Politicker.com -- Connecticut News

[CT News Junkie] DNA Frees Accused Killer, Rapist After 21 Years

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:48:00 -0400

"You can take the handcuffs off," Superior Court Judge Richard Damiani said. And with that, a man who has been in jail for 21 years -- and was supposed to spend decades more behind bars -- walked away a free man.

DNA set him free.

The dramatic release took place Wednesday morning in Connecticut Superior Court on Church Street.

Kenneth Ireland went to jail in 1988, at the age of 20, convicted of raping and killing a woman named Barbara Pelkey of Wallingford. The sentence: 50 years.

Click here to continue reading Allison's report.

[My Left Nutmeg] Sebelius, DeLauro, Dodd Healthcare Meeting with Small Business Leaders

Connecticut Man1 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:12:00 -0400

First 2 parts of the video from the meeting in Hartford on Monday between Kathleen Sebelius, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Sen. Chris Dodd and small business leaders in Connecticut:

Part 1

Part 2

I will be uploading more as I edit and upload it to YouTube. Should be about 5 or 6 parts?

[Connecticut Local Politics] Handicapping the CD4 GOP race

Vincent — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:46:00 -0400

When Sen. John McKinney elected not to run for the GOP nomination in the 4th Congressional District, it left most Republicans more than a bit perplexed, as Sen. McKinney was Plan A, B and C. He was long rumored to want to run, and was seen in DC, perhaps discussing fundraising, with GOP Congressional leaders. [...]

[Capitol Watch] Law student wants Blumenthal to sue the feds over the Defense of Marriage Act

Vincent — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:11:00 -0400

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit last month challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage and the complaint, filed July 8 in U.S. District Court in Boston, contends that Congress "overstepped its authority, undermined states' efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people.''

What about the attorney general in the second* state in the nation to legalize gay marriage? A law student from Boston is launching a campaign aimed at pressuring Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal to follow in Coakley's footsteps.

[YourCT.com] Starting tonight, expect delays on I-95 in Fairfield and Westport

Harold Cobin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:02:00 -0400

CDOT has announced a milling and resurfacing project starting tonight will cause delays on I-95 in Fairfield and Westport. Work is being performed northbound from exits 17 to 19, and southbound from exits 24 to 17. The work schedule is 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday evenings, and 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday through [...]

[Capitol Watch] Dodd, Larson, Healy and health care

Harold Cobin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:57:00 -0400

The overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system -- and the health care received by two Connecticut congressmen coping with their own personal health issues -- continues to dominate the discourse.

Yesterday Connecticut GOP Chairman Chris Healy told the Associated Press that both U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and U.S. Rep John Larson "have great health care and can elect to have surgery at their convenience. Under a public plan, which both of them want to push, the general public won't have those same options."

To that, Connecticut Democratic Party spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan responded: "Chris Healy is lying, plain and simple. The healthcare plan that Senator Dodd has championed and Congressman Larson supports provide an opportunity for people who do not currently have insurance to access it.

[YourCT.com] Petition Candidate Deadline August 12th

turfgrrl — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:30:00 -0400

From a press release:
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz today is reminding candidates who were not endorsed by a major party and wish to petition for a place on the ballot in the September municipal primaries that the deadline to turn in primary petitions is August 12th at 4:00 p.m. Petitions must be submitted by [...]

[YourCT.com] Stroffilino Bridge Closed This Weekend

turfgrrl — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:26:00 -0400

This weekend, August 8 & 9, the State will close the Stroffilino Bridge (Rt. 136) to continue repairs. The bridge is the connection point between South Norwalk’s Washington Street and East Norwalk and Vets park. The closure will be from 2:00 AM Saturday morning to 7:00 PM Saturday night and from 4:00 AM Sunday morning to 7:00 PM [...]

[Connecticut Local Politics] Courtney Gets Another Republican Challenger

wtfdnucsailor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:00 -0400

According to today’s New London DAY Daria Novak, a business person from Madison, CT is planning to challenge for the Republican nomination for 2nd District Congressperson. She joins Glastonbury Republican Matthew Daly on the hustings. Neither of these Republican candidates have much, if any, name recognition in Eastern Connecticut so it will [...]

[YourCT.com] Stalled Out Building Projects NYC Style

turfgrrl — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:37:00 -0400

To put in perspective how difficult the real estate economy is, NYC has over 400 stalled projects. From Curbed:

The Buildings Departments’ mysterious alliance of stalled sites superheroes released an updated count of the city’s frozen construction projects yesterday, and the results were shocking! Well, to us, anyway. After the last update, which put the number of stalled [...]