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May 13, 2008

Newport Grand to stay open later on weekends

Although state lawmakers in search of budget-balancing revenue just gave it the permission to do so, Newport Grand will not go to full overnight weekend and holiday gambling. Instead, it will extend hours to 2 a.m. on those days.

Newport Grand issued a news release today announcing the hours after having met with Newport officials to talk about extended hours.

“With more than 20 years of gaming experience, we believe extending hours of operation to 2 a.m. on weekends and holidays is operating under best practices, and presents the most effective way to grow revenue," Diane Hurley, Newport Grand's chief executive officer, said in the statement. "Newport Grand will continue to closely monitor revenues and operations during the extended hours, and will make future business decisions based on this criteria."

Before the law change, the gaming facility hours had been 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily, according to its Web site.

Over the past weekend, Twin River in Lincoln began offering 24-hour weekend and state/federal holiday gambling.

The new law allows the two privately owned video-slots emporiums to stay open overnight on Fridays, Saturdays and state and federal holidays. They are allowed to be open until 3 a.m. all other days. The law also has a one-year sunset clause to allow lawmakers to re-examine impact of the overnight gambling on revenue and the communities.

Hurley said in today's statement that as "a vital partner" with the state, "we have a responsibility to maximize state revenues from video lottery terminals" and added that Newport Grand representatives met with the city "to be sure they understand what our plans are for the extended hours."

The General Assembly last week overrode Governor Carcieri’s veto of the 24-hour gambling as it tries to close an ominous budget deficit. The state has expected to take in about $243 million from Twin River’s video slots for the fiscal year ending June 30, and about $256 million for the year beginning July 1. The Journal has reported that lawmakers are betting on round-the-clock gambling at Twin River and Newport Grand to raise upward of $14 million in new money.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Journal archival reports

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:09 PM | Comment

Lawmakers' part-payment of health costs goes to House

PROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee late today approved a bill requiring state lawmakers to contribute 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Amy Rice, D-Portsmouth, now goes to the House of Representatives.

Senate leaders have resisted the move. Today, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed said she believes a lawmaker shows more leadership by voluntarily contributing toward his or her premium -- as she recently decided to do.

-- With reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 6:58 PM | Comment

TSA: Did Esserman violate airport security procedures?

The federal Transportation Security Administration is investigating whether Providence Police
Chief Dean Esserman violated security procedures at T. F. Green Airport last week, according to TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis.

Davis confirmed that an airport police officer is said to have taken Esserman around the checkpoint at the airport in Warwick last Wednesday, but after TSA personnel stopped him, he did go through the security checkpoint. Esserman was not armed.

Esserman has not been charged with any crimes.

A message left by projo.com with the chief's office seeking comment was not immediately returned.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney and The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:25 PM | Comment

Surfer swept out to sea off Matunuck rescued

A 19-year-old surfer was rescued by the Coast Guard today after being swept about two miles out into rough seas in 34-knot winds off Matunuck Beach.

Natalie Baggesen of the village of Ashaway in Hopkinton was getting farther and farther from the shore around noon, according to a Coast Guard news release.

State Department of Environmental Management and South Kingstown police personnel helped Station Point Judith's 47-foot motor lifeboat get to Baggesen. Crew took her to Station Point Judith's boat house where Narragansett emergency medical services evaluated her.

"We have an offshore wind right now, which is kind of unusual for this area," Senior Chief Petty Officer Chad Curth, officer in charge of Station Point Judith, said in the statement. "Normally, the wind blows surfers toward the shore, but the conditions now from the storm blew her out to sea."

Winds have been coming from the northeast today, and area coastal temps are in the low 50s.

The worst weather passed through Monday night with even stronger winds and higher seas. But the Coast Guard said that although the worst is past, "rough seas and cold water temperatures still pose a safety threat."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney with reports from Journal staff writer Donita Naylor

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:07 PM | Comment

Update: High court takes 'gap kids' case to students

WARWICK -- As students looked on at Bishop Hendricken High School this morning, the state Supreme Court grilled lawyers about whether felony charges should be dismissed against the “gap kids” who were charged during the 130 days when Rhode Island prosecuted 17-year-olds as adults.

