hartford Archives

General

Hartford: Nathaniel DeJesus Sentenced For Multiple Crimes

Hartford Man, Nathaniel DeJesus Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl and Crack Distribution Offenses (STL.News) John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NATHANIEL DeJESUS, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. During the investigation, investig...

General

Hartford: Demorse Kelley Admits Assaulting an Employee

Hartford Man, Demorse Kelley Admits Assaulting U.S. Postal Service Employee (STL.News) John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEMORSE KELLEY, 39, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, 2019, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier was sorting mail inside her postal delivery van that was parked on Sigourney Street in Hartford. Kelley approached the van from the sidewalk, slid the side door of the van so that it was fully open and then spoke to the letter carrier. Kelley commented the letter carrier on her appearance and asked her for a...

General

Hartford: Tylon Hicks Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl

Hartford Man, Tylon Hicks Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl (STL.News) John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYLON HICKS, 44, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Michael P. Shea to 77 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl. Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2019, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force received information that Tylon Hicks’ brother, Troy Hicks, was involved in the distribution of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. On August 14, 2019, investigators en...

General

Three Hartford, Connecticut Area Men Face Federal Drug Charges

Three Hartford, Connecticut Area Men Face Federal Drug Charges from Seizure of Fentanyl and Cocaine Base from Rutland Apartment (STL.News) The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, charged three men from the Hartford, Connecticut area with an assortment of heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine offenses. The defendants are: Ralph Mariani (a.k.a. “D”), 27, of East Hartford, Connecticut; Cedano Brownswell, 26, of Hartford, Connecticut; and Rashane Wedderburn, 25, of Hartford, Connecticut. The five-count indictment includes charges that: Mariani and Wedderburn distributed Fentanyl; Mariani possessed, with the intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl; and Brownswell possessed cocaine base. On November 18,...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Declares October 7 as Energy Efficiency Day

Connecticut Joins Coalition of State and Local Governments Recognizing the Importance of Energy Efficiency HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced today that he has signed a proclamation declaring Wednesday, October 7, 2020 as Energy Efficiency Day in the State of Connecticut in recognition of the importance of energy efficiency to the state’s environment, economy, and the well-being of Connecticut residents. Connecticut joins a coalition of advocates, companies, government agencies, and utilities participating in the fifth annual Energy Efficiency Day, an initiative of dozens of energy efficiency advocacy groups around the United States. The event aims to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, including lowering consumer bills, reducing ...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Signs Bill To Process Absentee Ballots During Election

Governor Lamont Signs Bill To Facilitate Processing of Absentee Ballots During Upcoming General Election HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Governor Ned Lamont today signed legislation that will provide municipal election officials with the option of having more time to begin the process of verifying absentee ballots that have been received for the upcoming general election. The use of absentee ballots is anticipated to significantly increase for the November 3, 2020 election due do the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The bill the governor signed today allows local election officials to open the outer envelope used in absentee ballots and verify the legitimacy of the inner envelope beginning on Friday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m., rather than 6:00 a.m. on Election Day, as was previously required. The inner...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Unveils First Battery-Electric Public Transit Buses

HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont joined by officials from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT), today unveiled the first two battery-electric buses entering public service in the State of Connecticut at an event at the GBT Intermodal Transportation Center in Bridgeport. The buses feature zero tailpipe emissions and will use 125 kWh electric bus chargers installed at the GBT bus maintenance facility. Each replacement of a diesel bus with an electric bus will avoid 230,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year – the equivalent of planting 5,000 trees. These are the first buses to enter service under CTDOT’s electric bus initiative. CTDOT is look...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Announces the Launch of Emergency Food Resources

Governor Lamont Announces Launch of Initiative To Provide Emergency Food Resources for Connecticut’s Food Pantries MIDDLETOWN, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, and Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt today announced the launch of a new initiative to provide emergency food resources to Connecticut’s food pantries as the state continues to respond to the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under the initiative, food pantries in need of assistance can visit CTPantryResources.com, where they can connect to resources on food procurement and distribution, volunteer assistance, shipping and storage supports, and more. “Our food pantries and nonprofit partners continue to be valuable resources, and we want to support the...

Politics

Connecticut Gov. Lamont Congratulates 4 Public Schools on Being National Blue Ribbon Schools

Governor Lamont Congratulates Four Connecticut Public Schools on Being Named 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Schools in Coventry, Cheshire, Danbury, and Vernon Earn National Distinction MIDDLETOWN, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona are congratulating four public schools in Connecticut on being named 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The award is given to select schools across the nation annually for demonstrating overall high achievement or success in closing achievement gaps. The four schools are: George Hersey Robertson in Coventry; Norton School in Cheshire; South Street School in Danbury; and Northeast School in Vernon. “Connecticut’s public school teachers are the best i...

