Northwest News

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THE SUSPECT IN TWO SEPARATE ROBBERIES IN TORRINGTON. POLICE ALLEGE 38-YEAR-OLD KYLE WITKOSKI DEMANDED MONEY FROM THE CASH DRAWER AT A DUNKIN DONUTS DRIVE-THRU AT 305 EAST MAIN WHILE CLAIMING TO HAVE A GUN SATURDAY NIGHT. HE WAS CHASED AWAY BY ANOTHER CUSTOMER BEFORE GETTING ANY MONEY. THEN TUESDAY AT 11AM POLICE RESPONDED TO A T-D BANK BRANCH IN TORRINGTON COMMONS PLAZA ON HIGH STREET FOR A ROBBERY IN PROGRESS. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT ENTERED THE BANK AND PASSED THE TELLER A NOTE DEMANDING CASH, WHILE IMPLYING HE WAS ARMED. HE WAS HANDED CASH & FLED ON FOOT BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED. POLICE ALLEGE WITKOSKI, FORMERLY OF SOUTHINGTON, IS THE SUSPECT IN THE BANK ROBBERY BASED ON SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM SATURDAY’S INCIDENT. IT’S NOT CLEAR IF WITKOSKI IS ARMED, AND POLICE ASK THE PUBLIC TO USE CAUTION IF SEEING WITKOSKI, AND TO CALL THEM AT (860) 489-2000.

STATE POLICE ARE PATROLLING PART OF ROUTE 8 WITH AIRPLANES TO HELP CRACK DOWN ON RECKLESS DRIVING AND ENHANCE SAFETY. THEY SAY THE LONG RURAL STRETCH FROM HARWINTON TO TORRINGTON HAS A HISTORY OF SERIOUS & DEADLY CRASHES. THAT’S WHY THEIR AERIAL TEAM IS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE OF THAT STRETCH TO FIND WHERE & WHEN DRIVERS SPEED. ERIC JACKSON, DIRECTOR OF THE CONNECTICUT TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE AT UCONN TELLS CHANNEL-3 THERE HAVE BEEN 50 TO 60 CRASHES INVOLVING INJURIES ON THIS STRETCH IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. AT LEAST 7 WERE DEADLY. THAT’S WHY THE STATE POLICE AERIAL TEAM IS GETTING A BIRDS EYE VIEW TO HONE IN ON EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE SPEEDING IS TAKING PLACE TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF TRAFFIC TRENDS SO GROUND CREWS WILL KNOW WHERE TO FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT.

TWO MEN FACE CHARGES AFTER A ROAD RAGE INCIDENT ON ROUTE 8 IN LITCHFIELD LAST FRIDAY. IT HAPPENED JUST AFTER NOON NEAR EXIT 41. A CALLER SAID A FIGHT BROKE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. STATE POLICE SAY 48-YEAR OLD HOWARD VAZQUEZ OF TORRINGTON AND 25-YEAR OLD JORDAN MILLETTE OF WATERBURY FACE CHARGES. VASQUEZ TOLD POLICE A CAR WAS DRIVING ERRATICALLY & FREQUENTLY CHANGING LANES. HE SAID HE DROVE NEXT TO THE CAR WITH HIS HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND TOLD THEM TO SLOW DOWN. VASQUEZ SAYS MILLETTE THREW WATER AT HIM FROM THE CAR. VAZQUEZ PULLED IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE. HE TOLD TROOPERS HE GOT OUT & WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE BY MILLETTE - THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. AFTER THAT, VASQUEZ SAID HE PEPPER SPRAYED MILLETTE AND CONTINUED DRIVING NORTH ON ROUTE 8. BOTH MEN WERE RELEASED ON $2,500 BONDS FOR A MAY 17^TH COURT DATE IN TORRINGTON.

