The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has closed Charles Island in Milford and Duck Island in Westbrook to protect nesting birds in the areas, and is asking the public to respect other marked nesting areas at local beaches.

Both islands, which are designated Natural Area Preserves, will be closed through September 9. These areas are known as nesting areas for several state listed birds: snow egrets and great egret, glossy ibis and little blue herons.

The closures are meant to protect the birds from human disturbances. The areas will be marked with signs and fenced off.

Experts say when baby birds are agitated by disturbances, they can fall from the nest, and starve or get eaten.

DEEP is also asking beachgoers to keep an eye out for piping plover and least tern nesting sights at local beaches. There are yellow signs marking these areas. Both of these birds are state threatened species.

Unleashed dogs are a big threat to nesting areas, which is why dogs are not allowed on many beaches during the nesting season, including , Long Beach in Stratford, Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport, Silver Sands State Park and Milford Point in Milford, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Sandy Point in West Haven, Bluff Point Coastal Reserve in Groton, and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.

DEEP warns visitors not to remove or try to rescue young birds that appear lost. Often times the adult birds are nearby and will return for their young.

It is illegal to take wildlife for rehabilitation without the proper permits, DEEP said.

Any violations or disturbances affecting wildlife should be reported to the DEEP hotline at 1-800-842-HELP.

The dresses, the dancing, the flowers, and, of course, the pictures. Prom is something many high schoolers look forward to. But for Hunter Dale, he wasn't sure prom was something he'd be able to attend.

"It's definitely a really rough illness to come back from. You spend a lot of days not feeling good," said Dale, an EO Smith High School junior.

During his freshman year Dale was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and PSC, a liver disease. He tried different treatments and different medications but still struggled. At one point the 6-foot-4 high schooler was down to just 132 pounds.

Late last year Dale and his doctors at Connecticut Children's decided to remove his large colon, leaving him with a colostomy bag.

"When they tell you you're going to have a bag and it's going to look like this, that's one thing. But when you see what you look like now, that was hard," said Dale's mom Kate.

But Dale isn't letting it slow him down. He's feeling better and is back to doing what he loves: running track. He's also qualified for state in six events this year.

"I'm proud of him. He's very resilient, and that's a mark of why he's been able to get through it so well," said Dale's dad Darren.

"The first time I saw him run on indoor track, it was very emotional for me," said Kate. "I'm just incredibly thankful for how far he's come. It was really great to see."

When prom season came around, Dale even managed to poke a little fun at what he'd been through. He created a promposal sign that said "I may not have a colon, but I have the guts to ask." The high school senior he asked said yes.

"I thought it was really funny and original with the way he played with the words, and it was obviously only a story he could tell. So I thought it was awesome he incorporated that into the promposal," said Maddie Gidman.

With life getting back to normal, the Dale family hopes that their story helps others who may be going through a similar situation. They want other families to know that they're not alone and that it gets better.

"Just hang in there and believe it will get better," said Kate.

"It's going to be a bit of a rough road, but once you do finally get better things will really start to turn up, and life gets a lot better than what it is now," said Dale. "I'm really happy and glad I'm able to embrace what I've been through."

The Dales say they're grateful to Connecticut Children's for all of their support along the way.

As for Dale's future, he plans to continue track in college and wants to study to be an engineer.

To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.

Taking a Toll

Gov. Ned Lamont released a "working draft" of his transportation proposal, which includes details on his plan to add tolls to state highways. The tolls would be placed on I-95, I-91, I-84, and parts of Route 15. Any vote on a transportation package would likely come in a special session sometime this summer. Republican lawmakers have said they are opposed to any plan that includes tolls. See more on the toll plan here.

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Likes Wanted

A man wanted by Torrington police reached out to them to make a bizarre deal to turn himself in. Police say Jose Simms told them he would surrender if his wanted poster got 15,000 likes on the department's Facebook page. The post reached that goal in less than 24 hours, but Simms has yet to turn himself in. For more details on the agreement, click here.

