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« December 2007 | Today | February 2008 » January 31, 2008AG brief asserts CRMC's makeup is unconstitutionalPROVIDENCE -- Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announced this evening that he filed a state Supreme Court brief today asserting that the Coastal Resource Management Council's provisions for appointing members is unconstitutional. Lynch said the appointment provisions violate the Separation of Powers constitutional amendment approved by Rhode Island voters on Nov. 2, 2004. The General Assembly is seeking the high court's opinion on whether the CRMC is subject to the Separation of Powers amendment, and today was the deadline for most interested parties to file briefs. According to Michael Healey, spokesman for Lynch, the House of Representatives was granted more time to file its brief. “Under the Separation of Powers amendment, the governor is given appointment powers of an executive agency of the state, with all appointees subject to the Senate’s consent,” Lynch said in the statement. “Four of the governor’s appointments to the CRMC -- an executive agency -- don’t require Senate approval. When coupled with the fact that the act allows members of the House and Senate to sit as members of the CRMC and allows appointments of public members by the speaker of the house, the act clearly violates the Rhode Island Constitution and is in opposition to the express will of Rhode Island voters." The Coastal Resources Management Council, an independent regulatory agency, was established in 1971, well before the passage of the act. The question of CRMC's makeup and the application of the Separation of Powers Act was debated in the last Assembly session, in which the House in its final moments approved asking the state Supreme Court for a ruling. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:03 PM | Comment Photo: This duo takes 'Go Red' day to heart
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:54 PM | Comment Conn. man serious after mini-van falls off Foster bridgeFOSTER -- A 54-year-old Connecticut man was in serious condition this afternoon suffering from hypothermia and possibly some broken bones after his mini-van fell off a bridge and plunged into Moosup River last night. Police said today they were notified by a neighbor along Moosup Valley Road who heard a man’s cries for help coming from the river. Police, fire, and rescue officials arrived at the scene at about 6:45 p.m. and found the vehicle, a Plymouth mini-van, submerged in the river. The driver, Gregory Gunderson, of Danielson, was apparently outside his vehicle but still in the water and conscious. Gunderson was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with hypothermia and other injuries. He was listed in serious condition this afternoon. Lt. Robert Bolger said the accident is still under investigation because police have not had the chance to question Gunderson. Bolger said it is clear that Gunderson was traveling westbound over a bridge on Moosup Valley Road when his vehicle slammed into a guardrail and fell 15 feet into the river. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo The mini-van landed, right side up, about 50 feet from the river bank, in a part of the river that was about four feet deep. The vehicle was damaged extensively on its front and sides, said Bolger. Police estimated that Gunderson’s vehicle was submerged in the water for about half an hour before rescue personnel arrived. By then, the water had reached window-level outside of the car, said Bolger. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment Providence man held in Cranston bank robberyCRANSTON -- A Providence man has been accused of robbing the Domestic Bank at 815 Reservoir Ave. this morning. Alberto J. Reyes, 28, of 26 Benedict St. was being held pending arraignment on the first-degree robbery charge. A police news release said a male went into the bank branch at about 8:45 a.m., showed a silver gun to the teller and demanded money. After getting an undetermined amount of money, the male left the bank and headed north through the surrounding residential area. A bank employee followed the male through the neigborhood and told police in what direction he was heading. Shortly after, Cranston officer Shane O'Donnell located the suspect hiding in the neighborhood. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:21 PM | Comment Providence man to take his chances on 'Pros v. Joes'A Providence man is scheduled to be on tonight's episode of "Pros vs. Joes" on Spike, Cox Channel 26. Robert Foster, 32, is slated to appear on the show, which airs at 11 p.m, according to a news release from Cox Communications. The show has 64 amateur athletes from around the nation competing against professional athletes to try to win $100,000. Foster was selected during a casting call, according to a Cox news release, and he will compete against National Football League running back Ricky Williams, boxer Arturo Gatti and former NBA star Charles Oakley. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:06 PM | Comment Update: Ex-CVS execs want bribery charge droppedPROVIDENCE -- Lawyers for two former CVS executives asked a federal judge today to force prosecutors to turn over FBI notes of its interviews with former state Sen. John Celona, who they are accused of paying off, and asked the judge to dismiss a bribery charge. John R. "Jack" Kramer, former CVS senior vice president for corporate affairs and government relations, and Carlos Ortiz, former vice president of government affairs, are charged with one count each of conspiracy and bribery and 21 counts each of fraud for contracting with Celona. Celona, who resigned from the General Assembly in 2004 amid questions about his business dealings with CVS, pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges in 2005 for his relationships with CVS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical Center. Woonsocket-based CVS Caremark Corp., the nation's largest drugstore chain, has not been charged and has said it is cooperating with the probe. Kramer and Ortiz have been on unpaid leaves of absence from CVS since 2004. The bribery charge in the January 2007 indictment accuses Ortiz and Kramer of giving Celona gifts between 1999 and 2003 as a way to influence Celona "in connection with legislation of interest to CVS." The charge doesn't specify particular bills, but refers to other parts of the indictment that discuss specific legislation. While prosecutors argue that other parts of the indictment were specific enough to address the concern, Scott Corrigan, a lawyer for Kramer, said the language amounted to a "moving target." -- The Associated Press "We're talking about five legislative sessions," Corrigan said. "During each of those sessions, hundreds of bills were introduced." U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi appeared concerned. "'Legislation related to CVS doesn't tell you a whole heck of a lot," Lisi said. Celona was the star witness in an earlier trial involving executives for Roger Williams, and admitted at trial that he lied to the FBI a number of times. Because he is expected to be a key witness in any trial of Kramer and Ortiz, the defense is keenly interested in any instances when Celona lied because it could help cast doubt on his credibility on the stand. While the defense team was given a summary report of nine separate interviews the FBI conducted with Celona between Sept. 1 and Nov. 17, 2004, as well as excerpts of some of those notes, it argues that other documents show Celona changed his story several times during that period. David Fein, a lawyer for Kramer, told Lisi that the defense wanted the complete notes of those interviews. He said they could include instances where Celona told different versions of the same story, or additional information that could be helpful and was not included in the summary notes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard Sullivan told Lisi that prosecutors in the Roger Williams case had carefully gone through the documents' discrepancies, and those notes were turned over to the defense. Lisi said she would issue a written ruling at a later date. Earlier this month, the convictions of two former top Roger Williams Medical center executives, Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll for allegedly paying Celona to press the hospital's legislative agenda at the State House, were overturned on appeal. The U.S. Attorney's Office said it will retry the case. Today, Woonsocket-based CVS Caremark Corp. reported that fourth quarter profits were $815 million, or 55 cents a share, almost double the $417.2 million, or 49 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Last year, CVS completed a $27 billion purchase of Caremark RX to gain the second largest U.S. drug benefits manager. CVS and the Caremark division also benefited from demand for generic drugs. -- With Journal and projo.com reports
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:51 PM | Comment Testimony: Oster told to minimize relationship with PicernoPROVIDENCE -- Testimony in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster this afternoon included concern about former Lincoln Planning Board member Robert R. Picerno's behavior in Lincoln Town Hall and his closeness with Oster. Leon A. "Lee" Blais, who was Oster's public works director and assistant town administrator for a time, said he had advised Oster to tell Picerno to stay out of areas of Town Hall that were not open to the public and to minimize his relationship with Picerno. Blais testified that after those conversations with Oster, Picerno would seem to disappear from town hall for a while then come back. Blais also testified that Oster told him that Picerno had raised a lot of campaign money for Oster. He said Oster was concerned that if he broke with Picerno completely, Picerno would turn the Italian-American population in town against him in the next election.
Blais also testified that earlier in Oster's administration, Blais became concerned about what's known as the H&H Screw property on Route 116 in Lincoln. Blais said he'd been told about it by an official from a foundation that was developing industrial parks -- and that the foundation had identified the property as a potentially problematic site. The state's case in Providence County Superior Court contends that Picerno was Oster's partner in a bribery scheme centered around the Route 116 land. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking -- or trying to solicit -- bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes. In the first days of trial, the prosecution has tried to show that Oster and Picerno had a relationship in which Picerno had access to Oster's office and got unusual treatment from the town in relation to property taxes. Blais said in court today he did more research and was surprised to find that in the 1990s the town appeared to have taken control of the site and that a company, Banneker, had occupied the site for several years. Blais said he told Oster of his research into the site and that Oster told him to continue looking into it. Blais said he was considering trying to get a private development foundation to develop the property. He said Oster told him that was generally a good idea, but Oster mentioned he had a potential buyer interested in the site. That buyer was Lincoln car dealer Robert Campellone -- one of the men Oster is accused of soliciting bribes from in exchange for letting him buy the H&H Screw property. In his afternoon testimony, Blais, a prosecution witness, did the defense a favor. One of O’Brien’s themes in his opening statement was that the land Oster is accused of seeking bribes to sell was not worth a lot, and therefore any offer the town got would be worth taking. Blais testified that one of his concerns about the H&H Screw property was that it had an undetermined amount of industrial pollution on it and that he had seen a state Department of Environmental Management report that estimated the cleanup could cost as much as $2 million. On cross examination, O’Brien got Blais to theorize that with $600,000 in taxes owed the town on the land and with $2 million in cleanup costs, the land could be seen as having a negative value.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:20 PM | Comment April 22 election set to fill late Sen. Badeau's seatPROVIDENCE -- The special election to fill the seat of the late state Sen. Roger Badeau, a Democrat who represented Woonsocket and Cumberland, is set for April 22. A primary will be held March 18, if needed, Secretary of State Ralph A. Mollis announced today. “Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and all the people of his district. He represented them well over the years,” Mollis said in the statement. “Making it easier to vote is our priority. We selected a date that met the letter of the law as well as encouraged the highest voter turnout possible.” Badeau died last week with most of the final year of his term left to serve, which the Secretary of State's Office said triggers law allowing the secretary of state to set a speical election. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:06 PM | Comment The Paragon leaving Westerly, laying off 119
The Paragon, a Westerly mail-order firm that has operated since 1972, is closing its complex in the town and laying off its 119 employees there. Cheryl Rinfret, a company spokeswoman, confirmed in an interview with The Providence Journal that the warehouse and call center will be shuttered on March 31. The work performed in Rhode Island will be handled in a building in West Virginia owned by The Paragon's parent company, the AB&C Group, Rinfret said. "They have the same thing in West Virginia," Rinfret said. "It's duplicated right now." The Paragon has not determined what, if any, severance package its employees may receive, Rinfret said. The company sells a variety of gift products, such as jewelry, rugs and clocks. For more business-related news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 3:56 PM | Comment 8 school districts fail to meet new graduation standardsPROVIDENCE -- Eight districts and a state-run school still fail to meet the state’s more rigorous high school graduation requirements that go into effect for this year’s senior class, the state Department of Education announced this week. Letters went out Tuesday notifying school officials that they did not receive approval for the new diploma system. Failure will not affect the districts’ or the school’s ability to confer diplomas for the next few years. Districts have been given a grace period until 2012 to come into compliance with the state’s new regulations governing high school diplomas. However, failure to receive preliminary approval from the state indicates that a quarter of Rhode Island’s school districts -- 8 of the 32 -- are lagging in their efforts to adapt to the more challenging graduation system. In addition to completing 20 courses and taking the state standardized tests in 11th grade, the new diploma system requires that students show they have mastered key concepts and skills through a combination of portfolios, senior projects and end-of-course exams. Eight districts -- Burrillville, Cranston, Cumberland, Exeter-West Greenwich, North Smithfield, Providence, Tiverton and Woonsocket -- and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf were informed that the state Department of Education had “withheld preliminary approval” of their graduation requirement plans. In every case, the problem was the districts’ failure to “align” coursework and student projects to grade-level expectations established by the state, said Roy M. Seitsinger Jr., director of secondary school reform. “The major issue was lack of alignment with the expectations, and then also issues of access and opportunity -- that means, did districts do enough in terms of scheduling and curriculum to ensure that all students had access to classes that are aligned with the system?” Seitsinger said. Adapting to the more rigorous standards has proven a particular challenge to districts that have not had a consistent, high-quality curriculum in place. In some high schools, such as the state-run School for the Deaf, individual classroom teachers decide what is taught, so aligning each course to state standards is difficult and time consuming. Providence, the state’s largest school system, has no consistent high school curriculum, and many schools even use different textbooks for similar courses. Exeter-West Greenwich High School, classified as high performing for the past three years, does have a curriculum, said Principal Denise Boule. Teachers there began phasing in senior projects in 2002 -- a year before the Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education announced they would be required of all schools within five years, Boule said. “We have really tried to embrace the diploma system because many of us firmly believe in students demonstrating their proficiency in multiple ways, and my staff has worked very hard,” Boule said. “We have spent four years on this, but people have to realize this … changes the way you look at student work and assess it. You are not just having students pass one test and from that assume they have the knowledge. You are asking them to take part in multiple assessments.” The high school’s obstacle to approval, Boule said, is that the Department of Education wants it to more closely align end-of-course exams to state standards. They are doing so and hope to be approved in late April. Peter McWalters, state commissioner of education, said he will approve the districts and School for the Deaf as soon as they can demonstrate they have complied. In addition to information about portfolios, senior projects and end-of-course exams, districts must submit documentation that they are providing adequate support so students and teachers can adapt to the new system, and that they have communicated clearly with their communities about the graduation requirements, through meetings and newsletters. Districts have known the changes were coming since January 2003, when the Regents approved the new diploma system. The state Education Department began providing free training to hundreds of teachers and administrators three years ago, and asked districts to periodically submit updates on their progress in complying with the new regulations. By last summer, the department knew some districts were lagging and would struggle to comply by the December deadline. Some school districts, officials said, were better equipped to adapt to the new requirements, while others suffered from a lack of personnel or resources to start the time-consuming, difficult work. Other districts struggled with poor access to computers and the technical expertise needed to develop portfolios and senior projects, which has delayed their progress. For the moment, there are no penalties for districts that fall behind. Education officials say they will work closely with districts over the next two years to ensure the new diploma system is in place and is rigorous. In 2010, districts that have complied with the new regulations will be allowed to confer “Regents approved” diplomas; districts not in compliance will be able to still give out their present diplomas. By 2012, districts will only be allowed to award Regents diplomas; those not in compliance will not be allowed to grant any type of diploma. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment One dead, 6 households affected in 4 fires across R.I.
A 42-year-old man died and his mother was injured after fire broke out around 6 a.m. at a house on Peck Avenue, according to the East Providence Fire Department. East Providence Fire Chief Joseph J. Klucznik identified the dead man as James Marinelli. Marinelli's mother, Theresa Marinelli, was rescued by firefighters through a second-story window of the home at 39 Peck Ave., the fire department said. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with burns on her hands and smoke inhalation. Nadine Dwyer, 41, lives down the street from the Marinelli's. She said she used to shovel the Marinellis' driveway in the winter. Dwyer said she was awake early this morning when the fire started. "The whole sky filled with black smoke," she said from her front stoop today. "It smelled really bad, too. You could see smoke coming out of the roof."
A call came in at about 11:45 p.m. from 19 Kings Factory Road reporting a chimney fire, according to a statement from the Charlestown police. When Charlestown rescue arrived, they reported “extremely heavy” smoke on the first floor and flames reaching the second floor. The house’s owner, Russell G. Spears, was taken to Westerly Hospital for smoke inhalation and admitted into the intensive-care unit for observation. Two Charlestown firefighters were injured on the scene; one fell on the icy ground, but was not treated. Another firefighter was taken to South County Hospital for chest pains. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson The state fire marshal is investigating and has not released an official cause. But, according to Charlestown Police statement, the fire may have been sparked by a chimney fire that spread through the house. Firefighters from the Dunn’s Corners and Bradford Fire Districts of Westerly, and the Hope Valley Fire Department responded.
In Central Falls, a fire broke out at a home on Central Street this morning. The fire department said a faulty boiler was to blame.The fire was contained to the basement. Resident Rosemary Michalski will have to find another place to stay, at least temporarily. The Red Cross is helping her.
Damage was confined to the third floor with the bottom two floors sustaining water damage. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:17 PM | Comment Oster trial: Defense grills prosecution's witnessPROVIDENCE -- The defense lawyer in ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster's bribery and conspiracy trial tried for much of this morning to diminish the credibility of prosecution witness William Dickie, the former assistant solicitor who handled a tax appeal from the wife of the man the state says was Oster's co-conspirator. Defense lawyer C. Leonard O'Brien pressed Dickie on statements he gave to the state police after Oster's arrest in February 2002 and in April 2002 grand jury testimony. Dickie had said he didn't learn that former planning official Robert R. Picerno and his wife had not paid taxes on their home while their tax appeal was pending. That was important because having paid the taxes first is required for the kind of suit the Picernos filed. The state's case in Providence County Superior Court contends that Robert R. Picerno was Oster's partner in a bribery scheme centered around a Route 116 property in Lincoln. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking, or trying to solicit, bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes. In the first days of trial, the prosection has tried to show that Oster and Picerno had a relationship in which Picerno had access to Oster's office and got unusual treatment from the town in relation to property taxes. Picerno’s wife, Joyce, filed the suit contesting the way the town assessed taxes on the Preakness Drive home for the period of 1998 to 2000, refusing to pay about $22,000 in property taxes over those years, some before Oster took office. O'Brien today played a tape of the Nov. 20, 2001, Lincoln Town Council closed session in which Dickie told the council the taxes were not paid. O'Brien also produced transcripts of Dickie's interview with state police and his grand jury testimony given after Oster's arrest, where he had said he didn't learn about the unpaid taxes until after the Nov. 20 council session. Dickie testified today that he first thought the taxes were not paid but said that during the Nov. 20 meeting Oster said they had been paid. Dickie was not able to show a point on the tape where Oster said that. O'Brien further challenged Dickie, saying that when discussing the settlement, Dickie talked about the Picernos paying the town, not the town refunding taxes already paid. And when Dickie said the taxes had not been paid, Oster never corrected him on the tape. Read about yesterday's testimony. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:02 PM | Comment Photo: Catching a breath after fighting the fire
Posted by Jack Perry at 1:55 PM | Comment I <3 Robots!A program intended to get more black students interested in robotics and engineering will be bringing students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to College Hill. As part of the Advancing Robotics Technology for Societal Impact (ARTSI) Alliance, Brown University is working with more than a dozen research universities and HBCUs to develop outreach programs to encourage black students at the K-12 and college levels to consider careers in robotics. “To advance computing technology and robotics, we need as many great minds in the field as possible,” Chad Jenkins, assistant professor of computer science at Brown, said in a statement. “So it is critical to draw in dedicated and interested students, whether they choose to work in academia or the commercial sector.” Jenkins will lead the program at Brown, first bringing undergraduate students from HBCUs to Brown in the summers of 2008 and 2009. They’ll work with Jenkins on developing software programs that improve robot interactions with humans. The ARTSI program is funded by a three-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Click below to find out what schools are participating. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson HBCUs participating in ARTSI are Spelman College Hampton University Morgan State University Florida A&M University Norfolk State University Winston-Salem State University University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the University of the District of Columbia Research universities and private companies involved include: Brown University Carnegie Mellon University of Pittsburgh Georgia Institute of Technology Duke University University of Alabama University of Washington Corporate partners include: Seagate Technology Microsoft Apple iRobot Juxtopia. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:40 PM | Comment Former lead paint manufacturers want verdict overturnedPROVIDENCE — Three former lead paint manufacturers who lost a landmark lawsuit brought by the state have asked Rhode Island’s highest court to overturn the verdict. The companies, including Sherwin-Williams, say the judge who handled the trial excluded relevant evidence while permitting prejudicial testimony against them. They also say the verdict, which requires them to remove lead paint contamination from homes and buildings, is at odds with state laws that make landlords responsible for the upkeep of their properties. Attorney General Patrick Lynch wants those companies to pay $2.4 billion dollars to clean up roughly a quarter-million homes. The state will have an opportunity to respond, and the state Supreme Court will hear arguments on May 15. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:30 PM | Comment Janitors' strike looms for PC Family weekendProvidence College janitors are planning to go on strike in less than 12 hours if they do not reach an agreement with their employer, Hurley of America, Inc. And they’re not optimistic that much will change between now and midnight, when the janitors’ contract expires. “It doesn’t seem likely,” said Roxana Rivera, the Rhode Island director for SEIU Local 615. The sticking points on the contract, Rivera said, include pension and wage increases over a 5-year period, and the number of days employees can take off. If the workers and the Mass.-based Hurley cannot come to an agreement by midnight, the janitors will strike this weekend, the college’s upperclassmen family weekend, tomorrow through Sunday. “We believe this is a great opportunity to emphasize that the sacrifice parents make for their kids to PC,” Rivera said, “are not unlike the sacrifices that the janitors make for their families.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:28 PM | Comment Organization rates R.I. 7th best in nation on gun lawsRhode Island ranked seventh best in the nation, showing "good progress," in enacting laws to prevent criminals and others who pose dangers from easily getting guns, but more can be done, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which released its national scorecard today. Rhode Island scored 47 points out of a possible 100 in the scorecard that measured the 50 states across five areas of law. California was best in the nation, scoring 79 points, followed by New Jersey, and a third-place tie between Connecticut and Massachusetts. Maryland and New York also fared better than Rhode Island, according to the organization. Worst in the nation in enacting gun-control laws were Kentucky and Oklahoma, which each got 2 points. The five areas of law from which scores were reached are: * Curbing firearm trafficking. * Bolstering "Brady Background Checks." * Child safety. * Banning military-style assault weapons. * Making it harder to carry guns in public places. Check out the organization's state-by-state scores, category-by-category, at www.bradycampaign.org. “Rhode Island is doing a better job than most states in adopting laws designed to make it harder for criminals and other dangerous people to access guns,” Paul Helmke, the national organization's president, said in the statement. “While Rhode Island has made some progress, much more needs to be done,” Cathie Whittenburg, director of New England Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, said in the statement. “We’re certainly not satisfied.” The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence notes in its release that the state is seeking to improve its score by "making crime gun identification and regulating gun dealers as their new top priorities in this year’s legislature." The release cites "cutting-edge" technology called “microstamping" that legislation would give law enforcement -- "a powerful investigative tool to solve more gun crimes and apprehend more armed criminals and gang members by identifying the crime gun -- without the gun." Read more about microstamping here. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:17 PM | Comment Suspect in fast-moving robberies arrestedThe Cranston police think they’ve caught up with the fast-moving burglar who attempted to rob more than five businesses in quick succession last Friday and Sunday. Gerald Capozzi, 37, of Cranston, faces two counts of first-degree robbery and four counts of second-degree robbery. He’s due in District Court today. According to the Cranston police, the first report of a robbery was made Friday, Jan. 25, at about 3 p.m. at Park Avenue Liquors. As officers investigated that crime, another robbery was reported at Defusco’s Bakery. Two days later, at about 5:15 p.m., Superior Bakery called the police, reporting a robbery, according to the Cranston police. Less than 15 minutes later, Subway Sandwich Shop called in an attempted robbery. While officers were investigating these two robberies, a third complaint was called in – from Tim Hortons. Then, on Wednesday, another robbery was reported. Descriptions of the suspect and vehicle were similar to the suspect and vehicle described in the other robberies. Victims said the suspect was a white man, about 5’6” tall, wearing a blue, hooded sweatshirt and driving a white, two-door Pontiac. The Cranston police sent the description out, and Warwick police responded with information on Gerald Capozzi as a possible suspect. Capozzi was arrested Wednesday, shortly after the robbery was reported. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:36 AM | Comment Barrington teen due to check in with judge todayThe 19-year-old who bought alcohol that may have played a part in a fatal car crash is scheduled to return to court today to check in with Judge Michael A. Higgins. In December, Benjamin Geldmaker was fined $500 and ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment. It was the second time that the then-18-year-old had been arrested for misdemeanor underage alcohol possession, according to Barrington police. Higgins ordered Geldmaker to return today to District Court to make sure Geldmaker has been going to substance abuse treatment. According to prosecutors, Geldmaker bought a 30-pack of beer, and gave six cans to a friend. The friend brought the beer to a party. Four teenagers that were at the party got into a car, the 16-year-old driver -- who was allegedly driving more than twice the speed limit -- slammed into a tree, killing 16-year-old passenger Jonathan Converse. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:06 AM | Comment Traffic: Lanes re-opened, but traffic still heavy on 195The Transportation Management Center has cleared an accident on Route 195 westbound, but warns that traffic is still heavy. Two left lanes were blocked at the Washington bridge after the 9 a.m. accident. The lanes have been re-opened, but ti's still slow going on Route 195. For more information, visit the TMC’s Web site. See how traffic is moving on the site’s traffic cameras. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:03 AM | Comment Photo: Out in the cold after a fire in Central Falls
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:58 AM | Comment Fourth quarter profits almost double at CVSWoonsocket-based CVS Caremark Corp. reported this morning that fourth quarter profits were $815 million, or 55 cents a share, almost double the $417.2 million, or 49 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Last year, CVS completed a $27 billion purchase of Caremark RX to gain the second largest U.S. drug benefits manager. CVS and the Caremark division also benefited from demand for generic drugs. Sales at CVS stores open at least a year rose 3.4 percent, including a 3.6 percent increase in pharmacy revenue and a 2.9 percent advance in non-pharmacy goods. -- John Kostrzewa, Business editor Posted by Jack Perry at 8:34 AM | Comment 1 dead, 1 injured in East Providence fire/ Photo
EAST PROVIDENCE -- A 42-year-old man is dead and his mother injured after a morning fire at a house on Peck Avenue, according to the East Providence Fire Department. East Providence Fire Chief Joseph J. Klucznik identified the dead man as James Marinelli. Marinelli's mother, Theresa Marinelli, was rescued by firefighters through a second-story window of the home at 39 Peck Avenue, the fire department said. She has been taken to Rhode Island Hospital with burns on her hands and smoke inhalation. Nadine Dwyer, 41, lives down the street from the Marinelli's. She said she used to shovel the Marinelli's driveway in the winter. Dwyer said she was awake early this morning when the fire started. "The whole sky filled with black smoke," she said from her front stoop today. "It smelled really bad, too. You could see smoke coming out of the roof." Klucznik said the call came in just after 6 a.m. -- By Brandie Jefferson, projo.com staff writer Posted by Jack Perry at 8:17 AM | Comment 2 firefighters, homeowner injured in Charlestown fireTwo firefighters and a homeowner were injured in a late night fire in Charlestown yesterday. A call came in at about 11:45 p.m. from 19 Kings Factory Rd. reporting a chimney fire, according to a statement from the Charlestown police. When Charlestown rescue arrived, they reported “extremely heavy” smoke on the first floor and flames reaching the second floor. Firefighters from the Dunn’s Corners and Bradford Fire Districts of Westerly, and the Hope Valley Fire Department responded. The house’s owner, Russell G. Spears, was taken to Westerly Hospital for smoke inhalation and admitted into the intensive-care unit for observation. Two Charlestown firefighters were injured on the scene; one fell on the icy ground, but was not treated. Another firefighter was taken to South County Hospital for chest pains. The state Fire Marshal is investigating and has not released an official cause, but, according to Charlestown Police statement, the fire may have been sparked by a chimney fire that spread throughout the house. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:28 AM | Comment Lead paint companies to file arguments in appealPROVIDENCE -- Three former lead paint makers plan to file their arguments in an appeals case potentially worth billions of dollars. The companies -- Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries and Millennium Holdings -- lost a landmark public nuisance lawsuit two years ago brought by the state attorney general. The lawsuit accused the companies of contaminating homes with toxic lead paint. Lawyers for the companies plan to file their appeal arguments today with the state Supreme Court. Attorney General Patrick Lynch wants those companies to pay 2.4 billion dollars to clean up roughly a quarter-million homes in Rhode Island. Company lawyers have called the plan legally flawed and want the verdict overturned. -- Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A high of 40 degrees and sunny skiesToday's looking nice, with a high of 40 degrees and clear sunny skies. However, the National Weather Service, is forecasting a slight chance of sleet and snow early this evening as clouds increase and the temperature drops to about 24 degrees. Tomorrow's looking pretty dreary with freezing maybe mixed with sleet in the morning, then rain later in the day. Temperatures should just reach 40 with high, east winds gusting up to 29 mph. For weather updates throughout the day, see projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of Governor Carcieri's plan to cut Medicaid costs, in large part by moving the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 30, 2008Tonight: Learn to dance or feel the bluesYou can learn to dance in Narragansett tonight, hear some blues music in Woonsocket or hit the clubs in Providence. New York City-based dance teacher Kana Kubota gives weekly dance lessons at The Towers in Narragansett, and tonight she offers salsa style dance at 7. She'll teach beginners Argentine tango at 8 and intermediate tango at 9. It's $12 for one class and $20 for two or more the same evening. Go to www.thetowersri.com for information. An Open Mike Blues Jam is at Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Call 765-1900. 7 to 10 p.m. No cover. Manbeard, Pwrfl! Power, Green Bean, The Vonneguts and That Goes That play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. Call 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. John Worsley plays jazz at Capriccio, 2 Pine St., Providence. Call 421-1320. 7 to 11 pm. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Update: Endowment will help preserve R.I. open spaceRhode Island has more than 100,000 acres of land protected from developers and, thanks to an endowment today, will have more resources and a new coordinated effort to care for the protected open space. The Rhode Island Foundation today announced it will be receiving an endowment of $1 million from Peggy and Henry Sharpe to support the Conservation Stewardship Collaborative. And an anonymous donor offered the CSC more help; for every contribution of $1,000 or more made to the endowment, the donor will make a matching contribution to an environmental organization up to $1 million or until December 2010. Julie Sharpe this morning said her in-laws had the insight to create the endowment. "There is a long-standing interest in the Sharpe family in conservation and land stewardship," Sharpe said in a statement. "We worked very had with these seven organizations to find a meaningful way to advance stewardship of protected areas." Click below for a list of organizations that make up the Conservation Stewardship Collaborative. Correction: An earlier version of this item put the acreage at 1,000 and described the endowment as giving the state the ability to continue buying the rights to open space around the state. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Peter B. Lord Audubon Society of Rhode Island Rhode Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy Rhode Island Land Trust Council University of Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources Science Rhode Island Natural History Survey Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management United States Fish and Wildlife Service Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:31 PM | Comment Clinton, Obama supporters lobby for Tavares' nodProvidence lawyer Angel Tavares’ phone did not stop ringing this afternoon in the wake of John Edwards' departure from the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Tavares, Edwards Rhode Island campaign chairman, took calls from supporters of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the last two major candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Despite the personal lobbying from such pols as former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr., a major Clinton supporter in the state, and Joseph Fernandez, the Providence city solicitor and a key Obama backer, Tavares said that he is not going to endorse either candidate until he has chance to speak personally with Edwards. ``I am very proud of the campaign John Edwards ran,’’ said Tavares. ``Poverty is something not very many people talked about. John made it a part of the national campaign and the national conversation.’’ ``I haven’t had chance to speak to John yet,’’ said Tavares. ``After I speak with him we’ll see where we go from there.’’ -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Lawmakers work for bll to stop LNG in Fall RiverBOSTON -- SouthCoast lawmakers are testifying in favor of a bill that would prevent construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Mass. The measure would mandate that a new LNG terminal be built nearly one mile away from residential areas. If passed into law, it would kill an LNG terminal proposed by Weaver’s Cove Energy. Various government studies have found that fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker carrying LNG could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away. The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee took testimony at a hearing today As is, Weaver’s Cove Energy faces a tough battle. The Coast Guard has already ruled that the Taunton River approaching the would-be site of the terminal is unsafe for navigation by massive LNG tankers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:34 PM | Comment Oster trial: Prosecution plays a tapePROVIDENCE -- The prosecution in ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster's bribery trial this afternoon played a tape in which Lincoln Town Council in 2001 talked about whether to settle a tax case involving the home of Robert R. Picerno, a former town planning official who is linked to allegations against Oster. Among other things on the 40-minute tape of the Nov. 20, 2001, closed session, then-assistant Town Solicitor William Dickie recommended settling the suit for $15,000, even though $22,000 was owed on the Picernos' Preakness Drive home. Dickie testified in Providence County Superior Court today that Picerno's wife filed the tax appeal in 2001 contesting the $22,000 in taxes assessed on the Picerno's house from 1998 to 2000. On the tape, among reasons Dickie offered for settling at that time was that the $7,000 difference between what was owed and what was being offered, when looked at in terms of cost of litigating the case, was not worth fighting over. Dickie testified he was subsequently advised the Picernos had not filed legally required appeals to justify such a suit and that he later recommended the council reverse its decision. In earlier testimony today, Dickie explained circumstances of the filing of the complaint and the town's response. Dickie said that Oster told him he had talked about the matter with Picerno and that the town could settle the $22,000 claim for $15,000. Oster had agreed to reduce $7,000 off the delinquent tax bill. Dickie also testified that Picerno never contested the tax bill with the assessor's office or the board of tax review. He also noted that if someone wished to appeal a tax bill, they had to pay it first. Picerno, Dickie said, had not paid taxes on the property since 1998. Today’s testimony wrapped up with Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, cross-examining Dickie, particularly on how the town developed its response to the Picerno tax appeal. Dickie testified he relied on then assessor Emerson Johnston for most of the information on the Picernos’ tax status. He said Johston told him the Picernos had filed an appeal of their tax bill, when in fact they hadn’t. He also said he never asked whether they had actually paid the taxes or not, another requirement for the suit to be legal, assuming Johnston would have told him that if it was relevant. Yesterday, prosecutors sought to establish that Oster and Picerno, a former Planning Board member who was convicted in 2004 on his own bribery charges, had a close financial and political relationship. The state's case alleges Picerno collected the bribes and Oster manipulated town government to favor ones who paid. Allegations in part concern six acres on Route 116 in Lincoln known as the H&H Screw property. Oster, the state's case alleges, conspired with Picerno in two instances to solicit bribes to sell the property, which the town controlled. Oster faces two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the trial. Read about today's earlier testimony here. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:57 PM | Comment Crews respond to house fire in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Crews have responded to a fire in a single-family house at 75 Ashmont St., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. It's believed there was an occupant or occupants in the house but that they got out. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:53 PM | Comment Carcieris address antiabortion rally
Governor and Mrs. Carcieri speak to participants at an antiabortion rally today at the State House. Dozens of people attended the rally, which was sponsored by the Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee. Journal photo / M. Charles Bakst Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 4:16 PM | Comment Carcieri wants to cut money for elderly, nursing homesGovernor Carcieri today unveiled a broad plan to save millions of dollars by moving the elderly and the disabled from nursing homes into less-expensive options in the community. He also suggested, as part of a proposal to change that state's welfare system, steps to encourage two-parent families. He acknowledged these changes would not realize savings next year. The governor said the plan can save $67 million in state funds for fiscal 2009, which begins July 1, and is part of Carcieri's overall budget plan slated to be unveiled Friday. The administration plans to divert $7 million into community programs to ensure there are sufficient resources to allow the elderly to be cared for at home. Under the plan, the state hopes to divert around 10 percent of the patients referred to nursing homes each year into alternatives such as adult daycare, assisted living, or in-home care. The governor's proposal is expected to face opposition from the nursing home industry, as the administration estimates 100 patients would leave the institutions in the coming months and that nursing home populations would decrease by as much as 600 next year as vacancies are not filled. "We’re not in the business of trying to make somebody close their business," said Department of Human Services Director Gary Alexander. "If they happen to close as part of the market forces, I don’t think we’re saying that we’re going to bail them out." Carcieri's plan to curtail welfare benefits also contains a provision to encourage two-parent families. A goal is to "prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies" and "encourage the foundation and maintenance of families." It relies on faith-based institutions to promote marriage and offer programs that promote marriage and oppose out-of-wedlock births. It is not forecast to provide deficit-closing savings next fiscal year. Carcieri said at this morning's State House news conference that "we can disagree, but a family is a father and a mother, nurturing their children and building a future for themselves." The governor acknowledged the state can't force people to marry or stay together, but he said, "You can set a tone and you try to teach people as to what's best." -- With reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment Crossroads needs help, cold days are aheadWith temperatures in the high 40s, it may seem like forever ago, but we've had some very cold days and nights in Rhode Island this winter. The facility closes early in the morning, meaning most of its clients spend their days outside. A statement from the shelter says it has received requests from people for gloves and socks, as we move toward the middle of winter. If you're interested in donating, contact Sara Perry at 277-4325. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:09 PM | Comment Update: Witness says Oster agreed to reduce tax billFormer Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster agreed to shave $7,000 off a delinquent tax bill for an alleged business partner, according to testimony by the town's former assistant solicitor During questioning by Assistant Attorney General William Ferland, William Dickie testified about an appeal that the wife of former Lincoln planning official Robert Picerno filed in 2001. She contested $22,000 in taxes that were assessed on the Picerno's house from 1998 to 2000, according to Dickie. He explained the circumstances of the filing of the complaint and the town's response. Dickie said that Oster told him he had talked about the matter with Picerno and that the town could settle the $22,000 claim for $15,000. Dickie also testified that Picerno never contested the tax bill with the assessor's office or the board of tax review. He also noted that if someone wished to appeal a tax bill, they had to pay it first. Picerno, Dickie said, had not paid taxes on the property since 1998. Dickie is expected to continue testimony after the lunch break. -- with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:32 PM | Comment Update: Man shot in Providence ID'd as cab driverPROVIDENCE -- A driver for Gonzalez Cab was shot and wounded shortly after 10 last night as he waited outside a house. The police also said today that a 17-year-old Providence resident is in custody as a suspect. Carlos Villalona of Providence, 38, had been called to 37 Seabury St. The cab he was driving was outside the address when two people approached him. One of them fired into the cab and a bullet struck Villalona's right thigh, according to the police. It's not clear why it happened. Villalona was treated at Rhode Island Hospital for the non-life threatening wound. The police later detained two suspects, each 17, who were walking on Huntington Avenue. One remains in custody and is to be charged -- it was not clear in which agency's custody and what the charge or charges would be -- while the other was let go. Last July 16, another cabdriver for Gonzalez Cab Inc., Jose Rodriguez, 42, was shot as he drove three men from Providence to Central Falls in the middle of the day. The police found him in his cab on Fuller Avenue between Sumner and Garfield streets in Central Falls. He died the following day. Six months have passed, and no one has come forward with information that might help police find the person or persons who killed him. A reward is now being offered. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:19 PM | Comment Oster trial: Ex-detective asked about playground projectPROVIDENCE -- In testimony today in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster, a former Lincoln police detective spoke about allegations that Robert Picerno, a former planning official linked with charges against Oster, extorted $5,000 from a town playground renovation contractor. Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, this morning questioned Albert A. Martell, former Lincoln detective lieutenant, on complaints police received from contractor Robert Gelfuso, who told Martell that Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member, and another Lincoln official pressured Gelfuso to inflate his bills on the playground project. Under O'Brien's persistent questioning in Providence County Superior Court, Martell said Gelfuso never implicated Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002, in any of those efforts. Martell also testified to seeing Picerno on a rear deck of Lincoln Town Hall, a deck that has a door to a large conference room that was next to Oster's office. O'Brien sought to play down the significance of Picerno being seen at the back of Town Hall near the door by getting Martell to describe how the conference room also opened to the town public works and engineering departments -- places that Picerno, as a Planning Board member, could be expected to visit.
