Although cases of murder and manslaughter rose by more than 30 percent in Connecticut last year, the state experienced an overall decrease in violent crime.

Gov. Dannel Malloy announced Monday that recent FBI statistics show Connecticut's violent crime rate for 2015 is the lowest it's been since 1974.

Malloy said Connecticut is making strides in fostering safer communities by being smart on crime and transforming the criminal justice system. The state's population of inmates currently sits at a 20-year low.

Connecticut is one of nine states to reduce their violent crime rate over the past year. Malloy says Connecticut had the second largest drop in the country.

Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman says the numbers suggest citizens are more engaged in work, their communities and making a better life for themselves.

A Westchester County company is recalling two types of smoked salmon over concerns they may be contaminated with Listeria, which can cause serious and sometimes deadly infections in young children and the elderly. 

The products -- whole and sliced Atlantic Smoked Salmon -- were produced by Mt Kisco Smokehouse and distributed to retail stores and restaurants in New York and Connecticut between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16, federal officials said.

Production was suspended after a routine FDA inspection revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in floor drains and cracks at the smokehouse, federal officials say. It will remain suspended until federal officials and the company identify the source of the problem. 

The affected whole product, delivered to restaurants, is packed in an unlabeled paper box. The affected sliced product is sold in a clear plastic package, labeled on the back with lot and use by date.  

Atlantic Smoked Salmon Whole
lot # 13723516 USE BY 09 12 16
lot # 12125316 USE BY 09 30 16 

Sliced – Smoked ATLANTIC SALMON, Net Wt. 8 Oz (225.89)
lot # 12125116 USE BY 09 28 16
lot # 12125216 USE BY 09 29 16
lot # 11325716 USE BY 10 03 16
lot # 11325816 USE BY 10 05 16

No illnesses have been reported to date. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. 

Young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to dangerous infection. 

Consumers who purchased the recalled salmon from a store is urged to return it for a full refund. Anyone with questions may contact the company at 914-244-0702, Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. 

Two children who were the subjects of an Indiana statewide Amber Alert Monday afternoon were found dead later that night, Elkhart police said.

Amber Pasztor, 29, of Fort Wayne, was charged with murder and is being held in Elkhart County Jail.

About 5:25 p.m. an officer walking out of the Elkhart Police Department on Marion Street, was stopped by Pasztor, the children's non-custodial mother, who was driving a vehicle matching the description of the one described in the Amber Alert, police said. Pasztor told the officer there were two dead children in the backseat of the car, police said.

The statewide alert was issued for 7-year-old Liliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor. 

The children were last seen at 6:21 a.m. ET in Fort Wayne and were believed to be "in extreme danger," police said. 

Fort Wayne is 125 miles north of Indianapolis. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Allen County Sheriff's office at (260) 449-7661. 

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, and Connecticut officials are encouraging residents to register.

Facebook gave the day a strong start by using its widespread reach over the weekend to increase registration. The social media monster ran a reminder for citizens to register. Connecticut reported a major spike in online voter registrations following the Facebook efforts.

“This was an incredible weekend for online voter registration and the timing could not have been better. I encourage everyone to mark National Voter Registration Day by registering friends and family to vote," said Secretary of State Denise Merrill in a release.

The new motor voter program also gave voter registration a boost. So far, more than 20,000 people have registered to vote through the DMV.

Merrill is also pushing an online campaign using a new hashtag to encourage registration – #myvotect has been popping up on social media reminding residents how important it is to get involved. Elected officials, public figures and sports teams are all throwing their support behind the movement.

 Her office said more than 2 million voters are already registered in Connecticut.

Residents have until November 1 to register online or by mail. In person registration is possible on election day, but the Secretary of State’s office is encouraging residents to register ahead to avoid long lines and delays.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

For more information on voting in Connecticut, or to register, visit the Secretary of State's website here.

A Middletown native who was found alive on a life raft after missing at sea for a week has arrived in Boston, but his mother is still missing and the Coast Guard has called off the search for her.

Nathan Carman, 22, and his mother, 54-year-old Linda Carman, were reported missing Sept. 18 after heading out in the 31-foot aluminum fishing boat Chicken Pox and failing to return from a fishing trip off Point Judith, Rhode Island.

On Sunday afternoon, a China-based freighter called Orient Lucky spotted a life raft 115 nautical miles off Martha's Vineyard, found Nathan Carman inside of it and picked him up, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Nathan, a Middletown native who has been living in Vermont, was wearing a life vest and had an emergency bag of food and water. But there was still no sign of Linda Carman.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Groll said during a news conference on Monday that the chances of Linda Carman surviving at this point are minimal.

