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March 6 / 11:15 pm
Arrest Made in Minister's Murder
(Hartford-WTNH) _ A Hartford man is under arrest for the murder of a Presbyterian Minister.
Police arrested 27 year old Felix Pagan Saturday for the murder of Reverend Thomas Otte. Otte was found stabbed to death in his Charter Oak Place apartment Thursday morning. Police say Pagan and Otte new each other, and that a fight between the two led to the murder. Pagan is being held on $1 million bond.
Weather Makes a Mess Across State, Airport Delays Anticipated Sunday
(WTNH) _ Spring will have to wait a little while, following the latest batch of winter weather that covered many parts of the state with either rain or snow. The snow has been coming down in northern parts of the state since mid-afternoon, but the shoreline area had only rain to deal with. Up to 3 inches of snow is possible before the system moves out of the state Sunday. But sub-freezing temperatures could make roads slick overnight. State police say the weather caused a number of minor accidents on the roadways.
"Troopers at Troop H in Hartford - since 3 o'clock this afternoon - have handled 14 accident investigations. Numerous spin-outs, but most of these are in direct correlation to unreasonable speed."
The bad weather didn't just cause trouble on the roadways. Bradley International Airport was shut down for an hour and a half. Part of the reason was to clear runways, but also because a snow plow knocked over a runway light. Airport officials are anticipating bad weather Sunday, so some early morning flights have been cancelled. The best bet is to check with your airline to see if your flight has been affected.
Woman Critical After Crash Involving Oil Truck
(Newington-WTNH) _ A 36-year-old woman is in critical condition at Hartford Hospital after her car was struck by an oil truck. Police say the woman was pulling out of a parking lot on to Main street in Newington when her car was hit.
The driver of the truck was not injured and no charges have been filed.
Newington police are asking any witnesses to please contact them with information.
Trooper Recovering After Accident
(Newington-WTNH) _ An auxiliary state trooper is recovering from minor injuries after his car was rear ended on Route 9 last night.
State police say Trooper Jonathan Corsair pulled over to help a driver, when his cruiser was hit from behind. The accident caused a chain-reaction pileup, blocking the southbound lane for several hours.
Plane Returns to Gate After Smoke Complaint
(Windsor Locks-WTNH) _ A US-Airways flight heading from Bradley International Airport to Pittsburgh was stopped just before take off Saturday.
The pilot of the 737 complained of smoke in the cockpit while the jet was on the tarmac. The pilot turned the plane around and the 78 passengers exited the aircraft. No one was hurt.
Construction Causing Headaches for Businesses
(West Haven-WTNH) _ Some West Haven merchants say a city improvement project is ruining their business. Crews are working on the first stage of what's called the Elm Street Project. But the area has lots of trouble when it rains because the drainage system is not sufficient. Some business owners say if it goes on much longer they'll be out of a job.
 News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports.
Two Hurt Fighting Fire
(New Haven-WTNH) _ Investigators are still trying to figure out the cause of a 3-alarm fire in New Haven. The fire broke out at around 9:00 pm Friday night.
It's believed the fire started on the first floor of the home and then spread through the walls. 2 firefighters received minor injuries, but are doing okay today.
No one who lived in the house was hurt.
Teen Molester Sentenced to Prison
(Litchfield-AP) _ A Thomaston teenager convicted of molesting a 5-year-old girl will spend 18 months in prison. Before 16-year-old Verne Doner was sentenced in Litchfield Superior Court Friday, he had to listen to a letter from the little girl's mother. The woman says her daughter has tried to kill herself since the assault, once trying to slit her throat with a butter knife and, another time, running out into traffic. Doner's attorney says his client had led a hard life, having been abandoned by his family. But the judge ruled the crime was so severe Doner had to be sent to prison. Upon his release, he must complete 10 years of probation.
Man Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Role in Dirt Bike Slaying
(New Haven-AP) _ The brother of a man convicted of shooting to death a 22-year-old man during a fight over a dirt bike has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the murder. Richard Snowden, 19, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Tyrone Belton. Prosecutors said in New Haven Superior Court Friday that Snowden had intended to shoot Belton in March 1997, but couldn't go through with it. Prosecutors said Snowden's brother, Leonard Romel Talton, then grabbed the gun and killed Belton. Talton, 34, was sentenced in January to 60 years in prison. According to testimony, Snowden and Talton were involved in an ongoing dispute with the victim over a dirt bike.