Oster is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the trial. The state’s case alleges that Picerno collected the bribes and Oster manipulated town government to favor the ones who paid. Yesterday, prosecutors used Oster’s ex-campaign treasurer and a former town consultant to seek to show a Superior Court jury that Oster and Picerno, convicted in 2004 on his own bribery charges, had a close financial and political relationship. The case in part focuses on six Route 116 acres known as the H&H Screw property. Oster is accused of conspiring with Picerno in two instances to solicit bribes to sell the property, which the town controlled. Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:59 AM | Comment Saturday is deadline to register to vote in primaryIf you haven’t registered to vote, you’ve just got a few days left. Saturday is the deadline for Rhode Islanders to have a say in deciding who runs for president in the presidential primary, which will be held March 4. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the Democratic candidates – John Edwards’s name will appear on the ballot, although he dropped out of the race today. On the Republican ballot, voters can choose between Hugh Cort, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Voters will also get to cast their ballots for delegates to their party’s National Conventions – in all, 184 Rhode Islanders are vying for 13 spots in the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August and 17 Republicans are looking for a seat at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. in September. Register to vote with your city or town's board of canvassers or town clerk. Municipal offices will be open Sat., Feb. 2. To find out exactly where you can vote and what you'll need, visit the Secretary of State's Web site. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of their right to vote,” Secretary of State Ralph A. Mollis said in a statement. “The upcoming presidential election may set America’s course for the next eight years. Get registered, turn out and make your voice heard.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:56 AM | Comment Mukasey refuses to judge waterboardingWASHINGTON -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee accused Attorney General Michael Mukasey of ducking questions today on whether waterboarding is torture despite his promise last year to study whether it is illegal. The issue briefly stalled Mukasey's confirmation last fall until he assured Senate Democrats he would review the legality of the harsh interrogation tactic and report back. Waterboarding involves strapping a person down and pouring water over his cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. Ultimately, however, Mukasey said today he would not rule on whether waterboarding is a form of illegal torture because it is not part of the current interrogation methods used by the CIA on terror suspects. His non-answer angered Democrats who said the attorney general should be able to address a legal question. "It is not enough to say that waterboarding is not currently authorized," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary Committee's chairman. "Torture and illegality have no place in America." U.S. Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, should have a chance today to question Mukasey during the hearing. At a Judiciary Committee hearing on Mukasey's nomination for attorney general, Whitehouse questioned him aggressively on his views of torture, particularly waterboarding. Watch Mukasey explain why he will not judge the legality of waterboarding. -- The Associated Press "Tragically, this administration has so twisted America's role, law and values that our own State Department, our military officers and, apparently, America's top law enforcement officer, are now instructed by the White House not to say that waterboarding is torture and illegal," Leahy said. Mukasey, in his trademark monotone, did not appear rattled. He said he has concluded that current methods used by the CIA to interrogate terror suspects are lawful and that the spy agency is not using waterboarding on its prisoners. Beyond that, Mukasey said he would not discuss whether waterboarding is illegal. "Given that waterboarding is not part of the current program, and may never be added to the program, I do not think it would be appropriate for me to pass definitive judgment on the technique's legality," Mukasey said in his first appearance before the committee since being sworn in Nov. 9. At his confirmation hearings in October, Mukasey refused to define waterboarding as torture because he was unfamiliar with the classified Justice Department memos describing the process and legal arguments surrounding it. The CIA and the Pentagon banned waterboarding in 2006. Critics want the Justice Department to join other nations and outlaw waterboarding as illegal. But U.S. intelligence officials fear that doing so could make government interrogators - including those from the CIA - vulnerable to retroactive criminal charges or civil lawsuits. Waterboarding is at the heart of a Justice Department criminal investigation over whether the CIA illegally or otherwise improperly destroyed videotapes in 2005 of two terror suspects being interrogated. The tapes showed harsh interrogations, including possible waterboarding, of suspected terrorists Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in 2002, when both suspects were held in secret CIA prisons overseas. The tapes were destroyed as intelligence officials debated whether waterboarding should be declared illegal. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:25 AM | Comment Query: Seeking person for Blizzard of '78 storyThe Providence Journal is preparing a story on the 30th anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978, and we’re looking for a woman named Tara who was born in January 1978 and lived then with her family in Woonsocket. If you are Tara or know how to find her, please contact reporter Tom Mooney at 277-7359 or tmooney@projo.com. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:26 AM | Comment Former detective returns to the stand in Oster trialTestimony is set to resume this morning in the case of former Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster, accused of conspiracy and bribery when he held the position from 2000 to 2002. On the stand yesterday, a former Lincoln police detective testified that the man who prosecutors say collected bribes for Jonathan F. Oster had some shady real estate dealings in town. Former police detective Lt. Albert Martell is expected to return to the stand in Superior Court, Providence, this morning for cross-examination. He ended yesterday’s testimony telling a jury that he noticed former planning board member Robert R. Picerno had his home transferred into his son’s name, even though liens for unpaid taxes shouldn’t have allowed a transfer. -- with reports from Journal staff wirter John Hill Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:57 AM | Comment Feds may again cut ratesWASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve is likely to follow its bold action last week to battle an economic downturn with further interest rate reductions, although analysts are split on just what size the future cuts will be. Some believe the Fed will settle into a series of quarter-point moves, especially if upcoming economic reports show the economy is slowing but not toppling into an actual recession. That would mean the Fed will cut its federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, by a quarter point at the conclusion of today's meeting. It would be the fifth rate cut since last September. Last week, the Fed announced a surprise three-quarter-point cut which drove the funds rate down to 3.5 percent. It was the largest reduction in this rate in more than two decades and the first change in the funds rate between meetings since the immediate aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Read the full Associated Press story. Posted by Jack Perry at 9:51 AM | Comment Talking about our immigrationIf reader comments to the 7-to-7 Breaking News Blog are any indication, Rhode Islanders are, to put it mildly, concerned about immigration. Today at Roger Williams University School of Law, four speakers are taking up the topic at a mid-day forum, “The Challenges of Immigration Reform in Rhode Island.” Scheduled speakers are Sen. Juan Pichardo, D-Providence; Col. Ramon Martinez, president and CEO of Progreso Latino; Immigration attorneys Alison Foley and Roberto Gonzalez; and Ivette Luna, community organizer at Ocean State Action. The forum, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. today, will be held at the RWU Law School, Room 30, is sponsored by the American Constitution Society, the ACLU, and a host of attorney and law student organizations. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:44 AM | Comment 1 in 3 don't take advantage of food stampsAbout 30 percent of the people who qualify for food stamps are not using them. A University of Rhode Island study reports that a majority of that group are from working families or elderly households. A group of advocates will meet today with Gary Alexander, the director of the state’s Department of Human Services today to discus ways to increase participation in the program. Representatives from the George Wiley Center and an advocacy group started by its members, RI Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Poverty, have suggested extending hours that the state accepts applications and recertification for food stamps; adding staff to process the applications, and requiring recertification every year instead of every six months. The advocates will meet with Alexander at 3:00 this afternoon at the Department’s headquarters, 57 Howard Ave. in Cranston. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:15 AM | Comment Tankers may be allowed back on Rt. 195, Fall RiverFALL RIVER, Mass. -- For the first time in years, gasoline tankers and other trucks carrying hazardous cargo may soon be able to travel through downtown Fall River on Interstate 195. The trucks have been diverted on to city streets since 1999, when concrete slabs fell from the ceiling of the Government Center underpass and injured seven motorists. Mayor Robert Correia has asked the state highway department to allow tankers to remain on I-195 during the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. The detours would remain in place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Correia says the detours bring hazardous cargo into local neighborhoods, posing a danger to residents. He says he decided to act after a tanker fire in December that destroyed two multifamily homes and more than 20 vehicles in Everett. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:02 AM | Comment Cause of fire at Foxwoods hotel under investigationMASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- A spokesman for the Foxwoods Resort Casino says the Great Cedar Hotel, where fire broke out on the roof yesterday, will remain closed for a few days. Saverio Mancini says there has been water damage to the upper floors of the hotel, although nobody was injured in the blaze. Mancini says guests who had been evacuated were allowed to retrieve personal belongings this morning. Mancini says the state fire marshal and the chief of the Mashantucket tribal fire department will be inspecting the damage. Officials evacuated the entire 312-room building. As a precaution, officials also evacuated the Great Cedar Casino, located on the ground floor of the hotel and one of Foxwoods' six casinos. Mancini says the casino has been reopened. Last Friday, a blaze on exterior foam-based sculpting at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas caused employees and guests in some 2,400 occupied rooms to be evacuated. A cause of that fire has not been determined.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:02 AM | Comment Shooting in Providence sends one to hospitalA shooting in Providence last night sent one person at the hospital. The shooting was near 32 Seabury St. just after 10 p.m., according to Providence Fire Department Chief of Communications James Taylor. No more information was available at this time. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:41 AM | Comment Carcieri to discuss Medicaid, welfare reform plansGovernor Carcieri will discuss his plans for changing state Medicaid/Family Independence programs, which he says will produce savings that will be part of his fiscal 2009 state budget proposal. The plans will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. at the State House. The governor expects to submit the 2009 spending plan to the General Assembly this week. The federal/state Medicaid health program is for low-income individuals and families and pays for such things as long-term care for seniors, primarily nursing homes, and helps people with disabilities, often in group homes. Carcieri's office said the state departments of Human Services, Children, Youth and Families, Elderly Affairs, and Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals spend Medicaid money to support various state programs. The Family Independence Program -- the state’s welfare program -- is run by the Department of Human Services. “One example of the kind of reform I am talking about is in the area of long-term care,” Carcieri said in last week's State of the State address. “I know from experience that most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes, or be cared for by a loved one, rather than enter a nursing home. All the data shows that not only does it result in greater longevity and improved quality of life -- in fact it is less costly.” Carcieri said he intends to change the state’s Medicaid program “from one centered on institutions and agencies to a system that focuses on the people who use it: our children, elderly, and those with disabilities.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Warm, windy and rainyYou could be forgiven for thinking it's fall when you first go outside this morning. But rest assured, it's still winter, just a little warm with temperatures already near 40 at 6:30 a.m. and headed toward the high 40s later in the day. The forecast isn't perfect, though. The National Weather Service is forecasting high west winds gusting as much as 46 mph and a 90 percent chance of rain. Skies should clear up tonight, when the temperature drops nearly 30 degrees to about 19 and winds continue, gusting up to 40 mph from the west. We can expect sunny skies and temperatures near 40 tomorrow with milder, northwest winds between 5 and 7 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page reports on Arizona Sen. John McCain's victory in the Florida primary and also features a local story reporting that housing programs could suffer if Governor Carcieri's proposal for revising this year's budget is adopted. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 29, 2008Photo: No uniform approach to these school clothes
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:04 PM | Comment Carcieri to unveil proposed Medicaid changes tomorrowGovernor Carcieri tomorrow will lay out his plans for changing state Medicaid/Family Independence programs, which he says will derive savings that will be part of his fiscal 2009 state budget proposal. The plans will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. at the State House. The governor expects to submit the 2009 spending plan to the General Assembly this week. The federal/state Medicaid health program is for low-income individuals and families and pays for such things as long-term care for seniors, primarily nursing homes, and helps people with disabilities, often in group homes. At the moment, Carcieri's office said in a news release today, the state departments of Human Services, Children, Youth and Families, Elderly Affairs, and Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals spend Medicaid money to support various state programs. The Family Independence Program -- the state’s welfare program -- is run by the Department of Human Services. “One example of the kind of reform I am talking about is in the area of long-term care,” Carcieri said in last week's State of the State address. “I know from experience that most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes, or be cared for by a loved one, rather than enter a nursing home. All the data shows that not only does it result in greater longevity and improved quality of life -- in fact it is less costly.” Carcieri said he intends to change the state’s Medicaid program “from one centered on institutions and agencies to a system that focuses on the people who use it: our children, elderly, and those with disabilities.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Tonight: The Bard's work at Trinity RepertoryThere's still time, if you hurry over. Trinity Repertory Company in Providence puts on a production of Shakespeare's Richard III -- a "timely, violent" production, writes Journal theater critic Channing Gray. The play starts at 7 p.m. at the 201 Washington St. theater. Tickets are $10 to $30. Call (401) 351-4242 or go to www.trinityrep.com. The play is already sold out for tomorrow's performance, according to its Web site. But the show continues through March 2. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:49 PM | Comment Fired EMA heads hired by Barrington security outfitThe state and Providence emergency management directors who were fired after the debacle of last month’s fast-moving snowstorm have been snapped up as emergency management consultants for a corporate and public-sector security consulting company in Barrington. Robert J. Warren, the former executive director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, and Leo Messier, the former director of the Providence Emergency Management Agency, have been retained for their emergency management expertise as part of the consulting work offered by Enright & Associates, Inc. The company is headed by John J. Enright, former U.S. Secret Service agent and former director of counter-terrorism and law enforcement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island. Enright announced Warren’s hiring today in a news release: “Bob Warren adds a level of experience and professionalism to our company that will provide our clients with the expertise they need to address the emergency preparedness challenges of the future, and the comfort of knowing that it is coming from one of the region’s most knowledgeable professionals.” Messier’s biography also appears on the company Web site www.enrightassociates.com, where he’s noted for his emergency management experience and ability to capture federal grants. Enright said that the expertise both men have in emergency management planning and response will add to his company’s ability to help clients in the public and private sector with establishing plans for continuing their business and municipal operations during a crisis. A posting for the job once held by Warren has now been posted by the state -- without requiring experience in emergency management or public safety. It was listed without notice on the state Department of Labor and Training’s Web site yesterday, with an application period that began yesterday and ends Friday. Meanwhile, the association of local emergency directors in Rhode Island sent a letter to Governor Carcieri today urging him to bring Warren back. The letter signed by the association’s president, West Warwick emergency director Thomas Senerchia, said the group was very disappointed in Carcieri’s decision to fire a man who was “responsive,” “dedicated to the cause,” and “very accessible.” “The ‘storm’ of December 13 2007, was fast and furious and caught everyone of us by surprise. I don’t believe that anyone should be held responsible for this ‘act of God,’” the association’s letter stated. “You must know that Emergency Managers don’t self dispatch. We are NOT first responders. We are a supportive agency that provides help with every resource that we may have at our disposal BUT we MUST be asked for that help. We cannot simply ‘show up’ and impose ourselves on any municipality! This is NOT a military state and it should not be run as such! Please reconsider your firing of a man that took this agency to new heights and of a man that we all admired.” -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Oster trial: Land-transfer concerns ends Day One
The property, the Picerno family home on Preakness Drive, was transferred despite liens on it for unpaid taxes. Martell said that should have prevented any change of ownership until the taxes were paid. Oster is on trial in Superior Court on two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities when he was town administrator from 2000 to 2002. Oster’s case concerns six acres on Route 116 near the Blackstone River called the H&H Screw property. The land's legal status has remained unresolved since the early 1990s when the owner went bankrupt and no one took title to the property. Another prosecutor, Bethany Macktaz, said in opening statements yesterday that the state will show that twice, in 2001 and 2002, with different buyers, Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the property at a “rock bottom” price in exchange for bribes. In 2004, Picerno pleaded no contest to four counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy related to this case. The defense lawyer contends Picerno is seeking leniency in his sentencing. This afternoon's testimony was taken up mostly by L. Robert Smith, a civil engineer who worked for the town of Lincoln in 2001 while it was searching for a permanent, certified town engineer. Smith told how he was recruited by Picerno to work for the town. Under direct examination by prosecutor William Ferland, Smith said at one time he had been frustrated at being unable to reach the town’s lawyers -- he was to be a witness in a land use suit -- and Oster. He said during an encounter at the Lodge restaurant with Oster and Picerno, who had invited him there, Oster told him that if he was having trouble reaching him to call Picerno. But on cross examination, Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, established that when Picerno contacted Smith about working for the town he was part of Oster’s transition team. O’Brien also got Smith to say that though Oster had told him to call Picerno if the engineer needed to reach him, Smith never did. Click the following link to read reports from trial activity earlier today. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer John Hill Prosecution seeks to link ex-planning official Earlier today, the prosecution sought to show that Picerno, an ex-Lincoln Planning Board member, was a significant campaign fund-raiser for Oster. Under prosecutor Macktaz's questioning, Michael Hill, Oster’s campaign treasurer, testified that in 2000 Oster's campaign raised $43,284 -- and that $10,655 of it came from a fund-raiser Macktaz said former planning official/former Oster ally Robert Picerno organized at the Aurora civic club in December 2000. O'Brien sought to play down Picerno's role in the fundraising activities. He pointed out that $10,655 figure did not include expenses for a sit-down dinner. He also pressed Hill on how heavily involved Picerno was in the fundraiser, suggesting to Hill that it was not referred to as a Picerno fundraiser until state police started calling it that with Hill.
The first morning of testimony was taken up mostly by current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen as the state began to lay the groundwork for its case. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning the Route 116 land. On cross examination, O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessor's office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:56 PM | Comment Update: Foxwoods hotel fire forces out hundreds / Photo
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- A seven-alarm fire on a hotel roof forced hundreds of gamblers and guests out of Foxwoods Resort Casino today. It was the second rooftop fire at an American hotel-casino since Friday, when a blaze damaged the top floors of the Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas Strip and sent 17 people to hospitals with minor injuries. There were no injuries reported from the fire today at the Great Cedar Hotel, one of three hotels at Foxwoods, said Arthur Henick, a spokesman for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, which runs the casino. The fire, reported shortly after 11:30 a.m., was still smoldering this afternoon. The cause was under investigation. Henick said Foxwoods officials were not speculating about whether the fire was an accident or arson, but they believed it started on the roof of the eight-story building. He said he was not aware of any construction work that was being done on the roof. Officials first evacuated the top three floors of the hotel, then later evacuated the entire 312-room building. As a precaution, officials also evacuated the Great Cedar Casino, located on the ground floor of the hotel and one of Foxwoods' six casinos. Casino officials were assessing the damage. Henick said most of the damage to the top floors is expected to be from all the water used to put out the fire. He said the fire was confined to the roof area. "We've had some smoky things before," Henick said about previous incidents at Foxwoods. "Certainly in the 10 years I've been here, it's the biggest we've ever had." +-- The Associated Press More than 50 firefighters from the tribe's fire department and nearby towns responded. The tribal and state fire marshals' offices also are investigating. Donna Garfield of Lawrence, Mass., told The Day of New London that she was gambling at a slot machine when security personnel told her to leave the building. "All I was told was that we had to leave for safety reasons but I didn't know there was a fire until I saw the fire trucks outside," she said. On Friday, a blaze on exterior foam-based sculpting at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas caused employees and guests in some 2,400 occupied rooms to be evacuated. A cause of that fire has not been determined. Posted by Jack Perry at 5:37 PM | Comment W. Warwick man indicted today on murder chargeA West Warwick man was indicted today on one count of murder for allegedly stabbing to death Ronald Dufour in November last year in West Warwick. The Kent County Grand Jury handed up an indictment today naming Robert E. Payette on the murder count, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced this evening. Payette will be arraigned in Kent County Superior Court on Feb. 15. The Journal reported that Payette, of 19 Maple Ave, was arrested Nov. 11. State police said they received a tip that Payette stabbed Dufour, 66, of 56 Maple Ave., at River Run apartments, then dumped the body into a hole at the bottom of a ravine leading to the Pawtuxet River behind the complex. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports CORRECTION: The original version of this posting incorrectly reported the name of Ronald Dufour. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Voters in mock election at Central High pick ObamaPROVIDENCE -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, beware. If today’s mock presidential election at Central High School carries any symbolic weight, then it is clear that Barack Obama has captured the hearts and minds of the millennial generation. Today, six “presidential” candidates from Central High School tried to make their pitch to a room of high school juniors and seniors, many of whom are too young to vote in the March 4 presidential primary in Rhode Island. It was all part of a morning-long primer in the democratic process sponsored by Central High School’s Jill Teixeira, who runs Project Impact, a program that helps students make the transition from high school to adulthood. Besides the teenage candidates, the keynote speakers were Secretary of State Ralph Mollis and General Treasurer Frank Caprio. “This is a historic election,” Mollis told 250 high school juniors and seniors in the high school’s cafeteria. “It’s the first election in more than a generation in which neither the incumbent president nor the vice president are running for re-election.” And the diversity of this year’s candidates -- a black man, a woman, a Mormon and a Vietnam War veteran -- is also unprecedented, he said. “Who in this room,” Mollis asked, “has been paying attention to the campaign?” Only a few hands went up. Next, Mollis underscored the power of one vote. If one person in every polling place in every state had changed their vote seven years ago, President George W. Bush would not be sitting in the White House. Then it was time for the main event. Six young men and women took the microphone and made a case for their respective candidates: on the Republican slate, Octavio Gomez for Mike Huckabee; Fily Rosales for Mitt Romney; Julio Jimenez for John McCain; and, on the Democratic side, Linette de Jesus for Barack Obama; Ariel Acosta for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Steven Hopp for John Edwards. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg De Jesus read a compelling article from the Atlantic Monthly called “Why Obama Matters,” in which the author argues that Obama is the only candidate who can heal the generational divide between the baby-boomers and the younger generations. “It isn’t just that Obama is about ending the war,” she said, ‘It’s about ending the war within America that has crippled America. It’s the war over culture, gender, race and religion. “When the world is changing this rapidly, sometimes the greater risk is caution,” De Jesus said. “We may have found that bridge to the 21st century. His name is Obama.” Hopp seemed to be channeling Edwards, with his call for a quick end to the Iraq war, his pledge to make health care universal and his promise to reduce poverty. But it was his pledge to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 that really caught the crowd’s attention because this audience knows what it’s like to earn only $7.40 an hour. “I like that!” one teenager yelled. Acosta stayed on message. Clinton, she said, is the only candidate with enough experience to step into the White House and hit the ground running. Borrowing a phrase from Edwards, she said, “Hillary Clinton has been standing up for the middle class since Day 1.” And taking a page from Obama, Acosta said, “She has what it takes to make a new beginning.” Gomez, a Huckabee man, sounded like he wrote the stump speech himself. More importantly, he sounded like he believed in every word he said. “I want our children to think outside the box, to think outside the cardboard factory,” he said, looking sharp in a neutral-toned suit. “It’s just as important to encourage children with artistic talent as it is to encourage children with athletic talent.” Then, Gomez rattled off a bunch of statistics to bolster his argument that the arts make a difference in the lives of impoverished students: Children who are exposed to the arts do better academically; they are less likely to engage in delinquent behavior and they are less likely to drop out. In keeping with Huckabee’s self-proclaimed outsider status, Gomez was more than willing to rattle the chains of organized labor. In one breath, he promised to oppose the teachers’ union, while in the next, he also said he would raise their salaries. “We need to hold teachers accountable,” Gomez said, his voice rising. “We need to test teachers as well as students. We should forgive teachers’ student loans to attract high-quality teachers to low-performing schools.” After the speeches were over, students were invited to vote in a mock presidential election using real paper ballots and an actual voting machine. A highly unscientific exit poll showed that Obama had captured the imagination of the under-19 crowd. Here’s a few reasons why: “Obama comes from the same background,” said Marisol Oppenheimer, a senior. “Race is a big deal. We’ve never had a black president before.” “Every time he speaks on television, he talks about the future of children,” said Nicoli Beasley, a senior. “That concerns me because I’m going to college.” But there were a few voters who were swayed by the gender issue. As Robert Beausoleil put it, “I want to see a girl for president.” When all was said and done, Obama won the Democratic election by a more than 2-1 majority, with 78 votes to Clinton’s 57 votes. Edwards trailed with a total of 27 votes. On the Republican side, McCain demolished his rivals, scoring 20 votes to Romney’s 6. Huckabee received four votes, Rudy Giuliani received two votes and Fred Thompson, who is no longer a candidate, got one vote. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:10 PM | Comment Providence man injured in Webster, Mass., shootingDUDLEY, Mass. -- A judge has ordered a Worcester man held without bail on a charge of murdering his ex-girlfriend at a Webster auto parts store yesterday. Authorities say 38-year-old William Goddard also shot and injured another worker, who is from Providence, at Action Crash Parts. Goddard was arraigned today in Dudley District Court on a charge of murder and armed assault with intent to commit murder. The charges stem from the shooting death of 30-year-old Kelly Brackley, a mother of five from Auburn. The police say Brackley was the target in the attack and that her co-worker, 25-year-old Yograj Shivoasani of Providence, suffered a gunshot wound in the arm. Goddard eluded the police for several hours before he was arrested in the woods in Berlin after a standoff. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment Lynch, other AGs seek denial of S.C. coal-fired plantCHARLESTON, S.C. -- Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch joined seven attorneys general to ask environmental officials in South Carolina to deny a permit to build a coal-fired power plant. A letter sent this month says the proposed plant would release millions of tons of carbon dioxide in the air, hurting efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Lynch signed it, as did his counterparts from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and other states. The power plant is expected to provide enough power for 600,000 homes. The company proposing it, Santee Cooper, says it will be built with equipment to meet or exceed state and federal standards. The same group of attorneys general sent a letter to Kansas officials last year arguing against a power plant. That permit was denied. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:10 PM | Comment Governor to unveil plans to trim Ocean Staters' figuresGovernor Carcieri, who has made headlines with proposals to put state budget figures on a crash diet, will tomorrow help launch a program aimed at trimming your figure. Carcieri and Dr. David Gifford, the state Health Department director, will be among officials unveiling a "year-long wellness initiative" -- cut the calories, in ordinary-people speak -- called “Healthy Weight in 2008." The announcement will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket. Fifity-six percent of adults are overweight or obese in Rhode Island, the governor's office said in a news release today. Health problems related to being overweight and obesity include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, depression, and various cancers. Tomorrow's goal is to tell people about activities and events being planned this year. The initiative includes several partner organizations. “Rhode Islanders should stay tuned all through the year for Healthy Weight in 2008 events and information that will be fun and helpful,” the governor said. “Once again, Rhode Island will lead the way in wellness.” The news release focused on trimming calories can't resist a little something about trimming finances: "According to the National Governors Association," it says, "taxpayers pay for half the cost of the nation’s medical expenses directly attributed to obesity. "In the State of Rhode Island, that translates to $185 per taxpayer each year." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:00 PM | Comment Photo: Overflow crowd at House finance panel hearing
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:44 PM | Comment Photo: Tom Brady spots the cover guy
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:59 PM | Comment Audio: Bakst interviews Rep. Kennedy on Obama choice
AP photoSen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, talks with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., shakes hands as they all arrive for President Bush's State of the Union address before Congress last night.
