A 24-year-old male driver died early Saturday morning when his vehicle went airborne after crashing into a guardrail on Route 8 north in Waterbury, flew off an overpass and he was ejected far from the vehicle, state police said.

Marc Francis Mulhall, or Waterbury, was approaching exit 30 on the state highway when he veered out of the left lane, hit the guardrail on the left shoulder, launching his vehicle into the air, state police said. His car dropped off an overpass onto Nichols Drive below.

When state troopers arrived on scene, no one was in the car. After canvassing the area, they said they found Mulhall unresponsive two tenths of a mile from the crash site in a fenced lot for a commercial business. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The office of the chief medical examiner in Farmington is performing an autopsy on the body. His family has been notified.

The case remains under investigation and the cause of the crash is unknown.

State police ask anyone with information or who witnessed the crash to contact state police at the Troop A barracks in Southbury at 203-267-2240.

Four cars were set on fire at a county jail and courthouse in Southern California early Saturday morning, authorities said.

A man who had threatened police was arrested on arson charges at the County of Ventura Government Center at 800 S. Victoria Avenue in the city of Ventura, according to Ventura County Sheriff's deputies.

The man claimed he had a bomb in a backpack, deputies said, and a bomb squad was brought to the center to inspect the area. His backpack was cleared, sheriff's Capt. Don Aguilar said.

"Anything that's left near those vehicles which were suspicious to us at the time is the reason why the bomb squad was here," Aguilar said.

The suspect arrested in connection with the fires was identified by deputies as 36-year-old Jeffrey Landis of Santa Monica.

Four of the cars set on fire were deemed a total loss, deputies said. One other car sustained moderate damage. Four of the cars involved belong to the county.

Officers leaving duty at the government center spotted the fire in the parking lot at about 4:30 a.m., Aguilar said. The vehicles on fire were unmarked, but Aguilar believed they belonged to the county.

Ventura County Superior Court, which was closed for the day, and a jail are located on the premises.

Landis had minor injuries, Aguilar said. He had not been immediately released from the jail at the government center.

Investigators examined the damaged vehicles, trying to figure out how the fire was started and whether it was random or if the cars were targeted.

"This is a very unusual, unique situation, especially for a government center," Aguilar said.

Landis was booked for arson and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $ 20,000.

NBC4's Oleevia Woo and Asher Klein contributed to this report.

Farmington Avenue has reopened in West Hartford after a chimney fire near Ridgewood Road due to smoke showing from a chimney, police said.

Police and firefighters responded.

No injuries have been reported.

Route 6 is closed in Newtown due to a water main break, police said.

The state road closure is at Route 25.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.

A small number of flights were canceled or delayed at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks in the afternoon Saturday and for the evening as snow sweeps the state.

The airport remains open and advises passengers to check of their flight statuses with their airlines.

Route 83 is closed between Grove Street and Hilliard Street in Manchester so a fire truck can get to a minor chimney fire.

The road isn't expected to be closed for long.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.

The city of Hartford has implemented another parking ban as light snow created slushy roads Saturday evening, but that didn't stop fans from driving to Hartford for events like the Harlem Globetrotters game against the Washington Generals at the XL Center.

"“This is my first All-Star basketball game that I go to," Kyle Stolting, of Wallingford, said.

Wallingford resident Tracy Mitchell said her drive into Hartford that evening "was pretty slippery but it wasn’t bad. There wasn’t a lot of cars out.”

The game was one of several events taking place in Hartford today.

While the parking ban began at 4pm, police say they are keeping in mind people driving into the city and parking for events.

“We’re cognizant of the events going on in the city," Deputy Chief Brian Foley said. "We’re not going to start towing cars from anywhere in the city when there’s an event going. We’re doing everything we can not to tow cars through the early evening.”

Police are still asking drivers to move their cars off streets and to lots.

They say it makes it easier for plow trucks to do their jobs. Police say they realize these bans have tough on people who live in Hartford.

