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« November 7, 2007 | Today | November 9, 2007 » November 8, 2007Photo: A coach to remember shares his message
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:10 PM | Comment Station evidence: Close-up account of early momentsThe final batch of Station fire evidence released today gave the best, close-up account so far of the early moments of the fire. Mario Giamei Jr., an occasional bouncer at the nightclub who attended the Great White concert as a customer, stood at the side of the stage near the stage door and near Daniel M. Biechele, the band tour manager who shot off the fireworks. Almost immediately after the fireworks went off, Biechele acknowledged making a serious mistake, according to a statement Giamei gave to an investigator working on behalf of the lawyer for the nightclub’s owners. Biechele “had kind of a smirk on his face because I think he thought it wasn’t a big deal. Because, quite frankly, the fire wasn’t spreading really bad at first,” But that changed quickly. “This guy and girl walked towards the back door. They were just patrons there but they knew it was an emergency exit, and he had a look on his face that he knew this was going to be bad. And he walked and opened up the door, and, when he opened up that door, frankly, I think that’s when the fire really spread.” -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:02 PM | Comment Online food inspection reports prove popularAfter visitors swamped the newly online restaurant inspection report feature on the Health Department Web site, a state Health Department official said in an e-mail the department has contacted its service provider to see what can be done to improve response time. Some may not have been able to access the reports at all, and the Health Department, in anticipation of the site's popularity, had posted a notice asking online visitors for patience. Ernest Julian, chief of the Office of Food Protection at the Health Department, said in the e-mail that as of 4:36 p.m. today there had been 158,650 hits to the search page and 23,218 hits to the main page. In a two-hour hour period after lunch, there was an average of 224 hits per minute according to the counter on the search page. But Julian said that while response time at 4 p.m. was minutes, at 4:30, he received a response on the site within seconds. A projo.com check at this time immediately brought up the search page for the reports. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment GTECH's parent brought in $1.8B, up from $831MPROVIDENCE -- Lottomatica SpA, the parent company of Providence-based GTECH Holdings Corp., brought in $1.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, compared to $831 million in the same period last year, the company announced today. The acquisition of GTECH last August is primarily responsible for that growth. In the first three quarters of 2006, Lottomatica was credited with GTECH's revenue for only one month. But company revenue has been slowing since January. Lottomatica brought in $567 million in the third quarter of the year, down from $578 million in the previous quarter and $590 million in January, February and March. In response, GTECH has been trying to cut personnel costs. Last week, it fired 47 of its Rhode Island employees. This morning, W. Bruce Turner, the Providence-based chief executive officer of GTECH Holdings Corp. and its parent company, Lottomatica SpA, announced he was resigning his post. Turner announced his resignation this morning in a conference call from Rome. He will leave GTECH on Jan. 1, 2008. He is being replaced by the chairman of Lottomatica, Lorenzo Pellicioli. Lottomatica bought GTECH in August 2006 for $4.8 billion. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:51 PM | Comment Tonight: Bears on the very big screenThere may still be some seats available at the Feinstein IMAX Theatre in Providence Place Mall to catch Bears, a documentary premiering at 7 tonight. Tickets are $30 with unlimited popcorn and soda. A check at about 6:30 p.m. found that while a few hundred have been reserved there are still some seats available. Proceeds from the showing wil go to supporting the Rhode Island Audubon Society's educational programs. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Station evidence: Cavalcade descended on sceneThe Station fire broke out just after 11 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003. Less than three hours later, as the chaos of fighting the fire and caring for the injured still swirled, the nightclub had become a formal crime scene, complete with a sign-in sheet to document who visited. A West Warwick police detective named Ribbing signed in first, at 2:03 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. Over the next 48 hours, a parade of officials, investigators and workers checked in, according to evidence released today by the state Attorney General's Office. They included representatives of: the state fire marshal; the North Kingstown Fire Department; Ocean State Transfer, a private livery service that moves bodies to the medical examiner's office for autopsy; the Rhode Island State Police; the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency; the Warwick Police Department; the governor’s office, including Governor Carcieri; the Providence Police Department; the Coventry Police Department; the National Fire Protection Association, a private agency the develops model fire codes used in many government jurisdictions; the attorney general; the Rhode Island Office of State Medical Examiners; Ventura Fence, which installed fencing around the site, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:45 PM | Comment Update: New Rte.195 ramp opening tomorrow / Photo
