Route 2 East was closed in Colchester, but has reopened, according to state police.
The state Department of Transportation reports it was because of a vehicle fire.
A new book about Tom Brady and the Deflategate saga says the New England Patriots quarterback was "devastated and angry" at team owner Robert Kraft's decision not to fight the NFL's punishment.
An excerpt from the book "12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Season of Redemption" by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge says Brady watched on television as Kraft spoke to reporters, saying he would not appeal NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's ruling. He immediately called DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association.
"What the f---?" Brady shouted into the phone, according to the book. "Why am I not getting the support I deserve on this thing."
Smith then tried to console Brady, according to the excerpt, saying Kraft's comments had no bearing on the appeal of Brady's suspension.
According to the book, Brady and Smith efforted a settlement with Goodell, with the quarterback offering to pay a $1 million fine. The book claims Goodell demanded a statement publicly accusing Patriots employees John Jastremski and Jim McNally of tampering with footballs.
"There's no way I'm gonna ruin these guys for something I believe they didn't do," Brady told Smith, according to the book.
Sherman told NBC10 Boston that Kraft has tried to repair his relationship with Brady over the past two years, including trading quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017.
"It made no sense from a football standpoint, but Robert Kraft was heartbroken by the decision he had to make for the betterment of his team in 2015 and he was willing to make this other decision to build that relationship back with Tom Brady," Sherman said.
The book says Brady maintained a positive attitude throughout the Deflategate saga. He believed the case was "overblown" because of the Patriots' Super Bowl victory and thought everything would eventually die down.
It also quotes NFLPA officials saying that Brady's decision not to turn over his cellphone turned the case into a "personal vendetta" for NFL investigator Ted Wells.
The NFL ultimately suspended Brady for four games and docked the Patriots $1 million and two draft picks for allegedly using under-inflated footballs during the 2015 Championship Game.
Kraft initially said the team would fight the punishment, but later backed down, saying it was for the good of the league.
Brady would continue to fight the suspension before ultimately accepting the penalty and missing the first four games of the 2016 season. The quarterback has never admitted to any of the charges against him.
Sherman and Wedge, who are also behind the movies "The Finest Hours" and "Patriots Day," say they're looking to turn the Brady book into a feature film.
Sherman was asked which actor would play Brady.
"Somebody that's well over six feet and can throw a spiral," he said.
Police have arrested a woman who is accused of stabbing someone outside a Hartford restaurant and bar.
The stabbing was reported at 2:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 24, outside the El Bohio Café at 90 Park St.
The victim had been stabbed in the thighs and buttocks and was taken to Hartford Hospital to go through extensive surgery for serious injuries, according to police.
Police said the victim and a woman had gotten into an argument inside the bar and it escalated outside, where the woman stabbed the victim and ran.
Investigators identified Joycelee Ortiz-Maisonet as the suspect. They said they acquired video footage of the incident and obtained an arrest warrant charging her with second-degree assault.
Police located her Thursday and took her into custody on Russ Street. She is being held on $100,000 bond.
An Illinois couple’s dog stole the show during his owner’s wedding with his joyful reaction to their nuptial.
Angie Blumberg married Jayce Conway at Rainbow Ranch Lodge in Big Sky, Montana, on July 28, NBC affiliate WFLA reported. The couple grew up in the same town and have been best friends since preschool.
According to WFLA, their friendship evolved into more over the years and they started dating five years ago.
When they were planning their wedding, the couple knew they wanted to included their dog Boone, a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever, in the ceremony.
Blumberg told WJW-TV that during the ceremony’s opening prayer, Boone began rolling around on the grass in front of them.
A photo captured by the couple’s wedding photographer shows Boone on his back with his legs in the air and pure jubilation on his face.
And while it may not be the wedding photo these newlyweds frame, it is definitely one that has captured the internet. The photo has been shared by hundreds of thousands on social media.
"It was totally Boone's day! I'm happy with that!" Blumberg replied to a comment on a Facebook post.
A group of children claimed Thursday evening that they hung a black baby doll from a noose at a Philadelphia playground to "creep people out" — an action that prompted a police investigation and swift condemnation from spiritual and city leaders.
