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Police keep eye on Cranston school after 'suspicious person' report

May 15, 2013, 10:40 am
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By Thomas J. Morgan

CRANSTON, R.I. -- Police patrols have increased their presence in the vicinity of the Hugh B. Bain Middle School because of a report of a suspicious person in the neighborhood, Police Chief Marco Palumbo Jr. said Wednesday.

Palumbo said investigators were not able to confirm the presence of such a person, but police took action "out of an abundance of caution."

He added, "We have established a visible presence at the school."

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Pawtucket man accused of rape, attempted strangulation

May 15, 2013, 11:33 am
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By Amanda Milkovits

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- A local man is accused of raping and attempting to strangle a woman inside her apartment at Galego Court Monday afternoon.

Jose Encarnacion, 28, knew the 30-year-old woman he's accused of attacking, said Maj. Arthur Martins.

After assaulting the woman, Encarnacion took her phone, but she fled the apartment and found someone else to call police, Martins said.

Encarnacion left too, but didn't go far. As officers were responding, Detective Hans Cute saw him at a Weeden Street gas station and sent officers to arrest him, Martins said.

Encarnacion, of 302 Pullen Ave., was ordered held without bail at Tuesday's arraignment on charges of domestic first-degree sexual assault, domestic assault by strangulation, refusal to relinquish the phone, disorderly conduct and simple assault.

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Construction interests and local governments support proposed loan fund for road repairs

May 15, 2013, 11:37 am
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By Philip Marcelo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Construction interests and local government officials made the case Tuesday for House Speaker Gordon D. Fox and state General Treasurer Gina Raimondo's plan to create new state loan fund for local road and bridge repairs run by the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency.

"The roads are definitely not going to get better on their own, and, in the next few years, things will get dire," Bristol Public Works Director James J. Galuska said at a House Finance Committee meeting.

Construction companies and building trades argued that the proposal would provide a needed boost to an industry still struggling with high unemployment.

But some House Finance Committee members voiced concerns about whether smaller communities would lose out to larger ones under the plan.

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Ex-Brown president Simmons to receive French Legion of Honor award

May 15, 2013, 11:41 am
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By Thomas J. Morgan
ruth-simmons-150a.jpg

Journal file photo

Simmons

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Ruth J. Simmons, former president of Brown University, will receive the French Legion of Honor award Thursday at a ceremony in the John Carter Brown Library on the Brown Campus.

The award, given to Simmons by decree of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is the highest decoration offered by the French government, given to a select number of recipients in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of French arts and culture, according to a news release.

Fluent in French, Simmons earned her PhD in Romance languages and literature at Harvard University. She has written about French-speaking authors and poets.

Fabien Fieschi, consul general of France in Boston, will present Simmons with the decoration.

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Providence Police: Brawl incited by rap videos leads to arrests via Facebook

May 15, 2013, 12:06 pm
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By Amanda Milkovits

PROVIDENCE -- The police say that locally made rap videos incited a brawl that involved hundreds of teens and injured a police officer near the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex last Thursday afternoon.

Ironically, social media also led to arrests, after some teens recorded the fights on their cell phones and posted the videos onto Facebook, said Sgt. Michael Wheeler.

Other students showed the videos to administrators and police, who were able to identify several assailants, said Wheeler.

So far, one adult and nine teens have been charged in the fights. School Resource Officer Wayne Marshall fractured his ribs while arresting a 14-year-old Alvarez High School boy suspected of instigating the fight, said Wheeler. The other teens were from Sanchez, Central and Mount Pleasant high schools.

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Business leaders sign letter in support of R.I. Education Commissioner Gist

May 15, 2013, 12:11 pm
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By Linda Borg

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Two dozen business associations have signed a letter asking Governor Chafee and the state Board of Education to support state Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist, whose contract expires June 7.

The May 7 letter is signed by such organizations as Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Associated Builders and Contractors of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Association of School Committees, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, Rhode Island Small Business Economic Summit and many others.

The letter states that "we cannot afford to lose the admirable leadership of the Rhode Island Department of Education's Commissioner..."

Gist, the letter says, has a track record of developing "a rigorous, reliable and transparent education system." The signers say they are confident that she can "lead our state toward a brighter future, in which education and the economy can grow together."

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Chicago man arrested near Taylor Swift's mansion in Westerly

May 15, 2013, 12:47 pm
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By Donita Naylor
taylor_swift.jpg

AP photo

Taylor Swift

WESTERLY, R.I. -- Country music star Taylor Swift's mansion in Watch Hill was apparently the destination of a fan at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday when police saw a man walking on Lighthouse Road, which is marked as private, a police news release said Wednesday.

The man, Lucas H. Vorsteveld, 22, of Chicago, was asked what he was doing on the private road. He told the officer, who was conducting a Homeland Security Check of the Watch Hill Lighthouse, which is near the mansion at 16 Bluff Ave., that he was going for a walk.