HARTFORD, CONN. (AP) — THE CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS APPROVED A DEMOCRATIC PLAN TO SPEND AT LEAST $360 MILLION IN REMAINING FEDERAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC FUNDS ON KEY AREAS, INCLUDING HIGHER EDUCATION, NOT-FOR-PROFIT SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, MUNICIPAL AID AND CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH. LAWMAKERS FACE A DEC. 31 DEADLINE TO SPEND THE MONEY. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED THE LEGISLATION, WHICH DEMOCRATS DUBBED A BUDGET “STABILIZATION BILL,” 103-48, WITH 5 REPUBLICANS JOINING THE MAJORITY DEMOCRATS. THE BILL WAS BEING DEBATED LAST NIGHT IN THE SENATE, WHERE IT WAS EXPECTED TO PASS. DEMOCRATS SAY THE BILL SUPPLANTS A NEED TO RE-OPEN THE 2^ND YEAR OF THE 2-YEAR BUDGET, WHICH WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. REPUBLICANS DISAGREE, SAYING IT COULD LEAD TO TAX INCREASES IN THE NEXT 2-YEAR BUDGET.

THE REGION-20 SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPOINTED 7 FALL SEASON COACHES TO SERVE LAKEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WILL COMBINE LITCHFIELD AND WAMOGO REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS WHEN LITCHFIELD & REGION-6 MERGE INTO REGION-20 JULY 1^ST. THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN REPORTS THAT AS EXPECTED, LONG-TIME LITCHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL COACHES BRENT HAWKINS AND ROB ANDRULIS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE PICTURE. JENNA SCHILDGEN AND JOHN SUDOL WERE APPOINTED AS LAKEVIEW’S BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY COACHES, RESPECTIVELY. SCHILDGEN IS A TEACHER AT L-H-S AND AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE SCHOOL’S TRACK & FIELD TEAMS, WITH HAWKINS AS CO-COACH. SUDOL HAS BEEN THE CROSS-COUNTRY COACH AT WAMOGO AND IS A COACH FOR THE SCHOOL’S TRACK & FIELD PROGRAM. PATRICK O’DELL WILL BE LAKEVIEW’S BOY’S SOCCER COACH. HE HAS BEEN WAMOGO’S BOYS SOCCER COACH SINCE 2015. THE SCHOOL BOARD ALSO APPOINTED ROBERT GALLOW AS LAKEVIEW’S GOLF COACH, MICHAEL BREAKELL AS FIELD HOCKEY COACH, REBECCA POPE AS GIRLS SOCCER COACH AND TYLER SCHUCK AS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL COACH. LONG-TIME COACHES HAWKINS AND ANDRULIS, AMONG THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COACHES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS IN THE STATE, WERE TOLD BY LAKEVIEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KYLE WEAVER IN APRIL THEY WOULD NOT BE HIRED. THE COACHING CANDIDATES WERE INTERVIEWED BY PANELS WHICH INCLUDED WEAVER, REGION-20 ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF, PARENTS AND STUDENTS.

SEVERAL SCHOOL BUDGET VOTES WERE HELD TUESDAY. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN, VOTERS IN THE 6 TOWNS OF REGION-1, CANAAN, FALLS VILLAGE, CORNWALL, KENT, SHARON & SALISBURY, OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED THE $17.6 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET BY A VOTE OF 274-TO-63. THE BUDGET COVERS SPENDING FOR HOUSATONIC VALLEY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, PUPIL SERVICES AND CENTRAL OFFICE. IN WARREN, MORRIS, GOSHEN AND LITCHFIELD, VOTERS APPROVED THE FIRST REGION-20 SCHOOL BUDGET MONDAY. THE $41.1 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET PASSED ON A VOTE OF 101-TO-9. REGION-20 WILL COMBINE THE 4 TOWNS EFFECTIVE JULY 1^ST, CREATING THE 1^ST MERGER OF A MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IN STATE HISTORY. IN REGION-14 BETHLEHEM-WOODBURY, VOTERS REJECTED A $41.6 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR TUESDAY BY A VOTE OF 719 TO 617, AND IN REGION-10 HARWINTON-BURLINGTON, SUPERINTENDENT SCOTT RAGAGLIA TELLS WZBG VOTERS IN BOTH TOWNS OVERWHEWLMINGLY APPROVED THE $43.6 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, HARWINTON 273-TO-113 AND BURLINGTON 401-TO-232. RAGAGLIA SAYS THE OVERALL PASSAGE BY A 329 VOTE MARGIN IS A NEW RECORD FOR REGION-10. HE CREDITED LOTS OF HARD WORK BY THE REGION-10 BOARD OF EDUCATION AND P-T-O.

