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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A former rock-band manager whose pyrotechnics caused a nightclub fire that killed 100 people was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison. Daniel Biechele, 29, could have gotten as much as 10 years behind bars under a deal he struck with prosecutors in February, when he pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. excerptLink

One brother gets jail, the other probation The brothers who owned The Station nightclub, where a fast- moving fire on Feb. 20, 2003, killed 100 people, have agreed to plead no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges, effectively ending the criminal prosecution against them. In exchange for their pleas, Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. has agreed to a sentence that calls for no jail time for one of the brothers, Jeffrey A. Derderian. Michael A. Derderian, 45, is to serve four years in prison followed by three years of probation. He also will have an 11-year suspended sentence, which...

No one yet has the full story on the infamous June 29 Northwest Airlines Flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles, on which thirteen Syrian musicians acted so suspiciously that passenger and WomensWallStreet.com writer Annie Jacobsen feared she was about to be killed by terrorists. The identity of the band remained unknown for a while until I identified them as the backup band for Canaanite crooner Nour Mehana, whom I dubbed the "Syrian Wayne Newton." Regardless of the behavior of Nour Mehana's band, Ms. Jacobsen's story has focused international attention on the very serious issue of terrorists sizing up our...

Investigators Examine Club's Exits PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The state fire marshal's office has taken four doors from the rubble of the Feb. 20 nightclub fire that killed 99 people and injured more than 180. According to search warrants filed by police, three of the doors are metal and one is wood. The state fire marshal did not return repeated calls Monday. Whether the exits may have contributed to the catastrophe is still under investigation. Fire and town officials are also trying to determine whether the club was above capacity the night of the blaze. Officials and witnesses said many people...

R.I. Nightclub Death Toll Rises to 98 By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN, Associated Press Writer PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The death toll from one of the nation's worst nightclub disasters rose to 98 after a woman who had been hospitalized died from her burns, hospital officials said Sunday. Kelly Viera died Saturday at Boston Shriners Hospital, said Victoria Brady, a spokeswoman for affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. Viera's age and hometown were not immediately released. Sunday morning, 51 people remained hospitalized in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with injuries suffered in the Feb. 20 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick. Thirty-three were in...

The investigation into Thursday's catastrophic fire in West Warwick broadened yesterday with a law enforcement official saying police had searched the home of a co-owner of The Station nightclub and subpoenaed three members of the band Great White. Ninety-seven concertgoers died Thursday night and 187 were injured when the band's opening fireworks sparked one of the worst nightclub fires in U.S. history. Law enforcement sources said that state police and West Warwick investigators had searched the Narragansett home of Michael Derderian on Sunday and seized records relating to the club. Investigators also seized and impounded the band's tour bus. They...

Those Suing Over Nightclub Fire May Not Find Any Deep Pockets An investigator sifts through the ashes of The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., on Saturday. It burned down Feb. 20, killing 97.(Robert E. Klein/The Associated Press) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS     PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- As families of the dead and injured struggle with their grief after one of the country's deadliest fires, some are starting to look for compensation. Lawyers say it won't come easily.     Rhode Island lawyers estimate at least $1 billion worth of lawsuit claims will be filed in the coming months. But they're not as...

The owners of The Station nightclub in West Warwick did not carry workers' compensation insurance as required by state law, News Channel 10 reported Wednesday. Nearly 100 people were killed when fire destroyed the club the night of Feb. 20. News Channel 10 reported club co-owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian could face civil penalties as high as $1 million for failing to have the insurance. Workers' compensation is required of any business in Rhode Island that has one or more employees, regardless of whether they are full or part time. When a worker is hurt on the job, workers' compensation...

Great White Testifies, Gets Sued Tuesday was a busy day for Great White--and the band's lawyers. Members of the '80s heavy metal outfit finally began testifying before a Rhode Island grand jury and faced the first of what is likely many wrongful-death lawsuits blaming the band in part for the deadly nightclub fire two weeks ago. The families of two of the victims are suing both Great White and club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, claiming they're responsible for the inferno that killed 98 people and injured close to 200--one of the worst blazes in the U.S. in more than...

By TOM MOONEY Journal staff writer Updated 1:36 p.m. / The owner of American Foam Corp. in Johnston says The Station nightclub in June 2000 purchased $575 worth of common egg-crate packing foam for soundproofing, but it was not fire retardant. The fire retardant foam would have cost twice as much, according to Aram DerManouelian, who said the club wanted "the lowest grade, the cheapest stuff." "They had a choice, and they bought general purpose egg-crate foam," said DerManouelian. "It kept the noise down, but whoever figured they'd put flame on it? Jesus. For a $575 invoice, here we are."...