a vehicle crashed through a split rail fence at the intersection of Sturges Road and Unquowa Road. The vehicle continued approximately 100 yards across a downward sloping grass field and came to final rest partially submerged in the Mill River, approximately 25 feet from the shoreline. Officers enter Mill River and found that no one was inside the vehicle. The operator left the scene before officers arrived and he was located near the parking lot of the Carolton on Mill Plain Road just minutes after the crash occurred. Officers arrested Kevin Kane (61) of Fairfield for DUI and Evading Responsibility after he failed Field Sobriety Tests on scene. He was released on a $200 Bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 18th.
Fairfield Police Dive Team members were on-duty and assisted with the safe removal of the vehicle from within the Mill River. The vehicle was removed from the water without incident.
2021-05-13@9:45PMish– #Fairfield CT– A car failed to negotiate the turn at Unquowa Road near Summerset Avenue and drove down Mill Hollow Park and into the Mill River. The driver got himself out of the car and began walking down Unquowa Road towards the Post Road. The police located the man who did not appear to be injured.
2021-05-13@11:40am–#Fairfield CT– A man working on South Pine Creek attempted to rush his co-worker that was injured by a chainsaw to the hospital. He stopped when he located a police officer working a construction job in the 700 block of the Old Post Road. First aid was administered and the man was transported to the hospital by EWS.
2021-05-13@11:22pm–#Fairfield CT– A pedestrian was struck at the intersection of Burroughs and Fairfield Woods Road. The pedestrian was talking with first responders and was transported to the hospital.
Bridgeport, CT— Today, Representative Jim Himes (CT-04) announced that four Southwest Connecticut Community Health Centers will receive $18,798,875 from the Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to vaccines and other health services in underserved communities. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) appropriated funding for these grants.
These grants will be used to expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, and treatment. It will also allow community health centers to expand their operational capacity and provide preventative and primary care to vulnerable patients. Optimus Health Care will receive $9,411,000, Southwest Community Health Center will receive $5,459,125, Norwalk Community Health Center will receive $3,153,750, and Family Centers will receive $775,000 in federal funding.
“Southwest Connecticut’s community health centers have been on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19,” said Himes. “This grant will allow these vital organizations to expand their services, including vaccine distribution, to the vulnerable populations they serve. The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by its disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities, this funding works to provide equity in the pandemic response.”
“These funds will strengthen our ability to wipe out any remnants of Covid and allow us to serve more patients,” said Ludwig M. Spinelli, CEO of Optimus Healthcare. “It will allow us to open some new sites and services. The support will improve health care in Southwest CT.”
“This investment is truly going to change the healthcare landscape in Bridgeport,” said Mollie Melbourne, President/CEO of Southwest Community Health Center. “Our city has been ravaged by COVID and with this support, we will be able to ensure access to primary health care for all in our community. These dollars are life changing and lifesaving for the people of Bridgeport. Thank you for your trust and confidence in our health center and for providing us with the resources we need to continue the fight against COVID and build back stronger.”
“Family Centers Inc. has been engaged in the battle against COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic,’ said Dennis Torres, Family Centers’ Chief Health Officer. “We continue operating our walk up and drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in Greenwich and Stamford, and since January have been offering a full time COVID Vaccination Center and pop up vaccine clinics throughout town, doing our best to meet the demands and stressors COVID-19 has placed on the healthcare delivery system. The grant will allow us to continue this work, paying for staff and supplies to carry out frontline work necessary to fight this dreaded disease and help get control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with our partners in Greenwich and Stamford, we are grateful for Congressman Himes and the rest of the Connecticut delegation in Washington DC to have come together to marshal the resources necessary for us to do the work required to beat COVID.”
“Despite the strain on our resources the past year, our health center chose to continue meeting the pediatric, women’s health, adult medicine, and behavioral health needs of our patients,” said Kenneth Waller, FACHE, Norwalk Community Health Center Chief Executive Officer. “While providing free community COVID-19 testing as well as on-site and mobile COVID-19 clinics in underserved neighborhoods. In the middle of the pandemic, we also opened a permanent satellite location with a skeleton staff. The funds that Congressman Himes and our congressional delegation secured for us will be used to sustain and expand health and wellness services. It gives us the ability to pilot new ways of delivering service to more individuals and families, and the agility to quickly respond to changing needs in our patient population and community. We are grateful to Congressman Himes for his ongoing advocacy in Washington and support that improves access to care to our most vulnerable families.”
