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MISSING CHILD: 5-Year-Old Girl Missing From Norwich

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Police are trying to locate a 5-year-old girl missing from Norwich.

Authorities issued a Silver Alert for 5-year-old Jennessa Michelle Carson Tuesday. She is 3-foot-6, 55 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a grey and pink striped shirt, blue jeans, knee-high black boots and a purple "Shimmer and Shine" bag.

Carson was last seen with her biological mother, Cheyanne Welch, and Welch’s partner Angel “Angie” Lowe. They may be in an older model white Jeep Commander with New York or New Jersey plates.

Anyone with information on Carson’s whereabouts should contact Norwich Police at 860-886-5561.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

East Lyme Teacher Recalls Briefing H.W. Bush With Intelligence

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Behind the walls of East Lyme Middle School, former U.S. Air Force Major Glenn Penkofflidbeck helps fifth and sixth graders boost their science intelligence.

But in 1989, he provided a different kind of intelligence to then-President George H.W. Bush.

"'Glenn, can you come to the White House for a meeting with the President?' And of course I said 'yes,'" said Penkofflidbeck, recalling the phone call he got before the meeting.

Penkofflidbeck was an intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency at the time. The meeting with the president was after Marine Col. William Higgins, a member of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon was kidnapped and murdered, according to Penkofflidbeck.

"[President Bush] thanked us for coming – thanking us – I felt privileged to be serving and helping," Penkofflidbeck said.

But it was something else that surprised him.

"(Bush) went around and said 'I’d like each of you to tell me what you would do if you were the president about this situation starting with you, Glenn.' He referred to me by my first name and I was so taken aback inside,” Penkofflidbeck said.

The meeting was classified. Penkofflidbeck doesn’t have a memento of the experience. But he does have the memories and a newspaper clipping that references that Bush held the meetings in the Cabinet Room.

Penkofflidbeck credits the late president for his thoughtful decision-making, use of intelligence and his dedication to the country over the years.

"I thought periodically of writing and thanking him for service. Just saying, 'Hey, I don’t know if you remember that time I was called to the White House and was talking to you. I hope I gave you good advice.'"



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Read Mueller's Memo on Flynn Cooperation in Russia Probe

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Prosecutors on Tuesday filed a sentencing memorandum in the case of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI regarding conversations about sanctions with the Russian ambassador.

The court filing provides the first details of Flynn's cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller's team.

The deadline comes ahead of Flynn's Dec. 18 sentencing and more than a year after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about reaching out to Russian government officials on Trump's behalf.

Read the special counsel's memorandum in full below.

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Photo Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

George H.W. Bush Remembered for College Baseball Career

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He was a pilot, politician and public servant. But in New Haven, George H.W. Bush is also remembered for his college baseball career.

Four decades before the American people elected him president, his Yale teammates selected him to be their team captain.

And at the Yale field on June 5, 1948, one of baseball’s all-time greats crossed paths with a future president.

“That's an iconic photograph because here you have the most famous baseball player in the United States next to the captain of the Yale baseball team who was also a decorated war hero," said Judith Schiff, Yale Library’s chief research archivist.

Babe Ruth presented Captain George H.W. Bush with his autobiography for the Yale Library.

“It’s pretty incredible just to think about HW has a lifelong legacy inspiration and incredible achievement so to be in the same shoes that he stood in its humbling to say the least,” said Simon Whiteman, the current Yale Baseball captain.

Whiteman, who plays shortstop, said he remembers Bush cheering on Yale as the team opened the season as Texas A&M his freshman year.

“One of the games it was in honor of him so he threw out the first pitch,” Whiteman said.

In June 2017, George and Barbara Bush invited the Bulldogs to their family compound in Maine after the team won the Ivy League and school record 34 games.

“The trip to A&M was very planned and the trip to Kennebunkport was not it was like a spur of the moment, they send us an invite of course drop everything to go,” Whiteman said.

It was the late first lady’s last birthday.

“We sang happy birthday to her she enjoyed she thanked us very much, later on she wrote us a little note thanking us even though we sang off key, she was very appreciative,” Whiteman recalled.

A lifelong baseball fan, 41 remained loyal to his Bulldogs.

“Later on in life he really held family and sports athletics very high regard,” Whiteman said.

As the starting first baseman, Bush played in two College World Series. His wife Barbara was the team’s scorekeeper.



Photo Credit: Yale University Athletics
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Thieves Stole Vehicle With 4-Year-Old Boy Inside: New Haven Police

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New Haven police are searching for the people who stole a car with a 4-year-old boy inside on November 24. Police said the boy was located and reunited with his mother. 

