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November 9, 2007

7to7 will be off duty on Veterans Day holiday

Projo.com's 7to7 news blog will take a day off this Monday, Veterans Day.

You'll still find blog reports from Journal sports writers, the news of the day from The Providence Journal, and continuous updates on national, world and sports news from our wire services.

The news blog team will be back in the building, and posting as usual starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:05 PM | Comment

Tonight: Dining in Newport a triple play

Looking for a new excuse to cross the bridge to the City by the Sea?

You can dine tonight at any of 30 participating Newport restaurants for a fixed price of $30 for a three-course dinner.

Go to www.gonewport.com or call (401) 845-9123.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

A new -- and much higher -- figure for state's deficit

PROVIDENCE – They knew it would be bad, but the state officials gathered in the State House basement today didn’t think it would be this bad.

Rhode Island is facing a budget shortfall of at least $150 million for the fiscal year that ends next July.

And the deficit for the following year – a number Governor Carcieri has consistently put at $200 million in recent weeks – is now estimated at between $400 and $450 million, according to projections from House Fiscal Advisor Michael O’Keefe based on numbers finalized at today's Revenue & Caseload Estimating Conference.

In the minutes immediately after the conference was over this afternoon, the state officials who had spent much of the past week pouring through economic data at the sparsely attended annual meeting had no choice but to resort to humor.

“If anybody has any ideas how to resolve this, let me know,” the governor’s budget officer, Rosemary Booth Gallogly, said with a defeated smile.

Kevin Madigan of the Senate fiscal office let out a mock cheer: “It’s not $500 million, yay!”

Despite attempts at humor, the implications of the conference are serious. Governor Carcieri is required by law to use the projections in the 2008-09 budget he will present in January.

Knowing there would a deficit, he had already proposed a sweeping plan to save $100 million by cutting the state’s workforce by 1,000 jobs. His budget-balancing plan had also included saving $50 million by reducing worker benefits and another $50 million by cutting or consolidating social services programs.

Today, he also announced a change in plan for a new State Police headquarters, keeping it in Scituate instead of moving it to Cranston, a step he said would save $36 million.

It is now clear that he will have to do much more to propose a balanced budget, which he must do by law.

-- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:40 PM | Comment

Veterans Day events: Statewide memorial tops list

Veterans Day weekend will offer everyone plenty to remember as it does every year, but this Sunday's commemoration will also included dedicating the new World War II memorial across from the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence.

The entrance to the memorial includes two granite walls engraved with the names of 2,562 Rhode Islanders who died while serving during World War II.

Here's what the memorial looks like.

Governor Carcieri's schedule Sunday is for a state Veterans Day tribute from 1 to 2 p.m. in the State Room of the State House in Providence. From 2 to 4 p.m., he will be at World War II Memorial Parade and the dedication of the World War II Memorial.

Check out descriptions and times for veterans events tomorrow, Sunday and into early next week all over Rhode Island from as compiled in the Veterans Journal.

For descriptions and times of Veterans Day events in Bristol, Newport, Portsmouth, Warren, and in Swansea and Somerset, Mass., click here.

For more Veterans holiday events and activities, check out the projo.com guide.

Veterans are also being offered a free meal Sunday by the McCormick & Schmick’s seafood restaurant chain. They may have a free lunch or dinner entrée to veterans Sunday from a special menu. Proper military identification is required. Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner, 4 to 11 p.m. (401) 351-4500 for reservations.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment

Reporter's Iway drive down to 11 minutes

In her latest measure of the week's Iway-affected traffic, it took our reporter just 11 minutes this evening to complete a 5.8-mile trip from Route 95 south onto Route 195 east, ending on the East Providence side of the Washington Bridge -- down from 58 minutes Tuesday evening, and 45 minutes Wednesday evening.

Take tonight's commute times with a grain of salt. It's Friday after all, and a long weekend at that -- people may have cleared out earlier.

The decreased drive time may be a good sign for state Department of Transportation officials, who have sought to alleviate the traffic jams that characterized commutes earlier this week, after last Sunday's opening of part of the Route 195 relocation project.

Our reporter, whose trip began at the School Street exit in Pawtucket, found the stop-and-go traffic resumed around the Wickenden Street exit of Route 195 this evening.

In its continued effort to alleviate the traffic, the DOT today opened a new ramp near India Point Park in Providence a little after 3 p.m.

DOT crews closed the Wickenden Street ramp onto Route 195 east, where lanes have been restricted, causing traffic to bottleneck. The new ramp diverts traffic past the restricted area, putting traffic onto the interstate closer to the Washington Bridge, where additional lanes are available.

