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Crews Cleaning Up Mess Left by Major Water Main Break in Boston

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Crews are cleaning up the mess left by a major water main break that left some buildings flooded in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.

The destructive incident happened Monday night near the intersections of Commonwealth Avenue and Exeter Street, where the Boston Water and Sewer Commission said a "painstaking progress" is being made.

The water main break shut down traffic in the immediate area and prompted evacuations for affected buildings. Water service to buildings inbound on Comm. Ave. between Dartmouth and Exeter Streets is out indefinitely while cleanup efforts are being made on Tuesday, according to BWSC.

The flow of water began at about 10 p.m. and stopped approximately half an hour later.

NBC10 Boston's Sky Ranger helicopter was over the scene, where the roadways were seen underwater.

Roads sustained major damage and six buildings' basements were flooded, according to Boston firefighters.

Repairs are taking long since crews are working on a pipe that's dated back to 1878. The water pipe is located under a gas main, making for a precise and careful operation.

Although officials yet to identify the cause of the water main break, they suspect the pipe's age may have played a factor.



Photo Credit: NBC10 Boston

Turkey Crashes Through Windshield on Cape Cod

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A bizarre car crash occurred Monday morning in Massachusetts when a turkey flew through a driver's windshield.

Sandwich police say they were called to the scene around 8:30 a.m. by a report that a SUV driving east on Route 6A in East Sandwich hit a turkey while it was crossing the road.

"The call came in originally, came across the speakers as 'A bird hit the windshield,'" said Sandwich firefighter/paramedic Matt Thompson. "So we're like, 'OK.'"

The turkey crashed through the windshield and past the driver between the driver and passenger seats. It soared through the car, ultimately hitting the rear tailgate. It did not survive the crash.

The driver, only identified as a 43-year-old woman, received minor injuries from the shattered glass. There were no other passengers at the time.

"She said she was driving down the road when all of a sudden, the turkey broke through the windshield," said Lt. Robert Black with the Sandwich Fire Department. "It actually went through the windshield, through the vehicle and into the rear passenger compartment."

Police say solar glare may have contributed to the crash. The car had to be towed from the scene.



Photo Credit: Sandwich Police

Firefighters Respond to 'Back to Back Rollover Accidents' in Lebanon

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Emergency crews are responding to what firefighters called back to back rollover accidents in Lebanon on Tuesday morning.

Fire officials said both were possibly serious accidents.

Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department Chief John Lyon said everyone was out of the vehicle involved in the first accident.

Crews are currently responding to Trumbull Highway, also known as Route 87, for the second rollover, firefighters said.

There's no word if anyone was injured in either accident.

Drivers should expect road closures in the area.

Multiple Vehicle Fires Under Investigation in Meriden

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Police and fire officials are investigating multiple vehicle fires in two different locations in Meriden early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were called to a vehicle fire at an apartment complex on Bronson Avenue around 3:15 a.m.

When crews arrived, there was one vehicle with heavy fire and two other vehicles partially on fire, firefighters said.

A woman was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after she tried to move a vehicle that was on fire on Bronson Avenue, according to firefighters.

Another vehicle was found on fire around the corner at the intersection of Hanover Street and Columbus Avenue, police said.

Another vehicle was vandalized on Cooke Avenue, however firefighters said it was not on fire.

Meriden Police Sergeant Christopher Fry said the detective bureau is working this case to determine if there's any kind of correlation between the vehicle fires. He said they're preliminarily assuming the same person or people caused the fires intentionally.

"We kinda hope to be able to collect evidence and let that evidence guide us towards what the facts of the circumstance are and lead to an arrest. If anyone has any information, we hope that they would call the Meriden Police Department with whatever it is we know," he said.

Firefighters said the vehicles that were on fire likely cannot be repaired.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Pillsbury Flour Sold at Winn-Dixie, Publix Recalled Over Salmonella Fears

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Hometown Food Company has recalled select Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour products because they may be contaminated with salmonella, NBC News reported.

The flour products were sold at a limited number of stores nationwide, including Publix and Winn-Dixie, which posted the voluntary recall on its website. About 12,185 cases of flour were affected, according to the notice on the Publix website. 

The affected flour comes in five-pound bags and has a "better if used by" date of April 2020.

There have not been any reports of illnesses. 



Photo Credit: USDA
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Verizon Texting Outage Affects 'a Ton' of Wireless Customers

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A widespread Verizon wireless network issue left "a ton" of East Coast users unable to send or receive text messages early Tuesday, the company confirmed via Twitter as it responded to a series of frustrated messages. 

