Former President Bill Clinton will be in Hartford Monday night to support Gov. Dannel Malloy, who is running for re-election, as well as the Connecticut Democrats.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama will be in Connecticut to attend a campaign rally for Malloy. The event will be in Bridgeport and its the first public political appearance by the president in this fall election campaign.

A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this week put Malloy in a dead heat with Republican Tom Foley.

When asked whom they'd support if the election were today, 43 percent of voters participating in the poll said Malloy, 43 percent said Foley and 9 percent said petitioning candidate Joe Visconti.

A Sept. 10 Quinnipiac Poll gave Foley a six-percentage point lead over Malloy.
 

Two Bridgeport women are facing charges after shoplifting in Milford with a young child in tow, according to police.

Police said Floyeesha Williams and Cheaney Coley, both 27, brought a child to the Kmart store on Bridgeport Avenue in Milford and stole $413.16 worth of merchandise.

The women were arrested and charged with sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny and risk of injury to a minor.

They were each released on a promise to appear and are due in court Nov. 4.

A 19-year-old student at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport is facing charges after trying to buy lunch at the campus dining hall with counterfeit cash, according to police.

Police said David Dawson, of Trumbull, tried to pay for his meal with a fake $20 bill the afternoon of Sept. 18.

He was charged with first-degree forgery and held on $10,000 bond.

Dawson was due in court Oct. 3.

President Obama declared on Friday a large chunk of the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument during the final day of a Southern California visit that will include a signing ceremony in the wilderness northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Some 350,000 acres of land -- from Santa Clarita to San Bernardino -- was set aside Friday during a ceremony at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in the San Gabriel Valley community of San Dimas. The rugged moutains provided a backdrop for the event, at which Obama described the "magnificent" mountains as an important part of the nation's history.

"There haven't been enough resources to manage and maintain this area the way it deserves," Obama said. "We have a responsibilty to be good stewards of those landscapes for future generations."

The mountains' steep canyons and soaring peaks are home to several archeological and culturally significant sites, such as rock art, and Mount Wilson Observatory, where William Hubble discovered galaxies. The area also provides a sweeping view toward downtown Los Angeles and a stunning backdrop for football games at the Rose Bowl.

"Within these hills lies millennia of history including the ancient rock art of native peoples, the first Americans," Obama said. "It was here at the Mount Wilson Observatory that Edwin P. Hubble showed the universe to be ever expanding, and it's where astronomers still explore the mysteries of space."

Supporters say it will give much needed status to the area, protecting water access rights and public recreation, while leaving the land pristine. The U.S. Forest Service, always strapped for cash, has not always succeeded in this, spending more than half its annual budget on fire suppression.

The move will provide recreational opportunities for millions of people -- minorities and children in particular -- who live in Los Angeles County, one of the most disadvantaged areas in terms of access to open space, according to backers of the plan.

"We heard from the community that for a lot of urban families this is their only big, outdoor space," Obama said. "And too many children in LA County, especially children of color, don’t have access to parks."

Not everyone is on board.

"I don't see how that is going to preserve the mountains in the way that they say it will," Erin Letarte said.

Letarte is part of a small, but vocal opposition. Residents and some business owners are furious that politicians went to the President after a bill to turn the land into a "national recreation area" stalled in Congress.

Letarte said members of the public were cut out of the process.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement that the move will "ensure its resources are managed properly and protected for future generations to enjoy."

"The San Gabriel Mountains are a vital natural and cultural resource," he said.

A 2003 study by the National Park Service said the region deserves special attention and protection, especially considering that the forest and rivers provide an essential habitat for endangered and sensitive species. As national monument, the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles are expected to benefit from additional resources, such as increased maintenance, new picnic sites and restrooms, more rangers, and improved educational programs for children. 

More than 15 million people live within 90 minutes -- depending on Southern California traffic -- of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Foundations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Wyss Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and the California Endowment are establishing the San Gabriel Partnership Fund to support such projects. Together, they have already raised $500,000.

