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Ban on Green Day Musical Is 'Censorship,' Member Says

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The singer of the punk rock band Green Day spoke out Monday after learning that Enfield High School in Connecticut decided not to perform the musical "American Idiot," the group's rock opera. 

"It would be a shame if these high schoolers were shut down over some of the content that may be challenging for some of the audience," Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong said on Instagram. "But the bigger issue is censorship."

The Enfield High School's drama club had previously advertised the showing of "American Idiot" and encouraged students to audition, according to a letter sent to members of the school community.

But the school theater's drama club, Nate Ferreira, and the prinicipal decided it was best to cancel the show after complaints from parents, said the letter, posted by arts administrator Howard Sherman.

"Unfortunately, a very small number of extremely vocal people have complained about our choice of production," Ferreria wrote. "To be clear, Mr. Longey (the school's principal) did not force us to change...At this late stage it is very difficult to switch to a different play, but I do feel that it is best for us to set aside 'American Idiot' for the time being."

Ferreira said the play had a lot of explicit language and scenes involving drugs and sex. The director also said he had been working with the musical's publisher to ensure a more appropriate version of the rock opera. 

"Due to the mature content of the original production, I have been working with the publisher to modify the script, to ensure that it would be appropriate for a high school group to perform," Ferreira wrote in a letter on Jan. 17. 

Armstrong maintained in his post that there was a version of the musical appropriate for a high school audience. He asked the school to rethink its decision.

"I hope you reconsider and allow them to create an amazing night of theater! as they say on Broadway .. 'the show must go on!' rage and love," Armstrong said.ct

Armstrong's full post can be found here

dear Enfield high school board, #enfieldhighschoolmusical #highschoolidiot #enfieldidiot

It has come to my attention that you cancelled your high school theater production of American Idiot.
I realize the content of the Broadway production of AI is not quite "suitable" for a younger audience.
However there is a high school rendition of the production and I believe that's the one Enfield was planning to perform which is suitable for most people.
it would be a shame if these high schoolers were shut down over some of the content that may be challenging for some of the audience. but the bigger issue is censorship. this production tackles issues in a post 9/11 world and I believe the kids should be heard. and most of all be creative in telling a story about our history.

I hope you reconsider and allow them to create an amazing night of theater!
as they say on Broadway .. "the show must go on!" rage and love

Billie Joe Armstrong

ps. I love that your school is called "Raiders"



Photo Credit: Jason Miller/Invision/AP
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Man Sought in $50,000 Westfarms Shoplifting

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Farmington police are asking for the public's help to identify a man in surveillance footage suspected in several thefts at Lord & Taylor at the Westfarms Mall involving more than $50,000 in stolen merchandise. 

The department currently has six open cases involving the suspect, who they believe has stolen jackets, scarves and high-end purses with the help of an accomplice. 

The thefts, taking place over the past month, amounted to be well over $50,000 in stolen merchandise, police said. 

Police said they believe man in the surveillance and another man scooped up whatever was on display near the door.

Police ask anyone who can identify the suspect in the surveillance photo released to call 860-675-2400 and leave a message for Officer Jeff Glaude. People can also call in anonymous tips at 860-675-2483. 



Photo Credit: Farmington Police Department

Ellington Homicide Investigation Still Tight-Lipped

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Police are being tight-lipped about a homicide that took place in Ellington late last December. 

A woman found dead in an Ellington home the day before Christmas Eve died of gunshot wounds in a homicide, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington.

Connie Dabate, 39, was found dead at the scene of a 911 call at 7 Birchview Drive that originally came in as a residential burglary alarm call around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

In a previous interview with state police, they called the situation ‘unusual’ but would not elaborate why.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to state police several times over the last month. We are still being told that Major Crimes Detectives continue to actively investigate.

“It’s pretty much been hush hush. We haven’t heard anything, except for kind of through the grapevine. Nobody has notified us about anything,” said Hugh Haun of Ellington.

Troopers first found Connie's husband, Richard Dabate, 39, with non-life-threatening injuries upon their arrival. He was released from the hospital after. 

Troopers also encountered smoke in the home.

Officials from the medical examiner's office determined that Connie Dabate was shot in the head and abdomen and died of those gunshot wounds. Investigators have deemed her death a homicide.

Detectives are still working to determine what activated the burglary alarm and caused the injury and death to the victims.

State troopers investigated the Dabate’s home for days even searching the area with Police K9’s. It is unclear if they found anything of significance.

There is no threat to the public.

No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named at this time and there's no search or suspect at large, state police said. This was an isolated incident, state police said at the time of the incident.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Man Hangs Cat by Shoe String After Arguing With Girlfriend

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A cat was assaulted several times and hung by a shoestring after a man had an argument with his girlfriend, Hartford police said. 

