A group of veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and military family members participated in a naturalization ceremony at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton Friday morning, ahead of Memorial Day Weekend.

The group of seventeen hailed from the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Federated States of Micronesia, Nigeria, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Republic of Serbia, United Kingdom and Venezuela.

“Being able to say I’m American is a pretty big deal,” said HM Minhwan Lee, of the U.S. Navy. The hospital corpsman from the Republic of Korea has been wearing his military uniform proudly before he held the title of U.S. Citizen Friday.

So has HM Gwendelynn Lukan of the Federated States of Micronesia.

“I can help serve this country for all the good stuff they’re doing,” she said about being a part of the Navy. “I’m proud to call myself an American."

Andressa Johnson is from Brazil but has been in the U.S. for 11 years, first arriving here as a student.

“I have seen people voting and participating in actual serving the country, and I never was able to,” Johnson said.

Her husband is in the Navy.

“He is fighting for the country, for the freedom of this country. For me that represents that he’s fighting for me too and my own freedom,” according to Johnson.

The group of 17 raised their right hands and recited the Oath of Allegiance, led by Honorable Judge Watten Eginton, then placed their hands over their hearts and recited the Pledge of Allegiance as official Americans.

Capt. Paul Whitescarver, the commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base New London made a few remarks. Rep. Chis Soto delivered the keynote speech.

The special ceremony commemorates Military Appreciation Month, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.

Marinas up and down the Connecticut River had to deal with never-before-seen damage as a result of a floating ice jam that formed four months ago.

The ice was so thick and powerful in spots that it destroyed parts of boat docks and knocked down pilings meant to keep boats docked.

“We’ve had flooding down here,” said David Palallo, the owner of Andrews Marina in Haddam. “Flooding is no picnic but this, this was just devastation,” he said.

Palallo had to replace all of the pilings on the south side of his marina. He would not disclose the cost.

The damage from the ice jams required a kind of installation that most marinas only need to deal with only once in a generation.

“We did a lot of repairs,” Pallalo said. “We had underwater construction here with hydraulic chainsaws cutting the snapped pilings. We’re in good shape.”

Another marina that saw serious damage was the Middlesex Yacht Club, a few miles north of Andrews Marina.

The club had similar issues with broken pilings, and pieces washed away and broken due to impact with ice.

Kyle Scrivo, a member of the club, visited during the winter months to survey the damage.

“It was basically a big solid piece,” Scrivo said. “All of the pilings were all jammed up and you could actually walk across the whole area. It was all jammed up with solid ice.”

Both marinas are open for the peak summer season and it’s hard to tell that they had to endure extensive construction.

Palallo only has one hope for the next winter storm season. He said, “We’re just hoping we don’t see that again.”

Clover Nook Farm in Bethany will open its doors this weekend following devastating losses in last week’s tornado and severe storm.

Their farmstand is operating on generator power, but will open Saturday and Sunday to sell their farm-grown produce, meats, and homemade sauces, as well as flowers which survived impact from a greenhouse that was lifted off the ground by the tornado.

Seventh generation farmer Debbie Demander told NBC Connecticut’s Shyang Puri the challenges posed by an obliterated barn, downed trees, and damaged equipment may be the worst her family has faced in more than 250 years of farming, but that some of their crops will go to waste if they are not sold and eaten soon.

The Demander’s are still figuring out how they will replace their historic barn, which dated back to the 1840’s, and also what to do with the broken timber and debris left behind by the storm. They are making progress, Demander said, with help from friends and other farmers. “They are all reaching out, so it’s a nice feeling,” she said.

The Demander’s plan to close the farmstand again on Monday to continue making repairs, and they hope to officially open for the season on June 2.

All lanes of I-95 in Old Lyme are open again after a pedestrian was hit on Saturday morning.

Troopers say they were called to I-95 northbound at exit 70 for reports of a box truck colliding with a pedestrian around 6:42 a.m.

