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West Bank Teen Becomes Poster Child for Palestinian Cause

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Fourteen-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who was photographed biting and hitting a masked and armed Israeli soldier who was thrusting her 12-year-old brother down onto a rock in the West Bank, has become the poster child for the Palestinian fight against Israeli occupation.

Tamimi's activism already made her a fixture in social media. In December, 2012 she was filmed shouting at and shoving soldiers twice her size, which earned her an invitation to Turkey to receive a "courage" award.

Since the viral image, journalists have beaten a path to her family's door in the village of Nabi Saleh to speak to her about her ultimate goal — the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank. Israel has occupied the area since 1967 but Palestinians see it as integral to a future state. 



Photo Credit: AP

Winds Blamed for Deadly Crane Collapse at Mecca Mosque

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Strong winds were blamed for knocking over a constuction crane at one of Islam's holiest shrines in Saudi city of Mecca, killing 107 worshippers and injuring 238 others, ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month NBC News reported.

"Heavy rain and strong winds of unusually high speed led to the uprooting of trees, the fall of panels and the collapse of the crane," General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defense Authority, told the Saudi-owned channel, adding that the death toll may increase.

An investigation has been ordered into the disaster by Mecca's governor, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, according to Al Arabiya.



Photo Credit: AP
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Marine Aviation Deaths Reaches 5-Year High

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A fatal helicopter crash in North Carolina on Sept. 2 brought the total number of Marine aviation-related deaths in 2015 to 18 — a five-year high, NBC News reported.

 

On May 10, seven special-ops Marines died when their UH-60 Blackhawk crashed off the Florida coast during a training exercise in heavy fog. Then, on May 12, six Marines were killed when their UH-1Y Venom crashed in Nepal while supporting earthquake relief efforts.

Five days later on May 17 an MV-22 Osprey, nicknamed The Widowmaker, makes a hard landing and catches fire in Hawaii, killing two Marines and injuring 20 more.

Maj. Paul Greenberg, a Marine aviation spokesman at the Pentagon, told NBC News that there "will always be inherent risk in military aviation," but that the military branch stands behind all of its aircraft and trains pilots to ensure a "high degree of aviation safety."



Photo Credit: AP

Police Search for Man Behind String of Bank Robberies

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Police departments throughout central Connecticut are working together to catch the man they believe is responsible for up to seven bank robberies in the area.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said police believe the latest holdup, which occurred Friday evening at a TD Bank in Killingworth, is connected to others in Rocky Hill, Branford, Durham, Wethersfield, Deep River and Berlin.

Police in Rocky Hill hope businesses near the Webster Bank that was robbed Wednesday can help make an arrest. Fliers featuring surveillance photos of the suspect have been plastered on store fronts in the Cold Springs Plaza shopping center, at the department's request.

Business owners said it hits close to home.

"It was a little scary because I do business at the bank," said Miriam Forcht, who owns a pottery-painting studio called My Own Masterpiece and went to the bank the day of the robbery. "It makes me a little nervous. Being a business owner, you never know."

A security officer stood guard Friday outside the bank, the latest to be targeted. Other recent robberies have occurred in Branford, Durham, Wethersfield, Deep River and Berlin.

Police have their eye on a single suspect.

"When we saw the picture of that, and the detectives saw the picture of that, it appeared that it could be the same guy," explained Wethersfield police Lt. Andrew Power. "He always has a hat on and it appears he’s talking on a cellphone."

Police from several affected towns are sharing information and tips, hoping to catch the robber before he strikes again. Collaboration is common among the departments, but this time, several state agencies and the FBI are involved, according to police.

"It’s important because it’s a force multiplier. It increases our effectiveness," said Lt. Chris Ciuci of the Berlin Police Department.

The Connecticut Banker’s Association is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Simsbury Honors Football Player Recovering From Heart Transplant

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The Simsbury High School football team played Friday's game in honor of teammate Danny Deitz, who received a lifesaving heart transplant less than 24 hours prior.

