Preliminary tests indicate a 5-year-old Bronx boy who was evaluated for Ebola after developing a fever following a trip to West Africa does not have the deadly virus, health officials say.

The boy, who had returned to the U.S. from Guinea 36 hours ago, was transported to Bellevue Hospital Center from his family's Bronx home Sunday night after experiencing symptoms, sources familiar with the situation said. The hospital said in a statement the child did not appear feverish when first examined, but developed a temperature Monday morning. He was tested for Ebola out of an abundance of caution given his recent travel history and symptoms.

On a conference call Monday afternoon, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden said the boy's "pattern of illness is not what we would expect to see in someone who has Ebola."

Samples will be sent to CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, for confirmation.

Bellevue was designated as the city’s go-to medical center for possible Ebola cases and is where Craig Spencer, the first New Yorker diagnosed with the disease, is being treated. Spencer contracted the virus while on an Ebola assignment for Doctors Without Borders in Guinea.

Health officials said Spencer was showing signs of improvement Sunday, a day after entering the next phase of the illness: the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. To combat his symptoms, the doctor received a plasma transfusion from the second American Ebola patient Nancy Writebol on Saturday, which he tolerated well, said Health and Hospitals Corp. President Dr. Ram Raju.

Because Spencer was diagnosed with the virus in its early stages, it was expected that his condition would deteriorate at first.

"People tend to get worse before they get better," said Dr. Mary Bassett, the commissioner of the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "So he remains in stable condition but we are aware that this is the natural course of this disease."

Spencer's fiancee and two friends who spent time with him before he got sick remain asymptomatic, de Blasio said.

On the heels of Spencer's diagnosis, Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie announced Friday that any health care workers who treated Ebola patients in West Africa would be required to be quarantined for 21 days. A nurse returning from Sierra Leone Friday was the first person quarantined under the new policy and denounced the way she was treated, saying she was made to feel like a criminal. The nurse, who tested negative for Ebola, is being discharged from the hospital Monday.

Amid criticism, Gov. Cuomo clarified the details of New York's mandatory quarantine Sunday, saying in a briefing with Mayor de Blasio that anyone who has had exposure to Ebola-infected patients but shows no symptoms will be asked to remain in their homes, not a hospital, for the 21-day period.

Health care workers will then visit the home unannounced twice a day to check their symptoms. Accommodations will be found for any health care worker without a place to stay.

Travelers returning from Ebola-stricken countries who did not have contact with a person infected with the virus and are asymptomatic would be handled on a case-by-case basis, the governor said.

At a minimum, health care workers would still visit their homes twice a day, but they wouldn't necessarily be confined to their homes for the virus' three-week incubation period.
"Some people will say we're being too cautious," Cuomo said. "I'll take that criticism because that's better than the alternative."

The governor added that employers would be contacted if the 21-day quarantine became an issue and that the state was looking to extend benefits to health care workers in these cases. The state will also pay for any lost wages if they are not paid by a volunteer organization.

Cuomo said health care workers will still be encouraged to help in West Africa, but that there must be a balance between the need for aid and the protection and public health of New Yorkers.

Health officials say the chances of the average New Yorker contracting Ebola are extremely slim. Ebola is spread by directly touching the bodily fluids of an infected person. It can't be contracted simply by being near someone who has Ebola, and the disease can only be spread by people who are extremely sick.
 

Interstate 95 North has reopened after being closed for several hours due to a tractor trailer fire.

The road was closed between Exits 76-81 around 7:30 p.m.

Police say traffic was being detoured to Interstate 395 North to Rt 85 South.

More information was not immediately available.

Check back for updates.
 

The US Coast Guard says they have located an overdue kayaker who left from Branford Sunday morning.

A coast guard official says that the kayaker, described as a 27-year-old male, left from Stony Creek around 11:30 a.m. for a day of fishing. He was expected back by sunset, but never returned.

Branford fire officials say the search began when a relative reported the kayaker missing around 8:15 p.m. A volunteer firefighters found an object in the water that helped them narrow the search area. Rescuers also used Verizon towers to "ping" the victim's cell phone.

