A Wethersfield resident said drivers constantly run through the stop signs in his neighborhood, and reached out to NBC Connecticut for help.

There is a three-way stop at Dale and Olney Roads in Wethersfield. But neighbor Steven Miller told NBC Connecticut there are more cars traveling on Dale Road than Olney, so drivers often don’t bother to stop.

“Stop sign is a stop sign. They should obey the rules,” Miller said. “I’m concerned about the kids in the neighborhood getting run over by the cars not slowing down or stopping for the stop sign,” he added.

Miller said at rush hour the problem gets worse because drivers use the streets as a shortcut.

NBC Connecticut brought Miller’s concerns to Wethersfield Police Chief James Cetran. He said he knows of the intersection, but this was the first time he’s heard the complaint.

“It’s not a heavily traveled road like the Silas Deane Highway or Ridge Road, but if there’s a problem, we’ll address it,” Cetran said.

Cetran said his patrol division will look into it.

“We can’t put and officer at every intersection in Wethersfield but we can address the ones we have a known issue with,” Cetran said.

Gubernatorial candidate Susan Bysiewicz is dropping her bid in order to become Ned Lamont's running mate, a source close to Lamont told NBC Connecticut Political Reporter Max Reiss.

Democrats are preparing to hold their state convention this weekend.

Lamont has secured endorsements from some big names, including Attorney General George Jepsen, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, and former Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris, who dropped his own bid for governor to support Lamont.

Lamont is making his third attempt at statewide office, and second attempt at governor. He failed in his bid to win the Democratic nomination in 2010 to now-Governor Dannel Malloy.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A 15-year-old boy was shot on the front steps of a home on Orchard Street in New Haven Monday night, according to New Haven police.

Police said the teen was standing on his front porch when he was shot by a masked man. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital in stable condition.

Investigators are asking for the public's help in this case. Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has relevant information should contact the Detective Division at 203-946-6304 or Text-A-Tip. Text “NHPD plus your message” to 274637 (CRIMES). Tips may be made anonymously.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The New Haven Board of Education has voted to close Creed High School and two other schools to save the district millions of dollars.

The district faces a budget hole of tens of millions of dollars. It was an emotional night at Monday’s school board meeting as officials debated difficult decisions. The New Haven School Board voted to shutter Creed, along with two alternative schools: New Horizons and New Light.

Creed High School will close at the end of this school year, despite efforts from parents, teachers and students to save it.

“I feel sad, disappointed because I really wanted to graduate from Creed,” said Creed junior Karina Hernandez.

For district leaders, they couldn’t escape the reality of the budget and finding ways to make up a $20 million shortfall. They expect to save nearly $6 million through changes or cancellations of leased space and also, more impactful to the crowd, the shutdown of the three schools.

“No one signs up to be superintendent to close schools you know for kids and families. So it’s very difficult to hear the emotions of the students,” said New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol Birks.

Now hundreds of students will have to figure out where they’re going to school next year.

“It’s just unfair that they made up their mind without getting to know the students or family members,” said Creed graduate Tania Hernandez.

The audience was filled with some of the 235 students who attend Creed. The magnet school is known for its focus on science.

“I want to go into the health science program, like I want to be a pediatric nurse,” explained Creed junior Kayla Yulo.

Over the next couple of weeks, families can meet with district staff and apply for other schools.

The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury moved students from the school to the chapel Tuesday morning as crews dealt with an issue with a gas line.

A school official said some staff members from the school were doing maintenance when they disrupted a gas line around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Students and staff have been waiting in the chapel while the gas company makes repairs.

No one is in danger, school officials said.

Crews from the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company said the situation is under control and CNG has secured the leak.

Many of the major U.S. sports leagues indicated Monday, after the Supreme Court struck down a law banning gambling on individual sporting events, that they would be willing to work on a legal framework, NBC News reported.

But some called on Congress to create a uniform set of rules, as did Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who said Monday he would propose a bill to "protect honesty and principle in the athletic arena."

Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court that Congress may choose to regulate sports gambling but states are free to do so if it doesn't. As many as 32 states have already prepared or are preparing legislation regulating sports gambling.

"Leagues want sports betting operators to be required to use league-approved sources of data for setting lines and bets," said Chris Grove, a gaming sector researcher. "And they want the power to be able to stop betting on minor leagues, where players are earning less money and are more vulnerable to bribes."

A woman wearing a traditional niqab and targeted in a racist rant by a man in line at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafe in Riverside, California, confronted him with the help of another customer and coffee shop employee who came to her defense, video shows. 

The harassment, captured on video that was shared on social media Saturday, coincides with what researchers and Muslim-American advocates say has been a spike in such cases across the country.

During the incident, the man is shown on video asking, "Is this Halloween or something?" 

"Why would you say that? What's wrong with me?" the woman responds. "Do you know I'm a Muslim?" 

The man indicates that he does and says, "I don't like that." 

"I don't like your religion because it says to kill me, and I don't want to be killed by you. How's that?" he adds.

"You are committing hate speech," the woman says.

A third person, customer Barry Landau, can be heard defending the woman in the video.

"Get out of here! [Expletive] racist," Landau said. "I said get out of here! Why are you doing this to her?"

The two men then exchanged insults. Landau told NBC4 a woman joined the man in yelling at the woman in the niqab, although that was not caught on video.

"I have nothing against anyone, all I ask is people live and let live," Landau said in recalling the encounter. "The problem is these people were attacking essentially a girl who did nothing, simply because she was wearing her religion."

Moments after Landau's confrontation, the video cuts back to the original man not being served. A woman behind the counter at the cafe, who identifies herself as the supervisor on duty, says the man will not be served, "Because he is disrupting a public place and being very racist."

The woman in the niqab can be heard in the video thanking the supervisor.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf released a statement saying the company "is fully committed to ensuring the wellness and safety of its customers, team members and business. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination of any kind, and have the right to refuse service to any person who makes customers or team members feel endangered in any way." 

Reports of hate crimes — such as assault, intimidation and vandalism — against Muslims significantly increased between November 2016 and November 2017, according to an analysis by a University of Illinois at Chicago professor with the nonprofit South Asian Americans Leading Together.

The analysis showed a 46 percent increase in hate violence motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment. At least 300 incidents between the time frame were documented, NBC News reported. 

A separate report by The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) released last month said that non-violent, anti-Muslim harassment was the top category of bias cases it tracked in 2017, making up 14 percent.

"[President] Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric, both prior to and during the course of his presidency, emboldened those who sought to express their anti-Muslim bias and provided a veneer of legitimacy to bigotry in the public sphere," the group said in its 2018 Civil Rights Report. 

CAIR told NBC4 that the woman in the niqab contacted their offices Monday evening. She has been in touch with their lawyer.

As of Tuesday morning, video of the Riverside encounter posted on the verified Twitter account of CJ Werleman, who identifies himself as a columnist for the Middle East Eye and The New Arab, had been viewed over 1.79 million times.

The entire video is available here.

American Airlines announced Monday new restrictions for emotional support animals on flights, joining other major carriers that are tightening the leash on onboard comfort pets.

According to the new guidelines issued by the world's largest airline, American no longer recognizes goats, ferrets, insects, snakes, hedgehogs, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, snakes, spiders and sugar gliders as emotional support animals. The airline said non-household birds such as "farm poultry, waterfowl, game birds and birds of prey” as well as "animals with tusks, horns or hooves" will also be banned from boarding flights as comfort pets.

Citing a 40 percent increase in passengers bringing animals in the cabin from 2016 to 2017, the Fort Worth, Texas—based company adopted new documentation rules for emotional support pets.

To travel with an approved emotional support animal in the cabin, passengers must fill out a form at least 48 hours before their scheduled flight and provide the name and contact information of their mental health professional who can attest to the need of a service animal, American Airlines said. The pre-clearance will now include a documentation validation by American Airlines from the mental health professional.

