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Teen YouTuber Shoots and Kills Boyfriend in Video Stunt

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A 19-year-old aspiring YouTube star’s boyfriend is dead after she shot him in the chest in a video stunt gone wrong, according to a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday.

Monalisa Perez of Minnesota was arrested after she shot her boyfriend Pedro Ruiz III, 22, in the chest with a gold Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun — considered one of the most powerful pistols in the world — in the grass outside their home while he held up a hardcover encyclopedia to block the bullet.

The two have been making YouTube videos together since May for a channel they titled La MonaLisa. The couple called it a “vlog” in which they performed videos that are described as stunts, challenges, pranks and fails.

Perez was charged with second-degree manslaughter, according to court documents. She faces up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $20,000.



Photo Credit: Northwest Regional Corrections Center via AP

Carfentanil Linked to 2 Overdose Deaths in Connecticut: U.S. Attorney

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The Drug Enforcement Agency is putting out an urgent public health warning about carfentanil, a synthetic opioid that has now been linked to two recent deadly overdoses in Connecticut.

"Any fentanyl related compound, like carfentanil, can be a liken to a weapon of mass destruction," said Michael Ferguson, the Special Agent in Charge of the New England DEA Field Division, in an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut in New Haven.

The synthetic substance is an animal tranquilizer that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, Ferguson said.

Connecticut State Police have also issued a warning on Facebook in which they shared a photo showing what a small lethal dose of carfentanil looks like next to a penny.

"It can kill you if you inject in your arm, breath it in the air, or touch it with your skin," Ferguson explained. He added that DEA agents, EMTs and police officers need to take precautions when exposed to any substance that could have a synthetic opioid in it.

During the ongoing epidemic that is killing 90 people a day nationwide, dealers are now mixing the dangerous synthetic opioids with heroin and other drugs.

"You really don’t know what you’re ingesting when you buy these things," U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Deirdre Daly said.

In June of 2016, 17 people overdosed in New Haven within 24 hours. Three people lost their lives.

"They thought they were just taking cocaine," Daly said. "But there was fentanyl in that cocaine and now we’re seeing carfentanil in addition to the fentanyl."

Earlier this month, Daly’s office announced the first arrest of a man charged with distributing carfentanil in Connecticut.

"This was an arrest with the DEA and Norwalk Police Department of a Bridgeport man who knowingly was mixing fentanyl with heroin and part of his distribution actually included carfentanil as well," she said.

The first confirmed presence of carfentanil in the region was in Rhode Island about a year ago, Ferguson said. Since then, he said there has been 10 confirmed carfentanil related deaths in New Hampshire and one in Maine, in addition to seizures in Massachusetts.

In May, there were two overdoses deaths linked to carfentanil, Daly said, the first in Norwalk and the other in Bridgeport.

Special Agent Ferguson said carfentanil is making its way into New England through web purchases from China or from Mexican drug cartels trafficking it across the southwest border.

"They need to be held responsible for their actions," Ferguson said. "For putting this poison on the street and for the misery that they’re spreading."

But both Ferguson and Daly said part of their mission is to educate the public, especially youth.

The DEA and members of the U.S. Attorney’s office have met with 20,000 Connecticut students in 50 high schools about the dangers of opioid addiction, Daly said.

"It is manufactured death," Ferguson said. "You don’t get second chances with fentanyl and carfentanil, it’s not something that you should experiment with.”

In Connecticut, 917 people died from an overdose in 2016 and a majority of the victims were between 18 and 26 years old, Daly said. She predicts that number could rise about 1,000 in 2017.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Early Arrival: Phoenix Woman Gives Birth to Boy on Flight

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The phrase "baby on board" took on a whole new meaning when an Arizona woman gave birth on a Spirit Airlines flight on Saturday.

Cristina Penton, who was 36 weeks pregnant during the flight, gave birth to a healthy baby boy while the plane was still in the air. Thirty minutes after the aircraft left Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Penton said she wasn’t feeling well, according to a statement.

