‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash ‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash
‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash Support is pouring in for a high school student and aspiring firefighter who was among those severely injured in a New York charter bus crash that killed two teachers and injured dozens of students. Audrina Crocitto was onboard the Regency charter bus carrying members of the Farmingdale High School marching band from Long Island to a camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania when it careened off I-84 in Orange County, in the town of Wawayanda, and rolled several times down an embankment Thursday, Sept. 21. The crash injured at least 43 students and killed the school's band director, 43-year-old Gina Pe…
Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect
Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect The New York charter bus company involved in a deadly highway crash that killed two educators and left dozens of high school band students hospitalized holds a “satisfactory” safety rating, though records show nearly two dozen maintenance violations in recent years. A check of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) website shows that Regency Charter Buses, based in Suffolk County in Nesconset, was involved in one injury crash in the past two years. Records do not specify who was at fault. The company was given a “satisfactory” safety rating in March 2019, though records r…
Yale University, Professor To Pay $1.5M To VA: Failed To Share Patent Royalties, Feds Say Yale University, Professor To Pay $1.5M To VA: Failed To Share Patent Royalties, Feds Say
Yale University, Professor To Pay $1.5M To VA: Failed To Share Patent Royalties, Feds Say Yale University and a professor who teaches there have agreed to pay over $1.5 million to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs after failing to share patent royalties for inventions, officials said. Yale University and one of its professors, John Krystal, will pay $1,507,743.67 as part of a settlement with the Department of Veterans Affairs after failing to let the institution know about certain patents and not sharing royalties earned on them, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Thursday, Sept. 21.  According to federal officials,…
Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84 Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84
Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84 As school bells rang and a new day started for students at a Long Island high school where five of their fellow classmates remain in critical condition following a horrific bus crash that killed two adults, state, and federal officials are investigating the incident. The Orange County crash happened at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on I-84 in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15A. The charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County was heading to Greeley, Pennsylvania for band camp when one of the six buses carrying students went through the wi…
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific I-84 Bus Crash New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific I-84 Bus Crash
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific I-84 Bus Crash Tributes have begun pouring in for the victims of a deadly high school bus crash in New York that claimed the lives of two educators, including a beloved band director, and left several students hospitalized. Latest update - Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84 The Orange County crash happened at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on I-84 in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15. A charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School, in Nassau County on Long Island, was heading to Greeley, Pennsylvania fo…
CSCU Board Of Regents Welcomes Newest Members Martin Guay, Ted Yang CSCU Board Of Regents Welcomes Newest Members Martin Guay, Ted Yang
Cscu Board Of Regents Welcomes Newest Members Martin Guay, Ted Yang Governor Ned Lamont has named two Connecticut business leaders to the Board of Regents of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system. Martin Guay, Vice President, Business Development at New Britain-based Stanley Black & Decker, and Ted Yang, founder of several companies and nonprofits including 4CT, the state’s largest COVID relief fund, and President of Cantata Media, Daily Voice’s parent company, are set to serve six-year terms on the Board, replacing two departing members. The Board of Regents is made up of 22 members. Nine are appointed by the governor.  Th…
NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport
NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport A tweet by David Brooks, a conservative commentator who writes for the New York Times, complaining about the price of a meal at Newark Airport has gone viral, with some questioning its authenticity. Brooks lamented that his burger, fries and alcohol combo cost $78 in a tweet that has been viewed almost 15 million times. This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible. pic.twitter.com/1qeV9qOBL3 — David Brooks (@nytdavidbrooks) September 21, 2023 "This is why Americans think the economy is terrible," Brooks tweeted with a photo of the foo…
Video - New Update: Third Suspect Now Sought In Violent Home Garage Carjacking In Westport Video - New Update: Third Suspect Now Sought In Violent Home Garage Carjacking In Westport
Video - New Update: Third Suspect Now Sought In Violent Home Garage Carjacking In Westport Police are seeking additional suspects in the carjacking and beating of a Fairfield County man in the garage of his home. The incident occurred in Westport around 3:50 p.m. on Bayberry Lane on Sunday, Sept. 17. According to Lt. Eric Woods of the Westport Police, the victim returned home and pulled into the garage when two suspects entered and assaulted the homeowner while sitting in a blue Aston Martin. Original report: Westport Resident Beaten, Carjacked In Own Garage, Police Say The man was beaten and then dragged out of the vehicle before it was stolen. Police have arrested a N…
