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Judge Denies Shelly Sterling's Injunction Request

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A judge rejected Shelly Sterling's request Thursday for an injunction against Donald Sterling and his attorneys after allegations that her legal team and doctors -- who claim the Clippers co-owner is mentally incapacitated -- received threats.

The denial of the request comes as attorneys for Shelly and Donald Sterling prepare for a four-day trial to begin July 7 to hear testimony on whether she was within the guidelines of the Sterling Family Trust when she negotiated a sale of the team to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The trial will likely include testimony from the doctors about her husband's mental state, a key factor in whether his wife acted within her rights provided by the family trust.

Citing voice mail messages that they claimed were left by Donald Sterling for the doctors, Shelly Sterling's attorneys sought the order to "prevent Donald Sterling and his attorneys from intimidating or harassing trial witnesses and counsel," said attorney Aaron Moss. Moss represents Shelly Sterling and another member of her legal team, Pierce O'Donnell.

The voice mail messages were played Thursday in court.

"(The request is) based on several voice mails he left last week for the two doctors who evaluated him and certified that he was incapacitated in accordance with the terms of the trust," said Moss.

The filing claims that on June 9 Donald Sterling called O'Donnell, threatened lawsuits and stated, "I am going to take you out, O'Donnell." O'Donnell told NBC4 that he "will take that as a death threat."

The document also alleges statements by Donald Sterling threatening the licenses of the doctors and a letter from one of his attorneys claiming the physicians are part of a conspiracy, the AP reported.

"I don't think anybody can reasonably conclude that these are anything but the rantings of an unstable person," O'Donnell told NBC4 on Thursday.

Sterling attorney Maxwell Blecher told City News Service his client has a "short  fuse" and that the incident was merely a "blip on a much larger screen." Another Sterling attorney, Bobby Samini, told City News Service the  conversation mentioned in the filing between Sterling and O'Donnell was "not confrontational, but quite entertaining."

"I don't believe that Donald has threatened anybody," Samini said. "(Sterling is) like anybody else who woke up and found out that their physicians had released their medical records."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas ruled in writing that the statements cited in the petition did not "rise to the level of great and irreparable injury." The judge also commented that the case may involve "c and some litigation posturing" and he asked all parties to tone down their pretrial communications.

The proposed $2 billion sale to Ballmer appeared to resolve the Clippers ownership saga, which began after an audio recording surfaced of Donald Sterling making racist comments and telling a companion not to bring black people to Clippers games.

Sterling, 80, indicated he had agreed to the proposal, but announced earlier this month that he planned to move forward with a lawsuit against the NBA. The lawsuit alleges the league violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an "illegal" recording when NBA officials announced a life-time ban and substantial fine.

It also claims the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling $2.5 million and that it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale, which would require approval from other team owners.

League officials have said they want a resolution as soon as possible.



Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Workers Rescued From Scaffolding

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Authorities rescued two men trapped on scaffolding that apparently became unhinged on one side as they were working at a midtown high-rise Friday morning, fire officials say. 

The men were being hoisted up on the scaffolding when it broke between the 12th and 13th floors of a 20-story building on East 57th Street near Lexington Avenue, officials said. They were pulled to safety through windows shortly after the 8:30 a.m. accident. Authorities say they were a little shaken up but otherwise OK.

NBC 4 New York obtained video of the scaffolding dangling perilously from more than half a dozen stories up as passersby gawked from the ground. It wasn't clear what caused it to break.

Fire officials say construction is being done on the top of the building. 

Commuters were advised to expect delays in the area.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Angry With Roommates, Man Falsely Reports Suicides: Cops

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A West Haven man who was angry with his roommates over being evicted, called police and reported that they committed suicide, police said.

Police responded to a home on Fairview Avenue in West Haven around 3 a.m. on Friday after Gordon Byers, 39, called 911 and said two suicide victims were on the back porch of his home, police said. 

They had gunshot wounds and were bleeding, he told dispatchers, according to a news release from police.

Several officers were dispatched to the house and the West Shore Fire Department prepared to treat the victims, but there were no victims.

Police found mud smeared on the door, but it appeared to be from the family dogs, police said. 

As police investigated, they determined that Byers had falsely reported the incident because he was mad at his roommates after learning he was being evicted.

