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Car Hits Gas Pump in Torrington

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Route 4/Goshen Road has reopened in Torrington after a car struck a gas pump Monday afternoon, according to police.

Torrington police said the driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment of what appear to be minor injuries after the car hit a gas pump around 2:10 p.m.

Firefighters are at the scene but police said they don't believe any gas spilled in the crash. Gas company crews are responding to shut down the main gas line and check for damage.

Route 4 was closed for several hours between Riverside Avenue and Migeon Avenue while crews responded to the scene.


Connecticut's Last Dry Town No Longer?

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The town of Bridgewater will once again consider partially reversing its alcohol ban in the coming weeks, a move that would strip its status as the last dry town in Connecticut.

On Election Day, voters will check "yes" or "no" on a ballot to determine whether to permit alcohol sales in local restaurants and cafes, town officials said. Liquor stores are still not an option.

A "yes" vote would allow restaurants located in the sleepy town of 1,700 to sell alcohol between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the town.

It would also allow for the sale of alochol from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve.

Town leaders said the vote results from two local restaurants' requests to serve liquor.

Residents are divided on the issue. Some believe alcohol sales will "revitalize" the town, while others are concerned about the prospect of reckless behavior and car accidents, according to officials.

The question first arose last winter when Bridgewater faced the prospect of losing its only school and began searching for a way to breathe life back into the community.

Although the vote was originally scheduled for February, it was postponed in order to reexamine and comply with old "blue laws."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rocket Launch Aborted Over Boat Just Before Blast-Off

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The planned launch of a rocket from a NASA launchpad in Virginia was aborted at the last minute Monday night, over a possible boat nearby in the launch area.

But although the mission was aborted, skygazers in the Washington, D.C., area could still be in for quite a sight, as the International Space Station itself was passing overhead just a few minutes after the rocket had been slated to launch.

Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket had been supposed to launch its space gear-stuffed Cygnus capsule into space at 6:45 p.m. ET on Monday, en route to the International Space Station, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's eastern shore, becoming the biggest rocket to launch from the site.

Orbital had explained when watchers would be able to see the rocket soar into view with a handy map, showing how many seconds after blast-off they should expect to spot it. 

If you're unsure how to spot a rocket blasting off, the Washington Post advises looking for a glowing trail of light that makes an arc in the sky. Orbital released diagrams of the expected view from major sites and cities on its website.

Monday's launch had been supposed to kick off the third in a series of eight planned Orbital delivery missions to ferry crucial equipment and food to astronauts.

This one will also carry a trove of science experiments — including the Meteor, the first space-based system to observe meteors, and the Drain Brain, a special neck collar for astronauts to determine how their blood flows down to their hearts without gravity, Discovery News reported. The results could help researchers develop countermeasures for headaches in space, an ISS scientist told Discovery.



Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
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Scout Leader Sexually Assaulted Boys for 20 Years: Cops

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A Boy Scout troop leader from Thompson is facing charges after police say he sexually assaulted boys between the ages of 11 and 16 over a period of 20 years.

According to police, David Kress, 52, of Quaddick Road in Thompson, sexually assaulted scouts while leading Troop 66. Victims told police Kress sexually abused them at Boy Scout events at his home and "at locations where Kress was working."

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Kress following a 10-month investigation. He turned himself in the evening of Oct. 23 and was charged with three counts of employing minors in an obscene performance.

"The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands," Boy Scouts of America Communications Director Deron Smith said in a statement Monday. "Upon learning of these allegations we took immediate action to remove this individual and preclude him from any further participation in the Scouting program."

The Boy Scouts could not comment further except to say child safety is of the utmost importance and criminal background checks are conducted on all staff members.

Kress was released on a $100,000 bond and is due in court Nov. 5.

Information on an attorney for Kress was not immediately available.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Seek Rocky Hill Grocery Store Robber

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Police are searching for the man who robbed an Aldi's Grocery Store in Rocky Hill on Monday afternoon.

According to police, the robber walked into the store at 1863 Silas Deane Highway and approached the counter around 2:15 p.m. Oct. 27. He grabbed money from a cashier at the register and ran from the store.

Police said at least two people tried to stop him, to no avail. The store was evacuated and no one was injured.

Rocky Hill officers and and a state police K-9 tried to track the suspect but couldn't find him.

