Crews are working to clean up a pipe burst at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

Around noon Saturday, a sprinkler pipe on the main floor burst in the health center on Farmington Ave.

The damage, which is still undetermined, was contained to the radiology and newborn nursery. There was no threat to any patients at any time.

Some new moms and babies were relocated as a precaution

The water service to the sprinkler system was cut off in that small area while crews work to clean up.
 

UConn officials believe that the pipe burst is due to the weather.

A small plane landed on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx Saturday afternoon, according to the city's Office of Emergency Management.

The plane landed near East 233rd Street, and the city said drivers should expect traffic delays and emergency personnel in the area.

Four injuries were reported in connection with the landing, FDNY officials said, but it was unclear if any of them were serious.

The plane had minor damage, according to the FAA, and was a four-seat, one-engine 1966 Piper PA. The plane is registered to an owner in South Salem, N.Y.

The circumstances surrounding the plane's landing are still unclear.

Stay with NBC 4 New York for more details on this developing story.

A grandfather was arrested in San Diego’s Chula Vista area overnight after he allegedly abandoned his 2-year-old grandson on a sidewalk for several hours while he went to a taco shop to eat a burrito.

According to the Chula Vista Police Department, a skateboarder spotted the abandoned toddler – fast asleep inside a jogging stroller – at around 11:30 p.m. in the 200-block of Quintard Street and called police.

When officers arrived on scene, they were unable to immediately locate the child’s parents and the boy was taken into protective custody while police launched an investigation.

Police said the little boy appeared healthy and showed no signs of abuse.

The Chula Vista Police Department issued an alert for the found toddler, described as a 2-foot-tall, 2-year-old boy weighing 25 pounds. He was wearing a jacket, sweatpants and shoes when police found him.

At around 2:45 a.m., police said the boy’s 17-year-old mother called authorities looking for her child.

Police said she was hysterical and told officials her son’s grandfather had taken the toddler out at 10 p.m. to get a burrito. At 1 a.m. the family went looking for the child and found the grandfather sitting at a local taco shop, eating a burrito.

Police said the grandfather – identified as 53-year-old Frank Moreno – told his family he didn’t know where the boy was and allegedly appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

Chula Vista police officers took Moreno into custody on charges of child cruelty with the possibility of resulting in injury or death and being under the influence of drugs. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
 

Twenty-one people and a number of pets were evacuated from a senior housing complex on Babcock Avenue in Plainfield after a fire broke out Friday afternoon, fire officials said.

The fire started in the building laundry room just before 4 p.m. Friday at the Lawton House on Babcock Avenue while a contractor was working to thaw frozen pipes, according to the fire department.

"We do believe that somehow their actions ignited some combustible items within the wall," said Plainfield Fire Marshal Paul Yellen. "The fire then spread up through the wall."

According to the town fire chief, two people were taken to the Backus Emergency Care Center in Plainfield for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Evacuated residents were sheltered at the nearby Villa Maria Nursing Home and have been moved to the Town Hall auditorium, fire officials said.

Three of the facility's 23 apartments are not livable. Utilities have been shut off to the building and it will remain evacuated overnight, said Red Cross Emergency Services Director Susan Bolen.

The property management company is providing several hotel rooms. Other residents are staying with family members, according to the Red Cross, which arrived on scene to provide food and clothing for the residents.

Firefighters from Thompson, Killingly, Griswold and other surrounding towns provided mutual aid.

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This morning record-breaking temperatures settled in over much of the state.

A record-breaking -9 was recorded at Bradley Airport, the  coldest temperature since February 1996

Northern New England was expected to experience even colder weather, with some areas of Massachusetts and upstate New York experiencing -15 to -30 temperatures.

“Our primary concern now through tomorrow (Saturday) remains the extreme cold, and with that, the wind chill being a major factor. We’ll have wind chills as low as 25 below, it is anticipated,” Malloy said during a Friday afternoon news conference. “By this evening, we will see temperatures on the thermometer of -15 in some parts of our state with a wind chill hitting, as I said, -25.”

Many cities and towns have opened warming centers. Malloy directed the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to coordinate with 211 and Connecticut’s shelters.

Malloy said there are coordinated efforts to bring people in need to warm facilities, including arranging for transportation services.

Anyone in need of shelter to call 211 and asked residents to check on their neighbors, particularly senior citizens.

Sign up to receive text or email alerts on school delays and closures.

Stay up-to-date with the forecast here.

Share your photos with us at shareit@nbcconnecticut.com.
 

Firefighters responded to a condominium fire in Branford Saturday afternoon.

According to fire officials, the fire broke out around 3:30pm at 120 Short Beach Road.

One unit was affected and there were no injuries.

The fire stared while a plumber was trying to thaw out a frozen pipe, said a spokesman for the Branford fire department.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Below-freezing temperatures have become a nightmare for some homeowners, and it's kept heating and plumbing companies and emergency crews scrambling.

