Police have arrested a 31-year-old Groton man on drug and weapons charges after a raid at U.S. Wholesalers, a vehicle wholesaler located at 114 South Road, in Groton on Monday morning. They also seized several vehicles.

The raid was part of an investigation into the sales of heroin and opioids in southeastern Connecticut, officials said on Monday afternoon.

Police believe the suspect was obtaining the heroin in bulk, cutting it, packaging it and selling it at the street level. 

Police said they seized drugs, a weapon, along with business assets, including three campers and five cars, including a Bentley luxury sedan and several commercial vehicles, ATVs, motorcycles and motor-scooters, police said. 

"A lot of the narcotics trafficking, they are not leaving their money out for us to locate. Their actually investigating it into properties and/or merchandise that they can liquidate when they need it, but still have it there and try hide it from law enforcement officials," Lt. John W. Varone, detective commander for the Groton Police Department, said. 

The suspect is being held on a $500,000 bond.  

Part of Old Farms Road in Avon is closed after a one-vehicle crash. 

The road is closed between Thompson and Tillotson Roads. 

Firefighters and a wrecker have responded to the scene.

Temperatures will soar to 90 degrees across inland Connecticut tomorrow.

Lots of sunshine is expected, and it will last into Thursday.

Friday features a mix of sun and clouds, with highs in the lower 80s inland.

The Memorial Day weekend forecast challenge is the position of a back-door cold front.

First Alert forecasters are pretty confident the weekend begins warm, and ends cooler.

Temperatures will push 90 degrees on Saturday with lots of sunshine. It will be humid, and a late-day storm cannot be ruled out.

While a few showers are possible Sunday morning, the day will be mainly dry with a blend of sunshine and clouds. It will be cooler with highs in the 70s.

Memorial Day looks pleasant, with temperatures in the middle 70s and a good amount of sunshine.

Firefighters battlled a two-alarm fire at 589 Bedford Street in Stamford on Tuesday morning. 

Firefighters responded to find heavy fire and struck a second alarm.

There was some damage to nearby properties, including damage to siding and cracked windows. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Part of Route 12 is Killingly is closed after crews hit a gas line, according to state police. 

Crews from Frontier were digging when they struck a line, police said. There was a leak at some point and it’s not clear if the gas has been shut off. 

Route 12 is closed between Lewis Boulevard and Davis Street. 

It’s not clear if there are evacuations.

An 11-month-old girl died after she was left inside her parents' parked car Monday in South Florida, possibly for hours, according to police.

Emergency responders were called to the 3500 block of West 86th Terrace in Hialeah around 4:10 p.m. The baby was found unconscious and taken to Palmetto General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

Police said the baby had been left inside her parents' parked vehicle with the engine turned off. It's not clear how long she was there, but police said it may have been a few hours. The child's name has not been released.

The temperature outside climbed into the upper 80s on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

"In 10 to 15 minutes, a temperature of a car that's parked with the engine not running could go from 80 degrees to 130 degrees," explained a member of the fire rescue team.

Authorities have not taken anyone into custody or filed charges in connection with the case. Police are working with the Miami-Dade state attorney's office to investigate.

Hialeah Police also issued the following statement: "We are aware of the public interest and multiple information requests for this case. However, we will not be releasing any further information at this time while the case remains open and active. This is a very significant incident and an equally important investigation. We do not wish to comprise the integrity of the investigation or release incomplete information until the investigation is finalized."

According to HeatStroke.org, the child is the first to die in a vehicle in Florida this year and the eighth nationwide.

Janette Fennell, president and founder of Kids and Cars, a nonprofit organization focused on improving child safety around cars, recommends the following tips to parents:

1. Look before you lock. Open the back door and look in the back seat to make sure everyone is out of the car (even if you think there is no one back there).
2. Keep something you need in the back seat. Put your cellphone, briefcase, computer, lunch, ID badge, left shoe or anything essential to your daily routine next your child.
3. Travel with a furry companion. Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When a baby is in the seat, the stuffed animal rides shotgun. The furry passenger serves as a reminder that baby's in the back.
4. Always lock the doors. Even if the car is in the garage, keep the doors locked to prevent curious children from getting into the car.
5. Put the keys and fobs away. Kids might want to play with keys and be able to get into the car without parents knowledge.
6. Have a plan with child-care provider. If your child does not show up to daycare or school without prior notice, someone should call to locate child.
7. If you see something, do something. If you see a child alone in a car, do not hesitate to call 911.