It wasn't immediately clear when the outage started or exactly how many customers were affected. Down Detector's outage map showed virtually the entire East Coast a blazing red. While Verizon did not confirm the scope of the outage beyond the Eastern seaboard, parts of the midwest, including Illinois, Ohio and Indiana, also reported service outages. It appeared to peak around 4,350 outages reported at 9 a.m. -- yet many customers still reported issues.

Verizon Wireless' verified customer service Twitter account appeared to be responding to a half-dozen tweets a minute for at least two hours. 

One of the responses: "Verizon is currently experiencing a wireless network issue in many eastern areas. Our technicians are aware of this issue and are working to resolve it quickly. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes. *NXS" 

Another: "We know how important it is to have working service, and we're on it! We have confirmed there is a texting outage on the east coast. Our technicians are fully aware we have a ton of customers that are being effected (sic), and we're working non-stop to get this matter resolved. *IXR" 

At one point, Verizon was suggesting people fully power down their phones and turn them back on a few seconds later. It wasn't clear if that fix was working, but a handful of users who did have their issues resolved were sprinkled in with the complaining tweets.

Outage reports vastly ebbed after 10 a.m., and Verizon confirmed the problem had been resolved by 11 a.m. It wasn't clear what caused the network issue.



Photo Credit: Down Detector

Fox News' Tucker Carlson and Jeanine Pirro Stand by Comments

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Fox News has distanced itself from critical remarks about Islam by one of its commentators and has received calls to fire one of its primetime hosts for comments that were criticized as misogynistic, adding to renewed scrutiny of the cable news channel, NBC News reported.

The liberal activist group Media Matters for America released recordings on Sunday and Monday of a variety of comments Tucker Carlson made during appearances on a radio show in which he disparaged sex workers in Florida and described women as being “primitive.” The Fox host credited white men for "creating civilization," called Iraqi people "semiliterate primitive monkeys," and said the Congressional Black Caucus "exists to blame the white man for everything."

Fox News declined to comment. Carlson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though he did tweet Sunday, "Media Matters caught me saying something naughty."

Separately, Fox News issued a statement on Sunday in which it condemned comments made by Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host who questioned the loyalty of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., because of her Muslim beliefs and headscarf.

“We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro’s comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar," the company said in a statement. "They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly."



Photo Credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon

Stacey Abrams Clarifies Timing on Possible Presidential Run

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Stacey Abrams said Monday that a 2020 presidential run is "definitely on the table," clarifying earlier remarks that seemed to rule one out, NBC News reports.

The Georgia Democrat, who narrowly lost a gubernatorial bid last year, suggested earlier in the day that she wouldn't be ready to consider a presidential campaign until 2028. But later, she said on Twitter that a White House bid in the current election cycle was still under consideration.

Abrams, people familiar with her thinking say, thinks it's important that an African-American woman with her experience be seen as a credible potential presidential candidate. After all, allies note, former congressman Beto O’Rourke lost his 2018 campaign too, but that hasn't stopped the political world from seeing him as a potential top-tier 2020 candidate.

"My task is to make certain that a Democrat is elected not only to the White House but that we have a Democratic majority in the Senate and a Democratic majority in Congress," Abrams said during a visit to the annual South by Southwest festival.



Photo Credit: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Family Therapist Accused of Sexually Assaulting Child in Westport

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A family therapist from Westport is accused of sexually assaulting a child and has been charged.

Westport police said they arrested 67-year-old Kenneth Cardillo, of Westport, after an investigation that started in January.

Police said they received a complaint on Jan. 14 from a third party reporting that a boy claimed a family therapist in Westport had sexually assaulted him earlier that day.

The victim told investigators that Cardillo sexually assaulted him after a medical procedure on his genitals. He said he was able to care for the wound site himself but Cardillo, who was employed by the victim’s family for an extended period, applied topical treatments.

The arrest warrant affidavit was originally sealed for 14 days so police said they could not initially disclose details of the investigation.

Cardillo turned himself in on the active arrest warrant on Feb. 19 and was charged with two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and released after posting $50,000 bond.

He is due back in court on March 13.



Photo Credit: Westport Police

Crash Closes I-95 South in Old Saybrook, Serious Injury Reported

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A serious injury is reported in a crash that has closed Interstate 95 south in Old Saybrook on Tuesday morning and a second crash has closed part of the northbound side of the highway in the same area.

The southbound side of the highway is closed between exits 68 and 67 due to a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a box truck, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

State Police said it's a serious injury accident and all traffic is being diverted at exit 68 onto local roads.

Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes and to avoid the area.

