Northwest News

HARTFORD, CONN. (AP) — GOV. NED LAMONT SAYS THE MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERY LINKING NEW ENGLAND WITH NEW YORK WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE WEEKEND AROUND THE AREA WHERE A TANKER FIRE DAMAGED A BRIDGE OVER INTERSTATE 95 IN NORWALK. THE TANKER TRUCK FILLED WITH GASOLINE BURST INTO FLAMES IN A 3-VEHICLE CRASH ABOUT 5:30 THURSDAY MORNING ON I-95 IN SOUTHWEST CONNECTICUT. MINOR INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE EAST COAST’S MAIN NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED, CAUSING MAJOR TRAFFIC JAMS. THE CRASH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BRIDGE ABOVE IT, WHICH THE GOVERNOR SAID WILL NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED. LAMONT SAYS THE HOPE IS TO REOPEN THE INTERSTATE BY MONDAY MORNING. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED.

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SMASH AND GRAB BURGLARY AT THE WESTFARMS MALL THURSDAY. FARMINGTON POLICE SAID THE SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS STARTLED SHOPPERS. POLICE TOLD CHANNEL-3 THAT NO WEAPONS WERE USED IN THE CRIME AND THERE IS NO THREAT TO THE PUBLIC. OFFICERS DID NOT SAY AT WHICH SPECIFIC STORE THE BURGLARY HAPPENED. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.

A FORMER TORRINGTON POLICE OFFICER, ONCE ARRESTED BY HIS PEERS, EXONERATED, THEN RETIRED IN 2020 AFTER 23 YEARS ON THE FORCE, WANTS ANOTHER CRACK AT THE JOB HE SAYS HE’S STILL CAPABLE OF DOING AT AGE 55. BUT WHEN HE TRIED TO TAKE THE WRITTEN ENTRY TEST AT TORRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL LAST SATURDAY, HE CLAIMS HE WAS LOCKED OUT. THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN REPORTS JOHN LEMIEUX ANSWERED THE INVITATION FOR THE TEST, INTENDED TO HELP FILL 14 POLICE VACANCIES. HE AND 10 OTHERS WERE AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THE 9AM TEST, BUT LEMIEUX CLAIMS THAT WHEN HE WAS THE LAST TO ARRIVE AT 8:56AM, HE FOUND THE DOOR LOCKED. CHIEF WILLIAM BALDWIN SAYS LEMIEUX WASN’T THERE BY 9AM AND BEING PUNCTUAL IS PART OF GOOD POLICE WORK. THE CHIEF SAID 10 OTHERS ARRIVED BEFORE LEMIEUX AND WERE ALL LET IN. LEMIUEX CLAIMS WHAT HAPPENED IS PART OF A TREND OF HARASSMENT HE CLAIMS BEGAN IN 2019 WHEN HE WAS CHARGED WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT & CRIMINAL LOCK-OUT AFTER A DOMESTIC CASE WITH HIS NOW EX-WIFE. CHARGES WERE DISMISSED IN 2021 WHEN HIS LAWYER SUCCESSFULLY ARGUED THEY WEREN’T JUSTIFIED. LEMIEUX HAD EARLIER BEEN ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR 6 WEEKS FOR INSUBORDINATION & WORK PERFORMANCE CONCERNS. HE CLAIMS THAT WAS RETALIATION FOR FILING COMPLAINTS AGAINST 2 SUPERVISORS. STILL, LEMIEUX SAYS HE WANTS TO RETURN BECAUSE “THE COMMUNITY NEEDS GOOD OFFICERS.” HE PLANS TO TAKE THE TEST AGAIN WHEN IT’S OFFERED.

PROTESTS ARE BACK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT. PRO-PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS ARE AGAIN GATHERING ON THE STORRS CAMPUS. THIS COMES AFTER SEVERAL ARRESTS AND WITH GRADUATION CEREMONIES COMING UP THIS WEEKEND. PRO-PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS FEEL THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THEY WANT COLLEGES TO DIVEST WITH ISRAEL, AND ARE DEMANDING AN END TO WHAT THEY SAY IS GENOCIDE IN GAZA. IT’S A STRESSFUL TIME ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS HAVE TURNED VIOLENT AT COLUMBIA AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES. U-S-C HAS CANCELLED ITS GRADUATION. THE HOPE IS UCONN’S PROTEST WILL BE PEACEFUL AND GRADUATION WILL NOT BE DISRUPTED. SENIORS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A GRADUATION, BECAUSE 4 YEARS AGO, MOST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS FOR SENIORS HEADING TO UCONN WERE CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

A VACANT AND DECAYING HOME IN BANTAM CENTER WILL BE UP FOR GRABS AT A BANK FORECLOSURE SALE SATURDAY. THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN REPORTS THE HOME AT 792 BANTAM ROAD, BUILT IN 1870 AND IN YEARS PAST KNOWN AS ‘DREAM HOUSE,’ WAS ONCE ONE OF THE MOST GRACEFUL HOMES IN BANTAM CENTER WITH ITS WRAP-AROUND PORCH AND LEVEL YARD, BUT THAT PORCH IS SHOWING SIGNS OF DECAY AND SECTIONS OF THE ROOF ARE WARPED AND ROTTING. BANTAM BOROUGH OFFICIALS HAVE VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPERTY’S CONDITION FOR YEARS. THE REPORT SAYS THERESA SULLIVAN OF HARWINTON HAS OWNED THE 9-TENTHS OF AN ACRE PROPERTY SINCE 2001 AND RAN A HOME ACCESSORIES BUSINESS THERE. SHE IS UP-TO-DATE ON PROPERTY TAXES. THE PUBLIC AUCTION BEGINS SATURDAY AT NOON AT THE 792 BANTAM ROAD PROPERTY.