Before calling 911, Byers had both called and texted his roommates, threatened them and said that they were both dead and they were also going to commit suicide, according to police. 

Byers was taken into custody and charged with two counts of falsely reporting an incident, two counts of second-degree threatening and two counts of breach of peace.  He was held on $100,000 bond.

It’s not clear if he has an attorney.

 



Photo Credit: West Haven Police

Students Learn Joy of Reading Through School Book Club

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Some students at Southington High School are discovering the joy of reading through a school book club that allows them to read what they love. 

The book club started at the beginning of this school year. 

“I didn’t really read books before, but when I started to, I actually really liked it and I just enjoy reading now,” Lianna Rivera, a senior at the high school, said.

Outside of book club, they have to read books written decades, even centuries, before they were born. 

They’d rather read urban literature, with characters and plots they can relate to, such as “13 Reasons Why,” “Perfect Chemistry” and the “Bluford Series.” 

“The books that I like to read and that I enjoy reading, I actually put time into reading and understanding.  And, I read slower and I understand the concept,” Dejanae Carpenter, a senior, said.

The first rule of this book club is that you must read the selected book before the roundtable discussion, or you are out. 

Considering these students devoured close to 60 books this school year, that’s a lot of reading. 

But the chance to be part of this literary family makes it all worth it, in more ways than one. 

“It makes me feel good because you find other people who have the same enjoyment as you,” Moesha Martinez said.

Jennifer Paul, a literary specialist, said the students went from not reading at all, to reading two or three books each week. 

“So now when they get their classic English novel, they can read it.  They have the stamina and capacity to do what they’ve been doing and they can transfer that skill.  So the pleasure reading, that independent skill, is resonating into the classroom and their grades are improving too,” she said.

 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Help Police Identify Bridgeport Subway Robber

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A man who acted like he wanted a job at a Subway sandwich shop in Bridgeport robbed the restaurant on Thursday night and police are asking for the public’s help to identify him.

The robbery happened at the Subway sandwich shop, at 1552 Wood Ave., around 7:30 p.m.

The man walked up to the counter, near the cash register, and started asking about a job, police said.

As the employee was giving him information, he pulled his hand out of his pocket, gestured that he had a gun, and demanded money, police said.

A gray and white nonskid sock was covering his hand, police said.

The robber ran off with a small amount of cash.

Anyone with information about the robbery should call Detective Michael Fiumidinisi at 203-581-5246.


 



Photo Credit: Bridgeport Police

1 Dead in NJ Building Collapse

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A construction worker was trapped and killed when the last standing wall of a building under demolition collapsed on top of him.

Family members have identified the victm as 40-year-old Jose David Castro.

The father of two was a day laborer for Maple Shade, N.J.-based Mancuso Contractors Inc., which was the subcontractor hired to demolish an old Blockbuster Video building in the Cherry Hill Shopping Center at 500 Route 38 in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Castro was standing nearby the last standing portion of the building around 12:30 p.m. Friday when it came crashing down, killing him.

He was knocked into a trench, leaving him partially buried by debris. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A backhoe operator, who was shook up and having chest pains, was hospitalized. A third worker was also at the site, but was not harmed.

Crews were clearing the site to pave the way for a Super Wawa, according to Cherry Hill Fire Director Patrick Kelly.

"I'd say 98.9 percent of it was down. This is the last piece that was there and unfortunately, something happened where the wall came down on a worker," Kelly said.

The company in charge of the demolition had all the proper permits, Kelly said.

"Proper permitting does not always equal proper safety standards," said Andrew Duffy, a construction accident attorney for the Philadelphia firm representing victims in last year's deadly building collapse in Center City. Six people died in that accident and 13 were injured.

Investigators with the Camden County Prosecutor's office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were on site after the accident. The prosecutor's office will determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing. OSHA will determine whether specific safety requirements for demolitions were followed.

Joanna P. Hawkins, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Labor, said OSHA is investigating the general contractor, which she identified as  Berlin, N.J.-based Carl R. Pursell Inc. and Mancuso Contractors. Reports show each company has been cited by OSHA for safety-related violations in the past.

The Mancuso violations date back to 1999 and 2000 for worker safety issues related to excavations. Three of those violations were categorized as serious. OSHA issued 12 violations during inspections for Pursell, the latest in 2013. Eight of those violations were deemed serious.