“The Norwalk Community Health Center is a key resource to providing health care services for all people in Norwalk,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling. “They have been an important partner in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and have continued to provide critical services to their patients every day. This grant funding is great news for the Norwalk Community Health Center as they work tirelessly to meet the expanding and evolving needs of our community.”
2021-05-13@9:44pm–#Bridgeport CT– Deputy Chief Buck said when they arrived on Pixlee Place, they were met with heavy fire on the third floor. Once they began “opening up” the fire became too intense and they had to sound the evaluation tones to get all the firefighters out of the building. They then got the fire under control and then worked to put out the hot spots. Third floor tenant Evan Werner said his friend that was dog sitting said their dog Ruby knocked over a candle onto a bed which started the fire. Everyone made it out safely. One firefighter received an electrical shock and is being treated. He is in stable condition.
2021-05-12@9:23am–#Stratford CT– #cttraffic- A viewer sent in this photo of a crash on I-95 northbound near exit 31. It appears a pickup towing a livestock trailer hit the back of another livestock vehicle. It is not known if there are any livestock in the trailers.
Hartford, CT) — Citing serious concerns about the safety and well-being of children and the harm social media poses to young people, Attorney General William Tong has joined a coalition of 44 attorneys general urging Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.
In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the coalition contends that social media can be detrimental to children for myriad reasons and that Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.
“Instagram for kids will undoubtedly open the door for predators, cyberbullying and other potential dangers. Facebook has failed to protect its adult users from disinformation, abuse and privacy breaches, so how can it be expected to protect vulnerable and impressionable children from these dangers?” Attorney General Tong said. “The science has shown us that social media usage among children is linked to increased mental health issues and self-harm behavior. Facebook should strongly reconsider the launch of this product for the health and safety of our children.”
In their letter, the attorneys general express various concerns over Facebook’s proposal, including research that social media can be harmful to the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children; rapidly worsening concerns about cyberbullying on Instagram; use of the platform by predators to target children; Facebook’s checkered record in protecting the welfare of children on its platforms; and children’s lack of capacity to navigate the complexities of what they encounter online, including advertising, inappropriate content and relationships with strangers.
At a Congressional hearing in March, Zuckerberg dismissed the idea that social media is harmful to children, despite strong data and research that has shown a link between young people’s use of social media and an increase in mental distress, self-injurious behavior, and suicidality. Instagram has been frequently flagged for increasing suicidal ideation, depression, and body image concerns in children.
Additionally, the attorneys general argue, young children are not equipped to handle the many challenges that come with having an Instagram account, including that they often lack a developed understanding of privacy. There is also a risk that predators may exploit children online and cloak their identities using the anonymity of the Internet. One report found an increase of 200 percent in recorded instances in the use of Instagram to target and abuse children over a six-month period in 2018. In 2020 alone, Facebook and Instagram reported 20 million child sexual abuse images.
Cyberbullying is also a major concern, and a 2017 survey found that 42 percent of young Instagram users had experienced cyberbullying on the platform, the highest percentage of any platform measured. As children spend more time online during the COVID-19 pandemic, these issues have likely been exacerbated.
The attorneys general also cast doubt on Facebook’s ability to protect children on their proposed Instagram platform and comply with relevant privacy laws such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). They point out that the company has a record of failing to protect the safety and privacy of children. For instance, Facebook’s Messenger Kids app contained a glitch that allowed children to circumvent restrictions and join group chats with strangers.
This press release is made possible by:
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2021-05-11@7:37pm–#Bridgeport CT– A man was apparently mowing his lawn when he somehow became trapped beneath the device,” said Deputy Fire Chief James Buck. His family found him with no pulse and not breathing. His son extricated him. EMS arrived and performed CPR. He was revived and is being monitored at the hospital in stable condition.
