New Haven police officers will have a new chief to answer to beginning in April. Chief Frank Limon, who was most recently chief of police in River Forest, Illinois will be sworn in as New Haven's new police chief on April 5th. Limon spent three decades as a Chicago police officer, including service as the head of the city's gang unit, becoming chief in Forest River. Limon is replacing James Lewis, who retired after 20 months on the job and left the position last week. Limon was one of three finalists for the job, which initially drew 50 applicants. He will be sworn into office April 5th. New Haven officials say they were impressed by the job Limon did reducing crime in River Forest by 28 per cent.

The state gained 23-hundred jobs in January, but the unemployment rate still increased. The unemployment rate in January was nine-percent, which was up two tenths of a percent from December, The largest job growth came in leisure and hospitality, which gained 36-hundred jobs in January. The biggest job losses came in the professional and business sector, which saw a drop of 21-hundred jobs.

Governor Jodi Rell announced plans for a new hospital at the UConn Medical Center in Farmington. The replacement for the aging John Dempsey Hospital will be built in collaboration with Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, Connecticut Children's Medical Center and other health care facilities. Rell says the price tag is steep but the benefits are worth the cost.

A New London Superior Court judge has set bond at two-million-dollars for the man accused of killing a Groton woman and stuffing her body in a freezer. Prosecutors say 49-year-old Luis Otero killed Madeline Brisson in the apartment they shared. Her body was found inside a chest freezer in the basement of their rented home. Her landlord says the last time he saw her alive was in late February.

New Haven police are investigating a pair of shootings that took place last night. The first occurred after 8 p.m., when a 33-year-old man was shot several times on Clay Street. He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition. At around 9:45 p.m., two people were shot in the area of Hurlburt and Rosette streets. Both were taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. No arrests have been reported in either case.

With the all time consecutive wins record secured Monday, the UConn women's basketball team got back to business Tuesday and won the Big East championship. The Lady Huskies hammered West Virginia 60-32 to complete their season undefeated. Now, they look ahead to the NCAA Tournament, where they seek to win a second straight national championship.

A judge will hear more testimony from a prison psychiatrist about the confinement of a Connecticut man charged in the home invasion killings of a mother and her two daughters. Jury selection has been delayed for Steven Hayes' case since officials say he tried to commit suicide on Jan. 30. His lawyer raised concerns about how Hayes has been treated in prison. New Haven Superior Court Judge Jon Blue has said he hopes to resume picking jurors on March 15. But defense attorneys on Tuesday requested additional testimony from Dr. Suzanne Ducate. The judge scheduled the new hearing for Wednesday.

A judge has ruled that part of a search warrant can be unsealed in the case of an animal research technician charged with killing a Yale University graduate student. Raymond Clark III is accused of strangling 24-year-old Annie Le , of Placerville, Calif., in September. Le's body was found stuffed behind a research lab wall. The 24-year-old Clark has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. Fasano ordered portions of the search warrant that he called ``offending material'' to be blacked out.

Pratt & Whitney says a federal appeals court will allow the jet engine maker to expedite its appeal of a lawsuit it lost as it tries to move 1,000 jobs out of Connecticut. Pratt & Whitney had said it wanted a decision before its contract expires with the Machinists union on December 5.

President Barack Obama makes a closing argument today for health care reform. He'll travel to a St. Louis high school for his second health care address in three days and push a new anti-fraud plan. He'll also try to crank up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast. Obama signed an executive order yesterday that encourages private auditors to search out improper Medicare and Medicaid payments, from billing errors to outright thievery. Equipped with special computer programs, the auditors would get a cut of whatever they recover for the government. The idea has bipartisan support.

LifeLock, which advertises itself as a subscription service that prevents identity theft has settled a lawsuit filed by the attorney generals of 35 states. The suit accused LifeLock of "misrepresenting and overstating" the identity-theft protection services it offered. The company has now agreed to pay eleven-million dollars in restitution to subscribers and one-million dollars to cover costs of investigations by the states.

Mystic Aquarium workers are trying to figure out what killed a common dolphin found floating in a tidal creek near Long Island Sound in Norwalk. The five foot long dolphin was found Monday. Some nearby residents say they had seen the dolphin swimming in the water over the weekend. Aquarium officials believe the dolphin may have swam in during high tide and then became stranded.