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Tornado Terror

At least three people were killed as tornadoes swept across Missouri Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. The storms were part of a system that brought severe weather to much of the Midwest. Missouri's capital, Jefferson City, took a direct hit from a tornado, leaving hundreds of structures destroyed or damaged. See more on the destruction here.

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Snakes in a House

A Farmington family got quite a scare on Monday when they found a 7-foot rat snake hanging from their roof. The snake, which they captured on camera, then slithered back up onto the roof and out of sight. The family brought in an exterminator, who couldn't find the reptile. See the video of the snake here.

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That's Amore

Longtime Glastonbury eatery, Max Amore Ristorante, is closing its doors for good. The restaurant first opened in 1995. The Max Restaurant Group, which owns Max Amore, said they are looking for something new in the future. The final meals will be served on June 30. For more on the closing, click here.

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A body has been found at a Little League field in Worcester.

According to police, a deceased male was discovered at the Ted Williams Little League on Chandler Street at 7:15 a.m. Saturday morning.

The Medical Examiner's office will determine the cause of death.

The incident is currently under investigation, police said.

This article will be updated as more information is made available.

Thirty-three people were displaced after a vacant house collapsed in Waterbury and forced several homes nearby to be evacuated early Saturday morning.

First responders were called to 1009 Baldwin Street around 12:30 a.m. after getting a report of a building collapse. Police said the building that collapsed was a vacant multi-family home.

Six houses on Baldwin Street and Madison Street, between Madison Street and Laval Street, were evacuated for the residents' safety. The 33 displaced residents were tended to by the American Red Cross at a fire station on Baldwin Street. They were allowed back into their homes later Saturday morning, according to police.

The city building inspector, CL&P and Eversource responded to the scene to ensure the gas and electric were disconnected.

A demolition team arrived at 3 a.m. and demolished the home that collapsed, police said.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

The cause of the collapse is unknown. 

State Police are investigating after a plane crashed during take off at Goodspeed Airport in East Haddam on Saturday morning.

First responders were called to the airport on Lumber Yard Road around 10:30 a.m. after getting a report of a small, single-engine propeller plane crash.

The two-seater plane was identified as a 2005 Jhilivan Kappa Kp5 and was damaged on its lower side and in the landing gear area, officials said.

Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured, authorities added.

According to police, the pilot and the passenger told officers that while attempting to take off, the plane crashed downward, went off the runway and ended up in an adjacent field about 95 feet from the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified about the incident and will be investigating. Connecticut State Police are also investigating.

Hundreds of volunteers laid flags at veterans’ graves in Middletown Saturday morning, to honor those who put their lives on the line for our country.

“My husband’s a veteran,” said Kelly Castano from Hamden.

“My grandfathers were both WWII veterans,” Sarah McCusker said. “They’re long gone now, but we think about them all the time.”

Middletown Police Captain Gary Wallace is a veteran himself. “I just love the honor and respect and to see the community come out,” he said.

On Memorial Weekend in 1985, it was just a few veterans, led by Mike Rogalsky of Middletown, laying flags at the State Veterans Cemetery on Bow Street.

“We needed to be able to show support for those who have served,” said Rogalsky.

Vietnam veteran Rogalsky said that back then, it took them days to cover the grounds, but on Saturday, hundreds came to help.

“I’ve got 38 minutes,” he said looking at his watch. “I see people heading out now, so that means it’s been completed. And to place over 10,000 flags— just – it’s heartwarming. It is heartwarming.”

For many, it was their first time taking part in the symbolic tradition. Others know this place well.

“I come here pretty often,” said Ron Nanfito from Moodus.

Nanfito said he starts at the same spot, every year.

“I’m here today to honor all these veterans, one in particular,” he said, holding back tears. “My oldest brother, Phil.”

His brother, Phil served in the U.S. Navy and fought and passed in 2011.

