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April 21, 2008

Friends recall URI student struck, killed by car

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- More than 100 people attended a memorial service this afternoon for Mary Ellen Claire Offer, a University of Rhode Island sophomore who was struck by a car and killed while walking along Route 1A in Narragansett.

Friend after friend took the podium at the 90-minute service, held at the URI Catholic Center, to recall an always-smiling young woman who never had an unkind word to say.

"She would drop what she was doing and listen to me talk about boys, about class, about friends," said Holly Maganzini, Offer's roomate. "I know she will be watching over us."

Maganzini, who was walking with Offer, was also hit.

There have been no charges filed against the driver in the accident, which is still under investigation.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:20 PM | Comment

Tonight: Cool hockey and hot rock 'n' roll

OK, all you hockey fans out there, have we got a game for you.

The Boston Bruins take on the the Montreal Canadiens in the seventh and deciding game in the first-round Eastern Conference playoffs, starting at 7 tonight.

Something icy not your cup of tea?

Watch the Greatest Rock and Roll Band on the big, big screen or catch some lesser known bands on the local stage.

Shine A Light, director Martin Scorsese's documentary of The Rolling Stones, is at the the IMAX Theatre in Providence Place Mall. It's reserved seating, so call ahead.

I Am the Sea, Novels, Shryne and Exiles play rock at AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 9 p.m. $6. All ages.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Comment

Update: Guardsman accused of computer monitor theft

A North Kingstown man serving in the Rhode Island National Guard has been arrested for felony larceny, accused of stealing two computer monitors from Guard offices in the Cranston-based joint operations center.

Michael Denis, 43, of 30 Sixth St. was charged with one count of larceny over $500 on Saturday. He was released on personal recognizance.

Lt. Col. Denis Riel, a Rhode Island National Guard public affairs officer, said that Denis is a sergeant and full-time Guard member who was working evening hours at the joint operations command. Riel said he did not work in security, as state police had said previously.

Denis has since been relieved of his full-time duties but remains a member of the Guard in a weekend capacity until his case is adjudicated. Riel said that his status will be revisited, with possible further steps to be taken per the military justice code, depending on what happens in the civilian court system.

On Friday, the state police were called by the Rhode Island National Guard about the apparent theft of two 19-inch computer monitors, each valued at $311, said Lt. Steve Lefebvre of the state police Lincoln barracks. An employee noticed two were missing as he was preparing to install various monitors.

The computer monitors -- which were new and had not been installed -- were allegedly taken some time between April 15-18. Lefebvre said the monitors have been recovered.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:00 PM | Comment

1 candidate on ballot tomorrow to fill state Senate seat

Residents of parts of Cumberland and Woonsocket go to the polls tomorrow in a special general election to fill the Senate District 20 seat left vacant by after the death of Sen. Roger Badeau.

But only one candidate's name will appear on the ballot.

Rep. Roger Picard, D-Woonsocket, who is serving in his eighth term representing in House District 51, won the Democratic primary for the Senate seat in March, besting Rosina L. Hunt, of Woonsocket, and Thomas J. Scully, of Cumberland

Picard, 51, is the only person whose name appears on the ballot for tomorrow's general election.

There were no Republican candidates in the primary election.

He has been an attendance officer/social worker for the Woonsocket School Department for 11 years. He has said he wanted to run for the Senate because it would allow him to serve a larger constituency.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:36 PM | Comment

Arrests follow teen drinking party in Barrington

BARRINGTON -- Two people were arrested, and more arrests are expected this week after eight teenagers were found drinking in the vicinity of Brickyard Pond Saturday evening.

Police Chief John LaCross said an officer was on foot doing a “party patrol” when he came across the gathering of underage drinkers around 5:19 p.m.

Two were arrested that night: one Barrington girl, whose name is being withheld because she is 15 years old, and Corey J. Place, 18, of 416 Sowams Road. Both were charged with underage possession of alcohol. Place will be sent to District Court. The child will go to Family Court.

The group also included a second 15-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, three 17-year-old boys, and a 19-year-old man.

Police arrived to find over a dozen beer cans on the ground, a 30-pack with more empty cans on the ground, and over 15 full cans of beer in backpacks.

LaCross said there were also a couple of bottles of Gatorade that tested positive for alcohol, probably vodka.

“They were trying to kick [the empty cans] into the pond when the officer arrived,” LaCross said.

“We will be charging more people as a result of the investigation this week,” he said.

Barrington has been the site of several teen deaths and accidents tied to drinking in recent years.

