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Connecticut Sun host youth clinic ahead of game at TD Garden

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Connecticut Sun host youth clinic ahead of game at TD Garden


BOSTON — The Connecticut Sun are making their arrival in Boston well-known.

The Sun – who will play in the first WNBA game at TD Garden Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks – held their first Connecticut Sun Youth Sports Festival Saturday afternoon at the Track at New Balance.

The event featured 20-minute clinics run by Sun Academy, the team’s official youth basketball platform. There were stations with the PWHL, NWHL and LPGA, as well as Microsoft’s Science of Basketball STEM sessions and Daily Human’s mental strength conditioning sessions.

“It’s really exciting and it makes us feel good because planning this was very nerve-racking. We were unsure if people would come, if they would hear about it,” Morgan Tuck, the Sun’s assistant general manager, said Saturday. “It’s to see and give people an understanding that the Connecticut Sun are here and that we can offer really good experiences – I think that’s what we try to focus on.”

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Mitchell Hercule brought his son and daughter to the youth clinic. They’ll also be in attendance Tuesday at TD Garden as the Sun play in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,156. Hercule runs the “Ladies Night” basketball program in Brockton for girls ages 6-19 and has watched the women’s game grow over the past few years.

“It’s a great situation because all they’re used to seeing is guys playing basketball. When they see girls playing basketball, and women playing basketball, they can aspire to be like those women. You can only be what you can see,” Hercule said Saturday. “I’ve been working with girls’ basketball for 20 years in Massachusetts, and the last two to three years have been phenomenal for the girls.”

The Sun, known as New England’s WNBA team, are trying to further break into the Boston market and connect with a new group of fans through their game at TD Garden. Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti said the organization was unsure of what the reception of their Boston debut would be, but has been pleasantly surprised by the outpour of support.

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Tuesday’s sold-out, 7:00 p.m. matchup is the third-highest attendance to a WNBA game thus far this season, and the most-sold tickets to a Sun game in the franchise’s history. The Sun have played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, since 2003 – it has a capacity of 10,000 seats.

“It’s really validating,” Rizzotti said Saturday. “To see the way that the Boston and New England market has turned out, and the excitement around having the chance to have access to a WNBA game has been unbelievable. I think it’s just a testament to how much the game has grown and how popular women’s basketball is across the county.”

The Sun will face the Atlanta Dream on Sunday before shipping up to Boston for Tuesday’s historic game at the Garden. Connecticut topped the Dallas Wings 109-91 in its first game action since July 16 on Friday. While every game in the latter half of the season matters, Tuesday’s matchup against the Sparks holds a greater meaning for the league and the state of women’s basketball as a whole.

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“For a lot of our players it’s going to be the first time they’ve played in front of that many people or been in that situation,” Tuck said. “I think it is going to bring a lot more excitement to the game … a really proud moment to showcase our product.”



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Police investigate deadly shooting in Hartford

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Police investigate deadly shooting in Hartford


Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened in Hartford Monday afternoon.

The shooting happened in the area of Pleasant and Main streets.

The police department said a homicide occurred and they are conducting an investigation.

An NBC Connecticut crew is headed to the scene. We’ll provide updates as they become available.

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Rocky Neck State Park remains closed because of fire

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Rocky Neck State Park remains closed because of fire


Rocky Neck State Park remains closed after fire broke out on a hiking trail on Saturday.

The park and trail system remain closed as crews work to manage the fire, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The park will be closed until further notice.

Firefighters are battling several fires across the state amid dry conditions and a statewide emergency burn ban is in effect.

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Outdoor grills, fire pits, campfires, kindling and use of flame are not allowed in any state parks, forests or other state-owned public lands. The ban also includes smoking and using lighters outdoors.

The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and parts of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are also closed.

Gov. Ned Lamont on Oct. 25 declared a state of emergency because of fire conditions.  





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Crews work to contain Hawthorne fire as challenging conditions persist

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Crews work to contain Hawthorne fire as challenging conditions persist


Authorities say there are potentially more challenges coming up this week and it could be months before the state is really out of the woods when it comes to the fire danger.

“We’re just trying to keep the residents of Connecticut safe,” said Rich Schenk, the fire control officer for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Burn bans are still in place as the state deals with dozens of fires.

A few new ones popped up on Sunday bringing the total to 111 being tracked statewide.

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“Without rain, the ground is getting drier. The leaves, it’s like walking on potato chips out there,” Schenk said.

Firefighters are battling a fire in Rocky Neck State Park that has burned about 46 acres.

The park remains closed for public safety.

At the largest blaze in the state – the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin – there is promising news.

“We’re going to transition into more from the mop up phase to more of a patrol phase throughout this week,” said Chief Jonn Massirio, of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department.

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The fire is now considered 50% contained after scorching 127 acres.

But the coming days could bring warmer temperatures, gustier winds, and more red flag warnings.

“We’re still going to keep our guard up. They’re not gonna, you know, put our heads down. Still got to be vigilant. Across the state. Conditions still persist to be dry,” Massirio said.

Crews from outside the state have been called in to help. They could be here until December or January.

“We’re going to need some kind of weather pattern that changes what we’re in until we get some southern moisture coming up. I want to plan for the worst case scenario so that the state’s prepared and I don’t want to be caught shorthanded,” Schenk said.

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At least at the Hawthorne Fire, crews are hopeful the fire containment can be increased this week.



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