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3 Charged in Violent Home Invasion in Hartford

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Hartford police have arrested three suspects in a violent home invasion after a chase that ended in a crash Tuesday evening.

Hartford police said they responded to Nelton Way on Tuesday evening to investigate a home invasion and the victims said the assailants forced their way into the apartment and assaulted one of the victims with a firearm in front of two children.

After briefly rummaging through the apartment, the men got into the car a getaway driver was waiting in and fled, according to police.

The victims gave detailed descriptions of the assailants and the vehicle they got away in and patrol officers transmitted that information while treating the victims.

Members of the street crimes unit saw a vehicle matching the description at Martin and Westland streets and tried to stop it, but the driver fled until losing control of the car and crashing into a pole at Vine Street and Keney Terrace, according to police.

Authorities took two people into custody and said they found a gun in the vehicle. The third suspect was found on Barbour Street and charged later.

Richard McCarthy, 36, of Hartford, was charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit home invasion, robbery in the first degree, conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of a pistol without a permit, weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of narcotics, possession of a controlled substance, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving, operating with a suspended license, no insurance, unregistered motor vehicle and misuse of a registration.

Tyshawn Eaddy, 19, of Hartford, was charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit a home invasion, robbery in the first degree, conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree, possession of a pistol without a permit, weapon in a motor vehicle, assault in the second degree and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Sean Mattis, 18, of Hartford, was charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit a home invasion, robbery in the first degree, conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police

What You Need to Know About the CT Plastic Bag Tax

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As of today, retailers in Connecticut are required to collect a fee of 10 cents for every single-use plastic checkout bag. Here is what you need to know.

The store must indicate the number of single-use plastic checkout bags provided and the total amount of the fee on the customer’s receipt.

WHAT IS A SINGLE-USE CHECKOUT BAG:

"Single-use checkout bag" means a plastic bag with a thickness of less than four mils.

Municipalities are also permitted to enact or enforce an ordinance concerning single-use checkout bags made of paper, including, but not limited to, enabling each store to charge a fee for any such bag distributed to a customer. Any such municipal fees are subject to sales and use taxes.

WHAT BAGS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE FEE?

  • Paper bags
  • Reusable plastic bags that are four mils or thicker
  • A bag provided prior to checkout that is used only to contain meat, seafood, loose produce or other unwrapped food items
  • A newspaper bag
  • A laundry or dry-cleaning bag

PLASTIC BAG TAX VS. PLASTIC BAG BAN

The fee is in effect from Aug. 1, 2019, through June 30, 2021. Single-use plastic checkout bags are scheduled to be banned after that.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Germany Rules Out Joining U.S.-Led Gulf Mission

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Germany's foreign minister is ruling out his country's participation in a proposed U.S.-led mission to protect maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf area.

The U.S. recently asked allies to contribute to a mission to secure maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping corridor, in the wake of increased Iranian aggression in the area.

Germany had already expressed skepticism, saying that priority must be given to de-escalation of tensions and diplomatic efforts.

But the dpa news agency reported on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has now ruled out participation altogether.

Dpa quoted him as telling reporters in Warsaw that "the German government will not participate in the maritime mission proposed and planned by the USA."



Photo Credit: AP

Shuttle to Offer Free Rides to Blue Back Square

One Injured in New Milford Stabbing

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New Milford police have made an arrest after a stabbing Thursday morning that sent one person to the hospital. 

Police said three males got into an altercation on Grove Street and one was stabbed around 8:41 a.m. The injured person was taken to Danbury Hospital. 

Police said his injuries are not life-threatening. 

No additional information was released.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Trump Slaps 10 Percent Tariff on $300B More in Chinese Goods

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The U.S. will impose an additional 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese imports starting next month, President Donald Trump announced Thursday via tweet.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin just returned from trade talks in Shanghai, where little progress appeared to have been made, NBC News reported.

A new meeting had been set up for September, the White House said earlier this week.



Photo Credit: AP

Several Sharks Seen Off Cape Cod Beach, Prompts 3rd Day of Closures

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Several sharks were spotted off Cape Cod, temporarily closing a beach to swimmers Thursday afternoon, according to Truro police.

The sharks were spotted off Longnook Beach in Truro just before 1 p.m. by a state police air wing helicopter, prompting authorities to close the beach to swimmers for about an hour.

The beach has since been reopened.

Aerial video of the sharks was shared by Massachusetts State Police.

The sighting is the third one off the coast of Massachusetts in as many days.

Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet was temporarily closed to swimming on both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons after a shark was spotted just yards off shore, police said.

South Beach in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard was also closed for a time Tuesday due to a shark sighting.

Also Thusday, a shark was likely spotted at Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine, according to police there. They urged that beachgoers "maintain awareness while in and around the water."

More than 150 great white sharks have been spotted off Cape Cod this summer, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app.