Obama has used his authority under the federal Antiquities Act to create or expand 12 other national monuments nationwide.  Last month, he created the world's largest marine preserve by expanding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the south-central Pacific Ocean.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

A Wolcott group home was briefly evacuated Friday afternoon after a propane tank began leaking while a contractor was working on a vacant home, fire officials said.

According to the fire department, a contgractor accidentally cut a feed line from an empty house to a propane tank at 30 Spindle Hill Road on Friday, causing a leak.

A nearby group home was evacuated around 3 p.m. while a hazmat crew responded to the scene. The road was closed for a short time.

Authorities said the sitution has been resolved and all meters are reading normally.

Police are searching for the person who robbed a Hamden convenience store at gunpoint Wednesday night.

According to police, a masked man walked into Snack Plus at 75 Putnam Avenue in Hadmen around 9:15 p.m. Oct. 8 and pulled out a handgun.

The suspect demanded money from the cash register and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

A K-9 officer tracked the suspect to the area of Glendale Street but lost his scent, police said.

Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to call Hamden police Major Crimes Det. Jomo Crawford at 203-230-4040.

Police are searching for the armed robber of a Waterbury dollar store.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect entering the Dollar Store at 91 Cooke Street around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9.

He walks up to the counter and passes the clerk a note. Moments later, the employee is seen handing over a plastic bag that appears to be full of cash.

It's not clear how much money he stole. Police have not released details about the weapon involved.

The suspect is described as a thin man between 20 and 30 years old with a mustache. Surveillance video shows him wearing gray sweatpants and a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head.

Anyone with information on the suspect or incident is urged to call Waterbury police at 203-574-6941 or email wpdmedia@wtbypd.org.

Police say a 9-month-old baby died Sunday after her parents left her in her crib alone for 16 hours.

Avarice Alexander was not breathing when officers responding to a 1 p.m. call about an unresponsive infant arrived at the home on the 10200 block of Aqua View Court in Nokesville, Virginia. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Avarice's parents, Adam Alexander and Jasmyne Alexander, both 21, left the child in her crib for 16 hours and never checked on her. Court documents show that the 9 month old was placed in her crib face-down at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Her mother came home from work just before midnight, and according to court documents, both parents began to drink and later went to sleep.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that the Alexanders checked on their infant daughter.

Detectives also learned that the child had not visited a doctor in the past seven months, despite her parents noticing a potential breathing problem four weeks prior to her death.

Both parents were arrested and charged with felony child neglect.

The Alexanders also have a 2-year-old daughter. They family lived with Adam Alexander's mother and his teenaged sister. Neighbors say they rarely saw the young couple or their children. 

He's calling it a "concussion crisis," and now U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is throwing his support behind a a bill aimed at sidelining the threat to student-athletes.

The Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act (ConTACT) would allocate federal resources to help protect student athletes from the dangers of sports-related concussions and would help unify return-to-play standards around the state.

“All 50 states have some version of a return to play law, but they are all different. It is time to have a national standard to dictate when children should return to play,” said Murphy.

According to Murphy, the numbers speak for themselves. He argues that 4 out of 10 high school athletes return to the field before their brains actually heal from previous concussions.

A study by the Journal of Adolescent Health also says teens with a history of concussions are three times more likely to suffer from depression than teens who have never had a concussion.

The problem isn’t confined to high school or the professionals. Youth athletes and college stars are also factored in to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that put the number of concussions at 3.5 million per year.

The number of athletes who don't report their injuries is also on the rise.

“They know now if they report this injury they are out of the game; therefore, they are going to under-report them,” explained Dr. David Wang, of Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Breaking the mold will be difficult, but in Connecticut it has already happened. Just last month University of Connecticut quarterback Casey Cochran announced his retirement after suffering a series of damaging concussions.

“I’m really proud of the Cochrans for taking Casey out of football, a sport that is a lifeblood for that family, because he was at risk,” said Murphy.

Murphy said Cochran needs to be the example for coaches, athletic directors and administrators across the country.

