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« January 2008 | Today | March 2008 » February 29, 2008Tonight: Follies for ticket-holders, RVs for the restThe Providence Newspaper Guild Follies will take place tonight -- for those with tickets. The annual event brings Rhode Island politicos, journalists and others to the statued Venus de Milo restaurant in Swansea, Mass., for skits and song -- all capturing the foibles of Rhode Island events and politics of the past year. For everyone else, there's always the 15th annual RV Camping Show, which runs to 9 p.m. Hundreds of exhibitors show the latest RVs at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence. Or check out here what's doing in the club scene tonight. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:55 PM | Comment Mollis: Assembly more compliant with meetings lawPROVIDENCE -- State lawmakers improved their compliance with the state Open Meetings Law in 2007, according to Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis. The Access 2007 report gives grades of A, B, C, D and F for two categories. One is letter of the law, which is "technical compliance" with the Open Meetings Law and the other is spirit of the law, which tries to gauge the House and Senate's intent to meet the law. Mollis's office offered these highlights in a news release: * Every House and Senate standing committee got an “A” in meeting the spirit of the law. * The House's compliance with the letter of the law was 86 percent of its 2007 meetings, compared to 57 percent in 2006. The House went from an F to a B in the letter of the law category and maintained an A in meeting the spirit of the law. Every House standing committee improved. * Senate compliance with the letter of the law was 90 percent of its 2007 meetings, compared to 67 percent in 2006. The Senate got an A, up from a D in 2006, in meeting letter of the law, Mollis's office said, and it maintained an A for meeting the spirit of the law. All but one Senate standing committee performed better. The Open Meetings Law mandates that most state and local agencies, departments, commissions, and others post electronic and written notices of meetings at least 48 hours before a meeting is held. Such public notices must have the date, time, place and the agenda. The General Assembly is not subject to the law. "To their credit, the House and the Senate made more than a good-faith effort to keep the public apprised of their work even though compliance with the Open Meetings Law is completely voluntary on their part," Mollis said in the statement. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:30 PM | Comment N. Kingstown school panel pays fine for meeting violationNORTH KINGSTOWN -- The School Committee has agreed to pay a $1,500 fine for an Open Meeting Act violation, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced this evening. Lynch's office had sued, asserting a "willful or knowing violation" by the North Kingstown School Committee when it held an Aug. 23, 2006 meeting, despite having posted public notice for the meeting less than the mandated 48 hours before the meeting was held. Under the consent judgment, entered in Washington County Superior Court today, the School Committee agreed to pay the state a $1,500 fine and "has represented that it has taken corrective measures to ensure that it electronically files notice of a meeting with the Secretary of State’s Office at least 48 hours in advance," Lynch's news release said. Also, all votes taken at the August 23, 2006 meeting were reaffirmed by the School Committee at a subsequent meeting. “It stands to reason that the North Kingstown School Committee will be more mindful of complying with our open-government laws as a result of this litigation,” Lynch said in a statement. “Upon realizing that the meeting was not properly posted, the committee should have canceled and then rescheduled the meeting. Open government is at the very core of our democratic principles, and it is incumbent on public bodies to abide by the laws governing the Open Meetings Act and the Access to Public Records Act.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:54 PM | Comment Chelsea Clinton stays on target at Roger WilliamsBRISTOL -- Although she sounded hoarse from campaigning, Chelsea Clinton stayed on target for an hour and 20 minutes this afternoon as she spoke on behalf of her mother, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, at Roger Williams University. The former First Daughter -- now 28 -- answered questions from an attentive and alert audience of about 325 students assembled in a former cafeteria at the school. They asked, and she answered, questions about Senator Clinton's positions on policies ranging from the war on drugs to the war in Iraq. Unlike her father, former President Bill Clinton, who stopped in Rhode Island yesterday, she had few laugh lines in her speech. But she also held back on attacks on her mother's chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama. Instead, her target of choice was President Bush, saying she was very disappointed in his administration. Dressed in dark blue jeans, shiny black shoes, with a tight blue jacket over a floral blouse, Chelsea Clinton looked casual yet tailored. It was an outfit that could take her several places in a day. She has already been in Vermont today. Her next stop -- the Venus de Milo restaurant in nearby Swansea, Mass., where she's expected to stand on the receiving line at The Providence Journal Newspaper Guild Follies. No, for those who may wonder, she is not expected to be the Mystery Guest at the annual satire on state and local politics. Instead, she has another stop to make tonight between 8 and 9 p.m., back in Providence, with a meeting of young professionals at the Paragon restaurant. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:48 PM | Comment Update: Police chief says officers used 'great restraint'EAST PROVIDENCE -- Police Chief Hubert Paquette emphasized this afternoon that his officers used "great restraint" during a struggle with a 40-year-old man who fell unconscious and died. But he acknowledged that his department "mistakenly" interpreted protocol in belatedly informing the state attorney general of the death. In a statement issued at a late-afternoon press conference -- the department's first since the Wednesday evening incident was announced in a statement yesterday afternoon -- the chief said his officers "risked great personal injury" rather than use deadly force. The reason his department delayed notifying the attorney general's office, the chief said, was because his officers did not use methods of restraint defined as deadly force. Instead, he said, they used verbal commands, "OC" spray, and strikes to the body, which he said "are commonly used by police departments." A cause of death has not yet been determined for Leonel Farias, a 6-foot, 300-pound man diagnosed as schizophrenic and diabetic, who confronted the police with a steak knife when they responded to a help call from his 513 James St. home. For the first time, Paquette indicated how many officers may have been on the scene. He said three members of the force initially responded and encountered Farias in front of his house early Wednesday evening. One of them, a female, sustained enough injuries in struggle with Farias so that she is now on Two other officers, he said, who also were injured to some degree, are still on the job. Last night, in an interview with a Journal reporter, family members alleged the officers continued beating Farias after he'd been knocked out with chemical spray and was down. Farias was later pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. Yesterday afternoon, a spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said it “is troubling and does not inspire confidence” in the East Providence Police Department that the attorney general's office was not notified by the police of the death until 8:30 a.m. yesterday. “You can’t reconstruct a scene 15 hours after the fact,” spokesman Michael J. Healey yesterday. “That’s the salient issue here.” In a Journal interview earlier today, Paquette admitted his department had made a protocol mistake in not informing the AG's office sooner. He also said he has sent out a department memo to prevent such late notification from happening again. He also said at the press conference that he had wanted to look at reports of the incident before holding the press conference. He did not release any reports. -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:37 PM | Comment WPRI poll: Clinton holds 9-point lead over ObamaHillary Clinton holds a 9-point lead over Barack Obama among Rhode Island voters surveyed this week as the Democratic presidential primary looms, a Channel 12 WPRI/RIpolitics.tv poll released this afternoon found. People polled were asked whom they would vote for if the state's Democratic primary were held that day. Forty-nine percent said Clinton, 40 percent said Obama and 11 percent were not certain. The poll, done by Fleming & Associates in phone interviews from Feb. 24 to 27, used 401 registers voters statewide. The primary on Tuesday is one of several nationwide. Despite its small size, Rhode Island's role in the tight race is considered signficant, and both candidates have been actively campaigning here. A high voter turnout is expected in Rhode Island. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:10 PM | Comment Update: Opening statements in smoke-shop trial / Photo
The prosecution took about an hour to lay out its case against the defendants, using up to 10 photos taken the day of their arrests. Prosecutor Pamela Chin says they will help prove the state’s case that the police were “just doing their job,” executing what she called a court authorized search warrant on the shop, which was selling tobacco products tax free. The defense team put on a lengthy argument this morning in which lawyer William P. Devereaux alleged that what happened on the Narragansett land was not so much an execution of a search warrant, but "a raid." Devereaux said that the state, rather than execute a search warrant, chose a means of confrontation in trying to shut down the tribe's plan to sell untaxed cigarettes. He said the state chose confrontation over going to court to seek an injunction. Fellow defense lawyer Kevin Bristow went further in his allegations, saying that the governor of the state of Rhode Island wanted to "do the maximum economic harm to the Narragansett Indians" by ordering that the raid take place when a shipment of cigarettes were being delivered. Bristow said the state chose not to get a federal warrant to stop the selling of cigarettes, or to simply ban customers from entering the shop. And Bristow said the defense would produce the state police major in charge of the operation, who will testify that never in his 25 years on the state police had he been ordered directly by the governor to execute a search warrant. And finally, Bristow said the attorney general, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the state, "had nothing to do with the execution of the search warrant." -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney But even before opening arguments, Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl outlined the history of the relationship between the Narragansetts and the state. She focused primarily on the last few decades and explained a 1978 tribal land settlement agreement that essentially put tribal members under the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the state. McGuirl also outlined how some elements of the smoke-shop case had played out in federal court here, and in appeals court in Boston, in the last 4 ½ years. Both courts ruled against the defendants, and the state Supreme Court refused to hear the case. The defense is set to make opening arguments shortly. Yesterday, the jury visited the site of the shop on tribal land on Route 2 in Charlestown. Extra: See video and photos of the raid and coverage of the ensuing events. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 4:04 PM | Comment Man, 28, dies after being hit by train in New BedfordA 28-year-old former Fall River, Mass., man struck by a train yesterday in New Bedford died from his injuries last night, the New Bedford police said today. Richard Boyden, most recently of Springfield, Mass., was run over by a train just after noon in the area of Worcester and Lynn streets. Preliminary investigation found was trespassing on the railroad tracks and was drinking with a friend when Boyden tried to jump onto the train's caboose. He slipped off the train and was then run over by it "causing significant threatening injuries to his lower extremities," the police said in a statement today. Boyden's friend ran for help, with New Bedford and Massachusetts State Police and emergency personnel responding. Boyden was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford with what the police said were life-threatening injuries. He was moved to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:55 PM | Comment No misstep here; Pawtucket St. Pat's parade tomorrowThe Pawtucket St. Patrick’s Day Parade is getting ready to roll. Although it’s more than two weeks before the day the world typically celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, March 17, the parade is scheduled this year for tomorrow, March 1. And yes, the mayor’s office said, it’s on, despite the fact that tomorrow’s forecast isn’t exactly parade friendly: A wintry mix of 2 to 4 inches of sleet and snow with temperatures in the mid-30s. For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick’s Day falls during Holy Week, the week before the Christian holiday of Easter. The Roman Catholic Church has said masses in honor of Patrick cannot be held during the week. And some bishops are trying to keep parades and other celebrations from going on, too. Pawtucket's parade, however, was not moved to accommodate those wishes -- it's traditionally been one of the earliest celebrations in the state. Led by state Rep. Peter F. Kilmartin, the procession will start at Jenks Junior High, taking Walcott Street to downtown and ending in front of City Hall. After the parade, there will be food and music at the Pawtucket Armory on Exchange Street; $2 for adults and free for kids 12 and younger. To accommodate the parade, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will detour buses in Pawtucket. Click to see the changes. -- With reports from the Journal archives and the Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:50 PM | Comment Providence's historic Turk's Head building sold
"The property was not actively on the market," said Thomas V. Moses, a Providence lawyer who advises the Granoff family. "They were offered far beyond what the value was and were able to make a sizeable profit." Brothers Evan and Lloyd Granoff bought the building, now 95 years old, in 1997 for $4.2 million. The brothers spent "millions" renovating the building during the decade they owned it, according to Moses. The building is located in the heart of the city's financial district - it's the one with the rounded corner at the intersection of Weybosset and Westminster Streets. A scowling Turk's head is carved above the second floor and stares out over the streets. The building became part of a block of properties they assembled in the city's financial district, which included The Arcade, a Weybosset Street building that was formerly home of the St. Francis Chapel, a parking garage, and the Union Trust Building at 170 Westminster St. The Granoffs are also partners in the One Ten Westminster hotel-condo project. Last August, the Granoffs sold the 12-story Union Trust building to FB Capital Partners for $6.55 million. FB Capital Partners lists the same Philadelphia address as the entity that purchased the Turk's Head building - 76 Westminster St. LLC. The Turk's Head sale closed Feb. 8. "It was almost with a heavy heart that they agreed to sell it," Moses said of the Turk's Head building. -- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi Posted by Jack Perry at 2:41 PM | Comment Photo: Kennedy father-son appear on Obama's behalf
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:37 PM | Comment 3 sentenced for beating death of rival gang memberPROVIDENCE -- The three gang members looked like boys today as they stood before the judge and pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their roles in the beating death of a rival member of the Young Bloods street gang. But the youthful defendants will be middle-aged men the next time they see the world outside the walls of the Adult Correctional Institutions. Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause sentenced the three killers -- Sarith Chith, 20, Thomas P. Havey, 20, and Tavares Morales, 19 -- to lengthy prison terms for last year’s murder of Vicheth Klakratok. Klakratok, 24, was the city’s first homicide of 2007 and the fatal beating underscored the growing problem of gang violence in the West End. Chith, Havey and Morales are members of the Hanover Street Boyz street gang. In the early morning hours of Jan. 27, 2007, Klakratok just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. To make matters worse, he was wearing the red colors of the Young Bloods. Klakratok’s gang and the Hanover Boyz have been bitter rivals for years. Chith and Havey pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, while Morales pleaded guilty to manslaughter. All three defendants also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit felony assault. Chith, who struck Klakratok in the head with a pipe, received the stiffest sentence -- 60 years in prison, 42 years to serve with 18 years suspended. Havey, who admitted to striking the victim in the head with a baseball bat, received 50 years, 30 years to serve with 20 years suspended. Morales was sentenced to 30 years in prison, 18 years to serve with 12 years suspended. He was not armed with a weapon, but he repeatedly kicked Klakratok on the ground. View a special report: The Gangs of Providence. -- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski All three of them declined to address the court. They were shackled and chained before they were paraded out of the courtroom for their next stop: the state prison complex in Cranston. Michael McCarthy, an assistant attorney general, told the court that, had the case gone to trial, he would have proven that Chith, Havey and Morales beat Klakratok to death on the corner of Cranston Street and Benedict Street in the West End. At about 2:30 a.m., a brawl between the Young Bloods and Hanover Boyz erupted near a 7-11 convenience store at 775 Cranston St. The street fight involved about 40 gang members armed with baseball bats and pipes. Several car windows and head lights were smashed. There were reports of shots fired and the police raced to the scene. Meanwhile, two cars with the Young Bloods drove off, leaving Klakratok behind. Prosecutor McCarthy said that the gang member ran east on Cranston Street toward the downtown area. He said that Havey, driving a dark sports utility vehicle, chased after him and caught up to him near the corner of Benedict Street. Chith, Havey and Morales piled out of the car and attacked Klakratok. The police found him on the ground, blood flowing from his head into a freshly fallen snow. Standing before the judge, the three gang members all agreed with the prosecutor’s version of the events leading up to and including the murder. White also said that Klakratok hoped that the stiff penalties would steer other youths away from gangs. He cried and wiped tears from his eyes as the interpreter translated the message. Members of the Havey and Morales families also were teary-eyed as the young men pleaded guilty and were sent away. No one was there to offer support for Chith. A police officer who worked on the investigation said that Chith called a family member after he was charged in the murder. "Don’t bother calling us anymore,’’ said the loved one. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:01 PM | Comment Police chief admits protocol mistake in reporting deathEAST PROVIDENCE -- Police Chief Hubert Paquette said today it was a mistake for his department not to notify the Attorney General's Office until yesterday morning about resident Leonel Farias's death while in police custody Wednesday. In an interview today, the chief said he has sent out a department memo to prevent such late notification from happening again. He would not release any more information on the incident than he had previously because, he said, it is still under investigation. Sisters of Leonel Farias, the 6-foot-tall, 300-pound, 40-year-old man who died, did not deny yesterday that their diagnosed schizophrenic brother waved a knife at police or that he struggled with them after his violent outburst in his 513 James St. home. But the sisters allege the officers continued beating Farias after he'd been knocked out with chemical spray and was down. Farias was later pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. Today, the state Medical Examiners Office said the cause of Farias's death is not yet determined "pending further studies." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina and Journal reports A statement released yesterday by Paquette said Farias told officers, who been called to the house for a domestic disturbance, to "come and get him" and that they "would have to shoot him." Farias attempted to go inside, police used pepper spray and struck him in an attempt to subdue him. But he "continued to act completely unreasonable," the statement said, and a "violent struggle ensued" between Farias and several officers. Officers put him in handcuffs, but Farias continued kicking at officers while lying on the ground until he fell unconscious. Paquette's statement said several police officers at the scene Wednesday received treatment from rescue workers for injuries they suffered in the struggle. No injuries were reported from the knife, described the sisters as a small, serrated steak knife. Yesterday afternoon, a spokesman for Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said it “is troubling and does not inspire confidence” in the East Providence Police Department that the attorney general's office was not notified by police of the death until 8:30 a.m. yesterday. “You can’t reconstruct a scene 15 hours after the fact,” spokesman Michael J. Healey yesterday. “That’s the salient issue here.” East Providence police were supposed to follow a protocol put in place by the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association in the wake of the accidental fatal shooting of an off-duty Providence police officer, Sgt. Cornel Young Jr., in January 2000. Earlier this month, Pawtucket police shot and killed a man at his home after responding to a 911 call there of a 6' 5", 300-pound man wielding a "Samurai-style sword." It was the third fatal shooting involving that city's police in seven months. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:42 PM | Comment Bristol company to lay off 90 starting in JuneSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics will begin laying off 90 employees in June, according to a filing the company made to the state Department of Labor and Training. Last October, the Bristol-based company, a subsidiary of the France-based Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, first notified the plant's 160 employees about the plan, Providence Journal writer Alex Kuffner reported. One of the plant's manufacturing lines, the company said, is moving moved to Mexico. “We appreciate the contributions made to our business by our Bristol employees and want to do what we can to help them during this transfer,” Donald Stinnett, general manager of the company’s Polymer Products Unit, said in a statement at the time. “We will work closely with each of our employees to ease the transition for them and their families.” Earlier this month, Saint-Gobain told the Department of Labor and Training that the layoffs would begin on June 1 and be complete by September 2009. The letter, signed by human resource manager Christine Jocelyn, said the 90 employees will receive at least 60-days notice. Saint-Gobain operates a 100,000-square-foot plant on Metacom Avenue, where it produces polymers for the automotive, medical and aviation industries. It has run the plant since 1999, and company officials have said they have no plans to close it. The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) compels companies in Rhode Island to notify the state before closing a plant or making "mass layoffs." For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. -- Journal Business writer Benjamin Gedan Posted by Jack Perry at 12:00 PM | Comment Still no cause found for E. Providence man's deathThe state Medical Examiners office has not yet determined a cause of death for the 40-year-old East Providence man who died Wednesday after a confrontation with the police. In a statement released today, the medical examiners office said the cause of death of Leonel Farias, 40, was "pending further studies." Farias's death has raised questions. Family members don't dispute that Farias waved a knife at the police, but they claim that police officers used excessive force against Farias, a diagnosed schizophrenic, beating him after he was subdued. The attorney general's office was not notified of the death until the next morning, according to spokesman Michael Healey. The police have not responded to the family's claims of excessive force. The attorney general's office and the East Providence Police Department are investigating the death. Earlier this month, a Pawtucket police officer shot and killed 30-year-old Jason Swift at his home. Swift also had emotional problems, according to his mother, who had called the police to help get her son to a hospital. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:23 AM | Comment Chelsea Clinton to visit R.I. todayA third Clinton is coming to Rhode Island. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is scheduled to speak at Roger Williams University this afternoon to talk about her mother's candidacy for president. The younger Clinton will be meeting with students and faculty at a the school's Bristol campus, according to Jennifer Sullivan, spokeswoman for the university, who announced the visit this morning. At about 3:15 this afternoon, Clinton will expected to speak for about 10 minutes and then answer questions. Chelsea's father, former President Bill Clinton, spoke at Bryant University in Smithfield yesterday, and the Sen. Clinton was in town Sunday at Rhode Island College. Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, is scheduled to campaign at Rhode Island College tomorrow. Today, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts will be at University of Rhode Island's Feinstein Providence Campus to lead a "get out the vote" rally for Obama's campaign. Before the rally, Kennedy will be joined by his son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, for an 11:15 a.m. visit to the Woonsocket Senior Center, 84 Social St. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. for the rally at the 80 Washington St. campus in the Paff Auditorium, the Obama campaign announced today. Both Kennedys and state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch will attend. Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, visited the Community College of Rhode Island last week. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:59 AM | Comment Sister McKillop, former Salve Regina president, diesNEWPORT – Sister Lucille McKillop, the fifth president of Salve Regina University and the longest-serving president in its history, died last night in Chicago, the school announced this morning. Sister McKillop served as president of Salve Regina from 1973 to 1994. “Sister Lucille McKillop was first a Sister of Mercy,” said the university's current president, Sister M. Therese Antone, said in a statement. “Her dedication to education and the traditions of the Sisters of Mercy contributed significantly to those traditions continuing to thrive on the campus of Salve Regina University. "Sister Lucille worked diligently to serve the needs and interests of generations of students. The best years of her life were spent ensuring that the mission of Salve Regina University would continue. McKillop Library, named in her honor, is a fitting tribute to her enabling spirit. She was deeply admired and will be missed.” A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Salve Regina’s Ochre Court. The public is invited to attend. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:31 AM | Comment Does Leap Day add up for you?For once, the working-class folks are getting a break. For hourly workers, a Leap Year could be a benefit -- extra hours squeezed into a year's paycheck. And an extra day to pay those February bills. But for salary earners, you may be working an extra day this year without making any more money. That's because just about every four years, an extra day is added to February in an attempt to keep our clocks in line with the solar year -- what we see in the sky as one full orbit of the earth around the sun. But even the extra day doesn't square everything away -- that would be too easy. The difference between the solar year (also called the tropical year) and 365 days is about .2422 days -- not .25, which would bring us back in line exactly every four years. So we don't add an extra day every four years, but every four except those years that can be divided by 100. But if that year, divisible by 100, is also divisible by 400, it is a Leap Year. That's why we had an extra day in 2000. We won't in 2100. And that just about does it. Except for leap seconds -- but that's a different story all together... In any event, you can (sort of) look at at this as an "extra" day. So what are you going to do with it? See what people across the world say. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:42 AM | Comment Four years later, smoke-shop trial beginsMore than four years after the state police raided a smoke shop on Narragansett tribal land, the seven tribal members who were charged with misdemeanors for scuffling with police are going to trial. After the judge and lawyers questioned potential jurors over three days, ten women and six men were selected yesterday. They toured the site of the raid, in Charlestown, with Judge Susan E. McGuirl and lawyers from both sides. Opening statements are scheduled for this morning. The trial, which has been delayed several times -- most recently as police responded to a subpoena for records -- is expected to take about one month. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:53 AM | Comment Judge awards $1.3M to man beaten on UConn campusNEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- A Southington man who suffered severe head injuries after he was beaten at the University of Connecticut has been awarded $1.3 million. A judge has ruled that Jonathan Stewart can collect the money from Bryan Kapustinski, a student from Meriden who was the center for the UConn rugby team at the time. Stewart was hit in the head with a fence post in April of 2004 at the UConn campus in Storrs. The attack was apparently triggered after Stewart and others apparently didn't move fast enough to allow the truck operated by a girlfriend of one of Kapustinski's teammates to pass. Kapustinski was given a one year suspended prison sentence. His lawyer says he hasn't had a chance to read to decision. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Cold today and then snow likely tomorrowThe clouds are expected to increase today as the temperature rises – a little – to about 28 degrees. The National Weather Service is also forecasting mild northwest winds to become south as the day goes on. Snow is also in the future, when the temperature drops a few degrees into the mid 20s. We may see as many as 3 inches of accumulation after midnight. Precipitation may continue into tomorrow, first as snow, then as rain when the temperature rises to the high 30s. We can also expect a southeast wind up to 16 mph, later becoming west. Rain or snow may continue into the evening, tapering off by 9 p.m. Temperatures are expected to drop to the mid 20s and winds to pick up, gusting from the west as high as 33 mph. The sun returns Sunday, with a high temperature near 40, and northwest winds gusting near 40 mph. The skies should stay clear through the night when the temperature dips to the low 20s. Monday looks good, with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-high 40s. To keep an eye on the weather through the weekend, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story about an East Providence man dying after waving a knife at the police and then struggling with them. There's also a report that Rhode Island's losing 1,700 jobs last months signals that the state is nearing a recession. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 28, 2008Update: Man dies after struggle with E. Providence policeEAST PROVIDENCE -- A knife-wielding man who fell unconscious during a struggle with police yesterday and who later died has been identified by his family as Leonel Farias, 40, of 153 James St. The family, who spoke to a Journal reporter this evening, said they had called police to their home yesterday evening for help after Farias turned violent. Family members said he had been diagnosed some time ago as a schizophrenic and, more recently, as a diabetic. Two sisters, Genoveva Porto, 46, and Gabriela Farias, 45, said they witnessed the incident. Both allege that police in subduing their brother used "excessive force" which the two believe caused his death. City police, in their account first provided this afternoon, would not disclose the name of the man involved or the location of the disturbance. The man, later identified as Farias, was described by police as 6 feet tall and weighing 300 pounds. According to the family, the knife he held was a small, serrated steak knife. Earlier this afternoon, Police Chief Hubert J. Paquette issued a statement which said the suspect, armed with a knife, confronted two police officers outside his home when they initially responded to the report of the domestic assault. The statement said the man later identified as Farias told police to “come and get him” and said they “would have to shoot him,” according to the statement. When the man turned and tried to get back inside, police used pepper spray and struck him in an effort to subdue him, “but the subject continued to act completely unreasonable,” the statement said. -- Journal staff writers Gina Macris and John Castellucci, with reports from Journal staff writer Alisha Pina and projo.com In the statement, Paquette said “a violent struggle ensued” between the man and several officers, who eventually put him in handcuffs. The man, lying on the ground, continued to kick at the officers until he fell unconscious, Paquette’s statement said. The man was taken by rescue workers to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived, Paquette said. He could not say what time the man was pronounced dead. Paquette also declined to release additional details of the incident, which he said is under investigation. He said the identity of the dead man will be made public once all his family members are notified. Several police officers at the scene received treatment from rescue workers for injuries they sustained in the struggle, according to the statement. No injuries were reported from the knife the man had been carrying. The Attorney General’s Office was not notified of the death until 8:30 a.m. today, a delay which “is troubling and does not inspire confidence” in the East Providence police department, said a spokesman for Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch said late this afternoon. Michael J. Healey said, “You can’t reconstruct a scene 15 hours after the fact. That’s the salient issue here.” Earlier this month, Pawtucket police shot and killed a man at his home after responding to a 911 call there of a 6' 5", 300-pound man wielding a "Samurai-style sword.". It was the third fatal shooting involving that city's police in seven months. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:56 PM | Comment Tonight: Hip-hop showcase comes to AS220Over at AS220 in Providence, you can catch a local hip-hop showcase -- and there's an open-mike component. The club's Web site says the show will feature Charles ExSavior, Left Over Wine, Big City, and more acts. The club is at 115 Empire St. (401) 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:05 PM | Comment Group seeks to end 'climate of fear' for immigrants
PROVIDENCE -- Proponents of a new legislative platform promoting “racial and economic equality for every Rhode Islander” said today they want to end a “climate of fear” against immigrants, no matter their legal status. Five legislators unveiled a legislative platform called “Campaign for Fairness, Respect and Civil Rights,” on behalf of the Immigrants United advocacy group, which marks a counterpoint to numerous bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration. “These bills all come down to the fact that community safety, civil rights and economic opportunity must apply to all Rhode Islanders, regardless of immigration status,” said Ellen Gallagher, community outreach coordinator for the International Institute of Rhode Island. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:14 PM | Comment Obama will hold rally at Rhode Island College SaturdayPROVIDENCE -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will make a campaign stop at Rhode Island College on Saturday, as the March 4 primary here and in three more states could prove crucial in picking the Democratic nominee. Doors open at noon for the "stand for change" rally, which is free and open to the public, the campaign just announced. He will be at the college's recreation center, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave. Delegate-rich Texas and Ohio hold primaries the same day as Rhode Island, as does Vermont. Former President Bill Clinton visited Rhode Island today, speaking to a crowd at Bryant University in Smithfield, on behalf of his wife, Obama's opponent for the nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama's wife, Michelle, visited last week, and Hillary Rodham Clinton was here last weekend, making her campaign stop at Rhode Island College as well. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:56 PM | Comment Photo: Jury tours Narragansetts' smoke shop
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:43 PM | Comment Kennedy duo to stump in R.I. on Obama's behalfPROVIDENCE -- U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts will be at University of Rhode Island's Feinstein Providence Campus tomorrow to lead a "get out the vote" rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign. Before the rally, Kennedy will be joined by his son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, for an 11:15 a.m. visit to the Woonsocket Senior Center, 84 Social St. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. for the rally at the 80 Washington St. campus in the Paff Auditorium, the Obama campaign announced today. Both Kennedys and Lynch will attend. Obama is slated to visit Rhode Island on Saturday, through the campaign has not yet said where and when. His wife has already come to the state on his campaign's behalf. Obama, the Illinois senator, and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are battling for the Democratic presidential nomination, and this coming Tuesday's primaries in Rhode Island, Vermont and delegate-rich Texas and Ohio could go a long way to settling things. Today, Former President Bill Clinton was campaigning for his wife at Bryant University in Smithfield. Hillary Clinton came to Rhode Island last Sunday for a campaign rally at Rhode Island College. Another member of the Kennedy political clan, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, appeared on her behalf in Providence yesterday. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:22 PM | Comment Clinton to Bryant crowd: Hillary needs your vote / Photo
SMITHFIELD -- Former President Bill Clinton told a crowd at Bryant University that his wife needs them to swing the vote in the presidential primary on Tuesday. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are locked in a tight race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The next big contest is Tuesday, when voters go to the polls in Rhode Island, Vermont, Ohio and Texas. Speaking to a crowd of more than 2,000, Clinton said that if his wife can get a victory here, along with victories in Ohio and Texas, then she is on her way to the White House. Clinton said to the crowd if they were having trouble deciding who to vote for -- or somebody they knew was -- they should perform a simple exercise. Don't ask how you feel right now or how you will feel on Inauguration Day, but, when it's over, how will you if the next president has done a good job, Clinton said. He said he asked his wife that months ago. " ...After a while she said, 'I believe, if I'm luck enough to be elected, I believe I will think I did a good job if I could say, at the end, these things: Number one, the American people are better off when I quit than when I started. Nmber two, our children and grandchildren have a brighter future. And number three, this troubled but fascinating world is coming together instead of being driven apart," Bill Clinton said. He added: "If you want the next president to say, yes, yes, yes, I urge you to vote for her. I hope you will volunteer to help her in the closing days." The former president was in Philadelphia earlier today and was scheduled to hit Ohio later in the day. Hillary Clinton was campaigning in Ohio and Texas. Her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Obama, the Illinois senator, is slated to campaign in Rhode Island this Saturday. Wwhen and where had not been determined, his campaign said yesterday, but it's probably an early-afternoon visit. Obama’s wife, Michelle, made a campaign stop in the state last week. Republican candidates John McCain, the Arizona senator and presumptive GOP nominee, and Mike Huckabee, who distantly trails McCain in the delegate tally ahead of the party convention, have also made stops here this month. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:03 PM | Comment Lincoln man wins $1 million-plus in game at Twin RiverA Lincoln man today decided to take a $1 million-plus payout in cash after hitting the jackpot playing the multi-state game called Ca$hola at Twin River in Lincoln, Rhode Island Lottery announced. Michael Goudreau hit a jackpot of $1,936,695.28, the largest Ca$hola prize won awarded in the state and the third biggest in the game's history. By taking the cash option, he will get $1,094,139.66, according to the news release. The game debuted in Rhode Island, Delaware and West Virginia in 2006, the lottery news release said, and Ca$hola has a "starting cash value jackpot" of $250,000. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:58 PM | Comment Photo: Young and old gather to hear Bill Clinton
Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:41 PM | Comment Early-morning fire damages Providence homePROVIDENCE -- A fire that apparently began in a third-floor ceiling light fixture routed five adults and four children from their tenement house at 70-72 Spicer St., Washington Park, early this morning, the Fire Department reported. Assistant Fire Chief Michael J. Dillon said the apparent electrical fire resulted in smoke and water damage to the third-floor apartment, leaving that unit uninhabitable. But firefighters spread out salvage covers on the furniture and appliances in the second-floor apartment, and if the house’s electrical service is maintained, the first- and second-floor tenants will be able to stay there, he said. The occupants, he noted, declined assistance with temporary shelter. The fire was called in at 3:50 a.m. and firefighters were on the scene for about one hour. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:28 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Lane closed on Route 10An accident has a lane closed on Route 10 this afternoon. The right land on the southbound side of the roadway is blocked at Reservoir Avenue in Providence. For updated traffic information, see the Transportation Management Center's Web site. See updated pictures of the roadways on the site's traffic cameras. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:35 PM | Comment State environmental agency improving its own recyclingThe state Department of Environmental Management is launching a new recycling program tomorrow for its own employees. It turns out, much of the paper that DEM employees were setting aside to be recycled was actually finding its way into the general trash. Now, thanks to a grant from the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, the Department will be able to safely recycle some of its sensitive information. The grant will also help Better Shred, a wing of Cranston Arc, which employs adults with developmental disabilities. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., Better Shred will deliver 17 66-gallon, secure plastic recycling containers to DEM’s offices at the Foundry Building on Promenade Street, Providence. About 320 employees use the bins to dispose sensitive or confidential information that would otherwise find its way to the landfill. When the bins are full, Better Shred employees will pick them up and take them to a facility in Cranston and have them shredded in accordance with federal regulations. The paper will be sold for reuse. Other state offices will participate, including the Department of Elderly Affairs, DCYF Juvenile Corrections and the even the Disability Commission. Recently, the DEM announced it would reinvigorate its current law regarding corporate recycling, asking 2,300 businesses to report information about their trash and recycling efforts online. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:34 PM | Comment Train hits man in New Bedford; Police say he was drinkingA former Fall River man was "run over" by a train in New Bedford, the police said today. The 29-year-old man, who police did not identify in a news release, was hit near Worcester and Lynn streets. A preliminary investigation suggests the man was trespassing on the railroad tracks, drinking with a friend, when the man tried to jump onto the train's caboose. The man, who is now from Springfield, slipped off the train and was then run over by it. The police say his injuries are "life threatening." His friend ran for help, and New Bedford and State Police and other emergency responders came. The victim was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and will likely be taken to a Boston or Providence trauma center, the police statement said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:18 PM | Comment R.I., Conn. lawmakers will push for submarine fundsWASHINGTON -- Connecticut and Rhode Island lawmakers eager to protect local jobs say they will push hard on Capitol Hill to safeguard federal funding for doubling Virginia-class submarine production to two ships a year. "Looking ahead to this year, it looks like we still got some work to do," said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., whose district includes the submarine manufacturer Electric Boat. "The competition is going to be even more intense this year with all of the challenges that our country faces." Courtney's remarks came at a breakfast gathering today of submarine industry officials who want to make sure the money for a second submarine stays in future defense spending bills. Congress is beginning work on its new budget bills. A key mission for Connecticut and Rhode Island lawmakers has been to convince the Navy to accelerate plans to double production of the 377-foot long high-tech attack sub as soon as possible. Such a move could help safeguard jobs at Electric Boat, which has facilities in both states. "I want to stress how important it is to continue this effort," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. About 7,600 people work at Electric Boat's shipyard in Groton, while about 2,000 are employed at the company's Quonset Point facility in Rhode Island. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said maintaining a strong shipbuilding industry is vital to the nation's security, particularly since nations such as China are bent on producing more and more submarines. "We have to do all we can to protect that base," Langevin said. -- The Associated Press Submarine supporters who had fought for funding for a second ship for several years on Capitol Hill scored a major breakthrough in the recently approved defense spending bill. The measure signed by President Bush in January allows the Navy to accelerate plans to double Virginia-class submarine production to two ships a year. The Navy had opposed moving up its plans for a second sub before 2012. But the defense bill included $588 million requested by Courtney, who spearheaded the effort along with lawmakers from both states. The $588 million allows construction of two ships a year as early as 2010 or 2011, officials said. "The amazing thing that happened last year was we succeeded in actually changing the direction of the shipbuilding budget," Courtney said. Electric Boat officials were thrilled about the boost in the military's shipbuilding budget, but they want to make sure they don't lose ground as new strains on the federal budget arise. "There's certainly some momentum that's been built," Electric Boat President John P. Casey said. "But we can't take for granted that there will not be a change in the tides. We need to keep the program sold." In addition to protecting current funding, submarine backers are seeking more money as Congress crafts a new defense spending bill for fiscal year 2009. Submarine supporters want $79 million in new funding to speed up construction on a second sub. They're also seeking an additional $53 million for design work on next-generation submarines. Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp., and Northrop Grumman Newport News in Virginia, together produce one $2.5 billion submarine a year. Electric Boat officials say doubling annual sub production would help to reduce costs, something the Navy has been pushing for. The production increase would also make it cheaper to buy materials while making it easier to keep workers and equipment in place, they say. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:38 PM | Comment Citizens operating profit drops 9%; revenue up 2%Turmoil in the real estate and credit markets is straining Citizens Financial Group, the bank's parent company, Royal Bank of Scotland, said today. In all, operating profit at Citizens dropped 9 percent last year, to $2.65 billion. The continuing devaluation of the U.S. dollar made that drop even more painful for RBS; net income was down 16 percent after the conversion to British pounds. In announcing its 2007 earnings, RBS said the sputtering U.S. economy slowed the growth of Providence-based Citizens last year. "Against a weaker economic backdrop in the U.S., Citizens, whilst performing well relative to its peers, experienced testing conditions," RBS said in its earnings report. "Market conditions remain difficult," RBS said, "and we continue to respond to challenging income prospects with tight cost control." U.S. operations were not all bad news for Scotland-based RBS. Citizens, the ninth-largest bank in the United States, grew its consumer banking customer base by 2 percent, RBS said. Boosted by higher fees, Citizens saw its revenue grow by 2 percent to $6.24 billion. Average loans increased by 4 percent in 2007, despite "close attention being paid to our risk appetite," RBS said. Average customer deposits rose by 1 percent. And Citizens increased its credit card customer base by 20 percent. But the crisis in the credit market undermined those gains. Impairment losses increased from 0.31 percent of loans to 0.60 percent. After the conversion to pounds, total revenue dropped by 6 percent. Over all, RBS reported an 18-percent rise in net income in 2007. For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. As of November, Citizens had 5,400 employees in Rhode Island, more than in any other part of the country. Citizens operates in 13 states and has 24,500 U.S.-based employees. Last March, Lawrence K. Fish stepped down as Citizens' chief executive officer. In December, he relinquished his remaining operational responsibilities at the bank. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 12:38 PM | Comment Package of bills aims for equalityFour Providence legislators are meeting this afternoon to introduce a package of 10 bills they say will promote racial and economic equality throughout the state. Rep. Grace Diaz, D-Providence; Sen. Juan M. Pichardo, D-Providence; Rep. David A. Segal, D-Providence, East Providence; and Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, D- Providence, are meeting with a number of immigrant activist groups, neighborhood associations and other activist groups . The news conference will be moderated by the Ellen Gallagher, community outreach coordinator for the International Institute of Rhode Island, which offers legal and social services to immigrants and refugees. The group is meeting at the State House today at 3 p.m. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:32 PM | Comment R.I. high court upholds conviction of motel owner's killerPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction and life-without-parole sentence of Roger Graham, who went into Founder's Brook Motel and Suites in Portsmouth six years ago and shot the owner in front of his 8-year-old son. "The cold-blooded and shocking nature of this act reveals a heart of stone and a character unconcerned with the standards of a decent and law-abiding society," Supreme Court Justice Francis X. Flaherty wrote in the court's opinion out today. "We cannot in good conscience say that the citizenry ever would be safe if again exposed to this callous criminal. Therefore, we affirm the sentence of life without parole imposed by the trial justice." Graham appealed his February 2005 conviction in Newport County Superior Court. Graham, an immigrant from Barbados who had been living illegally in New York City, became the 22nd convicted felon in Rhode Island sentenced to life without parole possibility. The prosecution said Graham had been hired by the victim's brother-in-law to kill motel manager Sanjeev Patel on New Year's Day 2002. Patel's bullet-riddled body was found by his wife, the high court opinion says. There were two consecutive hung juries before a third jury convicted Graham and concluded the crime met the conditions that is was a murder for hire, enabling the judge to consider the life-without-parole sentence. Graham's appeal argued the Superior Court judge gave improper jury instructions, incorrectly ruled on certain evidence matters, incorrectly denied the defendant’s motion for acquittal on the conspiracy charge; erred in life-without-parole proceedings and sentence, and erred in not appointing additional legal counsel for the defendant for his third trial. The Supreme Court said Graham's "troubling character, record, and propensity for criminal activity persuade us that it is unlikely that he could be rehabilitated" and that he "has been engaged in a life of crime, including selling bootleg tapes and compact discs, installing bootleg cable, selling weapons, and selling drugs." The high court adds it was "unable to find any indication" that Graham has, "to this day, shown any real remorse for what he has done." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:30 PM | Comment Providence Place sales jumped in December
PROVIDENCE -- Sales tax receipts at Providence Place mall jumped 28.4 percent in December, reaching a record of nearly $2.6 million, according to figures compiled by the state Division of Taxation. The monthly tax figure bests the previous monthly record of $2 million, set in December 2006. For the year, stores in Providence Place generated $13,981,625 in sales taxes for the state, also a new record. The financial and legislative assistance that helped make Providence Place a reality put a unique requirement on the mall: It is the only shopping center in the state that must file sales tax returns. Because of the way mall stores turn over their sales tax receipts to the state, there is a lag of more than four weeks before the totals can be made public, according to division officials. Consequently, December’s total weren't available until this month. For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 12:08 PM | Comment Update: Car in river unoccupied, reported stolen / Photo
Divers had entered the frigid watersr near the bottom of Manville Hill Road, near the Lincoln/Cumberland border. The car is about 40 feet offshore, according to police Lt. Stephen Duda, and was called in by a passing driver. Crews were having trouble fishing the car out of the water, Duda said, because they did not have enough cable to reach the car. Another tow truck is on its way.
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:37 AM | Comment Jury of 10 men, 6 women picked for smoke-shop casePROVIDENCE -- A jury of 10 men and 6 women will hear the case the state makes against seven Narragansett Indians charged with resisting and fighting with State Police during the 2003 raid of a tribal smoke shop in Charlestown. Among jurors are a school principal, an elementary school clerk, a high school English teacher, a special education director, a pest-control company employee, a construction company employee, and an activities director at an assisted-living facility. This afternoon, the jury is slated to tour the smoke-shop site on tribal land on Route 2. This week, lawyers questioned each prospective juror about such things as their view on the Narragansett Indian tribe’s casino quest and whether they could accept defense arguments that state troopers might lie under oath. State police used a search warrant on July 14, 2003, to halt tax-free sale of cigarettes by the Narragansetts at the roadside store. The situation turned violent and seven adult tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, are on trial in Providence County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruction and assault. Read more about jury selection this week. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:27 AM | Comment Executive tells R.I. conference: Green is the word
The web page of 1E, a global Windows management software and services company was on hand with software that automatically shuts down computers when not in use. Brown University is hosting a conference today to highlight "green" technology in the business world.
In just the last 120 days, Makower said: A leading manufacturer has produced a green cell phone that uses minimal energy when recharging. A major auto maker has developed a production plant that produces zero waste. A line of green cleaning products has gone to market and another company converted its fleet of 1,000 trucks to bio-diesel. However, Makower said there are still no standards for what makes a company green, activists don’t reward companies that do good, Wall Street still isn’t paying attention and the public doesn’t know who to believe. Steve Hamburg, director of the Global Environment Program at Brown, challenged everyone at the conference, sponsored by the Brown Forum for Enterprise, to come up with one idea that would make money, reduce carbon emissions and lessen energy usage. At the same time. -- Journal staff writer Peter B. Lord Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:31 AM | Comment Amtrak to spend millions on defective ties in NortheastWASHINGTON -- Amtrak says it must spend tens of millions of dollars to replace defective railroad ties on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor. The problem could delay trains - and thus cost Amtrak business - if not addressed quickly, the railroad warned in a letter to Congress last week. The concrete ties were purchased beginning in the 1990s and have already begun to crack, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said yesterday. Concrete ties normally last about 50 years. The total cost of fixing the problem is still unclear. But in its annual funding request to Congress, Amtrak said it expects to spend at least $23.5 million on it this year alone. Black said costs are likely to be similar next year. The ties are manufactured by Rocla Concrete Tie Inc. at a plant inside an Amtrak maintenance yard in Bear, Del. Amtrak said that under the terms of the contract, the supplier must replace the defective ties for free, but won't reimburse the railroad for the labor. -- The Associated Press "Amtrak and Rocla are working together to ensure that the replacement ties that they are providing us are top quality," Black said. "Amtrak is comfortable that the manufacturer has corrected the problem." If concrete ties fracture severely, they can't properly support the rails, Black said. However, he emphasized that the problem does not pose a danger because it was caught early and is being addressed. It's not the first time Rocla has been blamed for defects. New York's Metro-North commuter railroad sued the company in 2006 for premature cracks in ties purchased in 1997. The case was settled out of court. Metro-North spokesman Dan Brucker said Rocla agreed to replace the ties as part of the settlement. That process is expected to be completed within the next three years, Brucker said. The president of Denver-based Rocla, Peter Urquhart, declined to comment Wednesday on Amtrak's concerns. Black said the cracking was first spotted in the fall. Since then, Amtrak has been implementing speed restrictions, known as slow orders, on sections of track between Washington and Boston. "This is a critical problem, since tie-related slow orders are already delaying trains on the Corridor," Amtrak Chief Executive Alex Kummant wrote in the $1.67 billion funding request. The Northeast Corridor is home to Amtrak's only high-speed service, the Acela Express. Good on-time performance has helped the railroad take business away from the airlines between Boston and Washington. In 2007, the Acela Express arrived at its destination within 10 minutes of the scheduled time 87.8 percent of the time. That has fallen to 84.2 percent in the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. However, Black said the drop for the most part is not connected to the slow orders, but stems from running more trips with the same number of trains. Still, if enough slow orders were to accumulate, it would be difficult to make up the time. The degree of the speed reduction depends on the concentration of faulty ties in a given area. In the worst cases, they force trains to drop from 135 miles per hour all the way to 60 mph. So far Amtrak has replaced about 5,000 defective ties on a spot basis, lifting slow orders as the problem spots are fixed. In the spring, the railroad plans to begin using a track-laying machine to replace ties systematically, Black said. The process may require adjusting timetables to lengthen trip times or temporarily reducing the number of trips on the corridor. It could also affect commuter lines that operate on Amtrak-owned tracks. Black said he did not know how many of the 3.4 million concrete ties on the corridor were supplied by Rocla since Amtrak began doing business with the company in the early 1990s. According to the Web site for Chatswood, Australia-based Rocla Pty Ltd., its U.S. affiliate produced 895,000 for Amtrak and Metro-North from 1996 to 1999. The U.S. company is no longer part of Rocla Pty. Ltd. Amtrak began replacing its wooden ties on the Northeast Corridor with concrete ones in 1978. Concrete ties are more expensive, but last longer and require less maintenance. They are also better for high-speed operations, Black said. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:33 AM | Comment The environment and the bottom lineCan a business grow its bottom line while at the same time working to improve environmental conditions? Could including environmental stewardship in a business model actually be better for business? Brown University is hosting a conference today focused on those questions and others concerning sustainable technologies in the business world. Today's event will bring together "the region's top business leaders to address cutting edge topics in this emerging field, from environmentally friendly building to 'green ventures' in business," according to a statement released by the school. "It is said that the field of green technology innovation could well become the largest economic opportunity of the coming century." The daylong conference, "Green Technology: Science, Innovation and Enterprise in the Region," is being organized by the Brown Forum for Enterprise. It's set to take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center and will feature 25 speakers discussing renewable energy, environmentally friendly building, financing "green ventures" and other themes. The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:25 AM | Comment This is only a test, in the event of a real emergency...Don’t panic when you hear the sirens go off this afternoon. Brown University is testing its new emergency warning system between noon and 1 p.m. The sirens are atop university buildings on the East Side campus. The system will sound a loud tone and voice message. The system will be tested twice a year, according to a statement from the University. It would only be used otherwise for life-threatening emergencies during which people need to immediately seek indoor shelter. Most emergencies – forecast weather events, for example – will not trigger the system. A large chemical release, or unforeseen weather event such as a tornado would. Several other security initiatives – including the city’s reverse 911 system -- would supplement the alarm system in the event of a real emergency. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:06 AM | Comment Another Clinton comes to Rhode IslandFormer President Bill Clinton is coming to the Ocean State today, less than one week before Rhode Island's March 4 presidential primary election. Clinton has been traveling the country, campaigning on behalf of his wife, presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He will be hosting a rally at Bryant University in Smithfield, according to a statement from the Hillary Clinton campaign. Doors open at 2:15 p.m., and the event is expected to begin at 3:15. The rally, titled “Solutions for America,” will be at the Chace Athletic Center, and is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to carpool because of the limited parking. Sen. Clinton has already visited the state; she held a rally at Rhode Island College on Sunday. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will make a campaign stop in Rhode Island Saturday -- the March 4 primary here and in three other states could prove crucial in picking the Democratic nominee. But exactly when and where are still to be determined, his campaign said at a news conference yesterday. His wife visited the state last week. Sen. John McCain spoke to an audience of more than 1,000 at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Feb. 14. Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee was on the radio, and visited a school and this newspaper Monday in a day-long campaigning tour of Rhode Island. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:05 AM | Comment Sunny but coldThe clouds should clear later in the day and the National Weather Service is forecasting a sunny, albeit cold day with a high temperature near 30 degrees. Skies should remain clear tonight when the temperature drops down to about 11 degrees. Clouds are expected to return tomorrow, and they may bring snow in the afternoon. The temperature should only reach the high 20s with a northwest wind becoming south later in the day. 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 state's poor showing on high school math tests and a story about three stolen paintings worth about $1 million turning up in a Rhode Islander's home. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 27, 2008Tonight: Magic Slim and the Teardrops play the bluesMagic Slim and the Teardrops bring the blues to Chan's in Woonsocket tonight. The band picked up an award in 2003 as Blues Band of the Year, The Journal's Seize Today listing says in the Lifebeat section. It's $15 for the 8 p.m. show, $10 for the 10 p.m. show or $18 to catch both shows. For more things to do, browse projo.com's calendar of events. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Jury selection nearly complete in smoke-shop trialPROVIDENCE — Jury selection continued today in the trial of seven Narragansett Indians charged with resisting and fighting with the state police as they raided a tribal smoke shop in July 2003. Prosecutors and defense lawyers appeared to be nearing a complete jury in Providence County Superior Court, but Judge Susan E. McGuirl replaced several members of the 16-person panel this afternoon after they were challenged by attorneys involved in the case. A bank branch manager was released after she told the court she was concerned by TV footage that showed apparent excessive force by the state police and tribal members during the raid. A Central Falls man who said he had many close friends on that city’s police force was also released. Lawyers are quizzing each prospective juror about issues ranging from their position on the Narragansett Indian tribe’s casino quest to whether they could accept defense arguments that state troopers might lie under oath. The state police executed a search warrant on July 14, 2003, to stop the Narragansetts from selling tax-free cigarettes from the roadside store in Charlestown. The confrontation turned into a violent scuffling match. Seven adult tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, are now on trial for misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruction and assault. Prospective jurors will continue to be questioned tomorrow morning. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney Posted by Karen Bordeleau at 5:55 PM | Comment EPA: Four R.I. companies paying penaltiesFour Rhode Island companies have been assessed $2,000 fines by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for not filing reports on chemicals present at their facilities. An EPA news release today said the local companies are Geib Refining Corp. in Warwick, National Chain Co. in Warwick, Technodic Inc. in Providence, and M. Weisman Roofing Co. in Warwick. They are among 11 New England companies that have been assessed fines. The EPA said it reached settlements with the companies after inspections found they failed to report as required under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The hazardous chemical inventory reports give information on "nature, amount, location, and hazards of chemicals stored at the facility," the EPA statement said. “Chemical reporting is very important for the public-at-large, and it is essential for the safety of first responders if there is an accident at one of these facilities,” Robert Varney, EPA's New England administrator, said in the statement. “Regular reporting of hazardous chemicals helps first responders to protect themselves, and protect the public, if there is a fire or other dangerous event at a facility. Officials also use this information for disaster planning -- for example when simulating a response to a hurricane.” -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:45 PM | Comment State gives its OK to plans to improve Newport schoolsNEWPORT -- The state has given preliminary approval to plans to replace the city’s aged elementary schools with modern facilities, including the construction of one new elementary school at the site of Underwood School. The project, estimated to cost between $20 million and $24 million, would be eligible for 30 percent reimbursement from the state if given final approval. The ultimate approval, however, must come from city voters, who are expected to be presented a referendum in November. The School Committee spent several years holding public hearings and discussing what to do about its five antiquated elementary buildings before finally settling upon a plan late last year. The committee voted to build a new K-2 elementary school at the site of the Underwood School, send all students in grades three to six to what is now Thompson Middle School and use surplus space at Rogers High School to create a separate wing for seventh and eighth graders. -- Journal staff writer Richard Salit The 5-2 vote allowed Supt. John Ambrogi to complete an application for Stage 1 preliminary approval for the project from the Department of Education. He received a letter last week from Carolyn Dias, director of finance and administration. She wrote that the department “recognizes the great need for facilities work in Newport. To that, we are both approving your Stage 1 application and encouraging you to begin work on the Stage 2 application as soon as possible. We will continue to work with you to the extent needed during the Stage 2 process with the goal of full Board of Regents approval of the project by late April or early May. "Approval by the Regents by May should allow Newport sufficient time to obtain General Assembly approval for enabling legislation in this session.” Ambrogi said it took longer than expected to receive the preliminary approval. But the news was welcome. “I was obviously pleased we would be able to move forward with the project. It is one of the most important things that will be faced by the voters in November in terms of making a determination as to whether or not they support quality education for students at a very reasonable price,” he said. “Now hopefully we’ll quickly get Stage 2 approval and we’ll be able to show that a new school construction program benefits everyone in the city, the students, first and foremost, but additionally the taxpayers. According to Ambrogi, the consolidation, from seven schools to three, would translate into $21 million in savings in personnel costs alone during the next 20 years, not to mention heating and other expenses. In addition, the four elementary schools that would no longer be needed could be sold by the city for an estimated $7.7 million, generating about $16 million in taxes for the city over the next years If the city were to continue relying on its old elementary schools, it would still be faced with costly renovations, he said. The timetable calls for the three schools to be fully realigned and renovated by the fall of 2011. The plan is not without its critics. At hearings, parents have criticized moving seventh and eighth graders to Rogers and realigning grades at Thompson, which was refurbished with the intention of housing students in grades 6 to 8. Some said that a K-2 school should be built not at Underwood, but at a more central location. Ambrogi said that the Stage 2 application will require the city to submit detailed plans to the state. It’s where the city would have to commit to a location and grade alignment. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:41 PM | Comment Update: Bush pays tribute to Sox -- again / Photo, video
The First Fan -- President Bush -- clearly in his element among owners and players of the Sox -- paid tribute to individual stars with several humorous jabs at them and at himself. Bush welcomed "Dice-K" -- Daisuke Matsuzaka -- and told the crowd, which included a large contingent of Japanase reporters, "His press corps is bigger than mine. We both have trouble answering questions in English." It was the team's second trip to the White House in recent years. Many of the players also attended a ceremony in the spring of 2005, months after the Sox won the 2004 World Series. The president also got a big laugh by noting the absence of Manny Ramirez and joking that the slugger's grandmother "must have died again." But as is his custom at these White House gatherings of champions from beyond the world of politics, Bush also made some serious points about the value of teamwork and diligent effort. He also noted that members of the Red Sox planned after the White House celebration to visit wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "Thank you for really honoring the true heroes of America," Bush told the players. As the ceremony wound down, a military band struck up "Sweet Caroline," the number traditionally played during the seventh-inning stretch at Fenway Park. And as the champions walked up the stairway to the Truman Balcony of the White House, a chant rose up from the crowd, "Let's go Red Sox!" Video: See a clip of the White House ceremony today. -- John Mulligan of the Journal Washington Bureau Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:10 PM | Comment Update: Candidate Obama to visit R.I. SaturdayPROVIDENCE -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will make a campaign stop in Rhode Island Saturday as the March 4 primary here and in three other states could prove crucial in picking the Democratic nominee. But exactly when and where are still to be determined, his campaign said at a news conference this afternoon. The venue is not yet confirmed, though the time is likely to be early afternoon. Such uncertainty in scheduling has been typical of campaign visits, as candidates shuffle their schedules from state to state. Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Rhode Island tomorrow to campaign on behalf of his wife, Obama's opponent for the nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton Obama's wife, Michele, visited last week, and Obama's opponent in the Democratic primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was here last weekend. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Jack Perry at 3:59 PM | Comment Live video: Red Sox welcomed at White HouseThe Red Sox are in Washington, D.C., where the team is scheduled to take part in a ceremony at the White House with President Bush, saluting the world champions. It will be the second trip to the White House in recent years. Many of the players also attended a ceremony in the spring of 2005, months after the Sox won the 2004 World Series. After leaving the White House, the Sox will travel to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where they will visit with some wounded soldiers and bring the World Series trophy. Francona recalled the team’s last visit to the hospital as emotional and inspiring. “It was humbling and an honor to be there,” said Francona. “I didn’t hear one person say, ‘Let’s go.’ Everybody wanted to stay and talk [to the patients].” Weather-permitting, projo.com plans to have a live video feed of the ceremony on the South Lawn today, when the MLB champion Red Sox meet President Bush. Video: See live coverage of the event. -- Journal staff writer Sean McAdam Posted by Jack Perry at 3:00 PM | Comment Conn. woman gets probation for groping SantaDANBURY -- A woman accused of groping Santa Claus at the Danbury Fair Mall won't have to serve any jail time if she stays out of trouble. Sandrama Lamy of Danbury has been sentenced under an accelerated rehabilitation program that will wipe her record clean if she completes two years of probation. Danbury Superior Court Judge Susan Reynolds has ordered the 33-year-old to stay away from the mall. In December, Lamy was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and breach of peace for allegedly touching Santa inappropriately while sitting on his lap. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 1:36 PM | Comment RIPTA routes to detour for Pawtucket St. Pat's paradeTwelve Pawtucket-based RIPTA bus routes will be detoured Saturday for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Pawtucket, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority said today. The affected inbound and outbound trips are on these numbered routes: * 42: Hope Street Pick-ups and drop-offs for the routes will be at Navigant Credit Union at Goff and Dexter streets. The buses will not stop at Pawtucket Transit Center from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Customers may call 781-9400 for the detoured route or go to www.ripta.com. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:12 PM | Comment R.I. 11th graders earn low marks in math test scoresPROVIDENCE -- Just 22 percent of Rhode Island’s 11th graders scored proficient in math on the new standardized tests that more than 11,000 students took in October, the lowest rate of proficiency recorded in the past decade. Education officials say the depressing scores offer a far more accurate and honest measure of students’ math performance than previous tests. Even worse, the majority of students — 51 percent — missed proficiency by a wide margin and were classified as “significantly below proficient,” receiving the lowest possible score. Just 1 percent of juniors — 123 students — did well enough to be classified as “proficient with distinction.” Another 27 percent of students scored “partially proficient” on the test, which focuses on algebra and geometry skills. Some high schools, particularly in urban areas, reported proficiency rates as low as 3, 2, even 1 percent, a troubling indication of the low level of math instruction occurring in those schools and the weak preparation low-income and minority students receive in elementary and middle school to handle challenging math concepts. The dismal results were released by Governor Carcieri and education officials at an 11 a.m. press conference today at the State House. Read a press release from the Rhode Island Department of Education's Web site. See the scores for each school. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer Jordan Officials point to three main problems behind the scores on the new test. Too few students have access to rigorous algebra and geometry classes as freshmen and sophomores. Instead, thousands of students who struggle in math are channeled into “math to nowhere classes,” as one education official calls them. In addition, problems in math start well before high school, but are compounded as students fall farther behind and the classes get harder. Often, there are not enough supports for struggling students. Third, many districts do not have high quality math programs and teachers adequately prepared to teach them across all grade levels. This lack of expertise has been exposed through the test scores, said Peter McWalters, Rhode Island’s education commissioner. “We need to look at teacher prep programs at the local colleges and the level of professional development offered to veteran teachers,” McWalters said. Not surprisingly, students in wealthy suburbs received the highest scores. Even there, however, math scores were significantly lower than reading. At Barrington High School, just 63 percent of students scored proficient in math, compared with 90 percent proficient in English. At the next highest scoring school, East Greenwich High, just 54 percent scored proficient in math; 88 percent in reading. Last year, 43 percent of juniors statewide scored proficient in math on the old test, the New Standards Reference Exam. But that test included basic skills, giving students credit for easier concepts, said Mary Ann Snider, director of assessment for the state Education Department. The new test, which was developed in part by math teachers from Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont, is considered harder, Snider said. But it was designed to assess students on “what they should be learning in ninth and tenth grades,” Snider said. New Hampshire and Vermont, which developed the “New England Common Assessment Program” tests with Rhode Island, also fared poorly in math, with less than 30 percent of students in those states scoring proficient on the math test. Both states have smaller concentrations of poverty and have fewer English language learners than Rhode Island, and students in New Hampshire and Vermont generally score higher than Rhode Island on other national tests, such as the SATs. Yet all three states saw grim results on the NECAP math test. “It’s an American phenomenon to say ‘I can’t do math.’ People in Europe and Asia don’t say that,” McWalters said. “This is different than the literacy issue because people think they should read. But not all people assume they should do math.” Students scored higher in reading, with 61 percent of Rhode Island’s juniors scoring proficient or better, and 37 percent proficient in writing. New Hampshire students scored 67 percent proficient in reading, 28 percent in math and 33 percent in writing. Vermont plans to release its results next month. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:30 AM | Comment Advocate wants protective orders for pets, spayingAn activist organization is set to speak on proposed legislation related to animal treatment at the State House today. Defenders of Animals, a Rhode Island organization that, according to its Web site, consists of Daniel Tabella and volunteers, is set to promote four bills: A bill to prohibit a person from keeping animals outside for more than a half hour when conditions go beyond conditions deemed safe by the Tufts Animal Care and Condition Scale (.pdf) A bill that would issue protective orders against a person who has been found guilty of abusing an animal. A bill that gives a judge discretion to give jail time to people convicted of crimes related to animal fighting. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:03 AM | Comment Whitehouse to testify on vote caging prohibitionSen. Sheldon Whitehouse is scheduled to testify today in favor of legislation that would prohibit challenges to people’s right to vote based on a mailing address. The process in question, known as “vote caging,” is when mail that has been “returned to sender” is used as a way to question a person’s residency and, therefore, right to vote. The Caging Prohibition Act was introduced last November. It would prevent challenges to voter eligibility based only on these returned mail lists. Whitehouse sponsored the bill along with 13 co-sponsors. His testimony in front of the Committee on Rules and Administration will be available on the Committee's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:57 AM | Comment No injuries reported in East Providence fireEast Providence fire crews are on the scene of a fire. The fire is at 935 Broadway, a residential building, according to the East Providence fire chief. As of 10:25, he says the fire is under control, and so far, there are no reports of any injuries. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment Kennedy Townsend visits R.I. to rally 'Women for Hillary'Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and other women from around the state are meeting today as “Rhode Island Women for Hillary,” a group that aims to organize women supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s bid for the White House. Also involved are Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, former Senate Republican leader Lila Sapinsley and Suzanne Magaziner, a Bristol resident. The women are meeting today at 1:30 p.m. at the 3 Steeple Street restaurant. Last week, Sen. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, visited Rhode Island to rally women and encourage support for her husband's candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Last Wednesday, Mrs. Obama spoke to about 150 professional and politically active women at an invitation-only rally for Rhode Island Women for Obama at the Providence Biltmore. She later spoke before an estimated 2,200 people at a rally for her husband’s campaign at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Warwick campus. Some of Kennedy Townsend's relatives, including her uncle Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, and cousins U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy have thrown their support behind Obama. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:42 AM | Comment Boston gives reprieves to 57 bars without sprinklersBOSTON -- Dozens of bars and nightclubs in Boston are being given more time to comply with state regulations requiring fire sprinklers. The fire department had warned owners of these establishments in November that if they did not install sprinklers within two months, they would be shut down. But officials are now giving reprieves to 57 bars and nightclubs who they say are either in the process of installing the equipment or have shown a commitment to do so. The 2004 law requires that establishments with capacities of 100 or more people have automatic sprinkler systems. It was approved in the wake of the February 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick that killed 100 people. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:42 AM | Comment Kennedy Plaza reimaginedKennedy Plaza can get pretty hectic – with the students, the workers, the buses, the cabs, not to mention the car traffic. Is there a way to improve that public space? A group of residents, public safety officials, representatives from other public and private sectors of the community are getting together today to discuss ways to improve the public space in and around Kennedy Plaza. The workshop is led by the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization that has worked with communities around the world to transform public spaces. A statement from Mayor David Cicilline's office says some ideas that spring from the brainstorming session may be implemented as soon as this spring. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:31 AM | Comment Former Israeli ambassador to talk peaceThe former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. is scheduled to make a stop in Rhode Island today. Daniel Ayalon will speak at Roger Williams University about the prospects of resolving some of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Ayalon’s speech, “Prospects for Peace in the Middle East,” is part of the University’s Civil Discourse lecture series. “It’s imperative that our University’s students – and our nation’s future generation of leaders – appreciate the complex array of issues affecting the Middle East," Roger Williams President Roy J. Nirschel said in a statement. “We expect that discussing the prospects for peace will cultivate both understanding and hope.” The lecture begins at 5:30 tonight at the University’s Recreation Center Gym. It’s free and open to the public, but there are limited spaces available. To reserve a ticket, call 401-254-3067 Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:28 AM | Comment URI gets explosive recognition, grantThe University of Rhode Island has been named a leading authority on explosives. The Department of Homeland Security has designated the school a national Center for Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation, and Response. With the designation -- shared with Northeastern University -- comes a grant worth millions of dollars over four to six years to manage research and certificate programs. “This grant from Homeland Security recognizes URI’s leading research and outreach in explosives, energetic materials and pyrotechnics,” URI Professor Jimmie Oxley said, “and its ability to partner with other institutions doing work in these areas,” While URI will head the education aspect of the new Center, Northeastern will be the research wing. “This is tremendous news for the University of Rhode Island, and for our entire state,” Rep. Jim Langevin said in a statement. Langevin chair’s Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology. “The recognition of URI’s status as a premier education and research institution is well-deserved,” he said, “and this new Center of Excellence will be an asset to the whole country.” The Center will research and evaluate risks, costs and consequences of terrorism and develop tools and methods to protect against it – especially in airplane cargo security, baggage screening and passenger identification. The Center will be get about $4 million per year for four to six years -- up to $2 million will go to URI. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:52 AM | Comment Carcieri to announce high school test resultsPROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island will soon learn how its high school students fared on a statewide test of skills in mathematics, reading and writing. Gov. Carcieri was expected to announce the results of the New England Common Assessment Program test during a news conference today at the State House. The test was administered in New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island in October. Results for Rhode Island students in grades three through eight were announced earlier this month. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Chance of rain showers today and snow showers tonightThere's a chance of showers mainly before noon, according to the National Weather Service. The high temperature should be about 44 degrees in the Providence area with a west wind of 7 to 15 mph. There's a slight chance of snow showers tonight with the temperature dropping to about 21 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 story about last night's debate between the Democratic presidential candidates and a story about expected voter turnout in Rhode Island. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 26, 2008Tonight: Debate watches or Superstar at PPACDueling Democratic debate watches are on tonight in Providence. The Cleveland, Ohio, debate between Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton begins at 9. You can go to Local 121 at 121 Washington St., Providence, to join Obama supporters. Or you can join Clinton supporters at Clinton headquarters at 175 Broad St., Providence at 8:30 p.m. An alternative: A touring performance of Jesus Christ Superstar is tonight at 8 at Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St. Tickets are from $43 to $65. For information, call (401) 421-2787 or go to ppacri.org Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Update: Prospective jurors for smoke-shop trial grilledPROVIDENCE -- Prospective jurors in the trial of the seven Narragansett Indians accused of resisting and fighting with state police during the 2003 smoke-shop raid were barraged today with questions ranging from their thoughts on smoking to their opinions about casino gambling. Special Assistant Attorney General Maria Deaton asked the 16 people seated, at least temporarily, about their thoughts on cigarettes, whether they had strong opinions about casino gambling or had participated in rallies or given money to the cause. A court spokesman earlier today said the judge excused jurors this morning who could not attend what could be a month-long trial Seven Narragansett Indians, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, face misdemeanor charges related to the state police raid on a tribal smoke shop that grew violent in July 2003. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney, with Associated Press reports And while the case is not about the tribe’s efforts to get a casino, Deaton and Judge Susan E. McGuirl asked prospective jurors whether their views on gaming would impair their ability to consider the case with an open mind. The Narragansetts have sought to open a casino, or other gaming venture, in Rhode Island for approaching two decades. McGuirl broadened the inquiry to touch on thoughts about Native Americans, in general, and the Narragansett Indian tribe specifically. Likewise, Deaton quizzed those seated about their past interactions with police and their reflections on being stopped for speeding. Had they or their relatives been charged with or the victim of a crime? Prosecutors will continue their questioning this morning, with the defense to follow. The lawyers will then be able select which jurors they’d like to go or stay. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:44 PM | Comment Generosity that came with makeover was extreme, too
