PROVIDENCE -- Now that the Route 195 Redevelopment District Commission owns about 27 acres of former highway land, Chairman Colin P. Kane has coined the phrase "shadow parking" to describe a new headache the land panel must tackle.

"If people can access the parcel, they're parking on it," Kane told the commission Monday night at its regular meeting. "I'm guilty myself."

Commissioners talked of snow fences and other possible options to keep people off the land, including those tempted to walk on or play Frisbee on the wide-open expanse now available for development in the capital city. At least the commission has liability insurance, Kane said after the meeting.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Brown University student remains in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital after he was assaulted on the East Side early Sunday morning, Deputy Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III said.

Witnesses told the police Joseph Sharkey, 21, of Norwood, Mass., was talking to a group of women in the area of Thayer and George streets around 2 a.m. Sunday when another man walked up to him and punched him in the face, knocking him down, Oates said. The attack, Oates said, appeared to have been unprovoked.

Both campus and city police responded. Oates said he didn't know if Sharkey and the assailant knew each other.

A Rhode Island Hospital spokesman said Sharkey remained in critical late Monday night.

Sharkey is a 6-2 sophomore guard from Norwood, Mass. He attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, outside Springfield, Mass., a boarding school known for its strong basketball program.

As a freshman, he was injured in a preseason practice and missed the entire season. He returned to action this past year and played in all but one of Brown's 28 basketball games, mostly as a backup.

The original version of this story was published at 10:24 a.m. and updated at 1:06 , 1:38 and 10 p.m. with wire and staff reports.

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- A man who allegedly held up a Hess Express gas station near the city's Police Headquarters on Pleasant Street by saying he had a bag containing a bomb was apprehended, the police announced Monday night.

The police said he left the alleged bomb on the counter of the gas station around 6:30 p.m., prompting a visit by the bomb squad and other emergency responders. The bomb threat was determined to be a hoax.

BARRINGTON, R.I. -- More than 60 people turned out for a master plan hearing on the proposed Palmer Pointe affordable housing development Monday night.

The Planning Board scheduled another hearing on the matter May 30.

The 48-unit development planned for a section of the Sowams Nursery has prompted opposition from a neighborhood group, Community Opposed to Detrimental Development and for Environmental Responsibility (CODDER) 02806.

Members distributed a handout about the potential impact on traffic and the environment, the costs to the town, and the project's "compatibility with the surrounding community."

Architect Don Powers said the development team wants to respect neighborhood concerns.

But Planning Board Chairman Michael J. McCormick said state affordable housing law overrides local zoning limits on density, a key CODDER objection.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island is poised to be a leader in the emerging food innovation industry, six entrepreneurs said Tuesday during The Garage, a business conference organized by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

Food innovation encompasses products aimed at healthy eating, whether that involves adding supplements to foods; taking out unwanted ingredients, such as gluten or lactose; or simply eating more locally grown produce.

Speakers ranged from a proponent of Rhode Island-grown vegetables to a startup making an alternative to prenatal pills for pregnant women to a nonprofit that makes products to feed starving children around the globe.

As the industry emerges, the speakers agreed they need to work together to focus their strengths and attract other growing companies.

WARWICK, R.I. -- Roman Catholic Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, Mass., admitted refusing a chemical breath test for alcohol Tuesday and was fined $935, according to courts spokesman Craig N. Berke.

McManus's license was suspended for six months and he was ordered by Judge William T. Noonan of the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal to perform 10 hours of community service and undergo alcohol counseling.

Berke said the punishment was standard for a first offender.

McManus, a former auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Providence, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of drunken driving after an accident May 4 on Boston Neck Road in Narragansett. The other driver followed McManus to the bishop's vacation house at Bonnet Shores and summoned police.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Haverhill Inc., an emerging Rhode Island jewelry company, won the biggest prize Tuesday at the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, the final business event at The Garage.

Founded by CEO Alison Cariati and designer Haverhill Leach, Haverhill won the competition's entrepreneur track and its $30,000 bonus award, bringing its total winnings to $45,000 in cash and $24,000 of professional and consulting services. Haverhill is creating a sterling silver line of jewelry with semi-precious stones, with pieces starting around $250 --a price point Cariati says they've determined career women want.

Azavy won the student track, worth $15,000 in cash and services valued at $24,000. Tyler Benster, a Brown University senior, is leading the team, which includes Yale University senior Michael Anderson and Northwestern University senior Mark Fischer. They're creating an online store that connects people and organizations who have 3D printers with consumers who want to buy products designed and printed on them.

TennisHub, led by President Eddie Ross, won the competition's Technology Special Award, also worth $15,000 in cash and $24,000 in services.

