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Feds Open Probe Into OSU Wrestling Doc Abuse Allegations

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The U.S. Department of Education is investigating Ohio State University's response to complaints about a doctor molesting wrestlers and other athletes decades ago, NBC News reported.

For the last four months, the university has been investigating complaints from wrestlers who said that Dr. Richard Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, molested them.

The investigation will touch on "allegations that employees knew or should have know about the sexual misconduct and allowed the abuse to continue," according to a university news release Thursday.

The abuse allegations have reached Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, an assistant wrestling coach from 1986 to 1994 whom several former wrestlers say must have known. Jordan denies having any knowledge of the allegations.



Photo Credit: Ohio State University via AP

Rollover Crash Closes Route 31 in Coventry

Judge Allows Bay Area Girl to Bring Cannabis Oil to School

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A Santa Rosa family celebrated a first special day of school Monday because, thanks to a judge’s order, their 5-year-old child will be able to attend kindergarten and bring her medical marijuana products on campus.

When Brooke Adams walked onto campus Monday morning she was setting a legal precedent.

While medical and recreation marijuana became legal in the state of California, it's still illegal to have marijuana products on public school campuses. Brooke will be one of the first children in the state and country to be legally allowed to be given medical marijuana at school.

When she was just an infant, Brook was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

“It gives her seizures that don’t stop very easily, or don’t stop at all,” her father Jon Adams told NBC Bay Area.

Her seizures would last for half an hour — or longer — and paramedics would often have to be called.

Doctors tried a number of powerful drugs to control and prevent them. But none seemed effective — and they all had powerful side effects.

“Behavioral problems, sleep deprived, different things that not good for her,” her mother Jana Adams said.

When Brooke was a little more than a year old, she was issued a medical marijuana card. Her parents say the two products she uses — daily CBD oil and emergency THC oil — are very effective.

CBD is a chemical found in marijuana plants that doesn't produce psychoactive activity the same way THC does. THC is the psychoactive constituent of cannabis that produces the "high" effect.

Brooke now has fewer seizures and they only last three to four minutes after the administration of the oil, according to her family.

“With the emergency THC medicine, she pretty much just like, takes a nap, and she’s back to normal,” her father said.

Lawmakers didn’t take into account that maybe students would be on cannabis and need it at school, Adams said, so the family went to court.

A judge is still weighing their case but he did issue a temporary stay, allowing brook to attend class at least until his decision.

The school district issued this statement about brook’s situation saying: "The Rincon valley unified school district is happy to have the opportunity to serve brook and now has direction from the court to be able to do so.”

The Adams have already met with the school nurse to teach her how to administer the emergency THC oil.

The judge is expected to issue his final decision on this case in late September or early October.

CORRECTION (Aug. 16, 2018. 8:39 a.m.): An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the first name of Jana Adams.

Watertown Teen Bullied With Embarrassing Yearbook Photo Speaks Out

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A 2018 graduate from Watertown High Schools said she was bullied in her yearbook. 

Daniela Paternostro submitted pictures for a collage for the back pages of her yearbook, as hundreds of other students do, but the four pictures of her and her family were replaced with a single image. It was of Daniela at 7 years old with a broken tooth and bloody lip after an accident. 

“I was really embarrassed,” Daniela Paternostro said. “I was like, ‘How did this happen? I forgot that I even put up that YouTube video when I was 7 years old.” 

“It’s sad. She’s robbed of her memories and can’t get them back,” Daniela’s mother, Gina Paternostro, said. 

Daniela and her mom immediately reached out to Watertown High School administrators. They were told someone impersonating Daniela’s father sent an email with the picture. 

“Somebody intentionally replaced her four beautiful pictures and it was with malice and intent,” said Gina Paternostro. 

Rydell Harrison, the superintendent of Watertown Public Schools, told NBC Connecticut he immediately notified police and the school launched its own investigation to try and find the person responsible. 

In a statement, Harrison wrote in part, “As a school district, we do not and will not tolerate any inappropriate conduct toward any of our students. That sort of conduct has absolutely no place in a school setting.” 