WARWICK -- As the Silva family prepared to spend their first night in their new “home sweet Extreme Makeover home” today on Yucatan Drive, they learned that the road ahead lies strewn with further generosity. Free flat-screen televisions and computers. A house full of furniture from Cardi’s (AKA Nick, Ron and Pete). A $20,000 donation in their name to Adoption Rhode Island. Free visits to Six Flags, all summer long. And, for the next year, all the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee they can drink; all the Friendly’s ice cream they can eat; and all the free cable TV they can watch. “Thank you isn’t enough,” said Kenny Silva, as he hugged one donor after the next. The gift parade occurred in front of the New England shingle-style house that was one feverish, round-the-clock week in the making and courtesy of the reality TV program, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The finished product was unveiled to the Silvas yesterday afternoon. -- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:00 PM | Comment Two Bristol men charged in molestation caseBRISTOL -- Two men who serve as foster parents have been arrested for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old child, according to the police. The Department of Children, Youth and Families, which conducted its own investigation and involved the police, took custody of two foster children and two adopted children from the couple’s home months before Friday’s arrests, according to an agency spokesman. Today, the two men, Sedonio Rodriques, 57, and Raymond Grenier, 53, both of 26 Sampson St., were arraigned in District Court, Providence. They face multiple counts of first- and second-degree child molestation and attempted first-degree child molestation. They are being held without bail until a March 10 hearing. The DCYF began its investigation after receiving a tip to its child abuse hot line in late November, said Kevin Aucoin, the agency’s executive counsel. The tip concerned the licensed foster home of Rodriques and Grenier, who had two adopted children and two foster children, he said. A preliminary investigation concluded that the children were in “immediate peril,” said Aucoin. On Nov. 30, DCYF workers, escorted by Bristol police, removed the four children from the home. The DCYF continued its investigation. “We were able to substantiate the facts as alleged,” Aucoin said. At that point in a child-abuse investigation, he said, the agency informs the police. Aucoin said the two men, whom he identified as a same-sex couple, first obtained a foster-care license in 2001. The license lapsed for several years before they obtained a new one last year, he said. “They went through the rigors of the foster-care licensing process both in 2001 and 2007,” he said, noting that the process involves interviews, home visits and background and criminal record checks. “There is absolutely nothing in their background that would have indicated these individuals would have been prone to this type of conduct.” The DCYF is currently in the process of revoking the couple’s foster-care license, he said. The DCYF asked the police to participate during an interview on Feb. 15 of Rodriques and Grenier. “As a result of that portion of the investigation, the arrest warrants were issued,” Guercia said. “These allegations go back over a three-year period.” Guercia said there have been no allegations that any other children were abused. The police encountered no difficulty when they arrested the men at their home on Friday, he said.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment R.I. to get $500,000-plus for emergency food, shelterRhode Island is getting $543,321 for emergency food and shelter for families in need, U.S. Rep. James Langevin, D-Rhode Island, announced today. The money, awarded under the federal Emergency Food and Shelter program, breaks down to $395,583 for Providence and several surrounding communities, and $147,738 for the Rhode Island State Set-Aside Committee, which may award money to additional communities, according to Langevin. “As our nation faces uncertain economic times, it is more important than ever that we provide basic resources to the most vulnerable in our communities," Langevin said in the statement. The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and made up of representatives from organizations such as American Red Cross and Catholic Charities USA, provides money to shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. Also, it can provide one-month awards for rent, mortgage and utility assistance. The money is used to help a person or people with non-disaster, temporary emergency situations. In each community receiving money, a local board advertises the money availability, sets out local priorities, selects the local nonprofit and government agencies that will get the money, and keeps watch over program compliance. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment Aquarium helps 3 distressed seals in R.I., Mass., MaineMYSTIC, Conn. -- Mystic Aquarium is nursing three seals back to health after they were stranded in three different states within 24 hours. The aquarium's stranding team was called to help distressed seals in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A male yearling harp seal was brought in after it beached itself Sunday in Little Compton. On Sunday night, New England Aquarium in Boston called to say that a three- to four-week-old female gray seal spotted in Gloucester, Mass., had been brought in by a concerned citizen. The next day, the Maine Division of Marine Resources called about a female harp seal that beached itself. Experts at the aquarium say the prognosis is good and all three seals will likely be released back into the wild after they've been treated. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Officials expect record turnout for March 4 R.I. primaryPROVIDENCE -- Election officials expect a record-breaking turnout for Rhode Island's presidential primary on March 4. Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis says he estimates that up to 30 percent of registered voters, or about 180,000 people, could cast ballots. That would be a major increase over the 2000 primary election, the last closely contested ballot in Rhode Island. About 82,000 people voted then. Mollis says his office has printed extra ballots and has set up a telephone hot line for voters who have questions. He's urging residents to vote late in the morning and early in the afternoon to avoid crowds. Board of Elections Executive Director Robert Kando says local officials have reduced the number of polling stations but increased their staff to accommodate the turnout. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:15 PM | Comment Carcieri staff 're-examining' cuts in services for disabledGovernor Carcieri -- in a statement released just before developmentally disabled people and their family members rallied at the State House against budget cuts -- said he's told his staff to work with the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals and providers for those disabled to "re-examine" a previously proposed budget cut. The governor's afternoon statement acknowledged the proposed payment cuts over the next several months "will be particularly difficult for these contractors to absorb." So Carcieri's office, the MHRH and contractors providing the disabled the services will look at options for smaller spending cuts and other money-saving possibilities in the department’s budget. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment Biechele will be released from prison on March 19CRANSTON -- The man who set off the pyrotechnics that sparked The Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people will be released from prison on March 19. Daniel Biechele has been at the ACI since May 2006 for his role in the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the West Warwick club. But in the fall the parole board decided to release him in March, though it didn't set a specific date. Kim Avedisian, the parole coordinator for the state Department of Corrections, said today that there's no schedule for exactly when Biechele will be released on March 19. Tracey Poole, a spokeswoman, confirmed the release date to projo.com. Station nightclub co-owner Michael A. Derderian will be released one year early from his four-year prison sentence, receiving his freedom on parole in October 2009, the state’s Parole Board decided in January. Derderian, who had pleaded no contest, was sentenced in September 2006 to serve four years in prison followed by three years of probation. He was also given an 11-year suspended sentence, which he may have to serve if he gets into trouble while on probation.
Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:09 PM | Comment Station fund concert raises nearly $200,000The Phoenix Rising concert to benefit the Station Family Fund sold more than 4,000 tickets and, with the help of donations from sponsors and the artists, raised nearly $200,000, according to Todd King, a board member of the fund and co-organizer of the concert at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center last night. “I’m speechless,” King said. King added that all musical merchandise not sold last night would be displayed at various locations of Daddy’s Junky Music Stores and sold to benefit the fund. And the higher profile won’t stop there. The music cable channel VH1 was at the concert, filming the show and interviews with the artists and fire survivors for a one-hour documentary on the aftermath of the fire, to be aired on Easter weekend. King hopes the national exposure will focus renewed attention, and money, on the fund’s efforts to meet the medical and other needs of those injured in the West Warwick nightclub fire, and thinks that the fund has turned a corner. “We’ve found our voice,“ King said. Read coverage of last night's concert. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:26 PM | Comment Potential investors eye Veterans Memorial Auditorium
PROVIDENCE -- Businesses interested in managing the Veterans Memorial Auditorium toured the performance hall this morning, examining both the building's new seats and repaired ceiling and its three floors of vacant and neglected office space. The nonprofit group that runs the VMA had been scheduled to take full ownership from the state in July. But concerns over its fundraising ability have caused state officials to reconsider that agreement, The Providence Journal has reported. Now, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, which also runs the Dunkin' Donuts Center, is moving to take over the VMA as well. The authority organized today's tour, inviting management companies to study the building before submitting proposals to help operate it. The current operator, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Foundation, estimates that the building may need millions of dollars in improvements. For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 12:39 PM | Comment Coming up: Three-and-a-half hours without StarbucksDon't get jittery when you duck out of work later today for a grande skinny cafe mocha, only to find your favorite Starbucks closed. It's only temporary. And it's not just here. Almost all the stores' corporate locations will be closed today starting at 5:30 p.m. for retraining of "baristas" -- AKA wait staff. Stores with evening hours are scheduled to re-open at 9 p.m. The international chain has been suffering the effects of poor growth, with sales falling at U.S. stores that have been open for at least 13 months. As part of efforts to boost sales, the store is pulling its recently introduced expanded foods section, experimenting with $1 coffee, and a focus on international as opposed to domestic stores. During the 3 1/2-hour sessions, workers will go through coffee quality and preparation training. In the meantime, take a look, via Google maps, at other at other local coffee shops, or become your own barista. And, it just so happens, competitor Dunkin' Donuts is offering small lattes, cappuccinos or espressos for 99 cents today, between 1 and 10 p.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:32 PM | Comment Sha Na Na leader to testify for 'Truth in Music' actPROVIDENCE -- He played at Woodstock -- one of the '50s-style guys in gold outfits who went on right before '60s icon Jimi Hendrix -- but this afternoon the member of Sha Na Na fame has a different gig at the Rhode Island State House. John "Bowzer" Bauman, will speak at a news conference for what sponsors call the "Truth in Music Advertising Act," legislation that aims to protect music performers from identity theft and to protect people who buy music from being misled into thinking they are seeing "legendary artists that made hit songs famous," according to a legislative news release. (Note: The release spelled his nickname/alter ego "Bauser.") The proposal would ban advertising for certain live musical performances by "false and misleading affiliations with other musical groups," according to the summary in the legislative news release. A news report out of Tennessee last year described Bauman as lobbying states to "prevent phonies and fakers from passing themselves off as authentic members" of groups. MSNBC also carried a report last May on his efforts. State Rep. Peter John Petrarca D-Lincoln, and Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, said they will be joined by Bauman at 3 p.m. in the House Lounge. Bauman is chairman of the Truth in Music Committee of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and has promoted “truth in music advertising” legislation around the country, the news release says. The release said Bauman plans to testify for the bill at a House Corporations Committee hearing. The committee will meet at the rise of the House -- about 4:45 p.m. -- in Room 203 of the State House. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:16 PM | Comment Fire near Providence CollegeFire crews are on the scene of a fire this morning near Providence College. The call came in just after 11 for a basement fire in a 2 1/2-story house at 15 College Rd., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:27 AM | Comment Fire crews called to Burrillville power plantThe Harrisville Fire Department was called to the Ocean State Power Plant on Sherman Farm Road, Burrillville, this morning for a small fire. Asst. Fire Chief Mike Gingell said no one was injured and that the power plant’s internal fire protection system put the fire out. There was a similar situation one week ago, when, according to a power plant spokeswoman, smoke from an oil leak in one of the plant’s turbines set off the fire alarm The 560-megawatt power plant, operated by TransCanada Power Operations, was built in 1990. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:26 AM | Comment Expecting large primary turnout, state plans aheadThe Secretary of State will go over plans today to try to ensure voting in the March 4 primary is efficient and accessible. The State Board of Elections, local boards of canvassers and the Secretary of State worked together with different groups to try to make sure there are enough poll workers, and that employers give workers time to get to the polls. More details on the state's plans to try to simplify March 4 voting will be released at a 3 p.m. press conference. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:14 AM | Comment Former President Clinton is coming to BryantFormer President Bill Clinton is coming to the Ocean State this week, less than one week before Rhode Island's March 4 presidential primary election. Clinton has been traveling the country, campaigning on behalf of his wife and presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Clinton. He will be hosting a rally at Bryant University in Smithfield Thursday, according to a statement from the Hillary Clinton campaign. Doors open at 2:15 p.m., and the event is expected to begin at 3:15. The rally, titled “Solutions for America,” will be at the Chace Athletic Center, and is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to carpool because of the limited parking. Sen. Clinton has already visited the state, holding a rally at Rhode Island College on Sunday. Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee was on the radio, and visited a school and this newspaper yesterday in a day-long campaigning tour of Rhode Island. No word yet on Sen. Barack Obama's plans to visit the state, but his wife, Michelle Obama, was in town last week; she held two events on Feb,. 20: one private at the Biltmore Hotel, and one public at Community College Rhode Island. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:39 AM | Comment Will new fishing laws affect you? Find out tonightThe Department of Environmental Management is holding a public hearing this evening to answer questions and get input from those who may be affected by proposed changes to fishing laws. The changes to state’s marine fisheries regulations would affect monkfish, menhaden, striped bass, and scup for both commercial and recreational fishermen. People can attend the hearing at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium at 6 p.m. today. The Department is also accepting written comments, but they must be submitted by noon today, to DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, R.I., 02835. The proposals would affect the commercial tautog quota management plan; the recreational tautog management plan; the commercial scup quota management plan; the commercial striped bass quota management plan; the R.I. menhaden regulations; and the R.I. monkfish regulations. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:09 AM | Comment Funeral today for convicted former Lincoln administratorFuneral services for former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster are scheduled for today at 11 a.m. at Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel. Oster killed himself less than a day after he was found guilty of two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for a scheme he was involved in when he headed the town of Lincoln, from 2001 to 2002. Because Oster died before an appeal -- which his lawyer says he planned to file -- was resolved, under Rhode Island law, his conviction must be vacated, according to the state's Attorney General's office. Oster's family has asked that a donation to the Cove Center, which offers vocational training and support to people with behavioral and mental health problems, be made in lieu of flowers. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:41 AM | Comment Conn. mom accused of hassling son's hockey opponentBRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Bridgeport police have accused a Trumbull woman of retaliating against a 10-year-old boy who bumped her son during a youth hockey game over the weekend. Police have charged 47-year-old Madeline Fromageot for the incident that allegedly occurred Saturday at the Wonderland of Ice. Police say the woman grabbed the boy's helmeted head and banged it against the Plexiglas partition around the rink until the player's mother interceded. Fromageot is charged with breach of peace, but she strongly denies the allegations and insists she did not touch the other player. Police say the incident took place during a hockey game between a team from Easton and the team on which Fromageot's 7-year-old son is a player. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:03 AM | Comment Rain likely this afternoonRain is likely this afternoon, but the National Weather Service has also warned that a burst of snow is possible in the northern part of the state later this afternoon. The temperature is expected to reach 42 degrees with a calm south wind. The rain is expected to continue into the early morning tomorrow, getting heavy at times over night when the temperature drops to about 37 degrees. Tomorrow we'll still have a slight chance of even more rain. Expect cloudy skies and and a high temperature near 45 degrees with west wind gusts as high as 29 mph. For updated information through the day, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features stories on presidential candidat Mike Huckabee's visit to Rhode Island and the return of the Silva family to their new home in Warwick, courtesy of the ABC television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 25, 2008Update: Huckabee, in several R.I. stops, remains hopeful
PROVIDENCE -- Republican Mike Huckabee says he's hoping for a win in Rhode Island, although he acknowledges he's not as well known here as his rival, Sen. John McCain. Despite McCain's big lead, Huckabee insisted he could still win the Republican presidential nomination – if the contest goes to the GOP convention in Minneapolis during the fall. “I’ve said at times that we may end up going to the convention this time,” the former Arkansas governor said at a meeting with the editorial board of The Providence Journal, where he came this afternoon seeking the paper’s endorsement. “You can’t say I can’t be. John McCain might have an implosive moment tomorrow,” Huckabee said. Huckabee also spoke on WPRO-AM this afternoon before heading to a visit at the Community Preparatory School in Providence. This evening, he was drawing an estimated 500 people at a rally at the Crowne Plaze Hotel in Warwick. McCain has won the backing of most of the prominent Republicans in the state, including Governor Carcieri, House Minority Leader Robert Watson and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedesian. Huckabee also told WPRO that he's remaining in the race because McCain had not yet secured the number of delegates needed to win the nomination. He says he won't rule out running for president again in four years. -- The Associated Press and Journal staff writers John Castellucci and Linda Borg Huckabee, who spent about 40 minutes answering questions put to him by The Journal's editorial board, was critical of the primary process. “It almost becomes more of a chase of money and name identification than it does about leadership qualities to be president,” he said. “One of the problems that I’ve had with this entire process, if you listen to the first 12 debates, we spent most all of the time arguing over thee issues of Iraq that frankly can’t define the Republicans because there’s not a dime’s difference with all the Republicans with the exception of Ron Paul. He was scathing about McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, complaining it takes money out of the hands of the individual candidate, and puts it in the hands of the special interests, who can “hide in the trees and aim cheap shots” at people running for office. “It’s true guerrilla warfare,” he said. Huckabee came to the editorial board meeting accompanied by his daughter, Sarah, and a local campaign volunteer, Dave Talan. Asked what he had learned from running for president, Huckabee quipped, “That a person can live on very little sleep and still function.” Asked whether he would appoint a Supreme Court justice who would vote to overturn Roe Vs. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion, Huckabee replied: “Personally, I think Roe vs. Wade overturning is not the goal;. I think it’s the Human Life Amendment.” What about privacy? Huckabee was asked. “This isn’t about privacy. It’s about the life of a child. It’s a human life,” he answered. “Biologically, it’s not a piece of broccoli. It’s a human life. And of all the scientific arguments that people can have, there’s no argument that once you have a 46-chromosome DNA that is 23 of a male, 23 of a female, you have a unique DNA schedule that has never been typed like that before. And the only kind of life it can be is a human life.” At another stop, Huckabee wowed a pint-sized crowd today with a soulful rendition of a 1960s favorite, "The House of the Rising Sun." Wisely, Huckabee left out the lyrics, which refer to a New Orleans whorehouse. Huckabee toured Community Prep School, a private school on the city's South Side where most students are members of minority groups and where 90 percent receive full scholarships. After a quick tour of grades 3-8 schools, Huckabee went into the music room where students were clapping and drumming to an Indian folk song. When the teacher asked if Huckabee could play acoustic guitar, he obliged. Fortunately, he said later, the students didn't know the lyrics to the song. Afterward, the candidate engaged the students in a discussion about the value of the arts in education and the different roles played by the right and left sides of the brain. "When you learn music, you learn how to learn," Huckabee told them. "The creative side of your brain is natural to you. The worst thing that can happen is when someone tries to take that away from you." Later, Huckabee told reporters that he began playing the guitar at age 11 and that he belonged to a rock band called Capitol Offense. Earlier, he asked three students how old they thought he was. "Twenty-five," one girl said. "You just got another scholarship," joked Huckabee. He's 52. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM | Comment Tonight: Bands perform in Station Fire charity eventsFive years after the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, the Phoenix Rising concert begins at 7 tonight at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. Proceeds from the event will benefit the nonprofit Station Family Fund. The fund was founded by survivors of the Station fire. Tom Scholz of the group Boston, Aaron Lewis, Tesla, Twisted Sister, Kevin Max, and Stryper are slated to perform as well as Emmy-nominated composer and musician Marc Bonilla, who will be the concert's music director. Other performers include famed drummer Carmine Appice’s SLAM! as well as Gary Pihl of the band Boston, Eric Martin of the group Mr. Big, and more. It won't be all musicians of the hard-rocker variety. John Rich of Big & Rich, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler and Gretchen Wilson are also slated to perform. The Station Family Fund is committed to providing survivor relief, including costs of ongoing treatment and rehabilitation. Check out ticket prices and other information. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Westerly school board member gets 6 months' probationSOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Westerly School Committee member Dominic DiFazio avoided a jury trial today when the state dropped two felony fraud charges and he entered a plea to a third charge that resulted in 6 months’ probation. Westerly police charged DiFazio with two counts of obtaining money under false pretenses when he took two deposit checks in June totaling $2,761.72 to replace an elderly couple’s windows and hadn’t started the work by September. To a charge of unlawful appropriation of more than $1,000, DiFazio, the owner of Dom DiFazio Contracting, entered an Alford plea, in which he did not admit guilt but conceded that a jury might find him guilty if the case went to trial. Superior Court Judge Stephen P. Nugent said the plea, which comes from the case North Carolina vs. Alford, is treated like a nolo contendere plea. “I guess the distinction is in the so-called Alford plea, you admit that the facts that the prosecutor puts on the record to prove the charge would be enough if believed by the jury to result in a guilty verdict.” In a nolo plea, a defendant does not contest the facts. In both cases the defendant gives up his right to appeal the decision. “It’s an empty victory,” DiFazio said today. “I wanted a jury to prove me not guilty.” He said he accepted the agreement partly because his mother is ill and because “I didn’t want to cause the state any more expense than I have already.” The couple who ordered the windows are in Florida, and “the state would have had to fly them up here,” DiFazio said. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's spokesman, Michael Healey, who called the plea a nolo Alford, said “What he admitted was the fact that he took $2761.72 from the victims to install windows and he further admitted that he gave them the runaround.” Judge Nugent told DiFazio to report to the probation office and make full restitution. He said the money is already in the account of DiFazio lawyer Michael P. Lynch, who must get it to the Central Registry in a bank check or money order by Friday. The registry distributes restitution to victims. Healey said that special assistant attorney general Mark Trovato, who prosecuted the case, agreed to drop the fraud charges because “the victims simply wanted their money back. They’re in Florida,” Healey said. “They’re not in the best of health.” -- Journal staff writer Donita Naylor Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment R.I. lawmakers propose medical-error tracking systemPROVIDENCE -- Lawmakers are proposing a system to investigate and track medical mistakes and so-called ``near misses'' after brain surgeons at Rhode Island Hospital operated on the wrong side of patients' heads last year on three separate occasions. Bills introduced in the House and Senate would create a Rhode Island Patient Safety Organization. The Department of Health already requires hospitals and nursing homes to report medical mistakes, but they don't have to report near misses. Health Director David Gifford says that information is crucial to preventing similar mistakes in the future. As a way to encourage people to come forward, the system would be voluntary and people could not be punished for reporting to the organization, according to Gifford. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:05 PM | Comment Medical examiner: Oster died from gunshot to headThe cause of death of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster was a shotgun wound to the head, and there was no evidence of foul play, the Office of State Medical Examiners said this afternoon. Oster was found dead at his law office Friday morning in what investigators called an apparent suicide. A jury had declared him guilty of bribery and conspiracy the day before. The police said on Friday that they were summoned to the office by a 911 call. Services for Oster will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel, 458 Hope St., Providence. Oster, 56, was the husband of Joan (Chabot) Oster and leaves two daughters, according to obituary information. The notice says that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to The Cove Center, 610 Manton Ave., Providence, RI 02909. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:29 PM | Comment The Silvas are in their new homeWARWICK -- The Silvas are in their new house. Unlike the spontaneous image one gets watching the moment during the ABC episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, it is a more choreographed sight in person. Between 3:30 and 4 pm, Kenny and Doreen Silva and their children arrived at their new three-times-as-big house on the site where the Extreme Makeover crew knocked the old one down last week. The Silvas walked up to the house, with the show's cameras capturing them, but could not go in at first. Then cameramen went around to the back of the house and got inside and positioned. The Silvas stepped back from the house and then approached the door again and went inside where cameras were now ready to capture that image. A man in a black cowboy hat and with red earphones led the large crowd amassed outside the home in cheers. While at the doorway to their new home, the Silvas spokes with show host Ty Pennington, but you could not hear what they were saying. Before the big reveal, as it's known, the Silva family had been sitting in a limousine for a half-hour or more, just around the corner from where finishing touches were being put on their new, three-times-as-big home. That's the word from an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew member to media gathered outside the home on Yucatan Drive -- in the same spot where the Extreme Makeover crew knocked the old one down last week -- around 2 p.m. But in the half-hour or so leading up to about 3:15 p.m., a mattress was delivered for a race car-shaped bed that had been brought in. The Silvas returned from Florida yesterday, then were put up in a hotel room so that today's surprising sight would be preserved. A needy family is selected for each episode of the ABC program. As the big moment neared, the show's host, Ty Pennington, worked the crowd outside the new home. Read about the dismantling of the house. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:59 PM | Comment Photo: Waiting for the Silvas to come home
Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:57 PM | Comment Extreme Makeover family awaiting big revealWARWICK -- The Silva family has been sitting in a limousine for a half-hour or more, just around the corner from where finishing touches have been put on their new, three-times-as-big home. That's the word from an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew member to media gathered outside the home on Yucatan Drive -- in the same spot where the Extreme Makeover crew knocked the old one down last week -- around 2 p.m. But in the half-hour or so leading up to about 3:15 p.m., a mattress was delivered for a race car-shaped bed that had been brought in. Kenny and Doreen Silva and their family returned from Florida yesterday, then were put up in a hotel room so that today's surprising sight would be preserved. A needy family is selected for each episode of the ABC program. As the big moment awaits, the show's host Ty Pennington has been working the crowd outside the new home. Read about the dismantling of the old house. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:25 PM | Comment Update: High court hearing on tribal land welcomedWASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed today to take up the state of Rhode Island’s dispute with the Narragansett Indians over the tribe’s effort to remove tribal lands from the reach of state law. The governor, the state's attorney general and the Narragansett chief said today that they welcomed the court's decision to consider the issue. Specifically, the case deals with the question of the federal government’s right to take in trust land granted to tribes, a key issue not just for Rhode Island and the Narragansetts but for Indian land claims disputes around the nation. At issue is whether a 31-acre lot in Charlestown purchased by the Narragansetts should be subject to Rhode Island law, including a prohibition on casino gambling, or whether the parcel should be governed by tribal and federal law. The dispute dates to 1991, when the Narragansetts purchased the land to build an elderly housing complex, which remains incomplete. The state has argued that federal law prevents the federal government from taking land into trust, or largely removing land from state and local control, for tribes recognized after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, unless Congress specifically authorized it. The Narragansetts became a federally recognized tribe in 1983. Read Rhode Island's petition for a Supreme Court hearing. -- With reports from Journal Washington bureau chief John E. Mulligan, Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney and the Associated Press The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rejected the state’s claim in July. Read the ruling in Attorney Joseph Larisa Jr., who represents the town of Charlestown, said he welcomed the Supreme Court’s involvement. State leaders fear the Narragansetts want to build a casino on the site. Casino are banned under state law. “The paramount issue of state sovereignty is the potential that this could open the door to a casino, at least a crack, over the objections of Rhode Island voters,” Larisa said. The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on the case, known as Carcieri v. Kempthorne, during the term that begins next fall. Dirk Kempthorne is the Secretary of the Interior, the federal cabinet agency that oversees Indian affairs. The governor said, “This is great news for the people of Rhode Island and an important step for every state facing similar issues. For too long, the legitimate concerns of states in the federal land-to-trust process have been ignored. It is simply not acceptable for any state to be stripped of its sovereignty over land within its borders by mid-level bureaucrats in Washington.” A statement from Attorney General Patrick Lynch's Office calls the case one of national interest and significance. "With the stroke of a pen," the statement reads, "the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior can unilaterally strip a state of its sovereign jurisdiction by taking land into trust -- even where there are currently no federally recognized Indian tribes. There is something fundamentally wrong with this principle. We look forward to representing Rhode Island’s interests to the very best of our abilities when the case is reviewed in the fall." Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas welcomed the high court's review, saying it would give the tribe an opportunity to demonstrate that it never agreed to give up its rights to acquire land or to self government. "There is no language to abrogate our current or future rights," Thomas said between sessions today of another key case for the tribe – the state Superior Court trial of charges stemming from the state police raid of the Narragansetts’ smoke shop in 2003. In the land trust case before the Supreme Court, he said, "Our rights are clear. At the end of the day our rights should be upheld," Thomas said. He said the land would be used for housing, but he has previously left the door open for some type of economic development on the 32 acres. He said he couldn't predict how the court might rule. "As of late, I don't exactly think they're friendly to Indian tribes," he said. Thomas has said his tribe intends to complete the unfinished elderly housing complex on the property, but could also consider other economic development options. He has not ruled out building a casino on the land. Posted by Jack Perry at 3:15 PM | Comment Green businesses come to Rhode IslandBrown University is hosting a conference later this week to highlight "green" technology in the business world. Thursday's event will bring together "the region's top business leaders to address cutting edge topics in this emerging field, from environmentally friendly building to 'green ventures' in business," according to a statement released by the school. "It is said that the field of green technology innovation could well become the largest economic opportunity of the coming century." The daylong conference, "Green Technology: Science, Innovation and Enterprise in the Region," is being organized by the Brown Forum for Enterprise. It's set to take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center and will feature 25 speakers discussing renewable energy, environmentally friendly building, financing "green ventures" and other themes. "People are showing a much greater awareness of our impact on the environment and how we can minimize it," Charles Kingdon, director of the Brown Forum for Enterprise, said in a statement. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the business community to gather and explore this new challenge. Together we can identify ways to meet it in Rhode Island and beyond." Speakers include: J. Patrick Adcock, a senior vice president of World Energy, which operates leading online exchanges for energy and green commodities; Clyde Briant, vice president for research at Brown; and Kathy Loftus, who focuses on sustainable engineering, maintenance and energy management for Whole Foods. The conference is open to the public with advance registration. Organizers expect 300 people to attend. For more information on the conference, visit: http://brownenterpriseforum.org. -- Journal business writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:34 PM | Comment Smoke-shop trial: Nearly all potential jurors know of raidPROVIDENCE — Jury selection in the Narragansett Indian tribe smoke-shop case is slow going today in Providence County Superior Court. Seven Narragansett Indians, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, face charges that they resisted and fought with state police executing a search warrant on a tribal smoke-shop in July 2003. Troopers raided the roadside store in Charlestown to stop the tribe from selling cigarettes without charging taxes. Of the 120 prospective jurors called, almost all raised their hand when asked if they had heard or read about the raid. Dozens, too, said that the trial’s expected month-long time frame poses a hardship. Judge Susan E. McGuirl is questioning each about their concerns as she tries to winnow the pool with prosecutors and defense attorneys. She released more than a dozen from consideration this morning, saying the four-week trial would represent a significant financial burden to them. The selection continues this afternoon. The trial is expected to last about a month. Earlier today, the state Supreme Court turned down a request from the defendants to delay the trial. -- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney But the high court said today it will take up tribe members' appeal later this week to allow a computer expert to scour State Police computers for e-mails about the raid that might have been deleted. Judge McGuirl earlier denied that request, saying it's unlikely the e-mails can be recovered. -- With Associated Press reports Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:20 PM | Comment New airport director starts today
