Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) sounded the alarm Thursday in Miami Beach about the potentially crippling effects that climate change and rising sea levels could have on the city, accusing skeptics of “avoiding reality.”

At a Thursday news conference, Nelson warned that if no action is taken, massive and expensive infrastructure projects – like the one that gave Miami Beach a new system of underground pumps to combat tides – could “be our future.”

Senators Nelson and Whitehouse came to Miami Beach as the king tide rolled into South Florida, a phenomenon when the sun and moon exact a powerful pull on the earth to threaten city streets. It used to mean about a foot of water on Purdy Avenue in Miami Beach, but thanks to a $15 million investment by the city in several permanent underground pumps, the street is dry.

"What we're gonna have to do on the coast of Florida, spend millions of dollars with pumping and trying to keep out salt water intrusion — that's gonna be our future," said Nelson, a veteran Democrat who grew up across Biscayne Bay from the site of Thursday's news conference.

Over the past 50 years, the sea level has risen five to eight feet in South Florida, Nelson said. "And that will continue to rise," he added, "unless we change the way we are treating this home we call planet earth."

Seventy-five percent of Florida's population lives near the coast. Sea level rise threatens the entire state, but its effects are seen most acutely right now, right here.

"We're really standing here at ground zero. There's just about nowhere else on the planet where there's more at risk from sea level rise so fast," said prominent marine researcher Dr. Mike Heithaus, who is dean of FIU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The Union of Concerned Scientists released a map this week showing if seas continue to rise at projected levels, much of the west side of Miami Beach will be underwater by 2045.

Sen. Nelson was asked, “What do you say to your colleagues, so many of whom, including the governor of this state, don't seem to believe the science involved here?”

"Well, they're avoiding reality," Nelson replied.

Sen. Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, leads a Senate task force on climate change.

"By the way, 90 percent of the heat from climate change has gone into the oceans. There's no debate about that," Whitehouse said. "And unless you want to repeal the law of thermal expansion, the sea level's gonna continue to rise."

Speaking as students from Mast Academy at FIU tested the bay's waters behind them, both coastal state senators said every nation needs to cut carbon emissions.

Pumps and sea walls, they say, will eventually not be enough to hold back the sea. Climate change must be fought at its source.

EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, who was also in attendance, agrees.

"The time for action is now. The president has called for it, EPA is taking it," said McCarthy. "Folks, how are we going to pump our way out of this challenge if we don't start now to take action to mitigate the release of carbon emission pollution which is fueling this changing climate?"

Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said the bay and the ocean aren't Republicans or Democrats. Everyone is affected by rising sea levels, and everything must be done to fight climate change.

He said his city's efforts are just beginning, and he plans on spending up to $500 million on pumps all over Miami Beach in the coming years. 

Burnham Street is closed at Farmington Avenue in Berlin while authorities respond to a water main break, according to the police department.

Crews from the water company are heading to the scene to assess the break and begin repairs.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

A Connecticut elementary school principal got the surprise of his life when Thursday's assembly turned out to be a setup honoring him with a prestigious national award.

Metacomet Elementary School Principal Desi Nesmith expected to talk about the achievement gap. Instead, he was presented with the $25,000 Milken Educator Award.

It was a moment that moved the Bloomfield educator to tears.

"I'm overwhelmed and so pleased to represent Metacomet and the school I went to, and the town I grew up in, and to have this national award and attention here," Nesmith said. "It's a blessing."

Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, said the honor is "so prestigious that it's called the Oscars of teaching."

When she called Nesmith's name, it was clear the news came as a shock. The crowd went wild and there was not a dry eye in the gym.

"It's a lot of money. It's a really big deal for him," said fourth-grade student Cyahna Mckenzie Dunn.

Nesmith can use the money toward anything he wants.

His mentor, Leon McKinley, said no one deserves it more.

"When I first hired him, I knew immediately he cares about kids and would work his tail off," McKinley said.