The doll was discovered Thursday afternoon in a tree at the Weccacoe Playground at 4th and Queen streets in the city’s Queen Village section. The site is historic as it was the former burial ground for Mother Bethel AME Church, one of the nation's original black congregations.
The display angered many including Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, Mother Bethel AME’s senior pastor, who called it a "hate crime."
Earlier Thursday, Tyler made his way over to the city playground as police and firefighters arrived to cut down the doll — posting a photo of the doll and livestreaming the operation on Facebook.
"For our people, there was a time when they weren't baby dolls, but they were real people and real bodies," Tyler said on a Facebook Live. "That didn't stop us and this won't either."
Shortly after 6 p.m., a group of boys — all under the age of 13 and of mixed races — walked up to NBC10 reporter Rosemary Connors and photojournalist John Panfile and claimed they hung the doll.
Tyler, the pastor, took the boys aside and let them explain why they decided to hang the doll. According to Tyler, the boys claimed they found the doll on the roof of a structure in the park and found it "creepy."
"They thought like little boys [do], Let’s use it to creep people out," Tyler said. "Later they found the noose, the hangman’s noose, and thought better to put the noose around the baby doll’s neck and just hang it in an area to scare people."
"They had no idea about the historical legacy of lynching, what that image would do, the terror that it put into people," Tyler added.
Tyler called Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross to share what the boys told him. Tyler said he was told surveillance video from the park appeared to corroborate the boys’ story.
"Unfortunately, this is a perfect storm. The wrong prank, the wrong place, the wrong time," Tyler said.
Police have not yet commented on the new developments and whether the boys will face charges.
The incident, which quickly mushroomed to garner national attention online via social media, prompted denouncements from multiple city officials including Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who called it a "despicable act" that left him "sickened." The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Asked for comment in light of the boys' claims, Kenney's spokesman said the mayor's statement is unchanged.
Despite the furor, Tyler said he’s heartened that the boys came forward to fess up.
"I can’t say enough about these kids who were not compelled to come by their parents, their parents didn’t force them, but who came on their own and told the truth when they realized this was a bigger story than they thought," Tyler said.
Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is doing its part to cut down on waste by abandoning plastic straws.
The zoo recently launched its campaign by replacing plastic straws with paper ones. The zoo is using biodegradable food containers in place of plastic boxes as well.
Beardsley Zoo Director Gregg Dancho said eliminating single-use waste is important to the Bridgeport zoo because it's a “conservation-focused organization.”
Dancho said the zoo is proud of the initial steps it's taken to cut down on waste that can harm birds and marine mammals.
Cities like Seattle and San Francisco have moved to ban plastic straws and containers.
Starbucks, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and American Airlines have announced plans to stop using straws as well.
Fifty pounds of marijuana and marijuana-laced candy were discovered at the FedEx facility at 100 Old County Circle in Windsor Locks.
Police said they received a call from the facility Friday morning after staff inspected a damaged package and they found more than 100 bags of marijuana-laced candies, 10 bags filled with marijuana plants and a large bag filled with syringes containing an unidentified drug.
See photos of what police found:
The police investigation is underway and authorities said the preliminary information suggests that the package 2as dropped at the facility and was being shipped within the state.
The street value of what police located is as much as $25,000, according to police.
Farmington police have charged a daycare worker with risk of injury.
Lisa Dalke, 52, of Plainville, was employed at a Farmington daycare when an infant who was under her care was injured. Ir's not clear what facility she was working for at the time.
Dalke was arrested Friday and charged with risk of injury to a child.
She was held on bond and transported to court.
Milford police arrested a New York mother after finding heroin and marijuana in the car she was driving her infant child around in, according to police
Police stopped 23-year-old Tori Hinman, of Wingdale, New York, Wednesday in the parking lot of 1064 Boston Post Road after she made an illegal U-turn, near Home Acres Avenue, police said.
Police said Hinman’s 4-month-old was in the back seat, she was accused of being in possession of heroin and marijuana and was driving on a suspended license.
Hinman was charged with possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell, possession of marijuana, risk of injury, improper turn and operating with a suspended license.
