New London Local News - ABC News Radio

Legislation to Raise CT Minimum Wage Passes Senate

2013-05-24T15:37:22Z

(NEW LONDON, Conn.) -- The Connecticut State Senate passed legislation that will increase the minimum wage by 75 cents per hour in the next two years.

According to the Connecticut Post, the legislation, which will now go to the state House for a vote, was passed by a vote of 21-15. The current minimum wage of $8.25 per hour would increase by 45 cents on Jan. 1, 2014. An additional 30 cent hike would occur on Jan. 1, 2015.

Employees making minimum wage would see their yearly pay increase by nearly $1,500 according to the Post.

Gov. Dannel Malloy praised the passage of the legislation, saying "this change will make it just a little easier for working people in our state without adversely impacting the business community."

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Five Men Charged with Kidnapping and Robbery

2013-05-24T14:49:04Z

(MERIDEN, Conn.) -- Five men are facing federal kidnapping, robbery and firearms charges in connection with an incident in Meriden last month.

Charged are William Davis, 25, Timothy Forbes, 31, Kasam Hennix, 39,; and Jeffrey Houston, 26, all from Pennsylvania; along with Christopher Gay, 27, of the Bronx, New York.

Criminal complaints stated that on April 11 at least four suspects wearing masks -- two of them armed with guns -- forced their way into an apartment on Gravel Street and tied up four victims in the home. Three of the intruders allegedly then forced two of the victims to go to Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield, where both victims worked.

The complaints go on to say that at the store the robbers stole jewelry worth between $4 and $5 million dollars.

The two victims were then left tied up inside the store.

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Malloy Applauds Senate's Passage of Bill to Increase Minimum Wage

2013-05-24T13:41:27Z

(HARTFORD, Conn.) -- A proposal to increase the minimum wage in Connecticut was approved by the State Senate on Thursday.

The proposal calls for the minimum wage rate to be increased from $8.25 per hour to $9 per hour by 2015.

"This change will make it just a little easier for working people in our state without adversely impacting the business community," Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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Rhode Island Fugitive Arrested on Drug Charges

2013-05-23T15:17:47Z

(NEW LONDON, Conn.) -- Norwich police arrested a fugitive on Monday after he was caught smoking marijuana in public.

According to the Norwich Bulletin, Dennis Hedges, 35, faces charges of first-degree failure to appear in connection with a drug case in Rhode Island. He was spotted Wednesday afternoon smoking marijuana near Franklin Street and Boswell Avenue.

In addition to the previous charges, the Bulletin reports that Hedges was ticketed for marijuana possession.

Hedges is being held on $100,000 bond and will appear in Norwich Superior Court on Thursday.

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Cromwell Man Arrested on Voyeurism Charges

2013-05-23T09:56:53Z

(CROMWELL, Conn.) -- A Cromwell man has been arrested on voyeurism charges.

Edward Taupier, 48, was taken into custody by police on Wednesday and charged with voyeurism and disseminating voyeuristic material, published reports stated.

Taupier is accused of posting an intimate video on the Internet.

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Bridgeport Man Found Guilty on Gun Charge

2013-05-23T09:19:14Z

(HARTFORD, Conn.) -- A Bridgeport man has been found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm.

On Wednesday, a Hartford jury found Federico Cannon, 30, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon, stemming from his arrest in February last year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The trial began Monday and the evidence presented indicated that a loaded gun was found in a vehicle that was pulled over by Bridgeport Police on Feb. 25, 2012. Cannon was a passenger in the vehicle, and investigators determined that the weapon belonged to him.

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Police Arrest Trio After Finding 300 Heroin Bags During Traffic Stop

2013-05-22T16:08:43Z

(BROOKLYN, Conn.) -- Three men arrested after a traffic stop now face multiple drug charges related to hundreds of bags filled with heroin found in their vehicle.

According to the Norwich Bulletin, Michael Pipkin, 25, Tylon Collette, 24, and Akinola Balogun, 25, were subject to a traffic stop on Tuesday afternoon. During the stop, a police dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs. Officers then found nearly 300 bags of pre-packaged cocaine.

The drugs reportedly have a street value of $3,000.

All three were charged with possession of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to sell. According to the Bulletin, Pipkin and Collette are due in court on Wednesday. Balogun was released on $25,000 bond and is due in court on June 11.

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Regular Service Resumes on Metro-North's New Haven Line

2013-05-22T16:07:23Z

(NEW HAVEN, Conn.) -- In welcomed news for commuters, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Wednesday that regular service has resumed on the Metro-North Railroad following last week's train collision.

"Regular Service in Effect on the New Haven Line Today, Wednesday, May 22," stated a message on the MTA's website.

This comes after there was limited service on the line, as crews worked to repair tracks and other infrastructure that was damaged last Friday in a derailment and collision incident.

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Hartford Fire Displaces 14 Residents

2013-05-22T15:54:25Z

(HARTFORD, Conn.) -- Over a dozen people have been displaced after a fire ripped through a Hartford home on Wednesday morning.

The blaze was reported around 3 a.m. at a home located on Blue Hills Avenue. Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from the top level of the home.

Officials said in published reports that 14 people have been displaced by the fire.

There were no reports of injury, and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

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New London Named Amongst Top Ten Fan Favorite Conn. Towns

2013-05-21T19:36:01Z

(NEW LONDON, Conn.) -- New London was named one of the top ten fan-favorite towns of the year in a public contest organized by the Connecticut Office of Tourism.

Niantic took the top spot. The other runner-up towns were Mystic, New Haven, Putnam, Old Saybrook, Essex, Wethersfield, Hartford and Wallingford.

This marks the second annual contest, and people inside and outside the state were asked to vote for the Connecticut town that they believe most embodies the spirit of the state's brand, "still revolutionary," by being a home for "original ideas, inspiration and innovation."

Nearly 10,000 votes were cast over a four week period.