A parked car was crushed by a tractor trailer in East Haven on Saturday.
The incident happened at 450 Main Street at around 2:30 p.m.
Firefighters said the occupant of the car had just exited before the car was hit.
No injuries have been reported.
President Donald Trump faces a formal impeachment inquiry led in the Democratic-controlled House after he asked the newly elected Ukrainian president to investigate one of his chief political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden led the Obama administration's diplomacy in Ukraine while his son, Hunter, was on the board of directors of a gas company.
Trump says his own behavior was appropriate. His critics say he had withheld military aid to Ukraine while he pressured its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on the Bidens. A whistleblower's complaint now before the Congress accuses Trump of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election." It further alleges that the White House engaged in a cover-up by hiding a transcript of the conversation on a computer server meant only for highly classified information.
Here are some of the affair's main characters as fast-moving developments unfold.
The Whistleblower
The still anonymous whistleblower is a CIA employee who was detailed to the White House, information that was first reported by The New York Times. He wrote a formal complaint addressed to Congress and dated Aug. 12 in which he accused the president of using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 election, by investigating one of his main political rivals, among other things. Trump has since released a memo of a call that he had with Ukraine's newly elected president on July 25 during which he did ask for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and Biden's son, Hunter.
The whistleblower further alleges that senior White House officials had intervened to "lock down" all records of the phone call, by loading the transcript into an electronic system otherwise used to store especially sensitive classified information.
He wrote that he was not a direct witness to most of the events that he described but received information from more than a half a dozen U.S. officials during the course of his official duties.
Lawyers for the whistleblower, who have signaled that their client is wiling to testify before Congress, have objected to publishing any identifying details saying it will place the professional in a more dangerous situation.
The New York Times reported that he first brought his concerns about a potential abuse of power anonymously to the CIA's top lawyer, who shared them with White House and Justice Department officials. The whistle-blower complaint, filed about the same time, was delayed in transmission to Congress as the acting director of national intelligence resolved issues of executive privilege.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s Personal Attorney
The one-time mayor of New York City who has been acting as Trump's personal attorney is at the center of attempts to push Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Bidens.
At times on his own and in other instances consulting with U.S. government officials, Giuliani has met with Ukrainians to press for information that would help Trump in his re-election bid. Trump began urging the newly elected president of Ukraine to work with Giuliani on "corruption" in his first congratulatory phone call in April, according to The New York Times. It also reported that Trump has been focused on Ukraine since it released information about cash payments that were damaging to Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Giuliani, meanwhile, has been making regular appearances on Fox News, shouting at his detractors to shut up and calling them morons and insisting that the State Department had asked him to meet with the Ukrainians.
“It is impossible that the whistle-blower is a hero and I’m not. And I will be the hero. These morons—when this is over, I will be the hero,” Giuliani told a writer for The Atlantic.
When Pence was dispatched to Poland on Sept. 1 to fill in for Trump, he met with Zelenskiy and afterward told reporters that he had not discussed Biden with the Ukrainian president.
But when asked whether he could assure Ukraine that the delay in military assistance was unrelated to efforts to dig up dirt on the Biden family, he did not answer directly and referred to "great concerns about issues of corruption."
Trump himself urged reporters to review Pence's interactions with Zelenskiy, even as he insisted neither he nor his vice president had done nothing wrong.
"And I think you should ask for Vice President Pence's conversation because he had a couple conversations too," Trump said during a news conference at the United Nations on Sept. 25.
Pence's name arose in a footnote in the whistleblower's complaint: The vice president was instructed to cancel his planned trip to Ukraine for the new president's inauguration and Energy Secretary Rick Perry attended instead. It was "made clear" that the president did not want to meet with Zelenskiy until he saw how he "chose to act."
Barr’s name appears at the beginning of the whistleblower’s report accusing Trump of seeking foreign interference in the 2020 election. “Attorney General Barr appears to be involved as well,” the report says.
Trump raised Barr’s name in his July 25 conversation with the Ukrainian president, first to say he would like Barr to call Zelenskiy or his people over “a server.” Trump appeared to be referring to an unsubstantiated story that Ukraine had some involvement in the emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. (Barr is overseeing a review of the intelligence community’s decision to begin an investigation into the Trump 2016 campaign for which the Department of Justice is interested in talking to Ukrainians.) During the phone call, Trump again brought up the attorney general when he urged an investigation into the Bidens. In a statement, the Department of Justice said that Barr was first notified of the phone call several weeks after it took place “when the Department of Justice learned of a potential referral.”
