A 24-year-old Monroe man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Main Street on Monday night and the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department identified him as a firefighter.

Police said Forrest Ryan was driving a 2006 Harley Davidson and going north on Main Street when his bike crossed over the center line near Stanley Road and collided with a 2013 Land Rover around 7 p.m. 

Ryan, who was not wearing a helmet, died from injuries sustained in the crash, police said. 

He had been a member of the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department since 2009, according to the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page.

"Forrest was a hard-working member who always shared a smile and a joke, and would gladly do anything to help a fellow member in need," the fire department's Facebook post says.

Two of the three people in the Land Rover were transported to St Vincent’s Hospital. 

Main Street was closed for several hours during the investigation and the Monroe/Trumbull Police Regional Serious Crash Investigation Team was called to investigate.

Torrington residents will gather tonight to remember a native and 48 other people who were killed in the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida early Sunday morning.

The vigil at 5 p.m. in Coe Park will honor the memory of all the victims, including Kimberly “K.J.” Morris, a 1996 graduate of Torrington High School who played basketball all four years.

 “I am saddened by the senseless act of violence which took place over the weekend in Orlando, Florida. This tragedy hit close to home for many Torrington residents upon hearing that one of the victims, 37 year old Kimberly Morris, known as KJ, grew up in our community. This loss of life, any loss of life, is heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Kimberly Morris, and all others who have been affected by this unspeakable act,” Torrington mayor Elinor Carbone said in a statement on Monday.

There have been several vigils across the state. Last night, LGBTQ supports gathered in Enfield to honor the people killed in the shooting and some of the people who attended knew Morris.

Morris lived in Northampton, Massachusetts for about a decade, where she worked at the gay club, Divas, as a drag king and bouncer and that is how Larry Tav knew her.

“She was an amazing performer and an amazing person, from what I know, and she was very close with a lot of friends of mine,” Tav said.  

Morris lived in Northampton, Massachusetts for about a decade, where she worked at the gay club, Divas, as a drag king and bouncer and that is how Larry Tav knew her.

“She was an amazing performer and an amazing person, from what I know, and she was very close with a lot of friends of mine,” Tav said.  

Patrick Denning often goes to the club, but came home early and attended the Enfield vigil.

“It’s probably one of the hardest things that any of us will ever have to do in our lives – to say goodbye to friends whose lives ended so tragically and so soon,” he said.

Though the gay nightclub massacre occurred in Orlando, Florida, the grief spread far and wide, including to San Francisco, 2,500 miles away.

Starr Shelton, of San Francisco, said her ex-partner, 37-year old Kimberly "KJ" Morris, was a bouncer at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and one of the 49 victims who died during Sunday's mass shooting. The Torrington, Connecticut native had started working at the club just two weeks ago.

The two first met in Boston in 2014, but parted ways when Shelton moved to San Francisco to work on a master’s degree.

It was Morris' smile that first captured Shelton's heart.

"I just knew she was the perfect person for me," Shelton said.

Shelton said Morris recently moved back to Orlando to take care of her 85-year-old mother. Despite the distance, Shelton said they had still talked every day, including the night of the shooting. Hours before Morris was killed, she sent her "best friend" a text.

"I said 'I miss you' and her last words back were 'I miss you too,' " Shelton said.

She doesn't exactly know what happened Sunday night, but she can certainly guess: "I know in her her last moments, she would have helped people. She's never been a coward, she's never run away from anything."

Shelton plans to fly out to Orlando for the funeral services for Morris.

"I want people to know she's a wonderful person," Shelton said. "A great spirit bringing joy to everyone around her."

A Bridgeport man suspected of trafficking assault rifles and other guns has been arrested.

The statewide narcotics task force had an apartment on Hanover Street in Bridgeport under surveillance on Monday during an investigation into William Akeem Hooks, 29, of Bridgeport, and detectives saw him sell a GSG-522 .22 caliber rifle, according to a news release from state police. The gun, which had a pistol grip and silencer, is classified as an assault rifle

Detectives later saw Hooks leave his home and stopped his vehicle, with help from the Bridgeport Police Department.

When they arrested Hooks, police said they found him with one gram of crack cocaine, marijuana, and $1,320.

When detectives searched Hooks’ apartment, they seized a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 .22 caliber rifle with a high-capacity magazine that was reported stolen from Darlington County, South Carolina.