COVID-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail COVID-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail
Covid-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail Just days after the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot started, the Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday, Sept. 20 that its program of offering free rapid tests for the virus through the mail will be restarted. Every American household may order four of the tests starting Monday, Sept. 25 by visiting covid.gov/tests. But first, before throwing out tests past their expiration dates, HHS recommends visiting this page to see if expiration dates have been extended. The news comes as a newly identified COVID-19 strain BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, w…
Westport Man Pleads Guilty Of Ripping Off Rapper 50 Cent Of $2 Million In Business Scheme Westport Man Pleads Guilty Of Ripping Off Rapper 50 Cent Of $2 Million In Business Scheme
Westport Man Pleads Guilty Of Ripping Off Rapper 50 Cent Of $2 Million In Business Scheme A Fairfield County man admitted orchestrating a $2.19 million scheme to defraud an alcohol company owned by rapper 50 Cent by causing them to overpay for champagne and cognac and collecting kickbacks. District of New Jersey US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Mitchell E. Green, age 44, of Westport, pleaded guilty Monday, Sept. 18  to one count of wire fraud. “Though he was supposed to negotiate the best deal possible for his employer, Green set up secret side deals to inflate what his employer paid so that he could reap millions of dollars in kickbacks," Sellingere said. A…
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone' NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone'
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone' In a major reversal, actress Drew Barrymore has halted her daytime talk show due to the ongoing writers’ strike after facing days of backlash for initially pressing on with the show. The 48-year-old “Charlie’s Angels” and “50 First Dates” star, who owns a home on Long Island in the village of Sagaponack, took to Instagram Sunday, Sept. 17, issuing another apology and announcing that production on her show’s fourth season will not resume after all. “I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over," Barrymore said. "I have no wo…
COVID-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States COVID-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States
Covid-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States A newly identified COVID-19 strain with around 30 mutations has now been identified in 10 states. Cases of the BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, have been confirmed in:  Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, New York,  Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington. The Michigan case, the first in the US, was an older woman who had recently returned from Japan who reportedly had mild symptoms. Related story - COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Spreading In US At a World Health Organization (WHO) news briefing late last month, authorities said …
New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle Finds New, Loving Home In CT New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle Finds New, Loving Home In CT
New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle Finds New, Loving Home In CT A poodle that was rescued from a Hudson Valley home after being found severely matted and in poor health has found a new loving home in Connecticut. Pierre the mini-poodle was discovered in Putnam County on Saturday, Aug. 5 after detectives from the county's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to a residence in the town of Patterson on Lake Shore Drive.  Earlier Report - Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle Found At Patterson Residence: Owner Charged, Police Say According to the SPCA, the detectives found the 9-year-old Pierre inside the home suffering from ex…
Danbury Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault, Child Porn Charges Danbury Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault, Child Porn Charges
Danbury Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault, Child Porn Charges A Fairfield County man has been found guilty of multiple sexual assault and child pornography charges by a jury. Kenneth Gardner, age 53, of Danbury, was found guilty of the crimes on Monday, Sept. 11 in Superior Court, said David R. Applegate, Danbury State’s Attorney. He was found guilty of: Three counts of sexual assault Five counts of illegal sexual contact Attempt to commit sexual assault Conspiracy to commit sexual assault Possession of child pornography Gardner was arrested in May 2022 following an investigation that began in September 2021 following a complaint in which a v…
CT Man Gets Prison Time For Tax Evasion: Ordered To Pay Over $160K To IRS CT Man Gets Prison Time For Tax Evasion: Ordered To Pay Over $160K To IRS
CT Man Gets Prison Time For Tax Evasion: Ordered To Pay Over $160K To IRS A 61-year-old Connecticut man will spend time in prison for filing a false tax return and providing false documentation to an Internal Revenue Service attorney, federal officials announced.  Tolland County resident David Kamal, age 61, of Stafford, was sentenced on Monday, Sept. 11 to eight months in prison for tax evasion, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  Earlier Report - CT Man Charged With Tax Fraud, Obstruction, ID Theft Offenses According to federal officials, Kamal, a former Hebron resident, purposefully evaded taxes for the 2012 tax…
Manatee Spotted In Waters Near CT After Traveling Hundreds Of Miles: Here's Where Manatee Spotted In Waters Near CT After Traveling Hundreds Of Miles: Here's Where