“We got to keep pushing," Foley said. "No one expected all this snow this winter. The whole city is a snow farm at this point but we have to do the best we can. Our fire trucks our fire apparatus need to navigate the streets and our ambulances need to get to the hospitals and the EDs."

Dangerously cold temperatures weren't enough to keep ice fishers from taking to the outdoors Saturday for the first ever Fishing CT Ice Fishing Tournament at Wethersfield Cove on Saturday morning.

For the dedicated angler, ice fishing is a reason to get up early in the dark and brave the cold for a shot at a hard-water lunker. That's why Scott Garland, of Terryville, organized the tournament. The fishing group's Facebook page has almost 7,000 members devoted to angling and conservation in Connecticut.

"We are planning to do a few river cleanups, a few pond and lake cleanups this spring," Garland said.

Conditions Saturday were ideal for a day on the ice.

"We’re really lucky this year from an ice perspective," Stuart Fairbank, of Old Saybrook said. "I know a lot of people aren’t really happy about the cold, being shut up inside, but if you do ice fishing, you have something to do."

Bryan Desroches, of Berlin, said the ice was the thickets it's been so far this year and that "it's a lot of work to do it by hand."

"We did one hole with this and gave up, and did the rest of the holes with the gas auger," Desroches said.

It also takes some effort and creativity to keep warm out there," Cody Lessard, of Burlington, said.

"It’s a little pop up shelter, and we got two Bunsen burners to put inside of it with propane, if that doesn’t heat us up I don’t know what will," Lessard said.

The fishermen enjoy the time on the ice even if they don't catch anything.

"If you love something, you gotta suck it up and do it," David Swanson said. "You can’t let anything stop you."

The city of Bridgeport has declared a snow emergency effective 6 p.m. and activated its emergency operations center.

“As always, we're preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best," Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said in a statement. "Our city has rallied together time and time again this winter to successfully beat back potentially harmful road conditions caused by the snow. And, we know we're up for the challenge yet again. In order to keep kids and families safe across the city, we're asking everyone to abide by the snow emergency. Stay safe, stay home, and if you are traveling tonight or tomorrow, be smart.”

The snow emergency will remain in effect throughout Sunday, Feb. 22, meaning there is a parking ban on any designated "snow emergency streets. The city is also asking residents to park on the odd side of any secondary streets until further notice.

"An emergency is declared so that we can effectively conduct our snow removal operations," Bridgeport Police Chief Joe Gaudett Jr. said. "In addition, any contractor observed pushing snow into any city street will be subject to a ticket and fine."

The emergency operations center is located at 581 Washington Ave.

The following locations are available for parking:

• Harbor Yard surface parking lots across from the ballpark site.
• North End Library, 3455 Madison Ave.
• Veterans Memorial Park (entrance off Madison Avenue)
• Municipal parking lot at corner of Fairfield Avenue and Jetland Street (next to 2895 Fairfield Ave.)
• Health Department at 752 East Main St.
• Lot next to former Waltersville School, 95 Gilmore St.
• All city schools after hours

A fallen power line between Main Street and Kelsey Avenue in West Haven caused thousands of power outages Saturday night and possibly a small fire, according to the power company.

The downed wire was likely knocked down due to the weather, according to a United Illuminating spokesperson. Crews are on scene making repairs.

At 6:34 p.m., 2,439 people were without power in West Haven, according to the power company. That represents 9.85 percent of customers. By 7:08 p.m., that number was down to 940 outages.

There may have been sparks and a small fire as a result of the wire down, according to the power company.

An escaped dog seen being dragged down the hallway of an animal shelter in a viral video has ignited a firestorm in Southern California, with viewers upset by the perceived indifference of shelter staff.

The dog who was so reluctant to follow its handler down the hallway at the Hesperia Animal Shelter is named Mia. She's five or six years old, and escaped from her home in Hesperia last week, according to her owner, Tracie Carpenter.

