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10-Year-Old Hit by Car While Riding Bicycle in Bridgeport

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A 10-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was hit by a car while riding a bicycle in Bridgeport this afternoon, according to a spokesperson for the city.

Public safety officials said the child was struck around 2 p.m. on South Avenue, near the corner of Iranistan Avenue and Columbia Street.

She was riding her bike on the sidewalk, then swerved out into the road, where she was hit by a Toyota Prius, authorities said. The driver of the Prius stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.

Officials said the child was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with head trauma and other injuries. She's listed in critical condition.

Witnesses and anyone with information are urged to call Bridgeport police at 203-581-5201.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Connecticut Primary Election Results

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The results of Wednesday's Democratic primary elections are trickling in.

Bridgeport

The campaign of former mayor Joe Ganim posted on his Facebook page Wednesday night, "By our count... We've won this election by well over 500 votes."

According to the campaign, absentee ballots are still being counted.

Ganim, who served time in prison for corruption, is up against incumbent Bill Finch.

Hartford

Mayor Pedro Segarra has conceded the primary to opponent Luke Bronin.

Preliminary results show Bronin garnered 55 percent of vote to Segarra's 45 percent.

Bronin is preparing to declare victory.

New London

City Council President Michael Passero defeated incumbent Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio, according to the city registrar.

Official numbers indicate Passero garnered 1,242 votes, while Finizio earned 798.

West Haven

Incumbent Mayor Ed O'Brien defeated City Council President Nick Pascale in Wednesday's primary, according to the Connecticut Democratic Party.

"In his first term, Ed O'Brien has helped West Haven's economy turn the corner, and I am confident that over the next two years, the city will see further revitalization under the Mayor's leadership," Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto said in a statement Wednesday night. "The Mayor's victory is validation that West Haven is moving in the right direction. I hope Democrats will join me in uniting behind our party's nominee."

Companies Begin Holiday Season Hiring

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It may only be mid-September, but companies are already looking forward to the holiday season.

Toys-R-Us plans to hire 40,000 seasonal employees across the nation, and 455 of those jobs are in Hartford and New Haven. Shipping giant UPS announced they’ll be hiring another 90,000 people during their busy season. Clothing retailer Kohl’s plans to hire 69,000 extra employees.

Howard Schwartz with the Better Business Bureau said businesses appear to be hiring earlier this year.

“September is fairly early and perhaps that speaks to what kind of business retailers will be doing and how much money consumers will be spending,” Said Schwartz.

After handing in a resume, Schwartz recommends reaching out to the business a few days later.

“Don’t be afraid to follow up and ask if you can speak to the manager, again they want to get the people hired,” said Schwartz.

One way to find these seasonal positions is at job fairs. Spectra Venue Management hosted a part-time job fair at the XL Center on Wednesday.

They are looking for candidates to apply to departments like Guest Services, Event Security, and Facility workers. Applicants are expected to bring a resume and dress in business attire.

“When anybody comes to a job fair their attire should be up to par. That’s the way I was raised that’s the way I believe things should be done,” said Hartford resident Angel Anderson.

“I’m just crossing my fingers hoping I get the job!” said Latara Swann.
 

Petition to Prevent Development on Lebanon Green

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Tree-covered land in Lebanon could see a small housing development for senior citizens built on it is across the street from the Lebanon Senior Center, and not everyone is enthusiastic about the plan.

Doctor Jon Ritz's home and office are down the road from the proposed development site.

"Obviously, it's in my backyard," said Ritz, who has launched an online petition opposing the project.

He doesn't like the proposal to build on what he considers park land. He said it'll endanger not just wildlife but Lebanon's huge town green, preserved as open space for centuries.

"We're a town of preservation," he said. "We're famous because we have a preserved green, and this would spoil it."

He said he started the online petition in hopes that it will generate enough interest for other residents to attend a Planning and Zoning commission meeting on Sept. 21 and voice their disapproval.

