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Man Found Guilty in 2000 Double Murder

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A man has been found guilty in a 2000 double murder case in New Haven.

Craig "Mousy" Hines was found guilty on Feb. 25 of killing Lakeia Vaughn, a 21-year-old mother of one, and Lamont Brockenberry, 26, on June 1, 2000, outside a Winthrop Avenue apartment.

Hines, a gang member, was in a dispute with a member of a rival gang, police said. He was in a car when he started shooting on the street and neither person killed was Hines'  intended victim, officials said.

Vaughn's mother, Phyllis McNeil Vaughn, said she had known Hines since he was in grammar school and that he attended Lakeia's birthday parties and had walked with Lakeia to school.

The victims’ families attended a news conference about the arrests in 2011.

This arrest was part of an initiative between the New Haven Police Department and the FBI to re-investigate 101 cold case drug and gang-related killings in New Haven neighborhoods.

Officer Mike Mastropetre, who is a member of the task force, reviewed the case file and reached out to an informant who provided crucial information that led to the arrest, the Independent reports.

Then-police Chief Frank Limon said this initiative is about bringing closure to the families affected.

Part of the plan for New Haven Police and the FBI is to re-interview people and witnesses who came forward with information when the homicides occurred.

Himes was in federal custody in Indiana on unrelated gun charges at the time of his arrest.

He has a violent criminal history, including drug trafficking in support of gang-related activity, police said.


 


Fortune Cookie Numbers Win Lotto

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A fortune cookie from a Chinese restaurant in New York City lived up to its name after a Bronx woman won the lottery by playing the numbers on the message inside.
 
Emma Duvoll, 75, won $2 million after five of her numbers from the notoriously sweet and crunchy treat matched the drawing Feb. 1, she said at a New York Lottery news conference Thursday.
 
"I was surprised but pleased," Duvoll said.
 
New York Lottery said she bought the winning ticket in Pine Bush and realized the day after the drawing that she had won.
 
She chose the lump sum, which will be paid out as more than $1.2 million.
 
She said she plans to invest some of it and maybe take a trip to Switzerland. 

Sterling Superintendent Resigns After School Mix-Up

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The superintendent of schools in Sterling has resigned nearly two weeks after an incident in which a student was mistakenly taken from the Sterling Community School.

The Sterling Board of Education met Wednesday to consider Rena Klebart's resignation letter.

On February 21, a great-grandfather picked up a kindergarten student and drove him to his house before realizing he had taken the wrong child. The man's wife called the school to report the mistake. The school was not aware the child was missing until receiving the call.

The 5-year-old boy was not harmed and the man returned the child to the school.

At an emergency Board of Education meeting on February 25, Angela Stone, whose child was taken, called school leaders incompetent and demanded that disciplinary action be taken against the administration.

"This unbelievable and terrifying incident has placed a spotlight on the school's lack of security, particularly at bus pick-up and drop-off time," Stone said at the meeting.

In a statement released on Thursday, Board of Education chair Renee Theroux-Keech said the Board did not seek or expect Klebart's resignation.

Klebart told Board members she hoped her resignation "would allow the District and the school community to focus once again on students."



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Second Arrest in Threats Against Danbury, Stratford Schools

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Police have a warrant for a second suspect as they investigate verbal threats of violence against Danbury and Stratford schools.

Days after police arrested an 18-year-old Torrington woman, police said they have obtained a warrant for a 19-year-old Torrington man. 

Police have not released his name and said he is receiving medical care at a secure facility.

The warrant is for charges including first-degree conspiracy to commit assault, and criminal attempt to commit assault in the first degree.

Police have made arrangements with the health care facility to take him into custody immediately upon his release.

On Tuesday, police arrested Natalie A. Carpenter, of Main Street in Torrington.

Torrington school officials said Carpenter had a manifesto in her home describing her intentions and tried to buy guns days before the threats were made.