WARWICK -- Kevin A. Dillon, the new director of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, moved into his office at T.F. Green Airport today. Dillon arrives at a time of declining passenger traffic at Green Airport and financial strain for many air carriers, which are struggling with rising jet fuel prices. Green Airport started 2008 by recording its lowest January passenger tally in the past four years. The airport moved 5.02 million passengers last year, down 3.5 percent from 2006. That decline followed a 9-percent drop the year before. Dillon has promised to quickly begin an effort to reverse those trends. In an interview with The Providence Journal last month, he said he would push for the speedy lengthening of the runway, compete for new carriers and solicit support from Rhode Island businesses. In other states, businesses have committed to buying a minimum of tickets to encourage an airline to begin service. "The business community has to support the airport in order for it to be successful," Dillon said at the time. "People start to take success for granted. They need to be reminded that the success can only continue if they continue to support the airport." -- Journal business writer Benjamin N. Gedan Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:04 PM | Comment Wachovia sues to get out of Clear Channel dealWachovia Corp. has sued Providence Equity Partners to get out of providing financing for the Providence-based buyout firm’s revised $1.1 billion purchase of television stations from Clear Channel Communications Inc. Wachovia, the fourth-largest U.S. bank, said Providence officials changed the terms of the accord without consent from the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank and voided the agreement, according to a lawsuit filed in state court in North Carolina Friday. Providence and two of its investment banks, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and UBS AG, agreed over the weekend to drop the price from $1.2 billion for the Clear Channel unit, a person briefed on the negotiations said. The bank “is no longer obliged to provide any financing contemplated” for the acquisition, Wachovia’s lawyers said in the 15-page complaint against Providence and its Newport Television LLC unit. -- Bloomberg News San Antonio-based Clear Channel, the largest U.S. broadcaster, has been in talks with Providence about changing the terms of the sale of the 56 TV stations, located in cities such as Memphis, Tennessee, and Syracuse, New York. Julie Fisher, a spokeswoman for Providence Equity Partners, wasn’t immediately available for comment. “Providence told us it had renegotiated key terms of its deal with Clear Channel but then demanded that the lenders be held to the terms of the deal it had rejected,” Wachovia spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown said today in an interview. “Our efforts to resolve the issue were unsuccessful and we felt it was in the best interest of our shareholders to ask a court to confirm that the prior commitment is no longer in effect,” she said. Wachovia fell 39 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $33.94 at 10:13 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Clear Channel fell $1.24, or 3.8 percent, to 31.14 on the NYSE. The case is Wachovia Bank v. Newport Television LLC, 08-CVS- 4056, Superior Court of North Carolina (Charlotte). Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:11 PM | Comment Retired Marine to head Providence emergency agency
Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski Marine Lt. Col. Peter T. Gaynor, left, with Mayor David N. Cicilline today. PROVIDENCE -- A retired Marine Corps colonel has been appointed to head the city’s Emergency Management Agency and office of Homeland Security. In a statement released today, Mayor David N. Cicilline said Lt. Col. Peter T. Gaynor wasn’t someone who had just planned for a crisis. “He’s actually experienced them and proven himself to be ready and capable," Cicilline said. The appointment comes two months after Cicilline fired Leo Messier from the position, citing mismanagement of the Dec. 13 snowstorm that left children stranded on school buses and caused gridlock on the highways. Gaynor worked as a manager for operations during the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and worked security for the president at Camp David. Gaynor, who steps into the job today, said in the statement that his crisis management and leadership skills “were honed under that pressure of real-world events,” and that the would “help to ensure that Providence is prepared to rapidly respond in a coordinated and strategic manner to extraordinary incidents that may threaten the safety of residents, commuters and visitors to the City of Providence.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:21 AM | Comment R.I. high court won't delay trial, but will take up appealPROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court has turned down a request from seven Narragansett Indians to delay a trial for fighting with State Police during a 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop. But the high court said today it will take up tribe members' appeal later this week to allow a computer expert to scour State Police computers for e-mails about the raid that might have been deleted. A Superior Court judge earlier denied that request, saying it's unlikely the e-mails can be recovered. Also today, jury selection began for the trial. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and six others are charged with misdemeanor crimes ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. The trial is expected to last about a month. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:12 AM | Comment Gas prices up 9 centsGasoline prices jumped an average of nine cents per gallon in Rhode Island last week, according to AAA Southern New England. It's the second week of price increases after five weeks of falling prices. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.109 at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. The price has climbed 12 cents over the past two weeks. The national average is about three cents higher than what Rhode Islanders are paying. AAA attributes the increase to the jump in oil prices, now about $100 per barrel. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:06 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's visit to Rhode Island and a story on speculation that Sen. Jack Reed is a candidate for vice president or a cabinet post. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:48 AM | Comment Alleged flim-flam man in court todayA former lobsterman accused of scamming people out of more than $25,000 is set to appear in court today to argue that the charges against him should be dropped. John Kluth is accused of scamming money from at least 40 people – including several prominent Rhode Islanders – by feeding them sob stories about disabled trucks and broken refrigerators that put his cargo of lobsters at risk. Kluth filed motions asking for most of the charges against him to be dropped, because alleged victims’ identifications were too far removed from the alleged crimes to be reliable. This process is expected to take a week in Superior Court, Providence. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:32 AM | Comment Photo/ Before and after the Extreme Makeover
Posted by Jack Perry at 9:59 AM | Comment Photo: Finishing touches on Extreme Makeover home
Posted by Jack Perry at 9:04 AM | Comment Concert tonight will benefit Station survivorsThe Station Family Fund has been supporting survivors of the 2003 fire who are still paying medical bills. The Phoenix Rising concert is the latest benefit event for the fund. Tonight, it's bringing rock bands -- including Tesla and Twisted Sister -- and country bands to the Dunk. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $12 to $61. If you buy them at the Dunkin' Donuts box office, you can get two-for-one. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:28 AM | Comment Fire at restaurant supply business in ProvidenceFirefighters are on the scene of a morning fire. A call came in at about 7:40 this morning, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. The fire broke out on the second floor of A-1 Restaurant Supply, at 221 Admiral St. The building appeared to be unoccupied, Taylor said. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:08 AM | Comment 2 brothers shot dead in TauntonTAUNTON, Mass. -- The police are looking for suspects after two brothers were shot to death in Taunton. The men were found yesterday after officers responded to reports of gunshots coming from a Somerset Avenue apartment. Police say a 4-year-old child and a 2-year-old child were also found at the scene - physically uninjured - and are now in the care of family members. The brothers were not immediately identified but are reportedly in their 20s. Taunton Police Chief Raymond O'Berg says it appears the victims were targeted, but would not comment on whether investigators had a motive. Neighbors said the men had lived in the apartment for about a year. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 8:06 AM | Comment Cicilline, directors to meet with residents tonightMunicipal issues on your mind? Meet with the mayor tonight at the Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School for Mayor’s Night Out. Mayor David Cicilline and city department directors are set to meet at the school to give residents a chance to ask questions and share concerns. Residents and groups can get 10 minutes of face time with Cicilline; meetings are on a first-come first-serve basis. The meetings are held every month in a different neighborhood. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:00 AM | Comment Trial in alleged gang killing starts todayA trial is set to begin today for three alleged gang members who are accused of beating to death a member of a rival gang last year on a street in the Elmwood section of Providence. Sarith Chith, 20, Thomas Havey, 20 and Tavarez Moralez, 18, face murder and conspiracy charges for the January 2007 death of Vicheth Klakratok, 23. The police say the three are members of the Hanover Boyz street gang. Klakratok was said to be a member of a rival gang. Prosecutors say he died of blunt force trauma after being hit in the head with pipes in the middle of Cranston Street, in West End. The three pleaded innocent in July. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:40 AM | Comment Smoke shop trial scheduled to begin todayPROVIDENCE -- Jury selection is scheduled to start today in the trial of seven Narragansett Indians accused of scuffling with State Police who raided a tribal smoke shop in 2003. But jury selection could be delayed if the state's highest court acts on a last-minute appeal to delay the trial. Defense lawyers filed the request with the state Supreme Court late Friday afternoon. They are asking the top court to delay the criminal trial so a computer expert can scour State Police computers looking for police e-mails about the raid that might have been deleted. Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl earlier denied their request, saying it's unlikely the e-mails can be recovered. A court spokesman says the Supreme Court has not decided whether to hear the appeal. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said Friday that the state expects to be in front of McGuirl on today at 9:30 a.m. ready for the trial. The defendants, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, were arrested in July 2003 when state police raided the tribe's recently opened smoke shop, which was not collecting state taxes, on tribal land in Charlestown. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Presidential Huckabee to visit Rhode Island todayPROVIDENCE -- Republican Mike Huckabee brings his presidential campaign to Rhode Island today, one of the states holding primaries on March 4. The former Arkansas governor is scheduled to visit the Community Preparatory School in Providence this afternoon before holding an evening rally in Warwick. Huckabee continues to wage his campaign despite long odds of overcoming GOP front-runner John McCain. During a tongue-in-cheek appearance on Saturday Night Live, Huckabee was asked whether it's even mathematically possible for him to beat McCain. He said he's not a ``math guy'' but ``more of a miracle guy.'' But he also added that he would not ``overstay his welcome.'' -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Clearing with a high near 44The few clouds in the sky are expected to clear as the morning goes on, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature near 44 degrees. The clouds should return tonight, when the temperature drops to about 24 degrees. Rain returns tomorrow, starting in the afternoon with a half inch possible in all. The temperature should reach 43 degrees and high south wilds could gust as high as 29 degrees. For weather updates through the day, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment February 22, 2008Storm update: Pell Bridge re-opens after accidentsBoth the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Pell Bridge have been cleared after three minor accidents closed the span temporarily, according to the state's Traffic Management Center. Sgt. Frank Sullivan of the Portsmouth barracks of the State Police said no serious injuries were reported in the bridge accidents. The bridge connecting Jamestown and Newport was closed around 6:10 p.m. as sleet and freezing rain made driving hazardous around the state. The eastbound lane was re-opened at 6:48 p.m., while the westbound lane was still closed. Sullivan said the slippery surface would be retreated after the accidents were cleared. Mixed conditions following the day's snowfall began sooner than expected, state officials said this evening, so drivers should slow down if they must be out on the roads. Icy roads were being reported around the southern part of the state between 6 and 7 p. m., and those conditions were expected to move northward. “Motorists need to use extreme caution. The freezing rain is making roadways slippery," Brendan Doherty, who commands the State Police, said in a statement earlier this evening. The EMA said the evening commute appeared to be lighter "thanks to partnering with municipalities and employers across the state heeding the warnings to stagger releases." The sleet and freezing rain will help keep snow accumulation from continuing to rise, but it can cause other, slippery problems. The National Weather Service says the mixed precipitation will change back to all snow after 10 p.m. It, too, advises travelers to plan for extra time and use caution as hazardous weather conditions are expected. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:17 PM | Comment Update: Narragansetts seek trial delay from high courtPROVIDENCE -- Seven Narragansett Indians accused of scuffling with State Police who raided a tribal smoke shop in 2003 have filed a last-minute appeal and want to delay next week's trial. Defense lawyers filed the request with the state Supreme Court late this afternoon. They are asking the top court to delay the criminal trial so a computer expert can scour State Police computers looking for police e-mails about the raid that might have been deleted. Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl earlier denied their request, saying it's unlikely the e-mails can be recovered. A court spokesman says the Supreme Court has not decided whether to hear the appeal. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said this evening that the state expects to be in front of McGuirl on Monday at 9:30 a.m. ready for the trial. "Judge McGuirl has been remarkably patient and studious in reviewing each issue brought before her," Lynch said. He added that it is the defense's prerogative to again seek a delay. But, he added, the state is grateful McGuirl saw fit to deny a motion to stay, or delay, the case, and that "enough is enough." The defendants, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, were arrested in July 2003 when state police raided the tribe's recently-opened smoke shop, which was not collecting state taxes, on tribal land in Charlestown. -- The Associated Press and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:29 PM | Comment Weather cancelling, delaying flights cancelled at GreenSeveral flights were cancelled today at T.F. Green Airport, according to its Web site, from a 3:05 p.m. departing flight to Atlanta to a 6:30 p.m. departure to Toronto. Life was no better for scheduled arriving flights as the snow falls here. A 5:30 p.m. scheduled arrival from Cleveland was cancelled, and a 10:49 p.m. scheduled arrival from Newark is listed as cancelled. The bright spot, at least according to the airport's Web site? The Windy City: Flights to and from Chicago remain listed as "on time." But to be sure of a flight's status, it may be best to call the airline directly. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:03 PM | Comment Justice Department opens internal waterboard probeWASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has opened an internal investigation into whether its top officials improperly authorized or reviewed the CIA's use of waterboarding when interrogating terror suspects, according to documents released today. The investigation was revealed at the request of Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. A Justice Department spokesman, however, said the inquiry has been ongoing for several years. Questions about waterboarding are part of a larger Justice probe of the so-called Bybee memo, wrote Marshall Jarrett, head of the department's Office of Professional Responsibility, in a Feb. 18 letter to the two senators. "Among other issues, we are examining whether the legal advice contained in those memorandums was consistent with the professional standards that apply to Department of Justice attorneys," Jarrett wrote. Asked for details, Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said, "This is not a new investigation, but rather has been ongoing for some time." Waterboarding involves strapping a person down and pouring water over his or her cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. It has been traced back hundreds of years, to the Spanish Inquisition, and is condemned by nations around the world. Critics call it a form of torture. -- The Associated Press The memo at the heart of the internal Justice inquiry was dated Aug. 1, 2002, and written by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee for then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. It defined torture as recognized by U.S. law as covering "only extreme acts" causing pain similar in intensity to that caused by death or organ failure. The Bush administration maintains waterboarding was legal when it was used by CIA interrogators in 2002 and 2003 on top al-Qaida detainees Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Earlier this month, CIA Director Michael Hayden said waterboarding was used, in part, because of widespread belief among U.S. intelligence officials that more catastrophic attacks were imminent. The CIA banned its personnel from using waterboarding in 2006. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has refused to publicly discuss whether waterboarding is currently legal since it is no longer used by CIA interrogators. Durbin called the internal Justice inquiry "long overdue" and noted that the U.S. government has previously prosecuted waterboarding as a war crime. "Within the question how America could come to use interrogation techniques of the Inquisition is the question how the Department of Justice could have overlooked its own precedents to authorize waterboarding," added Whitehouse, a former federal prosecutor. He suggested "the answer was preordained and the department was driven by politics and obedience, not law and independence." Mukasey told Congress earlier this month that he would not pursue criminal charges against CIA officials who used waterboarding after relying on Justice Department guidance that the interrogation tactic was legal. He said today he did not believe the Bybee memo was politically motivated. "I have no reason to believe that politics was involved in that or any other analysis," Mukasey said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:35 PM | Comment Snow spurs several accidents on area highways / Photo
The state Transportation Management Center's Web site has listed several of them. An accident closed a lane on Route 10 north in the area of Union Avenue in Providence, the TMC reported at 3:52 p.m. An accident Route 95 north at exit 27 for downtown Pawtucket was cleared at 4:03 p.m. An accident was cleared on Route 195 west at exit 6 -- the Broadway exit in East Providence -- this afternoon. Another was cleared on Route 6 west at Hartford Avenue in Providence. Check out the Transportation Management Center's Web site for traffic alerts and Web cam views of major roads throughout the state. The National Weather Service has advised commuters to take care as the snow makes its way through the area. It will continue to fall at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour across northern Connecticut, northern Rhode Island and central and western Massachusetts through 7 p.m. Some sleet and freezing rain will begin to mix with the snow in the immediate Providence area. Visibilities will be reduced to one half mile or less in many locations. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:26 PM | Comment R.I. to get $800,000-plus more for heating assistanceThe state will get $843,229 more in emergency heating money for families' homes this winter, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, announced today. Nearly 30,000 Rhode Island households last year relied on LIHEAP to help pay for heating their homes and to pay delinquent utilities bills so they can restart service, Reed's office said. Rhode Island is one of 11 states to receive this second wave of money from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund, the release said. The other states are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. “When temperatures drop, heating bills rise for many Rhode Island families. This additional funding will help lift the burden on many seniors and parents who need help paying their energy bills,” Reed said. Reed is chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, a group of senators that he said pushes ahead policies to improve region's economy and environment. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:20 PM | Comment Cicilline to appoint new city EMA director MondayPROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline will appoint a new city Emergency Management Agency director, who also will head up the local Office of Homeland Security, on Monday. Cicilline will make the announcement at a 10 a.m. news conference in the mayor's office that day, his office announced today. Providence Police Maj. Monty Monteiro is the city's acting EMA director. He was assigned to the slot after the previous director, Leo Messier, was fired in the wake of a Dec. 13 snowstorm that paralyzed much of the metropolitan region and left some city students stranded on school buses for hours. Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:34 PM | Comment Update: Oster apparently kills self in verdict's wake
Oster's body was found in a conference room in his law office in Lincoln, a spokesman for the state Attorney General Patrick Lynch said this afternoon. In a separate statement, Lynch's office said a gun was found in the office. Police had been called there this morning by a 911 call. While not saying how or when Oster died, the statement added, "There is no evidence suggesting that the gun was used by anyone except Mr. Oster." Acting Lincoln Police Chief Brian W. Sullivan, speaking outside Oster's Old Louisquissett Pike law office late this morning, declined to comment specifically on the death, saying police were awaiting the arrival of the state medical examiner. Sullivan described the case as "an active investigation" and would not characterize it beyond that. The medical examiner’s office is also investigating, Lynch's office said this afternoon, and will do the official autopsy on Monday. This morning, police cars were parked in the lot of the law office, and officers were going in and out of the building. In a previous statement at midday, Lynch's office had said "it does not have any details about the apparent suicide today" of Oster, saying those would have to come from police agencies handling the incident. Lynch did say, "This is a tragedy upon a tragedy and, obviously, a heartbreaking loss for Mr. Oster's family and loved ones. I offer them our sincerest sympathies." C. Leonard O'Brien, who was Oster's lawyer during the trial, told a Journal reporter, “My heart goes out to his family. Knowing the guy as I do I feel very, very sorry that he found himself in this desperate a situation.” Oster leaves a wife and two daughters. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill A Superior Court jury returned its verdict against Oster yesterday afternoon, after deliberating less than two days. It found him guilty two counts of bribery and two counts of extortion for actions he took while town administrator from 2000-2002. As he had throughout the almost four-week trial, Oster sat straight-backed and stoic as the verdicts were read, his head only shaking slightly as the first guilty verdict was announced. His wife’s eyes were red and moist as the jury filed out of the room, and a group of friends who had been in court nearly every day embraced and whispered to each other. Oster faced up to 20 years in prison on each bribery count and 10 years on each conspiracy count. Oster was slated for sentencing on May 8; his lawyer said yesterday his client had planned to appeal the jury's verdict. According to prosecutors, Oster had in 2001 been engaged in two conspiracies with Robert R. Picerno to sell a piece of town-controlled land for $105,000 — less than the $600,000-plus that was owed in back taxes on the property. Picerno -- who brought in nearly a quarter of the $43,284 Oster raised for his 2000 town administrator run -- was supposed to find the targets and collect the payoff money, the state said. Oster’s role was to get Town Council approval of the sale. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:45 PM | Comment Storm watch: Leave early, but not all at once / Photo
After 4 p.m., the snow may start to mix with sleet and rain; it’s expected to continue overnight. State agencies are working together to come up with a plan to send employees home early without clogging the roads as snow falls throughout this afternoon. After a conference call this morning, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, the governor’s office, the Department of Transportation, state police, local emergency management agencies, the Rhode Island National Guard, local colleges and universities and the Chamber of Commerce have asked employees to stagger the times they leave. According to a statement from the EMA, the roads are still in fairly good shape, and will be for an hour or so, the safest times to travel. Ideally, the Agency would like everyone off of the roads between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. And in Massachusetts, the state Emergency Management Agency has already activated its State Emergency Operations Center to provide manpower and other assistance to communities hit hard by the storm. Check the latest closings and cancellations for around our area, courtesy of wpri.com. Not only are the roads a mess, the weather service has issued an airport weather warning for heavy snow at the state airports. Nearly 40 arriving and departing flights have been canceled at T. F. Green Airport, and a handful of flights have been delayed. One plus: This is winter vacation week for the state's public schools. While there have been many cancellations of youth activities and daycare programs so far today, the problem of sending students home on school buses is not likely to arise. Providence students stranded on buses for hours after a December snowstorm led to a widespread outrage and a review of how the city and state conduct their emergency system during snowstorms. In Providence, a parking ban went into effect at noon today and based on weather conditions, could remain in effect until noon tomorrow. The ban may be lifted earlier if weather conditions permit. The Department of Public Works has nearly 85 plows on the roadways, including private vendors, clearing the main arteries, overpasses and hospital routes before working their way to secondary roads, the mayor's office said. District lieutenants from the Providence Police Department have been assigned to monitor key intersections in the city and are prepared to respond needed. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:04 PM | Comment Providence chamber: Consider sending workers homeThe Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce has sent its members an email, asking them to consider sending their employees home on "a staggered basis" over the next four hours because of the storm. The Chamber sent the email late this morning after a conference call with Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency officials, Governor Carcieri, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Mayor David N. Cicilline, representatives of the Rhode Island State Police and the National Weather service. While the state's highways are currently in good conditions, heavy snowfall is forecast for this afternoon, the email said. The email added that major employers who have workers coming in on the 3 p.m. to 11p.m. shift should consider making alternative arrangements. Posted by Jack Perry at 12:17 PM | Comment Ex-House leader Martineau to serve 37 months in prisonPROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau this morning was sentenced to 37 months in prison on corruption charges. Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered him to pay a $100,000 fine and serve two years of supervised probation following his release. He will have to report to a prison to be determined by 2 p.m. March 14. Martineau, a longtime state representative from Woonsocket, pleaded guilty in November to corruption charges for steering legislation that benefited the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, with which he had plastic and paper bag contracts worth more than $800,000. Martineau was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Providence. He faced a maximum of 46 months and a fine of $1.8 million on each count. The prosecution had asked Lisi to sentence Martineau to 37 months. Martineau's lawyer asked for a split sentence that would have allowed him to spend part of the sentence on home confinement. Also revealed at this morning's hearing: Martineau is cooperating with the federal investigation into corruption at the State House, Operation Dollar Bill. He has met with the FBI six times. John R. 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. -- With reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski Posted by Jack Perry at 11:39 AM | Comment Convicted killer Bishop pleads not guilty to new chargesConvicted murderer Alfred "Freddie" Bishop pleaded not guilty in Superior Court today to a host of charges, including another murder charge. Prosecutors say Bishop, 65, killed Gabriel Medeiros, 35, last June after breaking into a home, and shooting both Medeiros’s brother and sister-in-law before fatally shooting Medeiros. Bishop had spent 33 years in jail for the 1973 murder of James Dunn, who had been Bishop's close friend. He was out of jail for less than a year when he was charged in the Medeiros murder. A 1993 Providence Journal profile reported that in 1978, corrections officials sent out of state Bishop and 14 other inmates deemed to be wielding control inside the prison. Then-Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy said at the time that “guards and inmates live in constant mortal fear for their lives.” Bishop was in shackles, surrounded by marshals at his arraignment today in Kent County Superior Court. Members of the Medeiros family were also on hand. In all, Bishop faces nine charges, including murder, breaking and entering and numerous firearms charges. He's being held on bail and scheduled for a bail hearing March 6. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:17 AM | Comment Pawtucket exit closed SundayThe Exit 28/School Street off-ramp from Route 95 north will be closed this Sunday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. The state Department of Transportation will be boring soil near the Pawtucket River Bridge; the closure should help make the area safer for workers. The boring is one of the first steps toward designing a replacement for the Pawtucket River Bridge The bridge is currently off limits to heavy trucks because of deterioration in its support system. A detour will direct driver to the George Street/Downtown exit and onto School Street via Division Street. This phase of soil boring is expected to end by Friday, Feb. 29. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:46 AM | Comment Photo: Extreme weather doesn't stop Makeover
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:37 AM | Comment Don't forget, snow can be funWhat’s winter break without snow? There’s plenty to do locally now that the flakes are beginning to fall. Skiing, sledding, skating -- it’s all in Rhode Island. Although Yawgoo Valley makes snow all winter long, isn’t there something special about skiing while it’s snowing? Check out the current conditions at the Exeter slopes online. Another way to capture that fun side of winter? Ice skating. Of course, there's the Bank of America City Center rink downtown, 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 (it's got that funny spelling because it's actually named after someone). There are also rinks in South County, East Bay and along the Blackstone Valley River. If you'd rather watch, you're in luck, too. The U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships are in Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center. But remember, ice does not an ice skating rink make. According to the state Department of Environmental Management, you can't tell if ice is safe just by looking. There are many factors that determine ice stability, including the salinity, and presence of currents and streams. Get more information about the ice skating safety in the DEM's ice safety guide. Find a list prime sledding hills online at Kidoinfo.com, a blog devoted to activities for parents and kids in Rhode Island. And for a winter break lesson in civic responsibility, have the kids help shovel the sidewalks. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:51 AM | Comment Photo: Careful on the roads
The electronic traffic sign on Route 146 South tells the story of the slippery commute Rhode Island state police are dealing with about a dozen accidents on highways across the state. And at the North Dartmouth barracks of the Massachusetts state police, trooper say Route 24 northbound is down to a crawl, and throughout the area -- which includes Fall River and New Bedford -- there are between 25 and 30 accidents and cars off the road. And more than two-dozen arriving and departing flights have been canceled at T. F. Green Airport. If you're planning to travel or expecting visitors today, check the airport's Web site before you leave. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning -- the snow began earlier this morning and is expected to fall through Saturday. The flurries falling now are just a precursor to what's expected. To quote the NWS, the morning commute will be bad, but not as bad as "the expected, more treacherous mid afternoon hazardous travel." The temperature is expected to hover near 30 degrees and snow is expected to pick up between 2 and 8 p.m. when we can expect an inch per hour at times. The Weather Service is telling commuters to prepare for evening commute times to triple. Total accumulation could pile as high as 8 inches today with another few inches overnight, when the temperature drops to 25 degrees. Snow is expected to taper off Saturday morning, but clouds are here to stay, with a forecast high temperature in the mid 30s. To keep an eye on the weather without having to go outside, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:45 AM | Comment Photo: Spin out in Swansea
Posted by Jack Perry at 9:42 AM | Comment Lottery today for ballot in special Senate raceThe Secretary of State is holding a lottery today to decide how the candidates for the District 20 state Senate seat appear on the March 18 primary ballot. The special election was scheduled to fill the seat of former Sen. Roger Badeau, D-Woonsocket, who died on Jan. 25. Rep. Roger Picard will appear first on the ballot because he is the endorsed Democratic candidate. The lottery will determine in what order the other hopefuls - Rosina L. Hunt and Thomas Scully – appear. The special election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:36 AM | Comment Convicted killer 'Freddie' Bishop due back in courtAlfred “Freddie” Bishop, a convicted killer who spent 33 years behind bars for murder, is scheduled to be arraigned today for a new murder charge. Prosecutors say Bishop, 65, killed Gabriel Medeiros, 35, last June after breaking into a home, and shooting both Medeiros’s brother and sister-in-law before fatally shooting Medeiros. Bishop had spent 33 years in jail for the 1973 murder of James Dunn, who had been Bishops close friend. He was out of jail for less than a year when he was charged in the Medeiros murder. A 1993 Providence Journal profile reported that in 1978, corrections officials sent Bishop and 14 other inmates deemed to be wielding control inside the prison out of state. Then-Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy said at the time that “guards and inmates live in constant mortal fear for their lives.” Bishop’s arraignment is scheduled for this morning in Kent County Superior Court. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:19 AM | Comment Closings, delays and bans are rolling inSchool closings and parking bans are already rolling in in anticipation of what's to come, namely, lots and lots of snow. We're expecting about 8 inches today, and maybe more tomorrow. It's vacation week for public schools, so they're closed anyway. But because of the snow, private schools from Cranston to West Warwick are closed, and so are many daycares. Visit projo.com's closings page to find out what schools are closed and what towns have initiated parking bans. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:20 AM | Comment Ex-House leader to be sentenced, asks for leniencyPROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau, who is scheduled to be sentenced today on federal corruption charges, is asking the sentencing judge for leniency. Martineau, a longtime state representative from Woonsocket who did not run for reelection in 2002, pleaded guilty in November to corruption charges for steering legislation that benefited the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, with which he had plastic and paper bag contracts worth more than $800,000. Martineau’s sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi. Martineau’s lawyer, William P. Devereaux, filed a motion with the court seeking a lenient sentence, citing Martineau’s record as a businessman, legislator and “devoted family man.” “In this case, the Court has before it a man who is truly remorseful; recognizes that he must be held accountable; but asks the Court for consideration of how he has lived his life in comparison to the unfortunate events which have brought him before this Court,” the motion says. Martineau faces up to 46 months in prison and a maximum fine of $1.8 million for each count. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story reporting that Jonathan F. Oster, former town administrator in Lincoln, was convicted of bribery and extortion charges. There's also a photograph and story on the synchronized skating competition in Providence. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 21, 2008Tonight: In sync on ice at the Dunk / Photo
PROVIDENCE -- You can still catch the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships tonight at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. Today's events go until 9 p.m. The championships run from today through Saturday. Ticket prices for today and tomorrow are: regular admission, $23.50, while the fee is $17.50 for people age 65 or older, children under age 6 and active military personnel. For more on the skating championships, including a gallery of photos, visit projo.com tomorrow. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:57 PM | Comment Hillary Clinton will appear at RIC this SundayDetails of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's visit to Rhode Island this Sunday were announced this evening. She will appear at a 1:30 p.m. "Solutions for America" rally at Rhode Island College's recreation center in Providence, her campaign said. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the program starts at 1:30 p.m. Clinton will also attend at least one more public event in Rhode Island on Sunday to be announced later, the campaign news release said. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is slated to visit Rhode Island on Feb. 28. Yesterday, Michelle Obama, wife of Clinton's competitor for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama, visited Rhode Island, speaking in Providence and at Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:48 PM | Comment Democratic Party elder Pells split on presidential votesThe presidential primary campaign between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and lllinois Sen. Barack Obama has split some Rhode Island Democratic households, including one of the most revered of party elders, the Pells of Newport. Former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, who was first elected to that post in 1960, is someone so well-liked by Rhode Island voters that he never lost an election, even defeating the late John H. Chafee, a former Rhode Island governor and later senator, in a 1972 race. Pell retired from the Senate in 1996. Claiborne Pell, 89, has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for years and no longer speaks in public. But his wife, Nuala Pell, is a spry 84 and often attends political events, most recently yesterday’s speech at the Providence Biltmore by Michelle Obama. Mrs. Pell is a member of Rhode Island Women for Obama and is voting for the Illinois senator. Mrs. Pell said today that her husband has voted by shut-in ballot for Clinton. "He can’t get to the polls,’’ she said. "But he worked with [former President] Bill Clinton and he really likes Hillary Clinton.’’ Mrs. Pell said she is a bit more focused on the future and believes Obama would make a good president for the 21st century. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:35 PM | Comment Police: Girl, 7, accidentally hangs self at Warwick homeWARWICK -- A 7-year-old girl apparently hanged herself to death while playing with a ribbon in a bedroom of her family’s Crestwood Road home on Wednesday, police officials said today. Police Chief Col. Steven McCartney said that police and fire rushed to the house at about 1:40 in the afternoon after receiving frantic phone calls from family members who were apparently trying to revive the girl. He declined to name the girl, who he said was found in an upstairs bedroom by her 5-year-old brother. Firefighters were already trying to resuscitate her when police arrived at the home at 205 Crestwood Road, McCartney said, describing a scene of “great trauma and anxiety.” The girl was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival, he said. According to McCartney, the mother was so distraught that she also had to be taken to the hospital by rescue, and there were initial reports that the father, who was still inside the house, may have suffered a heart attack. Police are conducting a full investigation, he said, but are treating the death as accidental at this time. He said initial reports from the medical examiner’s office indicate that the girl died from self-inflicted strangulation. -- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti McCartney identified the parents as Christie Robinson, 28, and Frank Cannon, 39. There are believed to be six children in the household, ranging in ages from 2 to 13, McCartney said. Because of the unusual circumstances of the death plus the fact that the adults were so distraught, McCartney said that the state Department of Children Youth and Families was called in and initially took custody of the children. He said he did not know that status of that department’s involvement as of today. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:19 PM | Comment Photo: Now that's a vanity plate
