To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.
President Trump Declares National Emergency Over Border
President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation to avert another government shutdown and pay for limited fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump on Friday also declared a national emergency at the southern border and is using his executive authority to tap billions of other government funds to build the wall. The move comes after Congress approved a compromise border security bill Thursday night that averts a second partial government shutdown but only offers about $1.4 billion for border barriers, far below the $5.7 billion Trump insisted he needed. Democratic congressional leaders released a statement Friday calling Trump's action an unconstitutional "power grab by a disappointed President" and urging Republicans in Congress to join them in opposing it. Read more about the president's decision here.
Danbury High Offers Counselors After Suicide of Student
Danbury High School made counselors available to students on Monday after a classmate died of an apparent suicide at the Danbury Fair Mall. Hailey Nailor, 16, died after falling from the top of a mall parking garage Saturday afternoon and police said it appeared to be intentional. Click here for more details.
Local
Cromwell School Administrators Resign After Misconduct Investigation
The superintendent and assistant superintendent of schools in Cromwell have both resigned from their positions after an investigation into possible misconduct allegations. Superintendent of Schools John Maloney and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Krista Karch resigned from their positions on Wednesday, according to the Chairman of the Cromwell Board of Education Mike Camilleri. Maloney and Karch had been placed on leave in December after the school board received an anonymous complaint about the two. See more details about the allegations here.
March Madness Is Coming to Hartford
The first and second rounds of the Division 1 NCAA men’s basketball championship will take place at the XL Center on Thursday, March 21 and Saturday, March 23. Championship organizers expect the tournament to bring in 25,000 attendees and around $7.7 million for the Greater Hartford region from visitors staying in hotels, going to local restaurants, shopping and enjoy attractions, according to a news release from the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau.
Lawyer Says He Has New Video Evidence Against R. Kelly
Attorney Michael Avenatti said his office has been “quietly” investigating allegations made against embattled singer R. Kelly and has turned over “significant new evidence conclusively establishing Mr. Kelly’s illegal sexual assault of young girls.” Avenatti confirmed Thursday that his office gave a VHS videotape to Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney Kim Foxx that allegedly features R. Kelly and “has never previously been publicly disclosed or, until recently, provided to law enforcement.” The roughly 45-minutes of footage purportedly shows Kelly “engaging in multiple sexual assaults of a girl underage,” Avenatti said. See more details here.