Since his arrival in Barrington as police chief in January 2002, LaCross has actively focused on cracking down on teen drinking. The Police Department set up an underage-drinking tip line and uses "party patrols," in which officers go out on overtime to patrol areas known for underage drinking.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:00 PM | Comment

Update: Gas jumps 19 cents to another record / Video

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
At Berretto's Service in Bristol, owner Joseph A. Berretto says he does not know where the price will end. "No matter how high the price goes, dealers like me make just a few pennies per gallon sold," he says. He keeps the prices as low as he can to make enough profit to stay in business. "People are coming in and buying gas with handfuls of pennies and nickles -- it's getting very bad." In the background, on the East Bay Bike Path, another mode of transportation is in use.

Gasoline prices jumped 19 cents in the past week and have hit an all-time high in Rhode Island, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.439 at the self-service pump, breaking last week's "short-lived" record of $3.24, according to AAA's weekly survey.

Rhode Islanders were paying $2.819 at this time last year.

Diesel jumped another 11 cents in the last seven days to $4.37.

Still, Rhode Islanders are paying 7 cents less than the national average. The price jumped to an average $3.50 a gallon at filling stations across the country.

Crude oil, meanwhile, set a new record of its own, spiking after an attack on a Japanese oil tanker in the Middle East to close above $117 a barrel for the first time.

"It's killing us," said Jean Beuns, a cab driver in New York who estimated he is making $125 to $150 a month less than in the fall because of costlier fuel. "And it was so quick. Every day you see the price go up 5, 6, 10 cents more."

Diesel prices at the pump also struck a record high, of $4.20 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, putting pressure on truckers and other shippers who rely on the fuel to transport goods to market.

Prices are expected to keep climbing as they trace the path of crude, which has surged to new records for six trading sessions in a row. Oil prices are rising along with a host of commodities, from corn and wheat to gold and platinum, that are enticing speculators seeking hedges against a weakening dollar.

Video: What's behind the gas crunch nationwide

-- With projo.com and Associated Press reports

Posted by Jack Perry at 5:33 PM | Comment

Politicians focus on climate change's threat to species

Surrounded by photographs of polar bears, Narwhal whales and other species whose existence is threatened by climate change, a group of local politicians stressed that federal, state and municipal action is necessary to address the problem.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, state Rep. Art Handy of Cranston and Providence City Councilman Cliff Wood spoke today about global climate change and its effect on endangered species to a small group of environmental advocates in the lobby of the Peerless apartment building in downtown Providence.

The traveling exhibit, which part of the Irreplaceable campaign, is sponsored by Earthjustice, the Noah Alliance, the International League of Environment Photographers, Conservation International and several other environmental groups.

The photographs will be displayed until April 26.

Democrat Whitehouse said endangered species protection legislation he authored has been added to the Lieberman-Warner global warming bill that will hopefully reach the Senate floor before its recess in August.

But stiff Republican resistance in the Senate will likely stall efforts to pass the bill soon. “We are seeing an astonishing amount of Republican opposition,” Whitehouse said.

Supporters of climate change legislation should not lose hope for federal limits on greenhouse gases, Whitehouse said while looking at his watch, alluding to the nearing end of the Bush administration, which has been criticized worldwide for its sluggish response to global warming.

At the state level, Democrat Handy spoke about the Global Warming Solutions Act, a piece of legislation he sponsored.

The bill calls for the same emissions cuts at the federal bill, which is an 80-percent cut of emission levels from 1990 by 2050.

-- Journal environment reporter Natalie Garcia

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 5:15 PM | Comment

RIPTA board chooses Batting as new chairman

PROVIDENCE -- The state transit agency board elected Robert D. Batting, a retired business executive, as its new chairman today.

Batting said the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority faces enormous financial challenges, particularly because it is threatened with the loss of up to $14 million in revenue from the state's RIte Care insurance program for the disadvantaged. The federal government said the state Department of Human Services has been improperly using Medicaid money to pay for monthly bus passes for as many as 18,000 poor Rhode Islanders served by Rite Care.

Carcieri appointed Batting to the board in 2003. He was elected chairman, but later voted out of office. His election today reflected Governor Carcieri's securing, after years of trying, a majority of the seats on the RIPTA board for his own appointees.

Batting, who lives in Barrington, was president and CEO of Kenney Manufacturing Co., in Warwick, a group vice president of Textron and vice president and general manager of Brown & Sharpe in North Kingstown.

Batting replaced Thomas Deller, who remains on the board.

