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Evacuations Underway Due to Gas Leak in East Windsor

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Some evacuations are underway after a gas line was nicked in East Windsor Wednesday morning, according to police. 

It happened in the Acorn Drive area and police are asking people to avoid Depot Street between Main Street and East Road. 

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Women Accused of Stealing More Than $1,000 Worth of Clothes in Hamden

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Hamden Police are trying to identify two women who are accused of stealing more than $1,000 worth of items from a store on Tuesday night.

Officers said they were called to the Kohl's on Dixwell Avenue around 8:00 p.m. after getting a report of shoplifting.

Investigators learned that two women exited the store with more than $1,000 worth of stolen clothes.

In photos released by police, one woman can be seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, while the other is seen wearing a blue jacket.

When they left the store, police said the two women got into a tan or gold-colored Mercury SUV.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Officer Garcia at (203) 230-4030.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police

90-Year-Old Calif. Man Arrested in Death of Stepdaughter: Police

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A 90-year-old San Jose man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of killing his 67-year-old stepdaughter on Sept. 13, police reported.

Officers went to check on the welfare of a woman who reportedly had visible injuries and was unresponsive in the 1000 block of Terra Noble Way. They arrived at 5:17 p.m. and pronounced Karen Navarra dead at the scene.

Navarra was found slumped over her kitchen table with wounds to her neck and a kitchen knife in her hand. Police said it appeared to be a staged suicide.

Anthony Aiello was identified as the suspect, according to police, who arrested him on Tuesday in San Jose.

He was booked into the county jail without bail on suspicion of murder.

"She had to know who it was because she was a very private person," said neighbor Jarod Middleton.

Investigators looked at the victim's Fitbit device and found her heart rate had spiked on the afternoon of her death before stopping all together.

Surveillance camera footage showed Aiello at her house at the time of that spike.

Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call Sgt. Mike Montonye or Detective Brian Meeker at (408) 277-5283.



Photo Credit: San Jose PD

Governor Malloy to Teach Law at Boston College

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The next phase for Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will be in the classroom. After his gubernatorial term is over, he will be teaching at Boston College Law School.

Malloy has served as governor of Connecticut since 2011 and he announced in April 2017 that he will not seek a third term

The governor’s office released a statement Wednesday, saying that Malloy, who went to BC, has accepted the Rappaport Professorship and will be a visiting professor at the law school starting in the spring semester of 2019. 

BC Law, the magazine for the law school, posted a feature story on Malloy, citing his fight for gun regulation after the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and his defense of Syrian refugees

Malloy will be offering a seminar and he will take part in lectures as well as panel discussions throughout the semester, according to the article. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

A 9/11 Fund Compensating Sick Victims Is Running Out of Cash

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The $7 billion 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund is running out of money, its administrator said Wednesday.

NBC News reported that the fund's special master, Rupa Bhattacharyya, said in a statement in the Federal Register that the funds "may be insufficient to compensate all claims."

The fund expects to receive more than 6,500 claims on top of the 32,689 it had received by last year, Bhattacharyya said. Five New York lawmakers, including both senators, called this week for more congressional funding to the fund.

More than 2,000 people are estimated to have died from illnesses linked to the response to the Sept. 11 attacks. The Zadroga Act set aside $7.3 billion to compensate the victims and relatives of the dead.



Photo Credit: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images, File

Laquan McDonald Murder Trial's Possible Outcomes

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It has been almost 50 years since a Cook County jury convicted a Chicago police officer of first-degree murder. But when the eight women and four men who will decide the fate of Jason Van Dyke retire to the jury room and begin their deliberations, they will be left with few choices.

The Charges
Van Dyke now faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct in connection with the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald. There are also 16 counts of aggravated battery, one for each shot fired at the 17-year-old on Oct. 20. 

What the Jury Could Decide
Jurors will have to make a possibly painful decision about whether Van Dyke’s actions rose to the level of murder, something other juries around the country have found difficult to do. If convicted, Van Dyke could face up to life in prison.

If jurors find him not guilty on the first-degree murder charges, their next and more lenient option would be to convict the 13-year CPD veteran of the lesser charges of aggravated battery.

They could also choose to convict on some charges and not on others. Such a choice relieves some of the burden on jurors, but still gives prosecutors a conviction that could result in significant jail time for Van Dyke.

If the jury cannot agree on a verdict, they will tell the judge who will likely tell them to try again before he declares a mistrial. If that happens, the prosecution has the option to re-file some or all of the charges against Van Dyke. A new jury will be picked and a second trial will be held.

The jury also could find Van Dyke not guilty on all charges - a complete acquittal. If that happens, he will walk free.

