March 28 / 6:15 pm
Huskies Prepare for Duke in National Championship Game
(WTNH/AP) _ Duke and Connecticut -- the only two teams ranked number-one in the AP college basketball poll all season -- are headed for Monday night's national championship.
The Huskies held a practice on the court in St Petersburg this afternoon, working on their game plan for Duke. It wasn't easy for either Duke or UConn to get to the title game. Richard Hamilton knocked in 24 points as UConn bounced Ohio State, while Duke held off Michigan State 68-62 in the Blue Devils' lowest-scoring effort of the season. Duke is a 9 1.2 point favorite according to Las Vegas oddsmakers.
To say the UConn campus was fired-up with excitement would be an understatement. UConn students ignited a bonfire in the middle of campus after Saturday's win. Everything from paper to furniture went up in flames. Campus police were also on hand to make sure the celebration didn't get out of hand.
An Ohio State game recap, and video reaction from the players and coaches, are available on our Sports page .
Sports Team 8's Noah Finz is with the team in Florida, and will have live A report at 11:00 tonight on News Channel 8.
Puppies Found Dumped Along Road
(Willington-WTNH) _ A terrible story of animal cruelty out of the town of Willington. State police say 21 puppies were found dead on Ruby Road in Willington. Ruby Road is also known as Route 320. The dogs were found in a wooded area off a driveway to the water treatment plant of Truck Stops of America.
A witness told troopers a light blue Ford Windstar van was parked in that area Saturday. Two men were seen standing beside a dog cage containing puppies. Police say there was a big beach-type umbrella there that was being used for concealment.
They puppies were of mixed breed. They all had the numbers one, two and three tattooed on their bellies. One puppy was found alive and is being treated at a local veterinary clinic. Anyone who knows anything about this incident is asked to call state police Troop "C" at 860.896.3200.
40 year old Man Killed in Car Accident
(Putnam-AP) _ A 40-year-old man is dead and his wife hospitalized after a car accident on Route 12 in Putnam. Police say Kennie and Judith Michon of Putnam were driving south on Route 12 about 1:53 this morning when their car crossed the center line, struck a telephone pole and rolled over onto its passenger side. Police say they are not sure who was driving or how fast the car was going. Kennie Michon was pronounced dead at the scene. 38-year-old Judith Michon was taken by Lifestar helicopter to the University of Massachusetts Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. Police say she had a fractured hip. She is listed in fair condition. Police say the accident remains under investigation.
Trooper Struck by Car, Breaks Leg
(Bridgeport-AP) _ An auxiliary state trooper has a fractured leg after he was struck by a motorist while assisting at an accident scene on Interstate 95. 52-year-old Paul Laskowski was laying flares at the scene of a single-car accident on southbound I-95 in Bridgeport about 12:30 Sunday morning when he was struck. State police say motorist Eric Konieczko of Danvers, Massachusetts swerved on the rain-slicked road to avoid another car when he hit Laskowski. Laskowski, a Bridgeport resident, has been released from the hospital.
36-year-old Konieczko has been charged with traveling too fast for road conditions.
Boy Suspended After Compiling "Hit List"
(Fairfield-AP) _ A 13-year-old Fairfield boy has been suspended from school for ten days after officials say he compiled a "hit list" of his enemies. Police say the list included the names of a Tomlinson Middle School teacher and several students. The teacher filed a complaint with police Thursday, saying she learned of the list from administrators on March 19th.
Police say the boy, who has not been identified, also brought materials to school on making a bomb. Investigators say he apparently downloaded the information from the Internet. The eighth-grader has not been charged with any crime. Youth officers and school administrators were still investigating.
Long Lane Chief to Stay on Job
(Middletown-AP) _ The superintendent of the troubled Long Lane School has decided to stay on the job, a move officials called a step toward stability.
