Historic Rhode Island charm. Breathtaking waterfront views. Gourmet food and wine. Shaded, outdoor lounges. Next weekend, wine enthusiasts will flock to the cool Rhode Island seashore for the second-annual Newport WineFest, a lush outdoor bash that boasts cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, wine seminars, and hundreds of wine, beer and spirit tastings.

The founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School, Jonathan Alsop, will lead wine seminars, while locally loved food talent, renowned gourmet chefs, reality TV stars and cookbook authors share their secrets during cooking demonstrations.

Here’s a look at the culinary talent taking on this year’s WineFest:

Central Falls, R.I. is declaring bankruptcy and claims “the current situation is dire,” according to state officials.

“Despite its proud past, the reality of the present is that Central Falls is no longer a boom town,” Governor Lincoln Chafee said, according to the Boston Globe. “The city has for years had liabilities outweighing its means.”

This will be the first city in Rhode Island to declare bankruptcy. The petition has been filed with the US Bankruptcy Court in Boston.

Robert G. Flanders, the city receiver, said that officials have revoked the contracts of police, firefighters, and municipal workers. The state also plans to ask unions to cut labor costs.

City pensioners are expected to see up to a 50 percent cut in their next pension check as a result of the bankruptcy, according to Flanders.

The city put its self under receivership, the municipal equivalent of bankruptcy, last year in hopes of fixing its financial woes, but it was to no avail. The city has been suffering for a while now, with no plausible way out.

The Boston Globe reports that the city would have built up a deficit of $5.6 million by June 30, 2012, with revenues at about $16.4 million and expenses at $22 million, if they hadn’t started making changes.

Rhode Island will lose revenue if Massachusetts passes a law legalizing casinos first, according to supporters of a plan to allow poker, blackjack and other table games at a northern Rhode Island slot parlor.

The supporters claim the state could lose up to $100 million from residents traveling to Mass. to gamble more freely.

State lawmakers voted to put casino legalization on next year’s ballot recently, forging a new step in favor of the plan’s supporters. Voters will be asked to allow the Twin River slot parlor in Lincoln to include table games.

“The threats from Massachusetts are real — just a matter of time before the Commonwealth unveils its own gaming plans,” said Twin River spokeswoman Patti Doyle.

Twin River says that Rhode Island would gain an estimated 650 jobs and $60 million in state revenue if the ballot question is approved.

However, voters recently turned down the motion to authorize casinos in 2006 after the Narragansett Indian Tribe’s request to open a casino. Voters must approve casinos, according to state law.

“Every time this comes up it’s rejected,” said state Rep. Michael Marcello, D-Scituate. “At some point you have to respect the will of the voters. I think our time would be better spent trying to find other ways to bring more high paying jobs into the state.”

Many believe the attempts are failing because of fear of gambling addiction.

“The people of Rhode Island see it’s a false hope,” Rev. Eugene McKenna, president of the Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling, told the Associated Press. “So many people know somebody whose life has been ruined or seriously harmed by addiction. People realize casino gambling is not economic development.”

The spirit of competition may well be the driving force in this race. Rhode Island does not want to lose money to Massachusetts, and is determined to be first.

“We’re last in line in everything we do in Rhode Island,” said Tony Mazzotti, 80, of Cranston in an AP interview. “The state needs every penny it can grab. And if we don’t grab it, Massachusetts will.”

Christian Dior silk and satin weave cocktail dress, 1954. (Photo courtesy of RISD Museum)

PROVIDENCE — Like a stiff vodka martini, taking the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum’s “Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920-1980″ exhibit all in one gulp may result in lush fashion intoxication.

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are greeted by classic black Christian Dior, as ready-to-wear today as when it debuted in the fall of 1954. Beyond the timeless silk and satin-weave masterpiece are seven decades, and more than 220 examples, of vintage decor and party-wear.

“‘Cocktail Culture’ traces the influence of the cocktail hour on fashion and design in the 20th century, from the flapper of Prohibition to the ultra feminine dresses of post-World War II to the spangled pantsuit of the disco era, and the accompanying designs for shakers and glasses,” said Interim Director Ann Woolsey in a press release.

The cocktail fashion of the 1920s and 1930s begins with the section “Mixed Company,” which addresses the mixing of both drinks and the genders behind closed doors. “The making of the modern drinker occurred during Prohibition, when those who enjoyed spirits gathered in private homes by necessity,” the wall label reads. “Shifted to a domestic setting, drinking, formerly the domain of men, became a pastime shared by women as well.”