"I didn't think I was having the baby because it was too soon, but after a few minutes I knew I needed medical attention,” said Penton.

The plane was bound for Texas, but was diverted to New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport so that medical emergency crews could deliver the baby. However, no such crews were needed.

"The flight attendants contacted doctors on the ground and they advised the flight attendants to see if there were any medical personnel on board," said Penton.

"As it turned out there was a pediatrician and a nurse. Soon after that, it was clear I was having my baby, and I was in pure panic."

Baby Cristoph was born just a few moments later, weighing at 7 pounds and measuring 19.5 inches. After the birth, they were taken to Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner, Louisiana.

"A baby being born during a flight is very rare," said Paul Berry, a spokesman for Spirit. "But our flight attendants are trained to handle medical emergencies in flight and they have access to doctors on the ground via inflight communication."

Penton said she was comfortable flying even at 36 weeks because her other two children were born full term. Her husband, who drove to meet her in New Orleans, later said "I told you so," after warning her not to take the trip.

Watch footage of the moment below:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: WDSU
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Porsche Joins List of Sponsors for 2017 Connecticut Open

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At the Connecticut Open media day, the tournament rolled out the red carpet for a new sponsor: Porsche.

It is the first time the luxury sports car company is sponsoring a tennis tournament in North America.

“When they really understood the value of our international television coverage and being on the back wall, they wanted to upgrade to a platinum sponsor,” Tournament director Anne Worcester said about the one year commitment.

Between landing the Porsche sponsorship and finalizing the tournament field, it is crunch time for Worcester.

"To use a racing term," Worcester said. "We have been travelling a hundred miles per hour for the past month."

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska and three-time winner Petra Kvitova have already committed to play in the tournament from Aug. 18 to 26 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

"The top 30 players in the world are on my hit list and then sort of young Americans because our fans love to see young Americans," Worcester said.

The annual tournament generates an economic impact of $10 million for New Haven and the region.

"Beyond the boost in economic activity and civic pride, we’re grateful in new haven for the tournaments outreach to young people, it’s clinics showcase the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle," New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said.

In recent years, the state purchased the tournament to keep it in Connecticut and spent millions of dollars on improvements to the stadium.

"To see the additional modernization of this facility that’s taken place, last we were happy to introduce the players center, this year we can celebrate the replacement of systems within the complex," Governor Dannel Malloy said.

As part of Porsche’s sponsorship, the world class women’s tennis players will be transported around town in the brand’s luxury cars.

NBC Connecticut is the exclusive television partner for the Connecticut Open. You can find out more information and purchase tickets here.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Neighbors Fed Up With Rocky Neck State Park Overflow Parking

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Hot temperatures and a long, holiday weekend will bring thousands of people to Connecticut beaches, including Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic. 

Rocky Neck's parking lots often reach capacity on busy days and that leaves some beachgoers looking for parking wherever they can, which aggravates neighbors and nearby business. Some residents said they’re seeing trash and increased traffic as a result.

"Over the years I’ve found dirty diapers in the mailbox, all kind of pizza boxes, soda cans, beer bottles all over the yard," Joe Giacalone said. He lives in one of the closest neighborhoods to Rocky Neck, Chadwick Place.

While Giacalone said he’s called the first selectman and police every summer over the last 50 years or so, he’s still a victim of overspill parking when the park reaches capacity.

"People coming (to my lawn) wanting to picnic because they can’t get in," Giacalone said.

Other neighbors, like Eleanor Ashburn, don’t mind people parking near their home.

"I feel people come down that far and they can’t get in. So as long as there’s parking available at my house, I’m willing to allow them to park there," Ashburn said.

From her house, those visitors still have about a mile and a half walk to the beach, according to Ashburn.

On big beach days, traffic back up for miles on the state roads and I-95 starting at the crack of dawn.

"It’s a nightmare, frankly," East Lyme First Selectman Mark Nickerson said.