Manatee Spotted In Waters Near CT After Traveling Hundreds Of Miles: Here's Where Officials and scientists are monitoring the first manatee to be spotted in waters off Southern New England in seven years.  The manatee was seen in Quonochontaug Pond in Rhode Island, which is located on the state's coastline just over five miles from the Connecticut border, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced on Monday, Sept. 11.  The sighting is the first time a manatee has been seen in Southern New England since 2016 since a member of the species was spotted off the coast of Cape Cod, officials said. Officials from the DEM, the US Fish …
Hurricane Lee: Eversource Bringing In Extra Crews To Region As Storm Comes Closer Hurricane Lee: Eversource Bringing In Extra Crews To Region As Storm Comes Closer
Hurricane Lee: Eversource Bringing In Extra Crews To Region As Storm Comes Closer With the threat of Hurricane Lee drawing near, Eversource is preparing for power outages by enacting emergency response plans and bringing extra crews to the region to help with repairs. The preparations come as meteorologists predict Lee's arrival in the region on Friday night, Sept. 15, which will likely bring high wind gusts and heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.  Earlier Report - Here Comes Hurricane Lee: Watches, Advisories Stretch From NY Through New England Eversource President of Electric Operations in Connecticut Steve Sullivan warned that the sto…
Threat Grows For Hurricane Lee To Be Rare Significant Storm To Hit Eastern New England Threat Grows For Hurricane Lee To Be Rare Significant Storm To Hit Eastern New England
Threat Grows For Hurricane Lee To Be Rare Significant Storm To Hit Eastern New England As meteorologists predict a possible New England landfall for Hurricane Lee, the prospect is bringing memories of other past storms that slammed into Massachusetts throughout the 20th century.  According to the latest computer models from the National Weather Service, Hurricane Lee may make landfall in eastern Maine on Monday morning, Sept. 18, bringing powerful winds, heavy rains, and high surf along with it and possibly devastating parts of Eastern Massachusetts. Click here for the latest update - Here Comes Hurricane Lee: Watches, Advisories Stretch From NY Through New England Whil…
Beardsley Zoo In Bridgeport Uncovers Cause Of Exotic Monkey's Deaths Beardsley Zoo In Bridgeport Uncovers Cause Of Exotic Monkey's Deaths
Beardsley Zoo In Bridgeport Uncovers Cause Of Exotic Monkey's Deaths Following the death of two Callimico monkeys at the Beardsley Zoo in Fairfield County, zoo officials are underscoring its longstanding commitment to animal safety and welfare. The monkeys, also known as Goeldi’s, named Monty and Jovi died in August at the zoo in Bridgeport, after consuming a live mouse that had been contaminated with a rodent control product, said zoo officials following a necropsy.  "This was an incredibly rare occurrence involving a product that had been used without incident in the building for more than a decade," they added. The control product was…
Mosquitoes Carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis Found In These 6 CT Towns Mosquitoes Carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis Found In These 6 CT Towns
Mosquitoes Carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis Found In These 6 CT Towns Officials are warning residents to take precautions after mosquitoes carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a potentially fatal disease, were found in six Connecticut towns.  The infection-carrying mosquitoes were found in six towns across Tolland, Windham, and New London Counties, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station announced on Tuesday, Sept. 12.  The six towns where the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) carrying mosquitoes were found were:  Hampton; Killingly; Thompson; Tolland; Voluntown; Woodstock. According to Philip Armstrong, a medical…
COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants
Covid-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants Health officials are one step closer to rolling out updated COVID-19 vaccines just in time for a rise in cases heading into the fall and winter months. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new vaccines on Monday, Sept. 11, that are meant to better target currently circulating COVID-19 variants and provide better protection against hospitalization and death, the agency announced. Monday’s move affects vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. The updated mRNA vaccines are each approved for people ages 12 and older and are authorized under emergency use for children ages 6 mo…
Dozens Sickened After Dining At Long Island Restaurant Dozens Sickened After Dining At Long Island Restaurant
Dozens Sickened After Dining At Long Island Restaurant A popular Long Island restaurant has reopened after 28 people received food poisoning after eating alleged bad rice. The incident took place in Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Kumo Sushi & Steakhouse. The Suffolk County Police Department and 13 local fire departments responded to the restaurant to help the ailing patrons, officials said. At least 28 individuals reported symptoms, and 12 people were treated at Stony Brook University Hospital, the department said. Witnesses reported seeing people vomiting at the restaurant. The patients were released within hours and none staye…
$750K Fraud Case: Shelton Man Sentenced $750K Fraud Case: Shelton Man Sentenced
$750K Fraud Case: Shelton Man Sentenced A Fairfield County man has been sentenced to prison for defrauding Amazon for almost $750,000. Oshane Steward, age 31, of Shelton, was sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 5 to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, Stewart created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis.  He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses, and other identifying inform…
(UPDATE) Woman Critical After Lightning Strike In Boston; Lost Dog Returned To Her Family (UPDATE) Woman Critical After Lightning Strike In Boston; Lost Dog Returned To Her Family
