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Pope Confirms US Visit Plans

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Pope Francis says he is coming to the New York City this fall during a visit that will also include stops in Washington and Philadelphia.

In an interview with reporters Monday, the pope confirmed his travel plans, saying he will visit the United Nations while in New York.

The pope said he could not remember the exact dates for his trip, nor did he share many details, but over the weekend, the Catholic News Agency reported that a member of the tour organizing committee said the pope would arrive in Washington on Sept. 22. He will visit the the White House, and then celebrate mass at Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

According to the report, the pope will leave for New York City on Sept. 24 and address the United Nations general assembly on the morning of Sept. 25. The pope will also visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, but will most likely celebrate mass at another venue, possibly Madison Square Garden. He'll also make a stop at ground zero. 

Pope Francis then plans to head to Philadelphia on Sept. 26 to take part in the World Meeting of Families, a gathering of Catholics held every three years.

"The pope should know New York will welcome him with open arms," Mayor de Blasio said in a statement. "Pope Francis is the leading global voice on issues of social justice and income inequality, and New Yorkers from all backgrounds will be tremendously humbled and honored to hear his message right here in our city later this year.”

"I'm really excited," said Gloria Chacon of Bushwick as she visited St. Patrick's Cathedral Monday. "I really like this pope. I can't wait to tell my mom and my grandmothers They're going to be like, 'Let's go.'"

"It's great for New York, it's great for America," said John Altera of Sunnyside. "We finally have a progressive pope, and I think he's really connected with a lot of people and it'll be great to have him here in New York." 

Father Patrick Ryan, a religion professor at Fordham University, said Francis' visit appeals to those who may have felt left out of the church in recent years.

"People are fascinated by him because he's so down to earth, he's so ordinary," he said. "I've been reading some blogs complaining about the style, that his writings aren't elegant -- that's the way he is." 

Some New Yorkers are wondering how close they'll be able to get to the pope, since the expected Madison Square Garden mass can only accommodate about a third of the faithful that Yankee Stadium held for past papal visits.

The New York Archdiocese has yet to comment on the pope's plans.

-- Andrew Siff contributed to this report. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Seek Hit-and-Run Driver Who Struck 2 Teens

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Waterbury police are searching for the driver who hit two teenagers over the weekend and then took off.

The crash happened at the intersection of East Main Street and Brass Mill Drive in Waterbury about 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

The driver of a dark-colored Honda with tinted windows was headed down Welton Street, ran a red light at East Main Street, and continued onto Brass Mill Drive, hitting the two teens as they crossed the street, according to police.

Police identified one of the teenagers as 18-year-old Jerry Goodman. He's listed in stable condition at St. Mary's Hospital.

The other victim, a 16-year-old girl, is being treated at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, where she's also stable, according to police.

Residents say the intersection is a problem spot, with drivers often speeding through red lights.

"That's not the first time that happened on this corner right here. There's always accidents happening right here on this corner," explained Waterbury resident Norberto Echevarria. "They just come through here. They run right through the light. They don't even bother with the light."

In response to residents' concerns, police said they don't recall any major issues at the intersection in the past.

As they continue to search for the suspect, they're hoping witnesses will come forward with information. Residents say they're hoping for the same.

"I'm hoping they do catch the person who did it, or if they don't catch him they should turn them self in. If anybody has any clue, know who did it, any witnesses they should come forward and say what they saw," said Ivis Echevarria, of Waterbury.

Anyone with information about the crash or who knows where the damaged car is or who was driving it is urged to call Waterbury police at 203-574-6920.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Pats Fans Stock Up on Championship Gear

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With the New England Patriots headed to the Super Bowl, the rush is on for AFC Championship gear.

Dick's Sporting Goods in Newington stocked the store with championship T-shirts, hats, pennants and decals before opening its doors Monday morning. Fans wasted no time celebrating the big win by scooping up new gear ahead of the Super Bowl.

"I'm a Miami Dolphins fan but my daughter is a Patriots fan and my brother-in-law, so I came down here," explained Berlin resident Kathy Carabetta. "She's up at college at Northeastern so I wanted to get her a T-shirt and send it up to her."

