March 5 / 6:30 pm
Hartford Police Investigate 2 Murders in 24 Hours
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Police in Hartford have two murders on their hands, both happening within 24 hours of each other. The latest happened around 10- pm Thursday night, when a person shot and killed on Enfield Street.
Investigators say 29 year old Johnny McGee was shot inside an apartment. They say after he was shot he was dragged out into the hallway. Police say they have a suspect in mind, but they will not say who that suspect is.
And the murder of a Hartford minister remains a mystery, though police say they do have good leads on a suspect. Thomas Otte was an ordained Presbyterian minister with 24 years of service in New England. He was stabbed to death Wednesday night in his Charter Oak Place apartment.
 News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue talked with members of the church who knew him.
Search Continues for Missing Attorney
(WTNH) _ The search for a missing Hartford attorney continued for another day Friday but to no avail. F. "Mac" Buckley was reported missing by his wife Tuesday. Police say since he disappeared there have been no charges on his credit cards or calls made from his cell phone. Buckley last checked in with his office shortly after noon Monday and hasn't been heard from since. Police are also looking for any sign of Buckley's vehicle, a green Ford Explorer SUV.
Road Leading to Bridge Collapses
(West Haven-WTNH) _ Potentially dangerous conditions on the road in West Haven Friday afternoon when part of the road near the Kimberly Avenue Bridge in West Haven has collapsed. The collapse was caused by a break in a water main. Police were asking commuters to avoid Elm Street, and wanted motorists using I-95 north or south to avoid the Kimberly Avenue Exit, and use exit 42 Saw Mill Road instead.
Explosion Rocks Plastics Plant
 (New Haven-WTNH) _ An explosion and small fire in duct work forced the evacuation of an company that makes plastic adhesives and coverings.
The explosion happened at the Furon Company, located at Grand and East streets.
The fire apparently started in the ducts of the building. A worker said the explosion "sounded like two big boxcars that rammed together at a high rate of speed." No one was hurt. Firefighters are now waiting for federal environmental crews to get to the scene to determine if any fumes or chemicals have been released because of the explosion.
Students Present Bullet-Proof Vests to East Hartford Department
(East Hartford-WTNH) _ Students at O'Connell Elementary School in East Hartford held an awards ceremony in honor of Officer Brian Aselton Friday. They gave the department two bullet-proof vests purchased with money they raised themselves. Aselton's father was there to thank them. Brian Aselton was killed in the line of duty in January.
Connecticut Students Make Greatest Gains in Reading
(Washington-AP) _ Fourth-graders in Connecticut are pages ahead when it comes to reading. A national reading test shows Connecticut is the only state where more than 40% of fourth-graders read proficiently. That's the nation's highest percentage of students reading at proficient levels. It shows the state's fourth-graders improving dramatically over the past seven years. State-by-state results were released yesterday. They show the reading ability of Connecticut fourth-graders improving by 8% since 1994, and by 12% since 1992.
Here's more on the story.
Mayor Accused of Stealing Papers Critical of Administration
(West Haven-WTNH) _ A West Haven newspaper editor says he caught the mayor on tape stealing a stack of his free papers. The publication criticizes and makes fun of Mayor Richard Borer. The editor says Borer has been stealing the papers so no one will read them. But the mayor says he only took a few copies for his lawyer, because he plans to sue the paper for libel.
News Channel 8's Christina Hager has the story.
New Social Services Commissioner Appointed
(Hartford-WTNH) _ The Department of Social Services has a new leader at the helm. Governor John Rowland appointed 48 year old Pat Wilson-Coker to the position. Wilson Coker has been with the agency for 6 years.
She is an attorney and a social worker, and she says her experience as a single mom and welfare recipient back in 1972 gives her the compassion necessary for the job.
Pat Wilson-Coker, Cmsr. Department of Social Services:
"I have known adversity and I have survived it, and I know how to fight for what believe in. I respect the authority this job represents."
The new commissioner takes over for Joyce Thomas, who resigned to take a job with the federal government.
