Connecticut
Employer of nurse killed in Connecticut halfway house facing $160K fine
A major health care provider is facing a $163,627 fine in connection with the murder of a nurse in a Connecticut halfway house.
The Department of Labor announced the citations Wednesday against Elara Caring in the death of Joyce Grayson.
Grayon, 63, was working at a halfway house in Willimantic on Oct. 28, 2023 when she was attacked and killed by Michael Reese, according to authorities. Reese, a 39-year-old convicted rapist, has been charged with her murder.
“Elara Caring failed its legal duty to protect employees from workplace injury by not having effective measures in place to protect employees against a known hazard and it cost a worker her life,” Occupational Safety and Health Administration Area Director Charles D. McGrevy said in a statement.
“For its employees’ well-being, Elara must develop, implement and maintain required safeguards such as a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program. Workplace safety is not a privilege; it is every worker’s right.”
Grayson had been a nurse for 36 years, including 26 years with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. She was set to administer medication to Reese, who was on probation after serving 14 years in prison for stabbing and raping a woman in 2006.
According to OSHA, Elara Caring “exposed home health care employees to workplace violence from patients who exhibited aggressive behavior and were known to pose a risk to others,” yet the company had no harm-prevention plan in place.
Reese strangled Grayson to death and struck her on the head and torso while attempting to rob and sexually assault her, police said. He admitted to the crime in a phone call shortly afterward, according to investigators.
“I’m going to take the first offer that they give me as long as the charges are right,” he said, according to a warrant. “I’ve already come to terms that this is it for me.”
Connecticut
New businesses heading to West Haven’s shoreline
New businesses are soon set to replace old, rundown buildings in West Haven.
By the end of the summer, the former Savin Rock conference center is slated to become the Kelsey, a restaurant and banquet facility.
Crews are currently working on the inside, according to Mayor Dorinda Borer.
Next door, Jimmies of Savin Rock sits empty after it closed last month. It was open for a hundred years and is now for sale.
Borer said it’s another opportunity to draw people to the city.
“When there are new developers in town, and they’re making things all bright and shiny, that makes people attracted to our city,” Borer said. “It just seems like everything’s starting to bust loose at once. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes, and then it all starts to come to fruition.”
Thirty new luxury apartments are set to replace the Debonair Beach Motel that fell into disrepair after its last day open more than a decade ago. Demolition began last fall, and it’s expected to continue in March.
Down the street, new condos were built by the same owner of the restaurant and bar Riva. They opened their doors last summer, welcoming eager crowds.
“The turnout’s been unbelievable,” Riva’s owner, Michael Delvecchio, said. “People traveling from other states, New York, Rhode Island, all over Connecticut. It’s something that West Haven been dying for.”
Riva replaced Chick’s Drive-In, a West Haven hot-dog and seafood staple that closed in 2015 after its owner passed away.
Delvecchio doesn’t ignore that history. A sign that says “The Lodge at Riva” will be removed and replaced with “Chick’s” during the summer, with accompanying pictures of Savin Rock amusement park on the walls.
“Everybody in town has been, with all this shoreline and all this beach, waiting for something to happen,” he said. “Riva’s a little bit of everything.”
Connecticut
State opens investigation into former New Haven police chief amid stolen money allegations
Connecticut State Police and the Chief State’s Attorney have opened an investigation into former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobsen and allegations that he misused public funds.
The City of New Haven reported the allegations to State’s Attorney John Doyle on Monday.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Monday Jacobson admitted to stealing money from a fund used by the New Haven Police Department to pay for an support its confidential informant program.
Several officers flagged irregularities in the account and notified the three assistant chiefs in the department, according to Elicker. It was then that the assistant chiefs confronted Jacobson on Monday morning.
Elicker said after being confronted, Jacobson admitted to taking the funds. The assistant chiefs then notified Chief Administrative Officer Justin McCarthy, who then notified Elicker.
Jacobson was called in for a meeting with Elicker, where he was to be placed on administrative leave. Elicker said that before the meeting, Jacobson handed in his paperwork to retire, effective immediately.
The mayor was unable to share additional details on how much money was reportedly taken or for how long due to the ongoing investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zannelli has been appointed as the acting police chief.
State police will conduct the investigation and Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin has appointed New Britain Judicial District State’s Attorney Christian Watson to oversee the investigation to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
Connecticut
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