Firefighters from four communities battled throughout the day yesterday to contain a raging fire at the Metals Recycling Plant in Johnston. The Projo reports that the scrapyard, which recycles junk cars, caught fire around 2 p.m. in stacks of old cars. Smoke from the fire was visible for miles, and forced neighbors of the Oakdale Avenue to close their windows. In 2003 the company paid 250-thousand dollars to settle allegations that it illegally stored, hauled, and disposed of hazardous material. The cause of the blaze remains a mystery and is under investigation.

Providence Police are investigating the city’s tenth murder of the year. The “Providence Journal” reports that 19-year-old Leonardo Manzano died at Rhode Island Hospital after being shot while seated in a car on Clym Street about 10 p.m. Saturday.

After losing 3 straight games, the PawSox turned things around last night beating the first-placed Scranton Yankees 5 to 1 at McCoy Stadium.  Edgar Martinez impressed, going 6 innings with 4 hits, and no runs.  The win improved his record to 7 and 2.

The PawSox are now just a game and a half behind the Scranton Yankees.  They begin a weekend road trip against Syracuse tonight at 7.

Women & Infants Hospital has received federal funding to study autism.  The hospital seeks to identify signs of autism in the pre and postnatal period by studying pregnant mothers who have an older child with autism.  The infants are considered at-risk for autism because the disorder tends to run in families.

Health Care For America Now and other advocates say there are too many people without health coverage at a time when insurance companies are taking in record profits.  Karen Malcolm of Ocean State Action, says insurance companies are seeing record profits, even though health care coverage is declining.  According to advocates United Healthcare of New England’s profits increased from 13-million to 25-million-dollars from 2004 to 2007.

Stop & Shop is cutting back in the selection of fish it offers consumers.  The Massachusetts-based chain says it will no longer sell Chilean sea bass, orange ruffie, or fresh shark.  Officials say they’re concerned about the overfishing of the species and have decided to drop them immediately.

Stop & Shop is cutting back in the selection of fish it offers consumers.  The Massachusetts-based chain says it will no longer sell Chilean sea bass, orange ruffie, or fresh shark.  Officials say they’re concerned about the overfishing of the species and have decided to drop them immediately.

The Iway bridge float project is in the running for a national award for innovation.  The span was built in Quonset and floated up Narragansett Bay to its current location in Providence.  The project is one of ten finalists from around the country that are up for the America’s Transportation Award, decided on by a panel of community, business and transportation leaders.  There’s also a People’s Choice award, decided by an online vote that started yesterday and runs through October 10th. 

A soldier born in Woonsocket has been killed Iraq.  The Projo reports 22 year-old Marine Sergeant Michael Ferschke Jr. was killed during a gun battle Sunday while conducting a house to house search in the city of Fallujah.  Ferschke had been in the Marines for over four years. Instead of leaving when his enlistment was up, he requested deployment to Iraq.

Providence Police have seized four-point-seven pounds of heroin in a Mt. Pleasant area home.  The Projo reports the seizure of an estimated 200-thousand-dollars worth of heroin came on Friday. The bust came after an investigation earlier this month revealed that heroin was being stored and sold in Mt. Pleasant.

The Department of Administration has awarded new janitorial contracts for a host of state buildings.  The state terminated its contracts with Tri-State Enterprises and Falcon Maintenance following an immigration raid at six Rhode Island courthouses last month.  State officials say they awarded the new contracts in an open, competitive process, and the companies will start a 90-day trial right away. The contracts will save the state 14-thousand-dollars a month, thanks to a change in services for some of the buildings. 

The price of gasoline in Rhode Island has dropped for the fifth straight week in a row, to a self-serve unleaded average of three-dollars-74-cents a gallon. That’s down 13-cents from last week and 37-cents from the record high price of four-dollars-ten-cents back on July 7.  Rhode Islanders are currently paying six-cents less than the national average.  A year ago at this time we were paying two-dollars-82-cents a gallon.