May 21 / 11:00 pm
Five dead in I-91 accident
(Meriden-WTNH/AP) - Five people were killed when a pickup truck slammed head-on Friday night into a car on I-91 near exit 15 in Meriden. The accident happened at about at about 7:15 pm. The truck was traveling in the northbound lanes of Interstate 91 when it crossed the median and hit a Volkswagen Beetle, state police spokesman Lt. Ralph Carpenter said.
Two men and two women were in the car. Three of the people died at the scene and a fourth victim died at a hospital. The male driver of the truck was also killed.
All of the victims were from Connecticut, police said. Both sides of the highway were closed for several hours, backing up traffic for 10 miles at one point. Authorities say the southbound lanes may not reopen until after midnight.
Gasoline responsible for deadly blast, but source unknown
 (Danbury-WTNH) _ Investigators have figured out what triggered Wednesday' deadly explosion in Danbury. They say it was gasoline, not natural gas. And it came stream under the building which may have been
contaminated with gasoline. If that's the case where did it come from and how can similar incidents be prevented?
 News Channel 8's Christina Hager reports.
Police investigate bank robbery
(New Haven-WTNH) _ New Haven police are investigating a bank robbery.
Police say a man walked into the First Union bank on Foxon Blvd. around 2:00 this afternoon, and handed the clerk a note demanding money. The man left with an undetermined amount of cash. Police say the suspect did not have a weapon..
Officer injured during as power cable falls into road and sweeps him off his feet
(West Hartford-AP) _ A West Hartford police officer is hospitalized after being injured during an unusual accident while working a private job for Connecticut Light and Power today. A Hartford Hospital spokeswoman says Officer Arthur Fox is in stable condition. Police say the CL&P construction crew was working on a large pole when a large cable fell into the road, snagging a passing car. They say the cable swept Fox off his feet, throwing him into the air before he landed on his head. Police say Fox has suffered a serious head injury.
Kosovo refugee family arrives in Waterbury
(Waterbury-WTNH) _ A happy reunion in Waterbury Friday, as a Kosovo refugee family finally made it to their relative's home.
Nexhmie Jakupi and her 5 children were chased from their home by Kosovar soldiers back in April. They spent the past two weeks getting processed in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Now the family will be staying with Jakupi's sister, which will be a little cramped, but better accommodations than the family has seen in the last few months.
Sabrie Asani, Waterbury: "We bought some sleeping bags, we got 2 bathrooms, sometime maybe I take my sister to my house, we'll split like that."
The family was brought to the US through a program with the Interfaith Refugee Ministry. The agency will oversee their transition, until it is safe for them to return home.
Glastonbury teen charged with bomb-making
(Glastonbury-AP) _ A Glastonbury teenager has been charged with bomb making. Police say they found several pipe bombs in the home of Daniel Scibek last night after getting an anonymous tip. Police say the state police bomb squad removed and detonated four or five pipe bombs, The 17-year-old is to be in court next Wednesday.
Students learn gun safety lesson
 (Waterbury-WTNH) _ There has been a lot of talk about guns after the school shootings in Colorado and now Georgia. In Waterbury Friday some Connecticut children were getting a lesson in gun safety.
News Channel 8's Judy Chong reports.
Testing Center Robbed
(North Haven-WTNH) _ Police remain on the lookout for two men who held up an emissions testing center. The robbery took place at the testing center at 25 Stillman Road in North Haven around 7:30pm Thursday. Police say the robbers got away with about $10,000. The men wore masks, but witnesses say they took off in a car with a license plate that says "GOTCHA".
No one was hurt in the robbery.
Police recruits graduate
(New Haven-WTNH) _ The newest members of the New Haven police department are ready to his the streets. 32 members of the police academy graduated Friday morning and joined the ranks of the police force. The ceremony comes after six months of intense academy training. The new officers will train on the streets with veteran officers for six to eight weeks.
Killer to claim sexual assault in bid to avoid death row
(Waterbury-AP) _ A 20-year-old Waterbury man who bludgeoned a 13-year-old boy to death is seeking to avoid execution by claiming he was sexually assaulted as a teenager. Waterbury prosecutor John Connelly mentioned Todd Rizzo's defense plan in court yesterday in requesting access to Rizzo's high school records. Rizzo, who told police he beat Stanley Edwards with a sledgehammer to see how it felt to kill somebody, pleaded guilty in March.
A jury next month is to determine if Rizzo is put on death row or if he's to spend the rest of his life in prison. Defense lawyers can argue against capital punishment by claiming mitigating factors, such as sexual assault or a traumatic upbringing.
Death row inmates complain about treatment
(Hartford-AP) _ Two more Connecticut death row inmates are complaining about their treatment behind bars. They've submitted handwritten affidavits in support of a federal lawsuit filed by a third inmate on death row, convicted killer Daniel Webb. Webb is sentenced to die for the 1989 kidnapping and murder of a Hartford bank vice president, 37-year-old Diane Gellenbeck. Webb's lawsuit claims he has been subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.
Richard Reynolds and Terry Johnson say their slim mattresses are very uncomfortable. They also echoed Webb's complaint that their cells are too hot when the heat is on in the winter and too cold from the air conditioner in the summer. Johnson, who was sentenced to death for killing state Trooper Russell Bagshaw in Windham in 1991. Reynolds, a New York drug dealer sentenced to death for the 1992 killing of Waterbury police officer Walter Williams.
