January 5 / 6:15 pm
Tractor-Trailer Accident Closes I-95
 (Stonington-WTNH) _ An accident between two tractor-trailers shuts down one of Connecticut's busiest roads. If you were on I-95 in Stonington you were probably stuck in the mess. It happened near exit 92 around 8:30 am, and the traffic headaches lasted about 8 hours.
 News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day.
Millstone III Leaks Again
(Waterford-AP) _ Northeast Utilities is reporting up to 800 gallons of radioactive water leaked from a tank at its Millstone III nuclear power plant on Monday. But spokesman Joe Pillitere says the level of radiation was low and does not pose a threat to neighbors or the environment. Pillittere says workers discovered the leak Monday afternoon when they noticed a falling level in a waste test tank. Tests of the waste in the first two catch basins outside the tank detected what he called very slight levels of radiation. Tests in catch basins farther downstream detected no radiation. Pillitere says the leak has been stopped and the waste is being pumped from the catch basins. The state Department of Environmental Protection radiation and spills units and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have been notified of the leak, though Pillittere says the amount of radiation discovered was far below reporting requirements. Millstone III came back online just last week, after it automatically shut down December 11th over a faulty valve.
Body Found in Burning Car at Ski Area
(Southington-WTNH) _ Workers at the Mt. Southington ski area got a big scare Tuesday morning after they heard an explosion an saw a car burning in the parking lot. When firefighters arrived, they found a body in the car. Police believe the body is that of a woman in her 20s from the Hartford area, who borrowed the car from a relative. They are treating it as a suspicious death. Authorities are also asking anyone who saw a green Ford Escort near Ski Mt Southington to call the Southington police department at 860.621.0103.
Man's Body Found in Trailer
(Bridgeport-WTNH) _ Bridgeport police are working to identify the body of a man found inside of a recreation trailer. The man's body was found around 2:00 Tuesday afternoon in the back of the Old Blessed Sacrament School, near the intersection of Union and Orange. Police say it appears the man died of natural causes.
Professor Pleads Not Guilty in Child Sex Abuse Case
(New Haven-WTNH) _ A Yale college professor entered a plea of not guilty to charges he sexually assaulted a 13 year old boy. Antonio Lasaga appeared in New Haven superior court Tuesday morning.
Lasaga has been arrested three times on child pornography charges.
In this latest case he pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and promoting a minor in an obscene performance.
Prosecutors asked for and received some changes to the conditions for Lasaga's bond.
Prosecutors asked that Lasaga not be allowed to leave the state without notifying the court, and that he not be allowed any contact with his alleged victim, directly or indirectly or through a third party. If he violates any of the conditions his $250,000 bond will be revoked.
Police sources have told News Channel 8 that the victim met Lasaga through a New Haven Public School mentoring program in 1992, and he appears in an obscene videotape FBI agents found when they searched Lasaga's home in Cheshire. Lasaga also faces federal child porn charges. An FBI search of his Saybrook College apartment turned up pornographic computer pictures of boys.
Cop Enters Plea to Theft Charges
(New Haven-WTNH) _ A New Haven police captain pleads not guilty to charges he stole evidence. Capt. James Sorrentino is accused of stealing some videotapes from the police evidence room and trying to return them to a Super K-Mart for cash.
the 24 year veteran faces several felony charges. After being suspended in November, he was allowed back on administrative duty. Pre-trial hearings in the case are set for Friday.
Survey Questions Which Taxes Should be Cut
(Hartford-WTNH) _ It's time to talk taxes, and if you had the choice which state tax would you cut?
Nearly all state taxes were cut at least a little bit last year. More tax cutting is on the agenda this year, but the leaders of the cities and towns say they know what people want.
Chief capitol correspondent Mark Davis reports.