He went on to write, “In each situation, our goal is to provide for the wellbeing of all of our students, to educate students about appropriate and respectful behaviors, and to prevent any recurrence of inappropriate conduct.” 

Daniela said the principal of the high school offered to have stickers made to replace the embarrassing image. 

The superintendent also told NBC Connecticut that the district is looking into several solutions to prevent this from happening again, including having students approve their pages before the yearbook is printed. 

Daniela said she is hoping this embarrassment for her will serve as an example for other students and encourage them to speak up if they are being bullied and get the support they need. 

“People commit suicide over this. I just wanted to put this out there so people know it’s OK if you’re getting bullied to speak up about it,” Daniela said. 

The Watertown Police are still investigating. 

The Paternostros said they hope police can interview students involved in making the yearbook before they return to school or go to college.





Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Vehicle Fire Closes I-95 South West Haven

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Interstate 95 South is closed in West Haven because of a vehicle fire.

The highway is closed between exits 42 and 41, according to CT Travel Smart.

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Former UConn Instructor Arrested on Child Porn Charge

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A former University of Connecticut instructor and researcher has been arrested on child pornography charges.

UConn police arrested 38-year-old Jason Gibson, of Glastonbury, Thursday.

According to the arrest warrant, the investigation began when the FBI received an online tip claiming that Gibson was in possession of child porn. The tipster told investigators that he was inside a chat room called “Sweet Children” on Whatsapp, an online chatting app. The tipster sent along a conversation they claimed was copied from the app and links to the chat.

The tip was passed along to UConn on July 14, and the investigation began. Police found the conversations in the group to contain pornographic images. Police also traced a phone number that was sharing links in the group and found that it was associated with Gibson, according to the warrant.

Gibson admitted to downloading child porn and videos on his phone during an interview with police, according to the warrant. Gibson also turned over his phone and allowed investigators to view the contents of an application he used to store the porn. There were over 20,000 images and over 100 videos in the application, some showing children that appeared as young as 7 or 8.

Gibson was charged with first-degree possession of child pornography.

A UConn spokesperson confirmed Gibson’s arrest. Gibson was an instructor and researcher in molecular and cell biology at UConn, but his contract ended before the investigation commenced.

Water Main Break in Simsbury Leaves 300 Customers Dry

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Approximately 300 customers are without water in Simsbury due to a water main break.

Aquarion confirmed a 10-inch pipe break on Sachems Trail. The company said approximately 300 customers were affected and service should be restored by 6 p.m.

Police said there are no road closures from this break.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Woman Attacked Clerk With Pepper Spray During Robbery: PD

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Hartford police have arrested a woman accused of attacking a store clerk with pepper spray during a robbery Thursday.

Police arrested 36-year-old Niwkia McKenzie on robbery and assault charges.

McKenzie is accused of robbing the Dollar General Store at 649 Wethersfield Avenue. According to police, McKenzie entered the store around 8:30 a.m. and sprayed the clerk with pepper spray, then stole several items.

The store clerk was hit in the right eye. He was treated on scene and declined further treatment.

McKenzie was arrested and charged with third-degree robbery, third-degree assault and sixth-degree larceny.



Photo Credit: Stringr.com

The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Dies at 76

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Aretha Franklin, the undisputed "Queen of Soul" who sang with matchless style on such classics as "Think," ''I Say a Little Prayer" and her signature song, "Respect," and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from pancreatic cancer.

Publicist Gwendolyn Quinn tells The Associated Press through a family statement that Franklin died Thursday at 9:50 a.m. at her home in Detroit. The statement said "Franklin's official cause of death was due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin's oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute" in Detroit.

The family added: "In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds."

The statement continued:

"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.

Among a legion of those expressing their grief were former President Barack Obama, who watched Franklin perform at his 2009 inauguration, said in a statement with wife Michelle Obama that the singer "helped define the American experience."

The pair added: "America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring. ... For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine. ... In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human. And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance."

The former president and first lady said Franklin's music "remains to inspire us all."

