Michael Ayer, 49, of 46 Frank Rd. in Stoughton, Mass., was arrested on two counts of delivering heroin to a police officer and arraigned at the Rhode Island State Police Lincoln barracks Tuesday afternoon. He will be arraigned on the felony charges in Kent County District Court on Wednesday.

Capt. David S. Neill, commander of the state police detective division, said that when Ayer was arrested around 2 p.m., he was driving his state-registered vehicle and using his state cell phone to conduct the sales.

The State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force began the undercover operation last month, acting on a tip from an informant. Neill said that Ayers delivered "numerous bags of heroin" on two different occasions to the undercover officer, who met Ayers at a public area near the Cranston/Providence city line.

According to Neill, Ayers had been a probation officer with the state Department of Children, Youth and Families for the last 14 years. Neill said there was no indication that Ayers had sold to anyone he was supervising.

Shelves at local retailers are well stocked in anticipation of a rush in advance of the snow. Dorothy Shorts of East Providence, above, finds a wide selection of bread at Shaws on Taunton Avenue. Benny's assistant manager Popo Ortega, below, arranges ice melt and other storm supplies at the Branch Avenue store in Providence.

CRANSTON, R.I. -- The state Department of Transportation offical in charge of keeping the highways clear said Tuesday that Wednesday's snowstorm will not be severe enough to require preventive closure of Rhode Island's major roads.

Paul R. Annarummo, who was around during the Blizzard of '78, when rapidly falling snow during rush hour shut down the state's major roadways, said if the snowfall rate hits two inches per hour and there is normal traffic, it could hamper DOT's ability to keep the roads clear.

But, he stressed, there are no plans to close the roads as a preventive measure.

In 1978 "there were 54 inches of snow that day. We're only going to get 12 tomorrow, so we're going to keep them open," he said.

Traffic is not expected to be normal during the storm.

As of 4:41 p.m. 18 public school systems had already canceled classes and Providence's mayor was urging businesses to let employees be flexible about their hours so they are not traveling during the height of the storm.

During an afternoon conference call at EMA headquarters, Glen Field, of the National Weather Service, said the peak amount of snowfall should be about an inch or two per hour, beginning around 10 a.m. and continuing for the duration of the storm.

"It's very reminiscent of Dec. 13 for a nightmare traffic snowstorm," he said, referring to the 2007 storm that left dozens of Providence children stranded on snow-clogged roads for hours.

The snow is expected to start falling around 7 a.m.

EMA Director David Smith said Newport will likely suffer the worst of the storm.

"Newport is the jackpot," he said.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday afternoon that the city would receive 7 to 13 inches, Westerly would get 8 to 14, Woonsocket would see 5 to 9 and Providence, Pawtucket and Burrillville would get 5 to 11.

EMA officials said they expect to receive another briefing from the National Weather Service at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Check on the latest school closings, cancellations and parking bans, from the RI Broadcasters Association.

-- By Donita Naylor and C. Eugene Emery Jr.

This story was originally published at 3:23 p.m.

As of 4 p.m., the following communities have imposed parking bans:

Bristol: Parking Ban Tomorrow; 2/10/10 AT 12 NOON
Burrillville: Parking Ban Tomorrow; BEGINNING 6AM WED 2/10
Central Falls: Parking Ban Wed 02/10/10 at 8:00am; Until Further Notice
Coventry: Parking Ban Tomorrow; effective midnight Tuesday
Cranston: Parking Ban Tomorrow; Begins WEDNESDAY at 8am
Cumberland: Parking Ban Tomorrow Morning; 8am until TBA
East Greenwich: Parking Ban Tomorrow Morning; 3AM WED TIL FURTHER NOTICE
East Providence: Parking Ban Tomorrow; Beginning Weds at 8am
Lincoln: Parking Ban Through Thursday; Wed 7AM until Thur 7AM
Middletown: Parking Ban Through Thursday; 0100 wed until 0100 thur
Newport: Parking Ban starting 2 PM Wednesday
North Kingstown: Parking Ban Tomorrow Afternoon; Begins at 12:00 pm
Narragansett: Parking Ban Tomorrow; Starting @ 07:00 am
Pawtucket: Parking Ban, Wednesday 6am, ; until futher notice
Portsmouth: Parking Ban Tomorrow; Wed 7am through Thurs 12pm
South Kingstown: Parking Ban Through Wednesday; 6 am Wed thru 1 am Thurs
West Warwick: Parking Ban Tomorrow; Parking Ban ; Wed 8 am through Thurs 12 pm
Warren; Parking Ban Through Wednesday; 2/10/10 begins at 08:00

Check on the latest school closings, cancellations and parking bans, from the RI Broadcasters Association.