Police said they also seized a loaded Glock Model 26 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine, the GSG-522 .22 caliber rifle and Hooks’ 2005 Dodge Magnum.

Police said Hooks obtained the weapons from southern states along the East Coast and Troop G is holding them as evidence.

The arrest comes a day after Connecticut lawmakers called on Congress to ban assault weapons after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida that killed 49 people and wounded 50 others..  

Authorities contacted the Department of Children and Families because two children were in the apartment and Hooks was transported to Troop G, where he was held on $500,000 bond.

Hooks was charged with illegal sale or transfer of an assault weapon, possession of narcotics, two counts of possession of an assault rifle, theft of a firearm and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

He is due in Bridgeport Superior Court today.

Orlando gunman Omar Mateen's wife, Noor Salman, has told the FBI that she drove Mateen to the Pulse nightclub on a prior occasion but that she tried to talk him out of the attack, officials told NBC News.

Several officials familiar with what she has told the FBI said she was with him when he bought ammunition and a holster. She also once drove him to the nightclub because he wanted to see it in advance, the officials said. 

Mateen shot and killed 49 people at the club and injured another 53.

Law enforcement officials said authorities are considering filing criminal charges against Salman for failing to tell them what she knew before the attack, but no decision has been made.

Several officials said she is cooperating with the investigation.

Russian government hackers breached the Democratic National Committee's computer network and accessed to the group's communications and databases, NBC News has confirmed.

The sophisticated Russian group, which has also targeted the White House, the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, targeted research units within the DNC and had access to all of its communications since at least last summer, including chat and email applications.

The hackers appeared to have specifically targeted the DNC's opposition research unit, which is tasked with compiling unflattering information on Republican opponents, including presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Kimberly “KJ” Morris, a Torrington native, had recently started working as a security guard at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and she was the only employee of the nightclub who was killed in the massacre early Sunday morning. 

“She was kind of new. Only been with us, I think, about a month,” Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse nightclub, said during an exclusive interview on the "Today Show" with Matt Lauer. “She was really good. She was a good fit for our family.” 

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Poma fought back tears in the interview and said she created the club to honor her late brother, who was gay and died of HIV and complications. Her goal was to provide a safe haven for Orlando’s gay community. 

Lauer asked about the name of the club and Poma said Pulse “has to do with your heartbeat. It has to do with your life and we just wanted to keep the heartbeat alive.”

Poma cannot stop imagining what horrors happened in her club this weekend, but she has to go back and never let hate win.

A vigil will be held in Torrington tonight to remember Morris and the other shooting victims.  

Seasonable, dry weather will stick around through the middle part of the week.

Highs tempereratures will be within a few degrees of 80 with abundant sunshine through Thursday.

The lack of humidity will continue, making for great sleeping weather as temperatures fall back into the 50s.

The next chance for rain comes Friday as a storm approaches from the west.

For now, the Friday call is dry with clouds, with a few showers possible by Sunday, which is Father's Day.

Stay tuned to the First Alert weather team as the late-week rain threat comes into better focus.

More than 40 union construction workers stood in front of Bloomfield City Hall on Tuesday morning to protest the ongoing construction of Niagara Bottling, a bottled water company at 380 Woodland Ave. in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

At least 20 of the protestors are unemployed, wish to work at the plant and are concerned Niagara is hiring mostly out-of-state workers and paying some locals a non-livable wage.

“I think it is unfair when companies come in from out-of-state, get economic development handouts from the city. They got $4.9 million and they refuse to use local construction workers,” Joseph Toner, president of the Hartford-New Britain Building and Construction Trades Council, said.

According to Niagara Bottling, the company is paying entry-level workers $13.46 per hour, 15 percent higher than the living wage in Hartford County of $11.70 per hour.

The town of Bloomfield has already agreed to give Niagara Bottling $4.1 million in tax incentives, spread out over a period of seven years.

Union workers hoped it would be a condition of those incentives that they hire local workers.

But Bloomfield Mayor Joan Gamble said she was under the impression Niagara hired 75 percent local workers and she cannot set limits on private businesses.

“I heard also that the iron workers were asked to bid on the project and they came in 40 percent higher than the group that is now working on the site. So, to tell a business not to save money is contrary to good business," Bloomfield Mayor Joan Gamble said.