DOJ spokesperson Mollie Timmons added: "The President has not spoken with the Attorney General about having Ukraine investigate anything relating to former Vice President Biden or his son. The President has not asked the Attorney General to contact Ukraine – on this or any other matter. The Attorney General has not communicated with Ukraine – on this or any other subject. Nor has the Attorney General discussed this matter, or anything relating to Ukraine, with Rudy Giuliani."
House Speaker Pelosi said she thought Barr has "gone rogue."
Volker, a special envoy with the State Department, met with Zelenskiy along with the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, on July 26, the day after the phone call during which Trump asked for an investigation into the Biden family. Volker and Sondland, according to the whistleblower's report, “reportedly provided advice to the Ukrainian leadership about how to 'navigate' the demands that the President had made of Mr. Zelenskyy". Giuliani has been displaying a text message that he said he had received on July 19 from Volker that reads: "Mr. Mayor -- really enjoyed breakfast this morning. As discussed, connecting you here with Andrey Yermak, who is very close to President Zelensky. I suggest we schedule a call together on Monday -- maybe 10am or 11am Washington time? Kurt.”
The State Department has acknowledged that Volker was who put Giuliani in touch with Ukrainian officials. He was brought in by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to help Ukraine resolve its conflict with Russia-sponsored separatists. Volker, the head of the John McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, resigned from the part-time, unpaid position on Sept. 27, a day after the whistleblower report became public. Arizona State’s student newspaper was the first to report his resignation.
Marie Yovanovitch, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
Yovanovitch is a career diplomat who was abruptly recalled from her post as the ambassador to Ukraine. At the time, the State Department said she was ending her departure a few months early, but during Trump’s phone call with the newly elected president of Ukraine, Trump called her “bad news” and said that she was “going to go through some things.” Her supporters say she was a respected diplomat pressing anti-corruption measures who ran up against some in the Ukrainian government. The Associated Press reported that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo initially resisted the push to recall her early. She previously served as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. Congressional committees plan to depose her and four other State Department officials about the whistleblower's complain, the AP reported.
Rep. Adam Schiff, Chairman, House Intelligence Committee
Schiff, a Democrat from California, heads the Intelligence Committee, which has been directed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take the lead on the impeachment inquiry into Trump, based on his dealings with the Ukraine president. A former assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles who has been a persistent critic of the president, Schiff was blasted by conservatives for parodying Trump’s phone conversation with Zelenskiy during a hearing at which Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, appeared. But Schiff was praised for his questioning and his knowledge of national security. The Intelligence Committee is one of six in the House that is investigating Trump under the umbrella of the impeachment inquiry. His was the committee that released the declassified whistleblower complaint and letter from the Intelligence Community Inspector General. Trump routinely mocks Schiff on Twitter.
Maguire, a retired three-star admiral and former Navy SEAL, became the acting director of national intelligence in August and was immediately thrust into decisions over how to handle an explosive, what he called "unprecedented," whistleblower report that accused the president of abusing his power of office to solicit foreign interference into the 2020 election. Maguire tried to navigate between supporting the whistleblower and defending his delay in turning over the report to Congress as called for by the intelligence whistleblower law. Maguire testified before the House Intelligence Committee that he first needed the White House to resolve issues of executive privilege because the accusation involved Trump on a call with the president of Ukraine. Democrats were critical of his decision to turn to the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel's Office. He refused to say whether he had discussed the whistleblower complaint with Trump.
Traffic has gone down to one lane on Route 195 in Mansfield after an accident Saturday night.
Life Star has been called to the scene.
No additional information was immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
ShopRite in West Hartford announced it will officially close its doors after operating for nearly a decade.
The ShopRite store on Kane Street will close permanently just before Thanksgiving.
ShopRite managers said a "challenging business climate" has made it a struggle to make the store profitable.
Among the challenges for the company were rising costs, regulations and the new minimum wage increase, according to a Wakefern Food Corporation spokeswoman.
The store will officially close its doors on Nov. 26.
While state health officials suggest folks avoid outdoor activities from dusk to dawn because of the threat of EEE, many families and friends enjoyed Saturday evening at the Durham Fair.
While the fair doesn’t have an attendance count yet, a spokesperson tells us the crowds are definitely bigger than last year.
Fair organizers tell us they took the extra step of spraying the fairground perimeter because of community concern.
Fairgoers we spoke to took proper precautions from pesky mosquitoes like layering up and wearing bug spray.
“It was a thought. Absolutely. Hopefully we’re safe, we haven’t seen one,” said Sara Anderson, referring to mosquitoes. “We come up here every year. We love it, the kids love it. We have a blast.”
