Connecticut news

• Verne Troyer, ‘Mini-Me’ in Austin Powers films, dies at 49

  21-04-2018 22:58
  LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me in two of the Austin Powers comedy films, has died at the age of 49, according to statements posted to his social media accounts.
  “Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh,” a statement posted to his social media said. “Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading
  
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• Avicii songs ring out from this Dutch town’s bell tower as a tribute to the late Swedish artist

  21-04-2018 22:48
  UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS — In a tribute to the late Swedish artist Avicii, a town in the Netherlands played some of his most popular songs with its bell tower on Saturday morning.
  The music rang out from the Dom Tower in Utrecht, Netherlands, CNN affiliate RTL Netherlands reported. It’s the tallest church tower in the country.
  Pim Brassien, 30, of Utrecht, filmed some of the tribute. He recognized the Avicii tracks “Wake Me Up,” “Without You” and “Hey Brothe
  
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• Rock climber airlifted by Lifestar following fall in Meriden park

  21-04-2018 22:10
  MERIDEN — A hiker was airlifted from Doctor Francis Giuffrida Park Saturday afternoon, after they fell and injured themselves.
  Firefighters were dispatched to the area around 1:30 p.m. to the scene. Firefighters said that the woman called 911 after she fell rock climbing. First responders had to perform a technical rope rescue to get to the hiker and get her into Lifestar.
  Firefighters said that the woman was conscious and alert during the incident. She was transported to Hartford Hos
  
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• LifeStar Responds to Meriden for Fall Victim

  21-04-2018 21:29
  
  A LifeStar helicopter has responded to Meriden to transport a woman who fell from some rocks.Photo Credit: Semso Becirovic
  
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• Sports stars, dignitaries arrive to Barbara Bush funeral

  21-04-2018 17:51
  HOUSTON  — Former ambassadors along with sports and entertainment stars arrived on a gray, cloudy day to attend Saturday’s private funeral for Barbara Bush at the nation’s largest Episcopal church — a day after more than 6,000 people paid their respects to the woman known by many as “America’s matriarch.”Flags were flown at half-mast for the wife of the nation’s 41st president and mother of the nation’s 43rd. The first attendees arrived
  
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• Gambling bills in limbo as session adjournment nears

  21-04-2018 17:04
  HARTFORD — With the clock running out on Connecticut’s legislative session, it’s unclear which bills, if any, that could lead to more gambling will make it to the finish line before lawmakers hit the campaign trail.It’s also fuzzy whether the General Assembly will agree to instead spend money on an independent study of the issue.
  House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz this week said lawmakers “need to move forward with a comprehensive plan of what gambling looks like.”
  
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• Fire Damages Home in Middletown

  21-04-2018 16:59
  
  A fire broke out in a house in Middletown on Saturday morning.Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• Death of H.R. McMaster’s father being investigated as ‘suspicious’

  21-04-2018 16:44
  PHILADELPHIA — Police are investigating last week’s death of H.R. McMaster’s father as “suspicious,” the Philadephia Police Department said.
  H.R. McMaster Sr., the father of the military general and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, died last Friday of blunt impact head trauma, according to the Philadelphia Department of Health. His death was ruled an accident, said James Garrow, a department spokesman.
  Police didn’t elaborate on why
  
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• “Graffiti-Free New London” Campaign

  21-04-2018 15:46
  NEW LONDON – The New London Police Department has announced a new program aimed at eliminating graffiti in the City of New London.
  “Graffiti-Free New London” is a partnership between the police department, the New London Building Department, the New London Community & Campus Coalition and New London Youth Affairs. The program aims to identify vandalized properties and then team-up with youth volunteers to remove the graffiti.
  The police department says studies show tha
  
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• Driver in deadly immigrant smuggling case gets life sentence

  21-04-2018 14:58
  SAN ANTONIO, TX — The driver of a big rig involved in the deaths of 10 smuggled immigrants in Texas last year was sentenced Friday to life in prison.James Matthew Bradley Jr. pleaded guilty in October to a count of transporting the immigrants resulting in death and a conspiracy count. If he had gone to trial and been convicted, he could have faced the death penalty. The life term Bradley received from senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra doesn’t include the possibility of parole
  
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• Bus leaves Cleveland for New York, ends up in Toledo

  21-04-2018 14:34
  CLEVELAND — Greyhound says it is investigating how a bus meant to take passengers from Cleveland to New York ended up in Toledo.
  WEWS-TV reports that the bus left Cleveland several hours late on Thursday and was headed east through Pennsylvania when it started experiencing problems. The company says the driver was instructed to head back to Cleveland and get a new bus, but instead drove about two hours past it, to Toledo. The driver then turned around and went back to Cleveland.
  