The cold weather has forced heating systems to break and pipes to freeze and burst.

At the Hartford Police Department, a frozen sprinkler pipe led to flooding on the first floor though no services were interrupted.

Homeowners are finding it can be a major disruption for them.

"It's almost exponential. The colder it gets, the more calls you're going to get," said Phil Clement, Marketing Director for Aiello Home Services.

Aiello Home Services Heating and Air Conditioning Technician Shawn Foley says a common but dangerous mistake is when people try to thaw frozen pipes using something like a blow torch.

Plainfield Firefighters say a contractor did just that and started a fire yesterday, but if the flames don't get you, the flooding could.

"Not only is there dangers in actually trying to thaw it, but once it's thawed, the possibility of having water all over the place is pretty high," said Foley.

Experts also recommend keeping all your thermostats within five degrees of each other and to not let your home drop before 60F because pipes in exterior walls will freeze. Foley says the cost to fix one can be anywhere from $1,000-$1,500.
 

Light freezing rain and drizzle is expected to spread across most of the state this afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to be above freezing by this afternoon on the shoreline and below freezing  inland.

The ground temperature will remain below 32 degrees across the state meaning any rain or drizzle that falls on the ground will freeze on contact.

Temperatures are expected to increase tonight, and be between 45-50 degrees by Monday morning.

The state Department of Transportation has crews on stand by if they are needed. They say that there is plenty of residual salt on the roads from this week's snow event that will help with any icing.

The main concern is that with the road surfaces being so cold, any liquid precipitation that hits the road will freeze on contact.

The D.O.T warns that any travel later this afternoon will be tricky and to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

The state police have also reported a number of small accidents on the highways they believe are due to the ice and are also stressing that drivers stay off the roads.

Travelers staying at a hotel in Mystic have to be evacuated after a pipe burst caused 7,500 gallons of water to leak.

Emergency crews responded to 6 Hendel Dr. around 10 a.m. after a report of water leaking in third floor of the Hampton Inn.

A 2-inch pipe burst on the top floor and leaked throughout the entire hotel causing significant damage.

All three floors of the hotel have been evacuated. The Hampton Inn has put everyone who was staying at the hotel up in other local hotels and motels.

One person died and another was critically hurt iafter a large fire broke out in a midtown Manhattan high-rise Sunday morning, officials say. 

More than 200 firefighters worked to put out the three-alarm blaze, which began on the 20th floor of the 40-story building at 500 West 43rd St., on 10th Avenue., according to the FDNY.

Crews were able to get to the scene quickly, within 5 minutes, but it took some time for firefighters to get to the upper floors.

"In a building this size, it takes a lot of firefighters to get up to the upper floors," said FDNY Assistant Chief Sudnik. "It requires a lot of resources and it takes time." 

It took firefighters about an hour and 40 minutes to get the fire under control, according to the FDNY. It is unclear what sparked the fire. The occupant of the apartment in which the blaze started said he had stepped out to get something from the store when it started.

An FDNY official said two people were found in a stairwell near the 31st floor, seriously hurt from smoke inhalation and some burns. The victims, who may have been trying to escape the fire on their own, were taken to nearby hospitals in critical condition, and the NYPD later said that one had died.

"If people would have stayed in and opened a window in their apartment and stayed near the window and waited for the fire department to come, they would have been better off," said Sudnik. 

Seven other residents and some firefighters had some minor injuries. 

One person who lives in an apartment 12 floors above where the fire started said there was smoke damage in his unit.

"First thing I thought it was fog," said George Galey. "Then I couldn't see the building across street. I knew it was more than fog, it was smoke."

Officials said it would be awhile before residents were allowed back in the building, primarily because the elevators were still out of service. Red Cross was on the scene assisting. 

A car slammed into a auto parts store early Sunday morning after police say the driver lost control.

Police responded to Napa Auto Parts, 65 Memorial Blvd. around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. There they found a car that had crashed into the backside of the building.

The car clipped a nearby gas main that crews were able to cap off quickly to prevent any significant leaking.

The business will be without heat today as crews work to repair the damage.

There is no word on the condition of the driver.

Police are looking for two male suspects after an armed robbery at an East Hartford gas station.

The incident happened just before 7:00 p.m. Sunday when police say two men entered the Gulf Express Gas Station on 379 Ellington Road.

According to police, the suspects stole an undisclosed amount of cast from the register. The suspects are then believed to have fled the area on foot.

There were no reported injuries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the East Hartford Police Department at 860-528-4401.

Route 318 was closed near Route 44 in Barkhamsted because of a crash.

The scene has since cleared.

Temperatures are mild in much of the state this morning and dense fog is making driving a challenge this morning.

