A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago's Midway Airport to Newark was diverted to Cleveland Wednesday after a mid-flight window issue, according to the airline and its passengers. 

Southwest said in a statement that Flight 957 was diverted for a "maintenance review of one of the multiple layers of a window pane." Images posted to social media appear to show a crack inside one of the plane's windows.

"Window broke mid flight to Newark from Chicago @SouthwestAir #WhatsGoingOn," tweeted Deepak Chawla, who told NBC News he was on the plane and the window was next to the seat behind him.

The airline said that "the aircraft maintained pressurization as there are multiple layers of panes in each window," and "the flight landed uneventfully in Cleveland."

Pilots did not declare an emergency and no oxygen masks were deployed, according to the FAA, which also said the plane landed without incident.

The plane was taken out of service for a maintenance review, and Southwest was working to get the flight's 76 customers on another plane to Newark.

The incident comes just two weeks after another Southwest Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia after engine exploded mid-flight and blew out a window. A woman died after she was partially sucked out of that window.

In response to the explosion, the FAA ordered more than 350 similar engines to be inspected. Under the April 20 order, all CFM 56-7B engines that have gone through at least 30,000 takeoffs or landings must be inspected within 20 days.

The state has extended the deadline for cities and towns that want to apply to establish their own crumbling foundations testing program using funds from a block grant. 

The issue of the crumbling basements is connected to concrete poured from 1983 through about 2013 that has the naturally occurring mineral pyrrhotite in it. When exposed to air or moisture, it can cause cracking, according to reports. 

Gov. Dannel Malloy last year announced that the state would begin offering testing reimbursements to homeowners in northeastern Connecticut who are impacted or potentially impacted by the ongoing crumbling foundations issue. 

A statement the state Department of Housing released Wednesday says the reason for the extension is to solicit applications for funding to help residents obtain financial support to test their foundations for the presence of pyrrhotite. 

The funds are subject to availability and only municipalities with a population below 50,000 residents are eligible for the Community Development Block Grant—Small Cities program. 

Any eligible municipality that would like to apply must submit a letter of intent to DOH by June 15. 

Municipalities that establish a crumbling foundations testing program with CDBG-SC funding may cover 100 percent of the costs to test a foundation for pyrrhotite, up to $5,000, according to the Department of Housing. 

The department received one multi-jurisdictional application in 2017 and awarded $250,000. Any resident who lives in Ashford, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Tolland, Union or Willington can apply directly to their town for that funding. 

DOH Commissioner Evonne M. Klein said testing foundations for the presence of pyrrhotite is the first step towards remediation. 

“When the Captive Insurance Company is up and running, which was established through state legislation, it will offer real relief to residents of northeastern Connecticut. It is our hope that in the coming months and years we will be able to secure a long-term federal solution to address this problem, which could affect thousands of households,” Klein said. 

To be eligible for a reimbursement of foundation testing costs through CRCOG, the following criteria apply:

• The home must have been built during or after 1983.
• If the home was built before 1983, but there is an addition that was built after 1983, only the addition is eligible for testing reimbursement. The homeowner must supply proof that the addition was built after 1983 (such as a building permit, certificate of occupancy, or other similar documentation).
• The home is located within a 20 miles radius of the former J.J. Mottes Concrete Company in Stafford Springs—though the Commissioner of the Department of Housing may now grant a waiver for homes located outside this radius.
• Visual Inspections must be performed by a licensed, professional engineer.

Under the Capitol Region Council of Governments program, homeowners are eligible for a 50 percent reimbursement of their testing costs, up to $2,000 for petrographic analysis—core testing. Visual inspections will be reimbursed at 100 percent of value, up to $400. 

Learn more about the crumbling foundations testing reimbursement program here.

The last statement from the attorney for JJ Mottes is that the company is now out of business. 

The last full statement released to NBC Connecticut in August 2016 read: 

“In the 15 years since we took over the management of the Joseph J. Mottes Company, we have adhered to rigorous standards set forth by the American Concrete Institute and the state of Connecticut. We continue to cooperate with the ongoing state investigation so that homeowners can get the answers and real solutions they deserve. One thing that is clear to us is the extensive media and governmental scrutiny has led to another issue arising – in addition to homes affected by damage, there are now large numbers of homeowners and potential home buyers who do not have problems but are being told they will. 

