Officials from Metro-North said the rail service has made big changes in the first 100 days that its new president has been in office, but riders say more work needs to be done.

"I haven't seen very much improvement in the last 100 days," said Andrew Morrison of Westport, who is unhappy with aspects of the railroad. "I don't think safety has been an issue. It's reliability. Timeliness."

Timeliness is one of several goals in Metro-North's 100 Day Action Plan Checklist, which was implemented when MTA President Joseph Giulietti took office in February.

• WATCH: Metro-North Announces New Safety Measures

Other elements of the plan include promoting a culture of safety, adopting concrete safety enhancements and improving communications.

"I will give the railroad credit for the things they claim to have done to improve safety because the railroad seems to be safe," said Jim Cameron, of the Commuter Action Group, who's been a long time critic of the railroad.

Of 32 initiatives established in the action plan, 21 have been fully implemented and more are in progress.

"I think the things most visible to commuters are not addressed on that list and have not improved," Cameron added. "We still have trains that are late, we still have standing-room-only conditions on the trains. Safety should be a given. It shouldn't be 12 bullet points on a 100-day plan."

• Metro-North 100-Day Plan Stresses Safety

Sen. Richard Blumenthal insists progress has been minuscule.

"There has to be very dramatic and important progress for this railroad to be made safe and reliable," Blumenthal said.

Metro-North officials said the railroad has made major strides in the last 100 days and only two initiatives remain.

Railroad officials said they're continuing to do work on tracks, implemented a new schedule that they said they're continuing to tweak and have added more cars to the morning and afternoon peak trains on the New Haven Line.

"Even at the times when service is disrupted, communications is better. There are more tweets, there are more email alerts," Cameron said.
 

A burglar broke into East Shore Pizza in Milford on early Tuesday morning, damaged the front door, and stole the cash register.

Police are investigating the burglary, which happened at 1374 New Haven Ave., and ask anyone with information to report it.

If you have information about the incident, call Detective Dancy at (203) 783-4798, e-mail tdancy@ci.milford.ct.us or submit a tip online.
 

The crime that led to the "Trial of the Century" occurred 20 years ago this week, when the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife of NFL Hall of Fame football player O.J. Simpson, and a friend were discovered outside a West LA condominium.

That discovery set in motion a fast-developing series of events that culminated with a slow-speed pursuit viewed by tens of millions.

An estimated 95 million people watched the pursuit, waiting to see what would happen next in a national drama that played out in the four days following the stabbing deaths of Ron Goldman, a 25-year-old waiter, and Nicole Brown Simpson. By comparison, about 90 million viewers watched the Super Bowl earlier that year.

O.J. Simpson -- the celebrated collegiate and NFL star running back who went on to a TV broadcast and acting career -- had become a fugitive in a Southern California pursuit that concluded a week of stunning developments.

• Watch: The OJ Simpson Pursuit | Interactive: OJ Trial Timeline
  

The bodies were discovered just after midnight June 13, 1994, by passers-by who followed the mournful howls of Nicole Brown Simpson's dog. The victims had been stabbed multiple times the night before, according to a coroner's report.

Simpson boarded a plane for Chicago on the night of the killings, but was summoned back to Southern California by police the next morning as investigators began collecting evidence at the crime scene.

That evidence -- including a bloody glove that Simpson would later be asked to try on during a crucial point in his murder trial -- pointed toward Simpson's involvement in the slayings, investigators said.

• Read: "If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Acquit" | Read: OJ Trial — Where Are They Now?

Simpson maintained his innocence through a series of statements by his attorneys, claiming that he was waiting for a limousine to take him to the airport for the Chicago flight at the time of the stabbings. He attended his wife's funeral on June 16 with children Justin, 6, and Sydney, 9.

