March 26 / 7:00 pm
Daytime Attacks Against Kosovo Launched
(AP) _ The latest salvo from NATO forces against Yugoslavia began in the daylight. On this, the third day of the bombing campaign, a US ship based in the Mediterranean Sea fired a cruise missile at Serb targets to launch the first daylight attack. And warplanes were seen taking off from an air base in Italy.
NATO's battle with Yugoslavia now extends into neighboring Bosnia. Officials say NATO jets shot down two Yugoslav MiG fighters that were trying to attack the Western peacekeeping force in Bosnia. The latest word is that the planes went down inside Bosnia. The search continues for the pilots.
President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright are trying to gain the support of the Serbian people as the NATO raids continue. In videotaped messages aimed at the Serbs, Clinton and Albright said Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has exposed them to instability and violence.
Scores of Kosovo Albanians are reportedly being executed as fighting rages throughout the province. Ethnic Albanian sources say Serb forces have shelled villages and looted stores. There are reports that thousands of Albanians are being driven from the region.
How is Connecticut reacting to the crisis? Sailors who've been at sea know the tension that's in the air, and under the water.
 News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports.
Get more on the latest developments from ABCNews.com and CNN Interactive.
Rowland Calls for Meeting on Patriots Land Dispute
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Governor John Rowland is calling a summit with corporate leaders on the Patriots deal. Just seven days remain until the state must give the team a status report on clearing the existing businesses off the stadium site. Governor Rowland said he's calling the corporate leaders together next Wednesday to talk about funding the move of the gas company and steam plant that stand in the way.
Gov John Rowland:
"I called for a meeting next week of the Millenium Group, the Growth Council, they've passed a resolution saying they hope a resolution will take place, so I invited them all in and said we'd love to have you as part of the resolution. So they've been asked to show up with their checkbooks and perhaps we can involved other corporations and businesses trying to resolve the cost problem at CTG."
The gas company and negotiators are still millions of dollars apart on what it will cost to move their headquarters. Negotiators are expected to meet throughout the weekend.
Team Practices while UConn Fans Take off for Final Four
 (WTNH) _ In less than 24 hours the UConn Huskies mens basketball team will play in their first ever national semi-final game. The Huskies will square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are making thier way back to the Final Four after a 31 year absence. The Huskies held another practice session Friday afternoon, in front of more than 20,000 fans, many of whom don't have tickets for the game, just the practice. If UConn wins Saturday, they will face the winner of the Duke/Michigan State game.
The last chartered flights to the final four took off from Bradley Airport Friday. More than 800 UConn fans boarded two flights to Tampa. The price of a last minute flight and hotel about $1,200, and that doesn't even include game tickets. But for faithful fans the trip is worth every penny.
JoeAnn Jackson, New Hartford: "Except for the birth of my daugther and getting married this has to be the most exciting thing that's happened to me."
Girl: "I hope that we win. I think that we'll win."
Boy: "I'm hoping to see Richard Hamilton dunk right in Elton Brand's face."
Other fans managed to make it on regularly scheduled flights today but had to take a roundabout route. Some UConn students are getting to Tampa via Detroit.
Game time Saturday is approximately 5:40 pm.
Champion High School Wrestler Commits Suicide
 (Wilton-WTNH) _ The town of Wilton is mourning after the shocking suicide of a star high school student/athlete. 17 year old Sam Hingston drank gasoline, then doused himself with it, and set himself on fire Wednesday.
He was on the baseball team, a captain of the football team, a state wrestling champion, a member of the National Honor Society, and a straight-A student.
At the school, therapists are talking with students about how to handle their grief.
Deborah Low, Principal: "He clicked so well with the senior class. He transferred here a year ago, and he just instantly jumped in and ended up being one of the most respected students in the whole class."
News Channel 8's Christina Hager reports.
Governor Authorizes $50,000 in Killing of Yale student
(Hartford-AP) -- Reward money's been offered to find the killer of Yale student Suzanne Jovin. Governor Rowland is authorizing a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jovin's killer. Jovin was found stabbed 17 times in the neck and back on December 4th in a wealthy New Haven neighborhood. In requesting the reward, New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington said he believes people who know what happened to Jovin are more likely to come forward if the reward is offered. Investigators also think Jovin knew her killer.
Two Men Charged with Murder in Killing of Bridgeport Teen
(Bridgeport-AP) -- Three men have been charged with murder in connection with this morning's fatal shooting of a teenager in Bridgeport. Authorities say a taxi-driver witnessed the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Telrence Carter by a man who then jumped into a waiting car that sped from the scene. But the taxi driver called the police, who spotted the fleeting car and gave chase. The officers cornered the suspects on a dead end street and arrested 21-year-old Lamont Thergood, 19-year-old Rickey Owens and 19-year-old Lamont Baldwin, all of Bridgeport. Authorities say one of the suspects threw a pistol out the window of the car during the chase but officers recovered the weapon. They say the victim, who was pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital, was shot several times in the torso.
Accident Between School Bus and Car Kills Woman
(New Haven-WTNH) _ An accident between a school bus and a car has left a 77 year old woman dead. The accident happened Friday afternoon at the intersection of North Frontage Road and Park Street in New Haven. Police say the bus hit a Honda Civic on the driver's side. The woman's identity has not been released. Authorities have not said who was at fault in the crash.
