Quantcast
Channel: NBC Connecticut
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live

State Police Arrest Hamden Officer Who Opened Fire on Car in New Haven in April

0
0

State police have arrested Devin Eaton, a Hamden police officer who opened fire on a car in New Haven in April and charged him with one count of assault in the first degree and two counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree.

Early on the morning of April 16, Eaton and Yale police officer Terrance Pollock opened fire on a vehicle while investigating a robbery intersection of Dixwell Avenue and Argyle Street in New Haven while investigating reports of an attempted armed robbery of a newspaper delivery person outside the Go on Gas station/White Stone mini-mart on Arch Street in Hamden.

Both officers were placed on leave after the shooting.

A passenger in that vehicle, Stephanie Washington, was shot during in the incident. The arrest warrant for Easton

No weapon was found on the victims.

The arrest warrant for Eaton says he fired 13 shots toward the red Honda Accord that Washington was in and Pollock fired three shots.

Following the incident, state police released the video. While the Yale cruiser had a camera, it was not on and the officer did not turn on his body camera, state police said.

Limited video was released from the Hamden officer's camera because he turned it on after the shooting started, according to police.

Protesters rallied following the shooting, calling for the firing of both officers.

Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Trump Policy Puts Migrants in Danger in Mexico, Advocates Say

0
0

Constance Wannamaker wanted to scream and cry at the same time.

The Texas immigration attorney had just heard what should have been great news: Her client, a 21-year-old Guatemalan woman, was getting released from the El Paso Processing Center after weeks in detention.

But that’s just a sliver of the story.

When the asylum seeker first tried to come to the United States in April, she was returned to Mexico to await a hearing in the U.S. She crossed the border again in May but was later sent away once more to a dangerous city far from home.

While she was forced to shelter in Ciudad Juárez, a stranger broke into her hotel room and raped her, her lawyer said. After she was let back into the U.S. and detained, she discovered she was pregnant. And once immigration authorities found out, they decided to remove her from their care with almost no notice.

“They were just letting her go with nothing,” said Wannamaker, whose client did not want to speak to the press but gave Wannamaker permission to share her experience. “No money. Here’s the gate. Walk out of it.”

Stories like hers couldn’t have happened in years past because the framework that makes them possible didn’t exist. It all began when the Trump administration announced a program last December returning some migrants to Mexico while they wait for their U.S. immigration court hearings, instead of fighting their cases from here. Soon, the number of people subjected to the policy grew as implementation across the border expanded, and more and more migrants — many of them asylum seekers — found themselves in violent towns on the wrong side of the southern border.

Under the initiative, officially dubbed the Migrant Protection Protocols, U.S. Customs and Border Protection “just kind of dumps people back across the bridge, and then they have nowhere to go,” said Kennji Kizuka, a senior researcher and policy analyst for Human Rights First. The protocols are intended to apply only to non-Mexicans, which means the vast majority of those who have been affected are foreigners in a land that’s already dangerous enough for natives.

Migrants are stranded in unknown places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, which were ranked among the five most violent cities in the world last year by the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice.

They’re also dropped off in Matamaros and Nuevo Laredo — part of Tamaulipas, where the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council warns Americans not to travel because of crime. In Matamaros, OSAC says, “violent crime, such as murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault, is common.”

And yet the Department of Homeland Security still insists on its website that sending migrants to those towns instead of keeping them in the U.S. “will help restore a safe and orderly immigration process… and reduce threats to life, national security, and public safety, while ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the protections they need.”

CBP and DHS did not respond to requests for comment on this article. 

Under MPP, the Trump administration has sent more than 51,000 people in legal limbo back to the frontier, according to CBS News. Since the policy was implemented, Human Rights First has tallied 353 reports of rape, torture, kidnapping and other violent attacks against individuals who have been returned to Mexico — and that’s just the incidents that have been made public. Kizuka presumes there are many more he and his colleagues haven’t heard about.

“MPP injected a whole new large population of potential victims into each of these border communities,” said Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

Mexico is an especially dangerous country for women. Recent protests have highlighted murders, sexual assaults and kidnappings that all contribute to the country’s reputation for gender-based violence, and in 2018, Mexico had one of the highest numbers of documented gender-based killings in Latin America.