In the 10 years the competition has awarded prizes, it has given out more than $1.4 million. This year's competition drew 78 applications.

PROVIDENCE -- A federal magistrate judge Tuesday ordered two men charged with being part of an interstate cigarette smuggling ring held without bail.

Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond denied a bail request by Wissam Khalil and continued a hearing for his brother, Bassam Khalil.

In Wissam Khalil's case, Almond cited the fact that Wissam Khalil was on bail from an April 2012 state cigarette smuggling charge when he was indicted on the federal smuggling charges last week.

Bassam Khalil's status hearing was continued to give him time to hire a lawyer.

Federal investigators charge the pair were part of a six-member ring that smuggled about 6 million cigarettes into the state from Virginia, costing Rhode Island $1 million in lost taxes in 2012-13.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Flags will fly at half-staff on Wednesday to honor police officers across the country who have died in the line of duty.

In honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day, President Obama has ordered the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff, and Governor Chafee has ordered the same for the R.I. flag.

"Setting aside fear and doubt, these officers made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the rule of law and the communities they loved," the president said.

"They heard the call to serve and answered it; braved the line of fire; charged toward the danger. Our hearts are heavy with their loss, and on Peace Officers Memorial Day, our Nation comes together to reflect on the legacy they left us."

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Anyone who wants to be a state beach lifeguard must pass a surf or nonsurf conditional lifeguard certification test, a news release from the R.I. Department of Environmental Management said Tuesday.

Nonsurf tests will be given from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 22, June 12 and June 27 at the Prosser Grove Picnic Area at Burlingame State Park in Charlestown. Call (401) 322-8910 if weather threatens.

Surf tests will be given from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 23 and June 13 at Scarborough State Beach in Narragansett. Call (401) 789-2324 if weather threatens.

Each applicant must be at least 16 years old and bring the $10 fee, proof of age and valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid and CPR. Those not yet 18 must bring a parent or guardian.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With a deadline only days away, House Speaker Gordon Fox has announced plans to introduce a resolution on Wednesday to block the compounded pay raises of 3 percent in June and another 3 percent in December that Governor Chafee plans to give state agency directors.

Fox said: "This action is certainly no reflection on the fine work performed by the Governor's department directors. However, given the fragile condition of the state's economy and with so many people struggling, we firmly believe that this is not the time for the Governor to be awarding pay increases."

The announcement came after 26 members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives signed a letter urging House rejection of the raises.

Unless the House and Senate formally object by May 19, the raises will go into effect. The Senate's intent is not yet clear.

In the letter they delivered to Fox on Tuesday, the lawmakers said: "The request, for what amounts to a 6 percent pay increase, sends the absolute wrong message to citizens of our state at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet, especially when these raises are across the board and not being requested on a position by position basis.

"We respectfully ask that a resolution be drafted for immediate consideration in the House and that a vote be taken tomorrow,'' said the letter, drafted by former House Majority Whip J. Patrick O'Neill, D-Pawtucket.

Rep. Robert D. Phillips, D-Woonsocket, had been circulating a resolution calling for the rejection of the pay raises earlier in the day. It pits the proposed pay raises against "foregone salary increases'' for other state employees, "the deep impact of the recession on Rhode Island families, jobs, businesses and public services'' and the pension freeze.

This post was initially published at 5:40 p.m.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A bill that would authorize campus police at the state's three public colleges, including the University of Rhode Island, to carry guns was held for further study Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Edith Ajello, the chairman, said the bill remains alive, but that some members felt they needed more information before casting a vote.

To date, the only public colleges and universities in the U.S. where trained campus police officers are not permitted to carry guns are URI, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island -- and the University of Oregon, where the university's president is considering seeking permission from his state's board of education.

Police at Brown University have been armed since 2006.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Marcel A. Valois, an economic-development professional with decades of experience working in Rhode Island, won unanimous approval Tuesday from the Senate Commerce Committee to lead the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

The vote followed comments from five people who offered resounding approval for Governor Chafee's nominee to lead the agency, which came under intense scrutiny a year ago as the agency-backed 38 Studios video-game company collapsed into bankruptcy.

Valois spoke enthusiastically about getting straight to work in an agency he has led once before, from 1995 to 1997, under then-Gov. Lincoln Almond.

The approval comes at a time when there's much debate in Rhode Island's political community about what to do with the agency whose mission is to create jobs and stimulate Rhode Island's economy.

Asked by committee vice chairman Sen. William A. Walaska for his thoughts on reforming the agency, Valois said he cannot predict how deliberations will go, but he said he believes moving the agency forward trumps spending "way too much" time talking about restructuring.

