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Governor Says I-95, I-84 Should Be Widened

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The state launched a campaign on Tuesday to improve the transportation system in the state and Gov. Dannel Malloy said he thinks highways in the state should be widened.

Interstate 95 should be widened to three lanes throughout the state, Malloy said, and suggested that Interstate 84 also be widened in areas that are currently two lanes.
 
The program Malloy and the state Department of Transportation launched is called Transform CT and the mission is to improve economic growth and competitiveness, build sustainability and provide a blueprint for a world-class transportation system.

“Transportation is the backbone of our economy,” Malloy said in a statement. “The movement of people and goods, facilitating commerce, and bolstering tourism all depend on a highly functioning transit and highway system.”

A series of public meetings will be held.

Through the Web site, www.TransformCT.org, residents have a place to comment and share ideas on the transportation issues facing Connecticut.  Visitors can also sign up to receive updates and public meeting schedules.

“It is essential that we continue to improve transportation options and service in Connecticut,” DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said. “This is a strategic approach to connecting our cities and towns and, most importantly, it gives the public a direct role in the process and the product. Improving our transportation system also makes Connecticut a more competitive, sustainable and livable state.”

Public meetings are scheduled to begin this fall and the first report will be released by February 2014.

 



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Emergency Workers Find Someone Who Walked Away from CVH

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Emergency crews have found a female who walked away from Connecticut Valley Hospital, according to state police.

The person was found in woods off of Labella Circle in Middletown. Her condition is unknown.

Jim Siemianowski, spokesman for CVH, said state police issued an Amber Alert two days ago, but would not confirm the patient’s name because of security laws.

He said some CVH patients are allowed to walk around grounds depending on their treatment level. When someone disappears, campus police are notified and decide whether to contact Middletown police.

If a patient violates the right to move around campus, medical professionals can take away the privilege.

 

 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Adult Home Workers Tied Up, Punched 88-Year-Old Man: AG

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Two employees of a Long Island senior care home are facing felony assault charges for allegedly attacking and suffocating an 88-year-old man, New York state authorities say.

Raquel Bouton, a licensed practical nurse, and Laura Harper, a personal care aide, were arrested after an investigation by the attorney general's office into the alleged assault at Woodhaven Adult Home in Port Jefferson on March 24.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Bouton, 43, of Mount Sinai, and Harper, 58, of Coram, attacked the elderly man, tying his hands together, holding them above his head and punching him in the stomach several times. The two women also held a pillow over the man's face in bed, authorities said. 

The victim suffered bruising to the torso, restricted breathing and pain, Schneiderman said. 

Surveillance cameras in the hallway captured Bouton and Harper entering, then exiting the resident's room at the time of the alleged assault, according to Schneiderman. Bouton also covered up the alleged crime by falsifying progress notes, he said.

Bouton and Harper were each indicted on eight counts of assault and endangerment. They could each face up to three and a half to seven years in prison if convicted. 

Attorneys for the women said the allegations are entirely unfounded. A message was left with the adult home. 



Photo Credit: NY Attorney General

Baby Shocker: Unexpected 2-Pounder Survives Front-Yard Birth

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Quick-acting police officers saved a newborn’s life after a woman who didn’t realize she was pregnant gave birth outside her New Jersey home.

The 21-year-old woman says she was heading to the hospital for what she thought was a stomach ailment and didn't even know she was pregnant. She soon found out however, much to her shock, after she gave birth to a baby boy in the front yard of her home shortly before 11 a.m. on Pulaski Drive in Barnegat Township.

Barnegat Township Police officers Vinnie Damiano and Michael Moore arrived at the home a short time later.

"The baby was out on the front lawn along with the mother," said Damiano.

Damiano says the baby, who appeared to be about three months premature, was not breathing. Damiano and Moore, delicately performed CPR on the boy, revived him and helped an ambulance crew clear his airway before he was brought to the hospital.

"Once I heard a little bit of the cry, it kind of made me jump a little bit," said Moore.

Neighbors say they were stunned.

"Can't say that I noticed that she was pregnant," said Pat Faraldi. "She carries well." 