At Modell's Sporting Goods in Newington, fans also spent the day stocking up on championship gear.

"I was going to buy a shirt for me and the hat, and I'm going to buy a shirt for my sister," said Justin Saucier, of Newington.

For fans, the Patriots 45-7 win over the Colts was a thrilling end to conference play.

"It was great. I didn't think we were going to win by that much, but hey, we'll take what we can get, right?" said Juana Sanchez, of New Britain.

Now it's on to the Super Bowl, with fans showing off their Patriots pride.

"I think it's going to be a good one. I don't think we're going to win it easily but I definitely think we're going to win it," said Sanchez.

Hartford Honors MLK

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During a 90-minute ceremony at the State Capitol, some of Connecticut's elected officials, both its U.S. Senators, and members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission celebrated the life of the late civil rights leader.

Treasurer Denise Nappier, the first African American female officeholder in the state, said King's legacy is one that speaks to everyone, not just minorities.

“It is a message and a mission that honors each and every individual and the value of the contributions to our society," Nappier said.

Students read excerpts from King's well known, "I Have a Dream" speech, and the state's replica of the Liberty Bell rang several times in King's honor.

Darryl Hugley, a member of the commission that honors King, said he's seen flashes of the Civil Rights era in recent months in protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island.

“A lot of these activists have been called millennials or new generations of students engaging in civil rights like protests in various cities,” he said.

During a ceremony at Hartford City Hall, former mayor Thurman Milner said he's not sure he would have led a life in public service had it not been for King.

“He’s, of course, the one who opened doors for people like myself and people like President Obama," Milner said. "He was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement and, as we showed today, brought forward the history, the true history of African Americans in the United States.”



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Goat Continues to Evade Police

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In spite of countless hours of searching by Massachusetts law enforcement, a goat that has been on the lam since the day after Christmas refuses to give up his quest for freedom.

According to Massachusetts State Police, the goat was spotted in Chelmsford on Saturday.

Police say he has been grazing in the area around I-495 in the weeks following his escape.

The animal's evasiveness has even inspired a Twitter handle, which had 1,184 followers as of Monday evening.

A few days into the search, Lowell Police warned the public not to approach the 200-pound animal, which has full horns, as it may be dangerous in such a stressful situation.

@TheLowellGoat concurs.

"If you spot me, tweet me and please call Lowell PD @ 978-937-3200," reads the Twitter bio. "Do not approach me, I'm pretty agile and crazy!"



Photo Credit: Massachusetts State Police

Willimantic Man Chokes Police Corporal: Cops

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A Willimantic man is facing charges after getting into a dispute with another resident and attacking a police corporal who arrived to investigate.

According to police, Robert James O’Connor, 22, was involved in a “disturbance” with another resident whom he had never met around 8:10 p.m. Saturday. When police responded to the scene, O’Connor assaulted and choked a corporal, authorities said.

Police described the corporal’s injuries as minor.

O’Connor, of South Street in Willimantic, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, interfering with a police officer and assault on a police officer.

He is being held on $20,000 bond and is due in court Tuesday.
 



Photo Credit: Willimantic Police Department

Dog Hit By Car in Wolcott Has Died

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The Wolcott Dog Pound tried in vain to save the life of a beagle who was hit by a car last week and died Friday night.

Although community members raised more than $1,700 to help cover Snoopy's medical expenses, the dog pound said he suffered severe liver damage and couldn't be saved.

"Snoopy was given the best care and every and all effort was made to save him, the damage was just to (sic) much for his little body to overcome," the pound posted on its Facebook page Sunday. "Snoopy's family is devastated by their loss and were there to say their goodbyes."

Snoopy was struck by a car near the Cumberland Farms at 1655 Meriden Road on Jan. 13. He was in shock after the crash and was taken to the Watertown Animal Hospital for treatment, according to the dog pound.

In addition to liver damage, Snoopy suffered a possible spinal injury and had problems with his left leg, the pound said.



