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2nd Annual Kevin Adorno Memorial Ride and Festival

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September will mark two years since the death of 28-year-old Kevin Adorno. 

The Farmington man was planning to propose to his girlfriend at the end of a cycling trip from Maryland to Florida, but never made it. 

Instead, police say he was attacked; stabbed to death by a homeless man in a Vero Beach, FL McDonald's parking lot.

Saturday, for the second year in a row, Adorno's family and friends turned that tragedy into something positive for their community. 

An army of volunteers got up with the sun to stake signs in the ground, lay out t-shirts, and register riders and runners for the annual Kevin Adorno Memorial Ride and Festival.

“He would have given you the shirt off his back and he would have been here for any one of us,” said volunteer and childhood friend Kyle Chaves.

Adorno’s friends said they came back to volunteer again because it’s their way of keeping his memory alive.

“That kid was the mayor of the town.  That kid put a smile on everybody’s face,” said Tim Walczak, another friend and volunteer.

Saturday, there were very few tears, just laughter and cheers, for those who crossed the finish line at Winding Trails in Farmington. 

The Adorno siblings grew up going to camp at the park. 

“Time is your friend so it does get a little easier, but it will never go away,” said Adorno’s mother Helena.

Through their grief, Adorno’s family found a way to honor the avid cyclist and graphic artist while supporting the passions he pursued. 

This year, the event grew to three bike rides, a run, and an afternoon of live music and fun for the whole family.  

A bike rodeo was added to teach children bike safety, along with a soccer game, bounce houses, and food.

“What happened to Kevin is tremendously tragic and if we spend too much energy focused on what happened to Kevin we can probably all sink ourselves pretty quick.  If we channel our energy into beautiful things like this with the support of our community and friends and family it’s the best way to handle something as tragic as that,” said Adorno’s sister Tanya.

The money raised Saturday goes back into the community providing $1,500 scholarships to art students and money for bike safety programs.

“Good has come from it and he’s obviously touched so many people,” Chaves added.

His mother said seeing the community come together in her son’s memory meant Adorno’s death was not in vein.

“I just think it’s a beautiful way to honor his life,” Helena said.


Sources Challenge Navy's Account of SEAL Trainee's Death

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A week after a Navy SEAL trainee died following a swimming drill in California, accounts are emerging that challenge the Navy's narrative of what happened, alleging the death may have been the result of an instructor going too far.

Seaman James Derek Lovelace, 21, drowned during a training exercise on May 6 called "drown proofing," according to the Navy.

But sources who've spoken to NBC News and The Virginian-Pilot say the drill wasn't "drown proofing," but instead a rather more intense exercise known as "combat treading," which involved physical harassment of trainees by instructors in the water intended to test their ability to stay afloat under stress.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Lovelace was held underwater until he passed out by an instructor who then blamed the drowning on the trainee's "inability to perform."

A Navy spokesman, said in a statement Friday that Naval Special Warfare Command is "fully cooperating" with the NCIS investigation and a separate Navy safety investigation into the training death. The instructor has been removed from training as officials investigate Lovelace's death, a spokesman told NBC News. 



Photo Credit: U.S. Navy

Nursing Home Residents Celebrate Senior Prom

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Residents of the Gladeview Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center enjoyed a night of dancing at the annual Senior Prom Friday night, rounding out a week long celebration of National Nursing Home Week.

Dancing to live music, mocktails, hors d'oeuvres and dessert filled the evening as residents dressed in their best and snapped photos and videos.

In a statement, Gladeview Rehabilitation said "The residents are so excited for the prom, and so are we! We want to share with the community what offering events like this for nursing home residents does for their self esteem and for their overall quality of life."

Gladeview Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center was founded by Dr. Morton Silberstein in 1987.

Silberstein incurred life-changing injuries while fighting in World War II, leaving him 100 % disabled. 

Defying doctor's expectations, Silberstein graduated from medical school and opened Gladeview. Veteran care is a to priority at Gladeview.

Mass. Man Wanted for CT Home Invasion 20 Years Ago Arrested

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A Massachusetts man wanted for a home invasion committed in Connecticut nearly 20 years ago was taken into custody today.

Jose Manuel Blanco-Dominguez, 57 of Lawrence, Massachusetts, is being held as a fugitive of justice.

On Saturday, May 14, Boxborough police pulled Blanco-Dominguez over after a check of his registration alerted police he had an active warrant against him.