Officials in Danbury and Stratford were notified of the threats on Monday, police said. No threats were made against Torrington schools.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said Danbury High School and Stratford's Bunnell High School received threats. No specific students were targeted. The towns have stepped up security at both high schools and parents have been notified.

Police said no additional arrests are expected.

Stratford police said there is no threat or imminent danger to students in Stratford students or schools.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Electrical Failure Forced Landing

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The Federal Aviation Administration says an electrical component failed on American Eagle Flight 3400 Wednesday night, causing smoke to rise in the cockpit and the pilot to make an emergency landing.

The flight, which departed Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport bound for Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill., diverted first to Tyler and then to Greenville after declaring an emergency shortly after takeoff.

The pilot landed without incident, and none of the 45 passenger or crew of three were injured.

Mechanics were in and out of the aircraft, an Embraer ERJ-145, all day trying to determine what went wrong.

Thursday afternoon, the FAA said it was a "failed electrical component" in the cockpit that caused the smoke, though they did not elaborate further.

NBC 5 DFW Investigates found portions of the pilot's communications with Air Traffic Control, recorded by the website Broadcastify.com, where the pilot reported the smell of smoke.

"We've got smelling of electrical burn," the pilot said. The pilot then went on to describe the number of people onboard and the weight of fuel on the aircraft.

Twelve seconds after that, the pilot said they needed to land and wanted to divert to Tyler.  Shortly after that, they asked to land at an even closer airport in Greenville.

During a crucial four-minute period, the pilot reduced the altitude of the aircraft from 21,900 feet to 8,800 feet.

One passenger, a reporter named Tiffany Liou, talked exclusively with NBC 5. She said some passengers smelled smoke, the pilots made an abrupt U-turn with the plane and the flight attendant made an announcement. “’I need everyone to listen up’ and he was really serious," said Liou.

NBC 5 spoke to an aviation expert who explained planes generally descend at a rate of about 1,500 feet per minute, but the American Eagle pilot was descending at more than 2,500 feet per minute.

"The crew did a very good job. They got the airplane on the ground as soon as they could ... and then they worried about what was wrong. It may not have been that serious, but they don't know that they are not mechanics," said Denny Kelly, aviation expert.

American Eagle said the two pilots and the flight attendant are already back on the job.

NBC 5's Kendra Lyn contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Chopper 5

Mass. Lawmakers OK "Upskirt" Ban

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Massachusetts lawmakers in the House and Senate quickly passed a bill Thursday that makes it illegal to take photos up a woman's skirt, NECN reported.

Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray said she was astonished when she heard Wednesday that the state's highest court had dismissed so-called "peeping tom" charges against an Andover man accused of taking photos up women's skirts while riding on the MBTA's Green Line. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the 2004 law in place did not apply to people clothed in public.

"For me, this is going backwards, like when your husband could beat you and beat your children. That was okay. Well, we've changed," Murray said, according to NECN.

So Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo took immediate action to revise the state law to make "upskirting," as it's called, illegal.

"We are outraged by what has occurred and from today forward want to make sure that those types of actions are dealt with in our court system and dealt with swiftly," DeLeo said.

DeLeo said they want to make sure the bill is able to pass constitutional muster, but they expect to have it on the Gov. Deval Patrick's desk by late Thursday. The governor has promised to sign it.

"The common-sense view is that that sort of thing qualifies as a peeping tom, if you will, and we need to change the law in order to make sure that's clear we ought to do so," Patrick said.

Meanwhile, it hasn't been lost on many Beacon Hill observers that while most basic legislation, including bond bills and supplemental budgets, can take months to move through the chambers, this bill is being moved in one day, NECN reported.

"So we should ride the wave while we have it, because it usually doesn't happen around here," Republican House minority leader Bradley Jones said. "Usually there's a disagreement on who gets credit or 'I want to be up' or 'If you do it, we can't' and it needs to be tied into some other moving parts. No, this is the very definition of a no-brainer."