The ramp is expected to open in time for the evening commute. In a statement, the Department said opening the new South Main Street on-ramp to 195 East should ease congestion. The ramp is about than 1,000 feet west and south of the old Wickenden Street on-ramp. But it's not all that simple. The new South Main Street on-ramp to 195 east will only be open Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. to help ease the evening traffic jams that quadrupled some commuters' time on the road. All other times, it will be blocked. When the new ramp is open, the Wickenden Street on-ramp will be closed. "We will continue to do construction on the new South Main Street ramp when it is not open to traffic,"Jerome F. Williams, RIDOT’s director said in a statement. In the meantime, the opening, Williams said, “will improve traffic flow and create another way to reduce the congestion that has been occurring at the Wickenden Street on-ramp.” -- projo.com staff writers Brandie Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney In a news release today, the Department of Transportation defended progress on the project, releasing its own statistics today saying it has been "steadily improving the commute for travelers in and around Providence." Drivers on Route 95 north through Providence toward Exit 20 and Route 195 east used to encounter average traffic back-ups of 2.2 miles before the section of the Route 195 relocation, known as Iway, opened on Sunday, the DOT said. "With the opening of the Iway and the addition of Exit 19 there have been no back-ups at all during the afternoon rush hours Monday through Wednesday this week," the DOT news release said of motorists heading in that direction. The route heading south on Route 95 to get onto the Route 195 during evening commutes has drawn complaints in its first week, but DOT said today travel times "have slowly been improving for drivers headed from I-95 South on to I-195 East." Williams said travel on Route 95 to Route 195 east on Monday afternoon saw traffic delayed for 8 miles from exit 4 on Route 195 east to the end of the line. “This was totally unacceptable to us and we are continuing to make some good improvements,” said Williams. Commute times have improved as well going from 73 minutes for the same stretch of road on Monday to 35 minutes on Wednesday. This is a reduction of 38 minutes. A Journal reporter, driving from the same point for a trip that covered 5.8 miles, also saw times fall, but traffic was still bumper to bumper and stop and go. Tuesday evening the trip took 58 minutes while it took 45 minutes Wednesday evening. The backup began the first night at the School Street exit in Pawtucket Tuesday but did not begin till around the Providence-Pawtucket lines Wednesday night. The DOT said that on Tuesday, its findings showed the traffic back-up distance was 4.9 miles and on Wednesday it was down to 4.5 miles. The difference between Wednesday and Monday is nearly half, or 3.5 miles. The normal commuting back-up before the Iway opened at the start of November was 4 miles. What's it like now? Check the current "jam factor" showing traffic congestion on main Rhode Island routes here. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:39 PM | Comment Station evidence: Hours after, Jeffrey Derderian questionedAbout 2:20 a.m., only a few hours after scores of people were killed in The Station nightclub fire, a West Warwick police detective interviewed club co-owner Jeffrey Derderian. In the first interview, Derderian was "vague and unsure answering many questions," a police narrative released today says. Derderian told Detective George E. Winman that at about 10 p.m. he checked with Andrea Mancini, one of those who worked the front door, about the count of people who'd come into the club. Derderian said that at that time it was approximately 250 to 260 and that he believed the club capacity was 350 to 400 with the tables removed from the building. The fire, ignited by pyrotechnics set off by the band's tour manager, started around 11 p.m. and enveloped the club, with its fast-burning foam-coated walls, in minutes. The police narrative goes on to say Derderian was "wasn't able to provide the last names of a number of his employees. He didn't know where the egg crate sound absorbing material had been obtained from or when. He wasn't sure if he or his brother, Michael was first to speak with someone from the band 'Great White.' He wasn't sure if he or his brother initiated the contact with the band or if the band made first contact." The detectives asked Derderian, who was being interviewed in the nearby Cowesett Inn restaurant, to place a cell phone call to his brother and club co-owner Michael Derderian to find out the band's tour manager's name. Jeffrey Derderian answered it was Dan but did not know the last name, the narrative says. "It was approximately 3:00 a.m. when Jeffrey placed a call. I heard Jeffrey asked if he (Michael) knew the name of the Tour Manager. Jeffrey looked at me and gave me the name Paul Barbara (spell)," Winman wrote. Then Winman got on the cell phone to talk to Michael Derderian, asking questions such as if Derderian knew Great White intended to use pyrotechnics in the club. "He stated that no one ever said anything to him about using pyrotechnics," Winman's narrative says, adding that that he asked Michael Derderian when he would be returning to Rhode Island and Derderian saying he was returning that day. Jeffrey Derderian made a written statement. Then at about 3:30 a.m., the detective did a second interview with him. Derderian's father had arrived and was there during the interview.
