11/21/2009

Fingerprints, camera image lead to teenage bank-robbery suspect
WARWICK –– Perhaps he should have attended his English class.

R.I.’s mixed-up season: Hot it was not, but wet? You bet
PROVIDENCE

Former Warren police officer helped save lives after man jumped from overpass
Joseph DaSilva Jr. was third motorist to strike Karl Pernsley, who jumped into traffic from overpass

Brown’s supercomputer brings tasks down to earth
High-speed machine at Brown cuts months of labor off some research projects

Former Warren police officer helped save lives after man jumped from overpass
Joseph DaSilva Jr. was third motorist to strike Karl Pernsley, who jumped into traffic from overpass

Cumberland schools put on high alert after threats
School officials say there have been two instances of ‘suspicious graffiti’ at the high school in the past week

Warwick man facing drug offenses
WARWICK — An Oakland Beach man was arrested Thursday for allegedly dealing marijuana out of his home.

Carcieri works to shield former aide as contractor sues R.I.
PROVIDENCE — Governor Carcieri’s lawyers are trying to keep new Superior Court Judge Brian Stern, a former head of state purchasing and chief of staff to the governor, from having to answer questions under oath in a lawsuit filed by the Shire Corp., a road and bridge building company that claims it was the victim of illegal bid manipulations by the state.

R.I. jobless numbers come from 2 sources
When the state Department of Labor and Training released its monthly unemployment numbers Friday, the average Rhode Islander might have been confused.

URI student charged with drunken driving in fatal crash
URI sophomore Erica Rose, a passenger in Sonny Pham’s car, was killed in the accident

Pawtucket Greek Orthodox Church to hold cookie sale
Members of a Greek-American philanthropic group are selling home-baked goods, with proceeds going to charity

Former Warren police officer helped save lives after man jumped from overpass
Joseph DaSilva Jr. was third motorist to strike Karl Pernsley, who jumped into traffic from overpass

R.I. jobless rate still leads New England
Despite a drop to 12.9 percent, the figure is not expected to fall to single digits until 2013

Witnesses to man’s death on Route 95 may need counseling
Most of the people who saw Karl Pernsley jump off the Route 95 overpass in Cranston Monday morning, and the event’s horrific aftermath, are likely to suffer physical and mental ailments for about a week, says Richard Crino, vice president of acute services at NRI Community Services Inc., a mental-health agency in Woonsocket.

Repeat-offender driver due in court
WARWICK — A Scituate driver who was arrested this week on a 19th charge of driving on a suspended license, and who was ordered held without bail because he was considered to have violated the terms of bail imposed last month for his 18th alleged offense, is due in District Court on Monday.

R.I.’s mixed-up season: Hot it was not, but wet? You bet
PROVIDENCE

R.I. State Police swear in 36 new troopers
For the first time in five years and the only the second time in 10, the Rhode Island State Police are adding new troopers to their ranks.

R.I. DOT plans weekend work on Route 95
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation plans to remove the split-lane traffic pattern this weekend on Route 95 south, shortly after Exit 6 (Route 3) in West Greenwich, the department said in a news release Friday.

R.I. News Digest
PAWTUCKET

Brown’s supercomputer brings tasks down to earth
Multimillion machine at Brown cuts months of labor off some research projects

R.I. Supreme Court appointment may be delayed
Governor wants to personally interview each Supreme Court candidate

R.I. Jewish center to host documentary on Rosenbergs
R.I. Jewish centerto host documentaryon espionage case,question period with son

11/22/2009

Rhode Island can be deadly for pedestrians, national report shows
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island has one of the highest proportions of pedestrian fatalities in the nation, according to a new study, along with one of the highest proportions of fatalities among elderly persons.

11/20/2009

R.I. jobless rate dips, but 73,000 are still out of work
For the first time in nearly three years, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate dropped, to 12.9 percent in October, offering a faint but reassuring sign that the state’s economy may be on the road to improvement.

In Providence, a crescent of green business sprouts
Providence cultivates a “green corridor” of companies working in alternative energy and with environmentally friendly products along a former industrial riverside

Newport murder defendant says he tossed and failed to catch baby
Rachin McCoy has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his six-week-old daughter

Brown professor wins national poetry award
“I was surprised” to win the National Book Award for poetry, Keith Waldrop says

R.I. education commissioner revokes ex-Bristol teacher’s certification
Kathleen Borgia was caught driving drunk to her teaching job at a Bristol elementary school

Emergency workers train at mock terrorist strike
Scenario is a burst dam at Scituate Reservoir, unleashing floodwaters in several cities, towns

Providence church removes pews to save food pantry
PROVIDENCE –– When mold made the Open Table of Christ basement unsafe, parishioners took drastic action to keep a food-distribution program running: they removed church pews.

Electricity falters after thieves rip out lines at Smithfield substation
Electricity in four towns falters after thieves rip out lines at Smithfield substation

License revoked in cycle fatality
Driver ordered to give up license after passenger killed in highway off-ramp accident

Imprisoned lawyer pleads his case for early release
John M. Cicilline asks a federal magistrate for immediate release to a halfway house

Lawyers spar over care offered brother of actor James Woods
A medical witness says Michael J. Woods should have been able to survive his heart attack

Owner of Providence Place mall restructures debt
Parent company of Providence Place reaches agreement with some of biggest lenders

4 R.I. troopers to receive ICE training
The officers must pass federal background checks and undergo 25 days of training

2 R.I. businesses being audited by ICE
Records will be checked to determine if they are ‘cultivating illegal workplaces’

Providence city council delays resolution to suspend recycling program
Vote is delayed on resolution that would have called on the mayor to temporarily suspend it

R.I. legislative commission gets ideas on shared municipal services
Invited speakers propose areas of tax and dispatch as well as information technology

Cranston school-performance audit nearly complete
CRANSTON — The draft copy is about 100 pages and it looks at everything from course offerings to special education to building conditions.

R.I. Supreme Court upholds kidnapper’s sentence
PROVIDENCE — The state Supreme Court has refused to grant post-conviction relief to a former golf pro who was found guilty on a variety of charges stemming from the armed abduction and kidnapping of three teenagers 30 years ago.

Neil Downing: Lessons learned from a man who loved the sea
I had to get going.

Mays work at State House
PROVIDENCE — A reproduction print of Maxwell Mays’ painting “Inauguration Day” will be displayed in the State Room of the State House through Nov. 27, Governor Carcieri’s office announced Thursday.

Veto of domestic partners funeral bill sparks protest at R.I. State House
More than 100 people turn out at the State House to oppose the governor’s position

Police Digest
SWANSEA

11/19/2009

Panel to discuss effect of R.I. law governing marijuana possession
Members to gauge impact — on users and police — of state laws regarding possession

Barrington captain at helm as ship fends off 2nd pirate attack in 7 months
BARRINGTON, R.I. -- Had it not been for his father’s end-of-life illness, longtime Barrington resident Paul M. Rochford would have been at the helm of the Maersk Alabama, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, when Somali pirates attacked it in April.

Somali group puts out call to Seekonk’s Murphy
They want the Seekonk sailor who survived the April attack to form a Somali coast guard

R.I. swine flu cases decline sharply
But Health Department reports two women with underlying health conditions died recently

Brown professor says swine flu ‘could get much worse’
PROVIDENCE — Physicians should treat the high fever and dry cough of classic flu promptly with antiviral medications, whether or not patients test positive for H1N1, the virus which is making people sick in epidemic proportions.

National Grid objects to proposed cost of wind power
National Grid again rejects proposal from Deepwater Wind for electricity

Westerly woman pleads no contest to embezzlement
Louise Distefano, of Westerly, accused of embezzling $506,649 from heating company and charity

Providence approves license for dance at Brown
PROVIDENCE — The city approved an entertainment and alcohol license for a Brown University dance on Friday sponsored by a student arts association, after Police Chief Dean M. Esserman backed away from his opposition to university events earlier this week.

Judge upholds search by Coventry police
Central Falls soccer players wrongly accused of theft claim rights were violated

Outside doctor testifies in Woods lawsuit
He clashes with lawyer for Kent Hospital over care received by Woods before his death

URI students hold vigil to protest hate-filled messages found on campus
Students, staff hold a vigil after racist, homophobic messages found on campus

Cranston mayor considers mayoral academy
It would follow model of mayoral academy that opened this year in Cumberland

Projects in South Providence, Elmwood get a boost
3 stalled projects in South Providence and Elmwood get boost from federal stimulus funds

Union defends Providence pound workers
A Local 1033 official says union workers are a positive force at the animal control facility

Off-duty Conn. Officer in gun incident in Providence
Willimantic officer reportedly pulls a loaded gun on a man outside a Providence nightclub

Smithfield council hires firm to gauge wind
SMITHFIELD — The Town Council Tuesday hired a company to study whether there are any locations in town suitable for a wind turbine.

N. Smithfield planners approve Dowling Village development
NORTH SMITHFIELD — The Planning Board gave the developers of Dowling Village final approval Tuesday night, effectively clearing the way for construction of the $85-million project.

Youths to have a voice in North Providence
Mayor Charles A. Lombardi will induct town’s first Youth Commission Thursday

People: Amy Fisher, Johhny Depp, Mary Cheney
Amy Fisher, the “Long Island Lolita” who shot her lover’s wife in the head, is coming to Providence.

11/18/2009

Providence police chief: Brown party ‘out of control’
Saturday night event titled ‘Scandalous’ involved fights, pepper spray and an attempt to take an officer’s gun

Narragansett policy targeting nuisance houses challenged in court
BRISTOL — Cities and towns have grappled for decades with how to tamp down student partying in neighborhoods. And Tuesday, lawyers took their cases for and against one town’s effort to ease the situation to students themselves, at Roger Williams University School of Law.

Coaches, 9 students suspended from girls soccer-game brawl between Tolman, Woonsocket
The head coach of girls soccer at Tolman High School will appeal the three-game suspension he received in the wake of the fight that marred the final minute of the MetLife Soccer Classic Girls Division IV Championship.

More Rhode Islanders seeking help from food pantries, food stamps
PROVIDENCE

Man who jumped from Route 95 overpass ‘haunted’ by past
Uncle says Karl Pernsley killed a man in 1992 in Pa.; Woonsocket neighbor says victim feared someone was coming for him

Providence recycling crackdown makes bins a hot item
The new requirement that residents use recycling bins has made them hot items — too hot for some to hold on to

Providence Officer Miguel Castillo’s hunch leads to 3 arrests
Suspicious vehicle catches Officer Miguel Castillo’s attention; officers find three guns and a mask in the car

E. Greenwich town manager gears up for more budget cuts
EAST GREENWICH — With the fiscal year not even at the halfway mark, the town is going to have to find $330,000 in budget cuts and find them soon, Town Manager William Sequino has warned the Town Council.

St. Laurent tells court he fired his lawyer
PROVIDENCE –– In a handwritten court filing, Anthony M. “The Saint” St. Laurent Sr. has told the U.S. District Court in Providence that he fired the lawyer who was defending him against a charge that he tried to hire someone to kill a mob rival.

Field narrowed for R.I. high court post
PROVIDENCE –– The Judicial Nominating Commission on Tuesday night chose two Superior Court judges and three lawyers to recommend to Governor Carcieri for consideration to be an associate justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court, a seat that became open when Paul A. Suttell became chief justice in July.

Doctor testifies heart monitor ordered for Michael Woods
Dr. Kelli A. Naylor says it was responsibility of nurses to tell her unit with monitors was full

Lincoln weighs partial redistricting for schools
The superintendent proposes sending children to schools close to home

R.I. lawmaker wants state to review Twin River contract
Sen. Frank A. Ciccone says bankruptcy filing could constitute a breach of agreement

Twin River gets OK to hire former casino executive
John J. McLaughlin will advise lenders on how to improve operations of slot parlor

Panel urges changes to Providence animal shelter
Commission created by City Council says expert oversight, operations manual are needed

Johnston OKs change in benefits for firefighters
JOHNSTON — A proposal to reset firefighters’ health and pension benefits by local ordinance, outside the contract negotiations process, won unanimous approval from the Town Council Monday night.

Providence gang member charged with having loaded handgun
Police say 17-year-old, on home confinement from Training School, had loaded handgun

Community help sought for flu shots
State asking religious groups in Providence to spread word about importance

Sections of Route 95 in Providence to close for Iway work
Some sections of highway will be closed at night for Iway-related construction

Smithfield council hires firm to gauge wind
SMITHFIELD — The Town Council Tuesday hired a company to study whether there are any locations in town suitable for a wind turbine.

News Digest
SOUTH KINGSTOWN

News to Use
NAACP to meet at Casey Family Services

Police Digest
CRANSTON

11/17/2009

In predawn darkness, a death on Route 95
Northbound lanes close for 2 hours after man jumps from overpass;driver in first collision says ordeal left him “shaking all morning”

Many will now have to e-file tax returns
New federal tax law requires all but smallest tax preparers to file returns electronically

Maxwell Mays, 1918-2009: His palette held the quirky colors of R.I.
Maxwell Mays, a Providence-born painter whose whimsical depictions of Rhode Island made him one of the state’s best-known artists and who combined a playful folk-art style with an encyclopedic knowledge of local history, died Monday at age 91.

Republican R.I. lawyer
Michael J. Gardiner says he’d like to see a more centrist Republican Party

New Catholic school opens in Cranston
Immaculate Conception parish school is for pre-kindergarten to grade 8 students

Providence crackdown boosts recycling, but crimps trash pickups
City’s demand that residents put recyclables out with trash increases volume of recycling, but those who fail pay a smelly price

Now’s the time: Women advised to speak up in the workplace
Veteran newswomen tell forum it’s OK to seek work place flexibility

N. Kingstown, E. Greenwich chambers to merge
East Greenwich plans consolidation with North Kingstown in face of dwindling membership

National Grid to boost conservation spending
National Grid said Monday it plans to spend $35.6 million in 2010 to encourage its electric and natural gas customers to conserve energy.

Frank seeks relief for homeowners
Rep. Barney Frank says he favors federal loans to homeowners who have lost their jobs

Newport, Annapolis consider tourism partnership
The two cities — similar in many ways — are discussing a partnership in tourism efforts

State predicts $219 million shortfall for fiscal year
Primary causes cited for dismal forecast: lower revenues, overspending and starting with a deficit

North Smithfield sets final vote on Dowling Village development
Planning Board to make determination as group continues to express opposition

RIPTA to replace Moscola as general manager
Board plans national search for new RIPTA chief, for whom Alfred Moscola would work

R.I. reduces Medigap insurance rates sought by private companies
Hikes of only 3 percent to 4 percent will save $1 million, insurance commissioner says

Violence expert says communal effort can cut crime
Community, churches, police working together can change offenders, David M. Kennedy says

Garcia arraigned in slaying
The 18-year-old is charged with murder of Jeannine Garcia of Providence

ACI inmate asks Supreme Court to bar ‘racial profiling’ in legal aid
Supreme Court petition says prison regulation discriminates against blacks seeking legal aid

Mass. felon wounded during sting arraigned
Arjusz Roszkowski accidentally shot himself during a struggle with police in Lincoln Woods

Doctor testifies Woods’ care was below standard
Cardiac specialist says actor’s brother may not have died with proper procedures

Woman denied bid to represent herself
Tonya Fuller Balletta was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering her daughter

Man wounded in Mount Hope drive-by shooting
Police believe the attack on the 22-year-old, who has a history in area feuds, was not random

GOP lawyer prepares bid for 2nd District seat
PROVIDENCE — Michael J. Gardiner is hoping to bring his personal campaign for a more “centrist” Republican party — and his views on the national health-care debate, abortion, illegal immigrants and same-sex relationships — to the ballot next year as a candidate for Rhode Island’s 2nd District Congressional seat.

11/16/2009

Little increase foreseen in seasonal employment
The days when clusters of eager store employees were ready to help with your holiday shopping are gone, yet another victim of hard times.

Holiday sales and hiring
BACKGROUND

1/3 of property value in Providence is tax exempt
Holdings of colleges and others represent $88 million in annual revenue Providence can’t collect

Breakfast in a Classroom a big hit with kids
At Robertson Elementary, 85 percent of students receive a free breakfast, up from 29 percent last month, when program began

State panel to begin research on legalized marijuana funds
PROVIDENCE — The commission charged with exploring how much money the state could reap if it legalizes marijuana and taxes its sales will meet for the first time Wednesday.

National GOP seeks advice — from R.I.’s top Democrat
Political Scene has learned that at least one unlikely Rhode Islander participated in the Republican National Committee’s “2009 Congressional District Census.”

Volunteers step up to the plate to help
PROVIDENCE — At a time when there seems to be no shortage of bad economic news, there was no shortage of goodwill Sunday in the banquet room of Via Roma on Federal Hill.

Superior Court upholds officer’s 25-day suspension
Officer William Blais’ unpaid suspension was justified for his fight with another Burrillville police officer, judge rules

R.I. council has no say on LNG terminal in Mt. Hope Bay
Court rules agency waited too long to rule on terminal, which will require large-scale closing of bridges and boat traffic

Census Bureau hiring for 2010 survey
The U.S. Census Bureau will be hiring individuals to work in its newly opened Warwick census office, in advance of Census 2010. Bilingual/bicultural Latino applicants are preferred, but anyone may apply. Preference will be given to residents of Warwick, West Warwick, Lincoln or Woonsocket, but others will be considered.

High court voids drunk-driving conviction
Trial Judge Stephen P. Nugent wrongly influenced the jury in Nicki A. Nelson’s 2007 case of driving under the influence

Assembly lets town establish hearing board for juveniles
NORTH PROVIDENCE –– In cities and towns across Rhode Island, local juvenile hearing boards swiftly mete out justice to young people charged with crimes, saving some youths from a criminal record in Family Court.

Johnston council expected to vote on cutting firefighter benefits
JOHNSTON — The town could save at least $635,000 by rewriting firefighters’ health and pension benefits, according to Town Solicitor William J. Conley.

Forum to tackle school plans in Lincoln
LINCOLN –– A public forum Monday will give residents a chance to discuss two alternatives for configuring several schools under a plan that calls for closing the Fairlawn Early Learning Center.

DIVERSITY CALENDAR
The Urban League of Rhode Island’s 20th anniversary Black & White Ball will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Goat Island, Newport. Music will be provided by TWYCE.

01/20/2008

Gay Evolution
What we know about gay history in America begins here, in Rhode Island, with a gay sex scandal that rocked the U.S. Navy and tarnished the reputation of a president. A half-century later, the gay rights movement rode into Providence on the back of a church. Those early activists drove a sweeping political and cultural agenda so unthinkable, the pioneers never thought they’d live to see it — a time when their lives would be as fabulous and as ordinary as anyone. Read about Providence’s transformation into a gay destination spot, watch slideshows of the everyday lives of gay men and women and listen to their personal stories. Staff writer Mark Arsenault and photographer John Freidah take you on a historical journey.

1919 Newport sting targeted gay sailors, ended in scandal
The nation was shocked to learn that the Navy sent out “agents” to solicit sex in an operation the Senate declared disgraceful.