Two boys have been charged in connection with the vandalism at a pump house that serves the water supply in Ledyard. The vandalism prompted the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority to warn customers not to drink the water. 

Police said they arrested two boys on Wednesday. 

They are juveniles, so their names have not been released. They were charged with burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the first degree and criminal trespass in the third degree. 

The incident at the Connecticut Water Authority pump station at 17 East Drive in Gales Ferry was reported on Monday. 

Ledyard police said the pump station building had been breached and there was vandalism to the station.

The state Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that the water tested was acceptable by all drinking water standards and the advisory not to drink the water was lifted. 

The water authority posted the following statement on its website:

“Our review of the results of coliform bacteria, Physicals, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and total petroleum products of the water test collected by SCWA on 9/23/19 and analyzed by Phoenix Lab on 9/24/19 showed that all parameters are within acceptable drinking water standards, and therefore the do not drink advisory can now be lifted. The water is safe to drink. Based on this review, none of the products deemed missing from the shed and dumped in the pond were detected in the test. However, monthly monitoring of these products at the well will continue to verify that the DEEP cleanup efforts of the pond were successful in alleviating the impact on the well.” https://www.waterauthority.org/

The boys who were charged will appear at the Connecticut Superior Court for Juvenile Matters in Waterford on Oct. 25.

Police said the investigation remains active and police are looking to speak with additional witnesses.

Anyone with information on the vandalism is requested to call Ledyard Police at (860) 464-6400. Case number 19-450-OF.

Distraught students and parents shouted at a Southern California school district leader and demanded answers during a vigil Wednesday night for a Moreno Valley middle school student who died after suffering severe injuries in a confrontation on campus.

Mourners expressed grief and anger at the candlelight vigil for the 13-year-old Landmark Middle School student identified only as Diego. Classmates chanted the victim's name as they carried signs and marched with parents to the vigil.

Students wore t-shirt's with pictures of Diego. One sign read, "Diego, we walk in your memory."

"He was just a calm dude," said Rafael, a classmate and friend.

The boy was hospitalized in critical condition after the fight earlier this month. He died Wednesday.

Two students involved in the fight were in custody, arrested on suspicion of assault. Witnesses said no one stepped in to help Diego during the brawl, but some stopped to record video on their cell phones.

The boy collapsed, striking a concrete wall.

Authorities are working to determine what led to the deadly confrontation. Some classmates at Wednesday's emotional vigil said Diego had been bullied.

"Everybody's changing the subject about bullying, but we're here for Diego," said 14-year-old student Arianna Franquezvilla through tears. "Diego lost his life today. Diego's not here no more."

Students and parents shouted questions at Superintendent Martinrex Kedziora, who was accompanied by a sheriff's deputy at the campus vigil. He said earlier that the district has added security officers at the school.

"We're here tonight to work with the community to support them," said Kedziora.

On Wednesday, the school district released a statement to announce Diego's death. Details about a cause of death were not immediately available.

"It is with extremely heavy hearts that we inform you that Diego, the student involved in the incident at Landmark Middle School on Monday, September 16th, has passed away. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and school community as they cope with this devastating loss," Moreno Valley Unified School District officials said in the statement.

The district also said it will provide additional counselors and support personnel for students, employees and family members.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact Investigator Joshua Manjarrez at 951-955-2777 or Investigator John Tometich at 951-486-6700.

Police have arrested a Shelton High School student who is accused of posting a threatening video online that showed a "facsimile firearm." Police said video shows the teen say he was willing to kill someone is someone "messes with him."

Shelton police received several reports Wednesday about the video, which a male said that if someone messes with him tomorrow and he goes to school, he is willing to kill someone.

Police quickly identified a suspect and said they seized a weapon that matched the one in the video.

Eliezer Reyes, an 18-year-old Shelton High School student, was arrested and charged with threatening in the first degree, breach of peace in the second degree, and brandishing a facsimile firearm.

Court documents say the video was sent in a fantasy football chat.

When police spoke with Reyes, he said he was upset about something that happened to a family member in North Carolina and posted the video on Snapchat.

He is being held on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Derby Superior Court today.

