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CT Crash Kills Father Of Infant Son With Baby Girl On The Way: 'Our Hearts Are Broken' CT Crash Kills Father Of Infant Son With Baby Girl On The Way: 'Our Hearts Are Broken' CT Crash Kills Father Of Infant Son With Baby Girl On The Way: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
CT Crash Kills Father Of Infant Son With Baby Girl On The Way: 'Our Hearts Are Broken' A Connecticut community is in mourning after a young father of an 11-month-old boy, who had a daughter on the way, was killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend.  Jordan Thomas Jr. was killed shortly before 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, after he was involved in a crash with a vehicle on the Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill, near the Exit 24 ramps for Interstate 91, police said. He died at the scene.  His loved ones created a GoFundMe to help provide for his fiancée and partner of six years, Nataliya, their infant son, and unborn daughter, who is due in December.&n…

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by Josh Lanier
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This Historic CT Home Looks Straight Out Of A Tim Burton Movie, And May Have A New Owner This Historic CT Home Looks Straight Out Of A Tim Burton Movie, And May Have A New Owner This Historic CT Home Looks Straight Out Of A Tim Burton Movie, And May Have A New Owner
This Historic CT Home Looks Straight Out Of A Tim Burton Movie, And May Have A New Owner This Connecticut landmark looks like it's plucked straight from a Tim Burton movie, and it could soon have a new owner. The Converse House at 185 Washington St. in Norwich is under contract after it went on the market last month for $525,000. Built around 1870, the High Victorian Gothic house features bold colors and dramatic architecture. Its seven-sided front porch makes a striking first impression. The Converse House at 185 Washington St. in Norwich Zillow The home was built for Col. Charles A. Converse, a Norwich businessman and philanthropist. It was later added to the Nationa…

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by Josh Lanier
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Family Seeks Help Sending NY Man Home After Fatal CT Crash Family Seeks Help Sending NY Man Home After Fatal CT Crash Family Seeks Help Sending NY Man Home After Fatal CT Crash
Family Seeks Help Sending NY Man Home After Fatal CT Crash The family of a New York man killed in a Connecticut dirt bike crash is asking the community's help in sending him home. Jose Eduardo, 21, of Mount Carmel, New York, died Sunday, Aug. 23, after crashing a dirt bike on railroad tracks in Waterbury. His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to return his body to his homeland.  “There are no words to comfort our family at this time,” the fundraiser said. “We asked for help to be able to send my nephew’s body to Guatemala since his body will have to be taken to his native country." The campaign had raised more than $2,400 by Monda…

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by Josh Lanier
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Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation
Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation A Connecticut mother who was nearly killed after stopping to help three teenagers who crashed on Interstate 95 in July said she is "overwhelmed with gratitude" after Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to support her recovery. Ashlie Taunton, of Ledyard, was severely injured July 18 after she stopped to help teenagers whose vehicle had hydroplaned off I-95 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, during a rainstorm. Moments after she helped the last person out of the vehicle, a second car veered off the road. She shoved a teenager to safety before the car struck her. The 42-year-old's heroism has drawn nationa…

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by Josh Lanier
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Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Connecticut Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Connecticut Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Connecticut Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95
Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Connecticut Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Ashley Taunton isn't out of the woods yet, but Taylor Swift is helping her get there. The 42-year-old Connecticut mother who suffered critical injuries while assisting a group of teenagers on I-95 got an unexpected assist from a certain 36-year-old singer. You may have heard of her. Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe campaign for Ashley Taunton, whose recovery from a July crash has gone viral. PEOPLE confirmed on Friday that the pop star had contributed to the fund, which has since jumped to more than $87,000 since it was created in July. Taylor Swift made a big donation…

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by Zak Failla
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Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA
Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia waited more than half a century for another Miss USA. The wait ended in historic fashion on Thursday, Aug. 27, when Miss Virginia USA Justus Kelley was crowned Miss USA 2026 during the 75th edition of the pageant in Miami. Kelley, 31, became the first mother and first married woman to win the Miss USA title, according to People and Business Insider. She is also reportedly the first woman in her 30s to win. And she ended quite the drought back home. Kelley became the first woman representing Virginia to win Miss USA since Deborah Shelton took the crown in 1970, according to B…

