Quantcast
Channel: NBC Connecticut
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live

Wreaths Across America Pays Tribute to Veterans

0
0

Wreaths Across America is a national program that pays tribute to our veterans, making sure they aren’t forgotten during the holiday season.

On Saturday at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, and at other locations across the country, volunteers will lay wreaths at the graves of soldiers.

In the ten years since Wreaths Across America brought their campaign to Connecticut, they’ve never been able to raise enough donations to collect wreaths for all the veterans buried in this cemetery, until this year. Volunteers have collected 9,200 wreaths to lay this year.

A formal ceremony begins at noon and will include speaking every veteran’s name aloud as a wreath is laid on the headstone.

Volunteers interested in assisting with the wreaths are encouraged to arrive at 11:30 a.m. CPT. James Sanborn of Civil Air Patrol, who organizes parts of the event every year, said they’ll never turn a volunteer away.


New Haven Gun Buyback Scheduled for Saturday

0
0

The New Haven Police Department will be buying back guns Saturday and those guns will be transformed into gardening tools, with help from inmates, and provided to schools to harvest vegetables. 

Once people turn guns in for gift cards, officers will destroy those guns “under the tutelage of a local and renowned sculptor,” Gar Waterman, police said. 

Volunteer members of Connecticut’s prison inmate population will receive the destroyed weapons and Warden Jose Feliciano and staff from the Connecticut Department of Corrections will oversee them as inmates forge the pieces into gardening tools. 

Some of the tools will then be donated to New Haven Public Schools that support agricultural programs, including gardening, and the tools will be used to plant and cultivate vegetable gardens. 

The crops will be harvested and donated to area soup kitchens. 

The New Haven Police Department gun buyback will be at 710 Sherman Parkway in New Haven, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. People turning in working guns will get gift cards for American Express, Stop & Shop, Target, Walmart, Kohl’s or Amazon while supplies last. 

Single and double-shot (Derringer style) handguns will be worth $25; rifles and shotguns will be worth $50; pistols and revolvers (handguns) will be worth $100 and assault weapons (to be determined by New Haven Police) will be worth $200. 

Guns must be delivered unloaded in clear plastic bags and any ammunition must be delivered in a separate bag. The person dropping off the gun will not be charged with illegal possession of that specific firearm, according to police. 

They said no questions will be asked and no identification will be required.

You can donate through GunXGun.com




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Police Arrest Woman Who Stole Cancer Donation Jar: PD

0
0

East Haven police have arrested a woman accused of stealing a cancer donation jar from a local business.

Police arrested 37-year-old Nicole Bova on larceny charges. Police allege that on Nov. 16, Bova entered East Haven Discount Wine and Liquors and stole a donation jar off the counter. The money in the jar was meant to be donated for cancer research.

Investigators released surveillance footage of the theft and received multiple tips in the case.

According to police, Bova admitted to stealing the jar and turned herself in after the arrest warrant was issued. She was charged with sixth-degree larceny and released on a $500 bond. She is due in court on Dec. 29.

Police thanked the community for the assistance in the case and said incident such as this should not discourage people from donating to important causes.



Photo Credit: East Haven Police Department

Nev. Rep Under Investigation Says He Won't Seek Re-Election

0
0

One day after the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating Nev. Rep. Ruben Kihuen over sexual harassment claims, the congressman announced that he won't seek re-election.

"The allegations that have surfaced would be a distraction from a fair and thorough discussion of the issues in a reelection campaign," Kihuen said in a statement Saturday. "Therefore, it is in the best interests of my family and my constituents to complete my term in Congress and not seek reelection."

The committee announced Friday that it opened an investigation into Kihuen after reports surfaced of two women accusing the Democrat of sexual harassment. The committee said that the investigation itself doesn't "indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee."

Kihuen's former finance director told Buzzfeed in a Dec. 2 story that Kihuen repeatedly propositioned her for dates and sex during the 2016 congressional campaign, offers she rejected. The woman, who withheld her last name, also claimed he touched her thighs without her consent on two occasions.

A second woman spoke to The Nevada Independent in a Dec. 13 story, claiming Kihuen made repeated sexual advances while he was a state senator in 2015 and she was a lobbyist. The woman, who remained anonymous, also said he touched her thighs and buttocks on several occasions.

In his Saturday statement, Kihuen denied the allegations. He had previously refrained from commenting directly on the accusations in the Independent's story.

"I want to state clearly again that I deny the allegations in question," Kihuen said. "I am committed to fully cooperating with the House Ethics Committee and I look forward to clearing my name.

"Due process and the presumption of innocence are bedrock legal principles which have guided our nation for centuries, and they should not be lost to unsubstantiated hearsay and innuendo," Kihuen added.



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File

Driver Charged in Fatal Stamford Crash

0
0

A Stamford man faces a manslaughter charge in a fatal crash last month.