"Unfortunately the decision to suspend a case is never an easy one and we will not be reopening the search for Linda Carman at this time due to the fact that survivability -- we're beyond that point," Groll said.

Signs have been placed outside Linda Carman's home that ask people to "Never Give Up."

She said the Coast Guard took into consideration the weather, water temperature, the fact that Linda Carman was unprotected from the elements and had no food and water. The only one life raft aboard the Chicken Pox was the one Nathan had so his mother would not have access to one. 

"The likelihood of her being alive is minimal," Groll said.

Nathan Carman told the Coast Guard the motorized boat he and his mother were in started taking on water off the coast of New York on Sunday, in an area called Block Canyon.

Nathan went looking for his mother to get in the life raft, but he couldn't find her, according to the Coast Guard.  

Nathan – who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome -- was the center of a 2011 investigation when he was reported missing and he was found in Virginia.

A Coast Guard boat picked him up from the freighter on Tuesday morning and Nathan walked off that boat to a car that was waiting for him. 

Consumers complaining of finding bits of plastic in some packages of Tyson chicken nuggets led Tyson Foods to recall over 100,000 pounds of the product, the USDA's food safety division announced Tuesday. 

The products that may have been contaminated by plastic were shipped nationally. The recall affects roughly 132,520 pounds of chicken nuggets.

Consumers should look for Tyson's Fully Cooked Panko Chicken Nuggets in 5 lb. bags (with best-by dates of July 18, 2017 and case codes 2006SDL03 and 2006SDL33) and 20-lb. bulk packages of Fully Cooked, Panko Chicken Nuggets, Nugget Shaped Chicken Breast Pattie Fritters With Rib Meat (with production date July 18, 2016, and case code 2006SDL03). They can be returned to the place they were purchased.

No adverse reactions to the small bits of plastic has been reported, a USDA news release said. Tyson told the USDA its product are scanned by a metal detector, but the technology doesn't detect plastic.

Anyone with questions can contact Tyson Foods at 866-328-3156.

A Connecticut state trooper who was arrested in West Hartford on Sunday morning is accused of hitting and choking his fiancée, according to West Hartford police.

West Hartford police made the arrest after responding to Memorial and Isham roads just after 5:30 a.m. Sunday to investigate reports of a man was hitting a woman and a man who “went after” a woman.

Officers arrived to find 33-year-old John C. Adam and a woman, according to the incident report on the arrest.

Adams was wearing a state police sweatshirt, so officers asked him if he is a state trooper and Adams said he’s with Troop H and told police he got concerned when his fiancée didn’t come home after going out with friends for the night.

He said he went to West Hartford because that’s where she had gone, saw her in a car with a man and was “confused,” so he and went to see what was going on, according to the incident report.

First Adams approached the car, then followed it until the driver stopped on Memorial Road. At that point, an argument started and police showed up, he said, according to the incident report.

But Adams’ car was facing the wrong way, so officers questioned him about it and Adams responded that he “pulled around” the other vehicle and blocked it from going through the intersection, according to police.

But when Adams spoke with a West Hartford police sergeant, he gave another account of what happened.

He said he found his fiancee’s vehicle unoccupied and was waiting for her to return when a man pulled up with the woman in the car, so Adams approached the car, according to police.

Police noticed that the victim’s clothes and hair were disheveled, that she appeared upset and nervous and had what appeared to be a red marks from fingerprints on her neck, according to the incident report.

She told officers she’d gone out in West Hartford with friends, then to Hartford and asked the driver to bring her back to her car, which was in West Hartford.

Her account was that Adams approached as she and the driver were talking and the driver drove away until she told him she knew Adams and for him to stop the car, according to the police reports.

When the victim approached him, Adams slapped her cell phone out of her hand, grabbed her purse and threw it toward the car, yelled at her and told her to get in his car, the woman told police.

She recalled telling Adams she would go in her own car and told him to leave, but Adams “pushed her” neck and face, police said.

The woman refused medical treatment.

When police spoke with the man who drove the victim from Hartford to West Hartford, he said he drove away when Adams pulled up neat them because he didn’t know the man.

Then Adams started following him and cut him off, according to court paperwork.

The driver said he stopped when the woman asked him to, then he saw Adams throw the victim to the ground and throw something at her, according to police.

Another witness said Adams grabbed the woman by the neck, forced her into the passenger seat of his car and choked her.

Adams was taken into custody and charged with third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and third-degree strangulation.

