Police in Clinton and East Hartford are issuing warning after coyote sightings in the two communities.

Clinton police said there have been coyote sightings on the Town Beach in Clinton and there are concerns about safety as the weather improves and the use of beaches becomes more of a demand.

Clinton police said in a post on their Facebook page that they have reached out to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division.

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Clinton police said DEEP wants people to be aware that it's the time of year when coyotes are raising their babies and they're active at all hours, searching for food.

The Clinton Department said officers and Animal Control will keep an eye out for coyote dens near the beach. None have been seen as of now.

East Hartford police are warning of an increase in sightings of coyotes in the area between Arnold Drive, Greenlawn Street and Arbutus Street and said coyotes are rarely a threat to humans, but can sometimes hurt or kill pets. 

Humans have steadily driven the world's biggest land mammals into extinction for thousands of years, and we're not done — the cow could soon be the largest one left, according to a new study.

NBC News reported that the study, published Friday in the journal Science, concludes that human activity, not climate change, is what drove animals like the mammoth and saber-toothed tiger extinct.

Today, hunting leaves little hope for saving large, wild mammals from extinction, according to the researchers led by biologist Felisa Smith of the University of New Mexico.

"Wild mammals are in decline globally because of a lethal combination of human-mediated threats, including hunting, introduced predators and habitat modification," the researchers wrote.

A woman who served as a caretaker from an elderly Westport woman is accused of stealing silver from her client and has been arrested. 

Police have charged 50-year-old Maribeth Nixon, of Westport, with third-degree larceny. 

An officer who was reviewing recent Westport pawn and precious metals transactions on Feb. 26 saw that Nixon sold several silver items that were engraved with someone else’s initials, according to police. 

Police said the department knew Nixon was a caretaker for a local elderly woman and the woman’s initials matched those on the silver. 

Nixon turned herself in to police on Wednesday and has been charged with third-degree larceny and she was held on $25,000 court set bond.

A Montville school superintendent, principal and assistant principal are all on leave after being arrested on charges of failing to tell authorities about an alleged student "fight club," supervised by a substitute teacher at the high school, according to state police. Now the district is working to ensure operations continue as usual amid the leadership shakeup.

Montville Superintendent Brian Levesque, 45, of Brooklyn, Principal Jeffrey Theodoss, 64, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and 59-year-old assistant principal Tatiana Patten, of Niantic, are all charged with failing to report abuse.

The three administrators have been placed on leave pending the outcome of the police investigation and an internal school probe, Assistant Superintendent Laurie Pallin said. Pallin has become the face of the school district while Levesque remains on leave pending the outcome of this investigation.

“We want to assure parents that leadership is in place at all Montville schools as students return on Monday from spring break,” Pallin explained in a statement.

Pallin will remain the assistant superintendent, but take on the role of superintendent for the time being. She has worked in the Montville School District for 25 years.

Montville named replacements for the other administrators Friday.  

Heather Sangermano, current principal of Montville's Palmer Building, will become the acting principal for Montville High School. She has worked as a principal in the district for six years.

Sangermano will work closely with acting assistant principal Phil Orbe.
“I am completely confident that Heather will be able to seamlessly step into this new role, so that we can remain focused on the education of our students” Pallin said.

The Board of Education is set to meet Tuesday, April 24 to discuss the specific long-term plans.

The former substitute teacher, Ryan Fish, was arrested last week and charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child, four counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and breach of peace. The 23-year-old from Bozrah, who was accused of overseeing the "fight club," was fired from the school in October after videos of fighting in his math classroom surfaced, state police said. He pleaded not guilty to charges.

The board of education in Montville held a special meeting Thursday at the Montville High School library at 5 p.m. to discuss a "personnel matter related to the incident at the high school." The meeting went into executive session and officials declined to make any public comments on what was discussed.

Levesque, Theodoss and Patten are due in court on May 3.

Levesque and Patten did not immediately return messages left at their homes. NBC Connecticut was unable to immediately reach Theodoss.

As a baby, Jaelah Jerger suffered up to 30 seizures a day and the FDA-approved drug her parents tried to treat her epilepsy didn't work.

Her father, Jade Jerger, told NBC News every time Jaelah had seizure, "it's like watching part of her life slip away."