Jeffrey Derderian said he got to the club at about 8:30 p.m and helped around the club that evening. He was at the main bar when the fire broke out. He had negotiated a contract with a talent agent, Paul Barbaras, for Great White to perform at The Station. He recalled getting a message to call the band tour manager Daniel Biechele and asked his brother Michael to return the call. Michael Derderian later told his brother he made the call and it was set, "meaning that he had spoken with Dan Biechele and took care of final tour arrangements," the narrative says. The night of the concert, Jeffrey Derderian paid a $2,500 balance in cash to Biechele, who then signed the contract. Derderian said the signed copy was his receipt, which he placed in his desk at the club and was presumed lost in the fire. Randy White, an assistant attorney general with Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office, asked Derderian about pyrotechnics being used in the club in the past, and Derderian said none have ever been used. White went through different kinds: Sparklers, flash pots that sit on the floor, devices displaying open flames? Derderian "adamantly denied" the use of such pyrotechnics. White questioned Derderian about sound-absorbing foam in the club. "Jeffrey Derderian stated that he remembered putting up the foam," the narrative says, "but didn't remember who helped him put it up." Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:29 PM | Comment Station evidence: List reveals who, how many in clubNearly five years after The Station nightclub burned down and claimed 100 lives, the state said for the first time said who was in the building when it caught fire. Hidden among 31 billion bytes of computer data, the attorney general made public a list of 458 people who investigators believe were inside the nightclub at the time of the fire. The list closely matches one compiled by The Providence Journal, which, until today, was the only public accounting of who died in the worst fire ever on Rhode Island soil and who escaped. The Journal had counted 443 people and, using statistical techniques, estimated another 10 to 20 people had been missed. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch’s list identifies people by first and last name and has middle initials or nicknames for many. Lynch’s list also shows birthdate, address, city and state, though the birthdate and address were blacked out on what was made public today. . Lynch also categorized people by their “status,” such as nightclub patrons, band members or deceased, and by which exit they used to leave the club. According to West Warwick town documents, Denis P. Larocque, the town’s fire marshal until after the tragedy, had set several capacity limits for the club. They varied depending on certain conditions met by the nightclub’s owners, such as removing furniture from parts of the building. The highest of those limits was 404 people. Larocque had set the club's capacity at 317 in December 1999. A Providence Journal computer analysis in 2003, aided by review of a Channel 12 (WPRI) videotape of the fire, shows that, if the lower capacity had been enforced, virtually everyone in the building would have had time to escape. -- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:38 PM | Comment Photo: A former senator listens to former governors
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:45 PM | Comment Station evidence: An eerie e-mail from BiecheleIn an e-mail written some time before the fireworks-fueled Station nightclub fire, Daniel M. Biechele wrote, "They' are even letting me play with the ewxplosives on this tour." Biechele goes on to say that he "won't be firing them for this performance due to CA laws, permits and licenses, but ... it was definitely fun to do for the rest of the tour. And I didn't leave any permanent (Unrepairable) damage anywhere in the country." Biechele, who was tour manager for the band Great White, lit the pyrotechnics that ignited foam on The Station's stage, causing the fire that killed 100 people on the night of Feb. 20, 2003. In the e-mail noted above, it's not clear what tour or band is involved. The e-mail is undated but is grouped with e-mails and documents that include references to Biechele's role as tour manager of WASP, another hard rock band from an era that saw its heyday in the 1980s. Some documents, part of today's final release of Station fire evidence released by Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, show WASP tour dates a few years before the Great White performance in West Warwick. Last year, Biechele, who was tour manager of Great White, pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges for his role in the fire. He is scheduled to be paroled in March, after serving months in prison. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:21 PM | Comment Station evidence: Tickets made on the flyThe "pileup had already begun," said Joseph Amato when he arrived around 11 p.m. When he arrived, Amato told the State Police that his wife and her friend had just gotten out. " ... At that point there was a pile maybe three feet high and people were trying to go over um -- and then -- just people kept falling on um -- and ah -- you know, you could see the people inside on ... you could see people inside you know -- on fire." Hours before the show, Amato and friend Chris Jacobs bought tickets at the nightclub -- tickets that were business cards with numbers written on them in magic marker, Amato told the state police during the interview. "Did they make mention there were no more printed tickets?" a state police detective asked Amato, according to case documents released by state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office today. "They said there were no more printed tickets, but this would get us in the door. And we were saying 'are you -- I don't want to come back here and not get in -- and they said 'don't worry, you'll get it," Amato said. Amato said a person, whom he couldn't identify, took the card out of a pocket and numbers were written on the tickets in marker: an 8 on Amato's ticket and a 7 on his friend Chris Jacobs'. The copy of the ticket Amato gave the police detective says "station Concert Club" and had then-club co-owner Jeffrey Derderian's name on it. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:56 PM | Comment Station evidence: Larocque had strong credentialsStation fire evidence released today show that Denis Larocque, the West Warwick fire marshal publicly criticized by victims’ families for never noting the flammable foam in any of his inspections, was well credentialed in the fields of fire safety and inspection. Over a span of more than 25 years, Larocque participated in more than 50 courses ranging in topic from ``recognizing and identifying hazardous materials’’ to ``fatal fire investigations.’’ Larocque inspected The Station at least twice after the summer of 2000 when hundreds of square feet of flammable packing foam were glued to the interior walls in violation of the state fire code. Larocque never noted the foam in his reports while citing the club for other violations, such as malfunctioning doors and lights. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:56 PM | Comment Station evidence: Simulations and animationsPart of the evidence released today by the attorney general's office includes animations and simulations created during analyses of The Station fire that were commissioned by prosecutors. They include a 3-D look at the club, including the stage, bar area and main exit, where most of those in the club tried to escape and where a fatal pileup occurred. That 3-D look was done by an independent expert, Joseph B. Zicherman, whose consulting business, IFT/Fire Cause Analysis, deals "primarily with the fire performance of building and consumer products" and whose areas of interest include "causes and the growth and spread of fires as well as the performance of materials . . ." Several simulations have been seen before, including some produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They are shown separately as part of the AG's evidence here. But the NIST had previously released the same material in a March 2005 report on the fire and its cause, as part of a 550-page draft report on the disaster, and its recommendations to improve fire codes. The NIST Station Nightclub Fire Investigation: Physical Simulation of the Fire report, containing links to some of these animations and simulations, provides a detailed analysis of how the fire, heat and smoke spread, their impact on people in the Station, and projects how sprinklers might have lessened that impact. The Journal reviewed that report as part of its March4 2005, story Anatomy of a deadly fire. -- projo.com staff Posted by maria caporizzo at 3:47 PM | Comment DOT will open new Route 195 entrance ramp tomorrowThree days and and countless angry comments later, the state's Department of Transportation has decided to open an additional ramp beginning tomorrow. The ramp will open for the evening commute. In a statement, the Department said opening the new South Main Street on-ramp to 195 east should ease congestion. The ramp is about than 1,000 feet west and south of the old Wickenden Street on-ramp. But it's not simple. The new South Main Street on-ramp to 195 east will only be open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help ease the evening traffic jams that quadrupled some commuters' time on the road. All other times, it will be blocked. When the new ramp is open, the Wickenden Street on-ramp will be closed. "We will continue to do construction on the new South Main Street ramp when it is not open to traffic,"Jerome F. Williams, RIDOT’s director said in a statement. In the meantime, the opening, Williams said, “will improve traffic flow and create another way to reduce the congestion that has been occurring at the Wickenden Street on-ramp.