PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Senate has unanimously approved an 11th-hour bill described by the Chafee Administration as critical to the launch -- within days -- of live, state-operated casino gambling at the privately-owned Twin River in Lincoln.

The bill defines a "casino crime'' and the penalties for it.

Any cheating by a patron -- or employee -- would be subject to a potential 10 years in jail and $100,000 fine. That could include everything from "intentionally taking advantage of a malfunctioning machine," to "infiltrating a computer system."

A reworked version of the bill introduced last week, hit the Senate floor one day after winning approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and without the usual two-calendar-day notice.

Asked how the 58-page bill made it to the Senate calendar so fast, spokesman Greg Pare said the Judiciary Committee voted before the start of Tuesday's Senate session, so the day technically counted as two "legislative days.''

"It's not as if they didn't know the deadline for opening was coming,'' said Common Cause's "mystified'' executive director John Marion. "Too bad to see the Chafee Administration join in some of the last minute shenanigans that have been abused by legislative leaders for a long time.

Asked when the House might vote, spokesman Larry Berman said: "To be determined.''

Providence Journal video / Andrew Dickerman

Ed DiMeglio operates RetroMedia, a business in Smithfield that converts obsolete types of film and tape into modern digital versions that can be played on today's home electronic devices.

The company's walls are lined with old equipment that was probably discarded by most families and businesses many years ago. These vintage items are used to play the old formats in the process of giving them new lives as digital recordings.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence School Board expressed its outrage over the "deeply disturbing findings" uncovered by the Department of Justice investigation into the state's Training Thru Placement program and the Birch Vocational School.

"It is our board's responsibility to ensure that all Providence school children receive a high-quality education in a safe environment," board president Keith Oliveira wrote Wednesday.

He said the board will continue to work with local and federal officials to find answers to the many questions that have been raised. "It is the Providence School Board's intent to find out how this has happened and how it was allowed to continue for so long," Oliveira wrote.

The U.S. Justice Department found that Birch, a school for disabled students within Mount Pleasant High School, has kept students in segregated settings.

It also found that the school funneled Birch graduates into a single state-licensed program for the disabled, called Training Thru Placement in North Providence, where students worked long hours for extremely low wages, the federal investigation found.

Justice Dept. finds disabled students' civil rights violated in RI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- State health officials have closed several more beaches in Rhode Island to swimming because of bacteria in the water.

The Department of Health said Wednesday that Narragansett Town Beach, North Kingstown Town Beach, Barrington Town Beach, and City Park Beach and Oakland Beach in Warwick are not suitable for swimming because of high bacteria counts.

Two other beaches in Warwick, Conimicut Point Beach and Goddard Memorial State Park Beach, remain closed.

The beaches will be reopened to swimming after water quality tests find a safe level of bacteria.

The health department routinely monitors water quality at the state's public beaches throughout the summer months.

Beach status may change daily. For up-to-date information, call (401) 222-2751 or visit www.health.ri.gov/beaches to use HEALTH's interactive beach map.

TAUNTON, Mass. -- Flood warnings continue for the Pawtuxet River in Kent and Providence counties and for the Pawcatuck River in Washington County.

The Pawtuxet is above flood stage and will slowly subside Wednesday and Thursday, but the rain predicted for late Thursday into Friday is expected to send it above flood stage again.

Along the Pawcatuck, the lowest-lying homes along Hiscox Road in Westerly and some homes in French Village in Hopkinton are affected.

The National Weather Service cautions drivers not to cross flooded roads, using the slogan: "Turn around. Don't drown."

Further, the weather service cautions people not to allow children to play near swollen rivers, streams or culverts. "Swiftly moving water can pose an imminent threat to life," officials at the weather service said.

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- One person was killed and two others were injured in a three-vehicle accident on Bristol Ferry Road Wednesday afternoon.

Police were releasing few details of the accident, which occurred at 4:45 p.m. near Mare Terrace. Two of the motor vehicle operators were taken to Newport Hospital, where one was pronounced dead. The third operator was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

Police said they were withholding the names of those involved pending notification of the respective families.

SCITUATE, R.I. -- The 75-year-old Central Falls man with Alzheimer's disease who became the object of a region-wide "silver alert" on Wednesday has been found.

State Police say Argemiro Garcia was located shortly after midnight Thursday in West Springfield, Mass. He had been missing after since being seen driving away from his home in Central Falls in a red Honda.

