January 13 / 6:30 pm
Stormy Weather Begins Again; School Delays Likely
(WTNH) _ Mother Nature is bringing another blast of winter weather to Connecticut. Storm Team 8 says a system bringing snow will develop late in the night, and by morning most areas of the state should see 1-3 inches of snow, with more in higher elevations. The snow will continue throughout the day, and it may be heavy at times. By the time this system moves through, some areas could easily see more than a half-a-foot of snow. This should start to turn to rain along the shoreline Thursday evening, but snow/sleet will continue everywhere else through Friday morning.
Don't be surprised if schools close for the day. School cancellations will be available online in the morning, and are updated every few minutes.
Truck Fire Closes Highway
(Branford-WTNH) _  A tractor trailer fire closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 for about 45 minutes this evening. A truck caught fire near exit 56 in Branford around 5:30 this evening. Police tell News Channel 8 the cab of the truck was burning. There is no word yet on what started the fire, or if there are any injuries.
Lawmakers Improve Witness Protection Program Following Boy's Death
(Hartford-WTNH) _ The murder of an 8 year old child witness has Connecticut leaders talking about our witness protection program, and ways to improve it.
 News Channel 8's Judy Chong reports.
How to Spend Tobacco Settlement Money
(Hartford-WTNH) _ The scramble is on at the state capitol to decide how to spend all that tobacco money. Millions is coming to the state and a lot of hands are reaching out.
Chief capitol correspondent Mark Davis has the story.
Stores Accused of Selling Unsanitized, Used Mattresses
(Hartford-WTNH) _
Here's something worth losing sleep over if you've bought a reconditioned mattress in the last two years. Four retailers are being accused of buying and selling unsanitized, used mattresses to customers.
Consumer Team 8's Anna Sava reports.
Libraries Use New Dropboxes to Prevent Fires
(Wethersfield-WTNH) _ Some local libraries are playing it safe after a devastating fire destroyed nearly everything in its path.
In February of '96 someone dropped a burning object into a book deposit at the Danbury library. The resulting fire destroyed thousands of books, video tapes, CD's and computers. Now area libraries are taking action to prevent something like that from happening again.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer has details.
State Police Figures Released on Gun Purchase Under New Federal Law
(Hartford-AP) _ The national Brady Act requiring background checks for gun purchases has had little effect in Connecticut where state law has been stricter than national standards. Since the new instant check system went into effect Nov. 30, the FBI reported that 11,584 people nationwide have been denied a gun purchase.
However, in Connecticut, where background checks were already mandated for the purchase of handguns, just 21 people were barred from buying a gun last month.
The new law did affect the purchase of long guns in Connecticut. Prior to December, anyone with a valid hunting license had been able to buy a rifle or shotgun without a background check. State police authorized 4,460 purchases of handguns, rifles and shotguns in December, more than twice the usual number. Under state and federal law, anyone convicted of a felony or one of 11 specific misdemeanors are barred from purchasing guns.
City Kicks Off Gun Safety Program
(Bridgeport-AP) _ The city's program to hand out thousands of free trigger locks to gun owners has begun. The first trigger locks were distributed to city residents who showed up at a police substation Monday, where the community service division is located. The locks fit around the trigger area of a handgun, preventing the weapon from firing. The devices also will work on rifles and shotguns, Chapman said. According to the Connecticut Collaborative for Education Against Gun Violence, a recent poll found that 27 percent of state households have guns, but only 10 percent of them have trigger locks.
The trigger lock distribution comes as Mayor Joseph P. Ganim prepares to file a $100 million lawsuit against the gun industry, claiming liability because manufacturers fail to install safety devices in their products. The gun lock program is being funded through a $50,000 allocation by the City Council.
Airline Considers Tweed Expansion
(New Haven-WTNH) _ How would you like to go from New Haven to New York in just 25 minutes? A small startup airline may be bringing that service to Tweed-New Haven Airport. Trans International Airlines is exploring the option of starting daily flights from Tweed to Kennedy International Airport. A 36 passenger turbo-prop plane with leather seats would provide food and drink service to passengers. A roundtrip ticket would run about $100. Officials hope to make a decision in the next thirty days.
Patriots Owner Looking to Connecticut for Business Expansion
(Worcester, Massachusetts-AP) _ Robert Kraft's business opportunities in Connecticut go well beyond his moving the New England Patriots to the state.