He was released from custody after posting $50,000 bond, ordered to stay away from the victim and not possess a dangerous weapon, according to police.

Aetna announced that it will be making Apple Watches available for large employers and individual customers during open enrollment season.

The health care services company said the new initiative will revolutionize the customer's experience by, "combining the power of iOS apps and the unmatched user experience of Apple products including Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad with Aetna’s analytics-based wellness and care management programs."

Aetna said it will be the first major health care company to subsidize the cost of Apple Watches for customers by offering monthly payroll deductions. The Hartford-based company serves an estimated 45.3 million and will provide free Apple Watches to 50,000 of its employees. 

Apple will work with Aeton to create "deeply intergrated" health apps that will allow customers to manager their health, Aetna said.

“This is only the beginning - we look forward to using these tools to improve health outcomes and help more people achieve more healthy days,” said Mark Bertolini, Aetna Chairman and CEO.

Aetna's new health apps will offer features, such as:

• Care management and wellness, to help guide consumers through health events like a new diagnosis or prescription medication with user-driven support from nurses and people with similar conditions.
• Medication adherence, to help consumers remember to take their medications, easily order refills and connect with their doctor if they need a different treatment through their Apple Watch or iPhone.
• Integration with Apple Wallet, allowing consumers to check their deductible and pay a bill.
• Personalized health plan on-boarding, information, messaging and decision support to help Aetna members understand and make the most of their benefits.

Police are searching for the person who shot a man in New London on Tuesday afternoon.

Police responded to 911 calls reporting several shots fired in the area of Adelaide Street and Cole Street just before 2 p.m. and found 27-year-old Isaiah Peake, of New London, with gunshot wounds in the vicinity of Crystal Avenue and Adelaide Street, police said. 

Peake was taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital to be treated. 

Anyone who has any information about the shooting should call the New London Police Department’s Detective Division at (860)-447-1481 or leave an anonymous tip via the New London Tips 411 system.

The battle for the key Syrian city of Aleppo is intensifying after the collapse of a cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Russia, NBC News reported, with government forces reportedly taking a central neighborhood from a rebel group.

The Syrian military's massive new offensive brought it control of the Farafra neighborhood, state television reported. The area was once bustling but has been reduced to ruins, with the World Health Organization saying hospitals are overflowing with the dead and dying.

The offensive on land and in air — which Russia allegedly played a part in — has sparked outrage in the West, but trapped rebels told NBC News the fight is far from over.

"We will stay here until we die or we win," activist Ali Abo Al-Jod said. "I lost my whole family, I have nothing else to lose. I will not leave. I will stay here until I die ... this is my city."

Political observers said potential voters should expect to surges in activity from both the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns.

The first debate acts as a sort of "home stretch" entering moment for the campaign, which means volunteers and staff need to focus on their specific get out the vote efforts.

"Trump is going to try in vain to put some kind of ground war together whereas Hillary is continuing along a very conventional path of how to run for president," said Jerold Duquette, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Central Connecticut State University.

He said television viewers and social media users could also expect to see a barrage of ads, so voters always have candidates somewhere in their minds.

Democrats have a ground game that includes hundreds of volunteers around Connecticut with experience in electioneering, and those figures could swell to into the thousands by election day.

Michael Mandell, the party's Executive Director, said door-knocking and making phone calls is critical between now and November 8.

“At this point it’s about taking what happened last night, transferring it into our communities around the state and we make sure we get our voters out.”

For Republicans, even though Connecticut is a leaning blue state by some measures, they know they can see success in down ballot elections. The strategy moving forward is to keep linking Hillary Clinton to Dan Malloy and hope that leads to general election success.

“You have heard Hillary Clinton say literally the same thing Dan Malloy has said which is that the wealthy need to pay more," said JR Romano, the Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party. "That’s what we did here in Connecticut and what did we see? Businesses leaving, businesses closing. That’s the legacy of Dan Malloy and it’s going to be the legacy of the country if we elect Hillary Clinton.”

The suspect responsible for an armed robbery of a Metro Taxi cab driver in Hamden two years ago was arrested last week, police said. 

Aaron Johnson, 41, of New Haven was arrested on Sept. 20 after an investigation revealed that he held a taxi driver at knifepoint, Hamden Police said. 

Police said the taxi driver picked Johnson up on Cedar Street in New Haven Dec. 26, 2014 and dropped him off at Marlboro Street in Hamden. Once they arrived at Johnson's requested destination, the 41-year-old took out a knife and held it to the driver's neck and stole an undisclosed amount of money, according to police. 

Johnson was charged with robbery in the first-degree and with second-degree larceny. He was arraigned on Tuesday. 

Manchester Police are investigating an armed robbery that happened this week.

The robbery took place on 222 School Street at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. There were no injuries reported. 

Police officials believe that the victim was specifically targeted and there is no concern with the general public. 

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Manchester Police at (860) 645-5510. 

Three new water fountains at Mauro-Sheridan Magnet, New Horizons and James Hillhouse High were recently installed because the water flowing from the old ones were found to be riddled with lead.

"It could have been the fixture itself or it could have been a water line that’s what I am trying to find out," said Paul Kowalski environmental health program director for the city of New Haven Health Department.

Testing of a water sample from a fountain at James Hillhouse High School came back at 53ppb, which is three times the maximum amount the EPA considers safe.

"I don’t know how often it’s used and I don’t know how many people really drink out of it, but for safety sake we took it out of commission," said Kowalski.

New Horizons and Mauro-Sheridan’s results had come in at 41ppb and 26ppb, respectively. While lower than the water at Hillhouse, it is still unsafe to drink.

New Haven health officials found out about the water’s condition after they decided to test their schools water for lead this past March.

"I knew I was going to be asked that question because of what happened in Flint brought lead poisoning and lead and water to the forefront," said Kowalski.

These numbers aren’t nearly as bad as Flint’s but lead exposure can cause brain damage, lower intelligence and other issues in young children.

Since 2011, 20 Connecticut schools were found to have lead contaminated water. The number could be higher, but some parents may never know because only the 170 out of 1,100 Connecticut schools that use independent water systems are required by the state to check. 

"The water supply that we have within the city of New Haven is basically pristine," said Kowalkski.

We then asked him to explain how the three contaminated water fountains at the school could happen "pristine" conditions.

"I can’t at this time," Kowalski responded.

New Haven schools are like most of the others in Connecticut, not required to test. Kowalski said before this year’s voluntary testing, the water hadn’t been checked for lead since the schools were renovated years ago.

"It’s been over the past 10 to 15 years," said Kowalski.

He adds, when the city decided to do it this year, they faced hurdles from the state.

"I had to wait to get the approval to run the samples," explained Kowalski.

Connecticut Water Chief Lori Mathieu said if she is given a mandate, all schools would be tested in the state.

"If legislation is created, if there is requirement out there for the Health Department to conduct that, we would stand ready to implement that," said Mathieu.

Hartford isn’t required to test their school’s water either. After repeated requests by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters, city officials agreed to test some of their schools.

"We’re definitely are putting a plan together so we can test all our schools," Pedro Zayas, communications director for Hartford Public Schools said.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters were there in August when they tested the first, Capital Prep.

They also tested MD Fox the next day at the request of NBC Connecticut. 

"I think that schedule is in progress," said Zayas. "We have to coordinate with MDC."

However, nearly two months later, they say they are still trying to coordinate testing.

At our request, Waterbury also agreed to test two schools: Gilmartin Elementary and Wallace Middle.

In total, the four schools tested in Waterbury and Hartford came back with acceptable lead levels. But, that still leaves the water in more than 70 schools in those two cities untested.

On Monday, Waterbury sent NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters a detailed schedule of when they are will test all schools and for some, it won’t be until 2017.

Donald Trump spent all of Tuesday discussing Monday night's debate, asserting that he won against Hillary Clinton, NBC News reported.

"Last night was very exciting, and nearly every single poll had us winning against Hillary Clinton, big league," he said.

Later, veering off, Trump explained away a performance even Republicans said was reactive and lacking substance as a planned strategy of "holding back."

"I didn't want to do anything to embarass her," he said.

Trump also repeated a number of falsehoods from the debate, asking the crowd: "Does everybody believe me, I was against going to Iraq?" though his initial support is well-documented; and "I explained last night stop and frisk was constitutional," he said, though it was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2013.

A Connecticut native who was missing at sea for a week after something went wrong during a fishing trip is back home, but his mother is still missing and authorities have searched the Vermont home of Nathan Carman and seized some items. 

Carman, a 22-year-old Middletown, Connecticut native, currently lives on Fort Bridgman Road in Vernon, Vermont and the Windham County Sheriff’s office in Newfane, Vermont searched his home for evidence connected to the fishing trip he went on with his mother, 54-year-old Linda Carman, according to police documents. 

Police seized a modem with cable, SIM card and a letter written by Carman, according to documents. 

A source close to the investigation said police visited Nathan around 8:30 p.m. on Monday. NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters were also at the home but left the property just before sunset, with no authorities in sight. 

Nathan Carman’s Vermont neighbors told NBC Connecticut there had been no activity on his property all day long and that the 22-year-old was quiet, mostly kept to himself and had worked 12- to 15-hour days revamping the home on the property. 

The mother and son were reported missing on Sept. 18 when loved ones failed to hear from them. A Chinese freighter discovered Nathan Carman Sunday, a full week later. He was on a raft with an emergency supply of food and water. When he spoke with authorities, Carman said the fishing boat he and his mother left South Kingstown, Rhode Island on, sank on the water. 

He arrived in Boston by way of a Coast Guard ship on Tuesday morning. There has been no sign of Linda Carman and officials from the Coast Guard said it’s not likely she could have survived this long without a life raft, food or drinkable water. 

Officials from the Coast Guard interviewed Nathan Carman Tuesday and South Kingstown police sent a crew to Boston to figure out what happened to the boat and Linda Carman. 

In the phone call with the Coast Guard, Carman said he heard a "funny noise" coming from the boat's engine compartment and when he went to go look, it was filling up with water. 

"I got to the life rafter after I got my bearings and I was whistling and calling and looking around and I didn't see (my mom)," Carman told the Coast Guard. 

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters also learned that attorney Hubert Santos, who has previously represented Nathan, sent an associate from his law firm to Boston on Tuesday to meet with his client. 

The search warrant affidavit reads that police "believe that evidence relating to the crime of RIGL 46-22-9.3 {Operating so as to endanger, resulting in the death} will be located inside Nathan's residence located at 3034 Fort Bridgemon Road in Vernon, Vermont." 

Linda and Nathan Carman are the daughter and the grandson of the late John Chakalos, a self-made real estate developer of Overlook Drive in Windsor. Chakalos was murdered on Dec. 20, 2013 at his home in Windsor. 

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have also learned from a source close to the investigation Nathan Carman is being called a person of interest in his grandfather’s homicide. 

The case has never been solved. The 22-year-old Carman, a source said, failed to take a polygraph test after Chakalos was shot in 2013. The same source tells the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters Carman was living in Bloomfield, Connecticut at the time of the murder. 

State lawmakers are expected to vote during a special session this morning on the deal to keep Sikorsky in Connecticut until 2032.

It has been a week since Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the agreement in which Sikorsky promises to retain 7,500 jobs and potentially hire 1,000 more workers.

The governor, joined by Stratford Mayor John Harkins and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, toured two Sikorsky suppliers on the same street in Stratford on Tuesday.

"All of us have Sikorsky blood running through us," said United Aero Group President James Gelder.

Nearly half of his company’s business is tied to supporting Sikorsky products, Gelder told NBC Connecticut during the governor’s visit.

Inside the United Aero Grouop facility, boxes are filled with new and used parts the company supply to Sikorsky in case a helicopter needs a repair.

“We manage that entire process, that entire cycle, importing manufacturing or re-manufacturing or overhaul and then back to the customer all over the world,” Gelder said.

Malloy and the mayors next visited the headquarters for BTX Global Logistics.

“We deliver goods so they’ll call us and we’ll pick up a helicopter blade and get it to the north sea of Norway in 22 hours,” BTX Global Vice President Leonard Bacarella said.

The transportation and delivery services company stands to benefit from Sikorsky staying put, Bacarella said.

“It’s important that he’s out visiting local companies that are supporting Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky,” Bacarella said.

As part of the deal, Sikorsky’s entire production line for the King Stallion helicopters will be in Connecticut.

“This is one of the best deals the state has negotiated,” Malloy said.

That manufacturing commitment and the trickle down effect on dozens of Sikorsky suppliers justifies the state’s $220 million in financial incentives, Malloy said.

“For every dollar the state’s putting into this, 96 dollars will be spent by Sikorsky directly,” he added, “that does not involve the supply chain or the supply chain to the supply chain.”

The deal also needs the approval from the union representing Sikorsky’s employees. Members are expected to vote on Oct. 9.

The U.S. military is reviewing claims that one of its airstrikes killed people after it hit a residential building in Afghanistan, NBC News reported.

A local lawmaker told The Associated Press that 13 civilians were killed. NBC News could not independently confirm that account.

American officials confirmed in an email to NBC News that one strike was carried out in the Achin district of Nangarhar province and that they were "aware of some claims of Afghan casualties."

Local lawmaker Esmatullah Shinwari told the AP that an airstrike in Achin had hit a residential building where a crowd had gathered to welcome home a tribal leader returning from the Hajj, an annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.