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CTrail Hartford Line Stations to End Free Parking

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation is ending its free parking promotion at multiple CTrail Hartford Line stations.

Officials said paid parking will begin at CTrail Hartford Line stations in Berlin, Meriden and Wallingford on Tuesday. Paid parking applies Monday through Friday for both Hartford Line rail passengers and the public. Parking is free on weekends and federal holidays and the stations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parking at the Berlin Station on Depot Road is $2 per day and monthly parking is available for $20. Cash, debit and credit cards are accepted.

There are multiple places to park at the Meriden station. It costs $2 a day to park at the surface lot on State Street. Cash, debit and credit cards are accepted at the parking kiosk.

At the Colony Street garage in Meriden, the first two hours are free. It costs $7 a day for non-rail passengers and $2 for Hartford Line passengers who have a voucher. Cash payments may be made at the garage parking pay station. Debit and credit cards may be used at the pay station or exit gate. Monthly parking is available for both surface parking and the parking garage. It costs $20 for rail passengers and $40 for non-rail passengers.

Parking at the Wallingford Station on North Cherry Street costs $2 on weekdays and monthly parking is available for $20. Cash, debit and credit cards are accepted.

To apply for a monthly parking permit, click here



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Man Fights Through Taser, Avoids Apprehension After Shoplifting in West Hartford: PD

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Police in West Hartford are searching for a man who they say stole candy from a local grocery store and fought through a taser to avoid apprehension on Friday.

Officers were called to the Aldi on New Park Avenue around 10:37 a.m. after getting a report of a shoplifting. When officers arrived, they found a person who matched the description on a "Lime" bicycle. Police said the person would not stop and comply with the officer.

An officer tackled the suspect to the ground, but the suspect was able to run away with the officer in a foot pursuit. The officer caught up with the suspect in a yard on Foley Street and deployed his taser, but the suspect was able to fight through it and ran off. The officer sustained minor injuries during the chase, but did not require medical attention, police said.

Police set up a perimeter and a K9 team was brought in to search for the suspect, but they could not find him.

Officers said the suspect stole about $90 worth of candy from Aldi that they recovered.

In photos provided by police, the suspect can be seen wearing a black and red hat, a black shirt and jeans with a black backpack. 

If you think you know who the suspect in the photos is, you're encouraged to call West Hartford Police at (860) 523-5203.



Photo Credit: West Hartford Police

UConn's Men's Basketball Team Shows Serious Dunking Ability at Pool

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You don't see this at every Labor Day weekend pool party, but the UConn men's basketball team proved they have some serious dunking ability in a video posted by the team. 

The video was accompanied by the caption: "Ball movement. Selflessness. Execution. #ThisIsUConn // #DoMore."

No word on where the video was shot.

The video was captured by a UConn graduate assistant and the team's student managers.



Photo Credit: @UConnMBB
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Fair Goers Take Steps to Stay Cool in Extreme Heat

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Food, animals and rides enticed people to come to the Haddam Neck Fair in East Hampton on Monday.

The four-day event attracts 20,000 people, according to Dave Tozier, the President of the Haddam Neck Fair.

With the temperatures expected to climb into the 90s for the last day of the fair, several families made sure to pack water and stay hydrated.

First responders also set up a first aid station. They are keeping a close eye on people to make sure no one gets overheated.

“We have ice packs. If someone gets overheated we can treat them, have them sit down, give them cool towels, etc. Just watching people, elderly are obviously at higher risk for heat exhaustion,” said Kim Danaher, the EMS captain of the Haddam Neck Fire Department.

The fair ends on Labor Day at 5 p.m.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Woman Survives Kayak Accident That Kills Husband, 3 Kids

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A kayak carrying a family of five flipped in Lake Superior off northeast Wisconsin last week, killing the three kids and their father while their mother managed to survive several hours in the water, NBC News reported.

Cari Mews, Erik Fryman and their kids, ages 3, 6 and 9, were on vacation, touring a series of islands known for their caves and cliffs off the northern tip of Wisconsin Thursday when their kayak capsized, according to NBC affiliate KBJR.

Mews' sister eventually received cryptic text messages, including "911," but they didn't immediately go through due to poor cell phone reception. She called authorities when she got the messages hours later.

