Bush Visit to Hartford Praised and Protested

Northwest Boys and Girls Club Kids Marveled by Bush

Hartford - When SirWilliam Hines got involved with the Southwest Boys & Girls Club at age 6, it was for the sports and after-school recreation. He never expected what happened April 25th. That Friday, SirWilliam joined other Hartford youth at the Northwest Boys and Girls Club on Nahum Drive to meet President George W. Bush.“I was really nervous because there were so many people,” SirWilliam, 12, said. The Hartford sixth-grader who attends Batchelder School quickly got over it though, having a quick conversation with the President about malaria. See Full Story!
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HARTFORD – The State NAACP won another victory Monday in their fight to ensure equity in education for Connecticut’s children. For the second time, the U.S. District Court in New Haven rejected the State’s legal challenge to No Child Left Behind (State of CT v. Margaret Spellings), ruling that the U.S. Secretary of Education has ample legal authority to interpret, clarify and enforce the law.

“This latest decision offers further proof that Connecticut is wasting taxpayer money, state lawyers’ and education officials’ time,” State Conference NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile said. “It’s time to stop the shenanigans and focus on eliminating the achievement gap and properly educating all Connecticut’s children.” Seee Full Story!
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New Haven - Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that former New Haven Police Lieutenant WILLIAM B. WHITE, 64, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 38 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Arterton also ordered WHITE to pay a fines. On October 26, 2007, WHITE pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of theft of government funds.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, from June 2003 to March 13, 2007, WHITE was the Supervisor of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit within the New Haven Police Department. In pleading guilty to the bribery charge, WHITE admitted that he agreed to find fugitives for, and to steer clients to, bailbondsmen in exchange for corrupt payments. Between July 2006 and March 2007, the bailbondsmen provided WHITE and a State law enforcement officer who was cooperating with federal law enforcement and working in an undercover capacity with cash in exchange for WHITE and the undercover officer using their official positions to locate fugitives. WHITE split the cash with the undercover officer, keeping money for himself. See Full Details.
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Hartford - President Bush visited the Boys and Girls Club Friday, in Hartford Northend, Blue Hills neighborhood. He will award recognition for outstanding volunters and stress the awareness of Malaria. See inqnews.com later for coverage of the President's visit.

Update:

President Bush visited Hartford Friday before heading to Kent, CT for a fundraiser. He spoke of to the importance of world attention to Malaria. Several kids from the Northwest Boy and Girls club, in Hartford's Northend, had the opportunity for see President Bush up close and personal. President Bush spoke for about 20 minutes before rushing off to Kent, CT. We will have more on Bush's Hartford visit in our next week's edition of Inquiring News.
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Wallingford, CT – (April 15, 2008 – 11am) - In a news conference held today Lt. Michael Fedele along with CT. DOT, kicked-off "Work Zone Safety Awareness Month". A campaign to promote the safety of workers and motorists in roadway work zones. As a part of the event.

DOT Workers planted a tree and dedicated a memorial in honor of those who were killed on highways and work zone. A very nice stone sits in front of the entryway to the rest area. Pictured here are work zone cones that lay example to those killed on CT., roadways.

The Department also presented a new campaign initiative for a unique summer long "Work Zone Safety" awareness. The event was held at the DOT Rest Area on I-91 Southbound in Wallingford.
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LAS VEGAS – Debra Nelson, MGM MIRAGE Vice President of Corporate Diversity, Communications and Community Affairs, has been named as one of the “Great Women of Gaming” by Casino Enterprise Management magazine. Nelson was awarded the “Rising Star” award at the Great Women of Gaming Conference, Awards Ceremony and Gala.

Annually, Casino Enterprise Management selects 10 women to be inducted as “Great Women of Gaming.” The women, who were nominated by their peers, were selected for the perseverance, drive, commitment, mentorship and professionalism they bring to the gaming industry. “Rising Star” award recipients are executives that have worked in the industry for at least three years, but for no more than 10.

Since joining MGM MIRAGE in 2005, Nelson’s leadership has contributed to the company being named to several national lists for its diversity best practices. The company was recognized by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the “Top 40 Companies for Diversity,” named one of the “50 Best Companies for Latinas” by LATINA Style magazine, named as one of the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by DiversityInc magazine and received an “Innovation Award” from Profiles in Diversity Journal for innovative programs in the area of workforce diversity and inclusion. She also led the reconstruction of the company’s diversity website, which subsequently was recognized among the leading Internet sites for diversity content by Diversity Best Practices and The Business Women’s Network. See Full Story!
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Hartford, CT - The YMCA of Greater Hartford celebrated the new YMCA Youth and Family Center at the corner of Albany Avenue and Brook Street in Hartford with a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday (April 10). The 41,000 sq. ft. center will serve as a town green style community center for Hartford’s Clay/Arsenal and Upper Albany Avenue neighborhoods, and all the neighborhoods of Hartford. Digging in at the groundbreaking are: (left to right) Wendy Wilson, Supporter, Deputy Speaker Marie Lopez Kirkley-Bey, Laura R. Estes, Capital Campaign Chair, YMCA of Greater Hartford, Bea Powell, Chairperson, Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, Linda Kelly, President, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Mayor Eddie Perez, Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele, John F. Byrnes, Chairman, YMCA of Greater Hartford Board of Directors, Mark Wilson, Supporter, Kevin Washington, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Hartford.
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Bloomfield, CT - Bloomfield Police Detective to Receive the "2008 National Missing and Exploited Children's Award for Outstanding Work in the Recovery of a Missing Child" The Men and Woman of the Bloomfield Police Department are pleased to congratulate Detective Eric Kovanda for his selection to receive the "2008 National Missing and Exploited Children's Award for Outstanding Work in the Recovery of a Missing Child". Det. Kovanda's nomination was one of more than 50 cases nationwide that were reviewed and hand-selected by a distinguished panel of law enforcement leaders from around the nation. His nomination was submitted by NCMEC Supervisor Gerald Nance, Forensic Analysis Unit, who was familiar with Det. Kovanda's investigative efforts in the recovery of a juvenile missing for a year. The award is a cooperative effort of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Det. Kovanda will be honored at the NCMEC's 2008 Congressional Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on May 7th, 2008. Following the Congressional Breakfast, a ceremony will be held at the NCMEC Headquarters in Arlington, VA. See Full Story!
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