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Volunteer Firefighter Accused of Arson at Fire House in Shelton

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A volunteer firefighter in Shelton is accused of setting a fire outside the firehouse during a dinner in February.

Police said they arrested 57-year-old William Tortora, of Shelton, after an investigation into a fire in the back parking lot of Echo Hose Company #1 during a past captain’s dinner on Feb. 3 and expect to make another arrest.

Investigators determined that a fire had been set in the back of a pickup that was parked abutting the firehouse at 379 Coram Ave., police said.

On Thursday, police arrested Tortora. He has been charged with second-degree arson, reckless endangerment in the second degree, criminal mischief in the second degree, as well as conspiracy charges in relation to each count.

He was held on a $250,000 bond and arraigned in Derby Superior Court today.



Photo Credit: Shelton Police

Texas Grocery Store Sells Selena Bags Online

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Selena fans, get your wallets ready because the newest product that the HEB supermarket chain will debut will surely have you pumped.

A limited edition line of bags inspired by the late Tejano singer will be on sale throughout Texas beginning Friday. If you do not live in the Lone Star state, the bags are available to buy the product online at HEB.com.

The bags, which were designed with the help of the singer’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla-Arriaga, have two photographs of the Queen of Tex-Mex in black and white, with the name of the singer in pink.

In a press release, the company said the bags are reusable and are made out of 100 percent recycled materials. The environmentally-friendly bag will cost $2 each. Don’t prepare to buy a haul of these bags, however, because sales will be limited to two bags per person.

HEB added that it will be donating $25,000 of the proceeds from the bag sales to the Selena Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that supports community and education initiatives. Part of those same funds will then be allocated to the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Bend.

"At HEB, we are very excited to offer our customers this Selena commemorative bag, which is a tribute to such a beloved personality whose music continues to inspire people everywhere," said Cory Basso, vice president of marketing for HEB.

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez died, after being fatally shot by her former employee and colleague, on March 31, 1995.

This article was translated from Telemundo San Antonio.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/The LIFE Images Collection
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Power Out for More Than 15,000 Across Connecticut

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Power is out for more than 15,000 houses and businesses across the state as a nor’easter brings rain, strong winds and snow, down from nearly 13,000 this morning.

Eversource is reporting 12,774 power outages and United Illuminating is reporting 2,942 power outages as of 1 p.m.

The highest numbers are in Farmington, Woodbridge, Danbury and Waterford.

Because of power issues, Montville Public Schools closed early. 

Check United Illuminating outages here.

Check Eversource outages here. 





Photo Credit: Brandon

Mueller Asking If Kushner Business Ties Affected WH Policy

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team is scrutinizing whether any of Jared Kushner's business discussions with foreigners during the presidential transition later shaped White House policies in ways designed to either benefit or retaliate against those he spoke with, witnesses who have been interviewed in the Russia investigation told NBC News.

Witnesses are being asked about Kushner's efforts to secure financing for his family's real estate properties, focusing specifically on his discussions during the transition with individuals from Qatar and Turkey, as well as Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates. The family real estate business, Kushner Companies, approached Qatar multiple times, including last spring, about investing in its Fifth Avenue property, which is facing roughly $1.4 billion in debt that is due in 2019, but the government declined.

Kushner also held a Trump Tower meeting during the transition in December 2016 with former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, or HBJ, to seek funding for the property. Those talks continued after Kushner entered the White House and stepped away from the business, but last spring HBJ decided against investing. In the weeks after the Qatari government and HBJ talks collapsed, the White House strongly backed an economically punishing blockade against Qatar, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, citing the country's support for terrorism as the impetus. Kushner, who is both President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser, has played a major role in Trump's Middle East policy and has developed close relationships with the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The White House, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said the blockade against Qatar is in retaliation for their government’s support for terrorism. Though some top Qatari government officials believe the White House's position was a form of retaliation from Kushner.



Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/ GettyImages, File

State Police Make Arrest in Thompson Stabbing

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State police have arrested a suspect in a stabbing in Thompson.

Police responded to Day Kimball Hospital at 6:34 p.m. Wednesday after a patient who had been stabbed several times arrived for treatment, according to state police.

