TRIBES URGE ACTION
Lawyers for the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes sent a letter Tuesday urging the U.S. Department of the Interior to publish notice of amendments to the tribes’ gaming compacts with the state so that will enable the tribes to begin building an East Windsor casino. While the tribes regarded the response as tantamount to approval, the leading opponent of the tribes’ East Windsor project, MGM Resorts International, has claimed otherwise. MGM Resorts is building a nearly one billion resort casino in Springfield, Mass., 15 miles north of East Windsor. A bill recently passed by the Connecticut legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy authorizes the casino in East Windsor.
BEAM SIGNED ON NEW UCFS BUILDING
The new home to the United Community and Family Services of Griswold, a two-story, 12,500 square foot building is hoped to be up and running by September 2018. As construction continues with a beam signing ceremony yesterday, plans are already in the works for an addition that would stretch the structure to a whopping 16,000 total square feet, nearly quadrupling the square footage of its current Griswold location on Main Street. By comparison, the current location has four treatment rooms. The new facility will offer 12. It’s estimated there will be 15-20 new positions at the new East Main location.
LOCAL LAWYER NOW U.S. ATTORNEY
John Durham, a federal prosecutor from Groton, has been appointed interim U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. Durham was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and was sworn in Friday, the last day of work for outgoing U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daily, an Obama administration appointee. The 67-year-old Durham is a graduate of the Class of 1968 of Fitch High School. He had been living in Madison until recently, but moved back to Groton in September and registered to vote as a Republican, according to town records.
CROOKED LAWYER GETS PRISON TIME
An attorney convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud will serve 30 months in prison. Bradford Barneys has also been suspended from practicing law in Connecticut for six years. Barney and another man bilked homeowners in Southeastern Connecticut out of thousands of dollars after promising to purchase their homes and free them of their mortgages after they went into foreclosure. The other man, Timothy Burke is serving a nine year prison sentence.
LAWMAKERS TO TALK BUDGET
Three state legislators representing Groton are hosting a forum on Thursday evening to answer questions about the state budget, signed into law yesterday by Gov. Malloy. The hosts of the forum are Rep. Christine Conley, Rep. Joe de la Cruz and Sen. Heather Somers. The forum will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Groton Senior Center.
SR CENTER GETTING TOWN WATER
Bozrah residents have approved the purchase and sales contract between the town and an assisted living partnership that will eventually bring city water and sewer to a new 120 unit Senior Living Center on Route 82. Following a 90 minute town meeting, the contract was approved by a 30-7 margin. Town officials say Bozrah may eventually need to establish a water pollution control authority to maintain the pipes.
