Fair 16°
Police & Fire
Ex-VA Nurse Who Stole Meds From Dying Patients In CT Will Avoid Jail Time: Feds Ex-VA Nurse Who Stole Meds From Dying Patients In CT Will Avoid Jail Time: Feds
Ex-VA Nurse Who Stole Meds From Dying Patients In CT Will Avoid Jail Time: Feds A former nurse at a Connecticut Veterans Administration hospital's intensive care unit who admitted to stealing medications from terminally ill patients will not serve prison time, authorities said. Tara Severino, 58, of West Haven, was sentenced to six months of home confinement and two years of probation on Thursday, Dec. 19, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  Severino was a nurse at the West Haven VA Medical Center, where she stole pain medications like fentanyl and hydromorphone from patients under her care, according to prosecutors. She accomplished this in several ways, inclu…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When
CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When Big Lots, the popular discount retailer, is officially going out of business.  The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, has announced plans to close all 963 of its remaining stores nationwide, including six locations in Connecticut. The last day of business is expected to be in mid-February, according to sources familiar with the closures. While official store closing sales have not yet begun, all Christmas items are currently 50% off, offering shoppers a chance to stock up before the doors shut for good. The closures mark the end of an era for the budget-frien…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
CT Has Nation's Largest Energy Bills: Residents Struggling To Keep Up, Data Shows CT Has Nation's Largest Energy Bills: Residents Struggling To Keep Up, Data Shows
CT Has Nation's Largest Energy Bills: Residents Struggling To Keep Up, Data Shows Nearly a third of Connecticut residents said they couldn't afford to pay a utility bill over the past year, according to a recent report based on data collected by U.S. authorities. That might be because Connecticut has the highest monthly electric bills in the nation. LendingTree released a report earlier this month on how Americans have struggled to make ends meet amid rising prices after analyzing data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). They found that 34 percent of people nationwide have skipped purchasing house necessities like food or medicine to cover a utility bil…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Big Lots To Begin 'Going Out Of Business' Sales At Nearly 1,000 Remaining Stores Big Lots To Begin 'Going Out Of Business' Sales At Nearly 1,000 Remaining Stores
Big Lots To Begin 'Going Out Of Business' Sales At Nearly 1,000 Remaining Stores Big Lots has announced plans to close all of its remaining 963 stores, initiating "going out of business" sales following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in September. The company says it's started the process of closing stores in 48 states and liquidating inventory under its court-supervised Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.  The decision comes as the retailer seeks to maximize value for stakeholders while exploring potential going-concern sale opportunities. "We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale," Big Lots' President and Chie…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
2 Inches Of Snow Could Fall This Weekend Across CT: Here's Your Forecast 2 Inches Of Snow Could Fall This Weekend Across CT: Here's Your Forecast
2 Inches Of Snow Could Fall This Weekend Across CT: Here's Your Forecast A winter storm is poised to bring light to moderate snowfall to eastern New York, western Massachusetts, and parts of Connecticut from Friday morning, Dec. 20 through Saturday evening, Dec. 21, according to the National Weather Service. A Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued for the region, warning of slippery travel conditions, particularly during the Friday evening commute. While snowfall amounts are expected to remain below advisory levels—less than 4 inches—hazardous road conditions are likely. Thursday will be partly sunny with a high near 39°F and northwest winds of 7 to 10 mph, …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Baby Injured By Glass As Man Smashes Truck Window, Strangles Mom at CT I-95 Rest Stop: Cops Baby Injured By Glass As Man Smashes Truck Window, Strangles Mom at CT I-95 Rest Stop: Cops
Baby Injured By Glass As Man Smashes Truck Window, Strangles Mom at CT I-95 Rest Stop: Cops A Dominican Republic man is accused of strangling a woman and hurting her baby with falling glass after he smashed his way into a truck at a Connecticut rest stop on I-95, authorities said.  Ariel Dejesus Valdez, 28, who was in the US on a temporary visa, was extradited from Rhode Island on Monday, Dec. 16, following an alleged attack at the North Fairfield Service Plaza on I-95 on Dec. 7, Connecticut State Police said.  A woman who was riding with Valdez said they were returning to Massachusetts from transporting vehicles when they stopped at the Fairfield County rest stop t…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn
Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Authorities in Connecticut are warning residents about phone scammers posing as police or special agents, accusing them of a crime, and demanding they pay a fine. Multiple people across the state — and even as far away as Virginia — have reported receiving calls from the Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Office, with someone claiming to be an "investigator" or "special agent." This so-called "agent" says the victim has been named or identified in a human trafficking, prostitution, or another criminal investigation and must pay a fine or face potential jail time. That is not how t…