The mother’s vehicle, a 2000 gray Honda Odyssey, was left running in front of a bodega on State Street, between Rock and May streets, when it was stolen around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, according to police. 

Officers who responded to the report found the 31-year-old woman pacing and crying and she told them that she’d gone into the store to buy snacks for her son and wasn’t inside for long, but her car and son were gone when she returned. 

The mother’s phone was in the car and she said the store clerk refused to call police for her, so she ran across the street to a gas station, called 911 and provided a description of the car and her son. 

A witness who saw the woman speaking with police told investigators that she was walking across the street when she spotted a woman driving a newer white Honda Civic through the gas station lot and saw several men get into the victim’s vehicle and speed off, going south on State Street toward Willow Street, police said. 

Connecticut State Police and neighboring departments were alerted and an officer saw a man with a young boy next to him waving at him, police said. 

The boy was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and a winter cap, so the officer wrapped him up in his uniform coat, police said. The mother and child were reunited and EMTs brought the child to the hospital as a precaution. 

Using the victim’s cell phone, police found the stolen car in Hamden, It had been abandoned on Woodstock Road and the mother’s cell phone and keys were found nearby. New Haven Police towed the car to the police garage for forensic testing. 

Police are investigating and released surveillance images taken from cameras. 

Anyone with information should call detectives at 203-946-6304, Text-A-Tip to “NHPD and your message” to 274637 (CRIMES) or email ECIC@newhavenct.gov.



Photo Credit: New Haven Police

CT Bus Drivers: Lack Of Restroom Access Becoming Health Risk

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Many CT Transit bus drivers say they still do not have adequate access to restrooms while on the job, despite bus service management telling NBC Connecticut Investigates that progress is being made on the issue.

Some bus operators believe that progress, on what they call a 'matter of human dignity,' has been too slow. In the meantime, drivers say, their health is at risk.

Since NBC Connecticut Investigates first televised on-board surveillance video of a CT Transit bus driver caught urinating in a bush while on duty, there has been an effort to ensure all drivers have appropriate places to relieve themselves, according to the drivers’ union and the bus company.

"You can't have a coffee," said Artan Martinaj, president and business agent for the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 425. "You can't have a bottled water," he added.

The ATU, which represents hundreds of Connecticut bus drivers, recently sent a letter to the state Department of Transportation, which owns CT Transit. The ATU said it conducted a survey of more than 400 local bus operators.

Of those respondents, 68 percent reported avoiding eating or drinking because of a lack of restrooms, and 37 percent said they have had urinary tract or bladder infections. More than a quarter of respondents said that they soiled themselves on the job.

"We appreciate the survey the ATU completed and hope to utilize it to understand specific areas of concerns that we can work together to resolve," said CT Transit General Manager Cole Pouliot. "We need to get down to specific challenges so we can overcome them."

CT Transit and the drivers' union recently established 'bathroom committees' in the Hartford, New Haven and Stamford regions with the goal of identifying safe, clean and accessible restrooms, often in businesses or in public buildings.

"This isn't a one and done thing problem," said Pouliot. "These committees are going be standing so that as things change, we can change with it."

In recent months, drivers have organized rallies for better bathroom access but they say that better access has yet to arrive.

"We really depend on the operators," said Pouliot. "There's so many bathrooms and so many routes. There's no way that the company can spend enough time trying to figure out all of them."

Judd Everhart, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, sent NBC Connecticut Investigates the following statement:

“We have met with the executive leadership at First Transit, the organization that manages CT Transit bus service under contract to the DOT. First Transit has a practice of providing its operators with a restroom break whenever requested. This is done by dispatching a supervisor to meet a bus en route to allow the operator to access a restroom. To our knowledge, no such operator request has ever been denied. Additionally, we have asked First Transit to identify additional locations system-wide to improve access to and availability of restrooms. This is an ongoing effort which will require new partnerships with restaurants and retail businesses.”

Bridgeport Police Seek Person of Interest in Toy Theft

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Bridgeport police have identified a person of interest in connection with the theft of toys from a Toys for Tots drive over the weekend.

Thieves stole hundreds of donated toys meant for children.

The city announced it and others would step up to help replace what had been taken. But the theft remains under investigation. Police said Tuesday that they are looking to speak with Infinite Seven in connection with the crime.

One of the thieves was captured in church surveillance video from Saturday morning, according to church officials.

About $8,000 worth of toys were stolen, and while the community stepped up to help, even before the theft this Toys for Tots drive was behind in reaching a goal of collecting gifts for 6,000 kids

Anyone interested in donating can call the church at 203-726-3614.