The DOT had also said it would close the South Main Street entrance. But that hadn't happened at about 3:30 today.

After 7 p.m., when traffic eases, the DOT will reopen the Wickenden Street ramp and close the new India Point ramp.

The DOT's director today visited projo.com for an online chat -- here's a transcript.

Check out a map of the new route.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina and projo.com staff

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:56 PM | Comment

Kin of Sept. 11 victim from R.I. settle suit against airline

The family of David A. Angell, the Rhode Island native who achieved fame as executive producer of the NBC series Frasier and who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has settled the lawsuit it filed against airline and security companies, the plaintiffs’ lawyer said today.

All parties have agreed not to disclose the amount of the settlement, said the lead lawyer for the 9/11 plaintiffs, Donald A. Migliori, a Rhode Island resident and a partner in the South Carolina-based law firm of Motley Rice.

Angell, 55, who owned a home on Providence’s East Side, won five Emmy Awards for his work on shows such as Cheers, Wings and Frasier. He was the brother of Kenneth A. Angell, who served as auxiliary bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence from 1974 to 1992 before becoming bishop of Burlington, Vt.

Angell's case is distinctive in that his survivors are among a small percentage that decided to sue the airlines rather than accept a government payment. Lawyers had also debated whether his true home was in Cape Cod, California or Rhode Island, which has more favorable laws regarding such litigation.

Migliori said the plaintiffs, who included Kenneth Angell and his sister, Claire Miller, did not want to comment publicly on the settlement. But he said, “It’s a very mixed feeling for all of the people involved because at the end, no matter how much information we’ve obtained and no matter how much compensation we’ve been able to achieve, the reality is the one thing they want most — their brother, son or spouse — is what they can never get back.”

On 9/11, Angell and his wife, Lynn Edwards Angell, boarded American Airlines Flight 11 at Logan Airport, heading to California to wrap up work on the final episode of Frasier. Their plane crashed into the World Trade Center’s north tower.

After the terrorist attacks, 98.5 percent of the victims’ families chose to accept money from a federal compensation fund and forfeit their right to sue. But some filed wrongful death lawsuits, including relatives of Angell and of Pawtucket’s Shawn M. Nassaney.

Nassaney’s family reached a settlement in September. And the Angell case is one of 10 settled over the past week, including the case of Ambrose v. American Airlines and Argenbright Security, which had been set to go to trial Monday, Migliori said.

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

So there are now seven unresolved cases against the airlines and security companies. “There will be a trial," Migliori predicted. "The seven who remain are steadfast that they are going to keep fighting for a liability trial and an airing of the evidence and accountability.”

Defendants in the Angell lawsuit included American Airlines, the Globe Aviation Services security company, The Boeing Co., the Massachusetts Port Authority, and Colgan Air, the regional airline that two terrorists took from Portland, Maine, to Logan before boarding Flight 11.

American Airlines issued a statement this afternoon, saying, “Sept. 11, 2001, was a national tragedy and we empathize with all families who lost loved ones that day. The federal government established what we believe to be a fair and equitable system, the Victim’s Compensation Fund, for handling such cases without making the families suffer through a long legal process. This system worked because 98 percent of the cases have been settled privately or through the VCF. American is committed to continue working with the remaining families toward settlement.”

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:31 PM | Comment

Photo: Statue takes the place of beloved Fanny

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
A life-size fiberglass sculpture of the beloved Fanny the Elephant was placed today in the Raymond Kinder playground in Slater Park in Pawtucket. Sculptor Chris Kane is the man behind the figure memorializing the elephant, who once lived at the park's zoo. In 1993, after the zoo closed, Fanny was relocated to a Texas sanctuary, where she died in 2003. The sculpture is being officially unveiled tomorrow.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:12 PM | Comment

Update: Pawtucket man nabbed in Seekonk hit-run

TAUNTON, Mass. -- A Portuguese citizen who has been living in Pawtucket for 10 years was ordered held today on $1.125 million bail with surety on charges stemming from the hit-and-run death of a Seekonk pedestrian.

Laudalino Camara, 50, of 626 Prospect St, is charged with motor vehicle homicide and with leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting, in the Oct. 14 crash that killed Maria Aguiar, 38.

Camara, a resident alien who needed an interpreter during the proceedings, pleaded not guilty through this lawyer to the charges at his arraignment this afternoon in District Court.

Camara did not speak during the nearly hour-long arraignment, and his expression did not change.

