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Driver Involved in Fatal Newtown Crash Arrested: Police

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The driver involved in a fatal Newtown crash has turned himself into police on Monday, police said. 

Miguel Angel Barrangan-Santiago, 33, of Shelton, turned himself in to Newtown police on Monday.

On Sunday, police responded to a fatal accident on South Main Street just at 10 p.m.

Newtown Police obtained an arrest warrant for Barragan-Santiago accusing him of misconduct with a motor vehicle.

Barragan-Santiago bond was set to $450,000 and he is expected to appear in court on April 19.


Hillary Clinton to Hold Gun Violence Discussion in Hartford

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be making a campaign stop in Hartford, ahead of the April 26 primary, to discuss gun violence, according to her campaign.

On Thursday, Clinton will be at the YMCA on Albany Avenue accompanied by the family of victims killed in Sandy Hook, along with other family members of gun violence victims, her campaign said. 

The discussion will start at 11:30 a.m. with doors opening at 10. 

In the past, Clinton has proposed "commonsense" laws to tackle gun control in the United States, including enacting background checks, ending immunity protections and keep guns away from domestic abusers, the Clinton campaign said in a statement. 

Her rival candidate, Bernie Sanders, has not announced a visit to the Nutmeg State but his press secretary his said the schedule is still being set. 

"I've certain that the voters of Connecticut  will hear from Sanders one way or another," R. Warren Gill III, Sanders' press secretary told NBC Connecticut. 

While no visit has been announced yet, Sanders' campaign has spent $765,000 on ads for Connecticut TV stations, according to FCC filings.

Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will be in the state on Wednesday for a campaign event in Hartford.

Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ohio governor John Kasich have both visited Connecticut. Trump was in Hartford on Friday. 

Kasich visited  Sacred Heart University in Fairfield earlier this month and is coming back on Friday, where he will be at Glastonbury High School.

The candidates have also been spending money on advertising here.



Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Whole Foods to Sue Man Who Claimed Cake Had Gay Slur On It

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Whole Foods Market plans to take legal action against a customer who claimed a bakery employee wrote a gay slur on a cake he purchased from its flagship Austin, Texas, store.

Jordan Brown, a pastor at the Church of Open Doors in Austin, claimed a cake he bought had a gay slur written in blue icing.

But Whole Foods said in a statement Monday the slur had not been written by the employee, who "is part of the LGBTQ community."

On Tuesday, after further reviewing the case, the chain announced it believes Brown's "accusations are fraudulent and we intend to take legal action against both Mr. Brown and his attorney."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

UConn Warns Students of Sexual Assault Incident

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The University of Connecticut has sent out a campus-wide alert to all students warning them of a sexual assault incident that happened last week. 

On April 17, a student told a residential life staff member that she had been sexually assualted in a dorm room the night earlier. 

The victim said she was in a familiar dorm room and was assaulted by as many as three people, the UConn alert said. 

According to the university, the student has been offered "appropriate support" by being connected with a number of services and resources. 

The notice sent out did not imple that there has been an increase of crime or any specific crime pattern on campus. 



Photo Credit: AP Photo/University of Connecticut

Hartford Schools Will Cut 235 Positions: BOE

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Layoffs are coming to Hartford Schools.

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters broke the story weeks ago, and on Tuesday, the Superintendent of Schools presented her budget to the Board of Education, detailing the cuts.

"It's a lot of money, and that's going to affect the quality of education we give to kids. So that hurts. This is painful," said Richard Wareing, Hartford BOE Chairman.

Painful because Hartford schools must battle a $30 million budget gap. Of that, $20.1 million is from increased costs, and $10.1 million is from decreased revenue.

The superintendent's budget proposes eliminating 235.8 positions to save more than $15 million. Out of that number, 96.5 are teachers. Superintendent Beth Schiavino-Narvaez told the BOE that with things like resignations and retirements, far less staff will actually be laid off.

"While this is a very difficult budget, it's not hopeless. We continue to invest in our priorities and serve our children and families as best we can," said the superintendent.