Danny, 16, a wide receiver, suffered complications from an enlarged heart and missed pre-season after falling ill last spring. He's now recovering from a heart transplant at Boston Children's Hospital.

Although Simsbury fell to East Hartford Friday night, the community still celebrated.

"We're so excited," said Simsbury resident Lindsay English.

The Simsbury team led a chant of "Danny strong" before taking the field, and fans joined in, cheering for the teen who may have been physically absent but was with them in spirit.

Football coach Dave Masters tweeted an update on Danny's condition early Friday after the hours-long transplant was complete.

"Danny update: New heart is in and moving to ICU within the hour. Keep positive thoughts & prayers coming!" he wrote.

Danny has weeks of recovery and then it could be months before he returns to school.

"We miss him and hope he comes home soon," said Simsbury resident Mike Lancaster.

But Danny has already been fortunate: the two-month wait for a new hart was much shorter than expected. The life-saving surgery came in time for his birthday, just two weeks away.

 

Even before surgery, Danny said the experience had already changed him.

"I see a lot more happiness in little things," he said.

Driver Runs Over Cop's Foot, Hits Police Car: PD

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Police arrested a driver possible under the influence of drugs who led police on a pursuit in Naugatuck, running over an officer's foot and hitting another police cruiser, police said.

Misha Flores, 27, of Waterbury, is facing multiple charges including operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol and reckless driving.

A motorist flagged down a Naugatuck police officer at about 7 p.m. Friday near Maple and South streets on Friday night to report an erratic driver he said he knew and was following, police said. The person told police that the female driver might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and that he was concerned she would hurt someone driving in that condition, according to police.

The officer followed the female driver in the red Lexus onto the Salem Bridge, traversed the median and almost collided head-on with another car as she drove erratically, police said. So, the driver turned on his emergency lights and siren and tried to pull her over, but the driver kept going, swerving in and out of the travel lane, police said. She was driving between 15 and 30 miles an hour in the direction of Cherry Street and Rubber Avenue, continuing onto Old Firehouse Road, police said.

The Naugatuck police officer tried to approach her vehicle when she briefly stopped on Maple Street, but she accelerated and ran over his foot, police said.

The driver kept going and took a right onto Church Street, almost striking an oncoming car. She hit another Naugatuck police car just past the Division Street intersection.

Police identified Flores as the driver and took her into custody. They charged her with operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, reckless driving, engaging police in a pursuit, two counts of assault on an officer and two counts of interfering with an officer. Police also charged her with multiple motor vehicle violations.

The responding police officers weren't seriously injured, but EMS personnel did treat them at the scene. They didn't need further medical attention.

Church Street was closed for several hours as police investigated.



Photo Credit: NBC

Car Fire on I-95 in Branford

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Crews responded to a car fire on Interstate 95 north in Branford Saturday morning.

Firefighters responded to the car fire near exit 54.

Traffic was able to get by on the right shoulder, according to the Department of Transportation, but it caused some traffic delays. 

Route 1 was also seeing some backup as of 2:40 p.m. 

There was another motor vehicle accident on I-95 earlier in the morning, according to the Branford Fire Department. 



Photo Credit: Anna Milne

Run Remembers Fallen Soldiers

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On a misty Saturday morning in Middletown, names of Connecticut’s fallen service members were read out loud.

“The sacrifice they do. This is the least I could do,” said Lai Sun of Newtown.

From 6 a.m. in the morning until 1 p.m. in the afternoon, more names were read at the top of every hour, before a group of runners took off through the streets of Middletown waving the red, white, and blue. Hundreds of runners tied up their laces for the sixth annual Run for the Fallen CT.

The event was free to participate in, but many like Sun used it to raise money for military organizations. This year he donated $7,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project.

“This is great. I’m not running for time. I’m just out there be with the families, be with the runners, and the cause,” said Sun.

Director Cliff Paquette became involved in the organization after deciding to run 52 miles, one for each Connecticut service member killed since Sept. 11. A year later, the mission became personal when his friend Staff Sgt. Frank Adamski III was killed in Afghanistan.