And while not all the volunteers have a personal connection to the veterans, they all look up to the men and women resting here.

“They’re nice people and they’re heroes,” said Durham second-grader, Bruno Suraci. He may only be 8 years old, but Bruno already knows what he wants to be when he grows up. “An army man, and a firefighter, and a farmer.”

LifeStar was called and canceled after someone fell at a farm in Colchester on Saturday afternoon, according to a town official.

The town official said LifeStar was automatically dialed to Zargay Farm on Route 85 to transport someone who was injured after a long fall.

The person who fell ended up being transported to the hospital by ambulance and LifeStar was canceled, the town official added.

There is no word on the condition of the person who fell. It is unclear what he or she was doing when the fall happened. 

A bicyclist died after being hit by a car in Wallingford on Saturday afternoon, according to police.

Police said a bicyclist was traveling northbound on South Turnpike Road and a car was traveling southbound when the two collided.

South Turnpike Road at Toelles Road were closed for a few hours, according to officers. The road has since reopened and the scene has been cleared. 

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The 2020 election is set to face some very 2016 challenges when it comes to the spread of misinformation, NBC News reports.

The emergence of distorted videos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, edited to make her appear to have trouble speaking, has provided a stark reminder that technology often remains an enemy of truth in politics, just as it was four years ago. The core issues of social media virality, confirmation bias and the fringe internet-to-conservative media pipeline have endured from 2016 and do not even need particularly sophisticated techniques to do real mischief.

The videos also offer a warning that concerns about election interference from foreign countries should not overshadow the ability of domestic actors to influence what people see, hear and think. President Donald Trump himself distributed one of the carefully edited videos on Twitter on Friday morning, and though he denied knowing that they were altered, he continued pushing their underlying theme that Pelosi is somehow impaired.

The Pelosi videos and their narratives were not the product of advanced technology, nor did they take a different route to prominence than previous misinformation efforts. Altering the Pelosi videos required only basic video editing software that is now included on most computers and can also be done in web browsers.

She was one of the first African-American women to serve overseas in the U.S. Army. On Monday, 97-year-old Indiana Hunt-Martin will be featured in the National Memorial Day Parade, along with other members of her battalion.

Hunt-Martin served in the little-known unit known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, along with 843 others. They were all women and all African-American.

In 1945, they deployed to Birmingham, England. Their mission: to sort through the millions and millions of letters and packages intended for American GIs serving overseas.

"We worked on the mail. You should have seen the pile; oh gosh, boxes falling apart," recalled Hunt-Martin, now a resident of Laurel, Maryland.

Born in Lyons, Georgia, in 1922, Hunt-Martin moved to Niagara Falls, New York, with her family as a small child. She graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1940 and worked at the Carborundum Company before joining the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) on Sept. 15, 1944, because she wanted to help in the war effort and she needed a good job.

"Usually the only jobs we could get were cleaning jobs, babysitting ... You could not work in the stores or banks or anything," Hunt-Martin said.

The members of the 6888th faced racism here in the U.S.

Hunt-Martin recalls taking the train to Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia for basic training: "We rode all the way to Washington, D.C. In Washington we had to change trains, because from there down, you didn't ride in the same trains as the whites." 

And she remembers the air raids: "That was right outside of London; we could see the bombs when the Germans were bombing."

Hunt-Martin was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in November 1945. After the war, she worked for the New York State Department of Labor for more than four decades before retiring in 1987.

Hunt-Martin saved mementos from her time serving overseas, including items given to her by soldiers coming back from the front lines.

She also still has part of her uniform — which still fits.

As for whom she'll be thinking about on Memorial Day: her brothers and her nephew. "I always thought about them on Memorial Day and all the other soldiers that didn't make it back," she said.

"It's a day to remember, I can tell you that, 'cause those boys gave their lives for our country," she said. "They should be getting medals; they should be getting something."

