MALLOY TARGETS STATE AID
Governor Dannel Malloy has asked his budget director to provide him with detailed information about municipal finances, suggesting he’d support reductions in state aid to cities and towns included in a yet-to-be-reached state budget agreement. In a letter released today, the Democrat said how Connecticut finances municipal aid – the state’s largest expenditure – “must be on the table for discussion with the General Assembly and the public.” Democratic House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz says both Republicans and Democrats want to limit municipal aid cuts.
GARDNER LAKE ALCOHOL BAN
Connecticut officials are temporarily banning alcohol at Gardner Lake State Park in Salem. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee says the 90-day ban on the possession and consumption of alcohol stems from large numbers of people at the park who have been consuming large volumes of alcohol. Klee says State Environmental Conservation Police officers will enforce the ban, which was requested by Salem’s state legislative delegation and the town’s first selectman. There have been increased crowds and incidents over the past few summers.
HEALTH CARE THIEF
A Sterling woman has received a suspended prison sentence for embezzling money from a home health company in Waterford. 45-year-old Tammy Cholewa was fired from CareCo Shoreline in December of 2015 after the company owner discovered unauthorized checks made out to Cholewa. A forensic audit determined Cholewa had made out 77 checks for a total of 21-thousand-864 dollars. She’s been given a ten-year suspended sentence, followed by five-years probation. Cholewa was also ordered to repay the company five-thousand dollars annually over the next five years.
KNIFE ATTACK
A New London man has been sentenced to three years behind bars for stabbing a friend while they watched football together. 52-year-old Terry Pipkin has been in jail since the incident, which happened in January of 2015. Police say Pipkin attacked 49-year-old Leonard Fraiter after he said Fraiter called a female friend of his an offensive name. Fraiter had to be taken to Yale New Haven Hospital because his left ear was partially severed. Police say two men were drinking beer and vodka at the time of the attack. Pipkin will have to serve four years of special parole upon his release.