THE NEW LEADER OF OVER A HALF-MILLION CONNECTICUT CATHOLICS PLANS TO CELEBRATE HIS 1^ST MASS AS ARCHBISHOP SUNDAY AT 11AM AT THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOSEPH IN HARTFORD. CHRISTOPHER J. COYNE HAS OFFICIALLY TAKEN OVER AS HARTFORD'S NEW ARCHBISHOP. POPE FRANCIS ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT HE’S ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF 75 YEAR OLD ARCHBISHOP LEONARD BLAIR AND THAT COYNE, FROM THE DIOCESE OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT, SUCCEEDS BLAIR AS HARTFORD’S 6^TH ARCHBISHOP. AT A NEWS CONFERENCE, COYNE FOCUSED ON THE DIOCESE FLOCK AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE TROUBLES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS HAD, BUT SAID HE PLANS TO RESTORE TRUST AND FAITH, ONE CHURCH AT A TIME. COYNE ALSO WANTS TO BRING MORE TUITION-FREE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TO HARTFORD, AND TO KEEP THE INCREASING MASS ATTENDANCE WHICH HE'S SEEN SINCE EASTER.

THE PREVIOUS LONG STANDING AND CONTROVERSIAL GUIDANCE WAS FOR WOMEN TO BE SCREENED FOR BREAST CANCER AT AGE 50. TUESDAY, THE ‘U-S PREVENTATIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE’ FINALIZED A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION AFTER DATA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO SCREENING EARLIER. THE GOAL IS TO HELP DIAGNOSE CASES EARLY BEFORE THE CANCER SPREADS. DOCTORS DO RECOMMEND WOMEN START SCREENING AT AGE 40, BUT THIS UPDATED RECOMMENDATION SHOWS THAT STARTING AT 40 AND GETTING SCREENINGS EVERY OTHER YEAR UNTIL AGE 74 CAN REDUCE DEATHS FROM BREAST CANCER. THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR AVERAGE RISK WOMEN, NOT HIGH-RISK, WHO'LL START SCREENING EARLIER.                               

YOU’RE INVITED TO PEDAL YOUR WAY TO SOME FAMILY FUN THIS SATURDAY! ALL ARE WELCOME AT THE FREE FAMILY BICYCLE RALLY, AN EXCITING ADVENTURE FROM NOON TO 4PM ALONG TORRINGTON’S SUE GROSSMAN GREENWAY. IT STARTS AND FINISHES AT THE R-B-C BEARINGS PARKING LOT, 2788 WINSTED ROAD. TRADITIONAL BIKES, SCOOTERS, SKATEBOARDS & ROLLERBLADES ARE WELCOME. BIKE LOANERS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND THEY’VE GOT THE LITTLE ONES COVERED TOO WITH A STRIDER-BALANCE BIKE COURSE FOR KIDS 18 MONTHS AND UP. WINSTED POLICE WILL MONITOR THE TRAIL. THERE’LL BE RE-FUELING STOPS, BIKE SAFETY TIPS, PRIZES, A HELMET GIVEAWAY, A FOOD TRUCK AND EVERYTHING IS FREE! THE FAMILY BICYCLE RALLY IS SATURDAY, NOON TO 4PM, STARTING AT THE R-B-C BEARINGS PARKING LOT, 2788 WINSTED ROAD, TORRINGTON. 

TORRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IS ONCE AGAIN HOSTING ITS ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT CALLED ‘RAIDER RALLY.’ DONATIONS ARE STARTING TO COME IN LEADING UP TO THE 4-HOUR TEAM-BUILDING FIELD DAY MAY 31^ST EVENT, AND STUDENTS ARE DOING A SPECIAL OUTREACH EFFORT THIS YEAR. AS THIS IS THE FINAL ‘RAIDER RALLY’ BEING RUN FROM THE CURRENT TORRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, WITH THE NEARLY-DONE NEW SCHOOL OPENING NEXT YEAR, ORGANIZERS URGE ALUMNI, TEACHERS, FAMILIES AND LOCAL BUSINESSES TO DIG DEEP AND HELP STUDENTS SUPPORT THE CHARITIES THEY’VE ADOPTED FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT - THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY PROJECT, FRIENDLY HANDS FOOD BANK, COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN AND TORRINGTON’S CHAPTER OF ‘FISH.’ FOR INFORMATION OR TO DONATE, VISIT: WWW.RAIDERSRALLYTHS.WEEBLY.COM.                 

METEOROLOGIST JOE FUREY HAS TWO WEATHER HEADLINES TODAY. AFTER SEASONABLE, PARTLY SUNNY WEATHER TODAY AND SATURDAY, HEADLINE #1 IS THAT SUNDAY IS PRETTY-MUCH A RAW WASH-OUT FOR ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. EARLY NEXT WEEK LOOKS GREAT WITH SUNSHINE AND HIGHS IN THE 70’S BEFORE ANOTHER FRONT AND PERHAPS MORE RAIN ARRIVES LATER NEXT WEEK, HEADLINE #2 IS AN EARLY PREDICTION FROM JOE THAT THAT UNLIKE LAST SUMMER’S CONSISTENT RAINS WHICH CAUSED BASEMENT, ROAD, STREAM AND RIVER FLOODING, WITH MAJOR FARM AND AGRICULTURAL LOSSES, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THIS MAY END UP BEING A DRY AND HOT SUMMER ALONG THE EAST COAST RATHER THAN A WET AND HOT SUMMER, BUT HE’LL KNOW MORE BY MID-MAY.