A New Jersey mother decided there was no time like the present to get a little extra pampering before delivering her second child last week.

Anna Rubinstein of Emerson made a pit stop at the Eden Nail salon in Glen Rock while in labor last Wednesday.

Every mom-to-be wants to feel good, right?

Rubinstein took that extra time to be sure she did before delivery. Her first child's labor took more than a day, so she figured she had plenty of time.

Rubinstein's labor progressed quickly after she got the manicure. Baby Damien didn't wait for mom to finish a massage, manicure and pedicure. Her husband was summoned to the salon, as was an ambulance. Sergei Rubinstein arrived just in time to deliver his son in the salon's bathroom. 

NewJersey.com reported that the bundle of joy arrived before Rubinstein's nails were dry.

The salon's owner Nancy Wang was en route to the salon. When she arrived, she saw the Rubinsteins cradling the baby in the bathroom. The paramedics also arrived shortly after the baby was born.

"Everybody was very nervous," said Wang. "I was very happy the baby was born and everyone was doing fine."

Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.

For one day at least, the moderate-payroll San Diego Padres are in first place in the NL West, ahead of the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers.

Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseball's North American opener Sunday night.

Smith's first hit with the Padres came on a 2-0 pitch from Brian Wilson, who started the eighth after Hyun-Jin Ryu threw seven scoreless innings. It sailed an estimated 360 feet into the right-field seats. It was his seventh career pinch-hit homer. He was acquired in an offseason trade with Oakland for reliever Luke Gregerson.

Wilson (0-1) walked pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal, who advanced when the veteran reliever couldn't handle Everth Cabrera's bunt for an error. Grandal stole third and Cabrera took second on indifference before Denorfia hit a bouncer up the middle to bring them both in.

"They're all just one game, but when you're facing a team like the Dodgers, full of great players, Brian Wilson, a guy who knows how to get it done in those situations, it's not easy to do what our hitters did," said Huston Street, who pitched a perfect ninth for the save. "To come back and get three right there in that situation, especially after leaving guys on base early, that's what this team is going to have to do to win. We're going to have to battle all year long."

The Dodgers set a record with an opening-day payroll of $234 million. The Padres are 23rd at just under $90 million.

Street said he has no problem with the discrepancy.

"They've got a lot of talent and their talent has earned those salaries," Street said. "They're not just given. At the same time, a lot of guys in this locker room are young guys. They haven't hit that free agency mark. They haven't hit those big salary years. We could be sitting on a higher payroll team. You don't worry about it too much just because baseball is such a game of execution."

Dale Thayer (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the win.

Smith was acquired to provide a left-handed bat off the bench. He went deep on a cutter.

"You get in the box and it's an at-bat," he said. "As a professional ballplayer you hope that you can kind of flush the fact that it's your first at-bat with your team or it's in a big spot or whatever, and just do what you've been practicing for the last six weeks."

Wilson said it was tough to deal with because Ryu "pitched such a marvelous game. It's a hard one to swallow."

He said he threw a pitch "that was a little bit uncharacteristic of me. Right then and there, the tire deflated."

The defending NL West champion Dodgers had started the regular season with a two-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney.

Ryu got the start after reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was scratched due to a swollen back muscle and then placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his seven-year career.

In a scheduling quirk, the left-hander started consecutive regular-season games. He made his season debut a week earlier, when the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks in their second game in Australia.

Ryu retired 16 in a row from the second inning until one out in the seventh. He then walked rookie Tommy Medica, who was then erased in a 3-6-3 double play.

Ryu allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked three.

The Dodgers grabbed the lead on a nice piece of hitting by Carl Crawford with two out in the fifth.

Crawford went the other way with an 0-2 pitch from Andrew Cashner, hitting it over third baseman Chase Headley to bring in Dee Gordon from second. Gordon had reached on a walk and advanced when Cashner fielded Ryu's bunt and forced A.J. Ellis at third.

