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November 14, 2007

Tonight: P-Bruins at Dunk; carrier battles in Barrington

The 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 540

PROVIDENCE -- 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

Journal photo / Kris Craig
J. Renn Olenn, the lawyer who pressed the civil suit against David Swain, prepares to talk with reporters after an extradition hearing in U.S. District Court in Providence this afternoon. Behind him at right is Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Vilker.

PROVIDENCE -- Jamestown dive-shop owner David Swain, a suspect in the scuba diving death of his wife, appeared in federal court this afternoon after a charge against him for her murder was issued out of the British Virgin Islands.

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.

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.

The following day a man who runs a dive shop on Tortola, James Philip Brown, dove at the common dive site where Swain and Tyre had been, looking for any potential dangers. He testified that he found Tyre's mask, missing an anchoring pin on one side that holds the strap in place, and also her snorkel which was missing its mouthpiece.

Both pieces of evidence, Olenn and his expert witnesses have said, indicate Tyre was attacked.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:35 PM | Comment

Body ID'd as Woonsocket woman; death suspicious

A body found in the Black Hut Management Area in Burrillville has been identified as that of a missing Woonsocket woman, according to Burrillville police, who are now treating the case as a homicide.

Vicki L. Connolly, 33, was reported to have last been seen on Sept. 6.

The police received the information that her body has been identified from the medical examiner's office today at about 2:45 p.m, according to Lt. Kevin S. San Antonio.

"We are treating this as a homicide," said San Antonio, indicating there is evidence to suggest the death was suspicious.

The medical examiner's office did not make a ruling as to the cause of death.

Two hunters in the management area found the body late last week.

Burrillville police, with the assistance of Woonsocket police, are investigating.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:46 PM | Comment

Update: Swain charged in wife's scuba-diving death

Jamestown dive-shop owner David Swain, a suspect in the scuba diving death of his wife, has been arrested for her murder after a charge was issued out of the British Virgin Islands, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence.

Swain, 51, was arrested today by deputy U.S. Marshals and is scheduled to appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court, Providence, 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 writer Jack Perry, with 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.

The following day a man who runs a dive shop on Tortola, James Philip Brown, dove at the common dive site where Swain and Tyre had been, looking for any potential dangers. He testified that he found Tyre's mask, missing an anchoring pin on one side that holds the strap in place, and also her snorkel which was missing its mouthpiece.

Both pieces of evidence, Olenn and his expert witnesses have said, indicate Tyre was attacked.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:46 PM | Comment

Governor to discuss layoffs with labor leaders

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri is scheduled to meet today with labor leaders about plans for state employee layoff plans.

The Journal reported today the governor is slated to discuss layoffs as part of a plan to reduced a state budget deficit projected at nearly $400 million.

According to the governor's agenda for the day, the meeting will start at 3:30 p.m.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:47 PM | Comment

Program prepares City residents for the building trades

PROVIDENCE -- A new program will prepare Providence residents for apprenticeships in the building trades, Mayor David N. Cicilline and other officials announced today.

Cicilline and YouthBuild Director Andrew Cortés, surrounded by representatives of the building trades, publicly launched Building Futures during a ceremony on the 32nd floor of the new Westin Tower .

Building Futures evaluates a person's skills to figure his or her readiness and the program provides course work in safety requirements, job rights and labor history. The program also offers tutoring to prepare for the apprenticeship exam.

“Building Futures is about creating a promising career path to excellent paying jobs with good benefits in the construction industry for Providence residents,” Cicilline said in a statement today. He added: “Building Futures is one of many initiatives designed to create real employment opportunities for individuals to help them pursue the American Dream.”

The program is also billed as giving candidates "valuable life skills, including information on financial literacy, assistance establishing bank accounts and information on the dangers of predatory lending practices," the mayor's news release said.

Building Futures continues to offer support and case management for people in the program throughout the apprenticeships.

