SPRAGUE SHOOTING VICTIM ID
A shooting in the town of Sprague just before midnight Thursday has taken the life of a male victim. Police responded to a report of a disturbance at 1 Bay Street, found 31-year old Steven DeVost who lives there, and transported him to Backus Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detectives at 860-896-3230.
WHITING NURSE FILES FOR PENSION
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A nurse accused of abusing a patient at the Whiting psychiatric hospital has filed for retirement benefits. The Hartford Courant reports that a lawyer for 49-year-old Mark Cusson says his client is allowed to receive a state pension, even if he is eventually convicted of the eight criminal counts. Cusson, who was the hospital’s head nurse, qualifies for retirement because of his 21 years of service. He was paid a salary of $173,000 last year. Cusson is one of 10 workers at the maximum-security hospital in Middletown who have been charged with the abuse of patient William Shehadi. The state can challenge a pension based on felony-level financial crimes such as bribery, theft, fraud, or embezzlement. Other crimes are not covered, even if the offenses occur on the job.
CASINO SLOTS UP
Slot machine winnings last month at the two local tribal-owned casinos were up compared to the same time last year. Foxwoods Resort Casino reports a more than 8-percent increase compared to November 2016, while Mohegan Sun reports a point-4 percent increase for the same time period. Foxwoods is sending the state some 9-point-6 million dollars, while Mohegan Sun is contributing 11-point-9 million dollars, per the state’s slots agreement with the casinos.
JUDGE NOT SURE ABOUT CARMAN SUIT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A New Hampshire judge has put off a decision on whether to dismiss a lawsuit accusing a Vermont man of killing his millionaire grandfather and possibly his mother to collect an inheritance. Nathan Carman has been called a suspect in the 2013 shooting death of 87-year-old real estate developer John Chakalos in Connecticut. No one has been arrested. He also has been questioned about the day his boat sank last year near Rhode Island with his mother onboard. She’s presumed dead. Carman has denied any involvement in either case. His mother’s three sisters sued in New Hampshire in July. Carman wants the lawsuit dismissed, saying his grandfather wasn’t a resident of New Hampshire at the time of his death. Judge David King on Friday said he take the dismissal request under advisement.
NOT A MERRY CHRISTMAS IN RI STATEHOUSE
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The Christmas tree in the rotunda at the Rhode Island Statehouse is dead. Piles of needles were blanketing the area below the tree Friday, beneath several bare branches. When touched, needles dropped instantly. The tree was sitting in a large container of water, also filled with needles. The governor’s office says there are no plans to replace it. The donated tree was put up in November. Trouble with the Statehouse tree has become something of a Rhode Island tradition. In 2005, the tree shed all its needles after it was doused in fire retardant. Former Gov. Lincoln Chafee called it a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree, leading to angry protests. Last year, the first tree selected was removed after staff decided it was too puny.
