Month: May 2023

Aquarion Improving Water Mains in Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. – May 25, 2023 – Aquarion Water Company today announced a water main cleaning project in Bridgeport. The project, scheduled to take place between Tuesday, May 30 and Thursday, June 23, is being undertaken to ensure customers in Bridgeport continue to receive the highest quality water.

The project is scheduled to be completed over approximately four weeks. During this time, customers may notice temporary low pressure or discoloration in their water. This discoloration results from the temporary disturbance of the water flow, which stirs up naturally occurring minerals that settle in water mains. Aquarion recommends customers store water in their refrigerators for drinking and cooking. Customers should also refrain from washing laundry if water is discolored. Prior to resuming use, customers should run their cold-water faucets until the water appears clear.

Aquarion encourages customers to visit www.aquarionwater.com/alerts to sign up for automated alerts and to get the latest information on the water main cleaning project, including the schedule of upcoming streets where water mains will be cleaned.

Cleaning will take place (subject to change) between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; the schedule for the first week of the cleaning project is:

Date

Streets

Tuesday, May 30

Cotter Rd., Doreen Dr., Eckart St., Folino Dr., Heppenstall Dr., Jourmire Rd., Kevin Rd., Leonard Dr., Marilyn Dr., Nancy Dr., Old Town Rd., Park Ave., Russel Rd., Saint Nicholas Dr., Saxon Dr., Tina Cir.

Wednesday, May 31

Cotter Rd., Doreen Dr., Eckart St., Folino Dr., Heppenstall Dr., Jourmire Rd., Kevin Rd., Leonard Dr., Marilyn Dr., Nancy Dr., Old Town Rd., Park Ave., Russel Rd., Saint Nicholas Dr., Saxon Dr., Tina Cir.

Thursday, June 1

Acton Rd., Derman Cir., Dobson St., Macon Dr., Madison Ave., Marcy Rd., Palmetto Rd., Quinsey Dr., Ralph St., Rosale Dr., Royce Pl., Seaver Cir., Serpentine Dr., Travis Dr.

Friday, June 2

Acton Rd., Derman Cir., Dobson St., Macon Dr., Madison Ave., Marcy Rd., Palmetto Rd., Quinsey Dr., Ralph St., Rosale Dr., Royce Pl., Seaver Cir., Serpentine Dr., Travis Dr.

Customers who have signed up for alerts will also receive an automated message when their water will be affected. Customers with questions should contact Aquarion’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-732-9678 or cs@aquarionwater.com.

About Aquarion Water Company:

Aquarion Water Company is the public water supply company for more than 750,000 people in 72 cities and towns in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It is the largest investor-owned water utility in New England and among the seven largest in the U.S. Based in Bridgeport, CT, Aquarion has been in the public water supply business since 1857. Across its operations, Aquarion strives to act as a responsible steward of the environment and to assist the communities it serves in promoting sustainable practices. Aquarion Water Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eversource.

For more information on Aquarion Water Company, please visit www.aquarionwater.com or www.facebook.com/aquarionwater.

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Bridgeport News: Another Car Wash Mishap

2023-05-25@12:20pm–#Bridgeport CT– Another car wash mishap, this time at the Merritt Car Wash (next to Merritt Canteen) on upper Main Street. No report of any injuries, and the driver was able to get out of the car without firefighters’ help.
Two weeks ago we had a car flip over at the VIP car wash at 1839 Main Street, and on Sunday a pedestrian was hit in the Russell Speeder parking lot.

TRUMBULL OFFICERS NAB THREE TEENS WHO LEFT STOLEN CAR WHILE SHOPPING

#Trumbull CT– Three (3) teens were charged Monday afternoon when they left a stolen vehicle at the Trumbull Mall while they went shopping. Officers located and arrested the teens near the bus stop and recovered tools and USB cords that are commonly used to commit car thefts. Okief Braham, age 18, of Hartford, a seventeen (17) year old juvenile female of Stamford, and a fifteen (15) year old juvenile male of Hartford were all arrested for their involvement in this incident.

On May 22, 2023, an observant Trumbull Police officer who was patrolling the mall parking lot spotted an unoccupied vehicle which had a broken window and the engine still running. Upon closer inspection, the Kia Optima was found to have a broken ignition with a USB cord inserted, which indicated that it was stolen. Officers verified the vehicle had been stolen earlier the same day in Stamford. Officers began searching the area for the teens who had been observed leaving the vehicle just minutes earlier.