Photo Credit: Massachusetts State Police

Body Found Behind School in New Haven


Woodchuck Gets Into Rocky Hill Bathroom

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A woodchuck somehow got into a Rocky Hill home, according to the Rocky Hill Animal Control Division.

Animal control posted a recap of the unusual call and a photo of the rodent in a litterbox.



Photo Credit: Rocky Hill Animal Control Division
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West Nile Virus Found in East Haven Mosquitoes

House Members Demand Better Treatment of Detained Transgender Asylum Seekers

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Nearly three dozen members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday morning expressing their concern over the agency’s treatment of transgender detainees and demanding the agency take transgender migrants’ asylum claims more seriously, NBC News reported

The letter, sent by 34 lawmakers and spearheaded by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., was signed by Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Deb Haaland, D-N.M., and Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., among others and comes after the deaths of two transgender women who were held in detention.

In their message, the lawmakers said, “We urge ICE to seriously consider the asylum claims of transgender migrants who demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution based on their ‘membership in a particular social group’ and adhere to its own policies regulating the treatment of transgender detainees.” 

The letter stressed ICE should especially consider asylum claims coming from the “Northern Triangle” countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, where “violence against the transgender community occurs at alarming rates.” In one study conducted by the UN Refugee Agency, 88 percent of LGBTQ asylum seekers fleeing the Northern Triangle reported experiencing sexual and gender-based violence in their countries of origin.



Photo Credit: Gregory Bull/AP, File

Driver in NH Crash That Killed 7 Motorcyclists May Never Face Judge for Connecticut Charges

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A man facing a charge of operating under the influence in Connecticut may never have to face a judge in the state.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was arrested in East Windsor back in May, but he’s facing more serious charges in New Hampshire, where he’s accused of driving under the influence and killing seven people.

Zhukovskyy was supposed to appear in court Thursday in Enfield for a pretrial hearing on the OUI charge.

The case was continued but both his attorney and Enfield’s Assistant State’s Attorney say there’s a likelihood he won’t be prosecuted in Connecticut.

The 23-year-old from Ukraine faces charges of negligent homicide in New Hampshire for the deaths of seven people who police say he plowed into with a commercial pick-up truck back in June.

The victims were members of a US marines motorcycle club heading to a charity event.

New information from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that Zhukovskyy was high on drugs and reaching for a drink when the crash happened. The report states that Zhukovskyy tested positive for either a narcotic or an amphetamine.

Enfield Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher Parakilas said while the charge of negligent homicide, which Zhukovskyy has pleaded not guilty to, is only a misdemeanor in Connecticut, it is considered a felony in New Hampshire.

Parakilas expects Zhukovskyy to be wrapped up in the New Hampshire court system for quite a while and says there is no practical mechanism to get him back to Connecticut to face a judge.

East Windsor authorities say he refused to take a chemical test when he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving on May 11.

NBC Connecticut spoke with Zhukovskyy’s attorney for the Connecticut case which he called “defensible.”

Attorney John O’Brien said he does not expect his client’s case in Connecticut to ever go to trial, either.

He said he last spoke to Zhukovskyy in May, before the fatal crash in June.

Although Connecticut shared the arrest information with Massachusetts, Zhukovskyy’s commercial trucking license was never pulled due to a backlog at the RMV in Massachusetts.

Parakilas said while it isn’t ideal, he may drop the Connecticut charges

Zhukovskyy is due back in Connecticut court on August 22.



Photo Credit: NBC10 Boston

North Korea Launches More Short-Range Ballistic Missiles

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North Korea fired two more short-range ballistic missiles on Friday morning local time, according to three U.S. officials, its third launch of short-range missiles in just over a week, NBC News reported.

The launch was very similar to the previous two launches, and the missiles landed in the sea, said the officials.

There was no threat to the U.S. or any of its allies in the region, said the officials, and the early assessment is that North Korea was making another show of force prior to joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises scheduled for August.



Photo Credit: AP

Torrington Extending School Day for Some

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It won’t be long before school is back in session and for some Torrington students, the days will be a little longer.

In a letter to parents delivered Wednesday, the Torrington Public School system announced changes. Twenty-five minutes were added to the elementary school schedule while the middle school day will start five minutes earlier.

Not all parents agree with the changes, in particular those involving the elementary school.

“It’s too demanding for those kids. For them to start early and stay later. It’s just too much,” said Lacee Cronin of Torrington.

According to the letter, the changes were made to enhance the curriculum and refine instructional strategies. Specifically the twenty-five minutes added to the elementary school schedule are to allow more intervention and targeted instruction.

Torrington High School is adapting to times said to be “more developmentally appropriate.” More courses are also being added, including classes on drones, engineering, sports science and coding.