“Frankie was one of those people who shine. He had the biggest brightest smile. He just loved everybody,” said Paquette.

Since then, the number of Connecticut service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan has grown, to 65. Over seven hours runners covered 65 kilometers, ending at a walking path filled with flowers, flags, and photos of the fallen, paying tribute to hometown heroes like Dennis Pratt.

“He was definitely a person that when you met him he left a mark forever,” said his niece Miranda Pratt.

The Southington graduate was killed by an IED in Afghanistan in 2009. The Pratt family volunteers for this event every year.

“For me it’s so emotional both in a good and saddening way that this is the way the community comes together for such a sad event but that they’re still there, they’re still supporting and that means so much to me and for so many others,” she added.


Tony Orlando Concert Moved Up Due to Rain Forecast

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 The Tony Orlando concert has been moved up a few hours at the East Haven Fall Festival due to possible shower Saturday night. 

The concert, expected to draw thousands, was originally scheduled for 9:30 p.m., but the time has been changed to 6 p.m. because of "the threat of rain," festival organizers said on the event's Facebook page

'70s pop sensation Tony Orlando is known for his song "Knock Three Time," sung with his duo singer Dawn, which was number one on the Billboard charts in 1971 and is heard in the movie "Now and Then," according to billboard.com.

His biggest hit to date is "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," released in 1973, according to billboard.com

More information on the festival is available online on the East Haven Fall Festival Facebook page



Photo Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Waterford Road Reopens After Caving From Rain

Stolen Wheelchair Returned in Texas

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A news tip led to a wheelchair—that was stolen from a Texas teenager with disabilites— to be returned to its owner Friday night, police said.

Monday afternoon, the teen, Eduardo Morales, and his mother, Norma, took off from their home on Redding Court in South Arlington, Texas, to go run errands and decided to leave Morales' wheelchair near their driveway. That way, his mother said, she could put him right back in it when they got home.

"We left it out for a couple of hours, never thinking that someone was going to take it," Norma Morales said. "And when we came home, it was gone."

Arlington police released several surveillance photos connected to this case Friday that were taken from a neighbor's surveillance camera. By late Friday night after the story had been on the news, the wheelchair was returned.

Saturday afternoon, Morales' mother asked NBCDFW to pass along this message to the viewers who shared her family's story: 

“I am very grateful to have such a generous, kindhearted community of people that were willing to help and donate to get Eddie a new wheelchair! Eddie and I want to say thank you to everybody! Not only to viewers but to APD and all the local media that were able to help in recuperating his wheelchair. Eddie will be back in his chair as soon as I wash it. We are very happy campers!”

There are a lot of things that Morales could be angry or sad about. He has a physical disability that requires him to use a wheelchair and he is unable to speak. But instead, the 17-year-old, who loves cowboys and rodeos, chooses to be happy.

"Oh, my goodness, he is very special," his mother said. "He is very special to everybody – his school, home, family, everything."

That's why it's hard for her to understand how anyone could take anything from him.

"Oh, I cried," Norma Morales said. "I cried because (his wheelchair) is like his two legs. He doesn't have a wheelchair now."

On its Facebook page Saturday morning, Arlington police said the family is not pressing charges in the case.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News
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Water Main Break Closes Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill

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The Silas Deane Highway is shut down near the Wethersfield/Rocky Hill town line due to a water main break, according to Rocky Hill police.

Police say the break is located near the intersection of the Silas Deane Highway and Town Line Road and was first reported at 6:50 p.m. Saturday. Crews are on scene now working to repair the break and water service was shut down around 8:50 p.m., according to Metropolitan District spokeswoman Kerry Martin. Martin says this was a 12-inch water main that was installed in 1963.

Several homes and business in both Wethersfield and Rocky Hill are affected by the break. MDC estimates that repairs will take between six to eight hours and water service will be restored sometime between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday morning.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Woman Makes Pit Bulls Maul Man

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A New York woman was arrested after police say she deliberately let her two pit bulls pounce on a man, an attack that sent him to the hospital with several bites and a severed ear, police said Saturday.

