The Hartford Public Library has been feeling the pinch over the past several years due to the state’s financial crisis and has struggled to maintain evenly distributed services across its 10 locations.

To combat this, the Hartford Public Library (HPL) has announced a new strategic business plan on Tuesday that will be implemented across all of its locations. They hope this plan will secure the Library’s future for years to come.

The plan focuses on enabling the HPL to offer more open hours, be open more days and allow for more services for the community. The planning process created detailed neighborhood assessments and an Ecosystem Map, better engagement with community leaders and the public, community benchmarking and operational scenario models.

In July, officials said the Blue Hills, Goodwin and Mark Twain branches were going to shut down Sept. 5 but in August, HPL announced that it will delay the closure of three library branches until the end of 2017. 

For more information about how this affects your Hartford Library Branch, go to the website.

New Haven and Yale Police officers stopped a woman from jumping off a 16-story high rise apartment building in late July.

"At points, she actually went backward-- in a backward motion," New Haven Police (NHPD) Officer Elvin Rivera said. "I don’t know what held her up at that point, but I believe it was a guardian angel."

Rivera and his wife, NHPD Officer Elsa Berrios, were part of the group that prevented the emotionally disturbed woman from taking her own life.

"We all had our part which helped resolve the situation," Rivera said.

"Empathy," Berrios said. "That’s how I could describe it."

Berrios was working with a rookie cop when she responded to 111 Park Street in the early afternoon of July 30.

"They were already engaged on the rooftop with this 24-year-old female who was actually standing on a two-foot ledge," Berrios said.

As the only female officer there, Berrios stepped in to negotiate.

"We talked in English," she said. "We talked in Spanish. We talked about religion, family and continuously I was just pleading with her not to do it."

Police said the woman had chugged a bottle of wine.

"She went back and forth on the rooftop stumbling," Rivera said.

The woman mentioned to Berrios that her feet were on fire.

"I heard her complaining about her feet were burning, her hands were burning," she recalled. "I said, 'I’m going to see if I can get some ice'."

While another officer went looking for ice, Rivera started speaking with the woman.

"I kept trying to tell her to please hold on to the fence," he said. "That she was important, that she was loved, that God loved her."

Once an officer brought Rivera the bucket of ice, a Yale Police body camera captured the moment nearly 35 minutes into the negotiation when officers rushed in to pull the woman to safety.

"I extended my arm and she came a tad bit little bit closer to me," Rivera said. "At which point I quickly was able to reach out and grab a hold of her arm and pull her into closer to my body and I held on to her."

Police have since had two reunions with the woman they rescued

"What she said that and always was still in my mind was thank you for not giving up on me," Berrios said.

Police said there is no blueprint to saving a suicidal person. About 80 NHPD officers, including Berrios and Rivera, are members of the crisis intervention team. Department wide training is a future goal, police said in press release.

A residential treatment program worker is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, state police said. 

State police said there were called to the Touchstone Residential Treatment Program Facility at 11 country Place in Litchfield on April 14. 

Touchstone Residential Treatment Program Facility is a staff-secure residential treatment program serving girls between the ages of 12 and 18 who are committed to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). 

"With enhanced psychiatric, nursing, educational and clinical expertise, Touchstone provides young women the opportunity to engage in treatment in the community with the goal of future placement either in the home or at a lower level of care," the program's website reads.

The report said a 15-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a staff member, Ulyses Alvarez, of Waterbury, state troopers said. 

On Tuesday, Alvarez was arrested and charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor, promoting a minor in an obscene performance and possession of child pornography. 

His bond was set at $75,000. 

The death rate of teens overdosing on drugs more than doubled from 1999 to 2015, NBC News reported.

There were 772 drug overdose deaths for people 15-19 years old in 2015, according to the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is a death rate of 3.7 per 100,000.

By contrast, the death rate in 1999 was 1.6 per 100,000.

"For both male and female adolescents, the majority of drug overdose deaths in 2015 were unintentional," the CDC report states, adding that opioids, specifically heroin, were the chief culprits in 2015.

Data from the National Safety Council shows that the number of deadly accidents this year is down compared to last, but in Connecticut, the opposite is true.

The National Safety Council took a look at the rate of deadly accidents so far this year from January to June, and compared that to the same period of time last year. In Connecticut, there have been 148 deadly accidents so far this year - 10 more compared to the same time last year.

