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Silver Alert Issued for 89-Year-Old in East Hartford

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A silver alert has been issued for an 89-year-old man in East Hartford, police said. 

Cephus Nolen is described as being 6 feet tall and weighing about 230 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

It is not clear what he was wearing when he went missing.

East Hartford police ask anyone with information on Nolen's whereabouts to call (860) 528-4401.



Photo Credit: East Hartford Police

SEC Says Hackers Breached System, Accessed Data

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Hackers breached the filing system of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and may have accessed "nonpublic information" for profit, the agency said in a statement late Wednesday.

The SEC, which regulates the financial securities industry, gave few details on the hack but said the hackers may have made "illicit gain through trading," NBC News reported.

It is not believed that any personally identifiable information or SEC operations were compromised, the agency added.

The hack was first detected in 2016, but the SEC didn't realize until last month that the hackers may have benefited from the data accessed.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Majority Like Trump's Hurricane Relief/Debt Limit Deal: Poll

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A majority of Americans support President Donald Trump's deal with Democratic leaders to provide hurricane relief and keep the government open for 90 days, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

More than 70 percent approve of the move. However, the same poll finds that less than 30 percent support his handling of health care, race relations and the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Meanwhile, Trump's overall job-approval rating is at 43 percent, up three points since August. The poll comes after Trump worked with Democrats on temporarily funding the government and raising the debt limit — and after two hurricanes hit U.S. states.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted Sept. 14-18 of 900 adults — nearly half reached by cell phone — and it has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.3 percentage points. Among the 741 registered voters who were interviewed, the margin of error is plus-minus 3.6 percentage points.



Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik/AP, File

Fla. Nursing Home Victims' Body Temps Nearly 110: Officials

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By the time a 70-year-old woman was evacuated from Florida's Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills at 6:42 a.m. last Wednesday, she was in cardiac arrest and her body was blazing hot, according to officials.

She died seven minutes later with a post-mortem temperature of 109.9, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which alleges she and others were evacuated from the facility “too far gone and far too late to be saved.”

Another woman, 71 years old, was taken to the adjacent Memorial Regional Hospital at 7:03 that morning without a pulse – her body temperature just before she died at 7:54 a.m.: 108.5 degrees.

Armed with that new evidence — plus recorded body temperatures of other victims reaching 108.3 and 107 degrees — AHCA Wednesday issued an emergency suspension of the facility’s license, effectively putting it out of business pending any legal challenges.

AHCA Secretary Justin Senior called what happened in Hollywood Hills “gross medical and criminal recklessness.”

“As more information has come to light on this egregious situation, this facility absolutely cannot continue to have access to patients,” Senior said in a statement Wednesday. “This facility failed its residents multiple times throughout this horrifying ordeal. It is unfathomable that a medical professional would not know to call 911 immediately in an emergency situation.”

The order also claims medical records were created after the residents were evacuated to make it appear they were in better shape than they were.

The “late entries … claim(ed) safe temperatures for patients while those same patients were across the street dying in the emergency room with temperatures of over 108 degrees,” Senior said. “No amount of emergency preparedness could have prevented the gross medical and criminal recklessness that occurred at this facility. For that reason we will suspend their license and completely terminate them from the Medicaid program. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect patients in Florida – especially those who are frail and can’t take care of themselves.”

The emergency order says allowing the center to remain open would create “an immediate serious danger to the public health, safety or welfare.”

The center had already been placed under a moratorium preventing it from receiving any new residents and a suspension blocking it from getting Medicaid reimbursements.

But those actions were superseded Wednesday by the emergency suspension order, according to AHCA.

The center has declined to comment on the events this week, citing the ongoing criminal investigation into the deaths.

The suspension order came as the home’s owners were seeking a court hearing to allow it to reopen. In a complaint filed Tuesday in Leon County Circuit Court, the home challenged the state’s moratorium and Medicaid suspension, saying it was based on “innuendo, implied speculation and conjecture.”

There was no proof any of the residents died as a result of the high temperatures, they claimed at the time, suggesting residents may have died due to the “trauma” of being evacuated.

Among the allegedly doctored medical records: A 78-year-old resident was recorded as having a 101.6-degree temperature at 4:42 on the morning of the evacuation, but 10 minutes earlier she arrived in the Memorial Regional emergency room in cardiac arrest with a temperature of 108.3, the suspension order claims. She died at 5 a.m.