The next day, a Friday, LAPD Commander David Gascon announced during an afternoon news conference that two charges of murder had been filed against Simpson and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

"Mr. Simpson, in agreement with his attorney, was scheduled to surrender this morning," Gascon said during the news conference. "Initially, that was 11 o'clock. It then became 11:45. Mr. Simpson has not appeared."

NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw called it "one of the most stunning announcements you're ever going to hear on live television."

California Highway Patrol and LAPD officers, and members of other law enforcement agencies were notified to be on the lookout for Simpson, who earlier in the day had been at the San Fernando Valley home of friend Robert Kardashian. When officers arrived there to arrest him they found he had left with friend and former USC and Buffalo Bills teammate Al Cowlings.

At a Friday evening news conference, Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro described his client's state as "frail, fragile and emotional." He confirmed that Simpson had been at the Kardashian residence early Friday and that he informed Simpson of the murder charges.

"We are all shocked by this sudden turn of events," Shapiro said.

It seemed not even his attorney could answer the question on everyone's mind: Where was O.J. Simpson?

The man recognized as a supremely talented running back, Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Southern California and NFL Hall of Famer was now a fugitive from justice. The gifted and beloved athlete who became a sports commentator, pitchman for Hertz rental car company and a cast member in "The Naked Gun" film trilogy was a double-murder suspect sought by law enforcement.

If those developments were difficult to comprehend, the evening of June 17, 1994, would enter the surreal when authorities traced cell phone calls coming from the white Ford Bronco in which Simpson and Cowlings were traveling. The sport utility vehicle that became synonymous with the Simpson case was found near the interchange of the 5 and 405 freeway, about 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles in Orange County.

Inside, Cowlings was behind the wheel with Simpson, at times holding a gun to his own head in the back seat.

Adding to the tension of the pursuit, Simpson friend Kardashian read a letter during a news conference in which Simpson proclaimed his innocence and asked people to "please think of the real O.J. and not this lost person." The letter did not include an explicit mention of suicide, but sounded a dire tone: "Don't feel sorry for me. I've had a great life."

Crowds gathered on freeway overpasses and draped banners over railings, some with messages of support for Simpson that read, "Go OJ" and "Go, Juice." Others exited their vehicles on freeway exit ramps to get a close-up view as the Bronco and rows of about 20 patrol vehicles passed with the pounding sound of helicopters overhead.

Officers did not try to stop the Bronco, instead allowing Cowlings to drive north out of Orange County on the 405, 55 and 5 freeways before heading west on the 91 Freeway and into southwestern Los Angeles County.  Cowlings eventually returned to the 405 Freeway and turned north through Los Angeles' Westside.

The pursuit ended at about 8 p.m. when Cowlings exited at Sunset Boulevard and drove to Simpson's Brentwood home. LAPD SWAT members and negotiators responded and, after he was allowed to go inside the home for about 45 minutes, Simpson was taken into custody.

• Photos: The Trial of the Century
  

He pleaded not guilty to the murder counts, and the "Trial of the Century" began in January 1995. After more than 130 days of televised trial coverage, jurors returned a not guilty verdict on Oct. 3, 1995.

A civil jury in 1997 held him liable for the deaths and the Goldman family was awarded $33.5 million in the case.

Be prepared for scattered showers during the day on Thursday, with a slightly better chance of heavier rain or thunder later tonight and Friday morning.

CHECK THE INTERACTIVE RADAR

More showers and thunderstorms are likely later Friday as well as at night.

The skies clear for Father’s Day weekend. The weather will be great for Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Download the NBC Connecticut weather app.
 

A man who was cutting trees for Connecticut Light & Power died after being hit by one of those trees in Meriden on Monday.

Police  have identified the worker as Frank Cline, 26, of Dover Plains, New York.

The accident happened just before 9:30 a.m. on Monday at Lanouette Street and Lanouette Street Extension, according to police.

After one of Cline’s coworkers cut a tree limb, it swung and struck Cline, who fell to the ground. Then, the landed on top of him, police said.

