NL FESTIVAL BEGINS
The sixth annual Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival in New London got underway Thursday with remarks by Gov. Malloy at the opening ceremony at Fort Trumbull State Park. The five-day festival, which is free to the public, features tours of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships and other vessels, a chowder challenge, maritime displays, and food trucks.
NL DRUG DEALER SENTENCED
A New London drug dealer has been sentenced to 5 years in prison. 28-year old Bashon Whitley appeared Wednesday in New Haven Federal Court. The U-S attorney’s office in Connecticut says a March 2017 search of an apartment used by Whitley found heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, cash, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. His uncle awaits sentencing on similar charges.
PLEA DEAL IN NORWICH ATTACK
Six years in prison is the fate for a Norwich man who has accepted a plea deal in connection with a November attack. 24-year old Rafael Alvarado-Cortes admits guilt under the Alford Doctrine, meaning he doesn’t agree with the case against him, but also doesn’t want to go to trial. Alvarado-Cortes attacked his ex-girlfriend and her former husband with a knife and ax in their Merchants Avenue driveway, injuring both of them. He’s to be sentenced November 2nd.
KILLINGLY WOMAN ACCUSED OF VIOLATING PROTECTIVE ORDERS
A Killingly woman is being held on 10-thousand dollars bond after police say she violated three protective orders, and resisted arrest when police showed up at her Shore Road home Tuesday. Police say 60-year old Mary Holcomb refused to leave her home to speak with troopers. They say she did open the door, and spoke with them for awhile, before trying to shut the door, and locking herself in. She was finally apprehended, and is to appear in court September 18th.
DANIELSON MAN FOUND PASSED OUT
A Danielson man is to appear in court September 12th after police found him passed out in his motor vehicle Saturday in Killingly. Police say 39-year old James Arpin was sleeping in the vehicle around 12:30 AM that was stopped on Killingly Drive at the intersection with Knox Avenue. Police later found him near Gauthier Avenue, passed out, with the vehicle in park. Arpin failed to pass a field sobriety test, and was arrested. Police say the vehicle’s registration was expired. Arpin was held on 500-dollars bond.
‘TRIGGER-HAPPY’ COP
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A Connecticut police officer caught on video warning a group of young people not to flee or fight because he was “trigger happy” has been demoted and faces a disciplinary process that could lead to a suspension or his firing. Hartford Police Chief David Rosado announced Thursday that Sgt. Stephen Barone was demoted to officer and assigned to desk duty, after an internal affairs investigation found he violated the department’s code of conduct. Mayor Luke Bronin said the disciplinary process could take several weeks. Barone did not immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday. A Facebook video shows Barone telling a group he stopped last month that if they tried to flee, he’s a “little trigger happy” and added he gets paid overtime if he has to shoot someone.
DOG PEE-FREE ZONE
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – A sarcastic sign in the window of a Connecticut restaurant asking people not to let their dogs pee on the eatery’s outside flower pot has earned the owner a $250 fine. Duc Nguyen, owner of Duc’s Place in New Haven, tells the New Haven Independent he was disgusted with people allowing their dogs to urinate on his pot. He thought a humorous sign was a good way of discouraging dog walkers from letting pets relieve themselves there. It read: “Attn: dog owners. This is a pay-per-pee flower pot. (Pay inside or leave your address and we’ll kindly return the favor.)” Honda Smith, the city’s public space enforcement officer, said Nguyen broke two city ordinances for being a public nuisance and issued the fine Tuesday. Nguyen says he plans to appeal.