Hunt-Martin, who has a daughter and a grandson, still keeps in touch with other surviving members of the 6888th. They're all featured in a new documentary.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump said Saturday they've reached an agreement with congressional leaders to delay the handover of banking documents from Trump accounts, NBC News reports.

Trump records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One are being sought by the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees amid probes of alleged foreign influence on U.S. elections. The agreement was first reported by CNN; it was subsequently confirmed by NBC News.

On Wednesday a federal judge ruled that the banks could hand over the documents sought under congressional subpoenas. But leaders of those committees made a deal with Trump's team to halt the court-approved handover while the case is appealed by the president's lawyers.

In exchange for hitting the pause button, committee leaders secured a commitment from the lawyers to stick to a fast-tracked appeals process.

Groton police are investigating after a hazmat incident occured during the Stonington High School prom Saturday night. 

According to Deputy Chief Paul Gately, officers responded to the Mystic Marriott in Groton Saturday around 9:45 p.m. after reports of some sort of irritant was found near the dance floor. 

Police said the irritant was causing students to cough. Two student were transported to an area hospital as a precautionary measure. 

No other information was made immediately available. Police will continue to investigate the incident. 

NBC Connecticut will update this story as more information becomes available. 

To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.

You're Going to Need a Bigger Boat

A research group that tags and tracks sea life said Monday for the first time, it has tracked a great white shark in Long Island Sound. The shark, named Cabot, is 9-feet, 8-inches long and roughly 533 pounds, according to OCEARCH. The group said a GPS tracking device on the shark sent a ping from off the Greenwich shoreline just before 9 a.m. A day later, Cabot was tracked on the south side of Long Island. The researchers said they are digging deeper into their data to try and determine whether the shark was on the north side or south side of Long Island. See more on the shark here.

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Cadet Commencement

The Coast Guard Academy held its 138th graduation in New London on Wednesday. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton gave the keynote address and told 240 new graduates they will help lead the way in "reasserting American leadership in the Arctic." Eight Connecticut residents were among the graduates. For more on the commencement, click here.

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When Bears Attack

A bear was euthanized after it attacked and killed a dog in Burlington Monday, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Local and State police responded to the scene. State police said the bear got aggressive toward an officer and was euthanized on scene. See more on the incident here.

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Son and Hero

An East Haven High School student saved his mother's life after she suffered a heart attack while the family was in upstate New York for a wresting tournament. Enzo Bunce said he used what he had learned about CPR in health class and reacted quickly when his mother collapsed. For more on his heroic actions, click here.

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Burial Battle

The family of a Connecticut woman who died in January 2018 is still waiting to bury her, because of some red tape. Tessa Pascarella wanted a "green" burial, according to her family. Green burials are designed to have less of an impact on the environment. They are legal in Connecticut, but Pascarella's family has run into multiple road blocks to laying her to rest. See the details on their struggle here.

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Lots of Connecticut residents are soaking up the sun this Memorial Day Weekend.

While it isn’t summer yet, it sure looked like it on the East Haven shoreline on Saturday.

“She just jumps in the water,” said 11-year-old Billy of East Haven whose younger sister swam in the ocean.

This was lifeguard Alexis Pendziwater’s first day on the job, “Yeah there was a lot of people in the water today. It was like chilly too. Really cold.”

We made sure she had her eye on the water while she gave us some beach tips, “Put on sunscreen. A lot of sunscreen and be careful with the rocks. You don’t want to slip on one and fall. I learned the hard way, too,” she said laughing.

She also said, “make sure your children have the Coast Guard approved life jackets in the water.”

To the right of the lifeguard stand, some Quinnipiac University students were relaxing after finishing up their freshman year.

“Not going as completely as planned. A little cloud cover, but we’re trying to get all the rays we can out here,” said John Pritchett of Houston, TX.

Although the heat wasn’t quite like their hometowns in Texas and Louisiana, “it’s nice up here. It’s nice to have beaches around. There’s not many beaches where I’m from,” said Bradley Elmore of Louisiana.

