Video Report: 8:45pm–Shelton CT–A male has been shot on Agawam Trail in Shelton. According to the police report: “At 
According to scanner reports it was a 15 year old male shot to the head. Neighbors said they heard two shots ring out. He was transported to Bridgeport Hospital who was on diversion at the time, Bridgeport Hospital accepted the him. The diversion ended shortly afterwards. I do not expect any updates until Sunday morning the earliest .o the hospital with serious injuries.”
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WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) will participate in the following events in Connecticut open to the press next week.
“How to Fund Your College Education” Financial Aid Workshop
As previously advised, Himes will host an event to connect students and parents with representatives from local colleges who can help them submit their FAFSA forms, identify grant and student loan opportunities, and get their questions answered.
WHEN: Sunday, March 16 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (Registration begins at 2:30)
WHERE: Trumbull Library, 33 Quality Street, Trumbull
Interfaith Council’s Gun Violence Prevention Vigil
Himes will give remarks at an interfaith vigil organized by the Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut honoring those lost to gun violence. Area clergy and local gun violence prevention groups will also participate. The vigil is part of the national “Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath” weekend organized by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence.
WHEN: Sunday, March 16 from 5:20 to 6:00 p.m. (event begins at 5:00)
WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Society, 20 Forest Street, Stamford
Visit to St. Joseph Catholic School
Himes will visit Mr. Joe Cavallaro’s eighth grade class to discuss his work in Congress and answer questions.
WHEN: Monday, March 17 from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m.
WHERE: 430 Coram Avenue, Shelton
32nd Greater Bridgeport St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Himes will march in the 32nd annual Greater Bridgeport St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
WHEN: Monday, March 17 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Parade starts at Webster Arena, 600 Main Street, Bridgeport
Visit to Lorca with Mayor Martin
Himes will join Stamford Mayor David Martin for a visit to Lorca, an artisan coffee shop run by Leyla Dam, an immigrant from Spain who opened her shop in late 2012.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 18 from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.
WHERE: 125 Bedford Street, Stamford
Norwalk Meals on Wheels Delivery
Himes will be a guest Meals on Wheels driver to help deliver meals to Norwalk seniors. March for Meals is a month-long event to generation public awareness about senior hunger and to celebrate the invaluable services provided by Senior Nutrition Programs across the country.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Norwalk Senior Center, 11 Allen Rd, Norwalk
Trade discussion with US Department of Commerce
Himes will join representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce for a discussion on the importance of trade and economic competitiveness between Connecticut and Canada. The event will highlight manufacturing and cross-border partnership and will be attended by members of the Valley Chamber of Commerce.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Shelton Chamber of Commerce, 10 Progress Drive, Shelton
Shelton Town Hall Meeting
Himes will hold a town hall meeting at Shelton City Hall to hear from his constituents and answer questions.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Shelton City Hall auditorium, 54 Hill Street, Shelton
SIFMA Capitol Hill Challenge
Himes will join teams of students at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering participating in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation’s annual Capitol Hill Challenge, which matches Members of Congress with students competing in The Stock Market Game. Student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio to invest in real stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
WHEN: Thursday, March 20 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, 411 High Ridge Road, Stamford
Norwalk Town Hall Meeting
Himes will hold a town hall meeting at Norwalk Community College to hear from his constituents and answer questions.
WHEN: Thursday, March 20 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Norwalk Community College, GenRe Forum – East Campus, 188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk
Stamford Town Hall Meeting
Himes will hold a town hall meeting at UConn’s Stamford campus to hear from his constituents and answer questions.
WHEN: Saturday, March 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: University of Connecticut Stamford Campus, GenRe Auditorium, 1 University Place, Stamford
Protection of Special Transportation Fund and Development of State’s Deep-Water Ports
HARTFORD – Two pieces of legislation linked to proposals submitted by State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-143) cleared the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee today.
S.J. No. 23 is a resolution proposing an amendment to the State Constitution limiting the use of moneys contained in the Special Transportation Fund to transportation-related projects. H.B. 5289 would create a Port Authority to develop, promote, and manage Connecticut’s three deep-water ports in Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London.
As in all even-numbered years, this year individual legislators may propose only bills that are fiscal in nature. Legislation on any other subject may be proposed only by legislative committees. Rep. Lavielle had submitted letters suggesting the resolution and the bill that cleared the Transportation Committee today to the Committee’s leadership in January.