Woman Victim of Accidental Shooting
(Plymouth-AP) _ A Plymouth woman is recovering today after her husband -- showing her a partially assembled gun -- accidentally shot her in the head. 23-year-old Christine Berube was shot in the back of the head Friday morning when her husband, 25-year-old Matthew, pulled the 22-caliber shotgun from a box.
The gun did not have a trigger attached, but police say the mechanism snagged on a bedspread and fired the gun. Christine Berube was alert and responsive hours after the incident. The bullet remains lodged in her head. Doctors say the injury is not life-threatening, but removing the bullet may cause more damage than good.
Police are calling the shooting accidental and say Matthew Berube will likely not be charged.
Drug Fight Acquittal
(Hartford-AP) _ A Hartford woman who police say killed a man in a fight over cocaine has been acquitted. A 12-member jury Friday cleared 30-year-old Annie Jones in the September, 1995 death of 22-year-old William Harshaw. It was Jones' second trial. The first one ended in a hung jury. Police say Jones told them she was not involved in Harshaw's death but feared others who blamed her would attack her. She allegedly said she was dealing crack at the time, and Harshaw stole about 13-hundred dollars from her. Jones' brother has told police that she forced the victim out of a bar earlier that night by gunpoint and then shot him.
Ecclesiastical Court Rules in Favor of Presbyterian Church that Elected Gay Man as Elder
(Stamford-AP) _ An ecclesiastical court has ruled in favor of a Stamford Presbyterian Church which elected an openly gay man to serve as a church elder.
Two members of the First Presbyterian Church in Stamford had filed a complaint against the church, claiming the election of Wayne Osborne violated church doctrine which banned practicing homosexuals from serving on governing boards.
Church officials had argued 38-year-old Osborne's religious calling outweighed his sexual orientation. A five-member panel of the Southern New England Presbytery heard arguments during a one-day trial on February 26th. Their decision was received by the parties today. William Prey, who served as a counsel for the complainants, says they are disappointed with the decision. Prey noted there was one dissenting opinion, and says the complainants "remain committed to praying for, and working for, the peace, unity and purity of our church."
He says they'll have to study the decision before they decide whether to appeal.
Church officials said today they would not comment until they announced the decision to the church after the service tomorrow morning.
Class Size Grants Supported
(Hartford-AP) _ State lawmakers today reiterated President Clinton's call for more federal grants to hire teachers and reduce class sizes in schools.
The state will receive more than $8 million in federal aid this year in a nationwide effort to reduce the number of students in classes to fewer than 18. More than $1 billion in grants will be distributed nationally. Clinton used his radio address Saturday to fight for a second round of those grants, which he says Republicans are blocking. State lawmakers say the initiative won't work if it is dropped after one year. State Senator Thomas Gaffey, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, says local school boards will worry if they hire additional teachers that they'll be stuck with the tab after the grants run out.
Here are the 20 largest estimated federal grants for class-size reduction which will be dispersed to Connecticut in July, based on 1995-96 school year poverty data and 1996-97 school year enrollment data:
- Hartford school district $1,996,273
- New Haven school district 1,320,195
- Bridgeport school district 1,252,496
- Waterbury school district 683,823
- New Britain school district 518,491
- Stamford school district 294,393
- Meriden school district 253,788
- Norwich school district 225,906
- Norwalk school district 180,945
- Danbury school district 166,538
- Windham school district 155,180
- New London school district 153,180
- West Haven school district 127,556
- Bristol school district 121,226
- East Hartford school district 110,945
- Middletown school district 105,833
- Manchester school district 98,399
- Groton school district 93,326
- Milford school district 92,952
- West Hartford school district 90,812
Dispute Leads to Stabbing
(Danielson-AP) _ A 34-year-old Danielson man is in jail after police say he stabbed another man in a fight. The victim, Charles Perry, was treated and released for wounds from a butcher knife. State police say Leonard Campbell went to Perry's home about 11:20 last night and a fight ensued. Police did not say what was behind the dispute. Campbell was arrested later while hiding in a Danielson home. He was charged with second-degree assault and is being held on 25-thousand dollars bond. He is due in court Monday.
New Flights From Tweed To Begin
(New Haven-AP) _ Daily flights between Tweed-New Haven Airport and New York's John F Kennedy Airport are set to begin Monday. Trans International Express, a startup airline based at JFK, will offer the first new service to come to Tweed since the departures of United Airlines in 1996 and United Express and Continental Express in 1997. Since then, U-S Airways Express and its flights to Philadelphia and Washington have been the airport's only commercial service.
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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