He was located around 9:30 p.m. by the north side of Rogers Island. His boat was overturned, but after an EMS evaluation it was determined he was in good health and he went home.

An Atlantic City woman will face charges after she allegedly threw her 1-month-old daughter into a bay and then jumped in the water.

Atlantic City Police received a call shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday after a group of fishermen standing near the Flagship Hotel on North Maine Avenue spotted a woman with a baby acting "unusual" near the inlet at Pacific Avenue.

"We saw the lady walking to the rocks with the baby," said Jose Matos. "So my nephew asked her where she was going with the baby. She didn't say anything and just kept walking."

According to the fishermen, the woman, later identified as 24-year-old Patricia Shurig, threw the infant into the bay and jumped in as well.

Two fishermen, Luis Ortiz of Egg Harbor Township, and Seth Perkins of Galloway Township, jumped into the water and managed to rescue the woman and her child.

"I said, 'I'm gonna go in for you but you can't panic and don't try to grab me,'" Ortiz said. "That's it. And I went in after her."

Thomas Bell, a retired Atlantic City firefighter who happened to be on the jetty at the time, performed CPR on the unresponsive infant and was able to revive her.

"The lady handed me the baby," Bell said. "I did two mouth breathes and turned her over and patted her on the back. She spit up a lot of water. Then I just ran down the jetty and gave her to the EMS people."

Both Shurig and her daughter, who investigators said was born last month, were taken to AtlantiCare. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.

Ortiz was in tears as he reflected on the rescue.

"Why?" Ortiz asked. "What was going through that lady's mind to put herself and her child in danger like that?"

Shurig will be charged with aggravated assault with additional charges pending. She will be held on $100,000 bail.

Orange police are warning residents to secure their homes after a forced entry burglary on Friday.

Police say an elderly resident of Hyland Terrace reported she was watching television in her bedroom when a male in a black hooded sweatshirt walked in and took her jewelry box off her dresser. The TV was the only light in the room, but she described the burglar as 5’10” and about 200 pounds. There was no interaction between the suspect and the resident.

Police responded and found that a window in the sunroom and the door to the interior of the home had both been pried open. The Seymour Police Department responded with a canine and tried to track the suspect. Officers canvassed the neighborhood Friday and spoke with neighbors on Saturday. No one is in custody at this time.

Police remind residents to leave an exterior light on and lock all doors and windows before going to bed. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call police at 203-891-2138.
 

For the second time in less than three weeks, armed robbers targeted the same McDonald's in northwest Miami-Dade.

Men donning Halloween masks burst into the fast-food restaurant near the Miami-Dade College North Campus around 6 a.m. Sunday morning.

"They just busted right in," restaurant patron Ashly Mulherin said. "Jumped over the counter, kicked the door on the other side and they were in."

Customers ordering breakfast were caught by surprise as a trio of masked men stormed inside.

"It was just crazy," said customer Jimmy Moran. "Just all of a sudden ran in there and just told everybody to get down."

Police are trying to figure out if this robbery is connected to the previous hold up three weeks ago, where a pair of robbers demanded money as a pregnant customer stood at the counter.

As the men rushed to make their escape, they may have left behind a critical clue.

"They tried to run out the side and they couldn't," Moran said. "They dropped a bullet along the way."

Police are urging anyone with information to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

Manchester police are investigating after a man was stabbed in a Foster Street home Sunday night.

Police say they responded to 32 Foster St. around 6:30 p.m. There they found a man suffering from stab wounds. He was transported to an area hospital. The extent of his injuries is unclear at this time.

Check back for updates.
 

Friends and family came together Sunday to celebrate the life of a Bristol mother killed in a murder suicide this summer. They want the mother of three to be remembered for how she lived, not how she died.

“She knew early on that she wanted nothing more than to be a mother and she was a great one,” Ryng’s sister-in-law Melissa Armento said. “She read all the books preparing to be a mom and she did an incredible job with the time that she had with us.”

