With the final lineup set for the first Republican presidential debate, the lowest polling candidates are reacting, some angrily, to being left out of the main event, NBC News reported.

"The idea that they have left out the runner-up for the 2012 nomination, the former four-term governor of Texas, the governor of Louisiana, the first female Fortune 50 CEO, and the 3-term Senator from South Carolina due to polling seven months before a single vote is cast is preposterous," Rick Santorum's communications manager Matt Beynon said in a statement Tuesday.

Debate host Fox News announced that Santorum, who won 11 states in the 2012 GOP primary, along with Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Jim Gilmore and George Pataki, will square off ahead of the prime-time event Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio. The crowded field of 17 candidates prompted Fox to limit the main debate to the top ten highest polling candidates, as judged by five recent national polls.

Perry, Fiorina and Graham, however, had a more positive reaction than Santorum. The former Texas governor and Fiorina both said they were looking forward to the 5 p.m. debate while Graham tweeted an "Emoji Guide to Pregaming for the Trump Debacle."

Mosquitoes trapped in Stamford, Guilford and New Haven have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the website for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

A statement from Stamford officials says the mosquitoes there were trapped at Cove Island Park on July 28.

The mosquitoes found with West Nile in Guilford were trapped on Moose Hill Road on July 23, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and the mosquitoes in New Haven were trapped on July 28 in Beaver Pond Park.

“It is important that residents take precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Simple measures including wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, head coverings and socks will minimize exposure to mosquitoes, which may carry the virus,” Anne Fountain, director of Health and Social Services for the City of Stamford, said in a statement. “The use of insect repellant is also helpful. In addition, we urge people to seek out and empty standing water in and around their homes. We will begin to larvicide all catch basins throughout the city next week with an additional treatment in September.”

To monitor West Nile virus, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has trapping stations in several cities and towns throughout the state o from June through October.

The traps are set every 10 days at each site on a rotating basis.

Most people who are infected with West Nile virus and become ill will have a mild illness that might include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or a skin rash.

Less frequently, people develop severe illness of the nervous system that can also include neck stiffness, disorientation, loss of consciousness, tremors, muscle weakness and paralysis.

People older than 50 years of age are more likely than younger people to suffer the more severe health consequences if they become infected.

Precautions to avoid mosquito bites include:

• Minimize time outdoors at dusk and dawn.
• Be sure door and window screens are tight fitting and in good repair.
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Clothing material should be
• tightly woven.
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors.
• Consider using mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be outdoors. Always use
• according to label instructions. The most effective repellents contain DEET or Picaridin.
• When using DEET, use the lowest concentration effective for the time spent outdoors

(for example, 6 percent lasts approximately two hours and 20 percent for four hours) and wash treated skin when returning indoors. Do not apply under clothing, to wounds or irritated skin, the hands of children, or to infants less than two months old.

Measures to reduce mosquitoes around the home include:

• Dispose of water-holding containers, such as ceramic pots, used tires, and tire swings.
• Drill holes in the bottom of containers such as those used for recycling.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Turn over objects that may trap water when not in use such as wading pools and
• wheelbarrows.
• Change water in birdbaths on a weekly basis.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, and when not in use, use pool covers and drain
• when necessary.
• Use landscaping to eliminate areas where water can collect on your property.

Additional resources for information on West Nile virus and mosquito management:
The Department of Public Health website
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Web site
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website

Two special forces airmen were killed during military free-fall training in Florida, the Air Force announced late Tuesday. 

Tech. Sgt. Timothy Officer Jr., 32, and Tech. Sgt. Marty Bettelyoun, 35, were rushed to local hospitals after the accident at Eglin Air Force Base on Monday, NBC News reported. 

Both were Special Tactics Airmen, a force made up of specially-trained air traffic controllers, pararescuemen specializing in rescue operations, and military weathermen and forecasters.

Officer was a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star, according to the Air Force Times newspaper and served 14 years in the Air Force, during which he deployed several times in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 720th Operations Support Squadron.

Bettelyoun was a married father of five. He was a combat controller who was also with the 720th Operations Support Squadron. He also had several combat deployments during his 15-year career, the Air Force Times said.

East Haven police plan to give an update this morning on two people found shot dead inside a Foxon Boulevard home on Monday evenings.