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- A 30-year-old man who police say used a large knife to hold up a Subway restaurant at 99 Eddie Dowling Highway Wednesday was arrested in the woods behind the nearby Stop & Shop shortly after being found there by a dog from the Rhode Island State Police.

Police identified the suspect as Jason Lasalle, of 225 Fourth Ave., who was being charged with armed robbery and disorderly conduct. They said they also received help from a police dog from Warwick.

According to witnesses, Lasalle walked into the Subway shop around 7 p.m. Wednesday and, displaying a large knife, demanded money. The $230 that Lasalle allegedly got in the heist was recovered along with the knife, the police said.

Providence Journal photo/ Bob Breidenbach

Defense lawyer Gerard Donley leaves the Superior Court building Thursday after he was found guilty of bribery and related charges. At right is his lawyer, Edward C. Roy.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- In a case that upended the justice system in Rhode Island, a jury on Thursday found criminal defense lawyer Gerard Donley guilty of conspiring to obstruct justice by bribing a witness not to testify against the man who allegedly stabbed him.

The jury deliberated about 13 hours before concluding around 1 p.m. that Donley had colluded with defense lawyer Donna Uhlmann and his client, Jamaal Dublin, to bribe convicted felon Michael Drepaul not to testify. Donley was found guilty of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, bribery and conspiracy.

Judge Robert Krause ordered Donley be placed on home-confinement and that he post $250,000 surety bail, with his house as collateral, while awaiting sentencing.

The case pitted Donley against prosecutors he had worked with in court over 25-plus years. The jury accepted prosecutors' assertion that Donley, Uhlmann and Dublin conspired to pay Drepaul 10 "stacks" or $10,000 not to implicate Dublin.

Uhlmann and Dublin are awaiting trial.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A former Pawtucket man was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in prison and 23 years probation after pleading no contest to setting five fires in Central Falls and Providence, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin's office announced.

Franci Villorio, 22, whose last address was 27 Palm St, Pawtucket, pled no contest in April to charges he set five fires at three locations between February and June 2011. All the fires were at buildings where Villorio's ex-girlfriend, members of her family or new boyfriend lived.

Besides prison and probation, Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl ordered that Villorio have no contact with his victims, get mental health counseling, perform 100 hours a year of community service for five years and pay restitution.

AP photo / U.S. Attorney's Office

This 1980 black and white surveillance photo released by the U.S. Attorney's Office and presented as evidence during the first day of a trial for James "Whitey" Bulger in U.S. District Court in Boston Wednesday shows Bulger, center, with Ted Berenson, left, and Phil Wagenheim at a Lancaster Street garage in Boston's North End.

DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

BOSTON (AP) -- Jurors in James "Whitey" Bulger's racketeering trial on Thursday were shown machine guns and other weapons from a massive arsenal that investigators say he and his gang owned.

Retired state police Col. Thomas Foley identified weapons hidden in several locations during a 2000 investigation, including in a shed behind a South Boston home owned by the mother of Bulger's partner, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi.

Foley slowly and methodically identified dozens of guns through photographs. But there was a dramatic moment when prosecutor Fred Wyshak pulled out six machine guns -- one at a time -- and asked Foley to identify them.

Foley said Bulger's gang collected fees known as "rent" or "tribute" from bookmakers, drug dealers and others to allow them to operate within their territory.

"What were the consequences of not paying a fee?" Wyshak asked.

"Well, it could range from being put out of business to taking a beating, or actually at times, some people were killed," Foley said.

Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, is charged with a long list of crimes in a 32-count racketeering indictment, including participating in 19 killings in the 1970s and '80s. He was one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives after he fled Boston in 1994.

Bulger, now 83, was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

Foley's testimony came after another retired state police officer, Lt. Robert Long, identified Bulger on several surveillance videos from 1980. The videos showed Bulger meeting with members of his gang, as well as members of the Italian Mafia.

Testimony from both men appeared to be part of an attempt by prosecutors to depict Bulger and his gang as violent, feared gangsters.

In opening statements to the jury Wednesday, prosecutor Brian Kelly said Bulger made millions through drugs, extortion and loan-sharking by instilling fear in drug dealers, bookies and others.

During cross-examination by Bulger's attorney, Foley acknowledged that none of the weapons were found in Bulger's house and neither his fingerprints nor DNA were found on any of them.

Foley also acknowledged that state police investigations were thwarted by Boston FBI agents who were protecting Bulger.

