When tornadoes rolled in and out of Connecticut on May 15, trees fell onto homes and debris littered yards.

Some homeowners faced costs up to $70,000 for tree removal without the Federal Emergency Management Agency's help.

On Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro are announcing new legislation to change that.

Their hope is to have homeowners qualify for FEMA funding.

Right now, FEMA can't give money to homeowners with trees and debris on their property after a natural disaster.

On top of that, the cost of debris removal can't be included in damage assessments.

After the tornadoes in May, the mayor even urged homeowners to turn in their receipts to his office and in August, Congresswoman DeLauro slammed FEMA's decision to deny individual assistance.

The legislators believe a change of legislation could help those like Michael Blatchley, who had 80-foot oak trees topple onto his property in Hamden.

"If FEMA were to approve individual assistance, it would help me because hopefully I'd be able to take advantage of it. I've got the means, I've got the friends, I've got the access to the saws, the trucks, the equipment, it's my neightbors that don't. A lot of these people are lderly and this is really a hardship on them," Blatchley said.

Meanwhile, Hamden has officially stopped picking up debris from the tornado. The city says anyone who continues to leave storm debris could be fined.

The new legislation will be announced around 10:30 a.m.

A man from Bloomfield has died after a crash on Interstate 91 south in Hartford on Tuesday morning.

The two-car crash, which happened around 6 a.m., closed three lanes of I-91 south between exits 29A and 27 for most of the morning. All of the lanes were blocked while police cleared the scene, but have since reopened.

Police said one vehicle was traveling in the right lane on the highway and another vehicle, driven by 36-year-old Dwayne Reynolds, of Bloomfield, was traveling in the left lane.

According to officers, Reynolds lost control on wet roads while negotiating a curve and hit the concrete barrier on the left shoulder of the highway. His vehicle then spun to the right side of the highway, where it was hit on the driver's side by the vehicle driving in the right lane. 

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Reynolds suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash and was later pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital, police said. A passenger in his vehicle was not injured.

The other driver involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and was taken to Hartford Hospital. 

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The crash caused about seven miles of congestion between exits 37 and 27 in Hartford and Windsor on Tuesday morning.

The accident remains under investigation. Any witnesses are asked to contact Troop H at (860) 534-1000.

Finishing the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has taken on a whole new meaning for one first-time runner.

Seconds after Valerie Bolek’s finish, her boyfriend Jose Rangel was waiting, ready to propose.

“I saw him with the medal in his hand and I thought oh ok that’s pretty cool,” Valerie Bolek said.

Bolek’s boyfriend said he noticed she looked nervous.

"I just said, 'congratulations I’m very proud of you,'" Jose Rangel said.

As a first-time marathoner, Bolek didn't know what to expect as she had no idea what would come next.

“I had her medal ready and in hand, but I had the box hidden behind the medal,” Rangel said.

Rangel dropped to one knee and the caught-on-camera proposal that consisted of months in the making became a different kind of photo finish.

“I was just like oh my God, I had no idea… I was taken aback,” Bolek said. “I was very surprised.”

Bolek who is a CPS computer teacher at Volta Elementary School, said she was running to raise money for the nonprofit organization Girls on the Run-Chicago.

“Eight years ago, I started running and this was my first race,” Rangel said.

Since that first marathon in 2010, Rangel said he’s run the Chicago race two more times since.

This year however, he chose to hold a more supporting role, sporting signs and then popping the question at a milestone moment that now takes on even more meaning.

“That was my first marathon and to have her be the first marathon as well… it was good,” he said.

Rangel said he learned from friends that the marathon is actually the perfect metaphor for marriage.

“It’s long distance, take your time, keep a good pace,” he explained.

It's a fairytale finish to kick off a new beginning for the newly-engaged Chicago couple.

“You can’t top this,” Bolek said. ”I’m good on marathons now… because I can’t top this marathon.”

The Cos Cob School in Greenwich is closed Tuesday because of damage from a water leak at the open house scheduled for Thursday has been canceled. 

A post on the school’s website says the school is closed for assessment of damage and restoration and environmental consultants, town officials and others will be there to conduct air-quality testing, come up with a plan and estimate a timeline. 

The Cos Cob School Grade 5 Ropes Field Trip scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled.

NBC Connecticut will host a debate in the race for State Treasurer ahead of the general election.

