. Lt. George Sutcliffe, US Army, was born in North Providence and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1940. The Greenville resident is still involved in the insurance business he started after graduating from Bryant College. For more information, call 401-831-8696. Click below to read about the additional inductees, who are receiving the recognition posthumously. Army Air Corps Sgt. Omar Duquette is a Warwick native who joined the Army in 1938. He served as a gunner and mechanic in a five-man crew with the 37th Bomb Squadron. As one of 80 men who volunteered to launch a bomb attack on Tokyo in 1942 known as the Doolittle Raid, Duquette had to bail out on his plane. He survived that mission, but died on another bombing mission six weeks later. Lastly, Providence native Major Melvin Kimball was a WWII P-40 who graduated from Hope High School in 1935 and University of New Hampshire in 1939. Kimball was one of the pilots sent to attack a Japanese air base in Thailand after Japan attacked a Royal Air Force station in Burma. He earned a Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and several medals for gallantry. He was also involved in a rescue mission featured in True Comics. Kimball died in East Providence in 2004. The Hall of Fame will also recognize the men and women of the 1st battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment of the R.I. Army National Guard. Nationwide in 2005, they were named Outstanding Army National Guard Aviation Unit of the year after flying more than 1,900 mission in Iraq for that year. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:29 AM | Comment Providence firefighters to be promotedNine firefighters are set to receive promotions to deputy assistant chief, fire lieutenant, dispatcher lieutenant and rescue lieutenant this morning at the Providence Public Safety Complex. Among the firefighters set to receive promotions are three women. Mayor David N. Cicilline and Fire Chief George Farrell will give the oath of office at the Providence Public Safety Complex this morning at 10. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:57 AM | Comment Fisherman who died off Matunuck is from Mass.SOUTH KINGSTOWN — A man who was found dead yesterday at Deep Hole, off Matunuck Beach Road, has been identified as Paul V. Martin of Longmeadow, Mass. The police found his body about 30 yards from the shore last night, less than an hour after a witness reported seeing him fall into the water. Martin had waders on and was fishing when someone saw him fall into the water, according to Lt. Commander Chris Cederholm, of the Coast Guard, sector southeastern New England. Cederholm said waders often fill with water and can become heavy and dangerous if a person is not wearing a life jacket. The person who saw Martin fall into the water ran to a nearby house, where the resident called the police at about 6:38 p.m. The Coast Guard sent two boats and a helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, as well as a government vehicle, Cederholm said. The South Kingstown Fire Department found Martin’s body offshore at about 7:30 p.m., Cederholm said. He was given CPR and taken to South County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8 p.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:39 AM | Comment Great Pumpkin to become Great Jack-O-Lantern
At Twin River in Lincoln, the 1,689-pound pumpkin grown by Joe Jutras of Scituate will be carved by pumpkin-carving master Scott Culley of Oregon. Carving starts at 8 a.m. and is expected to take the weekend to finish. Jutras has been growing giant pumpkins for 11 years and set the new record this year by 187 pounds, beating last year's record by Ron Wallace of Coventry. Posted by Mike McKinney at 9:08 AM | Comment State workers to get layoff notices todayThe state today will tell 157 state workers that their jobs are being eliminated, and another 379 will be notified that their jobs have been targeted for future elimination through “consolidations,” Governor Carcieri said yesterday. With the state facing a deficit as high as $450 million next year, the layoffs are part of the governor's cost-cutting plan, which includes the elimination of 1,000 state jobs by June 30, 2008. Still, nobody will be out of a job today. Labor contracts allow senior employees to “bump” to another equal or lesser position. While it varies by contract, three bumps are generally allowed. Even some non-union employees are allowed one bump, according to the governor’s chief of staff Brian Stern. Earlier this month, Carcieri announced plans to eliminate 136 temporary workers. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:50 AM | Comment Meet Providence school board members tonightResidents tonight can meet the 13 candidates who are vying for three spots on the Providence School Board. Two of the three members whose terms are set to expire in January -- the board’s current president, Mary McClure, and board member Ronnie Young -- are reapplying for their positions. Umberto Crenca is not seeking another term. Pich Chhouen, Rebecca Pazienza, Grace Brown, Ines Merchan, Damien Bandino, Eboney Brown, Victoria Richter, Brian Lalli, Maurice Methot, Christine Wilford and Philip Gould are also seeking positions on the board. Attendees can write down questions for the applicants which will be read aloud at the end of the forum, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Providence Public Safety Complex. The event will be moderated by a representative from Rhode Island Kids Count. A four-member nominating commission will recommend finalists to Mayor David Cicilline. He will appoint them and refer them to City Council. The new members will be sworn into office in January. -- With Journal archive reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:28 AM | Comment Wind and rain on the wayThe good news: it's already close to 60 degrees. The not-so-good news: heavy rain and high winds are on the way. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature in the mid 60s and rain picking up this morning, getting heavy later this afternoon. Winds should increase to 30 mph with gusts as high as 46 mph. Steady rain should continue into the night when the temperature drops to about 40 degrees. Winds should calm a little, but gusts could still reach nearly 30 mph. Rain may pick up again tomorrow morning with cloudy skies and a high temperature of just 46 degrees -- nearly 20 degrees lower than today. Winds are expected to come from the west at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 31 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the arrest of Rhode Island dive shop owner David Swain for the murder of his wife, Shelley Tyre, a death that was initially ruled a diving accident. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment November 14, 2007Tonight: P-Bruins at Dunk; carrier battles in BarringtonThe P-Bruins play at the renovated Dunk, and a lecture series on aircraft carrier battles in the pacific wraps at the Barrington Public Library. At 7:05 p.m., the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence re-opens with the Providence Bruins hosting the Portland Pirates. The arena was closed for six months for the second phase of a three-part $80-million renovation. Naval War College professor Douglas V. Smith presents "Command Decision in Harm’s Way,” the final in a lecture series on the carrier war in the Pacific, at Barrington Public Library, County Road, Route 114. The free lecture is at 7 p.m. For information, call (401) 247-1920. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Governor ups number of state jobs being cut to 540PROVIDENCE -- Upping the number by more than 100, Governor Carcieri said this evening that 540 state employees will be notified tomorrow that their jobs will be eliminated. Speaking at an impromptu State House news conference after a meeting with labor leaders, the governor said around 150 employees would be cut immediately, while the remaining workers would lose their jobs at some time before July 1, 2008. All will be notified tomorrow. Until this afternoon, the governor maintained that only 414 state employees would be laid off as part of his staffing reduction plan, which he says will save $100 million in the fiscal year that begins next July. Today, governor's spokesman Jeff Neal said Carcieri was using a conservative estimate during last month’s press conference regarding his workforce reduction plan. “The number has grown since the governor’s press conference approximately a month ago. In recent days we have been aware that the number was larger than 414. However, it had been the plan to not announce the larger number until notices were provided to the affected employees,” Neal said. Union leaders, however, were caught off guard by the governor’s decision to increase the number of lay offs. George Nee, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, was among a host of union leaders who met just before this evening’s press conference. He said he walked away from the closed-door meeting with the understanding that only 414 people would be targeted tomorrow. “The increase in the number are people who could possibly be laid off,” Nee said, when contacted after the governor’s press conference. Informed that the governor told the media that all 540 would be notified tomorrow, he responded, “I think it’s safe to say right now that there’s still some confusion in that area.” The governor announced the first part of his staff reduction plan earlier in the month -- a reduction of 136 contract employees over the next eight months. He also said he wouldn't fill more than 400 state positions that will become vacant in the coming months through retirements and vacancies. -- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:49 PM | Comment Police probing shots fired on Rushmore Ave.PROVIDENCE -- Police are investigating a report of shots fired on Rushmore Avenue this evening. It was not yet known whether anyone has been injured. No more information is available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:14 PM | Comment Update: Swain, charged in wife's 1999 murder, ordered held
At the hearing in Providence, U.S. Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond ordered that Swain be held at the federal Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls. Swain did not waive extradition, and an extradition hearing is slated for next Wednesday. 
Journal file photoDavid Swain, who had no lawyer, at his civil trial last year. Swain, 51, was arrested earlier today by deputy U.S. marshals, said Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence. After a civil trial last year, a Superior Court jury in Rhode Island found that the former Jamestown Town Council member had intentionally drowned Shelley Tyre, 46, during a 1999 Caribbean vacation. The jury awarded her parents, Richard and Lisa Tyre, more than $6 million in damages and interest. But until now, Swain had not been charged criminally. Investigators on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands initially called Tyre's death an accident. But after Swain's civil conviction they renewed their inquiry into her death, requesting sworn depositions and witness contact information from Warwick lawyer, J. Renn Olenn, who brought the civil suit against Swain. The deputy marshals arrested Swain today on an extradition complaint drawn by the U.S. Attorney's Office and based on a request by officials in the British Virgin Islands, Connell said. In the arrest warrant application, Lee Vilker, an assistant U.S. attorney, noted that authorities in the British Virgin Islands had shown "there is overhwelming circumstantial evidence proving that Swain murdered his wife in the waters off the British Virgin Islands." The evidence includes "unusual behavior" by Swain after his wife's death and evidence of a financial motive, according to Vilker. The document also notes that experts testified during the trial that the physical condition in which the fin strap, the snorkel and mask were found indicate that a violent struggle took place under water and that Swain murdered his wife." -- projo.com staff writers Jack Perry and Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney and Journal archival reports Shelley Tyre died March 12, 1999, about eight minutes, Olenn contended in the civil case, after she and Swain entered the water together on the final day of their diving vacation. Swain surfaced alone about 35 minutes later and Swain's friend, Christian Thwaites, jumped in. Thwaites came across the first sign of trouble moments later: one of Shelley Tyre's yellow swim fins sticking in the sand, toe-first. He pulled the fin out and began searching for Tyre, expecting, he testified during the trial, that she would be grateful that he had found her fin. Instead, he found her lying on her back on the sandy bottom with her eyes and mouth open. |