And across the street from the beach, the splash park was busy.

Families loving the first day of the long weekend and looking forward to more warm weather fun to in the future.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great way to begin the summer certainly,” said Madelyn Krouzil.

“I like doing fun stuff,” said her granddaughter Mia.

Crews from Branford Fire Department rescued three kayakers who were stuck in Long Island Sound and couldn't return to the shore on Sunday.

Firefighters said the kayakers had trouble returning to the shore because of the high winds and strong outgoing currents.

The kayakers were able to make it to the Three Sisters rocks, where they were picked up and returned to the shore by rescue crews, fire officials added.

One of the kayakers was taken to the hospital to be evaluated, crews said.

Fire officials remind anyone who uses small recreational watercraft that conditions on Long Island can change rapidly. They also advise anyone venturing out to wear life jackets and wet suits.

Two brothers who were reported missing from Hartford early Sunday morning have been found safe.

Police said 8-year-old Miguel Knight and 7-year-old Roberto Knight were reported missing by their mother early Sunday morning.

The boys' mother told police that Roberto and Miguel were last seen together on Mather Street around 7 p.m on Saturday.

According to authorities, Miguel was last seen wearing gray shorts with a blue stripe and black sneakers while riding a blue bicycle. Roberto was last seen wearing a gray shirt, gray shorts with a blue stripe and black sneakers while riding a blue scooter.

On Sunday morning, police said Miguel and Roberto were found safe and sound. Officers did not release details about where they were found.

This weekend is the unofficial start to summer, and with state parks now officially open for camping the season, campgrounds and beaches were packed on Sunday with families trying to get in on the fun.

After the most important meal of the day and some firewood to shake off the morning wind, families from across the state were ready to enjoy a day of activities on this long-awaited memorial weekend.

“I was excited for this,” said Jaden Chesnut from Bethel.

“It’s great being outside, it’s great being with friends,” Tom Charles from Sandy Hook said. “Kids have more freedom than they ever have at home, we just turn ‘em loose and they have a ball.”

And the weather cooperated, too.

“This weekend’s been beautiful,” said Christine Laferriere from Meriden. “In the past, it’s rained quite a bit. This weekend we’re so fortunate, it showered a little last night, but other than it’s great.”

And after some campsite fun. it’s shoreline time.

“We put on our sunblock already and we’re ready for the beach!” Laferriere said, as she rode away with her kids and nieces behind her.

“Swimming is fun!” exclaimed pink-floaty-sporting Olivia Spring from Wethersfield.

Not all families on the beach are campers.

“It’s a beautiful sunny day,” said Jenna Scisco from Wethersfield, who drove to the beach with her family just for the day. “The boys have been asking to go to the beach all spring, so here we are.”

Sunday's warm temperatures prompted people to go enjoy the sunshine at state parks across the state and several have reached capacity.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the following parks have reached capacity and are now closed to new vehicles:

• Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown
• Kent Falls State Park in Kent
• Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford
• Miller's Pond State Park in Durham

Temperatures on Sunday are very warm and moderately humid. Highs are in the upper 80s inland and in the low 80s at the shore.

Prisoners count. But where? That's a question state lawmakers across the country are grappling with as the 2020 census approaches, NBC News reports.

The Census Bureau currently counts prisoners as residents of the locations where they're imprisoned, and states use the census data to draw their legislative maps. While a significant number of correctional facilities are located in comparatively rural areas that are largely Republican and predominantly white, prisoners tend to hail from urban, often Democratic communities and are disproportionately minorities, criminal justice experts told NBC News.

Advocates of change, including many Democrats, say it's unfair to count prisoners as residents of communities whose demographic makeup and needs differ from the places the inmates call home. But supporters of the status quo, including many Republicans, say prisoners should be counted where they're incarcerated, both because of longstanding tradition and because communities where prisons are located need to receive adequate funding for the services they provide.