In Winsted, Barkhamsted, Simsbury, Avon, Granby and Windsor Locks, roads are icy and part of Route 44 is closed, according to police.

Several schools are opening late today. Check the list here.

Drivers are advised to use caution because of low visibility and ponding in the roads from rain and melting snow.

CHECK THE INTERACTIVE RADAR

Twenty four flights that were scheduled to leave Bradley Airport are canceled because of weather, according top a Tweet from the airport.

Due to local weather 24 departing flights have canceled this morning at BDL. Passengers should contact their air carrier for the latest info

— Bradley Intl Airport (@Bradley_Airport) January 6, 2014

If you are traveling, check with your airline carrier.

Later today, however, the lows will be around 10 degrees, which will cause another problem.

With temperatures that low, all that water on the streets will freeze, causing dangerous driving conditions later.

During periods of heavy fog, use your low-beam headlights and leave plenty of distance ahead of you in case you need to make a sudden stop.
 

Two schools and the Stamford-Norwalk courthouse will be closed today because of pipes bursting.

The Ridge Road Elementary School in North Haven is closed because of a burst pipe and the Stadley Rough School in Danbury has an early dismissal.

The Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District courthouse, at 123 Hoyt Street in Stamford, is closed to the public today. People with a court date scheduled for today should contact the clerk's office to determine when the case will be rescheduled to be heard. The clerk's office remains open to accept filings. 

The courthouse should be open for business tomorrow.

Freezing pipes have been a problem statewide since last week.

Experts recommend keeping all your thermostats within five degrees of each other and to not let your home drop below 60 degrees because pipes in exterior walls will freeze.

Several schools are operating on a delay this morning because of delays.

A Willimantic man is being held on half-a-million-dollars bond, suspected of attempting to rob a Subway restaurant in Willimantic on Saturday and firing two gunshots in the restaurant, according to police.

Police responded to a panic alarm and reports of several shots being fired at the Subway on High Street at 11 p.m. on Saturday.

Police identified Luis Feliciano, 29, of North Street in Willimantic, as the suspect and said he demanded money from the cash register and fired two gunshots into the kitchen when an employee said he’d called 911, police said.  No injuries are reported.

The first officers to respond saw Feliciano running on High Street and several witnesses identified him as the robber, police said.

Officers chased Feliciano as he ran past Valley Street and behind a house on High Street, where he was trying to run through a backyard, police said.

Feliciano ignored commands from police and struggled with officers, so police brought in a K9, according to a news release from police.

Officers found a small caliber pistol near the sidewalk outside Subway and Feliciano was charged with first-degree robbery, reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer and carrying a gun without a permit.

He is being held on $500,000 bond and is due to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Jan. 6.
 

Emergency crews in several towns have been responding to bursting pipes in homes and businesses and offer tips for others to avoid the problem.

The Branford Fire Department has put together the following tips.

1. Keep your heat turned up, now is not the time to conserve energy.
2. If you have pipes on an outside wall, open cabinets, closets, or crawl spaces where they may be to get heat in the area.
3. If your neighbor is away, contact them if you can and ask them if they turned the heat down or off in their units. This is common for folks that go on vacation or to Florida for the winter. Urge them to turn the heat up or have it turned up if at all possible.
4. Run water slowly if you cannot get heat to hidden pipe areas.
5. If you are a business owner and have a sprinkler system, make sure your building is kept warm 24/7 and if you have a "dry" system make sure the compressor is operating properly.
6. Know where your water shut off is in case of a break
7. If you have a frozen pipe or frozen pipes, shut the water off and call a licensed plumber for help

With more cold weather and wind coming tonight, officials urge residents and business owners to prepare now.

The Branford Fire Department said it has experienced a high volume of water-related emergencies due to broken water pipes. Sprinkler and water supply pipes are breaking at an alarming rate, causing thousands of dollars in damage to numerous businesses and residential homes/apartments.

The Ridge Road Elementary School in North Haven is closed because of a burst pipe and the Stadley Rough School in Danbury has an early dismissal for the same issue.

Over the weekend, a pipe burst at the Hampton Inn & Suits on Hendel Drive in Mystic, causing 7,500 gallons of water to leak.

Emergency crews in several towns have been responding to bursting pipes in homes and businesses and offer tips for others to avoid the problem.

The Branford Fire Department has put together the following tips.

Keep your heat turned up, now is not the time to conserve energy.

If you have pipes on an outside wall, open cabinets, closets, or crawl spaces where they may be to get heat in the area.

If your neighbor is away, contact them if you can and ask them if they turned the heat down or off in their units. This is common for folks that go on vacation or to Florida for the winter. Urge them to turn the heat up or have it turned up if at all possible.

Run water slowly if you cannot get heat to hidden pipe areas.

If you are a business owner and have a sprinkler system, make sure your building is kept warm 24/7 and if you have a "dry" system make sure the compressor is operating properly.