There's also a second a second crash on the northbound side of I-95 in Old Saybrook. 

Connecticut DOT said a box truck crash on I-95 northbound has closed the left lane between exits 67 and 69. 

It's unclear if anyone was injured in this crash.

There's no word on when the highway will fully reopen.

The is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police-Troop F Westbrook

Actresses Among Those Indicted in College Exam Scandal

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At least 40 people, including two Hollywood actresses, have been indicted by the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Boston in a nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal that was dubbed by feds as "Operation Varsity Blues."

The documents, which were unsealed Tuesday morning, allege that the accused aimed to facilitate students getting into high-profile D-1 schools, including Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, Yale, University of Texas, University of San Diego, University of Southern California and Wake Forest as recruited athletes regardless of their athletic ability.

Some of those who were indicted included college coaches but there's no indication the schools were involved, according to NBC News.

Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among the more than 40 charged in connection with the scheme, which was dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues," according to court documents. Loughlin's husband, Target clothing line designer Mossimo Giannulli, was also indicted.

"There will not be a separate admissions system for the wealthy, and there will not be a separate criminal justice system either," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said Tuesday morning.

Federal prosecutors allege that the wealthy parents paid "enormous sums" to guarantee their child's admission to elite universities. The students would allegedly be labeled as recruited athletes when they were not, and the consulting company at the heart of the scheme allegedly bribed college entrance exam administrators to allow a Florida man to take the tests on the students' behalf or replace their answers with his own.

One of the unsealed court documents included indictments against former Yale University women's soccer coach Rudolph "Rudy" Meredith, who has been charged with two counts of wire fraud.

Prosecutors allege that Meredith conspired with William Rick Singer, the owner of Edge College & Career Network and the accused at the center of the scheme, to take bribes from the parents of college hopefuls.

In one case, Meredith and Singer worked together to have a Yale applicant, whom did not have a background in competitive soccer, to have an athletic "profiles" that allegedly described her as a "co-captain of a prominent club soccer team in southern California." Meredith received a check for $400,000 after the student was admitted to Yale, and the relatives of the student ultimately paid Singer about $1.2 million in multiple payments, according to court documents.

In all, Singer's company allegedly received payments totaling at least $25 million from 2011 until last month to facilitate the scheme.

Singer will plead guilty to fraud charges in Boston's federal courthouse later on Tuesday.

This is a developing story. More to come.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former Yale Soccer Coach Charged in Nationwide College Entrance Exam Scandal

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At least 40 people, including a former Yale soccer coach, have been indicted by the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Boston in a nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal that was dubbed by feds as "Operation Varsity Blues."

Two of the highest profile people to be indicted in the case include Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.

The documents, which were unsealed Tuesday morning, allege that the accused aimed to facilitate students getting into high-profile D-1 schools, including Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, Yale, University of Texas, University of San Diego, University of Southern California and Wake Forest as recruited athletes regardless of their athletic ability.

Some of those who were indicted included college coaches but there's no indication the schools were involved, according to NBC News. However, authorities advised that more charges could be coming.

The former head women’s soccer coach at Yale University, 51-year-old Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 51, of Madison, former, was charged conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and honest services wire fraud.

Meredith resigned from his position as the head women’s soccer coach at Yale in November. 

Federal prosecutors allege wealthy parents paid "enormous sums" to guarantee their child's admission to elite universities. The students would allegedly be labeled as recruited athletes when they were not -- with some going as far as photoshopping their faces onto stock sports images -- by a consulting company at the heart of the scheme, which is also accused of bribing college entrance exam administrators to let a Florida man to take the tests on the students' behalf or replace their answers with his own.

The scandal also included acts of alleged tax fraud, after the owner of the consulting company, William Rick Singer, agreed to shield the payments for bribes as charitable contributions to his company's non-profit, which allowed the wealthy parents to deduct the bribes from their taxes, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege that Meredith conspired with Singer, the owner of Edge College & Career Network and the accused at the center of the scheme, to take bribes from the parents of college hopefuls.

In one case, Meredith and Singer worked together to have a Yale applicant, whom did not have a background in competitive soccer, to have an athletic "profiles" that allegedly described her as a "co-captain of a prominent club soccer team in southern California." Meredith received a check for $400,000 after the student was admitted to Yale, and the relatives of the student ultimately paid Singer about $1.2 million in multiple payments, according to court documents.

Court records say that Meredith met with the father of another Yale applicant at a Boston hotel room in April 2018 and told the dad that he would designate the applicant as a recruit for the women’s soccer team in exchange for $450,000 in payments, then accepted $2,000 as a partial payment. Less than a week later, Meredith received another $4,000.