Here is a redacted version of a secret whistleblower's complaint involving President Donald Trump and a letter by the Intelligence Community Inspector General about the complaint. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the declassified complaint and IG's letter Thursday ahead of Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire's testimony before Congress (a livestream of that appearance is leading this story). 

“The Committee this morning will be releasing the declassified whistleblower complaint that it received late last night from the ODNI. It is a travesty that it was held up this long," said Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. “This complaint should never have been withheld from Congress. It exposed serious wrongdoing, and was found both urgent and credible by the Inspector General."

Maguire initially withheld the whistleblower's complaint from congressional lawmakers despite an initial finding by the government's intelligence inspector general that it represented an "urgent concern." The complaint was submitted to the inspector general in August. Members of the House and Senate intelligence committees were able to view the document on Wednesday.  

The release comes one day after the White House made public, also under pressure from Democrats, a five-page memo summarizing a call on July 25, 2019, between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Trump. During the call, Trump pressed Ukraine's new president to investigate his 2020 Democratic rival, Joe Biden, and Biden's son.  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump over whether he abused the powers of the presidency.

Here is the declassified complaint with redactions:

Click here to expand the document on mobile or app.

Here is the Intelligence Community Inspector General letter about the complaint:

Click here to expand the document on mobile or app.

Former U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa announced Thursday he will run against indicted fellow Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, as three contenders dropped their bid in order to support him.

"Today I’m announcing that I will be the next congressman for the 50th Congressional District," Issa said surrounded by San Diego County Supervisor Diane Jacob, Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and retired Navy SEAL Larry Wilske. 

Abed, Wells and Wilske said they would drop out of the race for the eastern San Diego County district to support Issa's campaign. 

"With Darrell Issa getting involved in the race, I feel confident that the right man is here to lead us into the future," Wells said. "And I feel safe and confident in taking back my promise to run for the 50th District. I am going to drop out of the race and support Darrell Issa fully." 

Issa endeared himself to many conservatives as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2011 to 2015, where he was a vocal advocate for investigations into the Obama administration.

Abed said Issa was the district's best choice to keep the Republican stronghold red in the next election. 

“In 2018 it was very close," he said. "Our common goal is very simple, its to keep the 50th District in the Republican hands."

Rep. Hunter held onto his seat by just over 9,000 votes amid a pending federal corruption trial in which the congressman is accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses. His trial is slated to begin in early 2020. 

Hunter, whose father represented the district in Congress for 28 years, has pleaded not guilty and framed the charges as a political attack.

His Democratic opponent, Amar Campa-Najjar, a Latino and Arab-American who worked for the Obama administration, nearly clinched the seat in what had been considered a safe district for decades. 

The race was one of several contested congressional districts in California that could have caused a shift in the balance of power in the House of Representatives.

Hunter and Issa could wind up going head-to-head under California's primary system, which allows the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to compete in the general election.

When asked about his political opponents, Issa said his first steps would be to ensure the 50th District knew his goals. 

"We’re not here to talk about any of the other candidates, not even at this point Campa-Najar, the Democrat," Issa said. "We’re here to talk about one team, one goal for this district and I think that’s what I am going to be campaigning on." 

Campa-Najjar said Issa joining the field of candidates "just highlights the fact that Hunter is vulnerable and we're viable, and that Washington insiders are scrambling to find somebody who could effectively challenge our campaign."

Across from the plaza where Issa was announcing his run, Republican challenger Carl DeMaio held a rally opposing the former congressman's run because "Darrell Issa quit on his constituents." 

DeMaio asked for the 50th District's backing while surrounded by supporters with posters that read, "Darrell Issa left me behind" and "Darrell abandoned the 49th." 

Issa represented the 49th District representing both San Diego and Orange counties for 18 years before announcing in Jan. 2018 he would not seek re-election. His last term in office for the swing district was secured by fewer than 2,000 votes.

The seat is currently occupied by Democrat Mike Levin.

Issa, who made his fortune through a car-alarm company, formed an exploratory committee last month and said in a statement at the time, "I have received such a tremendous outpouring of encouragement from supporters inside the district and around the state and across the nation."

