Latest Connecticut news, sports, business and entertainment

SUBMARINE FIRE

Investigators enter fire-damaged sub in Maine

KITTERY, Maine (AP) Investigators have begun their damage assessment and investigation following a fire aboard a billion-dollar nuclear-powered submarine being overhauled at Maine's Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in a dry dock.

A shipyard spokeswoman says the USS Miami was ventilated to remove smoke Friday and people were allowed into the fire-damaged forward compartments.

Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire say the Navy has dispatched three investigative teams to the Kittery shipyard.

The fire started Wednesday night. It damaged several rooms, including the command and control center, but spared the sub's nuclear propulsion.

It's not yet clear whether the sub can be salvaged or what caused the blaze.

The USS Miami cost about $900 million when it was built. The newest attack subs are about $2.6 billion.

MERIDEN POLICE

Report: No evidence Meriden police wrongdoing

(Information in the following story is from: Record-Journal, http://www.record-journal.com )

MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) An independent investigation has found no evidence of wrongdoing in how Meriden police handled brutality complaints against an officer who is the chief's son.

City officials announced the results of the 13-month investigation by former federal prosecutor Thomas Daily today.

Daily looked into allegations of favoritism and nepotism lodged by two officers who claimed Officer Evan Cossette received favorable treatment during internal affairs investigations because he's the son of Chief Jeffry Cossette.

The officers said Evan Cossette received little or no discipline for several complaints of alleged brutality and misconduct, including an incident in which he pushed a handcuffed prisoner who fell and hit his head in a jail cell.

Officials say Evan Cossette is being taken off administrative duty and will return to active duty this weekend.

SCHOOL THREAT

Conn. school evacuated after threat

MILFORD, Conn. (AP) A Milford middle school was evacuated today following an undisclosed threat.

Superintendent Elizabeth Feser sent an email to parents this morning, telling them Harborside Middle School was evacuated after an anonymous threat left in a note

Police were immediately notified and no one was hurt.

Students were temporarily taken to a nearby high school.

A bomb squad searched the school but nothing was found.

BABY DEATH

Man pleads guilty in death of 4-month-old niece

(Information in the following story is from: New Haven Register, http://www.nhregister.com )

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) A former North Haven man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his 4-month-old niece.

The New Haven Register reports that 35-year-old David Canizares faces seven to 10 years in prison after agreeing to a plea deal Thursday in New Haven Superior Court. Sentencing is set for September 7.

Police say Canizares was watching his niece, Makayla Aseltine, and his 14-month-old daughter in North Haven in October 2009 when the younger girl suffered severe head injuries.

Police say Canizares first told them he swung the baby in a sharp motion that caused her head to snap from side to side, but he also told them later that the girl was injured in a 4-inch fall.

Canizares is free on $1 million bail and now lives in Pennsylvania.

SEX ASSAULTS-CRUELTY

Man pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting girls

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) A New Britain man has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and animal cruelty charges involving two city girls and their dog.

Forty-six-year-old Francisco Castellano was held on $100,000 bail after yesterday's arraignment in New Britain Superior Court. He's due back in court July 5. He faces multiple charges of first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor, and single counts of cruelty to persons and cruelty to animals.

Police allege Castellano terrorized a 14-year-old girl and her sister by repeatedly sexually assaulting them, threatening to kill them if they told anyone and kicking their small dog. Police say their investigation also turned up two other girls from out of state who claim Castellano sexually assaulted them.

Castellano's public defender didn't immediately return a message Friday.

DOCTOR DISCIPLINE

Health Department defends discipline of doctors

(Information in the following story is from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.com )

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A spokesman for the state Department of Public Health is defending how Connecticut punishes doctors after a study by a consumer advocacy group showed the state has one of the lowest physician discipline rates in the country.

William Gerrish told the Journal Inquirer that last week's report by Public Citizen focused only on a narrow slice of information about serious disciplinary actions and ignored the wide variety of sanctions imposed by the state Medical Examining Board including reprimands, censures and fines.

Public Citizen says Connecticut ranks 47th out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., in taking serious action against doctors, including license suspension and revocation.

The study said Connecticut took less than two serious actions per 1,000 doctors, when the national rate was about three per 1,000.

IRENE AID

171 Conn. citizens accused in storm aid fraud

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Connecticut officials say they've given prosecutors the names of 171 state residents who may have fraudulently received federal aid when additional food stamp benefits were made available after storm Irene last August.

Department of Social Services officials say they referred the names to the chief state's attorney's office for potential investigation into fraud involving the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Officials say the residents weren't eligible for the aid.

The 171 people are not state employees. State officials have said more than 1,000 state employees were among the 24,000 people who received aid of up to $1,200, and 685 of the state employees have been cleared of wrongdoing.

A lawyer for state workers says he believes more than 150 state employees have been fired for alleged fraud.

ISLAMIC CONVENTION

Islamic convention targets anti-Shariah movement

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Some 15,000 Muslims are expected to attend a weekend convention in Hartford dedicated to religious freedom.

The theme of the campaign by the Islamic Circle of North America was chosen in response to a wave of bills introduced in statehouses around the country to ban the use of Shariah law and other foreign legal codes.

A vice president of the group, Naeem (NY'-eem) Baig, says such proposals are motivated by deep-rooted hatred toward Muslims. He says the convention is part of a nationwide campaign that also aims to educate Muslim-Americans about Shariah laws that were rarely discussed here even two or three years ago.

The gathering will take place from tomorrow through Monday at a Hartford convention center. Connecticut's capital is hosting the annual convention for the seventh consecutive year.