And in October, Ritz is counting on Lebanon holding a town meeting, where townspeople can be heard. It's as much of a tradition as the Lebanon Town Green.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Cuomo Aide Dies After Being Shot

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The aide to Gov. Cuomo who was hospitalized for more than a week after being shot in the head during festivities leading up to the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn has died, police said. 

Carey Gabay, a first deputy general counsel at the Empire State Development Corporation, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday night at Kings County Hospital, according to the NYPD. 

Gabay had been hospitalized for more than a week while in a coma, and his family said earlier Wednesday he was brain dead.

Gabay was caught in the crossfire between two gangs around 3:40 a.m. Sept. 7 near the parade route in Brooklyn as more than two dozen shots from up to three guns were fired, authorities have said. The NYPD has released surveillance video of two men wanted for questioning in the case and authorities are offering a $12,500 reward for information leading to an arrest. 

Gabay, a 43-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer and Bronx native, joined Cuomo's administration in 2011. The governor said in a statement Wednesday night he learned of Gabay's death "with profound sadness." 

“Carey was the epitome of an outstanding public servant. He held a tremendous commitment to his community, and he chose to use his many talents to better the lives of others. New York is undeniably a better place today because of his service," Cuomo said. "He was also a friend and role model to the many people who were blessed to have known him, and he will be greatly missed." 

Gabay had been "fighting bravely surrounded by the loved ones to whom he has brought so much joy with his jovial nature, generosity of spirit and enduring smile," his family said in a statement earlier Wednesday, before he died.  

"Many have come to know Carey through professional life, but he is also a kind-hearted and selfless soul who has touched the spirit of everyone he's met," the family said.

"Our family is grieving that a man in the prime of his life who has impacted so many lives could be struck down by such a callous act," the family's earlier statement said. "Carey embodies the American story. A son of Jamaican immigrants, he rose from Bronx public housing to earn an undergraduate and law degree from Harvard and then went on to a distinguished career as a lawyer in private practice and well-respected public servant."

The shooting was one of several outbursts of violence in the neighborhoods surrounding the parade. A 24-year-old man was fatally stabbed near Grand Army Plaza.

Bloodshed before or after the West Indian Day celebration has become a sadly familiar part of the parade routine. Last year, a recent parolee opened fire into a crowd of revelers, killing one man and wounding several others. And in 2013, a 1-year-old boy sitting in his stroller was killed by a bullet meant for his father.

Asked about the future of the parade, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said last week, "The political leadership, the community leadership, the communities themselves want that celebration. They've made that quite clear. ... So we will work to the best of our ability to deal with the elements in that community that engage in that violence."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stopper at 800-577-TIPS.



Photo Credit: AP

Fiorina's Response to Trump Comments Draws Applause

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Carly Fiorina, who has been surging in recent polls, drew wild applause at the second Republican presidential debate for her response to a Donald Trump remark that seemed to undercut her physical appearance.

"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," Fiorina said.

Trump told Rolling Stone magazine, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?"

The real estate mogul later said his comments were in reference to Fiorina's persona, not her attractiveness.

"I think she's got a beautiful face and I think she's a beautiful woman," Trump said after Fiorina's response Wednesday.



Photo Credit: AP
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2 Dozen Fake IDs Mailed to Wrong Address in Stamford: Cops

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Two dozen fake IDs intended for underage college students when they were inadvertently mailed to the wrong address in Stamford, according to police.

Stamford police said a package from China was delivered to a home on Bouton Street late last month. A resident opened it and found 24 fake IDs inside, along with a duplicate copy of each.

It appears someone in the Stamford area had collected money and taken pictures of the recipients, then sent the photos to China, where the licenses were produced and mailed back, according to police.

Police said the fake IDs are exact replicas of licenses from Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maine and Pennsylvania.

"The quality of this is very good. You have the holograms, you have the labels. Everything is right on target," said Stamford police spokesman Lt. DIedrich Hohn. "That's what's so amazing to us: how fast they got the holograms, how fast they made these to be consistent with the real licenses."

The intended recipients are college students from Connecticut and Massachusetts who attend the University of Rhode Island, Cape Cod Community College, Eastern Nazarene College and Norwalk Community College, according to police.

