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1540 WADK.com Updates Archives for 2017-01

Insurers won't pay boat owner's claim in lost-at-sea case

Insurers say they will not cover the loss of a boat owned by a Vermont man that sank off Rhode Island with his mother aboard.

Nathan Carman and his mother, 54-year-old Linda Carman, of Middletown, Connecticut, left on a fishing trip in September. Nathan Carman was found alone in a life raft eight days later. His mother is presumed dead.

In papers filed last week in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, the National Liability & Fire Insurance Co., and a marine insurer say Nathan Carman made "incomplete, improper, and faulty repairs" to the vessel on the day before it sank, and that he knew the vessel was "unseaworthy."

Carman has previously said he believed his boat was safe.

Hundreds protest RI senator's vote for Trump CIA nominee

Hundreds of people showed up at a community event for Rhode Island Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse to protest his vote in favor of President Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director and to push him to vote against other nominees.

A video of Sunday's event posted by the group Resist Hate RI shows people chanting "Just Say No!" and "Obstruct!" and shouting Whitehouse down at times.

Rhode Island voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton by a wide margin in the presidential election.

The overflow crowd at a Providence school could not fit inside the auditorium. Those who could not get in chanted "Take it outside!"

After answering questions inside, Whitehouse went outside and used a bullhorn to address hundreds more people.

He told them he understands many people disagree with his vote.

Gas prices fall slightly in RI

AAA Northeast says the average price for gasoline in Rhode Island has fallen by 3 cents in the past week.

The group's weekly survey finds self-serve regular averaging $2.25 per gallon, putting the state 2 cents below the national average of $2.27 per gallon.

The average price a year ago at this time in Rhode Island was $1.87 per gallon.

RI GOP leader asks Trump to jumpstart pipeline

The top Republican in the Rhode Island House of Representatives is asking President Donald Trump to rekindle a stalled pipeline project that would bring more natural gas to New England from shale fields in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan said Monday she's sent a letter to the president asking him to consider it as part of his infrastructure plans.

Morgan says Rhode Island ratepayers need relief from rising electricity costs as more homes are converted to gas heat.

Environmental groups have opposed the project to expand the capacity of Houston-based Spectra Energy's Algonquin pipeline system, in part because it delivers gas drawn by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. It's also been met with opposition in New York's Hudson Valley and other communities that the line runs beneath.

Assumpico formally sworn in to lead state police

The first woman to lead the Rhode Island State Police has been sworn in.

Col. Ann Assumpico is the 13th superintendent of the state police and the first woman to lead any policy agency in Rhode Island.

She was sworn in on Monday by Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo at a ceremony at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

Assumpico also holds the dual role of the state's director of public safety.

She's been leading the state police since Raimondo appointed her in November, but the public safety director position required the state Senate's advice and consent. The Senate unanimously confirmed her earlier this month.

Lawmaker tries again to repeal state's outdated laws

A state lawmaker is making another effort to repeal Rhode Island's outdated laws.

House Majority Whip John Edwards, a Democrat, has tried before to create a joint committee within the General Assembly to review laws and recommend which ones are no longer needed.

He says he has introduced legislation again to create the committee.

In Rhode Island, a law restricting the amount of seaweed Barrington residents can take from the public beach has been on the books for about 200 years.

Another law allows for a fine of up to $5 for every person guilty of profane swearing and cursing.

Edwards says some of the laws aren't just archaic, but they also hinder business.

He says it's time to toss arbitrary statutes that choke the economy and cause confusion.

1st woman to lead RI State Police to be sworn in

The first woman to lead the Rhode Island State Police is being sworn in.

The swearing-in ceremony for Col. Ann Assumpico will be held  today.

Assumpico becomes the 13th superintendent of the state police. She's the first woman to lead any police agency in Rhode Island.

She says she plans to focus on better preparing recruits as she works to diversify the ranks of the department.

The department has been criticized for its lack of racial, ethnic and gender diversity, particularly in the upper ranks.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo will swear in Assumpico.

Members of the state police and federal, state and local leaders plan to attend.

The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The event is open to the public.

Sen. Reed says he'll vote against Trump education nominee

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is planning to vote against President Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary.

Reed said in a statement Friday that Betsy DeVos "flunked her confirmation hearing and is not the right person for the job."

The Rhode Island Democrat also said the education secretary should be a champion for all children and not someone like DeVos who he said helped reduce school oversight and accountability in Michigan and promoted the diversion of taxpayer dollars toward private schools.

Trump has called DeVos "a brilliant and passionate education advocate."

Reed also said that given DeVos's ties to for-profit education companies that will be directly impacted by Department of Education decisions it's hard to see how she could untangle herself from what he described as "a thick web of conflicts."

Naval Station Newport to participate in annual exercise

Naval Station Newport will join installations across the nation in an annual training exercise to better prepare Navy security forces.

Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2017 will be conducted on naval installations beginning Monday.

Naval Station Newport says it's holding training events as part of the larger effort.

Officials say they want the public to know that the events are planned and are not in response to an emergency.

The exercise concludes Feb. 10.

The naval station says there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around the installation or delays in base access.

Local residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise.

RI protesters decry Trump immigration order

More than 1,000 demonstrators have gathered at the Rhode Island State House to protest President Donald Trump's order banning travelers from seven Muslim countries.

The protesters chanted, "The Muslim ban has got to go" and "No hate. No fear. Muslims are welcome here."

Speakers criticized decisions made by Trump during his first week in office.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza called Trump's actions "the acts of an insecure bully." He said Providence will continue to be a sanctuary city for immigrants.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said Rhode Islanders will "stand strong against your Muslim ban."

ACLU: Voter ID an issue, though voting mostly went smoothly

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island says there were problems at some polling places during the presidential election, though voting went smoothly in most locations.

The ACLU said Friday that some lawful voters were turned away from the polls in November because Rhode Island requires voters to show photo identification.

The civil liberties organization didn't have a specific number of voters, but says poll monitors reported occurrences in Providence and Warwick.

It says some voters without proper identification either weren't provided a provisional ballot or told to vote at city hall.

Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea says she's convening a task force to improve poll worker training and efficiency at the polls.

The ACLU says polling location changes also caused confusion. It wants the voter identification law repealed.

New hotline available for those plagued by UHIP problems

The Rhode Island ACLU has set up a hotline for UHIP-related complaints on Wednesday.

The hotline has been designed for people who are having trouble with their snap applications being processed by UHIP.

The ACLU says the hotline is to get information for a pending class action lawsuit filed last month by the ACLU and other parties.

UHIP has been plagued with computer problems ever since the new system went online last fall.

The hotline can be reached at 1-877-231-7171.

RI governor opposes Amtrak bypass route

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo says she's opposed to federal plans for a new Amtrak bypass route for high-speed trains traveling from coastal eastern Connecticut into Rhode Island.              

The Democrat says that after meeting Wednesday with town leaders and local legislators who represent communities in southwest Rhode Island, she shares their concerns about quality of life, environmental threats and historic preservation.              

