12:10pm–#Bridgeport CT– If driving in the Hollow at James and Jones Street watch out for the man in the middle of the street appearing to be doing karate moves. First responders on the way. He might be under a narcotic according to radio reports.
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12:41pm–#Bridgeport CT– One person injured and on the way to the hospital after a crash in the 1600 block of East Main Street. Police reporting traffic is a mess so avoid the area.
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12:02pm–#Bridgeport CT– Department of Children and Families received a tip that there is a one year old child with a burn on their leg. The tip said the mother is afraid to take the child to the doctors in fear they will take the child away. Police find the child with the burn and take the child to the hospital. The child and mother live in the 500 block of State Street.Detectives are investigating.
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#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has introduced legislation designed to modernize the signage that designates reserved parking spaces for people with disabilities. The updated symbol and language, being called for by advocates internationally, is more reflective of the diverse community of those who utilize the accessible parking spaces.
Under the proposal, the updated signs will only be installed at times when a new accessible parking space is being created or when an old sign is damaged or weathered and needs to be replaced. As such, the revamped signs will come at no additional cost to taxpayers or businesses.
“For decades, Connecticut has been at the forefront in fighting discrimination against persons with disabilities, and this proposal is just one small, simple change that we can make. Even though it will have zero costs, it can have an important long-term impact by fostering a deeper understanding of accessibility,” Governor Malloy said.
The current access symbol is nearly half a century old, depicting a symbol of a stationary individual. The new symbol, known globally as the “Modified International Symbol of Access,” suggests independence and engagement, placing the visual focus from the wheelchair to the individual. In addition to adopting the updated symbol, Governor Malloy’s legislation will remove the out-of-date word “handicapped” from the signs and replace it with the word “reserved” – a more inclusive term.
Last year, the State of New York adopted similar legislation replacing the outdated symbol with the modernized version, and many small businesses in Connecticut have already begun voluntarily making this change. One of Connecticut’s larger businesses, Cigna, has already decided to begin voluntarily converting their signage to the modernized version at their locations in the state. The city of Phoenix, Arizona has also adopted the new symbol.
“This change reflects continued progress in how we view people who have disabilities—specifically that diversity makes our state, our workforce and our government stronger,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said.
“I’m excited to work along with the Governor in changing our handicapped symbol to one that displays both physical and mental independence,” Jonathan Slifka, the Governor’s Liaison to the Disability Community, said. “It is my sincere hope that we can all view the spirit of the sign rather than the literal vision and agree that this change is appropriate and long overdue.”
“Symbols and words have meaning in our society. When we change certain symbols and words, we help change and improve our understanding of the world around us,” State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), an early proponent of the new sign, said. “This change – which was proposed last summer by a constituent of mine and I publicly endorsed last fall, and which is now being promoted by the Governor – will make a meaningful difference in the lives of Connecticut residents.”
Stephen Morris, the executive director of Favarh, The Arc of Farmington Valley, started a campaign last fall called “Change the Sign, Change the Attitude” to promote adoption of the new design in Connecticut. He also created an online petition that to date has over 2,000 signatures.
“Changing the accessible parking sign is not the biggest nor the most important disability-related issue that we face as a state, however it is important to my friends at Favarh and to more than 2,000 people who signed our petition. It’s also important to the degree that it will bring much needed attention to larger issues such as the misuse of accessible parking spots and the inaccessibility of many buildings and public places in our community,” he said. “We may all need an accessible community at some point in our lives. This isn’t just about changing a parking sign, it’s about public awareness of disability issues. And this isn’t about changing the community for a few of us. It is about improving the community for all of us.”
The Governor’s legislation is House Bill 5050 (State of Connecticut Press Release)
#Bridgeport CT–Just after 1am firefighters were called to the a garage fire in the back of 114 Jones Avenue. When firefighters arrived the garage was already fully engulfed in flames. All occupants of the home in front evacuated and firefighters quickly had the fire out. There were no reported injuries. Here are the sights and sounds from the scene.
10:23pm–#Bridgeport CT– BlackRock CT– A report of a crash a Fairfield Avenue and Brewster Street. First responders with EMS on the way.
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10:03pm–#Bridgeport CT– Report of man stripping off his clothes at 334 Orchard Street banging on doors. He might be on PCP according to radio reports….
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10:00pm–#cttraffic–A pursuit starting on I-95 exit 27 area of a gray Hyundai Elantra wanted for narcotics into Fairfield gets off exit 23 before Bridgeport Police break it off.
The Quicky Food Mart at 165 Washington Avenue was robbed at gunpoint earlier this afternoon. The Bridgeport Police Violent Crime Reduction Task Force made an arrest at approximately 5:00 p.m. at the intersection of Park and Laurel Avenues.
Surveillance video from the store helped officers identify the suspect and one of the officers recognized the suspect as a witness in a traffic accident a few months ago. From that accident report they identified the name, description and home address of the subject. Two lineups were arranged and the suspect was identified. The Suspect was Aaron Martinez age 21. Police said the charges are pending.
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5:40pm–#Bridgeport CT– Firefighters rescue two people from a home full of smoke at 165 Virginia Avenue. One person was an elderly woman according to radio reports.
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