Cline was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital and later died from the injuries, police said.

The incident was referred to Occupational Safety and Health Administration to be investigated.

Cline was working for Tree Inc., based in Houston, Texas, which was cutting the trees for the local utility company.

 

A 45-year-old man who was shot in the chest in New Haven on Wednesday remains in critical condition.

Police found Joseph Mettelus suffering from a gunshot wound on a couch in the living room at 154 Frank Street shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.

An ambulance rushed him to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

A witness reported hearing some type of commotion before the shot, police said.

Witnesses told police the shooter was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans and ran from the scene.

Detectives are investigating and ask anyone with information to call 203-946-6304.
 

Police are searching for the masked men who committed an armed robbery at a New Haven bank on Tuesday afternoon.

Two men wearing bandanas to conceal their faces went in through the back door of The First Start Community Bank, at 299 Whalley Avenue, around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday and confronted a teller, police said.

When they realized that the first teller did not have a cash drawer, they went to another teller, pulled out a large silver revolver and were able to get some cash, according to police.

One witness told police that the men walked north on Sherman Avenue and might have gotten into a red vehicle.

Police have released photographs from the bank's surveillance system in the hopes that someone will recognize them.

The man who was armed was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and a red hat.

His accomplice was dressed in black and wore a boonie style hat.

Bloomfield police have identified three students accused of selling marijuana-laced brownies at Metropolitan Learning Center.

Police said they learned about it after one student got so sick he had to go to the hospital.

Police were called to the Metropolitan Learning Center, at 1551 Blue Hills Avenue, around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday to investigate a medical complaint and found a 15-year-old boy in a “stupor state,” police said.

He had gone to the school nurse when he started hyperventilating after eating a marijuana brownie he’d bought from another student, police said.

The teen was transported to the Connecticut Children Medical Center and Bloomfield Police started to investigate where the brownie came from.

They learned that an 18-year-old student had brought the brownies to the school and sold them to around eight students, who were all well aware of what they were buying, according to police.

Police have identified the 18-year-old and identified two accomplices, a 16-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy who also attend the school.

However, the school is trying to notify parents of student who brought the brownies so they can seek medical treatment.

The school was on an exam schedule and students had been sent home for the day.

Police are still investigating and said they expect to make several arrest.

The school sent the following letter to families:

"Dear MLC Families,

"At MLC, we appreciate and value the open communication that our school community has with our families. For that reason, I am writing to share information about an incident that occurred today at school. This morning, a high school student brought brownies that were reported to have been laced with marijuana to our campus. We are working closely with law enforcement to investigate and determining which students may have been knowingly or unknowingly involved. Any students found to be a party to this incident will be issued the maximum possible penalty, including possible expulsion and/or arrest. The safety and security of students is our primary concern, and we take incidents of this nature very seriously. Possession of any type of drug or alcoholic beverage is strictly against school policy and cause for expulsion.  I ask that you spend some time discussing this with your children at home to ensure that they understand the dangers involved with drugs.  We will continue to reiterate these messages at school.

"At MLC, we strive to promote a culture of open communication. If you have any information about this incident that may assist us in our investigation, please contact me at sdouglas@crec.org.
Thank you for your continued support."



 

The rest area on Interstate 95 North in Milford was closed and evacuated on Thursday morning because of a carbon monoxide problem, but the problem has since been cleared. 

The ramp into the rest area was also closed.

No additional information is available.
 

Electric car maker Tesla Motors is sharing its technological brainpower with the world and will open up all of its patents in an effort to boost electric car production.

"Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a blog post announcing the decision Thursday.

Musk said he hopes encouraging other electric car manufacturers to use Tesla's technology will help make cars less reliant on gasoline.

"Given that annual new vehicle production is approaching 100 million per year and the global fleet is approximately 2 billion cars, it is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis," Musk wrote in his blog post.

"Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day," he added.

