An arson suspect was arrested in connection with the 4,100-acre wildfire burning in Cleveland National Forest that flared up Wednesday and spread toward homes.

The U.S. Forest Service confirmed 51-one-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest. Details about how the Holy fire started were not immediately available.

The Orange County Register reported that the suspect owns a cabin in the Holy fire area and allegedly sent an email warning "this place will burn." Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan told the Register that he received the emails last week.

"He has issues," Milligan told the Register. "I hope they get him."

A court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, according to jail records. 

The Holy fire in Riverside and Orange counties, which has scorched about six square miles, is one of more than a dozen large wildfires burning in California, including the Mendocino Complex -- the state's largest wildfire on record. Major fires also are burning in Shasta County and in and around Yosemite National Park during what could be one of the worst years for wildfires on record in California. 

The Holy fire is at least the second large wildfire this summer that authorities said was started by an arsonist. Last month, a Temecula man was arrested on suspicion of starting nine fires, including the 13,000-acre Cranston fire in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. 

The Holy Fire was first reported about 1:15 p.m. Monday near Holy Jim Canyon and Trabuco Creek roads, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. The fire grew to more than 4,100 acres by Wednesday morning. It was less than 5-percent contained.

The area has not burned since the early 1980s, leaving hillsides covered in dry brush that provides fuel for the fire. 

About 600 firefighters were called in to try to encircle the blaze, with the USFS taking the lead, aided by personnel from Cal Fire, Corona, the OCFA and other agencies.

California could be facing the toughest wildfire season ever as some 18 gigantic blazes ravage the state. Some 14,000 firefighters are battling fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and claimed six lives thanks to wind-whipped flames that have caused an explosive spread through vegetation left tinder-dry by years of drought.

California's largest recorded blaze -- the side-by-side fires dubbed the Mendocino Complex -- needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angeles. A deadly fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the Redding area of Northern California is less than 50 percent contained.

Even the head of MoviePass is a critic.

MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe is acknowledging in the face of criticism over the number of movies customers can see as part of a new subscription plan that his company missed the mark in creating a sustainable business model. But he now insists that they’re on the right track to securing a degree of financial security.

When Lowe invested in MoviePass, he wanted to know why some people went to see a movie in theaters so infrequently. At the time, the service charged between $35 and $40 monthly to see one movie per day. Lowe deemed it a “high-end service” that catered to frequent moviegoers, what the Motion Picture Association of America calls those who view one or more movies per month.

Lowe, who would become CEO in 2016, spent about 18 months researching industry trends and concluded that millennials would go to the theater for a major blockbuster but otherwise waited for movies to be available on streaming services. They didn’t like the risk of paying for a movie they might not like and having to leave the house to do so, Lowe said.

So, the company launched a $9.95 monthly subscription plan that enabled users to see one movie per day. However, frequent moviegoers used the service so often that the company quickly lost money, Lowe said.

Now, under a new plan, MoviePass subscribers can see three movies per month for the same monthly fee, preventing frequent users from draining the company’s cash flow. Customers wanting to see more than three movies a month will receive discounts on additional tickets while millennials might not view selecting a movie to see as a risk, Lowe said.

Two business experts said MoviePass’s initial business model wasn’t sustainable. Lowe said the same.

“We were trying to do both -- please the frequent moviegoer and occasional moviegoer -- and we’re not able to do both,” Lowe, also a Netflix founding executive, said. “Now we’re focusing on what we can do better than anyone else: keep a low price, attract the occasional moviegoer and stay a sustainable business.”

MoviePass only receives discounts on 10 percent of tickets it purchases, Lowe said. As a result, the company often finds itself paying full ticket prices.

Movie tickets averaged more than $9 in the first four months of 2018, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. However, in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, movie ticket prices can surpass $15, forcing MoviePass to take a loss on the first movie a subscriber sees.

Now, in an attempt to become profitable, MoviePass is anticipating users won’t see all three possible films each month. Under the old plan, 15 percent of users saw four or more movies per month, draining the company’s resources.

“I would suggest the company was something of a disaster from the beginning,” said Daniel McCarthy, a subscription model expert and marketing professor at Emory. “The more customers they acquire, the more value they destroy.”

Financial problems have plagued MoviePass this summer. Its parent company, Helios and Matheson, received a loan worth more than $6 million after MoviePass temporarily ran out of cash. Lowe said the loan was the result of investors wanting the company to limit its losses at a quicker rate, causing movie vendors to be concerned about payments.

Nonetheless, frustrated customers complained about the outage on social media, claiming it prevented them from checking-in.

