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Ledyard Student Arrested for Claiming They Could Buy Gun: Principal

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A Ledyard student was arrested after he allegedly said he could buy a semi-automatic weapon, the principal told parents on Thursday. 

Ledyard High School Principal Amanda Fagan said the specific purpose to reach out to parents was "to counter some false information that was posted today on a community forum on Facebook. That social media post indicated that a student at the high school had been arrested today for posting on the internet that he was going to shoot up the high school. That information, as presented is false." 

On Thursday, a 17-year-old student allegedly said "I could buy an AR-15" during the first period at the high school, according to Fagan. 

"In an abundance of caution, despite the fact that this student is a minor who cannot, in fact, legally purchase such a weapon, we made the decision to consult with the Ledyard police," Fagan said.

Police said they took the student into custody and charged him with threatening and breach of peace. 

"The offense is akin to joking about a bomb in the airport. One simply doesn't do it," Fagan said.

The student in question does not have access to firearms at home, according to the principal.

"There was never any threat to the safety of your children or the adults who teach and tend to them each day. The student did not, in fact, specifically threaten to do harm but rather referenced the purchase of a weapon," Fagan said.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

'Prayers Won't Fix This': Fla. Shooting Survivors Slam Trump

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President Donald Trump's condolences for Wednesday's massacre at South Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were met with fiery backlash from many corners, but none more dramatic than from some students and parents from the very school who survived the brutal attack.

Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter Alyssa was killed, gave a remarkable interview to CNN on Thursday in which she pleaded with Trump to do something, including keeping guns out of the hands of children and putting metal detectors at the entrances to schools:

How do we allow a gunman to come into our children's school? How do they get through security? What security is there? There's no metal detectors. The gunman, a crazy person, just walks right into the school, knocks down the window of my child's door and starts shooting, shooting her and killing her. President Trump, you say, 'What can you do?' You can stop the guns from getting into these children's hands! Put metal detectors at every entrance to the schools! What can you do? You can do a lot! This is not fair, our families and our children go to school and have to get killed! I just spent the last two hours putting the burial arrangements for my daughters' funeral, who is 14. President Trump, please do something. Do something. Action! We need it now! These kids need safety now!

Trump had said in an address to the nation on Thursday, "every parent, teacher, and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you -- whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain."

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The address didn't mention guns. But at a vigil near the school that night, some in the crowd began chanting "no more guns!"

David Hogg, a senior at the high school, had a similar a message to Alhadeff's for members of Congress during his own interview on CNN.

"My message to lawmakers in Congress is please take action. Ideas are great. Ideas are wonderful and they help you get re-elected and everything. But what's more important is actual action. ... Children will continue to die if we don't take a stand now."

Trump's tweet on Wednesday offering condolences also sparked a backlash.

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"I don't want your condolences you f---ing piece of s--- my friends and teachers were shot," tweeted one student identified as Sarah. She deleted the tweet, but screengrabs continued to circulate on Twitter. "Prayers won't fix this. But gun control will prevent it from happening again. Please stfu tomi."

Another grieving student wrote a response rebuking conservative commentator Tomi Lahren's tweet that there was a rush from liberals to use the tragedy to push a gun control debate. 

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"A gun has killed 17 of my fellow classmates. A gun has traumatized my friends. My entire school traumatized from this tragedy," wrote the student identified as Kyra. "This could have been prevented."

Several others took Lahren to task while others had pointed questions for the commander-in-chief.

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Abbie Youkilis, aunt of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg who was slain in the Florida shooting, directed a message to all gun rights advocated in an emailed statement.

"Why is your hunting hobby more important than my niece's life? ... I don't care that Nikolas Cruz did this. If it had not been him, it would have been some other sad sick young man. I do care that he was able to legally purchase an assault weapon."

The gunman was booked into jail and charged with 17 counts of murder Thursday morning. A judge ordered that Cruz be held without bond. Cruz was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed at his waist during the hearing. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Pyeongchang by the Numbers: Shiffrin Comes Up Short, Chen Stumbles Again

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Mikaela Shiffrin missed the mark in her signature event, the women's slalom, figure skater Nathan Chen struggled, and snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis failed to reach the top three. Who did have a good day at the Winter Games? Here's a look at the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers.