State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said Nesmith "has a strong track record of leading his school team in improving student performance and closing the achievement gap."

Bloomfield Supt. James Thompson, Jr. and other officials were on hand during the surprise.

Waterbury police have arrested the second driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a teen on a bicycle Monday night.

Roberto Tellado, 45, of Waterbury, was arrested Thursday and charged with felony evading responsibility. The first driver, identified as 30-year-old Israel Diaz, also of Waterbury, was arrested late Monday.

According to police, Diaz struck 18-year-old Eric Delage in the area of Baldwin Street and Pleasant Street. The impact pushed Delage into oncoming traffic, where Tellado hit him.

Both drivers left the scene.

Delage, the youngest of three siblings, was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Police are investigating to determine why Tellado left the scene and whether alcohol or speed might have contributed.

Police said Tellado has a criminal history including a conviction for first-degree assault following a shooting in Waterbury in 1989.

He is due in court today.

Additional charges may be filed.

A Rocky Hill custodian has resigned amid questions of whether favoritism led to his employment and rent-free living in a town-owned home.

Douglas Toft, who worked as a part-time custodian for the town, voluntarily stepped down last week, according to town manager Guy Scaife.

Scaife said he also asked Toft to vacate the town-owned property known as the Kennedy House by the end of the month. Records show Toft has lived there since December 2011.

The house is meant to temporarily help people in need as they get back on their feet. It was once home to a Hurricane Katrina victim.

Toft lived rent-free under his first lease, then paid $500 a month after signing a second lease, with all heating and utility costs paid by the town, according to town records.

"It was clear that it just seemed odd," said Scaife.

Both leases said the housing would be temporary.

"When you start off in a contract in saying, 'temporary need for shelter,' 34 months doesn't sound temporary," said Scaife.

Toft began working as a town employee in December 2011, the same month records show he moved into the Kennedy House.

Since then, he's held various full- and part-time jobs, according to town records. Toft's two full-time jobs were never posted, and one of them was never even requested by the department manager, according to Scaife.

"As we add new positions, all existing employees have a right, not just one but all, to have fair consideration and I think the norm is a ten day posting before you may open it up to outside so that didn't appear to happen," said Scaife.

Town officials believe former town manager Barbara Gilbert arranged the housing and employment for Toft. Gilbert's signature is on one of the leases.

"I think town government needs to be transparent, and town government is for the people, all the people, not just a few people," said Mayor Henry Vasel.

"I'm in total shock. I think it's a disservice to the entire community," said town councilmember Bill MacDonald.

Efforts to reach Toft and Gilbert for comment were unsuccessful.

The Cheshire Correctional Institution was placed on lockdown early Thursday afternoon after an inmate stabbed a corrections officer in the neck, according to police.

State police said an officer was escorting two inmates down a prison hallway around 11:50 a.m. when they became "verbally abusive." Other corrections officers noticed the commotion and rushed over to help.

State correction officer and union president Moises Padilla said one of the responding officers "was savagely attacked and stabbed in the neck by an inmate."

Padilla said the inmate stabbed a second officer who intervened. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Martucci verified that a second corrections officer was injured during the encounter but didn't elaborate on the cause or extent of those injuries.

Martucci said the facility was placed on lockdown while State Police Major Crime detectives responded to the scene to investigate "for external criminal charges."

Both injured officers were taken to Waterbury Hospital’s emergency room for treatment, according to Padilla.

Martucci said they were each treated for non-life threatening injuries. According to state police, the officer stabbed in the neck was seriously hurt but is listed in stable condition.

“Staff assaults are taken very seriously, and the offenders involved in this incident will be placed in the highest level of custody management,” Martucci said.

“Although recent statistics reveal a decrease in assaults on staff, post-incident action will involve a thorough review of current practices with open communication with the facility staff and administrators,” she added. “Staff safety is a priority.”