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by Josh Lanier
Weather
Snow Totals In Middlesex County: Durham Leads With 1 Inch Snow Totals In Middlesex County: Durham Leads With 1 Inch
Snow Totals In Middlesex County: Durham Leads With 1 Inch The National Weather Service has released snow totals from this week's winter storm. Snowfall accumulation impacted areas across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York, with Sussex County, NJ, and Putnam County, NY, seeing the highest totals from Sunday, Dec. 15 into Monday, Dec. 16. Below are detailed figures reported by state, county, and town, as per the National Weather Service: New Jersey Mercer County: Trenton Mercer Airport: Trace (11:59 PM, 12/15) Morris County: Butler (1 S): 3.0 inches (5:15 AM, 12/16) Sussex County: Wantage Twp: 4.1 inches (5:00 AM, 12/16) Wan…

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by Cecilia Levine
Weather
Snow, Wintry Mix Delays CT School Openings: Here's Where Snow, Wintry Mix Delays CT School Openings: Here's Where
Snow, Wintry Mix Delays CT School Openings: Here's Where Dozens of schools across Connecticut had delayed openings due to a wintry mix that fell into Monday morning, Dec. 16. Some parts of the state saw 4 inches of snow, while others got a light dusting. According to the National Weather Service, the highest amount of snow fell in New Milford (4 inches); Cornwall saw 2.5 inches; Litchfield saw two inches, Waterbury saw 3 inches; Meriden saw 2 inches, and Hartford saw 1.3 inches. According to NBC Connecticut, the following districts had delayed openings: Berlin Public Schools Bethel Public Schools Brooklyn Public Schools Canton Public Schools E…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Ex-Yale New Haven Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Patients' Meds: Feds Ex-Yale New Haven Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Patients' Meds: Feds
Ex-Yale New Haven Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Patients' Meds: Feds A nurse in Connecticut has pleaded guilty to tampering with medications at a prominent hospital, putting patient safety at risk in a disturbing case of drug theft, authorities said.  Sean Falzarano, 38, admitted in federal court to stealing and altering vials of Lorazepam while working at Yale New Haven Hospital, according to the US Attorney for Connecticut.  Lorazepam is the generic version of Ativan, a sedative used to treat anxiety,  Prosecutors said Falzarano used his access to an area where the drugs were stored on Jan. 31, 2022, stole one vial of the drug, and siphoned…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Drones Spotted In CT Skies, Resident Shares Video From Train Station Drones Spotted In CT Skies, Resident Shares Video From Train Station
Drones Spotted In CT Skies, Resident Shares Video From Train Station The mysterious drones that have puzzled New Jersey residents for weeks were spotted in Connecticut for the first time on Thursday night, Dec. 12. Lucy Biggers shared multiple videos on X (formerly Twitter), saying she saw five drones hovering over the Fairfield Train Station around 6:45 p.m. "No one else noticed them because unless you're looking for them, they just look like planes or drones!" she wrote. "But I swear these were something different!!" I saw 5 drones over the Fairfield Connecticut train station tonight at 6:45! pic.twitter.com/dl7xP99mZs — Lucy Biggers (@LLBiggers) Decem…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Body Of Missing Woman Pulled From CT Lake Days After Disappearance, Police Say Body Of Missing Woman Pulled From CT Lake Days After Disappearance, Police Say
Body Of Missing Woman Pulled From CT Lake Days After Disappearance, Police Say Police recovered the body of a 63-year-old Connecticut woman who was reported missing earlier this month in Lakewood Lake, authorities said.  Altragracia Gaton-Mateo's body was pulled from the water on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 10, when Waterbury police, with assistance from the Connecticut State Police Dive Team, located her in the Great Brook Reservoir, also known locally as Lakewood Lake. Gaton-Mateo’s disappearance prompted a Silver Alert on Monday after family members reported her missing days earlier. She was last seen near Division Street and was believed to have been in the Garden Hil…

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by Josh Lanier