Cable Company Sold
(Coudersport, PA-WTNH) _ Century Cable, which serves more than 20,000 cable TV subscribers in eastern Connecticut, is being sold. Adelphia
Communications Corp of Pennsylvania has agreed to buy Century Communications for $5.2 billion in cash, stock, and assumed debt. Century is based in New Canaan. It's cable operation in the state serves customers in Norwich, Preston, East Haddam, Old Lyme and other towns in Connecticut. Overall, the company operates 72 cable TV systems in 25 states and Puerto Rico. The state DPUC would have to approve the merger.
Radioactive Contamination Found in Cove Near Nuclear Plant
(Waterford-WTNH) _ Millstone power station is making waves again, after radioactive material is found in a cove near the plant. That material has been identified by a Yale University scientist who's been digging into the sediment in Jordan Cove as 'cobalt-60', a radioactive by-product of generating nuclear energy. Is it a health threat?
News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports.
Regulators Approve Sale of UI Power Plants
(New Britain-AP)_ State regulators have given final approval to United Illuminating's sale of two power plants. The state Department of Public Utility Control today ok'd the sale of UI's plants in New Haven and Bridgeport Harbor to Wisconsin-based Wisvest Corporation. The New Haven Station is a 466-megawatt plant while the Bridgeport operation is a 590-megawatt power plant.
The price tag is $272 million. Wisvest has agreed to honor contracts with 141 union workers and plans to hire most of the company's 56 managers and other nonunion employees. The sale is part of the state's deregulation of electric utilities, which calls for competition by next year.
Greenwich Couple Dies in Florida Crash
(Myakka City, Florida-AP) _ A couple from Greenwich have been killed in a Florida highway accident. Peter and Elizabeth Conze, both 78, were killed yesterday after their car collided with a fire truck in southwest Florida. Authorities say the fire truck was headed to a wreck on State Road 70 when the couple's car suddenly veered in front of it. The 20-ton fire engine hit the car head-on, then nosed-dived into a ditch. The truck's lights and siren were still going. Witnesses say the fire truck had no chance to turn away. It's not known why the couple's car drifted into the oncoming lane.
Sentencing Delayed in Welfare Fraud Case
(Bridgeport-AP)_ A well-to-do Fairfield couple will have to wait a bit longer before they're sentenced for welfare fraud. A day after refusing to allow Guy and Ann Louise-Julie to withdraw their guilty pleas, Bridgeport Superior Court Judge George Thim put off sentencing until April Ninth.
The judge says the pre-sentencing investigation is not yet complete. Their new attorney, John Williams is asking that they be given probation. The Louise-Julies are accused of defrauding the state of more than $70,000 through state welfare programs while living in a $600,000 house, with more than $1 million in the bank. Last July, they pleaded guilty to larceny and conspiracy charges.
Dairy Compact may Provide Cushion When Milk Price Plummets
(Hartford-AP) _ For the first time in eight years, the number of dairy farms in Connecticut has grown, say state agriculture officials. A high demand for milk, low feed and fuel prices and great weather combined to make 1998 a banner year for Connecticut dairy farmers. That may all change. The federal government today announced the sharpest cut in milk prices in history and farmers are relying on a regional compact that guarantees a higher price for New England farmers to rescue them.
Jobless Rate Lowest in 11 Years
(Wethersfield-AP)_ The state Labor Department says the unemployment rate in Connecticut dipped to 3% in January, the lowest it's been since 1988.
The national average was 4.3%. The largest job gains were in manufacturing, construction and mining, finance, insurance and real estate. The largest decreases were in wholesale and the retail trade. In January, average hourly wages dropped two cents from December to $14.99. The average weekly wage was $626.58.
Nike Recalls "Little Jordans"
 (WTNH) _ Nike is recalling over 100,000 pairs of infant shoes for fear of lead poisoning. Red paint on the "Little Air Jordan 14" sneakers turned up high amount of lead. So far, Nike has received one complaint about possible ingestion of a paint chip. The shoes come in white with red painted trim.
They were sold in sizes 2-C through 10-C. The word "Jordan" appears on the sneaker's tongue. Consumers should return them to receive a substitute product or store credit.
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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