United Illuminating Customers Weigh In on Tree Trimming

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United Illuminating customers sounded off tonight on the big tree trimming debate. Critics say UI is cutting down too many tree in its effort to prevent big power outages during storms and like many of his neighbors, Dan Kazienko is in a fight to save trees.

"People are very concerned about losing the quality of their neighborhood life," Kazienko said. "A lot of people would rather have a day without power then 365 days without trees."

People in Hamden gave their utility company an earful Thursday night but it wasn't about their power.

They don't like the utility's plan to trim trees that are too close to power lines.

"Trees add to the value of property so I'm definitely concerned they're going to do the whole area," said Eileen Dubois of Hamden.

Nearly 200 people from Hamden and beyond flocked to Hamden Middle School where the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority or PURA held a hearing on United Illuminating's proposal.

"No one here is advocating for power outages. We're advocating for retaining tall, healthy trees," said Mikey Hirschoff of the New Haven Garden Club.

"This whole idea of a one size fits all solution does not work. It doesn't work for Hamden," said Representative Mike D'Agostino of the 91st Assembly District

UI wants to cut trees within 8 feet of power lines. Power officials insist with all the severe weather in the state action is necessary.

But Bob Pattison, from Hamden's Alliance for Trees, says "We are advocating for a more nuanced approach to this plan that can be adapted to different neighborhoods and locales."

"Trees are important to the aesthetics of the town," said Jane Bouvier of Hamden. Aesthetics aside the power company says it's committed to working with residents in the 17 towns they serve and will consult owners if they plan to cut trees down. They are trees that are proven to help energy reduction.

"Because street trees benefit the climate by contributing to lower ambient air temperature and also wind speeds so that reduces the need for heating and air conditioning in buildings," said Colleen Murphy-Dunning of the Yale School of Forestry.

Trees also put nature's beauty on display and "that shade on those hot summer days, the wind going through the trees."

UI says it will continue to work with elected officials, tree wardens and community organizations to do its best and satisfy everyone involved.
 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Six Flags Blamed For Woman's Death

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The German manufacturer of the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags over Texas is blasting the amusement park.

In a cross-complaint filed in the case involving the death of a Dallas woman, Gerstlauer Amusement Rides said the park is solely to blame for the accident.

On July 19th, Rosy Esparza got on the Texas Giant, and soon after plummeted to her death.

In the new court document, Gerstlauer said, "Six Flags failed to exercise reasonable care in their hiring, training and supervision of the ride operators...on the date of the accident."

Attorney Frank Branson, who represents the Esparza family, said interviews with employees showed that one of the workers operating the ride “had a button that could have stopped and should have stopped the ride,” but that button was not pressed.

The German maker also said Six Flags had a hand in designing the ride. Six Flags has blamed the death on a dangerous, defective ride.  

Gerstlauer Amusement Rides said the park “expressly designed and specified in writing that there be no seat belts.”

Soon after the accident, seat belts were added, and there was a test seat put out, so people could see if they could safely get on the ride. Gerstlauer Amusement Rides said that seat was provided for the park two years prior to the accident, but never used.

Six Flags over Texas responded to the countersuit.

“The manufacturer assured Six Flags that the Texas Giant, without seat belts, was safe for riders. As an additional safety measure, when the ride re-opened in September, we added incremental and overlapping safety measures including re-designed restraint bar pads and new seat belts. The safety of our guests is our number one priority,” said Six Flags over Texas spokesperson Sharon Parker.


Issa Apologizes for Conduct

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U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has apologized for a heated exchange that took place during a House Oversight Committee meeting on Wednesday.

The hearing was about an investigation into the IRS for targeting conservative groups.

When IRS official Lois Lerner refused to answer questions, Issa abruptly ended the hearing.

However, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., protested and said he wanted to ask a question. Issa motioned to cut Cummings’ microphone. Cummings kept speaking, becoming increasingly upset. Issa eventually told Cummings that he had his chance and left.

On Thursday, Issa personally apologized to Cummings.

