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April 25, 2008

Tonight: Swan Lake begins in Providence

A production of Swan Lake, by 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, is the final offering of Festival Ballet's 30th season.

It opens tonight at 7:30 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence.

There will also be performances tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $17 to $62. Get them by calling (800) 919-6272 or by going to www.tickets.com.

For more information, call Festival Ballet Providence at (401) 353-1129.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:51 PM | Comment

House voting on deficit-avoidance plan at this hour

PROVIDENCE -- The House slogged through hours of fiery arguments and failed amendments and is voting this evening on a deficit-avoidance plan that lawmakers say would close this fiscal year's $168-million budget gap.

Known as a supplemental budget, the plan under consideration would mean reductions in programs for poor children, financial assistance to cities and towns, and the state payroll in the budget year ending June 30. But it also calls for no tax increases -- though some have argued on the House floor it will simply lead communities to raise property taxes.

If approved by the House, the budget bill would head to the Senate.

Some highlights:

* The governor's proposal to cut non-education state aid to cities and towns by $12 million remains intact so far -- though this budget article is getting heavy debate at this hour.

* The plan would drop subsidized health care for about 2,800 immigrant children.

* The bill would reduce health-care benefits for state employees who retire after Sept. 30, 2008.

* The proposal would also end welfare benefits for adults and children after 60 months.

Rep. Steven M. Costantino, chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee, said on the House floor this evening that the plan mostly keeps to what Governor Carcieri proposed, mentioning one change each to the revenue and expenditures sides of the ledger.

"I can tell you, this is a very difficult budget," Costantino said. "This supplement budget is a first step in getting Rhode Island back on track."

The more difficult step may be yet to come: Lawmakers will have to grapple with a projected $384-million deficit in next year's budget.

See the amended budget online.
-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archival reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:40 PM | Comment

School bus and pick-up truck collision in West Greenwich

WEST GREENWICH -- A school bus with children aboard collided this afternoon with a pick-up truck on Nooseneck Hill Road off exit 6 on Route 95, the police said.

The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. No one on the school bus was injured, but someone may have been injured in the pick-up truck, a police dispatcher said.

The police are on the scene.

-- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:17 PM | Comment

Couple injured in motorcycle accident are in trauma ICU

COVENTRY -- Kevin and Edwina Koerner, injured Thursday in a motorcycle accident, are in the trauma intensive care unit at Rhode Island Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Kevin, 46 and Edwina, 41, riding a Harley-Davidson, collided yesterday afternoon on Nooseneck Hill Road with auto driven by Mona Corbin, 59, of Coventry. The Koerners are from West Warwick.

The accident is still under investigation.

-- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:14 PM | Comment

Providence will investigate officer for motor-vehicle stops

PROVIDENCE -- The Police Department is conducting an internal investigation of a patrolman accused of “improper conduct during motor vehicle stops,” Deputy Police Chief Paul J. Kennedy acknowledged today.

Neither Kennedy nor Maj. Paul C. Fitzgerald, commander of the Uniformed Division, to which the patrolman had been assigned, would discuss details of the allegation or allegations or say how many people have complained about the patrolman.

“It could compromise our investigation, and I don’t want to do that,” Kennedy said.

Under a state statute called the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, police management is not permitted to identify an officer who is under criminal or disciplinary investigation until a criminal charge is brought or a disciplinary process is concluded with a finding against the officer.

In light of the allegation or allegations, the unnamed patrolman has been transferred for the time being from patrol duty to “administrative duty,” Kennedy said. He would not say what work the officer will be assigned while on administrative duty.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:11 PM | Comment

Police: Bicycle rider started fire at South County cemetery

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Too drunk to ride his bicycle home, Steven W. O’Dell told police he decided to spend the night next to the Elmgrove Cemetery on Tower Hill Road.

O'Dell lit a fire to keep warm over night, and at some point, O’Dell told police he passed out. When he woke up, the brush fire was out of control.

According to the police report, O’Dell ran across the woods looking for water. But he ran into a tree and cut his upper lip, which was bleeding when police arrived.

O’Dell, 45, of 24 Chestnut St., Westerly, declined medical attention, police said.

North Kingstown Police, called to the scene at 12:19 a.m., charged O'Dell with sixth degree arson, a felony.

Police said “a large portion of the southeast corner of the cemetery [was] engulfed in flames.”

