A man who approached Secret Service outside the White House was arrested after officers found a rifle, 6-inch blade and ammunition in his car Wednesday afternoon.

R.J. Kapheim, 41, approached a Secret Service officer just before 1 p.m. and said "someone in Iowa told me to drive to the White House."

Officers found a .30-30 rifle, a 6-inch fixed blade and ammunition in Kapheim's parked car at 16th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

Kapheim was arrested for having an unregistered firearm, and additional charges are pending.

His arrest came just as the Secret Service's acting director Joseph Clancy was testifying in Congress about low morale he said has contributed to high-profile oversights by agents recently.

The agency has been under scrutiny since a Texas Army veteran, Omar Gonzalez, leapt over a White House fence on Sept. 19 and charged into the White House.

Gonzalez made it way all the way into the East Room before he was tackled, thanks to a string of Secret Service failures detailed in an internal review out last week.

A third-grade boy was taken to the hospital after he was struck by a car while trying to board the school bus in New Haven, according to the school district.

School officials said the boy is a third grader at the Strong School on Grand Avenue and is expected to make a full recovery.

Police have not released any additional information. It's not clear if any charges have been filed.

The Connecticut Bond Commission has unanimously approved a $5 million grant for the construction of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

The commission – which includes Gov. Dan Malloy, Treasurer Denise Nappier, and the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, as well as members of the General Assembly – did not even discuss the matter before casting votes.

It comes nearly two years after the December 2012 shooting massacre that left 26 people dead including students and educators.

“Given that we are just a few weeks from the two year anniversary, I want everyone to know that the State of Connecticut joins everyone in Newtown in their resolve to move forward despite the most challenging of circumstances," Malloy told reporters immediately following the meeting.

With Wednesday's grant, the state Bond Commission has provided more than $12 million to Sandy Hook.

The Connecticut General Assembly previously allocated $50 million for the demolition of the original school as well as the construction of a new facility.

The new school sits on the same plot of land as the old facility. Construction is slated to be complete in 2016 in time for the school year.

The new Sandy Hook Elementary School will span approximately 87,000 square feet with 23 classrooms, a cafeteria with kitchen, library, gymnasium, and spaces for art and music.

“The action of the Bonding Commission today serves to remind us in Newtown and all through the state of the generosity and support of the Governor's Office and of virtually every state office and legislator. The new Sandy Hook School will become a reality in 2016 because of that generosity. We are humbled and thankful for the continuing kindness of our state partners," Newtown First Selectwomaan Patricia Llodra in a statement.

Construction crews broke ground on the foundation for the new school last month.

West Hartford police arrested a mother who they said was under the influence when she drover to her child’s elementary school on Friday afternoon.

Police responded to Wolcott Elementary School, at 71 Wolcott Road, at 3:16 p.m. on Friday after staff members called them and said Christina Cabral, 30, of West Hartford, was in no condition to be driving, according to the police arrest log.

School staff members said Cabral was stumbling after getting out of her car.

Police arrested Cabral and charged her with operation while under the influence and operating with a suspended or revoked license or registration.

Bond was set at $1,000 and she is due in court on Wednesday.

A Coventry man, his pregnant girlfriend, his mother and his mother’s husband have all been arrested after police searched their home and found marijuana, THC candy, cocaine, amphetamines and drug paraphernalia, authorities said.

According to the incident report, authorities began investigating after Justin Carr, 27, arranged to sell marijuana to an undercover officer. He also admitted to using heroin and told police he keeps it a secret from his pregnant live-in girlfriend.

Authorities searched the family's house at 741 Bunker Hill Road on Wednesday, seized the drugs and made the arrests. Investigators said they also confiscated a rifle and two shotguns and during the bust.

Police said they found amphetamine pills in the purse of Carr's girlfriend, 29-year-old Sharell Atkinson. Investigators discovered marijuana and trace amounts of heroin in the bedroom she shares with Carr, according to the incident report.