For more information on Building Futures, contact Andrew Cortés at (401) 919-5919.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:24 PM | Comment

Chat tomorrow: Judge Jeremiah on teens and drinking

PROVIDENCE -- Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr., who recently lambasted parents over problems related to teen drinking, will be the special guest at a live chat on projo.com tomorrow.

Judge Jeremiah will answer your questions, starting at 1 p.m., at: http://projo.com/chat

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 12:12 PM | Comment

Alexion aims to grow European market for drug Soliris

SMITHFIELD -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is ramping up its European operations, a critical part of its strategy to grow the small market for the company's only drug, Soliris. The medication is used to treat a rare blood disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH.

In a presentation yesterday at the Credit Suisse Healthcare Conference, in Phoenix, Alexion's chief executive officer, Leonard Bell, said the company plans to launch Soliris in Germany and England by the end of the year.

Alexion, based in Cheshire, Conn., has spent nearly $80 million renovating the former Dow Chemical plant in Smithfield. Construction is complete and "validation runs" are expected to begin next year, Bell said today.

"We're building a global business," Bell said in remarks broadcast online. "So far, we've done well."

Alexion has opened a European headquarters in France and a "financial hub" in Switzerland, Bell said.

Though few Americans have been diagnosed with PNH, Alexion expects to become profitable through the high cost of the drug: about $389,000 for a year's supply.

In the U.S., the unusually high price is permitted because of the drug's "orphan" status, through a law that rewards drug companies for finding cures to rare diseases. In European countries, Bell said, Alexion expects the drug's price to differ from the U.S. price by no more than 15 percent.

More than 100 patients in Europe are taking Soliris as part of clinical trails, but they do not pay for the drug. "We have an increasing focus on the European operations," Bell said. "It's been a pretty productive year so far."

Sales of the drug rose to $21.8 million in the third quarter of the year, up from $9.8 million in the previous three months, according to the company. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in March, and Alexion began selling it in the United States the following month.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:01 PM | Comment

Banker says Citizens still committed to R.I. / Photo

Journal photo/ Bill Murphy
Lawrence K. Fish, a top executive at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, addresses the crowd during a breakfast meeting of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce at the Providence Marriott Hotel.

PROVIDENCE -- Lawrence K. Fish, a top executive at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, the parent company of Providence-based Citizens Financial Group, promised today that the rapid growth of Citizens would not diminish its connection to Rhode Island.

In a speech at the Business Over Easy Breakfast, sponsored by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Fish said Citizens is committed to its Rhode Island-based employees and its charitable initiatives in the state.

"Our roots in the community of Rhode Island are very deep," Fish said. "Citizens began in Rhode Island, it has grown up in Rhode Island."

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:52 AM | Comment

Deep frying turkey poses danger, fire chiefs warn

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs is warning home cooks about the dangers of deep frying turkey.

Deep fryers can quickly get out of control because of the high temperature of the oil, boil over, come into contact with the flame and cause a large, explosive fire, the chiefs warn in a statement issued today.

Here are some tips to prevent problems:

-- Turkey fryers should be used outdoors, away from buildings and other material that can burn.

-- Never leave the fryer unattended.

-- Don't let children or pets near the fryer during or after use. The oil can remain dangerously hot for hours.

-- Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts. If possible, use safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.

-- Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:41 AM | Comment

Residents can meet school board hopefuls tomorrow

Residents can meet the 13 candidates who are vying for three spots on the Providence School Board during a public forum tomorrow.

Terms are expiring in January for three board members.

Two of them are reapplying for their positions. They are the board’s current president, Mary McClure, and board member Ronnie Young.

Board member Umberto Crenca is 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.

The forum is at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Providence Public Safety Complex. Attendees can write down questions for the applicants which will be read aloud at the end of the forum, which 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.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:02 AM | Comment

Is man wanted in Portugal behind R.I. extortion?

