Category: Westport

#Westport, CT – Numerous claims of missing lawn signs have been reported over the past few weeks by local nonprofits.  Some of these signs were displayed on private property or were authorized to be placed on public property. A group calling itself “The Committee” has written to at least one local nonprofit organization stating that if they fail to remove lawn signs, “The Committee” will take down their signs “at first sight.”  The individual or individuals behind “The Committee’ have not identified themselves, however this incident has been officially been reported to police and is under investigation. Residents are advised against taking it upon themselves to remove signs that do not belong to them, from either public or private property.  The enforcement of the town’s rules is the responsibility of the town of Westport, not private citizens.

 

The removal of signs from public or private property by someone not authorized to do so by the town, or by the owner of the sign, may constitute theft.  Entering onto private property to remove signs may constitute trespassing. Both of these acts can result in arrest. Anyone with information about the recent rash of missing signs is asked to call the Westport Police Department at (203) 341-6000. Charities that have had signs removed from authorized public or private locations are also encouraged to file a formal police report. Nonprofits are reminded that signs advertising charitable events must be reviewed and approved by the town before the signs can be placed on town property or in the town right-of- way.  An electronic copy of the Temporary Sign Request form is available on the town’s website. Paper copies of this document can also be obtained in person from the First Selectman’s Office.  A copy of this form has also been attached to this release. For each event, only a total of fifteen signs are allowed on town property and in the town right-of-way. These signs cannot be placed out more than two weeks before the event, and they must be removed within two days after the event in order to be in compliance with town regulations.

 

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(Westport, CT) Thanks to charitable donations, Police Service Dogs Atlas and Onyx will each receive a ballistic and stab proof vest.   Organized through Brady’s K9 fund, a non-profit organization out of Strongsville, Ohio, Atlas and Onyx will each receive state of the art protective equipment thanks to a donation from Kim at Blue Paws Matter.  Each vest is a custom made streetfighter vest manufactured by Line of Fire Defense Systems and retail at over $1,500.00.  These vests allow Police Service Dogs Atlas and Onyx to have ballistic and stab protection the entire time they are on duty, just like their handlers.

 

Brady’s K9 Fund is run by Brady Snakovsky; a fourth grade student residing in the state of Ohio. Brady has a strong affinity for police officers and hopes to one day become a police K9 handler himself. To date, he has outfitted one hundred and twenty-nine police service dogs from across the country with these vests. For more information on this organization as well as the vest which these officers will receive, please see the following link: https://www.bradysk9fund.com/

 

Police Service Dog Atlas is a five year old German Shepherd and is handled by Officer Scinto; a seven year veteran of the Westport Police Department.  The two have been on the road working together for almost three years.  Atlas is a dual purpose K9, certified on both state and national levels as a patrol K9 and in narcotics detection.  They are currently assigned to the patrol division where they work the evening and midnight shifts.  Both Officer Scinto and Atlas are also assigned to the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team where Atlas assists the team with building searches, high risk tracking, and apprehending dangerous suspects. Police Service Dog Onyx is a three year old Dutch Shepherd/ Belgian Malinois mix and is handled by Corporal Smith; a twenty year veteran of the Westport Police Department.  They have been on the road working together for nearly two years.  Onyx is a dual purpose K9, certified on both state and national levels as a Patrol K9 and in narcotics detection.  They are assigned to the patrol division where they work the midnight shift.

(Westport Police Press Release)

 

Westport, CT – The Town of Westport, in conjunction with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), announced that it is offering residents a new way to save money on prescription medications and certain medical services through a new prescription drug savings program. The ProAct discount cards will arrive in residents’ mailboxes via the US Postal service next week.  Regardless of whether residents are currently insured, uninsured, or underinsured, they can use the cards at participating pharmacies to obtain discounts and savings on prescription medications.

           

The “Town of Westport Prescription Drug Discount Card” helps residents save money on their medications any time their prescription is not covered by insurance.  This card will provide immediate fiscal relief at the pharmacy counter for residents and offers the following features and benefits:

·         Anyone can participate, regardless of age or income;

·         All prescription medications are covered, including any pet prescriptions for human-based medications that can be filled at a regular retail pharmacy;

·         There is no cost to the municipality or to participating residents;

·         Generic prescriptions offer the highest savings, but name brand medications are eligible for discounts as well;

·         There are no limits or restrictions on car usage so residents are encouraged to use the program when paying full cash prices for medications;

·         There are more than 65,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Stop and Shop, and Big Y, and many local pharmacies; 

·         Discounts may also offered on other medical services including certain vision and hearing services, with discounts on eye exams, LASIK procedures, frames and lenses, and hearing aids.

·         A discounted dental plan is also available.

·         Visit www.ctrxdiscountcard.com for more information.

 

First Selectman Jim Marpe said the free program provides benefits to any resident whose traditional insurance coverage, or for those who may be uninsured or underinsured, to access needed prescription medications.  

 

“Westport is proud to offer this program and appreciates the opportunity to help residents cut costs whenever possible,” Marpe said, adding that over 100 towns in Connecticut are currently using the program as a benefit of their membership to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM).

 

Westport residents will receive a “Town of Westport Prescription Drug Discount Card” by direct mail that they may use at any participating retail pharmacy.  All town residents regardless of age, income or existing health coverage may use the discount card.  There are no enrollment forms, membership fees, restrictions or limits on frequency of use for residents.  Cardholders and their family members are encouraged to use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.

 

Cards can also be printed by visiting www.CTRxDiscountCard.com by selecting Town of Westport from the drop-down menu.  The website also contains a “Learn the Perks of the Card” section where residents can locate a participating pharmacy, comparison shop their medication, and find the information on the discounts that are also available on vision, hearing and LASIK services.