“I am very pleased by the Transportation Committee’s unanimous vote on both of these pieces of important legislation,” said Rep. Lavielle, “because bipartisan support is crucial for their eventual passage in the full House and Senate.”
Commenting on the two pieces of legislation, Rep. Lavielle said, “Protecting the money in the Special Transportation Fund from diversion for other purposes is crucial for the maintenance, repair, and improvement of our roads, bridges, rails, and other transportation infrastructure. I believe that creating a Port Authority to focus on developing our deep-water ports will stimulate business, improve the movement of freight, and reduce highway traffic congestion, and this will make Connecticut a more competitive place to do business.”
Rep. Lavielle recently testified before the Committee on both S.J. No. 23 and HB 5289. Her testimony is available at the following links:
Woman Charged With Stealing Electricity
(Bridgeport, CT – March 14, 2014) – A city woman faces felony charges for fraudulently receiving free electricity for the last seven years by claiming a medical condition.
Lori Rodriguez, 49, of Bridgeport, defrauded United Illuminating Co. of $27,218.76 by forging her doctor’s signature on documents that protect customers from utility shut off if they suffer from a medical condition and could suffer harm if their utilities are shut off.
The protection is not permanent but can be renewed by the doctor. Customers seeking the waiver are required to provide the doctor’s name and contact information.
Detective Robert Martin began investigating the case after being contacted by an investigator from UI in January.
He learned that Rodriguez first applied for medical protection in 2007. UI received the signed form from the fax number provided by Rodriguez for her doctor. The doctor described her medical condition as life threatening, earning her year-round protection.
What Martin also learned was that the fax number provided by Rodriguez was actually for a Staples store and that Rodriguez received the incoming faxes, forged her doctor’s signature and sent them back.
She repeated the process every time it was time for renewal. UI detected the fraud when she apparently inadvertently attached a Staples fax coversheet to the documents. The doctor later confirmed that the signatures were forgeries.
“The members of The United Illuminating Company’s Revenue Protection and Security department take their work very seriously,” said Dave Whidden, the supervisor of UI’s Revenue Protection and Security.
“These are tough economic times, and many people are struggling to pay their bills — but that doesn’t excuse breaking the law. If you commit fraud in order to avoid paying for your electric service, we will have you prosecuted. We owe that much to our honest hardworking rate payers and to the people of the state of Connecticut.”
Rodriguez was charged with second-degree larceny, four counts of second-degree forgery, four counts of criminal impersonation and four counts of identity theft.
Subway Restaurant Held Up
(Bridgeport, CT – March 14, 2014) – A gunman held up a Subway restaurant Thursday night on East Main Street.
Officer Albert Palatiello responded to the restaurant at 926 E. Main St. at 8 p.m.
Employees stated that a masked man entered the business with a handgun and demanded money from the register. When the employees opened the cash drawer, the suspect grabbed the money and then fled.
The suspect was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black sneakers.
Shooting Victim Identified
(Bridgeport, CT – March 14, 2014) – Police are identifying a man who was shot Thursday night on Hamilton Street.
Police located the victim, Raheem Dicks, 22, at a nearby has station with a gunshot wound to the arm. Authorities were called at 7:41 p.m.
Dicks provided an account of what happened but evidence at the scene appeared to contradict his account. The incident remains under investigation.
Meat Stolen, Thrown by Shoplifter
(Bridgeport, CT – March 14, 2014) – A shoplifter threw stolen meat at grocery store employees before being arrested by city police.
Officer Wilfred Torres was dispatched to Compare Foods at 1050 E. Main St. Thursday afternoon on a shoplifting complaint. He also was told the employees confronted the woman and she threatened them with a knife.
Officers Adrian Elem and Pamela Stewart took the suspect, Audriana Williams, 33, of Bridgeport, into custody.
An employee told police that he observed Williams putting a package of meat under her coat and he followed her outside. She pulled a knife on him and then on the owner. She fled across the street and the employees followed at a distance. She threw packages of meat at them before fleeing and being arrested by police. Williams was charged with criminal attempt at second-degree assault, threatening and sixth-degree larceny. Her bond was set at $15,000.
Police Identify Motorist Involved in Eight Car Crash
(Bridgeport, CT – March 14, 2014) – Police are identifying the motorist involved in a crash that damaged eight cars, including her own.
