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Hunter From Putnam County Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes Hunter From Putnam County Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes
Hunter From Putnam County Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes A New York man faces criminal charges after allegedly killing and skinning two pet dogs in Connecticut that he thought were coyotes.  Putnam County resident Michael Konschak, age 61, of Carmel, faces tampering with evidence, forgery, and hunting-related violation charges after allegedly killing the two dogs in northern Fairfield County on Friday, Nov. 18 after they escaped their owner's home.  Konschak was arrested by environmental conservation police associated with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental protection on Wednesday, Feb. 8, according to court documents.  The …

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by Ben Crnic
News
New Details Emerge After 10-Year-Old Boy Attacked By Black Bear In Region New Details Emerge After 10-Year-Old Boy Attacked By Black Bear In Region
New Details Emerge After 10-Year-Old Boy Attacked By Black Bear In Region A 10-year-old Connecticut boy who was injured by a black bear was playing in his grandparent's backyard when the male bear attacked, according to multiple reports. The attack took place in the Litchfield County town of Morris at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Officers from the state police and DEEP responded and shot the bear, authorities said. The boy's grandfather, James Butler, of Morris, told the Republican-American of Waterbury, his grandson was playing near a trampoline when the large male bear came out of thic…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Black Bear Attacks 10-Year-Old Boy In Litchfield County Black Bear Attacks 10-Year-Old Boy In Litchfield County
Black Bear Attacks 10-Year-Old Boy In Litchfield County Updated story: New Details Emerge After CT 10-Year-Old Boy Attacked By Black Bear A 10-year-old boy was attacked by a black bear in Connecticut, officials reported. Police responded to the incident in the Litchfield County town of Morris at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, according to a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. EnCon Police and Connecticut State Police responded to the scene.  The boy was taken to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for treatment of injuries that appear to be non-life-threatening, officials sai…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Body Of Missing Swimmer Found By Divers In Candlewood Lake Body Of Missing Swimmer Found By Divers In Candlewood Lake
Body Of Missing Swimmer Found By Divers In Candlewood Lake Divers have recovered the body of a man who went missing while swimming on Candlewood Lake in Fairfield County. The man, in his 20s, was found around 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 28 in the area of the lake in Brookfield  -- near "Chicken Rock,'' -- where he went missing on Friday, June 24. The office of the chief state medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death, said Will Healey, director of communication for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Identification is pending positive identification and notification, Healey said The investi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Body Found After Weeks-Long Search For Missing Man In Candlewood Lake, Officials Report Body Found After Weeks-Long Search For Missing Man In Candlewood Lake, Officials Report
Body Found After Weeks-Long Search For Missing Man In Candlewood Lake, Officials Report The Connecticut State Police Dive Team has recovered the body amid a search for a 24-year-old man who went missing in a lake last month. The 24-year-old man was reported missing on Sunday, May 29, after he went from a vessel into Candlewood Lake, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reported. Patrol vessels and dive teams searched for the man each daily from the day he was reported missing until a body was found on Thursday, June 16, DEEP reported. Officials said the body was found in the same area of the lake where the man went missing. The Office of the Chie…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County
Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County State officials are investigating after the fatal shooting of Bobbi the Bear by an off-duty police officer in Northern Fairfield County. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and local police are investigating after the bear, a mother to two cubs, was found shot and killed in Newtown on Thursday, May 12. Bobbi, who was beloved by the Newtown community, was shot by an off-duty Ridgefield Police Department officer who was reportedly protecting his chicken coop at his home in Newtown.  The Ridgefield PD issued the following statement: "We are aware that on…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Local, State Authorities Investigating Shooting Of Mother Bear In Region Local, State Authorities Investigating Shooting Of Mother Bear In Region