For the first time, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti was named by prosecutors as the public official allegedly bribed by developer James Botti. The revelation came as Botti's trial for bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud began in a New Haven federal courtroom. Prosecutors told jurors that Shelton is corrupt, and that the only way to get anything done is to pay off the mayor. Lauretti denies any wrongdoing, and has not been charged with any crimes.

Tina Charles, Maya Moore and the latest Connecticut Huskies dynasty now has its own place in the record books. The UConn women's basketball team made history on Monday night in Hartford. The Lady Huskies beat Notre Dame, 59-44, in the semifinals of the Big East tournament to capture their 71st straight win. The Huskies broke the all-time women's record of 70 consecutive victories with the win. The previous record was set by the school from 2001-03. The only longer winning streak in NCAA Division One basketball history is the 88-game run the UCLA men had from 1971-74.

If some state lawmakers have their way you could soon be able to buy a six pack of beer or a bottle on wine on Sundays. Right now Connecticut is one of only three states in the nation with a ban on sales of beer, wine and hard liquor on Sundays. Retailers estimate that Sunday alcohol sales would make the state eight-million-dollars a year in additional revenue.

There were some tense moments in downtown New Haven Monday after a bomb threat at the Omni Hotel. Police say a male phoned the hotel at around 3:30 p.m., and stated that there was a bomb in the building. Police quickly closed Temple Street between Chapel and Crown streets. The hotel and some nearby businesses were evacuated because of the threat. A suspicious briefcase was located in the garage of the hotel, and bomb technicians were able to determine that the package did not contain anything dangerous. Everyone was allowed back into the buildings and things were returned to normal at around 7 p.m.

Police have made an arrest in connection with the murder of a Groton woman whose body was found in the freezer of her home. Police say 49-year-old Luis Otero has been charged with one count of murder. following the discovery Sunday night. Police are still not officially releasing the victim's name, but "The Day of New London" reports that the house on Gold Star Highway was rented to a woman named Madeline Brisson. The cause of death has not been determined. The state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of death.

In an apparent victory for the cities of Bridgeport and Hamden, Governor Jodi Rell has changed course in plans to build a secure juvenile treatment center for girls. Rell has directed the state Department of Public Works to issue a new request for proposals for the facility with three possible scenarios. Two involve private entities buying land and building the so-called juvenile jail. The third would involve a municipality donating the land for the facility, which would then be operated by the state.

One area of New Haven is exempt from the city's ordinance on public drinking. However a push is on to end that exemption. As the weather warms, police look to get out ahead of problems at Light House Park which can swell to 4,000 people a day in the summer. Right now it is legal to drink beer and wine in the park; a left-over exemption from the 50's. Now police and some local lawmakers are hoping to stop the drinking which they believe will stop the problems. They want to make drinking in the park punishable with a $95 fine.

Governor Jodi Rell is issuing support for a bill that would strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Act. Under the measure, legislative and judicial records would be subject to the same retention standards as those in the executive branch. Rell said it is important to have a consistent policy across all branches of government when it comes to record keeping.

A 49-year-old man has been arraigned on charges of killing his estranged wife as she called 911 for help. John Belanger was ordered held on $2 million bond and was placed on suicide watch Monday. Belanger is charged with murder in the stabbing death of Bonnie MacKay-Belanger in her Chester home on Feb. 25. Police say she called to report Belanger was breaking in, and allegedly named him as the attacker as she was dying. She had a protective order in place against him and they had been in divorce proceedings since December.

New Haven police have identified a 39-year-old man who was shot to death in the city's fourth homicide of the year. Police say officers found Andre Jackson lying behind a house on George Street shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday while responding to a report of gunshots. Police say he had multiple gunshot wounds to his head and chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told police that Jackson was chased down George Street by one or more suspects to the backyard before he was shot. No arrests have been made.

The Energy Department reports gasoline prices across the U.S. jumped five-cents a gallon for the third straight week. The department's Energy Information Administration pegs the new average for regular gasoline at two-75-per-gallon. West Coast drivers are paying the highest prices and Los Angeles motorists are paying the highest price at the pump of all. The average there for a gallon of regular is three-dollars-and-seven-cents. The price increases are blamed on rising crude oil prices that have now topped 82-dollars a barrel.