The child's father told NBC10 Philadelphia that the baby weighs two pounds and that he along with his mother are doing OK. He also thanked the two officers who saved his child's life.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Big Expansion Plans for Mohegan Sun Casino

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 A $50 million retail project is in the works for the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Mohegan Sun hosted a media briefing at 11 a.m. Tuesday to reveal details for a new, exciting retail destination that will break ground in the fall.  
 
The new location will be at the flagship property in Uncasville.
 
The new retail center, named the Downtown District, will include stores, eateries, a bowling alley and movie theater.
 
Officials say the expansion will create hundreds of new jobs in construction and more permanent opportunities.
 
“I think the position of the economy now and the reality of when this would open is perfect,” said casino CEO Mitchell Etess at a conference today.
 
The casino plans to complete the project by 2015.

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Kerri Walsh Jennings to Pose Nude

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July will be a big month for SoCal volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings, who will pose nude in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue and make her beach sport comeback in Long Beach, Calif., before she tries for her fourth gold medal.

The mother of three announced Tuesday in an exclusive interview with NBC4 Southern California her plans to represent America in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. But first, she will compete on the SoCal coast in the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball on July 22.

"I'm coming back because I want to do it better," she said. "I have so much more in me... I feel like I'm just scratching the surface."

The Long Beach tournament will be Walsh Jennings’ first competition since giving birth to her third child in April.

“Rio gold, baby. That’s my goal,” she said. “Long Beach is where my road to Rio starts.”

The three-time Olympic gold medalist's return to the sand will come just 10 days after she bares it all for ESPN The Magazine in its annual issue meant to celebrate the “vast potential of the human form” seen in athletes’ bodies.

“Getting back in shape is a big duty, and I take my responsibility very strongly,” she told NBC4 Southern California. “I'm working my way back. It’s a process."

Walsh Jennings will be alongside 20 other nude sports stars including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, drag racer Courtney Force, and 77-year-old golfer Gary Player.

ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue will be in stores July 12.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Fallen Tree Close Call for Kids

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Whether it was hit by lightning or uprooted by the wind, the silver maple that smashed onto the front yard of 24 Whiting Road in East Hartford Tuesday evening could have done a lot more damage - it scratched two children but did not seriously hurt them, according to neighbors.

Jesse Rodriguez, who lives next door, saw the tree fall. "I was looking at the tree swerving, I saw this tree here falling over," he said. "I know there was people here so I came running, I know their kids."

Somehow the two children escaped serious injury. Their toys are buried in branches and leaves. Their landlord and neighbors say they went to the hospital with bumps and scratches, along with their family, as a precaution.

Wethersfield Businessman Guilty of Fraud

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Deowraj Buddhu's federal trial lasted ten days, but it took a jury less than one hour to convict him of six counts of mail fraud and seven counts of issuing, selling and passing fictitious financial instruments.

The Wethersfield business owner, 70,  faces up to 30 years in prison.

The jury agreed with what prosecutors said in their opening and closing arguments, that Buddhu is a "con man."

Court documents reveal Buddhu's scheme targeted struggling homeowners.  Many of them were non-English speakers.  Buddhu charged his clients for access to a supposed secret stash of federal money.  No such fund exists, according to the federal government. 

Prosecutors said because Buddhu had told customers to stop paying their bills and mortgages, many wound up in foreclosure.

Buddhu represented himself during his trial.

“I went into the business only to help individuals get out of debt,” Buddhu said during his closing argument.  “My ignorance is what I’m guilty of.”

Buddhu's daughter, Sunita, notarized many of her father's documents.  She pleaded guilty to issuing, selling and passing fictitious financial instruments.

Buddhu's standby attorney said the case was too complex for someone without access to a law library to defend himself.  However, Buddhu plans to appeal.  His sentencing is scheduled for September 17.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man in Critical Condition After Motorocycle Crash

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A motorcycle driver is in critical condition after being rear ended yesterday in Wolcott, police said.

According to police, the motorcycle was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Meriden Road and Todd Road around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when it was hit by a 1999 Subaru, whose driver appeared to be texting.

The motorcycle then slammed into the car stopped in front of it and ricocheted off, causing the driver to fall backward onto the Subaru's windshield, police said.

The driver, Terrence Doyle of Woodtick Road in Wolcott, was transported to St. Mary's Hospital and is in critical condition. Police said he was not wearing a helmet.