She was released on a promise to appear and she is due in court on Aug. 28.
Milford police have arrested a Milford daycare worker who is accused of hurting a 3-year-old boy.
Tammy Gosney, 60, of Milford, is accused of grabbing a child by the wrist, yanking the child up from the ground and injuring the child’s elbow while she was employed at Good Child Day Care in Milford.
Officials from the daycare said the incident happened on June 27 and they fired Gosney that day and notified the state office of early childhood and the state Department of Children and Families immediately.
Gosney had worked for the Milford daycare for five years.
Bill Okwuosa, the executive director of Good Child Day Care, said they have a zero-tolerance policy and they do not tolerate any physical abuse or neglect.
Okwuosa has served as executive director for 16 months and said there had been no prior incidents in the time he has worked there.
Gosney was taken into custody this morning and charged with risk of injury.
She was released on a promise to appear and is due in court on Aug. 28.
The man accused of fatally shooting a Houston doctor who once treated former President George H.W. Bush killed himself when confronted by two police officers Friday morning, authorities said.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Joseph Pappas refused to show his right hand when confronted by a police officer and killed himself when a second officer arrived at the scene. Acevedo said the suspect had been wearing a bulletproof vest.
"You normally don’t put on a bulletproof vest when you’re thinking about suicide," he said at news conference Friday. "The chief credited the suspect’s suicide to the arrival of a second officer on the scene."
Pappas is suspected of fatally shooting Dr. Mark Hausknecht as the cardiologist rode his bike to work at Houston Methodist Hospital. Acevedo suggested Wednesday that Pappas may have been seeking revenge for his mother, who died on Hausknecht's operating table in 1997.
Acevedo said Friday officers who had searched Pappas’ home had found a “very extensive intelligence file on Hausknecht.
"He knew everything that you could possibly find on this man," he said.
Police have been searching for Pappas and considered him armed, dangerous and possibly suicidal.
Check back for details on this developing story.
After over a week, the winner of the $534 million lottery jackpot has been revealed, except it's more than one person who got lucky.
A Santa Clara County office pool with 11 members showed up to the Lottery’s East Bay District Office in Hayward on July 25 with the Mega Millions ticket matching the numbers of the largest jackpot in California Lottery history, according to Cal Lottery.
“It was spur of the moment. ‘Hey, did you hear about the jackpot? We should play,'" one of the winners, Roland Reyes, told Cal Lottery.
Reyes declined to say where the group worked, other than the fact that it's in the financial industry. The pool members' ages range from 21 to 60 years old, according to Cal Lottery. Everyone pitched in $2.
Reyes said he figured they had a better chance of winning if they bought the ticket from a small shop.
The winning ticket was sold at Ernie's Liquors on South White Road in San Jose. Lottery officials confirmed last week it was the lone jackpot ticket in the $522 million draw.
The owner of Ernie's Liquors received a $1 million bonus for selling the jackpot ticket, lottery officials said. Members of the Sachdev family gathered at their store to celebrate their winnings. They said some of the money will go to charities and to their employees.
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"United States is a country where you can realize your dreams really well. This country has given us the opportunity to do that," Kewal Sachdev said. "I wish these winners very well and hope they do some good work, some charity work, and take care of their families and friends."
In December 2013, a jackpot Mega Millions ticket worth more than $640 million was sold at Jenny's Gift Shop on Tully Road in East San Jose.
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The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is warning drivers who want to do Drake’s #InMyFeelings challenge to stay in their cars.
Over the past few weeks, thousands of social media users, including celebrities such as Will Smith, have posted videos of themselves dancing along to Drake’s latest single "In My Feelings." This viral trend began when Instagram comedian Shiggy posted a video of himself dancing along to the song in the middle of the road and motioning as if steering a car during the lyrics, "Keke, do you love me? Are you riding?"
What started out as harmless fun has taken a hazardous turn as fans have escalated the challenge to the point of jumping out of moving vehicles while dancing and then posting the videos online.
In a Facebook post published Wednesday, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said, "Keke, are you driving? Then buckle up and pay attention because you've got us in our feelings over all this unsafe driving."