Cummings then released this statement:

This evening, Chairman Issa telephoned me and apologized for his conduct, and I accepted his apology. My sincere hope is that we move forward, we will respect the opinions of all members of the committee, we will proceed in a deliberate manner to obtain the facts, we will refrain from making accusations that have no basis in fact, and we will seek resolution rather than unnecessary conflict.

Issa's office did not release a statement, but referred NBC 7 to the congressman's Twitter account:

“I could have offered to reopen the hearing and allowed him to make a second statement. As chairman, I should have been much more sensitive to the mood of what was going on, and I take responsibility,” Issa said in a phone interview with the UT San Diego. 

Issa represents California’s 49th Congressional District, with includes parts of San Diego’s North County and southern Orange County.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Alleged Bitcoin Creator Denies It

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Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto said Thursday that he is not the creator of bitcoin, adding further mystery to the story of how the world's most popular digital currency came to be. The denial came after Newsweek published a 4,500-word cover story claiming Nakamoto is the person who wrote the computer code underpinnings of bitcoin.

In an exclusive two-hour interview with The Associated Press, Nakamoto, 64, denied he had anything to do with it and said he had never heard of bitcoin until his son told him he had been contacted by a Newsweek reporter three weeks ago.

Nakamoto acknowledged that many of the details in Newsweek's report are correct, including that he once worked for a defense contractor, and that his given name at birth was Satoshi. But he strongly disputed the magazine's assertion that he is "the face behind bitcoin." "I got nothing to do with it," he said, repeatedly. Newsweek stands by its story, which kicked off the relaunch of its print edition after 15 months and reorganization under new ownership. Since bitcoin's birth in 2009, the currency's creator has remained a mystery.

The person — or people — behind the digital currency's inception have been known only as "Satoshi Nakamoto," which many observers believed to be a pseudonym. Bitcoin has become increasingly popular among tech enthusiasts, libertarians and risk-seeking investors because it allows people to make one-to-one transactions, buy goods and services and exchange money across borders without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. Criminals like bitcoin for the same reasons.

For various technical reasons, it's hard to know just how many people worldwide own bitcoins, but the currency attracted outsize media attention and the fascination of millions as an increasing number of large retailers such as Overstock.com began to accept it. Speculative investors have jumped into the bitcoin fray, too, sending the currency's value fluctuating wildly in recent months.

In December, the value of a single bitcoin hit an all-time high of $1,200. It was around $665 on Thursday, according to the website bitcoincharts.com. Bloggers have speculated that bitcoin's creator is worth hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin. After Newsweek posted the story on its website early Thursday, Nakamoto said his home was bombarded by phone calls. By mid-morning, a dozen reporters were waiting outside the modest two-story home on the residential street in Temple City, Calif., where he lives. He emerged shortly after noon saying he wanted to speak with one reporter only and asked for a "free lunch."

During a car ride and then later over sushi lunch at the AP bureau in downtown Los Angeles, Nakamoto spoke at length about his life, career and family, addressing many of the assertions in Newsweek's piece. He also said a key portion of the piece — where he is quoted telling the reporter on his doorstep before two police officers, "I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it" — was misunderstood. Nakamoto said he is a native of Beppu, Japan who came to the U.S. as a child in 1959. He speaks both English and Japanese, but his English isn't flawless. Asked if he said the quote, Nakamoto responded, "no." "I'm saying I'm no longer in engineering.

That's it," he said of the exchange. "And even if I was, when we get hired, you have to sign this document, contract saying you will not reveal anything we divulge during and after employment. So that's what I implied." "It sounded like I was involved before with bitcoin and looked like I'm not involved now. That's not what I meant. I want to clarify that," he said. Newsweek writer Leah McGrath Goodman, who spent two months researching the story, told the AP: "I stand completely by my exchange with Mr. Nakamoto.

There was no confusion whatsoever about the context of our conversation —and his acknowledgment of his involvement in bitcoin." The magazine pulled together its thesis on the creator's identity by matching Nakamoto's name, educational history, career, anti-government bent and writing style to the alleged creator of bitcoin. It also quoted Nakamoto's estranged wife and other family members who said they weren't sure he is the creator. Several times during the interview with AP, Nakamoto mistakenly referred to the currency as "bitcom," and as a single company, which it is not.

