As temperatures dip and wind chills plunge below zero, warming centers are opening up.

Bloomfield

The town of Bloomfield is opening warming centers from Jan. 5 through 9.

The Alvin & Beatrice Wood Human Services Center, at
330 Park Avenue, will be open from Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Use the Community/Youth Center entrance on the west side of the building. For information, call 860-769-3566.

Prosser Library, at 1 Tunxis Avenue, will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. For information, call 860-243-9721.

McMahon Wintonbury Library, at 1015 Blue Hills Avenue, will be open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. For information, call 860-242-0041.

The warming centers have been welcoming people into the warmth since the October snowstorm in 2011.

The town will provide water, but residents should bring their own food. Bring medications, emergency contact phone numbers and any other items you might need during the day. Service dogs are always welcome.

Hartford

Meanwhile, in Hartford, Mayor Pdero Segarra is vowing to keep shelters open for families and the homeless.

"If we cannot take care of the least among us, we do not deserve to be the city of good hope, the city of Hartford," he said.

All Hartford city shelters will be opened because of the cold weather.

The coldest air of the season is moving in and the deep freeze will stick around. Low temperatures, with wind chills below zero, will last through the weekend.

In addition to the cold, a dry, fast-moving storm system from Canada will bring with it an increased chance of light, low-impact snow flurries, clouds and chilly temperatures on Tuesday. We'll likely see accumulations of a coating to an inch, according to NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Bob Maxon.

Temperatures Tuesday morning dipped as low as 10 degrees in Colebrook and Torrington and 11 degrees in Mansfield, reaching as high as 20 degrees in New Haven.

But the current wind chill is 2 degrees in Norfolk, known as the Icebox of Connecticut, and 7 degrees in Hartford and Bridgeport. The wind chill factor will make it feel below zero by Wednesday evening.

• Winter safety tips from the National Weather Service

More wind and even colder temperatures will move in as the week progresses, with a low of below zero overnight to Thursday morning in many locations in northern Connecticut.

Warming centers have begun to open ahead of the bitter cold.

A significant arctic cold front will bring very cold air to the state, Maxon said. Factor in the winds and it will feel like -10 to -30 degrees on Thursday morning, which can be dangerous in prolonged exposure.

Slightly more seasonable air will arrive for the weekend, Maxon said.

The American Red Cross recommends dressing in layers when spending time outside. Make sure to wear a hat, since most body heat is lost through your head, and wear mittens instead of gloves. Wear waterproof, insulated boots and warm yourself up with hot drinks or soup.

While it will be very cold, no big storms are expected over the next week.

Metro-North service on the Danbury branch is back on schedule after a disabled train in the Cannondale area caused 30- to 60-minute delays this morning.

No additional information have been released on what caused the problem with the train.

Four of Hartford's former fire chiefs and the city's current police chief met for the first time Tuesday afternoon as part of a new task force intended to advise the city's troubled fire department and lead the investigation into the line-of-duty death of firefighter Kevin Bell.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra appointed the task force last month amid controversy surrounding the department since Bell's death in October. Since the fatal fire on Blue Hills Avenue, questions have swirled about possible equipment and oxygen problems.

Police Chief James Rovella said Tuesday that state police are close to wrapping up the investigation into Bell's death but are waiting on federal agencies to finish testing equipment, including Bell's breathing unit.

A number of department firefighters have also been disciplined for misconduct allegations including drinking on the job, getting into physical fights while on duty, and an off-duty DUI hit-and-run crash, among others.

For this reason, the mayor formed a separate six-member committee to develop a new department code of conduct for firefighters both on and off duty.

The five members of the Fire Department Task Force – including chairman John Stewart, vice chairman Nelson Carter, secretary Edward Casares, Charles Teale and Rovella – held their first official meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hartford City Hall.

"Our citizens want performance," explained Casares. "They pay for a service and they want the service delivered."

Members said the task force hopes to review department training records, staffing levels and response times to fire scenes and has requested access to city records to help them make recommendations.

"It's the responsibility of everyone in the organization to estimate a situation and determine a course of action that is enhanced with proper training, proper education and proper experience," explained former chief Charles Teale, a cousin of Bell's, who asked to be excused from all discussion about Bell's death.

The task force made headlines last month after several members held an impromptu meeting without notifying the public ahead of time.

The group will meet again at 11 a.m. Jan. 29, then every two weeks for the next three months.

"I'm really hoping that what we can do is provide a set of recommendations for the current fire chief to guide the department in the near to distant future," Teale said.

Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown was evacuated on Tuesday morning because of an odor.

