Connecticut

Boxes to Boots volunteers prepare for Operation Cares 2024

Published

1 year ago

November 11, 2024

Boxes to Boots volunteers prepare for Operation Cares 2024

NBC Connecticut, Comcast and Telemundo are partnering with Boxes to Boots. They’re getting ready to send care packages to service members overseas.

In Berlin, dozens of volunteers are taking donated supplies and getting them ready to be sent overseas at Operation Cares 2024.

What may seem like a small act of kindness can make a big impact.

“Anything that comes from home is a welcome surprise,” Michael Koff, of Cheshire, said.

He’s a veteran who served in the U.S. Army Infantry for 25 years. He’s helping the Boxes to Boots crew on Veteran’s Day, saying it would have been nice to receive a care package like this when he was deployed.

“I can just reflect on what it would be like receiving one of these boxes when you’re deployed,” Koff said.

“It’s our job as a community to put these packages together and make sure our troops know they’re still supported and remembered and loved by us at home,” Kristen Gauvin, the president of Boxes to Boots, said.

The team is getting ready for Operation Cares 2024, where Gauvin said they expect 700 volunteers to help out.

She said they’re expecting a record number of 1,600 boxes to be sent this year, and there’s still a waiting list of recipients.

The boxes have it all.

“Popcorn and theater-sized candy, socks, t-shirts, breakfast items and some good coffee,” Gauvin said.

Community support has only grown, too. This year, 11 Xfinity stores accepted donations, with those supplies in the mix for Monday’s packing.

“We’ve seen a continued uptick in the amount of donations and we’ve been able to have that impact,” Daniel Glanville, of Comcast, said.

Operation Cares 2024 is happening on Saturday at New Britain High School.

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Morning forecast for Feb. 8

Published

9 hours ago

February 9, 2026

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Connecticut

Connecticut man charged with DWI after striking pedestrians in the Bronx, police say

Published

21 hours ago

February 8, 2026

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Connecticut man charged with DWI after striking pedestrians in the Bronx, police say

A Connecticut man was arrested after allegedly driving drunk in the Bronx and hitting pedestrians on a sidewalk late Friday night.

It happened just before 11 p.m. in the Tremont section.

Video shows van mount sidewalk

According to police, Abner Rosa Blanco, of Bridgeport, was driving a white van westbound on East Tremont Avenue when he failed to stay on the road and mounted the sidewalk at Monterey Avenue.

Surveillance video shows the van drifting towards the curb as the driver goes through the intersection, then traveling up onto the sidewalk at the corner, crashing into a pole, a sign and a trash can.

An alleged DWI driver mounted the sidewalk at East Tremont and Monterey avenues in the Bronx and struck two pedestrians on Feb. 6, 2026, police say.

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Additional video shows witness Kenyatta Squires ducking into a corner deli moments before the van barrels onto the sidewalk toward two pedestrians standing outside a business.

“Once I seen him coming, I was like, oh s***. Jumped back into the store,” Squires told CBS News New York. “It could’ve been me. He could’ve hit me first, but lucky I was on point.”

Video shows the van strike the pedestrians, then come to a stop after hitting a building.

The two victims, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, were both taken to a local hospital in stable condition. Both are expected to recover.

Blanco, 42, was not injured. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Witnesses describe chaotic aftermath

Kenny Lam was in the kitchen of Dynasty Taste Chinese Restaurant when he heard the crash.

“Boom, and customers say, oh my God,” he said.

Describing what was a community effort, Lam said witnesses ran toward the van to prevent Blanco from fleeing while also tending to the victims.

Witnesses said Blanco appeared to not be coherent.

“He’s like, ‘Yo, what happened?’” Squires said. “Yo, you just hit two people. What do you mean, ‘what happened?’ You don’t know what happened?”

Three businesses, including Lam’s restaurant and Ramon’s Unisex Barbershop, were damaged in the crash.

“Never seen nothing like that before,” barbershop employee Sylvester Ingram said.

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Connecticut

Newington Ice Arena evacuated after high levels of carbon monoxide detected

Published

1 day ago

February 8, 2026

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Newington Ice Arena evacuated after high levels of carbon monoxide detected

The Newington Ice Arena was evacuated on Saturday night due to crews detecting high levels of carbon monoxide in the arena.

Firefighters responded to the Newington Ice Arena when they got reports of illness like headaches and vomiting.

“On our meters, it got as high as 200 parts per million,” Newington Volunteer Fire Captain Kirk Rosemond said. “Usually when we get anything over 40, 50 that requires us to go in here so that we can go further in and investigate.”

Rosemond said prolonged exposure of 200 parts per million of carbon monoxide can cause headaches and dizziness. He said prolonged exposure can lead to serious health issues or even death.

Rosemond said leaks are common in the winter.

“We see an uptick of that during the cold months, especially after a snowstorm,” he said. “Could be a simple thing of a blocked vent or a malfunctioning furnace or boiler that is probably overworking themselves.”

Crews and Connecticut Natural Gas located a faulty HVAC unit and an ice resurfacing machine as the cause of high levels of carbon monoxide found in the building.

Property management is working to resolve these issues.

Hockey games were happening at the arena since 9 a.m., according to the arena’s website.

Rosemond said no one was injured.

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