When they got there, they say a serious injury was reported and Life Star was requested. The driver of the box truck continued driving, but has been stopped, police say.

While investigating, troopers say some lanes were closed, but have since reopened.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

The busy holiday weekend is a good time to check your child’s safety seat.

A law that took effect October 1, 2017 requires children to stay in a booster seat one year longer.

Marisol Feliciano, who runs the Kids in Safety Seats program at St. Francis Hospital, said some parents she’s met weren’t even aware the law changed.

Under the new law, children must be in a booster seat once they reach age five and weigh at least 40 pounds, until they are eight years old and weigh at least 60 pounds.

"This is for bigger children that need the support, a boost, so that this adult seat belt fits properly on them," Feliciano said.

She said as a child gets older, parents are more likely to let the child buckle themselves in. Feliciano said that can be a mistake.

If the child can’t reach the buckle, he or she may put the chest strap over the armrest of the booster seat. That does not give the child enough chest support, according to Feliciano.

For correct placement, both the chest and lap belts should be underneath the armrests.

“You want the lap belt on the hip bone. And the shoulder belt on collar bone,” Feliciano said.

The seat belt should not be resting on soft tissue, such as the belly.

Kids in Safety Seats hosts free monthly safety clinics, where a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technician will check that your car seat is installed correctly and fits the child properly. Bilingual staff members will be on hand.

The program also provides free car seats to caregivers in need. Recipients are required to attend a Kinds in Safety Seats clinic.

To find out more about the Kids in Safety Seats program, call:

• (860)-714-5477 (English)
• (860)-714-7077 (Spanish)

 Many local police and fire departments also offer car seat fitting clinics. You may need to make an appointment.

To find a clinic in your area, click here. 

For more information on the Connecticut child seat laws, click here. 

LifeStar has transported one person to the hospital after a serious crash involving a motorcycle in Willington on Saturday morning.

Firefighters say they were called to Phelps Way shortly before 11:00 a.m. for reports of a motorcycle colliding with a car. Lifestar responded and transported one person to Hartford Hospital, according to officials. The extent of the person's injuries is unclear at this time. 

This is a developing story.

Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland is a free man.

Rowland was released from federal custody on Friday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He had been in a halfway house in New York since January after being released early from a federal prison in Pennsylvania.

The former governor resigned from office in 2004 and served 10 months in prison following a corruption scandal.

Rowland was sentenced to prison again in September 2014 after he was convicted of campaign fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He began to serve his second sentence in September 2016.

Two adults and a teenager are facing charges after engaging police in a pursuit in a stolen vehicle in Westbrook early Saturday morning, police say.

An officer was stopped at a stop sign on Route 145 and the I-95 Northbound exit 64 off-ramp around 3:25 a.m. when he noticed a line of four cars driving south on Route 145, according to police. The officer noticed the vehicles following close to one another and says he thought it was suspicious due to the amount of car thefts recently in the area.

The officer began to follow the vehicles and noticed all of them make a right turn at the intersection of Route 145 and Old Clinton Road. Once on Old Clinton Road, the officer says all of the vehicles turned left at the intersection of Old Clinton Road and Grove Beach Road North.

While driving south on Grove Beach Road North, the officer says he noticed a white SUV stopped on the right shoulder an another vehicle pulled up behind it. When the officer activated his emergency lights as he tried to approach it, the vehicles engaged him in pursuit, police say.

Officer say all the vehicles continued south on Grove Beach Road North, drove through a blinking red light at the intersection of Grove Beach Road North and Route 1 and continued on Grove Beach Road South.

Once the vehicles continued onto Elm Street, they all made a right turn onto Private Road except for a blue Chevy Spark that hit a rock wall. Police say the officer watched someone get out of the vehicle and get into another vehicle that had stopped near the Chevy. The remaining three vehicles continued down Private Road where a gray Volvo crashed into a gray Nissan Maxima, police say.