The Connecticut Crash Data Repository shows New Haven has seen the most with 19 fatalities. There have been 14 fatal crashes near Bridgeport and Stamford, and 13 around Hartford.

When we look at the country as a whole, the number of deadly accidents already this year is down 1 percent compared to 2016.

So far, more than 1,800 people have been killed in crashes, and 2.1 million seriously injured.

Experts say technology behind the wheel, lower gas prices, and the economy are the main factors impacting these deadly trends.

To minimize your risk of getting into a deadly car crash, the Council says to never drink and drive, never use your phone while driving, and always buckle up. 

Defense Secretary James Mattis praised Navy sailors for their service earlier this month and used an obscenity to make his point, NBC News reported.

Speaking at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, Mattis said the sailors "will have some of the best days of your life and some of the worst days of your life in the U.S. Navy."

He added, “That means you're living. That means you're not some pussy sitting on the sidelines, you know what I mean, kind of sitting there saying, ‘Well, I should have done something with my life.’”

The Pentagon made a transcript of the Aug. 9 speech available earlier this week.

Mattis, a former Marine who went on to serve as the head of U.S. Central Command and picked up the nickname "Mad Dog," said he wished he was “young enough to go back out to sea.”

The University of Connecticut is opening its new Stamford residence hall today and it is the first student housing at the campus as well as the only one of its kind at a UConn regional campus.

The housing for nearly 300 students will come through a lease UConn has through a public-private partnership.

Students start moving in Aug. 26 to the building, which is two blocks south of UConn Stamford and halfway between the campus and the Stamford Transportation Center.

Police are asking for help to find a Montville man who has been missing since May.

Twenty-eight-year-old Bryan Kiggans has been missing since May 4 and was last seen in the Norwich area, police said. 

He has three tattoos. One is four stars behind his right ear, another is “Faith” on his left wrist and the other is “Loyalty” on his right forearm. 

Anyone with information on where Kiggans is should contact Officer Moorehead by phone at the Montville Police Department at 860-848-7510 x125 or by email.

Shelton police are trying to identify a woman suspected of stealing a purse from a shopping cart at TJ Maxx while its owner was in the dressing room.

Police said that on July 27, the victim reported she was shopping at TJ Maxx when she was approached by another woman who asked her to try something on. The suspect told the victim she was shopping for a gift and needed to see how it would look on someone with a similar figure.

When the victim came out of the dressing room her purse was missing from her cart, and later she found that someone had charged $4,187 on her credit card at the Trumbull mall.

Police have released a surveillance photo of the suspect who asked the victim to try on the clothing. Anyone who recognizes the subject in the photo above is asked to contact Shelton police.

Hope Hicks, a longtime aide to President Donald Trump, will be named interim White House communications director until a person is permanently named to the role, NBC News reported.

The announcement comes just over two weeks after Anthony Scaramucci was fired from the post after 11 days.

Hicks, currently the White House director of strategic communications, will be Trump's third communications director; Mike Dubke announced his resignation in May.

Hicks has been with Trump since the day the former real estate mogul launched his campaign for president in June 2015. She is considered loyal to the president, one of the qualities that matters most to him.

A Hamden man is accused of pulling a gun on a driver who cut him off on Interstate 91 in Wallingford Tuesday night and has been charged.

Police said they responded to a road rage incident on Interstate 91 South, near exit 13, at 5:42 p.m. Tuesday and 33-year-old Robert Laporta, of Hamden, said he showed his gun after another driver cut him off and caused him to almost lose control of his car, then waited for him to catch up.

Laporta was charged with threatening and breach of peace and he’s due in Meriden Superior Court on Aug. 25.

Bond was set at $2,500.

Connecticut’s US senators are reacting to President Donald Trump’s impromptu, controversial comments blaming both sides for the deadly weekend violence in Charlottesville, Va. 

At a press conference Tuesday, the president doubled down on comments he made about violence that broke out at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that left one woman dead and dozens of other people injured.

"Those people — all of those people — excuse me. I've condemned neo-Nazis. I've condemned many different groups. But not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists, by any stretch. Those people were also there because they wanted to protest the taking down of a statue, Robert E. Lee," he said.

At a town hall event in Waterbury, Sen. Chris Murphy reacted to the comments with strong words.

“I nearly threw up when I read that our president used the seal of the US to defend white supremacists,” Murphy said.

