FATAL ‘CRASH ALLEY’ CRASH
A Norwich highway nicknamed “crash alley” has seen another fatal crash. City police say a motorcyclist was killed near the Staples Shopping center on Route 82 today after he collided with a truck. No further information is available right now. State transportation officials have identified the multi-land thoroughfare as a top priority for safety improvements. A state plan to install multiple round-abouts on the highway has received a negative endorsement from the Norwich City Council.
STILL SOME BUDGET HURDLES
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The top Democratic leaders of the Connecticut Senate say they have a “few remaining issues to resolve” before a bipartisan state budget can be ready for a vote, possibly later this week. Senate President Martin Looney says legislative leaders hope to reach a “conceptual agreement” Monday night. If that happens, they may brief a skeptical Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Tuesday on the long-awaited plan. Connecticut has been without a budget since the new fiscal year began July 1. Looney says the tentative agreement announced last week is “pretty much the same.” However, he says “adjustments” have been made to a plan to scrap the local property tax on vehicles, without elaborating. Lawmakers have not yet released any written details of the plan. Democratic and Republican senators were briefed Monday.
MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING GIRL IN GOLF COURSE LOT
A Vermont man is out on bond after pleading not guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year old girl while they were in his car in the Norwich Golf Course parking lot. Police say 29-year old Samuel Indenbaum arranged the rendez-vous while conversing with the alleged victim on an on-line public chat room. They later conversed on a video chat room, when they agreed to meet last month. Police discovered the two around 3 in the morning last month, and made the arrest. Indenbaum is out on 20-thousand dollars bond, and is due back in court November 20th. His car, laptop, and cell phone was seized by police.
PLEA DEAL REJECTED
The Norwich man suspected of shooting his wife to death in their Forestview Drive condominium just over two years ago has rejected a plea deal from the state. 58-year old James Hodgdon, Junior’s case will now go to trial. The plea deal could have allowed the defendant’s attorney to argue for a 22 and a half year prison term. Hodgdon could now be behind bars for as along as 40 years. The former security guard at Waterford’s Millstone Nuclear Power Station faces charges of first-degree manslaughter after police say he and his wife wrestled over control of a gun, after Hodgdon said he wanted to kill himself. The gun fired, and his wife was killed.
LATEST ON RESTAURANT EXPLOSION
MANSFIELD, Conn. (AP) – Fire officials are trying to determine the cause of a propane gas leak that led to an explosion at a Connecticut restaurant just before a fundraiser for an area interfaith ministry.
Five people suffered burns in the explosion on Saturday afternoon at the Spring Hill Inn in Mansfield, just over a mile away from the University of Connecticut campus. All five victims were brought to hospitals and survived. Mansfield fire officials said Monday that the explosion happened when propone gas accumulated in the kitchen and came in contact with an unknown ignition source. Damage was limited to the kitchen and basement area of the inn. Mansfield and state investigators are trying to determine the exact cause. The restaurant was to host a fundraiser for the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry.