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by Zak Failla
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Annette Bening Coming To Connecticut To Receive Katharine Hepburn Award Annette Bening Coming To Connecticut To Receive Katharine Hepburn Award Annette Bening Coming To Connecticut To Receive Katharine Hepburn Award
Annette Bening Coming To Connecticut To Receive Katharine Hepburn Award Annette Bening will join some of Hollywood’s biggest names when she accepts a major Old Saybrook arts honor. Bening will receive the Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award on Saturday, Aug. 29. The award recognizes performers who embody Hepburn’s spirit, independence, and character. Bening will receive the honor during the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center’s annual gala. Proceeds support performances at the Kate, the Katharine Hepburn Museum, and local arts education programs. Bening shares a direct connection with Hepburn. She appeared alongside Hepburn and her husband, Warren Beatty, in …

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by Josh Lanier
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CT Therapist Competing On ‘Survivor 51’ Vows To Be Show’s Star: ‘Fangs Come Out’ CT Therapist Competing On ‘Survivor 51’ Vows To Be Show’s Star: ‘Fangs Come Out’ CT Therapist Competing On ‘Survivor 51’ Vows To Be Show’s Star: ‘Fangs Come Out’
CT Therapist Competing On ‘Survivor 51’ Vows To Be Show’s Star: ‘Fangs Come Out’ A Connecticut therapist believes his people skills can carry him to the top of one of television’s toughest games. Eric Macksoud, 34, of Windsor Locks, will compete against 20 other players on “Survivor 51.” The season starts Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. on CBS with a two-hour premiere. Episodes will shift to 90 minutes beginning Sept. 30. Macksoud works as a licensed mental health counselor, and he plans to use his ability to quickly build rapport with people to his advantage. But he has a secret for his fellow castaways.  “I want them to feel I am eating them in their game,” Macks…

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by Josh Lanier
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CT Mom Severely Hurt Saving Teen After I-95 Crash Still In Hospital Weeks Later; Support Swells CT Mom Severely Hurt Saving Teen After I-95 Crash Still In Hospital Weeks Later; Support Swells CT Mom Severely Hurt Saving Teen After I-95 Crash Still In Hospital Weeks Later; Support Swells
CT Mom Severely Hurt Saving Teen After I-95 Crash Still In Hospital Weeks Later; Support Swells A Connecticut mother remains hospitalized after a vehicle struck her as she helped teenagers escape a crash on I-95, and a fundraiser aims to pay back some of her heroism. Ashley Taunton, 42, of Ledyard, was traveling south on I-95 through Hopkinton, Rhode Island, with her youngest daughter last month when she spotted a wreck. Rain was pouring down, but Taunton, a mother of three who formerly worked as a certified nursing assistant, would not leave someone stranded. “When I see there’s somebody in trouble, I tend to want to go help,” Taunton told People magazine on Sunday, Aug. 23. Vinny O…

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by Josh Lanier
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Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report
Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report The cause of death for Allison "Ally" Rahmani, a 40-year-old Long Island teacher and mother who died when her SUV plunged into her backyard pool late last week, has been released by the New York Post. Citing a source close to the investigation, the outlet said Rahmani suffered a medical emergency, causing her to send her 2023 GMC into her family's Hewlett Bay Park backyard pool. Rahmani was able to call 911 from the vehicle but died en route to or at the hospital, according to The Post. Rahmani worked as a math coordinator for Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR), a J…

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by Cecilia Levine
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BIRDCODE To Open 7th Crispy Chicken Restaurant In CT: Here's When BIRDCODE To Open 7th Crispy Chicken Restaurant In CT: Here's When BIRDCODE To Open 7th Crispy Chicken Restaurant In CT: Here's When
Birdcode To Open 7th Crispy Chicken Restaurant In CT: Here's When A crispy Southern chicken restaurant with locations across the state plans to add another city to that list. BIRDCODE will open a new store in Plainville on Friday, Aug. 21, at 359 New Britain Ave. The restaurant is in a plaza with Doro, Jersey Mike’s and Shangri La., the company said in a news release.  The Plainville restaurant will offer dine-in seating and takeout. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. See the menu here. Franchise owners Fran McCormack and Paul Brault also operate five Jersey Mike’s locations in Connecticut. “It was a natural next step to bring BIRDCODE to Pla…

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by Josh Lanier
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CT Ranked Among Least Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why CT Ranked Among Least Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why CT Ranked Among Least Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why
CT Ranked Among Least Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why The Northeast has some of the most fun states in the country, but several others landed near the bottom of a new ranking. WalletHub released its 2026 list of the Most Fun States in America on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The study compared all 50 states across 26 metrics of entertainment, recreation, and nightlife, including restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, national park access, music festivals, bars, casinos, and recreation spending. The personal finance website split the study into two main categories: entertainment and recreation, which made up 80% of the score, and nightlife, which ac…

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by Chris Spiker