Police ascertained that he did not have a place to stay other than his Chicago address, so he was taken into custody and charged with trespassing. He was summoned to appear May 24 in District Court, South Kingstown.

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Fallen Providence officer honored in DC service

May 15, 2013, 1:40 pm
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By Journal Staff

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- A Providence police officer who was killed in an accident in the line of duty last year was among those honored at a ceremony in the nation's capital.

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MAXWELL DORLEY

Police Sgt. Maxwell Dorley was honored at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday in the National Peace Officers Memorial Service. The event is held every year to honor fallen officers. In all, 143 officers across the country were memorialized.

Mayor Angel Taveras, Police Chief Col. Hugh Clements, the head of the Providence police union and a contingent of officers attended.

Dorley was killed in April 2012 when his patrol car hit a utility pole while he was responding to a call for assistance.

A wreath-laying ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial followed the service.

From the archives:

This video was published April 23, 2012. Watch more video remembering Sgt. Dorley

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Portsmouth High School evacuated after "communication" triggers emergency procedures

May 15, 2013, 2:04 pm
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By Donita Naylor

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- Portsmouth High School was evacuated at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, and all after-school and evening activities were canceled, Supt. Lynn Krizic said Wednesday afternoon.

"We had a communication that caused us to put emergency procedures, which included evacuation, in place," Krizic said.

For about an hour after the evacuation, some students were escorted in to retrieve such personal effects as medicine and house keys, she said, but that was discontinued.

"While this has been a disruption to our students and our staff, we really put student safety as a priority," she said.

School will resume as usual Thursday, although police will be present "for safety and security reasons," she said. Counselors will be available.


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Advocates: R.I.'s homeless population could surge because of federal cuts

May 15, 2013, 2:09 pm
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By Paul Davis

PROVIDENCE -- The state's growing homeless population could surge because of federal cuts to housing and shelter programs, advocates at the State House said Wednesday.

Because of the sequester -- automatic federal budget cuts that went into effect March 1 -- the state could lose more than $3.6 million for programs that help the homeless, said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless.

The cuts couldn't come at a worse time, Ryczek told lawmakers gathered for a hearing on the issue.

The last of the state's winter homeless shelters is scheduled to close next week, leaving more than 30 people without a bed. And family homelessness is on the rise.

"It's the perfect storm," Ryczek said.

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Senate panel approves bill to hike minimum wage by 25 cents

May 15, 2013, 2:11 pm
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By Katherine Gregg

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Senate committee has approved a bill to raise Rhode Island's minimum wage from $7.75 to $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2014.

When it was first introduced by Sen. Erin Lynch, D-Warwick, the legislation would have increased the minimum wage to $8.25.

It would have allowed the state's Department of Labor and Training "to maintain employee purchasing power by increasing the current year's minimum wage buy the rate of inflation'' every year after that. Those words were stricken from the version that cleared the Senate Labor Committee on Wednesday.

The compromise bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote, and from there to the House.

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Connecticut man charged in assault on Brown basketball player

May 15, 2013, 2:17 pm
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By Amanda Milkovits

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Connecticut man is being charged with assaulting a Brown University basketball player that left him critically injured.

Tory Lussier, 24, was arrested in Vernon, Conn., Wednesday on a warrant, said Deputy Chief Thomas F. Oates III. Lussier is being held as a fugitive and is awaiting extradition, Oates said.

Lussier is accused of punching Joseph Sharkey, 21, of Norwood, Mass., early Sunday near the Brown campus on the East Side early Sunday morning. Oates said the disturbance at Thayer and George streets remains under investigation.

Sharkey is a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard who attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, outside Springfield, Mass.

He was injured his freshman year and missed the entire season. This year, he played in all but one of Brown's 28 games, mostly as a reserve.

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R.I. Senate panel passes bill to make future college tuition waivers public

May 15, 2013, 3:27 pm
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By Katherine Gregg

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Legislation approved by a Senate committee Wednesday would lift some of the secrecy from the future -- but not the past -- award of free college tuition worth up to $26,444 a year to University of Rhode Island and state college employees and their spouses and children.

Introduced at the request of Governor Chafee, the legislation approved unanimously by the Senate Committee on Education would require any public employee receiving a tuition waiver in the future to consent to the "public disclosure and amount of the waiver.''

State law requires the disclosure of public employee salaries, benefits and "other remuneration."

The schools have refused to name the recipients, claiming the state's Access to Public Records Act law does not apply to the $9.2 million waiver program.

Assistant Attorney General Michael W. Field agreed, deciding the student records protections in the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, commonly known as FERPA, trump the disclosure requirement in the state's open-records law.

The legislation is headed to the full Senate for a vote.

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2 rescued by Providence fire boat on training run

May 15, 2013, 4:01 pm
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By Donita Naylor

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Three firefighters on a training run in the department's 34-foot Metalcraft Marine 1 happened upon two people in the water around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Chief William Kenyon said.

