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Governor Announces Connecticut's Christmas Movie Trail, Chance to Become an 'Extra' – We-Ha | West Hartford News

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Governor Announces Connecticut's Christmas Movie Trail, Chance to Become an 'Extra' – We-Ha | West Hartford News


Governor Announces Connecticut’s Christmas Movie Trail, Chance to Become an ‘Extra’

Gov. Ned Lamont has announced a contest, where the public can attend the launch of the ‘Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail,’ meet several holiday film actors, and become an extra in a holiday film.

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Gov. Ned Lamont has announced that Connecticut residents who love holiday movies now have an opportunity to enter an exciting new contest offering them a chance to attend the exclusive unveiling of the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail, where they will meet several actors from popular holiday films and also have an opportunity to become an extra in an upcoming holiday movie being shot in Connecticut.

In recent years, Connecticut has become a much sought-after location to film holiday movies, encouraged and supported by the state’s impactful film incentives aimed at building the industry and fostering local talent. To celebrate this distinction, this November the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing and Tourism, in collaboration with the Connecticut Office of Film, TV, and Digital Media, is launching the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail, which will highlight locations across the state where more than 20 holiday movies have been filmed, giving visitors an opportunity to relive iconic holiday movie moments and experience the magic of Connecticut during the festive Christmas season. This will become the first Christmas movie trail in the nation.

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In 2022, the Hallmark movie “The Ghost of Christmas Always” was filmed in part in West Hartford.

“We are proud to celebrate Connecticut’s role as a premier destination for Christmas movie magic,” Lamont said. “Connecticut has long been a place where imagination and opportunity come together, and the launch of the nation’s first Christmas movie trail is yet another example of how our state continues to inspire. This contest is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the films that showcase our state’s charm and beauty – from our historic small towns to our scenic landscapes – and it’s a great chance to invite people to experience firsthand what it means to live, work, and play in Connecticut.”

Twelve contest winners will be invited to attend the trail’s launch event, which will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, and attended by actors Wes Brown, Erin Cahill, and Michael Rady. During the event, one of the contest winners will be selected in a random draw, and that person will win a coveted spot to become an extra in an upcoming holiday film. The event will also feature displays of costumes from several films.

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To enter the contest, visit ctvisit.com/articles/very-connecticut-christmasmovietrail. Entries must be submitted by Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, and winners will be notified shortly thereafter.

“This contest gives fans the ultimate Connecticut experience,” Anthony Anthony, Connecticut’s chief marketing officer, said. “From being immersed in communities where these films were shot to meeting the stars and seeing the costumes up close, it’s a wonderful way to feel the spirit of the holiday season. And the chance to be an extra in a future holiday production? It doesn’t get more magical than that.”

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“Connecticut embodies everything that makes Christmas films special – the warmth, charm, and timeless beauty that viewers love,”Andrew Gernhard, a film producer who shot several holiday movies in Connecticut, said. “This contest will give fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at how that magic comes to life and allows them to be a part of it. It’s an extraordinary way to celebrate not only the spirit of the season but also everything that makes Connecticut such an inspiring place for storytelling.”

Additional information about the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail will be announced during the Nov. 13, 2024, launch event.

For information on tourism in Connecticut, visit CTvisit.com. For information on film, TV, and media production in Connecticut, visit CTfilm.com.

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Connecticut

State police investigating suspicious incident in Burlington

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State police investigating suspicious incident in Burlington


BURLINGTON, Conn. (WFSB) – Connecticut State Police are investigating a suspicious incident at a residence on Case Road in Burlington.

Multiple state troopers and police vehicles were seen at the home conducting an investigation. A viewer reported seeing nine police cars and numerous troopers at the scene.

State police said there is no threat to the public at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

No additional details about the nature of the suspicious incident have been released.

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Ecuadorian national with manslaughter conviction sentenced for illegally reentering United States through Connecticut

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Ecuadorian national with manslaughter conviction sentenced for illegally reentering United States through Connecticut


NEW HAVEN, CT. (WFSB) – An Ecuadorian national with a manslaughter conviction was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for illegally reentering the United States through Connecticut after being deported.

40-year-old Darwin Francisco Quituizaca-Duchitanga was sentenced and had used the aliases Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca and Juan Mendez-Gutierrez.

U.S. Border Patrol first encountered Quituizaca in December 2003, when he used the alias Juan Mendez-Gutierrez and claimed to be a Mexican citizen. He was issued a voluntary return to Mexico.

Connecticut State Police arrested him in March 2018 on charges related to a fatal crash on I-91 in North Haven in March 2017. He was using the alias Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca at the time.

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ICE arrested him on an administrative warrant in Meriden in August 2018 while he was awaiting trial in his state case. An immigration judge ordered his removal to Ecuador in September 2018, but he was transferred to state custody to face pending charges.

Quituizaca was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in January 2019 and sentenced to 30 months in prison.

After his release, ICE arrested him again on an administrative warrant in Meriden in August 2023. He was removed to Ecuador the next month.

ICE arrested Quituizaca again on a warrant in Meriden on June 28th, 2025, after he illegally reentered the United States. He pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry on July 30th.

He has been detained since his arrest. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.

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The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.



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Justice Department sues Connecticut and Arizona as part of effort to get voter data from the states

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Justice Department sues Connecticut and Arizona as part of effort to get voter data from the states


HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Officials in Connecticut and Arizona are defending their decision to refuse a request by the U.S. Justice Department for detailed voter information, after their states became the latest to face federal lawsuits over the issue.

“Pound sand,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes posted on X, saying the release of the voter records would violate state and federal law.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced this week it was suing Connecticut and Arizona for failing to comply with its requests, bringing to 23 the number of states the department has sued to obtain the data. It also has filed suit against the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the department will “continue filing lawsuits to protect American elections,” saying accurate voter rolls are the ”foundation of election integrity.”

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Secretaries of state and state attorneys general who have pushed back against the effort say it violates federal privacy law, which protects the sharing of individual data with the government, and would run afoul of their own state laws that restrict what voter information can be released publicly. Some of the data the Justice Department is seeking includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

Other requests included basic questions about the procedures states use to comply with federal voting laws, while some have been more state-specific. They have referenced perceived inconsistencies from a survey from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Most of the lawsuits target states led by Democrats, who have said they have been unable to get a firm answer about why the Justice Department wants the information and how it plans to use it. Last fall, 10 Democratic secretaries of state sent a letter to the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security expressing concern after DHS said it had received voter data and would enter it into a federal program used to verify citizenship status.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, said his state had tried to “work cooperatively” with the Justice Department to understand the basis for its request for voters’ personal information.

“Rather than communicating productively with us, they rushed to sue,” Tong said Tuesday, after the lawsuit was filed.

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Connecticut, he said, “takes its obligations under federal laws very seriously.” He pledged to “vigorously defend the state against this meritless and deeply disappointing lawsuit.”

Two Republican state senators in Connecticut said they welcomed the federal lawsuit. They said a recent absentee ballot scandal in the state’s largest city, Bridgeport, had made the state a “national punchline.”



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