Most so-called natural mosquito repellents containing naturally derived oils smell nice but don't keep mosquitos off as long as those containing synthetic chemicals, Consumer Reports found.

Consumer Reports said it tested 16 products to see which work best against the Aedes mosquitoes that spread Zika as well as against Culex mosquitoes, which spread West Nile, and the ticks that carry Lyme. The products contain a range of active ingredients, including conventional chemicals like DEET, synthetic plantlike compounds that resemble those found in nature, and plant oils like citronella and rosemary, according to the group.

Their three top pics contain a different synthetic chemical: Sawyer Picaridin (20 percent picaridin); Ben's 30 Percent Deet Tick & Insect Wilderness Formula (30 percent DEET) and Repel Lemon Eucalyptus (65 percent p-menthane-3,8-diol, a synthetic derivative of eucalyptus).

A San Diego teenager who is battling cancer welcomed Captain America, Iron Man and Pepper Potts into his home, just two weeks after his classmates stood behind him in support.

Ryan Wilcox, 18, is a Grossmont High School student who is also a die-hard "Captain America" and "Avengers" fan.

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In a video played at the school May 6, Chris Evans offered Wilcox well wishes and told him to "stay strong."

The clip not only went viral but prompted "Avengers" co-star Gwyneth Paltrow to suggest a trip to San Diego.

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The trip became a reality Monday when Paltrow, who plays Pepper Potts in the "Avengers" movies; Evans, who portrays Captain America; and Robert Downey Jr., also known as Iron Man, showed up on the Wilcox family's doorstep.

"I saw this car pull up and I saw them walking. I was just like — what?" Ryan told NBC 7's Greg Bledsoe in an interview Monday.

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The stars spent some time with Ryan in his room and even signed his wall. They left behind souveniers and a lot of memories.

"We're all a little numb. I knew for a couple days it was gonna happen but until you see them walk through that door, you don't know how you're going to feel. And they just were awesome. They didn't want cameras, they wanted to do it quietly," said Ryan's mom, Amy Wilcox. "They came into our home, sat on our couches and just visited with us."

She said the trio sat down with the family and just talked.

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Two FBI agents were shot Tuesday morning while attempting to serve a warrant to a man who was later found dead in his south suburban Chicago home.

The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the suspect as 50-year-old Melvin Toran. Court records show Toran had a long criminal history, including a conviction for murder in 1986.

He was paroled from prison on Feb. 18, 2013, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

SWAT teams were seen swarming Toran's home on Rich Court in Park Forest around 8:30 a.m. Multiple neighbors told NBC 5 they noticed the police activity as early as 6 a.m.

FBI special agent Garrett H. Croon said two agents suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds during the attempted arrest of Toran, who was later found dead in his home. 

The commotion caused Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163 to delay their start time until 9:15 a.m., temporarily requesting parents to keep their children indoors and home from school while the FBI activity was ongoing.

One neighbor seemed surprised to find that Toran was a wanted man, saying that he "seemed nice" and had always been seen walking his dog.

Toran was a high-ranking gang member, according to the Chicago Tribune. The FBI was reportedly trying to arrest him on narcotics trafficking charges after Toran allegedly sold heroin to an undercover agent.

Toran's manner of death has not been released.

A group of male students from James Hillhouse High School in New Haven is holding a feminine products drive through June 2 so they will be readily available for women in public restrooms.

The idea came about after the founder of The Kiyama Movement (http://www.kiyamamovement.com/#what-is-the-kiyama-movement) read an article about how 86 percent of women do not always have the necessary products with them.

"We don't argue about the cost of toilet paper, they just make it available. So why should we argue about the cost of feminine products? They should be made available to females of all ages and they're not," Michael Jefferson, the founder of The Kiyama Movement, said.

The Kiyama Movement is made up of a group of 15 to 20 young African American men focused on promoting self-improvement. It teaches students about respect for life, sexual responsibility, commitment to fatherhood, respect for womanhood and economic accountability.

The group of young men is raising awareness and gathering supplies in the hopes that if a female classmate or teacher needs feminine products, they will have them.

They also hope it will inspire a nationwide movement.

"We care about women and we feel they should have the things they need just as much as we should," Terrance Mallory, a senior, said.

The students said the response from their female classmates has been positive.

"It is a little embarrassing to talk about at first, but they've actually come to like it and have supported us, donated very well," Patrick Moye, a senior, said.

Students said they hope raising awareness will help to eradicate gender inequality.

