(CBS News) NEWPORT, R.I. -- Fall is prime lobster fishing season in New England. Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee says he has "grave concerns" about high winds and Hurricane Sandy's storm surge, particularly in low-lying areas. But many fishermen in Newport, R.I., aren't willing to leave their boats. Lobsterman Jim Violet made several trips to the docks Monday, each time adding more lines to secure his boat. "I started to go home, and I started to have a few second thoughts, so I decided to put a few extra ones on there just to be safe," says Violet, who has fished the waters off Newport for 30 years. Violet says every storm is a little different. "You're kind of used to storms, but hurricanes always scare you," he says. "They could damage your boat, could sink your boat, could put you out of business." And that could have a ripple effect on other people. "On my suppliers, customers, the crew, everybody that depends on us, the fuel guy that we buy fuel from, the bait guy that we buy … [Read more...] about Rhode Island fishermen brace for hurricane
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CBS News Logo Clintons break from campaign to attend Rhode Island funeral
PROVIDENCE -- Hillary Clinton took a break from the presidential campaign on Tuesday to attend the funeral in Rhode Island of her longtime friend, Mark Weiner, a major Democratic donor and fundraiser. Former President Bill Clinton delivered the eulogy, saying he was there to represent the "much despised and maligned political class, those of us who wouldn't have gotten as far in life - and certainly wouldn't have had half as much fun - if it hadn't been for Mark Weiner." Hillary Clinton didn't speak at the funeral, but her husband remembered Weiner as "forever young, forever exuberant, always just a little too much." Weiner provided campaign buttons and other merchandise to Democratic presidential campaigns since 1980 and held leadership positions throughout the party. He died last week at 62 after a yearslong battle with cancer. He was preparing to travel to the Democratic National Convention to hear Bill Clinton speak when he died. The crowd at his funeral was filled with Democratic … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Clintons break from campaign to attend Rhode Island funeral
CBS News Logo State rep shocked by “insane amount of drinking” at Rhode Island capitol
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A new state lawmaker said she’s surprised by the “insane amount of drinking” that goes on in the Rhode Island State House. Providence Democratic Rep. Moira Walsh told local radio station WPRO-AM on Tuesday that lawmakers have “file cabinets full of booze.” She described how they recently took shots on the floor of the House of Representatives to celebrate Dominican Republic Independence Day. “I am probably going to get in a lot of trouble for saying this, but the drinking! It is the drinking that blows my mind,” she told talk show host Matt Allen, who asked what surprised her most about being in government. “You cannot operate a motor vehicle when you’ve had two beers, but you can make laws that affect people’s lives forever when you’re half in the bag? That’s outrageous.” Walsh took office in January after ousting a longtime incumbent in last year’s Democratic primary … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo State rep shocked by “insane amount of drinking” at Rhode Island capitol
Rhode Island offshore wind farm, first in the U.S., to power thousands of homes
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. -- Fifteen miles off the coast of Rhode Island stand 600-foot turbines, anchored in 90 feet of Atlantic waters. They are expected to generate enough energy to power 17,000 homes. “We see this being a big industry, we see offshore wind producing a lot of energy for the United States, particularly here in the Northeast where the winds are really strong,” said Jeff Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind, which built the wind farm. The turbines will most benefit Block Island. Because of its location, 45 minutes by boat from the mainland, it currently gets its oil and gas shipped in. Residents pay a premium; At peak times, nearly 60 cents per kilowatt. The wind farm is expected to cut that cost to about 24 cents. That is great news for 68-year old Steve Draper. His family runs the 1661 Inn, one of the oldest businesses on the island. “Our bill last year was somewhere around $200,000,” he said. “You try everything to cut your costs. It’s … [Read more...] about Rhode Island offshore wind farm, first in the U.S., to power thousands of homes
CBS News Logo BP oil spill left a “bathtub ring” the size of Rhode Island, study says
The 2010 BP oil spill left an oily "bathtub ring" on the sea floor roughly the size of Rhode Island, according to a new study. The rig blew on April 20, 2010, and spewed 172 million gallons of oil into the Gulf through the summer. Scientists are still trying to figure where all the oil went and what effects it's had. Study author David Valentine, a geochemistry professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, estimated that the spill from the Macondo well left about 2 million barrels (84 million gallons) of oil coagulated on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico around the damaged Deepwater Horizons oil rig. In the study, using data from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the scientists analyzed more than 3,000 samples collected at 534 locations, and identified a 1,250-square-mile patch of the deep sea floor where 2 to 16 percent of the discharged oil was deposited. "There's this sort of ring where you see … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo BP oil spill left a “bathtub ring” the size of Rhode Island, study says