Good morning. A former Derby, Connecticut alderman will plead guilty for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.
Gino DiGiovanni Jr. plans to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection with the riot by supporters of Donald Trump after his electoral defeat. He admitted to entering the Capitol building but says he didn’t commit any violence himself.
After taking part in the insurrection, DiGiovanni was elected as a town alderman in Derby. He then won the Republican mayoral primary, but lost the general election to Democrat Joseph DiMartino
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wants a federal investigation into Tesla after the electric cars were recalled last week. Over two million cars were recalled to update software and fix a defect in their autopilot systems. Blumenthal (D-CT) claims Tesla’s autopilot caused several car crashes and fatalities due to people using the feature on roads it wasn’t designed for.
Over 2,000 New York state employees will finally receive belated funds later this month for working overtime during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly $3 million in back pay will be distributed to workers on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Thursday, Dec. 28. Each employee will receive an average of $1,375.
A Connecticut State Police audit found almost 30 officers may have issued dozens of falsified tickets since at least 2017. The audit reviewed police reports that issued over 40 tickets within two and half hours or one ticket every four minutes on average. Experts believe most of these tickets are “ghost tickets" and were made without any actual stops. State police, the FBI and former U.S. attorney for Connecticut Deirdre Daly are investigating.
A Nassau County police officer was charged with third-degree rape and harassment. John Ingardia allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in 2021 despite her repeatedly asking him to stop. Ingardia served as an active-duty officer one year later before the woman filed a complaint in 2023. A grand jury voted to indict Ingardia but was delayed due to “health issues.”
The philanthropic organization Fitzgerald & Halliday proposed a master plan to improve the city of Norwich and its parks. The $30 million plan would improve 31 parks, build two more parks, two splash pads, an artificial turf field and improve accessibility around the city. If approved, the plan would take a decade to complete.
The New England Scenic Trail is recognized as a national park. This increased the total number of national parks to 428. New England’s 235-mile trail starts along the Long Island Sound from Guilford Point, Connecticut through Massachusetts, and ends in the mountains of New Hampshire.
