A New Britain man reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds after he says he was charged for a membership to a wine club he never joined.

Frank Bradley and his wife enjoy an occasional glass of wine. So when the New Britain resident spotted a flyer in the mail for a wine deal, he said he jumped right on it.

“It was a 29.99 deal plus 9.99 for shipping for six bottles of wine from California,” Bradley explained.

Six months later, Bradley said Vinesse Wines of Napa, California mailed out another shipment of wine to his home.

The company said Bradley joined the American Cellars Wine Club. He said Vinesse Wines deducted $141.56 from his checking account without his authorization.

"I never got a bill. I never got an invoice of any kind that told me they were going to send it to me and they never said how they were going to get paid,” said Bradley.

Bradley swears he never signed up for a club membership and showed us the receipt for the purchase. He said the company insisted he did and said they would send him a copy of the signed form.

“I said you, you better send me a copy and don’t take any more money out of my checking account,” said Bradley.

Bradley said when he received the copy of the signed form, his signature was not it.

He disputed the charge with his bank and they ruled in his favor refunding the $141.56 back into his account. Bradley then contacted Vinesse Wines who told him they would cancel his membership and asked the company what to do with the extra wine.

“Well, they said you can send the wine back,” said Bradley.

He said he requested a return mailing label several times and that the company refused. But there was another problem Bradley ran into when he tried to mail the wine back.

Federal law prohibits the United States Postal Service from shipping beer, wine and liquor. FedEx and UPS, by policy, do not ship alcohol sent by individuals.

He explained that to the company. But he said they still wanted the wine returned to them. That’s when Bradley turned to NBC Connecticut Responds.

After we intervened, Bradley said Vinesse Wines reached out to him saying he could keep the wine and that saved him an additional $45.

“I’m happy to have a station that responds to people,” said Bradley.

Parts of North Carolina were already underwater Thursday afternoon ahead of Hurricane Florence making landfall.

Matt Corey is making his fourth run for an elected job in Washington. He previously ran uncompetitively against John Larson for the First Congressional District.

Corey says he feels 2018 is different because there’s an opportunity for someone to work the president’s administration, unlike the past two years.

“You need somebody down in Washington who can work with this administration,” Corey said during an interview. “We have lawyers down there that are supposed to litigate the cases of their constituents. Send a business guy down there, send somebody down there.”

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is up for reelection following his first term in the US Senate. Murphy won after serving in Congress, representing Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

Corey is a Navy veteran with a small business background. He’s owned a window washing business for about three decades, and also previously owned an Irish bar in Hartford.

When asked why voters should take his campaign seriously, Corey says he more in common with Connecticut residents than Murphy.

“I represent the small business owners and the working families.”

Corey said he would review Trump policy ideas before simply being a rubber stamp, but urged that having a relationship with President Donald Trump would be an improvement.

“Absolutely, because the biggest complaint we get from our congressional delegation, and I ran for office a few times before, is I can’t get anything done because I’m in the minority. Well, look, step aside. Let somebody down there who wants to work with this administration.”

In the most recent Quinnipiac University Poll released on August 23, Murphy held a 59-31 percent lead over Corey, but most troubling for the Republican is that 67 percent of respondents needed more information on Corey to form an opinion, suggesting a high degree of anonymity to the electorate.

Corey is also trailing in fundraising by a staggering margin. Murphy, with the support of a national network of donors, has raised more than $13 million and has more than $8 million in cash on hand, while Corey has raised $31,000 and has about $7,000 left in his campaign account.

In order to make the race competitive, Corey says, “We need to make this a national race.”

President Donald Trump’s tweets and comments about the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico are not sitting well with members of the Puerto Rican community in Connecticut.

“I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible unsung success,” President Trump said from the Oval Office.

On Thursday morning, the president sent out two tweets rejecting a thorough review that Hurricane Maria claimed 2,975 lives in Puerto Rico.

“To hear that coming from the highest person in the nation, the president of the United States, it is very disrespectful,” said Jhonathan Rivera, co-founder of Puerto Ricans United in New Haven.

President Trump tweeted “3 thousand people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico” before falsely accusing Democrats of inflating the death tool to make him “look as bad as possible.”

