Route 15 north is closed near the Hamden/North Haven line after a crash involving two Connecticut State Police cruisers.
Multiple vehicles are involved and minor injuries have been reported. State police said the cruisers were side-swiped
The highway is closed near exit 62 on the North Haven/Hamden line.
No other information was immediately available. Check back for updates.
Hartford police are investigating a deadly shooting Sunday.
Deputy Chief Brian Foley confirmed the victim was found in the area of 97 Van Block Avenue suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The 55-year-old victim was pronounced dead on scene.
The Hartford Police Major Crimes Division is on scene investigating.
More details were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
New London police are investigating a deadly stabbing on Grand Street.
New London Police Chief Peter Reichard confirmed detectives are investigating after a male victim was fatally stabbed Sunday afternoon.
A crime scene was established near the intersection of Grand Street and Elm Street, according to an NBC Connecticut crew on scene.
No other information was immediately available. NBC Connecticut has a crew on scene and will provide updates as they come into the newsroom.
The NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking the potential for a wintry mix that could cause isolated icy patches during the Monday morning commute.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the southern half of the state as another round of winter weather moves through overnight into Monday morning.
Sunday featured temperatures in the 20s and 30s with clouds increasing through the afternoon and into the evening. By midnight parts of the state will start to see some light flurries.
The light snow will continue into the morning, with warming temperatures causing the snow to transition into icy rain toward the morning commute. The precipitation won’t be heavy, but it could cause slick roads in some parts.
High temperatures Monday will be in the mid to high 30s with lows in the 20s. The shoreline will see slightly warmer temperatures with highs in the low 40s and lows in the high 20s. Warmer air moves in for Tuesday.
Get the latest forecast anytime by clicking here.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's eldest son, Track, was arraigned Sunday on domestic violence charges, according to online court records.
Track Palin, was arraigned Sunday morning on charges of felony burglary, assault in the fourth degree and criminal mischief for causing property damage in Wasilla, Alaska, according to court records. The criminal mischief charge was for causing between $250 and $999 in property damage.
The alleged incident occurred on Saturday, according to the court records, which indicated that all charges were related to domestic violence, reported NBC News.
Further details on the nature of the alleged incident were not immediately available.
An attorney for Todd and Sarah Palin said on behalf of the two that the Palins were unable to comment on the incident.
The third-largest wildfire in modern California history continues to spread in Santa Barbara County, but strong wind gusts that have fanned flames for two weeks are expected to diminish.
A drop in dangerous winds could provide firefighters with about a two-day window to gain ground on the deadly Thomas Fire, which broke out Monday, Dec. 4. The fire continues to threaten homes after already consuming 270,000 acres and costing an estimated $117 million.
Fire spokesman Capt. Rick Crawford said cooler temperatures, slightly higher humidity and light winds forecast for Monday and Tuesday will be "critical" for firefighters hoping to make progress against the Thomas Fire. The hot, gusty winds that caused a huge flare-up and forced more evacuations over the weekend are expected to come back Wednesday.
The blaze, which Cal Fire said was 45 percent contained, threatens about 18,000 structures as 8,529 firefighters battle the flames. It has already destroyed 1,020 structures and damaged another 242, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
If it grows another 10,000 acres, it will eclipse the Cedar Fire, which burned the San Diego are in 2003, to become the largest wildfire in California since 1932, as far back as reliable Cal Fire records go.
Two people have been killed as a result of the blaze.
Virginia Pesola, 70, was found dead at a crash site along an evacuation route, killed by blunt force injuries, smoke inhalation and burns.
Cory Iverson, 32, was part of a strike team of San Diego Cal Fire engines who were helping in the firefight. Iverson died Thursday during an accident in an active area of the fire, suffering thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.
In addition to the fatalities, the fire has also forced 104,607 people to flee their homes, according to Cal Fire.
Over the weekend, three homes were destroyed in Montecito. Despite those lost over the weekend, firefighters were able to save hundreds of other homes. The Behrman family returned from Colorado Sunday to find their burned out home.