Carpenter only saw the video, posted to a private Facebook group, after a friend notified her to it. It shows Mia struggling against her leash as she is dragged the length of a hallway, apparently while other workers look on.

Carpenter was incensed.

"The fact that there's three people in the video watching the dog being (dragged) by its neck all the way down the hallway — and nobody said anything — is beyond frustrating," Carpenter said.

Mia had escaped from home and was picked up after a few days by shelter workers, Carpenter said. A neighbor saw Mia get picked up, so Carpenter called the shelter, which kept the dog overnight so it could spay her. Mia was picked up on Friday, Feb. 12.

In a post on the Hesperia Animal Shelter's Facebook page Thursday, officials said city management is investigating what happened, and offered "our sincerest apologies."

"Shelter animals, as well as members of the community, deserve better and we vow to do better," the post said.

But commenters in the hundreds remained angry at the staff for ignoring that the dog was being dragged.

"She's got both hands behind her back like she's pulling a wagon," dog trainer Charlie Brugnola told the Victorville Daily Press.

The Hesperia City Council is planning on holding a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday so residents can voice any concerns about the video.

The city is encouraging anyone with concerns to email socialmedia@cityofhesperia.us.

Over 200 people were temporarily without power due to a transformer fire in Rocky Hill, according to police.

Police say crews responded around 7 p.m. for a report of a transformer down on Orchard St. The road was currently closed between Terry Lane and Cambridge Drive while crews made repairs.

Eversource reported 283 customers in the area were without power for about an hour. As of 8:30p.m. power has been restored.

A pair of major venues in the Bay Area of California have cancelled scheduled appearances from Bill Cosby.

The Flint Center in Cupertino and The Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa have postponed and not rescheduled Cosby's June 6 and 7 shows after a Change.org campaign pressured venues into canceling the shows.

"There was a pretty strong sentiment from the Foothill/DeAnza college community that it was their feeling that given the allegations surrounding Mr. Cosby that it was their preference the Flint Center not host the event," Flint Center General Manager Paula Davis said.

Dolores Edelstein was one of the organizers for the petition.

"With any type of sexual assault or rape, the shame and the fear lies on the side of the victim. And what really should happen is the shame should belong to the perpetrator," Edelstein said. "But because of the statute of limitations women feel like, they just can’t speak up."

Some Flint Center patrons don't agree with the decision to cancel Cosby's appearances.

"I think it's unfair and incorrect," Cupertino-resident Naeem Zafar said. "The whole principal is that we presume innocent until convicted."

Eversource crews are working to restore power to over 700 people in Essex and Deep River tonight.

A spokesman for Eversource says the outage was first reported around 9:12 p.m. and is affecting customers in the area of the Middlesex Turnpike near the Essex and Deep River line.

Crews are on scene now investigating the cause of the outage. Eversource estimates they will have power restored to most customers by 11 p.m.

Check back for updates.
 

The snow could not stop the Harlem Globetrotters from entertaining families in Hartford Saturday.

They took on the Washington Generals at the XL Center.

It was also NBC Connecticut night to support the Boys and Girls Club through the station’s Partners in a Caring Community.

Before the game started, NBC Connecticut’s Heidi Voight took to center court to welcome the crowd.

“We’re hoping to show the Globetrotters that Hartford is definitely the coolest stop on their tour,” said Voight.

NBC Connecticut President and General Manager Ric Harris suited up for the Washington Generals.

He was the team’s guest general and even got to play for a few minutes.
 

From the sidewalks to the roads, snow plow crews battled what seems like a relentless enemy.

As the snow piled up, drivers were forced to move their cars off the streets of Hartford and into lots because of another parking ban.

It started at 4:00pm Saturday.

“This is a long winter. This year has been a bit long for us but what can you do?” wondered Samuel Garcia of Hartford.

This search for new, temporary parking can mean exercise and a long walk home for drivers.

“Bringing the shovel so in case I need to dig out tomorrow because I have to go back to the office I can do so,” says Aimee Dawson of Hartford.

