ANOTHER GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Republican governor candidate Bob Stefanowski is trying to paint his Democratic and independent rivals as fans of big spending and taxes. They are accusing him of providing few specifics on his policy proposals. Several times during Thursday’s debate Democrat Ned Lamont and petitioning independent candidate Oz Griebel pressed political newcomer Stefanowski to offer details of where he’d cut wasteful spending in Connecticut’s state budget and how he’d pay for transportation improvements. The debate, sponsored by the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, marked the second time the three leading candidates for governor met on the debate stage. Stefanowski paid more attention to Griebel during this match-up, claiming both he and Lamont will represent four more years of the policies of Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who’s not seeking re-election.
LINEN COMPANY FIRE
No injuries reported due to a flash fire at the Atlantic City Linen Supply building in the Norwich Business Park. Company officials say it appears a vent short-circuited around 3:15 PM, and the fire spread across the ceiling of the factory floor. No major damage to the structure, although there will be some clean-up needed of the fire-extinguisher powder. The building was expected to re-open later in the day. Yantic, East Great Plain, Taftville, and Bozrah fire crews responded.
ENERGY GROUP WARNS OF UTILITY SHORTAGES
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – The official overseeing the New England electric grid says the region is threatened with winter power shortages, due to potential shortages of fuel to run generating facilities. Gordon van Welie of ISO New England says the region has sufficient generating capacity to meet the winter demand for electricity, but the natural gas pipelines that bring fuel to the region are not sufficient to guarantee natural gas power plants can stay online. In many cases when it’s cold producers must get power from plants that burn coal and oil and many of those are being taken out of service. Van Welie, who spoke Thursday in South Burlington, says just building more pipelines isn’t practical so the industry is being forced to find new ways to ensure there is sufficient capacity.
TWO ARRESTS IN ONE WEEK
A Jewett City man has been arrested twice this week in Plainfield. Police say 25-year old Michael Murtha was traveling eastbound on South Main Street Monday night, and was stopped for not having a front license plate. Police found drug paraphernelia and fentanyl in the car. Murtha was charged with narcotics posession, failure to display a front license plate, and operating a vehicle under suspension. Murtha was arrested this morning for again operating a motor vehicle under suspension. He’s to appear in court for both arrests on October 29th.
MORE WIND FARMS EXPECTED
BOSTON (AP) – The U.S. government is taking steps to develop offshore wind farms off both coasts. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced this week the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold an offshore wind auction Dec. 13 for nearly 390,000 acres of ocean off Massachusetts. Zinke said the area, if fully developed, could supply power to nearly 1.5 million homes. He also announced the bureau is opening its environmental review of a 15-turbine project off Long Island, New York, proposed by Deepwater Wind, operators of the nation’s lone commercial wind farm off Rhode Island. And in California, Zinke announced the bureau is seeking comment on possible areas for wind development off the state’s central and northern coasts. The administration hopes that will lead to the West Coast’s first offshore wind auction.
EX-NEWTOWN EDUCATORS DEFEND SCHOOLING OF SHOOTER
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Former educators in the Connecticut town where 20 children and six adults were shot to death in an elementary school are pushing back against a state report that was critical of how the shooter’s education was handled. The former Newtown officials gave state senators Thursday a 22-page rebuttal to the 2014 report by the state child advocate’s office on the upbringing and education of Adam Lanza. The 20-year-old Lanza, who grew up in Newtown, killed 26 people and himself at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The former Newtown officials cited the school system’s efforts to help Lanza with his mental problems when he was in school and called his mother a “tremendous obstacle” to those efforts. The child advocate’s office is defending its report.
STUDENT SUES TEACHER AND SCHOOL
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) – A Connecticut teenager has filed a federal lawsuit against her teacher and school board saying the teacher mocked and shamed her for not standing up during the Pledge of Allegiance. The unnamed 14-year-old student says in her lawsuit filed Monday that the Waterbury Arts Magnet School teacher’s actions violated her First Amendment rights. The black student says she and other students remained seated as part of a “peaceful and nondisruptive” protest over racial discrimination against African-Americans. The student’s attorney, John Williams, says his client has been “frightened and intimidated” as the result of the teacher’s actions. Williams says they’re seeking an injunction to stop the teacher’s behavior and undisclosed damages. School officials have not responded to requests for comment.
