BARRICADED MAN FORCES STREET CLOSURES
Police in the City of Groton told people to shelter in place as they shut down a street for a barricaded man. WFSB-TV reports the man barricaded himself in a home on Mitchell Street around 4 a.m. today. A routine welfare check disintegrated for some unknown reason. Mitchell is closed at Meridian Street and Poquonnock Road. Other roads in the surrounding area are also closed. Police evacuated residents of Flemming Court. Police believe the man is alone but they aren’t sure if he’s armed.
MORE SUBS IN BUDGET
The U. S. House overwhelming passed a $717 billion defense authorization bill Thursday moving forward with plans to build three attack submarines, as opposed to two, in the years 2022 and 2023. It includes a billion dollars more than President Donald Trump requested in advanced procurement funding to buy materials, such as nuclear reactor components. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he would be fighting for additional funding, and said that he was confident that his colleagues in the Senate would support building more submarines in those years.
MGM SEEKS MORE TIME TO SELL BOOZE
If the MGM Springfield Massachusetts casino gets its way, with state legislative approval, it is likely they could be serving alcohol until 4 a.m. That’s not likely to go down well with the Southeastern Connecticut casinos. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will seek public comment on the request until June 4th. Extended alcohol service would be limited to the casino floor and available only through a cocktail server utilizing a single beverage station that will not be open to the public. The extended hours could give MGM Springfield a competitive advantage in attracting gamblers. The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, have not commented yet on the MGM proposal.
PFIZER SETTLES
As part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it funneled money through a foundation resulting in illegal kickbacks, Pfizer will pay the government nearly $24 million. The company has not admitted any wrongdoing or liability as part of its agreement with the Department of Justice. From 2012 through 2016, Pfizer made donations to the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, a copay assistance nonprofit organization, and then used a specialty pharmacy to steer Medicare patients taking its drugs toward the foundation to cover their copays. Under federal law, drugmakers can’t directly offer copay assistance to Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries.
EAST LYME BUDGET PASSES
East Lyme voters approved the town’s 2018-19 budget yesterday. It’s a spending plan that is 1.35 percent more than the current year’s. The vote was 526 to 184 for the $71.7 million dollar budget. The Board of Finance is scheduled to set next year’s tax rate at a special meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. next Wednesday at Town Hall.