Murphy and Sen. Richard Blumenthal are aggressively countering the president’s remarks.

“He said they really weren’t all white supremacists that there was violence on the other side - that’s everything these neo-nazis would have wanted the president to say and he said it today,” Murphy said.

Blumenthal responded through a series of tweets, saying “Donald Trump is not the real America. All Americans should condemn these disgusting, indefensible comments. Let us unite.”

When asked for comment, the Connecticut Republican Party stood by a statement they issued Sunday. Attributed to chairman JR Romano, it read in part:

“The events that have unfolded in Charlottesville are not only tragic they're painful. Those who espouse the values of white supremacy, racism and bigotry are not American values they aren't our values.

In the face of hate we must show love. We are encouraging people from around our state and the country to engage in acts of kindness with your neighbors and your community.”

Murphy argued that true American values are what he will continue to fight for and the message from President Trump is what he will continue to fight against.

“I don’t think we can just remain silent when the president of the US is effectively offering a defense of some really, really terrible people,” Murphy said.

A stolen car full of teenagers crashed off Interstate 95 northbound in West Haven following a police pursuit Wednesday morning, according to Connecticut State Police.

According to State Police Sgt. Matt Funchion, the incident began when Stratford police found suspicious activity around the car at around 3 a.m. When officers approached, the car took off, leading to a high-speed chase down I-95, where state troopers became involved.

The car crashed off the exit 43 ramp in West Haven and five juveniles took off on foot, police said.

The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Branford.

Police eventually located the suspects, who range in age from 13 to 17 and are all from New Haven. Some suffered minor injuries, and were treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

State police said that all five were charged with interfering with police and third-degree larceny. The driver was also charged with engaging in police pursuit, reckless driving and evading the scene of an accident.

Investigators are looking into whether the teens may be involved in any other crimes in the area.

The incident is the latest of several instances of teens breaking into cars this summer across the state, mostly of which are being left unlocked.

Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane said this is an ongoing, dangerous problem. Last month, a car filled with six teens struck two innocent bystanders in Hartford, killing one of them. Kane wrote an op-ed in the Hartford Courant, saying this should be a wake-up call to ramp up the juvenile justice system, since teens aren’t afraid of the punishments.

“These teens have no fear,” said TFC Kelly Grant. “They don’t fear the consequences, whether that be an arrest, whether that be jail time, whether that be going to court.”

Grant said what’s making it easy for these teens to get behind your wheel is leaving your car unlocked.

“The police need to do their part, and the community needs to do their part. And the community’s part is locking their vehicles and calling 911 as soon as they see something that looks out of place.”

Military children in Groton got a jumpstart on picking up school supplies for the new school year. 

On Wednesday, about 175 children received free backpacks and school supplies as part of the Back-to-School Brigade. Operation Homefront is the organization that facilitated the supply drive. Operation Homefront partnered with Dollar Tree, where, for the past six weeks, hundreds of stores have been soliciting customer donations. 

“Our mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive, not just get by in, but thrive in the communities that they work so hard to protect,” said Joe O’Hara, the area director for Operation Homefront. 

Many of the families said they were grateful for the extra help. 

“I think it’s good that they’re available because a lot of people can’t afford the school supplies. But when you have a program such as this to help them to get what they need, I think it’s good,” said Jasmeen Brown, a student entering the 11th grade. 

Four people face charges after a homeowner in Watertown came home and found a burglary in progress Tuesday, according to police.

Watertown police said they were called around 2 p.m. Tuesday to the area of Buckingham Street and White Street for a report of a burglary in progress. The victim had arrived home to find a blue Ford Explorer in the driveway.

When officers arrived they found the back door kicked in and four people inside. The home had items throw throughout, a safe was smashed opens, and copper pipes had been cut out of the basement, causing flooding.

Officers recovered valuables from the home in the Ford. They also found burglar’s tools, gloves, pry bars and saws, as well as a small amount of crack cocaine, an empty heroin bag, a needle and six crack pipes.

The four suspects were arrest. They were also tied to a burglary on Bunker Hill Road on Sunday, according to police.

The suspects were identified as 29-year-old Phillip Santelle of Seymour, 29-year-old William Gibson of Waterbury, 27-year-old Krystine Gilbert of Bridgeport, and 23-year-old Katryana Freberg of Torrington.