Police contacted college officials and are applying for arrest warrants.

Underage students found in possession of fake IDs could be charged with second-degree forgery, a felony.



Photo Credit: Stamford Police Department

Fire Ravages East Windsor Barn

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Flames tore through a livestock barn in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor on Wednesday, drawing a massive response from fire departments in neighboring towns.

Emergency dispatchers said flames were reported around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday on Niederwerfer Road near the intersection of Rockville Road.

According to Tolland public safety officials, multiple alarms were struck. Footage from the scene shows smoke rising into the air, and only a skeleton of the structure remains.

Two East Windsor fire companies are responding, along with mutual aid from South Windsor, Ellington, Vernon Tolland, according to East Windsor police.

Rockville Road is closed at Barber Road and East Road

It's not clear if any people or animals were hurt.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: See It Share It/Paul Shaw

85 Killed in South Sudan Fuel Tanker Blast

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At least 85 people were killed and another 50 seriously injured in South Sudan when an overturned fuel truck exploded, a presidential spokesman said Thursday, NBC News reported.

The tanker had veered off the road on its way to a region west of the capital Juba on Wednesday.

Citing the accounts of local authorities, Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said the tanker was "full of petrol" that started to leak and residents were siphoning off fuel when someone lit a cigarette, sparking an explosion, The Associated press reported.

No further details were immediately available.



Photo Credit: AP

Looting Fears Amid Valley Fire

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As residents have left their houses and authorities are busy battling the Valley Fire, Lake County, California, sheriff’s deputies arrested a man they said was plotting to loot abandoned homes, and two others on for allegedly entering disaster zones and impersonating police officers.

Lake County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Brooks said deputies arrested Royce Sterling Moore, 26, of Lakeport on Tuesday about 5 a.m. on suspicion of possessing burglary tools and controlled substance paraphernalia.

Detectives spotted Moore and a woman dressed in black and acting “nervously” at a closed intersection of Bottle Rock Road and Highway 29 in Kelseyville, which were closed because of the Valley Fire.

They found gloves, a black bandana, a methamphetamine smoking pipe and backpack with a broken BB gun in the car. Inside the backpack were pliers, channel locks and a cordless drill, which the deputies surmised were to commit a burglary.

In addition, sheriff's deputies arrested on Tuesday a 60-year-old antique remodeler from Clearlake Oaks on suspicion of impersonating an officer and entering a disaster area with a concealed firearm, the Lake County jail log showed.

And on Monday, Brooks said that deputies arrested Steven Worley of Whispering Pines, 26, who was wearing a yellow California Highway Patrol hat and a prior criminal history. He was driving around in an active fire zone that was under evacuation orders.

Worley told deputies that he was trying to find his mother's house, but then couldn't really explain why he was wearing the hat, Brooks said. When deputies searched his vehicle, they found six cell phones, a wallet that didn't belong to Worley, a locked safe and an envelope containing obsidian, or volcanic glass. Worley said he didn't realize he couldn't be driving there, but deputies ended up arresting him for theft during a state of emergency, wearing ID to impersonate a police officer and destroying objects of archaeological value.

The Valley Fire has burned 70,000 acres since Saturday.
 



Photo Credit: Lake County Sheriff

Water Issue at Kennedy Middle School in Southington

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There is a water issue because of construction at Kennedy Middle School in Southington and there is water in the hallway.

Police said they were not called to respond. The school sent out an automated notice and all the students are safe, according to police.

It is possible that the school will dismiss students early.

The school is under renovation.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to the superintendent's office. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Newsworks

Police Investigate Stabbing in Torrington

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Police are investigating a stabbing on Newfield Road in Torrington around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The person was stabbed near Winsted Road and minor injuries were reported.

No additional information was available.
 

Police Look Into Whether Arsonist Targeted Yale Students

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Three off-campus houses where around 20 Yale University students live were intentionally set ablaze early Thursday in New Haven, according to fire investigators, and police are trying to determine whether the students were targeted.

Officials said an accelerant was used to set three fires just before 3 a.m. at houses on Crown Street between Park and Howe where Yale law students, medical students, members of the men's swim team and the fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi live.

