REPORTED GUN SHOTS IN LISBON
State police are investigating the report of shots fired this morning in Lisbon. Authorities say they received a call around 9 AM claiming the shots were fired in the area of Ross Hill Road. While going out to investigate, state police say they observed a black male, which fit the suspect’s description, speeding away from the scene. In all, three suspects have been detained. No further information available right now.
COMPETENCY EVALUATION ORDERED
A New London man accused of killing his former partner and housemate will be evaluated to see if he’s competent to stand trial. The case against 40-year old Christopher Petteway has been continued to November 20th. Petteway is accused of fatally stabbing 63-year old Robert Parise in his Brainard Street home on October 4th. He ‘s being held on more than 2-million dollars bond. Petteway served a 30-day prison sentence this summer after pleading guilty to threatening Parise. The defendant has a previous record of substance abuse and mental issues, as well as a criminal record in New York. Florida, and Virginia.
PAROLED DRUG DEALER POSSIBLY FACING PRISON AGAIN
A Sprague man who’s been on probation after being convicted of drug offenses, may soon be returning to prison. 56-year old Tomas Ortiz has been charged with violating his probation by allegedly selling drugs in a Cumberland Farms parking lot in Sprague, and later outside Mister Pan’s Chinese Restaurant in Norwich July 25th. He’s currently out on 55-thousand dollars bail, and is due back in court November 20th. He could face as much as eight years behind bars, if convicted of probation violation. He’s been arrested fifteen times in Connecticut on drug charges.
POSSIBLE SUICIDE IN BOLTON
State police are investigating what appears to be an attempted suicide. A victim with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head was found around 3:15 this afternoon at Fiano’s E-Z Coin-OP Car Wash on Boston Turnpike in Bolton. State Police say the victim is still alive, and was taken to a local hospital. No further information is available.
UNION LEADER STEPPING DOWN
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Lori Pelletier is resigning as leader of Connecticut’s largest labor federation to take a job in Washington, D.C. The Connecticut AFL-CIO president announced Wednesday she’ll leave Nov. 30 to work with American Income Life, an insurance company that offers insurance products to labor unions and credit unions. She will serve as vice president and executive director of the company’s labor advisory board. Pelletier was first elected president in 2013, becoming the first openly gay state federation leader in the country. She previously served 14 years as secretary-treasurer. Under her leadership, union membership has climbed in Connecticut from 207,000 union members when she became president to 278,000, as of 2017. Sal Luciano, the AFL-CIO executive vice president, is serving as interim president until new president is elected in a special meeting.
WINDS WERE A-BLOWIN’ IN MASS., RI
NORTON, Mass. (AP) – The National Weather Service confirms that a tornado touched down not far from its Boston-area office. The service announced Wednesday that a tornado hit Norton, Massachusetts, on Tuesday as a series of violent storms moved through the region. The agency has an office in Norton. The tornado toppled trees, caused some property damage and knocked out power but there were no reports of injuries. The weather service says it is still doing survey work and could not immediately provide the tornado’s strength. The agency previously confirmed that a tornado also touched down in Lincoln, Rhode Island, on Tuesday. That was an EF1 strength tornado, with winds between 86 mph and 110 mph, the second lowest of the six tornado strengths.
LEGALIZED SPORTS BETTING COMING TO RI
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Rhode Island officials are still eyeing a mid-November start for sports betting in the state. Rhode Island Department of Revenue spokesman Paul Grimaldi tells the Providence Journal the department had originally estimated betting would start by Oct. 1, but that negotiations “took longer than expected.” The state Department of Revenue reached a five-year agreement with Providence-based technology vendor IGT and its commercial partner, William Hill U.S., to manage sports betting services. The contract includes options to extend it. IGT was the only company to put in a proposal to run sports betting at Twin River Casino in Lincoln and a casino opening soon in Tiverton. The state will get 51 percent of sports betting revenue. The vendor will get 32 percent, and the casino will get 17 percent.
