2023-03-25@8:40pm–#Bridgeport CT– A viewer sent in these images of a crash on East Main at Jane Street Saturday night. The viewer said there were 5 cars involved.
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2023-03-26@12:27pm–#Fairfield CT– #Bridgeport CT– A car with front end damage and an unconscious driver came to a stop on Kings Highway. Firefighters immediately began CPR on the driver. Police had dispatch check with Bridgeport to see if they had any hit-and-run calls in town which they did.
2023-03-25@6:38pm–#Fairfield CT– Today’s vehicle fire was located at Nutmeg Bowl at 802 Villa Avenue. The car owner of the Nissan Altima said his son was inside when the engine compartment began to catch fire. There were no injuries and firefighters had the fire out quickly. The sprinkler system above kept the fire from extending to cars parked nearby.
#Bridgeport Ct– The homicide victim from Clinton Avenue has been identified as 31-year-old Marco Illescas-Canar of Bridgeport CT. The family resides in the “Hollow” section of the City. Marco Illescas-Canar was not technically homeless. The next of kin has been notified.
2023-03-25@1:45pm–#Trumbull CT– #cttraffic– A crash on Route 8 northbound near exit 8. According to radio reports a second ambulance has been dispatched for a person with back pain.
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#Bridgeport News: On March 25, 2023, at around 3:30 am, the Bridgeport Police Department received reports of gunshots outside the Hollywood Hookah Lounge located at 1211 Main Street in Bridgeport, CT. A 23-year-old man from Bridgeport was shot twice in the neck and is critically injured.
The Incident
Upon arriving at the scene, police officers discovered shell casings and other evidence indicating that multiple shots had been fired. A male party presented himself at a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds to the neck.
The Victim
The victim of the shooting is a 23-year-old man from Bridgeport, CT. The police have not released his name or any other identifying information. He is critically injured but is reported to be in stable condition at this time.
The Shooter
The shooter is described as a black male wearing a green shirt. He allegedly entered a small black vehicle and fled the area, traveling southbound on Main Street. Police are currently working to identify and locate the shooter.
The Investigation
The Detective Bureau has taken over the investigation into the shooting at the Hollywood Hookah Lounge. A crime scene was processed outside the lounge, and detectives are working on several leads to identify the shooter and determine the motive behind the shooting.
Contact Information
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the case officer, Detective Kateema Riettie, at 203-581-5253. Citizens can also provide information anonymously by using the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
Possible Motives
The police have not yet identified a motive for the shooting at the Hollywood Hookah Lounge. However, they are considering several possibilities, such as gang-related violence or an altercation or dispute between individuals at the lounge.
Public Safety Concerns
The shooting at the Hollywood Hookah Lounge has raised concerns about public safety in the Bridgeport community. Many residents are worried about the increasing violence in the area and are calling for more resources to be dedicated to preventing violent crime.
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#Norwalk CT–On March 24, 2023, Norwalk Combined Dispatch received a call reporting a stabbing at Norwalk High School. The incident resulted in a juvenile victim being transported to Norwalk Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Norwalk Police Department responded promptly to the call and quickly identified the suspects, who were later arrested and charged with various crimes.
The Incident
At around 5:00 PM on March 24, 2023, Norwalk Combined Dispatch received a call reporting a stabbing at Norwalk High School. Patrol Officers were immediately dispatched to the location and found a juvenile victim on the football field. The officers rendered aid to the victim until Norwalk Hospital EMS arrived on the scene. The victim was then transported to Norwalk Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
During the initial investigation, officers obtained information that two adult non-student males were loitering in the area of the basketball courts at Naramake Elementary School. According to the witnesses, one of the males, later identified as Tyllis Gay, approached a juvenile on the basketball court and punched him in the face. The other adult male, later identified as Dior Sebastian Bell, approached another juvenile and stabbed him with a knife. Both Gay and Bell then fled the scene. The witnesses reported that both attacks were unprovoked.
The Arrest
The Norwalk Police Department quickly responded to the incident and began searching for the suspects based on the descriptions provided by the witnesses. Tyllis Gay was located nearby and engaged in a foot chase with the officers. However, the officers quickly apprehended him and recovered a knife nearby. Detectives were able to locate Dior Sebastian Bell on Strawberry Hill Avenue and took him into custody.
Charges and Bond
After the arrest, the two suspects were charged with various crimes related to the stabbing incident. Tyllis Gay, 21, of Strawberry Hill Ave., Norwalk, CT, was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Assault First, Assault 3rd, and Loitering in or About School Grounds. His bond was set at $50,000, and his court date was scheduled for 3-31-23. Dior Sebastian Bell, 21, of Strawberry Hill Ave, Norwalk, CT, was charged with Assault First, Conspiracy to Commit Assault First, and Loitering in or About School Grounds. His bond was set at $100,000, and his court date was also scheduled for 3-31-23.
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2023-03-24 #Bridgeport CT–Earlier today, Bridgeport Police apprehended a 14-year-old individual in connection with the robbery and killing of a Chinese food delivery man that occurred on March 4th. This arrest marks the second one made in relation to the case.
The minor has been charged with Criminal Attempt at Robbery in the First Degree and Felony Murder, and is currently being detained at the Juvenile Detention Center in Bridgeport on a bond of $1,000,000.
The lead investigator on the case, Detective Hanson, and all of the other individuals who contributed to the investigation are commended for their hard work and dedication.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker today announced details of a new state initiative that aims to strengthen Connecticut’s efforts to recruit and retain a strong and diverse educator workforce through the reimagining of teacher evaluations and the modernizing of teacher certifications. The initiative focuses on ensuring that teachers are evaluated on a fair and consistent basis, and that they receive the support they need to improve their skills and knowledge.
