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Party City Going Out Of Business, Closing All 800 Stores, Including 11 In Connecticut Party City Going Out Of Business, Closing All 800 Stores, Including 11 In Connecticut
Party City Going Out Of Business, Closing All 800 Stores, Including 11 In Connecticut The party is over for a popular chain store that's been in business for decades. Party City is “winding down” operations immediately at its approximately 800 locations, CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees  in a video call on Friday, Dec. 20, CNN reports. Workers were told they will not receive severance pay, and that their benefits would end as the company goes out of business, CNN says. The company, headquartered in in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, is running low on cash and unable to pay rent in some locations, according to an earlier Bloomberg report. Party City was foun…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Small Plane Lands On NY State Thruway In Albany, Police Say (UPDATE) Small Plane Lands On NY State Thruway In Albany, Police Say (UPDATE)
Small Plane Lands On NY State Thruway In Albany, Police Say (Update) A small twin-engine plane experiencing mechanical problems landed on the New York State Thruway in the Capital Region Friday, Dec. 20, New York State Police said. The incident occurred after 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, just south of Exit 23 of the Thruway in Albany.  First responders can be seen on the scene. New York State Police reported on X that two lanes are closed, and one is open. One pilot and two passengers were on board, and no injuries were reported, state police said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is on the scene. The incident come…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man Told Child To Commit Suicide At CT Bus Stop, Threatened Neighbor He Did Not Know: Police Man Told Child To Commit Suicide At CT Bus Stop, Threatened Neighbor He Did Not Know: Police
Man Told Child To Commit Suicide At CT Bus Stop, Threatened Neighbor He Did Not Know: Police A 36-year-old Connecticut man is accused of screaming at a 12-year-old child to commit suicide and making threatening gestures at someone he did not know was arrested and charged this week, authorities said. Daniel Harold, of Haddam, faces charges of second-degree breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor following the disturbing Monday, Dec. 16, incidents, according to Connecticut State Police. A Haddam resident called troopers just before 9:30 a.m. to report that their child was waiting at a school bus stop when a truck pulled up and a man got out. Harold was captured on the family's…

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by Josh Lanier
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
Police & Fire
1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard 1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard
1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard Firefighters found a man dead inside a Connecticut home on Friday morning, Dec. 20, following an early morning fire at a New London County family-owned orchard, authorities said.  The fire was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. at 20 Kitemaug Road in Montville, and multiple other agencies were soon called to assist in battling the blaze, the Norwich Fire Department reported. Crews reported a partial collapse about 20 minutes later, forcing firefighters to withdraw.  Once firefighters were able to get inside they found the man — who was in his 80s— dead inside,  Authorities did…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures
Drugstore Deserts On Rise Amid Nationwide Pharmacy Closures Nearly 30 percent of US pharmacies closed between 2010 and 2021, according to a new study in the health-policy publication Health Affairs. The research, led by University of California Berkeley assistant professor Jenny S. Guadamuz and colleagues, analyzed data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, county health statistics, and ZIP Code demographic surveys.  Of the 88,930 retail pharmacies operating in 2010, almost one-third shuttered by 2021, with those in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods disproportionately affected, Independent pharmacies were hit ha…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Bear With Us: Furry Visitor Creates a Buzz in West Hartford Bear With Us: Furry Visitor Creates a Buzz in West Hartford
Bear With Us: Furry Visitor Creates a Buzz in West Hartford West Hartford residents are being treated to an unexpected guest — a young black bear who seems to enjoy a particular neighborhood. While there’s no immediate danger, officials are asking everyone to stay calm, stay safe, and be "bear aware." The bear, who’s been spotted lounging in trees and exploring Quaker Lane South, Flatbush, Sidney, and Edgemont areas, has become quite the celebrity. West Hartford Animal Control said they've received a flood of calls about the curious creature.  However, they urge residents to resist the urge to get too close. “Do not run up to the tree to t…

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by Josh Lanier
News
How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway' How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway'
How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway' What started as a neighborly idea to spread Christmas cheer during a national low point has become a dazzling community tradition that draws fans from across Connecticut. It's called "Santa's Runway" and consists of about two miles of lights and decorations across some 90 homes beginning along Sterling Road in Trumbull. The project started in 2021 as the brainchild of Zoli Szabow (pronounced Zay-bo), a lifelong Fairfield County resident and firefighter. "It was the height of the pandemic. Everyone was trapped in their houses, and we just wanted to give the community something to ride around…

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by Josh Lanier
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
Police & Fire
Dual-Wielding, ‘Moaning’ Man Stabbed CT Friend Who Took Him In: Police Dual-Wielding, ‘Moaning’ Man Stabbed CT Friend Who Took Him In: Police
Dual-Wielding, ‘Moaning’ Man Stabbed CT Friend Who Took Him In: Police An argument between friends escalated into a grisly stabbing incident earlier this week when an intoxicated man, wielding two knives, attacked another, authorities said. Alan Frazier, 44, of Jewett City, faces charges of second-degree assault, threatening, and reckless endangerment following the alleged attack on Dec. 18, Connecticut State Police said. A Griswold man called police around 6:15 p.m. to report that Frazier, a homeless friend he had allowed to stay at his Main Street home, had attacked him with two knives and punched him in the face, according to a police report. The argument …

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by Josh Lanier