Jobless rate up just a bit
(Wethersfield-AP) _ The state labor department says unemployment in Connecticut rose slightly in April. The jobless rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.4 percent in April, which was identical to the rate reported in April, 1998. It was nine-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate. Official say a drop in the number of jobs in the trade industry was the result of the closing of Caldor stores in the state.
Disney, Navy team up on sub design
(Groton-WTNH) _ Here's an unusual partnership for you: The US Navy is turning to the Walt Disney Corporation for ideas about how to design the subs of the future. Today's submarines have complex informational systems that can be hard to read. The Navy would like to find better ways of giving its submariners vital information. So they're tapping into the creative genius of Disney, hoping to change the course of the submarine fleet and how it uses technology.
News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports from our southeastern newsroom at The Day.
Jury rejects harassment claim over Christmas card
(Hartford-AP) _ A jury has rejected a man's claim that he was harassed by Glastonbury police officers who sent him a Christmas card while he was in jail.
David Johnson has claimed he was emotionally shattered when the sarcastic card showed up at his jail cell in 1993. The police officers admit it was a stupid prank they wish they could take back, but say it wasn't malicious.
Johnson and Glastonbury police had had several run-ins over the years when he was jailed in December 1993 after brandishing an ax during a confrontation with officers. The officers, who had received reports that Johnson threatened to kill a police officer before Christmas, signed the card a week after his arrest, jotting sarcastic greetings such as: "Keep up the good work!"
Lawmakers getting down to the wire on health care bills
(Hartford-AP) _ State lawmakers are scrambling to get a big health care bill ready for a vote in the next two weeks. Among the proposals being worked out are measures to guarantee medical records privacy and to give people the right to sue their HMOs. Lawmakers also are considering new mandates on insurance companies to cover all kinds of maladies, from Lyme disease to prostate cancer blood tests. Other bills may be scrapped because there's no money in the budget to pay for them. These bills include a new state HMO ombudsman to help people who are fighting with their insurers over coverage.
Insurance companies and business groups are fighting many of these bills. They say more mandates will just increase the cost of insurance and will price it out of the reach of more employers.
Wild horses up for adoption
 (West Springfield, Mass.-WTNH) _ If you've ever wanted to own a horse this may be your chance. This weekend dozens of wild horses are up for adoption in West Springfield, Massachusetts. These animals, rounded up on the range, are tough and temperamental. But in the right hands the experts say the experience can be extremely rewarding.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer reports.
Conn. River Ferry suspended due to high water
(Glastonbury-AP) _ The ferry that crosses the Connecticut River between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury has been suspended because of high waters.
The state Department of Transportation says recent rains have swelled the river, making it dangerous for ferries to cross. The service, which connects Route 160 between the two towns, is expected to resume on Monday. The ferry that takes passengers across the river from Chester to Hadlyme remains in operation. It runs Monday through Friday from 7 am to 6:45 pm and weekends from 10:30 am to 5 pm.
NAACP promoting healthier lifestyles
(New Haven-WTNH) _ The greater New Haven NAACP is promoting healthier lifestyles this weekend. The group held an urban health care symposium Friday. Lectures focused on various topics including: asthma, diabetes, heart disease, sickle cell, breast cancer and aids awareness. Keynote speaker Dr. Regan Crump of the US Surgeon General's office says today's mission is to reach out to the underrepresented people in urban communities.
Dr. Regan Crump, U.S. Surgeon General Office: "But, we need to have more symposiums like this larger symposiums and make sure the right partners are there. Education, faith, business and of course community based organizations."
This continues Saturday with a free urban health fair at Hill House High School in New Haven, from 10:00am until 4:00pm.
Better treatments and detection of prostate cancer
(WTNH) _ As men age most will have some problem with their prostate.
But new research is leading to better treatments and early detection.
Health Team 8's Susan Hiland reports.
Father of the helicopter industry finally recognized in native Russia
(Stratford-AP) _ More than 80 years after aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky fled his native Russia and was erased from official Soviet history, he will finally be acknowledged in Moscow next week as the father of the helicopter industry. Sikorsky died in 1972 at age 83. He never returned to Russia during his lifetime, fearing its communist rulers. But he will be featured in an exhibit at the Moscow Polytechnical Museum on Tuesday _ the 110th anniversary of his birth in Kiev.
Here's the full story.
USDA grants $260,000 loan to Ivoryton playhouse
(Ivoryton-AP) _ An historic playhouse in Ivoryton is getting $260,000 for renovations in a loan from the USDA Rural Development fund.
The Ivoryton Playhouse has featured performers such as Mae West, Bette Davis and Groucho Marx since it opened in 1908. The federal funding will be matched by a state grant. The project also will get a boost from $32,000 in private donations. The USDA program is geared to help rural communities built or expand vital facilities, such as libraries, police stations and town halls.
History comes alive for Milford class
(Milford-WTNH) _ The St. Mary School in Milford was treated to a history lesson they will never forget thanks to a fellow classmate with the winning essay in a News Channel 8 sponsored essay contest. The Alabama Field Music Fife and Drum Corp from Essex performed especially for Sharon Stewart.
The 8th grader won an essay contest sponsored by the Shubert Theatre and WTNH, in conjunction with the theatre production "The Civil War". The day ended with a discussion on the 'Boys War of 1861'.
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