A box truck crash has closed two lanes of Interstate 91 south in Middletown on Wednesday morning.
Police said a box truck rolled over and crashed down an embankment near exit 19 shortly before 5:30 a.m.
According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the two right lanes of the highway are closed between exits 20 and 19.
Officials do not have an estimate of when the lanes will reopen.
No injuries were reported.
Hartford Police have arrested a man who is accused of firing a gun into the air multiple times back in May.
On May 17, officers were called to 726 Windsor Street after getting a ShotSpotter activation of nine shots.
When police arrived, officers said they found nine .40 caliber cartridge casings.
There were no witnesses, but police said the building was equipped with private surveillance cameras that could not be viewed on scene. Detectives secured a search warrant for the video equipment and were able to view the footage.
According to police, the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Bernard Mickens, of Hartford, could be seen firing several rounds into the air at 726 Windsor Street, near where the casings were found.
Officers were granted an arrest warrant and later found Mickens's vehicle. They conducted a motor vehicle stop and Mickens was taken into custody without incident.
Mickens is facing charges including carrying a pistol without a permit, reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
A Hamden resident found a raccoon sitting on the couch overnight and the furry masked intruder ran off as soon as someone opened the door of the residence, according to police.
The resident called police after spotting the animal and police said it’s not clear how it got in the house.
No one was injured and no photo was available.
No information was immediately available on where in Hamden it happened.
Democrat Ned Lamont has a 22-point lead over Republican Bob Stefanowski in the Connecticut gubernatorial race, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll that also says 21 percent of likely voters who named a candidate said they might change their mind.
The poll, which is the first Quinnipiac survey of this race, was released Wednesday morning and says Lamont has a 47-39 percent likely voter lead over Stefanowski and 11 percent are for independent candidate Oz Griebel. See the full poll results here.
Lamont’s campaign released a statement Wednesday morning that said polls change and criticized several of Stefanowski’s policies.
“Ned Lamont is the only candidate running with a positive vision and plan for creating good jobs, investing in education and workforce training, cutting property taxes for the middle class, and fixing Connecticut’s fiscal crisis, and he is going to continue to work every day between now and Nov. 6 to earn voters’ support,” the statement from Marc Bradley, Ned for CT campaign manager says, in part.
The poll finds women back Lamont over Stefanowski, 53-31 percent, and 13 percent are for Griebel, while men lean Republican, 46-41 percent, with 9 percent for Griebel.
Lamont topped Stefanowski, 87-3 percent, among Democrats, with 9 percent for Griebel and Stefanowski led Lamont, 90-2 percent, among Republicans, with 5 percent for Griebel.
Independent voters went 42 percent for Lamont, while 36 percent went for Stefanowski and 18 percent went for Griebel.
When it comes to how well-liked the candidates are, people who took part in the poll gave Lamont a divided 44-45 percent favorability rating and Stefanowski had 39-44 percent. For Griebel, 72 percent said they haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion.
“Ned Lamont is ahead in the Connecticut governor's race, but with 27 days to go, Bob Stefanowski is within striking distance," Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, said in a statement.
Voters who took part in the poll said the economy is the most important issue in their vote for governor, 31 percent of Connecticut likely voters said, while 26 percent cited taxes and 24 percent listed government spending and 13 percent said education.
“The number one issue for Connecticut voters is the economy, and Lamont wins decisively among those voters. Voters also say, however, that the most important quality in a candidate for governor is the ability to bring needed change, and among those voters, Stefanowski wins big," Schwartz said.
Of Connecticut likely voters, 59-39 percent disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is doing his job and said supporting a candidate who shares their opinion of the president is important to 65 percent of likely voters, 78 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of independent voters.
Voters disapprove, 69 to 23 percent, of the job Gov. Dannel Malloy is doing and only 35 percent of voters said it's important to their vote if a candidate shares their opinion of the governor.
"In deciding which candidate to support, President Donald Trump is a more important factor for voters than Gov. Dannel Malloy, although both men appear to be doing damage to their own parties," Schwartz said.
Police are investigating after a stabbing led to a deadly shooting in New Haven on Tuesday night. One of the victims said the man with the knife said, "Happy Halloween," then stabbed him.
