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COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern
Covid-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern A surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and around the globe is sparking concern among health officials who are warning that more severe variants of the virus may be coming. “COVID-19 is still very much with us and circulating in all countries," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said in a news conference last week. “Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks." Wastewater surveillance suggests that the circulation of COVID is two to 20 times…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Popular Italian Restaurant Chain Files For Bankruptcy, Closing Multiple Locations Popular Italian Restaurant Chain Files For Bankruptcy, Closing Multiple Locations
Popular Italian Restaurant Chain Files For Bankruptcy, Closing Multiple Locations Buca di Beppo is Buca di bankrupt. The popular Italian eatery chain announced it had filed for Chapter 11 this week and would close several underperforming locations, including restaurants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.  Like many other restaurant chains, Buca di Beppo said the business hadn't bounced back since the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer spending is lower than expected, and supply costs remain high, according to court documents. It's a common tale for several "fast-casual" dining restaurants that have failed to thrive in recent years.   Revenue for…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
Netflix's 'You' Shoots Scenes At NY Diner Netflix's 'You' Shoots Scenes At NY Diner
Netflix's 'You' Shoots Scenes At NY Diner The fifth and final season of a hit Netflix series took up residency at a Long Island diner to shoot some scenes. Lights, camera, action! The cast and crew of Netflix’s “You,” which began filming for its fifth and final season in early March 2024, popped by Long Beach’s Laurel Diner on Thursday, May 23. Find out why #joegoldberg aka #pennbadgley is #stalking the #laureldiner in #longbeachny in the 5th and season of #YOU on #netflix later this year! Posted by Laurel Diner on Thursday, May 23, 2024 Led by Penn Badgley (who also starred in “Gossip Girl” and “Easy A”), the show foll…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Ex-Olympian To Plead Guilty To Molesting Boys At Western Mass Summer Camp: DA Ex-Olympian To Plead Guilty To Molesting Boys At Western Mass Summer Camp: DA
Ex-Olympian To Plead Guilty To Molesting Boys At Western Mass Summer Camp: DA A 72-year-old former Olympic hurdler will plead guilty to molesting multiple boys while serving as a Massachusetts summer camp counselor and coach in the 1970s.  Conrad Avondale Mainwaring is expected to enter a guilty plea on Feb. 8 to charges of indecent assault and battery on boys 14 or younger, the Berkshire County District Attorney said. He was facing 12 counts, but it is unclear how many he will admit to.  Related: Former Olympian Facing New Charges For Assault On Child In Western Mass Mainwaring worked as a camp counselor at Camp Greylock for Boys, which taught sports…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
Can You Guess? New Study Reveals CT's Favored Dog Breed Can You Guess? New Study Reveals CT's Favored Dog Breed
Can You Guess? New Study Reveals CT's Favored Dog Breed Thanks to a new study, Connecticut's preferred breed of four-legged friends has been revealed.  According to a study by PetLab, the Nutmeg State's favored and most searched-for breed of dog is the Golden Retriever.  To determine this, PetLab's pet nutrition experts used Google's Keyword Planner to look at more than 200 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club alongside search terms such as "buy" and "adopt." This allowed them to produce a ranking for each US state's most searched-for breed over the last 12 months.  Connecticut is certainly not alone in this prefere…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
TGI Fridays Closing CT Locale, 30 Total Eateries Across Northeast TGI Fridays Closing CT Locale, 30 Total Eateries Across Northeast
TGI Fridays Closing CT Locale, 30 Total Eateries Across Northeast TGI Fridays is closing nearly 30 "underperforming" locations across the northeast and will sell eight restaurants to the chain's former CEO, the chain said in a news release. The 27 closures include restaurants in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In total, 36 TGI Fridays locations are shutting down nationwide. The company says about 1,000 employees, which represent more than 80% of those impacted, will be offered transfer opportunities. "As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and …

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by Chris Spiker
News
$1 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In Fairfield County $1 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In Fairfield County
$1 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In Fairfield County One lucky Connecticut Powerball player is walking away with $1 million bucks on a second-place ticket.  The $1 million ticket was sold in Fairfield County at the Camaro Mini Market in Monroe, said the Connecticut Lottery. The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and the red Powerball was 1.  The Power Play multiplier was 3X. No word yet on who the winner is. There were four $1 million Powerball winners across the country, including in California, Florida, and Maryland.  Each player matched all five white balls but did not have the red Powerbal…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Driving Drunk, Wrong Way Nabbed After Vehicle Bursts Into Flames On CT Roadway: Police Woman Driving Drunk, Wrong Way Nabbed After Vehicle Bursts Into Flames On CT Roadway: Police
Woman Driving Drunk, Wrong Way Nabbed After Vehicle Bursts Into Flames On CT Roadway: Police A woman was apprehended outside a vehicle that had burst into flames after police say she was driving the wrong way while intoxicated on a Connecticut roadway. The incident happened in Hartford County just before 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 on I-384 in Manchester. Connecticut State Police Troop H in Hartford received multiple calls reporting a wrong way driver traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes. Troopers then received additional reports that the same vehicle was on fire in the left lane, prior to the Exit 1 entrance ramp to I-384 eastbound. Responding troopers located the vehicle…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
And Just Like That: Lock Changed, Website Scrubbed Following George Santos’ Historic Ouster And Just Like That: Lock Changed, Website Scrubbed Following George Santos’ Historic Ouster
And Just Like That: Lock Changed, Website Scrubbed Following George Santos’ Historic Ouster Well, that didn’t take long. Now-former New York Rep. George Santos has been all but erased from the halls of Congress following his historic expulsion from office on Friday, Dec. 1. The disgraced Long Island Republican – whose former 3rd District includes parts of Nassau County and Queens – made a hasty exit from the House chamber once it was clear that the required two-thirds majority had been secured to seal his ouster. Earlier Report: US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote He did not address the throng of reporters who followed him to a waiting car, though CNN …

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote
US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote In an incredibly rare move, the US House voted to expel New York Rep. George Santos amid mounting accusations of criminality, ending his tumultuous Congressional stint and closing one of the most controversial chapters in American politics. An expulsion resolution brought by California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia overwhelmingly passed with 311 "yes" votes to 114 "no" votes on Friday, Dec. 1.  The resolution required a two-thirds majority vote in order to pass. Santos – a Long Island Republican whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau County and Queens – becomes only the sixth fed…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing
House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing Members of the US House are preparing for a third floor vote on whether to expel embattled New York Rep. George Santos amid allegations he stole money from donors. The House will vote on an expulsion resolution introduced by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California on Friday, Dec. 1, NBC News reports. If Garcia’s resolution passes, Santos will become the sixth House member ever removed from office. Earlier Report: Ethics Chair Asks House To Expel Santos After Finding 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking The Long Island Republican, whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau Cou…

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by Michael Mashburn
Real Estate
This Fairfield County Zip Code Among Most Expensive In US: Here's Where It Ranks This Fairfield County Zip Code Among Most Expensive In US: Here's Where It Ranks
This Fairfield County Zip Code Among Most Expensive In US: Here's Where It Ranks The Northeast is well-represented in new rankings of the 100 most expensive zip codes in the nation. Two of the top 10 zip codes according to Property Shark Real Estate Reports are in New York, with both on Long Island, in the Hamptons: No. 2 Sagaponack (zip code 11962) with a median home sale price in 2023 of $8,075,000, No. 6 (tie) Water Mill (11976) with a median home sale price in 2023 of $4,500,000. Six of the Top 10 zip codes are in California, including No. 1 Atherton (94027), located near San Francisco, ($8,300,000 median sales price). California has 79 of the 100 p…

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by Joe Lombardi