Anyone with information on the crime or the whereabouts of Infinite Seven is asked to call the Bridgeport Police Department at 203-576-TIPS.



Photo Credit: Bridgeport Police Department

Screws in Plainville Streets Causing Hundreds of Flat Tires

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It's a crime costing people big bucks in Plainville. Police want to know who's throwing screws and nails in the streets and causing hundreds of flat tires.

About a month and a half ago Plainville police say they found about 200 screws scattered along Stillwell Drive.

"At that point we weren't sure if it was intentional of accidental, but now we've since had three or four other locations in town where there have been a few nails or screws in the roadway. Our investigation is leading us to believe this is intentional," said Lt. Eric Peterson.

Plainville police say they've had at least 50 people report having a flat tire from screws left on the road. When investigators checked with several local tire companies in the area, they learned that a lot more people were having a similar issue, at least 200 people.

One of those local tire companies, Lucero Tire, says it's been an unusually busy time for them.

"In one day we've done over 10 cars, just pulling nails out," said employee David Merced.

Merced says due to where the nail or screw hit, the majority of tires they've seen have not been able to be patched. They’ve had to be completely replaced.

Police are hoping to put a stop to the crime before someone gets hurt.

"It's dangerous. At this point if someone gets a screw in their tire and they get up on the highway and get in an accident as a result of a screw in a tire causing a blowout, now someone is looking at a serious charge," Peterson said.

Investigators are hoping someone comes forward to help them put an end to the crime.

"Someone knows something, whether someone's bragged about it, someone's told a friend, or someone knows someone who has these types of screws doing it," Peterson said. "We just want to get whoever is doing this to stop before anyone gets hurt."

Police say you can report someone anonymously.

Authorities say they have checked with surrounding towns but that those towns are not seeing similar issues. Investigators say if you see screws or a bag of screws on the road to not pick them up but to call police so officers can collect them.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Norwich School Board Raises Questions About Norwich Free Academy Sex Assault Investigation

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The Norwich Board of Education is demanding answers from the Norwich Free Academy after the arrest of a former coach earlier this year.

Anthony Facchini is accused of having sexual relations with two students. 

During a Norwich school board meeting Tuesday, members voted to send a letter to NFA, asking for information about the investigation, and the steps being taken to remediate the situation.

NFA is not part of the Norwich Public Schools system, but the district pays to send high school-aged students there, as there is no high school in the district.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Parents Continue to Fight Decision to Close Haddam Elementary School

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Parents are fighting to stop the closure of the Haddam Elementary School next year.

That’s despite little indication district leaders plan to reverse a decision made months ago to shutter it.

On Tuesday parents headed to a school board meeting to voice their concerns, even though this issue wasn’t really on the agenda.

Martha Gilmore was among the crowd that packed a meeting of the Regional School District #17 Board of Education. She is concerned how the shutdown would affect her son who is in second grader there.

“They would have longer bus rides. I’m worried mostly about the crowding in the school, about the class size,” said Gilmore.

Neighbors wonder what will happen to the school since it’s right in the middle of the Higganum area of town. Laurie Rubino fears another use for it won’t be found.

“There are so many empty buildings sitting there already and this one that will be forced on us is quite unfair,” said Rubino.

Some feel that their concerns are being brushed aside, and they think that board members rushed the vote to close the school about nine months ago, without fully thinking it through.

“I think there’s a little bit of misinformation out there about that very thing,” said Joanne Nesti, Regional School District #17 Board of Education Chair.

Nesti defends the decision, which took place after more than a year of consideration. She says there were good reasons for it, including declining enrollment and that consolidation could save $1 million a year.

“As we go forward, there will be more savings resulting from the fact that we are now four buildings instead of five,” said Nesti.

The board has said it plans to work with the town to find other uses for this building.

Supporters of keeping the school open say they will press on, though they realize saving the school won’t be easy.

Lawyers Say CBS Has Cause to Deny Moonves $120M: Report

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Lawyers hired by CBS to investigate the conduct of Leslie Moonves, the former CBS chief executive who left the company after he was accused of sexual misconduct, are preparing to tell the company that it has reason to deny the former executive $120 million in severance payments, according to a report from The New York Times. 

The Times said that it had acquired a draft report that found Moonves had destroyed evidence and lied to investigators, providing the company with cause to deny Moonves the payments that were part of his employment contract, NBC News reported

“Based on the facts developed to date, we believe that the board would have multiple bases upon which to conclude that the company was entitled to terminate Moonves for cause,” the report states, according to the Times.