Police discovered that the Subaru driver, Amy Couverenthia of Indian Trail, Waterbury, had an outstanding warrant for failure to respond to a previous infraction. Her registration had also expired, police said. She was arrested and charged.

Officers are still investigating.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Obama to Students: Txt Me

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Head spinning from juggling the figures of your student debt and your financial aid package? This week, you can ask the president for help, and he just might answer — by text message.

President Barack Obama is answering students' questions about paying for college this week, ahead of a planned July 1 rate hike on the interest charged on students' subsidized Stafford loans.

Every day this week, the youth activism group DoSomething.org is collecting questions and sending one of those to the president to answer.

Obama's answered an inquiry Tuesday from Marcus in Nevada, Texas, about what the government is doing to educate high school students about loans before entering college.

"We launched a College Scorecard and Financial Aid Shopping sheet to compare schools, aid and loan options," Obama said via text message. "It’s something Michelle and I wish we had had when we were in your shoes — because sometimes we got surprised by some of the debt that we racked up."

On Monday, the president responded to a question about what has been done to lower student debt, saying the government has expanded grants and proposed incentives for colleges to keep tuition down.

Students interested in submitting questions can text “PREZ” to 38383 to sign up, then submit a question.

The White House has been fighting with Congress over how to deal with the student loan rate hike, and no solution has been reached. The subsidized Stafford loan interest rate will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent next month if Congress does not act soon.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

East Windsor Gun Store Employee Pleads Guilty

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 An employee of Riverview Gun Sales in East Windsor has pleaded guilty after failing to have a gun buyer answer a question about U.S. citizenship on a federal document.

On Monday, Krystopher DiBella, 25, of West Suffield, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the failure to make a proper entry on an ATF Form 4473, according to Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

DiBella was employed at Riverview Gun Sales, which used to be a federally-licensed firearms dealer, in East Windsor from approximately 2008 to August 2012, according to federal officials.

He is accused of transferring firearms several times to individuals who failed to respond to certain questions on the ATF Form 4473 and the charge stems from a sale on March 15, 2010.  People who buy firearms from federally-licensed firearms dealers are required to fill out the form.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 16. 

As part of the agreement reached, DiBella will not be able to apply for a federal firearms license or to be a responsible party for an FFL while he is on probation.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked the license of Riverview Gun Sales in East Windsor in December, days after the shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newtown but didn't disclose why.

The shop owner has said he sold a gun several years ago to Nancy Lanza, the mother of the suspected school shooter.

The Hartford Courant reported
that the store also sold guns used in the mass shooting at Hartford Distributors.

Police Identify Man Accused of Shooting Willimantic Officer

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Police have arrested a man accused of shooting a Willimantic police officer in the arm as he responded to a well-being call this morning.

They are also investigating a homicide after finding a man's body at the crime scene.

Police responded to 31 Tunxis Lane in Willimantic around 11:30 a.m. to conduct a well-being check on a resident.

When the responding officer arrived, he was ambushed and shot by a man who ran from the scene, according to state police.

The officer called for help and local and state police, as well as SWAT officers, responded to Tunxis Lane and the area around the IGA on Route 32, where the suspect was later found.

The officer was taken to Windham Hospital to be treated for injuries that are believed to be non-life-threatening.

Police said the accused shooter, identified as 34-year-old Andrew Samuolis, was believed to be wearing a bulletproof vest and a wide-scale search of the ground and air was launched.

A K9 unit found Samuolis near the IGA and took him into custody.  He was taken to Windham Hospital to be treated for minor K9 wounds, Lt. Paul Vance, of Connecticut state police said.  

Police said they found a man’s body inside the Tunxis Lane house and it appears to be homicide scene, Vance said.

Samuolis has been charged with criminal attempt of assault, criminal attempt of assault on a public safet officer, threatening, breach of peace and interfering with a police officer.

He is being held on $1 million bond and is expected to be in court on Wednesday.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Hero Police Dog "Bear" Gets K-9 Honor Guard

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An NYPD K-9 is returning to full duty after being kicked twice in the mouth while assisting officers breaking up a subway brawl, and a line of other police dogs formed an honor guard to welcome the 6-year-old German Shepherd back to the job.