“I am extremely proud of each and every one of them for attacking this issue," Kermit Carolina, the supervisor of youth development and engagement for New Haven Public Schools, said.

A Bronx man was arrested early Tuesday after he allegedly tried to join ISIS and later helped an undercover informant who he thought was trying to join the terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, was arrested in the Bronx by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and is charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Alimehmeti is charged today with actions that show a clear intention to support a terrorist organization that is hell-bent on murder and mayhem," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

According to the complaint, he tried to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS on two occassions in 2014 but was blocked each time by British authorities. Then, this year, he allegedly tried to help an undercover informant who claimed to be attempting to join the organization. 

The complaint alleges that Alimehmeti first traveled to the United Kingdom in October of 2014 in an attempt to continue on to the Middle East but was denied entry to the country when British authorities at Manchester Airport found nunchucks and camouflage clothing in his luggage.

He tried again that December, according to the complaint, and was again stopped in the United Kingdom after British authorities at Heathrow Airport in London found images of ISIS and improvised explosive devices on his cellphone.

"As alleged, Alimehmeti continued his quest to support ISIL’s deadly terrorist agenda, after being denied entry into Europe with a bag full of military gear," said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. "When he returned home, to the Bronx, he allegedly turned to helping others join the terrorist organization as he built his own arsenal of weapons."

Alerted by UK authorities, the FBI went to work, introducing Alimehmeti to undercover law enforcement informants who posed as ISIS recruits interested in traveling to Syria, according to court papers.

A year after the second attempt, Alimehmeti tried to get a new passport and claimed he had lost his old one, according to the complaint. But he allegedly told undercover agents that he already had $2,500 to travel to Syria but needed to get a new passport in a different name because his had rejection stamps from the United Kingdom and was "already in the system."

Late last year and earlier this year, Alimehmeti began communicating with undercover agents, according to the complaint. When meeting with the agents, the man allegedly expressed interest in joining ISIS, telling one who he thought was set to head overseas, "I'm ready f---ing go with you, man...You know I would... I'm done with this place."

He then bought that informant a phone to be used overseas and allegedly talked about "apps" that would encrypt his communications. He also bought two informants boots to use while fighting with ISIS at a sporting-goods store in Manhattan. The complaint also alleges that Alimehmeti also took one of the agents to John F. Kennedy Airport so the agent could fly to join ISIS.

According to the complaint, Alimehmeti played two ISIS-produced music videos that depicted prisoners being beheaded for the undercover agents. He allegedly told the agents that the videos helped him stay motivated while exercising.

Photos from the complaint show him posing in his Bronx apartment with what appears to be an ISIS flag. He also allegedly bought knives, steel-knuckled gloves, a pocket chainsaw, handcuffs and masks, and had MP3 files containing lectures by former al-Qaida official Anwar al-Awlaki.

The court papers said Alimehmeti told the undercover contacts he and his brother "had our own plan" to travel from Albania to Syria but that his brother had been arrested in Albania.

In a footnote, the FBI said in court papers that Alimehmeti's brother was arrested on weapons and assault charges in Albania last August.

At his initial court appearance Tuesday, Alimehmeti, who's also facing fraud-related charges, remained silent and stared at his feet as his team of public defense lawyers asked the judge to set bail at $200,000.

Defense lawyers Sylvie Levine and Sabrina Shroff insisted that Alimehmeti wasn't being charged for criminal action, but instead "conversation that was consistently prompted by undercover law enforcement."

But prosecutor Brendan Quigley said Alimehmeti's "repeated support for ISIS shows that he's both a flight risk and a risk to the safety of the public." 

He also pointed to Alimehmeti's past arrests dating back to 2010, including robbery, assault, forcible touching and public lewdness. Alimehmeti has served probation and a year in jail for the crimes. 

The judge, Gabriel Gorenstein, acknowledged the defense attorneys' claims that Alimehmeti was being charged without ever acting on his intentions, but said that “those aren’t the charges,” and that his willingness to join and support a known terror organization was enough to keep him locked away.

Alimehmeti is scheduled to appear again in court on June 7. 

More than a half dozen individuals have been arrested since mid-2015 by the task force in New York and New Jersey on similar charges.

The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised largely of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, and the NYPD's Intelligence Division.

Orange police have arrested a local man who is accused of stealing from a power company by using fake names to open accounts, then not paying the bills.

The investigation into Frank Woodruff Rogers II, 36, of Orange, started when United Illuminating Company filed a complaint.

Officials from the company said someone was creating false identities for accounts and obtained free electricity until the company determined that the identity was fake each time, police said.