State police said they expect to file charges to re-arrest the involved inmates. The prisoners were secured and placed "into detention at the facility" following the incident.

Crosstown rivalry in West Hartford between the town's two high schools boiled over into racist and anti-Semitic taunts last week, and principals of the two schools want students and parents to know such behavior won't be tolerated.

They sent home a message they both signed, in an unusual joint effort, saying in part, "Our schools are too good and our students work too hard to be marred by the actions of a select few."

"I was kind of surprised when we got an email about it," said Avi Ehrlich, a sophomore at Hall. "I think it's a good thing that our principal's trying to control what's happening."

According to members of the Conard Tribe, a student fan group, during last Tuesday's soccer game at Hall, anti-Semitic taunts from Conard's side were answered by racist taunts from Hall's side. The members say they are enacting strict guidelines, banning members who use either racist or anti-Semitic slurs.

"For someone to take time out of their day and say racial slurs or whatever they were saying, cuz I wasn't at the game, but it's immature," said Lizmarie Castro, a senior at Conard.

The principals also condemned whoever drew a swastika in green marker on a classroom wall at Hall.

According to their message, the students involved in the incidents face disciplinary action, and they want to open a conversation about how to best protect the dignity of individuals and groups.

A Fremont mother is accused of providing alcohol for an underage party linked to a deadly DUI crash, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Tabassum Yousuf was arraigned in court on Thursday after being arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of providing alcohol for a party at her home with underage kids.

Jason Park was one of the teens who was drinking at the party and was drinking. The 17-year-old student later died that night in a single-car crash.

"I feel sorry for her," Jason's mother Lisa Park said of Yousuf. "Her life has changed."

Yousuf, 42, was arrested on Tuesday, nearly a year after her son hosted a Halloween party at their home in the Fremont Hills.

Police said it took six months to get a hold of receipts and documents that they said prove Yousuf purchased a large amount of beer and liquor for the teenage party.

"There were a lot of bad decisions made that night, by her, by kids who chose to drink that night," Lisa Park said.

Jason Park was one of those kids. He felt he was too drunk to drive his car, so he gave his keys to a designated driver, who was also 17 and turned out be intoxicated as well.

Jason Park was killed when the car slammed into a tree.

"Did she go buy that alcohol thinking this would happen? No," Lisa Park said. "She just wanted to be the cool mom. But that's wrong. That's wrong."

The 17-year-old driver of the car has since pleaded guilty and has been convicted of DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

A Brooklyn couple was reunited with their lost dog last month, nearly a year after the pooch was hit by a car and dragged off underneath the vehicle.

Animal Care & Control of NYC says that that it was able to get the young lab mix, named Phife, back to his owners, Matthew Dublin and Kendall Layrock, after the dog was brought to the shelter in September. Staff members at the animal control center scanned the microchip embedded in the pup’s skin and matched it to the couple, who had adopted the dog from a rescue in 2013.

Dublin and Layrock told animal control that they were playing with Phife in a park about two months after he was adopted when the dog ran out into the street and was hit by a car. The car left the scene, dragging the dog underneath.

The couple searched fruitlessly for Phife for weeks, canvassing the neighborhood, checking online boards and calling shelters. Eventually, they called off their search and adopted another dog, which they named Buggy.

Dublin said it was “incredibly surreal” to be reunited with Phife. He said that the dog gets along with Buggy and licks and cuddles with his owners whenever he gets the chance.

“We have no idea where he's been for the last 10 months, but we couldn't be happier he's back with us and he seems to feel the same,” he said.

Animal Care & Control says it microchips every cat and dog it receives. So far this year, microchips have helped the organization reunite 1,370 lost pets with their owners.

“Microchipping your pet, and keeping your contact information current, is critical,” said Risa Weinstock, the organization's executive director. “We’re thrilled for Phife and his family, and hope their story will encourage more New Yorkers to microchip their companion animals.”