The superintendent says they're facing a perfect storm which includes 8 years of flat funding, decreasing special funds, and increasing needs.

She outlined that increasing costs mainly comes from contractual salary increases, out-of-district tuition, and fringe benefits. To deal with the budget crisis, along with cutting staff, she reduced reliance on professional contracts and services, reduced insurance costs (helped in part with the proposed reduction in staff), and lowering funds for equipment, computers, supplies, and other accounts that fund things like travel and meetings.

While the cuts are significant to staff, Hartford Federation of Teachers Union President Andrea Johnson fears it may not be the end.

"What bothers me the most is I think more cuts could take place," said Johnson.

While officials say the city of Hartford cannot legally give less money to education, the state certainly could as it grapples with its own financial crisis. Such a move would widen the hole Hartford Public Schools is desperately trying to fill with layoffs and cuts.

"If less money is ultimately appropriated by the General Assembly, that number is going to go up. The number of layoffs is going to go up," said Wareing.

The school district also consolidated Bulkeley High School, but the superintendent pointed out that the consolidation had nothing to do with the fiscal issue. Instead, she said it took place because of declining enrollment.

At the budget presentation, BOE Secretary and Finance Chair Craig Stallings expressed frustration that there is so little time for the Board to look over the budget.

"The Board should have had more input on this," said Stallings.

It's a complaint the teachers' union shares, saying they had one meeting weeks ago with the superintendent but learned nothing. They felt they were left out of the process.

"The teachers are the ones who work with the children in the schools every day. They know the importance, the ups and downs, the happy and sad. Those are the folks you want to talk to," said Johnson.

BOE workshops are scheduled next week. A public hearing takes place on May 3rd, and the BOE is scheduled to adopt the budget on May 17.

Voting in Trump's Queens and Sanders' Brooklyn

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Rahman Syed was waiting for his daughter by the sign for Jamaica Estates, the Queens neighborhood where Donald Trump grew up, so the two could vote together in New York's primary on Tuesday.

He would not be choosing Trump.

"I'm going to go for Hillary," said Syed, 61. "My senator."

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A registered Democrat, he still had questions about New York's former senator, Hillary Clinton, especially her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. And Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont stood for bettering the lives of the working class, which Syed considered himself. But he was not sure Sanders would be able to work with others to accomplish his goals.

"She has the most experience," said Syed, a taxi driver who also owns one of New York City's taxi medallions.

His daughter, a business student at Baruch College and a first-time voter, had tried to convince him to vote for Sanders even as he was hoping to change her mind — a generational gap that has been obvious throughout the primary season.

"We talk a lot," he said.

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Trump and Clinton cruised to victory in New York, where for the first time in decades both the Republican and Democratic primaries were competitive. In the days leading up to the vote, the candidates had been emphasizing their ties to New York: Trump his real estate empire, started by his father and now encompassing Trump Tower, where he lives in Manhattan; Clinton her time as senator; Sanders his childhood home in Brooklyn's Midwood section.

Trump's boyhood neighborhood along Midland Parkway, a once mostly white area with large brick houses, is now surrounded by a more much diverse community scornful of his talk of expelling immigrants, building a wall on the border with Mexico and keeping Muslims out.

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Syed said he thought Trump, whom he called a good businessman, was trying to rally the masses with his most extreme positions, which legally he would be unable to carry out. 

"I'm not that worried about him," Syed said. 

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David Barrios, a 20-year-old student at New York City of Technology, said he disliked the way Trump targeted particular ethnic groups.

"The way he talks he sounds very ignorant," Barrios said.

And he and Karmini Nakoo, 24 and a student at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, liked Sanders' position on making tuition affordable.

"Bernie Sanders is looking out for the people," Nakoo said.

But whether they would vote on Tuesday was unclear. Barrios was not sure he was registered in a party, which would make him ineligible in New York's closed primaries. The large number of young people without a party affiliation was expected to be a particular problem for Sanders' campaign, leaving aside the large number of voting problems reported around the city.