Officers were dispatched to Sperry Street at Goffe Street around 10 p.m. after getting a report of an assault with gunfire.
One victim, a 27-year-old New Haven man, told officers that he was walking on Sperry Street from Whalley Avenue toward Goffe Street when he was confronted by a man holding a knife. He said the man with the knife said "Happy Halloween" and then stabbed him in the elbow.
The victim's cousin, a 24-year-old Hamden man, was waiting in his car. When he heard the commotion, he told police he got out of his car and was stabbed in the bicep by the man with the knife.
The man from Hamden had a gun on him and shot the man with the knife in the chest. Officers said he has a valid pistol permit and his gun was lawfully registered to him. The shooter has not been charged.
Officers said the man with the knife has died and has not been identified.
Neither of the stabbing victims' wounds are considered life-threatening, according to officials.
The incident is under investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at (203) 946-6304 or the anonymous tip line at (203) 946-6296. You can also text a tip by texting "NHPD" plus your message to 274637 or you can email officers at ecic@newhavenct.gov.
Democrat Ned Lamont has an eight-point lead over Republican Bob Stefanowski in the Connecticut gubernatorial race, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll that also says 21 percent of likely voters who named a candidate said they might change their mind.
The poll, which is the first Quinnipiac University survey of this race, was released Wednesday morning and says Lamont has a 47-39 percent likely voter lead over Stefanowski and 11 percent are for independent candidate Oz Griebel. See the full poll results here.
Lamont’s campaign released a statement Wednesday morning that said polls change and criticized several of Stefanowski’s policies.
“Ned Lamont is the only candidate running with a positive vision and plan for creating good jobs, investing in education and workforce training, cutting property taxes for the middle class, and fixing Connecticut’s fiscal crisis, and he is going to continue to work every day between now and Nov. 6 to earn voters’ support,” the statement from Marc Bradley, Ned for CT campaign manager says, in part.
The poll finds women back Lamont over Stefanowski, 53-31 percent, and 13 percent are for Griebel, while men lean Republican, 46-41 percent, with 9 percent for Griebel.
Lamont topped Stefanowski, 87-3 percent, among Democrats, with 9 percent for Griebel and Stefanowski led Lamont, 90-2 percent, among Republicans, with 5 percent for Griebel.
Independent voters went 42 percent for Lamont, while 36 percent went for Stefanowski and 18 percent went for Griebel.
When it comes to how well-liked the candidates are, people who took part in the poll gave Lamont a divided 44-45 percent favorability rating and Stefanowski had 39-44 percent. For Griebel, 72 percent said they haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion.
“Ned Lamont is ahead in the Connecticut governor's race, but with 27 days to go, Bob Stefanowski is within striking distance," Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, said in a statement.
Voters who took part in the poll said the economy is the most important issue in their vote for governor, 31 percent of Connecticut likely voters said, while 26 percent cited taxes and 24 percent listed government spending and 13 percent said education.
“The number one issue for Connecticut voters is the economy, and Lamont wins decisively among those voters. Voters also say, however, that the most important quality in a candidate for governor is the ability to bring needed change, and among those voters, Stefanowski wins big," Schwartz said.
Of Connecticut likely voters, 59-39 percent disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is doing his job and said supporting a candidate who shares their opinion of the president is important to 65 percent of likely voters, 78 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of independent voters.
Voters disapprove, 69 to 23 percent, of the job Gov. Dannel Malloy is doing and only 35 percent of voters said it's important to their vote if a candidate shares their opinion of the governor.
"In deciding which candidate to support, President Donald Trump is a more important factor for voters than Gov. Dannel Malloy, although both men appear to be doing damage to their own parties," Schwartz said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Democrat Ned Lamont has a 22-point lead over Republican Bob Stefanowski
An odor prompted an evacuation at Hartford Public High School on Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were called after an odor was discovered inside the school, school officials said.
Students were evacuated to the school's field while firefighters cleared the building, which took about 30 minutes, officials said.
The school has been cleared and students have since returned to class.
It is unclear what may have caused the odor.
Minor injuries are reported after a crash on Interstate 691 East in Cheshire and police closed part of the highway to remove the vehicles.
The crash was in the area of exit 3 and the highway has reopened.