Franklin, who had battled undisclosed health issues in recent years, had in 2017 announced her retirement from touring.

A professional singer and accomplished pianist by her late teens, a superstar by her mid-20s, Franklin had long ago settled any arguments over who was the greatest popular vocalist of her time. Her gifts, natural and acquired, were a multi-octave mezzo-soprano, gospel passion and training worthy of a preacher's daughter, taste sophisticated and eccentric, and the courage to channel private pain into liberating song.

She recorded hundreds of tracks and had dozens of hits over the span of a half century, including 20 that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. But her reputation was defined by an extraordinary run of top 10 smashes in the late 1960s, from the morning-after bliss of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," to the wised-up "Chain of Fools" to her unstoppable call for "Respect."

Her records sold millions of copies and the music industry couldn't honor her enough. Franklin won 18 Grammy awards. In 1987, she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Clive Davis, the music mogul who brought her to Arista Records and helped revive her career in the 1980s, said he was "devastated" by her death.

"She was truly one of a kind. She was more than the Queen of Soul. She was a national treasure to be cherished by every generation throughout the world," he said in a statement. "Apart from our long professional relationship, Aretha was my friend. Her loss is deeply profound and my heart is full of sadness."

Fellow singers bowed to her eminence and political and civic leaders treated her as a peer. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a longtime friend, and she sang at the dedication of King's memorial, in 2011. She performed at the inaugurations of Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, and at the funeral for civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. Clinton gave Franklin the National Medal of Arts. President George W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2005.

Franklin's best-known appearance with a president was in January 2009, when she sang "My Country 'tis of Thee" at Barack Obama's inauguration. She wore a gray felt hat with a huge, Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow that became an Internet sensation and even had its own website. In 2015, she brought Obama and others to tears with a triumphant performance of "Natural Woman" at a Kennedy Center tribute to the song's co-writer, Carole King.

Franklin endured the exhausting grind of celebrity and personal troubles dating back to childhood. She was married from 1961 to 1969 to her manager, Ted White, and their battles are widely believed to have inspired her performances on several songs, including "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone," ''Think" and her heartbreaking ballad of despair, "Ain't No Way." The mother of two sons by age 16 (she later had two more), she was often in turmoil as she struggled with her weight, family problems and financial predicaments. Her best known producer, Jerry Wexler, nicknamed her "Our Lady of Mysterious Sorrows."

Franklin married actor Glynn Turman in 1978 in Los Angeles but returned to her hometown of Detroit the following year after her father was shot by burglars and left semi-comatose until his death in 1984. She and Turman divorced that year.

Despite growing up in Detroit, and having Smokey Robinson as a childhood friend, Franklin never recorded for Motown Records; stints with Columbia and Arista were sandwiched around her prime years with Atlantic Records. But it was at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church, where her father was pastor, that Franklin learned the gospel fundamentals that would make her a soul institution.

Aretha Louise Franklin was born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee. The Rev. C.L. Franklin soon moved his family to Buffalo, New York, then to Detroit, where the Franklins settled after the marriage of Aretha's parents collapsed and her mother (and reputed sound-alike) Barbara returned to Buffalo.

C.L. Franklin was among the most prominent Baptist ministers of his time. He recorded dozens of albums of sermons and music and knew such gospel stars as Marion Williams and Clara Ward, who mentored Aretha and her sisters Carolyn and Erma. (Both sisters sang on Aretha's records, and Carolyn also wrote "Ain't No Way" and other songs for Aretha). Music was the family business and performers from Sam Cooke to Lou Rawls were guests at the Franklin house. In the living room, the shy young Aretha awed friends with her playing on the grand piano.

Franklin occasionally performed at New Bethel Baptist throughout her career; her 1987 gospel album "One Lord One Faith One Baptism" was recorded live at the church.

Her most acclaimed gospel recording came in 1972 with the Grammy-winning album "Amazing Grace," which was recorded live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in South Central Los Angeles and featured gospel legend James Cleveland, along with her own father (Mick Jagger was one of the celebrities in the audience). It became one of of the best-selling gospel albums ever.