-- Journal staff writer Bruce Landis

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:45 PM | Comment

Ryan's Market, a Wickford institution, closes doors

NORTH KINGSTOWN — Ryan’s Market, a family-owned business that has survived 10 recessions and the Great Depression, closed Saturday, its future uncertain.

A throwback to an earlier time, the 122-year-old business featured hand-carved aged beef, naked fluorescent bulbs and bag boys who walked customers to their cars.

“In small towns there are certain things that are a part of your life, and they’re very reassuring" because they never change, said Carole Byers, the town’s canvassing authority supervisor and a customer for 50 years. On Friday, Byers bought a beef and broccoli dinner at the Brown Street store. “It’s an institution. It’s very sad.”

The store will hold an inventory sale later this week. After that, “it’s up in the air” whether the store will reopen, be renovated or sold, a store spokesman said yesterday.

The owner, E.J. Ryan, put the building up for sale about a year ago, and in recent months the amount of stock has dwindled. Last Friday, some shelves were empty and a dairy case was papered over. Today, a sign on the door said, simply, “Sorry, We’re CLOSED.” Bundled newspapers sat on the front concrete steps.

The store closed with no fanfare, and some customers today were surprised to find it dark and empty.

“It’s a terrible shame,” said Newport shopper Glenna Kalen, who stood at the locked door at 10:30 in the morning, an hour after Ryan’s usually opens. Kalen said she loved the store’s small lamb roasts –– “just big enough for two people” –– and scrapple, a Pennsylvania specialty that includes cornmeal mush made with pork meat, broth and onions.

The closing is the second this spring in the historic village, which hugs a sheltered harbor midway between the Narragansett town line and the old Quonset Navy base.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Davis

Last month, owner Ugur Yilmaz closed Wickford Gourmet, a landmark store known for its gourmet spices, specialty cheeses and gift baskets.

Both stores acted as anchors for the strip of boutique stores, offices and restaurants on Brown, Main and West Main Streets.

Karla Driscoll, director of the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce, said the closings will only be temporary. “I don’t think it will have a long-term effect,” she said. “I’m optimistic both locations will be open by summer.”

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:33 PM | Comment

Branch falls on line; 2,000 Bristol customers lose power

BRISTOL -- More than 2,000 homes and businesses lost electricity today when a National Grid tree-trimming crew dropped a branch onto a power line on Hope Street.

The disruption occurred at 9:30 a.m. after the line just north of Poppasquash Road was hit, said David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid. Houses and shops stretching from downtown to Gooding Avenue were affected by the outage.

About half the 2,038 customers had their power restored at 10:08 a.m. after workers repaired the line. The other half were back on line at 10:17 a.m.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Author to discuss high oil prices with legislators, public

With gasoline prices reaching higher and higher, a lot of people are wondering: Why is oil so expensive? Or is it, even?

An author and lecturer on oil –– in particular, “peak oil” –– will be speaking to those questions and others today at the State House.

Richard Heinberg, a fellow at the Post Carbon Institute in California and an author on energy issues, is set to speak to legislators and the public today at the State House.

His discussion, “Cheap Oil – Going, Going, GONE!,” is set for today at 3 p.m. in room 313 at the State House.

The lecture is being presented by the Progressive Legislators Group and the Environmental Council, as an Earth Day event. But with the recent record-breaking gasoline prices, it would be fitting, Earth Day or not.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:32 PM | Comment

Crossroads opens shelter for homeless women / Photo

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
A look at one of the rooms in the new shelter for women opened today by Crossroads Rhode Island, the state’s largest provider of services for the homeless.

PROVIDENCE -- In a ceremony marked by bright colors but acknowledged regret, Crossroads Rhode Island this afternoon opened a new shelter for homeless women.

The shelter, which cost about $500,000 to build and will cost another $350,000 to operate for a year, will house up to 55 women a night, said Anne M. Nolan, president of Crossroads.

"I’m not happy that we need to have a shelter,’’ Nolan told more than 100 guests and political dignitaries gathered in the sunshine outside the Broad Street center. But the community’s response to the emerging crisis of homeless women, Nolan said, made today one of her proudest moments.

Crossroads is the state’s largest provider of services for the homeless. But in the year since the state closed one of its largest shelters, in Cranston, it has also been taxed as an overnight shelter. Dozens of women each night were sleeping on the floors of the center, which once housed the YMCA.

