State Sen. Crisco wins $100,000 lottery payout

A veteran state senator representing Ansonia and Derby is among the recent winners of Connecticut Lottery games.

Sen. Joseph Crisco Jr. and his wife Patricia shared a $100,000 prize in the $1 Million Diamonds scratch-off game, according to lottery officials. The Criscos bought the ticket at the A&S Quik-Pik in Meriden.

Crisco, a Democrat, was first elected in 1992 and represents the 17th District that includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Hamden and Woodbridge.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-Rep-Crisco-wins-100K-9065079.php

DOT Survey Seeks To Get More People Onto Buses

HARTFORD — As they prepare to overhaul Connecticut's network of transit bus routes for the first time in 15 years, transportation planners are asking riders for suggestions.

The state Department of Transportation this week is conducting an online survey to learn where and when riders — and potential riders — want local buses to run.

The survey at www.ctbusstudy.com will be open through Friday.

It asks residents who don't ride to say why, and suggests responses such as "Buses do not go where I want to go," "buses do not run when I need it," "buses are too crowded," "buses are unreliable," "transfers between bus routes are difficult," "waiting times are too long," and "I don't live near a bus route."

Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-transportation-bus-survey-0803-20160802-story.html

Wrongful arrests now to be erased in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Charles Belk was headed for a pre-Emmy party in Beverly Hills when a group of police officers converged on the tall black film producer and handcuffed him.

Apparently, to the Beverly Hills officers, Belk fit the description of someone who was wanted for accessory to armed bank robbery.

About six hours later, the officers let Belk go, acknowledging they had the wrong guy, telling him the real suspect had been detained. The story took a turn for the worse about a week later when he discovered he had been arrested — in addition to being detained — and now he had a record.

Belk was at the State House Tuesday when Governor Raimondo signed a law that requires Rhode Island law enforcement agencies to destroy any records from wrongful arrests.

Read more: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160802/wrongful-arrests-now-to-be-erased-in-ri

South Carolina feds allege contractor, associates bilked government of $350 million

COLUMBIA, SC -- Federal prosecutors have indicted five men, two women and two corporations, alleging they illegally won government contracts worth some $350 million by misrepresenting themselves as straw companies controlled by either low-income men and women or disabled veterans.

Most of the seven are from the Columbia area.

An 18-count indictment in the case charges that Thomas Brock, 49 of Camden; Jerry Eddins, 66, of Aspermont, Texas; Harry Michael White, 65, of Columbia; Cory J. Adams, 43, of Columbia; Tory Brock, 51, of Camden; Alfonza McCutchen Jr., 39, of Irmo; and Allison Amanda Sauls, 46, of New York, N.Y., secretly set up an interlocking set of businesses and conspired to defraud the federal government by falsifying their eligibility to get government contracts.

The conspirators also identified, created and recruited “businesses owned by qualifying minorities, women, veterans and disabled veterans” and “hid their roles in the companies from the Small Business Administration and the Veterans Administration,” the indictment states.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article93268827.html

House ethics panel proposes new guidelines for spending campaign money

COLUMBIA — A House ethics panel gave preliminary approval Tuesday to new rules for appropriate ways to spend campaign money — forbidding its use for living expenses or gifts to lawmakers but allowing certain memberships and clothing purchases.

The proposed rules — which give guidance for 26 scenarios — will go to the full House Legislative Ethics Committee before becoming official. If approved, the guidelines would apply only to future expenses.

Rep. Murrell Smith, a Sumter Republican who chairs the subcommittee, said during the past year many officials and others have posed questions to him about what sort of expenses are legal and proper with campaign money. He said he also has asked them what sort of guidance they would like.

Most scenarios stemmed from that call for requests, while others related to issues faced by House members in recent years — such as former House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s use of campaign money to pay attorney fees.

Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/20160802/160809878/house-ethics-panel-proposes-new-guidelines-for-spending-campaign-money

Christian’ Store Owner in Arkansas Doesn’t Want Lesbians Holding Hands in Front of the Children

Saying he’s “a family person” and would have done the same thing if they had been “regular people,” an Arkansas store owner asked a lesbian couple to stop holding hands in his business on Saturday.

Ashley Looper and Jessica Perkins, who’ve been together since January and recently got engaged, were shopping together at Spa City Treasures, a flea market and antique store in Hot Springs. Although they were holding hands, Looper and Perkins said they weren’t being “handsy” or disrespectful — or even hugging or kissing. Nevertheless, store owner Steve Salyers began following them around and eventually asked them to stop.

“I’m a family person so I want this to be a family store,” Salyers told KARK-TV. “It’s like I wouldn’t want to take my kids to a strip club or something.”

“I just felt like they were just doing something that was inappropriate to have kids around,” he added. “It would have been the same whether it had been regular people or not.”

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2016/08/lesbians-holding-hands/

PSA

Harlingen law firm employee accused of stealing $134,000

HARLINGEN - Harlingen police arrested an Edinburg woman accused of stealing more than $130,000 from the law firm where she worked.

Police say nearly two months ago the department received a theft report from Adams & Graham LLP, a longtime law firm based in Harlingen.

Crystal Garces, 41, is accused of extorting $134,139 from the law practice between 2012 and 2016, police said. According to her Linkedin profile, Garces is the billing supervisor at Adams & Graham and has worked for the company for 7.5 years.

Garces was arrested earlier today for the outstanding theft warrant and taken to the city jail. Her bond was set at $75,000.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/law-firm-employee-accused-of-stealing/article_89587002-9aa1-5029-b977-9acfc95b1601.html

Maine sheriff investigating whether Muslims' rights violated

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine sheriff's department is investigating whether the rights of Muslim protesters were violated when they were booked into a county jail.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office announced an investigation on Tuesday to determine whether booking photos showing the four Muslim women without their hijabs were improperly released to the public.

On Monday, a man told the Portland City Council that the women were "intimidated" into removing their religious headscarves following their July 15 arrest at a protest in the city. The man told council members that the women were promised that jail officials would not release photos showing them without their hijabs.

The women were booked into the Cumberland County Jail, which requires Muslim women to have their booking photos taken with and without their hijabs.

Read more: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/ap_nation/maine-sheriff-investigating-whether-muslims-rights-violated/article_9477ef80-6c9e-52a5-9390-989b0b3188c0.html

Sherwin Alumina Co. plans to close Gregory plant

GREGORY — Sherwin Alumina Co. is closing its Gregory plant, where hundreds of unionized employees have been locked out of their jobs for nearly two years.

Sherwin president/CEO Thomas Russell said in a statement Monday closing the plant was a difficult decision, but was the "best available option" for stakeholders after exhausting its alternatives.

Roughly 300 jobs will be lost in the move.

"We are extremely grateful to all our hardworking, talented employees for over 60 years of dedicated service to Sherwin and saddened at the way our company's story has to end," Russell said. "Throughout this period of uncertainty, our employees have continued to impress, performing their jobs with professionalism. It is thanks to them that Sherwin was able to establish itself as an economic pillar to the Corpus Christi region for so many years."

Read more: http://www.caller.com/news/energy-effects/sherwin-alumina-co-plans-to-close-gregory-plant-390491d0-d67e-74c2-e053-0100007f000f-388841571.html