“Certainly, those homes with damage need to be remedied, but a comprehensive solution is called for - one that helps those who are not financially capable of helping themselves, guards against predators of all kinds and eases the burden placed on the real estate market. We believe that effective lower cost preventive remedial actions exist, that appropriate independent authorities can and should identify these techniques, and this information needs to be widely shared and adopted.” – John Patton, spokesman, The Joseph J. Mottes Company.

The political research firm accused of improperly gaining access to the sensitive user information of as many as 87 million Facebook users is shutting down, NBC News confirmed.

Cambridge Analytica, which had ties to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, is shutting down following a whirlwind of privacy and data collection allegations in recent months, CNBC reported.

The firm is shuttering in part due to mounting legal fees associated with its investigation into whether there had been any wrongdoing with regard to Facebook data, according to the Wall Street Journal who first reported the move.

"Despite Cambridge Analytica’s unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfull the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the company’s customers and suppliers," the company wrote in a statement. "As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business, which left Cambridge Analytica with no realistic alternative to placing the company into administration."

Ten months after watching helplessly as her teenage son was swept away in the Connecticut River, a Meriden mother is on a mission to prevent another family from enduring unspeakable tragedy. 

It’s not easy for Jessica Vega to come to Haddam Meadows State Park. It’s the last place she saw her 17-year-old son Jay Agli alive. 

“It was really, really hot that day,” she said. “But the water was really cold.” 

It was June 11, 2017, the day a family trip to the park ended tragically. 

Jay’s sister Kishana was wading on a sandbar when she stepped off a sudden drop-off and was pulled into the water by a strong current. 

Jay immediately jumped in to try to save his sister. Jessica watched, horrified, as her son was carried away by the swift-moving river.

“He knew he couldn’t swim and he still jumped to get her,” Jessica recalled, tears welling in her eyes. “He gave everything for his sister until his last breath.” 

A nearby boater helped to pull Kishana to safety, but Jay Agli never resurfaced. Multiple agencies responded for a search and rescue effort that would last two days before Agli’s body was eventually recovered.  

Middletown Fire Department divers were part of that recovery effort just as they were in 2011 when another teenager, 18-year-old Hartford resident Dominic Sobota, drowned in the same spot.

Chief Robert Kronenberger said that part of the river can be deceptively dangerous for visitors unfamiliar with the area. 

“The conditions are so different from what you may see on the surface to the bottom,” Kronenberger explained. “What may look like a nice soft current on top, as soon as you step off it could be running at a couple knots and it’ll pull you under quick, not to mention the drop-offs.” 

But Jessica Vega said her family had no idea of the dangers that day because there were no signs posted anywhere in the park warning of the current or drop-offs. 

NBC Connecticut visited the park in March, and the only reference to swimming was visible in small print in Section 23-4-1 (s) of the General Regulations on the park’s welcome sign. It reads, “Swimming is allowed except where posted as prohibited by the Department of Environmental Protection.” 

There are no prohibition signs anywhere in the park. 

“A lot of people said, ‘Get a lawyer [to sue]’ and I said, ‘For what? What happened was an accident, and that’s not going to bring him back,’” she said. 

Instead, Jessica wanted something else – warning signs. 

Beginning her mission in July, she went to town officials, her state representative, even members of Congress and the U.S. Senate. None would commit to helping her, she said. 

“Nothing. They told me it was state, they didn’t have anything to do with it.” 

But Jessica persisted, eventually making contact with the governor’s office. 

Finally, in March, she received an update from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s state parks director, Thomas Tyler. 

Not only would the state install the warning signs at her request, he said, but they would also include Jay Agli’s name and story. 

Tyler explained the decision in a statement to NBC Connecticut: 

“Haddam Meadows State Park does not have a designated swimming area, but we know that some visitors to Haddam Meadows leave the park to enter the Connecticut River for boating excursions or to recreate on a sandbar in the River. For those who may not be aware of the risks of swimming in a river, and the currents that can exist there, hopefully this type of sign will provide that information. The family of Jay Agli has agreed to have his name and the circumstance of his drowning in the River included on the signage. While it is unusual to include such information on this type of sign, we feel that it helps make it a more powerful message, and we appreciate his family’s support in this effort.” 

Chief Kronenberger said his department receives numerous calls for water rescues every summer and believes the signs could help, particularly if they’re added in both English and Spanish. 

