Kent County News

Bob Johnson of Palmer Township testifies at Michael Derderian's parole board hearing Jan.

In this Sept. 29, 2006, file photo, Michael Derderian reads a statement in Kent County Superior Court in Warwick, R.I., during proceedings where he pleaded no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter for a Feb.

If we could pick a symbol for this spring, it would be windshield wipers set on intermittent.

A teenage girl from Kent County is the first swine flu death in Rhode Island. The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that the girl, who was not identified, had underlying medical conditions that increased her risk for serious illness from the virus.

The Rhode Island Department of Health on Wednesday reported the first death in the state that is linked to swine flu.

Amid an outcry over the state's public art program - and the sometimes abstract art displays it produces - Rhode Island lawmakers have proposed amending the law, funneling less money to outsized installations and more to struggling community arts programs.

Members of the East Greenwich Town Council Monday night questioned why consultants and members of its Fields Construction Committee neglected to check into potential water irrigation problems before beginning to build new playing fields near the high school.

A 69-year old man pleaded no contest to mistreating animals Monday in Kent County District Court.

Two-and-a-half years after voters approved spending up to $6 million to rehabilitate the high school's athletic fields and add two more fields for recreation and private youth sports teams, it now appears that the extra fields will not be built.

The trial for the woman accused of cyberstalking a former customer and coworker was postponed Wednesday morning, after lawyers told the judge they needed more time to work out issues with evidence in the case.

A convicted murderer who has been described as one of the Rhode Island's most dangerous men faces the possibility of life in prison without parole when he's sentenced Friday for the 2007 killing of a 35-year-old Warwick man.

An 18-year-old West Warwick man, who last month entered guilty pleas in the March 2008 crash that took the life of Luisa Avila, a 46-year-old mother of two, began serving two years' home confinement Thursday.

The Caruolo Act, which has several local communities fighting in court with their own school systems spending money that neither side says it has enough of, was both bashed and defended Tuesday before the House Finance Committee.

Abimbola O. Johnson, now 19, pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge, which ordinarily carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

A Coventry police officer has been injured while responding to a domestic disturbance.

A police officer injured Sunday night when he responded to a domestic disturbance on Knotty Oak Road is home after being treated at Kent County Hospital.

The police have charged a 21-year-old Warwick man with four misdemeanor counts of procuring alcohol for minors in connection with a two-car crash that killed three people in February.

Rhode Island has spent nearly $3 million for sculptures, paintings and other art works at public buildings under a law that requires that at least 1 percent of construction budgets be set aside for art installations.

A Warwick couple intervened in a robbery Thursday evening, and when it was all over a few minutes later, three suspects were in custody.

Jose Marcano has spent the last 15 years building up his company from a one-man shop to a business with 20 employees.