Cynthia Oliver, 55, was charged with several counts of assault and reckless endangerment after the Friday night incident near her Belmont Avenue residence in the Bronx, investigators said. Oliver was released on $35,000 bond at her arraignment, but it was unclear whether she had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Oliver was holding her two pit bulls on leashes, but let go of the restraints, according to the criminal complaint.  Police said Oliver deliberately let go of the leashes, but they didn't say why she released the dogs.

The two dogs attacked 62-year-old Francesco Bove, who at the time was walking to a nearby church where he worked, said his son, Anthony Bove, adding that his father is an artist and animal lover.

The two dogs mauled Bove, leaving him with a severed right ear and lacerations to his chest and arms.

Anthony Bove said a priest who arrived at the scene offered to administer his father the last rites.

A 46-year-old man who attempted to help Bove was also bit and suffered lacerations to an arm. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The vicious attack was captured on video by a witness (WARNING: the video shows graphic violence). Several people can be seen coming to Bove's aid as they struggled to get the dogs away from him. Bove screamed for help, witnesses said.

"People were trying, but they was also scared of getting too close because they didn't wan to get attacked," Renee Norris told NBC 4 New York.

Firefighters eventually sprayed the dogs with water to keep them at bay. A bystander was then able to leash them.

The dogs were removed and are now in the care of Animal Care and Control.

Man in 'Scream' Mask Attacks Victim

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Police in Southern California are looking for a man who swung a golf club at a victim's head multiple times while wearing a "Scream" mask.

A 31-year-old man was at Kelly Street Park in San Diego when, for an unknown reason, a man wearing a white mask charged him. The suspect hit the victim in the head with a golf club at least two times.

The suspect fled the scene and police have yet to find him. He is described as a man in his 40s and was last seen wearing a white shirt and black pants. 

San Diego Police said the incident happened at 2 p.m. Saturday on the 2100 block of Jacobs Way in the Linda Vista neighborhood. 

The victim suffered non life-threatening lacerations on the front and back of his head but went home after the incident.

San Diego Police's Western Division is investigating. 

No further information was immediately available. 



Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS/FILE

Passenger Urinated on Others Aboard JetBlue Flight: Police

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An Oregon man faces charges after authorities say he urinated on passengers on a flight from Anchorage to Portland, Oregon.

 

Jeff Rubin, 27, was arrested early Friday after JetBlue Flight 47 arrived at Portland International Airport, KOIN-TV reported.

A police report says passengers and airline employees told officers Rubin had been sleeping for most of the flight. About 30 minutes before landing, they said, he stood up and began urinating through the crack between the seats in front of him — and onto the passengers sitting there.

The report says he lost his balance and fell backward, splashing urine on passengers, seats and luggage.

The cabin remained pretty calm, said Suzanna Caldwell, an Alaska Dispatch News reporter who happened to be sitting two rows in front of Rubin.

"It's not like anyone was screaming. I didn't even realize anything had happened until the flight attendants came up to me and told me police were going to come onboard," she told the Anchorage newspaper for a story on its website Friday.

Caldwell, who said she was not urinated on, said officers had to wake up Rubin when they got on board since he appeared to have fallen asleep again.

An officer then began interviewing passengers.

"At one point, the officer was like, 'Who got peed on?'" Caldwell said.

Rubin spent about five hours in jail and was released on his own recognizance. He faces charges of criminal mischief and offensive littering.

Rubin did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.



Photo Credit: Multnomah County Jail

Austria's Chancellor Likens Hungary's Refugee Policy to Nazi Deportations

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Austria's chancellor criticized Hungary for its handling of the refugee crisis on Saturday, likening the country's policies to the Nazi persecution of Jews during the Holocaust.

"Sticking refugees in trains and sending them somewhere completely different to where they think they're going reminds us of the darkest chapter of our continent's history," Chancellor Werner Faymann said in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel.

Thousands of refugees are crossing the border to Hungary, an eastern outpost of Europe's passport-free Schengen zone, every day. On Sept. 3, hundreds of migrants boarded a train in Budapest in the belief that they were heading to Austria.