The victim had been stabbed in the shoulder, arm and abdomen during an argument in the driveway of a home in Thompson, according to state police. He was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Police have arrested 18-year-old Dylan Mark and charged him with first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, breach of peace and tampering with or fabricating evidence.

 

Bond was set at $100,000.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Wires Down on School Bus With Children Aboard in Southington

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Wires came down on a school bus with children aboard in Southington amid high winds and heavy rain on Friday. 

Police said they are at the scene on Meriden Avenue.

No other information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: Alexandria Fabiano

Craft Stores Serve as Backdrops for Photo Shoots

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Fake flowers, yarn, ferns, fabric and ivy are just some of the items founds in craft stores that are also being used in a social media photo challenge. 

Portraits that look like they were taken in a garden are posted on Twitter and Instagram using #HobbyLobbyChallenge and #MichaelsChallenge. 

The photo shoots started with photographer Kelsey Maggart of Indiana posting photos from a Hobby Lobby store's floral aisle.

Maggart tweeted: "shooting in hobby lobby is the new thing now am I right"

The response to her photos quickly moved to Michael's stores being used because Hobby Lobby employees reportedly frowned on their stores being used for photo shoots. 

Michael's, the largest craft store in North America, according to their website, welcomed the challenge and encouraged customers to use their location as a garden backdrop or photo studio.

"At Michaels, we are “faux real” about allowing customers to have some fun creating alluring photography in our floral department. As a company rooted in creativity, we love seeing how people put their unique spin on the #MichaelsChallenge and bring their beautiful portraits to life," said Michael's Public Relations Manager Mallory Smith in an email. 

A local Michael's aisle 10 just might serve as the next portrait session location. You may get inspiration from the images posted on social media below. 

Hobby Lobby did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 




Photo Credit: Michael's
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1 Person Dead After Tree Falls on Car on Route 15

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One person is dead after a tree fell on their car on Route 15 amid rain and high winds. 

Police said the tree fell on the car driving southbound between exits 31 and 33, troopers said. 

Two people were inside the vehicle and one person was sent to the hospital for evaluation while the other was pronounced dead, police said. 

The highway is closed at exit 33.

Police continue to investigate at the scene. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

College Student Arrested in Parents' Shooting Deaths

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A Michigan college student believed to have fatally shot his parents on campus on Friday, sparking a lockdown and a day-long police search, has been apprehended, Central Michigan University police said.

James Eric Davis Jr., 19, is thought to have fatally shot his parents with his father's gun, NBC News reported. Davis' father, James Davis Sr., is a police officer in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood, Illinois State Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch confirmed.

The suspect was in custody of Central Michigan University Police, police said early Saturday.

"The suspect was seen and reported by an individual on a train passing through the north end of campus shortly after midnight," the university said in a statement. "Law enforcement personnel responded and arrested the suspect without incident."



Photo Credit: WEYI, Mt. Pleasant police

Team USA's 'Take Charge' Women Represent a Bigger Movement

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It was women who carried the United States when the team was looking weak toward the end of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Of the 23 medals won by the U.S., 12 were won by female athletes and two more were won in mixed events. It’s the highest-ever percentage won by women at the Winter Games when Team USA has won more than 10 medals.

From Jessie Diggins, who helped snap a 42-year medal drought in cross-country skiing, to the hockey team then dethroned Canada, the four-time defending Olympic champions, women shined and gave life to a Team USA that was in desperate need of celebration in the final stretch of the Games.

"It's pretty incredible how strong our women's teams have been," said Olympic Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. "Definitely in this day and age with females breaking out and creating something bigger than just sport -- it stands for something."

Dr. Terri Boyer, director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University, said that "perhaps more than others, women athletes have often been 'take charge' people."

"That said, I think that women across all sectors and industries have been moving towards change which empowers women more in the last year and a half or so," she said.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment this "movement" began, Boyer said, but the last year has been "one of reckoning for women," confronting issues including harassment and discrimination.

"I think the wins of the women on Team USA are a perfect metaphor for how women are rapidly asserting more power in every facet of American life -- from sports to politics to entertainment," said Kara Alaimo, an assistant professor of public relations in Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. 

One of the assertions of power was seen with the rise of #MeToo. It started after sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in October, which led to his removal from his company. The women who came forward about Weinstein opened the door for others to share their experiences with Weinstein and other powerful men in Hollywood. Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and Matt Lauer were among the men to lose projects, roles and jobs amid high-profile sexual misconduct allegations.

Women began using the hashtag #MeToo on social media shortly after the Weinstein allegations to share their stories and find solidarity in each other’s experiences. Those stories sparked national conversations.

"We are witnessing the power of breaking a collective silence and the world is splitting open," said Michele Tracy Berger, a professor of women and gender studies at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "Dismantling the behaviors, beliefs and power structures that makes sexual misconduct and sexual violence possible has been a priority for many self-identified feminists and people working for gender equality since the second wave women’s movement of the late 1960s."

The calls for social change in America today take a different shape from previous feminist movements, Berger said. Women are empowered through social media, celebrities who are speaking up and the institutions that are willing to punish predators for their transgressions.

"The #MeToo movement has its roots in generations of feminist activists who paved the way for it to be possible for us to demand change so vehemently now," said Alaimo, who writes frequently about gender issues.

It wasn’t just the entertainment industry that felt the power of the #MeToo movement. U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., resigned amid reports of sexual misconduct. And the Republican candidate for an open U.S. Senate seat, Roy Moore, was accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls when he was the deputy district attorney of Etowah County, Alabama. Moore lost the special election to Democrat Doug Jones in December.

Women have been calling out their abusers in politics, but they have also taken on campaigns and offices of their own. There are 22 women in the U.S. Senate and 84 in the House. At the state and local level, women represent about 20 percent of elected officials, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.

Those numbers could drastically change after the midterm elections in November, as a record number of women are running for office, according to statistics from the Rutgers center. The House shows the largest spike in female candidates; as of Feb. 26, approximately 441 women -- 343 Democrats and 98 Republicans -- are expected to run in 2018.

One of the women emboldened by the Women’s March the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated was Rachel Crooks, who will be a first-time candidate for the Ohio state legislature. Crooks is one of the 16 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct; he allegedly kissed her without consent in 2005. She said the unwanted encounter was another inspiration for her to run for public office.

"But choosing to run for office in Ohio is not really about what Trump did to me; I’m running because his election and the actions of our political leaders since then have demonstrated to me that there is a lack of honesty and integrity among our government officials and a lack of desire to bring about change by actually serving constituents," Crooks wrote in an opinion piece for NBC News.

Alaimo believes that all of the instances of women empowerment are interconnected and dependent on one another to succeed.

"Women can't achieve equality in politics, for example, without the same kinds of wins in business, entertainment and sports," she said. "What needs to change is how every member of society -- both men and women -- view and treat women."

The best way for that change to stick, Alaimo said, is through social pressure to treat women with respect, which Americans have begun to see.

"Men abuse women partly because our society has in the past taught them not just that they can get away with it, but also that such displays of toxic masculinity are somehow esteemed," she said. "But now, men who treat women this way are becoming ostracized in America."

According to Boyer, a major key to the women’s movement is how empowerment is occurring almost simultaneously across many areas of American public life. The collective actions "across sectors and industries will be what makes a difference in impacting real change," she said.

After winning gold in Pyeongchang in the women's cross-country team sprint, Diggins said she felt inspired and supported by the women of Team USA.

"I feel like I've learned so much from every woman on this team," Diggins said. "Both our team, and then being here at the Games with the greater Team USA, has been so cool -- getting to meet all these amazing women who are so strong, and so powerful and so good at what they do."



Photo Credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images, File

Plainville Man Gets Slammed With $11K Bill After Motor Coach Accident

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When a Rizzo Pools driver rear-ended Larry Cummings’ 40-foot motor coach last year, he didn’t call police.

“It was kind of like shock,” Cummings said. “Definitely a surprise.”

In August, while driving along the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, Cummings said the company’s driver hit his motor coach and he admits he didn’t file a police report because the two drivers agreed to work it without involving their insurance companies.

But when the estimated $11,000 bill came in from the repair shop, Cummings said Rizzo Pools wanted to go into a different direction.

“They said that they would get back in touch with us. They would send out an adjuster and insurance person,” Cummings said.

Cummings said for six months, he unsuccessfully tried to reach Rizzo Pools and the insurance adjuster several times by phone or in person.

“They were thinking that maybe this whole thing would go away that I would just kind of not pursue it anymore,” Cummings said.

While his motor coach was parked at a Plainville repair shop, he reached out to NBC Connecticut to contact the company’s insurance carrier, Corporate Risk Solutions. An adjuster came out to see Cummings’ motor coach after NBC Connecticut Responds got in touch.

“We are very empathetic to Mr. Cummings and the incident with Rizzo Pools. Because he didn’t file a police report for the incident – there was no legal determination as to who was at fault. And Mr. Cummings did not submit his claim to his insurance company which caused a delay in his claim. Proper insurance protocols were followed and Rizzos issued the check,” the company said in part to NBC Connecticut Responds.

Finally, Cummings receive an $11,855 check in the mail.

“It makes us feel wonderful, “Cummings said.

Rizzo Pools did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Thousands Without Power With Cleanup Underway After Storm

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Clean-up crews were hard at work after a deadly storm that slammed Connecticut with heavy rain, snow and powerful winds Friday, and those strong winds continued to hamper clean-up efforts Saturday morning.

This storm is being blamed for at least seven deaths across the northeast, including one in Connecticut. One person was reported dead after a tree fell on their car on Route 15 south near exit 33 in Stamford Friday. Another occupant was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Downed trees and wires littered roads throughout the state, causing road closures and power outages.

As of 9 a.m. Saturday, Eversouce was reporting 42,542 customers without power, and United Illuminating reported 1,631. 

In West Hartford, several roads remained closed due to hanging wires and fallen trees. On Ridgewood Road, part of the road was shut down when a massive tree uprooted and fell across the road, taking wires down with it.

Down the street on Hunter Avenue there was a similar scene. A pine tree actually brought down two power poles, snapping a street light in half.

On the Yale campus in New Haven, the roof of a garage on Sachem Street partially collapsed. Officials said the structure collapse was a result of the powerful winds. The street is closed until crews can clean up and deem the area safe.

At Bradley International Airport airlines were scrambling to get back on schedule after approximately 40 percent of Friday's arriving and departing flights were canceled. Travelers should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Man Dies After Shooting Self in Head Near WH: Officials

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A man has died after he shot himself in the head near the White House North Lawn Saturday morning, officials said

President Donald Trump is not at the White House this weekend and is in Florida at Mar-a-Lago. He was briefed on the initial incident, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told NBC News.

"A white male suffered a self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head outside the North White House fence line," The Secret Service said in a statement. The unidentified man approached the area, brandished his concealed handgun and fired several rounds, "none of which appear at this time to have been directed toward the White House."

No other injuries were reported related to the incident, the agency said, and those inside the White House were told to shelter in place. The Metropolitan Police also confirmed the incident.

The shooting occurred along the north fence of the White House near 17th Street and Pennsylvnia Avenue Northwest, the Secret Service said. Pedestrian and street traffic in the area was being rerouted.

This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.



Photo Credit: Tupungato - stock.adobe.com

Middlesex Hospital ER Reopens After Car Rams Entrance

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The emergency department at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown has reopened after authorities said a man rammed his car into the emergency entrance of the hospital on Crescent Street on Feb. 22.

The car then burst into flames before the suspect set himself on fire.

Hospital officials said the department reopened at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, but the lobby area remains closed.

About 90 percent of walls in the emergency room had to be replaced because of water and smoke damage. Crews worked round the clock to restore the area, replacing damaged walls, cleaning equipment, and assessing and replacing supplies.

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The hospital had established a temporary emergency department space to treat patients while the repair work was underway. That area will now close.

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Patients can access the reopened emergency department using a temporary entrance at the hospital’s tower on Crescent Street. Security and staff will be on hand to greet patients. Though the lobby is closed, a temporary waiting room is available.

The driver involved in the crash, Steven Ellam, died of his injuries at Bridgeport Hospital.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The Middletown Police Department, the FBI and several other outside federal, state and local agencies are all involved in various parts of this investigation.



Photo Credit: Middlesex Hospital
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Coginchaug Student Arrested After Social Media Threat: PD

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A student at Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham has been arrested after an investigation into a threatening social media post.

State police said they started receiving calls about a concerning Instagram post Thursday. According to police, the post referenced the Florida school shooter and mentioned possible violence at Coginchaug High School.

Investigators traced the post back to a juvenile student, who admitted to making the post. He also told police he never planned to follow through on the threat.

The student was charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace. He is due to appear in court on March 7.

Coginchaug reported a similar incident last week. In that case, a student was charged with breach of peace. 



Nor’easter Causes Travel Headaches

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Whether a long trip or just a quick drive down the road, the powerful storm that hit Connecticut Friday caused travel headaches and delays all along the East Coast.

On Friday Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor service was suspended from Washington to Boston. As of 11 a.m. Saturday service had resumed on modified schedules. Customers should contact Amtrak directly for information about ticket refunds and modifications.

Metro-North was forced to provide bus service on its New Canaan Branch due to weather issues along the route Friday. As of 4:30 a.m. Friday service had resumed.

At Bradley International Airport, nearly 40 percent of Friday’s arriving and departing flights were canceled, though the airport remained open. On Saturday airlines were playing catch-up with their schedules, leading to a small number of cancellations and delays.

Local roads across Connecticut were closed due to trees and wires down, as well as flooding in some shoreline communities. Local authorities in Stamford warned that all the damage and debris could make it difficult for first responders and Eversource crews to respond quickly.

In Westbrook, authorities sent lists of local road closures and warned travelers not to drive over downed trees or wires, which could still be live.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

1 Dead After Barge Capsizes Near Guilford Yacht Club

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One person is dead after a barge capsized in Guilford Saturday, according to the United State Coast Guard.

USCG officials said eight people were on the barge when it capsized near the Guilford Yacht Club. According to USCG, the Guilford Fire Department Dive Team recovered one body. The other seven people returned to shore.

The victim has not been publicly identified.

More details were not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.




Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Winds Tear Down 227-Year-Old Tree Planted by Washington

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Just a week after the anniversary of George Washington's birthday, strong winds knocked down a 227-year-old tree that the founding father himself had planted at his Mount Vernon estate.

The Virginia historical site was closed in anticipation of the 60 mph winds that hit the area Friday, but the Canadian hemlock tree and a Virginia cedar that stood watch over Washington’s tomb didn't survive the severe wind storm.

Mount Vernon said on Facebook the hemlock arrived to Washington's home and plantation in a half whiskey barrel from the then New York governor. Washington had planted the tree outside the upper garden gate.

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"The DC area lost a lot of #trees yesterday, but maybe none more significant than this 1791 Canadian Hemlock @MountVernon," tweeted Rob Shenk, the senior vice president of Mount Vernon’s visitor engagement.

Mount Vernon Director of Horticulture Dean Norton said the estate lost its best-documented tree on the property.

Roughly 2 million utility customers remain without electricity after a powerful storm swept across the Northeast.

The storm swept in Friday and prompted more than 2,800 flight cancellations, mostly in the Northeast. LaGuardia and Kennedy airports in New York City were brought to a near standstill. By Saturday afternoon, airports from Washington, D.C. to Boston were still reporting dozens of delays and cancellations.



Photo Credit: Mount Vernon
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Large Storm Kills 9, Leaves Swaths of East Coast Powerless

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Hundreds of thousands of Americans were without power Sunday and at least nine deaths were said to be related to a nor'easter that thrashed the East Coast with heavy winds, rain and snow on Friday, NBC News reported.

Many of the deaths were due to falling trees, officials said. Police in Andover Township, New Jersey, said that a 41-year-old man was killed when he came into contact with downed power lines on Friday evening.

The heavy winds and downed trees also led to the deaths of eight people in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, authorities said.

More than a dozen utility companies reported that hundreds of thousands of their customers were affected by the powerful storm.




Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Crews Rescue Pet Turtle From South Windsor House Fire

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South Windsor firefighters rescued a pet turtle during a house fire on Greenfield Lane Saturday.

Fire officials said crews responded to 74 Greenfield Lane around 5:20 p.m. Saturday after a neighbor called 911. No one was home at the time of the fire, but firefighters did rescue a pet turtle.

No injuries were reported. 

The two people who live in the home are displaced.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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