Then, the company announced its plans to increase its monthly fee to $14.95 and prevent subscribers from using the service to see major releases the first two weeks they’re in theaters. However, MoviePass, which has more than 3 million subscribers, walked-back the proposed price hike.

Instead, the company aims to increase its revenue by selling ad space, creating brand partnerships with services like Uber and Lyft, hotels and restaurants and partnering with studios to promote specific movies.

Under the new plan, scheduled to go into effect Aug. 15, customers with a desire to see more than three movies each month will receive a discount between $2 and $5, Lowe said. Still, MoviePass is counting on the majority of subscribers not seeing three movies each month.

“The rationale was ‘we can build up a consumer base quickly,’” said Paul Hardart, a clinical professor of marketing at NYU. “Get a large subscriber base and then figure out. The outcome you want is it’s an avid part of a consumer’s life and it’s a subscription they’re willing to pay for.”

Theaters themselves, most recently AMC, have created comparable subscription programs. But with his new plan set to debut next week, Lowe isn’t concerned and said the latest model should make MoviePass a more sustainable business.

“We changed the business model to a new plan which satisfies the need of 85 percent of our customers and significantly reduces the bulk by not having to deliver movies to the 15 percent,” Lowe said, “instead of having an unsustainable service serving 100 percent of customers.”

A man who ran out of gas in South Windsor grabbed two axes because no one would stop to help him, police said. His intention was to get people’s attention, according to police, and he has been arrested. 

Police responded to Pleasant Valley Road near Wheeler Road at 8 p.m. Tuesday after receiving several calls about a man near a parked truck waving axes and detained 28-year-old Jacob Pritchard, of South Windsor. 

They said his truck ran out of gas and he was upset no one would stop for him, so he held two axes as he stood in the roadway to get people’s attention. 

“Based on the annoyance and alarm caused to the numerous motorists,” officers arrested Pritchard, police said. 

He was charged with breach of peace and threatening in the second degree. 

“I think if you want your voice heard you need to participate.”

Patricia Santoro of Farmington has a point, but the deadline to participate is looming. Voters have through Friday to register for the primary via mail, online, or at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Online registration will stay open until midnight. In person-registration ends at noon on Monday.

Pocketbook issues are driving many voters to the polls this year.

“Our taxes are astronomical,” said New Britain resident Anetta Boksz-Paradis.

“I was a former state employee and I don’t think things should be taken away,” said Betty Petraniuk, also of New Britain.

Tuesday’s primary includes an open field in four of the state’s six constitutional offices - governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and attorney general, with the current occupants deciding not to seek re-election. The only incumbents running are in the secretary of the state’s office and the comptroller.

“We have the largest number of people registering to vote than ever in living memory,” said the Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

She said 275,000 new voters have signed up in Connecticut since the 2016 election. She added that there are 449,000 Republicans and 446,000 Democrats currently registered.

“Whether that translates into primary voters I’m not sure. It’s the middle of the summer,” said Merrill.

Merrill said in the best of primary elections voter turnout is only 25 percent. However, the first indicator that this year’s primary may buck the turnout trend is already evident to Merrill.

“If voter registration is any measure of anything, yes there’s a lot more interest,” she said.

Still, the biggest voting population in the state is unaffiliated and won’t be able to vote next Tuesday. Unaffiliated voters are only allowed to vote in general elections, not primaries.

To vote on Tuesday you must declare a party. The deadline to change parties has already passed.

“If you don’t commit to a party you don’t have as much influence,” said Paul Carver of Old Saybrook.

“It’s your right, it’s your duty, it’s your privilege and if you want things changed you gotta vote,” added Petraniuk.

You can check your registration status by clicking here.

Park Road in West Hartford will be partially closed starting August 13 and the closure will remain in place for several weeks. 

So far, traffic impacts on Park Road due to construction have been temporary and the road has been fully re-opened to traffic at the end of each work day. 

The contractor is now at a point that will require a permanent partial closure on Park Road.

Park Road will be closed to one lane in each direction between Raymond Road and the I-84 Exit 43 off-Ramp. Traffic traveling east on Park Road would still be able to access the I-84 on-ramp to proceed east or west. Park Road westbound traffic needing to access I-84 will be detoured to the Main Street ramps. Trout Brook Drive is the recommended alternate to access I-84 East.

Drivers should expect delays and are advised to avoid the project area and take an alternate route when possible.

For more information, you can visit the project website here.

A 12-year-old Brooklyn girl and her 9-year-old brother have been missing for more than a day, the NYPD said.