(Update) Woman Critical After Lightning Strike In Boston; Lost Dog Returned To Her Family Update: Massachusetts State Police said they had found the woman's dog and returned it to her grateful family. The woman remains in critical condition after she was struck by lightning on Saturday in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.  Original: A 31-year-old Boston woman was in critical condition Saturday night, Sept. 9, after she was struck by lightning while walking her dog in the Dorchester neighborhood, authorities said. Her dog, terrified by the strike, ran away, and police are asking the public to help find it.  The woman, who was not identified, was walking at Sav…
CT Hearing Aid Dealer Gets Years In Prison For Submitting False Medicaid Claims CT Hearing Aid Dealer Gets Years In Prison For Submitting False Medicaid Claims
CT Hearing Aid Dealer Gets Years In Prison For Submitting False Medicaid Claims The 54-year-old owner of a Connecticut hearing aid dealer will spend several years in prison for submitting false claims to the state's Medicaid program for services and equipment that were not provided or were medically unnecessary.  New Haven County resident Dennis Dellaghelfa, age 54, of Waterbury, was sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to four years in prison for health care fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Dellaghelfa, a licensed hearing instrument specialist, is the owner of Waterbury-based hea…
Company Pulls Spicy Chip After New England Teen's Death Company Pulls Spicy Chip After New England Teen's Death
Company Pulls Spicy Chip After New England Teen's Death The company that makes the impossibly spicy viral product has pulled the "One Chip Challenge" from shelves after the family of a 14-year-old New England resident said he died last week after trying to complete it.  The company posted a statement on its website that it had clearly stated the challenge was for adults only, but they would remove the product out of an "abundance of caution." "The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting the chip is not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food aller…
Invasive Tick Found In Fairfield: Could Have 'Significant' Health Impact, Researchers Say Invasive Tick Found In Fairfield: Could Have 'Significant' Health Impact, Researchers Say
Invasive Tick Found In Fairfield: Could Have 'Significant' Health Impact, Researchers Say Following the third confirmed discovery of an Asian longhorned tick in Connecticut, researchers are warning of the potential health impacts that the invasive arachnids could bring to the state.  The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory identified one Asian longhorned tick in Fairfield County over the summer after it was submitted by someone in the town of Fairfield, University of Connecticut officials announced on Thursday, Sept. 7. The tick is the third case that the laboratory has seen in Connecticut since the species arrived in the US in 2017. The firs…
West Nile Virus In CT: Second Positive Case In 2023 Identified By Officials West Nile Virus In CT: Second Positive Case In 2023 Identified By Officials
West Nile Virus In CT: Second Positive Case In 2023 Identified By Officials The discovery of a second positive case of West Nile Virus infection in a Connecticut resident this year has led state health officials to warn people to protect themselves against mosquitoes.  The state's second human case of West Nile Virus in 2023 was identified in a Hartford County resident who tested positive for the disease, the CT Department of Public Health announced on Thursday, Sept. 7.  The resident, who is between 50 and 59 years old, became ill with West Nile meningoencephalitis during the third week of August and was hospitalized as a result. They have since rec…
Democrats, Republicans Agree: Boston Voted Second-Safest City In US, New Gallup Poll Finds Democrats, Republicans Agree: Boston Voted Second-Safest City In US, New Gallup Poll Finds
Democrats, Republicans Agree: Boston Voted Second-Safest City In US, New Gallup Poll Finds Almost three-quarters of Americans think that Boston is one of the safest cities in the country, according to new poll.  It's one of the few things Republicans and Democrats agree on these days. However, a person's political party is becoming a driving factor in what they consider is safe.  In a Gallup poll, 74 percent of Americans believed Boston was a safe city to live in or visit. The survey looked at 16 of the country's biggest cities. Only Dallas performed better.  Seattle, Las Vegas, and Miami followed Boston as third, fourth, and fifth-safest cities, respectivel…
Brain Freeze Time: Dairy Queen Offering Fall Blizzard Flavors For 85 Cents Brain Freeze Time: Dairy Queen Offering Fall Blizzard Flavors For 85 Cents
Brain Freeze Time: Dairy Queen Offering Fall Blizzard Flavors For 85 Cents It might not be time to break out the flannel, but if you want an early brain freeze, Dairy Queen can help you with that and it will cost you less than a buck.  The franchise known for its annual classic Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat is kicking off the season a little early with the hopes that ice cream lovers will jump on board. And, the best part is if you use the Dairy Queen App you can snag one for just 85 cents at participating locations. The menu includes the classics but has also popped in a new one for a little treat for your tongue including: Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie pieces bl…
Liable Again: Trump Defamed E. Jean Carroll Second Time By Denying Sexual Abuse, Judge Rules Liable Again: Trump Defamed E. Jean Carroll Second Time By Denying Sexual Abuse, Judge Rules
Liable Again: Trump Defamed E. Jean Carroll Second Time By Denying Sexual Abuse, Judge Rules Months after a jury concluded that former President Donald Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll decades ago and then defamed her by calling her a liar, a federal judge in New York has found Trump liable in Carroll’s second defamation lawsuit. In his ruling issued Wednesday, Sept. 6, in US District Court in Manhattan, Judge Lewis Kaplan said Carroll has already proven that Trump defamed her, and the upcoming trial will only decide how much the former president must pay her in damages. Wednesday’s ruling comes after a federal jury in the first lawsuit awarded Carroll, now age 79 and l…