Federal railroad regulators last month unveiled a plan to upgrade Amtrak's Washington-to-Boston Northeast Corridor over the coming decades.

One recommendation would speed up southern New England travel by creating a straighter 40-mile bypass route for high-speed trains.              

Raimondo says she agrees it's important to increase connectivity and cut down travel times to New York and Boston. But she said she can't support the bypass.

RI elections chief criticizes Trump voter claims

Rhode Island's top elections official is criticizing Republican President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims about a rigged voting system and his pledge to order a "major investigation."

Democratic Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea said Wednesday it is "outrageous" for the president to make unsubstantiated claims about alleged widespread voter fraud.

Trump tweeted early Wednesday that he is ordering an investigation looking at those registered to vote in more than one state, those in the country illegally and dead people still on voter rolls.

Secretaries of state across the country have dismissed Trump's voter fraud claims as baseless.

Gorbea says Rhode Island has already taken steps to improve the security of voting systems. She says she regularly works with local elections authorities to make sure voting lists are accurate and updated.

Charges dropped against mom in 1985 abduction of daughters

An abduction charge has been dropped against a woman who disappeared from Rhode Island in 1985 with her two daughters.

The office of Attorney General Peter Kilmartin on Wednesday announced it dismissed the case against Liana Waldberg, who went by the name Elaine Yates before fleeing the state 30 years ago.

Police tracked down the 69-year-old mother and her two adult daughters in Houston last week.

Her lawyer has said Waldberg was a victim of domestic violence and fled at a time when she had no legal protection and no other options. She said her client should never have been charged.

Kilmartin's office says it reviewed evidence that was not available prior to Waldberg being arrested. It says it dismissed the abduction charge in the interest of justice.

RIDOT gets welcome center location after negotiations

Rhode Island officials have reached an agreement for the location of a new state welcome center.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation decided to build the proposed center in Hopkinton after agreeing to leave out a fueling station from construction plans. Hopkinton officials blocked earlier proposals because of pollution concerns.

The Westerly Sun reports the 6,000-square-foot center will include food, traveler information, and historical information about the Narragansett Native American tribe.

The state will receive $9 million toward construction to offset the total $12 million cost from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant. Richmond was considered, but later denied because of time constraints with federal funding.

RIDOT plans to purchase the land and select a developer in the coming months.

Providence to spend at least $1M to clean gun range

Police say Providence plans to remove lead bullets and fragments from a police shooting range near the Scituate (SIH'-choo-iht) Reservoir.

Police Chief Col. Hugh Clements says the maintenance program will cost more than $1 million. He says Providence is talking with the city's Water Supply Board and state environmental regulators.

An engineering firm hired by the city says the cleanup includes upgrading the range, screening the soil to see which areas were affected by shooting range activity and removing used bullets.

The city has owned and operated the gun range for more than half a century. It hasn't been operational for more than a year.

The reservoir provides drinking water to 60 percent of the state's residents. Officials say tests indicate the water supply hasn't been contaminated.

RWU to offer scholarships to Syrians

Roger Williams University is offering four scholarships to students displaced from war-torn Syria.

The  school joins more than 60 U.S. and international colleges that provide scholarships for Syrian students to complete their degrees in North America and Europe.

The consortium, led by the Institute of International Education, has supported hundreds of Syrian students and also includes Brown University.

Roger Williams will offer full-tuition scholarships to two students in the architecture school and two in the law school.

Kate Greene, the university's director of international program development, says this recognizes the unprecedented tragedy of the conflict and the vital role higher education will play in rebuilding Syria.

The fighting between insurgents and President Bashar Assad's forces is estimated to have killed more than 400,000 people since March 2011.

3 plead no contest to unemployment fraud

Rhode Island prosecutors say three people have pleaded no contest to charges of unemployment insurance fraud totaling nearly $60,000.

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin says 58-year-old Susan Brown, an employee of a health care company in Warren, was sentenced to seven years of probation and ordered to pay restitution after entering a plea in Superior Court on Tuesday to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses. Brown was accused of fraudulently collecting $14,000 in unemployment benefits.

Earlier this week, Kilmartin says 53-year-old Richard Rainville, of Woonsocket, was sentenced to five months of probation for fraudulently collecting $18,000 in benefits, while 56-year-old David Donahue of East Providence was sentenced to 10 months of probation in connection with $26,000 benefits he received.

Kilmartin says he's committed to aggressively prosecuting anyone who steals from the unemployment system.

RI town books protest buses to oppose Amtrak route

The Westerly town government that's opposed to federal plans for a new Amtrak route is paying for buses that will carry protesters to the State House.

This afternoon’s rally has been scheduled to oppose a high-speed rail bypass route that could be built from Old Lyme, Connecticut, into rural southwest Rhode Island.

The Westerly Town Council says it booked buses for the 45-mile ride to Providence so that bypass opponents can urge state leaders to act.

Federal railroad regulators last month unveiled a plan to upgrade Amtrak's Washington-to-Boston Northeast Corridor over the coming decades. One recommendation would speed up southern New England travel by creating a straighter route for high-speed trains.

The Federal Railroad Administration has also scheduled a meeting about the recommendations on Wednesday in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Federal judge: Unlawful detention violated woman's rights

A federal judge has ruled that immigration officials violated a woman's rights by unlawfully detaining her as a "deportable alien" while authorities reviewed whether she was in the country illegally.

Judge John McConnell Jr. ruled Tuesday that Ada Morales' detention "revealed a dysfunction of constitutional proportion" at the state and federal levels.

McConnell also ruled that the state Department of Corrections and its director have limited protection from damage claims.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island sued in 2012, alleging that Morales was wrongfully detained because of her national origin and last name.

State Attorney General Peter Kilmartin says McConnell applied the law properly.

A spokesman says that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can't comment until its legal department reviews the ruling.

Town official: Women's march gets wives 'outta the house'

An elected town official in Rhode Island faces criticism for tweeting that the women's march was a man's idea because it's the "perfect way to get the wives outta the house."

Sean Todd, a Republican, is vice president of the East Greenwich town council. He quickly deleted the tweet about Saturday's nationwide post-inauguration march and apologized.

One of the organizers says Todd's apology is appreciated, but many people want to voice their displeasure over the tweet. She leads the town's Democratic committee.

Todd says the tweet was meant as a joke but was in poor taste.

Several thousand people attended the Providence rally.

Ex-mayor plans to convert building into housing for homeless

A former Providence mayor plans to convert a building that once housed a hospital into a social service center that will provide housing to about 300 homeless people.

Joseph Paolino said Monday he has purchased and will develop the former St. Joseph's Hospital building on the city's south side. He says he's working with city-based KITE Architects on the project and intends to partner with the state's social service agencies.

It's unclear how much Paolino paid for the nine-story building.

Paolino's plans call for about 160 housing units. Architectural renderings include a space for job training, a group kitchen and a police substation.

Paolino says he wants to tackle homelessness in the city.

The Democrat served as the city's mayor from 1984 to 1990.