The piano she began learning at age 8 became a jazzy component of much of her work, including arranging as well as songwriting. "If I'm writing and I'm producing and singing, too, you get more of me that way, rather than having four or five different people working on one song," Franklin told The Detroit News in 2003.

Franklin was in her early teens when she began touring with her father, and she released a gospel album in 1956 through J-V-B Records. Four years later, she signed with Columbia Records producer John Hammond, who called Franklin the most exciting singer he had heard since a vocalist he promoted decades earlier, Billie Holiday. Franklin knew Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. and considered joining his label, but decided it was just a local company at the time.

Franklin recorded several albums for Columbia Records over the next six years. She had a handful of minor hits, including "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" and "Runnin' Out of Fools," but never quite caught on as the label tried to fit into her a variety of styles, from jazz and show songs to such pop numbers as "Mockingbird." Franklin jumped to Atlantic Records when her contract ran out, in 1966.

"But the years at Columbia also taught her several important things," critic Russell Gersten later wrote. "She worked hard at controlling and modulating her phrasing, giving her a discipline that most other soul singers lacked. She also developed a versatility with mainstream music that gave her later albums a breadth that was lacking on Motown LPs from the same period.

"Most important, she learned what she didn't like: to do what she was told to do."

At Atlantic, Wexler teamed her with veteran R&B musicians from Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, and the result was a tougher, soulful sound, with call-and-response vocals and Franklin's gospel-style piano, which anchored "I Say a Little Prayer," ''Natural Woman" and others.

Of Franklin's dozens of hits, none was linked more firmly to her than the funky, horn-led march "Respect" and its spelled out demand for "R-E-S-P-E-C-T."

Writing in Rolling Stone magazine in 2004, Wexler said: "It was an appeal for dignity combined with a blatant lubricity. There are songs that are a call to action. There are love songs. There are sex songs. But it's hard to think of another song where all those elements are combined."

Franklin had decided she wanted to "embellish" the R&B song written by Otis Redding, whose version had been a modest hit in 1965, Wexler said.

"When she walked into the studio, it was already worked out in her head," the producer wrote. "Otis came up to my office right before 'Respect' was released, and I played him the tape. He said, 'She done took my song.' He said it benignly and ruefully. He knew the identity of the song was slipping away from him to her."

In a 2004 interview with the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times, Franklin was asked whether she sensed in the '60s that she was helping change popular music.

"Somewhat, certainly with 'Respect,' that was a battle cry for freedom and many people of many ethnicities took pride in that word," she answered. "It was meaningful to all of us."

In 1968, Franklin was pictured on the cover of Time magazine and had more than 10 Top 20 hits in 1967 and 1968. At a time of rebellion and division, Franklin's records were a musical union of the church and the secular, man and woman, black and white, North and South, East and West. They were produced and engineered by New Yorkers Wexler and Tom Dowd, arranged by Turkish-born Arif Mardin and backed by an interracial assembly of top session musicians based mostly in Alabama.

Her popularity faded during the 1970s despite such hits as the funky "Rock Steady" and such acclaimed albums as the intimate "Spirit in the Dark." But her career was revived in 1980 with a cameo appearance in the smash movie "The Blues Brothers" and her switch to Arista Records. Franklin collaborated with such pop and soul artists as Luther Vandross, Elton John, Whitney Houston and George Michael, with whom she recorded a No. 1 single, "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)." Her 1985 album "Who's Zoomin' Who" received some of her best reviews and included such hits as the title track and "Freeway of Love."

Critics consistently praised Franklin's singing but sometimes questioned her material; she covered songs by Stephen Sondheim, Bread, the Doobie Brothers. For Aretha, anything she performed was "soul."

From her earliest recording sessions at Columbia, when she asked to sing "Over the Rainbow," she defied category. The 1998 Grammys gave her a chance to demonstrate her range. Franklin performed "Respect," then, with only a few minutes' notice, filled in for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti and drew rave reviews for her rendition of "Nessun Dorma," a stirring aria for tenors from Puccini's "Turandot."