“We need to have the best practices from the moment kids start contact sports until they are done,” Murphy said.

After putting a public call out on NBC 7, a Poway woman who was rescued from a riptide along Del Mar Beach has found the surfer she calls her hero.

Mia Glass was with her husband, Andrew, and their 3-year-old daugher at the beach in Del Mar around 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 when Mia decided to go swimming in the surf.

“Before you knew it, I was way out into the ocean, and I was getting beaten down on by a huge wave. I knew I needed help,” she told NBC 7.

A rip current had pulled Mia out into the ocean, and there were no lifeguards in sight, she says. She waved to her husband and screamed for help.

Andrew told NBC 7 he went out into the water knowing it was treacherous. He didn’t stop swimming to save his wife until a surfer paddled up next to him.

“He just showed up out of the blue to my right, tapped my shoulder and said he was going to go get her,” Andrew recalled.

That surfer paddled out to Mia, pulled her onto his surfboard and brought her safely to shore. Andrew says he rushed over, and when the two went to properly thank their hero, they realized he had left. They didn’t even get his name.

“I need to meet this person, and I need to look him in the eyes and say, 'Thank you so much,'” Mia said on Thursday.

Andrew echoed her appreciation. “Just thank you, and how grateful we are for saving my wife and potentially me,” he said.

On Friday, their wish came true. The mystery surfer contacted NBC 7's Candice Nguyen and plans to meet up with Mia soon. He wants to remain anonymous, but he says he was happy to help.

The family said they hope to donate to the charity of the surfer's choice to show their appreciation.

East Hartford High School was locked down this morning after a female student brought a BB gun to school, according to police.

The lockdown was issued at 10:27 a.m. and the student was taken into custody. She has since been released and is in her parents' custody. 

Principal Matthew Ryan wrote in a letter to parents and guardians saying police were called to "investigate the unsafe behavior of one student."

Soon after the lockdown was issued, police said they had been called because of a report of a student with a weapon in the school, but everyone was safe.

The hallways were cleared and students were kept in classrooms as the administration and security investigated.

The lockdown was lifted as of 10:40 a.m. 

Soccer star Landon Donovan made his final appearance with the U.S. Men's National Team at Rentschler Field tonight.

Donovan received a standing ovation when he walked off the field after the first half of the match-up against Ecuador. After the game ended with a 1-1 tie, Donovan was named Man of the Match, a fitting send-off for a star of his caliber.

He was honored with a tribute video highlighting memorable moments from his career all the way back to his time as a youth player.

Over the course of 15 years, Donovan has become the most accomplished player in team history and holds several team records, including the most goals and most assists.

FINAL: #USAvECU finishes 1-1 and Landon Donovan's #USMNT career comes to an end in Hartford. #ThanksLD pic.twitter.com/EkO55XiQph

• U.S. Coach Explains Donovan's World Cup Absence

— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) October 11, 2014

Donovan, four-time U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year, announced his retirement in August.

"Playing for the U.S. National Team has been a huge part of my career and I'm ecstatic to have the opportunity to play for my country one last time," Donovan said in a statement. "I'm so grateful to all the fans that have supported me and this game will give me the chance to say thank you to all of them. I look forward to a great evening and I'm thankful to U.S. Soccer for making this happen."

"For 15 years, Landon has thrilled us with his amazing abilities on the field and impressed us with his gracious approach off the field," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, in a statement Tuesday. "We are looking forward to celebrating his legacy during our next home National Team match and allowing fans the opportunity to thank him for all the memories he's provided over the years."

Donovan was cut from the 2014 World Cup roster and said he initially rooted against Team USA in the tournament.

Tickets to the game at Rentschler are available online, by phone at 1-877-522-8499 and at the XL Center ticket office.

Keep it right here to watch all of the action in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The 26.2-mile course snakes through 29 neighborhoods as diverse as Lincoln Park and Pilsen, and participants will represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

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All indications are that it's going to be a fast race. 

