Free Republic

HARTFORD — — Two city police officers are being sued on a claim that they shot a family dog in front of its 12-year-old owner after entering the backyard of her Enfield Street residence without a warrant. Police claimed that a snarling St. Bernard charged at them when they went into the yard to investigate a report that guns were stashed in a vehicle there. A jury trial is scheduled to begin Monday before Judge Robert N. Chatigny in U.S. District Court in Hartford. Glen Harris, who is listed as the minor's guardian, filed the federal lawsuit in 2008 against...

After years of planning, state officials are scheduled to break ground on a rebranded, half billion-dollar Hartford-to-New Britain bus-only corridor, the only one in Connecticut. Once known as the busway, the 9.4-mile route has been rebranded and is now called CTfastrak. Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said busway was never the official name of the project, but was used as short hand. Everhart said the name CTfastrak describes a new type of public transit, combining fast transportation free of traffic similar to rail travel with the flexibility and direct service of a bus. The state...

Faltering state income tax revenues left Gov. Dannel P. Malloy reporting his largest budget deficit to date on Friday. And unless tax receipts reported this week by nonpartisan legislative analysts improve, Malloy's budget plan for next year -- including a state employee pension fund fix and increased education aid to towns -- could be out of balance now and headed for more than $500 million in red ink by 2013-14. The governor's budget agency, the Office of Policy and Management, reported that the general fund in this year's $20.14 billion budget is $66.9 million in deficit. Malloy needs to finish...

The Connecticut House of Representatives will be voting on the high-profile death penalty repeal bill Wednesday, a week after the bill passed in the state's Senate. Doug Whiting, spokesman for House Speaker Rep. Christopher Donovan of Meriden, told the Associated Press Tuesday that the House will take up the bill mid-afternoon Wednesday. The proposed bill would abolish the death penalty for all future cases, but would not directly affect the sentences of current 11 inmates on Connecticut's death row. The state Senate approved a repeal bill after nearly 11 hours of debate last week. If passed in the House, the...

Bill Clinton stepped onto the Bushnell stage Friday night for the first time since Oct. 6, 1996, when he debated Bob Dole on the way to an easy victory for a second term in the White House. "We were civil, and we committed what I think would be mass heresy today," said Clinton, a guest of the 20-year-old public-speaking series, the Connecticut Forum. "We actually talked about how much we liked each other. And we still do." Clinton, 65, still has the raspy voice of man who likes to talk. It is a gift that allowed him to twice be...

Students at Trinity College in Hartford are holding an anti-violence rally after a sophomore was attacked and brutally beaten over the weekend near the edge of campus. The incident was reported early Sunday morning on Allen Place. Officials said Chris Kenny had to undergo seven hours of reconstructive surgery after he was kicked in the face. Thursday's rally is in response to how the school is handling an increase in violence in the area. The university is also under fire from students for notifying Kenny's parents of the assault the next day. "Yes that happened, it was bad communication," said...

HARTFORD —— City officials say Occupy Hartford protesters must leave their encampment at the corner of Farmington Avenue and Broad Street by 6 p.m. Tuesday. Hartford Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts said protesters camping at the area they've named Turning Point Park have been notified that they risk being arrested after the deadline passes. "I don't anticipate any trouble, but I will take appropriate corrective action," Roberts said.

City police Friday shut down an attempt by some Occupy Hartford campers to set up a new encampment at a downtown skateboarding park known as Heaven. The campers told officers that they were making the move because of drug use, violent behavior and a sexual assault that occurred Thursday at the Occupy Hartford site at the corner of Broad Street and Asylum Avenue. Police went to the Broad Street site Friday evening and interviewed the assault victim, who told police that a man entered her tent after her husband left and kissed and groped her. The woman, who has been...

Victim Kept Silent About Occupy Hartford Sex AssaultFemale victim said she didn't want to draw negative attention to the Occupy cause. Saturday, Dec 3, 2011 | Updated 2:39 PM EST A group at the Occupy Hartford campsite, including the victim, tried to keep a sex assault quiet, police said. Police received an anonymous call Thursday reporting the sex assault at the Occupy Hartford site in Turning Point Park on Broad Street. Investigating officers located the victim, a woman who told them a man aggressively kissed her neck and groped her breasts against her wishes. Several others at the campsite intervened...

Connecticut Light & Power's president and CEO, Jeff Butler is resigning, Northeast Utilities has confirmed. Northeast Utilities' Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Charles W. Shivery, said Thursday the utility company has accepted Butler's resignation, effective immediately. Butler came under fire from his handling of the massive power outages during a freak October snow storm that left more than 800,000 CL&P customers without power, some for as long as 12 days. Noreen Cameron of West Hartford said one of the worst mistakes CL&P made was saying 99 percent of their customers would have their power back on the Sunday following...

