January 17 / 6:30 pm
Senators Take to Airwaves to Talk About Impeachment Trial
(Washington-AP) _ President Clinton is spending the weekend working on his State of the Union speech, while his lawyers get ready to present his defense. Meanwhile, senators have been all over the Sunday talk shows, debating whether to call any witnesses in the impeachment trial. House Republican prosecutors want to call at least a few key witnesses -- such as Monica Lewinsky, presidential secretary Betty Currie and presidential friend Vernon Jordan. But Democrats warn the White House may counter by calling Kenneth Starr and Linda Tripp. On NBC, Democrat Senator Paul Wellstone said, "It will be a spectacle." Republican Mitch McConnell says it takes a majority vote to call any witness. He says that will keep the process under control. McConnell spoke on CBS.
 Here's more on the story.
Battle Over Animal Shelter Funds
(West Haven-WTNH) _ There's a fight over funds in West Haven between the town's Animal Shelter and the city council. Animal lovers say the city is trying to control the fate of dozens of dogs and cats.
News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.
Search for Apartment Gunman Continues
(Hamden-WTNH) _ Police in Hamden are still looking for a gunman in a shooting that happened Saturday morning at an apartment complex on Warner Street. A 26-year old man, whose name is not being released, is in serious condition at the Hospital of St. Raphael. Police say he was shot several times by another man, who he knew.
Neither one lives in the complex where the shooting occurred.
Man Arrested in McDonald's Attack
(Southington-AP) _ Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in the robbery of a McDonald's restaurant in Southington, but say they are still looking for the second suspect. Police say Hector Vasquez, of Meriden was one of two masked men who robbed the fast-food restaurant on Tuesday night. Police say the men stole an undetermined amount of money, before pistol whipping the manager. He suffered a severe head injury. Vasquez faces charges including larceny and assault with a firearm. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.
Investigation: Ambulances Taking Longer to Respond in Connecticut
(Hartford-AP) _ The wait for an ambulance in Connecticut is getting longer. That is according to an investigation by the Hartford Courant. After looking at police dispatch and highway fatality records the paper concluded that ambulances responded to life-threatening calls within eight minutes only 73% of the time in 1997. That compares to 81% of the time in 1990. The industry standard is to answer 90% of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. The Courant says the problem is most acute in rural areas, where many communities lack a full-time EMS staff. The investigation showed that in Litchfield County, ambulances took more than eight minutes to respond to a call more than half the time.
King Honored in Environmental Ceremony
(New Haven-WTNH) _ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was honored in New Haven Sunday for his commitment to improving the environment. The Department of Environmental Protection event was highlighted by a poetry slam. Kids also created musical instruments out of recyclable materials, and learned about the urban environment.
The two day event is one way to spread Dr. King's other messages.
Jason Dockeor, New Haven: "He wasn't just about peace he was trying to clean up neighborhoods."
The MLK Environmental Justice Celebration continues at the Peabody Museum Monday on the Martin Luther King, Jr state and national holiday.
High School Gets Full Accreditation
(New Haven-AP) _ Less than 16 months after being placed on probation, Hillhouse High School in New Haven has had its full accreditation restored. School officials say the New England Association of Schools and Colleges lifted the probation during a closed-door meeting last week. Since the school was placed on probation, officials have launched a major renovation, and added new computers and library books. Nearly all high schools in New England carry accreditation from the association, which most colleges and universities look for when evaluating a student's application.
Warm Weather Bring Folks Outside
(New Haven-WTNH) _ We're out of the cold at least for now, and people flocked outside to take advantage of the unseasonable weather Sunday.
Just days ago temperatures were in the single digits, 1-4" of snow covered the state, and just about everything was closed down from schools to Bradley International Airport. Quite a different scene today.
News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports.
Rowland Challenges Rhode Island Governor to Bike Race
(Hartford-AP) _ Governor John G. Rowland is challenging his counterpart in Rhode Island to a bicycle race. The contest between Rowland and fellow Republican Lincoln Almond would help promote the plans for a "greenway" linking the two states, Rowland said this week. The planned Hartford-to-Providence hiking and bicycling corridor would follow an interstate highway in Connecticut and a railroad line in much of Rhode Island. It's part of a plan to link open spaces from Canada to Florida. Rowland, who bikes for exercise, said he's confident of the outcome of any race with Almond, who at 62 is 21-years older than Connecticut's chief executive. But Rowland says Almond would have the advantage on the downhills.
"As you know, that's when gravity takes over," he said. Almond has not responded to the challenge, Rowland said.
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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