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Super Loads Move Through Thomaston

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The first of six “super loads” is on its way to Oxford. On Wednesday night, it took its slow trek through Thomaston and into Watertown, drawing crowds and curiosity. 

“I’ve been following it because it is fascinating,” Lisa Relihan, of Thomaston, said. “It’s massive.” 

Thomaston police said the 200-footlong, one million pound “super load” is carrying a piece of turbine material and can travel a maximum of four miles per hour. 

“It is just huge. There is really no other way to describe it,” Thomaston Police Chief Jeff Madden said. 

As it moves, other equipment is moving with it. 

Several bridges along the route require “bridge jumps” to support the load as it crosses. In Thomaston no traffic is permitted to cross the bridges while the equipment is in place and the process can take several hours. 

“We have multiple road closures to afford them the space to move it,” Madden said. 

Road closures and delays will be a common occurrence over the next few weeks and Madden said all six “super loads” will take the same route. 

“The same truck has to deliver them. So, the same truck will drop this in Oxford. It has to take the same route back, pick up another by Bradley Airport and come back down this way,” he said. 

The planned route in Thomaston is Route 254, Northfield Road, south to South Main Street, to Route 6, Watertown Road, where it will then move into Watertown. Posted detours will be in place and police officers will be stationed at the road closures. 

Some say the luster might wear off after the first few but, like the “super load,” Relihan has no problem going nowhere fast. 

“You got to stop and watch this stuff,” she said. 


Car Hits Church in South Windsor

Crews Battle Fire in Canterbury

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Crews are battling a fire in Canterbury and a photo from the scene shows total destruction.

The fire was reported at 40 Brooklyn Road, according to Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications.

Crews from Canterbury, Moosup, Plainfield, Central Village, Scotland, Baltic, Griswold, Dayville, South Killingly and Oneco are all responding.



Photo Credit: QVEC-911

Ryan's Powerpoint Presentation Immediately Sparks Meme

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House Speaker Paul Ryan used a digital presentation at a press conference Thursday to further sell his plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act—and the internet immediately poked fun at him.

Ryan explained the complex tenets of the Republican-drafted bill to replace the health care law, using graphs and other visual aids to plainly make his talking points. (Here's a look at the bill by FactCheck.org.)  

The image of Ryan, with his sleeves rolled up, gesturing at a television screen, was low-hanging fruit for the web.

Twitter users pounced, comparing Ryan to a teacher and sharing photos of the TV screen with completely unrelated images displayed on it.  

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Photo Credit: AP
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Trees Down in Hamden, Manchester, Old Lyme and Waterford

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Emergency crews are dealing with downed trees in several cities and towns this morning.

Heavy winds knocked down trees and braches, which came down on an unoccupied car in Hamden.   

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Eversource is reporting around 860 power outages in its coverage area. It's not clear if they are weather related. 

Route 32 in Waterford, Mile Creek Road in Old Lyme and Wetherall Street in Manchester are closed because trees are down. 

Eversource is reporting 254 power outages in Old Lyme.

Police said the tree in Manchester came down on Wetherall Street, near Cougar Drive.

State police, as well as Waterford Police, said a large tree fell across Route 32, near the connector and Maple Road, and power lines are down. 

State police said Mile Creek Road in Old Lyme is closed between Flat Rock Hill and Somerset Lane because a utility pole snapped and a tree and wires in roadway. Seek alt route.

There is also a tree down across Packard Street in Bloomfield. It's not clear if the road is closed.



Photo Credit: Waterford Police
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Car Hits Church in Branford

Police Shut Down Illegal Auto Repair Business in Bristol

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Bristol police have shut down an illegal auto repair business after investigating allegations of stolen car parts. 

Police responded to Living The Dream Auto at 61 East Main St. with a warrant at 10:10 a.m. Thursday to look for stolen car parts. 

Officers did not find stolen parts, but they determined the business was an illegal auto repair shop and shut it down, according to police. 

No one has been charged and police continue to investigate.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

CT Resident Dead from NY Cheese Listeria Outbreak: Officials

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The death of a Connecticut resident has been linked to a Listeria outbreak connected to cheese from a creamery in New York, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local officials have identified Ouleout cheese from Vulto Creamery of Walton, New York, as the likely cause of the outbreak. 

State officials said Thursday that there have been six confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes in Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Vermont. The people sickened by the cheese range in age from 0 to 89. 

Two of the six cases have been fatal, including a Connecticut resident. 

Vulto Creamery began contacting customers to return any purchased Ouleout cheese on March 3 after the FDA alerted them to Listeria-positive Ouleout cheese sample and issued a formal recall including their Miranda, Heinennelli, Willowemoc cheeses as well. 

Officials from the state Department of Public Health said the soft raw milk cheeses were distributed nationwide, with most being sold at retail locations in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States, California, Chicago, Portland, and Washington D.C.

