BARRICADED MAN IN CUSTODY
A Groton City man who barricaded himself inside his Flemming Court home early this morning is being held on 60-thousand dollars bond. Police say they responded to the residence around 5:20 AM to find 52-year old Robert Patterson saying he wanted-quote-death by cop. Police say his estranged girlfriend told them he was heavily armed, and acting very unstable. Neighbors were evacuated, and others were told to shelter-in-place, while negotiations were going on. Patterson surrendered around 9:45 AM. No injuries reported. Groton Town and state police assisted in the arrest.
REID AND HUGHES STABILIZATION TO BEGIN
Workers will be at the former Reid and Hughes building Tuesday to officially begin stabilization of the vacant Main Street structure. Norwich mayor Peter Nystrom says the work is expected to take about 90 days. A sign has now been attached to the front of the building indicating the stabilization is underway. Logos representing the various organizations involved in the project are listed, including the city of Norwich. The Women’s Institute is hoping to renovate the site into new retail and housing. Another sign on the building indicates there’s still a pending application for demolition, since engineers still have to determine if the building is safe to renovate.
FUNDING FOR BUCKINGHAM
Money has been donated to rehabilitate the historic Buckingham Memorial building on Main Street. Members of the Norwich Historical Society, along with other city and state officials, gathered outside the structure this morning to announce a 118-thousand dollar donation from Groton Utilities, Bozrah Light and Power, and Jensen Communities. The money will used to fix the roof. Society President Bill Champagne says the work will hopefully be the start of a major renovation of the building, built in 1847 by William Buckingham, who was Connecticut’s Governor in the Civil War era, and also served as Norwich’s Mayor, and U-S Senator. The hope is to eventually establish a Buckingham Museum there, which can house artifacts that had previously been in the house, but were moved due to the leaking roof. They are now currently in a museum in Vernon.
STABBED OFFICER OUT OF HOSPITAL
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A Hartford police officer who was critically injured in a stabbing last week has been released from the hospital. Police say Officer Jill Kidik, a 12-year member of the department, was discharged from the hospital on Friday and is expected to make a full recovery. Kidik was repeatedly stabbed in the neck on May 17 while responding to a tenant-landlord dispute. Her jugular vein and trachea were lacerated. Two maintenance workers have been credited with pulling the attacker off Kidik and saving her life. The suspect, 39-year-old Chevoughn Augustin, of Hartford, is in custody on $2 million bail and is due back in court June 5 on charges including attempted murder.
TROOPS TO TEACHERS
CONNECTICUT WINS A 1.1-MILLION DOLLAR, FIVE-YEAR FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP VETERANS BECOME TEACHERS. STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER DIANNA WENTZELL SAYS THE PROGRAM WILL RECRUIT AT LEAST 40 FORMER SERVICE MEMBERS IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND SECURE AT LEAST 20 TEACHING POSITIONS. SHE SAYS THE PROGRAM COMES JUST IN TIME, WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF SEASONED TEACHERS POISED TO RETIRE OVER THE COMING YEARS