The debate will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 9 between Democrat Shawn Wooden and Republican Thad Gray.

The debate will start at 8:30 p.m. and run an hour.

The position is open with Denise Nappier opting not to run for re-election after 20 years in office.

NBC CT Political Reporter Max Reiss will moderate both debates.

The debate will stream live on nbcconnecticut.com, in the free NBC CT app and on the NBC Connecticut Facebook page.

The election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Police are investigating after a woman was stabbed on James Street in Hartford early Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to 69 James Street to investigate an alleged assault shortly after 2 a.m.

When they arrived, they found a woman who had been stabbed in the chest and right leg. She was transported to St. Francis Hospital to be treated for what officials said were non-life threatening injuries.

A female suspect was detained, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing. 

The Glastonbury fire department is venting Glastonbury High School after the smell of gas was detected around noon and students and staff are outside. 

Supt. Alan Bookman said the smell was detected around noon in a small area of the second floor and the fire department was called. 

Students and staff are expected to re-enter building shortly and no injuries are reported.

Demolition on a historic building in Waterbury began Tuesday, despite a petition trying to save it.

The former Trinity Episcopal Church on Prospect Street is more than a century old. But due to expensive structural problems, the owners made the decision to tear it down.

“It’s heartbreaking to see that. It really is a beautiful building. It’s an important part of downtown. It’s an important part of our history and it’s an important asset for Waterbury that now is lost and being replaced with a parking lot,” said Waterbury historian and resident Raechel Guest.

Guest had hoped there might be a way to save the building. Since the 1990s the property has been used as a parish center for the neighboring Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. But after a series of structural problems were identified that engineers estimated would cost $750,000 to solve, the Basilica determined it made more sense to level the building.

“But there just wasn’t the resources to repair it,” explained Father Christopher Ford, rector at Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. “Even If we did, I’m not sure that would’ve been the best way to expend $750,000.”

“I have a passion for historic preservation, but the passion for the mission of the church is greater,” he added.

Norma Santiago lived next door to the church for years and says the neighborhood is sad to see it go.

“We’re used to seeing here all the time. Now it’s going to be empty,” she said.

A Change.org petition trying to save the church had gathered close to 600 signatures by Tuesday afternoon. That effort may now be in vain, but leaders who wanted to see the building preserved are now hoping residents can stop similar demolition elsewhere in the city.

“I would love to see this energy go towards helping those buildings. It’s too late for this building, but we can do something to save those other buildings,” Guest said.

The church’s rector said some of the stained glass and altars from the church were removed and given to other churches in Connecticut, and even one in Texas.

There is no concrete timeline for when the next phase of the project will be complete, but he expects to see that parking lot here sometime next year.

Delays in shipping flu vaccines have canceled one flu clinic and limited supply at a second, according to the Chatham Health District.

The agency posted Tuesday that a flu clinic at Colchester Town Hall, which was scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled due to the delay in receiving the vaccine. Officials plan to reschedule the clinic as soon as possible.

The delay is also affecting a clinic at the Portland Senior Center, also scheduled for Wednesday. Health officials said that while the clinic will go on as scheduled, there is a limited supply for the high-dose 65-plus vaccine and it will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. The clinic begins at 10 a.m.

A second Portland clinic may be scheduled.

Local pharmacies and physicians' offices also offer flu shots.

Norwich Free Academy has cut ties with yet another person providing athletic training at the Academy.

In a statement to parents Monday evening, NFA said police alerted the academy late Friday afternoon about concerns regarding the “conduct of an individual providing athletic training services on campus.”

That person is employed by a third-party service provider. NFA said they immediately requested a new trainer be assigned to the school.

There is no word on what the conduct was that caused concern, but NFA spokesperson Geoffrey Serra told NBC Connecticut that individual is no longer associated with nor has access to campus.

They directed all questions to Norwich Police Department calling it a “police matter.”

This most recent incident is amid a continuing investigation into former NFA assistant athletic coach Anthony Facchini. The 25-year-old from Norwich is accused of having sexual relations with two students starting in 2017, while he was on staff.

Facchini was arrested on Sept. 12 and has since pleaded not guilty to two charges of second-degree sex assault.

The school fired him over the summer, before the arrest. He was a seasonal assistant coach in football, track, indoor track and was a strength and conditioning coach, according to Serra.