Yale law and medical school students living at 401 Crown St. smelled smoke and gasoline around 2:40 a.m., rushed outside to find fire in the area of the front porch and quickly put out the flames.

Then they noticed fires at 395 Crown Street, where Alpha Epsilon Pi lives, and at 397 Crown Streets, where members of the men's swim team live, and ran to alert students living there.

Everyone was able to get out of all three homes safely and no injuries have been reported. 

New Haven Fire Marshal Robert Doyle said the fires were all similar. They were set outside and did not extend inside the buildings.

State Police have been called in to help with the Crown Street investigation.

A State Police Fire K-9 also responded to a fire on Osborne Avenue at a building that houses University of New Haven students. A chair on a back deck on Osbourne Avenue caught fire and there was minimal damage.

Investigators said that fire seems similar to the Crown Street fires, but there is no connection between the two.

New Haven firefighters also found a fire on the front porch of the house at 21 Pendleton Street at  5:30 a.m.

On Wednesday night, firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at 39 Fairfield Street. A tweet from the New Haven Fire Department said there was smoke from the back porch. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

3 Dead in Valley Fire

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The Valley Fire has claimed the lives of two more people, bringing the death toll to three people, the Lake County Sheriff said Thursday. 

Lt. Steve Brooks tentatively identified the bodies as retired Mercury News reporter Leonard Neft, 69, whose body was found in the Anderson Springs area, and Bruce Beven Burns, whose body was found in Hidden Valley. The coroner hadn't positively identified the man, but Brooks said authorities presumed the ID's based on the location of where their bodies were found.

On Saturday, the  Lake County Sheriff's Office said the fire claimed the life of an elderly woman with a disability who was unable to evacuate from her house.

As of Thursday, Cal Fire had contained 35 percent of the blaze, which had scorched 73,700 acres and destroyed 585 homes. Nancy Ward, deputy chief director of the state Office of Emergency Services said Thursday that there are more than 15,000 people displaced because of the Valley Fire, and the final cost on fighting the blaze and finding places for everyone to live could soar "in the hundreds of millions of dollars." The area is about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Neft's daughter, Joslyn Neft, told NBC Bay Area on Thursday that her father, who retired in 1985 from the Merc after writing crime stories and obituaries without a byline, didn't really want to leave his home, which was "his whole world pretty much." Her father didn't want to flee the area, but had driven to a nearby road and perhaps was walking around in the forest. His body was found on Wednesday by search teams in Lake County, Brooks said.

Family and friends identified the first victim of the Valley Fire as 72-year-old Barbara McWilliams who had severe multiple sclerosis, making it difficult for her to move around.

Before the identification of Neft and Burns, the sheriff had reported that four people were missing. Neft had been one of those missing people, but the sheriff didn't immediately confirm if Burns was included in that group. If he was, however, then there are two people who still haven't been found as the Valley Fire continues to scorch earth.

The Valley Fire, which possibly started in a shed, was first reported Saturday.

NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
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State Police Make Arrest After Wild Chase

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State police arrested a 33-year-old Bridgeport man after the man led police on a car chase, then a foot chase before breaking into a house and hiding in the basement, police said.

The wild chase started around 1 p.m. on Wednesday when a state trooper from Troop G saw a red Mercury Sable speeding on Interstate 95, near Exit 29 and the driver sped up, rather than stopping for the trooper, police said.

The driver, identified as Pablo Pagan, got onto Route 25 North, pulled off the road at exit 2 and tried to drive over a curb on Milne Street, but stopped because of a flat tire.

Pagan then ran and police chased him over fences and through backyards in the Vine Street area, police said.

Bridgeport police officers offered help by setting up a perimeter in the area and a K9 unit from Troop G responded and searched for the driver.

The track led to a house on Vine Street, where police found Pagan had forced his way into a house and hid in the basement, police said.

Police said Pagan’s license was suspended and the car was not registered or insures.

