March 10, 1999 / 6:00 pm
Deputy City Manager Dies
(Hartford-WTNH)_ Hartford's Deputy City Manager, Henry Langley, died of a heart attack this morning. Langley's career in city government spanned nearly 22 years. He was 54.
 New Channel 8's Ned Berkowitz has the story
Lawmakers Remember Friend and Colleague
(Hartford-AP)_ Lawmakers who worked with the state representative who shot himself to death in January choked back tears today as they remembered Scott Santa-Maria.
The Brookfield Republican's family members sat in the House chamber as 17 representatives eulogized their colleague.
They recalled the 30 year old as someone who touched many lives as a lawmaker, Bethel police officer, friend and family member.
A Missing Attorney May Face State Criminal Charges
(Hartford-WTNH)_Yesterday a judge suspended his license to practice law.
Today state police looked into possible criminal charges against the high profile attorney who disappeared more than a week ago.
The complaint says F. Mac Buckley misused funds from one of his clients, possibly worth nearly half a million dollars.
News Channel 8's Christina Hager has the latest developments
Food Stamp Fraud Investigation Ends with 21 Arrests
(Bridgeport-WTNH)_Operation "Swipe" cracks down on massive food stamp fraud.
In all, police raided fifteen markets in Bridgeport and Waterbury.
Twenty-one people have been arrested.
Tonight they face multiple charges of larceny and conspiracy.
News Channel 8's Judy Chong takes us undercover
The Bad Check is in the Mail
(Stamford-AP) -- The state Department of Revenue Services says as many as 21,000 taxpayers may have received tax refund checks they can't cash. Officials say the checks were printed backwards and upside down and therefore are not valid.
DRS Commissioner Gene Gavin says the agency has so far received only eight complaints, but the problem could effect up to 21,000 checks in the shipment. Gavin says the vendor who printed the checks simply inserted the paper upside down.
Most of the checks apparently went to taxpayers in the Stamford area.
Gavin says recipients of the bad checks should send them back to Gavin's attention. A new check will be issued in less than two weeks.
Taxpayers can mail bad checks to: Gene Gavin, Commissioner of the Department of Revenue Services, 25 Sigourney St., Hartford 06106.
Seymour Parents Suffer Further Loss
(Seymour-AP)Twelve year old Laura Cournoyer died in a skiing accident last month.
Her family and friends are still trying to cope with her death.
But, their pain has been made even worse.
Someone broke into their Seymour home last week and stole a shrine full of memories from her bedroom.
And now all the family wants is to get their daughter's possessions back where they belong.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer has the story
Reward For Reservoir Killing Increased
(West Hartford-WTNH)_Six months after a West Hartford woman was gunned down in a reservoir, the reward for information is going up.
State police are now offering $50,000 for information in the shooting of 26 year old Agnieszka Ziemlewski
her body was found near the West Hartford Reservoir. She had been shot several times.
Her friends also have a web site, where you can offer tips on the case.
The address is agnes1.hypermart.net .
Parked Named For Slain 8 Year Old
(Bridgeport-WTNH)_ Plans to rename a Bridgeport park in honor of an 8 year old murder victim are underway.
An unanimous vote to change Beechwood Park to 'Leroy Brown Junior Memorial Park,' 'BJ Park' for short, has passed.
That is where young Leroy Brown played basketball at the Boys and Girls Club of Bridgeport.
Brown and his mother, Karen Clarke were shot to death in January, he was a witness in a pending murder trial.
Police Search For BB Gun Owner
New Haven police are trying to figure out which student brought a BB gun on a school bus this morning.
A parent saw a kid showing off a very real looking handgun at a bus stop in New Haven this morning.
She called police.
Police stopped the bus and ordered all the kids off.
They found the BB pistol on the floor.
Police are still trying to figure out which student the gun belongs to.
Decision on Ansonia Gun Range Postponed
(Ansonia-WTNH)_The Ansonia Board of Alderman has postponed making any decisions about a gun range that some neighbors are complaining about.
Some people near the Ansonia Rod and Gun Club say there should be a fence around the place to keep kids out.
Police are investigating reports of a child who brought live ammunition found near the range to a middle school last week.
But some people side with the gun club saying that the range has been there for 50 years with no trouble.
The board is also delaying a decision regarding complaints of loud noises from the gun range.
Uncooperative Officer Arrested
(Bridgeport-AP)_ A Bridgeport police officer has been arrested after police say he refused to cooperate with an investigation into the theft and ransoming of officers' motorcycles.
33 year old Gerald Lavin was one of two police officers whose personal motorcycles were stolen. When the officers paid a $1,000 ransom each, the cycles were safely returned.
Police say Lavin refused to cooperate with investigators. He has been charged with two counts of second degree forgery, falsely reporting an incident, interfering with a police officer and tampering with a witness.
He was released on a written promise to appear in court.
27 year old Officer Elias Delarosa Junior was charged last week with larceny and extortion in the thefts. Prosecutors say additional charges may be filed.
Delarosa, who has been on the force about 5 years, has been suspended without pay.
Stolen Checks Used Hours Later
(Branford-WTNH)_ Branford Police are trying to apprehend a man accused of robbing a residence in Branford. Police say a balding, slender man between 30 and 40 years of age, stole some items including personal checks from a Branford residence, later that afternoon he used four checks at the JC Penny in Milford.
The four checks added up to about $400 worth of merchandise.
Police are hoping surveillance video showing the suspect at the counter purchasing items will lead to an arrest.