On Thursday, he said he had received thousands of letters of encouragement and checks averaging $82 a piece to support his campaign. 

His decision comes after his Senate confirmation hearing to be director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency was delayed indefinitely.

Campa-Najjar, Republican radio host Carl DeMaio, Independent Helen Horvath, David Edick and Calif. Senator Brian Jones are also expected to run for the 50th District. 

Hundreds of people gathered at the New Haven Adult Education Center on Thursday to spread the word about adult education courses available throughout the state. 

One in 10 Connecticut residents do not have a high school diploma and one in six New Haven residents do not, according to the State Department of Education. 

There are 41 adult education centers across the state offering programs to adults to get their high school diploma, improve their English or obtain citizenship. 

Staff members, students and volunteers gathered together and marched from the adult education center to the New Haven Green for a “No Excuse March for Education.” 

The adult education center works with adults and finds out why they dropped out of school and what other obstacles they face on a daily basis that may keep them from coming back. Staff members then work with those adults to make sure there’s no excuse for them not to earn their diploma. 

One of those students is Jerome Daniels, 62. He is three months away from finishing his education and being able to graduate. 

“I didn’t have a purpose, so coming back to school to get this purpose, to get the high school diploma, that will open up doors for me and I will no longer be homeless,” said Daniels. 

The first step is walking through the door of one of the education centers. 

“Just because you reach the age of 18, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a second chance. We’re here for you,” said Michelle Bonora, the principal of the adult education center in New Haven. 

In New Haven they offer day classes Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and evening classes, Monday through Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Dunkin' failed to notify nearly 20,000 customers that their accounts had been compromised and their information and personal funds were in jeopardy in 2015 – or accurately notify them once more when hackers accessed more than 300,000 customer accounts three years later, according to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against the company.

“Dunkin’ failed to protect the security of its customers,” James said in a statement Thursday. “And instead of notifying the tens of thousands impacted by these cybersecurity breaches, Dunkin’ sat idly by, putting customers at risk. My office is committed to protecting consumer data and holding businesses accountable for implementing safe security practices.”

James’ suit against Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. – franchisor of Dunkin’ – also alleges that Dunkin’ failed to conduct an investigation into a series of attacks that would have helped it determine which other accounts had been compromised, as well as what customer information was acquired and whether customer funds were stolen.

The lawsuit involves customer accounts created through the Dunkin’ website or free mobile app for Android and iOS devices, according to the attorney general who says that in order to entice customers to create accounts, Dunkin’ allegedly falsely represented that the company was using safeguards to protect customers’ personal information.

These accounts enable customers to manage “DD cards,” which are stored value cards that allows clients to make purchases at both brick-and-mortar shops and online.

James claims that starting in early 2015, customer accounts were targeted in a series of “brute force attacks,” which are repeated, automated attempts to gain access to accounts, often using usernames and passwords stolen through security breaches of other unrelated websites or online services.

An attacker that gained access to a customer’s Dunkin’ account could not only use DD cards registered to the account to make purchases, but could also sell the DD cards online, James says, adding that in just a matter of months, tens of thousands of customer accounts were compromised through these types of attacks, and tens of thousands of dollars on customers’ DD cards were stolen.

According to James, by May 2015, Dunkin’ personnel received customer reports that attackers were gaining access to their accounts. Allegedly, during the summer of 2015, a third-party app developer for Dunkin’ repeatedly alerted the company to ongoing attempts by attackers to log in to customer accounts, and even provided Dunkin’ with a list of 19,715 accounts that had been compromised in just a five-day period.

However, according to the suit, Dunkin’ failed to take any steps to protect these nearly 20,000 customers — or the potentially thousands more they did not know about — by notifying them of unauthorized access, resetting their account passwords to prevent further unauthorized access, or freezing their DD cards.

James also claims that Dunkin’ failed to conduct any investigation into or analysis of the attacks.

Moreover, following the attacks in 2015, Dunkin’ failed to implement appropriate safeguards to limit future attacks through the mobile app, despite customer reports of continuing fraud on their accounts.