The Connecticut State Department of Education’s Educator Evaluation and Support (EES) Council, codified in Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-151b as the Performance Evaluation and Advisory Council, has worked collaboratively over the past 20 months to develop an educator evaluation system based on research, best practices, continuous improvement, and focused on educator practice and student growth.
Under this initiative, the EES Council will be proposing to the Connecticut State Board of Education a new educator evaluation and support system based on state or national performance standards, aligned with the goals of districts, and include feedback and support for educators informed by multiple measures of student learning, growth, and achievement. Districts will have the 2023-2024 school year to plan for implementation of the new Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
Currently, training is being developed for educators (teachers and administrators) who will be evaluated under the new guidelines, as well as for school and district leaders who will be evaluating teachers and administrators. Guidance is also being developed for district Professional Development and Evaluation Committees to ensure successful implementation of the new guidelines.
The EES stakeholder organizations include:
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education of Connecticut (AACTE-CT)
American Federation of Teachers of Connecticut (AFT-CT)
Connecticut State Department of Education
Connecticut State Board of Education
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE)
Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS)
Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS)
Connecticut Education Association (CEA)
Connecticut Association of School Administrators (CASA)
Connecticut Federation of School Administrators (CFSA)
Minority Teacher Recruitment (MTR) Policy Oversight Council
Regional Educational Service Center (RESC) Alliance
The Connecticut State Department of Education has also prioritized modernizing teacher certification to make it easier to become an educator while maintaining a high-quality educator workforce. The department, along with input from stakeholders, has identified short-term regulatory proposals to improve certification while Connecticut moves toward long-term solutions.
The Connecticut State Department of Education will convene a group of stakeholders to review and identify a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the certification regulations. Like the EES Council, this group will be pivotal to the modernization of certification regulations.
Governor Lamont said, “We owe it to our students to provide them with the best possible education, and that starts with ensuring that our teachers are well-trained and supported. These proposed reforms are an important step forward in our efforts to improve the quality of education in Connecticut.”
Commissioner Russell-Tucker said, “The Connecticut State Department of Education has made it one of our top priorities to have a high-quality and diverse educator workforce. We believe that the current collaborative efforts with our education partners will help us reach our goal. We are so grateful to our partner organizations that we are moving forward together in modernizing teacher certification and reimagining performance evaluation and supports in Connecticut.”
State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford), co-chair of the legislature’s Education Committee, said, “Every day, teachers serve as role models to our students and help them reach their academic and personal goals. I welcome this new initiative to help ensure that Connecticut’s teachers are well-trained and prepared for a 21st century classroom. Step-by-step, these actions are strengthening Connecticut’s efforts to recruit, train, and mentor a diverse educator workforce.”
CEA President Kate Dias said, “We are very excited to see the collaborative work of all stakeholders reflected in this revision to teacher evaluation. This new process is more reflective, it focuses on creating support networks to strengthen our teacher workforce, and it seeks to make educators valued partners in building successful learning communities. We are happy to move away from a performative process and toward a meaningful one that values the work of educators.”
AFT-CT Vice President for PreK-12 Teachers Mary Yordon said, “Connecticut and the nation face an escalating learning crisis fueled by teachers and support staff leaving our profession. That makes the Lamont administration’s embrace of this new evaluation model an important step toward empowering educators to address it. It represents a revolutionary change in evaluation that will promote growth in an environment of trust and respect. Our members have long called for this kind of a differentiated approach to achieving professional improvement. This new model further amplifies what the research says works; inspire educators to think deeply and discuss individual practice with their evaluators in meaningful, complex and practical terms.”
CAPSS Executive Director Fran Rabinowitz said, “Educator supervision and evaluation is the foundation for success in every school district. It was well worth the 18 months of work to collaboratively develop a process that will not only support and develop our educators but also has an accountability system that makes sense. It was some of the best and most rewarding work that I have been involved in as CAPSS executive director. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
CABE Executive Director Patrice McCarthy said, “These proposals will allow Connecticut to continue to move forward in promoting student success. Supporting educator growth is critical to meet student needs and attracting and retaining a diverse educator workforce benefits all our students as they prepare to enter a global economy.”
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The Stratford Library continues “Sunday Afternoon Talks”, its series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers, on Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 2pm with Jay Misencik, Geralene Valentine and Ed Brinsko, Jr. and their presentation, “ReVisit Bridgeport: Photographs by Ed Brinsko”. The talk and slide presentation will be presented live in the Library’s Lovell Room. It is free and open to the public.
Ed Brinsko was a life-long Bridgeport resident. His career with the Post Publishing Company spanned 43 years. Like the best of early to late 20th century newspaper photographers, Ed Brinsko carried heavy cameras and many rolls of film and then spent hours developing his images in the darkroom. From 1945 to 1988 – with a two-year interlude in the U.S. Army as a reporter with Pacific Stars and Stripes – Brinsko was a photographer for the Bridgeport Post- Telegram.
The images he captured during those years are flash-frozen specimens of times that have passed, a simpler time of post-war relaxation of Barnum Festival Ballyhoo Shows and the comedy of a Jack Benny. But the 50’s and 60’s were passing, and Ed Brinsko was there to document, from the JFK Inaugural Ball in January 1961, to the fiery speech of Malcolm X at the University of Bridgeport on November 21, 1963, the day before Kennedy’s assassination. For the Library talk, Brinsko’s work will speak for itself in a lavish slide presentation: portraits of heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson training in Newtown in 1959, Jane Fonda cavorting at Compo Beach in Westport and, perhaps most interestingly of all: Charles DeStasio – Charlie the Bum – who wandered the streets of Bridgeport for close to 50 years.
The “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, is held from 2-3:30 pm in the Stratford Library Lovell Room, 2203 Main Street in Stratford, CT.
For further information visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org or call the Library at: 203.385-4162
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