The fire department investigated at the school, which is located at 1 Wilderman's Way.

As of 10 a.m., it appeared that people were allowed to walk in and out of the building freely.

No additional information was immediately available.

An employee of the Stop & Shop at 1790 Post Road East called police at 7:45 p.m. on Monday after a man tried to pay with a counterfeit $100 bill, police said.

When the man wasn’t able to use the fake money, he drove away from the store and went to the Walgreens at 1870 Post Road East, according to police.

Based on the description from the Stop & Shop employee, police officers found three suspects in the Walgreens parking lot, detained them and found “a large number” of counterfeit bills in the car, police said.

According to Westport police, Anthony Canales, 27, and Leslie Canales, 24, both of Bronx, New York, had gone into Walgreens to make a purchase with counterfeit bills while Jada Robles, 22, of Newark, New Jersey, stayed behind the wheel of the car.

The group is also suspected of passing a counterfeit $100 bill at the Walgreens at 880 Post Road East.

Westport Police said they are continuing to investigate and are working with the United States Secret Service.

Anthony and Leslie Canales and Jada Robles were charged with 24 counts of forgery in the first degree, 24 counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, two counts of larceny in the sixth degree and two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny in the sixth degree.

All three suspects are being held at the Westport Police Department on a $50,000 bond.
 

Former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell could be sentenced to several years in prison Tuesday, months after he and his wife were convicted on public corruption charges.

McDonnell left court a stricken man after he and his wife, Maureen, were convicted in September on multiple charges involving accepting more than $165,000 in gifts, trips and loans from a wealthy businessman.

Bob McDonnell returned to court Tuesday for his sentencing hearing, which began with his lawyers successfully making their case for why sentencing guidelines issued by prosecutors were incorrectly calculated. Prosecutors have said a 10 to 12 year sentence is appropriate.

Tuesday, the judge ruled in favor of the defense, adjusting the sentencing guidelines down to six to eight years.

McDonnell's attorneys have also asked that he be allowed to perform extensive community service in lieu of prison time.

The judge is expected to hear from from witnesses before issuing a sentence Tuesday.

Fairfax County Del. Dave Albo (R), who considers McDonnell a close friend and mentor, wrote one of the 440 letters to the judge seeking leniency for the once-rising political star.

"I've never seen one of my friends get jail time, and I've never seen someone get jail time who honestly did not believe he did anything wrong," Albo said.

"...[He's] one of the most wonderful guys I know. I mean, I've met a lot of people in my 21 years in the House of Delegates," he said.

But Albo is a defense lawyer himself, and even he concedes that his friend will likely get prison time. He just hopes it's at the lower end of the scale.

"My best reasonable case scenario, the judge lowers it from 10 years to, say, five years, and lets him stay out on appeal," Albo said Monday. "That would be a huge victory tomorrow."

Former prosecutor Chuck James, now a white-collar defense attorney, also believes prison time for McDonnell is nearly inevitable.

"I would say the odds of him not spending a significant period of time in prison is very, very low indeed," he said.

Maureen McDonnell will be sentenced Feb. 20.

The Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center in Middletown opened the doors to its new facility on Tuesday and is offering indoor riding sessions to people with special needs as well as veterans who are living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We work with individuals who have physical, cognitive and behavioral issues,” Janice Anderson, the program coordinator, said. “Probably our largest population is individuals on the autism spectrum."

Manes & Motions, a member of the Hospital for Special Care, can help provide more than 1,400 rides each year.

"Sitting on a horse strengthens core muscles and provide sensory input," Anderson said.

The new facility has a special lift system that helps people with disabilities get onto the horses.

"We do something now called a crest mount, so instead of swinging their legs over the back of the horse, we have them sit sideways and swing their legs over the front of the horse," Anderson said.

This is the first time the organization has been able to offer riding sessions during the cold winter months.

Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew said he realized the benefits after a short stroll with a horse named Sisco.

"I can see how this is therapeutic for people. You can connect with the animal. When you're walking with him, you can feel every movement. When you turn your head, he responds,” Mayor Drew said.

Manes & Motions is located at 874 Millbrook Road. For information about the program or to schedule a visit, call 860-685-0008 or e-mail ManesandMotions@hfsc.org.
 

A car struck and killed a 51-year-old woman while she was crossing King Street (Route 120A) at the Anderson Hill Road intersection.

The woman, who police said is likely from Elmsford, New York, came to Greenwich with a coworker on a Westchester County Bee-Line bus, police said. They were crossing from the west side of King Street after getting off the bus when a car traveling on the outer northbound lane hit her just before 7 a.m., according to police.