Feeling helpless, the Jergers decided to try a remedy they'd learned about on the internet, an extract from the cannabis plant called cannabidiol, or CBD. According to the Jergers, within a week, Jaelah's seizures were largely gone.

But when they told their medical team in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Jergers were reported to Child Protective Services (CPS). "They were going to take her," said Jade.

Though Indiana law allowed the use of CBD in some medical circumstances, at the time, it was not legal for children with Jaelah's form of epilepsy. In Feburary, the Jergers filed a lawsuit against CPS. A month later, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill allowing for the widespread use CBP. 

"We feel like we're fighting for our lives," Lelah Jerger said.

CBP falls within the definition of marijuana and remains illegal under federal law. However, on Thursday, an advisory committee to the FDA voted to recommend approval of CBD as a treatment for rare and severe forms of epilepsy.

Two Norwich women are accused of embezzling more than $30,000 from a local McDonald’s.

Norwich police arrested 30-year-old Jolene Rochester and 69-year-old Patricia Dyer Friday. The pair is accused of embezzling a total of $32,268 from the McDonald’s Restaurant at 78 Town Street in Norwich.

They were each charged with first-degree larceny and held on $15,000 bonds. Both are due to appear in court on May 3.

NBC Connecticut, Telemundo Connecticut and NBC Universal are proud to bring you Project Innovation. We are awarding $225,000 locally to non-profits using tech-based approaches to solve real-life problems.

The Veterans Vocational Program at the CT Public Broadcasting’s IAM Institute for Advanced Media utilizes advanced digital and technology skills to help veterans find jobs. The program is one of six Project Innovation winners this year. NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut are awarding it $25,000 in grant money.

“This grant allows individuals to come to our program, take advantage of these scholarships, and it allows us to develop new curriculums,” said Donna Sodipo, Senior VP of Education.

After serving nine years in the military, Sami-Kaie Milling from Windsor says transitioning back to civilian life has been tough.

“Just finding your place and where you belong,” he said. “That’s one of the hardest things I’ve found. This is something that I’ve been interested in since I was a teenager, I just never had the opportunity.”

Sodipo said their program serves 50 students a year so they can invest a lot of time into each person.

"We want to make sure we can serve the whole person," she said.

They plan to launch two new classes in the fall.

Federal officials expanded a romaine lettuce warning on Friday to cover all types of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region.

"Unless the source of the product is known, consumers anywhere in the United States who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Product labels often do not identify growing regions; so, throw out any romaine lettuce if you’re uncertain about where it was grown." 

The expanded warning is based on information from newly reported illnesses in Alaska. 

"Do not buy or eat romaine lettuce at a grocery store or restaurant unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region," the CDC states.

An E. coli outbreak that health investigators believe is linked to contaminated lettuce has expanded, with 53 cases now reported in 16 states, and nearly three dozen hospitalized, at least five of whom suffered kidney failure.

Officials believe the contaminated lettuce was grown in Yuma, Arizona, though they have not identified a grower, supplier, distributor or brand.

Cases have been reported across the tri-state area, the most in New Jersey (7); New York and Connecticut have three cases each. Pennsylvania has the most (12) in this outbreak, followed by Idaho (10). Check the CDC's case count map.

The CDC added nine more hospitalizations to its count from last week, bringing the total in this outbreak to 31. Five of those cases involved a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition caused by the abnormal destruction of red blood cells. No one has died.

Consumers who have bought romaine lettuce - including salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce - are advised to throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.

Before purchasing romaine lettuce at a grocery store or eating it at a restaurant, confirm with the store or restaurant that it is not chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region. If you cannot confirm the source of the romaine lettuce, do not buy it or eat it.

Restaurants and retailers are advised to take similar precautions.

Health officials say the outbreak started in late March. Symptoms vary and can range from mild to severe diarrhea to nausea and vomiting. Usually, there is little or no fever present. E. coli can spread from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, the CDC says. It is very contagious and can spread quickly in places such as daycare centers and cruise ships.

“Individuals with this infection usually get better within about 5 to 7 days, however, some illnesses can be serious or even life-threatening,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said in a statement last week. “Anyone experiencing symptoms of this illness should see a healthcare provider.”

An 87-year-old Winsted man was killed in a car crash in Bristol Friday.

Police said they responded to a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Jerome Avenue and Maple Street around 9:40 a.m.

