ELDERLY RESIDENT FOUND DEAD OUTSIDE CARE FACILITY
A 93-year-old woman is dead after staff found her unresponsive outside Bickford’s Health Care Center in Windsor Locks early Sunday. Around 4:45 a.m., staff discovered the woman missing from her bed, according to Windsor Locks police. She was known to wander and wore an alert device designed to activate if she exited the building without supervision. Investigators are now working to determine whether the device functioned properly. Staff later found her lying in a snow-covered area just south of the facility. She had a pulse but was unresponsive. Police and emergency medical responders were called at 6:23 a.m. She was pronounced dead at 6:46 a.m. Police cited several factors, including her age, cold weather conditions and overall health. The state medical examiner has taken custody of the body.
SNOWMOBILE CRASH LEAVES MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED
A Plainfield man suffered serious leg and head injuries after being struck by a snowmobile on New Road in the Moosup section of town Saturday evening. The crash was reported around 5:55 p.m. A 59-year-old man was found lying in the roadway and was taken from Backus Hospital in Norwich to Hartford Hospital for further treatment. Police identified the snowmobile operator as Ronald Bourque, 29, of Plainfield, who remained at the scene. Bourque faces charges of driving under the influence, engaging police in pursuit, and reckless driving tied to an unrelated earlier incident. He was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is due in Superior Court in Danielson on Feb. 18.
GAS PRICES TICK UP STATEWIDE
Drivers are paying more at the pump. The statewide average for regular gas in Connecticut rose to $2.87 a gallon, up 2.6 cents from last week, according to GasBuddy. It’s a small move, but one that hits wallets as winter drags on.
PUPPY BOWL DELIVERS BIG RATINGS AND BIG HEARTS
Puppy Bowl 22 returned Sunday night with a focus on animal adoption. More than 150 dogs from 72 shelters across the United States, including Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, took part. Team Fluff won its second straight championship, edging Team Ruff 73-69 to claim the Lombarky Trophy.
SNOWPLOW DRIVER ACCUSED OF COCAINE USE
Fairfield police say a snowplow driver was high on cocaine when he crashed into a home near Glen Ridge Road and Tahmore Drive on Dec. 28 around 7:15 a.m. Mark Paul Keene, 46, allegedly crossed two lawns, struck a porch and Christmas tree, and pushed a car into a family’s garage door. According to court documents, officers observed “slurred speech and pinpoint pupils.” The warrant states Keene “suddenly collapsed in the snow,” “began to foam at the mouth and turned blue,” prompting Narcan administration. Prosecutors say Keene later said he “did three bumps of cocaine.”
LAWMAKERS PRESS FOR HOMELESSNESS FUNDING
State legislators and homeless service providers are calling on Gov. Ned Lamont for more funding to address homelessness in Connecticut. At a Hartford press conference, members of the General Assembly’s Housing Committee and End Homelessness Caucus said more than 8,000 people remain unhoused and warned the problem is growing without additional state support.
THREE PRISON DEATHS UNDER INVESTIGATION
The Department of Correction and Connecticut State Police are investigating three inmate deaths in the last week. Two occurred at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown. Andrey Desmond, 32, was found unresponsive Sunday while serving a five-year sentence for a 2023 assault on Rep. Maryam Khan. Clemente Giusto, 50, was found unresponsive Friday after recently returning from hospitalization. A third death involved Noe Taveras, 40, at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institute. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Taveras died by suicide.
HOSPITAL EVACUATION IN FREEZING TEMPS
Patients were evacuated from UMass Memorial Hospital in Marlboro late Sunday due to heating and water supply issues. Firefighters moved patients in freezing temperatures to other UMass hospitals. “The Campus is currently on code black and has activated emergency operations,” the hospital said. “Operational teams are in the process of transferring inpatients to other UMass Memorial Health hospitals and are working to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible. Patient safety remains our top priority.”
MULTI-ALARM FIRE HITS DORCHESTER
Firefighters battled a multi-alarm fire that tore through a triple-decker on Adams Street in Dorchester early Sunday. Crews responded around 2:15 a.m. and ordered a second alarm as flames threatened nearby buildings. One firefighter was transported from the scene. No residents were displaced.
MBTA GREEN LINE DERAILMENT
Service on the Green Line between Park Street and Government Center has resumed after a train derailed while entering the Park Street station Sunday. Twenty-five passengers were on board. The cause remains under investigation.
GRAMMY WINS FOR BERKLEE GRADS
Two Berklee College of Music graduates are now Grammy winners. Saxophonist Yainer Horta won Best Latin Jazz Album, while composer Charlie Rosen won Best Arrangement Instrumental or a cappella, highlighting Berklee’s continued dominance on the global music stage.