"I'm sure many people were surprised, but I'm not there to prove anything," Franklin told The Associated Press. "Not necessary."

Fame never eclipsed Franklin's charitable works, or her loyalty to Detroit.

Franklin sang the national anthem at Super Bowl in her hometown in 2006, after grousing that Detroit's rich musical legacy was being snubbed when the Rolling Stones were chosen as halftime performers.

"I didn't think there was enough (Detroit representation) by any means," she said. "And it was my feeling, 'How dare you come to Detroit, a city of legends — musical legends, plural — and not ask one or two of them to participate?' That's not the way it should be."

Franklin did most of her extensive touring by bus after Redding's death in a 1967 plane crash, and a rough flight to Detroit in 1982 left her with a fear of flying that anti-anxiety tapes and classes couldn't help. She told Time in 1998 that the custom bus was a comfortable alternative: "You can pull over, go to Red Lobster. You can't pull over at 35,000 feet."

She only released a few albums over the past two decades, including "A Rose is Still a Rose," which featured songs by Sean "Diddy" Combs, Lauryn Hill and other contemporary artists, and "So Damn Happy," for which Franklin wrote the gratified title ballad. Franklin's autobiography, "Aretha: From These Roots," came out in 1999, when she was in her 50s. But she always made it clear that her story would continue.

"Music is my thing, it's who I am. I'm in it for the long run," she told The Associated Press in 2008. "I'll be around, singing, 'What you want, baby I got it.' Having fun all the way."



Photo Credit: Redferns

19 More Overdoses in New Haven Today; Week Totals Near 100

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For a third day in a row, New Haven emergency crews responded to multiple overdoses on the New Haven Green that are possibly linked to the synthetic drug K2. City officials said they have reports of a person handing out the drug for free, possibly to get people addicted. The total number of overdoses this week is now close to 100 without any fatalities.

Nineteen additional people have been treated for overdoses since midnight, New Haven Emergency Operations Director Rick Fontana said. Not all 19 cases were on the Green, a park near Yale University at the center of the outbreak, and it's not clear if they are all related to K2.

Fontana said emergency crews are looking into whether these most recent incidents are connected with the nearly 80 overdoses that took place in a 24-hour period Tuesday night and during the day on Wednesday.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said during a press conference with other officials Thursday that the city is a "great provider of service for people who struggle with addiction."  

"It is thereby the reason that so many people who struggle with these type of issues are then susceptible to those who would prey on them, who would give them drugs, who would come to areas where they go for services to try to sell them drugs," he said. 

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said that the city is finalizing plans for Jim Carroll, the president’s nominee for drug czar, to be in the city of New Haven Monday.

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Samples of the drugs that the city sent to the DEA for testing were identified as synthetic K2 and not tainted with other drugs, officials said. They have sent more samples for testing after receiving reports from Yale New Haven Hospital that some patients they treated had the opioid fentanyl in their system. 

Dr. Kathryn Hawk, an emergency medicine physician and professor, said some people got better when treated with the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, while for others it had no effect, The Associated Press reported.

The health emergency began escalating at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to city fire officials. Between Tuesday night and Wednesday, 79 overdoses suspected to be linked to K2 were reported and 72 of those cases resulted in hospitalizations.

On Thursday morning, a crew from NBC Connecticut witnessed first responders treating two people on the Green, including one person who was taken away on a stretcher.

Then, during the news conference Thursday afternoon, officials said they were aware of reports of additional incidents on the New Haven Green.

Some people who have gotten sick in the last couple of days have gotten sick several times. Officials said they were treated, went back to the Green and then got sick again, in some cases three times.

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Chief Campbell said that he witnessed up to eight people not being able to breathe and needing to be resuscitated. The experience of "compassion fatigue" for him and other responders "takes a toll," he said.  

After speaking to people on the Green, police arrested a local man on a violation of probation warrant who is believed connected to at least some of the overdoses. The investigation is ongoing and the man, who had K2 on him at the time of his arrest, has yet to be charged in any of the overdose cases.