Meanwhile, migrants are targeted by local gangs and organized crime groups because they’re in transit and don’t know the lay of the land, Selee said. “They’re easy prey,” he warned.

As both a woman and a migrant, Wannamaker’s client was already in jeopardy. But she is also a lesbian — a factor for which her attorney suggested the U.S. government failed to screen — and because of her sexuality, she could have been exempted from the program. “Individuals from vulnerable populations may be excluded on a case-by-case basis,” according to DHS, though in practice, advocates on the ground indicate there’s little rhyme or reason to those determinations.

Pregnant women have often been returned to Mexico — as have 16,000 kids, almost 500 of them infants, according to Reuters. Earlier this month, 12 asylum seekers — including nine LGBTQ+ people and one deaf, non-verbal migrant — requested exemptions from the program after facing harassment and physical assault by other migrants, residents and cartel members in Matamoros. For most of them, it wasn’t the first time asking for CBP to exercise discretion.

Their requests were all denied. They were sent back to Mexico, where they had allegedly been punched, slapped and called slurs, according to Zenén Jaimes Pérez, whose organization Texas Civil Rights Project represents them. These seemingly arbitrary decisions have inspired scrutiny by advocates and attorneys over who is vulnerable in the eyes of this administration.

Unlike many of the migrants in MPP, who travel between the U.S. and Mexico for multiple hearings, Wannamaker’s client was removed from the program and detained in Texas after her first hearing. But at that point, the damage had been done. Her reported rape in Ciudad Juárez and subsequent pregnancy were a direct result of the protocols; there was no other reason for her to visit Mexico at the time of the assault.

“She wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for MPP,” said Wannamaker.

Even now, the fact that she has been released doesn’t mean she’s free. She’s only allowed to leave detention for the time being and hasn’t been granted asylum, so she could still eventually be deported to Guatemala.

As migrants like her shoulder the burden of changing policy, more asylum seekers are on their way — and it’s unlikely anything will stop them. William C. Silverman, who leads law firm Proskauer’s global pro-bono efforts, visited Mexico City and surrounding shelters in May to advise people traveling north about what would happen to them once they reached the U.S.-Mexico border. Some of them told him about the violence they had already faced in Mexico during their trip, including robberies and abduction.

Still, it didn’t matter what he told anyone: Nothing could make them turn around. “They just didn’t seem persuaded by how difficult it would be because of the terrible conditions they were fleeing,” Silverman said.

He warned them that there was a good chance they would be sent back to Mexico after they arrived at the border. But not even being stranded there — where some of them had already been victimized — could change their minds.

“This may reduce the number of people crossing the border in the U.S., but it doesn’t reduce the human tragedy that’s unfolding,” Silverman said. “There’s no policy that’s cruel enough to disincentivize certain people from Central America to make the journey north.”



Photo Credit: PAUL RATJE/AFP/Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Dating App Meeting Ends in Robbery in Hamden

0
0

Hamden police are trying to identify the two people who robbed a man when he showed up to meet a woman he’d met through a dating app. 

Police said the robbery happened just before midnight Saturday at Dixwell Avenue and North Street. 

The victim, a 30-year-old Hamden men, had “organized a meeting” with a female, using a “dating app” and two men, one of whom had a gun, approached him and demanded his belongings, police said. 

The victim was hit in the back of the head with the firearm and his wallet, money, credit cards and cell phone were stolen. 

One man appeared to be between 18 and 22. He is thin, around 6-foot-1. 

The other appeared to be around the same age. He is thin and around 5-feet-9. Both men wore bandanas covering their mouths. 

Hamden police are investigating. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Largest Indoor Theme Park in Hemisphere Opens in NJ Friday

0
0

Hope you've got some cash on hand -- especially if you've got young kids. 

The long-delayed and highly-anticipated American Dream mall at the Meadowlands kicks off its grand opening later this week -- and though the behemoth project is slated to roll out in phases, the first one is a doozy. 

First up with Friday's grand opening -- the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, which is expected to be the Western Hemisphere’s largest indoor theme park. It will feature roller coasters -- The Shredder, Nickelodeon’s Skyline Scream and the 122-foot plunge Shellraiser. The park will host more than 35 rides and attractions -- with character favorites like SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on hand to greet eager patrons -- and even live entertainment on the Nickelodeon Slime Stage.