While it usually hears arguments in Providence, the Supreme Court has revived the tradition of “riding the circuit.” Today, it convened at the Catholic school in Warwick to hear arguments in the “gap kids” controversy, as well as in two other cases.

In July, the General Assembly adopted Governor Carcieri’s budget proposal to save money by treating 17-year-olds as adults in criminal matters. But the savings never materialized, and on Nov. 7 the Assembly repealed the law without making the repeal retroactive. That left about 500 “gap kids” charged as adults between July 1 and Nov. 8.

In February, Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini dismissed felony charges filed against 115 of those teenagers, and he decided to hold four indictments “in abeyance” pending Family Court hearings — including the indictment of Ryan Greenberg, who has been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the boating death of another Barrington teenager. Now, the Supreme Court is weighing appeals in those matters.

During today’s arguments, the justices zeroed in on why the law was changed in the first place.

“Why is this such a hot topic?” Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg asked. “Heretofore, 17-year-olds were sufficiently and justly adjudicated in the Family Court with the exception of those who are charged with the most heinous offenses.”

“I don’t quarrel with that,” said Assistant Attorney General Aaron L. Weisman, chief of the appellate unit. But he noted the General Assembly did change the law in July before changing it back in November.

“All because of an effort to save money,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams said. “How much money?”

Weisman said, “They contemplated savings of up to $3.6 million.”

“And how much did they save?” Williams asked.

Weisman said, “It turned out they did not save money.”

“Of course,” Williams said. “Every single proposal that’s been made in the past two years, whether it’s furlough days or stuff like this, has not saved a single dime. And we’re talking about people here.”

-- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick

Weisman said, “There were reasons” behind the decision to change the law. “Obviously, it is far more expensive to keep someone at the Training School than to incarcerate them at the ACI.”

“It’s far more expensive?” Goldberg asked. “What about A.T. Wall? Didn’t he testify to just the opposite?”

Weisman said state Corrections Director A.T. Wall decided 17-year-olds should be held in protective custody at the Adult Correctional Institutions, and that proved to be “slightly more expensive” than the Training School.

“What is your office’s position on these 17-year-olds? Where do you think they ought to be, Mr. Weisman?” Goldberg asked.

Weisman said Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch was not in favor of the legislation that treated 17-year-olds as adults.

“I wasn’t asking about legislation,” Goldberg said, “I’m asking where you send a 17-year-old in July.”

“Our job is to execute the laws as passed by the General Assembly, and the General Assembly determined that for offenses committed during the period from July to November, they are going to be treated as adults,” Weisman said. “And we honor our commitment to execute the laws whether we agreed or disagreed with them at the time.”

Williams said, “That’s exactly right, Mr. Weisman, and we commend you for that. Even if you have a different view personally and the attorney general feels otherwise, that is your job. But we may not buy into that, other than your duty, which we respect.”

After the hearing, Williams said the Supreme Court will attempt to have this decision, along with others, completed by July 4.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:47 PM | Comment

Bunnell trial: Delestre takes the 5th, tot's mother wails

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
Gilbert Delestre invokes the Fifth Amendment, refusing to testify today in his girlfriend's trial. Delestre, who is also charged in the murder of T. J. Wright, is shown with his lawyer, foreground, Robert Mann.

PROVIDENCE -- Gilbert Delestre, called today as a witness at his girlfriend Katherine Bunnell’s trial in the death of the toddler they had in their care, refused to testify, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination on the advice of his lawyer.

Delestre, like Bunnell, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder. He refused to answer when Bunnell’s lawyer, Gerard H. Donley, asked him whether he was in Woonsocket on the date of the murder, Oct. 30, 2004.

He refused to answer when he was asked whether he knew Bunnell or Thomas J. “T.J.” Wright, the 3-year-old child he and Bunnell, T.J.'s aunt, are accused of beating to death.

He refused to answer when he was asked whether he was at the apartment he and Bunnell lived rented at 2229 Diamond Hill Road.

While Delestre was on the witness stand, T.J.’s mother, Karen Wright, was outside in the corridor, wailing, “I want my baby back! I want my baby back!”

“He killed him. He did that. He did that,” Wright said, referring to Delestre.

