May 27 / 6:25 pm
10-year-old survivor of train accident dies
 (Bridgeport-WTNH) _ The 10-year old sole survivor of a train accident in Fairfield has been declared brain dead. Jose Francisco Urgiles Toledo, his three brothers, and his mother were hit by an Amtrak train early Tuesday morning. The others died at the scene.
Jose lost a leg in the accident and has been in extremely critical condition ever since. He is now being kept on life-support.
 News Channel 8's Christina Hager explains why.
Victim of train accident identified
(Waterbury-WTNH) _ Investigators in Waterbury have identified the man hit by a Metro North train Wednesday night. Police say 52-year-old Nelson Figueroa was killed when he was hit by the train just after 9 o'clock. His last known address was a shelter for the homeless in Waterbury. The engineer told investigators he saw Figueroa lying alongside the tracks before he was hit.
Chemical spill slows rail traffic
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Environmental officials were concerned for a while Thursday over a leak from a train car. Department of Transportation officials say about 20 gallons of butanol leaked from the car near the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford. The leak has now been repaired. Department of Environmental Protection officials say butanol is a lot like rubbing alcohol in that it evaporates quickly so no major cleanup was needed.
Some rail traffic through Hartford was delayed because of the spill.
Staying safe on the roads
(WTNH) _ As the summer driving season officially gets underway with Memorial Day weekend, state officials want to ensure that safety comes first with all commuters. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles discussed highway safety issues Thursday.
News Channel 8's Leon Collins reports.
Drunk driving bills studied at capitol
(Hartford-WTNH) _ A number of bills getting tough on drunk driving in Connecticut are before the legislature this session. One measure deals with lowering the blood alcohol level from .10 to .08. The other goes after people who are 'excessively' drunk.
News Channel 8's Jayne Saffer reports.
House unanimously passes bill to speed adoptions
(Hartford-AP) _ The House has passed a bill that aims to improve Connecticut's dismal record of adopting abused children. The bill would speed up the adoption process for children and would put more emphasis on trying to find homes for minority children. Among other things, the bill would allow the Department of Children and Families to start the adoption process once the agency moves to terminate parental rights. Connecticut ranks next to last in the number of children in state custody adopted each year. The bill now goes to the Senate.
House passes bill to require swimming pool alarms
(Hartford-AP) _ New and renovated swimming pools would be required to have alarms under a bill to pass the state House of Representatives. The alarms are meant to warn people when a child falls into a swimming pool. The alarms cost between $150-250. They operate by detecting motion in the water.
The bill requires alarms that will go off when something fifteen pounds or larger falls in the pool. The bill now goes to the Senate.
House passes bill to create standard wage for janitors, food workers
(Hartford-AP) _ Governor Rowland says he'll sign a bill to raise wages for janitors and food service workers on state jobs. The state House of Representatives passed the bill on a 117-26 vote today. The bill would mirror the federal standard wage system. It would require any bidders on state contractors to pay a higher minimum wage. Representative Chris Donovan of Meriden says the bill is needed to stop contractors from paying very low wages to come in with low bids for state jobs. For janitors and food workers, the bill means raises from about six dollars an hour to about eight or nine dollars an hour. The bill also encourages companies to offer workers health benefits. Republicans who voted against the bill say it would hurt the business climate and cost the state too much money.
The bill passed the Senate last week.
Governor, attorney general, promise to sue over commuter tax
(Hartford-AP) -- Governor Rowland and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal say they'll definitely sue New York over that state's repeal of a commuter tax. New York Governor George Pataki has signed a bill this afternoon that exempts only New York State residents who work in New York City from paying the tax. The partial repeal does not apply to Connecticut and New Jersey commuters, who would have to continue paying the point-45 percent tax on income they earn in New York City. Rowland and Blumenthal call that unfair and unconstitutional. Blumenthal says he's deciding whether to file suit in New York state court or the US Supreme Court. He expects to file the suit next week.
Rowland, budget chief say progress made on budget
(Hartford-AP) _ Governor Rowland says the work on the state budget is about 97 percent done. Rowland's budget office and legislative leaders met past 2 o'clock this morning. Budget Secretary Marc Ryan says a lot of progress was made late last night. Yesterday, Democrat and Republican leaders were more at odds with one another. Republicans say they want to see a budget that's about $100 million under the budget cap. That led Democrats to say the Republicans are drawing lines in the sand and stalling the negotiations.
A budget must be adopted my midnight, June ninth. Legislative leaders say they hope to vote on a budget deal next week.
Here's more on the budget talks.
Poll shows slight support for tax rebate
(Hartford-AP) _ A new poll has found 52 percent of the people asked, favor Governor Rowland's proposed sales tax rebate. The Hartford Courant Connecticut poll found that 45 percent oppose the plan to send tax-free checks of $75 to most adults in the state. The rebate plan is one of the items still part of the current legislative talks on the state budget. When asked how the surplus should be used, 46 percent say the top priority should be cutting taxes, and 24 percent said the money should be spent on new or expanded programs. Sixteen percent of those asked say the top priority should be reducing the state's $9 billion in bonded debt.