Karen Otero, 75, of Bridgeport, told police that she was pulling out of a parking space when her car suddenly accelerated. She stated she was hitting the brakes but they did not slow the car.
Otero’s car struck five vehicles in the parking lot of the Auto Zone, 300 North Ave. The impact pushed two of those vehicles into two other parked cars.
FAIRFIELD, CT–March 14, 2014—The Town of Fairfield has scheduled a public workshop to get input from Fairfield residents regarding possible strategies related to increasing Fairfield’s housing opportunities. The workshop is scheduled for:
Tuesday April 1, 2014
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Board of Education Conference Room
501 Kings Highway East
Many people are surprised to learn that about half of Fairfield’s housing units were built in a 25-year period between 1945 and 1970. Those housing units reflected community needs and desires prevalent during that period. However, since that time, Fairfield’s population has changed and now includes many older residents and smaller households who may be looking for other housing choices. Children of current residents might also want housing units in the community they grew up in. How best might Fairfield address these changing housing needs?
The workshop will provide an opportunity for Fairfield residents to discuss the changing housing needs of the community and suggest priorities and strategies for addressing those needs. Following the public workshop, the Town will look at the identified issues and evaluate strategies to help guide the community in the future.
Fairfield residents are encouraged to come to the workshop and participate in the discussion. “This issue is important to many people, and having an opportunity to share ideas will help Fairfield make good choices and develop a plan to proactively address these challenges”, said Mark Barnhart, Director of Community and Economic Development.
HARTFORD — Following a series of serious accidents during the past year, including two that caused fatalities, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in December launched Operation Deep Dive, an investigation assessing Metro-North’s operations and safety compliance. Today the FRA published its report, which includes a set of recommendations. According to the report, Metro-North has overemphasized on-time performance to the detriment of safety, has provided inadequate training to operational personnel, and has failed to create a culture of safety among its employees.
Rep. Gail Lavielle (R-143), Ranking Member of the Transportation Subcommittee of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the findings:
“The FRA report is alarming. The findings show safety deficiencies in every area of Metro-North’s operations. This means that the lives of rail passengers have been at risk every day, and this is simply unacceptable. This report must be an immediate wake-up call for Metro-North. No delay in following the report’s recommendations must be tolerated, either by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut’s executive branch, the General Assembly, or the federal transportation authorities. People’s lives are at stake.
“On May 17, Metro-North must submit a report to the FRA detailing progress and future action plans for its Safety and Training Departments, as well as senior leadership’s plans for prioritizing safety at every level of the organization. FRA has committed to monthly meetings with Metro-North to review progress. FRA’s continued involvement is crucial. Metro-North’s alarming record on safety speaks for itself and warrants constant oversight by an external organization with the authority to enforce changes. Because Connecticut’s contract with Metro-North does not include provisions that allow the state to impose and enforce standards for safety and service, the DOT, the General Assembly, and the executive branch must do everything possible to ensure that the FRA remains heavily involved and stays close to Metro-North until all safety issues are completely resolved.”
[Fairfield, CT, March 14, 2014] Join “Off the Beaten Path: Connecticut” author Cindi Pietrzyk in the Rotary Room at the Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road, on Sunday, March 23 at 2:00 as she talks about her book. Cindi will present a slide show that highlights a few stops in each section of the book, offering some little-known facts and some stories about her travels.
Cindi Pietrzyk is a freelance writer and editor based in Durham, Connecticut. She is the author of numerous New England travel books, as well as serving as an editor for Connecticut Forest and Park’s Connecticut Walk Book: East. When she is not writing, she works as a freelance proofreader and editor. She graduated from UConn with a degree in English and then went on to almost complete her Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts at Wesleyan University.
Books will be available for sale and signing. Advanced registration is required due to the limited space. All programs at the Fairfield Public Library are free of charge. For more information and to register for this event call 203-256-3160, or visit us on the web www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org. Follow the Fairfield Public Library on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fairfieldpublib and Facebook: www.facebook.com/fairfieldlibrary.
#Milford CT– UPDATE–The 2nd victim has been pulled from the water and CPR is in progress. 2nd victim was located by a fishing boat. The male victim and the canoe was located on a beach off Eveningside Drive.
2:11pm–#Milford CT–A canoe has overturned between Charles Island Silver Beach. Radio reports say the two on board were not wearing personal flotation devices. Active search in progress.
10:55pm–#Bridgeport CT–Police are investigating a stabbing on York Street. EMS on the way.
