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Connecticut legalizes gay marriage!
The CT supreme court ruled today that gays and lesbians are entitled to MARRIAGE equality. They made a clear distinction between civil unions, domestic partnerships and marriage, and decided the only way for there to be true equality is for same sex couples to be aloud to marry. The CT supreme court ruled today that gays and lesbians are entitled to MARRIAGE equality. They made a clear distinction between civi... more
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Gay Marriage Ban Overturned in Connecticut
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, reversing a lower court decision that had concluded that the civil unions legalized in the state three years ago offered the same rights and benefits as marriage. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, reversing a lower court decision that had... more
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CT Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Couples May Marry
A divided Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in Connecticut.
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Foxwoods CEO Loses Job; More Layoffs Ahead
The tribe that runs Foxwoods Resort Casino says its chief executive officer is among 700 people losing their jobs because of cost-cutting. The tribe that runs Foxwoods Resort Casino says its chief executive officer is among 700 people losing their jobs because of cost-cutt... more
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Candy with chemical in Chinese milk found in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- An industrial chemical blamed for sickening thousands of infants in China was found in candy in four Connecticut stores this week, a state official said Wednesday.
Days after contaminated White Rabbit Creamy Candy was found in California, Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said tests found melamine in bags of the candy sold at two New Haven stores, a West Hartford market and an East Haven store.
"We're concerned, obviously, there may have been bags sold of these before we got to them," Farrell said.
Anyone who has the candy should destroy it, Farrell said.
The contamination has been blamed for the deaths of four children and kidney ailments among 54,000 others. More than 13,000 children have been hospitalized and 27 people arrested in connection with the tainting.
Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, is used to make plastics and fertilizers and experts say some amount of the chemical may be transferred from the environment during food processing. But in China's case, suppliers trying to boost output are believed to have diluted their milk, adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein content.
Melamine can cause kidney stones, leading to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.
Melamine has been associated with contaminated infant formula and other Chinese products containing milk protein.
On Wednesday, the Chinese government identified 15 more Chinese dairy companies as producing milk products contaminated with melamine, bringing the total to 20 companies. At least 100 batches of milk powder have been found to contain the chemical, according to data on the food safety administration's Web site.
Last week, California health officials announced it discovered traces of melamine in White Rabbit candy it tested. Queensway Foods Company Inc. of California distributed the candy and says it is recalling it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with state and local governments to check for and test products that could possibly be contaminated with melamine. Last Friday, the FDA warned consumers not to consume White Rabbit Candy and Mr. Brown coffee products because of possible melamine contamination. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- An industrial chemical blamed for sickening thousands of infants in China was found in candy in four Connectic... more -
Conn. Democrats delay plan to censure Lieberman
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut Democrats, angry that Sen. Joe Lieberman is campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate and criticizing his own party's nominee, agreed Wednesday to circulate a resolution to censure the veteran politician but won't consider acting on it until after Election Day.
The state party's central committee Wednesday agreed to send copies of the resolution to every Democratic town committee in the state. The resolution condemns Lieberman for speaking at the Republicans' convention and backing John McCain.
Party officials said the group plans to get input from the town officials and revisit the issue in December.
"When we have someone who is our elected senator, as a Democrat, standing in front of not only a national, but an international audience, speaking in support of Sen. McCain, it was the final straw for me personally," said Audrey Blondin, a 30-year party veteran who helped to put together the resolution.
Lieberman was re-elected to the Senate as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in 2006 to businessman Ned Lamont. While he calls himself an "independent Democrat" in the Senate, he remains a registered Democrat and has said he has no plans to change his party affiliation.
Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000 and ran for the party's presidential nomination in 2004.
Lieberman and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont have been caucusing with Democrats in Washington, giving the party control of the Senate with what is effectively a 51-49 majority - even though each party has 49 members. Democrats, in turn, have made Lieberman chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The resolution says Lieberman's actions are "extraordinary disloyalty to countless Connecticut Democrats without whom his career as an elected official would never have been possible" and calls on state Democrats to ask him to resign from the party.
Blondin said Lieberman's speech at the Republican National Convention, in which he praised McCain and criticized Democrat Barack Obama, convinced her that state Democrats needed to take a stand. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut Democrats, angry that Sen. Joe Lieberman is campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate ... more -
10 Charities Stockpiling Your Money
We support a charity's need to build endowments and save for tough times and emergencies. But charities shouldn't just save money to save money. These 10 charities have tons of money. But are they getting the biggest bang for your buck? Each has stockpiled at least two years of reserves in the bank. Each has grown its revenues at least 25% for each of the past 3 to 5 years. Despite those deep pockets, these charities operate stagnant operations, expanding their programs by less than the rate of inflation (3%). Shouldn't all that cash be used more aggressively?
Charity Wkg Capital (Years)
1. American Forest Foundation 39.70
2. St. Louis Art Museum Foundation 31.74
3. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan 14.07
4. Historic New England 11.82
5. Christian Ministries Foundation 10.64
6. California Academy of Sciences 9.89
7. The Federation, Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut 9.63
8. American Indian College Fund 6.17
9. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 6.09
10. Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics 5.92 We support a charity's need to build endowments and save for tough times and emergencies. But charities shouldn't just save ... more -
CT School District Adopts Breath Tests
Milford's school board has adopted a new policy that students are subject to breath testing for alcohol at school functions.
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CT City Bans Sale of Spray Paint to Minors
The New Haven Board of Alderman overwhelmingly approved the new law Tuesday.
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Boy, 2, Is Dead After Finding Loaded Handgun
On his Myspace.com page, Jason R. Matteau lists "shooting rifle and pistol" first among his interests and "losing my son" as his greatest fear. There's also a photo of Matteau, 27, pulling his smiling, 2-year-old son Wyatt close to him.
Thursday morning, shortly after 9 a.m., Wyatt, blond haired and blue eyed, found a loaded handgun in the family's apartment in the Jewett City section and picked it up.
The next sounds neighbors reported hearing were the screams of Wyatt's mother, Rebecca, and the sirens of medics, an ambulance and state police cars. The bullet had struck Wyatt in the head. He was rushed by ambulance to William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, then transferred to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, where he died about 11 a.m., state police said.
"This truly was an accident, a very tragic accident," said Lt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman. Still, Vance said, detectives will conduct a "complete and thorough" investigation and submit their findings to the state's attorney's office for review. Troopers also contacted the state Department of Children and Families, Vance said. "They'll examine it from their perspective."
Vance would not say where the gun was kept in the home. State law makes it a crime to store loaded firearms in an area where the owner reasonably should know that someone under 16 could find them.
"A weapon is a dangerous instrument. It should be unloaded, it should not be accessible to any child," Vance said. On his Myspace.com page, Jason R. Matteau lists "shooting rifle and pistol" first among his interests and "losing my so... more -
Teen has bubonic plague
The Wyoming Department of Health is investigating how a Boy Scout who visited northwest Wyoming became infected with bubonic plague.
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9-Year-Old "Too Good" for Baseball Team
The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his ... more
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Lieberman Speaking at Republican Convention
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate in 2000 and now an independent who is one of John McCain's strongest supporters, will speak at the Republican National Convention, an official said. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate in 2000 and now an independent who is one of J... more
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Sex Offender Gets Community Award
R.J. Poniatoski, head of the Torrington Board of the Connecticut Baseball Umpire's Association, is defending the award given to 58-year-old Tom Barbero earlier this month. R.J. Poniatoski, head of the Torrington Board of the Connecticut Baseball Umpire's Association, is defending the award given to 5... more
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Hong Kong emigrant's death attracts scrutiny of U.S. detention system
Hiu Lui Ng, a computer science engineer who worked in New York for the Empire State Building, died two days after his 34th birthday in custody at Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a Rhode Island hospital. His death was an unexpected final stop after consulting with officials about his green card with immigration officials last summer in New York, although his visa had lapsed years ago, and he was subsequently jailed and held in detention ever since.
Reporter Nina Bernstein, in her contribution to the International Herald Tribune ("Hong Kong emigrant's death attracts scrutiny of U.S. detention system", August 13, 2008) writes about the investigation surrounding Ng's death -- his body "riddled with cancer" untreated and undiagnosed for months, and a spine fracture which he suffered from in July before his death. His attorneys have initialized a criminal investigation in a letter to U.S. and state prosecutors in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, and the Department of Homeland Security. Court affidavits say, Bernstein writers, that "guards at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, dragged him from his bed on July 30, carried him in shackles to a car, bruising his arms and legs, and drove him two hours to a U.S. government lockup in Hartford, Connecticut, where an immigration officer pressured him to withdraw all pending appeals of his case and accept deportation."