The Trial So Far
Defense attorney Dan Herbert is taking a risk by relying on 12 men and women to decide to Van Dyke’s fate. He could have bypassed a jury entirely and chosen a bench trial where only the judge hears the evidence and makes the ruling. That would have minimized the emotional impact of seeing the teenager shot 16 times on dash-cam video, images that have been repeated over and over again during the trial.

Van Dyke’s defense relies on specific Illinois law that gives peace officers wide latitude on the use of deadly force. A bench trial would have left that legal decision solely in the hands of a judge.

The decisions about a jury trial created much of the drama that preceded the first testimony. Judge Vincent Gaughan waited until the very last minute, after a Cook County jury had been selected, to rule on a defense motion to move the trial out of Chicago. His decision, based on the answers given during the jury selection process, set the stage for a high-profile trial in Chicago. While defense attorneys argued that Van Dyke deserved a fair trial by a jury of his peers, the prosecution said the "community also deserves" a fair trial that it could observe and monitor.

Potential Reaction
In preparation for the trial, the large parkways in front of the courthouse at 26th and California were fenced off and set aside for protesters. For the most part, those protests have failed to materialize. Trial observers say there may be good reason for that.

In the wake of the McDonald shooting video being made public, protesters made a number of demands of the city. Much of what they called for has since come to pass. Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has been replaced by Kim Foxx.

In the days before the trial was set to begin, Emanuel announced he would not run for re-election. The justice department has investigated and issued a report on the Chicago Police Department. There is now a consent decree in place that will monitor the department’s behavior. McDonald’s great uncle said actions speak louder than words.

"At the end of the day, show me," Rev. Marvin Hunter said Thursday.  "Show me. Let's make this happen for real. Let’s not make it a symbol to calm the people down. Let’s make it a reality."

There have also been repeated requests for calm and reason to prevail no matter what verdict the jury reaches.

The family of Laquan McDonald and the faith community that supports them have called for prayers for justice. Van Dyke supporters and the Fraternal Order of Police have also called for prayers. Will Calloway, the activist who has been at the forefront of the McDonald case, has appealed to Chicago gang members to lay down their guns and pick up his call for social justice.

Finally, the Attorney General’s office has scheduled a town hall meeting on the police department consent decree at the church of McDonald’s great uncle. Community activists and Cardinal Cupich have been invited to attend.

To be safe, however, Chicago police and fire have been planning for the possibility of large protests following the jury’s verdict no matter what they decide.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

6 People, Including Infant, Taken to Hospital After Hartford Fire

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Six people, including an infant, were taken to local hospitals after fire broke out at an apartment building on Willard Street in Hartford Wednesday. 

Officials said they received several 911 calls from residents reporting smoke on the fourth floor. 

Crews removed 10 residents and six were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, including the infant.

No burn injuries were reported and everyone is expected to be OK.  

The fire and smoke were contained to the fourth floor, but there is heavy water and smoke damage to the third and fourth floors. 

The fire marshal’s office will determine the extent of the damage and determine if people will be displaced.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Mosquitoes Trapped in North Stonington Test Positive For EEE

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Mosquitoes trapped in North Stonington have tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis.

The mosquitoes were trapped at Bell Cedar Swamp and Wyassup Lake on September 26.

In all, three mosquitoes tested positive in North Stonington, including one that is human-biting.

It marks the first time this year that a human-biting mosquito has tested positive for EEE, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, which monitors mosquito activity.

The agency announced last week that a mosquito trapped in Hampton was the first in the state to test positive for the virus this year in Connecticut.

Eastern equine encephalitis is one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is rare in humans, but there are a few cases reported in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of serious cases include the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. From there, a patient may become disoriented, have seizures or even fall into a coma.

One-third of those affected will die and most survivors are left with significant brain damage, according to the CDC.

Experts at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station urge people to take steps to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, especially at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.


Updated Timeline for Crumbling Foundations Grant Distribution

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The “captive insurance company” set up by the state to give grants to people whose homes have crumbling foundations is closer to being in operation, but not there quite yet.

At a meeting of the Capitol Region Council of Governments Ad Hoc Working Committee on Crumbling Foundations Wednesday, Steve Werbner, the Tolland town manager, said the captive insurance company hopes by mid to late October to release a set of guidelines on how homeowners with crumbling basements can apply for grants, how they will get reimbursed, and the process that will determine the order in which people get help.

There will be a 30-day comment period after the guidelines are released where the public can comment on them.

Werbner says the captive insurance corporation is hoping to start accepting applications for grants from affected homeowners by mid to late November. However that timetable could be delayed, according to Werbner, when other government agencies weigh in on the grant guidelines.