Photo Credit: Wolcott Dog Pound
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Hartford Company Makes Official Super Bowl Gear

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The Super Bowl hits close to home in Connecticut this year, and not just because the Patriots are playing.

Hartford-based company GimaSport, which specializes in embroidery and screenprinting, has been commissioned by the NFL to make officially licensed Super Bowl gear.

The business posted photos on its Facebook page of freshly minted Patriots apparel just hours after New England secured the AFC title and a ticket to the big game.

Now, with less than two weeks until the Pats face the Seahawks, GimaSport is churning out winter hats emblazoned with the Super Bowl logo and New England mascot.

The business got its start in 1992 and remains family owned more than 20 years later.

Official Super Bowl merchandise is available through the NFL.



Photo Credit: GimaSport/Facebook

Yale Student Hospitalized After Falling From Dorm Window

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A Yale University student is in the hospital after falling from the window of a freshman dormitory, according to a spokesperson for the university.

The student, who has not been publicly identified, fell from Bingham Hall on Yale's Old Campus around 2 p.m. Monday, school officials said.

First responders rushed the student to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment. The student's condition is unknown.

Students affected by the incident can receive emotional support from mental health professionals, counselors, student advisers and the university chaplain's office, according to school officials.



Photo Credit: Associated Press

Pamela Smart Hopes Film Will Change Minds on Murder Case

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Twenty-four years after Pamela Smart was convicted of conspiring in her husband’s murder — during a trial that gripped New Hampshire with scandalous revelations and was the first to be televised gavel to gavel — she hopes recurring questions about cameras in the courtroom will bring her a chance at freedom.

Smart, who still denies that she lured her teenaged lover into a plot to shoot her husband, got a life sentence with no opportunity for parole, while the actual killers could leave prison this year. She will try to convince New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan to commute her sentence — if only to allow her to appear before a parole board.

“I can either just give up or I can live, so if I’m going to live — which I am — then I have to do the best I can to fight the case, to stay healthy, to stay alive and to stay positive,” Smart said during an interview in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York, a maximum security prison for women to which she was moved two years after her conviction.

New Hampshire's governor working with the state's Executive Council can grant pardons, but for now, sympathy from the governor seems unlikely. A spokesman for Hassan said she believed pardons should be considered only in cases where there has been a clear miscarriage of justice.

"In this case, the governor believes Pamela Smart was justly and fairly convicted for her crimes by a jury of her peers and that there has never been credible information presented to warrant consideration of a pardon or a commutation," the spokesman, William Hinkle, said.

An "Evil Seductress"

But Smart's case, which sparked the movie "To Die For" starring Nicole Kidman, is getting new attention because of a recent HBO documentary that raises doubts about whether her conviction was fair. “Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart" looks at the crush of press that descended on the Exeter, New Hampshire, courtroom for 14 days in 1991 and what effect the cameras and reporters had on the outcome.

During the trial, which foreshadowed those of Casey Anthony or Jodi Arias, she was portrayed as a 22-year-old femme fatale whose hold over then 16-year-old William Flynn led him to the couple’s Derry condominium on May 1, 1990. When Gregg Smart arrived home, one of Flynn’s friends, Patrick Randall, held a knife to Smart’s throat while Flynn shot him in the head, Flynn testified.

“She’s become the archetypal evil seductress,” said Eleanor Pam, a retired university professor who was Smart’s academic mentor when Smart received two master’s degrees in prison and whose husband is Smart's current lawyer.

Looking back, Smart said she did not know how the jury could not have been affected by the media’s fascination with the case — the daily live coverage by WMUR, a television station based in Manchester, the documentary the station produced that was broadcast days before jury selection began and the attention from shows such as “Geraldo” and “Hard Copy.”

The WMUR reporter, Bill Spencer, later appeared as himself in a television movie based on the killing, “Murder in New Hampshire.” In the fictionalized “To Die For” Kidman played a sociopath who would do anything for fame.

Were the trial to take place today, Smart said she believed safeguards would have been put in place to guard against media influence: sequestering the jury, postponing the trial’s start or moving it to a different county.