Rescue crews found Mews alive after she'd been in the water for about six hours, but the bodies of two of her children and her husband were found soon afterward.



Photo Credit: Google Maps

US Service Member Dies in Apparent 'Insider Attack'

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An apparent "insider attack" in eastern Afghanistan killed a U.S. service member and left another wounded on Monday, NBC News reported.

The wounded service member is in stable condition, according to officials with Resolute Support, the NATO-led mission that trains and advises Afghan forces. Further details weren't immediately available.

It's the sixth American military death in Afghanistan this year.

"The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him," said the commanding general of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan in a statement.



Photo Credit: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

Several State Parks and Recreation Areas Full on Labor Day

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A handful of state parks and recreation areas were full to capacity on Labor Day as people advantage of the hot weather for the holiday.

The state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection announced the following locations are full to parking capacity and closed to new vehicles:

 

  • Pattaconk Lake State Recreation Area
  • Miller's Pond State Park
  • Mount Tom State Park
  • Wadsworth Falls State Park
  • Squantz Pond State Park
Check back here for updates throughout the day.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Deadly Crash Closes Middletown Ave. in North Haven

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A deadly crash has closed Middletown Avenue in North Haven on Monday afternoon.

Police said a car was traveling north on Middletown Avenue, also known as Route 17. Officers believe the driver was attempting to pass cars on a curvy portion of the road when he lost control. The car flipped over, hit a guardrail and took out a utility pole. The pole came down and went through the man's car.

Police at the scene are waiting for Frontier to arrive to stabilize the pole before they can get to the man inside.

According to officers, the male driver was killed in the crash. His identity has not been released. Nobody else was injured in the accident.

The accident reconstruction team is at the scene. Officials believe speed was a factor in the crash.

Middletown Avenue from Montowese Avenue to Village Street is closed. Officials expect the road to remain closed for several more hours.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Yard Goats Say Goodbye to 2018 With Record Attendance

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The Hartford Yard Goats wrap up their season on Monday in New Hampshire, but the story is what happened in the capital city this year.  Not only did fans flock to see the Goats play in their second season at Dunkin' Donuts Park, they actually came out in larger numbers than the inaugural year.

In August, the Yard Goats became the first minor league team in Connecticut to surpass 400,000 fans in attendance for a season.  The team ended the season having earned 47 total sellouts in 2018.  The final attendance number for the year: 408,942.  There was no second-season slump.

The Yard Goats lead the Eastern League in total attendance selling out the final 19 games.  Thirty-one of the last 33 home games were standing room crowds.  It didn't matter if it was a weeknight or a weekend, Dunkin' Donuts Park was packed.

The team may have finished under .500 and more than 10 games back of a playoff spot, but fans didn't seem disappointed.  They voted Dunkin' Donuts Park as the "Best Double-A Ballpark in America" for the second straight year.

The team got to enjoy much of the season with all-star infielder Brendan Rodgers, who is ranked as the top prospect in the parent club Rockies' organization.

The year was also a year of many 'firsts.' The Yard Goats became Los Chivos de Hartford for three nights honoring the Hispanic heritage of the community.  The team became the Steamed Cheeseburgers and the Whirly Birds in two popular promotions. 

Tim Tebow played in Hartford when the Binghamton Rumble Ponies were in town. The former NFL quarterback told the assembled media in May that Dunkin' Donuts Park is the nicest minor league park he's visited.  Tebow also spent time schmoozing with PGA golf professional Bubba Watson during a game in June.

During the season, the Yard Goats and NBC CT/Telemundo Connecticut partnered for the largest single-day blood drive in state history.

There were many other firsts for the Yard Goats in 2018: hosting a stand-up comedy show, debuting the beer bats and 'Glazed & Grazed' burgers, bringing the Cape Cod League to Hartford and having country superstar Jason Aldean play a game on the field.

Baseball may be gone from Hartford for the year, but the Yard Goats are making sure to keep the ballpark in use throughout the fall.

The team plans a 'Links at the Yard' event where fans can play nine holes of golf around the ballpark Sept. 27-30.  The Goats are also holding their second annual G.O.A.T. Brew Fest on Oct. 20 (NBC CT is returning as a sponsor). Beyond that, keep your eye out for a possible future Eastern League All-Star Game at DDP. Perhaps in 2021?

In the meantime, fans will have to settle for fond memories of the team's second season in Downtown North.