If excitement for Trump appeared absent in Queens, it was evident for Sanders in Brooklyn.

On Kings Highway, not far from where Sanders grew up on East 26th Street, Jeffrey Kassel, 63, and 71-year-old Antonio Hidalgo had already voted and were on their way to lunch with friends. The couple, together for 35 years, were split in their political allegiance -- Kassel for Sanders, Hidalgo for Clinton.

"Bernie is a democratic socialist and so am I and I don't have to be embarrassed any more or fearful," Kassel said. "It used to be you had to be very quiet about saying something like that. You were almost considered a communist."

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Kassel, retired from the state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and a union shop steward, said the country's wealth had to be redistributed so that such a small number of people did not control so much.

"Most people struggle," said Kassel, who grew up not far from Sanders.

Hidalgo, a retired teacher, preferred Clinton's experience working for the administration.

"She was everywhere -- here and Europe and everywhere else," he said.

Sixteen-year-old Dani Black is too young to vote, but he headed into Starbucks with Bernie Sanders buttons on his jacket.

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Black, a junior at Sanders' alma mater, James Madison High School, said he supported all of Sanders' positions -- upending economic inequality, backing rights for women and the LGBTQ community, battling climate change.

"I believe in what he stands for," he said.

[[338107532, C]]



Photo Credit: Noreen O'Donnell/NBC
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Dry, Breezy Conditions Make for High Fire Danger

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Dry, sunny weather will continue through the weekend, with the only exception being Friday.

Overnight, clear skies will dominate as winds diminish. Lows will be in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for tomorrow. Even though there will be less wind, it is still very dry.

Tomorrow will be beautiful, with highs in the lower 60s under full sunshine.

Another mostly sunny day is on tap for Thursday, when it will be nearly 10 degrees above average with highs in the lower 70s.

Scattered showers will make Friday a gloomy day, but even when all is said and done, not much rain is anticipated.

How about the weekend?

Saturday is best, with lots of sunshine and highs in the lower 60s.

A cold front passes through at some point on Sunday, but it should be dry.

High temperatures will be near 60 under a blend of clouds and sun.

A pattern change puts an active storm track over Connecticut next week.

Showers are in the forecast on both Monday and Tuesday, and temperatures will be stuck in the 50s.


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Police Seek 2 Brothers in Murder of Missing Couple

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The hunt for two brothers wanted in the murder of a missing Washington couple now stretches across the country after officials located a vehicle belonging to one of the men in Phoenix.

The brothers, John Blaine Reed, 53, and Tony Clyde Reed, 49, are now charged with first degree murder in the deaths of Patrick Shunn and Monique Patenaude.

Shunn and Patenaude were reported missing on April 12. One of the brothers was a former neighbor of the couple, and friends have said there was a nasty, long-running dispute between them.

The missing couple's two vehicles were located last Thursday down an embankment in a remote wooded area, officials say. Evidence recovered from inside the vehicles, including blood, rubber gloves, a tarp and towels, as well as items found in the former home of one of the suspects, led police to believe foul play is involved.



Photo Credit: Snohomish County Sheriff's Office

Colorado School District Arms Security Guards With Rifles

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A suburban Denver school district is arming its security staff with military-style semiautomatic rifles in case of a school shooting or other violent attack, a move that NBC News reported is unprecedented.

The guards, who are not law enforcement officers, already carry handguns.

Douglas County School District security director Richard Payne said he decided to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster brand rifles for the district's eight armed officers to give them the same tools as law enforcement, including the sheriff's deputies they train with. Payne said the rifles will be kept locked in patrol cars, not in the schools.

Payne said he made the decision to buy assault rifles and the school board has not discussed it. School officials did not immediately return calls for comment.



Photo Credit: AP

Hamden Mayor Assures Seniors Shuttle Rides Will Continue

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Hamden's mayor and transit officials assured seniors at the Davenport-Dunbar Residence that they would not be stranded because a pre-scheduled group shuttle will no longer operate.

Before Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, Marylou Sablitz told NBC Connecticut she relies on specialized shuttles to get around.