In June, Kyla Ryng was murdered by her husband, who then killed himself. Her children were at home at the time, but not physically hurt. The children are now staying with their grandmother.

“We’re all grieving, and we’re all still mourning. But they’re doing really well,” Armento said.

But Sunday’s event at the Swedish Social Club in Bristol was about celebrating, on the day that would have been Ryng’s 28th birthday. October is also domestic violence month, so attendees wore purple to raise awareness.

The event was a fundraiser for Kyla’s Kids Fund, which was set up so that Whitney, 4, Brody, 3, and Lincoln, 1, can live the life that their mother wanted for them.

"Everybody is going to be driving a car one day," Armento explained. "Everybody is hopefully going to college and hopefully everybody is going to get married one day. So we have a big future ahead of us."

For more information and future events, click here.
 

A Pennsylvania food company over the weekend issued a recall of more than 31,000 pounds of chicken products that may contain a toxin.

The recalled products are Bell & Evans gluten free chicken breast nuggets (12 ounces) and Bell & Evans gluten free chicken breast (10.5 ounces), according to a press release from the Department of Agriculture.

The chicken products have Aug. 9, 2015, expiration dates. They were shipped to stores across the U.S.

The food may be contaminated with Staphylococcal bacteria, which may cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

The reported contamination was discovered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture during a retail surveillance and sampling program.

Pomperaug Regional High School students have been evacuated to the gym after a mercury spill at the Southbury school Monday morning.

A student has been transported to the hospital as a precaution after a thermometer the student brought to school broke.

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection are on scene cleaning up the mess and state police are assisting them with the hazardous material situation.

The students are being kept in the gym during the clean-up, not outside the building as initially announced.

Check back for updates.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush still "has not made a decision" about whether he'll run for president in 2016, a spokesperson said after the GOP politician's son seemed to suggest over the weekend that a bid is likely.

"Governor Bush has not yet made a decision on whether or not he will run in 2016. He will thoughtfully consider it following the mid-term elections, and make a decision late this year or in the early part of next year," Bush's spokesperson, Kristy Campbell, told NBC News.

But in an interview with ABC News' John Karl, son George P. Bush said his father is " still assessing it."

"I think it's -- it's more than likely that he's giving this a serious thought and moving -- and moving forward," George P. Bush said.

"More than likely that he'll run?" Karl asked.

"That he'll run. If you had asked me a few years back, I -- I would have said it was less likely," the younger Bush responded.

In an interview with Fox earlier this month, former President George W. Bush said he thinks his brother "wants to be president."

"Yes, I think he wants to be president," he said. "I think he'd be a great president. He understands what it's like to be president -- for not only the person running or serving, plus family," he said.

Jeb Bush, 61, was Florida's governor from 1999 to 2007. He has been popping up in recent ads supporting current Florida Gov. Rick Scott in his re-election bid.

Authorities are investigating the crash that killed an 85-year-old woman who was having a heart attack on Route 3 in Cromwell on Monday morning.

According to police, Marta Quintana, of Middletown, was turning left across traffic from Route 3/Shunpike Road into the Cromwell Plaza shortly after 10 a.m. when she was suffered a heart attack and was struck by oncoming traffic.

Police said the airbags went off in both cars, which were heavily damaged. Both drivers were taken to Middlesex Hospital, where Quintana later died.

"Whether it was her operation, whether it was a possible medical health issue... all this will be looked into by the investigative squad," explained Cromwell police Chief Anthony Salvatore.

Route 3 was closed for hours at the intersection of Route 372 while police investigated and worked to clear the scene. Police said the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

The other driver, a 22-year-old man, suffered minor injuries, according to police.

It's the second Cromwell crash to claim the life of an elderly driver in just days. A 70-year-old man died in a fiery crash in the parking lot of a McDonald's down the street Saturday morning.

The Newington school district has received threats from what the superintendent called  "national extremist groups" in light of a decision to cancel Halloween costume parades at some district schools.

