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Yale Officer Held Student at Gunpoint: Officials

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The Yale Police Department is investigating the conduct of an officer who drew his weapon on a student over the weekend while searching for a burglary suspect in an incident that drew backlash from members of the community, according to university officials.

School officials said it happened Saturday evening after students at Trumbull College, one of the university’s 12 on-campus residential colleges, called police to report a suspicious person in the building.

Trumbull College had been burglarized in the days leading up to the incident, and students said it wasn’t the first time they had noticed the suspect, who “entered their rooms under false pretenses,” according to a university spokesperson.

Students provided a description of the suspect. When police went looking for him, one officer confroted a student who seemed to match that description and held him at gunpoint, university officials said.

Police released him upon realizing he wasn’t the person they were looking for. The real suspect was arrested at Berkeley College nearby and will face charges of felony burglary, according to school officials.

The incident quickly became a subject of controversy and Yale President Peter Salovey, Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway and Police Chief Ronnell Higgins released a joint statement to address the uproar.

“Many in our community felt personal pain upon reading accounts of this incident on social media and in the press as they saw national debates about race, policing, and the use of force become a very local and personal story,” they wrote. “We share these feelings and recognize that the interest in and reaction to this incident underscore that the work of making our campus and our society more inclusive, just, and safe remains an imperative for all of us.”

The message goes on to emphasize the professionalism of the Yale Police Department and the officers’ ability to keep students safe.

“What happened on Cross Campus on Saturday is not a replay of what happened in Ferguson; Staten Island; Cleveland; or so many other places in our time and over time in the United States. The officer, who himself is African American, was responding to a specific description relayed by individuals who had reported a crime in progress,” Salovey, Holloway and Higgins wrote.

Although the officer’s actions in detaining the student may have been justified, “the fact that he drew his weapon during the stop requires a careful review,” they said.

The police department’s internal affairs division is investigating the incident, and university officials said they plan to share the department’s findings with members of the school community.

“For now, we should seize this moment as an opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow,” the message continues. “There are real challenges here where the lines of race, inequality, and policing intersect, and we as teachers, students and citizens must face them. They are not just someone else’s issues, located somewhere else; they are America’s issues, and they are our issues.”



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

WATCH: Blizzard Conditions "Bomb Out"

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Bombogenesis is when a storm's lowest-pressure area drops dramatically within a short period of time, intensifying the storm. It can also be referred to as "bombing out."

Yeti on the Loose in Boston?

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Where else would you expect to find a yeti but in the middle of a blizzard?

Just as a historic snowstorm was battering the city of Boston, a strange sight appeared in the city. A person dressed in a yeti costume was stalking the snow-covered streets.

Using the Twitter handle @BostonYeti2015, the abominable snowman tweeted out several pictures of itself walking on McGrath Highway in Somerville and several other locations.

The identity of the person inside the yeti suit remains a mystery, but the Twitter handle just showed up on Monday, so it appears to have been created specifically for this storm.

We'll be sure to let you know if we hear any more about this mythical creature.



Photo Credit: @BostonYeti2015
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San Diego Ferris Wheel Risky: FAA

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The giant Ferris wheel proposed along the Embarcadero could be a hazard to flights in and out of San Diego, a new report by the Federal Aviation Administration has found.

In a memo to San Diego County Regional Airport Authority released Friday, the FAA shared its initial findings of the Discovery Point Ferris Wheel project.

As proposed, the 443-foot waterfront feature "would exceed obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities," according to the report.

But a proposed structure that was 277 feet or under would be something the agency could approve, the FAA said. A higher structure may be possible but would need further study, the agency added.

There are several proposals being discussed that could lead to a giant Ferris wheel located in the parking lot just south of the Midway Museum.

One, pitched by real estate developers Charles Black and David Malmuth, would take riders 450 feet above the city to see panoramic views of San Diego. Next to the Ferris wheel would be a 30,000 square foot pavilion showcasing San Diego’s history.

Malmuth said the FAA report was expected and is just part of the process.

"You have to have a lot of persistence. You need to be flexible. But you also need to firmly believe in the worth of your project," he told NBC 7.

