SLOT REVENUES UP AT ONE CASINO, DOWN AT ANOTHER
A big month for Mohegan Sun. The casino’s slot revenues in July were 55-point-9 million dollars, a 3-point-4 percent increase over the same time last year. It’s also the highest monthly slots win at Mohegan since August 2014. Meanwhile, Foxwoods Resort Casino reports a 3-and-a-half percent decline in slot revenues last month, compared with July 2016. The state will receive 25-point-4 million dollars as its share of the slot winnings.
RALLY POINT CENTER
Easter Seals Capital Region and Eastern Connecticut is planning to build a $1.8 million dollar “Rally Point” center within its existing Norwich facility to serve as a one stop shop for veterans and military families to meet and access a wide range of services. Executive vice president and chief marketing and philanthropy officer Beth Pritchard stressed this region is the “Rally Point”. Senator Richard Blumenthal visited the Stott Avenue site Tuesday to offer his support. As many as 500 veterans and their families will be served immediately when the Rally Point Center opens but that number is certain to grow. Eastern Connecticut has the highest number of veterans per capita in the state.
SECOND GUILTY PLEA
A second man has now pleaded guilty in a Ledyard homicide. 33-year old Timothy Johnson pleaded guilty Monday in New London Superior Court to first-degree manslaughter in the beating death of Anthony Hamlin in January, 2006. The plea comes one month after a high school class mate of Johnson’s, Christopher Vincenti, also pleaded guilty. Both will be sentenced next month. Hamlin was found beaten to death in a Ledyard field. Court documents show the Eastern Pequot tribal member had been out drinking with the two suspects in New London, and they all got lost while driving in Ledyard. The two suspects then fatally attacked Hamlin when they went into the field to urinate.
COURT RULES DCF CAN’T VACCINATE
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s child welfare agency cannot vaccinate children placed temporarily in its custody, when the parents object to vaccinations.
The 7-0 decision released Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that allowed the Department of Children and Families to vaccinate two children in temporary state custody. The lower court ruling was put on hold pending an appeal to the Supreme Court. The case involved a couple who oppose vaccinations on religious grounds. A judge granted DCF temporary custody of the children, after Rocky Hill police discovered last year that they and their parents had been living out of a minivan for months. Officials say the parents pleaded no contest to neglect allegations lodged by DCF. The couple’s names have not been disclosed.
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS CONCERNED ABOUT NO BUDGET
At Tuesday’s annual back-to-school gathering of superintendents and state Education Department officials in Meriden, there was concern about the unfinished state budget. With the new school year about to begin, local school districts still do NOT know how much money they will get from the state. That makes it difficult to know how many teachers and other staff members they can hire. In the Maloney High School auditorium, State Board of Education Chair Allan Taylor told school leaders that the state board will do everything it can to help local schools. Taylor said the board will consider waiving some regulations, to help local school districts dealing with cuts in state funding that could be made after the new school year begins.
NO MORE CHEESE SANDWICHES IN WESTERLY SCHOOLS
WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) -The Westerly school district is considering doing away with serving cheese sandwiches to children when their parents fall behind on lunch payments. The town’s School Committee is exploring changes to their cheese sandwich policy after many say it embarrasses students. Under the proposed changes, school officials will notify parents when their child’s account has a negative balance. A school social worker will contact parents if the negative balance reaches $25 or more. Christine Piezzo, chairwoman of the committee’s policy subcommittee, says its members believe a low balance might indicate a family in need. The district is under contract to repay all unpaid balances at the end of the year. Piezzo says spending on unpaid bills has been “nominal” over the past years.