Police initially got a call about animal cruelty complaint that turned into a domestic disturbance complaint. Police said the cat was assaulted several times and found cold and unresponsive, police said. 

Carlos Trinidad, 31, is accused of tampering with evidence and animal cruelty from the Jan. 19 incident.

The cat was in critical condition when it was taken to the bet but did survive the attack, police said. 

The complainant and cat's owner, Trinidad's girlfriend, said the assault to the animal came after an arguement between the two. 



Photo Credit: Hartford Police

Hundreds Speak Out Against Bloomfield Bottled Water Plant

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Town officials in Bloomfield approved a Niagara bottled water plant, but residents say they did not know about until it was too late and have concerns.

On Monday night, residents and environmental activists packed a town council meeting Monday night to try and change officials’ minds.

“They’ve made a big mistake,” Guthrie Sayen, of Bloomfield, said. “One is our water security. Will we be secure in a time of drought?”

The plant, a 440,000-square-foot facility on Woodland Avenue, is slated to open in November and supporters said it will bring jobs and more than $1 million in tax revenue for the town.

Opponents said they are not pleased with the pollution the plant will cause, the tax abatement the town offered and the way in which officials approved it.

“All of the sudden one day, this pops up and it just happens,” Kevin Gough, of Bloomfield, said. “No one knew about it.”

Bloomfield Mayor Joan Gamble said the town never made the project a secret, and if they were to pull out now, Niagara could sue.

“According to our town attorney, it is too late,” Gamble said. “They could start construction without the tax abatement if they wanted.”

Those who are against the plant disagree and have hired a lawyer.

They said they are not going down without a fight.

No one from Niagara showed up at Monday night’s meeting.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Extra Police at Meriden School After Social Media Threat

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Extra police will be at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden as a precaution after a Facebook threat that appears to have come from Florida.

Meriden police said they were alerted around 7:30 p.m. on Monday about a possible shooting at a Lincoln School, which was supposedly scheduled to take place during the school day on January 26.

The post, which appeared on Facebook, made a threat toward “Lincoln students” and police investigated and determined that the threat was made in Tallahassee, Florida.

Police then contacted the Leon County Sheriff’s Department in Florida and confirmed that they were investigating the threat that originated from their, according to Meriden police.

The Meriden Police Department has assigned police officers to Lincoln Middle School to alleviate any concerns that parents might have about the confusion the post has created.

“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the threat was directed toward Lincoln Middle School in Meriden, CT,” police said in a statement.

Meriden is not the only school district to add police because of this threat.

Lincoln High School in Dallas was on a precautionary lockdown on Monday. 



Photo Credit: Newsworks

Teen Gets Life-Saving Transplant

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In a whirlwind 24 hours, a 15-year-old from Michigan discovered he would be getting a new heart and received the life-saving transplant during an hours-long procedure. A video showing his emotional reaction is making headlines.

Trevor Sullivan’s procedure took place Nov. 13. A video capturing his first waking moments after surgery was posted last week and has been widely circulated online, the teen's father, Philip Sullivan, told NBC Chicago.

"I've waited so long. I'm so happy," Trevor says in the video, through tears. "I can breathe again and can talk."

Sullivan told NBC Chicago his son was released from the hospital about a week and half after the surgery, the day before Thanksgiving.

The family first suspected something was wrong when Trevor felt sick repeatedly throughout September 2014. He recovered, but fell ill again in January 2015.

A month later, a group of cardiologists at a local hospital told the family Trevor's heart was failing. Trevor was airlifted to the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor on Feb. 12.

Trevor was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease that enlarges the heart and makes it difficult for the organ to pump blood through the body, according to TODAY.com.

After 10 months on a transplant list, the Sullivan family received a call notifying them that their dreams had come true: Trevor had a heart donor. He had the surgery the next afternoon.

Because of national privacy laws, Trevor's family doesn't know much about the heart donor other than the individual was younger person with a good heart and strong muscle tissue.

"We wanted to raise awareness around organ donations; that’s why we did this," Sullivan said.

A GoFundMe has been created for the family, who is documenting Trevor's journey via Facebook.



Photo Credit: Philip Sullivan
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Who Are Escaped Calif. Inmates?

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Three fugitives who broke out of their maximum-security jail dorm early Friday in an elaborate escape that could be ripped from the pages of a Hollywood script were considered armed and dangerous as their criminal histories began to emerge.

Jonathan Tieu, 20, Bac Duong, 43, and Hossein Nayeri, 37, were awaiting trials for unrelated violent crimes. They vanished from a dormitory they shared with about 65 other men at the Orange County Men's Central Jail.

Officials launched a massive manhunt across the region, serving more than 30 search warrants and offering $50,000 in rewards for information leading to their recapture. Todd Spitzer of the Orange County Board of Supervisors said Monday he would request the board increase the reward by $150,000, bringing the total to $200,000.