Another resident, an 84 year old with cardiac disease and dementia, was recorded as being resting in bed with even, unlabored respiration on September 14 — long after he had already died, the order stated.

Power to the center’s air conditioning unit failed around 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, as Hurricane Irma’s powerful wind gusts felled trees and took out power lines across South Florida. A second electrical supply from a separate transformer was unaffected, so the center was able to power lights, nurse call signals and other lower-voltage essentials. The home also used spot coolers — portable air conditioners — and fans to lower temperatures while it tried to get utility and state officials to get full power restored.

After center staff called Gov. Rick Scott’s personal cell phone four times, and Florida Power and Light 13 times, “the facility was assured multiple times by FPL, by AHCA and by the governor’s office that the matter was a high priority and would be resolved,” the center claims in its complaint. “Hollywood Hills staff were continuously told to keep residents in place and that help was on the way and they were told to call 911 if anyone became distressed.”

It was only after several residents were dead and all were evacuated that FP&L showed up.

It turns out, the nursing home claims, all the utility had to do was reset the switch for the air conditioning electrical supply line.

It took 15 minutes to get the air conditioning restored.

UConn Students Rally as School Faces $120 Million in Budget Cuts

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As massive cuts loom over the University of Connecticut (UConn), students rallied at two locations to say they're not letting it happen without a fight.

UConn Health in Farmington faces more than $120 million in cuts over the next two years under the Republican budget that passed last Saturday. About 100 students rallied outside the academic entrance there Wednesday afternoon.

"The cuts are drastic and could potentially take away entire departments here at the school of medicine," a UConn medical student Adam Bartholomeo said. 

Hundreds also rallied at the main campus in Storrs. The university would see a more than $180 million slash in state funding over two years. For the UConn system, that totals more than $300 million.

UConn said it would mean closing regional campuses, chopping financial aid, and possibly cutting division one athletics. Students said they might not be able to afford to go to what's currently touted as an affordable state college.

"I think it'll be harder for me to keep going. I assume I can keep paying for it, but I'm really- my strategy at this point is to keep taking loans," UConn student Amythest Hamby said.

"These budget cuts send the message that yes, we might be students today but we might not be Huskies tomorrow," UConn student Sebastien Kerr said.

Republicans defend the move. They said on Tuesday that social services and municipalities need the money and that UConn can get cash through the federal government, grants and increasing tuition.

"UConn has got a huge foundation and has many ways of raising money where other people don't have those resources," said GOP President Pro Tem Senator Len Fasano.

UConn said while they expect to make sacrifices in this budget like everyone else, that this is too far.

"Everyone knows funding UConn costs a lot of money. That is an indisputable fact but trying to cut our funding will cost Connecticut a lot more in the long run," Kerr said.

Students said another rally is planned Friday in Hartford and they hope to confront lawmakers about the cuts.

Regarding the Republican budget, the governor has criticized the cuts to UConn and has said he'll veto the budget.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Red Cross Sending More Help from CT to Florida After Irma

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The American Red Cross is sending four emergency response vehicles to Florida to provide help after Hurricane Irma struck. 

The Red Cross deployed five other emergency vehicles more than a week ago. 

When crews arrive in Florida, they will travel to communities that have been affected by Irma and deliver food, water and relief supplies. 

You can make a donation to the Red Cross in several ways and NBC Connecticut is working with the Red Cross and Big Y to collect donations. From now until Sept. 23, you can make a monetary donation at any Big Y supermarket. 





Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Incident at Substation Knocks Out Power in Meriden

Police Make Prostitution Arrest at Wilton Spa

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Police have arrested a New York woman after investigating allegations of prostitution at the In Spa in Wilton.

Police from Wilton and Norwalk investigated and a search warrant was executed Wednesday at the spa, which is located on the second floor of 7 Danbury Road, as well as a vehicle somehow connected to the spa.

He Lang, 43, of College Point, New York was arrested and charged with prostitution. She posted a $5,000 bond and will be arraigned in Norwalk Superior Court on Oct. 2.



Photo Credit: Wilton Police

Husband and Wife Injured When Mobile Home Explodes in Clinton

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A husband and his wife are at Bridgeport Hospital with severe burns and serious injuries after their mobile home in Clinton exploded this morning.

