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IRS Warns of New Tax Refund Scam

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Scams are a common occurrence during tax season, but authorities are warning of a new one so brazen, even veteran tax professionals are baffled.

Authorities said the scam involves several steps and there are several variations – but here’s the basic set-up.

Thieves will steal client data from tax professionals, then file fraudulent tax returns in a victim’s name. The victim will then receive a fraudulent refund from the IRS. Some instances have been by direct deposit, and others by check.

The thieves then pose as the IRS or a debt collector, explaining the victim received a fake refund and instructing them to return the money. But instead of returning the money to the IRS, the scammers direct the money to their own accounts.

Experts said this scam has already conned tens of thousands of taxpayers. While IRS scams are not uncommon, this one has the evidence of the IRS funds, either deposited in the bank account or in the form of the check, which makes the scammers’ demand to return the money more convincing.

The IRS managed to catch this twist earlier this month, and are warning taxpayers not to cash a check that unexpectedly shows up.

If you receive a suspicious direct deposit in your account, you can protect yourself by doing the following:

  • Contact the Automated Clearing House (ACH) department of the bank/financial institution where the direct deposit was received and have them return the refund to the IRS.
  • Call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 (individual) or 800-829-4933 (business) to explain why the direct deposit is being returned.

If you get a mailed check and haven't cashed it, follow these steps:

  • Write "Void" in the endorsement section on the back of the check.
  • Submit the check immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below. The location is based on the city (possibly abbreviated) on the bottom text line in front of the words TAX REFUND on your refund check.
  • Don't staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
  • Include a note stating, "Return of erroneous refund check because (and give a brief explanation of the reason for returning the refund check)."

If you've cashed a false check, follow these instructions:

  • Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below.
  • If you no longer have access to a copy of the check, call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 (individual) or 800-829-4933 (business) (see telephone and local assistance for hours of operation) and explain to the IRS assistor that you need information to repay a cashed refund check.
  • Write on the check/money order: Payment of Erroneous Refund, the tax period for which the refund was issued, and your taxpayer identification number (social security number, employer identification number, or individual taxpayer identification number).
  • Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the refund.
  • Repaying an erroneous refund in this manner may result in interest due the IRS.

You will also want to contact your bank and tax preparers to take steps to protect your identity.

For more information, visit the IRS website here. 


Teen Accused of Making Threatening Post on Social Media

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Trumbull police have arrested a 13-year-old accused of making a threat on social media.

According to police, the teen posted threatening comments and a photo of himself with what appeared to be a handgun in a group chat on social media Sunday. A parent who saw the post on their child’s cell phone reported it to police.

Upon investigation, the gun was determined to be a BB gun, not a real firearm. Police believe the child cropped out the red tip marking it as a fake for the photo.

Police said this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.

The teen was charged with disorderly conduct and is due in court on March 3. He was not identified due to his age.

'Monster Living Under Our Roof': Family Speaks About Alleged Gunman

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The family that took in suspected Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass murderer Nikolas Cruz is sounding off about the tragedy – as details begin to emerge about his background and what officials may have known.

In an interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Kimberly and James Snead, who opened their home to the 19-year-old after his mother died, were quoted as saying “we had this monster living under our roof and we didn’t know...we didn’t see this side of him.”

“What James and Kimberly told me was they have taken in stray animals they have taken in people that they thought had hit hard times and Nick, as they called him, was one of those people,” said reporter Paula McMahon. “They thought they were doing a good deed they wanted to get him back on track.”

The article published Saturday talked about how the defendant was friendly with the Snead’s son, who asked them to house the suspect that was depressed, they say, after he lost his mother to pneumonia.

James Snead said “everything everybody seems to know, we didn’t know… It’s as simple as that” on reports Cruz was a loner, exhibited odd behavior and had violent tendencies.

“They just struck me as if they were still in shock,” McMahon said. “They said that they just haven’t really processed it yet, that they have very, very mixed emotions. They’re having a hard time coming to terms with the person they thought they knew and the person who did this tragic terrible act.”