THANKS TO CHEAPER CRUDE OIL AND LACKLUSTER GASOLINE DEMAND, PUMP PRICES COULD BE LEVELING OFF. IN CONNECTICUT A GALLON OF SELF-SERVICE REGULAR IS AVERAGING $3.75, UP 2-CENTS FROM LAST WEEK. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS $3.65, UNCHANGED FROM LAST WEEK. AAA NORTHEAST SPOKESMAN ALEC SLATKY SAYS CRUDE OIL PRICES HAVE SHED NEARLY $10 PER BARREL IN THE PAST MONTH, EASING PRESSURE ON PUMP PRICES. MEANWHILE, WITH MEMORIAL DAY & THE START OF THE SUMMER DRIVING SEASON LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AWAY, THE COST OF A BARREL OF OIL FALLING INTO THE UPPER 70 DOLLAR RANGE AND FALLING GASOLINE DEMAND, THE AAA SAYS PRICES COULD STAY FLAT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.



TORRINGTON’S SUSAN B. ANTHONY PROJECT’S 7^TH ANNUAL ‘WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES’ RETURNS TO LITCHFIELD SUNDAY, MAY 19^TH. IT’S THE LARGEST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE AGENCY, WHICH PROVIDES CRISIS & SUPPORT SERVICES TO DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE VICTIMS, AND HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT. DURING ‘THE WALK,’ MEN & BOYS LEAD THE WAY IN A SYMBOLICALLY-UNCOMFORTABLE 1-MILE WALK IN RED HIGH-HEELED SHOES IN SOLIDARITY WITH WOMEN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF A DIFFICULT TOPIC AND END INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. REGISTER FOR THE 7^TH ANNUAL ‘WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES’ IN LITCHFIELD SUNDAY, MAY 19^TH AT WWW.SBAPROJECT.ORG/WALKAMILE OR CALL (860)489-3798. ALL ARE WELCOME, AND HIGH-HEELED SHOES ARE OPTIONAL. YOU CAN ALSO BECOME A SPONSOR, PLEDGE A WALKER OR MAKE A DONATION.

SPRING CLEANING? REMEMBER TO SET ASIDE ANY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES FOR THE UPCOMING HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY SATURDAY, JUNE 8^TH, 9AM TO NOON AT THE FALLS VILLAGE HIGHWAY GARAGE ON RAILROAD STREET. IT’S FREE, BUT YOU MUST GET A TICKET FROM YOUR TOWN OR CITY HALL BY JUNE 6^TH TO PARTICIPATE. IN MOST CASES THEY CAN BE EMAILED. MANY PRODUCTS USED FOR HOUSE, VEHICLE OR GARDEN CART CONTAIN HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WHICH CAN ENDANGER HEALTH OR POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT. ITEMS ACCEPTED AT THE JUNE 8^TH COLLECTION INCLUDE PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, OIL-BASED PAINTS, DEGREASERS, HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, PAINT THINNERS AND GASOLINE. NOT ACCEPTED ARE ELECTRONICS, MOTOR OIL, CAR BATTERIES, TIRES, AMMUNITION OR EXPLOSIVES. THE COLLECTION IS OPEN TO FALLS VILLAGE, CORNWALL, GOSHEN, HARWINTON, KENT, LITCHFIELD, NORFOLK, NORTH CANAAN, SALISBURY, SHARON AND TORRINGTON.