According to a published report, Kraft has decided to expand his cardboard company in Connecticut rather than Massachusetts. The Wall Street Journal says Kraft has pulled out of talks with MassDevelopment, an economic and real-estate development agency. Kraft had been in negotiations on a deal to consolidate his company's operations at the former Fort Devens military base. Last month, Kraft's company, the Rand-Whitney Corporation, bought the Union Camp plant in Newtown. The Newtown plant makes corrugated boxes, as well as graphic retail displays.
Rand-Whitney also owns a Rand-Whitney Container Board plant in Montville,
Jordan Makes it Official - He's Retiring
 (Chicago-AP) _ Michael Jordan has announced he's retiring from the NBA.
The announcement came at a news conference called by the Chicago Bulls, with whom Jordan spent his entire 13-year NBA career. Jordan ends his playing days seven months after leading the Bulls to their sixth NBA title in eight years. "I played it to the best I could play it," Jordan told a packed news conference at United Center. "I tried to be the best basketball player I could be." "I've had a great time," he said.
Insurance Company Holding Debt After Folding of ABL
(Hartford-AP) _ Phoenix Home Life was the American Basketball League's biggest corporate fan and is now one of its biggest creditors. The women's professional basketball league declared bankruptcy last month and Hartford-based Phoenix had made a $6 million loan to the league. However, a lawyer for the league says Phoenix and other creditors may be able to recoup some of their losses in an antitrust lawsuit planned by the ABL. The news comes a day after state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal began a probe of possible antitrust violations by the NBA and the WNBA, the professional women's league it supports. When the ABL, which included the New England Blizzard, filed for bankruptcy, the league claimed assets of less than $500,000 and debts of more than $10 million.
Restaurant Rating Proposed
(New London-WTNH) _ A local lawmaker wants the public to know what they should expect when they go out to eat. A bill is being proposed that would require restaurants to post health code inspection scores for the public to see.
So what do restaurant owners and health officials think about the idea?
News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports.
Cap Put on New Membership in CIGNA Medicare plan
(Hartford-AP) _ CIGNA HealthCare has put a cap on new memberships in its Medicare HMO in Connecticut after a bigger than expected enrollment. The state membership rolls of CIGNA's Medicare HMO have grown from 1,078 enrollees on July 1, 1998, to about 6,800 as of Jan. 4. The company wants time to "take a deep breath" to make sure it can deliver the quality care it has promised, Joanne T. Steffen, president and general manager of CIGNA HealthCare of Connecticut, said Tuesday.
Albright to Visit Wesleyan University
(WTNH) _ Secretary of state Madeline Albright will pay a visit to Connecticut next month as the key speaker at a foreign policy conference at Wesleyan University.
Albright will be joined on February 6 by foreign policy experts from Wesleyan and around the country. The panel discussion will focus on the economic, security, and policy aspects of the country's foreign policy. US representative Sam Gejdenson will act as moderator.
SNET Tests High-Speed Internet Connections
(New Haven-AP) _ Southern New England Telecommunications will begin testing a new high-speed Internet service to connect customers to the Web at speeds 50 times faster than most analog computer modems, using standard telephone lines. The company will begin a trial of service Jan. 21 in Waterbury, New Haven and Bristol and hopes to offer the product statewide some time in 2000. The system, called Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line, or ADSL, uses new technology to maximize the amount of information that can be sent down a standard copper phone line. A splitter dedicates just a portion of the phone line to the service, allowing the customer to make or receive phone calls while simultaneously surfing the Internet. The product, expected to cost between $40 and $50 a month, is designed to compete with cable television companies that have entered the Internet market by offering high-speed connections through coaxial cable wires.
Dealing with Leftover Frozen Embryos
(New Haven-WTNH) _ Now that more and more couples are waiting until later in life to become parents, in vitro fertilization is an increasingly popular way of conceiving children. But many couples who freeze their leftover embryos, do not use them later. And now, many clinics are faced with embryo overload.
Health Team 8's Kristen Cusato reports.
Schools Deal with Sexual Harassment Complaints Between Students
(Bethany-WTNH) _ Should there be a law protecting our kids from sexual harassment at school by other students? A Georgia case involving a fifth grader brought that question to the United States Supreme Court. That student says she was grabbed and verbally taunted by a classmate and the school did nothing about it. It's an issue facing schools around the country and right here in Connecticut.
News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.
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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