But the judge, Douglas Gray, ruled against sequestering the jury. One of the prosecutors, Paul Maggiotto, who did not respond to a request for comment, has said it would have been costly to put up the jurors throughout the trial.

“I think that's really sad when someone's life is at stake that they're worried about how much it would cost,” Smart said.

Caught on Tape

Named the Ice Princess by the media, Smart said that her lawyers told her repeatedly that they were going to try the case in court, not in the media.

"Which was a good idea in theory," she said, "but when the case is being tried in the court of public opinion regardless of how you want to try it, what happens is you have to defend yourself against that.”

In the end, too many accusations went unaddressed, leaving a depiction of her as a selfish, uncaring woman without friends, she said.

“It’s like trying to un-ring a bell or put toothpaste back in a tube,” she said. “It can’t happen. Once it’s out, it’s out. And so it was just there and it was unanswered. And to me that was very harmful.”

In interviews after the trial, jurors denied they were influenced by the coverage. For some of them, the most damning evidence was on tapes secretly recorded after the murder by another teenager, Cecelia Pierce, who like Flynn knew Smart from her job as director of media services at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton. The recordings are difficult to hear if not inaudible, leaving little context to what can be heard, but some of Smart’s statements stand out.

“If you tell the truth, you're gonna have to send Bill, you're gonna have to send Pete, you're gonna have to send J.R. and you're gonna have to send me to the [expletive] slammer for the rest of our entire life,” Smart told Pierce at one point, according to a transcript.

Smart said was trying to draw her out to find out whether Flynn had killed her husband. She had been warned that Pierce, who was under contract for $100,000 for a movie deal, would be wired, her supporters said.

“I was operating from a mind set where I wasn’t guilty and it didn’t matter what I did,” she said. “I would just have to explain later or something but I was very naive. I had no experience with the criminal justice system.”

"Crocodile tears"

She still thinks about her husband, about what their life together would have been like and whether they would have had children, she said. Before she became involved with Flynn, her husband had cheated on her, but they were trying to repair their relationship, she said. Gregg Smart was the first man she loved and she feels responsible for his death, she said.

“I had this relationship with Bill Flynn and he killed my husband and that’s something that I have to live with for the rest of my life,” she said. “That’s not something that’s easy to carry. That’s not something that just goes away over time.”

Smart has not seen the documentary, which was shown on HBO, because the prisoners have no access to the channel. But she said she was encouraged that others who have and who contacted her found it convincing.

The documentary is available on HBO Go until the end of next year.

“Captivated” shows Flynn testifying that he killed Gregg Smart for Pamela Smart, who feared losing her possessions in a divorce. He and his friends — Randall, and the two who waited in the car, Vance Lattime Jr. and Raymond Fowler — agreed to plea bargains in return for reduced charges.

Smart dismisses both accusations: She said that she had already told Flynn that their relationship was over and that as far as the possessions, she and her husband rented the condo and had not finishing paying for the furniture. The only money that she spent from her husband’s $140,000 life insurance went for his funeral, she said.

“There was nothing for me to gain by doing something so horrible,” she said.

Ricky Davis, an inmate who was at the Rockingham County Jail with Flynn and the others, said in the documentary that they were using cocaine before their testimony. Flynn, who broke down on the stand while describing how he killed Smart, told him drugs made him more emotional in court, Davis said.

One juror taped her reflections on a small voice recorder in the evenings and in the documentary she can be heard discounting Flynn’s testimony. “Crocodile tears,” she said. When she learned that Smart had been sentenced to life without parole, she said she would not have voted for a conviction.

She is not identified in the film, but a juror named Karen Sicard was cleared of wrongdoing after she was accused of trying to sell tape recordings to Smart’s appeal lawyer. Sicard could not be reached for comment.

Albert E. Scherr, a law professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and a former defense lawyer, said that the tapes and Smart's affair were particular problems for her lawyers, whom he knows. He said he thought they did a good job with what they had to work with.

"You had to make more leaps of faith to believe she was innocent given what the evidence was than you had to believe she was guilty as a juror," he said.

Had he been the judge, he would have moved the trial to a different county to try to minimize press coverage though he also thought coverage before the trial was more problematic.