When located a short time later exiting the mall, officers detained the teens near the bus stop. The juvenile female became aggressive with the officers and had to be restrained. She was found to be carrying a variety of tools used for car thefts, specifically for Kia and Hyundai. When further investigation connected the teens to the stolen car, all three (3) were arrested and transported to Trumbull Police headquarters. The fifteen (15) year old juvenile male was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle. He was released to custody of his mother on a Promise to Appear in Hartford Juvenile Court on June 5, 2023.

The seventeen (17) year old juvenile female was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, and Interfering with an Officer. She was released to custody of her mother on a Promise to Appear in Stamford Juvenile Court on June 5, 2023. Braham was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle. He was released on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on May 30, 2023

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$400K SETTLEMENT WITH WATERBURY NATUROPATH AND PRACTICE TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF FALSE CLAIMS AND IMPROPER BILLING

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong and United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced a $399,440 settlement with Waterbury naturopath Marcos DeEscobar and his company Corebella Health, LLC to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to, and received overpayments from, Medicare and the Connecticut Medicaid programs.

Corebella Health, LLC (“Corebella”) is a practice that provides medical and wellness services to patients in Waterbury. DeEscobar is a naturopath and the owner of Corebella. The allegations against Corebella and DeEscobar arise out of improper billing for allergy immunotherapy preparation, and office visits, also known as evaluation and management (“E&M”) services.

Services performed by a nurse practitioner are typically reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid at a lower rate than those performed by a physician. There are circumstances where nurse practitioner services are considered “incident-to” physician services, and may be properly billed and reimbursed at the higher physician rate. Among other requirements, incident-to services require a certain level of physician supervision. The state and federal governments allege that Corebella and DeEscobar submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services that were supposedly rendered by physicians. In reality, the services were rendered by nurse practitioners, did not meet incident-to supervision requirements, and should not have been reimbursed at the higher physician rate.

When billing for the preparation and provision of allergy immunotherapy, providers must specify the number of units prepared for the patient. The state and federal governments allege that Corebella and DeEscobar received overpayments from Medicare and Medicaid for allergy immunotherapy preparation services by submitting claims for more units than were actually prepared.

Medicare and Medicaid generally consider E&M services that occur on the same day as a procedure to be part of the work of the procedure, and do not allow a separate payment for the office visit. However, when a significant, separately identifiable service is performed by the same physician on the same date of the procedure, the provider can use “Modifier 25” to bill for both the procedure and the E&M services. The state and federal governments allege that Corebella and DeEscobar caused improper claims to be billed to Medicare and Medicaid by adding Modifier 25 to E&M claims when providing allergy injections when, in fact, no significant, separately identifiable E&M services were provided.

To resolve their liability, Corebella and DeEscobar will pay $399,440.55 to the state and federal governments for conduct occurring between January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2018.

“It is alleged that De Escobar and Corebella systematically overbilled Connecticut’s Medicaid program. I thank HHS-OIG and our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office for their coordination and assistance in this matter. Abuse of taxpayer dollars is never acceptable, and we will not hesitate to use the full weight of our authority to protect our public healthcare programs,” said Attorney General Tong.

Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Government Program Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or by email at ag.fraud@ct.gov; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986 or by email at conndcj@ct.gov; or the Department of Social Services fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155, online at www.ct.gov/dss/reportingfraud, or by email to providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.

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The Black Rock Day Parade to be Held June 11th, Grand Marshal Named

Parade Chair Phil Blagys, who has run the parade since 1994, is pleased to announce that this year’s edition of The Black Rock Day Parade will take place on Sunday, June 11th beginning at noon and kicking off at Burroughs Center on Fairfield Ave.

Known as the “Best Small Parade in America”, this year’s event will feature the Mattutuck Fife & Drum Corps, the oldest fife & drum corps in the United States, the Black Rock Fife & Drum Corps, the Connecticut Alumni Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, The Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band, the Klein Memorial Dancers, lots of music from local bands, Amazing Andy, floats, dignitaries and much more.

The Parade Committee is also pleased to announce that Ronnie “Jack” Black will serve as the Grand Marshal for this year’s parade. Jack recently surpassed his 50th year anniversary in Black Rock Little League beginning as a player from 1970-74 and for the last 50 years as a league umpire honing his umpire skills under the direction of

Pete Holecz. Additionally, Jack has proudly represented the greater Bridgeport area for the last 40 years as a Special Olympics athlete compiling multiple gold, silver and bronze medals over that period of time. Jack attended Anna Baum Skane School and has been a resident of Bridgeport for all of these years. “Our Parade Committee is

honored to have Jack as this year’s Grand Marshal. It will be the first time that a multi-medal winner from the Special Olympics has served in this capacity” said Blagys.