The female pedestrian was severely injured and taken to Greenwich Hospital, where she died of her injuries.

The driver of the car that hit her wasn't injured.

Police aren't releasing the name of the woman until they notify her extended family.

The fatal crash happened just before 7 a.m.

The road has reopened after closing for three hours in both directions.

The Greenwich police traffic division is handling the investigation and the department asks anyone with information to call Traffic technician Drenth at 203-622-8014.

Two sisters' boyfriends were injured in a knife fight in New Haven.

One man assaulted the other on Tuesday morning at his Whalley Avenue home after fighting the night before and one of the two men took out a knife and stabbed the other in the torso multiple times during the scuffle, police said. One of the men is in his 30s and the other is in his 50s.

The original attacker was also stabbed in the abdomen at one point, but police said it's unclear if they both were armed, police said. He turned himself into police an hour after the assault incident and said he needed medical treatment, according to police. 

It is unknown at this time what the men were fighting about.

The initial victim was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital to be treated for the stab wounds. 

Neither man has life-threatening injuries.

Police have not released the names of the people involved at this time pending further investigation into what happened and an arrest.

The case remains under investigation.

A Bridgeport man is in police custody after abducting and assaulting his ex-girlfriend on Monday, according to police.

Police said an officer responded to a home on Beardsley Street just before 8:30 a.m. on Monday after a woman called for help and said she was trapped in her room.

When police arrived at the house, they found the woman locked in a bedroom by a rope that was tied from the doorknob to a kitchen sink.

She told officers she was concerned about her roommate’s safety, so investigators went to the roommate’s room, which smelled of bleach, and found a black mask on the bed, police said.

Officers secured the scene, investigated and identified Nelson Rivera, 49, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, as a suspect.

They were able to track him down, police said, found his car and located a purse inside, which contained the victim’s wallet and other personal items.

Detectives and officers then searched the entire house and the victim opened the door when they got to the attic.

Once she was safe, police arrested Rivera.

He was charged with criminal attempt at murder, reckless endangerment, first-degree burglary, unlawful restraint, first-degree assault, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree strangulation and threatening.

“Detectives and patrol officers worked with urgency from the outset. Based on what officers observed, we were immediately concerned for the victim’s safety,” Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. said in a statement. “This case, I truly believe, could have had a tragic outcome were it not for the work of our officers and detectives.”

Mayor Bill Finch said in a statement that officers saved a life yesterday.
 

Some flights have been canceled or delayed leaving from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Lock Tuesday morning due to weather conditions in other parts of the country.

As of 9:44 a.m., Bradley announced five departure cancellations, five departure delays and two arrival cancellations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that flights from Bradley would not be able to leave until or after 10 a.m. to get to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) due to snowy and icy conditions on the Washington D.C. end.

Two flights to Washington D.C. (U.S. Airways, United Airlines) were canceled in the morning, as well as one to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (U.S. Airlines) and one to the Charlotte, North Carolina, as of 9:44 a.m., according to Sharon Traficante, a spokesperson for Bradley. Air Canada had two delays listed Tuesday morning going to Montreal in Canada and there were also departure delays for Orlando, Florida, Denver, Colorado and Philadelphia as of that time, she said.

A flight from Charlotte and and other from D.C. had canceled arrivals into Bradley, Traficante said.

It's unclear at this time whether there will be further cancellations or delays, she said.

Departures are being held from Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland until 11 a.m. due to "ramp congestion," according to the FAA. Planes headed to Ronald Reagan in D.C. are ordered to wait until at least 10:30 a.m. to depart, the FAA reports.

The airport advises passengers to check with your airline carrier for more information and to work with the airlines if they're already at the airport.

You can also view the status of flight departures and arrivals on Bradley's website.

The flu season is now in full swing here in Connecticut.

The bug hit about one week earlier than last year and patients appear to be getting sicker, according to Dr. Kenneth Robinson, emergency department director at Hartford Hospital.

"The flu is definitely in for 2015," Robinson said.

Hartford Hospital's Emergency Department has already seen dozens of confirmed cases, with far more suspected cases because patients aren't all tested, Robinson said.

He said there are simple things we all can do to avoid the bug.

"It's not too late to get a flu shot. If you cover your cough, wash your hands frequently, even Purell a couple of times a day. Remember the virus can be spread even on door knobs and things like that," said Dr. Robinson.

The town of East Haven is offering a flu vaccine clinic for its residents, providing the most recent vaccine, FLUBLOK Influenza Vaccine from noon until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in the Hagaman Memorial Library community room at 227 Main Street. The vaccine doesn't have eggs, preservatives, antibiotics, latex or gelatin, according to a news release from East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo's office. Participants are asked to bring their insurance card and identification, but the vaccine is also available for patients without insurance, the mayor's office said.