Don't despair, Yard Goats fans.  It's only 220 days until the home opener on April 11.

See the 2019 schedule here.

NBC Connecticut is the proud, exclusive media partner of the Hartford Yard Goats.


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Man Falls Off Bridge, Lands In River in Vernon

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A man is in the hospital on Monday afternoon after falling off of a bridge into a river in Vernon.

Members of the Vernon Police Department, Vernon Fire Department and EMS responded to Belding Wildlife Property around 12:52 p.m.

Officials said the man fell approximately 6 feet off of a bridge into the Tankerhoosen River on the Belding Wildlife Property.

According to first responders, the man was injured, but conscious. Firefighters rescued the man and transported him to Hartford Hospital.

Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police were notified.



Photo Credit: Vernon Police

East Lyme Businesses Report Busy 2018 as Summer Ends

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Businesses in Niantic say the hot weather contributed to a successful 2018, which may have even surpassed their success in 2017.

"We’re a weather-based business," said Grady Clark, the owner of Dad’s Restaurant, a seasonal seafood and ice cream staple along the Niantic boardwalk.

On this day, Clark is counting down the hours to closure for the 2018 season. He always ends the year on Labor Day at 8 p.m.

He’s sad to see 2018 go, however, because it’s been one of the busiest in his six years owning the restaurant.

"The beginning of the season, it wasn’t that great, only because of the rain, it was kind of cool. But right after Mother’s Day, everything shot up and was absolutely terrific."

Down the boardwalk is Blackhawk Sport Fishing, a company that charters fishing trips out into the Long Island Sound.

CJ Adams, who works as a mate on one of the company’s charters, says he could not believe the heavy flow of customers throughout 2018. He said every day of the week Blackhawk had difficulty keeping up with demand.

Labor Day was no exception, Adams said.

"Normally on holidays we get a lighter crowd, everyone’s picnicking, but today for some reason we were full full full, turned some people away, too."

He anticipates the good business will continue into the winter when the company offers cod fishing, and said he expects 2019 could see even more growth.

"We’ve had to turn away quite a few customers over the past couple of weeks and throughout the whole summer as well. Things have been looking up and each and every year gets better and better."

Route 66 in East Hampton Closed After Crash

Person Fatally Struck by Train in North Haven

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A person was struck and killed by a train in North Haven Monday, according to police.

North Haven police confirmed the fatal crash happened near the Devine Street crossing just after 9 p.m. Police said the body was found near Sackett Point Road.

Sackett Point Road is closed between Universal Drive and State Street for the investigation.

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North Haven Police and Amtrak Police are investigating.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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Donations Pour in for Victims of Stratford Condo Fire

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Dozens of people were forced from their homes after a fire at a condominium complex in Stratford last week, and residents are still trying to figure out their next steps.

“It was a lot. Everything that I worked for all these years is gone,” said Rose Tinsley, who lived in the building at 685 Success Ave.

Video shows what some of the once homey units now look like five days after flames erupted. Debris covered the floors, the roof was destroyed by flames and powerful water hoses from the long fire fight. The property remains fenced off and a fire alarm inside still rings.

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Tinsley lived in the complex for 18 years.

“In the long term, I don’t know. I have to take it day by day and see what’s going on with that,” she told NBC Connecticut.

Town leaders said donations for the dozens of displaced residents started pouring in over the holiday weekend.

“We all came together because we knew we had to help these people out,” said Stratford Public Safety Director Lawrence Chiccarelli.

The police station and nearby Sterling House have been holding donations while residents wait to return to their units to see if anything can be salvaged.

“It was very destructive and Stratford hasn’t had a fire this magnitude where so many people have been displaced at one time in at least the last 20 years that we know of,” Chiccarelli said.

It’s unclear whether anything will be saved from the property. But those who saw everything destroyed are hoping for the best.

“You can’t look backwards. You have to go forward. You just have to move forward. There’s nothing you can do at this point,” Tinsley said.

Chiccarelli said donations will be accepted for the residents for one more day. Some may be allowed back onto the property Tuesday to salvage whatever belongings they can find.



Photo Credit: Contributed

Farrow Draft on Weinstein Had Misstatements: NBC News

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NBC News alleged in an internal report Monday that the writer Ronan Farrow had taken a source's comments out of context in his reporting on sexual harassment claims against the movie producer Harvey Weinstein while he was working for the network and had misrepresented the source's willingness to identify Weinstein by name. 

