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Washington becomes CT's first town to get approval for speed enforcement cameras

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Washington becomes CT's first town to get approval for speed enforcement cameras


A small Connecticut town is slated to get some new technology to curb heavy feet. Washington is the first municipality in the state to receive approval for speed enforcement cameras.

Residents were pleased to hear the technology will be online soon.

“If people could just slow down and enjoy the town instead of speeding through it,” said Cynthia Quinn, who lives in town.

She is in favor of the technology rolling out, describing for us her method of stepping completely off the roadway when walking – because of speeders.

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“People walk on these roads, they ride their bikes, they have their kids and people are going really really fast,” Quinn said.

Washington received approval from the Connecticut DOT for rollout of speed cameras on three local roads. One Is slated to be operating at the start of 2025.

“The number one volume of calls I get in my office every day is about speeding on our roads,” said First Selectman James Brinton.

The technology in town he said was a no-brainer. They went through the process of approving a town ordinance, and after some initial questions from townsfolk, and hearing the concerns from his residents, the technology was nearly unanimously approved. The main reason was safety.

“This was never about revenue, this is about getting our roads safer,” said Brinton.

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The cameras are designed to run license plates of speeding cars. Violations recorded have to be approved by the town’s police officer, and when approved, a citation is sent in the mail. Fines are capped at $75 dollars and the money generated – per Connecticut law – must go back to the town for other roadway safety initiatives.

“Probably the number one complaint we get here in Washington, is speeding,” reiterated Officer Rich Innaimo with the Washington Police Department.

Full time, it’s himself, and a resident State Trooper in Washington.

The technology he said will work in tandem with radar they already run, and plan to continue. It’s an aid, not a replacement, according to Innaimo.

“Our ultimate goal is to get people to slow down,” he said.

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Placement of the cameras has to be data driven.

“It’s meant to be in the most dangerous areas based on data, based on community feedback,” said Josh Morgan, a spokesperson with the CT DOT.  

Concerns have been raised by groups like the ACLU of CT since the beginning of discussions around speed safety technology, and red-light camera technology.

The ACLU of Connecticut was involved in discussions around the law allowing the speed cameras from the jump. They don’t believe speed enforcement or red light camera technology is the right way to go. But based on how the law is written, they believe Connecticut has the potential to get the rollout of the tech right. They plan to monitor the data and rollout of the cameras around Connecticut closely.

“We anticipate lots of ups and downs but ultimately we will be looking at the data as it rolls in to ensure its being rolled out in a fair and equitable way that comparts with the constitution,” said Executive Director of the ACLU of CT David McQuire.

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When asked about the technology, people from different towns expressed mixed feelings about the technology becoming reality and expanding to different areas.

“Again, I’m not crazy about it, I’d rather know that I had been speeding and why I was stopped,” said Mari Frohne.

She noted receiving the citation in the mail doesn’t please her. She would prefer the interaction with an officer about any violations she found herself in.

Others though were intrigued by the potential safety benefits.

“I live on a street that has a 25-m.p.h. speed limit on an S curve and people are doing 50 m.p.h. on that thing, so if it’s going to save some lives, I’m for it,” said Carl Cruz.

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He noted similar tech has been around in other areas, and he believes if it changes reckless driver behavior, it should be used.

But with residents in town concerned with speeding, it came down to safety. People like Quinn hope starting with three cameras, proves moving the needle in the right direction is possible.

“You just see an increase in pedestrians being hit I don’t think there is any downside to people just being slower,” said Quinn.

Major cities like Stamford and New Haven remain in the approval process phase of getting the OK for the rollout of the technology.

Since the cameras aren’t ‘set and forget,’ the law states approval is good for three-year terms. So in three years’ time, the cameras will need re-approval to remain, or new approval to expand or move.  

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say


Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.

The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.

According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.

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Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.

A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.

Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.

The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.

Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.

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Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.

Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.

The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.



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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors

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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors


Washington just became the latest state to regulate artificial intelligence.

Under a pair of bills signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson Tuesday, companies like OpenAI and Anthropic will have to include new disclosures in their popular chatbots for Washington users.

Ferguson asked legislators to craft House Bill 1170 to crack down on AI-generated misinformation. When content is substantially modified using generative AI, that information will now have to be traceable using watermarks or metadata. The new law applies to large AI companies more than 1 million monthly subscribers.

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“ I’m confident I’m not the only Washingtonian who often sees something on my phone and wondering to myself, ‘Is that AI or is it real?’ And I feel like I’m a reasonably discerning person,” Ferguson said during the bill signing. “It is virtually impossible these days.”

RELATED: WA Gov. Bob Ferguson calls for regulations on AI chatbot companions

House Bill 2225 establishes new guard rails for AI chatbots that act like friends or companions. It applies to services like ChatGPT and Claude, but excludes more narrowly tailored chatbots, like the customer service windows that pop up when visiting a corporate website.

Chatbots that fit the bill will have to disclose to users that they are not human at the start of every conversation, and every three hours in an ongoing chat. The tools will also be barred from pretending to be human in conversation with users.

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The rules go further if the user is a minor. Companies that operate chatbots will have to disclose that the tools are not human every hour, rather than every three hours, if the user is under 18. The bill forbids AI companions from having sexually explicit conversations with underage users. It also bans “manipulative engagement techniques.” For example, a chatbot is not allowed to guilt or pressure a minor into staying in a conversation or keeping information from parents.

“AI has incredible potential to transform society,” Ferguson said. “At the same time, of course, there are risks that we must mitigate as a state, especially to young people. So I speak partly as a governor, but also as the father of teenage twins who grapple with this as a lot of parents do every single day.”

Under the law, AI chatbots will not be allowed to encourage or provide information on suicide or self-harm, including eating disorders. The companies behind these tools will be required to come up with a protocol for flagging conversations that reference self-harm and connecting users with mental health services.

The regulations come in the wake of several high-profile instances of teenage suicide following prolonged interactions with AI companions that showed warning signs. Many more AI users of all ages have reported mental health issues and psychosis after heavy use of the technology.

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Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid

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Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid


Washington Wizards (16-55, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-51, 14th in the Western Conference)

Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Utah after losing 16 in a row.

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The Jazz have gone 13-24 in home games. Utah ranks second in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.

The Wizards are 5-29 in road games. Washington is 9-10 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 15.3 turnovers per game.

The Jazz score 117.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 124.1 the Wizards give up. The Wizards’ 46.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.9 percentage points lower than the Jazz have allowed to their opponents (49.0%).

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 122-112 on March 6, with Ace Bailey scoring 32 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

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Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.7 points per game.

Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.

INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Cody Williams: out (shoulder), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D’Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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