Connecticut
Examining Connecticut’s catalytic converter laws as thefts continue
(WFSB) – These most up-to-date catalytic converter thefts are simply one other instance of the continued and rising drawback in our state.
There’s a new regulation in place designed to make it tougher to promote catalytic converters however is it working, and why are they so priceless?
It sort of seems to be like a muffler and it sits beneath your automotive, however with the correct instruments, thieves can take it in minutes.
Catalytic converters have very costly, valuable metals inside them, and plenty of thieves look like undeterred at stopping from stealing them.
“It’s one thing that continues to plague cities across the state,” stated Cheshire Police Chief and President of the Connecticut Police Chiefs affiliation Neil Dryfe.
Dryfe stated catalytic converter thefts proceed to be an enormous drawback in Connecticut.
A brand new regulation took impact in July 2022 that requires folks promoting a catalytic converter to supply their driver’s license, the license plate of the automotive used for transport, picture or video of the vendor, and their license, amongst different restrictions.
Dryfe stated it’s onerous to evaluate if the regulation is deterring thieves.
“I don’t need to say that it hasn’t had any impact, as a result of I’m sure that it in all probability has, I believe there are nonetheless a lot of sure people who find themselves going to exit right here and are going to steal catalytic converters anyway. There’s a marketplace for them due to the valuable metals inside them and there are specific people who find themselves not keen to obey the regulation. They don’t care that the regulation modified,” stated Dryfe.
These valuable metals the chief is referring to have skyrocketed in worth.
Rhodium is promoting for $12,400 per ounce. Palladium is promoting for $1,748 per ounce and platinum is promoting for $1,060 an oz..
Ukraine has a number of the richest provides of those metals in your complete world. Because the conflict has raged on, there have been steel shortages, the costs have continued to rise and so have catalytic converter thefts.
Joe Genovese is normal supervisor of Arite Used Auto Elements. He stated auto recyclers don’t purchase catalytic converters anyway. He stated lawmakers ought to be wanting on the scrap yards that they’re bought to. They’re those that extract the valuable metals.
“They’re bought earlier than they’re even lower and so they know who they’re going to promote them to. So you must discover out who that’s. The place do these find yourself in the long run. Trigger for those who can regulate that then you may in all probability cease the converter thefts. However for those who can’t regulate that then it’s simply going to proceed to occur,” Genovese stated.
We’re informed lots of the converters stolen listed here are bought in New Jersey.
There may be discuss of recent laws geared toward forcing insurance coverage firms to totally reimburse for stolen catalytic converters, however critics say it should elevate charges and do nothing to cease the thefts.
Legislation geared toward making catalytic converters tougher to promote
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Connecticut
Rocky Hill business vacates premises after multiple violations found
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Connecticut
Explosion at Waterbury home leaves 1 dead
A man has died after an explosion and a fire inside of a home in Waterbury over the weekend.
Emergency crews responded to a report of a fire at a home on Horseshoe Drive around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday.
When crews arrived, firefighters said they found an active fire at the home.
Emergency crews at the scene removed a 56-year-old man from the home, police said.
The man was transported to Saint Mary’s Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. He died of his injuries early Monday morning.
Police have not released the man’s identity at this time.
According to police, an unknown explosion happened inside of the home and caused the fire. The cause of the explosion and fire are both under investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.
The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit is expected to conduct a controlled detonation at the home on Monday.
There is no danger to the community.
The investigation is ongoing.
Connecticut
Prospect Medical Holdings files for bankruptcy, casting uncertainty over its Connecticut hospitals
Prospect listed over $400 million in debts but promised to keep its hospitals open.
Janice Hur
Staff Reporter
Tim Tai, Senior Photographer
On Jan. 11, Prospect Medical Holdings, the owner of three hospitals in Connecticut, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Prospect’s filing listed debts of more than $400 million. The company hopes the bankruptcy process will allow it to expedite the sale of hospitals outside its home state, California, while stabilizing its financial footing.
In a press release, Prospect promised that all of its hospitals, medical centers and physician offices would remain open and provide uninterrupted patient care and services during the bankruptcy process.
“Prospect’s decision to file for bankruptcy is much larger than just the state of Connecticut – this is a national matter and of grave concern to many hospitals around the country,” a Yale New Haven Health spokesperson wrote to the News.
YNHH is in a legal battle over the $435 million hospital deal to acquire Prospect’s three Connecticut hospitals. In a lawsuit filed last year, YNHH alleged Prospect’s financial instability and mismanagement, citing inadequate investments, unpaid pension plans and growing debt.
Prospect’s bankruptcy filing also comes after months of legal battles with state governments, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, over allegations of financial mismanagement and underinvestment in their hospital systems. CBS News previously reported that in 2018, Prospect’s private equity owners took out a $1.12 billion loan which they used to issue its leadership a $457 million dividend.
Prospect cited the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and increased health plan denials as reasons for its financial woes.
Last week, a bipartisan Senate committee released a report with what it described as “overwhelming evidence of financial mismanagement” at Prospect, as the company’s “pursuit of financial results overshadowed priorities like patient safety and sustainable business operations.”
A Prospect spokesperson denied the allegations and claimed that the Senate report “drew false conclusions and omitted key facts.”
The bankruptcy filing needs to be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Bankruptcy’s fallout in Connecticut
As Prospect’s bankruptcy proceedings unfold, state officials, hospital leaders and legislators are working to ensure continuity of patient care and stability within Connecticut’s healthcare system.
Prospect’s three Connecticut hospitals — Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital — provide critical services to their local communities, including emergency care, inpatient treatments and outpatient clinics.
Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has emphasized the importance of maintaining operations at these facilities and has announced steps to oversee the process.
“We have a cross-agency team in place to ensure hospital operations continue uninterrupted and that employees and vendors continue to be compensated, as required by court orders,” Lamont said in a press release. “Our number one priority remains maintaining safety and quality of care at Prospect’s three Connecticut hospitals.”
State Attorney General William Tong emphasized that Prospect Medical Holdings remains accountable for its obligations to patients, employees and creditors.
Some legislators, including state Sen. Jeffrey Gordon, have called for swift and decisive action to address the potential fallout from the bankruptcy.
In an email to the News, Gordon described the bankruptcy filing as serious but expressed confidence in the state’s ability to manage the crisis. He highlighted the importance of prioritizing patient care and employee protection during this period of uncertainty.
“We cannot have Prospect Medical Holdings’ hospitals and ECHN close. They remain open, even through bankruptcy proceedings. I encourage people who need medical care to still seek it, especially during an emergency,” Gordon wrote to the News.
Gordon also renewed calls for the legislature to address issues tied to private equity in healthcare.
He has introduced the Putting Patients Over Profits Act, which would ban private equity from purchasing hospitals in Connecticut, prevent the sale of hospital land and assets to third parties for profit and strengthen protections for healthcare professionals against undue corporate influence.
Gordon described the bill as essential for maintaining the integrity of Connecticut’s healthcare system and ensuring that patient care remains the top priority.
“If this situation is not dealt with fully and soon, then it could have major, adverse impacts upon healthcare,” Gordon wrote to the News.
Less than a year ago, another major hospital system, Steward Health Care, filed for bankruptcy, sparking a backlash against private equity’s involvement in healthcare.
Prospect Medical Holdings was established in 1996.
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