Hamden Police are investigating after a bus employee was sickened by suspicious powder on Wednesday morning.
Police said the suspicious powder was found on a Connecticut Transit Bus and an employee became ill.
Hamden Fire Department were called to the scene to investigate. They also notified Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Officers have not released details about the suspicious powder or how the employee is doing.
Shoreline East riders are becoming increasingly frustrated with train cancellations and delays. On Thursday, people have an opportunity to voice their concerns, face-to-face with Department of Transportation representatives at New Haven’s Union Station from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Complaints range from late train service, to locomotives breaking down.
“A lot of cancellations, sometimes the train doesn’t show up and in the end there’s often bus service. It seems to be sort of arbitrary,” said Peter Sinclair, a rider from Guilford. “It just became sort of more worthwhile to drive after a while.
In April, the DOT began repairing a portion of the tracks and fixing drainage issues. They canceled 15 trains and replaced them with bus service. Those repairs are expected to be complete on November 15, however John Bernick, the assistant rail administrator for the DOT, said they may not fully restore service. DOT administrators are considering sticking with a mixed train and bus service until they can guarantee the trains will run properly and on time.
But riders are experiencing service complications beyond the bus service.
“The last two Thursdays the train has died just after we leave the station in New Haven. So instead of getting home at 5 I get home at 6, 6:30am,” said Jeanie Cacopardo, a rider from Guilford. “I’ve been taking this train for 18-19 years. So this is a little frustrating.”
The DOT is working to restore reliability and confidence in Shoreline East, according to Bernick.
Several locomotives have been sent out of state for repair. Four were sent for a top deck overhaul in Illinois. They are back in service. Two more locomotives will be coming back, one in December, the other in January. The DOT is also sending 12 locomotives to Indiana for a full overhaul. They expect the first six to come back within a year.
Amtrak contractors are also doing minor maintenance repairs to the trains.
If a train does break down, the DOT has three buses on standby in New Haven. They plan to add one on standby in Old Saybrook and one in Hartford within the next week.
A bathroom at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield is closed off after white powder was found in a bathroom and school officials said they have been told it did not seem to be suspicious.
School officials said they were notified of the incident Wednesday afternoon, emergency authorities were immediately called and students were directed away from the bathroom where the material was found.
Emergency personnel told school officials the materials did not seem suspicious, but the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection should be called out of an abundance of caution, a post on the school district Facebook Page says.
School officials said they were told to block off the bathroom, but the building did not need to be evacuated.
The blue house bathroom is inaccessible to students while this area is under investigation.
No students or staff members were in any danger, school officials said. It’s not yet clear what the substance was.
A 32-year-old Stratford man injured in a crash Sunday died Sunday night, according to police.
Police said they responded to a one-car crash on Broadbridge Avenue near Success Avenue Sunday and said the car Richard Pugh, of Stratford, was driving went off the road and hit a tree.
He was transported to Bridgeport Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on Sunday night, police said.
Investigators are working on determining the cause of the crash.
A homeless student in Washington, D.C., who has an offer to play college football was kicked off his high school football team because he doesn't have a permanent address.
Jamal Speaks, a football player for the Ballou High School Knights, is being recruited by Temple University, the school confirmed in an email to NBC.
The senior said Temple coaches attended a Ballou game on Saturday to see him in action. But before the 18-year-old stepped onto the field, Speaks said he was sidelined because of concerns with his residency status.
"It's a heartbreak," Speaks told News4. "I can't even practice right now."
D.C. Public Schools officials say the District of Columbia State Athletic Association determined that Speaks is eligible to play, but they say the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association ruled that he is ineligible because they could not verify his address.
Speaks said his father is deceased and he doesn't have a relationship with his mother. With no family support, the teen sleeps on friends' couches.
He said he faced a similar problem two years ago, but thought the issue had been resolved.
"I already proved that I was a homeless resident," he said.
According to The Washington Post, Ballou Principal Willie Jackson pulled Speaks from Saturday's game and threatened to fire the football coach if he let him play.
