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Police & Fire
Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT
Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT A small brush fire in Connecticut spread to a home in New London County in the very early morning of Saturday, Nov. 9, authorities said. The blaze comes as firefighters across the state have warned residents about dry conditions turning the landscape into a tinderbox.  Firefighters were called to a home at 90 North St. in Norwich just after 1 a.m. when a brush fire leaped onto the house, authorities said.  Related: Brush Fire Burns Through Multi-Family Home, Nearby Deck Smoke filled the home and flames damaged the outside of the house, but Norwich firefighters were able to get th…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
7-Year-Old Girl Killed In Fire ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family 7-Year-Old Girl Killed In Fire ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family
7-Year-Old Girl Killed In Fire ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family A Connecticut fire department said it has been overwhelmed with donations for the family of a 7-year-old New London County girl who was killed in a house fire last week, but their needs remain.  Rylee Boldizar was killed when a fire broke out at her family's home at 83 Summit Street in Norwich before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Firefighters found the girl in her bedroom on the second floor.  Original Report: 7-Year-Old Norwich Girl Killed In House Fire While her three siblings and parents survived the blaze, they lost everything.  The Norwich Fire Department began…

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by Josh Lanier
News
$400K Scheme: Woman Steals From CT Addiction Nonprofit, Spends Funds On Vacations $400K Scheme: Woman Steals From CT Addiction Nonprofit, Spends Funds On Vacations
$400K Scheme: Woman Steals From CT Addiction Nonprofit, Spends Funds On Vacations A 50-year-old woman has admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Connecticut nonprofit at which she served as executive director, federal officials said. New London County resident Michele Devine of Waterford, age 50, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her alleged theft of almost $400,000 from a Norwich-based addiction and mental health nonprofit, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Monday, Oct. 21. According to federal officials, Devine served as the executive director of the Southeastern Regional Action Council on S…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
7-Year-Old Killed In House Fire 7-Year-Old Killed In House Fire
7-Year-Old Killed In House Fire A 7-year-old child was killed after they were trapped inside a burning home in New London County Tuesday evening, Oct. 15, authorities said.  Firefighters were called to a home at 83 Summit Street in Norwich just before 5:30 p.m. to reports of a two-story house fire. Multiple 911 calls said a child was trapped inside.  Norwich firefighters were quick to the scene and battled their way inside the burning home and were able to carry the 7-year-old outside, where paramedics were waiting to take the child to Backus Hospital while performing lifesaving measures, authorities said. …

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by Josh Lanier
News
Man Shot After Gunman Fires Wildly In Neighborhood, Hitting Home, Car Man Shot After Gunman Fires Wildly In Neighborhood, Hitting Home, Car
Man Shot After Gunman Fires Wildly In Neighborhood, Hitting Home, Car A Connecticut man was shot in the upper body Sunday night, Oct. 6, after someone wildly fired a gun in a New London County neighborhood, shooting a house and a car in the process, authorities said.  Police were called to McKinley Avenue near Warren Street in Norwich around 8 p.m., authorities said.  When Norwich Police arrived at the scene, they found the man with a bullet wound, the damaged property, and evidence someone had fired several shots. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the attack.  Police did not release his name.  It's unclear if the man was…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Killed In Early Morning Crash After Losing Control Of His Bike Motorcyclist Killed In Early Morning Crash After Losing Control Of His Bike
Motorcyclist Killed In Early Morning Crash After Losing Control Of His Bike A 42-year-old Connecticut man was killed in a single-vehicle, early morning crash after he lost control of his Harley Davidson motorcycle and crashed, authorities said.  Michael Ryan Austin, of Yantic in New London County, was found a little after 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in a wooded area off of Bishop Road in Bozrah — about 5 miles west of Norwich, Connecticut State Police said.  Investigators believe Austin failed to navigate a right-hand curve which sent him into the oncoming lane, where he hit a rocky embankment and crashed into a wooded area.  Paramedics rushed h…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Hit By Car Crossing Street Near School In Critical Condition Man Hit By Car Crossing Street Near School In Critical Condition
Man Hit By Car Crossing Street Near School In Critical Condition A car crashed into a man crossing the road on Wednesday, Oct. 2, sending him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.  The man, whose name has not been released, was crossing the London Turnpike by Stanton Elementary School around 6:30 a.m. in Norwich when he was hit, police said.  Members of the East Great Plains Fire Department who happened to be passing by the area at the time of the crash were quick to begin life-saving measures on the man, Norwich Police said.  Paramedics took the man to W. W. Backus Hospital, where he remained in critical …

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown
Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown Discount retail chain Big Lots has filed for bankruptcy as its list of planned store closures expands. It currently has around 1,425 stores nationwide. The company announced on Monday, Sept. 9 that it will sell its assets to an affiliate of private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. In announcing initial store closures late in late July, Big Lots said a bankruptcy filing could be coming. Stores in the Northeast now slated for closure are as follows: New York Delaware Avenue, Buffalo South Ogden Street, Buffalo Route 5 & 20, Canandaigua  Voice Road, Carle Place Centereach …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Plainfield Woman, 33, Killed In Fiery Overnight Crash Plainfield Woman, 33, Killed In Fiery Overnight Crash
Plainfield Woman, 33, Killed In Fiery Overnight Crash A Connecticut woman who was a passenger died after the vehicle ran off the road and hit a bridge abutment before bursting into flames, according to authorities. The crash occurred in New London County at 10:20 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, on I-395 northbound in Lisbon. According to Connecticut State Police, the Dodge was traveling northbound on the highway when it ran off the right side of the road and struck the abutment for the Preston Allen Road overpass. State police said a fire began, and the 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon 3500 was quickly engulfed in flames. State Police said as a result of the coll…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Update: CT Woman Killed By Hit-Run Driver Identified Update: CT Woman Killed By Hit-Run Driver Identified
Update: CT Woman Killed By Hit-Run Driver Identified A Connecticut woman hit and killed by a hit-and-run driver has been identified by police. Original Report: Hit-Run Crash: Woman Killed After Being Struck In Waterbury New London County resident Michelle Trausch, age 36, of Norwich, was found around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, in Waterbury, in the area of 603 East Main St. Trausch was transported to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Hartford, where she later died from her injuries. This accident is under investigation by the Waterbury Police Department Crash Reconstruction Unit (CRU). Anyone with information regarding this incident is ask…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts
Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts It's more bad news for discount retailer Big Lots. The nationwide chain announced in June that it would close 40 stores following dismal sales and rising costs, but in a new filing last week, the company said it may need to shutter nearly 300 locations — several of them in the Northeast.  Big Lots announced in a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, Aug. 2, that under an updated term sheet, the company would need to close 20 percent of its 1,392 stores — about 290 in all.  Here are some of the local closures. Connecticut — Eight stores Manchester — 1…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
4 Caught With K9's Help After Crashing Stolen Vehicle On Busy CT Roadway, Police Say 4 Caught With K9's Help After Crashing Stolen Vehicle On Busy CT Roadway, Police Say
4 Caught With K9's Help After Crashing Stolen Vehicle On Busy CT Roadway, Police Say Four teenagers face criminal charges after allegedly flipping a stolen vehicle on a busy roadway in Connecticut and leading police on a chase, authorities announced.  The events leading up to the arrests began on Tuesday, July 30 around 3 a.m., when a stolen vehicle was reported to be traveling on Route 101 in Rhode Island and heading towards Windham County, according to Connecticut State Police. Soon, the vehicle entered the state and crashed in the area of 771 Hartford Pike (Route 101) in Killingly.  Once state troopers arrived at the crash scene, they found an abandoned, damag…

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by Ben Crnic