General tickets for the Nickelodeon park are $39.99, but you can get an all-access ticket for $10 more -- and kids under 2 are free. 

Aside from the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, The Rink at American Dream, a National Hockey League-size ice rink, will also open Oct. 25.

The Rink is a NHL-regulation size ice rink that will be the site for numerous family-friendly activities, including open skating, figure skating and hockey tournaments.

More fun happens in late November, when DreamWorks Water Park will open, allowing for visitors to immerse themselves in Madagascar’s Rain Forest, Shrek’s Swamp and the Kung Fu Panda Zone within North America’s largest indoor water park. The water park will feature more than 40 water slides and 15 attractions including SurfRiders and a lazy river.

The enormous water park will also have a 1.5-acre wave pool and the world’s tallest indoor body slide.

A week later, on Dec. 5, the indoor ski and snowboard slopes at Big SNOW will debut, allowing visitors to ski and snowboard 365 days a year at North America’s only indoor real-snow park. Private lessons, coaching and kid’s camps are available.

But what about the shopping, you ask? The mall's more than 350 shops won't open until March of next year, but it sounds like that part will be worth the wait. Internationally renowned luxury houses including Hermès, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent and Moncler will call American Dream Home.

Iconic American specialty retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co., plus the world’s largest fast-fashion favorites, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo and Primark along with unexpected emerging designers, art galleries and more are also set to open up at American Dream.

There will also be more than 100 carefully curated dining destinations. Ultimately, you're looking at 3 million square feet of retail space. 

Merlin Entertainments’ SEA LIFE Aquarium and LEGOLAND Discovery Center, CMX Luxury Movie Theater, Kidzania, a 300-foot-tall Observation Wheel, as well as other entertainment, will also be a part of the megamall.

It's a highly anticipated opening for a project that has been plagued by financial problems since the first contract was awarded in 2003. The immense structure, once called "the ugliest damn building in New Jersey" by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie, has sat unfinished between MetLife Stadium and the New Jersey Turnpike for years.



Photo Credit: AP

2019 Halloween Events Across Connecticut

0
0

Bridgeport

Beardsley Zoo will hold BOO at the Zoo on Sunday, Oct. 27, from noon to 3 p.m. It will include goodies, story-time, and activities, along with harvest hayrides and seasonal enjoyments for the whole family. One child under 12 in costume and accompanied by a paying adult gets in to the Zoo for free. Additional children in costume will receive a discounted admission of $6. Regular adult admission (ages 12 and older) is $16, children (ages 3 -11) is $13, senior admission (62 and older) is $12, and children under 3 years old are free.  Zoo members are also admitted free.

Bristol

Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce. It is a 45-minute walk-through experience of haunted houses and scenes, ranging from a bloody slaughterhouse to an overrun zombie hospital. The event runs every weekend through Nov. 2. Lake Compounce is located at 822 Lake Avenue in Bristol. 

East Granby

 The Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine is hosting several Halloween events. 

Oct. 12 and 19, historically haunted evening, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be a beer tasting from local brewer Cambridge House Brew Pub, live music, and costumed reenactors bringing New-Gate’s darker stories to life. Price: $15 per person, plus $5 for the beer tasting, for those 21+ only. Learn more here.

Oct. 26, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Happy Halloween at Old New-Gate: East Granby Night. East Granby Night is free for East Granby residents, and will cost $5 for non-residents. Tickets available at the door only--no advance tickets will be sold. Dress warmly. Limited mine access. Learn more here.

East Hampton

Pumpkintown U.S.A. is a "non-scary" event that runs through Oct. 31. Visit Pumpkintown Village and take a mile-long hay ride to glimpse more than 30 Pumpkinheads. Pumpkintown U.S.A. is located at Paul’s andSandy’s Too: 93 E High St. in East Hampton.

East Windsor

Rails to the Darkside runs Fridays and Saturdays until Oct. 26 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, at 58 North Road in East Windsor.

Pumpkin Patch at the Connecticut Trolley Museum is a family-fun outting. Ride on a trolley to the pumpkin field and each child can pick out a free pumpkin then decorate it at the museum.

Glastonbury

Oct. 27, Trunk or Treating at Glastonbury's Academy Field Parking Lot (2143 Main Street) from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Volunteers decorate their vehicle trunks with Halloween decorations and themed set-ups. Trick or treaters walk from car to car, collecting goodies at each stop. 