The town noted that the H3N2 flu virus could make this flu season worse, per a warning from the Centers for Disease Control.

“As we are beginning to experience an especially aggressive and difficult flu virus this season, we are pleased to be able to offer our employees and citizens an opportunity to get protection with an alternative vaccine, that can be taken, eligible for those with egg allergies, that is approved by the U.S. FDA for all adults 18 years and older," Maturo said in a statement. "I encourage our employees and our citizens to take advantage of this opportunity."

While this year's vaccine is not turning out to be as effective as in year's past, it still could keep you from getting sick, doctors stress.

As always, proper hygiene is key to staying healthy.

"And if you're sick, do yourself and everyone around you a favor and stay home," Robinson said.

Flu symptoms typically last two to five days, doctors say.
 

A wheelchair-bound 29-year-old Waterbury woman might have a new van with a ramp to accommodate her wheelchair as early as this month thanks to some generous donors who made contributions through the crowd-funding Web site GoFundMe.

Lismarie Echevarria was born in Puerto Rico with spina bifida, which prevents her from walking or moving her legs. She has gone through more than 18 surgeries and was clinically dead three times after going into cardiac arrest, which preventing her from getting a necessary surgery at birth, she said on her GoFundMe page.

"I have no sensation from the waist down that is why I am in a wheel chair I have been like this since I was born," she said on the website. "When I was born I died three times in [sic] the operating table because doctors took me for surgery to put in my head what is called a VP shunt because the liquid from the spine was going up to my head and made my head grow and so the doctors needed to put that shunt in my head to make that liquid go back down."

The Mazda Echevarria's family has was too small and doesn't have a ramp to make it accessible with a wheelchair, she said on the GoFundMe page, so Echevarria is looking for a van with a wheelchair ramp to help her get into the car to get to her doctor's appointments safely.

Her goal was to raise $5,000 for a down payment. As of Tuesday afternoon, people have donated just a little bit more than that.

"I have already reached my goal $5,000 but that $5,000 is only a part of the cost of the van- it is just a down payment but then I will have monthly payments any additional funds over the $5,000 will help with those costs. The van ranges from $45.000 to $30,000 Toyota sienna that is what I was told by the representative at the dealer," the GoFundMe page says.

For more information, you can visit her Go Fund Me page at www.gofundme.com/lismarie.

Police in Groveland, Massachusetts, are investigating reports of an aggressive coyote harassing residents.

Authorities responded to two separate coyote encounters on Monday night.

The first was on Manor Drive, where a coyote bit a man who was holding his 4-year-old daughter. He required emergency medical treatment.

"I shielded my daughter from it. I pushed her back, got her up onto this porch you see here. And it just kept coming towards me," Jon McPherson said.

McPherson said he screamed at the animal and flailed his arms after the coyote bit his leg.

"It didn't want to leave, it wasn't afraid of me, at all. I had a couple of bags of groceries, I swung the grocery bag at him, hit him with it. He took a couple of steps back and I turned around and booked it up the door," he said.

The second was on Gardner Street, where a homeowner says a coyote approached him in an aggressive manner in his yard.

"He went outside to scare the coyote away, and it wouldn't scare away, it actually approached  him, which is unusual, so he had to kick the coyote a couple of times before it finally went away," Groveland Police Sgt. Dwight McDonald said.

Police have sent out a Reverse 911 call to alert residents.

If there are any more sightings, residents are urged to call 911.

Back on Manor Drive, neighbors say they're on alert. Gerry Richards says he's keeping his beagle indoors for the night.

"Coyotes sometimes go in pairs, you know. But one could kill her very easily," he said.

McPherson said the whole ordeal lasted about 10 seconds and that he hit the coyote with a bag of plastic soda bottles, which the coyote tore up. He said he's getting rabies shots as a precaution, but added he wasn't sure the coyote was rabid.

Police are still looking for the coyote.

The co-owner of a Middletown restaurant is facing federal charges after allegedly setting it on fire, locking the other owner inside and collecting $165,000 in insurance claims in 2010, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Federal prosecutors said 51-year-old John A. Barile torched Enzo’s Restaurant and Lounge on Main Street in Middletown shortly after midnight on Jan. 10, 2010, then left the restaurant and locked the doors while the other owner was still inside.

Firefighters rescued Barile’s co-owner, but the restaurant was heavily damaged.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Barile subsequently collected $165,000 from the insurance company and hid his involvement in the fire.