 

Questions about the program can be directed to the ProAct Helpdesk at 1-877-776-2285 or by going to the website www.ctrxdiscountcard.com.   The Town’s Human Services Department is also available to assist residents who need further information. 203-341-1050 or humansrv@westportct.gov

 

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Westport, CT. – the Department of Public Works is currently planning the Annual Leaf Collection program.  The Department requests that homeowners consider backyard leaf composting and suggests they contact the Conservation Department (341-1170) or Earthplace (557-4400) for relevant information.  The ease and cost savings of backyard composting provides a viable alternative to either carting leaves to the Town Yard Waste Site or filling paper bags for the Town’s curbside pickup.

The curbside collection period will extend from November 4, 2019 through December 2, 2019.

The Public Works Department will collect leaves placed in biodegradable paper bags on the curbside during this period.  Leaves placed in plastic bags will not be picked up, as the composting process cannot handle plastic.  Residents living on private roadways must place their bagged leaves at an intersecting Town roadway.

A Department of Public Works crew will pick up bagged leaves throughout the entire Town several times during the collection period.  A final pass will be initiated on December 2, 2019 and take approximately one week.  All properly bagged leaves put out before December 2, 2019 will be collected.

Only Westport residents with valid proof of residency may bring their leaves directly to the yard waste site located at 180 BAYBERRY LANE.  If leaves are transported in plastic bags, residents must empty the leaves from the plastic bags. The yard waste site is open Monday through Friday 7:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. and on Saturday 7:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon.  Saturday hours will be extended until 3:00 P.M. from November 2, 2019 thru December 7, 2019.

Westport residents with valid proof of residency may dump up to six, 30 gallon bags or containers full of leaves without a fee.  Any van, pickup or tag-along trailer exceeding the 6-bag limit will be charged $40.00 per load.  Any vehicle or trailer larger than a conventional pickup with a 4-foot by 8-foot bed will be charged $90.00 per ton.

Any vehicles with a 9-foot body or vehicles changed to significantly enlarge their factory design size will be charged $90.00 per ton estimated at 2 ton without weigh slip ($180.00).  Dump tickets must be purchased at Town Hall, Monday through Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. or by mail by writing – Department of Public Works, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.

 

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2019-10-25–#Westport, CT At approximately 9:00p.m. yesterday evening, officers were dispatched to a report of an attempted robbery at Panera Bread, 1860 Post Road East. The subject had fled prior to police arrival. Upon arrival, officers learned the suspect entered through the front door and approached an employee at the service counter. While displaying a box cutter, he instructed the employee not to move and then walked him to the rear of the establishment past other employees. The suspect then returned to the front of the store where he unsuccessfully attempted to open the cash registers. Returning to the rear of the restaurant, he then attempted to gain access to the office, but was unable to make entry. The suspect then fled through the front door. He was last seen running westbound through the parking lot. No employees or patrons were injured during the incident. The suspect is described as a thin male, approximately 5’6” tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a ski mask, blue jeans, blue and white sneakers and gloves. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Westport Police Detective Bureau at (203) 341-6080.

 

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2019-10-15@9:13pm–Westport, CT in a report we were first to tell you, officers responded to the area of 333 Post Road West on a report of a motor vehicle accident with serious injuries. The initial report was that the nature of the accident was vehicle versus pedestrian. Emergency responders located and rendered aid to a male victim that had been struck by a passing vehicle near an active work zone. The victim was preliminary identified as a worker associated with the on-going construction project consisting of the re-paving of Post Road West and a stretch of Post Road East. The victim sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash and was ultimately transported to Norwalk Hospital for further treatment.

 

Members of the Westport Police Department’s detective bureau and accident investigation team responded to the scene to conduct the investigation into the incident. Representatives from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) also responded to the accident scene and are conducting an inquiry into the matter. This necessitated a closure of Post Road West in both directions of travel from the time of the incident until approximately 4:30am on Wednesday October 16, 2019, at which time the roadway was fully re-opened to all traffic.

 

The operator of the vehicle had been traveling eastbound on Post Road West at the time of the collision. The operator remained at the scene to speak with responding officers and is fully cooperating with the investigation. No charges have been made in connection with the accident which currently remains under active investigation by this department.

 

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2019-10-15 #Westport CT– A pedestrian was struck in front of 333 Post Road East and the roadway is closed for an undetermined time for the accident investigation.

 

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2019-10-09 @  7:04pm #Westport CT–Police  officers responded to the West Elm store, 35 Main Street, on a complaint of a customer attempting to make an $8.00 purchase with what was suspected to be a counterfeit $100.00 bill. According to staff, when the customer was told that the bill did not look real, he attempted to pay for the item he had selected with a $10.00 bill and did not ask for the $100.00 bill back. This behavior raised further suspicions and prompted the call to police. Responding officers located the individual in question, identified as Alex Burnett-Deroche, and initially detained him while the matter was being investigated. Upon inspection of the suspected counterfeit currency, it was apparently missing several key identifiers and was therefore recognizable as a forgery. Also found in Burnett-Deroche’s possession were two credit cards determined through investigation to be forged. Using a credit card reader device, it was learned that the account numbers programmed on each of the two cards’ magnetic strips were associated with two credit accounts previously reported as stolen in March of 2018.

 

Burnett-Deroche was subsequently taken into custody and transported to Westport Police headquarters for processing. He was charged with violations of 53a-138 Forgery First Degree, two counts of 53a-129d Identity Theft Third Degree, and 53a-49(53a-125b) Criminal Attempt to Commit Larceny Sixth Degree. Bond for these charges was set at $5,000.00. He was unable to post this bond and was arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court on the morning of Thursday October 10, 2019.