Route 8 southbound in Derby has reopened after a multi-car crash with serious injuries closed it for hours on Wednesday morning.
State police said the two-car crash closed the highway between exits 19 and 17. It has since fully reopened.
According to authorities, serious injuries were reported.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A 24-year-old man has died after a shooting in New Haven early Wednesday morning.
Police at the scene said the man was found shot in the driveway of a home in the 600 block of Elm Street between Sherman Avenue and Winthrop Avenue.
He was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, authorities added. His identity has not been released.
Authorities said there were multiple ShotSpotter activations shortly before 1:40 a.m.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Elm Street remains closed as detectives canvass the neighborhood.
Officers said they have good evidence at the scene, but do not have any suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to contact New Haven Police Department Detective Bureau at (203) 946-6304.
Investigators are working to determine if a sinkhole opened up near Orlando International Airport, swallowing several large pieces of construction equipment in the early morning hours Wednesday.
NBC affiliate WESH-TV reports that Orange County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene just outside the airport around 1 a.m., as the 30 foot by 30 foot hole opened between two lakes at the location.
While several items were swallowed by the hole, no injuries were reported.
Investigators from the state’s Environmental Protection Division are at the scene as cleanup continues.
More than 2.5 million New Englanders are expected to get away for the July 4th weekend.
As millions of them embark on the roads, AAA recommends you avoid traveling during the busiest times. The Wednesday evening commute is expected to be the heaviest.
That’s why driver like Alex Thongsythavong plan to wake up early Thursday and drive to a friend’s beach house in Rhode Island.
“I think there’s going to be a moderate amount of traffic. We’re trying to leave early, early a.m. to get there,” said Thongsythavong. “Just spending the day at the beach, hanging out, playing some games and having some fun.”
While you are out driving, you will see more state police troopers than normal. Troopers tell us they will be patrolling for distracted and drunk drivers.
“Everyone wants to have a fun time, but we encourage the public to drink responsibly. If you are going to be drinking, we ask that you either designate a driver or utilize one of the ride share programs. There's no reason to get behind the wheel if you're going to be drinking,” said Trooper Josue Dorelus, with the Connecticut State Police.
Last year, Connecticut State Police issued almost 1,000 speeding tickets and more than 2,500 moving violations on the Fourth of July weekend.
AAA also recommends you check your tire pressure and air filters before leaving home to avoid a breakdown and improve your fuel efficiency.
If you can wait until after the holiday weekend to fuel up, AAA expects you will also save money.
With Fourth of July almost here, local officials are reminding residents that Connecticut law prohibits the sale, possession or use of fireworks without a permit.
LEGAL:
Sparklers and fountains, which produce sparks when lit, are not considered fireworks and are legal in the state, but cannot be sold or used by anyone younger than 16.
ILLEGAL:
Devices that fly or explode, including firecrackers, skyrockets, bottle rockets, roman candles and any firework containing any explosive or flammable compound, are illegal in Connecticut.
Novelties and trick noise makers such as smoke bombs, party poppers and snappers and the "snake," are banned in Connecticut. Sky Lanterns are also prohibited under this statute, according to police.
See more on Connecticut's fireworks laws here.
The State fire marshal issues permits for supervised displays of fireworks and the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection licenses fireworks displays, special effects, fireworks and special effects shooters, and fireworks distributors and manufacturers.
While you cannot set off your own fireworks, you can see them in several cities and towns across the state. Here is the list.
Crews battled a fire at an apartment building on Walnut Street in New Britain Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out on the third floor of 47 Walnut St. and the blaze was knocked down quickly, according to New Britain Fire Chief Raul Ortiz.
The video on Twitter shows heavy flames as they were coming from the building.
It's not clear how many people are displaced.
No one was injured.
Two barrel houses at a Jim Beam aging facility in Kentucky went up in flames late Tuesday, destroying thousands of barrels of bourbon.
NBC affiliate WLEX in Lexington reports the fire began in one rickhouse and quickly spread to a nearby structure.
Crews were able to put out the fire in one of the structures, but the other rickhouse continued burning Wednesday morning. No injuries have been reported.
The company said in a statement to WLEX that 45,000 barrels of "relatively young" whiskey was lost in the blaze.
Officials say the blaze may have been sparked by lightning, but an official cause has not been determined.