They were charged with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, attempt at third-degree larceny, interfering with an officer, and possession of drug paraphernalia and scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

Dunkin’ Donuts Park will transform from the home of the Hartford Yard Goats to the home of the “G.O.A.T. ‘Greatest of All Time’ Brew Fest” in October.

The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club is hosting its first Brew Fest at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Bus Drivers will be performing the music. 

Tickets are $40 for general admission. A limited number of VIP, or VIG tickets, are $75 and the charge for designated drivers is $20.

Proceeds will benefit the Yard Goats Foundation, a Connecticut-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing social, educational and scholarship opportunities for the youth in local communities in connection with the activities of the Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club.

You can get tickets by calling 860-246-GOAT (4628), online or in person at the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. 

All guests must be 21 years or older to attend this event.

Beer sampling takes place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for attendees with a general admission ticket and you’ll get a collectible sample mug.

Guests who purchase a VIP, or VIG ticket, will be allowed early entry to Dunkin’ Donuts Park at noon and will also have access to the dugouts and warning track to hang and listen to the band.

Breweries that signed up early include Ballast Point Brewing Co., Goose Island, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Long Trail, Shebeen Brewing Company and These Guys Brewing Company and more are expected to join the roster.

You can find more information and buy tickets online here.

An Uncasville man is accused of threatening a store clerk and her baby with a rock and struggling with a customer during a robbery in Norwich in January.

According to Norwich police, 28-year-old Kevin Mason entered the SAR Market at 219 Boswell Avenue on January 2 and approached the sales counter brandishing a large rock. Witnesses said Mason threatened to hurt the store clerk’s baby, who was in a car seat behind the counter, if the clerk didn’t give up money from the register.

The clerk complied and as the suspect tried to flee, he struggled with a customer who tried to stop him. The customer was shoved into a wall and Mason took off, police said.

No one was injured in the incident.

Mason was identified through a combination of surveillance footage and tips passed along to Norwich police. He was located and extradited from Wisconsin after being arrested there on unrelated charges.

He faces charges of second-degree robbery, risk of injury to a minor, first-degree reckless endangerment and sixth-degree larceny. He is being held on a $35,000 bond and is due in Norwich Superior Court for arraignment Wednesday.

The chairman and chief executive officer of Farmington, Connecticut-based United Technologies, announced Wednesday that he has resigned from President Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council. His announcement comes amid mass defections and around the time the president announced he is disbanding the advisory panel.

Greg Hayes said in a statement that UTC strongly supports the goals of presidential advisory committees like the one he was called to serve on, but he is resigning, effective today.

“However, as the events of the last week have unfolded here in the U.S., it is clear that we need to collectively stand together and denounce the politics of hate, intolerance and racism. The values that are the cornerstone of our culture: tolerance, diversity, empathy and trust, must be reaffirmed by our actions every day,” Hayes said in his statement. “Accordingly, I have tendered my resignation from the Council effective today.” 

The defections came in response to his response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump had tweeted Tuesday that, "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on."

Then on Wednesday afternoon, Trump announced on Twitter that he is putting an end to the manufacturing council and strategy and policy forum. 

The former president of the Plainville Little League Auxiliary has been arrested and charged with embezzling money from the organization.

Shelby Lamothe, 42, turned herself in on Wednesday.

She is accused of stealing $5,912.91 from the Plainville Little League while she was the president of the Little League Auxiliary during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, according to police.

Lamothe was released on a $5,000 bond.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be making a South Florida stop on Wednesday, promoting work between Miami-Dade County and the federal government when it comes to turning over undocumented immigrants they have arrested.

Sessions will give remarks at PortMiami, along with officials from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. A press release sent by the Department of Justice did not say if Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez or any other officials from the county would be in attendance.

A number of groups were gathering to protest the visit by Sessions at the port.

Shortly after the administration of President Donald Trump announced they would cut funding for what were labeled "sanctuary cities," Gimenez announced they would comply with government requirements when it came to reporting undocumented immigrants in their custody who were arrested for other charges.

Despite impassioned pleas from the public, the county commission supported the decision to cooperate with ICE in a 9-3 vote.

The plan, a reversal of previous county policy, was met with criticism by immigration activists and members of minority communities in Miami-Dade. Gimenez recently announced the federal government awarded the county just over $480,000 for intelligence gathering and operations as a result of their work.