In late 2018, a vendor notified Dunkin’ that customer accounts had again been attacked, and they resulted in the unauthorized access of more than 300,000 Dunkin’ customer accounts, many of which had DD cards associated with them, James says. And, while Dunkin’ did contact impacted customers this time around, the company did not disclose that customer accounts had been accessed without authorization, James says, adding that instead the company just said that a third party had merely “attempted” to log in to the customers’ accounts and that the attempt may not have been successful.

James’ lawsuit alleges that Dunkin’ violated the state’s data breach notification statue by failing to contact consumers and authorities of the 2015 breach and failed to accurately consumers of the 2018 data breach. The lawsuit also alleges that Dunkin’ violated New York’s consumer protection laws.

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, full restitution to customers, civil penalties and other remedies.

In a statement, Chief Communications Officer of Dunkin' Brands Inc. Karen Raskopf said: “There is absolutely no basis for these claims by the New York Attorney General’s Office. For more than two years, we have fully cooperated with the AG’s investigation into this matter, and we are shocked and disappointed that they chose to move ahead with this lawsuit given the lack of merit to their case."

According to Raskopf, the 2015 incident centered around third parties "unsuccessfully" trying to access about 20,000 Dunkin' app accounts, but the database in question did not contain customer payment card information.

"We take the security of our customers’ data seriously and have robust data protection safeguards in place," Raskopf's statement went on to say. "We look forward to proving our case in court.”

When will the first freeze of the season hit helping slow the spread of EEE?

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and cold air from winter will slow them down and decrease their activity. The first frost of the season will help put them into a deep-sleep or hibernation.  But a longer-lasting, harder-hitting freeze is needed to really stop them.

The first freeze typically occurs in Litchfield County where the average freeze is October 3rd.  The average first freeze is occurs on average around October 13.  and lastly along the shoreline where the average first freeze doesn’t occur until early November.

The NBC Connecticut meteorologists are tracking the threat of storms this afternoon. 

The first half of the day is dry, but showers will move into western Connecticut after 3 p.m. and move east throughout the evening commute. 

Anyone taking part in outdoor activities will have to be careful of not only the rain, but also the potential for a thunderstorm or two. 

The storms could contain quick bursts of heavy rain, gusty winds and frequent lightning. 

It will be dry and sunny again Friday ahead of a really nice, warmer weekend.

Central Connecticut State University is taking some precautions due to cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the state and that includes providing free mosquito repellant and shifting times for student athletic events.

The school is also canceling some events and turning off the outside sprinkler system, according to a message that was sent to students.

Two Connecticut residents have died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, this season. The two residents were from East Lyme and Old Lyme.

Mosquitoes in several towns have tested positive for the virus and most have been in southeastern Connecticut. There have been no cases in New Britain, where CCSU is located.

The notice sent to students says that, although the area of greatest concern is eastern Connecticut, CCSU is taking precautions.

Free mosquito repellant is available to students, faculty, and staff at the Student Center, RECentral Office and events, Kaiser Hall, all residence halls, Health Services and East Hall.

School officials said they have postponed the Homelessness Awareness Cardboard Camp-out that was planned for Friday night.

Soccer practices and matches for the women’s and men’s teams are starting earlier so they are finished by dusk and early morning outdoor practices for all athletes are shifted to after dawn.

The notice said the outside sprinkler system has been turned off because stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitos.

School officials are urging students to minimize time outside between dusk and dawn, when mosquitos are most active, and to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts if they are outside during these times. 

Learn more about the symptoms for EEE and treatment here. 

A man is dead and a driver in custody after crash involving a motorized scooter and a car in Hartford Thursday.

Police said the crash happened at 81 Wethersfield Ave. The scooter rider, who has not been publicly identified, was killed.

The car driver was taken into custody, police said.

Wethersfield Avenue is closed from Wyllys Street to Annawan Street and drivers are asked to avoid the area. The Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating.

No other details were immediately available.

Hartford police are also investigating a serious motorcyce crash at Francis Avenue and Hamilton Street. The motorcyclist was listed in serious condition, police said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Stamford police are investigating the death of a 93-year-old woman as a homicide.

Police said the responded to a Cove Road home on Wednesday for a report of an elderly woman who was unresponsive. The initial report said that she may have fallen down the stairs.

