Dave Collins.

FILE - Reach House, a halfway house for sex offenders, sits atop a small hill, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 in Willimantic, Conn. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton Robb, file)

State of Connecticut settles lawsuit over convict’s killing of visiting nurse for $2 million

Connecticut officials have agreed to a $2.25 million settlement of a lawsuit over a sex offender’s killing of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson in 2023. A state judge approved the agreement last Thursday in the wrongful death lawsuit by Grayson’s husband. Settlement talks with other defendants, including her employer, are pending. The 63-year-old Grayson was killed at a halfway house in Willimantic where she had gone to give medication to Michael Reese, who was on probation for attacking another woman. Reese was sentenced last month to 50 years in prison. The lawsuit accused the state of failing to properly supervise Reese during his probation. The killing led to calls for better protections for home health care workers.

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Norwich Police School Resource Officer Bob McKinney hands an ice cream to Alby Little as his mother Sylvia Little, right, looks on in Norwich, Conn., on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Freeze! Police ice cream trucks seek to portray officers in a positive light

Police around the country are turning to a summer favorite to help strengthen ties to their communities by running their own free ice cream trucks. With names like “Copsicle Patrol” and “Frosty Five-O,” they seek to generate positive interactions with the public. It comes at a time when their public service is often overshadowed by headlines about police brutality and misconduct. Boston is widely credited with debuting the first police ice cream truck in the U.S. in 2010. Some departments rely on donations from area businesses to fund their ice cream operations, while others use tax revenue from legal marijuana sales or property seizures.

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A mural of past concerts at Toad's Place is displayed above one of the bars in New Haven, Conn., on Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

From the Stones to Cardi B, this college haunt has attracted big acts for 50 years

A Connecticut nightclub with a storied history is celebrating its 50th year in business. Toad’s Place in New Haven has drawn legendary acts ranging from The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen to Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and Snoop Dogg. Owner Brian Phelps started as the club’s manager in 1976. He says the key to Toad’s longevity has been showcasing diverse musical styles while also hosting dance parties and “battle of the bands”. The Stones played a surprise show there in 1989, followed five months later by what is believed to be Dylan’s longest show — more than four hours.

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FILE - An advertisement for the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is displayed on a building in Hong Kong on Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Crypto crime spills over from behind the screen to real-life violence

An alleged kidnapping in New York is the latest instance in which authorities say cryptocurrency-related crimes have involved real-world violence. Kidnappings for ransom in France have rattled the crypto industry there, including one where a crypto entrepreneur’s father had a finger cut off. Experts believe the increase in violence could be linked to cryptocurrencies’ surging values, violent groups adding crypto thefts to their repertoire and the ease of shielding your identity in crypto transactions. “Things that might clearly be outside of social norms in other spaces — like robbing a bank — are somehow just part of the game here,” said John Griffin, a finance professor at the University of Texas in Austin.

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