Cool 3D Model of Chicago

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The Chicago Architecture Foundation is showing off 3D printing technology to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of The Windy City.

Madison: Raising Money and Razing Building

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Determined to do something to help people who lost their jobs in last Thursday's fire, Madison's Chamber of Commerce is organizing a fundraiser on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., outside the Madison Beach Hotel.

Demolition crews have already pulled down most of the building on Boston Post Road after Village Pizza and the Madison Wine Shop were destroyed in the fire.

"They've been here forever," said Eileen Banisch, executive director of the chamber of commerce.

"Everybody's kids grew up going to Village Pizza.  I remember taking my kids there when they were 3 or 4," she said. "My daughter's first solid food was a pizza crust from there."

She said Madison Wine Shop's reputation spans the state.

"They have customers coming from Westchester and Fairfield County and Rhode Island because of their great product," she said.

The money raised will go to cover costs insurance doesn't,  she said.

The concert will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the front lawn of the Madison Beach Hotel, at 94 West Wharf Road.

Shuttle service will be available from the gazebo near Madison Stop & Shop, starting at 6:30 p.m.

 


New Images Released in Manhunt for Cop Shooter

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Authorities released new video Wednesday showing an at-large shooter believed to have ambushed two detectives at a Los Angeles Police Department station earlier this week.

Clad in dark-colored clothes, a man is seen on the video (embedded below) quickly walking past cameras set up near the Wilshire Community Police Station about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“We consider this individual to be an extreme danger to the community,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Beck asked the public to help authorities find the gunman described as a black male with a medium build, mustache and goatee. Police believe a dark object seen in his right hand is a revolver.

The images were captured by a surveillance camera set up across the street from the police station, where a pair of detectives was attacked from behind while returning to the station from an investigation in the San Fernando Valley.

The detectives exchanged fire with the shooter, but the gunman escaped, prompting the hours-long shutdown of the Mid-City area.

Businesses in the 25-square blocks around the Wilshire Community Police Station were closed and residents were ordered to shelter in place while police combed the neighborhood.

The early morning shooting in Mid-City Tuesday was the second attack on police officers in Los Angeles in a 15-hour span.

During a home probation check, an LAPD officer was shot in the face about 7 p.m. in the 2200 block of East 117th Street. The shooter was hiding in the attic while Los Angeles County probation and LAPD gang unit officers swept through the home.

A 12-hour standoff between the shooter and police ended early Wednesday in the gunman’s death.

The officer who was shot in the jaw was in stable condition Wednesday, Beck said. A county probation officer suffered a graze wound to his leg and was treated at the scene, according to the LAPD.

Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to call 1-800-222-8477 or 1-877-LAPD-247.



Photo Credit: Los Angeles Police Department

Teen Accuses Scouts of Weeding Out the Gays

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An openly gay teen and his father fear the Boy Scouts of America are using a "transition time" to essentially weed out all of the homosexual Scouts but a Scout executive says the teen's suspension has nothing to do with his sexual orientation but was in response to "inappropriate dialogue."

New Machine Can Perform Dental Crowns Instantly

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Traditional dental crowns can take days or weeks to make, but with the help of a new machine, the process can be done instantly. Lasers are used to help sculpt dental crowns, sometimes even in the same day. Dr. Bruce Hensel reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on June 26, 2013.

Marine Murder Conviction Overturned

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FILE - -In this Thursday Dec.7, 2006 file photo, Marine Corps Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins, 22, of Plymouth, Mass., left, leaves his arraignment hearing with his wife Reyna Hutchins at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Calif. Defense lawyer Babu Kaza said Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 that the Marine Corps told his team that Hutchins would be returning to the brig to serve out the remaining five years of his sentence after a military high court reinstated his Iraq murder conviction. Hutchins, along with six other Marines and a Navy corpsman were charged with kidnapping and killing an Iraqi man last April in the town of Hamdania, Iraq. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy,File)

Washington National Cathedral Holds Prayer Service in Support of SCOTUS Ruling

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The Washington National Cathedral held a prayer service Wednesday evening in support of the Supreme Court's rulings on same sex marriage. News4's Mark Segraves has the story.
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