"It's a total pain administratively but compared with the right you're protecting, I think it's worth doing," he said.

Recalling the facts of the trial 24 years later accurately and objectively, especially following all of the books, television shows and movies it sparked, is impossible, he said. 

"We no longer can access the factual information," he said. "It's lost somewhere in the past."

Life in Prison

Flynn and Randall are eligible for parole in June and both have been accepted into work-release programs. Flynn, whose lawyer declined a request for comment, has married in prison. The other men have already been freed.

In prison, Smart works as an HIV/AIDS counselor. Previously, for more than 20 years, she was a teacher's aide for inmates studying for their high-school equivalency degrees.

"It gives me a chance to give back to the community here,” she said.

Smart has had difficult years in prison. Two inmates beat her and broke her eye socket during a 1996 attack, leaving her with a metal plate in her face. She received a $23,875 settlement from New York state after the National Enquirer published photographs of her in sexy lingerie in 2003. Smart said that a corrections official raped her and took the pictures, which mimicked ones shown during her trial as evidence of her seduction of Flynn.

Smart's defenders said that the earlier photos were actually taken by Smart and her girlfriends and that a woman at the store where the film was developed gave them to Flynn's mother.

Smart has lost all of her legal appeals, but hopes “Captivated” might start to change attitudes about her.

“I don’t expect anybody to be waving banners to let me out of prison, but just be fair,” she said.

Gregg Smart's brother Dean told People magazine in the summer that he did not think Pamela Smart deserved to be freed. He continues to believe she is guilty, he said.

The film's director, Jeremiah Zagar, said he believed that Smart's trial was unfair.

"Ultimately our justice is in a way a barometer for our compass as a country," he said. "It’s our moral compass. This is how we determine right and wrong. When that system is flawed, it hurts our society in general."

Her mother, Linda Wojas, said she no longer believed that the legal system sought justice. And the media answers to no one, she said.

“My biggest fear is that I don’t live to see her released,” Wojas said.

—Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.


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Broad Street Reopens in Hartford After One-Car Crash

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Broad Street has reopened in Hartford after a one-car crash Tuesday.

The accident happened at the Colonial Street intersection.

The road was closed temporarily earlier in the morning.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Body Found in West Haven Home

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Police are investigating after a body was found in a home on Campbell Avenue in West Haven on Monday evening, according to Mayor Ed O'Brien.

Authorities have not identified the body or released any information on the circumstances of the person's death.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

State Rep. Sorry for Parking in Handicapped Spot

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State Rep. Brandon L. McGee Jr. issued a public apology after parking in a handicapped space while grabbing coffee at a Dunkin Donuts in Hartford on Friday.

McGee, a Democrat who represents Windsor and Hartford, has come under fire after a photo of his parked BMW began circulating online over the weekend.

The lawmaker said he left his car idling at the Dunkin Donuts on Capitol Avenue while he stopped in for a cup of coffee.

"This past Friday, I ran into Dunkin Donuts. I left the car running. I parked in a handicapped parking space – extremely wrong. I was wrong," McGee said. "I had just left a tour with some of my kids at the State Capitol, and I'm running over to another meeting with the full-time job [at CREC]. But that's all not important, and the reality is, I should not have parked in that space."

McGee also posted an apology on his Facebook page.

"Dear Friends, thank you for holding me accountable. The other day (Friday to be exact) I made my usual run to D&D and was in a hurry.... parked in a handicap parking space.... Major No-No," McGee wrote.

"So for the record, I respect the disabled and people in general. What I should have done was NOT park in a handicap parking space," the post continues.

McGee told NBC Connecticut he tightened his Facebook privacy settings after he began receiving malicious responses.

"This has escalated to the place where the comments and the death threats I've received on Facebook are a tad bit inappropriate and I just really hope on the day where we're celebrating peace and love that we wouldn't have to go that far," he said Monday. "I'm interested in healthy dialogue and holding your elected officials accountable. What I won't allow is for you to threaten my life, my family, and say some very, very nasty words."

According to his website, McGee, a Hartford native, is currently serving his second term in the state legislature and is a member of the judiciary, human services, labor and public employees committees.