A report from the Department of Children and Families says Nikolas Cruz’s adoptive mother said he suffers from Autism and ADD. The document also noted an investigation on him closed on Nov. 12, 2016.

The report said Cruz was on Snapchat cutting both of his arms. One counselor noted she was “concerned” about Cruz wanting to purchase a gun and “feeling depressed.”

A second counselor observed how his mother, who died in November, has always been an “attentive mom and followed through with care needs” while noting a counselor’s concern to ensure that a psychiatric assessment of the defendant was not premature.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Southington Man Left Bedridden Victim Without Food, Care: PD

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A Southington man faces abuse charges after he allegedly failed to look after a bedridden 76-year-old woman in his care, according to police.

Police said the charges stem from an incident in July 2017. According to police, 47-year-old Michael Flaherty had power of attorney over the victim and was responsible for her care. Investigators said Flaherty neglected to provide care for the woman and left her alone for a long period of time without food.

The victim was found lying in her own feces and urine, police said.

Flaherty was arrested on Feb. 15, and charged with third-degree abuse and cruelty to persons.

He was released on a $5,000 bond and is due in court on Feb. 26, 2018.



Photo Credit: Southington Police Department

Teen Hero Shot 5 Times at Fla. School Gets Visit From Sheriff

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A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student who was shot multiple times while trying to save his classmates during last week's mass shooting was visited in the hospital by Broward Sheriff Scott Israel.

Israel said he was "honored" to visit with 15-year-old Anthony Borges Sunday, just days after the shooting at the Parkland school that claimed 17 lives.

"His family shared that Anthony was shot five times in Wednesday's school attack," BSO tweeted, along with a picture of Israel and Borges. "Fortunately, he is recovering -- but has a long road ahead with more surgeries needed. Please join us in praying for the swift recovery of Anthony and all the other victims of this horrific criminal act."

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Borges is being hailed a hero for his efforts to save other students during the shooting. A GoFundMe page set up for his family said Borges saved about 20 other students as he attempted to close and lock a classroom door.

He ended up shot in both legs, had his upper left thigh bone shattered, and had a bullet go through his back.

"He has a long road of recovery ahead of him but he is alive and stable," the post says.

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The GoFundMe has already raised more than $110,000 of its original goal of $5,000 in just three days.

Officials with Broward Health said that four patients remained hospitalized as of Sunday night, with all in fair condition.



Photo Credit: Broward Sheriff's Office
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Southington Police Arrest Suspect in String of Robberies

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Southington police have arrested a man accused in a string of robberies in December 2017 and January 2018.

Police said 43-year-old Jeffrey Stokarski is a suspect in four robberies between Dec. 27, 2017, and Jan. 8, 2018.

Two of the crimes happened at the Henny Penny at 273 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike. In the first on Dec. 27, 2017, a male suspect, identified by police as Stokarski, entered the store armed with a screwdriver and forced the crash register open. He made off with $290. In the second on Dec. 31, 2017, police claim Stokarski entered the same store while the same clerk was working and demanded the clerk open the register. The clerk complied and Stokarski allegedly made off with another $161.

Police also believe Stokarski is responsible for a robbery at the Mobil gas station at 1896 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike on Jan. 6, 2018. In that case, police allege Stokarski was armed with a knife and stole $400 in cash and three cartons of cigarettes worth a total of $117.

Stokarski is also suspected in a robbery on Jan. 8, 2018 at the Food Bag at 860 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike. Police said Stokarski was armed with a knife when he entered the store and stole $76 in cash and over $700-worth of cigarettes.

There were no reported injuries in any of the incidents.

Stokarski was arrested Saturday and faces charges of first-degree robbery, third-degree sixth-degree larceny, and fifth-degree larceny. He was held on bond and is next scheduled to appear in court on March 6.



Photo Credit: Southington Police Department

New Washer Puts Prospect Woman Through the Ringer

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A Prospect woman bought a hi-tech machine thinking it would make laundry less of a chore but that wasn’t the case.

Carmelita Rifkin was excited about getting her very first and only Magtag washer in 2016, but she showed NBC Connecticut Responds the stains and dirt still on her clothes after each cycle.

“I was so very frustrated,” Rifkin said. “With spending all of that money and getting a washing machine that did not wash my clothes.”

Rifkin followed the instructions attached to the $950 machine.

“The clothes would be partly dry underneath, clothes came out dirty,” Rifkin said.

Rifkin contacted Whirlpool, which owns Maytag, telling the customer service representative there may be a defect with the machine. She said the company agreed there was an issue.

“’If it’s not right, it shouldn’t do this or that,’” Rifkin said the representative told her. “’We’ll send someone up.’”

The washer was covered under a one-year warranty and Rifkin spent an additional $100 for a six-month extended warranty.

“I just felt like something had to be wrong with the machine. At first, I would get excited thinking my clothes are going to come out,” Rifkin said.

But after multiple service calls by the Maytag repairman to Rifkin’s home, she said the machine still wasn’t doing the job.

After NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to Whirlpool, they notified Rifkin that they would pick up the washer and refund her $1,099 for the cost of the machine and the extended warranty.

14-Year-Old Falls Through Ice at Pond in Berlin

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A 14-year-old fell through the ice at a pond in Berlin on Monday.

Police said they received calls about two teens on the ice at Paper Goods Pond off of Main Street around 1:08 p.m.

The two 14-year-olds were ice fishing nearly 15 feet from an open water area on the pond when the police arrived. Police said the pond is up to 20 feet deep. 

An officer called for the teens to get off the pond and shortly after, one of them fell through the ice. 

Police called for a dive-in team but canceled it when he saw the teen come out of the water with the help of his friend. The two walked back to shore. 

The teen who fell through the ice was taken to the Hospital of Central Connecticut- New Britain General Campus for precautionary measures.

Police are urging people to stay off the ice.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Get Ready for Record Breaking Warmth

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NBC Connecticut meteorologists are forecasting some abnormally warm weather for the next couple of days.

Tomorrow will feature a mixture of sun and clouds with warm temperatures inland and mild temperatures along the shoreline.

High temperatures for inland Connecticut are expected to reach the middle to upper 60s. 

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Temperatures will be slightly cooler along the shoreline only reaching the middle to upper 50s. The coolest part of the state will be southeastern CT with a wind off the water. The Groton/New London area will only climb into the upper 40s.

Record breaking warmth moves into the state for Wednesday with much of inland Connecticut rising into the low 70s. Shoreline communities can expect temperatures in the low 60s.

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The high temperature record for the Hartford area on Wednesday is 63 which was set back in 1930. We're forecasting a high temperature of 72 in the Hartford area which should shatter the current record. 


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Teen Charged in $4,000 Vandalism at Shelton Catholic School

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Shelton police have arrested a 14-year-old boy after investigating a break-in, burglary and vandalism at a Catholic school. Police said the spray paint left behind included sexual references and depictions. 

Police responded to the Holy Trinity Catholic School at 503 Shelton Ave. on Feb. 2 to investigate a break-in and found spray paint on several lockers, desks and classroom walls. 

Police said the vandalism was so extensive that school had to be canceled for the day. 

The estimate of the amount of damage caused exceeded $4,000. 

Police investigated and arrested a 14-year old boy Monday. He has been charged with third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief. 

He was released to his parents and is due in Bridgeport Juvenile Superior Court.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Connecticut Rules Would Block Restaurant Owners from Collecting Tips

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A Connecticut rule already on the books would be the main stopgap from a Federal Department of Labor (DOL) rule from taking effect in the state.

The DOL is considering allowing restaurant owners to collect the tips left for servers, and the owners would then be the ones to decide how those tips are used.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal urged the labor department not to approve the rule during a press conference Monday.

"This rule is unjust, unfair, economically unwise," Blumenthal said during the event at the Ion Restaurant in downtown Middletown.

Connecticut labor rules, however, will blunt the impact of the proposed rule change in Washington.

Connecticut restauranteurs benefit from the "tip credit" rule. The tip credit allows owners to pay servers and staff less than minimum wage so long as their hourly wages exceed Connecticut’s minimum wage of $10.10.

There are 27 states with that provision on the books and others that maintain the same minimum wage for food service employees as for other hourly workers.

Matt Banta is a server at Ion and he says the arrangement with tips works for servers but also fears for what the publicity of such a rule might do to customers.

"I think if this goes through then general customers will tip less not knowing where the tips are going," Banta said.

The Connecticut Restaurant Association told NBC Connecticut that the tip credit rule would supersede whatever action is taken in Washington.

Banta says customers expect a certain level of service, and in turn, expect their gratuities to go to the right person or people.

"If they tip the server, they’re paying for the service, the interaction, the friendliness," Banta said. "Some pool tips now in a way they give a portion to the host, or they give a portion to bussers and food runners and what not. That’s different than giving all of the money to the owner as he sees fit."

Black Travel Guide Was Powerful Tool for Women Entrepreneurs

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Alberta Ellis ran a hotel in the 1950s that served African Americans who had nowhere else to go. 

She knew what it was like to be turned away because of the color of your skin. It happened to her own family as they drove more than 1,400 miles from Missouri to California.

"They would usually say there was no vacancy, even though their sign would be in neon lights saying vacancy," Ellis' granddaughter, Elizabeth Calvin, remembered. 

Ellis reported the hotels' actions but that did little to change anything, her granddaughter said. 

Determined to provide a safe space for African-American travelers, Ellis put together $10,000 in cash and bought an old hospital in Springfield, Missouri, at a city auction. She opened a small business she called Alberta's Hotel.

Calvin believes her grandmother purchased the hotel around 1954. That year, one of the first ads for the business appeared in "The Negro Motorist Green Book." 

The book, created in 1936 by Victor H. Green, helped black travelers across the country avoid "difficulties and embarrassment" while on the road. From 1936 until 1967, the "Green Book" listed hotels, restaurants and other establishments across the country that welcomed black customers.

The "Green Book" was more than a revolutionary way for African Americans to travel in this country; it was an economic engine for burgeoning entrepreneurs, particularly black women. 

In Washington, D.C., black women were also running successful businesses, and many of them were advertised in the "Green Book." 

"This is a time when there's very little ways for a black woman to move forward economically and professionally outside of domestic work," said Jennifer Reut, an architectural and landscape historian who runs a blog that maps "Green Book" sites.

'You Couldn’t Go to a Regular Hotel'

Ellis was already the owner of one successful business when she opened "Alberta's Hotel." 

But she was inspired to open the hotel because African Americans driving along Route 66 didn't have many options if they stopped in her city. 

"She built an empire, really, a tiny empire from this extremely skilled ability to look at the whole market and see what the need was," Reut said. 

"You couldn’t go to a regular hotel, so she probably saw it as a good business opportunity, as well as hospitality," Calvin added. 


The hotel was located along the business route for Route 66, an easy stop for travelers who were headed west. To get the word out, Ellis placed an ad in the "Green Book." 

Calvin said her grandmother was an avid traveler and likely knew about the "Green Book" before she advertised in it.

Soon, Alberta's Hotel was popular with travelers who passed through Springfield, including singer Nat King Cole and Harlem Globetrotter Reece "Goose" Tatum. 

Running a successful black-owned business in the 1950s didn't come without complications. Sometimes police officers brought prostitutes to the hotel to try and give it a bad name, Calvin said. 

"My brother remembers when white men would come to the hotel late at night with women, and my grandfather and grandmother would send them away," Calvin said. 

"This is not that kind of establishment. Don’t come in here looking for that," Calvin said her grandparents told them.

A land dispute also kept Ellis in court for much of the time she owned the hotel. 

"There was a wealthy man in town who was slated to get that hospital. But when she showed up to the auction with cash, they had to sell it to her," Calvin said. 

After about 10 years, Ellis lost the hotel to eminent domain. 

She didn't live much longer after losing the hotel. 

"Once that case was settled, she got sick," Calvin said. "She passed in 1966. She was only 56 years old."

'That Was Like the Black Downtown'

In Annapolis, Maryland, Florence Carr Sparrow and her sister, Elizabeth Carr Smith, ran two successful beach resorts. For nearly 50 years, Carr's Beach and Sparrow's Beach were safe havens for African-American families looking for a summer escape. 

Though they were already popular on their own, both beaches were listed in the "Green Book." 

In Washington, D.C., African-American travelers flocked to the Northwest quadrant for food, fun and somewhere to stay. 

"That was the main black area that had the most amenities. Theatres, clubs, florists. That was like the black downtown," said author and historian Patsy Fletcher. 

In the 1930s, Jean Clore opened the Old Rose Social Club on the corner of 7th and T streets NW. A few blocks away, she opened Hotel Clore.

Clore was young, attractive and had a knack for business, a 1938 article published in The Baltimore Afro-American said. 

"Ordinarily it takes the average club operator several years to build up such a business ... but Miss Clore has made her local reputation only since 1936," the article said.  

The hotel became a home for both travelers and celebrities performing at the nearby Howard Theatre. 

Clore was active in the National Council of Negro Women and other organizations. 

"She deserves recognition ... She was quite impressive," Fletcher said. 

Near Logan Circle, Myrtle Williams ran the Cadillac Hotel. The hotel on the 1500 block of Vermont Avenue NW opened in 1941.

But like Alberta's in Missouri, a cloud hung over the Cadillac Hotel and other black-owned businesses in D.C. 

Williams ran the Cadillac Hotel as a decent, respectable business, Fletcher said, but she was repeatedly accused of supporting prostitution. Like Ellis in Missouri, Williams discovered that undercover police officers brought prostitutes into her business and then arrested her guests if they solicited one of the women.

In 1977, Williams and a group of African-American residents in D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood organized to fight attempts to push them out of the area. 

People who wanted to buy the Cadillac Hotel's building repeatedly challenged the business' operating license so they could force the hotel out and later sell the building to middle-class whites, Fletcher, the historian, said. 

"Many urban renewal projects in the '60s targeted black neighborhoods," Reut, the architectural historian, said. "Lots and lots of 'Green Book' sites ended up disappearing because of this."


The passage of the Civil Rights Act also hurt some black-owned businesses.

As African Americans began going to places where they had been previously denied, some businesses were not able to bring in the revenue they needed.

The owners of many black-owned businesses were prepared, Reut said. 

"Everyone understood that when segregation was happening, these instruments were needed. But that when the time came -- and they were always pushing for this -- they won't need these things anymore. People understood that this was going to be the end of their business," Reut said.

Today, many businesses that were listed in the "Green Book" are gone and replaced with parking lots and shopping centers.

In D.C., some of the buildings that housed these businesses still stand. 

"The ones that tend to still be around are the ones that are in thriving business districts like Washington and the U Street Corridor," Reut said. "They haven't knocked these down yet."


The former home of Hotel Clore, located at 614 S Street NW, is now a multi-denominational church. The former home of the Cadillac Hotel, in Logan Circle, is now a luxury condominium complex. 

While many of these businesses no longer exist, the entrepreneurial spirit of these women lives on. Decades after Ellis' hotel shut down, her granddaughter moved back to Missouri and is following in her footsteps. 

"I bought an old horse stable and turned it into five units, and we rent out some of them as a B&B," Calvin said. "I learned from my grandmother."



Photo Credit: Elizabeth Calvin/NBC
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Bones Found Off Cape Cod May Belong to Legendary Pirate Black Sam Bellamy

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An investigative team conducting DNA analysis on recently-discovered human remains believes they could belong to a legendary pirate captain.

The bones were found aboard the historic Whydah Gally, a pirate ship that wrecked in 1717 off the coast of Cape Cod.

Monday, the remains were presented publicly for the first time, and investigators discussed the new effort to determine whether they belong to Captain Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, listed by Forbes Magazine as the most successful pirate in history.

The team removed a femur from the large concretion and presented it to a forensics team from the Henry Lee College at the University of New Haven.

The Whydah Gally is loaded with the treasures from 54 seized ships, sank during a nor'easter off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, in April 1717, killing Bellamy and members of his crew. The wreck was discovered in 1984 by famed explorer Barry Clifford and his diving crew, which included John F. Kennedy Jr.

Clifford has recovered millions of dollars worth of gold and silver. There is estimated $120 million in buried treasure, along with 60 cannons and thousands of rare artifacts from the site.

Bellamy was an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century. Though his known career as a pirate captain lasted little more than a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships under his command – making him the wealthiest pirate in recorded history before his death at age 28.

Called "Black Sam" in Cape Cod folklore because he eschewed the fashionable powdered wig in favor of tying back his long black hair with a simple band, Bellamy became known for his mercy and generosity toward those he captured on his raids. This reputation earned him another nickname, the "Prince of Pirates." He likened himself to Robin Hood, with his crew calling themselves "Robin Hood's Men."

Forensic scientists will test the bone's DNA against that of the DNA of a distant relative of Bellamy's who lives in England. They will know the results in about a month.

They believe there are hundreds more treasures in the concretion. They estimate it will take about a year to extract them all.



Photo Credit: NBC10 Boston

White House: Trump Moves to Improved Gun Background Checks

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The White House has shown support Monday towards efforts to improve background checks for gun purchases since the gun debate was sparked after the deadly Florida high school shooting that left 17 students and teachers dead, NBC News reported.  

In a statement Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Trump was open to bipartisan legislation on background checks, NBC News reported. 

"The President spoke to Senator Cornyn on Friday about the bipartisan bill he and Sen. Murphy introduced to improve Federal Compliance with Criminal Background check Legislation. While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the President is supportive of efforts to improve the Federal background check system," Sanders said in a statement, NBC News reported. 



Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images, File

Kent Lifts State of Emergency Following Ice Jam Flooding

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Kent has lifted the state of emergency regarding the notorious mile-long ice jam blocking the Housatonic River.

It was never a question of if it would make its way downstream, rather when, and how.

"It was incredible to see the power of Mother Nature and then watching it all sort of runoff," Karen Garrity said.

Homeowners miles downstream in New Milford braced for the other side of the ice jam. The town feared the ice would break off, bottleneck and cause major flooding.

To everyone’s relief, the jam started moving mid-February and didn’t stop.

"We would see these big chunks of ice going down and then with it, debris," New Milford resident Kathleen Schmidt said.

State Representative Brian Ohler credits the successful thaw to time and temperature. Mother Nature released the ice into the Housatonic little by little, gradually bringing the water line up with it.

"That’s what we needed," Ohler said. "We needed it to make contact with the ice."

After 33 days of analyzing and preparing for seemingly every scenario, Ohler is confident he and other town officials know more about ice jams than he ever thought necessary.

"If this did occur again, we could react that much quicker to get people out of the area or even an advance warning system saying, 'Hey, we noticed the ice jam forming again. We need to take preventative measures,'" Ohler said.


Car Strikes, Shatters Window at Hartford Hospital

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A car struck and shattered a window at Hartford Hospital on Monday night, a spokeswoman for the hospital said. 

The area near the emergency room was cordoned off after the car struck the building around 7:40 p.m., media relations manager, Tina Varona, said. 

No one was hurt and the crash did not affect emergency room operations, Varona said. 

The building was not affected structurally.

Police are handling the investigation. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Police Need Assistance Identifying Suspects in Bridgeport Shooting

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Police need assistance identifying two suspects in a Bridgeport shooting that happened on Monday afternoon. 

A nearby video shows two suspects on Wood Avenue around 2:33 p.m. get out of a green vehicle before one of the men start shooting at a car driving by.

Anyone is information is asked to call detectives at (203) 581-5241 or 203-576-TIPS (8477).



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

By the Numbers: Canadian Figure Skaters Make Olympic History

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Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skated into Olympic history, the Shib Sibs added to their medal count and Team USA advanced in men's hockey. Here are the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers:

206.07 — Canadian Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir became the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history Tuesday (Monday night in the U.S.) when they won their third gold in the ice dance. Their dazzling, dramatic skate to music from “Moulin Rouge” earned them a final score of 206.07, a record high. Their fifth Olympic medal broke the tie with Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko and Sweden’s Gillis Grafstorm for most medals in figure skating. They tie the record for most gold medals with Grafstorm, Norway’s Sonja Henie and Soviet Union’s Irina Rodnina.

5-1 — The United States’ men’s hockey team steamrolled Slovakia5-1, to advance in the elimination round. They move on to face the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. With National Hockey League players absent in the Olympics, Team USA is comprised of mostly college kids who failed to make it into the professional league. 

 

2 — Alex and Maia Shibutani have won a medal at the U.S. Championships for 13 straight years. In Pyeongchang, the siblings helped Team USA take bronze in the team event. The Shib Sibs' sharply choreographed ice dance program to Coldplay was nearly perfect until a shaky lift late in the skate. They finished with their second bronze medal of the games. 


25 — Canadian Cassie Sharpe won her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s halfpipe freeski on Tuesday (Monday night in the U.S.), knocking off Team USA’s defending champion, Maddie Bowman. The 25-year-old scored a 95.80 on her second run. France's Marie Martinod, who won a silver four years ago in Sochi, t secured the same second-place spot on the podium in Pyeongchang, leaving American Brita Sigourney with the bronze medal. Sharpe draws inspiration from a United States Olympian: 17-year-old Chloe Kim.

 

3 — In the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final, defending Sochi champion Maddie Bowman fell on all three of her runs. She finished in 11th place with her highest score a 27. Bowman was attempting back-to-back 900s toward the end of her runs, but collapsed on the landing of the second 900 each time. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe won gold with a 95.80.

 

20Exactly 20 years ago, Feb. 20, 1998, American Tara Lipinski beat teammate Michelle Kwan for gold in women’s figure skating. Lipinski became the youngest gold medalist ever to medal in an individual event at the Winter Games at 15 years and 255 days old. She still holds that title.


28 — Norway extended its lead in the Pyeongchang Games medal count, adding its 28th with a gold in the ski jumping team event led by mustachioed Robert Johansson. Norway is moving closer to the all-time record for medals at a single Winter Games, 37. The country already holds the records for overall most gold, silver and bronze medals at Winter Olympics. 

—Daniel Macht contributed to this story



Photo Credit: 2018 The Associated Press
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1 Critical After Car Hits Pillar on Summit St in Hartford

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A juvenile is in critical condition after a car crashed into a pillar at the intersection of New Britain Avenue and Summit Street Tuesday morning.

The crash happened around 5 a.m. An NBC Connecticut crew on scene reported that it appeared a vehicle collided with a pillar near an entrance to Trinity College.

Hartford police confirmed that the crash involved a stolen vehicle. Three juveniles were taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, one in critical condition.

Emergency crews are on scene and more details were not immediately available.

This is the second crash involving a stolen vehicle in Hartford within about six hours. Around 11 p.m. Monday, a stolen pickup ran a red light at Ward and Zion streets and crashed into two other vehicles, killing one of those drivers and injuring two other people.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Woman Dead After Hartford Crash; Police Seek Driver Who Fled

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A 22-year-old woman is dead, two other people were hurt, and police are searching for a driver who fled after a crash at the intersection of Ward and Zion streets in Hartford late Monday.

The crash happened around 11:10 p.m.

Police said a pickup tan a red light going south on Zion Street and hit two cars. The 22-year-old driver of one vehicle suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital where she died.

The other car had two people inside who suffered minor injuries.

The pickup driver fled the scene on foot, according to police. Officers attempted a K9 track but were unsuccessful.

Police said the pickup had been reported stolen out of New Britain. Investigators believe the suspect is a teenager, based on a recent pattern of car thefts in the area. 

The investigation is ongoing and police are still searching for the truck's driver.

Anyone with information should contact Hartford police.

This is the first of two crashes involving stolen vehicles overnight in Hartford. Police said that around 5 a.m. a stolen vehicle crashed into a pillar at New Britain Avenue and Summit Street, near Trinity College.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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