Wright, who is Katherine Bunnell’s sister, was unaware that Delestre was going to be called as a witness.

Her children, who included a 10-year-old boy, David, and 6-year-old boy, Mickey, as well as T.J., were being taken care of by Bunnell and Delestre because Wright was serving a 2 ½ year prison sentence in 2004 in Illinois for possession of marijuana.

The developments came on the last day of testimony in the trial.

This morning, Bunnell took the stand, giving an account of how T. J. was hurt that differed from the prosecution's presentation, which includes testimony from the babysitter there at the time.

Read about today's testimony from Bunnell, who took the witness stand in her murder trial.

Read about yesterday's testimony, in which a relative said he tried to save T.J.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:04 PM | Comment

State Supreme Court: No new trial for David Swain

The state Supreme Court today upheld a lower court’s decision and denied David Swain the chance for a new trial in the wrongful death suit filed by his former wife’s parents.

In 2006, Swain, a former Jamestown Town Council member, was found liable in the death of his former wife, Shelley Tyre. She was an experienced scuba diver who died less than 10 minutes after entering the water with Swain when the two were on vacation in Tortola in 1999.

Local authorities initially ruled her death an accident, but Tyre’s parents filed a civil suit against Swain to keep him from inheriting Tyre’s estate.

Swain did not to have a lawyer during the eight-day trial and did not go to court for the first two days of proceedings. He later represented himself, but put on little defense.

He was found liable, but challenged the Superior Court’s decision, appealing to the state’s Supreme Court for a retrial.

In February of this year, Swain was criminally charged with murder in a British Virgin Islands court after investigators there decided to reconsider the case. He is currently being held in Her Majesty's Prison at Balsam Ghut, in the remote northeast of Tortola.

Extra: Read the Supreme Court's decision (.pdf)

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with Journal archive reports

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:49 PM | Comment

Town meeting approves extra bump for Lincoln schools

LINCOLN — Voters at last night’s financial town meeting voted to increase the school committee’s 2008-09 budget by $517,248 more than the town Budget Board recommended.

The Budget Board had proposed a $47.78 million school budget, a $1.1 million increase over this year’s spending, or about 2.5 percent. During the meeting at the high school last night, a motion from the floor was approved that raised the total to $48.3 million, or an overall increase of $1.67 million over this year, for a 3.6 percent jump.

The rest of the Budget Board’s proposal was approved virtually as presented, for an overall town/school budget of $71.8 million

The action means that the tax rate will probably go up by around 30 cents per thousand of assessed value, from $16.82 to $17.12, Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond said.

-- Journal Staff Writer John Hill

The vote to increase the school budget left some town officials seething, as in the weeks before the meeting the School Committee had stressed the need for a united front with the Budget Board and the town administrator on the budget that was being presented to voters. Almond said he was particularly bothered because no one during the discussion about adding the $517,248 could explain what it would pay for that was not already in the budget.

“Usually, the argument is it is needed to restore something,” Almond said. “You had an entire School Committee that just sat there silent when it was asked ‘what is this money for.’ ”

School Committee Chairwoman Mary Anne H. Roll said the committee was caught off guard when the increase was proposed. She said the committee had no role in preparing the motion and had been focusing its efforts on how to defend the original $47.78 million figure, not add to it.

“Nobody was more surprised than the members of the School Committee,” Roll said.

“We did not organize that,” she said. “We had no strategy for that.”

Almond said the committee members should have spoken against the increase, but Roll said the committee members didn’t think they could, in good conscience, speak against an increase if the voters wanted to approve it. She asked what the Town Council would have done had a motion to increase town services come from the floor.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:25 PM | Comment

Iway work will affect travel around Providence

Drivers on Routes 95 and 195 in the Providence area: Get ready for road openings, closings and alternate routes this month as work continues on the Route 195 relocation known as the Iway.

* Next Monday, the state Department of Transportation will open a temporary ramp from Hoppin Street (off Point Street) to Route 195 east. The ramp will be open for about six months to allow more access to Route 195 east when the DOT closes the Friendship Street on-ramp on May 27.