“As the indictment makes clear, the Department of Justice believes that Yale has been the victim of a crime perpetrated by its former women’s soccer coach. The university has cooperated fully in the investigation and will continue to cooperate as the case moves forward,” Thomas Conroy, Yale spokesman, said in a statement.

Meredith pleaded guilty to charges and helped build the case against others, according to prosecutors.

NBC Connecticut has attempted to reach Meredith but attempts were not successful as of Tuesday afternoon.

In all, Singer's company allegedly received payments totaling at least $25 million from 2011 until last month to facilitate the scheme. Singer will plead guilty to fraud charges in Boston's federal courthouse later Tuesday, according to Lelling.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Chick-fil-A to Open in Newington

CT Marine Missing After Hiking in California

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A Connecticut Marine Corps officer who went hiking in California has been missing for more than a week and several agencies have crews out searching for him.

Twenty-four-year-old Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Matthew Kraft, from Washington, Connecticut, is believed to have hiked out of Kearsarge Pass, in central Sierra Nevada, on Feb. 24 and planned to end his hike near the Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, California on March 4, according to a post on the National Wildlife Coordinating Group website. 

Kraft’s father reached out to officials on March 4 because he had not heard from his son and the Mono County Sheriff’s Office began checking trails that day.

On Friday, searchers found Kraft’s vehicle at the Grays Meadows campground above Independence, California, but they have not found him.

Officials said weather conditions in the Sierra have been a challenge and teams searching from the ground and the air have “noted avalanche activity throughout the wilderness, including along the Sierra High Route.”

“Snow instability will remain a challenge as search teams attempt to clear portions of the route,” Inyo Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Coordinator, Sergeant Nate Derr said in a statement. 

Kraft commissioned as a Marine Corps officer on May 6, 2016 and graduated from some of the Marine Corps' most rigorous training, including Infantry Officer Course and Winter Mountain Leaders Course, according to the National Wildlife Coordinating Group.

Anyone who thinks he or she might have seen 1st Lt. Kraft or has been in the search area since Feb. 23 is asked to call 888-653-0009 or visit https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/submit-a-tip.htm.



Photo Credit: National Wildlife Coordinating Group

House Bill Could Give Citizenship to DACA and TPS Recipients

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House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday to provide a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and people with other types of temporary protection from deportation, NBC News reports.

The H.R. 6 bill, also known as the Dream and Promise Act, was introduced by California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, and the legislation's co-authors include Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., as well as New York Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez and Yvette D. Clarke, among other lead bill sponsors. 

On top of Dreamers, the bill also provides a citizenship pathway to thousands of Liberians who have been granted Deferred Enforced Departure, known as DED, as well as to immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted to countries ravaged by natural disasters or war and allows citizens of those countries to remain in the U.S. until the situation improves back home. 

“We look forward to a strong bipartisan vote to pass this bill,” Pelosi said.



Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Guns Found in Basement of Vacant Building in New Haven

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New Haven police have seized five guns found in the basement of a vacant building under construction Saturday.

Police said workers found the weapons, a Hi-Point 9mm firearm, a 20 gauge sawed-off shotgun, a Bullpup rifle, a Mac 11 (also called a Colbry M11 9mm) and an AK-47 rifle, in the basement of 133 Hamilton St. under the floor.

Anyone with information on the ownership of these guns should contact the New Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at 203-946-6304.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Greenwich Man Charged in College Entrance Cheating Scheme

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The US Attorney from the District of Massachusetts announced charges for 50 people involved with college entrance cheating fraud, and a Connecticut parent is on that list.

Two of the highest profile people to be indicted in the case include Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. 

Federal prosecutors allege wealthy parents paid "enormous sums" to guarantee their children's admission to elite universities. The students would allegedly be labeled as recruited athletes when they were not — with some going as far as photoshopping their faces onto stock sports images — by a consulting company at the heart of the scheme, which is also accused of bribing college entrance exam administrators to let a Florida man to take the tests on the students' behalf or replace their answers with his own.

According to a federal complaint, Greenwich resident Gordon Caplan participated in the cheating scheme, paying $75,000 to a non-profit operated by a college prep company located in California. Investigators say that money was a payout after the company corrected answers on his daughter’s ACT exam.

