POSSIBLE RE-TRIAL
A re-trial may occur in the Joey Gingerella murder case. The jury who found 32-year old Dante Hughes guilty last month of fatally shooting Gingerella outside Ryan’s Pub in Groton in December 2016 might have used some outside resource materials during deliberations, violating the judge’s instructions. The jury has been called back to New London Superior Court September 4th to be questioned by the trial judge. The Day is quoting several anonymous court officials who say a juror looked up the meaning of the word “manslaughter” in the dictionary. Hughes currently faces up to 50 years in prison when he’s sentenced October 4th.
PAWSOX MOVING
The Pawtucket Red Sox say they have signed a letter of intent to build a new ballpark in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Triple-A affiliate of the of the Boston Red Sox made the announcement Friday, signaling an end to its effort to find a new stadium during the past three years. The team is leaving its aging park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a city 40 miles northwest. PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino says the team is “eager to build an innovative, family-friendly ballpark” in central Massachusetts. The move is subject to approval from the Worcester City Council and Minor League Baseball. Rhode Island’s Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo told WPRI-TV that she will ask for another chance.
The PawSox say they will continue to play at 77-year-old McCoy Stadium for the next two years.
ARREST IN NEW HAVEN OVERDOSES
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – A man has been arrested in connection with more than 100 synthetic marijuana overdoses in New Haven. Police Chief Anthony Campbell said Friday that 53-year-old John Parker was charged with drug crimes after being caught with 32 bags of K2. Campbell alleged Parker sold K2 on the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses occurred Wednesday and Thursday. Authorities reported chaotic scenes of people falling unconscious. No one died. No additional overdoses were reported Friday. Parker is jailed on $225,000 bail. A public defender said there was no proof linking any drugs Parker may have had to the overdoses. Local and federal authorities also arrested two other men but are still investigating whether they played any roles in the overdoses.
LAMONT: I’LL NAME AN “OPIOID CZAR”
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – The Democratic candidate for Connecticut governor says he’ll create an “opioid czar” if he’s elected in November. Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont said Friday “the opioid crisis is touching every corner of our state” and that’s why he wants a cabinet-level position to oversee what he calls a crisis. The proposed czar would report directly to the governor. Lamont announced his proposal during a visit to the Fair Haven Community Health Center in New Haven, a city where a batch of synthetic marijuana has been blamed for sending dozens of people to the hospital. He said his proposed czar would also oversee the state’s response to such non-opioid overdose spikes. Last year, there were 1,038 drug overdose deaths in Connecticut. Republican Bob Stefanowski’s campaign did not immediately respond to a message.
WESTERLY TRAIN STATION REOPENS
WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) – A historic train station in Rhode Island has reopened.
The state Department of Transportation says the Westerly Train Station reopened Friday. The station closed in 2016 after serving train passengers since 1912. Trains continued to pick up and drop off passengers at an outdoor platform. The DOT says the station closed after Amtrak switched to online and smartphone ticketing. The state worked with the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly to reopen it, to provide an indoor waiting area, access to restrooms and a new arts venue. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo says the reopening provides a vital service to the public while expanding the cultural fabric of the community. The station will be open Wednesday through Sunday for Amtrak’s regional trains. The state DOT owns the building and has renovated it.
JONES ACCUSED OF TOSSING SANDY HOOK EVIDENCE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been accused of destroying evidence relevant to the case of families from Sandy Hook Elementary School who are suing him for claiming the massacre was a hoax. In a filing Friday, attorneys for two Sandy Hook victims noted that Jones said during a recent broadcast of his radio show that he’d told his staff to delete information from his “Infowars” website after CNN cited content from it for violating Twitter policies. That came after Twitter said it was temporarily suspending Jones for violating company rules about inciting violence. Several families of Sandy Hook victims are suing Jones for spreading false claims about the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six adults. Jones has sought to dismiss the case, arguing he acted as a journalist.