Sexual harassment case underway against RI judge

.A state commission hearing on sexual harassment and judicial misconduct complaints against a Rhode Island district court judge is now underway.

Opening statements began on Monday before the state Commission on Judicial Tenure and Discipline in Judge Raphael Ovalles' case.

Dozens of witnesses are expected to testify about allegations that Ovalles degraded women and mistreated court staff, lawyers and the public.

Ovalles has denied the allegations. The Providence Journal reports his lawyer characterized the accusations as a witch hunt spurred by untrustworthy witnesses and distorted facts.

The commission in 2015 said substantial evidence existed that Ovalles violated the standards of judicial conduct.

Ovalles has been relieved from all judicial duties with pay.

The commission will issue a recommendation to the state Supreme Court after the hearing.

Gas prices down 3 cents in RI to $2.28 per gallon

Gas prices are down in Rhode Island, falling 3 cents per gallon to $2.28 for regular.

AAA Northeast reports Monday that the price of a gallon of regular gas is down 3 cents in the past week and down 7 cents over the last two weeks.

The price of gas in Rhode island is 3 cents lower than the national average price of $2.31 per gallon, but 37 cents per gallon higher than the in-state price of $1.91 per gallon a year ago.

AAA found a range of 29 cents, from a low of $2.20 per gallon of regular to a high of $2.49.

3rd ex-RI lawmaker in 11 days charged criminally

A former Rhode Island state lawmaker has agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges, becoming the third ex-House member in 11 days to be charged with criminal conduct.

Democrat Ray Gallison was charged in U.S. District Court on Monday with mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and filing false tax returns.

Gallison is an attorney and has acknowledged taking money from a dead man's estate and other misconduct.

Prosecutors say he stole from clients who trusted him and lied about it.

Gallison's lawyer didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

Gallison was chairman of the powerful House finance committee. He resigned in May amid state and federal investigations.

Two other Democratic former House members were criminally charged this month in state court for unrelated conduct.

7 people buried in the wrong graves at veterans' cemetery

Seven people have been buried in the wrong graves at a Rhode Island veterans' cemetery because grave markers in one row were off by a burial plot.

Veterans Affairs Director Kasim Yarn apologized on Monday, saying the state didn't meet its obligations to the veterans or their loved ones.

Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery workers left two spaces instead of one to transfer the remains of a veteran's father in November 2010. The extra space wasn't accounted for when permanent grave markers were added that spring.

Consequently, 21 grave markers were off. Seven interments occurred in that row since.

The dead people and the markers were moved this past weekend. Families are being contacted.

Yarn says there wasn't a formalized process to prevent mistakes like this and he's addressing that.

J & W culinary arts museum to close to the public

Johnson & Wales University is permanently closing its culinary arts museum to the public.

The university has announced that the closure will take effect Feb. 27. It is continuing to digitize the museum's holdings for research and viewing online .

The museum opened in 1989 and is home to more than 200,000 pieces.

A university spokesman says students, faculty and staff need more space to work as teams. They'll use the museum at the Harborside campus in Providence as a place to meet and study.

There's 25,000 square feet of gallery space.

The university's curriculum has changed in recent years and is now more focused on collaborative learning.

RI governor proposes $1.4 billion education budget

Rhode Island's governor has proposed a $1.4 billion education budget.

Gov. Gina Raimondo's budget focuses on English language learners, special education students, and early childhood education. Raimondo plans to allocate a combined $7 million for English language learners and special education. The governor also wants to expand early childhood education by $1.1 million.

The proposed budget calls for an additional $45.8 million in spending for public schools over last year's enacted budget.

Raimondo wants 75 percent of third graders reading at grade level by 2025. The governor's early education efforts also include adding more pre-kindergarten classrooms.

Tim Duffy, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, applauded Raimondo's efforts, but questioned the lack of school funding for low-income districts.

State awards $3.8M for historic preservation and the arts

The state is awarding $3.8 million in capital grants for historic preservation and the arts.

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission announced 33 grant recipients Thursday.

Among the projects, preservation grants will restore the visitors' center at historic Fort Adams in Newport and preserve schoolhouses, museums, a library and other historic structures.

Among the larger cultural grants, the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick received $300,000 and RiverzEdge Arts in Woonsocket and Dirt Palace public projects in Providence each received about $250,000.

Voters approved bonds in 2014 that made $5 million available for state preservation grants and $6.5 million for cultural facilities grants.

The arts council and the preservation commission administer the programs, which require matching funds from applicants.

URI to celebrate its 125th year

The University of Rhode Island is celebrating its 125th year.

The university has planned a ceremony for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the school to kick off a yearlong celebration.

URI President David Dooley says it's a time to celebrate the accomplishments of alumni, students, faculty, and staff and reflect on the university's history, while also looking toward the future.

He says he's planning for the university to have a greater impact in academics, economic development and civic engagement.

Dooley will ring the bell 12 times at Davis Hall on Wednesday to mark a dozen decades of graduates.

The event includes speeches, music and ice sculpting.

The university was established in 1892 as a land-grant college.

Nearly 15,000 undergraduate students and 3,000 graduate students are currently enrolled.

RI governor looks to pioneer free tuition for all

A college-for-all idea that sparked enthusiasm during the presidential race could now face one of its biggest tests in Rhode Island.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has proposed giving in-state residents two years of free tuition at the state's public colleges.

Her administration spent months studying tuition-free college programs in states such as Georgia and Tennessee. Rhode Island's would be more expansive.

By providing free tuition for students in their junior and senior years at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, it aims to expand enrollment and create an incentive for students to graduate on time. It also covers students obtaining a 2-year education at the Community College of Rhode Island.

The $30 million-a-year proposal differs from a recently announced New York plan by not having an income cap.

Senators confirm first woman to lead RI State Police

The first woman nominated to lead the Rhode Island State Police has been confirmed by state senators.

The state Senate on Thursday unanimously approved Col. Ann Assumpico (ah-SUHM'-pih-koh) to be the state's director of public safety. She also holds the dual role of state police superintendent.

 Gov. Gina Raimondo named Assumpico as superintendent in November. The public safety director position required the Senate's advice and consent.

Raimondo eventually wants to split the roles, as other states do. The governor's annual budget plan unveiled Thursday proposes creating a civilian public safety commissioner. The plan would also consolidate the state Emergency Management Agency into the public safety department.

Assumpico is the first woman to lead any law enforcement agency in Rhode Island. She replaces Col. Steven O'Donnell, who retired last year.

Unemployment rate drops in RI to 5 percent

Rhode Island's unemployment rate dropped in December to 5 percent.

The state Department of Labor and Training said Thursday the jobless rate is down from the November rate of 5.3 percent.

In December 2015, the state's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent.

The department says the state lost 1,000 jobs since November, ending two previous months of robust job gains. Half of the jobs lost were in health care and social assistance.

The local economy generated 3,600 jobs in the past year.

The number of residents who were unemployed decreased by 1,500 from the November figure, to 27,800 people.

Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate in December was 4.7 percent, an increase of one-tenth of a percentage point from November.