However, the train was stopped 22 miles west of the capital in the town of Bicske, where Hungary has a camp for asylum seekers.
 



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Teen Falls 35-40 Feet From Ropes Course

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 An 18-year-old male was injured after falling 35 to 40 feed from a ropes course at Nomads in South Windsor. 

Police, fire and EMS responded at 2:40 p.m. Saturday to Nomads. A customer doing the ropes course fell and was located 50 feet back in the woods, according to South Windsor Assistant Fire Chief Brian Peck. 

The rescue took about 15 minutes to get the teenager out of the woods. An ambulance transported him to Hartford Hospital and he was conscious and alert during the ride, Peck said. 

There is no word on his condition or the extent of his injuries. 

Babysitter Sentenced in Baby's Manslaughter

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A Connecticut woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison in the homicide of a 3-week-old baby. 

Janell Campbell, 22, of New Britain, pleaded nolo contendere to the manslaughter of baby Jaleah Jayde Quintero and risk of injury to a child in the case after being accused of dropping and possibly falling on the baby  after drinking alcohol, according to the state judicial website and arrest warrant. She was found guilty on July 9, according to the state judicial website, after entering her plea.

Campbell was at the home of baby Jaleah Jayde Quintero's family with her son to get money for a cell phone bill and was hanging out with Jaleah's mother and her male friend.

The mother told police that Campbell wanted marijuana and that she left at one point to buy some with her friend, asking Campbell to watch her baby. When the Jaleah's mother and friend returned, she noticed marks on the baby's head and asked what happened, according to the arrest warrant.

Campbell initially blamed her son and said he had knocked the baby's bassinet over earlier but that the child hadn't fallen out, according to the arrest warrant. Both the mother and her friend told police they had seen Campbell yell at her son earlier in the evening, police said. She also initially told police she wasn't drunk when the incident happened but that she felt "nice."

But she later told police that she lost her balance because she was drunk while holding Jaleah and dropped her. Campbell also said she thought she fell on the child.

The child was unresponsive and was taken to the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. Doctors called New Britain police on Dec. 5 at 5:24 a.m. to report they were treating a 3-week-old girl in the emergency room who was unconscious and had a suspicious head wound.

Police arrived nine minutes later and learned the baby went into cardiac arrest and had "bruising to the face and head," police said.

A LifeStar helicopter transferred the baby to Connecticut Children's Medical Center at 7:37 a.m. that day and the baby went into cardiac arrest for a second time, police said. The baby later died at the hospital.

The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

When police searched the home of Jaleah's mother, they found an empty 24-pack of Miller High Life beer, two empty bottles of Patron tequila and part of a marijuana blunt, police said in the arrest warrant.

Police determined that Campbell's "actions appear to have resulted in the death of the victim."

Campbell was charged with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree manslaughter "for dropping the victim on the floor while she was under the influence of alcohol and failing to obtain medical aid for the victim," police said in the arrest warrant.

Campbell has been sentenced to eight years of jail and two years of special parole. 

7-Eleven Reopens After Car Rams Building

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The 7-Eleven in Newington has reopened after a car crashed through the building early Saturday morning while some employees were inside.

The car rammed through the front wall of the building just after 7 a.m. Saturday. There were only a few workers inside at the time and everyone got out safely. 

The store has been boarded up and the 7-Eleven has reopened for regular hours. It's unknown how long it will take to repair the damage. 

The driver wasn't injured in the crash. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

2 Shot, Another Injured in Bridgeport Shooting Incident

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Two people were shot and another injured at a shooting incident in Bridgeport early Saturday morning.

Police say the incident occurred in the area of William Street and Crescent Avenue around 2:05 a.m. When they arrived they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, and another suffering from head injuries.

A 25-year-old male was transported to Bridgeport Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left foot. The other shooting victim, a 23-year-old woman, was also transported with gunshot wounds to the back and leg. Both are listed in stable condition.

The third victim’s injuries were not caused by a weapon, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact Bridgeport police at (203) 581-5201.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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