The allegation was included in a 10-page report sent to employees four days after The New York Times quoted Farrow's former NBC producer as having said "the very highest levels of NBC" ordered Farrow to stop his work on the investigation. The producer, Rich McHugh, left NBC News last month.

NBC News said it allowed Farrow to take his reporting to The New Yorker because he didn't have any individuals willing to go on the record. Responding to the Times' report last week, it said, "The assertion that NBC News tried to kill the Weinstein story while Ronan Farrow was at NBC News, or even more ludicrously, after he left NBC News, is an outright lie."

Farrow said in a statement early Tuesday that the NBC News report contained "numerous false or misleading statements," asserting that it was the network's idea that he take his reporting elsewhere, not his, and that "I took them up on it only after it became clear that I was being blocked from further reporting." 

Farrow said that the network's legal and standards departments both approved his reporting, "only to be blocked by executives who refused to allow us to seek comment from Harvey Weinstein."

He said he would have more to say "at the right time."

The New Yorker declined to comment. 



Photo Credit: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for The Association of Magazine Media, File

Groton Middle Schools Become STEM, Arts Magnet Schools

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Groton middle schoolers head back to class on Tuesday. While they may be returning to the same two school buildings, the schools' names have changed.

West Side Science Technology Engineering and Math Magnet Middle School replaces the former West Side Middle School and the Cutler Middle School is now Cutler Arts and Humanities Magnet Middle School, partnering with Mystic Seaport Museum and Mystic Museum of Arts.

The district is also expanding its international baccalaureate program from the high school to 9th and 10th grades and the middle schools.

"We're focusing on kids and how to learn. Not just, 'here's some facts, memorize them and forget them later.' It's 'how are you going to get out in the world and be able to survive and succeed in this world that's changing all the time?" said Kathleen Wilson, the IB Middle Years Coordinator.

Dozens of children from the west side of town, military housing and Groton City, chose to go to Cutler. The hope being that allowing students to go where they want to go will help promote diversity. There will be a focus on student-centered type of learning, incorporating as much of the real world as possible, as well as sharpening students' critical thinking skills.

"Right now, we don't even really know how to teach what's coming. It changes so much every day with the technological revolution that we're in," Wilson said.

The IB program will unite the school with the community around it, bringing in professionals working in the fields students are studying.

"Really what it is, is getting the kids in the trenches, doing the work and experiencing their world," Leslie Forbes, the Arts and Humanity Coordinator. said.

They're making education less abstract and more concrete to prepare students not just for upcoming tests, but for their futures.

"Besides training them for real life careers, because they see our artists, they see the camera people from sonalysts who come in and will be talking to students about 'this is a real job, and when you're in here doing CNS broadcasting, you're learning real skills that you can go out and some day maybe get a job in,' but the engagement changes," according to Forbes.

Even more changes could be coming. The design to consolidate both schools under one roof has been approved by the state. The hope is to have it up and running by fall of 2020.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

I-95 in Bridgeport Reopens Following Garbage Truck Crash, Fire

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A garbage truck crash and fire caused delays on I-95 in Bridgeport on Tuesday morning.

The garbage truck collided with a car and caught on fire on I-95 southbound near exits 27A and 26 shortly before 4:00 a.m., officials said.

At one point, the left and center lanes were blocked and traffic was backed up to Stratford near exit 30. The highway has since reopened.

Police said nobody was injured in the crash.



Photo Credit: CT DOT
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Teaching Students How to Be as Safe as Possible on the School Bus

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It’s back to school and that means school buses will be back on the roads. With the safety of children at the top of parent’s minds, bus drivers are reminding kids and other drivers how to make this year as safe as possible.

Mel Gillus is a Dattco school bus driver in Windsor. Back to school means back to his daily routine. He is making sure his bus is in working order, checking the mirrors and checking everything off his list, to be sure his bus is safe. Before the start of school, drivers such as Mel practiced their routes to get ready for their favorite part of the job.

“My favorite thing about being a bus driver is the kids,” said Gillus.

After 21 years as a Connecticut State Trooper, Gillus said parents can be confident their kids are in good hands.