He's described as a man with dirty blond hair standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall. Police sai dhe was wearing a gray or blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is urged to call Rocky Hill police Det. Andrew O'Brien at 860-258-7640.



Photo Credit: Jessica Pitney

Teen Pulls Knife on Wesleyan University Students: Police

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A 19-year-old Massachusetts man is facing charges after pulling a knife on three other students on the Wesleyan University campus in Middletown early Saturday morning, according to police.

Police said Abdullahi Abdullahi, of Waltham, Massachusetts, took out a four-inch Smith and Wesson folding knife and threatened three students around 1:45 a.m. Saturday.

One of the students told police he or she was buying food from a truck at the intersection of Pine and Church streets when Abdullahi, who was also standing in line, started being "belligerent to the people working the food truck." 

Someone led Abdullahi away but he returned and grew angry, the student told police. He paced the area holding a knife and told students he was armed with two weapons and was going to "put holes" in their stomachs.

The student told Wesleyan Public Safety, who detained Abdullahi until Middletown police arrived. When officers approached Abdullahi to search him, Abdullahi asked "why" they wanted to pat him down and refused to cooperate, according to police.

He was handcuffed and taken into custody. Police said Abdullahi was at first drunk and belligerent. He was charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace.

Abdullahi is being held on $50,000 bond. His knife was seized as evidence.



Photo Credit: Peter Bond/Wesleyan University

Man and Woman Charged in 5 Simsbury Burglaries

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Police have arrested two people accused of breaking into homes in the southern section of Simsbury over a period of several months.

Keith Lauzier and Melissa Pistilli, both 27, have been charged in connection with five home burlgaries on Evans Drive, Climax Road, Fenwood Road and Muareen Drive, the first of which happened in July.

Police said burglars have targeted more than a dozen Simsbury homes and businesses since the summer.

They were each held on $135,000 bond and are due in court Oct. 28.



Photo Credit: Torrington Police Department

Live Hand Grenade Found in Torrington Basement

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Homes were evacuated in the area of Oak Avenue in Torrington after a resident cleaning the basement discovered a live hand grenade Monday evening, according to police at the scene.

Torrington police and fire officials were called to 436 Oak Avenue when a man renovating the basement of his two-family house came upon the ordnance.

Authorities evacuated residents in the area. Oak Avenue was closed in the area of Marvin Street while authorities responded to the scene.

A state police bomb squad identified the device as a live French or German hand grenade. Police said the squad planned to remove the grenade and conduct a controlled explosion in a safe place.

Police had left the scene by 7 p.m.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Road-Rage Shooting Kills Mom of 4

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A 30-year-old Oakland mother of four was shot dead on her way home from grocery shopping Sunday, in an attack that police say road rage may have triggered and that a neighbor says cost her family its heart.

Perla Avina's husband Mando Lopez was driving the two of them home from the grocery store around 12:30 p.m. when, police say, another driver shot her near her home after "some type of confrontation."

Neighbor Dwayne Jackson said he saw Lopez race up the driveway, putting pressure on his wife's face. Jackson called 911 and performed first aid, as Lopez cried out to Avina, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"I didn't see any signs of life," Jackson said. "There was no waking up."

Family members performed CPR on Avina. Police did, too. But it was too late. Avina, who said on her Facebook page she is originally from Los Angeles, was declared dead at the scene.

"It's a life-changing experience," Jackson said, to "help someone knowing I couldn't help them. I tried everything in my power."

Avina was "the heart of the family," Jackson said, and authorities told the Oakland Tribune she worked as a medical receptionist.

"She made the family work, with the kids, and school and working," Jackson added. "This could have been my family."

Oakland police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to whoever shot Avina, as she rode in the front passenger seat of a black 1998 Toyota Camry heading south on 98th Avenue.

"Road rage may have possibly occurred," police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said. "Road rage is extremely dangerous. In this case it turned deadly."

Watson gave few details on why investigators feel the deadly shooting is likely linked to road rage.

Police did not indicate that any of the four children, one of whom is as young as 18 months, were in the car and did not say where they were at the time of the shooting.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Oakland police Homicide Unit at (510) 238-3821 or Crime Stoppers of Oakland at (510) 777-8572.

NBC Bay Area photographer Henry Jerkins and Telemundo photographer Jose Luis Cosme and Lucero Benitez contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Oakland Police

Issues Arise in Switch From AT&T to Frontier Communications

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With help from a Communications Workers of America Union leader, Frontier Communications officials unveiled its corporate logo this morning on the wall of the New Haven office it took over from AT&T Connecticut.