The prime suspect in the September 2014 disappearance of U.Va. student Hannah Graham had been interviewed by police five years ago in connection with another missing young woman, NBC29 in Charlottesville, Virginia, reported Thursday.

Jesse Matthew, 32, who was arrested in connection with Graham's disappearance last month, has been linked to the 2009 unsolved murder of Morgan Harrington. Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, was last seen at a rock concert in Charlottesville. Her body was found several months later.

Matthew had worked as a cab driver in the Charlottesville area the night Harrington vanished, according to NBC29's Henry Graff. Two weeks ago, as the search for Graham intensified to areas outside Charlottesville, police found Matthew's abandoned cab on a farm. 

Following Harrington's disappearance in 2009, police had interviewed dozens of cab drivers, including Matthew.

It's not clear which police department may have spoken with Matthew that year, but Virginia State Police said their officers did not interview him.

A cab driver said a Charlottesville detective told him Harrington had gotten into a taxi the night she vanished, according to NBC29.

"[They] said yes, she did jump into a taxi cab her last time being seen alive," Melvin Carter, Jr. with Carter's Taxi told NBC29.

Since Matthew's cab was discovered, Charlottesville police have interviewed about 20 taxi drivers who were also working the night of Harrington's disappearance, asking them if they remember seeing her or noticing a change in Matthew's behavior, NBC29 is reporting.

Though police have not yet commented on the newest developments, Harrington's father told NBC29, "This is what we hoped for, that more pieces of the puzzle would come together."

Graham, 18, was last seen during the early morning hours of Sept. 13 with Matthew on Charlottesville's downtown mall. Matthew was arrested in Texas on Sept. 21 and charged with abduction with intent to defile in Graham's disappearance.

Two years ago, the FBI said DNA evidence showed that Harrington's killer also was responsible for a 2005 rape in Northern Virginia. City of Fairfax police have declined to comment, citing their ongoing investigation. 

A driver struck and cracked pole at Maple and Forbes streets in East Hartford early this morning and crews are repairing it.

Police said no injuries have been reported.

The road is open and the car was removed from the scene.

No additional information was immediately available.

Crumbs is rising again in New York City less than three months after the company declared bankruptcy, according to an investor who now owns a share of the cupcake chain. 

The company will hold a grand re-opening for location on Broadway between 37th and 38th streets on Tuesday morning, according to a news release from Marcus Lemonis. Lemonis is an investor and CNBC reality show host who owns a part of the bakery chain along with several other confectionery companies including Dippin' Dots. 

Crumbs, which shuttered the doors of its shops nationwide this summer after its stock was delisted by Nasdaq, will also reopen 25 more locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and in Delaware over the next 30 days, Lemonis said.

The company will also begin selling sugary treats on its website Tuesday.

As part of the reopening, Lemonis said Crumbs will offer a greater variety of sweets, including lines of cookies, ice cream and chocolate bars.

"Saving this iconic bake shop was important to me not only because of its existing delicious products, but because there is a tremendous opportunity to expand product offerings so that every sweet lover can find something they'll enjoy," he said.

Crumbs was founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Jason and Mia Bauer on the Upper West Side. It was purchased by a shell company in 2011 and went public, selling giant cupcakes topped with M&Ms, cookie dough, and Girl Scout cookies.

The Brookfield superintendent accused of overspending more than $1 million of the school district’s budget was fired Thursday night in a unanimous decision by the Board of Education.

According to town officials, the district surpassed its budget by $1.2 million over the course of several years while Anthony Bivona served as superintendent. Bivona was charged with keeping an eye on expenditures.

Although he is not facing criminal charges, Bivona was placed on paid leave in the spring. The Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate Bivona in a Thursday night meeting at Brookfield High School.

Officials said the extra money was not used toward personal purchases but did not share details about where specifically it was directed.

Naugatuck police have arrested two suspects in an armed robbery at a Cumberland Farms store on Thursday morning.