Cashner allowed four hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

NOTES: The Padres renamed the broadcast portion of the press box the Jerry Coleman Broadcast Center in memory of the Hall of Fame broadcaster who died on Jan. 5 at 89. His widow, Maggie, and daughter, Chelsea, threw out the ceremonial first pitches. ... Sunday night's attendance of 45,567 set the Petco Park single-game record. ... Padres manager Bud Black said LF Carlos Quentin's time on the disabled list will go beyond April 10, when he'd be eligible to be activated. He was placed on the DL on Saturday, retroactive to March 25, with a bone bruise in his left knee. Quentin was hurt diving for a ball in a spring training game. ... Monday is an off day. Tuesday's scheduled starters are Zack Greinke for Los Angeles and Ian Kennedy for San Diego.
 

Cedar Mountain in Newington, Route 175, was closed for a short period of time this morning because of slippery conditions.

Newington police said it was closed at they waited on crews to treat the road.

It has since reopened.
 

A 32-year-old paramedic was killed in a three-car crash in West Hartford as he was heading to work on Sunday evening.

Donavan Alden, a 32-year-old paramedic from Avon, was on his way to work at AMR at 6:44 p.m. and traveling east on New Britain Avenue when his car was hit head-on, police said. He was killed in the crash, according to West Hartford Police. 

Police said Karen Torres, 33, of New Britain, crossed the double lines under the railroad bridge, just east of New Park Avenue, and crashed head-on into Alden’s car. She was severely injured and is being treated at Hartford Hospital.

Police said Zeeshan Rashid, 33, of Newington, was driving directly behind Alden and hit the back of his car. He was injured and is also being treated at Hartford Hospital.

Police are investigating. No charges have been filed.
 

Hartford police have arrested a man accused of demanding sex for citizenship.

Hartford police arrested Nghi Le, 66, of West Hartford, on Friday.

The victim was a Vietnamese woman who was trying to become a United States citizen and Le is accused of using immigration status as leverage, according to police.

Le is accused of luring a woman to The Connecticut Coalition of Mutual Assistance, at 143 Madison Ave, Hartford, under the guise of assisting her with citizenship.

The Connecticut Coalition of Mutual Assistance is a service agency that provides Vietnamese immigrants and refugees educational, and translation services, as well as in-home referral services to help clients find and apply for needed health, employment and social service programs.

Le offered to help the victim with his services in exchange for sexual intercourse, then sexually assaulted the victim and unlawfully restrained her afterward, according to Hartford police.

He was charged with first-degree sexual assault and second-degree unlawful restraint.

NBC Connecticut went to Le's house and office for comment, but has not been able to reach him.

Bond was set at $250,000 and he was released on Saturday. 

Detectives believe that if the alleged allegations  are true that there might be other victims who have yet to come forward.

Anyone with a similar experience or information is encouraged to come forward and call Sergeant Sonia Watson at (860) 757-4041. All victims will remain confidential.

Any Connecticut resident can tell you that this is a divided baseball state.

The closer you live to Boston, the more likely you are to be a Red Sox fan. The same goes for proximity to New York and Yankees fandom.

Well, Facebook created a color-coded map based on which official Facebook team page has the most likes from people who live in that county and they found the Yankees have the most fans by county in the U.S.

(The Red Sox also have a pretty spread out fan base.)

Earlier this month, a Quinnipiac University Poll found that 42 percent of Connecticut cheers on the Yankees, 38 percent like the Red Sox and 8 percent of fans cheer for the New York Mets.

Something Mets fans will not be pleased to know is that there are no U.S. counties where a plurality of fans like the New York Mets. The same goes for the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics.
While we consider Connecticut to be divided, Facebook says Louisiana and Nebraska are the most divided states.

Do you agree with Facebook’s findings? What team do you follow?

A 31-year-old Bridgeport woman accused of causing a wild crash in Fairfield that sent four people to the hospital was taken into police custody and has been released.