Requests for comment from both companies were not returned by the time of publication.

Duffy characterized the accident as eerily similar to the Market Street collapse in that the one wall left standing, came crashing down and killed a man.

"What this shows, unfortunately," Duffy said, "is that it is far more dangerous to demolish a building than to construct one."



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Tracy Morgan Out of Hospital

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Nearly two weeks after a horrific car crash that claimed his friend's life and left him critically injured, Tracy Morgan has been transferred from a New Jersey hospital to a rehabilitation center to continue his recovery, his publicist said in a statement Friday. 

"While he is continuing to show signs of improvement, he still has a long way to go," his representative Lewis Kay said in a statement.  "He and Megan wanted to publicly express their deepest gratitude to everyone at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for the unbelievable care and attention they provided him." 

The Brooklyn-raised star of "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," who suffered a broken leg, a broken nose and several broken ribs after a tractor-trailer slammed into the back of his limo on June 7, will spend a few weeks in the rehab center recuperating from his extensive injuries.  

Morgan underwent surgery for his broken leg and his condition was upgraded earlier this week from critical to fair.

The truck driver who crashed into Morgan's limo on the New Jersey Turnpike had logged over 13 hours behind the wheel and was driving 65 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Kevin Roper pleaded not guilty last week to charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Roper was driving a Wal-Mart truck when he allegedly swerved to avoid slowed traffic on the turnpike and plowed into Morgan's limo.

Roper had a logged a total of 13 hours and 32 minutes on the job that day, the NTSB report said. The maximum consecutive duty period allowed for commercial drivers is 14 hours. The report also states that Roper was traveling at 65 mph for 60 seconds preceding the crash in a construction zone where the speed limit had been reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph.

Morgan's friend and fellow comedian James McNair was killed in the crash, and two other passengers were seriously injured.

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Arrest Suspect in New Haven Burglaries

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New Haven Police have arrested a man suspected in a string of burglaries and larcenies at State Street businesses.

On Thursday afternoon, the owner of a pizza parlor called police when he saw the man he said burglarized his store the week before and police detained him on Pearl Street.

The suspect told police he was “Taron Moore” and gave a birthdate, but police determined that he is Jonathan Leroy Moore, 40, of New Haven.

Police said Moore is a felon who has been convicted 16 times. He is currently on parole out of Waterbury. He was arrested and charged with interfering and criminal impersonation.

After he was arrested, Moore confessed to a burglary at Modern Apizza and admitted to entering Portofino’s restaurant on June 18, but didn’t confess to the theft there, police said.

Detectives are reviewing video surveillance from those burglaries and others.
 



Photo Credit: New Haven Police

"I Knew Something Was Up": Man Rescues Abducted Teen

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Philadelphia resident Steve Reiff, 64, was getting into his car about to go to a routine doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon when he was approached by a frantic 15-year-old who said he'd been abducted and held hostage by gunmen.

"He had no shoes on, and he looked frantic, and he was crying," Reiff said. "He said, 'I was just kidnapped and I had duct tape on face and hands. The guys had guns, they went into my parents' house and robbed them.'"

Reiff didn't know whether the story was true, but he knew he had to do something to help.

"I told him, 'Get in my car,' and I took him to 23rd and Fairmount to a Sunoco gas station mini-market there so he could call the police. And he went in there and they called them for him."

Reiff says he then rode off to his appointment, uncertain about the outcome of the young man's story but relieved that he'd at least done something to try to help.

It wasn't until Reiff returned home later that evening that he learned the truth behind the teen's ordeal.

According to police, two gunmen wearing purple latex gloves and masks kidnapped the teen while he was walking home from school on Ferndale Street in Northeast Philadelphia on Wednesday. Police say the kidnappers later drove to the teen's home in Bustleton, tied up his parents with shoestrings, and collected $30,000 in cash, jewelry and the home's surveillance video system before taking off with the teen in the car.

The high schooler somehow managed to free himself from the kidnappers, at which point he encountered Reiff and asked him for help.

"When I came back from the appointment, I turned on the TV and I see it on the news, and I thought, 'Holy cow!' Who would’ve even known if it was true?" he said.