Blanco-Dominguez attempted to provide police with many aliases, but was placed under arrest.

Blanco-Dominguez is wanted from an incident that occurred on June 25, 1997 in which two men, two women and two children were held at knife-point at a Windham, Connecticut, home.

After a 30 minute standoff with police, three of the masked men were captured. Blanco-Dominguez eluded police by jumping out of a window and running into the nearby woods.

Blanco-Dominguez is being held without bail pending his arraignment for extradiction back to Connecticut.

Black Bear Visits Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford

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The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was called to Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford Saturday when a 325 pound black bear stopped by for a visit.

 Choate Headmaster Dr. Alex Curtis says the bear was spotted on campus around 8:30 a.m. Community safety immediately responded to make sure no one was in danger. Curtis, who was on campus at the time, said the bear was rambling around and looking in trash cans, presumably trying to find a “tasty snack.”

 The bear eventually climbed a tree. Wallingford police arrived on scene to control the crowd of spectators that had gathered and ensure everyone was a safe distance away.

 DEEP’s State Environmental Conversation police arrived on scene and used the school’s cherry-picker to get up close to the bear, which was 60 feet up. Curtis explained the crew got the bear down to lower branches and tranquilized the animal. The bear appeared groggy from the tranquilizer but unharmed by his fall, according to Curtis.

 Curtis said the DEEP crew on scene was very professional and put everyone at ease. “We’re very grateful to DEEP,” he said.

 DEEP officials say the male bear was relocated to a remote location.

 For more information on black bears in the state check out the DEEP website.



Photo Credit: Choate Rosemary Hall

Five Children Injured in Trumbull Golf Cart Accident

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Five children were taken to the hospital following a golf cart accident at an American Youth Soccer tournament in Trumbull Saturday morning.

 Trumbull police say five children ages three to 12 and an AYSO official were riding in a golf cart on a field next to Madison Middle School on Madison Avenue around 10 a.m. The AYSO official was driving the cart up a hill and when the vehicle reached the top, the wheels came off the ground. The driver lost control and the young passengers fell out. The cart then rolled backwards and struck them.

 The children were all transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Police say the cart was being used to transport passengers between soccer fields. Several hundred people were on the fields playing the tournament when the incident occurred but no one else was injured. Trumbull police, Trumbull EMS, and Stratford EMS all responded.

New Haven Police Investigate Shooting

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New Haven police are investigating a shooting on Shelton Avenue Saturday afternoon.

 Police say they responded to 282 Shelton Avenue around 2 p.m. When they arrived they found the victim, 26-year-old Darryl McFadden of New Haven, sitting on the steps. He was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of  gunshot wounds to the chest and arm. His injuries are not life threatening.

 Police are searching for a gold colored sports car that may have been involved in the incident. No suspect description is available at this time.

 Anyone with information should contact New Haven detectives at (203) 946 6304.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Wyo. Man Wanted for Kidnapping Mother & Girls

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A man accused of kidnapping and assaulting a mother and her four daughters was still on the run Saturday, according to Wyoming police, NBC News reported. 

Police told residents of Pinedale, Wyoming, to stay in their homes as the search for Dereck James Harrison, 22, continued. Harrison is believed to be armed with two knives and two rifles, and is considered “extremely dangerous,” according to a sheriff’s statement. 

Harrison and his father Flint Wayne Harrison, 51, were wanted on felony kidnapping and assault charges in Utah for luring a mother and her four daughters to their house for a barbecue on Tuesday. The two men allegedly tied them up in a basement before assaulting the mother and some of the young girls, according to police. 

The older Harrison turned himself in to police early Saturday morning. 

Police believe the two men were retaliating against the mother, and said their exact motivation is still under investigation. 



Photo Credit: Sublette County Sheriff

Brawl at Moscow Cemetery Leaves 3 Dead

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Three people were killed and two dozen injured at Moscow’s largest cemetery Saturday in a brawl between ethnic groups, NBC News reported.

Witnesses said the fight, involving about 200 people at the Khovanskoye cemetery in southwest Moscow, was over control of the lucrative burial service business. Some of those involved used weapons, according to witnesses. 

Riot police broke up the fight, taking more than 90 people into custody. The Moscow city health department reported three people had been killed and 23 hospitalized, including four gravely hurt. 