The signs will be installed at Haddam Meadows State Park before the start of this summer season. Jessica said she’ll be there on the day they’re posted and wants to see similar warnings posted at other state parks elsewhere along the river. She hopes others will be inspired by her example. 

“A lot of people don’t know that they can do something,” she said. “A lot of people told me, ‘I don’t know why you’re trying; it’s state-owned, you’re not going to be able to get them.’ And I got them. I said, ‘You know what, if I can save another life and use my son as an example, that’s why I did it.’” 

Jay Agli would have been a senior at Platt High School in Meriden this year. The school plans to honor him at graduation this June. 

His sister Kishana will walk across the stage to receive Jay’s diploma. 

A Southington elementary school has issued a warning to families about a possible case of measles.

Derynoski Elementary School officials said someone with a possible case of measles may have exposed others at the school on April 26, 27 and 30, 2018. Testing has not yet confirmed the illness is measles, but administrators have issued the warning as a precaution.

If the case is measles, others may begin to develop measles symptoms anytime between Thursday and May 21.

The state Department of Public Health issued a warning last week about measles after two children in New Haven County contracted the disease while traveling outside the U.S.

Measles can spread quickly to those who are not vaccinated against it. Symptoms usually being with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a sore throat. After a few days a rash will develop, usually on the person’s face and hairline, and spreading down the body. Fever can spike to dangerous levels when the rash appears.

People with measles are contagious up to four days before the rash appears and up to four days after it appears.

Most people have been vaccinated or have had measles in the past, before vaccination became routine, according to health officials. Anyone who is unsure of their vaccination status should check with his or her physician.

If you suspect you or your child has a case of measles, you should avoid public places and contact your health care provider before going into the office to avoid spreading the disease.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Approximately 2,500 out of about 19,000 direct care specialists in Connecticut are prepared for a strike next week if they do not receive a raise.

The members of SEIU 1199 have not received a raise in 12 years, and are looking for their wages to achieve a floor of $14.75 an hour. The group says most employees make less than that, while there are some who make more.

Democrats pushed Wednesday for a solution that would send millions to the Connecticut Department of Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Social Services to provide those funds to the nine providers facing strikes.

“This is a mechanism by which additional moneys will be made available to lift up the wages of all 19,000 of these grossly underpaid workers, most of whom live at or near the poverty line," said Rep. Michael D'Agostino, (D - Hamden), who sponsored the legislation aimed at fending off the strike.

The providers facing strikes are all private providers who work on a contract basis for the state. They are Oak Hill School, Mosaic Inc, Alternative Services ASI, Sunrise, New Seasons, New England Residential Services, Whole Life, Network Inc and Journey Found.

Republicans say they do not see the need to rush through legislation that provides the raises. They are seeing more information on the individual providers' agreements with the state and their employees.

“We have to really understand those contracts. What they say, what they are," Sen. Len Fasano, (R - North Haven), the GOP President Pro Tem of the Senate. “It seems like they’re rushing this issue through.”

Laverne Hatcher has provided care to the same client for three years.

"I'll take him to musical fairs and art classes and we do all of that and it’s bringing him to be able to deal to be in the community with other people," she said of her daily responsibilities.

Hatcher says a higher living wage is an issue of financial security.

“The reason we’re striking is because we haven’t had a raise in 12 years and lately it’s become so hard to even pay my bills. I have to decide sometime whether I’m going to pay my light bill or gas bill and I don’t think it’s fair.”

The Connecticut House approved a measure to provide more money to workers on an 88-62 vote, with some Republicans voting with Democrats.

The bill now goes to the Connecticut Senate. The strike could happen next Monday.

Torrington police are investigating after around 10 headstones were toppled at Center Cemetery. 

Police said they have not identified any suspects and they are hoping that someone who saw something will come forward. 

Cemetery officials said they are a non-profit organization with no funds to repair damage, but a volunteer is working on it.

Douglas Lawton is the only volunteer available to help with the cleanup and said each headstone takes anywhere from an hour or a day to repair. 

This is the second time something like this has happened in Torrington recently. Around 30 headstones were pushed over in Old St. Francis Cemetery on Willow Street last week.

A New Haven man found guilty of murder is now a free man after being incarcerated since 1999.