* The afternoon of Thursday, May 22, the DOT will open an exit from Route 195 east to India Street. The exit will permanently replace Exit 3 to Gano Street, becoming the new Exit 2 on the Iway. There will be no Iway Exit 1 as other Route 195 east exits are already numbered in order.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

* May 27: The Friendship Street on-ramp to Route 195 east will close permanently. Drivers who traditionally use the on-ramp can travel on the southbound Service Road, turn left on Point Street, cross Route 95, and turn left onto Hoppin Street to use the new temporary ramp to Route 195 east. The DOT will replace the Friendship Street on-ramp with a permanent ramp from Plain Street to Route 195 east later this year.

*May 29: Route 95 north Exit 20 -- the old Route 195 east exit -- will close for good. Route 95 north drivers won't be able to use it to get to Exits 1 (Downtown) and 2 (Wickenden Street) on the old stretch of Route 195. Drivers on Route 95 north will need to use the Iway to get to the East Side, East Providence and Massachusetts. The change does not affect Route 95 south drivers who want to access old Route 195 Exits 1 and 2.

The DOT said it must take Exit 20 -- from Route 95 north only -- out of service so construction crews can start demolishing the old parts of Route 195 and to allow continuing Iway construction.

To get to parts of Providence that had been reachable from Exits 1 and 2, the DOT suggested the following alternative routes for Route 95 north drivers:

* For the College Hill/Fox Point/Lower East Side, drivers can take the Iway (Exit 19) and use the new Iway Exit 2. That will provide immediate access to Gano Street via India Street.

* For the Jewelry District and the J. Joseph Garrahy Judicial Complex, drivers must take Exit 18 (Thurbers Avenue) and follow Allens Avenue north.

* For Downtown, drivers should stay on Route 95 north, take Exit 22A (Downtown/Memorial Boulevard) and head straight at the end of the ramp onto Memorial Boulevard.

The DOT urged drivers to plan ahead. Information will be available by calling 511 and listening to the Highway Advisory Radio System on 1630 AM. Motorists may also call the DOT customer service at (401) 222-2450 on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 1:19 PM | Comment

NFL's Goodell: Walsh has no new info on Spygate

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking at the moment to the media, said Matt Walsh brought no new information on the Spygate scandal to their meeting today and that Walsh did not tell him anything that the Patriots hadn't already been punished for.

He also made clear that Walsh did not tape the Rams' walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, and that Walsh had no knowledge that anyone taped it.

"As I stand before you today . . . I don't know where else I would turn [for more information],'' Goodell said, when asked if Spygate was over.

Keep up with Spygate reports today via projo.com's PatsBlog ...

Posted by Art Martone at 12:40 PM | Comment

Company recalls beef sold in Mass., Conn.

A New York company is recalling nearly 21,500 pounds of ground beef after consumers complained that they found plastic mixed in with the beef.

According to a statement released by Fairbank Reconstruction Corp., based in Ashville, N.Y., there have been no reports of injury.

The ground sirloin and beef, as well as sirloin and beef patties, were sold in Shaw’s Supermarkets in Massachusetts, as well as Connecticut, Maryland and New York.

For more information, Fairbank Farms has a toll-free hotline: (800) 512-2291. Consumers can also visit AskKaren.gov for recall information, or call the USDA Meat and Poutry Hotline at (888) 674-6854.

Click below for a full list and description of the products.

1.2-pound trays of "Shaw's Fresh Ground Sirloin 90/10." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a Julian Date of "124" on the bottom right hand corner, as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1.3-pound trays of "Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef 80/20." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a Julian Date of "124" on the bottom right-hand corner, as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1-pound trays of "Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef Patties 80/20." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a Julian Date of "124" on the bottom right hand corner, as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

3-pound trays of "Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef Patties Family Pack 80/20."
The labels on the bottom of the package bear a Julian Date of "124" on the bottom right hand corner, as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1.3-pound trays of "Price Chopper Fresh Ground Beef Sirloin Patties, 90% Lean 10% Fat." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/13/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1.3- and 3-pound trays of "Price Chopper Fresh Homestyle Ground Beef Round Patty, 85% Lean 15% Fat." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/13/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

3-pound trays of "Price Chopper Pub Style Ground Beef Chuck Patty, 80% Lean 20% Fat." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/13/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1.3-pound trays of "Price Chopper Fresh Homestyle Ground Beef Chuck Patty, 80% Lean, 20% Fat." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/13/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

5.3-pound trays of "BJ'S Fresh Ground Beef, 100% Beef, Contains 15% Fat." The labels bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/15/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

1-pound trays of "Fairbank Farms Ground Chuck Patties, 100% Beef, Contains 20% Fat." The labels on the bottom of the package bear a "Sell-by" date of "05/15/08" as well as the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:28 PM | Comment

Deputy director to lead Providence Parks Dept.