The two men in their 30s had been taking a motorized canoe from Conimicut in Warwick to Bullocks Point in East Providence. Waves swamped their canoe, leaving them in the water, Kenyon said.

"They were pretty fortunate guys," Kenyon said. Once they were safely aboard Marine 1, one of the men observed what a bad day it was. Firefighter Carl Richards responded, "It's a good day because we happened upon you."

The men were wearing wetsuits, Kenyon said, but no one saw their vessel go under or knew they were in trouble.

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Two Roger Williams University professors claim harassment by top administrators

May 16, 2013, 10:08 am
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By Linda Borg

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Two female Roger Williams University professors say they have been subjected to years of discrimination and harassment by management at the university.

During a press conference Thursday at the Omni Providence Hotel, the two professors, Bonita Cade and Sharon DeLucca, detailed their allegations, which they say are part of a larger pattern of sexism toward women on the Bristol campus.

The news conference was held two days before the university's commencement Saturday.

In a statement, Roger Williams said it does not comment on litigation or pending arbitration involving faculty members. "The university," the statement said, "intends to vigorously defend against the alleged claims as they relate to the university and believes we will ultimately prevail in the case."

Correction: Professor Bonita Cade's surname was misspelled in an earlier version of this report.

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Forum held on improving RI Department of Envionmental Management

May 16, 2013, 10:32 am
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By Richard Salit

About 100 people turned out Thursday for a forum on how the Department of Environmental Management can better serve the needs of businesses while protecting the environment.

For too long, there has been an "us versus them" image that has tainted relations between businesses seeking permits and staff at the DEM, director Janet Coit acknowledged.

"That's a reputation we don't want and a perception we want to change," said Coit, who explained how under Governor Chafee, her agency has already embarked on a "Lean Government Initiative."

The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, a non-profit, non-partisan group that promotes better government, organized the forum at Fidelity in Smithfield. Business community members urged the DEM to strike a reasonable balance between protecting the environment and making it quicker and easier to obtain development permits.

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R.I. good government groups decry Governor Chafee's school safety bill

May 16, 2013, 10:45 am
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By Philip Marcelo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Rhode Island Press Association and other open government groups are calling on Governor Chafee to amend legislation he introduced -- and the House of Representatives has already passed -- that they say would make secret a wide range of government documents and discussions about school safety.

The legislation, H-5941 and S-801, requires that all school districts conduct school safety assessments.

But the open government groups say the proposals would also make secret all school committee discussions and school documents regarding those school safety plans.

Besides the state Press Association, other groups voicing opposition to the legislation include the New England First Amendment Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, and Common Cause Rhode Island.

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North Providence student killed in bike-car crash

May 16, 2013, 10:54 am
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By News staff

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A North Providence High School student riding his bicycle died after he was struck by a car late Wednesday night.

School principal Joseph Goho announced the death of ninth-grader Justin Santiago over the public address system on Thursday morning. Santiago was 16.

Capt. Daniel Cennamo said the crash took place around 11:10 p.m. He said a car traveling on Waterman Avenue collided with a cyclist at the intersection with Woodcliff Avenue. He said the cyclist was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital but did not release the person's name.

Cennamo said local police and the Rhode Island State Police are investigating.

Goho described Santiago as jovial, polite and respectful, took his studies seriously and had a close circle of friends, including a girlfriend.

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Suspect in assault on Brown basketball player waives extradition to RI

May 16, 2013, 11:04 am
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By W. Zachary Malinowski
lussier.jpg

Tory Lussier

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Tory R. Lussier, the Connecticut man arrested Wednesday in the assault on a Brown University basketball player that left the player in critical condition, is on his way back to Rhode Island.

Providence Detective Capt. Michael E. Correia said Thursday afternoon that Lussier, 25, appeared in Rockville, Conn. Superior Court and waived extradition to Rhode Island to face a charge of felony assault. He is accused of punching Joseph Sharkey, a sophomore on the Brown basketball team, in the face early Sunday morning at the corner of Thayer and George streets.

Lussier was arrested in Vernon, Conn. late Wednesday.

Correia said that Lussier will spend the night in the Providence police station. He will be taken to District Court in Providence sometime on Friday to be formally arraigned on the assault charge.

Conn. man accused of assaulting Brown basketball player was arrested in Conn. last year

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R.I. unemployment rate falls to 8.8 percent in April

May 16, 2013, 11:10 am
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By Kate Bramson

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island's unemployment rate dropped again, to 8.8 percent in April, and the state gained 500 jobs since March, according to figures released Thursday by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

But the size of the state's labor force declined as well, to 558,200 people in April, for the fourth month in a row.

The number of jobs here in Rhode Island was 467,400 for April, just 2,700 more jobs than a year ago -- an increase of less than 1 percent.

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