They marched, yelling chants and holding signs, Occupy Hartford protesters filled the streets of Hartford under heavy police guard. Police on foot, in cruisers and on horses were present to keep the peace as a group made their way down Farmington Avenue and to the Broad Street on ramp to Interstate 84. Some even got arrested for blocking the on ramp, something the group said they planned to do as an act of civil disobedience. In the end police arrested 12 people. Earlier in the day, Matt O'Connor, whose union backs the protesters, said the demonstration was a rallying cry...

Everyone knows Halloween in celebrated on Oct. 31 but a state lawmaker wants to tamper with tradition to ensure the holiday is always marked on a weekend. State Rep. Tim Larson is proposing that the legislature designate the last Saturday in October as Halloween. He says it would make the holiday less harried for working parents, safer for trick-or-treaters and boost the economy as well. "Halloween is fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try...

The Connecticut Public Transportation Commission is seeking opinions about public transportation services, as well as the proposed busway from Hartford to New Britain. Monday's public hearing at the Plainville Municipal Center will be the last of four hearings the commission has held statewide this fall. The panel is seeking comment from the public, transportation providers and other groups about services such as Connecticut Transit and DATTCO bus service and intercity bus service. Members want to know whether improvements need to be made and if the public's needs are being met. The commission also wants opinions about the busway, the need...

The parent company for the Hartford Courant has announced plans to eliminate jobs in an effort to cut costs. The newspaper cites an email from CT1 Media saying that some of the positions being eliminated include those in the newsroom as well as production and administration departments. The paper reported late Thursday that it was not immediately clear how many positions will be cut and when that will happen.

Hartford PR SEO Social Media Marketing Group To Attend CT Business Expo By Herb Brandon Israel News Agency Hartford, CT ---- June 7, 2011 .... The Hartford PR SEO Social Media Marketing Group has announced that it will be attending the CT Business Expo in Hartford, Connecticut on June 9. HartfordPr.co and HartfordSocialMedia.com have been providing Internet marketing, digital PR, SEO and social media services since 1995. The Leyden Digital PR, SEO, Social Media Group, which owns and operates HartfordPr.co and HartfordSocialMedia.com is credited for creating some of the first commercial, governmental and news Websites on the Web. The Leyden...

HARTFORD —— Signaling that the fight over the controversial New Britain busway isn't finished, two state legislators are asking one of the top Republicans in Congress to block the project. "There is no popular support for the project. The average person understands that it makes no sense, even in flush times," Sen. Joe Markley, R-Southington, and Rep. Whit Betts, R-Bristol, said in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner. "We urge you to do all in your power to stop the federal funding." Connecticut is asking the Federal Transit Administration for $275 million to help build the roughly $570 million...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The State Bond Commission has approved nearly $90 million in bonds to begin construction on a planned busway between New Britain and Hartford. The vote came despite concerns raised by Republican members about the project's high price tag. Malloy announced this month that he was backing the project, estimated to cost more than $572 million. He said he was reluctant to risk losing federal funding for the paved, 9.4-mile corridor. The federal government is expected to spend nearly $460 million on the project. Connecticut has already spent more than $23 million on design and acquiring property.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Convicted former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is seeking more than $130,000 in unused sick and vacation time. Bart Halloran, Perez's attorney, has sent to Hartford's director of human resources asking the former mayor be paid for 1,200 hours of unused vacation and 768 of unused sick time. Perez was convicted of using a city contractor to have free work done at his home and could be going to prison. The former mayor's criminal conviction doesn't change the fact he was a city employee, said Saundra Kee Borges with the city's Corporation Counsel.

CONNECTICUT's WDRC talk network (WDRC 1360 Hartford, WMMW 1470 Meriden, WWCO 1240 Waterbury, WSNG 610 Torrington) is the latest prominent outlet to drop Glenn Beck's syndicated talk show. Starting April 4, the 9-noon timeslot now filled by Beck (who draws a passionate listener base but whose show is reportedly difficult to sell to top-tier advertisers wary of the controversies he engenders) will instead be filled by Mary Jones. She'd lost her weekday WDRC gig a while back, and had been doing weekends - and she'll share the 9-10 AM hour with WDRC morning man Brad Jones (as "Leatherneck and Lace"),...

McLachlan sponsors birth certificate bill in HartfordStacy Davis, Staff Writer Published: 11:02 p.m., Monday, January 31, 2011 DANBURY -- State Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, submitted a bill proposal mandating U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates provide their birth certificates for their names to be placed on the ballot. "You have to have a birth certificate to get a driver's license," McLachlan said. "The same should be true to become president or vice president." He submitted his proposal Jan. 20 after hearing several arguments about President Barack Obama's citizenship, he said. "They claim that he is not a natural-born citizen." McLachlan...

