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Obituaries
Former Teacher, Westchester Native Dies At 69: Made Life 'Easygoing, Silly' For Friends, Family Former Teacher, Westchester Native Dies At 69: Made Life 'Easygoing, Silly' For Friends, Family
Former Teacher, Westchester Native Dies At 69: Made Life 'Easygoing, Silly' For Friends, Family A beloved Westchester County native who taught chemistry at a high school in Connecticut and made learning fun for his students is being remembered for his light-hearted nature.  Richard Linden, who grew up in the city of Rye and who taught in Tolland County at RHAM High School in Hebron, died on Sunday, April 16 at the age of 69, according to his obituary.  Born in 1953, Linden went on to graduate from Cornell University with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.  After working as a hospital administrator for …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Helicopter Carrying Saw To Fly Over Several CT Towns For More Than Week: Here's Why Helicopter Carrying Saw To Fly Over Several CT Towns For More Than Week: Here's Why
Helicopter Carrying Saw To Fly Over Several CT Towns For More Than Week: Here's Why If you look up in the sky in Hartford or Tolland County and see a helicopter fitted with a large saw, there's a good reason for that.  A helicopter with a large saw hanging underneath it will be flying over the towns of Vernon, Enfield, East Windsor, and South Windsor between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day through Friday, May 5, according to Vernon town officials.  The reason for the flight will be to trim trees along Eversource right-of-ways as part of their regular vegetation management program. Those hoping to get a close look at the helicopter can see it fuel up…

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by Ben Crnic
Legal
Double Murder, Kidnapping Case: Newtown Native Gets 55-Year Sentence Double Murder, Kidnapping Case: Newtown Native Gets 55-Year Sentence
Double Murder, Kidnapping Case: Newtown Native Gets 55-Year Sentence A 26-year-old former UConn student has been sentenced to prison for the horrific killings of two men and the kidnapping of a woman. Fairfield County native Peter Manfredonia, age 26, who grew up in Newtown, who currently has an address in Tolland County in Mansfield, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 19 to 55 years in prison in a 2020 murder and kidnapping case under a plea agreement, according to NBC Connecticut. Manfredonia admitted to killing 62-year-old Ted DeMers, in Willington on Friday, May 22, 2020, officials said in an arrest warrant.  DeMers, according to the warrant, was fo…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
'Desperate' Family Searches For Connecticut Woman Missing For Over A Week 'Desperate' Family Searches For Connecticut Woman Missing For Over A Week
'Desperate' Family Searches For Connecticut Woman Missing For Over A Week After an unsuccessful 72-hour search for a missing Connecticut woman who went missing while hiking in Japan, her family has taken matters into their own hands, according to an online fundraiser.  Patricia Wu-Murad, a resident of the Storrs village in Tolland County, was last seen the morning of Monday, April 10 before she set out to continue her hike of the Kumano Kodo trail in Osaka, Japan, according to a GoFundMe created by Patricia's daughter, Murphy Murad.  The US Embassy notified Patricia's family that she had gone missing on Thursday, April 14 after three days of searching. The pri…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Police & Fire
Head-On Crash: CT Woman Killed, Second Driver Injured Head-On Crash: CT Woman Killed, Second Driver Injured
Head-On Crash: CT Woman Killed, Second Driver Injured A 39-year-old Connecticut woman was killed after allegedly crossing the double-yellow line and hitting a pickup truck head-on.  The crash took place in Tolland County around 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 11, on Route 32 in Mansfield. Connecticut State Police said Vanessa Marie Rivero, of the town of Willington in Tolland County, was driving north on Route 32 near Mansfield City Road in a 2022 Volkswagen Jetta when she crossed the double-yellow line and hit a 2012 GMC Sierra head-on, before hitting a guardrail. Rivero was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. The driver of the…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
CT HS Teacher Charged With Having 'Inappropriate Relationship' With Student CT HS Teacher Charged With Having 'Inappropriate Relationship' With Student
CT HS Teacher Charged With Having 'Inappropriate Relationship' With Student A Connecticut high school teacher is behind bars after admitting he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a student almost 10 years ago. Tolland County resident Kris Coffey, age 43, of Coventry, was charged on Friday, April 7 following a lengthy investigation by the Connecticut State Police. The investigation stemmed from an anonymous tip to the Department of Children and Family in early February, state police said. State police said the tip revealed that a Tolland High School teacher had an inappropriate relationship with a high school student sometime in the 2014-2015 school year…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
CT Man High On Drugs Charged In Death Of Tow Truck Driver Helping Woman, Police Say CT Man High On Drugs Charged In Death Of Tow Truck Driver Helping Woman, Police Say
CT Man High On Drugs Charged In Death Of Tow Truck Driver Helping Woman, Police Say A Connecticut man who was allegedly high on heroin has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a tow truck driver who had stopped to help a woman change a tire on a busy highway. The hit-and-run crash took place in New Haven County around 6:20 p.m., Saturday, May 21, 2022, near Exit 10 in North Haven. State police said the driver, identified as Middlesex County resident Luis Resto, age 55, of Cromwell, ended up crashing his red Nissan Rouge a short distance down I-91. According to an investigation, the tow truck driver, Tolland County resident Christopher Russell, age 39, of El…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
UConn Student, Fan Celebration: 16 Hospitalized, 15 Charged After NCAA Title Win UConn Student, Fan Celebration: 16 Hospitalized, 15 Charged After NCAA Title Win
UConn Student, Fan Celebration: 16 Hospitalized, 15 Charged After NCAA Title Win As students and fans celebrated the huge win by the  University of Connecticut in the NCAA men's basketball championship, several ended up in handcuffs and 16 others were injured. The incidents took place in Tolland County on the UConn campus in Storrs as thousands celebrated the win over San Diego State University that was wrapped up late Monday evening, April 3. According to UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz, the vast majority of those celebrating the Husky victory last night did so safely and responsibly. "A small number chose to risk their safety and that of others by vandalizing or …

