HARTFORD, Conn. — These are the top local stories in Connecticut for 2023.
Wrong-way crash on Route 9 kills Middletown's State Rep.
A wrong-way DUI crash on Route 9 in Cromwell took the life of State Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams in the overnight hours of Jan. 5. He was among state legislators on Jan. 4 for Inauguration Day, and was sworn in to serve his third term representing the 100th district. Q, who was 39, was coming home from Gov. Ned Lamont’s Inaugural Ball in Hartford when the crash happened.
"And the last thing I said to him was Get home safe. And you know he closed the door and I never thought that'd be the last time I saw him," said Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas after the crash.
The wrong-way driver, Kimede Mustagaj, 27, of Manchester, was also killed in the crash.
The City of Middletown keeps the spirit of Q with the Q Williams Taste of Middletown, which happened Oct. 12 at the Wadsworth Mansion.
Legislation on wrong-way detection was proposed, passed, and signed during the legislative session, and plans to install two dozen wrong-way detection systems on Connecticut’s highways in 2024 are in the works.
State Rep. Kai Belton was elected in February to serve as Middletown’s representative.
---
Stone Academy abruptly closes
Vocational nursing students were left in limbo on Feb. 15 when Stone Academy abruptly closed its doors for good.
The three campuses closed on such short notice and with no warning for the 845 students. The state had to step in to demand the school hand over transcripts so that the state could attempt to get students enrolled in a different program.
The reason for the closure? State officials found deficiencies and ordered an audit, and school officials had decided to close as a result. State regulators had found that the school's graduation rate was below 80%, that 20% of their nursing teachers would not be qualified to work and that the school was falsifying clinical experience, student attendance and faculty evaluation records.
"They never told us that our clinicals wouldn't count. We took time away from our families, our children, work, everything. Now, they're telling us we can't graduate," one student told FOX61.
As students continue to navigate what to do next, the Attorney General has issued several court orders of compliance and some students filed a class action lawsuit, in which a judge found the case credible in December 2023 and the trial is set to start in September 2024.
Some students have resumed their education journey at Griffin Health's newest campus in Naugatuck for their LPN program, which opened in December. Most of the students enrolled came from Stone Academy.
---
Ann Uccello's death
Connecticut bids farewell to a trailblazer who left her mark on the capital city.
The first woman elected mayor in a Connecticut city, Ann Uccello, passed away at the age of 100 in March.
She was elected Mayor of Hartford in 1967 and served at least two terms.
Praised for her work to protect children from lead poisoning and create affordable housing, Uccello later went on to serve in the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations.
---
State Rep. Robin Comey's DUI arrest
State Rep. Robin Comey, who represents Branford, was arrested for DUI after her car flipped over on Capitol Ave. in Hartford on March 16.
After the crash, Comey was removed from all committee and leadership assignments in the legislature "until further notice."
Comey released a public apology days after the crash, saying she would seek out treatment and to "better understand the disease that is addiction and to get help I recognize I need."
Instead of a trial for the DUI charge, she opted to participate in a state intervention program. If successful, Comey's charges will be dismissed on May 6, 2024.
---
UConn Men's Basketball NCAA championship win
The UConn Men’s Basketball team returned to glory after beating San Diego State in the NCAA national championship on April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Final Score 76-59. This win was nine years in the making, and the fifth national championship in the program’s history.
It was also Head Coach Dan Hurley’s first championship win.
Upon victory, students on campus celebrated, and some of them celebrated too hard. Damage was done to the student center doors, a university van was tipped over, and other damage was done from the hype of student fans. Over a dozen people have been arrested as a result.
Not even a week after taking home the trophy, the Huskies were celebrated with a well-attended parade in Downtown Hartford, with a victory rally in front of the XL Center.
---
Quinnipiac Men's Hockey NCAA Championship win
The Bobcats made their way to the Frozen Four and took home the NCAA championship win on April 8. Quinnipiac had a 3-2 victory over Minnesota for its first NCAA hockey title.
The team was honored in an on-campus celebration.
---
Deadly Gold Star Bridge fire
A two-car crash involving an oil tanker resulted in a massive fire on the Gold Star Bridge killed one person on April 21.
A car had gotten a flat tire and collided with the tanker.
Wallace Joseph Faquet III of Stonington was remembered by family and loved ones as someone who “made it his priority to lend a helping hand…a selfless get it done kind of guy.”
That sense of selflessness was felt when two good Samaritans rushed over to rescue those trapped in the car as the flames from the tanker came closer. The two (or three?) were New London police Lt. Cornelius Rodgers, who was off-duty at the time, and Brandon Bylo.
Rodgers, Bylo and the family they saved reunited at a ceremony in May.
It took several days to open up the lanes of the bridge and the walking portion of the bridge was closed off for several months.
The Gold Star Bridge carries Interstate 95 over the Thames River between New London and Groton.
---
Death of Nathan Carman
Officials announced Nathan Carman -- the man accused of killing his mother during a 2016 fishing trip -- was found dead in a county jail in New Hampshire on June 15 while awaiting trial.
The 29-year-old had pleaded not guilty to fraud and murder charges in the death of his mother, Linda Carman, of Middletown, Conn. While he was also suspected of killing his grandfather, Carman was not indicted in that killing.
---
State Police Ticket Scandal
News broke in June that hundreds of Connecticut state police troopers may have falsified nearly 26,000 traffic tickets over a seven-year period.
An audit showed the inaccurate reporting may have skewed the data and made it appear troopers were ticketing more white drivers and fewer non-white drivers.
"Based on the analysis we have a high level of confidence that both false and inaccurate records were submitted into the profiling database," said Ken Barone, project manager of the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project.
James Rovella retired from being commissioner, and deputy commissioner Colonel Stavros Mellekas stepped down after several calls to resign from local state police unions.
---
Hartford Officer "Bobby" Garten's death
In September, 34-year-old Hartford police officer Robert "Bobby" Garten is killed.
Garten was riding in a police cruiser heading to a call—when a man fleeing a traffic stop hit their cruiser on Asylum Ave.
Officer Brian Kearney was injured in the crash. As part of his farewell to his police partner, Kearney gave his Medal of Valor to Garten during his funeral service.
“A partner's love is one that takes two strangers and makes them brothers. Brothers who promise to protect each other no matter what,” said Kearney.
Garten was also posthumously promoted to the rank of detective.
Garten's legacy will continue to live on within the Hartford Police Department. Chief Jason Thody said his locker will be retired with a glass door so he will always be honored for his ultimate sacrifice.
Richard Barrington, 18, faces charges in the fatal crash.
---
Bridgeport Primary
On Sept. 12, Primary election night in Bridgeport, the John Gomes for Mayor campaign released surveillance video, alleging it showed a Bridgeport city employee dropping a suspicious number of items into a ballot box.
"It is of paramount importance to this commission that Connecticut's elections and primaries are conducted freely and fairly," said Stephen Penny, the chair of the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC).
Incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim won the primary by 251 votes.
A judge overturned the vote, and a new primary was ordered. The new mayoral primary in Bridgeport is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024, and a new general election will be held on Feb. 22 if needed.
For the general election, Gamin still went up against Gomes, who ran as an independent; Gamin also won that election.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
Brent Hardin is an anchor at FOX61 News. He can be reached at bhardin@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.