The Mexican border is only a couple hours south of the prison, but authorities said they had no evidence that the men had left the country.

Authorities said they believe Tieu and Duong may still be in the region due to their ties to local Vietnamese-American gangs.

Here’s what we know about the trio:

Hossein Nayeri

Nayeri and two other men are accused of entering the home of a marijuana dispensary owner who they believed was burying large amounts of cash in the Southern California desert. They allegedly kidnapped the owner and his roommate Nov. 7, 2013, then tortured the owner in a van as they drove into the desert.

The men beat the victim, used a blowtorch to burn him and cut off his penis, according to authorities. The victim was doused with bleach and dumped on the side of a desert road. He was later found after his roommate flagged down a police officer. Nayeri allegedly fled to Iran, where prosecutors said he remained for several months before his arrest during a transfer at an airport in Prague.

Nayeri faces two felony counts of kidnapping for ransom and one felony count each of aggravated mayhem, torture, and first-degree residential burglary, with a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

Bac Duong

Duong allegedly shot a man Nov. 18, 2015 after an argument on the patio of a Santa Ana home. He was charged with one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of assault with a firearm, one felony count of first-degree residential burglary, one felony count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or house, one felony count of assault with a firearm with sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a firearm, personal discharge of a firearm and great bodily injury.

He was being held without bail on an immigration hold pending a possible federal deportation hearing.

Duong also faces sentencing enhancements for a prior strike conviction for first-degree burglary in 1995 in San Diego County, prior prison convictions for second-degree burglary in 2007, reckless evading of a peace officer in 2008 and possession for sale of a controlled substance in 2011. Prior to the escape, Duong was scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 8.

Jonathan Tieu

On the evening of March 20, 2011, Tieu, then a juvenile, was allegedly involved in a shooting with two others that left a man dead and wounded a second person in a gang-related fight.

Tieu was tried, but a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict and the case ended in a mistrial. Before he escaped jail, Tieu was scheduled for retrial on March 18.

Tieu is charged with one felony count of special circumstances murder, one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, and one felony count of street terrorism with sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, and vicarious discharge of a firearm by a gang member causing death.

If convicted, Tieu faces a maximum sentence of 84 years to life in state prison.



Photo Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department

Suspect Denies Killing Colleague

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A Los Altos, California, man who was arrested on suspicion of killing his co-worker told NBC Bay Area in a jailhouse interview Monday he didn’t do it and had been set up.

"I was framed," Steve Hlebo, 39, said from jail in a 45-minute interview. "I am innocent. It's something out of a science fiction novel, really."

Hlebo spoke to reporters at the Santa Clara County Jail, telling them he didn't leave work Friday until about 5 or 6 p.m. and spent the next several hours — until 2 a.m. Saturday — driving around the Bay Area because he couldn’t sleep. He adamantly denied killing Kyle Myrick, 28, who was reported missing Friday and whose body has yet to been found. The two worked together for a short time at GP Sports in San Jose's Cambrian neighborhood on Camden Avenue. Police declared the burned-out building next door as the site of the weekend homicide, without saying why. Hlebo was arrested Saturday on one count of murder at his mother-in-law's home in Los Altos. He has yet to be formally charged.

"I was hopped up on drugs," Hlebo said, claiming that "four or five individuals" that he worked with must have put the unknown drugs in his drink. He insisted he had no mental illness, was not taking any drugs himself and had no other priors other than a past DUI. However, a check at the Santa Clara County courthouse showed Hlebo had five past criminal cases from 2000 to 2005, though the records were in storage and a clerk would not detail the charges. Myrick has no criminal record in Santa Clara County.

San Jose police did not respond specifically to Hlebo’s jailhouse claims, which NBC Bay Area was not able to substantiate right away.

San Jose police have yet to reveal a motive for the homicide or evidence that would link Hlebo to Myrick's death. At a news conference Monday, Police Chief Eddie Garcia said they thought the body might be somewhere in the ocean, but didn't have evidence to confirm that.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles, Hlebo said he believes someone at work must have been drugging his coffee "for days" and that’s why he hasn’t been able to sleep.

"I think they were putting it in intentionally so they could discredit me and pin the murder on me, essentially," Hlebo said Monday. He didn't specify exactly who the co-workers were, or why they would want to harm him.

Hlebo said he barely knows Myrick, whom he had worked with for "four or five days" and had no idea where Myrick had disappeared to on Friday.

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After work on Friday, Hlebo said he was driving around for hours in his GMC truck,  a photo of which police released on Monday, because he couldn't sleep. He returned home "drained." Moments after he lay down, he said "bright lights were in the windows."

