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O’Dea Pushes For Crackdown On Impaired Driving On Connecticut's Highways | CT News Junkie

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O’Dea Pushes For Crackdown On Impaired Driving On Connecticut's Highways | CT News Junkie


Rep. Tom O’Dea says he wants to see a crackdown on smoking and drinking on Connecticut’s highways during a Transportation Committee public hearing at the Connecticut State Capitol on Feb. 26, 2025. Credit: Mia Palazzo / CTNewsJunkie

HARTFORD, CT – State Rep. Tom O’Dea, R-New Canaan, is urging lawmakers to crack down on smoking and drinking on Connecticut highways, calling for stricter enforcement of impaired driving laws during a public hearing Wednesday on Senate Bill 1375, a comprehensive road safety bill.

The bill, titled An Act Concerning Highway, Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety, includes several measures to reduce roadway hazards. Among its provisions is a ban on open alcoholic beverage containers in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles, bringing Connecticut in line with federal standards under 23 USC 154. 

Failure to comply has cost the state nearly $189 million in federal funding reallocations since 2001, according to testimony from Transportation Commissioner Garrett T. Eucalitto.

“Connecticut is one of 12 states without an open container law,” Eucalitto said. “Not every crash is tested for blood alcohol level, and if we had more information, we could implement more targeted safety measures.”

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While the bill targets alcohol, O’Dea took aim at cannabis users, citing the 2021 law legalizing recreational cannabis while also prohibiting police from using the odor of marijuana as probable cause for a vehicle search. 

“That to me, commissioner, is outrageous,” O’Dea said. “Nobody on planet Earth has ever gotten intoxicated because someone in the passenger seat has drank a beer, but if you’re bellowing out of a car like Cheech and Chong, that secondary smoke is getting you high.”

O’Dea pointed to report from Utah stating that fatalities had increased after state law was changed to lower the maximum legal blood-alcohol content to 0.05%. He said that over the next 16 years there were 35 fatalities involving BAC levels between 0.05% and0.07%. 

“Two-thirds of those fatalities also involved drugs and excessive speed,” O’Dea said.

Eucalitto acknowledged data gaps.

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“The presence of drugs doesn’t indicate impairment,” he said. “This is the problem with trying to discuss this issue. We don’t have all the information we need.”

Section 5 of the bill seeks to address those gaps by prohibiting open containers and strengthing enforcement measures. O’Dea remains adamant that cannabis enforcement must also be prioritized.

“Let’s get rid of the pot in the cars. Let’s increase enforcement … Let’s do more things that will stop the problem we have now,” O’Dea said.






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Where to watch Los Angeles Sparks vs Connecticut Sun on May 30: TV channel, start time and streaming

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The WNBA has returned with a brand new collective bargaining agreement and a league full of loaded rosters as the 2026 season tips off.

A rookie class headlined by Dallas Wings top pick Azzi Fudd, Minnesota’s Olivia Miles and Washington’s Lauren Betts is ready to make a mark in the pros while the defending champion Las Vegas Aces look to keep their dynasty alive with a fourth title in five years.

As the the season gets going under a new media rights deal, it can be tough to figure out which channel each team is playing on every night. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in when the Connecticut Sun host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday.

What time is Los Angeles Sparks vs Connecticut Sun?

Tip off between the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks is scheduled for 6 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 30.

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How to watch Los Angeles Sparks vs Connecticut Sun on Saturday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:09 a.m.

Watch the WNBA all season on Fubo

WNBA scores and results

See scores, results for all of today’s games .

See WNBA scores, results from May 29

Odds for WNBA games today

The latest WNBA odds can be found below from the best sports betting apps . Some odds may include games scheduled on future dates.

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Are high gas prices fueling rise in Connecticut deadly motorcycle crashes?

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Are high gas prices fueling rise in Connecticut deadly motorcycle crashes?




Are high gas prices fueling rise in Connecticut deadly motorcycle crashes? – NBC Connecticut



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A look at Kathie Lee Gifford’s $100 million Connecticut home

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A look at Kathie Lee Gifford’s 0 million Connecticut home


Luxury Homes

Kathie Lee Gifford and her late husband, football legend Frank Gifford, purchased the house in 1994.

Kathie Lee Gifford’s house at 108 Cedar Cliff in Riverside, Conn., is listed for $100,000,000. Modern Media

Former “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford is selling her sprawling 13,163-square-foot Connecticut home. The asking price? $100,000,000.

Dubbed “Cedar Cliff,” the Greenwich estate at 108 Cedar Cliff in the Riverside section of town, was once owned by railroad tycoon Henry F. Shoemaker. Kathie Lee Gifford and her late husband, football legend Frank Gifford, purchased the house in 1994 for $7.8 million . The 13,163-square-foot, 29-room estate has eight bedrooms and 14 bathrooms (nine full, five half).

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The rear of the house at 108 Cedar Cliff in the Riverside section of Greenwich. – Modern Media
The pool overlooks Greenwich Cove. – Modern Media

“They added a substantial addition to the house to make it work for their lifestyle,” listing agent Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty said. That addition is the east wing of the house, constructed in the early 2000s, which includes a private theater and wine cellar.

The eight bedrooms are similarly sized and have views of Greenwich Cove. The primary bedroom and two guest bedrooms have a balcony as well. The estate has a greenhouse, a screened porch, a sun room, a tennis court, and a billiards room currently containing Frank Gifford memorabilia. There are 10 fireplaces throughout the house.

The tennis court. – Modern Media
The billiards room currently contains Frank Gifford memorabilia. – Daniel Milstein
The screened-in porch. – Daniel Milstein

Within the 2.91-acre gated peninsula is a spa, pool, and pool house.

McElwreath said “empty nester” Gifford is selling the property because “her children are grown and are married with their own children. Kathie Lee spends most of her time in Tennessee and is no longer using the house full-time.”

The house has a recently installed Ludowici terra cotta roof, sun decks that have been rebuilt, and there is access to a full-property generator as well as a private beach.

The spa pool. – Modern Media

McElwreath said there are additional aspects that make this property worth the monstrous price tag.

“The setting is extraordinary. Elevated high above the water with over 1,250 feet of frontage, the property offers the rare combination of commanding panoramic views and direct waterfront access via a private pier and deep water dock,” she said.

McElwreath said the kind of buyer looking at this property is attracted to Greenwich for its high quality of life and proximity to Midtown Manhattan.

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The primary bedroom at Kathie Lee Gifford’s Connecticut house. – Daniel Milstein
A guest balcony. – Modern Media

”High net-worth buyers do not compromise. They seek exceptional properties in prime locations. Cedar Cliff is a one-of-a-kind opportunity and will attract buyers looking for privacy and resort-like amenities,” McElwreath said.

The task of selling the estate was entrusted to McElwreath by Gifford after McElwreath represented the seller of Copper Beech Farm in Greenwich, which sold for just under $139,000,000 in 2023.

The property has a private dock. – Modern Media

“[Copper Beach] is still the highest sale ever in Greenwich and the state of Connecticut. I plan to use the full resources of Sotheby’s International Realty to find the buyer for Cedar Cliff,” McElwreath said. “I also represented the seller of 100 Field Point Circle, the second highest sale in Greenwich at $50 million. My proven track record, combined with the marketing expertise of Sotheby’s, will prove to be a winning combination.”






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