The congressman, his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, and his father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts lent the power of the Kennedy political dynasty to Obama, despite a closer personal and political relationship with fellow presidential contender, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Listen to two audio clips from the interview: Audio: Hear Patrick Kennedy describe speaking with Sen. Clinton for the first time since his family endorsed Obama, after the State of the Union address last night. 2 min., 16 secs.
Posted by maria caporizzo at 2:20 PM | Comment Oster trial: Prosecution seeks to link ex-planning officialPROVIDENCE -- The prosecution in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster sought to show this morning that an ex-Lincoln Planning Board member was a significant campaign fund-raiser for Oster. Under prosecutor Bethany Macktaz's questioning, Michael Hill, Oster’s campaign treasurer, testified that in 2000 Oster's campaign raised $43,284 -- and that $10,655 of it came from a fund-raiser Macktaz said former planning official/former Oster ally Robert Picerno organized at the Aurora civic club in December 2000. But Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, sought to play down Picerno's role in the fundraising activities. He pointed out that $10,655 figure did not include expenses for a sit-down dinner. He also pressed Hill on how heavily involved Picerno was in the fundraiser, suggesting to Hill that it was not referred to as a Picerno fundraiser until state police started calling it that with Hill. Oster faces two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities when he was town administrator from 2000 to 2002. Oster’s case concerns six acres on Route 116 near the Blackstone River called the H&H Screw property. The land's legal status has remained unresolved since the early 1990s when the owner went bankrupt and no one took title to the property. Macktaz said in opening statements yesterday that the state will show that twice, in 2001 and 2002, with different buyers, Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the property at a “rock bottom” price in exchange for bribes. In 2004, Picerno pleaded no contest to four counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy related to this case. The defense lawyer contends Picerno is seeking leniency in his sentencing. Testimony is slated to resume at 2 p.m. today following lunch. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Testimony begins in trial of ex-Lincoln administrator Oster Earlier today, current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen gave testimony as the state began to lay the case's groundwork. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning a piece of property on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw company land. The property figures prominently in the state’s case, as it claims Oster took bribes in exchange for promises to sell it. On cross examination, defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessor's office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Superior Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:39 PM | Comment Testimony begins in trial of ex-Lincoln administratorFormer Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster faces two charges of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for alleged activities during his tenure as town administrator, from 2000 to 2002. The first morning of testimony in his trial in Superior Court, Providence, was taken up mostly by current Lincoln Town Clerk Karen Allen as the state began to lay the groundwork for its case. The state introduced into evidence town land records and tax assessor records mostly concerning a piece of property on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw company land. The property figures prominently in the state’s case, as it claims Oster took bribes in exchange for promises to sell it. On cross examination, defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien challenged some of the records, particularly those from the assessors, office that discussed the value of the land. O’Brien argued that since Allen wasn’t involved in production or recording of the records, she was not qualified to testify about them, and therefore they should not have been entered into evidence. Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia overruled O'Brien's objection, admitting the records into the official court documents. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill But Oster’s lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, said every supposed bribe had a reasonable explanation. Testimony is set to resume this afternoon. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:20 PM | Comment House panel meets on parts of supplemental budgetPROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing at noon today on several parts of Governor Carcieri's supplemental budget proposal. The supplemental budget aims to shore up a projected $151 million deficit over the next six months. According to the agenda, the committee will meet today on: * Article 3, which deals with privatization fo state services. * Article 4, which pertains to money for health benefits. * Article 5, which concerns certified teachers' and city/town employees' rights to bargain. * Article 8, which deals with post-retirement employment of public officers and employees. * Article 24, which concerns police officers' and firefighters' relief benefits. The hearing is in room 35 -- Trainor Hearing Room -- in the State House. The committee is slated to meet tomorrow at noon as well on several other parts of the governor's budget proposal. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:14 PM | Comment Pack your wallet if you want to check extra bagsThe airline that accounts for more than half of all passengers at T.F. Green Airport begins charging more for customers who want to check more than two pieces of luggage. Southwest Airlines starts charging $25 for a third piece of luggage, and more for additional bags. A spokesman for the company, Chrisl Mainz, said the new costs would apply to less than 2 percent of the airline's customers. The aim of the new fees is to help free luggage-hold space to carry more cargo, an area the low-fare carrier is targeting to raise revenue, Mainz said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:33 AM | Comment Rhode Island income-tax forms are in the mailState income-tax packages have begun arriving in mailboxes. Michael F. Canole, chief revenue agent for the Rhode Island Division of Taxation's personal income-tax section, said that many of the packages began arriving last week. Others should be received this week. "They are in the mail," Canole said today. Altogether, the agency has mailed about 63,000 packages, he said. Most contain the Rhode Island Form 1040EZ; the remainder contain the longer Rhode Island Form 1040. All the forms are also available online. The state tax agency has also begun mailing forms on which people may claim a rebate under Rhode Island's statewide property-tax relief program. Earlier this month, the agency sent out about 50,000 packets containing forms with which to make quarterly estimated tax payments later this year, Canole said. -- Neil Downing, Journal business writer Posted by Jack Perry at 11:16 AM | Comment EMC profits up, but shares downBOSTON -- EMC Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit jumped 35 percent, beating Wall Street expectations, but the data storage vendor's results were overshadowed by disappointment over a technology firm in which EMC owns a majority stake. EMC's shares fell more than 8 percent in morning trading after software maker VMware Inc. reported disappointing revenue results after markets closed yesterday. The decline in EMC shares "is entirely due to VMware," whose market value of more than $31 billion approaches that of EMC's more than $35 billion, said Matt Bryson, of the technology research firm Avian Securities. EMC owns an 86 percent stake of VMware. Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC said today its net income for the October-December period was $525.7 million, or 24 cents per share, compared with a profit of $388.8 million, or 18 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose 19 percent to $3.83 billion from $3.21 billion a year ago. The profit and revenue performances beat the consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, who had been expecting a profit of 22 cents per share, and revenue of $3.66 billion, on average. In morning trading, shares of EMC fell $1.38 to $15.53. VMware shares were down nearly 32 percent, after the maker of so-called "virtualization" software reported fourth-quarter revenue fell about $5 million short of analysts expectations of $417.4 million. -- The Associated Press EMC's fourth-quarter revenue from software licenses jumped 20 percent, outpacing the 15 percent growth in the storage systems business at EMC, whose rivals include IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Network Appliance Inc. Revenue from professional services and systems maintenance, a smaller business segment than the other two, grew 27 percent. EMC's North American business posted a 16 percent sales gain, compared with 23 percent growth overseas. EMC offered its initial financial forecast for 2008, with expectations for revenue growth of 13 percent to $15 billion, and 14 percent profit growth to $1.04 per share, excluding one-time items and gains. The revenue target beat analysts' forecast of $14.7 billion, but Avian Securities' Bryson said he and many other observers had expected EMC to forecast a slightly higher 2008 annual profit. On a conference call with analysts, Joe Tucci, EMC's chairman, president and chief executive, said EMC was cautious in its profit outlook because of recent economic volatility and fears that it could hurt technology spending. "Today, we have not seen much of a down side, but as we go forward, I think being cautious is the order of the day," he said. EMC's stock has lost about a third of its value over the past three months after hitting as high as $25.47 in October following the August debut of VMware's stock in one of the tech sector's most highly anticipated IPOs since Google's. EMC, whose stock now closely tracks that of VMware, sold a 10 percent stake in the firm. Its software allows a single computer to function like multiple machines. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:15 AM | Comment R.I. researchers find CO may hurt heart, tooWe’ve heard how carbon monoxide starves the body of oxygen, leaving victims of overexposure with headaches, nausea, dizziness, and, in the most extreme cases, death. But according to a study published in Academic Emergency Medicine’s January issue, carbon monoxide also weakens the heart by attacking heart muscle directly. “These findings suggest that heart damage caused by carbon monoxide may have long-lasting effects even after it’s been eliminated from the blood,” Selim Suner, the lead author of the study, and director of preparedness and disaster medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, said in a statement. In the study, a team of researchers from Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, looked at three groups of animals: a group exposed to carbon monoxide and oxygen, similar to the conditions of most poisoning; a group of animals exposed to nitrogen, which also starves the body of oxygen; and a control group that breathed normal air. In both the group that breathed the carbon monoxide/oxygen mix, and the group that breathed the nitrogen, the heart function appeared to be weakened. But after treatment with 100 percent oxygen, the group that breathed carbon monoxide did not recover heart function or blood pressure as much as the nitrogen group did. That led the researchers to believe that something other than oxygen deprivation was at work weakening patients who were exposed to carbon monoxide. Gregory Jay, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital, and associate professor at Brown University, co-authored the study. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:01 AM | Comment Bribery trial of former Lincoln administrator continuesPROVIDENCE -- Six years after his arrest, the trial has started for a former Lincoln town administrator accused of using his position to take bribes and make money for himself, neglecting his town. Jonathan Oster faces two counts each of bribery and conspiracy. His trial began yesterday after being delayed for several years because of a dispute over evidence. But Oster’s lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, said every supposed bribe had a reasonable explanation. Testimony is set to begin today in Superior Court, Providence Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:36 AM | Comment A Super Bowl parade on Super Tuesday?BOSTON -- If the New England Patriots beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, a victory parade would likely be held next Tuesday, the same day Massachusetts holds its presidential primary election, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said. The mayor, while stressing that he did not want to "jinx" the Patriots by mentioning the possibility of a parade prior to the game, told The Boston Globe there would be little choice but to hold the event on Tuesday. The team would not arrive back from Arizona in time to have a parade on Monday, Menino said. But Wednesday would be too late, because a number of players including quarterback Tom Brady are scheduled to leave that day to participate in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii on Feb. 10. "You can't have a parade without the players," Menino said. -- The Associated Press Holding the parade on the same day as the primary would pose a number of practical and logistical concerns. The city is required to assign a police officer to all 254 of the city's voting precincts. But hundreds more police officers would be required for security and crowd control should a parade be held that day. Menino said the election would be the first priority, and city officials would map a parade route that would skirt polling places so that voters would not encounter any problems casting their ballots. The state's chief elections officer, Secretary of State William Galvin, said the city must assure that voters have unfettered access to polling places. "With all due respect to the New England Patriots - and I wish them well; I hope they win - holding the election of the next president of the United States is a little more important," he said. Massachusetts is among 22 states holding presidential primaries or caucuses on Feb. 5, dubbed by many as Super Tuesday. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:30 AM | Comment Providence woman appeals ruling in Nazi art case
In this photo provided by Concordia University, an oil on canvas painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, (1806-1873), entitled "Girl from the Sabiner Mountains," obtained from a 1937 auction catalog via the University. PROVIDENCE — A Providence woman is appealing a court order forcing her to give the estate of a Jewish art dealer a painting her family bought about 70 years ago. In December, a federal judge ruled that Maria-Luise Bissonnette must give back a 19th-century painting called “Girl from the Sabine Mountains” to the estate of Max Stern. Stern’s family owned an art gallery in Germany. Nazi authorities ordered Stern to auction off its holdings. Bissonnette's stepfather purchased the painting, which Bissonnette inherited. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:08 AM | Comment R.I. leaders mourn late senator from WoonsocketPROVIDENCE -- A day of mourning for a late state lawmaker from Woonsocket. Senator Roger Badeau died last week of pancreatic cancer at 71. Governor Carcieri and other politicians are expected to attend a funeral Mass today for Badeau at Saint Joseph's Church in Woonsocket. He will be buried in nearby Bellingham, Massachusetts. A legislative spokesman says the Senate will not meet today to honor Badeau, who was first elected to a seat there in 1984. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment An unseasonably warm day on the wayIt's cold and dry now, it may get cold and wet later. The National Weather Service is forecasting a slight chance of rain later in the afternoon and mild, high temperatures reaching 46 degrees, about 10 degrees higher than normal, but more than 20 degrees shy of the 1934 record of 69 degrees. A higher chance of rain tonight and early tomorrow morning when the temperature drops to the mid 30s. Expect the rain to continue into the day tomorrow when the temperature reaches the mid 40s again. West winds may 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 pageToday's front page features coverage of the Kennedys endorsing the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 28, 2008Tonight: Indian classical and jazz fuse at Chan'sThere's Indian classical music and jazz mixed together in the works of the Bombay Jazz quartet, which features jazz guitarist Larry Coryell and plays tonight. George Brooks is on saxophone, Ronu Majumdar on flute, and Vijay Ghate on tabla. There are two shows at Chan’s, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, at 8 and 10 p.m. Admission is $22 for the 8 p.m. show; $18 for the 10 p.m., or $25 for both. For information and reservations, call (401) 765-1900. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment These R.I. citizens join lawmakers for State of the UnionIn his final State of the Union speech, President Bush tonight will ask Congress to swiftly pass $150 million in economic stimulus funds, urge no tax increases, talk about tougher borders and immigration, and stress that some level of troops should remain in Iraq, citing statistics of what he says is decreased violence there. The president will also pledge to veto any budget appropriations bill Congress sends him unless various congressional earmarks -- sometimes called "pork" -- are hacked in half. That goes for both number, and cost of, earmarks. It is one part of what the president's speech will say is the goal of balancing the budget by 2012 -- years after Bush has left office. Video: Projo.com will stream the State of the Union, scheduled to start at 9 p.m., and the Democratic response, live tonight, and offer a survey for your reaction. But don't wait for the speech and the talking heads: Read for yourself about what the president is expected to prioritize here. Many Rhode Islanders will watch the address on television. But four others will watch from the halls of Congress -- and not just the state's congressional delegation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Bank Rhode Island president and chief executive officer Merrill W. Sherman is Sen. Jack Reed's special guest tonight. She spearheaded the creation of the bank in 1996, has been head of two other New England banks, and, before that, practiced law with a major Providence firm. Mike Tracy, a cancer survivor from East Providence's Riverside section, is slated to be a guest of U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island. According to Whitehouse's office, Tracy suffered from a misdiagnosed case of squamous cell carcinoma on his foot, and his cancer therefore went untreated for years. He was told his leg would have to be amputated to prevent the cancer's spreading. After he got a second opinion at a Boston hospital, his final diagnosis had to be delayed several weeks so his complete records could be moved from Providence, the release said. “A mistaken diagnosis changed my life forever. Paper medical records meant I had to wait in limbo -- knowing my life was in danger -- while my chart was transferred from one hospital to another. Nobody should have to go through an experience like this,” Tracy said in the statement released last week. “We need to fix the health care system.” Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee, a Democrat, will be a guest of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, watching the speech from the House Gallery. “Mayor McKee epitomizes the plight of mayors across the country facing diminishing resources from the state and federal governments, as well as the challenges innate in running a municipality,” Kennedy said in a statement last week. “He is quickly becoming known in national circles as an innovator and strategic thinker, particularly in the area of education.” McKee stated he looks forward to the trip “and the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues that are having an impact on the state of Rhode Island." U.S. Rep. James Langevin's guest at the State of the Union will be Anne Nolan, president of Crossroads Rhode Island. Nolan joined Crossroads in 2000. Formerly Travelers Aid, Crossroads, under Nolan’s leadership, has opened a headquarters on Broad Street overlooking Route 95, including a state-of-the-art medical clinic, and launched Operation First Step, an emergency assessment shelter to the newly homeless. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:34 PM | Comment Photo: Giving his seal of approval
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:12 PM | Comment Ex-Lincoln official's trial on bribery charges beginsPROVIDENCE -- The trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster on bribery and conspiracy charges began this afternoon as the prosecution and defense made opening arguments to the jury. Prosecutor Bethany Macktaz laid out the state's case in Providence County Superior Court alleging that Oster and his former political ally and ex-Lincoln Planning Board member Robert Picerno had extorted money from two sets of would-be buyers of a piece of industrial property on George Washington Highway in Lincoln. Macktaz said the state's evidence will show that Oster and Picerno twice tried to sell the land, which the town controlled, for $105,000 -- and a $25,000 bribe. The defense contended that the only conspiracy was by Picerno and the state police against his client. Defense lawyer C. Leonard O'Brien portrayed Picerno as a "personable scoundrel" and "a flim-flam man" who successfully plea-bargained his way out of more serious charges by implicating Oster in a plan that O'Brien said the town administrator knew nothing about. The trial covers activities that allegedly occured while Oster was town administrator from 2000 to 2002. He was arrested in February 2002 on two counts of bribery and two count of conspiracy to commit bribery The trial will resume tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. -- Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:56 PM | Comment Assembly cancels sessions to attend senator's servicesPROVIDENCE -- State lawmakers have canceled sessions and hearings to attend the wake and funeral of Woonsocket Sen. Roger Badeau, who died last week. Badeau was 71 and died from pancreatic cancer. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1984. A spokesman for Senate President Joseph Montalbano says Badeau's wake is scheduled for today, and his funeral is scheduled for tomorrow. The Senate has canceled several committee hearings so lawmakers can attend the wake. The Senate has also canceled its scheduled session on Tuesday evening in honor of Badeau. Governor Carcieri is also scheduled to attend the funeral tomorrow, according to his calendar for the day. Read Badeau's obituary, check calling hours and funeral information, and sign an online guestbook. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment 'Superman' building in downtown Providence is sold
PROVIDENCE -- The Inland Real Estate Corporation has sold the Art Deco-style Bank of America tower, known locally as "the Superman building," to High Rock Westminster Street LLC, a company affiliated with Compass Realty Associates in Burlington, Mass., according to the broker, NAI Hunneman Commercial. The deal closed on Friday, Jonathan Aron, a vice president at NAI Hunneman, said. High Rock paid $33 million. “It’s such a landmark building,” Aron said. “It’s such an identifiable building in Providence.” The Superman reference, for those of a certain age, stems from the similarity to the Daily Planet building, workplace of Clark Kent, aka Superman, in the 1950s TV series about the comic-book hero. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 4:40 PM | Comment Teachers rescue unconscious Cranston 7th graderCRANSTON -- A seventh grader who could not swim well became unconscious after she jumped into the deep end of a Park View Middle School pool this morning. She was later revived and taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital and is expected to be discharged today. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. today. The girl, who was not identified, was among those swimmers not considered proficient. But she saw some friends in the pool's deeper end, jumped in to be with them and ended up having troubles, according to authorities. A physical education teacher jumped into the pool and pulled the girl out with help from another teacher who was on the pool's apron, according to Raymond Votto, chief operating officer of the Cranston schools. They called 911, and began administering CPR. She was alert and responsive when emergency services personnel arrived. A school nurse went with the girl to the hospital. School administrators were notified the girl was all right and would at some point go home with her family. "Our staff reacted in a very quick and consistent manner," said Votto. He added that by using their training, they did a commendable job. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:30 PM | Comment Whitehouse kicks off global-warming campaign at BrownPROVIDENCE -- U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse spoke to a supportive and packed auditorium at Brown University today about global warming challenges that lie ahead and how voters need to elect a president that will lead the nation, and complement the Democratic majority in Congress, in pushing more progressive legislation to slow the effects of climate change. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, criticized the Bush Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency for what he said were their inadequate efforts to address the nation’s environmental issues, making specific reference to the agency’s decision rejecting states’ right to set their own vehicle emission standards. Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said he has co-sponsored legislation that would allow states to regulate vehicle emissions. Channeling the mantra of frustrated environmental advocates across the world, Whitehouse called for Bush to “lead or get out of the way.” Whitehouse’s speech at Brown was the university’s first event of the global warming awareness campaign called Focus the Nation, which is a national effort to educate the public, especially students, about the dangers posed by unchecked climate change and to push legislative efforts that curb greenhouse gas emissions. Several other universities in the state, including the University of Rhode Island and Johnson & Wales University, are participating in the effort by hosting screenings informational videos and asking teachers to stress the link between their areas of expertise to climate change during their classes. -- Journal environment writer Natalie Garcia Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:31 PM | Comment Ice still too thin for safe skating, DEM says / Photo
Remember, a little bit of ice does not an ice skating rink make. That's what the Department of Environmental Management is reminding people of today. To be considered safe, DEM officials say ice must have a uniform thickness of at least 6 inches -- something that requires about a week of temperatures in the 20s. You can't tell if ice is safe just by looking -- there are many factors that determine how stable the ice is, including the salinity and presence of currents and streams. The DEM checks the ice at several of its state park and recreational areas. Call the State Park Ice Information Line at (401) 222-2632 to get the results. Get more information about the ice skating safety in the DEM's ice safety guide. So if you want to guarantee safe skating, find a man-made rink. There's the Bank of America City Center rink in downtown Providence, a great place to take a half-hour twirl on the ice during lunch, or after work, while everyone else is skidding out on the highway, you can work on your double axel. Other rinks open for public skating include these in Newport, Cranston, Woonsocket and the URI Kingston campus.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:18 PM | Comment MBTA brings free WiFi to first set of commuter trainsNo more excuses for these commuters to nap on the train. Beginning this week, commuters on the Worcester/Framingham MBTA commuter rail line to Boston will have free WiFi service. When the service comes online, you can use your laptop, PDA, mobile phone, mp3 player, or whatever else it is you use to stay connected to give yourself an extra hour of work – or online video games. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray announced the program, saying the program is “an important first step in our commitment to improve commuter services throughout the Commonwealth.” At least one passenger car on each of the 41 inbound and outbound trains on the Worcester/Framingham line will be equipped with a wireless router to begin with, Murray said. Signs will announce on the more than 40 cars that they’re WiFi ready. During this first phase of connectivity, “feedback from our riders will be solicited to help us maximize the technology’s benefits, and then expand the program to other parts of the 13-line Commuter Rail system,” said MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:57 PM | Comment Update: 3 Kennedys take the stage to endorse ObamaWASHINGTON -- More than 40 years after the late President John F. Kennedy became associated with championing civil rights, three Kennedys today endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. 
AP photo Sens. Barack Obama, left, and Edward M. Kennedy, at the rally today. Veteran Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy called the Illinois senator someone with "extraordinary gifts of leadership and character." "I feel change in the air!" Kennedy bellowed during a rally at American University in Washington in which he made references to the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. He said Obama has what it takes to "make America good again, from sea to shining sea." From the beginning, Kennedy said, Obama opposed the Iraq war. While he could have chosen a career in corporate law, he chose to serve the community in public life. With an Obama campaign poster prominently featuring the word "change" behind them, the elder Kennedy, his son, Rhode Island Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy -- daughter of President Kennedy -- lent the support of their political dynasty to Obama over New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton -- both dueling for the party's presidential nomination. Rep. Kennedy, who spoke first, recalled words of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, whose life -- like King's -- was cut short by an assassin's bullet: " 'Change is the law of life and those who only look to the past or present are certain to miss the future.' " "We need to embrace change," Patrick Kennedy said, adding that he was there to declare his "complete support for a new generation of leadership," for someone who "dares to dream, who dares to hope." The endorsements come as Obama enters the week following his trouncing of Clinton in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Video: Watch a clip of Sen. Kennedy endorsing Obama, and his response. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:12 PM | Comment Restraining order against Pats' Moss extendedBOSTON — Lawyers for Randy Moss and the woman who accused him of battery agreed to extend a temporary restraining order she obtained against the New England Patriots wide receiver, his agent said today. A court hearing was scheduled today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Rachelle Washington’s request for a permanent restraining order. The temporary order required Moss to stay at least 500 feet from Washington. No criminal charge has been brought, and they described each other as longtime friends. David McGill, Washington’s attorney, did not return calls. Moss is in Arizona for the Super Bowl on Sunday against the New York Giants. He has denied the accusation by Washington that he committed “battery causing serious injury” to her at her Florida home Jan. 6. “The restraining order will be continued by agreement of the attorneys,” Tim DiPiero, Moss’ agent, told The Associated Press in a statement. “The parties won’t be there.” Moss’ attorney, Richard Sharpstein, said he would appear at the hearing on his client’s behalf and agree to the extension of the restraining order until both parties can appear in court or the matter is resolved.