Musk said his new business strategy was based on open source philosophy, which encourages the free and open development of technology, and said sharing Tesla's technology "will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard."

The announcement came the heels of Monday's reveal that Tesla also planned to encourage standardized electric car specifications by opening Tesla's Supercharger system to other auto makers, Engadget first reported. The Supercharger lets Tesla drivers charge half the car's battery life in about 20 minutes.

A large home built on a limestone cliff overlooking Lake Whitney in Texas will be intentionally set ablaze and destroyed Friday morning, hopefully before another landslide drops the home into the water.

Bales of hay saturated with diesel fuel will be placed inside the home and lit on fire at 10 a.m. Friday, the White Bluff Fire Department confirmed to NBC 5.

Randy Cephus, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, confirmed to NBC 5 that the homeowner had three options for removing the vacant home from the site before it falls into the lake.

• House Built Along Cliff Falling into Lake Whitney

The first option was to wrap the home with a large net and then pull it away from the edge of the cliff, so that the debris could be safely removed from the site.

That option was determined not to be feasible, leading engineers to consider the second option — burning the home to the ground.

Officials did consider a third option: Letting Mother Nature eventually claim the home through landslides.

No matter which course of action was chosen, the homeowner will be responsible for the financial cost of the cleanup and removal of the debris.

The last option, which would likely include removing debris from Lake Whitney, is also the most expensive option.

After 100 years of faithful service to Connecticut and beyond, the legendary Shubert Theatre in New Haven is getting a facelift.

The first phase of a multi-year renovation project for the century-old theater was kicked off on Thursday, June 12. Officials from the city, the state, and the Connecticut Association of Performing Arts gathered in front of the theater for the occasion.

State Senator Martin M. Looney, Representative Pat Dillon, and Shubert Theatre Executive Director John Fisher were some of the people in attendance. Mayor Harp, who was also at the event, spoke to a crowd of on-lookers about the potential of a newly-renovated theater.

“When this facility is finished, the New Haven Symphony can appear here, as well as summer school programming,“ Harp said.

The project will introduce a range of different improvements for the theater, including things like additional bathrooms and performance spaces.

Patrons can also look forward to a reconfigured lobby, an electronic marquee, and a new exterior.

A lot can change in 100 years, but the Shubert Theatre has proven to stand the test of time. Here’s to hoping we see 100 more.

Stamford police have charged a 20-year-old with the city's first murder of the year.

Andre Quinn Russell was arrested on Thursday after police obtained a warrant for him.  Officers waited for Russell to come out of his Ludlow Street home and took him into custody.

Russell is accused of walking up behind William James around 8:30 p.m. on June 5 and shooting James in the head and ran off on Ludlow Street.

James died at Stamford Hospital a short time later.

Police said they believe the shooting was over an argument about drugs and that Russell believed James was selling drugs on his side of the street.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has vetoed a bill that would have banned chocolate milk from school lunchrooms across the state.

State lawmakers passed legislation at the end of the session that would have revised the education laws to comply with new federal school lunch standards on sodium, which in turn, would also have eliminated the flavored milk from schools. 

The reason is that sodium is added to nonfat chocolate milk to counteract the bitterness from the added cocoa, according to Malloy.

In his veto message, the governor said that he supported much of what was in the bill, but could not support legislation that would ban chocolate milk in schools.

"Ideally, students will choose to drink unflavored nonfat milk," Malloy wrote. "Chocolate milk contains unnecessary calories, sugar, as well as sodium."

But, he took into account the overall nutritional value of calcium in the diets of children during critical years in which children's bones are developing and the liklihood that those who don't like unflavored milk will drink none at all.

To balance things out, Malloy said chocolate milk should stay, but children should be encouraged to drink unflavored milk.

"I am not opposed to individual school districts having the choice to eliminate the sale of chocolate milk in their schools. However, I do not think it is wise policy to mandate statewide," Malloy wrote.