In a statement provided to NBC News on Tuesday night, outside investigators hired by the board said, "No findings have been reported to the Board. The Board has reached no conclusions on this matter. The investigators and the Board are committed to a thorough and fair process. No draft of the investigators’ ongoing work product has been shared with the Board or the Company. Our work is still in progress and there are bound to be many facts and assessments that evolve and change as the work is completed."

Moonves' lawyer couldn’t immediately be reached by NBC News. A spokesman for CBS declined comment.



Photo Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

One Hospitalized After Crash on I-91 in Wethersfield

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One person was transported to the hospital after a crash on Interstate 91 North in Wethersfield Wednesday morning. 

State police said the one-car crash happened near exit 27 and one person was in the vehicle.

The collision analysis reconstruction squad and Connecticut Department of Transportation crews responded to the scene. 

I-91 North has reopened.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Camp Fire Survivor Reunites With Dog That Saved Him

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On the morning of Nov. 8, Jim Sherbourne’s evacuation order didn’t come from authorities.

As the flames of the so-called Camp Fire, which became California's deadliest, raced toward Sherbourne’s house in Concow, it was his 2-year-old German shepherd, Jake, who woke him up in time to escape. But after days of breathing the smoky air in Butte County, Jake had to be rushed to a veterinarian in Concord.

Sherbourne lost his home and came close to losing his beloved dog, too. But the two were reunited Tuesday.

"He woke me up. I thought it was a bear," Sherbourne recalled. "He looked at me kind of dumbfounded, and the glow, I'd just seen the glow behind me."

Sherbourne grabbed four urns that held the ashes of his other dogs and took off with Jake and two older German shepherds.

"All my tools, my tractor, everything is gone," he said. "It doesn’t matter. These guys matter."

Sherbourne then had to give up his dogs for a brief time to a shelter in Oroville. His vet said Jake was too big to be indoors, so he was left outside for days at a time. The toxic air and pneumonia nearly killed him.

Since the Camp Fire broke out, Jake has lost 40 pounds. His vet says if Jake had not received medical care, he would have died.

"He was on many, many days of oxygen therapy," said Micki McCabe of the Sage Veterinary Center in Concord.

That intensive care isn’t cheap. Sage Veterinary Center agreed to cap the bill at $11,000.

Now Sherbourne is figuring out how he’s going to come up with the cash to pay that bill.

That’s where the nonprofit Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue stepped in. They created a GoFundMe campaign for Jake’s vet bill, and in just over two days, donations topped $11,000.

"If we can help, we can always try to help," said Susan Hsu of the rescue center.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Teen Has Serious Injuries After Accident at Coventry High

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A 16-year-old Coventry High School student has serious injuries after she was pinned between two vehicles at Coventry High School Wednesday morning, according to police.

Police said the girl was pinned between a parked vehicle and another vehicle backing up at 78 Ripley Hill Road around 7:18 a.m.

The superintendent of schools in Coventry said the person driving the vehicle that pinned the teen is a newspaper delivery driver.

An ambulance took the girl to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Coventry police are investigating and they are asking any witnesses to call them at 860-742-7331.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Mueller Gives New Details on Flynn's Secretive Work for Turkey

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Special counsel Robert Mueller's sentencing documents give more information about how former national security advisor Michael Flynn covered up his ties with the Turkish government while he worked for Donald Trump's presidential campaign and transition, NBC News reported.

The documents, filed Tuesday, say that part of Flynn's work for the Turkish government involved its efforts to have a cleric removed from Pennsylvania, where he lives. The plea agreement with Flynn that Mueller announced last year didn't get into such detail.

Turkey has demanded the United States hand over the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, since a failed coup in July 2016. Flynn started working for the nation about a month later but did not register that work with the U.S. government until after Trump fired him in February 2017.

Tuesday's filing didn't get into other interactions Flynn may have had with Turkey on which NBC News has reported.



Photo Credit: Yuri Gripas/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File

Bank Manager Sentenced After Embezzling $879K

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A former bank manager who pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his employer has been sentenced to 21 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, 60-year-old Stephen Carbonella, of Hamden, withdrew $879,016.48 from approximately 20 CD accounts at Webster Bank between 2003 and 2017 while he was working as a bank manager at the Orange branch office.

He also tried to conceal the crime by forging signatures and falsifying documents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Carbonella was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He is due to report to prison on Jan. 29.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Police Investigating Dumping of Roofing Shingles in Hamden

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Police are investigating the illegal dumping of roofing shingles in Hamden and they have released surveillance photos. 

