Danbury | featured news

HARTFORD — Connecticut residents will pay a new surcharge on their cell phone, an extra fee to take an Uber ride and lose half of their state personal property tax credit if a budget before the General Assembly is adopted.

The Legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on Thursday — by a narrow 26-25 vote — adopted $3.7 billion in revenue estimates for the emerging 2018 and 2019 fiscal year state budget.

Included in that revenue projection is a 49 cent monthly surcharge on the state’s estimated 3 million personal and commercial cell phones, a 25 cent fee for every ride s

DANBURY — Two schools were placed on lockdown Thursday after police responded to a shooting near the playground at Mill Ridge Primary School on the city’s west side.

Nearly half a dozen squad cars responded to Churchill Road around 1:30 p.m. where they found a 20-year-old man who had been hit with buckshot in his left arm.

DANBURY - A man who fell from a roof and became impaled on a large piece of metal Tuesday appears to be on the road to recovery. Friends and relatives of David Mendes, 34, said Wednesday that he made it through surgery at Danbury Hospital to remove the piece of metal from his chest and that he is in stable condition. Mendes was rushed to the hospital Tuesday after falling about ten feet from a roof at a social club on Federal Road and landing on a barbecue rotisserie stand that punctured he left side of his chest.

DANBURY - Numerous vehicles were destroyed late Tuesday when a fire broke out at a landscaping yard located on South Street.

Jamie Gagliardo, a spokesman for the fire department, said firefighters got a call about the blaze at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and that the first people to arrive found multiple vehicles, including two pickup trucks, a dump truck and a box truck on fire in an fenced in lot.

Firefighters had to cut open the gate to access the blaze, which had also spread to a storage shed that was located on the property.

DANBURY - A man who fell from a roof and became impaled on a large piece of metal was in critical condition after being rushed to the hospital Tuesday.

Jamie Gagliardo, a spokesman for the fire department, said a 30-year-old man fell about 10 feet from the roof of a federal road soccer club - the Casa Do Benfica Soccer and Social Club - around 9:30 a.m.

DANBURY - A teenager facing life in prison on a murder charge agreed to delay a required probable cause hearing during a brief court appearance Monday.

Ronald Massagli, 15, was arrested last month on several charges including felony murder in connection with the Aug. 5 death of 18-year-old Gabe Bardo, who was found unconscious next to his car on Abbott Street and died later in the hospital.

Under state law, any charge that could lead to life in prison requires the holding of a probable cause hearing within 60 days of arrest.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy could hardly be less popular if he tried.

And he often seems to be trying.

The last time Quinnipiac University took the public’s temperature, his approval rating was below 25 percent. Republicans chortle that he’s the least popular Democratic governor in the country. That hasn’t stopped him from trying to serve broccoli to people who want M&M’s.

When we sat down for an editorial board about the will-not-resuscitate state budget Thursday, I recalled similar sessions over the past two decades, many while he was mayor of Stamford.

DANBURY—Two 18-year-olds face several drug charges after police found them in possession of drugs less than a quarter-mile from South Street Elementary School, authorities said.

Around 11:59 p.m. Friday, police received reports of suspicious activity on Town Hill Avenue, where callers said a white SUV was parked outside a house, Sgt. John Krupinski said. Police were told a man had gotten out of the car with what appeared to be a handgun.

When officers arrived, the man with the gun had left the scene, but two people were still in the car.

When the officers asked the driver, Jacob E.

DANBURY—A mobile exhibit honoring first responders of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks will be in the Danbury Fair Mall’s parking lot Monday.

The “9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit,” presented by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, will be in the mall’s front parking lot from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The free-of-charge, 1,000-square-foot exhibit will feature artifacts from the World Trade Center and a depiction of the history of the Twin Towers.

NEW MILFORD — Allegations that a town councilman used his position to solicit business for his employer will be discussed at Monday’s Town Council meeting. Mayor David Gronbach wrote to Councilman Tom Esposito last week saying Esposito created a conflict of interest by taking his boss at Green Star Energy Solutions to a meeting in July with the architect and a subcontractor working on the town library modernization project. The letter accuses Esposito of trying to get business for his company by proposing the library project consider using Green Star’s HVAC system.