Stephen Krauchick

DoingItLocal is run by Steve Krauchick. Steve has always had interest with breaking news even as an early teen, opting to listen to the Watergate hearings instead of top 40 on the radio. His interest in news spread to become the communities breaking news leader in Connecticut’s Fairfield County. He strongly believes that the public has right to know what is happening in their backyard and that government needs to be transparent. Steve also likes promoting local businesses.

Whitehead’s Plane Sculpture NOT Hijacked As First Feared

I received calls and e-mails  from a few followers fearing that the sculpture/mobile of aviation pioneer Gustave Whitehead had been hijacked. Everyone feared the wound up in a salvage shop. No one knew exactly when including customers and employees at the McDonald's that is next to it when it disappeared. The foundation proudly showed the corporate sponsor ADKO and I knew they were down the block on State Street. It turns out it was taken down for the winter so it would not receive any damage from storms. The video below shows how active the mobile is in the wind. The video was recorded the day of its dedication May 15, 2012.

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Bridgeport Police Seize Gun, Drugs

Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 26, 2013) – Detectives seized a loaded handgun and a significant quantity of cocaine as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Jorge Morales, 26, of 430 Harral Ave., was held on $100,000 bond on charges including possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 1500 feet of a housing project, possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. Morales had been a target of the narcotics and vice unit, and a narcotics detective developed information Monday night that Morales had drugs in his car and was about to go out. Narcotics investigators contacted members of the department’s Violent Crime Initiative and Morales was detained. With…

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Bridgeport Police Blotter

Man Steals Wine, Breaks into Apartment, Threatens Medics--(Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 25, 2013)  -- A 20-year-old faces a variety of charges after he stole a bottle of wine from a bar, broke into a nearby apartment, threatened ambulance workers and then tried to escape from police.  It all happened Saturday over the course of several hours. Officer Michael Salemme initially was called to a downtown bar at 5:45 p.m. where a bartender said a man, whom she wouldn’t serve, came behind the bar, grabbed a $20 bottle of wine and ran off.  Police had responded to that report when, about an hour later, Officers Martin Pizighelli, Carlos Vazquez and Donald Bensey  were called to the 600 block of Fairfield Avenue…

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Happenings NOW 2-25 thru 2-27 2013

2/27 10:58am--#Bridgeport CT #ctfire--City Hall Annex 999 Broad Street a package was dropped off at the Office of Internal Affairs with what appears to be a hand grenade inside.  Firefighters reporting a confirmed explosive found at 999 Broad Street, City Hall Annex in the Office Of Internal Affairs. The building has been evacuated and the area is completely sealed off to traffic. 1:50am--Bridgeport CT--Reported structure fire in the basement at 194 Summerfield Ave. Firefighters on scene reporting heavy smoke coming from the structure.  3 lines in operation, all occupants are out of the building. Fire Marshall called to the scene. 2/26 5:16pm--#Bridgeport CT--Firefighters are at the scene of Marina Village with a odor of gas outdoors between buildings 9 and…

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Police Standoff in Fairfield

7:26pm--Police are at Sunnyridge Avenue condo/apartment complex where a suicidal man hit his girlfriend the head with a gun and threatened to harm her.  He then barricaded himself in the apartment.  He has registered to him two Glocks, and AR-15 and he also has 12 gauge pump shot gun.  Taking no chances police called in the SWAT team and armored personnel carriers from Bridgeport to the scene.  They also have evacuated residents in the complex and surrounding area.   Police negotiators have been trying to contact the man by phone but he keeps hanging up on them.  Ruger, Fairfield's K-9 is about to be deployed. UPDATE--Shot fired in the wooded area by High Street not the condo.  Police saw a flash…

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Happenings NOW 2-23 thru 2-24 2013

2/24 9:05pm--Bridgeport CT--If traveling on Ash Street watch out for the guy throwing the girlfriends things out in the road. 6:40pm--#Bridgeport CT--Car crashed into a tree at Douglas and Chopsey Hill 6:24pm--Bridgeport CT--Report of a stabbing in the 600 block of Shelton Street. EMS, police on the way. UPDATE-- The man that was threatening people there cut himself with the knife. No stabbing! He fled the scene and returned after 7:30pm and was arrested. 5:50pm--Bridgeport CT--Police and fire department have their hands full with about 30 kids running around the Terrace at 555 Trumbull Ave. setting off fire alarms. Jimmy Johnson wins the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhard Jr. 2nd, Mark Martin 3rd. Danica Patrick finished 8th and the first woman…

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Changes for the Patch……again

AOL seems to be radically changing its plans for Patch, it's network of local news sites.  We've heard from insiders that the division is pivoting away from a human editor centric model, toward one where local sites ("Patches") are built to be content-sharing and community-organizing tools for their areas.  In other words less editors writing for more sites.   Business Insider has the full story here.......

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Mayor Finch to Introduce Vice President Biden at conference on gun violence

 Mayor Bill Finch will join Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra to introduce Vice President Joe Biden at a conference on gun violence to be held on Thursday at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. “I’m very honored to stand together with First Selectman Llodra to introduce the Vice President at tomorrow’s gun violence conference at WestConn. I want to applaud the bold steps President Obama and Vice President Biden are taking to enact the most sweeping changes in gun legislation in more than 40 years. The tragedy in Newtown touched everyone’s hearts. Now is the time to demand a plan that will make our children – in the suburbs and on the streets of our cities safer. Thank you to…

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5 Ambulances Abandoned By City During Storm

Branch Manager John Wrobel of Nelson Ambulance on Nobel Avenue tells us that the City of Bridgeport abandoned five ambulances during the storm.   John tells us that he made about fifteen to twenty phone calls to have Nobel Avenue cleared so they could resume their services.  The ambulance service  had to resort to hiring a private contractor .  There were five ambulances and five chair cars out of a fleet of nineteen that do one hundred to one hundred and thirty calls a day.  They were unable to provide services out of their Bridgeport branch.  Nobel Avenue wasn't plowed until Tuesday according to Wrobel, he came out t speak at the city council meeting but time ran out before…

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Citizens Share Thoughts On Snow Removal In Bridgeport CT

Citizens from all walks of life shared their thoughts on how the city handled the snow removal during the Blizzard of 2013.  The meeting ran over the hour allotted time and was extended another half hour.  It appears most views were shared as there was no opposition as the city council moved into their meeting without objection after the half hour extension.  I've condensed the two and a half hour discussion to under ten minutes.  It was very apparent everyone's ideas were very well thought out and worth consideration.

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