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:42 PM | Comment Update: Martineau seeks leniency in corruption sentencePROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau has asked a judge for leniency ahead of his scheduled sentencing hearing tomorrow on federal corruption charges. Lawyers for Martineau have filed court papers asking for a sentence below the federal guideline range, which recommends a prison term of between 37 to 46 months. Martineau pleaded guilty in November to two counts of federal mail fraud. He will be sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi. Martineau earned roughly $900,000 in business from the CVS pharmacy chain and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Prosecutors said Martineau arranged to sell paper and plastic bags to the companies for use in their businesses at the same time he promoted their legislative interests at the State House. In a sentencing memorandum, defense lawyers argue that Martineau's business relationship with CVS started several years before he was elected to the General Assembly and therefore had nothing to do with his political clout. They say Martineau, a Woonsocket Democrat, has accepted responsibility for his actions, and that his bad judgments do not reflect his upbringing or overall values. He was charged as part of a federal investigation into State House corruption, dubbed Operation Dollar Bill, that prosecutors say involves both politicians and corporations. Martineau's sentencing is slated for 9:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court, Providence, before Judge Mary M. Lisi. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:36 PM | Comment Kerry copter makes emergency landing in AfghanistanWASHINGTON -- Helicopters carrying three senior U.S. senators -- including John Kerry of Massachusetts -- made emergency landings today in the mountains of Afghanistan because of a snowstorm. Sens. Kerry, Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel were aboard the aircraft. No one was injured, according a statement from Kerry’s office. The senators and their delegation returned to Bagram Air Base in a motor convoy, and have left for Turkey. “After several hours, the senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air Base, and left for their next scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey,” the Kerry statement said. “Senator Kerry thanks the American troops, who were terrific as always and who continue to do an incredible job in Afghanistan.” The lawmakers were on a trip this week that included stops in India, Turkey and Pakistan, where they observed the elections earlier this week. Kerry and Biden are Democrats from Massachusetts and Delaware, respectively, and the Republican Hagel is from Nebraska. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:27 PM | Comment Update: Oster found guilty of bribery, conspiracyPROVIDENCE -- A jury today found ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster guilty on all bribery and conspiracy counts stemming from attempts by Oster and a then-political ally to extort bribes from potential buyers of a nearly six-acre, town-controlled property on Route 116. Oster, who was town administrator from 2000 to 2002 when the plot played out, was found guilty on two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in Providence County Superior Court after less than two full days of deliberations. The state's case held that Oster’s role was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000 in exchange for $25,000 cash payoffs, working, the state contended, with Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and Oster ally, to shake down different potential land buyers. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking or trying to solicit bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes. As he had through most of the trial, Oster sat stoically at the defense table, his head shaking only slightly, as the verdict on the first count was read. His wife’s eyes were red and the group of friends who had sat through the trial hugged and whispered to each other after the jury left the room. Oster's sentencing is set for May 8. After the verdict, Oster’s lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, said Oster would appeal. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill and Journal archival reports "An unfortunate chapter in the town of Lincoln's proud history," current Lincoln Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond said in a statement today. He added that "these disgraceful but brief actions were quickly halted by the efforts of the Rhode Island State Police with the cooperation from members of the Lincoln Police Department. "We can now place this unfortunate incident behind us and move forward, ensuring both residents and business owners in the town of Lincoln that all of their elected officials are working honestly, openly and in the best interest of the community to enhance the longstanding integrity of their government." Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement that Lincoln and Rhode residents deserved "faithful, true and honest" service from public officials. "What they got from Oster, however, was pure greed and corruption -- conduct so glaring and objectionable that a jury unanimously found it to be criminal. Thanks to outstanding police work from and cooperation with the Rhode Island State Police, and the sheer persistence of our current prosecutors, Assistant Attorneys General Bethany Macktaz and Bill Ferland, as well as the many people in our office who assisted them along the way, we have secured a very important victory against public corruption today." In closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutor Bethany Macktaz in part focused on a meeting in which Picerno went to Oster’s law office wearing state police transmitters. A state trooper was outside videotaping. Picerno had met over several weeks with contractors David Wayne Daniel and Robert Gelfuso, who were working with the state police, to get them to pay the $25,000 bribe in exchange for getting the town to sell them the H&H Screw Co. property, on Route 116, for $105,000. Picerno had an envelope filled with $10,000 when he went to Oster’s office -- money Picerno was to say was from Daniel. On video, Oster and Picerno are standing outside and Picerno puts the envelope in a metal mailbox, saying, “All right, that’s from Wayne, for that H&H [expletive].” A police search later that day found the cash-containing envelope in Oster's office, according to testimony. “There’s the proof,” Macktaz said in closing arguments. “The hard, direct evidence to convict this man.” Before the attempt to extort money from Gelfuso and Daniel, Robert R. Campellone, whose car dealership was down Route 116 from the land, was Picerno’s first bribery target for the H&H land, according to testimony. Campellone, who faced his own bribery charges in the state police investigation, testified earlier in the trial that Picerno lied to him about the deal's terms -- and Campellone said he backed out and sought his $25,000 back. Picerno wanted the bribes from Daniel and Gelfuso to pay back Campellone. Daniel testified Picerno had him make out the $15,000 “legal fees” check to Campellone, whom he didn’t know. Before the trial started, O’Brien had objected to a decision Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia made to allow the state to introduce other persons’ bad acts, particularly those of Picerno, into evidence. Oster was not charged with any crimes related to those actions, was never present when those acts took place, O’Brien said, adding the state could not prove he knew of them. “Jon has options,” O’Brien said after the verdicit, “and one of the most important is to appeal this ruling.” The conspiracy charges were a particular challenge for Oster. Under state law, if the prosecution can prove a conspiracy existed between the two men, Oster’s legal exposure was huge because a criminal conspiracy is in itself is a crime. The state ddin’t have to prove a bribe was ever paid, only that Picerno and Oster schemed to get it. All members of a conspiracy are culpable for the acts of other conspirators whether they knew what they were doing or not, Indeglia said. One conspirator could even order another not to commit a specific crime, but if the other did it anyway, both are equally liable. Or, as Macktaz put it during trial, “Mr. Oster is criminally responsible for all of Mr. Picerno’s actions, even if he wasn’t there.” O’Brien argued during trial that Picerno was an extortionist who was doing whatever he could to get the state police to give him a break less than two days following his arrest. The defense also used testimony to argue that the land Oster was accused of selling at a too-low value might actually have so much industrial contamination as to have a negative value, so that any offer for it a good one. And O’Brien established that the car dealer had done favors for Picerno for at least a year prior to Osters' taking office. O'Brien also got Campellone to say he had never talked to Oster about bribes he paid Picerno. Read about the case's closing arguments. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:05 PM | Comment Double stabbing in ProvidenceRescue crews are on the scene at a stabbing in the city's Elmwood neighborhood. Two people were transported to local hospitals at about 2:30 from 153 Stanwood Street with stab wounds, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department. One of the victims was a 30-year-old man with wounds to the forehead. Taylor did not yet have information on the second victim. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:53 PM | Comment Hasbro pulls countries from Monopoly site after Israel flapPROVIDENCE -- An employee of Hasbro Inc. eliminated the word "Israel" after the city of Jerusalem in an online contest to select names for a new Monopoly board game after complaints from pro-Palestinian groups and bloggers who believe the city is not in Israel, the company said today. A day after "Israel" was removed, the Pawtucket-based company apologized and pulled all country names from cities listed on the site. Hasbro is asking people to vote at the Monopoly Web site on which cities will be included in its upcoming Monopoly Here and Now: The World Edition. Until Tuesday, every city on the site listed a country, including Paris, France; Cairo, Egypt and Jerusalem, Israel. But a "mid-level" employee, based in London, decided on her own without consulting senior management to pull "Israel" from Jerusalem after hearing the complaints, Hasbro spokesman Wayne Charness said today. Israel considers the whole of Jerusalem to be its capital, while Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. The change left Jerusalem as the only one of dozens of cities listed without a country. Hasbro management was alerted to the change Wednesday when its London office saw a spike in traffic on the site and figured out what happened, Charness said. The company then pulled every country name, so Paris and Cairo also are now listed alone, he said. "It was a bad decision, one that we rectified relatively quickly," he said. "This is a game. We never wanted to enter into any political debate. We apologize to our Monopoly fans." -- The Associated Press Charness added that the game, due out in the fall, was never meant to include countries. The countries were added to the Web site to make it easier to vote. "Monopoly is the world's most popular game," he said. "We want it to remain that way." Voting in the contest ends Feb. 29 for the Top 20 cities and March 9 for two wild card cities nominated by voters. The top vote-getting city will get the prime Boardwalk spot: as of Tuesday, it was Istanbul, Turkey. Posted by Jack Perry at 2:53 PM | Comment Update: Oster found guilty of bribery, conspiracyPROVIDENCE -- A jury today found ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster guilty on all bribery and conspiracy counts after Oster and a then-political ally twice attempted to extort bribes from potential buyers of a nearly six-acre, town-controlled property on Route 116. Oster, who was town administrator from 2000 to 2002 when the plot played out, was found guilty on two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in Providence County Superior Court after less than two full days' deliberations. The state's case held that Oster’s role was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000 in exchange for $25,000 cash payoffs, working, the state contended, with Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and Oster ally, to shake down the different potential land buyers. 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 closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutor Bethany Macktaz in part cited a Feb. 16, 2002, meeting that Picerno went to at Oster’s law office wearing state police transmitters. A state trooper was outside videotaping. Picerno had met over several weeks with contractors David Wayne Daniel and Robert Gelfuso, who were working with the state police, to get them to pay the $25,000 bribe in exchange for getting the town to sell them the H&H Screw Co. property, on Route 116, for $105,000. Picerno had an envelope filled with $10,000 when he went to Oster’s office -- money Picerno was to say was from Daniel. On video, Oster and Picerno are standing outside and Picerno puts the envelope in a metal mailbox, saying, “All right, that’s from Wayne, for that H&H [expletive].” A police search later that day found the cash-containing envelope in Oster's office, according to testimony. “There’s the proof,” Macktaz said in closing arguments. “The hard, direct evidence to convict this man.” Before the attempt to extort money from Gelfuso and Daniel, Robert R. Campellone, whose car dealership was down Route 116 from the land, was Picerno’s first bribery target for the H&H land, according to testimony. Campellone testified earlier in the trial that Picerno lied to him about the deal's terms -- and Campellone said he backed out and sought his $25,000 back. Picerno wanted the bribes from Daniel and Gelfuso to pay back Campellone. Daniel testified Picerno had him make out the $15,000 “legal fees” check to Campellone, whom he didn’t know. Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O’Brien, argued that Picerno was an extortionist who was doing whatever he could to get the state police to give him a break less than two days following his arrest. The defense also used testimony to argue that the land Oster was accused of selling at a too-low value might actually have so much industrial contamination as to have a negative value, so that any offer for it a good one. And O’Brien established that the car dealer had done favors for Picerno for at least a year prior to Osters' taking office. O'Brien also got Campellone to say he had never talked to Oster about bribes he paid Picerno. Read about the case's closing arguments. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill and Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:52 PM | Comment Update: 'Missing' students found: 1 in jail, 1 at home
Amy Scott and Daniel Querzoli
Police now know the whereabouts of two college students who didn’t return home after borrowing a friend’s car to run errands last week. Twenty-two-year-old Daniel Querzoli is in state police custody in Pennsylvania, and 21-year-old Amy Scott is in New Jersey with her mother, Laura Tool. Tool said her daughter and her daughter’s roommates were all in danger, but would not elaborate to police. The car Scott allegedly left Providence in -- her roommate's Honda, which has been reported stolen -- was found in a parking garage in mid-town Manhattan. Querzoli, a student at Bridgewater State University, was arrested in what Pennsylvania state police say was a different stolen vehicle with stolen plates. Providence Police Det. Sgt. Carl W. Weston Jr. said he had an unusual series of conversations with Tool, who reported her daughter missing last week. --projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from journal staff writer Gregory Smith Tool said her daughter had been in touch and that she and her husband were going to pick up Scott, Weston said. But, he added, she was not forthcoming in answering all of his questions. At one point, Weston said, Tool remarked that Scott said she and her roommates were in danger. Tool said police should send an officer to the apartment, but would not tell Weston the nature of the danger. Out of an abundance of caution, police sent an officer to the house yesterday to check on the eight residents of the multi-family house. No one was home, Weston said. A police sergeant in Beach Haven, N.J., went to Tool’s house and confirmed that Scott was OK. But the sergeant did not get much more information, Weston said, because the two women had a lawyer with them. Tool did say that her daughter and Querzoli were no longer dating. Querzoli was arrested at about 3:15 a.m. today when a state police trooper reported seeing a vehicle being driven erratically on Interstate 81 in Cumberland, just outside of Carlisle, Penn. According to Sgt. Jonathan Mays, Querzoli was driving a stolen Buick Century with stolen plates. Querzoli is currently being held on $50,000 bail while he awaits his hearing. On cable television last night, Querzoli's father, Brian Warren, said he had received a postcard from his son that said the two college students were on a “road trip.” Weston said the case reminds him of the runaway bride. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:49 PM | Comment Martineau, former majority leader, faces sentencingPROVIDENCE -- Former House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau is scheduled for sentencing tomorrow on corruption charges. Martineau pleaded guilty in November to corruption charges for steering legislation to benefit businesses with which he had plastic and paper bag contracts. Martineau's sentencing is slated for 9:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court, Providence, before Judge Mary M. Lisi, according to an advisory from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. Martineau, who was a longtime state representative from Woonsocket, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of depriving Rhode Islanders of the right to his honest services for $891,500 worth of paper and plastic bag contracts from the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Martineau then tried to influence health-care and other legislation for the two companies. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:59 PM | Comment Life without parole upheld for man who killed his wifePROVIDENCE -- The state Supreme Court today upheld a historic sentence of life in prison without parole for a domestic violence case in which a Narragansett man stabbed his wife to death in 1996. The high court's ruling was also the first time that court had considered and upheld such a sentence. In writing the decision for the court, Chief Justice Frank J. Williams described it as a "heinous and horrific case" and "execution-style killing." According to the court, Joseph E. McManus Jr. capped years of abusing Kelly McGinity McManus by stabbing her six times with an 11-inch knife in their Bonnet Shores home. McManus -- who while in prison for that crime received another 20-year sentence in 2001 after offering to pay an inmate to shoot then-Attorney General Jeffrey B. Pine and to break a state prosecutor's legs -- did not dispute in 1996 that he fatally stabbed his wife in her home. He gave a "diminished-capacity" defense at the eight-day trial. But a jury convicted McManus, then of 6 King Phillip Rd., Narragansett, of one count of first-degree murder. His life sentence without possibility of parole was the first such issued in a Rhode Island domestic-violence case. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports The couple, who'd been together about 20 years and married for four, had three children. According to the state Supreme Court decision out today, the couple argued often and McManus at times assaulted his wife. The fighting got worse, largely because McManus believed his wife was having an affair with a player on his softball team. Starting in March 1996, Kelly McManus relied on friends' protection from her husband's abuse. On June 28, 1996, Joseph McManus packed belongings in a laundry basket and left the home following an argument. In the evening, after some drinks at several local taverns, McManus told a softball teammate, "If I can't have her, nobody is going to have her" and "If I can't have her, I will kill her." Two of the children were home the early morning of June 29, 1996, when they heard McManus trying to get in the house, pleading with Kelly McManus to let him in. After he got in, he was heard pleading with her to sit down and talk. Eventually, McManus stabbed his 35-year-old wife with a kitchen knife. He kept stabbing her until their son hit him over the head with a coffee table, according to the high court decision. At his Superior Court sentencing, Judge Judith Savage said: "Everyone is blaming themselves for this tragedy, but the blame, Mr. McManus, lies . . . with you." McManus's appeal to the high court argued there were case errors, contending that he was entitled to a new trial because the state "deliberately failed to provide him with two statements" in the court process known as discovery, the high court decision says. Other arguments were that: The trial court erred in denying his motion to disqualify one of the two prosecutors in the case; McManus should get a new trial because of his lawyers had a conflit of interest with one prosecutor; and the Superior Court erred in denying McManus' request for a mistrial. Also, appellate counsel for McManus argued in a supplemental brief that a life imprisonment was unwarranted in the case. But the state Supreme Court decision states that after reviewing the case record, "we conclude that the trial justice captured perfectly the defendant's bad character and evil propensities. It comes as little surprise that an individual capable of committing such a brutal slaying would be the same individual who inflicted a lifetime of abuse on his wife and children." Justice Francis Flaherty dissented, saying that while "there is no doubt this was a brutal murder for which the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder," he said after reviewing the record he did not conclude the case should be include in a narrow group of cases of the most heinous crimes "for which this most extreme sentence should be reserved." Flaherty states he would reduce the sentence to life imprisonment. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:38 PM | Comment Traffic Alert: Rollover accident in Cranston cemeteryPolice and rescue crews are on the scene at an accident at a Cranston cemetery. Police Maj. Ronald Blackmar says the rollover accident happened in St. Ann's Cemetery, on Church Street. Two cars were involved in the accident, he said; one broadsided the other, which then rolled over. Two people in the vehicle that rolled were transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:10 PM | Comment Photo: Building extremely fast in Warwick
Posted by Jack Perry at 10:01 AM | Comment Oster jury gets back to businessPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster has begun the third day of deliberations in Providence County Superior Court. The jurors deliberated until 4 p.m. yesterday without reaching a verdict. Oster, the town administrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to get bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state alleges Oster and former planning board member Robert R. Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far lower than what the state said it was worth. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:58 AM | Comment Providence teen dies in wake of October surgeryA funeral will be held Saturday for a local teenager whose medical plight became a national story. According to published reports, 16-year-old Javona Peters, of Providence, had been in an irreversible coma since having brain surgery at a New York hospital in October. She reportedly had an unexpected reaction to anesthetic. Articles in the New York Daily News, the North Country Gazette and ABC.com say Peters was admitted to Montefiore Medical Center in New York City for what the hospital calls a routine procedure to drain fluid from the head. Peters did not awaken after the Oct. 17 operation. The hospital said it was the result of "an unforeseeable reaction to a routine anesthesia agent." Peters, who was 16, went to Hope High School. She died Feb. 13 in Massachusetts. The funeral service is set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Union Baptist Church, 50 Lupine St. in Pawtucket. Calling hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Read her obituary and sign an online guestbook. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:36 AM | Comment Spring in the middle of winter at the flower show/ Photo
The 15th annual Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show begins today, and the fairy tales theme is bringing scenes from some of the the best-known fairy tales to the Rhode Island Convention Center. It's a foliage festival that will turn Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and other fables into mid-winter gardens through Sunday. For more information, see the show's Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:38 AM | Comment Photos: Eclipse over East Providence
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:15 AM | Comment Photos: Did you see the eclipse?
A sequence of images taken approximately every twenty minutes show the moon passing through the shadow of the earth as photographed in Toronto Wednesday Feb. 20, 2008. A total lunar eclipse, can only occur on a full moon, when the moon passes through the shadow of the earth. If you missed last night's total lunar eclipse, you've got plenty of time to prepare for the next one -- almost three years. In Rhode Island, the weather was fickle but in Providence. At least, the skies cleared just in time to see the the moon move into the darker part of the earth's shadow, the umbra. At about 10 p.m., the moon moved into position almost directly opposite of the sun on the other side of the earth. The moon's surface turned rust-colored; a result of light bending through the earth's atmosphere and scattering, leaving the longer wavelength red light to hit the moon. In effect, a reflection of all the world's sunsets. The next chance for North America to catch a total lunar eclipse? December 10, 2010. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:41 AM | Comment The Omnivore's dilemma: What to eatWe've seen image upon image of sick animals that should have been euthanized instead being turned into food for humans. . And though there’s been no indication that any of the cows from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Co. were carrying illnesses that could be transferred to humans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sunday ordered the recall of more than 140 million pounds of beef -- some of which were destined for schools across the country, including in Rhode Island. Just in time comes Michael Pollan, the author who’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, takes a shot at answering the questions “What should we eat? … How did we ever get to a point where we need investigative journalists to tell us where our food comes from and nutritionists to determine the dinner menu." Pollan is set to speak at Brown University’s Salomon Center, on the campus green, today. His talk, "In Defense of Food: The Omnivore's Solution,” is set to begin at 6 p.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:28 AM | Comment Conn. city considers banning sex offenders from parksBRISTOL, Conn. -- Bristol's city councilors are considering a local law that would ban child sex offenders from certain areas of the city. They would be barred from schools, parks and other public places where young people congregate, which would be designated as child-safety zones. The council's Ordinance Committee is urging the full City Council to adopt a local law next month targeting those who have committed a sex-related crime against a child. The proposed ordinance is similar to one already in place in Danbury. City Councilor Frank Nicastro has proposed the law citing an incident in September when a convicted sex offender allegedly raped a 13-year-old in Brackett Park. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment It's cold, and snow is on the way tomorrowIts cold, and it's going to stay that way. The National Weather Service is forecasting a clear, sunny day with a high temperature of 32 degrees and a northwest wind between 6 and 11 mph. Tonight the clouds roll in, and the temperature should drop to the mid-teens with a calm west wind. Expect a snow-and-rain mix tomorrow with a high temperature in the low 30s and a calm south wind. Snow accumulation could reach between 1 and 3 inches. To keep an eye on that snow, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story and photograph on the visit to Rhode Island by presidential candidate Barack Obama's wife, Michelle. There's also a photograph and story about a family's house in Warwick being torn down and rebuilt, courtesy of the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 20, 2008Tonight: Film of Station fire victim's play airs on TVOn the five-year anniversary of the Station nightclub fire, a film of the play written by an 18-year-old who died in the fire airs tonight at 7 on Cox Channel 71. The play, They Walk Among Us, was written by Nicholas O'Neill and is about teenagers who die, but return as guardian angels. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:46 PM | Comment Skies clearing for tonight eclipseWednesday night – there’s going to be a great, prime-time sky show: a total lunar eclipse visible throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa and, if you miss it, you'll have to wait more almost three years for the next one, in December 2010. The National Weather Service says sky should be clear across Rhode Island for at least par tof the show. At about 8:25 p.m., the moon will begin moving into the edge of the earth’s shadow, the penumbra. About 20 minutes later, the real show begins when the moon moves into the darker part of the shadow, the umbra. At about 10 p.m. the moon will be fully within the shadow as it lines up opposite the sun, on the other side of the earth. Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:29 PM | Comment Former President Bill Clinton is coming to R.I. Feb 28Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to come to Rhode Island for a Feb. 28 rally on behalf of the Democratic presidential campaign of his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is locked in a battle with Barack Obama for the party nomination. The Clinton campaign today announced the visit, saying details of it are still being worked out. Hillary Clinton is coming to Rhode Island this Sunday. Rhode Island is one of four states holding what could be a potentially decisive March 4 primary. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:23 PM | Comment Line stretched 100 yards to hear Michelle Obama at CCRIWARWICK -- More than 500 people were waiting tonight to hear Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, at the Community College of Rhode Island night campus. Doors opened at 5:45 p.m. and the line to get in was about 100 yards long to the free event open to the public. The crowd chanted "Yes We Can" while waiting for the speech to begin. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is battling for the party nomination against Barack Obama, is visiting Rhode Island on Sunday. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:19 PM | Comment Station fire is part of a firefighting lesson planMaybe here is some solace, if just a little. Five years ago tonight, the Station nightclub fire erupted unimaginably before Rhode Islanders' eyes. But in a Pennsylvania school district you may not have heard of, a high school firefighting club now includes a lesson about the West Warwick blaze. James Startzel, a Hanover, Penn., career firefighter, said by phone today that for the past couple years the club's students typically spend four of their every-two-weeks, half-hour classes going over the Station fire. "My hearts go out to those people," Startzel said of those affected by the fire. "I feel bad for the families," but he hopes the lessons can save lives, preventing something like the nightclub fire from happening again. Five years after the fire spawned by hard-rock band Great White's pyrotechnics show, the students in Hanover watch a CD-ROM, put out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, that examines the club and what happened the night of Feb. 20, 2003, Startzel said. The institute puts out CD-Roms focusing on specific fires, such as a house fire that happened in Washington D.C. And those Hanover students who choose to, in their last session, see video from the Station fire, after Startzel warns them that it is difficult. "I'll tell you, the first time I played this, you could have heard a pin drop," Startzel said. "They were all shocked that this happened." Startzel said the firefighting club's sessions examine fires in general, the basics on what can happen, use of fire extinguishers, a little bit of everything. They learn that emergency exits are not necessarily a door or doors through which they entered a building or room. Those who wish to don firefighter air-packs and learn about what a firefighter does. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:55 PM | Comment Photo: Gere film takes to the streets of Woonsocket
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:12 PM | Comment Oster trial: Jury ends first day without verdictPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster adjourned its first full day of deliberations today without a verdict. Oster is charged with two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy. The state's case alleges he and Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and former Oster political ally, twice attempted to extort bribes from potential buyers of the nearly six-acre, town-controlled land on Route 116 called the H&H Screw property. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking or trying to solicit bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes. Read about yesterday's closing arguments in the case. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:30 PM | Comment Update: Michelle Obama speaks of 'amazing journey'
"This has been an amazing journey for me, Barack and my whole family," she said. She's gotten to travel the country, she said, adding that "people are hungry for a different kind of politics. They are tired of negativity and sniping." She also offered a lawyer's-style brief for her husband's campaign. She talked of Obama's upbringing as the child of a single-parent mother and spoke of her own childhood as the daughter of a working-class family from Chicago's South Side. In an interview with The Journal this afternoon, Obama responded to criticism about her remarks, made in Milwaukee on Monday, about her pride in her country. She was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: “Let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change." This afternoon, she said in the interview: “I think that if people look at the clip, essentially what I was commenting on was the pride that I felt in how people were engaging in the political process in ways that they hadn’t. I think that everybody had made that comment this year, that this election is like no other. "The amount of turnout that you’re seeing in primaries and caucuses and people going to rallies. I’ve said this before, it’s not just about Barack, but that people feel some level of hope and engagement. And that gives me a source of pride.” Without mentioning by name Hillary Clinton, the New York senator and rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama in her remarks to the crowd today criticized what she called the negativity and thrust-and-parry politics she indicated the Clintons have used on her husband. Obama is visiting the state to help the campaign of her husband, the Illinois senator, ahead of the March 4 primary, one of four such contests -- including delegate-rich Texas and Ohio -- nationally that may sort out the party's nominee. The visit comes after her husband's primary wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii, bringing his winning streak to 10 over Clinton. On Sunday, Clinton will stop in Rhode Island for a campaign visit. -- With reports from Journal staff writers Scott MacKay and Mark Arsenault Obama got perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon when she mentioned the war in Iraq. "The facts are pretty clear," she said. She talked about how "a lot of years of Washington experience" did not stop the rush to war after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 -- a jibe at Sen. Clinton, who voted to authorized President Bush to militarily prosecute the war in Iraq. "A lot of years of Washington experience, and they all [senators], said, yeah, let's go to war," Obama said. The invitation-only event was billed as the launch of Rhode Island Women for Obama. Among those attending were Nuala Pell, an advocate for higher education in Rhode Island and wife of former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell; Attorney General Patrick Lynch; former Rhode Island Secretary of State Susan Farmer, a Republican; and, many other professional women from around the state. Michelle Obama has a speech at 5:45 p.m. at the Community College of Rhode Island's night campus in Warwick, an event free and open to the public. She is slated to be joined by her brother, Brown University basketball coach Craig Robinson, at the event. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment Synchronized skating competition comes to the Dunk
The United States Synchronized Skating Championships begin today with free skating until about 4:30 p.m. Opening ceremonies are tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. – and then the competitions begin. More than 90 teams are competing for two spots to compete next spring in the World Synchronized Team Skating Championships. Martha Sheridan, CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention Center, says the event will lead to more than 4,000 hotel rooms booked in the area and says it's "another unique opportunity to showcase our fantastic facilities in our great location." The Colonial Figure Skating Club of West Acton, Mass., with support from Warwick Figure Skaters, will host this year's event. Tickets start at $15 and are available at the box office. See the schedule and read more about synchronized ice skating. Can't get there? Icenetwork.com, U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media's partnership, will provide live and on-demand video coverage of the event for “season pass” subscribers. The site will also feature near-live results, event recaps, practice video and photo galleries for subscribers and nonsubscribers. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:13 PM | Comment RISD's new president to speak at Business EXPOJohn Maeda, the new president of the Rhode Island School of Design, will deliver a speech at this year's Business EXPO, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce announced today. The speech, advertised by the chamber as Maeda's "first appearance in Rhode Island," will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Business EXPO will be held on May 6 to May 7. Maeda's speech, titled "The Future of Technology, Design, and Simplicity,” is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. The Providence Journal reported on Maeda's hiring in December, calling him "a prominent artist, designer and educator who is currently the associate director of research at the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." For more local breaking business news, visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 2:20 PM | Comment Hasbro to produce movies with Universal PicturesPawtucket-based Hasbro and Universal Pictures said this morning they have signed a six-year agreement to produce at least four movies together. The movies, the first of which will be released in 2010 or 2011, will be based on Hasbro's games such as Monopoly, Candy Land, Battleship and Clue. After the first movie, at least one film will be released each year, the companies said. Hasbro's Transformers toys made a splash with a blockbuster film last year. A sequel is now in production. There's also a movie being made based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe toys. Neither of those toys is covered by the new partnership. "Universal's creativity and worldwide marketing and distribution strength make them the perfect partner," Brian Goldner, Hasbro's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "Today's Hasbro is so much more than a traditional toy and game company, and this partnership is a powerful example of how we are offering our consumers new ways to enjoy unique and immersive experiences with our brands." Hasbro recently hired Lisa Licht as its new general manager of entertainment and licensing; she is based in Los Angeles. In addition, in August 2007, Hasbro announced an agreement with Electronic Arts to develop digital games based on many of its properties across a variety of platforms. Universal Pictures is owned by General Electric Co. -- John Kostrzewa with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 2:18 PM | Comment Feds award Cranston $1M for housing, other programsThe city of Cranston is coming into some money – more than a million dollars. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding the city about $1.06 million for housing rehabilitation programs, Mayor Michael T. Napolitano’s Scholarship and fuel funds, in addition to other programs aimed at helping low-to-moderate Cranston residents. The money is part of the Community Development Block Program, which is still accepting applications from public service organizations for some of its other grant programs. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:09 PM | Comment Michelle Obama speaks to gathering at BiltmorePROVIDENCE -- More than 150 cheering women -- and some men -- are gathered at the Providence Biltmore hotel for an appearance of Michelle Obama. She's visiting the state to boost the campaign of her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, ahead of the March 4 primary. Among those in attendance: Nuala Pell, an advocate for higher education in Rhode Island and the wife of former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell; Attorney General Patrick Lynch; former Rhode Island Secretary of State Susan Farmer, a Republican; and many other professional women from around the state. The invitation-only event, billed as the launch of Rhode Island Women for Obama, precedes a public talk by Michelle Obama this afternoon at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick. She will join her brother, Brown University basketball coach Craig Robinson, at the event, which begins at 5:45 p.m. The visit comes on the heels of her husband's primary wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii, bringing his winning streak to 10. His chief competitor, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, is facing a virtual must-win scenario in Democratic contests coming early next month in Texas and Ohio. On Sunday, Sen. Clinton will stop in Rhode Island for a campaign visit. -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:08 PM | Comment Journal's Freidah wins international photo contest
A woman losing her Cranston apartment looks out a window in one of the photographs that earned Journal photographer John Freidah first place in Pictures of the Year International's annual contest.
