Connecticut news

• Flu Concerns Continue as State Heads Into Peak Season

  03-02-2018 23:57
  
  Hundreds headed to Town Hall in West Harford Saturday for a flu shot clinic as officials continue to try to combat a severe flu season with the peak still ahead.Photo Credit: NBC
  
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• Paul Ryan deletes tweet about tax cuts after Twitter backlash

  03-02-2018 23:53
  WASHINGTON, DC — House Speaker Paul Ryan deleted a tweet Saturday touting the GOP tax overhaul after critics called him out for appearing out of touch with the reality of low-income individuals’ financial situations.
  The tweet shared the story of a secretary who, according to a report by the Associated Press, was “pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week.”
  “A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, PA, said she was pleasantly surprised her pay went
  
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• Mass. Middle School Students Showcase Pats Pride in Video

  03-02-2018 23:45
  
  A video created by middle school students in Weymouth, Massachusetts, went viral over the weekend.
  
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• Security faces ‘herculean’ challenges at Super Bowl

  03-02-2018 22:33
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  MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots have been working on their Super Bowl game plans for two weeks. Law enforcement has been planning security for Sunday’s spectacle for two years.
  “I think we have done our best to think of just about every contingency, natural or man-made,” said Minneapolis police Cmdr. Scott Gerlicher, overall public safety coordinator for Super Bowl LII. “The  is just a massive operation and very co
  
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• Home Security System Scares Off Would-Be Burglar: Wolcott PD

  03-02-2018 22:08
  
  A home security system scared off a would-be burglar in Wolcott Saturday morning, according to Wolcott police.Photo Credit: Wolcott Police Department
  
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• No. 8 Cincinnati Beats UConn 65-57 For 14th Straight Win

  03-02-2018 20:50
  STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Jacob Evans III scored 19 points to lead No. 8 Cincinnati to its 14th straight win, 65-57 over a struggling UConn team.
  Kyle Washington added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bearcats (21-2, 10-0 American), who never trailed.
  Jalen Adams scored 20 points and Christian Vital added 18 for the Huskies, who have lost five of their last six to fall below the .500 mark at 11-12 (4-6) American.
  The Bearcats shot just 36 percent from the floor, 10 percentage points below thei
  
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• Restaurant Manager Charged With Murder Returning To Court

  03-02-2018 19:12
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut restaurant manager charged in the fatal workplace shooting of a cook is set to return to court and possibly enter a not guilty plea to murder.
  James Goolsby is charged in the Dec. 30 killing of Norris Jackson, who was shot four times inside the Bonchon Chicken restaurant in Manchester. Police say negative reviews of the restaurant on the Yelp website may have been factors in the shooting.
  Goolsby, of Hartford, is scheduled to appear Monday in Hartford S
  
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• Hawaii false missile alert sender says he thought drill was real

  03-02-2018 18:56
  HONOLULU, HI — The man who says he sent out the false ballistic missile alert last month in Hawaii that caused more than a half hour of panic said Friday he thinks he is being treated unfairly, and he was positive at the time the drill was real.
  The man, who said he doesn’t want to be identified for security reasons, was fired by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) earlier this week. He told CNN on Friday that he feels terrible about what happened, but he did wh
  
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• Rotten Tomatoes condemns plan to flood ‘Black Panther’ with negative reviews

  03-02-2018 18:25
  HOLLYWOOD, CA– The highly anticipated blockbuster film “Black Panther” is apparently not eagerly awaited by everyone.
  While fans have been buzzing about the Marvel movie’s February 16 opening, a group has been trying to organize others to flood Rotten Tomatoes with negative reviews about the film.
  Using the hashtags #DCOverMarvel and #BringDownDisney, a Facebook event was set up for February 15-24 and listed as being hosted by “Down with Disney’s Treatment of
  
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• Oops: City loses insurance policy in wrongful imprisonment 

  03-02-2018 18:16
  HARTFORD— Hartford officials say they cannot find a 30-year-old insurance policy that would play a key role in any damages or settlement the city would have to pay in a lawsuit filed by a man who was wrongly imprisoned for murder for two decades.That prompted a federal magistrate judge last week to order the city to subpoena insurance companies in an effort to find it.
  Miguel Roman filed the federal lawsuit against the city and police officials in 2011, alleging malicious prosecution and v
  
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• Growing Concerns Over K2 Use in New Haven After 7 Overdoses

  03-02-2018 17:34
  
  Following more than a dozen overdoses in a week, officials in New Haven are warning the public of the dangers of the street drug known as K2.
  