According to police, a Toyota Corolla was traveling south on Jerome Avenue. As the car approached the intersection with Maple Avenue, it crashed into the back of a Jaguar that was stopped at a traffic light. The force caused a chain reaction crash with two other vehicles in front of the Jaguar.

Police said Arthur Deraleau, a passenger in the Toyota, was unresponsive on scene and taken to Bristol Hospital, where he died. The 72-year-old driver of the Toyota was taken to St. Francis Hospital for evaluation. The driver of the Jaguar reported minor injuries but declined transportation to the hospital. No one else was hurt.

The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating. Anyone with information should contact Officer O'Connor at 860-584-3032.

A former Ansonia man facing child pornography charges has been located and arrested in California.

Police said 36-year-old Aaron Bresky, who once lived in Ansonia but now lives in Huntington Beach, Calif., faces a charge of possession of child pornography.

According to Ansonia police, a joint investigation between Ansonia and the Seymour Police Department began in November 2009. During the investigation, police searched Bresky’s Ansonia home and found child pornography on his computer and other electronics. Investigators secured a warrant for Bresky’s arrest, but he left the state before he was arrested.

Bresky was located in California and arrested as a fugitive from Connecticut. He posted bond then returned to Connecticut Tuesday to face the charges.

According to online court records, he was released on a $25,000 bond and is due in court on May 1.

Rick Lavrado watched as $7,200 in charges hit his bank account minutes after placing an order online.

The Stratford resident placed an order on AllPosters.com in October 2017 and paid for it with his debit card. Lavrado expected the cost of $189.66 to be deducted from his account. When he checked his bank statement, he saw 38 withdrawals of $189.66 from AllPosters.com, totaling $7,207.08.

The company blamed a technical glitch and promised to put the money back into Lavrado’s account.

Four days later, the money was back - the company refunded him for everything but the shipping cost of the original order. But as a result of the error, Lavrado’s bank account was overdrawn by $4,000, causing two checks to bounce and $74 in overdraft fees.

Lavrado told NBC Connecticut the company agreed to repay him for the overdraft fees and he faxed over a copy of his bank statement. But he said he didn’t get a response.

Lavrado waited several months for a response, then decided to contact NBC Connecticut Responds.

NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to Art.com Inc., the company that runs AllPosters.com.

In response to our inquiry, a spokesperson said Lavrado’s request for a reimbursement of his overdraft fees was overlooked due to an internal communication error.

“We want every customer experience to be a great one, and sincerely apologize to any of our customers who were inconvenienced by this error. We have taken action to ensure that it does not happen again,” the spokesperson said.

The company is sending Lavrado a check for $74 to cover the overdraft fees, along with a $100 gift card.

Wind gusts and dry conditions put the state under a high risk for fire danger Friday. The risk has the fire marshal’s office in Derby working even harder to solve a pair of recent brushfires which could be connected to a years-long series of arson fires along Route 34.

“It was on Route 34 which there are no fire hydrants,” Phillip Hawks, Derby Fire Marshal said.

As fast as Hawks is working to solve the cause of city’s latest round of brushfires, so too is the risk for fire danger across the state.

Starting to get dry, you got a lot of old leaves on the ground,” Hawks said.

The DEEP Division of Forestry predicted high fire danger Friday with winds gusting 15 to 20 to up to 30 miles per hour.

The prediction comes nearly three weeks after a brush fire in the Cullens Hill area of Osborndale State Park that shut down part of Route 34. Moments later yet another brush fire popped up nearby.

“The only thing that was more of a concern was that you had two fires about half a mile or three-quarters apart from each other that started at the same time,” Hawks said.

Hawks says the cause of the dueling brush fires is still under investigation. He’s now looking into if the fires could be connected to a string of arsons that have happened along Route 34 for years.

“All the valley towns are looking into the fires to try to see if there's a connection between them or similarities,” Hawks said.

“If you see something you say something,” Dizett Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who works off Route 34 and visits Osborndale State Park, said if someone is responsible for the fires, they won’t get away with it forever.

“Hopefully someone will see something or if they see something suspicious they’ll report it,” Hamilton said.

Up against a deadline to move the budget process along, Democrats and Republicans unveiled their plans for the 2019 fiscal year Friday.

There is some common ground among the plans that emerged from the General Assembly. Democrats and Republicans both look to restore tens of millions to programs that had previously been either reduced or cut altogether. Both are looking to restore funding for the Medicare Savings Program in different ways with Republicans looking to change eligibility in order to cover nearly 160,000 people.

Democrats and Republicans both agreed that more funding for municipal aid and education are necessary, each increasing amounts previously proposed by Gov. Dannel Malloy. Democrats go a step further when it comes to education, setting aside $5 million for free tuition for low-income residents.

Both parties feel they can make these kinds of investments and commitments as a result of better than expected income tax receipts. Due to changes to the federal tax laws in Washington at the end of 2017, up to $1 billion in new revenue is expected to be collected by the state for the 2019 fiscal year.

Malloy, on the whole, is not a fan of taking those gains and instantly spending them. He said the funds should be saved for the next downturn in the economy, which he anticipates will happen soon.

“We are in the tenth year of a recovery, and recessions happens every seven years,” Malloy told reporters. He does not expect the more than $1 billion in expected cash to become a regular occurrence.

“This is one time money in a state that has a very low rainy day fund. The best use of this money on this day is to fund the rainy day fund,” he said.

The issue that took the attention of both Republicans and the governor had to do with how to pay for long-term pension obligations. Malloy proposed spending more than $1.3 billion to cover the required amount as stated by actuaries. Republicans proposed decreasing the payment to just more than $1 billion, arguing that other policy changes would lead to savings in the future based on their actuarial tables.

Republicans proposed taking money that would otherwise be directed to the state’s Budget Reserve, or Rainy Day, account, and using it to pay down pension liabilities, but at lower rates than the governor has proposed.

Sen. Len Fasano, (R – North Haven), the top Republican in the Senate, argued the GOP plan will lead to $200 million in savings over the next five years, while also addressing the long-term liability.

“We believe that if we are prudent enough to reduce the unfunded liability with a plan that we keep going on with we could achieve the goal and keep some of our services going because we don’t believe that you can raise taxes,” he said.

The governor, however, contends the Republicans are deliberately trying to underfund the pension obligations, while diverting $300 million to pay for other Republican priorities.

“It’s outrageous,” Malloy said. “They refuse to learn. You can say a lot of things about me but you can’t say I’m responsible for the pension problem.”

He likened the current GOP proposal to the one he vetoed last Fall, that also provided less money to the pension fund year over year, depending on future savings as a result of eventual other policy changes.

“Apparently a number of the things they’re doing are pie in the sky. ‘We’ll be able to do X, Y, or Z in the future.’ Well, if you’re able to do X, Y, or Z in the future, do it then, when you actually have accomplished something. What they’re trying to do now is steal money and lessen their obligation to fund this long-term obligation,” Malloy said.

The legislative session concludes on May 9. Last year’s session ended in June and lawmakers and the governor did not agree on a budget until the end of October.

The New London Police Department and the community are arming themselves with paint to keep the city graffiti-free.

New London Police Crime Prevention Officer Ryan Soccio designed the “Graffiti-Free New London” program.

“Graffiti is not an art form. It’s vandalism,” Soccio said.

It’s a team-up with the city’s building department, New London Campus Coalition, New London Youth Affairs and youth volunteers who will target graffiti and remove it.

“[Youth] are part of this. They’re part of the fabric. And a lot of the time, they may know who’s doing the tagging,” Soccio said.

Graffiti in the city is at times profane, sometimes gang-related and destroying someone else’s property or property value, according to Soccio.

“It breeds the idea that no one cares about a neighborhood, about a community,” Soccio said.

Anyone can report graffiti to the New London Blight Officer at 860-447-5240 or Soccio at 860-440–6673. They’ll make a list of vandalized properties and volunteers will paint-over or remove the tagging for free.

Through a grant, Home Depot will supply all of the paint, rollers and supplies. The work will take place in the spring and summer.

The significance of this kind of program is something even young kids in the neighborhood understand.

“They think it’s cool to put stuff everywhere and think it’s funny. Some people are too young to see that stuff,” fifth-grader Allie Holmes said.

“The older people have a reflect on the younger people and then over generations they keep doing it. Their behavior is reflecting on other people,” Zion Connor added.

Ahead of planned summits with both the U.S. and South Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that the country has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to shut down a nuclear test site.

The emergency room at MidState Medical Center was locked down after a patient showed up with a white powdery substance on him Friday evening.

DEEP officials said crews were called to the hospital after a patient with chest pains arrived at the emergency room around 5:20 p.m. with a white powdery substance on him and packages of it in his pocket.

Police said three of the nurses treating him reported starting to feel sick. The patient and the nurses were all quarantined.

Firefighters and police responded and locked down the emergency room. After testing officials determined the substance was sodium bicarbonate - commonly known as baking soda. The substance is not dangerous and the emergency room was reopened.

The patient and nurses are being treated and are expected to be OK. It is not clear what made the nurses sick, MidState officials said.

Patients were redirected from the emergency room to the Hospital of Central Connecticut during the lockdown. Patients in the main facility of the hospital were not affected, police said.

The town of Southington is considering banning candy cigarettes from sale.

Students who are part of a tobacco prevention work group suggested the ban after learning they’re sold at the Apple Festival. They worry that the candy could give young children a positive perception of smoking real cigarettes.

The ban was proposed to the town’s ordinance review committee, who voted to pitch the idea to the Town Council. Now officials are now considering an ordinance that would fine anyone who sells the candy. The proposal is still early in the process, and the next step is to work on what the ordinance would entail and how it would be enforced.

But some people think a ban is excessive.

“I ate them as a kid. I don't smoke cigarettes,” said Watertown resident Jeff Guertin. “I think it's absurd. It's just more things that they're taking away from us,” he added.

Several councilors applauded the efforts of the student group. While some support the proposal, others feel it’s an overreach and an overreaction.

Western Connecticut State University in Danbury is investigating after approximately 40 students fell sick Thursday and Friday.

The school tweeted Friday night that they were investigating a “viral-like illness” that broke out on both campuses. Students complained of symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. School officials are working with the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Danbury Health Department to determine the cause.

Anyone experiencing symptoms should see their doctor or visit urgent care of a hospital emergency room for treatment, and ask to be tested for a possible virus.

The university’s Westside campus, where the most cases were reported will undergo a deep sanitizing over the weekend. Students who live at the Westside campus will be bused to the Midtown cafeteria while the cleaning takes place.

Students are encouraged to wash their hands before eating or handling food, and to avoid sharing food or drink with others. Any students who vomit in their dormitory should contact Housing or Residence Life staff to help with cleanup.

The sun is shining, and the weather is finally warming up. What better way to celebrate than to visit one of the nation's beautiful national parks -- for free.

The National Park Service will offer a "fee-free" day Saturday to kick off National Park Week. Fee-free days cover entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees.

Events throughout National Park Week include Earth Day (April 22), a Military and Veteran Recognition Day (April 28) and more. This year's theme is "Park Stars" to celebrate "everything from starry skies to superstar volunteers, park features, and resources," according to the NPS website.

In honor of Earth Day on Sunday, the NPS is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System, as well as the Wild & Scenic Rivers System. And next Sunday, they'll celebrate National Park Rx Day -- another opportunity to get out and spend some time at a national park or trail. 

Find more info about National Park Week events here.

Here’s a list of some national parks you can explore for free Saturday:

Maryland:
Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Fort Washington Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Virginia:
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway’s Great Falls Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
Prince William Forest Park
Shenandoah National Park

California:
Cabrillo National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lava Beds National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Pinnacles National Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Yosemite National Park

Ohio:
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

Oklahoma:
Fort Smith National Historic Site

Washington:
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park

Texas:
Big Bend National Park
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Padre Island National Seashore

Find the full list of participating parks here.

The clear blue-green waters around the Great Barrier Reef are changing faster than previously thought, according to a new study in the journal Nature, worrying scientists who say the survival of the Great Barrier Reef and other ecosystems like it is crucial for the planet, NBC News reported.

At the Great Barrier Reef — considered one of the Earth's largest living structures at 1,400 miles long — about half of the coral died in 2016 and 2017 because of record extreme heat, a result of climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions, the researchers found.

Australia's weather bureau said 2017 was the country's third-hottest year on record, and the scorching temperatures came despite the lack of an El Niño system that normally brings warmer weather.

Historically, coral deaths were at a smaller 5 percent to 10 percent. Other research has estimated that 90 percent of the world's corals could be dead as soon as 2050. Scientists are concerned that the colonies of coral that make up the Great Barrier Reef have been damaged to a point where they won't bounce back. If corals remain in too-warm water they turn white — a process known as bleaching — and can potentially die.