A federal grand jury indicted him Dec. 30 on one count each of conspiracy and arson and two counts of mail fraud, and Barile was arrested at his home in East Hartford on Monday night.

He pleaded not guilty in federal court Tuesday and will appear before a judge again Friday, Jan. 9.

Barile could face up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to federal prosecutors.

Representatives from several veterans groups in Connecticut joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal Tuesday to give their support to legislation aimed at reducing suicide among returning members of the armed forces.

Blumenthal sponsored the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last year but never cleared the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate.

“Sen. Tom Coburn from Oklahoma disagreed with the bill,” Blumenthal explained. “But he’s gone now.”

The senator said he wants Congress to make the measure a priority as Republicans take control.

It would provide an extra $100 million in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire more psychiatrists and psychologists and to boost online services already available.

"They take their own lives largely because of unmet needs for help,” Blumenthal said.

Local veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS and Disabled American Veterans, have thrown their support behind the measure.

"It's about time we do something for these poor folks who suffer from PTSD,” said Barry Bernier, of the Disabled American Veterans. “We need to advocate for them.”

Suicide among veterans has become one of the most troubling problems facing those who return from combat zones. According to the VA, 48,000 veterans committed suicide from 2005 to 2011. On average, one in five suicides in America is committed by a veteran.

Groups say if veterans have the proper outlets and resources in place, then such tragedies can be avoided altogether.

"It's easier for a service person to talk about those demons that the senator was talking about to another veteran than it is to talk to an ordinary civilian” said Mel Houston, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Blumenthal and Houston are advocating for hiring more trained professionals to run support groups for veterans. They say a group setting is ideal because it allows veterans to relate to others who have served in combat.
 

Wednesday will mark the beginning of Gov. Dan Malloy's second term and with it comes a day of ceremonies, speeches and a parade.

Crews and security have been preparing for Inauguration Day at the Armory, House and Senate Chambers, as well as the Legislative Office Building.

"It's a busy day but we always know it's going to be a busy day," said Scott Driscoll, [ublic information officer for the Capitol Police. "Every opening day and every closing day is a full staffing day, so it’s not new to us. There are new procedures, but being here and having new people on is not new to us.”

Driscoll suggested that anyone looking to attend the swearing in of the governor at the Armory, or the lieutenant governor at the Capitol, should arrive early.

The parade will be short, only about 20 minutes or so and will start at the Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Arch and end at the Armory where the ceremonies will begin.

"Folks won’t be inconvenienced," said Devon Puglia, with Gov. Malloy's administration. "It’s a celebration and tradition of Connecticut’s history.”

Capitol Police will work with the Governor’s Foot Guard in securing the areas where the inauguration and festivities will take place.

Malloy's office did release some excerpts of his speech that revealed that the second term governor will strike a sort of conciliatory tone during his second inaugural. He will make his State of the State address later in the day during a joint session of the General Assembly.

In one section he says, “Today I say to my fellow citizens – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike – that no one party or one policy maker holds a monopoly on good ideas. We might not always agree on the details, but we can agree that we want our children to inherit a better Connecticut than we were given.”

Malloy also plans to criticize Washington while calling on the Connecticut General Assembly to put aside some difference to get the people’s work done. However, in Connecticut, Democrats control all statewide offices and the both chambers of the General Assembly.

“Together, let us continue to buck the national trends of obstruction and gridlock. Let us confront hard realities, tackle old problems with renewed vigor, and set aside short-term convenience in favor of long-term prosperity. Let us dismiss petty partisanship that divides us, and focus instead on what binds us to one another,” the governor says in a partial transcript of his speech.
 

East Main Street in Torrington has reopened to traffic after a rollover crash closed the road near Wall Street on Tuesday evening.

Police said the driver suffered non-life threatening injuries.

A man is charged with murdering three older neighbors who were found dead in the North Andover, Massachusetts, public housing complex for the elderly and disabled where all four lived.

George Kettinger, Jr., 79, Walter Hamilton, 78, and a 68-year-old whose name is being withheld at this time were all found dead in their own apartments at 10 Foulds Terrace.

Salvatore Guglielmino, 57, who lived in a fourth apartment in the unit, has been charged with murder, and will be arraigned on Wednesday.

It is not known at this time if Guglielmino has an attorney. 

Officials say there will be an interfaith service for all residents affected by the triple homicide on Wednesday at St. Michael's Church at 196 Main St. at 7 p.m. There will also be a circle of healing at the North Andover Senior Center on Thursday morning, where grief counselors will be on hand.