RI National Guard sends 150 members as inauguration support

The Rhode Island National Guard says it has sent about 150 soldiers and airmen to provide support services for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington.

The National Guard says that about 7,500 members from 40 states are helping with Friday's event.

The members from Rhode Island will help manage the movement of crowds through the city and provide communications support.

A mobile kitchen team will provide meals for other members who are part of the teams supporting the massive event.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to head to the nation's capital for the Republican's inauguration and a major demonstration, Saturday women's march.

Another 80 Rhode Island soldiers are training in the area. The Guard says they could assist in the event of an emergency.

Bill would force White House hopefuls to release tax returns

A lawmaker in Rhode Island wants to prevent presidential candidates from appearing on the state's ballot unless they release their tax returns.

State Sen. Gayle Goldin, a Providence Democrat, says she'll submit a bill this week to require presidential candidates to release five years of federal tax returns to qualify for the ballot.

Similar proposals are circulating in Massachusetts, California, New Mexico, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.

Lawmakers are responding to President-elect Donald Trump's decision to not release his tax returns during the campaign. The Republican's decision broke with decades of precedent.

Goldin says voters deserve transparency so they can evaluate a candidate's integrity, potential conflicts of interests and respect for the nation's laws.

The Board of Elections would make the tax returns public.

Raimondo releases $9.25 billion budget

Gov. Gina Raimondo has released a $9.25 billion budget plan that relies on new sales tax revenue from online retailers such as Amazon and cuts to Medicaid programs.

The Democrat submitted the plan to state lawmakers Thursday. It would close an expected $66.2 million shortfall in the 2018 fiscal year.

A projected revenue boost from online sales taxes is helping to reduce the state's structural deficit. Seattle-based giant Amazon recently announced it will begin collecting the state's 7 percent sales tax for the first time on Feb. 1.

New spending in the budget plan includes cutting municipal car taxes by 30 percent by reimbursing cities and towns $58 million for the lost revenue. It also proposes $10 million for the first year of a new free college tuition program.

RI state lawmakers oppose high-speed rail bypass

A bipartisan group of Rhode Island state lawmakers is opposing a plan to build a new Amtrak line that would speed up rail travel between Boston and New York.

Seventeen legislators sent a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration this week expressing concern about the proposed bypass that would extend from Old Lyme, Connecticut into southwestern Rhode Island.

The group represents Rhode Island's southernmost county. The plan to straighten the route to eliminate speed-restricting curves on Amtrak's busy Northeast Corridor has received vociferous opposition along the eastern Connecticut shoreline for more than a year but has received less attention in Rhode Island.

Federal railroad officials plan to discuss the proposal in Charlestown next week.

Pawsox talking about new site for stadium

The Pawtucket Red Sox have held what owners characterize as initial talks about building a new stadium on Main Street.

The Valley Breeze newspaper first reported Wednesday that team officials were discussing the possibility with the Apex Development Company of putting a stadium on the site of the former Apex department store, just off Interstate 95.

The company issued a statement saying it is in conversations about the site with "a number of interested parties including the Pawtucket Red Sox."

The Pawsox, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, say the team's efforts remain focused on a study, due out as early as next week, on the feasibility of keeping the club in its current home at McCoy Stadium.

9 attorneys general urge rejection of EPA nominee

The Democratic attorneys general of eight states and the District of Columbia are urging the U.S. Senate to reject Republican President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

The attorneys general expressed "strong opposition" to Pruitt in a letter sent to the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the eve of Wednesday's confirmation hearing.

The letter states that Pruitt, as Oklahoma attorney general, attacked the same rules the EPA is charged with enforcing. The letter notes lawsuits Pruitt filed to try to block the agency's enforcement of federal clean air standards.

Signers of the letter included the attorneys general of Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Maryland, states carried by Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

Raimondo budget to include car tax cut, free college tuition

Gov. Gina Raimondo is preparing to release a budget proposal that will include cutting car taxes and providing two years of free tuition at public colleges.

Her spending plan for the 2018 fiscal year is being delivered to the state legislature on this afternoon. It's her third annual budget proposal since taking office in 2015.

She expects her free tuition plan to cost $10 million in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July. It will rise to $30 million annually when it reaches full implementation in 2021.

The budget document will also detail her plan to cut $50 million in the car taxes levied by cities and towns.

It's likely to differ from House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello's goal of fully phasing out the taxes in five years.

Economic forecast sees growth, challenges for New England

Taken as a whole the New England economy is expected to continue improving over the next two years, but experts say significant state-by-state disparities remain.

The New England Economic Partnership released its annual outlook on Tuesday during a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

In its report, the group pointed to Massachusetts and New Hampshire as having the strongest economies in the region, as indicated by unemployment rates that are among the four lowest in the nation. But that could lead to constraints in the labor force that limit future growth in those states.

The economists say Maine and Vermont are troubled by "demographic factors and rural area economic stagnation."

Connecticut and Rhode Island, meanwhile, are lagging behind the rest of the region in overall economic vitality.

Providence mayor issues plan for improving infrastructure

The mayor of Providence has unveiled a five-year capital improvement plan that calls for spending between $16 million and $34 million annually on repairs and infrastructure improvement projects in the city.

Mayor Jorge Elorza's proposal will be reviewed by the City Plan Commission.

Elorza's plan calls for spending $21.4 million in the upcoming fiscal year, with $10 million of that spent on resurfacing and street repairs and $2.2 million spent on sanitary sewers and stormwater management.

Stormwater sewer improvements are required under the terms of a consent agreement between the city and the state Department of Environmental Management.

The proposal foresees spending $19 million in fiscal 2019, $34 million in 2020, $31 million in 2021 and $16 million in 2022.

Mom charged with taking her kids 3 decades ago to face judge

A mother charged with snatching her two daughters from Rhode Island in 1985 is scheduled to appear before a judge after police found the three living in the Houston area.

Rhode Island State Police say an anonymous tip two days before Christmas led authorities to Kimberly and Kelly Yates and their 69-year-old mother, Elaine.

Elaine Yates had been living under the name Liana Lynn Waldberg.

The mother was arrested Monday without incident, and faces arraignment today in Superior Court in Warwick.

Kelly Yates was 10 months old and her sister, Kimberly Yates, was 3 years old when they disappeared. They're now in their 30s.

Their father says he wants to see his children, and is waiting for them to get in touch.

Raimondo speech pitches economic initiatives

Gov. Gina Raimondo says she wants to reinvent Rhode Island's manufacturing industry, provide free tuition at state colleges, raise the minimum wage and cut car taxes by 30 percent.

The governor outlined several initiatives to improve the state's economy as she delivered her annual State of the State speech Tuesday night. It was her third since taking office in 2015. It roughly marks the halfway point of her term as she eyes re-election in 2018.

Raimondo is pitching her initiatives as a way of helping the state adapt to a changing economy.

The speech advances priorities from the budget plan she plans to release Thursday.

She says the state's leaders for years have missed opportunities to revive the state's manufacturing industry as factories closed and jobs disappeared.