State officials said Whole Foods grocery in Connecticut had received cheese from Vulto to sell in its Fairfield shop and initiated its own recall. 

Specialty cheese shops in Connecticut who carry Vulto Creamery cheeses might have received recalled product and should check their inventory, according to the Department of Public Health. 

Retailers and customers who have recalled cheese in their establishments or homes should throw the cheese away and not eat or sell it.

Display cases or refrigerators where potentially contaminated product was stored should be washed and sanitized, as well as any cutting boards or cheese knives used to cut, serve, or store the product. Hands should be washed with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitization process.

Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.

Anyone who experiences fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, or develops fever and chills while pregnant after eating any of the recalled products, should seek medical care.

Symptoms can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after consumption of the contaminated food.

Read more about the recall here.



Photo Credit: FDA

Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Casino Proposed for East Windsor

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Connecticut lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on building a third casino in the state. 

More than 75 people signed up to speak at the public hearing regarding plans the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal partnership -- MMCT Venture – has to build a casino at the site of the abandoned Showcase Cinema and Wal-Mart off Interstate 91 in East Windsor

Tribal leaders say it would bring more than 1,700 jobs, $8.5 million annually to the town of East Windsor and the state would receive 25 percent of the revenues from slots and table games. 

Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal leaders say the goal would be to keep jobs and revenue in the state of Connecticut and compete with the MGM casino under construction in Springfield, Massachusetts. They say the state could lose 9,000 jobs if nothing is built. 

The casino proposal has already received unanimous approval from all five selectmen in East Windsor. 

During the public hearing, employees from Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun came to show their solidarity and support for the project. 

MGM executives also attended the hearing and planned to testify that Connecticut could get a better offer if the casino proposal was opened up to other businesses or tribes

Members of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation also were there to testify that they want an opportunity to bid on a third casino. 

“If Connecticut is going to allow gambling in the state, off the reservation, then they ought to get the best deal that they can possibly get. And my response to that is, then why not us?” said Richard Velky, the chief of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. 

However Mashantucket tribal leaders argued there are no other federally recognized tribes in the state of Connecticut and they feel they would be best to move forward with this proposal. 

“We have a longstanding relationship with the state of Connecticut, a very successful one to the tune of almost $7 billion contributed to the state as far as the slot agreement goes. And we feel like we have the best opportunity to work together, continue that relationship to protect the revenue and the jobs in the state of Connecticut,” Rodney Butler, the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, said. 

The project still needs approval from the legislature and the governor.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Driver Who Fatally Struck Shelton Pedestrian Hid Car: Police

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Police have arrested the driver involved in a deadly pedestrian crash in Shelton last year.

William Donofrio, 25, was identified as the driver of Ford Taurus that fled the scene after a 54-year-old Shelton woman was killed on Route 110 in May 2016.

Teresa Glossy was struck on Howe Avenue, or Route 110, at Hill Street at 8:41 p.m. on Wednesday and died at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, according to police. The driver, Donofrio, fled the scene.

The investigation found that Donofrio cleaned and hid his car immediately after the accident.

On Thursday Donofrio was charged with evading responsibility, tampering with physical evidence and failure to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian. His bond was set at $15,000.



Photo Credit: Shelton Police Department

McConnell on Mexico Paying for Trump’s Wall: 'Uh, No'

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When asked whether Mexico would pay for President Donald Trump’s border wall during an interview Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said "uh, no," NBC News reported.

McConnell told Politico he believes there are certain areas along the border that don’t need a border wall for security. The wall is estimated to cost $21.6 billion to build—a price Trump has said Mexico will pay.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has continuously refuted claims that Mexico will pay for the wall, but Trump has refused to back off the claim.



Photo Credit: File - AP/Susan Walsh

Price of Oil is Plummeting, But Gas Prices Still High

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Oil prices tumbled this week, but drivers dreaming of cheap summer road trips might want to temper their expectations: Experts say a host of factors, including overseas output cuts and refinery operations, will actually make for higher gas prices over the coming months, NBC News reported.

The benchmark price of West Texas Intermediate fell 5 percent on Wednesday, dropping below $50. On Thursday, the price of crude oil fell to $49.28, its lowest close since November.

However, this is the time of year when demand from refiners historically weakens, as they make the switch from winter to summer blends and perform maintenance in advance of the summer driving season.

"Everyone forgets about the middleman — the U.S. refiner,"said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. "They're not drawing down inventory because they're doing maintenance on their plants."



Photo Credit: Getty Images/OJO Images RF

At Least 7 Injured in Ax Attack at Düsseldorf Station

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At least seven people were injured and one suspect is custody Wednesday night after one or more ax-wielding attackers rampaged through the main train station in Düsseldorf, Germany, police told NBC News.

Police were still looking for other possible suspects, a spokesman for the German federal police said.

German police said the suspect is a 36-year-old man from former Ygoslavia, and he apparently suffers from mental health issues.