The elite competition will feature five men with personal records of 2:05 or faster, and four women with the potential to break 2:20, marathon officials have announced.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele (2:05:04) and Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge (2:04:05) will resume their historic rivalry in the race. The two have raced more than a dozen times since squaring off for the first time at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in the 5,000m.

Also in the mix will be Kenya's Sammy Kitwara (2:05:16), Bernard Koech (2:04:53) and Dickson Chumba (2:05:42).

With all this elite talent, last year's course record of 2:03:45, set by Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, could be in jeopardy. Only five men in history have broken 2:04 on record-eligible courses.

The top women include 2013 champion Rita Jeptoo (2:18:57), Kenya's Florence Kiplagat (2:19:44), Jemima Sumgong (2:20:48) and Ethiopia's Birhane Dibaba (2:22:30).

Jeptoo ran her first career sub 2:20 in last year's race, the fifth fastest time in Chicago Marathon history, and she returns this fall after smashing the Boston Marathon course record in April, a blazing 2:18:57. She could become the third woman in history to run three career sub 2:20s.

Jeptoo's training partner, Jemima Sumgong, returns to Chicago in October. The 2013 Rotterdam Marathon champion placed second in Chicago last year with a personal best of 2:20:48.

"This year's field is built for speed and record-breaking performances," said Bank of America Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "We have big expectations due to this group of men and women who know how to race, dig deep and win."

An 86-year-old man suffered burns to his face when a sailboat burst into flames in Milford on Friday afternoon.

Dispatchers from 911 received a call around noon reporting a fire on a 25-foot sailboat. Milford's Marine 1 fire boat and the Coast Guard responded.

When they arrived, they found the boat, fully engulfed in flames, at the mouth of Milford Harbor.

The victim, an 86-year-old man, was taken to the Milford Yacht Club docks, where medical personnel evaluated him and determined that he had superficial burns to his face.

The man was then transported to Bridgeport Hospital for further treatment.

Milford's Marine 1 fire boat put out the fire and the burned boat was towed to the Milford Yacht Club dock.

The boat is a total loss and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

State and local police are investigating after a bullet was found at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury this morning.

Principal Andy O’Brien said in a letter on the school’s Web site that the small-caliber bullet was found on the stairs leading to the cafeteria.

The School Resource Officer, Ron Currier, called the Woodbury police as well as the state police, and authorities responded.

The principal informed parents to expect increased police presence during the investigation.

“They believe that there is no immediate threat on campus at this time and have advised us to proceed with the early dismissal at noon which was previously planned to occur today,” O’Brien wrote.

One of two drivers involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed a teen on a bicycle in Waterbury on Monday night told police he thought he hit a bump in the road, according to the warrant for his arrest.

Roberto Tellado, 45, of Waterbury, was arrested Thursday and charged with felony evading responsibility in connection with the crash that killed Eric Delage, 18, the youngest of three siblings.

As Tellado appeared in court on Friday, his family was there and screamed out, "I love you!"

Police said Tellado was one of two drivers who struck the teen and left the scene.

Israel Diaz, 30, also of Waterbury, is suspected of being the first driver to hit Delage in the area of Baldwin Street and Pleasant Street. The impact pushed the victim into oncoming traffic, where Tellado hit him, officials said.

Both drivers left the scene and Delage was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. Prosecutors said in court Friday that, according to the intial investigation, Tellado's car dealt the fatal blow.

A witness to the first crash told police she was approaching Pleasant Street when she saw a "kid" coming down the hill on a bike.

Delage continued riding onto Baldwin Street without stopping and was hit by a Trailblazer that was going 30 to 40 miles per hour, the witness said. The vehicle slowed down, but kept going, so she followed the vehicle and called police.

Dispatchers told the woman to stop following the car, so she went back to check on Delage and found people standing around the teen. By then, a second car had struck him.

Police were able to obtain two surveillance videos from businesses on Baldwin Street, which helped them track down the suspects' cars.