“If they’re going to add classes and it’s going to make it more fun for the kids and they feel they’re excited about what they’re learning and don’t focus on (the changes), then I think that would be very positive,” said Amanda Hoetzl.

Hoetzl, says she’s keeping an open mind about the new schedule but has concerns.

“It is important for the kids to get their education of course but it’s also important to have time at home and de-stress from whatever happened at school,” Hoetzl says.

Students, meanwhile, had a predictable response.

“I don’t think we need we need to expand it more because we already spend seven hours (in school),” said seventh-grader Wyatt Perry.

Not every student though is worried.

“I think it’s gonna be OK,” said third grader Ayden Cronin who describes his school day as “perfect” and is looking forward to the first day of school, August 28.

Torrington Public Schools will have a meet and greet with the community at Coe Park on August 10 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Parents are encouraged to attend where they can communicate their thoughts on these changes.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Forget Shark Week, It's Shark Month on Cape Cod

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August is officially "Seal and Shark Awareness Month" on Cape Cod this year after county officials approved the declaration Wednesday amid a busy season for shark sightings.

The Cape has already seen a record number of shark taggings this far into summer and beaches are being temporarily closed for shark sightings on an almost daily basis, including three straight days this week.

Want the latest in shark sightings, videos, news and more? Subscribe to NBC10 Boston's Shark Tales podcast, a partnership with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

“I believe that this measure will help to facilitate public safety via a regional approach, which is essential because the situation involving the sharks and seals concerns all of Cape Cod, not just one segment of it,” said Barnstable County Commissioner Ron Beaty in a statement.

The proposal was intended to bring much-needed awareness to the threat that sharks pose and incentivize elected officials and special interest groups to address public health and safety, according to the two Cape Cod residents who put it forward, John Kartsounis and Drew Taylor. 

However, the vote was not free of controversy. Chairman Ronald Bergstrom voted against the measure, saying that Barnstable County hasn't approved of similar measures in the past, according to The Cape Cod Times.

"We are in danger of creating a vehicle by which this debate could continue in a very undisciplined way," said Bergstrom, accusing Kartsounis and Taylor of having an agenda to cull seal and shark populations, according to the newspaper.

The official Barnstable County proclamation mentioned three shark encounters off the coast of Cape Cod, including the attack that led to a Revere man’s death last year. It also mentioned the concern that rising seal population may be attracting more sharks to Cape Cod's shores.

Increased education and awareness is required to prevent further shark encounters, according to the proclamation.



Photo Credit: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, File

2 in Custody After Armed Robbery in East Hampton

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Two people are in custody after an armed robbery in East Hampton led to a police pursuit that ended in Norwich.

East Hampton police said two suspects armed with a handgun robbed the Route 66 Package Store on East High Street in their town around 5:30 p.m. They fled in a vehicle.

No one was hurt during the robbery.

Emergency dispatchers confirmed the suspects were stopped on Route 2 in Norwich near Harland Road. East Hampton, Norwich and Montville police were all on scene, as well as Connecticut State Police.

Connecticut State Police confirmed two suspects were taken into custody. They did not immediately release any names or charges.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Poway Synagogue Shooter Purchased Weapon From San Diego Store: Warrants

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A San Diego man accused of opening fire at a Poway synagogue apparently purchased his weapon at a local gun store. That information comes from search warrants unsealed Wednesday morning in connection with the investigation. 

The warrants reveal investigators found a “gun receipt and paperwork” that indicate shooter John Earnest purchased the rifle at “San Diego Guns.” A business by that name is located on Mission Gorge Road. 

On Wednesday, the owner of San Diego Guns, Dallas Martensen, declined to comment on the new details. 

The warrants also reveal officers found the Smith and Wesson M&P-15 rifle in the suspect’s car, along with five loaded magazines and a black helmet with a GoPro camera attached.

Law enforcement gathered evidence in the hours and days after Earnest attacked the Chabad of Poway on April 27, 2019. The shooting killed one worshipper and injured three other people, including the synagogue’s rabbi. 

Investigators also served search warrants at California State University San Marcos and Mount Carmel High School, two schools that Earnest attended. Officers also obtained surveillance footage from the Chabad of Poway and served warrants on Facebook and AT&T Wireless for electronic records.

The unsealing of the search warrants come after a coalition of San Diego media organizations filed a motion for the document’s release. Those media organizations included NBC 7, the San Diego Union-Tribune, KFMB, Fox 5, and the Associated Press. 

Hours after Earnest allegedly attacked the Chabad of Poway, investigators obtained the first of 17 search warrants to gather evidence. They immediately searched Earnest’s car and home, and obtained records from Facebook, Google, and cell phone providers. 

Investigators also reviewed his purchase history on Amazon. It showed he bought tactical equipment, including a helmet before the attack. 

The new search warrants shed new light on how the shooter may have obtained the assault-style weapon. According to search warrants, then 19-year-old Earnest purchased the gun the day before the Chabad of Poway shooting for $963.41. 