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:55 PM | Comment Aloft, a Starwood subsidiary, will run Dynamo House hotelA blast of confetti rang in the beginning of a $150 million renovation project at the former South Street Power Station. Representatives from Struever Bros., Eccles and Rouse, the Baltimore-based development company, ceremoniously broke ground on the Dynamo House Project, which will include a hotel, restaurants and office space, alongside a Heritage Harbor Museum. The museum is expected to be completed by 2010, during the first of the two-phase project. The limited service Aloft hotel, a division of the W Hotel chain, it will have about 170 rooms, a swimming pool, a fitness room and a rooftop garden. But more than the roof will be green, as the development company announced today that the building will conform to LEED standards, ensuring some measure of sustainable building practices and efficient energy systems. For example, the developers hope to install solar panels on the roof to generate power for the electric signs that will be mounted on rebuilt smoke stacks, referring to the building’s past as an industrial (and polluting) power. Past meets future, dirty meets cleaner. -- projo.com writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal Staff Writer Gregory Smith Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:30 PM | Comment Station evidence: Little new, questions remain
One is that the review of evidence so far appears to reveal no new news about the West Warwick nightclub fire that occurred in February 2003, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200 others. The other is that some major questions about events leading up to the blaze remain unanswered. They include: * Who knew about the band's plans to use pyrotechnics, which ignited the flammable foam around the stage, starting the fire? * Who gave permission, if anyone, to use the pyrotechnics? * Why did West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque increase the club's capacity? * And why did he miss the flammable foam in an annual inspection of the club? Projo.com will continue to post brief reports today on findings from the evidence release. The Journal requested the information after the three defendants in the criminal case, club co-owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, and band tour manager Daniel Biechele reached plea agreements instead of going to trial. For a look at the evidence itself, visit the state Attorney General's Web site. For more about the fire and its aftermath, see projo.com's continuing special report. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:56 PM | Comment Central falls man facing murder charge in shootingA Central Falls man was arrested early this morning and faces murder charges for allegedly shooting another Central Falls man last month in a remote part of Foxboro. Luis Lopez, 24, was arrested at his Cross Street address in Central Falls about 2:30 a.m. as a fugitive from justice, according to a news release from Norfolk County, Mass., District Attorney William R. Keating. “The arrest warrant for the murder was issued after 10 p.m. last night," Keating said in the statement. “Luis Lopez was arrested without incident ... ." Just after 1 a.m. on Oct 15, a driver in the Route 106 area of Foxboro spotted a body -- Carlos Gomez, 29, the news release said. Gomez was lying in the eastbound lane of Route 106. State police detectives attached to Keating’s office and Foxboro police investigated. Investigators said they used a search warrant at Lopez's residence. He may also be arraigned in Rhode Island on charges stemming from substances found in the search, along with the fugitive from justice warrant today, Keating said. “If Mr. Lopez does not fight rendition to Massachusetts, he could be arraigned as soon as tomorrow morning in the Wrentham District Court,” Keating said in the statement. “If he does fight rendition, we will begin the process of obtaining a governor’s warrant to bring him back to face this murder charge.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:15 PM | Comment Photo: Car slams into building -- really
Posted by Jack Perry at 1:06 PM | Comment Traffic alert: Spill closes part of Rt. 95S, near Exit 6The Transportation management Center is reporting the left lane in the Coventry/West Greenwich area has been reopened to travel after a hazardous materials spill. But the two right lanes remain closed near Exit 6/Route 3 after, according to state police, a tractor-trailer hit road debris which punctured its tank, causing the spill. No injuries were reported. For traffic situation updates, check the TMC's Web site. Check live traffic conditions on traffic.com -- with reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:58 PM | Comment Providence-based C.E.O. of GTECH is resigningPROVIDENCE -- W. Bruce Turner, the Providence-based chief executive officer of GTECH Holdings Corp. and its parent company, Lottomatica SpA, is resigning his post, just one year after GTECH was acquired in a $4.8-billion deal. Last week, GTECH fired 47 of its Rhode Island employees, a month after disclosing that revenue had slowed in the second quarter of the year. Lottomatica bought GTECH in August 2006 for $4.8 billion. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:41 PM | Comment Suspicious package at Barrington home probedLocal authorities spent nearly eight hours outside a Barrington house last night after a call from a resident about a suspicious package. Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said a call came in to the police department at about 6:30 p.m. that an envelope had been placed in the mailbox at 3 Deep Meadow Drive with unusual packaging and no postmark. Barrington police notified the fire department, fire marshal, and East Providence hazardous materials team. Authorities did not find any hazardous substances; the envelope was triple bagged and sent to the Department of Health, Bessette said. The scene was cleared up at about 2 a.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:39 PM | Comment DOT director to answer questions in online chatJerome F. Williams, director of the state Department of Transportation, will participate in an online chat with projo.com readers at noon tomorrow. Readers can submit questions to Mr. Williams about the opening of the Iway and the department's effort to improve the flow of traffic. You can go to the chat room now and submit questions. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:12 PM | Comment Burrillville man wins $1 million PowerBall prizeA Burrillville man today claimed a $1-million winning PowerBall prize for last night's drawing, attributing his good fortune to "karma and the luck of the Irish," the Rhode Island Lottery announced. Anthony McGrath, of the town's Harrisville section, bought the ticket in the Power Play PowerBall from L'il General at 495 Chapel St. in Burrillville. His ticket matched the first five numbers, but not the PowerBall number. The drawing last night was for $71.2 million. "He plans to take care of his two daughters, future sons-in-law, and ex-wife with his winnings," the Rhode Island Lottery news release said. McGrath has volunteered for years with Amos House "and is looking froward to being able to make a donation this year," the release added. A $200,000 winning ticket, which also matched the first five numbers, was sold for last night's drawing, at Warren Mart, 429 Child St., Warren. The prize remains unclaimed. Saturday's estimated PowerBall jackpot is $82 million. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:46 AM | Comment DOT will announce new Rte. 195 onramp opening datePROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Transportation this afternoon will announce the opening date for a new South Main Street onramp to Route 195 east. The announcement will be at 1:30 p.m. at the DOT's office at Two Capitol Hill in the Transportation Management Center office. Jerome F. Williams, the DOT director, will talk about the "accelerated construction schedule that has made this possible and the fact that congestion around the Iway has been steadily improving each night," a DOT news release says. Commuters have seen traffic jams during evenings this week as they head south on Route 95 to go east on Route 195. A part of the Route 195 relocation, known as Iway, opened Sunday. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:27 AM | Comment Driver who crashed into the building taken to hospitalThe driver of a red Mercury Mountaineer has been taken to a local hospital after hitting several parked cars, pushing one into a building off of Elmwood Avenue. James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department, says the driver's final crash was into a building at 333 Buclkin St., listed as Allied Business Documents in the phone book, at about 10:50 a.m. Rescue was called to the accident, and the driver was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with unknown injuries. Providence police say the Mercury was driven into several parked cars, all of which were empty. Police also say the same vehicle hit a fire truck earlier in the day that was parked near the Division of Training on Reservoir Avenue, less than one mile away. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:22 AM | Comment GTECH's parent to announce 3rd quarter earningsPROVIDENCE -- Lottomatica SpA, parent company of Providence-based GTECH Holdings Corp., will announce its third-quarter earnings this morning. Lottomatica officials will discuss the results in a conference call from Rome scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Last week, GTECH fired 47 of its Rhode Island employees, a month after disclosing that revenue had slowed in the second quarter of the year. Lottomatica bought GTECH in August 2006 for $4.8 billion. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:20 AM | Comment Photo: Ice already