4 Mikaela Shiffrin missed the podium in her signature event, the women’s slalom, placing fourth in a major upset. Women from Sweden, Switzerland and Austria knocked the 22-year-old American favorite off the podium. Shiffrin was hoping to claim her second gold in 24 hours.

17 — Team USA superstar Nathan Chen stumbled in his program for the second time in Pyeongchang as he sought redemption after a disappointing debut. He advances to the men’s free skate final Saturday morning (Friday night in the U.S.) after his 17th-place finish. He performed to “Nemesis” by Benjamin Clementine.

87.95 — Figure skater Adam Rippon placed seventh in the men’s short program and will advance to the final scheduled for Saturday morning, along with teammates Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou. Rippon, known for his flair for the dramatic programs, performed to techno song “Let Me Think About It” by Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grand to earn a 87.95.

17 — At 17 years old, Vincent Zhou is the youngest Olympian to compete for Team USA at Pyeongchang. On Friday morning (Thursday night in the U.S.), Zhou made his Games debut in the men’s short program and will advance to the final. He is also the first skater to cleanly land a quad lutz in Olympic competition.

3 — Yun Sung-Bin, 23, won South Korea’s first Olympic medal in skeleton, and it was gold. It is the third consecutive Winter Olympics in which the host city has won the men’s skeleton.

0.13 — Austria’s Matthias Mayer won the men’s super-G by a 0.13-second margin. Mayer’s gold breaks Norway’s 16-year domination of the title, with the country’s defending champion, Kjetil Jansrud, placing third. Beat Feuz of Switzerland took silver.

12 — Team USA’s Lindsey Jacobellis finished fourth in the snowboard cross final, missing the podium for the third time. Jacobellis has been to four Olympic Games, but her last medal was in her first appearance, a silver at Turin 12 years ago.

2-1 — College players have led the U.S. men's hockey team to a crucial 2-1 victory over Slovakia in group play at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Ryan Donato scored two power-play goals and Troy Terry dominated with his speed. The United States will take on Olympic Athletes from Russia Saturday night (early Saturday in the U.S.).


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Mom on a Mission Helps Certify First Sober Home in New London

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A southeastern Connecticut mom is making sure sober homes meet national standards after she said her son died behind the walls of one.

Lisa Johns, the co-founder of Community Speaks Out (CSO), certified the first sober home in New London on Thursday. It was made possible by a $5,000 grant given to CSO last year from Lawrence + Memorial Hospital through their affiliation with Yale New Haven Health.

Johns’ son, Christopher, died of a heroin overdose in a sober home in the city more than three years ago.

"There were no strict policies and procedures," Johns said. "My son was dead in that house for 16 hours and there was no bed check. I got mad and decided that we needed to fix this."

Each home Johns certifies meets the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards. Johns said she looks for the home to have sign-in/sign-out sheets, bed checks, naloxone availability and other items.

It’s a way to ensure the families of New London’s most vulnerable population that their loved ones won’t fall through the cracks, she said.

A-CURE, LLC became the first recovery home to be granted the certification for four of its New London buildings on Thursday.

"We saw a lot of houses that were flophouses and [clients] weren’t getting the support they needed," Terri Keaton, director and owner of A-CURE, said.

Currently, Johns said she’s certifying the homes in New London for free and while it's a voluntary certification program, she said eventually there will be a charge.

There are questions about how many sober houses there are in New London.

"We think approximately 32, but we don’t know because you’re not required to register, you’re not required to have inspections," New London Human Services Director Jeanne Milstein said.

The City of New London is looking to create an ordinance to better regulate sober homes and have them register with the city, Milstein said.

Brook Beaulieu lives in an A-CURE home and said this certification guarantees she stays on the path to recovery. The staff has helped her find a job, ride the bus to interviews and she even goes to meetings with the ladies she dorms with.

"If I don’t I’m going to fall down, I’m going to be back to where I used to be and that’s not an option for me," Beaulieu said.

The owners of few recovery homes NBC Connecticut was able to make contact with Thursday said they were interested in learning more about the certification process

New Britain Officials to Put More Work Into Feral Cat Fine Proposal

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City officials in New Britain are considering fining people who continually feed feral cats or care for their colonies $99 unless they follow certain rules, but they decided the plan needs more work. 

“You don’t want to start criminalizing compassion,” Cathy DeMarco of New Britain, said. 

The proposal would have required anyone who provides food, water or shelter for feral cat colonies on a regular basis to have the cats spayed and neutered and vaccinated for rabies on their own expense. 

It would also require people who care for the cats to register with New Britain Animal Control, including the location of each colony they regularly provide food for so animal control can keep track of the number of cats and make regular checks on whether any are sick or injured. 

During a meeting Thursday night, cat lovers pleaded with city officials not to penalize them for feeding feral cats or caring for feral cat communities. 

But frustrated neighbors say the cats are a nuisance and destructive. 

“I have a whole bunch of camp gear that I can’t go camping because they went into my garage they tore up all my stuff,” Manny Sandoval, of New Britain, said. 

Police believe people leaving food for the felines sometimes leads to issues, including rat infestations. 

“Unless we have some structure in place for how the food is going to be left out, not leaving it out overnight, not leaving a mess, we’re really just leaving ourselves open for complaints,” Sgt. Paula Keller, of New Britain Police, said. 

Peter Varhol, a member of Animal Alliance Welfare League in New Britain, reached out to NBC Connecticut’s Connect-a-Thon with concerns about the proposal and attended a meeting Thursday night as city officials discussed the idea. 

After hearing from all sides, the consolidated subcommittee decided the plan needs more work before moving forward. 

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Varhol said. 

The city will spend about the next month hashing out the plan before it could finally reach the council for a vote.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Md. Student Arrested After Bringing Loaded Gun to School: Police

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A day after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Florida, a student in Montgomery County, Maryland, was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to his school, police said.

Police arrested 18-year-old Alwin Chen, of Germantown, at Clarksburg High School Thursday afternoon.

Just before 2 p.m., a school resource officer received information that Chen might have a weapon, Montgomery County police said.

After pulling Chen out of class, the officer asked Chen if he had a weapon on him. Chen replied that he had a handgun in his book bag and a knife in his front shirt pocket, police said.

The officer then took the loaded 9mm handgun and knife and arrested Chen without incident, police said.

Chen has been charged with possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm by a person under 21 years old and possession of a firearm on school property.

It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer, the AP reported. It was also not immediately clear why Chen brought the gun to school or who the firearm belonged to.

"This illegal and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated in our school community. Weapons of any type are not permitted on or near school property. Any student caught with a weapon will be referred to law enforcement and punished accordingly," the school's principal said in a letter to parents.

Superintendent Jack Smith sent a message to parents and students about emergency preparedness following the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Smith said emergency drills, the School Resource Officer program and building infrastructure are ways the schools have prepared for possible shootings.



Photo Credit: Montgomery County Police Department

Former Playboy Model Documented Trump Affair: Report

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The New Yorker obtained a long, handwritten note written by a former Playboy Playmate of the Year documenting an alleged consensual affair she had with Donald Trump more than a decade ago, NBC News reported.

The report also touches on legal arrangements involved in the sale of Karen McDougal's story to the publisher of the National Enquirer, which never published the story. McDougal told the magazine she regretted signing the contract.

She confirmed a Wall Street Journal published days before the 2016 election that revealed the affair allegations and the purchase of McDougal's story. Six former employees of the company told The New Yorker that it often purchases a story in order to bury it.

Trump denied having a relationship with McDougal, a White House spokesperson told NBC News in a statement: "This is an old story that is just more fake news. The President says he never had a relationship with McDougal."

An AMI spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.



Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Playboy, File

Bridgeport Man Stabbed Ex-Girlfriend in Stratford: Police

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A Stratford woman was stabbed several times in her home Thursday and police have arrested her ex-boyfriend. 

Police said they responded to a domestic incident at a home on West Broad Street and determined that 22-year-old Mark Febres, of Bridgeport, had gone to into his ex-girlfriend’s home and attacked her. 

Febres ran and police found him on Vernon Street, then took him into custody after a short chase, police said. 

Febres was charged with criminal attempt at murder, assault in the first degree, three counts of risk of injury to a minor, home invasion and violation of a protective order. 

He was held on a $1.5 million bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Court on Feb. 16. 

He was also arrested on a separate warrant that stemmed from a violation of protection order charge from Feb. 12. Bond was set at $50,000 for that case. 

From Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang:





Photo Credit: Stratford Police

Golden: Watch Every US Gold Medal Performance

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From 17-year-olds Red Gerard and Chloe Kim to 31-year-old Shaun White, Americans have shined on snowboards -- and four of their five gold medals through the first half of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang came on the boards. Watch those performances, plus Mikaela Shiffrin's impressive Giant Slalom run, below.

17-year-old Red Gerard delivers epic final run to win men's Slopestyle:

Jamie Anderson survives fierce wind that derailed many others to win women's Slopestyle:

Chloe Kim delivers back-to-back 1080s on her victory lap to earn near-perfect score in women's Halfpipe: 

Shaun White's back-against-the-wall run wins Halfpipe gold:

Superstar Mikaela Shiffrin wins second career gold in giant slalom:

Take a look at all of the United States' medal winners in Pyeongchang:



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Hamden Police Arrest Robbery Suspect 5 Years Later

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Hamden police have arrested a man who is accused of robbing a 63-year-old woman five years ago. 

Police have arrested 50-year-old Lynn Numan, of Hamden, in connection with a street robbery on Morse Street on Jan. 29, 2013. 

Police said the victim, who was 63-year-old at the time, was getting out of her motor vehicle when Numan approached her and said “Give me the bags.” 

Numan then grabbed the woman’s shoulders, pushed her and stole her purse, which held money and credit cards, according to police. 

On Feb. 15, Hamden Police arrested Numan, who New Haven Police Department had detained earlier. 

Numan was charged with second-degree robbery, assault in the third degree on an elderly person and second-degree larceny. 

He was detained on a $300,000 bond and is due in court in Meriden on March 1. 

Investigators believe Numan might have been living out of state for the past five years.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police

CREC School Security Guard Accused of Sex Assault of Student

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A security guard at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford is accused of engaging in sexual activity with a student while at the school and has been charged with sexual assault.

Police said they received a report in December 2017. The Special Investigations Division and a detective started investigating and discovered that 25-year-old Leonardo Badillo-Perez, of Hartford, had been engaging in sexual acts with a student while at school, according to a report from police.

Tim Sullivan, the Superintendent of CREC Magnet Schools, issued a statement about the allegations and said Badillo-Perez has been relieved of his duties.

"An allegation was made of an inappropriate relationship between a student and a contracted employee from US Security who works in one of our schools. We notified DCF and the Police Department immediately. The individual was immediately relieved of his duties and is not allowed in any CREC schools or programs. CREC is fully cooperating with authorities," Sullivan said in a statement. "We continue to put safety first, and are doing everything in our power to keep our students safe."

Badillo-Perez has been charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

He turned himself in to police Thursday and bond was set at $200,000.

A spokesperson for U.S. Security Associates, the company Badillo-Perez worked for, told NBC Connecticut that they did a background check on Badillo-Perez and it was clean.  They said he also passed a state background check.

He was hired by the company in January 2017 and was terminated on December 19, the day after the company learned of the police investigation into Badillo-Perez, according to the spokesperson.

From Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang:





Photo Credit: Hartford Police

California Man Pleads Guilty to ID Fraud in Mueller Probe

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A Southern California man pleaded guilty this week to committing identity fraud, special counsel Robert Mueller's office announced Friday, shortly after Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities for allegedly plotting to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Richard Pinedo, a 28 year old who lives in Santa Paula, pleaded guilty Monday, according to Mueller's office.

According to the criminal information released Friday, Pinedo used "hundreds of bank account numbers to aid and abet ... the use of the wires in interstate and foreign commerce to defeat security measures" at a large digital payments company, which the document doesn't name, making tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Pinedo is cooperating with the special counsel's office, according to the plea agreement.



Photo Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Russians Indicted for Alleged Election Meddling Conspiracy

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces indictments against 13 Russians and three Russian entities accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Man Shot in Leg in South Windsor Home

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Police are investigating after a man was shot in a house in South Windsor Friday afternoon. 

Police said they responded to a home on Gorski Drive just before 2:30 p.m. after receiving reports that a man had been shot and they found him with a gunshot wound to the leg. 

His injuries are not life-threatening and he was taken to Hartford Hospital. 

Police said they do not believe that there is any danger to the general public. 

This investigation is continuing.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

More Than 1,000 Overdose Deaths Reported in CT Last Year: OCME

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More than 1,000 overdose deaths were reported last year in Connecticut, according to the state's chief medical examiner.

Over the last five years, accidental drug deaths have increased nearly 290 percent since 2012, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) testified at a joint committee hearing on Thursday. 

In February 2017, OCME said it lost its full national accreditation because it did not have the sufficient amount of staff to handle the increasing number of autopsies the office needs to perform annually.

"This results in medical examiners (MEs) performing more than 325 autopsies a year. Our office had no choice but to work beyond professional standards for the past three years and hope that the autopsy would decrease," Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill said on Thursday. "They have not decreased."

State officials said the majority of these deaths are due to opioid abuse. An OCME preliminary report found that 917 people died from accidental intoxication in 2016 and roughly 1,040 people in 2017. Only 357 overdose deaths were reported in 2012.

More specifically, the number of accidental intoxication deaths caused by fentanyl jumped from 14 people in 2012 to 675 people in 2017, a 12 percent increase from 2016.

The number of opioid-related autopsies the OCME had to perform in 2017 made up more than 44 percent of all autopsies the office had to perform. 

"Over the past three years, we have seen a peaking and now leveling-off of autopsies. This increased work level has become our new baseline. In order to become fully re-accredited, we need to balance the number of medical examiners and autopsies," Gill said.

Gill said the Connecticut OCME office will be re-evaluated by the Nationa Association of Medical Examiners in the fall. He said the office is working towards hiring another medical examiner, in addition to correcting any other deficiencies. 

He said the accreditation is important to instill confidence in those the office serves. 

"Our loss of full accreditation already has been raised at criminal trials in attempts to impeach our work," Gill said. 

In February 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office and the DEA developed a statewide initiative in Connecticut to combat the crisis, including a protocol for investigating fentanyl overdoses.

Across the United States, fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths are increasing with approximately 8 percent fentanyl-related deaths in 2010 to more than 18 percent in 2015. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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Important Quotes from Mueller's Indictment of Russians

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U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller unveiled an indictment Friday of a comprehensive "information warfare" involving 13 Russian individuals and three entities allegedly to have planted discord during the 2016 presidential elections, CNBC elections. 

The 37-page indictment detailed specific way such as fake identities, organizations, social media events, were all sought to influence the election — from abroad, online and in the United States, CNBC reported. 

Here are some of the most important quotes:




Photo Credit: Getty Images/Win McNamee

Trump Meets With Injured Victims From Parkland Shooting

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President Donald Trump on Friday met with injured victims and first responders following the Parkland shooting tragedy.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump reached Broward Health North Hospital in Deerfield Beach to pay their respects to victims and to thank medical staff helping keep the nine people who were injured, several critically, alive.

Trump's visit comes two days after accused gunman Nikolas Cruz, who police said confessed, fatally shot 17 people – mostly teenagers – at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday.

Trump's meeting with the press pool at the hospital was brief.

"First responders, everybody – the job they've done is incredible," Trump said, flanked by a hospital official and the first lady.

Trump, who confirmed he met with victims, remarked on the efficiency in which victims were quickly taken to the hospital after the shooting.

"Do our gun laws need to be changed, Mr. President?" one reporter asked as Trump and his delegation, which included White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, walked away.

After leaving the hospital, the Trumps will meet with Broward County Sheriff's Office officials, including BSO Sheriff Scott Israel and detective Richard Olson, whose son Will was shot during the onslaught.

"I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth – but people whose lives have been totally shattered. Am also working with Congress on many fronts," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was aboard Air Force One, which landed at Palm Beach International Airport.



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Buried Treasure: Bracelet Reunited With Owner 52 Years Later

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One Old Lyme resident didn't think he'd find someone else's long-lost treasure when his metal detector rang at an Old Saybrook beach earlier this month. 

Since Mark Kus made a hobby out of searching for buried treasure, he said never knows what he’s going to find. He's already found jewelry, loose change and a 1911 Half Eagle $5 gold coin. 

At the beginning of February, Kus went to a beach in the Indian Town area of Old Saybrook and when his metal detector rang, he started digging 12 inches deep into the sand.

"Out pops a bracelet. I put it in my pocket. Didn’t think anything of it until I got home," Kus said.

Kus started cleaning off the bracelet and after three days, he saw the piece of jewelry had a name and West Hartford address engraved on it.

A quick Google search turned up information for a doctor with the last name, Feinstein. 

Kus decided to give the doctor a call. 

"How could he have a piece of jewelry? I have virtually no jewelry," Dr. David Feinstein said. "I called him back and I said, 'The only piece of jewelry I ever had with my name on it was an ID bracelet when I was in high school and I lost it.'"

Feinstein lost the bracelet 52 years ago. He said his grandfather used to own the LaZarre Lodge on the beach from the early 1930s to about 1970. Feinstein grew up in West Hartford but would spend all of his childhood summers in Old Saybrook.

Kus also said when he told his mom, who grew up in Chester, about the Feinstein name, she listed some people from the same family. Feinstein said his grandfather owned a store in Chester and that’s where his father grew up.

Feinstein has a family memory saved, but it’s not the last treasure that might link these two together.

"I bought a metal detector for myself," Feinstein said.

Kus said he and Feinstein plan on going treasure hunting together. 

West Hartford Celebrates Beginning of Lunar New Year

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West Hartford celebrated the Lunar New Year on Friday. 

February 16 marks the beginning of the 2018 Lunar New Year, which is the year of the dog.

The Lunar, or often referred to as Chinese New Year, is a big holiday for many Asian-American families seeking health and prosperity.

In West Hartford and around the world, the celebration tends to revolve around food.

Sonny Chen, the owner of Black Bamboo in West Hartford, said he moved to the United States from China when he was seven years old.

For Lunar New Year, Chen sticks to the staples: dumplings and noodles. Dumplings symbolize good health and fortune, while noodles represent a long life.

"We’ve already done a bunch of catering for [some schools]," Chen said. "You don’t have to be Chinese to celebrate Chinese New Year. I think everyone, especially in the school system, [are] trying to participate in it."

Cities like Boston and New York plan to host Lunar New Year parades over the weekend. According to U.S. census data, Connecticut has roughly 11,000 Eastern Asian immigrants, mostly living in Fairfield and New Haven counties.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Fla. Shooting Suspect to Offer Guilty Plea to Avoid Death Penalty

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Accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz will offer to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty and a lengthy trial, his defense attorneys said Friday.

His attorneys plan to meet with prosecutors to discuss the guilty plea, Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein confirmed to NBC 6.

"There is only one question: Should this young man live or should he die by execution?" Finkelstein told the Sun-Sentinel. "We believe it’s in nobody’s best interest to go through a circus of a trial."

Cruz hasn't formally been charged in the murders of the 17 victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but the defense lawyers said they're certain prosecutors would seek the death penalty.

Florida requires a 12-0 jury vote to hand down a death sentence.



Photo Credit: NBC6
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