The fire did not spread to the houses that surround the cemetery, the police said.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:57 PM | Comment

Swamp stops fire near Washington Co. Fairgrounds

RICHMOND -- Firefighters -- and a well-placed swamp -- have largely thwarted a brush blaze on the Washington County Fairgrounds that ignited this afternoon from sparks caused by a caretaker's cutting metal with a demolition saw.

Grass caught fire and flames cut a path toward the northeast -- until the fire reached a swamp.

"That's what saved us -- the swamp was full of water," said Fred A. Stanley, the Hope Valley-Wyoming Fire District chief.

That, and some 35 firefighters from the Carolina, Charlestown, Ashaway, and Richmond-Carolina companies. This afternoon, a couple of firemen were spraying water on brush to tamp things down.

The fire began about 1:53 p.m. in woods at the far end of the fairgrounds parking lot, an estimated three football fields' distance from the nearest fairgrounds buildings.

Flames spread rapidly in part because of some hay stored in the area.

-- projo.com staff writers Michael P. McKinney and Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Paul Davis

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:50 PM | Comment

Coming Monday: How gas prices affect the way we live

The record high gas prices are affecting the way we live, from our daily commute to our vacation plans to our choices at the grocery store.

On Monday, we begin a five-part series in The Providence Journal and on projo.com exploring how the high gas prices are forcing many painful decisions.

Monday’s installment will examine why prices have risen so quickly –– and why they are likely to stay high indefinitely.

Each day's report will be available on projo.com, plus tools and other resources to help you cope with the rising cost of gas.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 3:28 PM | Comment

Bank robbery suspect is being held without bail

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- A bank robbery suspect is being held without bail after a confrontation with Mansfield police that ended when they shot and killed his alleged accomplice.

George Moore of Easton, Mass., the alleged getaway driver, was arraigned Friday in Attleboro District Court and pleaded not guilty to unarmed bank robbery.

Police said 20-year-old David Semenza of Easton was shot Thursday in a residential neighborhood about a mile from the bank he allegedly robbed. Police said Semenza confronted officers in "a threatening manner" and appeared to reach for a weapon.

The lawyer for the 21-year-old Moore said his client didn't know Semenza was robbing a bank until he saw him with the cash. Attorney Daniel Rich said Moore pulled over as soon as he saw police behind him and did exactly what they told him.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:06 PM | Comment

TSA officers and bomb-sniffing dogs visit train station

PROVIDENCE -- Federal transportation security officers and bomb-sniffing dogs have paid a visit to the Providence train station as part of a national homeland security operation.

WPRI-TV is reporting that the officers screened bags and checked passengers' identification and tickets on Friday. Both uniformed and undercover officers participated in the unpublicized security check.

Joe Salter, the Rhode Island head of the federal Transportation Security Administration, tells WPRI that there's no specific threat but that it's important for terrorists to not know when and where officers will show up.

The TSA did a similar security check in Boston on Thursday.

Alex Leaven, who was at the train station, says he had no problem with the security check and that it made him feel safer.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:01 PM | Comment

Tax rebates will start Monday, earlier than announced

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said tax rebates will start going out Monday, earlier than previously announced, and should help Americans cope with rising gasoline and food prices, as well as aid a slumping economy.

Democrats said they were glad the rebate checks were about to go out, but suggested that multinational oil companies were not among the businesses the stimulus package was originally designed to help.

"Starting Monday, the effects of the stimulus will begin to reach millions of households across our country," Bush said today in remarks on the South Lawn of the White House.

Those first rebates will be directly deposited into people's bank accounts. The Internal Revenue Service had been saying direct deposits wouldn't start until next Friday. Bush said paper checks would begin going out on May 9, a week earlier than previously announced.

"The money is going to help Americans offset the high prices we're seeing at the gas pump, the grocery store, and also give our economy a boost to help us pull out of this economic slowdown," Bush said.

Bush's emphasis on fuel and food prices differed from other comments he's made since signing the economic stimulus legislation, intended to aid the economy by boosting overall consumer spending - which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the nation's economic activity.

Bush has suggested the rebates could trigger a spending spree. "When the money reaches the American people, we expect they will use it to boost consumer spending," he said last month.

By saying expressly that people could use these one-time checks to pay for such necessities as food and gas, Bush underscored the deepening challenges facing the economy.

-- The Associated Press

Democrats were quick to pick up on the change of focus.