Authorities also found what appeared to be cocaine, marijuana, candy containing THC, dextroamphetamine pills and drug paraphernalia in the bedroom of Carr's mother, 51-year-old Christine Carr, and her husband, 57-year-old Charles Turkowski.

Christine Carr tried to hide her purse from investigators, but police searched it to find five bags of marijuana and rolling papers, according to the incident report.

Justin and Christine Carr and Turkowski have all been charged with possession of less than four ounces marijuana, possession with intent to sell, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Justin Carr was also arrested on a second warrant and charged with possession and sale of marijuana. His bond was set at $100,000 and raised to $200,000 in court.

Atkinson, who has an extensive criminal history, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was held on $75,000 bond.

Turkowski's bond was lowered from $75,000 to $20,000 on Wednesday and Christine Carr's was lowered from $75,000 to $5,000. Both Turkowski and Christine Carr have bonded out of jail.

All four appeared in court Wednesday and are due back before a judge next month. Atkinson asked for a court date separate from Carr's.

When NBC Connecticut went to the home for comment Wednesday morning, a man who answered the door asked the crew to leave.

If you receive a call threatening legal action against you and you know you've done nothing wrong, don't buy it.

It's a new kind of phone scam targeting Connecticut residents. The caller warns that you'll be arrested and says legal action is imminent.

NBC Connecticut's Audrey Washington was on the receiving end of one of these scam calls.

"We have received a legal case against you and for that reason you will be getting arrested from your physical address or your workplace. If you need any further information, you can definitely reach me... See you in the courthouse," the caller said in a voicemail.

Knowing that she had no pending lawsuits against her, Washington decided to return the call.

A man identifying himself as Allen Brown with the John Hill Law Firm answered the phone. Again, he told Washington two lawsuits had been filed against her, threatened to have her arrested and proceeded to ask for personal information including her full name, address and social security number.

When Washington refused to give out any information, the scammer hung up.

"It's certainly a scam," said Special Agent Daniel Curtin with the New Haven division of the FBI.

Curtin said criminal and civil processes are separate and will never be handled by the same person or entity.

"Just because you are getting sued, that does not mean that you are being arrested," explained Jim Bergenn, a partner at Shipman and Goodwin Law Firm. "In fact, when you're getting sued, I've never heard of a situation, ever in my 35 years of doing that, where by virtue of the civil suit, you've gotten arrested. It doesn't happen that way."

Scammers are, essentially, fear mongering, officials said.

"The average person might not know this, and out of fear and a sense of urgency, might make a bad decision," Curtin said.

Curtin said the FBI has encountered countless similar scams in which crooks threaten a problem before promising to resolve it for a price.

"They do it by volume," he said. "So if they contact 100 people and they get two or three who act and wire them money to make this go away, they've made their money."

Bergenn said the people getting scammed out of cash aren't the only victims in this case.

"Essentially, the scammers are hijacking the reputation of a legitimate enterprise or a legitimate law fire," he said.

A partner at the John Hill Law Firm in Northern California said the firm is in no way connection to the scam and said the firm receives complaints about the scheme at least twice a week. She said many of the victims are older and can end up handing over hundreds of dollars.

Curtin said it's important to use common sense if you receive a call you think may be a scam. Never react out of fear and always ask plenty of questions.

"In this case, if you slow it down long to enough to realize you haven't committed any crimes and you would not normally receive a call about the existence of an arrest warrant and a threat of an arrest at work or home, then you should realize that it's too bad to be true," Curtin said.

For the next 26 days, many people will be doing more to give back in honor of the second annual 26 Days of Kindness campaign, which kicked off Wednesday in memory of the victims at Sandy Hook.

“I've been spreading the news on Facebook already, and I already did my first act of kindness," explained Sandy Hook resident Corinne Reppenhagen. "I bought something at Dunkin Donuts for the person behind me.”

