SHOTS FIRED
New London police are looking into reports of shots fired last night. They did find two spent shell casings in the area of Blackhall and Prest streets around 9:15. No victims nor perpetrators were found.
156 MILLING STARTS TODAY
A planned milling and resurfacing project on more than three miles of Route 156 in East Lyme will begin today. The second phase of the roadway milling is scheduled to take place Sunday evening until Thursday morning. The DOT said drivers can expect lane closures on Route 156 from the Rocky Neck Connector to the Niantic River Bridge in East Lyme.
CHURCH TO CELEBRATE 100th BIRTHDAY
The United Congregational Church in Norwich will host a 100th anniversary celebration with a special service at 3 p.m. Saturday. The church began as a merger of two congregations at the already historic Broadway building in 1918 and today shares its home with three other churches. The original 1857 organ pipes are the same ones Abraham Lincoln heard when he visited the church during his 1860 presidential campaign stop in Norwich. The Saturday service is open and free to the public.
POLLING PLACE STAYING PUT
About 40 Preston residents voted nearly unanimously Thursday against moving the regular town polling place to the Preston Veterans’ Memorial School. Supporters cited the concrete handicapped access ramp at Town Hall, cramped conditions and busy traffic on Route 2. Opponents said the outdated handicapped ramp needed to be fixed for everyday Town Hall use, not just for voting. They also argued that moving the polling place to the school would cause traffic congestion and safety issues for students. Following the vote, residents voted unanimously to establish a bipartisan committee to study possible polling locations in town. The committee will include a selectman, a member from the Board of Education, both registrars of voters and one resident selected by the Board of Selectmen. The committee will have six months to complete its study.
ARMED TEENAGER FOUND
New London Police responded to a call around 2:20 Thursday afternoon of a teenage male with a weapon in the area of Mountain Avenue and Prest Street. Police said they found a juvenile with a BB gun and arrested him. His name has not been released because he is under the age of 18. Police did say he is about 15 or 16 years old and is a student at one of the city’s schools. Police did not provide any other information.
GRANT MONEY WILL FIGHT SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Bethsaida Community, a nonprofit in Norwich that helps women who are low-income, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, will launch a substance abuse program after receiving a $200,000 grant. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant also will help Bethsaida host addiction and recovery training sessions for about 500 community members a year. About 150 women will benefit from efforts to provide education, recovery coaches, inpatient or outpatient treatment and substance-free housing over three years by Women Empowered by Community Aligned Recovery Efforts.