Hamden

Oct. 27: Hamden Police are holding a truck or treat between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the south parking lot of Hamden High School, 2040 Dixwell Ave. Gates will open at 2:45 p.m. Pre-registration is required and will end on Oct. 23 or when spots fill up. The event is free and open only to Hamden residents. Get the application here. 

Hartford 

Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours, at the Mark Twain House. You will hear creepy tales and learn about Mark Twain's interest in the supernatural. Tours run at 6 p.m., 7 p.m,, 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. The Mark Twain House & Museum is located at 351 Farmington Ave.

A mini film festival, called “Spooky Popcorn” will bring free outdoor horror movie screenings to Constitution Plaza from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m each night. 

Oct. 22: Lost Boys
Oct. 23: Poltergeist
Oct. 24: The Ring
Oct. 24: The original 1989 version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.
Children aged 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs. Light refreshments will be available for purchase.

A mini film festival, called “Spooky Popcorn” will bring free outdoor horror movie screenings to Constitution Plaza from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m each night. Children aged 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs. Light refreshments will be available for purchase.

Films:

  • Oct. 22: Lost Boys
  • Oct. 23: Poltergeist
  • Oct. 24: The Ring
  • Oct. 24: The original 1989 version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.

Kent

The Town of Kent will be holding is annual "Halloween Thriller Flash Mob" on Halloween night.  The festivities begin at 6 p.m.  Kids can trick or treat at stores on Main Street.  At 7 p.m., students from the South Kent School will perform Michael Jackson's "Thriller" while dressed in their preppy zombie costumes.

Mystic

Nov. 1, Nov. 2: Spooky Nature Trail at Danielson Pequotsepos Nature Center. Take a self-guided tour with weird and wild animals, glowing jack-o-lanterns and creatures of all kinds. There are spooky-themed crafts and games for children. The nature center is located at 109 Pequotsepos Road in Mystic.

Nautical Nightmares at Mystic Seaport Museum runs from Oct. 11 to 27. The inspiration for this year's event is "Wake of the Banshee." Mystic Seaport Museum is located at 75 Greenmanville Ave. in Mystic.

Seaside Shadows haunted history tours has a Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll, the Mystic Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll and a Halloween Weekend Burial Ground Paranormal Investigation. Learn more here. The company also sells a "Twice the Fear, Twice the Fun package," which includes a ticket to the ghost tour in Mystic and a pass for the Dark Manor Haunted House in Norwich. 

New Milford

The Haunted Trail at Harrybrooke Park is held last two weekends in October, October 18-19 and 25-26, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at HarrybrookePark.org. Harrybrooke Park and Harden House Museum is located at 100 Still River Drive in New Milford. 

Norwalk

Haunted: Victorian Ghost Stories, at Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum, runs weekends from Oct. 18 to 27. Tours will focus on ghost sightings related to the house during the 19th century as well as its more recent history, and the ghost stories that are part of Connecticut’s legends, according to the website. Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum is located at 295 West Ave. in Norwalk.

Norwich

The Dark Manor Haunted House includes three attractions - The Dark Manor, The Graveyard, and The Catacombs totaling 25 rooms, corridors, and a labyrinth of passageways. To get to The Dark Manor, take exit 18 off Interstate 395, in Norwich. 

Shelton

Legends of Fear, Fairview Tree Farm. Take a haunted hayride and visit the Hallow, which includes five frightening attractions - Melon Head Revenge Trail, Hemlock Manor Mortuary, Pine Hills Parish, The dark Harvest and The Funhouse of Fear. Learn more about the attractions here. Fairview Tree Farm is located at 2 Saw Mill City Road in Shelton.

Southington

Oct. 26 -- Halloween Festival at the Southington Drive-In, 2 p.m. This family event includes haunted hayrides, pony and horse rides, a petting zoo, touch-a-truck, pumpkin painting and face painting. Trunk or treating at 5 p.m. and a Disney's "COCO" on the big screen, followed by the 1976 classic "Carrie." Cost: $20 a carload for Southington residents and $25 a carload for non-Southington residents. Drivers will be allowed to exit and enter the drive-in in between movies. Food trucks will be on site for food purchase. Southington Drive-In is located at 995 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike in Southington.