Nursing home workers make strike plans
(WTNH) _ Three Hartford area nursing homes say they will strike on Tuesday, June 8th. Union workers have voted to authorize a strike at Trinity Hill and Chelsea Place in Hartford, and Wintonbury Health Care Center in Bloomfield. New England Health Care Employees Union, district 1199, says the workers voted 333-5 in favor of a strike if a new contract is not signed by that date. The homes are owned by Denver-based Solomon Health Systems.
Buckley makes brief court appearance
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Former fugitive defense attorney F. Mac Buckley scored a minor victory in court Thursday. Buckley is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from clients. He is under house arrest, but a judge has granted Buckley permission to see his personal psychiatrist twice a week.
Buckley is facing larceny and forgery charges. He disappeared for seven weeks before turning himself in last month.
Meriden teen charged in beating stemming from Internet encounter
(Meriden-AP) _ Meriden police have charged a city teen in an Internet encounter that ended up with a beating and robbery. 17-year-old Rodney Pierce has been charged in the attack on a Hamden man who turned up at Meriden apartment for a meeting with a woman who had identified herself as "Jasmine" on the Internet. Police say "Jasmine" had agreed to meet the man in Meriden at her apartment on April Eleventh. When the man showed up, he knocked on the door, walked into the apartment and was struck on the head. Police say the attackers beat up the man, went through his pockets, then tied his wrists with an electrical cord and were carrying him downstairs. Police say he broke away and escaped in his car. Pierce has been charged with assault, robbery and kidnapping.
State low on list of convention sites
(Hartford-AP) _ Connecticut as a convention destination doesn't rank very high. It beats out only Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. However, developers and some civic leaders say there are things happening that could change all that with expansion plans for both Hartford and the Mohegan casino in Montville.
If proposals pan out, Connecticut could have two hotel-convention centers by 2003. The Waterford Group, one of the Mohegans' partners in their casino, is now helping the tribe develop its convention center. The group has also submitted a proposal to build the hotel-convention center as part of he planned Adriaen's Landing revitalization project. The Foxwoods Casino opened its conference center two years ago. Hartford officials say the average convention delegate stays 3.3 days and spends $215 a day.
Dorm dispute heats up
 (Bridgeport-WTNH) _ A dorm dispute is getting ugly, and even the mayor of Bridgeport is jumping into the fray. At issue is a 10 story dormitory being built by Sacred Heart University on Park Avenue in Bridgeport.
The Catholic university is right across the street in Fairfield.
And neighbors are not happy about the intrusion.
News Channel 8's Judy Chong has the story.
Bear nabbed
(WTNH) _ A mother black bear and her injured cub were captured by Department of Environmental Protection workers in Granby Thursday.
Wednesday night Granby police responded to a report of two small bear cubs hit by a car. One cub died and the other was injured. The mother and injured cub were found this morning. The injured cub is being treated for it's injuries.
Mayor's license plate stolen
(New Haven-WTNH) _ New Haven mayor John DeStefano got a surprise after attending commencement at Yale on Monday. Someone swiped the license plate right off his official car. The mayor believes the case - dubbed 'The Great License Plate Caper' - is just a prank.
Mayor John DeStefano, D-New Haven: "It's interesting that our major enforcement action in the Police Department right now is the Traffic enforcement initiative with the folks who are speeding, blowing through stop signs have excessive noise and as I've been saying if this is the worst thing that happen in New Haven, then I'm all for it, but I want that license plate back!"
The mayor's stolen vanity plate reads: "NH 1".
State pinpoints public access spots on shoreline
(Hartford-AP)_ While a good portion of the Connecticut shoreline is in private hands, there are places where anybody can gain access. The state Department of Environmental Protection says there are at least 262 places where all Connecticut residents can access the state's largely private shoreline. The DEP is releasing a map on those access locations today. The Connecticut Coastal Access Guide covers 460 miles of shoreline, including the lower reaches of tidal rivers. It includes sites on the Connecticut River as far upriver as Chester and East Haddam.
Here's the full story.
Testing bone density
(WTNH) _ Osteoporosis is called a silent disease because many women don't find out they have it until they fracture a bone. Then, their bones are so brittle not much can be done. But there are new techniques and medicine for testing bone density that can put osteoporosis on hold.
Health Team 8's Susan Hiland reports.
Child's sweater recalled
(WTNH) _ A designer infant cardigan is being recalled because it could pose a choking hazard.
 Close to 4,000 Tommy Hilfiger cardigans sold at department stores nationwide are being called back because a snap may come off. The fleece jacket was sold nationwide from August through October last year. You can call the manufacturer at 1.877.TOMMYCARES for an exchange or refund. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising all parents to stop using the cardigan immediately.
FamilyPC selects top products
(WTNH) _ Looking to find great computer software that's family friendly?
FamilyPC magazine has published its list of 100-top picks for 1999. The list may help consumers pick the best products for their family.
Consumer Team 8's Anna Sava reports.
Students with disabilities honored
(Hartford-WTNH) _ 20 high school seniors with disabilities were honored for outstanding achievement at the state capitol Thursday. The governor's coalition on employment of youth with disabilities is a cooperative effort between education, business, and labor to help disabled students further their education. 20 students received scholarships for all their hard work.
The ceremony included a check presentation to the scholarship fund from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
|