Another concept, developed by Bussink Design and Chance American Wheels, includes a ride standing 250 feet tall with the ability to hold more than 430 people on board.

A third developer, Allegis Development, currently represents the Orlando Eye scheduled to open in April 2015.

The Port of San Diego will meet with the three developers on Feb. 10.

Malmuth said his firm was going to hold off on any chances to their initial proposal until after they present to the board.


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Blizzard Thundersnow: What to Know

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Janice Huff explains what to expect from thundersnow in the middle of the blizzard.

Water Main Break Reported in Newington

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Emergency crews are braving the elements to repair to an 8-inch water main break on Garfield Street in Newington, according to police.

That water main and another 8-inch water main on Audobon Avenue were shut down at 3 a.m. for the repairs, affecting 15 homes, Croachley Chiropractor, A&D Health Management Group and OFI Office Furniture Warehouse on Garfield Street between Walsh Avenue and Audobon Avenue and the stretch of Audobon Avenue from Garfield to Bonair Avenue.

Garfield Street is open at Cambria Avenue.

The water mains were installed in 1930.

The MDC will conclude repairs when the storm dies down.

Hartford City Council Passes Proposal to Remove Registrars

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Undeterred by the blizzard that prompted a state of emergency and travel ban throughout Connecticut, the Hartford City Council convened Monday night to push through a proposal that will start the process of removing the city’s three registrars of voters.

The registrars found themselves at the center of controversy after problems at the polls caused some voters to be sent away on Election Day in November. Hartford City Council President Shawn Wooden filed a resolution last week seeking to remove the trio – Democrat Olga Vazquez, Republican Sheila Hall and Urania Petit of the Working Families Party.

An attorney representing Vazquez has said she will fight any attempt at removal, while Petit vowed not to resign, according to the Associated Press.

It comes after a committee of inquiry created to probe the Election Day issues released a report documenting “multiple, serious errors” and a dysfunctional working relationship among the three registrars.

Snowfall Totals Across Connecticut


Hartford Tows Nearly 200 Cars During Parking Ban

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Hartford police touted residents' compliance with the city's parking ban despite ticketing and towing hundreds. 

Police issued 205 tickets and towed 199 Monday into Tuesday during the ban, clearing the plow routes, according to Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley.

The parking ban remains in effect.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Shore Line East Train Service Suspended

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Rail service on Shore Line East is suspended because of severe weather conditions, and this is just is one of many mass transit interruptions.

For an update on service, check the Shore Line East Web site or follow SLEalerts on Twitter.

Amtrak has suspended service on the Northeast Regional and Acela Express between New York and Boston on Tuesday. The Springfield line, which runs between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts is also suspended.

Metro-North service is also suspended during the storm.

A traffic ban is in effect, statewide. It went into effect from 9 p.m. on Monday until further notice for all vehicles except emergency response and recovery vehicles that can maneuver heavy snow.

Only emergency personnel are allowed on the roads. Anyone else could be fined $92 for being out during the ban.

CT Transit service has also been suspended since 8 p.m. on Monday.

There is also a stop to air traffic. Bradley Airport has been closed to air traffic since 7 p.m. on Monday.
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Blizzard Warning in NYC Canceled

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Travel bans in New York City and New Jersey were lifted Tuesday morning, hours after a debilitating winter storm pelted the tri-state with blinding snow and icy winds, forcing officials into a near total shutdown of schools, roads and mass transit systems for more than eight hours.

Mayor de Blasio announced that the travel ban for all New York City roads lifted at 7:30 a.m., and Gov. Cuomo was expected to announce MTA plans to restore subway service later in the morning. Travel bans implemented for the Hudson Valley and Nassau County as well as counties upstate were also lifted; only Suffolk County remained locked down by 8 a.m. Tuesday.

In New Jersey, Gov. Christie revoked the travel ban he had put in place for 21 counties. Both bans had been in effect for nearly nine hours and emergency vehicles were the only ones permitted on the roads. Limited NJ Transit service was expected to be restored later Wednesday, ahead of schedule.