Rogers was arrested on May 17 and charged with third-degree identity theft, criminal impersonation and sixth-degree larceny.

He was released on a promise to appear and he is due in court on May 31.

It's not clear if he has an attorney.

Stichomythia. Guetapens. Laodicean. 

Those hard-to-pronounce words have also spelled victory for some of the country's most lexical students: champions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 

But for the rest of the 200-plus students who participate in the spell-fest each year, the highfalutin vocabulary words prove more vexing. See with this quiz if you could have outspelled the studious contestants who made it to the finalist round. All the words featured in the quiz knocked out participants in recent years. 

And for those who want to continue to play along from home, this year's competition will take place from May 24 to May 26 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. 

Two men who prosecutors say stole nearly $2 million worth of merchandise from stores across the U.S. have pleaded guilty. 

Federal prosecutors said 40-year-old Alionis Perez, a Cuban citizen who most recently lived in New Jersey, and 30-year-old Yoandrys Cue, a Cuban citizen who most recently lived in Florida, pleaded guilty on Monday to burglary charges. 

In 2013, they stole $250,00 worth of watches from a Fossil store in Clinton, Connecticut; $750,000 in watches from a Fossil store in Hagerstown, Maryland; $500,000 worth of watches and bags from a Michael Kors store in Lee, Massachusetts; and almost $200,000 in watches from a Fossil store in Grove City, Pennsylvania, authorities said. 

Perez also pleaded guilty to burglaries at stores in Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee. 

They're scheduled to be sentenced in August.

Ansonia schools were closed on Tuesday after a student reported an anonymous post on the After School app from someone who wrote he or she was tired of being bullied and threatened to shoot "it" up, according to police.

On Tuesday night, the district said all Ansonia public schools will reopen on Wednesday on a regular schedule. 

“It’s time to get back to normal," said Ansonia Police Chief Kevin Hale. "We’re going to have an increased presence tomorrow.”

The city put all four of its schools on lockout at 1:15 p.m. on Monday and canceled all after school activities for the day after learning of the potential threat, according to a statement on the school department website.

Some parents were upset that they were not told until late Monday that there was no specific target in the threat. The threat, eluding to bullying and a shooting, was posted online on the AfterSchool app in the morning.

“I shouldn’t have to text all my friends that are parents in the school system to find out what’s going on," said Loni Lymus, who has a son that is a first grader in Ansonia.

Dr. Carol Merlone, Ansonia's school superintendent, said the post was made in reference to Ansonia High School, though police said it was unclear which school might have been the subject of the posting.

Merlone also apologized to parents about how long it took for information to be released. She vowed to work with police to always communicate as quickly as possible. 

On Monday, police responded to all Ansonia schools to ensure students were safe as they were being dismissed and all students were dismissed without incident, police said.

Merlone decided to close all Ansonia Schools and said the decision was made " in conjunction with law enforcement."

A Facebook post on the Ansonia Public Schools page on Tuesday morning said the school district, Mayor David Cassetti and Police Chief Kevin Hale are inviting parents to a brief community update at the beginning of a special Board of Aldermen meeting at 7 p.m. at the Ansonia High School.

"The update concerns the reported threatening incident that occurred yesterday afternoon. In an effort to keep you informed and our children safe, this update will provide you with the latest information available.Please make every effort to attend this important community update at 7 p.m. in Ansonia High School, and of course the special meeting of the Board of Aldermen regarding the budget," Merlone wrote in a statement.

Dan Corcoran contributed to this report. 

Crews from the Milford Fire Department responded to the Department of Children and Families to investigate a suspicious package. 

Officials said they have responded to 33 Wellington Road at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. 

When a suspicious package was delivered and opened, witnesses found two containers of white powder. One of the containers were broken, exposing the unknown powder, police said. 

The powder was tested and determined to be non-hazardous. 

Police said the building was evacuated and no injuries were reported. 

West Beach at Lake McDonough will be closed this summer due to a lack of lifeguard applicants this year, the Metropolitan District said. 

The lake's East Beach will still be open but the MDC warns beach-goers to be aware of the area filling to capacity during holidays. 

"This action is necessary to ensure the safety and security of all of our recreational users," the MDC said. 

A Milford man is facing charges after “poking” someone on Facebook who had a protective order against him, according to police. 

Police took Eric Bauer, 27, of Milford, into custody on a warrant on Monday after he was accused of violating a protective order by sending a “poke” through Facebook to the woman who got a protective order against him on May 5, according to police. 

Bauer was charged with violation of a protective order and released on a promise to appear.

While it is not clear why the protective order was put into place, Bauer is accused of risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct from an arrest in March 2016. 

His listed attorney, K. Coleman, could not be reached for comment. 

A Massachusetts man suspected of planning out a home invasion in Willimantic in 1997 appeared in court on Tuesday and he is being held on $500,000 bond. 

Jose Manuel Blanco-Dominquez, 57 of Lawrence, Massachusetts, is accused of orchestrating a home invasion on Chapman Street in Windham on June 25, 1997, in which two men, two women and two children were tied up with telephone cord and held at knifepoint while the intruders stole jewelry and cash, according to the arrest warrant application. 

The motive, officials said, was that Blanco-Dominquez claimed the victims owed him $45,000 for drugs. 

According to prosecutors, he dropped his alleged accomplices off and told them he would be waiting at a nearby gas station for them, but police were called to the home and arrested the suspects found there. 

Blanco-Dominquez was on the run until Saturday, May 14, when Boxborough, Massachusetts police pulled him over after a check of his registration alerted police he had an active warrant against him. 

He appeared with a translator in court on Tuesday to answer to charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and conspiracy and he is due back in court on June 10.

A Bronx man was arrested early Tuesday after he allegedly tried to join ISIS and later helped an undercover agent who he thought was trying to join the terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, was arrested in the Bronx by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and is charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Alimehmeti is charged today with actions that show a clear intention to support a terrorist organization that is hell-bent on murder and mayhem," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

According to the complaint, he tried to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS on two occassions in 2014 but was blocked each time by British authorities. Then, this year, he allegedly tried to help an undercover agent who claimed to be attempting to join the organization. 

The complaint alleges that Alimehmeti first traveled to the United Kingdom in October of 2014 in an attempt to continue on to the Middle East but was denied entry to the country when British authorities at Manchester Airport found nunchucks and camouflage clothing in his luggage.

He tried again that December, according to the complaint, and was again stopped in the United Kingdom after British authorities at Heathrow Airport in London found images of ISIS and improvised explosive devices on his cellphone.

"As alleged, Alimehmeti continued his quest to support ISIL’s deadly terrorist agenda, after being denied entry into Europe with a bag full of military gear," said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. "When he returned home, to the Bronx, he allegedly turned to helping others join the terrorist organization as he built his own arsenal of weapons."

Alerted by UK authorities, the FBI went to work, introducing Alimehmeti to undercover law enforcement agents who posed as ISIS recruits interested in traveling to Syria, according to court papers.

A year after the second attempt, Alimehmeti tried to get a new passport and claimed he had lost his old one, according to the complaint. But he allegedly told undercover agents that he already had $2,500 to travel to Syria but needed to get a new passport in a different name because his had rejection stamps from the United Kingdom and was "already in the system."

Late last year and earlier this year, Alimehmeti began communicating with undercover agents, according to the complaint. When meeting with the agents, the man allegedly expressed interest in joining ISIS, telling one who he thought was set to head overeas "I'm ready f---ing go with you, man...You know I would... I'm done with this place."

He then bought that agent a phone to be used overseas and allegedly talked about "apps" that would encrypt his communications. He also bought two agents boots to use while fighting with ISIS at a sporting-goods store in Manhattan. The complaint also alleges that Alimehmeti also took one of the agents to John F. Kennedy Airport so the agent could fly to join ISIS.

According to the complaint, Alimehmeti played two ISIS-produced music videos that depicted prisoners being beheaded for the undercover agents. He allegedly told the agents that the videos helped him stay motivated while exercising.

Photos from the complaint show him posing in his Bronx apartment with what appears to be an ISIS flag. He also allegedly bought knives, steel-knuckled gloves, a pocket chainsaw, handcuffs and masks, and had MP3 files containing lectures by former al-Qaida official Anwar al-Awlaki.

The court papers said Alimehmeti told the undercover contacts he and his brother "had our own plan" to travel from Albania to Syria but that his brother had been arrested in Albania.

In a footnote, the FBI said in court papers that Alimehmeti's brother was arrested on weapons and assault charges in Albania last August.

Alimehmeti, who also faces fraud-related charges, was held without bail Tuesday and is scheduled to appear again in court on June 7. Attorney information for the man wasn't immediately available.

More than a half dozen individuals have been arrested since mid-2015 by the task force in New York and New Jersey on similar charges.

The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised largely of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, and the NYPD's Intelligence Division.