51-year-old John Lachapelle had said criticism of the state's only juvenile detention facility made him rethink his future in the post, which he has held since 1990. Department of Children and Families Commissioner Kristine Ragaglia on Friday notified staff that Lachapelle had decided not to leave. She says Lachapalle will be needed during the transition into a new facility, with construction expected to begin this spring. Long Lane has come under intense criticism since a 15-year-old Bristol girl killed herself last fall in her dorm room. State Child Advocate Linda Pearce Prestley called conditions at the facility appalling.
State Supreme Court Rules Jurors Cannot be Eliminated Solely on Religion
(Hartford-AP) _ Lawyers will no longer be able to eliminate potential jurors solely on the basis of religion, under a decision by the state Supreme Court. The high court released the ruling on Friday as part of New Haven resident Dennis Hodge's appeal of murder charges. The US Supreme Court had ruled in the past that race and sex are not permissible factors for eliminating jurors. Experts say Connecticut may be the first state to add the protection to religion. Hodge's lawyers had contended prosecutors improperly disqualified six minority jurors. The state Supreme Court found prosecutors acted fairly, but stressed that religious beliefs have no impact on a person's ability to serve as a juror.
Murder Suspect Free on Bond Again Following Clerical Goof
(New London-AP) _ A murder suspect awaiting trial in a 1986 killing is free on bond -- again -- after a clerical mix-up. Kenneth Michaud was mistakenly released on bond last week, arrested because the bond was too low, and released again after posting the full amount. The 34-year-old is suspected in the slaying of New London bartender Joni Carson. He was released March 20 from the Corrigan Correctional Institution in Montville after he posted $250,000 bond. He was taken back to jail Thursday after somebody in the New London State's Attorney's office discovered his bond amount should be $458,000 bond. Michaud, formerly of Norwich, was released again Friday after posting the full amount. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Correction says someone apparently failed to take into account that Michaud was being held on additional charges, including a 1997 bank robbery.
Teen Sentenced to Prison for Russian Roulette Death
(Hartford-AP) -- A 15-year-old boy will spend two years in prison for his role in the death of a bystander shot while he and his friends played Russian Roulette. Prosecutors say Wesley Grey, then 14, supplied the gun and then threatened others to hide the weapon after 40-year-old Samuel Evans of Hartford was shot in January 1998. Police say Evans was standing on a city street when Grey gave Israel Jimininez, then 20, the gun for the first round of the game. Jiminez fired toward the street, fatally wounding Evans. Grey's lawyer asked for rehabilitation, not prison, arguing his client was borderline mentally retarded and scarred by family drug use. But a judge on Friday sentenced Grey to ten years in prison, suspended after two, and five years of probation. Grey had been convicted of illegal possession of a pistol and tampering with witnesses. Jiminez is awaiting trial on murder charges.
Best Buddies Marks 10th Anniversary
(West Hartford-WTNH) _ The State of Connecticut is hoping a hefty cash reward announced Friday will help bring in the killers of Yale student Suzanne Jovin. Jovin's murder last year helped bring attention to a group called "Best Buddies", where she volunteered for four years while in New Haven.
Sunday "Best Buddies" celebrated a ten year anniversary, and is hoping to bring in more dedicated volunteers.
 News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.
Stones Ready to Rock Connecticut
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Sunday's the day rock and roll fans have been waiting for -- the Rolling Stones are back. It's been 10 years since their last performance in Connecticut, and even longer since they played at the Hartford Civic Center, where they're playing Sunday and Monday night. Fans started showing up hours early to buy some group memorabilia, and wait for the concert to get started. Some tickets sold for as much as $1,126, but true fans say they know it'll be worth every penny.
Jeff Rugar, Cromwell: "I was right over there, and I was one of the first ones to get tickets... I'm sitting in the front row - front and center. I brought all my friends with me."
Chuck Gilbert, Cromwell: "We went to Foxboro and there were people with their grandchildren. We all love it. This is it, this is rock and roll."
The Stone's sold-out concert starts at 8:00pm. They play again in Hartford Monday night for a second sold out show.
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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