Police took Rosa Blanca Chavarria-Medina into custody today. 

Chavarria-Medina had a suspended license and was intoxicated at when she crashed into the Cumberland Farms at 975 Kings Highway East, according to police.

Her car was coming off Interstate 95 south in Fairfield when she lost control and struck the gas station and several other cars at the bottom of the ramp, emergency officials said. This caused a fire and four people were taken to the hospital.

Emergency responders had to extricate Medina, who was the only person in that vehicle.

A Good Samaritan extinguished the fire with an extinguisher from the gas station, police said.
Police have charged Chavarria-Medina with reckless endangerment in the first degree, driving under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, reckless driving, passing on the right and failure to stop at a stop sign.

She was released on a $5,000 bond.

Kayla Velez was in her car with her 18-month-old daughter, Brooklyn, were in one of the cars that was struck. Kayla suffered some minor bruises on her side. Brooklyn was not hurt.

Four people who were injured in the crash are looking to file a lawsuit.
 

Police are investigating after a suspicious man offered a 13-year-old girl a ride to school in Westport this morning.

The teen was waiting for a school bus in the area of Apple Tree Trail around 7:30 a.m. when a man in a black SUV approached her and offered her a ride to school.

The student said the man was in his mid- to late-50s, had gray “bushy” hair covering his ears and said he lived “around here.”

Police said a parent who was sitting in a car with her children, waiting for the same bus, witnessed what happened.

The student and parents both said the SUV had a gold emblem on the rear tailgate, but they did not get the license plate number.
Police checked the area and were not able to find the suspicious vehicle or driver.

Police ask anyone with information about the car or driver to call the Westport Police Department at 203-341-6000.

Madison police are asking the public for help to find a 79-year-old local woman was last seen at 5:15 a.m. today.

Lynne Caprio’s family members told police she had a morning appointment in Branford.

Caprio is 4-feet-9, weighs 120 pounds and was last seen wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans. 

She is the registered owner of a white 2011 BMW 535Xi, with Connecticut registration JRCLC. 

Anyone with information about Caprio is asked to call the Madison Police Department at (203)245-2721.

Police have arrested four people, including identical twin brothers, who are accused of a violent home invasion in New London.

The victim went to police just after 3:30 p.m. on Sunday to report that he was robbed and beaten in his home.

Two men, who looked very much alike, and two women entered his home and demanded money, the victim told police.

He went on to say the men hit him in the head and face, while the women stole a PlayStation 3 and took more than $20.

The victim sustained a head injury, according to police.

Authorties have arrested Richard and Juan Cruz, both 37, as well as Naines Oliver, 27, and Jessica Anello, 30. They were charged them with home invasion, burglary and additional charges.

Bond for the Cruz brother was set at $250,000. Bond for Oliver and Anello was set at $150,000.

Police said they are continuing to investigate.
 

Sorry, baseball fans — your valiant effort to get Opening Day deemed a national holiday were in vain.

The White House broke the news Monday, three days after a "We the People" petition to make baseball season's kick-off a holiday garnered the 100,000 signatures needed to earn a response.

The White House's response? Blame Congress.

"While we are sympathetic to your pitch to make Opening Day a national holiday, it's a little outside our strike zone: creating permanent federal holidays is traditionally the purview of Congress," a White House spokesman wrote. "So, it's up to the men and women on Capitol Hill to decide whether to swing at this pitch."

The petition had needed to reach 100,000 signatures by March 26. It had reached that total by Friday, March 21, according to MLB.com.

"It’s a day of hope. It’s a day that, for generations, has been looked forward to by baseball fans every off-season. It’s an American tradition, and it deserves to be recognized as an American holiday," the petition said.

The petition was pushed by beer-maker Budweiser in a series of three ads featuring Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. While the White House technically had 60 days to respond, Budweiser had worked to expedite the process in time for Opening Day on Monday.