"It's galling to think that taxpayers' stimulus checks will be lining the pockets of OPEC. The sad truth is that the average American family will spend almost their entire stimulus check on higher gas prices this year," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.

OPEC is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

"Unless the administration gets OPEC to increase oil supply, American consumers are going to be in for a scorching summer of $4 gasoline with no relief in sight," Schumer said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed that people "need this rebate to cope with the rising cost of gas and groceries." She said that, while the rebates would help to get the economy moving, there was a need for a second stimulus package "and we have begun some conversation with the administration and Republicans."

As he had earlier in the week, Bush used the word "slowdown" to describe the state of the economy. He has denied that the nation is in a recession, although many economists say it is.

"It's obvious our economy is in a slowdown. But, fortunately, we recognized the signs early and took action," Bush said.

The rebates - up to $600 for an individual, $1,200 for a couple and an additional $300 for each dependent child - are the centerpiece of the government's $168 billion stimulus package, enacted in February. Roughly 130 million households are expected to get them.

Bush made the comments before boarding his helicopter at the start of a day trip to Connecticut.

People must file a tax return for their 2007 income to be eligible for a rebate check.

The IRS now says all checks for those who filed tax returns on time are scheduled to be deposited or mailed by July 11.

The economy - burdened by the collapse of home prices, a financial and credit crisis, and now rising energy and food prices - grew at an anemic 0.6 percent in the final three months of last year and is believed to have gotten even weaker in the first three months of this year.

The government will report on the first quarter's performance next week.

With the economy faltering, the nation's unemployment rate has climbed to 5.1 percent, the highest since September 2005, when it suffered from the devastating blows of the Gulf Coast hurricanes. Job losses in the first three months of this year neared the quarter-million mark.

Foreclosures have surged to record highs and financial companies have taken multibillion losses on mortgage investments that soured. The situation has sent a tremor through Wall Street and has sent the administration, Congress and presidential contenders looking for ways to provide relief.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:34 PM | Comment

Fire at Washington County Fairground

Fire crews from around South County are on the scene of a blaze at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Route 112 in Richmond.

Hope Valley Fire Captain Raymond Bader at the Hope Valley-Wyoming District was not at the scene, but he said crews there are calling the fire "extensive."

"Everybody is out there," Bader said. "They've called out numerous departments in the area."

More to come ...

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:29 PM | Comment

Carcieri will name advisory group on immigration

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri, after meeting with Rhode Island clergy today about his executive order cracking down on illegal immigration, said there will be an advisory group to monitor how the order is carried out.

Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence called the meeting with the governor today "wonderful and productive."

The order has drawn controversy from various groups.

The governor did not know what the make-up of the advisory group would be.

Carcieri said he is not rescinding the order, but will seek input about how it is being implemented from his advisory board.

Read a previous story on clergy reaction to the order.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner and The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:44 PM | Comment

Westerly tries to take a bite out of mosquitoes

WESTERLY -- To rein in mosquito breeding, a helicopter will drop larvicide on 500 swamp acres on Monday -- something the town has carried out yearly since 1997.

The larvicide will be applied from 7 a.m. to noon. If there's a rain-out, the action will be moved to the first available following date. Larvicide may be applied on future days as well after the town issues notification.

Chapman's Swamp and the swamp next to Hespar Drive will be targeted, a state Department of Environmental Management news release said today. The DEM approved the town's application to apply the larvicide called Bti in the target areas. Bti is described as a naturally occurring bacterium that is applied in granular form to swamps and other mosquito breeding grounds to stop larval mosquitos from reaching adulthood.

The town is notifying homeowners next to the targeted areas and the public of what's intended, the DEM said.

The DEM said the state is not advocating "wide-scale aerial application of larvicide" and recommended that most cities/towns apply larvicide by hand in road-side catch basins. But Chapman Swamp in Westerly is "unique," the DEM said, because it is large and inaccessible due to presence in 1996 and 2003 of Eastern Equine Encephalitis-carrying mosquiotes.

Westerly started in 1997 using the Bti larvicide after the disease-carrying mosquitoes were found to be breeding in Chapman Swamp.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:36 PM | Comment

Car hits median in Providence; 5 hospitalized

PROVIDENCE -- A Pawtucket man and his four passengers were taken to Rhode Island Hospital today with serious injuries after the car they were in struck a concrete median, bounced off and ended up on a sidewalk.