“We have no contest over the restraining order given the current situation. He will stay completely away from her and has no desire to have contact with her,” Sharpstein said. “He’s in Phoenix busy preparing to win the Super Bowl and on a day like today his mind is elsewhere.” The restraining order created a stir and potential distraction for Moss, who gave an emotional defense in the Patriots’ locker room for about 10 minutes on Jan. 16. Four days later, New England beat San Diego 21-12 in the AFC championship game at Foxborough. For the second straight game, he caught just one pass against the Chargers. The issue quickly faded from the spotlight, replaced last week by the swirl of attention around quarterback Tom Brady being spotted wearing a protective boot on his right foot in New York. He didn’t comment on it until arriving in Phoenix on Sunday night. “It’s feeling good. I’ll be ready to go,” Brady said. Moss said the woman who obtained the order has been a friend for 11 years and that she asked for “six figures” for what he said was an accident in which she was hurt. “They’re false allegations, something I’ve been battling for like the last couple of days of threats going public if I didn’t pay X amount of dollars,” Moss said. “This young lady by no means is hurt. I didn’t hurt her.” On draft day last April, the Patriots sent a 2007 fourth-round draft choice to Oakland for Moss. He set an NFL single-season record of 23 touchdown catches, breaking Jerry Rice’s mark by one. He finished tied for eighth in the league with 98 catches and second with 1,493 yards receiving. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:10 PM | Comment Dairy the cause of chicken recallIf you have a dairy allergy, pay close attention: Purdue Farms, Inc., has recalled about 25,000 pounds of its boneless, skinless chicken breast products because they may contain milk in the seasonings that is not listed on the label. The company’s 28.8-ounce package of “Perfect Portions,” are affected. They will have an establishment number: EST P-7903; UPC code: 72745-06819; Sell by or Freeze by Feb. 02, Feb. 03, Feb. 04, Feb. 05 or Feb. 06. Click here to see a .PDF file of the product and its label. Consumers with questions about food safety can have their questions answered online. Or call the USDA meat and poultry hotline at 1-888-674-6854. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:05 PM | Comment Tests show bones in N. Smithfield date back 500 yearsNORTH SMITHFIELD -- Initial tests on bone fragments found in mounds in North Smithfield show they are 500 to 600 years old and belonged to a young girl. Conservation Commission Chairman Donald Gagnon presented the results to the town council last week. The town is looking for more information about more than 100 stone mounds discovered last year near where a housing development had been scheduled to be built. The preliminary carbon dating testing on the remains appears to support the belief of a local archaeologist that the mounds are American Indian burial grounds. The town council approved money for more extensive testing that will help pinpoint the age of the other remains on the site. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:59 PM | Comment State police turn over 213 pages in smoke-shop casePROVIDENCE -- More than a week after the trial of seven Narragansett Indians in the smoke-shop raid case was scheduled to start, the state police today provided 213 pages of e-mails to the court. A judge last week expressed concern that the state police hadn't turned over all documents ahead of trial. The state and the defense are going through the e-mails. The state will argue that some of the documents should remain confidential. Computer experts for the defense and the state police will also look into whether deleted state police files can be recovered. They are expected to argue that matter in court on Friday. Late last week, testimony centered around the state police process for gathering and submitting evidence in preparation for the trial. The state police used a search warrant on the tribe's smoke shop in Charlestown under order from Governor Carcieri on July 14, 2003, to halt the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without Rhode Island taxes. Two state police officials testified last week “it didn’t occur” to them to give defense lawyers the internal investigation into the raid or the witness statements that led to that report, until being subpoenaed by defense lawyers. One said he had put that file on a bookshelf, where it was until two weeks ago. Judge Susan E. McGuirl also heard in testimony from a state police official last week that officials failed to turn over internal affairs files based on complaints about the raid. “If you don’t ask, how are you going to have the knowledge?” McGuirl said in court last week. McGuirl last week ordered the state police to inspect the department’s files over the weekend to be sure all relevant information has been disclosed. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:53 PM | Comment Mill's Tavern again earns 4 stars on Mobil Travel GuidePROVIDENCE -- Mill's Tavern has again made the national list of restaurants meriting four stars by the Mobil Travel Guide, the only eatery to do so from Rhode Island for 2008. The travel guide today announced four-star and five-star restaurants, hotels and spas from around the country. Nationally, 41 lodgings, 17 restaurants and 3 spas got five-star ratings this go-around while 125 lodgings, 149 restaurants and 84 spas got four stars. According to the restaurant's Web site, it made the Mobil four-star list in 2005 and 2006, too. Read a Providence Journal review of the restaurant this month. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:27 PM | Comment Live video, 12:15 p.m.: The Kennedys endorse ObamaPROVIDENCE -- Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Democratic Party’s liberal lion, and his son, Rhode Island Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, will endorse Barack Obama for president today, giving the Illinois senator a new jolt of momentum in his campaign against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. The Kennedy endorsements come in the wake of Obama’s historic landslide victory Saturday in South Carolina’s primary. More important, they arrive eight days before the round of 22 state primaries and caucuses on Feb. 5 that loom as a de facto national primary that could decide whether Clinton or Obama wins the nomination. In an interview yesterday, Patrick Kennedy said he and Edward Kennedy will be joined by Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of the late President John F. Kennedy, who announced her support of Obama this weekend. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:36 AM | Comment Gas prices fall againGas prices in Rhode Island have fallen for the third straight week, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline at the self-service pump dropped three cents in the last week and is now $3.049, according to AAA's weekly survey. The price has dropped nine cents in the last three weeks, but it's still well above the average of $2.209 at this time last year. The average price nationally is $2.989. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:58 AM | Comment Accused hit-and-run driver pleads not guiltyA Rhode Island man accused of fatally hitting a woman as she walked down a Seekonk, Mass., street with her daughter pleaded not guilty today to motor vehicle homicide in Superior Court. Camara, of 626 Prospect St., Pawtucket, was arrested Nov. 9 at his Seekonk business, American Granite, on Old Fall River Avenue. At his arraignment in New Bedford Superior Court this morning, Camara pleaded not guilty to motor vehicle homicide and to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting. He was released after posting $125,000 cash bail, and is due back in court for procedural matters March 27. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:38 AM | Comment Janitors at PC ready to strikeJanitors at Providence College employed by Hurley of America, Inc., have three days left in their contract, and they’re not happy. The group says they have faced harassment and threats for trying to get changes in the contract and that now, they're ready to strike. At a rally today, janitors will be joined by PC students and faculty, City Council Majority Leader Terrence Hassett, and other council members. The Council unanimously approved a resolution two weeks ago supporting the janitors. If an agreement cannot be reached on wage increases, benefits and overall working conditions by Jan. 31, the janitors, who are members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 615, say they’ll strike during the College’s Upperclassmen Family Weekend, Feb. 1 to Feb. 3. The group plans to meet at 4:30 today in front of Providence City Hall. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:32 AM | Comment Get help getting tax creditsSome Rhode Islanders could qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit as high as $4,700 without even knowing it. The 7th annual Providence Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign begins today with the goal of training volunteers to prepare income tax returns for low- to moderate-income families around the state so they can take advantage of the credits. The volunteers will be stationed in neighborhoods around the city in Olneyville, upper and Lower South Providence, and in Elmwood and the West End at International Institute of Rhode Island, the RI Family Life Center, Socio Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians, Providence Spanish 7th Day Adventist Church, Community Co-op Inc., Olneyville Housing Corporation and RI ACORN. This year’s goal is to reach more than 2,000 households. In the six years since it began, more than 6,000 households have taken advantage of the campaign, capturing about $4.5 million in tax credits. The EITC campaign is sponsored by the United Way of Rhode Island and Making Connections Providence. More details will be announced today at a 10 a.m. press conference at the John Hope Settlement House. Mayor David Cicilline will be joined by U. S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and local and federal representatives. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:25 AM | Comment Who says the weather is milder on the CapeJust a dusting of snow fell on the Providence area yesterday, but the story was far different about an hour away on Cape Cod, which was battered by high winds and heavy snow from yesterday afternoon into this morning. A storm that the National Weather Service characterizes as a near blizzard dumped more than 13 inches of snow on Wellfleet, more than 11 inches on Brewster and 10 inches on Falmouth, according to unofficial results on the weather service's site. School was canceled today in many Cape towns. The storm, which was expected to hit the Cape starting last night, turned nasty early. The National Weather Service had predicted snow showers off and on for much of the daytime hours yesterday with little accumulation. But the wet snow started sticking to the roads by yesterday morning, and by midafternoon, side roads were slick and those "snow showers" could sting your face. The wind was howling, and the snow appeared to be blowing sideways early last night. Cars were traveling about 10 mph. There were near whiteout conditions on the MidCape highway. For the most part, the snow had stopped by 5 a.m. and plowing crews were hitting the major roads, but the strong wind kept blowing the snow back onto the road. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:03 AM | Comment Sen. Whitehouse focuses on the environment"Global warming is real, and it has serious implications for the homes, businesses, communities, and ecosystems along our nation's coasts." So says U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. But what does he think should be done to combat the the effects of climate change? Find out today, when Whitehouse speaks at Brown University at a lecture sponsored by the University's Environmental Change Initiative and emPower, an environmental blog. The lecture is the first event of "Focus on the Nation," an interscholastic program beginning this week that pledges to weave environmental studies into all aspects of education. The talk begins at noon in Salomon Hall, room 101, on the university's main green. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:40 AM | Comment Woonsocket school closedFifth Avenue Elementary School is closed today. A snowstorm also forced some closings in southeastern Massachusetts. Keep tabs on school and municipal closings throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts on projo.com's closings page.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:39 AM | Comment Trial of former Lincoln administrator begins todayPROVIDENCE — Former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster’s trial on bribery and conspiracy charges will begin today, after lawyers for the state and the defendant agreed on the makeup of the jury Friday. Oster is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy dating to his 2000-2002 tenure in office. The case was delayed for several years while disputes over evidence, some of it gathered for the first time under the state’s wiretapping laws, were appealed to the state Supreme Court. That appeal, and others on the procedures that would be used to manage the trial, resulted in many of the tapes being thrown out because they were not stored in accordance with state law and the judge’s orders. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Gusty and sunny with temps in the high 30sToday should be sunny with the National Weather Service forecasting temperatures in the high 30s and high winds gusting up to 33 mph. Skies should stay clear into the night, with temperatures dropping to the low 20s and winds gusting around 14 mph. The clouds return tomorrow, with milder temperatures upwards of 45 degrees and milder winds from the west of about 8 mph. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about the Kennedys' endorsing presidential candidate Barack Obama and coverage of the Patriots' Super Bowl sendoff yesterday in Foxboro. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 25, 2008Weekend: Heavy metal, white lace and promisesStill firming up weekend plans for this weekend? (We pretty much know what most of you have in mind for next weekend). The 2008 Northeast International Auto Show is at the Rhode Island Convention Center tomorrow and Sunday. More than two dozen manufacturers are at the show, displaying their 2008 models, a collection of hybrid vehicles and pre-production 2009 vehicles. The Convention Center is at 1 Sabin St., Providence. Today’s hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $4 for children age 7 through 12. For more information, visit: www.motortrendautoshows.com. Looking for something a little less metallic? Try the Grand Bridal Show, Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, also tomorrow and Sunday. Exhibitors, fashions shows (1 and 4 pm). Sat 11 am-5 pm, Sun 10 am-5 pm. $15 advance, $20 at the door. For more information, call 785-4333, or go to www.thegrandbridalshow.com. See what else is going on around our area by visiting projo.com's calendars page. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:00 PM | Comment Riverpoint Lace Works sold, saving jobs
An investment group has purchased the Riverpoint Lace Works in West Warwick, preserving more than 50 manufacturing jobs. In November, the business filed for state receivership, a form of bankruptcy, raising the possibility that its equipment could be sold for scrap to pay back creditors. Instead, the Palmisciano-Ponte Investment Group bid $300,000 to buy the company and continue operating it, Peter Palmisciano Jr. said during a press conference tonight. "We saw an opportunity," Palmisciano said. "We feel we can walk in and help businesses turn around." Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 6:58 PM | Comment Sen. Badeau of Woonsocket dies of cancer at 71Longtime state Sen. Roger R. Badeau, who had pancreatic cancer, died today at his Woonsocket home. He was 71. Friends and colleagues of the Democratic senator mourned his loss, saying he had the ability to bring together labor and business leaders for a common objective. Badeau had served in the Senate since 1985. He represented District 20, in Cumberland and Woonsocket. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor since 1992 and a member of the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee. This afternooon, Governor Carcieri ordered Rhode Island state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the senator. "Senator Badeau was a dedicated and respected public servant. We were proud to call him a colleague, and even more proud to call him a friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Lucille, his children, Marc and Renee and his entire family,” said Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano in a written statement. The senator helped to bring Rhode Island out of a crisis in its workers' compensation system in 1990. More recently, he pushed successful legislation to allow Rhode Islanders access to less expensive Canadian pharmaceuticals, as well as legislation repealing one of the last remaining blue laws, allowing liquor stores to open on Sundays, according to the Senate press office. -- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Badeau was a member of the former House District 66 Committee. He served as vice chairman of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Board of Directors for over a decade. He was a member of the Workers Compensation Advisory Commission since 1995, and the Unemployment Insurance Board. He served as board director of the Woonsocket Energy and Hydro Board from 1978 to 1982. He was involved in numerous civic and social organizations, including the Italian Workingmen’s Club; Circle Laurier, Inc.; Club Par-X; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge 850; St. Joseph’s Veterans Association; and as president of St. Joseph’s Parish Council. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:39 PM | Comment Update: Not fire, but chemical reaction, at Intake CenterCRANSTON -- What officials initially thought was a fire turned out to be a smoky chemical reaction in a laundry room this afternoon at the Intake Center at the Adult Correctional Institutions. Prison officials evacuated inmates, staff and visitors after the reaction involving chlorine bleach occurred around 3:05 p.m. Poole said Cranston firefighters encountered thick smoke and strong odors. And Cranston fire officials said the department dispatched its hazardous materials team to help contain the problem. Poole said the ACI, on the advice of the hazardous material team, will move about 60 inmates with cells above the laundry room to vacant cells in another part of the building. It was unclear, by 6 p.m., what had caused the chemical reaction. Poole said there was no reason to expect foul play. Male prisoners stay in the Intake Center until they have been sentenced and classified. The building also includes a visitors’ area. -- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:28 PM | Comment Update: 184 seek to be convention delegates from R.I.More than 180 Rhode Island residents are vying for a chance to cast the state’s official votes for president at the presidential conventions. The Secretary of State’s Office has certified that 184 residents have collected the 150 signatures needed to get their name on the March 4 primary ballot. Leading the way are candidates seeking to serve as delegates for Mike Huckabee, with 41 certified who want to cast their vote for the Republican at the September convention in St. Paul, Minn. As for Democrats, Hillary Clinton led with 31 looking for a seat at the Democratic presidential convention in Denver this August, including former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino. Also in the Democratic aisle, former Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty is vying for Barack Obama, and Governor Carcieri for Mitt Romney. On the Republican side, other notable candidates for delegate spots are Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian for Rudolph Guiliani and House Minority Leader Bob Watson for John McCain. On Feb. 1, Secretary of State Ralph Mollis holds a lottery at the State House to determine the order that the names will appear on the ballot. On March 4, Democratic voters will elect 13 delegates and 4 alternates to their convention. Republicans will elect 17 delegates and 17 alternates. In all, the Republicans will have 20 delegates and Democrats will have 32. The difference is made up by rules related to demographic make up that aim to ensure fair representation at the parties’ conventions. There are also some delegate appointments mandated by job title. For example, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline is a delegate by virtue of his being the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors -- a post to which he was elected at the group's winter meeting this week. See all the names and numbers of potential delegates on the secretary of state’s Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:51 PM | Comment Update: 2 young Warwick women die in crash / Photos
The police identified the victims this morning as Kelly Ann Richer, 22, of 111 Potowomut Road, Warwick, and Heather Drew, 18, of 217 Ives Road, Warwick. Both women lived near the accident scene, and the police believe Richer, heading east on Ives Road, was driving Drew home when the Chevrolet Cavalier they were traveling in went off the road and struck a tree. "We've had quite a number of fatal accidents there over the years," Police Lt. Kenneth LaForce said this morning. It was the first fatal accident of the year in Warwick. The investigation is ongoing, but according to Maj. Joseph Tavares, it seems that excessive speed was a factor and that the two were not wearing seatbelts. And at this point in the investigation, police have not ruled out drinking: "We haven't confirmed it," Tavares said, "we have not ruled it out." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti
At about 11:43 last night, the police were dispatched to the accident and found the car off the eastbound side of Ives Road. The car was facing west. The police believe Richer was driving east on Ives Road when she swerved to avoid going off the road to her right, according to the police. The police believe the car then crossed the center line, to its left, and spun 180 degrees before traveling backwards off the road and hitting a tree off the eastbound side of the road. The car hit the tree on the driver's side, causing extensive damage to the left side and rear of the car. Both women were taken to Kent Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. After talking to the boyfriend, the police are looking into whether the women had been drinking, according to McCartney. They are awaiting toxicology tests. Richer was planning to move from her residence today, and the police believe Drew had been helping her pack. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 4:50 PM | Comment Oster bribery, conspiracy trial to begin MondayPROVIDENCE — Former Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster’s trial on bribery and conspiracy charges will begin Monday. Lawyers for the state and the defendant agreed on the makeup of the jury this afternoon. Asst. Atty. Gen. William Ferland and defense lawyer C. Leonard O’Brien culled out 15 potential jurors, including at least three Lincoln residents, during today’s morning session with Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia. The process had begun Wednesday with jurors filling out questionnaires and the followed with the lawyers questioning randomly selected jurors on specifics yesterday. The questions usually centered on the potential juror’s attitudes toward the police, whether they would hold it against a defendant if he didn’t testify on his own behalf and their feelings about tape-recorded evidence. The 12-woman, four man panel — twelve jurors and four alternates — was ordered to ignore news accounts and not discuss the case with anyone. Oster is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy dating back to his 2000-2002 tenure in office. The case was delayed for several years while pre-trial disputes over evidence, some of it gathered for the first time under the state’s wiretapping laws, were appealed to the state Supreme Court. That appeal resulted in many of the tapes being thrown out because of they were not stored in accordance with state law and the judge’s orders. Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:04 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Are you living in a house divided?Are you living in a house divided, a die-hard Patriots fan living with a family member who is rooting for the Giants? If so, can you laugh about it, or will you be watching the Super Bowl on separate TVs — maybe even in separate places?. Send your stories — please be sure to include your name, address and daytime phone number — to sendus@projo.com. We’ll publish the best of the bunch the the day before the Big Game. Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 4:00 PM | Comment Ice buildup doomed New Bedford fishing vesselAn official investigation into the sinking last year of a New Bedford fishing vessel has affirmed what many fishermen and officials believed from the start: Lady of Grace probably sank because of ice buildup. The ship sank on Jan. 26, 2007 12 miles south of Hyannis, Mass. The four people on board died. During the investigation, Coast Guard officials spoke with other crews that were on the water at the time, and referred to weather data to reconstruct weather conditions. Naval Architects at the Coast Guard center in Washington, D.C., also aided in the investigation. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the fishermen who died," Capt. Raymond Perry, commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, said in a statement. "While these experienced New Bedford fishermen lost their lives, we hope that their legacy and the lessons learned from the investigation will help keep similar tragedies from happening." Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:58 PM | Comment Cicilline is new president of Democratic mayors groupProvidence Mayor David N. Cicilline has been elected president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, it was announced today. “It is truly an honor to be elected to lead the nation’s Democratic mayors at such a critical time in our history,” said Cicilline in a press release. “As we prepare to elect the next president of the United States, it’s important that candidates focus on the issues impacting America’s families such healthcare, education, energy and jobs. I pledge to work harder than ever in partnership with other mayors and Congressional leaders to advance the priorities of America’s cities.” Cicilline, who held the position of vice president of the organization for the past year, succeeds former Shirley Franklin, the mayor of Atlanta. He was elected to the post by mayors from throughout the country. NCDM is described as providing a forum for Democratic mayors to develop, recommend and promote public policies in support of America’s cities. It also acts as a liaison between the United States Conference of Mayors, Congressional leadership and leaders at all levels of government. Cicilline is now in Washington, D.C., at the winter meeting of the Conference of Mayors, his office said. The award is made in recognition of Cicilline's leadership with the Hospitality Resource Partnership he established a year ago to help deal with issues created by late-night crowds and rowdiness in the city's downtown. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:55 PM | Comment Pats' Brady a no-show again at early practice / Photo
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl Belichick, seen on the screen of a television camera, waves goodbye as he concludes his morning news conference.
During the 45-minute period in the locker room, several cameramen lingered near his locker, but he didn't show up. Nor was he there for the first 12 minutes of practice that the media was allowed to watch. Asked if he could say whether Brady would practice today, New England coach Bill Belichick said, "not now. We'll see." Brady was photographed in New York on Monday wearing a protective boot on his right foot. He took it off later in the day and hasn't been photographed wearing it since. He reportedly has a minor high ankle sprain that isn't expected to keep him out of the Super Bowl against the New York Giants on Feb. 3. Brady wasn't seen during the first 15 minutes of yesterday's workout to which media were admitted, nor in the locker room. As Belichick was asked today to compare the current trip to the Super Bowl to the other three the team has played in, vice president of media relations Stacey James said, "final question." One reporter tried to squeeze in another, asking if Belichick could say what Brady did or didn't do yesterday, the Patriots first day of practice after a three-day break. "Was that the last question?" Belichick said with a smile, turning toward James. "That was the last question," James replied. With that, Belichick walked from the podium and out of the room. -- The Associated Press Extra: Get the full transcript of Belichick's press conference today and keep up with the latest Patriots developments via projo.com's PatsBlog.
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:08 PM | Comment Cumberland High briefly under lockdownCUMBERLAND -- A lockdown followed by a pulled fire alarm have kept Cumberland High School busy today. This morning, the school resource officer received information about an "incident" that was going to take place at the school, according to police. At 11:15, the school was put on "lockdown," according to Lt. Michael Duda, which meant students had to stay in their classrooms. The lockdown lasted until noon, Duda said, when the regular class schedule resumed. Meanwhile, police interviewed several students who were said to have been involved in the "incident." No details are available on what that means. Things were heading back to normal, when, at about 1 p.m., the fire alarm was pulled. Rescue and fire crews were responding to the school. -- Journal staff writer Philip Marcelo Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:42 PM | Comment Johnston finance director leaving the positionJOHNSTON — Finance Director Stephen Woerner has resigned and will be replaced by Woonsocket’s acting finance director, Robert Strom, Mayor Joseph M. Polisena said today. Woerner, who has been one of the leaders of Johnston’s financial recovery effort, is leaving to pursue another “business opportunity,” said Polisena. The mayor didn't elaborate. who did not “I held onto him as long as I could,” Polisena said. “It’s a loss. It really is.” Polisena said that the town’s finances are in much better order than they were when he took office a year ago. Strom will take office by Feb. 18, he said. The mayor reported that the town would have a new finance director on Feb. 18, Pitochelli said. He said that he and the mayor did not discuss the reason for Woerner's departure. -- Journal staff writer Mark Reynolds Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:07 PM | Comment Charlestown parcel added to roster of protected landsThe state has added more than 40 acres to its list of protected open spaces in Rhode Island. The newest area is a 43-acre wooded property near the drainage basin of Worden's Pond in Charlestown. The state bought a $363,000 conservation easement on he property, paid for by a federal grant and $61,000 in open space funds. The property is adjacent to another parcel of land that is protected by the federal forest legacy program, the South Kingstown Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy. It will remain available for scientific study and occasional access by conservation groups as well as for other educational purposes. The land will remain privately owned by Larry Webster, who will also manage it with the help of a forest management plan approved by the state Department of Environmental Management. The state has more than 2,000 acres of forest land that is protected from development and non-forest uses. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:03 PM | Comment Update: Suspect in wife's murder waives extraditionMurder suspect David Swain waived extradition this morning to Tortola, but it could be several weeks before he returns to the Caribbean island to face the charge. Jeffrey Denner, one of Swain's attorneys, says the former Jamestown Town Council member, has "nothing to hide" and is anxious to return to the Caribbean, clear his name and get on with his life. However, it could be several months, if not more, before Swain, a 51-year-old scuba shop owner, faces a jury. Swain, who is charged with killing his wife during a scuba vacation in 1999, won't likely face a trial until the fall, said Denner. Denner said the wheels of justice move just as slowly in Tortola. Even though they have fewer cases than courts here, they also have fewer court workers. Swain is being held without bail at Donald W. Wyatt Federal Detention Center in Central Falls. Swain feels resolute and confident that he'll be found innocent, said Denner, but he also feels regret -- regret that he didn't use an attorney during his civil case, which led to a wrongful death finding. Denner said Swain didn't believe that a civil finding against him would lead to a criminal prosecution. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Jack Perry at 11:18 AM | Comment House fire in progress in WarwickFire crews are at the scene of a fire in progress at a Warwick residence. Fire officials say the fire is at 460 Greenbush Road, a two-story wooden building that was occupied at the time the call came in. It's unknown if there are any injuries.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:30 AM | Comment Be a tourist in your own stateThere’s no place like home. That’s what Governor Carcieri and his wife, Sue Carcieri, are saying as they prepare for Tour Rhode Island. The event is a one-day chance for residents to see what it is that brings millions of visitors to Rhode Island every year. For one day – Saturday, May 3 – there will be 24 tours running through the state, from open spaces to museums and galleries. More details about the tours will be released at a conference at 2 p.m. today in the State House. The Carcieris will be joined by Saul Kaplan, director for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, David DePetrillo, director of the Rhode Island Tourism Division, and other tourism industry heads. Andrew Schiff, the executive director of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank will also be on hand. Throughout the day, “local tourists” will be asked to donate food for the Food Bank. Tickets are $30 for all admissions, transportation and lunch. The only place to buy tickets will be to call AAA Southern New England at (877)-874-7845. A portion of the proceeds will go to Tourism Cares, an industry organization that donates to charities and works to preserve historic sites. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:14 AM | Comment Update: Power returned to 4,000 in northwest R.I.Power has been returned to about 4,000 customers in the northwest part of the state after a morning blackout. David Graves, spokesman for National Grid, says a burned wire near the Scituate substation caused the outage just before 7 a.m. to residents in Foster, Glocester and Scituate. By about 7:40 power was restored to about 3,200 customers. The remaining customers were able to turn the lights back on by 9:05. The company is still looking into the cause of the outage. Elementary and regional schools in Foster and Gloucester were closed because of the outage, and the the schedule at North Foster Day Care has been delayed. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:50 AM | Comment Year over for Year UpA program aimed at getting teenagers and young adults an opportunity to get some education and job training beyond high school is celebrating its most recent graduating class today. Twenty-two graduates of Year Up Providence, the regional chapter of the national Year Up program, will be on hand today at the Westin to celebrate graduation. The graduates will be joined by House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, D-Providence, Providence Police Chief Col. Dean Esserman, and maybe Mayor David Cicilline, who was invited. After completing the one-year program, 60 percent of this year’s graduating class has already secured work in the information technology field with companies that include Bank of America, Citizen’s Bank, Collette Vacations and Lifespan. The graduates are meeting today at the Westin Providence hotel at 11:30 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:31 AM | Comment Man charged in scuba death faces extradition hearingPROVIDENCE -- A man charged with killing his wife while scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands will be back in court. David Swain, a former Jamestown town council member, is scheduled for an extradition hearing in federal court in Providence today. That could result in Swain being sent back to the British Virgin Island to stand trial on a murder charge. He has the option of waiving extradition, which could speed up his return to the Caribbean. Authorities there charged him last year in the 1999 death of his wife, Shelley Tyre. He has maintained his innocence, but a jury in 2006 found his responsible for her death and ordered him to pay damages to her parents. A lawyer for the Tyres say Swain was pursuing a relationship with another woman and killed Tyre for money. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Chilly and then a chance of snow tomorrow nightHold in there, the temperature won't stay in the teens all day. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 30 degrees with clear, sunny skies and a west wind between 9 and 13 mph. It's back down to the teens tonight, with a low temperature of 16 degrees and a milder west wind. Tomorrow looks the same, with a high of about 31 degrees and mostly sunny skies with a mild north wind. We may see some snow late tomorrow night, with a low temperature near 20. Sunday, look for more snow -- there's a 30 percent chance of precipitation -- and a high temperature in the mid 30s. Sunday night may bring more snow, when the temperature dips to the mid 20s. Monday looks good for now, with a high temperature in the mid 30s and clear, sunny skies. For weather updates throughout the weekend, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page asks readers what they'd do with the tax rebate approved by leading lawmakers in Washington yesterday. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 24, 2008Tonight: A child's story on PBS; music in the clubsA one-hour documentary on Rhode Island PBS tonight offers the story of a 4-year-old boy with Down syndrome who is enrolled in a regular-education classroom at Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center in Providence. The documentary starts at 10 p.m. For information, go to www.ripbs.org. For those heading out this evening, there's rock and jazz in Providence. Mark Cutler and Friends play rock and rhythm and blues at Nick-A-Nees, 75 South St., Providence. 861-7290. 9 p.m. to midnight. No cover. The Rich Lataille Trio with Mike Tanaka play jazz at Chez Ben Restaurant, 345 South Water St., Providence. 521-7722, www.chezben-fahrenheit.com. 7 to 10 p.m. No cover. For tonight's other club listings, check out projo.com's list. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Jury selection begins in former Lincoln official's trialPROVIDENCE -- Jury selection for former Lincoln town administrator Jonathan F. Oster’s bribery and conspiracy trial finished its first full day today, when eight potential jurors were excused as both sides sought to agree on a 12-member/two alternate jury. Two dozen prospective jurors were interviewed during today’s proceedings, and the process is expected to resume tomorrow morning. Superior Court Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia also released a pre-trial evidence ruling that said the state could a series of conversations between ex-Planning Board member Robert R. Picerno and others as it tries to make its case against Oster. The state had asked that the conversations be admitted under a rule of evidence that permits statements that might otherwise be banned under the rules against hearsay. Indeglia ruled that the conversations that occurred before Picerno’s arrest on Feb. 15, 2002 could be used by the state as evidence of a possible bribery conspiracy. But, under that same hearsay exception rule, he excluded and conversations that took place after Feb.15, reasoning that after the arrest, any possible conspiracy between Picerno and Oster would have been over. Indeglia’s ruling noted his ruling was based on “proffers” of evidence by both sides, not actual sworn testimony in the case, and that he was reserving the right to reconsider the ruling during trial, “should the evidence presented to the jury differ substantially from what has been proffered.” The jury selection questioning provided a glimpse into the minds of both sides in the case. Besides general questions about their ability to presume a defendant innocent and whether his not testifying in a trial would affect their verdict, potential jurors were asked about their opinion of hidden microphone evidence and how much credibility they would give to a witness who had made a deal with prosecutors to accept a lesser charge in exchange for this testimony. Oster is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy dating back to his 2000-2002 tenure in office. The case was delayed for several years while pre-trial disputes over evidence, some of it gathered for the first time under the state’s wiretapping laws, were appealed to the state Supreme Court. -- Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:40 PM | Comment Brown to cut its bill even for the upper middle classPROVIDENCE - Brown University is the latest elite institution to consider expanding financial aid to help more middle-class and upper-middle-class families afford steep college costs, which total more than $48,000 a year for Brown undergraduates. In the last month, several colleges with large endowments have announced dramatic increases in scholarship money for middle-income students, following the high-profile announcements of Harvard and Yale. Brown's governing board is expected to discuss the matter when it meets Feb. 23, said James Tilton, the university's financial aid director. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our financial aid awards, not only for needy students but for all students," Tilton said. Tilton declined to release details about what changes Brown might make. About 43 percent of Brown's freshman class - the largest percentage in the university's history - received financial aid, with the average scholarship being $25,500 a year. "We are looking very closely at making adjustments to our financial aid programs," Tilton said, "and will discuss those issues with our corporation in February." Jennifer D. Jordan
A growing recognition that even families earning between $100,000 and $200,000 are struggling to pay for college prompted some wealthy universities and colleges to dig deeper into their sizeable endowments and offer scholarships and grants once reserved for lower income students. But the move has also sparked debate, particularly among groups that argue any increase in scholarships should benefit the neediest students, who otherwise would be shut out of higher education. Following decisions over the years by Princeton University and a handful of small select schools, such as Amherst and Williams colleges, to offer more financial assistance to middle-income students and replace loans with scholarships, Harvard and Yale made similar announcements in the last month and a half. Harvard and Yale, the country's two wealthiest universities, both said they would increase their financial aid budgets by more than $20 million next year. Harvard, with an endowment of $34.6 billion, will allow families earning between $120,000 and $180,000 a year to pay just 10 percent of their income toward their child's college costs. At Yale, which has a $22.5-billion endowment, families earning between $60,000 and $120,000 will pay from 1 percent to 10 percent of Yale's $45,000 annual costs. Both Harvard and Yale said that students from families earning less than $60,000 will pay nothing. Since then, other schools with healthy endowments, including Duke University, have made similar decisions. On Tuesday, Dartmouth College announced that students with family incomes of $75,000 or less will receive free tuition - $35,000 of the total cost of $45,000 - and student loans will be replaced with scholarships. The Ivy League college cited census data that shows 70 percent of U.S. households earn less than $75,000 a year, and the median family income is $46,326. Virtually all of the universities and colleges expanding their aid offerings are in a select tier - schools with endowments of more than $500 million or $1 billion. Brown's $2.3-billion endowment ranks 26th nationally. The rest of the state's colleges and universities rank far lower, and none come close to the half-billion mark. Several of these colleges offer merit-based aid to attract competitive middle-income students to their schools, a practice also called "tuition discounting." In recent years, Providence College has moved to reduce merit-based aid while increasing scholarships for needy students, in an effort to lure more low-income and first-generation students. The Dominican college, with an endowment of $136 million, is unable to offer upper-middle-income students as much scholarship money as wealthy Ivy League universities are now doing, said Christopher Lydon, who heads PC's admissions and financial aid division. "We are not in a position, endowment-wise, to answer every move other colleges make," Lydon said. Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:38 PM | Comment Missing: Cranston police search for group home residentCRANSTON -- The police are looking for a mentally challenged man who left home to take a walk last night and hasn’t returned. Frank Burgess, 46, is a client of Gateway Health Services, a group home located at 91 Wentworth Ave. here in the city, said Commander Kevin Lynch. Case Manager Delima Cartin called police today when Burgess did not come home after telling staff he was going to walk through the neighborhood Wednesday. Burgess is described as a white male, standing 5 feet 11 inches, and weighing about 250 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes and was last seen wearing blue jeans, white sneakers and a dark green “winter snorkel jacket” with a red lining and fur around the hood, Lynch said. Thursday police walked the neighborhood searching for Burgess, who has a history of walking away from the center. Officers checked Burgess’ usual haunts in Providence’s Washington Park area -- a McDonald’s restaurant, and Crossroads Family Shelter, both on Broad Street. A message was also sent to all police departments in the state asking for help in locating Burgess, Lynch said. Thursday afternoon, neighborhood residents received an automated phone call from A Child Is Missing, a community notification system, Lynch said. The message was sent to alert people that Burgess was missing and to ask them to contact police if they locate him. Police will continue to canvass the area until Burgess is located, Lynch said. Anyone with information about Burgess’ whereabouts is asked to call the Cranston Police Department at 942-2211. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:14 PM | Comment Student, struck by car, treated for minor injuriesPROVIDENCE -- A 13-year-old student at Perry Middle School was struck by a car as she walked to school this morning. Sgt. Paul F. Zienowicz said the student, whose name was not immediately available, suffered minor injuries and was treated at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The accident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. at the intersection of Hartford and Laurel Hill avenues. Zienowicz said a westbound motorist on Hartford stopped her car to allow the female student to cross the street, and when she did, the driver of a car on Laurel Hill mistook the stop as a gesture to allow him to drive out onto Hartford. When the driver turned left onto Hartford, he looked at the stopped car rather than where he was going, and his car struck the pedestrian, the sergeant said. The driver of the car that struck the pedestrian -- his name was withheld pending completion of a report on the accident -- was issued a summons to appear at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal on a charge of failing to exercise due care. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:42 PM | Comment Reporters' query: Senior projectsThis year, for the first time, high school seniors have to complete two of three options to receive their diploma: end-of-course exams, a portfolio, or a senior project. We want to hear from students, parents and teachers about their experiences with the new system. Are students feeling overwhelmed, or well-prepared? Do parents understand the new system and think the portfolios and projects are meaningful? Do teachers think they have received enough support to create the new assessment tools and grade them? Please send your comments and concerns and whether you would be available for an interview to education reporter Jennifer D. Jordan by Jan. 30, (401) 277-7254, jjordan@projo.com Posted by maria caporizzo at 4:22 PM | Comment Brown aims to cut its greenhouse gases by 42%PROVIDENCE -- To be a better friend to the environment, Brown University laid out a plan today with the aim of cutting the greenhouse gases it puts out to 42 percent below levels produced last year. The goal is to reach that drop by 2020. A university news release said Brown, effective immediately, will also enforce a requirement that emissions be reduced by up to 50 percent for all new buildings and newly acquired buildings. “I am pleased that Brown is taking a leadership role by significantly cutting our greenhouse gas emissions,” Ruth J. Simmons, Brown University president, said in the statement. She added: "It is important to lead by example, taking action to preserve and protect the planet.” Here's the plan: * Cut greenhouse gas emissions to 42 percent below 2007 levels, which equates to 15 percent below 1990 levels, for existing buildings. Interim goals will be set as soon as possible and monitored annually. * Limit the emissions by cutting energy consumption for all new construction to between 25 percent and 50 percent below the standard required by state code. * Reduce emissions for all newly acquired buildings by a minimum of 15 percent and as much as 30 percent.
“We took a hard look at our energy consumption and the environmental impact of our facilities and came up with a series of substantive, yet achievable goals,” Chris Powell, advisory committee members and director of sustainable energy and environmental initiatives. “By reducing the carbon footprint of our campus, Brown can make a measurable contribution to the effort that is underway to reduce the man-made influences to global warming on an international scale.” The university said it will accomplish the reductions by doing such things as: * Switching fuel that powers the central heat plant to cleaner natural gas when available. * Using new lighting technologies. * Increasing buildings' energy efficiency. * Using renewable energy sources "when appropriate," the release says. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:12 PM | Comment Photo: Some not-so-familiar faces QB at Pats' practice
Photos and video of Brady wearing a walking boot in New York City Sunday night sparked concerns over his health. Today, in a press conference before practice, Coach Bill Belichick had this to say: Q. Can you comment on Tom Brady’s foot and any concerns you may have? Q. Is he going to practice today, regular practice?
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:55 PM | Comment Key witness back on stand in officer's burglary trial
Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:22 PM | Comment Fans invited to Super Bowl sendoff at GilletteThe Patriots are going to the Super Bowl, but most New Englanders aren’t. So Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is giving fans one last chance to say goodbye before the team leaves for sunny Arizona. See the AFC Champions off Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The entire team, Coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft will say a quick hello before leaving on their trip to the Super Bowl, where they’ll meet the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The event and parking will be free. The gates will open at 9 a.m., and the sendoff starts at 10. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:49 PM | Comment Photo: A cool car from front to back
Posted by Jack Perry at 2:25 PM | Comment Major testifies about differing smoke-shop trial evidencePROVIDENCE -- State Police Maj. Steven G. O’Donnell testified today that he did not know why his witness statements were not immediately turned over to lawyers defending the seven Narragansett Indians charged in the smoke-shop raid as they prepared for trial. Providence County Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl ordered O’Donnell and other high-ranking state police officials to testify about why their department failed to disclose documents as part of the pre-trial discovery process. She asked for their testimony as she considers a motion by defense lawyers that the case should be dismissed because their clients’ rights to due process were violated by the lack of disclosure. At issue is a packet the state police turned over to the court Jan. 11 after being subpoenaed to disclose all information related to the raid. It contained witness statements from O’Donnell, one of the commanders at the scene of the July 2003 raid, that differ from accounts provided a week earlier. O’Donnell said yesterday that he did not know why only one statement was turned over prior to the subpoena. He explained that the that the reports differed because one was a draft, while the other was a final version. The draft version, he said, did not include observations of Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas’s arrest because he added those details after reading other witness statements and viewing videotape of the raid.