There were no children onboard the bus. The bus driver was not hurt.
Jack Kevorkian Convicted; Trial Brings Focus to Assisted Suicide Once Again
(Manchester-WTNH) _ Suicide Dr. Jack Kevorkian was found guilty of second degree murder by a Michigan jury Friday, for helping a man with Lou Gehrig's disease commit suicide. Kevorkian was also convicted of delivery of a controlled substance. He is free on bond pending sentencing.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer spoke with one local man who suffers from a debilitating disease and is speaking out on the decision some patients face.
School Receives Donation in Memory of Murdered Girl
(Windham-WTNH) _ Some people in Windham are trying to pull something positive out of a horrible crime. Walter and Christine Lamb have donated $3,000 to Windham Middle School in the name of Angelica Padilla. She is the 11 year old girl who was murdered last August while on her paper route. 26 year old Jose Torres is charged with the murder. The school's principal says the money will be used to buy books.
Buckley Records Indicate Possible Crimes
(Hartford-AP) _ There's evidence of possible crimes in missing attorney F. Mac Buckley's bank records. The court-appointed trustee overseeing Buckley's practice, told the court that Buckley maintained 31 bank accounts, including one in Glens Falls, New York where he was last spotted. The trustee has told the court the bank records may provide evidence of criminal wrongdoing and also may provide information of Buckley's whereabouts. Buckley has been missing since March First and his license to practice law has been suspended.
Hartford State's Attorney James Thomas has a warrant charging Buckley with larceny and forgery based on a complaint by a Hebron client and there could be other charges.
Fire Claims One Life
(Meriden-WTNH) _ One person is dead after an early morning fire in Meriden.
The fire broke out around 2:30 am at Colony Brook Homes on Old Colony Road.
Fire officials tell us the victim was a 74-year-old man. His name has not yet been released. Two firefighters were also hurt. Their injuries are minor. No details yet on what caused the fire.
Tenant Pleads guilty in Two of Series of Apartment Fires
(New Britain-AP) _ A man who had alerted neighbors to fires in an apartment complex and helped them escape has pleaded guilty to setting some of the fires.
John O'Neill yesterday admitted setting two of the fires that had terrorized tenants at the Century Hills complex in 1997. Although O'Neill is only charged with two of the 29 fires, authorities suspect he may have set others. Court records say a camera hidden in an elevator filmed O'Neill lighting a trash bag on fire, tossing it in the elevator and sending the elevator to another floor.
O'Neill will be sentenced on June tenth and a part of a plea bargain will be given ten years in prison.
Guilty plea in theft from Girl Scouts
(Litchfield-AP) _ A former leader of a Thomaston Girl Scout troop has pleaded guilty to charges of stealing money from the troop's savings account. Debra Newtown has pleaded guilty to fourth-degree larceny in the embezzlement of more than $4,000. Newtown has also made full restitution to the troop.
She was arrested a year ago, accused of taking the money from June 1995 to June 1997. She was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and put on probation for 18 months.
CCLU Supporting Girl in Dispute Over School Dress Code
 (Waterbury-WTNH) _ The Connecticut Civil Liberties Union says it will back a Waterbury girl's battle over a school dress code that led to her arrest. 12 year old Teshana Byars was arrested at school on criminal trespassing charges.
The school says she was trespassing because she was there while under suspension for wearing blue jeans to class. Jeans are not allowed according to the dress code. Her father claims that violates her constitutional rights.
Byars is one of four students whose parents have contacted the CCLU to fight the dress code policy.
Judge orders payment in NAACP case
(New Haven-AP) _ A federal judge has ordered the town of East Haven to pay just over $10,000 to the NAACP for legal fees. The money is to cover the legal costs for the civil rights organization's discrimination lawsuit against the town. However, the award is much smaller that the NAACP requested. The group had asked for more than $500,000. Town layers had asked the judge to award them $250,000 from the organization. The cash award is the result of last year's ruling by Judge Peter Dorsey that the town had to improve its efforts to attract and hire blacks for jobs in the local government and school system. The lawsuit had been filed in 1993, claiming the town discriminated against blacks in its hiring practices.
Boys Charged with Faking Distress Calls
(Fairfield-AP)_ Two 12-year-old Fairfield boys have been charged with making false boating distress calls and sending the Coast Guard on two wild goose chases. Officials say the boys used a hand-held radio and made four calls over a two day period earlier this week. The boys are charged with breach of peace and falsely reporting an incident. The calls cost some $16,000 since the Coast Guard and Bridgeport harbormaster launched rescue vessels to look for the boys. The boys called Tuesday reporting their boat had crashed into rocks and was taking on water near Bridgeport Harbor. Officials say another call was made Wednesday morning, with the boys reporting they were in trouble off Fairfield Beach.
Notebook Recalled
(WTNH) _ A Michigan company is recalling almost four-million toy notebooks because of a choking hazard. It is the Colorbök Handy Dandy notebook. Coils on "Blue's Clues" version are breaking off.
 Three parents have reported pulling pieces from their child's mouth. Luckily there have been no injuries from this.
If you have the "Handy Dandy Notebook" with the words "1998 Colorbök Paper Products Incorporated" on the back cover and a red chair on the front you are at risk. The red plastic coil is dangerous the dangerous part.
Consumers should call 1.877.677.4725 for a replacement coil.
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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