A vehicle rolled over and went down an embankment, state police said.
Minor injuries are reported.
At 19 weeks pregnant, Sarah Prowell learned her unborn son had spina bifida.
Spina bifida is a birth defect caused when the spine and spinal cord do not form properly, in many cases leaving a portion of the spine exposed.
Without medical intervention, the condition causes differing levels of disability, which can include paralysis and lifelong bladder issues.
The Terrell mom was referred to Dr. Timothy Crombleholme, director of the newly opened Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas.
"The open fetal surgery opens up the opportunity for us to intervene at a time when things are not irreparable. We can intervene and save the baby's life or prevent unknown injury to the baby's organs," Crombleholme said.
Prior to Crombleholme's arrival to North Texas earlier this year, families of babies diagnosed with the most common and severe form of spina bifida, called myelomeningocele, had to travel elsewhere for open fetal surgery.
Because spinal cord damage is progressive during gestation, prenatal repair of myelomeningocele may prevent further damage.
"A few years ago, if they came to our practice with this spina bifida problem, they would have had to travel to the east coast, Houston or the west coast to have this surgery," said Dr. Kevin Magee, maternal and fetal medicine at Medical City Children's Hospital.
Crombleholme is one of only a handful of surgeons nationwide qualified to perform open fetal surgery and he is widely recognized for his skill and successful surgical outcomes.
Baby Uriah became his first North Texas patient on June 25, 2018. Now, at almost two months old, Uriah is kicking his legs, signaling early success from leading-edge surgery for spina bifida.
"He will have lifelong difficulties, but it's not going to slow him down," Uriah's father, Sean Kirby, said.
"He's doing so good, better than we thought he'd be," Sarah Prowell said. "I think he'll be very determined. I think he will impress us and everyone else, like he has so far."
You can follow his progress here.
Fetal surgery for spina bifida is not a cure, but studies show that it repair can lead to better results than traditional repair surgery after a child is born.
The surgery greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently, doctors said.
For months rat-infested trash has been piling up on Ceres Avenue, a street that connects downtown LA's bustling produce and garment districts. Now, health officials say accumulations of trash like this could be a cause of an outbreak of the bacterial disease typhus.
LA's mayor is now in apology mode.
"It's disgusting and it's unacceptable," LA Mayor Eric Garcetti told NBC4, after the I-Team showed him pictures of garbage piling up for months.
When asked why the city hasn't collected trash on a city street, Garcetti responded:
"Well, it should have been. And we're going to get to the bottom of why it wasn't and make sure that it is."
The LA County Public Health Department says "typhus is a disease that infected fleas can spread to humans." The fleas often live on rodents, cats, and dogs that are drawn to garbage.
There are 57 cases of typhus reported in LA County so far this year, far higher than most years. A cluster of nine cases has been identified in what officials now call "The Typhus Zone," a section of downtown LA encompassing Skid Row and newer upscale residential housing and businesses.
"I actually kind of wanted to die, because I couldn't figure out what I had," said Van Shemirani, who owns a clothing company in the Fashion District. He told NBC4 he suffered two months of high fever and nausea before his doctors at UCLA Medical Center diagnosed him with typhus.
Shemirani says his warehouse was constantly overrun by rats, which he suspects were the cause of his typhus infection.
"I definitely think I got it from the rats," Shemirani said.
People who work in the downtown and Skid Row areas say they've complained constantly to the city's 311 number to pick up piles of trash but the calls often go unaswered.
Records obtained by the I-Team show the Department of Sanitation received more than 2,200 calls to 311 over a two-year period to pick up trash near homeless encampments but failed to respond to more than half of those calls.
"If someone is calling 311 and not getting through that's unacceptable," Mayor Garcetti told NBC4. "Things sometime slip through the cracks but this is unacceptable and I'm going to make sure that it doesn't happen, Garcetti added.
After Garcetti spoke to NBC4 about the typhus outbreak and the city's failure to control trash and rats, the Mayor's Office called the I-Team. His spokesman Alex Comisar said the city is now allocating an extra $300,000 to cleaning up trash and sanitizing streets around the "Typhus Zone." The clean-up, according to Comisar, has already begun.
There is a typhus epidemic in LA County right now with a recent outbreak of cases around downtown LA.