“I don’t know how I would get to my doctor’s appointments,” she said. “I don’t know if I can get on a bus with a walker”

Rep. Mike D’Agostino (D-Hamden) said residents reached out to him after learning a pre-scheduled group shuttle managed by Greater New Haven Transit District (GNHTD) that goes to the Hamden Plaza would no longer run.

“That’s a service we want to continue in an era where we are looking to save money and do things efficiently,” D’Agostino said. "That was a remarkably efficient service. I’m still perplexed as to why it’s being terminated.”

The federal funding for the shuttle ran out, GNHTD Executive Director Kim Dunham said. She added the reason for the meeting was, “so that these folks understand what all of their mobility options are, many of them use are other services, so this shuttle ending does not mean they will not have transportation.”

Mayor Curt Leng (D) told residents Hamden’s senior mini-bus services will supply the shuttles to cover their transportation needs.

“If the group chooses they’d like to continue with two set times, four set times, or one set time that’s fine,” Leng said. “But there’s also the ability to pick any day of the week and make an appointment.”

Hamden seniors (60+) can book a shuttle ride for a medical, errand or nutrition reason by calling (203) 288-2885. The Hamden shuttle service costs $1.00 round trip.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Woman Dead, Man Injured After Being Hit by Amtrak in Wallingford

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One woman died and one man was injured after they were hit by an Amtrak train in Wallingford on Tuesday night, police said. 

The 24-year-old woman was pronounced dead immediately and the 29-year-old man was transported to the Yale-New Haven Hospital for a fractured hand, Wallingford Police said. 

The pair were wakling northbound on Old Colony Road when a train, also going northbound, struck them both.

Residents in the area said they heard the impact and heard a man's voice screaming for help, police said.

Amtrak service has been halted in the area. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Flint Water Crisis: Three to Face Criminal Charges

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As many as three Michigan officials will face criminal charges Wednesday in connection with lead contamination in Flint's municipal water system, multiple government sources said Tuesday.

The sources told NBC News and NBC station WDIV of Detroit that state Attorney General Bill Schuette will announce criminal charges against two employees of the state Department of Environmental Quality and one who works for the City of Flint.

The attorney general's office gave no official indication Tuesday what it would discuss at Wednesday's news conference, where it said Schuette would make a "significant announcement." Among those scheduled to be at the news conference are the Genesee County prosecutor and the chief investigators for the state's Flint water task force.

The development comes the same day a federal judge dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by three Flint residents, ruling the case is a state matter.



Photo Credit: AP

First Selectman Accused of Plot to Kill Wife, Self Won't Step Down

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The First Selectman of Bozrah, accused of outlining a plan to kill his soon to be ex-wife and himself, said he is not resigning his position due to the charges he is facing.

Glenn Pianka, 59, was arrested last month, charged with threatening, second-degree harassment and breach of police. Police said he was upset about a difficult divorce and sent letters to family members about a murder suicide plot, but his daughter kept him for carrying it out.

At his first meeting since he was arrested, some in the town thought he would be asked to step down. Pianka plans to keep his position through the investigation despite criticism.

“Tell them to come and see me and ask if I’m doing my job,” Pianka said.

There are two others members of the board and one had no comment. The other said he is standing by the First Selectman.

“Glenn’s doing a good job,” Selectman Carl Zorn said. “People are happy with what he’s doing. He;s going through a tough situation and we’re supporting him.”

Zorn said the board cannot force Pianka to step down, and while they have had discussions about it, they do not plan on asking him to do so. The other board members said they are monitoring the situation.

Some said they cannot ignore the language in the arrest warrant. While the notes were vague, the concerning comments included, “over our dead bodies,” “Maybe a little jail time would do me some good,” I promise to make lives as miserable as mine is becoming … locks, court orders etc. will be useless,” and “This is my life and I am prepared to die defending the work of my life,” according to the arrest warrant application.