The state police executed a search warrant on a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown at Governor Carcieri’s order on July 14, 2003, to stop the Narragansetts from selling cigarettes without charging Rhode Island taxes. The raid escalated into a confrontation that left at least eight people injured. Seven adult Narragansetts, including Chief Sachem Thomas, were arrested and now await trial for misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in Providence County Superior Court. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:36 PM | Comment Senators grill EPA chief over car emissions rulingWASHINGTON -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency stood firm today against a chorus of congressional criticism over his refusal to allow California and more than a dozen other states, including Rhode Island, to impose greenhouse gas reductions on cars and trucks. "I am bound by the criteria in the Clean Air Act, not people's opinions," EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson testified to the Senate's environmental panel. It was his first congressional appearance since issuing the controversial waiver denial last month. "The Clean Air Act does not require me to rubberstamp waiver decisions," Johnson said. "It was my conclusion that California didn't meet the criteria, or at least all of the criteria." Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the committee chairwoman, led committee Democrats in assailing Johnson's conclusion. "You're going against your own agency's mission and you're fulfilling the mission of some special interests," she chided him. California needs a federal waiver under the Clean Air Act to carry out its first-in-the-nation tailpipe law, which would force automakers to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016. If California got the waiver other states could then impose the same rules. Twelve other states have already adopted them -- Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington -- with others preparing to do so. California and other states sued EPA earlier this month over Johnson's decision. -- The Associated Press The EPA chief disputed Democratic suggestions that his decision was made under political pressure from the White House. "I was not directed by anyone to make the decision, this was my decision," Johnson insisted. He reiterated his position that it's better to have a single national standard for greenhouse gas emissions than different standards in different states. Congress' newly passed fuel efficiency law, signed by President Bush last month, provides such a national standard, he said. Environmentalists contend that California's law is much stronger and takes effect much faster than the new federal rules. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:23 PM | Comment Update: Twelve people displaced by a Providence firePROVIDENCE -- Twelve people are put out of their homes after a fire in the triple-decker at 15 Joslin St. Four of the occupants were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for possible smoke inhalation, according to Battalion Chief Daniel Crowley. The building holds four apartments, including an apartment in the basement. There is smoke damage throughout. The first floor is gutted -- and that is where it's believed the fire originated. Investigators are trying to figure out the fire's cause. Crews were sent to the scene at 11:45 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:12 PM | Comment Update: Cranston rink to reopenThe Cranston Veterans Ice Rink should reopen before the school day ends, according to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The rink was evacuated last night after elevated levels of carbon monoxide were detected. Fire and state Health officials have been on hand inspecting the rink this morning, making sure it was OK for skaters to return to the ice. “We should be ready for operation within the hour,” Tony Liberatore, Parks director, said at about 12:15 p.m. All events had been canceled, Liberatore said, but once the rink reopens, the park will return to its regular schedule, which can be found on the rink’s Web site. “There was really not a major problem,” he said. Rink managers called the Fire Department around 8:45 p.m. after two people reported “flu-like” symptoms, according to Cranston Fire Chief Richard Delgado. A hand-held device recorded a slightly elevated level of the gas. Two rink employees and two girls’ hockey players were feeling ill. They were released from care after receiving oxygen, Liberatore said.
Their deaths prompted a public awareness campaign about the dangers of the odorless gas. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:31 PM | Comment Update: Arson ruled out in Newport carriage house fire
Police Lt. William Fitzgerald said police and fire officials want to reassure the public that the fire is not the work of the serial arsonist who alarmed the city last spring. The fire erupted about 6:30 last night, apparently in the attic of the carriage house, while the owner was at home, Fitzgerald said. The owner, Guy Vanpelt, noticed the fire in a second-floor ceiling and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, but it was already too entrenched. He activated a fire alarm and left the building, Fitzgerald said. He said the fire, battled by about 50 firefighters until about 11:30 p.m., caused extensive damage to the second floor and roof. The building should be able to be salvaged, he said. The cause of the fire, which could be related to a malfunction of the electrical system, was still under investigation this morning by the fire department and the state fire marshal’s office, Fitzgerald said. He said firefighters today were still on the scene watching for possible hot spots in the building, and police blocked off Bellevue Avenue from Bowery to King streets because their hoses are in the road. Fitzgerald said he expects the fire department to finish its watch by early afternoon. The carriage house is adjacent to the Kingscote mansion, which is owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The mansion was not damaged in the fire. -- Journal staff writer Gina Macris Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:14 PM | Comment Carpio, convicted in detective's death, in Conn. prisonCRANSTON -- A man imprisoned for killing a Providence police detective at the city's public safety complex has been transferred to Connecticut to continue serving his life sentence. The state Department of Corrections says Esteban Carpio was moved out of state in November at his own request. Department spokeswoman Tracey Poole says Carpio felt he could have a more normal prison experience in another state. Carpio was convicted of killing Detective Sgt. James Allen in a third-floor office at the police headquarters in April 2005. Allen had been questioning him about the stabbing of an elderly woman earlier in the day when Carpio grabbed the detective's gun and shot him. He escaped the police station from a third-story window, then was captured on the street after a violent skirmish with police. A jury convicted Carpio in June 2006 after rejecting his insanity defense. A judge sentenced him to life without parole. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:55 AM | Comment Carcieri orders flags lowered in honor of Judge GallantGovernor Carcieri today ordered state flags lowered to half-staff in honor of retired Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Eugene G. Gallant, who died Monday. Flags will stay that way through Saturday. “Judge Gallant devoted most of his life to public service,” Carcieri said in a statement. “He epitomized the American success story, a self-made man who earned the respect of his peers and also gave back to a community in need. He will be missed.” Read Journal staff writer Tracy Breton's obituary for Gallant published today. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:45 AM | Comment Langevin to bring Crossroads president to Bush speechThe president of Crossroads Rhode Island is taking a trip to Washington. U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, D-R.I., announced today that he will be bringing Anne Nolan with him to the president's final State of the Union address. Crossroads is the largest homeless services organization in Rhode Island. U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., previously announced that he will bring Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee, a Democract, as his guest. Bush will deliver the speech on Monday, Jan. 28. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:37 AM | Comment Two to be arraigned for break at Romney headquartersBOSTON -- Former Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign headquarters was broken into for the second time in four months early today, but campaign officials said there was no indication the alleged theft was politically motivated. Daniel Bradley, 28, and Michael Sauer, 30, both of Cambridge, were scheduled to be arraigned today on a charge of breaking and entering at night with the intent to commit a felony. The pair were caught stealing computer equipment at Romney's Commercial Street headquarters, according to a police report. In the September burglary, several laptop computers and a television were stolen. Boston police officer Eddy Chrispin said there's no indication the two breaks were related. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said the campaign "was grateful to the Boston police for their rapid response." "There is no indication this was politically motivated," he said. -- The Associated Press According to a police report, a guard monitoring security cameras at Romney's headquarters spotted the two men taking computers. When police arrived about 1 a.m., they stopped Bradley and Sauer as they attempted to leave in a car. They searched the car, and found a computer box in the back seat as well as open bottles of beer. They also found crowbars and pry marks on the windows at the rear and side of Romney's building, according to the report. Police said Bradley had six outstanding warrants, including breaking and entering and receiving stolen property. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:15 AM | Comment Former Duke lacrosse coach sues for slander, libelDURHAM, N.C. -- The former Duke lacrosse coach who lost his job after a stripper claimed three players raped her at a party in 2006 has sued the school and its top spokesman, claiming slander and libel. The rape case was later debunked, and the prosecutor who pursued the charges was disbarred last year. Mike Pressler's lawsuit said Duke's senior vice president of public affairs and government relations, John Burness, made slanderous and defamatory comments about him to the media. Pressler now coaches the men's lacrosse team at Bryant University in Smithfield. He also has written a book about the lacrosse case. Pamela Bernard, Duke vice president and general counsel, said yesterday that the lawsuit has no merit and "is yet another attempt to reopen a sealed matter." Last week, attorneys for Pressler withdrew their request for a judge to rescind a settlement agreement between Pressler and Duke so they could pursue this lawsuit. At that time, lawyers representing Duke said they would fight the allegations. They also argued that any case by Pressler against his former employer should go through arbitration first. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 11:10 AM | Comment U.S. Senate to consider vehicle emissions lawsThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is meeting to discuss the federal government’s decision not to allow the state of California to set its own vehicle emissions standards, which more than a dozen states across the country – including Rhode Island -- had intended to adapt. See a live Webcast of the proceedings online at C-SPAN, (you must have the Real Play installed to view). Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is a member of the committee. The federal Clean Air Act gives California the option to enact its own pollution standards for cars. Since 2002, the state has been developing standards that limit the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In 2005, California officially adopted standards that were intended to curb greenhouse has emissions by 30 percent by 2016. That same year, Rhode Island adopted the regulations. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency denied California's request for the waiver it needed before the new standards could go into effect. Earlier this month, Rhode Island and 15 other states joined a lawsuit against the EPA filed by the state of California. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:28 AM | Comment Girl, 13, struck by car in front of schoolPROVIDENCE -- A young teenager was injured in front of a middle school this morning. The 13-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle at Hartford Avenue and Laurel Hill Avenue, in front of Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence fire department. The girl is being transported to Hasbro Children's Hospital with a leg injury, Taylor said. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:30 AM | Comment Judge to hear testimony in smoke-shop casePROVIDENCE -- A judge will hear testimony today from state police officials about why they failed to disclose dozens of documents related to a 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop. The hearing comes as Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl considers whether to dismiss charges against seven members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe accused of resisting arrest or fighting with state troopers during the raid. Defense lawyers say they got the documents too late and want McGuirl to toss the case. They received the reports only after one of the lawyers issued a subpoena to the state police. Prosecutors are fighting the request and say they hadn't even known some of the documents existed. McGuirl says the Narragansetts' trial will start February 25th if she decides not to dismiss the charges. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Snow showers later todayScattered snow showers should fall on the region later today and possibly continue into the evening with little accumulation, according to the National Weather Service. The sky will be cloudy and the high temperature should reach about 32 degrees before dropping to about 15 degrees tonight. Wind gusts could reach 26 mph. tonight. Wind chills will drop to near zero at dawn tomorrow, the weather service says. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story reporting on organized labor's reaction to Governor Carcieri's attempt to close the stae's budget gap as outlined in his State of the State address Tuesday. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 23, 2008Tonight: U2 goes 3D on the big, big, big screenYou can catch U2, arguably the last rock band with wide appeal to stand the test of time, on the big screen -- the very big screen -- tonight. "U2 3D" opens today on the Feinstein IMAX Theater in Providence Place mall, with shows at 9:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. There was also a showing at 4:45 p.m. Each showing is one hour, 20 minutes. As of 6:30 p.m., tickets were still available for tonight's showings. Read what Journal arts writer Michael Janusonis had to say about it. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Former Warwick man pleads guilty in $15 million scamA former Warwick man pleaded guilty this morning to federal charges in connection with an Internet sales scheme that bilked nearly $15 million from people across the country. The company claimed to sell electronic supplies and equipment. One Mixitforme customer likened the Providence company’s sales methods as “a pyramid scheme” in which it appears money coming in to the company one day was used to fill some orders from the day before. The customer, from Stony Brook, N.Y., said after receiving some small orders from Mixitforme, he ordered 6,000 PSPs and 5,400 PlayStation 2 video-game units, which he never received. Federal authorities charged Cory Johnson, formerly of 272 Pierce Ave., Warwick, this month with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for his role in Mixitforme.com, a defunct Providence Internet retailer. Johnson ran the company with a second man, David Whitaker, who has left the state. Some former Mixitforme employees said they told federal authorities that Whitaker would regularly sweep the company’s overnight receipts before they could buy products, using the money to pay for clothing, medical bills and other personal expenses. Johnson faces up to 15 years in prison and fines totaling $500,000 for his part in a 2005 scam that left electronics distributors and others out millions of dollars, according to federal court documents. Appearing this morning in U.S. District Court in Providence, Johnson responded quietly to questioning by Judge William E. Smith, ultimately agreeing to the federal fraud charges. His lawyer, William J. Delaney, of Reavis Cianciolo LLC, declined comment this morning. Johnson has surrendered his passport to federal authorities but remains free on a $50,000 unsecured bond. As a condition of his release, Johnson must limit his travel to Pennsylvania, where he now lives, and New Jersey, where he must sometimes travel for work. He also will be allowed to return Rhode Island to look after a house he owns in Warwick and to attend further court hearings. He is scheduled to return to federal court June 20 for sentencing by Smith. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 6:20 PM | Comment Narragansetts say grim times argue for a casinoCHARLESTOWN -- The Narragansett Indian Tribe used Governor Carcieri’s grim state of the state address to launch its latest casino plans, saying a gaming venture on its land would give Rhode Island a badly-needed financial boost. The tribe plans to ask state leaders this week to support its efforts to persuade Congress to repeal a law that requires the Narragansetts to seek statewide voter approval for high-stakes gaming on its 1,800 acres, Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas said. Once the law is rescinded, the tribe could immediately forge ahead with a destination casino, and its backers would promptly reward the state with a cash payment. “We’re looking to help the state immediately,” Thomas said. He would not specify how much the initial payment would be, but promised that the establishment would hire only Rhode Islanders for the estimated 3,500 jobs and buy local goods and supplies from Rhode Island businesses. “We’ll put it in writing,” he said. “The reality is we need a lot of jobs in this state.” The tribe will send letters seeking support to Governor Carcieri, House Speaker William J. Murphy and Senate President Joseph Montalbano by the end of the week.
But most state officials reached today and the Congressional delegation appear reluctant to embrace the tribe’s plans. Carcieri described Rhode Island as teetering at the edge of financial disaster in his address Tuesday night. The state is facing its most ominous deficit since the credit crisis in the early 1990s -- $151 million in the current year and up to $450 million in the budget year that begins July 1. This comes as the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe pursues a casino in Massachusetts with backing from Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman, principals of BLB Investors, the gambling conglomerate that owns Twin River. The Narragansetts’ announcement is the latest step in its nearly two-decade gaming quest. Last year, it pushed plans to open a slot parlor on par with Twin River on its land after voters rejected a proposal to change the state Constitution to allow it to build a casino in West Warwick with Harrah’s Entertainment. The tribe lobbied its Congressional delegation -- unsuccessfully -- to overturn the Chafee amendment, a law introduced by the late U.S. Sen. John Chafee in 1996 that bars the tribe from federal Indian gaming privileges on its 1,800 acres. Chafee said the measure closed a loophole, but critics charge that it strips the tribe of its rights. Thomas said the tribe’s new proposal would save the state from be forced to seek a Constitutional amendment to expand gambling at Twin River, as has been floated in recent months over local opposition. Sixty-five percent of Lincoln voters opposed allowing 24-hour gambling at Twin River, and 60 percent voted against allowing the facility to become a full-fledged casino in a special election last fall. The Narragansetts would construct a casino that would be competitive with Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mohegan Sun and any built in Massachusetts, Thomas said. It would be set on about 120 acres off Route 2 that the tribe cleared for a high-stakes bingo hall before the Chafee amendment passed. “We believe they should take a good look at this,” he said. “Hopefully, the leaders of Rhode Island will work with us.” The tribe will not have the governor’s support. “It’s not clear in what ways a casino would help the state budget,” said Jeff Neal, Carcieri’s spokesman. A private casino would only draw business away from Twin River and Newport Grand, both which pay the state roughly 60 percent of their slot revenue. Once a supporter of the tribe’s efforts to overturn the Chafee amendment, U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy has retreated from that stance in recent years, saying the Narragansetts would need the support of the full delegation. That seems unlikely since Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed and Rep. James R. Langevin yesterday repeated their opposition to changing the Chafee amendment yesterday. Langevin opposes any expansion of gambling in Rhode Island, said his spokeswoman Joy Fox. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:01 PM | Comment Doctors, nurses protest RIte Care cutsPROVIDENCE — Dressed in lab coats and clutching Spiderman Band-Aids, a platoon of medical students fanned out across the State House today, buttonholing legislators to argue against proposed cuts to the RIte Care program. Their guerrilla lobbying followed a protest in the rotunda, where health-care leaders lambasted Governor Carcieri for his attempts to strip nearly 9,000 low-income residents from the state’s health-care rolls. “It is a crisis of fairness,” K. Nicholas Tsiongas, president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, said, drawing applause from doctors and nurses holding placards on the marble staircase. “I am in despair of the recent course set for Rhode Island.” -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 5:40 PM | Comment Company bids $250,000 to operate lace works as isWEST WARWICK -- Palmisciano-Ponte Investment Group LLC was the high bidder, at $250,000, today to continue operating as the Riverpoint Lace Works, the textile dyeing and finishing company that has operated here for more than 80 years, and to preserve jobs for its 50 employees. This morning, receiver Theodore Orson, of the law firm of Orson and Brusini, gathered before about 30 people on the second floor of the mill, at 825 Main St., to discuss the sale terms. The company accepted different bid amounts depending on what the buyer wanted to do with the business. In addition to the $250,000 bid, two other bids came in to buy the assets as scrap. Finally, auctioneer Sal Corio, of SJ Corio Corporation in Warwick, led interested buyers through Lippitt Mill to bid on individual machines and the entire contents of rooms. Orson was to calculate which offer would generate the most money for the ailing textile firm. The winning bidder had until 5 p.m. to provide a check to the company for the full amount. The goal has been to have the business sold as a continuing business, allowing the company's workers to remain employed. Riverpoint Lace boasts that its plant, erected in 1809 as the Lippitt Manufacturing company, is the "oldest continuously operating textile mill in the United States." Its current owners acquired it in 1925. Over the decades, as the privately owned company saw many of its competitors move their operations overseas, it became increasingly difficult for the mill to continue operating. The auction was initially scheduled for last week, but Orson postponed it to give two prospective buyers time to consider purchasing the business and keep it going. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:35 PM | Comment 15 bridges in R.I. are similar to fatal Minneapolis bridgePROVIDENCE _ State transportation officials have begun recalculating the designs of a small but vital structural part in 15 Rhode Island bridges after a federal warning that a design flaw affecting similar parts may have caused the fatal collapse of the Minneapolis Bridge across the Mississippi River last August. Kazem Farhoumand, the acting chief engineer of the state Department of Transportation, said the bridge at the top of the list for review is the Sakonnet River Bridge, connecting Portsmouth to Tiverton, which already has a reduced weight posting because of deterioration and is to be replaced. The other 14 Rhode Island bridges are scattered across the state, from Woonsocket to Westerly. Farhoumand said the DOT reviews will be completed within 60 days, with an outside engineering company, Commonwealth Engineering, evaluating the Sakonnet River Bridge and DOT staff engineers doing the rest. The National Transportation Safety Board urged the review last week after investigators studying the wreckage in Minneapolis found that 16 gusset plates, at eight joints in its main span, had fractured. Gusset plates are flat, often roughly rectangular, steel plates. They are bolted or riveted to the sides of joints where a steel bridge's beams come together. They reinforce the joints, helping to resist the complex forces that alternately push and pull at them as traffic passes over the bridge and the load on it shifts. The plates are easily visible on the joints on the Sakonnet River Bridge. Farhoumand said there are 250 such joints on that bridge alone. Along with the plates, all but one of the Rhode Island bridges are supported by steel trusses and are considered "fracture-critical," or vulnerable to collapse if key structural elements fail. (The exception, the C.L. Hussey Memorial Bridge in North Kingston, is a concrete arch bridge, not a truss bridge, but has parts like gusset plates, the DOT said. A truss is a structure composed of triangular units built of relatively slender straight members.) The NTSB urged the owners of similar bridges to calculate whether the gusset plates and other structural elements were designed to be strong enough. The Rhode Island bridges were already on a list of 37 "fracture-critical" bridges the DOT put together for inspections last year, also at the urging of federal officials, after the Minneapolis collapse, which killed 13 persons and injured 145. List of bridge on next page. Bridge gusset design to be checked Shippee Burrillville
Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:30 PM | Comment Update: Turnout is light for Coventry bond referendum
Board of Canvassers clerks reported at about 3 p.m. turnout in the high 200s at each of the five polling places; the polling areas have on average a total of about 4,500 eligible voters. "It's very light. We got a lot of phone calls from people asking where do they have to go to vote," said Janis Jendzejec, head clerk of the Board of Canvassers. "I expected to see more than it is, especially with all the hoopla with the School Department." The package proposal includes $9 million for schools, including roof replacement, fire safety upgrades and heating system repairs. An additional $1 million would be used to renovate the athletic complex at Coventry High School. Voters will also be deciding on a $4.8 million plan to turn the former Flat River Middle School into a new Town Hall. The Coventry Senior Center would also go in the Flat River Middle School building. Another $4 million of the $19.8-million bond would go toward police facilities -- either a new headquarters or a thorough renovation of the existing building. Coventry Public Library would also benefit, with $1 million to expand, and the town’s public works department would get $500,000 for equipment and park maintenance. Today’s referendum is an all-or-nothing proposition, something critics have said may turn voters off, because they cannot pick and choose what projects to support. But if the proposal is approved, it would add an estimated 35 cents to the property tax rate – a home valued at $300,000 would see a $105 increase on the annual tax bill. Click below to find your polling place. -- projo.com staff writers Brandie M. Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks These five polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for today's referendum on a $19.8-million capital spending proposal: District 1: Christ Church, 321 Peckham Lane District 2: Town Hall, 1670 Flat River Rd. District 3: Club Jogues, 184 Boston St. District 4: Nino’s Restaurant, 446 Tiogue Ave. District 5: Coventry High School, 40 Reservoir Rd. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:22 PM | Comment Judge hears testimony in suit over foster-care systemPROVIDENCE -- A school psychologist and a foster mother testified about their relationships with two boys who are part of a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging major flaws in the state's foster care system. U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux asked the women to testify to determine if they have close enough relationships with the boys to represent their interests in the lawsuit. Lagueux is considering whether to dismiss the case -- and whether the two adults have standing to bring the lawsuit on behalf of the children. Seven children in foster care are identified as plaintiffs. Mary Melvin, a former foster mother for one of the seven children, says she still has pictures of the boy and cares about him, even though she has not seen him in a decade. The suit was brought by state Child Advocate Jametta Alston. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:15 PM | Comment Fire reported on Central Pike, ScituateSCITUATE -- Responders at this hour have gone to the scene of a fire reported on Central Pike, according to police/fire dispatch. No other information was available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:09 PM | Comment West Warwick textile mill goes up for auctionThe receiver of Riverpoint Lace Works, a textile dyeing and finishing company that has operated on Main Street, West Warwick, for more than 80 years, auctioned the assets of the company this morning. Receiver Theodore Orson, of the law firm of Orson and Brusini, gathered before about 30 people on the second floor of the mill, at 825 Main St., to discuss the terms of the sale this morning. The company accepted different bid amounts depending on what the buyer wanted to do with the business: They received a $250,000 bid from a company willing to continue operating the business as is. Two bids came in to buy the assets as scrap. Finally, auctioneer Sal Corio, of SJ Corio Corporation in Warwick, led interested buyers through Lippett Mill to bid on individual machines and the entire contents of rooms. Orson will calculate which offer will generate the most money for the ailing textile firm. The winning bidder has until 5 p.m. to provide a check to the company for the full amount. The winner will be announced at a press conference this evening, Orson said. The goal is to have the business sold as a continuing business, which will allow the company's 50 or so employees to remain employed. Riverpoint Lace boasts that its plant, erected in 1809 as the Lippitt Manufacturing company, is the "oldest continuously operated textile mill in the United States." Its current owners acquired it in 1925. Over the decades, as the privately owned company saw many of its competitors move their operations overseas, it became increasingly difficult for the mill to continue operating. The auction was initially scheduled for last week, but Orson postponed it to give two prospective buyers time to consider purchasing the business and keeping it going. -- Journal Staff Writer Talia Buford Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:38 PM | Comment Chang elected to Tennis Hall of Fame in NewportNEWPORT -- French Open winner Michael Chang has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. IMG creator Mark McCormack and Tennis Week magazine founder Eugene Scott were selected posthumously in the contributor category The Hall of Fame made the announcement today. It's planning a July 12 induction ceremony. Chang was only 17 when he won the 1989 French Open -- the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam title. He was the first U.S. champion at the clay-court Grand Slam since Tony Trabert in 1955. McCormack died in 2003 at 72. He was a sports marketing pioneer and created the International Management Group. Scott was a former top 20 player and founded Tennis Week in 1974. He died in 2006 at age 68. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:06 PM | Comment Retirement board to get opinion on Prignano pensionPROVIDENCE -- A lawyer hired by the Providence Retirement Board is scheduled to give his recommendation today on whether the $64,620 pension of former police chief Urban Prignano Jr. should be reduced or eliminated because of his admitted role in a Police Department promotional test cheating scandal. The lawyer, Vincent F. Ragosta Jr., concluded a hearing on the issue last month. Prignano, 65, who was police chief under former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr., retired under pressure on Jan. 31, 2001, wrapping up a 34-year career. When he retired, he cashed out his contributions to the municipal retirement system, including accrued interest, and took a reduced pension as a result. He has been collecting his pension for seven years. Prignano has admitted in sworn testimony in federal court and in interviews with the FBI that he helped some subordinates cheat on their promotional examinations during his six years as chief. A municipal ordinance requires an employee to give “honorable service” in order to receive a pension. Mayor David N. Cicilline, and the Police Department, under Chief Dean Esserman, are pressing for revocation of the pension. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:02 PM | Comment Mass. governor builds casino fees into budget proposalBOSTON -- Gov. Deval Patrick has filed his second state budget, which calls for increases in spending on education and public safety. The Democratic governor says his $28 billion budget, released today, for the fiscal year starting July 1 is "fiscally and socially responsible." Patrick has built in $300 million in would-be fees from casino licensing. Some lawmakers object to that move because the Legislature hasn't passed any casino gambling bill. His budget would increase education spending by $368 million, including for programs to expand full-day kindergarten and pay for extended-day classes. State spending on public safety also would rise by nearly $106 million, including money targeted at the troubled state Medical Examiner's Office and funds for 100 new police officers.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:26 PM | Comment Reporter's query: Has economic downturn hit you?Rhode Island’s middle class is hurting. Wages are stagnant. Houses are worth less. It costs more to fill our gas tanks, heat our houses and pay our medical bills. Some have lost their homes to foreclosure. The pain of the economic slowdown has spread to people with four-year college degrees; people who always expected they would have good paying jobs. If you are one of these people, Providence Journal Reporter Lynn Arditi wants to hear your story. Please contact her at larditi@projo.com or (401)277-7335. Posted by maria caporizzo at 12:02 PM | Comment Sasse, up for confirmation himself, names DMV headOn the day the full Senate is scheduled to vote to confirm Gary S. Sasse's appointment as director of the state's new Department of Revenue, Sasse has announced that Anthony J. Silva, a former Cumberland police chief, has been named associate director, revenue services, and the new head of the state Division of Motor Vehicles. Silva, of Cumberland, is currently director of the Rhode Island Municipal Police Training Academy. Ted Dolan recently retired as Division of Motor Vehicles director. Silva will be responsible for planning, directing and managing all motor vehicle functions including registration, licensing, operation, enforcement, operator control and inspections. “Anthony Silva has the background necessary to take charge of this division and coordinate all the diverse elements involved,” Sasse said in the statement. “I am confident that his arrival will signal a smooth transition as the DMV moves from the Department of Administration to the Department of Revenue.” Silva holds a master's in administration of justice from Salve Regina University and a bachelor's in criminal justice from Bryant College. He has spent 24 years as a law enforcement education and in 9 years as police chief in Cumberland, managed a staff of 65 sworn police and civilian personnel. Sasse's confirmation is slated to come before the Senate today. Last Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee unanimously endorsed Sasse, who was appointed by Governor Carcieri, to head the Department of Revenue. According to the Senate calender for today, the committee recommends the Senate "give its advice and consent" to Sasse's nomination. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:02 PM | Comment Hawkins Street Bridge work done early; span to re-openThe state Department of Transportation will reopen the Hawkins Street Bridge in Providence at 2 p.m. today to car traffic -- days earlier than expected. Last night crews completed blocking the bridge, which travels over Route 146. Blocking adds additional supports on top of the bridge’s abutments and piers. Materials were available faster than anticipated, the DOT said, and crews worked all night to reopen the span. The DOT, which announced the work yesterday, had not expected it to be done until this Friday. The Hawkins Street Bridge is now posted for use only by vehicles 3 tons and under. This restriction will last approximately 3 weeks. After this phase of construction is complete, the roadway will reopen to all vehicles. The Hawkins Street Bridge repair project began last fall and is expected to be completed by fall 2009.
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 11:53 AM | Comment Coventry bond vote aims at funding renovations / Photo
The package proposal includes $9 million for schools, including roof renovations, fire safety upgrades and heating system repairs. An additional $1 million would be used to renovate the athletic complex at Coventry High School. Voters will also be deciding on a $4.8 million plan to turn the former Flat River Middle School into a new Town Hall, and move the Coventry Senior Center to the old Town Hall. Another $4 million of the $19.8-million bond would go toward police facilities – either a new headquarters or a thorough renovation of the existing building. Coventry Public Library would also benefit, with $1 million to expand, and the town’s public works department would get $500,000 for equipment and park maintenance. Today’s referendum is an all-or-nothing proposition, something critics have said may turn voters off, because they cannot pick and choose what projects to support. But if the proposal is approved, it would add an estimated 35 cents to the property tax rate – a home valued at $300,000 would see a $105 increase on the annual tax bill. Click below to find your polling place. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson These five polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for today's referendum on a $19.8-million capital spending proposal: District 1: Christ Church, 321 Peckham Lane District 2: Town Hall, 1670 Flat River Rd. District 3: Club Jogues, 184 Boston St. District 4: Nino’s Restaurant, 446 Tiogue Ave. District 5: Coventry High School, 40 Reservoir Rd. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:17 AM | Comment RIte Care supporters take to the State HouseMedical professionals, students and academics are meeting today to speak up in favor of the RIte Care program, which is in danger of being trimmed in order to help balance the state's budget. The groups are meeting at the State House, according to the President of the RI Medical Society, Nick Tsiongas, to "highlight the quality of this nationally recognized program." The press conference is set to begin at 33:30 at the State House Rotunda. Afterwards, the group plans to pass out post cards to legislators, advocating for Rite Care. Donna Policastro and executive director of the RI State Nurses Association will speak, along with Northeaster University political science professor David Rochefort, Andrew Snyder, a member of the RI Medical Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Yul Ejnes, of the American College of Physicians. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:12 AM | Comment Foxwoods begins job recruitment for new casinoMASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- Foxwoods Resort Casino is starting to recruit thousands of workers in anticipation of opening its new MGM Grand casino. Foxwoods will kick off its recruitment campaign Sunday with the launch of a new employment Web site. Opening in May, the MGM Grand at Foxwoods will have 2,000 employees and provide an additional 1,000 jobs at the property's restaurants, including Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, Michael Schlow's Alta Strada, and famed New York eatery Junior's. Foxwoods plans regional job fairs, including efforts to attract minority job candidates. Foxwoods employees will be able to apply for jobs at various kiosks located throughout the property. The new jobs include 350 supervisor/managerial positions and 277 dealer positions. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 10:23 AM | Comment Barrington pair plead no contest to social host chargeA husband and wife charged under the state’s social host law for serving alcohol to minors each pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges. Gabriel A. Pacheco, 48, and Mary Lou Pacheco, 45, of Northwest Passage in Barrington will each have to perform 100 hours of community service at an emergency room, and pay $350 to the victims of violent crimes fund. Both will also be on probation for six months after which, if they stay out of legal trouble, the offense will be removed from their records. The couple’s lawyer, Stephen Rappoport, said the Pachecos had wanted to plead guilty to express their support for zero tolerance. “They wanted to take responsibility,” he said. The couple was arrested after a New Year’s Eve Party with mostly family. The police learned about the party after a dozen pictures of under-age Barrington drinkers, ages 17 to 20, were posted online. In one of the pictures, the Pachecos are in the background. “They understand now,” Rappoport said, “looking back, they made a mistake in judgment.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:13 AM | Comment Man accused of revenge by arson faces felonyA man who police say set his Woonsocket apartment complex on fire in late June because he was mad at his landlord is set to be arraigned today on a felony arson charge. When investigators arrived at the building, 52 Blackstone St., firefighters showed them a charred vacuum cleaner and trash bin that looked like they had been set on fire. A witness told investigators that Intha Pathammavong, 25, told her that he was angry with the landlord and wanted to set the building on fire. Initially, according to the police, Pathammavong told the police that he had tried to extinguish the fire. Later he said a friend suggested he start the fire. The police say Pathammavong said he didn’t want to set the fire, but that he did after his friend gave him a lighter. Ultimately, the friend told the police he hadn’t talked to Pathammavong that day. Pathammavong is scheduled for arraignment today in Superior Court, Providence. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:48 AM | Comment Illustration: Will the Fed's rate cut come up lame?