“Today we have charged three people who organized these scams, two SAT or ACT exam administrators, one exam proctor, one college administrator, nine coaches at elite schools, and 33 parents who paid enormous sums to guarantee their children's admission to certain schools through the use of bribes and fake academic and athletic credentials,” announced US Attorney Andrew Lelling of the District of Massachusetts Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Caplan was caught on a federal wiretap discussing the price to have his daughter’s answers on her ACT test changed. Federal prosecutors released excerpts of the conversation between Caplan and William Rick Singer, the now-indicted founder of “The Key” – a college prep company.

Here’s part of the exchange:

“I own two schools,” Singer told Caplan, referring to SAT and ACT testing sites. “I can have her test at one of my schools and I can guarantee her a score”

“It’s $75,000 to get any test scores you would like to get on the SAT or ACT.”

“I don’t want it to be higher than 32,” Caplan said of his daughter’s ACT score.

The highest score you can achieve on an ACT test is a 36.

NBC Connecticut reached out to Caplan for comment but has not yet heard back.

The scandal also included acts of alleged tax fraud, after Singer agreed to shield the payments for bribes as charitable contributions to his company's non-profit, called Key Worldwide Foundation, which allowed the wealthy parents to write off the bribes on their taxes, according to prosecutors.

No students were charged. Authorities said in many cases, the teens were not aware of the fraud.

One of the unsealed court documents included indictments against former Yale University women's soccer coach Rudolph "Rudy" Meredith, who has been charged with two counts of wire fraud. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Dog Abandoned in Suffield Woods Almost Ready for Adoption

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A dog found abandoned in the woods in Suffield is on the road to recovery and will eventually find a new home.

Suffield Animal Control Officer Ryan Selig said the terrier mix, now known as Brooks, was the worst case of animal cruelty he’d ever seen.

“He had icicles hanging from him, his toe nails were severely overgrown and he had a leash that was binding his back legs and cutting off his circulation,” Selig said.

Brooks barked loudly until police say someone found him matted, neglected and left to die in a place he wouldn’t be found quickly.

“It’s difficult to understand why someone would do this to an animal,” Captain Christopher McKee said.

But a few weeks and a lot of love can make a world of difference.

It’s been all about pampering Brooks – giving him a new look, treating a bad ear infection, and removing bad teeth and a growth on his leg. And despite all he’s been through, Brooks is a pup with a friendly disposition and a tail that never stops moving.

And while this 7-t to 9-year-old pup recovers, police are investigating who mistreated him.

“We would like the public to help us, anything that anybody knows in any kind of commission about him or his former owners, we welcome that,” McKee said.

Police say they take animal abuse very seriously and while they work to hold the person responsible for leaving Brooks like this, the terrier mix is on his way to a better life.

“He’s a great dog and he really has a lot to give to whoever adopts him,” said Erin Simison, manager of River Valley Animal Hospital.

Brooks is set to go up for adoption in about a week.



Photo Credit: Contributed Photos

Wilton Apologizes to New Britain for Basketball Game Chants

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School officials in Wilton have apologized to the New Britain community after reports that Wilton High School students chanted racially charged language at a New Britain High School student during a basketball game Friday.

According to a letter from the Wilton school district to New Britain, school officials said received a report during halftime that some Wilton students had chanted the words “black face” at a New Britain student during the first half of the game. Video of the game surfaced on social media over the weekend.

Wilton school officials said after investigation they determined that the Wilton students were actually chanting the words “leg days” at a New Britain player as he took a free throw.

“The students who organized the chant reported that they were referencing the player’s legs and that he ‘missed his legs days in the weight room,’” the letter read.

Wilton went on to apologize for the “disrespectful” chant to the student and the New Britain High School community.

“Of greatest concern is what some spectators from New Britain believe they heard. We are deeply distressed and truly sorry that members of the New Britain community would believe our students capable of racist taunts."

The Consolidated School District of New Britain also responded, saying that regardless of what the words were, they hope this becomes a teachable moment.

“We accept Wilton’s apology in words and look forward to apology in action. In discussion with Superintendent Smith, we will be bringing students from both communities together to begin our discussions. Whether the chant was ‘black face’ or ‘leg days,’ - the opportunity for growth comes from students actively being a part of a larger conversation around compassion, kindness, inclusion and their role in our society.”



Photo Credit: NBC News

New Britain Murder Suspect Arrested in South Carolina

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A New Britain murder suspect has been arrested in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Benjamin Morales, 42, is the suspect in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Alice Marie Figueroa on Elam Street on Feb. 4.

Authorities said Morales and Figueroa were dating and had two young children together.

According to New Britain police, US Marshals and local deputies from the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office took Morales into custody. The sheriff's office said he was found hiding inside a functioning refrigerator in a home. 

Several others have been arrested in connection with the case. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Georgetown County Sheriff's Office
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