Migrants are struggling to find work as Russia’s economy gets hit with Western sanctions and low prices for its oil exports.



Photo Credit: AP

Bridgeport Mourns City Firefighter Killed in Crash

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The Bridgeport Fire department is mourning one of its own after an off-duty Bridgeport firefighter was killed in an accident Saturday afternoon.

 City of Bridgeport spokesman Av Harris says that 34-year-old Jimmie Jones, an 8-year veteran of the fire department, was killed in an accident on Bishop Avenue near Connecticut Avenue. Two cars were involved in the crash, which occurred around 3:25p.m. There were multiple injuries and multiple victims required extrication.

 Jones was assigned to truck and ladder 6 on the east side Battalion 2 on Central Avenue. His father is a retired Bridgeport firefighter.

 Several of Jones’s truck mates on ladder 6 responded to the crash and attempted life-saving measures.

 Jones’s son was also in the car and suffered a broken leg. Information about the other victims of the accident is not available at this time.

 Mayor Joseph P. Ganim and Fire Chief Brian Rooney extended their deepest condolences to the family of Jimmie Jones Saturday night, and extended prayers for the recovery of the other victims.

 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Kansas Sen. Blocks Confirmation of Army Secretary

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It's been eight months since President Barack Obama nominated Eric Fanning to become secretary of the Army — the first openly gay man to be recommended to that branch's highest ranking civilian position, NBC News reported.

But Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is holding up Fanning's confirmation because the lawmaker wants Obama to promise not to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, military installation.

"If the White House calls and assures me that terrorists held at Guantanamo will not come to Ft. Leavenworth, I will release the hold - immediately," Roberts said on the Senate floor late last month, adding that he supports Fanning for the post.

The standoff stems from the president's announcement of a long-anticipated pitch to Congress in February to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Keeping the prison open, the president said, is "contrary to our values."



Photo Credit: AP

'I Have to Save My Mom': Teen Scammed Out of $900

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Devonte McIntosh was at Prince Tech High School in Hartford when he received a phone call from an 860 number he didn't recognize. The person on the other end asked if he knew anyone who drives a black car.

"I was like, 'Oh, that could be my mom,'" said the 18-year-old.

The caller then told Devonte that his mom had hit the caller's son with that car and that they have warrants and can't have the cops involved. Instead, the caller said Devonte needed to pay up and that if he didn't, the caller would kill Devonte's mom.

"They were like, 'If you hang up, we'll kill her right now.' So it's kind of like you can't do anything. It's like every second you don't pull the phone away from your head. You can't go silent for a second," said Devonte. "It really hit me, and I was like, 'Okay, I have to do something. I have to save my mom.'"

Still on the phone, the teen left school and ran to a nearby store to send every cent he had.

"I have to do this. It's only $900. I can make that back, but you can't make a mom back," said Devonte.

As soon as the money went through, the caller hung up. Moments later, he heard from his mom.

"He said to me, 'Mom, weren't you in a bad car accident?' And I said, 'No, I'm home,'" said Marlene McIntosh, Devonte's mom.

That's when Devonte realized it was all a scam but it was too late. His hard-earned money was gone.

"It's terrible for somebody to do that to a kid who works so hard," said Marlene.

Marlene texted and called the number back. Eventually, someone called her back.

"I said, 'What is your name?' and he said, 'It's Carmello.' And I said, 'Can you return the $900 you took from my son?' and he hung up the phone," said Marlene.

When we tried calling the number, no one picked up.

Devonte and his mom want others to know what happened to them so no one else becomes a victim.

"I'm just not going to pick up numbers I don't know anymore," said Devonte.

Looking back, Devonte said he's just thankful that his mom is okay.

Hartford police said every single call like this that's been reported to them has been proven to be a scam. If you receive a similar phone call, do not send money. Instead, hang up and call police.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Pet Owners Warned About Coyote Attack in Windsor Locks

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Dog owners are on edge after police said there was a rare coyote attack in Windsor Locks.

Now people are warned to be careful with their pets.

Those out for a walk in Windsor Locks are now greeted by a bold warning about coyotes in the area of Waterworks Park.

“To hear coyotes are around makes me a little nervous and more cautious for having my dog in the area,” says Sara Sabukewicz.

Police say recently in the park two coyotes attacked a dog, which was off the leash. The coyotes eventually darted back into the woods.

The unusual attack leaves area dog owners concerned about what might lurk nearby.

