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This Hour: Latest Rhode Island news, sports, business and entertainment

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TRASH BARREL BODY

Police: Body found in park is post office retiree

WARWICK, R.I. (AP) - Police say a man whose body was found in a trash barrel at Warwick City Park was a retired postal worker and avid runner who frequently used the park's bike path.

On Monday, police identified the man as 66-year-old John "Jack" Fay, of Warwick.

His body was found Saturday in the barrel, and the barrel had been covered with brush. Police have said he may have been killed on Thursday or Friday.

GAY MARRIAGE-REPUBLICANS

Log Cabin Republicans leader coming to RI

WARWICK, R.I. (AP) - The leader of a prominent gay Republican group is coming to Rhode Island and highlighting local GOP support for the state's new same-sex marriage law.

Gregory Angelo, director of the Log Cabin Republicans, plans to speak Tuesday in Warwick at a meeting of the Rhody Young Republicans.

Angelo tells The Associated Press that more and more Republicans are expressing support for gay marriage. He says the trend is obvious in Rhode Island, where Republicans in the General Assembly helped pass legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry beginning Aug. 1.

All five Republicans in state Senate voted yes on the bill last month. Senate Republican Leader Dennis Algiere says that for him gay marriage comes down to core Republican beliefs in fairness and individual liberty.

XGR-SCHOOL SECURITY

RI Senate to take up school security secrecy bill

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island lawmakers are set to vote on a proposal to allow local education officials to formulate school security plans behind closed doors despite concerns from open government groups.

The state Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure Tuesday. It would allow locally elected school officials to hold closed-door discussions about school safety policies, including the arming of school security guards or the procedure for notifying parents after an emergency.

Supporters including Gov. Lincoln Chafee (CHAY'-fee) say the secrecy would prevent a potential attacker from learning details of a school's security plans. But opponents like the Rhode Island Press Association and the American Civil Liberties Union say the bill is too broad and would impede public oversight of important policies.

The House has already passed the legislation.

BOSTON MARATHON-RI TROOPER

RI trooper who aided after bombs says he's no hero

SCITUATE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island state trooper who rushed to aid the injured moments after the Boston Marathon bombings says he continues to pray for those he helped, and he hopes to someday meet them.

Trooper Roupen Bastajian (ROO'-pen bas-TAY-jee-an) on Monday spoke about his experience, a few days after receiving the service ribbon from the state police, the department's highest honor.

Bastajian had just completed the marathon and was dehydrated and waiting to receive medical attention when the bombs went off.

He says adrenaline kicked in and he went on to help several people, including a man who had severe injuries to his legs, arm and eye.

He says he doesn't think he deserves the service ribbon and doesn't like being called a hero, saying he just did the right thing.

BOSTON MARATHON-RI VICTIM

More than 300 attend fundraiser for RI bomb victim

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - More than 300 people have attended a fundraiser for Heather Abbott, a Newport woman who lost part of her left leg in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee (CHAY'-fee), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and Rep. David Cicilline (sis-ihl-LEE'-nee) were among those who attended Sunday's event at Newport's Rosecliff mansion. Newport officials declared Sunday "Heather Abbott Day" in the city.

Abbott was waiting in line to get into a crowded restaurant when the bombs went off at the marathon. Doctors amputated her left leg below the knee.

Abbott says she will be getting fitted for a prosthetic in the next few weeks, and says she is determined to start walking again as soon as possible.

LANDFILL-TREATMENT PLANT

New wastewater plant planned for Central Landfill

JOHNSTON, R.I. (AP) - A new $28 million wastewater treatment plant is being planned for Rhode Island's Central Landfill.

The Providence Journal reports the plant is designed to pretreat water from the lagoons around the Johnston landfill to be sent to Providence through a new $4-million sewer connection.

Cranston has already imposed at least $190,000 in fines on Resource Recovery for wastewater discharges too toxic for its treatment system.

The water involved is largely is rainwater that falls on the mountains of covered trash and then runs into those lagoons.

The new system is expected to have the capacity to receive up to 650,000 gallons of wastewater from the landfill each day, a daily increase of 250,000 gallons.

Resource Recovery officials hope to complete the treatment plant by December 2014.

DIVESTMENT-BROWN UNIVERSITY

Students to address Brown board on divestment

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Brown University students who are pushing for the school to divest from coal companies will get a chance to address its governing body.

Members of the Brown Divest Coal Campaign say they have been invited to speak Thursday during the first day of the Corporation's annual 2-day May meeting. The group has been pushing the board to take action to divest.

An advisory committee on corporate responsibility has recommended that the university divest from the largest coal companies.

The students say that nearly 3,000 undergraduates and hundreds of alumni and faculty have signed a petition supporting divestment.

A university spokeswoman couldn't immediately be reached.

Students at the Rhode Island School of Design are also pushing for divestment. They staged a sit-in in the office of the president last month.

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