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• Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 92nd birthday

  21-04-2018 13:54
  LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, celebrated her 92nd birthday on Saturday.
  To mark the occasion, the Royal Family Twitter account released archive photos of a young Queen Elizabeth and paid tribute to her lifelong dedication to public service.
  The Queen and other members of the royal family will attend a star-studded concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, according to the official royal Twitter account.
  The event, featuring per
  
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• Trumbull settles with family of woman lost during field trip

  21-04-2018 12:54
  TRUMBULL — A Connecticut town has agreed to pay a settlement to the family of a woman with Down syndrome who was left behind when her educational group went on a field trip.
  The Connecticut Post reports the 20-year-old woman was part of a school-run group for young adults with special needs in Trumbull. Her family’s attorney says she was in the bathroom when the rest of the group left for the trip to a local YMCA in May 2016.
  Police officers found her about two hours later,
  
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• The Stan Simpson Show: 7 Tips for Professional Success

  21-04-2018 12:31
  Hartford’s Joe Young has been a popular cartoonist, author, movie director and entertainment executive.
  Over the years – as an artist – he has experienced triumphs and tribulations. He’s now sharing those lessons with up-and-coming artists and entrepreneurs. His “7 Tips for Professional Success’’ can be applied to any industry.
  He joins The Stan Simspon Show to explain more.  
  
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• The Stan Simpson Show: Municipal leaders raise concerns about unfunded mandates that could be financially crippling

  21-04-2018 12:30
  Joe DeLong, Executive Director of the CT Conference of Municipalities is raising concerns about two legislative mandates that could result in fiscal distress for cities and towns.
  He joins the Stan Simpson Show to explain more.
  
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• Missouri Gov. Greitens indicted on felony computer-tampering charge

  21-04-2018 12:30
  ST. LOUIS — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted Friday on a felony charge of computer tampering relating to his campaign’s alleged procurement of a nonprofit donor list without the charity’s knowledge.
  Greitens founded the charity, The Mission Continues, to support military veterans as they readjust to civilian life. But a probable cause statement issued by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged that Greitens “directed the disclosure” of “d
  
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• MidState ER Hazmat Scare Caused by Baking Soda: Officials

  21-04-2018 05:53
  
  The emergency room at MidState Medical Center was locked down after a patient showed up with a white powdery substance on him Friday evening.Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• Police in Clinton, East Hartford Warn of Coyote Sightings

  21-04-2018 05:28
  
  Police in Clinton and East Hartford are issuing warning after coyote sightings in the two communities.Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
  
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• Southington Considers Ban on Candy Cigarettes

  21-04-2018 05:26
  
  The town of Southington is considering banning candy cigarettes from sale.Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• 40 Students at WestConn Fall Sick With 'Viral-Like Illness'

  21-04-2018 05:07
  
  Western Connecticut State University in Danbury is investigating after approximately 40 students fell sick Thursday and Friday.Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• Homework assignment asks students to list positive aspects of slavery

  21-04-2018 05:06
  A Texas charter school is apologizing after a teacher gave an assignment to an eighth grade American History class, asking students to list the positive aspects of slavery.
  “When I first read it, I thought, this was b.s.,” said Great Hearts Monte Vista eighth-grade student Manu Livar.
  Students in the class were supposed to complete an assignment on the “positive aspects” and “negative aspects” of the life of slaves, giving a “balanced view.” Manu s
  
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• Trump lawyer must say why he wants porn star’s case delayed

  21-04-2018 05:00
  LOS ANGELES  — President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer must declare in writing that his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination may be jeopardized if legal proceedings aren’t delayed in a lawsuit filed by porn actress Stormy Daniels, a judge said Friday.
  U.S. Judge S. James Otero in Los Angeles said there were “gaping holes” in Michael Cohen’s request for a delay and it was not enough for his attorney to file a statement on his behalf. He gave C
  
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• Police: Stalker broke into Taylor Swift’s NYC home, took nap

  21-04-2018 04:58
  Police say officers investigating a reported break-in Friday found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop star’s home in the Tribeca neighborhood.
  Alvarado, of Homestead, Florida, was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.
  It’s not clear whether he has an attorney who can speak for him.
  Alvarado was arrested at the same address on Feb. 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel.
  Swift was not home during Friday’s break-in
  
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• In new walkouts, students look to turn outrage to action