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Police are asking for the public's help in determining where the truck was between Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. In an odd statement from jail, Hlebo told a confusing story about being sold this truck with what appeared to be either "boar's brains" or human blood inside the brake area of the truck that someone sold to him and which had been in a "horrific accident." That truck, Hlebo claims, is somehow part of the confusing coverup.

Despite the charge, Hlebo appeared calm, albeit tired, during his interview.

At a news conference later on Monday at the San Jose police station, Myrick's mother spoke out emotionally. Myrick’s family and friends staged several volunteer searches throughout the South Bay looking for his body, hoping the avid motorcyclist is alive.

"I just think he's lying, and he's trying to put the blame on other people,"  Kelly Sparry said. "He's my baby and I want him back."

 NBC Bay Area's Clemence Robineau contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
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Tranquil, Unseasonably Warm To Close Month

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Tonight will be cloudy with scattered showers as temperatures remain in the 30s.

With colder air moving in aloft tomorrow, there will be more clouds than sunshine. In these situations during the winter months, a flurry can sneak into the hill towns.

Still, highs will be near 40 degrees.

Thursday looks like the pick of the rest of the work week. Lots of sunshine is expected, though temperatures will be lower, in the middle and upper 30s.

The average high this time of year is in the middle 30s, and the average low is in the upper teens.

By Friday, an ocean storm will be moving north off the East Coast but it looks like it will remain well out to sea.

Still, snow showers are possible as a clipper system transfers its energy to the storm over the ocean.

In this scenario, it looks like temperatures will be above freezing. So, even if snow flakes are in the air, accumulations are unlikely.

Over the weekend, the upper-level pattern is what meteorologists call "zonal" – or not very exciting.

Lots of clouds can be expected with a stationary boundary nearby, and yet another clipper could bring rain and snow showers. The timing on that clipper appears to be either Saturday or Saturday night.

An early look at the start of February shows above average temperatures. However, early indications for late in the first week and early in the second week of February show the potential for storminess along the East Coast.

Madonna Badger Launches #WomenNotObjects Campaign

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Madonna Badger made a name for herself in advertising, but was propelled into the national spotlight for the most tragic of reasons. Now she is in the spotlight again and it's for trying to change the world of advertising by committing to not objectifying women and asking others to do the same. 

She appeared on the “Today Show” on Tuesday morning and revealed that her New York agency, Badger and Winters, launched the #WomenNotObjects campaign and the viral video meant to help end the objectification of women in advertising. 

She said the idea came about between 2007 and 2009, during the “Women’s Wear Daily” beauty summit and a discussion about innovation in marketing and what that means. What it means, in part, is not shaming women to aspire to something unattainable.

“(I)nnovation in marketing is really getting inside of the shoes of your consumer, and it’s no longer this old paradigm of filling the consumer with shame and anxiety – you know, you’re not good enough, hair’s not right enough – and then solving the problem,” Badger said.

Badger’s life took a dramatic and painful shift in 2011, when her three young daughters, Lilly, 9, and 7-year-old twins, Grace and Sarah, as well as her parents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson, were killed in a fire.

During the dark days that followed, Badger moved away from her home in Connecticut and work in New York stayed with a friend in Arkansas. During a prior "Today Show" appearance, she said love helped get her through the painful time.

Then, in the summer of 2014, Badger got married to William Duke, her college friend.

The latest chapter is her life is the #WomenNotObjects campaign and she said she anonymously released the now-viral video on YouTube earlier this month that shows models posing with advertisements that objectify women and delivering the demeaning messages displayed in the ad.

“I love sacrificing my dignity for a drink,” one model says.

“I’d sell my body for a burger,” another says.

“Obviously, my cleavage can sell anything,” another says.

It is the type of ad depicted in the video that Badger said her agency is opposed to and the reaction to the video has been “huge,” Badger said.

It’s been seen in more than 167 countries.

“The comments are incredible. People are really seeing that objectifying women is really up there with inequality of women,” Badger said.

This morning, she reinforced her agency’s mission.

“As an agency, we have made the decision that we will never use women as a prop, where she has no choice, no voice. We will never over-retouch to the point that it is unattainable human perfection and we’re not going to use her body parts,” Badger said.

During the interview, Matt Lauer asked Badger if she thinks that she can get the rest of the advertising industry behind her in a world where you hear over and over again that “sex sells.”

‘We’ve seen enough incidences of sex not selling, of people actually pushing back and saying ‘no, this does not fit within my value system,” Badger said. “The worst part is the harm that we are doing. For me, that’s really what made me make this decision.”

Learn more about the campaign on the Women Not Objects Facebook page  or through the Twitter account



Photo Credit: TodayShow.com
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American Woman Slain on Caribbean Beach

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An American woman killed on a remote beach in Grenada on Sunday suffered an "extensive" skull fracture and was asphyxiated, authorities said Tuesday.