Athletic Director Eric Swallow resigned Sept. 10, two days before Facchini’s arrest. Authorities haven’t said if it’s connected to the investigation.

Tuesday, Norwich Police sent out a statement that they’re continuing to investigate Facchini’s case and cannot comment on potential subjects of the investigation.

In a statement to NBC Connecticut Tuesday, Serra said the Academy is limited on information they can release but they and Norwich Police “are continuing to work together regarding this matter and will continue to do so. Maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for our students and faculty is our primary focus at Norwich Free Academy.”

As for why NFA alerted parents Monday about the athletic trainer incident when police flagged the Academy on Friday, Serra wrote to NBC Connecticut via email, “Because this news came to us during a three-day weekend, we strategically decided that it would be best to share the information on Monday evening before the Tuesday school day.”

An NFA mom, who didn’t want to be identified, said she has a lot of questions.

“I have confidence in the academy that they’re doing everything they can to address the issue. They usually are pretty good about responding to things.”

The New Haven Fire Department has launched an internal investigation after a firefighter was found unresponsive while on duty.

“Any time one of our units does not respond, it is a great concern of all of us,” Chief John Alston told NBC Connecticut. “Whether that be a firefighter in distress or even a mechanical issue, we take all of it seriously."

Around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, an emergency at the firehouse on Woodward Avenue prevented New Haven firefighters from responding to a medical call.

“Just before they were able to get on to the apparatus they found one of the firefighters unresponsive,” Alston said. “The members then went into quick action, began to treat him.”

After the firefighter regained consciousness, his colleagues transported him to Yale-New Haven Hospital. He has since been released, the chief said.

“I cannot comment on any of his treatment even when he was in the firehouse on duty,” Alston said.

An AMR ambulance continued to the initial medical call, Alston said, adding, “the patient actually refused care there.”

The firefighter found unresponsive is on paid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation involving police, the city’s attorney and labor management.

New Haven Police were part of Saturday’s response at the firehouse, Alston said.

“We reached out to them over the weekend,” Alston said. “I have another meeting scheduled with them later on today to get their initial impressions as well, and they are part of a joint investigation.”

Pressed several times for more details during an interview at City Hall, the chief was tight-lipped about what happened citing the firefighter’s medical privacy rights and the open investigation.

“There’s always a balance between the public’s right to know, and they have every right to know who’s caring for them,” Alston said, “but we are also bound by contractual obligations and also HIPAA in terms of the type of treatment this person who fell ill received.”

Alston said he plans to release findings of the investigation to the public “to the degree that it does not violate his HIPAA rights.”

The question Alston said he wants answered the most is why did this happen.

Parents are outraged over unfilled school uniform orders by an East Hartford company.

Many parents told NBC Connecticut they put in orders months ago and still have not received their kids’ uniforms.

More than a month into the school year Hartford parent Kristina Cotto said she’s already gone to Inchworm clothing five times.

“I ordered the uniforms back in August and I keep coming back and nothing,” Cotto said.

She said she hasn’t gotten a clear answer as to why the order is taking so long to fill.

“They still have explained to me yet. They’ve just been, yeah we’re going to get it, we’re backed up,” Cotto said.

Some Hartford parents say they’ve chosen to buy elsewhere.

“We just had to get our money back,” Orlando Hernandez said.

But parents in East Hartford don’t have other choices. The schools only use Inchworm for uniforms. NBC Connecticut spoke with about a half dozen East Hartford parents who went in with order forms and came out with no uniforms.

“I’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting. I was so upset with her right now; she said to come back tomorrow,” Pearlena Patrick said.

“I ordered in August, and I haven’t heard anything. My daughter is a freshman this year, but she’s wearing a middle school uniform,” Kami Splettstoeszer added.

The East Hartford School Superintendent’s Office is aware of the unfilled orders, and administrators are working to support families without uniforms by providing free ones or allowing students to be out of uniform.

NBC Connecticut called and emailed Inchworm’s owner for a statement, but has not yet heard back.

East Hartford school officials said they plan to meet with Inchworm this week, hoping to resolve the issue. See the full statement from the superintendent’s office below.

“We are aware that Inchworm has unfilled orders. While we are aware that parents do not have their orders, feedback we have collected from schools is that with limited exceptions, students are in uniform. While these uniforms may be from last year, our policy does not require parents to purchase new uniforms every year. Our school administration has done and continues to do an incredible job working to support any family that does not have a uniform by either giving them a free one (from stock that has built up over the years) or by simply allowing the student to be out of uniform. We understand and are equally disappointed to learn about the challenges our families are having with the vendor and are committed to working together with our families to resolve this issue both in the short and long term. We will be meeting with the vendor later this week.”