The explosion happened at a mobile home park on Balsam Place in Clinton and residents in towns miles away heard it. Officials said the home used propane and they believe that is the source of the explosion, but the investigation is still ongoing.

Police started to receive several calls about a loud explosion around 12:30 a.m. and officers started trying to locate the source.

"The shock was just unbelievable. We had stuff knocked off our shelves, pictures off the wall. This guy, his windows were blown out," Ray Saewczyk, of Clinton, said. "Scary stuff."

A couple minutes later, police received a call that there was a fire at the Evergreen Park Complex. They found a 64-year-old Leo Hinkley and his 61-year-old wife, Candace Hinkley, surrounded by fire and pulled them from the burning wreckage.

"They sprayed their car fire extinguisher all over him, enough to be able to get him," Denise Mosher, of Clinton, said.

Lifestar responded and flew the Hinkleys to Bridgeport Hospital. Leo Hinkley is in critical condition and Candace Hinkley is in serious condition, officials said.

Multiple responders assisted the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department, including Old Saybrook, Madison and Killingworth. The Clinton Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire, secured the debris field and inspected the surrounding structures.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the explosion.

"Preliminarily, it appears there was some kind of propane explosion. That's going to take time to ascertain what exploded and why," Sgt. Jeremiah Dunn, of the Clinton Police Department, said.

Residents of four mobile homes are displaced.







Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Shelter-in-Place Issued in Newington

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Police have responded to Gilbert Road in Newington and a shelter in place has been ordered for a police incident.

Police said only that there is police activity, but the NBC Connecticut crew at the scene reports there is a standoff and police are trying to communicate with someone in a house. 

Residents received an alert from police not to call 911 or the police department to ask for any information. It goes on to say police will advise residents when the shelter in place order has been lifted. 

The road is blocked at Lloyd Street and Fisk Drive.

Someone in the area sent in photos of SWAT vehicles responding.




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

How to Help Victims of Hurricane Maria

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Puerto Ricans and residents of other Caribbean islands had just started to recover after Hurricane Irma when another massive storm, Hurricane Maria, surged through the area.

Puerto Rico, home to about 3.3 million people, could face months without electricity in the wake of the storm's landfall at Category 4, officials say. Major flooding has devastated the U.S. territory, including the capital, San Juan.

"The San Juan that we knew yesterday is no longer there," San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz told MSNBC. "We're looking at four to six months without electricity."

Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Russell urged citizens to maintain order so authorities can do their work.

Maria hit two other Caribbean islands especially hard, killing at least seven people on Dominica and one on Guadeloupe.

The following organizations are asking for help in their relief efforts for hurricane victims. 

American Red Cross: The American humanitarian organization is sending supplies and volunteers to help out in Puerto Rico. Apply to be a volunteer here. The Red Cross is also urging people to download its free mobile apps for important information such as first aid tips (for humans and pets), weather alerts and other safety tips. The apps are available in English and Spanish.

Catholic Charities USA: The official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, Catholic Charities USA, is asking people to support their Maria relief efforts by donating online, by phone at +1 (800) 919-9338 or by texting CCUSADISASTER to 71777. 100 percent of donated funds go directly toward disaster efforts, according to the website.

CONPRmetidos: This Puerto Rican non-profit is raising funds to support hurricane victims. “We anticipate the funds will be used first for immediate needs of food, shelter and water and then transition to long term recovery efforts,” the organization says, having set a fundraising goal of $150,000. Donate here.

Dominica American Relief & Development Association, Inc.: This association, which was organized in 1979 as a way for people from the island of Dominica living in the New York area to help their homeland after Hurricane David, has started a GoFundMe page for victims of the hurricane on the island. 

Global Giving: This crowdfunding network has a fundraising goal of $2 million. “This fund will provide relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance to help residents recover and rebuild,” the group says. Donate here.

Save the Children: Another organization dedicated to helping children in particular is asking for donations here.

Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is looking for military veterans and “kickass civilians” such as first responders and medical professionals to join recovery efforts. Volunteers should be prepared to "get dirty, from chainsaw operations to muck-outs," the groups says on its website. Apply to be a volunteer here.

UNICEF USA: The United Nations Children’s Fund has sent staff and humanitarian supplies such as water purification tablets, tents and hygiene kits to Caribbean islands. The program is asking for donations, saying on its website, “Children are literally in the eye of the storm. The Hurricane season has forced the most vulnerable children in the Caribbean into even more danger.”