Police took Pagan into custody and charged him with engaging in pursuit, interfering with police, second-degree burglary, criminal mischief in the first degree, criminal trespass in the second degree, reckless driving, operating under suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of registration, operating without insurance and speeding.

Bond was set at $25,000 and he is due in Bridgeport Superior Court on Sept. 28.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

GM to Pay $900M Fine Over Faulty Ignition Switches

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General Motors agreed Thursday to pay the federal government $900,000 and appoint an independent monitor to oversee safety issues in a settlement with the Justice Department over the carmaker's faulty ignition switches.

GM admitted that the defective switches could move unexpectedly from the "run" position, cutting off power to a car's airbags and disabled the power steering and power brakes in some models of Chevrolets, Saturns, and Pontiacs.

The company has determined that the defective switches caused accidents that led to 124 deaths and 273 injuries.

No criminal charges were filed against current or former GM employees or executives.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Luke Bronin, Governor Hold News Conference

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Luke Bronin won the Democratic mayoral primary in Hartford on Wednesday and he will hold a news conference with Gov. Dannel Malloy this afternoon.

The preliminary results indicated Bronin garnered 55 percent of vote to incumbent Mayor Pedro Segarra's 45 percent. Nearly 10,000 votes were cast on Wednesday.

A news release from the state Democratic Party says the news conference will be held at Bronin’s campaign office at 1:15 p.m.

You can watch it live here.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Tweeted ISIS: 'Ready to Die'

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A New York man is facing terrorism charges after he allegedly tried multiple times to get on a plane to the Middle East to join ISIS and posted on Twitter that he was "ready to die for the Caliphate," according to federal authorities. 

Ali Saleh, 22, of Queens, was arrested Thursday at his home on charges that he provided material support to the terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. He appeared in federal court Thursday and ordered held without bail. He declined to speak or answer questions from the judge. 

Authorities allege Saleh contacted ISIS facilitators about joining the organization and tried several times to board planes to the Middle East between Aug. 2014 and September of this year. 

In his first attempt, authorities allege Saleh tried to get on a plane from John F. Kennedy International Airport for a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. A few days before the flight, authorities say, he allegedly tweeted "I'm ready to die for the Caliphate, prison is nothing."

ISIS, which is also sometimes refered to as ISIL or the Islamic State, declared last year that it was attempting to restore a Caliphate, an Islamic form of governance led by a religious leader known as a caliph. 

Saleh allegedly tried on several other occasions to make it to the Middle East, once tweeting with an ISIS facilitator before a scheduled flight to Cairo, Egypt. He traveled to Newark, Philadelphia and Cleveland in attempts to get out of the country, but wasn't allowed on planes or trains out of the country. 

U.S. attorneys say that Saleh indicated in an interview with authorities that he would have kept trying to get out of the country had he not been arrested.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said that Saleh was arrested thanks to the good work of the department and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“By his own words, Ali Saleh was willing to pledge allegiance to, and die for ISIL, an organization that has called for terrorist attacks against the United States,” said Commissioner Bratton. “Saleh’s attempts to travel to Syria and ISIL’s battlefields were halted by good intelligence and smart law enforcement.

Saleh is the latest in a string of men and women to be accused of attempting to join or support ISIS. It's not clear if his attempt is tied to any of the other suspects. 

An attorney for Saleh only said after his court appearance, "I for one was thrilled that after all these months, he figured out that he should remain silent, which he did."



Photo Credit: AP

Man Shot in Front of New Haven Housing Complex

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A man was shot in front of a New Haven housing complex on Thursday afternoon and has been transported to the hospital.

The victim, who police believe is in his 30s, was shot in front of the Farnham Courts housing complex on Hamilton Street.

It’s not clear how many gunshots were fired or how badly the man was injured.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Underwear Thief Strikes at Victoria’s Secret

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A thief made off with hundreds of pairs of women’s underwear from a Victoria’s Secret lingerie store in Fairfield and police are investigating.

Police said 220 pairs of underwear were stolen from the shop at Fairfield Center on Friday staff members at the store are going through surveillance video.

The underwear is worth an estimated $2,130, according to the Connecticut Post.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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