The above looks from the "Day for Night" section have simple silhouettes with fun embellishments. (Photo courtesy of RISD Museum)

Among several items, a silk evening dress with olive with red accents by Elizabeth Hawes, 1939, stands out boldly in this section.

While “Mixed Company” deals primarily with the cocktail party, “Urban Nightlife,” which also focuses on the ’20s and ’30s, is primarily devoted to the iconic flapper style. One item featured in “Urban Nightlife” is a silk beaded flapper dress with glass bugle beads, stamped metal sequins and rhinestones from 1925.

The cocktail style then focuses on travel-wear from the 1920s to the 1940s in the “Travel” section. “The luxury ocean liner emerged as a stage not only for introducing new drinks, but for acting out new attitudes and style of dress,” the wall label reads.

One featured item in this section is Russian designer Magda Polivanov’s green and yellow Mardi Gras ensemble from 1936.

Then comes “New Materials, A New Purpose,” which is devoted to the wartime styling of the 1940s and early 1950s. Rationing restrictions and more women in the workplace may be responsible for a movement away from “made embellishment,” such as embroidery, and toward the women’s suit. Featured here is a black acetate women’s suit by Jennifer, 1945.

Dresses in "The Rules" section blend eveningwear with daywear. (Photo courtesy of RISD Museum)

The rest of the ’50s, represented in “The Rules,” reflects the upsurge of wealth resulting from World War II and the American desire for Parisian fashion. The mission was to blend the extravagance of eveningwear with the casual comfort of daywear to create an ideal cocktail party dress. The cut and style of the ’50s cocktail dress continue to influence designers to this day. Here, a Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel strapless cocktail dress, black lace with a velvet sash from 1858, stands out among several others.

Fashion from “Day for Night,” spanning from the late 1950s through the early 1960s, is simpler in design and leaves room for “over the top” accessories. This combination demonstrates the necessity of the little black dress in every fashionable woman’s wardrobe. Here, a bold 1969 Norman Norell variant on the little black dress, a wool mini dress with a vast rhinestone Maltese cross, is featured.

Next, from the 1960s to the 1970s, came the “New Casual,” a reflection of the general movement toward informality in fashion. “The enthusiasm for outdoor entertaining inspired the imaginations of designers of furniture, clothing and barware,” the wall card reads. “Men’s and women’s garments worn in this milieu are aptly casual and often take inspiration from ethnic and folk dress.”

This sleek Charter Company cocktail shaker is from 1928. (Photo courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art)

A 1950s floral cotton halter dress with rhinestone embellishment by Yvette is featured among others in this section.

The final sub-section of “Cocktail Culture” explores the “International Set/Club Culture” of the late ’60s through the ’70s, where bold, polyester prints reign supreme. A multi-colored silk knit dress by Emilio Pucci, 1970, is featured.

“I never would’ve thought there would be so many high-end names,” said Isabel Westfield, of Providence, a viewer of the exhibit. “Valentino, Balenciaga, Dior, Chanel…I don’t know about you, but I’ve died and gone to vintage heaven.”

If you, too, seek heavenly solace in draping Valentino rhinestone chokers and Balenciaga feathered headdresses, RISD Museum’s “Cocktail Culture” is awaiting your first sip. The exhibition will run through July 31. Visit the museum at 224 Benefit St., Providence to see the exhibit. Call 401-454-6500 or visit the RISD Museum’s website for more information.

Four men have been indicted in Rhode Island for receiving and possessing child pornography, with two of the defendants accused of also distributing it, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Tuesday.

Federal indictments have been returned against Jason Bidondi, 35, of Central Falls; Paul N. Hutchinson, 27, of Barrington; Robert L. Macgregor, 48, of Pawtucket; and Gerard R. Proulx, Jr., 34, of Pawtucket charging each with receiving and possession of child pornography. Bidondi and Macgregor are also charged with distribution. They will each be summonsed to U.S. District Court in Providence.

Several others have been arrested recently as a result of “Operation Safe Child,” a joint state, local and federal investigation. Those defendants are facing charges in Rhode Island state courts.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE investigates many federal cases of child pornography and exploitation.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or cybertipline.com.

An East Providence, R.I. man was arrested in Seekonk for allegedly driving drunk for the 11th time.

Vernon Perry, 52, was spotted around 1:20 Saturday morning by Seekonk Patrol Officer Eric Chalifoux driving quickly down Taunton Avenue.

The officer captured Perry’s 2001 Saturn on radar at 52 mph in a 40 zone, and then he noticed the car crossing the double yellow line.

Perry failed several field sobriety tests and was arrested for operating under the influence and negligent operation of a motor vehicle and cited for speeding and failure to stay within marked lanes.

According to driving records, Perry is a habitual offender with 10 prior drunk driving charges on his record.

He will be arraigned in Taunton District Court on Monday.

A Providence man who told investigators that he armed himself because of his “lifestyle” and as a means to protect women who worked for his escort service was sentenced Monday to 70 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to a federal gun charge.

James Lombardi, 26, was arrested by Providence Police in December 2009 and indicted by a federal grand jury in February on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in July.

The sentence, which was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, was announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie S. Browne told the court that the Government was prepared to present evidence that Lombardi acquired a stolen Remington 12 gauge shotgun approximately 3 weeks prior to his arrest. Lombardi told investigators he acquired the shotgun because of his lifestyle. He told police that he ran an escort service based out of a hotel room in Warwick and his home which employed several women.

Lombardi told investigators that when his girlfriend, whom he also employed as an escort, brought clients to their residence he would wait in the basement armed with the shotgun in the event of a problem.

He also admitted to police that he sold heroin during times when the escort service was slow, and that he planned to use the shotgun for protection.

A North Smithfield, R.I. teacher and coach faces charges relating to “sexting” his students, according to a report by WPRO Radio.

Steve DeMeo pleaded not guilty in Kent County Courthouse Monday to charges of indecent solicitation of children, possession of child pornography and possession of marijuana, the radio station reported.

DeMeo, 31, is accused of sending inappropriate sexual cell phone images to minors.

WPRO reported that DeMeo teaches Social Studies at North Smithfield High School and coaches girls varsity soccer there and boys varsity basketball at nearby Coventry High School.

Bail for DeMeo was set at $10,000, and he was ordered not to have contact with minors.

A resounding “no” sounded over The Ocean State tonight as voters overwhelmingly shot down a ballot measure that would change the state’s name.

Rhode Island’s official name is The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The name goes back to the 1640s when Roger Williams coined the term.

Proponents of the measure argued that the name was rooted in the slave trade, but voters clearly wanted to leave well enough alone.

Nearly 80 percent of the state voted against the measure, which would have amended the state’s constitution to change the name to simply “Rhode Island.”

PROVIDENCE — Final stop for President Barack Obama was a $7,500-a-head fundraiser in the well-appointed home of Arnold “Buff” and Johnnie Chace on the East Side of Providence not far from Brown University. Fewer than 50 were in attendance, according to Eric Hyers, campaign manager for Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Democratic candidate for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy.

The gathering took place in a living room that featured several oil paintings — portraits over the facing fireplaces at either end of the room, a seascape, some landscapes and a rustic scene of people in red hunting caps.

Guests included three of the four-member Rhode Island Democratic congressional delegation — Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Kennedy. Rep. James R. Langevin had left the presidential party at an earlier stop.

Also on hand: Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — who introduced the president — and Cicilline.

In attendance too, was consultant Ira Magaziner, the Rhode Islander who managed former President Bill Clinton’s unsuccessful health care initiative.

Guests wore business attire, suits and ties, skirts and pantsuits, dark colors predominating.

Magaziner won a friendly acknowledgement from Obama: “He was there for the last round in 1994,” said the president, referring to the health care initiative, “he knows how tough it is.”

The president spoke for around 20 minutes, touching some of the same points he had made during his earlier visit to the factory in Woonsocket:

• On the economy: The unemployment rate might be 12 or 13 percent today had it not been for administration policies.
• On the mood of the electorate: “It’s not surprising that the country is angry and the country is frustrated.”
• On GOP strategy: It’s “to try to ride that anger for as long as possible.”
• On the administration’s accomplishment’s accomplishments; “I could not be prouder” of a record that includes the largest spending on infrastructure since the Eisenhower administration, the largest increase in national service since the Peace Corps and Wall Street reform.

Obama concluded his remarks at about 7:30. saying he couldn’t stay for dinner. “I’ve got to go home to tuck in the girls and walk the dog and scoop the poop,” he said.

Motorcade rolled to the airport at about 7:35 p.m.

Pool reporting from The Providence Journal.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. –– Air Force One touched down at T.F. Green State Airport in Warwick at 3:49 p.m.

On hand to greet the president were members of the states all-Democratic congressional delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon White House and Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy and James R. Langevin; Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Democratic candidate for the retiring Kennedy’s seat; Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox and the Right Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Rhode Island’s Episcopal bishop

Not among the local dignitaries awaiting the president’s arrival was the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Frank Caprio.

Caprio learned Sunday that President would not endorse him. Caprio told a local talk-radio host Monday morning: “He can take his endorsement and really shove it.

The president emerged from Air Force one at 3:59 p.m., wearing a dark suit, white shirt and gray tie and embraced Reed and Whitehouse and proceeded down the receiving line with the rest of the dignitaries and on to the motorcade for a factor in Woonsocket, R.I.

The Motorcade into the autumn-colored woods of the Blackstone River Valley was uneventful.

Near the destination, American Cord & Webbing, in Woonsocket small crowds of flag-waving citizens greeted the motorcade. One group of several dozen waved signs for the Republican candidate for retiring Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy’s seat, state Rep. John J. Loughlin II of Tiverton. (Loughlin campaigned in this part of the state earlier in the day with Republican Sen. Scott Brown.)

The President toured a section of the factory where workers at sewing machines fabricated web belts with plastic buckles — including some belts bearing the names of first daughters Sasha and Malia Obama.

Obama expressed his delight in those products, embraced and shook hands with workers, telling one, “You’re doing a great job.”

One of the workers, Marjorie Duque, declared herself “very happy” with the presidential handshaking greeting. She said she is a Democrat who supports Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Democratic candidate for Kennedy’s seat.

At 4:46 p.m. the pool was ushered away from the section of the factory where the workers visited with the president. His remarks to an audience of about 80 people in folding chairs — including the members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation — included a greeting for the mayor, whom he identified as Dave Cicilline, soon to have another job.

The motorcade back to Providence began at 5:13 p.m.

At the Rhode Island Convention Center Representative Chris Van Hollen, (D-Maryland) the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee warmed up a crowd of several hundred at a fundraising reception in a closed function room with a bar.

Proceeds from the $500-a-head event are to be shared by the DCCC and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Democratic candidate for the seat of outgoing Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy. Van Hollen reprised Democratic triumphs past including the party’s takeover of majority control in the congress in 2006 and then President Obama’s victory in 2008.

None of the speakers made mention of the local democratic dignitary missing from the room, General Treasurer Frank Caprio, the gubernatorial candidate whom the president has declined to endorse in his race against Republican John Robataille and Republican turned Independent Lincoln D. Chafee.

Cicilline introduced Potus for what he called “tremendous leadership and tremendous courage in pulling this country from the brink” of economic disaster.

Ciclline also tauted elements of his campaign platform, and said “one of the reasons I am running for Congress is to join with our president and get our economy back on track.”

The crowd cheered during the remarks by Potus, which included his now familiar joke that Republicans are like a group of people who have driven a car into a ditch. Now that the democrats have pulled it out and turned it in the right direction the Republicans want the keys back.

The motorcade left at 6:32 p.m. for the Providence home of supporters Arnold “Buff” Chace and Johnnie his wife.

Pool reporting by The Providence Journal

Officials will celebrate the opening of new transit hub in Warwick, R.I. next week as plans come together to ultimately link T.F. Green Airport with commuter rail service running out of Boston.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur on Wednesday with Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri and congressmen at the airport’s InterLink Transportation Facility, according to the Associates Press.

The project will connect planes, trains, and automobiles in the form of buses at the chief airport in Rhode Island.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will run commuter rail service from Boston, to Providence, to Green starting this fall.

This is a quarter-billion-dollar project that has been going on for almost 20 years.

Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced Tuesday that Rhode Island would receive a $150,000 federal grant to establish a phone number to help residents get “clear and accurate information” about health care.

The grant comes from the health insurance reform law recently passed by congress.

The grant also helps the state establish a new website and print educational[ materials. Two jobs are also created under the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation for staffers to help educate patients on health insurance options, how to enroll in health insurance, and how to appeal insurer denials.

The employees will be Spanish/English speakers and will hold seminars to raise awareness of health care options.

“This initiative will help Rhode Islanders get the information they need to make well-informed decisions about their health insurance,” Reed said. “It will help consumers understand their options and provide assistance if they run into trouble. ”

“Health insurance reform will benefit hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders in the years to come, but it remains a complex piece of legislation,” Whitehouse added. “By helping our state implement reform and answer questions about the law, and helping dispel the falsehoods that have been propagated, this funding will help Rhode Islanders get the most out of this landmark bill.”

The grant is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

A 46-year-old Pawtucket woman was arrested in Braintree after going on a five-finger discount spree at the South Shore Plaza.

Michelle D. Rose faces larceny and stolen property charges after loss prevention officers at the Gap Kids store caught them trying to make off with goods from there and several other stores in the mall.

Rose and another woman walked into the Gap Kids store with several large shopping bags and starting taking products off the shelves and stuffing them into the bags, Braintree police said.

Rose tried to ditch her items after she noticed that she caught the security guard’s attention.

Both women were confronted outside the store and the unidentified woman first pushed a loss prevention officer and then punched her in the ribs before running off. The unidentified woman fled out the mall by Legal Seafood, and Rose fled the mall by the Cheesecake Factory. Loss prevention continued to follow Rose and notified police.

An arriving officer spotted her and immediately arrested her. Police searched her car and found two large trash bags full of clothes. The car was impounded and brought to the Braintree police station where a more thorough search was conducted.

Police found more clothes and items in the trunk.

Officers recovered clothing from the Express Store, Abercrombie and Fitch, Macy’s, Aeropostale, Gap Kids and Abercrombie Kids with a combined total of more than $3,000.

But the other woman apparently got away. Rose’s companion was neither apprehended nor identified.

Providence police are investigating the aftermath of a violent weekend in Rhode Island’s capital that left three people shot and one stabbed.

On one was killed, but it represents a spike in violence in a city that has seen a decline in violent crime in recent years.

Police responded to shootings on DeSoto Street, Wadsworth Street, and Houston Street on Saturday night. A 19-year-old man named Stefano Castor was shot in the shoulder and brought to the hospital, according to the Providence Journal. In the second incident, 26-year-old Sokhorn Yem was hit in the thigh, the paper reported.

No victim was found when shots were reported on Houston Street, but 21-year-old Jose Rodriguez later showed up later at a local hospital with a leg wound.

The last victim was jumped and stabbed early on Sunday.

WPRI-TV also reported that a woman was robbed at gunpoint outside of H&M Discount Mart Store on Broad Street on Thursday night.

Curt Schilling, who’s best known for the “bloody sock” and acting like Foghorn Leghorn, is moving his videogame company 38 studios (and has anyone actually ever played a game from said studios?) from Maynard, Massachusetts to Rhode Island, on the tiny state’s dime.

Full story about this deal, and the potential for growth (or lack thereof) of jobs in the state, after the jump.

Did anyone else not know that prostitution was legal in Rhode Island until this week?

More than 30 suspect brothels could be raided by police soon as Gov. Don Carcieri signed legislation Tuesday banning prostitution and making it a misdemeanor.

Rhode Island was, until now, the only state except Nevada where prostitution was not a crime. This began in the Ocean State as a loophole in 1980 when legislators passed legislation aimed at cracking down on people who sold sex in “public,” which was a major problem in Providence’s West End. Judges would later rule that the law actually made prostitution legal in private, and the brothels sprung up all over. The effect was that a law aimed at cracking down on the sex trade actually made it proliferate.

But the party’s over now.

Sorry Northeastern — this is one list you aren’t climbing. Too bad, Harvard — you’re not in the top three this time.

Dr. Evan Dobelle, president of Westfield State College announced today the list of the “Top 25 Best Neighbor Colleges and Universities” at the 15th annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities in Philadelphia.

“It’s regrettable that with almost a trillion dollars in bailout or stimulus money that more of these funds are not being invested in projects sponsored by campus-based civic engagement initiatives,” Dobelle said in a statement. “Projects don’t come much more turn-key than those in the higher education-community alliance sphere.”

New England just isn’t on the list, with the exception of the Rhode Island School of Design is Providence. None of the 50+ colleges or universities in Boston made the list.

The list:
1. University of Pennsylvania “" Philadelphia, PA
1. University of Southern California “" Los Angeles, CA
2. University of Dayton “" Dayton, OH
2. University of Pittsburgh “" Pittsburgh, PA
5. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis “" Indianapolis, IN
6. Creighton University “" Omaha, NE
7. Case Western Reserve University “" Cleveland, OH
8. Tulane University “" New Orleans, LA
9. Portland State University “" Portland, OR
10. Drexel University “" Philadelphia, PA
11. Virginia Commonwealth University “" Richmond, VA
12. University of Louisville “" Louisville, KY
13. University of Rochester “" Rochester, NY
14. University of Houston “" Houston, TX
14. University of Missouri at Kansas City “" Kansas City, MO
14. University of Missouri at St. Louis “" St. Louis, MO
17. Emory University “" Atlanta, GA
18. University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee “" Milwaukee, WI
19. Carnegie Mellon University “" Pittsburgh, PA
20. Rhode Island School of Design “" Providence, RI
21. Miami-Dade College “" Miami
22. St. Louis University “" St. Louis, MO
23. Rutgers-Newark, State University of New Jersey “" Newark, NJ
24. George Washington University “" Washington, DC
25. University of Nebraska-Omaha “" Omaha, NE

Criteria for assessment in the survey included length of involvement in the community, dollars invested in local efforts, community service, students in local K-12 schools going on to attend the college/university and recognition of positive community impact from those living in the community.