Some questioned how Earnest purchased the gun, given a new California law that went into effect January 1, 2019, banning anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing a firearm. The law does have some exceptions. 

“If you have a hunting license that’s valid from the state of Califronia, then you can purchase a rifle or shotgun,” said Michael Schwartz, Executive Director for San Diego County Gun Owners PAC. 

According to the warrants, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies found a “hunting certificate” in Earnest’s bedroom.



Photo Credit: Sky Ranger 7

Lead Paint Issues Still Problematic in New Haven

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Lead paint is still a huge problem in historic New Haven.

New Haven officials say there are still around 20,000 housing units in the city which need to be inspected and perhaps abated.

They were built before federal lead paint law passed in the late 1970s.

Mayor Toni Harp says she wants to update their local lead ordinance, as the city continues to battle legal issues surrounding their lead ordinance.

A judge recently ruled in favor of parents of two young children who say their kids have been poisoned by lead paint in their rental apartments and New Haven and the city’s health department have “failed to ensure proper lead poisoning response and mitigation as required by city and state law,” according to court documents.

The mayor’s office says the proposed, amended ordinance will address inconsistencies in the city's program, improve upon its success and shore up the city's partnership with property owners, who have primary responsibility for lead compliance in the first place.

They say they have made strides, as the number of kids with lead poisoning in the city has dropped from 104 in 2018 to 228 in 2016.

“We want to have more lead inspectors and we have found some resources. We’ve asked our coordinators and department heads to look at their existing budgets, things they want to do, and we’ve said, ‘maybe we can’t do them this year,’ we need those resources for inspectors,” Harp said.

The mayor says while the city is committed to making changes to eradicate all lead poisoning cases, she hopes property owners will take some ownership in the issue too.

“We don’t want this to make them homeless or to drive them out of their properties, so we’re going to look at a revolving loan fund that we have so they can borrow that money at low interest or no interest depending on their income and hopefully get the job done.”

Harp says she will soon be submitting a proposed amendment to the city’s lead paint ordinance to the board of alders Monday.

New Haven Legal Assistance is interested in seeing the proposed amendment ordinance, as they continue to represent families fighting the city on their handling of lead poisoning cases. According to court documents, in one complaint, they argued that after reaching out to a family twice, “The Health Department did not reach the family upon either call and took no further action to reach the family.”

Tuesday, a hearing will be held to determine if the civil ruling in favor of the parents could be applied as a class action lawsuit.

As for the mayor’s updated ordinance, when it’s presented to the Board of Alders, that’s just the beginning of the process. It could take months to become city law.

Jeffrey Epstein's Blue-Striped Building on Private Island Raised Alarm

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The bizarre blue-striped building on Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island was supposed to be a music pavilion with a strikingly different design, according to permit records viewed by NBC News.

The building, shaped like a giant box and initially topped with a gold dome, has fueled rampant speculation and online conspiracy theories.

Drawings supplied by Epstein's architects to the U.S. Virgin Islands agency that oversees coastal development show that it was designed to be a haven for music: an octagonal 3,500-square-foot pavilion housing a grand piano.

But questions remain over whether it was built according to the plans that were submitted to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.



Photo Credit: NBC News

Granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy Dies: Family

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Saoirse Kennedy Hill, a granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, has died, the Kennedy family announced Thursday night. She was 22.

The Kennedys released the following statement after emergency responders had been seen at the family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, earlier in the day:

"Our hearts are shattered by the loss of our beloved Saoirse. Her life was filled with hope, promise and love. She cared deeply about friends and family, especially her mother Courtney, her father Paul, her stepmother Stephanie, and her grandmother Ethel, who said, The world is a little less beautiful today. She lit up our lives with her love, her peals of laughter and her generous spirit. Saoirse was passionately moved by the causes of human rights and womens empowerment and found great joy in volunteer work, working alongside indigenous communities to build schools in Mexico. We will love her and miss her forever."

Kennedy Hill was the daughter of Courtney Kennedy, one of Robert Kennedy's four daughters, and Paul Hill.

She was a "gifted student" in the Class of 2020 at Boston College where she studied Communications in the Morrissey College of Arts and Science, the school said in a statement.

"We extend our condolences to her family on this tragic loss," a Boston College official said.

The family statement did not include a cause of death for Kennedy Hill.

The New York Times, citing two family members, reported that Hill died of an apparent drug overdose. NBC News has not confirmed the report.

Police were called Thursday afternoon for a report of an unattended death on Marchant Avenue, where the compound is located, according to the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office. The death is under investigation by local and state police.

The Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, has been the summer home of the Kennedy family for decades. It consists of six acres along Nantucket Sound.

This story will be updated when more information is available.



Photo Credit: Stew Milne/AP, File
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