Police are asking anyone with information to call the Branford Police Department at (203) 481-4241
Pilot Error Behind Fatal Navy Plane Crash
(Whiting Field, Florida-AP) _ Navy investigators are saying that an instructor's error is what killed a Connecticut woman and another pilot in a training flight last June in Florida.
The report says the two Navy pilots were killed after taking part in an unauthorized plane formation.
Marine Lieutenant Lara Vincent of Mystic and Commander Joseph Linehan of New York City were killed in the June Eleventh crash.
According to the Navy's review of the accident, Linehan, a flight instructor, failed to brief the group adequately on the maneuver and showed poor judgment in participating in an unauthorized formation.
Fire Shuts Down Aquarium Exhibit
(Norwalk-WTNH)_ Investigators are looking into the cause of a fire which destroyed a special exhibit at a local aquarium.
The "Aliens From The Sea" exhibit at the Maritime Center in Norwalk is now shut down following yesterday's fire.
Most of the animals were saved but about 24 fish were killed.
The exhibit was in a temporary structure outside of the main building.
No other part of the aquarium was damaged.
Pizzeria Owner Arrested for Gambling Ring
(New Haven-AP) -- A pizzeria owner has been arrested on charges he allowed illegal gambling in his restaurant.
35 year old Ibrahim Doar is charged with two counts each of second degree forgery, professional gambling, possession of a gambling devise and maintaining a gambling premises.
Police say they went to Romano's Pizza yesterday to conduct an inspection and arrest Doar on outstanding warrants. They say that's when they discovered three New York City men delivering an illegal gambling machine, like ones police had seized from the restaurant before.
Doar was also cited for violations from the health and fire departments.
The three delivery men have been charged with professional gambling, possession of a gambling device and collection of an unlawful debt. Arrested were 25 year old Ilan Benshdshan, 25 year old Yizhaki Perez and 26 year old Lior Hagag.
Cost of Surfing Increases For Some Connecticut Internet Users
(New Haven-AP)_ Web surfers who use Southern New England Telecommunications to link up to the Internet will be paying more. SNET says price increases will take effect May First. SNET's standard plan currently provides customers who have their phone service with unlimited internet access at $17.95 per month. That price will increase to $18.99.
Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers
(Washington DC-AP)_Ever wrestled with an airline over a flight?
Or maybe over one that never got off the ground?
Well a house subcommittee is thinking about an airline passenger "bill of rights."
The transportation department says passengers filed 9,600 service complaints with the department last year. That's 25% more than the year before.
Not everyone likes the idea of a bill of rights, though.
David Stempler of the Air Travelers Association says what many travelers want more than anything else is low fares.
He says if you change things too much, fares might go up.
Officials Weigh Costs and Benefits of Anti-Radiation Pill
(Washington-AP) _ In 1981, workers went door to door handing out small pills to people living near an eastern Tennessee nuclear plant.
The drug, potassium iodide, reached about two-thirds of the households within five miles of the Sequoyah plant. But far fewer folks, just 15% in 1996, have answered more recent calls to replace their old pills with fresher ones.
And now states such as Connecticut, where hundreds of thousands of people live in the figurative shadow of the Millstone nuclear power plants, are waiting for guidance from the federal government on using potassium iodide to prevent thyroid cancer and other disease in the event of a nuclear disaster.
For more on the push to bring the anti-radiation pill to Connecticut click here
Democratic Fundraising Dinner Raises More
(Hartford-AP) _ Ticket sales for this year's annual Democratic party fund raising dinner seem to be ahead of last years, despite a dispute late last year.
There had been an unsuccessful push by Senator Christopher Dodd and other prominent party members to oust Chairman Ed Marcus in December.
The party has sold nearly 800 tickets for the Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Dinner, which will be held tomorrow tonight at the Aqua-Turf Club in Southington.
Last year, during a gubernatorial campaign, the state party sold just over 800 tickets and raised nearly $136,000.
Marcus says he still expects some people will boycott the dinner tomorrow night because of the chairmanship fight. But he says the sales shows that most Democrats across this state are supportive of the party and his chairmanship.
Governor's Job Program Gets a Leader
(Hartford-AP)_ Governor Rowland has appointed his former administration lawyer to head up a special program dealing with jobs.
The governor says with the state facing a labor shortage, and a brain-drain from top colleges, a special program is needed to focus on filling the gaps.
Mary Ann Hanley will coordinate job training programs and welfare-to-work programs.
Rowland says since the state's unemployment is hovering around three percent, companies will not be able to grow unless qualified workers are available.
He also says the state needs to do more to make sure graduates from UConn, Yale and other Connecticut colleges stay in the state to work and live.
The General Assembly Goes On the Air
(Hartford-AP) _ The Connecticut General Assembly now has a channel directly into many Connecticut homes.
Today marks the debut of the state's own version of C-SPAN.
The Connecticut Network, CTN, will cover all sessions of the state House and the state Senate, and selected public hearings beginning today.
The debut program was to be this afternoon with the airing of a general session of the House and a public health committee meeting.
On its regular schedule, CTN will be on the air weekdays from midnight to eight in the morning and from 4pm to 8pm.
About 60% of the state's cable subscribers will receive the network on Connecticut Community Instructional Television.
Three remote controlled cameras were permanently installed in the House and four in the Senate. Three more will be moved throughout the public hearing rooms as needed.
Hartford Online
(Hartford-AP)_Hartford's tourism bureau has gone online. The city has set up a Website with lodging, entertainment and other information at www.enjoyhartford.com .
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/sor.htm
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