Here are five things to know:
1. Typhus is not typhoid. Typhus is a disease spread to humans by fleas from dogs, cats and rats. Typhoid is a food-borne illness transmitted through contaminated food and water.
2. A typhus outbreak in LA includes people living on the streets and also workers and business people.
3. Typhus symptoms include high fever, rash, abdominal and muscle pain.
4. Typhus is rarely fatal and can be treated with antibiotics.
5. You can prevent getting typhus by using flea products on your pets and keeping away from wild animals like feral cats and rodents.
Funeral services will be held today for a beloved Cheshire High School English teacher who was found dead last week and the office of the chief medical examiner said it could be another seven weeks before results are available on what caused her death.
Police found the body of 48-year-old Megumi Yamamoto, of Cheshire, soon after getting a report at 5:17 on Oct. 3 that she was missing.
The autopsy was done on Oct. 5 and the office of the chief medical examiner said the cause and manner of death are pending further studies. On Wednesday, officials from the office said results from the autopsy will be available six to eight weeks from the date it was done.
Connecticut State Police central district major crimes detectives are leading the investigation and are working with Cheshire Police Department.
Yamamoto, the mother of two, was a Cheshire High School English teacher and parents who spoke with NBC Connecticut said she was well-liked by her students.
As police investigate, authorities have said there is no reason to believe there is a threat to the public.
Funeral services will be held this morning at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire and burial will follow in Cheshire Hillside Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church, 328 Paddock Ave., Meriden, CT 06450; or to the Owatonna Public Library, 105 N. Elm Ave., Owatonna, MN 55060; or to an organization of the donor's choice.
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Hurricane Michael strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane as it moved into the Florida Panhandle Wednesday.
In preparation for the storm, Tallahassee International Airport, in Florida’s capital, suspended all flight activity at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Passengers were still able to fly from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday morning, but many were anxious about it.
“I’m a little uneasy getting on the plane and then once I get there I hope I can get the transportation to where I’m going. So I’m kind of uncertain right now,” said Cheryl Miller of East Hartford.
“It’s threatening to say the least. You got to worry whether all our flights will make it in time, whether or not we’ll be diverted,” said JP Richard of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Both Miller and Richard had trips planned before Hurricane Michael became a concern. Richard’s main concern was getting home to Florida and securing everything to minimize damage to his house. He is also worried about family in Tallahassee.
“They’re concerned about their house more than anything else because they’re saying flood waters are a big issue. So they only have I think an eight inch reservoir so if anything goes over that then it’s going to go into the house,” Richard said.
Several airlines including Delta, JetBlue, American, United and Southwest are waiving fees if you change or cancel your flight in the affected areas.
Strong winds, devastating flooding and storm surge are concerns along the Florida Panhandle. That is why the American Red Cross sent volunteers from Connecticut and Rhode Island to help with the relief efforts.
USA Today is being criticized for publishing an op-ed Wednesday from President Donald Trump with factual inaccuracies that go unchallenged.
The opinion piece claims that a push by some Democrats for "Medicare for All" would hurt seniors and effectively eliminate the Medicare program, which provides healthcare to Americans older than 65 and those with disabilities.
"How can @usatoday allow Trump tp [sic] publish an article with documented falsehoods?" tweeted Glenn Kessler, who writes the "Fact Checker" blog for The Washington Post.
Others pointed out that the op-ed contains links that include information directly refuting the op-ed's claims, NBC News reported.
Journalism professor Dan Gillmor called the decision to publish the op-ed "journalistic malpractice."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted out a version of the op-ed with "false and misleading" parts marked up with red ink.
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USA Today's standards editor did not respond to requests for comment by NBC News.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved the governor’s request for disaster assistance connected to the May 15 tornadoes and severe storms that impacted parts of Connecticut.
A statement from Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office said the declaration means that homeowners, businesses and nonprofits in New Haven, Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, and Middlesex counties will be eligible to receive loans from the SBA to help with the costs of physical and economic damages.
Loans up to $200,000 will be available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, which the governor’s office said might include debris removal.
Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
The SBA will offer Economic Injury Disaster Loans for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. The governor’s office said the assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.
Applications can be filled out and submitted online through the SBA website at disasterloan.sba.gov.