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
CT High School Evacuated After Police Respond To Suspicious Incident CT High School Evacuated After Police Respond To Suspicious Incident
CT High School Evacuated After Police Respond To Suspicious Incident A telephone call from an unidentified source who communicated a possible threat caused state police troopers to evacuate a high school in Connecticut. The incident took place in Tolland County at E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29. According to state police, a preliminary investigation indicates that a staff member at the school had received a telephone call from an unidentified source, who communicated a possible threat to the school.  Out of an abundance of caution, the school was evacuated while troopers investigated.  After conducting a …

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
2 CT Residents Win $100K Lottery Prize: Here's Where They Bought Their Tickets 2 CT Residents Win $100K Lottery Prize: Here's Where They Bought Their Tickets
2 CT Residents Win $100K Lottery Prize: Here's Where They Bought Their Tickets Two very lucky Connecticut residents will surely have a happy Saint Patrick's Day after buying winning $100,000 lottery tickets from two Cumberland Farms locations.  The two winning tickets were bought by both New London County resident Franklin Dart of Baltic and Tolland County resident Tiffany Salisbury of Willington, according to Connecticut Lottery.  Dart, who purchased a top-prize-winning Casino Nights ticket at the Cumberland Farms in Baltic located at 184 Main St., won his prize on Wednesday, March 15.  Those hoping to replicate a similar win will not be able to purch…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Seen Him? Suspect Steals Chainsaw From Store In Tolland County Seen Him? Suspect Steals Chainsaw From Store In Tolland County
Seen Him? Suspect Steals Chainsaw From Store In Tolland County Police in Tolland County are searching for a suspect who allegedly stole a chainsaw from a store and then drove away.  The incident happened on Saturday, March 18 around 11 a.m., when an unknown man stole a Stihl chainsaw from the Ellington Agway located at 80 West Rd, according to Connecticut State Police.  The man then drove away from the store in a white newer model Hyundai Sonata that had unknown Rhode Island registration plates and a large hole in the driver's side of the windshield.  The suspect, who is depicted in surveillance images released by police, is d…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
CT Man Used 'Revenge Porn' To Victimize Ex-Girlfriend, Police Say CT Man Used 'Revenge Porn' To Victimize Ex-Girlfriend, Police Say
CT Man Used 'Revenge Porn' To Victimize Ex-Girlfriend, Police Say A Connecticut man has been arrested on a warrant for his involvement in "revenge porn" to victimize an ex-girlfriend. Tolland County resident Brian Swearengin, age 43, of Bolton, turned himself in on an arrest warrant in Hartford County to Manchester Police on Wednesday, March 15. The investigation began in January after the victim reported that Swearengin secretly recorded intimate encounters while they were in a relationship, said Lt. Ryan Shea of the Manchester Police. The relationship reportedly ended in December 2022. In the weeks following the break-up, Swearengin used ima…

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by Kathy Reakes