Three victims are severely injured and four are lightly injured, police said.

Earlier report said two suspects were in custody.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Gerhard Berger/TheNewshunter.com

Waterbury Suspect Sent to Hospital Following Officer-Involved Shooting

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A Waterbury officer was involved in a shooting on Thursday afternoon. 

The incident happened at the incident of Wood Street and Orange Street just before 4 p.m.

One of the responding officers shot the suspect. The suspect was sent to the hospital for non-threatening injuries and remains in stable condition. 

Two officers, who were not shot, were also sent to the hospital but have been released. 

The investigation is on-going. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Ethics Office Fires Back At WH For Not Disciplining Conway

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The Office of Government Ethics shot back at the White House for not disciplining Kellyanne Conway for her endorsement of Ivanka Trump's clothing line during an appearance on Fox News, NBC News reported.

In letters to the White House Counsel's office and top members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee Thursday, OGE Director Walter Shaub said he remains "concerned about Ms. Conway's misuse of position." He said that under such circumstances, not taking disciplinary action against Conway, a senior official, risks undermining the ethics program.

Last week, the president's deputy counsel called Conway's comments "inadvertent" and said it was unlikely that they would happen again. The White House said it would not punish Conway for her endorsement.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Comey Talks Russian Meddling, Trump Tower With Lawmakers

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FBI Director James Comey met with key Senate lawmakers Thursday, where he discussed matters relating to the alleged wire-tapping of Trump Tower, a congressional source familiar with the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election told NBC News.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has repeatedly dodged questions about the president's tweets claiming the alleged surveillance and he has instead called on House and Senate committees to look into the matter.

Trump has not asked Comey about the alleged wiretaps, Spicer told reporters Tuesday.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Malloy Teacher Retirement Plan Meets Local Backlash

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Cities and towns across Connecticut are taking their arguments to anyone in the State Capitol who will listen when it comes to a proposal for them to pay for teacher pensions for the first time.

“It’s a major shift and it’s a major tax increase for communities just right off the top," said Leo Paul, the Republican First Selectman from Litchfield, and current president of the Council of Small Towns.

Paul argues that municipalities are simply not equipped to pay for teacher pensions, even though they negotiate individual benefits with their teachers and then the state covers the municipality's share of all costs.

Paul says the responsibility has always been with the state, and that's how it should remain.

“This plan has been the state’s responsibility since the late 1930’s. They’re the ones that have decided on how it should be constructed. We have nothing to do with that.”

Gov. Dannel Malloy's proposal, presented in his budget last month, would send a $400 million pension bill to all 169 cities and towns for them to cover for the next two fiscal years. The state currently pays for $1.2 billion teacher pensions, meaning the proposal would shift more than 30 percent of that burden to cities and towns.

The argument from Malloy and his budget secretary, who testified before lawmakers today in the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, is that the budget needs drastic changes, and the pension problem is part of that.

“We’ve believe you’ve got balance, that you have to have a structurally balanced budget to do business over time and that’s what we’ve proposed," Benjamin Barnes, the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, said.

He cautioned that any threats of tax increases by local leaders is simply a, "quick fix," and added that taxpayers deserved accountability and more ideas on how to save money to pay for something they've always paid for through their income taxes.

“That suggests that local governments will simply respond to that by raising mill rates and some may elect to do that but others may elect find other ways of saving money within their operations.”

Paul, from Litchfield, said such an argument ignores the way property taxpayers interact with their government.

“It’s a direct impact right to their pocket. They pay their income taxes, they pay their sales taxes. They don’t walk into the state capitol and write a check, they walk into my town hall every single year.”



Photo Credit: AP

I-395 Northbound Reopened in Griswold

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Interstate 395 in Griswold was temporarily closed on Thursday.

Police are resonding to a crash that happened in between exits 22 and 24 going northbound. The crash resulted in minor injuries. 

The details of the crash have not been released. 

State Trooper Saves Patron Choking at Restaurant

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A state trooper saved a person who was choking at a restaurant in Bridgeport. 

While picking up dinner at Vazzy's resturant on Broadbridge Road was approached by a 76-year-old patron and made motion to his throat.

When the trooper asked the man if he was choking and the patron signaled that he was. The trooper applied the Heimlich manuver and a piece of steak meat came out of his mouth.

The patron refused medical attention from an AMR ambulance. 

Ansonia Man Charged in Attack on 2 People, Including Pregnant Woman

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An Ansonia man who assaulted two women, one of whom was pregnant, was arrested.

Dustin Softleigh, 23, was arrested by warrant for assault on a pregnant person, assault and breach of peace.

Ansonia Police received a complaint about a firght on Root Avenue at Hill Street at 11:53 a.m. on Jan. 12. 

Police said Softleigh attacked two 28-year-old women and treated for minor injuries. One of the women was five months pregnant. 

His bond was set at $5,000. 



Photo Credit: Ansonia Police
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