Robert McMahon, the deputy parks director who has been heading the Providence Parks Department since Alix Odgen was promoted to chief of operations for the city, is now officially heading the Parks Department.

Mayor David Cicilline announced today that McMahon has been appointed to superintendent of the Parks Department.

“Bob McMahon is an outstanding professional who has a keen understanding of what it takes to sustain and improve our beautiful parks system,” Cicilline said in a statement.

“He’s played an extraordinary role transforming our neighborhood parks, while gaining the trust and respect of employees and residents alike. He is the perfect person to take the Parks Department to the next level of excellence.”

McMahon has been the deputy parks superintendent since 1986.

As superintendent, McMahon will oversee more than 100 neighborhood parks, including the Botanical Center; Museum of Natural History; Roger Williams Park Zoo; North Burial Grounds; Morsili Tennis Center; Triggs Golf Course and the Bank of America City Center.

Before taking a job with the City of Providence, McMahon served as the first executive director of Keep Providence Beautiful (now GroundWork Providence) for four years.

He also worked as a city planner in Brockton and Cambridge, Mass. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Brown University in political science and a master’s degree in city planning from the University of Rhode Island.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 12:20 PM | Comment

Bunnell trial: Bunnell says she never dropped toddler

Journal photo/ Bob Thayer
Katherine Bunnell testifies today during her trial for murder in the death of her 3-year-old nephew, Thomas "T. J." Wright in Woonsocket.

PROVIDENCE -- Katherine Bunnell took the witness stand at her murder trial this morning and gave an account of the events that led to the death of 3-year-old Thomas "T.J." Wright that differed starkly from the testimony of prosecution witnesses in the case.

Bunnell said she never dropped T.J., her nephew, who she gained custody of when her sister went to prison, and did not hit him hard enough to cause the injuries that left the toddler brain dead.

She said she only tapped him lightly on the face twice and poured milk on his head after she and her boyfriend, Gilbert Delestre, returned home to their Woonsocket apartment from a night out in 2004 to find a mess on the living room floor.

Bunnell, 24, and Delestre, 27, are each charged with T.J.'s murder. The couple are being tried separately because each is expected to implicate the other in T.J.'s death.

Bunnell did just that when she took the witness stand today, testifying that T.J. was all right and showed none of the injuries that led to his death when she left the boy alone with Delestre early the morning of Oct. 30, 2004, to drive the babysitter home.

Her testimony contradicted that of the babysitter, 18-year-old Kayla Roderick, who testified a week ago that Bunnell flew into a rage and beat T.J. savagely after Bunnell poured a jug of milk on the toddler and that Delestre hurled him across the room.

Read Journal coverage of yesterday's testimony, in which a relative said he tried to save T.J.

More on the case from the 7to7 News Blog ...

-- With reports from Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Mike McKinney at 12:01 PM | Comment

Shea High loses power; students being dismissed

PAWTUCKET -- Charles E. Shea Senior High School is dismissing students early because the building has lost power, according to the school

Students are being let out at 11:45 a.m., according to the school's main office.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:58 AM | Comment

CVS trial: Lobbyist tells of pivotal State House meeting

PROVIDENCE -- Joseph W. Walsh, a prominent State House lobbyist and a former mayor of Warwick, took the stand today in the federal corruption trial of two former CVS executives accused of bribing former Rhode Island Sen. John A. Celona.

Walsh testified about his years as a lobbyist for CVS, including a pivotal meeting at the State House that he arranged between Celona and the two defendants, John Kramer and Carlos Ortiz. The meeting, in the summer of 1999, came at a time when Celona was opposing CVS on critical pharmacy legislation –– and it led to further discussions culminating in Celona’s hiring in early 2000 as a $1,000-a-month consultant for the Woonsocket-based drugstore chain.

