Fair 80°
Police & Fire
Serious Injuries Reported After Wrong-Way, Head-On Crash On I-95 In Fairfield County Serious Injuries Reported After Wrong-Way, Head-On Crash On I-95 In Fairfield County
Serious Injuries Reported After Wrong-Way, Head-On Crash On I-95 In Fairfield County A 27-year-old man suffered serious injuries after plowing head-on into a tractor-trailer while driving in the wrong direction on I-95 in Fairfield County. The crash took place in Stamford around 2:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 18 south of Exit 7, said the Connecticut State Police. According to state police, the tractor-trailer was traveling south on I-95 when it was hit head-on by a 2016 Ford Edge SUV which was traveling in the wrong direction. The driver of the SUV, Westchester County resident Edgar Alvarracinvizhco, of Port Chester, was transported to Stamford Hospital by Nelson Ambulance Servic…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
Popular Educator From Northern Westchester Dies At Age 68 Popular Educator From Northern Westchester Dies At Age 68
Popular Educator From Northern Westchester Dies At Age 68 A beloved educator from Northern Westchester who worked in Connecticut known for her dedication to her family has died.  Edna Rose Ventarola of Ossining died on Monday, Nov. 14 at the age of 68, according to her obituary.  Ventarola was born in 1954 and raised in the Bronx, graduating from Lehman College, her obituary said.  Pursuing a career in early childhood education, Ventarola served as the director of Creative Playtime in Scarsdale and also directed the Head Start program in Port Chester, according to her obituary.  Ventarola also later served as s…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students
Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students A teacher at a private school has been fired after a hidden camera video was posted on YouTube allegedly showing him making inappropriate comments about his female students in Fairfield County. The video of Iman Rasti, a teacher, writing director, and middle school dean at Green Farms Academy in Westport first surfaced online on Project Veritas on Thursday, Nov. 10. By Friday, Nov. 11, the school had fired Rasti, according to a letter sent to parents and obtained by Daily Voice. "Dr. Rasti claimed that the statements in the edited video were taken out of context," wrote Bob Whelan, he…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Driving Drunk Charged After Wrong-Way Crash In Fairfield County, State Police Say Woman Driving Drunk Charged After Wrong-Way Crash In Fairfield County, State Police Say
Woman Driving Drunk Charged After Wrong-Way Crash In Fairfield County, State Police Say A woman allegedly driving the wrong way on I-84 causing a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer in Northern Fairfield County has been charged with DUI. Crystal Smith, age 41, of Danbury, was arrested around 2:15 a.m., Monday, Oct. 31 in Newtown. According to Connecticut State Police, troopers responded to a report of a wrong-way driver colliding head-on with a tractor-trailer while driving westbound in the eastbound lane on I-84 in the area of exit 9, in the town of Newtown. Upon arrival, Smith and the truck driver were out of their vehicles. to be out of their vehicles. During th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
'Suspicious Person' With Backpack Found Hiding Outside Home In Fairfield County, Police Say 'Suspicious Person' With Backpack Found Hiding Outside Home In Fairfield County, Police Say
'Suspicious Person' With Backpack Found Hiding Outside Home In Fairfield County, Police Say A 51-year-old "suspicious" man was arrested when he was found hiding outside a Fairfield County home after he allegedly entered the basement. The incident took place in Westport on Saturday, Oct. 22. According to Lt. Dave Wolf, of the Westport Police, officers responded to an address in Westport on a report of a suspicious person.   The resident told officers she saw a person walking in her yard and that this individual may have gone into the home’s basement, Wolf said. Officers checked the basement but did not locate anyone. However, a man identified as Northern Westchester Co…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Westchester Dies At Age 59 Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Westchester Dies At Age 59
Self-Proclaimed 'Valley Girl,' Entertainment Division Director In Westchester Dies At Age 59 A nationally-recognized insurance specialist for celebrities and professional athletes died after a battle with cancer.  Fairfield County resident Katie Knowles Surgot, of Ridgefield, died on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the age of 59, according to her obituary.  A lover of going to the beach, concerts, and movies who called herself a "Valley Girl," Surgot was born in Encino, California, the state where she also graduated from high school, married, and earned her degree at California State University, Northridge, her obituary said.  Eventually, Surgot moved to New…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Popular Family-Run Supermarket Opens New Location In Fairfield County Popular Family-Run Supermarket Opens New Location In Fairfield County