Prosecutors say Bulger was a longtime FBI informant who provided information on the Italian Mafia, a prime target of the Department of Justice at the time.

Bulger's attorneys, however, say Bulger never worked as an FBI informant, but instead corrupted FBI agents by paying them to tip him off to search warrants, bugs and indictments.

An earlier version of this story was published at 2:10 p.m.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Chafee has nominated a former anesthesiologist and Miriam Hospital president to replace the nation's first health insurance oversight position, known as the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner.

Providence Journal photo / Kris Craig

Kathleen Hittner

In nominating Kathleen C. Hittner, M.D., Chafee called her "a widely respected medical professional with decades of relevant experience in Rhode Island's health care industry."

If approved by the R.I. Senate, Hittner will replace Christopher F. Koller, who is stepping down to become President of the Milbank Memorial Fund, a national health policy foundation based in New York City, the governor's office said in a news release.

The office was created in 2004 to guard the solvency of health insurers, protect consumers, encourage fair treatment of health care providers, advocate for the quality and efficiency of health care and direct insurers toward improving efficiency, quality, and access.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Fort Adams State Park Beach in Newport has been closed to swimming because of high bacteria counts in the water.

Fort Adams joins the following beaches that are closed because of poor water quality: Narragansett Town Beach, North Kingstown Town Beach, and Barrington Town Beach, as well as City Park Beach, Oakland Beach, Conimicut Point Beach and Goddard Memorial State Park Beach in Warwick.

During beach season, the R.I. Department of Health's beach monitoring program routinely tests water quality at all state beaches. For up-to-date information about beach use, call (401) 222-2751 or visit health.ri.gov/news/beaches/ to use the health department's interactive beach map.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Moderate Party founder Ken Block filed another Open Meetings Act complaint Thursday against the state Board of Elections, saying the board failed to list the bill numbers of legislation discussed at its March 11 meeting.

In response to an earlier complaint by Block, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin's office issued a June 3 opinion saying the Board of Elections had violated the Open Meetings Act with its Feb. 27 meeting agenda, which said the board planned to discuss "election legislation" but gave no further detail about the 10 bills it planned to address.

Now, Block, who is running for governor, is charging that the board also violated the Open Meetings Act with its March 11 meeting agenda, which offered brief descriptions of the bills but not the bill numbers that would allow the public to quickly identify the legislation.

"The result of this omission was to obfuscate the specific bills to be discussed from the public's eyes," Block's complaint says. "The board failed to use common sense when it filed its agenda. I find the method employed to be misguided to the point where this may constitute a willful and knowing violation," which could lead to fines.

Block claimed that the board committed a second violation by missing a 35-day deadline for filing minutes of the March 11 meeting.

Read the complaint: Election Board Complaint.pdf

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Paying down the debt left after Rhode Island's failed investment in the video-game company 38 Studios may be the reason why House and Senate leaders have yet to produce their version of the state budget for the year starting July 1, lawmakers critical of the Democratic leadership suggest this week.

Governor Chafee's budget, submitted to lawmakers in January, calls for a multiyear plan to pay the more than $100 million debt, starting with a $2.5 million payment next year, followed by $12.5 million annual payments for the seven years thereafter.

"My gut says to me that the holdup is 38 Studios funding," House Minority Leader Brian C. Newberry, R-North Smithfield, said Monday. "There may be other issues in debate but they wouldn't be there if we didn't have the 38 Studios question. That's fundamentally what's holding things up."

State Rep. J. Patrick O'Neill, a Pawtucket Democrat who had once been House Speaker Gordon D. Fox's majority whip, agreed.

"I can already see the argument that it's only $2.5 million in an $8 billion budget. But it's so much more than that," he said Monday. "It's not as innocent, I'd argue. This is when the lawyer in me kicks in. You've accepted the responsibility towards that whole thing once you've made a partial payment."

But House Speaker Gordon D. Fox, a Providence Democrat, rejected the notion that the 38 Studios question holds the key to the budget on Wednesday: "It's an issue. But if the question is whether that is holding up the budget? No, it's not."

He didn't offer up any timeline for when the budget might materialize nor when lawmakers hoped to wrap up the six month session, which began on Jan. 1.

"We're not going to be done until we are done," Fox said when asked about when the House might produce its version of the budget. "As long as it takes. Like every year, it will happen when it happens. Sometimes it happens early. Sometimes it happens later. [...] I'm committed to being here until the work is done."