He said he's never heard of Gavin Andresen, a leading bitcoin developer who told Newsweek he'd worked closely with the person or entity known as "Satoshi Nakamoto" in developing the system, but that they never met in person or spoke on the phone. When shown the original bitcoin proposal that Newsweek linked to in its story, Nakamoto said he didn't write it, and said the email address in the document wasn't his. "Peer-to-peer can be anything," he said. "That's just a matter of address. What the hell? It doesn't make sense to me." Asked if he was technically able to come up with the idea for bitcoin, Nakamoto responded: "Capability? Yes, but any programmer could do that."

The nearest Nakamoto has come to working on a financial system, he said, was a project for Citibank with a company called Quotron, which provided real-time stock prices to brokerage firms. Nakamoto said he worked on the software side for about four years starting in 1987. "That had nothing to do with skipping financial institutions," he said. Nakamoto said he believes someone either came up with the name or specifically targeted him to be the fall guy for the currency's creation. He also said he doesn't discuss his career because in many cases, his work was confidential.

When he was employed by Hughes Aircraft starting around 1973, he worked on missile systems for the U.S. Navy and Air Force. He said he also worked for the Federal Aviation Administration starting around 1999, but was laid off following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Getting hired by a military contractor was the reason he applied for and received American citizenship. He decided around that time to change his name, adding "Dorian Prentice" to Satoshi Nakamoto, partly to sound more Western. He said he picked "Dorian" because he says it meant "a man of simplicity" and referred to the ancient Greek people. "Prentice" alluded to his affinity for learning, he said. As he pored over the Newsweek story with a reporter, Nakamoto repeatedly said "oh jeez," as he read private details about himself, quotes from family members and even specifics from his medical history. "How long is this media hoopla going to last?" he said.



Photo Credit: AP

Back to Business after Presidential Lunch

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On Wednesday, President Barack Obama had the head table of all head tables at Cafe Beauregard in New Britain.  With just 45 minutes notice, he and his entourage lunched at the small restaurant.

On Thursday, Cafe Beauregard let anybody in.

"Little busier than usual!" said Rob Chiovoloni, who opened Cafe Beauregard with his wife in December.  Their business model relies on people making the walk from nearby government and office buildings.

"With the really severe winter, that's eaten into that. So this is coming at the right time. We've worked out most of the kinks in the operation," Chiovoloni said.

The restaurant is in a corner spot that's been a revolving door for eateries. Passersby say it's different from its predecessors.

"It is rather costly," said Linda Freeman.

But regulars said they're there because Cafe Beauregard is different from its predecessors. Some customers said they weren't aware of who had come in for lunch on Wednesday until they came in on Thursday.

"I didn't even know Obama was at this coffee shop," said Edward Haugabook. "But now that I do, I'll make sure I'll be there from now on. And there's some good coffee."

If President Obama does return, he'll find the chair he used high above the customer service area, ready for him.

Water Main Break in West Hartford

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There is a water main break on Steele Road in West Hartford and traffic is down to one lane.

MDC has responded.

No additional information was immediately available.

Waterbury Approves Gun Shop

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Waterbury's Board of Education was in a position on Thursday afternoon to oppose a new business at its meeting on Thursday night, a gun business.

The building at 546 South Main Street in Waterbury is in an area zoned for commercial land use and the owner has approvals from city and state authorities to sell guns.

However, some Board of Education members had objected, with hundreds of children attending Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School two and a half blocks away, and the Waterbury Adult Education facility even closer. 

The huge Shrine of Saint Ann, with its green dome and twin towers, stands between the schools and the business.

Still, Carlos Lagos said he had heard shots in the area a couple of months ago and as a father, he wants a safe neighborhood.

"I think this is not something good for the community, especially for this area. I know there's a lot of drug dealers," he said.