White House petitions have been used to campaign for everything from building a Death Star to letting Texas secede from the Union.

Phyllis Gould finally got her hug.

Not just any hug. And not just from anyone.

The 92-year-old Rosie the Riveter had been waiting a long time for the warm embrace she got Monday from Vice President Joe Biden.

"Oh my gosh, it was wonderful," Gould said outside the White House, adding that she and her friends were invited to eat at Biden's home on Tuesday. "He came bursting out of a room and grabbed me. He's such a nice person. And fun."

• Fixed-Income "Rosies" Fundraise After VP Invite

In a photo tweeted by Biden's office, Gould is seen leaning into the vice president, her eyes half closed, as Biden grins and clasps both his hands around her right shoulder.

The women, dressed in blue vests and feisty red polka-dotted scarves for the occasion, also got to meet President Barack Obama.

PHOTO: The VP met w/ Rosie the Riveters today to highlight the positive example they've set for generations of women. pic.twitter.com/iPCmDsgO73

— Office of VP Biden (@VP) March 31, 2014

Gould is one of six Rosie the Riveters from the San Francisco Bay Area who flew to Washington, D.C. at Biden’s special invitation. She and her pals had been electricians, welders and draftsmen at the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, Calif. during World War II. Several of the women, now in their 80s and 90s, still work as docents at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.

But despite all their hard work during World War II, they felt their stories had gone unnoticed. Gould had been writing letters to the White House seeking such recognition since Bill Clinton was president.

"I felt we were being ignored," Gould said. "All the military has been recognized. And we hadn't. They're not teaching World War II in the schools anymore. And we're not going to be around much longer."

In October, Biden had surprised Gould with an out-of-the-blue phone call as part of the “Being Biden” audio series. He called her "impressive," said he would honored to meet the Fairfax, Calif. woman, who used to be a journeymen welder in the 1940s, and promised if they met, he'd give her a "real hug."

• Elderly "Rosie the Riveters" Raise Money to Meet Joe Biden in Washington, D.C.

For a while, it looked like the Rosies might not be able to make it to Washington, since they live on fixed incomes and didn't have money for the flight or hotels. After they took their story public, funds eventually poured in. More than 100 donors pitched in about $30,000 to pay for their trips, and a chaperone each, to steer the elderly women around the nation’s capital. 

Virgin Airlines flew them for free from San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, rolling out the red carpet for the women and giving them flutes of bubbly pink drinks to sip in style.

In addition to Gould, her 88-year-old sister, Marian Sousa of El Sobrante, Calif., a draftsman during the 1940s, was invited on the trip.

"My sister really hit the jackpot," Sousa said outside the White House on Monday.

Priscilla Elder, 93, of Pinole, Calif., an electrician, as well as Kay Morrison, 90, a journeyman welder, and Marian Wynn, 87, a pipe welder, both of Fairfield, Calif., also flew across country to meet the vice president. A sixth Rosie also was invited with the group as well.

The Rosies visited the Pentagon on Monday and have scheduled visits with Reps. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), George Miller (D-Richmond) and others later this week.

If Gould and her friends felt ignored before, they certainly don't now.

"I'm just numb," Gould said. "We've been treated really, really special."

For more information on Rosie the Riveters, visit www.rosietheriveter.org.

Snow came down quickly in parts of the state this morning, creating a traffic nightmare and causing several schools to open late because of the weather.

There was a narrow band of 1 to 4 inches of snow along Interstate 91 and to the west of the highway, including New Haven, while Litchfield County got up to an inch of sleet and ice and the eastern part of the state is getting no accumulation.

There were several crashes this morning and AAA responded to around 850 calls for service as of 9:30 a.m. 

CHECK THE TRAFFIC MAP HERE.

Newington police closed Cedar Mountain for a short period of time as they waited on road crews to put down road treatment.

Officials from the state Department of Transportation said trucks were out this morning, treating the roads.