The District Attorney's Office alleged today that his wife, Maria Camara, staged an accident on Route 95 South in Pawtucket, with the same white SUV.

The vehicle was recovered in an autobody shop. Forensic tests showed that paint chips from both accident scenes matched.

Also recovered at the autobody shop -- a right incisor tooth. The victim had been missing such a tooth at her autopsy.

Among those at the court were Aguiar's husband, oldest son and sister, as well as Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter.

The police have said Aguiar, of 155 Chestnut St., was struck and killed by a white “SUV-type” vehicle at about 6:22 p.m. while she walked along her street with her daughter, who was riding a bicycle. The 10-year-old girl was uninjured, but saw the accident.

Last month, the police seized a sport utility vehicle suspected in the hit-and-run crash.

-- projo.com staff, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:53 PM | Comment

The new Iway ramp is open / Map, Photo

Journal photo / Ruben Perez
Motorists can go straight under this (still unopened) stretch of the new Route 195, then turn left, in order to get to the new, part-time ramp for the evening commute.

PROVIDENCE -- The new entrance ramp to Route 195 opened in India Point Park a little after 3 p.m. today.

DOT crews closed the Wickenden Street entrance ramp and opened the new ramp to help open the bottleneck on Route 195 east.

The move diverts traffic from a restricted area of Route 195 and moves it down Route 195 closer to the Washington Bridge where there are additional lanes available.

The DOT had also said it would close the South Main entrance. But that hadn't happened at about 3:30 today.

After 7 p.m., when traffic eases, the DOT will reopen the Wickenden Street ramp and close the new India Point ramp.

Traffic tools: Check the "jam factor" /See live Web cam views

Maps: Printable map of the new ramp / Alternate route / Exit changes

Your Turn: Been stuck in traffic? Share your story

A map of the new ramp's path, provided by the DOT.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:33 PM | Comment

Update: State Police HQ won't be moving to Cranston

Citing the state's "mounting budget problems," Governor Carcieri has announced a proposal to build a smaller State Police headquarters at the existing Scituate barracks -- which he said would save $36 million -- instead of building a new headquarters in Cranston.

Carcieri said in a news release this afternoon that the Cranston headquarters was projected to cost $63 million but that a new Scituate headquarters would come to just $27 million.

The Cranston plan had also led to the controversial closing of a state homeless shelter at the site last March. Advocates had asked in September why the State Police project had not yet moved forward. A Carcieri spokesman at that time said that it was under review due to the state's budget situation.

Voters first approved spending $48 million on the headquarters five years ago. Its proposed location has already moved at least three times as its pricetag rose.

The new Scituate HQ would house both the State Police and a new "E911" facility.

“Building the State Police headquarters in Scituate is an important component of my plans to save millions of dollars for Rhode Island taxpayers,” Carcieri said in the statement. “Although we had been planning to build the new headquarters at the Pastore Complex in Cranston, we believed it was important to change those plans in the face of the state’s mounting budget problems. This new plan will give the State Police the modern headquarters they need to fulfill their public safety mission, while cutting the cost in half for taxpayers.”

The original plan for the Cranston location called for closing the Wickford and Chepachet barracks and having all dispatching centralized in the new headquarters. Under the plan Carcieri announced today, only the Chepachet barracks would be closed, and dispatching would be kept at the individual barracks.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports

Carcieri stated that during the summer he asked each department head to find ways to reduce spending and that the decision to build the less esxpensive State Police headquarters came out of that process.

“The new plan also has the strong support of State Police Superintendent, Colonel Brendan Doherty," Carcieri said. "I expect to formally submit the final version of the plan as part of my budget proposal in January.”

The news release said the $63 million Cranston project included up to about $6 million in "extra costs to clean up a site contaminated with the debris of at least 12 buried buildings and foundations. The new plan does not require additional site remediation costs."

Building at the Pastore location, which fronts Pontiac Avenue, "posed serious security concerns that resulted in higher building cost" for such things as re-enforced, blast-proof walls and bullet-proof glass. The Scituate site is a remote one, so it is easier and less costly to secure, Carcieri said.

Also, the governor said the Pastore location falls in the flight path for T.F. Green Airport, so the Federal Aviation Administration has put height limits on the communications tower. The Scituate site has no height restrictions and it is possible that the existing tower may be usable, further cutting construction cost.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:12 PM | Comment

House and Senate approve bill to double sub production

WASHINGTON -- The House and Senate have approved a defense spending bill that would double Virginia-class submarine production to two boats a year.