When officers arrived they found the woman dead at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement of her home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that the victim had injuries that were not consistent with a fall down the stairs.

The woman lived alone in her home. According to police, family members went to check on her when they could not reach, and found her at the bottom of the stairs.

Police are asking for the public’s help in this case. Anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area of Cove Road at Willowbrook Avenue on Wednesday between noon and 8 p.m. is asked to call police at 203-977-4420.

There will be extra patrols in the neighborhood as police investigate.

No other details were immediately available.

DoorDash is delivering bad news to millions of its customers and drivers: their data may have been accessed by hackers.

In a blog post made Thursday on its website, San Francisco-based DoorDash said an "unauthorized third party" gained access to data for about 4.9 million users earlier this year.

"Earlier this month, we became aware of unusual activity involving a third-party service provider," DoorDash said. "We took immediate steps to block further access by the unauthorized third party and to enhance security across our platform. We are reaching out directly to affected users."

DoorDash did not immediately respond to an email inquiry from NBC Bay Area on Thursday afternoon.

According to the post, only users who signed up for DoorDash on or before April 5, 2018 are impacted. Anyone who signed up later than that should not be affected, DoorDash said.

DoorDash operates a popular food-delivery app, using an Uber-like model connecting drivers and cyclists with hungry customers. Car and bicycle owners can sign up to be delivery drivers, or "Dashers," and receive payment for picking food up at restaurants and bringing it to diners' doorsteps.

The DoorDash post said hackers infiltrated its system on May 4, and accessed information including customer names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and encrypted passwords. DoorDash said the passwords could not be deciphered, but it advised customers to change their passwords just in case.

The company said hackers also accessed the last four digits of some payment cards and bank account numbers, but not full numbers or the three-digit CVV required to authorize payment. DoorDash said full account information was not exposed.

Drivers are affected, too. DoorDash said about 100,000 of its Dashers' drivers license numbers were exposed.

While the company reaches out to affected users, it has listed detailed information about the data breach in its blog post. Concerned customers and drivers can also call 855–646–4683 to learn more.

Big changes for Connecticut start next Tuesday, October 1.

If you want to buy tobacco like cigarettes or vaping products, the legal age will be 21.

The American Lung Association applauded the new law. It said in a statement in part it will, “prevent and reduce tobacco use, address the youth vaping epidemic and save lives.”

In addition to raising the legal age to purchase tobacco and vaping products, other laws include gun safety laws.

The prepared food tax goes into effect - a law that increases the sales tax and use tax rate on certain prepared foods and beverages to 7.35 percent.

Minimum wage increases to $11 an hour - part of a plan to bring it up to $15 an hour in 2023.

There is also a new digital streaming tax. Those who subscribe to digital services like Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, or Hulu, will pay a 6.35 percent sales tax on each.

Starting Tuesday, if you’re in the market for a new car, when you trade in your old one you’ll pay $100 at the dealer to the General Fund.

A 12th person has the rare and deadly EEE virus this year in Massachusetts, state health officials announced Thursday, while also announcing that only three people in the state have died.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health had previously said four people died after being infected by the virus, but said Thursday that that information was based on an incorrect report.

"Based on an incorrect report filed by a hospital, DPH has been notified that the fourth death was improperly reported and the official death count remains at three people as of today," the department said in a news release.

There are EEE-confirmation protocols involving the state testing cases sent from hospitals, the department said, but "if the hospital voluntarily reports the death to DPH, it is considered an official report."

The 12th person with EEE that the department reported Thursday is a woman in her 70s who lives in Hampden County. She is in the hospital.

Thirty-five communities are at critical risk of EEE infection with 53 at high risk, according to the department.

The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it is fatal in roughly 3 in 10 cases.

This outbreak has caused deaths in Rhode Island and Connecticut as well. The last time Massachusetts faced an outbreak was 2010-2012.

To prevent EEE transmission, health officials recommend bug spray and limiting activity at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. The first freeze will end the threat for the season, as it will cause mosqiutoes to go into hibernation.

With Eastern Equine Encephalitis being detected in more Connecticut towns, fair organizers are looking at ways to manage the mosquito threat during their outdoor events.