Here is the breakdown of snow totals:

• Meriden: 4 inches
• North Haven: 3.5 inches
• Middletown: 3.3 inches
• West Hartford: 3.1 inches
• Rocky Hill: 3 inches
• Wallingford: 3 inches
• Hamden: 2.5 inches
• Manchester: 2.5 inches
• Tolland: 1.5 inches
• Guilford: 1.5 inches
• Bridgeport (official): .7 inch
• Watertown: .5 inch

Send your snow photos to shareit@nbcconnecticut.com.

A Connecticut priest who was suspended last year has been arrested on several sexual assault charges.

Rev. Paul Gotta, 55, of Bridgeport, was charged with five counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault. 

Police said Gotta has been accused of sexual misconduct and the arrest comes after a joint investigation by the East Windsor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. 

Gotta had been the administrator of St. Philip Church in East Windsor and St. Catherine Church in Broad Brook but was placed on administrative leave after being accused of sexual abuse, according to the Archdiocese of Hartford.

In July, officials from the Archdiocese of Hartford said the Department of Children and Families was investigating a complaint of sexual abuse of a minor against Gotta.

"Pursuant to its established policy, the Archdiocese placed Fr. Gotta on administrative leave in July 2013 when word of sexual misconduct allegations first surfaced. He will remain on administrative leave until these charges are resolved through the court system," a statement from the Archdiocese of Hartford said.

In July 2013, Gotta was charged with aiding and abetting the unlawful transport of a firearm in interstate commerce and the purchase of a handgun by a juvenile.

Gotta is the same priest who contacted police last June to report an 18-year-old who had allegedly made threats against his school, the Metropolitan Learning Center, in Bloomfield.

The arrest warrant is sealed, according to police.

"It is important for the public to know that the Archdiocese is committed to keeping children safe through efforts like the "Safe Environment Program" which requires background checks for all personnel who have regular contact with children and young people and includes Virtus training and sexual awareness for all such personnel, and seminars," the statement from Archdiocese says. "We offer our prayers for all concerned in this matter and for all who have suffered the effects of sexual abuse in our society. We also pray that truth, justice and healing will be served for everyone involved in this case."

Gotta is due in court in Enfield today on the most recent charges.

March 31 was the day.

The last day to enroll in a health insurance plan on the federal and state Obamacare exchanges has officially past.

If you procrastinated, or if you're just wondering what happens next, here's what you need to know.

What if you didn't sign up by the deadline?

If you live in a state that uses the federal exchange and you haven't signed up by Monday night, not all is lost. An honor-system deadline extension may be available.

If you need extra time, explain that you tried to enroll during the open enrollment period but were not able to finish the process in time. (Initiating the online process before midnight or leaving your number on the phone hotline, for instance, would fulfill this requirement.) 

You can also request an extension based on qualifying life events. And some state-run exchanges have also extended the deadline further and have their own sets of rules.

But I didn't even try to sign up. What will happen to me?

If you can't say you tried to get a plan in time and didn't get health insurance by the deadline, you will have to pay a fee of $95 or 1 percent of your annual income — whichever is greater — on next year’s tax return.

I signed up for insurance. When will I be covered?

You must apply by April 15 in order to receive coverage starting in May. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the consumers who are "in line" on the exchanges will still be enrolled, though, provided they pay their first month's premium in time.

What if I can't afford insurance at all?

The penalty for not buying health insurance only applies to people who can afford insurance but don't get it. If you didn't sign up by the deadline because you can't afford health insurance, you won't be charged the fee.

If that's the case, you should call (800) 318-2596 to explore your Medicaid options. If you live in a state that is not expanding Medicaid, you will not have to pay the fee — but you probably won't receive any insurance.

What happens next year?

If you didn't sign up for an insurance plan this year, the enrollment period for next year will start Nov. 15 and continue through Feb. 15, 2015.

Former congressional candidate Lisa Wilson Foley and her husband, businessman Brian Foley, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to violating campaign laws during her 2012 campaign.