It's a victory for Connecticut and Rhode Island congressmen hoping to protect jobs.

Lawmakers have been pressing the Navy for several years to accelerate plans to double production of the high-tech attack submarine.

Such a move would help submarine-maker Electric Boat with facilities in both states.

The measure includes $588 million to allow the Navy to begin building two boats per year as early as 2010 or 2011.

The Senate approved the bill late Thursday night following House passage earlier in the day. Lawmakers say they are hopeful President Bush will endorse the measure.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:49 PM | Comment

Chat transcript: DOT chief fields Iway questions

PROVIDENCE -- Jerome F. Williams, director of the state Department of Transportation, visited projo.com at noon today for an online chat, answering readers' questions about the Iway and efforts to improve traffic flow.

Williams acknowledged that the DOT's traffic modeling did not anticipate the level of congestion that has developed on Route 195 East and Route 95 South during the evening commute since the opening Sunday of an Iway connector between Route 95 North and Route 195 East.

"These models did not show the significant traffic congestion that we saw on Monday," he wrote.

For more, read the full transcript of questions and replies:

dan: anything new - pretty big mess

Jerome Williams: Each day we have seen significant improvement in travel times.

For example, on Monday travel times from Smithfield Avenue on I-95 South to Taunton Avenue I-195 East was approximately 70 minutes. Wednesday night this travel time was 35 minutes and last night it was 10 - 12 minutes. Actions we have taken have had a positive impact on travel times. Travel times were taken between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m. What is new is the opening of the South Main ramp onto the new Iway which will further improve travel times from I-95 South to I-195 East.

smartgrowth5: Thank you for your willingness to be accessible and answer questions, Director Williams. Wouldn't it be more prudent to allow drivers more time to adjust to the new traffic pattern than introduce a new traffic pattern that could possibly exacerbate the problem (referring to the accelerated opening of the new I-195E entrance ramp from the East Side)? Travel time on I-95S from Pawtucket to I-195E has improved by 13 minutes in 2 days. Shouldn't we expect continued improvement as long as motorists follow alternate routes?

Jerome Williams: We have seen significant improvement every day from Tuesday on. We still have excess capacity on the new Iway and we are moving a portion of the traffic off the old I-195 to the Iway to further balance the traffic volumes. This is really a modification to the existing traffic pattern. We appreciate that you have been tracking this and have noticed the improvement.

joe: During the design phase of this project, the contract documents usually specifiy detours to be put in place during and at the end of each phase, were there any detours shown on the contract documents and if so why were the designers so off base with the traffic delays????

Jerome Williams: In preparation for the opening we conducted traffic modeling as we did when we closed the Interstate for the steel placement over the highway. These models did not show the significant traffic congestion that we saw on Monday.

As we have seen since Monday travel times have improved dramatically. For example, last night's travel times were actually better than prior to the opening of the Iway. Thank you for your question.

Click below to read more...

FCA: WILL 195 EAST between the split and the beginning of the Washington Bridge remain 2 lanes?

Jerome Williams: The old I-195 will remain in its current configuration -- two lanes.

The new Iway from I-95 north to I-195 east carries two lanes today. When the next segment opens -- I-95 south to I-195 east -- two additional lanes will be open for a total of four lanes eastbound. The final configuration will be one additional lane than the old I-195. Thank you for your question.

Jon: As someone that reverse commutes from Providence to Warwick, I have seen a big difference coming home on 95N in the evenings in terms of less delays around 195E. So thank you for that. But I do feel for my 95 South brethren. In hindsight, would it have been wiser to just wait until the I way project was completed to open it up rather than piecemeal? Or would that be too chaotic?

Jerome Williams: This is a major project with 3 major segments: I-95 North to I-195 East, I-95 South to I-195 East, and I-195 West to I-95 North and South. In order to continue the project we needed to open the first segment -- I-95 North to I-195 East -- to accommodate future construction. We would not be able to wait and open everything when the project was completed. RIDOT's Customer Service line at 401-222-2450 can give you more information. Thanks for the question and we are glad you are having a smooth commute north.

Gena: Will the new entrance that is opening today enter into the two lanes of the Iway ramp? If yes, doesn't that just move the backup to the Iway? Also, why was the Iway reduced to just one lane this morning?

Jerome Williams: The Iway was reduced to one lane this morning to accommodate the work necessary to open the new ramp this afternoon.