EEE has always been a concern for livestock owners, but the mosquito-borne virus has proved to be fatal in people as it recently killed two Connecticut residents. The Durham Fair president said worried fairgoers have reached out to him, wondering what they’re doing to keep the event safe.

Jerry Martin runs the pony rides at the Durham Fair. He says he’s been paying close attention to the developments surrounding EEE. Spread through the bite of a mosquito, it’s been known to kill horses. He has a herd of them that he’s made sure to vaccinate.

“It’s in the back of my mind,” said Martin. “How well does the inoculation work? We don’t know.”

The fair’s president, Daniel Miramant, said his office has fielded at least a dozen calls and emails over fears of EEE.

“A lot of our fair goers have sent inquiries in. They wanted to know if we were doing anything about it,” said Miramant.

In light of the growing threat from the virus in people, this year, fair organizers took the extra step of spraying the fairground perimeter.

“We’ve done the best we can. We follow the Department of Health’s recommendations. Can’t guarantee that - like anyone really can - but we’re pretty confident we’ve done what’s been asked of us,” he explained.

“It is the fair weekend and it’s a little wet, so I’m a little worried about being out too late,” said Kelly Dorsey of Middlefield.

Dorsey said that worry wasn’t enough to keep her away from her favorite fair tradition.

Jessica Stark of Meriden agreed, saying she was concerned about her 6-year-old son getting bitten, but not enough to stay home.

“You can’t stop life. You have to continue on and do things. You can’t stop everything you’re doing,” said Stark.

Fair organizers are reminding people to take their own precautions so they can enjoy the extra evening entertainment added to celebrate the 100th fair. That includes Thursday night’s fireworks display, a laser light show Friday and Saturday night, and the Big and Rich concert, also Saturday evening.

“A little bit of rain tonight I don’t think they should be too bad tonight, hopefully,” said Steven Mclean of Prospect, who brought his grandchildren to the fair on Thursday.

With 62-acres of fairgrounds, organizers say they can’t guarantee they’ve taken care of all the bugs, but they hope they’ve done enough to keep the estimated 200,000 fairgoers expected to come through the gates safe.

“It means they’re paying attention and they’re aware of it and they’re not just mindlessly having this big event that’s going to draw people to the area and then do nothing about it,” added Dorsey.

The fair runs through Sunday. Click here for the full fair schedule.

White House officials were scrambling to figure out how to counter the renewed Democratic impeachment push Thursday, with one source familiar with the situation describing a sense of “total panic” over the past week at the lack of a plan to address the new reality, NBC News reported.

There appears to be rising “anxiety, unease, and concern” — as one person close to the White House described the mood in the West Wing — that the whistleblower’s allegations could seriously wound the president and some of those around him.

“There’s not a lot of confidence that there’s no there there,” this person said.

Could you live comfortably in a 300 square foot space? More people in Connecticut are deciding that they want to be living in a tiny home.

A typical night at home on the Connecticut shoreline, and homeowner John McCarthy completes a few small a few small chores as he wraps up another day living out his big dreams in his tiny home. "It actually is better than I imagined," he said.

"We have a five-burner stove, full sized refrigerator and if you come right around here, you have the bedroom," said McCarthy offering a very brief tour of his home. There is a place to cook, a place to eat, a place to relax and somewhere to sleep. There's even a loft area for a guest to rest. "And from up here, you have a whole view of the house."

McCarthy's home has 344 square feet of living space.

"We have a beautiful home and it's a great house with giant windows," said McCarthy. "That makes a big difference I think."

Designed and constructed by a company in Wisconsin, John's tiny home - on wheels - rolled into the lives of he and his wife and their dog, Winston, more than two years ago. 

"We stood on the street with Winston and just watched the house come down the street back up into here," said Amy Garner, McCarthy's wife.

With a base price of $78,500 dollars, John and Amy expect to have their place paid off in just the next few years. They said it has taken time to get used to life in a house this little.

"You kind of have to keep the things that are important to you or that you actually use," said Garner.

"There's no space to accumulate stuff, which actually makes it great," McCarthy said.

At Stratford-based homebuilder Craft & Sprout, co-owners Ken and Tori Pond are betting big on the tiny house movement. 

