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Police Make Arrest in Child's Death in Willimantic

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State police have made an arrest in connection with the death of a 3-year-old girl at 11 Potter Street, a two-family home in Willimantic.

Carroll L. Bumgarner-Ramos, 29, of 11 Potter Street, has been charged with first-degree assault, risk of injury and committing an offense while out on release. Bond has been set at $1.5 million, according to state police.

Police said they received a call for an unresponsive girl at 10:38 p.m. on Thursday.

Emergency responders transported the child to Windham County Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to state police.

A man said he was home and heard the child's mother scream for help.

The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

The street is closed at Route 32, which is also known as Windham Road on Friday morning.

Animal control also responded to the scene. It is not clear why, but neighbors said the family has a few dogs.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

 


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Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Mansfield Ranks Third Smartest Town in U.S.

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Good news for UConn: according to a recent study, Mansfield, home of the university's main campus, is America's third smartest city or town.

San Francisco brain-training company Lumosity recently released its 2013 list of America’s Smartest Cities, and Mansfield is at the top. The study comprises anonymous gaming data from over 3 million people who used Lumosity's brain training program.

The data comes from people ages 15 to 75, who played brain-training games across five cognitive areas including memory, processing speed, flexibility, attention and problem solving. The scores were compiled to measure overall BPI (brain performance indicator), according to the Business Insider.

Not surprisingly, college towns dominated the top rankings

Other bright-minded cities include top-scoring Stanford, Calif.; Princeton, N.J., coming in at number two;  Evanston, Ill. and Cambridge, Mass., home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Top 50 locales included seven Boston suburbs and a of communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

Mansfield is the only Connecticut town to make it into the top 50.



Photo Credit: UConn

New Haven Shows Support for Immigration Bill

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On the steps outside Junta for Progressive Action, New Haven’s oldest Latino community-based nonprofit, they applauded for their victories Friday and cheered for the job ahead of them.

Senator Richard Bluementhal led immigration activists in hailing for house support. An immigration reform bill that paves the way for millions of undocumented immigrants to become citizens cleared major hurdles in the U.S. Senate yesterday.

“We need a call to action across the country,” said Blumenthal. “A call to action that says the House of Representatives must pass this bill.”

Senators passed the bill with an overwhelming majority vote 68-32, showing their support for 11 million undocumented immigrants across the states.

But as the bill moves forward it faces an uphill battle.

“I think we have a lot to do in order to pass the House,” said Lucas Codognolla.

Codognolla calls himself an activist and a dreamer. But he realizes the bill passed in the Senate is far from perfect.

“The immigrant community will have to come out more and share their stories, share their specific situations,” said Codognolla. “So the representatives can see that this is not just a political issue.”

But those who oppose the bill see it as just that.

In a statement, Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform said, "Enactment of this bill will increase unemployment and drive down wages for American workers … We fully expect that this betrayal of the American public will be dead on arrival in the House."
“We want to just have a chance to the place where we call home,” responded Codognolla.

And Senator Blumenthal says he welcomes the immigrants with open arms.

“I will be proud to welcome them as my fellow Americans.”

Naked Man Shot While Attacking Officers: Police

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A North Philadelphia man is in critical condition after investigators say he tried to attack police officers while naked and was shot in the process.

Officials say a 39th District Police Officer was patrolling the area of 22nd and Allegheny Avenue around 5:10 a.m. when he spotted a naked man acting in a very "unstable and violent manner."

Police say the man, identified as Markim Summers, threw a large metal newspaper box as well as large rocks at cars that were passing by. Summers was also lying on the ground in the middle of the street in front of a SEPTA bus, according to investigators.

The officer requested backup and then began to follow the suspect as he walked down 22nd Street and onto Westmoreland Street. Summers was then met by two other responding officers, according to investigators.

Summer then allegedly slammed his hands on the driver's side door of one of the police vehicles. He then allegedly turned toward another police vehicle and punched the windshield, causing it to shatter and explode. Officials say the officer inside drew his weapon while in the driver's seat and fired through the windshield. The suspect was struck once in the right chest and once in the right elbow.

Police say the Summers walked down to Westmoreland and Woodstock streets before collapsing to the ground. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is in critical, but stable condition. No officers were hurt during the incident.

In an exclusive interview with NBC10’s Na’eem Douglas, Summers’s father, Gregory Lassiter, says that his son was high on drugs but did not deserve to be shot twice by police.