Evidence of Evil Haunted Attraction, 240 Spring St. Crystal Bees is located at 240 Spring St. in Southington. 

South Windsor

Nightmare Acres continues through Nov. 9.  It's located at Nomads Outdoor Adventure, 240 Governors Highway. 

Stratford

Fright Haven is open all Halloween season and there are three new attractions, Psycho Ward 13, Cabin in the Woods and Carnival of Lost Souls. Doors open at 7 p.m. Fright Haven is located at 411 Barnum Ave. Cutoff in Stratford.

Uncasville

Mohegan Sun is hosting several Halloween events between Oct. 25 and Oct. 31. Learn more here. Mohegan Sun is located at 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard in Uncasville.

Wallingford

Trail of Terror is open on weekends through the weekend of Oct. 25-27. It's located at 60 N. Plains Highway in Wallingford.

Westport

Oct. 29: Annual Children’s Halloween Parade. Children and parents will meet at Main Street and Post Road East at 3:30 p.m. This event is for all children, especially those 8 and under. The parade will proceed up Main Street, turn right onto Avery Place, then turn left on Myrtle Ave to Town Hall and Veterans Green. Children may trick-or-treat along Main Street and in Town Hall. Entertainment, refreshments and a small gift will be provided on Veterans Green across from Town Hall at 4 p.m. In case of inclement weather, all festivities will take place in Town Hall at 3:30 p.m. Call (203) 341-5073 for updates on weather cancellations. 



Photo Credit: StoryBlocks

Pedestrian Struck in Westport Has serious Injuries

0
0

A pedestrian has serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Westport on Monday afternoon. 

Police said it appears that a vehicle struck a male who was walking on Bulkley Avenue North at North Sasco Common at 12:05 p.m. The pedestrian sustained serious injuries and was transported to Norwalk Hospital. 

Members of the Westport Police Department are investigating, and Bulkley Avenue North is closed to all traffic between Fairport Road and Brook Lane. 

Police said North Sasco Common will be completely inaccessible to all vehicles until the investigation is complete and the roadway is fully re-opened to all traffic. 

The closure will be in place for the next several hours and traffic officers are assisting motorists to find alternate routes around the incident. 

Police said the driver remained at the scene to speak with the responding officers. 

Anyone who witnessed a pedestrian walking on Bulkley Avenue North around 11:40 a.m. should call the Westport Police Department’s detective bureau at (203) 341-6080 or the Westport Police Department at (203) 341-6000. 

Additional details will be released as they become known. An advisory message will also be sent out when all affected roads are again open to vehicular traffic. 

Police Attempt to ID Woman Accused of Stealing Packages From Meriden Doorstep

0
0

Meriden police are attempting to identify a woman who is accused of stealing packages from the doorstep of a home on Friday.

Officers said the woman stole two Amazon packages from the doorstep of a home on Harkness Drive around 4 p.m.

The woman entered a newer model black SUV that was waiting in the road in front of the home, according to authorities.

In a photo provided by police, the woman can be seen wearing yellow or orange-colored pants with a blue shirt, sneakers and sunglasses.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Officer Holden at (203) 630-6345.



Photo Credit: Meriden Police

Police Respond to Report of 6,000-Pound Safe on Person in Glastonbury

0
0

Police responded to a home on Hebron Avenue in Glastonbury after receiving a report of a 6,000-pound safe on a person and said the person is now free and being transported to Hartford Hospital.

No additional information was immediately available. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Police Investigating Death of Pedestrian in Berlin Release Photos of Pickup

0
0

Police in Berlin are trying to identify the driver who struck and killed a woman as she was walking alongside New Britain Road last week and they have released photos of the pickup they believe was involved.

Authorities said 58-year-old Janine Wiktor was struck and killed around 10:40pm Wednesday, Oct. 16 and the driver didn’t stop.

Berlin police said they received a call in the thick of the storm last week about debris on the road, but determined that Wiktor had been struck and killed by a car while she was walking on the side of the road, pushing a shopping cart.

NBC Connecticut spoke off camera with Wiktor’s brother, who hopes police can find whoever did this, so his family can have some closure.

On Monday, police released photos of a pickup and said it went through the parking lot of McDonald’s at 185 New Britain Road.

They said damage on the vehicle would most likely be to the passenger side front end.