The communities -- Cranston, Warren, Providence, West Warwick, North Kingstown, East Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, Tiverton, Richmond, Barrington, Middletown and Hopkinton -- are asking that the courts require the governor to make the payments immediately.

In an effort to close a close a $219-million deficit in the 2009-10 state budget, Carcieri offered a plan that would withhold about half the $135 million that municipalities were expecting this year from the state's automobile excise-tax phaseout program.

Carcieri, Treasurer Frank Caprio, and Director of Administration Gary Sasse(, who is resigning in March ), are all named in the suit.

The lawsuit was to originally be filed by the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, said Executive Director Daniel Beardsley. But because the league as a nonprofit would not be impacted as a result of Carcieri's plan, the lawsuit needed to come from the communities themselves. While Beardsley said at least 30 communities expressed interest in joining the class-action lawsuit, the 13 chosen were the first to secure approval to go ahead with the suit.

The league plans to file a brief in support of the lawsuit and on behalf of the remaining municipalities in the state.

"He does not have the unilateral authority to do what his administration has done," said Beardsley. "Were asking that those payments be made forthwith."

Woonsocket filed a similar lawsuit last week for the $1.3 million that should have been deposited into the city's accounts. An initial hearing in that case is set for Feb. 23.

The National Weather Service Tuesday was promising treacherous driving during Wednesday's afternoon commute thanks to the storm, which is expected to dump six or more inches of snow on the region and bring wind gusts that could peak to 55 miles per hour.

On Monday, forecasters were predicting that the snow would start to fall in the early afternoon, requiring workers and school officials to make the call of whether to leave home early or dismiss students early.

But by Tuesday morning, the forecast had changed, calling for a morning start to the storm, which should make it easier to decide whether skip work or simply call a snow day.

The state's Emergency Management Agency was planning a 2 p.m. conference call with area superintendents to give them advice on whether to join Providence and call off school before the first flakes fall. Many are expected to do so.

EMA officials were scheduled to receive a briefing from the National Weather Service at 3 and hold a press conference at 4 p.m.

By 4 p.m., in addition to Providence, the following school systems were reporting:

- Burrillville Public Schools Closed Wednesday
- Central Falls Pub. Schools Closed Wednesday; 52-week employees report.
- Jamestown Public Schools Closed Wednesday; No out of town buses
- Johnston Public Schools Closed, Cancel Activities Wednesday
- Middletown Pub. Schools: Closed Wednesday
- N Kingstown Schools Closed; No Activities Wednesday
- N Prov Public Schools Closed; No After School Activities
- Scituate Schools Closed Wednesday
- Esmond Smithfield Public Schools Closed Wednesday
- Tiverton Public Schools Closed Wednesday; Parent-Tchr meetings ppd.
- Woonsocket Viola M. Berard School Closed
- Woonsocket Public Schools: Closed Wednesday

See the latest in school cancellations, parking bans and more storm closings here.

At 12:30, predicted daytime snowfalls for Wednesday were 4-to-6 inches in Woonsocket, 3-to-7 inches in Providence, Pawtucket and Burrillville, 4-to-8 inches in Cranston, 5-to-9 inches in Newport and Narragansett, and 6-to-10 inches in Westerly.

BOSTON (AP) -- The death of the father of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan was ruled a homicide Tuesday when an autopsy showed he died of a heart rhythm problem after a fight with his son in which he suffered a neck injury so severe it damaged his windpipe.

AP photo In this 1994 photo, Nancy Kerrigan, a silver medalist in figure skating at the 1994 Olympics, and her parents, Brenda, left, and Daniel, right, arrive at Logan Airport in Boston.

The findings could prompt new charges against Kerrigan's brother, Mark, who has pleaded not guilty to assault and battery on a person over 60 and is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.

Daniel Kerrigan, 70, died Jan. 24 after what authorities said was a struggle with his 45-year-old son, Mark.

The police say Mark Kerrigan told them he put his hands around his father's neck and his father fell to the floor after the two argued at their Stoneham home.

The Kerrigan family has criticized an autopsy report and insists it was not a homicide.

A Kerrigan family attorney calls the medical examiner's finding that Daniel Kerrigan died of a heart rhythm problem after a fight with his son both "premature and inaccurate." The family says it was disappointed the medical examiner would release a cause of death "without having all of the relevant facts."

The family says Kerrigan had a pre-existing heart condition and they do "not blame anyone" for his death.

The autopsy results released Tuesday by Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said the elder Kerrigan also had underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure and clogged heart arteries.

"As a result of these conclusions of the medical examiner, the investigation into Daniel Kerrigan's death, and whether any charges in connection with his death are appropriate, remains ongoing," Leone said in a statement.

The findings imply a strangulation-type injury in a man already vulnerable to heart problems, said an expert not connected with the autopsy, Dr. Ian Paul, associate medical examiner for the state of New Mexico.

"The assault itself would have caused significant physiological stress," Paul said. "It would have put direct stress to the heart itself because the heart is working faster, and in somebody with underlying heart disease, they would be at a much greater risk of experiencing sudden cardiac death."

Leone said the medical examiner determined the cause of death was "cardiac dysrhythmia" after a physical altercation "with neck compression causing injury to the neck in the form of a cartilage fracture to the larynx area."

Cardiac dysrhythmia is loss or interruption of a normal heartbeat, which can lead to cardiac arrest and death.

Neither Nancy Kerrigan, nor her mother, Brenda Kerrigan, could immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. A spokeswoman said the family planned to issue a statement.

And not just any pigs. CytoSolv's porcine cells come from a unique strain of pig that is found on remote Auckland Island, off the coast of New Zealand. CytoSolv is collaborating with Living Cell Technologies LTD., a company in Australia and New Zealand, that is exploring the theraputic qualities of cells from the same species.

CytoSolv was founded by scientists Dr. Moses Goddard and Christopher Thanos, who both have affiliations with Brown University.

Goddard said the money from Slater will be used to continue research, with the goal of delivering data to the federal Food and Drug Administration, which will determine whether to allow testing.on human subjects. Goddard said human testing is at least two years away.

John M. Cicilline, a former criminal defense lawyer who has been disbarred, was sentenced in September 2008 to 18 months in federal prison after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. He had been earlier imprisoned at the Fort Devens facility in Massachusetts.

WPRI-TV reports that the 52-year-old Cicilline left the Coolidge House in Boston on Monday. That's the same halfway house where former Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci lived after being released from a federal prison in New Jersey.

Gallo would not go into detail, but did say: "We need to be able to move this school. We are persistently in the low-performing category, and therefore we have options that we must look to."
Central Falls High School has been classified as making "insufficient progress" for six years.

Gallo said that teachers can re-apply for their jobs, but said the job descriptions would be different than they are now. She did not elaborate.

Earlier Tuesday, union representative James Parisi said that Gallo had asked teachers to work a longer school day, attend after-school training sessions, and spend two weeks of the summer in professional development. Parisi said the union balked because the district is not willing to pay teachers for the additional work.

"Union and management did not reach agreement on compensation for additional time," he said.

Gallo has told the teachers union that she and the Board of Trustees will terminate all 74 teachers at the high school, one of six chronically low performing schools that the state has singled out for substantial intervention.

According to Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Allied Health Professionals, Gallo told teachers about the impending termination late last week.

The teachers are holding a candlelight vigil Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. in front of the Calcutt Middle School, 112 Washington St., Central Falls. Attending the news conference and vigil will be Jane Sessums, the Central Falls union president, Reback and Mark Bostic, northeast regional director of the AFT.

The high school is one of six struggling schools that state Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist identified in January as needing a major overhaul. Gist said that the schools are among the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide.

Last month, Gallo said she had a plan for reforming the high school that included replacing the principal and offering more flexibility around the school schedule and the length of the school day.

Extra: Read RI education commissioner Deborah Gist's 16-page protocol for intervening in chronically low-performing schools

The original version of this story was posted at 12:46 p.m.

The school called the fire and police departments and National Grid, and the building was tested for the presence of gas, according to Morrelle.

After testing and a check of the building, the odor was determined to come from a delay in the ignition of the heating/ventilation system on top of the school, according to Chief Kenneth Finlay of the Cumberland Hill Fire Dept. Finlay said that the flow of gas from the heating/ventilation unit was not immediately ignited as it normally is and hung in the air. The unit sits next to a vent that leads to school's kitchen and Finlay said it's likely that the odor of gas flowed through the vent into the school building where it was detected by a custodian.

Bus loads of students from the elementary school, which has about 400 pupils, were diverted to St. Joans parking lot off Mendon Road while officials checked the source of the odor, Morelle said.

Students were allowed into school at about 10 minutes after the 9 a.m. opening time Finlay said.

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. -- The spokesman for the troubled Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility announced on Tuesday that his firm, True North Communications, will no longer provide public relations services for the prison.

Bill Fischer, the firm's president, said that the resignation is effective immediately.

``It has come to my attention that certain parties have attempted to influence the board on a number of occasions to terminate our contractual relationship -- the latest attempt being last week,'' Fischer wrote in a letter to the Central Falls Detention Facility Corp., the board that oversees the for-profit jail. ``This situation has certainly created an unhealthy work environment and I have decided to end it on my terms.''

Fischer sent his resignation letter to Bruce Corrigan, chairman of the governing board, on Tuesday afternoon. He declined to elaborate on what parties tried to end his contract.

Fischer, who was paid $3,500 a month, agreed to a one-year contract last April to serve as the jail's spokesman. He replaced the RDW Group a consulting and public relations firm that had worked for the prison for several years.

Just in time for Wednesday's predicted snowstorm, projo.com has added a new feature called Your Daily Commute, which lets you easily view about 100 different traffic cams operated by the R.I. Department of Transportation.

You can select the traffic views you'd like to see at morning, afternoon and evening, and save your choices so they come up automatically in the upper right-hand section of projo.com's home page. A sample of selections is at right.

To choose views, click on and select from a drop-down menu of all cameras. The picture automatically updates every 30 seconds.

Then, click "Save your traffic cam views" and your current settings will appear. Click the time of day you want this camera view to automatically be shown. Repeat the process for the other time periods.

The feature requires "cookies" to be enabled on your browser. You can learn more about how to enable cookies at this page.

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Do you find this feature useful? How can we make this better?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The state is moving forward with legal action to recover some $75 million that auditors say was squandered at Rhode Island's landfill.

Demand letters have gone out to at least 18 former officers, directors and employees of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. The letters, signed by lawyers for Governor Carcieri, Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch and Gen. Treasurer Frank Caprio, seek the recovery of money that auditors last year concluded was lost as a result of "apparent misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance.''

The efforts stem from an audit last year commissioned by Carcieri, which found that Rhode Island's trash agency was plagued for years by waste and mismanagement, flawed multi-million-dollar construction projects, questionable land deals, cronyism, suspected fraud, apparent bid rigging, bogus workers' compensation claims and phony overtime scams.

The well-respected Gallogly will double as director of the state's Department of Revenue, as did her predecessor Gary Sasse before he served notice of his resignation from both positions, without official explanation, earlier this month.

Carcieri has also confirmed plans to elevate Gallogly's chief deputy, Thomas Mullaney, to state budget officer once all of the moves are official, which in Gallogly's case may require Senate confirmation.

Gallogly first went to work in the state budget office straight out of college in 1980 as an assistant budget analyst. In the years since, she has served under five governors, serving as president of the National Association of State Budget Officers (2004-05) along the way.

She graduated from Classical High School, the University of Rhode Island, and obtained a master's in business administration from the University of Rhode Island in 1985.

In his announcement of her promotion to the top ranks of the state department that oversees state hiring, spending, contract negotiations and contracting, Carcieri hailed Gallogly as someone who, "throughout her distinguished career ... has consistently brought common sense principles, predictability, and transparency to the state's budgeting process.

"Her efforts have resulted in a continued strong credit rating and positive cash flow management, despite challenging economic times. Rosemary is widely recognized by those in state government and the private sector as an authority on state finances, and is one of the most well respected budget officers in the nation. I am confident she will serve with great distinction and honor in her new role."

Gallogly and her husband, Bill, live in Wakefield, with their two children, Victoria, 16, and Katarina, 14.

The musical ambition auditions of two Rhode Islanders continue tonight at 8 as the ninth season of "American Idol" on Fox (Ch. 25 and 64) enters its so-called "Hollywood Round."

Ellery Bonham, 16, of East Greenwich, R.I., and Amadeo DiRocco, 28 of Johnston, R.I., the youngest and oldest contestants, respectively, are among roughly 200 contestants still remaining. Bonham is a junior at East Greenwich High School. DiRocco is a 1999 graduate of Cranston East High School, and a former bartender.

The national talent search show started with tens of thousands of contestants from seven audition sites, including Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Over the next four shows, Feb. 9-10 and 16-17, the "Hollywood Round" contestants will be reduced to a field of 24 semifinalists: 12 males and 12 females.

It is unclear which of the four "Hollywood Round" shows will feature the Rhode Islanders.

The judges, led by Simon Cowell, include Ellen Degeneres, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.

In a video posted on the show's Web site, DeGeneres says Cowell is "actually meaner than I thought. It's hard to listen to him tell people things and for me not to go, 'You poor thing!'"

Beginning Feb. 23, the judges will be the viewers.

Rhode Islanders might also take a rooting interest in two other New Englanders competing in the show: Ashley Makailah Rodriguez, who attended the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, and Katie Stevens, 16, of Middlebury, Conn., who told the judges that she wants to win for her Portuguese-speaking grandmother who has developed Alzheimer's -- "I want her to see me succeed in my dream before she forgets who I am."

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