WARWICK, R.I. -- More than 400 people filled the auditorium at Toll Gate High School Tuesday evening to find out the fate of Gorton Junior High.

After two nights of emotional testimony from parents, teachers and residents who want the school to stay open, the School Committee was scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether or not it will close Gorton at the end of this school year
.
With a busy agenda, The board was not expected to vote until later in the evening.
Citing the district's aging buildings and steadily declining enrollment, administrators have recommended closing Gorton.

Opponents are questioning school officials' data and say that the decision would be premature since Warwick has yet to set its long-range goals such as all-day kindergarten and whether to move to the middle school model.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Students who have a questionable immigration status are already eligible for in-state tuition rates in Rhode Island, but two state lawmakers and more than a half-dozen supporters argued Tuesday that the lower rate should be etched into state law.

The change would remove the uncertainty for students who hope to go on to college, and would provide an added incentive for them to do well in school, supporters told the Senate Finance Committee

Senate Bill 310 would grant access to in-state tuition rates when an undocumented student has attended a Rhode Island high school for three or more years, graduated from a Rhode Island high school or received a high school equivalency diploma from the state, and is taking steps to lawfully remain in the country.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - With lawmakers a day away from voting on rejecting raises totaling more than 6 percent that he wanted to give the 14 state agency directors in his cabinet, Governor Chafee backed down Tuesday night.

"While the governor believes that these salary adjustments are well-deserved,'' spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger said he had decided to withdraw the proposal in light of the $50 million-plus revenue shortfall identified last week by the state's top fiscal advisers.

Earlier in the night, she said Chafee would "stick by his team,'' despite announced plans by House Speaker Gordon D. Fox to back efforts to formally reject the compounded pay raises of 3 percent in June and again in December that Chafee sought to give his top-tier staff.

If Rhode Islanders "want to attract and retain talent, they are going to have to pay for it,'' she said.

But a short time later, she said Chafee had reconsidered "in light of the revenue shortfall.''

"He understands that these are tough times...[and] believes that pulling the request demonstrates to Rhode Islanders that he understands and sympathizes with the tough economic times that they are weathering.''

JOHNSTON, R.I. -- A 31-year-old Framingham, Mass., man was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and refusing to submit to a chemical test Saturday after he allegedly ran his car over several mailboxes on Lincoln Drive.

Cary S. Sudan told the police he had had several glasses a of red wine late Saturday evening while visiting a friend who lives on the street, and that after sleeping several hours he set out to drive home around 7:30 a.m. He didn't get far.

One man man on Lincoln Drive told police he saw Sudan knock down his mailbox while speeding his car in reverse. Sudan was later released on personal recognizance, pending a court hearing May 22.

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A 64-year-old Providence man was remanded to the Adult Correctional Institutions Monday following his arrest over the weekend on charges of shoplifting more than $100 in Gillette razors from the Stop & Shop supermarket on Mineral Spring Avenue.

The police described Raymond E. Henderson of 160 Broad St., Providence, as a habitual offender who was already on a year's probation on another charge of shoplifting brought in February by the Cranston police.

After his arrest on Friday, Henderson complained of chest pains and was evaluated at Fatima Hospital. He was eventually taken to North Providence police headquarters and arraigned before a justice of the peace.

WARWICK, R.I. -- Students and parents cheered Tuesday night as a somber School Committee voted to put off a decision on closing Gorton Junior High School until the district has a better idea of its educational goals for the future.

The 4-to-1 vote, with Chairwoman Bethany Furtado dissenting, caps recent weeks of upheaval as the public has fought the school administration and a special study committee's recommendation that Gorton be closed.

School Committee Board member Karen Bachus made the motion to table any action on Gorton until the district's long-range planning committee has reported back with "viable" options for the future -- no later than January 2014.

Even with further study, the district likely faces closing a school, Bachus said. She also warned that the price of not closing a school this year will mean large sacrifices for all teachers and students.

Those recommending the closing have said that the cash-strapped school district needs to operate as efficiently as possible for all students and, with steadily declining enrollment, cannot afford to operate three junior high schools.

Opponents have contended that the school administration rushed the study and that it makes no sense to shut a school while the district is still deciding whether it will implement all-day kindergarten classes or transition to a middle-school model.

Initially published at 8:41 p.m. and updated 12:01 a.m.

Should we be worried about David Ortiz? Is there any end in sight to the team's offensive struggles? Will Boston be in fourth place by the time this week's over? There's lots of questions, and our two Red Sox beat writers answered many of them today, in their weekly chat. You can view the transcript below.