The Royal Grenada Police Force told NBC News that Jessica Colker, 39, was found dead on a beach in the island's town of Saint David's.

Police spokesman Sylvan McIntyre told NBC News that Colker was walking with her husband along a "secluded beach" around midday. The husband told police that a man with a cutlass, a type of sword, attacked them. The husband escaped and Colker's body was found an hour later.

McIntyre said a suspect has been been taken into custody but has not been charged and is assisting with the investigation.

Colker was originally from Georgia and was vacationing in the Caribbean at the time of her death, according the State Department.
 

Police Seek Man Who Robbed Liquor Store at Gunpoint: PD

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Police are looking for an armed robber who stole cash from a Southington liquor store at gunpoint and fled Monday night, police said. 

Southington police detected a panic alarm  activated at Colonial Wine and Spirits at 255 Berlin Ave. at about 7:39 p.m. and discovered that the wine shop was targeted in an armed robbery, police said. 

A man in a black hooded sweatshirt and wearing a black mask displayed a black handgun when he entered the store and ordered the store clerk to empty the cash register and give him all the money, police said. After the clerk obliged, the suspect demanded that the clerk sit on the floor. Then, the man ran from the store in the southbound direction. 

It's unknown how much cash was taken. 

Police K-9 units searched for the suspect, but the track stopped just south of the store. 

Southington police described the armed robber as a man who is about 20 to 25 years old, has a slender build, weighs about 150 pounds and is about 5-foot-7 to 6 feet tall. The man was wearing blue jeans, a black sweatshirt, a Carolina Panthers hat, a black face mask and gloves. 

Police ask anyone who may have been in the area around the time of the incident and any witnesses to contact Southington Police Det. Adam Tillotson at 860-378-1667 or atillotson@southingtonpolice.org.



Photo Credit: Southington Police Department

No Sign of Shots at Naval Facility

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Reports of an active shooter at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) Tuesday morning led to a lengthy lockdown of the military facility, but U.S. Navy officials confirmed no gunman was found and no injuries were reported.

NMCSD was placed on lockdown just after 8 a.m. and people inside were ordered to shelter in place after an unidentifed Department of Defense employee reported hearing three shots fired in the basement of Building 26, which houses a gym and barracks, according to the Navy.

More than two hours later, K9 units were sweeping the military medical center, honing in on Building 26, Brian O'Rourke, PAO Navy Region Southwest said.

Initial searches of Building 26 turned up no evidence of a gunman or shots fired, O'Rourke said.

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N. Scott Sutherland, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for Navy Region Southwest, sent out the following information just after 10:30 a.m., echoing the details from O’Rourke.

“The investigation of Building 26 continues. First responders and Navy working dog units have conducted an initial top down inspection of the Building and have not located any casualties or evidence of a shooting having taken place. There have been no reported casualties at this time. There is a secondary, more thorough floor by floor inspection taking place at this time. The medical facility remains on lockdown and a shelter in place order remains in effect.”

“Patients needing immediate medical attention should go to their nearest Naval Medical facility other than Balboa Park,” Navy officials added.

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The first alert of a possible active shooter at the facility came around 8:10 a.m., after NMCSD posted the following notice to its Facebook page

“**!ATTENTION!** An active shooter has just been been reported in building #26 at Naval Medical Center San Diego. All occupants are advised to run, hide or fight. All non-emergency response personnel are asked to stay away from the compound, located at 34800 Bob Wilson Drive, San Diego, CA 92134.” [[366563381,C]]

NMCSD employees received the following text message alert:

"CODE WHITE NMCSD. SHELTER IN PLACE AND STAND CLEAR OF BUILDING 26 POSSIBLE ACTIVE SHOOTER IN BUILDING."

But Navy officials said at 10:30 a.m. that there was no threat at the Naval hospital.

“We have done a number of clearing sweeps of the building and as of this time, we have found nothing that substantiates those reports,” explained Capt. Curt Jones, Commanding Officer of Naval Base San Diego.

“We are continuing to clear the building to ensure there are no casualties and there’s nothing that’s not quite right in the building,” he continued. “I can tell you the person who reported the gunshots was in the building at the time and reported that they thought they heard three gunshots.”

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“As of now we have found absolutely nothing that indicates there were any shots fired. There are no casualties at this time,” Capt. Jones added. “I’d like to emphasize, we take all reports like this very seriously. We do a lot of training to help people recognize what they’re supposed to do in the event of an active shooter.”

Capt. Jones said many San Diego-based agencies aided in the emergency response. Officials with some agencies came on their own when they heard something extremely serious may have been happening at the facility.

Building 26 at NMCSD serves a number of functions: barracks, a gymnasium, facilities for wounded warriors, medical administration, and residential and office facilities, Jones said.

