The soon-to-be Hartford Yard Goats will unveil their new logo on Wednesday.

The minor league baseball team, known now as the New Britain Rock Cats, will adopt its new name and mascot upon moving to Hartford in 2016. The team will play at a brand-new stadium in the city’s Downtown North development.

The Yard Goats selected their name as part of an online contest. Although a "yard goat" is actually a locomotive, many expect the team's new mascot to depict the animal of the same name. Two live goats were present when the name was announced in March.

The new logo will go public on Wednesday. Team officials said they expect to make the reveal at 1 p.m. at the atrium of the XL Center in Hartford.
 

The acting head of the agency that regulates rail travel and freight in the United States says the Metro-North Railroad needs to improve safety and overall operational efforts on the country's busiest commuter rail line.

"In some places like Metro-North, it might be safety culture and really some basics on improving safety," Sarah Feinberg, the Acting Administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration said during an interview Monday.

Feinberg paid her third visit to Connecticut on Monday, which she said was the most out of any state she's visited during her six months on the job.

"I can't say that I've visited any of the other 49 states as often," she said during a roundtable with mayors and representatives from cities and towns that depend on rail.

The visit was meant to shine a light on improved safety efforts more than two years after the tragic death of Robert Luden, a Metro-North maintenance worker who was struck and killed in May 2013.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal invited Feinberg to Connecticut to discuss needed safety improvements all along the state's hundreds of miles of track.

"What’s needed is new equipment, new tracks, cars, but what’s needed is a drastic change in culture," Blumenthal said.

Feinberg said the addition of Positive Train Control, a GPS- and Internet-based technology that can stop runaway trains, is also crucial to improving safety and minimizing accidents.

"Most accidents are caused by human factors," Feinberg said. "That means human error. Positive Train Control helps take human error off the table. It’s just a game changer in terms of safety. It’s just a huge priority for us."

Metro-North received a $1 billion loan from the federal government last April to install PTC along the entire line.

Vernon police have arrested a South Windsor man accused of biting a caretaker's nose off because she made a wrong turn on the way to a medical appointment.

Aaron Olmsted, 33, of South Windsor, attacked a woman on Regan Road in Vernon on Monday morning and bit her nose off, police said.

Police said Olmsted knows the woman, who was working for a social service agency and he bit her because she made a wrong turn while taking him to a medical appointment.

The woman called 911 at 9:15 a.m. from a parking lot and told dispatchers the man bit off much of her nose.

Olmsted had run from the scene and police identified him as the suspect.

Vernon EMTs, police officers and a paramedic treated the woman, who was transported to Hartford Hospital.

Police also started searching for Olmsted and found him just before 10 a.m. on Avery Street in South Windsor.

He was arrested, brought to Vernon Police headquarters and charged with assault in the first degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree.

Olmsted is being held in lieu of a $500,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court this afternoon for arraignment.

State police are trying to piece together what happened to a 39-year-old West Haven man found shot to death at West Rock State Park in Hamden on the Fourth of July.

Hamden officers discovered the body of Edward Brooks while investigating the report of an explosion on Wintergreen Avenue, just north of Carbonell Drive, around 11:15 a.m. Saturday, according to state police.

The New Haven state's attorney's office enlisted the help of the Connecticut State Police Emergency Services Unit Bomb Squad, Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and the Central District Major Crime Squad.

Investigators learned Brooks died of multiple gunshots and trauma to the head, neck and torso. His death has been ruled a homicide, according to state police.

Authorities are still trying to determine whether his death is linked to the explosion reported nearby. Investigators searching his home on Front Avenue in West Haven found what appear to be several fireworks in trash cans and a backyard shed.

After finding Brooks' body, police began searching for two people spotted in the area. Police said they may have been driving a gold Nissan Altima with Florida plates – a car that matches the one found outside Brooks' home.

Investigators have been searching the home and will also search the Altima for clues. They'll remain on the Front Avenue property over the next several days and will follow all leads.

Police believe the incident to be isolated and said there is no threat to the public.

Anyone with information about the case should call Central District Major Crime at 860-685-8190. Calls will remain confidential.