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• Ex-Student To Undergo Mental Exam In Sex Abuse Case

  03-02-2018 17:15
  SALISBURY, Conn. (AP) – A former student suing an exclusive Connecticut boarding school for alleged sexual abuse in the 1980s will undergo anindependent mental examination at the request of school lawyers.
  Attorneys for the Hotchkiss School in Salisbury said in court documents the exam is needed because the former student is claiming emotional distress andmental pain and anguish due to the alleged abuse.
  Court documents show the former student, known only as John Doe in the case, and his l
  
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• The Nunes memo – an FBI agent’s perspective

  03-02-2018 17:02
  HARTFORD —  On Friday, President Trump declassified a controversial secret memo alleging anti-Trump bias within the FBI and Department of Justice.  The release of this memo, which was compiled by Republican staffers on the House Intelligence Committee, comes out against strong objections by the FBI, which has expressed “grave concerns about the memo's accuracy”.
  Following the release of the now unclassified memo, FOX61’s Ben Goldman spoke with a retired FB
  
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• I-84 in West Hartford, Farmington Reopen After Crashes

  03-02-2018 15:59
  
  Interstate 84 west and east in West Hartford and Farmington have reopened following multiple serious crashes on Friday night.
  
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• East Hampton Home Destroyed by Fire

  03-02-2018 15:48
  
  A home in East Hampton was destroyed by a fire Saturday morning.Photo Credit: Portland, CT Fire Department
  
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• Ammo seller to Las Vegas killer arrested on federal charge

  03-02-2018 15:18
   MESA, AZ — Douglas Haig, an Arizona man who says he sold tracer ammunition to the gunman in October’s Las Vegas massacre, was arrested Friday on a charge of manufacturing and selling armor-piercing bullets in violation of federal law.
  A criminal complaint alleges two unfired .308-caliber rounds found in gunman Stephen Paddock’s hotel room had Haig’s fingerprints on them as well as tool marks from his workshop. The bullets in the cartridges were classified as armor-p
  
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• The Stan Simpson Show: How social media can play a role in reducing teen suicide

  03-02-2018 12:31
  Social and digital media expert David Ryan Polgar joins The Stan Simspon Show to talk about how social media can play a role in detecting depression or mental illness among its users.
  
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• The Stan Simspon Show: St. Agnes Home for teen moms closes after 100 years

  03-02-2018 12:30
  Since 1914, St. Agnes Home in West Hartford has been a safe haven for young mothers.
  It started as place where mothers could leave their infants for adoption. It evolved into a residential home for teen moms, teaching them life skills and self-esteem.
  St. Agnes recently closed its doors abruptly.
  The state is referring more teen moms to foster homes or homes where relatives reside. After 100 years, St. Agnes leaves a legacy of empowering thousands of young moms.
  Joining Stan Simpson is exiting
  
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• Firefighters from many towns battle house fire in East Hampton

  03-02-2018 12:07
  Crews are on the scene of a major house fire at 22 Knowles Road in East Hampton.
  The call came in about 2:40 a.m.  Officials say smoke detectors alerted the five people in the home and they escaped without injury. Mutual aid was called in from surrounding towns, including a number of tanker trucks.  Dispatchers tell FOX61 news that there was no hydrant in the area, so water availability was an issue.
  The East Hampton fire chief tells FOX61’s Esther Katro that the home was built i
  
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• Child mortality rates worse in US among 20 wealthy nations

  03-02-2018 06:21
  A recent study by Johns Hopkins compared the U.S. to almost two dozen other similarly rich countries, and it found that we’re not measuring up when it comes to infant and child mortality rates.
  The study found kids aged 1-19 had a 57 percent greater risk of death, and infants had a 76 percent percent greater risk of death compared to those other countries.
  To be fair, the U.S'. mortality rates in both those age groups have been trending downward, but those other rich countries’ mort
  
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• 2 People, 2 Dogs Rescued From Enfield Fire

  03-02-2018 05:44
  
  Enfield firefighters said two people and two dogs were rescued from a burning home on Riverdale Road on Friday afternoon.Photo Credit: NBC Connnecticut
  
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• Emotional Vigil Held for Teen Fatally Shot in Guilford

  03-02-2018 05:36
  
  Family and friends in Guilford gathered Friday night for a candlelight vigil to honor Ethan Song, the 15-year-old who died from a gunshot on Wednesday.Photo Credit: Song Family
  