The transition for AT&T U-verse customers to Frontier has had its "inevitable" issues, according to regional manager Ken Arndt.

"The vast majority of the services have worked flawlessly," he said. "We did have some instances where some channels ... as an example, Turner Classic Movies became the Movie Channel."

Frontier Communications posted on its Facebook page over the weekend that some customers in Connecticut could run into problems while trying to access high definition and standard definition channels, including NFL Redzone and Cartoon Network.

"We are still working through issues with the Frontier ON Demand Channel (Formerly AT&T On Demand," Frontier Communications posted on its Facebook page. "We know this is frustrating and apologize for these issues related to the conversion. We know this content is important to you and our team is working 24/7 to restore the [Video On Demand] library."

The company suggested that customers who run into problems unplug their cable boxes, plug them back in and reboot them after 10 seconds.

Arndt said the issues were being addressed. According to Frontier's Facebook page, the company has been working to rebuild thousands of videos deleted from the AT&T VOD library during the switch.

Complaints to NBC Connecticut included a message from John Molina of Rocky Hill.

"I run my business through AOL, and this is horrible," Molina wrote.

Frontier, which is headquartered in Stamford, makes Connecticut its 28th state.

Anyone experiencing problems can send Frontier an email with questions and concerns or call 1-800-921-8101.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

LifeStar Airlifting Mansfield Crash Victim

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LifeStar has been called to Windham Hospital to transfer someone hurt in a two-car collision in Mansfield on Monday evening, according to the helicopter service.

Emergency dispatchers said two cars crashed near the intersection of Mansfield Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road around 6:20 p.m. Monday. State police are also at the scene.

It's not clear how many people were hurt. At least one has been hospitalized.

No additional information was immediately available.

 

Crews Work to Repair Broken Water Main in Bridgeport

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A water main break has closed the intersection of Broad and State streets in Bridgeport Monday morning.

The water main break happened at about 2:30 a.m. at910 Broad Street and is "pretty big," according to Bridgeport police. The area is closed west of Lafayette Boulevard and traffic is being diverted around it.

Crews are on scene repairing the broken water line.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

28-Year-Old Man Dies in North Haven House Fire

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Fire officials have identified the man killed in a North Haven house fire early Monday.

Flames ripped through a house at 22 Helen Drive at 5:30 a.m., killing 28-year-old David Bujalski, according to North Haven fire officials.

Firefighters said the fire may have been burning for an hour before they arrived.

Emergency officials found Bujalski's body in the bedroom, where authorities believe the fire started.

Fire officials and North Haven First Selectman Michael J. Freda said Bujalski was the homeowner.

The state's fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Firefighters said at least some of the home's smoke detectors were working properly.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Hayride Tips, Hurts 3 at Ill. Farm

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A tractor used for hayrides tipped Monday afternoon at a popular pumpkin farm in southwest suburban Homer Glen, leaving three people with minor injuries.

The incident happened around 2:15 p.m. at Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm, in the 13300 block of West 151st Street.

Twelve people were on the hayride when a part came loose as the tractor went down an embankment, causing the vehicle to tip, police said. A 39-year-old man, a 3-year-old and the child's grandmother were transported to Silver Cross Hospital with minor injuries, police said. 

The tractor was pulling five hay racks when the fourth one detached and tipped, police said. None of the other racks were affected.

"The bed on the ride tilted and the people tumbled off the side," Bengston's co-owner Dave Bengtson said. "It was on an angle, and they tumbled off the side."

The 3-year-old suffered from bumps and bruises, and his grandmother had a stiff neck. The man suffered back pain. They were all transported to Silver Cross Hospital.

The other passengers refused medical treatment. 

"We've been doing this for 34 years, and we've never had this happen before," Bengtson said. "Unfortunately it's not a good day here for us."



Photo Credit: NBCChicago.com

Wallingford Car Break-Ins Could Be Linked to North Haven Spree

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Wallingford police are investigating a pair of car break-ins that happened over the weekend and were caught on camera.

Police said the thief targeted two cars on South Branford Road in Wallingford. Surveillance video captured the burglaries and the homeowner turned the video over to police.

Authorities are investigating to determine whether the Wallingford burglaries, which were reported on Sunday, are related to more than a dozen burglaries of unlocked cars in North Branford last week.