On Nov. 30, police met with a Town of Hamden Public Works supervisor and learned that several items, including roofing shingles, had been “illegally dumped” on Mountain Road in the recent past and that it became so “egregious” that they found it necessary to install cameras in the area, according to a news release from police. 

On Nov. 28, there was another illegal dumping incident on Mountain Road and police have released photos of two men and the vehicle they were in, which was described as a “dark-colored Dodge Dakota.” 

Anyone with information should call Officer Mark Atwater of the Hamden Police Department Patrol Division at (203) 230-4030.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police

50-Plus Sick, 1 in ICU After Bear Spray Mishap at NJ Amazon

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More than 50 employees at a sprawling Amazon fulfillment center in New Jersey were sickened, two dozen of them hospitalized, Wednesday after a robot punctured a can of bear repellent, causing it to discharge, authorities say. 

A total of 24 workers were sent to five hospitals; the primary complaint was difficulty breathing, officials said. Other complaints included a burning sensation in the eyes and throat.

Robert Wood Johnson Hospital confirmed it was treating nine patients, one of whom had to be intubated and went to the ICU. The other patients were walk-ins; the severity of their issues wasn't immediately clear, a spokesperson said.

The first dispatch call to 50 New Canton Way came in around 8:29 a.m. "Patrol you have an assignment ... for strange odor and sick person," was heard on emergency radio.

A Robbinsville town spokesman initially said an aerosol can fell off a shelf on the warehouse's third floor, prompting an evacuation of one wing of the facility.

Robbinsville police, however, later said an automated machine punctured a 9-ounce can of bear repellent, which contains a highly-concentrated active ingredient known as capsaicin that can produce a burning sensation.

First responders conducted triage outside, and more than a half-dozen ambulances were said to have been dispatched to the center. The 1.3-million-square-foot facility employs more than 3,000 people. 

Amazon released a statement confirming a "damaged aerosol can" released strong fumes in a contained area of the fulfillment center. 

"The safety of our employees is our top priority, and as such, all employees in that area have been relocated to safe place and employees experiencing symptoms are being treated onsite," the statement said.

By 10:30 a.m. or so, the scene had cleared and employees had returned to work.

No odors were present shortly after 1 p.m., police said. The West Windsor Health Department planned to return to the center Wednesday evening or Thursday morning to conduct an inspection as a precaution. 

The mega-retailer sells multiple brands of bear repellent, essentially a form of pepper spray, on its site in can sizes as big as 10 ounces. It wasn't clear which brand caused the issue Wednesday.

At least one of the cans has a big red DANGER warning on the outside indicating exposure could cause temporary eye irritation and other issues. 



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

George W. Bush Slips Something to Michelle Obama at Father's Funeral

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George W. Bush appeared to slip something into Michelle Obama's hands as he welcomed her to his father’s funeral. It continues a tradition: During John McCain's funeral, Bush handed her a cough drop.

Operation Fuel Offers Help to Pay Water Bills

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The public assistance program Operation Fuel is offering to help low-income Connecticut residents pay their water bills to address what they are calling a “growing crisis” when it comes to paying for basic needs. 

The organization met with the Metropolitan District, the Department of Public Health and local legislators Wednesday to offer financial assistance for greater Hartford residents who are struggling to pay the water bills. 

“There’s a lot of struggling families right now in Hartford that need a lot of help,” Angel Sanchez said. “Thankfully, I don’t have to pay for water, but people that do pay for water, they definitely need help.” 

Annually, Operation Fuel helps an average 7,000 low-income Connecticut households pay their energy bills. The organization’s goal for the new year, according to executive director Brenda Watson, is to expand their services in water assistance.  

“The cost of food is high,” Watson said. “The cost of transportation is high. The cost of housing is high. All of those things combined make it very difficult for people not making minimum wage or working two-three jobs just to make ends meet.” 

According to a recent ALICE report, the United Way found more than 500,000 Connecticut households struggle to pay for basic needs, including heating and water. 

Operation Fuel has already begun offering minimal assistance for 28 MDC customers in Windsor. 

Susan Raggo Social Services coordinator for the town of Windsor, said it’s already helping struggling families get back on their feet. 

“That’s pretty humiliating when you can’t even use your own bathroom in your own house because you don’t have water or you’re at risk of having your water shut off,” Raggo said. 

With help from the legislation, Operation Fuel is looking for creative ways to use a $20,000 grant to serve as many qualifying families in the greater Hartford area as possible. 

“Let’s try to think out of the box,” Raggo said, “and [look at] how can we help people keep their water on.” 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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