``On several occasions John –– Senator Celona –– mentioned that he wanted me to bring (CVS CEO Tom Ryan) to the State House,’’ testified Walsh. ``Several times he’d say, `Bring Ryan up here –– we want to talk to him.’ ‘’

Walsh said that he ignored Celona’s request, but then called either Kramer or Ortiz and asked them to meet with Celona.

``From my standpoint, it was just a meeting because someone requested a meeting,’’ said Walsh, who couldn’t recall many specifics. ``I looked at it as a meet-and-greet, where they could have a conversation.’’

Walsh said that he ``assumed’’ they discussed the hot bill that session, pharmacy choice, which Celona favored but CVS opposed. But he said that he didn’t recall. The legislation, which Walsh lobbied against and which failed to pass, would have forced Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and CVS to open up a restricted pharmacy network that they operated.

``I assume there would have been some give and take about that issue, and then CVS would make a case for who they are and what they’re doing in the community,’’ said Walsh.

Previous testimony has indicated that in 2000, after Celona went on the CVS payroll, he stopped supporting pharmacy choice, skipping a key committee vote.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Asst. U.S. Atty. Stephen Dambruch asked Walsh if the subject of Celona possibly working for CVS came up at their 1999 meeting.

``Not to my knowledge, no,’’ replied Walsh.

Dambruch also introduced documents –– memos and e-mails –– charting communications among CVS lobbyists, including Walsh and Ortiz, regarding CVS’s legislative agenda.

In 2001, Celona sponsored a bill that would have required pharmaceutical manufacturers to take returns on unsold drugs from pharmacies, a measure that would have been a financial benefit to CVS. Later, a lobbyist who worked for Walsh at the law firm of Tillinghast Licht, Gayle Wolf, wrote him a memo indicating that CVS subsequently asked that the bill be held.

``Patrick and I discussed it with Senator Celona,’’ wrote Wolf, referring to Patrick Lynch, then another CVS lobbyist for Walsh and now the Rhode Island attorney general. ``He agreed at our request that the bill be held.’’

In 2003, Walsh testified, Ortiz e-mailed him that CVS wanted someone to introduce legislation allowing doctors to electronically file prescriptions, and that Ortiz had talked to Celona, who was willing to introduce the bill.

Lawyers for Kramer and Ortiz cross-examined Walsh for about 90 minutes after the morning break.

They elicited testimony from him that sometime in 2000 he learned that Celona was performing work for the CVS, but he said that neither Kramer nor Ortiz told him how much he was being paid or how he was being compensated.

U.S. Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi dismissed the jurors at 1:45 p.m. at the conclusion of Walsh’s testimony. The trial resumes tomorrow at 9 a.m.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton, with reports from Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

See The Journal report on yesterday's opening statements.

For more on the investigation known as Operation Dollar Bill, go to projo.com' s continuing report.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:53 AM | Comment

Former Pats' employee Walsh meets with Goodell

AP Photo
Former New England Patriots videotape operator Matthew Walsh, left, arrives at NFL headquarters for a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this morning.

NEW YORK -- Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh spent nearly 3 1/2 hours talking to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about Spygate today, then headed to Washington to meet with Sen. Arlen Specter.

Walsh did not comment after leaving the NFL offices. He traveled from Hawaii to discuss his role in New England's videotaping of opposing coaches' playcalling signals.

"Out of respect for Sen. Specter, neither Mr. Walsh nor I will speak with the media prior to meeting with the Senator," said Walsh's lawyer, Michael Levy.

They then got into a car to begin their trip to Washington.

Click here to see the video, from the AP, of the Spygate figure checking in to meet NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this morning. And check back here for much more throughout the day.

-- The Associated Press

Goodell and Specter each planned to hold a news conference after meeting with Walsh. Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the NFL's handling of the investigation.

Before the start of Goodell's news conference, the league played for the media the tapes Walsh provided. The clips cut from shots of opposing coaches going through their signals.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, while the team was fined $250,000 and forced to forfeit its 2008 first-round draft choice. The investigation began after the NFL confiscated tapes from a New England employee who recorded the New York Jets' defensive signals from the sideline during the 2007 opener.