Two people held up the clerk at the North Main Street store with a shotgun just before 2 a.m., according to police, and ran off with cash from the register.

Later in the day, Naugatuck Police arrested Thomas Lewis, 29, and Monte Moore, 18, who are both from Waterbury, and charged them with first-degree robbery, conspiracy, reckless endangerment, breach of peace and larceny.

Lewis was also charged with criminal possession of a firearm.

Both men were booked, held on a $250,000 and are scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court today.

No one was injured during the robbery.
 

A man on a flight that left Philadelphia for an island paradise triggered a caught-on-camera Ebola scare on his plane when he reportedly sneezed and said, "I have Ebola."

US Airways Flight 845 left Philadelphia en route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. When it arrived shortly after 1 p.m. local time, passengers were told to stay on the plane as crews in hazmat suits came onto the aircraft.

The flight "was met yesterday by local officials upon landing due to a possible health issue on board," US Air said in a statement afterward.

"We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus," the airline added.

An unidentified 54-year-old man had allegedly said "I have Ebola, you are all screwed," Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported.

That led to the hazmat suit-clad workers boarding the plane, in a moment captured on passenger video.

"I think the man who said this is an idiot," said a flight attendant addressing passengers shortly before the workers came on board.

US Air said the flight was checked, and vacationers were allowed to go on their way.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but the safety of our customers and employees is our first priority," the airline added.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the passenger, who according to reports had no history of travel to Ebola-stricken parts of West Africa, was charged.

Two days after a blaze claimed the life of Hartford firefighter Kevin Bell, his mother and sister are sharing stories about the loved one they lost.

“He was the most wonderful son you could ever have in your life. That was my backbone,” Cheryl Bell said with a sad smile Thursday in an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut. “He was my baby.”

Kevin Bell, 48, was one of the first to enter the burning building at 598 Blue Hills Avenue. He was pulled from the home in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead Tuesday night.

Bell is the first Hartford firefighter to die on duty in 40 years, and now the city is in mourning.

“Beyond him being a firefighter, he was a wonderful husband, a brother – he was more than I can ask even for a brother – and besides that he was an excellent cook,” said his younger sister, Torraine Bell-Grimes. “He knew how to cook everything.”

Bell-Grimes smiled as she recalled phoning her brother for recipe help, reminiscing alongside her mother and oldest sibling, Shawn Bell, who has served as the family’s mouthpiece. They laughed together, for a minute, lost in thought.

Because if they didn’t laugh, they would cry.

“Kevin’s whole personality and everything about him… He was an amazing human being. And his loss means so much, and it just hurts so much,” Bell-Grimes said, her strength evident in her determination to stay composed. “But I know I just have to move forward and just be strong.”

The fallen firefighter began his career later in life, but family members said he had the energy and ambition of a much younger man.

“Kevin was 20 years older than half his class, and Kevin was actually performing like someone who was 21 years old,” said Bell-Grimes, adding that her brother would go out of his way to complete extra tests just because he could – and ace them every time.

“Kevin was a perfectionist at everything he did, and he always had to be number one,” she explained. “If he didn’t get it right, he’d go back and do it a thousand times until he got it right.”

Bell leaves behind two other siblings, a wife and 22-year-old daughter, Rocky, who has already claimed his car – perhaps in an effort to keep him close and bring her dad’s memory wherever she goes.

“I think if anybody should have the car and have the memories, I think she should have it,” Grimes-Bell said of Rocky. “She’s hanging in there and she’s being really strong for her mother.”

The family said they draw strength from the outpouring of community support and take comfort in the knowledge that Kevin Bell touched so many lives.

“Kevin Lamont Bell was dynamite,” his mom said with a smile.

