January 19 / 9:25 pm
Officer Charged With Murder in Shooting Death of Suspect
 (New Milford-WTNH) _ A New Milford police officer finds himself on the wrong side of the law. Officer Scott Smith is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 27 year old Franklyn Reid. Reid was shot in the back after leading police on a foot chase back in December.
 News Channel 8's Judy Chong reports.
President Outlines Broad Agenda in State of Union Speech
 (Washington-AP) _ President Clinton has declared the State of the Union to be "strong." The president says America has created the longest peacetime expansion in its history, with nearly 18 million new jobs, rising wages and home ownership and the smallest welfare rolls in 30 years. Clinton points to the first balanced federal budget in three decades, violent crime that's the lowest in a quarter-century and a cleaner environment. The president says the US is a strong force for peace from Northern Ireland, to Bosnia, to the Middle East. Clinton praises Vice President Gore for his leadership, saying we now have a government for the "Information Age." Saying "America is working again," the president proceeded to set forth an agenda for the 21st century.
Here's more on the President's plans.
Here's the prepared text of The State of the Union Address.
Clinton's Lawyers Begin Impeachment Defense
(Capitol Hill-AP) _ President Clinton's White House counsel has wrapped up the opening phase of Clinton's Senate defense, by asking senators to consider whether the government has been put at so great a risk that there is only one solution -- the removal of the president.
Charles Ruff concluded by telling senators again that Clinton did not commit any of the offenses he's charged with. But Ruff said if senators conclude that he did, they should ask themselves if we are at such a "horrific moment in our history" that the union can be preserved only by removing the president. He says it's a step that the framers of the Constitution saw as a "last resort." Ruff also told senators that they are not judging Bill Clinton the man but only Bill Clinton the president. The White House lawyer earlier said the House had brought a "witches' brew of charges" against Clinton through a "rush to judgment." He set out to refute the charges, item by item, something that will be done in more detail in the next two days by other Clinton attorneys.
One Senate Democrat, Iowa's Tom Harkin, says Ruff poked holes "as big as a barn door" in the prosecution's case.
Chief political correspondent Mark Davis has more on Ruff's argument.
Man Killed in Traffic Accident
(Madison-WTNH) _ A fatal collision in Madison early Tuesday morning has left one man dead. 21 year old Jason Holtz died in a head-on crash.
Holtz's car collided with a car driven by 41 year old Susan Griffin.
She is hospitalized in stable condition. Griffin's 13 year old daughter was treated and released from Yale-New Haven Hospital. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Bus Overturns in Shelton, 3 Hurt
(Shelton-WTNH) _ Three people were injured Tuesday morning when a small school bus overturned. It happened on route 8 in Shelton. Police say the bus skidded sideways on some ice and rolled over hitting another car. Northbound lanes were shut down for some time causing major traffic problems. The driver and two passengers suffered just minor injuries.
Police Look for Suspects in Murder of Package Store Clerk
(Danbury-AP) _ A Danbury liquor story robbery has left a 45-year-old man dead and police searching for two suspects. Robert Gallo died yesterday night, several hours after being shot during an apparent robbery at his family's liquor store. Police say Gallo had been shot several times while working at the package store just before eleven yesterday morning. Witnesses told police they saw two men in their 20s leaving the scene. They said one or both of them may have been carrying several bottles of liquor.
Utilities Say They're Ready for Y2K
(Hartford-AP) _ The state's electric utilities are getting ready to comply with the Year 2000 computer problem. A regional power group told lawmakers today that there is no cause for concern that the electric system will fail when the clock strikes midnight on the year 2000. Utilities have been working on their computer systems to make sure they are ready. Regional and national tests are set for April and September. Northeast Utilities says it is complying with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in preparing all nuclear plant systems for the change. The problem is created when computers only recognize the last two digits of a year. Computers in the year 2000 might think it's only 1900.
Understanding Utility Bills
(WTNH) _ When it comes to phone and cable service, we expect a monthly bill for connection charges. But look closely at that bill and you'll see various taxes and surcharges, as well. Do you know what they're for?