Local, State Authorities Investigating Shooting Of Mother Bear In Region Law enforcement authorities in Connecticut are investigating the fatal shooting of a mother bear in Fairfield County who left behind two cubs. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and local police in Newtown are investigating after the bear was found shot and killed on Thursday, May 12. According to Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, he and DEEP are working to obtain a permit to rehabilitate the bear cubs with a wildlife specialist. The bear, which had been dubbed “Bobbi the Bear” by its fans and neighbors on social media is being mourned online afte…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Two Dead After Four Boaters Pulled From Long Island Sound Two Dead After Four Boaters Pulled From Long Island Sound
Two Dead After Four Boaters Pulled From Long Island Sound A second man has died after four boaters were pulled from the cold waters of the Long Island Sound on Easter morning. "We are saddened to report one additional fatality from this morning’s water rescue on the Long Island Sound," the Stamford Fire Department announced Sunday afternoon, April 17. Two others remain in critical, but stable condition. First-responders in Fairfield County received notification of a small boat in distress off of Shippan Point in Stamford at about 10:20 a.m. Sunday. A total of 22 Stamford firefighters responded as part of a marine rescue response, which included…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Hiker Who Fell To His Death From Cliff ID'd As Danbury Man Hiker Who Fell To His Death From Cliff ID'd As Danbury Man
Hiker Who Fell To His Death From Cliff ID'd As Danbury Man A hiker who died after falling from a cliff at a park on the Housatonic River in Connecticut has been identified as a Fairfield County resident. Joao P. Lucas, age 39, of Danbury, died on Sunday, April 4, after being reported missing by others he was hiking at Lover's Leap State Park in New Milford, said DEEP Spokesman Will Healey. Officials responded to the park after receiving word that Lucas, who was last seen by those he was with from an overlook within the park, was missing, Healey said. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conse…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: Candlewood Lake Parties, Gatherings Cited For Danbury's Spike In Cases, Officials Say COVID-19: Candlewood Lake Parties, Gatherings Cited For Danbury's Spike In Cases, Officials Say
Covid-19: Candlewood Lake Parties, Gatherings Cited For Danbury's Spike In Cases, Officials Say A string of parties and mass gatherings at Candlewood Lake have been cited as one of the leading reasons for Danbury’s spike in COVID-19 cases. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said this week that the recent rise in cases in the city has been largely in younger people, and could have been spread through parties that have been held at the lake, located in both northern Fairfield and southern Litchfield counties, this month. Officials said that the gatherings are not following the state’s COVID-19 guidance, and that there have been reports of boaters strapping thems…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards
Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards Two Connecticut residents are facing charges for an alleged elaborate counterfeiting operation that expanded into New York. An investigation was launched by the Monroe Police Department in February when an area resident purchased a motor vehicle with a fraudulent title. An extensive, multi-agency investigation was launched, which led them to identify Krista Karch and Orlando Dominguez, both residents of Essex, Connecticut, in Middlesex County, as possible suspects. According to police, it was determined that Dominguez allegedly produced counterfeit New York and Connecticut car titles…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man, Dog Bitten By Bear While Walking Connecticut Trail Man, Dog Bitten By Bear While Walking Connecticut Trail
Man, Dog Bitten By Bear While Walking Connecticut Trail A man and one of his dogs were bitten by a bear in Connecticut over the weekend in Hartford County.  Simsbury Police Sgt. Brad Chase said that at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, a man was walking his three dogs in the McLean Game Refuge off Firetown Road when they encountered a bear. Chase said that the bear bit the dog, and while attempting to intervene, he too was bitten in the leg by the bear. The man sought medical attention and was treated for the non-life-threatening injury. During the incident, one of the dogs, a 50-pound golden retriever named Lucy, got loose, thou…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Massive Search For Teen Swimmer Who Went Missing In Candlewood Lake Massive Search For Teen Swimmer Who Went Missing In Candlewood Lake
Massive Search For Teen Swimmer Who Went Missing In Candlewood Lake A massive search is continuing for a missing 17-year-old teen who went missing on Monday, May 27, while swimming with friends at Candlewood Lake in New Milford. The search, which many are now calling a recovery effort, began around 4 p.m. on Monday when three teens reported that one of their friends had not surfaced after going underway, said News 12.  Searchers, including K-9s, divers and local police marine units as well as Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue and New Milford Rescue, worked until dark. The teen boy,…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Five Goats Killed After Bears Makes It Over Fence At Farm In CT Five Goats Killed After Bears Makes It Over Fence At Farm In CT
