DEVELOPER GETS TAX BREAK
Last night, Stonington residents overwhelmingly approved a tax break to local developer David Lattizori worth more than $1.3 million for the first phase of the proposed Perkins Farm project in Mystic. Lattizori will agree to invest $16.3 million in the first phase, which calls for 121 upscale apartments. Despite criticism on social media, the majority of those speaking at the town meeting supported the plan.
MEMORY FAILURE
The woman who was assaulted by Donte Hughes, the man accused of killing Joey Gingerella and who is on trial for that murder, testified yesterday that even after watching video recordings she “did not remember”, or recall, many of the details of what happened the night of the shooting. The prosecution asked and received approval for the jury to watch recordings of the two police interrogations because Latoya Knight’s testimony on the witness stand was inconsistent with the prior statements she provided to police. The trial resumes this morning.
MORE NARCAN TRAINING
After learning Otis Library Director Robert Farwell was trained through a city grant to administer the opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan, Norwich City Manager John Salomone asked if the agency could get another grant and expand the training. Within 24 hours of putting in the request, the agency received a $7,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut to provide training and Narcan kits to 100 people in Norwich. Angelo Callis, Youth and Family Services coordinator, said he would like to place Narcan and have trained personnel in every city department that has contact with the public. About 20 city employees have signed up for the training.
SAILFEST CALLS KEEP EMT’S BUSY
The New London Fire Department was kept busy over Sailfest weekend. They responded to 83 calls over the weekend, 55 of them on Saturday alone. The calls Saturday weren’t related all to Sailfest. On average, the typical amount of daily calls is between 20 and 30. New London Fire Department Battalion Chief Keith Nichols said the vast majority of calls Saturday were for people who had medical issues, everything from bleeding and cardiac problems to people incapacitated by alcohol or suffering from heat-related issues.
CONOR’S LAW OFFICIAL
‘Conor’s Law,’ which requires children under 15 years old to wear helmets while riding a skate board, while roller-skating or inline skating was signed into law yesterday by Gov Malloy. The bill was introduced earlier this year by Sen. Cathy Osten and Mrs. Holly Irwin in memory of her son Conor, an accomplished student-athlete who died at the age of 14 following an accidental fall from his skateboard. The Ledyard teen died in December 2016, ten days after suffering a head injury from a fall from his skateboard.
HEARING SCHEDULED FOR SCHOOL BUDGET
A public hearing is schedule for 7 p.m. July 31st by the Preston Board of Education for discussion of expected budget cuts and how they would affect school programs and staffing. That’s the result of defeats of two referendum votes of the proposed $11.9 million 2018-19 school budget. The board scheduled the hearing due to a request by the Board of Finance to hold a public forum to explain how budget cuts, or a flat-funded budget would affect school programs and staffing. The public hearing will be held at Preston Veterans’ Memorial School. The third budget referendum is expected to be scheduled for late August or early September.