Lala Washington and Andrew Hillard, who live in Brownsville, were last seen heading to a food program across the street from their home around 8 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

Lala, who weighs 105 pounds and stands at 5-foot-3, was wearing blue jeans and purple shoes at the time, and Andrew, who is 100 pounds and stands at 5-foot-1, was wearing black pants and white sneakers.

Neither of them has ever run away before, the NYPD said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

The 2018 annual Connecticut sales tax-free week will begin Sunday, Aug. 19 and go through Saturday, Aug. 25.

No matter what's on your shopping list, the week offers items that are exempt from sales tax when sold for less than $100. For items costing $100 or more, sales tax is calculated on the full purchase price. 

It's a great week to start your back-to-school shopping, revamp your wardrobe, or maybe even get an early start on some holiday shopping.

Here is a list of just some of the things you can buy tax-free. Click here for the full list. 

• Antique clothing 
• Arm warmers
• Athletic socks 
• Bandannas
• Baseball hats
• Belts, suspenders, belt buckles
• Blouses
• Chef uniforms 
• Children's bibs
• Dresses
• Earmuffs
• Employee uniforms (such as police, fire, mechanics, nurses, postal)
• Formal wear gowns 
• Formal wear rentals
• Foul weather gear
• Garters
• Gloves
• Golf dresses and skirts
• Golf jackets
• Golf shirts
• Graduation caps and gowns
• Hats, caps
• Fashion boots
• Jeans
• Legwarmers
• Leotards, tights
• Overclothes
• Overshoes, rubber, boots
• Ponchos
• Rain jackets, rain suits, rainwear
• Robes
• Sashes
• Scarves
• Shirts
• Shoelaces
• Ski sweaters, ski jackets
  
• Slippers
• Sneakers
• Socks
• Square dancing clothes
• Swimsuits
• Tennis clothing (dresses, hats, shorts, and skirts)
  
• Ties (men’s and women’s)
• Wedding gowns, headpieces, and veils
  
• Work clothes 

The police department lip sync challenge continues and the New Haven Police Department was not to be left out.

The men and women of the New Haven Police Department posted a video with a variety of songs, showcasing some impressive skills as they danced alongside the community. The video event featured some real vocals in between all the lip syncing (check it out around 5:35).

The video was shared on Facebook and Youtube Thursday and in less than 10 hours racked up over 135,000 views.

Other Connecticut police departments to share their own lip sync videos include Waterford, Enfield and East Haven.

A state agency is stepping in after residents of a Hartford neighborhood raised concerns over their water quality and asked authorities to slow work on a multi-million dollar improvement project on Route 44, known as Albany Avenue, at a neighborhood meeting Thursday.

In November, water began gushing into the basement of an Albany Avenue building owned by Lisa Vivian.

“It was as high as four feet at one time. The plumbers and contractors were working and constantly pumping the water out for days,” she said.

Vivian told NBC Connecticut the water kept on coming even after the connection to the water main was closed. Eventually, the basement was closed off with standing water still inside, she said. Structural problems followed, forcing her to re-house tenants. Then, months later, she said a contractor gave her startling news.

“He found out there was raw sewage clogged in the water lateral from MDC’s side,” she said.

Vivian was one of dozens of people who attended a neighborhood meeting hosted by the Upper Albany Merchants Association Thursday, calling on the Metropolitan District Commission to replace the water main and connections to homes and businesses along Albany Avenue, while much of the street and sidewalks are already torn up for a multi-million dollar safety and streetscape improvement project spearheaded by the City of Hartford and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Their concern is that many of those connections could look like rusted pipe pulled from the ground outside another Albany Avenue business following a leak. Ellsworth Cross, a former MDC employee who now who works as a consultant with community revitalization organization, Upper Albany Main Street Inc., spoke out, saying community confidence in the water being used to prepare food, wash hands, and for drinking, was low.

Merchants here today are saying I’m not going to buy food from Albany Avenue,” he said.

MDC’s Chief Executive Officer Scott Jellison attended the meeting to respond to these concerns. He said the water main on Albany Avenue does not need to be replaced until at least the late 2030s, and that MDC has already done the work of relining almost every connection on the street up until the point where they reach private property. That line is one he said the utility cannot cross.

“We do not pay for private property work. This is not our responsibility,” he said.

The outcry is now prompting the state Department of Public Health to step in. Linda Ferraro, a Public Health Services manager with the DPH, said the department will investigate tap water quality along Albany Avenue and to inquire about funding for improvements.

“We will look into this further, so you have our assurance that we will participate,” she said.

The MDC told Vivian during the meeting that they would investigate her situation.

“I’m a little relieved that they’re finally going to come out and take a look at the problem,” she said, “but it may be a little late, if you look at the condition of the building.”

The MDC also agreed to provide records they have to help property owners identify the age of their connections.

The MDC does provide a free tap water testing service for customers.

Garbo Lobster based in Groton is one North America’s leading exporters of lobsters.

But the company’s general manager Chris Brown told NBC Connecticut the company is losing out on significant business since China responded to the Trump Administration by nearly doubling the tariffs on American seafood.

“Last year during the summer months we’d be shipping these out on a daily basis, no problem,” said Brown, who oversees day-to-day operations. “It has really caused us to look at our model and alter it, our volumes are much lower so we have to really reduce the amount of drivers, reduce the amount of production staff.”

In June, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods. After China retaliated by imposing its own 25 percent tariff on American products, such as seafood, Brown said that major international market has lost its appetite for New England lobster.

“We were shipping anywhere 100- to 150,000 pounds a week on a given timeframe to China,” Brown said. “However, now that has dropped down to nothing.”

On Thursday, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) went to where Garbo sorts its lobsters to learn more about the business the wholesale distributor is losing.

“He’s never experienced anything like this where the government is creating an added cost, I mean it’s about $2.50 cents a pound of extra cost selling into China for U.S. lobster,” Courtney said.

Courtney said he is concerned that Trump’s trade policies are hurting other American companies.

“Unfortunately, they’re not alone in terms of the tariff impact on dairy, on soybeans, pork producers, different parts of the country,” he said.

Companies in nearby states that ship shellfish overseas are also feeling the pinch, Courtney said. Meanwhile, Canadian companies are benefiting after China lowered traffic on lobster imports from the United States’ neighbor to the north.

“I would ask (President Trump) to consider more free trade opportunities and to be able to compete in the seafood industry in really markets across the board,” Brown said.

A conservative group that has been defending Rep. Jim Jordan released a quote from a former Ohio State University wrestler on Thursday in which he appears to recant his claim that the congressman — when he was an assistant coach — knew that the team doctor was sexually abusing the athlete, NBC News reported. 

Mark Coleman, who is also a former UFC world champion, said in a press release supplied by Shirley & Banister Public Affairs that his previous comments "were not accurate."

"At no time did I ever say or have any direct knowledge that Jim Jordan knew of Dr. Richard Strauss’ inappropriate behavior," Coleman said in the release. "I have nothing but respect for Jim Jordan as I have known him for more than 30 years and know him to be of impeccable character." 

Coleman could not be reached to corroborate the comment put forward by the conservative group. But it stands in contrast to what he told the Wall Street Journal on July 5 — two days after NBC News first reported allegations from three other wrestlers that Jordan had must have known about to the alleged abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss. One of the wrestlers even said that he talked to Jordan about the doctor's behavior.

People in Meriden have had enough of tax increases.

On Thursday, they sent a strong message to city leaders to cut costs, and it comes just weeks after a historic referendum where voters rejected the city budget.

The mayor said over the last couple weeks city officials have been scrambling to put together a new budget. There are possible options: including a zero tax increase and a two percent increase.

On Thursday, people let the Meriden City Council know what they think of city spending. And many don’t want to pay any more.

“No tax increase whatsoever. How are we going to do that? We’re going to work together,” said Steven Cardillo of Meriden.

This comes just weeks after voters overwhelmingly rejected the $198 million budget in a first-ever referendum. That plan would have meant a nearly five percent increase to the property tax.

After having their say, on Thursday they brought out the scalpel. Some believe there’s fat to cut across the city.

“We’re going to start with City Hall first, layoffs, furlough days,” said Cardillo.

There were some in the crowd who feared slashing the budget could hurt important services and organizations.

But the message to go lean has been heard by city leaders.

“That’s to find cuts, find savings somewhere in this budget. And realizing that we are going to have to sacrifice some services somewhere along the way. That’s going to be the difficulty, find the balances,” said Mayor Kevin Scarpati of Meriden.

Next Tuesday the city is expected to reveal potential budget ideas.

The council plans to vote on a revised budget on Thursday.

A water main broke on Farmington Avenue in Bristol and it has been repaired.

The Bristol Water Department posted on its Facebook page that crews located the source of the break, repaired the leak and said they were turning the water back on to the area.