"It was demeaning to the young man," said reporter Monet Anderson, who covers high school football games in the region for Top Sports.
Ward 8 Council Member Trayon White wrote a letter to the school system in support of Speaks.
"It’s incumbent upon me to get this boy support he needs to not only play football but to be successful in life and go to college," White said.
Speaks says he just hopes to practice with teammates, graduate and attend Temple University.
Asked if the DCIAA's decision will affect Speaks' eligibility to receive an athletic scholarship, a spokesman for Temple University Athletics told NBC, "Due to NCAA regulations concerning high school student athletes, we are not permitted to comment further."
Watertown police have arrested one suspect in multiple burglaries over the summer and are searching for a second.
Police arrested 36-year-old John Decker, of Seymour, Wednesday.
Decker is accused in multiple burglaries in July and August 2018.
Investigators allege that on Aug. 7 he forced his way into a home on Echo Lake Road and stole $3,000-worth of jewelry, a computer, a crossbow, and other items. He was charged with third-degree burglary, criminal mischief and fourth-degree larceny in that case.
He is also accused of stealing $25,000 worth of jewelry from a different home on Echo Lake Road on Aug. 14. During that burglary, thieves ripped a safe from the home and threw it out a window, but the homeowners interrupted before the safe was taken. He was charged with third-degree burglary, first-degree larceny and criminal mischief in that case.
Charges are also expected in two other incidents, police said. Investigators believe the thefts were motivated by drug use.
Police also have three arrest warrants for 35-year-old Erica Teal, who they say worked as Decker’s partner.
Teal is described as having brownish blonde hair and tattoos on her left arm and hand.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Watertown Police Department at 860-94-5200 or Crimestoppers at 860-945-9940. An anonymous cash reward is being offered.
Dozens of arborists dedicated their own time Wednesday to give back to our veterans in a labor of love.
“We’re able to do a phenomenal amount of work today,” said site leader, Matt Bertalme. “We’re probably doing about 75 trees today and grinding stumps, so normally that would be months’ worth of work.”
Eighty-five arborists armed with chainsaws and heavy machinery tackled overgrown trees at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown as part of an event called Saluting Branches.
“Originally this site had a very aggressive plantings game back in the 1970s,” Bertalme said. “They planted way too many trees too close together. Some are even invasive species by today’s standards. So with that overgrowth, you can’t even appreciate or see a lot of tombstones in the area.”
Saluting Branches is a nationwide event. Cleanup is happening at veteran’s cemeteries across the country.
State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Thomas Saadi said their work here this year and last is worth at least at $200,000.
“This is part of an overall project in our cemetery to make this a more welcoming place for those who are coming to pay their final respects when we inter our veterans, and to come back and pay our respects year after year to those that are buried in these hallowed grounds,” he said.
“It’s awesome,” Bertalme said. “I didn’t serve in the military but it’s one of those things that I’ve always kind of regret. I just always want to get back to the men and women who have given so much.”
Part of Fenn Road in Newington is closed after a serious, multi-vehicle crash on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said Fenn Road is closed between Cedar Street, also known as Route 175, and Ella Grasso Boulevard.
Officers are urging drivers to avoid the area if possible.
There is no word on how long the road will be closed for.
It is unclear if anyone was injured in the crash.
A body was found near the railroad tracks in Norwich Wednesday morning.
Police said the man’s body was found near the railroad tracks just off Alms House Lane around 7:45 a.m. Investigators believe the man may have been struck by a train the previous evening and no foul play is suspected at this time.
The victim has been identified as 29-year-old Jeffrey S. Kulos.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact Investigator Peter Karasuk #1030 of the Norwich Police Department at 860-886-5561 ext. 3197 or by email at pkarasuk@cityofnorwich.org. Information can also be submitted anonymously by calling the department’s Anonymous Tip Line at 860-886-5561 ext. 4.