Five Goats Killed After Bears Makes It Over Fence At Farm In CT A Connecticut farmer and her family are mourning the loss of five goats to a bear. Grazin' Goats Farm, in Burlington, just west of Hartford, reported on its Facebook page, that five of its goats were killed on Monday, April 29, by a bear that climbed over a 6-foot fence. "It is with a heavy heart that I post this," said the farm's owner. "Yesterday we suffered a devastating loss." Officials with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have confirmed the deaths were at the hands of a bear, the post said. The owner said DEEP officials are setting a trap in an effort to…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Rare Seal Sighting: Young Calf Spotted On Long Island Sound Beach Rare Seal Sighting: Young Calf Spotted On Long Island Sound Beach
Rare Seal Sighting: Young Calf Spotted On Long Island Sound Beach There was a real "wildlife" treat when a harp seal decided to sun itself for several hours on the Long Island Sound in Fairfield County. A pretty rare sight -- seals seldom come onshore in that area unless ill -- the seal was judged by wildlife officials from Mystic Aquarium and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to be about 1 or 2 years old and was in good health on Sasco Beach in the Town of Fairfield. "He was just soaking up the sun and rolling around," said Fairfield Animal Control Officer Paul Miller of the seal who showed up around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, M…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Video: Reports Of Fox Sightings On Rise In Area Video: Reports Of Fox Sightings On Rise In Area
Video: Reports Of Fox Sightings On Rise In Area Winter is coming, and with it will come a rash of red fox sightings in suburban areas of New York and Connecticut. Foxes commonly live in close quarters with human residents in certain communities where they can find food, water and cover, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. They frequently take shelter in yards, parks, and golf courses, especially areas that are nearby suitable, undeveloped habitat. During the winter months, foxes expand their territories, primarily due to the decreased availability of prey and extreme weather in open spaces. Thi…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Killed After Motorboat Capsizes In Candlewood Lake Man Killed After Motorboat Capsizes In Candlewood Lake
Man Killed After Motorboat Capsizes In Candlewood Lake A 48-year-old man was killed after he was dumped into Candlewood Lake in Brookfield when the 17-foot-boat he was in capsized. Gary Hayes of East Hartford was killed around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, another man, Joseph Miranda, 29, of Manchester, survived, said Chris Collibee, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. According to Collibee, after the boat capsized, Miranda, swam to shore to safety. Hayes was located in the water by EnCon police officers who responded to the scene. He was transported to Danbury Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Mira…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Boater Arrested After Woman Critically Injured At Candlewood Lake Boater Arrested After Woman Critically Injured At Candlewood Lake
Boater Arrested After Woman Critically Injured At Candlewood Lake Click here for an updated story: Female Swimmer Dies From Injuries Suffered In Candlewood Lake Accident An area man has been arrested in connection with the critical injuries suffered by a swimmer during a boating accident on Squantz Pond at Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield. Chris Collibee, with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the female suffered the injuries around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday near the boat dock. She was found after New Fairfield Police and Squantz Engine Company, State Police, and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental (DEEP) Environmental Co…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Oh, Deer: Fawns Going It Alone Spark Concern In This Area Town Oh, Deer: Fawns Going It Alone Spark Concern In This Area Town
Oh, Deer: Fawns Going It Alone Spark Concern In This Area Town There’s no need to fear for baby deer. Police departments are advising residents that this is the time of year when most fawns are born. Police say residents should leave the fawns alone, as the mother is usually nearby and will return to feed the fawns multiple times a day. The Ridgefield Police Department issued an alert on Thursday after receiving multiple reports from local residents concerned about baby deer they’ve found alone in the area without their mothers, fearing they were abandoned. Police said that fawns “are frequently hidden and left alone for hours while their mothers for…

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by Zak Failla