But others who live nearby said a gun business just won't be a problem.

"You gotta have a permit and all that," said Rick Jones, "you gotta go through all the legal requirements, so it ain't gonna be like selling guns to anybody."

Teen Dad Charged in Baby Girl’s Death

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An 18-year-old dad has been arrested, accused of causing his 8-week-old daughter’s death.

The baby’s died of blunt head trauma in March 2013, and officials said her injuries were consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Police have arrested Reushawn Foster on first-degree manslaughter charges. He is being held on $75,000 after authorities took him into custody in South Carolina, where he was living with family members.

“I was completely stunned,” said Katie Costello.  She just found out her former classmate from Morgan High School was accused of such a startling crime. “It’s just devastating,” Costello added.

In March 2013, Clinton Police responded to a home in town because an 8-week-old girl was not breathing. 

Emergency crews began treating the girl and she was later airlifted to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Medical staff then notified Clinton Police Department that baby’s injuries were consistent with “Shaken Baby Syndrome” and Clinton police started investigating.

Police said the baby’s parents. Foster and a 16-year-old girl, both lived in Clinton. They determined the father was the only suspect.

A few days later, the baby died in the Yale-New Haven Intensive Care unit.

Clinton police obtained a warrant for Foster but learned he had left the state of Connecticut.

As authorities investigated, they determined Foster was living in Columbia, South Carolina with family members.

On Feb. 18, he was apprehended in South Carolina and charged with being a fugitive from justice.

He waived the extradition and Clinton police traveled to South Carolina yesterday, took him into custody and brought him back to Connecticut. 

He was brought to the juvenile detention center in Hartford until his court appearance and was arraigned today in Middletown Superior Court, where his case was transferred to the adult court.

 

E-Cigs Lead to Real Smoking: Study

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Teenagers using e-cigarettes are more likely to try smoking real cigarettes and are less likely to quit than kids who did not use the battery-powered devices, a new study found.

“The use of e-cigarettes does not discourage, and may encourage, conventional cigarette use among U.S. adolescents,” the study concluded.

Published online on Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, the study examined data collected from nearly 40,000 U.S. middle and high school students who completed the 2011 and 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

The report also found that e-cigarette use among middle and high school students doubled between 2011 and 2012, from 3.1 percent to 6.5 percent.

"E-cigarettes are likely to be gateway devices for nicotine addiction among youth, opening up a whole new market for tobacco," said lead author Lauren Dutra, a postdoctoral fellow at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.

But not everyone agrees with the conclusion drawn by the researchers. The study did not prove that teen e-cigarette smokers used tobacco after smoking e-cigarettes, because it examined two large data pools of teens in 2011 and 2012 rather than tracking the same people over two years.

Other experts said that just because e-cigarettes are being used by young people who smoke more and have a more difficult time kicking the habit does not mean that the devices are the root of the problem, according to The New York Times.  Those experts say it is possible that young people who use e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine through vapor instead of the smoke associated with traditional cigarettes, were heavier smokers to begin with, or would have become heavy smokers down the line, the Times reported.

“The data in this study do not allow many of the broad conclusions that it draws,” said Thomas J. Glynn, a researcher at the American Cancer Society, according to the Times.

Experts remain divided on whether e-cigarettes, which entered the market about a decade ago, are a getaway to smoking or a path for the nation's 45 million smokers to help quit. 

A large federal survey published last year found that the overwhelming majority of young people who use e-cigarettes also smoke real tobacco. Meantime, another report concluded that while e-cigarette use among youths doubled from 2011 to 2012, real cigarette smoking for youths has continued to decline.

 

 

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Route 8 North Reopened in Ansonia

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Route 8 North in Ansonia has reopened near exit 19 after two separate crashes on Thursday that closed the road for hours and had traffic backed up to Trumbull.

The road reopen at 4:30 a.m. on Friday, according to Ansonia police.