At about 1 a.m., Brandon P. Genereux, 22, of 32 Seba Kent Road was driving south on Eddy Street where it meets Point Street when the car went through a red traffic light, struck the median divider and came to rest on the sidewalk, according to police.

Police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald said the crash is under investigation.

Along with driver, taken to the hospital were Levys Tovar, 28, the front seat passenger; Eliza G. Richardson, 19, the left back seat passenger; Corrine M. Butler, 20, the center back seat passenger; and, Alexander Tovar, 22, the right back seat passenger.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:44 PM | Comment

Creating a greater canopy of urban trees

There are about 25,000 trees in Providence, creating a canopy covering about 23 percent of the city.

But as the state marks the annual Arbor Day, Mayor David N. Cicilline and Acting Parks Superintendent Robert McMahon announced a plan to add about 40,000 trees to the city, increasing that canopy to 30 percent.

“We know that the quality of life in our neighborhoods is inextricably linked to the health of our natural environment,” Cicilline said today at a tree-planting in the Elmhurst neighborhood.

“The State of Providence’s Urban Forests report provides valuable information that will help guide our efforts to create greener, more vibrant neighborhoods by setting reasonable goals to increase our tree canopy.”

The report outlines a plan to add trees to public as well as private spaces, including which neighborhoods to target for intense tree planting. Download a copy of the report here.

An increased tree canopy has a variety of benefits, aside from aesthetics. Trees mitigate particulate pollution; lower temperatures in the summer; stabilize soil, and slow polluted runoff from dumping into the Bay. Visit the city’s Department of Forestry to learn more about urban forests. http://forestry.providenceri.com/forestry/urban.php

Click below for more Arbor Day events across the state.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

The Rhode Tree Council is planting up to 100 tall shade trees at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick. The tree-planting is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the site known as the "Oaks," or "Mansion Hill." It's the section of the park where the Goddard Family's house once stood.

Providence's District 6 Community Police are sponsoring a Neighborhood Clean-up. The event, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes mulching trees, mural painting and a cook out at Riverside Park, on Aleppo Street.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:36 PM | Comment

Block Islanders seeing whales spout and surface

BLOCK ISLAND -- For more than a week, people on Block Island have been treated to whale sightings off the eastern shore.

Believed to be finback, minke or possibly humpback whales, the massive marine mammals have been seen spouting and occasionally surfacing off Pebbly and Crescent beaches.

All three species are baleen, meaning they filter phytoplankton, bait fish and tiny crustaceans from huge gulps of water using plates along their upper jaw.

The whales are likely migrating to cooler waters as summer approaches, said Janelle Schuh, stranding coordinator for Mystic Aquarium.

“Maybe they just got lucky and found themselves some good food,” said Schuh, who learned of the sightings yesterday.

Whales could be seen blowing from their blow holes east of Old Harbor at least a dozen times Wednesday as the 5 p.m. ferry departed from the island.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:18 PM | Comment

Friedman will let Brown decide pie thrower's fate

PROVIDENCE -- New York Times columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman says he'll leave it for Brown to decide what to do with a student who threw a green whipped cream pie at him during a speech earlier this week.

Friedman says he isn't pressing charges against Margaree Little, a 22-year-old English literature major.

Little says she's undergoing disciplinary action by the dean's office and expulsion is ``not off the table.''

Little and an unidentified man threw pies at Friedman as he opened an Earth Day speech Tuesday at Brown.

She says they were protesting Friedman's support of biofuels, although Friedman has written about taking a careful approach to biofuels to ensure biodiversity. She also says they were hoping to open up a dialogue about what it really means to have free speech on an elite college campus.

Your Turn: Would you throw a pie at a speaker to make a point?

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:57 AM | Comment

Tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys swimming

Tonight at 6, you can find the 2008 HSGameTime Providence Journal All-State boys swimming team online at www.hsgametime.com/rhodeisland.

We asked each of our first-team selections to fill out a personal survey with questions including favorite TV show, favorite subject in school, and something people would be surprised to know about me.

The swimmers' answers, as well as audio clips of the swimmers talking about what inspired them this past season, will accompany their bios on their own personal pages.

Also, you will find full listings for second-team and All-Division selections. The All-State boys swimming page in The Providence Journal will run tomorrow.