Politics

Connecticut Gov. Lamont Announces DECD Awarded $1.4 Million for Pilot Program

Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Awarded $1.4 Million for Pilot Program To Strengthen Defense Manufacturing Supply Chains Digital Model Initiative to Promote Use of 3-D Design and Manufacturing Technology HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont today announced that a Connecticut consortium, led by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment that will fund the Digital Model Initiative, a two-year pilot program to accelerate the adoption of 3-D design and manufacturing technology throughout Connecticut’s defense supply chains. The $1.4 million federal grant will be matched by a $350,000 grant from DECD. “Connecticut’s defense manufactur...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Announces Expansion of State’s Shared Work Program

Governor Lamont Announces Expansion of the State’s Shared Work Program To Help Employers Navigate Economic Impact of Pandemic MIDDLETOWN, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont today announced that as companies continue navigating the impact of the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Connecticut will be expanding its Shared Work program, which helps businesses in the state prevent layoffs by allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours and use partial unemployment benefits to supplement lost wages. The program will be expanded beginning the week of October 5, 2020. To highlight the expansion, the governor today visited Pegasus Manufacturing, a 133-year-old design and engineering firm located in Middletown that is participating in the program, which is administe...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont & Mystic Aquarium Leadership Unveil Long-Term Restructure Plan

HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced today the completion of a $31.5 million public-private restructure and investment in Mystic Aquarium that will assist the popular southeastern Connecticut tourist destination to continue operations following the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under the restructure, Mystic Aquarium has raised more than $10 million from private donors and eliminated $14.5 million in long-term debt. The State of Connecticut will make available a $7 million line of credit for working capital, and the plan calls for Mystic Aquarium to replace the state funding with private capital following recovery from COVID-19. “This is a great deal for Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “This is an investment in one of our treasured assets, and w...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Announces Launch of Connecticut’s New Online State Tax Filing System

New Filing System and Payment Portal Provides for User-Friendly Services to Taxpayers, Beginning with Businesses in Phase 1 HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) multi-year IT modernization initiative that will improve the customer’s experience and deliver additional, user-friendly features such as mobile device-friendly design, secure web messaging, and advanced tax filing reminders. The launch is highlighted by the new, online tax filing and payment portal called DRS myconneCT. Certain taxes filed by businesses are included in the initial phase, and the program will include all state tax filings made with DRS in future phases. Information about the portal will be included in business.ct...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont: Program Investing in Remote Learning for Connecticut Students

Everybody Learns Initiative’ Includes Purchase of More Than 81,000 Devices, At-Home Internet Access for 60,000 Students, Creation of 200 Public Hotspots to Close Connecticut Digital Divide HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that nearly 25 percent of the 81,000 devices purchased through his administration’s Everybody Learns initiative are scheduled to arrive earlier than anticipated, with some districts seeing deliveries this week. Taken together with the 60,000 Dell laptops provided by the Partnership for Connecticut, the State of Connecticut has now provided more than 141,000 devices targeted primarily to high-need districts and their students. The state has also made substantial progress on its delivery of 60,000 at-home internet connections in the way of pers...

General

Connecticut Governor Lamont Announces Toronto FC Reaches Agreement With State To Play Home Matches at Pratt & Whitney Stadium

HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration, working in collaboration with Spectra Venue Management services, has reached an agreement with Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC to play its home games this season at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The club’s first home game in East Hartford will be held on Sunday, September 27, when it hosts Columbus Crew SC. Major League Soccer is in the process of finalizing travel protocols for the remainder of the regular season, and additional matches are anticipated to be announced soon. “Pratt & Whitney Stadium is an ideal location for professional soccer, and I am excited that we’ve reached an agreement with Toronto FC to have the club play their home games here,” Governor L...

Politics

Connecticut Governor Lamont Directs Flags To Half-Staff Friday in Observance of 9/11 Anniversary

Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven Will Be Illuminated Red, White, and Blue on Thursday and Friday Nights HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, September 11, 2020 in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 men, women, and children who were killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags – including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise – should also be lowered during this same duration of time. In addition, Governor Lamont announced that the state will illuminate the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven – informally known by many residents as the Q Brid...

Politics

Connecticut Gov. Lamont Appoints Angel Quiros as Commissioner of DOC

HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is appointing Angel Quiros to serve as commissioner of the Department of Correction (DOC). A veteran of the DOC, Quiros has worked at the agency since 1989, first joining as a correctional officer and then working his way up the ranks as lieutenant, captain, major, deputy warden, warden, district administrator, and his current position as deputy commissioner of operations and rehabilitative services, which he has held since January 2019. He has also been serving in the capacity of interim commissioner since July, following the departure of the agency’s most recent commissioner, Rollin Cook, from the position. In addition to his work within the state’s criminal justice system, Quiros brings a national perspective to the ...

Health

Connecticut Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Has Completed More Than One Million COVID-19 Tests

HARTFORD, CT (STL.News) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont Wednesday announced that as of Wednesday, more than one million COVID-19 PCR-based diagnostic tests have been recorded in Connecticut – a major accomplishment that has helped the state remain one of the few in the nation to keep the virus contained to low levels of transmission throughout the summer. “I am incredibly proud of the work that our agencies, state-contracted laboratories, and testing partners have done to ensure that we have a test available for everyone who needs one in our state,” Governor Lamont said. “This is a significant milestone, but we have to continue these efforts and keep going. We’re committed to moving forward with initiatives that keep testing available in the state to protect our residents, maintain the ...