Bridgeport, CT – The City of Bridgeport Department of Public Facilities (DPF) announces that ‘The Pothole Killer’ has returned and has already begun repairing potholes in the Park City on main and highly traveled roads. The City of Bridgeport has leased the repair tool for two to three weeks which will allow for the DPF crew to fill each pothole in two minutes or less. Additionally, ‘The Pothole Killer’ results in a more permanent solution, lasting 3-5 years compared to temporary solutions such as cold patch repairs.
“Beware of those potholes – fill them and kill them. And let’s all do what we can to feel better, and better appreciate our environment here in the Park City,” stated Mayor Ganim. “The administration is increasing cleaning and beautification, with that is visibility of more trees and flowers to beautify our Park City. I’m encouraging residents to make their voices be heard, and tell us where they would like to see flowers for the upcoming planting, visit BridgeportCT.gov/Bloom.”
In addition to repairing an inordinate number of potholes from harsh winters and occurrences on main roads with ‘The Pothole Killer’, the Department of Public Facilities also owns equipment for pothole-patching on secondary roads, which includes:
DuraPacher Pothole Sprayer-Injector trailer – provides a more-efficient manner of patching potholes
Hot-asphalt (warmer) truck – makes shoveling hot-asphalt easier for our public workers
The City of Bridgeport Department of Public Facilities responds to approximately 1000 pothole patching service requests per year. Bridgeport residents can report potholes to the Operations Division at 203 576-7124 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents may also report a concern using the mobile reporting app SeeClickFix (available through the iTunes store or Google Play for Android).
#Westport CT–On April 19, 2021 at approximately 12:15 p.m., the Westport Police Detective Bureau received a report from a local pharmacy stating that an unknown individual was allegedly attempting to illegally obtain prescription medications. The complainant stated that the business received a request via phone to fill two prescriptions. Upon calling the prescribing doctor to verify whether the prescriptions were valid it was learned that the doctor did not prescribe the medications in question.
At approximately 4:20 p.m., two individuals arrived at the pharmacy to retrieve the medications and were subsequently detained by the investigating detectives. They were identified as Christopher Estrella and Isa Hills. Based upon the investigation, both men were placed under arrest and charged with Obtaining Controlled Drugs by Fraud and Conspiracy to Obtain Controlled Drugs by Fraud. Mr. Hills was additionally charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance as he was found to be in possession of suspected illegal narcotics. Both individuals were released after posting $10,000.00 bonds and are scheduled to be arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court the morning of May 19, 2021.
This press release was made possible by:
For more information visit: https://www.acesbailbondsct.com/
2021-04-29@10:01am–#Bridgeport CT– If you are waiting for or expecting someone on the Greater Bridgeport Transit bus its going to be late due to this crash with injuries on John Street near Lafayette Street.
WASHINGTON, DC] – Today U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Actto help lower drug prices by preventing bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry from deliberately abusing the patent system.
The bipartisan legislation would curb drug companies’ anti-competitive use of patents to prevent generic and biosimilar competition from coming to market. The Blumenthal-Cornyn legislation specifically addresses an anti-competitive tactic known as “product hopping” and an abuse of the “patent dance” process for resolving patent infringement claims for biosimilars. Companion legislation addressing abuse of the “patent dance” process is being introduced in the House of Representatives today by U.S. Representatives Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA). Companion legislation prohibiting “product hopping” is being introduced by U.S. Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) and Ken Buck (R-CO).
“We must stop bad actors in Big Pharma from abusing the patent system to crush competition and stifle access to cheaper generic drugs,” Blumenthal said. “These patent abuses go by colorful names, like product hopping and the patent dance, that obscure their very pernicious purpose: stifling competition from generics and keeping costs up. I’m proud to be partnering with Senator Cornyn on this bill to rein in some of the most egregious monopolistic and predatory tactics within the drug industry.”
“Texans struggling financially during the pandemic shouldn’t have to decide between paying the bills or their life-saving prescriptions,” said Cornyn. “This legislation would encourage competition to try and drive down the skyrocketing costs at the pharmacy.”
Some pharmaceutical manufacturers have been deliberately abusing the patent system to prevent potential competitors from entering the marketplace through tactics like “product hopping” and abuse of the “patent dance” process.
The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act puts an end to practices that prioritize profits for pharmaceutical companies ahead of Americans’ health. By putting an end to abuses of our patent system, the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act will pave the way for generics and biosimilars to compete with branded drugs, and aggressively lower drug prices for consumers in the process.
Product Hopping: Product hopping is an anti-competitive tactic that some drug manufacturers engage in when their exclusive right to market a branded drug is about to expire. These companies use a variety of tactics to push patients to “hop” from a drug with a patent term that is ending to a similar drug with a long remaining period of exclusivity. Then, when the market protections for the earlier drug expire and a generic or biosimilar alternative comes to market, consumers struggle to access the cheaper generic or biosimilar. Instead, patients are stuck paying high costs for a drug that is substantially similar to their old one for many years to come.
The bill puts an end to this practice. It prohibits branded drug manufacturers from employing product hopping and facilitates entry to the market for generics and biosimilars, driving down drug costs.
Patent Dance: “Biosimilars” are to biologics what generic drugs are to branded drugs. In 2010, Congress enacted a law designed to resolve any patent litigation quickly before a biosimilar is introduced to the market, creating a patent dispute resolution process known as the “patent dance.” Under current law, however, there are no limits on the number of patents that a branded manufacturer of biologics can assert during the patent dance – leading some companies to abuse a process designed to facilitate biosimilar entry, not hinder it.
This bill places a reasonable limit on the number of patents a manufacturer can contest. This will help deter branded manufacturers of biologics from gaming the system to increase the number of patents they assert, while preserving the incentives provided by the patent system to encourage the core innovation that produces new biologic treatments in the first place.
2021-04-28@11:09pm–#Bridgeport CT– cttraffic– State police have created a road block on Route 8/25 for someone driving down the highway the wrong way near exit 1.
2021-04-28@9:40am– #Fairfield CT– #cttraffic –A truck has driven off the I-95 northbound and into the wooded area off exit 21. Assistant Chief Schuyler Sherwood told me that the driver was out of the vehicle when they arrived, helped out of the truck by passers-by. The driver was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. Traffic is getting by but slowly in both directions. The truck will be brought down the embankment on Linwood Drive.
2021-04-28@2:44pm–#Fairfield CT–#Southport CT– A pedestrian has been struck by a car in front of the car wash in the 3400 block of the Post Road in Southport. No word on the extent of injuries.
2021-04-28@9:40am– #Fairfield CT– A tractor trailer has driven off the I-95 and into the wooded area off exit 21. Avoid the area, many emergency vehicles on the way.
2021-04-28@9:28pm–#Bridgeport CT– Congratulations to the mother who just gave birth to the baby in the bathtub on Garfield Avenue!! Firefighters and EMS on the way.