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:20 AM | Comment N. Providence police talk 'distraught' man out of houseNorth Providence police spent several hours last night outside a Grover Street house trying to talk a distraught resident to come outside. According to Deputy Chief Paul Marino, neighbors had called police around 10:30 p.m. and said a distraught man, whom police have not identified, may have had weapons. When they responded to the house, the man initially would not come outside. After more than three hours of dialogue, police were able to talk him outside. Rescue drove the man to Fatima Hospital for evaluation. Police did find weapons in the first floor apartment, but, Marino said, the man never threatened police, and no one was hurt. At most, Marino said, the man might be charged with disorderly conduct. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:18 AM | Comment AG's office releases more Station fire evidenceThe state Attorney General's Office has released more evidence from the investigation into The Station nightclub fire. The information has been posted on the attorney general's Web site. It's the final release of evidence in the case. Today's released comprises 31.4 gigabytes, which is the evquivalent of 45 compact discs. It includes 21,238 documents, 2,990 photos and more than 40 hours of audio and video recordings. In total, the attorney general's office has now released of 34,367 documents, 2,993 photos and more than 100 hours of audio and video recordings. All of it together would fill 242 CDs. The documents include search warrant and seizure reports, expert reports and video, documents from Daniel Biechele’s suitcase, witness statements including interviews with OSHA and police, West Warwick town records, interstate subpoenas and photographs taken at The Station nightclub before and after the fire This release of information was in response to a request filed by The Journal. It also works toward fulfilling a pledge to release evidence that Attorney General Patrick Lynch made in a letter to relatives of the 100 people who died in the February 2003 fire. The Journal filed a request last October for the information to be released. Under state law, that set a deadline for release of November, last year. Lynch has said, however, that the amount of material required meticulous review by lawyers to ensure confidential items were not released. View pictures, video, and documents released thus far in the Station fire case on projo.com -- With reports from Journal staff write Paul Edward Parker. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:51 AM | Comment Early morning fire leaves 11 homelessMore than 10 people were evacuated during an early morning fire in Woonsocket. The call came in just after 3:30 a.m. for a basement fire at 54 1st Ave., a six-family building with four occupied apartments, according to Fire Chief Kenneth Finlay, The first company to arrive held the fire in the basement while other companies focused on rescuing the seven people from the fire escape. The fire was under control by 4:14 a.m., Finlay said. The building has been closed by the inspector. The heat caused damage to electric systems, and other damage is being assessed. A cause has not yet been determined. Officials are at the scene investigating. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment New Orleans port sues R.I. insurer over Katrina claimsNEW ORLEANS -- A Johnston-based insurance company is being sued by the Port of New Orleans over more than 100 million dollars in storm damage claims the port has made due to Hurricane Katrina. The port claims Factory Mutual Insurance has only paid about $18 million dollars from a policy that has limits of $145 million dollars for flood and wind damage. Factory Mutual spokesman Steven Zenofsky says he can't comment on a pending lawsuit. The port has been trying to get on back track after Hurricane Katrina. A lawyer for the port says the federal Emergency Management Agency will not make a final payment to the port until it has exhausted its insurance resources. He says the storm happened more than two years ago, and this should have been resolved by now. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Sunny with a high of 48Yesterday was chilly, today it's just cold. Early morning temperatures are barely reaching 30 degrees around the state and the National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 48 degrees with sunny skies. The overnight low will reach 29 degrees. Tomorrow we'll see some clouds and a high temperature in the mid 40s. 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 a judge's criticism of Barrington parents during the arraignment of a teenager for drunken driving in a crash that killed another teen. There's also continuing coverage on the traffic problems that have followed the partial opening of the new Iway connector between Route 95 north and Route 195 east. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006