Rowland Sworn In Wednesday
(Hartford-WTNH) _ It's probably the hottest ticket in town, and it has nothing to do with the UConn Huskies or The Rolling Stones. It's a ticket to the inaugural events for Governor John Rowland. He will be sworn in for a second term in office Wednesday afternoon. Some big events are planned, and News Channel 8 will be there to cover it all. We'll have special coverage of all the inaugural activities beginning Wednesday on News Channel 8 at Noon.
Because of the inauguration coverage, ABC Daytime programming will be delayed until late night/early morning.
Board OK's Saturday School
(Waterbury-WTNH) _ There will be another day of reading, writing and arithmetic in Waterbury. The school board has approved mandatory Saturday school sessions and summer school students behind in their studies. The Saturday program is for kindergarten thru third grade only, and approximately 600 students will be taking part.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer reports.
Cheshire Football Star Arrested at Home
(Cheshire-AP) _ A Cheshire High School football star has had another run-in with police. Officials say a family fight led to the arrest of Jason Dellaselva early Sunday. He's accused of breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Police say after he was arrested, Dellaselva spit on the closed circuit camera and urinated on the walls inside the holding cell and was then charged with criminal mischief. He's due back in court on January 22nd after posting bond. That's the same day he's supposed to be in court on motor vehicle charges from the October incident. In October Dellaselva was involved in a car accident. He was charged with smashing his girlfriend's car. Last March, he was arrested for possession of alcohol and possession of brass knuckles.
Police Investigate Rhode Island Man Charged with Providence Murder
(Providence, RI-AP) _ A Providence man charged with strangling a 30-year-old waitress and leaving her naked body in a car is under investigation by Connecticut police for a similar killing. Police have charged Ronald Fortune Junior in Rhode Island with strangling Kathleen McKiernan in December 1997 and leaving her body in a car parked on a dead-end street. Police in Waterford, Connecticut are investigating whether Fortune might be linked to the June 1997 murder of 41-year-old Renee Pelligrino. The New London woman was also found strangled on a dead-end street near a highway. Connecticut police told the Providence Journal that the two murder victims were also similar in appearance.
Guilty Plea in Rape of Elderly Women
(New Britain-AP) _ A New Britain man has pleaded guilty to raping two elderly women and faces 27 years in prison. Thomas Grant made his plea yesterday a day before his case was supposed to go to trail in New Britain Superior Court. Grant pleaded guilty to raping a 79-year-old woman and a 70-year-old woman in their apartments in a city public housing complex in 1997. Grant was arrested after the State Police Forensic Laboratory in Meriden matched a DNA sample taken from both victims with a sample of Grant's DNA. Grant had previously been convicted in the December 1981 rape of a 68-year-old New Haven woman in her home.
Regulation Eases Hiring of Replacement Health Care Workers
(Hartford-AP) _ State lawmakers have approved an emergency regulation to make it easier for nursing homes to hire replacement workers in case of a strike. The emergency regulation, approved by the Legislature's regulation review committee, allows nurses and licensed practical nurses registered in other states to work as aides in Connecticut homes for up to 120 days. A union has threatened a statewide strike that could affect nearly 50 nursing homes.
Bradley Slowly Recovering from Winter Storm Delays
(Windsor Locks-WTNH) _ Some good news out of Bradley International Airport, which has been jammed with stuck passengers. A winter storm here Sunday, combined with rotten conditions in the midwest, left thousands of passengers with no way to get to their destination. Officials at Bradley say the airport is almost back to normal.
An added bit of good news for one woman News Channel 8 interviewed Monday.
Holly Shewchuck of New Hartford had saved for years to go on a $7,000 cruise to Hawaii. But due to the weekend storm she could not get a flight out. After first telling Shewchuck to go home, TWA finally agreed to fly her to the island, and even take her by helicopter to her cruise, which is already underway.
State Sex Offender Website Online
(Hartford-WTNH) _ The State of Connecticut's Sex Offender Registry went online at the first of the year. Residents can look to see if a convicted sex offender is living in their neighborhood by accessing the information through the Department of Public Safety's website at www.state.ct.us/dps/
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