In a courtroom this afternoon, a marshal removed 39-year-old Marquis Jackson’s handcuffs and shackles. Shortly after the hearing during which the judge vacated his conviction, Jackson emerged from the New Haven County Courthouse to celebrate with his family supporters.

“It feels wonderful,” Jackson said. “It seems unreal.”

Jackson is the second man to have a felony conviction vacated for a 1999 murder and robbery at the Dixwell Deli in New Haven.

“We came in together,” Jackson said, “We leaving together, we never waiver on each other. Our friendship is strong no matter what through the times, we stuck together and never gave up.”

Convicted together in 2000 for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Caprice hardy, Vernon Horn and Jackson have always maintained their innocence.

“This is a wonderful day for me, 19 years and coming, I always believed that I would be exonerated you know sometimes it was shaky but I kept the faith,” Jackson said.

In court, New Haven State’s Attorney Pat Griffin called today’s development a “necessary act.”

The reinvestigation of call records made from a cell phone stolen during the robbery found that Horn never had the phone and the state’s main trail witnesses were not truthful, attorneys said.

“I will say that the cell phone evidence that convicted these gentlemen has been called into question at best and has been deemed patently false,” Jackson’s attorney Daniel Lage told reporters. “And because of that cell phone evidence we now know where the locations of certain individuals were, those individuals were not Mr. Jackson nor Mr Horn.”

Jackson is now looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life.

“It’s very interesting because the same justice system that took my liberty gave it back,” he said, “so I’m bittersweet but unfortunately there are several other men who didn’t get the lucky break I did today.”

Jackson’s attorneys say they plan to file a wrongful conviction claim with the state. One of them told NBC Connecticut defendants with overturned convictions that served similar time behind bars have received settlements around $6 million.

Jackson said one of the first things he plans to do as a free man is go see the blockbuster hit, Black Panther.

There are more than 200 school districts throughout Connecticut, some of which have multiple superintendents and multiple school boards.

Large portions of state, town and city budgets go toward funding our schools, but currently many districts are facing declining enrollments, deteriorating buildings and cuts in municipal aid. 

Diana Torres, her husband and children moved into their Torrington home two years ago after searching for a neighborhood with a great school.

“It was really important for us to buy a home we loved, and find a school nearby that our kids were going to love, and had good ratings,” Torres said.

They chose their neighborhood mainly because of the elementary school that their sons Felix and Jacob now attend. But because of declining enrollment, the family has learned that their school, East Elementary, will close at the end of the school year.

With the closing of East, the district is restructuring into sister schools. They include, on one side of town the Vogel-Wetmore school for kindergarten through third-grade students. Fourth and fifth-grade students will attend Southwest. In the other part of town the Torringford School will serve kindergarten through third-grade students, while Forbes schools will house fourth and fifth graders.

It’s a decision that Torres believes comes at a price. Diana’s son Jacob will no longer be right around the corner from his elementary school.

“He’s not used to change. I’m scared it’s going to impact him grade-wise,” said Torres.

The school district’s decision to consolidate its schools is sending the family packing.

“We’re going to sell our house, just because we’re not happy with the decision the BOE made, and we pay a lot of taxes into the town,” Torres added.

Torrington Superintendent of Schools, Denise Clemens, told the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters the district is not involved in any current discussions to join forces with any other district despite their financial issues. The district is one of many in Connecticut facing similar issues including declining enrollment, fewer state dollars and possible school closings.

In some instances, it is leading to schools restructuring and talks of cooperative arrangements between districts or even regionalization.

• GET MORE: The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters reached out to every school district in the state to see how much each school superintendent gets paid. Click here to see the data.

Jonathan Costa is the Assistant Executive Director with EdAdvance, one of the state’s six regional education services centers known at RESC’s. He said he is a neutral third-party facilitator who consults with districts for planning purposes, school improvement and discussions on merging districts and services.

“As state government resources have shrunk, that’s putting more pressure on smaller districts,” said Costa. “Folks are spending a lot of money on systems that are clearly not very efficient. If they could take those same resources and invest in a more efficient system, there are probably more opportunities that could be availed to kids in that system,” he added.

Could county government help solve the district’s financial and enrollment issues?

“It would certainly be more efficient, the big fear is that small towns with local boards are very responsive to individualized resident needs,” Costa said.

Costa believes the benefits to regionalization or collaborative arrangements between districts offer an opportunity to broaden a child’s educational experience at a more efficient cost.

“Could the number of school districts in Connecticut be reduced and have the same level of service to students maintained? I think that’s clearly true, and there are models for it all over. The challenge is we have a long and storied history of doing it local,” Costa said.

The majority of school districts in the state of Connecticut operate with one school board. But that isn’t always the case.

Region 4 schools cover the towns of Chester, Essex and Deep River and has three elementary schools, one for each town. Each elementary school has its own school board and superintendent.

The district’s Superintendent, Dr. Ruth Levy reports to more than 30 different board members. Their district has attempted to regionalize in the past, but voters stopped that from happening. Both towns involved in a school merge, would have to separately “green light” the move in a referendum vote.

Dr. Levy said that while regionalization might be the right decision for some districts, she thinks the state needs to look at additional options for all districts. Options including what is a called a “supervision district,” which involves divvying up costs between the different school boards in their towns.

For example, the schools share central office administration staff members and elementary school art teachers so those employees are able to work in more than one school.

“I think more money could be saved, I think we could create better programming for students, Dr. Levy told NBC Connecticut.

Lon Seidman, Essex’s Board of Education Chairman, said school boards are forced to work around the restrictions put in place by the state.

The state allows the schools to share costs, but does not recognize the entity as a school district for the purposes of special education and other programming.

“I think there is a perception that somehow these towns are not doing more to regionalize or work together because they just don’t want to, that’s just not the case. When in fact taxpayers are being asked to either maintain an inefficient structure or give up everything they have control over, and that’s not a choice for many taxpayers,” Seidman said.

A 27-year-old West Haven man is dead after he was hit by a train in West Haven, according to Metro-North.

The man was on the tracks, east of West Haven, when a train hit him at 6:07 a.m., according to Metro-North. 

There were delays on trains in and out of New Haven until around 9:30 a.m.

A 21-year-old woman who was stabbed in the chest in Meriden Wednesday is dead and her boyfriend has been charged with violating several protection orders that had been issued.

Officers responded to South 3rd Street in Meriden at 11 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a stabbing and a man who was on the street said a woman had been stabbed and he believed her boyfriend was the one to stab her, according to police.

When officers went into the house, they found a 21-year-old woman who had been stabbed in the chest and emergency medical personnel began treating her, but the woman was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police have not released her name.

The victim’s boyfriend, 20-year-old Mateus Nascimento-Dacosta, of Danbury, had traveled to Waterbury and turned himself in. He was then brought back to the Meriden police department, where he was charged with three counts of violation of a protective order because there were three protective orders in place from previous incidents involving the victim, according to police.

Police said the investigation into the stabbing is still open.

Nascimento-Dacosta is being held on $1 million bond and he is due in court today.

Utz Quality Foods is voluntarily recalling several brands of tortilla chips due to potential contamination of undeclared milk allergen.

The Hanover, Pennsylvania-based company announced in a press release that some bags of Golden Flake, Good Health, Utz and Weis brand tortilla chips may have been contaminated with milk, a product that is not listed under the ingredients. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

No illnesses associated with this voluntary recall have been reported to date, and no other products from any of the brands are being recalled.

Consumers are urged not to eat the recalled products. Those who purchased the recalled product may return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund or exchange, or simply discard it. Retailers should check their inventories to confirm that none of the products are available for purchase by consumers and remove all of the recalled products from shelves.

For further information please contact the UTZ Customer Care Team at 1-800-367-7629 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

Members of the Texas church where 26 people were killed last year when a gunman opened fire on its congregation will join President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to mark the National Day of Prayer.

Trump invited Pastor Frank Pomeroy of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs and his wife Sherri Pomperoy, along with three shooting survivors for  the annual observance held every year on the first Thursday of May, NBC affiliate WOAI reported. 

Pastor Pomeroy and his wife are expected to lead a prayer during the 11 a.m. ET service in the Rose Garden. The couple's 14-year-old daughter was killed in the November 2017 shooting. Both Frank and Sherri were out of town, in different states, the day of the shooting. 

Trump plans to unveil Thursday a new initiative that aims to give faith-based groups a stronger voice within the federal government, the Washington Post reported.

The White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative will serve as a watchdog for "government overreach on religious liberty issues," according to Religion News Service, which first reported on the order.  Trump plans to sign the order during a Rose Garden ceremony Thursday attended by religious leaders including the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Donald Wuerl; Southern Baptist pastors Jack Graham and Ronnie Floyd; Focus on the Family founder and radio host James Dobson; and author and speaker Eric Metaxas.

Megachurch pastor Paula White, one of Trump's key evangelical advisors during the presidential campaign, cheered the initiative. 

"I could not be more proud to stand with President Trump as he continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with communities of faith," she told RNS. "This order is a historic action, strengthening the relationship between faith and government in the United States and the product will be countless, transformed lives."

The proposal that would have started the process to bring tolls back to Connecticut highways died late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Top Democrats could not secure enough support for the tolls either in their chamber or even in the Connecticut Senate, likely sinking the issue in the waning days of the legislative session.

“Look, I’m willing to put my election on the line over tolls because I genuinely believe it’s the right thing and ultimately that may happen," said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, (D - Berlin). "I just think more people should.”

The proposal would have authorized the Connecticut Department of Transportation to come up with a plan for tolls that would then be voted on again in the 2019 General Assembly.

That never sat well with Republicans, describing the bill as a tax. And many Democrats were fearful of a constituent backlash in a year where they are defending seats in what could be a tightly contested statewide election.

Rep. Tony Guerrera, (D - Rocky Hill), has been the loudest support of tolls for years, and he said the risk was too great, for now, for Democrats to spend a lot of time and effort on a bill that they were not even guaranteed could pass the evenly divided Senate.

“Do we have a six to eight-hour debate down here and then does the bill ever get called upstairs?" asked Guerrera. "So there’s some dynamics that we need to deal with.”

Republicans were united against tolls from the start. They proposed their own infrastructure spending plan which relied exclusively on borrowing $63 billion over 30 years, and using the state's bonding authority. They proposed no new revenues to pay for infrastructure, unlike tolls, and would instead rely on existing revenues to pay for the projects.

They argue their plan never got a fair shake with Democrats in control of the General Assembly.

“They pin their hopes on things that have failed to work their way through whether it’s raising taxes on tires or gas or tolls whatever when we have a plan that does no new taxes, no tolls, and gives them over a billion dollars a year," said Sen. Len Fasano, (R - North Haven), the top Republican in the Senate.

The issue of tolls is not likely to go away this session or for the foreseeable future Aresimowicz predicts the next governor and General Assembly will have to consider them as a way to raise revenue for infrastructure, and would not rule out the issue for even the final day of the session next week.

“I am going to work as hard as I can over the next few days until we adjourn session to try to come up with a plan to try to get tolls up on the board," he said.

The NBC Connecticut team of meteorologists has issued a First Alert for the threat of severe thunderstorms across Connecticut today.

Instability in the atmosphere will allow for the development of the thunderstorms in the afternoon, according to meteorologist Josh Cingranelli.

Any storms that do form have the chance to be strong to severe and will contain gusty, potentially damaging winds, frequent lightning and hail.

There is also a threat for thunderstorms on Friday.

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Police said they have found human remains while investigating after a police standoff and fiery explosion on Quinnipiac Avenue in North Haven Wednesday night that injured nine police officers.

The incident began as a domestic violence situation on Wednesday afternoon, according to police, and authorities said a woman contacted police.

North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda told reporters that he believed a man was holding his wife inside a home on Quinnipiac Avenue.

“From the reports I heard when I was on scene, we heard that the wife actually escaped out of the house while she was being barricaded and then our police department and our surrounding SWAT team support were trying to coax the gentleman out of the house and trying to calm him down and diffuse him,” North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda said.

Freda said the situation had apparently been going on since three days earlier.

When first responders went to the home, the woman was not there. Only one person was inside, police said.

According to Connecticut State Police Sgt. Marc Gelvin, the man inside the home refused to communicate with police and barricaded himself inside.

The South Central Regional SWAT team was called in and while they were clearing the outside of the home, there was an explosion from a barn on the property around 7:30 p.m.

State police said Thursday morning that nine officers from the tactical team were taken to the hospital, including five East Haven officers, three North Haven officers and one officer from Branford, and they remain hospitalized. Police said their injuries were from the explosion.

It's not clear which building on the property the remains were found in and state police said the office of the chief medical examiner will determine who the person is and how he or she died.