See the winning photographs from Pictures of the Year International's Web site. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:34 PM | Comment House update: 'Oh oh there they go' / Photo
12:41 p.m. He's inched up, on the front yard of the house Orange claw in front (Constant beeping in background) Second one -- yellow vehicle with claw Both going up with claws It's reaching out with the claw right now Here it goes It's reaching over the roof They both are now And there's a little chant in the crowd -- can't tell what they're saying (before they were doing "Swing the truck, swing the truck") Stopped -- suspended -- two claws over roof of the house -- just waiting, we'll see what happens I feel like I'm calling a golf match -- (lowers his voice) OK, Jack Nicklaus is getting ready to putt, it's all come down to this The guy in orange just closed the door to his compartment The yellow excavator to the right of orange is moving You can hear the engines starting to roar now Still waiting here C'mon guys, do something 12:46 p.m. We're kind of in suspended animation waiting for the claws to rip up some house It was all this suspense and now it's just suspended suspense, literally (Mike promises to call back when they actually get ready to tear down the house, hangs up) 12:57 p.m. Here they go, here they go Oh, sorry, it didn't actually -- false alarm again (Crowd yelling) Oh oh there they go Oh it really went right throught the roof, it's huge It's really smashing through it, you should see it They're really making short work of the house It's gone already Oh my gosh, i thought it would be a little slower than that, but it's fast There goes the front wall of the house, oh wow, oh boy, there it goes again You can see like pink insulation among the debris getting clawed apart (Beeps from the excavators) Wow, it's really something Now, cheers from people dressed in blue Home Edition T-shirts They stopped It looks like a hurricane hit it 12:58 p.m. Yellow excavator -- has its claw hanging in suspense at top Other has its claw firmly dug in pile Some house still standing Most down Front yard chewed up 12:59 p.m. Most of the front of thouse smooshed up, back barely standing 1:23 p.m. The house is a pancake now Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:05 PM | Comment Coventry man indicted for fatal ATV crashA Coventry man was indicted today for one count of driving to endanger, death resulting and one count of leaving the scene of an accident after he allegedly left his injured passenger at the scene after he crashed his all-terrain vehicle. Ashley Renea Phelps died July 2 at Rhode Island Hospital, according to Coventry Police Capt. Bryan Volpe. Phelps was being treated for serious head injuries she suffered as a passenger on an ATV being driven by Gregory Hebert, also of Coventry. According to the police, the two were at a party together on June 23 when Hebert, with Phelps riding on the back, lost control of the ATV and crashed into mailboxes, causing the vehicle to roll over. Hebert left Phelps, according to the police, and drove off. She was found lying in the street. The next day, Hebert and a lawyer went to the Coventry Police Department, where he was arrested and released. Hebert is scheduled to be arraigned March 7 in Kent County Superior Court. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:40 PM | Comment Update: First try fails to bring the house down / Photo
WARWICK -- Plan A didn't work. Now, they'll have to come up with Plan B. Curious neighbors crowded the street in front of 106 Yucatan Drive, Warwick to await the house's destruction as part of its starring role in "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." They were briefly treated to an unusual site: A crane slamming the container portion of a City of Warwick dump truck, like a wrecking ball into the 1,000-square-foot Cape that was home to a family of nine just two days ago. But a truck swinging in the air was not enough to bring the house down. It only managed to make a few dents in the front of the house. Worse, it swung back and struck the crane, breaking a hydraulic fuel line and sending fuel onto the road. Now crews are trying to remove the crane. Some heavy excavating equipment has been seen on site, it's not clear what the crew will use next for its demolition. After all, before they can build a two-story, 2,900-square foot home for the Silva family, they must tear down their existing home. The house is too small and dangerous because of lead paint for a family that includes Doreen, 33, and Kenny Silva, 35, their two biological children, 14 and 11, both with autism, their three adopted children, 6, 5 and 2, all with disabilities, and their two foster children, 6 and 19 months. The Silvas are getting a new home courtesy of the popular ABC television show and some 200 volunteers, a group that includes contractors, subcontractors, neighbors, strangers and city officials. Standing along the street on this cold February morning, the onlookers have seen the crew of men and women in matching shirts and hard hats march down the street in a parade of blue. They've watched the white city dump truck back up to the house and retrieve its remaining contents. And they've seen the big yellow crane back into position in front of the house. Once the old house is demolished, construction will begin immediately on the new home. Crews of 35 will work around the clock. By the time the family returns from its first vacation ever -- a week in Disney World -- they will have a new home, a project that would normally take six to eight months. For more background, read yesterday's story. -- With reports from Journal staff photographer Bill Murphy and projo.com staff member Mike McKinney Posted by Jack Perry at 12:27 PM | Comment Offley gets two consecutive life terms for 2006 murderA judge today sentenced Barry Offley to two consecutive life prison terms plus 20 years for killing 24-year-old Jessica Imran and shooting her friend, then 28-year-old Julie Lang. By statute, Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause was required to impose the sentences consecutively, meaning the second sentence goes into effect after the first is completed. Offley’s attorney, Terence Livingston asked in court today whether -- considering Offley’s lack of a prior criminal record and overall reputation, before the shooting, as a respectful young man – the judge would have still imposed the sentences consecutively if he didn't have to. “Would I do it without that statute?” Krause replied. “In a heartbeat.” Offley was convicted of murder, conspiracy, assault, and firearms charges December; his accomplice -- his uncle Alonzo P. Shelton -- was also found guilty and sentenced last spring to 72 years in prison. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci During Offley's trial, Lang testified that in July 2006, Offley shot and killed Imran, then pointed the gun at her, but it jammed when he tried to shoot her. Shelton seized the gun from Offley and shot her four times, Lang testified, allegedly because she told the Woonsocket police that crack cocaine found in her pocketbook was Shelton's. It took a jury just two hours to find Offley guilty. Krause sentenced Offley to serve a one life sentence for Lang’s murder and one for the discharge of a firearm, death resulting – a total of at least 40 years. He was also given the maximum sentences for conspiracy and assault, to be served concurrently with the two life sentences. “This was a two-man execution team that went into that apartment,” Krause looking to Offley. “You were the designated executioner. Were it not for the malfunction of that weapon, you would have killed two people.” Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:25 AM | Comment Jury deliberating in trial of ex-Lincoln administratorPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster has begun deliberating this morning in Providence County Superior Court. Oster, the town adminstrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to get bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state alleges Oster and former planning board member Robert R. Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far lower than what the state said it was worth. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:33 AM | Comment French Film Festival starts tomorrow in ProvidenceFor the 10th year in a row, French Cinema is taking over Providence. The French Film Festival begins tomorrow at 7 p.m. with “Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge,” at the Cable Car Cinema. For the following 10 days, the Cable Car will show several French films per day; $8 each for general admission and $6 each for students. And Francophile film fanatics can purchase an eight-ticket package for $45 -- $34 for students. On Sat., March 1, Michel Blanc will be on hand to discuss his films, including “Je Vous Trouve Très Beau,” which will be showing at the Cable Car on Friday, Feb. 29. For more information, including a complete schedule of films, visit the Providence French Film Festival Web site. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:10 AM | Comment Former Iraq official comes to ProvidenceA former Iraqi official is coming to Rhode Island to talk about the ways the war has affected political, economic and social stability of the region. Ali A. Allawi, former senior minister for the post-Saddam Hussein government is delivering Brown University’s inaugural Peter Green Lecture on the Modern Middle East. “The Iraq Crisis and the Middle East Order,” is scheduled for this evening. Allawi worked as the interim minister of trade for Iraq between September 2003 and June 2004, when he became the minister of defense for the transitional government. The next year, Allawi was appointed minister of finance. He is also the author of “The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace.” He’ll be signing copies of his book at 4 p.m. in the lobby of the Salomon Center for Teaching, on the campus green. The lecture will begin at 5 p.m., in room 101. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:38 AM | Comment Update: Satellites, missiles, spaceships, and more
The Space Shuttle Atlantis returned to earth, landing shortly after 9 this morning, to avoid the possibility that the ship would be damaged when a missile, launched from the ground, destroys a disabled spy satellite that officials say malfunctioned shortly after it was launched in 2006 that may be carrying a hazardous load of fuel. Or classified information. Or both. And as if to ensure the spectacle of it all, the satellite may be destroyed mid-way through a total lunar eclipse, flanked by Saturn and Regulus, a bright start in the constellation Leo. To think, it was just 46 years ago – to the day – that John Glenn became the first American to enter earth's orbit. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from The Associated Press To shoot down the out-of-control satellite, a missile will be launched from a Navy cruiser, and the government is warning people to steer clear of a certain area in the Pacific starting at around 10:30 p.m. The goal: to hit the fuel tank aboard the satellite, keeping the tank – and its toxic fuel – from reentering the earth’s atmosphere. The satellite has been in a deteriorating orbit that would bring it down to Earth by early next month, it left alone. Even if it’s hit by a missile, emergency officials are preparing for the possibility that large pieces of the satellite could still hit populated areas, though any debris is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean. Even the Ocean State – the Atlantic Ocean State – is keeping an eye out. The Rhode Island Emergency management Agency has been briefed on what to do in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. “While it’s premature to think anything will land here in Rhode Island,” REMA’s deputy director said in a statement, “it is not premature to plan for the possibility.” But if you’re looking for a sky show, you’ll you don’t have to look to the failed chunks of technology – nature does spectacle quite well. The last total lunar eclipse for nearly ten years begins at about 8:30 p.m. The moon will fully enter the earth’s shadow at about 10 p.m., where it will stay for 52 minutes. Of course, the weather is not looking good for sky gazing of any type -- exploding satellites or eclipses. But if you're the optimistic sort, the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory on the Knight Campus in Warwick will be open for business (to look at the eclipse, not the satellites). Assistant Professor Brendan Britton of the Physics Department will be on hand to answer questions. Remember to dress warm, because the Observatory in winter, like space, can get very cold. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:13 AM | Comment Photo: March to the makeover
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:46 AM | Comment The Station fire: Five years ago today
The flames and billowing smoke rapidly consumed the wooden building on Cowesett Avenue. Patrons in the crowded room struggled to get out. Many did not. One hundred people died. More than 200 were injured. And the repercussions last to this day, the fifth anniversary of the fire. The Providence Journal and projo.com have provided continuing coverage of the blaze, from its cause to resulting legislation and court cases to its impact on victims, families and friends. Find our most recent stories, as well as in-depth coverage of the fire's aftermath, at this special online report: http://projo.com/stationfire
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 8:31 AM | Comment Photo: Ready for the lights, camera, demolition
Posted by Jack Perry at 8:15 AM | Comment Candidate Obama's wife visiting R.I. todayMichelle Obama is coming to Rhode Island today to talk about her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, and his run for the presidency. This evening she’ll join her brother, Brown University basketball coach Craig Robinson, at Community College Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick for a rally. The 5:45 p.m. event is open to the public but it’s at the Student Dining Commons, so there’s limited space; you can secure tickets online. Earlier in the day, she’ll attend a private get-together for a “Women for Obama” launch event at 1:30 p.m. The gathering at the Providence Biltmore hotel is by invitation only, the campaign said. Democratic presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton is set to visit the Ocean State on Sunday, though she hasn't yet announced where. Her state headquarters opened yesterday. GOP front runner Sen. John McCain stopped here for a campaign rally last week. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:59 AM | Comment Convicted killer set for sentencingThe judge who presided over the murder trial of Barry Offley rejected Offley's motion for a new trial yesterday and characterized the testimony Offley offered in his own defense before he was found guilty in December as "wholly unworthy of belief." Today, Offley is set to be sentenced for murder. Offley was convicted in December; his accomplice -- his uncle Alonzo P. Shelton -- was convicted and sentenced to 72 years last spring. Both men were found guilty in the shooting and wounding of 28-year-old Julie Lang and the shooting death of Lang's friend, 24-year-old Jessica Imran in Imran's Pawtucket apartment in July of last year. In September 2007, U.S. Marshals found the men in Ocala, Fla., hiding out in a windowless room. During Offley's trial, Lang testified that Offley shot and killed Imram, then pointed the gun at her. Shelton seized the gun from Offley and shot her four times, Lang testified, allegedly because she told the Woonsocket police that crack cocaine found in her pocketbook was Shelton's. It took a jury just two hours to find Offley guilty. He's set for sentencing in Superior Court, Providence today for murder, conspiracy, assault, and firearms charges. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment Bad timing: Cold and cloudy for tonight's eclipseWe may see snow early this afternoon. Until then, expect increasing clouds. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 35 degrees with west winds between 9 and 14 mph. More snow and clouds tonight -- bad news for those hoping to catch tonight's total lunar eclipse. The temperature should drop to about 16 degrees with north winds between 6 and 8 mph. Not much snow accumulation is expected. Thursday should be clear, sunny and cold, with a high temperature near 32 degrees and a west wind between 7 and 10 mph. To keep an eye on the weather, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page reports that hold times are up for the state's emergency 911 service, while the state is trimming its budget and diverting collected fees to other uses. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 19, 2008Tonight: Multiculturalism lecture at URIAnna Everett gives the University of Rhode Island's 13th annual multiculturalism lecture tonight. She has studied and written about the impact of race, ethnicity and digital media on young people. The free lecture is open to the public and begins at 7:30 in Room 271, Chafee Social Science Center, on the university's Kingston campus. For information, go to www.uri.edu/news. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:50 PM | Comment Satellite debris unlikely, but EMA ready just in caseRemember that damaged satellite the government plans to shoot down? If debris starts falling in Rhode Island, the state Emergency Management Agency says it's got a plan. It's an "unlikely event" that debris would fall here, the state EMA said in a news release today, but the agency has received guidance from the federal Emergency Management Agency on the potential for such debris landing on Earth. The state EMA has met with the National Guard. The Associated Press reports a Navy heat-seeking missile may be used, possibly tomorrow night. So the department has disseminated information to all Ocean State cities and towns, HazMat teams, and various state agencies "on how they are to deal with any satellite debris if it lands in Rhode Island," the release says. “The National Guard’s 13th Civil Support Team is ready to respond if necessary," Major General Robert T. Bray, who heads up the state EMA, stated. “They are specialized in response to nuclear, biological, chemical, and hazardous materials.” Out of an abundance of caution, the EMA said, it is putting out the word to the public if anyone suspects satellite debris has landed. The state EMA said people should do this: * Keep informed about the satellite destruction. * Any debris should be considered possibly hazardous -- don't touch, handle or move it. * People who see or encounter falling debris should notify the local public safety agency First Responders are being told: * Any debris should be considered potentially hazardous, and first responders should not pick it up or move it. * Cities/towns and emergency managers should inform the state Emergency Management Agency of any debris reported. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Demolition making room for mid-price downtown hotelPROVIDENCE -- Demolition is underway downtown at the future site of a Hotel Sierra, a mid-price hotel whose Kansas developers are banking can fill a gap in Providence’s stratified hotel market. The hotel, formerly known as a Sierra Suites, would be erected between Washington Street and Fountain Street downtown, tying in with the parking garage next door. It is one of several moderately-priced hotel projects now in various stages of completion or development in Providence, where luxury hotels dominate the marketplace. To build the 11-story, 162-room hotel, the developer, Kansas’ Lodgeworks, needs to knock down two buildings: 149-157 Washington St., a three-story building that once housed the restaurants Cuban Revolution and New Japan, and the bar Talk of the Town, and 132-134 Fountain St., the former site of a McDonald’s restaurant. The demolition contractor, Coventry Wrecking Co., began tearing the back out of the Washington Street building Monday, and continued today. Demolition is expected to take roughly a month, said Matthew T. Marcello, one of the partners in the deal. The project is a partnership between Lodgeworks and Civic Center Parking Associates, a consortium of several local developers and lawyers which owns the site and the Civic Center Parking Garage next door. The project was first proposed two full years ago, but it has taken several redesigns and the granting of a series of zoning variances to get the project to this point. Now, it has all its approvals, and the project is ready to obtain a building permit and go forward, said atty. David Barricelli of Providence’s Hinckley, Allen & Snyder, representing Lodgeworks. -- Journal staff writer Daniel Barbarisi The developers are still pricing the project, Barricelli said, and looking to hire a general contractor to oversee it. “We’re ready to go,” Barricelli said. “We anticipate starting this construction season,” meaning this spring or summer. LodgeWorks is the owner of more than a dozen Hotel Sierras and Summerfield Suites Hotels along the East and West coasts. Their Sierra Suites sites were rebranded to Hotel Sierras last year. They envision that the Hotel Sierra will be a good fit for extended-stay travelers because of its proximity to business and convention center activity. Extended-stay travelers are defined as hotel guests who stay longer than four days. The Civic Center Parking Associates own the property that the proposed hotel would be built on. The company has operated the parking garage for 20 years, in addition to developing other properties in the city. Civic Center Associates also owns the Mercantile Block next door, and plans to sell that to local arts collaborative AS220, which will renovate the building into artists space and lease to commercial sites on the first floor, according to Matthew T. Marcello III, one of the principals in the Civic Center Associates. The principals of the Parking Associates are Joseph DiBattista, Marcello, Ed Ritchie, and the Bliss family, which owns Warwick Mall. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:20 PM | Comment Janitors at Providence College ratify new contractFifty janitors who work at Providence College have ratified a new contract with Hurley of America, the college-hired subcontractor for cleaning services, after going on strike for several days at the beginning of the month. The janitors, who are part of the Service Employees International Union Local 615, ratified the contract on Saturday, the union announced today. The union news release said the janitors launched a week-long strike on Feb. 1 after the previous contract expired the day before. The strike, the union said, was against unfair labor practices by the company. The strike happened as the college held Family Weekend for upperclass students, when hundreds of families were expected. "Many students were active in showing their support for the contracted janitors' efforts to secure a just contract," the statement said. Several teachers also cancelled classes or took classes off the campus in support of the janitors, a union spokeswoman told the Journal early this month. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:12 PM | Comment Oster trial: Jury begins deliberations tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster will begin deliberating tomorrow morning in Providence County Superior Court. The jury finished for today after hearing closing arguments from the sides and receiving jury instructions from Judge William V. Indeglia. Prosecutor Bethany Macktaz today repeatedly called the jury's attention to a tape of a Feb. 16, 2001, meeting between Oster and Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and Oster political ally, which she said showed not a law-abiding town administrator being tricked by a friend but a knowing co-conspirator accepting a bribe. Oster, the town adminstrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to get bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state alleges Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far lower than what the state said it was worth. In her closing arguments, Macktaz today told the jury to consider a point on the tape where Oster and Picerno stand outside Oster's law office near the building mailboxes. At that point, Picerno put an envelope with $10,000 in cash inside Oster's office mailbox and said, "This is from Wayne, this is for that H & H bull-[expletive]." State police found that envelope during a search of Oster's office later in the day. But Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, argued in court today that his client was guilty of poor judgment in choice of friends but not of bribery and conspiracy. O'Brien repeatedly pointed out places where he said the state had failed to connect with Oster the efforts of Picerno, to solicit bribes. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Oster trial: Defense finishes closing arguments PROVIDENCE -- The defense made its closing arguments this morning in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Adminstrator Jonathan F. Oster. Defense lawyer C. Leonard O'Brien, in a slightly more than hour-long presentation in Providence County Superior Court, argued today that his client was guilty of poor judgment in choice of friends but not of bribery and conspiracy. O'Brien repeatedly pointed out places where he said the state had failed to connect with Oster the efforts of Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and Oster political ally, to solicit bribes. Picerno pleaded no contest into 2004 to bribery and conspiracy. Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to extort bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state's accusations are that Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far lower than what the state said it was worth. O'Brien claimed in court today that the state failed to keep the promises it made in its opening statements in the case. O'Brien pointed out testimony that indicated that because of hazardous waste dumped on the property, the land was worth far less than $105,000. And rather than being a favor to buyer, a $105,000 price would have been a bargain for the town, the argument goes. O'Brien hammered away at what he called the state's reliance on recordings of Picerno and the targets of the bribe efforts. He told the jury that the state police were so focused on indicating his client they were willing to overlook Picerno's untrustworthiness. "They trusted Picerno," said O'Brien, "you can't trust Picerno." Read about the final day of case testimony. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:24 PM | Comment Report aims to up awareness of possible toxic threatsWith the aim to create greater public awareness about potential toxic threats in Rhode Island’s cities and towns, the non-profit group Toxics Action Center released a report today called “Toxic in Rhode Island: A town by town profile,” which lists the presence of possible environmental and health risks from former landfills to chemical manufacturers. Predominantly using information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Management, the report provides a comprehensive inventory of contaminated sites, power plants and leaking underground storage tanks, which the group said will provide local communities the information they need to demand tougher regulations and enforcement from responsible parties to clean up harmful chemicals that pose dangers to human health and the environment. “Rhode Island citizens are often left in the dark when it comes to toxic threats in their communities,” said Toxics Action Center community organizer Amelia Rose, who is also the report’s author. “This report reveals a legacy of pollution in the state that may surprise most residents.” The report, which is posted on the group’s Web site, also contains maps detailing the prevalence of different types of cancer in the state and the locations of potential dangers like Superfund sites, textile manufacturers and hazardous waste sites. The report did not rank the toxicity of cities and towns or explain the acute risks of individual sites, but it does make recommendations to state and federal governments, such as phasing out the use of persistent toxic chemicals like lawn pesticides and adequately funding the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. -- Journal environment writer Natalie Garcia Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:03 PM | Comment Mayors, unions join to support Mass. casino effortBOSTON — A coalition of politicians, labor and business leaders is forming to support the development of resort-style casinos in Massachusetts. The group, which includes Boston Mayor Tom Menino, officially launched its effort today. The Massachusetts Coalition for Jobs and Growth includes the state AFL-CIO and the mayors of other cities, including Salem and Chicopee. They’re coming together to support Gov. Deval Patrick’s efforts to build three casinos in the state. Chelsea City Manager Jay Ask says he recently got a flyer for a Chelsea Chamber of Commerce trip to Foxwoods. Menino says approving casinos in Massachusetts is about economic survival. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:05 PM | Comment Police dismantle indoor marijuana garden in NewportNEWPORT -- The Newport police this weekend dismantled an indoor marijuana garden -- a total of 162 plants growing under fluorescent lights -- and arrested the proprietor on felony drug charges, according to the police. Benjamin Benigno, 28, of 120 Carroll Ave., was arraigned yesterday in District Court, Newport, and ordered held without bail by Judge Stephen Erickson, the police said today. The police vice and narcotics unit confiscated 3.85 pounds of cultivated marijuana in a raid on Benigno’s home Sunday, according to the police. Benigno was charged with felony counts of possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, and manufacturing marijuana with intent to deliver, according to police Lt. William Fitzgerald. The presence of Benigno’s two children -- aged 3 and nine months -- in the home-based marijuana garden gave rise to additional charges of neglect of a child, a felony; and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, according to Fitzgerald. He said the police received confidential information over the last month that marijuana was being sold out of the Benigno home and sent officers to check on the welfare of the children late Sunday afternoon. When Benigno allowed them to enter, the police noticed the odor of burning marijuana and saw a glass pipe packed with marijuana, according to a statement issued by Fitzgerald. After Benigno was arrested, the police discovered the marijuana garden in a second-floor room, the police said. The size of the plants ranged from about 12 inches to 3 feet, according to Fitzgerald’s statement. -- Journal staff writer Gina Macris Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:02 PM | Comment Smoke closes Ocean State Power brieflyFirefighters responded to the Ocean State Power plant in Burrillville this morning, after an oil leak led to smoke in one of the gas turbines. The situation was handled by plant personnel, according to Shela Shapiro, spokeswoman for TransCanada, which operates the station. She said employees were not in danger, and there was no equipment damage. The cause is under investigation. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:51 PM | Comment State police lieutenant to run N. Providence police
Mayor Charles Lombardi this afternoon announced that state police Lt. David Palmer will head the department. Lombardi had turned to the state police for help after Ernest Spaziano, the town's chief for the last six years, told him he was stepping down. Lombardi did not say how long Palmer would be in charge. Spaziano had testified as a witness for the defense in the trial of North Providence Police Sgt. Michael Ciresi, who was convicted last Monday on 9 of 10 counts, including two counts of burglary, receiving stolen goods and attempted larceny. The chief testified he always viewed Ciresi as an exemplary officer and told of instances in which Ciresi came in even on his days off to undertake dangerous assignments. He said that because of Ciresi’s ability to bring in arrests, he was given more “leeway” when it came to bending the rules. Lombardi had earlier said he "a little surprised” by Spaziano's retirement. “I know that he mentioned before that he was thinking about retiring, but said he wanted to get the Ciresi trial behind him first. I didn’t think he would go until the end of the fiscal year,” Lombardi said. -- With reports from Journal staff photographer Andrew Dickerman Posted by Jack Perry at 2:38 PM | Comment Oster trial: In the jury's handsPROVIDENCE -- Was ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster being tricked, or was he actively involved in soliciting bribes? It's for a jury to decide now; they went into deliberation this afternoon. Prosecutor Bethany Macktaz today repeatedly called the jury's attention to a tape of a Feb. 16, 2001, meeting between Oster and Robert R. Picerno, which she said showed not a law-abiding town administrator being tricked by a duplicitous friend but a knowing co-conspirator accepting a bribe. In her closing arguments, Macktaz told the jury to consider a point on the tape where Oster and Picerno stand outside Oster's law office near the building mailboxes. At that point, Picerno put an envelope with $10,000 in cash inside Oster's office mailbox and said, "This is from Wayne, this is for that H & H bull-[expletive]." State police found that envelope during a search of Oster's office later in the day. Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial in Providence County Superior Court for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to extort bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state's case alleges Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far below what the state said it was worth. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and former Oster political ally, pleaded no contest in 2004 to bribery and conspiracy. Read about the final day of case testimony. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Macktaz today also pointed out to the jury that Oster had moved the meeting outside after telling Picerno that lawyers' offices could be bugged. "What admininstrator who is doing the lawful business of the town is going to worry about that?" Macktaz said in court. " ... A criminal, that's who does that." Because Oster is charged with conspiracy, the state does not have to prove he had specific knowledge of Picerno's specific actions as part of the state's allegation that Oster was involved in a bribery scheme. Under conspiracy law, if the state can prove a conspiracy existed and then prove that Oster was part of it, Macktaz said, it does not matter if Oster knew what Picerno was doing. Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:43 PM | Comment Healthcare career fair this afternoon in WarwickWARWICK -- More than 10 healthcare companies are conducting on-the-spot interviews at projoJob’s Nursing & Allied Healthcare Career Fair, going on now through 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, Route 5, in Warwick. Plus, there are free seminars on improving your interview presentation at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Click here to see the full list of exhibitors and events. Posted by Jack Perry at 1:24 PM | Comment Clinton to open R.I. headquarters with rally todayPROVIDENCE-- The Hillary Clinton campaign will officially open its headquarters here this afternoon. Supporters of the Democratic presidential contender are expected to be joined by some of the state's top Democratic politicians, including U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. James Langevin, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Providence Mayor David n. Cicilline. The opening and rally at 175 Broad St. is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Clinton will visit Rhode Island herself this Sunday. Details have not yet been announced. A local headquarters for fellow Democratic contender Barack Obama was opened last Wednesday at 235 Westminster St. in downtown Providence. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 12:51 PM | Comment Photo: An extreme trim before the extreme makeover
Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:39 PM | Comment Play, documentary recall youngest Station fire victimPROVIDENCE -- A documentary about the youngest person killed in The Station nightclub fire will be screened in Providence next month. The movie, "41,'' will be shown March 3 at the Cable Car Cinema and Cafe. It's about Nicholas O'Neill, who was 18 years old when he and 99 other people were killed in the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick. The film is co-directed by O'Neill's older brother, Christian, and includes family members reminiscing about the teenager's life. In addition, "They Walk Among Us,'' a play written by O'Neill about teenagers who die and return as guardian angels will air on statewide television tomorrow, the fifth anniversary of the fire. The production will be broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 71 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, several hundred people attended a memorial service for the victims of the fire at the former site of the club in West Warwick. Read more about The Station fire and its aftermath. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:19 PM | Comment Michelle Obama to campaign in R.I. tomorrowMichelle Obama is coming to Rhode Island tomorrow to talk about her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, and his run for the presidency. First, she’ll be meeting at a private get-together for a “Women for Obama” launch event at 1:30 p.m. The gathering is by invitation only, the campaign said. Tomorrow evening she’ll join her brother, Brown University basketball coach Craig Robinson at Community College Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick for a rally. The 5:45 p.m. event is open to the public but it’s at the Student Dining Commons, so there’s limited space; you can secure tickets online.