Retired cop wrongly barred from traffic details

A retired police sergeant is suing Newport and its police department in federal court, accusing them of wrongfully preventing him from working traffic details.

Albert Quinn retired in 2011.  Quinn says he was barred from working traffic details after talking publicly that a relative was scammed by a caller claiming the family's cafe owed more than $1,400.

The lawsuit states Police Chief Gary Silva accused Quinn of interfering with the investigation and asked him to resign.

Quinn says he reached out to the city manager and was told he could return, but that Silva later said it wasn't going to happen.

Quinn seeks unspecified damages and his reinstatement.

Silva hasn't returned a call seeking comment. City Manager Joseph Nicholson Jr. couldn't immediately be reached.

Providence police buying tool to retrieve vehicle data

Providence police are buying a tool that can remove information from data recorders in modern vehicles in order to aid in crash investigations and educate the public about roadway dangers.

The city last month approved a request from Police Chief Hugh Clements Jr. to buy the $9,500 tool.

Police say event data recorders collect information from a vehicle's electronic system, including the speed of a vehicle just before a crash, wheel angles and application of the brake or accelerator pedal. Police can also see how many people were in the vehicle and whether they were wearing seatbelts.

Police must apply for a warrant or have the driver's consent to use the tool.

Officials say there were more than 10,000 crashes in Providence last year.

Acting tax administrator appointed permanently to the post

The state's acting tax administrator has been appointed to permanently fill the post.

The Rhode Island Department of Revenue says Neena Savage was selected to oversee the Rhode Island Division of Taxation. Savage became the acting tax administrator in December 2015.

Robert Hull, the department's director, says Savage is well-versed in Rhode Island tax functions and committed to continuous improvements.

Savage, an attorney, started working for the state in 1997 at the Department of Business Regulation. She eventually became the acting deputy director and executive counsel there.

The taxation division has about 230 employees and a budget of $23.7 million for the current fiscal year.

It's projected to collect $3.2 billion in revenue this fiscal year.

Gov. Raimondo prepares State of the State speech

Gov. Gina Raimondo is expected to talk about past accomplishments as well as her goals for the future during her State of the State address.

The speech tonight will be the Democrat's third since taking office in 2015.

In a change from the previous two years, she won't be presenting her budget plan on the same day as the speech. Her tax-and-spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year will be rolled out Thursday.

State officials have projected a $58.7 million surplus for the current fiscal year but are expecting a $112 million budget shortfall for the following year. Raimondo has said it's important to preserve education aid but other cuts are possible.

She plans to run for a second four-year term in 2018.

Deer hunting season to open on Block Island

Deer hunting season is set to open on Block Island.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management says the season will open today at the island's Black Rock and Rodman Hollow and run through Feb. 10.

DEM Director Janet Coit says the Black Rock hunt is a popular draw and is also a vital part of controlling the island's deer population.

Hunters allowed to participate were selected by lottery.

DEM is reminding the public that they should use caution while walking on trails around Black Rock. Anyone who walks on the property during the season, including hunters and hikers, must wear 500 square inches of blaze orange.

Free coats offered to homeless and low-income vets

A nonprofit group is working with the Providence VA Medical Center to give away winter clothing to homeless and low-income veterans.

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island is holding a coat giveaway for veterans at the medical center on Chalkstone Avenue in Providence from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.

The group helps homeless veterans and veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless.

It's giving away coats, gloves, hats, sweatshirts, blankets and care packages to help keep veterans warm this winter.

More than 100 coats were donated for the giveaway.

Operation Stand Down says about 200 veterans benefited from a similar coat giveaway in November.

Gov. proposes 90-cent hike in RI minimum wage

Gov. Gina Raimondo is proposing a 90-cent hike in the state's minimum wage.

Raimondo announced the proposal to raise the wage from $9.60 to $10.50 an hour during a breakfast Monday to honor civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr.

Raimondo's minimum wage increase would take effect on Oct. 1, 2017 if she can persuade state lawmakers to go along with the hike.

Raimondo was unable last year to convince lawmakers to raise the wage to $10.10 an hour.

Raimondo said no one working full-time should live in poverty.

Massachusetts and Washington state currently have the highest new minimum wages in the country, at $11 per hour. Connecticut's minimum wage climbed to $10.10 at the start of the year.

Gov. Raimondo to propose free-tuition plan

Gov. Gina Raimondo is unveiling a plan to provide two years of free tuition to the state's residents at any of its public colleges.

Raimondo discussed the plan in an interview and will present it to state lawmakers this week as part of her fiscal 2018 budget.

Raimondo's plan is being called the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship. It would offer residents in good academic standing two years of free tuition at the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island. The program is estimated to cost $30 million a year.

Raimondo told The Journal that it's time to give middle-class families a break and that she wants to give the people of Rhode Island a chance.

Mohegan Tribe details plans for former hospital site

The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority is unveiling its plans to redevelop the site of a former psychiatric hospital in Connecticut.

Tribal officials announced plans Saturday for a $600 million non-gambling resort on the property of the shuttered Norwich State Hospital. The resort is to include a large performance venue, a water park, hotels, a senior living center, a sports complex and other attractions.

Residents in the town of Preston voted unanimously last year to support the proposed sale of the hospital to the Mohegan Tribe. The property has been vacant since the hospital closed in 1996. The town and the tribe are now finalizing details of the sale.

Gov. Dannel Malloy applauded the tribe's plan in a prepared statement, saying it would make southeast Connecticut a premier tourism destination.

Senate considers RI's new public safety director

Rhode Island state senators are holding a hearing to consider the governor's pick to lead the state police.

Col. Ann Assumpico (ah-SUHM-pih-koh) was appointed to the top job in November by Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo.

Assumpico holds dual roles of state police superintendent and the state's director of public safety. The public safety director position requires the Senate's advice and consent.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has a scheduled hearing Tuesday to discuss her appointment.

Assumpico is the first woman to lead the state police or any of Rhode Island's law enforcement agencies. She replaces Col. Steven O'Donnell, who retired last year.

Raimondo has expressed interest in eventually splitting the roles of superintendent and public safety director, as other states do.

Hundreds rally in RI in support of 'Obamacare'

Hundreds of people have gathered alongside a group of Rhode Island Democrats to protest Republican efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

Among those taking part in Sunday's rally at the Johnston Senior Center were both of Rhode Island's U.S. senators, its two U.S. representatives and Gov. Gina Raimondo.

Speakers took turns at a podium defending President Barack Obama's signature health care law and criticizing efforts to repeal it.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal and replace the law, and the Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday passed a measure taking the first steps to dismantle it.

The rally was one of many being staged across the country in advance of Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Bomb squad blamed for booms heard around Narragansett Bay

Loud booms heard around Narragansett Bay were the result of a bomb squad disposing of old ordnance around Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown.

The Newport Daily News reports that booms could be heard Thursday all the way across the bay in Newport.

Police dispatchers in North Kingstown and Jamestown told the newspaper that the state bomb squad was getting rid of old ordnance. Jamestown Police dispatcher Conrad Fuesz says the sound travels depending on the wind.