“Many of the victims did inform us that they did not purchase this K2, that one of the individuals was actually handing it out to them. It is our belief that this individual may have had the intent of trying to get people addicted to this product, and thereby starting a chain of clients for themselves” Campbell said.

A second suspect known for K2 sales in the past and also believed linked to the outbreak, was also in custody, officials announced. Police earlier announced a third person had been arrested. 

Chief Campbell said authorities "have a good idea of where the product came from" and were serving search warrants. But he acknowledged not having all the product off the streets.

He said police continue to investigate and there will be a large police presence on the Green of up 20 people patrolling to prohibit the sale and purchase of drugs. On a typical day eight officers patrol downtown. 

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Mayor Harp has praised first responders for their work as the investigation continues, calling their work exemplary.

“I’m extremely grateful for the timely and effective work of first responders who helped revive, transport, and save these victims," Harp said in a statement.

Fontana warned the drug incidents are taxing first responders who are responsible for taking care of the entire city.

Gov. Dannel Malloy called the massive number of overdoses in New Haven “deeply troubling.”

“Today’s emergency is deeply troubling and illustrative of the very real and serious threat that illicit street drugs pose to health of individuals. The substance behind these overdoses is highly dangerous and must be avoided,” he said in a statement.

“I have spoken with Mayor Harp and assured her that the state remains committed and ready to assist their response efforts wherever needed,” Malloy said in a statement.

Officials from the state Department of Public Health and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services are providing assistance, including delivering 50 doses of naloxone to the City of New Haven to replenish the supply first responders used over 24 hours.

The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is also working with health professionals to assist the emergency responders. Malloy said psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, medical and homeless outreach staff also assisted in triage, administering naloxone, and sending people to the hospital.

The city of Hamden also shared signs of an overdose, citing the Quinnipiac Valley Health District, for the information.

Symptoms include:

• Person will not wake up

• Blue lips or fingernails

• Clammy, cool skin

• Shallow, slow breathing

• Seizures or convulsions

• No response to knuckles being rubbed hard on breastbone



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

First Alert: Strong to Severe Storms Possible Friday

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The NBC Connecticut meteorologists have issued a First Alert for Friday afternoon and evening due to the threat of severe thunderstorms.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible as the storms move into the state after the lunchtime hour. The storms could bring damaging winds, small hail, and flash flooding.

The NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking the threat. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Quinnipiac Expanding Health Services, Ending 24/7 Hours

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Quinnipiac University is expanding its on-campus health services ahead of the new academic year, moving away from an around-the-clock health center.

”We are one of very few in the country, I think under five, that are open 24/7,” explained Dean of Students Dr. Monique Drucker.

Drucker said the university wanted to move away from an antiquated model of care. As of July 1, the center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends.

”We’ve heard a lot from our students who are interested in having providers, so having somebody who can diagnose and treat our students at our health center,” Drucker said. “So, we had previously had a model that was based on resident nurses and we are moving towards provider-based so we are going to have APRNs, PAs.”

Students said they welcome the change.

”I’m really excited because we’re finally doing a quality over quantity sort of take on healthcare here,” said former student Nikki Mecca.

”Students want to go into the health center and be diagnosed and treated immediately, very quickly, and now that we have so many more healthcare providers that are in the health center in that 8 to 8 period, I think students are going to be really happy and really receptive,” said senior Joe Iasso.

For emergency situations that may arise, Dr. Drucker said students should not be concerned. There is an after-hours phone service in place that will get help immediately.

”In an emergency, we wouldn’t treat them here. In an emergency we’re going to get an ambulance and get them to the local hospital.”

AMR, which is an ambulance service that responds to the Quinnipiac University Campus, told NBC Connecticut the move will not significantly impact them because even with a 24/7 health center, they still respond to emergency calls.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Southwest Limits Emotional Support Animals to Cats and Dogs

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Southwest Airlines is joining a growing number of U.S. carriers overhauling its pet policy, announcing this week that it will only accept cats and dogs on board as "emotional support animals."

