Good morning.
The City of New Haven has sent a second letter demanding that newly constructed tiny homes for unhoused residents be taken down due to safety violations. The letter includes an order to vacate.
Housing activists insist the six, one-room shelters are vital with the increase in homelessness and cold weather. Eight unhoused people live behind the Amistad Catholic Worker House, on property owned by housing activists Mark Colville and his wife Luz Catarineau. They plan to continue working with the city to bring the project into compliance, and do not intend to remove or empty the shelters.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
Three Long Island men face federal charges for committing security fraud and laundering conspiracy. They allegedly laundered more than $2 million from a Silicon Valley financial services company. Prosecutors reported a fourth defendant from Greensboro, North Carolina, who was also indicted but remains accessible. If convicted, the four men will face up to 25 years.
Ex-New Haven cop has been decertified after a unanimous vote from a state committee for his history of domestic violence. He also skipped a public hearing to defend his career following allegations of making false statements in official police reports. Connecticut’s 2020 police accountability law requires police to be held accountable for their actions that may undermine law enforcement.
The Town of Riverhead is considering a ban on residential chicken coops and the sale of eggs. No breeding or sale of fowl or eggs is allowed without prior town approvals. Council member Tim Hubbard drafted a code for all domesticated fowl to be kept in “an approved hen house or coop.” The draft code is awaiting to be reviewed by the Farm Bureau and the town’s Agricultural Advisory Committee for further reaction.
New Yorkers will have access to an online pre-screening tool, REAL ID, before documents are required on May 7, 2025, for anyone 18 and older flying in the U.S. and planning to enter certain federal buildings. The screening process makes it more efficient for New Yorkers to submit their REAL ID or Enhanced ID applications along with identification and residency to the DMV prior to their appointment.
Fairfield Police say they discovered antisemitic and homophobic graffiti. The symbols were found near a beach area and inside a residential construction site. Police say security camera footage and paints found in the area were sent to the state laboratory.
