WLIU: Connecticut News (2007-08-27)

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Latest Connecticut news, business and entertainment:

HOME INVASION-MONITORS
After Cheshire murders, Conn. tracking some parolees with GPS

HARTFORD, Conn. AP) - There's more interest in tracking
Connecticut's parolees with global positioning devices since the
killings of a woman and her two daughters in Cheshire last month.
Two men charged in the killings were convicted burglars who were
out on parole.
About 140 convicted burglars now on parole in the state have
been fitted with radio frequency electronic monitoring devices
since the home invasion in Cheshire. State officials say those
devices are now in the process of being upgraded to a global
positioning system.
Parole Community Services Director Randy Braren says the process
of changing to GPS should be finished by the middle of next month.
Braren told state officials last week that he expects the
initiative will be expanded further.
State Representative Michael Lawlor, an East Haven Democrat,
says he believes the legislature will set aside more money to hire
parole officers to monitor the G-P-S.
Governor Rell ordered mandatory electronic monitoring of paroled
burglars after Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, Haley
and Michaela, were killed in the home invasion in Cheshire.
The two suspects, Joshua Komisarjevsky (com-ih-sar-JEV'-ski) and
Steven Hayes, could face the death penalty if convicted.

DODD OFFICE BURGLARY
Dodd's Hartford office burglarized

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A spokeswoman for U.S. Senator Chris Dodd
says someone broke into his Hartford office.
Jamie Radice says she's not sure what was taken Saturday night
and a police investigation is underway. She said the senator's
office would have no further comment.
Police say the suspects apparently broke in through a second
floor window at Dodd's office on Lewis Street and left evidence at
the scene. Police are not saying what that evidence is or what was
stolen.
Authorities believe the burglary happened between 10 p.m. and 11
p.m. Saturday night.
Dodd has served in Congress for more than 30 years and is
running for the Democratic nomination for president.

POWERBALL WINNER
Winning $314 million Powerball ticket sold in Indiana

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - Indiana lottery officials say the only
winning ticket for Saturday night's Powerball drawing worth $314
million was sold at a convenience store near the Ohio state line.
But the person who has the ticket has not come forward yet.
The ticket was sold at a Speedway store in Richmond.
Hoosier Lottery spokesman Mark Sirkin says it could be one
person or a hundred people who pooled their money in an office
pool. But whoever it is, he says, they're now wealthy.
The winning numbers drawn Saturday night were 2-8-23-29-35,
Powerball 19.

EFFICIENT CARS-TAXES
Local officials to give tax breaks for fuel-efficient vehicles

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Several city and town officials in
Connecticut say offering tax breaks to people who own hybrids and
other fuel-efficient vehicles makes sense, both economically and
environmentally.
They say encouraging people to drive efficient cars could help
lower demand in a time of high gasoline prices and may help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
The state legislature earlier this year gave towns the authority
to offer property tax exemptions on hybrids and conventional
vehicles that get at least 40 miles per gallon.
Officials in Manchester, Vernon, Weston and a few other towns
are already putting together plans for the exemption. Interest is
expected to expand in the coming months because the new legislation
takes effect on January 1.
Matt Peak is a member of Manchester's Board of Directors. He has
recommended that the board review the tax exemption plan, because
he believes hybrids have the best chance for changing driving
patterns and their fuel efficiency will make economic sense when
gas prices rise.
Similar tax exemption laws have been enacted or considered by
more than 40 states in the last several years.

THUNDERSTORM CLEANUP
Vermont's Rutland County hardest hit by thunderstorms

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - Utility crews from Connecticut are helping
to restore electricity to thousands of customers in Vermont after a
series of thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines.
Some Vermont customers may not get their power back until
tomorrow (Tuesday). Saturday's storms brought high winds and
lightning across the central part of the state.
The Central Vermont Public Service Corporation said about 33,000
of its customers lost power.
Christine Rivers, a spokeswoman for the utility, says 34 utility
crews were brought in from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and
other parts of Vermont to help repair the damage.
Rutland County was hit the hardest hit area.

CAR VS LIBRARY
Elderly couple's car runs into Essex library

ESSEX, Conn. (AP) - State police are investigating what caused
an elderly couple's car to run into the town library in Essex.
Library worker Jenny Tripp says the car hit the front brick wall
of the library yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. She says the couple
weren't seriously injured, but were taken to the hospital as a
precaution.
The library wall has some minor damage, but the town building
inspector declared it still structurally sound.
Tripp says it appears the driver's foot slipped onto the gas
pedal while trying to park the station wagon. The car just missed a
large picture window.
The couple's names have not been released.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-27-07 0100EDT