Gelvin said the officers suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

As of Thursday morning, officials from the hospital said they have nine patients and they are all listed as being in fair condition.

The fire is out, but firefighters remain at the scene Thursday morning. It is not clear what caused the explosion.

Quinnipiac Avenue remains closed between McArthur Road and Pentway Lane in North Haven and police are asking the public to avoid the area. All side streets in the area are also closed until further notice.

The road closures also impacted North Haven schools. M & J Bus Company said buses will be rerouted around the road closures.

Neighbors said they could feel the force of the explosion.

"I literally saw a flash come from my house, come from that house, and fire went through the window and up through his roof and the flash. It blinded me for a quick second," said resident Shaun Pitts.

Neighbors were asked to shelter-in-place and immediate neighbors were evacuated.

Connecticut State Police are leading the investigation with the assistance of multiple local police and fire departments.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Winston, a miniature horse that served as a Kentucky Derby Museum ambassador for two decades, has died just days before the Derby. 

The 24-year-old horse died suddenly from an infection in his abdominal cavity, Dr. Bryan Waldridge of Park Equine Hospital said in a statement posted on the Kentucky Derby Museum's website. He would have turned 25 on May 4.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Winston’s sudden passing,” said Patrick Armstrong, president and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum. “He was such a wonderful ambassador for the Museum, bringing happiness to thousands of visitors for 22 years. He will always be a part of the Museum’s story and he will always have a special place in our hearts.”

Winston retired from the museum in February and moved to Old Friends, a thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he continued to greet fans and visitors, according to an Old Friends release.

In 1995 Winston was donated to the Kentucky Derby Museum, located at Louisville's Churchill Downs racecourse, as a 2-year-old. He was a visiting companion to more than 30 visiting thoroughbreds, including Derby contenders Perfect Drift, Phantom on Tour and Twinspired, as well as Kentucky Derby winner, Mine that Bird, Old Friends said. 

His role as the Derby Museum ambassador allowed him to take part in many different events, including throwing out the first pitch at a Louisville Bats game. Winston also helped perform more than 10 marriage proposals with his "Will You Marry Me?" blanket.

"This has been so devastating to everyone at the farm," said Michael Blowen, Old Friends founder and president in their release. He added that the horse was a "joy to be around.”

The Kentucky Derby Museum and Old Friends say they will be working to find a final resting place for the famed miniature horse.

The 144th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville. 

A New London police officer who was charged with hitting a man in the face while he was in police custody has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal deprivation of rights by force, according to the office of the state division of criminal justice.

Deana Nott, 50, of Waterford of Waterford was arrested in January and charged with third-degree assault. 

Officials allege that she was on-duty as a New London police officer on June 22, 2016 when she hit a male prisoner in the face with a closed fist while he was sitting handcuffed in the back of a cruiser.

Nott pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of criminal deprivation of rights by force and the judge sentenced her to a one-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and a $1,000 fine.

As a condition of the plea agreement, Nott was required to apologize to the victim and the New London Police Department and community, which she did on the record in court.

She was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, successfully complete courses in anger management, de-escalation of the use of force and proper use of electronic shock weapons.

The plea agreement also says that any unreasonable use of force would be considered a violation of her probation and would subject her to criminal penalties over and beyond the usual consequences of such behavior. She also agreed not to seek early termination of her probation for any reason, according to officials.

A 65-year-old man who was struck by a vehicle in Windsor Locks early Thursday morning has died and police said the woman accused of hitting him was under the influence. 

Police responded to Old County Road, just south of Halfway House Road, at 12:04 a.m. after receiving a 911 call reporting that a vehicle hit a pedestrian. 

Officers who arrived at the scene found 65-year-old Francis Franco, of Windsor Locks, in the road and the driver of the other vehicle, 37-year-old Ladonna Davis, of Windsor Locks, was comforting him. 

Police said Franco had suffered a head injury and was alive but unresponsive. He was then transported to St. Francis Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to police. 

Davis was given a field sobriety test, which police said she did not perform to standard. She was then given two breath tests, which showed her blood alcohol content to be above the legal limit, according to a news release from police. 

The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Squad responded and assumed responsibility for the investigation. 

Davis was initially charged with driving under the influence and additional charges are possible. 

Bond was set at $25,000 and she is due in court on May 14.