The city of Norwich is offering a tax break for military families who have lost a child or a spouse while serving in the Armed Forces.
Norwich Gold Star families who have a child or a spouse “killed in action, while performing active military duty with the armed forces” are entitled to a tax exemption of 10 percent of the assessed value of the property, no more than $10,000.
“I don’t think you can do enough for a family who’s lost a loved one in service to the county,” said Mayor Peter Nystrom.
The city council unanimously passed the ordinance Monday after a state statute took effect last October that allowed cities and towns to provide property tax breaks to Gold Star families.
“Someone lost their life in service to their country and I can’t think of a higher price,” Nystrom said.
John Waggoner, the president of the Norwich Area Veterans Council, is giving the city kudos for the move.
“I think it’s about time that they get some type of a break for what they went through,” Waggoner said.
He and his brother served with the Navy on a destroyer during the Vietnam War.
While they came home safe, he knows many people who didn’t, including three people from Norwich – one of whom he went to grammar school with and another he played football with as a kid.
“I don’t think people realize what the families go through with a veteran in service, let alone losing one,” Waggoner said.
He’s hoping this is a first step and even more will eventually be done for Gold Star families.
Gold Star families who live in Norwich will need to file for this property tax break through the city assessor’s office.
A 22-year-old woman was shot in Waterbury Wednesday, according to police.
Deputy Chief Fernanda Spagnolo said they found the victim suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach at 14 Ridgewood St. She was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment. Her condition was not immediately clear.
The investigation is ongoing.
A significant change to the way anti-abortion facilities in Hartford can operate is now a reality.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin announced the Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance Rule at City Hall Wednesday. The rule requires crisis pregnancy centers, which typically steer women away from abortion, to disclose in writing at their entryways that they do not have a licensed medical professional on site to provide or supervise services.
The ordinance is aimed at facilities like the Hartford Women’s Center, which does not provide abortion services. It is located directly across from the Hartford GYN Center, which does offer abortion centers. The Mayor believes some women have been lured to the Women’s Center through deceptive practices.
“When women are making choices that affect their lives, their health, they deserve to have full information and they deserve to not be deceived about what services are provided,” said Bronin. “As of October 1 they’re going to have to put a sign up at the front door and at reception and they’re going to have to tell those women who are coming in for care and for counseling that they don’t have medical personnel. It's really pretty simple,” he said.
Anti-abortion advocates at City Hall for the announcement say the ordinance unfairly targets organizations like theirs and deny employing deceptive practices targeting women.
“Our services are very clear that we don’t provide or perform abortions at our centers. It's all over our website. We answer that question if it's asked when ladies call us. But what we do help is those who want to carry to term or maybe want to receive other information on their pregnancy options such as adoption or abortion information,” said Molly Hurtado, executive director of the ABC Women’s Center.
No one from the Hartford Women’s Center was present at the announcement and repeated calls by NBC Connecticut for comment were not returned.
Anti-abortion advocacy group Family Institute of Connecticut does not represent the Hartford Women’s Center, but their Executive Director Peter Wolfgang says the organization has arranged legal counsel for the center and would not be opposed to legal action over this rule.
“This is what the City of Hartford wants to spend its time on, is attacking this poor center that just wants to help women who choose to carry their child to term. I think that’s nuts and I hope it does end up in court and I hope the city ends up paying,” Wolfgang said.
Bronin says he believes the ordinance is narrowly tailored and can withstand any legal challenges.
A driver was injured when a pickup crashed into a home on Percival Avenue in Berlin Wednesday night.
Police said the driver was taken to the hospital for treatment of a head injury. A woman was inside the home at the time but was on the other side of the building and was not hurt.
There is some damage to the front of the home, but the structure was not compromised. The water was cut due to damage to the heating system, so the resident will stay with family until repairs can be made.
No one else was in the truck. It is not clear what caused the crash.
A man riding a scooter was pinned under a car after a crash on North Walnut Street in Waterbury Wednesday night.