"I really hope that the people in Connecticut and those that have any disabilities would allow to 1. forgive me, but 2. know that my heart is still on that committee, ready to lead and do the right thing," McGee said.



Photo Credit: wethepeoplehartford.com/Brandon McGee

Eric Garner Memorial Destroyed in Fire: NYPD

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The Staten Island memorial for Eric Garner, the 43-year-old father who died while being taken into NYPD custody last summer, caught fire Monday, according to police.

Authorities say the fire was not intentionally set and that criminality is not suspected. Police say the memorial caught fire at about 10 p.m.

It's not clear how heavily the memorial was damaged.

Garner's daughter, Erica, said in a series of tweets that she thought the fire was a case of arson. She said she and her family went to survey the damage late Monday.

"evil set my dads memorial on fire tonight .but cant erase his legacy. rebuild 2morrow," she wrote in one tweet.

Garner's stepfather, Benjamin Carr, told NBC News he also thinks someone set the memorial on fire. Carr said the fire department responded to the memorial, which he vowed to rebuild.

"I'm going to rebuild it," Carr said. "Every damn time they tear it down, I'm gonna put it back."

Daily vigils and protests have marked the spot on Bay Street and Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville where an NYPD officer was caught on amateur video wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck as the asthmatic father of six gasped, “I can’t breathe!” nearly a dozen times.

A grand jury decided not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July 17 confrontation, sparking mass demonstrations across the country.

Mayor de Blasio supported the protests that followed a Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict the officer, fracturing his relationship with the city's police unions.



Photo Credit: Shamar Walters/ NBC News

Smoke Detector Alerts Family to Basement Fire

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A smoke detector alerted a family to a basement fire late Monday night in Westport.

Crews responded to a home on West Branch Road at 11:05 p.m. on Monday after a fire alarm went off and they received a 911 call from the house reporting a "smoke condition" in the basement while they were on their way. A smoke detector woke the family up.

Firefighters didn't see any smoke or flames when they arrived on scene, but found smoke rising from the basement stairs when they arrived inside the front door, fire officials said in a news release.

Stretching a hose into the basement, firefighters discovered flames and were able to contain the blaze to the one room in the basement. They also brought in a back-up hose for the safety of the crew. Crews ventilated the smoke and heat in the basement.

They extinguished the fire quickly. No one was injured.

Norwalk firefighters covered the Westport station while they were battling the fire. Crews cleared the scene by 2:08 a.m.

The Westport Fire Department reminds residents of the importance of having a working smoke alarm.

"This fire is a testament to the fact that smoke detectors save lives and in this case, woke the family up and kept the fire damage contained to one room," John Plofkin Jr., a shift commander for the fire department, wrote in a news release. "Without the early detection of the fire, the outcome of this incident may have been much worse. Residents are reminded to check and test their Smoke and Carbon monoxide detectors monthly."

The Westport fire marshal is investigating the fire. The cause is unknown at this time.


Armed Robber At Large Who Stole From Subway: PD

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Bristol police are looking for a man who robbed a Subway restaurant at gunpoint.

Police responded to the sandwich shop at 815 Pine Street at 9:27 p.m. on Monday.

A man wielding a handgun demanded that two employees empty the cash register and give him the money, according to police.

The suspect is about 50 years old, according to a description provided to police.

No one was injured in the armed robbery.

Bristol police are investigating the incident and ask anyone with information to call the department at 860-484-3011.

Burglars Break Into Radio Shack, Return 20 Minutes Later to Steal

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Two burglars pried open the front door of a North Haven Radio Shack on Monday night, then came back 20 minutes later to steal a cash register drawer and other items, according to police.

At least part of the incident was caught on surveillance, according to a news release from North Haven Police, but that video has not yet been released.

Around 10:30 p.m., the burglars pried open the door at 120 Universal Drive North, then fled in a gray van, which was captured on surveillance footage. Around 20 minutes later, they came back, went into store and stole the cash register drawer, as well as several other items.

Both burglars were wearing masks, so their faces were covered.

