LEDYARD HIGH STUDENT ARRESTED FOR THREAT
LEDYARD, Conn. (AP) – Officials say a 17-year-old high school student has been arrested for commenting, “I could buy an AR-15,” the day after the same gun model was used in a high school shooting that killed 17 and injured others in Florida. Ledyard High School Principal Amanda Fagan says the student made the comment during a first-period class Thursday. Administrators called the local police department around 9 a.m., and the student has been referred to juvenile court on charges of threatening and breach of peace.
Fagan says the student’s offense was similar to “joking about a bomb in the airport.” She says the student does not have access to firearms at home, and there was no threat to students or staff.
SHIPWAY 221 APPROVED
The New London Planning and Zoning Commission last night approved a 201-unit residential complex planned for a Howard Street brownfield site. Shipway 221 would be built on a portion of vacant land that used to be home to the former Hughie’s Restaurant. The units are designed to attract millennials, including the growing number of Electric Boat employees.
WESTERLY AGREES TO INFORM
Westerly and Stonington officials have reached an agreement as a result of a public water issue last week. Westerly will now report any problem with its water system to Stonington officials within two to three hours of the problem’s discovery. The agreement comes after Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons criticized Westerly officials for not informing Pawcatuck residents about a problem with the ph level in the water last week, caused by an equipment malfunction. Westerly supplies water to the Pawcatuck section of Stonington.
WOMEN SHORT-SHRIFTED
A report detailing inequities faced by women in New London and Windham counties was released recently by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. The report reveals median full-time income in Eastern Connecticut is $46,000 for women and $56,000 for men. Seventy-six percent of K-12 public school educators nationwide are women, but only 11 of the 41 public school superintendents in the region are women. The report also showed disparities by race: The average full-time female worker makes 81 cents for every dollar made by her male counterpart, but black and Latina women make 61 and 53 cents, respectively, for every white male dollar. One in five black women and one in four Latina women in New London and Windham counties lack a high school diploma, compared to one in 10 white women.
FORMER ASST. FIRE CHIEF PASSES
The Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday announced the death of former Assistant Fire Chief Doug Smith. Smith was also a longtime member of the Norwich Fire Department. Colleagues described Smith as “dedicated” and “selfless”. Canterbury Fire Chief Jayson Matteau said Smith was “very well-known and well-liked.” Smith began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Waterford. He served 30 years in the Norwich Fire Department. He was hired in 1992 and retired from the department as a lieutenant in 2013.