Family members told NBC Connecticut that the woman found dead in the home was Ingrid Delrio, a mom of three and a beloved sister, who had planned to move to Florida in just a few weeks.

Police discovered the bodies of a man and woman while conducting a welfare check after a relative of one of the victims became concerned and approached police at 9:34 p.m. on Monday. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

Delrio and the man were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe this is an isolated incident and said there is no need for residents to be concerned.

Police haven't released many of the specifics of what led up to the shooting, but they spent much of Tuesday investigating.

And Delrio's family said they spent their day mourning.

They came to the home they said Ingrid shared with a man, remembering the mother of three who they say was excited about a move to Florida in just a few weeks. They said knowing she was preparing to begin a new life makes the sudden loss of her life just that much more painful.

"She was a happy girl. She was a happy mom, happy sister," Evelyn Delrio, Ingrid Delrio's sister, said. "I came to see her two weeks ago and she was so excited when I came. She told all the family, 'Oh, Evelyn is coming.' So we had a good time. That was the last time I saw her."

Police have not officially released the names of the two people found dead or the relationship between them.

Police will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. to give an update on the case and you'll be able to watch that here on this website.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the East Haven Police Detective Division at 203-468-3820.

East Windsor police are investigating after an infant in foster care was brought to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford to be treated for bruises all over the child's body.

Police received notification at 11 p.m. on Tuesday that a 6-and-a-half-month-old baby with significant injuries was being treated at the hospital.

The child had bruises on its head, torso and extremities, according to East Windsor police.

Police said the infant is a foster child living in East Windsor and was held at the hospital for observation.

The Department of Children and Family Services has also been alerted and is investigating the case.

Police ask anyone with information to call the East Windsor Police Department's anonymous tip line at 860-292-8252 or email Det. Scott Roberts at robertss@eastwindsorpd.com.

The Department of Motor Vehicles systems were down for a time on Wednesday, but they are back up and running.

This affected the ability to issue licenses, access the Internet and correspond by e-mail.

After working with the Department of Administrative Services to remedy the situation, the system is back up.

The problem was not connected to the upgrade of computer systems, officials said.

DMV offices have a planned closure between Aug. 11 and 15, except for licensing, for the computer upgrades.

State police have arrested a Burlington man accused of distributing child pornography.

Detectives from the State Police Computer Crimes Unit started investigating the distribution of child pornography online through social networking in April 2014 and searched a home Alice Lane in Burlington, where they seized several computers, computer equipment and a cell phone, according to state police.

Detectives identified suspect Daniel S. Kerr, 26, of the same address, as the suspect, went through his social media accounts and determined he shared pornography with people believed to be minors in several states.

Police took Kerr into custody on July 30 and he has been charged with third-degree possession of child pornography, promoting a minor in obscene performance and enticing a minor.

He was released from custody, according to online court records and is due in court on Sept. 1.

The airplane fragment that washed up on an island last week was a piece of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the Malaysian prime minister confirmed Wednesday — the first definitive physical clue to the greatest mystery in modern aviation, NBC News reported.

The fragment — a 6-foot-long, barnacle-encrusted wing flap — was discovered by a crew cleaning the beach on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of Africa.

Investigators had analyzed the wing fragment, known as a flaperon, at a laboratory in Toulouse, France. In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said that the confirmation of the wing fragment was reached jointly by French, Malaysian and Australian investigators.

Flight MH370 vanished with with 239 people on board after veering far off its set northerly course from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing.

A 29-year veteran of the Town of Groton Department of Public Works was killed while driving to work Tuesday morning when strong storms rolled through the area and a tree came down onto his SUV.

Albert "Big Al" Smith, 50, of Ledyard, was driving southbound on Flanders Road, near Route 1, in the Mystic section of Groton, when the tree fell onto his car, according to Groton Town Police.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he was alone in his car.

Groton Town Police Lt. John Varone said Smith was "a genuinely wonderful person to know" and called his death a "great loss to the town."

"His size dedicated his nickname Big Al, however, to all of us who knew him, a better description would be Teddy-bear Al," Varone wrote in an email Wednesday. "He was caring and compassionate."

The accident happened as violent storms brought down trees and wires along the shoreline, cutting power to thousands and possibly resulting a condo fire in Groton.

"Preliminary indications are it was due to an act of God," said Groton Town Police Chief L.J. Fusaro. "At this point, it's just a very unfortunate issue."

Former president George W. Bush surprised a Dallas courthouse Wednesday morning when he showed up as a member of the jury pool.

After receiving a jury summons, Bush sat through the jury selection panel for a case in Judge Eric Moye's court on the 14th civil district at the George Allen Courts Building in Dallas, according to Freddy Ford, the president's spokesperson.

Surprisingly, (or maybe not), Bush was not picked to serve as a juror.

Bush sat there for about three hours and posed for photos with fellow jury candidates, judges and other court staff before leaving with his security detail.

“It would be great if everyone took their jury service the same way [Bush] did,” Moye told The Dallas Morning News. “He understood it was important, he took it in good nature and he was engaged and talked to the lawyers.” 

A new passageway to a biblical city has been unveiled in Israel.

A massive gate was revealed in an archaeological dig leading to Gath, which the Old Testament called home to Goliath, according to NBC News.

The town was once the largest city in the region, and experts say the findings allude to just how impressive it was. Because the walls are so large, it will most likely take several archaeological seasons to uncover them completely.

The town was occupied until around 830 B.C. 

Both candidates running for the highest office in Connecticut's capital city see a similar way to improve conditions for city youths.

Mayor Pedro Segarra and challenger Luke Bronin both discussed their proposals Wednesday aimed at boosting city-sponsored youth employment.

"I would like to give a job to every young person who wants to work for the summer," said Segarra.

The mayor said he wants to see a year-round employment program for students.

"What we’re doing now is rather than this just being during the summer, we’re starting a yearlong internship in which we can keep them connected," he said.

Bronin, who just last week picked up the endorsement of the Hartford Democratic Town Committee, was critical of Segarra, accusing him of proposing a cut to the same youth summer program that he said he wants to expand.

He said Segarra's proposal is too little, too late.

"I’m glad that he wants to do it. I’m thrilled that he wants to do it. I wish he had done it already," Bronin said during a campaign event at El Mercado on Park Street in Hartford.

Bronin has proposed a youth service corps that would provide year-round employment to Hartford kids.

"Look at what Waterbury did," Bronin said. "Last winter they had kids helping to dig out the driveways of seniors and there's no reason why we can't do that in Hartford."

The primary to decide the Democratic nominee is in six weeks.

A popular roller coaster at Lake Compounce in Bristol is currently down after an electrical failure that happened when lightning struck at the amusement park.

Boulder Dash, featured wooden roller coaster at Lake Compounce, is not currently running due a lightning strike that hit the electrical system at the park, impacting the ride.

Crews are working to get the coaster working again.

There is no indication of how long that will take.

The state Department of Labor is notifying dozens of employees Wednesday of layoffs resulting from "reduced federal funding," according to the state's office of policy and management.

Ninety-five positions are being eliminated from the Connecticut Department of Labor, which currently employs about 800 people. In doing so, the department is expected to achieve "recurring savings" of more than $16 million, according to the office of policy management. About 700 Department of Labor employees are paid through federal funding. The layoffs are effective Oct. 1.

Additional layoff notices could go out in the coming weeks, according to the office of policy management.

With the staff reductions also comes a drop in the amount of American Job Centers the state has. There are currently 11 and after consolidation there will only be six, located in Danielson, Bridgeport, Hamden, Hartford, New London and Waterbury. Department of Labor adjudication locations will be consolidated to Bridgeport, Middletown and the Central Office.

The consolidations will also reduce the number of field audit locations to six, located in Bridgeport, Danielson, Hartford, Middletown, New London, Waterbury and the Central Office, cut down the appeals locations to two at Waterbury and Middletown and merging the two call centers to the Middletown location, according to the office of policy management.

DOL communications director Nancy Steffens previously pointed to a lack of federal funding as the aggravating factor. The Connecticut DOL weighs heavily on federal dollars, receiving 90 percent of its funding from the federal government.

When unemployment goes down, the federal formula that calculates how much aid a state receives also tends to drop, according to the office of policy management. Connecticut's unemployment rate is currently 5.7 percent, which is a drop from more than 9 percent in 2010 and 2011.

Collective bargaining agreements covering the Department of Labor employees require the state to provide staff with at least six weeks notice for layoffs.

State officials report that at least six other states in the country, including Rhode Island, have had to lay off employees because of drops in federal funding.

This year's federal funding shortfall is about $28 million, according to Steffens, who said the deficit is expected to climb to $32 million next year. A federal hiring freeze is already in place, but Steffens said it isn't enough.

Employees being laid off will be notified no later than Aug. 19, before the new federal budget year starts Oct. 1, the AFSCME says.

"It was clearly stated to management how disappointed we were with their inability to keep offices open and members employed," AFSCME Local 269 President Xavier Gordon and Vice President Marsha Tulloch wrote in the letter, adding that they hope to decrease the number of layoffs and help affected employees find jobs at other state agencies.

"The Feds have their own problems. They're trying to curtail in a rational way, in this particular case, as the unemployment rate goes down and there really hasn't been, I think, adequate thought on the part of the state to budget for the Department of Labor," said David Cadden, professor of business at Quinnipiac University.

"Several hundred" federally funded employees have been cut over the past few years, according to Steffens.

The state's Placement and Training Committee will be available as a resource to the people laid off to ideally help them find employment opportunities within the state government if possible. Anyone who can't fill a current state job will have re-employment rights for future state positions that open up.

The Department of Labor also is offering transition assistance to the employees being laid off.

“It is extraordinarily difficult to have to reduce staff, especially given the enormous contributions of these Department of Labor employees in getting Connecticut residents back to work during our long struggle to bring down unemployment in the state,” Ben Barnes, secretary of the state's office of policy management, said in a written statement. “We are all fully committed to helping these valuable employees find new positions in state government or elsewhere, as soon as possible.”

A crash has snarled traffic on Interstate 95 northbound in Guilford.

The highway was closed briefly Wednesday evening while emergency crews responded to a rollover crash near exit 57, according to the Department of Transportation.

State police said traffic is now getting by.

There has been no word on injuries.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

One of five people arrested in connection with the murder of a West Haven man whose body was found "blown up" on the Fourth of July is facing new charges.

Natali Martinez-Sanchez, 29, was arrested again Wednesday and charged with second-degree hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.

U.S. Attorney Dierdre Daly previously identified Martinez-Sanchez as the girlfriend of the alleged gunman, Christopher Miller.

Authorities said Miller shot his housemate Edward Brooks and dumped his body in the woods off Wintergreen Avenue in Hamden. Police said they an improvised explosive device was detonated beneath Brooks' body.

Martinez-Sanchez has also been charged by federal authorities with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

She was first charged by the state on July 13 with second-degree hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.

Martinez-Sanchez was arraigned on the latest charges Wednesday and remains in custody. It's not clear if she has an attorney.

Police are still investigating four years after

a man and woman were shot dead in their car in Norwalk

and have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of their murderer.

Iroquois Alston, 27, and Rickita Smalls, 22, were shot and killed on Aug. 6, 2011 while sitting in a car on Avenue B in Norwalk. Police initially investigated the case as a possible murder-suicide but now say both were murdered.

A $50,000 reward has been offered in exchange for information that leads to the conviction of their killer or killers.

Police are urging anyone with information to call Det. Justin Bisceglie at 203-854-3181 or call the anonymous tip line at 203-954-3111. Residents can also submit tips on the Norwalk Police Department website or by texting "NPD" and the information to CRIMES (274637).

A hatchet-wielding man, armed with what turned out to be a pellet gun, attacked a movie patron at a theater outside of Nashville Wednesday and sprayed others with pepper spray before he was shot dead by police, authorities said, NBC News reported.

Nashville police were called on a report of a suspected "active shooter" situation at the Carmike Hickory 8 theater in the suburb of Antioch at around 1:15 p.m., and a police officer who entered the theater said the suspect pointed what appeared to be a gun at the officer, Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said.

The suspected firearm turned out to be an "airsoft" pistol that resembled a handgun, police said.

The suspect, identified late Wednesday as 29-year-old local Vincente David Montano, was shot dead by a SWAT team as he exited through the theater's rear door, Anderson said.