In regards to moving the traffic to the Iway with the opening of the ramp we are balancing the traffic volumes between the old I-195 East and the Iway. In monitoring this all week additional capacity exists on the Iway to handle this volume. We do expect slower traffic on the Iway during peak p.m. hours. Thanks for your question.

jmcdaid: Mr. Williams: While I think all Rhode Islanders are thrilled to see the beautiful IWay bridge, the recent proposed changes to the Sakonnet River bridge are troubling. Unlike the beautiful blue IWay, the towns of Portsmouth and Tiverton are getting a rusty-brown weathered steel structure.

Two questions: What is the ambient chloride level at the Sakonnet Bridge location and what wil its effect be on the lifespan of the proposed steel? And a
follow-up: Given that the problems with the existing bridge arose because of maintenance issues, do you think it is prudent to propose a material which makes it difficult to visually tell the difference between "good" weathering and dangerous corrosion?

Jerome Williams: The proposal to use weathering steel was generated from a team that included national engineering experts along with research staff from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Weathering steel has been used successfully in many bridges in similar environments. The color is not a rusty brown but will be brown in color. The bridge is being designed for at least a 75-year lifespan and will carry bridge inspections based on FHWA standards. While this is a change from the original design the bridge originally was estimated at $125 million. The latest estimate on the original design was $215 million. Given the infrastructure needs of the State we conducted a value engineering process with national experts to maintain the usability and size of the bridge while identifying options to reduce the cost without sacrificing safety.

The result of this was a $39 million reduction in cost. These savings can be used on other transportation infrastructure needs the State has. We do not have the ambient chloride level with us at this time. Please contact our Customer Service office at 401-222-2450. Thank you.

stats: I enter 195 East from Point Street/Wickenden...where is the new on ramp that we will use today?

Jerome Williams: There is a map on RIDOT's Web site that has all of the information you will need to use the new ramp. Please go to www.dot.state.ri.us for more information. Everything you need is on the homepage. Thank you.

Peter: It seems the new highway will have fewer downtown entrances and exits. How is that an improvement?

Jerome Williams: One of the issues we have on the old I-195 East is we have merging traffic very close to on-ramps. This leaves little room for traffic merging and impedes traffic flow. The new Iway provides extended lanes for merging and has fewer on and off-ramps resulting in improved traffic flow through the downtown Providence area. Although we have only opened the first segment of the Iway, other new ramps will be open to service downtown in the future. Thank you for your question. We appreciate it.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:53 PM | Comment

Police investigate body found in Burrillville woods

The Burrillville police are investigating "a suspicious death" after hunters discovered a body in the Black Hut Management Area off Spring Lake Road.

They are treating the area, off a dirt road, as a crime scene.

The police have not made a positive identification of the victim and are checking missing persons reports to help with their investigation. They could not provide the age or the gender of the dead person.

Hunters reported finding the body at 8:31 a.m. today.

Both the Burrillville police and the state Department of Environmental police went to the scene this morning.

The state Medical Examiner's Office removed the body and the area was blocked off to the public this morning.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:43 PM | Comment

New ramp to Iway to open this afternoon / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Cardi workers Jack Manachi and John Salem, set barrels today as they and others prepare the new ramp for opening this afternoon.

PROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Transportation will open an additional ramp for the Iway project this afternoon in the hope of alleviating traffic problems.

The ramp is expected to open in time for the evening commute.

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.

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.

Traffic on Route 195 east and Route 95 south during the evening commute has been heavy since the state opened the new Iway connector from Route 95 north to Route 195 east on Sunday.

The connector is part of the Route 195 relocation project in the metropolitan area.

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:06 PM | Comment

Chat ends: DOT director answers readers' questions

Jerome F. Williams, director of the state Department of Transportation, participated in an online chat with projo.com readers earlier today.

A transcript of the questions and answers will be posted shortly.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:38 PM | Comment

Smoke shop case to start Jan. 7 in Superior Court

PROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl today set a trial start date of Jan. 7 for the seven Narragansett Indians facing criminal charges related to the 2003 state police raid on a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown.

The cases will be tried together. McGuirl estimated the trial could take up to a month.

The state Supreme Court, which is weighing whether Governor Carcieri must testify, has ordered the sides into mediation.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:50 AM | Comment

Woonsocket officer accused of computer tampering

WOONSOCKET -- A Woonsocket officer is accused of tampering with a police department computer to embarrass a workplace rival.

Steven Fairley is charged with three counts of illegal computer access and one count of illegal computer access causing damage. He has not yet entered a plea.

A spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch says Fairley formerly ran the Woonsocket Police Department's evidence room and apparently became upset when he was replaced.