On Thursday, investigators received an anonymous tip from someone who identified Tellado as the driver. The caller said she overheard people talking about the incident and claiming they had to clean the van with bleach, according to the arrest warrant.

Police went to Tellado's home, where they said he told them he didn't stop because he thought he'd hit a bump in the road. Family members said Tellado thought he'd hit a raccoon.

The morning after the crash, Tellado heard on the news that a man had been killed in the same area, and wondered if he may have been responsible, but didn't contact authorities because police said they were searching for a Caravan instead of a Honda, which he was driving, according to the warrant.

A couple of days later, he was scared and checked his car for damage because he thought he might have hit the man, according to police.

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

Outside of court, Tellado's family members said through tears that they stand by him.

When Tellado appeared in court on Friday, prosecutors asked the judge to raise his bond from $200,000 to $500,000.

Additional charges may be filed depending on the outcome of the investigation.

A state Department of Transportation worker made a grisly discovery while cutting grass Friday morning near an entrance ramp to Interstate 95 in New London.

Police said the worker spotted human skeletal remains in the woods near Huntington Street, just a few feet from the on-ramp. He called police to report the gruesome find around 10:20 a.m. Friday.

Detectives from the State Police Major Crime Squad roped off the area to investigate, parking their evidence collection van just across the street from an apartment complex.

It's not clear how long the body has been there, but police said the remains are decomposed.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a post-mortem examination to determine who the person was and how he or she died.

If you have $800,000 to spare, you could soon be the new owner of a Connecticut ghost town.

The long-abandoned village of Johnsonville, located in the Moodus section of East Haddam, will be up for auction later this month.

The historic 62-acre property is nestled between two state parks and once housed restaurants and hosted holiday events. It also served as the set for a couple movies – and a Billy Joel music video.

But the buildings have sat empty for decades.

Johnsonville’s current owners, who purchased the property in 2008, are selling off the ghost town in a worldwide auction that runs from Oct. 28 to 30.

Town officials hope the village’s new owners will breathe life back into the area.

“We want it to go to an owner who wants to invest and bring it back to what it once was,” said East Haddam First Selectman Mark Walter. “We’re looking forward to working with whoever buys the property to achieve that.”

The starting bid is $800,000.

Emergency crews are responding to a fire at a storage facility in West Haven.

Dispatchers said flames broke out Friday night at Metro Self Storage at 237 Saw Mill Road. The road is closed in the area.

The extent of damage is unknown.

No additional information was immediately available.

The family of a TSA officer who was killed during a shooting rampage at LAX last year has sued Los Angeles authorities for $25 million, saying their actions led to his wrongful death.

Gerardo Hernandez, 39, was killed last November when a gunman shot his way past security and into the passenger area of Terminal 3 at LAX. Three other people were wounded.

His family says in its lawsuit filed Tuesday that authorities failed to properly train staff, created a "dangerous lapse in security" when police officers left posts without calling for backup and failed to provide immediate medical assistance for Hernandez.

"The city of Los Angeles employees failed in carrying out their duties, creating a very dangerous lapse in security which was a factor causing Mr. Hernandez to be fatally shot and killed," said Michael Alder, the family's attorney, when the initial complaint was filed in April. "Even more horrific, is that the city's employees delayed medical care to Mr. Hernandez."

The family also alleges that a mayoral committee had previously exposed inadequate emergency response training to respond to active shooter scenarios, but officials failed to rectify the issues, and that the 911 "red phones" at LAX were outdated, according to the lawsuit.

An 83-page report released in March pointed out failures in communication and coordination between police and fire departments that led to delays in the establishment of a unified command center after the shooting.

The lawsuit's claims are leveled against the city and county of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, the airport’s police, LA police and fire departments and 100 unnamed individuals, all of whom in the lawsuit attorneys believe "were, in some way, negligently or otherwise, responsible for" Hernandez’s death.

John Krattli, an attorney for the county, has denied the allegations.

"A preliminary investigation fails to indicate any involvement on the part of the County of Los Angeles, its officers, agents, or employees," he said in a memo from April.