He says the detonations usually happen three or four times a year and last a few hours.

Deficiencies found in RI College educator programs

State regulators have found multiple deficiencies with educator programs at Rhode Island College.

A panel of 19 educators from Rhode Island and other states reviewed the Providence college last fall.

The state Department of Education declined to renew the school's administrator and school counselor programs. Both are master's degree-level programs.

The college says students currently in those programs will be eligible for certification when they graduate. The programs won't accept new students until the state approves the college's new application.

Seven programs were conditionally approved. A tenth passed "with distinction."

The college must create a corrective plan with implementation deadlines that continue into fall 2018. It must also appoint a "change mentor," or overseer, and send proof of reform to the commissioner of education.

Ex-lawmaker whose residency was disputed in police custody

A former Rhode Island state representative who withdrew his re-election bid after questions were raised about his residency is in police custody.

State police confirm Democrat John Carnevale turned himself in Thursday afternoon. There was no word on what charges he might face.

Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin says Carnevale will appear Friday in Providence Superior Court.

Carnevale insisted his residence was in the Providence district he represented. But WPRI-TV reported last year he spent much of his time at a home in Johnston that wasn't listed on ethics filings.

The Providence Board of Canvassers ruled in July that Carnevale doesn't live at the Providence home where he registered to vote.

Raimondo shakes up staff over troubled benefits system

Two Rhode Island state officials are resigning over the troubled rollout of a new public benefits system and the state is withholding further payment to contractor Deloitte Consulting.

Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Thursday she's accepted the resignations of Department of Human Services Director Melba Depena Affigne and Chief Digital Officer Thom Guertin.

A $364 million computer system that launched in September has been beset by problems. It's caused thousands of delays in distributing food stamp benefits.

Raimondo says she's suspending payments to Deloitte as the state reviews the vendor's work.

State lawmakers have held oversight hearings, federal officials have demanded fixes and the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has sued the state over the faulty rollout of the Unified Health Infrastructure Project, known as UHIP

Liberal RI lawmakers introduce Fair Shot Agenda

A group of more than 20 Democrats in the Rhode Island House of Representatives is launching a campaign to fight for a $15 hourly minimum wage, paid sick leave and other progressive causes.

The contingent launched what it calls its Fair Shot Agenda on Thursday.

Democrats already control both chambers of the General Assembly but Providence Democratic Rep. Aaron Regunberg says it's new to have a large wing of legislators within the party that is collectively and publicly pushing its own agenda. Several in the group are newcomers to the legislature.

The group is preparing a four-part package of legislation that will propose a minimum wage increase to $15 over five years, paid sick days, school building repairs and reducing car taxes for working families.

Rhode Island legal pot proponents kick off fight

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts is causing some Rhode Island lawmakers to say it's time to race ahead of their neighbor.

Rhode Island's legal pot proponents on Wednesday kicked off their fight to pass state legislation that could take effect before marijuana shops open across the border.

The same Democratic lawmakers who sponsored pot legalization bills in previous legislative sessions, Providence Rep. Scott Slater and Cranston Sen. Josh Miller, are drafting new bills and plan to introduce them soon.

Proponents cite polls showing support for legalization and what will soon be the ease of buying the drug in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts voters approved a November ballot initiative to legalize pot for adults, but a new law delays the opening of retail marijuana stores until mid-2018.

RI lawmakers propose $10.50 minimum wage

A group of Rhode Island state lawmakers has proposed raising the state's hourly minimum wage by 90 cents this summer.

The bill introduced Wednesday proposes increasing the minimum wage to $10.50 on July 1. The current $9.60 minimum took effect a year ago.

Warwick Democratic Rep. David Bennett is the sponsor. He has four Democratic co-sponsors.

Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Democratic Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed have expressed support for raising the minimum wage this year but haven't specified an amount. Mattiello says it could be more competitive with neighboring states.

Connecticut's hourly minimum is $10.10. It's $11 in Massachusetts.

It would be unusual but not unprecedented for Rhode Island to have a summertime minimum wage increase. Increases typically take effect on the first of the year.

Domestic violence gun control bill back in General Assembly

A debate over whether domestic abusers can have guns is returning to the Rhode Island General Assembly this year after similar legislation was defeated during the final hours of last year's session.

East Providence Democratic Rep. Gregg Amore introduced a bill Wednesday that would block people with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from owning guns. Four other Democrats are co-sponsors.

It would exclude offenses punishable as petty misdemeanors. It would also restore the ability to buy a gun after 10 years or if the conviction is expunged.

Amore had introduced a bill last year that was gutted by House leadership and replaced with a weaker Senate version. Domestic violence prevention advocates say the bill that passed last year merely clarified how felons who can't have guns must surrender them.

N. Providence planners OK $30M public-safety building

North Providence's planning board has passed a preliminary plan to build a $30-million public-safety complex that would house the traffic court and most of the town's police and fire operations.

The plan for the 52,000-square-foot building was approved Wednesday night. The building would have a basement for storage and two parking lots.

Mayor Charles Lombardi says the municipal court would meet in the building twice a month at night.

Documents provided by the Department of Justice indicate that the facility would be paid for using money secured from a Google federal forfeiture case in 2011.

Project officials plan to meet with the state Department of Environmental Management and the state Department of Transportation for water permits.

A public hearing is also planned.

Man sentenced to probation for unemployment benefits fraud

A Providence man has been sentenced to five years of probation after pleading no contest to collecting unemployment benefits while working two jobs.

Brent Paquin  pleaded no contest to obtaining money under false pretenses, meaning he doesn't admit guilt but won't offer a defense. He has been ordered to repay nearly $10,000.

Authorities say Paquin failed to accurately report his weekly earnings from June 2012 to April 2013, when he called into the state Department of Labor and Training to authorize weekly unemployment benefits.

The state attorney general's office says Paquin received benefits while working for an electrician and an Italian restaurant.

Central Falls police chief 'troubled' by prison escape

The police chief in Central Falls says he is "deeply troubled" by the escape of a prisoner at the city's privately run detention center.

James Morales escaped from the Wyatt Detention Facility on New Year's Eve and was captured Thursday.

In a city council meeting on Monday, council members grilled Col. James Mendonca on why police did not alert residents.

Mendonca told them it was because it took hours for corrections officers to discover he was gone, and then another hour and 13 minutes to alert authorities. He says by the time police found out, it was clear Morales was already in Massachusetts and there was no imminent danger in Central Falls.

Mendonca says the prison should have notified police of the escape much sooner.

Ex-lawmaker, Raimondo appointee gets revolving door fine

A former lawmaker has agreed to a $5,000 fine to settle charges that he violated Rhode Island's revolving door law by taking a job in the Raimondo administration.

A lawyer for former Rep. Donald Lally says that Lally agreed to the fine Tuesday to settle with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission.

The Democrat from Narragansett was accused of breaking "revolving door" rules blocking legislators from accepting state employment for one year after leaving office.

He joined Raimondo's staff less than four months after giving up his House seat in March 2015. Investigators say neither Lally nor the governor's office sought the commission's advice on the hiring. Lally resigned in April.

New director picked for RI child welfare agency

A health official for Ohio's most populous county has been picked to lead Rhode Island's child welfare system.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Tuesday her choice of Trista Piccola as director of the state Department of Children, Youth and Families. The Democratic governor submitted Piccola's name to the state Senate for advice and consent.

Piccola works in Cleveland as deputy director of performance evaluation and innovation for Cuyahoga County's health and human services agency. She has a doctorate in social welfare and began her career as a protective services case manager.

Piccola will succeed Jamia McDonald, who announced in September she was stepping down. McDonald has been seeking an advisory opinion from the state Ethics Commission on whether she can take a job with Deloitte Consulting, a state contractor.

EB says it can meet Navy goal for adding subs

The president of defense contractor Electric Boat has told the U.S. Navy that given time and resources, the company can "absolutely" achieve the service's goal of ramping up the number of submarines in the fleet.

The Navy released a 355-ship proposal last month that calls for adding 47 ships, including 18 attack submarines.

The General Dynamics Corp. subsidiary builds two Virginia-class attack submarines with Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia annually. It's also designing a new class of ballistic-missile submarines.

Company President Jeffrey Geiger said on Monday that the Navy is asking whether the company could still build two attack submarines a year, or even three, when the ballistic-missile submarines are under construction.

He says yes, but it would have to grow its workforce, supplier base and facilities.

RWU official charged with DUI in crash

Roger Williams University's head of student conduct is facing DUI charges stemming from a crash in Middletown last month.

Police say Heidi Hartzell was arrested in Portsmouth on Dec. 28.

Police say an SUV driver was hit by another vehicle and followed Hartzell until police could find her and pull her over.

Hartzell has been charged with driving under the influence failing to stop for an accident, both misdemeanors

The university on Monday said it doesn't comment on specific personnel matters. The university will conduct a thorough internal investigation before taking action.

PC receives grant to help veterans

Providence College has received a $50,000 gift from a 1958 graduate to help military veterans who want to continue and complete their education.

The scholarship gift announced Monday is from Col. and Mrs. Noel J. Doyle Jr.

Col. Doyle served 30 years in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam, before his retirement in 1989 and he credits PC for much of his success.

The money will help veterans or the eligible dependents of veterans pursue their degrees at the Catholic college's School of Continuing Education and whose needs may exceed their VA educational benefits or whose benefits have run out.

Providence has a long history of serving veterans and is home to an Army ROTC unit with 100 cadets from seven schools.

Gas prices up 4 cents in RI, to $2.35 per gallon

Gas prices in Rhode Island are rising again, for the sixth week in a row.

AAA Northeast says its weekly survey on Monday found a gallon of regular unleaded gas had risen to an average of $2.35, up 4 cents per gallon from last week. It's 17 cents higher than it was the week of Thanksgiving.

The price of gas in Rhode island is still 2 cents lower than the national average price of $2.37 gallon.

But it's 18 percent higher than at this time last year, when gas was averaging $1.99 per gallon, 36 cents less than this week.

Former lawmaker cited by probate judge

A former Rhode Island lawmaker might have to pay $500,000 back to a dead man's estate.

A probate court judge on Monday cited former Democratic Rep. Raymond Gallison for "unfaithful administration" of a Barrington man's will.

The judge also says a performance bond taken out by Gallison as the lawyer for the estate wasn't backed by an insurance company.

Gallison was an executor for Ray Medley, who died in 2012. Probate court records show the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney's office issued a subpoena last March to obtain the Medley estate case file.

Gallison was the House finance chairman until he resigned his Bristol seat in May amid a state and federal investigation.

Gallison hasn't commented. His lawyer says he hasn't appeared at probate hearings because of the ongoing criminal investigation.

Mansion-owner wins round in fight over visitors center

The group that owns The Breakers in Newport has inched closer to victory in a fight that has drawn the scorn of many members of the Vanderbilt family, which built the historic oceanside mansion.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court on Monday upheld a decision giving the Preservation Society of Newport County zoning approval to build a visitors center on The Breakers grounds.

Many Vanderbilts oppose it, and a neighbors' group sued to stop the plan, saying it would hurt the neighborhood and destroy the historic nature of the grounds.

A lawyer for the Preservation Society says the decision is a significant step, and his clients are anxious to move forward.

Both sides say other zoning issues remain, so the battle is not yet over.

Brothers admit running Providence law firm without license

Two brothers have admitted operating the Providence law firm Lovett & Lovett for nearly two decades without a license from the state.

Samuel and Carl Lovett pleaded no contest in Superior Court on Friday to charges including practicing law in Rhode Island without a license and receiving compensation for unlawful legal services.

The brothers agreed to a consent order that bars them from practicing law in Rhode Island in the future.

Magistrate Patrick Burke did not sentence the Lovetts to prison and said their cases would be dismissed in a year if they stay out of further trouble.

An attorney representing the brothers said they were licensed in Massachusetts and planned to continue practicing there.

Retiree tax relief on lawmakers' agenda

Taxes on Rhode Island retirees could be cut again.

A bill introduced Friday in the state House of Representatives would exempt the first $30,000 in Social Security income from state income taxes. A pending Senate proposal would exempt the first $20,000. Either would be an increase from the current $15,000.

Warwick Democratic Rep. Joseph McNamara sponsored the House bill.

Chipping away at retirees' tax burdens has been an annual cause for House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. The Cranston Democrat named it one of his six priorities this year during opening remarks at the start of the new House session this week.

A similar 2015 initiative provided exemptions on up to $15,000 of Social Security income. An initiative passed last year expanded tax relief to other retirement income such as pensions.

Trump planning biggest fleet expansion since Cold War

Navy shipbuilders like what they're hearing from President-elect Donald Trump, who's vowed to build up the fleet to meet new threats from Russia and China.

Emboldened by the promise, the Navy last month revised upward the number of ships it needs to 355, more than the number used by Trump during his election campaign.

The proposal calls for adding another aircraft carrier, 16 large surface warships and 18 more nuclear-powered attack submarines, among other ships.

Shipbuilders like the idea but wonder where the funding will come from. The naval analyst at the Congressional Research Service suggests the Navy will need an additional $5 billion to $5.5 billion a year over the Navy's current spending goal.

Lawmakers target "double tax" on leased vehicles

A bill being introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly with the support of Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello would eliminate a so-called double tax on leased vehicles.

Mattiello named eliminating the double tax as one of six priorities he wants to look at closely this year during his opening day remarks to the state House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Providence Democratic Rep. Raymond Hull says he plans to reintroduce a bill he had sought to get passed in previous sessions.

It would prohibit collecting a sales or use tax on taxes already included in a motor vehicle lease payment.

State lawmaker tries again to establish a sales tax holiday

A Rhode Island lawmaker is trying again to establish a sales tax holiday in August to keep shoppers from flooding into neighboring Massachusetts for a similar incentive.