A blizzard warning was canceled for the city and most surrounding areas early Tuesday. The warning remains in effect in Long Island's Suffolk County and all of Connecticut east of Fairfield County, while winter storm warnings or watches are in effect for the rest of the region. The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut declared states of emergency in anticipation of the storm, which for much of the area fell fall short of expectations as far as snow totals and wind damage. 

Initial forecasts projected as much as 3 feet of snow to fall on parts of the tri-state area, but snowfall projections were greatly reduced by early Tuesday morning. By the time the snow stops falling Tuesday afternoon, between 4 and 8 inches of snow are expected to be on the ground in New York City. Up to 20 inches of snow are possible in eastern Suffolk County, and more than 18 had accumulated in some parts of the county by 7:30 a.m.. Areas further west should get 3 to 6 inches.

Eastern Long Island has been hit the hardest early in the blizzard: Islip Airport had 14.7 inches of snow by 3 a.m. Tuesday, and Upton had 12.1 inches. 7.5 inches of snow fell in Islip during the day Monday, breaking a previous record for Jan. 27, set in 1987.

In New York City, Queens has seen the most snow, with 10.1 inches in Jamaica by 3:15 a.m. Central Park had 6.3 inches of snow by 1 a.m. 

CHECK ALL MASS TRANSIT, STREET AND SCHOOL CLOSURES HERE

Follow Storm Team 4 on Facebook and Twitter for latest projected totals

There were some scattered reports of outages late Monday. One residence hall at Stony Brook University had power knocked out at about 10:30 p.m., affecting 1,500 people, according to campus police. Students were provided temporary shelter, and the minor outage was expected to be "remedied quickly." 

More than 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeast were canceled, and many of them may not take off again until Wednesday. Passengers on at least one outbound Virgin Atlantic flight were stranded on the tarmac at Kennedy Airport for about six hours before being stuck back at the terminal after midnight, according to NBC News.

The largest snowstorm recorded in the city was a February 2006 storm that dumped 26.9 inches on Central Park. 



Photo Credit: NOAA
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Violating Travel Ban Will Cost You $92

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A travel ban remains in effect statewide and state police said people have been abiding by it. Should anyone violate the ban, they could be fined for being out on the roads.

The traffic ban went into effect from 9 p.m. on Monday and until further notice for all vehicles except emergency response and recovery vehicles that can maneuver heavy snow.

Only emergency personnel are allowed on the roads. Anyone else could be fined $92 for being out during the ban.

Police said they would issue a fine to anyone other than an essential employee, such as a first responders or doctor reporting to a hospital.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation
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Firefighters Brave Blizzard to Battle Blaze

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The weather is proving a challenge as firefighters respond a blaze that caused tobacco shed to collapse in East Windsor.

Crews from East Windsor, South Windsor, Ellington and Somers are on scene at 309 Scantic Road.

No one was injured.



Photo Credit: South Windsor Fire Department

No Flights Out of Bradley Until Wednesday: Officials

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Bradley Airport closed to air traffic at 7 p.m. on Monday due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, and there will be no outgoing flights from Bradley International Airport until at least Wednesday, according to airport officials

Most airlines began canceling flights by Monday evening.

As of Monday morning, Bradley International Airport listed cancellations for JetBlue, United, American Airlines, U.S. Airways and Southwest Airlines and urged travelers to check with airlines for an update on flight status.

Check with your airline for the latest information on your flight status.



Photo Credit: Bradley Airport
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City Plow Crash Caused Power Outage in Middletown

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Power is almost fully restored in Middletown after a city plow hit a utility pole early Tuesday morning, knocking out power for more than 700 customers at one point as the Blizzard of 2015 strikes Connecticut. 

A city plow hit a utility pole with a transformer at Hunting Hill Road and Woodside Circle around 1 a.m., according to police, which brought live wires down on the truck. No injuries are reported, but Connecticut Light & Power had to shut off the power.

At 2:30 a.m., about 705 were without power in Middletown and that number dropped to 7 by 6:30 a.m.

While much of the power has been restored, the road remains closed and police urge drivers to use caution.