According to officers, all of the occupants of the vehicles fled on foot except the operator of the Maxima, who police identified as 18-year-old Aymre Frasier. Frasier was arrested and taken into custody on scene. He is facing charges including reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and conspiracy to commit larceny.

A police K-9 was requested to search for the remaining occupants that had fled. Police say A 16-year-old was found fleeing on foot from the Mobile Gas Station off of Route 1 near the Clinton and Westbrook town line. The teenager's cell phone was also found inside the stolen Volvo. He is facing charges including reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, operating a vehicle without a license and larceny.

Clinton Police later found 22-year-old Tyrone Brown near the Clinton and Westbrook town line. He was taken into custody by State Police. He is facing charges including reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and larceny.

A man has died after a crash in New Haven early Saturday morning.

Officers say they were called to Frontage Road at Oakley Street around 1:40 a.m. to investigate a fatal, single-vehicle crash.

The driver of the three-wheeled autocycle had been ejected and died, according to police. The driver is being described as a man in his 30s, but police have not released his identity.

The investigation is ongoing, but police believe the vehicle's speed played a role in the accident.

Connecticut’s State Veterans Cemetery was transformed into a sea of red, white, and blue Saturday with the help of hundreds of volunteers. Hundreds of men, women, and children lined up, each more than willing to give up part of their Saturday morning to honor those who gave their lives for our country.

“It’s very important because we owe our freedoms to the men and women who signed a blank check and laid down their lives in defense our country,” explained Capt Joseph Sanborn, Civil Air Patrol.

The annual tradition of placing American flags on the veterans’ graves for Memorial Day depends on volunteers. This year, about 200 people took part.

“To show honor to the veterans that are no longer with us,” said Mike Rogalski, Veterans of the Vietnam War, Middletown, Inc.

In less than 30 minutes each one of the more than 10,000 graves at the cemetery were decorated.

“My grandfather’s buried here so we just want to come out and do our part,” said Brian Checko, Middletown.

Corporal Raymond Spooner served with the Army in Germany during World War II. Now, his grandson is making sure his own children understand the price some paid for their freedom.

“To respect all the people who sacrificed and served. Explain to them that it’s just not about parades, and fireworks, and fire trucks coming down the street. That there’s a real cause for Memorial Day that we support,” Checko explained.

Other parents brought their older children in the hopes of passing on another important lesson about service and sacrifice.

“It’s important that this younger generation remember those who serve and think about that in their future as something that they want to do. It’s really important that we continue to have young men and women that want to serve our country and that want to help everybody enjoy the freedoms that they have,” said Rachel Sanborn, West Hartford.

“It means remembering that fallen veteran that served our country,” said her 11-year-old son Noah.

It’s a lesson his parents hope he remembers not just on Memorial Day, but every day of the year.

The Obama Alumni Association, a group run by former members of President Barack Obama’s two administrations, says at least 64 of his former staffers are running for federal, state, or local elective office this year, NBC News reported.

Fired up to push back against President Donald Trump, some are running for city council or governor, while at least 28 are running for the House of Representatives, including civil rights attorney Colin Allred. Tom Malinowski, a former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, is running for Congress in New Jersey.

"Looking back on last year, it was the effort to take down the Affordable Care Act with no viable replacement. It was the Muslim ban, and attacks on immigrants, it was the tearing up of alliances and commitments internationally. It was the taking down of environmental protections, it was refusing to invest in infrastructure as Trump had promised," Malinowski said.

The surge of Democratic candidates with ties to Obama has the potential to fill state and federal legislatures with like-minded allies, many of whom are young or diverse or both.

An 11-year-old boy is recovering after being shot at an apartment in Hartford early Saturday morning.

Officers say they responded to 47 Bedford Street shortly after 1 a.m. after Shot Spotter registered two shots fired. While there, police found an 11-year-old boy who was shot in the arm.

The boy was transported to Saint Francis Hospital where he was listed in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries, police say.

Investigators learned a group of kids were in the back of the apartment building when a man wearing dark clothing fired multiple gun shots toward the building from the Garden Street area. The kids all ran away and one boy was hit by a round.

Detectives say the investigation is ongoing.

All lanes of I-91 south in Meriden have reopened after a one-car crash on Sunday morning.

According to State Police, the right lane of I-91 south near exit 16 was closed for about an hour after a rollover accident. Police believe the car crossed over the highway from the northbound side and landed in the grass.

Officers say minor injuries were reported.

A young child is severely injured after being bitten in the face by a dog in Wallingford on Friday night, according to police.

Police say they received multiple calls about a young child being bitten in the face by a dog on 10 Simpson Avenue around 7:45 p.m.

Officers say they found a 61-year-old man and his two grandchildren, ages one and six, near Center Street sitting in the back of a car that had stopped to help. According to police, the grandfather was holding his 1-year-old grandson who had suffered severe injuries to his head and face. His 6-year-old granddaughter had also suffered a bite wound to her buttocks area.

The two children were transported to Yale Pediatric Hospital for treatment and the man was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, officers say.

Investigators learned the dog, an English Bulldog, was with its owner in the backyard of a house on Simpson Avenue when the dog walked to the front yard and approached the man and his grandchildren as they walked by on the sidewalk. According to the dog's owner, the dog attacked the child when the man started yelling at the dog and pulled a stroller away. 

Officers say the dog's owner is cooperating with the investigation. The dog is currently under quarantine by Wallingford Animal Control, however officials say he is up to date with his rabies vaccinations.

Police have not released the name of the dog's owner. The names of the victims have also not been released.

Sen. Jeff Flake called on Republicans in Congress to more forcefully push back against President Donald Trump and said there is growing concern behind the scenes that the president could take action against special counsel Robert Mueller.

“When the president says things that are just totally wrong, it’s the responsibility of members of Congress, particularly those in the president’s party, to stand up and say, ‘That is not right. Truth is not relative, and there are no alternative facts here,’” Flake, R-Ariz., said in an interview on “Meet the Press.”

While he isn’t running for re-election to the Senate, Flake also left open the possibility that he could challenge Trump in a primary in 2020. 

While a presidential run is not in his plans, he said, he has “not ruled anything out.”

At least one person has died and multiple others are injured after a two-car crash in Meriden late Saturday night.

According to Connecticut State Police, Dax Macafee of Campton, New Hampshire, was driving on Route 15 north near the Miller Avenue DOT exit and Exit 67 in Meriden around 11:37 p.m. Another vehicle being driven by David Perez of Bridgeport was traveling south in the same area heading toward the Miller Avenue DOT exit when it ran off the side of the road, hit a curb, went over the metal guardrail and crossed into the northbound travel lanes. Police say the two vehicles crashed head-on and became disabled in the travel lanes.

First responders say they had to extricate Perez from his vehicle and three out of four of the people in Macafee's vehicle were transported to area hospitals by ambulance and LifeStar. Officers say the fourth person in Macafee's car, Sally Mosher of Littleton, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

This crash remains under investigation. If you witnessed the crash, you're asked to contact TFC John O'Connor at (203) 393-4222 x3026.

A missing man from East Haven has been found dead in North Haven on Sunday morning.

Police from East Haven, North Haven, and Connecticut State Police say they began searching for a missing 30-year-old man on Saturday. Around 6:00 p.m., officers located the missing man's vehicle in the parking lot of Peter's Rock Park on Middletown Avenue.

First responders began searching the large wooded area using police K9s and a drone.

Early Sunday morning, the search area was expanded and a Connecticut State Police K9 team found the missing man's body in a dense area of wooded property far from the trails.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to determine the cause and manner of death.

Officials have not released the man's identity.

Connecticut State Police have released the first half of this year's Memorial Day Weekend traffic enforcement statistics.

Troopers say they've been patrolling highways and roads across the state in both traditional and non-traditional patrol cars. Their enforcement period began at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and will run through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. Officers say they are focusing on drinking driving violations, aggressive and distracted drivers and speeding. Various sobriety checkpoints and targeted DUI patrols are also in place throughout the state during the weekend.

From midnight on Friday through 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, State Police have responded to calls for:

• Speeding: 443
• Seat belt: 245
• Other moving violations:1589 (Includes unsafe lane change, following too closely, cell phone, texting, etc.)
• DUI arrests: 21
• Accidents: 225 (including 43 with injuries and 1 fatality)

In comparison, last year during Memorial Day Weekend, State Police say they responded to calls for:

• Speeding: 719
• Seat belt: 668
• Other moving violations: 2658 (Includes unsafe lane change, following too closely, cell phone, texting, etc.)
• DUI arrests: 31
• Accidents: 302 (Including 48 with injuries and 2 fatalities)

There were more than 5,000 people without power in Southbury on Sunday afternoon, according to Eversource, but power has been restored. 

Outages were also reported in the surrounding towns, including more than 1,700 in Woodbury, more than 1,000 in Brookfield, more than 450 in New Milford and nearly 650 in Oxford.

Brookfield First Selectman told NBC Connecticut the outages were caused by a tree that fell on a transmission line in Brookfield in the area of Flax Hill Road. 

An incredible season came to an end for the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

The Celtics headed into Game 7 of the Eastern Conferencee Finals with a 10-0 record at home in this year’s playoffs, but with arguably the best player in the league in LeBron James on their side, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a 87-79 road win over Boston to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals.

James earned his eighth-straight trip to the Finals by posting yet another monster game, ending the night with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.

“He’s unbelievable,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said of James following the game. ”We’ve played now until May 25 and May 27 the last two years, and we started on Sept. 25, and that’s every day. Like every day that you’re totally focused on this. And he’s gone past that eight straight times. It’s ridiculous. And he does it at this level, with the pressure, with the scrutiny, doesn’t matter. It’s just unbelievable.”

The Cavaliers were without starter Kevin Love, who was ruled out due to concussion-like symptoms after bumping heads with Jayson Tatum in Game 6. Former Celtic Jeff Green started in Love’s place after his 14 points in Game 6 helped spark Cleveland off the bench. He finished Sunday night with 19 points and eight rebounds.

The Celtics led by as many as 12 points in the first half, committing only one turnover to Cleveland’s seven, but the Cavaliers went on a run of their own to cut the lead down as much as two.

After leading 43-39 at the half, the Celtics fell behind 56-51 after a trip to the line by Green, giving the Cavaliers their largest lead in the third. Cleveland had just a three-point lead at the start of the fourth and a Jayson Tatum 3-pointer helped give Boston one more lead at 72-71 with 6:04 left to play, but Cleveland finished the game on a 16-7 run.

“I talked about the pain is part of the path,” Stevens said. “We’ve been really fortunate to continuously get better the last couple of years and put ourselves in better positions, but when it ends, it’s painful. But that is part of the path, so we have to let it motivate us.”

The Celtics’ 3-point shooting was one of its downfalls Sunday, as the team went 7-for-39 for 17.9 percent, but Tatum served as one of the few offensive bright spots with 24 points. Al Horford notched 17 points, followed by Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown respectively.

“I just love everything about the kid,” James said of Tatum. “The way he plays the game, his demeanor, where he comes from. I know his parents, and I know he’s just built for stardom. He’s built for success. That’s both on and off the floor.”

Without stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, not many had the Celtics making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but resiliency led them back for the second-straight year. Boston fans applauded the team as the buzzer sounded.

“We have nothing to hang our heads about,” Horford said following the game. “I think the effort was great. Obviously, I’m disappointed that we couldn’t reach that next level. I think for our group, for myself, we all need to look at the work that we did this season and understand that there’s a lot more work to do in order to reach that next level.”

The Cavaliers now go on to face the winner between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.