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:27 AM | Comment Five arrested in Westerly drug sting due in court todayFive of the seven people arrested during a drug sting in Westerly are due in court today. The arrests Jan. 11 came as the result of a six-week investigation of street-level drug activity in Westerly. Each of the suspects allegedly sold undercover police officers about $50 worth of drugs, according to Police Chief Edward A. Mello. Due in District Court, Wakefield, today for bail hearings are: David Wayne Hazard, 26, of Warwick Also arrested were Arthur G. Colotta, 46, and Robert E. Jordan, 41, both of Westerly. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:51 AM | Comment Judge to hear testimony in foster care lawsuitPROVIDENCE -- A federal judge will hear testimony as he considers whether to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the state's foster care system is broken and fails to protect children from abuse. State child advocate Jametta Alston and national advocacy group Children's Rights filed the suit last year on behalf of the roughly 3,000 children in state custody. Last week, U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux questioned whether the suit is in the best interest of the children. He's asked for testimony today from adults representing seven children in the lawsuit to determine if they have legal standing to sue on behalf of the minors. The state also says some of the issues raised in the federal civil rights complaint are best left to the Family Court. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Clear and sunny with a high of 36We can expect clear, sunny skies today with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature of 36 degrees, just about normal for today. Clouds should roll in later tonight, when the temperature drops to to 20 degrees. Tomorrow we may see snow in the late afternoon. Expect cloudy skies and a high temperature near 30 degrees. 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 coverage of Governor Carcieri's State of the State address. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 22, 2008Carcieri: RI on brink of financial disasterGovernor Carcieri told lawmakers tonight that the state is teetering on the brink of financial disaster. “The State of the State is at a tipping point,” he told a packed chamber of senators, representatives, judges and mayors. “If we are not willing to make the hard choices, then the tipping point will lean to the side of disaster, and we will have failed the people who sent us to serve them.” Republican Carcieri served notice he hopes to bring public employees’ work weeks and compensation packages “back in line with the vast majority of private-sector employees,’’ impose a firm two-year time limit on welfare benefits, put city and town employees in one health-care plan with state workers, and adopt what he billed as a “Medicaid Reform Plan’’ aimed, in part, at keeping more senior citizens out of costly nursing homes. “This crisis presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make fundamental and lasting change that will quicken the transformation of Rhode Island from a ship today that’s taking on water to a world-class vessel,’’ he told the lawmakers in his annual State of the State address. Not since the credit union crisis of the early 1990s has the state faced such large and imminent deficits: $151 million in the current year, up to $450 million in the budget year that begins on July 1. -- Journal State House Bureau Only once in a seven-page speech did he direct his pleas for help and cooperation at the state lawmakers seated in front of him, and that was when he asked “the General Assembly, the public employee union leadership and all municipal officials to work together with my administration to find ways to implement these changes.’’ The reception from some quarters was chilly. “He says, ‘This is my agenda and everybody has to work on it.’ That’s a corporate approach. That’s one-side unilateral approach. That doesn’t work,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer George Nee. “The governor should be a leader of bringing people together to have people solve joint problems, not just work on his agenda. That’s the problem.” But in her own prepared remarks, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport said: “We are committed to working with the Governor to resolve the current budget crisis.’’ Added House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence: “At the end of the day - we in government must continually remind ourselves that we all work for the taxpayers.’’ During most of Carcieri’s televised time at podium, he aimed his appeal at an audience outside the State House. “Let me take a few moments to talk directly to every Rhode Islander who is watching this address on television, listening on the radio or reading about this in the morning newspaper,’ he said. “Most of you only want to know one thing: “What does this plan mean for me and my family? “The answer is --- No tax increases! If this plan is implemented, your taxes won’t go up,’’ he said. During the speech, the reaction from the lawmakers seated in the chamber was cool. Carcieri was interrupted only twice by applause – and the clapping largely came from a small group of Republican legislators. The only standing ovations came in response to the governor’s introduction of decorated combat veterans. He promised the budget he proposes to lawmakers in the coming weeks will cut state spending by $300 million between now and the end of next year – resulting in a budget “that is less than the previous year (for) the first time since the credit union crisis.’’ But he provided few details, listing instead the broad areas in which he hopes to cut state spending, including public employee “wages, health care costs and pensions;’’ welfare, social service and other “entitlement programs,’’ and payments from the state to municipal government. -- Journal State House Bureau Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:21 PM | Comment Tonight: Music in Providence, skating in WoonsocketJazz takes the stage at AS220 tonight, and there's folk and rock at Lupo's. The Blueprint Project with Han Bennink play jazz at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 10 p.m. $7. All ages. Ani DiFranco and Anais Mitchell play folk and rock at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8 pm. $34.50. Or there is ice skating in Woonsocket until 8 p.m. The outdoor River Island Park rink overlooks the Blackstone River in the city's downtown. A fire pit is lighted beginning at 4 p.m. and there are floodlights to allow for night-time skating. The rink, on Bernon Street, off Routes 146 and 145A, is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, weather depending. Call (401) 767-9287 to be sure ice is open. Find more things to do on projo.com's Lifebeat page. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:58 PM | Comment DOT closing Hawkins Street Bridge for 3 daysThe Hawkins Street Bridge in Providence, which travels over Route 146, will be closed to traffic until the weekend for repairs, the state Department of Transportation announced this evening. As part of repairs, "additional construction will be needed to ensure safety for the motoring public," the DOT statement says. The repair work is to replace the "beam seats," the concrete platform that steel beams sit on to support the bridge's deck. Whem the Hawkins Street Bridge opens, it will be posted for use only by vehicles weighing three tons or less. The restriction will last about three weeks. Once this phase of construction is done, the span will reopen to all vehicles. Beginning this evening, detours over Route 146 will be in place. The suggested detour is for drivers to use Branch Avenue, make a right onto Charles Street and then another right onto Admiral Street, which will take them to Hawkins Street, the DOT says. The detour works for drivers coming in the opposite direction as well. The construction project started last fall and is slated to be done by fall 2009. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:56 PM | Comment Report addresses ways to avoid another crippling stormEAST PROVIDENCE -- A report released today by Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray proposes to move forward from a snowstorm that crippled much of the state last month, but some of the issues and analysis are absent from the report. At a packed meeting of the Emergency Management Advisory Council, Roberts and Bray reviewed their recommendations to improve the way the state handles a snowstorm and other emergencies. The crowd of dozens of police and fire officials, federal and state authorities gathered at the East Providence City Hall was largely silent. What’s missing from the report is an analysis about what went wrong during the Dec. 13 storm -- and an acknowledgement about the emergency procedures and plans that already exist. Some of the recommendations, including methods of communications, are in hand or being developed, as well as partnerships with the public and private sector. The report is heavy on the responsibilities of the cities and towns, such as recommending a statewide system for school and business closures, and getting local officials to report daily about what’s happening in their towns. The report also recommends reviewing the traffic plans of cities and towns to look at whether they are functional. Both Roberts and Bray say they intend to meet with the mayors and council presidents in the cities and towns to discuss the responsibilities of the local emergency management directors, many of whom are part-timers or volunteers. “The number one issue is about money and resources. At the end of the day, we still have to be responsive to the public’s needs,” said Bray, who as commander of the state's National Guard oversees the RIEMA. He is also serving at the EMA's interim executive director, while Roberts is chairwoman of the RIEMAC. Bray has told all of the directors to produce daily reports about the resources and situations happening in their towns -- even when nothing is going on -- so that the state can be ready to act if a crisis develops. The municipalities can still refuse the state’s help, Bray acknowledged. “The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and the governor cannot invade a municipality. It’s about education, collaboration and communication,” Bray said. -- Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits Also missing items from the report is legislation waiting in the wings of the General Assembly -- bills to decide who’s in charge during an emergency when the governor is out of contact and to give the state more authority over cities and towns. Bray said he’s looking into legislation that would change the balance of power between the state and the municipalities. “We’re looking at statutory changes to give us a little more authority … and give us a little more leverage to ensure something can be done,” Bray said. That proposal would be a reaction to what occurred in Providence on Dec. 13. A critical mix of commuters and school buses got on the roads at the same time that the snowstorm was hitting its stride, dropping 1 to 3 inches an hour. The highways and city streets gridlocked and, in Providence, students were on buses well into the night. The state Emergency Management Agency didn’t learn about the gridlock and stranded students until mid-evening. The city EMA director didn’t report problems and when contacted, refused state help to rescue the children. Both directors have since been fired. Bray said he wants the state EMA to become more proactive. However, even if the directors are reporting a crisis, there’s no one staffing the state EMA around the clock. Cities and towns use a mutual aid agreement to share their resources, such as fire trucks and ambulances, now. Municipalities call for help when they’ve exhausted all of their own resources but, barring a governor’s declaration of a state of emergency, those municipalities also pay the costs. The report also doesn’t examine the question of who is in charge during an emergency. Under the state Emergency Operations Plan, the governor is supposed to be in charge. But during last month’s big snowstorm, Carcieri was in the Middle East and out of contact. He said later that he wouldn’t expect his staff to bother him for a “6- to 10-inch snowstorm.” While Bray, who’d called out the day of the storm, decided not to open the Emergency Operations Center that day, his part of the report now has a structure for opening the EOC depending on the “precipitation.” That was used during the Jan. 14 snowstorm, which was predicted to leave up to 14 inches of snow, but averaged closer to 4 inches of slush mid-state. The EOC was opened, nearly all schools canceled, businesses delayed, and the roads were plowed -- because no one was on them. The governor and Bray held news conferences to update the public. It was the first trial of the new plan. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:45 PM | Comment Sting using craigslist nets suspected prostitutesSEEKONK, Mass. -- The police say they set up a sting at a local hotel last weekend to arrest prostitutes they contacted through craigslist.org, the popular classified advertising Web site. On Friday, a task force made up of police from Seekonk and Swansea in Massachusetts and East Providence in Rhode Island secured rooms at the Motel 6 on Fall River Avenue, according to a police report. From 8:30 through 11:30 p.m., they arrested women who allegedly entered one of the rooms and offered to have sex for money with an undercover detective. Some of the women arrived in pairs. The police arranged the meetings by contacting the suspected prostitutes by cell phone and asking them to meet in a specific room at the hotel, according to the report. While one officer positioned himself in the room, the other members of the task force conducted audio and video surveillance in an adjacent room. After services were offered ranging in price from $150 to $500, the task force members entered the room and arrested the suspects. Sgt. Anthony Araujo said today that no other details were immediately available on how Craigslist and Motel 6 figured into the sting. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit The police said they arrested the following women, charging each with sexual conduct for a fee: Felicia Lebrun, 19; Christina Tamburello, 24; Emily Duhamel, 30; Tajuana Littlejohn, 20; Philippa Hartmayer, 25; Nicole Woods, 24; and Chanel Evora, 24. No addresses for the suspects were available. All were released on bail until they are arraigned in court. Today, craigslist.org featured listings in Seekonk that appeared to offer sex for money. The women, whose erotic pictures appeared in the ad, listed phone numbers where they could be contacted. One said, “You must host. No exception. Providing outcalls to the local area only. Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Seekonk, Riverside, Rumford.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:20 PM | Comment New rules urged to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoningPROVIDENCE -- Reacting to three deaths in the city this month from carbon monoxide poisoning, the state Department of Health wants to require hospital emergency rooms to have equipment available to test for CO poisoning whenever they test a patient’s oxygen level. Under the proposed new regulations, hospitals would be required to notify the Department of Health of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, which would allow for follow-up to determine the cause of the poisoning, possibly preventing more damage or even deaths, Dr. David R. Gifford, state director of health, said today. A pilot program at Rhode Island Hospital last year found 11 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning over a nine-month period, he said. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless; CO poisoning can be fatal. Sonia Flores, 46, a factory worker and longtime city resident who emigrated from El Salvador; her son, Ryan, 14, a ninth-grade student at the Met School; and her boyfriend, Marco Herrera, 52, died of CO poisoning in Flores’ house at 345 Blackstone St. earlier this month. State and city authorities say a boiler in the home had been incorrectly vented, allowing carbon monoxide to build up into the house. Oxygen level tests are common in emergency rooms, said Gifford. The equipment to test for carbon monoxide poisoning costs about $3,000, he said. “To save one life, that seems a reasonable use of funds,” said Gifford. Gifford announced the proposed regulation change at a news conference today, with state building and fire officials; Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. Gifford expected the changes could be in effect within a few months. Under state law, homes built since 2002 need to have carbon monoxide detectors, said Richard James, chief deputy state fire marshal. Older homes must have carbon monoxide detectors when they are sold, he said. State Building Commissioner Jack Leyden said his office will begin requiring carbon monoxide detectors as part of the permitting for new heating and mechanical systems. -- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:59 PM | Comment Police seek driver who hit bicyclist in CranstonCRANSTON -- Police are looking for a middle-aged white male with a mustache suspected of hitting a bicyclist with his vehicle Monday morning and fleeing the scene. Police say Dustin Urwin of Johnston was riding his bicycle south on Reservoir Avenue when he made a left turn to cross the street. A northbound vehicle, which Urwin described as a late model gray or silver Toyota, struck Urwin’s rear wheel at about 7:54 a.m. near 994 Reservoir Ave. and threw the rider to the ground. Cranston paramedics took Urwin to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released, according to police. Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to call the police department’s Traffic Unit at 477-5000. -- Journal staff writer David Scharfenberg Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:41 PM | Comment 1 dead, 1 sought after New Bedford Harbor accidentNEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A fisherman’s body has been recovered from New Bedford Harbor, and a search for a second man who also went into the water has extended into the afternoon. Executive director Kristin Decas of New Bedford’s Harbor Development Commission says three men had been trying to board a fishing vessel at a pier, when two slipped and fell in. New Bedford Police Captain Joseph Cordeiro says a man’s body was recovered after a 911 call at 3:40 a.m. Authorities were searching off the pier for the other man. Identities weren’t immediately released. Decas says the men worked on the vessel Arcturus, which is owned by a company in Maine and has been fishing out of New Bedford for years. Decas says the apparent accident is a tremendous loss for the industry. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:19 PM | Comment Update: Governor to deliver State of the State tonightPROVIDENCE — With state government facing a sea of red ink, Governor Carcieri will stand before a joint session of the House and Senate at 7 tonight and deliver what could be his bleakest State of the State address yet. Yesterday, his spokesman Jeff Neal said the governor “is expected to focus his remarks on the short- and long-term fiscal challenges confronting state government” and “discuss the broad outlines of the difficult decisions necessary to balance the budget deficit in the current and coming fiscal years [FY 2008 and 2009]. Both the governor’s speech and the Democrats’ response will be aired live by Capitol Television, the broadcast arm of the General Assembly, on Statewide Interconnect C which is Channel 15 for both Cox Communications and Full Channel, and Channel 34 on Verizon. The address is also expected to be broadcast live on television by WJAR-TV (Channel 10) and WPRI-TV (Channel 12), and on radio by WPRO 630 AM, WHJJ 920 AM and WRNI 1290 AM. WPRI, a Journal/projo.com partner, also plans to Webcast it on its site, wpri.com. Projo.com aims to publish an advance copy of the governor's speech, expected to be available around the time of its scheduled start. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this item incorrectly gave the channel number for the speech's broadcast on Verizon. The correct channel is 34. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:08 PM | Comment Brotherhood gets a third seasonBrotherhood, the cable series where crime, cronyism and corruption intermingle in of all places Rhode Island, will get a third season filmed in Rhode Island. Showtime has ordered a new season of eight episodes, which airs as a one-hour drama on Sunday nights, a news release out today says. The series starring Jason Isaacs, Jason Clarke and Annabeth Gish will be shot in Providence. "Brotherhood is one of our shining hours at Showtime -- a drama series that is among the highest quality shows offered anywhere on television, and we are proud to keep it firmly in our portfolio," Robert Greenblatt, president of Entertainment Showtime Networks Inc., said in the statement. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:05 PM | Comment Blackstone Valley in running for global tourism awardThe Blackstone River Valley is getting international recognition as a model of sustainable tourism. Tourism for Tomorrow has nominated Blackstone Valley as one of three finalists for its Destination Award, which goes to a network of tourism-based organizations that successfully maintains sustainable tourism programs and promotes the natural, historic and cultural aspects of the place. Valley tourism is managed by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, a government-mandated authority that promotes and maintains tourism sites throughout Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket, and the towns of Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Glocester, and Burrillville. The region is of national significance as the actual birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Blackstone Valley is nominated for the award alongside Rinjani Trek Ecotourism Programme in Indonesia, and the town of Bouctouche in New Brunswick, Canada. The winner will be invited to an awards ceremony at the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in April, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:36 PM | Comment Program brings teens, young adults togetherThe transition from adolescent to adult can be tough. The transition for a teenager with a chronic disease can add extra dimensions of physical and emotional issues to overcome. The Adolescent Leadership Council at Hasbro Children’s Hospital brings teenagers and Brown University students with chronic illnesses together for support, advice, and fun. Now the teens and young adults of TALC are getting a boost – more than $57,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation to help the program grow. The strategy grant will allow the program to hire a program director, taking TALC to the next level, Gary Maslow, the program’s founder, said in a statement. "We want to find more ways to help teens manage their chronic illness and the challenges they face, as well as find ways to improve their transition into adulthood." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:08 PM | Comment Update: Westerly school official pleads not guilty to fraudA Westerly School Committee member today pleaded not guilty to two felony fraud counts that resulted from allegations his contracting company received payment for work that was not done. An elderly couple told police they wrote Dominic DiFazio's company -- Dom DiFazio Contracting -- two checks totaling more than $2,700 to replace the windows in their house. According to a police report, both checks were cashed the days they were written -- Sept. 4 and Sept. 7 -- but the work was never done. In Superior Court in South Kingstown, Judge Stephen Nugent today set bail for Dominic DiFazio at $20,000 with surety, which means someone must post 10 percent of the dollar amount or the full amount in property. Difazio is out on bail. Police Chief Edward A. Mello described the couple, Harold and Florence Plympton, as "more than patient" and DiFazio as "less than patient," refusing to turn himself in when he was arrested during a budget retreat on Nov. 17. The Connecticut Attorney General's Office and its Department of Consumer Protection are continuing separate investigations of complaints against the building contractor. DiFazio is also due in court next month to face a misdemeanor fraud charge for allegedly writing a bad check to A-1 Rolloff Disposal. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:54 PM | Comment Mass. governor faces State of State, deficit, tooBOSTON -- It's an important week for Gov. Deval Patrick, as he unveils a proposed budget for the next fiscal year and delivers his first State-of-the-State address. It all comes amid projections that Massachusetts could be facing a $1.3 billion deficit. To help bridge the gap, the governor is expected to include $300 million in casino licensing fees in the budget he is scheduled to unveil Wednesday. But legislative leaders are questioning that approach, pointing out that lawmakers have yet to approve casino gambling. Despite the impending deficit, Patrick is hoping to increase education spending by $368 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1. The governor will deliver his State-of-the-State address to a joint session of the Legislature on Thursday. -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:19 PM | Comment Update: U.S. Attorney intends to retry Urciuoli, DriscollPROVIDENCE -- The U.S. Attorney's Office in Providence says it will retry the case against former top Roger Williams Medical center executives Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll, whose convictions for allegedly paying former state Sen. John Celona to press the hospital's legislative agenda at the State House were overturned on appeal. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston on Friday announced it vacated the convictions because U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres had given the jury overly broad instructions as to what constituted criminal acts, and that might have led the jury to convict based on actions that the appeals court does not consider to be federal crimes. In a statement released this morning, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said his office believes the "central allegations of the indictment remain essentially unaffected and that they remain well-founded. Accordingly, we will retry the case against both Mr. Urciuoli and Ms. Driscoll." In October 2006, Urciuoli was found guilty of conspiracy and 35 counts of mail fraud for hiring Celona, a North Providence Democrat, to push the hospital’s legislative agenda at the State House. Driscoll was convicted of one count of mail fraud. Urciuoli received a three-year prison sentence, and Driscoll, eight months. The court had postponed the execution of their sentences pending the results of this appeal, and the hospital officials have been free on bail. In 1998, Celona was hired to consult for an assisted-living facility and nursing home affiliated with Roger Williams. Prosecutors said Celona’s job was set up to pay him for political influence and that he got more than $260,000 to that end. Prosecutors said Celona killed certain legislation, lobbied towns to bolster ambulance runs to Roger Williams and pushed health insurers to increase reimbursements to the hospital. During trial, Torres instructed the jury that “cloak of office” reached to all of Celona’s acts as a lawmaker, so the jury should consider things such as Celona’s lobbying town officials to benefit Roger Williams. The appeals court's opinion noted a murky statute as it pertained to delineating a lawmaker's misconduct. Celona’s pressing local officials to obey state law did not equate to using his office to harm Rhode Island's citizens, the panel found. “Celona’s conduct falls in a borderland where analogies can easily be drawn both to public and private conduct and there is no indication that Celona invoked any purported oversight authority or threatened to use official powers in support of his advocacy,” the decision read. And the panel found that since the jury was told to look at advocacy for rescue runs as possible criminal conduct, the instructions were overbroad. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Corrente's statement said, "The court vacated the convictions because it believed that the instructions to the jury on honest services mail fraud permitted the jury to convict for conduct relating to the issue of rescue runs to Roger Williams Medical Center. Although the court stated it was 'fairly debatable,' it held that this conduct did not violate the federal honest services law." "At the same time, however, the court held that Mr. Urciuoli could be prosecuted for using former Senator Celona to coerce health insurers into settlements with Roger Williams Medical Center," Corrente said. "Moreover, as the court noted, the defendants did not challenge the convictions as they related to using former Senator Celona 'to promote or block legislation to favor Roger Williams.' " Celona resigned from the General Assembly in March 2004. He later pleaded guilty to selling his influence to Roger Williams, the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He is serving a 2½-year federal prison setnence and faces 18 months in state prison after that. Roger Williams Medical Center reached its own plea deal with the government in 2006, requiring it to take responsibility for criminal misconduct and provide the poor some $4 million of free health care. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:06 PM | Comment Police records released in fatal Conn. home invasionCHESHIRE, Conn. -- Police took nearly five minutes from the time they received a 911 call until officers were dispatched to what turned out to be a deadly home invasion in Cheshire, Conn. last summer, according to dispatch records obtained by The Hartford Courant. The first officer was outside the home for at least 26 minutes before the two men who allegedly murdered Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two teenage daughters were captured fleeing the horrific scene. The heavily edited dispatch log and transcript of the police response were released to The Courant Monday as part of a freedom of information request. The documents describe police officers setting up for a hostage situation by trying to establish a secure perimeter and waiting for SWAT team members and equipment to arrive rather than trying to contact the possible suspects or attempting to rescue family members trapped inside. Jennifer Petit, 48, and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, were alive while officers were outside the home and were killed in the final minutes of their seven-hour ordeal. The two suspects are accused of strangling the mother and leaving the girls to die, tied to their beds as the pair fled the burning house. Joshua Komisarjevsky, 27, and Steven Hayes, 44, face capital felony charges. Dr. William Petit Jr. escaped, despite being bound and severely beaten. -- The Associated Press As one officer was yelling for a dispatcher to call an ambulance for Petit, others were alerting each other that the suspects were fleeing the house and the house was on fire. Cheshire police declined to comment to The Courant on their response to the triple killings, citing a gag order imposed by New Haven Superior Court Judge Richard Damiani on all parties involved in the case. A telephone message was left Tuesday by The Associated Press with a police spokesman. Police have defended their response, saying they followed proper protocols. Cheshire police delayed entering the home because of assurances from a 911 caller who had been told no one would be hurt if police were not notified, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press last year. Police became aware of the Petits’ ordeal with the 911 call from the Bank of America manager at 9:21 a.m. Records show that dispatchers several times put the bank manager on hold during the initial three-minute 911 call. The bank manager was then told to call back police headquarters on another line to get a further description of what took place in the bank. The back and forth phone calls took nearly five minutes, The Courant reported. A radio dispatch of an “incident” at the house occurred at 9:26 a.m. and a description of the Petits’ car used for the trip to the bank, including the license plate number, was broadcast to police at 9:28 a.m. The dispatch tape describes officers trying to determine if people were in the Petit house and if the car had returned home from the bank. A decision was made quickly to call in the SWAT team, and some of the members were already at the scene. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:01 PM | Comment Brown's study-abroad program under scrutinyPROVIDENCE -- New York's attorney general is scrutinizing study abroad programs at Brown University and 14 other schools to ensure students aren't being cheated. Prosecutors want to know if perks are improperly motivating school officials to select some study abroad providers over others and costing students money. An official with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office says he wants to create a code of conduct to prevent conflicts of interest. His office has requested documents from more than a dozen schools. Not every school is suspected of wrongdoing. Some schools received document requests because of their relationships with study abroad providers. But other inquiries could be an attempt to survey schools with study abroad programs. A spokeswoman for Brown University did not immediately return a call seeking comment. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:45 AM | Comment Jury selection in prison guard appealJury selection is set to begin today for one of three men who were found guilty of assaulting a prisoner while they were working as prison guards. Ernest Spaziano, of Burrillville, Capt. Caulter Botas, of Pawtucket and Lt. Kenneth J. Viveiros, of North Providence, appealed the District Court's February guilty verdicts. They were given suspended sentences and probation. Jury selection in Spaziano's trial is set to start today in Superior Court, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch. Botas and Viveiros will be tried separately. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:19 AM | Comment Officials will weigh storm response improvementsThe state’s Emergency Management Advisory Council is meeting today to present some suggestions on how to better manage the state during inclement weather. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Major General Robert T. Bray -- head of the state National Guard and acting executive director of the state Emergency Management Agency -- will join other State Emergency Management officials to discuss the results of the Council’s review of emergency response during the Dec. 13 snow storm. According to a statement released by Roberts, the review covers some newly implemented and proposed solutions for the “failures of emergency response.” The meeting is set for 2 p.m. at East Providence City Hall. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:14 AM | Comment Westerly School Committee member in court todayA Westerly School Committee member is scheduled for arraignment today to face two felony counts of fraud. An elderly couple told police they wrote Dominic DiFazio's company -- Dom DiFazio Contracting -- two checks totaling more than $2,700 to replace the windows in their house. According to a police report, both checks were cashed the day they were written – Sept. 4 and Sept 7 -- but the work was never done. Police Chief Edward A. Mello described the couple, Harold and Florence Plympton, as "more than patient" and DiFazio as "less than patient," refusing to turn himself in when he was arrested during a budget retreat on Nov. 17th. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court, Wakefield, this morning. DiFazio is also due in court next month to face a misdemeanor fraud charge for allegedly writing a bad check to A-1 Rolloff Disposal. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:51 AM | Comment Former councilman faces sexual assault chargesFormer Central Falls councilman Luis Gil pleaded not guilty last week to three charges of sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy. Gil, 45, was arrested on Nov. 12 after the Providence police allegedly found him in his car, under the Henderson Bridge, partially dressed with the 15-year-old boy buttoning up his jeans and trying to put on his shirt in the back seat. The resulting investigation led to additional charges. Gil said he was the boy’s soccer coach, but, according to state police Capt. Stephen Lynch, there is no indication of that. Third-degree sexual assault involves a defendant older than 18 who engages in sexual penetration with someone between 14 and under 16. Gil was released on personal recognizance; he is due back in Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing in late March. Gil was initially scheduled for a pre-arraignment conference last Tuesday, when he was arraigned, according to a court clerk. His name was still scheduled for arraignment on a court calendar today. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:45 AM | Comment Today's weatherThere's a slight chance of snow early this afternoon, and we can expect rain later in the day. Expect clouds all day, with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature near 37 degrees. Winds should pick up from the southwest, with gusts up to 30 mph. Rain may continue into the night, maybe turning to snow after 9 p.m. when the temperature drops to about 25 degrees. Tomorrow expect clear, sunny skies, and a temperature reaching 37 degrees. For more weather and regular upates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:23 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features sports columnist Bill Reynolds writing about the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:15 AM | Comment January 21, 2008Tonight: Blues, jazz and 9 Chains to the MoonHere's a sampler of bands playing tonight. Mark Taber plays blues at The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500, www.thehihat.com. 7 to 11 p.m. The John Allmark Big Band plays jazz at Bovi's Town Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave., East Providence. 434-9670. 9 p.m. Bent Left and Leiana plays rock at Club Hell, 73 Richmond St., Providence. 351-1977. 8 p.m. $5. Nine Chains to the Moon, Seis, Milo Greene and Akinola play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment URI men's basketball drops out of AP's Top 25SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- University of Rhode Island’s men’s basketball team has dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25. Rhode Island was ranked 23rd in the country, but was upset Thursday, losing 68-61 to Saint Louis. The Rams received just 17 points in Monday’s poll. The Rams next play George Washington on Wednesday at home. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:49 PM | Comment New efforts to prevent carbon monoxide deathsThe state Department of Health plans to require hospitals to buy carbon monoxide screening equipment as part of a campaign to prevent deaths from the toxic and odorless gas. The effort, scheduled to be announced tomorrow, comes two weeks after a woman, her boyfriend and her 14-year-old son died in their Providence home after their boiler apparently began leaking carbon monoxide. Health Department Director David R. Gifford has proposed an amendment to hospital licensing regulations that would compel the purchase of carbon monoxide screening instruments, such as a type of a pulse oximeter that measures carbon monoxide levels in addition to the oxygen content in a patient’s blood. -- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 6:45 PM | Comment Shoot for "Hachiko: A Dog's Story" begins in BristolBRISTOL -- Richard Gere was in town today for the first day of shooting of the film “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story.” The film crew was at 18 High St., a private residence in the historic downtown that is to be the home of Gere and co-star Joan Allen in the movie. It was the start of what’s projected to be several weeks of shooting in Bristol, Woonsocket and other parts of Rhode Island for the film based on a true story about a loyal canine companion. For Gere fans in Bristol, the big day will come Feb. 25 when the production closes down a portion of Hope Street between Constitution and Bradford streets for a full day of filming. -- Journal staff Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:36 PM | Comment Traffic advisory: Accident in Bristol may affect trafficBRISTOL -- Drivers may encounter traffic at this hour in the area of Route 136 at Tupelo Street, where Bristol police dispatch said responders are clearing an accident. Details of the accident were not yet available. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:16 PM | Comment Update: One suffers minor injuries in Lawrence fire
LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A massive seven-alarm blaze that started in an empty downtown nightclub quickly spread through 16 buildings today, destroying homes and businesses and forcing residents to flee in their pajamas into bitter cold. One person suffered minor injuries in the blaze at Market and South Union streets in Lawrence, Mass., that engulfed apartment buildings and a home for the mentally disabled. Extra: See footage of the blaze as it spread through Lawrence. The fire was first spotted by an ambulance crew on an unrelated call about 2:30 a.m., state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. Coan said the fire started in the nightclub, which was being renovated. The club had no walls, and that "gave the fire an opportunity to take hold very quickly," he said. Freezing winds quickly pushed the blaze through the block, which included early 1900s triple-decker wood frames, a hair salon and three buildings being rehabilitated by Habitat for Humanity. Firefighters were hampered by wind chills that dropped to 2 below zero, freezing the water used to fight the blaze and covering buildings and streets in ice. Zulma Borgos, 49, said she was awakened by calls of "Fire! Fire!" from her boyfriend, Elias Riverra. Borgos said when she looked out the window, "I couldn't believe what I saw." "It was a ball of fire," said Riverra, 21. He didn't even have time to grab a pair of socks before waking Borgos' three girls in the apartment and running. -- The Associated Press The girls, ages 5 to 12, were wrapped in blankets when they arrived at a shelter the Red Cross set up in a local school. Other people arrived in bathrobes and slippers. Police Lt. Scott McNamara said about 150 people were evacuated from the area. By this afternoon, 54 were at the Red Cross shelter, he said. Bill Meagher, a Red Cross volunteer, said many of those displaced by the fire already were struggling financially. "A lot of these people who were burned out today don't have anything," he said. "They're not going to be able to find housing right away. "With the freezing cold weather ... all the shelters are full," Meagher said. Gov. Deval Patrick toured the site and met with displaced families today and said work remained "to close in on what the cause of the fire is and most especially to help the families get back on their feet." "But one step at a time," he said. Fire officials said the cause was suspicious. Coan said state and city fire officials were investigating the blaze with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The nightclub owner, Geraldo Torres, 45, of Methuen, said the last time he was in the building was about 7 p.m. Saturday. He told the Eagle Tribune of Lawrence that he had no idea how a fire started because he turned off the power whenever he left. "There's no way the fire can start there," he said. Torres said he bought the nightclub for about $250,000 intending to open a restaurant and bar with an Italian or Mexican theme. Renovations began about two months ago and he put $300,000 into the building. Torres said he didn't buy insurance. "We lost everything," he said. "All my hard work is in there." Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:35 PM | Comment Carcieri to deliver 'state of the state' tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- With state government facing a sea of red ink, Governor Carcieri will stand before a joint session of the House and Senate at 7 p.m. tomorrow and deliver what could be his bleakest “state of the state’’ address yet. Carcieri is expected to focus on the short- and long-term fiscal challenges confronting state government, according to his office. He plans to discuss the broad outlines of the decisions necessary to balance the budget deficit in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and next fiscal year. The state faces a projected $151 million revenue-spending gap this year, and a potential deficit of up to $450 million in the new budget year that begins on July 1. Under state law, Carcieri's budget proposal for the next fiscal year was due last week, but he asked lawmakers to give him until the end of the month to present it. Other governors in the region have, in recent weeks, used their own state of the state addresses to talk about the strain national economic trends have placed on their own economies. Republican Carcieri is expected to do likewise while attempting to rally public and legislative support for cost-cutting measures -- such as the $12.7 million mid-year cut in municipal aid he proposed last week -- that have already evoked howls out of the cities and towns. -- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau
In Maine earlier this month, Governor John Baldacci said: “Home heating oil and gasoline prices are at record highs. Winter, just a few weeks old, has already shown its teeth. The national economy is struggling under the weight of declining home values. State revenues are not immune from the national condition and are falling short of expectations…We are forced to make hard decisions and set priorities. ‘’ In Vermont, Gov. James Douglas said: “We must seek efficiencies…stretch resources while protecting the most vulnerable; and treat precious taxpayer dollars as if we earned them ourselves…Today, I lay out a series of proposals to achieve prosperity through affordability and to rethink, revitalize and reform the way our state approaches its most pressing challenges.’’ Fresh from reelection a year ago, Carcieri told the Democrat-dominated legislature here that Rhode Island’s “ship of state,” having righted itself, was “heading in a new and exciting direction,’’ but threatened by a continuing penchant for over-spending. At that time, he said: “This has been the most difficult budget since I took office.’’ “As in recent years, ‘’ he said then, “Rhode Island is benefiting from continued growth in revenues. However, each year our appetite to spend exceeds our resources. Every family watching tonight knows that if they’re only getting a 2% pay raise this year, they can’t spend 9% more…’’ A year ago, he also said: “The combined, two year projected excess of expenditures over revenues (is) almost $360 million…Balancing this budget will require sacrifices everywhere. We must further reform our entitlements, demand more cost-effective services from our vendors, develop new service models, and reduce our personnel costs. ‘’ Immediately following the governor’s speech, House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence, and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, will “offer the perspective of the General Assembly’s Democratic Party on the condition of the state and share their vision for Rhode Island’s future.’’ The address is expected to be broadcast live on television by NBC 10, WPRI 12, and by Capitol Television (which can be viewed on Channel 15 of both Cox Cable of Rhode Island and Full Channel Cable). It will be broadcast live on radio by WPRO 630 AM, WHJJ 920 AM and WRNI 1290 AM. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:41 PM | Comment Martin Luther King Day: prayer, song and a history quizNEWPORT -- Participants in today’s local celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day prayed, sang, gave speeches, and even held a history quiz to honor the legacy of the civil rights leader. Following a morning performance at Thompson Middle School by the school’s Select Chorus, Joyce Williams, president of the Newport County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, asked, “Do you hear the harmony in their voices? That’s what Martin stood for.” She noted that King will have been dead 40 years this April, longer than he lived. But his life continues to serve as a powerful reminder for people to strive for equality and to give of themselves for the cause. “We need your help,” she said, urging everyone in the audience to volunteer themselves as she and others who were alive during King’s time have done. “A few of us are getting old.” The guest speaker at the annual birthday program was Army Lt. Col. Lester Knotts, a professor at the Naval War College and graduate of West Point Academy. He began by telling the audience of about 80 that he could cite endless “grim” statistics that reflect how, even after King’s death, “equal opportunity is not here yet.” But he said he wouldn’t do that. “I’m a happy guy,” said the married father of two young children. A Sunday school teacher and former infantryman now seeking his third master’s degree, he went on to deliver a message of how everyone can improve their own lives -- not to enrich themselves -- but to better the lives of those around them. “I want to encourage you to arise and do something,” he said. “My message to you is not one of woe but one of hope.” While not everyone is a famous civil rights leader, he said, most possesses either physical, political, financial or social power -- even the power of love. “Get up and use it!” he repeated over and over. “Share what you have. It would be selfish to do otherwise.” Repeating some of his favorite adages, he said, “You can talk and talk but nothing gets done until someone picks up a wrench,” and “Do not be afraid of hard work; be afraid of laziness.” Other speakers included Mayor Steven Waluk, Supt. John Ambrogi and School Committee Chairman Charles Shoemaker. In the audience were members of the City Council and Newport’s delegation to the General Assembly. An hour into the program, 18 runners, including one carrying a torch, arrived in the auditorium in sweatsuits and yellow T-shirts commemorating MLK Day. They were volunteers from Naval Station Newport continuing the annual tradition of carrying the torch from Portsmouth to Newport in tribute to King. The winner of the annual essay contest, Lauren Thibeault, a seventh-grader from Charlestown, read her entry. Between speakers, the audience sang “Lift Ev’vy Voice & Sing” and “We Shall Overcome,” two popular civil-rights anthems. In the afternoon, following a luncheon at the Atlantic Beach Club, the 14th annual black history bowl was held at Thompson, testing the knowledge of students from area schools. The documentary “American Blackout,” about the historic suppression of black voters in America, is being shown today at 5 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King. Center. That will be followed by a worship service at the Community Baptist Church, the second of the day. A prayer breakfast was held earlier at St. Paul’s Methodist Church. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:30 PM | Comment ACLU commends Corrections on media policy revisionThe Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Unions says "the public's right to know" scored a victory when the state Department of Corrections modified regulations that it had proposed concerning the news media's access to inmates for interviews. The Department of Corrections proposed the changes last year, but it drew criticism from civil liberties activists, journalists and former inmates at a September hearing. After the hearing, the DOC took another look the proposed changes. Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island ACLU, said the DOC responded to most of the major issues that were raised at the meeting. For example, the DOC has revised a proposal that would have required the presence of a DOC public information officer at all interviews. The rule now allows the reporter to demand that the officer leave. The DOC has also changed language that would have made reporter's notes, recordings and videotapes subject to review by the DOC. "The revised regulations will better promote transparency in an agency where openness is particularly crucial. Ultimately, it is the public’s right to know that benefits from these changes,” Brown said. The resulting revised media policy shows “the public hearing process works,” said Corrections Director A. T. Wall. “We try hard to balance our need for proper security and the availability (of inmates) for the media.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Thomas Mooney. Brown was disappointed that the DOC wouldn't change its policy on access to out-of-state prisoners. Wall said, “We need to defer” to the wishes of the “home” department of corrections where the inmates originated." “If those officials have no problem with a Rhode Island reporter interviewing one of their inmates, ACI prison officials will allow it.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:10 PM | Comment Local Pulitzer-winning playwright takes Yale postPaula Vogel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who has served as Brown University's director of master's and undergraduate playwriting since 1984, has been appointed chairwoman of the playwriting department at Yale University's drama school. Yale's Web site says that Vogel has been named Eugene O'Neill professor (adjunct) and department head and will take on full-time duties at Yale on July 1. “The appointment of Ms. Vogel reflects our commitment to attracting not only the most talented students, but also the world’s leading practitioners to serve as their teachers," Yale president Richard C. Levin said in the statement. Vogel has written several plays, won awards including the Pulitzer in 1998 for drama for "How I Learned to Drive," and has had several fellowships. Vogel "has distinguished herself as a unique and profoundly accomplished playwright and teacher,” the dean, James Bundy stated. “Her extraordinary artistic achievements are matched only by her tireless commitment to, and remarkable track record in, the training and mentoring of young writers. I am certain that her vital creative intelligence and generous collaborative spirit will inspire not only the playwriting department, but also the entire Yale School of Drama community, and I look forward to her influence on our program for years to come.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:40 PM | Comment Providence homicide victim survived shooting in 1995
The city's first homicide victim of 2008, Michael Holston, was a resident of the city. He was shot outside Club Desire at 1 Franklin Square, off Allens Avenue, shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday. Newspaper clips identify Holston as an All-State basketball player for Hope High School in the early 1990s, leading the team in 1993 with 22 points a game. Two years later, Holston was cleaning up after a party at the Boys and Girls Club in South Providence when he was shot in the abdomen. Police said the shooter, 19-year-old Nikittey Brown, was seeking revenge against Holston, who had argued with Brown's cousin about money. Club Desire was in the news last year for being a tenant in a state-owned building that also housed state Department of Transportation offices. The police asked that anyone with information about the slaying call detectives at (401) 243-6406. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:30 PM | Comment People in R.I., Northeast rescue unwanted dogsCOLUMBIANA, Ala. -- Dogs lovers in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and other Northeast states are running to the rescue of unwanted dogs from other parts of the country. While many states in the Northeast have strict leash laws and encourage spaying or neutering, other states like Alabama have been less successful in keeping down the number of unwanted dogs. That’s led animal activists in those states to link up with potential dog owners in northern states, sometimes transporting the dogs on 20-hour road trips to be with their new owners. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:43 PM | Comment Update: Lawrence fire, "I couldn't believe what I saw"
One person was injured in the blaze in Lawrence, Mass. -- about 30 miles north of Boston -- that engulfed apartment buildings and a home for the mentally disabled. The extent of the injuries is unknown. Extra: See footage of the blaze as it spread through Lawrence. The fire was first spotted by an ambulance crew on an unrelated call about 2:30 a.m., state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. Coan said the fire started in the nightclub, which was being renovated. The club had no walls, and that “gave the fire an opportunity to take hold very quickly,” he said. Freezing winds quickly pushed the blaze through the block, which included early 1900s triple-decker wood frames. Firefighters were hampered by wind chills that dropped to 2 below zero, freezing the water used to fight the blaze and covering buildings and streets in ice. Zulma Borgos, 49, said she was awakened by calls of “Fire! Fire!” from her boyfriend, Elias Riverra. Borgos said when she looked out the window, “I couldn’t believe what I saw.” “It was a ball of fire,” said Riverra, 21. He didn’t even have time to grab a pair of socks before waking Borgos’ three girls in the apartment and running. -- The Associated Press The girls, ages 5 to 12, were wrapped in blankets when they arrived at a shelter the Red Cross set up in a local school. Other people arrived in bathrobes and slippers. The Red Cross said it expected about 35 to 40 people at the shelter. Bill Meagher, a Red Cross volunteer, said many of those displaced by the fire already were struggling financially. “A lot of these people who were burned out today don’t have anything,” he said. “They’re not going to be able to find housing right away. “With the freezing cold weather ... all the shelters are full,” Meagher said. Fire officials said the cause was suspicious. Coan said state and city fire officials were investigating the blaze with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:35 AM | Comment Gas prices drop for 2nd weekGasoline prices in Rhode Island dropped four cents this week, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of unleaded, regular gasoline is $3.079 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The price has dropped six cents in the last two weeks, but the average price in Rhode Island is still six cents above the national average of $3.019, according to AAA. AAA attributes the drop to lower winter demand. The average price here was $2.289 at this time last year. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:32 AM | Comment All-night effort: Printing Pats' T-shirts in PawtucketLike a lot of New Englanders, Jessica Bahl followed yesterday's Patriots' game closely. She's a fan, but wasn't straight this morning when it came to her feelings about the team's win. "I'm not the person to ask," she said laughing over the industrial noise that bled in through the phone. "I'm exhausted." Exhausted because as soon as the clock ran down in Foxboro, she got to work in Pawtucket Bahl is the general manager of Mirror Image, Inc., a screenprinting company that prints Patriots' T-shirts for the area. She's exhausted, to be sure, "but we get pumped with adrenaline," she said. Being fans helped the three-dozen employees make it through the night and finish up the "thousands and thousands" of AFC Championship T-shirts by about 8 a.m. today. (Bahl said she's not allowed to say exactly how many T-shirts they print). It's not over for the Patriots, and it's not over for Mirror Image. The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl and Bahl and company will be glued to their radios. And if things go well, there won't be a party, Bahl said. "We won't have time for that." -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:08 AM | Comment Photo: Tapping the keys at the King breakfast
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:37 AM | Comment Blaze in Lawrence, Mass., engulfs 14 buildingsLAWRENCE, MA. -- A massive seven-alarm blaze in downtown Lawrence has engulfed 14 buildings, including some apartment buildings. Fire officials say no injuries have been reported in the fire at Market and South Union streets that was called in at about 2:30 a.m. today. See a local fire official describe the scope of the blaze. The blaze started in an empty nightclub that was being renovated, then spread quickly through a hair salon, and other buildings, including a home for the mentally disabled. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:17 AM | Comment State celebrates legacy of Dr. Martin Luther KingPROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island is celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King with events across the state this holiday weekend. It's a holiday on the federal and state government level, meaning those offices will be closed. Municipal offices and public schools in Rhode Island are also closed Monday, as well as banks. From 7:45 to 10 a.m., the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island will hold its 24th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at Rhodes on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. Here's a list of more events in the area marking the day. The program will also feature awards for local activists who have made contributions to their communities like Lorraine Ramos, founder of the Beehive Childhood Center in East Providence. The state also held a forum on Saturday at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, including workshops on youth leadership, community leadership and nonviolence. -- projo.com and Associated Press reports Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment A bright day but bitterly coldThe wind will make today's bitter cold feel even worse. Although today should be sunny, the high should reach just 26 degrees in the Providence area and the wind of 7 to 14 mph. will, at times, make it feel like 3 degrees below zero, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight's low will be about 13 degrees. For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a photograph of Patriots' linebacker Junior Seau holding the trophy awarded to the winner of the AFC Championship game. A column by sports columnist Bill Reynolds accompanies the photograph. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 18, 2008MLK Day a holiday for many on MondaySlain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. will be remembered officially this Monday, the holiday in his name. It's a holiday on the federal and state government level, meaning those offices will be closed. Municipal offices and public schools in Rhode Island are also closed Monday, as well as banks. On Monday morning, from 7:45 to 10 a.m., the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island will hold its 24th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at Rhodes on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. Here's a list of more events in the area marking the day. The 7to7 news blog, and other projo.com blogs, will be up and running this Monday, with reports on MLK Day activities and, of course, the aftermath of the AFC Championship game on Sunday. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:56 PM | Comment Tonight: Real-estate intrigue in NewportThe Firehouse Theater in Newport tonight at 8 offers a performance of Glengarry Gen Ross. It's a David Mamet play, directed by Andrew Stigler, about the intrigue among characters in a real estate office. Can't make it tonight? There's another performance at 8 p.m. tomorrow and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. For other happenings this weekend -- which for many is a three-dayer that marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday -- check projo.com's Lifebeat section and calendar listings.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment 2 R.I. schools make the grade on Newsweek listPROVIDENCE -- Classical High School has made Newsweek magazine's latest ranking of the nation's top public schools, placing 952 out of the 1,351 schools that made the magazine's cut, Schools Supt. Donnie Evans said in a news release today. “We are excited to announce yet another nationally recognized accomplishment by Classical High School,” Evans said in the statement. “I applaud and thank the teachers, the school administrators, and especially the students and their families at Classical who have worked very hard to build and maintain Classical’s outstanding performance and national reputation.” Public schools are ranked according to a ratio where the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students in the school in 2006 is divided by the number of graduating seniors. Classical was one of two schools on the list from Rhode Island. The Newsweek list, available online, shows the other Rhode Island school in the list: East Greenwich High School, which the magazine ranked 1,138th. In the prior year's list, the two swapped spots: Classical was ranked 1,146th and East Greenwich placed 659th. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:35 PM | Comment Update: Court vacates Urciuoli, Driscoll convictionsA federal appeals court has overturned the corruption convictions of two former top Roger Williams Medical Center executives accused of paying a state senator to push their agenda at the State House. The panel also ordered a new trial in its decision announced this afternoon. Robert A. Urciuoli, the medical center's former president, and Frances Driscoll, a former senior vice president, had appealed their convictions tied to the theft of "honest services" from former state Sen. John Celona. The two argued to the three-judge 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in Boston that the jury had gotten faulty instructions from Judge Ernest C. Torres in U.S. District Court in Providence. In October 2006 verdicts, Urciuoli was found guilty of conspiracy to commit "honest services" mail fraud and 35 counts of "honest services" mail fraud, or aiding and abetting such fraud. Driscoll was convicted of one count of "honest services" mail fraud. Execution of their sentences was stayed pending their appeals. In their appeals, the defendants argued the judge's instructions "wrongly allowed for conviction" based on Celona lobbying mayors and in meeting with insurance companies, "conduct that they claim does not constitute a federal crime." The appeals court ruled in a 25-page decision that Torres instructed, over the defense's objection, that pertinent law included not only exercises of power such as votes but also any actions done "under the cloak of office." U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Thomas Connell said late this afternoon that his office had not yet decided whether to call for another trial for Urciuoli and Driscoll. “We’re reviewing the decision, and we will make an appropriate decision as to a path of conduct once we have reviewed and analyzed the import of this decision,” he said. Read the decision today by the appeals court. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Dan Barbarisi, Journal archival reports and The Associated Press Part of the appeals court's vacating of the convictions centers around Celona's lobbying town officials to get more ambulance runs to the hospitals. The appeals court decision found the "ambulance run advocacy with the mayors cannot qualify as a deprivation of 'honest services' owed to the public." The court added that urging local officials to follow law "is not easily described as a deprivation of honest services, actually or potentially harmful to the citizens of Rhode Island." The appeals court concludes "... the [jury] instructions were over-broad insofar as they licensed the jury to consider the rescue run advocacy as a deprivation of honest services, but that the insurance episodes were properly considered as potentially criminal -- as, needless to say, were Celona's actions in promoting or blocking legislation to favor" Roger Williams Medical Center, the decision says. Lawyers for Urciouli and Driscoll praised the decision. “Fran Driscoll is a thoroughly decent person and consequently I couldn’t be happier because she is somebody who fully deserves the result that is reached here," John A. "Terry" MacFadyen, the lawyer for Driscoll, said. "I'm absolutely excited to get the results, and I think it's a great thing for a decent man," said Martin Weinberg, a lawyer for Urciuoli. Celona, a North Providence Democrat who had served as chairman of the powerful Senate Corporations Committee, admitted selling his office for personal gain to Roger Williams Medical Center, the drugstore chain CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in August 2005 and was sentenced a year ago to 30 months in federal prison. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:59 PM | Comment Update: Missing W. Greenwich woman found aliveA missing West Greenwich woman was found alive this afternoon in woods about a quarter-mile from her address, according to the state police. It is believed Lisa J. Doire, 41, a mother of two who lives on Fox Run, spent the night in the woods, according to state police Capt. Raymond White. It is not known why. She was located by a helicopter as part of a search of the area. She had been missing since last night. State police said she was found in relatively good shape. Her brother-in-law, Steve Diore, told reporters she had been taken to a hospital for observation. Police said Doire’s husband told them she was home when he took their son and daughter to run some errands at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday. He said when the three returned to the house at about 6:30, she was gone. Leo Doire said he searched the wooded area that surrounds the house, then called police. West Greenwich Police Chief Ronald Lepre said earlier today that there were “no signs of a struggle or of a disturbance of any kind in the house,” adding later that the investigation was still "wide open." More than 50 local and state authorities were searching the area with search dogs. Lepre said Doire has no history of mental illness. "I'm interested," Lepre said about the circumstances, "to see why and where," Doire had gone. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:41 PM | Comment Update: Explosion's cause tracked to truck's water tank
According to the Providence Fire Department, the truck belonged to JA Concrete Pumping in Cumberland. Around noon today, the truck’s high-pressure water tank exploded and one of the covers blew off, punching a hole in the roof of 90 Royal Little Drive, near the AAA Providence headquarters branch office. No one was hurt in the explosion, which left an 18-inch gash in the roof of a building that houses VeriSign and Markland Technologies. One of the businesses was briefly evacuated. The Fire Department’s hazardous materials team inspected the area and determined that no dangerous substances had been released. Although the driver of the truck left the scene, the state police truck squad was able to track him down. Today, Providence police were unable to say what charges, if any, were filed against the driver. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. -- Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:38 PM | Comment High court stays out of dispute over custody case blogPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court is refusing to review or halt a Family Court order that told a state agency to “advise” a retired minister to stop publishing a blog “as it pertains” to two children involved in a divorce and custody case. The Rev. Anne Grant, who heads the Parenting Project based at the Mathewson Street United Methodist Church in Providence, had asked the high court to overrule Family Court Judge John A. Mutter, saying his order violated her constitutional rights to due process and freedom of speech. But the state Department of Children Youth and Families urged the Supreme Court to reject Ms. Grant’s requests, saying that Mutter did not order Ms. Grant to do anything and that the case of “Sara Doe” and “Mary Doe” was “protected by several levels of confidentiality.” In a one-sentence order released today, the Supreme Court said, “The petition for writ of certiorari and petitioner’s motion to stay are denied.” Andrew J. Johnson, DCYF’s deputy chief legal counsel, said the agency is glad the Supreme Court ruled the way they did, and he expects similar issues to be litigated in the future. “We felt all along we had acted in an appropriate manner at the direction of the Rhode Island Family Court,” Johnson said. “As we move forward in technology and the Internet is used more and more, these issues will undoubtedly go before courts more and more, and we in society and the courts will have to balance the privacy rights of the children versus the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech.” Grant referred questions to Thomas R. Bender, a Providence lawyer representing her in the case. Bender noted that in saying it wouldn’t hear the matter at this time, the Supreme Court did not address the merits of the case. “We can only speculate as to why they did not want to hear it,” he said. “The most reasonable explanation is that because DCYF acknowledged the order wasn’t specifically addressed to her, it didn’t have any impact on her, and therefore it wasn’t necessary for the court to address it.” -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Bender said he filed the petition in hopes of clarifying the situation and ensuring no one would try to use Mutter’s order to hold Ms. Grant in contempt of court if she continued to publish the blog. “All the court needed to do was add a paragraph to the effect that ‘We are not taking this up at this time because the order doesn’t require Anne Grant to do anything,’ but they declined to do that,” he said. So now, Bender said, he will probably advise Ms. Grant to continue to publish the blog and to comment on the case while avoiding photographs or information that would identify the children. “If another party asks to hold her in contempt for that, we’ll have to go to court and argue that the order was not specifically addressed to her and the court did not have any jurisdiction over her,” he said. Ms. Grant had used the blog — www.custodyscam.blogspot.com — to criticize DCYF and others involved in the case, saying they’d used a “bogus theory” to take a mother’s two daughters from her and to send one of the sisters to live with the father — after the father had been accused of sexually abusing the girl. The blog had decried reliance on parental alienation syndrome, a theory which the child psychologist Richard A. Gardner developed “to describe his clinical impressions of cases he believed involved false allegations of child abuse,” Bender has said. DCYF has said that while the blog used pseudonyms for the girls, it included the children’s photographs, diary entries and medical information, and it repeated the sexual abuse claim that a DCYF hearing officer had deemed “unfounded.” At DCYF’s request, Mutter issued a decree on Aug. 17, saying: “DCYF, as the temporary custodian of the children, is to advise Anne Grant, author of www.custodyscam.blogspot.com, to remove any and all written and pictorial information pertaining to the children in the above matter, from the inception of publication to the present and henceforth, and to cease publication of the blog as it pertains to these children.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:17 PM | Comment Grand jury: Fatal shooting by Pawtucket police justifiedA Providence County grand jury has found that the actions of Pawtucket police officers in the shooting death of a man last July were "lawful and legally justified." A press release from the state Attorney General's Office today said the grand jury had finished its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Jason Audette, on July 27. Audette, 34, of 544 Central Ave. in Pawtucket, was killed at a tenement house at 62-64 Coyle Ave. Officers called to the scene shot Audette, a burglary suspect there who police said had a gun in his hand. All together, Officers David Holden, 26, Mark Ramos, 31, and Christopher LeFort, 37, fired about a dozen shots at Audette with .40-caliber Glock service weapons, killing him. In its press release, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said the grand jury made its finding because Audette had been armed with a loaded .32-caliber pistol, had refused to comply with three separate orders to drop his gun, and was pointing his gun directly at one of the officers. As a result, "the officers felt that their lives were in imminent danger and, therefore, were justified in shooting" Audette. -- With projo.com archival reports Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:00 PM | Comment Officials: Woman killed self, kin on purpose on highwayCAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A woman with a history of mental illness purposely walked her young niece and nephew into oncoming traffic on Interstate 495 in Lowell last week, in a double-murder suicide, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said today. Marcelle Thibault, her 5-year-old niece, Kaleigh Lambert, and her 4-year-old nephew, Shane Lambert, both of Brentwood, N.H., were killed on Jan. 11 when they were struck by two cars. Thibault, 39, of Bellingham, was driving her 2003 Lincoln sedan south on the interstate when she turned the vehicle car sharply, drove across the median, crossed the northbound lanes and then began driving against traffic in the breakdown lane, authorities said. She then stopped on the right side of the road, got out of the car and removed all her clothes and undressed the children. She then took both children into her arms and walked onto the highway. "We believe that Ms. Thibault took her niece and nephew and walked with them into oncoming traffic on Route 495, tragically resulting in the deaths of the two young children while taking her own life in the process," District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement. -- Associated Press Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:40 PM | Comment Trying to do better: December storm follow-upThe state’s Emergency Management Advisory Council is meeting next week and will present some suggestions on how to better manage the state during inclement weather. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Major General Robert T. Bray -- acting director of the state Emergency Management Agency -- will join other State Emergency Management officials to discuss the results of the Council’s review of emergency response during the Dec. 13 snow storm. According to a statement released by Roberts, the review covers some newly implemented and proposed solutions for the “failures of emergency response.” The meeting is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday at East Providence City Hall. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:36 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Scituate accidentPolice and rescue crews are at an accident on Rockland Road in Scituate. The Scituate police say the accident, near Danielson Pike, involved two vehicles. None of the injuries appeared to be very serious, but three people may be transported to nearby hospitals. Traffic has been disrupted on Rockland Road, about 1 mile from the state police building, but not Danielson Pike. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:26 PM | Comment Harp seal rescued by Mystic team; public can view itA Mystic Aquarium rescue team on Wednesday helped a harp seal found stranded at Napatree Point in Westerly's Watch Hill section, the aquarium and research institute announced today. The male seal, thought to be a yearling, was seen on the beach by aquarium staff eating sand, "which probably indicates the animal was dealing with some sort of stress-related issue," Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration said in a news release today. “Harp seals are usually found further north, following the ice flows,” said Janelle Schuh, a stranding coordinator for the aquarium's Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Program. “However, it’s not totally uncommon this time of year to see them off the southern New England coast as well, but it’s not their natural habitat.” Aquarium staff took the seal to the Seal Rescue Clinic at Mystic Aquarium, where it is receiving antibiotics to fight off infections. “He’s doing well right now,” Schuh said in the statement. “We’re trying to get him to eat fish again and once he’s off the antibiotics, he’ll be re-released. There is a 14-day waiting period when an animal like this is given medication; if everything is OK after that, he’ll then be returned to the ocean.” The public is welcome to see the seal at the aquarium on a television monitor that tracks his movements. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:14 PM | Comment Bakst: How I'll prevent hypothermia at Pats' game
So, the blanket is definitely coming with me. Speaking of coming, or going, I see that the MBTA train to the stadium will leave Providence at 1:10 p.m., which means there won’t be a lot of time to kill before settling into my Section 238 (no alcohol) seat before game time, which, given the temperature forecast (a high of 22 degrees dropping to 7 Sunday night), is probably a lucky break, no? Now, for my ensemble: -- A pair of thin socks, plus toe warmers or foot warmers or both – this will be, as the coaches say, a gametime decision - and heavy socks and whatever shoes best accommodate same. -- Long underwear, heavy 100 percent wool slacks, and, on the outside, a pair of nylon rain pants. (I’m also considering putting some pajama bottoms or sweat pants in there somewhere.) -- The top to the long underwear, a T-shirt, a collared shirt, then a regular sweatshirt and/or windbreaker pullover, then a heavy hooded sweatshirt and zip up windbreaker, then a hooded winter parka. -- Mittens and hand warmers, probably two pairs. -- A knit hat, a scarf, and a face mask. (Yes, I said a face mask, with a Patriots logo. It’s the kind of thing you’d use if you were robbing a milk store. No, you’ve probably never seen me in it. For one thing, I don’t rob milk stores. I wear it only at Pats games and then only when the weather is brutal.) -- Several snacks including All-Bran oatmeal raisin bar and Fiber One oats and peanut butter bar. Definitely intend to get a hot chocolate – probably two – at the concession stands. Maybe also chicken breast sandwich, turkey leg, or chicken/rice/beans/salsa burrito (light on the cheese and hold the sour cream.) If Patriots are winning, may celebrate and splurge on a kosher hot dog. Come to think of it, if they’re losing, I’ll be so distraught I may have to get one to ease my pain. Frankly, any time is a good time for a kosher hot dog, and, on a health kick, I’ve been depriving myself for too long. You may be thinking, “Good luck to you, fella. You go right ahead and go to Foxboro and freeze. I’ll watch on TV.’’ And you may be smart. What can I say? I do this because it’s what I do, it’s who I am, and I love it. -- M. Charles Bakst, Journal political columnist and diehard Pats fan Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:57 PM | Comment Update: Container bursts, damages Providence buildingA loud, explosive-type noise that caused occupants along Royal Little Drive near Silver Spring Street in Providence to call police came from a pressurized container on a truck that had burst, shooting pieces at a nearby building. According to Providence Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief Curtis Varone, part of the container shot at the building at 90 Royal Little Drive -- near the AAA Providence headquarters branch office -- leaving a 1.5-foot gash on the roof. One business was briefly evacuated, Varone said, but no one was hurt and people are returning to their buildings. A hazardous materials crew inspected the area and determined no dangerous materials had been released. The state police are looking for the truck that had been carrying the container, according to Varone, because it is no longer on the scene. Varone said the truck has the letters "Cumberland Piping" on the side. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson with, reports from Journal staff writer Linda Borg Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:13 PM | Comment Update: Amtrak, unions reach agreementWASHINGTON -- Amtrak reached a deal with nine labor unions, averting a possible strike at the end of this month, the passenger railroad announced today. The deal averts not only passenger rail disruptions but commuter chaos in many East Coast suburbs where short-distance trains run on Amtrak infrastructure. "Investing in the railroad comes in many forms, and one of the best ways is to invest in its people, which we've done with this tentative agreement," Amtrak president and CEO Alex Kummant said in a statement. "We have averted a possible strike that could have had a crippling effect on the lives of millions of Americans." Details of the tentative agreement will not be released until it is ratified by affected union members in the next several weeks, according to a statement from Amtrak. But people familiar with the labor agreement, speaking on condition of anonymity because the details had not been formally announced, said it adopts the recommendations of a presidential emergency board report issued Dec. 30. The board recommended Amtrak grant back wages to its workers, and the report triggered a 30-day countdown until a strike became legal. There has never been a strike in Amtrak's 36-year history. The dispute, which had continued despite years of unsuccessful mediation, involved about 10,000 employees whose last contract ended Dec. 31, 1999. Amtrak, which depends heavily on federal subsidies, was concerned about how it would afford the back wages, which would average nearly $13,000 per employee. The railroad had offered to give each worker a lump signing bonus of $4,500 instead of back pay. An Amtrak spokesman had said the back pay would cost Amtrak about $150 million more than what the company had offered. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 12:51 PM | Comment Search on for missing W. Greenwich woman, 41Authorities are searching for a 41-year-old mother of two who was last seen in her Fox Run home in West Greenwich yesterday evening. According to police, Lisa J. Doire’s husband said she was home when he took their son and daughter to run some errands at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday. He said when the three returned to the house at about 6:30, she was gone. Leo Doire said he searched the wooded area that surrounds the house, then called police. According to West Greenwich Police Chief Ronald Lepre, there were “no signs of a struggle or of a disturbance of any kind in the house.” Doire is described as 5’5”, 105 pounds, with blonde-brown hair. More than 50 local and state authorities are searching the area with search dogs. Lepre said Doire has no history of mental illness. He said police intend to keep searching: “Hopefully everything will work out.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:16 PM | Comment RIPTA changes some schedules, routesBuses and trolleys change to their winter schedules tomorrow so be aware of a few different arrival and departure times and slightly different routes. The changes are temporary; the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority makes schedule changes three times a year. Route 51/Charles Street will begin running all day, and will be consolidated with Route 79/Columbus. Route 80/Armstice Boulevard will be rerouted to Memorial Hospital and Columbus Avenue on a new schedule. It will also be consolidated with the old Route 73 bus, which has been renamed Fairlawn/CCRI, and will have a continuous route between Pawtucket and Lincoln. Some trips on the Smithfield, Dexter/Lincoln Mall, Elmwood/Auburn/Airport, Dyer/Pocasset and North Scituate lines are being discontinued. Services are being expanded on the Admiral/RIC, Providence/Newport, Branch Avenue and Broad Street lines. Changes re being made to other routes, as well. Download a .PDF file outlining the schedule changes, or visit the RIPTA Web site for more information Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:19 AM | Comment Cape Cod robber can keep $1M lottery prizeBARNSTABLE, Mass. — The luck keeps rolling for a convicted bank robber who won a $1 million lottery prize. Timothy Elliott will be able to keep his winnings, even though he violated his probation when he bought the scratch ticket, according to an agreement reached with the Massachusetts Probation Department and approved today by Barnstable Superior Court Judge Richard Connon. Elliott, 55, will be required to pay only a monthly $65 probation supervisory fee that had been previously waived because he was indigent. Elliott was placed on five years probation after pleading guilty in October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a heist at a bank on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, Elliott was not to “gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played.” Elliott’s attorney, J. Drew Segadelli, acknowledged his client violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the “$800 Million Spectacular” game at a Hyannis supermarket. But he called the violation minor. “On the scale, that he scratched a ticket, while wrong, is not such a harm,” Segadelli said. Segadelli said there was never any indication that Elliott, who already has received the first of his 20 annual $50,000 checks from Massachusetts’ lottery commission, would have to return the money. The lottery had previously said Elliott should be able to keep the prize. “That was a media hype,” he said. “There was no foundation or support for that ever occurring.” -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:12 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of Governor Carcieri's plan for closing a $151-million budget deficit. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:12 AM | Comment Cranston's sixth graders to return to elementary schoolProponents say the move will save the financially struggling school department about $1 million a year. Chariman Michael A. Traficante, Andrea M. Ianazzi, Steven A. Stycos, Frank Lombardi and Donna Tocco-Greenaway voted in favor of the move. Paul H. Archetto and Deborah C. Greifer voted against. The decision reverses a 13-year-old policy of sending sixth-graders to the middle schools. The next step, according to Chairman Michael A. Traficante, is to work through the four different proposed scenarios in workshop meetings. He said planning should be complete within 3 to 4 months and hopefully, the physical act of setting up space for sixth graders in the elementary schools will take place this summer. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:54 AM | Comment Cranston kicks off coat driveCranston’s Mayor will be on hand at Whole Foods today, not to consume, but to kick off a winter coat drive. Mayor Michael T. Napolitano will be on hand at the grocery store at Sockanosset Crossroads today from noon until 1 p.m. to help collect new and used men’s, women’s and children’s coats. The clothes will be donated to the Comprehensive Community Action Program, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and other churches and charities. The coat drive will continue tomorrow, and collection boxes will be placed at the Cranston Senior Center and Cranston City Hall. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:54 AM | Comment Funeral for Roomful's Enos today