Police said 20-year-old Kadeem Mitchell was driving a 2006 DMV 525i on Washington Boulevard on Nov. 22 when he lost control of the car and hit a tree on the side of the road.

Mitchell and his passenger, 19-year-old Donte Smith, both had to be extricated and were rushed to Stamford Hospital. Smith died of his injuries.

Police said Mitchell was speeding before the crash. When he was released from the hospital Saturday he was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter.

Mitchell was released on a $5,000 bond and is due in court on Dec. 29.



Photo Credit: Stamford Police Department

Hamden Police Officer Hit by Car While Directing Traffic

0
0

A Hamden police officer is recovering after being hit by a car while directing traffic Friday afternoon.

Police said the officer, who was not publicly identified, was directing traffic at the intersection of Mix Avenue and Benham Street around 3:30 p.m. when he was hit by a car driven by a 79-year-old Woodbridge resident.

The officer was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with a concussion and back and neck injuries, according to police.

No charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Officer Stephen DeGrand at 203-230-4036.

Police remind drivers of the following safety tips when someone is directing traffic.

  • Reduce speed to a reasonable level, below the posted speed limit.
  • Move over a lane, unless such movement would be considered unsafe.
  • If uncertain how to proceed, wait inside your vehicle until the officer approaches you.

Man Crashes Through Garage Door Trying to Escape Police: CSP

0
0

Connecticut State Police have arrested a man accused of fleeing police when caught in the act of a burglary at a Southbury auto shop Friday.

Police said officers responded to Parsell’s Auto Service at 616 Main Street around 8 p.m. Friday for an alarm. Troopers noticed a garage bay slightly opened, and when they approached, a utility van came flying out of the garage, smashing the garage door and striking a police SUV.

The officers followed the vehicle, which fled down Main Street toward Route 172 as debris from the garage door and ladders fell off the van. The van crashed off the road and rolled over.

The driver, identified as 34-year-old Eric Feye of Putnam Valley, New York, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. When he was released he was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer with a motor vehicle, first-degree larceny, engaging police in pursuit, evading responsibility, failure to drive right and unsafe movement.

Feye was released on a $75,000 bond and is due in court on Dec. 27.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

CDC Reportedly Given List of Seven Banned Words and Phrases

0
0

The Trump administration reportedly banned staff of the nation's top health protection agency from using seven words or phrases in budget-related documents. But federal health officials on Saturday pushed back on the report as members of the science community publicly denounced the idea of such a directive, NBC News reported citing The Washington Post.

Policy analysts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were told during a meeting Thursday that they couldn't use the words "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based," The Washington Post reported Friday.

The meeting was led by Alison Kelly, a senior leader in the agency's Office of Financial Services, The Post reported. She gave no reason for the ban, according to an anonymous analyst who spoke with the newspaper.

In a statement provided to NBC News, a spokesman with the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, said the assertion that there are "'banned words' had mischaracterized actual discussions."

Lloyd didn't say specifically how The Post's report may have mischaracterized the meeting.



Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Man Accused of Embezzling $220K From North Haven Business

0
0

North Haven police have arrested a man accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a business of which he was part owner.

Police arrested 54-year-old Kevin Miezejeski of Ivoryton by warrant Saturday. Miezejeski is accused of stealing nearly $220,000 from Naturally Green Lawn Care LLC, where he was a minority owner.

Investigators said Miezejeski pulled off the theft by taking payments for services directly and manipulating the business’s computer records to cover it up. The theft occurred between 2015 and 2016.

Miezejeski was charged with first-degree larceny and released on a $150,000 bond. He is due in court on Dec. 28.



Photo Credit: North Haven Police Department

Emergency Crews Search For Missing Snowmobile Driver in Griswold

0
0

Several agencies including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection are searching for a missing snowmobile driver in Griswold. 

According to officials, the search started around 6 p.m. Saturday evening after a snowmobile was located with no operator near the Pachaug Pond boat launch on Voluntown Road. 

State police were initially involved in the search but have since said the investigation has been turned over to DEEP.

State Police and a spokesperson for the DEEP said at this time, they could not confirm if a person had gone into the water or not. 

The investigation is ongoing. No other details were made immediately available. 

NBC Connecticut will update this story when more information become available. Check back for updates. 

MSNBC's Matthews Reprimanded for Improper Comments in 1999

0
0

MSNBC host Chris Matthews was accused of inappropriate jokes and comments about a female employee in 1999 and the woman was paid separation compensation, a spokesperson for the cable network confirmed Saturday.

"In 1999 this matter was thoroughly reviewed and dealt with. At that time Matthews received a formal reprimand," the MSNBC spokesperson said in an email to NBC News Saturday.

The Daily Caller, citing two sources familiar with the situation, first reported the news of the payment which it said was made by Matthews to settle with what it said was an assistant producer on his show "Hardball with Chris Matthews" in 1999.

The MSNBC spokesperson said the woman complained to CNBC executives that Matthews made inappropriate jokes and comments about her in front of others, that the matter was reviewed and it was determined that the comments were inappropriate and in made in poor taste but were never meant as propositions. The show was on CNBC before it was on MSNBC.



Photo Credit: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images, File

4 Displaced After New Haven House Fire

0
0

A firefighter was hospitalized and four people displaced when fire broke out at a home in New Haven early Sunday.

Fire officials said crews were called to 75 Dorman St. around 2:30 a.m. When they arrived, flames were shooting out of the home.

The assistant fire chief says two adults and an infant were on the first floor and a single adult was on the second, but everyone was able to escape unharmed.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to get the blaze under control.

The weather created challenges for firefighters, and one was hospitalized for medical reasons. His condition was not immediately clear.

“Always challenges this time of year. Firefighters face extreme conditions at this time of year: extreme cold, slip/fall hazards, freezing conditions. This time of year is very difficult for us,” said Assistant Chief Mark Vendetto.

There’s isn’t a lot of visible fire damage from the outside of the home, except on the side of the house, where firefighters said the flames traveled from the first floor to the attic. Fire officials said there is significant fire damage inside and the house is currently inhabitable. 

The American Red Cross is assisting the residents. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

2 Charged in Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in New Britain

0
0

State police have arrested an 18-year-old Bloomfield man and charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with an altercation that ended in a fatal officer-involved shooting on Chapman Street in New Britain Thursday night.

New Britain police said they were attempting to stop a vehicle around 6:43 p.m. Thursday because it was suspected to have been involved in several carjackings over the last two weeks.

One of those carjackings was on Monday and one victim was pistol-whipped and the other was shot at, according to officials.

While police tried to stop the vehicle and arrest the three occupants inside, more than one New Britain officer fired a gun, police said.

One suspect, identified as 20-year-old Zoe Dowdell of Bloomfield, died from his injuries, while the other two people are expected to recover, New Britain police said.

State police identified one suspect as 18-year-old Noah Young, of Bloomfield. He was transported to a hospital in New Britain to be treated for a graze wound and has been released. Police arrested him on charges including illegal possession of a narcotic, possession of a narcotic with intent to sell and risk of injury to a child. Bond was set at $100,000.

A 15-year-old boy was issued a juvenile summons for carrying weapons in a motor vehicle, possession of a pistol without a permit and possession of narcotics.

Police said they found a handgun inside the vehicle and seized it.

Connecticut State Police are investigating. The officers involved are on restricted duty as the investigation continues.

“Mostly importantly, we want our children and our families to know there is no immediate threat to them in the area at this time,” New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said.

Chamberlain Elementary School was closed Friday because of its proximity to the investigation. A notice on the Consolidated School District of New Britain said school will be open Monday.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com and Connecticut State Police

New Haven Gun Buyback Collects Record Number of Firearms

0
0

By turning guns into garden tools, there’s a new and unusual twist for a program meant to get weapons off the streets of New Haven.

"Every gun that we get off the street, out of a home that doesn’t need to be there, it’s a success," Chief Anthony Campbell, New Haven Police, said.

And that’s why Campbell celebrated the record number of guns turned into the city’s buyback event on Saturday.

From handguns to rifles, 138 firearms were collected including two assault-type weapons.

"I am very pleased because being in this profession far too often when you think of guns and what they do, all that you really hear is destruction," Campbell said.

Now the guns – which could have been used for violence – will instead help the community grow, quite literally.

Once destroyed by police, they will be handed off to inmates who will recast them as garden tools.

In the spring the transformed pieces will be donated to school kids in New Haven, who will use them to grow gardens and then will bring the harvest to area soup kitchens.

"So literally the weapons, the swords of destruction, will be used to bring about life," Campbell said.

This event took several groups to make work, including the Newtown Action Alliance.

It hopes the idea spreads to other communities.

"For us this is the first step in what we hope to be an effort to get more and more guns off the streets," Steve Yanovsky, communications director of the Newtown Action Alliance, said.

The Newtown Action Alliance says efforts such as this are even more important with national attempts at gun control appearing stalled.

The people who turned in the guns received gift cards in exchange.

You can donate to the cause through GunXGun.com



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Parranda de Esperanza Event Celebrates Puerto Rican Culture

0
0

People forced to flee hard-hit Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria were invited to a special celebration in Hartford Saturday.

Joyous songs filled City Hall in Hartford as part of an event called Parranda de Esperanza. The celebration was filled with food, music and fun.

It’s meant to be an escape for people who have endured so much after the devastating hurricane and a reminder of the holiday culture back home.

Parranda is usually when friends go house to house spreading holiday cheer with carols in Puerto Rico. This time the songs were sung to an audience, many of whom have just left that hard-hit island.

"We realized that we were going to have a lot of families here in the state for the first time ever," explained organizer Ana Valentin-Jackson.

It’s estimated hundreds of people fled Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit and have settled in Connecticut.

Jorge Torres just arrived in Hartford last week. He tells NBC Connecticut he came here to be with family, after enduring challenging conditions back home.

Torres was among those attending the event which was organized by members of the CICD Puerto Rican Day Parade.

"We’re all trying to help our families back home and many of us are involved in the hurricane relief efforts up here," Valentin-Jackson said.

So at least for tonight a much needed break and a reminder of the strength of the community.

"It’s great. To see people together and talking about stuff they have been through and everybody come together at the holidays, make a bad time a good time,"said Hartford resident Kristy Alicea.


Cops Who Stopped Times Square Bombing Suspect Play Santa

0
0

Four police officers who are credited with stopping a suspected subway bomber in Times Square played a different kind of hero on Saturday -- by handing out Christmas presents to kids in Newark. 

It was the first public appearance of the officers -- Anthony Manfredini, Jack Collins, Sean Gallagher and Drew Preston -- since police say a 27-year-old  Bangladeshi immigrant tried to set off a bomb strapped to his body on Monday. 

The Port Authority police officers are credited with jumping on Akayed Ullah as he reached for his cellphone, potentially saving lives by preventing the rest of the bomb from detonating. 

On Saturday the officers joined others from the Port Authority and New Jersey State Troopers unions to hand out toys to 200 children who gathered at the National Action Network Newark Tech World School. 

"I think they're here to protect us," said Alquahim Diggs of Newark. "I think we're gonna have a good time (and) make sure nothing bad happens to us."  

Mother Candace John said the event meant her children would have a Christmas.

"I grew up poor and I don't want them to have the same life I had," John said. 

Organizers said the event was a special chance to do more than just spread Christmas cheer. 

"These kids in these communities need to know that police are their friends, troopers are your friends," Paul Nunziato, of the Port Authority PBA union, said. 

The officers didn't discuss the bombing at the request of federal prosecutors. 

Half of Voters Prefer Democratic-Controlled Congress: Poll

0
0

Half of all registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, signaling a dangerous political environment for Republicans entering next year’s midterm elections.

Fifty percent of registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 39 percent who want Republicans in charge.

The last time Democrats both held a double-digit lead and hit 50 percent on this question in the NBC/WSJ poll was September 2008, right before the party won the White House and picked up a substantial number of House and Senate seats.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted Dec. 13-15 of 900 adults – nearly half reached by cell phone – and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.3 percentage points. The margin of error among the 736 registered voters is plus-minus 3.6 percentage points.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Pentagon Program Spent Millions Investigating UFOs: Reports

0
0

The Pentagon said that it had a secret program that lasted for five years that investigated unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, according to multiple reports published Saturday.

The program, which only a few officials knew about, ran from 2007 to 2012, according to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and received $22 million in annual funding from the U.S. Department of Defense budget. It investigated sightings by military pilots of flying objects that "maneuvered so unusually and so fast that they seemed to defy the laws of physics,"  Politico reported.

The Times' included a Youtube video that suggests the footage was taken from a Navy fighter jet and shows an "unidentified aerial phenomenon."


The Pentagon acknowledged the existence of the program.

"The Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program ended in the 2012 timeframe," Pentagon spokeswoman Laura Ochoa said in an email to Reuters. "It was determined that there were other, higher priority issues that merited funding and it was in the best interest of the DoD to make a change."

According to the reports, officials claim the program is still in existence in some form today and sightings are still being investigated. But the Pentagon did not confirm or deny that.

"The DoD takes seriously all threats and potential threats to our people, our assets, and our mission and takes action whenever credible information is developed," Ochoa told Reuters.

Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, who represented Nevada from 1987 to 2017, was a strong supporter of getting funding for the program, as he had a fascination for face phenomena, according to the Times. 

On Twitter Saturday, Reid linked to the Times' story, writing, "The truth is out there. Seriously."



Photo Credit: Andy Dunaway/USAF via Getty Images, File,
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

2 Taken to Hospital After Head-On Crash in Hamden

Woodbridge Police Seek Bank Robbery Suspect

0
0

Woodbridge police are searching for the suspect in a bank robbery Sunday.

Police said a male suspect entered the TD Bank at 128 Amity Road around 10 a.m. and demanded money from a teller coming out of the vault.

The suspect fled on foot toward the Amity Shopping Center in New Haven.

The suspect was wearing yellow safety jacket, orange gloves, sunglasses and a mask at the time of the crime.

The Connecticut Banker’s Reward Association is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

Anyone with information should contact the Woodbridge Police Department at 203-287-2511.



Photo Credit: Woodbridge Police Department
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images