Working from a computer at home, Fairley allegedly accessed an evidence room computer and changed its passwords to prevent his successor from using it.

Prosecutors say Woonsocket had to pay more than $2,500 to fix the damage.

A man who answered the phone at a telephone listing for Fairley said the officer would not comment.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:22 AM | Comment

Lincoln's gambling referendum tomorrow

Do you support the expansion of gaming hours at Twin River (formerly known as Lincoln Park) from its current closing hours to 24 hours per day, seven days per week?”

Do you support the expansion of gaming operations at Twin River (formerly known as Lincoln Park) to include full-scale casino gambling operations including, but not limited to, table games?

Lincoln residents get to give their answers to those questions tomorrow during a nonbinding referendum.

The ballot's author, Town Council President Jeremiah T. O'Grady, says the questions are basically trying to get to the heart of another question: "Do we endorse the concept of full-scale casino gambling in our town or not?"

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The polling places are:

- The new middle school, at 152 Jenckes Hill Rd. St.
- James Elementary School, at 57 Division St. in the Manville section;
- Lonsdale Elementary School, at 270 River Rd. in Lonsdale;
- Saylesville Elementary School, at 50 Woodland St. in Saylesville.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:49 AM | Comment

Workers to return to site of hazardous spill on Rte. 95

WEST GREENWICH -- State workers and private contractors are expected to head out to Route 95 for some follow-up roadwork today.

The state’s Department of Environmental Management and its contractor, Clean Harbors, are returning to the site of yesterday’s diesel oil spill on Route 95 South.

Shortly after noon yesterday, all lanes were closed between Exits 5 and 6 after a damaged truck spewed between 75 and 100 gallons of oil in the road. The roads were reopened at about 3 p.m.

DEM and its contractor are returning to the site today to remove contaminated soil and take care of any additional necessary cleanup.

The truck’s driver, David Darnell, 27, of Somerset, Ky., was summonsed for failing to do a daily inspection and not “safe loading,” which, State Police Capt. James Swanberg said, resulted in unsafe conditions that led to the spill.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:20 AM | Comment

Rhode Island joins suit against EPA

Rhode Island has joined California and more than a dozen other states in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency.

After postponing the action because of massive fires, the California Attorney General is asking the EPA to act on the state’s request to allow it to set standards on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions that are stricter than the federal regulations.

States have the option to adopt California’s pollution standards, but cannot do so until the EPA grants California a waiver to set its own regulations.

The state requested a waiver, under the provisions of the Clean Air Act, in December, 2005. The federal government has yet to act on the request.

Rhode Island and 13 other states have joined the suit as plaintiffs because they intend to adhere to California’s standards, which would require cars beginning with model year 2009 to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they produce before they can be sold in state.

Joining Rhode Island in filing a motion to intervene are: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Vermont, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

-- projo.com writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:15 AM | Comment

Traffic Alert: Roadwork on 195 eastbound

Another Iway exit is closed, but it's only temporary.

The Transportation Management Center is reporting Exit 3/Gano Street off 195 eastbound is closed for emergency roadwork.

Check the TMC Web site for updates.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:48 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Stories on the new Station Fire evidence and Iway progress are featured in today's Journal.
Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:18 AM | Comment

Local submarine makers get OK from Washington

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives passes a bill to double production of the Virginia-class submarine to two ships a year.

The submarines are produced at shipyards in Rhode Island and Connecticut that employ almost 10,000 people.

The House passed the bill by a 400-15 vote margin. That's more than enough to override a possible veto from President Bush.

Representative Patrick Kennedy says an increase in sub production is critical to the future of the Navy and the Rhode Island economy.

Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut says the Senate is expected to pass a similar bill within the next week.

The bill could allow the Navy to begin building two ships per year as early as 2010 or 2011.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:08 AM | Comment

Cloudy an high near 46

The morning clouds are hear to stay. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high near 46 degrees and overcast skies.

The clouds will hang around into the evening when the temperature should drop to about 37 degrees. We may see some rain late in the evening.

That rain could stick around through Saturday afternoon when the high temperature should reach the mid 40s. We can also expect steady winds with gusts up to 29 mph at times.

Clouds should give way to clear skies tomorrow night, but bring the plants inside -- the overnight low will be in the high 20s.

Veterans Day is looking sunny, with temperatures in the mid 40s and another night of temperatures in the 20s.

Monday looks like Sunday, only better, with clear, sunny skies and temperatures possibly breaking past the 50 degree point.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment