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Crash Closes Lanes of I-91 South in Wallingford

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The southbound lanes of Interstate 91 were closed between exits 14 and 13 in Wallingford because of a crash involving two tractor-trailers carrying bottled water and watermelon, but only the left lane is now closed.

One tractor-trailer is in the median and the other tractor-trailer is on the side of the right shoulder.

State police say there are minor injuries. The cause of the accident is under investigation.




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Police Tape Surrounds West Hartford Home

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Police tape surrounds a home on New Britain Avenue in West Hartford and two police cruisers and an evidence collection van have responded.

The residence is located at the corner of New Britain Avenue and Westgate Street.

Police have been at the scene for several hours, but no information was immediately available on what the investigation is.

Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Farm Aid Festival Coming to Connecticut for the First Time

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Farm Aid’s annual music and food festival is coming to Connecticut for the first time. 

The festival featuring Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Chris Stapleton and more will be at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford in September. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. 

The event also features Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Particle Kid. 

More acts will be announced. 

“Family farmers are the backbone of our country,” Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson said in a statement. “But today, they are endangered. Whether we live in cities like Hartford or the rural areas of New England, each of us has the power to create positive, lasting change in our farm and food system and strengthen farm families to help them stay on the land for generations to come.” 

Reserved tickets are $279.50, $179.50 or $109.50, while lawn tickets are $54.50. 

You can buy them at LiveNation.com and by phone at 800-745-3000. 

A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be sold beginning at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 26, at farmaid.org/festival.






Photo Credit: Getty Images

Early Morning Earthquake Rattles Massachusetts During Storm

Police Investigate Shooting in New Haven

Families Gather To Remember Gun Violence Victims in Hartford

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A few dozen families gathered in Hartford’s Sigourney Square Park Sunday to remember those who have lost their lives to gun violence over the years, including Carol Dorsey, who spoke publicly for the first time about the death of her son back in 2010.

“He never had a life,” said Dorsey. “He don’t have any children. Nothing. Nothing. He was just beginning to get really get himself together where I could say ‘oh, he’s going to go somewhere now.’

Organized by the local chapter of Mothers United Against Violence, the annual event remembers the close to 500 people killed in Hartford since 2000.

”You see the list over there,” said Henrietta Beckman, the chapter president. “It’s very heartening to see all those names, all those young people’s lives that have been lost.”

Beckman lost her son Randy in 2002.

”It just does something to you when you lose a child,” said Beckman. “It never goes away, but I continue to do what I do.”

”We want them to be able to tell their stories because often times these stories are never heard,” said Reverend Henry Brown, a community activist. “We understand that urban violence has a different perspective to it than suburban violence but every life matters.”

Brown say regardless of how tough it gets, they will not give up the fight.

“We’ve done it for 14 years, and we’re going to continue to fight as long as we can to make sure that justice is served here in the urban community,” said Brown.

According to Hartford Police, there have been 11 homicides so far this year.



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Police Work to ID Waterford Walmart Theft Suspect

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Waterford Police are trying to identify a woman who they believe stole from Walmart on Saturday.

Officers were called to the Waterford Walmart around 8:05 p.m. for a report of a larceny that had just occurred. When officers arrived, the unidentified female suspect was no longer there.

According to police, the woman stole two camping tents and got into the passenger seat of an older model, gray-colored Oldsmobile with black rims and a severely damaged rear license plate.

If you have any information or if you know who the woman is, you're encouraged to contact Officer Lapkowski at (860) 442-9451. The case's reference number is #2018-01269.



Photo Credit: Waterford Police

Majority of Americans Approve of Trump's Handling of the Economy: Survey

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For the first time since he became president, more than half the public approves of Donald Trump's handling of the economy, according to a CNBC All-America Economic Survey.

The president’s economic approval rating surged 6 points to 51 percent with just 36 percent of the public disapproving, a 6 point drop from the March Survey.

Trump's overall approval rating remains negative at minus 6, but he's reached the lowest negative rating recorded since he took office.

The survey suggests that the recent controversy over the president’s decision to separate children from their parents at the border has had little effect on his approval, CNBC reported.

The poll surveyed 800 adults nationwide from June 16 to 19, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.



Photo Credit: AP

Police ID Driver Killed in Crash Trumbull Last Week

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Two people are dead after a car rolled over on Route 8 in Trumbull Thursday night, hit a rock and flipped over and police have now identified the driver.

State police said a blue 2007 Toyota Scion went off the southbound side of the road near exit 7 at 11:10 p.m. Sunday.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. State police said he did not have any identification on him and they later identified 24-year-old Jocquille, of Stratford, through his fingerprints.

The passenger in the front seat, 22-year-old Indira Kranwinkel, of Bridgeport, was thrown from the car. She was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where she died around 12:42 a.m. Friday, according to state police.




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#PermitPatty: Woman Calls Cops Over Girl, 8, Selling Water

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A California woman has been dubbed "Permit Patty" online after she was captured on cell phone video calling police on an 8-year-old girl selling water outside her San Francisco apartment building.

The incident happened Friday near AT&T Park where the Giants play. The young girl was on the sidewalk outside her apartment building selling water to raise money to help her mother pay for a trip to Disneyland.

That's when, according to the girl's mother, Alison Ettel, approached them and said she was calling the police on 8-year-old Jordan for not having a permit.

Ettel told NBC's "Today" show she was working from home and Jordan's sales pitch was "loud and disruptive."

"I had to tried to be polite but I was stern I said, 'Please I’m trying to work, you’re screaming, you're yelling, and people have open windows. It’s a hot day. Can you please keep it down,'" Ettel said.

But Erin Austin, Jordan's mother, refuted Ettel's account, saying "she never asked us to be quiet. She just came out and directly demanded to see a permit to sell water from an 8-year-old."

It was not immediately clear what happened before the video began recording. The now-viral video posted to Austin's Instagram begins with Ettels walking away from Austin then being seen crouching behind a stoop. Ettels appears to be talking to someone on her cell phone as Austin follows her.

"This woman don’t want to let a little girl sell some water. She be calling police on an 8-year-old little girl,” the woman filming can be heard saying. "You can hide all you want, the whole world gon’ see ya, boo."

"Yeah and, um, illegally selling water without a permit?” Ettel can be heard saying on the phone.

Austin posted the video to her Instagram with the caption: "an 8-year-old selling water in front of her apartment building where she’s lived her whole life is NOT a reason to call the Police." She also called the woman "#PermitPatty."

The post quickly went viral and sparked outrage online, with many accusing Ettels of racism.

Ettels told "Today" she only called police to ask if it was legal to sell water without a permit where the mother and daughter were positioned along the street and claimed the incident was not racially motivated.

"I want the mother to know this was nothing to do with race at all. It had everything to do with the disturbance," Ettels told "Today." "I was very stressed out. I definitely made comments that I never would have in any other situation, and it's not an excuse."

Ettel said before confronting Jordan and Austin she asked a security guard to ask them to quiet down. Ettel added that she could not see who the people, she could only hear them.

The security guard later told Ettel he could not get them to move and wasn't able to do anything further regarding the incident.

Ettel said she then called police to ask if the water could be sold without a permit. She alleges police told her it was illegal to do so and asked if she wanted law enforcement officials to respond to the scene, but she declined. 

But an SFPD spokeswoman told NBC News, that there was no immediate record of any calls that were made to their department from Ettel.

Austin said she is upset that her daughter had to experience this negative interaction with Ettel.

"I didn't think in San Francisco my biracial child would have to go through something like this," Austin said.

But Jordan may not need to sell bottles of water to raise money for a Disney trip anymore. The company has reached out to the family and offered them free tickets to visit the theme park.

Meanwhile, Ettel said she has received hate mail and death threats since the video was posted, noting that her address and phone number have been made public.

Looking back, Ettel admitted that she wishes she would have never brought up the permit issue when confronting Austin. She said she just wanted them to quiet down.

"I'm not proud of how I acted," Ettel said. "I would have taken a walk. I would have done something, not that. It was all in the heat of the moment, and it was wrong."

The viral video reached pop culture status over the weekend, getting spoofed by "Saturday Night Live" cast member Cecily Strong. In a video posted to Strong's Instagram account, the comedian, donning a blond wig, calls police on a boquet of flowers that is "illegally drinking my water." 

"SNL" had also weighed in following a similar outcry after a woman dubbed "BBQ Becky" called police in April on two black men barbecuing at Oakland’s Lake Merritt.



Photo Credit: @ladyesowavy
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One Dead After Car and Motorcycle Crash in Farmington

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One person is dead after a crash involving a motorcycle and a motor vehicle on New Britain Avenue in Farmington Friday. 

Police said the man who was transported from the scene died at the hospital. Police have not released his name. 

The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Squad was called in to investigate. 

Witnesses are asked to call Sergeant Eric Augustyn at 860-675-2446.



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Party City to Open Toy City Pop-Ups After Toys R Us Demise

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Party City will open about 50 Toy City pop-up stores later this year that will run through the holiday season, the company said in a statement, according to CNBC. They hope to fill a gap left by Toys R Us, now bankrupt, and closing its remaining stores this week.

"The creation of a Toy City concept to complement our temporary seasonal retail strategy is a logical extension of our brand; one that will allow us to leverage our existing pop-up store capabilities and capitalize on the category whitespace that has recently been created,” said CEO James Harrison.

Party City said it will roll out the temporary toy stores alongside its Halloween City pop-up shops in “optimal” markets where it found attractive leasing options. The company will also expand its online market for toys, Harrison said.



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New Haven Begins Demolishing Church Street Housing Project

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From broken windows and boarded up doors to mold, hundreds of families suffered through substandard living conditions in a New Haven public housing complex for years and the city is taking the building down. 

In 2016, the conditions at the Church Street South Public Housing complex were so terrible that the city ultimately forced residents to start packing up and leaving for their own safety. 

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said the city helped relocate the 260 families who were still living there. The last family moved out in May. 

“The process to help these families move was painstaking and time-consuming, and entirely worth the effort,” Harp said. 

On Monday, the city moved forward to demolish the 30 buildings that fill the 13-acre parcel, which sits at the entrance to the city. 

Harp said the city discovered the substandard living conditions through an inspection in late 2015. 

“We’ve stepped up our ability to inspect. We have stepped all of that up to ensure that this doesn’t happen again in our city,” said Harp. 

A major complaint of families NBC Connecticut spoke with in 2016 was mold. The city said there were also structural deficiencies. 

Demolition is expected to take about a year. 

New Haven’s economic team is working on a plan to redevelop the property into new residential space. The city hopes to build 1,004 units. Thirty-percent, or 300 units, would be subsidized housing to equal the number of units being torn down and the rest would be market rate. 

However, city officials said the plan has yet to be funded. 

“This is a mile post, but we’re not yet ready to share a complete redevelopment plan for this particular property. We’ve approached HUD a couple of times with concepts,” Mike Piscitelli the deputy administrator of the New Haven Office of Economic Development, said. 

The redevelopment could be stalled by pending litigation involving the property owner, Northland Investment Real Estate Company, which is based in Newton, Massachusetts. 

Several families who lived in the complex have sued for damages related to the living conditions. 

Northland said it’s paying approximately $5 million dollars for the asbestos abatement and demolition of the buildings. The city said the company also helped pay to relocate residents. 

“Today is an important milestone. Finding quality housing for 260+ families was a complex challenge and Northland is grateful for the Church Street South families’ patience, understanding, and flexibility throughout the process,” Northland CEO Larry Gottesdiener said in a statement. 

The attorney representing the tenants who are suing Northland declined to comment citing pending litigation. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Person Shot Near Dixwell Avenue in Hamden: Police

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Police are investigating a shooting that happened near Dixwell Avenue in Hamden on Monday afternoon.

Officers say they were called to Warren Street near First Street around 12:40 p.m. after getting a report of shots fired.

Investigators determined that the shooting involved two vehicles. They say one of the occupants of one of the vehicles was shot and transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries.

An initial investigation indicates that the shooting was not a random incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Dolan at (203) 230-4065. Callers can remain anonymous.

New Britain Police Search for Stabbing Suspect

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Police in New Britain are searching for a man who they say stabbed another man in the face during a fight on Saturday night.

Officers say they were called to 735 East Street around 9:15 p.m. for a reported stabbing. When they arrived, they found a 37-year-old man with serious injuries to his face.

He was transported to a hospital in Hartford and is expected to survive.

Witnesses at the scene told police the man was involved in a physical altercation with 44-year-old Joaquin Cesar Figueroa of New Britain when he was cut across the face with a knife.

Police say Figueroa fled the scene before they arrived. He is described as a man who is 5'8" inches tall.

According to officers, Figueroa's whereabouts are unknown. The New Britain Police Department has an active warrant for Figueroa's arrest to charge him with assault.

Anyone with information on Figueroa is asked to call the New Britain Police Department at (860) 826-3000. Anonymous tips can also be called in at (860) 826-3199.



Photo Credit: New Britain Police

Bubba Watson Donates $200K to Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

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Newly-crowned Travelers Championship winner Bubba Watson made a winning move off the course on Monday.

The three-time champion donated $200,000 to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

Watson's donation brought the total money generated by the tournament to be given to charity to $2 million this year. The Travelers Championship donates 100-percent of its net proceeds to charity.

"It is such an honor to be a part of this tournament, they’ve always made me feel like family," Watson said. "Every year they’re making improvements, making the tournament better, growing the charitable donations, doing more for the families, caddies, fans. I can’t say enough about how impressive this tournament is and how much they impact the community by giving back."

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford is the tournament's primary beneficiary. It was founded by legendary actor Paul Newman in 1988 and provides a camp experience for children facing serious illnesses while maintaining hospital-level care during the campers' time there.

"All of us at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp were thrilled to see Bubba win his third Travelers Championship and we are over the moon delighted by this incredibly generous gift, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp CEO Jimmy Canton said. "Both Bubba and Angie (Watson's wife) are deeply committed to helping children in need and we are so grateful for their friendship."

Watson shot a 7-under 63 on Sunday to come from six strokes behind to win the 2018 Travelers Championship. He previously won the tournament in 2010 and in 2015.

Money from this year's Travelers Championship will benefit approximately 130 nonprofits throughout Connecticut. The tournament has generated more than $16 million for charity since Travelers became the sponsor in 2007, according to organizers.

“Bubba’s generous donation is an example of how he has embraced our tournament and our region,” said Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship Tournament Director. “We are extremely grateful to Bubba and everyone who has supported our mission to help nonprofit organizations like The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.”



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Carmelo, Lala, Cardi B, Rihanna Mourn Slain Bronx Teen

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The stabbing death of New York City teen outside a Bronx bodega has captured the attention of music stars Rihanna and Cardi B, and former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and his wife, actress and TV personality Lala Anthony.

Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, 15, was chased out of the store in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx Wednesday night by five men and repeatedly beaten and stabbed with a machete, according to police. The men fled in two separate cars, police said.

The assault was captured on surveillance video and widely shared online. Graphic video footage shows the bloodied teen stumbling on the sidewalk before running to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries before he could get medical help, police said.

Lala Anthony visited Guzman-Feliz's family at their home in the Bronx Monday, saying on Instagram she wanted to offer her love and support to them after learning the teen was a fan of husband, former Knick Carmelo Anthony. 

"I can't imagine this type of pain and sadness. His family is strong and may God bless them forever. Seeing his family smile when we walked through that door is something I will never forget. Putting my arms around his mom is something I will never forget. Being in his room is something I will never forget," Lala Anthony wrote. 

Rapper Cardi B, who is from the Bronx, took Instagram Sunday to pay tribute to Guzman-Feliz, known to his friends as Junior, and send condolences to his family.

In a message written in Spanish, the "Bodak Yellow" singer called the teen’s tragic death a mother's worst nightmare and hopes she finds solace in knowing that she has a guardian angel. "Soon you feel more protected because you will feel your son’s presence and he will give you signs that he is with you. I hope your family finds peace soon and may God always keep your son in his Glory," the rapper wrote.

Cardi B concludes the post by drawing attention to the GoFundMe page set up by family members to help cover Guzman-Feliz’s funeral-related costs. The “I Like It” singer donated $6,000 to the fund.

In a separate Instagram post published Friday, Cardi B called for #JusticeforJunior, a hashtag that emerged as police sought to identify the suspects in the surveillance video in connection to Guzman-Feliz's death. 

On Sunday, Rihanna also took to Instagram to call for #JusticeforJunior, posting a photo of the teen with the caption: "can’t stop thinking about this poor baby boy, and how his family must feel right now! I’m sincerely praying for your healing and #justiceforjunior

Later Sunday, the NYPD announced they identified one of the suspects as 19-year-old Kevin Alvarez, of the Bronx. He was arrested Sunday on charges of murder, manslaughter, and gang assault. Information on his lawyer wasn't immediately available.

Six others, men between the ages of 18 and 24 from the Bronx, Long Island and Paterson, New Jersey, were charged overnight in connection to the deadly stabbing. 

Meanwhile, a memorial for Guzman-Feliz continued to grow Monday. Family and friends of the boy, who had been part of the NYPD’s Law Enforcement Explorers program, say his attackers mistook him for someone else. His aunt and father said Sunday night they were touched to see a crowd who gathered to mourn the boy and relieved to have heard about Alvarez's arrest.



Photo Credit: Getty/Handout/Getty
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Body Recovered from Black Pond in Middlefield: Officials

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A body was recovered from Black Pond in Middlefield Monday, according to the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company.

Fire officials said their crews responded to the area at the request of state police and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection police. 

Officials from the fire department said a person had fallen from a rock ledge, around 150 feet to a wooded area below. A boat transported the victim to the state boat launch. 

Fire officials said DEEP Encon police are investigating because the incident happened on state-owned property. 

Rescue personnel were not injured. 

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Former Stafford First Selectman Arrested

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A former First Selectman in Stafford was arrested on Monday after an investigation into missing files and documents. Anthony Frassinelli is currently a selectman in town.

Detectives say the current First Selectman in Stafford, Mary Mitta, told them that when she took office on November 21, 2017, she found that Frassinelli, the outgoing First Selectman, had erased all of the files and documents from his computer, which Mitta would be using in her capacity as first selectman.

She told investigators that once she found the files had been deleted, she contacted the Information Technology Director for the town who found that the hard drive had been erased and files from the town hall's server had been deleted. According to Mitta, the files that had been deleted were town files and emails.

On November 20, 2017, town IT employees say they downloaded all of Frassinelli's documents from his desktop computer onto a USB drive. They say typically what happens is the files from the outgoing First Selectman is copied and pasted onto the new First Selectman's desktop so that whatever was being worked on by the outgoing First Selectman will be there for the First Selectman to continue.

Mitta told police that when the IT Director and Executive Assistant to the First Selectman had left for the day on November 20, 2017, the day before she took office, the computer was working properly and the files and emails were on the computer.

Members of the IT Department were able to retrieve most of the files that had been deleted from the hard drive and the server that is shared by all of the departments in town hall. IT officials say 16 directories that were deleted contained thousands of files and had a deletion date of November 20, 2017 at 9:30 p.m.

The IT Department also were able to retrieve all of the documents from a Microsoft Surface Pro laptop that belonged to the Town of Stafford that had previously been used by Frassinelli. As First Selectman Mitta was going through the downloaded files, she says she noticed a program called Sexloader and noticed it had been downloaded in August of 2017.

The town spent $3,929.89 in overtime costs working to recover the deleted files, according to Mitta.

Investigators say they found 41 thumbnail images of adult pornography on the hard drive. The hard drive also contained pornographic images synched from an iPhone to the computer in August of 2015 and again in January of 2016. They say they also found internet searches from Frassinelli's last day in office looking for how to backup Android contacts to Google and how to backup an Android phone restore to an iPhone.

After a lengthy investigation involving numerous search and seizure warrants and forensic examinations, police were granted an arrest warrant for Frassinelli. He was located at his house on Monday and was placed under arrest. He is facing charges including computer crime and unlawful removal of records.

Frassinelli was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and will be in court in Rockville on July 10.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Layoff Notices Sent to 1,100 New Haven School Employees

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More than 1,000 New Haven public school employees may lose their jobs due to budget cuts, according to city officials.

City spokesman Laurence Grotheer said that 1,100 people are receiving the layoff notices, but it’s possible some of them may be rehired after officials look into adjusting job descriptions after summer vacation. Grotheer said staff reductions at the school district are being considered to reduce costs due to budget cuts.

The dramatic cost-cutting is prompted in part by a $5 million reduction to the New Haven Public Schools budget.

The issue will be discussed further at a New Haven Board of Education meeting Monday night.

More information was not immediately available.

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