Last week, Walsh sent the NFL eight videotapes that showed the Patriots recording playcalling signals. The tapes included signals by coaches of five opponents in six games from 2000-02.

The league said the tapes were consistent with what it already knew.

Walsh worked for New England from 1997 to 2003. His name surfaced just before this year's Super Bowl, nearly five months after the Patriots were sanctioned.

After more than two months of negotiations, lawyers for the league and Walsh finally agreed April 23 to terms that would allow him to talk with Goodell. They include an agreement by the Patriots not to sue Walsh and to pay his legal expenses and his airfare to New York from Hawaii, where he is now a golf pro.

Goodell has said that the Patriots could be subject to further sanctions if new information about previously unknown infractions arises.

Specter, from Pennsylvania, met with Goodell in February after raising the possibility of congressional hearings if he wasn't satisfied with the commissioner's answers about the handling of the investigation.

Earlier that month, the Boston Herald reported that an unidentified Patriots employee illegally taped the Rams' final walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl, when New England, a two-touchdown underdog, upset St. Louis 20-17.

Levy said Walsh has never claimed to have a tape of the walkthrough and was not the source for the report.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:36 AM | Comment

RIPTA bus route in Coventry resumes without detour

COVENTRY -- A Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus route, detoured since early April because of Main Street's closing from Sandy Bottom Road to South Main Street, is back to its old ways.

RIPTA Route 13 -- Arctic/Washington -- resumes its regular course today now that the section of Main Street has reopened, according to a news release.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:28 AM | Comment

Economic index shows deeper recesssion in R.I.

The Current Conditions Index, a measure of the strength of Rhode Island’s economy, showed a severe contraction in March for the third month in a row.

“The year 2008 continues to be a nightmare for Rhode Island’s economy,” said Leonard Lardaro, the University of Rhode Island professor who created the index.

The index measures the behavior of 12 indicators: government employment, U.S. consumer sentiment, single-unit permits, retail sales, employment service jobs, private service producing employment, total manufacturing hours, manufacturing wage, labor force, benefit exhaustions, and unemployment rate.

-- Journal Business Editor John Kostrzewa

The data from the 12 indicators is used to compile an index. When the value of the index is above 50, the economy is expanding. When it is below 50, it is contracting.

For January, February and March, the value was 8. By comparison, the value was also 8 in April, 1991, when a recession, a banking crisis and a major defense cutback all took their toll on the Rhode Island economy, Lardaro said. The index attained its maximum value of 100 on several occasions during 1984 and 1986.

In the March 2008 index, only one of the 12 indicators, manufacturing wages, improved by 3 percent over March of 2007, reflecting some combination of skill shortages and a contraction of low-end manufacturing jobs, Lardaro said.

“In March, our labor market clearly became unhinged,” Lardaro said.

He cited the rise in the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent and the loss of 10,100 jobs during the last year.

In a statement released with the index, Lardaro said, “Anyone who denies that Rhode Island is in a recession is clearly delusional. More importantly, based on our state’s 2008 economic performance, we have entered a second and deeper recession phase, where prior economic activity levels will continue to become ever-more unattainable. Having to eliminate large (state) budget deficits amid all this weakness will prove to be far more difficult than almost anyone here has imagined.”

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:48 AM | Comment

Victim seriously injured by shooting in Providence park

PROVIDENCE -- The Providence police are still investigating yesterday’s shooting in which a teenager was injured at Davis Park.

According to a police report, officers were called to the park, at the intersection of Chalkstone Avenue and Raymond Street, at about 4:40 p.m. for a report of a person with a gun.

When they arrived, the police found a group of teenagers on the basketball court and one teenager on the ground bleeding from his arm and hip, according to the report.

The 16-year-old victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and this morning the hospital said he is still in serious condition.

Several witnesses were taken to the station for questioning. According to the report, the police learned that the shooting was on the west side of the park, where the police later found three shell casings.

No suspect is identified in the report and police have not released additional information this morning.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 10:21 AM | Comment

Ohio Lottery proposes dropping Providence gaming firm

CLEVELAND -- The Ohio Lottery says it wants to replace the Rhode Island-based vendor that has operated the lottery's gaming system since 1985.