Police have issued a Silver Alert for a baby girl who has been missing from Hartford since the Fourth of July.

Allayah Lewis may be with her biological mother, Jasmine Caminero, according to the Silver Alert.

Police have not elaborated on the circumstances of her disapperance.

The baby has brown eyes. She stands 2 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds, according to police.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Hartford police at 860-757-4000.

Community members are mourning the death of a Trumbull native and former intern for Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes who was stabbed and killed on the Metro in Washington, D.C. over the holiday weekend.

Kevin Sutherland, 24, was fatally stabbed while on his way to visit friends on the Fourth of July.

He had interned for Himes and worked on the staff of the congressman, who tweeted his disbelief Sunday after learning of Sutherland's death.

"Am absolutely heartbroken by the tragic loss of intern, staffer & wonderful friend, Kevin Sutherland," Himes wrote. "I've known few as selfless & decent."

Others in Trumbull echoed that sentiment.

"He was a wonderful, kind, intelligent, articulate young man who had a wonderful future ahead of him," said Vicky Tesoro, a Democratic member of the town council in Trumbull, where Sutherland grew up.

Tesoro remembered Sutherland, who attended Trumbull High School with her daughter, as someone who would help out with Democratic town politics and whom people thought had a bright future.

"He was just a great guy, you know?" Tesoro said. "Young, enthusiastic, was a staunch advocate for people’s rights. He wanted to do the right thing. He’d be the first person out there trying to protect people’s rights. That’s what he was all about."

Police in Washington, D.C. have arrested Jasper Spires in connection with Sutherland's death. Investigators believe Spires stabbed Sutherland on the train in between stops during a robbery gone awry.

According to court documents, Spires had been arrested last Thursday on felony charges pertaining to robbery and violence. The charges were downgraded to a single misdemeanor, and Spires was released from custody Friday.

He allegedly killed Sutherland the next day.

Trumbull First Selectman said those facts are the most troubling.

"I think that the Washington Police Department and the prosecutor’s office really have a lot of explaining to do as to why that this person was released. Clearly, he had a propensity for violence. I believe he assaulted a police officer. Somebody needs to be held accountable for this," Herbst said.

Sutherland was a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C.

As the light faded and police called off their initial search for a 7-month-old who they believe plunged into the Connecticut River with his suicidal father, friends and family gathered in Middletown to remember the boy and pray for his safe return.

Police, however, are not expecting to find little Aaden Moreno alive.

According to state police, Aaden was with his father, Tony Moreno, 22, when Moreno jumped off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown late Sunday night. They believe the boy ended up in the water. Although Moreno was rescued and taken to the hospital, Aaden hasn't been seen since.

"It feels like my heart is clenched," said Kiana Beamon, who attended a candlelight vigil at the Middletown green Monday evening. "Whatever condition he’s in, I hope he’s found and that the family can get peace within their hearts."

Although the search has yet to yield any results, family members are holding out hope.

"I’m hoping and praying that somebody has him somewhere. You never know," said Tom Moreno, a relative of Aaden. "I’m hoping against hope that somebody will find that poor child."

The more time that passes, the more the community worries.

"I’m praying for a miracle that Aaden will be found alive, but also praying for the family and comfort for them, however this tragedy turns out," said family friend Djuana Beamon.

Authorities planned to interview Moreno at Hartford Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment. Police said they expect to file charges in this case.

It is not clear when rescuers will continue with their recovery mission on the river.

Hazy sunshine to start the week will fade to clouds, with extreme humidity and a chance for downpours or even a thundershower Tuesday into Wednesday.

A warm front lifts across Connecticut on Tuesday, which means an abundance of clouds. Scattered showers are likely and we could even see some thunderstorms. Temperatures will be in the 80s and humidity will be oppressive.

The atmosphere will be loaded with moisture and winds will be pretty light in the lowest levels, which means flash flooding is a concern.

Currently, it would only take 2-3 inches of rain in a three-hour window to cause flash flooding across the state. Southern New Haven and Fairfield counties are most vulnerable to flooding simply because it would only take 2 inches of rain in a three-hour period there.

Wednesday brings similar weather with oppressive humidity and lots of clouds. Showers will be most numerous in the afternoon, hours before a cold front passes through. Flash flooding will again be possible and the chance of a thunderstorm will increase as the cold front arrives.

The forecast turns murky late week due to uncertainty. Rain and thunder could linger into early Thursday.

There should be more sun later in the week, and it will certainly be more comfortable as humidity levels drop Thursday and Friday.

Stay with the NBC Connecticut First Alert weather team for the very latest forecast on-air, online and on the app.

The 29-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a running trail in Avon last week was working there for a portable toilet company the day of the attack, according to Avon town manager.

Luis Ortiz-Morales was arrested in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Monday after showing up at the police station to ask why officers were at his house, according to police.

He's accused of grabbing the victim, dragging her off the Rails to Trails path – also known as the Farmington Canal Trail – and sexually assaulting her the afternoon of Thursday, June 25.

Avon Town Manager Brandon Robertson said Ortiz-Morales was working on the trail that day for United Sites Services, a portable toilet rental company based in Stamford and contracted by the town of Avon.

DNA evidence linked Ortiz-Morales to the crime, according to police.

He was taken into custody as a fugitive from justice after walking into the Chicopee police station early Monday afternoon to ask why investigators where at his house, police said.

"There was no incident; he was just curious as to why the police where there," explained Michael Wilk, of the Chicopee Police Department. "I was told during booking, though, he became very nervous."

Ortiz-Morales will be extradited and charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault. His bond has been set at $2 million.

"That's big. None of us want to see that happen," Wilk said. "We all have moms; we all have wives, girlfriends, daughters. That's a horrible crime to us, and when we do something like this, we do pay a little more attention to it."

A representative for United Sites Services said Ortiz-Morales' "termination from the company is in process."

The company responded to the allegations against with the following statement Monday night:

"First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victim of this violent crime. Like the rest of the community, we are appalled by this reprehensible act and we have been actively assisting local authorities with their investigation and will continue to assist them in any way we can."

Police have ended their initial search for the body of a 7-month-old who may have plunged into the Connecticut River when his suicidal father jumped off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown late Sunday night.

Police said the baby's father, Tony Moreno, 22, of Middletown, called someone threatening suicide before jumping into the river around 11:45 p.m. Sunday. That person dialed 911 and told officers Moreno's baby boy, Aaden, was making noises in the background.

Officers rushed to the scene and saw Moreno jump. Middletown firefighters pulled him to shore and a LifeStar medical helicopter airlifted Moreno to the hospital, where he was initially listed in serious condition.

After searching the water for nearly 24 hours, authorities called it quits for the night, with no sign of Aaden's body.

State police issued a Silver Alert for the boy Monday morning but later said the chances of finding him alive are slim.

"The Middletown police department has been able to confirm that a 7-month-old listed as missing did enter the Connecticut River last night. The search for the 7-month-old boy is now classified as a recovery," Middletown police spokesman Lt. Heather Desmond said during a news conference Monday afternoon.

Moreno, meanwhile, has improved in the hospital and is now listed in stable condition. Police said he's conscious and alert, but it's not clear if Moreno has told investigators what may have happened to his young son.

Police are still investigating but said they expect to file charges.

Community members gathered at the Middletown green Monday evening to hold a candlelight vigil for Aaden. A Facebook group entitled "Help Find Aaden Moreno!!" has garnered the support of more than 1,500 people.

Aaden is 2 feet tall and weighs 23 pounds, according to the Silver Alert issued Monday. He was last seen wearing black pants and a black-and-white striped shirt with a picture of Mickey Mouse on the front.

In Connecticut, police will issue a Silver Alert for any child who is missing, along with missing people over the age of 65 and any other missing people who might have a medical condition requiring treatment.

Connecticut State Police will issue an Amber Alert when there is an "absolute emergency" in which the life of a child is in danger.

Middletown police ask anyone with information on the baby's whereabouts to call the police department at 860-638-4000.

In honor of its 57th birthday, IHOP will sell its buttermilk pancakes for 57 cents a short stack on Tuesday.

The restaurant's short stacks originally cost 60 cents when the chain was founded in 1958.

IHOP has locations in Bloomfield, Newington, Southington, Manchester, Hamden and Orange. Click here for the hours and addresses.

A woman accused of driving under the influence was arrested after a crash on South Colony Road in Wallingford on Monday night.

Police said Nikki Arriaza, 34, of Wallingford was on South Colony Road and turned left toward Willard Avenue at 5:50 p.m. and her tan 2000 Buick Lesabre hit a green 1996 Plymouth Voyager.

Both vehicles sustained heavy front end damage and were towed from the scene.

The driver Arriaza struck was transported to an area hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Police took Arriaza into custody and charged her with operating while under the influence of liquor or drug and failure to yield the right of way while making a left turn.

She was released on a $2,000 bond and is due in Meriden Superior Court on July 17.

Police cleared the scene at 7:05 p.m.

Police responded to two fatal crashes, charged 33 people with driving under the influence and issued hundreds of speeding tickets over the holiday weekend.

Between midnight on July 3 and midnight on July 5, state police responded to 170 crashes, including 48 with injuries. They also issued 859 speeding tickets and 2,461 tickets for other hazardous moving violations.

In 2014, police responded to 312 crashes. Forty seven of them had injuries, but none were fatal.

NASCAR driver Austin Dillon, who survived a horrific crash after his car went sailing into the protective fence at the Daytona Speedway Monday morning, said "the safety equipment did it's job."

"I'm feeling pretty good this morning actually for what we went through," Dillon said on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday. "It was a heck of a crash and the safety equipment did it's job and I'm here today."

Spectators and fellow drivers feared for Dillon's safety after his Chevy sailed upside down and careened into a fence before being slammed by two oncoming cars -- all at speeds estimated to be between 190 and 198 mph. Daytona President Joie Chitwood said 13 fans were attended to in the grandstands after the last-lap accident. 

"You see a wreck like that and you shouldn't be talking to a person as early as you guys are talking to me today," Dillon told "Today's" Matt Lauer. He added that the safety measures implemented by NASCAR are among the reasons why he emerged from his mangled car with only a bruised tailbone and forearm.

Dillon also addressed concerns many have over the safety of restrictor plate racing in which drivers race tightly bunched together at speeds of nearly 200 mph.

"I think for this type of racing we could probably bring the speed down a little bit and get the same style of racing that we want to see out there for the fans. Obviously we don't want cars getting in the air. So, we'll work hard to do that," Dillon said.

Meanwhile, Dillon said he is "just a little sore," but ready to get back in the hot seat this weekend at the Kentucky Speedway.

"We signed up for this as drivers," said Dillon about the risks of his sport, particularly during restrictor plate races. "It's a part of our race and we go to Talladega and Daytona twice a year."
 

The 29-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a running trail in Avon last week is back in Connecticut after he was arrested Monday in Massachusetts.

Luis Ortiz-Morales was arrested in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Monday after showing up at the police station to ask why officers were at his house, according to police.

Avon police traveled to Chicopee and brought Ortiz-Morales back to Connecticut on Tuesday. Ortiz-Morales faces charges of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault.

He's accused of grabbing a woman, dragging her off the Rails to Trails path – also known as the Farmington Canal Trail – and sexually assaulting her the afternoon of Thursday, June 25. Police said DNA evidence linked him to the crime.

Ortiz-Morales was working on the trail for United Sites Services, a portable toilet company, the day of the attack, according to Avon Town Manager Brandon Robertson.

A representative for United Sites Services said Ortiz-Morales' "termination from the company is in process."

The company responded to the allegations against with the following statement Monday night:

"First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victim of this violent crime. Like the rest of the community, we are appalled by this reprehensible act and we have been actively assisting local authorities with their investigation and will continue to assist them in any way we can."

Ortiz-Morales will go before a judge Wednesday.

A 26-year-old man shot five times at the Trumbull Gardens housing complex in Bridgeport late Monday was trying to hide a handgun when officers arrived, according to police.

night is in stable condition, according to police.

Courtney Frasier, 26, was shot at the same complex where one person was killed and eight others were injured during a shooting on June 11.

Police said he was trying to hide a gun underneath a car when they got to 440 Trumbull Avenue and found him bleeding shortly before midnight Monday into Tuesday.

An ambulance brought Frasier to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, where he's listed in stable condition.

After the June 11 shooting, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch expanded "Safe Corridors" to Trumbull Avenue, bringing cameras to the neighborhood and organizing volunteers coming together help out to ensure children are safe on their way to school.

"Police officers were on a walking beat when they heard the gunfire. They ran to the scene and found the victim within a minute and immediately called for an ambulance. That probably saved his life," Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. said in a statement Tuesday. "Officers recovered the gun he was trying to hide and quickly secured the crime scene."

Authorities at the complex Tuesday morning said they were searching for a black sedan with windows that were apparently shot out. A dark sedan with a bullet hole through the windshield was towed and the scene cleared around 5 a.m.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Bridgeport Police Department at 203-581-5100.

Suffield Police Chief Mike Manzi retired on Tuesday after leading the department for 12 years.

Manzi has been in law enforcement a total of 35 years.

In June, the police union asked town leaders to remove him, as well as Police Capt. Craig Huntley, citing unethical behavior and misconduct.

Suffield Police Union President Det. Justin Fuller sent a letter to the town's police commission, first selectman and Board of Selectman notifying them of a majority vote of "no confidence" in Manzi and Huntley.

• Read the Suffield police commission's full letter of "no confidence."

However, Suffield First Selectman Edward G. McAnaney said last month that he had full confidence in the police chief and captain. He said the letter of "no confidence" likely stems from a federal civil rights lawsuit a union member filed against the town and union negations the town is undergoing.

Manzi was Commander from the Hartford Police Department before leading the Suffield department.

Chief Manzi’s father was in law enforcement with Hartford Police and retired after 35 years of service.

Chief Manzi’s plan was always to retire at 35 years, just like his father, officials said. He has resigned, effective today.

The interim chief, Anthony J. Riello, of Massachusetts, will arrive on Wednesday.
 

Police arrested a Middletown woman who is accused of attacking her pregnant neighbor and the woman's  son over a confrontation about slashed tires, police said.

Police were dispatched to 44 Stack Street in Middletown at 11:02 a.m. on Monday to investigate a fight.

A woman pregnant with twins told police who responded that her neighbor, Danielle Jacobs ran at her, yelling "what did you say" when she said something to her about how her tires were slashed.

The woman said she suspected Jacobs was responsible after she discovered around 8 a.m. that the tires of her car were slashed. 

The victim then told police that she brought it up when she got home around three hours later and Jacobs threw punches at her.

The pregnant woman threw punches back in defense, she told police. Her son tried to intervene, but she told police Jacobs punched him too and he didn't hit back.

The pregnant woman had an abrasion over her eye and told police Jacobs scraped her.

The two women have had problems in the past, the victim told police.

Jacobs told police that her neighbor attacked her near her car and she also had minor abrasions on her face, according to police documents.

A witness who lives in the area told police she heard yelling and saw Jacobs run from the street to the other woman's porch and threw punches, police said.

Police charged Jacobs with assault of a pregnant person, third-degree assault and breach of peace.

She was issued a $50,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 16.

More than a day after the search of the Connecticut River began, there is still no sign of 7-month-old Aaden Moreno and police have said they do not expect to find the baby alive.

According to police, Aaden was with his father, Tony Moreno, 22, when Moreno jumped off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown late Sunday night. They believe the boy ended up in the water.

Although Moreno was rescued and taken to the hospital, Aaden hasn't been seen since.

While many are holding out hope that the little boy will be found, concerns for the baby have rocked the community and the school district is offering counseling to anyone who needs it, including students or the general public.

Anyone in need of counseling should call 860-704-4500.
 

Two LifeStar helicopters have been called to the scene of a crash at Hollenbeck Road/Route 63 and Hautboy Hill Road in Goshen, where two cars collided Tuesday afternoon, according to state police.

Emergency dispatchers said two people are being airlifted to the hospital.

Route 63 is closed at Hautboy Hill Road. It's not clear when the road will reopen.

No additional information was available.