And our parade theme this year is “Fayerweather Lighthouse Bicentennial- A Beacon that Draws Us Home”.

The parade will showcase our lighthouse in multiple presentations and raise awareness of the need to protect and preserve this important historic treasure.

The parade steps off from the Burroughs Center at noon and marches west down Fairfield Ave., turns onto Gilman St. then Harborview Ave. It will take a left onto Grovers Ave, right onto Brewster St, and ends at Ellsworth Field where the Black Rock Day festivities will be held immediately following the parade.

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STATE POLICE READY FOR MEMORIAL DAY ENFORCEMENT ON CT ROADS

(MIDDLETOWN, CT – May 23, 2023) – As with all long, holiday weekends, Connecticut State Police is preparing for an increased number of vehicles on local and highway roads. Traditionally, the approach of Memorial Day signals the start of activities related to the gathering of family and friends at backyard barbeques and beaches. State Troopers will be on duty to ensure that highways are free of hazardous drivers as residents drive to their destinations.

Be assured that your Connecticut State Troopers will be patrolling state roads and highways during the three-day weekend. Troopers from each of the agency’s 11 troops will be conducting extra roving DUI patrols from the evening of May 25 through the evening of May 29.

Troopers ask operators to utilize lawful driving skills and plan for traffic delays as more drivers venture out this weekend. Safety should always be the top priority for all drivers whenever they get behind the wheel.

Some safety tips – and laws – that Troopers ask you to remember: BUCKLE UP, OBEY SPEED LIMITS, DON’T FOLLOW TOO CLOSE, REMOVE DISTRACTIONS WHILE DRIVING, STAY OFF THE CELLPHONE, and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

Remember that the “Move Over” law requires motorists approaching any stationary vehicle to immediately slow to a speed below the posted speed limit and, if traveling in the lane adjacent to a stationary vehicle, to move over one lane, unless it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. This includes other citizen vehicles and emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire vehicles, law enforcement vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles, or licensed wreckers. Please pay attention to these vehicles

and those who may be working in the roadway.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES AVID TELECOM OVER ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today sued Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom, its owner Michael Lansky, and its vice president Stacey S. Reeves, for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls to millions of people and violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws. Avid Telecom sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. More than 87.6 million of those calls were to numbers in Connecticut alone.

“Avid Telecom and its owners transmitted billions of illegal robocalls and enabled criminal spammers to prey on American families. In coordination with nearly every attorney general nationwide, we are suing today to shut down these fraud enablers and hold them accountable for the massive harm they have caused,” said Attorney General Tong.

“Not only are constant robocalls annoying, they are used to carry out scams and fraud against unsuspecting consumers,” said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “If you answer a call from an unknown number, be wary. If the caller or pre-recorded message claims to be from a government agency such as the IRS or Social Security Administration, it is likely a scam. Typically, these agencies don’t make phone calls to individuals. Hang up immediately if they ask you for personal information, or to make a payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.”

Avid Telecom is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider that sells data, phone numbers, dialing software, and/or expertise to help its customers make mass robocalls. It also serves as an intermediate provider and allegedly facilitated or helped route illegal robocalls across the country. Between December 2018 and January 2023, Avid sent or attempted to transmit more than 24.5 billion calls. More than 90 percent of those calls lasted less than just 15 seconds, which indicates they were likely robocalls. Further, Avid helped make hundreds of millions of calls using spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including more than 8.4 million calls that appeared to be coming from government and law enforcement agencies, as well as private companies.

Avid Telecom allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about Social Security Administration scams, Medicare scams, auto warranty scams, Amazon scams, DirecTV scams, credit card interest rate reduction scams, and employment scams. Examples of some of these scam calls are available to listen to here and here.

The USTelecom-led Industry Traceback Group, which notifies providers about known and suspected illegal robocalls sent across their networks, sent at least 329 notifications to Avid Telecom that it was transmitting these calls, but Avid Telecom continued to do so.

Today’s legal action arises from the nationwide Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 bipartisan attorneys general. Connecticut is among 16 states on the Executive Committee leading this task force. The task force is investigating and taking legal action against those responsible for routing significant volumes of illegal robocall traffic into and across the United States.

In August 2022, the Task Force issued civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and entities responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic into the country, including Lansky LLC and Avid Telecom. When Lansky and Avid refused to respond, the Task Force filed an enforcement action to compel the company to cooperate with the investigation.

Other investigations by the Task Force remain active and ongoing.

Attorney General Tong offers the following tips to avoid scams and unwanted calls:

∙ Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.

∙ Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals.

∙ If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.

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