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• Fired Walmart employee returns to store to retrieve heroin he left behind, sheriff’s department says

  03-02-2018 05:35
  TACOMA, Wash. - An employee who was fired from a Washington State Walmart for allegedly trying to steal a safe returned to the store days later to try to retrieve what he had left in the safe - his drugs, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
  "On Sunday morning the fired employee called the Walmart store and said that he was coming in to pick up a safe that he 'forgot' at the store," the sheriff's department said in a report on its Facebook page. "Thinking this was suspicious, lo
  
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• Missing California woman turns up on ‘The Bachelor’

  03-02-2018 05:34
  LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A woman reported missing in Northern California last November has been found in an unusual, but highly visible place: on a popular reality television program.
  Eagle-eyed viewers of “The Bachelor” identified Rebekah Helena Martinez this week as a contestant on the show’s current season after the North Coast Journal showed her photo among 35 people missing in Humboldt County, according to the publication.
  Rebekah Martinez is seen in a photo posted on t
  
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• Woman posts video of hair dryer turning into a ‘blowtorch’

  03-02-2018 05:33
  SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A South Carolina woman says her new hair dryer turned into a “blowtorch” after flames shot out when she turned it on.
  Erika Shoolbred, of Spartanburg, posted about the “hair frier” on Facebook Monday, saying she had received the item through Amazon.The post read, “Talk about a bad hair day! My new hair dryer (more like hair frier) from OraCorp on Amazon.com became a blow torch on its first use this morning.”
  The dryer left a small bur
  
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• Super Bowl LII prop bets include Belichik’s outfit, the color of the Gatorade

  03-02-2018 05:33
  The Super Bowl is the most watched event every year on TV and that means plenty of people who don’t care about football are tuning in, or joining friends for a Big Game gathering. The NFL knows this and so do the sportsbooks and that’s why the pregame and half-time entertainment is important and so are the associated prop bets, according to sister site Covers.com.
  People won and lost money last year depending on what color hair Lady Gaga sported during the halftime show and by how m
  
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• Student paid stripper to visit middle school in Texas

  03-02-2018 05:33
  AUSTIN, Texas — A student at a middle school in Texas paid a stripper to visit campus on Thursday, school administrators confirmed to the American-Statesman.
  According to the paper, the woman went went to the provided address around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. When she arrived and discovered it was Grisham Middle School, she called the front office and explained what happened.
  According to Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, a spokeswoman for Round Rock Independent School District, the woman did not e
  
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• AUDIO: Cops allegedly radio for help after eating pot edibles, hallucinating while on duty

  03-02-2018 05:32
  TORONTO – It sounds like a potentially perilous situation: an officer calling for assistance while on duty. Except in the case of two Toronto officers on Sunday, the problem wasn’t gunfire or an uncooperative arrestee—it was pot the cops had allegedly consumed.
  CBC News reports the officers, whose names haven’t been released by the department, allegedly ate marijuana edibles near a police station and then reportedly started to hallucinate.
  That’s when CBC News repo
  
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• Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards dies at 74

  03-02-2018 05:31
  CHICAGO – Grammy award-winning singer and member of The Temptations Dennis Edwards has died, his wife, Brenda Edwards, confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  Edwards was 74 years old.
  His wife told the Post that the Motown legend died at a Chicago area hospital after suffering complications related to meningitis.
  “My uncle Dennis Edwards passed away this morning,” Edwards’ nephew, Jason Quebec, posted on social media Friday. “Please keep my family in prayer.&rdqu
  
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• Teen arrested after disturbing kitten abuse video surfaces

  03-02-2018 05:29
  Warning: Cellphone footage in the video below is disturbing.
  PATTERSON, Calif. – A senior at a Northern California high school was arrested Friday morning after a video that appears to show him throwing a kitten into a body of water was posted online.
  Police say the video was shot over a year ago, but it surfaced this week and has been shared across social media hundreds of times.
  "My heart, it just left my body," said Nicole Pinheiro, who shared the video. "And I showed my mom and she bu
  
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• New Britain barbershop buzzing up Patriots, Eagles logos for haircuts

  03-02-2018 05:13
  NEW BRITAIN --  Some fans show their team support with team gear, tattoos and even on their cars. But a local barber is calling out all super fans to come and get their team logos on their heads before the big game Sunday.
  At International Barbershop, barber Javier Cruz is marrying his love for hair styling and sports. If you want a logo or your players number, he says step right up.
  