Last night over at the city hall in the city of Hartford, CT, USA, in protest over the revoking by the Hartford City Council of the offering of prayers to open up the City Council meeting. Imam Kashiff Abdul-Karim offered outside in front of the City, prayers in both Arabic and in English. From NBC Tv Connecticut’s website:”The Hartford City Council had invited imams to start its two September meetings with prayer, including the meeting on Monday. It was meant to show solidarity with Muslims at a time of controversy over the proposed mosque near Ground Zero and the possible...

In the wake of the battle over a mosque at Ground Zero, a move by Hartford City Council is sure to have its critics. The Council announced Tuesday that it has invited local imams to perform Islamic invocations at the beginning of the Council meetings in September.

City Council Meetings to Begin with Muslim Prayers By BOB CONNORS Updated 6:50 PM EDT, Tue, Sep 7, 2010 In the wake of the battle over a mosque at Ground Zero, a move by Hartford City Council is sure to have its critics. The Council announced Tuesday that it has invited local imams to perform Islamic invocations at the beginning of the Council meetings in September. Though meetings don't regularly begin with any form of prayer, an email from the Common Council called it "an act of solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters." The email even referenced the ongoing...

The girlfriend of the man who gunned down eight people before turning the gun on himself at a Connecticut beer distributorship Tuesday said she heard evidence of enough racial harassment the man had allegedly suffered at work to drive someone "crazy."

Nine people are dead in a workplace shooting in a Manchester, Ct., beer-distribution warehouse, and an unknown number are wounded. On Tuesday morning, Omar Thornton, a driver for Hartford Distributors, went on a shooting rampage during a morning shift change, and then killed himself, police say. Mr. Thornton, who had worked for the company for a couple of years, had been called in for a disciplinary hearing, according to reports, and was on his way there this morning. It was unclear whether the meeting had taken place before he started shooting. Joanne Hannah, a former neighbor of Thornton whose daughter...

After a long corruption investigation and a two-month trial, current Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez - a Democrat - was found guilty of bribery and a couple of other charges. He was found not guilty of fabricating evidence. Read more...

REAL Troops have been WELCOMED Home in Connecticut, the day after Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal “misspoke” about time in Vietnam. What a difference! Thank-you troops!

EAST HARTFORD (AP) — Police in Connecticut say three people have been killed and another wounded in mid-morning shootings at an East Hartford apartment complex.

Great pictures, with many THANKS to the Hartford Courant, from yesterday’s tea party up in Hartford at State Capitol.

Today, I was up in Hartford to attend the Hartford Tax Day Tea Party Rally. The rally had up to 5,000 people in attendence. Great speakers, including my friend and now online radio show host, former WTIC AM radio local mid-morning talkradio show host, Jim Vicevich. A number of tea party folks also spoke, making the decision to run for political office. Helped out today with one of the information booth. A great day that was experenced for those who had attended.

TAX DAY TEA PARTY 2010 oin us on Thursday, April 15, 2010 for our second annual Tax Day Tea Party, in Hartford, on the north steps of the State Capitol, from 2 PM to 4 PM. Our theme this year is: IT'S ABOUT LIBERTY! We are still fighting against big government initiatives and massive entitlement programs that are bankrupting our country and stealing our children's future. Last year over 5,000 patriots attended our event, let's double that number this year. We'll have speakers, music, entertainment, and information tables for you to enjoy. Bring your family & friends, your signs &...

Hartford Tea Party, One Year Latter, February 27th, 2010. Sucessful, yet PUSHBACK must continue. A year ago about 150 people showed up for the first Connecticut Tea Party in front of the Capitol Building. Just few months later more than 3000 made their way to the capitol and the movement in New England took off. Yesterday 300 turned out for the one year anniversary of the people’s movement, in part to let the representatives know we’re still around, and in part to celebrate the achievements of young and growing grass roots movement.

This thread is an after action report for the Hartford Tea Party Patriots. We had our 1 year anniversary today and had a rally with 300 people. That's 50% more than last year!

Hartford (WTNH) - Departments from surrounding towns are assisting firefighters at an apartment fire in Hartford. It broke out around 4:30pm at an apartment building on Willard Street. Crews from East Hartford and West Hartford have been called in to assist. No word on any injuries or a cause

Callers yesterday put the number at anywhere from 1000 to 2000 and the Courant is reporting 1500 (more on that article in another post). Amazing considering the rain and the time of day. You make a little mobster proud. RVO Chatter Darlene (and now official Tea Party reporter) sent me these pics (via her Facebook page) from yesterday’s Tea party in Hartford. You can see more there. Sorry I could not be there but … well … I was working. But it looks like “a good time was had all all.” Rain was not about to stop New England patriots...