Many families and friends looking forward to this long weekend to make new memories at the largest agricultural fair in the state….Even if they were interested in different activities on the grounds.
“The first time he brought me here, I watched three hours of demolition derby, not realizing that the fair was closing. I never got to see anything, but demolition derby so I said, ‘we’re coming back,’” Kathy Wynn, of Branford, said.
This is the 100th year of the Durham Fair.
Not long after Kathy and Jim Machir retired nine years ago, they left San Diego for San Miguel de Allende, a Mexican town famous for its colonial architecture, bustling art scene, mild climate and low cost of living.
It has long been a magnet for American retirees, and more than 1,000 U.S. expats now call it home, NBC News reports.
The Machirs sold their house in the U.S. and used the proceeds to begin building a new house in San Miguel de Allende.
But their retirement dream turned into a nightmare in December 2018 when they suddenly found themselves unable to pay their contractors.
Their story may send a chill down the spines of the more than 1 million other U.S. citizens, many of them retirees, who live in Mexico. The life savings they had entrusted to their local banker of more than six years had all but disappeared.
NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen, an almost seven-year veteran of the force, was shot and killed during an arrest in the Bronx early Sunday morning.
Mulkeen, 33, was on patrol at the Edenwald Houses on east 229th Street around 12:30 a.m. when he and two other officers stopped a man for questioning.
The man fled, and during an attempt to stop him a struggle ensued, the NYPD said. Mulkeen can be heard on a body camera yelling multiple times the suspect was "reaching for it." Footage from the camera shows the suspect reaching into his waistband for what was later identified as a .32 caliber revolver.
Mulkeen was shot three times. Authorities said it appears his gun was the one that went off, and that the suspect's gun was not fired during the struggle. The NYPD said it is still unclear who actually fired Mulkeen's weapon.
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Five officers then opened fire, hitting the suspect, a 27-year-old man with a record of narcotics and burglary convictions. Police had not identified the suspect as of early Sunday morning. He died at the scene.
Mulkeen was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he later died.
"Brian made a choice, an incredibly noble choice" to leave a lucrative civilian career for the NYPD, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference at the hospital.
Mulkeen, a resident of Yorktown Heights, leaves behind a girlfriend who is also an NYPD officer.
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To help keep you informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit five stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.
Elderly Woman Killed
Stamford police are investigating the death of a 93-year-old woman found in her Cove Road home on Wednesday. Officers found Isabella Mehner at the bottom of her basement stairs. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. For more on the woman's death, click here.
Water Worries
Two juveniles were arrested after police say they vandalized a pump house that supplies water to hundreds of homes in Ledyard. A warning was sent to residents in the Gales Ferry section of town to not drink the water earlier this week. The water was tested and deemed safe to drink. See more on the incident and arrests here.
Dulos Warned
A judge warned Fotis Dulos this week to keep the battery charged on the GPS tracking device he is wearing as part of his bail agreement. Dulos was in court after probation officials said he was allowing the battery on the device to drain. The judge warned Dulos his bail could be revoked if he fails to keep the device properly charged. Dulos is out on bond after being charged with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution connected to the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer. For more on what the judge told Dulos, click here.
How Dare You!
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered a scathing message to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week. "We'll be watching you," Thunberg said. She excoriated world leaders for having "stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words." President Trump and others mocked Thunberg after her speech went viral. See how Thunberg responded to President Trump here.
Don't Feed The Goats
Three goats on a Southington farm are dead after they choked on apples that someone dumped into their pen. The goats were popular with local families, who would come to see the animals. The farmer put up a sign warning people not to feed the animals without checking with him first. He says he won't bring any animals back until the spring or summer of 2020. For more on what the farmer had to say about his goats, click here.
Dozens of families are displaced and multiple people were taken to the hospital after an apartment fire in Hartford early Sunday morning.
Firefighters were called to the apartment building on Collins Street shortly before 4 a.m. after getting a report of a fire.
Crews knocked down the fire in less than 30 minutes. They said found heavy CO2 levels on the fourth floor, where the fire was.
The fire was contained to the apartment of origin, firefighters said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Four people were taken to the hospital including one firefighter, authorities said. The firefighter is being treated for what experts called minor issues.
According to fire officials, while trying to extinguish the fire, a stand pipe failed and caused flooding in the building. The flooding also caused extensive electrical issues and damage to the dry wall.
Hartford Fire Department Deputy Chief Reginald Freeman said the building will likely be condemned due to water damage and other conditions.
According to officials, there were 54 apartments in the building and it was heavily occupied. Residents are being processed for emergency shelter at Pope Park Rec Center by Health and Human Services of Hartford. The American Red Cross is also assisting. City officials will take in people who need medication.