Unionized Stop & Shop workers overwhelmingly voted to accept a three year contract last night that will increase wages and only slightly raise health benefit premiums. Workers had threatened to walk off the job after their contract expired at the end of February.

Tina Charles scored 34 points as the top-ranked UConn women's basketball team ran its winning streak to 70 with a 77-41 victory over Syracuse in the quarterfinals for the Big East tournament on Sunday. Maya Moore had 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Huskies, who matched the all-time women's mark for consecutive wins that was set by the school from 2001-03. Each win during the streak has been by double digits and by an average of 32.8 points. UConn will go after the all-time record against Notre Dame on Monday.

New Haven Police are investigating the murder of a man who was found dead over the weekend in the city's Dwight neighborhood. Police say the unidentified man was shot and killed in the area of 590 George Street early Sunday morning. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. No arrests have been made. This in the fourth homicide in New Haven so far this year. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact New Haven Police.

A New Haven man is critically injured following a fight with his brother on a city street. Police say they responded to Spring Street and Washington Avenue on reports of a fight taking place. Upon arrival, they found 32-year-old Hector Aguilar with a severe head injury. Police arrested his brother, 26-year-old Jose Peralta, who remained at the scene after the fight. Peralta is charged with first degree assault, family violence and other offenses. He is being held on 500-thousand-dollars bond.

Police are trying to piece together what happened to a West River man who claims a one-eyed man dressed as a woman broke into his home and robbed him Friday. The victim told cops that he had let the suspect into his home a few hours earlier to use the phone. The robber made off with a laptop. The victim was not harmed.

A tractor trailer driver has died following a crash early Saturday morning on Interstate-95 in Stratford. Police say 53-year-old David Rapoport of Warwick, Rhode Island was ejected from his rig when it was struck by car and jackknifed in the southbound lanes. The driver of the car that struck the tractor trailer and started the crash stopped, then fled the scene on foot. He remains at large. The tractor trailer blocked all three southbound lanes and one northbound lane, snarling traffic in the region for hours.

The campaign manager for former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays plans to plead guilty to charges of embezzling campaign funds. Court records dated Friday show Michael Sohn of Fairfield has applied for permission to plead guilty. Prosecutors charged Sohn in December with embezzling about $250,000 in campaign funds.

Connecticut's lodging industry is getting some tips on how to run environmentally friendly motels, hotels and beds and breakfasts. Three workshops are planned to help operators of hotels, motels and inns learn how to reduce operating costs and gain a marketing advantage by improving efficiency in energy and water use and waste management. The workshops are sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Protection, state Commission on Culture and Tourism and Boston Green Tourism.

Connecticut officials say they're making another try for federal ``Race to the Top'' school reform grants despite being rejected in the first round. Legislators and policy makers say they want Connecticut's next application to highlight certain accomplishments, and believe the first application may not have been specific enough about those efforts. They include launching a new system to track individual students' progress, streamlining the state's teacher certification system and bringing Teach for America to Connecticut. Sixteen states were picked as finalists for part of the $4.35 billion in grants. They include neighboring Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. The second round of applications are due June 1.

A new public database promises to crack some of the nation's 100,000 missing persons cases, but only a fraction of law enforcement agencies are using it. The online clearinghouse, dubbed NamUs (Name Us), offers a quick way to check whether a missing loved one might be among the roughly 40,000 sets of unidentified remains that medical examiners across the country have. NamUs already has been hailed for solving 16 cases since it became fully operational last year.

Vitamin D recharges the body's immune system so it can fight off viruses and infections better. That's the finding by Danish researchers who are on the hunt for new vaccines that use the body's own defenses. It's long been known that a lack of Vitamin D increases people's chances of catching the flu and even developing cancer. But the key part of the discovery out of Copenhagen University concerns the immune system's killer T cells. Those are the cells that attack invading germs, and when they latch onto a pathogen they immediately start scouting around for Vitamin D. If they can't find any Vitamin D handy, the killer T cell goes dormant and the disease is allowed to go unchecked. Scientists say that half the world's population suffers from Vitamin D deficiency and the problem's getting worse as more couch potatoes spend less time outdoors. The findings are publishes in the journal "Nature Immunology."