Under the new policy, which goes into effect Sept. 17, passengers will be limited to one emotional support animal that must remain in a carrier or be held on a leash at all times, according to the airline.

Passengers will also be required to present a "current" letter from a doctor or licensed mental health professional on the day of departure.

The Dallas-based company is also limiting the types of trained services animals permitted in the cabin to cats, dogs and miniature horses. Service animals are specially trained to help people with disabilities.

"The ultimate goal with these changes is to ensure Customers traveling with service animals know what to expect when choosing Southwest," said Steve Goldberg, Senior Vice President of Operations and Hospitality. "Southwest will continue working with advocacy groups, Employees, Customers, and the DOT to ensure we offer supportive service animal guidelines."

Guide dogs have been occasional flyers for years, but recently there has been a surge of emotional-support animals on board. Federal law allows passengers to bring animals into the cabin that provide emotional support or assistance to fliers with disabilities free of charge, according to The Associated Press. 

Airlines are convinced that scofflaws abuse the rules to avoid paying fees — about $125 or more each way — to bring their small pet on board.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced in May it was considering rules to "address the appropriate definition of a service animal."

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

Earlier this year, American, United, Delta and Jetblue issued tighter rules for pets in the cabin.

American Airlines cited a 40 percent increase in passengers bringing animals in the cabin from 2016 to 2017, in issuing its updated emotional support pets policy.

Delta's senior vice president for corporate safety, security and compliance, John Laughter, said in January that the rise in serious in-flight incidents involving animals in the cabin leads the industry to believe that "the lack of regulation in both health and training screening for these animals is creating unsafe conditions across U.S. air travel.”



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Criminals Set Up Robberies Using Online Marketplaces: PD

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Criminals are using popular online marketplaces to set up robberies and Hartford police have issued a warning to keep users safe.

Hartford police said a person was robbed after attempting an exchange Wednesday night near Asylum Avenue. Officers arrested a suspect, identified as Daniel Marciano, who was armed with a BB gun, after he attempted another robbery where detectives from the Major Crimes Division posed as the potential buyer. Marciano is suspected in other area incidents.

Police also arrested three other suspects charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

This is just the latest example of an ongoing criminal practice. Last year, Hartford police made over a dozen arrest in collaboration with federal officials after a series of online marketplaces exchanges turned violent, some escalating to the point of gunshots.

Police said a simple way to protect yourself is to meet at a police station. In Hartford, they’ve designated a point to meet up where video cameras will capture an exchange for an extra layer of security.

“Ever city resident, everyone from the whole state rather, come to the Hartford Police Department, come to any police department. They’re safe, transaction sites that are set up specifically to avoid this kind of confrontation,” said Lt. Pail Cicero.

Mall parking lots or meetings during the day may seem safe, but police said if a person says no to meeting at the police station, it’s a sign to end the conversation.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

Turnout Higher than Anticipated from Tuesday Primary

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More voters turned out to vote on Tuesday than they did in the similar open governor’s race primary in 2010.

Turnout hovered around 30 percent overall, with registered Democrats coming in at 28.7 percent, while Republicans turned out at 31.72 percent.

“That’s encouraging and maybe that’s because we had such an extraordinary increase in voter registration,” said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, who is a Democrat and is also seeking re-election in November. She did not have a primary opponent on Tuesday.

Republicans turned out more people to vote than in 2010, but they still lagged far behind Democratic participation.

Democrats sent 215,781 to the polls, while Republicans had 135,961 decide their five-way race for governor.

The Democratic Party has a significant registration advantage in Connecticut. They outnumber Republicans by a nearly two to one margin. Republicans have 428,612 registered party members to Democrats’ 751,467.

Two of the interesting trends that emerged from Tuesday had to do with two of the biggest storylines that came out of the evening.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim lost to Ned Lamont in what turned out to be a completely uncompetitive race. Lamont defeated Ganim by more than 60 points.

Ganim, a former convicted felon who spent seven years in federal prison, ran a race focused on the state’s largest cities. The strategy was to drive turnout out for Ganim in places like Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven and hope that would make it a competitive race.