After this fire, fire officials remind people about the importance of renter's insurance. A majority of the people who lived in the apartment did not have renter's insurance, according to Freeman. They will have to pay out of pocket for things they don't get from the American Red Cross.
There’s a bit of mid-summer like heat and a fall chill on the way for the week ahead.
NBC Connecticut First Alert meteorologists are expecting a big change in the jet stream by the end of the week allowing colder air to move in by the week’s end.
A strong area of high pressure that continues to bake the south with 90s will push warmth our way on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wednesday, our high temperatures are expected to reach the middle to upper 80s. There’s a chance some towns could get close to 90 degrees.
A strong cold front brings us showers on Wednesday night and a wind shift to the north and east ushering in much colder air. Highs may struggle into the 60s on Thursday and Friday. some towns will not get out of the 50s. That is a temperature drop of 20 to 25 degrees.
The cold front is expected to linger close by, which also means the cooler temperatures will be accompanied by a chance for rain and showers Thursday into Friday.
You can get the latest forecast anytime here.
A Palatine, Illinois man was charged with terrorism, a class X felony Sunday after allegedly driving through Woodfield Mall earlier this month, authorities said.
Schaumburg police said 22-year-old Javier Garcia was charged with terrorism and criminal damage to property.
He appeared in court Sunday where a judge ordered a mandatory no bail for Garcia, stating that mall damages were around $100,000.
"Based on nature of this case I do find you pose a threat to the community,” the judge said.
A search warrant on Garcia's phone revealed he searched the mall about 124 times and a total of 21 searches came up regarding one of his former teachers, however it remained unclear if that detail was connected to the incident at Woodfield Mall.
Although a motive has yet to be determined, police said they have no reason to believe Garcia was targeting any specific person or store.
A black SUV crashed through an entrance near Sears and Rainforest Cafe on Friday, Sept. 20, and proceeded to wreak havoc throughout the shopping center.
The driver was detained by shoppers before officers arrived to arrest him, police said, and was later taken to AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute. Garcia was released from AMITA on Friday and transferred to the custody of Schaumburg Police, authorities said.
No one was struck by the car, but three people were taken to a hospital for “very minor” injuries, Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf said.
Garcia has had no prior arrests nor a criminal background, however it seems he does suffer from mental illness, according to authorities.
A state terrorism charge carries a 20-life sentence if convicted.
Garcia is expected to return to court on Oct. 1.
Silver Alerts have been issued for a pair of young siblings who were reported missing from Milford.
State police said 1-year-old Grace Cake and her brother 7-year-old James Cake have been missing since Friday.
Grace and James are known to be traveling with their mother, Whitney Young, authorities said. She is their custodial parent.
They all may be in a grey 2014 Subaru Legacy with a Connecticut license plate of 186SJN. Police believe they may possibly be heading towards Arizona.
According to state police, Grace has brown hair and brown eyes. She is 1'0" and weighs 30 pounds. James has brown hair and brown eyes. He is 4'0" and weighs 70 pounds.
Police do not have description of the clothing the children were wearing when they were last seen.
If you have any information or if you find Grace or James, you're urged to contact Milford Police Department at (203) 878-6551.
The University of Connecticut has changed the time for next weekend's football game against USF due to Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) concerns.
School officials said the game on Saturday, October 5, was originally scheduled for begin at 7 p.m. and will now begin at 12 p.m. at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
"The 12 p.m. kick on October 5 will ensure that UConn fans, student-athletes and staff are outdoors during the hours of the day that see low mosquito activity. Additional game time changes, if necessary, will be announced at a later date," school officials said in a release.
The school said they are changing the time of the game as a safety precaution after getting guidance from the state Department of Public Health.
“Though the risk is low, as a precaution, we want to take any reasonable steps we can to help reduce the exposure of student-athletes, staff and the public to this illness. I want to thank the conference, USF and our own division of athletics for their flexibility,” said UConn President Thomas Katsouleas.
EEE is transmitted through mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are most active beginning at dusk through the night until dawn. The university said they recommend recommends all outdoor activities and events scheduled to take place between dusk and dawn be rescheduled to another time during the day, if possible.
Two people have died in Connecticut from EEE this season and the virus has been found in more than a dozen towns statewide.
What started as a memorial run for East Hartford police officer Paul Buchanan six years ago, is now a tradition that’s making a difference for first responders struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder across the state.
“We wanted to find a way to remember him and also to share and bring awareness to suicide prevention and PTSD,” said Trish Buchanan, who founded the Believe 208 Run for the Brave and Finest in memory of her husband. Paul Buchanan died by suicide in 2013.