Now in the basement, which once held the gym’s weight room and lockers, are rooms painted cheerful lavender, bunks with bedspreads of lime, mauve and lemon, and even a beautician station for women on their way to a job interview.

Nolan said Crossroads is still raising money to pay the operating cost of the shelter, which will open tonight.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:25 PM | Comment

Cause of correctional job candidate's death still unknown

The state Medical Examiners Office says it needs the results of more studies before determining what killed an East Providence man who was stricken after a physical test for a correctional officer job.

Jamal E. Jackson of 10 McCausland Ave., East Providence, who was applying for a correctional officer job at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, was fatally stricken Saturday after taking an agility test, the Journal reported.

Jackson was one of about 20 recruits taking the test at a track near the privately run jail, Wyatt spokesman Dante Bellini Jr. said over the weekend.

Jackson had finished the sit-and-reach, push-ups, sit-ups and a 1.5-mile run. Cooling down afterwards, he reported feeling dizzy, and two staff members walked beside him. He collapsed while talking with them.

A Central Falls rescue truck took Jackson to Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, in Pawtucket, where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m.

The state Medical Examiners Office previously said that an autopsy was scheduled for today.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:00 PM | Comment

Shellfishing industry gets $400,000 boost

Local oyster growers and researchers gathered on the public docks in Wickford this morning for an announcement of $400,000 in federal funding to bolster Rhode Island's shellfishing industry and preserve coastal resources.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funding. A statement from Reed's office said he believes sustainable aquaculture is good for the environment, good for the state's economy and can help improve water quality.

Read more about the funding and Rhode Island's shellfishing industry later today on projo.com and in Tuesday's Business Section.

-- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 1:45 PM | Comment

Update: Remains at Warwick home from burial site

Journal photo/Bill Murphy
Warwick police Officer Margaret Jones stands guard this morning outside the home at 183 Charlotte Drive, where human remains were found over the weekend in the basement. At left, an investigator heads into the basement through a bulkhead.

WARWICK -- Warwick police say human remains found in the cellar of a Charlotte Drive house are likely from a Colonial-era burial, and the site is not being investigated as a crime scene.

The state's forensic anthropologist and the state archaeologist have determined they have found a fairly old burial site, Warwick Police Capt. Michael Babula said today.
d
Babula said someone doing work in the basement on Saturday found the remains. The waterfront house, 183 Charlotte Drive, Warwick, was recently sold.

The remains seem to be from some time between the Colonial era of the 1700s to a couple of hundred years ago, Babula said. Investigators do not believe that the remains are from an earlier, Native American burial.

The state archaeologist will need to work with the home owner to investigate the scene further and ensure that the house is not sitting on a massive grave site.

But at this point, Babula said, "It's clearly not a criminal matter."

The house, just east of Goddard State Park, is right on the water's edge in the city's Potowomut section.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Mike McKinney

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:50 PM | Comment

KFC recalls chocolate cake

After at least one allergic reaction to an undeclared ingredient, the KFC Corporation is recalling a dessert product.

The fast-food chain’s double chocolate chip cakes are not individually labeled with ingredients and contain eggs, milk, wheat, soy ingredients and, maybe, tree nut residue.

The product –– which comes in a round, 16-ounce package with a black or clear bottom and clear plastic dome –– is sold in KFC restaurants across the country.

The product will return to the stores once the labels have been updated to reflect all of the ingredients.

Meanwhile, customers who have allergies to any of the unlisted ingredients can return the products to a KFC restaurant for a full refund or call 1-800-CALL-KFC.

Download a full list of ingredients as a .PDF file.

--projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Customers with these allergies who have purchased Double Chocolate Chip Cakes are urged to return them to a KFC restaurant for a full refund.
Customers with questions can call 1-800-CALL-KFC.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:17 PM | Comment

Human remains found in Warwick cellar

Human remains have been discovered in the basement of a recently sold house in Warwick, according to the Warwick police.

Someone working on the house discovered the remains Saturday morning while working in the cellar 183 Charlotte Drive, Warwick Police Capt. Michael Babula said.

The house, just east of Goddard State Park, is right on the water's edge in the city's Potowomut section.

“They are human remains,” Babula said, “most definitely. At this point, the medical examiner is really just beginning the investigation.”

A forensic anthropologist is at the house along with the medical examiner, according to the Warwick police.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Mike McKinney

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 11:41 AM | Comment

How much road-side trash is there? You'll see.

The state is picking up your trash today, just like other days.

But tomorrow, the trash that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation collects today off the sides of highways and bridges will be on display.

