A Plainfield woman whose dogs attacked a home health aide nearly three years ago has been found guilty on all of the charges against her. 31-year-old Jenna Allen was convicted of two counts of reckless endangerment, several counts of possession of a nuisance dog, and failure to license dogs. A judge determined that Allen was fully aware of her Rottweilers’ aggressive tendencies before the attack. Canterbury resident Lynne Denning was badly injured in December, 2014 after being mauled by Allen’s dogs. Sentencing is scheduled for August 4th. Allen is facing up to a year behind bars.
GAMBLING DEBATE EXPANDS
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A proposal allowing two Connecticut tribal nations to open a third casino has grown into a wider debate about whether to expand gambling elsewhere.
The last-minute ideas include slot machines at several off-track betting parlors and a small venue for high-rollers. These proposals come days before the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its regular legislative session at midnight on Wednesday. They’re seen as a way to deliver more support for the bill allowing the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans to build a casino in East Windsor to compete with the MGM Resorts facility being constructed in Springfield, Massachusetts. While the tribal casino bill already passed the Senate, it has stalled in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz is calling the situation “fluid,” saying nothing has been finalized.
NORWICH FIREWORKS ARE BACK!!!
The Independence Day fireworks are returning to the Norwich harbor this year. The newly-named Norwich Events Organization says the display is set for Friday night, June 30th, with a July 2nd rain date. A lack of funding cancelled last year’s display, but the new events group, which has organized the city’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, is now also overseeing the fireworks, and other downtown events. A golf tournament to raise funds for the organization is set for June 12th at the Norwich Golf Course. Another fund-raiser, the annual Ron Aliano Service Awards banquet, that will honor Shop Rite owner Ken Capano, and the Byrnes Insurance Agency, takes place that night at the American Wharf Marina.
RI MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO HAVING SEX WITH PLAINFIELD MINOR
An Exeter, Rhode Island man faces a maximum 30 years in prison, after admitting he traveled to Plainfield to meet a teenage girl for sex. 27-year old Nicholas Murphy pleaded guilty Monday in Hartford Federal Court. Court documents say Murphy met the girl on-line through social media in 2015. The girl claimed she was 16, which is the legal age of consent in Connecticut, but, in fact the girl was younger. Murphy was arrested in May of last year. He’s to be sentenced September 13th.
POLICE REFORM BILL IN DOUBT
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Legislation that attempts make police officers more accountable for using excessive force appears to be in limbo at the Connecticut state Capitol. Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives suddenly pulled the bill on Monday following an hour of impassioned support for the legislation from mostly black and Hispanic lawmakers. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said the House Democrats will still talk about the issue “as a caucus.” But it’s unclear whether it will come back up for a vote. Lawmakers say there currently aren’t enough votes to pass it. The bill follows several high-profile cases, including the fatal shooting of a teenager in Bridgeport last month. Among other things, the bill requires Connecticut’s seven largest cities to use police body cameras and limits when police can shoot at vehicles.
VIDEO OF FATAL ACCIDENT COULD BE RELEASED
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The parents of a University of Connecticut student who died after being run over by a campus fire vehicle have lost a bid to stop a public records panel from considering whether surveillance video of the accident should be released to the public. A state judge recently ruled against a request by the parents of Jeffny Pally to prohibit the state Freedom of Information Commission from proceeding with the video case. The ruling came May 25 in the parents’ lawsuit against UConn. The Hartford Courant appealed to the commission after UConn declined to release the video. Authorities say the 19-year-old Pally fell asleep in front of the fire department after drinking alcohol in October and was run over by a department SUV responding to a false alarm.