Here is the full schedule for the All-State teams. The teams will be revealed at 6 p.m. each day online, and in the following day's newspaper.

Online now: Wrestling, gymnastics, cheerleading, girls basketball, boys basketball, girls indoor track, boys indoor track, girls swimming
Tonight: boys swimming
Tomorrow: boys and girls hockey
Monday: independent stars

Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:05 AM | Comment

Central Falls reports second case of TB in high school

The state has announced another case of infectious tuberculosis at Central Falls High School.

Finding a second case was not surprising, State Health Director David Gifford said in a statement, because this second person had close contact with the last infected student, who was identified as ill in January.

"Central Falls faculty and staff will once again fully cooperate with the Department of Health as we gear up for this round of testing,” Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo said in a statement.

“We are fortunate indeed to have a process in place where every person at our high school will be screened,” he said.

Officials from the Centers for Disease and Control said because of the way TB spreads, Central Falls High School should not do another round of testing until June 1.

The DOH says it sees about 50 cases of active TB every year in Rhode Island. The infection comes from the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which spreads through the air. It can cause disease in the lungs and other parts of the body, including loss of appetite, fatigue, coughing and other problems.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:51 AM | Comment

Topping off ceremony today for downtown hotel

Public officials and workers today will celebrate the "topping off’ of the new Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown Providence.

A steel beam will be raised to the top of the building marking the end of the steel construction phase and the beginning of the interior work in the hotel.

The site of the former St. Francis Chapel, and the original home of Old Colony Bank, the historic building is located at 58 Weybosset St. in the heart of the financial district. When completed in December, the Hampton Inn & Suites will offer 110 hotel rooms. The project is joint venture between First Bristol Corporation and Granoff Associates and was designed by Newport Collaborative Architects.

-- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:45 AM | Comment

Brown is Green today on College Hill

World-famous policy wonks and grassroots organizers can –– and do –– work together, despite what recent headlines may suggest.

Today and tomorrow they’ll join industry leaders, educators, academics and a host of other interested stakeholders at the “Brown Is Green: Strategies for Shaping a Sustainable Future” conference.

The three-day conference, which began yesterday, is aimed at bringing seemingly unrelated groups together to share their ideas on environment-related issues.

Today the university is sponsoring plastic bottle recycling as well as several guests, including the former Sierra Club President and Brown alum, Adam Werbach, who has created quite a stir after announcing he is working with Wal-Mart stores on sustainability and efficiency.

Also set to speak are Ira Magaziner, chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative, and a host of Rhode Island politicians including Providence Mayor David Cicilline and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

Find a full schedule of events online.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:15 AM | Comment

Gas hits $4 per gallon on Martha's Vineyard

EDGARTOWN, Mass. -- The prospect of $4 per gallon of gas has already become reality on Martha's Vineyard.

An informal survey of island gas stations by WMVY-FM found an average price of $4 per gallon for regular unleaded.

And it's not just residents of the island and tourists who ferry their cars over from the mainland who are feeling the pinch. Many small businesses, including taxi companies, are being forced to absorb the higher fuel costs or pass them on to customers.

Martha's Vineyard Taxi owner Morgan Reitzas says he's been forced to raise fares for longer routes to Chilmark and Aquinnah, which can now cost $75. Reitzas says even with the higher fees and some disgruntled customers, he's barely breaking even.

The most recent statewide survey by AAA Southern New England found a record high average price of $3.38 per gallon for self-serve regular.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:12 AM | Comment

Reporter's query: Given up pets due to foreclosure?

Seeking your experiences for a possible Providence Journal story:

Has anyone been forced to give up their pet to an animal shelter because of a foreclosure?

If so, please contact reporter Linda Borg at 277-7823 or lborg@projo.com. Thank you.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:38 AM | Comment

Feds recognize state for childhood immunizations

The federal government thinks Rhode Island’s childhood immunization rates are impressive, and today, at the end of Infant Immunization Week, the state is getting recognition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today is giving the state an award for its work immunizing children entering pre-school and kindergarten against serious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and polio.

Melinda Wharton, deputy director of the National Center of Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, will present Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and Director of Health David R. Gifford with an award for the state’s achievements.

Following the awards ceremony, nurses from Thundermist Health Center and the state’s Department of Health will talk to parents about the importance of full vaccinations –– and how to get children to go willingly. Thundermist offers a Teddy Bear Clinic, where children can bring stuffed animals to get shots too.