"It was all very surprising, but I knew something was up. I knew he needed some help, and I couldn’t just leave him there. I have children of my own, so I had to get him to some place safe. Luckily I was there at the right time."

The teen was not hurt and has since been reunited with his family.

No arrests have been made.

Suspected Burglar Hits Clinton Market Twice in a Month

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A 32-year-old New London woman was arraigned Friday on charges stemming from the burglary of Town and County Market in Clinton.

Police said Brandy Williamson and accomplice Anthony V. Guddo robbed the store at 153 Glenwood Road twice in a month. Williamson was arrested Thursday in connection with the second burglary, which took place Nov. 28 of last year.

Guddo’s arrest is pending because he’s being held in New Haven on unrelated criminal charges, according to police.

Williamson and Guddo are also accused of burglarizing a number of other businesses and homes along the shoreline from New London to Guilford, police said.

Williamson was charged with conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, third-degree larceny and first-degree criminal mischief. She was held on a $100,000 bond and appeared in court Friday.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Sandy Hook Commission Discusses Consolidation of Dispatch Centers

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The Sandy Hook Commission met on Friday to discuss recommendations they will eventually present to Gov. Dannel Malloy and one of the major topics was about consolidating smaller dispatch centers.

The discussion focused in part on whether local dispatch centers are equipped to handle major incidents. 

Commission Chairman and Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson said some centers are inadequate.

“There is not the time, nor the space, for mistakes in law enforcement response,” Jackson said.

The issue has been controversial. 

South Windsor Police Chief Matthew Reed said that while he sees the positive, many departments who wouldn't want a centralized 911 center.

“That's what the argument comes down to. People want local people answering their calls for help,” Reed said.

The commission members also discussed school safety plans, which members said have to be specific to the community and school. 

They also took up issues on gun control, including serial numbers for ammunition, and mental health screenings.

“A gun in any hand that wants it is not in society's best interest,” said Norwalk Fire Chief Denis McCarthy.

Even though the commission has been working toward recommendations to make Connecticut a safer place, some wondered if all of this is really helping.

“I’m just at a point of frustration and I'm concerned as we move towards completion of our charge, that we haven't made a difference and this won't make a difference,” said McCarthy, when addressing the alarming number of shootings since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The committee will be presenting the recommendations to Gov. Dannel Malloy. 

“This document needs to not just be something that's forensically clinical and accurate, it needs to convey a sense of hope in the future,” Robert Ducibella, of DVS Security Consulting and Engineering, said.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Car and Motorcycle Collide on I-691 in Meriden

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All but one lane was closed to traffic on Interstate 691 eastbound in Meriden Friday afternoon after a car and motorcycle collided, according to state police.

The accident happened Friday afternoon in the area of exit 11 in Meriden. The highway was briefly shut down but has since reopened, state police said.

LifeStar and an ambulance was sent to the scene. There has been no word on injuries.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Facebook Down for the Second Time This Week

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Facebook appeared to be experiencing an outage on Friday afternoon. Users attempting to log on would see either a blank screen or an error message.

This is the second time this week the popular social networking site went off the grid. Facebook suffered its longest and biggest outage in the middle of the night on Thursday as millions of users around the world found themselves unable to access their accounts for about half an hour starting at 4 a.m. ET.

The latest service disruption started at about 1:13 p.m. ET, according to downrightnow.com, a website that monitors web services. Facebook was back up by 6:00 PM ET.
 



Photo Credit: AP

Route 16 Reopens in Colchester After Crash

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Route 16/Windham Avenue has reopened in Colchester following a crash involving multiple cars, according to state police.

Police said minor injuries were reported.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

Man Robs Banks While Wearing Pink Wig: Police

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A man in a pink wig robbed banks in Hartford and New Britain, and on Thursday, police found their suspect.

He’s 20-year-old Festin Shyqeriu, and police say he’s responsible for holding up two banks earlier this month. He was arrested in Hartford on Thursday after officers caught sight of his car in the south end of Hartford, police said.

Shyqeriu is accused of robbing the People’s United Bank on Franklin Avenue in Hartford June 5 and then stealing from a New Britain bank the following week.

Police said he wore a pink wig and sunglasses to the Hartford robbery and handed over a note demanding money. The bank manager provided him with $790 cash.