Along with the post were two photos of road signs that read,"Buckle up, Keke. Stay in your car. Seat belts save lives."
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a similar warning last week.
Although there have been no reports of serious injuries at this time, the NTSB still sees these actions as a major cause for concern.
“Don’t jump out of a moving car for a meme. That’s it. It’s foolish, it puts other road users at risk, and, it’s an excellent way to suffer road rash, legal penalties, or worse,” Nicholas Worrell, Chief of the NTSB Safety Advocacy Division, wrote in a blog post Friday.
In many cases, the driver of the car is also the person recording the video, taking their focus away from the road.
According to the NTSB, over 37,000 Americans die as a result of motor vehicle crashes each year, almost all of which are preventable.
For more information about road safety as it pertains to the #InMyFeelings challenge, check out the NTSB’s full blog post.
A car crashed into a wall of Dunkin’ Donuts in Moosup Friday morning and caused significant damage, according to police.
Police said they responded to the crash Village Center Circle in the Moosup section of Plainfield at 10:04 a.m. and determined the woman driving the car had failed to put it in park while seated in the car and it rolled forward, hitting a wall.
Police said the wall and the vehicle sustained significant damage.
The Plainfield building inspector determined the building was safe. Fortunately no one was injured in the accident.
This week, a federal judge in Washington issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of 3-D printable gun blueprints. Now US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wants to ensure that ruling becomes permanent.
Opponents say these plastic guns can go through security undetected in airports and airplanes, courthouses, schools, and any place where guns could be stopped at the door could be more vulnerable to the possibility of gun violence.
“The idea that you could download a plan and print a weapon that looks like this and that’s equivalent to the weapons that our military personnel carry in war zones without having to pass a background check, without having that weapon be traceable is terrifying,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.
Demands to ban do-it-yourself weapons are coming from many corners. Friday, lawmakers, clergymen, police, and anti-violence groups stood together in Hartford calling for action.
“The last thing that our community needs right now is the ability to access gun making kits online,” said Pastor Marichal Monts of Citadel of Love.
The man who began publishing the plans for a functioning pistol five years ago says it’s his first amendment right to post them online.
"I don't think you should have the ability to control your access to it on the internet or your ability to print it on a machine,” Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed told NBC News.
When a federal judge blocked the publication of Wilson’s plans this week, several gun rights activist groups released similar instructions online anyway.
"Someone can try to post it online, but it's illegal and they will suffer the consequences of being in violation of a very serious federal law,” said Bob Ferguson, the Washington State Attorney General who asked for the injunction.
Opponents point out that not only are these plastic guns undetectable, but because they can be printed at home, there’s no background check for the person who might then pull the trigger.
“Ninety deaths every day, 90 people every day now parish as a result of gun violence,” Blumenthal said during Friday’s press conference.
It’s a number Blumenthal expects to grow because he says these guns will soon be in the hands of terrorists, mass shooters, on inner city streets and even in churches. He wants to make any gun without a serial number illegal.
“What’s needed is a ban. An outright prohibition,” said Blumenthal.
Wilson told NBC News that his guns were intended to be more a symbol of the Second Amendment than a serious gun. Wilson said they’re only good for a few shots and don’t hold up to heat, breaking easily.
However, other online 3D gun makers have popped up with more advanced weapons systems.
Four men posing as water company employees gained access to a West Hartford home Friday afternoon.
Police said the suspects told the elderly couple who live in the home that they were there to check the pipes to get inside.
No one was hurt during the incident and it is unclear if anything was stolen.
The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) said impostor scams happen often. They offer the following information and tips to avoid becoming a victim.
Officers remain on scene investigating.
No other details were immediately available.
A person has been pulled from the water near the Point Beach area in Milford, according to the Milford Fire Department.
Milford fire officials confirmed crews responded to a report of a person floating face down in the water around 3 p.m. Crews pulled the person ashore and performed CPR before rushing the victim to Milford Hospital.
The victim's condition was not immediately clear.
Witnesses told police they saw the man go into the water and begin swimming, then found him floating approximately 10 minutes later.
No other details were immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