Anyone with information is urged to call Wallingford or North Branford police.



Photo Credit: Wallingford Police Department

2014 Travelers Championship Raises $1.56M for Charity

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Travelers announced Monday that this year's championship golf tournament generated more than $1.56 million for some 140 charities, the most money raised in a single year since the company began sponsoring the PGA Tour event in 2007.

The Travelers Championship has now collected more than $8 million in total. More than half of this year's contributions benefited health and wellness organizations, according to company officials.

Education and youth development, family and social services, military-related groups, the arts and animal welfare were also awarded donations.

"No other professional sports organizations gets to have a day like today where we stand back and say everything we made goes back to the community, and it's a day we like to celebrate," said tournament director Nathan Grube.

In addition to the tournament itself, the Travelers Championship supports other fundraising events such as the Birdies for Brave Golf Outing, sponsored by CohnReznick.

Next year's Travelers Championship will be held June 22-28, 2015. More information is available online.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

UConn Students Rethink Volunteer Plans Over Ebola

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UConn students planning to volunteer overseas in Africa are having second throughs in light of the Ebola outbreak.

Freshman Kelly Byrouty said she was looking forward to her trip to Tanzania at the end of the year, where she was hoping to participate in a volunteer program she'd heard about on campus.

"It's a program called GV where you build houses and help kids," said Byrouty.

But Byrouty isn't going. Even though Tanzania and is not affected by Ebola, Byrouty said her parents are erring on the side of caution.

Byrouty isn't the only one whose plans have changed.

"My best friend Perry, she applied; she got accepted, but her mom didn't let her go either. So we're kind of in the same boat," Byrouty explained.

UConn officials said the university's study abroad programs are not affiliated with areas affected by the Ebola outbreak.

A spokesperson for the university said officials have noticed a dip in applications to the Cape Town program this spring, but it's unclear whether those numbers are related to Ebola concerns.
 

Uniforms Could Soon Be Reality in Middletown Schools

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Middletown parents and teachers got together Monday evening to brainstorm the possibility of requiring students to wear school uniforms.

“There are a couple different things we are doing,” Middletown school Supt. Patricia Charles said ahead of the Monday night meeting at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. “We are having a discussion tonight, then we are going around to every school and having the conversation at every school so that everyone has the opportunity to be heard.”

Charles explained in a letter to parents posted to the town Web site there are pros and cons to both possible outcomes.

Parents and teachers said Monday night that uniforms could help take the focus off image and encourage students to spend more time on academics, creating an "even playing field" among children.

On the other hand, it's not clear what the uniforms would entail and if students would still personalize them in a way that defeated the purpose. On a handwritten pro and con list, one group noted that skirts and shorts "could still be too short."

School officials have planned a series of meetings to discuss the idea. The first was held in early October and the last is set for early 2015. Parents and community members who can’t make the meetings will also have the opportunity to share their ideas by filling out a survey.

Charles said the Board of Education will examine the data and take parents’ opinions into account. They plan to make a decision in the spring and notify parents right away so they have time to plan ahead of the new school year.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Bear Snacks on Pumpkin on Middletown Doorstep

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Halloween isn't just for humans.

A giant black bear got a head start on Halloween and went trick-or-treating in Middletown on Monday.

Neighbors spotted the bear munching on a pumpkin on the front porch of a home on Hickory Street.

The bear also made an appearance on Camp Street, where he was caught on camera lounging in a tree.

He disappeared back into the wild and hasn't been seen since about 4:30 or 5 p.m., according to police.

It's the second reported bear sighting in Middletown in recent weeks. Police warned neighbors to be on the alert after a bear was seen roaming the Westfield area on Oct. 21.

The next day, neighbors in Farmington caught a glimpse of a massive black bear romping through backyards on Bailey Court.

If you see a bear, do not approach it. You can learn more about black bears in Connecticut through the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.



Photo Credit: Ashley from Cromwell

Life Star Airlifts Person to Hospital in Pedestrian Crash

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Life Star was called to the scene of a crash involving a pedestrian in Middlefield on Monday.

The Department of Transportation said a pedestrian was struck in the area. The Life Star medical helicopter was called to the scene around 9:10 p.m. to airlift at least one person to the hospital.

Route 66 was closed in both directions in the area of Peters Lane in Middlefield Monday night while authorities respond to a crash, according to state police.

Police have not released any additional information on the crash.

Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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