American said it will have procedures in place for emergency travel booked within 48 hours of a departure.

The form also requires that the passenger assure the airline their animal will not block the seats or the aisles of the cabin, and will not threaten the health and safety of other passengers. On flights over eight hours, passengers must provide documentation assuring the airline that their animal will no defecate onboard the plane “or do so in a way that doesn’t create a health or sanitation issue."

The new policy takes effect with tickets issued on or after July 1.

"Prior to enacting these changes to our animal policy, American met with a number of disability groups to get their input, including American Association of People with Disabilities, Paralyzed Veterans of America, American Council for the Blind and My Blind Spot," the airline wrote in a blog post. "At American, we want to have policies and procedures in place that protect our team members and our customers who have a real need for a trained service or support animal. We appreciate the dialogue and partnership we have with these organizations."

Federal law allows passengers to bring animals into the cabin that provide emotional support or assistance to fliers with disabilities free of charge, according to The Associated Press.

But as airlines grapple with a surge of emotional support animals brought in the cabin and increased reports of animal-related incidents on board, many aren't waiting for federal regulations. 

Earlier this year, United Airlines announced new rules for emotional support animals. The updated policy includes a vaccination form signed by a veterinarian and assurance from the the vet that the animal isn't a health or safety threat to other people.

United's changes mirror those implemented by Delta Airlines. In January, the Atlanta, Georgia-based company unveiled tighter rules for passengers flying with emotional-support animals.

"The rise in serious incidents involving animals in flight leads us to believe that the lack of regulation in both health and training screening for these animals is creating unsafe conditions across U.S. air travel,” John Laughter, Delta’s senior vice president for corporate safety, security and compliance, said in a news release. "As a leader in safety, we worked with our Advisory Board on Disability to find a solution that supports those customers with a legitimate need for these animals, while prioritizing a safe and consistent travel experience."

Jason Day on Tuesday committed to play at the 2018 Travelers Championship.

Day, the seventh-ranked player in the world, already has two wins on tour this year.

The 30-year-old Australian captured the trophy at the 2015 PGA Championship for his first major championship and is the former world number 1.

“Jason is one of the world’s best players, so having him return to TPC River Highlands reflects our mission of bringing the world’s greatest golfers to Connecticut every year,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube.

This will be Day's fourth appearance at the Travelers.

The addition of Day means six of the top 15 golfers in the world have committed to play at the Travelers Championship this year, including defending champion Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Patrick Reed.

Tournament week is June 18-24.

A man was attacked when he went out for a lunch break in Orange last Friday and police said the attack was random and unprovoked.

The attack happened on Executive Boulevard around 11:35 a.m. Friday and police said the victim has no connection to the perpetrators.

Three people got out of a car and ran up to the victim, who works nearby, hit him from behind and knocked him to the ground and two other people watched, police said.

Once the victim was able to get back up and defend himself, the attacker and two others ran back to a car were two other people were waiting and fled, police said.

The assailant appears to be between 17 and 21 and he was wearing a red shirt, according to police.

The two bystanders were also between 17 and 21 years old. Police said one of them was wearing a white shirt and a blue cap and they all left the area in a tan or beige Volvo station wagon, likely an older model where at least two other people in the waiting. 

If you recognize the vehicle or anyone involved in the video, call Officer Jay Menga at 203-891-2130, extension 425 or via email at jmenga@orange-ct.gov.

There was a power outage on the UConn campus in Storrs and the university, but power has been restored.

An alert from UConn says there was an electrical issue on Horsebarn Hill, which led to power outages in multiple locations on campus, particularly along Route 195.

What should you do when you are in a tornado warning?

During the spring and summer here in Connecticut, we get a lot of thunderstorms but occasionally the atmosphere is ripe and the storms have the potential to become severe.

The key is whether your family would know where to go and what to do
when the big one potentially hits.

The American Red Cross said that no matter how you get a severe weather warning -- from television, the radio or your smartphone or tablet -- it’s time to spring into action once you see a tornado warning.

That means going to the safest spot in your home or office. An underground or windowless space is the best possible place to be in a tornado.
             
If you don’t have a basement, the safest place to be is in a small, interior room, a closet bathroom or an interior hallway on the lowest floor of your house.

It’s also important to realize that not all basements are safe, especially walkout basements with sliding glass doors.

Shipman said the glass could come flying at you. He also warned that any lawn furniture will become a projectile.

“You want to be in a strong, reinforced space,” Shipman said.

When coming up with a safety plan for you and your family, putting together a safety kit is a good idea.

That should include a flashlight, bottles of water, a few snacks, work gloves, extra batteries and cash. 

If you are on any kind of prescriptions, have a week's supply for yourself.

How to Prepare: Tips from the Red Cross

• During any storm, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.
• Know your community's warning system. Communities have different ways of warning residents about tornados, with many having sirens intended for outdoor warning purposes.
• Pick a safe room in your home where household members and pets may gather during a tornado. This should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
• Practice periodic tornado drills so that everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.
• Consider having your safe room reinforced. Plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection can be found on the FEMA web site.
• Prepare for high winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.
• Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.

Watch for Tornado Danger Signs:

• Dark, often greenish clouds – a phenomenon caused by hail
• Wall cloud – an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm
• Cloud of debris
• Large hail
• Funnel cloud – a visible rotating extension of the cloud base
• Roaring noise

What to Do During a Tornado

• The safest place to be is an underground shelter, basement or safe room.
• If no underground shelter or safe room is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative.
• Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes or other severe winds.
• Do not seek shelter in a hallway or bathroom of a mobile home.
• If you have access to a sturdy shelter or a vehicle, abandon your mobile home immediately.
• Go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter immediately, using your seat belt if driving.
• Do not wait until you see the tornado.
• If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter:
• Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
• If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have the following options as a last resort:

Stay in the car with the seatbelt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible.

If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.

• Your choice should be driven by your specific circumstances.

The parents of two children who were killed in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting over three months ago are making a run for seats on the Broward School Board.

Lori Alhadeff and Ryan Petty made the announcement at a Tuesday morning press conference in Fort Lauderdale. Alhadeff will run for the District 4 seat – which includes Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were her daughter Alyssa was among 17 people killed – against incumbent Abby Freedman.

Petty, who lost his daughter Alaina in the tragedy, is running for a countywide seat against incumbent Donna Korn.

Alhadeff is a former school teacher while Petty works in telecommunications and was recently one of three parents appointed to a state board investigation the February 14th shooting.

"I am running for office to do everything I can to ensure the Broward school system is the best in the nation and to honor the memory of my daughter," Petty said in a statement.

Both parents are supported by a group called Concerned Citizens of Broward County, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The group was formed to express school security concerns before focusing on voting out school board members they say weren’t “responsive” to their issue.

The group is supporting newcomers in two other districts while reportedly supporting one incumbent – Nora Rupert – who has been critical of Broward Schools superintendent Robert Runcie.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Monday that thousands of Permanent Resident cards will be recalled because of a production error.

The federal immigration agency said in a news release approximately 8,543 Green Cards will need to be returned because they were printed with an incorrect “Resident Since” date.

Those affected were spouses of U.S. citizens approved for Form I-751, a petition to remove conditions on residence status. The form is used for people who received a conditional Green Card based on a marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and apply to obtain a regular Permanent Resident card.

Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for naturalization after three years of permanent residency. Because of the incorrect “Resident Since” date on the Permanent Resident cards, applicants could wait longer than necessary to apply to become U.S. citizens.

According to the USCIS, the affected cards were mailed between February and April 2018.

The agency said it will mail notices to individuals who received the incorrect cards and they should return their inaccurate Green Card to USCIS in the provided prepaid envelope within 20 days of receiving the notice. They may also return their cards to USCIS field offices. USCIS will send replacement Green Cards within 15 days of receiving the incorrect card.

The Green Card holders’ status as lawful permanent resident is not affected by the recall, the USCIS said.

If affected individuals need to travel internationally or prove their lawful permanent residence while they wait for a replacement card, they may contact the USCIS at 800-375-5283 to determine if they need additional proof.

A car crashed into a tree, then into a home on Pine Rock Avenue in Hamden on Tuesday at approximately 8:39 a.m., according to Hamden Police. 

The driver, who police said lives across the street, was taken to the hospital as a precaution and the couple who lives inside the home was not hurt. 

“[I] just heard a loud crash, come out and see a car backed into my house through the porch,” Debbie Mosher said. “Luckily they said the foundation isn’t damaged so it’s just the front porch. And everyone was OK. It can be fixed.” 

Debbie and Bill Mosher said there have been several car crashes on their street in recent years. Two of their cars were previously hit. Police also confirmed a utility pole on the corner was hit several times. 

“It wouldn’t hurt to put a speed bump or something in here, or some kind of sign to slow down, bad curve or something,” Bill Mosher said. 

Police at the scene said the driver was speeding and failed to stay in the lane. 

A news release says the driver was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital to “assessment.” 

The crash is under investigation.

The governor has signed the budget that the General Assembly approved. 

Gov. Dannel Malloy signed Senate Bill 543 into law Tuesday. 

“You have given our cities and towns, our non-profit providers and others who depend on state services an added degree of certainty and predictability as the new fiscal year approaches,” the governor said in a letter to the members of the state legislature. 

Malloy said he signed the bill “with the same caution I gave on the closing night of the session and that I have been sounding since I began my term as Governor in 2011.” 

“Connecticut must focus on fiscal discipline and restraint today and in the years ahead. As such, it is important that we also note where the state must continue to make positive budgetary change if we intend to continue shoring up our budget reserves and preparing for whatever comes next,” Malloy wrote in the letter. 

Read the governor’s full letter here. 

Power was knocked out to more than 11,000 Eversource customers as severe storms moved through northern Connecticut.

Tornado warnings were in effect for parts of Litchfield and Hartford Counties Tuesday afternoon.

Winchester, Harwinton and Torrington were most affected. Nearly 90-percent of Harwinton is without power.

The control tower at Bradley Airport was briefly evacuated due to severe weather in the area Windsor Locks and Granby area.

An airport spokesperson said employees in the tower were moved out as a precaution.

All flights were suspended until the storm passed, she said.

Air traffic controllers returned to the tower and resumed flight operations after a short time.

A Russian weapon the U.S. is currently unable to defend against will be ready for war by 2020, according to sources with direct knowledge of American intelligence reports.

The sources, who spoke to CNBC on the condition of anonymity, said Russia successfully tested the weapon, which could carry a nuclear warhead, twice in 2016. The third known test of the device, called a hypersonic glide vehicle, was carried out in October 2017 and resulted in a failure when the platform crashed seconds before striking its target.

The latest revelations come more than two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin touted his nation's growing hypersonic arsenal as "invincible."

Metro-North Railroad has resumed limited service on the New Haven Line Tuesday evening leaving a commuter mess between New York and New Haven.

At 6:35 p.m., the raiload said it resumed service but that delays of up to an hour were possible.

Access to Grand Central Terminal is limited to the 42nd Street entrance.

As of 5:30 p.m., Metro-North shut down service on those lines because of the thunderstorms moving through New York and Connecticut.  

Customers at the time were being told to avoid Grand Central Terminal where large crowds could be seen filling the main hall.

Amtrak also was forced to suspend service along the popular northeast corridor route between New York and Boston.  As of 6:35 p.m., Amtrak said it had restored service at reduced speeds through the area, but warned that customers likely would face residual delays throughout the evening.