Anyone with information about the burglary should call the Investigative Services Division of the North Haven Police Department at 203-239-5321.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Governor: "Massive" and "Comprehensive" Transportation Plan Coming

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Gov. Dannel Malloy held a news conference on Tuesday morning to announce that a "massive" and "comprehensive" long-term transportation plan is coming. 

In downtown New Haven, Malloy stood alongside Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and other state and local officials and said the state's multi-year plan is about taking "one of our greatest weaknesses in Connecticut" and turning "it into a great strength."

During the briefing, there were no specifics, but Malloy said the plan includes roads, buses, rails, alternative transportation, as well as bike trails.

"We talk extensively about highways and travels by car, but what we see on the ground through our city is that sustainable transportation also means being able to walk and bike to work," Harp said. "This is important, not just for residents with access to a car, but also for residents who cannot afford to drive."

The state plan will be released to the public in the next few weeks. Following that, there will be months of discussion, according to the governor.

Harp also discussed efforts city officials are making on transportation in New Haven, where one out of every four families lacks access to a car.

She said New Haven is working on connecting residents to work and essential services through more than 40 miles of bike lanes already and many more being planned.

"For instance, this year, we'll reach into the neighborhoods again with a 2.1-mile cycle track along Edgewood Avenue," Harp said.

When the project is done, it will connect Westville, Edgewood and Dwight to the central business district.

"New Haven is the core of a significant, overwhelming almost, amount of investment today, but still needs more in the vision of a sustainable, expanded system of transportation by all modes to and through New Haven as where we're going," Redeker said.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

"He Was My Hero": Newlywed Remembers Husband Deputies Say Was Killed by Ex

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Denise Mattison called her husband, Corey, her hero. He was her protector long before a terrible night last week, when Corey was shot and killed, deputies say, by Denise's ex-husband.

Investigators believe Corey Mattison died outside, behind the Ashburn townhome he shared with Denise.

He may have been leading suspected gunman Minh Nguyen, 38, away from his family.

"He was my hero way before a few nights ago," Denise Mattison said. "They just don't come like him. It was a kind of thing when every single one of my friends or family members met him, they would think, it was just kind of like, he's just kind of too perfect... and the truth is that he was. He was the greatest man I've ever known."

Corey and Denise married three months ago and lived with their five children. She said he was good at everything he tried, from cooking to helping raise their children together. He was an athlete in high school and college. 

"He came into our lives and stayed when no one else would have," Denise said. "Every morning... he would say, 'Lord I'm so thankful for this day that I can live in this beautiful world you've created.' That was every single morning. That was the way he lived. He was always just thankful for everything." 

She wanted to share one of the first things Corey said to her early on in their relationship. 

"[He would say,] 'I love you for everything that you are and I don't spend a second thinking about anything that you're not,'" she said.

For Denise's brother, the marriage was a dream come true -- his sister had a protector.

"To see the way he loved Denise on a consistent basis, to see the way he treated her... there's nothing more that a brother could ask for," Aaron Fox said.

Now, Denise's family is on an emotional roller coaster, bound together by their faith.

"There isn't any regret other than the fact that my sweet husband isn't here anymore," Denise said.

Nguyen, a one-time social media tech pioneer, is facing a first-degree murder charge. He's behind bars without bond.

A family friend organized a GoFundMe page to help Denise and her family with expenses

1 Shot, 1 in Custody at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston

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One person has been shot at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a suspect is in custody, police confirmed.

The hospital reported that the shooting occurred in the Shapiro building at 75 Francis St., which has been placed in lockdown. The rest of the hospital is not in lockdown and the hospital says the situation is under control. All staff has been asked to remain in place. Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police are on the scene.

There is no word on the extent of injuries of the person shot.

Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest in Boston's Longwood Medical area. It is Harvard Medical School's second largest teaching affiliate.

Police said there are road closures in the area, and motorists should expect delays and detours. The MBTA said service on the Green Line E Branch had been suspended between Brigham Circle and Heath Street due to the police action. It has since resumed.

Stay with necn and necn.com for more on this developing story.



Photo Credit: NECN
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