It said he’d had many sleepless nights since being served divorce paperwork and was depressed. It went on to said he had gone to the couple’s home in Lebanon, where he retrieved a loaded pistol and took it back to their Bozrah home, where he sat and waited for his wife to come home because he planned to shoot her and then himself, according to the arrest warrant.

Pianka is facing misdemeanor charges for breach of peace, harassment and threatening. He is out on $20,000 bond and due back in court April 20.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Election Results Expected to Be Faster, More Accurate

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Connecticut could enter the 20th century, much less the 21st with a new online Election Management System it will launch next week with the Presidential Preference Primary.

The system was designed by a Connecticut company, Windsor-based PCC Technology and will be used by Registrars of Voters statewide. It cost taxpayers $400,000 and it's been in development for years.

“It’s going to make things faster, more accurate, and I think it’ll make their jobs easier," said Denise Merrill, Connecticut's Secretary of the State.

The software provides election officials with an entire online platform to manage any election results for races as large as president and as small as town council.

The system is mandatory for all elections starting with the November election, but is only voluntary for the primary next week.

Merrill said one of the issues in the past with providing the public with accurate and timely results has been working with hundreds of election staff in individual towns.

Connecticut has developed a reputation for providing slower election returns than neighboring states. During the 2014 election for governor, Gov. Dannel Malloy gave his victory speech when the Secretary of the State hardly had complete results from cities and towns.

Merrill hopes this system improves that dynamic.

“It’s been difficult because we don’t have counties. We have 169 towns and every town does it their way and they have a certain amount of time to get the information in but it has been difficult to get it all in one place at one time.”

Melissa Russell, the President of the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut said election officials embrace technology, and worries are misplaced.

"Registrars have been pushing for new technology. It helps us do our jobs better. It helps the public get the information faster. I’m really excited to see how it’s going to work.”

Russell, a Republican Registrar from Bethlehem, said voters have been showing up in high numbers to register. As a matter of fact, the Secretary of the State reported more than 1,400 online registrations yesterday alone, averaging one per minute.

Russell said it's critical that voters know whether they're affiliated with a party or else they can't vote. The mail in deadline to switch from unaffiliated to a party is Thursday, and the in person deadline is Monday.

“Most people come in to vote and they’re unaffiliated and they don’t realize they’re unaffiliated. Please everyone needs to check to make sure they’re affiliated with a party so that they’ll be able to vote.”



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

CT's Top Democrats Spar Over Budget Options

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Just a day after Connecticut's House Speaker described the budget that Gov. Dannel Malloy presented last week as a "hit list", he stood by his comments Tuesday. He even decided not to attend a meeting with Republicans to discuss steps forward on the budget.

“I think it’s clear that what the governor presented last week was a nonstarter" Rep. Brendan Sharkey, (D - Hamden), told reporters outside the House of Representatives.

When asked about Sharkey's comments, Malloy responded with an atypical conciliatory tone, said, “I just think he had a bad day, honestly.”

The House Speaker insists his comments to the CT Mirror were not reflective of a sour 24 period.

The issues stem from the governor's budget released last week that would end the 2017 fiscal year in balance, as a result of cuts, layoffs, and fund transfers totalling more than $900 million.

The cuts would hit just about all of state government. Everything from hospital payments, dental care for children, to developmental services would see reductions. The budget also includes steep cuts to cities and towns, and school districts in Southwestern Connecticut.

“It felt like a sort of a poke in the eye to both the House and Senate Democrats and Republicans and wasn’t really the basis for a negotiation going forward" Sharkey said.

Malloy defended his budget, by saying he's the only person in the State Capitol who's presented a balanced budget twice since February. The governor said a special session this summer would become a certainty if the legislature and his office can't find middle ground.

“I don’t have a magic wand, right? I can’t make people do their jobs. But I can make it uncomfortable not to do their jobs and that means being here all summer if that’s what it means.”

The governor said he won't sign any budget that raises taxes or borrows money. He also set a condition that it has to be balanced but Connecticut laws mandate a balanced spending plan.

Democrats on the Appropriations Committee approved a budget that only cut just more than $500 million when nonpartisan estimates show the state has a more than $900 million deficit.

