VETS GRANT SOUGHT
Members of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments approves the application for a $140,000 federal grant which would allow the council to run shuttle buses to veteran’s hospitals in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Many local vets use the facilities in Worcester and Providence. The proposed service would be free.
DON’T CLOSE OUR STREET
The Town of Groton is considering closing a small street off Fort Hill Road for safety reasons. More than 500 residents in that area have signed a petition that opposes closing Vergennes Court, saying it won’t solve the safety issue because the problem is Route 1. Even if the street is inaccessible to vehicles, residents say pedestrians will still use the crosswalk on the busy route. That is where neighbors feel the true danger lies.
IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO 95
Plans are expected to be released next month on the re-designing of the Interstate 95 exit 74 interchange with Route 161 in East Lyme. The State Department of Transportation projects that construction will begin in four years. The goal of the DOT is to ease congestion and improve safety. There have been an “above average” number of crashes in this area. A public information meeting is scheduled for April 18th at Camp Niantic.
CHAIN SAW DEATH
CANTERBURY, CT (WFSB) – State police, fire, and EMS crews are on scene where one person was killed after being trapped by a fallen tree. Crews responded to a home on Goodwin Rd in Canterbury at 3:59 p.m., according to Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications Director, Travis Irons. State police identified the man as 32-year-old Canterbury resident, Matthew Veloce. State Police Sergeant Eric Haglund said the Veloce was doing tree work alone at his home the time of the incident when the tree he was cutting with a chain saw fell on him, trapping him underneath. Veloce was located by his wife who called police. Veloce was freed from underneath the tree at 4:13 p.m. and was pronounced dead on scene by 4:24 p.m. on Saturday.
2-YEAR-OLD STRUCK BY VEHICLE
KILLINGLY – The Bulletin reports a 2-year-old child was struck by a vehicle in South Killingly. South Killingly Fire Chief Seth DeAngelis confirmed the child was hit by a vehicle in the driveway of a private resident on Ledge Road. QV Dispatch received the call at 2:28 p.m. on Saturday. South Killingly Fire Department and KB Ambulance and Paramedics responded to the scene. The child was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence by ambulance because Life Star couldn’t fly because of the weather, DeAngelis said. There was no information on the condition of the child.
