On Monday, October 26, 2020 at approximately 10:40am, officers responded to a Westport business on a report of a burglary. The victim reported that a piece of furniture had been stolen from the business sometime between the prior evening and the time of the call. Entry into the business had apparently been gained through an unlocked door. Through a review of surveillance video, a suspect was developed; identified as Timothy Holmstrom. Detectives ultimately recovered the missing piece of furniture from Holmstrom, who also reportedly confessed to the commission of the burglary.
Holmstrom was charged with 53a-103 Burglary 3 rd Degree and 53a-124 Larceny Fourth Degree. He was released on a $2,500.00 non-surety bond. Holmstrom is scheduled to be arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court on the morning of Thursday December 3, 2020.
20202-10-26@2:50pm–#Westport News: Police are at the Higgins Realty Group at 30 Elm Street to investigate a number of TVs taken Friday night.
2020-10-20 #Ansonia CT–Police need your help in identifying the person and/or vehicle in the robbery of the S & A Mart 95 Division Street. The suspect was described as tall and thin, wearing a blue sweatshirt, and gray pants, armed with a dark-colored handgun. The vehicle used is a light-colored large SUV. The Ansonia Police Department is asking anyone with information to please contact 203-735-1885 or tips can be left anonymously through TIP 411 at the link below.
The Stratford Library will present four special sessions of its popular “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers, on Sunday, November 1-22 at 2 pm. The four talks will be presented on consecutive Sundays on the Zoom platform. They are free and open to the public. American Revolutionary War historian, Eric Chandler, will return to the Library with his talk, “In the Beginning and the Wars before the Revolution: We’re all Englishmen, Right?” on Sunday, November 1. Chandler explores the series of bloody confrontations between Native Americans, as well as in the North American theaters of European wars as the Great Powers maneuvered to extend their empires abroad and how they helped fan the flames leading to the War for Independence. Chandler is currently serving his third term as a member of the Norwalk Historical Commission, sits on the Norwalk Historical Society Board of Directors as well as the Board of Directors for the recreated Sheldon’s Horse, 2 nd Regiment Continental Light Dragoons for which he also serves as lieutenant and adjutant. To register online for the Zoom talk visit: https://stratfordlibrary.libcal.com/event/7120734.
The remaining programs for November are: “Hell on Wheels: The Wild West” with Professor Hamish Lutris on November 8, “New England at 400: From Plymouth Rock to the Present Day” with Professor Eric D. Lehman on November 15 and “Sodbusters and Colleges: The Winning of the West” with Professor Lutris on November 22. The series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, will be held from 2-3:30 pm on the Zoom format. For further information call the Stratford Library at: 203.385-4162.
HARTFORD, CT) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) submitted testimony to the Connecticut Public Utility and Regulatory Authority (PURA) regarding its inquiry into the response of Eversource and United Illuminated following Tropical Storm Isaias.
“Now is the time for aggressive consumer protections. Many of Connecticut ratepayers are unemployed or retired. Families and small businesses are struggling through an economic crisis unprecedented in our lifetime. A health care crisis continues. It is deeply and flagrantly unfair that they are paying the highest electricity rates in the continental United States,” testified Blumenthal. “It is time to start putting the public first in our public utility.”
Blumenthal also submitted excerpts from 115 complaints about Eversource’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias. Residents from small towns and large cities had their power cut off and suffered losses due to Eversource’s negligent response.
These complaints include:
· “August 4th and as of August 11th, we are still without power… we had down power lines by our home… on August 8th our family dog Buddy, stepped on the grass close to the wires and was electrocuted to death… This is a direct result of at least 6 failures, any one of which could have prevented this.”
· “My medications, Humira, requires refrigeration; our insurance company pays somewhere around 4 thousand dollars a month for this. I received no restoration estimate… I couldn’t even request an additional Humira delivery, given the lack of restoration time”
· “We are professionals working from home during this pandemic. No electricity hinders our ability to continue working from home.”
· “My son is a quadriplegic 36 year old man… His bed would not work we had to call the paramedics to get them out of bed, his breathing machine needs his power… I spent $615.63 to replace food.”