Rep. Joe Aresimowicz, (D - Berlin), defended that approach saying, “So we walk out more state employees, we cut municipal funding, we cut social service programs and then a week later, wait, we have more money that we thought, rehire those workers, reconstitute those programs, I don’t think that’s the direction we want to go.”

Republicans did honor their meeting with Malloy and emerged having discussed paths forward but they wouldn't endorse the governor's budget for similar reasons as House and Senate Democrats.

Sen. Len Fasano, (R - North Haven), the Minority Leader in the Senate, said the commentary on the budget isn't good for the process.

“You don’t need to have that kind of rhetoric in this building. I mean, come on," Fasano said.

He added, “There’s a number of reasons why we can’t support it but that doesn’t mean you don’t bring ideas to the table and say, ‘hey, what do you think, how about this, how about that,’ and ultimately we may not even come to an agreement with the governor or whoever is at the table.”



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Man Found Innocent After 2 Decades

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A man who spent more than two decades in prison after being convicted of two drug-related murders was released Tuesday after prosecutors dropped the charges against him. 

Eddie Bolden, 46, walked out of Chicago's Cook County Jail early Tuesday evening to a cheering crowd. 

"I'm glad I'm out," he said. "It looks foreign. A lot of this wasn't even out here when I left."

Bolden was convicted in two 1994 murders after an eyewitness identified him as the gunman that killed 24-year-old Derrick Frazier and 23-year-old Irving Clayton. The witness, Clifford Frazier, was Derrick’s brother, and was also wounded in the shooting in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood.

“This was a death penalty case because the two drug dealers were killed and executed, so it was a double murder,” said Bolden’s lawyer Ron Safer. 

A judge ordered a new trial for Bolden in January after evidence showed his trial lawyer failed to interview a witness who corroborated his alibi that he was playing an arcade game in a South Side restaurant at the time of the shooting. An investigator has since interviewed three witnesses who testified to that claim.

Prosecutors had planned to retry the case and Bolden was held on $1 million bail in February. But on Tuesday, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office suddenly announced it would dismiss the case and drop the charges.

“Prosecutors get a lot of bad press about hanging on to wrongful convictions. They should get a lot of praise for doing the right thing,” Safer said. “[Bolden] has almost never known his son. He was an infant when [Bolden] went into prison.”

Bolden said he's angry and frustrated that he lost more than 20 years of his life for a crime he didn't commit. 

"I knew [freedom] would come I just didn't know when," he said. "I didn't think it would take 22 years but I still have my life."

He said he looks forward to finally spending time with his children. 

“When an innocent man walks out of jail, that's a joyful moment,” Safer said.

Still, Safer claims the six years it took to overturn the conviction is proof the system needs to be improved.

“This is evidence the system can work. It has to work quicker than this,” he said. “We can't let these things linger for decades so that people waste their lives in jail when they are innocent.”

Bolden plans to be at his son's college graduation Sunday, but he's hasn't made any big plans for his future.

"I just want to live," he said, choking back tears. "I want to live and be free."



Photo Credit: NBC 5

Man Was Naked on Beach Near Playground: Police

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An Ansonia man has been arrested after police received complaints that he was naked on a West Haven beach next to a playground that was built in honor of a victim of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Police responded to Sea Bluff Beach around 4:30 p.m. on Monday after people complained that a man was naked and said they found 49-year-old David Gerrish, of Ansonia, in a vehicle backed into the lot and facing the playground.

Children were on the playground at the time, according to police.

Gerrish alluded to police that he might have been naked for a short period of time, according to police.

Officers charged Gerrish with public indecency and breach of peace and he was held in bond.

It’s not clear if he has an attorney. NBC Connecticut went to Gerrish's house and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

The playground is one of 26 "Where Angels Play" playground celebrations built in memory of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting victims.



Photo Credit: West Haven Police

Empire State Building Calls Primary

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Even the Empire State Building was ready to call the GOP presidential primary for Donald Trump within minutes of polls closing Monday night.