Know where your water shut off is in case of a break

If you have a frozen pipe or frozen pipes, shut the water off and call a licensed plumber for help

With more cold weather and wind coming tonight, officials urge residents and business owners to prepare now.

The Branford Fire Department said it has experienced a high volume of water-related emergencies due to broken water pipes. Sprinkler and water supply pipes are breaking at an alarming rate, causing thousands of dollars in damage to numerous businesses and residential homes/apartments.

The Ridge Road Elementary School in North Haven is closed because of a burst pipe and the Stadley Rough School in Danbury has an early dismissal for the same issue.

Over the weekend, a pipe burst at the Hampton Inn & Suits on Hendel Drive in Mystic, causing 7,500 gallons of water to leak.
 

The snow has stopped falling, but the frigid temperatures will affect Connecticut in the coming days and there are some steps you can take to stay safe.

 “While the cold forecast for us will be short in duration this time, it is the first arctic blast of the season and it will be extremely cold,” American Red Cross spokesperson Paul Shipman said. “It’s good to reacquaint yourself with some cold weather tips to get you through the season safely.”

Warming Centers:

Several towns have opened warming centers, or you can call 211.

Dress Warmly

• Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of both the temperature and the wind chill when planning outdoor activities. When you prepare to go outside in severe cold weather, please remember the following:
• Most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
• Dressing in layers helps you retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too warm.
• Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.

Recognize Symptoms

Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia, which can be a serious medical condition, and seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Exhaustion
• Severe shivering.

Recognize frostbite warning signs and seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms:

• Gray, white or yellow skin discoloration
• Numbness
• Waxy feeling skin.

Home Safety

• Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Use caution with portable space heaters. About two-thirds of home heating fire deaths are caused by portable or fixed space heaters.
• To prevent fire, place space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and people.
• Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don't leave children or pets unattended near space heaters.
• Drying wet mittens or other clothing over space heaters is a fire hazard.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.    
• Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood - never burn paper or pine boughs.      

Using Generators

• If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate the generator outdoors-never inside, including the basement or garage.
• Do not connect a generator directly to your home's wiring – leave that work to a professional electrician and buy a generator designed for that purpose.
• The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.
• Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back-feeding power to your home is an unsafe method to supply a building with power.
• Don't overload your electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that present hazardous walkways.

Prevent Frozen Pipes

• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent to the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

If Your Pipes Freeze

• If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
• Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water.
• Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame. It could cause a fire.
• You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.
• If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house. Leave the water faucets turned on. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.

Your Car

• Winterize your vehicle and keep the gas tank full.
• A full tank will keep the fuel line from freezing.

Supply Kit

• Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day
• Food—at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc.)
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
• Tools/supplies for securing your home
• Sand, rock salt or non-clumping kitty litter to make walkways and steps less slippery
• Warm coats, gloves or mittens, hats, boots and extra blankets and warm clothing for all household members
• Ample alternate heating methods such as fireplaces or wood- or coal-burning stoves

Find more tips on the American Red Cross website.

 

A New York man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of cologne and perfume is in police custody in Glastonbury.

Police said Stevens Tadros, 32, of Howard Beach, New York, is part of a team of “boosters” who are suspected of stealing perfume and cologne from several Walgreens stores in the tri-state area.

“Boosters” are on the low end of professional shoplifters, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and higher level “fencers” coordinate booster thefts.

These organized retail theft rings use sophisticated methods to shoplift, including counterfeit receipts and UPC codes to get refunds, according to the FBI, and are known to travel from state to state or city to city.

Tadros is accused of being involved in a perfume heist at a Walgreens in Glastonbury in April 2013 in which $2,195.60 worth of perfume was stolen.

New York Police took Tadros into custody there in mid-December and Glastonbury police went to New York to get him.

He was charged with third-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny in the third degree.
He was unable to post $100,000 bond and is due in court today.
 

A new study from Quinnipiac University indicates that states that place restrictions on carrying concealed weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states and that study is getting national attention.

Mark Gius, a professor of economics in Quinnipiac’s School of Business and Engineering conducted the study, which found that assault weapons bans “did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level” and suggests that restrictive concealed weapons laws might cause an increase in gun-related murders.

The study is called “An Examination of the Effects of Concealed Weapons Laws and Assault Weapons Bans on State-Level Murder Rates,” which was published in the latest issue of the academic journal, “Applied Economics Letters.”

The abstract states:

"The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of state-level assault weapons bans and concealed weapons laws on state-level murder rates. Using data for the period 1980 to 2009 and controlling for state and year fixed effects, the results of the present study suggest that states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states. It was also found that assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level. These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level. The results of this study are consistent with some prior research in this area, most notably Lott and Mustard (1997)."

The study has gotten attention from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Reason.com as well as additional sites.