Enclosed are some pics of members of the Connecticut Tea Party who attended a private lunch with Ann Coulter on 9/11 in Hartford, along with Freepers JimRob and Synchro

IT'S OFFICIAL!! SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 HARTFORD STATE CAPITAL AND BALDWIN PLAZA BRIDGEPORT TEA PARTY EXPRESS IS COMING TO HARTFORD AND BRIDGEPORT!! TEA PARTY EXPRESS HARTFORD RALLY It's time to take our country back! Join our efforts to bring REAL CHANGE to our government! Join the Hartford Tea Party Patriots in welcoming the Tea Party Express national bus tour when it arrives in Connecticut to rally Americans to oppose the out-of-control spending, higher taxes, bailouts and growth in the size and power of the government. The Hartford rally and Bridgeport Rally are part of a series of tea party rallies being...

IT'S OFFICIAL! THE TEA PARTY EXPRESS WILL STOP IN HARTFORD ON SEP 11, 2009 ON THEIR WAY TO WASHINGTON DC!!!

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- The mayor of Hartford, Conn., and three others charged in a corruption investigation last week have made a brief appearance before a state judge

The mayor of Hartford, Conn., says a judge has signed a warrant for his arrest in connection with corruption charges surrounding a key supporter. Neither Democratic Mayor Eddie Perez nor his attorney has detailed the charges, which are expected to involve a no-bid contract to former Democratic state Rep. Abraham Giles. State investigators have been looking into a parking lot deal between the city and Giles since 2007. The deal included a $100,000 lease termination fee for Giles to vacate a city lot.

(Cromwell-AP, Aug. 11, 2004 1:25 PM) _ A Cromwell man says he's being targeted in a federal terrorism probe because he's a Muslim. Forty-one-year-old Syed Maswood is denying allegations he offered support to a militant Islamic Web site. Maswood confirms that he's he unnamed Connecticut resident mentioned last week in a federal affidavit charging a British national with supporting terrorism. Maswood says that on March 17th, federal agents raided his home, seizing computer equipment and financial records. According to the affidavit, investigators discovered Maswood's e-mail address among files used to maintain a Web site that funneled money and equipment to...

CROMWELL, Conn. -- A Connecticut nuclear engineer is under investigation in a federal terrorism probe, but denies allegations he offered support to a militant Islamic Web site and said he's being targeted because he is Muslim. Syed R. Maswood, 41, confirmed that he is the unnamed Connecticut resident mentioned last week in a federal affidavit charging a British national with supporting terrorism. Federal agents raided Maswood's home March 17, seizing computer equipment and financial records, he said. Investigators discovered his e-mail address among files used to maintain a Web site that funneled money and equipment to terrorists, according to the...

Earlier this morning I called Brad Davis of WDRC-AM 1360 in Hartford, CT to discuss some issues including BO's eligibility as President. Earlier in the show he discussed the GAO report citing the damaging effects of increasing the tax burden on those Congress deemed wealthy in order to fund their socialist bills. He admitted listeners had been warning him for some time the country was moving towards socialism but wasn't convinced until the GAO report was released. I started to explain to him the case involving Army Major Stefan Cook seeking a stay to deploy to Afghanistan until BO can...

Today, despite the impending threat of thunderstorms, the Hartford Tea Party organization held our 3rd successful Tea Party raly in Hartford, Connecticut.

It's time for another Tea Party! Dear Tea Party Patriots, As you know Connecticut residents are faced with looming municipal & state & federal deficits, a gloomy job market, and some of the highest taxes in the nation. Join us in telling Governor Rell and our state legislators that their taxing & spending & borrowing policies are bad for Connecticut. Bring your family & friends, your signs & voices, and let them know that "We have had ENOUGH!" WHO: Connecticut Tea Party Patriots WHAT: March On the Capitol WHERE: Hartford State Capitol WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 11 AM to 1...

UNREAL! Hartford had over 5000 people gather on the steps of the State Capital building at today's Tax Day Tea Party!!

  ALERT ALERT ALERT The public hearing for Proposed Bill 1098 may have been postponed, but the Bill is STILL ALIVE. Our Rally in Hartford is STILL ON for Wednesday, March 11, at 12 Noon! Details on bus transportation are posted below. Catholics across the State of Connecticut mobilize to fight the irrational, unlawful, and bigoted Proposed Bill #1098/2009

Friday February 27th - High Noon - 1pm Hartford State Capitol (meeting at the Supreme Court steps at 11:45am)

Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez, a Democrat Party member in his third term, has been arrested for bribery, falsifying evidence and conspiring to falsify evidence charges stemming from allegedly underpaying a local contractor for home renovations. The contractor, Carlos Costa, was not paid for nearly two years by Mayor Perez and thought he “would be blackballed as a contractor in the city” if he did not do the renovations free, prosecutors said. When confronted by investigators for not paying Costa, Democrat Mayor Perez said he was distracted by his wife’s illness. Investigators say Perez lied in 2007 Perez when he...