-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:05 PM | Comment Oster trial: Defense finishes closing argumentsPROVIDENCE -- The defense made its closing arguments this morning in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Adminstrator Jonathan F. Oster. Defense lawyer C. Leonard O'Brien, in a slightly more than hour-long presentation in Providence County Superior Court, argued today that his client was guilty of poor judgment in choice of friends but not of bribery and conspiracy. O'Brien repeatedly pointed out places where he said the state had failed to connect with Oster the efforts of Robert R. Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member and Oster political ally, to solicit bribes. Picerno pleaded no contest into 2004 to bribery and conspiracy. Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002, has been on trial for two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with what the state says were two efforts to extort bribes from potential buyers of town-controlled land on Route 116 known as the H&H Screw Co. property. The state's accusations are that Oster and Picerno conspired to sell the land for $105,000, an amount far lower than what the state said it was worth. O'Brien claimed in court today that the state failed to keep the promises it made in its opening statements in the case. O'Brien pointed out testimony that indicated that because of hazardous waste dumped on the property, the land was worth far less than $105,000. And rather than being a favor to buyer, a $105,000 price would have been a bargain for the town, the argument goes. O'Brien hammered away at what he called the state's reliance on recordings of Picerno and the targets of the bribe efforts. He told the jury that the state police were so focused on indicating his client they were willing to overlook Picerno's untrustworthiness. "They trusted Picerno," said O'Brien, "you can't trust Picerno." Read about the final day of case testimony. -- With reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:00 PM | Comment Update: New trial rejected in Pawtucket murder casePROVIDENCE -- The judge who presided over the murder trial of Barry Offley rejected Offley's motion for a new trial this morning, characterizing the testimony Offley offered in his own defense before he was found guilty in December as "wholly unworthy of belief." Offley is the nephew and, the jury found, the accomplice of Alonzo P. Shelton, who was found guilty last spring of murdering one woman and wounding another. They were convicted in separate trials of shooting and wounding 28-year-old Julie Lang and shooting and killing her friend, 24-year-old Jessica Imran, after entering Imran’s Pawtucket apartment during the early morning of July 27, 2006. A jury on Dec. 5 found Offley guilty of murder, conspiracy to murder, assault with intent to murder and discharging a firearm during an act of violence, death resulting. Judge Robert D. Krause set Offley's sentencing for tomorrow in Providence County Superior Court. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:51 AM | Comment R.I. home construction slows furtherRhode Island home construction slowed last year, with the number of single-family building permits falling 9 percent for the second straight year, according to a report from the Rhode Island Builders Association. There were 1,458 single-family building permits issued last year, compared with 1,606 permits in 2006. Home construction in the state as measured by single-family building permits has been falling every year since 2000, with the overall number of permits during the last seven years down 35.4 percent, according to the Builders Association data. The steepest one-year drop recorded by the Builders Association was in 1995, when single-family building permits fell 11 percent. During the next four years, home construction activity picked up, with building permits from 1995 through 1999 climbing nearly 28 percent. Of the 39 cities and towns, building permits last year declined in 24 communities, increased in 14, and remained unchanged in one, according to the report. -- John Kostrzewa Posted by Jack Perry at 11:29 AM | Comment Author to discuss 'Omnivore's Dilemma' at BrownWe’ve recently been bombarded with images of sick animals that should have been euthanized instead being forced into the food supply. And though there’s no indication that any of the cows from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Co. were carrying illnesses that could be transferred to people, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sunday ordered the recall of more than 140 million pounds of beef -- some of which were destined for schools across the country, including in Rhode Island. Just in time comes Michael Pollan, the author who’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, takes a shot at answering the questions “What should we eat? … How did we ever get to a point where we need investigative journalists to tell us where our food comes from and nutritionists to determine the dinner menu." Pollan is set to speak at Brown University’s Salomon Center Thursday. His talk, "In Defense of Food: The Omnivore's Solution,” is set to begin at 6 p.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:02 AM | Comment Be on the lookout for lunar eclipse tomorrow night
PROVIDENCE -- We’ve just got one shot until 2010, so don’t blow it. Take a midday nap, drink some coffee, set an alarm... Tomorrow night – weather permitting, though it's not looking too good – there’s going to be a great, prime-time sky show: a total lunar eclipse visible throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa and, if you miss it, you'll have to wait more almost three years for the next one, in December 2010. At about 8:25 p.m., the moon will begin moving into the edge of the earth’s shadow, the penumbra. About 20 minutes later, the real show begins when the moon moves into the darker part of the shadow, the umbra. At about 10 p.m. the moon will be fully within the shadow as it lines up opposite the sun, on the other side of the earth. For about 50 minutes, the moon will be in this shadow – if may be dark gray, but it’s more likely to be a striking reddish color. The effect is created by the light from the sun that is bent through the earth’s atmosphere, scattering the shorter wavelengths and leaving the longer, red light waves to hit the moon. The moon then makes its way through the southeastern edge of the umbra and penumbra, slipping out of the shadow entirely at about 12:30 a.m. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:27 AM | Comment Closing arguments to begin in ex-Lincoln head's trialClosing arguments are set to begin today in Providence Superior Court in the bribery and conspiracy case against ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster. Both sides have been arguing over admissibility of evidence not directly related to the four counts against Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002. He faces two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the case. The state alleges that he and Robert R. Picerno -- the former Lincoln Planning Board member who has since pleaded no contest to bribery and conspiracy -- attempted to extort bribes from would-be buyers of town-controlled land known as the H&H Screw Co. site on Route 116. The state says Picerno collected the payoffs while Oster was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000. Read about yesterday's testimony. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:44 AM | Comment Carcieri to present award honoring Station victimsGovernor Carcieri tonight will announce the winners of an award that honors the victims, survivors and affected family members of The Station nightclub fire, which killed 100 people and injured more than 200 on Feb. 20, 2003. Rhode Island's Hope Award is being given to citizens who distinguish themselves as good Samaritans during an emergency or tragedy. The ceremony, marking the fire's fifth anniversary, will be at 7 p.m. at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet. The public is invited. The honorees were selected by the Rhode Island’s Hope Award Committee, comprised of Dr. Joseph Amaral, Jane Hayward, Frank McGonagle, Kathy Sullivan and Sue Stenhouse. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Second man to be sentenced for Pawtucket murderThree days before his 21st birthday, a man found guilty of murdering a woman and injuring another is set to be sentenced today. Barry Offley was convicted in December; his accomplice -- his uncle Alonzo P. Shelton -- was convicted and sentenced to 72 years last spring. Both men were found guilty in the shooting and wounding of 28-year-old Julie Lang and the shooting death of Lang's friend, 24-year-old Jessica Irman in July of last year. In September 2007, U.S. Marshals found the men in Ocala, Fla., hiding out in a windowless room. During Offley's trial, Lang testified that Offley shot and killed Irmam, then pointed the gun at her. Shelton seized it from Offley and shot her four times, Lang testified, allegedly because she told the Woonsocket police that crack cocaine found in her pocketbook was Shelton's. It took a jury just two hours to find Offley guilty. He's set for sentencing in Superior Court, Providence today for murder, conspiracy, assault, and firearms charges. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment The good news: sunnier; the bad news: colderWe'll see more sun today than yesterday, but there's a price -- the temperature is only set to hit 45 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. That's quite a bit cooler than yesterday, which reached 61 degrees in the Providence area, but still not bad for this time of year. The weather service is also forecasting a breezy day, with west winds gusting as high as 34 mph. Skies should remain clear tonight, and the temperature is set to drop to 23 degrees. Winds will keep up, gusting as high as 30 mph. Tomorrow afternoon may bring snow, with a high temperature near 36 and a milder, west wind. For weather updates, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features a story that one third of the state's judges could decide to retire if the General Assembly adopts Governor Carcieri's plan to cut judicial pensions. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 18, 2008Tonight: Open mike with community choral groupPeople can take the microphone tonight starting at 7 as Unisong, the community choral group, holds open-mike night at The Media & Performing Arts Center, The Met School, 325 Public St., Providence. You can get involved with the monthly community singing session that organizer Jodi Glass calls “bringing together people of different cultures, generations, genders and musical experience in order to learn from each other and have a good time making music.” The event is free and experience is not required. For information, go to www.unisong.net. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:45 PM | Comment Providence house fire deemed suspiciousPROVIDENCE -- Five adults and six children escaped unhurt early this morning when a fire of suspicious origin partially destroyed their 2½-story house at 15-17 Waverly St., in the West End, fire officials said. A sixth adult, an older woman, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital to be examined for possible smoke inhalation, according to fire officials and the police. Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Desmarais, who commanded the firefighting effort, said the house has a suspected illegal basement apartment -- he described it as “well-finished” -- and said the discovery of the apartment is expected to be referred to the city Department of Inspection and Standards for enforcement action. Two people living in the basement apartment managed to squeeze through a standard-sized basement window in order to reach safety, he said. The house also was the apparent location of a daycare center. There was a daycare sign in the window and on the first floor there were a number of playpens, cribs and highchairs. The occupants were left homeless because the extent of damage makes the house uninhabitable, Desmarais said. But a representative of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Red Cross came to the scene to help them with temporary lodging and other assistance. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith The police identified the owner of the house, who lived on the first floor, as Antonia Ferrera, 43. The second-floor tenant was identified as Garnite Descollines, 39. “We believe the first-floor rear porch is where the fire began,” Desmarais said. The volume of fire and the likely point of origin make the blaze suspicious, Desmarais said. A fire investigator pronounced the fire as suspicious and took debris samples for evidence of an accelerant. The fire was called in at 4:30 a.m., and Desmarais said firefighters “did an outstanding job” by halting the flames before they took down the entire structure. As it is, the fire destroyed the two-story porch at the rear and took down the rear portion of the house itself. “It went into the first and second floors and consumed some of the contents, too,” he said. Flames scorched a 6-foot fence at the rear of the dwelling and melted the vinyl siding on a neighboring house. There also was extensive smoke and water damage to what remains of the structure, he said. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:20 PM | Comment Little b-r-r-r-r-r, plenty of action at Newport Winter fest
Several activities finish at 4 and 5 p.m., but, weather permitting, you can go skating from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center. You get a $2 discount with button on one session of skating. Call (401) 846-3018. From 5 to 6 p.m., there's a wine tasting presented by Greenvale Vineyards at Brick Alley Pub, 140 Thames St. The wine tasting presentation is upstairs. Presentation is $5 per person/$3 w/ button. Proceeds to benefit Aquidneck Island Land Trust. At 6 p.m., there's the Candlelight Tour of Belcourt Castle at 657 Bellevue Ave. $18 for all ages, $1 off w/button. Tour is one hour. Not for children under 5. Reservations needed (401) 846-0669 or www.belcourtcastle.com At 7 p.m.. there's "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" at the Jane Pickens Theatre, 49 Touro St. The theatre has a full array of great refreshments and more for sale! Movie $7 w/button. Also at 7 p.m, there's family night at The Rhino Bar & Grille, 337 Thames St. Parents can enjoy dinner and a Wine Tasting in the Rhino Bar while kids eat their free M&M sundaes watching "Happy Feet" in the Mamba Room 7pm showing. Wine Tasting: $7/ $5 w/button. Kids Movie Sundaes and Movie: $3/$1 w/button. (401) 846-0707. The festival runs through Sunday. Check the schedule of what's coming. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:29 PM | Comment Photo: It's a warm Feb. 18, but no record-breaker
It was warm out there for Feb. 18 -- but not record-breaking warm. The record temperature for the Providence area on this day remains 72 degrees, set in 1981, according to the National Weather Service' s office in Taunton, Mass. The temperature peaked at 61 degrees today. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment Providence police looking for robber of Savers MartPROVIDENCE -- The police are looking for a “strong-arm robber” in a dark-colored Hyundai who held up Savers Mart, 871 Elmwood Ave., Elmwood, and fled with a reported $1,450. Amir Kattan, 24, a clerk, told the police that a man walked into the store shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday, asked to buy two cigarettes and handed him a dollar bill. When Kattan opened his cash register to make change, the man jumped the counter, knocked Kattan against the wall and barked, “I’m loaded. Don’t do nothing stupid.” The man then scooped the cash from the register, ran out and left in a dark four-door Hyundai with Rhode Island license plates. When someone uses his physical might rather than a weapon to steal something, the police call it a strong-arm robbery. The suspect was described as white, with salt and pepper hair and scruffy facial hair, and in his late 30s or early 40s. He was said to be muscular, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, and wearing blue jeans, a black leather jacket, black leather gloves, a black baseball cap and large silver sunglasses. -- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:09 PM | Comment Oster trial: Sides rest, closing arguments tomorrowPROVIDENCE -- The bribery and conspiracy case against ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster could go to the jury on Wednesday, after the prosecution and defense rested their cases today. Both sides are due for closing arguments tomorrow in Providence County Superior Court. Both have been arguing over admissibility of evidence not directly related to the four counts against Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002. And Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia had promised the defense he would provide the jury with instructions on how it can legally consider a videotape of a meeting between Oster and Robert R. Picerno -- the former Lincoln Planning Board member who has since pleaded no contest to bribery and conspiracy -- on Feb. 16, 2002. The state has said the tape is crucial to its case. The judge has predicted the case will go to the jury on Wednesday. Oster faces two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the case. The state alleges that he and Picerno attempted to extort bribes from would-be buyers of town-controlled land known as the H&H Screw Co. site on Route 116. The state says Picerno collected the payoffs while Oster was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000. Read about Friday's testimony. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:47 PM | Comment Photo: Adding a presidential touch to penne at URI
Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:38 PM | Comment Police suspend search after student contacts friend
PROVIDENCE -- After a Johnson & Wales University student who was reported missing contacted a friend by phone yesterday, the Providence police are no longer worried that either she or her boyfriend is in immediate peril and have suspended the active search for them. Amy Scott, 21, of New Jersey, and boyfriend Daniel Querzoli, 22, of East Bridgewater, Mass., were last seen around Thursday night at her 521 Angell St. apartment in Providence when they borrowed a car from one of Scott’s roommates, the police said. Scott called a friend from a pay phone yesterday, and the friend noticed the call was coming from a 309 area code, said Detective Sgt. Carl Weston, the case's lead investigator. The police said the telephone she called from is in McLean, Illinois. "The friend said Amy was very cryptic as to where she was and what she was doing. Amy said she was OK and still with Dan, the kid she left with, but she was very brief," Weston said today. He added that the friend reported that Amy said, "We're fine." Weston said Scott also said that she did not want to stay on the phone too long because the call might be traced by the police. While it was initially thought they had left with no money, Weston said the police have since learned that Querzoli has access to cash. The police would not be more specific. The police have asked that anyone with information call (401) 272-3121. -- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Scott’s mother called the police to report her daughter missing. Under most circumstances, Weston said earlier, police wouldn't start a search so soon, but, he said, there were some odd circumstances that led the police to act. The police described Scott as Caucasian, 5-foot-7, 105 pounds with wavy red hair and Querzoli, a student at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, as 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall, with medium build and brown hair. The police put out a nationwide missing-persons alert for Scott, describing her as a "endangered missing person," Weston said. No bulletin was put out on Querzoli because his father has not reported him missing. At the same time, the police put out a "try to locate" on the car that was borrowed from one of Scott's roommates. The car they drove off in is a 2004 silver Honda Civic with New Jersey plates -- RUF20X. The Providence police all day Saturday, that night and on Sunday searched the city, especially looking near water in case the car they were in had gone into water. Officers also looked up and down streets and in lots -- anywhere the car might have been left. The police sent out an alert to all officers in the city. The police canvassed stores where the two might have gone and for hours the police went over surveillance video at the stores. Scott’s mother told the police that it was “completely uncharacteristic” for her daughter to be gone without contacting anyone, Weston said earlier. Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:18 PM | Comment Warwick family to reap benefits of 'Extreme Makeover'The Silva family of Warwick was sent away for a week this morning. When they come back, they should be returning to a rebuilt house. At 8 a.m., the crew from the TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" showed up at the home of Doreen and Kenny Silva and their five children. The family was informed that it would be going to Disney World for a week. The Silvas have two biological children, both of whom have autism, and three adopted children, who also have special needs. Kenny Silva works for Warwick’s sanitation department. Work on the project is expected to begin on Wednesday and be completed on Sunday. Oldport Homes of Portsmouth is the primary builder on the job, although numerous companies and volunteers are also participating. -- Journal staff writer Bryan Rourke Posted by Andrea Panciera at 1:34 PM | Comment Beef now under recall has been served in R.I. schoolsRhode Island schools have served beef from a California slaughterhouse that is now subject to the largest recall in the United States, according to Andrea Bagnall Degos, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health. And at the moment, there is food from an August shipment that’s on hold, she said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Co., which is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation. The recall affects beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs. The Health Department is also checking grocery and wholesale inventory. So far, Bagnall Degos said, the Department knows that Shaw's and Whole Foods did not receive product from this company. It’s important to remember, Bagnall Degos said, that “there’s a low potential for illness.” The recall was not due to any reported or suspected illness, but because the companies handling of the animals violated health regulations. An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts led to the largest recall in the United States. There's now a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children's lunches. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Associated Press Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations. "Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," Schafer said in a statement. A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not returned yesterday. Agriculture officials said the massive recall surpasses a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small. Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten. "We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety. Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts. Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts - illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal - were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired. Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said. No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues. About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark. Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages. The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains. Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease since they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak. Upon learning about the recall, some legislators criticized the USDA, saying the federal agency should conduct more thorough inspections to ensure tainted beef doesn't get to the public. "Today marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "This begs the question: How much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?" Advocacy groups also weighed in, noting the problems at Westland wouldn't have been revealed had it not been for animal right activists. "On the one hand, I'm glad that the recall is taking place. On the other, it's somewhat disturbing, given that obviously much of this food has already been eaten," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union. "It's really closing the barn door after the cows left." Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:18 PM | Comment 'But wait! There's more': Road would be 'Ginsu Way'Here's some cutting-edge legislation. An unnamed street in Warwick would become "Ginsu Way" if state Rep. David A. Caprio, D-Narragansett, has his way. The bill is "in honor of the Warwick company, Dial Media, that turned a simple little knife into an infomercial icon," Caprio's news release out today says. The bill would "christen" as Ginsu Way the unnamed street on the west side of Bald Hill Road "at that certain location known as 1775 Bald Hill Road." Caprio said he introduced the bill in the General Assembly at the request of Rhode Island resident Ed Valenti, who helped open Dial Media. That's not all or, in the words of Caprio's statement echoing the Ginsu ad campaign of yesteryear, "But wait! There's more." Ginsu knives, according to Caprio, were initially marketed as Eversharp, which never quite, um, cut it with the public. Since then, as Ginsu brand, the knives have become a big seller. Caprio hails a duo -- NBC affiliate broadcasting executive Vaenti and an AAMCO transmission franchise owner Barry Becher -- with opening the direct-marketing advertising agency Dial Media. The agency would "soon redefine direct marketing" by using product demonstrations and "high-intensity sales language," the release says. Consider such urgency-packed gems as "this is a limited time offer, so call now!" or the line "act now and you'll also receive ... ." Caprio goes on to say that Ginsu Knives, the Miracle Slicer and Miracle brought to the public by the agency's marketing "are part of American culture, a little bit of American that was born right here in Rhode Island." -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:31 PM | Comment Green traffic for Jan. at lowest level in 4 years
Passenger traffic at T.F. Green Airport dropped again last month as the airport recorded its lowest January total since 2004. For the month, 345,465 travelers landed or boarded flights at Rhode Island's largest airport, a 2.1-percent drop from the same period last year. In January 2005, 380,622 passengers used Green Airport, 9.2 percent more than last month. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation announced the January numbers one week before Kevin Dillon is set to arrive as the agency's new director. Dillon, in a brief visit to Rhode Island last month, promised bold moves to reverse the airport's slump, The Providence Journal reported. He has his work cut out for him. In December, Green Airport recorded 354,641 passengers, 5.6 percent fewer than the same period in 2006 and 17.1 percent fewer than in December 2004. Last year, Green Airport moved 5.02 million passengers, down 3.5 percent from 2006. That decline followed a 9-percent drop the year before. For more business-related news, please visit the Biz Blog at projo.com/business. Posted by Benjamin N. Gedan at 11:56 AM | Comment Scattered power outages, North Kingstown to JohnstonAbout 2,900 people were out of power as of 11 this morning. That included about 750 from Cranston, 400 from Johnston, 800 in Pawtucket, 265 in North Kingstown, and 475 in Warwick. But those numbers are changing constantly. “Things are a little dynamic,” Jackie Berry of National Grid said. “Virtually all of these outages are weather related.” The National Weather Service is calling for winds gusting upwards of 40 mph throughout the day. Barry says trees and tree limbs are to blame for most of the power outages. What’s happening, she said, is an outage is called in, crews go out to fix it, “and as soon as they finish, another one is called in. The numbers are all over the place.” -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:55 AM | Comment Gas prices bump back upGas prices climbed three cents last week after falling for the five previous weeks, according to AAA Southern New England. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.019 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey. A year ago at this time the average price of regular, unleaded gasoline in Rhode Island was $2.239. Posted by Jack Perry at 11:23 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Tractor trailer off the roadA truck on the side of Route 95 is tying up traffic this morning. A Journal editor on her way to the office says it’s off the side of the high-speed lane of the northbound side of the roadway in West Greenwich. She said it looked like the cab had jackknifed, and is flanked by emergency vehicles. Traffic is slow all the way to Exit 8, near the Route 95 and Route 4 split. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:45 AM | Comment Candidate Obama's wife to campaign in R.I.Michelle Obama, Sen. Barack Obama’s wife, is coming to Rhode Island. A statement from the presidential hopeful’s campaign says she’ll be here on Wednesday. Michelle Obama has ties to Rhode Island that go beyond the March 4 primary. Her brother, Craig Robinson, is men’s basketball coach at Brown University. The campaign has not yet said where she'll make an appearance. Sen. Hillary Clinton has announced her plans to visit on Sunday, Feb. 24. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:41 AM | Comment Westerly School committee member in court todayA Westerly School Committee member who faces two felony counts of fraud is scheduled to appear in court today. An elderly couple told the 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 in Superior Court, Wakefield, this morning for a pre-trial conference. He pleaded not guilty in January. Earlier this month, a judge filed a misdemeanor fraud charge against DiFazio for allegedly writing a bad check to A-1 Rolloff Disposal. He pleaded not guilty, and will have the charge expunged from his record if he stays out of trouble and pays $100 to the victims-of-crimes fund. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:41 AM | Comment Rhode Island man dies in ski accidentKILLINGTON, Vt. — A Rhode Island skier has died after crashing into a tree at Killington Ski Resort. Police say Kirk W. O’Brien, 44, of Cumberland, caught an edge of his ski in the snow, lost control and struck a tree off the Bittersweet trail Sunday at 10 a.m. O’Brien, who was wearing a helmet, suffered massive head trauma. Police say he was lifeless when emergency personnel arrived and was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Family and friends say O’Brien was an expert skier who started skiing at age 9 and had skied around the world. -- The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:37 AM | Comment What's open, closed on Presidents' DayIt's Presidents' Day and you won't get your mail, but you can go out for a beer. Click here for a listing of what's open and what's closed. Posted by Jack Perry at 8:32 AM | Comment Download today's front pageA story on the memorial park planned for the Station fire site leads today's Journal. Download file Posted by Peter Phipps at 8:26 AM | Comment Check out the Venus Fly Traps at Roger Williams ParkThere's really no denying it; Venus Fly Traps are pretty cool. If you'd like to get your hands on one -- for your kid's educational purposes, of course -- here's your chance. During February school break, which starts today, the Botanical Center at Roger Williams Park will be giving guided tours daily through its carnivorous plant collection. Storyteller Len Cabral will be on-hand after the tours to share his stories, and the gardens will also be hosting scavenger hunts. Today only, the first 100 kids 14 and younger will get their own Venus Fly Trap. If you're nice, maybe they'll even let you feed it. For more information, call (401)785-9450 -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:35 AM | Comment Video prompts largest recall of beef in U.S.LOS ANGELES, Ca. -- An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts has led to the largest beef recall in the United States and a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children's lunches. The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation. The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations. "Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," Schafer said in a statement. -- The Associated Press A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not returned Sunday. Agriculture officials said the massive recall surpasses a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small. Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten. "We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety. Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts. Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts - illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal - were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired. Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said. No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues. About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark. Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages. The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains. Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease since they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak. Upon learning about the recall, some legislators criticized the USDA, saying the federal agency should conduct more thorough inspections to ensure tainted beef doesn't get to the public. "Today marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "This begs the question: How much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?" Advocacy groups also weighed in, noting the problems at Westland wouldn't have been revealed had it not been for animal right activists. "On the one hand, I'm glad that the recall is taking place. On the other, it's somewhat disturbing, given that obviously much of this food has already been eaten," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union. "It's really closing the barn door after the cows left." Posted by Jack Perry at 7:12 AM | Comment 4 deaths at Nantucket nursing home linked to virusNANTUCKET -- Four recent deaths at a Nantucket nursing home are being blamed on a respiratory virus typically found at day care centers. The patients ranged in age from 71 to 96. They died over the span of a week, with the last death occurring Feb. 10, according to the Cape Cod Times. Officials at Our Island Home nursing home say the virus is the most common cause of pneumonia among infants and children under 1, and is rarely found in nursing homes. The nursing home's administrator Pamela Meriam said the virus has been contained and no more patients have been infected. -- The Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:05 AM | Comment Weather: Could be better, could be worseYou can leave your winter coat at home today, not your umbrella. Rain is the word today, on and off with periods of thunderstorms. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature today just shy of 60 degrees with high winds gusting up to 37 mph. It's pretty mild, but not nearly as warm as the record temperature for this day, 72 degrees in 1981. More rain, and maybe snow, are on tap for early tonight, when the temperature drops to 30 degrees. Tomorrow should start dry out, but rain may return later in the afternoon when the temperature hits 40 degrees and west winds gust as high as 30 mph. For updates throughout the day, check projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:00 AM | Comment February 15, 2008Tonight: Spiderwick Chronicles or Indiana Jones -- a peekYou can catch the Spiderwick Chronicles at the IMAX theatre at Providence Place Mall tonight -- a fantasy film filled with adventures and creatures that will see whether it catches a wide audience. Showings are at 7:10, 10:05 and an early show at 12:30 a.m. in the regular cinepex; the IMAX -- or big, big screen -- version at 7:10 and 9:30 p.m.Read a review by the Journal's Michael Janusonis. Or, you can stay at your computer and catch a glimpse of a long-awaited fourth chapter in a time-tested adventure: the preview for the new Indy movie, Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment Local educators to education chief: Change reform law
Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline wants to expand after-school programs and protect art and music classes. Providence Schools Supt. Donnie Evans said his top priority is improving urban schools. Robert G. Flanders, chairman of the state Board of Regents, pushed for stronger early childhood education. Several teachers asked Spellings to provide enough resources -- including federal money -- for teacher support and training. Union leaders urged Spellings to find fair ways to track the progress of struggling schools, rather than simply classify all of them as “in need of improvement.” Governor Carcieri moderated the candid roundtable discussion at the Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School after Spellings visited a second-grade classroom. She praised Feinstein for its significant strides in student proficiency in math and English on standardized tests -- a central goal of No Child Left Behind. In addition, the school participates in the federal Reading First program, an early reading intervention program geared toward urban schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students. Spellings is traveling throughout the country gathering feedback on the law, which she helped draft when she served as President Bush’s domestic education adviser. Mr. Bush considers No Child Left Behind his most significant domestic policy, but its future remains unclear. The law was scheduled for reauthorization by Congress at the end of last year. But lawmakers never voted, so the current law remains in effect until they reauthorize or abolish it. -- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan “It may or it may not get reauthorized this year,” Spellings said. “One of the things we can do in the meantime is to make this law better … and bring the dream that every child will be educated closer to reality.” The law has brought sweeping change to education systems throughout the country, requiring states to test annually all students in grades three through eight and one high school year in English and math, report the results and break out the performance of all groups of students -- minority, low income, special education and English language learners. The law classifies schools based on test scores as highly or moderately performing or in need of improvement and requires districts to intervene in struggling schools. The law also established 2014 as the year all students must reach proficiency in English and math. Supporters of the law, who include Carcieri and state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters, agree with Spellings that the law has “changed the national conversation about education.” “Before six years ago, the discussion was whether or not we should, or is it reasonable to fuss on every kid,” Spellings said in her characteristic Texas drawl. “Now it’s about how are we going to do it, what are the necessary steps, what are the barriers and impediments to helping every student.” Critics of the law, which include the country’s largest teachers’ union, the National Education Association, and groups that oppose standardized testing, say the law unfairly punishes struggling schools and strips creativity and autonomy from teachers, who are under pressure to boost student performance on the tests. Spellings said the federal Education Department is already considering several changes to the law. They include allowing states to track the progress of a cohort of students year to year, in order to assess long-term progress; expanding school classifications to allow more “nuance” in the system; focusing on making high schools more rigorous; finding ways to reward teachers, particularly those who work in challenging urban schools; and providing adequate resources to states. Spellings called the recent 60 percent cut to the federal Reading First budget “regrettable,” noting it means a loss of about $2 million to Rhode Island. The issue of federal financing is a sore one, as many educators and lawmakers throughout the country argue Mr. Bush’s law passed without the money needed to help states develop high quality tests, provide training for teachers and offer students in struggling schools tutoring and other interventions. Critics also lament the focus on math and English at the expense of other subjects, including art, music and social studies. “The high-stakes standardized testing that is the cornerstone of NCLB has undermined the quality of teaching in those subject areas by directing teachers to focus on test material,” said Larry Purtill, president of Rhode Island’s NEA chapter, in a statement. Purtill also participated in the roundtable discussion. “There is much more to education than test taking.” But Spellings disagreed, saying it is up to states to push for more art and music in their schools. She also said that before the federal government demanded states to test students and report the results, too many students were lost along the way. “There is broad affirmation that every kid matters, that we need to measure their progress … that we need to get kids extra help,” Spellings said. “Things happen based on data.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:37 PM | Comment Providence drug ringleader gets 14 years in prisonJoanna Gonzalez, a 28-year-old mother of three who owned a Porsche and other vehicles while collecting welfare -- and heading up a large Providence drug ring -- has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Another 14 years of the 28-year sentence imposed Monday by Judge Susan E. McGuirl will be suspended with probation, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's office announced this evening. Gonzalez, of 49 Anchor St., Providence, waived indictment on Sept. 12, 2007, and pleaded no contest in October to the four counts before Judge McGuirl. She is now serving her sentence at the ACI, where she has been held without bail since her arrest last July. Gonzalez was arrrested as part of "Operation Rosa," in which 29 people have been charged with various drug offenses. Ten search warrants were carried out and more than 20,000 telephone calls intercepted during 74 days of monitoring, the attorney general's office said. More than $60,000 in cash was seized, as were five cars/SUVs and three motorcycles -- $300,000 worth of vehicles all told. The police have said Gonzalez bought a $45,000 Porsche, a Nissan Maxima, and paid $4,000 cash for a motorcycle, all registered in her name. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports If the case had gone to trial, prosecutor James Dube would have offered evidence that Gonzalez led one of the city's biggest drug operations. "Her drug distribution empire employed dozens of people including her mother, sister, boyfriend, and children. The organization had an enforcer, banker, manager, and distributors," Lynch's news release said. “Gonzalez led a criminal family operation that supplied many in Providence and surrounding areas with illegal drugs, and used the criminal enterprise to fuel a lavish lifestyle,” Lynch said in the statement. “With the illicit drug ring destroyed and its leader and other members at the ACI, that lifestyle is now but a memory and our streets are safer, as a result.” Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:10 PM | Comment Big Dig's Lewis on the road to Rhode Island DOTMichael P. Lewis, the controversial director of Boston’s embattled Big Dig construction project, is coming to Rhode Island. Lewis will take over as head of the state’s Department of Transportation next month, assuming the title now held by Jerome Williams who is moving to the Department of Administration, Gov. Carcieri announced today. Lewis retired from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority at the end of November, having served with the agency for more than 20 years before becoming embroiled in the controversies that plagued the final stages of the massive $14.8 billion construction project. He oversaw the authority’s response to the dozens of leaks found in the city’s main tunnel, and continued to lead the project following the death of motorist Milena Del Valle who was killed in the Interstate 90 tunnel collapse in 2006, Lewis led that investigation and battles that followed. In an interview today, Lewis, 46, was frank about the project’s troubles. “Are there controversies with the Big Dig? Absolutely,” he said. “The most important and most obvious is the fatality in 2006. Everybody who worked at the Big Dig up to and including me will always be affected by that. It’s something that shouldn’t have happened. It’s a failure of the system that should never have happened.” Despite that, he says he continues to be “very proud” of the project, calling it “an enormous undertaking that has delivered what was promised” by improving transportation in and around Boston, making for easier airport access and removing the city’s unsightly Central Artery. The Carcieri administration declined to directly discuss Lewis’ role in the Big Dig though it issued a statement saying Lewis helped move the massive project “from disarray to completion in seven years.” “As the project director of the Big Dig – the largest and most complicated transportation project in American history – Mike Lewis has the talent and the experience necessary to help Rhode Island maintain and improve the state’s system of highways and bridges,” Carcieri said. “Rhode Island major highways and bridges will require serious rehabilitation in the coming years.” The shift in leadership in DOT was part of a major shakeup in the governor's inner circle announced today. -- Cynthia Needham, Journal State House Bureau Deputy Chief of Staff John R. Pagliarini has been replaced in a change that shifts Department of Administration Director Beverly Najarian into Pagliarini's job. It appears that Communications Director Steve Kass may be replaced as well. The governor has hired former state House of Representatives candidate John Robitaille as a "senior adviser --communications," and said that the restructuring would not result in "a net addition in staff." The governor's office could not immediately clarify Kass's status. Kass is on medical leave, Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said. Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:49 PM | Comment Katharine Gibbs in Cranston among those closingCareer Education Corporation announced today that it plans to close all of its Gibbs schools and colleges -- including the one operating in Cranston -- after current students enrolled in the programs graduate. A news release issued by the CEC says that it anticipates all programs will cease operating by December 2009. The CEC, a publicly-traded company, announced in 2006 that it planned to sell its Gibbs division campuses but said yesterday in its news release that it had not been able to attract “viable buyers” or “identify and structure a transaction that made sense for all parties.” “Despite the company’s best efforts, it could not find a suitable arrangement that would be acceptable to purchasers and protect the short and long-term interests of the schools’ students, faculty and staff,” the news release said. The CEC, the second-largest for-profit education company in the United States, operates Gibbs Colleges in Cranston; Boston; Livingston and Piscataway, N.J.; and Norwalk, Conn.; and Katharine Gibbs Schools in New York City, N.Y., and Norristown, N.J. The Gibbs College in Cranston is located at 85 Garfield Ave. Katharine Gibbs was founded in Providence in 1911 as an institution for the career education of young women. A few years later, the institution opened satellite campuses in New York and Boston. -- Journal staff writer Tracy Breton Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:13 PM | Comment 5 years later: Station fire victims to be rememberedWEST WARWICK -- Relatives of the 100 people killed by The Station nightclub fire will mark the fifth anniversary of the blaze with a memorial service this weekend. The event Sunday afternoon will be held at the former site of the West Warwick club on Cowesett Avenue. Details for a permanent memorial planned for the site are expected to be released then. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire began when pyrotechnics used by the 1980s rock band Great White ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling. Besides the 100 people killed, more than 200 others were injured in one of the worst nightclub fires in the nation's history. Survivors and victims' relatives have marked each anniversary of the fire with a memorial service at the roadside site. Extra: Look back at the fire, in stories and multimedia, and its aftermath. -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:07 PM | Comment Oster trial: Jury sees and hears Oster, Picerno tapesPROVIDENCE -- The jury in the bribery and conspiracy trial of former Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster today watched and heard a taped meeting between Oster and Robert R. Picerno, who has since pleaded no contest to bribery and was wearing a transmitting device during the meeting. The roughly 40 minutes of recording covered a meeting in Oster's law office and then outside the building's main entrance. State police videotaped their encounter outside from a police vehicle about 100 feet away. The device Picerno wore allowed for an audio recording. Three video screens were arrayed in front of the jury box, as well as a larger screen. The tape began with State Police briefing Picerno on how the devices work and then heading over to Oster's office to talk local politics and about the H&H Screw Co. property -- town-controlled land at the case's heart. Oster is on trial in Providence County Superior Court on two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy. The state alleges that he and Picerno twice plotted to get bribes from would-be buyers of the H&H Screw Co. site on Route 116. The state's case contends that Oster’s role was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000 in exchange for $25,000 cash payoffs. Picerno pleaded no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking, or trying to solicit, bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes.