Popular Family-Run Supermarket Opens New Location In Fairfield County A family-run supermarket has expanded to a new location in Fairfield County. Caraluzzi’s Markets opened its new Danbury location at 102 Mill Plain Road earlier this month. The owners also operate locations in Bethel, Wilton, and Newtown, along with numerous wine and spirits stores. The owners said the Danbury location is unique to the other three supermarket locations, as it also offers traditional wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, along with expanded café offerings such as acai bowls, soft serve ice cream, and smoothies. "The market is beautiful and laid out nicely," Bil…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
27-Year-Old Accused Of Stabbing Person Repeatedly Outside Hudson Valley Restaurant 27-Year-Old Accused Of Stabbing Person Repeatedly Outside Hudson Valley Restaurant
27-Year-Old Accused Of Stabbing Person Repeatedly Outside Hudson Valley Restaurant A 27-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly repeatedly stabbing another man outside a Hudson Valley restaurant. The incident took place in Putnam County around 4 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 16 in the town of Southeast at the La Patrona Mexican Restaurant at 182 Route 22. Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville said deputies were dispatched to the restaurant for a dispute in progress with a knife involved.  Arriving deputies found a large crowd outside the restaurant and quickly located the victim, a 27-year-old man who had been stabbed in the neck an…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Popular Pizzeria Announces Closure Of Last Westchester Location Popular Pizzeria Announces Closure Of Last Westchester Location
Popular Pizzeria Announces Closure Of Last Westchester Location A popular pizzeria will soon close its last location in Westchester County.  The Coals Pizza location in Bronxville, at 131 Parkway Road, will be closing in the next few weeks, Coals announced on Facebook.  Coals, which also has locations in Fairfield County city of Norwalk and in Portland, Maine, also closed a Westchester location in Port Chester in Dec. 2020.  Earlier report - Popular Westchester Pizzeria Announces Closure Of One Of Its Locations "Come and say goodbye, we love our loyal customers more than we can express here," Coals said in the Facebook post.&n…

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by Ben Crnic
News
3 Found Dead By Furnace Repairman At Fairfield County Home, Police Say 3 Found Dead By Furnace Repairman At Fairfield County Home, Police Say
3 Found Dead By Furnace Repairman At Fairfield County Home, Police Say Three people were found dead inside a Fairfield County home by a furnace repairman. The incident took place in Stamford around 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13 at a residence on Scofield Avenue. According to Assistant Chief Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police, the repairman was told to enter the rental home through the basement area to fix the furnace that was not working. While working, he noticed a woman about 30 years old lying on a couch and at first thought she might be asleep, Conklin said. After the woman didn't move, the repairman checked her and found that the woman was dead and call…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Westchester Bakery Owner Ordered To Pay Nearly $1M In Back Wages, Damages To 74 Employees Westchester Bakery Owner Ordered To Pay Nearly $1M In Back Wages, Damages To 74 Employees
Westchester Bakery Owner Ordered To Pay Nearly $1M In Back Wages, Damages To 74 Employees The owner of several bakeries in New York and Connecticut has been ordered by a federal court to pay nearly $1 million in back wages and damages to 74 employees for violating US labor laws. An investigation by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Pedro Coelho willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying bakers and counter staff straight time instead of time-and-a-half, even though they worked more than 40 hours per week. Coelho operates Westchester County's Padaminas Brazilian Bakery, located in Mount Vernon, and Fairfield County's Padaminas NY Bakery,…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Moose On Loose In Region Moose On Loose In Region
Moose On Loose In Region A large moose seems to have made quite a journey over the past few days, with multiple sightings in parts of Fairfield County. Meteorologist Jack Drake shared photos and videos on his Facebook page of a large moose that was spotted at the AMC movie theater in Danbury on Monday, Sept. 26. Drake reported that the moose was also seen in Woodbury and Newtown. "I’ve never heard of moose in our immediate area, but I don’t think there is any mistaking that photo, and there have now been several additional reports," he said in the post. Drake said the moose was also spotted heading toward Ne…

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by Nicole Valinote