The top third of the iconic midtown Manhattan skyscraper, which partnered with CNN to display election returns, flashed bright red for Trump minutes after the polls in New York closed Tuesday night. 

NBC News projected that Trump would win the primary almost immediately. Several other outlets also called the race for Trump as soon as polls closed.

Trump's victory, and the hue of the red lights spurred several jokes on Twitter, with some hearkening to the tower of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Later, the top of the building turned blue once Clinton was declared the winner of the Democratic contest.

Finally, the skyscraper split between blue and red for the two candidates.


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Trump Wins Broad Support in New York GOP Primary

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Donald Trump’s commanding victory in Tuesday’s New York State Republican primary was boosted by groups that have been lukewarm toward his candidacy in the past, NBC’s exit poll shows. 
In addition to winning widespread support among whites without a college degree and voters who want an outsider as the next president—groups that have rallied behind Trump throughout the nomination season—Trump also saw strong support from Republicans with a post-graduate degree and incomes above $100,000. Despite his occasional criticism of Wall Street, Trump also did well with voters who believe that Wall Street helps the economy. 
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, assembled her comfortable win over Rival Bernie Sanders by maintaining her support among key groups of voters who have supported her throughout the 2016 nomination season—African-Americans, Hispanics and those over the age of 65. 

Donald Trump’s commanding win over rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz in Tuesday's New York presidential primary was boosted by groups that have been lukewarm toward his candidacy in the past, NBC’s exit poll shows. 

In addition to winning widespread support among whites without a college degree and voters who want an outsider as the next president—groups that have rallied behind Trump throughout the nomination season—Trump also saw strong support from Republicans with a post-graduate degree and incomes above $100,000. 

Trump won among New Yorkers identifying as "very" or "somewhat" conservative, but pulled essentially even with Kasich among Republicans who identify as moderate or liberal.



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Exploding E-Cig Battery Reported

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A Queens woman says she was badly burned when an electronic cigarette battery exploded in her jeans pocket while she was parking her car. 

Katrina Williams of Richmond Hill says she had just parked on April 7 when the lithium ion battery she was carrying exploded so forcefully it ripped the skin off her knee and shredded her jeans. The battery also got stuck in the dashboard of her car.

"It was like a firecracker launched into my dashboard," she said Tuesday.

"I was in shock, like, I didn't suspect anything would happen, I didn't even know what was happening, everything happened so fast," she said. 

Williams was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where she was treated for third-degree burns. Now burned, bruised and traumatized, Williams walks with a cane with much of her right leg bandaged and is scheduled to undergo surgery this week for the skin on her leg, she said. 

She says she plans to sue the battery manufacturer and the shop where she bought it, the VapeEasy shop on Canal Street. 

"You go into a store, you're not dealing with the manufacturer, you're dealing with the retailer," said her lawyer, Marc Freund. "They have a responsibility for public's safety." 

Freund said Williams had been expecting it would be a safe product, "something that's going to prolong her health." 

The battery manufacturer said in a statement to NBC 4 New York it does not supply or sell any loose batteries directly to customers and that with the limited information it received on the battery model, it could not verify the battery was manufactured by them. 

The Canal Street shop was closed when NBC 4 New York stopped by, and has not responded to calls or emails. 

With the increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes have come reports of exploding e-cigarette batteries. The U.S. Fire Administration finds 25 fires or explosions involving vaporizer batteries between 2009 and 2014, though the report is over a year old and is the only statistic available on e-cigarette battery explosions. 

The Fire Administration estimated more than 2.5 million Americans used e-cigs in 2014. 

NBC News which notes the lithium-ion batteries used to power e-cig vaporizers are small and powerful. When they fail, the results can be disastrous.

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, Inc., told NBC News he is "troubled" that no federal agency is regulating e-cigs.

"We're seeing a flood of these low-cost, low-quality devices that are hurting people and we're dealing with safety as an afterthought," Kane said. "We need tough standards that require good design and manufacturing practices to ensure these devices are produced safely."



Photo Credit: NBC 4 NY
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