Police said the 49-year-old victim was riding a scooter north on North Walnut Street and tried to pass an Acura. The Acura made a left turn, striking the scooter rider and trapping him under the vehicle.
The Waterbury Fire Department lifted the car off the victim and he was taken to St. Mary's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
Three men who found the Red Sox division title banner on the highway in a Boston suburb Monday have returned the banner to Fenway Park.
According to the Boston Globe, Louie Iacuzzi, 44, of Malden, Massachusetts and his two friends found the 2018 division championship banner that the team plans to unveil at Fenway Park if they win the American League East title.
Iacuzzi and his friends held onto the banner for two days, hoping they'd be rewarded with game tickets or a chance to meet their favorite players.
Instead, the Boston Globe reports, the men took the banner to Fenway on Wednesday afternoon and returned empty-handed.
Iacuzzi told the Globe that he and his friends saw an object wrapped up on McGrath Highway in Somerville Monday morning. He crossed several lanes of traffic to get the object, which ended up being a massive banner that read "2018 American League East Champions."
Iacuzzi said they want to return the banner to the Red Sox in time to raise it at Fenway Park.
“We want to return it, we’re trying to do the right thing, but I’m not just going to hand it to them, know what I mean?” Iacuzzi said.
He said he and his friends are hoping to either get financial compensation or tickets to a game for returning the banner.
Iacuzzi didn’t have a specific asking price in mind.
“We want to find out what the thing’s worth. We don't know.”
Iacuzzi told the Globe that he and his friends spoke with a team representative Tuesday.
Red Sox spokeswoman Zineb Curran said in a statement the team has “been in touch with the people who have the banner in their possession and provided them with a variety of ways they may return it to us or the original vendor.”
The team told the Associated Press that the banner allegedly fell off a vendor’s delivery truck.
The Red Sox need one win against the Yankees to clinch the title. They lost the first two game to the Yankees 3-2 and 10-1 but they will have another opportunity Thursday when they play in the Bronx.
A dead baby minke whale, too big for a transport container, flopped onto the concrete in a parking lot in Rye, New Hampshire, and the 4,000-pound mistake was all caught on camera.
"Oh, that's just terrible," gasped Sarah Rogers, a Stratham resident, as she watched the video.
The whale washed ashore on Jenness Beach Monday morning. Experts say it likely died after getting tangled in fishing lines and crews added insult to injury when they tried to move it.
"That was a mistake that shouldn't have happened and I take full responsibility for that," Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh said.
Walsh says it was a coordinated effort to remove the dead animal from the public beach. The town called on the state to bring in the dumpster to help transport the whale for a necropsy.
"Our goal was removing the biohazard right away," Walsh said.
He says the problem was simple miscommunication.
"We said, 'baby whale,' so everyone thought it was a small whale," Walsh explained. "We should have measured the length of the animal so it was clear what size container we would need."
When asked why they still attempted to put the large animal in the too-small container, Walsh said they had a strategy. The operator of the front-end loader was trying to drop it into the dumpster diagonally to let the tail stick out.
"And then we had a way we were going to cover it up," Walsh said.
That didn't work.
So the 16-foot whale spent Monday night in the beach parking lot until a larger container was brought in on Tuesday to haul it away.
"It's heartbreaking, honestly," Rogers said.
"It's too bad they didn't manage it a little bit better," said Rye resident Jen Carney.
Chief Walsh says it was a lesson learned the hard way. On behalf of all the agencies involved, he promised to do a better job next time.
A necropsy on the whale was scheduled for Wednesday.
Biologists are hoping to learn more about the minke whale and what may be causing others to wash ashore from Florida to Maine.
Target is considering opening a new location in West Hartford.
The West Hartford Town Planner’s Office said the retailer applied for a minor façade and signage change to a building that once housed a Walmart in Bishop’s Corner. The application indicates interest in the location, but no lease has been signed.
Target told NBC Connecticut “we are pursuing the opportunity to reach guests in the Bishops Corner neighborhood, but at this time, we’re not at a point where we can share any new store plans.”