“I got the kids, don't worry about them, the kids are going to get there safe,” said Gillus.

The Department of Transportation said 330,000 children are transported to and from school in Connecticut on a bus every day. School bus drivers are here to teach kids about school bus safety and the emergency exits on the vehicle. However, there is still a lot parents can do before the first day of school.

Parents should help kids get to the bus stop early, tell them to keep their voices down and always stay seated while riding the bus.

“The most important thing is to stay seated when the bus is moving. That is the absolute most important thing,” said Gillus.

Safety before and after the bus ride is also crucial. Bus drivers said children should stay on the sidewalks and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop. Once the doors open, children should wait for the bus driver to wave them on and then double check that no traffic is coming before boarding the vehicle.

While kids need to do their part, other drivers need to help out too.

“I want the drivers to be aware the kids are going to be standing out there and that these buses will be making stops,” said Gillus.

He said drivers need to pay attention. When people see a school bus, they should know that a child could be on a sidewalk nearby. Drivers should always obey the red flashing lights and stop sign on a bus. If drivers pass the bus while it is picking up students, bus drivers will take down their license plate number and report it to the DMV.

Connecticut laws say that drivers are required to stop at least ten feet from the front or rear of a school bus when it is displaying its flashing red lights. A first offense will cost a driver a $450 fine. Any subsequent offenses will cost drivers a fine of $500 to $1,000 and up to 30 days in jail, or both.

Often times, bus drivers say it is the traffic around their vehicle that concerns them the most.

“I have seen a lot of bad crashes and I know what can happen when people are not paying attention to what is going on, on the road,” said Gillus. “But it always comes back to safety, safety, safety.”

At the end of the day, these buses are carrying our most precious cargo and safety should be something we all strive for.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Stolen Ruby Slippers From 'Wizard of Oz' Are Recovered: FBI

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There's no place like home — even for a pair of shoes.

A pair of the iconic ruby slippers from the 1939 "Wizard of Oz" film have been recovered after they had been missing for more than a decade, the FBI announced Tuesday morning.  

The shoes are one of several pairs worn by Judy Garland, who played Dorothy Gale in the classic film. This pair was stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota. 

The FBI is holding a news conference Tuesday afternoon to offer more details on the recovery of the slippers. 

"They're the symbol of the longing for home — a symbol of a sense of place," John Kelsch, the Grand Rapids museum's executive director, told the Star Tribune in 2016. "Of any artifact from the movie, they touch that emotion in people."

In 2015, an anonymous donor in Arizona even offered a $1,000,000 reward for the return of the slippers. But they remained missing for nearly three more years. 

The magical shoes were both a source of conflict and comfort in the famous film, as they led to a battle between Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West before helping Dorothy find her way back home to Kansas. 

The National Museum of American History is home to one of the other pairs of slippers. They were taken off display last April for conservation work after a Kickstarter campaign helped the museum raise more than $300,000 for their restoration. They are expected to go back on display in October

According to the Smithsonian, up to 10, pairs of the slippers are thought to have been made for the movie. Five of them, including the National Museum of American History's pair and the stolen pair, are still known to be in existence. 



Photo Credit: Ed Zurga/AP, File

Mad About Trump: A Country Divided and Trump in the Middle

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With the pivotal midterm elections two months away, President Donald Trump's drastic reconfiguration of the political landscape shows no sign of subsiding, NBC News reported.

Trump's election and presidency have marked an abrupt and brutal destruction of the political order that's moved Democrats to the left and Republicans toward Trump, with voters increasingly intolerant of anyone who disagrees with them, according to dozens of interviews, an exclusive poll and more.

A progressive candidate campaigning in a gay bar in Nebraska for Medicare for All, free college and stricter gun control shows how Democrats are questioning the old rules — after years of compromise, they feel it's better to demand everything they wanted and ask moderates to take a turn giving in.

As for Trump, he remains overwhelmingly popular among Republicans even though his standing with the rest of the electorate is underwater. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said he's changed the party and is its clear leader.

"In my last election, I got 70 percent and he got 66 in my district, and if we get into an argument, he'll keep his 66 and I'll keep my 4," he said.

And researchers tell NBC News that "negative partisanship," voters basing decisions based on who they loathe more than who they like, is among the trends reshaping politics in 2018.



Photo Credit: Tyler Evert/AP
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