Before Malloy vetoed the legislation, critics warned that banning chocolate milk could change children's lunchtime habits for the worse.

Lonnie Burt, the chief nutritionist of Hartford Public Schools, had concerns about how the legislation would affect children’s nutritional intake because chocolate milk provides calcium, vitamin A, potassium and other nutrients, she said.

The American Heart Association has also said the nutritional value of milk, even flavored milk, outweighs concerns about the amount of sodium in diets.

Malloy pointed out that he would fully support the bill, provided some minor changes are made.

He also said it might "be wise to cap the sodium levels in milk offered in schools. But an outright ban on added sodium is not workable."

 

The U.S. Marine being held in Mexico on weapons charges did not identify himself as military when he was arrested two months ago and appeared to have entered Mexico through the same border crossing three times before, Mexican officials said Wednesday.

Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, has been held in a Mexican jail since his arrest April 1, after he drove his black Ford pickup through the San Ysidro Port of Entry into Tijuana.

The Office of Mexico’s Attorney General said in a statement Wednesday that the night of his arrest, Tahmooressi did not identify himself as an active member of the U.S. armed forces.

Mexican officials also said they have information provided by U.S. authorities showing that Tahmooressi had entered through the same border crossing on three prior occasions.

Police at the border entry seized a 12-gauge loaded shotgun, a 5.56-caliber rifle loaded with a 30-round clip and with two additional clips, a .45-caliber loaded pistol, loaded with 10 .45-caliber rounds and with two additional clips from the Marine's pickup truck, according to the officials.

Tahmooressi also carried two boxes of 12-gauge ammunition and 300 rounds for the rifle.

Family members said Tahmooressi got lost near the border after dark and took a wrong turn into Mexico.

Tahmooressi, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, had been in the San Diego area to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

As the Fourth of July approaches, the Clinton Police Department is reminding residents and visitors about the dangers of setting off illegal fireworks.

With the exception of some sprinklers and fountains, fireworks are illegal in Connecticut and using them can lead to felonies, misdemeanors and infractions, Clinton police said in a release Thursday.

According to the state Department of Emergency Services, “fire crackers” are considered explosive devices banned by both state and federal laws and include M-80s, M-100s, cherry bombs, quarter sticks and block busters, among others, Clinton police said.

Illegal use of fire crackers can result in a fine of up to $10,000 and even up to 10 years in prison, according to Clinton police.

Clinton police said they respond to calls for help every year stemming from fireworks use and hope residents will enjoy the holiday safely.

State police are looking for new ways to tighten security after a string of car break-ins at the Waterbury Superior Courthouse.

According to police, thieves have targeted a handful of cars in a parking garage attached to the courthouse over the last month.

Shattered glass was scattered across the parking garage when NBC Connecticut arrived Thursday evening.

Robert Cayia, a friend of one of the victims, said his friend parked in the garage a few weeks ago when he came to pay a parking ticket. When he left the courthouse, the car windows were smashed.

“He lost his radio his cell phone a couple of other things,” Cayia said. 

State police said the victims were both court employees and visitors. 

“We have initiated criminal investigations into each and every one of those,” explained Lt. Paul Vance, adding that state police are also stepping up security. 

Judicial marshals are doing extra patrols, hoping to catch whoever’s behind the break-ins. Putting up surveillance cameras could be the next step if the crimes continue.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure safety and security of people doing business at courthouse,” Vance said.

In the meantime, state police have a message for those who park here: keep valuables out of the car, and be on high alert.

It's graduation season — a time for inspiring commencement speeches, proud parents and diplomas.

While graduation is a proud moment for any student, five young men and women had a particularly special day. Here are their stories.

Homeless Valedictorian Goes to Georgetown

A homeless high school valedictorian will be moving out of a Washington, D.C., shelter to pursue her collegiate career at Georgetown University with a full scholarship. Outgoing 18-year-old Rashema Melson faced struggles her whole life: Her father was murdered before her first birthday, and she moved from state to state throughout her childhood.