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• NBC Connecticut Responds Recovers Quarter-Million Dollars for Viewers

  03-02-2018 05:06
  
  NBC Connecticut Responds has recovered a quarter of a million dollars and counting for residents looking to resolve consumer problems.
  
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• Escaped Inmate Returned To Connecticut

  03-02-2018 03:43
  (WTIC News)– Jerry Mercado, the inmate who escaped from the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield January 7th, has been returned to Connecticut.The 25 year old Mercado, who had been serving a three year sentence for burglary, was apprehended January 17th in Canton, Georgia.He initially fought extradition, but later waived that right.
  It is believed Mercado made his escape by hiding in the undercarriage of a vehicle to get out of the prison.
  Representatives from the Connecticut
  
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• Run For Refugees in New Haven On Super Bowl Sunday

  03-02-2018 02:51
  
  On Sunday morning before the Super Bowl, more than 3,000 people are expected to attend the 11th Run for Refugees in New Haven in support of Integrated Refugees and Immigrant Services (IRIS).
  
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• I-84 in West Hartford, Farmington Shut Down After Crashes

  03-02-2018 02:27
  
  Interstate 84 west and east in West Hartford and Farmington are shut down following serious crashes on Friday night.
  
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• I-84 eastbound in Farmington closed following multi-vehicle crash

  03-02-2018 02:13
  FARMINGTON — I-84 eastbound is closed between exits 39 and 39A following a multi-vehicle crash Friday night.
  At this time, there is no word if anyone was injured.
  
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• Eastford Duck Makes Weather and Super Bowl Prediction

  03-02-2018 01:59
  
  Groundhog Day featured Punxsutawney Phil predicting six more weeks of winter, while Connecticut's groundhog, Chuckles, didn't see his shadow and predicted an early spring.
  
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• The Game Behind The Game: Super Bowl ads for 2018

  03-02-2018 01:56
  AVON -- The hard sell is on.
  In Avon, at the offices of marketing agency Adams & Knight, the game behind the game has begun.
  This year a Super Bowl ad will cost just north of $5 million for a 30-second spot so every moment counts according to Pat Dugan, creative director at Adams & Knight.
  "This is one of the few opportunities to really capture the bulk of America," Dugan said.
  Among Dugan's favorite spots so far, an ad for Amazon's Alexa, "its got celebrities, its got humor and hi
  
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• Community still grieving the loss of Guilford teen who was fatally shot inside a home

  03-02-2018 01:43
  GUILFORD --  Still no word whether Guilford High School freshman Ethan Song died accidentally after being shot Wednesday afternoon inside of a Seaside Avenue home.
  The Superintendent of Guilford Schools called Thursday a long, sad day at Guilford High School. Friday, the same support was in place, including a special room.
  "A quiet place with food and coffee and a place to be if they’re not ready to be in class yet," said Dr. Paul Freeman, Superintendent of&n
  
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• Ex-West Hartford Student Teacher Charged With Sex Assault

  03-02-2018 01:33
  
  A former assistant track coach and student teacher at Conard High School in West Hartford has been accused of sexually assaulting a student, according to the New Britain Police Department.Photo Credit: New Britain Police Department
  
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• Sexting Incidents at Stonington High School Being Investigated

  03-02-2018 01:16
  
  Stonington High School officials and town police are investigating incidents of sexting at the high school, according to an email the principal sent to parents and guardians on Thursday night.
  
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• I-84 westbound in West Hartford closed following serious motor vehicle accident

  03-02-2018 01:11
  WEST HARTFORD – I-84 westbound is closed at exit 40 due to a motor vehicle accident Friday evening.
  The closure happened around 6:50 p.m. State police said this is a multi-vehicle accident and several occupants were taken to the hospital. One person is being treated for serious injuries.
  #CTtraffic: I84 wb x40 West Hartford remains closed for eb to wb crossover rollover crash w/ejection & entrapment. Occupants transported to hospital by EMS, at least one with serious injury. Seek alte
  
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• Cause Of Simsbury Barn Fire Determined

  03-02-2018 00:18
  SIMSBURY, Conn. (AP) _ Officials in Connecticut have formally concluded that a worn electrical outlet accidentally caused a barn fire that killed 24 horses in December.
  The Hartford Courant reports the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Department on Friday released its investigative report on the blaze at Folly Farm.
  The report says the fire began in an electrical outlet in a water heater closet in the 23,000-square-foot arena barn. Officials said a garden hose hung on the closet door often came into cont
  
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