STUDENTS WALKING OUT THIS MORNING
Students from various schools across Connecticut are planning to walk out of class today pushing for something to be done about gun violence. The group that organized the Women’s March is rallying students at high schools across the country to walk out of class at ten o’clock this morning for 17 minutes symbolizing the 17 victims of last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Some ares schools expected to participate include Norwich Free Academy, Stonington High and East Lyme High.
OUTAGES STILL LINGER
Nearly 140,000 customers remain without power in Massachusetts the day after a nor’easter that brought blizzard conditions to some areas blew through the region. Connecticut was spared blizzard conditions yesterday but Eversource is still reporting about 1,200 outages this morning with Plainfield and Voluntown the problem spots.
SCHOOL BUDGET PASSES
Following yet another marathon meeting, the New London school board passed a revised $69.9 million budget. The nearly $70 million dollar proposal is an increase of 4 1/2 percent over the current budget and will depend in part on a $45.5 million request from city’s general fund.
SNOWBLOWERS ANNOY
The Stonington Board of Selectmen will discuss a residents request to amend the town’s nuisance ordinance and ban the use of snowblowers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. First Selectman Rob Simmons said the resident is upset with a neighbor using a snowblower at 2 a.m. The town selectmen will review the request at their seven o’clock meeting tonight at the police station. The town’s nuisance ordinance prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing or unnecessary noise that can be heard inside a home before 6 a.m. and after 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m. on Sunday.
OLD HOSPITAL PROPERTY FORECLOSED UPON
A New London Superior Court judge has approved the mortgage foreclosure filed last fall by the financial backer of Thames River Landing LLC on the Norwich portion of the former Norwich Hospital property. The debts listed do not include the delinquent property taxes owed to the city of Norwich. The city has not filed a tax foreclosure lawsuit, but has been tracking the mortgage foreclosure case. If payment is not made by June 19th, Castanho Development would take ownership on June 20th. Carl Castanho, head of Castanho Development, declined to comment on the foreclosure action.
SOFT LAUNCH FOR ZIPLINE
Weather permitting, Foxwoods Resort Casino expects to launch its HighFlyer zipline as scheduled on Thursday. In the event of inclement weather, those who’ve purchased advance tickets for the “soft launch”, will be contracted to reschedule. Thursday’s debut was not widely promoted. A grand opening of the attraction is being planned for mid-April. The HighFlyer’s four parallel lines stretches 3,700 feet nearly three-quarters of a mile, from the top of the 350-foot Fox Tower hotel down to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. Riders are supposed to reach speeds approaching 60 mph as they descend.