While Ganim’s support was centralized in the cities, a warning of sorts came from his home city of Bridgeport.

Bridgeport Democrats case 5,009 ballots for Ganim, giving him a comfortable, but not overwhelming win over Lamont.

When Ganim won the Democratic Primary for mayor in 2015, defeating incumbent Bill Finch, registered Democrats gave him 6,264 votes.

Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Bob Stefanowski started his campaign with television ads at the beginning of 2018, and they were effective. He won by 10 points over his nearest challenger, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, while the remaining three contenders split about 50 percent of the vote.

Stefanowski emerged from Tuesday with victories in 116 out of 169 cities and towns.


Griebel Hopes Voters Consider Independent Run for Governor

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Oz Griebel, a former bank executive and President of the MetroHartford Alliance, is mounting a bid for governor outside of the two major parties.

He’s joined in the effort by Monte Frank, an attorney from Newtown, who has been focused on the issue of gun violence prevention since 2012.

“Our view is, electing either the Republican or the Democrat is the definition of political insanity, repeating the same processes over and over again and expecting a different result,” Griebel said.

Griebel, who ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Republican in 2010, he lost in a three-way primary, says the failure to grow jobs over the past few decades is the failure of both Democrats and Republicans who have varying degrees of control over Connecticut government over the past three decades.

The Oz and Monte platform has a plan for transportation that includes protecting revenues meant for infrastructure projects, reinstating a board that deals specifically with strategy relating to transportation, and instituting a pilot program for electronic tolls.

Griebel says tolls are one part of a far more broad conversation about how to make Connecticut an easier place to navigate.

“The essence is, it’s not about tolls. It’s about investment in transportation,” Griebel said. “Tolls are one element of the financial component of it. So is the gasoline tax. So is flexible work rules so people all don’t come to work at the same time.”

Griebel and Frank met with reporters just 36 hours after the nominees for governor for both Republicans and Democrats had been decided.

The winner of the November election will replace Democrat Dannel Malloy, who chose not to run for a third term.

The campaign between the major party candidates started sharply on Wednesday, with both Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski criticizing each other on varying points of contention.

During one Twitter exchange, Lamont called Stefanowski, “Trumpanowski,” on the same day President Donald Trump endorsed the Madison businessman.

Stefanowski responded on Twitter, calling Lamont, “Ned Malloy.”

Frank, on the ticket with Griebel, said of that interaction, “The two party primary winners on day one after the primary resorted to childish name calling.”

Griebel says his campaign does not anticipate a rush of donations to their cause, and said his outreach will be based on social media and old-fashioned retail politics.

He said, “the radical middle,” is where his run will stand on many issues.

“I hope everyone keeps an open mind. I mean one of the things about the primary system is everybody goes for the red meat issues.”



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

2-Year-Old Drowns in Bridgeport Pool

In Photos: New Haven Overdose Emergency

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Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

3 Slashed on Sumner Street in Hartford

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Three people suffered slashing injuries in an assault on Sumner Street Thursday.

Police said one woman slashed as three people. The victims suffered minor injuries while defending themselves.

A chemical or pepper spray was also used during the fight before police arrived.

A suspect is in custody and the weapons have been recovered.

No other details were immediately available.

Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Teen Shoved From Washington Bridge Wants Pusher in Jail

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The 16-year-old girl who survived a fall from a 60-foot bridge in Washington state believes the friend who pushed her off deserves some jail time for nearly killing her, Today reported

Jordan Holgerson was left with five broken ribs, punctured lungs and multiple other internal injuries when her friend, 18-year-old Taylor Smith, shoved her off of a bridge earlier this month at a recreational area in Moulton Falls Regional Park. Holgerson said she didn't want Smith to get into any trouble originally, but now wants her to "sit in jail and think about at least what she did." 

Smith told NBC News that she "feels really bad about what happened," adding that she didn’t intend to hurt Holgerson and has apologized to her.

Police have concluded an investigation into the incident and have passed the case on to the Clark County prosecutor's office for potential criminal charges. 



Photo Credit: KGW
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