Sandy Hook Commission reveals controversial recommendations

Hamden CT Mayor Scott Jackson (at podium), Chair of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission and CT Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Christine Stuart file photo, CTNewsJunkie.com

by CTNewsjunkie Staff

After more than 40 hours of expert testimony, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission issued an interim report that includes a controversial recommendation to ban high-capacity magazines with 10 or more bullets and guns that can shoot them.

According to the report, the commission recognized that certain sporting events may at times seek to utilize higher capacity magazines. However, the consensus of the commission was that the spirit of sportsmanship can be maintained with lower capacity magazines.

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Postponed – DEEP Commissioner to ‘charge up’ at Storrs Center

CT DEEP Commissioner Esty is expected to charge his Chevy Volt at one of the stations – there are four Level 2 retractable electric charging stations in the Mansfield Garage – and a Hertz car-share program will be introduced.

Editor’s note – This event was postponed because of winter weather. When a new new date is announced, I will share that information.

By Brenda Sullivan, HTNP News Editor

Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty is expected to join Mansfield Mayor Betsy Paterson and other local dignitaries at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 to tour the Storrs Center development.

The visit is meant to highlight energy and pro-environment aspects of the development, including electric vehicle charging stations for the public.

Commissioner Esty is expected to charge his Chevy Volt at one of these stations – there are four, Level-2 retractable electric charging stations – and a Hertz car-share program will be introduced.

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New Red Sox charity plate for CT scholarships

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman are expected to join representatives from the Boston Red Sox and other state and local officials at a news conference to announce the details of a Red Sox charity license plate program on March 8, 2013.

By Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News Editor

Editor’s note: Given the forecast for severe weather Thursday evening into Friday morning, this event may be postponed.

On Friday morning (March 8), Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman are expected to join representatives from the Boston Red Sox and other state and local officials at a news conference to announce the details of a Red Sox charity license plate program.

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Fund approved for workers traumatized by Newtown shootings

The Sandy Hook Workers Assistance Fund will be used to reimburse medical expenses and lost wages. It will be overseen by the Connecticut Office of Victim Services and funded through private donations (including corporate donations), which will be handled by the United Way of Newtown.

By Brenda Sullivan | HTNP News Editor

The Connecticut General Assembly unanimously gave final approval today (March 6) for legislation that will create a special fund to assist workers who were traumatized by the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT. The Sandy Hook Workers Assistance Fund will be used to reimburse medical expenses and lost wages.

It will be overseen by the Connecticut Office of Victim Services and funded through private donations (including corporate donations), which will be handled by the United Way of Newtown.

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Windham Hospital Auxiliary offers college scholarships

Windham Community Hospital in Willimantic CT. Contributed photo.

The Auxiliary to Windham Hospital invites applications from area high school seniors for the Anne L. Card Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship, named in honor of the late Anne L. Card who was a 50-plus year member of the Auxiliary and a dedicated volunteer at the hospital, awards two $1,000 scholarships to students planning to enter a full-time course of study in medical-related fields.

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Congressman Joe Courtney on looming budget cuts

Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney.

Dear Friend,

Last Friday, with sequestration’s across-the-board, indiscriminate cuts looming and a host of outstanding issues still unaddressed, Speaker Boehner called a vote on whether the House should adjourn and return home for the week.

I voted against adjourning and said, “As precious seconds tick away, the House should be in Washington doing its job and finding a compromise to protect our economy. Speaker Boehner should reverse course, and keep the House in session.”

Sequestration was designed to spur bipartisan action in Congress to address our long-term fiscal outlook. When used in the past, that is precisely what happened. In fact, former-Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX) said: “It was never the objective of Gramm-Rudman [legislation that used sequestration in 1985] to trigger the sequester; the objective of Gramm-Rudman was to have the threat of the sequester force compromise and action.”

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Connecticut militia members sue state

Photo courtesy of 1st Company Governor’s Foot Guard

By Zachary Janowski | Raising Hale

Members of one of Connecticut’s ceremonial militia units are suing the state for allegedly seizing $10,000 worth of private ammunition, terminating a lease and failing to pay members for training.

State officials claim the unit – the 1st Company Governor’s Foot Guard – has not kept its weapons and ammunition secure, and that it was within the state’s right to terminate the lease and not pay the members for training.

The militia unit’s board of trustees do not control the 1st Company; under a unique statutory arrangement dating back to 1885, the state created a special corporate entity so the trustees could own and maintain the unit’s armory.

Although the unit is ceremonial in function today, it still falls under the command of Brig. Gen. Thaddeus Martin, adjutant general of the Connecticut Military Department.

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Rise in online news prompts debate over publishing legal notices

The Hartford Courant’s publisher Richard Graziano testified in opposition to two bills that would remove a requirement that towns post their legal notices in a daily newspaper. Photo by Hugh McQuaid – on CTNewsJunkie

By Hugh McQuaid | CT News Junkie

The Hartford Courant’s publisher testified before a skeptical (state legislature’s) Planning and Development Committee on Friday (Feb. 1) in opposition to two bills that would remove a requirement that towns post their legal notices in a daily newspaper.

Both bills would give towns the ability to publish advertisements of their legal notices on their website.

One also would give them the option of posting in a weekly newspaper.

The Courant’s publisher, Richard Graziano… argued against the change, saying that it was a matter of open access to government through an objective third party. He said that posting the notice only on a government site leaves it open to tampering, alteration, political bias, or publication after the legal deadline.

Several town leaders testified in support of the bills, including… Rep. Melissa Ziobron [Dist. 34 – East Haddam, East Hampton, part of Colchester].

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