MIAMI -- Federal prosecutors are seeking the arrest of a U.S. citizen in Portugal who may be behind dozens of extortion calls to retail outlets and banks around the country -- including calls to a Wal-Mart in Newport in August.

At least 26 banks, retail stores and grocery stores in 17 states received calls this year from someone threatening to set off a bomb unless money was wired to an account abroad.

A grand jury indictment unsealed in Miami yesterday charges Allan Guedes Sharif with threatening to bomb a Miami Beach bank in March unless employees there gave an alleged accomplice $20,000.

The indictment says Sharif made similar threats at two other Miami-area banks.

Although the indictment is limited to the March calls, Miami U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta says prosecutors and the FBI have been in contact with numerous other jurisdictions where Sharif may have made threats.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:44 AM | Comment

IRS holds refund checks for more than 400 in R.I.

Still looking for that federal income-tax refund check? The Internal Revenue Service is holding nearly $300,000 for 415 people in Rhode Island whose refund checks were returned as undeliverable. That works out to an average of about $723 per check.
A refund check is typically returned to the IRS as undeliverable when a taxpayer moves without updating his or her address with either the U.S. Postal Service or the IRS, said IRS spokeswoman Peggy Riley. If your refund is among those that were returned, you can claim it by updating your address with the IRS. Complete the process by using the IRS Website or by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1954 or 1-800-829-1040.

Posted by Neil Downing at 10:19 AM | Comment

Red Sox agree to open 2008 season in Japan

The Red Sox will open their World Series title defense in Tokyo.

Following months of negotiations, the Red Sox agreed to a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics in Japan on March 25-26, and the commissioner's office announced the trip early Wednesday.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox figure to be an attractive draw for the games at the Tokyo Dome. The Red Sox and A's also will play exhibition games on March 23-24 against Japanese teams.

After the trip, the teams return to the United States and open the rest of their regular-season schedules with a two-game series at Oakland on April 1-2. That originally was to be a four-game set.

Oakland will be the home team for the games in Japan.

The Japan visit is one of two Asian trips Major League Baseball hopes to make next year. Talks have been under way for months to have the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play exhibition games in Beijing, most likely on March 14-15, at the ballpark to be used for the 2008 Olympics. That would be Major League Baseball's first trip to China.

If the Beijing games take place, the Dodgers likely would then travel to Arizona for most of their remaining spring training games. Next spring is their last at Vero Beach, Fla., where they first trained in 1949. They switch their training base in 2009 to Glendale, Ariz.

Boston and Oakland will be the third set of teams to open the regular season at the Tokyo Dome, following the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (2000), and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004). A scheduled 2003 series between Oakland and Seattle at the Tokyo Dome was canceled because of the threat of war in Iraq.

"Opening our regular season in Japan for the third time is another example of Major League Baseball's commitment to continue the global growth of the game," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

Your Turn: Is this a good decision for the Red Sox?

-- ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:29 AM | Comment

State's campground reservations start today

The state’s first-ever campground reservation system is being launched today, allowing campers to reserve sites up to a year before they pitch their tents.

Beginning at 9 a.m., campers can telephone a Rhode Island call center (877-742-2675) to make a reservation or pick a spot using a state Web site here.

In the past, campsites have been distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, leading to huge lines. On holiday weekends, park managers have had to turn away crowds of vacationers, including visitors to the state who may have traveled hours in cramped station wagons.

Read more.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Clear sky to give way to clouds

The clouds are coming.

The National Weather Service forecasts increasingly cloudy skies today with a high near 61 and calm, south winds between 13 and 16 mph.

With clouds may come rain and patchy fog late tonight and into tomorrow. The low tonight will hit about 51 degrees.

The rain should continue into tomorrow, becoming heavy at times. Temperatures should reach the mid 50s and winds could gust as high as 33 mph.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story about Governor Carcieri's looking for more ways to save money now that the budget deficit for the next fiscal year is projected at $400 million, $200 million more than expected.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment