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Cars Damaged by Fire at Bristol Auto Parts Yard


Woman Faces DUI Charges After Hitting State Police Cruiser

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A Hartford woman faces DUI charges after crashing into a Connecticut State Police cruiser on Interstate 84 early Sunday morning, according to State Police.

Police said 33-year-old Jennifer Rosario was driving under the influence when she crashed into a police cruiser that was stopped on I-84 eastbound near exit 49 in Hartford due to a previous accident. 

The trooper inside the cruiser suffered minor injuries and was taken to Hartford Hospital for treatment. Rosario was not injured.

According to police, Rosario failed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests conducted at Troop H. She was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, reckless driving, interfering with an officer, reckless endangerment, and other motor vehicle charges. She was held on a $25,000 bond and is due in court on April 26.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

11-Year-Old From New Britain Found Safe After AMBER Alert

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The 11-year-old boy from New Britain who was the subject of an AMBER Alert has been found safe Sunday afternoon.

An AMBER Alert was issued for 11-year-old Danny Maldonado-Medero Sunday afternoon.

New Britain police said they were first called to a home on Osgood Avenue around 2 p.m. for a report of a missing child. At that time, family members reported seeing a van in front of the home just before the child went missing and police were concerned that the child had been abducted. Based on that, police issued an AMBER Alert around 3:20 p.m.

Maldonado-Medero was spotted around 10 minutes later by multiple people, who stopped and called police.

“It worked very efficiently for us, grateful for the folks who saw him and turned around and stopped, made the call," Capt. Thomas Steck said.

Steck said it appears that the boy just wandered off, though the details are still under investigation. He was evaluated as a precaution and was found in good health. He will be reunited with his family.

The captain explained that the AMBER Alert was issued based on the information police had at the time and it got the word out quickly.

“We erred on the side of caution and we caused that alert to be put out. It was based on information we received because our officers asked questions when they got on scene; child is missing, it’s upsetting for the family," Steck said.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

FIRST ALERT: Timing Out Monday's Snow

Parkland Students Return From Break to Stricter Safety Measures

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On Monday, students will return to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from spring break and the campus will begin using stronger security protocols.

As part of the stricter safety measures, students must use clear backpacks. Students will be provided with free ones Monday and they will be the only type of backpack allowed on campus.

Each student will be issued a student ID badge, which must be worn at all times.

The Broward school district is also providing additional school security personnel beyond the Florida Highway Patrol officers that Gov. Rick Scott provided in March.

The changes to the security protocol are part of the district's response to a mass shooting on the high school campus that killed 17 people on Feb. 14. The alleged gunman and former student, Nikolas Cruz, was able to get into the building and leave after the incident undetected.

The district is considering permanent metal detectors and the use metal-detecting wands as further security measures at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School. It's also weighing the possibility of consolidating points of entry for students and staff. As of right now, there is a single point of entry for visitors at the high school.

Districtwide, the school board says they are working with law enforcement to evaluate the protocols and frequency of code-red training and drills. The school district also plans to expedite the completion of single point entry for campus visitors at all schools by the first quarter of 2019. The school district is also working to upgrade real-time surveillance camera systems at all schools. 

The approval of recent legislation will also help fund additional school resource officers and mental health services.



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Terry Renna, File

Texas 'Affluenza Teen' Set To Go Home After 2 Years in Jail

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Ethan Couch, the “affluenza” teen who drove drunk and killed four people in 2013, is set to be released from the Tarrant County jail Monday after serving two years in jail for violating his probation.

Couch, now 20, will be required to wear a GPS monitor on his ankle and be at home by 9 p.m.

A juvenile court judge initially drew widespread criticism after sentencing Couch to 10 years of probation. An expert defense witness testified Couch suffered from “affluenza” – being so spoiled by his wealthy parents that he didn’t know right from wrong.

On June 15, 2013, the then-16-year-old was driving drunk and under the influence of marijuana and Valium when he slammed into a group of people who had stopped to help a disabled driver along Burleson-Retta Road in south Tarrant County, Texas.

The crash occurred after Couch had stolen beer from a nearby discount store, police said.

In addition to the four killed, nine were injured, several critically.

The case had disappeared from the national spotlight when Couch was caught on camera in 2015 apparently drinking at a party. The video had been posted on social media.

He and his mother Tonya fled to Mexico. They were arrested in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta and extradited back to Fort Worth.

Tonya Couch was charged with hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering but released on bond.

Just last week, she returned to jail after failing a drug test, prosecutors said.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving said in a statement it’s a “small consolation” that Couch will remain on probation.

“Two years in jail for four people killed is a grave injustice to the victims and their families who have been dealt life sentences because of one person’s devastating decision to drink and drive,” the statement said.

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said he doesn’t agree with Couch’s “affluenza” defense.

“I think that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life,” Waybourn said. "I think what he did was horrific, and I think it was a very short sentence for the crime.”



Photo Credit: AP, File

27-Year-Old Man Shot and Killed in New London

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A 27-year-old man was shot and killed in New London and police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

Officers responded to Elms Street and Garfield Avenue after receiving a 911 call at 1:04 a.m. Monday reporting a shooting and found 27-year-old Joshua Fine, of New London, lying on the ground.

Crews transported him to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where Fine was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information is asked to call the detective division at the New London police department at 860-447-1481 or text a tip by texting NLPDTip, plus information to 847411.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Could Insurance Premiums Stop States From Arming Teachers?

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A Kansas law passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre could show what happens when a state allows school staff members to arm themselves, NBC News reported.

State lawmakers hadn't taken costly insurance premiums into account, and no Kansas school employee has legally brought a gun onto a public school campus since the law passed five years ago. The liability insurance company that covers most school districts in Kansas had advised its agents that, due to higher risk, "we have chosen not to insure schools that allow employees to carry concealed handguns."

Now, in the wake of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, bills that would legalize arming teachers have been introduced in seven states.

But one Kansas lawmaker who was a longtime Wichita school board member worries a law under consideration there "is a situation where legislators who didn't know anything about insurance are making rules that won't work."



Photo Credit: Mark Wallheiser/AP, File

Storm Postpones Yankees Home Opener

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The winter storm that has closed or delayed school in Connecticut Monday is also affecting New York and the home opener for the Yankees

The New York Yankees have postponed the game, which was supposed to start at 1:05 p.m. has been postponed. It is now scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Gates open at 2 p.m. Tuesday and pre-game ceremonies are scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., according to The Yankees website.

Fans with tickets to today's game can use them or exchange them for any regular-season game through the end of 2018, subject to availability, but anyone with a complimentary ticket must use it for the rescheduled game, according to an article on MLB.com




Photo Credit: Getty Images

Woman Sues Hospital After Vicious Attack by Male Patient

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A 19-year-old woman is suing the Michigan hospital where surveillance video captured her being attacked by a man while checking into the emergency room. The victim was punched in the head by a man who was waiting in the lobby of the Beaumont Dearborn emergency room on Feb. 10. The attacker had been discharged from the hospital earlier that day and reports say he bothered other patients and attempted to wander down hallways. WARNING: The video contains graphic content. 

Body of Missing Woman Found Buried in Bloomfield Field

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Police have identified the body found in a field in Bloomfield last week and said the remains are those of a woman who had been missing since August 2017 and authorities are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

Police have identified the woman as Elizabeth Rykhof.

Her family reported her missing on Sept. 22, 2017 after not hearing from her for a month.

Rykhof was 56 when she disappeared. Her family said at the time they she suffered from addiction and had bipolar disorder and they did not know where she was living.

Rykhof’s remains were found Thursday, buried at a 287-acre wetland site at 182 Woodland Ave. The cause of her death has not yet been determined.

Anyone with information is asked to call Bloomfield police at 860-242-5501.



Photo Credit: Bloomfield Police

U.S. Rep. Esty Asks Ethics Committee to Review Her Dismissal of Former Chief of Staff

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U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty is asking for the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee to review her dismissal of her former chief of staff after allegations he had harassed female employees and for the committee to determine whether there was any wrongdoing on the Congresswoman’s part.

On Thursday, Esty issued an apology for failing to protect female employees who said Esty’s former chief of staff, Tony Baker, harassed them, including one woman who said she was punched in the back and received death threats.

Reports say Esty, a Democrat who represents the 5th District, was informed that in 2016 that Baker threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, Anna Kain, who also worked in Esty’s office, through voicemail, after calling her more than 50 times.

It took three months for the Cheshire congresswoman to act, eventually signing a non-disclosure agreement, and providing $5,000 in severance to Baker, and assisting him in finding a job with Sandy Hook Promise.

Baker was Esty's chief of staff from 2014 to 2016. His spokesman denied many of the allegations.

Some lawmakers, including members of Esty’s own party, have called from her to resign.

NBC Connecticut’s attempts to reach Tony Baker, and staffer Anna Kain last week were unsuccessful. In a Facebook post, Kain made the following statement.

“I shared my story, but this isn't about me. This is about a flawed system designed to protect powerful people and that isolates and ignores those who need protection most. Abuse and harassment occur in congressional offices far too often, and this problem extends beyond Members of Congress themselves. I implore the Senate to act now to pass meaningful reform.

If you work on the Hill and are going through this, I want you to know that it's real, it's a problem, and nothing about it is okay. I hear you and I believe you. It is not your fault and you are not alone. And you are stronger than you think you are,” Kain wrote.

Esty said in a statement last week that she did take responsibility for not seeing what was going on in her office, and for taking the advice of the House Ethics Office, which she said looks out for the institution rather than staff. On Saturday, she said she would not resign and would continue her work.

“Although we worked with the House Employment Counsel to investigate and ultimately dismiss this employee for his outrageous behavior with a former staffer, I believe it is important for the House Ethics Committee to conduct its own inquiry into this matter,” Esty said in a statement Monday. “It certainly was far from a perfect process – and I would appreciate their advice, counsel, and review. I have apologized for my mistakes in the handling of this matter. I feel terribly for the victim of abuse. In seeking this inquiry, I want to clarify whether there was any wrongdoing on my part.”

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Esty asked that the Ethics Committee “conduct an inquiry into whether I have violated any law, rule, regulation or other standard of conduct applicable to a Member of the House.” A statement from her office also says Esty urged the full House to explore whether the rules and procedures for dealing with such matters need to be further revised and strengthened.




Wing Fest is Coming to Connecticut this Summer

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Wing Fest Connecticut is coming to Naugatuck this summer.

On June 9, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., you can enjoy a wide variety of wings from more than 10 restaurants and food trucks. The event will be held at the Naugatuck Event Center at 6 Rubber Ave.

Do you like your wings mild or hot? BBQ or teriyaki? Whichever you prefer, this festival provides more than 30 flavor varieties.

Local vendors will compete for the title of "Best Wings," while you can compete in a wing eating contest. Registration is free with purchase of event admission.

Tickets can be purchased in advanced here for $15. Door admission is $20. 

Experience a night with friends or family full of wings, music, contests, and vendors. 



Photo Credit: Wing Fest Connecticut Facebook Account
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Dow Falls More Than 450 Points, Amazon Leads Tech Lower

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On the first trading day of April, which is also the first trading day of the second quarter, stocks are tanking thanks to a combination of anxiety about a trade war, and fears about the tech industry getting hit with regulation, CNBC reported.

The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 596 points, with Intel as the worst-performing stock in the index. The 30-stock index also touched a new low for the year on Monday, falling below the low touched during the slide in February.

The S&P 500 dropped 2.6 percent and entered correction territory, with tech falling 2.7 percent. The index also dropped below its 200-day moving average, a key technical level. The Nasdaq composite dropped nearly 3 percent — also entering correction — as Amazon declined 5.4 percent.

"The market leaders are under pressure," said Marc Chaikin, CEO of Chaikin Analytics. "It's a situation where the proven winners for the past few years are faltering." When that happens, "there is a negative psychological sense in the market."



Photo Credit: AP

Reliving a Nightmare: Trooper’s Widow Reflects on Loss

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The loss of Trooper First Class Kevin Miller marks the first line of duty death for Connecticut State Police since Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall was killed on Interstate 91 in Enfield on Sept. 2, 2010. 

TFC Hall’s widow Sheila said that watching the news coverage of Miller’s death Thursday was like reliving her own worst day all over again. 

“My heart just went … it just stopped,” she said. “I couldn’t breathe because I kept reliving, you know, Kenny. When Kenny got hit, I watched the news, I never put two and two together.” 

For a short time on that September afternoon, Sheila only knew an unnamed trooper was hurt. 

An hour would pass from the time she saw the crash coverage on television to the time she heard a knock on the door. 

“I knew right then and there when I saw them,” she recalled. “They said to me, ‘Sheila, we have some bad news. And Kenny was involved in a car accident today, and he hadn’t made it.’ And I just remember I screamed at the top of my lungs and I fell to the ground.” 

TFC Hall was in his cruiser, writing a ticket, when a speeding pickup crashed into him. Like TFC Miller, Hall was a Marine Corps veteran, a father, two decades into the job and just months away from retirement when he was killed. 

Sheila described the state police procession that took her up Interstate 91 that day, past the scene of the deadly crash on the way to Baystate Medical Center to see her husband one last time. 

First responders lined the route, a somber salute that played out again this week as TFC Miller’s body was transported from the crash scene in Tolland to the medical examiner’s office in Farmington. A painful memory to relive, Sheila said, but a comforting show of support. 

“The blue line and the red line and any first responder in the public sector, this is what we do to honor our fallen,” she said. “We’re all one family. It’s forever.” 

Now the community that supported TFC Hall’s loved ones prepares to embrace another grieving family. 

“If you could send a message to Trooper Miller’s family and loved ones through this, what would you tell them?” NBC Connecticut’s Heidi Voight asked. 

“I would tell them to hold on. Hold tough. Stay together as a family. And the state police will be there for you. The entire law enforcement community will be there for you. You’ll never be alone and at any time, call any one of us. We will be there for you.” 

TFC Kenneth Hall was the 21st Connecticut State Trooper killed in the line of duty since 1922. TFC Kevin Miller is now the 22nd.  


Hartford Mayor Calls on Developer to Fix Blight

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For some people who live or work in Hartford, the former YMCA building at 160 Jewell St. has the same frustrating potential as the capital city itself. 

“It’s a beautiful spot,” said Cynthia Pennington, who works downtown. “I walk in Bushnell Park almost every day during the work week. We have a lot of beauty here.” 

As the building across from Bushnell Park sits empty, the only thing Hartford natives remember is what it used to be. 

“It was very active,” said Noel Diaz. “They had a swimming pool in the back where children used to go.” 

Also in the past, according to Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, is the involvement of its Massachusetts-based developer, Northland Investment. 

“What I’d like is for Northland to take an interest once again to be part of Hartford’s revitalization, instead of sitting on properties, letting them deteriorate, and letting them remain blights,” Bronin said. 

In a statement, Northland’s Senior Vice President Peter Standish told NBC Connecticut: 

“The fact is that Northland made a major effort to redevelop the Y site, and submitted plans to the CRDA, without ever receiving the courtesy of a response.” 

Bronin, a CRDA board member, said that’s news to him. 

“They haven’t proposed anything that I’m aware of in recent months or years,” Bronin said. 

He said he’d like to see Northland move forward with potential plans. 

Meanwhile, Northland is calling the mayor out for having plans of his own, implying he has bigger things to focus on until he “leaves to conduct his gubernatorial campaign.” 

“That’s one of the silliest things I’ve ever heard,” Bronin said. “I’ve been focused day and night in driving the revitalization of the capital city.” 




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Videos Show Sinclair Stations' Messaging on 'Fake Stories'

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News anchors at television stations across the United States read from an apparently must-run promotional script provided by Sinclair Broadcast Group that called for fair and accurate reporting in the age of "fake stories."

Video supercuts by Deadspin and ThinkProgress gained attention this weekend for showing anchors at Sinclair stations from Seattle to Washington, D.C., reciting the same lines about a “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.”

"Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control 'exactly what people think,'" the promos say. "This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.”

Maryland-based Sinclair is the country’s largest broadcaster and owns or operates 193 television stations, according to The New York Times. Their stations have previously drawn attention for carrying right-leaning commentary.

Sinclair's critics online described the videos, which reportedly ran last month, as seeming like pro-Trump propaganda.

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On Friday, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published a copy of the promo's text and also reported, citing an anonymous newsroom employee, that workers at the KOMO station were not fans of the forced script. 

Dave Twedell from the International Cinematographers Guild and a business representative for photojournalists, but not anchors, at KOMO in Seattle and KATU in Portland, told the Times that Sinclair said their journalists should not to discuss the company with outside media.

Other anchors spoke out to CNN on March 7, though not on the record.

NBC has reached out to Sinclair for comment.

Last year Scott Livingston, the senior vice president of news for Sinclair, read a speech that was nearly identical for a segment that was distributed to outlets.

“The stories we are referencing in this promo are the unsubstantiated ones (i.e. fake/false) like 'Pope Endorses Trump' which move quickly across social media and result in an ill-informed public,” Livingston told the Baltimore Sun by email in response to coverage of the promos. “Some other false stories, like the fake 'Pizzagate' story, can result in dangerous consequences." 

The statement added that Sinclair was "focused on fact-based reporting."

Coverage of the promo scripts prompted reaction via Twitter Monday morning from President Donald Trump.

“So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased," he wrote on Twitter. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.” 

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Of Sinclair's 193 stations, 15 include NBC affiliates and an additional seven are operated, not owned, by Sinclair. (This station is owned by NBC.) 



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steve Ruark, File
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Why Parents and Doctors Are So Worried About Teens 'Juuling'

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Juul is a sleek, discrete brand of e-cigarettes that's become a hit for teenagers and a concern for families, teachers and doctors, "Today" reported.

Each Juul pod contains an equivalent amount of nicotine to a pack of cigarettes, according to the manufacturer.

Some doctors are concerned that teens believe e-cigarettes are safe when they have been found to deliver cancer-causing chemicals. Fruity flavors, like those you can buy for Juuls, were found to be the worst offenders, according to research published in March.

Among those concerned doctors is Jenni Levy, who found out her 18-year-old daughter was "juuling" when her husband found an unusual cartridge in the laundry in their Pennsylvania home. "My biggest concern is she's sucking in vapor and we don't know what that does," she said.



Photo Credit: Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Fla. Cities Suing State Over Ban on Local Gun Control Laws

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Ten cities from Broward and Miami-Dade counties are set to sue the state of Florida over a 2011 law preventing local governments from enacting their own restrictions on guns.

In Florida, local governments are prohibited from enacting gun rules that are stricter than state laws that already exist or face stiff penalties, including removal from office and a $5,000 fine paid from their personal funds. They also face the legal expenses from lawsuits filed by any person or group affected. 

Though a ban on passing local gun laws that are stronger than state ones has been in place since the 1980s, penalties targeting local officials were only added in 2011 with the help of the National Rifle Association, according to the Miami Herald. 

In the weeks after the Feb 14. massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, proposals for gun control measures by local officials, in defiance of the state law, have failed to pass because commissioners concede that the state sanctions are too severe.

Last week, an attempt to pass an ordiance in Coral Gables prohibiting the sale of any firearm "capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic or burst fire" was defeated. Officials who voted against the measure said they didn't want to expose Coral Gables to millions of dollars in legal fees, the Herald reported.

And in Weston, just 20 miles south of Parkland, Mayor Daniel Stermer is seeking to pass an ordinance that would prohibit guns on city-owned property. Weston city commissioners voted last week to file the lawsuit challenging the penalties and was joined by Miramar, Pompano and Lauderhill in Broward along with Miami-Dade cities Miami Gardens, South Miami, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay, Miami Beach and Coral Gables.

The suit, expected to be filed Monday, alleges that personal penalties for violating a law that preempts cities' ability to regulate guns are unconstitutional because it violates legislative immunity and separation of powers, infringes on freedom of speech and conflicts with the governor's limited power to remove local government officials, among other things. It names Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants. 

The suit comes nearly two weeks after Scott signed a contentious bill that raised the age limit to buy firearms to 21 from 18, banned the sale and possession of bump stocks, and created a mandatory waiting period for gun purchases.



Photo Credit: Don Juan Moore/Getty Images, File

Legalizing Medical Marijuana May Cut Opioid Abuse: Study

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Making medical marijuana available might help reduce opioid prescriptions a little, researchers reported Monday.

They found states that legalized the medical use of marijuana saw small reductions in opioid prescriptions for Medicare and Medicaid patients, NBC News reported.

Since opioid prescriptions are considered to be a major driver of the opioid abuse epidemic, the researchers said, medical marijuana laws could be a part of the solution.

“State implementation of medical marijuana laws was associated with a 5.88 percent lower rate of opioid prescribing,” wrote Hefei Wen of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and Jason Hockenberry of the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.



Photo Credit: Eric Gay/AP, File
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