  21-04-2018 04:57
  Once again, they filed out of class. In a new wave of school walkouts, they raised their voices against gun violence. But this time, they were looking to turn outrage into action.
  Many of the students who joined demonstrations across the country Friday turned their attention to upcoming elections as they pressed for tougher gun laws and politicians who will enact them. Scores of rallies turned into voter registration drives. Students took the stage to issue an ultimatum to their lawmakers.
  "We
  
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• After baby hears for first time in viral video, mom works to empower other parents

  21-04-2018 03:45
  VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The emotional video shows Baby Charlotte, or Charly as she's affectionately known, go from fussing, to a smile, to almost crying as she hears her mother's voice for the first time.
  The moment, possible thanks to Charly's cochlear implants, has been viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube.
  "I could see in her eyes and her face that she was really, really happy," Christy Keane told WTKR.
  When Charly was born, she failed her first hearing test. Christy, w
  
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• Actress arrested in sex trafficking in ‘guru to stars’ case

  21-04-2018 01:21
  NEW YORK  — A television actress best known for playing a young Superman’s close friend pleaded not guilty Friday to sex trafficking after federal prosecutors said she worked as a slave “master” recruiting unsuspecting women to a cult-like group led by a man who sold himself as a self-improvement guru to the stars.
  Allison Mack was accused in an indictment unsealed by the federal court in Brooklyn. She entered her plea and was remanded to custody after Judge Cheryl P
  
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• New London Working to Become Graffiti-Free

  21-04-2018 01:07
  
  The New London Police Department and the community are arming themselves with paint to keep the city graffiti-free.
  
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• U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty refuses to discuss scandal

  21-04-2018 00:57
  KENT - Among the over 2,600 schools nationwide that took part in a national school walk out Friday to demand change in gun laws, was the Kent School.
  The featured speakers included embattled U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D - Connecticut).
  Esty was making one of her first public appearances in Connecticut since deciding against running for reelection, following a 2016 abuse scandal involving a former Chief of Staff.
  Prior to her stepping up to the podium to speak to the couple of hundred that gather
  
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• New Montville School Leadership Named Amid 'Fight Club' Case

  21-04-2018 00:38
  
  A Montville school superintendent, principal and assistant principal are all on leave after being arrested on charges of failing to tell authorities about an alleged student "fight club," supervised by...Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• CT Public Broadcasting Veterans Program Awarded $25K Grant

  21-04-2018 00:38
  
  The Veterans Vocational Program at the CT Public Broadcasting’s IAM Institute for Advanced Media utilizes advanced digital and technology skills to help veterans find jobs. The program is one of six Project...Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• Pensions and Increased Spending Dominate Budget Talk

  21-04-2018 00:37
  
  Up against a deadline to move the budget process along, Democrats and Republicans unveiled their plans for the 2019 fiscal year Friday.
  
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• North Korean leader: We no longer need nuclear tests, state-run media reports

  21-04-2018 00:34
  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the regime no longer needs nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests, state-run KCNA reported Saturday.
  Kim said Saturday that “under the proven condition of complete nuclear weapons, we no longer need any nuclear tests, mid-range and intercontinental ballistic rocket tests, and that the nuclear test site in northern area has also completed its mission,” as quoted by KCNA.
  
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• High Fire Danger Comes Amid Derby Brush Fire Investigation

  21-04-2018 00:32
  
  Wind gusts and dry conditions put the state under a high risk for fire danger Friday. The risk has the fire marshal’s office in Derby working even harder to solve a pair of recent brushfires which could...
  
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• Weekend Warm-up: A return to Spring by next week!

  21-04-2018 00:30
  The cold weather will finally begin to retreat! Much warmer conditions (closer to seasonal averages) will build in by the end of the weekend, with exceptionally warm temps for Monday. Maybe a 70 degree temp or two will be hit with the warm spell. High pressure will make a very slow movement through the area, keeping skies clear as we head into the middle of the week.
  While we might keep the warmth, and temps will stay near average, we will lose the sunshine by mid-week. Rain is expected to deve
  
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• Stratford Man’s Bank Account Drained in Online Order Glitch

  21-04-2018 00:26
  
  Rick Lavrado watched as $7,200 in charges hit his bank account minutes after placing an order online.Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
  
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• Elderly man killed in car accident in Bristol

  21-04-2018 00:00
  BRISTOL — Police said an elderly man died Friday following a multi-car accident.
  Bristol police said around 9:39 a.m., they responded to a multi-car crash on Jerome Avenue at Maple Street.
  “Emergency personnel responded and found one occupant of one of the involved vehicles unresponsive,” police said. “CPR was performed on scene and the occupant was transported by ambulance to Bristol Hospital where the occupant died.”
  Police identified the deceased occupant as 87-y
  
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