Consumer Team 8's Anna Sava found out most consumers don't.
Lawmaker Suffers Stroke
(Bridgeport-AP) _ Stratford state Senator George "Doc" Gunther is in good condition after suffering a mild stroke over the weekend. The 79 year old lawmaker is was recovering at Bridgeport Hospital. Gunther was taken to the hospital on Saturday morning after noticing some weakness in his left leg and hand. The veteran lawmaker, a retired naturopathic physician, says he still has some weakness on his left side. He also says he doesn't want to miss any of the action in the General Assembly. The Republican lawmaker was first elected to the state Senate in 1967 after serving on the Stratford Town Council.
Yale Paper: Jovin Upset With Advisor Before Her Death
(New Haven-WTNH) _ A front page article in the Yale Daily News student newspaper reports that Suzanne Jovin had been upset with her advisor, James Van De Velde, in the week before her murder. New Haven police have said Van De Velde was in a pool of suspects considered in the murder of investigation. Monday's article quoted a friend of the murdered student, saying that Jovin's feeling's about Van De Velde had deteriorated from the admiration she had felt for him at the beginning of the school year. Van De Velde was Jovin's advisor for her senior thesis. No arrests have been made.
Westin Plans Hotel Expansion
 (Hartford-WTNH) _ Just in time for the Patriots stadium deal, a brand new four-star hotel and office tower may soon be moving in to Hartford. The first major development in downtown Hartford in over a decade was announced Tuesday for the Westin Hotel at Renaissance Place. The $200 million complex will be located on the site bordering Main, Asylum and Pratt streets, only a couple of blocks from the stadium site. The 22-story hotel is expected to open in 2002.
Hartford Gets New Jobs Corps Center
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Hartford has been selected as a site for a new job corps center. The announcement was made in Washington DC. The center is expected to be up and running in the Charter Oak Terrace business park in the fall of 2000. News of the $12.9 million center drew praise from mayor mike peters.
Mayor Mike Peters, (D)-Hartford: "This is a program that not only trains students it also educates and it has an 85% success rate.
It will help 200 high school students each year with basic education and job training - kids who might otherwise end up on the unemployment line.
Massachusetts Tribe Looks to Pequots for Casino Help
(Boston-AP)_ A Massachusetts Indian tribe has apparently been talking to a Connecticut tribe about high-stakes gambling. The Wampanoag Indian tribe again is looking at the possibility of opening a high-stakes bingo casino in Massachusetts.
Unidentified tribal sources have told the Boston Globe there have been very preliminary talks with the Mashantucket Pequot tribe about becoming a partner in a bingo casino. The Pequots owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, which makes more money than any casino in the world. According to the newspaper, leaders of the Massachusetts tribe have scheduled a meeting for today with officials of Carnival Resorts and Casinos of Miami to discuss a bingo parlor.
Restored School Opens Months Late, But to Rave Reviews
(Mystic-WTNH) _ After a long and frustrating wait Mystic Middle School is once again open for business. A $9 million renovation project going on at the school is finally complete and students are back in class. Unfortunately it's all happening about four months later than expected.
News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day.
Stamford Considers Saturday Schooling
(Stamford-AP) _ Stamford's school board is considering a proposal for Saturday schooling. Some members of the board are exploring whether to require remedial students to attend school on Saturday. Waterbury is the first district in the state to require Saturday school for kids who need extra help. The program bucks the trend of social promotions, in which students are automatically moved up to the next grade even if they don't have reading and other skills for that level. Waterbury's Saturday Accelerated Academy will offer three hours of instruction each Saturday, will target about 600 students in kindergarten through third grade who are behind in reading, writing and math.
Airline Adds More Flights
(Windsor Locks-AP) _ Travelers out of Bradley Airport will have another option next month. Shuttle America, low-fare regional airline that began flying from Bradley in November, will start offering flights next month to Trenton, New Jersey. It's the fifth city for the airline. The airline has 225 employees, up from about 100 when it began operations in November.
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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