United for Puerto Rico: The First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, is asking for donations to her initiative, United for Puerto Rico.

People Desperate to Hear From Loved Ones in Puerto Rico

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Connecticut residents with family in Puerto Rico are desperate to get in touch with them after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

Virtually the entire island is without power, and it has made communication difficult.

Maria Valle, president of the Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County, has been trying to get in touch with her husband, who she has not heard from since the storm.

He left their Bridgeport home on Friday to visit his two sisters in Puerto Rico. Valle lost touch with him late Tuesday.

“This morning I text him. I’ve called his number, his sister’s number and no answer,” she said.

The couple has been married for nearly 50 years.

“I am really concerned that they have not reached out or said I’m okay. I just pray that they’re okay. There’s nothing I can do,” she said.

On Wednesday, Valle hosted a community meeting at her home that was originally planned as a gathering to discuss issues in their neighborhoods, but the topic turned to the despair on the island 1,600 miles away.

Hector Gonzalez has a brother and several other family members in Puerto Rico. He has not been able to reach any of them since Maria made landfall on Tuesday.

“We’re just praying. Everyone’s praying. At work today I was a total mess, I couldn’t even concentrate. We’re praying to God that no one’s hurt," Gonzalez said.

Bridgeport resident Enid Vazquez has a mother, father, grandfather, cousins and other relatives in Puerto Rico. She was born on the island but moved to Connecticut 12 years ago.

“It feels frustrating, like I have my hands tied,” Vazquez said of not being able to help her family.

Airport in Bethlehem for Sale

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Photo Credit: Klemm Real Estate

Brazil Judge Rules Homosexuality a Disease

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A Brazilian federal judge's decision to rule homosexuality a disease that can be treated with sexual orientation conversion therapy has drawn anger and condemnation from LGBTQ and mental health advocacy groups, NBC News reported.

Waldemar de Carvalho, a judge in the capital of Brasilia, overturned a 1999 decision of the Federal Council of Psychology that prohibited psychologists from offering treatments to try to cure gay people of their homosexuality, siding with a psychologist who had her license revoked for offering this so-called "conversion therapy." 

"It's like allowing a doctor to prescribe cigarettes," said Dr. Daniel Linhares, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. "What is proven to help our patients is to help them accept who they are." 

Brazilian celebrities have spoken out in criticism of the decision and some groups, including Brazil's National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance and Brazil's Federal Council of Psychology, have said they will appeal the decision at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.



Photo Credit: Leo Correa/AP, File

Tenth Person From Overheated Florida Nursing Home Dies

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Police confirmed that a tenth person who was inside a South Florida nursing home that had to be evacuated following a power outage cause by Hurricane Irma has died.

Ninety-four-year-old Martha Murray died Wednesday at a local hospital, Hollywood police said in a statement. Murray is the seventh person who died after being taken out of the facility on September 13; officials found three patients already dead at The Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills earlier that day from heat related symptoms.

The latest death comes as officials continue their investigation into what took place inside the facility, located across the street from Memorial Hospital. Florida Gov. Rick Scott released a report saying that the facility never reported that “patients were in dangerous conditions” or needed to be evacuated.

The nursing home reported it lost power and air conditioning when the storm struck on September 10, calling an emergency hotline the next day. The facility continued to be in contact with the state, according to the report, but never mentioned the severity of patients' conditions.

A state health department report released Wednesday showed that the body temperatures of some of those who died reached between 107 and nearly 110 degrees.

A criminal investigation continues while the nursing home — which has had its license suspended — has filed a lawsuit to be allowed to reopen, saying it used items like coolers, fans, ice and other methods to keep patients comfortable.


Bus Company Collecting Supplies for Victims in Puerto Rico

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A bus company is looking for donations to fill up school buses with needed supplies for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

The idea came from two sisters who work for Durham School Services in Waterbury and who family in Puerto Rico.

"I really haven't been able to sleep since Tuesday," Tahishaly Fontanez said.

She and her sister, Gretchen Marquez, were finally able to contact their family on Wednesday night and learned their loved ones lost their home to a mudslide during Maria.

"He told me the house, it was concrete it was shaking from side to side," Fontanez said.

The sisters and their company decided to do something to help those affected by the storm.