“To me one death is too much,” Daniel Diaz said, “3,000 is extreme, but my problem with this president is that he failed to recognize the crisis that Puerto Rico was going through.”

Diaz is the chairman for Arte, Inc., a New Haven non-profit that helped collect supplies and raised more than $130,000 for hurricane relief on the island.

“The support from the people here in Connecticut has been unbelievable,” said Yesenia Rivera from Connecticut Puerto Rican Agenda.

But Rivera said the president and federal government failed the Puerto Rican population.

“To go there and toss paper towels to the people of Puerto Rico, it’s ridiculous,” she said.

Diaz said Puerto Ricans rebuilding after Maria are resilient.

“What is very difficult for us as Puerto Ricans as taxpayers is to survive the insults from our own president,” he said.

Diaz added he is worried about this hurricane season.

“If that’s how you treat American citizens,” he said, “what’s going to happen now in North Carolina and South Carolina?”

Republican Bob Stefanowski’s signature campaign proposal is his pledge to repeal the state’s income tax.

Here’s why following through on that pledge, even in a modest way is difficult.

The income tax is Connecticut’s largest single revenue source. It provides more than $9 billion to the state budget which is slated spend more than $19 billion in the next fiscal year.

Stefanowski said after last night’s debate that trimming the cost of government is what he wants to do in the short term, but still pledged to cut the income tax.

"We're going to do it gradually over eight years. Which we've spoken about before,” Stefanowski said. “It's going to be tied to revenue triggers. We're not going to do anything in the first year, we're going to focus on cost. We're going to cut a billion dollars out of the discretionary part of the budget. We're going to call a fiscal state of emergency in Hartford."

While it’s of course possible that Stefanowski can find some, “waste, fraud or abuse,” as he’s put it, or eliminate programs, on percentage of budget, those cuts would be minimal at best.

A cut of the income tax, in any way, could lead to massive tax hikes elsewhere. For instance, in order to make up half of the revenue the income tax brings in, Stefanowski could propose increasing the sales tax by more than double from 6.35 percent to 13.25 percent. That would bring in more than $4 billion. He could also eliminate 59 varying sales tax exemptions and tax credits that could total another $4 billion, which would just about make up the loss of the income tax.

However, the sales tax is a regressive form of taxation, meaning the less money you earn, the more a higher tax on goods impacts you as a consumer. The poor would be disproportionately hurt by such a move.

In addition, the political stars would have to align in order for the income tax cut to become reality. Democrats still control the State House of Representatives and maintain a tie in the State Senate. If they hold one or both chambers in the November election, that could throw cold water on the income tax elimination Stefanowski covets, because it would likely be dead on arrival in his first year as governor.

An Ohio man with an extensive background in analyzing concrete and minerals came to Connecticut to talk crumbling concrete basements with dozens of people struggling with the issue.

Nick Scaglione owns Concrete Research and Testing, LLC, and has examined concrete core samples from Connecticut basements for more than a decade, making him very familiar with the issue that has resulted in more than 700 people filing complaints with the state.

Scaglione was brought to Connecticut by a grassroots group trying to learn more about how it can develop standards to test basements to see if they have the crumbling concrete problem, and to test the stone used in concrete before it gets mixed to see if it contains enough of the naturally occurring mineral pyrrhotite to cause a problem.

Experts say when exposed to air and/or water, pyrrhotite can cause concrete to crack and crumble.

Scaglione explained to a standing room only crowd at South Windsor Town Hall that in Canada, one of the only other places with the crumbling concrete problem, a basement with just 0.23 percent pyrrhotite is considered compromised.

However, Scaglione cautioned that the rock used in Canada in concrete has different qualities than the rock used in north central and north eastern Connecticut that has the crumbling concrete problem, making it impossible to simply adopt the same standard Canada uses.

That has Scaglione convinced that developing a standard for a permissible level of pyrrhotite in basements or the rock used to make it, will require time, and money, something in short supply in Connecticut right now.

Earlier in the day the University of Connecticut announced it will fund a one-year research project to come up with a uniform testing method for concrete, that could then be used to develop a system that rates a basement's potential for failure.

The university says it had been trying to secure funding and assistance from the state and federal government the past two years with no luck, so in the end, it decided to provide the funding and resources on its own.