“You can tell there’s something out there. Every once in a while, he goes out and just stands there and looks,” says Danny Levesque.

Some neighbors we talked to say they have seen and heard coyotes around here before.

Other dog owners say they were surprised to hear who is roaming the neighborhood.

“Thankfully we always keep him on a leash but I don’t know what I could do to defend myself, not only him,” said Sabukewicz.

Wildlife experts said coyotes rarely attack people and are more likely to go after cats and small dogs.

That’s why police urge pet owners to be cautious and never let their beloved animal run free.

“Keep him on a leash more. Don’t let him go out by himself,” said Levesque.

“Maybe watching him a little more now that, our yard is fenced in but I don’t know, can coyotes jump over fences? I have no idea,” says Sabukewicz.

We reached out to police to see how the dog, which was attacked at the park, was doing. We have not yet heard back.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Plane Crashes, Pilot Killed at Georgia Air Show

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Atlanta-area officials said a plane crashed killing the pilot Saturday while he performed stunts during an air show, NBC News reported. 

The crash occurred at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport north of Atlanta during the 2016 Good Neighbor Day Airshow, DeKalb County Public Information Officer Shiera Campbell said. 

Juan Rios, who captured the crash on video, told NBC News it happened during one of the last events of the afternoon. The video shows two planes crossing each other close to the ground, before one rises high in the air before descending and appearing to lose control.

Warning: The video contains a plane crash and may be disturbing to some. 

Flags at the airport were at half-staff following the crash. The pilot will not be identified until next of kin is identified, Campbell said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. 



Photo Credit: DeKalb County
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Victim: Gruesome Stabbing 'Steered Me in the Right Direction'

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It's been nearly six months since Christopher Nickerson walked into a hospital with his intestine hanging out of his stomach.

Nickerson, who then lived in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was walking in the Hyannis section of Barnstable on Oct. 24, 2015, when he says he happened upon a domestic incident and intervened.

"I came across a couple arguing in the road," Nickerson, now 41, recalled Saturday in a phone interview with necn. "I got involved to try to help her, and he ended up stabbing me."

Nickerson, who acknowledges that he had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol, walked to Cape Cod Hospital - his intestine unruptured, but hanging from his body.

While the injury may have been traumatic, Nickerson is adamant that it saved him.

"It was a wakeup call from God," Nickerson said. "It steered me in the right direction."

Nickerson was on a different road before the stabbing - following some personal losses, he had spent the prior 11 years as a drug addict and an alcoholic. And things didn't get easier quickly.

He spent four weeks in the hospital, then more time at the Cape Heritage Nursing Home in Sandwich.

"I ended up losing everything - I had no place to go," he said. "I became homeless."

He was working toward recovery from the stabbing when he reconnected with his mother - he hadn't seen her in 10 years. He bumped into his brother at the hospital and got her number from him.

Within a few days, Nickerson's mother, who had also been homeless, got him into the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Bridgewater. From there, he went to Thayer TSS in Worcester.

That was where a counselor asked him an important question - "How do you feel about living on a farm?"

"I've got a construction background," he replied. "I guess I could live on a farm. That sounds like a great idea."

And so he landed in Oakham, a rural town west of Worcester, at Dismas Family Farm - described on its website as "a holistic, rehabilitative and vocational reentry model."

"It's a fully functional, working farm," Nickerson explained.

The farm has animals. Residents grow vegetables to sell at farmers markets.

Nickerson is excited for the future - his time at Dismas, away from the temptations and the constant reminders that come with city life, has helped him move forward.

"You don't hear sirens going by every night. You don't hear gunshots. You don't hear helicopters flying overhead," Nickerson said. "This is God's country. Why would you not want to enjoy it? How could you not get overjoyed and have a feeling of wonder?"

Despite the gruesome nature of the injury, Nickerson's physical health has improved dramatically.

"Other than having the scars, there isn't really any lingering effect," he said. "I don't have any nightmares from it. It was a traumatic experienced, but I was in a blackout - I think my mind kind of erased it."

Understandably, he still thinks back to that night. He's disappointed Barnstable Police never caught the suspect. And he hopes that the man is captured so that he doesn't hurt anyone else.

But he considers his survival nothing short of a miracle - he walked to the hospital without dying, and he managed to tell police of his medical allergies before he passed out. Were he given anesthesia, the results could have been tragic. And he calls the attack a blessing in disguise - a much-needed catalyst for change.