Emergency management officials tell WLEX they expect firefighters to be working at the scene late into Wednesday night, a sign of the challenge crews are facing in distinguishing flames fueled by wood and alcohol.
An incredible amount of work goes into making the sky light up with red, white and blue for America's birthday celebration.
NBC10 captured Monday's annual Wawa Welcome America festival in Philadelphia from right in the middle of the action. Control where you're looking in a special, 360-degree video below (Mobile users: watch the video on YouTube's app):
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A team of 10 skilled pyrotechnicians from firework display company Pyrotecnico put on the dazzling display in the Delaware River. Pyrotecnico puts on three firework shows during Wawa Welcome America — two on the Philadelphia waterfront and a special display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the Fourth of July. They also produce fireworks shows for the Phillies and Eagles as well as other displays around the country all year long.
Nearly 11,000lbs of explosives were loaded on to a barge at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and stuffed into computer-controlled launching equipment for Monday night's fireworks display at Penn's Landing.
The crew, with the help of a tug boat, positioned the barge in the middle of the Delaware River just south of Chestnut Street.
Right on cue to the music, each effect is executed and launches towards the sky.
Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how it all worked:
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A record-breaking June heatwave in California has had a devestating impact on the region's marine life, killing off scores of mussels at Bodega Head, a promontory that juts into the Pacific Ocean 40 miles north of San Francisco.
Jackie Sones, research coordinator for Bodega Marine Reserve, detailed the mass die-off in a series of blog posts. According to Sones, tens of thousands of dead mussels, their shells gaping and their meat fully cooked, were found strewn across 500 feet of rocky tidepools.
“We think this is the most significant mussel mortality we’ve seen on Bodega Head during the last 15 years,” Sones, who has worked at the reserve for 15 years, said in a June 19 blog post.
In a blog post dated one day earlier, Sones said the algae in the area was bleached out, and the seaweed was discolored.
On June 10, the high in Bodega Bay was 86 degrees, 24 degrees above the historical average for that time of year. On June 11, the high was 81 degrees in Bodega Bay, up 19 degrees from average.
“A large percentage of the mussels were open and gaping, some were empty and some still had tissue inside,” she said.
According to CNN, mussels, which are an integral part of the marine ecosystem, are usually pressed tightly together. They open and expose internal tissue or an empty shell when they die.
Mussels attach themselves to rocks with strong threads, so they were stranded in place as a series of midday low tides left them exposed to the unusually hot temperatures, according to a report by Bay Nature magazine. More mussel die-offs were reported in the Bodega Bay area at Dillon Beach and Pinnacle Gulch. Reports also came in from Sea Ranch in Sonoma County and Kibesilla Hill, north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County.
Even though air temperatures in these coastal areas may not have broken 90 degrees, the tissue inside the shells of the marine creatures could have reached 105 degrees, Bay Nature reported. Although marine heatwaves have been linked to die-offs of marine life in the past, it’s still rare to discover these incidents occurring as a result of hot air.
Scientists expect to see more events of this nature as a result of climate change.
“We no longer think of climate change in the future when we do this kind of forecasting work,” Northeastern University marine ecologist Brian Helmuth told Bay Nature. “It’s how do you prepare for it now.”
Police are investigating after twin 9-month-old babies were found abandoned near railroad tracks in Worcester, Massachusetts early Wednesday morning.
Worcester police said they received a call around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday for a welfare check at a Cambridge Street address. Railroad employees said they found twin male babies by themselves in the area of the railroad tracks near Kansas Street. The employees called 911 and paramedics responded and took the children to the hospital.
The babies appeared to be unharmed, according to police.
Worcester police and the state Department of Children and Families are investigating the case. The children have been identified and are in DCF custody.
No further information was immediately available.
Anyone with information is asked to call Worcester police detectives at (508) 799-8651. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by text to 274637 TIPWPD or at worcesterma.gov/police.
Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Danbury on Wednesday morning.
According to officers, it happened near Old Ridgebury Road and Reserve Road. Old Ridgebury Road is closed and motorists are urged to avoid the area.
State police said at least one Danbury police officer shot a man who had a knife.
The officer involved is not injured, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton added.
State police have responded to assist and will be doing a follow-up investigation into the incident, authorities said.
The state Department of Transportation has shut down the exit 2 ramp at Ridgebury Road, according to state police.