Photo: Rhode Island Hospital where Hiu Lui Ng died after being diagnosed with cancer and a spinal fracture. Credit: Steven Senne/AP, image courtesy of findingdulcinea.com. Hiu Lui Ng, a computer science engineer who worked in New York for the Empire State Building, died two days after his 34th birthday in... more -
"Demonic Forces" Blamed for Church Damage
Police in Milford, CT say a man is claiming he was possessed by ``demonic forces'' when he punched out eight windows at a church. Police in Milford, CT say a man is claiming he was possessed by ``demonic forces'' when he punched out eight windows at a ch... more
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Mice Blamed for Plane Crash
A Connecticut man says he's been told that mice brought down his small plane that crashed into a river in Rhode Island last week.
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Police seizing guns before crime is committed
Using a unique state law, police in Connecticut have disarmed dozens of gun owners based on suspicions that they might harm themselves or others.
The state's gun seizure law is considered the first and only law in the country that allows the confiscation of a gun before the owner commits an act of violence. Police and state prosecutors can obtain seizure warrants based on concerns about someone's intentions.
State police and 53 police departments have seized more than 1,700 guns since the law took effect in October 1999, according to a new report to the legislature. There are nearly 900,000 privately owned firearms in Connecticut today.
Opponents of a gun seizure law expressed fears in 1999 that police would abuse the law. Today, the law's backers say the record shows that hasn't been the case.
"It certainly has not been abused. It may be underutilized," said Ron Pinciaro, coexecutive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence.
Attorney Ralph D. Sherman has represented several gun owners who had their firearms seized under the law. His latest client was denied a pistol permit because the man was once the subject of a seizure warrant.
"In every case I was involved in I thought it was an abuse," said Sherman, who fought against the law's passage.
The report to the legislature shows that state judges are inclined to issue gun seizure warrants and uphold seizures when challenged in court.
Out of more than 200 requests for warrants, Superior Court judges rejected just two applications — one for lack of probable cause, and another because police had already seized the individual's firearms under a previous warrant. Both rejections occurred in 1999. The legislature's Office of Legislative Research could document only 22 cases of judges ordering seized guns returned to their owners.
Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, D-East Haven, is one of the chief authors of the gun seizure law. In his view, the number of warrant applications and gun seizures show that police haven't abused the law.
"It is pretty consistent," said Lawlor, the House chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Robert T. Crook, the executive director of the Connecticut Coalition of Sportsmen, questioned whether police have seized more guns than the number reported to the legislature. Crook said the law doesn't require police departments or the courts to compile or report information on gun seizures. The Office of Legislative Research acknowledged that its report may have underreported seizures.
"We don't know how many guns were actually confiscated or returned to their owners," Crook said.
Police seized guns in 95 percent of the 200-plus cases that the researchers were able to document. In 11 cases, police found no guns, the report said.
Spouses and live-in partners were the most common source of complaints that led to warrant applications. They were also the most frequent targets of threats. In a Southington case, a man threatened to shoot a neighbor's dog.
The gun seizure law arose out of a murderous shooting rampage at the headquarters of the Connecticut Lottery Corp. in 1998. A disgruntled worker shot and killed four top lottery officials and then committed suicide.
Under the law, any two police officers or a state prosecutor may obtain warrants to seize guns from individuals who pose an imminent risk of harming themselves or others. Before applying for warrants, police must first conduct investigations and determine there is no reasonable alternative to seizing someone's guns. Judges must also make certain findings.
**continues,click link to read** Using a unique state law, police in Connecticut have disarmed dozens of gun owners based on suspicions that they might harm themselves... more -
House Fire Leads to Marijuana Arrests
Firefighters say the fire began when a grow light placed in a closet that had been converted into a growing room ignited a burlap bag.
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"Clark Rockefeller" May Have Been German Exchange Student
Investigators looking into the mysterious past of a man accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter in Boston are trying to determine if he was once a German exchange student to Connecticut. Investigators looking into the mysterious past of a man accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter in Boston are trying to determin... more
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