The campaign, launched by Ashley Peterson through Facebook, honors the 26 students and adults who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012.

Each of the 26 days leading up to the second anniversary of the tragedy, participants are encouraged to perform one act of kindness, in honor of each of those victims.

The first day honors substitute teacher Lauren Rousseau.

“I think it's very good for the families and for the children. Yes, it's not going to change the tragedy that happened two years ago, but it gives people a sense of hope and a sense of gratitude. It's good to spread that around,” said Reppenhagen.

During last year's kindness campaign, someone in Springfield, Massachusetts, left a $10 bill in a book to honor the memory of Charlotte Bacon.

“I think the 26 Days of Kindness is really a wonderful thing to get the community really close-knit. It is small town and we all know each other in some sort of way, and I think it's just a great thing to make everyone really appreciate it,” said Sandy Hook resident Tyler Hall.
 

Police are searching for a 49-year-old woman who they say was dropped off in Bristol the morning of Nov. 15 and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

According to police, Lori Ann Treiber, was driven to the Bristol Plaza at 683 Farmington Avenue around 10 a.m. Nov. 15. It's not clear where she went after that, or with whom.

Police said Treiber has been out of touch. She was reported missing later that day.

Treiber stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds, according to police.

She has salt-and-pepper hair and was last seen wearing blue jeans, a sweatshirt, black leather jacket and small, rectangular steel-framed eyeglasses. Police said Treiber was carrying a small beige purse.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call Bristol police at 860-584-3000.

An 11-month-old Kenosha, Wisconsin, girl suffered fatal injuries Tuesday evening at the hands of her father, police said, in what the town's police chief described as "the most violent child death that I have ever seen."

"This is Serenity Rose who was killed by her father," Chief John Morrissey said during a media briefing, holding a photo of the girl.

An autopsy performed Wednesday revealed the child died from multiple blunt force injuries including several skull fractures. Charges against the father, identified as 34-year-old Russell Lamar Rose, are pending.

"The words that I would like to say about this individual are probably not fit for the media," Morrissey said, "so I'm simply going to refer to him as a monster."

Morrissey said officers responded to a domestic violence call just before 7 p.m. Tuesday from a 27-year-old woman screaming that someone killed her baby. Witnesses told police they heard screams for help and a baby crying outside a triplex in the 5000 block of 21st Avenue.

Morrissey said the witnesses told police they saw Rose hold Serenity over his head and drop her to the ground.

Rose then ran into the apartment, Morrissey said, and officers who surrounded the apartment saw the man setting fire to the curtains. Rose, who police said has an extensive criminal record, later was arrested without incident.

The child was found lifeless, badly bruised and bloody, Morrissey said. Her face was partially disfigured. Serenity's mother, who was not named by police, suffered a swollen face and lacerations.

Serenity and her mother were transported to Kenosha Hospital and Medical Center where the mother was treated for her injuries and the child was pronounced dead.

Morrissey said the incident began because Rose wanted the mother to move out of their home.

"The death of any child is traumatic," Morrissey said, "but for a child to be killed in such a violent nature is unthinkable."

On Wednesday the Kenosha Police Department changed its Facebook cover photo to "reflect on the tragic incident" involving the "death of an 11-month-old baby as a result of Child Abuse."

"The toll this has taken on our officers who were on scene, along with the Fire Department personnel, hospital personnel, etc has been gut wrenching and extremely sad," the department wrote on Facebook, adding, "In memory of the 11 month old victim, this will be our last FB posting for today."

Two married San Diego Police officers have pleaded guilty to all drug charges against them, including burglarizing homes while on duty and running a hydrocodone distribution network in the county.

Bryce Charpentier, 32, and Jennifer Charpentier, 41, admitted Wednesday to selling and furnishing a narcotic substance, possession of a firearm by an addict, conspiracy to commit a burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime: possession and sale of a controlled substance.

As a result, the two resigned from the SDPD, effective Wednesday.