Hartford police are reopening a car crash case after video of what appears to be a road rage incident circulated online.

Initially, the incident was reported as an accident. But video on social media shows a violent encounter in downtown Hartford.

The video shows a heated verbal spat on the corner of Main Street in Hartford escalating with a punch thrown by a pedestrian before more words are exchanged and a driver of a grey vehicle slams on the gas straight at the pedestrian and red Toyota Camry. You can see the pedestrian get up and circle back to face the driver, and both men put their fists in the air.

The pedestrian suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Hartford Hospital, according to police.

In the original police crash report, the driver of the Toyota told police his boot got stuck under the brake pedal, causing him to push down on the accelerator.

The Hartford Police Department is reopening the investigation after the video was brought to their attention.

Obasi Cooper filmed the clip and says he showed the video of the alleged assault to the officer who responded on scene.

“He just rams him into his car and he goes flying not so far in the air, but good enough he’s in the air falls to the ground and gets back up. Then as you can see he’s in the air falls to the ground and gets back up. Then as you can see both get up like they’re gonna fight and throw their hands they didn’t,” Cooper explained.

Cooper and police said the incident happened Friday.

“The one, he almost got hit by the other car. And he went to confront him about it. You’re trying to hit my car, you almost hit my car,” Cooper said.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to the men involved through friends, but have not been successful in speaking with them. Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact Hartford police.

President Donald Trump joked about talk of impeaching him and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during a campaign rally on Tuesday night, NBC News reported.

"The Democrats are even talking about doing really bad things now to Justice Kavanaugh," Trump said. "Last week, they were saying, 'We'll impeach.' ... I have to go first, right? Don't I? — Even though we've done nothing wrong other than create one of the greatest economies in the history of the world."

The president raised impeachment as some progressive groups are pushing forward with efforts to remove Kavanaugh.

Harvard University diving coach Chris Heaton has resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct, according to a statement from the school.

"Chris Heaton, the Class of 1989 Head Coach for Diving, has decided to step down from his role," the release reads.

A class action complaint against USA Diving stated that Heaton is accused of soliciting nude photos from female athletes at Ripfest, a diving camp in Indiana. He also allegedly sent pictures of his genitals to young female athletes.

The school said earlier this month that it was unaware of any allegations of misconduct when it Chris Heaton as head coach for diving in August.

"I'm shocked that somebody of that caliber would be involved in something like this," said graduate student Mike Vea. "That's a shame."

Heaton is not named as a defendant in the complaint, which "involves sexual abuse, exploitation, and the forced labor of USA Diving members by the Team USA coaches, entities, officials, and executives who were entrusted to protect them."

John Wingfield, the president of Ripfest, is named as a defendant. Multiple times since 2015, female athletes complained about Heaton to Wingfield, who was allegedly dismissive of the claims.

"To hear about something like that, where you can't even really talk to your coach or respect them, it's scary," said Lexi Milunovich of Harvard's tennis team.

Connecticut’s Bradley Airport is named one of the best airports in the United States, according to Conde Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards. 

Bradley came in third in the 31st annual Readers' Choice Awards.  

"We are very honored to be recognized among some of our nation's best airports," Tony Sheridan, chair of the Connecticut Airport Authority board of directors, said in a statement. "Recognition like this elevates our brand not only regionally, but also nationally and internationally, and I'd like to thank the entire CAA staff for everything they do to make Bradley International Airport one of the very best in the country." 

The report cites, "convenient on-site parking, plentiful charging stations and free Wi-Fi, decent restaurant options, and an overall relaxed atmosphere …" 

The 2018 Readers' Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler's website and they will be in the November issue, which will be on newsstands on Oct. 16. 

A pedestrian suffered critical injuries in a hit-and-run crash in North Stonington Tuesday, according to Connecticut State Police.

Police confirmed the crash happened on Norwich-Westerly Road (Route 2) near the rotary with Route 184.

The pedestrian was airlifted to Hartford Hospital in critical condition.

Police said the suspect vehicle fled the scene.

The accident reconstruction team has been called in to investigate.

