OFFICER DRAGGED, INJURED
A Groton police officer was transported to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries this morning, suffered during a traffic stop overnight in the area of Routes 117 and 1. Narcotics were found in the vehicle and during a search there was a physical altercation between the driver and the officer. The driver took off and the officer was dragged about a half-a-mile to an area near Buddington Road and Poquonnock Rd. The suspect was arrested in New London. The officer was treated at the hospital and released.
ANOTHER CHILD DIES FROM FLU
The flu is claiming another child victim in Connecticut. The family of six-year-old DeMarcus White of Colchester confirms that he died from influenza last week. White becomes the third juvenile to die of complications from the flu this season. A six-year-old Norwalk girl and a ten-year-old boy from New Canaan are the other child victims.
GRISWOLD MAN DIES IN CRASH
A man is dead following a single vehicle crash in Griswold. Kyle Emmerthal was driving a car on Stone Hill Road early Saturday when it veered off the road and struck a stone wall. The 27-year-old Emmerthal was ejected from the car, and died at the hospital a short time after the crash. There were no passengers in the car, and no other vehicles were involved.
NL CONSIDERED FOR WEED DISPENSARY
Todd Degroff, owner of Beacon Prescriptions in New Britain, is looking at New London for one of the state’s newest marijuana dispensaries. He was among several dispensary advocates to address the city’s planning and zoning commission earlier this month to gauge the commission’s reaction. The commission considered whether or not a dispensary would fit into the retail category of its regulations or if more specific language was needed. Several commission members said they were inclined to look at the dispensary in a more positive light, now that the state’s nine dispensaries are up and running, seemingly without any incidents or a rise in crime that some opponents argued might happen.
CMEEC RECONSIDERS
A state law that took effect Oct. 1 mandates that The Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative contract with a firm to conduct a five-year forensic audit of the cooperative’s finances. CMEEC has agreed to rewrite a request for proposals for an audit firm, after concerns were raised when the cooperative selected the firm that conducts its annual audit to do the work. Questions arose about the selection process for the forensic audit firm after CMEEC’s initial request for proposal yielded only one finalist. The CMEEC board voted to appoint the only finalist in the process, BlumShapiro at its Dec. 21st meeting. Late Friday, CMEEC scheduled a special telephone conference board meeting for 4:30 p.m. today to vote to withdraw the appointment of the forensic auditing firm. State appointed Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate Bill Kowalski, and state Sen. Heather Somers have suggested that the selection of a forensic audit firm be removed from CMEEC’s control.
RECORD ACTION AT STATE PIER
Logistec, operator of the State Pier in New London, is expecting a bumper year for cargo shipments entering the city’s deep water port. Seven ships have already come in since January 1st, carrying salt, steel and lumber, with more four vessels expected next month. Logistec anticipates bringing in 100,000 metric tons more cargo in 2018 than it did in 2017.
GRANT SOUGHT TO FIX HISTORIC SCHOOLHOUSE
The Norwich Historical Society has applied for a $15,000 grant to cover additional renovations at the East District Schoolhouse. The grant would not require any matching funds from the city, because the historical society already has enough funds to match the grant itself. The society needed City Council approval to apply for the grant. The 1789 one-room schoolhouse is undergoing restorations funded through a $39,000 donation from Norwich Public Utilities. Officials now they say it needs more work than anticipated, thus the new grant application.