A memorial fund has been set up in Kevin Bell's honor. To donate, visit the Hartford Firefighters Credit Union at 776 Maple Avenue in Hartford, or send donations to:

Kevin L. Bell Memorial Family Fund
C/O Hartford Firefighters Survivors' Fund
Farmington Bank
669 Hebron Avenue
Glastonbury, CT 06033

A man shot at police officers in New Haven last night and authorities are asking for tips to help find him.

Detectives were investigating in the West River neighborhood just before 10 p.m. on Thursday when shots rang out in front of 14 Judson Avenue.

At least two people believed to be involved fled in a silver Dodge Charger and police chased it to Winthrop Avenue near Gilbert Street, where a passenger jumped out of the car and ran, police said.

As he got away, the man turned toward detectives and fired several shots at them, police said.

The detectives were not struck and one fired shots back, but the man they were after got away.

Several New Haven police officers and detectives responded to search for him and West Haven police officers were also called and searched areas close to the Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and Marginal Drive, but police have not taken anyone into custody.

Police are asking witnesses to come forward with information that could help investigators.

If you saw anything, you can call detectives anonymously at 203-946-6304.

Police said the Dodge Charger had a Pennsylvania license plate and part of it was JGG, police said.

If you see the car, call police or 911 and avoid the people in it because they are considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Police have only a vague description of the man they are looking for. He is about 5-feet-6 to 5-feet-7 and was last seen wearing black or dark clothing.
 

Thousands of runners will be heading to Hartford this weekend for the Hartford Marathon.

The NU Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon begin at 8 a.m. in Bushnell Park on Saturday. Wheelchair participants start at 7:55 a.m.

The course begins on Capitol Avenue in front of the State Capitol grounds and several roads will be closed in Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford and in South Windsor. 

Some exits off Interstate 84, I-91 and Route 2 will also be affected. 

A 5K race will also be held. It kick off at 8:01 a.m. at Washington Street and Buckingham Street at the red balloon arch. A children’s race will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Elm Street by Pulaski Circle.

Event organizers expect 20,000 runners to participate in the road race, with an additional 40,000 to 50,000 spectators and volunteers also on hand.

Between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., exhibitors will participate in an outdoor expo at Bushnell Park.

Road closures will include: 

• Capitol Avenue, between Oak Street And Hudson Street from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
• Lafayette Street will be closed between Capitol Avenue and Russ Street as of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
• Trinity Street will be closed between Ford and Elm streets, west Of Pulaski Circle as pm noon today.
• Trinity Street will be closed between Elm Street And Capitol Avenue as of 11 p.m. on Friday.
• Elm Street will be closed from Trinity Street To Pulaski Circle as of 9 a.m. on Thursday.

See the full list of road closures here.

A variety of local businesses in Hartford are offering special deals for Marathon runners and spectators.

Find a full list on the Hartford Marathon Web site.

On Sunday the decades-long tradition of a hearty meal served with a smile at Goldy’s in New London will come to an end when the restaurant closes its doors, for good.

"It’s just time to move on,” Anita Miller, the owner, said.

Miller said it will be hard to say goodbye to the place her parents opened in the early 1980s.

"They ran it until ‘97 and it's changed hands in between. And my daughter decided to come back three and half years ago and reopen it," Miller said.

Since then, business has been good, with faithful customers, like John McGrath, coming in each day.

"It's so convenient here and the food is always great,” McGrath said.

Just recently, the restaurant's next-door neighbor made an offer on the property that Miller said she couldn't refuse.

"I want to spend more time with my family and the grandchildren and the timing is good,” Miller said.

Goldy's will open on Sunday for breakfast and then close, officially, that same day at noon.

Staff members said they are expecting a large crowd of loyal customers to come and say their final goodbyes.

"The waiters and waitresses are always so friendly. … I'm going to miss it," McGrath said.

Miller’s at peace with the closing, but admits she checked with her father first.

"I actually went to the cemetery and said, ‘Please tell me what to do,’ and I know he would approve," she said.

Learn more about Goldy's Restaurant from a YouTube video posted in 2011.