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Hikers get outside to enjoy ‘Trails Day' across Connecticut, with more hikes still to go

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Hikers get outside to enjoy ‘Trails Day' across Connecticut, with more hikes still to go


It’s “Trails Day” in Connecticut and beyond, a day to celebrate the outdoors by getting outside.

The American Hiking Society started the annual event and the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association keeps it going here in Connecticut.

They’ll tell you a day outside, is a day well spent.

“I thought, here is a chance to try out a new trail,” said Jeff Dickey–Chasins, of Middletown.

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He had been wanting to check out the southern section of Middletown along the Connecticut River, so he took Trails Day as a chance to explore with a group.

The day is dedicated to recreation on the state’s trails.

“Even though there are a few sprinkles we have people ready to go for the hike,” said Gail Hanson, the leader of Dickey-Chasins hike.

She said this is her third year leading hikes, but has been volunteering with the organization for five years. As a former science teacher, for her, it’s a chance to help people appreciate the world they are in.

“I talk to people about the rocks, the birds, the flowers, I point things out, the more you notice, the more fun it could be,” Hanson said.

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The CFPA puts on about 200 hikes and events in 110 towns around the state. The idea is to get more people exposed to the outdoors and enjoying what Connecticut has to offer.

They maintain about 825 miles of our states trail system so this is also a chance to check in on trails at the start of the busy hiking season.

“Really what we want to do is make the outdoors accessible and families especially to experience something new,” said Chuck Toal, leader of Trails Day for the CFPA.

He notes there are activities geared toward everyone, of all experience levels.

“Things like paddles and bike trips, history hikes, yoga hikes, birding events, there are urban events, there are farm walks,” Toal said.

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He said Connecticut’s trails are stellar and more people should be outside using them. This is a chance to do that and celebrate our great state.

“It’s really become a great celebration of all our outdoors here in the state,” he explained.

Despite a few Saturday showers, those participating in the Middletown hike, say a wet day in the woods is still better than a day spent indoors.

“To be outside, what she was saying earlier, its very relaxing, even if it’s raining its relaxing,” explained Dickey-Chasins.

Some Saturday events did get postponed, and there are still Sunday hikes to attend. The CFPA asks you register for the events if you would like to participate.

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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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