Photo Credit: Berlin Police

House Dems Zero in on 'Abuse of Power' in Impeachment Probe

0
0

House Democrats are zeroing in on a framework for their impeachment case against President Donald Trump that will center on a simple “abuse of power” narrative involving the president's actions regarding Ukraine, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.

As Democrats continue closed-door depositions with critical witnesses and prepare to move to the next phase of public hearings, they are wrestling over which elements and evidence to bring in, and which to leave out, NBC News reported.

The goal is to explain to the public the reasoning and relevance of any eventual impeachment charges.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

State Releases School By School Vaccination Data for Kindergarten

0
0

The state Department of Public Health has released the 2018-2019 school-reported kindergarten student immunization data for all Connecticut schools that have more than 30 kindergarten students. 

The department says there are now 134 Connecticut schools where the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate for kindergarten students falls below the federally recommended guideline of 95 percent. See the kindergarten numbers  

Here are the seventh-grade numbers. 

The immunization rate data show a 31.1 percent increase in the number of schools that fell below the 95 percent kindergarten MMR vaccination rate guideline, according to the department.

There are 47 schools that were below the 95 percent threshold in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. 

The overall statewide number of religious exemptions to vaccination increased by 25 percent between the two school years, from 2 percent to 2.5 percent, which as previously reported, represents the largest single year increase in religious exemptions for vaccination since the DPH started tracking the statewide data a decade ago.

The department of health says the national rate for non-medical exemptions for kindergarteners was 2.2 percent, placing Connecticut above the national rate by 0.3 percent. 



Photo Credit: Storyblocks.com

Man Accused of Breaking into Hamden Business Twice in 2 Days

0
0

Hamden police are trying to identify a man who is accused of breaking into the same business twice in two days.

Officers were called to Snack Plus on Putnam Avenue on Friday and Saturday after getting reports of burglaries.

Authorities said during the burglary on Friday, a man threw a rock through the side window of the business and an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the cash register.

Police believe the same man forcibly entered Snack Plus again on Saturday. The front window was smashed prior to entry, according to officers, and money was taken from the cash register again.

Investigators describe the man as having "close cropped dark hair." He was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Mark Sheppard at (203) 230-4047.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police

Trump Blames 'Phony Emoluments Clause' for Scrapped G-7 Plan

0
0

President Donald Trump on Monday defended his original decision to host the 2020 G-7 summit of world leaders at his private resort in Miami, blaming what he called the "phony" emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution for his abrupt reversal, NBC News reported.

"You people with this phony emoluments clause," Trump told reporters at the White House during a Cabinet meeting, referring to the section of the Constitution that prohibits government officials from accepting payments and gifts from foreign governments.

Trump on Monday continued to offer an extensive defense of his Miami resort, telling reporters, “It would've been the greatest G-7 ever."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Plan B Restaurant to Open in Former Bertucci's in Southington in 2020

0
0

A Plan B restaurant is coming to Southington early next year.

The restaurant plans to open its newest location at 20 Spring Street in the old Bertucci's building.

Renovations and construction are underway and restaurant officials hope to open the restaurant in February 2020.

Plan B will begin hiring for 50 to 60 new jobs to fully staff the restaurant.

“We’re proud to offer high quality food with approachable pricing that compliments the current offerings in the Southington area. Our award-winning burgers are what we’re really known for and that starts with using only the best ingredients,” said co-founder of Locals 8 Restaurant Group Shawn Skehan in a release.

Plan B is a burger bar with nine locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia and D.C. The restaurant said they feature all-American craft beer, artisanal bourbon and burgers.

The Southington location will mark Plan B's tenth restaurant.

Lawmakers Seek to Have Hidden Vaping Products Banned

0
0

Smoking in the bathroom. It’s been a high school problem for generations. Now though, it’s vaping and students have found new ways to hide it.

Hidden vaping products, designed to disguise vaping devices as everyday items, are becoming more prevalent and lawmakers want them banned.

“These camouflaged, disguised devices have one purpose, to conceal addiction,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, during a Monday news conference calling on the FDA to take action.

Hidden in plain sight, vaping devices, appear as everyday items. An online search reveals a variety of devices, including pens, thumb drives, phone cases, backpacks and sweatshirts.

“We have this industry that’s been created just to do what teenagers love to do most, hide things from their parents and teachers,” said Barbara Walsh, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Supervisor of Tobacco Control Program.