This is becoming a familiar path for drivers, with parking bans an almost weekly tradition this winter.

“We understand this is a strain on our residents. It’s a strain on us but we have to keep the course and keep pushing,” says Deputy Chief Brian Foley, Hartford Police.

Police say the bans are key to helping clear the snow and keep the roads passable for emergency vehicles.

Also, they’re hoping tomorrow once the snow stops it gives people a break to work on snowy sidewalks.

“When they don’t clear them pedestrians walk into the roadway. The kids walk into the roadway with the high snow banks it’s increased danger and that’s certainly something we’re looking to avoid. That’s why we’re asking everyone (Sunday) to try and get out and clean the sidewalks,” says Foley.

Hartford has a parking ban that’s expected to go until noon Sunday.
 

A driver of party bus ran over and dragged a man hundreds of feet in Southern California early Saturday, leaving the victim severely injured in what investigators are calling a hit-and-run.

The victim, identified by family members as Efren Virgen Jr., was walking on Fairford Avenue and Ratliffe Street in Norwalk (map) about 2:30 a.m. when he was struck by the bus, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.

A witness said he saw flashing neon lights inside the bus and heard music playing.

The 26-year-old victim was dragged more than 200 feet, officials said. He was hospitalized at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, where he was on life support.

Family members said Virgen is a father of two young daughters.

"He loves his girls, he loves life. He's my little brother," said Virgen's sister, Carmen Virgen.

The black bus was last seen turning westbound on Foster Road, officials said.

"I think from the evidence at the scene, it would be pretty obvious that the bus driver had to know something was going on," Det. Carl Anna said.

Anna said the bus may have swerved to avoid hitting Virgen.

"He probably saw him and just couldn't avoid him," Anna said.

A neighbor said cars often speed on the street where the crash took place.

"Accidents happen, but when you hit a person and you run, that's so inhumane. How can you leave somebody laying there?" said Virgen's sister, Carmen.

Sheriff's investigators were asking witnesses to come forward, including anyone who may have been on the bus at the time.

Anyone with information was asked to call the Norwalk Sheriff's Station at 562-863-8711.

Donations have poured in for a group of nuns who work and live in a West Side church that lost heat during this week's subzero temperatures.

More than $160,000 has been raised so far to help the nuns of the Fraternite Notre Dame order, which is located in the Austin neighborhood. During the record-breaking cold weather this week, both of the church's massive boilers stopped working, leaving the nuns without heat.

To cope with the cold, the nuns have been sleeping around electric space heaters.

A Go Fund Me page was set up for the nuns with an initial goal of raising $40,000 to pay for temporary equipment to heat the building until the spring. The page now shows more than $67,000 in donations.

A heating company temporarily fixed the problem for free, but the nuns could be left in the cold again without a more permanent fix.

A permanent solution for the building's heating problems is to buy new boilers and invest in proper insulation in the building, which is more than 100 years old. The total cost for this permanent fix is $200,000.

To donate to their cause, visit http://www.gofundme.com/k5vh0k.

As a storm brought more snow to Connecticut, state police responded to numerous accidents Saturday.

Roads were still coated with snow and some ice on Sunday with slippery conditions on many secondary roads.

Most of the road troubles came on Saturday. State police from the Troop H barracks in Hartford said that they responded to numerous crashes afternoon into evening.

A car veered off the roadway and was stuck in the snowy median late afternoon on Route 9 in West Hartford near Corbins Corner.

Snow and a possible mix of freezing rain later in the evening is expected to coat the roads with ice, causing slippery conditions.

Many people have contacted the NBC Connecticut First Alert Weather Team to find out how much snow has fallen by town, so we have pulled together a list on where you can find the information.

If you live in the Hartford area, the National Weather Service posts season-to-date snow totals and precipitation here.

Bridgeport area residents can check here.

There are also unofficial observations from recent storms:

• Information on Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties here.
• Snow totals from Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties are listed here.
• Litchfield County residents can check here.