Trish said all of the funds raised at the race go to the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement.
“We have peer support trainings, we have weekend retreats, any type of resources or anything that our officers, first responders, corrections officers or their families need, we’ve been able to help them,” Trish said.
Trish’s son, Jared Buchanan, said the show of support at this race year after year has helped him heal after his father’s death.
“I just hope that by us being here we can really show other people struggling and those who have just lost people that it’s O.K. and you’ll do alright and carry on,” said Jared.
“We had two officers in the past two years commit suicide,” said Marie Cetti, a K9 police officer in Bridgeport, who was one of the runners this morning. Cetti ran in honor of the men she calls her “brothers.”
“It’s very hard to deal with something like this when you see them on a daily basis and not know that anything is wrong,” Cetti explained.
One of her friends was Sgt. Mark Belinkie, a 19 year veteran who lost his life to suicide last march.
“Seven months ago, he took his own life. I am now all alone, a husbandless wife,” said Belinkie’s wife through tears. Her emotional words before the race reminded everyone why they were there. “Those like my beloved mark will not disappear.”
The state recently passed a law to cover work-related PTSD for police and firefighters. The Buchanan family said the work isn’t done until others like EMS workers and corrections officers are also supported.
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials are investigating after a hiker was injured by a black bear in the woods on Saturday.
EnCon police were called near Lake Zoar in Southbury after getting a report of an incident with a black bear.
Authorities said a man encountered a black bear while hiking in the woods and was knocked down by it. The man was able to safely getaway from the bear, which fled into the woods.
The 38-year-old Newtown man was taken to Danbury Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, experts said.
According to DEEP officials, EnCon Police conducted a search and could not find the bear. Wildlife biologists have set a trap in the area and are monitoring it.
If you observe a black bear from a distance, DEEP suggests you advertise your presence with noise or movement and walk away slowly. Never attempt to feed or attract black bears. It is exceptionally rare for a bear to attack once they have sensed a human.
Bears are typically attracted to garbage, pet food, compost piles, fruit trees and birdfeeders, according to DEEP. For a list of do's and don't on what to do when you encounter a bear, click here.
Elizabeth Warren was a professor at Harvard Law School, preparing barbecue and peach cobbler for a group of students expected at her home. The phone rang.
The owner of the faint voice on the other end of the line was well known, but they had never met. "Who?" Warren asked.
"Harry Reid," he replied. "Majority leader, U.S. Senate."
That was November 2008, when the economy was imploding, and Reid was offering her a spot on a new commission overseeing the Wall Street bailout Congress had just approved, NBC News reports. Would she take it? he asked.
Warren said yes right away and so began "When Harry met Liz," a political saga that continues to this day.
Reid's call set in motion a series of events that would lead to her inspiring the creation of a new federal agency, election to the Senate and an eventual run for the presidency, rising to the top of the Democratic field — with Reid as a powerful champion at key points along the way.
Superintendent of the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company Michael Maglaras has agreed to hold his position until early 2020 as the Board looks for a replacement.
President and CEO of CFSIC Steven Werbner announced Sunday that the Board's request to delay Maglara's departure was approved while the company continues their national search for a replacement.
"CSFIC is at a critical point in its development, and right now maintaining the continuity of our program is of vital importance," Werbner said in a statement.
CSFIC returned its 40th family to their home with a replaced foundation, according to a company spokesperson.
“We’ve already committed more than $35 million in foundation remediation and reimbursement,” Werbner said. “And with this latest tranche of funding, we’re going to able to help more homeowners in the days ahead.”
The Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners not to feed their dogs Performance Dog frozen raw pet food purchased after July 22, 2019, after a sample tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
In a statement, the FDA says two samples of raw pet food were collected during an inspection of Bravo Packing Inc. - the manufacturer of Performance Dog raw pet food.
They say both samples tested positive, but one of the samples had not been distributed yet.
This is the second time Bravo Packing Inc. has tested positive for pathogen contamination, the statement says.
According to the FDA, in September of last year, the manufacturer recalled the same raw pet food because it tested positive for Salmonella.
The Knights of Columbus, which was founded in New Haven 137 years ago, is giving back to the community they call home.
College members of the Knights of Columbus packed and handed out care packages to people in need around the New Haven Green.
Items included first aid supplies, socks, food and other basic itmes that really make a difference.
"Just to see their reaction, just to see that making a difference because we are helping them and you can just tell they're happy and they appreciate it," Knights of Columbus member Avery Murdock said.