-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:07 PM | Comment Hillary Clinton is coming to R.I. on Feb. 24Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will visit Rhode Island on Sunday, Feb. 24, her campaign announced today. Republican candidate John McCain visited the state yesterday -- the same day that Lincoln Chafee, former Republican Rhode Island senator, said he was endorsing Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama. Obama has opened a campaign office in Providence, but hasn't campaigned here. The Rhode Island primary is March 4. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:52 PM | Comment Man gets 8 months for extortion, impersonating agentPROVIDENCE -- A Warwick man has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for posing as a federal Homeland Security agent to extort $25,000 from a gas station owner of Middle Eastern descent by claiming he could link the owner to terrorists. George Tabora, 45, also received two months of home confinement and must do 300 hours of community service after he's released from prison in the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. Tabora pleaded guilty in September to attempting to obstruct interstate commerce through extortion, and attempting to obtain money by impersonating a federal officer. Prosecutor Lee H. Vilker said at the plea hearing that the government could prove that Tabora, posing as an officer named Carl Johnson, called the gas station owner last May, asserting he had information linking the owner to terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida. If the gas station owner did not pay him the $25,000, he said he would “go after” his family and put him in jail, the U.S. Attorney's office said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney The gas station owner reported to Warwick police more threatening calls from the man claiming to be Johnson. Each time the caller demanded money in exchange for a file he claimed to have on the station owner. Warwick police determined that Tabora’s wife worked at the gas station owned by the victim of the crime. In more phone calls, some monitored by Warwick detectives, Tabora sought money in exchange for the supposed file on the gas station owner. The owner agrees -- at Warwick detectives' direction -- to pay $15,000. Tabora told him to put the money in a drain pipe on a Centerville Road property. Detectives found that the property with the drainpipe is next to Tabora’s home. Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:48 PM | Comment Armed man gives up after confrontation in LincolnLINCOLN -- A 56-year-old man barricaded himself inside his apartment with a loaded shotgun this morning after preventing workers from getting in to work on an alarm system, the police said. He came out of the multi-unit building without a weapon after about a half-hour. Huntley Westcott, who lives at the Eagle Phase Apartments on Spring Street, never fired the gun, according to the police. He is slated for District Court arraignment later today on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, for pointing the gun at one of the workers who were trying to repair a building-wide alarm system, according to Lincoln Police Deputy Chief Brian Sullivan. The call came in at 9:10 a.m., and about a dozen officers were at the scene, many with guns drawn. Lincoln, Cumberland and state police responded. The police got about a half-dozen people out of the area of the building. Others were told to stay in their apartments. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:02 PM | Comment Alert: Major shakeup in governor's office announcedPROVIDENCE -- The governor's office announced a major shakeup this morning of key directors and top aides. At least one high-profile member of Governor Carcieri's inner circle -- Deputy Chief of Staff John R. Pagliarini -- has been replaced in changes that shift Department of Administration Director Beverly Najarian into Pagliarini's job and Department of Transportation Director Jerome Williams into Najarian's position. It appears that Communications Director Steve Kass may be replaced as well. The governor has hired former state House of Representatives candidate John Robitaille as a "senior adviser --communications," and said that the restructuring would not result in "a net addition in staff." The governor's office could not immediately clarify Kass's status. Kass is on medical leave, Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said. "I think Governor Carcieri and Steve Kass will sit down and discuss Steve's future role when Steve returns from his medical leave," Neal said. Rhode Island's new Department of Transportation director will be Michael Lewis, the former embattled director of Boston's "Big Dig," who retired from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority at the end of November. Robitaille, the Portsmouth Republican who lost a bid to unseat Rep. Amy G. Rice in November 2006 by just nine votes, is the president of Middletown's Perspective Communications Group, a communications firm. The staffing moves come four days after a Brown University poll showed Carcieri's approval ratings had dropped to 40 percent -- an all-time low for the term-limited Republican governor. The governor's office would not immediately explain the rationale for the staffing changes. In a press release issued this morning, the governor would only praise the staffers involved in the shakeup. -- Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau Lewis's road to Rhode Island has been marked by challenges. Lewis had been director of the Big Dig since April of 2000. He took over the project after the former turnpike chief was fired for concealing $1.4 billion in cost overruns. Lewis had been involved in a series of controversies during the final months of Big Dig construction. He led the agency's response to hundreds of leaks found in the Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Tunnel, and was in charge during the death of motorist Milena Del Valle, who was killed in the Interstate 90 tunnel collapse.
Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:56 AM | Comment Payette pleads not guilty on murder; remains in prison
The judge also sentenced Payette to four years in prison for the violation of his probation. At the arraignment today, Payette pleaded not guilty to a single charge of first-degree murder. He is charged with stabbing a 66-year-old West Warwick man to death in a dispute over a debt last November. The stabbing occurred seven months after Payette had been released from the Adult Correctional Institutions. Payette, 44, has spent 20 years of his life in jails in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New Jersey. His first stint came when he was just 19 on a breaking and entering charge. His pre-trial hearing on the Rhode Island is set for April 1. Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:22 AM | Comment Carcieri to present Hope award to honor Station victimsGovernor Carcieri on Tuesday will announce the winners of an award that honors the victims, survivors and affected family members of The Station nightclub fire, which killed 100 people and injured more than 200 on Feb. 20, 2003. Rhode Island's Hope Award is being given to citizens who distinguish themselves as good Samaritans during an emergency or tragedy. The ceremony, marking the fire's fifth anniversary, will be at 7 p.m. at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet. The public is invited. The honorees were selected by the Rhode Island’s Hope Award Committee, comprised of Dr. Joseph Amaral, Jane Hayward, Frank McGonagle, Kathy Sullivan and Sue Stenhouse. Posted by Jack Perry at 10:58 AM | Comment Traffic Alert: Disabled truck on 195A disabled vehicle has slowed traffic on Route 195. The the vehicle, a truck, is stopped on the westbound side of the Washington Bridge. For updates on traffic, visit the Transportation Management Center's Web site; to see updated photos of the roads, see the TMC's traffic cameras. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:57 AM | Comment Woman accused of killing her baby's father remains in jailThe bail hearing for a 21-year-old Cranston woman accused of stabbing the father of her child to death has been postponed. Pawtucket police say on Feb. 1, Misty Ospina was dropping off her infant son at Richard Gibson’s house when the two got into an argument. Ospina allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed the 22-year-old Gibson, according to police. Two 911 calls were made – one form a resident of the house, at 19 Thornston St., and another from someone who had been with Ospina, according to Police and the Attorney General’s office. Ospina told police that Gibson had punched her in the face four times and choked her, according to a prosecutor. But, Pawtucket police said they did not see any marks on Ospina that were consistent with being hit. She has been at the Adult Correctional Facilities since her arrest, Feb. 2. Today’s scheduled hearing was postponed as Ospina, whose case had been referred to the public defender’s office, gets a private lawyer. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:41 AM | Comment U.S. Education Secretary is coming to townThe U.S. Secretary of Education is coming to the Ocean State today. Margaret Spellings will be visiting classrooms at a local elementary school. She’ll also meet with educators and education officials for a roundtable discussion moderated by Governor Carcieri. The meeting is set for 12:30 at the Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School on Broad Street, Providence. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:20 AM | Comment Accused killer due in courtA 45-year-old West Warwick man is set to be arraigned in court today in the stabbing death of 66-year-old Ronald Dufour. Robert E. Payette was arrested in November, and has been at the Adult Correctional Institutions since his arrest. Police say Payette stabbed Dufour on Nov. 10 at River Run apartments and dumped the body into a ravine that feeds into the Pawtuxet River because of a disagreement over a debt. Payette has spent more than 20 years in jail and had been released less than a year before the stabbing. He has served time for several different crimes, including once for stabbing a corrections officer with an ice pick while in jail. Payette is set for arraignment in Superior Court, Warwick, today. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:44 AM | Comment From Valentines to Sex workers in three daysThe Sex Workers Art Show nationwide tour is making a stop in Providence. Sunday at 7 p.m., strippers, phone sex operators, internet models and a host of others involved in the commercial business of sex will take to the stage at the burlesque-type show that aims, according to the event web site, “Dispel the myth that they are anything short of artists, innovators and geniuses.” That means talking about the good, the bad and the complicated aspects of the industry. The show, which will feature, music, poetry, spoken word and more, will be downtown, at the Rhode Island School of Design’s Auditorium. Admission is $5. -- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:29 AM | Comment Accused drug dealer to be sentencedPROVIDENCE -- A sentencing hearing has been set for an accused drug dealer who made corruption allegations against a Providence lawyer now facing federal criminal charges. Derrick Isom is accused of dealing crack cocaine and faces up to life in prison. Prosecutors are recommending a 30-year sentence. A sentencing hearing is set for today. Last year, Isom testified that attorney John Cicilline, the brother of Providence Mayor David Cicilline, said he could make the criminal case disappear for $200,000, some of which would be used for bribes. A federal judge said the allegations were troubling but ultimately unproven. Prosecutors accuse Isom of lying. Charges against a co-defendant were dropped after a Providence police detective found reports in his attic on the eve of trial that he earlier testified did not exist. -- The Assocated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment Spring-like today, but colder, wet weather on the wayIt's going to warm up today, with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature of 48 degrees and some sunshine. The winds haven't died down, though; expect gusts as high as 29 mph. Tonight, the temperature takes a sharp drop to 16 degrees. Winds will keep up, gusting up to 24 mph., and partly cloudy skies. Don't let today's weather fool you, though. It's still winter. Tomorrow's temperature is expected to be about 20 degrees colder than today, at 27 degrees and mild northwest winds. Saturday night the temperature drops to about 15 and winds will die down. Rain may return Sunday afternoon when clouds roll in and the temperature reaches the low 40s. Showers may continue into the night when the temperature dips slightly to the high 30s. Monday -- Presidents' Day -- is looking rainy as well, but very mild with temperatures reaching the 50s. To keep track on the weather throughout the weekend, visit projo.com's weather page. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment Today's front pageToday's front page features coverage of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's visit to Rhode Island. Download a copy of today's front page in .pdf format. Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment February 14, 2008Update: Texas diocese: Ex-R.I. priest is HIV positiveFORT WORTH, Texas -- Roman Catholic church officials in Texas say a priest who is accused of sexually abusing children --and who once served as a pastor in Rhode Island -- is HIV positive. The Rev. Philip Magaldi was removed as a priest in 1999 after sexual misconduct allegations arose in Rhode Island and Fort Worth, Texas. “Magaldi acknowledged to me that he is HIV positive. We do not know when Magaldi was diagnosed as HIV positive,” Fort Worth Vicar General Michael F. Olson said . Olson said the diocese does not have access to Magaldi’s medical records, because of privacy laws. But he said the diocese believes Magaldi has been HIV positive at least since 2003. The diocese says it started alerting people who claim Magaldi assaulted them. Church officials also say they also notified parishes where Magaldi served. Magaldi left the diocese in spring 2001, for Florida, and returned in spring, 2003. He has been living in a retirement center since his return, the diocese said. Magaldi had a checkered history while in Rhode Island, which included being accused of lying as part of the infamous 1980s case involving socialite Claus von Bulow and serving time after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $120,000 from his North Providence parish, St. Anthony's. Then, in 1997 and 1998, he was accused by men in both Massachusetts and Texas of having molested them in the course of his priestly duties, in Rhode Island in the 1970s and in Fort Worth in 1995. In a statement this evening, the Diocese of Providence said it is in the process of contacting those who have made allegations against Magaldi to share the Texas Diocese's announcement about his HIV status. -- With reports from The Dallas Morning News, Providence Journal archives and The Associated Press In the 1980s, Magaldi, charged with lying in a sworn statement on behalf of von Bulow as part of the legal maneuvering surrounding the second trial, saw perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges dropped in 1987. But his legal problems were far from over. In 1992, he was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $120,000 from his North Providence parish, St. Anthony’s. Authorities said he had spent some of the stolen money for tropical vacations with adolescent boys and once gave a teenager he met in a park enough money to get a car. He served eight months before being paroled. After the first allegation of molestation in the late 1990s, The Dallas Morning News reported, church investigators found him “guilty of sexual exploitation” and he was barred from supervising altar boys but allowed to continue as chaplain of the Fort Worth diocesan Boy Scout program. After the second, he was suspended, but returned to part-time ministry after his accuser died; he was accused of misconduct with boys at his new job and removed again. Still, in 2000 he celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II at the pontiff’s private chapel at the Vatican. Parishioners argued that if he was fit to share the altar with the pope, he ought to be able to preach in North Richland Hills, Texas. He was allowed to continue his ministry at the North Richland Hills retirement home where he was living until August 2006, when a new bishop revoked all his priestly powers. But The Morning News reported in November that he had defied the bishop’s orders and remained in ministry at the home. A message left for him there this month was not returned. But Jerry Koller, a friend and former parishioner of Father Magaldi’s who described himself as the ex-priest’s caregiver, said Wednesday that Magaldi is in “too weak condition” to continue his ministry. Koller said Magaldi suffers from dementia and has had a series of strokes, which have affected his eyesight and left him legally blind. In its statement tonight, the Diocese of Providence said anyone who wishes to report sexual misconduct by Magaldi or "by anyone who serves the church" to contact Lt. Robert McCarthy, Office of Education & Compliance, 401-941-0760. Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:20 PM | Comment Tonight: All that jazz -- several schools' worthWhile affairs of the heart may be top of mind for some tonight, a musical alternative is on tap. Local high school bands will jazz it at up starting at 7 tonight in Woonsocket's Stadium Theatre. Participants include Woonsocket High School, Mount St. Charles Academy, North Smithfield, and Blackstone-Millville High School. Tickets are $5. The stadium is at 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. For information, go to www.stadiumtheatre.com. For other events in the area, visit projo.com's calendar. Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:59 PM | Comment Blue Cross chief Montanaro to step downBlue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island announced this evening that Frank J. Montanaro will resign as board chairman when his term ends April 30. Blue Cross & Blue Shield said that will give the Board of Directors "ample time to elect his replacement," the state's dominant health insurer said in a news release shortly after 6 p.m. "My decision comes after a great deal of reflection," said Montanaro in the statement. "Having been on the board for many years, it¹s my belief that BCBSRI has never been in better hands. I ask the remaining board members to continue the tradition of keeping BCBSRI an organization that takes the very best care of its members and the citizens of the state." Montanaro is also the president of the state's unit of the AFL-CIO union, and a Democratic National Committeeman. James E. Purcell, president and CEO, said of Montanaro: "He always has fought for the people of Rhode Island and their families. Thus, his legacy is not just the bottom line. It's the human touch. I am so proud to have had Frank serve as chairman of the board." The new Blue Cross chairman would be in place when Montanaro¹s term ends, Blue Cross & Blue Shield said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:23 PM | Comment Romney endorses McCain for GOP nominationBOSTON -- Republican campaign dropout Mitt Romney endorsed Sen. John McCain for the party's presidential nomination and asked his national convention delegates to swing behind the likely nominee. "Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent," the former Massachusetts governor said today, standing alongside his one-time rival at his now-defunct campaign's headquarters. "This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour." "Primaries are tough," said McCain, referring to their earlier rancor. "We know it was a hard campaign and now we move forward, we move forward together for the good of our party and the nation." The two met privately before appearing together at a news conference. McCain had campaigned in Vermont and Rhode Island today but added a flight to Boston to accept the endorsement. McCain effectively sealed the nomination last week when Romney withdrew from the race; only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and libertarian-leaning Texas Rep. Ron Paul remain. But neither has a chance to catch McCain in the convention delegate hunt. In early primaries and caucuses, Romney collected 280 delegates. The number is enough to move McCain close to the total of 1,191 needed to clinch the nomination a full nine months before the November general election. Huckabee was not ready to bow out. "Right now there's a great big 'me, too' crowd coming together (for McCain)," Huckabee said in LaCrosse, Wis. "There's a lot of folks, sort of, in the establishment of the party that is not now wanting to be left out." -- The Associated Press Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Comment Survey of 11 to 14 year olds finds date violenceA national survey released today says larger numbers of children as young as 11 are sexually active -- and experience abusive relationships of some kind. The survey found one in five children between ages 11 and 14 say friends have been dating violence victims. "Alarmingly, 40 percent of the youngest tweens, those between the ages of 11 and 12, report that their friends are victims of verbal abuse in relationships and nearly 1 in 10 say their friends have had sex," says a news release summarizing the survey results. The survey was done by Teenage Research Unlimited and commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. -- which issued today's news release -- and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. The poll is described as exploring how young adolescents' relationships are "fueling high levels of dating violence and abuse." Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch pointed to the findings today to highlight the need for schools around the country to teach about the signs of dating violence. Lynch, the incoming National Association of Attorneys General president, is expected to introduce a resolution at the association's June meeting in Providence urging other states to follow Rhode Island's lead and require schools to teach about dating violence and abuse every year from grades 7 through 12.
Among American teenagers who had sex by age 14, 1 out of 3 teens said they have been physically abused -- hit, kicked or choked -- by an angry partner compared to 20 percent of other teens. Sixty-nine percent of teens who had sex before 14 said they had experienced all aspects of dating abuse including verbal, emotional, physical and mental abuse, according to the release. “We know that education for tweens and teens helps and is critically important if we are going to break the cycle of abuse and strengthen healthy relationships,” said Sheryl Cates, chief executive of National Domestic Violence Hotline, which runs a teen dating abuse helpline called loveisrespect.org, said in the statement. Other survey results outlined in the news release are: * Nearly three in four tweens say boyfriend/girlfriend relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger. * More than one in three 11-12 year olds say they have been in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship . * Sixty-two percent of tweens who have been in a relationship say they know friends who have been verbally abused (called stupid, worthless, ugly, etc) by a boyfriend/girlfriend * Two in five tweens, who have been in a relationship know friends who have been called names, put down, or insulted via cellphone, IM, social networking sites (such as MySpace and Facebook), etc. * One in five 13-14 year olds in relationships say they know friends and peers who have been struck in anger (kicked, hit, slapped, or punched) by a boyfriend or girlfriend * Only half of all tweens claim to know the warning signs of a bad/hurtful relationship * Nearly half of teen girls who have been in a relationship say they have been victims of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse by their boyfriends. * More than one in three teens report that their partners wanted to know where they were and who they were with all the time. Among teens who had sex by age 14, it’s 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively). * Twenty-nine percent of teens say their boyfriends/girlfriends call them names and put them down, compared to 58 percent of teens who had sex by age 14. * Twenty-two percent of teens say they were pressured to do things they did not want to do, compared to 45 percent of teens who had sex by age 14. * Twenty-four percent of teens in a relationship said their boyfriends/girlfriends called them stupid, worthless, and ugly compared to 45 percent of teens who had sex by age 14. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:40 PM | Comment Bridge repairs to close a portion of Route 6 in Mass.SOMERSET, Mass. -- Expect some headaches for the next two weeks if you travel between Somerset and Fall River along Route 6. And the headaches will last even longer beginning next month if you cruise along Route 103 from Warren into Somerset. Beginning Saturday, the Brightman Street Bridge portion of Route 6 will be closed for two weeks for emergency repairs. MassHighway needs to fix a baseball-size hole found in one of the girders. That will cause extra traffic along the Braga Bridge portion of Route 195. Then, the first week of March, after the Brightman is fixed, MassHighway will shut down the Route 103 bridge on the Somerset-Swansea border so it can be replaced. Businesses near the bridge are fearing a downturn in business and Swansea officials complained today that the two-mile detour necessitated by the closure will cost precious minutes if people need to be transported to Fall River hospitals. ``To a guy in the back of an ambulance, that [two-mile detour] can be an eternity,'' said Kenneth Furtado, chairman of Swansea's Board of Selectmen. ``We're hoping to get the road open to traffic by the end of this calendar year,'' said Gerald Bernard, an assistant construction manager for MassHighway. But, he said, that's if things go well. -- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr. Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:26 PM | Comment Pawtucket man ordered held on drug chargesA Pawtucket man has been arrested on cocaine and marijuana charges by a State Police/Federal Bureau of Investigation task force, the State Police announced today. Aaron Carpenter, 24, of 34 Harrison St., first floor, was arrested at about 6 last night for possession of marijuana over 5 kilos, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. After a two-month investigation, the State Police SWAT Team, with assistance from the FBI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, used a search warrant and seized 12 pounds of marijuana, 11 grams of cocaine and $3,197 in cash, according to the news release. Carpenter was on home confinement status from the Department of Corrections at the time of last night's raid. Carpenter was ordered held without bail at District Court, Providence, arraignment today before Judge Michael Higgins. A Feb. 29 bail hearing is scheduled. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Comment New: McCain: I will carry Rhode Island / Photo
WARWICK -- U.S. Sen. John McCain rallied a crowd of Republican Party faithful here today with a strong defense of the military surge in Iraq, a pledge to combat global warming, and a hope for economic recovery. McCain also told the crowd that, though he respected his opponent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, "I expect to be the Republican party nominee." The senator spent the early part of the day campaigning in Vermont -- another fairly liberal Democratic state -- and the afternoon here in Rhode Island, which hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984. The audience of more than 1,000 at the Crowne Plaza hotel was sprinkled with veterans and, as veteran McCain always does, he recognized them for their contributions and said that he would "fix veterans' health care" if he became president. "I will carry the state of Rhode Island," he said emphatically. "I do believe I am on the path to getting the nomination of my party." In an interview outside the rally, McCain was asked how he felt about former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee's announcement this morning that he will be endorsing Democrat Barack Obama. Rhode Islander Chafee, who has since left the GOP, said he chose Obama because he had not supported the war on Iraq, as had McCain and other top Democratic contender, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. McCain replied, "I have great respect and affection for Senator Chafee and I respect whatever decision he makes." Audio: Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst interviews McCain (6 min, 46 sec). -- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay, with reports from Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst Governor Carcieri, who originally supported former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential race, gave a ringing endorsement today to McCain. "I'm going to do everything I possibly can" to make sure that he's the next president, Carcieri said. After leaving Rhode Island, McCain headed to Boston, where he is expected to accept Romney's endorsement. Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:24 PM | Comment Woman convicted on gun and drug charges in Mass.A woman arrested in Fall River, Mass., on gun and drug distribution charges has been convicted in Taunton, Mass., Superior Court after a two-day trial. Rebecca Nater, 28, formerly of 18 Augustus St., Fall River, will spend five-and-a-half years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter's office announced today. Nater was sentenced by Judge Lloyd MacDonald to serve three years in state prison on the illegal firearm charges and then another 30 months on the cocaine distribution charge. Nater will also be placed on probation for an additional five years after serving her full state prison sentence. Fall River vice unit detectives arrested Nater on June 13, 2006, while using a search warrant at her Augustus Street apartment, Sutter's office said. Officers found four young children inside, along with Nater and two other individuals and during the apartment search, detectives said they seized about 13 grams of crack cocaine, a .22 caliber revolver loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, a 9mm Hi-Point firearm with nine rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, $2,570 in cash, marijuana, more ammunition and drug paraphernalia, according to the news release. Nater was convicted after 40 minutes' deliberation yesterday for possession of a large capacity firearm, two counts of possession of an illegal firearm without a card that authorizes the possession of certain firearms, possession of a firearm while having been previously convicted of a serious drug offense, possession of ammunition, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of marijuana. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:10 PM | Comment Carcieri endorses John McCain for presidentWARWICK -- Governor Carcieri, who originally supported former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential race, gave a ringing endorsement today to Sen. John McCain. "I'm going to do everything I possibly can" to make sure that he's the next president, Carcieri said minutes ago. More than 1,000 McCain supporters are gathered to hear a speech from the first major presidential candidate to visit Rhode Island in this election cycle. Among those in the crowd are some of his old Naval Academy classmates, including Ed Clune, of North Kingstown, and George Brenner, from Newport. They were both in the class of 1958 with McCain. “He was a great guy, a real character,” Brenner said of his former schoolmate. “He was always straightforward and very hard-nosed.” Clune called McCain a “man’s man. He liked to party, he liked women, he liked sports -- he was just one of those guys, very charismatic, the kind of guy everyone liked.” When asked if he thought he saw McCain as a future president, Brennar said “actually, I thought it more likely that he would become an admiral like his grandfather and father before him. But now that you think of it,” he added, “I’m not surprised because he’s a real leader.” Adding to his classmates endorsement, is Mitt Romney, who, officials tell the Associated Press, will endorse McCain today. Journal staff writer Scott MacKay with reports from the Associated Press Posted by Jack Perry at 2:05 PM | |