“This is what we want to do we want to raise donations so Puerto Rico knows we’re with them too,” Marquez said.

Those interested in donating supplies can do so on Sept. 29-30 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the following locations in Waterbury:

  • Kennedy High School
  • Wilby High School
  • South End Recreation Center
  • The Pal Center
  • Waterville Park


Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Man Accused of Attacking Ex-Girlfriend in Victim's Home

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A Danbury man is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s Stratford home, attacking her and trying to rob her and her new boyfriend at gunpoint.

Police allege that 19-year-old Jeffrey Bispo entered the home on River Bend Road armed with a handgun Wednesday morning. The victim told police Bispo hit her with the weapon in the neck and face.

He fled with an unidentified accomplice.

Bispo was arrested and faces multiple charges including home invasion, sixth-degree larceny, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. He was held on a $250,000 bond.



Photo Credit: Stratford Police Department

Wallingford Man Charged With Possession of Child Pornography

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Connecticut State Police have arrested a Wallingford man charged with illegal possession of child pornography after investigators uncovered he was sharing child porn files on a peer-to-peer computer network, according to police.

According to court documents, 52-year-old Jeffrey Krahling was arrested Thursday. Police said the investigation into Krahling began in June 2017 when a member of the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes and Electronic Evidence Laboratory found suspected child porn on a public peer-to-peer file sharing network.

Peer-to-peer file sharing networks are used to share files between computers. The files are stored on one computer and made searchable and available for download to others within the network.

Court documents state that investigators tracked the files back to Krahling. When Krahling’s personal laptop was searched, investigators found 38 still images and 15 videos of suspected child pornography. Investigators said there were girls in the images that appeared between 4 to 14 years old.

The search also revealed that Krahling had an extensive search history on the topics of child porn, including child pornography cases that had been in the news and topics like “can police detect downloading on peer 2 peer” and “how do police search warrant for child porn.”

Krahling was charged with first-degree possession of child pornography in this case and issued a $750,000 bond and was due in court Thursday.

Authorities said the suspect has a criminal history. Meriden police confirmed that he at one point worked as a dentist and was charged with sexually assaulting three patients. The court case is ongoing.

He was also arrested and convicted of DWI in 2015.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Orange Police Seek Bank Robbery Suspect

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Orange police are looking for a suspect wanted in connection with a bank robbery in July.

Police have an arrest warrant for 49-year-old Vincent Jones, who is accused of robbing the Webster Bank branch on Racebrook Road in Orange on July 31, 2017. He faces charges of robbery, larceny, and breach of peace.

Anyone who spots Jones should not approach him and should contact 911 immediately, police said. A $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jones is being offered by the Connecticut Bankers Association.

Jones also has an active warrant out of the Waterbury Office of Probation and Parole.

He is known to frequent the New Haven area.

Sightings of Jones should be reported by calling 911. Anyone with information on his possible whereabouts can contact the Orange Police Department at 203-891-2130. All tips will remain confidential.



Photo Credit: Orange Police Department

Facebook to Release Russia Ads to Congress Amid Pressure

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Facebook will provide the contents of 3,000 ads bought by a Russian agency to congressional investigators.

The move Thursday comes amid growing pressure on the social network from members of Congress, who pushed it to release the ads. Facebook has already handed over the ads to federal authorities investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company is "actively working" with the U.S. government in its ongoing Russia investigations. Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post and live video on Thursday that he has directed his team to provide the ads, created by fake accounts linked to Russia, to Congress.

But Zuckerberg warned that Facebook is not going to be able to catch all undesirable material before it hits its social network.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you we're going to catch all bad content in our system. We don't check what people say before they say it, and frankly, I don't think our society shouldn't want us to," Zuckerberg said. " If you break our community standards or the law, then you're going to face consequences afterwards."

He added: "We won't catch everyone immediately, but we can make it harder to try to interfere."

Zuckerberg hinted that the company may not provide much information publicly, saying that the ongoing federal investigation will limit what he can reveal.

"As a general rule, we are limited in what we can discuss publicly about law enforcement investigations, so we may not always be able to share our findings publicly," he said.

The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee have been seeking to bring Facebook executives before their committee since the company first revealed the existence of the ads two weeks ago. But critics say Facebook should go further. They say the company should tell its users how they might have been influenced by outside meddlers.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File
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