As Hurricane Florence moves closer to making landfall, a Milford woman working for the Red Cross is stationed at a shelter about 30 miles inland from Wilmington, N.C.

Susan Shaw got involved with the Red Cross shortly after Sandy slammed into the Connecticut shoreline six years ago.

“I lost my home and began working on long-term recovery and ended up working with the Red Cross and eventually they hired me for disaster services,” she told NBC Connecticut over the phone Thursday.

Shaw arrived Wednesday at an elementary school in Burgaw, North Carolina that is being turned into an emergency shelter.

“On the drive down we saw traffic going the other way, away from this area,” Shaw said. “Stores were closing up and people were leaving but we were still able to get gas. We were still able to get some necessities for the shelter.”

There aren’t any showers or cots at the shelter, Shaw said, just the bedding families could bring with them.

“This is not the best of circumstance, this is an evacuation shelter,” she said.

Shaw is joined by Red Cross staff and volunteers from across the United States.

“The staff here at this elementary school have been here 24/7 preparing meals, hot meals, good meals,” she said.

While Florence has weakened, it remains a massive hurricane that is still expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge and torrential downpours.

“Right now what people are focused on is getting through today and seeing what happens tomorrow,” Shaw said.

From her experience following Sandy, Shaw knows it is possible to rebuild after a catastrophic storm. It just takes some time.

“It’s persistence and patience,” she said. “Communities do recover.”

The Red Cross shelter in Burgaw is already at capacity with 300 people staying there, but Shaw said they will not turn anyone away.

Rocky Hill police are trying to locate a missing 81-year-old man.

Police said 81-year-old Martin Simandy was last seen around 4 p.m. Thursday driving his silver 2016 Subaru Impreza, Connecticut registration AD75084. Simandy is on medication and suffers from memory loss.

Simandy is 5-foot-7, 170 pounds, and was last seen wearing a light blue t-shirt and black pants. He uses a cane.

A Silver Alert has been issued.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Rocky Hill Police at 860-258-7640.

We're here in Wilmington, NC as conditions begin to deteriorate. We're in a safe spot out of a flood and storm surge zone and plan on hunkering down until the storm passes.

Hurricane Florence did weaken some today. Winds dropped to 100 mph by 5 p.m. Many people along the coast we spoke with who were on the fence about evacuating decided not to as the storm lost some steam. The worry now, of course, is that Florence may pick up in intensity again later as it remains over extremely warm waters off the coast.

Regardless of how strong the winds are at landfall the threat for serious storm surge flooding and record inland rainfall remains high. We're not quite sure how we're going to get out of Wilmington as the roads in and out are prone to flooding - and the current forecast is for near-record rainfall. 

What has been great to see is people coming together and even coming into the hurricane to help others. The Hurricane Hunter Air Force Reservists are spending time away from their family to fly into the storm. We met a swift water rescue swimmer from Louisiana who drove up and is staying in his car in a parking garage to volunteer! The countless line crews, tree crews, Red Cross and FEMA workers are all doing their best to get the Carolinas through Florence. 

We're here to educate our viewers and keep everyone informed of what's going on here in North Carolina. We'll keep you posted as the storm roars inland.

Over 70 homes in Lawrence, Massachusetts went up in flames following an explosion from a gas line. It is believed that the explosion was caused by an overpressurized gas line.

The NBC Connecticut meteorologists have issued a First Alert for Tuesday. 

The remnant rain from Hurricane Florence makes a daylong deluge possible throughout the area. 

Two to five inches of rain are possible in Connecticut, posing a threat for flash flooding and small river flooding. 

Track the radar here.  

Get the forecast here. 

The moon may soon get its first tourist — and first human visitor in more than four decades. SpaceX announced Thursday that it's booked the world's first private passenger to the moon.

Elon Musk's space technology company said on Twitter the unnamed traveler would board its BFR (or Big Falcon Rocket) to the moon, where only 24 people have ever traveled. Only 12 of those people actually walked on the moon, and they were all Americans.

The last manned flight to the moon was the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

SpaceX didn't reveal any details about the potentially historic voyage but said it plans to reveal the traveler's identity and more on Monday, Sept. 17.

Musk shared the announcement on his personal page but remained tight-lipped as well. However, when asked if the passenger was him, Musk responded with an emoji of the Japanese flag.