"The winds just changed in the wrong way yesterday and boom, the house was just gone," Behrman said.
"It’s sadness, but at the same time it's only the house. The family is okay. We’ve got a lot of memories out," he added.
High fire risk is expected to last into January, adding to fears that months of deadly and destructive wildfire danger will extend into early next year. CAL FIRE reported 6,877 in California from Jan. 1 to Dec. 10, including the devastating North Bay fires in October. Wildfires in 2017 have scorched more than 505,000 acres, more than double last year’s burned acreage count. During that same period in 2016, the state firefighting agency reported 4,754 fires that burned 244,303 acres.
The state is coming off one of its wettest winters in years in 2016-2017, which left hillsides covered in grass and other vegetation. That grass dried out in summer and turned into tinder, providing fuel for rapidly spreading fires often pushed by strong winds that can carry hot embers for miles and turn small spot fires into infernos.
An increase in the number of dead and dying trees also has exacerbated the wildfire threat, Cal Fire officials said. An estimated 102 million trees have died in California due to the state's five-year dry spell and bark beetle infestation.
Current mandatory evacuations for the Thomas fire are in place for the following areas:
An evacuation center has been established at the UC Santa Barbara Recreation Center at 516 Ocean Road.
Animal evacuation centers are available for people in evacuation zones. Those wishing to coordinate sheltering for both small and large animals should call the Santa Barbara County Animal Services hotline at (805) 681-4332.
NBC4's Rick Montanez contributed to this report.
While the #MeToo movement sparked a national conversation about sexual assault and harassment in the media and entertainment, a survivor from North Texas is pushing for more focus on assaults in the military.
Annie Kendzior, a native of Southlake, Texas, says she was raped by two peers at the U.S. Naval Academy while she was a student in 2008. Kendzior reported the assaults three years later but says the attackers were never punished. Kendzior, who was suffering with PTSD since the assaults, says she was removed from the academy after an academic review board found her medically unfit to serve.
“The Academy found it easier to label me as having a personality disorder than to treat me for the trauma of being raped,” Kendzior told the House Armed Service Subcommittee on Military Personnel during a May 2017 hearing.
“It seems the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps of 'leave no man behind' does not apply to the men and women who are raped,” Kendzior told lawmakers. “Instead they are frequently and intentionally left behind to deal with the pain, anguish and long-term emotional stress while the rapist’s career continues without any consequence.”
Kendzior testified on sexual assault at military service academies alongside three other survivors who told Congress they were also assaulted at the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy. All said they faced retaliation.
Kendzior says she would like to see rapes at military academies investigated and prosecuted by civilian police departments and prosecutors. She also says she supports efforts to reform the justice system in the military as spelled out in the proposed Military Justice Improvement Act, which would require an independent military prosecutor to determine if a case moves forward instead of someone in the chain of command.
“The victims are just not getting the help they’re needing and usually they’re just pushed out or kicked out, like what they did to me,” Kendzior said.
The 27-year-old left the U.S. Naval Academy and earned her undergraduate degree from Trinity University. Saturday, she graduated with her MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. It marked a moment of triumph for Kendzior over the lows of her college career.
“It was awesome. I’m so proud of myself for getting through it and being at a point that I just didn’t think I’d be at given all the circumstances,” Kendzior said.
“I wanted to fly F-35s. I really wanted to be a fighter pilot that was a goal of mine going in and that’s what I was working towards when I was there. Unfortunately, that dream got cut short. But, I’m doing a lot more things with my life,” Kendzior added.
She has never named her rapists publicly. Kendzior provided a statement she gave to the academic review board in 2011 to NBC 5. She says she is still fighting to see what Navy investigators uncovered after she reported her attackers.
Kendzior currently works with the nonprofit Protect Our Defenders.
NBC 5 reached out to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Public Affairs office on Sunday for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
You can read a recent Department of Defense survey on sexual assault here.
A Thompson man was killed in a crash on Route 44 in Putnam Sunday, according to Connecticut State Police.
Police said 52-year-old Steven Farland was driving east on Route 44 near Elvira Heights around 7:30 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. Farland was pronounced dead on scene.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Long at Troop D 860-779-4900.
Interstate 95 southbound has reopened in Greenwich after a tractor-trailer jackknifed Monday.
The crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. near exit 4. State police said the truck was traveling in the center lane when the driver lost control and hit a jersey barrier in the median. The crash caused moderate damage and a fuel leak, but no injuries were reported.
There were lane closures while crews cleared the mess but the road has since reopened.
The driver was cited for failure to maintain lane and traveling too fast for conditions.
Plainville police have arrested a man suspected of arson and insurance fraud after an investigation in a fire in October 2016.
Pietro Marcuccio, 53, was arrested last Thursday in connection with a house fire at 66 Russell Ave. in Plainville on Oct. 2, 2016.
He has been charged with first-degree arson and insurance fraud.
He was held on a $500,000 bond and is currently incarcerated.
A power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport caused a travel nightmare as hundreds of flights were canceled Sunday, and Bradley International Airport is feeling the effects.
Delta, with its biggest hub operation housed in Atlanta, was hard hit. On Sunday the airline had to cancel around 1,000 flights and as of Monday morning they’ve already canceled about 300, most of which are early-morning flights to Atlanta.
Bradley International Airport offers non-stop flights to Atlanta on Delta. On Sunday all six flights were canceled. There were long lines at the counter Monday morning as passengers tried to find out the status of their flight.
Those traveling on Delta are encouraged to check the status of their flight with the airline. Though power was restored to Hartsfield-Jackson Sunday night, Delta is now scrambling to get all its customers to their destinations.
Marla Marin’s flight to Atlanta has been canceled, and now she’ll fly to Detroit Tuesday instead, but she’s choosing to look on the bright side.
"It’s not really discouraging, we just take one day at a time. Hopefully tomorrow, things will be taken care of. It’s better to be safe than sorry," Marin, who lives in Springfield, Mass., said.
According to a Georgia Power statement, a fire in an underground electrical facility may have been responsible for the outage. The cause of the fire was not known.
This is only the third day of the three week travel season, when 51 million people are expected to fly throughout the US. With flights often booked well-ahead during the holiday season, it may be days before Delta fully recovers and finds seats for all its customers.
An investigation is underway into a police-involved shooting in New Britain Thursday that led to the death of a 20-year-old Bloomfield man and police said Monday that five police officers fired their weapons and have been placed on restricted duty.
The incident started at 6:43 p.m. Thursday as New Britain police officers were trying to stop a vehicle suspected to have been involved in several carjackings over the prior two weeks, according to police.
The officers tried to stop the car at Chapman Street and Chapman Court and arrest the three occupants inside and several officers fired, police said.
New Britain police have identified the officers involved as Detective Marcin Ratajczak, Detective Christopher Kiely, Officer Michael Slavin, Officer Kyle Jones and Officer Chad Nelson.
The officers have been placed on desk duty as Connecticut State Police investigate, under the supervision of the Middletown State’s Attorney’s Office.
The New Britain Police Department is conducting a complete internal administrative investigation and said the officers are cooperating fully with the investigations.
State police have arrested an 18-year-old Bloomfield man and charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with the altercation that ended in the shooting.
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.
Metro-North fares in Connecticut will be going up on Jan. 1.
Fares will increase by 1 percent for all stations on the Connecticut part of the New Haven Line and this is the last of seven consecutive fare increases that were authorized to buy M8 rail cars, according to Metro-North.
Prices of travel between stations within Connecticut and between stations in Connecticut and New York will be affected.
Learn more about the fare increases here.
A record-breaking number of New Englanders are expected to travel for the year-end holidays, according to statistics from AAA.
AAA estimates 4.5 million residents will travel this year, an increase of more than 2 percent over the last year. Almost 90 percent of them are expected to drive to their destinations, despite higher gas prices. The average price for a gallon of gas in Connecticut is $2.6, up 27 cents from last year.
Another 401,000 are expected to fly for the holidays, an increase of 5 percent from last year and the most in more than 10 years.
Nationally, AAA estimates that 107.3 million Americans will travel during the holiday period – 97.4 on the roads and 6.4 million by air. There are also 3.6 million expected to take trains, buses and cruises – up 2.2 percent from last year.
Bradley International Airport issued a warning to travelers to expect heavy travel starting this week and through the New Year’s holiday. Officials estimate the airport will be 10 to 15 percent busier than normal.
Passengers traveling domestically are advised to allow themselves at least 90 minutes for check-in with their respective airlines and processing through the TSA screening. Those traveling internationally should give themselves three hours. Bradley also encourages travelers to check the status of their flight with their airline before heading to the airport.
There was an earthquake in Connecticut early Sunday morning, but you might not have felt it.
The United States Geological Survey detected a 1.9 magnitude earthquake at 1:37 a.m., around two miles east, northeast of Kensington.
The Northeast States Emergency Consortium reports the earthquake was three miles east-southeast of New Britain and 8.6 miles south-southwest of Hartford.
Did you feel it?
A Windsor man has been charged with manslaughter and DUI in a fatal crash on I-91 in Enfield that killed a Massachusetts woman last year.
Police said 33-year-old John Gallucci was the driver in a crash that killed 22-year-old Marie Parks on Dec. 19, 2016.
According to the arrest warrant, witnesses told police they saw the Jeep Gallucci was driving make a hard right and cross all three lanes of the highway before crashing into a guardrail and falling off the highway onto the road about 20 feet below.
Park was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. She was taken to Baystate Medical Center where she died of her injuries.
Gallucci claimed he struck black ice, which caused him to lose control, but investigators said weather was not a factor in the crash.
Police said Gallucci’s breath smelled of alcohol during his interview and that he tested positive for alcohol, cocaine and marijuana in his system. Investigators also found six nips inside the vehicle – five of which were completely empty.
After an extensive investigation, Gallucci was arrested on Saturday. He is charged with operating under the influence of drugs/alcohol, second-degree manslaughter, and reckless driving. He was issued a $50,000 bond and is due in court on Monday.
Police said Gallucci has been previously convicted of driving under the influence in 2009.
Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Monday that his colleague Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., should not have announced his resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations.
He urged Franken, who has not said exactly when he plans to step down, to reconsider the decision.
"I definitely think he should not resign," Manchin told CNN. "I think he should submit himself, which he has willingly done and offered to do. And go through this complete process of an extensive ethics review, and whatever the outcome is I will live with it."
Manchin is one of four senators actively urging Franken not to resign, according to Politico.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has already named Franken’s replacement, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith.
In the weeks after he became the Republican nominee on July 19, 2016, Donald Trump was warned that foreign adversaries, including Russia, would probably try to spy on and infiltrate his campaign, multiple government officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The warning came in the form of a high-level counterintelligence briefing by senior FBI officials, the officials said. A similar briefing was given to Hillary Clinton, they added. They said the briefings, which are commonly provided to presidential nominees, were designed to educate the candidates and their top aides about potential threats from foreign spies.
Trump was "briefed and warned" at the session about potential espionage threats from Russia, two former law enforcement officials familiar with the sessions told NBC News.
"That the Republican and Democrat nominee for president received a standardized briefing on counterintelligence is hardly a news story," said Raj Shah, a White House spokesman.
Still, the revelation that the Trump campaign was warned about spying threats from Russia and other adversaries, which has not been previously reported, casts a new light on the Trump campaign's dealings with Russians in the months before the November election.
Hartford City Hall was closed Monday due to an issue with the heat in the building.
City officials said the building at 550 Main Street closed at noon. Repairs are underway and the heat should be restored at some point Monday.
A Public Hearing and Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee (OMBGA) meeting have been canceled.
Officials anticipated the building would open as usual Tuesday.