Arresting officers searched Shyqueriu’s car and found a black BB gun, a pink wig and a note demanding money. He later confessed to both robberies, according to police.

Shyqueriu has been charged with third-degree robbery in connection with the Hartford incident.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

2-Alarm Fire on South Chapel Street in Torrington

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Emergency crews are responding to a two-alarm fire on South Chapel Street in Torrington, fire officials said.

The fire broke out Friday afternoon. It's not clear if anyone was inside the home or if any injuries have been reported.

No additional information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Man Killed in New Britain Crash

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A 29-year-old New Britain man was killed in a crash on Ella Grasso Boulevard early Friday morning when his motorcycle hit a utility pole.

Police responded to Ella Grasso Boulevard near Kaiser Drive just before 12:30 a.m. and the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man’s name has not yet been released.

No other vehicles appeared to have been involved in the crash, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash should call the New Britain Police Traffic Safety Bureau at 860 826-3070.
 

Big Names Sticking Around for Weekend at Travelers

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Huge crowds lined the course for Round Two of the 2014 Travelers Championship on Friday.

At one point, tournament officials had to shut down the main parking lot because it was full. Fans were directed to a satellite lot on site for part of the afternoon.

The perfect weather in Cromwell helped draw the big crowds, and also helped some players move up the leaderboard on Friday.

Scott Langley shot a 65 in Round 2, to bring him to 11-under par for the tournament, one shot better than K.J. Choi, Michael Putnam and Harris English.

Langley, who played in the final group on Sunday of the Memorial last month, said his goal this weekend is to keep his mind on his golf game, and not about his position on the leaderboard.

"This weekend I'm not going to think about the possibilities. I'm not going to think about what it would mean to win. I'm not going to think about any of that stuff," Langley said after his round.

Matt Kuchar, who is just four shots off the lead, said he likes playing at the TPC at River Highlands.

"I really enjoy this course. This is a course I think all the players enjoy playing. It's a fun course, the last couple of holes, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are just exciting holes to play, fun holes to play," Kuchar said.

Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Ryan Moore will are within striking distance of the lead when they take the course for Round 3 on Saturday.

The cut was even par.

Bubba Watson, the 2010 Travelers Championship winner, shot a 72 on Friday, but made the cut by one stroke.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

1-Minute Parking Photo Goes Viral

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Every city has its share of ridiculous parking signs.

But a 1-minute parking sign typo in Los Angeles is definitely a cut above the rest.

A photo of the sign made its way to Imgur and was tracked down by someone to 11777 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood, LAist reports.

The sign was supposed to say "1 Hour Parking."

In a city known for hefty parking meter fees and fines, the typo generated some amount of excitement, especially online.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation confirmed its existence to NBC Bay Area in an email.

"The sign was reported on Wednesday, June 18," said LADOT spokesman Jonathan Hui. "We fabricated a new sign and replaced it today, June 20, around 11 a.m."

Hui said he wasn't sure when the 1-minute parking sign was installed.

But a quick search of the address on Google Maps shows that it's been there since at least 2011.

Here's a tweet from Los Angeles Times staff writer Laura Davis, who reportedly snapped the first picture that went viral.

At least one major North American city has legitimate 60-second parking, and it's no typo. Calgary reportedly has 1-minute parking signs that authorities said they would only enforce in the event of a complaint.

"It does seem a little bit silly," Calgary's city roads spokesman told Metro News.

As for Los Angeles, as of Friday morning, it looks as if the 1-minute parking sign is a thing of the past.

Pinball Illegal? '30s Ban Reversed

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Time to lay those quarters down in Oakland, after 80 years of pinball perdition.

Oakland is reversing a law passed in the 1930s which outlawed pinball machines as a form of gambling, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pinball was considered gambling in Prohibition-era America -- because they were, in fact, bet upon, according to the newspaper.

In those days, machines had no flippers, and so the game was all chance -- no skill.

Flippers came about in the 1940s, and pinball games continued unabated. Police, it seems, had moved onto more pressing matters -- but the law never caught up with the reality.

That means the 13 pinball machines at Hi-Life, a bar in the city's Uptown neighborhood, are technically illegal. Or they will be, until the City Council reverses its pinball ban next week.

Until next week, Oaklanders can stay legal by traveling the short distance to Alameda, home of the Pacific Pinball Museum.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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