"For the longest time, I was in the struggle, trying my best, but I started to think it would never be over. I started to give up," she admitted in her commencement speech.

Melson told NBC reporters that the shelter is not her home, but is a stepping stone to the next chapter of her life. With the help of teachers and school faculty, Melson was able to persevere and was accepted to Georgetown, where she will study pre-med. She will start classes in July.

"God gave me a sign. He wasn't putting me through this to punish me but to show others how to be resilient and persistent," she said.

10-Year-Old Graduates From High School

Tanishq Abraham of Sacramento is graduating from high school with a 4.0 GPA, at an age when most kids are still in elementary school.

Tanishq was inducted into Mensa International, a group for people whose IQ is the top 2 percent of the population, when he was just 4.

His favorite thing to do is learn about everything he can, as his astronomy professor Paulo Alfonso can attest. "How many people do you know at the age of 7 or 8 that can discuss the expansion of the universe?" Alfonso asked.

The ambitious Tanishq has a long list of accomplishments he'd like to complete upon graduating — one being "to create a rocket that goes faster that the speed of light." That's not all: Tanishq's Twitter profile describes himself as an aspiring doctor, scientist and U.S. president, NBC Bay Area reported.

For now, his post-grad plan is to attend medical school at the University of California, Davis.

High School Senior Accepted to All 8 Ivies

It's a rare and extraordinary feat for graduating high school seniors to be accepted into any of the eight Ivy League schools: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

It's even more extraordinary to be accepted to all eight, as 17-year-old Kwasi Enin was in April.

Enin, a first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Ghana, scored 2,250 out of 2,400 on the SAT, according to USA Today, placing him in the 99th percentile. His parents admit to always having been strict with their children's academics.

"I told him, 'Look, your worst grade in school should be a 95,'" his father said at a press conference at Enin's high school on Long Island in New York.

Enin is grateful for his parents' push and said with a smile, "Without their assistance, I would not be in this position. I would not have had the initial drive to strive for excellence."

In May, Enin announced that he will be attending Yale University in the fall, citing its musical focus and financial aid offerings.

Teen Gets a Personal Graduation in the ICU

A Texas high school student spent the last three weeks of his senior year hospitalized in the intensive care unit, after a freak accident in which a car crashed into the McDonald's in which he was sitting.

Amid as many as nine surgeries he had to undergo within that time, Josh Farmer feared he'd miss one of the most important days of his life so far: graduation.

But officials at Lakeview Centennal High School in Garland decided if Farmer couldn't go to the graduation ceremony, graduation would come to him in the hospital.

Principal Angel Rivera, along with Farmer's parents, relatives and friends, filled the ICU to give the high graduate special recognition that was taped by and shown at the commencement ceremony the following day.

Redditors Help Dad Attend Son's Graduation

Relying on the kindness of strangers was the only way one Floridian man was able to see his son graduate from high school.

Earlier this Spring, Troy Branch of Tallahassee was frustrated with the idea that we wouldn't see his son graduate, three hours away in Tavares, because of financial restrictions and an ill-functioning car. Branch had been a Reddit user for over a year when he decided to post on a forum about bucket lists.

"I just threw that out there, that I'd like to see my son graduate," he told TODAY.com.

Branch was shocked at the responses he received. One Reddit user sent Branch a link to MegaBus that had tickets from Tallahassee to Orlando for an affordable $7.50. After he'd booked his trip, a different Redditor gave Branch Holiday Inn points for him to stay at the hotel for free.

The missing piece was getting a ride from Orlando to Tavares, but Reddit users saved the day again. A Redditor who happened to be in the area picked Branch up and drove him just in time for his son's graduation.

"It was amazing to see all these perfect strangers reach out and help," Branch said.

Other users gave Branch up to $300 via PayPal so he could take his two sons out for a celebratory dinner and movie.