Nickerson said with a new, independent police department as of July 1, he’s looking to crack down on rogue parkers when it comes to Rocky Neck and local beaches.

"We put our police on notice to enforce the parking regulations, not only in our nice, little downtown where there’s only two-hour parking, but also in private lots, where parking is not allowed," Nickerson said.

Advantage Personal Training Manager Paul Palazzo can almost see the entrance to Rocky Neck State Park from his business.

"People will come and park wherever they please," Palazzo said about beachgoers.

But his parking lot is private and clearly marked for no trespassing.

"Some of our customers and some of the Jazzercise customers haven’t been able to get into the lot or have had to park on the road on busy days," Palazzo said. But having the lot completely full is rare, since it’s large, he added.

NBC Connecticut found a few of those rogue parkers who used the lot to consolidate into one car on Wednesday.

Fourth of July weekend traffic also has parks and recreation director David Putnam on edge. He’s hosting hundreds for a baseball tournament at Peretz Park, that’s also prone to overflow parking and he plans on posting signs this weekend.

"We are concerned about that. That first and foremost that our people get parking here in the park that are using the park," Putnam said.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

5 State Police Guns Lost in Last 5 Years: Investigation

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State police guns loaded and lost were found by members of the public in recent years.

Internal records released to the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters show that among the state’s 1,030 troopers, only five lost their weapons or had them stolen in the last five years. These cases serve as a reminder of the importance of firearm safety and security.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters began this investigation after March 2016, when a department issued AR-15 assault rifle, bullet proof vest and two 30 round magazines were stolen from the trunk of a trooper's cruiser at home in Milford. Federal agents helped recover the rifle less than 24 hours later and arrests were made. 

According to a state police manual cited in the internal investigation package, unattended trooper cruisers must be secured, the keys removed and doors locked. In the internal report, the trooper stated he left a spare key in a bag inside his cruiser.

The case was cleared but did note the violation and within 72 hours, all personnel were reminded to keep cruiser trunks secured.

This was not the first time a trooper’s weapon had been stolen.

Four years earlier, at home in Glastonbury, another trooper's assigned handgun was stolen from a safe and was never found. 

This case was cleared, noting the trooper was, "the victim of a crime and he did not violate any department policy or procedure."

In April 2014, an off-duty trooper confessed to leaving his fully-loaded Sig Sauer on his cruiser's trunk while loading a sick child in the back seat, headed to the doctor.

A concerned citizen called 911 after seeing the firearm fall off the trunk on Route 691 in Meriden. The gun was recovered and had damages.

The internal report found the trooper failed to ensure the weapon was protected and the case was sustained without discipline.

A month later a different trooper left his loaded state sidearm on his cruiser's roof, leaving home for a call in Oxford. A citizen found it and reported it.

"When I picked up the gun, I lowered the hammer, because I didn't want it to go off. I also dropped the magazine, to see if it was loaded, it was. I tried to rack the magazine back, but it was jammed. I think maybe the gun may have gone off when it hit the ground, but I'm not sure," the citizen stated in the internal report.

The report did not indicate whether the weapon did fire when it hit the ground.

In July 2013, a caller to Troop C stated he'd driven over a black pistol in Willington. Police found and returned the weapon to the barracks, learning it was assigned to a trooper who was unaware it went missing.

Investigators determined the trooper must've placed it on his trunk while situating his kids in the car. They noted the trooper failed to ensure department property was protected and the case was also sustained without discipline.

All three troopers who lost their weapons received letters in their files.

Connecticut State Police would not agree to do an on-camera interview with NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters, but they did release this statement:

"Firearm safety is of the utmost importance to the Connecticut State Police, and as such, mandatory annual training for all CSP personnel includes firearm safety and specifically the proper handling and storage of firearms.

As you noted, there have been several incidents of missing firearms over the past five years. Some of those incidents were criminal cases where firearms were stolen from the home or vehicle of a Trooper. In each of those matters, the thefts were investigated by the appropriate law enforcement agency and administrative department reviews found that the CSP employees were not at fault. Additionally, while there have only been a few incidents during this time where firearms were misplaced by the assigned trooper, every such incident is one too many and fortunately each of these firearms was quickly recovered. These matters were referred to the CSP Bureau of Professional Standards, and in each case the employee involved was found in violation of CSP policies related to the protection of department property and administrative action consistent with relevant provisions of labor law and union contract was taken.

Most importantly, these incidents serve as a valuable reminder of the importance of firearm safety. For both first time gun owners and for those with years of firearms experience, firearm safety and the proper handling and storage of firearms must always be a top priority," wrote Sgt. Eric Haglund.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Group Sues Uber Over Lack of Wheelchair Access

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A Washington, D.C.-based civil rights group has filed a lawsuit against Uber under the American with Disabilities Act —which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities— alleging that the ride-hailing company has chosen to not to include wheelchair-accessible vehicles in its services.

The Equal Rights Center's executive director Melvina Ford says that Uber "has a legal obligation to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access its transportation services without excessive costs and wait times."

While Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment, its website says that it is piloting models in some cities "to determine which wheelchair accessible vehicle options best meet the needs of our riders" and drivers. Some of those pilot programs direct riders to commercial providers.

A group in Chicago in 2016 also filed a federal lawsuit against Uber for what it said was a failure to provide access to those in wheelchairs in violation of federal law.



Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Weicker Says State Budget Crisis is a Spending Problem

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Former Connecticut governor and U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker is familiar with budget gridlock.

In 1991 when the state faced similar historic deficits, he proposed instituting the state's first ever income tax and acknowledged it was the least popular idea anyone could have come up with at the time.

"Look, I didn’t know anybody back in 1990-whatever it was that wanted to vote for the income tax. I didn’t want to vote for the income tax," Weicker said during an interview in his home. "Nobody did but people just have to step up to the mark and do their job and that job was to balance the budget and fortunately there were enough brave souls by a margin of one that did just that."

The main difference between the 2017 budget crisis and the one in 1991, Weicker said, is that back then there was an actual solution on the table for lawmakers to discuss. This time, he said, there is no such option. He said Republicans have presented budget plans they know aren't realistic and describes them as missed opportunities.

"You have Republicans that really stand for nothing and don’t go ahead and don’t present any novel ideas or progressive thoughts," Weicker said. He said if they come up with budget solutions that could be adopted across party lines then they have a chance to make headway toward electoral victories in 2018.

“They are now at a point where if they show leadership skills they can definitely either become even with the Democrats or surpass them.”

As for the specific issues plaguing Connecticut, he said there is plenty of revenue to pay for state services, and adds its the overall amount of spending that's the problem.

Weicker said, "It’s not a revenue problem and the revenue problem is what’s killing everybody. Those that have to pay it and those that have to bring it about but unfortunately when you're in this sort of situation there is no easy answer.”

Finally, Weicker said there is shared blame with everything. He said one of the best developments in Connecticut politics and government was Republicans winning more seats in the General Assembly. He said members of both parties have to change the way the business of the budget is conducted in Hartford.

“Let’s face it, those deficits are created because every person in the legislature has to have their pet project and those pet projects cost money.”



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

GOP Healthcare Proposal Would Punish Connecticut

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More than $3 billion in federal funds would not be received by Connecticut each year if the Republican Senate healthcare plan were to be enacted.

That kind of a hit could devastate the state’s healthcare economy, and lead to job losses at hospitals and doctors’ offices statewide.

"Medicaid cuts of the size they’re saying, $700 million, you know that’s a humanitarian catastrophe but it’s also a financial catastrophe because someone has to pay for those people and it ends up being everybody who has private insurance," said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy who’s actively worked to prevent the measure from being brought up to a vote.

Further, according to the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management that handles budget and spending matters for the Malloy Administration, it estimated that between 80,000 and 230,000 people could lose coverage altogether over the next decade, as a direct result of the Medicaid cuts.

Murphy said, "Those people just end up in the emergency room and those hospitals pass the costs along to insurance companies, so insurers all across the country are pretty freaked out already."

Without an individual mandate, a hallmark of the Affordable Care Act, OPM estimates that premiums for some privately held plans could rise by as much as 15 percent, and without funding for subsidies which help people pay for coverage, more than 2,000 Access Health Connecticut marketplace customers may lose insurance.

The bill won’t be called for a vote this week, after Republican Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell had set a goal for Thursday for a vote. The bill is on hold until he can secure the fifty votes needed to pass it. Senate Republicans would rely on the vice president to break the tie.

They have argued that there is a need to rein in spending for Medicaid which provides health coverage for the poorest Americans, as well as many elderly.

Murphy said he hopes when Republican senators return to their districts for the July 4th holiday, that they get an earful from their constituents about why they can’t support the healthcare bill in its current form.

Murphy said while Obamacare isn’t perfect, it’s better than what the Republicans have proposed and would rather see a bipartisan solution to healthcare.

"We understand there are problems that need to be fixed. We’d just rather do it together, Republicans and Democrats," Murphy said. 

Newtown School Start Times Moving

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Newtown students will be getting more rest as school start times get pushed back.

A tweet from the Newtown High School principal is as eye-opening as a bedside alarm.

"#Newtownhs school start time next year for high school. 8 a.m. Thanks to the board of ed who truly showed they care about students!" a tweet on the high school's account reads. 

Students know all about waking up early to be at school by 7:20 in the morning.

"I would wake up around 6 a.m. and leave my house at 6:45," student Fiona Duplesis said. "I hate it."

That feeling is one of the reasons why the school start time committee asked the board of education to readjust school start times for the high school, middle school and the intermediate school.

In a powerpoint on the school's website, the committee presents the scientific benefits of delayed start times: 


  • Improved physical and mental health
  • Improved safety
  • Athletic performance
  • Potential for improved academic performance


Since school will begin later it also will end later, stretching from 2 to 2:30 p.m.

It's a change worrying student athletes like field hockey player Jordan Stofko.

"I am usually up until the last minute doing homework and then I go to bed. I really don't have that much time to do other things," said Stofko.

In an email to parents school officials said the alarms will be rolled back this fall.

Whether the new methods actually improve student performance is something students said they will have to sleep on.

"I wouldn't feel tired, I'd feel energetic, so I think this is a good thing," Duplesis.

School officials said these delayed start times are "budget neutral."

With this delayed start, bus schedules will be changed to accommodate the changes.

Hartford Hopes to Fix Up 100 Blighted Properties Per Year

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The City of Hartford wants the owners of blighted properties to fix them up, pay up or give them up.

Thursday night at a town hall Mayor Luke Bronin addressed the blight issue consuming the capitol city.

"When you have a blighted property it can be a cancer in a neighborhood," Bronin said.

In addition to affecting property values, Bronin said the eyesores can affect the spirit of the city, which is why Hartford has a new plan in place.

According to Bronin, a team is in place with the primary focus of combating blight. That team includes an enforcement official, two inspectors, two inspector trainees and a program manager.

In addition to the team, a land bank has been established to serve as an entity that takes ownership of properties and builds public-private partnerships to get properties fixed. The city has also overhauled the existing blight ordinance, partnered with the Neighborhood Revitalization Zones to learn their priorities and mapping out problem properties across the city.

"We found 320 properties around the city that were blighted vacant and we started to notify those owners," Bronin said.

Hartford resident Natasha Dickenson purchased a blighted property. She hopes with the city’s support can be an asset to her community not a deterrent.

"I’m excited to start to build up the neighborhood and the value of that neighborhood," she said.

Bronin said Hartford is dedicated to helping property owners who are dedicated to bettering their properties. Just as important as moving the process along, he says, is to come, "to the table with a set of tools that can help property owners actually get their property fixed up when you have an owner that wants to do the right thing."

The city’s efforts are already underway and officials say some communities should see real change by the end of the summer. Their ultimate goal is to fix up 100 blighted properties per year.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Sex Assault Victims on Cruise Ships Are Often Under 18

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Sexual assault poses a hidden danger on cruise ships, with minors often the victims, according to NBC News, which spoke with 10 victims of sexual assaults or members of their families.

Some of those assaults were barely investigated, they said, and most were never prosecuted. More than two-thirds of the 92 alleged on-board crimes reported by cruise lines last year were sexual assaults, and a recent congressional report found one in three victims were minors.

"I think the biggest disappointment were the actual FBI," said Anne Smith, whose 16-year-old daughter said she was molested by a Carnival cruise gym trainer "They took a brief statement from both of us, and pretty much made it clear that there wasn't gonna be much after that."

The FBI said it could not discuss the specifics of Abby's case, and noted that investigating crimes on ships "pose specific challenges for investigators."

In an email, Carnival Cruise Line offered "heartfelt apologies" to the Smiths and said it would pay for the teen's counseling. It also said that it followed "all established and required procedures" when she reported the assault.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Pursuit Ends in Crash on I-91 North in North Haven

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Interstate 91 North was closed in North Haven after a pursuit ended in a crash, but two lanes are now getting by.

State police said the pursuit started at exit 3 and a female suspect in custody after crashing. 

Photos state police shared show a white van that crashed into a vehicle. It has Pennsylvania plates and what appear to to be loaves of bread are on the ground around the vehicle.

There are reports that the suspect sideswiped and hit at least two police vehicles, including a state police vehicle, according to state police. 

The highway is closed between exits 11 and 12 and a light pole is down.





Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Police Disarm 14-year-Old With Concealed Weapon at Hartford Park

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Hartford police said they disarmed a 14-year-old boy while responding to reports of a suspicious person with a gun in Hyland Park on New Britain Avenue just before 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said the person who contacted authorities gave a detailed description of the person with a gun and officers found a 14-year-old boy in a white T-shirt and pajama pants.

Officers saw the “print” of a firearm and located a .22 caliber gun, police said.

Police contacted the child’s guardian and the child has been referred to the juvenile system.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police

Big Rig Spills Pigs in Texas Highway Crash

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Live video from Texas Sky Ranger will appear in the player above. From time to time the signal may go black — this is normal and the video should return soon.

Authorities had to round up several pigs after a semi crash that has shut down Interstate 45 in Wilmer Thursday morning.

Both directions of I-45 were closed between Pleasant Run Road and Belt Line Road at about 6:45 a.m.

The truck, which tipped onto its side in the crash, was transporting pigs, which scattered on the road.

Live video showed several groups of pigs walking through traffic. One group of pigs made wandered about a half mile away from the scene of the crash before being ushered back by police.

No further details have been released. It's unclear when the interstate will reopen.

Traffic was diverted onto the north and south service roads.

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Officials Raid Suspected Drug Factory Near Hospital

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Hartford police, firefighters and the DEA have responded to an apartment complex on Collins Street in Hartford, just blocks away from St. Francis Hospital, to investigate a suspected drug factory. 

Officials said this was an ongoing investigation. They searched four apartment and found a considerable amount of drugs, including Fentanyl and heroin.

First responders used hazmat suits as a precaution during the search. 

Police said they have found dangerous drugs and made arrests.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Marine Back From Middle East Killed While Trying to Stop Robbery: Police

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A U.S. Marine veteran who just returned to Philadelphia from a stint in the Middle East was gunned down overnight Thursday while trying to stop an attempted robbery, police said.

Howard Robert White, 46, was shot in the head and torso by a man who apparently attempted hold up a bar at 5th and Spencer streets in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood, police said.

It was just before 1 a.m. when the suspect, a yet to be identified 25-year-old man from North Philadelphia, pulled up to the Green Parrot Tavern along N. 5th Street.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the man then opened fire on White and a friend who were standing on the sidewalk. Only White was hit. He died in the street, Small said.

The gunman fled following the shooting. White's friend and police, who were patrolling nearby and heard the shooting, gave chase to the 6100 block of N. 6th Street where the suspect broke through a back door of a home.

Inside the house, the gunman was confronted by two men who lived there. The men then got into a violent struggle, Small said. The homeowner and his adult son were able to disarm the suspect and subdue him until police arrived.

The homeowner and the suspect suffered injuries to their heads and faces. Paramedics took both to Albert Einstein Medical Center for treatment.

Homicide detectives spent the morning questioning witnesses at police headquarters.

White lived about a block from the bar where he was killed. His family tells NBC10 he was injured while overseas when his military vehicle was hit, but he survived. They are in disbelief he came back to Philadelphia only to be gunned down so close to home.

Before his death, White talked about returning overseas. White's cousin Harold Holland called him a "father figure."

"He was a good dude. He ain't mess with nobody....peaceful man."



Photo Credit: NBC10
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Bat Brought to Clinic in Marlborough Was Rabid

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Health officials are urging the person who brought the bat to a vet in Marlborough to be evaluated for possible exposure to rabies.

A bat brought to a veterinary clinic in Marlborough last week was rabid and health officials want to get the word out for the person who brought it in to be checked for possible exposure to rabies.

Officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Health said the person brought the bat to a clinic on the morning of Friday, June 23 and the bat tested positive for rabies on June 27.

They are advising the person to call the Chatham Health District office at 860-365-0884 and to be evaluated for possible rabies virus exposure. 

People get rabies from the bite of an infected animal. While rabies is a fatal disease once clinical signs appear, it can be prevented by thorough wound cleaning and timely medical treatment that includes administration of one dose of immune globulin and four doses of vaccine over two weeks.



Photo Credit: Jeremy Carroll

N.Y. Gov. Issues 'State of Emergency' for Transit System

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared an MTA state of emergency after yet another track problem outside Amtrak's East River Tunnels stranded hundreds of Long Island Rail Road riders for hours and caused crippling delays into Penn Station all morning Thursday.

The declaration will expedite procurement and cuts red tape, the governor says.

Cuomo has also ordered new MTA chair Joe Lhota to assess all capital needs -- including cars, tracks, signals -- within 60 days, 

The New York State Public Service Commission has also been ordered to assess Con Edison's supply of power to the subways, to be completed within 90 days.

Cuomo made the announcement at a planned news conference on the MTA Transit Challenge, a competition that will award three $1 million "genius" awards, paid by the state, for the best ideas on how to fix the aging subway system. 

In addition to declaring the MTA state of emergency, Cuomo is adding $1 billion to the MTA capital plan, he says, marking a drastic about-face from two years ago, when he described the MTA's capital request as "bloated." 

He said adding Wi-Fi to all the subway tunnels will also speed up high-tech signal replacement. 

The governor's order comes less than two weeks before Amtrak is set to begin overhauling the infrastructure at Penn Station following months of especially widespread derailments and breakdowns. 



Photo Credit: AP

Puerto Rico Gov. Pushes for Statehood to Solve Debt Crisis

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As Puerto Rico grapples with a debt crisis, its governor is pushing Congress for statehood — a move that, contrary to critics, he says is necessary to solving the territory's debilitating money woes, NBC News reported.

“We recognize there is a debt problem, we’re dealing with it," Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told NBC Wednesday. "But trying to say, ‘Hey guys, work on that and come back to us,’ is kind of ignoring the root cause of the problem, which is colonialism.”

After a June vote yielded 97 percent support for statehood, albeit with record low turnout, Rosselló has been laying the groundwork in Washington for a delegation to pressure Congress on Puerto Rican statehood.

Rosselló interpreted vague comments from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer as in support of statehood, but he needs top Republican backers to move the question forward before a busy Congress that goes on break soon.



Photo Credit: Carlos Giusti/AP Photo
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