And if trash collection is “typical,” that means between 750 and 1,000 bags of litter, according to a statement released by the RIDOT.

Tomorrow’s display of trash is being held on Earth Day for a simple reason: to show motorists the impact of roadside trash and ask everyone to keep their trash to themselves.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:53 AM | Comment

Photo: On your mark...

Journal Photo/M. Charles Bakst
Twenty-six-point-two miles later: the Boston Marathon's finish line.

BOSTON -- The first racers have just crossed the start line, but they're still hours away from making it to the finish line.

Today is Patriots' Day in Massachusetts -- that means today is the annual Boston Marathon.

The race began at 9:25 a.m. with the men and women's wheelchair division. Then it's onto the men and women runners.

The starting line is in Hopkinton, Mass., and the course runs through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Newton and then into Boston, ending more than 26 miles later, in front of the Boston Public Library.

Download a .PDF file of the route here.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal columnist M. Charles Bakst

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:41 AM | Comment

Newsman Brokaw speaks at Brown

Boom! Brokaw comes to Brown.

A newsman for more than 40 years, Tom Brokaw is coming to Providence today to speak about the 1960s and the legacy of World War II veterans in today’s political climate.

He’ll also be signing copies of, and discussing his latest book: Boom!: Voices of the ‘60s and the Greatest Generation.

Brokaw was an anchor of the Today Show on NBC from 1976 to 1981 and was the managing editor and anchor of NBC Nightly News for 21 years until he stepped down in 2004.

He still writes and produces documentaries in his capacity as a special correspondent for NBC News.

His speech, “The Call of Citizenship,” is set to start at 6 p.m. at Brown University’s Salomon Center for Teaching on the University's main green. Brokaw will he on hand to sign copies of his book at 5 p.m.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:20 AM | Comment

Senate investigation into URI contract continues

The state Senate Committee on Government Oversight is set to continue its investigation into the way state contracts are awarded.

The committee today will focus on the construction contract awarded for the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.

Earlier this month, the committee hinted that URI may have negotiated a building contract for the biotech center that was costlier and riskier than necessary.

University officials used an alternative, state–approved method that allows the construction manager to continue negotiations while working on the project. This method is helpful in particularly complex situations, URI officials said.

URI President For Administration Robert Weygand and Paul DePace, director of the university’s Office of Capital Projects, are expected to testify at today's hearing, which is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Senate Lounge.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:11 AM | Comment

Hasbro 1Q profit grows 14 percent

PAWTUCKET -- Toymaker Hasbro Inc.'s earnings rose 14 percent in the first quarter of 2008 on growth in brands such as Transformers and Littlest Pet Shop.

The world's second biggest toy company said today that its profit rose to $37.5 million, or 25 cents per share, for the three months ended March 30 from $32.9 million, or 19 cents per share, during the same quarter a year ago.

The results beat the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who had predicted net income of 14 cents per share.

Sales grew 13 percent to $704.2 million from $625.3 million a year ago.

The company said international revenue rose 22 percent to $248.3 million, while revenue in the U.S. and Canada segment grew 6 percent to $428.5 million.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:58 AM | Comment

Road work will close lanes on Route 95

PROVIDENCE -- Construction work on the Providence I-Way project will cause lane closures for motorists on Route 95 this week.

Department of Transportation officials say the highway work will take place between the exits for Thurbers Avenue and Route 195.

Tonight road crews are scheduled to be working on the northbound lanes of the highway. By 11 p.m., only one lane of traffic will be open.

More lane closures are expected tomorrow through Thursday, when work is planned for the southbound lanes. The ramp between Route 195 West and Route 95 South will be closed during this period. Detours will be marked.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

Sunny and sunnier

Rhode Island is in store for another beautiful day today with early morning clouds parting, leaving us with clear, sunny skies today and a high temperature likely surpassing 65 degrees. It will continue to be breezy, with an east wind between 6 and 13 mph.

The only "fly in the ointment," to use the words of the National Weather Service, is a QPF -- quantitative precipitation forecast.

The forecast discussion says rain is unlikely, but the possibility is there.

Clouds will return tonight, when the temperature drops to 41 degrees and we get calm, southeast winds.

Tomorrow's looking even nicer, with temperatures reaching 70 and warmer, and light south winds between 10 and 13 mph.

To keep track of the weather, step outside, or see projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Download today's front page: The pope and the marathon

A story on the pope's Mass in Yankee stadium and an inspirational advance on the Boston Marathon lead today's Journal.
Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:54 AM | Comment