"Had I not been under the influence, I would never have ended up in that part of town in that part of night," Nickerson said. "It's my fault that I was there - but the fact that I didn't die - that was God."

Nickerson's faith is not a traditional one, but it has carried him.

"I'm not a religious person," he said. "But I've also come to realize that there's a big difference between religion and faith. And for me, faith is having an understanding with a higher power that I understand for myself. It doesn't matter what other people think about that, I understand it."

And even with all the pain he's suffered, the future excites Nickerson.

"I've got a long road ahead of me," he said. "I think I've actually got it."



Photo Credit: Facebook

Facebook Exec. on Losing Husband

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Commencement speeches usually strike a celebratory tone, but Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg went against the grain Saturday while addressing UC Berkeley grads and spoke publicly for the first time about the tragic death of her husband.

"His death was sudden and unexpected," Sandberg said. "For many months afterward, and at many times since, I was swallowed up in the deep fog of grief — what I think of as the void — an emptiness that fills your heart, your lungs, and constricts your ability to think or even to breathe."

Sandberg’s husband, Survey Monkey CEO Dave Goldberg, died of a cardiac arrhythmia while the couple was vacationing in Mexico in May of 2015.

During the speech, the “Lean In” author told students about how the sudden loss affected her, and how she came out of that grief with a stronger sense of self.

"I learned about the depths of sadness and the brutality of loss," she said. "But I also learned that when life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, break the surface, and breathe again."

She said she hopes students will take her words to heart and acknowledged that they too will face immense challenges.

"When the challenges come, I hope you remember that anchored deep within you is the ability to learn and grow. You are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. Like a muscle, you can build it up, draw on it when you need it."

She continued: "It is the hard days — the times that challenge you to your very core — that will determine who you are," she said. "You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.”



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Mom Wants Officials to Examine Missing Teens' Boat

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The mother of one of the missing Florida teens wants law enforcement to conduct “a proper forensic examination” of their boat when it returns to shore on Monday, NBC News reported. 

Pamela Cohen requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or both conduct the review, her attorney said in a letter to the two agencies. 

The boat that her son Perry and his friend Austin Stephanos sailed off the coast of Jupiter on July 24 was found capsized on March 18. The vessel is being brought back in a shipping container to Port Everglades in Florida. 

An iPhone found on the boat that was turned over to Apple was not salvageable because it was under water for eight months. 

One of the teens’ family members suggested the two boys may have been abducted. An investigative file revealed that the FBI was involved, but that the probe was never considered criminal. The teens are officially classified as missing.



Photo Credit: AP

Connecticut Road Rage Incident Leads to Accident

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Two shootings and a serious crash kept Bridgeport police busy Saturday night.

Bridgeport police say that a rollover in front of the police department started as a road rage incident on the highway around 1:30 a.m.

The driver of the car took out the security reader at the entrance to the gated parking lot at police headquarters.

One person was hospitalized. Police say that alcohol was likely a factor. An open container was located in the vehicle.

Just two hours earlier, police were called to Park Ave. and Olive St. around 11 p.m. for a reported shooting.

Police say one person was taken to the hospital from the scene while a second person was taken to the hospital by private vehicle.

Trump: 'Brexit' Won't Impact a UK-US Trade Deal

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Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump said the U.K. leaving the European Union would not impact trade between the U.S. and Britain if he were to become president, NBC News reported.

In an interview with Pierce Morgan for ITV's "Good Morning Britain," Trump said although he had "big investments" in the U.K., he had "no preference" on the June 23 Brexit vote.

Asked by Morgan if the U.K. would go "to the back of the queue" if Britain chose to leave — a reference to Barack Obama's assertion the U.S. would prefer to trade with large blocs like the EU — Trump said "certainly not."

"With me, [Britain will] always be treated fantastically well," he added.



Photo Credit: AP
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Water Main Break in Hartford

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A water main break in Hartford left several customers without services for several hours Sunday.

The Metropolitan Water District says an 8" water main on Capitol Avenue was shut down at 8:30 a .m. One business, The Beacon Cafe, a three multi-family home and a seven unit apartment building on Capitol Ave between Beacon St. and Rowe Ave. were affected by the shutdown.

Services were restored at 1:45 p.m. and the road reopened around 5 p.m.

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