ALLEGED SHOOTER NABBED IN NL
A suspect in a morning shooting today in Windham has been apprehended in New London. Police surrounded the Red Roof Inn on Colman Street around 10 AM, where the male suspect eventually surrendered peacefully. The car he was using has been seized as evidence. Willimantic police identity him as 25-year old Brandon Jones. They responded to a report of shots fired at the Windham Heights Apartments on Jeffrey Road earlier today. The incident put Windham schools in lockdown for awhile. No injuries reported. Unconfirmed reports indicate the shooting was the result of a domestic argument.
NORWICH FIRE INVESTIGATION
Norwich police are asking the public to help out in the investigation of a garage fire. The city fire marshal’s office has listed the cause of the late Saturday night blaze at 88 Prospect Street as undetermined. No injuries were reported in the blaze, but the six-bay facility suffered heavy damage. Contact the police department at 860-886-5561, extension 3197, with any information.
ALCOHOL MACHINES PROPOSED
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A bill allowing consumers to purchase glasses of wine, beer and hard cider from a machine has again cleared the Connecticut House of Representatives. The legislation was approved Tuesday, 110-to-34. It moves to the Senate, where it failed last year. Danbury bar owners are among those pushing for the legislation, saying the novelty and convenience of the machines will help lure customers. They can also taste different flavors without having to purchase a full glass. Opponents fear it could lead to excessive drinking and fewer bartender jobs. Under the bill, a customer purchases a payment card at a bar after proving they’re at least 21. They can obtain up to 32 ounces of beer or cider, or 10 ounces of wine before needing a bar employee to reauthorize the card.
GUBERNATORIAL MELT-DOWN
BROOKFIELD, Conn. (AP) – A Democratic candidate for Connecticut governor is facing criminal charges after refusing to leave a forum where she wasn’t invited, leading police to physically drag her off the stage. Video of Monday night’s event at Brookfield High School shows Lee Whitnum sitting in a row with seven invited candidates, yelling that she had “every right to be in this debate” and filed her paperwork a year ago. Other candidates got up and walked away as the situation became tense, leaving 57-year-old Whitnum holding onto a desk. Two officers tried to talk to Whitnum, but she dropped to the floor, refusing to move. The frequent candidate was charged with breach of peace and trespassing. State Democratic Chairman Nick Balletto says Whitnum’s “behavior was inappropriate, and frankly it’s not the first time.”
CCM CAMPAIGN UNVEILED
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Connecticut’s largest association of cities and towns has launched an online advertising campaign, urging state lawmakers to pass legislation the group says will protect municipalities from expensive bond rating downgrades. A bill awaiting Senate action prohibits an arbitrator from considering a municipality’s budget reserve account when determining its ability to pay labor contracts, so long as the reserves represent 15 percent or less of the municipality’s annual budget. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities announced its online ad campaign on Tuesday, arguing the bill will help preserve a municipality’s bond rating by allowing it to maintain a level of reserves recommended by credit-rating agencies. CCM says the bill also protects those reserves for unanticipated expenses, such as natural disasters and reductions in state aid. Unions say the bill could hurt workers.
RI GUN LEGISLATION MOVING FORWARD
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee has voted to pass bills that would establish a “red flag” policy and ban bump stocks in the state.The committee voted on Tuesday to send the two bills to the full House for a vote. Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s office says the vote will take place on Thursday. Mattiello, who is backed by the National Rifle Association, supports both measures and was a co-sponsor of the red flag policy. Second Amendment advocates organized a rally at the Statehouse on Tuesday against the bills. Organizers called it a “Rally for Your Rights Convoy.”