Wilson Foley admitted in court that she did not report funds that her husband paid to a co-conspirator for his political advice.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice confirms that the co-conspirator is former Connecticut Governor John Rowland. Rowland resigned as governor in 2004 amid a corruption scandal. He pleaded guilty to corruption-related charges and spent 10 months in federal prison.

According to court documents, over a one year period beginning in 2011 Rowland was paid $35,000 in consulting fees for allegedly working for Foley’s nursing home.

In late 2012, investigators began questioning whether or not those fees were actually unreported compensation paid to Rowland by Wilson Foley for aiding her on her unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination in the 5th Congressional District.

Part of the conspiracy, according the investigators, was that Rowland provide nominal services to the nursing home in order to create a cover that he was being paid for those services and not for his work on behalf of the Wilson Foley campaign.

Legal analyst Jim Bergenn says hiring Rowland for a political campaign is legal.

"He's supposed to be able to provide his value to the business and he's supposed to be able to provide his value to the campaign," says the longtime Hartford attorney and law professor.

Bergenn says the crux of the prosecution's case against Rowland is based on what he believed he was being paid for.

"Whether or not his mens rea, his intention, was to not provide value fairly compensated on the one hand in order to provide value on the campaign."

Bergenn believes that Rowland is the government's ultimate target, and prosecutors went after the Foleys as way to build case against him.

"To get these people to make that decision to admit that their mens rea was a crime, really is very helpful to the government, and it really makes it more difficult for John Rowland," says Bergenn

In Wilson Foley’s plea agreement, she states that she believed that if she disclosed that Rowland was working for her campaign that it would be met with negativity in the press and by the public due to Rowland’s previous felony offense.

In order to conceal this, she agreed to have her husband’s company pay for Rowland’s services.

According to court documents, Foley made payments to Rowland for his work on his wife’s campaign in the excess of legal contribution limits. Those payments were routed through the real estate company owned by Foley. Failure to report campaign expenditures in federal law is a violation of campaign law.

The Foleys are scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport on June 23 and face a maximum prison term of one year and a fine of up to $100,000.

The Hartford Courant reports that people familiar with the case say Rowland has discussed a possible plea bargain with federal prosecutors.
 

Wolcott Street in Bristol was closed because of two separate crashes near Fall Mountain Road.

Police said no injuries were reported.

The road has reopened.

West Main Street in Branford was closed near Rose Hill Road for a period of time this morning because of a serious crash.

The roads were icy and public works crews were called in to treat the area.

The road has since reopened.

School Street in Manchester is closed between Spruce and Clinton streets because of a car crash that appears to be weather-related.

No additional information was immediately available.

@NBCConnecticut @DC_Langer here is the top of the pole pic.twitter.com/QtI34wU8l2

— ryan leigh morgan (@ryanmorgan9) April 1, 2014

Baseball season got off to a painful start for Angels hitting coach Don Baylor, who suffered a leg injury when he caught the ceremonial first pitch before Monday's Opening Day game at Angel Stadium.

Baylor, 64, is scheduled for surgery Tuesday after he fractured his right femur as he caught the pitch from former Angel Vladimir Guerrero. The fracture might take up to six months to heal, according to team officials.

• Watch: Fight Between Angels, Dodgers Fans

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Don right now," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Obviously it's (a freak accident), and we'll just see how it turns out. He's obviously in a lot of pain."

Baylor's right leg buckled as he stooped from a catcher's position behind home plate to catch Guerrero's low and wide pitch. Baylor, a survivor of multiple myeloma, struggled to get up and was helped off the field by Guerrero and the team's training staff.

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He was transported to UCI Medical Center.

Assistant hitting coach Dave Hansen will take over the team's hitting coach duties as Baylor recovers.

Guerrero and Baylor represent the only two Angels to win American League MVP awards.

The Angels lost to Seattle, 10-3.