“My son ain’t no saint but he ain’t no devil either, Lassiter told NBC10. “You don't go around shooting people like that.  You expect that from the people off the streets when they get mad at each other, the first thing they do is pull out guns you don't expect that from no police officers.”

“He didn’t have nothing on. He had on his boxers…high. There are different ways to handle this situation than with a gun.  I'm quite sure they knew that,” Lassiter said.

The officer who shot Summers will be placed on administrative duty as internal affairs investigate the incident. The District Attorney's Office will also review the case.

Another shooting took place in North Philadelphia shortly after 3 a.m. Police say a 16-year-old boy was walking home on the 1500 block of Judson Way after buying food at a Chinese restaurant. Suddenly, investigators say, someone opened fire and the teen was struck in the upper left thigh.

The teen was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Investigators are unsure at this point whether the teen was the intended target or an innocent bystander. No arrests have been made.
 

 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Police Tow Car From Home of Hernandez's Uncle

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Boston police returned to the Bristol home of Aaron Hernandez's uncle Friday night, spending hours there and towing a silver Toyota 4 Runner with Rhode Island license plates.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Scott Calloway who lives just a few feet away.

Calloway watched it all, and said Hernandez’s cousins live here too, and the football star would visit on occasion. He did not know who owed the SUV investigators zeroed in on.

“I might have seen it in the garage but paid no mind to it,” Calloway said.

Detectives said the home on Lake Avenue was also the address record for suspect Ernest Wallace, who was just captured Friday in Mirimar, Fla. Wallace was wanted in connection with the execution-style murder of Odin Lloyd in Massachusetts, a murder Aaron Hernandez was accused of orchestrating.

Police sent out alerts across the country Thursday night asking for help in searching for Wallace and the car he had been driving.

One woman discovered the car ditched on Blakeslee Street in Bristol and called authorities right away. 

“I was stunned because the whole week we were like, what is this car? Why is it parked here?” she said.

Down the way in a Bristol courtroom, Carlos Ortiz, who is also linked to the Hernandez murder case, faced a judge Friday. Ortiz was turned over to Massachusetts authorities where he is currently in custody.

His family was in disbelief after the appearance. “It hurt me, caught me by surprise honestly,” said his cousin, Linda Ortiz.

Most surprising to this community was the arrest of Aaron Hernandez, now charged with Lloyd's murder. Hernandez is also under investigation for a drive by shooting that killed two others in Boston last year.

Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Investigators have not said why they towed the SUV from his family’s Bristol home.

Gettysburg Prepares to Reenact Historic Battle

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As the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War buffs gathered in Pennsylvania to prepare for a massive re-enactment.

Organizers are expecting 80,000 people in the Gettysburg area every day through July 7. Many of them are already checking in online, but they're not only doing it on social media -- they're also checking in at motels. There's not a single vacancy for miles, reports News4's Richard Jordan.

"It takes a little time to get them all here, but it's a lot of fun once it happens," said re-enactor Chuck Stephens.

"We're got people here from California, Oregon, Germany," said volunteer Bill Scott.

Thousands are eager to bear witness to mark the anniversary of the bloodiest battle in American history. Combined, the Union and the Confederacy suffered 51,000 casualties. Fought July 1-3, 1863, the battle is considered a turning point in the Civil War, forcing Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's troops out of the north.

Over the next several days, re-enactors on horseback will portray the reality of a war far back in time. The clothing is heavy and hot -- these men and women are wearing wool from head to toe.

"Wool in July. They call it the Jenny Craig weight-loss program of 1863," quipped re-enactor Rex Orton.

"I'm just in awe, when I saw the cavalry go by," said visitor Pamela Yates. "Where we're from, we have a lot of cavalry at the Moore Park event, which is the largest in California, but it's nothing compared to this."

Those taking part in the re-enactment have prepared for weeks to create an authentic representation that brings Gettysburg's past to the present for all to see. The battle isn't all -- re-enactors also represent scenes of camp life, drill demonstrations, period music and more.

"We just love history, and the camaraderie," Orton said, while donning a Union uniform. "You know, we're friends with all the Confederate people, and it's just like a big family."

Police Search for Suspect in Cafe Robbery Attempt

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An Eastford cafe fell victim to an armed robbery attempt Thursday afternoon when a man in his mid-20s walked in, grabbed a soda, went up to the counter and put down a gun, police said.

The suspect, wearing sunglasses, entered the cafe at 192 Eastford Road around 4:30 p.m. and walked up to the register with a soda.