"Both of these individuals will have to face the consequences of their actions, which have diminished the great work our officers do every day to serve our City," said SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman in a statement.

They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30, and they each face up to seven years and eight months in prison.

In addition to pleading guilty, they have waived their 4th Amendment search and seizure rights, which means law enforcement can search them at any time.

The officers' change of plea comes two days after new charges were filed against the couple, accusing them of stealing prescription medication from their parent, burglarizing a home while on the clock as officers and leading a distribution chain.

Bryce, a six-year veteran of the SDPD, and Jennifer, an 18-year veteran, were arrested in June during a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department narcotics investigation.

Suspected of being addicted to opiates, both officers were initially charged with selling and furnishing a controlled narcotic substance and possession of a firearm by an addict.

Search warrants say Jennifer got seven different drugs in 71 prescriptions from seven separate doctors and then traveled to 17 pharmacies to fill them. Bryce is accused of going as far as Oakhurst near Yosemite to fill 79 prescriptions from six different doctors.

Then this week, a new complaint shed more light on the accusations against them.

In it, investigators quote text conversations between the married couple that outline their search for drugs they refer to as “V.”

One alleged victim was Jennifer’s mother. During her visit to their home, Bryce texted his wife he was coming back and pulling into the driveway. At that point, Jennifer texted she was taking her mother into the backyard, presumably to distract her while Bryce took prescription medication from her.

The final text from the conversation is from Bryce, telling Jennifer that he placed “V” for her in a candle, the complaint says.

Less than a month later, Bryce texted his wife that he got “a decent amount” during a visit to his mother-in-law’s, according to investigators.

A separate incident described in the complaint involves a victim identified as “M.B.”

According to the complaint, M.B. locked himself in his own bedroom on Jessica’s request, while Bryce and another officer came into his home to use the restroom. The given excuse was that the officer did not want M.B. to see him in his undercover clothes, the complaint says.

M.B. later found out that his legally prescribed medication was stolen.

The complaint says in January 2014, Bryce and Jennifer had offered to take over an existing hydrocodone distribution network in the county. They are accused of making deliveries while their child was with them.

According to prosecutors, the couple was found with a substantial amount of hydrocodone in their possession and was seen completing at least two transactions within a matter of hours.

Nine adults and two children were forced from their homes when flames tore through a multi-family house on Bouton Street in South Norwalk on Wednesday night.

Police and fire crews were called to 8 Bouton Street around 6:30 p.m. and arrived to find fire tearing through the front of the house. Firefighters said flames coming from a first-floor window crawled up the front of the building.

Fire crews doused the flames with water from two hose lines and had the blaze under control within 23 minutes of arriving on scene, according to the fire department.

Twenty-three firefighters responded to the blaze, and Norwalk police helped with crowd and traffic control.

No one was hurt, but the house has been deemed unlivable and the Red Cross has been called in to help the two displaced families, firefighter said.

The Norwalk fire marshal's office is investigating to determine the cause of the fire.

Gov. Dan Malloy told reporters Wednesday that the projected $100 million budget gap needs to examined through a proper lens.

According to reports from the Office of Fiscal Analysis and the Office of Policy and Management, the state faces roughly $100 million in revenue shortfalls.

"The state budget is $20,000 million dollars and you’re asking me about $100 million dollars," Malloy said following a meeting of the Connecticut Bond Commission. "I think in that context, it's important."

Benjamin Barnes, secretary of the OPM, said proposed cuts could be expected by the end of the week.

He didn't say where the cuts may occur but did hint last week that he wanted to protect entitlement programs like Medicaid.

Republicans said the $100 million isn't just a small amount in the grand scheme of a huge state spending plan and that the news of the shortfall should be heard far and wide by taxpayers.

“Listen anything’s a big amount," said Republican State Sen. L. Scott Frantz, of Greenwich. "When you’re talking about increased deficits, you’ve got to talk about making weight in every single account and bring things under control.”

