Child Murderer's Release Causes Uproar

Michael Woodmansee, known for one of the most gruesome murders in Rhode Island history, is set to be released from prison in August. Although originally sentenced to 40 years in prison, Woodmansee will be released 12 years early due to good behavior. Woodmansee was 16 years old when he murdered his five-year-old neighbor, Jason Foreman, in 1975. The murder, which took place in Peace Dale, took over eight years to be solved.

Woodmansee attempted to invite a 14-year-old paper boy into his home. The boy escaped and his father called the police, leading detectives to Woodmansee's home. Police allegedly discovered diaries describing how Woodmansee killed Foreman. It is also alleged that Woodmansee performed cannibalistic acts on Foreman's body. All evidence was sealed to avoid hurting Foreman's family anymore than what had already been done.

Residents of Peace Dale and the southern Rhode Island community are horrified about the possibility of Woodmansee returning to his former home. South Kingstown police officers are concerned about the potential harm cause by Woodmansee, and what the residents may do to him. In an interview with the WPRO radio station, Foreman's father announced his intentions to kill Woodmansee.

South Kingstown residents are planning a protest for Saturday morning. They are hoping to get Woodmansee transferred to a mental health facility, rather than being released into the general population. The protest is expected to be well-organized and non-violent.

Update:
Over 400 people attended the protest in Wakefield. Governor Chaffee is currently considering different options for Woodmansee after his release.

Charlie Sheen: Twitter Phenomenon

This week, Charlie Sheen has been mentioned on every television network and radio station. His photo is splashed across front pages of newspapers and covers of magazines. Currently in a war of words with his bosses as CBS, Sheen has been drumming up publicity with exclusive interviews. The most popular was his 20/20 interview, which aired on Tuesday night. In the interview, Sheen had some memorable quotes and introduced the world to his "goddesses", the two girlfriends he currently shares his home with. After the interview aired, police promptly arrived at Sheen's home and ordered him to surrender his two-year-old twin sons.

During the interview, Sheen used the word "winning" several times. Twitter uses promptly began tweeting the word as a trending phrase. After discovering his popularity on the social networking site, Sheen created his own Twitter account. Within one day, his following grew to over one million. He set a Guiness World Record for the fastest time to reach one million followers. With his trending topic, #winning, Sheen is garnering even more attention on the website. A trending topic is a way to quickly link posts to breaking news or popular topics. By trending a word or phrase, your post is automatically linked to a new feed with other posts featuring the same trending topic.

Elementary, My Dear Watson

In early 2011, IBM debuted its new robot, Watson. Named for the first president of the company, Thomas J. Watson. The robot, which has a lightning quick response time, was tested during a round of Jeopardy (see above video). Competing against the likes of Ken Jennings, the longest running champion of Jeopardy in history, Watson quickly left its competitors in the dust. The robot also competed against Brad Rutlet, who holds the record for the largest amount of money won on the game show.

Watson has more than 200 million pages of information stored on its internal disk. After the game show aired, there were over 134 million comments on the official IBM YouTube video. During the program, Watson did not have access to the internet. The robot received texts of the questions as the host was reading them to the other contestants. Watson has also competed against members of the House of Representatives in Jeopardy!, and had a higher score than its five competitors combined.

IBM plans to use Watson for healthcare purposes. Columbia University and the University of Maryland are currently working on discovering areas of patient diagnosis where Watson could be of use. Watson's software currently sells for $1 million. The price is expected to go down as technological advances continue.

Toyota's Second Recall

Toyota is in trouble for vehicle malfunctions yet again. The company, once considered one of the highest qualiity automobile makers, had a large recall in 2009. The 2009 recall came in three installments. The first recall began on November 2, 2009, due to the misplacement of floor mats under the gas pedal. Gas pedals were becoming stuck, causing vehicles to accelerate uncontrollably. The second recall took place January 21, 2010, after it was discovered that the floor mats were not the definite cause for the gas pedal's malfunction. In February of 2010, Toyota recalled anti-lock brake systems in their hybrid vehicles. These recalls totaled approximately nine million vehicles.

The latest recall will repair 2.17 million vehicles. Toyota agreed to partake in the recall to close the investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA). Toyota also paid $48.8 million for fines due to its three previous recalls. The latest recall includes 4Runners made between 2003 and 2007, RAV4's from 2006 to 2010, and a variety of Lexus models. Although Ford also recently recalled certain automobile models, it is widely speculated that Toyota only issued this recall to end the NHTSA's investigation of the company.

Conflict in Egypt

For about a month, Egypt has been plagued with protests, violence, and death. A country known for its rich history; Egypt is now topping the news as a place of unrest. Protesters have been calling for an end to the longtime term of President Hosni Mubarak. His regime is known for solving issues with violence rather than sitting down and discussing a logical solution. As the riots began, the police force in Cairo collapsed. The military has stepped in, but has had little success in taming the crowds.

Reporters visiting the region have been targeted. Egyptian citizens blame them for exciting the youths and causing more riots. CNN talk show host Anderson Cooper was repeatedly punched in the head. On Tuesday morning, it was reported that "60 Minutes" reporter Lara Logan was sexually assaulted during a riot before being rescued.While President Mubarak, who stepped down last week, blames the Muslims for the outbursts in Cairo, it is largely believed that economic struggles are behind the riots.

As is the case with the rest of the world, Egypt is struggling during this lengthy recession. The country has begun importing oil. They were once a large exporter. College students are struggling to find jobs, and Mubarak's regime failed to reach out to the working and middle classes.Yemen is currently staging protests in the hope that their longtime leader will also step down. Time will tell how Egypt will be affected by the violence. Currently, former Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi is leading Egypt.

South County Hospital Looks Forward

The MAKO Robot

South County Hospital, recently voted No. 1 for patient satisfaction in the state, unveiled its latest addition Thursday night. It wasn't a new surgeon. It was a robotic arm. The machine is part of an innovative new procedure recently introduced to the United States. The surgery is much less invasive than a total knee replacement, and helps patients recover more quickly.

The procedure, called MAKOplasty, is garnering lots of attention. South County is currently the only hospital in New England to offer this surgical technique. On Thursday evening, the robot was introduced to residents in the South County region. A surgeon was on hand to demonstrate the robot's capabilities. The hospital hopes to bring in new clients with the cutting edge surgery. Another introduction with the robot will be held for hospital stakeholders on February 16.

URI Fights Bar Shuttle

A student home marked by an orange sticker.

The University of Rhode Island will be going to court to fight Rogue Island Jitney's plan to shuttle students from campus to Narragansett bars. The jitney was approved by the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers. The University is concerned about underage drinking and other criminal issues that could arise if students are being transported.

U.R.I. is notorious for its dry campus after being known for decades as one of the country's top party schools. Recently, the school has been battling negative press surrounding the Eastward Look and Bonnet Shores residences occupied by students. Year-round residents have been very vocal about their disdain for the partying happening in their neighborhoods. Students, however, have been voicing their hatred of the orange sticker, a creation of the Narragansett police force and the University. The sticker, often likened to the "scarlet letter", marks houses that have loud parties.

With this issue always causing issues in the community, the University is very concerned about the repercussions of the jitney that will transport students around campus. Political figures are also concerned (http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/news/pr1.asp?prid=6918). Rogue Island Jitney promises to check the identification of all students who use their transportation. The University says the company cut corners when securing its agreement with the Department of Utilities and Carriers. The case is ongoing.