On the front line are Connnecticut’s high schools. The Connecticut Department of Public Health says the E-cigarette use rate among High School kids doubled between 2015 and 2017, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Like many schools, Middletown’s Xavier High School is being proactive, trying to control this growing issue. They’ve had multiple presentations, educating students. Still vaping exist and th school needs to be on the lookout.

Dave Eustis is Xavier’s headmaster and says it was brought to his attention, there are devices that look almost identical to smart watches.

“It looks like a normal watch. The face comes off and now the device is on the face and they can smoke or inhale from that,” he said.

Lawmakers and health officials say these items are directly marketed at children and school administrators agree.

“If they’re making all these devices up, they’re marketing to kids so the kids can hide them and get away with it,” says Xavier Dean of Students, Nick Cerreta. “If you’re an adult you’re not using these types of devices.”

On Monday, health officials from around the state joined Sentator Blumenthal denouncing vaping and the drug it delivers.

“Nicotine is highly addictive. Similar to heroin and cocaine, and this drug is effectively delivered to our children in every puff of vape that they take,” said Dr. Melanie Collins, a lung specialist at CCMC.

Blumenthal called on the FDA to ban these devices and says it has the immediate authority to do so.

“Under the ‘deeming rule’ it can ban flavors, it can ban these devices. It has the authority,” said Blumenthal, referencing a regulation making it illegal to sell e-cigarettes to anyone under 18 years old.

Eustis says he would support Blumenthal’s proposed ban.

“We worked so hard for so many years to get cigarettes out of our buildings and now we’re dealing with this, so any help we can get from the government to get these out of the hands of children is only positive,” he said.


Video Appears to Show Construction at Newington Gym Without Proper Safety Measures

0
0

NBC Connecticut received new video that appears to show construction being done at the Big Sky gym in Newington without the proper safety measures.

Last month, NBC Connecticut spoke with a retired Hartford firefighter who was kicked out of the gym after notifying town officials of what he believed was were construction safety hazards for him and others members.

Now another gym member, who wants to remain anonymous, shared a video they said they took last week of another concerning incident at the same gym.

“It’s very short but it shows a lot,” Mark Walsh, who was a firefighter for 20 years, told NBC Connecticut on Monday.

“They haven’t taken any measures to keep anybody safe,” Walsh added. “I saw that Big Sky and the contractors have continued on to behave in dangerous activities while the place is in operation.”

NBC Connecticut followed up with Newington Fire Marshal and Chief Chris Schroeder Monday who said he saw this video himself and 20 minutes later sent a deputy marshal to inspect the scene. Schroeder said they didn’t find any safety issues when they arrived.

“When you’re generating sparks, and you’re indoors, you could have a fire,” explained Milton Jacobs, who is the President of Safety Solution Consultants, Inc. out of East Granby.

Jacobs said fire isn’t the only concern when there’s what’s referred to as “hot work” being done in an open space.

“There could be concrete, there could be metal, and those chips—there are flying chards that could also hit the public and that could result in liability,” Jacobs added.

Jacobs said facilities have to have an adequate safety plan and permit in place with the contractor doing the work to ensure that provisions set by the Operational Safety and Health Administration are met. We do not know if there was an adequate safety plan or permit in place as the gym did not respond to our request for comment.

This includes having an additional person on watch making sure nothing catches fire, and segregating the area where the work is being done with some sort of barricade or temporary wall.

“Most of the larger and more experienced contractors that do commercial work understand that there’s liability that exists when you don’t segregate your work area from the public, and so they atomically take these,” said Jacobs.

Back in September, the local OSHA office told us they were citing Big Sky for violations, but couldn’t release details until owners were notified.

On Monday, the administration’s same Hartford office said they have not done any inspections at Big Sky nor cited the gym for any violations in the past.

“I reached out to them several times in phone calls and emails, and they’re very satisfied with the work they’ve done so far,” said Walsh of OSHA and Newington town officials.

NBC Connecticut reached out to the owner of Big Sky and Newington’s town manager’s office Monday, and has not heard back yet. Gym management elected not to comment when this issue was brought to its attention in September.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Dog Abandoned in Cage in Enfield is Put Down

0
0

A dog that was found abandoned in a cage in Enfield last month has been put down.