No other details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

An Ellington family thought they had found the perfect spot to build a park in honor of a little boy who died from a rare form of brain cancer.

Many who live near the proposed site are sympathetic but don’t think it belongs in their neighborhood.

Everyone agrees on one thing: they support this family and their desire to memorialize their son. But there are sharp divisions about if that should be done.

“It allows us to have all of our dreams in one place,” said Sarah Poulin, the boy’s mother.

Sarah Poulin envisions transforming a field on Middle Road in Ellington as a way to honor her son Jacob. He died six months after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer in 2016.

“He was humble and kind every day. He was the sweetest little boy,” Poulin said.

Days after the 5-year-old’s death, his parents dedicated themselves to give back to the community which supported them and their son. Jacob’s passions would be the inspiration for a street-like hockey rink and a playground designed in the spirit of America Ninja Warrior.

It would be all be built on town land across from Mike Taft’s home.

After 25 years of enjoying the view of farmland, he and other neighbors worry the park would lead to problems including increased traffic and noise.

“It just makes no sense to have it here, you know?” Taft said.

Tuesday night Jacob’s Park supporters and opponents tried to sway town leaders as they considered whether to grant a special permit for the project. Many of the concerns are overblown according to Sarah Poulin, who hopes her family’s vision becomes reality.

“I think it’s going to be really special on a personal note to come out here when this is all said and done. And be able to share Jacob’s heart with everybody,” Poulin said.

The Poulins set up a foundation which will pay for the park construction with grants and donations. On Tuesday the planning and zoning commission delayed any decision for at least two weeks.

Social media is a great way to communicate. However, when it comes to Connecticut towns, are Facebook pages becoming a virtual neighborhood watch?

If you do a quick search online, you can find various town Facebook groups run by everyday people in Connecticut.

“It just is a nice way to connect everybody,” said Patti Albee.

Albee is a full time mom of four in West Hartford and has been using social media to connect people in her town for years.

“It started very small and quiet for a while and then has kind of blossomed,” said Albee.

Albee started the Facebook page “Neighbors and Friends of West Hartford” in 2012. Now there are around 14,000 members contributing local information, such as business recommendations, missing animals, kid’s achievements, community events and even breaking news.

“We get a lot of posts a day. For the most part, 90% of them are valid. They are good posts. They are people looking for things, information and things like that. We do get the ones that you know are misinformation, are looking to just kind of stir the pot and see what trouble they can cause, but for the most part, people are honestly looking just to help,” said Albee.

Good or bad, the posts are catching on. In Ledyard, Corey Watford manages a Facebook page called “HomeBrewTVNews,” in his spare time.

“I like to inform people, like right when the situation is happening, not hours after,” said Watford.

He, along with people in the area post regional events, missing animals and even unconfirmed emergency scanner traffic. These page administrators don’t make any money doing this, they simply view it as a way to keep their communities informed.

“I have had multiple comments over the past week saying, every morning before I go to work, I check HomeBrewTVNews,” said Watford. “I appreciate that. It feels good to me that people are getting informed.”

Local police keep an eye on the pages, too, and said these pages are a good tool for the communities. However, police warn people to take the instant information with a grain of salt.

“It's a wonderful tool for them to be able to use that. As a police department, some of the challenges we have had with it have been when we get phone calls from people saying I read this on this particular website, is this true? Is it not true?” said Cpt. Mike Perruccio with the West Hartford Police Department.

Police said the information is not always accurate. If people do know about a crime, they should always call police first, before posting online. Police urge people to keep safety in mind when having conversations with strangers online.

“There is nothing that important that you need to go after somebody in real life and threaten them,” said Albee.

Albee said, rarely, threats on her page have happened in the past. On most of the town pages, you have to ask to become a member and the administrators monitor any negative comments or communications. Albee said her page has a policy that if any unwanted communication occurs, then those people will be removed from the page.

Facebook is doing its part to help combat keyboard warriors, too. Facebook recently formed an admin group, giving advice to page administrators on how to manage their groups safely. Police say the more communication, the better.

“Whatever the medium is, I think it's important we have more communication because, I think we really do find, at the end of the day, most of us are more alike than different,” said Perruccio.

In the end, communication is key even in a virtual neighborhood watch.

“It's a way to gather information. It's one more way. Maybe it is the way, you know, you take all those little pieces and it becomes the whole puzzle,” said Albee.