It is estimated the captive insurance company will have $200 million at its disposal when it begins making grants. So far there are more than 700 homeowners who have filed complaints with the state saying they have crumbling concrete basements. It often costs more than $200,000 to replace a single-family home’s crumbling concrete basement.

More than 700 Connecticut homeowners in the north central and eastern part of the state have filed claims with the state saying they have crumbling concrete basements. Experts say this was caused by the naturally occurring mineral pyrrhotite, which, when exposed to air or water can cause concrete to crack over a period of years. A state investigation found the mineral in the aggregate used to make concrete from one Connecticut quarry between approximately 1983 and 2016.

NBC Connecticut Investigates broke the story about the crumbling concrete crisis in our state in July 2015.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Body of Missing Massachusetts Man Found in Housatonic River

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The body of a missing Massachusetts man was found in the Housatonic River, about a mile from the scene of a crash last week.

A dive team began searching the river in North Canaan late on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 25 after receiving a report from police in Sheffield, Massachusetts about a missing person.

A man identified as 60-year-old German Perez, of Ashley Falls, Mass. Had left Lakeville around 6 p.m. that night for home in his black Toyota Tundra, according to police. When he hadn't arrived home by 8 p.m., police were called and Connecticut state police assisted in the search for Perez.

Troopers found an area on Route 44 in North Canaan that had a damaged guardrail and other evidence that a vehicle might have gone off the road and into the Housatonic River, according to police.

On Wednesday, a dive team located a vehicle in the river.

On Wednesday, state police said a dive team located Perez’s body around a mile south of the scene of the crash.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Farmington will perform an autopsy.

Police ID Woman Hit, Killed by Car in Bristol

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Bristol police have identified the victim in a deadly pedestrian accident Monday.

Police said  48-year-old Marlene Shepard suffered fatal injuries when she was hit by a car on Route 6 near Jerome Avenue Monday. 

The Bristol Police Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Craig O’Connor at 860-584-3031.

Facebook Marketplace Introduces AI Technology

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Facebook Marketplace is celebrating its second anniversary Wednesday, and announcing new technology to propel its growth and empower Facebook’s 2.23 billion monthly users to buy and sell goods.

Los Angeles-based lifestyle blogger Meredith Greenberg makes about $500 per month flipping goods she purchases on Facebook Marketplace. She takes old items and turns them from shabby to chic. 

“I use Marketplace to help me find and sell items that I restore and flip – from wine coolers, to coffee tables, to chairs and more,” said Greenberg. “Meeting people through Marketplace has also led to more custom work for me. For example, I connected with a couple on Marketplace who bought a coffee table from me. They loved it so much, we stayed in touch so I could share other pieces with them!”

Facebook says "more than one in three people on Facebook in the U.S. shop on Marketplace every month for everything from new shoes to baby gear to cars and apartments."

Furniture and electronics are top sellers on Facebook Marketplace, but it’s vehicle purchases that are emerging as one of the most popular categories worldwide, according to Facebook spokesperson Erin Landers.

Car listings from local car dealerships were introduced on the platform one year ago and have helped propel interest.

Facebook is bringing more technology to the platform.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping consumers buy and sell faster by improving the quality of photos and Messenger conversations. Some of the new features help with price range suggestions and auto-categorization.

Using AI, the Facebook Marketplace automatically categorizes an item based on the photo and description so that the user does not have to.

Facebook is also testing technology and camera features that will recognize products and similar listings of interest.

Reporting tools and a ratings system have helped make buying and selling safer online, such as badges that were introduced for sellers to confirm their identify.



Photo Credit: Facebook Marketplace

Trump Has Lost $1B in Personal Wealth Since Running for WH

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The presidency has been bad for Donald Trump's finances, with his personal net worth falling from $4.5 billion to $3.1 billion over the past two years, according to the latest Forbes billionaires list.

Trump dropped 138 spots to 259 on the Forbes 400, an annual measure of the richest people in the U.S. During that same period, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos rose to the top spot, with an estimated fortune 52 times greater than that of the president, at $160 billion.

Forbes attributed the decline of Trump's fortune to three main factors: e-commerce eating into the value of Trump's real estate holdings, the intrusion of heightened security at Trump's resorts, and Trump's own over-reporting of the size of his penthouse, NBC News reported.



Photo Credit: AP

'Suspicious' Man Approached Students at Hamden Bus Stop: PD

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Hamden police are investigating a report of a suspicious man at a local bus stop Monday.

Police said a 15-year-old girl reported she was waiting for the school bus at Newhall and Marlboro streets when she and two other students were approached by an older man. The teen told police the man asked the group to get in his car. The man got out of his car and “began making noises” according to the teen. The students ran away from the bus stop.