But Newington by no means canceled Halloween altogether in its schools, Superintendent Williams Collins said in a letter to Ruth Chaffee and Anna Reynolds elementary school families. There were no initial district-wide policy changes or directives from his office about Halloween for fall activities that led to the costume parade cancellations, he said in the letter he published on the district's website.

After receiving numerous calls and emails from concerned parents and even some death threats, the district has examined the situation and clarified rules about Halloween in the schools moving forward, according to Collins.

Halloween costumes have been banned in the classrooms during the school day, but will be permitted for after school activities, Collins said. Students won't be allowed to wear masks that completely cover their faces, he said.

"It wasn’t until we began receiving threatening and hateful phone calls and emails from national extremist groups that I formed an opinion on the subject of Halloween costumes in our schools," Collins said in his letter. "When I began getting calls and emails from parents, I started an investigation into the factual details of what actually transpired."

The costume parades were initially eliminated after principals and building administrators discussed ways to establish consistent guidelines for inclusive fall activities, addressing issues like costume appropriateness and "guidelines for public schools regarding holidays," Collins wrote.

After further reviewing the issue, Collins clarified that "our schools will continue to recognize holidays (including Halloween) as an important part of our students' backgrounds and traditions," he wrote in the letter. Halloween and holiday decorations will continue to be allowed in the schools, but the district warns staff not to give students the impression that any particular religion or denomination is preferred, according to Collins.

"Halloween costumes do not have a place in school and cannot be worn during the school day," Collins wrote to parents. "Given the many issues, this is more appropriate as an after school activity."

While parent groups can continue to plan after-school events, students wearing any costumes should be easily identifiable "at all times" for security reasons, Collins said.

Collins said that the decision to cancel the Halloween parades ballooned on social media and in the news and that information conveying that the district canceled Halloween altogether was a misunderstanding. As a result, Collins said the district plans to "improve our communication strategies to avoid this misunderstanding from occurring again."

The Newington Public Schools district has four elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school.

An Amtrak train struck and killed a woman walking on the tracks Monday afternoon and has caused delays between New Haven and Bridgeport, according to a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The woman was trespassing when she was hit by a passing train at about 12:21 p.m., according to Aaron Donovan, MTA deputy director for external communications.

Trains between New Haven and Bridgeport are being held as police investigate. MTA doesn't expect that the accident will cause delays between Stamford and Grand Centeral Terminal in New York.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.

The National Transportation Safety Board is also holding a press conference Monday on the possible causes of five separate and unrelated Metro-North crashes between May of 2013 and March of 2014.

A Massachusetts man wanted for child rape and other charges is accused in half a dozen sexual assaults since police said he fled last month.

Gregory Lewis of Southbridge is now believed to be targeting escort services, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

Lewis was seen in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday night. Police believe he is heading east. He was initially arrested in Massachusetts back in August for statutory rape of a child under 14, ordered to stay under house arrest.

Since cutting his GPS ankle bracelet and fleeing the state on Sept. 15, police say, Lewis is suspected of committing six or more sexual assaults in different states.

Ten days after he allegedly fled, police say Lewis returned to Massachusetts, broke into his stepfather's home, tied him up and stole a gun.

Police in Denver announced earlier Sunday that Lewis was wanted in Colorado for sexual assault, kidnapping and arggravated robbery.

Officials in North Carolina said they believe Lewis kidnapped, robbed and assaulted a woman in Charlotte on Sept. 23.

Lewis is believed to have been in Denver earlier this month. Police say he was in Portland, Oregon, around Oct. 13. The next day, officials say he was in Boise, Idaho. On Oct. 17, according to police, he was in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suspect is described as a white male, 6'2", around 240 to 270 lbs, with brown hair and eyes. He has a tattoo on his chest of a hand holding a knife with a broken handcuff. Another tattoo from his left shoulder to his elbow is of a demonic female with colored eyes.

He may or may not have facial hair, as recent photos have depicted him both with and without it.

Lewis is believed to be traveling in the same blue 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the Massachusetts registration "85GF63." The SUV has fog lights and alloy rims.