· “I was without power for over 50 hours which resulted in the loss of over $500.00 worth of food… As a senior citizen on a fixed income, during a pandemic I depend on food delivery and therefore purchase as much as will fit in my home at one time to avoid contact with others.”
· “I had brain surgery August 6 and was released August 7. It was for a tumor. However our power has been off for a week now. My 84 year old husband is lifting the 30 pound gas can once a day for the generator for a few hours.”
The frustration on the part of customers with Eversource does not end with their response to Tropical Strom Isaias. Blumenthal’s office has received more than 200 complaints about Eversource’s bill practices and high rates.
As result, Blumenthal is urging that PURA break up Eversource and create a Connecticut based utility possibly with public ownership; eliminate the system of guaranteed profits for Eversource; link rates to performance; and press the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to change the grossly anti-consumer process for approving transmission line projects and costs.
A copy of the full testimony is below:
TESTIMONY OF
UNITED STATES SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY
DOCKET 20-08-03
OCTOBER 23, 2020
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments regarding PURA’s investigation into “electric distribution companies’ preparation for and response to Tropical Storm Isaias.
As an Eversource customer, I lost power for several days and share the frustration of my neighbors and constituents who wrote to me regarding the long delays and lack of accurate, detailed information concerning its response to the power outages.
I have attached excerpts from 115 complaints about Eversource’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias. The complaints came from all over the state – from North Grosvernordale to Greenwich, Canterbury to New Milford. Residents from small towns and large cities had their power cut off and suffered losses due to Eversource’s negligent response.
These complaints include:
· “What I can’t accept is the lack of communication or transparency on our power outage. Food has spoiled.”
· “August 4th and as of August 11th, we are still without power… we had down power lines by our home… on August 8th our family dog Buddy, stepped on the grass close to the wires and was electrocuted to death… This is a direct result of at least 6 failures, any one of which could have prevented this.”
· “My medications, Humira, requires refrigeration; our insurance company pays somewhere around 4 thousand dollars a month for this… I received no restoration estimate…I couldn’t even request an additional Humira delivery, given the lack of restoration time”
· “My parents have a downed wire on their property, as well as a tree through their house, yet they could not get through to Eversource for nearly 48 hours… continually cut off after following the automated prompts”
· “We are professionals working from home during this pandemic. No electricity hinders our ability to continue working from home.”
· “My son is a quadriplegic 36 year old man… His bed would not work we had to call the paramedics to get them out of bed his breathing machine needs his power… I spent $615.63 to replace food.”
· “The Eversource website was out, the App was unresponsive and phones were not answered for 72 hours. It took Eversource 5 days to get to us.”
· “I was without power for over 50 hours which resulted in the loss of over $500.00 worth of food…. As a senior citizen on a fixed income, during a pandemic I depend on food delivery and therefore purchase as much as will fit in my home at one time to avoid contact with others.”
· “My kids can’t sleep due to the heat. We haven’t showered since last Monday. All of our food is spoiled. My company in Boston can’t understand how our power and internet are still out five days after the storm hit”
· “My family has been without power since last Tuesday and have been driving through unsafe road conditions under huge branches tangled in power lines hanging over the road in many, many locations.”
· My husband and I both work. We stayed at the Stamford Sheraton because they had power, cell service and internet and they allow pets. This is a tremendous cost and burden to our family, nearly $2,000 including having to throw out all of our spoiled food.”
· “I had brain surgery August 6 and was released August 7. It was for a tumor. However our power has been off for a week now. My 84 year old husband is lifting the 30 pound gas can once a day for the generator for a few hours.”
· “Day number nine without power and no water… I am living like it is the third world. No toilets. No showers.”
· “Please let me know what is being done so this will NEVER happen again.”
The frustration with Eversource doesn’t stop with their response to Tropical Strom Isaias. I have received in the past year more than 200 complaints about Eversource’s bill practices and high rates.
In short, these consumer complaints about Eversource’s abjectly poor response in seeking to restore power to families and businesses reinforces my call to:
· Break up Eversource and create a Connecticut based utility possibly with public ownership
· Eliminate the system of guaranteed profits for Eversource; link rates to performance
· Press the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to change the grossly anti-consumer process for approving transmission line projects and costs
The current regulatory system is failing consumers. They pay the highest electricity rates in the continental U.S., yet endure long power outages like the one this month.