The department addressed recent water mains breaks and said they typically occur in the winter months when the ground freezes and moves, but high flows throughout the summer can also put stress on the mains. During times of high demand, water hammer can occur and can cause water mains to break, according to the department.

“Although we have had a few breaks in the past week, we would like to assure our customers that our water system is in very good condition. Like all water companies, we will always have water main breaks, but with our hard working, dedicated and experienced staff, we will always work to reduce customer outages,” the department’s Facebook post says.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi faces a battle to stay leader of the Democratic party even as it fights to retake control of Congress, NBC News reported.

Forty-one Democratic congressional nominees and nine sitting lawmakers say they won't support the Californian for House speaker, according to an NBC News survey of candidates and their public statements.

Thirty-four more nominees are on the record as being neither for nor against Pelosi, a former House Speaker and the party's leader in Congress since 2003.

Pelosi's office said she hasn't asked anyone to back her for speaker should Democrats win the House back in November, and she's focused on winning.

The CDC is now reporting that 436 people have been diagnosed with an intestinal illness after consuming salads at McDonald’s restaurants. 

The laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in 15 states after customers ate salads at the restaurant’s locations.

In its initial announcement July 13, the CDC reported 61 cases. As of last week, there were 395 cases. 

Over 200 cases have now been reported in Illinois and Iowa alone, with 219 cases confirmed in Illinois.  

The most common symptom of the illness is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include appetite loss, intestinal pain, nausea, and fatigue.

McDonald's released a statement regarding the outbreak, saying "McDonald's is committed to the highest standards of food safety and quality control." 

Earlier this summer, McDonald’s removed the lettuce blend from 3,000 identified restaurants and distribution centers that had received it.

Affected restaurants were located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Missouri. 

Reported illnesses started on or after May 20. 

In an update Thursday, the CDC said "at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that this cluster of illnesses is related to the Cyclospora outbreak linked to Del Monte fresh produce vegetable trays."

A serious crash on Avon Mountain shut down a stretch of Route 44 between West Hartford and Avon Friday morning, but the road has reopened.

West Hartford police said the intersection of Route 44 and Mountain Road closed around 12:30 a.m. after a vehicle hit a utility pole.

It's not clear how many people were involved or the extent of their injuries.

Eversource crews are making repairs.

A fire at Thomas Hooker School in Meriden has been put out, according to police. 

The school is located at 70 Overlook Road. 

No additional information was immediately available.

It's no secret commuting in the San Francisco Bay Area is as difficult as it gets. 

But Richmond resident Janis Johnson has found a unique way of avoiding congested highways by kayaking to work.

“I had come down here from the foothills and I kind of jokingly boasted to my friends, ‘I’m going to get a kayak and kayak to work,’” Johnson told NBC Bay Area on a chilly August morning while getting ready for her kayak commute. “I was just thinking that would be the ultimate in coolness and so, I did!” 

Johnson lives on board a 44-foot boat in Marina Bay only 2.25 miles away from her job at KKMI, a boat repair and maintenance yard. A couple of times a week, she’ll wake up a little earlier than usual, prepare her kayak and make her way down the Harbor Channel at a pace of about 15 minutes per mile. 

When she doesn’t take her kayak, Skedaddle, out into the water, Johnson takes her bike to work. It only takes about 10 minutes. 

Despite the fact that it takes Johnson almost three times as long to get to work by kayak, she says the experience on the water in the early morning is worth it.

“There’s something about commuting by water that gives you a really unique perspective on where you are,” Johnson said. “It’s an exciting way to get to work.”

It’s not only thrilling to get away from usual traffic found on most Bay Area highways but Johnson says taking a slower paced commute to work allows for more peaceful and intimate moments.

“When you do something over and over again it becomes so routine and mundane. Taking a different route to work might take longer but maybe you’ll get to see a beautiful building or park,” Johnson said. “Variety is definitely the spice of life and we need to use as many spices as we can.”

A Farmington man has been missing for about a month and police are asking for assistance as they continue to search for him.

Bryan Canto, a husband and father, has been missing since July 13 and today is his 48th birthday.

He is bald with blue eyes, 185 pounds, and 5-foot-11. He also tattoos on his left and right arms – a Libra symbol and a Rising sun with a lion. He was last seen wearing a blacked collared polo shirt, tan shorts and brown Sketchers sneakers.

Police said Canto’s family is hoping someone has information that would lead to finding him.

Canto had never gone missing before and the behavior is “completely out of line for his character,” according to police. Police are concerned for his safety and well-being.

Anyone with information on Canto’s whereabouts should call Farmington police at 860-675-2400.