Police say that the vehicle had stolen Idaho plates at one point, but those plates may have been replaced.

Law enforcement agencies have been told to be on the lookout for Lewis.

Lewis should be considered armed and dangerous. Police warn the public not to approach him and to call 911 immediately.

A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

A Branford man is facing charges after leading police on a car chase through New Haven and onto the highway, where he crashed, after officers caught him and a passenger smoking heroin in their car, according to police.

Police said 42-year-old Robert Salatto, who faced five outstanding arrest warrants, was sitting in a parked car outside East Rock Park in New Haven when the park was closing early Sunday evening and smoking heroin with passenger Amy Folland, 36, of New Haven.

Officers pulled up to Salatto's Mercedes to let him know it was time to leave the area when they noticed the drugs. Salatto tried to drive away as police approached and ended up ramming an officer's cruiser twice before driving off toward Hamden, according to police.

Authorities tried to intercept Salatto at the park gate but he took off onto Interstate 91 southbound and headed into the Fair Haven neighborhood. Police from New Haven and Hamden, along with state troopers, followed Salatto onto Interstate 95 northbound and into Branford, police said.

Officers watched him drive the wrong way onto the entrance ramp to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on I-95 north, where Salatto crashed and his Mercedes became wedged between the bridge barrier and an oncoming van.

No one was injured in the crash, police said.

Salatto "struggled and fought" with officers as they were taking him into custody, according to police. He was arrested and charged with a number of motor vehilce violations, drug offenses and assault on an officer.

Salatto's pasenger, Amy Folland, 36, of New Haven, was charged with possession of heroin.

The launch of a cargo spacecraft carrying supplies from Virginia to the International Space Station was scrapped moments before blast-off after a boat entered the launch area Monday night.

Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket was scheduled to launch at 6:45 p.m. to carry 5,000 pounds of "supplies and experiments" to the space station, according to NASA's Web site.

The rocket would have been visible from Connecticut about 210 seconds after launch.

Follow NASA's Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates on the mission.

We'll attempt to launch #Antares tomorrow at 6:22pm ET. Learn more about #Cygnus: http://t.co/6Bo6KBRWnG pic.twitter.com/jDLpmZ9rgN

— NASA (@NASA) October 27, 2014

Coaches, officers and broadcasters have enlisted in Men Against Domestic Violence over the past five years, and in a panel discussion at Central Connecticut State University, members met students involved in a new effort called College Athlete Peer Ambassadors.

"Men and women on this college campus aren't really sure what a healthy relationship is," explained Morgan Wallace, a women's lacrosse player. "Some things aren't OK. Like for me to repeatedly text you, 'Where are you? Where are you?' that would be a sign of an unhealthy relationship.

Both groups are supported by Interval House, a shelter for battered women, which has seen a surge in interest since former NFL star Ray Rice was caught on camera beating his wife.

Champion CCSU sprinter Jamal Fruster told the panel his mother had been a victim of domestic violence before he was born.

"I'm starting to realize the impact I can have, not just on my college but back in high school," he said. "People really do look up to us student-athletes and I think going forward we can have a very big impact."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal suggested the men's group's next steps might be engaging high school students.

NBC Connecticut anchor and Troubleshooter Brad Drazen suggested even younger students. But Interval House officials said many schools don't want to hear it.

"It's sad, isn't it?" said Rosemary Padin, the executive director. "A lot of time they think it has to do with sex education and they save that for certain grade levels."

Wal-Mart apologized Monday after a "Fat Girl Costumes" category on its online site sparked a media uproar.

Halloween shoppers searching for costumes noticed the "Fat Girl" section featuring items, which were very similar to the store's "Women's Plus Costumes" category, according to Jezebel.

The company apologized and removed the section from its website amid a backlash.

"This never should have been on our site," Wal-Mart said in a statement to news outlets and on Twitter. "It is unacceptable, and we apologize. We are working to remove it as soon as possible and ensure this never happens again."

Walmart has also been apologizing directly to angry tweets from customers. 

However, some shoppers did not find the selection title offensive.