"He put a very large gun on the counter," said cafe employee Jody Blanchette. "It was aimed towards me but he put it down and took his hand away."

Blanchette said the man asked her twice to open the register but she refused.

"At that point, I got my boss," Blanchette said. "I figured he was a man and he could handle it better than I could."

In his three years of running this country cafe, robberies were never on the menu for owner Brett Laffert. And he planned on keeping it that way.

"I don't know what was going through my mind, but I sort of reached for the gun," Laffert said. "I felt like for whatever reason I'd be able to take it from him. I grabbed his gun and he jerked it away and then he immediately ran for the door."

The man jumped the railing and ran toward his car behind the store. While Blanchette called the police, Laffert ran out back after the suspect.

The suspect is described as being a thin-framed white male about 5'8" to 5'10" tall. He was wearing a dark-colored shirt, blue or black shorts and a black hat.

Police believe the suspect got away in a silver Honda Accord or Civic. He was seen going up Route 198 toward Southbridge, Mass.

It's not the first armed robbery attempt in the area. The nearby First Niagara Bank and another store up the street were targeted in recent years.

State Police are searching for the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police Troop D at 860-779-4900.

Volunteers Rebuild Homes for Low-Income Elderly

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From trimming to power washing, Hartford volunteers joined forces Saturday morning to help renovate homes for the low-income elderly.

Over 50 volunteers from Rebuilding Together Hartford collaborated with Hartford's Livable Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative Saturday morning. The group headed to Hartford starting at 7:30 a.m. to donate their time, energy and expertise.

Volunteers spent the morning cleaning gutters, repairing doors, replacing mailboxes and doing yard work at four Hartford homes.

"These are people who have not been sighted for blight, but we want to help them before they do," said Jodie Liddy, executive director of Rebuilding Together Hartford.

"The morale is good," said volunteer Art Snyder. "Even though it's warm, it's good. We have plenty of water."

Volunteers helped with homes located on Wolcott Street, Cornwall Street, Rosemont Street and Amherst Street. The long-term plan is to complete renovations on 16 homes in a year's time.

"I respect these people for coming in and want to thank them and hope everybody has a good, safe day," said homeowner Michael Downes, a Vietnam veteran and substitute teacher. "I appreciate what they're doing for me."

Saturday renovations are expected to continue until 3 p.m.

This fall, organizers plan to tackle eight more homes and are looking for volunteers to help get the job done. If you're interested in lending a hand, visit www.rthartford.org for more information.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

NFL's Joe Lefeged Arrested in D.C.

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Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested overnight in Northeast D.C. after officers found an unregistered semi-automatic pistol in the car in which he was riding, police said.

Lefeged was ordered held without bond during a brief court hearing Saturday afternoon. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Lefeged, 25, was a passenger inside a Chevrolet Camaro that police attempted to pull over at around 12:05 a.m. Saturday in the 4600 block of Central Avenue NE. Police said they stopped the car for speeding and because another passenger -- 23-year-old Aaron Timothy Wilson of Potomac, Md. -- was standing upright in the backseat of the convertible.

After police told the driver to put the car in park, the driver sped off, nearly striking the officers, the court records show. Police were able to pull over the vehicle again less than half a mile away, in the 4200 block of Blaine Street NE, where Lefeged and Wilson ran from the car in different directions.

Wilson got away, but Lefeged was arrested as he tried to flee, authorities said.

Officers smelled marijuana in the car, and found a container of vodka and orange juice in the center console and a semi-automatic pistol under the front passenger seat "in plain view sticking out from underneath the front passenger seat," they said.

Lefeged is facing multiple charges: carrying a firearm without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, presence of a firearm inside a vehicle, and possession of an open container of alcohol.

A receipt shows Lefeged bought the gun this year for about $900, police said.

"We are aware of the reports regarding Joe Lefeged in Washington, D.C.," the Indianapolis Colts said in a brief statement late Saturday afternoon. "At this time, we will have no further comment on the pending matter until we gain more information."

Lefeged is originally from Gaithersburg, Md., and was a star high school football player at Northwest High School in Germantown. He played college football at Rutgers and was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

He started four games last season and recorded two tackles and a forced fumble in a playoffs loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

A lawyer listed as representing Lefeged did not return a call seeking comment Saturday afternoon.

The arrest comes as the NFL grapples with gun violence. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged this week with orchestrating the execution-style slaying of a semi-pro football player and was quickly released by the New England Patriots.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for more information.

MORE FROM NBCWASHINGTON.COM:

 



Photo Credit: AP

I-91 in New Haven Reopens After Car Fire

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A car fire on I-91 northbound closed the right three lanes of traffic between exits 6 and 8 in New Haven Saturday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The fire occurred around 11:53 a.m. Saturday. State police and fire officials responded to the scene. There are no reported injuries, police said.

The area was cleared and the road was reopened by 12:36 p.m., according to police.



Photo Credit: Abbey Rowe

Home Invasion in Hartford

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 A woman was forced to the ground while two men robbed her at gunpoint in her Hartford home on Saturday
 
Police were called to an apartment at 749 Wethersfield Ave. around 12:17 a.m. They learned that two suspects had entered the unlocked residence brandishing a shot gun and handgun.
 
According to police, the two male suspects forced the female victim to the ground and took a safe containing jewelry and money. The suspects, both wearing black ski masks, fled on foot.
 
The victim did not suffer any significant injuries. Police searched the area but did not locate the suspects or any evidence.
 
The Major Crimes Division is  investigating.

 

College Student From Md. Killed in Egypt

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An Ohio college student from Chevy Chase, Md., was killed during skirmishes Friday in Alexandria, Egypt.

Andrew Driscoll Pochter, 21, was fatally stabbed while watching a protest as a bystander, his family said in a statement Saturday.

Gen. Amin Ezzeddin, a senior security official in Alexandria, told Reuters that Pochter had been taking photos with a phone camera near an office of President Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood as it was being ransacked by protesters.

Pochter died at a military hospital.

"He had studied in the region, loved the culture, and planned to live and work there in the pursuit of peace and understanding," his family's statement read in part. "Andrew was a wonderful young man looking for new experiences in the world and finding ways to share his talents while he learned."

He had been in Egypt to teach English to 7- and 8-year-olds and to improve his Arabic, his family said. He was an intern at AMIDEAST, a U.S nonprofit focused on education, job training and development in the Middle East and North Africa, Kenyon College said in a statement.

Mark Ellis, news director at Kenyon, told NBC News that the college is working with Pochter's family and friends to plan a memorial service to be held this fall.

Pochter was a rising junior at Kenyon, a liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. His AMIDEAST internship was not affiliated with the school, Kenyon said.

Two years ago, he wrote about his experience living with a host family in Morocco in an article published on the Al Arabiya news web site, discussing the effect of the Arab Spring on the family and in the community as a whole.

"Neighbors are re-connecting with old neighbors by marching together; strangers are finding common ground; and average citizens are realizing their true potentials in the real world," Pochter wrote. "...By their participation in community protests, members of my host family and friends are trying to reinvent themselves as members of their society and changing how the rest of the world perceives them."

Pochter was also a student leader of Hillel, a Jewish campus organization group with chapters across the country, according to a November 2012 article in The Kenyon Collegian.

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Photo Credit: Family photos

Alligator Found in New London

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After all the recent bear sightings, it's time for a scaly visitor to take the stage. New London police received a call about an alligator sighting Saturday afternoon.

Police arrived at Broad Street and Georgiana Street around 12:30 Saturday afternoon. There they found a three-and-a-half-foot-long alligator running down the sidewalk, New London police said.

Officers managed to trap the alligator in a grassy area on the side of the road. A New London Animal Control officer and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection caged the alligator and removed it.



Photo Credit: New London Police Department

4-Alarm Fire Damages Danbury Church

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A four-alarm fire destroyed a church in Danbury Saturday afternoon.

The fire occurred at St. Nicholas Church on Pembroke Road just before 2 p.m.

Mutual aid from nearby towns were called in to help fight the blaze.

Damage to the building was severe. Mayor Mark Boughton said no one was injured.

According to the Fire Chief, the fire was so intense inside the church they had to use three ladder hoses to distinguish the fire.

"Church fires are notorious for being difficult to fight and successfully saved. They're large open structures and it's difficult to put it out and that’s what happened here," said Danbury Fire Chief Goeff Herald.

Firefighters were able to save the front portion of the church. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

 



Photo Credit: Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton

Relay Run Honors Victims of Boston Marathon Bombings

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It started in Los Angeles and ends Sunday on Boyleston Street in Boston. The One Run for Boston is a non-stop relay race that has brought together thousands of runners from across the country for one cause.

The relay race is the brainchild of Danny Bent. The cross country event is in honor of those lost and injured on April 15th at the Boston Marathon bombing. The idea is as much to raise money as it is to raise spirits.

"Had no idea what the weather was gonna be like or what the terrain was gonna be like. We suffered 120 degrees in New Mexico," said Danny Bent, the organizer for One Run Boston. "One guy ran 33 miles thru the night with lightening hitting around us," he added.

The race passed through Connecticut Saturday night. Kelly Gallagher was in Boston at the marathon a block away, volunteering when the bombings occurred.

"We just felt we needed to do what we could to show our solidarity to those runners who've been affected."

The compassion of a resilient community of runners from around the nation pushes their feet and hearts North.

Runners who participated in the One Run for Boston relay have traveled over 3000 miles through fourteen different states. They are scheduled to reach Boston on Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 


BART Unions Moving Forward With Planned Strike

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It has been 16 years since the last time BART workers walked off the job, but with each passing hour the threat of a strike seems more and more likely come Monday.

The unions contract expires Sunday at midnight with a threatened strike to start the workweek commute. 

Saturday's negotiation session ended before 5 p.m. with the union saying that management was "a no show."  A union spokesperson told gathered reporters in Oakland that a strike was likely. 

Union officials said they would move forward with plans for a BART strike on Monday after walking out of the contract talks today.

"BART management is engaging in what is called "surface-bargaining," said Jose Mooney, spokesperson for Service Employees International Union 1021. "They're trying to appear in public like they are working to keep the trains running, but they're doing nothing to respond to good-faith offers by BART workers aimed at avoiding a strike."

BART officials said they had told the union they would have a proposal ready by 5 p.m., but when they submitted it to the mediator at 3:45 p.m., they were told the negotiators had already walked out.

BART spokesman Rick Rice said management delivered a new economic proposal to the mediator Saturday afternoon, and received a response from the union to a proposal made Thursday. He said the latest BART proposal increased the salary offer and reduced the amount employees would contribute to pensions and health care.

"We're disappointed," Rice said of the union's decision to break off talks.

Friday's negotiation sessions did not go well either. The session started late and ended at 10 p.m. with no reported progress. 

Talks are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. each day. It was not clear if any talks would take place Sunday. 

  Antonette Bryant with ATU Local 1555 said Saturday morning that negotiators had their suitcases packed and were prepared to stay at the bargaining table until a contract is negotiated and a potential strike was averted, but he session didn't last even six hours. 

On Friday, negotiations were supposed to begin at 11 a.m. but were delayed for hours.

They were pushed off until after the BART Board of Directors’ meeting, set to end around 6:30 p.m. Both sides blamed the other for the stall.

BART’s two employee unions, SEIU Local 1021 and ATU Local 1555, are asking for a higher salary increase: a five percent increase for the next three years, plus a cost-of-living adjustment. BART is offering a one percent increase for the next four years. The biggest concession from either side has been BART’s decision to remove conditions off of the increase and make it a guaranteed raise.

Talks began April 1 and quickly soured.

“They refused to allow us to come to the table to work together, get resolution early so we would not put the public through this,” said John Arantes, president of SEIU Local 1021. “Instead they pushed us off till May 13.”

MORE: Oakland Unions Threaten General Strike

“We have been waiting since 11 a.m. We have not met with the district and we are still waiting,” said Antonette Brown, president of ATU Local 1555.

But BART said the unions did not give a response to the agency’s latest proposal Thursday night, and as of 6 p.m. Friday, still had not heard back. Rick Rice, a BART spokesman, said the agency finished responding to every part of the unions’ requests, agreeing to half a dozen of them and changing others in hopes of moving the talks forward. Rice would not get into specifics.

“They’re currently paying nothing for their pensions we feel they should pay a small part of that,” said Rice. “We’ve got debt interest to pay, millions of dollars committed to new train cars already ordered. The benefits part of the package for all BART workers is $50,000 - it’s one of the fastest rising costs in the system. It’s something we can no longer ask taxpayers and riders to pay for.”

But union leaders are calling BART’s offer an “insult.” Brown said union members gave back more than 100 million dollars in concessions in 2009 and deserve to get paid back. Union members also don’t believe BART’s statement that the agency has no surplus.

“In ‘09 they said they had a deficit. It ended up being 300 million dollars in the plus,” said Leo Ruiz, a member of ATU Local 1555. “Now, they’re telling us there’s no surplus. There’s 125 million dollars a year for next ten years. Who do you trust? They lied to us in ’09. They’re lying to us now.”

If talks don’t smooth out and a settlement cannot be reached by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, when the unions’ contracts expire, the strike is on.

And that isn’t just stranding the estimated 400,000 people who ride BART every day. AC Transit workers may also go on strike Monday morning. It has an average of 175,000 riders every day. Other transit agencies are set to try and help, including Caltrain and SamTrans, but it won’t be nearly enough to prevent what could be gridlock on the roads.

If there’s a strike, BART is set to offer a courtesy shuttle during peak commute hours, but that will only serve an estimated 2,000-4,000 people each direction each day. Riders are encouraged to plan ahead: telecommute and carpool. If people choose the latter, they can park in any of BART’s 33 station parking lots for free.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Woman Drugged, Raped in a Manhattan Hotel: Police

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A 36-year-old woman says she was drugged and then raped in a Manhattan hotel Thursday night, according to police.

The woman says she was drinking at the bar of the Dream Hotel on West 19th Street in Chelsea when a man started flirting with her. Police say that after she refused the suspect's advances he drugged her and then followed her to the room she was staying in, where he raped her.
 
Officials are reviewing surveillance video from the night of the attack.

2 Teens Dead in Crash on Parkway in Queens

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Two teenagers died and another was seriously injured in a car crash early Saturday morning on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, according to officials.

Police say a driver who was later arrested lost control and hit a guard rail near exit 17, throwing three people out of the vehicle.

Two were pronounced dead at the scene, officials say, and a third was taken to New York Medical Hospital of Queens in serious condition.

Authorities say everyone in the car was between 17 and 21 years old.

The driver, 20-year-old Madosh Hansraj, was charged with multiple felonies, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving while impaired.

Information on a lawyer for Hansraj, who sustained minor injuries, was not immediately available.  

Authorities say 17-year-old Meera Dukharan and 18-year-old Anil Persaud, both of Queens, died in the crash.  

Car Crashes Into Farmington Country Club

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A deadly crash closed Route 10 and Route 4 in Farmington early Sunday morning when a car jumped the curb, hit an electrical pole and smashed into the Farmington Country Club building, police said.

According to police, the crash happened around 3:30 a.m. when the car went approximately five feet off the ground at the corner of Route 4 (Farmington Avenue) and Route 10 (Waterville Road) and barreled into the wall of the country club at 806 Farmington Avenue.

Golf course superintendent John Ruzsbatzky called the crash "unbelievable."

"I mean, the car traveled in excess of 100 feet, I would say, into the building, airborne," Ruzsbatzky said. "It had to be as the police say, over 100 miles an hour."

First responders brought in Jaws of Life to rescue a female passenger who was heard calling for help. She was rushed to Hartford Hospital. Her condition is unknown, police said.

Authorities said the vehicle cut gas and water lines as it rocketed into the country club locker room. The locker room was flooded and the smell of gas was overwhelming. A gas company crew arrived to shut off the gas so first responders could rescue the passenger.

Part of the electrical pole became lodged in the side of the building, according to police.

"The utility guys who were called on scene said that that was potentially disastrous," Ruzsbatzky said. "So bad as this is, it could have been worse."

The driver, Thaddeus L. Singleton III, 33, of Bristol was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court records show that Singleton had a history of motor vehicle violations, including reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.

Authorities said the lack of skid marks indicates that the driver most likely did not apply the brakes.

The intersection of Routes 10 and 4 remained closed during the investigation but reopened around 10:45 a.m.

Golfers are still being allowed into the club.

Police Looking Into Death of Pro-Wrestler

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Plano, Tex., police are investigating the death of one of the most memorable figures in pro wrestling history.

Officers said 55-year-old Matt Osborne died at a local hospital on Friday. He was transported there after his girlfriend found him unresponsive inside their Plano, apartment.

Investigators said his death appears to be accidental.

Osborne was better known as "Doink The Clown."

He wrestled for the WCW, WWF and several other organizations. Several people posted condolences on the Matt Borne (Doink The Clown) Facebook Fan Page.

On it's website, the WWE posted the following statement:

WWE is saddened by the news that Matt Osborne, aka the original Doink the Clown, has passed away. A rugged brawler in promotions like Mid-South Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling, Osborne made a major impact in WWE under the greasepaint of a prankster named Doink — one of the most enduring personas of the early ’90s.

Our deepest condolences go out to Osborne’s family, friends and fans.



Photo Credit: Matt Borne (Doink The Clown) Facebook Fan Page
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