The new budget year starts July 1, but lawmakers do no necessarily need to finalize a tax-and-spending plan by then.

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) -- Reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, a legendary organized-crime figure in Boston, is on trial on a long list of charges, including participating in 19 killings. Here's a look at the case against him, his defense and what's happening in the courtroom:

THE HISTORY

The 83-year-old Bulger, the alleged former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, was one of the nation's most wanted fugitives after he fled Boston in 1994. He was captured in 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif., where he had been living with his longtime girlfriend in a rent-controlled apartment. His early image as a modern-day Robin Hood who gave Thanksgiving dinners to working-class neighbors and kept drug dealers out of his South Boston neighborhood was shattered when authorities started digging up bodies.

THE PROSECUTION

Prosecutors called two former state police officers to illustrate the scope of what they say was Bulger's extensive criminal enterprise. Retired Lt. Robert Long identified Bulger in a collection of photos and video surveillance from 1980. The images show Bulger meeting with members of his gang and various members of the New England Mafia. Col. Thomas Foley identified six machine guns and eight other guns shown to the jury in the courtroom. He also identified dozens of other guns through photographs. Prosecutors say the guns were owned by Bulger and his gang and used to instill fear in anyone who refused to pay a fee, known as "tribute," to Bulger's gang.

THE DEFENSE

Bulger lawyer Hank Brennan aggressively questioned Foley about his frustration with some Boston FBI agents who Foley said thwarted state police investigations of Bulger and his gang. Foley acknowledged during cross-examination by Brennan that none of the weapons identified by Foley were found in Bulger's home at the time, and neither Bulger's DNA nor his fingerprints were found on any of them. Foley wrote a 2012 book about his pursuit of Bulger: "Most Wanted: Pursuing Whitey Bulger, the Murderous Mob Chief the FBI Secretly Protected."

THE JURY

Eleven men and seven women are serving on the jury, including 12 regular jurors and six alternates. The trial is expected to last three to four months.

WHAT'S UP NEXT

In testimony Friday, two bookmakers are expected to describe how Bulger allegedly extorted fees called "tribute" from them.

BULGER

The defendant wore jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt. He showed no emotion during the proceedings.

-- Thomas J Foley

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse also commented on the settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice, the State of Rhode Island, and the City of Providence over violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act that affected about 200 disabled Rhode Islanders:

"I appreciate the hard work of DOJ, and the leadership of the City and the State to resolve this matter. I hope today's settlement serves as a first step toward improving services and opportunities for disabled Rhode Islanders."

The federal investigation found that Rhode Island and the City of Providence violated the rights of disabled students and unnecessarily segregated them at the Harold H. Birch Vocational School and the Training Thru Placement program.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. James Langevin have issued statements about the findings of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into the treatment of disabled Rhode Islanders by the state and the City of Providence.

The federal investigation found that Rhode Island and the City of Providence violated the rights of intellectually and developmentally disabled students and unnecessarily segregated them at the Harold H. Birch Vocational School and the Training Thru Placement program.

"Exploiting disabled students is unconscionable," Reed said in his statement. "There was a failure to protect these kids and there must be accountability. ... We must strive to do better and ensure there are pathways for disabled students for jobs that pay fair wages and that won't isolate them from the broader community."

Said Langevin: "The revelation of civil rights abuses in Rhode Island twenty three years after passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act is extremely troubling. There is simply no excuse for discrimination or segregation in any form, and we owe it to these children and others like them to ensure treatment like this is not allowed to continue.

"The settlement announced today appears to be a positive step toward addressing the mistakes of the past and ensuring that people with disabilities have every opportunity to achieve meaningful employment at a fair wage and in the most integrated setting possible."

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- State Rep. Frank Ferri and Tony Caparco were married in Canada years ago.

But they want to marry in their home state on Aug. 1, on the first day same-sex marriage is allowed in Rhode Island. And they want House Speaker Gordon D. Fox to perform the ceremony.

A bill to allow Fox to officiate was introduced in the House this week by Representatives Arthur Handy, Edith Ajello, Maria Cimini, Mia Ackerman and Teresa Tanzi. Handy was the lead sponsor of the same-sex marriage legislation that passed earlier in this session.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor has issued the following safety alert:

"Due to high and fast water conditions on the Blackstone River and its tributaries, and several incidents already reported over the last few days, we strongly recommend not going out in canoes or kayaks or other small vessels on the river until water levels and flow have returned to normal."