The event is set for 3 p.m. at the Connecting for Children & Families Child Care Center at 46 Hope St. in Woonsocket.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 8:35 AM | Comment

Former councilman in court today for sexual assault

A former Central Falls Councilman who has been charged with several counts of sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy is scheduled for a conference today in Superior Court.

Luis Gil, 45, of Central Falls was arrested in November after Providence police allegedly found him in a car, partially dressed in a car with the 15-year-old boy.

Police say the boy was in the back seat, buttoning his jeans and trying to put a shirt on.

The boy and Gil allegedly met in August while the boy was waiting for a bus. Gill approached the boy at the bus stop, but the boy declined to go with him, according to police reports.

Gill followed the bus until the boy got off, talked to him, and the two went to Lincoln Woods in Lincoln, police said, where they twice had consensual sex.

In all, Gil faces four charges of third-degree sexual assault, which involves a defendant older than 18 who engages in sexual penetration with someone older than 14 and younger than 16.

Gil was not seeking another term as councilman when the allegations were raised. He resigned Nov. 23 after repeated calls for him to step down from Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau and a majority of the five-member council.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:37 AM | Comment

House scheduled to vote on supplemental budget today

The House is set to vote on a supplemental budget this afternoon.

A revised proposal was passed earlier this week and a special session is scheduled for today at 2 p.m. to vote on the governor's proposed budget for the 2008 fiscal year.

Relying on cuts as opposed to tax increases, legislators say the budget closes a $168-million deficit for the current fiscal year.

See the amended budget online.

Some highlights of the proposed budget:

The governor's proposal to cut non-education state aid to cities and towns by $12 million remains intact.

Dropping subsidized health care for about 2,800 immigrant children stays on the table.

And a proposal to end welfare benefits for adults and children after 60 months was left in.

In a statement Tuesday, Gov. Carcieri said of the Democrat-led committee's decision:

“When I introduced my supplemental budget plan several months ago, I said that we needed to make difficult spending reduction decisions in a host of areas and that tax increases were out of the question. The House Finance Committee appears to agree.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:26 AM | Comment

Chat with Sen. Reed live on Monday

Sen. Jack Reed will answer questions from projo.com readers during a live chat from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Monday, April 28.

You can submit questions now: go to projo.com/chat, click "launch chat", choose a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the chat room "senator reed." The senator will see your questions when he logs in on Monday morning, and he may not be able to answer every question.

When sending in a question, do not press enter or click send until you have completed your thought; doing so will cause us to receive an incomplete question. The questions will display to the room as Senator Reed answers them on Monday.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:02 AM | Comment

Clergy to meet with Carcieri over immigration crackdown

PROVIDENCE -- Religious leaders plan to meet with Gov. Carcieri to voice their concerns about his executive order cracking down on illegal immigrants.

The meeting, set for today, will include Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin, Rabbi Alan Flam of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis and the Rev. Donald Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.

The religious leaders have criticized an executive order Carcieri signed last month requiring state police and prison officials to identify suspected illegal immigrants for possible deportation. It also requires state agencies and companies that do business with the state to verify the immigration status of new hires.

A lobbyist for the Catholic Diocese of Providence says the bishop plans to tell Carcieri that his order is scaring Hispanics.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Ah, spring

Now this is a spring day.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature just shy of 70 degrees with clear sunny skies and a mild southwest wind.

We should see some clouds tonight, when the temperature drops to about 45 degrees. Winds from the southwest will be mild.

Tomorrow looks cool, with a high temperature near 58 degrees and mild east winds. We'll also see some clouds for the first time in a while.

Tomorrow night there's a slight chance late showers with a low temperature near 39 degrees and mild east winds.

The possibility of rain continues into Sunday morning. There should be clouds all day, and a high temperature near 56 degrees with calm, east winds.

Rain could return Sunday night when we'll have cloudy skies and a low temperature near 41.

Back to Monday -- there's rain likely in the afternoon, and it could get heavy at times. Expect clouds all day and temperatures in the high 50s.

To keep an eye on the spring showers, visit projo.com's weather page.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:01 AM | Comment

Today's front page

Today's front page features a story about problems at the city of Providence's summer lunch program. The director has been fired after a state audit found that the program falsely claimed it had served far more lunches than it actually had over the past several years, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improper federal reimbursement payments, according to city officials.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment