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Protests Erupt After St. Louis Officers Fatally Shoot Man

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St. Louis police arrested nine people and deployed tear gas to break up protests that followed the police killing of an 18-year-old man who authorities say pointed a gun at two officers.

Protesters threw glass bottles and bricks at officers and refused to clear the roadway, Chief Sam Dotson told reporters late Wednesday.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the protests occurred in the Fountain Park neighborhood, where the shooting occurred.

Police said two officers were executing a search warrant at a home in a crime-plagued neighborhood on Wednesday when two armed men fled out the back.

The officers shot Mansur Ball-Bey, 18, after he turned and pointed a gun at them, police said. The second suspect fled, they said. The officers were white; Bell-Bey and the other suspect were black, police said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Top News Photos of the Week

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View weekly updates on the very best photos in domestic and foreign news.

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Downed Trees and Wires Closed Road in Greenwich

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Upper Cross Road in Greenwich was closed between Lake Avenue and North Street on Thursday morning, but has since reopened.

Trees and wires came down, according to dispatchers, and the road reopened after the tree was removed and crews from Eversource worked on the line.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Killed in Farm Equipment Accident in North Branford

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 A 22-year-old man was killed in an accident involving a John Deere Gator and a storage trailer at a farm in the Northford section of North Branford.

Police said the victim suffered serious injuries in the crash, which happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday at County Farm on Middletown Avenue. He was rushed to Yale-New Haven Hospital and pronounced dead.

Authorities have not released the name of the victim.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Robbers Tried to Hit Pizza Shop Owner With Bottle

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Police are investigating a robbery at a Hamden pizza shop after two men stole liquor from an office and attempted to hit the shop owner with a bottle.

Police responded to Slyce Pizza, at 141 Arch Street, around 11 p.m. on Wednesday to investigate a complaint and the pizza shop owner relayed what happened.

He said two men, between 20 and 25 years old, came into the shop through an unlocked back screen and stole two bottles of liquor from his office.

When the owner tried to grab one of the men, it led to a struggle and one of the robbers tried to hit him with a liquor bottle, police said.

One of the robbers was wearing a red cap with a dark shirt and the other was shorter and wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball cap and black T-shirt, police said.

Police said both men ran north on Fairview Avenue and the owner of the pizza shop was not injured.

Police are investigating.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Missing Easton Couple's Son Named Person of Interest: Source

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The son of a Connecticut couple who vanished shortly after losing an appeal over millions in debt has been named a person of interest in their disappearance, according to a source close to the investigation.

Jeffrey Navin, 56, president of J&J Refuse sanitation company in Westport; and his wife, Jeanette Navin, 55, a school library aide in Weston, disappeared Aug. 4, a week after losing an appeal over more than $2 million they owe in debt.

Relatives reported them missing three days later.

State police major crime detectives took over the case on Wednesday and spent the night searching the home at 142 Aldine Avenue in Bridgeport, which police said belongs to the couple's son, Kyle Navin.

A source familiar with the investigation said Kyle Navin, listed online as operations manager of J&J Refuse, is a person of interest in his parents' disappearance. Neighbors said they last saw him about a week ago.

"It's scary," Bridgeport resident Stephen Parisi said. "I live here, and this is 50 feet from my house. I want to know what's going on here."

Although there has been no sign of the missing couple, investigators found their truck on Aug. 9. It was abandoned in a commuter lot near exit 42 off the Merritt Parkway and police said one of the windows was broken.

State court records show that, as of December, Jeffrey Navin was $2.2 million in debt in connection with a mortgage on a $900,000 home in Guilford. Relatives have said there is no indication financial issues factored into the Navins' disappearance.

State police detectives continue to investigate.

NBC Connecticut has sent a request for comment to the email address for Kyle Navin listed on the J&J Refuse website.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com/Easton Police Department

Man Recorded Victim in Milford YMCA Locker Room: Police

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A 71-year-old Shelton man has been arrested after being accused of videotaping a student inside a locker room at a Milford YMCA in May, according to Milford police.

Police said Joseph Marino, 71, of Shelton, used his cell phone to videotape the student on May 7.

Police took him into custody on Aug. 19. He has been charged with voyeurism and risk of injury.

Marino was released on a promise to appear and is due in court on Sept. 15.

Marino is not listed on the online docket, so no attorney information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Water Rescue Off Branford Harbor

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Officials are conducting a water rescue off Branford Harbor, according to the fire department.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Native American Imagery Pulled From West Hartford Logos

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When some students in West Hartford head back to class, they will find new logos on the signs out front, stripped of any Native American imagery. The old logos at Conard and Hall high schools have been replaced after they came under fire last year for being offensive.

The logos were in limbo for a while, but the Board of Education ultimately decided the Hall Warriors and Conard Chieftans could keep their names, but both schools had to do away with any Native American imagery.

“It depends on ethnicity and racial differences,” David Newman, an incoming Conard freshman, said. “But I don’t have a preference. As long as it represents the school, it’s fine.”

Hall changed its mascot a few years ago, but still had Native American connotations in clubs around campus that had to be changed.

Conard changed its mascot from a Native American chief to a crest that the school community helped design.

“I think being politically correct is our society today,” Len Stevens, a parent of former students, said. “Everybody wants to do the right thing, but it never bothered me.”

However, some people said doing away with the old logo at Conard is doing away with a tradition and they question whether or not the new crest says enough about the school’s identity.

“I think it could be a little more creative,” Tony Durst, of West Hartford, said. “I think everyone is just hyper sensitive about the political correctness of it.”

Sports uniforms and other school attire will also be replaced with the new logo. Students in West Hartford will head back to class next Wednesday.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

First 2 Women Complete Army Ranger Training

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One of the first women to graduate from the Army's notoriously grueling Ranger School says she hopes her success will go toward proving that women in the military are capable of doing what men do.

Capt. Kristen Griest of Orange, Connecticut said her successful completion of the elite, two-month program show that women "can deal with the same stresses and training that men can."

Griest and First Lt. Shaye Haver of Copperas Cove, Texas, will graduate at Fort Benning, Georgia, along with 94 men on Friday. Out of 19 women who began the program, Haver and Griest are the only two to finish so far.

Completing the course lets the two women wear the coveted Ranger black-and-gold tab. But for now they're still unable to join the elite 75th Ranger Regiment based at Fort Benning. The military's toughest jobs — including positions in infantry, armor and special operations units such as the Ranger Regiment — remain closed to women.

Haver and Griest — both graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — not only finished the course they started in April. They both had to start from scratch, having failed two previous attempts.

"These two soldiers have absolutely earned the respect of every Ranger instructor," Cmd. Sgt. Major Curtis Arnold told reporters. "They do not quit and they do not complain."

Arnold said he suspects Haver and Griest had extra motivation to graduate "because you know everyone is watching. And truthfully there are probably a few folks who want you to fail. So you've got to put out 110 percent."

The families of the women gave a more modest assessment, saying in a joint statement that Haver and Griest, are "just like all the soldiers" graduating this week from the grueling two-month Ranger course.

Griest, 26, and Haver, 25, are "happy, relieved, and ready for some good food and sleep" before they line up Friday at Fort Benning alongside 94 male soldiers who also earned the coveted black-and-gold Ranger tab to adorn their uniforms.

The course tests soldiers' ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations. The Army opened Ranger School to female soldiers for the first time this year as part of the military's push to open more combat jobs to women.

"This has been something she's wanted to do for a long, long time," Griest's older brother, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike Griest, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "We're all very, very proud of her. It's a tremendous achievement not only for her personally but for the Army and women in the military in general."

Griest grew up loving to camp in the wilderness and test her endurance, making her a natural to take on Ranger School, her brother said. He noted she chose to become a military police officer because she felt it was the closest she could get to an Army combat job.

"If she had been allowed to go infantry out of college, she would have done that," Mike Griest said.

Haver followed in her father's footsteps to become a pilot of attack helicopters. He also served as a career Army aviator who flew Apaches, and said his daughter has always been mentally tough and incredibly physically fit. He said she has run marathons and competed in triathlons for West Point.

"She's kind of built for this thing," Chris Haver said.



Photo Credit: U.S. Army
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1 Hospitalized After Fight, Crash in Vernon

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Vernon police are investigating a car crash and fight in Rockville early Thursday morning that sent one person to the hospital.

Police said they responded to Orchard Street, near Union Street, around 3 a.m. and determined that there was some type of fight and crash.

Several people were involved and police spoke with witnesses to try and identify who was involved.

Police have not arrested anyone and no information is available on the person who was injured. Police said only that he was transported to a hospital to be treated.



Photo Credit: Vernon Police

Curiosity Captures Selfie on Mars Mountain Journey

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NASA's Curiosity rover extended its robotic arm for another self-portrait on Mars, this time as it climbed a mountain towering above the red planet's plains.

The selfie snapped Aug. 5 is actually more than 90 component images pieced together for the low-angle shot, providing a view of the rover's belly. The Martian explorer is pictured above the "Buckskin" rock target, where it collected samples from a hole drilled in Mars' surface.

The two patches of white-gray material seen in front of the rover are powdery rock material drilled from the hole. The drill hole can been seen on top of the triangle-shaped patch.

Some of the material was delivered to the rover's onboard laboratory instruments.

Curiosity, which landed on Mars in August 2012, has been turning the camera on itself for several self-portraits during its journey to the site called Marias Pass in the foothills of 3.4-mile high Mount Sharp. The rover remained at Marias Pass for several weeks to study a zone where two different types of rocks meet.

High levels of hydrogen were measured beneath the rover's wheels in the area, meaning water molecules could be present in the area's rocks.

Curiosity is headed southwest up Mount Sharp after completing its mission Aug. 12 at "Buckskin" rock. The project now turns to examining layers of the mountain for ancient inhabitable environments.

The rover, built at Southern California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has logged nearly seven miles since its 2012 landing.
 



Photo Credit: Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Source of Deadly NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Identified

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Health officials have identified a cooling tower at the Opera House Hotel as the source of the Legionnaires' spike that has sickened more than 120 people in the Bronx, killing 12 of them, since July, marking the largest outbreak of the disease in New York City history.

The tower at the Opera House Hotel was disinfected Aug. 1, authorities said. The last case reported in connection with the outbreak was reported two days later. Local, state and federal officials tested samples from 25 patients linked to the outbreak, including some who died, and in each case found a match to the strain of Legionella found in the cooling tower at the Opera House Hotel.

Health Commissioner Mary Bassett made the announcement at an afternoon news briefing Thursday as she declared the outbreak was "over."

Since July 10, 128 cases of Legionnaires' have been reported. No new cases have been reported in nearly three weeks.

"We have not seen anyone become sick in the area of the outbreak since Aug. 3 and we are now well past the incubation period of the disease," Bassett said.

City, state and federal officials canvassed more than 700 sites in the south Bronx, where the outbreak was focused, in their search for the source. In total, 14 of 39 buildings with the type of cooling towers that lend themselves to Legionella growth were found to be contaminated.

The Opera House Hotel said in a statement that it was disappointed to learn its cooling tower was the source of the outbreak.

"It's particularly disappointing because our system is 2 years old, has the most up-to-date technology available and our maintenance plan has been consistent with the regulations that both the city and the state are putting in place," the statement said. "We have worked closely with both the city and the state since this issue first arose and have done everything requested to address the situation."

Concerns about prevention and safety prompted the city to develop and pass new legislation to regulate cooling towers, one of the locations where Legionella, the bacteria that causes the potentially severe pneumonia-like disease in people who are exposed to it, is likely to grow.

Under the new legislation, cooling towers across the city must be tested regularly for Legionella bacteria; any found to be contaminated must be disinfected immediately. The regulations specify penalties for violations, and the legislation makes New York City the first major city in the United States to regulate cooling towers.

Prior to the recent outbreak, no city records were kept as to which buildings had cooling towers.

The Opera House Hotel said it fully supports the new regulations.

"We believe they are appropriate and will enhance the protection of public health. That said, we intend to go beyond the requirement to test our cooling tower every 90 days by testing every 30 days when the tower is in operation," the statement said. "Given recent evens, we have decided to be especially cautious going forward."

Legionnaires' disease usually sets in two to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria and has symptoms similar to pneumonia, including shortness of breath, high fever, chills and chest pains. People with Legionnaires' also experience appetite loss, confusion, fatigue and muscle aches.

It cannot be spread person-to-person and those at highest risk for contracting the illness include the elderly, cigarette smokers, people with chronic lung or immune system disease and those receiving immunosuppressive drugs. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics.

An outbreak last hit the Bronx in December. Between then and January, 12 people in Co-op City contracted the potentially deadly disease. Officials said a contaminated cooling tower was likely linked to at least 75 percent of those cases. No one died in that outbreak.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Squatter Likely Started 3-Alarm Factory Fire in Danbury

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A squatter staying in a vacant building may have started a three-alarm fire in a vacant Danbury factory Thursday afternoon, according to officials at the scene.

The Danbury fire chief said it appears the fire at 37 Maple Avenue started with a mattress.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke in the former factory and rang three alarms as a precaution, according to the chief.

No one was injured.

Truck Containing Water Softener Crashes in Salem

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Police, firefighters and members of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to Old New London Road in Salem on Thursday after a box truck carrying water softening chemicals crashed down an embankment.

DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain said the truck got caught on the guardrail and was dangling.

Because it was carrying acids and bases that would react if mixed, DEEP crews were called out to check the containers. Schain said all were intact.

There has been no word on injuries.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Route 8 Northbound Reopens in Watertown

Woman Flashes Judge in Court

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A woman made quite the scene in a Broward courtroom this week when she flashed the judge.

Susan Surrette, 54, of Fort Lauderdale was arrested on Wednesday for disorderly intoxication.

When Judge John Hurley asked Surrette what she does for employment, she said she works as an escort and porn star named Kayla Kupcakes.

While the judge was reading her charges in bond court, she lifted up her top and flashed him.

Video shows her showing the judge injuries from when she was "beaten up," and while showing her apparent bruises, she lifted up her shirt.

Her bond was set at $100. She did not appear in court with an attorney.

Surrette has been in and out of court 10 times over the past few years for minor offenses. The judge ordered a mental health evaluation.



Photo Credit: NBC6.com

Man Hit by Car While Running From Fight in Vernon: Cops

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A man running from a dispute involving several other people was struck by a car in Vernon early Thursday morning.

Police said the 31-year-old victim was running from an altercation that began inside an apartment on West Main Street in Vernon. The dispute spilled out onto the street, and someone slashed the tires of a vehicle parked outside.

The victim, a Manchester resident, ran from the scene and was hit by a car around 3:10 a.m. on Orchard Street near the intersection of Union Street, according to police.

He was taken to Rockville General Hospital, then transferred to Hartford Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Police said the victim is listed in stable condition.

Police are investigating the incident as an assault but said they have not made any arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to call Vernon police detectives at 860-872-9126. Callers may remain anonymous.



Photo Credit: Vernon Police

More Pets Need Homes After 'Clear the Shelters'

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Hundreds of pets found their forever homes during NBC Connecticut's "Clear the Shelters" campaign, but many are still waiting to be adopted.

Skipper, a pit bull mix is one of many success stories at Pack Leaders Rescue of Connecticut in East Hartford.

“We very excited to see Skipper go home,” said Jennifer Kanaitis, of Pack Leaders Rescue.

Skipper is not alone.

Forty-seven animals were adopted from Pack Leaders Rescue during "Clear the Shelters" on Saturday. There are still a few looking for a new home.

One of those is Jazzy, a high-energy pointer-pit bull mix who would make a great companion for someone active.

"She’s very friendly, loving, very sweet girl," said Kanaitis.

Dozens of more dogs are expected to show up here soon looking for new homes. An adoption event is planned at PetSmart in Manchester on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Erin Turner adopted her best friend, Penelope, and urges others to also think about rescuing a pet.

"I knew it was meant to be. She kept on coming back to me. I couldn’t leave her, so I adopted her," said Turner.

Police Find 92 Marijuana Plants Outside Hartford Home

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Hartford police found a marijuana garden while investigating reports of a marijuana growing operation in Hartford on Wednesday night.

After receiving “credible information” about marijuana growing at 39 Ansonia Street, Hartford police officers, as well as vice and narcotic detectives went to the property at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and found several tall, green, leafy plants.

Police found around 92 marijuana plants, as well as 15 plastic resealable bags containing what they described as a green plant-like substance.

Officers arrested two residents, later identified as Jaleel Wooley, 24, and Jamie Grant, 36, of Hartford, and charged them with cultivation of marijuana.

Police said the plants were cut down and entered as evidence at the Hartford Police property room.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police
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