Rep. Joseph Solomon filed the bill to give shoppers and businesses a weekend break from Rhode Island's 7 percent sales tax from Aug. 12 to 13.

Last year the Warwick Democrat's holiday proposal stalled, as have similar proposals by other lawmakers for being too costly to the state.

As in Massachusetts, Solomon's proposal would apply to most tangible personal property costing less than $2,500.

Massachusetts lawmakers chose to forego the holiday last year, citing the state's tenuous fiscal condition.

Connecticut also has a sales tax holiday in August but only affecting clothes and shoes, which are already exempt from Rhode Island sales taxes.

Pair of Providence fire stations to be decommissioned

Two Providence fire stations are no longer providing services.

Battalion Chief Kenneth Rainone, the department's acting deputy assistant chief, says firefighting operations are ending at the Humboldt Avenue and Rochambeau Avenue firehouses.

The East Side stations stopped receiving fresh crews of firefighters on Sunday. The Providence Journal reports the fire engines at each station will be put out of use and the firefighters who previously worked there will now work out of other stations.

The firehouses will be decommissioned under a five year contract approved by city council and the firefighters' union last week.

Mayor Jorge Elorza says two studies show there was redundancy in coverage in the area.

Regulators changing fishing rules to protect endangered tuna

The federal government is changing some of the rules about how fishermen harvest tuna in an attempt to protect one of the species of the fish.

The National Marine Fisheries Service says the rule change is designed to steer fishermen who catch yellowfin tuna and swordfish via longline away from bluefin tuna.

Atlantic bluefin tuna are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fishing boats sometimes catch them incidentally while targeting other species.

The fisheries service says the rule change will modify the way it handles distribution of quota transfers in the longline tuna fishery. The service says that flexibility will improve fishing opportunities while limiting the number of bluefin tuna that are incidentally caught.

The new rules go into effect on Jan. 28.

Ex-school bus driver pleads not guilty to drunken driving

A former Rhode Island school bus driver charged with drunken driving shortly after a high school track team had gotten off her bus has pleaded not guilty.

Shelly Way was released on bail after her arraignment Wednesday.

Police say the 52-year-old Way failed field sobriety tests, had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit to drive, and had empty liquor bottles on her bus when she was pulled over in West Greenwich last month.

There were no students on the bus at the time because the Westerly High boys' track coach noticed that Way was driving erratically and asked her to stop so the 18 members of the team could unload.

She has since been fired.

Neither Way nor her lawyer would comment outside court.

Democrat-led legislature congratulates Trump

One of the first items of business for the Democrat-controlled Rhode Island General Assembly was a congratulatory message to Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

The state House of Representatives passed a resolution by a voice vote Wednesday congratulating Trump. Some lawmakers could be heard voting "nay" but it's not clear how many. GOP House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan introduced the resolution.

The House also passed a resolution congratulating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for being the first woman to be a major party's nominee.

About 86 percent of Rhode Island's state lawmakers are Democrats, giving the state the second-biggest Democratic legislative majority after Hawaii.

All of the lawmakers were sworn in during an oath ceremony Tuesday. Wednesday was the first working day but legislative committee leaders haven't yet been appointed.

Remains found in S.K. aren't missing bootlegger's

Officials say human remains unearthed last month on property once owned by a Prohibition-era bootlegger who mysteriously vanished 84 years ago don't belong to the missing man.

State archaeologist Timothy Ives confirmed that the roughly two dozen bones recovered from a construction site in South Kingstown on Dec. 10 is not what's left of Danny Walsh.

Walsh, one of the East Coast's premier bootleggers during the 1920s, was last seen alive on Feb. 2, 1933. The newspaper ran a front-page story a little more than a week later that proclaimed Walsh may have been kidnapped for a $40,000 ransom.

Authorities now believe a contractor setting foundations on Walsh's former property accidentally disturbed an unmarked grave plot from the 19th century.

New law fines motorists who block RI intersections

Motorists once shamed with an angry glare for blocking Rhode Island intersections could also now be subjected to a fine.

A new law that took effect Sunday penalizes drivers who enter signal-controlled intersections when there's not enough room on the other end because cars are backed up.

It's meant to stop cars from getting stuck in the middle of an intersection and blocking the passage of other vehicles and pedestrians.

It's called the "Don't Block the Box" law because it also encourages cities and towns to paint a 4-sided box at dangerous intersections.

Fines are $100 for the first violation, $250 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent violations.

Legislation passed by the General Assembly in June became law in September without the governor's signature.

Fung sworn in to 4th, final term as Cranston mayor

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung was sworn in for his fourth and final term leading the state's third-largest city.

The Republican mayor is term-limited and took his final oath of office last evening at Cranston High School West.

Fung was first elected in 2008. He served two 2-year terms before the city charter was changed to make mayoral terms four years. He has been re-elected twice since then.

Fung was the Republican nominee for governor in 2014 and has been mentioned as one of several possible Republican candidates for the office in 2018.

He came in second for the job in a three-way race in 2014 behind Democrat Gina Raimondo and ahead of Moderate Party candidate Bob Healey.

Legislative leaders begin new session with different goals

The two top leaders of Rhode Island's Democratic-controlled General Assembly are beginning the year with competing priorities that could balance out by the time the six-month session ends.

Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello plans to fulfill a campaign promise of phasing out municipal car taxes over the next five years. Democratic Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed wants to pass reforms to the criminal justice and mental health care systems. The Senate's package of criminal justice bills was defeated in June when the House didn't vote on it before adjourning for the year.

Paiva Weed says it's not unusual for her and Mattiello to advocate different approaches that aim for the same goal of improving the economy. She says it's led to a mix of tax cuts and important investments.

RI General Assembly set to begin its new session

The Rhode Island General Assembly is set to begin its new session with the swearing in of all 113 lawmakers.

The session begins Tuesday.

Democrats maintained their control of both chambers and gained a handful of seats. The party's small and informal progressive wing has also grown.

The House now has 64 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The Senate now has 33 Democrats and five Republicans.

The opening day activities include choosing the leaders of each chamber. Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Democratic Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed are both expected to be re-elected after winning unanimous support in their party caucuses.

Four new senators and 12 new representatives are joining the part-time legislature.

The year's first bills won't be introduced until Wednesday. The annual session typically lasts until June.

Round-the-clock federal manhunt underway for escaped inmate

A round-the-clock state and federal manhunt is underway for an inmate who escaped from a Rhode Island detention center.

The Wyatt Correctional Center warden says 35-year-old former Army reservist James Morales fled Saturday by climbing a basketball hoop to reach a rooftop, cutting through a fence and climbing through razor wire.

Warden Daniel Martin says it took more than three hours to discover Morales was missing. Two officers have been placed on paid leave.

The prison in Central Falls remains locked down as officials review procedures.

Morales is charged with stealing 16 guns from a U.S. Army Reserve Center and faces child rape charges.

Police believe Morales fled to Attleboro, Massachusetts, and stole a car that was found Sunday.

Officials say Morales may be armed and is considered extremely dangerous.

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