The funeral for Bob Enos, the trumpeter from Roomful of Blues who died last week, is set for today at 9 a.m. Enos had played trumpeter for Roomful, a long-time Rhode Island blues band, since 1981. The service will be followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Patrick's Church, 82 High St., Wareham at 10 a.m. Interment will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Wareham. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:30 AM | Comment Conn. woman seeks probation in Santa groping caseDANBURY, Conn. -- A woman accused of groping a mall Santa Claus has applied for special probation that could wipe any criminal charges from her record. Thirty-three-year-old Sandrama Lamy was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault on Dec. 15, for allegedly touching the Santa at the Danbury Fair mall inappropriately while sitting on his lap. In court yesterday, Lamy's lawyer applied for accelerated rehabilitation, which is made available to first-time offenders. If she is granted the special probation, her criminal record could be totally erased after completing a term of unsupervised probation. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Carcieri to discuss furloughs with union leadersPROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri plans to meet with union leaders today and discuss his proposal to furlough state workers so Carcieri can close a 151 million dollar budget deficit. It's one of many cuts the governor has proposed to fix a shortfall in the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Under the proposal, state workers would have to take six days off without pay to save an estimated $15 million. Carcieri says no state agencies will shut down because workers would not take their furlough days simultaneously. He's scheduled to meet this morning with union leaders to discuss the plan. Carcieri made a similar proposal last year, but he dropped it amid intense opposition from state employee unions and Democratic lawmakers. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Rain should taper offAt least it's not snow, right? This morning is starting off with heavy rain, but it should taper off later in the day. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 45 degrees with east winds gusting as high as 32 mph. Skies should clear up tonight, when the temperature should drop to about 21 degrees. Tomorrow we may see snow in the afternoon as clouds gather and the temperature reaches 37 degrees. Mild west winds will reach a bout 9 mph. Saturday night more snow is possible with a low temperature near 19. There's a slight chance of even more snow Sunday, with cloudy skies and a daytime high temperature of just 24 degrees. Adding to the cold will be high winds from the west, gusting as high as 31 mph. Watch for ice Sunday morning, when the temperature drops down to just 9 degrees. For Martin Luther King Day, expect sunny skies, but low temperatures, reaching the low 20s. For weather updates through the weekend, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment January 17, 2008Tonight: CCRI on PBSRhode Island's PBS will air a documentary about community colleges, in particular, the Community College of Rhode Island. The program Discounted Dreams: High Hopes and Harsh Realities in America's Community Colleges is on at 9 p.m. The program is followed at 10 p.m. by a half-hour discussion program that includes comments by Ray Di Pasquale, the CCRI president. State Commissioner of Higher Learning Jack Warner and state Sen. Juan M. Pichardo are also featured. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment URI, PC men's basketball teams hit the road tonightUniversity of Rhode Island and Providence College men's basketball teams both have away games tonight. URI is at St. Louis at 8 p.m. while Providence plays UConn at 7 p.m., the latter to be televised on ESPN-FC. Keep up with score and stats for both games, and talk about the results, on projo.com's PC and URI sports pages. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Photo: On a roll at Gillette
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:20 PM | Comment Update: W. Warwick officer accused of assault arraignedCRANSTON -- A West Warwick police officer charged with domestic simple assault stemming from a Christmas Eve argument with his girlfriend was allowed to remain free after his arraignment today in District Court. Patrolman Jonathan I. Caldwell, 32, of 98 Randall St. in Cranston, was given a pre-trial date of Jan. 28. He remains free on $1,000 personal recognizance bail posted at the time of his arrest Jan. 4. A no-contact order with his girlfriend, Rachel Pineda, 26, remains in effect. According to police reports, Pineda told Cranston police officers that she tried to keep Caldwell from leaving his house after he had been drinking on Dec. 24. She said she stepped between Caldwell and the door and that he pushed her into a wall and onto the floor. While she was on the floor, she told the police, Caldwell punched and kicked her before leaving. Pineda said she sought treatment at Kent Hospital, where emergency doctors told her she had suffered torn cartilage in her knee. She said she did not report the incident immediately because she did not want Caldwell to lose his job but that she eventually went to the police at the urging of family members who noticed her bruises. Caldwell, who joined the force in 2001, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. -- Journal staff writer Talia Buford Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:09 PM | Comment Coast Guard flies R.I. fisherman from boat to hospitalAfter complaining about chest pains, a Rhode Island fisherman was flown by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter yesterday to Cape Cod Hospital for treatment. The 45-year-old fisherman, Barry Clapt, was in stable condition today at the Hyannis, Mass. hospital, a spokesman said. Clapt was taken from the Narragansett-based trawler Mary Elena after 11:30 a.m., said Petty Officer Lauren Downs. Downs said she did not know where Clapt lived, but said he was a Rhode Island resident. He was part of a crew fishing 180 miles southeast of Cape Cod, she said. The Canadian Coast Guard contacted the U.S. Coast Guard’s First District Command Center after U.S. radios failed to pick up the calls for help from the 77-foot trawler, Downs said. The U.S. Coast Guard launched two jets and a helicopter, said Lt. Engrid Elso. A Falcon jet based at the Air Station in Cape Cod was diverted from a nearby patrol to communicate with the crew aboard the Mary Elena. A second jet also flew to the spot. A helicopter from the air station took the ailing crewman to Hyannis Airport where emergency workers took him to the hospital. -- Journal staff writer Paul Davis Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:01 PM | Comment Fire reported in 3-story building in ProvidencePROVIDENCE -- Firefighters are at the scene of a third-floor fire in a three-story wood-frame building at 169 Princeton Ave., according to James Taylor, chief of communications at the Providence Fire Department The call came in at 4:01 p.m. No other information was available shortly before 4:30 p.m. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:55 PM | Comment Update: Man, sought by Westerly police, is arrestedWESTERLY -- The police have arrested a Westerly man they had been looking for as a suspect in the robbery of a 7-Eleven store, the police said late this afternoon. Jason P. Bolduc, 29, of Pearl Street was arrested today by Westerly officers about 4 p.m. without incident at a relative's apartment on Marriott Avenue, according to the police. The police had received a tip about his whereabouts. Bolduc will be held overnight and appear in Washington County District Court in the morning on charges of robbery. The Westerly police were looking for Bolduc, who they suspect of robbing the store with a man who they allege went on the next day to rob and assault an elderly couple in Connecticut. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson and Journal staff writer Paul Davis Earlier today, the police said they considered Bolduc to be armed with a knife, and dangerous. The police said they got an arrest warrant for Bolduc yesterday after obtaining physical evidence and a witness identification linking him to the burglary, according to Det. Sgt. Mark Carrier earlier today. The police allege Bolduc robbed the Route 1 convenience store on Monday with 45-year-old Gregory Whiting of East Providence. The next day, an elderly Stonington, Conn., man called the police and said he and his wife had been choked and assaulted, and robbed. The police spotted a car matching the caller’s description and followed it into Westerly, where it crashed into a tree, Westerly Police Chief Edward A. Mello said earlier today. The police say they found Edward Northup, 37, of Westerly in the car, and Whiting, who had fled, at a nearby home. Both men were found yesterday to be in violation of probation for previous sentences and are being held without bail. Bolduc has “a lengthy record with us,” according to Carrier, and had previously been involved in high-speed chase with local authorities. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:51 PM | Comment Carcieri's budget plan calls for furloughs, state aid cutsGovernor Carcieri released a sweeping budget proposal today that would make dramatic cuts and changes affecting all state employees, cities and towns, several thousand low-income health-care recipients -- and even cell-phone users. Carcieri’s plan, known as a supplemental budget, would revise the 2007-2008 state spending plan the General Assembly passed in June. Both the legislature and the governor agree there is urgency in adopting the revised budget in the coming months to close a current-year deficit projected at $151 million. The proposals released today may help in closing next year’s projected $450-million budget deficit, but Carcieri plans to release a separate 2008-09 budget in the coming weeks. The legislature ultimately needs to approve the governor’s plans, which State Budget Officer Rosemary Booth Gallogly says should be passed by March to achieve all of the proposed savings. Assembly leaders weren’t immediately available to comment. The governor’s 119-page supplemental budget includes a provision that would cut $10 million in state aid to cities and towns for the current year, in addition to reducing their reimbursements on the motor vehicle excise tax by $2.7 million. Asked why the governor would take money away from municipalities in the middle of a budget year, Gallogly said that many communities have healthy budget reserves that could make up the cut. Urban areas will be hit particularly hard by the plan, including Providence (which would lose around $2.9 million), Pawtucket (more than $1 million), Cranston (more than $1 million) and Woonsocket (more than $700,000). Carcieri also outlined a plan to require all of the Rhode Island 15,000 or so state employees to take six unpaid days before the end of June. Gallogly said the days off would be flexible, adding that she hoped to work out an agreement with labor unions in the coming weeks. -- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau AFL-CIO Treasurer George Nee earlier reiterated organized labor’s opposition to a similar furlough plan proposed by the governor last year. "If people have those kinds of proposals … they have to do that through the collective-bargaining process," he said, "otherwise you’re reducing people’s waging unilaterally." Gallogly said the governor may asked the General Assembly to pass a law mandating the furloughs, and she suggested “another option” that would allow the governor to act unilaterally if necessary. The furloughs would save approximately $14.8 million, Gallogly said. Meanwhile, a separate proposal would allow the state to cut state subsidized health insurance, known as RIte Care, for approximately 2,000 immigrant children living in Rhode Island. Department of Human Services Director Gary Alexander said that facing a severe budget deficit, the state needs to prioritize its benefits for citizens. The governor has backed off plans to cut health-care for another 8,000 low-income children, but included a measure to cut benefits to more than 7,000 adults on RIte Care. Among the more unusual proposals outlined today, the governor suggested changing state law to ban “hand-held mobile telephones while driving.” A new $50 fine would be created for the offense, which has previously failed to pass the Assembly. In all, the revised spending plan would cut state expenditures by $83.2 million by the end of June, while raising approximately $68.8 million in new revenues. The revenue changes include capping the tax credits allowed by the state’s historic tax program at $20 million in the current year and $40 million in subsequent years. Historic preservationists have credited the program with helping to revitalize dilapidated mills and crumbling buildings around the state. In a press release advancing the budget release, Carcieri said his staff has already reached out to Democratic and Republican legislative leaders to talk about the options and some of the plans his office is considering. “Based on those meetings, I believe that the General Assembly recognizes the severity of the budget problem and is willing to work with my administration to craft a solution," Carcieri stated. Carcieri said the shortfall mainly came about because of a fall-off in state revenues such as taxes and lottery proceeds and in projected caseloads in some state financed programs. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:06 PM | Comment Black Storytellers festival gets funds from bankThe Rhode Island Black Storytellers festival is getting a boost from Citizens Bank for its week-long festival. The festival kicks off this Sunday with two events in South County, a choir performance at the Westerly Public Library and a family storytelling concert at the Cornerstone Playhouse at True Blue Café in South Kingstown. It ends in Newport with another family storytelling concert at the Martin Luther King Center on Sunday, Jan. 28. Click below for a complete listing of events, or visit the RIBS Web site. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Sunday, January 20 RIBS and Teju present a Family Storytelling Concert at Cornerstone Playhouse at True Blue Café, 213 Robinson, Street Wakefield, 6 p.m. Tickets $10.00 adults $5 under 12. Monday, January 21 Friday, January 25 8 p.m.: Spoken word at Trinity Restoration, INC., located at Trinity United Methodist Church, 393 Broad Street, Providence. Riders Against the Storm, Spittin Images, and more share their storytelling styles in rhythm and rhyme. Tickets $8.00. Saturday: January 26 Saturday Night: Not just for kids. Join RIBS and guests for a night of stories at the RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Street, Providence. Tickets $10/advance. $15/door. Available at www.arttixri.com. Doors open at 7pm. Sunday, January 27 Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:38 PM | Comment New England Tech to acquire Brooks-Eckerd building
New England Institute of Technology said today that is has entered into an agreement with Rite Aid Corp. to acquire a 25-acre property on the former Rocky Hill Fairgrounds and a 285,000-square-foot building once intended to house the Brooks-Eckerd corporate headquarters. “In a surprising and unanticipated development just before Christmas, we renewed discussions with Rite Aid regarding the sale of the former Brooks building," said Richard Gouse, New England Tech's president. "Rite Aid reconsidered an offer from the college and a purchase-and-sale agreement has been negotiated and was signed today.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Last July, the college announced a long-term plan to move from its present location on Post Road in Warwick to a new 200-acre campus in East Greenwich. “We are extremely excited about this new development and have asked our professional campus planners to immediately incorporate this site into our proposed campus plan," Gouse said. "As we have stated from the beginning, we have every intention of working closely with town officials to ensure that our campus development protects the high quality of life enjoyed by East Greenwich residents.” Residents of a nearby condominium have complained about the proposed campus. Brooks-Eckerd never occupied the building because the drugstore company was acquired by rival Rite Aid Corp. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 1:27 PM | Comment Update: Police must testify on smoke-shop documents
A judge has ordered members of the state police to testify about why documents were withheld relating to the trial of Narragansett Indians arrested during the 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop. The trial is delayed until Feb. 25. Judge Susan E. McGuirl ordered Maj. Steven G. O'Donnell and other high-ranking police officials to testify while she weighs the defendants' motion to have the case against them dismissed. The documents in question are undated witness statements by O'Donnell, then-captain and in command at the time of the raid. An eight-page statement was submitted to Superior Court, Providence, on Jan. 4. An 11-page document was submitted as part of a packet that the state police gave the court Friday after being subpoenaed to release all raid-related documents. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six other Narragansetts are charged with misdemeanor offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. Prosecutors say the defendants missed similar deadlines to share information and will have plenty of time to review the new material before trial. The trial has been delayed pending resolution over the documents. Jury selection had been scheduled to start yesterday. The arrests happened when police raided the newly opened smoke shop on tribal land in Charlestown, which was not collecting state taxes. A federal appeals court later ruled the shop was operating illegally. Extra: More about the raid and its aftermath. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:10 PM | Comment Bacteria found at Mass. milk plant linked to deathsBOSTON -- Listeria has been found in 16 of more than 100 tests done at a Shrewsbury milk processing plant that was identified as the source of a deadly outbreak of the bacteria. Public health officials say one environmental swab, one skim milk sample and seven flavored milk samples from a Whittier Farms dairy tested positive for the same strain of listeria found in four of the five cases linked to this outbreak. Seven samples tested positive for a different strain. Three elderly men have died since last June after drinking bacteria-contaminated milk from the plant. The test results do not pinpoint where the contamination of the milk occurred, but suggest it took place during the production process. The environmental swab that tested positive was taken from the floor near a homogenizer. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:26 PM | Comment Update: Funds focus on foreclosures and heating aidProviding good shelter -- in the form of keeping warm and decent housing -- are two matters drawing funding right now. Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline this morning announced a new program to offer zero-interest loans to help people buy properties out of foreclosure. The city is setting up a $1 million fund for loans designed to help pay for repairs and improvements to dilapidated properties. The $1 million is part of the city’s Housing Trust Funds, which are used, among other things, to build affordable housing and assist borrowers with closing costs, said Ken Schadegg, housing coordinator for the Providence Department of Planning and Development. The fund, which has been in existence since the early 1990s, is self-generating; the money from repaid loans is used to make new loans, Schadegg said. The loans for foreclosure properties would not have to be repaid until the owner sells the property. The funding is also aimed at encouraging banks to provide mortgages for such properties by assuring funds are in place to fix them up. Providence has been especially hard hit by foreclosures. Last month, 176 of 308 properties in Rhode Island advertised for foreclosure were located in Providence. Yesterday, U.S. Rep James Langevin, D-Rhode Island, applauded the release of $450 million in federal energy assistance fundsto help people keep the heat on this winter. -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:19 PM | Comment Anonymous donor hopes to help nab cabbie killerCENTRAL FALLS — An anonymous donor is offering a $4,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the person who shot and killed a cab driver in Central Falls last year. Forty-two-year-old Jose Rodriguez was found in his cab in July after he was shot in the head. He died the next day. The Victim Support Center, which helps families of those who are victims of violent crime, says it’s also helping look for the killer by posting fliers throughout the state. Center director Sheila Capece says the killing happened in broad daylight, so someone must have seen something. Central Falls police are urging anyone with information to come forward. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:50 AM | Comment State to businesses: It's time to follow recycling rulesRhode Island businesses recycle just about three percent of their waste, according the state Department of Environmental Management, yet they’re responsible for about 60 percent of the waste currently in the landfill. The DEM has announced a renewed push to enforce its commercial recycling regulations, beginning with the Feb. 15 launch of an online program that will allow businesses to report their waste and recycling efforts. The program will also help businesses develop programs that will maximize waste recycling. Businesses will have one year to come into compliance before the department begins enforcing the recycling regulations. In the second phase of the program, the DEM will work with the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to educate businesses and help them come into compliance. Read the recycling statutes here, or find all DEM regulations here. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:30 AM | Comment City fund aims to help purchase of foreclosed propertiesPROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline announced a new program this morning to offer zero-interest loans to help people buy properties out of foreclosure. The city is setting up a $1 million fund for loans designed to help pay for repairs and improvements to dilapidated properties. The money is being made available from housing trust funds, according to the mayor's office. The loans would not have to be repaid until the owner sells the property. The funding is also aimed at encouraging banks to provide mortgages for such properties by assuring funds are in place to fix them up. Providence has been especially hard hit by foreclosures. Last month, 176 of 308 properties in Rhode Island advertised for foreclosure were located in Providence. -- Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:56 AM | Comment Defense: Dismiss smoke shop chargesPROVIDENCE -- Seven Narragansett Indians accused of scuffling with state police who raided a tribal smoke shop want the charges dismissed. Defense lawyers accuse prosecutors of failing to turn over dozens of documents related to the 2003 raid. As a result, they'll ask Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl to dismiss the case during a hearing scheduled for this morning. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six other Narragansetts are charged with misdemeanor offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. Prosecutors say the defendants missed similar deadlines to share information and will have plenty of time to review the new material before trial. The arrests happened when police raided a tribal smoke shop that was not collecting state taxes. A federal appeals court later ruled the shop was operating illegally. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:00 AM | Comment Photo: The view from an igloo
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:49 AM | Comment Morning fire on historic Benefit StreetAn early morning fire on Benefit Street sent residents out in the cold. Occupants of the three-story, wooden house at 377 Benefit St. were already on the sidewalk when firefighters arrived, according to Providence Fire Department Chief of Communications James Taylor. The problem apparently started in the second-floor bedroom, along a heating duct, he said. No one was injured, and the scene was under control within a half hour. The incident is under investigation. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:47 AM | Comment Photo: A golden glow across downtown Providence
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:31 AM | Comment AG Lynch addresses hospital mergerRhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch is talking about the proposed merger between hospital groups Lifespan and Care New England this morning. Lynch is addressing the executive board of the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. The proposed merger would produce a seven-hospital corporation controlling two-thirds of hospital services in Rhode Island. The merger needs approval from Lynch and Dr. David Gifford, director of the state Department of Health. Lynch plans to discuss the review process and responsibilities that must be fulfilled before the merger can be approved. The address is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. at 3288 Post Road, Warwick. If approved, the merger would bring together five of the hospitals affiliated with Brown University: Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Butler Hospital, Bradley Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital. It would also include Newport Hospital and Kent Hospital, in Warwick, which are not teaching hospitals. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Cold enough to take your breath awayStep outside and it's obviously cold, but it may not be that bad. Give it 45 seconds. It's only about 16 degrees outside, and it doesn't take long for the cold to make it uncomfortable to breathe. The temperature is expected to rise about 20 degrees to 36 with a calm south wind around 6 mph. Snow and rain will likely return late tonight, when the temperature drops to 29 degrees and winds about 8 mph. Precipitation continues into tomorrow -- some snow, some rain --tapering off in the early evening. The temperature should reach 40 degrees and an east wind becomes west, reaching about 11 mph. For more weather and regular updates, projo.com/weather. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about a new affordable health-care plan in Rhode Island. Download a copy of today's front page. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment January 16, 2008Tonight: Acoustic rock, jazz in Newport, and rapFrom acoustic outlaws to rappers, the music scene is varied tonight. The Acoustic Outlaws play acoustic rock at Olives, 108 North Main St., Providence. 751-1200. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. No cover. Cadence Green, Doggie Hi! Yippee and Chris Robertson play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. Loaded Dice and DJ Swing Daddy play swing at The C.V. Club, 329 Grosvenor Ave., East Providence. 434-9612. 7 to 11 p.m. Dance lesson, 7:15 pm. $7 (special events $8-$10). Dick Lupino, Joe Esposito and Yvonne Monnett play jazz at Sardella's Restaurant, 30 Memorial Blvd., Newport. 849-6312. 7 to 9:30 pm. Wu-Tang Clan perform rap at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 9 p.m. $35 advance; $40 day of show; $45 reserved. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment R.I. will get about $4.5 million in heating assistanceThe Bush administration has agreed to release $450 million in emergency heating assistance, which will bring badly-needed money to Rhode Island and other cold-weather states. Rhode Island will receive about $4.5 million, just as the state was about to run out of federal money provided through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. “With temperatures dropping and energy prices rising, this release of LIHEAP contingency funds is sorely needed,” Reed said in a statement. “This emergency funding will help thousands of working families and seniors in Rhode Island keep their heat turned on this winter,” said Reed, who serves as the chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, a bipartisan group of senators that lobbies for policies that enhance the region’s economy and environment. “It’s welcome news,” said Matteo P. Guglielmetti, a state official who runs the heating assistance program for Rhode Island. He said the additional money comes at a time when the state Office of Energy Resources was about to notify the community action program agencies to tell those now applying for help that they could not guarantee that any more grants could be made. -- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann LIHEAP is a grant program in which the federal government provides money to states to pass on to people who are having trouble paying their utility bills. The government allocates a certain amount of money to fund the program, and it also sets aside a contingency fund, controlled by the president, who can release the additional money at his discretion. There is still about $136 million left in the president’s emergency contingency fund. Rhode Island’s share of the initial grant was about $13.5 million. That would have been enough to help only about 25,000 people, Guglielmetti said. Now, counting the contingency funds, Rhode Island will receive a total of about $18 million. That will allow the state to help an additional 4,000 families, he said. Some families may now be able to receive a second grant or a second emergency delivery of 100 gallons of heating oil, he said. LIHEAP money has already been used to pay for 3,000 such deliveries, Guglielmetti said. Last year, the state distributed $19.5 million in LIHEAP money to about 30,000 households. About $6 million of that was carried over from the previous year. Heating costs for those that use oil is at an all-time high mainly because of the high cost of crude oil. The average price of home heating oil in Rhode Island on Monday was $3.359 a gallon, down 7 cents from its all-time high reached last week. The average price is 41 percent higher than it was a year ago. A typical customer that uses 666 gallons of heating oil will pay about $2,187 for heat this heating season, which is $435 or about 25 percent more than last year’s heating season, according to calculations by The Journal. Rates for natural gas in Rhode Island have actually declined slightly compared to last winter, but they remain near their historic highs. A typical customer that uses a total of 922 therms of gas in a year (the same amount of energy in 666 gallons of heating oil) will pay $1,408 this year, which is $15, or 1 percent less than last winter. Because the state anticipated that less money would be available this year, it cut the average amount of grants to enable more people to receive at least some assistance, Guglielmetti said. Guglielmetti said that a low-income household that has run out of oil may get help through the state’s emergency heating assistance hotline. The number is (401) 574-9003. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment Plan would exempt some small businesses from fire codePROVIDENCE -- Small, “non-hazardous” businesses of 2,500 square feet or less would be exempt from the state’s uniform fire code, under proposed regulations developed by the state Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review and Fire Marshal Frank Sylvester. Sylvester, Fire Board Chairman Rene Coutu, and Tom Coffey, the board’s executive director, outlined the proposals before the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government today. Some fire alarm installation deadlines would also be extended by the new regulations, and full-alarmed performance theaters that seat fewer than 500 would be allowed to operate without a full sprinkler system -- if the theaters provided double the normal exit capacity and sprinkler coverage over the stage. The board has been refining the extensive new regulations for months, and plans to present them and take comments at a public hearing Feb. 11. The regulations could be in effect as soon as March 1, said Coffey. Last summer, a bill that would have eased the fire code’s effects on businesses passed the Rhode Island House in the last hours of the legislative session, but died in the Senate. Leadership in the Senate said the bill came too late to review. After the bill failed to pass, its architects -- Rep. Joseph Trillo, R-Warwick, and former Rep. Peter T. Ginaitt, D-Warwick -- and Governor Carcieri urged the Fire Board to enact many of the bill’s proposals through regulations. The proposed changes in the bill had come from hearings conducted by the House Oversight Commission to Study the Ramifications of the Fire Safety Code, an advisory committee led last year by Ginaitt and Trillo. The panel had been charged with studying the effects of the 2003 fire code. That code, which was approved in the months after The Station nightclub burned down on Feb. 20, 2003, killing 100 people and injuring another 200, adopted national standards, removed grandfather protection that had shielded older buildings from newer codes, and added special requirements for nightclubs and other places where people gather. Many business owners complained that the new code required too many expensive changes to their properties, and they turned to the legislature for relief. Coffey said the proposed regulations drew heavily from the bill that failed last year. -- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:25 PM | Comment Two men held without bail after home invasionSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Two men from Westerly and East Providence are being held without bail following the home invasion and robbery of an elderly couple Tuesday afternoon in Stonington, Conn.. Gregory Whiting, 45, and Edward Northup, 37, were arrested Tuesday and charged with a host of offenses after police pursuit through Stonington and along the coast in Westerly. They have not been charged with the home invasion, though police expected to secure an arrest warrant for one of the suspects tonight, said Stonington Capt. Jerry Desmond. Whiting and Northup appeared today before Judge William C. Clifton in District Court, Wakefield, where they were arraigned on some of the charges related to the chase. Whiting was also charged with first-degree robbery for allegedly robbing a 7-Eleven convenience store on Route 1 in Westerly with another man early Monday morning. Washington County Superior Court Judge Stephen Nugent then ordered them held without bail as probation violators. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:40 PM | Comment Governor has a plan to close the $150 million deficitGovernor Carcieri tomorrow will forward the General Assembly his fiscal 2008 supplemental budget plan, which he said will rely mainly on spending cuts in eight areas, to shore up a projected $151 million hole in the current year's state budget. This fiscal year ends in June. A news release from the governor's office today did not elaborate on the eight areas for which the Carcieri administration will proposed spending reductions. “With less than six months left in the current fiscal year, we are required to take some difficult steps to quickly resolve a projected $151 million budget shortfall,” Carcieri said in the statement. Carcieri said his staff has already reached out to Democratic and Republican legislative leaders to talk about the options and some of the plans his office is considering. “Based on those meetings, I believe that the General Assembly recognizes the severity of the budget problem and is willing to work with my administration to craft a solution," Carcieri stated. Carcieri said the shortfall mainly came about because of a fall-off in state revenues such as taxes and lottery proceeds and in projected caseloads in some state financed programs. The Governor’s plan to resolve this shortfall, which he presents tomorrow, will rely largely on spending reductions in eight specific areas. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:23 PM | Comment Update: Michael Derderian to be paroled in October 2009PROVIDENCE -- Michael Derderian, who pleaded no contest in the 100 Station nightclub fire deaths, will be released on parole in October 2009, about three-quarters of the way into his four-year sentence, the state Parole Board decided today. Though the club co-owner was eligible for parole consideration after serving a third of his sentence, the board decided Derderian will be paroled after serving 37 months "with appropriate counseling." Last week, 19 people -- some of them parents holding photos of their children, who were concert-goers lost in the blaze -- told the board they opposed Derderian getting early release. Derderian became eligible for parole after serving 16 months. He began serving time on Sept. 29, 2006, after he and his brother, Jeffrey, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Jeffrey Derderian did not have to serve prison time under his plea agreement; he was sentenced to community service. "The board took into consideration the testimony of the victims, both opposed and in favor of his release, the impact this crime has had on the community, his overall institutional adjustment as well as his low risk to reoffend and minimal risk to public safety," said an e-mailed statement issued on behalf of the board. "Due to the enormity of the loss and trauma suffered by many, the Board deliberately did not set another parole reconsideration date, but voted to release Mr. Derderain close to the expiration of his sentence. One member of the board dissented. Lt. Thomas Verdi, a veteran of the Providence Police Department, supported Derderian finishing his sentence without parole. It was not clear at this writing how many parole board members voted on Derderian's parole, and whether any were absent. The board was continuing to meet today on other parole matters. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports On Feb. 20, 2003, Daniel Biechele, who was tour manager for hard-rock band Great White, set off pyrotechnics that set afire flammable foam the Derderians had put on the walls of the West Warwick club as soundproofing. The building burned to the ground in minutes. Biechele is slated to be put on parole in March after serving part of a four-year sentence. He pleaded guilty to illegally lighting the pyrotechnics. More than 460 people were in the club the night of Feb. 20, far more than any of the allowable capacities for the building set out in town documents. It was one of the worst nightclub fires in the nation's history. Extra: Full coverage of The Station fire and its aftermath . Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:46 PM | Comment Photo: Gere takes the stage at the State House
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:12 PM | Comment Should abused children have to testify in open court?PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge today expressed serious concerns about whether foster children would have to "endure the rigors and, maybe, traumatic experience" of testifying in open court. A class action brought by the state's child advocate alleges graphic incidents of child abuse. U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux made no ruling, but scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday at 11 a.m. to review whether state Child Advocate Jametta O. Alston and interested parties have authority to represent the best interests of the foster children named in the suit that asserts the state Department of Children, Youth and Families failed to protect may children in its custody. "Who has made the decision that that's in their best interest?" Lagueux said. The developments came during an afternoon hearing. Lawyers from state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office who represent the state's defense and the state Department of Children, Youth and Families appeared. Lawyers also appeared for plaintiffs the child advocates office and for Children's Rights, a national organization that is an advocate for abused and neglected children. Alston said the child advocate has no plans to call children to testify but could not guarantee they would not be called. The defense could call them to testify to dispute some of the charges. Lawyers for the state argue federal court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case, that it should be dismissed and is essentially a matter for Family Court. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment Photo: A sweeping view of the Marble House
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:11 PM | Comment CNN's Lou Dobbs to speak at Roger Williams UniversitySalman Rushdie. Gary Bauer. Bob Geldof. Lou Dobbs. The group doesn't have much in common, but that's the point. All have been invited to speak at Roger Williams University; Dobbs rounds out the group on Ja |
