COYOTE CONCERNS IN NL
Anyone seeing a coyote in New London is urged to contact city police or the mayor’s office, as they’re keeping track of the sightings. More than 100 people attend a forum Monday night with city and state officials, after city police chief Peter Reichard says there has been an increase in recent months in social media posts from people seeing coyotes in their neighborhoods. Residents say the animal or animals don’t seem to be afraid of humans, with reports of a coyote following people walking their dogs. City officials say they will ask the state to issue a permit for a professional trapper if the situation warrants. They speculate the coyote or coyotes may be being fed by humans. The coyote sightings have been mostly in the southern part of the city.
SEX OFFENDER ACCUSED OF VIOLATING PROBATION
A convicted sex offender who used to live in Norwich is facing charges of violating his probation. 64-year old Paul Ducharme was in New London Superior Court Monday, after probation officers found pornography on his home computer, as well as searches for the victim in his court case, the judge who sentenced him, his probation officer, and other material not allowed under his probation. Ducharme was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 10 years probation in June 2001 for hiring an underage female stripper, and having sex with her. Ducharme, who now lives in New Britain, was ordered held on 300-thousand dollars bail, and is due back in court May 16th.
THREAT ARREST
Ledyard Police announce an arrest in last week’s social media threat against students at the high school. Police say they arrested a juvenile Saturday night in the “Instagram Threat” case. A hit list of one male and one female in each grade was posted. The juvenile was charged with breach of peace and threatening and has a date in Juvenile Court in Waterford. Because of the persons age, an identity is not being made public.
SUSPENSIONS REPORTED AT WHITING
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) – State health officials say more than 20 employees at a Connecticut psychiatric hospital have been suspended amid allegations of patient abuse at the maximum-security facility. The Hartford Courant reports officials said Monday that 24 employees, including 2 managers, at the Whiting Forensic Division at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown were suspended. That’s up from 11 employees when the investigation was confirmed on April 4. The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has declined to discuss the nature of the allegations. The agency has said that the employees may be subject to discipline that could include dismissal if the allegations are substantiated. The state Department of Public Health and the Office of Protection & Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities are investigating.
TOOLKIT NOW IN MORE LANGUAGES
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A state toolkit for Connecticut families concerned about how federal immigration enforcement efforts might affect custody of their children is now available in nine languages. The Family Preparedness Plan, first released last month, includes step-by-step resources and forms for parents and guardians who want to name a “standby guardian” and avoid having their children placed in state care. Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday the plan is now available in Arabic, English, French, Haitian, Creole, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese. The United Way of Connecticut helped with translating the documents. Malloy’s office says there are an estimated 22,000 children living in Connecticut who are U.S. citizens and have parents without legal status in the U.S. The guardianship documents can be downloaded through the governor’s website at http://portal.ct.gov/FamilyPreparedness