Malloy said he doesn't anticipate tax hikes in order to pay for the projected gap, a promise he made during his re-election campaign.

“We’ll make some minor adjustments in the range of one percent to five percent in some expenditure areas and in other areas we won’t make adjustments,” Malloy said.

The governor does have the authority to make what are known as rescissions, cuts of up to 5 percent across general spending at his discretion.

Republicans said they don't want that to happen and would rather collaborate on where to make spending cuts.

“I think the budgets are large enough that they’re really going to have to start getting serious about really figuring out other ways to enhance revenues, but more importantly, figure out a way to bring the cost of government, the cost of state government in Connecticut under control," said Frantz.

Malloy and Republicans do agree on one point: that some of the budget issues are outside of their control, since Washington hasn't provided some payments for Medicaid that the state depends on.

Fire crews are responding to a fire on Bennett Street on the west side of Bridgeport, according to the fire department.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

A blind Connecticut woman says an Uber taxi driver refused to pick her up because of her seeing-eye dog, leaving her stranded. 

Amy Dixon said she called up an Uber car on her app in Darien Tuesday night, and a driver confirmed the pickup. 

"I can see a little bit out of my right eye, I've got 1 percent left of my vision. So I'm standing there with my guide dog on the curb and a car pulls up, and it's him," she said. 

As she put her hand on the door, the driver suddenly revved the engine and took off, stranding her, she said. 

"I couldn't believe it. I was flabbergasted," said Dixon. "He took off, and I'm screaming at him, waving at him, waving my arms like crazy thinking maybe he made a mistake, because I was hoping it wasn't what I thought it was."

It wasn't a mistake, it turned out, because within about 10 seconds, Dixon said she received a message on her phone from the driver saying the driver had canceled the pickup. 

Dixon was able to get another Uber car to take her home, but she believes the first driver wouldn't pick her up because of her service dog Elvis. 

Since Dixon lost her vision seven years ago, she's relied on two things to get around: her service dog Elvis and taxis, including recently, Uber cars. 

"My dog is how I get from point A to point B, and a car is what enables us to get where we need to go," she said. 

Uber said in a statement it had fired the driver, adding, "The Uber app is built to expand access to transportation options for all, including users with visual impairments and other disabilities. It is Uber's policy that any driver partner that refuses to transport a service animal will be deactivated from the Uber platform, which has been done in this case." 

Dixon said she's glad Uber took her complaint seriously, but she thinks the company needs to do more to educate drivers about service dogs. 

"It breaks my heart that people aren't educated on the ADA law," she said.

"As soon as they sign a contract to be an Uber driver, they have to obey the law, plain and simple," she said.

Uber said its drivers are informed of ADA regulations, and added that drivers who cannot accommodate animals due to issues like allergies, safety or religious beliefs are advised to wait with the rider until another Uber arrives. 

Four people were in critical condition Wednesdsay night after they were exposed to what officials say was a "lethal level" of carbon monoxide.

Fire officials responded to the scene in the 300 block of West 107th Street on Chicago’s South Side where they say carbon monoxide levels were at readings of 1,000 parts per million.

"The furnace was malfunctioning and they had all burner of the stove on for heat," said Battalion Chief Tom Sutkus.

Fire Media Affairs said the home was a single family home.

Officials said three people were visiting the elderly homeowner who had just returned from the hospital.

Sutkus said the victims were in "various stages of consciousness."

The victims were taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

"[The homeowner] just came home today and then the next thing you know they was laying on the ground and they was all passed out," said neighbor Greg Collins.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is known as a silent killer: an odorless, colorless gas that can be generated by any appliance that burns fossil fuel, including any appliance in your house that burns coal, wood, charcoal, gasoline, or propane, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness.

At sustained CO concentrations above 150 to 200 parts per million, disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.