The male German shepherd was found on September 14, 2019, in a cage down an embankment, according to police. He appeared to be healthy and was wearing a blue collar with a black clasp.

After the dog was taken to a licensed veterinarian, a health and beavior assessment determined he was overly aggressive and beyond the tolerance level that was considered acceptable for a potential adoption, police said.

"When a licensed veterinarian determines that a dog is injured or diseased and that they are unlikely to recover, the dog is to be humanely euthanized," officers said in a Facebook post.

The dog was euthanized in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, police said.

"This was a professional decision made on the responsibility not only to our community, but to the animal, who based on his behavior had led a difficult life at the hands of someone who clearly does not share our love of animals, authorities continued in a Facebook post.

Officers continue to investigate the incident.



Photo Credit: Enfield Police

EnCon Police Release Names of Wesleyan Students Involved in Boating Accident in Hebron

0
0

EnCon Police have released the names of the Wesleyan students who were involved in a boating accident on Amston Lake in Hebron over the weekend.

Authorities said 19-year-old Nabiha Syed, of Elmont, New York, and 18-year-old Roshaan Siddiqui, of Chicago, are currently admitted to Hartford Hospital. On Monday, officials from Wesleyan said two students remain hospitalized and one of them is in intensive care.

Zainab Mubalsher, 19, of Aldie, Virginia, was treated at Middlesex Marlborough Clinic and has since been released, police said.

Another woman, later identified as 19-year-old Nadya Jaunbocus, of Port Louis, Maritius, refused medical attention, officers added. It is unclear if she is also a Wesleyan student.

A spokesperson for EnCon Police previously said three teens were rescued from the water during a canoe accident on Saturday. A 19-year-old woman was in the water for an unknown time and was flown to Hartford Hospital, where she remains in intensive care. Investigators said she was unresponsive on the way to the hospital.

"We’re still on the early ends of this investigation and we have several different conflicting reports that we’re working through," EnCon Police Captain Eric Lundin said.

Wesleyan University released a statement on Sunday.

"We have been in touch with the families, are providing support for the students involved, and assisting authorities investigating the incident. The health and safety of our students is paramount, and we are all hoping for the student’s recovery," the school said in part.

The incident remains under investigation.

Bulletproof Vest, Loaded Magazines, Ammo Stolen From State of Conn. Vehicle

0
0

Investigators have been on the hunt for a bulletproof vest, loaded magazines and dozens of rounds of ammo stolen from a police officer’s vehicle at his home in Avon.

The officer works for the state gaming division, under the Connecticut Department Of Consumer Protection.

NBC Connecticut Investigates found details of the theft in a report released by state auditors.

Each month auditors share a monthly loss report that shares any time the state loses money by theft, employee error, or inventory mistakes.

Auditors said a bulletproof vest, two loaded Glock magazines, 100 additional rounds of ammo and more were all taken from a state vehicle during the overnight hours of August 21, 2019, in Avon.

Auditors cited a town of Avon police report that said officer James Jepsen, who works for the state Department Of Consumer Protection’s Gaming Division, is not sure when it happened overnight, and did not hear anything suspicious. He told the Avon investigators he thought he locked his vehicle, but was not 100 percent sure.

"We are concerned by this incident, and want to thank the Avon Police for their response and support. We know that there is always more that can be done to keep state property secure, and our staff members safe. We are currently working on reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure they are as robust as possible," the DCP told NBC Connecticut Investigates.

At one point, the DCP gaming officer thought someone had stolen a winning $10,000 lottery ticket from a case he was investigating that was in a briefcase that was also taken from his vehicle, but the ticket was later found at his office.

He has not faced any discipline from the agency.

Avon Police have not responded to our requests for comment on the theft.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Democrats Kill GOP Effort to Censure Rep. Schiff

0
0

Republicans failed to force a vote on the House floor on Monday evening on a resolution that would have censured House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for his handling of the impeachment inquiry. 

Democrats, who control the chamber, killed the GOP effort after House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered a motion to table the measure. The motion was adopted in a 218-185 vote, NBC News reported.

Schiff tweeted minutes after the vote, "It will be said of House Republicans, When they found they lacked the courage to confront the most dangerous and unethical president in American history, They consoled themselves by attacking those who did."



Photo Credit: Getty Images
Viewing all 57608 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images