Or you could download it here www.sba.gov and mail it to the SBA at U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.
If you have questions about the assistance, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 1-800-877-8339.
The SBA will also open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Southbury Training School, at 1461 South Britain Road in Southbury, to help people process applications and answer questions in person.
The office will be open from Oct. 11 through Oct. 18 during the following hours of operation:
The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 10, 2018. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 9, 2019.
A school bus has been involved in a crash in Preston and Route 2 is closed at the junction with Route 2A, according to state police.
State police said a school bus and a sedan collided and the sedan rolled over.
It’s not yet clear if students are on the bus.
Check back for updates.
Hamden police are trying to locate a suspect accused of exposing himself to a woman at the Miller Memorial Library.
Police said the 18-year-old victim told police she was studying on the third floor around 12:15 p.m. Tuesday when she was approached by an unknown male. The male spoke with her then stood in front of her and showed his genitals.
A staff member tried to detain the suspect, according to police, but he left the library and got into a blue Audi station wagon, fleeing north on Dixwell Avenue.
The suspect is described as 5-foot-10, with an average build, and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and pajama bottoms.
Anyone with information should contact Officer Robert Dunham at 203-230-4030.
Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford is closed after a car struck a pedestrian Wednesday.
Police said it happened in the area of 521 Wethersfield Ave. Information on injuries was not immediately clear.
Wethersfield Avenue is closed between Meadow Street and Preston Street while police investigate. Police expect the road to be closed to traffic for several hours.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
New Haven police are investigating gunfire outside Roosevelt’s Bar on Whalley Avenue, and police say this is one of several recent incidents at the business.
Police said an officer was flagged down at the corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue for a report of a “chaotic scene” nearby. As the officer approached, he heard gunfire and spotted a Subaru Forester fleeing the area. The officer pulled over the vehicle and saw the vehicle’s windshield had bullet damage.
A few hours later, a man approached police and said that he’d fired at the vehicle after the driver sped directly at him. The man told police he was leaving Roosevelt’s Bar at 883 Whalley Ave. when a driver pulled up and addressed him, then made a u-turn and drove his vehicle at him. The victim said he then jumped into his own vehicle and tried to escape, but the other driver struck his vehicle, at which point he fired at the driver, fearing for his own safety.
Police said video of the incident appears to confirm the victim’s story. The victim has a valid pistol permit. No arrests have been made.
This is the third gunfire/shooting incident connected to the bar in the last year, according to police. On Sept. 22, a man was shot in the leg. Police said officers are routinely posted at the bar to clear out the crowd at closing time, despite the bar often hiring extra duty officers on the weekends.
Twenty-six gravestones were discovered in a shed in Coventry. No one knew how they got there, or where they came from. Now, thanks to a team including historians and some help from Ancestry.com, at least two of them have been returned to where they belong.
“These poor stones,” said Claudine Vieten, a member of the Coventry Cemetery Commission. “Nobody cared about them. It’s been years. That they’ve been there”
Vieten put out a call for help identifying the “orphan gravestones.”
“I didn’t expect anybody to recognize them,” she said. “I just thought if I put them in the paper, if I put them in the visitor center then some people would go to the Strong Porter House, and someone would appreciate the stones.”
Sara Vance, a Coventry resident who considers cemeteries her hobby, answered that call.
“I said if you can send me photos, I’ll see what I can find, and I just went from there,” she said.
Vance used her Ancestry.com account to search official gravestone records.
“I was able to find them all,” Vance said.
They contacted Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, an expert who has been working with gravestones for more than 30 years. She was able to verify Vance’s work.
“They were always made in the early times as a matched pair to mark the head and the feet have a grave, so that it wouldn’t be dug into,” Shapleigh-Brown said. “It’s important that they are left in place. Now that we put them back, even if we don’t put them exactly at the feet of the stones, art work wise, The historical relevance of it should be back in the cemetery where belongs”
Two of the footstones that have been separated from their headstones for about a century will be returned at the Old South Burying Ground in Coventry this weekend.
Most of the remaining headstones and footstones have been identified. The hope is to get as many of them as possible back to the rightful place.
“These are people at some point, and we can’t just forget about them,” Vieten said. “We have to try to remember them.”