Firefighters rescued a 93-year-old woman from a burning home on Bennett Street in Bridgeport and helped an 87-year-old man who managed to escape on his own, according to the city's public safety spokesperson.

Crews arrived at 214 Bennett Street around 10:15 p.m. to find heavy smoke and fire engulfing the second and third floors of the home.

Two firefighters crawled the burning apartment after learning the woman was still inside. They found her unconscious in a second-floor bedroom, according to Bridgeport public safety spokesperson Bill Kaempffer.

Kaempffer said the woman regained conscious while firefighters were carrying her outside. She and the 87-year-old man were taken to the hospital and were conscious and alert while leaving the scene.

"Firefighters did an outstanding job," Bridgeport Fire Chief Brian Rooney said in a statement Thursday. "Were it not for firefighters' quick actions, this could have had a tragic outcome."

Fire tore through the rear or the building and caused heavy smoke and water damage to the first floor, according to officials. The home has been deemed the home inhabitable.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Authorities have not released any information on the conditions of the victims.
 

Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing Woodstock teen who might be heading to New Jersey or Florida to meet family.

Michael Vulpis, 16, was last seen on Wednesday. Police said his hair and eyes are brown. He is 5-feet-7 and weighs 150 pounds.

He was last known to be wearing a red and black jacket and carrying a Nike sling bag.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, call State Police in Troop D at 860-779-4900.
 

Police are asking for help to find a 17-year-old Windsor Locks girl who has been missing since Tuesday and is in immediate need of medical attention.

Cassandra Callender is 5-feet-4 and has brown hair and green eyes, according to the Silver Alert.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Windsor Locks Police at 860-627-1461.
 

Graco has recalled about 4.7 million strollers in the United States due to a fingertip amputation risk, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday.

Graco has received 11 reports of finger injuries, including fingertip and partial-fingertip amputations. The recalled also affects over 212,000 strollers in Canada and Mexico.

Eleven models of Graco and Century-branded strollers are being recalled. The models named in the recall are: Aspen, Breeze, Capri, Cirrus, Glider, Kite, LiteRider, Sierra, Solara, Sterling and TravelMate.

The affected models were sold at Target, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart and other retailers nationwide from August 2000 through November 2014 for about $40 to $70 for the stroller and about $140 to $170 for the travel system. The strollers were also sold online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com and other online retailers during that time period.

All of the models are single-occupant strollers with an external sliding fold-lock hinge on each side and a one-hand fold release on the handle.

Model numbers and the date of manufacture are printed on a white label on the bottom of the stroller's rear leg.

Click here to see a list of affected model numbers.

If you have one of the recalled strollers, contact Graco at 800-345-4109 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. to receive a free repair kit.

Expect road closures in downtown New Haven as crews make repairs after a broken water main created a sinkhole on College Street earlier this week.

Monday's water main break damaged a Frontier vault near the intersection of College and Crown streets in New Haven. The road was shut down most of the day as water seeped out from under the pavement.

"We had emergency repair services come in, cut out the road, and now we're looking at this traffic pattern for the work that's going to be started as soon as humanly possible," said Doug Hausladen, director of the New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking.

Construction kicked off around noon Thursday. College Street is closed from Crown Street to George Street, according to New Haven officials, who warned drivers to expect delays in the area.

Crown Street and College Street will also be narrowed to one lane at the intersection and traffic from College Street will be detoured to Park Street.

"We're going to see a lot of traffic pushed down to High Street, making the turnaround at George, and a lot more people down at Park Street," Hausladen said.

Final paving on College Street, MLK Boulevard and South Frontage Road will take place Monday through Wednesday of next week, causing additional closures, according to the mayor's office.

College Street will be closed intermittently between George Street and MLK Boulevard between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday. College will be closed between MLK and South Frontage from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Expect additional lane closures on all affected roads and significant traffic congestion.

City officials say the goal is to complete the work by Thanksgiving so traffic changes don't impact any businesses in the area, which will open their doors to Black Friday shoppers.