This isn't the first time SpaceX dabbled in lunar tourism. Musk had said in February 2017 that two people paid the company a "significant" amount of money to go on a weeklong trip around the Moon this year. However, details about the supposed trip were never revealed.

SpaceX has held a bold vision for commercial space travel. Musk said in March that the first Mars spaceship could be ready for short trips by early 2019. But he lowered those expectations in the same address, joking that "sometimes, my timelines are a little, you know..." 

Family and friends will pay their respects today to an Enfield teenager who was stabbed and died earlier this week. 

Sixteen-year-old Justin Brady, of Enfield, died Monday.  

He was a junior at Enfield High School, where he played for the football team, according to his obituary.  

The family is holding visiting hours from 3 p.m. to 7 pm at Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels in Enfield. Funeral services and burial will be private. 

Memorial contributions in memory of Justin may be made to Enfield High School Scholarship Fund, In Memory of Justin Brady, Attn: Sandy Ingalls, 1264 Enfield St., Enfield, CT 06082. 

Police have arrested Shyheim Adams, 18, of Enfield, who is suspected in the fatal stabbing. He has been charged with manslaughter in the first degree.  

He is being held on $750,000 bond, according to online court records, and he is due back in court on Sept. 24.

The former manager of a construction company in West Haven is accused of stealing more than $100,000 worth of construction equipment. 

West Haven police said they arrested 49-year-old Richard McTague, of West Haven, on Thursday when they found him riding a bicycle on Front Avenue. 

They said he was a manager at the former K. Zampa Construction company and stole more than $100,000 worth of heavy construction equipment, as well as construction materials, and sold them for profit. 

Detectives investigating the case found more than $20,000 worth of the equipment, according to police. 

McTague has been charged with larceny in the first degree and five counts of larceny in the second degree and was held on bond.

Bridgeport police are investigating an assault and have released video of the man they are looking for. 

Bridgeport police said the man is suspected of an assault at 299 Bunnell Street around 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 18. 

Anyone with information should call Detective John Tenn at (203) 581-5243 or emailJohn.Tenn@Bridgeportct.gov.

Actress Reese Witherspoon is bringing her book tour to Connecticut and she will be in New Haven on Tuesday night.

“Whiskey in a Teacup” is Witherspoon’s first book and RJ Julia Bookseller is bringing her book tour to the Shubert Theater in New Haven on Tuesday, Sept. 18. 

The title is a lesson Witherspoon’s grandmother taught her, according to the description on the Simon and Schuster website. It says her grandmother always said that “a combination of beauty and strength made southern women ‘whiskey in a teacup’” -- delicate and ornamental on the outside, but strong and fiery on the inside. 

General admission tickets are $59 and each ticket includes an unsigned copy of the book.

The VIP ticket package is $404 and includes a meet and greet with Witherspoon, preferred event seating in the first five rows, early entry into the theater, an individual photo with Witherspoon, a limited edition Draper James tote bag filled with gifts and goodies and a signed copy of “Whiskey in a Teacup.”

You can purchase tickets on the Shubert Theater website. 

North Haven police investigated a suspicious package at the entrance of Home Depot on Universal Drive Friday afternoon.

Universal Drive was closed for a couple of hours between Eagle Crossing and Sacket Point Road, police said.

Police determined the package was not a threat and they reopened the road just after 7 p.m.

Video from New Bern, NC shows flood waters in the neighborhood rising as Florence continues to dump rain on the area.

A 20-year-old woman is facing a cruelty charge in connection with the care of her 97-year-old grandmother, who died in August.

Claudia Kulikauskas is charged with cruelty to persons and third-degree abuse of persons, according to police.

Her grandmother was taken to the hospital after first responders found her in what police call a filthy Chambers Street apartment in Waterbury on August 28.

Police said hospital staff told them the elderly woman had not eaten or had anything to drink for at least five days prior to being brought to the hospital. She was covered in bugs and was filthy, police said.

The woman died a few days later.

Kulikauskas was released after posting a $5,000 bond.

Florence knocked down a power line in Cameron, North Carolina that sparked a small fire Friday. Fire and rescue services warn resident of the dangers of downed power lines during this storm.