Bloomfield residents involved with “Save Our Water Connecticut” (https://www.facebook.com/Bloomfield-Citizens-441200309410393/) are also demanding the town not allow the project to expand any further from two to four lines of production.

“We would also like to get the MDC, our water company, to rescind the enormous discounts that they gave to the company, the same day that they raised our rates," Donna Landerman, of Save Our Water Connecticut, said.

A Killingworth, Connecticut, man made a bomb threat against a Milford car dealership to steal a new pickup, according to police.

Police said Dylan Esposito, 43, of Killingworth, asked an employee of a Milford restaurant to borrow a phone, then called 911 and said “there is a bomb at the Chevy dealership in Milford,” then hung up.

Police responded to Chevrolet of Milford, at 655 Bridgeport Ave., at 12:15 p.m. and evacuated the building. During the evacuation, one person being evacuated told officers a suspicious person had been walking in the parking lot.

Police then found Esposito in the area and no bomb was found.

As police detained Esposito, they found a firearm and said he doesn’t have a valid Connecticut pistol permit.

Police investigated and said Esposito had stolen a key to a 2017 Chevy Silverado earlier in the day and was planning on using the distraction of the 911 call to steal the truck.

He has been charged with carrying a firearm without a permit, first-degree threatening, sixth-degree larceny and first-degree criminal attempted larceny.

Esposito was released on $10,000 bond and is due in Milford Superior Court on July 12.

The "black boxes" from an EgyptAir jet that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea last month are expected to stop emitting signals on June 24, investigators said.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) likely hold vital information about what caused Flight MS804 to crash on May 19, killing all 66 people on board, NBC News reported.

The task of recovering the devices from the sea floor would be much harder without the battery-powered "pings" indicating their location. Egyptian investigators are also working with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board because the Airbus' engines were built by a consortium that includes Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney.

On Monday the NTSB said it received Egyptian military radar images confirming that the aircraft deviated from its planned course and turned a full circle before disappearing on route from Paris to Cairo.

Illinois Rep. Robert Dold broke with fellow Republican lawmakers Tuesday, calling for expanded gun control legislation in the wake of Sunday’s massacre at an Orlando nightclub.

“Thoughts and prayers are not enough and it’s time for action,” Dold said in response to the attack.

“The hateful terrorist attack targeting America’s LGBT community in Orlando is another reminder of the pressing need to come together and work across party lines to root out terrorism, prevent gun violence and put an end to bigotry of all kinds,” Dold said Tuesday. “An attack on one American is an attack on all of us.”

Dold joined Democratic lawmakers Tuesday, pushing lawmakers to take votes on bills that would prevent terror suspects from buying guns or explosives, require universal background checks for gun purchases and bolster the system for background checks.

Additionally, Dold introduced legislation last year with Rep. Debbie Dingell that would prevent people who have abused their partners from buying or owning guns, expanding prohibitive measures on people convicted of spousal abuse. Dold also pushed this measure Tuesday.

"We cannot allow partisanship to define this debate,” the congressman added.

During the speech, Dold claimed these were “common-sense proposals” for gun control that wouldn’t impede on Americans’ Second Amendment rights to bear arms.

“There is no quick and easy solution to all the problems underscored by the Orlando terrorist attack, but if we are able to set aside partisan differences and unite in the best interest of our nation, we can make serious strides in the ongoing efforts to keep Americans safe and prevent future atrocities,” Dold concluded.

In the wake of the shooting, House and Senate Democrats are pushing for increased gun control measures.

Democratic lawmakers erupted on the House floor Monday, criticizing House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans for not addressing the nation's gun laws, NBC New York reported.

Following a moment of silence for victims of the shooting, some Democrats yelled "where's the bill?" and "no leadership."

Omar Mateen opened fire early Sunday morning at Pulse Orlando, a popular gay dance club, killing 49 people and leaving 53 more wounded, police said. Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS during the attack. The shooting is being called the worst in the country’s history.

Dold, who is facing a tough bid for re-election against Brad Schneider in November, has held moderate positions on gun control in the past, including the legislation proposed alongside Dingell.

Schneider served as the representative for Illinois' 10th Congressional district from 2013 to 2015 before being ousted from office by Dold in the 2014 election. Schneider defeated Dold in the 2012 general election to win the seat.

LifeStar responded to Goshen for a technical rescue off North Goshen Road, according to the Goshen Fire Department. 

Officials said they believe the accident involved people riding quads. 

No additional information was available.

The FBI is investigating whether gunman Omar Mateen visited Pulse nightclub and tried to communicate with some of its patrons on a gay dating app before killing 49 people and injuring scores at the Orlando club, authorities told NBC News.

Cord Cedeno, a customer at the club, told MSNBC on Monday that Mateen tried to get in contact with him through Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men. Cedeno said he blocked Mateen "because he was creepy" and "recognized him off Grindr" after the rampage.

"That's not his first time there," Cedeno said. "He's been there several times. I know that for a fact."

An FBI official told NBC News that investigators are looking into similar reports.

A Silver Alert has been issued for a 70-year-old woman from Southbury who was last seen in a nightgown, police said. 

Mary Zobbi is described as having black hair and blue eyes at about 5 feet 4 inches tall and 175 pounds, state police said. 

Zobbi may be operating a 2008 white Volkswagen Passport with Connecticut plates that read: 953MMC.

Anyone with information is asked to call Connecticut State Police at (203) 264-5912.

Four courts will be closing because of $77 million in cuts to the Judicial Branch’s budget, according to a statement from the judicial branch. 

The courts that will be closed include Juvenile Matters at Danbury, Juvenile Matters at Torrington, Juvenile Matters at Stamford and the Judicial District Courthouse in Willimantic, according to Chief Court Administrator Patrick L. Carroll III. 

The Stamford Judicial District Courthouse at 123 Hoyt St. in Stamford will remain open, and all other court business will continue to be heard. 

Cases from Juvenile Matters at Danbury will be transferred to Juvenile Matters at Bridgeport and Waterbury, cases from Juvenile Matters at Torrington will be transferred to Juvenile Matters at Waterbury and New Britain, Juvenile Matters at Stamford will be transferred to Juvenile Matters at Bridgeport and cases heard at the Judicial District Courthouse in Willimantic will be heard at the Putnam Judicial District Courthouse or the Geographical Area Courthouse No. 11 in Danielson.

The judicial branch has laid off 239 permanent full-time employees, eliminated 61 temporary employees and cut $14.5 million from programs that serve adult and juvenile offenders, according to a statement from Carroll.

As of June 30, the judicial branch will no longer operate 24-hour lockups so judicial marshals who work at those facilities can be moved to locations impacted by layoffs.

Officials anticipate that this first round of closures will be completed by the end of the calendar year. 

“It is unfortunate that these courthouse closings must occur,” Carroll said in a statement. “They will be disruptive and will impact many people. I want to stress that the closure of courthouses is not driven by savings generated by closing the facilities. Rather, these closings are required because of the loss of staff, through attrition, a strict hiring freeze and layoffs that have already been announced.” 

“However,” he added, “we are doing the best that we can to position the Judicial Branch so that we can continue to meet the needs of the people we serve, despite significantly fewer resources.” 

The Connecticut Bar Association released the following statement;

"While courthouse closings were expected given the current state budget situation, we see today’s announcement as the start of a process. Reducing citizen access to the judicial system by closing courthouses harms everyone, especially the poor. The Connecticut Bar Association believes that access to the courts is a fundamental right, critical to preserving the Rule of Law. We will continue our ongoing dialogue with lawmakers to determine whether there is a better way to achieve necessary costs savings, reverse these decisions, and keep open as many courthouses as possible," William H. Clendenen Jr, president of the Connecticut Bar Association, said in a statement.

Statement of Joe Gaetano, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 731, also released a statement, saying the Judicial Marshals understand that the state’s budgetary situation is dire and there is a need for cost savings, but they have significant concerns about how the reorganization plan and last month’s layoffs will impact public safety. 

"(T)he Judicial Marshals, who were already understaffed, are being further reduced. Our courthouses, by the nature of the work that is done there, are filled every day with individuals in conflict and crisis, and the presence of Judicial Marshals in the hallways and courtrooms keeps those public places safe for all," Gaetano said in a statement. "As they implement this plan and deploy remaining staff, we strongly urge the Judicial Branch to make public safety a priority, and to ensure there are enough front line security staff in our courthouses.”

A former member of the Connecticut Air National Guard has been sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to using a computer to coax children to engage in sexual activity, according to the United States Attorney's office.

Keith Haessly, 46, of East Hampton, was charged in June 2015 and found guilty of enticing numerous young boys to engage in unlawful sexual activity, according to court documents.

Officials said Haessly posed as a young girl under the alias Amy Finch on Skype and Omegle and would use previously-recorded videos of females to entice the boys, said Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Haessly would record the boys' sexual activity and gave some of the images to an individual in Virginia. 

Investigators said they found images and videos of 950 children on Haessly's computer. 

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Police arrested an employee at a group home in Oxford after a patient who called 911 had allegedly been neglected for hours. 

Elisia Rotella, 45, is accused of second-degree reckless endangerment for not administering medical treatment to a bedridden patient who was having a time-sensitive issue, Oxford police said. 

The patient at Employment Options, a home for patients with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries, was supposedly forced to call 911 for an ambulance after they were unable to get the medical attention they needed, police said. 

"We take all of these things very seriously especially people who are in homes and they're more vulnerable than the rest of us," First Selectman George Temple said. 

he Oxford ambulance crew members refused to comment about what they saw. Police say the patient was taken to Waterbury Hospital for evaluation.

"I am worried that many of these places that are housing people have turned into human puppy mills. That's what I call them: human puppy mills. Warehouses for people with brain injuries," said Selectman Kathy Johnson.

Johnson has advocated for brain injury patients because of her son, who was once an outpatient with Employment Options.

"I had some good reasons why I took him out of there," Johnson said.

NBC Connecticut called Employment Options and Rotella for comment but haven't heard back

Rotella posted $500 bail and she's due to appear in court June 27.

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued two men who were stranded on a raft in Long Island Sound for a day. 

Bob Ewing, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and his wife were heading from Port Jefferson in New York to Block Island, Rhode Island this morning when they came across a man in distress in an inflatable boat about two miles off of Milford. 

Ewing said it was 9:49 a.m. and the man in the raft was waving an orange windbreaker in a sign of distress. Together, he and his wife hoisted the man into their vessel.

The man was somewhat alert, but in need of medical assistance, Ewing said, so his wife administered to him, treating him for shick and hypothermia, and they set off to meet the Coast Guard in New Haven.  

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the man in the raft  and another person had set out on Monday night. 

The other man who had been in the raft had jumped off to get to shore for help and the Coast Guard found him on Charles Island, off the coast of Milford. 

During the search, he approached the command officer said he was the person they were looking for. He's been on the island all night and was waiting for low tide to make it back to shore.

Neither man sustained serious injuries.  

Emergency crews in Milford said this type of incident shows the need for proper equipment when going out on the water and the need to give a Float Plan to someone on shore, with details of the time you are leaving and when you expect to return, as well as your destination and route intended.

Also bring proper equipment, they urge, including a waterproof light, a marine radio or cell phone, personal flotation device and a sounding device.

They also warn to check the weather before leaving, including the high and low tides.

In this case, one sister's pain was another sister's laugh. 

A Connecticut teen posted a picture of her sister on Twitter after the 21-year-old was infected with poison ivy in her eyes.

Days ago, Emily Petrozza, of Newington, noticed she had poison ivy on her arm after a day of fishing with her friends and taking care of feral cats in the neighborhood, her sister, Lauren, told NBC Connecticut.

At first, Emily wasn't concerned but after taking out her contact lens, her face swelled a little and Lauren took some photos before the sisters went to bed that night. 

Lauren said the following morning, she heard her sister crying and saying she needed to go to urgent care. While, Lauren was still half-sleep, her sister went to a walk-in clinic and sent her sister a SnapChat photo.

The pictures shows Emily with her eyes swollen shut. Lauren posted onto her personal Twitter account to get some laughs. 

"I think it’s funny. I thought people in my town would get a kick out of it," Lauren told NBC Connecticut. "But I guess everyone else did too."

The picture has been shared tens of thousands of times.

At first Emily was upset the photo of her inflamed eyes and skin was posted, but later found the response from people very funny. 

"A lot of people said the same thing had happened to them," Lauren said. "Some posted pictures of cartoon characters and said she looked like them."

Lauren said her sister is doing much better, while still puffy, she is able to open her eyes and is on medication.