NBC Connecticut has a crew headed to the scene and will update this story as details become available.
Fourth of July fireworks, barbecues, beaches and campgrounds: they’re the very essence of summer.
As people flock to Connecticut’s shoreline this weekend, campgrounds at Hammonasset and Rocky Neck are expected to be near capacity, as people celebrate Independence Day.
“Just a lot of good times with your family,” said Bill Deckelman of Portland.
Deckelman and his family have been camping at Rocky Neck for 15 years. They stay in a camper, enjoy cooking out and playing corn hole, a departure from what his kids normally do.
“We try to get them to put down their electronic devices sometime,” Deckelman said with a laugh, “It’s just good family time.”
With the fourth falling on a Thursday, this is essentially a 4-day weekend and people are getting a head start, stocking up with celebratory supplies.
“It’s extremely busy,” says Lynn Kiah, who owns Village Wines and Spirits in Niantic. She said Wednesday is their biggest sales day of the year and their inventory reflects it.
“If you walked in the back room, inventory is shoulder height and we can just about get through,” she says, comparing it to their winter supply that is knee high.
Meanwhile beach goers, especially kids, are ready for a weekend of fun in the sun.
“I like the water so much because on days like this when it’s super hot, the water really cools you down,” said 10 year old Elizabeth D’Agastino of New Britain.
Elizabeth and her twin brother, Sebbe, spent Wednesday at Rocky Neck with their family. Like the campground, the beach was very busy and will only get busier as the holiday weekend nears.
The D’Agastinos don’t mind though.
“You get to spend time with your family,” said Sebbe, who loves the water and sand. “It’s good family bonding.”
For the D’Agastino kids this weekend is about more than just going to the beach. Asked about The Fourth of July, both knew the true meaning and said, without hesitation, “it’s about celebrating America’s birthday.”
The U.S. Department of Justice inspector general is launching an investigation into the Trump administration's decision to ditch previously proposed plans to relocate the FBI's headquarters, according to a letter the department's watchdog sent to lawmakers this week.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz informed leaders of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that his office is "initiating a review" to asses the DOJ and FBI's involvement in decisions relating to the relocation of the bureau from downtown Washington, D.C. to the city's suburbs.
"The review will include an examination of DOJ's and the FBI's progress in its planning, their assessment and consideration of the previously proposed plan to move FBI headquarters to a suburban location, and their assessment and consideration of the plan to demolish the J. Edgar Hoover Building and construct a new facility," Horowitz wrote in a letter dated July 2, 2019.
Maryland and Virginia had been competing to be the new home for the FBI, which has long outgrown its aging headquarters in the nation's capital.
Trump has reportedly taken a keen interest in revamping the building, which located across the street from the Trump International Hotel, according to an Axios report from last year.
A previous inspector general report found that Trump was participating in meetings in which the FBI headquarters project was discussed. The IG report, though, offered no conclusions about whether Trump actively pushed for the downtown location in those meetings.
The inspector general concluded that determining Trump's specific involvement was difficult, in large part because the inspector general said employees at the General Services Administration, which manages real estate for the federal government, were instructed not to discuss any statements Trump made at those meetings.
Last year, Democratic leaders on the House Oversight Committee accused Trump of personally intervening to keep the bureau downtown, citing documents provided to the lawmakers. In a letter to GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings, Gerry Connolly, Dina Titus, Peter DeFazio and Mike Quigley wrote that correspondence from a senior official at the GSA outlines a Jan 2018 Oval Office meeting, describing the headquarters decision as "what POTUS directed everyone to do." Another emal discusses steps that will be "necessary to deliver the project the president wants on the timetable he wants it done," the lawmakers wrote.
Connolly, of Virginia, said the project represents a conflict of interest for Trump.
In January, the House Oversight Committee announced plans to investigate why the decision was made not to relocate and by whom.
“For months, our Committees have investigated the Administration’s sudden change of heart on a federal property across the street from the President’s namesake hotel, but because the FBI has withheld key decision-making documents from Congress, we have been left with many unanswered questions. We welcome the IG’s independent examination, which will supplement our ongoing effort to get to the truth," a press release from the House committee read.
They say the decision to demolish the current building and construct a new one will cost taxpayers more money.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.
A decorated Navy SEAL who faced sentencing for a single charge of posing with the 17-year-old militant's corpse after being acquitted on all other charges will walk free on time served, a military jury ruled Wednesday.
Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher's rank, though, will be reduced to Petty Officer First Class (E-6) and his pay will be docked. He must also pay a two-month fine of $2,697.
As Gallagher left the courtroom, he did not appear pleased and did not address the media as he had in the past. When asked how he felt about the outcome he responded with a blunt, "I feel fine."
Gallagher told the military jury ahead of his sentencing that he took full responsibility for the "black eye" he put on the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy, specifically the SEALs.
"I’ve made mistakes in my 20-year career, tactical, ethical, moral. I’m not perfect but I’ve always bounced back from my mistakes during my career. I’m ready to bounce back from this," he said.
The military jury ordered Gallagher to four months confinement but was freed Wednesday because he already served seven months ahead of trial. At one point, the jury asked the judge what reducing Gallagher's rank of E-5 would mean for him. Ultimately, after two hours of deliberations, they decided to reduce his rank to E-6.
Present at the sentencing was Rep. Duncan Hunter, who was one of dozens of congressional Republicans leaders who supported a "Free Eddie" campaign that garnered the attention of President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that he had intervened in the case in a tweet on Wednesday.
"Congratulations to Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher, his wonderful wife Andrea, and his entire family. You have been through much together. Glad I could help!" the tweet read.
Trump had Gallagher moved from the brig to more favorable confinement at a Navy hospital this spring and was reportedly considering a pardon for him.
Gallagher was cleared on Tuesday in the killing of a wounded Islamic State captive under his care in Iraq in 2017. He was also cleared of attempted murder in the shootings of two civilians and all other charges.
The only charge he was found guilty of was wrongful posing for an unofficial picture with a human casualty.
The outcome of the case dealt a major blow to one of the Navy's most high-profile war crimes cases and exposed a generational conflict within the ranks of the elite special operations forces.
After the verdict was read on Tuesday, the defense attorneys jumped up from their seats as Gallagher turned and embraced his wife over the bar of the gallery.
Gallagher, dressed in his Navy whites sporting a chest full of medals, told reporters outside court that he was happy and thankful.
"I thank God, and my legal team and my wife," he said.
He declined to address questions about his SEAL team. His lawyers said he might talk after the jury decides his sentence.
His wife, Andrea Gallagher, who was by his side throughout the court-martial, said she was elated.
"I was feeling like we're finally vindicated after being terrorized by the government that my husband fought for for 20 years," Andrea Gallagher said before the couple drove away from Naval Base San Diego in a white convertible Mustang to start celebrating.
She vowed to continue to take action over what she has described as prosecutorial misconduct and a shoddy investigation that led to her husband going to trial. She said she wants Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Commodore Capt. Matthew D. Rosenbloom to resign, among other things.
Defense lawyers said Gallagher was framed by junior disgruntled platoon members who fabricated the allegations to oust their chief and the lead investigator built the probe around their stories instead of seeking the truth. They said there was no physical evidence to support the allegations because no corpse was ever recovered and examined by a pathologist.
The prosecution said Gallagher was incriminated by his own text messages and photos, including one of him holding the dead militant up by the hair and clutching a knife in his other hand.
"Got him with my hunting knife," Gallagher wrote in a text with the photo.
The defense said it was just gallows humor and pointed out that almost all platoon members who testified against him also posed with the corpse.
The panel of five Marines and two sailors, including a SEAL, were mostly seasoned combat veterans who served in Iraq and several had lost friends in war.
Most of the witnesses were granted immunity to protect them from being prosecuted for acts they described on the stand.
Lt. Jacob Portier, the officer in charge of the platoon, has been charged separately for overseeing Gallagher's re-enlistment ceremony next to the corpse and not reporting the alleged stabbing.
The Navy is still pursuing the case against Portier, defense lawyer Jeremiah J. Sullivan III said.
New Britain police have arrested a woman who is accused of stabbing her boyfriend over a breakup.
Police said they responded to Kelsey Street just before 1:30 a.m. on June 27 to investigate a stabbing and found a 35-year-old man with serious injuries. He was transported to a Hartford area trauma hospital for treatment.
The victim told police that his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Latisha Tashana Lewis, of West Hartford, was upset about their recent break-up and stabbed him, police said.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Lewis and located her later that same day in Newington, where she was arrested. She was then transported back to New Britain and charged with assault in the first degree and breach of peace.