Capt. Jones said part of prior training at the facility has included telling active duty and civil servants to do three things in case of an active shooter situation: “run, hide or fight,” just as NMCSD’s initial Facebook alert advised.

As the situation unfolded just after 8 a.m. and a massive law enforcement response stormed the facility, NMCSD advised all personnel to not report to work and avoid the area.

At that point, NMCSD officials told NBC 7 that, as far as they knew, this was not an active shooter drill or training.

At around 9:15 a.m., NMCSD released the following details, which were still developing:

"The sound of gunshots were reported in the basement of building #26 at Naval Medical Center San Diego at about 8 a.m. today. Naval Medical Center San Diego is treating this as a possible active shooter. All personnel are advised to execute active shooter procedures. Non-emergency response personnel are asked to stay away from the compound. San Diego Police Department and Chula Vista S.W.A.T. are on scene at building #26."

One by one, individual buildings at the Naval hospital were all placed on lockdown, one employee told NBC 7. The front gate to the facility was also locked.

Florida Drive was blocked off to traffic as law enforcement surrounded the area, including California Highway Patrol officers who were seen entering the facility through an emergency room entrance. A steady stream of patrol cars from multiple agencies, including the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD), could then be seen flowing into the area.

With access to some roads blocked, traffic was backed up for miles.

By 8:45 a.m., a SWAT truck honed in on the military hospital.

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A concerned staffer for the childcare center at NMCSD told NBC 7 that employees at the facility have undergone training in the case of an active shooter situation. The staffer said the childcare center opens daily at 5:30 a.m., so, at the time of the reported incident, there could have been more than 200 children there.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen this happen," the staffer told NBC 7. "I’m thinking this is something real serious if the SWAT team has to come in. It’s really concerning for me that there’s something going on at the hospital.”

At 9:08 a.m., Naval Base San Diego officials posted this update on Twitter for parents of kids at the childcare facility: "For all concerned, the childcare facilities at NMC are currently secured. All children are accounted for and safe."

NBC 7 also spoke with military couple, Nikki and Broderick, whose son, Sydney, is a patient at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) inside the military hospital.

The couple waited anxiously outside NMCSD gate Tuesday morning, waiting for any information on the activity, hoping to soon be reunited with their baby boy, who was born at 34 weeks gestation.

They both said they understood the extra precautions preventing them from getting to their son.

“I want them to have this situation under control as much as possible because I wouldn’t want anything to happen to anyone,” Broderick said.

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Navy Petty Officer King, an X-Ray instructor at the medical center, was waiting outside like everyone else. Some of his students had reached out to him to check on his safety.

“I just hope no one is hurt today,” King said while he waited for word on what was going on inside the facility.

NBC 7 spoke with a source whose mother was locked down inside the Occupational Room on the second floor of Building 26. She said her mother sent her a text message saying everyone was safe. They were told to barricade the door, stay quiet and shelter in place.

NBC 7 also spoke with representatives inside the facility's Continuous Improvement Department, at Building 6-5, and at Building 1-3, the facility's Dialysis Center, who said everyone inside those buildings was safe. They were all told to shelter in place and remain on lockdown..

By 10:05 a.m., officials were seen leading people out of the facility with their hands up. A law enforcement official told NBC News’ Pete Williams an initial sweep of the building turned up no forensic evidence of shots fired. They were checking rooms a second time and working to locate the person who made the original report.

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Meanwhile, amid the investigation at NMCSD, several temporary lockdowns were activated, including one at Naval Base Point Loma. By 9:35 a.m., that lockdown had been lifted, officials confirmed.

San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) officials confirmed the following nearby schools had also been placed on temporary lockdown: Garfield Middle School on Oregon Street, San Diego High School on Park Boulevard and Roosevelt Middle School, also on Park Boulevard.

SDUSD officials said the lockdowns were precautionary, and that all staffers and students across the campuses were safe. By 9:45 a.m., the SDUSD confirmed those school lockdowns had been lifted.

At a second news conference at noon, both San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman praised the quick response and teamwork by local and federal agencies.

“This is what we train for, as a region, as a city,” said Faulconer.

“This is exactly what we want and we train for this. When that call came in that there was an active shooter on the base, no one hesitated,” added Zimmerman, calling the coming together of law enforcement a “unified collaborative response.”

At that briefing, Capt. Jones said investigators remained at the Naval hospital and were still working to clear Building 26 “in a very methodical fashion.”

He said that within the initial report of gunfire at the building, about 10 minutes passed before the entire NMCSD staff had received the warning and the wheels were in motion for city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies to begin working together.

“There is a very substantial response that would ensure that if there was a problem, it would have been immediately dealt with,” he added.

By 2 p.m., Navy officials released another update, saying the shelter in place order had been lifted for all parts of the facility, with the exception of Building 26, and personnel were permitted to move about.