"We have a lot of young people, millennials coming in and we actually have retirees that have bought from us as well," said Ken Pond.

The Ponds currently have a tiny home for sale which measures 24 feet long, 8.5 feet wide and 13 feet, 4 inches tall. It has about 300 square feet of living space.

"We have a full working bathroom with a 32 inch by 32 inch shower," said Ken Pond, who also pointed out the home's gas stove, hot water, air conditioning system and a farmer's sink.

The sales price is between $50,000 to $75,000, depending on finishes selected.

Tiny homes that have been constructed on wheels fall into the “Camp Trailer” category and are registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

John and Amy do not pay municipal property taxes. Instead, they pay a private landowner who's agreed to be their landlord.

"They're not considered a structure, which is sort of the foundation of local land use regulation," said John Guszkowski of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association. Guszkowski said that the flexibility of a tiny home on wheels can come with a catch. Where you can park it - and for how long - is not really clear; at least not yet.

Meanwhile, a tiny home on a foundation would fall under the same building codes as a typical residential home. The Office of the State Building Inspector told NBC Connecticut Investigates that the agency is in the process of adopting codes specific to tiny houses. The amendment to the residential building code would derived from Appendix Q of the 2018 International Residential Code. If approved, the new code requirements would be effective in October 2020, according to Joseph Cassidy, the State Building Inspector. 

A town's zoning rules would have to allow for a tiny home to be built in the first place.

"Every town in Connecticut, all 169 municipalities, do it differently," said Guszkowski. Step one, he said, would be to go to the municipal planning and zoning offices in the town in question.

At the Connecticut Realtors Association, some believe tiny homes could help with our state's lack of affordable housing. They say it is time for cities and towns to look at writing the rules so the state can be a part of a trend already taking off in other parts of the country.

"Connecticut does not have the zoning to accommodate this and they need to start considering that," said Joel Grossman of the Connecticut Realtors Association.

President Donald Trump ratcheted up his defenses on Thursday, likening those who provided information to the whistleblower to spies, according to reports, and tweeting that "our country is at stake" on the day the complaint against the president was made public.

Trump, according to multiple media outlets, told a private group at a midtown hotel Thursday morning that the people who gave information to the whistleblower were "close to a spy," and said the U.S. should "handle" them like it did "in the old days" — a veiled reference to execution.

A U.S. official with knowledge of Trump’s remarks at the event told NBC News Trump also ripped the press as "scum."

There’s a plot of land in the Plantsville area of Southington that is well known to locals because of the animals that used to live there. Tragedy has changed all that.

Daniel True posted a sign on his property that says: “Attention: Whoever dumped apples in my pen choked 3 of my goats. Always ask owner before dumping. No animals will be here till Spring/Summer 2020.”

“So I came home from New York, find three of them gone, and it was very heartbreaking for me even digging the hole at night. It was very heartbreaking for me. My emotions were turning,” said True.

He said people folks were constantly visiting his pen to soak in the sweetness of his animals.

“The kids ain’t got nowhere to go, so they like coming here even the mothers with the strollers they’re five deep on Sundays,” he said.

But, they won’t be seeing animals in his yard again for quite some time after three of them died.

“They dumped the apples in there, but they failed to cut them in half. With animals, even big cows, you have to cut them in half or they choke to death.”

He said he moved the goats that didn’t pass away from the apples to a farm in New York.

Locals like Beverly Clark said life isn’t the same without these neighbors.

“It was enjoyable. I watched them run up and jump.”

She lives right next to the pen.

“I was very sad when he took those (the goats) out, but if people don’t have the brains not to dump their garbage in somebody else’s yard I wouldn’t like that either.”

True said he isn’t reporting the incident to police.

“I can’t really condemn the people because they didn’t know any better. They were probably trying to help them. Let’s feed them, let’s give ‘em some apples.”

But he said it’s a reminder to folks to think before you feed.

“They meant well but they went the wrong way about it. You’ve always got to ask before you dump on somebody’s land no matter what it is.”

True said he won’t bring any animals back until the spring or summer of 2020. In the meantime, he said he plans to fix up the pen area.