Police said the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening.
A man accused of assaulting someone with a gun in Hartford, then barricading himself in a home, has been arrested, according to Hartford police.
Police said officers responded to Marshal Street just before 5:15 a.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of a pistol whipping and the victim described the suspect and was transported to Hartford Hospital.
Officers then saw a man in a parking lot who matched the description they were given and approached, but the man fled, according to police.
As he was climbing the fence between two parking lots, officers grabbed his pants and leg and tried to grab the pistol spotted near the man’s waist, police said.
The suspect fell over the fence to the other side, dropping his gun along the way, and he ran to the front of a building on Marshal Street, police said.
Officers jumped over the fence after him just as the man reached the front door, unlocked it and went inside, police said.
Officers secured the gun, a loaded .380 Mauser handgun, and established a perimeter around the building.
When the suspect tried to leave through the back, officers confronted him, but the man was able to get away and go back into the building, locking the door behind him, according to police.
The Emergency Response Team and a negotiation team responded and the suspect attempted to leave through the back of the building again, trying to blend in with other tenants, according to police, but officers immediately identified him and arrested him.
Police identified the suspect as 31-year-old Antoine
Reddick, of Manchester, and said he was charged with assault in the second degree with a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm and interfering with the police.
The victim’s injuries are not life-threatening, according to police.
While our nation celebrates the freedom that comes from the sacrifice of service members, Thursday’s celebration of America’s birthday can cause stress for some veterans.
Thomas Saddi, the state’s commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is asking community members to use common courtesy before setting off fireworks this July 4th holiday weekend by giving your neighbor a heads up.
He says while large town celebrations tend to give much public notice, the unexpected noise can understandably trigger some veterans.
“Our veterans, particularly our combat veterans, they’re not broken. There’s nothing wrong with someone who has these triggers. Sometimes is hypervigilance, PTS, those invisible wounds of war,” said Commissioner Saddi.
If you or someone you know needs help, there are many resources available. Learn more at the links below
State of Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline , or call 1-800-273-8255 for immediate assistance.
Some homes and businesses in downtown Meriden may be without water for days after a dramatic water main break Wednesday afternoon.
Meriden police Lt. Thomas Cossette said the water came gushing out of the ground at East Main Street and State Street around 1:30 p.m. The force of the explosion broke windows in three cars parked nearby.
There are traffic diversions in place in the area. With the break occurring near train tracks, Amtrak temporarily stopped trains.
Cossette said this will be a long fix and people may be going without water for several days, a concern with the 4th of July and a heatwave in the forecast.
Mayor Kevin Scarpati said the break happened in an area that has some of the highest pressure in the city.
Water main breaks usually happen during colder months and the cause of this break is under investigation, Scarpati said.
Crews are on scene working to make repairs.
The search for Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan who has been missing since May, expanded to a reservoir near the MDC water treatment facilities in West Hartford Wednesday.
There are six large reservoirs, several of which are connected along the eastern part of the park, and a source with knowledge of the investigation told NBC Connecticut that the dive team spent five hours this morning at reservoir number three but did not find anything.
The NBC Connecticut crew at the scene saw state police K9s coming out of two locations in the park and sources said state police have been out at the West Hartford Reservoir all week and several teams were working throughout the property.
Several sources with knowledge of the investigation said K9s were at the reservoir for training, but that they specifically chose that location because they continue to search for evidence connected to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, who has been missing since May 24.
She was last seen when she dropped her children off at school in New Canaan.
According to court documents, when police went to search Jennifer's home after she was reported missing they found what was determined to be blood and investigators believe she was the victim of a “serious physical assault.” The case remains a missing persons case.
Dulos’ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, have both been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Jennifer and have pleaded not guilty to tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. Both are free on bond.
The search comes a day after Fotis Dulos gave an exclusive interview to our sister station, NBC New York. It was his first sit-down interview since Jennifer disappeared. See his interview here.
One searcher told NBC Connecticut Wednesday that state police have teams out every day looking for Jennifer and they want her found just as much as the general public does.
The New Canaan Police Department has created a website, FindJenniferDulos.com, and a dedicated email address, FindJenniferDulos@newcanaanct.gov.
Anyone with, no matter how small, is urged to email police or call the New Canaan Police tip line at 203-594-3544.