Walmart vacated the space more than two years ago. Neighboring businesses have wondered what might take its place.
“People are always asking geez is something going in there it would be nice if something was there,” said Gary Dahms, owner of Salons by JC. “Because there was a Walmart grocery store which built traffic and since they've been gone, it's been missed ever since that day.”
Even though there is already a Target nearby in New Britain, people are still excited about the possibility of a new location.
“That would be amazing. Target, even though it's close, it's not that close. It takes a long time to get across town. There's always construction,” said Michelle Hollander of West Hartford.
Those who spoke with NBC Connecticut didn’t seem to think a Target would have a major impact on traffic in the area where a Walmart once stood.
The town planner is expected to approve Target’s signage application at the next Town Council Meeting.
An arrest has been made in the shocking stabbing death of a 35-year-old woman who was attacked as she jogged through D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood.
Wendy Martinez of Northwest Washington was out for a run in the 1400 block of 11th Street NW when she was stabbed multiple times just before 8 p.m. Tuesday. The suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested Wednesday night, sources tell News4.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham were scheduled to appear at a news conference Thursday morning to give an update on the case.
The violent crime left neighbors stunned because of the area's popularity and perceived safety.
"As a runner, it's pretty terrifying. You'd think running on lit streets, you would be safe, but that’s mind-boggling," one woman said.
Another woman who jogs in the area brought flowers to the crime scene Wednesday morning, telling News4 that the victim easily could have been her.
The crime rate in the area near Logan Circle is relatively low, with few violent crimes reported, D.C. crime statistics show. A number of upscale homes and trendy restaurants are located near the scene of the crime.
After the stabbing, Martinez staggered into a nearby carryout restaurant. She collapsed a short time later.
The manager of the restaurant said he heard someone scream and saw Martinez covered in blood.
"I scared. I don’t know what happened, and I just try to call police," said the manager, who asked not to be identified.
Strangers rushed to the woman's side to help her, and the manager called 911. Martinez died of her injuries a short time later.
Police released surveillance video Wednesday afternoon showing the suspect walking along 11th Street NW. Footage from another camera shows him walking with a knife in his hand.
The knife used in the stabbing was found nearby.
D.C. police chief Peter Newsham said police do not have a motive yet, but the "unsettling" attack was likely random.
Police initially said they were looking for as many as three men in connection to the stabbing, but at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Newsham said investigators believe she was attacked by a single man.
Martinez was an avid runner who lived in an upscale apartment just three blocks away.
She and her boyfriend got engaged just last week, her family said in a statement.
"Wendy Karina Martinez was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional. Everything you hope that a daughter and a friend could be," her family said Wednesday. "She was also excited to be planning her upcoming wedding to her fiancé, Daniel Hincapie. They were engaged just last week."
"Simply put, Wendy was fearfully and wonderfully made! Now we know she has found the one whom her soul loved. (Song of Solomon 3:4)," the statement said.
Martinez's family asked for respect for their privacy as they grieve and urged anyone with information on her killing to contact police.
Martinez was chief of staff of the software and data company FiscalNote.
"The entire FiscalNote family is shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Wendy Martinez, our Chief of Staff, was killed last night," the company said in a tweet Wednesday afternoon. "Wendy was an invaluable member of our team and a vibrant member of the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy’s family and friends."
Martinez was a University of Florida and Georgetown University graduate who previously worked for the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Development Bank, according to her LinkedIn page.
A West Hartford police officer on the lookout for burglars arrested a suspect when the man walked up to an unmarked police cruiser and tried to get in, according to police.
The officer was conducting surveillance on Jackson Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Thursday when 38-year-old Sean Colgan, of East Hartford, walked up to the unmarked vehicle and went to pull on the door handle when the officer got out of the car, police said.
The officer arrested Colgan, who was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.
Colgan was charged with third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and possession of drug paraphernalia. The warrant carried a violation of probation charged.