Access to NMCSD was resuming, as well as patient care, officials said. The main and emergency gates to the facility were reopened to outbound traffic.

By 3:40 p.m., the shelter in place order was lifted for Building 26 as well.

"Operations are going back to their normal cycles at the hospital as patient care and access to the NMCSD facility is resuming to business as usual," Navy officials said.

According to the NMCSD’s website, Building 26 -- the site at the center of Tuesday's incident -- houses several amenities, including a fitness center. The Liberty Center is also located near Building 26, and offers recreational activities for all active duty service members and NMCSD ID cardholders, including a cyber café, billiards tables, a music room and a 25-seat movie theater.

The large staff at NMCSD is comprised of more than 6,500 military, civilian, contractor and volunteer personnel. The 272-bed, multispecialty hospital and ambulatory complex is located on 78.4 acres in the southeast corner of Balboa Park, about 2.5 miles from downtown San Diego.

The military hospital treats families of military members, too.

NMCSD personnel deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti and aboard the USNS Mercy. The facility is affiliated with 19 civilian nursing schools, training more than 400 students per year in clinical rotations.


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Several Spinouts on I-91 in Windsor

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There have been several crashes and spinouts through the Hartford area on Tuesday morning, including in the Windsor on Interstate 91 North. 

There are also delays on I-91 South in New Haven to Interstate 95 after a box truck crashed. 

We have fair skies for the first part of Tuesday and showers are possible during the evening commute.

There's no wind and while it's dark you'll have a nice view of the stars and plantets, according to NBC Connecticut First Alert Meteorologist Bob Maxon. 

Temperatures range from the teens to as high as 41 in Groton and Stoningtion due to a mild breeze coming off the water on the southeastern shoreline. Colder air is settling into some valley locations in the state. It's about 26 and clear in Hartford. Danbury is at 16 degrees.

Clouds will start to form in the afternoon into the evening, with possible sprinkling and scattered showers later on for the evening drive. Temperatures are expected to rise as high as the mid-40s.

Cold air moves in, at least aloft, on Wednesday, and that could yield a flurry in the hills. Temperatures will reach the low 40s, probably earlier in the day.

Mostly sunny skies make another appearance Thursday before clouds move in Friday.

An offshore storm needs to be watched as the work week comes to a close.

Temperatures, especially the highs, remain above average throughout the week.



Photo Credit: Traffic Cameras

Teen Accused of Crashing Stolen SUV in East Haven

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East Haven police arrested a 17-year-old boy who is accused of crashing a stolen Mercedes Benz SUV into a snow mound and a fence early Monday morning, then running from the scene.

New Haven Police were trying to stop the SUV there when it entered East Haven at 4:14 a.m. and hit a snow mound and fence on South Strong Street, police said.

The driver ran and police officers from East Haven and New Haven began chasing him, with help from a Connecticut State Police K-9.

Police soon received a phone call reporting a man running through a yard on John Street, so the East Haven Police K-9 unit responded to this area and found a teen hiding in a shed behind a home on John Street.

The teen was charged with evading responsibility, interfering with police, and second-degree trespass in East Haven and was turned over to the New Haven Police Department.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Drone Video Captures Cliff Erosion

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The Pacifica city council on Monday approved an emergency declaration after storms caused by El Niño battered the city's coastline, leaving behind a sinkhole, a damaged sea wall and a trail of destruction.

Failing bluffs along the Pacifica shoreline have led city officials to declare a third apartment building uninhabitable Monday.

Eroding cliffs along Esplanade Avenue have already led the city to declare apartment buildings at 320 and 330 Esplanade Ave. uninhabitable, and neighboring 310 Esplanade Ave. joined them today, city officials said in a statement. A drone video posted to YouTube shows bluffs falling into the the ocean below.

The building was "yellow-tagged," meaning residents can go inside to get belongings out but can no longer stay there. The neighboring buildings at 320 and 330 Esplanade will need to be demolished, city officials said.

"Recent bluff failures have resulted in unsafe conditions for living space at 310 Esplanade Avenue," city chief building official Mike Cully said in a statement. "Cavities in the bluff are forming to the south, west and north of the building and these critically over-steepened slopes are anticipated to fall back to more stable profiles in the next several days."

Significant storm damage in the city over the last several weeks led the city manager to declare a local state of emergency on Friday. The City Council approved an emergency declaration at its meeting Monday night.

The Pacifica Pier has sustained storm damage and is partially closed. Beach Boulevard remains closed near Santa Maria Avenue because of the failure of the seawall there, according to city officials.

The apartment buildings on Esplanade have been at risk of collapse for years. In January 2010, cliff erosion left the building at 330 Esplanade teetering on the edge of the cliff and residents were evacuated.

In April 2010, the apartments at 320 Esplanade were deemed unstable as well and the owners had to come up with a repair plan to keep the buildings from being demolished.

The city has seen damage to the Pacifica Pier, the Milagra Watershed Outfall and the failure of the sea wall along Beach Blvd. near the intersection of Santa Maria Avenue since mid December. 

"We need state and federal assistance to respond to the growing list of failing public infrastructure," City Manager Lorie Tinfow said.

Private properties have also been affected, and owners of two properties were notified that their structures were not safe to inhabit. Other areas along the cliff are experiencing significant loss of bluff top as well.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Hartford Yard Goats and Colorado Rockies Extend Contract

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The Hartford Yard Goats baseball team and the Colorado Rockies have extended their contract for another two years, ensuring that the teams will connected through the 2018 season.

Under the player development contract, The Rockies provide the Yard Goats with players and coaching staff each season and the original agreement signed in the fall of 2014 was set to expire at the end of the 2016 season.

“We are thrilled to extend our PDC with the Colorado Rockies,” Yard Goats general manager Tim Restall said in a statement. “This relationship will continue to allow our fans to see the future stars of Major League Baseball nightly in Hartford at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. The Rockies provide very talented players for our fans to watch, and are dedicated to our community programs which are so important to the Yard Goats organization.”



Photo Credit: Hartford Yard Goats

Meeting on Hamden High School Synthetic Turf Field Postponed

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Hamden High School is hoping to replace its traditional grass and dirt baseball diamond with a synthetic multipurpose turf field, but the planning and zonning commission meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled and the fields will  next be up for discussion on Feb. 9.

James Pascarella, the Hamden Legislative Council President, has said the current field is borderline unplayable and the new multi-sport field, designed by the Cheshire-based engineering firm Milone and MacBroom is necessary to accommodate multiple teams.

The Hamden Green Dragons football team played its first season on a new synthetic turf field and there is some opposition to the artificial turn fields. 

"If this second field gets approved they will have 80,000 ground up tires behind that building," Nancy Alderman, the president of Environment and Human Health, Inc., said. 

Alderman’s organization of 10 doctors and public health professionals said the rubber tires that go into synthetic turf contain cancer causing carcinogens.

"Do we think, at Environmental and Human Health, that these students are being put at risk," she said, “without any question.”

"The federal EPA has stated that it is acceptable," Pascarella said in response to health concerns on synthetic turf fields. “There have been private studies that have indicated it isn’t acceptable.”

Hamden’s legislative council appropriated about $2.5 million to install the new turf field and the project needs final approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

All items on the agenda, including the public hearing on the special permit and site plan for the field,  have been postponed to the meeting on T

911 Call Released From Senator Maynard's Wrong-Way Crash

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Waterford police have released the 911 call reporting the wrong-way crash State Sen. Andrew Maynard (D-18) was involved in on Route 32 when he collided with an oncoming car and his Volkswagen Passat tumbled down an embankment.

A driver called 911 saying she witnessed a southbound car go over the divider on Route 32, crossing into oncoming traffic on the northbound side, hitting another car and veering off the road into a ditch by the light for the Route 32 connector.

"I'm assuming, yes, there's probably injuries," the caller told the police dispatcher in the 911 call. 

Witnesses told police that Maynard was traveling southbound and crossed at the opening in the divided highway into into the northbound lane, traveling a short distance before he struck another car and continued off the road. Police initially told NBC Connecticut that Maynard was driving in the southbound lanes heading north when the crash happened, but they've since clarified he was on the northbound side going south during the crash. 

Maynard suffered a concussion.

The female driver of the vehicle Maynard's car struck in the accident is doing well and Maynard has been released from the hospital. 

“We don’t know what actually occurred here and it’s really up to the police to reconstruct this which I believe they’re in the process of doing" said Kelly Reardon, an attorney representing Maynard previously said.

The woman involved in the crash initially said she thought Maynard was driving beside her but then told police that he in fact was driving on the wrong side of the road. 

Maynard suffered a severe brain injury during a fall at his home in 2014 and that led to questions about his ability to serve in office and run for re-election. He won his election, and served in the State General Assembly last year.

"His recent car accident, while certainly a setback, will not undermine his commitment to serving his southeastern Connecticut constituents in the Senate," Adam Joseph, the director of communications with the Senate Democrats, told NBC Connecticut.

"It is not a secret that Sen. Maynard continues to work on his speech, which was impaired after the fall at his home in 2014."

Maynard's attorney says there's no reason to believe his injuries, from which she says he's recovered, played any role in the accident.

“He never would have been on the roadway if he felt he was a risk to other people and other motorists and we just don’t know if his medical condition resulting from the fall in any way played a part in this accident at this point.”

Police say they are still investigating the crash. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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