The lottery said yesterday that it wants Intralot to replace GTECH Corp. in July 2009. The contract will go before a state panel next month for final approval.

The contract could last up to 10 years and has an estimated worth of $170 million.

Intralot is based in Athens, Greece, and its U.S. headquarters is in Atlanta.

GTECH, which is headquartered in Providence, is part of Lottomatica SpA, the operator of Italy's national lottery.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:53 AM | Comment

Churchgoers subdue would-be robber on Cape Cod

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — Bail has been set for a Cape Cod man who was subdued by churchgoers after allegedly trying to rob a collection box during a special Mother’s Day service.

Police say 45-year-old Clyde Bridges arrived at the Hyannis Foursquare Portuguese Church carrying what appeared to be a handgun, but what was actually a cigarette lighter.

When police arrived, they found the suspect being held on the ground by parishioners who had tackled Bridges and ripped a mask off his face.

Lucas Vieira, whose father is the pastor, said he confronted the man because he was worried about the safety of parishioners, including about 20 children.

Bridges was ordered held on $200,000 bail following his arraignment Monday on armed robbery charges. He also is accused of robbing a pizza delivery man earlier this month.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:45 AM | Comment

Supreme Court hits the road to hear 'gap kids' case

The state Supreme Court is riding the circuit today, all the way to Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick.

The high court is set to hear arguments this morning in cases involving the so-called gap kids who were charged as adults during the 130 days that Rhode Island prosecuted 17-year-olds as adults.

In February a Superior Court judge dismissed felony charges against more than 100 teenagers who had been charged, holding three in abeyance –– including that of the most well-known gap kid, Ryan Greenberg –– pending Family Court hearings on whether they can be tried as adults

The state appealed the Superior Court decision, and Supreme Court will hear arguments today, but instead of hearing the case in Providence, the jurists are hitting the road, with deliberations open to the public.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 9:31 AM | Comment

Woman accused of killing 3-year-old returns to court

The trial of a 24-year-old woman accused of murder in the death of her 3-year-old foster child is scheduled to continue this morning.

Katherine Bunnell, of Woonsocket, has been at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston since the 2004 death of Thomas "T.J." Wright. Her former boyfriend, Gilbert Delestre, 27, is also being held and faces murder charges in the death.

Yesterday, a pediatrician testified that the injuries that Thomas suffered could not have been the result of a spanking.

Delestre's cousin Jose A. Santiago also testified that Bunnell hung up the phone after he had called 911. He said he tried to perform CPR, but that Bunnell snatched the child from him.

The trial is set to resume today in Superior Court, Providence.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 7:47 AM | Comment

R.I. Senate to vote on bill permitting marijuana sales

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island's Senate is expected to vote on a bill allowing nonprofit stores to sell marijuana to chronically ill patients.

The proposal was scheduled for a floor vote this afternoon in the Senate. If adopted, it would then head to the House.

In 2006, Rhode Island became the eleventh state to permit medical patients and their caregivers to possess small amounts of marijuana. But state lawmakers never specified how patients were supposed to buy marijuana.

The drug remains illegal under federal law.

Rep. Thomas Slater, who supports the proposal, says Rhode Island needs regulated marijuana stores so patients are not attacked by violent street dealers. Federal officials oppose the medical marijuana program and have raided marijuana shops in California.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:02 AM | Comment

Like yesterday, but better

Like yesterday, it's going to be breezy today with winds coming from the north at 20 to 25 mph. Unlike yesterday, we'll see some sun today with the National Weather Service forecasting a high temperature near 64, about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday.

Skies should remain mostly clear tonight, when the temperature drops to about 45 degrees. Winds should die down to between 5 and 14 mph.

Tomorrow looks better, with sunny skies, mild southeast winds and temperatures reaching 70 degrees.

To keep an eye on the weather, see 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 reporting that Rhode Island adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, spent at least 130 days out of state at conferences, ceremonies and on military trips, at times collecting two paychecks –– his state salary plus pay from the federal government.

There's also coverage of opening statements in the federal corruption trial of two former CVS executives.

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

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment