02/10/2010

Former landfill leaders billed
At least one of those asked for $75 million in repayments, a legislator, says he’s outraged

R.I. Republicans battle over inclusiveness of primary elections
Heart of dispute is inclusiveness of party structure

Central Falls superintendent acts to fire city’s high school teachers
CENTRAL FALLS — School Supt. Frances Gallo plans to fire all the teachers in the city’s only high school as part of a major overhaul ordered by the state education commissioner.

Family, friends honor lives lost
About 600 people attend a memorial service in honor of the five people who died in a Warwick house fire on Saturday

Lincoln School Department sends out 211 layoff notices
LINCOLN — School officials said some people will express concern that 211 teachers received layoff notices for the next school year, but Schools Supt. Georgina Fortunato said that figure could be quite different in May.

Providence to host NCAA tournament as well as fishing and Mary Kay conventions
NCAA tourney, conventions, plays highlight busy period

Police Digest
PROVIDENCE

Rep. Gordon Fox solidifies backing to become speaker of R.I. House
Current Speaker William J. Murphy hosts gathering to announce plans for succession

Healey back as candidate for office he wants to eliminate
Robert J. Healey Jr. wants to be elected lieutenant governor so he can abolish the office

State readies for storm arrival
Snow expected to start by late morning, prompting rush of school cancellations, emergency preparations

Providence Mayor David Cicilline raises more election funds than rival John Lombardi
PROVIDENCE — Mayor David N. Cicilline, who is seeking reelection to a third term this year, raised $396,607 in 2009, far outpacing his potential rival, longtime City Councilman John Lombardi, who raised $45,785, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state this month.

R.I. Governor Carcieri names Gallogly director of administration
Governor also confirms plan to elevate Thomas Mullaney to state budget officer

City enrolls DPW to help enforce sidewalk snow-shoveling ordinance
City also boosts fine in effort to get property owners to comply with snow-shoveling law

13 cities, towns sue Carcieri over tax
They are asking the court to release $20 million in automobile excise-tax money

Career academy bolsters budget from reserve fund
CRANSTON –– The New England Laborers’/Cranston Public Schools Construction Career Academy is dipping into its reserves to balance the school’s $3-million budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

Report blames R.I. housing crisis on lack of affordable homes
Housing Works RI says state hit particularly hard by national foreclosures and mortgage collapse

News Digest
PROVIDENCE

R.I. travels well on highway stimulus money, report finds
State quick to use money for highway projects, report says

State fund invests in start-up
CytoSolv Inc. is developing a drug to help heal wounds; $500,000 grant will continue research

PUC lowers electricity rate hike
Amount of increase not yet calculated, but National Grid will not get 11.2 percent it was seeking

02/09/2010

Democrats gather to tap Fox as new House speaker
Outgoing speaker Murphy plans a meeting of allies Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday’s House vote

This thing of beauty has met its match in time
PAWTUCKET — Just off the main hall of the wood-paneled To Kalon Club are plaques listing the names of past presidents. At the end of an unfinished column is the current officeholder, Pawtucket insurance agency partner Gregory G. Troy.

East Providence to send layoff notices to 105 teachers
Superintendent blames Governor Carcieri’s planned cuts in aid to local districts

R.I. unveils plan to tap into renewable-energy boom
Officials unveil plan to meet needs of growing industry that could also power R.I. economy

Fire officials pinpoint where fatal Warwick blaze started
Officials working with survivor to put together pieces as family and friends mourn victims

In kids’ eyes, loser’s a big winner
“Biggest Loser” contestant Rudy Pauls visits Tiverton Middle School

2 stores to fill vacant spaces on Westminster Street
Both stores moving into the vacant spaces are retailers, one selling clothing and the other, antiques

Health Dept. remains closed
Workers continue to clean up the damage caused in the building by a water leak

Suspect in Pawtucket robbery attempts arrested in Central Falls
Central Falls police pick up man who resembles suspect in armed confrontation with motorist

RI health insurance commissioner reduces Blue Cross rate hike proposal
State health insurance commissioner finds portions of previous rate agreement unacceptable

Partnership to provide green-jobs training for R.I. workers
A federal stimulus grant will help pay for roughly 1,600 workers in state’s poorest urban areas to get instruction and apprenticeships

Caprio says own poll has him leading governor’s race
PROVIDENCE — A poll commissioned by General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio’s campaign for governor suggests he may have a 17-percent lead over his likely Democratic primary opponent, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch.

Lawyer ordered to pay restitution for gouging clients
PROVIDENCE — Lawyer Thomas W. Pearlman, an 82-year-old former Republican legislator and Providence councilman, was ordered Monday by the state Supreme Court to make $1,500 in restitution to former clients and to perform no fewer than 10 hours of community service.

State police expanding City Hall investigation
CENTRAL FALLS — The state police are pressing forward with a public corruption investigation into the administration of Mayor Charles D. Moreau.

Slater Mill historic site gets new director
Susan A. Whitney, a former bank vice president, assumed the post on Feb. 1

City cracks down on Park Theatre after brawl
The City Council chastises the nightspot’s management and orders stepped-up security

3 teens sentenced in mall attack on family
Teens spat on man and punched his wife as she held their baby on Oct. 10 in Providence Place

Haiti Journal
URI launches $100,000 campaign

News Digest
CRANSTON

Police Digest
LINCOLN

02/08/2010

Five young people perish in Warwick fire
Among dead are several former Mount St. Charles athletes, a mother and her infant daughter

Arts help economy, supporters say as Carcieri considers spending cuts
In the face of budget cuts proposed by Governor Carcieri, advocates of the arts seek to stress economic benefits that many of state’s cultural resources generate

Plan aims to lift Providence workers’ skills and R.I.’s economy
PROVIDENCE — In an aged brick warehouse in the former manufacturing center of Olneyville, workers on Friday were building the modular classrooms and workstations that will soon prepare low-skilled Rhode Islanders to enter the emerging green industries and potentially help lift the state’s foundering economy.

Interest in Brown hits record high
University has received 30,000 applications for just 935 open slots in freshman class

Doritos ad of former Rhode Islander and pals airs during Super Bowl
Work of former Warwick resident among those selected

Burst pipes damage records, close Health Dept. building
PROVIDENCE — The state Department of Health’s Cannon Building at 3 Capitol Hill will be closed Monday after parts of the building were flooded because of burst pipes.

Cranston store owner stabbed in robbery
CRANSTON — A man who robbed a convenience store on Saturday repeatedly stabbed the store owner before fleeing the business at 280 Atwood Ave., according to the police.

Luxury Westin condo owners irked by cut in prices
They say developer of condos at Westin broke promises about pricing and leasing units

R.I. students recite Shakespeare in drama competition
19 students from around the state compete in a sort of Shakespearean Super Bowl for chance to study drama in London

Club owners want former lobbyist Britt banned for good
Nightclub businessmen seek to make temporary restraining order against former lobbyist permanent

Political scene: Is Fox's ascension to speaker's post on the horizon?
The betting on when House Speaker William Murphy will step down has intensified, with some of his fellow Democrats anticipating a Democratic caucus early this week to anoint House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox as his successor.

VFW seeks to improve claims process for veterans
Following a federal investigation of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in March 2009, the VA’s inspector general released a report stating that one-fourth of VA claim files, or roughly 200,000 files, contain errors.

02/07/2010

Funding battle looms between state, cities
The drastic cuts of the past two years and the talk of still more left little doubt that Rhode Island was struggling to keep its commitments to help cities and towns.

House fire claims 5 lives
House owned by ACI warden, whose daughter, granddaughter among the dead

Unregulated sober houses are a vital resource
Even advocates of the houses for recovering addicts say it is time to require standard services

Unregulated sober houses are a vital resource
Even advocates of the houses for recovering addicts say it is time to require standard services.

IN QUOTES THE WEEK THAT WAS

Shape Up RI kicks off its spring competition
Event features levels of exercise for anyone from couch potatoes to the robustly fit

Relocation plan proposed for R.I. women’s prisons
Governor Carcieri proposes spending $3.6 million to move the facilities in the Howard Avenue complex in Cranston

Man sought in armed robbery
WOONSOCKET — The police are seeking a 32-year-old man they say is armed and dangerous in connection with a holdup at a convenience store Thursday night.

Galaxy Foods moves headquarters to Quonset
NORTH KINGSTOWN — Galaxy Nutritional Foods, a national producer of vegan products, has moved its corporate headquarters from Florida to the Quonset Business Park, bringing at least 25 new jobs to Rhode Island. The company, formerly based in Orlando, Fla., is leasing 5,000 square feet of office space in a new building owned by Falvey Cargo Underwriting, a cargo insurer. Galaxy expects, or has already filled, at least 25 new positions, mainly in sales, marketing and accounting, according to a company spokesman.

Navy may advertise 260 acres on Aquidneck Island
The land includes the former Naval Hospital and pier overlooking the Pell Bridge in Newport

News to Use
Nominations sought for creative achievement

Haiti Journal
Rotary Charities to match contributions

YOUR NEIGHBORS
Two high school honor students, Grace Keating of Cumberland and Joseph Sacks of Barrington, will head for Washington, D.C., in March to be the state’s delegates to the 48th U.S. Senate Youth Program, a weeklong opportunity to examine the federal government and meet those who run it. They also will receive $5,000 scholarships.

A family tradition comes to Providence
Linda and Roy Swanfeldt’s annual scavenger hunt brings their family together

02/06/2010

Poll shows Chafee, Caprio in dead heat for R.I. governor
Lincoln D. Chafee, former U.S. senator, and Frank T. Caprio, state’s general treasurer, are basically tied

Consultant urges R.I. wind-farm developer to reduce kilowatt-hour rate
He tells regulators that Deepwater Wind could charge less than 24.4 cents per kilowatt hour

‘Saint,’ family face extortion charges
Wife and son face federal charges of extorting bookmakers while Anthony ‘The Saint’ St. Laurent Sr. is serving prison time

Providence’s Big Nazo puppets bound for Vancouver Olympics
PROVIDENCE

Haiti Journal
Cardi’s, Arpin to collect wheelchair donations

East Providence will use grant to renovate 2 fire stations
Station 1 on Broadway and Station 4 on Wampanoag Trail are more than 50 years old

Noted photographer, Wakefield resident Mathias Oppersdorff dies
Mathias Oppersdorff had his work published in Gourmet for 18 years; he traveled the world in search of subjects

Consultant urges R.I. wind-farm developer to reduce kilowatt-hour rate
He tells regulators that Deepwater Wind could reduce its proposed 24.4 cents per kilowatt hour

‘Saint,’ family face extortion charges
Wife and son face federal charges of extorting bookmakers while Anthony ‘The Saint’ St. Laurent Sr. is serving prison time

Nine to be interviewed for R.I. child advocate post
PROVIDENCE — A search committee appointed by Governor Carcieri on Friday selected nine applicants to be interviewed for the job of state child advocate. Their names were withheld until the committee can notify all 25 applicants.

R.I. Super Bowl fans urged to drink responsibly
The police and safety advocates say people tend to drink more heavily on game day

Providence woman charged with larceny
Liselotte Z. Almonte faces larceny charge for spending some of the $120,000 in her account

Teen in altercation at Providence Place convicted
Michael Brooks charged with verbally abusing a family at Providence Place

A space to call their own
Alexis Avedisian, of Warwick, an intern at AS220, paints walls of the AS220 Project Space, a gallery on Mathewson Street in Providence, where a show begins Sunday. Works by Keith Waldrop, winner of the National Poetry Award, will be on display along with books created by Providence’s Burning Deck Press. At AS220’s main gallery, at 115 Empire St., a show of collages and assemblages by Tim McCarthy also starts Sunday.

R.I. researchers share $1 million in grants
Grants foster projects ranging from medical use of turmeric to better lithium batteries

Providence’s John Brown House gets new heating, cooling system
Work begins Monday on installing a new heating and air-conditioning system

N. Providence council questions animal-control merger
NORTH PROVIDENCE — The merger of Johnston and North Providence animal control operations came under fire Tuesday night when the Town Council voted to ask Mayor Charles A. Lombardi to account for the financial benefits of the new arrangement.

News Digest
WARWICK

02/08/2010

DIVERSITY CALENDAR
African community

02/07/2010

R.I. group offers free one-hour consultations
The Financial Planning Association of Rhode Island is offering free, one-hour consultations with certified financial planners in February and March.

02/05/2010

Dealing with the Toyota problem
Rhode Island dealers work day and night to repair accelerators on recalled vehicles

Business tax-credit jobs plan questioned
The chairman of the House Finance Committee says job numbers in the governor’s plan to get the unemployed back to work seem inflated

Poll: Kennedy, Whitehouse support wanes
Only about a third of the two Democratic lawmakers’ constituents polled by WPRI-TV, Channel 12 said they would definitely vote for the incumbents

GOP Loughlin launches bid to unseat Kennedy
The state representative expounds his platform in announcing his run for the First District

Demand it, they will perform: North Smithfield school raises the bar and the students respond
More rigorous curriculum in North Smithfield’s middle school leads to big increase in results on state tests

R.I. PUC urged to deny National Grid’s rate hike
Protesters say National Grid’s request would raise average bill by more than 11 percent

Smithfield School Department proposes $33.8-million budget
However, that proposed spending plan still has to be reduced by $408,000

R.I.’s Liberty Elm Diner added to historic register
1947 diner in Elmwood, “a neighborhood gem,” recognized by National Register of Historic Places

Greenberg sentence reduction denied
The Barrington teen, whose reckless boating led to a friend’s death, had sought credit for months of home confinement

Restrictions withdrawn in Wyatt civil suit
Officials no longer believe the civil suit in the death of Hiu Lui “Jason” Ng poses a threat to their criminal investigation

Twin River slot parlor wants to hire 3 kennels
More greyhounds sought for racing even while it lobbies to drop the racing requirement

Station fire victims may not have to reimburse state crime victims fund
Lawyers for some victims say state waiving reimbursement to crime victims fund

Author Salman Rushdie to speak at Brown
PROVIDENCE — Author Sir Salman Rushdie will speak at Brown University Feb. 16 on “Public Events, Private Lives: Literature and Politics in the Modern World.”

Trooper vindicated in traffic stop
Judge says racial profiling not an issue when a van carrying 14 Guatemalan nationals was stopped and detained

Providence mayor vetoed on police review board
PROVIDENCE — The City Council Thursday night steamrolled the mayor’s veto of changes the council wants to make to the city’s civilian police review board.

Cranston schools brace for possible cut in state aid
District could lose roughly $500,000 more than originally anticipated

Bill would allow R.I. voters to close ethics loophole
Gap stems from state Supreme Court ruling effectively removing lawmakers from scrutiny

Sasse to step down as R.I. director of administration
Appointed in late 2007, he’s also stepping down as head of the state Department of Revenue

Despite ethics probe, Durkee keeps panel post
City Plan Commission chairman gets 5-year reappointment despite alleged ethics violations

News digest
NORTH KINGSTOWN

Police digest
Warwick

01/13/2010

RI outreach leaders pray school they supported in Haiti withstood quake
PROVIDENCE — When the Rev. Francis J. Giudice and other Rhode Islanders arrived in Haiti in March 2009 as part of Providence Haiti Outreach he first began leading 22 years ago, they got to see firsthand the devastating impact two hurricanes had on a mission school they long supported.

01/07/2010

49 animals removed from heatless Pawtucket house
House is condemned, and a woman is charged with multiple counts involving the animals