The first crash involved a pickup hauling a box trailer carrying 55-gallon drums of silicone-based foam insulation, according to officials from the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

State police said Chris Roche, 38, of Fairfield, was driving, somehow lost control of the truck and hit a guardrail.

At least one of the drums was leaking after the crash.

The driver had permits for the materials, but the chemical poses a significant health risk by both inhalation or by skin contact, according to DEEP. 

No injuries were reported. Crews were brought in to clean up the chemicals and mill the road, which took several hours.

The second crash involved a tractor-trailer that jackknifed near the first crash scene.

 

 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Teen Killed in East Hartford Crash Identified

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An East Hartford teen is dead after a Honda struck a sanitation truck on Silver Lane in East Hartford on Monday.

The crash happened on Silver Lane near the intersection with Holland Lane around 11 a.m. Monday and police identified the driver of the car as Leonel Colon, 17, of East Hartford.

On Monday, police said the car was stolen and the driver lost control.

Officers pursued the Honda on Burnside Avenue earlier Monday morning, but the chase was called off and was not connected to the crash, according to police.

Silver Lane was closed for hours from Forbes Street to the Manchester town line as police investigated.

“As a community, we grieve the loss of a young man and extend our support and prayers to his family, friends, and our school community. We are working closely with the school system to insure the proper resources are available to assist in the grieving process,” East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc said in a statement.

The driver of the sanitation truck was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Joanne Dunning, who lives near the crash scene, said the car caught fire moments after the impact.

"I heard a big bang and I thought a transformer was exploding," she said

The East Hartford Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating and has obtained voluntary statements from witnesses who saw this crash occur.

Additional witnesses are asked to call the East Hartford Police Department at 860-528-4401.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Charged With Murder in Windsor

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Windsor police have charged a 44-year-old local man in the stabbing death of another man.

Police responded to to 64 Bina Ave in Windsor at 7:41 p.m. on Thursday when they received a report of a stabbing and found Carl Mitchell, 40, of the same address, who had been stabbed in the chest. 

Witnesses said Ray Smith, also of the same address, had stabbed Mitchell at least once, according to police. 

Police are treating this case as a domestic incident.

Smith has children with Mitchell's sister, police said, and the men lived in the same house.

Police said they do not know what the motive was, but the men were talking about a phone call before the stabbing and Smith allegedly attacked Mitchell, police said.

Smith was at the scene when police arrived and there was a brief struggle, during which police had to use a stun gun, police said.

When Smith was under control, police took him into custody and transported to Hartford Hospital, where he remains in under police custody.

Smith is being charged with murder and interfering with police.


 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Homeless Man Hospitalized After Bridgeport Fire

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Officials believe a man who suffered serious burns during a fire in Bridgeport this morning was homeless and set the fire to stay warm.
 
Firefighters responded to a fire in a vacant commercial building at 1150 Main St. at 3:37 a.m. and dispatchers received a report that a man was on fire inside the building.

Firefighters found him and had to use what police called cutting tools to get to him because of a locked metal security gate at the door.

The man was taken to the hospital to be treated for serious burns.

Firefighters said they've been seeing more cases like this because of the extreme cold.

The fire is now out.

Police Ask for Help to ID Milford Gas Station Robber

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Milford Police Department are investigating an armed robbery at the Friendly Service Station in February and they are asking for help to identify the robber.

The Gulf gas station, located at 313 Naugatuck Avenue in Milford, was robbed just after 9:35 p.m. on February 18.

The robber was wearing a black knit facemask, showed a black handgun and took money from the cashier and a customer who was waiting in line, police said.

He fled the area in an older dark hatchback-style vehicle that last seen traveling eastbound on Bridgeport Avenue, police said.

The robber was also wearing black sunglasses, black gloves and a denim jacket with a cloth lining.

Police said he had a very distinct voice and released this audio from the robbery.

Anyone with information about the robbery should call Detective Michael Moreno at (203) 783-4729, email him at mmoreno@ci.milford.ct.us or submit a tip through the department’s website
 



Photo Credit: MIlford Police
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