In Meriden, around 830 homes went dark in the area of Crown Street late Monday night, but all service had been restored by about 1 a.m. Tuesday. A spokesperson for CL&P said several underground transformers were affected.

 




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Residents Urged to Stay Off Roads

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Snow continues to fall and residents of several communities are urged to stay off the roads while crews continue to clear streets.

New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said city crews have been making good progress in responding to storm, but motorists are going out on the roads, getting stuck and making it more difficult for them to do their jobs.

New London city officials are urging residents to shelter in place and stay off the roads.

“By being on the roads you only risk your own safety and slow the City’s response to the storm,” Mayor Finizio said in a statement. “Please continue to follow all instructions disseminated by emergency management personnel.”

East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. is also urging residents to stay off the roads so road crews can continue clearing.

“I continue to ask residents to exercise patience with respect to the clearing of streets. According to our Public Works Department it will take a minimum of eight (8) hours to clear our streets after the snow has finally ended. Once again the heaving, blowing, and drifting of snow that will continue could extend that time frame,” Maturo said in a statement. “During the “curb to curb” cleanup, it will be impossible for our crews to keep snow out of your driveway aprons. Since no travel is permitted today I might suggest your delaying that part of your cleanup until our crews are finished with your street.”

In Norwich, however, all main roads are passable and improving. Clearing on secondary roads and parking lots will be completed this evening. City officials said the citywide snow emergency will be lifted as of 5 a.m. on Norwalk.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra urged residents on Tuesday morning to stay off the roads for a little longer as cleanup continues.

The First Selectman of East Lyme said road are expected to be impassable through today and into tomorrow and suggested people stay off roads. Officials also urge businesses not to reopen until tomorrow to keep staff and customers safe.

Gov. Dannel Malloy said the travel ban has been lifted, but police in Greenwich and Darien are still asking residents to stay off local roads.


 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Bridgeport Residents Asked to Move Cars By 11 a.m.

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The travel ban has been lifted for local roads in Fairfield and Litchfield counties, but officials in Bridgeport said the parking ban remains in effect and Mayor Bill Finch is asking residents to move their vehicles to the odd-numbered side of the road by 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

He is asking residents to move their cars to allow public works crews to clear the roads.

Parking is still not permitted on snow emergency roads.

“Thank you to the residents for their cooperation with adhering to the Snow Emergency and to the hard working public works crew for their efforts in keeping our roads safe for the kids and families of Bridgeport," Mayor Finch said in a statement.


 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Metro-North Trains to Resume

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After shutting down its trains during the blizzard, Metro-North will resume service on the New Haven line Tuesday afternoon.

Starting at 1 p.m., New Haven line trains will run on a Sunday schedule.

The Hudson and Harlem lines in New York will resume at 11 a.m. on a Sunday schedule, as well.

Check www.mta.info or use Metro- North's TrainTime app for the latest train schedules.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Relaxes Rules

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As snow continues to fall in Connecticut, a medical insurance provider is changing some guidelines in an effort to help patients affected by this storm.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has relaxed medical and pharmacy guidelines to help Anthem members obtain access to medical care and prescription drugs, effective immediately until February 6.

Affected members in need of medical attention should seek medical assistance wherever it is available and have their medications refilled at any pharmacy, the company said in a news release on Tuesday.

Anthem is allowing the affected members to see any physician necessary to provide access to care, waiving the notification penalty on utilization management review of in-hospital cases, suspending early refill limits for prescriptions, allowing replacement of medical equipment or supplies, extending the filing deadlines for claims.

The relaxed guidelines don’t apply to Medicare Advantage members because Medicare Advantage has specific guidelines.

For additional questions, call the phone number on the back of your membership card.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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1,591 Lose Power in Greenwich

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About currently 1,591 Connecticut Light & Power customers are without power in Greenwich after a tree limb fell on wires during the blizzard.

The outages, about 6 percent of Greenwich, were reported at 10:35 a.m., according CL&P spokesperson Mitch Gross. The branch landed on wires at River Road.

Crews responded to fix the issue and power should resume soon, Gross said.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.



Photo Credit: CL&P
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