The man was described as around 45 years old, 5-foot-8, with a thin build and visible scabs.

Anyone with information on this is asked to contact Officer Mark Atwater of the Hamden Police Department Traffic Division at 203-230-4036.

Aetna Headquarters to Stay in Hartford for Next 10 Years

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CVS Health Corporation had committed to keeping the Aetna headquarters in Connecticut for at least the next 10 years, according to a letter from the company to the Connecticut Insurance Department.

In June 2017 Aetna announced it was moving its headquarters to New York City, but in January 2018, after an incentive package fell through, CVS said it had no plans to move the company. 

The letter delivered Wednesday commits to keep Aetna’s headquarters in Hartford for at least 10 years, and to maintain staffing levels in Connecticut for at least the next four years. Aetna and its subsidiaries employ about 5,200 people in Connecticut as of Oct. 1. 

Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement that he was “thrilled” by the news.

“CVS Health is a strong corporate partner for the city and state, and we welcome this long-term commitment. Today’s news is yet another positive step for Hartford and the capital region, coming on the heels of several major jobs announcements in the past year. I am confident that the city will continue to emerge as a hub for business, and Aetna’s continued presence is the economic backbone for long-term success,” Maloy wrote.


Seeing-Eye Dog Leads Owner to Safety During Storm

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At the height of Tuesday's storm, a lot of people were trying to get home from work. A Manchester woman and her seeing-eye dog had to make part of the journey on foot, and she says she couldn't have made it without Donner.

For Jolene Nemeth and her 5-year-old seeing-eye dog Donner, the storm Tuesday evening became a frightening obstacle on the way to their Manchester home. Usually, after getting off the bus it's a five-minute walk, but the storm left them both uneasy. Nemeth says the storm sounded like it was easing up when she was on the bus, but when she got to her bus stop, the sky opened up.

"It was just...coming down horizontal rain, and when I stepped into the street, it wasn't until then because I can't tell, [the water] was over my ankles," said Nemeth. "It was very high, and [Donner] was just, you could hear her paws almost swimming, you know, just sloshing through. And she hates the rain, and she hates water."

Despite that, Nemeth says Donner trudged through the rising water at the crosswalk, guiding her. Donner tried to take shelter under a tree, but Nemeth says she knew that was a bad idea as she heard thunder booming above.

"It was scary. It was explosive thunder. I've never been out in anything like that before," said Nemeth.

Nemeth says she tried to take shelter under an awning by some mailboxes but that Donner refused to go that way.

"I could only guess the water was deeper there because that's where a lot of ice collects in winter, so I said, 'I'm going to trust her' and went across the driveway that was ankle deep again," said Nemeth.

Donner started leading Nemeth to her closer old apartment unit and they managed to find shelter under an outdoor covered hallway. They both waited until the thunder and rain stopped and then made it safely back home. Nemeth says she couldn't have made it without Donner.

"She made the best choices, and that's what it's about. I had to encourage her. She had to encourage me at one point," said Nemeth. "If I hadn't had her to warn me, 'Hey, this is what's going on. This water is too deep. I'm not going this way,' I would have been out there wandering around for a long time if I just had a cane."

Nemeth says reaching their front door that evening was a huge relief, and that she's proud of Donner. She says they don't have an owner/pet relationship, they have a partnership.

"We made it together, and that's how every day is. We make it together," said Nemeth.

Nemeth says when they got home Donner got a big treat for dinner as a thank you for her hard work.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Person Hit by Car on Park Avenue in Bloomfield

Tension Rises on Capitol Hill as Kavanaugh Vote Approaches

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Tensions on Capitol Hill are rising as senators prepare for a vote on embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, NBC News reported

Multiple senators, including Sen. Susan Collins, who was helped back to her office by Capitol Police after a committee hearing on Wednesday, have been spotted with police escorts in recent days. Hallways have been briefly closed off, even to media, and Collins was driven away from the Hill in a Capitol Police car last Friday.

Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, has become a target of anti-Kavanaugh protestors, as she has not said publicly how she plans to vote on Kavanaugh. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also have not said how they will vote. 

Though the large-scale demonstrations from last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford have dissipated, some protesters are still making themselves heard.



Photo Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Old Lyme Home Uninhabitable After Fire

Punch Brook Road in Burlington Reopened After Crash

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A serious crash closed part of Punch Brook Road in Burlington Thursday morning, but the road has reopened. 

Firefighters responded to the crash, which was on Punch Brook Road, near the Nassahegan Recreation Complex.

No additional information was immediately available. 



Photo Credit: Burlington Fire
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