Now is the time for aggressive consumer protections. Many of Connecticut ratepayers are unemployed or retired. Families and small businesses are struggling through an economic crisis unprecedented in our lifetime. A health care crisis continues. It is deeply and flagrantly unfair that they are paying the highest electricity rates in the continental United States.
2020-10-25@6:28pm–#Bridgeport CT– First responders were called for a car that was dangling off the retaining wall from the parking lot at Golden Hill and Lyon Terrace. The driver was able to get out the car prior to firefighters arrival. There were no reported injuries.
2020-10-25@3AMish– #Bridgeport CT– A viewer, Felisha emailed me asking why she could not find any information on any media regarding a fire at Howard and Maplewood Avenue. The fire occurred at 3am and I stop reporting at 2am Sunday mornings. Normally after hours the media is informed by the “public affairs” officer (PAO). We get all the notices on activated fire alarms which are usually false alarms. See below last night’s log of calls. No fire at 3am reported.
There was a report of fire on a Facebook fire reporting page that two alarms were called with exposures, that is fire threatening homes in the back and of the left side of the structure.
The lack of reporting has not only affected the media but also the city council is beginning to complain about not being informed about what is happening in their district. I’m afraid to mention the person in charge of these reports because his wife might come back on Facebook and attack me again. Normal reporting resumed for just a day after that but that was it. I was scolded by the PAO on things not being reported that I should more carefully check my email but all the most recent updates have been on Twitter. There is no consistency. I just know if anyone other than a city official manages a department like this they wouldn’t have a job for long. But the mayor keeps ignoring it all. You are sending a loud and clear message to the citizens and city council Mayor Ganim.
#Fairfield CT–In the past month, the Town of Fairfield Police and Health Department have received numerous complaints regarding violations occurring at the Brickyard Pub located at 93 Post Road. These complaints include alleged violations of noise ordinances, occupants not wearing face masks and large crowds exceeding occupant capacity. Fairfield Police and Health Department Officials responded to the Brickyard Pub at 11:39pm on Friday, October 23rd after Fairfield Health Officials observed COVID-19 gathering size violations and face covering violations set forth by Governor Lamont’s 70th Executive Order. Officials on scene observed a large crowd of approximately 50 people standing outside the front of the Pub. It was reported many of them were not wearing masks as they stood amongst the large crowd. Additionally, inside Brickyard Pub, the crowd exceeded the 112-person maximum allowance, 75% of the Pub’s normal maximum capacity of 150. The majority of the patrons observed within Brickyard Pub were found to be gathered at the bar and were found not to be wearing face masks. The Brickyard Pub was ordered to close and cease operations until Monday October 26th by Health Officials. The owner of Brickyard Pub, identified as Jennifer Lynn Wilson of Easton, was fined for not complying with a face cover violation under Executive Order No. 7NNN (EO-9B-2a(1)). She was also fined for a gathering violation (EO-9B-2b), an Executive Order that specifies that any person or business entity who organizes, hosts, or sponsors a gathering that violates the gathering size restrictions set forth in the DECD Rules for Gatherings and Venues and Sector Rules for Outdoor Events. Fairfield Police will continue to coordinate with town health officials to seek and enforce public health violations. We also urge our community to adhere to social distance recommendations and to “do your part” in our fight against this virus. “Fairfield business owners are working very hard to stay afloat while complying with the sector rules. It’s very important that everyone does their part to protect the health of our community. The irresponsible actions of a few can have an impact on the entire town and other local businesses. We’re all in this together, wear a mask, follow the rules” states First Selectwomen Brenda Kupchick. “It is imperative that all establishments follow their sector reopen guidelines and all of the Governors Executive Orders, as this helps to ensure the health and safety of all Fairfield residents. Please remember to wear your mask, keep a social distance, and wash your hands frequently to stop the spread of COVID-19” said Rob Guerrera, Assistant Director of Health for Environmental Health.
